Chapter 182: The Old Man’s Reminder
The wind on the desolate southern plains seemed to hold its breath.
The five students, a newly forged team bound by a pact of shared survival, stood in a tense, awkward silence.
The weight of the spatial array master’s rules settled upon them, a heavy cloak of responsibility.
They were no longer just individuals pursuing their own goals, they were a single unit, and the failure of one would mean the doom of all.
Nicklaus Ironborn, his sharp, strategic mind already processing the new variables, was the first to break the silence.
"Alright," he said, his voice calm and authoritative, cutting through the tension.
"The rules are clear, and they are absolute.
Our personal feelings are now irrelevant. Our survival depends on our cohesion."
His gaze swept over the team, lingering for a moment on Gideon, then Selene.
"We meet back here tomorrow, at eleven hundred hours sharp.
That gives us an hour before the portal opens to finalize our entry strategy.
Rest well. Conserve your energy. Do not engage in any... unnecessary altercations."