As the simulation chamber faded back into its neutral state, Raven and Alina stood in the center, catching their breath. Their month-long training in the time-dilated space had left them stronger and sharper, but the system wasn't done with them yet.
"Training session complete. Performance logged. Progress exceeds projections."
Raven raised an eyebrow. "That's good to hear," he muttered.
Before either could comment further, the system interrupted with another chime.
"Progress must be tested. Initiating mission: Simulated Assassination."
The air in the chamber shifted, growing heavy with anticipation. A new holographic display materialized before them, detailing the mission parameters.
Mission Objective: Eliminate the target, a gang leader embedded among civilians in a small city.
Conditions: No civilian casualties. Avoid detection.
Failure Penalty: Forfeiture of recent cultivation advancements.
Raven tensed. This wasn't a simple task, and the penalty ensured there was no room for error. He turned to Alina, who was already scanning the details with a sharp gaze.
"A gang leader?" she said, her voice calm but laced with curiosity. "That sounds straightforward enough."
Raven frowned. "Don't let the description fool you. The system doesn't give easy tests."
As if to punctuate his words, the environment around them began to shift. The sterile chamber walls dissolved, replaced by the sprawling streets of a bustling city.
The simulation was eerily realistic. Cobblestone streets stretched out before them, lined with small shops and stalls. Townsfolk went about their business, their voices blending into a lively hum. Horses trotted by, pulling carts laden with goods, and children darted through the crowd in playful games.
The system displayed a map in the corner of their vision, marking the gang leader's suspected hideout: a warehouse near the city's edge.
Raven adjusted his monocle, its lens activating with a faint shimmer. Details about the people and buildings around him began to populate his vision—names, professions, threat levels. It was overwhelming at first, but he quickly filtered out irrelevant information.
"Stay sharp," Raven said, glancing at Alina. "We don't know how many eyes are watching us."
Alina smirked. "Relax. I've been through worse."
As they moved through the city, Raven's monocle highlighted several individuals marked as suspicious. A man loitering near a food stall. Another pretending to browse wares at a blacksmith's shop. Their subtle glances and seemingly aimless movements were telltale signs of gang lookouts.
"There," Raven whispered, nodding toward the man at the food stall.
Alina followed his gaze, her expression unreadable. "Think he's one of them?"
"Almost certainly," Raven replied. "We need to deal with the lookouts before we can approach the warehouse."
Alina nodded, her smirk returning. "I'll take care of him. You handle the others."
Before Raven could respond, she vanished into the crowd, her movements as smooth as a shadow slipping through the night.
Alina weaved through the bustling streets with practiced ease, her cultivation-enhanced agility making her almost invisible. She circled around the food stall, observing the lookout's movements. He was tall and wiry, his eyes darting nervously as he scanned the crowd.
She moved closer, her steps silent. When she was just a few feet away, she struck. Her dagger flashed, pressing lightly against the man's throat as she whispered, "Don't move."
The man froze, his eyes wide with fear.
"Who sent you?" Alina asked, her voice cold.
"I—I don't know what you're talking about!" he stammered.
Alina's grip tightened. "Wrong answer."
The man's face went pale, but before she could extract more information, his body dissolved into light. The system registered his removal as successful.
Meanwhile, Raven had his sights set on the lookout near the blacksmith's shop. He moved quickly, slipping into an alleyway to approach from behind. His monocle provided a detailed breakdown of the man's stance and potential blind spots.
Raven crouched low, his dagger at the ready. With a burst of speed, he closed the distance and struck. The man collapsed silently, his body vanishing like the first.
With the lookouts eliminated, the two regrouped in a quiet alley.
"Two down," Raven said. "But there are probably more inside the warehouse."
Alina nodded, her expression serious. "The leader's probably surrounded by his goons. We'll need a plan."
Raven activated his monocle again, scanning the warehouse from a distance. The building was large and nondescript, blending in with the other structures around it. Through the monocle, he detected several heat signatures inside, including one that was significantly larger than the others.
"That's him," Raven muttered, pointing to the largest signature. "The gang leader."
Alina tilted her head. "And the others?"
"Guards, most likely. We'll need to take them out quietly if we want to reach him."
As they moved closer to the warehouse, the system chimed again.
"Alert: Additional hostiles detected. Reinforcements arriving."
Raven cursed under his breath. "Looks like they know we're here."
Alina's eyes narrowed. "Then we'll just have to move faster."
They pressed on, but the streets grew more dangerous. More gang members appeared, blending in with the crowd but keeping a close eye on the warehouse.
Raven and Alina ducked into another alley to regroup.
"This isn't going to be easy," Raven admitted.
Alina smirked. "Good. I was starting to get bored."