Chapter 184: That Day

Fiery Dance granted basic attacks a certain chance to inflict burning, while all flame-based skills could also inflict burning. With Grilled Erudite now available, inflicting burning on an enemy thrice gave a one hundred per cent damage buff to the next flame-based skill.

All ice-based skills inflicted frost due to Icefrost. Frost decreased the target’s movement speed, attack speed, and froze the enemy according to layers of frost inflicted.

Drako Yau marvelled at these negative ailments and the creative skills. Though it was his first time playing a game in the truest sense, he was a master in game design.

The wielder had to be very familiar with the debuff system to bring out its fullest potential. If he used an ice-based skill when the enemy was inflicted with explosive, the fire-based skill damage buff would go to waste.

The next day, Drako Yau headed for the Castellan’s residence alone. He never liked the feeling of owing someone, not to mention it was a trade in the first place. While the Castellan was a chubby pig, his strength was beyond Drako Yau’s detection. Turning on the Castellan after taking advantage of him was impossible.

The doors to the residence opened on their own when Drako Yau arrived. The same old Castellan’s residence, the same old smiling butler who also served as a mysterious high-ranked NPC in the Mercenary Guild.

‘Sir, the Castellan has been awaiting you.’

‘Lead the way,’ said Drako Yau before he followed behind the butler to the Castellan’s room.

After Drako Yau entered, the butler bowed slightly and silently left the room, closing the doors as he did. Everything was identical to Drako Yau’s first visit here.

‘Kid, you’re getting stronger at a decent rate,’ said the Castellan.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Receiving the Castellan’s compliment was a rare occurrence, but Drako Yau remained silent and simply looked straight into the tiny eyes on his chubby face. The Castellan wasn’t so bored that he’d invite him over for a casual talk.

‘That’s a good look, keep it up.’ The Castellan smiled, apparently not angry at Drako Yau’s silence. ‘I helped you last time, so it’s the other way round this time. An equivalent exchange, a fair trade.’

‘What do I have to do?’

‘Simple, just a single battle.’

‘A battle?’ Drako Yau squinted his eyes.

The Castellan nodded before chuckling, ‘Worry not, you won’t be fighting me. Your opponent’s… Anyways, it’s not something you should worry about. Just know he’s someone around your level. Your task is to fight and win, dead simple.’

‘What if I lose?’

‘Lose?’ The Castellan frowned. ‘Hmph! If you lose, this won’t count and you still owe me one.’

Drako Yau was speechless. How shameless.

‘Get ready, you still have five minutes.’

With a nod, Drako Yau sat down on the ground and shut his eyes, his mind focused on battle simulation. The old geezer taught me all this… The old geezer… His mind flew back in time, to a distant past deep down his memories.

That day, that fateful encounter with the old geezer.

On that day, Drako Yau was nine.

A nine-year-old was no more than a child. Nine-year-olds still studied at schools, played with other kids on the streets, or played games on their electronic devices. But none applied to Drako Yau.

Even as a child, Drako Yau was always calm and cold. He was staring seriously at the hologram projected from his phone—a tutorial assignment he did during school. He had the habit of revising materials learnt that day after school in case he forgot, a habit he learnt from his father.

Drako Yau’s home was spacious and had two storeys. In the First City where land was invaluable, owning such a grand house was a great indication of his family’s wealth, but he was indifferent about it. He had been living there from birth; everything just seemed so normal to him.

Suddenly, his father’s voice came from outside his room.

‘Draky, come out for a while.’

‘Father?’

Drako Yau’s eyes lit up in delight. When was the last time I talked to dad? Two months maybe… when he praised me because I was number one in class in a test…

His father’s recognition was his reason for studying so hard. Drako Yau grew up without a mother, brought up by only his father, Proudsky Yau. A person with a weird temperament, he didn’t employ anyone to take care of his son.

When Drako Yau was hungry, he’d get food from the fridge or order takeaway on his phone. Money? His phone was connected to his father’s bank account, so there was no such thing as a shortage of money. While he never had to worry about feeding himself, he had also never experienced familial love.

Drako Yau had never blamed Proudsky Yau about it… or so he hoped. After seeing his father burnt out and sound asleep on the sofa one night when he was heading to the bathroom, he no longer resented his father.

Dad is already trying his best.

Drako Yau swore to himself that he couldn’t become a child who disappointed his father. From that day onwards, he had never dropped out of the top three in class.

Drako Yau opened the door to find his father looking at him. Proudsky Yau’s gaze was a complicated one, too complicated for the young Drako to comprehend. Recalling the memory now, Drako Yau knew what the gaze entailed—reluctance to part with his son whom he was very proud of.

‘Draky, come with me. I’ll introduce you to someone.’

Proudsky Yau’s voice was so gentle that Drako Yau found it unfamiliar. Based on his memory, he could count the times he conversed with his dad with both hands.

The father and son held hands as they walked down the stairs. A dirty old geezer was sitting on the sofa, brazenly munching on the fruits that their housekeeper refilled only once a day. Drako Yau furrowed his brow, but he dared not to speak up.

Proudsky Yau led Drako Yau by the hand to the old geezer and asked in a trembling voice, ‘Look… Alright?’

Why is dad trembling?

The old geezer casually glanced at Drako Yau, but it sent chills straight through the young Drako Yau. What sort of gaze is this?

‘Hm, not too bad.’

‘Hah…’ Proudsky Yau let out a long sigh before kneeling. He looked squarely into Drako Yau’s eyes and said, ‘Draky, you’ll be learning from the old sir from today onwards. Understood?’ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

‘Learn… Learn what…?’ Drako Yau shivered and tugged his father’s sleeve.

‘You’ll know.’

The old geezer was the one who answered. He stood up, revealing his crumpled shorts and white vest which had turned slightly yellowish. He sounded a bit annoyed as he waved his arm and said, ‘Let’s go, cut the nonsense.’

Proudsky Yau took a deep breath. ‘Alright, Draky. Follow the old sir and go.’

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