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

Despite their close collaboration, Benjamin's perspective on Irving differed significantly from Vicky's view.

After leaving Ocean Group, Irving quickly made his way to Starling City. During his journey, he decided to reach out to Sophia. She had previously mentioned she was on a very important mission, which was why Irving had gone to see James and Vicky first. He believed that Sophia must have completed her task by now.

The call connected quickly, and on the other end, Sophia spoke with an anxious tone. "What's going on? Why are you so urgently trying to reach me? I remember you as someone very composed. You shouldn't be this flustered."

Irving had left a perfect impression on Sophia. She viewed him as a powerful individual, emotionally stable and unflappable even in the face of threats from the Night Blades. Therefore, she assumed that Irving's call indicated something worse had occurred.

"Where are you right now? Let's meet in person to discuss this. I think it's unsafe to talk about crucial matters over the phone. I believe the Night Blades must have the capability to listen in on our calls."

Irving didn't disclose his plans over the phone. He was aware that the person on the other end might not even be Sophia. He had experienced similar situations before, where some members of the Night Blades could disguise themselves as Irving's acquaintances. If he revealed his plan, the Night Blades could react more swiftly.

Sophia didn't express any complaints and quickly replied, "I'm near the port in Starling City right now. I'll head over to the dock area immediately. We can meet there."

After saying this, Sophia hung up. Irving quickly made his way to the location she mentioned.

About twenty minutes later, Irving and Sophia met at the port.

"I chose this location because it's difficult to monitor. Even if the Night Blades are watching us, they won't be able to clearly hear our conversation," Sophia explained.

Having gone through a series of trials, Sophia had grown. Irving was very pleased with her approach now.

"You did very well! I can tell you my purpose for coming to see you. I want to initiate the relocation plan for the shelters in a week."

Sophia's expression turned to one of surprise upon hearing Irving's words. "Why the rush? I remember you telling me that we must be fully prepared before relocating the shelters. I don't think we're adequately prepared yet. We can't ensure that all the Night Blades around Starling City and the City of Warding have been eliminated.

We also can't guarantee that the new location we've chosen for the shelter game is completely safe."

Sophia's concerns were certainly shared by Irving.

Irving nodded. "You're right; I share those concerns. However, I feel that our time is running out. Even without considering the threat from the Night Blades, the end of the world is already looming."

Irving's words left Sophia momentarily speechless. Although she had heard some apocalyptic news from her father and Irving, and she even knew about the Dark Overlord, she always thought those tidings were just distant possibilities.

"Are you really not lying to me? I hope you're not trying to scare me! The apocalypse shouldn't be coming, right? Even if it were, there should be some signs of it. While the equipment from the shelter game has appeared in the real world, and the Night Blades pose a significant threat to us, the vast majority of the world still seems quite normal. There's no sign of any apocalypse at all."

Sophia's tone had become increasingly agitated. Irving could only try to comfort her for the moment. "Don't panic for now. Even if the apocalypse does come, I'll ensure your safety."

However, Irving's reassurances didn't seem to have any effect. Sophia's mood continued to deteriorate, and she felt like yelling at him. Just as she was about to say something to Irving, he suddenly raised his finger, pointing behind her.

A red light erupted from Irving's fingertip, and a nearby shipping container exploded.

Sophia was taken aback by Irving's actions. "Someone is watching us! This place you chose isn't secure at all!"

Irving's statement quickly brought Sophia back to her senses. "It must be those families collaborating with the Night Blades. They've been tracking me, but we don't need to worry about them; their strength is very weak. We just need to go to a place they don't know about. After all, the possibility of an apocalypse is much more important."

Sophia felt that these weak little thugs were not worth concerning themselves with. However, Irving's perspective was entirely different. To him, the petty criminals lurking around him and Sophia, although not very strong, might have already overheard their conversation.

"We must avoid any unexpected situations. So please, don't say anything more. I'll take care of all these enemies," Irving said before heading directly toward the direction where the enemies were hiding.

Irving didn't plan to act alongside Sophia. In his view, her strength was insufficient. Although Sophia could defeat the hidden thugs, some of them would undoubtedly take the opportunity to escape. Only Irving possessed the speed necessary to ensure that the thugs wouldn't even have a chance to flee.

In less than five minutes, Irving eliminated all the enemies in the vicinity. Sophia looked at him, slightly shocked. While she knew Irving was incredibly strong, she hadn't expected his abilities to be quite so formidable.

After clearing the area of enemies, Irving quickly returned to Sophia's side.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Are you planning to argue with me again?" Irving didn't grasp Sophia's true feelings. He assumed her earlier emotional outburst was about to boil over, and he was prepared for her to yell at him.

However, Sophia's reaction was entirely different from Irving's expectations.

She didn't argue with him; instead, she calmly asked, "If you really plan to relocate the shelter in a week, have you made all the necessary preparations? We're already at risk of being overheard by enemies during our conversation. When it comes time for the relocation, our enemies will surely take action.

And our enemies definitely include the Night Blades. From what I understand, some of the elders of the Night Blades are very powerful. I think that even if you eliminate Elder Seville, it doesn't mean the Night Blades in the City of Warding and Starling City won't pose a threat to us."

Sophia's knowledge of the Night Blades was limited. She had only encountered the threat posed by Elder Seville. To Irving, however, Elder Seville was not even among the stronger elders within the Night Blades.

Irving replied in a somewhat somber tone, "Our enemies will certainly take action. But as long as we can coordinate perfectly, I believe they won't be able to interfere with us too much. Moreover, during this operation, we will likely face not just one Night Blades elder's attack. I think the Night Blades may even send out three elders."

Sophia was taken aback by Irving's words, leaving her momentarily speechless.

After a moment of hesitation, Sophia countered, "Will the Night Blades really send out three elders? Do they even have that many elders? You can handle one Night Blades elder, but who will confront the other two?"

In response to Sophia's barrage of questions, Irving replied coolly, "I've found some allies. Their strength is actually quite decent. Together, they can hold back one Night Blades elder. I came here for your support. If we combine our strengths, we should be able to handle two Night Blades elders. Besides, we have a few hidden allies as well."

Irving's explanation did not convince Sophia. She felt that the overall risk of Irving's plan was far too high. "I know you're a very opinionated person. I realize that what I'm about to say might not persuade you. But as your friend and ally, I must voice my concerns."

Sophia spoke earnestly to Irving. "I'm aware that you've faced some crises in the shelter game. I also know that your previous mission encountered failure, which is why you're eager to relocate the shelter immediately. But I hope you understand that acting too hastily will only put you in a worse position. You need to have a reasonable chance of success before taking risks."

Irving dismissed Sophia's words without much thought.

Of course, he wanted to play it safe during the mission; he wished to ensure his safety in any operation. But that was simply not feasible.

The enemies he faced were the formidable Night Blades, who had already posed a significant threat to him in previous encounters. If he didn't act quickly to enhance his strength and move his shelter to a safer location, the Night Blades' next move would undoubtedly draw him into even greater trouble. By then, any attempt at remedy would be too late.

So, Irving replied calmly to Sophia, "Everyone wants to play it safe, but the current situation doesn't allow me the luxury of that anymore."