“Failed Simulation,” They Said

The central simulation zone stretched out before me like a theme park—if the theme was "military-grade survival nightmare." Artificial hills, digital forests, holographic rivers, and glowing cave walls that reflected Core energy. It all looked real... if the real world had special effects and surveillance drones in every corner.

Team 17 — me, Kael, Ryn, and Nala — had just passed through the entry gate when notifications popped up on our wrist devices:

"Simulation Started. Countdown: 48 Hours."

I immediately looked for a comfy rock to sit on. Maybe lie down. Maybe just stay there forever.

"DEREN! Don't give up already, bro!"

Kael had already opened his virtual map and pointed at the mission zone. "We need to grab a logistics point first, then set up camp. Ryn, Nala, let's move!"

Nala scanned the perimeter while marking routes with her tracker. "We can't stay exposed too long. First wave of simulated attacks could hit any minute."

I raised my hand. "I can guard the camp."

"There's no camp yet, Der."

"I can make one."

"We don't need one."

"I can sleep standing."

"...I believe that," Nala muttered.

[First Moves and Planned Misfortune]

We moved through a rocky path that crackled with static—signs the Core Field was entering its unstable phase. The glow bouncing off the stones slowly shifted from blue to violet-gold, like a lost digital aurora. The ground looked normal, but occasionally glitched with faint circular patterns—signals of energy fluctuation.

Kael led the way, mumbling about how this all reminded him of his favorite survival game. Ryn followed with a detector in hand, frowning every time it hissed. Nala quietly marked the route with her wrist tracker, as focused as always.

Me?I was staring at the way light bounced off the cave walls.

"Hey," I muttered. "This reflection pattern looks like that unstable simulation algorithm I dumped into a test server."

Ryn turned sharply, suddenly alert."You mean this system might be running on code you... threw in randomly?"

"I'm not sure," I said, trying to sound calm. "But if we suddenly find an instant noodle dispenser under a rock, that's probably my fault."

Kael burst out laughing."You really snuck that in?!"

"...Maybe. I did experiment with environment-based object summoning once. Should only trigger during specific weather events. Like rain and Core surges."

Ryn just stared at me."That's a violation of academic ethics."

"I don't even remember officially enrolling," I mumbled.

Nala stayed quiet, but her expression spoke volumes. A mix of frustration, disbelief, and a burning desire to destroy my laptop after this mission.

"If we suddenly get sucked into a ramen-filled alternate dimension, don't blame me," I added.

No one replied.But their footsteps got noticeably more cautious.

[First Mission and the Weird Discovery]

We found a hidden logistics container wedged between two large rocks, partially covered by digital shrubbery radiating soft static. Ryn spotted it first after detecting an anomaly in the Core wave pattern.

Inside, everything seemed standard—generic field scanner, two light weapons with training rounds, and a basic comms module. Just typical training gear.

Except one thing caught my eye: a small device in the corner. Boxy. Matte dark gray. Tiny screen. The design was way too polished for academy-issued gear—and way too familiar.

I picked it up. It felt light but solid. I pulled out a small screwdriver and popped the back panel open.

Yep. There it was. A label I stuck on myself a year ago during a late-night experiment in my underground lab.

"CoreTrace Mini-V2.6 – Dev Mode (Not for Deployment)"

I stared at it for a long time.This module was never meant to leave my lab.Even Clarice said it wasn't safe—it had a data interpretation bug that could… well, explode if used wrong.

"This… isn't standard academy gear," I muttered, voice dropping half an octave.

Ryn immediately turned, eyes sharp. Kael leaned over my shoulder, peeking at the blinking blue screen. Nala had already gone into a defensive stance.

"Looks like a tracker or something?" Kael said.

"More than that," I replied. "This is experimental-grade. No regular student should have access to a Core sensor that can trace raw energy flow within ten meters. Especially one with auto-trace capability."

Nala narrowed her eyes. "Who planted this in the simulation?"

I took a slow breath. "That's what we need to find out."

[Clarice – Quick Cutaway]

Meanwhile, deep beneath the city in Eidolon's hidden operations center, Clarice was monitoring incoming data from spy nodes scattered across Nova Academy. Her wall of holographic panels flickered with traffic logs, module statuses, and a pulsing red internal map—signals of unauthorized devices.

"CoreTrace Mini-V2.6 detected inside Nova Academy's simulation environment."

The voice came from a field agent assigned to monitor logistics routes. Clarice, who had been lounging in her chair, instantly stood. Her eyes narrowed.

"That unit hasn't been released.Who planted it?"

The agent hesitated on screen.

"Most likely an external party. But... the route it took came through internal logistics channels. They slipped it in through daily supply shipments."

Clarice scanned each panel one by one. Her hand hovered over the control panel and pulled up 72-hour delivery records.

"Trace every packet that came through low-frequency logistics lines. Wipe all paths clean. No unit activates without our clearance.And... don't let Deren find out."

She paused. Then, in a colder tone:

"If one more prototype slips through... we won't just lose market control.We'll lose control. Period."

[ Realization Hits Too Late]

I stood in the middle of the simulation zone, still staring at the device. Simple form—gray box, dim blue holographic interface. Harmless-looking to anyone else.

But to me?It was like seeing a ghost from a past full of failed prototypes, bad ideas, and half-baked experiments made during late nights with instant noodles and lo-fi beats.

If this thing made it into the academy's systems…

How many more of my designs were already out there?

How many systems had been quietly infected by code I wrote just for fun?

And more importantly... who was smart enough (or stupid enough) to steal and plant it here—inside the most monitored test zone in the entire academy?

A cold synthetic breeze swept across the fake forest. It smelled like plastic and danger.

My long-term nap plan might need a rethink.Or at the very least... a delay.

Assuming we don't all blow up first.