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

Observing the panic around him, Irving spoke gently, "There's no need to worry too much. Sophia is here solely to eliminate me. Even if we don't succeed in the end, you all can find a chance to escape. I alone will not flee. I will fight Sophia to the very end."

While his words calmed some of the people around him, they also intensified the overall atmosphere of despair.

As Sophia prepared to launch her attack, everyone inside the Angel Guild headquarters was readying themselves for battle. Meanwhile, outside the battlefield, a lot was happening as well.

Naturally, the one most concerned about the outcome of the fight between Sophia and Irving was Shadow Celestial. After the Chaos Entity was swiftly defeated and Elder Astra was forced to retreat back to the Shelter Game world, Shadow Celestial could no longer receive real-time updates on the situation. As a result, his anxiety was mounting, and he found himself taking out his frustration on the elders of the Night Blades.

"What are you all doing just standing around? Do you really think being here is going to give the Night Blades any advantage? Stop dawdling and go do what you're supposed to do!" he snapped, driving the elders away.

While the elders complied with Shadow Celestial's orders, they were far from satisfied with him. A few of them even debated whether to take action against him prematurely. After all, they believed his strength had diminished compared to before.

In reality, Shadow Celestial's true power had increased, but he appeared weaker than he was. This discrepancy was due to the inherently unstable nature of chaotic energy. Having acquired immense chaotic power had thrown him into a state of severe fluctuation. If Shadow Celestial couldn't quickly gain control over the chaotic energy he possessed, he risked being eroded by it.

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This was a danger that anyone wielding chaotic power faced. However, Shadow Celestial wasn't overly concerned about it. Instead, it was the factions within the Night Blades that sought to make him pay for his perceived weaknesses who were more preoccupied with the situation.

"Should we strike first? He doesn't seem as strong as he used to be. Plus, Elder Astra managed to destroy the Dark Portal. Without it, Shadow Celestial has fewer trump cards left. While he may have other artifacts at his disposal, using those will likely come at a significant cost," one elder whispered to the others.

Some of the elders supported this proposal, but more were opposed. For them, stability was paramount. If they couldn't ensure Shadow Celestial's defeat, they preferred to avoid taking any action at all.

"Taking rash action now is too risky. Let's wait until Elder Astra returns and discuss things in detail with him. He should be able to bring us some good news," the elders ultimately agreed, deciding to wait for Elder Astra's return.

At that moment, Elder Astra had no idea where he was. He found himself on a fog-covered island, surrounded by a vast expanse of water. He could sense the presence of a large body of water nearby, but he couldn't tell whether it was a lake or an ocean. In the Shelter Game world, no one had ever discovered an ocean. If Elder Astra was indeed in the ocean, it would mean he had made a monumental discovery.

Cautious by nature, Elder Astra refrained from entering the water. He knew all too well that diving in without caution could lead to unforeseen dangers. However, remaining on this small island was not a viable long-term solution either. After pondering for a while, he decided to reach out and contact others. He wanted to discuss what actions would be the safest course to take.

Astra's friends provided him with numerous suggestions. However, most of these were meaningless, as they urged him to enter the water. Only a few suggestions proved to be helpful. These individuals believed Astra should head to the real world. Once there, he could choose a more suitable location to return to the Shelter Game world, allowing him to escape the unknown area.

Elder Astra was acutely aware that Sophia had grown unimaginably powerful in the real world, but ultimately, he opted for this course of action. He made his way to the real world.

Upon returning, Elder Astra found himself in the suburbs of Starling City. The area had transformed into a nightmarish landscape, filled with a variety of monsters twisted by the power of the Blood Moon. The moment he appeared, he felt the overwhelming force of the Blood Moon surrounding him.

Under the eerie glow of the crimson moon, Elder Astra realized he needed to escape quickly. "I can't stay here too long. The power of the Blood Moon will gradually erode my sanity. If I linger, I'll lose all sense of reason," he thought.

Despite his caution, Astra's movements were somewhat sluggish. Just as he was about to open a portal back to the Shelter Game world, he sensed a shift in his thoughts. It seemed he no longer wanted to leave the real world; he wished to bask in the glow of the blood-red moon forever.

At first, Elder Astra didn't sense anything unusual. He thought his feelings were completely normal. However, it didn't take long for him to realize the truth. He became aware that his mental state was extremely unstable. The situation had deteriorated to the point where he had to leave at all costs.

With a firm resolve, Elder Astra decided to expend all of his power to accelerate the construction of the portal. The moment the portal was completed, he stepped through it. In the next instant, Elder Astra found himself back at the Night Blades' base.

Surrounding him were several members of the Night Blades. These were his trusted confidants, and they were deeply concerned about his condition.

"Elder, are you alright? You look terrible. Did you encounter some kind of grave danger?" one of the Night Blades members asked.

Astra didn't respond. He still felt off, as if he could still see the blood-red moon in the sky. That moon seemed to be continuously affecting his mental state. Slowly, he stood up and walked toward the window.

His movements sent a wave of panic through the members around him. They were unsure of what was happening, and one of them whispered to the others, "Should we seek help? Clearly, Elder Astra is not in a normal condition right now."

The other members remained silent, uncertain if they should take any further action. They were all bound to be loyal to Elder Astra, but his current state was too bizarre to ignore.

As everyone hesitated, Astra suddenly turned around. With a look of confusion mixed with fear, he asked, "Did any of you see that blood-red moon outside?"

The group rushed to the window, but there was no blood-red moon in the sky. Instead, they were met with a dark expanse. In the Shelter Game world, it was rare to see a moon or stars. Only in very exceptional circumstances did the sky become particularly bright.

"I don't see any blood-red moon in the sky. Isn't it completely dark? There's no light at all!" one of the Night Blades members stammered in response.

The rest of the members saw the same scene as the one who spoke, but none dared to voice their thoughts. Astra's gaze swept over each person present. He realized that not a single one of them could see the blood-red moon he was perceiving.

Quickly, Astra turned back to look at the massive blood-red moon in the sky. "Why can't you see it? The moon is so obvious! Are you trying to deceive me?"

Despite his confusion and fear of being misled, Astra did not become violent. He understood that his mental state was shifting. In this situation, he would not act rashly; he knew that hasty actions could worsen his predicament.

Shadow Celestial had been watching him closely. If Shadow Celestial became aware of Astra's current instability, he might take preemptive measures, ruining all of Astra's plans.

The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense. The less powerful Night Blades members were at a loss for what to do. None of them dared to speak or leave the room.

After a long pause, Astra finally turned around with a smile and said, "It seems none of you fell for it. My earlier words were just a test of your mental state."

His statement only deepened the confusion among the group. However, since Astra had said it, the ordinary Night Blades members could only go along with him.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Alright, you don't need to stay here any longer. Please inform the others of my return as soon as possible. After I prepare, I will need to meet with Shadow Celestial. I must tell him everything that has happened in the real world."

Astra ushered everyone out. He needed some time to regain his composure; he could not afford to show any signs of instability when meeting with Shadow Celestial.