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

Elder Lawrence fixed his crimson eyes intently on Irving's direction.

After confirming Irving's position, he transformed into a massive dire wolf. With a piercing howl, the dire wolf that Lawrence had become lunged swiftly towards Irving.

"He can actually turn himself into a gigantic dire wolf! That's something I never expected. Can you do that as the werewolf leader?"

Irving seemed unfazed by Elder Lawrence's attack. He even had the mood to joke with the werewolf leader.

The werewolf leader coldly replied, "I certainly can't do that, because I am a werewolf, not a wolf! I won't degrade myself like Lawrence!"

In the eyes of the werewolf leader, werewolves were inherently a step above wolves in terms of evolution. To voluntarily transform into a wolf was akin to self-degradation.

Irving smiled and nodded. "In that case, your combat ability should be stronger than his, right?"

The werewolf leader did not respond to Irving's question. Instead, he entered a frenzied state and charged towards Elder Lawrence.

"You were all saying that the biggest flaw of you werewolves is your impulsiveness. You haven't even answered my question, and you've already jumped into the fight. We could have waited for Elder Lawrence to reach us before engaging him."

Irving actually disapproved of the werewolf leader's actions.

In Irving's view, the werewolf leader's reckless actions could very likely prevent them from gathering enough information. However, since the werewolf leader had already initiated the attack, Irving had no choice but to join him in the assault against Elder Lawrence.

Although the werewolf leader looked down on Elder Lawrence, he was unable to gain the upper hand during the fight. Even with Irving's assistance, the werewolf leader could only manage to reach a stalemate with Elder Lawrence.

"It seems you were indeed just bragging earlier," Irving teased the werewolf leader during the battle. "If you were as strong as you claimed, we would have already eliminated Elder Lawrence! But from the current situation, it's clear that his power is still very formidable. It might take us quite a while to take him down."

What Irving said was, of course, his honest opinion. Throughout the fight with Elder Lawrence, he realized that Lawrence's strength was far greater than before. Although Elder Lawrence had largely lost his rationality, he was still able to suppress both the werewolf leader and Irving through sheer instinct.

During the battle, Irving was reluctant to use the power of the Taikoo Flame Pearl, as it was his trump card. He had already used up most of his items in previous encounters. Although he still wielded the powerful Staff of Calamity, each use of the staff during the fight would further deteriorate Irving's condition.

Irving also understood that the enemy he faced was not just Elder Lawrence. The two elders from the Night Blades were still waiting for them in Shadow City.

Irving did not want to find himself in a situation where he was caught off guard, like a mantis stalking a cicada while a yellow bird lay in wait. Therefore, he needed to maintain his fighting ability even after defeating Elder Lawrence.

Due to the many concerns weighing on his mind, Irving found it difficult to focus all of his energy during the battle. The fight between him and Elder Lawrence had settled into a tense stalemate.

Aron, Benjamin, and the others desperately wanted to help Irving, but their powers were insufficient to intervene in such a dangerous fight. Benjamin had once risked trying to join the battle, but as soon as he reached the edge of the battlefield, he realized how weak he truly was.

At that moment, Aron reminded everyone, "We must stay calm! Although Irving is not currently at an advantage, Lawrence hasn't completely suppressed him either. We can only help Irving at a critical moment. If we act rashly now, we will only worsen his situation."

Aron's meaning was clear. He believed that rather than recklessly joining the fight, it would be better to observe from the sidelines. At least by watching, they wouldn't negatively impact Irving's efforts.

Wendy, however, was slightly dissatisfied with Aron's statement. She already felt that Aron was deliberately trying to put Irving in a precarious position. After hearing his words, she was even more convinced that her judgment had been correct.

Wendy was about to speak up to criticize Aron, but before she could say anything, Benjamin bluntly stated, "I think you're right. Given the current situation, we can only observe for now."

Since Benjamin had already said this, Wendy felt there was no point in adding more. She knew Benjamin would never betray Irving. So, Aron, Benjamin, and the others began to watch the fierce battle between Irving and Elder Lawrence from a short distance away.

Although they faced no immediate danger, their hearts were still filled with tension. They understood that the outcome of the battle would determine their fates. If Irving emerged victorious, they would be safe. However, if he failed, Elder Lawrence would undoubtedly come after them.

As everyone anxiously observed the fight, Elders Howard and Kent arrived at the edge of the battlefield. The two elders had not been able to track Lawrence's whereabouts immediately upon entering the underground tomb. They had gotten lost for a while within the catacombs. However, through their close cooperation, they quickly managed to locate Irving and the werewolf leader.

Eventually, they followed the trail of Irving and the werewolf leader to this spot. Upon witnessing the ongoing battle, their earlier anxiety suddenly eased.

"Our enemies are embroiled in a fierce struggle," Elder Howard said directly to Elder Kent. "We can now watch leisurely. Once they are exhausted from fighting each other, we can step in and eliminate them all."

Elder Howard felt that the current situation was perfect for the Night Blades. A traitor like Lawrence was engaged in a life-and-death battle with Irving, the biggest opponent of the Night Blades, while he and Elder Kent could watch leisurely from the sidelines.

Elder Kent naturally did not disagree. He also believed that waiting for their enemies to weaken each other before stepping in was the safest approach. The two Night Blades elders then concealed themselves not far from the battlefield. They thought their plan was flawless, but in reality, Irving had already detected their presence.

During the fight, Irving had pinpointed the locations of Elder Howard and Elder Kent. Upon realizing that the two Night Blades elders intended to watch from a distance, Irving immediately changed his strategy. He would never allow his enemies to observe the battle casually.

Irving turned directly to the werewolf leader and said, "I think this battlefield is not advantageous for us, so I want to move to a new location. Just follow me."

After saying this, Irving sprinted at full speed toward the direction of Elder Howard and Elder Kent. The werewolf leader wanted to ask Irving why he was doing this, but Irving moved so quickly that he didn't have time to voice his question. Before he knew it, Irving had already covered a considerable distance.

In this situation, the werewolf leader had no other options. He could only follow Irving as they advanced toward the new battlefield. After all, without Irving's assistance, the werewolf leader would be unable to handle Elder Lawrence alone.

As Irving and the werewolf leader moved toward another battlefield, Lawrence naturally followed closely behind. At this point, Lawrence had transformed into a terrifying, twisted monster.

Although he initially appeared in the form of a fearsome wolf, he had been increasingly corrupted by the Blood of the Abyss throughout the fight. Now, his form was beyond description; he had become an indescribable horror.

Aron, Benjamin, and the others were taken aback by this sight. Initially, they thought Irving chose to retreat because he felt he could no longer win the battle—he was trying to escape. However, Benjamin and Wendy quickly dismissed this speculation.

"Irving would never choose to run away. Even when facing an unbeatable enemy, he would fight with everything he has. And if he wanted to escape, he would inform us in advance," Wendy stated firmly to the group. Benjamin didn't speak but nodded gravely in agreement.

While everyone was speculating why Irving was acting this way, he finally approached the two Night Blades elders. Irving's actions left Howard and Kent at a loss.

The two elders watched wide-eyed as Irving came running toward them. "Since you two elders are here, why are you just standing at the edge of the battlefield? You are the elders of the Night Blades! Shouldn't you be fighting for the Night Blades?" Irving shouted loudly when he was not far from the two elders.

Irving's words immediately caught the attention of the werewolf leader and Elder Lawrence. The werewolf leader quickly changed direction; he didn't want to face the two Night Blades elders alone.

However, Elder Lawrence had no such concerns. To him, both Irving and the two Night Blades elders were enemies, and he simply needed to eliminate them all. The order of their elimination was irrelevant to him.

By this maneuver, Irving not only evaded Elder Lawrence's pursuit but also compelled Howard and Kent, who were initially intent on observing, to join the fray. At this point, the situation had shifted to give Irving a certain advantage.