“Can I join you?” Baron asked quietly.

“Of course.” Shaw frowned. To be honest, she was a little interested in Baron. When forming the groups, Baron refused to go along with any of the players. Shaw doubted Baron couldn’t see what the process really was, yet he refused anyway.

In reality, Shaw knew that any decent faction needed proper organization and a hierarchy. Ideally, the leader shouldn’t be doing everything or issuing every order by herself. The leader should be issuing commands to a handful of her lieutenants, and these lieutenants, each of whom with different specifications, would then work with their own units of supplicants to figure out the details of what to do. This ensured maximum efficiency, as well as that the leader wouldn’t be exhausted to death.

The six level 5 players in the group were Shaw’s primary choice for lieutenants. Of course, levels didn't mean everything, and there were certain soft skills that could come into handy, but as of now, Shaw only had levels to really judge these players by.

Either way, in this case, the teams each level 5 player put together were meant to be the player’s own followers and supporters. Now, these players would fight against the NPC as a team, and in the future, these players would be the foundations of the units of these lieutenants. They would be the most trusted individuals of the lieutenants, and they would help the lieutenants the same way the lieutenants would help Shaw.

In the end, this would form a pyramid of power and authority with Shaw at the top.

Shaw and Baron started making their way through the mall. They ran into a few level 3 NPCs, and Baron eagerly cut them open one by one. Shaw didn't bother drawing her blade. The exp provided by the level 3 NPCs weren’t really worth her effort. Her targets were the level 6 and level 7 NPCs, and even perhaps the level 8 ones.

After decapitating another level 3 goblin with a clean strike, Baron turned to Shaw.

“What is it that you want, Shaw?”

The young woman frowned. She turned and stared into Baron’s eyes, the man could feel chills run down his back, but he forced himself to calm down, knowing fear wouldn’t do anything for him. Instead, he forced himself to continue.

“Look, Shaw…you went through all this trouble to help so many people out. You gave us crippled monsters to harvest, and you made sure we wouldn’t all be mauled to death by a level 7 knight. Now you’re taking us here for supplies.” He deduced, praying to god that he made the right choice. “Why go through all this trouble? I mean…you said it yourself in that meeting room. The monsters are growing stronger, and so must we. Wouldn’t it be better to keep the exp for yourself, no matter how few they are?”

Shaw didn't say anything, so Baron answered his own question.

“If I were you, the only reason I’m spending so much time here is because I know it will be worth it.” He turned and glanced at the direction the groups of players disappeared in. “Most of the players still alive in the group have become your fanatics. They will do anything you want them to do, because they know you are their only chance of surviving. That’s exactly what you wanted, isn’t it? And when we get back to the precinct…how much longer will the Captain have to live? What can he even do in front of thirty level 4 and level 5 players, and a level 7 one?”

Once again, Shaw watched him talk without saying a word herself. Sometimes, silence was louder than a thousand words. Baron’s back was covered in sweat, but he didn't let that stop him.

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“I can help you. I will be very valuable to you.” The level 5 player said. “I have a Master’s degree in Finance. I also graduated with a minor in psychology. Back in my company, I was the number one salesman in our entire department.” He paused and examined the expression on Shaw’s face. “I know most people better than they know themselves. I will be more than happy to offer you my service, and since you are going to be taking over a settlement of hundreds of people, you will need it.”

Baron was smart. He knew he couldn’t keep being just another player, mainly because he wasn’t as good at the whole fighting thing as he hoped. Initially, he was able to get a head start before anyone else due to sheer luck, and his advantages only compounded. After all, the stronger he was, the more NPCs he could kill, and the stronger he would become. Few could catch up to him.

But when Shaw came and gave everyone a fighting chance, his advantage started to disappear. He wasn’t as fearless as Brian. He wasn’t even as skillful as Peter. Within the duration of the trip, his advantage quickly melted away. Five other players have already caught up to him. How many more would catch up in the next few days? How many would surpass him?

Even if he chose a few players right now, it would only be a matter of time before he was deemed replaceable. From what he saw about Shaw, she was more than happy to abandon anyone she considered a burden.

Of course, he could just grit his teeth and learn to be a better fighter, but he knew everyone else was doing the exact same thing. So, to prevent himself from becoming just another player, Baron took the opportunity and decided to have a direct conversation with Shaw. He placed his bets on the hope that Shaw would need him and his service.

If he was right, his position within Shaw’s new faction would be secured. If he was wrong and Shaw either didn't need him or was hell-bent on getting rid of him…well, things would get ugly.

Shaw, silent the entire time, was still staring at Baron. Finally, just as the man was about to break down, she came up with a reply.

“You are correct in that I am hoping to take over the precinct, but not for the reason you may think. I am doing this for reasons far greater than myself.” She could see Baron didn't believe her, but she didn’t mind. Baron’s approval was hardly something she needed.

“As for the Captain…how long he will live will depend on his response. If he is smart and yields, he may live for decades. If he is feeling like resisting, he will live a few more days at most.

Baron nodded. Shaw never gave a clear response to his promise of allegiance, but the fact that he was still alive now was already very promising. Shaw kept him alive, which meant she saw the value in his life. It was indeed good news.

The two of them didn't stroll too far from the original spot. After all, if any of the players run into problems they couldn’t solve, they would run back here and seek help from Shaw. If some of them came back and realized she was gone…

Indeed, after a few minutes, Shaw and Baron heard intense footsteps coming down one of the halls. They turned around and found a young player coming at them. Baron immediately recognized him as one of the players that went along with Peter.

“Shaw! Shaw!”

The player called out as he ran. Interestingly, many players in the group didn't really know what to call Shaw. Sir? Ma’am? In the end, Shaw just told them to refer to her by her name. She was never into ranks or titles, and she definitely wasn’t giving herself a stupid nickname like a Marvel superhero. She was Amy Shaw. End of story.

“What is it?”

“Shaw! We ran into a group of survivors.” The young man pointed in the direction he came. “They have a high level player that was a close match to Peter. They have held up in a Target store and the player refused to let us in!”

Now this made Shaw raise her eyebrows. The fact that there were survivors in this building was hardly surprising. People survive. It was human nature. Still, a potential level 5 player? At this stage of the game? That showed quite some talent, and she needed all the talent she could find.

It wasn’t too surprising the player refused to let Shaw’s people into the Target. In the lawless apocalypse, players were as dangerous as NPCs, if not more. All it took for a player to turn on their peer was some loot and supply.

With that in mind, Shaw quickly made a decision.

“Take me there.”