Transmigrated As An Extra In The Apocalypse-Chapter 43 - 42: Alert

Amber Pov

The city was alive with the hum of activity, its narrow streets bustling with soldiers, merchants, and civilians trying to go about their day amidst the chaos of the world outside the walls.

The sky was overcast, a pale gray that hinted at the constant tension hanging over everyone.

I wandered through the crowded marketplace, my boots clicking softly on the cobblestones as I scanned the shops lining the street.

I was on a mission.

Snacks.

It sounded trivial, but morale within the team had been shaky lately.

A little treat could go a long way in lifting spirits.

Plus, I needed something to take my mind off Sky and the outside wall duty he’d been assigned to.

My eyes landed on a small shop tucked between a blacksmith’s forge and an apothecary.

The sign above it was faded, but the smell of freshly baked goods wafting out the open door was enough to draw me in.

The interior was cramped but cozy.

Wooden shelves lined the walls, packed with jars of preserved fruits, bags of dried meat, and stacks of colorful snack boxes.

A small counter sat at the back, where an older man with graying hair and kind eyes was organizing his wares.

He looked up as the door jingled, greeting me with a smile.

"Ah, a customer! Welcome, welcome! What can I do for you today?"

"I’m looking for snacks," I said, stepping further into the shop. "Something good for a small group of people, nothing too fancy, just... comforting, I guess."

He nodded sagely, wiping his hands on a cloth.

"Well, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve got the best selection in the city. But the question is, what kind of snacks are you after? Sweet? Savory? Crunchy?"

I hesitated, glancing around at the overwhelming variety.

"That’s... a lot of options."

The shopkeeper chuckled, motioning for me to follow him.

"Let me help you narrow it down. For a group, I’d recommend something versatile, something everyone can enjoy. Take a look at these."

He pulled down a few boxes from a shelf and began explaining their contents.

"These here are honey-glazed nut clusters, sweet, but not overly so. Perfect with tea or coffee. And these," he said, holding up a bag of spiced crackers, "are savory with just a hint of heat. Great for sharing during a break."

I picked up the honey-glazed nuts, turning the box over in my hands.

They looked delicious, but my eye caught another item nearby.

"What about those?" I pointed to a box of chocolate-covered biscuits.

"Ah, an excellent choice! Those are always popular, individually wrapped, so they’re easy to carry. Rich and indulgent, but not so much that they weigh you down."

It took a few more minutes of debating, partly because I couldn’t decide, and partly because the shopkeeper seemed to enjoy sharing the story behind every product, but eventually, I settled on a mix of the honey-glazed nuts, the spiced crackers, and the chocolate biscuits.

"Good choices," the shopkeeper said as he rang up the purchase. "Your team will be happy with these, I’m sure of it."

I slide my card on the payment machine, and it beeped showing the payment confirmation.

"Thanks for your help. You know, it’s refreshing to meet someone who actually knows their products."

He laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"When you’ve been in the business as long as I have, you learn a thing or two. Come back anytime!"

With the bag of snacks in hand, I stepped back out onto the street.

The cool air hit me, and I adjusted my grip on the bag, careful not to crush the contents.

As I walked back toward the front gate, I couldn’t help but think about how much these small comforts mattered.

Maybe it wouldn’t solve all our problems, but for a little while, it might remind us all that there was still some good left in the world.

However small.

The sun was dipping lower in the sky as I made my way back to the front gate, the bag of snacks cradled in my arms.

The streets of the city seemed quieter now, the earlier hustle and bustle fading into an eerie calm.

It felt like the kind of stillness that came before something terrible.

I tried to shake the unease settling over me, focusing instead on the sound of my boots on the cobblestones and the occasional chatter of passing soldiers.

The smell of food carts wafted through the air, mingling with the metallic tang of the city’s walls.

As I passed the Awakened base, a fortified structure standing apart from the rest of the city with its tall, reinforced walls and ever-vigilant guards, I felt a strange pull to glance its way.

The Awakened were an enigma to most of us, their powers both awe-inspiring and unnerving.

"Amber!"

The sharp voice cut through my thoughts, and I turned to see one of the Awakened standing near the base’s gate.

He was tall, with sharp features and an intense gaze that seemed to pierce right through me.

His dark suit gleamed in the fading light, and the faint shimmer of energy around him hinted at the power he held.

I hesitated for a moment before stepping closer.

"You called me?"

He nodded, his expression grim.

"I have news. It’s not good."

A chill ran down my spine.

"What is it?"

"The goblin army," he said, his voice steady but heavy with urgency. "It’s marching toward us. They’ll reach here by nightfall."

The words hit me like a blow to the chest.

I tightened my grip on the bag in my arms, my mind racing.

"Are you sure? How do you know?"

He gestured toward the base, where several other Awakened were gathered, their faces just as grave.

"Scouts have confirmed it. The goblin horde is larger than anything we’ve seen before. They’re organized, too organized. And they’re moving fast."

I swallowed hard, trying to process the information.

My thoughts immediately went to Sky and his team.

They were out there, beyond the safety of the walls.

Even the walls won’t be safe again if we don’t act.

"Does the military base know?"

"They’ve been informed," he said. "But the city’s defenses... they’re not ready for this. Not at this scale, but the city awakened mage are preparing to make some kind of barrier, but i don’t really know if it can be done before the goblins arrive"

The weight of his words settled heavily on me, and I felt the world tilt slightly.

My pulse quickened, but I forced myself to stay calm.

Panicking wouldn’t help anyone.

"So what can I do?" I asked, surprising even myself with the steadiness of my voice.

His gaze softened, if only slightly.

"Be prepared. Inform your team. And your presence and that of your team would be necessary, we would surly handle this."

I nodded, though his words didn’t bring much comfort.

Awakened were powerful, yes, but even they weren’t invincible.

As he turned to leave, I called out.

"Wait!"

He glanced back, one brow raised.

"How bad is it? Really?"

For a moment, he didn’t answer, his eyes searching mine as if weighing whether I could handle the truth.

Finally, he said.

"It’s bad. If we’re not careful, this city won’t survive."

With that, he disappeared into the base, leaving me standing there with the weight of his warning pressing down on my chest.

I looked down at the bag of snacks in my arms, the triviality of it suddenly feeling absurd.

The thought of sharing these with my team now felt like a cruel joke in the face of what was coming.

Clutching the bag tighter, I quickened my pace toward the front gate, my heart pounding.

I had to find my team.

They needed to know.

The towering city wall loomed ahead, its imposing structure lined with vigilant soldiers and awakened pacing along the battlements.

I moved quickly, weaving through the crowd of people bustling near the gate.

The Awakened’s words replayed in my head, each repetition making the weight in my chest feel heavier.

When I finally spotted my team gathered near the wall’s base, a wave of relief mixed with urgency washed over me.

They were huddled together, leaning against crates and exchanging stories, their casual demeanor a stark contrast to the storm I was about to unleash.

"Amber?" Mark, was the first to notice me. His eyebrows furrowed at the sight of my expression. "What’s wrong?"

I didn’t waste time.

"Bad news"

"What?"

"The goblin army. Their coming closer." My voice came out steady, but the tension was clear. "They’ll be here by nightfall."

The easy chatter died instantly.

Everyone froze, their faces shifting from confusion to alarm.

"What?" Sarah, stood straighter. "Are you sure?"

"I just came from the Awakened base," I said, dropping the bag of snacks onto a nearby crate. "some scouts confirmed it. It’s not just a small force, it’s an organized horde. They’re moving fast."

The group exchanged uneasy glances.

The silence stretched for a moment, the weight of my words sinking in.

"Well," Mark finally said, crossing his arms. "If things are really like that, we would have to handle it, right? That’s what we are here for."

"Yeah," I replied, "but they said we might not be ready for something this big. What if we fail..."

I let the implication hang in the air.

"No way," said Liam, the youngest in the group.

He shook his head, trying to force a grin.

"The walls are strong. They’ll hold. Right?"

"Walls don’t fight armies," Sarah muttered, her voice grim.

Mark sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Alright, let’s not panic. If the bases hasn’t issued orders yet, then we stick to what we’re supposed to do. Amber, did they say anything about where the attack will start?"

"No specifics," I admitted, leaning against the crate. "But it doesn’t matter. If it’s as bad as they’re saying, we’ll all be pulled into the fight soon enough."

The group lapsed into a heavy silence, each of us lost in our thoughts.

I felt the weight of their eyes on me, but I couldn’t give them the reassurance they were silently begging for.

Then, out of nowhere, Liam broke the quiet.

"Amber, What about Sky?"

I blinked, caught off guard.

"Sky?" novelbuddy.cσ๓

"Yeah," Liam said, looking around at the others as if expecting someone to back him up. "You said he is out there, right? For outside gate duty?"

The mention of his name sent a cold pang through me.

I had been so focused on my own team, my own duties, that I had forgotten about him.

But now, the reality hit me hard.

"He is," I said quietly, the words feeling heavy in my mouth. "And if the goblin army’s on the move..."

"They’ll run into him," Sarah finished, her face grim.

Mark frowned.

"Sky’s with a team. And not just any ordinary team, they are one of the strongest privates, that is why the military base sent them out, they’ll know what to do."

"But he’s weak," Liam argued, his voice rising. "And what if they’re caught off guard? What if-"

"Enough," Mark snapped, his tone cutting through the rising panic. "We don’t know anything for sure yet. Right now, we focus on what we can control. Sky’s out there, he’ll have to handle himself until we settle the city first."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

Mark’s words made sense, but they didn’t ease the knot in my stomach.

Sky might be capable although not so well, but I couldn’t shake the image of him facing that horde alone.

As the others returned to discussing plans and possibilities, I found myself staring out toward the distant horizon, where the forest stretched endlessly beyond the walls.

Somewhere out there, Sky was surviving in a area where the strong sometimes perish.

And all I could do was hope he’d survive it.