Game’s Dogma

The eight followed Lady Noh. Every soldier they passed by stood up to salute them and held their pose until they were beyond sight. As Drako Yau observed the army camp, he thought to himself, As expected of the Oda army!

Oda Nobunaga had been merely a step away from uniting Japan back in the Sengoku era, his ambitious plans thwarted by Akechi Mitsuhide, who betrayed him and burnt him to death in the Honno-ji Temple. Still, his army was a mighty force back then. Their strict discipline was a good indication of their strength.

After walking for a while, they arrived at a large tent at the centre of the army camp. Unlike other tents, this one was particularly huge and tall, and it used black textile lined with red laces, two of Oda Nobunaga’s favourite colours. Strange as it was, the combination of colours made the tent appear to be a towering mountain, garnering it attention with ease.

“Please enter.” Lady Noh smiled and stood next to the entrance.

Drako Yau took up her offer and went past the flap. Spacious indeed, the tent wasn’t cramped even after all eight entered. A sand table and the man gazing at it caught their eyes. He locked his eyes onto the sand table, almost like a hawk tracking down its prey; even Drako Yau was stunned by the man’s aura.

Oda Nobunaga has gotten stronger!

Drako Yau could visualise a pile of corpses and a sea of blood behind the man. Wails of countless souls resounded around him. Circulating the Cryoflame style within him, Drako Yau radiated a frosty aura to calm the others behind him.

“Oh?” Oda Nobunaga sensed the aura of a foreign cultivation style and finally moved his eyes away from the sand table. After realising the newcomers were Drako Yau’s group, he smiled and wiped away his bloody aura.

“You’re here.” Oda Nobunaga laughed heartily like a middle-aged father at his wilful son; his expression was vastly different from the fierce glare moments ago.

“We’ll go to war tomorrow?”

“Yes.” Oda Nobunaga nodded at the straightforward question. “The enemy army is no weaker than ours.” He then pointed at the sand table where two distinct armies stood at various locations. “From our scouts’ reports, Akechi has an army of at least seventy thousand, a greater number than we have surmised.”

Oda Nobunaga held a determined gaze. He was most certainly the one who longed for victory in this upcoming battle. However, he understood that he couldn’t afford to be hasty—more haste, less speed, after all.

In the Sengoku era, having an army of over 10,000 was a rare sight. Generals usually mustered such numbers for all-out assaults only, yet the Akechi army numbered 70,000 in defence.

“Rumours of my death were spread throughout the realm after the battle at Honno-ji Temple, so I can only recruit in secret. Our army currently stands at fifty thousand soldiers.”

The difference in numbers was obvious.

“However!” Oda Nobunaga paused, giving off a domineering aura before continuing, “It’d be sullying our mighty brothers of the Oda clan to compare them to the Akechi scum! Most of their army are fresh recruits who lack coordination. I have a plan to use it to our advantage.”

Drako Yau could guess what Oda Nobunaga would say next, so he asked, “You plan on launching a beheading assault?”

“That’s right!” Drako Yau could see the devilish purple flames in Oda Nobunaga’s eyes. “Once I lob that bald Akechi’s head off, his army seventy thousand will rout on its own!”

“What are our odds?”

“Eighty per cent!”

Wrinkles formed on Drako Yau’s head. He was against taking the risk this time. They’d simply lose the rewards if they failed the quest, but diving deep into enemy lines with Oda Nobunaga could end in annihilation if things went wrong.

Every level was far too precious to lose at their current levels. Take Danting as an example; he was Level 43. Dying meant he’d become Level 42, and it’d take him almost two weeks to get back to Level 43. During that period, Western players would be levelling up as well, so it’d take even more time to bridge that gap.

However…

“You have received an encounter quest: Nobunaga’s beheading assault.”

“Quest condition: Protect Oda Nobunaga until he reaches Akechi Mitsuhide.”

At that moment, Drako Yau knew the choice wasn’t his. He nodded in acceptance, bringing a hearty smile to Oda Nobunaga’s face. With a pat on the shoulder and a few more words, Oda Nobunaga sent them away to another tent.

The eight were assigned to a nearby tent where they held their squad meeting.

“I want everyone to stay on their toes. This quest will only be more difficult than the previous one. The main battle might sound irrelevant to us, but we must infiltrate the enemy lines due to Oda Nobunaga’s plan. Most important of all… I have a hunch that there’ll be other players participating.”

Startled, Zephyrwolf blurted, “No way, right? There weren’t any players in the Honno-ji Incident last time.”

“It’s different. Oda Nobunaga was the underdog at that time. He would’ve died without our interference. This time… Although the Oda army has fewer soldiers, Oda Nobunaga isn’t the type to strike without the confidence of victory. I think the system will determine that we have the upper hand. In that case, it won’t be a surprise for the system to call in player reinforcements for the other side. Regardless, just keep an eye out for them.

“Danting and Zephyrwolf, you two will lead the charge as vanguards, meaning you’ll be under the most tremendous pressure. Poet and Strider, fire at will with the primary objective of reducing enemy pressure on us. Dumgirl, Greenstone, and I will stay by Oda Nobunaga’s side and react as needed. Sasaki, you’ll be the rearguard.

“I will give further orders if we encounter enemy players. Don’t go stingy on the scrolls, especially the Agility Scroll. Use it immediately once its effect wears off. As for the Purification and Berserk Scroll, use them as necessary if we encounter players.”

After confirming their formation, the squad dispersed for a brief rest. Daybreak was just several hours away.

Drako Yau pulled Greenstone over to a corner and asked, “How many Brute Needles do you have?”

Brute Needle was required for casting the Herbalist skill Brute Force. It was a pain to produce, not to mention its lengthy production time, thus restricting the skill. If not, Brute Force would be far too overpowered.

After a brief silence, Greenstone answered, “Three.”

That’s more than I expected, Drako Yau thought. He then said, “It’s our ultimate skill. Hold onto the needles, don’t use them even if you see one of us in a pinch. Wait for my orders.”

Drako Yau took this quest very seriously, not just because of its nature as an encounter quest. Instead, his aim was the quest rewards. It’d be a godsend if one of the rewards was a level up. As he had just levelled up to Level 39, it’d take him a good while to reach Level 40. Who could guarantee the fragile peace could last that long?

There was no room for errors—this quest had to be theirs for the taking!

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