The Shelter Game: Me, Starting with a Tenfold Drop Rate

Chapter 51: Public Enemy Number One

[Player has become the game's "Public Enemy Number One". This will be announced to all players in three minutes!]

[Notice: Once a player is bound as the "Public Enemy Number One," special energy waves will emanate into the external world every 24 hours. Any player possessing a "Tracking Crystal" will be able to briefly detect the energy source.]

[If another player kills the "Public Enemy Number One," they will receive the protection of the Blue Star's Will, a permanent attribute boost, and a piece of legendary equipment as a reward...]

[Countdown to announcement: 00:02:37]

[After the countdown ends, the "Public Enemy Number One" will emit the first wave of special energy radiation, which will repeat every 24 hours.]

"Damn it!"

Irving couldn't help but curse out loud upon hearing the system notice, his face darkening with the news.

The excitement he felt earlier from acquiring the legendary staff, the[Evil Source Wand], dissipated instantly.

Becoming "Public Enemy Number One" meant that from now on, he wouldn't just have to fend off beast assaults.He would also have to constantly guard against threats from other players.

A permanent attribute boost!

Legendary equipment!

The rewards offered by the Blue Star's Will were simply too enticing. No player could possibly resist such temptation.

Irving sighed, but moments later, a steely resolve gleamed in his eyes. Since he had already become "Public Enemy Number One," he could only accept this new reality.

As the saying goes, a competent hunter must always be prepared to become the hunted. The Other World Game nearly replicated the post-apocalyptic world after the dark dominion swallowed the Blue Star in a 1:1 ratio. These current calamities were just trials. In the true apocalypse, no one could ever feel absolutely safe.

In the game, the quickest yet most effective method to gain equipment and resources was through plundering!

"Maybe this could turn out to be a good thing..." Irving muttered, his deep eyes becoming increasingly fierce.

However, he was also clearly aware that he needed to rapidly enhance his strength, especially because this sanctuary was destined to become the core hub post-apocalypse.

The next moment, his gaze shifted back to the[Evil Source Wand]in his hand, and the system's virtual interface appeared before his eyes.

[Evil Source Wand]

[Grade: Legendary!]

[Description: This is a staff filled with mystery and power. The gem embedded at the top, the "Heart of Plague," is the core source of its capabilities. According to legend, the "Evil Source Wand" was once wielded by a powerful dark sorceress who used it to bring about countless disasters and calamities...

The Evil Source Wand contains immense power, capable of unleashing devastating magical attacks and even exerting a degree of control over the minds of living beings!]

This time, he carefully read through the introduction, inevitably recalling the snake woman encountered in the altar's coffin.

"Could the former owner of this staff have been her?" Irving was almost certain of it. Otherwise, the "Heart of Plague" gem he obtained from the snake woman wouldn't fit so perfectly with the staff.

"The introduction says this staff can control the minds of creatures to some extent? Does that mean it can control not just the beasts but also other players?"

Irving murmured, a flash of astonishment crossing his eyes. However, he knew he would have to slowly test these theories in the days to come.

Though he had become "Public Enemy Number One," he had also acquired the[Evil Source Wand].

The mind-control attribute of this staff was particularly well-suited to his profession as a Necromancer. Yet, the exact enhancements it provided remained unknown for now.

"Irving." At that moment, Vicky suddenly spoke up in surprise, "I just received a system notification saying that a player has been designated as the top enemy by the will of Blue Star in the Other World. Anyone who manages to kill this player will be rewarded with a piece of legendary equipment!"

Irving smiled and shook his head, a complex expression crossing his face. "Well, that's not something you should concern yourself with."

"True..." Vicky seemed to have realized something, sighing, "To be marked as the enemy of all players, that mysterious player must be incredibly powerful. Otherwise, the will of Blue Star wouldn't offer a piece of legendary equipment as a reward."

At this moment, her heart was filled with curiosity. She couldn't figure out what line the "Public Enemy Number One" player had crossed in the game to warrant such a "bounty."

Before logging out of the game, Irving took one last look at the remodeled sanctuary. After ensuring that the revived beasts outside the thorny walls wouldn't be able to break in, he finally felt at ease.

Returning to the real world, he noticed it was already past 1 AM.

Irving headed to the bathroom for a cold shower, and the exhaustion weighing on his mind finally began to lift. However, when he looked in the mirror, he was shocked to find that the festering wound on his arm was still there!

Logically, the connection between the Other World and reality was one-way. As long as the sanctuary was not destroyed and he wasn't killed by other players, no matter how badly injured he got in the game, it shouldn't affect him in reality.

"Why does this scar look like a mark..." Irving examined his arm. Although the wound had healed, it had left behind a pentagram-like scar. A sense of unease crept into his mind. "Could this be a mark left by the snake woman for revenge?"

He had opened the coffin in the altar and then snatched away the "Heart of Plague" gem from the snake woman. It would be no surprise if this act provoked her wrath.

But one thing puzzled him.

The snake woman was far stronger than him, to the point of being overwhelming. Yet, she did not chase after him. Instead, she stood in place, commanding the revived beasts from the statues...

"Could she be bound by some kind of power?" Irving speculated.

More and more questions swirled in his mind, and he knew he wouldn't be able to uncover the truth, at least not for now.

"Well, forget it..." Irving muttered as he walked out of the bathroom, momentarily forgetting that he was only wearing a pair of shorts.

A familiar scene unfolded once more. Vicky, noticing the prolonged silence from the bathroom, came down to check, only to collide head-on with Irving at the corner.

Two young people living under the same roof, and at this moment, the atmosphere was becoming somewhat ambiguous. Vicky couldn't help but notice Irving's bare torso.

Though Irving's build wasn't overly muscular, he had the right amount of definition. His abs were particularly striking, with eight distinct segments complementing his height of over six feet and his chiseled face. Vicky's cheeks flushed red like ripe apples as her heart started pounding wildly, as if a little deer was racing inside her chest.

"Irving..." Vicky murmured, lowering her head shyly. Her bashful appearance was so endearing that one might be tempted to rush over and embrace her protectively.

"Go take a shower." Irving said, a strange flicker in his eyes before he turned to head upstairs.

However, just then, Vicky recalled the conversation she had with Sophia in the arrow tower.

From the moment she first met Irving, she had felt a strong attraction to this man. Without him, she couldn't count how many times she would have died in the game The Other World.

Without this man, she wouldn't have survived the first round of cataclysm. Without him, she would have long become a sacrificial pawn for her uncle, forced to marry someone she didn't love...

It was this man who had completely changed her destiny!

"Irving, do you have a girlfriend?" Vicky asked, gathering an unexpected courage.

Irving stopped in his tracks, looking at Vicky with some surprise before simply shaking his head.

No!

Vicky clenched her fists tightly, her cheeks growing even redder. Although Irving had driven her uncle and the Taylor family away at the banquet hall, she knew that the issue was far from resolved...

To completely solve this problem, she thought of a better plan.

The atmosphere in the room grew more suggestive.

Before Irving could react, Vicky suddenly leaped into his arms like a little bunny. Their bodies pressed together once more, and they both felt a warm sensation.

"Irving... I've liked you since the first time I saw you. Thank you for all your help," Vicky mustered the courage to continue. "I... I just want to stay by your side forever!"

Since her father's unexpected death, she had been under her uncle's control, even confined. But whenever she was close to this man, she felt an inner sense of security.

However, to her surprise, Irving gently pushed her away.

"Irving, you..." Vicky felt an immediate emptiness in her heart. She had never had a boyfriend before. As one of the top ten beauties in the capital city, suitors lined up from downtown to the suburbs.

And yet... her first confession had been rejected?

The next moment, a soft cry escaped her lips. As Vicky stood there in a daze, she suddenly felt herself being lifted. Irving had scooped her up in a princess carry.

When she looked up again, she saw a smile on Irving's deep, handsome face, and in that moment, she was utterly lost to him!