Game’s Dogma

Young Drako Yau had been training for half a year; it was a miracle that he was still sane.

Every day, he did the same actions over and over again—thrusting or slashing his wooden staff. When he was tired, he’d sit down and feel the warm chi circulating within him. The reinvigorated feeling after extreme exhaustion was the main reason keeping him from a complete mental breakdown.

The nine-year-old was made to swing the wooden staff every day, only allowed to sit down to rest when he was tired, resuming after recovering. Apart from having meals and sleeping at night, he did nothing but swing the staff. For half a year.

Drako Yau blamed the heavens for leaving him in the hands of such a devil, but he never once blamed his father. He must’ve been tricked! If he knew I’m being tortured like this, he wouldn’t let the devil take me away! He silently glared at the old geezer who was lying on a branch.

While the old geezer appeared to be asleep, Drako Yau didn’t try his luck. He had attempted to escape thirty-four times. Every time, a core of the unknown fruit took him out before he could make his third step. He also tried slacking off twenty-eight times when the old geezer was supposedly sleeping, but was also met with a core to the head every time.

Soon, he no longer resisted. His gaze turned hollow while his body moved like a machine.

An emotion called despair was gradually eroding his mind.

No matter how much of a genius or talented Drako Yau was, he was just a nine-year-old before that.

However, he hadn’t noticed something himself. As he subconsciously repeated the basic spear attacking motions, he had become extremely proficient and skilled at it. His movements were flawless even when measured by the most delicate of electronic devices.

Then one day, Drako Yau stumbled accidentally when thrusting his wooden staff. He dropped to the ground with hollow eyes, then simply sat there with a face void of any emotions. He was soulless.

老頭子坐在樹上，看著少年那一副絕望的模樣，也是微微點頭：「差不多了。」

Strangely enough, the fruit that’d hit him every time didn’t arrive as expected. The old geezer sat on the tree and nodded as he looked at the child’s despairing face.

‘That should do.’

A pair of dirty feet appeared in Drako Yau’s unfocused vision, but he couldn’t respond at all.

The past six months had worn away the last bit of hope he had within him. Just like an apple, consumed and rotten to its core, with nothing but the purest form of vitality remaining. His mind was a slither away from a total breakdown—loss of sanity and consciousness, a living dead.

Suddenly, a sweet aroma wafted into his node.

Smells good… Really good…

Drako Yau felt like he had never smelt such an appetising aroma. His nose twitched—the sense of smell that was once lost finally returned.

Along with the tempting scent came crackling sounds. It was… the sound of flames crackling on the firewood. His sense of hearing was back.

His eyes that had turned dark were slowly regaining vigour, thanks to the bright red flame burning before him. A dancer dressed in red it was, exhausting its vitality in its final dance of brilliance. His sense of sight was back.

A boar was hung above the crackling fire. Its skin was roasted golden while it dripped oil, urging the red dancer below to amp up its performance. Drako Yau’s mouth watered before he knew it.

A pair of skinny hands chopped a large chunk off the roasted boar and handed it to Drako Yau. He subconsciously received it, subconsciously placed it into his mouth, subconsciously started chewing.

Everything took place subconsciously. It was an innate function within him, almost like an underlying program operating in his head.

Juicy. Crunchy. His sense of taste was back.

The delicious meat was like an explosion, its savoury taste bombarding his brain, breaking apart the barrier that sealed his consciousness out of despair. His soul was back.

His five senses had all returned. The corroded apple core had fallen into the soil and sprouted into a shoot, which would later grow into a tall apple tree.

Broken, and reborn.

Drako Yau’s bright eyes were set on the old geezer who sat across the fire. The old geezer had a broad smile on his face as he said, ‘Kiddo, welcome back.’

Just like that, the pair of old and young devoured the large boar.

Drako Yau, having lived in the First City, had tasted all sorts of delicacies, but the roasted boar felt like the best he had in his entire life. He ate so much that his stomach bulged. Normally, eating so much oily food after starving for so long would end up in a stomachache, but his body was as fit as a bull after practising the Vitality Mantra for half a year.

Drako Yau had oil all over his mouth while his eyes sparkled like a pair of bright stars in the night sky. The old geezer also sat casually without caring about his image. He didn’t explain anything as silence took over, but Drako Yau already knew everything from his smile.

The old geezer had intentionally plunged him into despair to bring about the drastic change he went through today.

‘Why?’

Drako Yau knew the old geezer did this for his sake, but he didn’t understand why. He also realised something he hadn’t noticed all this time after regaining his soul.

For the past six months, he wasn’t the only one who went through torture. The old geezer was also observing him the entire time. When he hunted and ate fish, the old geezer still ate nothing but the sour fruit that almost tasted acidic.

‘Training the body isn’t that difficult, but tempering the mind is harder than reaching the skies,’ the old geezer said slowly. His sluggish voice was a stark contrast to the devilish cold tone back then. ‘Even at your age, I’m sure you’ve noticed that you’ve changed. It only worked because of your young age. Once you’ve entered secondary school, you’re half a step into society, and once your childish innocence is lost, this could hardly work.’

Drako Yau shook his head. ‘I’m asking why.’

The old geezer simply shrugged. Of course he heard the kid’s question. ‘You’re not qualified to know yet. Think of it as your father entrusting you to me for now. Now sleep, the real training begins tomorrow.’

The old geezer quickly disappeared from the spot. Drako Yau looked up as usual, and as he had expected, the old geezer was sound asleep on a branch. Drako Yau also closed his eyes; while today’s training wasn’t harsh, the mental overhaul put a heavy strain on his mind.

When the old geezer heard Drako Yau’s soft and rhythmic breathing, he opened his eyes and smiled.

Good, he has grasped the Vitality Mantra already. It’s passively circulating even when he’s asleep. This kiddo… He has a strong mind. I broke in two months back then…

But that was a story for another time. The old geezer closed his eyes again. For the first time in six months, he was finally getting some sleep. He had been focused on observing Drako Yau and keeping watch of his physical and mental states the entire time without taking any breaks.

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