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

In response to Irving's retort, Elder Lawrence merely chuckled softly.

"Young man, do not be too proud. I am aware that you have dealt significant blows to us Night Blades. I know that one of our Elders has fallen at your hands.

However, that does not mean you can defeat me in the Shelter game. I have been operating within the Shelter game for a long time. The power I possess and the resources at my disposal are beyond your imagination!"

As soon as Elder Lawrence finished speaking, shadows of monsters began to materialize around him. These shadows slowly advanced toward Irving and Aron, gradually taking on solid forms.

"These monsters are just ordinary creatures I have summoned. If you plan to continue forward, don't blame me for being unfriendly. I can summon exceptionally powerful exotic beasts," Elder Lawrence stated, and his words were not a mere threat but a statement of fact.

From the strength of the monster they had just faced, Irving could already gauge that the creatures and exotic beasts Elder Lawrence could summon would be formidable.

Faced with Elder Lawrence's threat, Aron felt a twinge of fear. He took a few steps back and whispered to Irving, "Do you really think we can defeat this powerful enemy in front of us? We already spent a long time defeating the monster he summoned."

Irving did not immediately respond.

Irving merely stared coldly in the direction of Elder Lawrence. After a few seconds, he asked, "If we simply return the way we came, will you not only maintain peace with us but also offer us some additional assistance?

You see, traveling through the Desolate Canyon carries significant risks. We've already encountered a sandstorm before, and if we go back, we are sure to face another one. Since you have been operating in the Shelter game for a long time and seem to know the surrounding environment quite well, you must know how to deal with the sandstorms in the Desolate Canyon, right?"

Irving lowered his tone. He had no intention of engaging in a direct confrontation. Instead, he hoped to extract some valuable information from Elder Lawrence. He sensed that the Elder did not have complete confidence in defeating them outright. If Elder Lawrence truly possessed enough power to swiftly eliminate Irving and his companions, why would he choose to negotiate instead?

Upon hearing Irving's words, a smile finally appeared on Elder Lawrence's face.

"Your choice is indeed very wise. I am quite knowledgeable about the area. I can certainly guide you on how to handle the sandstorms in the Desolate Canyon."

After saying this, Elder Lawrence took out a small vial of potion from his pocket.

"This vial contains a potion that can increase your resistance to flames. If you consume this potion, you will be able to navigate through the sandstorm. The sandstorm will not be able to hinder your return," he stated, shaking the vial in his hand.

Irving listened to his words but did not make an immediate decision. He couldn't shake the feeling that the Elder might be lying.

"What you say sounds very convincing. But how can we be sure you're not deceiving us? If you are lying, we could end up dying in the sandstorm," Irving replied.

Upon hearing the retort, Elder Lawrence's expression turned slightly more angry. He felt that Irving might be trying to play him. However, he still held onto a glimmer of hope and coldly asked Irving, "What would it take to prove that I am not lying? How do you intend to assess my sincerity?"

Irving smiled and said, "As long as you accompany us back into the Desolate Canyon, that would suffice. If you consume the potion in this vial and step into the sandstorm first, you will prove your sincerity."

Upon hearing Irving's words, Elder Lawrence exclaimed in anger, "You are simply toying with me! You have no intention of negotiating in good faith! If that's the case, don't blame me for being unfriendly!"

Elder Lawrence had concluded that Irving's previous remarks were merely a waste of his time.

Elder Lawrence immediately summoned a horde of monsters. The moment they appeared, they charged towards Irving and Aron. However, Irving was already prepared for battle.

He raised his staff and conjured a Gravity Swamp in front of himself and Aron. Under the influence of the Gravity Swamp, the multitude of monsters was effectively bound in place.

"I always knew you would never negotiate with us sincerely. The terms we proposed were quite reasonable, yet you responded with hostility. You Night Blades truly lack refinement. Allow me to teach you what it means to be cultured!"

With that, Irving vanished from sight.

Elder Lawrence anxiously scanned his surroundings, trying to locate Irving's position. Just as he was diligently observing the area, Irving suddenly reappeared beside him.

"Were you looking for me? You don't need to search anymore, because I'm right here," Irving said as he swung his staff down forcefully towards Elder Lawrence's head.

Although the staff was not a melee weapon, it was the Staff of Calamity that Irving wielded. This staff was inherently a powerful weapon, enhanced by additional attributes provided by the Shelter game.

This meant that the staff could also be used as a melee weapon. Moreover, when the Staff of Calamity struck an opponent, it could inflict additional curse damage.

Irving was very close to Elder Lawrence, leaving Lawrence with no chance to evade the attack. With a powerful swing, Irving's staff crushed Elder Lawrence's skull.

To Aron and the others, it seemed that Elder Lawrence had been killed by Irving. However, Irving did not share that belief.

"He hasn't been defeated yet! You must remain vigilant and never let your guard down!"

As soon as Irving finished speaking, Elder Lawrence appeared behind Anna.

Lawrence unleashed a series of illusory black threads from his eyes, directly manipulating Anna's mind. Anna felt as if she could no longer move.

Benjamin and Wendy, who were standing nearby, quickly reacted. Benjamin brandished his weapon and charged at Elder Lawrence. Meanwhile, Wendy instinctively stepped back to a safer position before drawing the weapon that Irving had prepared for her.

Despite the threat posed by Wendy and Benjamin, Elder Lawrence showed no signs of concern.

"Your strength is far too weak to pose any threat to me. The only ones truly capable of threatening me are still too far away."

As Elder Lawrence spoke, he overlooked a very young person standing nearby.

The person he overlooked was, of course, Nick. Unlike Wendy and Benjamin, Nick did not rush to attack Elder Lawrence. He believed that since Lawrence dared to ambush them, he must have been fully prepared.

After observing Elder Lawrence for a while, Nick finally seized the moment when Lawrence seemed to relax. He launched an attack directly at Lawrence.

Caught off guard by Nick's assault, Lawrence couldn't react in time. Although Nick's attack didn't pose a significant threat, it effectively thwarted Lawrence's attempt to control Anna.

At that moment, Irving and Aron finally returned.

Irving coldly regarded Elder Lawrence and said, "Your cunning is indeed greater than that of your companions. However, your strength is not on par with theirs."

In Irving's eyes, Lawrence's power was nowhere near that of Elder Seville. If even the formidable Elder Seville had been defeated by Irving, how could Lawrence possibly hope to win?

Upon hearing Irving's words, a cruel smile appeared on Lawrence's face.

"Do you really think that just because the battle has reached this point, you can be certain of your victory? You are rather naive."

As soon as Lawrence finished speaking, the ground around them began to bulge, and from these bulges, a multitude of monsters emerged.

Faced with such a large number of monsters, Irving and the others had no choice but to evade for the time being.

"We can't possibly confront so many monsters at once. We should keep moving and get through this sparse grassland!" Irving immediately made the call.

Although Aron and the others felt a bit anxious about Irving's judgment, they had no other options at the moment. So, they followed Irving and moved forward at the fastest pace possible.

Behind them, a horde of monsters was hot on their heels.

Watching them coldly from a distance was Elder Lawrence.

Slowly, Lawrence got back on his feet. He glanced in the direction where Irving and the others had vanished and said coldly, "There is no way you will reach the Abyss of Death! I will stop you. You will meet your end in the Desolate Canyon, with no place to be buried."

Lawrence had to ensure that Irving and his companions could not reach the Abyss of Death. Within the Abyss lay the greatest secrets of the Night Blades. The vast majority of the power possessed by the Night Blades originated from the Abyss of Death. If Irving and the others made it there, he could very well discover a way to completely destroy the Night Blades.

To thwart Irving's actions, the other elders of the Night Blades had lent their power to Lawrence. This was what allowed him to display such formidable strength in the recent battle. Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for Lawrence to handle so many enemies at once.