Game’s Dogma - Chapter 312: Holy Ground

Drako Yau hurried onwards as he slew every scorpion he came across on the way despite not knowing that the West had sent one of the Four Generals after him. Dakki, who had been feeling troubled about her identity as a member of Myriad Blooms moments ago, followed him merrily as if her worries had vanished. She’d flirt with Drako Yau on the way and chuckle whenever he sped off in embarrassment.

As they journeyed together, Drako Yau also reflected on his previous battle against Hibiscus. His weakness was obvious—the lack of ranged attacks. He might have many ways of attacking, such as the old geezer’s unpredictable spearmanship, Dragon Seeker, Godly Spearmaster skills, and Dragon Capturing Hand. However, they were all ineffective against opponents who fought from afar like Hibiscus.

He had fought Windstrider, a ranged player, before, but his disadvantage was minimised because the Arena was a closed-off area. Now, he was in the wilderness, a spacious area without any restrictions. He knew he’d be caught in a tough spot even if his opponent couldn’t tread the sky as Hibiscus could. Empyreal Spire’s Hau Ngai or Underworld’s Soulsmith could easily pin him down in such an open space.

As top-tier rangers, they all had their unique abilities such as Collis’ Weighty Arrow. Drako Yau simply couldn’t believe that the two best rangers from the East didn’t have their special abilities. As for Windstrider, his combat style had deviated from that of ordinary rangers ever since he took Dual-Wielding Rifle Mastery and Noh Firearms Marksmanship, so most people saw him as a hidden class bearer instead.

Still, no matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn’t figure out a solution. He found himself caught at a bottleneck as well. Levelling up was incredibly difficult, and his spearmanship, Dragon Seeker, and Empyreal Step had all gone stagnant; he felt that he couldn’t break through and become even stronger. This particular feeling made him vigilant, especially when he was in the Warring Wastelands. Only with strength came safety.

Looks like I can only focus on that particular thing from before, he thought.

Even Dakki could sense the changes in their surroundings. Cracks were no longer visible in the ground and the irritating stench was no longer present, replaced by a refreshing scent. As they walked, they even noticed scarce vegetation that survived in this harsh land.

The distant structure now came into sight—it was a massive city. The closer they got, the more plants they saw and the better the air was. Without much trouble, they arrived at the beige city, the brownish-yellow so faint that it was only vaguely noticeable under the sun.

The walls were merely two metres tall, a height that Drako Yau could easily jump over, but he refrained from doing so. The city gave him a solemn and grand impression, and by doing so he’d be disrespecting the city. Looking over the walls, western architecture was dominant in the city with the buildings’ height gradually increasing further into the city.

A sky-piercing white tower stood that was at least several hundred metres tall in the city centre, creating a stark contrast with the short walls that most could easily climb over. Atop the tower was a huge golden cross that radiated ripples of gold. Drako Yau had a hunch that this white tower was what made this city so special.

A small opening in the walls marked the entrance to the city on the defenceless walls. The opening didn’t even have a door or gate, just two watchguards who each sat on a chair, giving the opening the vibe of an entrance albeit just a little.

Seeing Drako Yau and Dakki approach, the two guards stood up. Only then did Drako Yau notice that the guards were both men with pale skin who were taller than him, but they were void of even a tint of masculinity. What caught his attention the most were the pair of folded white, feathery wings behind their backs.

“Welcome, the first visitors we’ve had in ten thousand years.”

The two “birdmen” introduced the city to them passionately as they followed the two through the city. Birdmen, both youngsters and adults, poked their heads out from their residences and sized them up curiously.

A child with palm-sized wings on his back asked his mother, “Mum, why do they don’t have wings?”

“We are angels,” a birdman replied with a warm smile. “This is our Holy Ground, one of the five Holy Grounds we own on this continent. Our people all live there. Only with the holy ground’s powers can we resist the endless invasion of the darkness.” The person then looked at the white tower in the city with revering eyes.

Drako Yau and Dakki exchanged a glance. They both realised this was the lore behind the Warring Wastelands. Under the stares of countless angels, they walked deeper into the city under guidance until they arrived before the white tower.

Watching it up close really struck them with awe. The gorgeous white tower walls contained vague yellowish patterns beneath the surface, much like a person’s blood vessels. Pulses of yellow flowed upwards through the patterns until they reached the top and were converted into ripples that spread from the tower’s peak. Before they could examine it any further, a voice interrupted them.

“Allies of the past, it has been a long time. Welcome to the Holy Ground.”

Drako Yau looked ahead to find an old man with a walking stick and a bent back standing at the tower’s entrance. Only several strands of feathers remained on his aged wings, making them look more like chunks of meat instead; it was a major sign of him nearing the end of his life.

The old man’s eyes were full of compassion as he looked at the two and said, “Ten thousand years went by so quickly. Time really does fly.”

The two angels that had been standing behind Drako Yau and Dakki stepped forwards and knelt on the ground.

“Elder,” they said.

The old man merely responded with a wave of his hand. He was solely focused on Drako Yau and Dakki, the two humans that stirred his emotions.

“All these years… How has the human race been?”

Drako Yau had a rough idea what this was about, but he stayed silent. Dakki shrugged her sleeves and began describing things that took place in the game, such as how the three major cities were thriving.

“Is that so… Freedom, how envious.” The elder put on a yearning expression as his meaty wings trembled.

Dakki finally couldn’t hold back and asked, “Elder, may I inquire what you might mean by ‘allies of the past’?”

The elder chuckled hoarsely. “The human race propagates quickly, but their lifespans are short. For us angels, we can live for thousands of years. However, producing the young is considerably difficult, and our numbers have remained similar even after ten thousand years. This is why we can pass down things of the distant past.”

Dakki and Drako Yau both received a notification. “Secret learned: The Ancient War.”

“Apart from being angels, we are also known by another name,” the elder continued on his own. “The god race, is the name still known among the human race?”