It's not surprising that they all felt this way.
According to the rules currently known, Chosen Ones collaborating with each other was undoubtedly far better than going it alone!
Besides, they could also latch on to a big shot!
And across the entire world, was there anyone else bigger, stronger, and more impressive than this person in front of them? Could their team leader even compare?
Thirteen thousand points in a single night!
At least seventy to eighty items dropped!
Not to mention his sheer strength—just the efficiency alone, how much equipment, how many ability balls, and how many treasures could he collect?
They had already realized how precious it was to be following Shen Hao so early on!
Even starting out with just a White Talent, they could quickly pull ahead of other Chosen Ones!
*It was impossible not to feel excited!*
*In the face of a crisis, who wouldn't desire greater power?*
*Some, in this moment, thought even further ahead.*
Take Dong Gong, for example.
*He was just as exhilarated and overjoyed, but when he saw the looks in the other Chosen Ones' eyes as they gazed at Shen Hao, he deeply understood what kind of reputation Shen Hao had built in this brand-new group in just one brief day.*
*And it wasn't just limited to this small team.*
Power combined with wealth equaled influence; if someone could wield both simultaneously, then in civilization, they'd be truly formidable!
Unless a second Chosen One emerged, capable of challenging him in both aspects, Shen Hao's status and influence would remain unparalleled!
"I'll write as soon as I'm free!" Dong Gong, being a smart person, naturally understood how invaluable the opportunity of staying close to Shen Hao was for an individual!
The sense of importance surged even higher!
"Alright!" Shen Hao nodded and began walking. "Let's go check out the people you brought back."
In fact, when he looked at the massive points and drops last night, he also pondered over this.
*Such efficiency couldn't entirely be considered his individual power.*
*Achieving such a high score was equally reliant on teamwork.*
Determining personnel, dividing routes, ensuring transport, keeping civilians away...
There was a whole series of behind-the-scenes support.
On top of that, according to the current rules for Chosen Ones, there was no way he could use up this amount of points on his own.
In the Level 3 White Store, the most expensive item was a "barrier," priced at just over eight thousand points; the best resources for strength enhancement topped out at only one or two thousand points.
Currently, he was wearing two Level 3 White Spirit Crystals and had consumed three Body Tempering Pills to boost his constitution.
Altogether, he had spent only six thousand seven hundred points.
Until he managed to fully absorb these resources, even if he used more points, there wouldn't be much benefit.
Unless he upgraded the store quickly to access better resources.
As for the surplus points, they could be funneled toward building a "Legion."
This route could simultaneously enhance civilization's strength to better handle the Civilization Trial and open up more channels for acquiring points for himself.
Store levels depended on "total points earned."
"When all is said and done, points can't directly add attributes or stack personal strength," Shen Hao sighed with a touch of greed in his heart.
He glanced at his current stats panel.
[Constitution: 12]
[Spirit: 15]
[Transcendent: 8]
Thanks to his talent, his mastery over his own abilities was exceptionally strong, allowing him to clearly perceive the changes within himself. For each point added to these three stats, his strength increased by approximately 1.2 times.
Compared to when he first became a Chosen One, his abilities had already more than doubled!
*Moreover, the rate at which his strength improved accelerated as he continually used his talent during the night.*
"Gaining abilities, using resources, and training—that should be the current method for Chosen Ones to enhance their strength," Shen Hao concluded in his mind.
At that moment, the group arrived at the playing field.
The focus last night had only been on suspected key individuals, so not many people had actually been brought back—roughly seven to eight thousand.
But chaos was beginning to spread across the plaza.
The commotion wasn't caused by Shen Hao's arrival, but rather due to changes on the internet.
As daylight broke, the increasing number of online users caused news from other countries to spread wildly across the web.
Countless messages were being frenziedly sent on different social media platforms.
"Holy shit, I woke up and the entire world's gone mad!"
"Everyone, be cautious of anyone around you! There are monsters!"
"Real-life Werewolf Kill?! Seriously?"
"I've got video footage. Add me if you want resources."
"Chosen Ones and monsters! What is happening to this world? How are we ordinary people supposed to survive?!"
"A word of advice—stock up on food and daily essentials, then isolate yourself. Don't interact with anyone!"
"I can't trust a single person anymore!"
"If any of you here are monsters, spare my life!"
"I am a monster. Venmo me fifty bucks, and I'll ask my brothers to spare you."
"..."
Clearly, even though mainstream media had remained silent, relying on internet censorship was already futile in controlling the spread of information.
Even those who still believed this was a joke, a hoax, or some kind of movie promotional stunt started to change their minds as the volume of rumors grew—especially after that initial video went viral. Panic began to take hold.
And the people in front of Shen Hao were undoubtedly the ones most impacted!
Most had only heard the rumors, but these individuals had seen monsters with their own eyes!
"An eight-thousand-person town—all monsters?"
"How many are around us right now?"
"Stay back; everyone get the hell away from me! If anyone comes closer, don't blame me for what happens!"
"I want out—let us leave!"
"These soldiers are already monsters. Don't listen to them!"
"Let's rush out!"
"..."
The chaos continued to grow, fear spread rapidly among the crowd, and quite a few individuals took out their phones to livestream the scene—only to have their streams repeatedly shut down. Nevertheless, more and more people online were beginning to notice this place.
#DonghuaCityMonsterOutbreak# blasted up the trending topics list in no time.
This provided the flow of attention and fear with a huge release valve, drawing increasing focus.
In mere moments, the situation had escalated beyond anyone's expectations.
"What's the word from above?" Shen Hao turned to look at Dong Gong.
"They're preparing to make it public—arrangements are underway." Dong Gong, also closely monitoring the shifts in online sentiment, responded. "But judging by the way things are unfolding, it looks like we're going to be at the center of this incident."
"After all, this was the first place where Blood Demons were discovered, and also the first formal battlefield against them," Shen Hao said, seemingly unsurprised by this turn of events.
Other places likely hadn't even managed to organize their Chosen Ones yet.
Meanwhile, they had already achieved commendable results in their initial battle.
From this perspective, they were indeed leading the nation.