combat simulator

She reached for a standard-issue sniper rifle, its weight familiar in her hands. She flipped it up, resting it against her shoulder as the next phase of the test was revealed.

Targets. Dozens of them.

Cardboard silhouettes popped up, some staying still, others darting unpredictably across the field.

This won't be easy.

Some recruits fired immediately, their shots wild and unfocused. Others hesitated, trying to get a perfect aim. But there was only one rule—a minimum of 70 hits were needed to pass.

Jade exhaled slowly, her world narrowing to the scope.

She pulled the trigger.

The first target dropped.

Then the second.

And then—she started moving.

Because standing still meant getting left behind

Soon the test was over

Jade and the 65 others step into a new testing area. The walls shift, revealing a large, open simulation arena. A hologram flickers to life above them.

"Congratulations, recruits. You've passed the first phase. But accuracy alone isn't enough. The battlefield is unpredictable. Now, we test your combat instincts."

Suddenly, the floor beneath them shifts, and the entire room transforms into a battlefield. Holographic enemies appear—some armed, some rushing in for close combat. The goal? Survive and neutralize as many targets as possible.

The battlefield was chaos. Gunfire, energy blasts, and the shouts of recruits filled the air.

Jade ducked behind cover, her mind working fast. Analyze. Adapt. Execute. She counted every movement, every shot, watching how the others fought.

One recruit blinked across the field, teleporting short distances, dodging attacks like it was a game. He toyed with the enemies, letting them think they had a shot before vanishing and striking from behind. Arrogant. Fast. Deadly.

Another recruit—a powerhouse—didn't waste a single bullet. Every move was brutal. Precise. He didn't hesitate, cutting through enemies like a machine. Efficient. Unshakable.

A third recruit—smaller, quieter—was a ghost in the battlefield. She never stayed in one place for too long, using her sniper in creative ways, slipping through the chaos unnoticed.

Then there was one more. The one laughing. She wasn't fighting like the others. She was breaking the battlefield itself. Tweaking enemy AI, hacking drones mid-fight, forcing their weapons to misfire. Smart. Unpredictable. Dangerous.

Jade smirked. Interesting.

Then—a sudden alert blared.

The countdown on the simulation wall ticked down. Five seconds left. Jade took one last shot, hitting her final target.

The simulation froze.

A mechanical voice echoed: "Test concluded. Remaining recruits, step forward."

Jade exhaled. Thirty-six recruits remained. Over half were gone.

She glanced around. A few familiar faces stood among them.