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

Irving and Aron's speculation about Elder Howard's intentions had some merit. However, the situation Howard and the Night Blades were currently facing was something that Irving and Aron could never have known.

After the battle in the ruins of Shadow City, Elder Howard and the members of the Night Blades suddenly found themselves in an even greater predicament. The power of the Werewolf God had become stronger than before. As time passed, the Werewolf God would be able to fully absorb the power of the blood moon.

At that point, the Werewolf God might very well be able to venture into the Abyss of Death all on his own.

Realizing this potential threat, Elder Howard immediately shared his concerns with the other elders of the Night Blades. For the Night Blades, the Abyss of Death was of utmost importance. They could not allow anyone to enter it.

Although the Werewolf God was collaborating with Elder Howard, he was by no means an ally of the Night Blades.

A gathering of numerous Night Blades elders convened, and they began discussing how to respond to the current situation.

As the elders engaged in their discussions, Elder Howard found himself under immense pressure. The others had turned their accusatory arrows towards him.

"You shouldn't have collaborated with the Werewolf God from the beginning! While the Werewolf God might provide some assistance, he also poses a significant threat to us. Look where we are now! He has gained the power of the blood moon, and soon he'll be able to venture into the Abyss of Death. Our source of power will be seized by him!

Are you satisfied now?" one of the Night Blades elders shouted angrily at Howard.

Although Elder Howard felt there were some issues with his approach, he wasn't about to back down in the face of their accusations. "I was merely executing the directives of the council! My mission was to prevent Irving from relocating his shelter. Yes, Elder Kent encountered an unfortunate incident during the operation.

However, my actions ultimately succeeded! Irving still hasn't managed to move his shelter! The reason I collaborated with the Werewolf God during this time was solely to eliminate Irving once and for all! Do you not see Irving as our enemy? Do you think we shouldn't eliminate him completely?"

Howard's rhetorical questions left the others speechless. Nonetheless, everyone knew that the current trouble was indeed of Howard's making. They all hoped he would quickly come up with a solution.

After a while of discussion, Elder Howard proposed a shocking plan. "If we can collaborate with the Werewolf God to deal with Irving, then doesn't that mean we could also cooperate with Irving to confront the Werewolf God?"

The moment Howard made this suggestion, the other Night Blades elders looked at him in shock.

"Have you lost your mind? Irving is our greatest enemy! Our previous actions were all aimed at completely eliminating him. Now you want to collaborate with him?" one elder responded incredulously.

Elder Howard nodded. "He was indeed our greatest enemy before. But now, the threat posed by the Werewolf God has surpassed that of Irving."

After saying this, Elder Howard paused for a moment.

Elder Howard sought to organize his thoughts. Once he had a clearer understanding, he articulated his plan in full.

"Collaborating with Irving does come with significant risks. However, I believe we can reach an agreement with him. From what I know, Irving's friend Sophia has been transformed into a werewolf by the power of the blood moon. If Irving wants to save Sophia, he must defeat the Werewolf God. Only the power of the blood moon can revert Sophia from a werewolf back to a normal human.

If we want to cooperate with him, we will have to pay a price. I have already captured Vicky; if we return her, Irving should be willing to cooperate with us."

Elder Howard believed that having Vicky in his possession was a strong bargaining chip. If they wanted to collaborate with Irving, they had to leverage Vicky effectively.

Howard's proposal did persuade some members of the Night Blades. However, others felt they shouldn't have to pay such a steep price.

"I don't oppose cooperating with Irving. At least we share a common enemy now. But I disagree with returning Vicky outright. She can be more useful in our hands. Once we team up with Irving to eliminate the Werewolf God, then we can return Vicky. This way, we can ensure that Irving doesn't betray us during the mission.

What do you think?" one elder suggested to Howard.

Elder Howard smiled and nodded. "You make a valid point; my thoughts align closely with yours. I will propose the condition of returning Vicky when we meet with Irving. However, whether we ultimately return her will depend on the situation we face afterward.

If Irving turns out to be much stronger than we anticipate, it would be best to return Vicky. If both Irving and the Werewolf God end up severely weakened, then we wouldn't need to return Vicky at all. We could even consider bringing her into the Night Blades."

After much discussion, Elder Howard finally managed to convince the members of the Night Blades. They decided not to follow Howard's original plan but to support him in this new initiative. For the success of this operation, the Night Blades offered Howard additional assistance.

He would have command over all the Night Blades members in the Desolate Canyon and could also utilize some of their hidden powerful weapons.

"Our primary objective in this operation is to eliminate the Werewolf God. If we can seize the power of the blood moon after defeating him, that would be even better. If Elder Howard's mission goes smoothly, I think you should also create some trouble for Irving during the operation. It would be best if you could inflict significant damage on him!"

Ultimately, the highest leader of the Night Blades made the decision. Elder Howard would still be responsible for the upcoming operation, and he would wield even greater power in this endeavor.

Upon hearing this, Elder Howard's expression became very excited. "Rest assured! I will ensure the success of this mission! I will not let you down!"

Elder Howard's response was filled with confidence, as he saw this as an opportunity to gain greater recognition. If he succeeded, he would elevate his status within the Night Blades.

After the discussions concluded, Elder Howard immediately returned to the ruins of Shadow City. He was waiting for Irving's return, having recently sent his subordinates to destroy the Angel Guild's presence in Starling City. He believed Irving would soon come looking for him.

Howard did not have to wait long; Irving arrived almost simultaneously with his arrival at the ruins of Shadow City.

"It seems you already know that I've destroyed the Angel Guild's presence in Starling City! You've come here to eliminate me, haven't you?" Howard greeted Irving with a smile.

Irving's expression remained calm. Although he didn't understand why Howard would ask such an obvious question, he wasn't going to answer any of his inquiries.

"I did it deliberately. My aim is to get you back to the shelter game quickly because I want to discuss a collaboration with you."

As soon as Howard finished speaking, Irving's expression changed slightly.
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"Collaborate with me? Do you really think there's a chance for us to work together?" Irving replied coldly.

Elder Howard continued to smile, "Why wouldn't there be a possibility for collaboration? Don't we have a common enemy now?"

Upon hearing this, Irving's demeanor showed hesitation. He felt that Elder Howard was not genuinely seeking collaboration. Irving believed Howard's words were merely a trap set for him.

"What kind of conspiracy are you plotting? Stop wasting my time! I won't fall for your tricks again, and your traps won't easily take effect on me," Irving replied, clearly distrustful of Elder Howard.

Upon hearing Irving's words, Elder Howard let out a helpless sigh. "Although we were enemies before, that doesn't mean there's no room for cooperation. Don't you want to save your companion, Sophia? Surely you know that she has been turned into a werewolf?"

Irving nodded. "Of course I know Sophia has been transformed into a werewolf. But I haven't forgotten that my companion Vicky is in your hands. Both the Werewolf God and you are my enemies. Why would I collaborate with one enemy to take down another? You and the Werewolf God are both targets I need to eliminate.

So there's no need for more talk. If you want to fight me, just come at me directly."

Irving was ready for battle. The only reason he hadn't attacked yet was that he was assessing his surroundings. Once he confirmed there were no hidden enemies nearby, he decided to eliminate Elder Howard first.

Elder Howard sneered. "Your strength is indeed slightly greater than mine, but do you really think you can defeat me in the ruins of Shadow City? Here, I can harness the power of Shadow City. Even if you manage to overcome me, you won't be able to destroy me."

After saying this, Elder Howard snapped his fingers. Two members of the Night Blades appeared, bringing Vicky along with them. At that moment, Vicky had already broken free from her hypnotic state. The instant she saw Irving, she called out to him, "Irving! I'm right here!"