Game’s Dogma

Shadowstrike!

Frustration grew within Tai On as he blocked Hades’ attack. He didn’t expect Hades to initiate the first attack, which was especially crucial when in a bout of speed. The moment he realised Hades was fighting speed with speed, he had already fallen behind.

One step late, always late—Tai On was forced into a defensive position since Hades had now built up momentum and wouldn’t give him a chance to switch from defence to offence. Right after Tai On blocked the Shadowstrike, Hades had already vanished from the spot.

“Where is he?” some players muttered.

“Where is he? He’s an assassin!” Chau Yu couldn’t help but chide.

It was the Level 25 Assassin skill, Forced Lurk. Leaves tumbled behind Tai On as an invisible silhouette trod over them. Hades gradually became visible, his sword pointed at Tai On’s back like a viper ready to pounce.

“Level 30 Assassin skill, All-out Strike: Consume 30% Health to deal bonus damage.”

As it was one of the most powerful single-target burst skills assassins had, the attack buffed by both Backstab and All-out Strike could instantly end the battle.

Hades resurfaced from his lurk in less than two seconds. Unlike most assassins who lurked to stay out of combat, lurking was just a means to surprise the enemy to him.

Despite Tai On turning around at once, his body didn’t make it in time—but his sword did. With a buzz, his sword separated into seven swords. Hades was taken by surprise; the win seemed right for the taking a second ago.

He can block it like this?!

A sword parried Hades’ attack while the other six whizzed towards him, trying to drill holes through his body. He gritted his teeth and forcefully retracted his arm.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

In a second, Hades defended against all six swords, but the impact was too much for him to bear. He tumbled backwards as blood dripped from the corners of his mouth before losing grip on his sword.

Silence ensued. The battle only lasted for several minutes, yet their speed had taken everyone’s breaths. Was Hades weak? No, no player could say confidently that they could defeat Hades who fought like a weaponmaster despite being an assassin. However, even someone as strong as Hades was defeated by Tai On with a single attack. They only knew how powerful Tai On truly was because of Hades’ strength.

“Ahahaha, look at that kid! He used Seven Swords!”

“Cheh…”

“Useless! What a humiliating display!”

Hearing the NPCs’ criticism, the players got even more frightened. Why were they scolding Tai On when he was the victor?

Meanwhile, Tai On stood there calmly. Using Seven Swords is a better outcome than getting stabbed by this guy.

Sir Duen smiled and said, “Tai On, you lost. Have a seat.”

“Yes, Sir Duen,” Tai On replied and kept his mouth shut. His haughtiness gone without a trace, he sent a long gaze at Hades before leaving the sparring ground for his seat.

When Tai On took his seat, silence took over once again. Hades also returned to his seat, albeit with some difficulty, and was immediately treated by Unceasable, the top cleric in Underworld. No one dared to ask why Sir Duen declared Tai On’s defeat despite his apparent victory over Hades.

“What is it? Is no one stepping up for bouts? There isn’t a rule that says you have to fight against one of us. You can challenge one another if you wish.” Sir Duen chuckled.

Everyone’s eyes lit up at his words. Tai On’s Seven Swords had terrified them; if someone like Hades was blown away by a single attack, they wouldn’t fare a lot better out there either. Things only got worse when Tai On wasn’t the strongest among the NPCs.

However, a player-versus-player duel was completely different. They knew roughly how strong one another was at the very least, unlike those NPCs whose powers were completely unknown.

“Mister Yim Ho has been renowned for his Bestial Morph. Mister Yim Ho, I’d like to experience it through combat, if you will,” a youngster declared. He stood up and walked towards the centre of the patio.

Drako Yau was surprised to see how the youngster presented himself without being overly humble or impolite. The youngster was none other than Fong Sai Yuk, the one Sky Dominion recruited with loads of money because of his potential.

He’s changed a lot, Drako Yau thought.

Unlike his arrogant self, Fong Sai Yuk was now temperate and prudent. His fight with Mask had shattered him so much that he almost lost direction in life. Mask had always been known for his masterful spearmanship, and no one dared to say they were better with a spear than Mask. However, he lost to Mask in hand-to-hand combat. No, he didn’t just lose—he was completely dominated from head to toe, unable to respond, defend, or retaliate.

After that incident, Sky Dominion and Howl of the Tempest Wolves had cooperated on several instances. Fong Sai Yuk had the opportunity to observe Mask closely, yet he realised that Mask was nothing special; not about his strength, but rather the way he treated others. Despite having great strength, Mask never really oppressed others with it, which reminded Fong Sai Yuk of the times when he used to look down on everyone else because he had a hidden class. Mask’s calmness and friendliness seemed to be mocking his childish past.

Before he knew it, Fong Sai Yuk found that his nemesis had turned into his idol. He subconsciously imitated Mask, be it personality or temperament. He had since grown up from his childish self, and today, he was going to prove it to his idol.

Yim Ho shot Drako Yau a glance. While he was a newcomer, his respect towards Mask was no less than the others.

Drako Yau nodded and said, “Don’t beat him up too hard.”

Yim Ho also nodded. “Here I go then.”

Yim Ho walked to the sparring area and looked at Fong Sai Yuk, completely unaware of Man Hing Yau’s complicated gaze on his muscular back.

Beast pugilists might sound similar to pugilists, but their styles of combat were vastly different. Pugilists had quick skills and short cooldown, allowing them to chain various skills into all sorts of combos. On the other hand, beast pugilists didn’t have a single active skill and relied on switching between morphs for various special effects, making them harder to predict.

The Beast Pugilist class was similar Dumbgirl’s Dragon Subduing Palms inheritance—both were very reliant on the user’s compatibility and technique. They were extremely powerful when used by the right person but were nothing special when ending up in the wrong hands, unlike the inheritances of Collis and Phoenyx that made them powerful regardless of their capabilities. Still, Beast Pugilist had even greater potential than Dragon Subduing Palms.

“Please show us your techniques.”

When it came to battle, Yim Ho was nowhere as negligent as he usually was. This was also the first time he fought as his boss’ representative, so he had to mark his debut with an outstanding performance.

If I lose… Those fellas will definitely laugh their arses off, Yim Ho thought and glanced at the group sitting next to Drako Yau. Windstrider, Idyllic Poet, Zephyrwolf, Sasaki… everyone was looking at him with expectant eyes and eerily friendly smiles. I definitely can’t lose here!

Poor Fong Sai Yau never knew how he became Yim Ho’s greatest enemy.

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