The Scrap Tamer - Chapter 89

Chapter 89: Survival Test Complete
Many still couldn’t believe what they had witnessed—Team 7, a group of Gold-rank cadets, had held their ground against a Platinum-tier abomination.

“Silence” commander Ajax’s voice silenced the whispers of the cadets.

He scanned each of their faces before his eyes finally stopped at team 7 before he continued speaking.

“Cadets,” he began, his voice loud enough for all three hundred cadets to hear. “Today’s test was meant to evaluate your adaptability, teamwork, and combat prowess. It was not meant to involve an unauthorized Platinum-tier primal.”

Murmurs rose again from the cadets, but a single glare from Ajax silenced them instantly.

“Despite the unexpected turn of events, Team 7 displayed remarkable resilience and strategy. Against all odds, you survived—and nearly took down the abomination yourselves.” His gaze landed on Reid. “Fletcher.”

Reid stepped forward, straightening his back as he answered “Sir”.

Commander Ajax took a moment to look at him before he spoke “You displayed exceptional leadership and tactical awareness.”

“Not only did you command your team effectively, but you also made decisive choices that ensured your survival against a foe far beyond your rank.” he continued.

Reid remained silent, standing firm under the commander’s gaze.

Ajax’s eyes shifted to the rest of Team 7. “All of you demonstrated discipline, adaptability, and an ability to work together under extreme pressure. That is the mark of true soldiers.”

He let his words settle for a moment before continuing.

“As such, for your performance today, Team 7 will be granted a special commendation. Effective immediately, you are no longer cadets—you have all been promoted to Junior Officers.”

The eyes of everyone present widened in shock. In less than a week since Team 7 had arrived as cadets, they had already been promoted.

But the surprise wasn’t over yet, and they soon realized it with the commander’s next words.

“Additionally, as a reward for your performance, each member of Team 7 will be granted the chance to select a single gold-tier forged-beast that will be forged for you.” the commander said.

“As for the teams that ranked second and third, you will each receive a random Gold-tier Forged Beast,” he announced. “Meanwhile, those who placed fourth and fifth will be granted a Silver-tier Forged Beast.”

A stunned silence filled the training grounds before whispers broke out once more. The weight of Ajax’s words sank in, Team 7 had just been elevated above every other cadet in record time.

And they even get to choose their own forged-beast.

“Damn… they get to choose their next Forged Beast?” one cadet muttered. “That’s insane.”

“No kidding. We barely even survived the normal test, and they fought a Platinum-tier and lived.”

Commander Ajax raised a hand, and once again, silence fell. His expression remained unreadable as he continued, “Team 7, you have earned this promotion, but do not mistake it for favoritism. This is not a gift. It is a responsibility.”

His gaze swept over the five of them. “As Junior Officers, your actions will carry more weight. More will be expected of you, and you will be assigned actual field missions beyond the safety of these barracks. Do you understand?”

Reid, Lisa, Clara, Ethan, and Marcus responded in unison, “Yes, sir!”

Commander Ajax gave a satisfied nod. “Good. You will report to the officer barracks tomorrow where you will meet your senior officer. For now, rest and recover, you have earned it.”

Then, his eyes turned to the rest of the cadets. “As for the rest of you, take this as a lesson. Work harder, train smarter, and push beyond your limits and I’ll make sure to reward your efforts.”

“Dismissed” he finished as he turned and walked back to the elevator that led to the control room.

The cadets continued with the murmurs as they discussed what just happened.

Reid sighed, he was just relieved that the test was over and none of his teammates were badly hurt by the abomination or the seniors.

Well maybe they were mentally hurt by Owen but each had a mental resilience to overcome it or at least pull themselves together.

They suddenly stopped as a low rumbling sound echoed through the air. Instinctively, they turned toward the source, only to find Marcus standing there, his massive frame stiff, his face slowly turning red.

A long silence stretched between them before Clara finally spoke, eyes wide with amusement. “Marcus… was that your stomach?”

Marcus looked away, clearly mortified. “…Maybe.”

Ethan smirked. “Dude, that sounded like a primal waking up from hibernation.”

Lisa also teased. “Forget fighting a Platinum-tier beast—your hunger might be the real threat here.”

Marcus hunched his shoulders, his face practically steaming with embarrassment. “I-It’s not my fault! We’ve been fighting all day…”

Reid chuckled, shaking his head. “Alright, alright. Let’s get some food before Marcus dies of shame.”

With that, the team laughed and made their way toward the canteen, the tension of the day momentarily lifted.

__________

“I need every single data on the simulation” Commander Ajax barked out.

While team 7 headed to the canteen in a relatively jovial mood, the technicians in the control room sweated under the commander’s gaze.

He was determined to find out what generated that abomination since he refused to believe that was just a coincidence.

Commander Ajax stood above the technicians with squinted eyes as they rapidly tapped on the command consoles in front of them with trembling hands.

“Sir!” one of the lead technicians called out, his voice tense. “We’ve isolated the anomaly in the system logs. There was a corruption in the biome generation protocol—it appears the AI attempted to create a high-difficulty scenario but exceeded its restrictions.”

Commander Ajax frowned, stepping closer to the screen. “Explain.”

The technician swallowed hard and brought up a series of data logs, highlighting specific timestamps. “Normally, the simulation AI adapts difficulty dynamically, but something overrode its parameters. It treated the cadets as high-ranking officers, escalating the challenge beyond safe levels.”

“So you’re saying that this was intentionally done” Commander Ajax confirmed his suspicion.

The control room fell silent. The technicians exchanged nervous glances, unwilling to voice what they were all thinking.

“Sir…” the lead technician finally spoke. “There’s another issue. The system didn’t, it was tampered with.”

A heavy silence hung in the air.

Commander Ajax clenched his jaw. “Pull up the access logs. I want to know who was in the system before and during the test.”

The technicians immediately began working, fingers flying over their consoles.

Minutes passed before one of them suddenly spoke up “Sir, we found an unauthorized access point just before the test began. Someone breached the system from an external source… but the signature is encrypted. We can’t tell who did it yet.”

Ajax’s eyes narrowed. “Find out. I want answers now.”

The technician nodded frantically and continued digging through the logs.

________

In a secluded corner of the military base, hidden from prying eyes, a cloaked figure stood before a flickering holographic display. On the screen, a shadowed figure sat upon a grand throne, their form cloaked by darkness.

The cloaked figure lowered their head in reverence. “Master, the experiment was a success. The abomination manifested within the simulation, just as planned.”

A deep voice came from the hologram. “And the response?”

“The military was caught off guard but unfortunately, it faced a team of strong cadets.” The figure hesitated before continuing. “They even forced the beast into a weakened state.”

The Master remained silent for a long moment but his lips curled up in amusement before he finally spoke.

“A team of Gold-rank cadets resisting a Platinum-tier manifestation…” His voice was laced with amusement “Fascinating.”

The cloaked figure stiffened. “Should we eliminate them before they become a problem?”

The Master let out a low chuckle, a sound that sent a chill down the subordinate’s spine. “No. If they are strong enough to face a platinum-tier primal at this rank, then they are worthy of being watched. Let them grow. Let them think they have control.”

His voice suddenly changed, taking a darker tone “And when the time is right… we will remind them of their insignificance.”

The cloaked figure bowed deeply. “Understood, Master.”

The Master’s presence flickered slightly, the unstable signal distorting his image. “What of the tampering? Have they discovered us?”

“Not yet,” the cloaked figure replied. “The military is aware that the system was compromised, but they do not know who is responsible. We covered our tracks well.”

The Master hummed in approval. “Good. Ensure that no loose ends remain.”

“As you command,” the figure said before cutting the transmission.

As the cloaked figure hurried back to the base, the Master reclined on his throne, his fingers idly running through the fur of the primal resting on his lap. A sinister chuckle escaped his lips, his amusement evident.

“It seems you’re enjoying your little toy, Reid,” he mused. His fingers tightened slightly, eliciting a low growl from the beast beneath his hand.

His smile widened. “Enjoy it while you can… We’ll be meeting soon enough.”