Players occasionally drifted in and out of the net cafe, but for the most part, it remained quiet, with only about twenty people seated at any given time.
Even though these regulars still brought in several hundred gold coins a day, the place felt deserted compared to the previous standing-room-only crowds.
Wayne didn't mind. Although the daily income had decreased, he welcomed the peace. He spent his time either progressing through the Skyrim questlines, climbing the Street Fighter V ladder, or playing a few rounds of Heroes of Might and Magic III with Marlin and Amy for a change of pace.
His routine was simple: eat when hungry, sleep when tired, and play games when doing neither. Life was quiet and stable; he didn't have to worry about world peace or dragon attacks for a while.
Old Chen was still working up a sweat in Street Fighter V. Wayne knew the Pandaren was dedicated, but he hadn't expected the Monk to be this singular in his focus. Chen seemed completely uninterested in any other game. If anyone wanted to find him, they didn't even have to ask; he was either in the restroom or in the lobby playing Street Fighter.
Lately, he had been trading wins and losses on the ladder with a player named "Eita," though Chen currently held a slightly higher win rate. He had even watched a lot of replay data on Eita within the game, claiming it was about "knowing one's enemy to ensure victory in a hundred battles." When Wayne asked where he heard that, Chen claimed it was an ancient proverb passed down by Pandaren since antiquity.
The replays he watched included the full footage of Eita winning a tournament called "EVO Japan 2022." Chen couldn't understand a single character of those words and asked Wayne for a translation. Wayne, knowing it was impossible to explain, simply waved him off, saying, "If you can't understand it, there's no way I can."
For a monk, studying martial arts and meeting friends through combat was as natural as breathing.
However, Li Li was a different story. While she also had decent rankings on the ladder, she had recently become obsessed with teaming up with Reinier and the others to play Monster Hunter. In a bit of a rebellious streak against Chen's teaching that "the best weapon is the fist," she insisted on trying every weapon in Monster Hunter. She would use a Greatsword in one round and switch to a Heavy Bowgun in the next. Chen could only sigh and let his niece do as she pleased.
That afternoon, at the entrance of the cafe.
A balding, middle-aged man in armor with an eyepatch looked around. "Hmm? Marshal, didn't you tell me this place was impossible to get a seat in?"
McBride scratched his head, which he had shaved bald to deal with his middle-aged hair loss. "I remember... it was indeed incredibly crowded..." He turned his gaze to Cantebury behind him.
Cantebury, who had been promoted to Rear Admiral to assist Admiral Jes-Tereth in leading the Fourth Legion, nodded. "The Marshal is right. I don't know why it's like this today..."
"It's a pity," McBride muttered. "I was worried there wouldn't be seats at noon, so I didn't even call Verdan and the others."
the balding man with the eyepatch looked at McBride with disbelief but followed the two inside anyway.
Tess, who was playing a game behind the counter, heard the movement and took off her glasses. "Yo! Marshal, you're back!"
McBride smiled. "Yes, the business on the front lines is wrapped up. I've brought a new guest. This is General Alos, commander of the Second Legion."
Twelve-year-old Tess didn't have much life experience, but thanks to the cafe, she had seen plenty of royalty, nobles, and generals. "Oh... go register then," she said to Alos, treating him like any other customer.
Though Alos was a soldier who didn't care for small details, he was still a commander of the twelfth rank. Being brushed off by a little girl with a casual "oh" made him feel he had lost face. Combined with the scattered empty seats, he felt even more like he had been swindled.
Cantebury, being the junior with the lowest rank, quickly stepped up to help Alos complete his registration. The three walked in and found a row of adjacent seats.
Tess looked at the membership list and thought, Yo, ninety-nine members now.
Seeing McBride back after nearly a week, many regulars greeted him. Wayne wanted to go over and ask about the situation in Theramore, but McBride and Alos started bickering at the entrance.
"What's the situation?" Wayne asked Cantebury.
"These two are holding a grudge," she replied.
"Why?"
Cantebury pulled him aside and explained the whole story.
When the army arrived at Theramore, McBride was ordered by Lo'Gosh to be stationed west of the city as a backup force. Alos, who was usually stationed at Theramore, was ordered to command his navy to ensure the supply lines remained clear.
To avoid alerting Onyxia and endangering Anduin, Lo'Gosh and the "other" Varian had each led an elite squad of forty to launch a surprise attack on the lair from the north and east. In other words, neither McBride nor Alos got the chance to actually slay the dragon.
Wayne asked about the outcome.
Cantebury said she didn't know because she was in charge of maritime logistics. However, she revealed that Prince Anduin had been rescued safely. Alos had been responsible for escorting the Prince back to Stormwind, and she had returned with the fleet. But until the moment she left, she hadn't seen King Varian or Lo'Gosh.
Rescued... Wayne knew then that the timeline hadn't deviated significantly.
Since they were assigned to logistics while glory was up for grabs, both generals were fuming. They had started bickering on the ship.
"Bickering? These two were actually arguing?" Wayne was surprised that two high-ranking commanders of their age would act like that.
Cantebury told him they were classmates at the military academy and had been rivals ever since, competing for every scrap of merit. Later, one protected the capital while the other joined the navy in Theramore to deal with the Horde, which kept them apart. But meeting again and both missing out on the dragon-slaying glory reignited their competitive nature.
On the return voyage, Alos complained that Lo'Gosh completely ignored him and that King Varian had actually agreed to it. McBride hinted that the Stormwind army had fought countless battles in recent years, making their quality far superior to any "outpost" forces.
They clashed immediately.
But as commanders, they couldn't exactly order their armies to fight each other, and a formal duel in front of subordinates would be undignified. So, McBride suggested they visit a "lively place" called a net cafe to have a duel that would decide a winner without risking lives.
As soon as he said that, his subordinates understood. Verdan and the others had enthusiastically chimed in. Alos, listening to their descriptions, felt that if they weren't on duty, these men would have teleported there instantly.
And that was how McBride ended up bringing Alos to the cafe.
"There's something specifically for dueling here called Street Fighter," McBride said. "I've only tried it once or twice myself. I'll give you some time to get used to it, and then we'll fight."
Wayne turned to Cantebury. "The problem is... isn't the Marshal bullying Alos? He's been playing for days, but Alos is a total beginner."
Cantebury tilted her head toward the lobby. "Look."
Wayne looked over. McBride had actually asked Chen to give Alos a tutoring session to get him up to speed.
It was Alos's first time seeing a Pandaren. He clearly lacked trust in this round, fat, lazy-looking race. The chubby physique reminded him of the Ogre heavies living in Brackenwall Village in Dustwallow Marsh. Although those Ogres weren't enemies of the Alliance, their willingness to house the Horde disgusted Alos.
"You... know how to fight?" Alos asked Chen, raising an eyebrow.
Chen gave a simple, honest smile. "A little bit."
Alos thought, A little bit and you want to teach me? McBride has been in the city too long; he doesn't know how fast the world outside is changing.
Chen helped him put on the VR glasses. "Come, select this... then this."
Alos was shocked by the interface and characters appearing before his eyes, just like everyone else on their first visit. He couldn't fathom the principles behind it.
"Pick a character," Chen said.
"Pick one? Which one? Is there a difference?" Alos looked at over forty characters of various races and genders, completely lost.
"Whoever you choose, you use their abilities in the game. Pick someone you like the look of to get used to the mechanics; you can change later."
Alos scrolled through them and chose a tall, muscular man named Sagat. The reason was simple: the guy was bald and also an eyepatch-wearing cyclops with a scarred eye.
They entered the game. Chen taught him the basics: punches, kicks, throws, and the mechanics of blocking low kicks. Like other players in the VR version, there was no need to memorize move lists. The moment Alos entered the game, Sagat's moves were directly integrated into his mind. He was essentially "possessing" Sagat's body; every action followed the character's settings.
Chen let Alos hit him for a while to practice moves and taught him some combo techniques. Alos mastered them quickly.
He said to Chen, "Let's have a real match. Looking at you, you won't beat me if you only defend."
When those words came through the screen, McBride, who was sitting next to Alos drinking coffee, almost spat it out. The Marshal, who desperately wanted to see his old friend make a fool of himself, secretly sent a private message to Chen: Don't hold back.
The corner of Chen's mouth twitched into a smile.
A moment later, they selected their characters and entered battle.
"Ah!"
"Ugh!"
"GAH!"
"K.O!"
"Perfect!"
In less than fifteen seconds, Alos was screaming in the game. He took off the glasses, his forehead drenched in sweat.
"What's going on?" everyone turned to look.
Wayne quickly put on his own glasses to see. Sure enough, Chen had secretly turned Alos's "Pain Sensitivity" setting...