Chapter 60: Level 2 Permissions, Terror in the Community

Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Level 2 Permissions, Terror in the Community

Seraphina Sullivan looked at the exclamation mark next to her Level on the system panel.

She tapped it without hesitation.

A series of messages quickly popped up.

[Ding! Congratulations, Player, you have reached Level 2.]

[Level 2 Players will leave the Disaster Game’s newbie period and gain the following permissions:]

[Permission 1: Instance Selection]

You may choose one of two different instances when the next Disaster Game begins.

[Permission 2: Cross-World Matching]

You will participate in the Disaster Game alongside Level 2 Players from other worlds.

Seeing these two notifications, Seraphina Sullivan’s pupils contracted.

Many of her previous questions were answered in an instant.

’So an unnatural Player like Tina Lewis really did come from another world!’

"So Azure Star isn’t the only planet with Players in the Disaster Game..." she murmured, absentmindedly rubbing her Transformation Ring.

But what shocked her even more were the two words clearly mentioned by the system: "newbie period."

"Are you kidding me? Those three instances that nearly killed me were just the newbie tutorial?"

Seraphina Sullivan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

She recalled the terrifying parasitic monsters of the Parasite Apocalypse and the sky-blotting swarms of The Insect Frenzy... ’And all of that was just a "warm-up" for new Players?’

A sudden realization struck her, and she hurriedly checked the detailed description.

Sure enough, the fine print clearly stated:

[The difficulty of Level 1 instances is only 30% of the Disaster Game’s true difficulty.]

[Starting from Level 2, the true difficulty will be progressively unlocked.]

"In other words..." Seraphina’s throat felt dry. "Future Disaster Games will be more than twice as dangerous as before?!"

The realization sent a chill down her spine.

But she quickly calmed down.

She began to carefully study the two new permissions she had obtained.

Instance Selection meant she could avoid certain extremely dangerous instances, but only if she had a basic understanding of both options.

Cross-World Matching, on the other hand, was a double-edged sword.

She might meet powerful teammates from other worlds, but it was even more likely she’d encounter malicious High Rank players like Tina Lewis.

The level of danger had increased.

Seraphina Sullivan sighed and closed the system panel. ’So many problems...’

She rubbed her temples, feeling a bit of information overload from the level-up.

But on second thought, high risk often came with high reward.

For instance, in The Insect Frenzy, she had nearly died but had also obtained the precious Decaying Flower and a Power Apple.

Thinking of the Power Apple reminded her of the apple branch in her Space. She would have to plant it after she got some rest.

She glanced out the window. The city, shrouded in rain, seemed exceptionally quiet, with only the sound of raindrops tapping against the glass.

Her stomach suddenly rumbled in protest, and Seraphina Sullivan realized she hadn’t eaten a proper meal in a long time.

Facing all those disgusting bugs in the Insect Frenzy instance, she’d had no appetite at all.

’Time to treat myself.’ She walked to the kitchen, cooked a steaming pot of spicy instant noodles, and generously added two cans of luncheon meat.

To top it off, she grabbed a cold drink from the fridge.

The rich aroma soon filled the entire room.

"Mmm, smells delicious!"

She ate her noodles while scrolling through the news on her phone.

Lately, there were more and more reports about the "apocalyptic era," and the comment sections were rife with conspiracy theories.

The existence of Players was no longer a secret, but most of them weren’t being as high-profile as they had been before.

Seraphina Sullivan frowned. ’With the number of Players surging, what kind of impact will this have on the real world?’

’And what happens in the real world to Players who die in the instances?’

’Is the impact positive or negative?’

Just as she was lost in thought, a bloodcurdling scream suddenly pierced the rainy night.

The sound startled her so much that she dropped her chopsticks on the table.

Immediately after, her residential community’s group chat exploded.

Messages began popping up on her phone one after another.

[Whose kid is screaming like that?]

[This damn rain is annoying enough without someone adding to the noise!]

[Sounds like it’s coming from Block 2?]

But soon, a new message silenced everyone:

[Something big happened! Someone died in Block 2, Building 2, Apartment 404! The police are here!]

Seraphina Sullivan’s pupils contracted.

’Block 2, Building 2... isn’t that the one right next to mine?’

And she lived in Block 2, Building 1!

’Someone died in Apartment 404?’

This definitely caught Seraphina’s attention.

She shot to her feet, forgetting all about her noodles, and quickly changed into clothes that were easy to move in.

Before heading out, she hesitated for a second, but still put on the Transformation Ring. She changed her appearance to that of a plain, unremarkable girl, then put on a hat.

She then grabbed an umbrella and rushed out into the rain. From a distance, Seraphina could see a police car and an ambulance parked in front of Building 2, their flashing lights piercing the downpour.

A number of residents holding umbrellas had gathered to watch, gossiping amongst themselves.

"I heard it was a nasty death..."

"Was it cardiac arrest?"

"No way. I heard from security that the body was all deformed... It didn’t look like a natural death. I bet it’s related to those Players people have been talking about. The guy must have been a Player who died in that so-called game, and this is what he looked like when he came back to reality."

Seraphina, pretending to be a curious resident, quietly approached the police tape.

Through a gap in the crowd, she saw paramedics carrying out a stretcher. A human-shaped silhouette was vaguely visible beneath the white sheet covering it.

But the shape was clearly abnormal, as if something had expanded from within the corpse.

Just then, a gust of wind lifted a corner of the white sheet.

Seraphina’s pupils contracted instantly.

She saw the dead person’s arm was covered in familiar purplish-red markings, as if... as if they had been poisoned.

’This is...’ She suddenly recalled some of the venomous insects from The Insect Frenzy.

Seraphina quickly realized the deceased was definitely a Player.

And one who had died after returning to the real world.

’Wait a minute... If a Player dies in an instance, does their body reappear in the real world?’

Just as Seraphina was pondering what happened to the bodies of Players who died in instances, a commotion at the entrance to the complex suddenly broke her train of thought.

Several military SUVs sped onto the scene, and heavily-armed soldiers quickly locked down the area.

She immediately recognized the man in charge as Justin Brooks.

Justin Brooks had regained the calm, steady demeanor characteristic of a soldier and was directing his team to investigate the death.

His brow was furrowed; he had obviously realized the deceased was one of the chosen Players.

Seraphina quietly retreated to the edge of the crowd. Just as she was about to leave, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.

’Sean Chandler!’

The Player Corinne Joyce had sent to deal with her.

Seraphina tapped her head. ’I almost forgot about this threat. This is a perfect opportunity to get rid of him.’

She stealthily approached Sean Chandler and overheard his phone conversation.

"Yeah, the military is here... Right. Okay, I’ll keep an eye on things... I’ll get done what you asked."

And the voice on the other end was one Seraphina knew all too well.

"Get rid of her. Quickly."

It was Corinne Joyce’s voice.

Seraphina didn’t have to guess who Corinne wanted "gotten rid of."

A cold glint flashed in Seraphina’s eyes.