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

Although Aron had not yet been rescued and Irving and his companions still needed to address some other troubles, the overall situation for Irving and his allies had improved significantly compared to before. With Irving's assistance, James had successfully regained control of the Green Ivy Company. Anna and Nick were managing to keep the Angel Guild operating, while Vicky and Benjamin were ensuring that the Ocean Group was running very smoothly.

Under these circumstances, Irving didn't have to worry too much. His main focus now was to recover quickly to his previous state. Throughout a series of battles, Irving had overcome many difficulties, but he had also sustained considerable injuries. He needed to harness the power of the Taikoo Flame Pearl to heal himself. Explore stories at empire

However, the power of the Taikoo Flame Pearl had already been significantly depleted, so Irving needed time to restore its full strength. He decided to rest for a week in his home. During this week, he wouldn't actively disturb his companions. However, if they encountered any trouble, they were welcome to seek him out.

During this week, none of Irving's companions disturbed him, as they all understood that he needed to recuperate. While his allies did not wish to interrupt him, Irving's enemies were eager to disrupt his state of recovery.

The first to take action against Irving was the Night Blades. Although the headquarters of the Night Blades had been attacked by Irving previously, it had not been destroyed, and the elders of Night Blades had not been killed. This meant that the overall strength of Night Blades had not been weakened.

Once they confirmed that their headquarters was secure, the Night Blades sought revenge against Irving. To ensure that they could effectively interfere with Irving, Shadow Celestial specifically dispatched two elders from Night Blades. These two elders collaborated with the members of Night Blades in the real world to directly assault Irving's home.

However, this operation by Night Blades did not achieve significant results. Even though they deployed two elders, both were quite cautious. They did not use their full strength during the battle. Upon encountering Irving, the two elders chose to retreat immediately.

After returning to the world of the shelter game, the two Night Blades elders embellished their account of the battle with Irving.

"Lord Shadow Celestial, if we hadn't escaped quickly, we might have been completely eliminated by Irving! His strength has nearly fully recovered. We shouldn't proactively seek trouble with him anymore. We must prepare to defend against Irving's attacks," one of the Night Blades elders said anxiously to Shadow Celestial.

Shadow Celestial nodded. "I understand. You've worked hard. I will consider your suggestions. You can go and rest now."

There was no change in Shadow Celestial's expression, and although the two Night Blades elders felt uncertain, they had no choice but to leave for the time being.

Once the two elders departed, Shadow Celestial's expression quickly darkened. He was well aware that the two Night Blades elders had deceived him. He had his own trusted subordinates monitoring their every move in the real world. Not long ago, one of his loyal subordinates informed him that the two Night Blades elders had only made a test attack on Irving's home. They had not used their full strength during the battle.

Although Shadow Celestial knew the elders were lying to him, he couldn't directly confront them because of their deep qualifications. Moreover, at least they had not joined Astra's conspiracy.

"Let you fence-sitters enjoy your time for now! Once I clear out all my enemies, I will deal with you!" Shadow Celestial muttered to himself.

In reality, Shadow Celestial had sent the two Night Blades elders out merely to distract Irving. His true plan had already begun.

Shadow Celestial's real plan was very complex. It involved the power of the Blood Moon as well as the forces of the Abyss, and he even intended to exploit Irving's suspicions. Shadow Celestial had dispatched his own envoy, who would meet with Sophia and Elder Seville.

Shadow Celestial hoped his envoy could persuade Sophia and Elder Seville to collaborate with him. In Shadow Celestial's view, he had no major conflict with either Sophia or Elder Seville. They could unite for a common purpose—specifically, to target Irving.

Sophia needed to rescue her true self, while Shadow Celestial aimed to eliminate Irving in order to acquire the chaotic powers he possessed.

Shadow Celestial did not actually know why Elder Seville was targeting Irving. However, he was certain that the conflict between Elder Seville and Irving ran deeper than the one he had with Irving. As long as he could reestablish a partnership with Sophia and Elder Seville, he could put Irving in significant danger once again.

Shadow Celestial's envoy quickly found Sophia. Of course, what he found was actually a projection of Sophia. The real Sophia remained sealed away. Although Sophia's projection did not possess the same formidable power as her true self, it was still capable of channeling the power of the Blood Moon. In crucial battles, the power of the Blood Moon could play a significant role. Even if the power of the Blood Moon itself was not extraordinarily strong, its characteristics could create substantial crises for Irving during combat.

Sophia's projection did not seem surprised by the arrival of Shadow Celestial's envoy. She simply asked indifferently, "Does your master have any new plans? How does he intend to cooperate with me this time?"

The envoy quickly replied, "My master indeed has a new plan! However, I do not know the specific details of this new plan."

"Is that so?" Sophia's projection gazed at the bright moon in the sky without turning around. "Then what do you intend to tell me? He sent you to find me, so you must have a few words to convey."

The envoy hurriedly relayed what Shadow Celestial hoped he would communicate. "My master told me that as long as you are willing to cooperate with him this time, he can guarantee your rescue from the seal. Moreover, he can provide you with an opportunity to seal Irving away. This would essentially give you a chance for revenge against Irving."

After hastily delivering this message, the envoy awaited Sophia's response.

Sophia let out a cold laugh. "What kind of condition is that? He doesn't think these words will persuade me, does he? I do indeed wish to take revenge on Irving. However, my reason will not be overwhelmed by vengeful emotions!

I am very aware that the power I currently possess is far inferior to Irving's. Even if Shadow Celestial is willing to cooperate with me, the two of us together might not be able to defeat Irving. Furthermore, Irving is certainly in a secure area in the real world right now. If we launch a direct attack on him, his companions will surely provide support.

We cannot engage in a life-and-death battle with Irving and his allies in the real world! Such a confrontation would leave us with almost no chance of victory."

Sophia's words relieved Shadow Celestial's envoy. Although her statements were questioning Shadow Celestial's sincerity in collaborating, the envoy interpreted her willingness to engage in such a discussion as a sign that she was eager to work with Shadow Celestial.

"You are correct. My master anticipated that you would express these concerns. So he also instructed me on how to respond to you," the envoy said.

Upon hearing this, Sophia slowly turned around. She finally allowed herself to look directly at Shadow Celestial's envoy. The envoy noticed her movement and quickly added, "My master hopes I can convey this to you: in this collaboration, all you need to do is summon the Blood Moon during critical battles. He will handle everything else."

This statement puzzled Sophia. "Is that really all? Does he truly not need me to take action during the battle?"

"Not at all! My master told me that he only wishes for you to let the Blood Moon envelop the battlefield during the fight. He does not require you to engage directly in combat because he understands that your current condition is not optimal," the envoy explained slowly.

After hearing this, Sophia's expression wavered slightly. Although she had always desired revenge against Irving, she was acutely aware that her power was insufficient to challenge him directly in battle. Thus, she had been looking forward to a renewed collaboration with Shadow Celestial, allowing him to take on the primary combat responsibilities.

Even though their previous undertaking had failed, Shadow Celestial was now the only person Sophia could rely on. Additionally, there had been some unforeseen circumstances contributing to Shadow Celestial's earlier failure. The terms of cooperation he proposed this time were extraordinarily generous, leaving Sophia momentarily unsure whether to trust his words.

After contemplating for a moment, Sophia nodded. "I understand. I will cooperate with your master's plan. During the battle, I will ensure that the Blood Moon rises on the battlefield." She finally agreed to collaborate with Shadow Celestial again.

However, she also issued a warning to Shadow Celestial's envoy. "While I am willing to work with your master, I hope you can relay this message back to him: he must ensure that this plan succeeds. If this plan turns out to be as ineffective as the previous one, I will no longer be able to collaborate with him."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

With that, Sophia dismissed Shadow Celestial's envoy.