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

Upon seeing Irving and Elder Kent, Benjamin wasted no time and directly joined the battle. Although his strength was not particularly formidable, he believed he could assist Irving through sheer effort. At the very least, he could distract Elder Kent's attention.

Benjamin's entry into the fight indeed shifted the dynamics of the confrontation. Elder Kent was forced to divide some of his focus onto Benjamin, which allowed Irving more opportunities to counterattack.

"I really didn't expect you to come to Irving's aid without considering the safety of Ocean Group! Do you think Irving is more important than Ocean Group?!" Elder Kent shouted angrily at Benjamin.

Benjamin's arrival was undoubtedly bad news for Elder Kent. Kent had initially thought he could corner Irving into a deadlock using his powerful dark energy and the formidable weapon in his hand. However, as the fight began, he quickly realized that even with Irving in a less-than-ideal state, he wasn't able to swiftly claim victory.

Thus, Elder Kent soon adjusted his strategy to wear Irving down in a battle of attrition. After all, the weapon he wielded was the Blade of Eternal Darkness. The Blade of Eternal Darkness was one of the rarest weapons among the Night Blades, infused with an extraordinarily potent dark power. It would never suffer any damage under any circumstances.

Even if the Blade of Eternal Darkness were thrown into the Abyss of Death, it could gradually corrode the abyss with its dark energy.

However, wielding such a powerful weapon came at a steep price. As the duration of its use extended, the user's mental state would increasingly deteriorate. Although Elder Kent had taken measures to avoid negative effects, he was still aware that his mental condition was declining. Therefore, he hoped to drive Benjamin away through this means.

As long as Benjamin was not there to interfere, he was confident he could quickly defeat Irving.

But Benjamin certainly wouldn't be dissuaded from the fight by a few of Kent's words. With a smile, he retorted sarcastically, "Do you really think I'm as foolish as you? I won't change my plans just because of a few sentences from you. As long as I and Irving can take you down, the headquarters of Ocean Group won't face any danger."

After saying this, Benjamin charged at Elder Kent with his weapon drawn.

Kent found Benjamin's actions completely unacceptable. Therefore, he immediately shifted his primary target to Benjamin, preparing to unleash his fury.

"Since you want to die, I'll gladly send you to your death!" Elder Kent swung the Blade of Eternal Darkness. Although his attack did not hit Benjamin, he still felt the effects of the dark power.

Benjamin noticed that his movements were becoming increasingly sluggish. His thoughts were also growing more and more delayed. Everything he could see around him seemed to be playing out at half speed, as if he were watching a film at 0.5x speed.

"Why is this happening? Am I being affected by the dark power?" Benjamin's mind could no longer handle complex thoughts. Even though he sensed that something was off, he couldn't adjust his actions in time.

Just then, he suddenly heard Irving's voice. "Stay alert! The battle has just begun; you absolutely cannot let the dark power completely consume you!"

With Irving's voice ringing in his ears, Benjamin's cognitive speed finally regained its edge. He quickly reacted and retreated to the edge of the battlefield at the fastest pace he could muster.

"That was too close! Without your help, I could have been completely consumed by the dark power," Benjamin realized that the change he had just experienced was due to the overwhelming dark energy. Without Irving's warning, he would have been fully corrupted and turned into Elder Kent's puppet.

Elder Kent stood at the edge of the battlefield, his expression grim as he clutched the Blade of Eternal Darkness. He couldn't take another step forward; if he left the battlefield, he would lose the dark power that enhanced his abilities.

"Don't think that this will ensure your safety. Right now, you are merely prolonging your suffering! I will soon gain even greater power," Kent threatened Irving and Benjamin, while simultaneously cutting open his own hand with the Blade of Eternal Darkness.

The dark energy from the blade surged into Kent's body through the wound. As Kent's dark power continued to grow, his body began to undergo further mutations. He sprouted three eyes, and a wing and an arm emerged from his back.

At that moment, Elder Kent had transformed into a monstrous being composed of numerous mangled limbs. He tightly gripped the Blade of Eternal Darkness with his one fully intact hand.

"I will show you just how powerful my true strength is! I will also make you understand how foolish it is to stand against me!" Elder Kent's voice had changed dramatically from what it once was. He no longer bore any trace of humanity.

Faced with Kent's transformation, Irving and Benjamin showed no hesitation. The two of them launched a combined attack against Elder Kent. However, after fully completing his transformation, Kent's combat ability had significantly increased. With the aid of overwhelming dark power, Elder Kent was no longer at a disadvantage in the fight.

As the battle wore on, both Irving and Benjamin realized they could no longer engage in a war of attrition like before. They needed to come up with a better strategy to end the fight.

"We can't continue to fight him here," Irving shouted quickly towards Benjamin. "Even if he won't ultimately be destroyed by the dark power's corruption, he can inflict serious damage on us before that happens."

Benjamin nodded in agreement; he shared Irving's concerns. He understood that time was of the essence, but what could he do? His strength was no match for Elder Kent's, and he was even weaker than Irving.

So, he could only follow Irving's lead.

Irving continued, "We should head back to the castle! I believe we can defeat Elder Kent with the defense infrastructure there!"

After saying this, Irving darted toward the castle at top speed. Benjamin wanted to stop him because he had just come from the castle. He knew very well that the castle's defense infrastructure had been almost completely destroyed. If they returned to the castle, they would gain no assistance.

However, Irving moved too quickly for Benjamin to warn him, and before he could react, Irving had already flown quite a distance away.

Looking at the now fully transformed Kent, Benjamin ultimately had no choice but to follow Irving toward the castle. He understood that he couldn't face Elder Kent alone.

Irving and Benjamin's decision to leave infuriated Elder Kent. However, he did not believe he would fail. He felt his power had grown to a level where he no longer needed the dark power's assistance.

Elder Kent had fully transformed into a monster composed of various twisted body parts. He resembled a slimy creature crawling on the ground, but unlike a mere slime, he had a relatively intact arm, which tightly gripped the Blade of Eternal Darkness.

"Do you really think you can escape like this? You are far too naive! No matter where you go, I will find you and kill you!" Elder Kent muttered to himself in a voice that was anything but human.

Anyone who heard his voice would not be able to comprehend what he was saying; his words had devolved into a form of communication that was no longer human. Elder Kent had been completely consumed by dark power, turning him into a puppet of that very darkness. Behind this dark power, it seemed there was an even more powerful force manipulating him.

With the Blade of Eternal Darkness in hand, Elder Kent quickly pursued the direction in which Irving and Benjamin had fled.

Once all three had left, Irving's shelter finally settled into a state of safety. The people remaining in Irving's shelter breathed a sigh of relief.

"We don't need to be so tense anymore. The most powerful Elder of the Night Blades has left. Moreover, the overall defenses of the shelter have not been completely destroyed. We can use these defense infrastructures to fend off attacks from other Night Blades members. If Irving and Benjamin can defeat Elder Kent, then we have nothing to worry about.

If they fail, we should immediately return to the real world! After all, our shelter is not here; we just need to do our best in the fight!"

One of the individuals remaining in Irving's shelter spoke up to the others. Most of those defending Irving's shelter were members of the Green Ivy Group. They were not particularly loyal to Irving, and with James currently absent from their ranks, they felt no obligation to risk their lives in battle.

They believed they had already done enough in their previous fight. Even if they ultimately failed, it wouldn't be their fault.

Irving, however, was not concerned about their opinions. To him, their attitudes were quite normal. He simply hoped they would do their best to defend the shelter. The outcome ultimately depended on the battle between the strongest of both sides.

The members of the Green Ivy Group successfully held the defense of Irving's shelter. Without the assistance of the Elder, the combat effectiveness of the ordinary members of the Night Blades was significantly diminished. They were unable to breach the shelter's defenses.