Game’s Dogma

After entering Howl of the Tempest Wolves’ base, Drako Yau looked around and sized it up. This was his first time entering a guild base.

Guild bases usually each had their own features because players were given a great degree of freedom at customising their guild bases. Howl of the Tempest Wolves went with a rough and ancient design. Stone pillars which seemed like they had been put up in a hurry and hadn’t been polished properly, stone walls covered in ancient engravings, and decorations in the shape of wolf heads all gave the base a wild yet vibrant feeling.

When he entered the guild base’s inner section, he could see a handful of people. It was the guild conference room; apart from the guild master and high-ranked members, no one else was granted entry to it.

A tad few players with sharp eyes caught a glimpse of him strolling into the conference room. They were somewhat surprised, but as the guild was in its expansion stage right now, they simply thought he could be another pro they had just recruited. No one would’ve associated that noobish look with the demonic Mask anyways.

Familiar faces could be seen before him in the conference room: Zephyrwolf, Idyllic Poet, Greenstone, Danting, Dogsnout, and the new recruit, Windstrider.

‘So everyone’s here.’

Zephyrwolf curled his lips and said, ‘You sure are in the limelight these days, aren’t ya! Hundred battles, hundred wins, the win streak general.’

While Zephyrwolf sounded salty, he could hardly hide his excitement.

Finally! Everyone now knows this man’s a crazy bastard! It’s not that I’m weak… he’s just way too strong, almost like a monster!

Drako Yau thought about it for a second before shaking his head. ‘Did you think I wanted to gain so much attention? It’s a quest.’

‘Class progression quest?’ Greenstone quickly picked up on it, to which Drako Yau nodded.

Drako Yau then told everyone his two class progression quests. Everyone was beyond surprised upon hearing it.

‘Damn, a hundred consecutive wins and a wild boss in the Highlands of John. It’s crazy difficult, aren’t you gonna become godlike when you complete your class progression?’

As usual, Danting was Drako Yau’s most loyal fan of all time. He looked at his boss with a revering look and said, ‘Boss is way too cool. A hundred win streak is no challenge for him! I’d probably have lost to big bro Wind.’

Windstrider shook his head and made a wry smile. He really had gone to the right place this time.

Before Drako Yau arrived, he had had friendly spars with everyone present because he was itching to fight. It turned out every single member there was a crazy bastard—it was a concentration camp of crazy bastards.

A mage who could shoot Fireball as quickly as his basic attacks, a magic swordsman who combined his skills and technique perfectly. The one which hurt his pride the most was the bulky and seemingly sluggish cleric who somehow managed to dodge all his shots with crazy footwork.

The sparring session made him doubt his shooting technique which had always been proud of.

Drako Yau thought about it seriously and nodded. He thought of Ichor Hon; if Danting was up against Ichor Hon, Danting probably would die in one strike.

While Drako Yau seemed to have tricked his way to victory through words, he had actually won it by outsmarting Ichor Hon. His survival instinct was just one of the many factors.

He managed to notice Ichor Hon was only well-versed with the sword, which was why he grappled Ichor Hon’s arms. In a fair duel, Ichor Hon would’ve cut him apart already at the very end.

However, if the enemy wasn’t someone who focused entirely and only on swordsmanship and could also grapple, Drako Yau would face certain death. As such, apart from his intelligence and determination, luck also played a large part.

Idyllic Poet then said, ‘There’s still the other quest to finish. It’s no easier than your win streak challenge, probably even more difficult.’

At that moment, Dogsnout chimed in. With how weak he was, he shouldn’t have a say among the council of crazy bastards. Still, because Dogsnout grew up together with Zephyrwolf as kids and was fairly decent at management, he was considered the Number Two in the guild.

‘Yes. According to the information we have, more than 30 squads have tried to exterminate the wild boss of the Highlands of John, the Failed Rampaging Bear King. Every attempt has ended up in complete annihilation.

‘Even so, guilds still flood there in an attempt to kill it. Killing the first world boss in the game’s very good for publicity after all. Only powerful guilds can attract good players to join them too. From what I know, half of the first-rate guilds have already mobilised while the rest continue to wait and see.’

Idyllic Poet chuckled, her delicate face containing a tint of coldness. ‘Everyone wants to swoop in for the treasure at the last moment, but not everyone has the guts to do it.’

Drako Yau shook his head and said, ‘Taking down a world boss is no easy feat. It’s different from fighting alone or in small squads. It’s a battle of hundreds, and people might take advantage of us if we’re not careful.’

Idyllic Poet glared at him and replied, ‘Then I’ll burn every one of them to cinders!’

Hearing how brutal Idyllic Poet sounded, the guys all went silent. She had basically brought the entire guild to her submission these days; even Zephyrwolf the guild master didn’t dare to order her around. Such was the might of Idyllic Poet!

A moment later, Idyllic Poet sighed and looked at Drako Yau. ‘Don’t tell me I haven’t reminded you later. You better clear the quest as soon as possible. Everyone’s levels are on the rise and mid-table players on the rankings are already at Level 28. While the average player level is reaching Level 20, you’re stuck here. Even if you’re strong, there’s also the effect of Attribute Points, Skill Points, and the number of skills you could use. It might be beyond your capability soon.’

Drako Yau could agree that much—it was in fact what he worried the most as well. Before completing class progression, his level was capped at Level 20 while other first-rate players were all at least Level 23. Zephyrwolf who had just completed his class progression was already Level 21 as well.

‘The quest has to be done, but it’ll require some detailed planning.’ Drako Yau pondered for a while then gave his verdict. ‘I’ll think about it and announce my decision tomorrow.’

Idyllic Poet shrugged and said, ‘You’re the boss anyways.’

She then turned to leave with a face which suggested she didn’t care at all. Everyone could only admire her boldness. This Idyllic Poet, she was simply such a character.

‘Boss! I’ll go level up some more!’ Danting gave Drako Yau a salute before leaving in a hurry.

Dogsnout also left the room. In the game, everyone had their own matters to attend to as well. Only Windstrider, Zephyrwolf, and Greenstone remained.

‘Ahem, Windstrider. About your compensation package, do you have any requests?’ Drako Yau asked Windstrider in earnest.

He was actually a bit guilty for making Windstrider reject 50,000-dollar offers. As the boss, he felt like it was necessary for him to have a good talk with Windstrider.

Windstrider shook his head and answered, ‘It’s alright as long as it’s enough to cover my basic necessities.’

Drako Yau exchanged glances with Greenstone and Zephyrwolf. Windstrider’s answer was so similar to the rest of Drako Yau’s members.

‘I’ve also fought Fei Yeung, Mister Unfettered, and many more. They were no ordinary players either, yet I chose to recruit only you. Do you know why?’

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