Chapter 74: Teamwork
The team re-entered the game with a tense silence.
Their jaws were set, eyes focused, fingers hovering over controls with the kind of nervous energy that only failure could breed.
The environment loaded in—a gray hallway, dimly lit, the floor caked with grime and dark fluids.
From the outside, it looked like a regular rundown building in a post-apocalyptic game. But for them, this was more than pixels and code. This was where their pride had been buried. Twice.
They crept forward together. Slower this time. A bit more alert. A bit more careful.
They cleared the first floor, not effortlessly, but efficiently. Selin marked the corners now, Ruvin covered angles. Calien gave shorter commands. Erik didn’t run off. Nolan, standing behind them, observed quietly, arms crossed.
On the second floor, coordination started to fray.
A runner broke through Selin’s left flank and clipped her, causing a stagger. Ruvin hesitated, unsure if he should leave his position to help.
Calien shouted, but his voice came a second too late. Erik followed up, but overextended and took a hit from the back.
By the time they reached the third floor, their cohesion had bent into a thin line straining to hold. The moment the bloater appeared, that tension snapped.
The creature emerged from the far side of the hallway. Massive.