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

Irving didn't have to wait long at the entrance of the warehouse deep within the Angel Guild headquarters; just fifteen minutes later, the door swung open from the inside.

"Since you've arrived, why are you just standing at the door? Did you really think you had plenty of time to waste?" The Knowledge Fairy's voice echoed from within the warehouse. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire

Only when he heard the Knowledge Fairy speak did Irving finally step inside.

"You knew I would come here, didn't you? You must have foreseen the immense disaster Sophia is bringing to the real world," Irving asked directly.

"Of course! I possess the gift of prophecy! I saw signs of the crisis Sophia would unleash a long time ago. These signs indicate that she might directly kill you," the Knowledge Fairy answered with a tone of pride.

Irving shouted in anger, "Then why didn't you warn me sooner? Didn't you say you wanted to cooperate with me? Is this your idea of cooperation? Or do you think my life means nothing to you?"

He showed a furious side, but deep down, Irving was quite calm. He hoped that by expressing his anger, he could pressure the Knowledge Fairy. If his outburst led to her sharing more information, that would be a significant win for him.

The Knowledge Fairy remained unfazed by Irving's fury. With a calm demeanor, she replied, "Don't try to test me like this. I know you're not truly angry; you're just trying to intimidate me. I won't give in to such tactics."

Irving didn't let the Knowledge Fairy's dismissal of his strategy discourage him. He simply asked, "What kind of deal would you accept? Since you anticipated my arrival and knew the crisis Sophia would bring, and since you've been waiting for me, that means you must have a way to address this crisis."

This time, the Knowledge Fairy didn't sidestep the issue. Transforming into an owl, she nodded. "You're correct; I do have a way to deal with Sophia. However, whether this method succeeds ultimately depends on your efforts."

The Knowledge Fairy didn't reveal her method directly, nor did she specify what price Irving would have to pay to access it.

"This method must be incredibly difficult, right? It might even cause me irreversible harm in dealing with Sophia," Irving inferred from her words, sensing the underlying implications.

The Knowledge Fairy didn't deny this. With her large owl eyes fixed intently on Irving, he thought he detected a hint of pity within her gaze.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Is my fate going to be dire? Are you predicting that I will ultimately fall into Sophia's hands?"

The Knowledge Fairy shook her head. "In the future I see, you successfully defeat Sophia and seal away her Blood Moon power. However, this doesn't improve your situation or that of the world. Sealing Sophia's Blood Moon power will only hasten the arrival of the apocalypse. The Dark Overlord has already informed all the seers of his impending doom. Among the bits of apocalypse-related information, I see that you will play a pivotal role in what's to come."

Her words were cryptic and difficult to grasp. After pondering for a moment, Irving asked bluntly, "What are you trying to say?! Doesn't Sophia's arrival mean the end is near? Do you really think such a powerful Blood Moon force can't bring about the apocalypse? If Sophia can cause the end, then we shouldn't have to worry about the Dark Overlord at all."

Irving wasn't particularly concerned about the details surrounding the apocalypse. To him, the Dark Overlord's doom was inevitable, but it was still some time away. Right now, he needed to focus all his attention on the crisis brought on by Sophia.

Finally, Irving's comments prompted the Knowledge Fairy to shift the topic back to dealing with Sophia. "You're right! The snippets of information about the apocalypse aren't particularly useful to us, and they don't connect in any meaningful way. This means there's still a long time before the end truly arrives. So, our priority should be addressing the threat posed by Sophia."

After saying this, the Knowledge Fairy turned and walked deeper into the warehouse. After searching a bit on the shelves at the back, she pulled out a spellbook radiating pure white light.

"Surely you've never seen this spellbook before?" the Knowledge Fairy asked Irving.

After looking closely at the book, Irving nodded. "I haven't seen this spellbook before, but I can tell it holds immense power. Are you suggesting I use it to defeat Sophia?"

"Of course, I'm not foolish enough to think that a spellbook can defeat Sophia. While this book contains powerful magic, it can't be used to attack her directly. The real threat to Sophia lies in one particular spell recorded within this book."

As the Knowledge Fairy spoke, the spellbook slowly opened in front of Irving, revealing an unusually complex spell.

"This spell is designed to counter the Blood Moon's power. If you're willing to pay the appropriate price, you can seal Sophia away," she explained calmly, clearly familiar with the intricacies of the spell.

However, using this spell came at a heavy cost: Irving would need to push himself to the brink of death. He would also have to draw on different forms of power while in that weakened state. It was a perilous undertaking. Anyone in a frail condition is easily susceptible to other forces. A person on the verge of collapse is incredibly vulnerable when facing a singular power, let alone when confronted by multiple threats.

Irving carefully studied the entire spell-casting process. "Are you really sure this spell will lead to success? You're not deceiving me, are you? If you're lying, we'll all be killed by Sophia."

Irving wasn't overly concerned about the price he would pay. He just wanted to confirm that, after making such a significant sacrifice, he could truly achieve success.

The Knowledge Fairy nodded firmly. "Using this spell, you will definitely be able to trap Sophia. But that's all it will do—trap her. This spell is actually an enhanced sealing spell. If you're willing to pay the price of an entire city, the damage you suffer will be somewhat lessened. Still, you must be prepared to face serious consequences.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

And I must warn you, Sophia's power is gradually increasing. While the Blood Moon's power in the real world doesn't compare to that in the Shelter Game world, over time, Sophia will inevitably gain strength equal to that of the Blood Moon in the Shelter Game."

The Knowledge Fairy wanted Irving to take action quickly, as she too did not wish to be eliminated by Sophia. Just as Irving had said, the Knowledge Fairy was also facing the threat posed by Sophia. Now completely consumed by madness, Sophia would spare no one.

"I understand!" Irving replied swiftly. "From what you've said, it seems you and Sophia are also enemies. Shouldn't you take direct action against her as well?"

Irving hoped the Knowledge Fairy would assist him in the upcoming battle. Although she hadn't previously demonstrated overwhelming power, she had at least been able to hold her own against the Chaos Entity during the fight at the Angel Guild headquarters. Thus, Irving believed she had at least comparable strength to that entity.

In response to Irving's inquiry, the Knowledge Fairy didn't give a straightforward answer. "I've already provided you with a method to defeat Sophia. If you fail to succeed with this method, I may or may not offer you help, because I always have an escape route."

The Knowledge Fairy was already prepared to flee if necessary. Irving wasn't particularly surprised by her response; he hadn't expected her assistance in the first place.

"If that's the case, perhaps I should lure Sophia here. You would certainly take action when faced with her direct threat, wouldn't you?"

Irving didn't genuinely intend to do that; he was merely trying to intimidate the Knowledge Fairy. She recognized his threat but had no intention of conceding.

"You can certainly attempt that! However, the outcome is something you won't be able to control. I might even consider collaborating with Sophia. Though she's lost her sanity, I believe she still needs me for information related to the apocalypse."

The Knowledge Fairy's response was essentially a mutual probing of each other's limits. Now they both understood each other's boundaries, enabling them to work together effectively in the future. While the Knowledge Fairy wouldn't engage directly, she would ensure that Irving could perform the costly spell. Conversely, Irving wouldn't bring Sophia to the depths of the Angel Guild headquarters, knowing that doing so would only provoke the Knowledge Fairy and land him in deeper trouble.

With that, Irving left the warehouse at the heart of the Angel Guild headquarters, the spellbook in hand.