It had been 5 minutes since I passed the Average test, so now it was 10:20 pm, meaning that I still had time to attempt the last and hardest difficulty. Once again, we were sitting on the floor taking a break, so I looked towards Iain, and he gave me a smile and nod. He already knew what I was thinking. So we got up, and for the final time, Iain put his hand on the crystal.
When the house appeared, I was already standing in front of it. The timer showed me that I had an hour to complete the test before failure. I turned back and looked at Iain, and as soon as he gave me the okay, I rushed into the house. Just like last time, I saw two men sitting on the couch. I found it weird that they were in the exact same position as last time. Maybe Iain forgot to change the difficulty? Well, I shot the two men, but when I turned my attention away from them, I noticed a third man in the corner. Before I could react, he fired his gun, the bullet hit, and everything stopped. Shit.
Considering how many times I failed the Average test, it wasn't as embarrassing leaving the house. So, I got out, and the test started again. However, this time it was different. When I ran into the house, there were no men on the couch. In fact, there were no men at all. What was going on? Then, out of nowhere, I heard a gunshot, and I felt a flick on my hip. Everything stopped again. I looked over to where the gunshot came from, and I saw a man standing on the stairs. So again I stepped out of the house, the test restarted, and when I busted into the house, there were now multiple men in the living room. However, this time they weren't sitting on the couch; they were just standing around. I immediately got shot.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Every time I entered the house, the scenario was completely different, and that's when I realized the gimmick of the third level. It was different every single time. Before we realized it was 12:00 pm, and we started to get ready to go. Iain deactivated the test, and together we left the warehouse and started to walk to his car.
"What do you think of my third level?" Iain had a grin on his face. So I tell him "It's hard, and considering it changes every time, it makes it all the more difficult." Iain chuckled, "I know, right! However, that's the reality—raids are always unpredictable and dangerous. You won't always know what's coming next, so being able to adapt to any situation is key. That's why I made the test the way I did."
I looked over at Iain, and without thinking, I spoke. "Iain, you know, despite your cockiness and all the silly things you say, you're a really good officer." After saying this, a warm smile came across my face. Iain slightly blushed after I said this. "W-well, obviously, I'm a good officer. I'm number one for a reason, you know!" Iain turned his face away from me before quietly saying, "Thanks."
When we got in the car, Iain started driving me home, but I asked if he could drop me off at the dock instead, letting him know that I could walk home from there. Iain agreed and dropped me off at the dock. Before he drove off, he rolled down his window. "See you tomorrow, and don't even think about sleeping in because I'm coming early next morning! Byeee!" Iain sped off into the night. After that made my way to the Dock elevator.