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

Accompanied by a brilliant flash, Irving appeared before Joseph in an instant. Irving's eyes locked onto Joseph as he raised his fist and smashed it directly into Joseph's face.

Though several security personnel were surrounding Joseph, none of them could react in time. By the time they realized Irving had attacked, Joseph had already been sent flying by Irving's punch.

Joseph wasn't killed outright only because he was equipped with significant defensive gear. Although Joseph himself never entered the shelter game, he had, during his tenure as the chairman of Ocean Group, ordered his subordinates to establish a guild within the game.

Through his channels and with the help of the Night Blades, Joseph had acquired equipment sufficient to save his life. Though he wasn't killed, his current condition was dire.

After crashing through three walls, he finally came to a stop. He was in such a bad state that he couldn't utter a single word.

The security personnel standing around Joseph's original position, after their initial shock, quickly sprang into action. They immediately launched an attack on Irving.

One of the guards aimed his submachine gun at Irving and opened fire, while the other two abandoned their weapons and chose to engage Irving in hand-to-hand combat.

"You think you're worthy of fighting me?" Irving scoffed.

Facing the guards' attacks, Irving didn't bother to defend himself. A faint golden glow appeared around his body, forming a thin barrier that deflected all the incoming attacks.

Then, Irving pulled out the [Staff of Calamity]. With a wave of his staff, the security personnel around Joseph were instantly reduced to ashes.

Irving's swift actions left Benjamin, who was standing behind him, utterly shocked.

Although Benjamin knew Irving was incredibly powerful, he hadn't anticipated that Irving's strength could be this overwhelming. If Benjamin himself were to attack Joseph, he couldn't be confident about gaining such a decisive advantage so quickly.

Vicky, standing beside Benjamin, wore a look of deep concern.

To Vicky, killing Joseph wasn't the most important task. The most crucial task was rescuing her grandfather.

"Irving! Forget about these people, and go find my grandfather!" Vicky shouted urgently.

Upon hearing Vicky, Irving momentarily set aside his vendetta against Joseph.

While Irving desperately wanted to eliminate Joseph, he had realized during his attack that Joseph's defensive equipment couldn't be destroyed quickly.

Irving slammed the [Staff of Calamity] heavily into the ground.

The point of contact emitted an energy wave that rapidly spread outwards. This was Irving's method of gathering intelligence about the surrounding area.

This energy wave was, in fact, Irving's consciousness materialized using the potent power of the [Staff of Calamity].

Wherever the energy wave reached, all information in its vicinity was immediately transmitted back to Irving.

Soon, the energy wave reached Donald's study directly.

Although Elder Seville had already sealed the study, the seal itself was noteworthy.

"Donald should be in that direction! Follow my lead!" Irving pointed toward the location of Donald's study and quickly ran in that direction.

Benjamin and Vicky followed closely behind Irving.

Initially, Benjamin considered staying behind to ensure that Joseph wouldn't escape. But after a moment of thought, he decided it was safer to stick with Vicky. After all, this operation by the Night Blades had been long in the making.

If Irving were to be trapped in battle by the Night Blades, Vicky's safety could not be guaranteed. With Donald's fate uncertain, Benjamin had to ensure Vicky's safety. If Vicky were to encounter any significant danger, Ocean Group would truly be plunged into an irrecoverable crisis.

Inside Donald's study, Elder Seville also sensed the energy wave released by Irving.

Feeling slightly agitated, Elder Seville withdrew from Donald's mental world.

Gazing through several walls towards Irving's direction, he muttered, "It seems I've underestimated your abilities. You arrived here quite quickly."

Though Elder Seville felt a bit annoyed, he did not believe his mission would fail.

He pulled a bell from his pocket and began to ring it without hesitation.

The moment the bell rang, an unknown force enveloped the entire Smith family mansion. No external force could penetrate the mansion now.

"The Angel Guild can no longer assist you. Let's see if you can defeat me without their help!" Elder Seville declared.

As a high-ranking member of the Night Blades, Elder Seville was well aware of the series of unexpected incidents that Night Blades members had encountered in the shelter game.

Irving had once severely injured members of the Night Blades in the shelter game, which made the Night Blades take him very seriously. They had compiled and distributed all the information about Irving to the other high-ranking members of the Night Blades.

Before taking action, Elder Seville had memorized all the information about Irving.

He was very aware that Irving could get help from the Angel Guild. Although the headquarters of the Angel Guild were now controlled by the Night Blades, Elder Seville chose to play it safe.

He didn't want to repeat Vite's mistakes.

After sealing the Smith family mansion, Elder Seville opened the door of the study.

He immediately saw Irving charging towards him.

Irving's eyes blazed with determination as he sprinted forward, the [Staff of Calamity] gripped tightly in his hand. The golden glow around him intensified, creating an aura of overwhelming power.

Elder Seville's eyes narrowed as he assessed Irving's approach. "Impressive. But raw power alone won't be enough to stop me," he said, his voice calm despite the tension in the air.

As Irving closed the distance, Elder Seville raised one hand, conjuring a barrier of dark energy. The barrier shimmered with an ominous light, ready to meet Irving's assault.

Elder Seville and Irving met for the first time, and at the very moment they saw each other, both sprang into action almost simultaneously.

Irving raised his staff directly in front of him, and an incredibly dazzling beam of light shot toward Elder Seville.

Elder Seville, meanwhile, crossed his hands and formed a complex gesture. Instantly, a black mist enveloped his entire body and rapidly spread toward Irving.

The blinding light and the black mist collided in the middle of the corridor. Instead of causing an explosion, their meeting twisted the entire corridor's space. What was once a straight passageway now became wildly contorted.

With the corridor distorted, neither Elder Seville nor Irving could see each other for a moment. However, neither let their guard down.

Irving slammed his staff onto the ground again, creating a fissure that quickly extended toward Elder Seville. The entire corridor seemed on the verge of collapsing into the crevice, and molten lava began to surge up from within it.

Even in the face of this crisis, Elder Seville remained calm.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a book with a cover depicting an ouroboros. Without hesitation, he tore out a page from it.

Using a few drops of his own blood, Elder Seville quickly drew a starry image on the torn page. As soon as the image was complete, he tossed the page into the fissure.

The paper turned to ash upon contact with the lava, and the energy within it instantly transferred the entire crevice to an endless void.

The corridor returned to normal, and both Elder Seville and Irving had gained a new understanding of each other's abilities after their initial clash. Neither was eager to take further immediate action and instead chose to probe each other.

"You must be Irving, right? Your power is indeed formidable. The intelligence I received seems to have underestimated your capabilities," Elder Seville said with a smile, his tone unusually gentle.

Irving wasn't about to be lulled into complacency by Seville's amicable demeanor. He coldly surveyed Elder Seville and then demanded, "Where is Donald? You'd better not harm him. If you do, I will make you pay dearly!"

Elder Seville responded with a disdainful smile at Irving's threat.

"Why would I harm him? Donald is very important to me. I must ensure he stays alive to achieve my goals," Elder Seville replied.

Elder Seville's words left Irving slightly puzzled. According to the intelligence Irving had gathered, Joseph and the Night Blades' goal seemed to be the assassination of Donald and Vicky. Only by achieving this objective could Joseph gain control of Ocean Group, thereby strengthening the Night Blades' influence in the City of Warding.

If the Night Blades didn't intend to kill Donald, then what was their true objective?

Irving remained vigilant, keeping a close eye on Elder Seville while contemplating this new conundrum. However, he quickly realized that Seville's words might be a deliberate ploy to mislead him.

At that moment, Benjamin and Vicky finally arrived.

Vicky, seeing Elder Seville, became even more anxious. She recognized that the study he was in was her grandfather's favorite, which implied that Donald was likely inside.

Vicky shouted at Elder Seville, "Let my grandfather go, now!"

Elder Seville turned his gaze to Vicky, his expression unchanging. "Ah, the beloved granddaughter. How touching," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Irving, seizing the moment of distraction, tightened his grip on the [Staff of Calamity]. "Vicky, stay back!" he warned, as he prepared for another potential clash.

Elder Seville calmly raised his hand, signaling for Vicky to stop. "I told you, Donald is crucial for my plans," he said. "Harming him would be counterproductive."

Vicky, undeterred by Seville's words, took a step forward. "I don't believe you! What are you planning to do with him?"

Seville let out a chuckle, clearly amused by Vicky's defiance. "Believe what you will, but know this: Donald's life is tied to my goal. We need him alive, at least for now."

Irving, still wary, spoke up. "What exactly is your goal, Seville? Why involve Donald and the Ocean Group?"

Elder Seville's eyes gleamed with a mixture of amusement and malice. "You'll find out soon enough, Irving. All in good time."

Irving's patience was wearing thin. With a swift motion, he lifted his staff, preparing to unleash another spell. "Your games end now, Seville. Release Donald, or face the consequences."

Elder Seville's smirk faded, replaced by a look of steely determination. "Very well, if you insist on a confrontation, I won't disappoint you."

As the tension mounted, the air seemed to crackle with impending conflict. Both sides braced themselves, ready to engage in a battle that could determine the fate of Donald, Vicky, and the entire Ocean Group.