Final Test -The Tactical Intelligence Challenge (2)

They hit the extraction zone just in time. The battlefield faded away. The simulation room returned to its metallic walls.

Test over.

The hologram flickers to life as the last of the survivors stepped out. Only seven remained.

From one hundred… to seven.

They had passed.

Jade felt the weight of it. The past nine years had led to this moment.

But she wasn't done yet.

She had just earned her place.

Now the real challenge began

The seven remaining candidates stood in a straight line, their bodies tense as the massive holographic display flickered to life before them. It was time for the final evaluation. The Tactical Intelligence Challenge wasn't another physical test—it was a full performance breakdown. Every shot fired, every strategy used, every second wasted or utilized, all laid bare for judgment.

Jade kept her face unreadable, though her heart pounded in her chest. She had given everything she had, but so had the others.

A robotic voice echoed across the room.

"Final candidates, your overall scores have been compiled. The top five will be granted entry into Snipe Squad. The remaining two… will be dismissed."

The screen shifted, revealing data streams, battle footage, and performance charts for each candidate. Some clenched their fists. Others held their breath.

Jade quickly scanned the rankings.

1st Place: Jade Graves – Highest precision, strongest strategic adaptability, near-perfect endurance. No surprise.

2nd Place: Gage Hunter – Raw power, efficiency, and sheer endurance. He didn't waste a single move.

3rd Place: Rico Mercer – Quick reflexes, deadly teleportation, and an unpredictable fighting style that kept enemies guessing.

4th Place: Skye Voss – A walking supercomputer. She outmaneuvered AI enemies, hacked security systems, and created weapons out of nothing.

5th Place: Ari Quinn – The ghost on the battlefield. Her sniper skills and movement techniques allowed her to slip past enemies unnoticed, eliminating them before they even realized.

That was it. That was the squad.

The last two names flashed in red. Their time was up.

Jade glanced at the two eliminated candidates—both were strong, but just not strong enough. They stood still, accepting their fate without a word.

The robotic voice continued. "Final five, welcome to Snipe Squad."

Jade exhaled slowly. It was over.

Or rather, it had just begun.