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

Although Benjamin, Aron, and the others were prepared for a confrontation with the members of the Night Blades once they entered the building where Elder Lawrence was hiding, they hadn't encountered many Night Blades members inside.

The group had been searching the building for an hour. During that time, they had scoured several floors and discovered a few seemingly hidden rooms. However, they hadn't found anything noteworthy in any of the places they searched.

Throughout their search, the group remained vigilant, which caused their stamina to deplete quickly. Eventually, Wendy and Anna could no longer continue at a rapid pace. Wendy collapsed to the ground and said in a very tired tone, "Can we take a break? We've been wandering aimlessly in this building for a long time without finding any clues.

It's possible that the information on that scroll you're holding was designed by Elder Lawrence to mislead you. Irving could also have been misled by him."

Wendy pointed at the scroll in Benjamin's hand.

Benjamin shook his head. "The information on this scroll must be accurate. Before this, Irving used this scroll to locate Elder Lawrence. Plus, Elder Lawrence was severely injured. If he could really use this scroll to mislead us, he would have done so long ago; he wouldn't have waited until now."

Benjamin believed that Wendy's doubts were unfounded.

The members of the Angel Guild did not participate in the conversation between Benjamin and Wendy. While they didn't fully believe that the information on the scroll in Benjamin's hand was entirely accurate, they also felt that questioning its validity at this point was pointless. Even if the scroll's information was wrong, did they really have a way to exit the building directly?

"It's pointless to question these things right now. The situation in this building is definitely abnormal. Nick mentioned before that when he entered the building alone, he encountered some members of the Night Blades. So far, we haven't come across a single one of them. This means the Night Blades must have taken some action.

They might have set traps for us in the shadows," Aron said, which reignited the group's alertness.

Benjamin quickly responded, "You're right. We need to figure out what the Night Blades' intentions are as soon as possible. The traps they set could be right around us."

Just as Benjamin finished speaking, Anna suddenly felt a drop of water land on her forehead. She reached up to wipe away the droplet, only to realize it felt unusually thick and sticky.

Bringing her finger in front of her eyes, she let out a piercing scream.

"Ah!"

Anna's scream sent a wave of panic through everyone present.

Benjamin, Aron, and Nick immediately prepared for battle. Even the exhausted Wendy managed to pick up her weapon and cautiously surveyed their surroundings.

Benjamin and Aron quickly confirmed that there were no enemies nearby. So, they turned their attention to Anna.

At this point, Anna had calmed down a bit. She shakily extended her finger toward Aron. "A drop of red liquid fell on my forehead!" she said in a trembling voice.

As soon as they heard this, both Aron and Benjamin looked up at the top of Anna's head. There was nothing there—just a plain stone slab. However, there were some streaks of liquid running across the surface of the slab.

Anna was so frightened that she stood there in shock, seemingly frozen. Aron gently pulled Anna aside and then carefully examined the drop of liquid on her finger.

"This isn't blood; it seems to be just red dye," he said hesitantly after a moment of observation.

Benjamin also took a look at the liquid on Anna's finger. His conclusion was the same as Aron's: "I think it's just red dye as well. If it were blood, it wouldn't be odorless."

With Benjamin and Aron's reassurances, the tension among the others began to ease.

Anna gradually calmed down. "Even if this isn't blood, just ordinary red dye, it shouldn't be here, right?" she asked, still feeling uneasy.

Both Aron and Benjamin nodded. They agreed that Anna had a point; the presence of red dye in such a place was indeed strange.

As they observed the spot where Anna had just been standing, Elder Lawrence's voice suddenly echoed from nearby. "It seems you still haven't grasped the terrible situation you're about to face."

The moment Lawrence's voice appeared, Benjamin, Aron, and the others immediately readied themselves for battle.

"Aren't you all eager to find me? Now that I'm here, you can do whatever you want," Elder Lawrence said as he slowly emerged from the shadows.

A faint smile adorned his face, and he exuded a confident demeanor.

Benjamin and Aron refrained from making any rash moves. They understood that Lawrence's presence meant he was prepared for combat.

"What exactly do you mean by saying we're going to face an unexpected terrible situation?" Benjamin asked directly, looking at Elder Lawrence.

He felt bold enough to pose this question because he sensed that Lawrence had ulterior motives. After all, Lawrence could have launched a surprise attack from the shadows, but he chose not to. This likely indicated that Lawrence needed them to stay alive, at least for the time being.

Upon hearing Benjamin's question, Elder Lawrence smiled and replied with a question of his own. "Do you really think I would answer that? We're enemies, after all! Not long ago, we were engaged in a deadly battle."

Benjamin maintained a calm tone as he responded, "At least in the current situation, you definitely won't kill us. You had a much better opportunity to ambush us."

Lawrence's smile grew even brighter at Benjamin's words. "You are indeed someone highly valued by Irving. You're quite clever. Since you've asked, I suppose I can reluctantly give you an answer."

At this point, Lawrence shifted his gaze toward Anna. "Don't you feel that something terrifying is gestating within you?" he asked Anna, lowering his voice.

The moment Lawrence posed this question, everyone turned their attention to Anna. Just as she was about to deny it, she suddenly sensed that there was indeed a horrifying presence within her, gradually taking shape.

"What is it inside me?! What have you done?!" Anna shouted at Elder Lawrence, her voice a mix of fear and anger.

"I haven't done anything. I merely let a drop of Blood of the Abyss fall onto your forehead," Lawrence explained. "Inside your body, a terrifying Abyssal Monster is forming. When this Abyssal Monster is fully generated, it will tear your body apart to escape. Moreover, it will prioritize your companions as its first targets."

Lawrence's words plunged Anna into a state of despair.

However, Benjamin and Aron did not immediately believe Elder Lawrence's words. Aron shot back, "What's the benefit for you in doing this? As far as I know, the Night Blades cannot fully control an Abyssal Monster. What you just said is a lie!"

Aron's response brought some calmness to Anna.

Elder Lawrence maintained his smile. "You're right; your Angel Guild knows quite a bit about us Night Blades. But just because the Night Blades can't do something doesn't mean I can't. Although I am an elder of the Night Blades, my interests do not entirely align with theirs. Using the Blood of the Abyss is merely an experiment of my own."

As soon as Lawrence finished speaking, Anna let out a painful wail. Everyone could see her abdomen beginning to swell violently.

"The Abyssal Monster is forming within her body. I won't interfere any further, as I want to see if you have the capability to fight against the Abyssal Monster," Elder Lawrence said before vanishing without a trace.

Lawrence's plan had become painfully clear to Benjamin, Aron, and the others. He intended to use Anna's body to cultivate an Abyssal Monster and then observe how it performed in battle. If the Abyssal Monster proved to be highly effective in combat, Lawrence would likely begin using the Blood of the Abyss on a larger scale.

Faced with this dire situation, both Benjamin and Aron found themselves at a loss for what to do next.

Under normal circumstances, the best course of action when faced with a human who could potentially give birth to an Abyssal Monster would be to kill that person swiftly. However, Benjamin and Aron found themselves unable to take such drastic measures.

Benjamin understood that Anna had a very good relationship with Irving, and she had previously collaborated with Vicky on numerous occasions. Therefore, he couldn't bring himself to directly kill Anna.

Aron's hesitation was even more complicated. Although he harbored a deep hatred for the Night Blades and wished to eliminate them at all costs, Anna had been his friend for a long time. Their bond had been forged over many shared experiences, and he simply couldn't bring himself to kill her.

As Benjamin and Aron hesitated, the Abyssal Monster fully formed within Anna. Her body was on the verge of being torn apart by the creature.