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

With the Chaos Entity swiftly defeated and Elder Astra fleeing in a panic through the Dark Portal, Irving found himself relying solely on his own strength and that of his allies to confront the disaster brought on by Sophia. At that moment, Irving had returned to the City of Warding and was now at the headquarters of the Angel Guild.

"The situation must be dire, right? I can already feel the overwhelming power of the Blood Moon from here," Anna asked Irving, her voice filled with concern. Anna had remained at the Angel Guild's headquarters, but even so, she sensed a trace of the Blood Moon's energy. The power Sophia wielded had grown strong enough to affect several cities surrounding Starling City.

Irving feared that Sophia might bring about a catastrophe capable of destroying the world. Ever since her arrival, the Blood Moon's power had been steadily increasing, seemingly without end.

"The situation is indeed very grim! I can't afford to distract myself. I need to come up with a countermeasure as soon as possible," Irving said, furrowing his brows as he paced back and forth. He was contemplating how to defeat Sophia. If defeating her proved impossible, he at least needed to find a way to seal her away. After all, Sophia was summoned into the real world by the Chaos Entity. Irving was aware of this—and had tacitly accepted it. If he couldn't resolve the crisis she posed, he would never forgive himself.

As Irving continued to walk in circles, deep in thought, James and the others successfully returned.

"The situation is getting worse! The blood-red moon has not only appeared in Starling City but also in several surrounding cities! I can feel the Blood Moon's power growing stronger by the minute," James stated bluntly upon arriving at the Angel Guild's headquarters.

Aron, who followed closely behind James, was panting as he addressed Anna. "We need to issue an immediate order! All members of the Angel Guild must enter a state of heightened alert! Every branch of the Angel Guild in every city must be prepared for combat immediately!"

Under Aron's command, Anna sprang into action. The members at the Angel Guild headquarters moved swiftly, but the response from branches in other cities was not as prompt.

"I need to return to the Ocean Group headquarters first; I have to ensure the president's safety," Benjamin said, clearly prioritizing Vicky and the safety of the Ocean Group.

Irving nodded at Benjamin and said, "You need to head straight to the Ocean Group headquarters! What I need from you isn't to send Vicky elsewhere; I need you to bring her here. The crisis caused by Sophia is extremely serious. Even if Vicky goes to another location, her safety won't be guaranteed."

After receiving Irving's clear instructions, Benjamin nodded firmly. Once he left, Irving turned his attention to James.

"I know that your relationship with your family is still quite strained. But right now, the real world is facing an enormous crisis. I hope your family can lend some support. At the very least, when it comes to the threat of the Blood Moon, they shouldn't side with Sophia."

James hesitated slightly. He was certainly willing to fight alongside Irving, but he was reluctant to return to his family, believing that any attempt to persuade them would be futile.

"I don't think what you're asking will give us any real advantage. Even if I don't go back and tell my family, they wouldn't align themselves with the Blood Moon," James replied, his words coming out with uncertainty. He had to repeat himself several times before he could clearly express his thoughts.

Irving looked at James and ultimately chose to trust him. "Alright then! Stay here and help us defend the Angel Guild headquarters! If I'm right, Sophia will definitely come here! She's focused on me as her primary target!"

Irving's guess was indeed accurate. Although Jony had dealt a significant blow to Sophia in her last move, after fully merging with the Blood Moon, she no longer had to worry about any threats from him. Now, the only person she regarded as a threat was Irving.

Sophia was on her way to the City of Warding, fully intent on reducing Irving, the Angel Guild headquarters, and the entire City of Warding to ashes. Explore more stories at empire

"Even though the Angel Guild headquarters is very fortified and we're well-prepared, I still feel that our chances of winning the upcoming battle are quite low. We should consider some alternative strategies," Aron said anxiously to Irving and the others.

Although Aron knew that his words wouldn't help resolve the current crisis, he felt compelled to voice them. He held some resentment toward Irving.

Aron had initially been opposed to collaborating with the Chaos Entity. Without Irving's persuasion, he would never have agreed to the plan. In Aron's view, as long as they didn't accept the proposals put forth by the Chaos Entity, Sophia wouldn't pose a world-ending crisis.

Irving was well aware of Aron's true feelings. So instead of complaining, he calmly said, "We need to stay focused! While it's clear that our current mission is essentially a failure, we might be able to use this opportunity to lessen the threat Sophia poses. We can find a way to seal her within the real world. If we succeed in sealing Sophia, she won't be able to cooperate with the Shadow Celestial anymore, allowing us to continue our efforts in the Shelter Game world."

As Irving spoke, his voice gradually rose in confidence. Initially, he had doubts about his own words, but he eventually managed to convince himself that he could truly use this opportunity to seal Sophia. While Irving's tone became increasingly self-assured, the others in the conference room remained skeptical.

"How can we possibly seal Sophia? She has become so powerful that we can't do anything to stop her!" Aron exclaimed, his voice a mix of despair and anger.

"You're right; we can't seal her ourselves. But that doesn't mean others can't. I believe I can seek help from the Knowledge Fairy. She must have anticipated this situation," Irving replied, reigniting a glimmer of hope among those in the room.

"Then what are we waiting for? I'll go with you to the deepest part of the headquarters! I can help you convince the Knowledge Fairy!" Aron said, suddenly standing up, eager to find a solution to the crisis.

Irving smiled and shook his head. "I can handle it alone, and I doubt the Knowledge Fairy will cooperate with you."

After saying this, Irving left the conference room, and everyone understood that he was heading to the depths of the Angel Guild headquarters to negotiate with the Knowledge Fairy.

Once Irving departed, Aron decided to check other areas of the Angel Guild headquarters. He wanted to see if the members were prepared for defense.

"Continue to regroup here. I'm going to check on the status of the other members. If they aren't ready for battle, the crisis we face will only grow worse," Aron said before heading out.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

James decided to leave with Aron. Although he wasn't a member of the Angel Guild, he felt it was essential to stand alongside them in the fight ahead. After everyone else had left, Anna didn't just sit idly by. She reached out to Nick.

"How are things on your end? Are you feeling the intense power of the Blood Moon?" Anna asked directly.

"I'm definitely sensing a strong Blood Moon presence here too. What's going on? Has Sophia gained even stronger powers?" Nick quickly replied, throwing a question back at her.

Faced with his inquiry, Anna could only respond with a wry smile. "It seems that way. Sophia has indeed become more powerful! Irving and the others haven't figured out how to deal with her yet. All we can do now is prepare for a tough battle."

With Anna's clear answer, Nick felt a bit more at ease. He knew the crisis they were facing was immense, but under Irving's leadership, he believed they could overcome it.

"Alright, I'll make sure the Angel Guild members here are battle-ready as soon as possible. I can't return to the headquarters, so you'll have to rely on your own strength to defend it," Nick said before hanging up.

Nick was quite far from both the City of Warding and Starling City, so even though he sensed the rising power of the Blood Moon, he wouldn't face a direct threat from Sophia in the immediate future. However, his safety was only temporary. If Sophia succeeded in eliminating Irving, no one would be safe in the real world.

Everyone's hopes rested on Irving, as he was the only one who could obtain a strategy to counter Sophia from the Knowledge Fairy.

At that moment, Irving had reached the innermost part of the Angel Guild headquarters, but he didn't rush into the warehouse. He stood at the entrance for a moment, trying to gauge the Knowledge Fairy's presence. He believed she would be able to anticipate his arrival. If the Knowledge Fairy opened the warehouse door voluntarily, it would suggest that she had a way to deal with Sophia.

This would also give Irving an advantage in the negotiations, as it would make it seem like he wasn't overly dependent on the Knowledge Fairy.