It hadn't even been an hour since we started, but I was able to complete the "Simple" difficulty with ease. It took me one or two tries, but as the title suggested, the first test was straightforward.
The number of enemies inside was limited, and although they were armed, their skills were lacking. All I had to do was clear the entire building and apprehend or incapacitate the few men present.
The most challenging aspect was the time limit—accomplishing everything within a short 15 minutes proved difficult, yet manageable.
After successfully completing the Simple test three times in a row, Iain called me over for a water break. He held a large water bottle in his right hand and rested his left hand on the crystal, he closed his eyes and deactivated the AR test, returning us to the warehouse.
I approached Iain, took the water he offered, and sat down on the ground in a crisscrossed position. Iain joined me, sipping on a canned iced tea.
While he enjoyed his beverage, I quickly finished the water he had given me. Once I quenched my thirst, I closed the water bottle and placed it beside me on the ground.
"Where'd you get these drinks Iain?"
Iain turned to me, the rim of his can still touching his lips, so he pulled it away before speaking.
"When you were doing your training, I went and got them from the supermarket, it's near by here."
"Oh cool" I replied, "Thanks for the water."
Iain smiled and said, "No problem." He crushed the empty tea can in his hand and slowly got up from the floor.
"So, Eve, are you ready to go to the next test?"
It was around 7:00 p.m., giving me plenty of time to clear it, hopefully by the end of the day. I got up as Iain walked towards the crystal.
Just like last time, Iain placed his hand over the crystal, and everything went black. The scene of the building reappeared, it was the same building, but the inside will be very different.
I also approached the crystal placing my hand on it and materialized my gun, preparing to charge in. A timer appeared in the corner of my eye, resembling a video game, showing me I had 30 minutes to clear this.
I slowly walked up to the house and Glanced back at Iain, who watched me intently. Then I finally received a nod from him, indicating that it was okay to start.
So with full speed, I dashed towards the front door, effortlessly kicking it down. Despite appearing confident, I felt a tinge of nervousness about what would change from last time.
However as soon as I stepped into the building It didn't take long to notice an immediate difference. The family room greeted me with a TV, couch, and dining table.
Unlike the empty room in the previous level, this time, two men sat on the couch, watching TV, catching me off guard. One of them wore a Hawaiian shirt, while the other had dreads.
Reacting quickly to my presence, they reached for their guns at their hips.I managed to fire my gun once, hitting the man in the Hawaiian shirt in the cheek, he went down but the dreadlocked man fired back, hitting me in the chest.
I had failed instantly.
When you fail or "die," everything inside the test freezes. The dreadlocked man who shot me, the guy in the Hawaiian shirt who had yet to hit the ground, and every other man in the building.
Everything remains frozen until I leave the building and ask Iain to start the test again. You only fail if you get shot or if you run out of time. After this failure, I had now experienced both.
When I walked out Iain smirked and prepared the test for me once more. For a second time He gave me a nod, the timer began, and I kicked the door in, immediately focusing my gun on the two men in the room, shooting them both in the chest.
Then with caution and urgency, I meticulously searched the entire bottom floor. I had already done this on the previous level so I thought I would be able to finish quickly but I was dead wrong.
While searching for any hidden individuals, I heard footsteps approaching from behind me. People were coming down from upstairs!
I frantically looked around the room for cover, but I wasn't quick enough. Three armed men emerged from upstairs. In the next moment, I found myself under a hail of bullets from the three men.
I attempted to fire back, but by the time I lined up my shot, I had already been hit twice. Once in the shoulder and once in the neck.
Everything froze again.
With a sense of shame, I walked out of the house once more. Iain started laughing, "Haha! A little harder than last time, huh, Eve!" He continued laughing.
This might take a while…