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

Faced with everyone's persuasion, Sophia did not change her mind. She became more resolute in her beliefs, thinking that the others had not fully considered the situation.

"What you say does have some merit. In the course of action, we should heed the judgment of the strongest among us. But is Irving really the strongest?"

When Sophia said this, everyone looked at her in surprise.

"What do you mean by that? Do you think your abilities are greater than Irving's?" Benjamin asked coldly.

Sophia nodded.

"Yes, that's exactly what I think. While Irving may be stronger than all of us in combat, he lacks my experience when it comes to making decisions in complex situations. I believe I can make the most accurate judgments when faced with complicated circumstances. Therefore, you should follow my lead! Commanders and fighters have completely different roles.

In complex situations, the commander should take precedence."

Sophia's lengthy argument was intended to prove that her command abilities were superior. However, Benjamin and Wendy could no longer listen. Yet, neither of them felt they could strongly oppose Sophia before Irving made his stance clear.

Irving spoke slowly.

"What you say is indeed correct; your command abilities are somewhat stronger. However, I believe you do not have as comprehensive an understanding of the overall situation as I do. So you should still follow my orders."

Irving did not intend to agree with Sophia's assertions.

Sophia's expression showed deep disappointment.

"Irving, I hope you don't let your emotions dictate your actions! You can play a more significant role in the battles ahead; there's no need for you to compete with me for control of this operation."

Sophia felt that Irving was acting out of stubbornness. However, Irving believed his judgment was the most reasonable.

"Have you fought against Elder Howard before? Have you ever been to Shadow City? The answers to both of these questions are no. You've neither faced Elder Howard in direct combat nor gained more understanding of Shadow City. So what qualifies you to say that you should command this operation? Once you have more information, then provide me with your thoughts.

Until then, it's best for you to stick with me."

After saying this, Irving decided to continue moving forward.

In Irving's view, the conversation with Sophia was just a waste of time. However, Sophia did not move to join him. She stood her ground and coldly said, "If you believe your judgment is correct, then go ahead and act. I believe my judgment is right, so I will observe the situation around Shadow City."

Irving gave Sophia a deep look. He found her behavior today to be somewhat odd. Nevertheless, he refrained from saying much more and simply replied, "If you think that's what you should do, then go ahead! We can split up now!"

With that, Irving proceeded deeper into Shadow City. Wendy and Benjamin naturally followed Irving without hesitation. Sophia ultimately chose to head toward the outskirts of Shadow City.

Sophia wasn't trying to pick a fight with Irving; she didn't genuinely want to compete for control of this operation. She truly believed that observing the situation around the outskirts of Shadow City was the wisest choice.

Thus, both sides reluctantly set out on their separate paths. However, both hoped for the other's success, as only then could their subsequent actions proceed more smoothly.

While Irving and Sophia were taking their respective actions, Elder Howard's loyal followers were also mobilizing. One trap after another was activated within Shadow City. However, these traps posed little threat to Irving. He easily circumvented the vast majority of them.

Ultimately, Irving, along with Benjamin and Wendy, reached the very center of Shadow City in less than half an hour. There, they encountered the enemy they had longed to see: Elder Howard.

At that moment, Elder Howard stood atop the central building of Shadow City, smiling down at Irving and his companions.

"You finally made it. Your pace is slower than I expected. Did you have some sort of argument on the way? If that's the case, then success is unlikely for you."

Elder Howard continued to regard Irving and the others with a smile.

Irving coldly replied, "What does that have to do with you? My purpose in coming here is very simple: to rescue Vicky. If you're willing to hand her over, I can leave right now. If you refuse to give her up, don't blame me for being ruthless! Last time, I was able to destroy Shadow City during the operation, and this time I will bring about your ultimate destruction."

Upon hearing Irving's words, Elder Howard laughed scornfully. "You want to save Vicky? She's right here beside me."

As soon as Howard finished speaking, Vicky slowly walked out. At that moment, her eyes were vacant, clearly in a state of hypnosis.

Seeing Vicky, Benjamin became extremely agitated. "You need to release the president right now! If you don't let her go, I will attack you immediately!" Benjamin shouted impatiently toward Elder Howard.

Elder Howard smiled as he replied, "You have no right to attack me. The only one truly qualified to do so is Irving."

After saying this, Elder Howard took out a scroll. "Today, I will show you the power of the most formidable weapon of the Night Blades!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Elder Howard tore the scroll apart. Instantly, a massive magical formation that covered the entire Shadow City was activated, centered around him.

Howard's loyal followers throughout Shadow City sprang into action. One ritual spell after another was successfully activated, channeling immense dark power. All that dark energy surged toward Elder Howard, transforming him into a giant several dozen meters tall.

At that moment, the dark power Howard possessed far surpassed Irving's expectations. "I must make you understand the true strength of the Night Blades! The Night Blades not only have many talented individuals but also possess powerful weapons that you will never be able to obtain!"

As Elder Howard spoke, waves of dark energy formed a thick fog. The entire Shadow City was enveloped in this dark mist.

In the face of the dense fog, Irving merely regarded Howard with a cold stare. "Do you really think this will defeat me? What you're doing is no different from Elder Kent's approach. He ultimately failed, and you will fail as well."

Irving drew his Staff of Calamity. The moment the staff was activated, countless fireballs shot into the air. These fireballs dissipated the thick fog, illuminating the area around Irving and his companions, while also revealing Elder Howard's current position.

Howard had already appeared next to Wendy and was using his dark power to begin eroding her.

Upon seeing the situation, Irving immediately took action. Without hesitation, he attacked Elder Howard, and after a brief moment of hesitation, Benjamin joined in the assault alongside him. Elder Howard, facing the combined attack of Irving and Benjamin, needed to concentrate his attention on the fight.

For the moment, the battle reached a stalemate. Irving was not using all his strength, and Elder Howard was merely testing Irving and Benjamin's capabilities. As the two sides engaged in combat, the Werewolf God was moving toward the battlefield. The Werewolf God had freed itself from the constraints of Shadow City and could now move freely within its boundaries.

This meant that the crisis Irving was about to encounter would be immense. He would have to rely on his own strength to defeat both the Werewolf God and Elder Howard, who were both bolstered by dark power.

While Irving and the others were fighting, Sophia was on the outskirts of Shadow City, searching for information. The thick dark fog covering Shadow City shocked her as well. However, Sophia quickly regained her composure. She carefully examined the state of the fog and suspected that it was not entirely driven by dark power. It seemed that Elder Howard had employed other forces as well.

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"These dark mists appear to contain some chaotic energy. Could it be that chaotic power has reemerged? Didn't Irving say that chaotic power had been completely sealed away?"

Detecting the presence of chaotic energy left Sophia perplexed. However, she could not possibly get answers from Irving at that moment. So, she ultimately decided to press on; as long as she could reach the other side of Shadow City, she would be able to gather more information.

After advancing for a while, Sophia suddenly encountered a few members of the Night Blades. They were setting up a ritual spell.

"Didn't Elder Howard already prepare a very detailed plan? Why are we still here preparing these spells? I don't think they will be needed at all," one Night Blades member complained to his companions.

"Enough with the nonsense. Let's just finish setting up these ritual spells. Elder Howard must have his reasons for instructing us to do this. Besides, we need to act quickly. The battle in Shadow City has already begun, and if we don't finish these rituals soon, we could very well affect the outcome of the ongoing fight," another member urged.

Under the pressure from his companion, the Night Blades members finally completed the ritual spells. Just as they were about to leave, Sophia suddenly appeared in front of them.

"Tell me everything you know! If I find the information you provide useful, I will consider letting you go!" Sophia said coldly.