Eight Seats Filled, Cooperative Advance About to Begin

Eight Seats Filled, Cooperative Advance About to Begin

Ning Rongrong bought hers out that afternoon.

She waited until one round of explanations had ended before walking up to the counter.

She neither asked Flender nor had anyone from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect step in.

Her hand was steady as she set down the money pouch.

"I want to know what an auxiliary-type Soul Master can learn here."

The wheel gave her a quiet answer.

[Insight-type: Mindful Observation: Initial Insight.]

[Effect: Auxiliary-type Soul Masters can more keenly perceive changes in their teammates' rhythms while observing or in combat. Currently only assists judgment and does not enhance Soul Skill effects.]

Ning Rongrong's eyes slowly lit up after reading the description.

It had not added another layer of light to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, nor had it increased her amplification multiplier.

At first glance, it did not even seem like much of a reward.

But the more Ning Rongrong looked, the brighter her eyes became.

An auxiliary was not someone who stood in the back and called out Soul Skills in sequence.

Knowing when her teammates should charge, when they should retreat, when they needed speed, and when they could not be given strength—those judgments determined whether her boosts were useful at all.

She tried watching a segment of Ma Hongjun's gameplay.

Before, she would only have thought that the fatty had charged too far ahead again.

This time, though, she could vaguely see that he was not simply rushing forward. Each time his fiery temper drove him an extra half-step ahead. That half-step was the opening.

Ning Rongrong murmured, "So that's how it is."

She did not rush to tell Ma Hongjun.

The fatty had thick skin, but some things would not improve just because they were exposed in public. Ning Rongrong merely remembered that moment, thinking that if they truly entered a team trial later, she would at least stop him once before he charged out.

Dai Mubai did not ask any more questions after watching her trial.

He bought his out right afterward.

He drew [Tiger Soul Pressure Step: Fragmentary Insight].

During the trial, when faced with Little Demon's charge in the game, he did not immediately pounce. Instead, he first sank his footing. In that instant, he realized that when initiating a powerful attack, he did not need to rely on sheer momentum to suppress others every time.

With his center of gravity stabilized, his strikes became even fiercer.

After taking off his helmet, Dai Mubai said quietly, "It's not flashy, but it's practical."

Zhao Wuji nodded repeatedly from the side.

"Mubai used to love overpowering people a little too much. If he could suppress them, it looked great. If he couldn't, it was easy for them to throw him off."

Dai Mubai glanced at him. "Teacher Zhao, you could wait until I'm not here to say that."

Zhao Wuji chuckled. "It works better if I say it now."

Oscar hesitated the longest.

He was a food-type Soul Master.

Making him charge forward with a stick looked like nothing so much as making a sausage suffer.

But Ning Rongrong had bought one, and Dai Mubai had as well. He loitered before the counter for ages before finally gritting his teeth and pushing over the money.

His reward was [Battle Respite: A Thread].

After watching under pressure, he followed the method in his mind to calm his Soul Power before trying to condense a sausage. The sausage was no stronger than usual, but there was less of the stuttering that came whenever he got nervous.

Oscar stared at the sausage for a long time and sighed.

"How does even the reward know I panic easily?"

Ma Hongjun patted his shoulder. "That's good. At least it didn't say you were sleazy."

Oscar expressionlessly slapped his hand away.

Ning Rongrong had wanted to laugh, but ultimately held it in.

Oscar usually spoke frivolously, but in a high-pressure battle, every single condensation by a food-type Soul Master could not afford to go wrong. One breath too slow, and his teammates might lose a mouthful of supplies.

The reward sounded minor, but it might not be insignificant.

Xie Yue was the tenth person to buy one out.

He was neither as impatient as Yan nor as pained by the expense as Oscar.

He simply watched the changes in the people before him, confirmed that the thing was genuinely useful, and quietly paid.

When the wheel stopped, [Crescent Reversal: Shadow Trace] appeared.

He entered the game to try it once. After one slash missed, he did not immediately follow with a second blade as he had in the past. Instead, using the shadow trace's prompt, he turned back and narrowly avoided Little Demon's sneak attack from his flank and rear.

Xie Yue took off his helmet, his expression still calm.

But Hu Liena could tell that he approved.

When the tenth buyout was completed, a system prompt appeared before Lin Chuan.

[Stage mission complete: A total of ten customers have bought out, and one valid eight-machine full-seat training session has been completed.]

[Reward: Multiplayer Joint Trial Entrance.]

[Multiplayer Joint Trial: Two to four customers who have bought out may enter cooperative mirrored stages. Stage rewards are based on team evaluation, while individual gains will still suit the individual. Difficulty is limited by current progress.]

Lin Chuan announced the new feature.

The shop fell silent for a moment.

Then the noise exploded.

"We can go in together?"

"So auxiliary-types finally don't have to get beaten alone with sticks?"

"Attack, control, and auxiliary types playing together?"

"Isn't that just moving a Soul Battle team into that hellhole?"

The burly student from Elephant Armor Academy had eyes shining as he listened. "Then can four people from our academy go in together?"

Lin Chuan glanced at him. "Buy it out first."

The burly student immediately shut up and turned to look for his teacher.

The Canghui Academy teacher's expression changed as well.

Solo training was one thing; team training was another. With the finals approaching, whoever adapted first to this cooperative mirror might be able to identify their team's weaknesses ahead of time.

Lin Chuan raised a hand to quiet the crowd.

"Cooperative Trials are open only to customers who have bought out. The first entrance is the Old Road of Black Wind Mountain. Teams must have two to four people. Death will not harm your body, but team evaluation depends on coordination. If you charge through alone, you might not receive a high score."

Ma Hongjun immediately looked at Tang San. "Little San, shall we team up?"

Xiao Wu also looked at Tang San.

Ning Rongrong folded her arms. "Auxiliary-types finally don't have to stand outside and watch."

On the other side, Hu Liena turned toward Xie Yue and Yan.

Yan sneered. "This isn't a one-on-one fight this time."

Both sides began competing for the chance to enter first.

Lin Chuan directly took out the Reservation Tokens.

"In order."

This time, Flender reacted quickly enough not to seem like himself.

The moment Lin Chuan finished speaking, he pressed Shrek's Reservation Token onto the counter.

Yue Guan was a breath too slow. His smile remained, but his eyes carried a touch of helplessness.

"Dean Flender is unusually generous today."

Flender hugged the Reservation Token tight. "When it comes to money that should be spent, I'm never vague."

Zhao Wuji muttered from the side, "Do you believe that yourself?"

Flender pretended not to hear.

The four from Shrek sat down at the machines.

Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Ma Hongjun.

The Multiplayer Joint Trial Entrance opened.

On the screen, the Old Road of Black Wind Mountain was darker than in solo mode. Mountain mist pressed low, and the faint sound of monsters striking wooden stakes drifted from afar.

A game prompt appeared.

[Cooperative Advance Objective: Cross the old road, protect the Incense Lamp, and reach the Land Shrine.]

[If the Incense Lamp goes out or the entire team dies, the trial fails.]

Ning Rongrong froze for a moment. "We have to escort something too?"

Lin Chuan watched the screen and smiled.

That was more like it.

Real team training had never been about four people each fighting their own battle.

Tang San understood that as well.

Protecting the Incense Lamp meant the team could not only care about who killed faster. Someone had to clear the way, someone had to fill gaps, someone had to watch the rear, and someone had to remind the others to slow down when they all wanted to charge.

This was more troublesome than simply clearing the stage.

And more like a real battle.

Ma Hongjun looked at the Incense Lamp, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. "That thing looks really easy to break."

Xiao Wu immediately said, "Then don't vanish into the distance the moment we start."

Ma Hongjun pointed at himself. "Do I look like that kind of person?"

Everyone from Shrek looked at him at once.

Ma Hongjun coughed. "Fine, I'll do my best."

Tang San gripped his wooden stick and said quietly, "Move in formation."

He did not say much more.

The Cooperative Trial had only just begun, and none of them knew what would emerge ahead. Explaining things too precisely might instead make his teammates fixate on the plan and forget to adapt.

Tang San merely kept the Incense Lamp's position in mind, then glanced once more at Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong's positions.

Ning Rongrong was watching too.

For the first time, she realized that standing at the back of the team did not mean things were easy. Everyone had entrusted their backs to her. If she missed even one thing, the people in front might take a blade in her place.

From deep within the Old Road of Black Wind Mountain, the first monstrous howl had already sounded.