Chapter Five: A Silent Language for Five

Tang Ye drew a circle—reject center, rotate right. Zhou Yan tapped three short, two long, three short. He Chuan remained behind. Two futures opened: Zhou Yan breached and died, or Tang Ye missed the long shot. Lin Mo chose neither. He crouched twice. Bait. Zhou Yan smashed the central wall, then canceled his charge. Four Throne rifles rose together. At that instant He Chuan cut the power, drowning the forge in seven seconds of darkness. Tang Ye fired—not at a player, but at the steel beside Zhou Yan’s boots. Sparks revealed silhouettes. Su Cheng’s marks followed. Lin Mo compressed every danger he heard into a single warning shot. When the lights returned, Throne had one player standing. The score reached 6–6.