Chapter 23: Teacher’s confidence
Nolan blinked. Then laughed once. "Of course. These kids don't even know how to open the comms yet, do they?"
He rolled his eyes and muttered to himself.
Then, raising his voice as the infected continued their slow march forward, he began giving instructions—absurdly long, almost comically precise instructions, like he was guiding someone through disarming an arcane bomb.
"Alright, all of you—listen very, very carefully," he said, gesturing with his finger like a teacher scolding toddlers.
"Look to the top right corner of your vision. Yes, not your real vision, your system vision. See that tiny blinking icon? No, not the battery—you're not going to die in real life. The one shaped like a coin pouch with wings. Yes, that one."
"Now, double blink twice. Not triple. That opens the auxiliary system menu. You'll hear a little chime—do NOT panic. That's just the system confirming that you're either smart... or lucky.
"A thin vertical line should pop up on your left side—it'll look like a broken thermometer. Tap that mentally. Yes, mentally. Just think you're touching it. The system registers intent more than action."
The infected began to groan louder, stepping closer. Nolan continued without breaking pace.
"Now, if you did it correctly, there should be four options in ancient script. The first one should look like a chicken bone with a crown on it.
"That's not the one you want—that's for loot sharing. Tap the third one. It looks like a goblin's ear. Yes, grotesque. I didn't make the UI."
"If done right, a golden box will appear in front of you. That's the Network Communication Protocol, or NCP. Tap the little diamond shape in the middle. The diamond will shift into a tiny circle, and when it does, chant—I'm not joking here—chant the words: