Izzan Min-hoo still felt a lingering sense of relief after successfully passing the emotional control test. But before he could fully enjoy his victory, the door to the room opened, and a neatly dressed man stepped inside. The man wore an expensive suit, his hair perfectly styled, and his expression exuded overconfidence. Behind his friendly smile, there was something cold and calculated.
"Congratulations on your success, Izzan," the man greeted in a seemingly sincere tone. "I'm Alex, the executive in charge of this training program. The emotional control test is a crucial first step, and you did well."
Izzan looked at Alex with suspicion. "So, you're the one responsible for all this?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "What's the meaning of all this? What do you people really want from me?"
Alex gave a slight smile, as if he had anticipated Izzan's question. "You'll find out soon enough, Izzan. This trial is just the beginning. There are many missions and training sessions ahead of you, and they won't be easy."
Hearing those words, Izzan's anger began to boil. He felt like a pawn being played by this mysterious organization. "So, this is all just a game to you?" he shouted, his emotions flaring. "You think you can toy with other people's lives as you please?"
A faint "beep... beep..." sound was heard, a warning that was gradually intensifying. But this time, Izzan ignored it. With a swift motion, he lunged at Alex, trying to punch the man's face. However, before his fist could make contact, his body jerked stiffly. A searing pain hit him, like electricity shocking every nerve in his body.
Athena, the AI within Izzan's neuron chip, had immediately activated the shock system. A holographic warning message appeared before Izzan's eyes:
Username: Izzan Min-hoo
Warning!!
Attacking protected individuals is prohibited.
AI Assistant: Athena
Izzan collapsed onto the floor, his body trembling and weak. He was gasping for breath, the pain from the electric shock still lingering. Alex merely watched him, a cynical smile forming on his lips. "Here's a piece of advice, Izzan," he said in a cold tone, "Never try to attack someone way above your rank. That Quantum Neuron Chip has tighter security than you can imagine."
Izzan struggled to get up, his body still weak. He glared at Alex with a look of pure hatred, but this time he was more cautious.
Alex continued, "The AI in your chip, Athena, can be used for various functions. You can reduce or minimize the holographic display, search for the information you need, and view your missions. You need to start learning to use those abilities properly."
The holographic screen in front of Izzan flickered, displaying a series of information about Athena's functions. **[MINIMIZE HOLOGRAM], [SEARCH INFORMATION], [DISPLAY MISSION]** were listed among other menu options. Izzan nodded slightly, even though he didn't fully understand the implications of what he was seeing.
"Starting tomorrow," Alex went on, "You will enter the real training phase. You will face initial missions like physical training, survival in the forest, hunting for food, cooking, making bombs, defusing bombs, shooting, and even flying a plane. This is just the first step in a long journey that awaits you."
Hearing all this, Izzan felt a mix of fear and confusion. "Physical training?" he thought. He had never imagined himself doing things he'd only seen in action movies.
---
The next day, the training began. Izzan found himself in the middle of a training ground, surrounded by various obstacles and training equipment. Athena provided direct instructions through the holographic interface.
"Start with 20 push-ups, then run around the field five times," Athena commanded.
Izzan glanced around, trying to find a way to avoid this, but there seemed to be no way out. With a long sigh, he began doing push-ups. But by the fourth count, his body started trembling, and he fell to the ground, his face hitting the dirt. "Ouch, my nose!" he groaned as blood started trickling from his nose.
"Fourth push-up and you're already giving up?" Athena responded sarcastically. "I expected more from you, Izzan."
Izzan wiped his nose and stood up with a scowl. "You may be an AI, but you sure know how to hurt feelings," he grumbled, starting his push-ups again.
After finishing the push-ups, Athena instructed him to run around the field. Izzan began jogging, though his steps grew heavier. On the third lap, his attention was caught by a sudden hologram displaying instructions for the next mission. Too focused on the hologram, his foot hit a stone, and he fell dramatically, rolling on the ground.
"There must be a recording of this, right?" Izzan muttered, clutching his bruised leg. "This has got to be on some dark version of YouTube or something."
---
The training continued with various challenges. Izzan was forced to cook meals from unfamiliar ingredients in the middle of the forest. While Athena gave instructions, Izzan nervously mixed various ingredients in a pot. Suddenly, a small explosion occurred, splattering his face with green liquid.
"Uh... I guess that's not how it's done," Izzan said, wiping his face with a towel. Athena just sighed—if an AI could do that.
Later, while learning to defuse bombs, Izzan carefully held a pair of pliers, trying to cut the right wire as Athena instructed. His hands were shaking, and he nervously glanced at the holographic display showing the countdown timer. At the last moment, he managed to cut the correct wire, and the timer stopped.
"Yeah! I did it!" Izzan cheered with excitement. But his joy quickly faded when a hologram appeared beside him with large text:
Username: Izzan Min-hoo
Simulation Ended
Trial Failed
Failed to deactivate other triggers
Penalty: Electric shock for 1 minute
AI Assistant: Athena
Izzan groaned, "Seriously? There's more than one trigger? Why didn't you say that from the start?"
Username: Izzan Min-hoo
Penalty: Electric shock for 1 minute
01:00
AI Assistant: Athena
"Eeeh !! Arrrggghhhh !!"
Username: Izzan Min-hoo
Penalty Completed
00:00
AI Assistant: Athena
Izzan, with a frustrated expression, said, "These punishments are always such a pain!"
Athena, in her usual calm tone, replied, "Welcome to the real world, Izzan. Not everything is as clear-cut as the instructions given."
Izzan, with a blank face, retorted, "You're just an AI… with a virtual world, acting like you know the real world like someone who's lived for 40 years."
Despite his battered body and constantly tested patience, Izzan began to realize that behind all the hardships, something was changing inside him. Each training session taught him to be more focused, more cunning, and unexpectedly, more resilient. Maybe, just maybe, could he survive in this dangerous game after all?