Another hour later the rest of the party leaders dispersed for last minute preparations. Larry, Jason, Martin and Rose had grouped together to discuss the more extraordinary changes. “What on earth happened to you two?” Larry asked.

He knew they had been offered [BLOODLINE]s, but the changes hadn’t been this pronounced the night before. “My guess is our [BLOODLINE]s weren’t fully activated until we were asleep, so the more obvious changes happened while we were unconscious” Martin concluded.

Jason and Larry nodded at the observation while Rose just looked on in interest. “Alright then, there are shapeshifting powers being given out now. I’ll keep that in mind, and I might as well inform the other tribe leaders so they can pass it down the line” Larry said.

“Oh, while I have you here Jason, I’d like Jasmine to swap out of your party to mine, which is headed for the shopping centre. You are headed to the daycare with Martin and Rose, so I want a [SHADOWWALKER] on each important mission.”

Jason just nodded in affirmation to Larry’s request. After another half hour everyone one was set, so they all headed out.

The mission wasn’t quite as difficult as expected. It turned out the first place mothers and fathers wanted to check as soon as they could was were their children were. An entire community was banded together and clearing the surrounding area with the daycare as a base. Rose had a feeling that something similar had happened at the primary and high schools as well. There were some children that hadn’t had any parents show up, those were most likely orphans by now. The issue was solved by other parents taking in those who didn’t have anyone else. Rose was pretty proud of the people in her area as soon as she found out.

The immediate reaction from the daycare was of terror at the strange looking beings and giant wolves that showed up, but Rose stepped forward each time, pointing out how their tags were still human and that the [BLOODLINE] was just a reward from the nexus thing. She also stated that the wolves had been tamed by her and wouldn’t harm anyone. Eventually everyone calmed down and talks began. People of the Stafford daycare had figured out how to form parties, so Rose guided them in making raid teams and clans. There were even enough people to form a tribe, which Martin helped link to Larry who then linked to the rest of the tribe leaders. The one who took charge of the tribe leader position was an elderly lady by the name of Agatha. She was a no-nonsense person that hadn’t actually been running the daycare before the Nexus hit. She was just a grandmother that organised the situation and made a safe zone through sheer coincidence, much like Rose had.

Mission overall successful, Martin led the group to continue clearing out the area. The first house they entered was empty apart from a single blue slime that immediately attacked Rose. SPLAT.

*DING*

[LEVEL UP] You have reached Level 1.

2 Attribute points have been distributed according to the natural inclinations of your race.

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You have 1 Skill point and 2 Attribute points to distribute manually.

Once again, her frying pan had saved the day, and she had finally earned her first level. She felt her power rise as the green glow engulfed her body. “Well done, Rose” Martin congratulated with a smile.

The other three members of their party, an older teen boy named Neil, a middle-aged woman called Emily, and of course Fred, all gave their congratulations as well as tips on where to put her points. While moving to the next house, the young lady brought up her stat sheet to think over her options.

[STATUS]

KIND: [HUMANOID]

RACE: [HUMAN]

SEX: [FEMALE]

AGE: 25

NAME: [ROSETTE SKY THORNE]

TITLE: [LADY]

[LEVEL 1]

STR – 5

VIT – 8

AGI – 5

DEX – 4

CON – 8

INT – 19

WIS – 15

CHA – 12

PER– 16

There was no need to add anything to [STRENGTH] or [CONSTITUTION] right now. Those would grow stronger with each level up. After debating with herself, she put the points into her two lowest stats, [AGILITY] and [DEXTERITY]. The rumours were true. Instantly she felt more flexible and limber. For a moment, an exhilarating feeling washed through Rose, making her feel like she could run for miles on end. Then it ended, but the flexibility remained. “Wow” she muttered to herself while the rest of the party just chuckled.

As the day continued into the afternoon Martin gave and took reports every quarter of an hour. His reports mostly consisted of ‘Healthy, safe and clearing as scheduled’, but the ones he received were quite different. The linked tribes had made a lot of progress in the area. The more area they cleared, the more people they saved or took in. And the more people that gathered the more teams that formed to help. This made the progress faster and faster as the day wore on. Sometimes there were even reports of other groups that had formed and had been doing well on their own. The ‘Terminators’, ‘Haven Clan’ and ‘The Hero Army’ as they called themselves decided to stay separate entities, but still kept in contact.

It got to the point where half the raid teams, old and new, were starting to clear areas in the suburbs next to Stafford. It was like a snowball effect. More people were helped and then more people began to help. On and on it went. Of course, there was the occasional group of [MURDERER]s, but with all the people gathered and working together, they were taken out pretty quickly. The tribe leaders decided there would be no mercy for those that turned on their own. The police and government hadn’t come to their aid, so for now they would have to make their own rules. And they decided they weren’t locking up and guarding known serial killers. They didn’t want to waste the manpower when so many others had already died.

By the end of the second day, more than two thirds of Stafford had already been cleared. Tomorrow the Stafford group and the allying tribes would make a push to reach the ‘class core’ and see how much of the region had been cleared. After that final report, Martin gathered his raid team back together and headed home. Walking Toby and co back up the stairs to her apartment, she fed and watered those in her care before heading back down to the common room for her own dinner. What a long day. Another tiring one too, but at least there was better news. Finishing her chicken soup, Rose took the elevator as she didn’t have giant wolves with her this time, just a stubborn and curious cat. Entering her home, she completed her night time ritual, questioned the greenskins about their day and then fell face first into bed. She really didn’t want to know how or why they had tried to vacuum the ceiling. She would leave those mysteries for the Rose of tomorrow. With her two favourite companions snuggled around her she was out like a light.