Chapter 21: Lies

  The squad followed Captain Evin through a corridor after showcasing their skills, their footsteps echoing along the metal floor.

  The walls were lined with thick pipes that hissed faintly with steam.

  Above them, a ttice of exposed wiring buzzed like trapped hornets.

  The air smelled of oil, old copper, and dust, a scent of forgotten machinery working far past its intended lifespan.

  Ahead, a wide chamber opened up, a hollowed cathedral of metal and shadow.

  Ancient computers lined the sides of the room, their boxy screens flickering with green code.

  Bulky projectors, thicker than tree trunks, were mounted to the walls and ceiling, all aimed inward at a circur raised stage in the middle of the room.

  It felt like standing in the belly of a dead titan.

  Sym’s eyes swept across the strange equipment as they entered, noting its design, pre-catastrophe tech, most likely.

  Old-world construction, patched and repurposed by desperate hands.

  Evin stepped up onto the stage and turned to face them.

  "Simution chamber," he barked. "Projectors will create a holographic environment, enemies, terrain, everything. It'll feel real. But you won't die unless you're an idiot."

  A few nervous chuckles, hollow and forced, rippled through the squad.

  Evin’s smirk widened slightly.

  "You’re going to fight a creature today. Low-level, basic spawn. Nothing special. Something you’d find outside the Gate if you survive long enough."

  He let his words hang, the threat of when rather than if sharp in the air.

  Sym watched the others carefully.

  Caleb rolled his shoulders, trying to look nonchant, but his fingers twitched.

  Sandra shifted her weight, adjusting her stance, quiet but ready.

  Trey looked pale, swallowing hard.

  Burt’s hands flexed around the strap of his shield like he wanted to break it.

  Elen simply stood still, arms folded, eyes downcast.

  They were not ready.

  The thought passed through Sym’s mind like a passing cloud.

  But then again, maybe that was the point. Maybe PRG didn't want them ready.

  Sage whispered:

  "Environmental conditions: estimated 89% realism. Pain receptors are not fully activated. Exercise will reveal emotional, mental, and physical failure points."

  Sym nodded to himself.

  Good.

  Better to learn here than outside, where it would cost blood.

  The projectors began to hum.

  Low at first, a vibration that sank into the bones, then growing louder as the world around them began to shift.

  The light twisted. The ground warped. Reality peeled away like skin from an old fruit.

  In an instant, the metallic chamber was gone.

  They now stood in a forest so thick and vast it seemed to swallow the sky.

  The trees were monstrous.

  Their trunks were as wide as houses, bark like armored ptes, gnarled and knotted by centuries of silent growth.

  Their canopies loomed high overhead, blotting out the sun, what little light did pierce through filtered down in weak, trembling shafts.

  The air was damp and heavy with the scent of moss, rot, and old earth.

  Strange noises echoed from the gloom, insectile clicks, the distant mournful wail of something unseen, the whisper of unseen wings brushing against unseen leaves.

  Sym turned slowly, scanning the area.

  The ground underfoot was soft, spongy with fallen needles and damp humus. Visibility was limited, and shadows moved at the edge of sight.

  The others shifted uneasily, their breath fogging faintly in the cool air.

  Evin’s voice crackled into their earpieces:

  "Form a circle. Weapons ready. Eyes sharp. It’s hunting season."

  The simution had begun.

  And something in the dark was already watching them.

  The simuted forest groaned softly in the distance, as if breathing.

  Mist pooled at the bases of the enormous trees. Somewhere beyond the next hill, something let out a low, keening wail that faded into the gloom.

  The squad stayed tense, weapons at the ready, half-formed into a ragged circle.

  Evin stepped forward with a casual swagger, like a man walking through his own backyard instead of an unknown killing field.

  He turned to face them, the weak sunlight filtering through the monstrous canopy above casting long, skeletal shadows across his face.

  "Alright, listen up," he said, voice carrying easily through the comms. "You’re probably already shitting yourselves thinking about what’s lurking out here. Good. Fear keeps you alive."

  He started pacing slowly in front of them, boots crushing virtual pine needles underfoot.

  "There are dangers all over," he continued. "You think you see something moving? You probably do. And it'll probably try to rip your throat out."

  He paused, letting the fear thicken, a small, cruel smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

  "But here’s the real prize."

  He reached into a pouch at his belt and pulled out a small, glittering object, a crystal the size of a small marble, glowing faintly with a cold inner light.

  The squad leaned forward unconsciously.

  Even Sym allowed his gaze to fix on it, and not just out of curiosity.

  "When a creature dies," Evin said, holding it up between two fingers, "if you're lucky, if it’s old enough, strong enough, it leaves one of these behind."

  He pocketed it again casually.

  "Kill, collect, and after killing enough, you level up. That’s how it works."

  He fshed a cocky grin.

  "That’s how I got to level three. That’s how I went from nobody to somebody. Killing creatures gives you experience to level up, while the crystals, once traded into the Order, there would be benefits."

  There was a gleam of real pride in his voice, pride rooted in blood.

  "And lemme tell you," he added, voice dropping into a conspiratorial tone, "PRG paid me real good to stick around and whip your sorry asses into shape."

  Caleb whistled under his breath.

  Trey looked impressed.

  Even Sandra seemed to lean in slightly, as if absorbing the roadmap to survival.

  But Sym…

  Sym didn’t move.

  Because he was listening to the other thing.

  The thing Evin said next.

  "But don’t," Evin warned, voice hardening, "start fiddling with the crystals."

  He pointed sharply at them, one by one.

  "You kill a creature, you put away the crystall. The Order knows what to do with these things. You don’t. You touch the wrong one, and you’re done. Corruption will seep into your soul and hollow you out from the inside."

  He gave a shark-like grin, full of teeth.

  "You think being killed by a creature is bad? Try dying screaming as your own flesh mutates from the inside out."

  Silence.

  Even the trees seemed to lean closer.

  Then he shrugged, as if it was no big deal, and turned away.

  "Stay smart. Stay alive. And let the professionals deal with what you idiots aren’t built for."

  The squad slowly rexed, murmuring among themselves.

  But Sym didn’t move.

  Not a breath.

  Not a word.

  Because inside his mind, Sage’s voice was cutting like a bde:

  "Analysis: 94% probability of misinformation. Order is hoarding crystals under the false pretense of public safety. Actual effect of crystal usage: controlled power increase."

  Sym exhaled slowly through his nose.

  So they lied.

  About the crystals.

  About corruption.

  About the "protection" they offered.

  What else had they lied about?

  The Obelisk?

  The settlements?

  The cracks themselves?

  And worse, how long could he survive inside a settlement built entirely on chains made of lies?

  The mist clung to the earth like a second skin as Evin paced in front of the assembled squad.

  Their armor seemed too thin here. Their weapons, gray-grade though they were, felt like toys compared to the vastness of the forest pressing down on them from all sides.

  Evin swung one of his axes zily, letting the bde hum through the simution’s damp air.

  "Listen up, children," he barked. "Since none of you have brains bigger than your fists, let me paint the picture real slow."

  He jabbed a thumb outward toward the simuted horizon, toward the deeper woods where the trees grew so thick their branches knitted into a ceiling of darkness.

  "Beyond the first mile of forest? That’s where the Dark Forest begins."

  His voice dropped, grave and theatrical.

  "The Dark Forest is where real monsters live. Beasts above the level you'd ever reach. Creatures that’ve survived so long in corruption they’re basically different species altogether."

  He let that hang for a second.

  "Walk into there without permission? Not only will you die—" He smirked darkly. "—but the corruption will cling to your bloodline. Your kids. Your grandkids. Your entire family line tainted by it."

  Sym caught the slight twitch at the corner of Evin’s mouth.

  He’s lying. Or at least, exaggerating beyond belief.

  He didn’t need Sage to confirm it, but Sage did anyway:

  “High likelihood of fear-mongering to enforce settlement containment."

  Sym kept his expression neutral. Only his hand tightened faintly on the hilt of his greatsword.

  Evin rolled his shoulders and kept talking.

  "But don’t worry about your pretty little heads," he said mockingly. "You won't be going near it anytime soon. You’ll be lucky to survive what's coming now."

  He let his gaze sweep across them, pausing on Sym just a second longer than necessary.

  "Now," he barked, cpping his hands once, sharp and final. "You all know your roles from the training you’ve had so far."

  He pointed to each member, rapid-fire: “Forty Five, shield. Take the front. Two, summon your lizard pet thing. You’re our wall. Eight, keep the heat on the target, control the battlefield. Seventy-seven, mark the enemy with your curse, make it weaker. One Fifty, you’re our brawler. Hit it hard when it’s staggered."

  His eyes finally nded on Sym.

  "And you, Thirty-Three—" A smirk twisted his mouth. "—try not to die before you can hit something. Use your skill when the fight starts, use that oversized butter knife you call a sword, and pray."

  Sym inclined his head slightly.

  Pray?

  Not likely.

  Sym was beyond prayer.

  "And remember," Evin said, pulling both his axes free with a flourish, the bdes humming faintly. "This first round will be just one creature. Something simple."

  He grinned widely, eyes gleaming.

  "If you survive, we’ll try a few more."

  The squad exchanged nervous gnces.

  Sandra closed her eyes briefly, whispering something under her breath. Caleb muttered a curse and tightened the straps of his gloves.

  Trey adjusted his colr and looked like he wanted to vomit. Burt simply set his shield into position and lowered his stance. Elen cracked her knuckles, the faint green glow of her transformation already stirring beneath her skin.

  Sym? He simply shifted his weight, feeling the steady burn of the Boost skill tent and ready in his bloodstream..

  Sage murmured in his mind:

  "Combat parameters set. Ready to analyze squad efficiency and enemy capabilities."

  Sym smiled faintly.

  The mist around them thickened.

  Somewhere ahead, something heavy moved.

  And the first trial began.