Game’s Dogma

There was a time when Drako Yau stayed overnight in the Warring Wastelands using the Travelling Palace. When he returned home the next day, Charcoal writhed towards him dispiritedly. Only after taking in some of his energy did it regain its energetic self and begin running all over the place.

Drako Yau was then sure that the little fellow fed on his forces. Thankfully, its appetite was manageable. He could recover the lost forces with just a bit of meditation.

Gradually, Drako Yau came to love the little puppy. Charcoal wasn’t the cutest of puppies. Its fur lacked the usual lustre of typical dogs as if it was drenched in ink at all times. However, its albino eyes which were round and watery gained it a lot of points on the cuteness scale. He’d return home every day to see Charcoal wagging its short tail while attempting to leap into his bosom.

Without the system’s identification, Drako Yau had no clue what Charcoal truly was. A puppy that fed on internal forces was unheard of, though, so he believed it had to be a special being, though he also knew his comprehension of cultivation was merely on the surface.

“Charcoal! Spit fire!”

Charcoal stared at him innocently with its watery eyes.

“Charcoal! Freeze it!”

Charcoal still stared at him innocently with its watery eyes. Drako Yau was beaten by the cute look and decided to give up.

The so-called peaceful days were blissful. Every day, he’d level up, cultivate, practise the spear and the fist, craft scrolls, and play with Charcoal. One day, he suddenly felt guilty; his home was too small for the puppy. He then glanced at Charcoal wagging its tail next to his feet.

“Charcoal? Do you wanna go for a walk?”

“Ruff?” Charcoal tilted its head and barked in confusion, unable to comprehend what Drako Yau was saying.

The Holy Ground became a popular spot for setting up stalls. The shop system didn’t apply here, and players from all three cities gathered, so footfall was plentiful. As time passed, many players travelled here to pick out hidden treasures. Rumours had it that a player bought an uncommon skill book that contained a special crowd control skill, making him famous overnight.

A noob wearing common-grade armour cloaked in a ragged robe was walking down the streets in the Holy Ground. Many players wore robes for fashion’s sake, but at closer inspection, the noob who hid everything beneath his neck had a wriggling, bulging chest. A pair of albino eyes peeked from the robe and looked around out of curiosity.

Pets were beyond rare in the game. Tigeroar, Zephyrwolf, and Ching Wah, the bull girl, were one of the very few players who had a pet, and all reached great height thanks to their bestial companions.

Invaluable treasures often garnered unwanted attention, more than often malicious as well. Although Drako Yau feared no trouble, he’d rather not drag Charcoal into a mess if he could.

The man and puppy strolled around the Holy Ground. Despite being carried in Drako Yau’s arms, Charcoal could still catch a glimpse of the wonderful outside world for the first time. It was clearly in high spirits, but knowing its owner hid it for a reason, it only breathed in excitement and made no noise.

Drako Yau was similarly amazed. He had never visited the Holy Ground’s stalls. Many items, ranging from equipment to skill books, dropped from the monsters and dungeons, albeit at fairly low rates. Still, the low rates were no match for the multi-million player base. The number of precious drops flowing into the market was beyond imagination, even if only one in a thousand players hit the jackpot.

As he walked past the stalls, he found various interesting items, such as an epic skill book that could summon the skeleton king from the Demon City. The skeleton king’s level scaled up according to the summoner’s level and lasted ten minutes. A useful skill it was, but not quite worth the hundred million price tag on it. Many passersby also stopped to look at the skill book. Similarly, they all shook heads and left after reading the price tag.

That’s way too overpriced. He’s just trying to sell it off for its rarity.

Considering Drako Yau’s current skill set, he didn’t need such a skill either. What he lacked was ranged attacks; he feared no one when it came to mid-range and close-quarter combat. However, he didn’t really expect to come across a suitable long-range skill. The game would be unplayable if he was invincible in close range and had a powerful ranged attack like Hawk.

He continued touring around the city for a leisurely sightseeing trip. Suddenly, a particular stall caught his attention. He quickly walked towards it, emotions stirring within him.

It really is him! he thought.

Drako Yau knew the game well and had a load of extraordinary items, not to mention his stoic personality. Hardly anything could catch his eye and make him emotional. However, the stall that shook him was right there before him.

Many players gathered before the stall, all of them attracted by the same item: a flower pot. Smoke of various colours emanated from its soil, shrouding the plant that resided within it. Players could only vaguely see the outline of the plant. The stall owner listed the item as “Phantasmic Realm Grass” with its description being a single question mark.

Drako Yau thought, I’d be surprised if you know its effect, gramps.

“Darling… Mhm… This thing’s pretty! I want it!”

“Ahaha! No problem! Hey, you old thing. Yes, you. Name a price!”

The stall owner sat with his eyes closed. Hearing someone shouting at him, he opened his weary eyes and asked, “You want this plant?”

Gramps Got Migraine, the lone player who belonged to no guild, was a famous tormentor on the Eastern server. Perhaps part of his fame could be attributed to the lack of elite elderly players. In Real World, age didn’t matter physically because all players had the same physicality, so technically no one had a particular advantage. His comprehension of the Tormentor class’ skills made him a powerful spellcaster.

“Of course!” The boorish man wrapped his arm around the beauty beside him and thundered, “Name a price, I’ll take it!”

“Oh.” Gramps Got Migraine put on a sly smile. “A hundred million gold coins then.”

“Woah…” the surrounding players all gasped.

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