The moment the Wyvern Cores merged into the Shelter’s Barrier, the dome of mana rippled like water disturbed by a storm.

Soon, its glow intensified and just like that, arcs of energy started sparking across its surface.

Then, with a powerful shockwave, the barrier changed.

Whummm~

Lightning surged outward in waves, striking everything beyond the walls!

Indeed, the barrier had just become a barrier of lightning!

Zombies convulsed as bolts ripped through their bodies!

No matter what, lightning was still lightning!

Even with their high defense, they were affected by this attack. Soon, they were just charred flesh sizzling.

Needless to say, against the Vampires and Thralls, they were also incredibly effective.

Thralls shrieked as their hands and feet twitched after getting hit!

With the arcs of electricity around the shelter, they couldn’t even get close!

Even the low‑rank vampires, normally with some resistance against such attacks, were completely defeated as lightning coursed through their veins!

Above, the second batch of wyverns also screeched in agony.

Their wings spasmed mid‑flight, to the point that even their scales burned as they plummeted from the sky!

The defenders gasped at the sight.

"It’s... attacking them directly!" Lysandra exclaimed.

"What a powerful defense... Is this a Legendary-Tier Barrier?" Natalie muttered to herself.

"We have something like this. Though not as big as this one." Travis added.

To be exact, everyone from the outside who had never seen this very active Barrier were shocked to see it.

It was no wonder that this shelter survived the Waves of Dragon Army back in its Apocalypse World.

"Hehe... Amazing, right?" Pascal said as he retreated to the rear lines.

Needless to say, the commanders and various leaders of the Fort were grinning ear to ear upon hearing their reaction.

This powerful defense was one of their trump cards after all!

Nika’s Overturn Talent, including this special barrier, had saved them from hordes of dragonoids before.

Caesar looked at Travis who was close to him...

"This is no ordinary shield. It’s a weapon now."

"I can tell... Though it probably won’t last. It’s using a lot of energy." Travis said and of course, he was right.

Caesar knew this as well and could only laugh it off.

Still, it was enough for now.

"Well... With the Wyvern Core collected so far, the barrier can do this... Fifteen minutes of lightning. But I think we’re going to get more cores anyway." He added.

Indeed, the battlefield was filled with chaos.

Every pulse of the barrier sent another wave of lightning outward, frying clusters of zombies and forcing vampires to their death...

"Haha! Kill them all! Target the wyverns! We need more cores!" Pascal shouted.

The wyverns, once circling with dominance, were now targets of the storm.

After some time, ballista bolts skewered them as they fell, and their bodies crashed into the horde below...

***

"Nice defense..."

Shane muttered as electricity sparked at his fingertips. "

He unleashed his Lightning Surge Skill, helping the clash against the wyverns...

His blasts were even merging with the barrier’s pulses, amplifying the destruction he could create.

Meanwhile, Tundra hurled a Cryo‑Stasis Charge into the chaos, freezing a group of Hunters already weakened by lightning.

"Frozen and fried... perfect combination!" he laughed.

Now, it seemed that this Cross-Apocalypse was doable... There were barely any casualties on their side.

"But let’s not be careless!" Shane shouted.

For some reason, he suddenly felt dread... It was as if there was a powerful enemy watching from the side...

’What the? Is the Vampire Lord here already?’ Shane frowned as he couldn’t understand why he was feeling this.

At this time, he was equipped with Four Mythical Items.

He had Bio-Armor, he had his metal Slime, Silver, protecting his body... However, for some reason, his instincts were warning him to back off.

However, there was no way he could do just that.

For now, he remained cautious...

He watched as the Super Soldiers charged forward... Their blades cut down stunned zombies. Their enhanced bodies exploited every opening created by the barrier’s pulses.

Warden Units advanced in formation... Their blades severed limbs, pierced the skulls of their enemies.

Then, the enhanced warriors roared after Tris gave them a signal.

"When the cores burn out, the barrier will return to its static form. We must thin their numbers before then." He shouted...

Nika, still pale from using Overturn, leaned against the rampart. "Kill them all! Gather all the cores immediately... Protect our Core Extractor!"

As the lightning weakens, the Juggernauts would get hit and pause, but they kept advancing!

Their armored hides were now absorbing much of the lightning. It was as if they had already adjusted to the attacks.

Tyrants also roared... Their massive bodies were scorched, but they were not stopping at all...

As for the Low-Rank Vampires, they soon learned how to evade!

Eve the robed figure in the sky watched silently...

"They harness dragon energy... and turn it into a storm. Dangerous but it won’t last that long..." He muttered.

***

"Team! You’re advancing too fast! Stay back!" Shane shouted as he noticed something.

As the defenders fought fearlessly, they were starting to move forward!

"Kill them!" Asta roared, leading the Super Soldiers into the chaos.

They cut down stunned zombies and soon, they even started advancing to let the others loot the enemies so that their bodies won’t pile up!

They seemed so excited as they kept moving and killing the enemies.

The Fort’s soldiers were the same...

Caesar slammed his shield into a Tyrant!

"With me! Strike while they’re weak!"

Shane frowned... However, he couldn’t control the situation... For now, he decided to focus on the enemies in front.

"Tundra... Clear the backlines again! I have a bad feeling." Shane shouted.

"Got it!"

Soon, Tundra’s muscle bulged and hurled a Venom Bomb to the back lines!

It was a corrosive mist that could through vampires who were already weakened...

Then, as the minutes ticked by, the storm began to fade...

The glow of the barrier dimmed slightly...

However, the barrier had already done its part!

Every soldier, every unit, every survivor fought with all their strength, knowing that the enemies were still weakened.

***

However, at this time, the Vampire Lord’s smile returned as he watched.

"Impressive... But it’s time to end this shelter..."

The Vampire Lord’s crimson aura rippled in the sky, then his body dissolved into a cloud of blood mist.

Whoosh~

In an instant, he vanished.

The defenders, still locked in battle, barely noticed what was happening...

Their focus was on the Juggernauts pounding the barrier, the Tyrants roaring, and the vampires using blood whips.

Yet amidst the chaos, something unexpected stirred.

Nika, pale and exhausted from using her Legendary Talent, suddenly stiffened.

Her eyes flickered unnaturally, her aura shifting for a moment like she became a different person, before she cloaked herself, appearing normal again.

No one noticed the subtle change.

She staggered forward, as she leaned against the rampart.

Shane glanced at her, assuming she was simply drained.

"Rest, Nika. You’ve done enough," he muttered, his attention still on the battlefield.

But then, his wristwatch pulsed.

[ Warning: Anomaly Detected. ]

Cloud, his A.I. assistant, spoke urgently.

[ Shane. You have an enemy behind you. ]

Shane frowned... He didn’t doubt that as he tried to look behind. He wanted to see what kind of enemy managed to pass through the barrier.

Before he could finish turning around, agony ripped through him.

A hand burst out of his chest from behind.

’What?!’

Shane’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The attack had bypassed everything... his talisman, his cloak, his shirt, even Silver, the metal slime hugging his body, and his bio‑armor protecting his torso.

Even the passive skills that should protect his body didn’t work for some reason!

The hand had pierced straight through his body!

Blood sprayed as Shane stumbled forward, his vitality the only thing keeping him alive.

He managed to wrench himself free, stumbling back with a gaping hole in his chest.

The defenders froze in horror.

"Nika?!" Pascal shouted in confusion...

At this point, many others had also noticed the commotion. They couldn’t believe what they were seeing!

They wanted to suppress Nika immediately, but her body convulsed violently!

Then her flesh bursts apart.

Boom!

From within, a new figure emerged. He was cloaked in blood and was radiating a suffocating aura.

The Vampire Lord.

He had possessed Nika, bypassing the barrier entirely, and now stood revealed in his true form.

His crimson eyes gleamed with malice as he licked the blood from his hand.

Gasps and cries erupted across the ramparts.

"No... Nika!"

"She’s not dead, right?!"

"Bring her back!"

"Where did you hide her?!"

The defenders were in shock, their second‑in‑command gone in an instant.

Meanwhile, Shane staggered, clutching his chest. For the first time, blood poured from the Rank 1 Survivor, the strongest among them. The sight sent waves of panic through the ranks.

"Help Shane!" someone screamed.

"Protect our Clan Leader!" Tundra roared.

He was stunned... the one who had been struck was Shane himself. Their almighty leader, the man they had never seen bleed before, was now dying in front of them.