Chapter 18 -- Bait Tactic

 

Chapter 18

Bait Tactic

Suddenly, the sound of gunfire erupted throughout the area.

However, these sounds were not part of their operation.

The team knew this; their own simulation hadn’t started yet.

Until activation time arrived, their weapons and mission programs remained inactive.

The groups currently in combat were entirely different teams.

Just like them, these were other factions made up of humans and robots.

Each simulation group had its own unique program code.

This code only activated during a designated time window.

When the code became active:

• Their weapons functioned,

• Damage simulations began,

• All sensors started collecting data.

But while the code was inactive, the weapons would not work.

Another key aspect of the system:

If a user wished to exit the simulation,

the system connected to their suits would detect it

and immediately switch all their weapons to completely passive mode.

This ensured the simulation continued fairly.

No one could be shot or take damage after opting out.

Nathan, Salih, and the rest of the team could only listen to the gunfire, waiting.

They were waiting for the moment their own simulation program would begin.

Soon, the blue lights on the team’s weapons turned red.

At the same time, a slight vibration was felt in their suits.

This vibration signaled that the simulation had officially started.

The team immediately assumed formation.

Gideon led from the front, others followed behind.

Salih moved directly behind Gideon.

When they reached the blue zone, they still hadn’t encountered any guard factions.

The silence only heightened the tension.

Especially Nathan…

Instead of keeping his weapon ready, he walked calmly;

almost as if intentionally presenting himself as an open target.

Neil noticed this and lightly tapped Nathan’s back with the barrel of his gun.

It was a warning.

Nathan instantly adjusted his posture and became more cautious.

The team continued moving.

As soon as a sound came from the left, Arch reflexively fired his automatic weapon.

He immediately took down a member of the opposing faction.

Gideon and Salih moved forward while the team reached the stairs.

As they began descending, the light in the area had almost completely disappeared.

Everyone activated the night vision on their suits.

The formation was clear:

• Gideon and Salih in front,

• Nathan and Arch behind them,

• Neil at the rear.

Gideon stayed close to Salih, aware of his anxiety, and kept a close distance.

Suddenly, from the darkness, gunfire was opened on them.

Everyone immediately took cover.

They quickly spread along walls, ledges, and stair steps.

They returned fire while defending themselves.

Even in the chaos, Gideon assessed the situation quickly.

There was a discrepancy in the opposing faction’s movements.

They hadn’t left any guards…

Nor were they coordinating their fire.

Their shots were scattered.

Their positions were haphazard.

They showed no tactical discipline.

Gideon understood immediately:

The opposing team was inexperienced.

This was not professional faction behavior.

Inexperience was the greatest weakness in a combat simulation.

Gideon’s eyes narrowed slightly in the darkness.

This flawed formation presented an opportunity to take a calculated risk.

To win the game, he had to turn this disorder to their advantage.

At that moment, Gideon made his decision:

They would go on the offensive.

Quickly, he touched the radio at his throat.

Amid the sounds of conflict echoing in the stairwell, his voice was clearly heard by the entire team:

“All right, guys,” he said calmly but decisively.

“The other team is definitely inexperienced.”

A brief pause.

The incoming fire was still scattered and weak.

“We’re going with the bait tactic.”

The team held its breath for a moment.

This tactic was risky, but it could be very effective against a rookie team.

Gideon continued:

“Who wants to be the bait?

Decide for yourselves.”

A short silence followed on the radio, everyone waiting for someone to speak.

After hearing the order, panic became obvious on Salih’s face.

He touched his radio and immediately responded:

“Don’t do it, man. It’s too risky. There are at least 15–20 shooters out there. The bullets will surely take anyone down. Whoever it is, it’s not worth it.”

Gideon’s determination, however, did not waver.

He wanted to win this game… to increase their points further.

His team still held the highest score in the simulation fields, and he was not afraid to take risks to maintain it.

After a moment of silence, Neil’s voice was heard:

“Damn… looks like it’s up to me again,” he muttered involuntarily.

At that moment, Nathan immediately jumped in:

“No. I’ll go.”

Salih was practically shocked by this.

“What are you doing? Are you crazy? You can’t survive that many shots!” he shouted.

Nathan, calm and almost indifferent, replied:

“Don’t worry.”

Just as he was about to step forward, Arch grabbed him by the shoulder to stop him.

Fixing his gaze on Nathan, he said:

“Just do what you’re supposed to do.”

And without hesitation, Arch ran forward from his position, firing as he went.

At that moment, all attention—the entire opposing faction—was focused on Arch.

Bullets rained down on him.

While under fire, with all eyes on him, the opportunity arose:

Gideon and the team systematically took down all remaining faction members, countering the attack efficiently.

But Arch…

The impact of the bullets caused him significant pain.

Each hit shook his body and strained his reflexes.

Yet he successfully completed his mission.

The opposing faction members fell one by one.

Some were completely motionless, others writhing injured.

From Gideon’s team, only Arch was on the ground, suffering the effects of the hits.

Salih’s heart broke as he watched Arch writhing on the floor.

Even though he knew it was a simulation, the pain Arch experienced seemed real.

His hand reached for the exit command on his suit.

He was ready to end the simulation and leave the game.

He was struggling to endure—the expression on his friend’s face nearly forced him into action.

Then…

The light on his weapon changed from red to blue.

Salih noticed it in surprise.

The same change was seen across the team.

It meant only one thing:

The simulation was over.

Apparently, one member of the opposing faction had surrendered and used the exit code.

This automatically ended the simulation.

And the result…

The team earned points.

Everyone exhaled deeply as the simulation ended.

But the anger accumulated within Salih reached its breaking point.

He strode toward Gideon, hands gripping his collar.

He yelled without pause or thought:

“Hey! What’s your deal? What are you trying to do?

How can you use someone from your team as bait?!”

Gideon showed no reaction.

He did not respond aggressively, shout, or back away.

He simply spoke calmly, with an expression showing he understood Salih’s anger:

“This is war,” he said clearly.

“In any war, there are winners and losers.”

He locked eyes with Salih.

“And if I need to win… I also need to know how to sacrifice.

That’s how we won this war.”

Salih’s breath caught.

His anger faltered.

He slowly withdrew his hands from Gideon’s collar.

He bowed his head, staring blankly ahead for a moment.

Then, suddenly, he threw his weapon to the ground.

“Damn it!” he shouted.

And without looking back, he left the area swiftly.

Behind him, Arch, who had been writhing in pain moments ago, got up.

He adjusted his clothes, checking the marks left by a few bullets.

He looked at Salih’s departing silhouette and murmured to himself:

“What’s the deal with that?”

Arch was actually unaware of the pain he had felt.

He simply could not comprehend it… much like a baby seeing something without understanding what it is.