The Academy was in an uproar. Kaelen's infiltration and attempted data extraction had sent shockwaves through the institution. Commander Ahn, now visibly stressed, had taken personal charge of the investigation, locking down the administrative wing and initiating a full System audit. The students, initially disoriented by the sonic blast, were now buzzing with rumors and speculation. Han-sol, having slipped away unnoticed, watched the chaos unfold from a safe distance, a grim satisfaction settling in his chest. He had exposed the glitch, and now the Academy was forced to confront its own vulnerabilities.
His role in the incident remained a secret, known only to himself and, perhaps, to Kaelen. He had left enough breadcrumbs for the Association to follow, but not enough to implicate himself directly. His Error Rewrite skill was still his greatest asset, and his most dangerous secret.
Despite the ongoing investigation, the Academy's schedule, with its rigid adherence to protocols, continued. The much-anticipated Practical Exam was still on. It was a grueling test, designed to push students to their limits, assessing their combat prowess, tactical thinking, and ability to adapt under pressure. The exam was held in a massive, multi-level simulation chamber, mimicking a particularly treacherous section of a mid-level Tower floor.
Han-sol found himself grouped with Min-jun and, to his surprise, Jin-woo. The rivalry between Han-sol and Jin-woo had evolved into a tense, unspoken understanding. Jin-woo, having witnessed Han-sol's unique abilities firsthand, no longer openly mocked him, but a flicker of competitive fire still burned in his eyes. Min-jun, ever the peacemaker, nervously clutched his mana staff, his eyes wide with apprehension.
Instructor Kwon, a stern-faced B-Rank known for his unforgiving exams, gave them their briefing. "Your objective is to retrieve a data-crystal from the deepest part of the simulated floor. You will encounter various simulated monsters and environmental hazards. Teamwork is paramount. Failure to retrieve the crystal, or any serious injury, will result in a failing grade. Begin."
As they entered the simulation, Han-sol's System immediately flared. The entire simulated environment was a cacophony of errors. [SIMULATION PROTOCOL: COMPROMISED], [MONSTER AI: AGGRESSION PARAMETERS - ELEVATED], [ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: INTENSIFIED]. Kaelen's influence, even after his physical removal, still lingered. He had deliberately glitched the exam, making it far more dangerous than intended.
"This isn't right," Han-sol muttered, his eyes scanning the flickering blue network of errors. "The difficulty is artificially inflated. It's a trap."
Jin-woo scoffed. "What are you talking about, porter? It's a Practical Exam. It's supposed to be hard." But even as he spoke, a massive holographic Rock Golem, far larger and more aggressive than typical for this simulation level, burst through a wall, its eyes glowing with malevolent intent. [ROCK GOLEM: HEALTH - EXTREME], [ATTACK POWER - CRITICAL].
"This is not normal!" Min-jun shrieked, conjuring a desperate shield of water. "That's a B-Rank monster! We're D and F-Ranks!"
Jin-woo, despite his bravado, paled. He launched a volley of fireballs, but they merely bounced off the Golem's rocky hide, doing minimal damage. [ROCK GOLEM: DAMAGE RESISTANCE - GLITCHED (EXTREME)].
Han-sol knew they couldn't fight it head-on. He had to find the error, the glitch that was making it so powerful. He focused, pushing past the overwhelming noise of the simulation's errors, trying to isolate the Golem's core programming. And there it was. A subtle, almost hidden error, not in its health or attack power, but in its aggression parameters.
[ROCK GOLEM: AGGRESSION PARAMETERS - ELEVATED (MANUAL INJECTION)]
[ERROR TYPE: BEHAVIORAL OVERRIDE]
It wasn't just stronger; it was programmed to be relentlessly aggressive, to ignore self-preservation, to fight to the death. This was Kaelen's signature, a deliberate manipulation of the System's behavior. Han-sol realized that simply reducing its health or attack power wouldn't be enough. It would still fight with suicidal ferocity. He had to rewrite its core behavior.
[REWRITE ROCK GOLEM: AGGRESSION PARAMETERS - ELEVATED TO (STANDARD)? Y/N]
He slammed 'Y'. A wave of searing pain, familiar yet still agonizing, shot through his head. The blue light flared, not around the Golem, but deep within the simulation's core programming. The Golem, which had been relentlessly pounding Min-jun's water shield, suddenly paused. Its glowing eyes flickered, and its movements became less frenzied, more calculated. [ROCK GOLEM: AGGRESSION PARAMETERS - STANDARD].
"It's… it's calmer," Min-jun gasped, his water shield wavering. "What did you do, Han-sol?"
"I reset its aggression," Han-sol panted, clutching his head. "It's still strong, but it won't fight to the death. Focus on its weak points!"
Jin-woo, seeing the change, didn't hesitate. He had seen Han-sol's rewrites before, and he trusted them. "Min-jun, keep it distracted! Han-sol, point out the weak spots!"
Han-sol, despite his pain, focused on the Golem. [ROCK GOLEM: WEAK POINT - LEFT KNEE JOINT (STRUCTURAL FLAW)], [WEAK POINT - RIGHT SHOULDER (IMPACT FRACTURE)]. He called out the locations, his voice strained.
Jin-woo and Min-jun, working together with newfound coordination, targeted the weak points. Jin-woo's fireballs, now focused and precise, chipped away at the Golem's knee, while Min-jun's water blasts eroded its shoulder. The Golem roared, but its attacks were less effective, its movements hampered by its newly revealed flaws. Finally, with a thunderous crash, it dissolved into pixels.
They had defeated the glitched Golem, but the battle had taken its toll. Han-sol was on the verge of collapse, Min-jun was trembling, and even Jin-woo was breathing heavily. They still had to retrieve the data-crystal, and Han-sol knew, with a chilling certainty, that this was just the beginning of Kaelen's twisted exam. The Practical Exam, he realized, was not just a test of their skills, but a test of his own ability to debug a system designed to fail. And the ultimate error, the one that threatened to break the entire simulation, was still lurking, waiting for them. He was not just fighting monsters; he was fighting the very code of the Academy, and the rogue programmer who sought to control it. The stakes were higher than just a passing grade; they were about survival, and the unveiling of a deeper conspiracy within the Academy's walls.