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

As Benjamin struggled to fend off the attacks from the surrounding monsters, Irving channeled the chaotic energy he possessed into the bronze gates before him at breakneck speed.

As the chaotic energy infused into it, the bronze gate emitted a faint sound.

From a distance, Vicky could observe that the bronze gate seemed different than before. Colorful flashes of light began to sparkle around its edges.

"Hold on! This is a critical moment. I absolutely cannot be distracted by the monsters around us." Irving shouted in Benjamin's direction.

Irving was acutely aware that the chaotic energy he had summoned was sufficient to open the bronze gate. The last thing he needed was an interruption from the monsters.

If the monsters reached Irving, he would have to divert his attention to deal with the beasts close at hand, which would prevent him from summoning the full extent of the chaotic energy within him.

"Don't worry! I can definitely keep these monsters away from you!"

Benjamin responded firmly while fighting fiercely against the monsters.

Despite Benjamin's best efforts, more monsters, awakened by the chaotic energy, kept appearing. Overwhelmed by the increasing number of foes, Benjamin started to falter.

Upon witnessing this, Vicky immediately decided to assist Benjamin.

Although Vicky lacked significant combat skills, she could at least disrupt the monsters' actions.

"Lure the monsters toward me! While I can't assist in combat, I can still ensure my safety and provide you with healing."

Vicky suggested to Benjamin.

Initially, Benjamin was reluctant to follow Vicky's plan, as it posed a certain threat to her safety.

Benjamin's priority was to ensure Vicky's safety.

However, as their disadvantage in battle grew, Benjamin was forced to adopt Vicky's plan.

He moved closer to Vicky, and the monsters followed him towards her.

Once Benjamin led the monsters to a location far from Irving, he and Vicky took a wide detour before returning to their original position.

They believed this tactic would trap the monsters.

Initially, Benjamin and Vicky's maneuver seemed successful.

But when they circled back to their original spot, they were shocked to find the monsters had teleported back near the bronze gate.

At that moment, Irving was plunged into a severe crisis, with the nearest monster just a step away from him, leaving Benjamin and Vicky unable to assist.

With tension at its peak, Benjamin and Vicky rushed towards Irving as fast as they could.

Meanwhile, Irving, under immense pressure, chose not to distract himself with the nearby monsters. Instead, he focused all his attention on summoning the chaotic energy.

At the critical moment, the chaotic energy summoned by Irving finally fully activated the bronze gate.

After a resounding boom, the letters "Smith" fell off from above the gate. A beam of light then emanated from the center of the bronze gate.

This light, upon touching the monsters, turned them instantly into ash.

It didn't take long for all the monsters surrounding Irving to be obliterated by this radiant emission from the bronze gate.

Vicky and Benjamin had just arrived by Irving's side.

"Are you alright? That was incredibly close!" Vicky asked, her concern evident as she looked at Irving.

Irving smiled and shook his head, "I wasn't attacked by the monsters. I managed to activate the bronze gate before they could reach me. Now, we can make our way out of this maze-like structure."

As Irving finished his sentence, Anna suddenly appeared on the other side of the bronze gate.

Irving, Vicky, and Benjamin looked at her in slight surprise.

Anna ran towards them as fast as she could while shouting, "The Night Blades have made their move. Aron has met with misfortune."

Anna's words shocked Irving, Benjamin, and Vicky, prompting them to immediately prepare for battle.

Just as Anna reached them, Elder Seville appeared with members of the Night Blades.

"It seems you managed to escape from this labyrinthine structure. You do have some skills." Elder Seville said with a smile, slowly addressing Irving and the others.

"Was this structure your trap? If you had the capability to set traps in the Smith family mansion, why didn't you directly seek the treasures there?"

Irving asked coldly, staring in Elder Seville's direction.

Elder Seville shook his head, "You misunderstand. This maze-like building is indeed a trap, but it wasn't set by me for you. It's a trap by the Smith family mansion.

I merely knew there would be a trap here, which is why I didn't bring my own people. Your own mistakes led you into this trap, can you blame me for that?"

As Elder Seville spoke, dark orbs began to appear around him, circling his body.

Soon after, the apparitions of Sophia and Donald materialized beside Elder Seville.

"I can be magnanimous and forgive your previous actions, but I must warn you again, these two are still under our control. Don't you intend to save them? Are you willing to let them die? If you really plan to abandon them, then you might as well attack us directly."

Although Elder Seville spoke with a tone that remained cordial, Irving and the others could clearly detect the underlying threat in his words.

"You cannot escape my control. Even if you don't care about Sophia and Donald's safety, you won't be able to leave the Smith family mansion because only I possess the map of it."

To ensure his plan's success, Elder Seville pulled out the map he held. Irving glanced at the map in Elder Seville's hands.

Although he couldn't see the details from this distance, he felt there was no need for Elder Seville to lie about the map.

Moreover, Irving noticed that the numbers of the Night Blades members behind Elder Seville hadn't decreased significantly.

Which suggested that Elder Seville indeed had a safer passage within the Smith family mansion.

After a moment of calm reflection, Irving decided to continue cooperating with Elder Seville. However, before he could speak, Anna loudly declared to Elder Seville, "No matter what others think, I absolutely will not cooperate with you. You killed my companion! I will never forgive you!"

Irving suddenly remembered Anna's earlier statement that Aron had been killed by Elder Seville. His expression turned icy.

Aron and Irving had a friendly relationship. Aron had helped Irving a lot in the past.

Naturally, if Aron had indeed been killed by Elder Seville, Irving would not forgive him either.

At this moment, Elder Seville chuckled softly.

"Your friend wasn't killed by me. He's merely confined in an unknown space."

With that, Elder Seville extended his left hand forward.

And a phantom-like black door appeared in his palm.

"If you want to hear his voice, I can let him speak to you now."

Elder Seville's eyes briefly glinted with a fleeting black light, and then Aron's voice emerged from the black door.

"Can anyone hear me? I'm trapped in a completely dark area. I don't know where I am. Can anyone save me?"

Hearing Aron's voice, Anna became visibly excited.

"I can hear your voice. Can you hear mine?"

After Anna spoke, the previously pleading Aron fell silent for a moment before responding.

"I can hear your voice. Where are you now?"

"I'm at the Smith family mansion. You're trapped in Elder Seville's black door." Anna explained.

Just after Anna clarified, Elder Seville swiftly retracted the phantom black door.

"Do you believe me now?"

Elder Seville asked, smiling at Irving and Anna.

"We can indeed trust you now, but shouldn't your people lead the way next? After all, you mentioned that you have the map of the Smith family mansion."

Irving's expression was somewhat gentler than before.

However, he still harbored the hope of finding an opportunity to completely eliminate Elder Seville.

Elder Seville nodded.

"Of course, but my conditions remain the same as before. You and Vicky must accompany me. The others must hand over their equipment to my subordinates."

Irving hesitated slightly at this demand.

If the others surrendered their equipment, they would be helpless in the face of danger.

"You really don't need to worry so much. In dangerous situations, I can ensure your safety. Besides, you have no other option now. Engaging in battle here with me, you stand no chance of victory."

After saying this, Elder Seville snapped his fingers.

The map of the Smith family mansion in his hand then emitted a dazzling light.

The bronze gate of the maze-like building where Irving and the others had been previously slammed shut.

Elder Seville demonstrated through this act that he could manipulate the architecture of the Smith family mansion to some extent. see NovelFire,em,pyr for more

This also meant that Elder Seville could use the mansion's traps against Irving and his companions.

Seeing this, Irving, with a smile, said.

"In that case, let's proceed with the plan as discussed. Please, lead the way."