Game’s Dogma

Drako Yau had never met the man before, but he knew who the man was from his ID. Even Dakki was surprised; she was technically an underling of his too. Allurers had participated in the formation of Myriad Blooms and was one of its member guilds. Even so, she had never met the well-known guild master of Traceless Floreal despite her status.

Hibiscus left most if not all guild and alliance matters to his sister Florate. The mysterious guild master only worked behind the scenes whenever tricky opponents showed up. Most of the time, said tricky opponents would bend before him the next day and become his subordinate.

As time went by, opportunities for him to make a move became far and few, making his name fade away from public attention. All everyone knew was that Traceless Floreal had a terrifying guild master. He was like a legendary flower that bloomed on a towering mountain, known to the world but never seen among the mist. His vague reputation only made others revere him even more.

Hibiscus acted as if he didn’t see Dakki and never even spared her as much as a glance. To him, she was just a vicious manhunter who used her womanly charms. His sights were locked onto Drako Yau the moment they encountered.

“I would like to invite Mister Mask to a fight. Will you do me the honour?”

“Why?” Drako Yau’s reply sounded colder when paired with his emotionless mask. He could sense the aura of a cultivator from Hibiscus.

“Mister Mask is like the sun, dazzling and blazing.” Hibiscus smiled. “However, you’re shining too bright now, and too much sunlight can cause flowers to wither. I could ignore your existence when you were messing around with your little alliance in Yoda, but I have to admit that I’ve been under a bit of pressure ever since Dragon Alliance became allied with Evergrand.”

Hibiscus’ smile grew even wider, yet his words were sharp, unlike his smile. “That bit of pressure is making me feel rather uncomfortable. If something makes me uncomfortable, I will destroy it.”

“Understood.” Drako Yau nodded. There wasn’t much to say when the other party was so open with his hostility.

Dakki struggled with what to do in her mind when Drako Yau dropped her a lifesaver. “Guild Master Dakki, please observe our battle from the side. This is a battle between only the two of us.”

Dakki sent him a thankful gaze. She knew Mask longer than Hibiscus, and she partied up with Mask earlier upon entering the Warring Wastelands. In theory, she should stand by Mask’s side in a fight, but she was also a member of Myriad Blooms at the same time. To avoid forcing her into a tough spot, Drako Yau took the initiative to preemptively kick her out of the fight.

A golden flag descended from above and landed between them. Hibiscus looked at the flag with a gentle smile, and the next moment, the flag was gone.

Drako Yau was startled at first, but it quickly turned into a frown. The golden flag symbolised a duel initiated through the system, and the loser would be left with a sliver of Health left even upon defeat. As he was the one who initiated the golden flag duel, there was only one reason for the flag to disappear—Hibiscus denied his challenge.

Refusing to duel while requesting a fight, Hibiscus’ intention was clear: a player-versus-player fight in the wilderness. If Hibiscus died, he’d lose a level and couldn’t enter the Warring Wastelands for twenty-four hours. If Drako Yau died, well, he’d truly die.

Drako Yau readied his Shooting Star spear and shrouded it in flames that originated from his arms. Violent killing intent radiated from beneath his mask as if to say, “Be prepared to pay the price for killing me.”

“Now that is more like it,” Hibiscus said with a nod.

Instead of taking out a weapon, he pointed his arms at Drako Yau from his robe. His slim and tender arms weren’t very reminiscent of most men. His right hand placed before his chest, he formed a mudra-like gesture with his thumb touching his middle finger, as if he was holding onto a delicate flower.

“Mister Mask, take on my finger strike.”

The snap of his fingers came with a crackle through the air. Disbelief flashed from Drako Yau’s eyes; he was already very wary of Hibiscus, but it seemed he still underestimated him. The finger strike was so quick that he couldn’t see it even with Frost Form. The next moment, a finger was already right before his chest.

I can’t evade in time!

His only available move was blocking with his spear. With a loud clang, Drako Yau shot backwards as his feet drew two long trails on the ground. He steadied himself and reformed his stance, yet his hands had turned numb and felt as if thousands of ants were nibbling onto them. For a moment, he wanted to drop his weapon.

Knowing that it was Hibiscus’ internal powers, Drako Yau spurred his mind into action. The yin-yang symbol spun within him and sent his scorching flames to annihilate the invading powers.

Hibiscus was surprised as he said, “You truly are a person who lives up to your reputation. Mister Mask, you are the first opponent to have taken on my Flower Plucking Finger. You have my admiration.”

Even though Hibiscus sounded polite, his expression told nothing of the “admiration” he spoke of.

Drako Yau paid particular attention to three words—Flower Plucking Finger. It was a hidden technique from the ancient Shaolin sect that tempered one’s fingers. Legends had it that when cultivated to the extreme, practitioners could fire gentle yet devastating blasts of aura to attack the enemy from afar. Their fingers were also indestructible and could fend off swords.

Who would’ve thought I’ll experience first-hand such a famed style, in a game no less…

Drako Yau hated martial art styles that had ranged attacks the most as they were very troublesome to deal with. For a moment, he wanted to use Life and Death Charm; he gave up the thought upon recalling the oath he had made back then, however.

“As Mister Mask is so powerful, please take on another strike.”

Drako Yau gave no response as mist seeped from his legs along with sparks. He was caught off guard by the sudden attack, but he’d be an idiot to stay still for the second strike. With Flame Form and Empyreal Dragon Step, he sped around the spacious wasteland.

Compared to the scurrying spearman, Hibiscus seemed a lot more composed and casual. His legs had never moved from their spots while he snapped his fingers over and over again, conjuring a rhythm of whooshes and crackles in the desolate region. 

Bursts of invisible auras shot toward Drako Yau like bullets from a machine gun. He ducked left and right as the auras shot past him; he could sense the force behind those auras as they flew by. Still, being on the receiving end wasn’t his way of fighting. He snapped his left arm out from his waist and fired off a dragon aura back at Hibiscus.

Finally, Hibiscus showed a tint of seriousness as he said, “The mighty Dragon Capturing Hand, I’ve heard much about it.”

Hibiscus moved his legs for once with a leap. The dragon aura missed its target and struck the ground beneath him, stirring up a blast of dust. Drako Yau had never planned on landing his first strike, however. He immediately followed up with a thrust and fired off a thin pillar of ice—Frozen Strike.

Although the Level 35 Godly Spearmaster skill had limited range and attack area, it was still a threatening skill when used together with Drako Yau’s Frost Form. He aimed it right at where Hibiscus was in the air. With his legs off the ground, Hibiscus had nowhere to go.

Hibiscus remained unfazed as the pillar of ice rapidly closed in on him. He put on a smile as a flower suddenly appeared beneath his feet. He stepped onto the flower and propelled himself further into the air. Just like that, he was treading the sky with flowers.

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