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

The two elders of the Night Blades set a trap by the edge of a lake, 15 kilometers away from the castle. To ensure that the trap could effectively ensnare Irving in an inescapable predicament, the elders also laid out several supplementary traps around the main one.

Elder Howard spread a mist imbued with dark power around the lake. This ensured that even if Irving and his companions acted together, the mist would separate them into different areas. Once Irving was lured into the trap alone, escaping would become exceedingly difficult for him.

"Our plan is already halfway successful; now we just need to see how Irving will respond. However, I believe he will never abandon his allies," Elder Kent said, casting a cold glance at James and Nick, who were restrained nearby.

Elder Howard nodded slowly in agreement. "You're right. Irving truly won't abandon his allies. It's precisely for this reason that we were able to set such an inescapable trap for him."

After this exchange, both Night Blades elders burst into laughter.
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While the members of the Night Blades were setting up their traps, Irving and his companions were also on the move.

Irving and Anna quickly noticed the unusual situation around the lake. Upon seeing the dark mist, Irving immediately made a judgment. "If I'm not mistaken, there should be a trap waiting for me at the edge of the lake. I think it's best if you don't come with me any further."

Anna felt a twinge of dissatisfaction at Irving's words. "While it's true that I'm not as powerful as Aron or Benjamin, I still believe I can be of help to you. Let me continue on with you!"

Anna felt that Irving was underestimating her capabilities. Although she acknowledged that she wasn't as strong as the others, she considered herself to be quite observant. She could notice details that others might overlook.

Reluctantly conceding to Anna's insistence, Irving agreed to let her accompany him as they moved forward together.

However, before stepping into the mist, Irving called Aron and Benjamin over.

At that moment, Aron and Benjamin were about 10 kilometers away from the lake. They could reach Irving's side in just a few minutes, but neither of them chose to do so. They understood that if they rushed to Irving's aid, it could complicate his plan.

"Even though Irving called us over, we should stick to the original plan," Benjamin confidently told Aron. "Irving's recent actions might just be a ruse to confuse others."

Aron still felt a bit uncertain, but ultimately chose to trust Benjamin's judgment. After all, Benjamin had teamed up with Irving more frequently, and he would never betray him.

Meanwhile, Irving and Anna waited in the mist but did not see Aron and Benjamin arrive. Anna's mood soured slightly. "Why haven't they come yet? Don't they plan to support us?"

In response to Anna's inquiry, Irving spoke softly. "Perhaps they've run into some trouble. We've waited long enough. Since they can't make it, we should move into the mist."

With that, Irving stepped directly into the fog. The moment he entered, the connection between him and Anna was severed. However, Irving didn't panic too much; he had anticipated this situation.

Anna, on the other hand, was quite alarmed but had no way to contact Irving. They continued to advance through the mist.

Ultimately, Irving and Anna reached the edge of the lake almost simultaneously. There, they spotted James, who was bound and restrained. The moment Anna saw James, she intended to rush over to break the seals on him.

But Irving immediately stopped her. "Don't go over there! If you approach now, you won't just fail to save James—you'll put yourself in danger."

Just as Irving finished speaking, Elder Howard's voice echoed from the mist. "You're absolutely right. We've set up very powerful traps around James. If you dare to step into the trap, you will be severely injured. But if you don't step into the trap, you won't be able to save James! This is a difficult choice for you.

Will you stand by and watch your ally die? Irving, will you do that?"

As Elder Howard asked his final question, he finally emerged from the mist.

Elder Howard smiled as he looked at Irving and Anna, waiting for their response.

Irving coldly replied, "Do you really think I would believe what you're saying? No matter what decision I make, you will be our enemy! So even if I go to save James, you will use that opportunity to strike us down!"

In response to Irving's words, Elder Howard maintained his smile. "The term 'strike you down' isn't entirely accurate. We were never friends to begin with, so I have no obligation to help you in your time of crisis. However, if you choose to join the Night Blades, we can wipe the slate clean! After all, we need strong individuals like you in the Night Blades!"

Howard's statement left Irving somewhat puzzled. He couldn't immediately determine whether Howard was speaking the truth or lying. The Night Blades had previously tried to recruit him, but Irving had outright refused.

If Elder Howard was willing to recruit him again, Irving could use this opportunity to mislead the Night Blades' judgment. Perhaps he could successfully help James and Nick escape their predicament. However, Irving was concerned that Howard was merely deceiving him. After all, he had already fought several rounds against the Night Blades and had inflicted significant losses upon them.

Irving didn't believe they would choose to accept him.

While Irving was deep in thought, Elder Howard approached James. "James is indeed not a very powerful person. However, I can convert him into part of the mist. Once he's transformed into the mist, he will be completely dead."

As Howard spoke, James's body gradually became transparent. A look of intense pain spread across James's face. Both Irving and Anna could see that James was slowly being transformed into the mist.

In this critical moment, Irving shouted loudly at Elder Howard, "What do you want me to do? If you want me to join the Night Blades, I will join the Night Blades right now!"

Upon hearing this, Elder Howard burst into laughter. "Hahaha! You can't really believe I was trying to recruit you, can you? What I just said was simply to deceive you. However, if you genuinely want to save him, I can offer you a chance. I have always operated on the principle of fair trade, so if you want to save him, you must exchange one for one."

After finishing his statement, Elder Howard turned his gaze toward Anna.

Elder Howard's meaning was quite straightforward: if Irving wanted to save James, he would have to hand Anna over to him. However, Howard knew that Irving would never agree to such a demand. Thus, the purpose of his statement was merely to provoke Irving. He hoped that through Irving's anger, he would launch a reckless attack, giving Howard the opportunity to lure him into a real trap.

Although there was a thick mist surrounding the lake, the dark powers within it did not possess strong offensive capabilities. Howard could only rely on this mist to gradually erode Irving and Anna. However, the process of erosion would take a considerable amount of time. Howard believed it was impossible for him to complete the erosion before Irving noticed his actions.

Howard's words only fueled the anger of both Anna and Irving. While Anna was furious, she also felt some concern. Although she believed her status in Irving's heart should be higher than James's, she lacked sufficient confidence. After all, the Angel Guild had previously clashed with Irving, and it was conceivable that Irving might abandon Anna, a member of the Angel Guild, to save James.

Just as Anna was caught in her worries, Irving slowly spoke up. "Do you think I would agree to your proposal?"

Elder Howard replied coldly, "If you don't accept my offer, you won't be able to save him."

Irving smiled and said, "Fine, I can agree to your proposal right now."

Both Anna and Elder Howard were taken aback by Irving's response.

"Are you really planning to exchange that person next to you for James?" Howard asked incredulously.

Irving shook his head. "I won't use Anna to trade for James. What I mean is, I will exchange myself for James!"

Howard and Anna were both even more shocked by Irving's declaration. Anna hadn't expected that Irving would be willing to take such a significant risk to save James. Meanwhile, Howard, though surprised, was quickly analyzing the situation. He thought that if Irving truly went through with this, it might be an opportunity to eliminate him once and for all.

After a moment of hesitation, Howard slowly said, "If you've made up your mind, I can agree to your proposal! Now, come here slowly. During your approach, you must drop all of your weapons!"

Though Howard agreed to Irving's proposal, he remained highly cautious. He knew that Irving was a very cunning individual.

Irving nodded and then handed his weapons over to Anna. Under the watchful eyes of Anna and Elder Howard, he slowly walked toward Howard and James's location.