“I will carry her.”

Shaw glanced at the Valkyrie. It shouldn’t be a surprise. By all accounts, the woman was a compassionate person even months into the Launch and at the height of her power. Still, she was a little taken back. All the players knew this was the perfect chance to level up, and the higher level they reach, the higher their chance of surviving would be. Yet Emily...she was willing to give up this opportunity for a random child?

Honestly, Shaw’s opinion toward the little girl was simple. She had little value. As a defenseless ten-year-old girl, she wouldn’t last very long in the apocalypse. Even if she survived, it was unlikely she would become a powerful figure. Most likely, the most she would accomplish was survive, which meant she wasn’t worth Shaw’s attention.

The only reason she was wasting time here was because she had lost 3 survivors already, and she really wanted to keep that extra DAP. Every life counted. Aside from that, they were irrelevant.

Alas, Emily made her choice, and who was Shaw to change her mind?

She watched as Emily returned her Silver Sword to her storage space and carried the young girl between her arms. The girl was by no means small, but Emily had already become much stronger than she ever was. Even when holding the injured little girl, she could still walk as fast as before.

The gap she left in the defenses of the group was replaced by another player who was all too eager to get more action.

Minutes went by as the group continued down the road. Once again, Shaw handled most of the pressure. She killed most of the level 2 and level 3 monsters that came their way, monsters that would’ve easily overrun the survivors if she wasn’t there to pin them back. Thanks to her contribution, the players brave enough to get in on the action had the chance to level up. In the short minutes, a handful of them already reached level 2, and they were heading for level 3.

In exchange for her contribution, Shaw was already closing in on level 5, and her exp harvest rate was much faster than the others.

Emily had already reached level 2 by the time she stopped fighting and started carrying the injured girl. Despite having a head start, she was already surpassed by many of the other players. Perhaps by the time they arrive at the precinct, she would be the weakest player among those who fought. Her early advantage would be meaningless.

The entire time, Shaw did her best to keep her opinions to herself. After all, Emily made her choice. The young officer knew what was going to happen, and who was her to stand in the way of Emily’s sacrifice?

That being said, in the end, Shaw could no longer keep her mouth shut. She justified her actions by telling herself that Emily would be valuable. Her potential was proven from Shaw’s previous life, and she could be a useful ally. But in reality, Shaw just had trouble watching the young officer abandon such a brilliant opportunity. The early days of the Launch were the most important, and getting ahead in these days usually meant being ahead for the months, if not years, to come. Shaw couldn’t tolerate seeing the officer throw away her head start, nor could she tolerate the idea of a powerful human warrior being lost, possibly due to her intervention.

Shaw suddenly charged forward non-stop repeatedly. A hellhound was smashed into pieces on impact. Another skeleton wizard was reduced to a pile of bones. Within seconds, under the somewhat jealous eyes of the other players, Shaw took care of most of the NPCs on the street.

As she was done, she returned to the group. More specifically, she returned to Emily’s side.

“Is it worth it?” She suddenly asked as she wiped her sword against her jeans and got rid of the blood.

“I’m sorry?”

“Is it worth it?” Shaw repeated before gesturing at the little girl Emily was still holding onto. “You have felt the power leveling up brings. You know what you are giving up. All to save...her? A random child you don’t even know? A child no one else cared about?”

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The little girl obviously heard Shaw’s words, but all she could do was pretend like she didn't. Shaw didn't bother avoiding her, mainly because she didn't care about the girl’s opinions. Emily frowned, clearly not expecting Shaw to be this straightforward. She paused for a moment and, when it became clear Shaw was expecting an answer, formed a response.

“Of course. Every life matters even in a time like this. Especially in a time like this.”

“Every life matters, but some matter more than the rest.” Shaw countered. “Every life has a price. There are some lives I am willing to die to protect, but others...not so much.”

The young officer frowned as she took a glance of confusion at Shaw. She had always felt the way this mysterious woman treated her was odd. In fact, when she thought about it, Shaw had been acting strangely ever since she heard her name. Did they know each other? Shaw seemed to have taken a surprising level of interest in her, and judging from how she tossed the goblin at her, that attention might not be something she would want.

“This is my job.” She did her best to get Shaw off her. “I am a police officer. My duty is to protect the innocent, no matter who they are or...or what they are worth. You seem to believe there can be a price tag to every life. I respect that, and I hope you can respect my belief as well.”

Shaw bit her lips as she stared at the defiant woman. From the perspective of a commoner, even now, Emily was a true hero, and she wasn’t alone. When the Launch happened, countless people held the line against the onslaught. Ordinary people. Police officers, marines, and soldiers. When their tanks and vehicles and communication died and their choppers fell from the sky, these men and women held back the monsters the best they could. They saved countless tens of thousands of people from horrible deaths. In the months to follow, some of them would try to build settlements and fortresses to harbor the innocent and the defenseless. The survivors who failed to level up when they could.

They were good people, and they became martyrs. Many of them were torn apart by the monsters. More were taken out by the survivors they were trying to protect or the players who had leveled up when they made their sacrifice. Others would be defeated by all the hopeless fights and abandon whatever principles they once held.

After the initial months, almost all the settlements were led by high-level players who didn't give a damn about the commoners. Those that did give a damn had a tendency of dying.

“Admirable words, Emily. But...you have to realize something. The world is different now. We are no longer living in a time of law and order. The police and the military won’t last long. Once they fall, how much more can you do by yourself?” She turned and glanced at the two other officers, both of them players now. “Look at your colleagues. They didn't step in when you did, and do you really think they will stick to their job when everything else has gone to shit? When there are no more incentives to do so?”

“What is your point?” Emily snapped at Shaw. She was usually mild-mannered, but Shaw was getting on her nerves.

“My point is that you need to focus on the bigger picture if you want to accomplish anything in a world like this!” Shaw snapped right back. At this point, she was losing her control after a very long and particularly terrible day. She might look like a teenage girl, but in that body was the soul of a woman in her mid-thirties who had been fighting an endless, hopeless war for half her life. She ignored the fact that she was talking to a young officer on the day of the Launch who had no idea about the horrors to come. Instead, a part of her was talking to the tens of thousands of good men and women who needlessly died to protect the weak and the undeserving. The valueless and the unappreciated. They bravely sacrificed their lives, and for what? Protect a handful of people who died anyway!

These martyrs died thinking they made a difference. Shaw lived knowing they didn't. The dead could rest, but the living had to keep fighting. Keep suffering.

“How many people can you save? One? Ten?” Shaw pushed on relentlessly. “And so what? So what if you can save a few innocent people for the moment? In doing so, you are letting yourself fall behind. Fall behind compared to both the NPCs and the other players. Do you know what that means?”

Before Emily could say a word, Shaw continued her outburst.

“That means you will become powerless. Defenseless. That means you will neither be valuable nor be a threat. That means you will not have strength in a world where strength means everything!” She glanced at the young girl. “That means you may be killed by a random NPC in a ditch somewhere. That means if a high-level player thinks you’re hot, the only thing you can do is take your clothes off. That means if a horde of NPCs decide to feast on the people you worked so hard saving, you will have no choice but to let that happen!”

“Now, tell me, is saving a few lives really worth it? A few lives that may very well be lost a few days later?”

She stared fiercely into Emily’s eyes, and the young woman stared right back.

“I don’t get it. Why are you paying so much attention to me?” Emily finally raised another question. One that she had been wondering about for a long time. “I don’t remember knowing you, but you seem to care a lot about me.”

This time, it was Shaw who turned away.