Chapter 72: New strategy
Calien’s voice broke the heavy silence with an eagerness that seemed to fill the entire watchroom.
"Sir," he said, trying to keep it casual but failing to hide the tension in his tone, "can we try doing it together this time? Like... multiplayer?"
Nolan looked at him with a passive expression, sipping from his mug with half-lidded eyes, then slowly tilted his head as though considering the request with great seriousness.
"Hmmm," he said. "Alright. Do it."
The moment the words left his mouth, Nolan turned away slightly, his lips twitching into a grin so subtle it almost didn’t exist. But inside his mind, he was laughing. No—cackling with all his heart.
Heh... they think multiplayer makes it easier? Fools. They don’t even realize it makes things ten times harder. Not just because of enemy AI scaling, but the coordination—the pressure, the chaos of friendly fire, aggro stealing, bad positioning. A mess.
But he didn’t need to say any of that. They’d learn soon enough.
Calien, Selin, Ruvin, and Erik eagerly nodded, exchanging glances with a mix of nerves and excitement. The rest of the class began grouping up as well, forming parties of three or four. Whispers filled the room. Ideas. Quick plans. Silent agreements. A little hope, a little fire.
Nolan decided to stand behind Calien’s team. He leaned against the wall behind them, arms crossed, still holding his mug, his eyes focused on their screens.
Then, the world shifted.
One by one, the students logged in.