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

The alarm at the Angel Guild's Starling City base rang for an extended period. It was only in the late afternoon that the sound finally ceased. During the alarm, Andy led his subordinates to move all the storage devices out of the data repository.

The new location Andy selected for the storage devices was the basement of the library located in the Starling City administrative center. The library itself was a massive building, surrounded by several tall structures. These high-rise buildings formed a complex arrangement, making the area ideal for a confrontation.

If a battle were to take place here, Nick would certainly be able to unleash his full potential. Moreover, Irving could rely on his previously acquired skills to navigate the intricate layout without getting lost.

After completing all the preparations, Andy contacted Irving directly.

"I've arranged the new storage location! All the storage devices are safely placed there!"

"You did very well. From now on, you shouldn't return to the Angel Guild base in Starling City. Just stay and guard the new storage location. I believe the other members of Night Blades will take action soon," Irving instructed Andy before terminating the communication.

At that moment, Irving was stationed at the Angel Guild base in Starling City with Nick. Nick had listened to the entire exchange between Irving and Andy. Once the conversation came to a close, Nick turned to Irving and asked,

"What should we do next? Are we just going to wait here for Elder Howard to make a move? He's not likely to leave this place easily. He's a very cautious individual and wouldn't take actions that would expose him."

Although Nick had not known much about the elders of Night Blades before, his experiences fighting against them had greatly increased his understanding. He was very aware that each elder of Night Blades was incredibly cunning.

"You're right; he won't take action lightly. But for now, we have no choice but to adopt a strategy of waiting for the right opportunity," Irving replied. After everything that had happened, he believed that waiting for the right moment was the best course of action.

If he acted rashly, it would definitely alert the enemy.

After saying this, Irving turned directly to Nick and asked, "Do you think Night Blades only have Elder Howard targeting us?"

Nick shook his head. "Night Blades must have many people working against us. Besides, Elder Howard himself has a large number of subordinates."

"Exactly. So even if Elder Howard can't leave the base for now, other Night Blades members will take action. They might be planning an attack on the new storage location for the devices as we speak. What we need to do is wait for the enemy to initiate their attack. Only after they start will we adapt our response accordingly."

Irving laid out his complete plan. Although Nick felt that Irving's strategy was somewhat passive, he couldn't think of a better alternative. Thus, Irving and Nick patiently waited for the opportunity to arise at the Angel Guild base in Starling City.

At almost the same time, Elder Howard contacted Elder Kent, who remained in the mist space. Howard recounted his recent experiences to Kent. Kent felt that Howard's current approach was a waste of time.

"Stop engaging in meaningless activities. What good does it do to stay at the Angel Guild base in Starling City? You don't dare to destroy the base entirely because you still want to use it to gather more information related to Irving. Moreover, you just mentioned that all the storage devices have been moved out. Therefore, you should leave the base and meet up with me.

If we both attack Irving simultaneously, he will surely struggle to cope."

Elder Kent had always hoped to pressure Irving directly. If it hadn't been for Howard's sudden idea for a plan, Kent would have already teamed up with Howard to strike at Irving.

Even if their combined attack didn't completely eliminate Irving, it would at least disrupt his plans. However, Howard scoffed at Kent's suggestions.

"Your plan has no chance of success. Don't forget that we couldn't defeat Irving in the Desolate Canyon. At that time, Irving was unable to gather much support. If we couldn't overcome him back then, how could we possibly succeed now when he has even more support?"

"I believe we should stick to the plan we discussed. You need to send your subordinates to attack the library in the Starling City administrative center. Regardless of whether the attack succeeds or not, the members of the Angel Guild in Starling City will rush there to assist. At that point, I can act from the shadows."

Elder Howard remained steadfast in his plan, and although Elder Kent felt somewhat helpless, he had no choice but to go along with it. After all, the mist space where Kent was located belonged entirely to Howard.

"I can proceed with the original plan. However, before we start, you must tell me what kind of actions you intend to take in the shadows. I don't want our efforts to conflict with each other," Kent insisted.

Howard nodded. He felt that Kent's request was not unreasonable. "My covert action will involve infiltrating the storage area beneath the administrative center library. I will search for information related to Irving there. It's possible that the data stored by the Angel Guild contains records of Irving's weaknesses. If we can find Irving's vulnerabilities, defeating him will be much less complicated."

However, Howard's plan carried significant risks. The Angel Guild could easily set up a series of traps at the new storage location. Kent pointed out this risk as soon as he heard Howard's plan.

"I think your approach is extremely risky. Aren't you at all concerned that the Angel Guild might have laid traps in the underground area of the library? If they know that someone is interested in information related to Irving, they will definitely take appropriate countermeasures."

Kent's warning did not seem to register with Howard. In his view, he could easily circumvent the defenses set up by the Angel Guild members.

"You don't need to worry about that. While they will undoubtedly set traps, I am confident that I won't fall into any of them. I know the members of the Angel Guild in Starling City very well."

After that, Howard reiterated the events he had encountered at the Starling City base. To him, the only person he needed to be concerned about was Nick. As long as the Night Blades members dispatched by Kent could successfully restrain Nick, Howard was confident that his operation would not fail.

"Since you have a well-thought-out plan and are so confident in yourself, I will proceed according to your strategy," Kent finally conceded. He had no other options left and could only select some of the stronger Night Blades members to launch the attack.

After successfully persuading Elder Kent, Elder Howard abruptly cut off the communication with him. Although Howard believed that he had not been discovered by anyone, he also thought it wise to exercise caution.

In reality, both Irving and Nick had sensed the communication between Howard and Kent. However, they were unaware of the specific content of their conversation.

"It seems we won't have to wait much longer. Elder Kent has already contacted Elder Howard, which means the Night Blades' attack is imminent," Irving said with a smile to Nick.

Nick nodded. "I think I should go over there to provide support. If I'm not present, the Night Blades will surely sense something is off, which could disrupt your overall plan."

Irving agreed, "You're right; you should head over there as soon as possible."

After receiving Irving's approval, Nick immediately left. Irving stayed behind in Andy's office, pondering for a while. He thought that he too would head to the library in the Starling City administrative center once the battle began.

Once he left the Angel Guild base in Starling City, the remaining members would be too weak. Although Irving believed that Elder Howard wouldn't have the time or energy to kill everyone at the base, he still needed to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

After hesitating for a moment, Irving picked up the phone and dialed Sophia. Although Sophia was busy searching for the Night Blades' schemes, Irving felt she would be willing to help him.

The call connected quickly, and Sophia's slightly cold voice came through. "Is there something important you need to tell me, or have you found some crucial information?"

"I do have something important to discuss. I need you to head to the Angel Guild base in Starling City. Elder Howard is inside the base, and I will be leaving soon," Irving explained.

Sophia sounded confused. "If the Night Blades' elder is in the base, why haven't you attacked him? Are you planning to cooperate with him?"

In response to Sophia's question, Irving recounted the events that had transpired and explained his plan. After listening, Sophia replied coolly, "You are indeed a person who takes risks. I will help you. I'm currently on the outskirts of Starling City and can reach the Angel Guild base in about ten minutes."

Irving thanked Sophia for her assistance and then hung up the phone.