That night, Shaw stood in front of the window in the Presidential Suite and looked out onto the streets below. She was holding a glass of soda in her hand. It wasn’t like she had to worry about her weight or anything.

In the end, the survivors did reach the precinct before nightfall, at least some of them did. A few minutes after Shaw got into the hotel room and finished taking a shower, she received a list of messages that confirmed the completion of her second optional mission.

Congratulations, player! You have completed an Optional Mission! Analyzing data now…

(12 / 26) survivors have reached the police precinct.

Congratulations, player! You have received 4 (2 + 2) Disposable Attribute Points!

Congratulations, player! You have received a new weapon: Silver Shield.

The only thing Shaw could tell from these notifications was that 12 people survived the trip. Was Emily among them? Were the two other officers still alive? Was the businessman Warrior alive? Did the young girl Emily was carrying or the religious old woman make it? She had no idea, and she wouldn’t be surprised if none of them made it.

Like she did with the 5 points from level 5, Shaw kept the 4 DAPs in reserve for now. What satisfied her more than the points was the new weapon she received. The Silver Shield. As the reward for getting more than 10 survivors to safety, the Silver Shield was a round shield that could be attached to Shaw’s forearm with a leather strap. It wouldn’t make Shaw impervious to damage, but it would certainly make her a lot more durable in combat. And given what was going on outside...she would need it.

Suddenly, as Shaw took a sip of her drink, she suddenly heard a loud shriek outside. The sound came from one of the streets, but it was still able to reach Shaw five floors up.

“So it begins…” Shaw whispered to herself, hardly too surprised.

As if that first shriek gave them a signal, more and more cries echoed through the air. They were coming from every corner of the city. Shaw knew what they represented. The shrieks came from every NPC within the city, and they were making this noise because they were in the middle of transformations. All the NPCs already produced were getting leveled up. Level 1 skeletons who an ordinary human could knock over with a plastic chair would become level 3 skeletons that could cut open a squad of unsuspecting troops with the element of surprise. The NPCs already at high levels would become even stronger.

The initial exp collecting period was over. Now, hell had truly descended upon this world.

Interestingly, this was actually really beneficial for powerful players. Players like Shaw. This mass upgrade of the NPCs would take away whatever control the governments and the military around the world had left. High-level NPCs also meant more experience and better loot, and for players who could kill these NPCs, it meant a quick path to power. Soon, the high-level players would be able to do whatever they wanted without repercussions. Torture. Rape. Kill. Some would have everything while most would lose everything.

Shaw sighed and turned around. She slowly summoned her Silver Sword and Silver Shield. The shield wasn’t large enough to cover her entire body, but it still offered some protection without hindering too much of her mobility. If she faced the Shadow Spider with this shield, she might have been able to tank its acid and web and push forward more aggressively than she did.

Speaking of the spider...Shaw also retrieved the Web Spitter from her storage space. She attached this weapon to her right forearm. She could already imagine the look on her enemy’s face when they dodge her blade, only to be shot in the face by a corrosive web that came out of nowhere. That image made her chuckle a little.

With both the sword and the shield on her, Shaw slowly walked to the mirror in the bathroom and examined her appearance. She certainly looked decent, and the sword and shield made her seem like a deadly warrior. In a time like this, having a tough appearance could save her a lot of trouble. The only issue was the shirt and jeans she was wearing. Both have become dirty and torn during the intense combat she engaged in throughout the day. She did have more clothes to change into, but they offered her no protection against attacks. She needed to find a set of armor as soon as possible.

Of course, that had to wait. For now, she needed some rest.

After setting up some simple traps around the room to make sure she wouldn’t be snuck upon at night, Shaw climbed onto the large bed and shut her eyes. She has had a long day.

Shaw woke up early the next morning. Much to her satisfaction, the shower in the suite was still working after the night. She took a quick shower, ate some of the bread she found at the grocery store, checked her equipment, and headed out of the door. The entire time, she barely bothered giving the luxurious room another look. If she wanted to enjoy, as perhaps the most powerful player in the world at this stage, she could get any luxury she could hope for. Soon, more and more leaders would know the importance of high-level players, and they would be willing to offer anything to secure their aid.

This was the best of times. This was the worst of times.

The hallway of the hotel was rather quiet. Things were relatively safe on this floor, aside from a few NPCs that wandered up the stairs by accident and were slain by Shaw yesterday. There were likely still survivors in the rooms, but they have all kept their voices down for fear of attracting the attention of the monsters outside. There were a few spawn points on the lower floors, and although Shaw did some cleaning yesterday when she arrived, the newly respawned and reinforced NPCs should have filled the lower floors once again.

Shaw could fight her way out, but the other survivors who were still at level 0? They would have no such luck against all the level 2 or level 3 monsters.

The young Warrior headed straight for the stairs. Just as she was walking, one of the doors along the hallway suddenly snapped open. Shaw frowned. As a level 5 player, her senses have all been enhanced significantly. Her eyesight. Her hearing. Even her taste and smell. She could distinctly sense a few people in that room. She ignored them at first, but what she didn't expect was these people coming out to...to do what? Talk to her?

Shaw stood there and waited, her Silver Sword and Silver Shield still ready. If these survivors wanted to do something stupid, she would gladly do them a favor and put them out of their misery.

Three people made their way out of the room. The first was a large bald man. The first impression he left on Shaw was simple. He looked like a criminal. He was wearing some sort of vest that didn't cover his arms, revealing large segments of tattoos carved into giant pieces of muscles. He was at least six feet two, allowing him to tower over Shaw like a giant. There was something in his pocket. Judging from the shape, it was a handgun.

One of the people behind him was another man in a black jacket. He was shorter than the first man, but he seemed equally dangerous, if not more. Like the first man, he was also armed.

The third person was a little girl. She was a little younger than the girl from the escort mission that Emily carried. As Shaw turned and stared at her, the little girl quietly moved to the side and hid behind the second man.

Shaw turned back to the bald man. He looked strong, but Shaw could tell, mainly from experience, that he likely wasn’t a player. Any of the monsters outside could tear him apart limb by limb.

“Move out of my way.” She ordered coldly.

The large man gulped. Somehow, despite towering over the young woman before him, he still felt chills running down his spines and his palms getting wet. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long, long time. It was fear. Absolute, crushing fear. The young woman before him could, and would, kill him if she had to.

In another situation, the man would’ve backed off now, but this time, he had a reason to make a stand.

“My name is Ryan. Ryan Peterson.” The man introduced while holding up his hands to show he was no threat. “I...I saw what you did when you came in last night. I would like to make a deal with you, if that is ok.”

Ryan was smart. He wasn’t that store owner who felt entitled to things he didn't deserve. He wasn’t the religious woman who had to turn to faith to protect her fragile mind. Like everyone else in the world, he was shaken to the core by the Launch, but it had been a day already, and his experience and what he did for a living allowed him to get used to this new world a lot quicker than the others.

He had somewhat of an idea of what was going on and the basics of the game, and he could tell Shaw was a powerful player. Powerful enough to take out the monsters that he didn't stand a chance in fighting. Trying to guilt this woman into helping wouldn’t work. Trying to threaten or blackmail her wouldn’t work. Play tricks against a powerful person like her in a lawless world, and he would get himself and everyone around him killed.

So instead, he tried something much smarter. He tried to make Shaw an offer.