Chapter 18: Be humble
Calien's hand remained raised, but there was a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. "Professor," he said evenly, "these infected... their only weakness is the head, right?"
Some of the students turned to him, confused by the question.
Calien went on, crossing his arms as if he had something deeper in mind. "I'm not saying it's bad, but... as a Knight, I was hoping for something more. More depth. A bigger challenge. This feels more like a beginner's course. Slash the head, move on. Over and over. Kinda dull, don't you think?"
A hush fell over the classroom. Some jaws dropped. A few students even looked toward Nolan in horror.
Nolan's face didn't move for several seconds. Then—
Click.
The sharp sound of him clicking his tongue echoed across the room.
He tilted his head, slowly cracking his neck left, then right, with deliberate stiffness. His gaze never left Calien.
"Oh really?" he said, voice low, dangerously calm. "That's your grand critique?"
He stood up from his chair with an easy, measured grace, brushing invisible dust from his coat sleeve.
"You think you've got it figured out because you made it to the fourth floor once? You think the game's too simple because you saw a weakness that every six-year-old playing the demo also figured out?"