The maze test

This confusing game and its high difficulty left Jacob without a path, so seeing the light on both sides of the road they chose, he and Usagi continued at full speed while looking at the countdown on their cell phones.

"What are we supposed to do?" Usagi asked Jacob as she followed his pace.

"Wait!" Jacob shouted, stopping in his tracks. He looked around and didn't move.

"What's happening?" Usagi became alarmed and looked around as if searching for something.

"Don't you hear that?" Jacob held his breath, and ultimately, the surrounding lights went out. Then a message appeared on his phone screen.

"[First phase of the maze: Find the hidden key.

Description: In the first part of the maze, there is a key that opens the door to the next phase of the trial. To find that key, both of you must use the flashlights on your cell phones.

You have 10 minutes to find the key, or you will be eliminated...]"

"We have to start searching, on the ground or wherever!" Jacob quickly turned on the flashlight on his phone and got down on his knees to search for the supposed key. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and his heart kept beating forcefully. They were looking for a damn key that could be anywhere.

"[Monster, the objective of the first phase is to find a key that will open the exit door and allow you to advance to the next level. However, the maze is filled with deadly obstacles, such as hidden traps, blocked corridors, and enemies lurking in the shadows.

Players must utilize their skills in exploration, communication, and puzzle-solving to navigate the maze. As they progress, they will encounter clues and challenges that provide crucial information about the key's location and how to overcome the obstacles they encounter along the way.

In addition to physical traps and obstacles, players may also come across other player duos in the maze. They can choose to cooperate with them or engage in PvP battles to gain an advantage and progress faster.

The first phase is designed to test players' ability to work as a team, their wit, and their ability to face dangerous situations. It requires a combination of strategy, coordination, and bravery to overcome the challenges and find the key that will allow them to advance to the next level of the game.]"

"[Scanning the area!]"

At that moment, their intelligent assistant began scanning the surroundings, and within a couple of minutes, it found the key they were looking for. By the time Jacob knew where the key was, he crawled towards that spot and, after another unnoticed five minutes, found it.

"Usagi, I've got it," Jacob said as he stood up from the ground.

Usagi, who was extremely nervous about not being able to find the key, breathed a sigh of relief. They still had about three to four minutes left, but she was still a step behind.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

At that very moment, several red beams descended from the sky, just a few meters away from Jacob, possibly where other players were. They had seen those same beams before, and in theory, they were for those leaving the game area or because their visa days had run out.

"Let's go, no more wasting time." Jacob said after inserting the key into the door, and suddenly they entered the next phase of the game.

That's when they reached the game phase where there was a sort of inclined wall, easily exceeding fifty meters in height, with large construction machines connected to the structure along with shelves. However, the way to climb wasn't apparent.

"Now do we have to climb?" Usagi was confident in this trial since she was good at climbing, and Jacob seemed to have no problem with this challenge.

"[You have a 5-minute break; after that, the rules will be announced for this game phase!]"

"Someone controls this game..." Jacob sat on a metal chair that was nearby, then looked at those gloves and goggles, so he pointed and said, "I've thought about it a lot. It could be a massive artificial intelligence or something resembling an ultra-secret organization that wants to see us die. But within all that, there must be an organization behind these games who are watching us right now."

"There are three minutes left for the key trial to end. How many teams do you think will make it?" Usagi didn't know how many would die in this trial, but definitely, it wouldn't be a few.

"Half, who knows how many can pass... But what we should think about is this phase of the trial. From what we see, it seems like we have to climb all that." Jacob wiped the sweat off and asked, "What do you think?"

"You just have to secure your grip before moving forward. Although these obstacles aren't as dangerous as a mountain, we still need to be very careful." This time, Usagi was the one giving Jacob some climbing tips.

"Have you ever climbed before?" Usagi, seeing that they had time, asked Jacob this question.

"I did it once, with my family... I prefer not to think too much about it." Jacob smiled as he remembered everything they had been through.

"Do you miss them?" Usagi looked at Jacob and asked something that would be normal for anyone else.

"No, I had difficult days with my family, and I'd rather not talk about them." Jacob looked at Usagi and then said, "For me, it's better to think of them as something of the past, not a priority for the future."

"[Ting-aling-aling!]"

"[Congratulations on passing this trial. The next trial is called: Ascending Load.

Rules: Your objective is to reach the top of a hill or mountain to advance to the next phase of the game. However, there is an additional challenge: one of the players must carry the other and climb together to the top. This requires coordination, communication, and teamwork to overcome the obstacles and reach your goal...]"

"That will be very tiring..." Jacob looked at his six-kilogram bulletproof vest and regretted bringing it to this trial.