Game’s Dogma

Drako Yau pondered for a moment and said, “Dumbgirl gets two uses a day, but she won’t be fighting me. We’ve fought a lot already. Wait till your phantoms are stored, then let her fight you guys instead. She has too little combat experience, and I know you always hold back when sparring with her. Such watered-down training is useless.”

Although he had been entirely focused on Hawk during the last battle and was oblivious to most things that took place on the battlefield, his companions filled him in with the details, mostly about Dumbgirl’s performance. She was his first disciple, after all.

“You all can fight among yourselves for the remaining eight uses. The eight winners can use it once, while the losers will have to wait for another day.” Drako Yau paused, something suddenly coming to mind. “Should we share it with Hades?”

Windstrider was the most meticulous among the bunch. He thought for a moment, then said, “It’s alright, but we have to limit it to several people. Hades, Chan Ka Lok, Soulsmith, and Bloodless Bladester are trustworthy enough. The Phantasmic Realm Grass is far too precious. We cannot afford to be careless.”

Drako Yau nodded. “Let’s do as you say, then.”

After leaving the Phantasmic Realm Grass with them, Drako Yau left like an irresponsible leader again. It wasn’t of much use to him anyways; his technical ability in combat was already decent enough. What he needed was a steady increment in overall combat strength.

Boiling Form was a powerful “weapon”, but its five-minute limit made it somewhat awkward to use. He had to learn how to control his forces and Boiling Form better to increase its usage limit. There was a lot to take in after learning Advanced Grasp of Ice and Fire as well.

However, things rarely went as planned in life, just like how Drako Yau still had no idea why he was dragged into this game and became a Maverick. Though Tigeroar seemed to know something, Hagrid killed him before Drako Yau could ask.

Similarly, Drako Yau was planning on honing his cultivation techniques when an announcement marking the second month since Warring Wastelands’ launch disrupted his plans.

“Dungeons will be available in the Warring Wastelands starting from tomorrow. The four dungeons are Dark Elven Village, Beastmen Territory, Demon Race Encampment, and Undead Tribal Lands.”

“The dungeons will last for two months, and results will be settled. The four squads with the quickest clearing time will qualify for the hidden dungeon: the Demon Capital—Ninth Hell City.”

“The four dungeons may produce Level 40 epic drops, and the Demon Capital—Ninth Hell City may produce Level 40 legendary drops. Please make good use of this opportunity and give it your all.”

The gaming community was in an uproar once the announcement went live. Everyone went crazy about the possibility of getting legendary equipment—selling one of those was no different from winning the lottery! Ever since Chan Ka Lok, Bloodless Bladester, and some other elites began wielding legendary weapons, the filthy rich players also thirsted for legendaries.

Currently, buyers were seeking legendary weapons for 600,000,000 dollars, an astronomical number for most people. However, most buyers were average at the game at best. The legendary weapons would be wasted if they ended up in their hands, though that was hardly a concern in this society filled with greed and desire.

While the majority of players were hyped up, those with calmer heads knew the four quotas would end up in the hands of the leading guilds. Apart from Dragon Alliance and Empyreal Alliance, the West’s Olympus wouldn’t go easy on them either. They, as ordinary players, should settle for Level 40 epic equipment instead.

Once the announcement was over, Chau Yu immediately contacted Drako Yau through Zephyrwolf. By the time Drako Yau arrived at the Holy Ground’s white tower, Hades was already waiting there with a smile.

Hades, Chau Yu, Mask—the trio had the greatest authority on the Eastern server ever since Hibiscus faded from the scene. Their thoughts could influence how the server would proceed in the future.

Once everyone was there, Chau Yu went straight to the point, knowing that Drako Yau preferred to skip the pleasantries. “How should we form our squads?”

Hades furrowed his brows and said, “Gather the elites and form four squads among them?”

Chau Yu chuckled and glanced at the other two. “The western guys won’t let us have it our way. Together we shall triumph. I believe we should combine our squads.”

Drako Yau shot it down immediately by saying, “There is no need.” Before Chau Yu could refute, he continued, “Chemistry is vital in a team. Every squad has unique practices, and forcing unfamiliar players together will only ruin that. Let’s figure out the dungeons’ details first.”

Chau Yu twitched his brows and said, “I don’t think I’ll have any problems blending into any squad.”

A bold statement it was, but Drako Yau gave him no face and stated coldly, “I only trust Greenstone as the cleric.”

“Fine! Then we’ll do it ourselves. Let’s see who can get the four spots!” Chau Yu exclaimed. Drako Yau’s words had triggered him; it was no different from a direct insult by saying that he came short of Greenstone as a cleric.

“Instead of thinking about squad composition, I suggest we prepare ourselves for a war,” Hades interrupted. As the dominator in a similar game in the past, he knew everything about large-scale wars. “The West, unlike us, is ruled by Zeus alone. They may select the top elites for clearing the dungeons and have all other players blockade the dungeons’ entrances, only allowing their own people through.”

Such methods were common in online games, but the difference this time was the number of players involved. Most, if not all, people had already bought themselves a brainwave helmet if they could afford it. Real World was an alternate reality—a simple battle for resources could easily escalate into a world war.

Chau Yu snarled, “We’ll deal with it ourselves! Send your own people to defend the dungeon you’re going for!”

Just like that, the Eastern server’s top guns ended their meeting with Chau Yu leaving in a fit of rage. Although he seemed to be throwing a tantrum, his idea actually made sense. They had been short on time before, so the three major alliances never formally trained in large-scale battles together. Having them deal with the situation individually was the most suitable solution.

Every dungeon was a valuable resource. Dungeons produced epic equipment, so blockading the enemy from accessing them could limit their inflow of strong equipment. Monsters also gave more experience and were more densely packed than wild monsters, and clearing a dungeon also gave bonus experience, making them a great source of experience.

Most importantly, it provided the opportunity to challenge the hidden dungeon. The possibility of dropping legendary equipment was enough to spur Drako Yau to go all out for it. Legendary weapons were named such for a reason; they were the ultimate weapons in the game. Tigeroar only managed to force him into a corner back then because of the Divine Martial Sword’s skill. Now imagine if Hawk had a legendary sniper—he might get sniped to death if that had been the case, and he simply couldn’t afford to let this happen.

With the emergence of the four major dungeons, the flames of war were rekindled.

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