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

Irving was already slightly disappointed with Wendy\'s previous performance. He hadn\'t expected that she wouldn\'t even be able to conserve resources. Hadn\'t she learned to save supplies during her time as a professional killer?

Feeling remorseful, Wendy could only reply, "I\'m really sorry. Although I memorized everything you wrote down, once we entered the shelter game, I forgot most of those reminders. After all, the circumstances in the shelter game are quite different from those in the real world. I got nervous and lost track of what I had memorized."

Wendy\'s explanation was unlikely to convince Irving. However, he didn\'t find it necessary to directly accuse her given the current situation. So he simply said coldly, "You should be able to remember now, right? Then start conserving some resources from here on."

Wendy nodded, realizing that she dared not utter another word.

The group continued on in silence through the Desolate Canyon. After about half a day of travel, Aron spoke directly to Irving.

"Everyone is tired. I think we should rest here until dawn tomorrow." Aron chose a spot surrounded by several large rocks for cover.

Irving felt a bit puzzled and directly asked Aron, "Aren\'t we supposed to be in a hurry? Why are you suggesting we all stop for a break when it\'s barely noon?"

The reason for Irving\'s question stemmed from his limited knowledge about the Desolate Canyon. He knew that sandstorms would emerge after noon. However, the sandstorms in the Desolate Canyon were unlike those found elsewhere. They were imbued with a powerful flame, and even a strong fighter like Irving could suffer severe damage when faced with such a storm.

Aron sighed and began to explain the details about the Desolate Canyon more thoroughly. "When I introduced the Desolate Canyon to you earlier, I skipped over some things that I assumed you would already know. But it seems you aren\'t as informed as I thought. Let me outline the most dangerous scenarios in the Desolate Canyon.

Once noon hits, sandstorms will kick up in the Desolate Canyon. These storms contain extremely hot dust that can turn living beings to ash upon contact. While you all are quite strong, I don\'t think it\'s wise to push forward into such a perilous storm.

Furthermore, after we pass through the driest parts of the Desolate Canyon, we\'ll enter an area of sparse grassland where terrifying creatures lurk underground. We must traverse that grassland as quickly as possible. Therefore, we need to conserve our energy until then."

After Aron finished explaining the situation in the Desolate Canyon, Irving nodded in agreement.

"If that\'s the case, let\'s rest quickly. I don\'t think we need to wait until sunrise to set off; we can leave at dawn instead. After all, we\'re bound to encounter enemies in the Desolate Canyon. Starting early will give us more leeway."

Aron had no objections to Irving\'s suggestion. "You\'re right. Let\'s proceed according to your plan. We have several large rocks around us for cover, but we still need to dig some caves here."

After selecting a spot to spend the night, Aron, Anna, and Nick immediately began digging. Irving followed suit and joined Aron and the others in the excavation effort.

Irving, along with Benjamin and Wendy, started digging as quickly as possible. Both groups worked efficiently, and within less than half an hour, they had each dug out two spacious caves.

"We can take shelter from the sandstorm in these caves. The storm should pass around three or four in the afternoon. At that time, we can eat something. Afterward, we\'ll take turns keeping watch to allow everyone else to rest. As for the specific watch order, Irving and I will sort that out," Aron said, taking charge as the guide for this expedition, making sure everything was organized.

Although Irving was stronger, he felt there was no need to voice any further opinions. Aron\'s arrangements were indeed flawless.

After staying in the cave for about an hour, everyone began to hear the ominous sound of the howling wind.

"It seems the sandstorm is about to arrive. I\'m curious to see just how powerful the sandstorms in the Desolate Canyon really are," Irving remarked. While he agreed with Aron\'s focus on safety, he still didn\'t quite believe in the immense strength of the sandstorms.

However, just a few minutes later, Irving\'s perspective changed dramatically. He suddenly caught sight of a massive sandstorm swirling with flames, sweeping past the entrance of their cave. Within that storm, he even saw sand in a molten state.

Irving quickly realized that the molten sand not only had an extremely high temperature but also contained fire magic.

"Thank goodness we listened to Aron\'s advice. If we hadn\'t taken refuge in this cave and had continued on, I wouldn\'t have been able to ensure my own safety," Irving said with a hint of relief to Wendy and Benjamin.

Wendy anxiously watched the swirling sandstorms pass by outside the cave. She didn\'t perceive the sandstorms as particularly dangerous; after all, Irving and Aron were both there to provide protection.

Beside Wendy, Benjamin was diligently observing the sandstorms. He had decided to record everything he saw on this journey. This way, he could write a book about the Desolate Canyon when he returned to the real world. After all, Benjamin was responsible for the Ocean Group guild, and he hoped that the members would be better prepared the next time they ventured into the canyon.

The sandstorm showed no signs of letting up, making it impossible for Irving to establish contact with the Angel Guild. Although the caves they had dug were quite close to each other, the howling winds made it impossible for them to hear each other\'s voices during the storm.

Seizing the opportunity, Irving turned to Wendy and Benjamin. "I don\'t know what you think of the Angel Guild members. All I can share is my perspective on them. I believe that Aron and Anna are indeed very capable. However, Nick seems not only to lack abilities but also to harbor some level of hostility toward us."

Wendy and Benjamin naturally agreed with Irving\'s assessment. Benjamin added, "I think Nick has always been planning to challenge you. He just hasn\'t found the right opportunity yet. If you happen to be at a disadvantage in a battle later on, I believe he might even try to ambush you."

Benjamin might have been a bit too harsh in his judgment of Nick. While Nick was indeed very jealous of Irving, he wouldn\'t go so far as to ambush Irving during a fight with an enemy.

Irving nodded, acknowledging what Benjamin had said. "He might do that, but I believe he is still a member of the Angel Guild. He shouldn\'t ambush us while we\'re fighting monsters. So, I just hope you both keep an eye on him during the upcoming actions. You should be able to handle the task I\'ve given you, right?"

After Irving finished speaking, Benjamin and Wendy hurriedly nodded. They would certainly carry out the tasks assigned to them.

Meanwhile, Aron and Anna were continuously reprimanding Nick on the other side. "Your previous actions were a bit too much. Irving is not an opponent you can easily defeat, and he shouldn\'t even be your opponent. He is our ally in the Angel Guild. You shouldn\'t provoke Irving at all. Instead, you should learn from him during the upcoming actions.

His ability to handle unexpected situations is something you could benefit from for a long time."

Aron spoke with a very stern tone as he delivered this message.

Aron was very concerned that Nick\'s actions might damage the relationship between the Angel Guild and Irving. At this moment, Anna spoke up.

"I understand that you really want to prove your abilities, but proving yourself isn\'t achieved by fighting against your allies. If you want to demonstrate your strength, you need to defeat monsters that no one else can conquer during the upcoming actions."

After listening to the words of his two senior members from the Angel Guild, Nick calmly nodded. "I\'ve taken note of what you both said. I won\'t provoke Irving, because, as you mentioned, his strength is indeed formidable. However, I also don\'t believe his power is so great that we cannot overcome it. I will prove my strength to be greater than his during the next mission."

With that, Nick fell silent. Aron and Anna exchanged a sigh as they looked at him.

"Regardless, we cannot afford any mistakes in our upcoming actions. This mission is crucial for the future of our Angel Guild," Aron reminded Anna and Nick once more.

The reason Aron emphasized this was that the official agency had issued directives to the Angel Guild. If the Angel Guild couldn\'t quickly gather intelligence about the Abyss of Death, they would no longer be able to obtain additional resources from the official agency. Without these resources, the strength of the Angel Guild would soon become weaker than that of other family guilds.

Aron was determined to prevent such a situation from occurring.