Two Months Later…
The sterile air of the underground workshop hummed with the quiet, efficient thrum of advanced technology. What had once been a single, transformed room was now a sprawling subterranean complex. Spartan-001 had systematically invested his resources, using the HALO System's construction templates to excavate and build, creating a multi-level facility hidden beneath the grimy streets of Orario. It was a silent, growing tumor of the 26th century, a place of steel, polymer, and cold, hard logic.
Before beginning the day's operations, he reviewed his current status. The past two months had been… productive.
[STATUS]
[NAME: Valerius Steele (Spartan-001)]
[RACE: Human (Spartan-II Augmented)]
[TITLE: The Reclaimer, Silent Reaper (Rumor)]
[SYSTEM POINTS: 87,550]
[SECTION: INVENTORY]
[ > Valis: 2,340,000 ]
[ > [Warehouse Deed] x1 ]
[ > [Basic Material Scanner] x1 ]
[ > Dungeon Lizard Hide x5 ]
[ > Kobold Claw x40 ]
[ > Giant Bat Fang x25 ]
[SECTION: FABRICATION / SCHEMATICS]
[-- AVAILABLE TO UNLOCK --]
[ > [M805X Mjolnir Integration Suit] - Unlock Cost: 50,000 SP ]
[ > [Holographic Emitter Suite] - Unlock Cost: 12,000 SP ]
[ > [Active Camouflage Module (Prototype)] - Unlock Cost: 25,000 SP ]
[-- UNLOCKED SCHEMATICS --]
[ > [MA40 Assault Rifle] - Fabrication Cost: 500 SP ]
[ > [MK50 Sidekick] - Fabrication Cost: 200 SP ]
[ > [M9 Fragmentation Grenade] - Fabrication Cost: 30 SP ]
[ > [Type-1 Plasma Grenade] - Fabrication Cost: 40 SP ]
[ > [UNSC Combat Knife] - Fabrication Cost: 10 SP ]
[ > [UNSC Marine BDU] - Fabrication Cost: 150 SP ]
[ > [Advanced Material Pack] - Fabrication Cost: 50 SP ]
[ > [Construction Template: Basic Workshop] - Fabrication Cost: N/A ]
His gaze lingered on the Mjolnir Integration Suit. He was close. But today's priority was different. Today was the final evaluation.
He stood on an observation deck, looking down through a thick, transparent plate of polymer glass into a large, configurable combat chamber. Below, a fireteam of four moved with a discipline that was entirely alien to Orario. They wore functional, dark grey Battle Dress Uniforms—the BDUs he had fabricated—and carried modified crossbows that resembled UNSC carbines. They moved in a tight diamond formation, covering every angle, their movements economical and purposeful.
[PHOTO]
Leading them was Lyd. The boy who had been a trembling, broken dishwasher was gone. In his place stood a lean, hardened soldier. The limp was gone, corrected by rigorous physical therapy and UNSC medical technology. His eyes, once haunted, were now sharp, constantly scanning, analyzing.
"Simulation Combat Program Delta-7 commencing," Cortana's voice announced through the chamber's speakers. "Enemy type: Minotaur. Three hostiles. Begin."
From emitters in the ceiling, shimmering waves of hard light coalesced, forming three massive, bull-headed monstrosities. They were perfect replicas of the beasts the Spartan had encountered and cataloged during his solo runs into the middle floors. They roared, the sound a deep, guttural bellow that was shockingly real.
"Contact!" Lyd shouted, his voice crisp over the team's comms. "Ares Two, suppressing fire on the left target! Three, Four, focus fire on center mass of the primary target! On my mark!"
The team opened fire. Their crossbows were not firing simple bolts; the workshop had allowed them to create specialized ammunition. The bolts flew true, striking the center Minotaur's chest. The holographic beast staggered, its light form flickering.
From the observation deck, the Spartan watched, his expression unreadable.
"Their formation is solid," Cortana commented, her avatar standing beside him. "Lyd's command instincts are improving. He's learning to control the engagement."
"He is hesitant," the Spartan countered, his gaze unwavering. "He is reacting to the threat, not dictating the terms of the battle. Ares Three broke formation for a clearer shot, exposing the team's flank. A critical error."
As if to prove his point, the Minotaur on the right ignored the suppressing fire and charged, its massive horns aimed at the exposed Ares Three.
"Three, evasive maneuvers!" Lyd yelled, but it was too late.
The hologram passed through the recruit, and the simulation registered the hit. A harsh buzzer sounded, and Ares Three's BDU glowed red.
"Ares Three, you are KIA," Cortana's voice announced calmly. "Continue the exercise."
The remaining three recruits faltered for a second, the loss of a teammate, even a simulated one, shaking their resolve.
"Close ranks! Focus fire!" Lyd commanded, his voice cutting through their hesitation. "We finish the mission!"
They fought with a renewed ferocity, their movements becoming more desperate but also more precise. They finally managed to "kill" the last Minotaur, its holographic form dissolving into pixels of light.
The chamber fell silent. The three surviving recruits stood panting, their faces a mixture of exhaustion and disappointment.
"End simulation," the Spartan said into his comm.
He descended to the training floor, his heavy boots echoing in the now-quiet room. Lyd and his team immediately snapped to attention.
The Spartan walked a slow circle around them, his presence an immense weight. He stopped in front of the recruit whose light was still red.
"Ares Three," he said, his voice cold as the void. "Report."
"I broke formation for a better angle, sir," the young man said, his head bowed. "I underestimated the enemy's speed. I exposed the team. It was my error."
"Correct," the Spartan stated. He then turned to Lyd. "Ares One. Your report."
"I failed to anticipate the flanking maneuver, sir," Lyd said, his voice steady despite the scrutiny. "My command was too slow to correct his mistake. The failure is mine."
The Spartan remained silent for a long moment. "You have both identified your failures correctly. That is the first step. In a real engagement, Ares Three would be dead, and the resulting break in your firing line would have likely led to the rest of you being overrun. Your teamwork is improving, but it is still flawed. You fight like individuals in a group, not as a single, cohesive weapon."
He looked at each of them. "You have trained for two months. You have learned discipline and tactics. But you still think like adventurers, hoping for a heroic moment. Erase that from your minds. There are no heroes. There are only objectives, and the most efficient way to achieve them. You will run this simulation again. And again. Until it is perfect."
He turned to leave. "And Lyd," he said, stopping at the door. "Good command presence. You held them together after the loss. That is the mark of a leader."
He left them to their gruelling task. Back in the command center, Cortana looked at him. "A little praise? You're getting soft in your old age, Chief."
"Positive reinforcement is a valid training tool when earned," he replied, dismissing the comment as he reviewed the data from his own solo expeditions. His reputation in the city had grown into a myth. They called him the "Silent Reaper," a ghost who left entire sections of the upper floors eerily empty.
"We have a problem," Cortana said, her tone shifting to serious. She displayed a report from their Guild contact, Eina. "There's been an Irregular spawn on the 10th floor. A pack of Hellhounds. A party from the Miach Familia is trapped, and the Guild is scrambling to mount a rescue. The major Familias are either too deep in the Dungeon or unwilling to mobilize for a minor Familia."
[NEW URGENT MISSION]
[MISSION: Trial by Fire]
[DESCRIPTION: Your new recruits have been trained in simulations. It is time to test them in a live combat scenario. Intervene in the 10th-floor crisis.]
[OBJECTIVE 1: Descend to the 10th floor.]
[OBJECTIVE 2: Eliminate the Hellhound pack.]
[OBJECTIVE 3: Ensure the survival of the Miach Familia adventurers (Bonus Objective).]
[REWARD: +10,000 System Points, Title: [Crisis Responder], Unlock Option for Schematic [M392 Designated Marksman Rifle].]
The Spartan looked at the mission details, then back at the training floor, where Lyd was now directing his team with cold, focused precision.
"They are not ready for Hellhounds," Cortana stated.
"No," the Spartan agreed. "They are not. But they will be."
He activated the comms to the training chamber. "Ares Team. Simulation concluded. Gear up. We have a live fire mission."