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

Nick was not really paying attention to what Irving was saying. There were two reasons for this. The first was that Nick was preoccupied with whether what he had seen just before being transported was real or not. The second reason was that he was still experiencing intense pain.

Before being transported, Nick had been struck by lightning. The two bolts of lightning in the sky had caused him significant harm. Nick felt as if his very soul had been injured by those lightning strikes.

Irving did not immediately offer help to Nick because he believed he needed to think carefully about the situation. Nick had clearly sustained serious injuries, and Irving could see the pain etched on Nick's face. However, he was uncertain about how to help Nick return to normal.

"Standard healing spells won't work. The attack you faced was very unusual. Can you describe what the attack was like?" Irving quickly asked Nick.

Nick nodded heavily and then recounted the circumstances of his attack. After listening, Irving's expression grew more serious.

"The ability to control powerful monsters within the horde indicates that the manipulator shares a puppet skill similar to mine. Additionally, since you were hit by lightning, it means the manipulator can use lightning spells. It's possible that in addition to lightning spells, the manipulator may have access to other powers as well. This suggests that the manipulator's variety of attack methods is at least comparable to mine. The strength of the monster horde's manipulator may be very close to my own. Therefore, I think there's no need for you to stay here any longer; you can choose to return to the real world."

Irving made his judgment immediately. His reasoning was indeed very sound, and he was justified in making such conclusions. However, he overlooked a crucial point: he hadn't considered how to treat Nick.

After hearing Irving's words, Nick painfully said, "You're right about everything, but could you please treat me first? I'm in a lot of pain right now. If you're unwilling to help me, I might just die from the agony."

Upon hearing Nick's plea, Irving finally realized the situation. He immediately harnessed the power of the Taikoo Flame Pearl. As he called upon the power of the Taikoo Flame Pearl, he also allowed Nick's energy to merge with his own.

The energy from the Taikoo Flame Pearl surrounded Nick's body with a white light. Under the healing effect of the white glow, Nick quickly began to recover.

Nick, now back to normal, chose not to leave immediately. He felt that he could still provide assistance to Irving in battle. Having witnessed the scale of the monster horde, he believed that Irving would not be able to face such a vast army alone.

"I can't just leave! I must fight alongside you!" Nick said earnestly to Irving.

Irving did not outright refuse; instead, he gently asked, "Why?"

"Because I believe you can't win by yourself. Your understanding of the monster horde is very limited. While I don't know much either, I've at least seen the horde before," Nick replied seriously.

After saying this, Nick felt that his argument still lacked enough persuasive power, so he continued, "Besides the horde, we also have to face the manipulator of the monsters. As you said, the manipulator's power is likely comparable to yours. In this situation, if I leave, wouldn't that mean you have no chance of winning in battle? I need to be here to coordinate with you."

Nick's reasoning was quite sound. Irving found it difficult to think of a counterargument. However, he was reluctant to let Nick stay because he worried that having him around might complicate matters.

"I do have limited knowledge of the monster horde and its manipulator. But I don't think that's a significant issue for me. I can learn about my opponents during the battle. If you stay here, you might restrict my performance in combat. Don't forget, the backlash from my clashes with the enemy could have a considerable impact on you."

As soon as Irving made this statement, Nick's expression turned grave. Irving was indeed correct; although Nick had a strong fighting spirit, his strength was simply too weak. He was not qualified to participate in the upcoming battle. If he couldn't handle the attacks from the monster horde, how could he face the manipulator?

Seeing Nick's mood decline, Irving spoke slowly, "You've already provided me with enough help. You informed me that the monster horde is heading towards my shelter. You also told me that there is a manipulator behind the horde. This information is extremely valuable. You've completed everything you need to do. I can handle the upcoming battle on my own. You should return to the real world. There are plenty of things that still need your assistance there. After all, Anna can't manage everything by herself."

After hearing these words, Nick ultimately chose to agree. After all, Irving had made his point very clear, and if Nick had continued to disagree, it would have led to an awkward situation.

"Alright then! I will return as soon as possible. But I must remind you, you don't have a full two days to prepare. After what just happened, the monster horde's manipulator will surely speed up their actions. It's very likely that you will be attacked by the horde within a day," Nick warned Irving before turning and leaving. He returned to the real world through Irving's shelter.

Irving certainly took note of Nick's warning. He was well aware that he might not have much more time to prepare. However, Irving was not particularly concerned. In his view, at least in the current situation, the monster horde's manipulator would not dare to confront him directly.

Though the manipulator's strength might be similar to his own, the opponent was likely to be very cautious. He believed he could catch the enemy off guard by exploiting their characteristics.

While Nick was leaving, Irving had completed the enhancement of the defense infrastructure around his shelter. The defense infrastructure surrounding Irving's shelter was quite robust. He felt confident that he could leave the shelter and take the initiative to strike.

About half an hour after Nick left Irving's shelter, Irving chose to head towards the Lava Mountains. The distance between him and the monster horde was quickly decreasing, and they would encounter each other in half a day, during the night in the shelter game world.

Nighttime in the shelter game world was actually very dangerous. All the monsters in the shelter game world became stronger at night. Therefore, typical shelter game players would usually seek safety during this time. Even if they were on a mission and couldn't reach a safe location, shelter game players would find ways to mask their presence.

Irving's approach was similar to that of other shelter game players; he also concealed his presence. However, his reason for doing so was not out of fear of the enemy. In fact, it was to ensure the success of his impending ambush. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire

On the side of the monster horde, the manipulator had been hiding at the very center of the horde. Powerful monsters surrounded him. These monsters not only provided protection for the manipulator but also continuously empowered him.

Under normal circumstances, the horde's manipulator would not feel worried. However, Nick's successful escape made the manipulator sense that something had gone wrong with his plans.

"Irving must have made some preparations! How can I ensure that my attack will definitely succeed? Could Irving launch an attack against me? If he does, what should I do?" The manipulator of the monster horde was caught up in these complex thoughts.

Although he wished to quickly find answers to these questions, it was simply not feasible. At this moment, the manipulator did not have a complete understanding of Irving's strength. He only knew that Irving was stronger than the elders of the Night Blades. He had even heard that Irving had defeated Shadow Celestial. However, without a direct confrontation, the manipulator could not ascertain Irving's true abilities.

As the manipulator furrowed his brow in contemplation, some of the monsters at the outer edges of the horde suddenly exhibited extremely abnormal behavior. These monsters seemed to go crazy, fleeing from the horde.

"What's going on? Has my control over them failed?" The manipulator felt a twinge of confusion. He did not believe that his control had faltered. Typically, the strongest monsters were the ones most likely to break free from manipulation, while the weaker ones could not escape at all. Yet, in this situation, the stronger monsters remained under his control; only those on the outer fringe had broken free.

The manipulator did not dwell on the issue for long. He quickly became alarmed, realizing he had been attacked. "The only one bold enough to attack me now is Irving!" The manipulator confirmed that he was indeed under attack from Irving.

He immediately gathered all the monsters together. Although he had never faced Irving directly, he was still very wary of Irving's strength. The manipulator decided his first priority was to ensure his own safety. Only after gauging Irving's true power would he consider engaging in battle.

With the manipulator's actions, the massive horde of monsters began to respond accordingly.