Chapter 196: Clearly Defined Actions
As Irving and the werewolf leader found themselves locked in an evenly matched battle against the elder of the Night Blades, Irving's companions were also taking their respective actions.
Benjamin, Aron, and Nick were racing back to Shadow City at full speed. Meanwhile, Anna and Wendy, who were waiting in Shadow City for the others to succeed, were not idle.
Although Wendy had suffered injuries during the earlier mission, after resting for a while, she felt much better. She believed she was ready to join Anna in action.
"We can't just sit here. I think we should take this opportunity to eliminate the nearby members of the Night Blades," Wendy directly proposed to Anna.
Anna looked at Wendy and then shook her head. "You're not back to your best yet. It would be wise for us to refrain from taking any further action until you fully recover. If we encounter danger while acting, we could end up hindering Irving and the others."
Anna had always been someone who prioritized stability. She felt that since Irving and the others had already formulated a plan, she and Wendy should simply follow it.
Wendy felt a bit dissatisfied with Anna's response. She had previously held a very good impression of Anna, believing that Anna could offer her some valuable advice and understand her thoughts.
"I think your approach is a bit too passive. We can't place all our hopes for success on others. I still want to eliminate the nearby members of the Night Blades," Wendy said, her determination clear.
Anna's expression shifted dramatically at Wendy's words. She suddenly realized her greatest flaw. Anna's biggest weakness was that she tended to follow others' instructions without forming her own opinions.
When working with members of the Angel Guild, Anna would heed Aron's commands. If she was collaborating with others, she would listen to Irving. Even when paired with Nick, she, as the senior, would still follow his lead.
Anna's expression changed repeatedly as she contemplated this. After a moment of silence, she nodded and said, "I see your point. We should indeed take some proactive measures to assist Irving and the others."
With that, Anna intended to lead Wendy in the effort to eliminate the surrounding Night Blades. However, just as they were about to leave, Benjamin, Aron, and Nick suddenly appeared.
Anna and Wendy were both puzzled by their arrival. "What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be with Irving searching for Elder Lawrence?" Wendy asked the three of them directly.
Benjamin quickly provided an answer. "We did find Elder Lawrence, and during the pursuit, we managed to inflict serious injuries on him. However, reinforcements from the Night Blades have arrived, including two Night Blades elders. Irving and another ally we found during our mission are currently engaged in battle with these two elders.
In the fight, we can't provide much assistance because our strength is significantly weaker than those involved in the battle. So we decided to return to Shadow City to target the ordinary members of the Night Blades. This approach will also help weaken their overall strength.
Moreover, if we manage to eliminate a large number of the Night Blades' ordinary members, the two elders will undoubtedly be distracted during their fight. This might give Irving the opportunity to defeat them."
Benjamin's reasoning was very logical, and he quickly laid out his thoughts and the current situation.
After listening, both Wendy and Anna agreed that Benjamin's plan made sense.
"In that case, let's act together! We also want to eliminate the nearby members of the Night Blades!" Wendy and Anna responded eagerly.
Benjamin nodded. "I truly appreciate your willingness to cooperate. However, before we begin, we need to assign specific roles. If we act together, the progress in eliminating the Night Blades' ordinary members will be very slow. So I hope we can split up."
Benjamin's suggestion caused a moment of hesitation among everyone present. They felt that splitting up could lead to unforeseen dangers, and without Irving around to provide assistance, it seemed wiser to stick together.
Just as the group was wavering, Aron spoke up. "I believe we must split up. This is the only way we can achieve our goal quickly! Although separating will expose us to some risks, I have confidence that everyone here is capable of handling any unexpected situations."
Once Aron made his point, the others no longer voiced objections. Among the group, Anna and Nick were members of the Angel Guild, and Benjamin was the one proposing the plan. The only person who could potentially disagree was Wendy, but due to her injuries, she felt she had no right to argue.
"It seems everyone agrees with my idea. I'll now outline my plan in detail," Benjamin said.
In Benjamin's plan, they would be divided into three groups. Benjamin would team up with Wendy, Nick would pair with Anna, and Aron, being the strongest, would operate alone.
The three groups would set off in different directions, aiming to eliminate all the ordinary members of the Night Blades in Shadow City as quickly as possible.
After successfully eliminating the members of the Night Blades, they quickly returned to their current location to provide support to Irving.
"My plan may sound very straightforward," Benjamin said, "but during the operation, each of you must give your all. Our plan does not allow for any delays. You should be well aware that the longer we stay in the Shelter Game, the greater the dangers we will face.
We have already been in the Shelter Game for several days. Even without the Night Blades actively targeting us, the likelihood of encountering unexpected situations is already quite high. Therefore, our pace must be swift, and I fear we may not even be able to reach the Abyss of Death this time."
Benjamin's final statement cast a shadow over the expressions of everyone present. Initially, they had intended to head to the Abyss of Death. None of them had anticipated the series of unforeseen events that would arise before their departure.
Although the members of the Angel Guild had mentally prepared themselves for the possibility of encountering obstacles from the Night Blades, they could not have predicted that the Night Blades would send two elders to obstruct them.
"If everyone understands my detailed plan, then let's get moving!" After Benjamin's command, the five of them split into three groups and immediately set off. Benjamin and Wendy headed north together.
Anna and Nick headed west, while Aron moved east on his own. The direction where Irving and the others were located was to the south.
As Benjamin and his team carried out their actions, the members of the Night Blades were also mobilizing. However, the Night Blades' operations were divided into two parts: one part consisted of those who were already in Shadow City, and the other part involved reinforcements arriving to assist them.
The Night Blades members already present in Shadow City had become highly sensitive after a series of crises. They would immediately seek refuge at the slightest hint of danger.
On the surface, it seemed as though Shadow City was nearly deserted, with all important buildings largely destroyed. However, in reality, there were still many Night Blades members hiding within Shadow City. They had simply retreated to concealed areas throughout the city.
Shadow City contained numerous hidden zones. Besides the dark doors near the control center, there were also dedicated hidden areas for various Night Blades squads located in other parts of the city.
Several of these hidden Night Blades squads had already established communication with one another. Although they were still unsure of what exactly was happening, they felt it was essential to prepare for a response.
The leaders of several Night Blades squads met in a concealed location.
"Our squad has not found any trace of Elder Lawrence; it seems he has been eliminated by those intruders," one of the Night Blades squad leaders said in a heavily subdued tone.
The other squad leaders appeared to have already considered that possibility.
"If Elder Lawrence has indeed been eliminated, shouldn't we immediately escape from Shadow City?"
"I don't think we can do that. The headquarters will never abandon Shadow City. They will definitely send reinforcements to help us. We just need to hold our ground in Shadow City, and eventually, we will receive support from others."
The Night Blades squad leaders had differing opinions. Some wanted to flee immediately, while others wished to defend Shadow City.
As the discussion progressed, those with opposing views began to argue.
"What if the headquarters doesn't send reinforcements? Are we really going to go down with Shadow City? From what I know, the ones attacking Shadow City this time include members of the Angel Guild. You should all understand that the Angel Guild and we, the Night Blades, are sworn enemies. They will not pass up the chance to completely destroy Shadow City."
One veteran squad leader expressed his thoughts directly.
Upon hearing these words, the expressions of the other squad leaders grew more anxious.
"If we really choose to escape, where will we run to? What if we run straight into those intruders?" a young member of the Night Blades asked, trembling.