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

Not long after the werewolf leader's subordinates had left, a swirling black mist, infused with dark power, began to drift toward the direction where Irving and the others were gathered.

The sudden appearance of this dark power brought serious expressions to the faces of Irving and his companions.

"The members of the Night Blades not far from us are certainly not weak. We must prepare ourselves for battle immediately," Irving said solemnly to those around him.

The few individuals surrounding Irving quickly readied themselves for combat.

On the opposite side, two elders of the Night Blades also took notice of Irving and his group.

They did not act immediately, as they sensed that the strength of Irving and his companions was somewhat beyond their expectations. The dark mist that had just enveloped the area was released by Elder Howard, who used it to gauge the true strength of Irving's group.

Moreover, he noticed that the equipment they possessed was exceptionally rare. If they were to launch an attack recklessly, they might encounter unexpected complications.

"The strength of those people ahead is considerable. I have also pinpointed Irving's location. Before we take action, we must devise a flawless strategy," Elder Howard stated cautiously.

After hearing Elder Howard's words, Elder Kent replied in a slightly reluctant tone, "The brave prevail when faced with adversity. Since we've already encountered Irving, we shouldn't waste any more time. Just follow me and initiate the attack. I believe that no matter how strong Irving is, he cannot possibly defeat both of us, the elders of the Night Blades, at the same time."

As soon as Kent finished speaking, he transformed into a black sword of light and shot toward Irving and his group at high speed.

Upon witnessing this, Elder Howard let out a helpless sigh. "You're as reckless as ever! I hadn't even finished my sentence, and you've already launched an attack!"

Although Howard was somewhat dissatisfied with Kent's impulsiveness, he knew that with the attack already initiated, he could not remain a passive spectator.

Elder Howard also melded into the black mist and, using its cover, swiftly approached Irving and his companions.

Irving, of course, sensed the threat posed by Elder Kent. Therefore, he immediately drew the Staff of Calamity.

The moment the staff was in his grasp, a blinding light erupted from its tip. Following this, a barrier composed entirely of fiery energy materialized in front of Irving and his group.

Kent's black sword of light collided directly with the barrier. Dark power and fiery energy clashed violently, but ultimately, neither side was able to claim a decisive victory.

Elder Kent was blocked by the barrier summoned by Irving. The moment Kent's black sword of light collided with the barrier created by Irving, those around Irving instinctively took a step back.

"Are you all planning to run away now? Didn't I tell you before? Be ready for battle. What you need to do right now is to attack the enemy swiftly," Irving said, slightly dissatisfied with the reactions of his companions.

In Irving's view, he had already warned them, which meant they should have been prepared for combat long ago.

When facing the Night Blades, Irving's strategy was singular: to confront them fearlessly. Since his goal was to completely eradicate the Night Blades, he could not afford to show any signs of timidity in their presence.

The first to react was, of course, Aron. Although Aron had previously clashed with Irving, he was the one who despised the Night Blades the most among them.

Aron summoned all of his strength, causing his form to grow two to three times larger than before. Entering a combat state, Aron charged through the barrier of fiery energy that Irving had summoned and quickly reached Elder Kent's side.

Aron raised his fist and slammed it down toward Elder Kent with great force.

Of course, Aron's attack was not a significant threat to Elder Kent. In fact, Kent didn't even consider Aron a serious opponent that required his attention.

Elder Kent simply raised his left hand and materialized dark energy into a long sword. He engaged Aron in battle with the sword in hand.

After Aron launched his attack, Nick also moved to strike Elder Kent. Nick had previously demonstrated that he was no slouch in combat. Instead of confronting Kent head-on, he decided to leverage his skills as an assassin.

Nick first maneuvered to Kent's side, carefully ensuring that the elder was unprepared. Seizing the opportunity, he quickly flashed behind Elder Kent with his poisoned dagger in hand.

The teamwork between Aron and Nick was exceptionally well-coordinated. As Nick made his move, Aron intensified his assault on Elder Kent, drawing all of Kent's attention toward himself. This distraction provided Nick with a significant advantage for his attack.

However, just as Nick was about to plunge the poisoned dagger into Elder Kent's back, a swirl of black smoke enveloped him.

Nick felt a surge of dark energy seeping into his body.

"I absolutely loathe assassins; every single one of them must endure torment before finding release!" Elder Howard's voice echoed from within the black mist.

The moment Nick heard this voice, his entire body was plunged into a state of paralysis. Elder Howard used the power of the black mist to inject the poison from Nick's own dagger back into his body.

Although Nick had some resistance to the poison on the dagger, he found himself unable to fight back when faced with both the poison and the onslaught of dark energy. Aron was unaware of the predicament Nick was in; he only realized that Nick's attempt had failed.

Aron's own situation was not going smoothly either. With Nick no longer posing a threat, Elder Kent could finally focus all his power on battling Aron.

Aron's strength was inherently weaker than that of the Night Blades' elders. Thus, when he faced Elder Kent's attacks alone, he quickly found himself at a disadvantage.

Not far away, Benjamin watched the scene unfold and, feeling a bit anxious, turned to Irving. "We have to help them, right? If we don't step in soon, they'll be wiped out by the Night Blades' elder. After all, they are our allies."

As Benjamin spoke, he carefully observed Irving's expression. He knew that Irving's relationship with Aron had deteriorated significantly. However, Benjamin believed that Irving was a person who prioritized the greater good. Even with their troubled relationship, Irving would not allow Aron to be eliminated by the Night Blades' elder.

After a moment of silence, Irving finally spoke up. "We cannot assist them yet. I have a feeling that the Night Blades' elder has not yet revealed their full power."

As soon as Irving finished speaking, the werewolf leader expressed his impatience. "So when exactly are we supposed to wait until? If the Night Blades' elder can eliminate your two companions without even needing to show their true power, then by continuing to stand by, aren't we just setting ourselves up to be picked off one by one?"

Irving nodded in agreement. "You're right, which is why I hope you can launch an attack on the Night Blades' elder. That would help my companions."

Upon hearing this, the werewolf leader hesitated slightly. He was unsure of Irving's true intentions. Deep down, he harbored a significant concern—that Irving's suggestion to attack first was merely a strategy to ensure that both they and the Night Blades' elder would suffer mutual destruction.

During this moment of hesitation, Benjamin spoke directly to Irving. "I think it's better if I go help Aron and the others first! On one hand, I believe I understand their situation better. On the other hand, our Ocean Group has a partnership with the Angel Guild. So, it makes the most sense for me to assist them now."

Irving nodded, and Benjamin quickly took off in the direction of the black mist. He understood that the danger Nick was facing was the most pressing, and he needed to ensure Nick's safety above all else.

As Benjamin approached the dark house, he took out a time-delay alarm clock from his pocket. Once the alarm was activated, a ringing sound echoed, causing the movement speed of the black mist summoned by Elder Howard to slow considerably.

Seizing this opportunity, Benjamin pulled Nick out of the mist. At that moment, Nick was severely weakened by the dark energy and poison. Although his consciousness had not completely faded, he would be unable to provide much assistance in the upcoming battle.

"You should find a safe place to stay!" Benjamin urged, pushing Nick backward. Despite his dire condition, Nick had the ability to make his way back to Irving.

The time-delay effect of the alarm clock was still in effect, preventing Elder Howard from offering any support to Elder Kent. Benjamin intended to use this precious time to team up with Aron to defeat Elder Kent.

While Benjamin and Aron worked together to confront Elder Kent, Nick quickly made his way back to Irving's side. After assessing Nick's condition and confirming that he was not in grave danger, Irving turned to the werewolf leader and said, "I believe the time for us to strike has come! We must both give our all in attacking the Night Blades' elder!"

Irving had held back from launching an immediate counterattack against the Night Blades' elder solely because he wanted to gather more intelligence on them. After observing the battle for a while, he felt he had gathered enough information.