The common room was silent. All the captains stared at X in disbelief. The high-ups had completely changed the exam. Instead of letting the Enders handle it through simulations, they were now sending the units on a real mission. Seon slumped back in his chair, unable to think clearly about what he had just heard.
The units had been together for only eight days meaning they bare knew each other. To pass the exam, they had to function as a single unit and successfully eliminate a monster. Granted, the target was only a Tier 4, but it was still nearly impossible. Most of his unit had little to no real combat experience, and they had never worked under multiple simultaneous orders before.
"X, you know this is bullshit. We could barely keep up with the previous exam, and now you want us to use our units in a live mission?" C snapped. looking at A and B for back up as he threw a tantrum.
"We didn't have a choice, C. This was the higher-ups' decision," X replied, his tone weary. "The test has been postponed to two weeks from now. The unit leaders protested, but after reviewing your performance in yesterday's simulation, they believe you're ready."
He didn't have the usual smug grin he always wore. Instead, he looked exhausted—his hair dishevelled, dark circles under his eyes.
"There's no point in fighting this. I suggest you start preparing. You're all dismissed," he said before sinking into his chair and pulling up his tablet.
Seon immediately sent out orders for the Enders and the rest of the unit to meet in Unit Z's training room. Rising from his seat, he made his way toward the common room. Under Felix's leadership, the Enders averaged just under two hours. He needed them to get that down to an hour, at least. He also wanted to program the system to relay orders automatically while he was on the field, but he hadn't figured out how to do that yet.
When he entered the common room, a few cadets glanced at him, then quickly turned away and scurried inside. He headed directly to the stage. Most people in the room had only heard his voice during the first mission. He spotted the Enders sitting together in one corner while the rest of Unit Z mingled with familiar faces.
[Dominance Aura activated]
"Unit Z," Seon's voice rang through the room, silencing the murmurs. "In two weeks, we will embark on Mission 2. This time, our objective is to eliminate the target. The Enders, under Felix's command, will lead us step by step, providing tactical support. This is a high-risk mission, and any mistake you make on the battlefield could result in death."
The room erupted into hushed whispers. Only a handful of cadets seemed to grasp the gravity of the situation. Seon made note of those who looked genuinely concerned—and those who didn't.
"Starting today, your schedules, training, and diets will change. Next week, there will be an evaluation. Anyone who fails to meet expectations will be demoted," Seon announced as the holoV behind him powered on.
It displayed a list he had been working on since the last mission. He'd been editing it ever since the test he set up for the Edners. He was planning on implicating it after the exams were done.
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Unit Z Command Structure:
Felix Volkov - Leader of the Enders/Edners (Tactical Support & Battlefield Control Unit) Role: The technological backbone of Unit Z, responsible for controlling drones, tanks, weapons, and mission communication. They provide real-time battlefield intelligence and serve as long-range support.
Kieran Jang - Leader of Omega Squad (Tactical Assault & Heavy Combat Team) Role: The frontline combat specialists, equipped with advanced weaponry and Armor for high-risk engagements. They handle direct confrontations, enemy suppression, and large-scale battles.
Silas Ivanov - Leader of Ghost Division (Espionage & Infiltration Unit) Role: Stealth operatives specializing in intelligence gathering, elite tracking, and assassinations. They also function as the emergency extraction team.
Ronan Seo - Leader of Aegis Corps (Defensive & Tactical Support Team) Role: Elite medics and survivalists. They handle crisis management, provide first aid, and ensure battlefield recovery in extreme environments.
Dante Kwon - Leader of Valkyrie Squadron (Aerial & Mech Warfare Unit) Role: Pilots of advanced aircraft, mechs, and drones. They provide air support, reconnaissance, and heavy firepower in large-scale conflicts.
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Seon's gaze swept over the room. "Everyone listed here, meet me in the briefing room." Without another word, he turned and walked away, already formulating the next phase of their preparations.
When he got in the meeting room, the rest joined him almost immediately. They sat down and faced him. Seon sent out a few files to each member.
"As I just said, you all have been personally selected as leaders for your squads. I chose you not only because you are the best or the most experienced but because lives are on the line," he said before taking out five tablets from his inventory and distributing them.
"I just sent you all the plays we will be using and the training schedule for your squad. You all have three days to get your squad on that schedule and have half those plays memorized before we begin running simulations as a unit. This exam has people's lives on the line, and I expect you to understand how important it is," Seon continued.
He let the squad leaders look at their files and teams before he sat down. The reason he gave them three days was to allow the unit to adjust and understand their new positions. Meanwhile, he needed to figure out how to connect the Enders' control room to his system so it could give orders and train the new program he was yet to ask Grim for.
"Do you have any questions?" he finally asked.
Kieran raised his hand. He was the leader of Omega Squad and had scored number one on every single physical exam and number three on the written exams. He was the reason Felix was the leader of the Enders.
"Can I adjust the diet for my team? I want them gaining more muscle. The current diet with these exercises won't help build muscle," he said while scrolling through his file.
"Send me the suggested diet by tonight, and I'll review it," Seon answered, and Kieran nodded. The other captains took that as a go-ahead and also made their requests.
"Can we have Aegis Corps work with us so we can start the formations regarding the medics?" Felix asked.
Seon nodded, and the group started discussing their plays and training, adding and removing a few exercises. Once they were done, Seon went back to his domain. He didn't need to sleep with the Enders anymore since the whole unit was now involved.
When he got to the main building, he found B standing by his elevator. He looked tired, scrolling through his tablet. B was the only captain Seon didn't feel was hot-headed or spoiled. They barely had any interactions, except when Seon advised him on his team.
"Z... thanks for the advice last week. It... helped a lot," B started off. Seon nodded in response.
"Can you do it again? I need help," B asked awkwardly.
Seon noticed that after the first results B took his advice about his team. He was impressed not only because he implemented in in a day but that he actually improved even though he only had a day. However he was exhausted and he was short on time.
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Quest: "Bridging the Divide"
Objective: Assist Unit B in stabilizing their formation and completing their training simulation.
Primary Task: Identify Unit B's weaknesses and reorganize their battle structure.
Secondary Task: Train their Enders to improve their tactical decision-making and response time.
Bonus Task: Conduct a joint simulation between Unit B and Unit Z to test their adaptability in a real combat scenario.
Rewards:
System Sync Upgrade: AI-generated orders relayed automatically during missions.
Improved Battlefield Control: Faster response times.
Reputation Boost: Gaining attention from higher command.
Failure Consequences:
Unit B remains disorganized, increasing mission failure likelihood.
Loss of trust from command.
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"Let's go up," Seon said, opening the elevator. He didn't even read through the whole quest he saw the reward and immediately decided to do it. He was already going through the basic strategies he could try with unit B.
B followed him and handed him the tablet. Seon went through the information almost too quickly. He was so happy he had the urge to grab B and kiss him on the cheek. He didn't even care why the system wanted to help—he was just relieved his biggest problem was about to be solved.