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

"It seems like the first danger in our treasure hunt has been handled," Elder Seville said with a smile, glancing at Irving after hearing the anguished scream from one of the Night Blades members nearby.

Irving looked back at him coldly without saying a word. His disdain for Elder Seville's methods was palpable. To Irving, Elder Seville was a despicable man who would stop at nothing, even sacrificing others, to achieve his goals.

And toward such despicable individuals, Irving has always had a poor attitude, an uncontrollable emotion

"You don't need to look at me like that. If we want to obtain the Smith family's hidden treasure, we must be willing to pay the price. If we don't let them probe the dangers ahead for us, should I send you instead?" Elder Seville retorted, before leading Irving and Vicky into the Benevolent Sanatorium.

As soon as they stepped into the courtyard of the Benevolent Sanatorium, Irving immediately noticed a large excavation beneath the building's foundation. The scream they had heard earlier had come from that hollow space.

One of the Night Blades members hurried over to Elder Seville. "Elder, we've dug out a large hollow under the Benevolent Sanatorium's foundation. There is indeed a passage leading to an unknown space down there. I just sent one person in to test it out, and the scream we heard was his. It seems the passage is extremely dangerous."

Elder Seville nodded. "I understand. Pull your men out from the hollow. I'll handle what comes next."

With a wave of his hand, Elder Seville ordered all the Night Blades members inside the Benevolent Sanatorium to leave. He didn't want anyone else, not even other members of the Night Blades, to gain any information about the Smith family's hidden treasure.

Once most of the Night Blades members had exited, Elder Seville glanced at the few who remained—his trusted confidants. They promptly shut the main door of the Benevolent Sanatorium.

"We three can handle the rest," Elder Seville said with a smile, looking at Irving and Vicky. "Vicky, why don't you go first? Since we're after your Smith family's treasure, it only makes sense for a Smith family member to lead the way."

Irving immediately countered, "The entrance was discovered by your people. Naturally, you should go first. Besides, Vicky didn't even know her family had a hidden treasure until now."

Elder Seville frowned at Irving's words. He extended his hand and made a grasping motion in the air. Suddenly, Vicky felt excruciating pain.

"My head hurts! It feels like something is burrowing into my brain!" Vicky screamed in agony, desperately pleading for Irving's help.

Enraged, Irving drew his weapon and pointed it at Elder Seville. "What the hell are you doing?! Are you trying to force my hand here?" he demanded coldly.At this point, the smile on Elder Seville's face vanished. He cast a sinister glance at Irving and Vicky. "Have you still not grasped your situation? While it may appear that we are cooperating, you have no bargaining power with me."

Elder Seville made another grasping motion with his hand. This time, not only did Vicky feel the intense pain in her head, but Irving did as well. Suddenly, Irving understood that he must have fallen into a trap set by Elder Seville during their previous encounters. MVLeMpYr-unofficial-text

"Realizing it now is futile. Both you and Vicky are under the control of the venomous insects I command. As long as you disobey me, I will make you suffer excruciating pain," Elder Seville declared triumphantly.

"Vicky, you should be able to lead the way now, right? If you refuse, the pain won't subside," he added, no longer interested in conversing with Irving. In his eyes, Irving was in no condition to fight him.

Although Irving tried to summon the power of the Taikoo Flame Pearl, each attempt to activate his skills was thwarted by the venomous insect in his brain.

"Stop it! I'll go first!" Vicky cried out. If it were only her suffering from the intense pain, she might have been able to bear it. But seeing Irving in agony as well left her with no other choice.

With Vicky's compliance, Elder Seville snapped his fingers. The intense pain that both Vicky and Irving felt dissipated rapidly.

"That's better! As long as the two of you cooperate, I won't torment you needlessly. Since Vicky has agreed to go first, please proceed," Elder Seville said, extending his hand to indicate that Vicky should lead the way.

Vicky, though worried, had no other option. She slowly walked towards the hollow space beneath the Benevolent Sanatorium's foundation. Elder Seville followed closely behind her, with Irving positioned slightly behind and to the side of him.

Irving was constantly thinking about how to launch a surprise attack on Elder Seville. If he could kill him before he could react, the control over the venomous insects would cease.

Possessing the ability to control exotic beasts himself, Irving was familiar with how these creatures could be manipulated.

If he could distract Elder Seville enough to prevent him from precisely controlling the insects, the impact on Vicky and himself would be significantly reduced.Just as Irving was contemplating this, Elder Seville, walking ahead of him, spoke coldly, "There's no need for you to keep trying to find a way to ambush me because it won't succeed."

Elder Seville's words made Irving realize that the venomous insects in his brain could do more than just inflict pain—they could also allow Elder Seville to read his thoughts. Despite feeling the pressure from Elder Seville's overwhelming advantage, Irving didn't think he had completely lost yet.

Though he couldn't directly summon the power of the Taikoo Flame Pearl at the moment, Elder Seville would undoubtedly encounter dangers during their treasure hunt. When that happened, Irving could use the Taikoo Flame Pearl's power to destroy the insects in his brain while Elder Seville was distracted.

As Irving pondered how to use the Taikoo Flame Pearl to fight back against Elder Seville, he discreetly activated his Soul Link skill. Soul Link could serve not only as a mind-reading tool but also as a mental barrier effective only on himself.

Indeed, Elder Seville seemed unaware of Irving's new thoughts, indicating that the Soul Link skill provided by the Taikoo Flame Pearl was more potent than the venomous insects.

Armed with this knowledge, Irving emptied his mind. He decided not to think too much, as doing so would only give Elder Seville more information. Though the Taikoo Flame Pearl's power could temporarily block the insects, using it was also very draining for Irving. He planned to save its power for a critical moment.

As the trio moved forward, Irving finally got a clear view of the vast hollow beneath the Benevolent Sanatorium's foundation. The hollow appeared to span the entire sanatorium, with numerous metal pillars seemingly supporting the space above. At the entrance of the hollow, Irving could detect a faint, lingering smell of blood.

"Let's not rush ahead just yet. We need to prepare here first," Elder Seville's voice came just as Vicky was about to step into the hollow.Elder Seville placed a grayish-white mask over his face, adorned with intricate patterns. Irving felt a vague sense of familiarity with these patterns, as if he had seen them somewhere before, but he couldn't quite recall where.

At that moment, Elder Seville spoke in a deep voice, "You must have seen members of the Night Blades at the Angel Guild headquarters. These intricate patterns are the emblem of the Night Blades."

This response made it clear that Elder Seville could still read Irving's thoughts. "Alright, I'm ready. You two don't need to prepare much," Elder Seville said, urging Vicky toward the hollow.

As Vicky stepped into the hollow, Elder Seville snapped his fingers, and suddenly, each of them had a torch in hand. The hollow was devoid of any lighting, and without the torches, they would have been enveloped in darkness. The space inside the hollow was as vast as its entrance, seemingly carved out entirely by the Night Blades.

Irving couldn't help but wonder if the Benevolent Sanatorium would collapse without the support of the pillars within the hollow. If it did collapse, they would all be trapped inside. Utilizing the power of the Taikoo Flame Pearl to shield his thoughts, Irving ensured Elder Seville couldn't read this particular concern.

Vicky, holding the torch, trembled as she walked to the end of the hollow. At the end, besides a wall composed of various rocks, there was only a narrow passage, just wide enough for one person. This passage was likely the one mentioned in the Smith family's ancestral records, leading to an unknown space.

Upon seeing the passage, Elder Seville exclaimed in astonishment, "I never thought I'd actually find this entrance! I always suspected the Smith family's hidden treasure was a myth. It seems the records in my ancient tome were accurate."

Excitedly muttering to himself, Elder Seville rushed toward the entrance.