Chapter 269 : 269: The Battle at the Desolate Canyon
"Why did you bring these two along? Do you really think they can provide us with significant assistance?"
Although Benjamin maintained a calm demeanor, his tone clearly conveyed skepticism about Wendy and Sophia\'s capabilities.
Before Irving could respond, Sophia interjected coldly, "My abilities far surpass yours! At least in terms of frost spells, I am well beyond your level. During the operation, I can offer Irving much more support. Moreover, I am the one providing the tools to counter hypnosis. If I don\'t come along, there\'s no way you can successfully rescue Vicky from the Night Blades."
In response to Sophia\'s declaration, Benjamin merely nodded slightly. "Then why is Wendy coming along as well? As far as I know, she\'s just someone who recently entered the shelter game. While she may be a professional assassin in the real world, that doesn\'t grant her significant advantages in the shelter game."
Benjamin wasn\'t looking to argue with Wendy and Sophia. He simply wanted to ensure that they wouldn\'t hinder his efforts during the mission.
Wendy didn\'t respond directly like Sophia had; instead, she turned her gaze to Irving. Irving smiled and said, "Our mission to the Desolate Canyon will definitely be known to the Night Blades. Therefore, I need to ensure that those left behind in the real world won\'t be at risk after we leave. Wendy stays at my house, so to guarantee her safety, I must bring her along.
You don\'t need to worry; I can assure you she won\'t slow us down during the operation."
Irving laid out his reasoning plainly. He had no intention of deceiving Benjamin in any other way. Even if he managed to trick him temporarily, it would severely damage their cooperation moving forward.
Benjamin accepted Irving\'s explanation. "In that case, let\'s get moving. The slower we act, the greater the danger to the president."
Having gathered all the weapons and tools he deemed useful, Benjamin was ready to set off.
Irving nodded. "You\'re right! Let\'s set off immediately! This is our second mission to the Desolate Canyon, and I\'ve decided to name it \'The Battle at the Desolate Canyon!\'"
Among the four, only Sophia was somewhat unfamiliar with the Desolate Canyon. However, before the mission began, Irving had already briefed her on the general situation there. As soon as they entered the Desolate Canyon, they made their way toward the area where Elder Howard of the Night Blades was most likely to be located.
Surveying the unfamiliar landscape before them, Irving quickly assessed the situation. "It seems the Night Blades have made a series of modifications to the entire Desolate Canyon. There are undoubtedly many traps hidden here. We must be extremely cautious during our operation."
Benjamin nodded in agreement. "I think we should head directly north. I can sense a powerful dark energy coming from that direction. Only places where the Night Blades gather would have such strong dark power."
Benjamin voiced his suggestion clearly. Irving did not express any objections, though he had some reservations about Benjamin\'s plan. Ultimately, however, he agreed to it.
And so, the group proceeded northward, heading directly into the traps that Elder Howard had prepared for them. The moment Irving and the others entered the Desolate Canyon, Elder Howard had already locked onto their location.
"They\'ve finally arrived in the Desolate Canyon. This time, I will not let them escape!" Elder Howard was resolute. He believed this was his final opportunity. If he failed in this endeavor, the higher-ups in the Night Blades would not give him another chance.
Moreover, with Elder Kent killed by Irving, Howard was eager for revenge. Though his desire for vengeance was strong, he also understood that Irving was not an easy opponent to deal with. Therefore, he wouldn\'t make his move until Irving had been significantly weakened.
In addition to setting a series of traps, Elder Howard had summoned all his subordinates from the Night Blades. "What you need to do is simple: stay hidden in the traps and create trouble for Irving and his team. As long as you can weaken their strength, I will reward you accordingly."
Elder Howard issued his orders directly to the members of the Night Blades.
The members of the Night Blades had gone through a series of tumultuous events, and while they were aware of Irving\'s formidable strength, they found it impossible to refuse the order to fight him. If any member of the Night Blades dared to decline the battle, Elder Howard would eliminate them on the spot.
Moreover, the majority of the Night Blades members held onto a sense of false hope. They believed that hiding in the traps would effectively shield them from Irving\'s attacks.
"If you\'re ready, set off immediately! I expect you to perform better in this operation than you did before. If you repeat the same mistakes as during the castle assault, I won\'t let you off easily. During the castle operation, you all failed to fulfill your roles," Howard said, his expression turning menacing as he recalled the castle battle.
Elder Howard had always believed that Elder Kent\'s failure was not due to Kent himself, but rather because the other members of the Night Blades did not fully cooperate with him. Upon hearing Howard\'s words, the members of the Night Blades sprang into action, knowing that any delay could put their lives in grave danger.
Once the Night Blades members had departed, Elder Howard slowly made his way to his secret room, which contained a large, pitch-black door. After pushing the door open, he stepped into the ruins of Shadow City.
"You\'ve finally arrived. Does this mean Irving has entered the Desolate Canyon?" A chilling voice echoed from deep within the ruins.
Immediately, the area around Elder Howard was enveloped in a pink glow. A blood-red wolf head materialized not far away. Stay connected through m-v l|e\'m,p| y- r
It was the same wolf head that had just spoken. "He has indeed appeared in the Desolate Canyon; I came here to inform you of this."
Although Elder Howard had already forged an alliance with the blood-red wolf head, he still couldn\'t discern its true nature. He could see traces of both the werewolf leader and Elder Lawrence within it, yet he had an unsettling feeling that it was neither of them.
"It seems you still have doubts about our partnership. If you have any questions, feel free to voice them now. After all, our upcoming operation can only succeed through our combined efforts," the blood-red wolf head said, glaring at Elder Howard with its pupil-less eyes.
Elder Howard nodded. "What I want to know most right now is who you really are."
Upon hearing this question, the blood-red wolf head let out a chilling laugh. "Isn\'t it a bit ridiculous for you to ask that? Can you really not figure out who I am? Don\'t you know that the werewolf leader and Elder Lawrence were fighting over whose power belonged to whom?"
As soon as Howard heard the question thrown back at him, he immediately realized the identity of the blood-red wolf head. It represented the power of the Werewolf God. Neither the werewolf leader nor Elder Lawrence had succeeded in obtaining the Werewolf God\'s power. Instead, the Werewolf God had successfully descended into the Desolate Canyon through their bodies.
Howard had some reservations about cooperating with the Werewolf God. "I have encountered other deities in the shelter game. Though they possess immense power, they look down on humanity. Why would you choose to ally with us humans?"
The Werewolf God responded with a derisive tone, "I am not cooperating with you; I am merely using you! Without you, I wouldn\'t be able to escape from the ruins of Shadow City. While I utilize you, I will also provide you with some small assistance, such as helping you defeat Irving!
Although I have never fought Irving directly, I have seen him through the memories of the werewolf leader and Elder Lawrence. Irving poses a certain threat to me. To eliminate that threat at its source, I must personally intervene and offer you some aid."
The Werewolf God\'s words reassured Elder Howard somewhat. He had never believed that the werewolves would genuinely cooperate with him.
"Well then! Actually, I didn\'t plan on cooperating with you too much either. I\'ll draw Irving here, and what you need to do is eliminate him."
"What I should do is not for you to instruct! It is a great honor for you to cooperate with me as a deity. Now, stop wasting time on these trivialities and go do what you need to do!" The Werewolf God dismissed Elder Howard.
Howard felt no reluctance as he left; he had already confirmed the most important matter for himself.