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

When Elder Astra returned to the Night Blades headquarters, Shadow Celestial was already waiting there.

"You're finally back. Did your plan succeed in the end?" Shadow Celestial asked Elder Astra in a very gentle tone.

Although Shadow Celestial could track Elder Astra's every move through the Dark Portal, the immense chaotic power during the final battle at the Angel Guild headquarters had blocked its influence. This meant Shadow Celestial was ultimately unaware of what had transpired in the final moments of the battle.

Elder Astra spoke with a hint of regret in his voice. "My lord, my plan did not achieve complete success. While I led my subordinates deep into the Angel Guild headquarters, we encountered an unexpected attack from enemies."

Shadow Celestial's gaze fixed intently on Elder Astra. Its suspicion of Elder Astra had grown increasingly stronger. Shadow Celestial felt that Elder Astra might be plotting something behind its back.

"Who was the unexpected enemy you encountered? Was it someone related to the chaotic power?"
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"Indeed, you are correct! It was an enemy connected to chaotic power! We encountered a Chaos Entity disguised as the Envoy of Filth!"

Elder Astra's answer finally caused Shadow Celestial to lose its facade of calm. In an instant, Shadow Celestial appeared directly in front of Elder Astra.

"What did you say? You encountered a Chaos Entity disguised as the Envoy of Filth?" Shadow Celestial spoke in a very eerie tone.

Elder Astra felt an immense pressure. He could sense Shadow Celestial's unwavering gaze fixed on him.

"That is indeed the case! The Chaos Entity seemed to be attempting to deceive me, but I wasn't fooled! I realized it was a disguise, which allowed me to successfully retreat during the final battle," Elder Astra said solemnly.

What he said was the truth, though he had hidden several crucial details.

Shadow Celestial stared at Elder Astra for a long while, yet ultimately could not find any flaws in his story. It returned to its original position, its tone regaining its earlier calmness.

"All of your subordinates died at the Angel Guild headquarters, then? Did you successfully bring back the Dark Portal?"

"I did bring back the Dark Portal! However, it seems that this artifact has suffered from chaotic corruption!" Elder Astra summoned the Dark Portal directly.

At that moment, the Dark Portal was surrounded by powerful chaotic energy. As Shadow Celestial sensed the chaotic power, it absorbed all the chaotic energy from the Dark Portal into its own body.

"The Dark Portal has returned to normal! However, you no longer need to utilize this artifact, so return it to the treasury," Shadow Celestial said calmly.

Elder Astra was greatly shocked by Shadow Celestial's display of power. He hadn't expected the entity to so easily eliminate the chaotic corruption from the Dark Portal. Thus, he hesitated to leave with the Dark Portal immediately.

Noticing the surprise on Elder Astra's face, Shadow Celestial slowly asked, "What's wrong? Did you not hear my command? Or do you think my command is incorrect?"

Only upon hearing Shadow Celestial's probing did Elder Astra finally snap back to reality. He quickly replied, "I apologize! I was a bit distracted just now! I tried every method I could think of to remove the chaotic corruption from the Dark Portal, but you resolved it so effortlessly. I was stunned by the extent of your power."

Elder Astra explained hastily. Shadow Celestial did not say much in response; it merely waved its hand. Elder Astra then left with the Dark Portal.

As soon as Elder Astra was completely gone, a seductive figure emerged behind Shadow Celestial. It was Sophia.

"Do you think he lied to me?" Shadow Celestial asked straightforwardly.

Sophia shook her head. "I can't tell if he's lying or not. All I know is that you need to fulfill your promise quickly. Although I've barely managed to accommodate the power of the Blood Moon, I still do not have complete control over it. You promised me that you would help me fully master the power of the Blood Moon."

Sophia was not interested in the power struggles between Shadow Celestial and the others in the Night Blades; she merely wanted to see her own goals realized as soon as possible.

Shadow Celestial scoffed mockingly at her words. "So you only care about yourself, huh? As your most important ally, don't you care about me at all?"

"You are not my friend! We are just cooperating temporarily. I have no interest in the power struggles between you and the others in the Night Blades, and I don't want to be caught up in it," Sophia replied coldly.

Sophia was on the verge of losing her human self-awareness. Under the continuous influence of the Blood Moon, she was becoming increasingly wolf-like. In a little while, she would be completely transformed into a werewolf. By that time, even if Irving found a way to turn Sophia back into a human, it would be impossible for her to regain her humanity.

Shadow Celestial was feeling very miserable at that moment. He sensed that many people within the Night Blades were secretly opposing him. However, these individuals did not show any signs of dissent on the surface; in fact, they even appeared to be executing Shadow Celestial's every command. This made it difficult for Shadow Celestial to identify who was undermining him in the shadows. He believed that if he ever faced a crisis, the Night Blades would descend into chaos.

In order to ensure he had some support in his upcoming actions, Shadow Celestial had chosen to collaborate with Sophia. He had not expected that Sophia would be unwilling to offer him any assistance at all.

"I will certainly fulfill my promise! However, I also hope you can be patient! After all, gaining complete control over the Blood Moon's power is not something that can be achieved easily," Shadow Celestial said.

Upon hearing this, Sophia turned and walked away. "Then I have no need to waste my time here! Meet with me again once you find a way to help me fully control the power of the Blood Moon."

With that, Sophia transformed into a swirl of red moonlight and vanished.

Sophia's departure only deepened Shadow Celestial's frustration. "It seems I cannot rely on anyone else! In the end, I will have to depend on my own strength to accomplish my goals!" he muttered to himself.

After voicing this thought, he summoned a few of his trusted subordinates. Although Shadow Celestial's suspicions had grown increasingly intense, he could not doubt every single person within the Night Blades. After all, he would still need others to execute his plans.

"Have you noticed any unusual situations within the Night Blades lately?" Shadow Celestial asked bluntly as soon as all his trusted subordinates had gathered.

While Shadow Celestial's subordinates were doing their utmost to help him identify the hidden enemies within the Night Blades, they had not discovered any anomalies. In fact, they believed that Elder Astra's every action indicated his unwavering loyalty to Shadow Celestial.

The other elders of the Night Blades showed no signs of abnormality either. When Shadow Celestial's trusted subordinates voiced their judgments, he became furious.

"You're all a bunch of fools and useless waste! You can't provide me with any help at all! This doesn't concern you; go back to watching those people in the Night Blades!"

In a fit of anger, Shadow Celestial dismissed all his subordinates. They were bewildered by his outburst. From their perspective, their actions had not encountered any unexpected issues. Wasn't the absence of abnormalities within the Night Blades bad news for Shadow Celestial?

Each of Shadow Celestial's subordinates pondered possible explanations, but whatever they thought held no significance for them. They only needed to carry out Shadow Celestial's orders.

After everyone had left, Shadow Celestial slowly took out a dagger emitting a silvery glow from his pocket.

"Although there are many bad news, I have finally found you. You can grant me even more powerful chaotic energy! If I can find two more chaotic artifacts, I will be able to restore myself to my peak state."

The dagger in Shadow Celestial's hand was indeed a chaotic artifact. This artifact could use chaotic energy to corrupt anyone struck by the dagger. Although it was a very powerful weapon, Shadow Celestial did not intend to use it as a weapon; he merely wanted to absorb all the chaotic energy contained within it.

Tightening his grip on the dagger, Shadow Celestial extracted all the chaotic energy from it. As the chaotic energy left in large quantities, the dagger's glow completely faded. Meanwhile, Shadow Celestial became significantly stronger than before.

"My power is gradually returning! Neither Irving nor those who secretly oppose me within the Night Blades can stop me. If they attempt to thwart me, I will make them pay a heavy price."

The surge of power instilled Shadow Celestial with enough confidence. Although his suspicions had grown, he did not believe his plans would fail. He considered the troubles he faced merely minor setbacks before success. As long as he could successfully resolve these issues, he would attain unprecedented strength. At that point, he would be able to eliminate everyone who posed a threat to him.