"Now that everyone is here, shall we begin?" Kang appeared out of thin air in front of everyone, a wide, excited grin on his face, as if this moment was the pinnacle of his joy. His presence exuded energy, and he seemed to feed off the tension in the air.
"This is the exam that each of you will take. Your passing rate will be based on your performance. Any questions?" Kang's voice was full of authority, but there was a glint of mischief in his eyes, as if he were relishing the uncertainty he had just created.
Nataniel, sitting tall with an air of superiority, raised his hand. "What are the objectives of this exam?" he asked, his voice firm and commanding.
Kang's eyes flickered over Nataniel for a moment before he answered. "Oh, aren't you the 5th Prince of Europe?" he said with a hint of recognition, his voice carrying a playful tone. "Great question. The objective of this exam is..." He paused dramatically, letting the silence stretch for just a moment before delivering his answer, "None." His smile widened, almost mischievously.
The crowd fell silent. The word "none" echoed in their minds, leaving everyone bewildered. What kind of exam had no objectives? Ray felt his thoughts scramble, trying to make sense of what Kang meant. No objectives? How is that even possible?
Before anyone could speak, a woman in the crowd raised her hand with unshaken confidence. "Could you please give us some tips, Mister?" she asked, her voice full of self-assurance.
Kang looked at her with interest, his smile not faltering. "What is your name, Miss?" he asked, his tone light and engaging.
"I am Cloey Fukushima," she answered, her voice full of pride. A murmur rippled through the crowd, and whispers began to circulate.
"Isn't she the rumored prodigy from Japan?" one person whispered.
"She's supposed to be a combat genius, right?" another murmured.
"Wow, she's so beautiful" guys murmuring, recognizing her beauty.
Kang nodded thoughtfully, acknowledging her presence. "Well, I can give one tip that might help everyone," he said, his voice dropping to a tone of mystery. "My tip is simple: All you need to do is follow your instincts. Whatever the situation may be, trust your gut. You are free to decide on what you want to do."
His words hung in the air, like a riddle that offered no answers. Ray felt the weight of the statement settle on him. Follow my instincts? What does that even mean? The vague advice only deepened the uncertainty in his mind. It was clear now: This wasn't going to be a simple exam. Whatever lay ahead, it was going to challenge them in ways they couldn't anticipate.
The arena grew silent once again, the tension thickening as the reality of what was about to unfold hit them all.
"No more questions, this exam begins now." Kang's voice echoed through the maze, and in an instant, everyone was suddenly equipped with high-tech gear. The sleek suits wrapped around their bodies, sensors and tracking devices attaching seamlessly. The suddenness of it left everyone frozen, wondering what was happening.
"You must be wondering what these suits are for," Kang said, his voice cutting through the confusion. "These suits will track your vitality, movements, and performance." He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. "So, whenever there's a problem, the examinee who lacks performance or fails in any of the three categories will be eliminated."
A murmur of disbelief spread through the crowd. The tension in the air thickened as they processed Kang's words. The jungle maze surrounding them suddenly felt far more dangerous than before.
One examinee, shaking with nervousness, called out, "What? Are you serious? One mistake, and we're eliminated?"
Kang's smile grew wider, but his tone remained cool and detached. "Yes," he replied simply. "One mistake, and you're out. But the true objective of this exam?" He paused, his smile vanishing as he looked at each of them with an unreadable expression. "Well... that's something you'll have to figure out on your own."
The silence that followed was deafening. No one knew what the real objective of the exam was—there was no clear goal, no path laid out. It wasn't about survival, not about strength or skill. It was about something else, something far more elusive.
Ray's heart raced, the weight of the unknown pressing down on him. No objectives? He glanced around, his gaze meeting the other examinees, each of them just as uncertain. What was he supposed to do here? How was he meant to succeed in something without knowing what success even looked like?
The maze loomed around them, an untamed labyrinth of possibilities. It was up to each of them to decide how they would play the game—if they could figure out what the game actually was.
"Now that you are all geared up, the exam begins now." Kang's voice echoed through the jungle maze, and with a final grin, he vanished without a trace. The maze, dense with foliage and twisting paths, loomed large before the examinees, waiting for them to make their next move.
Chaos broke out almost immediately. Some of the examinees, unsure of what to do, bolted off in different directions, shouting and scrambling for clues. Others stood still, eyeing their surroundings cautiously, trying to make sense of the shifting environment.
Ray, feeling the tension, moved quickly through the maze, determined to make sense of the situation. He couldn't let the uncertainty get to him. He had to find something, some hint as to what this exam was about.
Just as he was considering the next step, a shout echoed through the trees. "Hey! Ray, it's me!"
Ray turned to see Stephen approaching through the brush, waving from a distance. He was relieved to see the other man, glad for the company.
"Oh, it's you," Ray called, nodding in acknowledgment as Stephen jogged up to him. "Any luck?"
Stephen gave a quick shake of his head, his brow furrowed. "Nothing so far. I've covered most of the maze already, but there's no sign of any clue or direction. I did run into a few low-level monsters though. Some of the others were fighting them like it's a kill count challenge."
Ray raised an eyebrow at the mention of the monsters. He had assumed there would be some kind of danger in the maze, but he hadn't expected that.
"Yeah, I noticed that too," Ray said, eyes scanning their surroundings. "They're acting like it's all about taking out monsters. But that can't be it. This exam has to be more than just brute force."
Stephen shrugged, a confident smirk crossing his face. "Could be, but it's a start. Besides, if it's about survival, I'd rather be prepared than left standing around wondering what's next."
Ray nodded in agreement, feeling the sharp edge of his own resolve solidifying. "I hear you. We've got to figure this out—whatever it is. Stay sharp."
"Always," Stephen replied, his tone steady and sure. "Let's keep moving."
With that, the two of them set off together, walking with a purpose through the maze. There was no room for uncertainty now. They'd face whatever came next head-on—together, but each determined to stand on his own merits.
While wandering around through the dense jungle maze, Ray and Stephen felt the air was heavy with the scent of damp earth. The maze seemed endless, the paths twisting and turning in every direction. Both were on edge, unsure of what to expect in this strange exam. Every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig set their senses on high alert. The silence was suffocating, as if the maze itself was waiting for them to make a mistake.
"We need to find something, anything," Stephen muttered, his voice low but urgent. His eyes were scanning the surroundings, his body tensed, ready for whatever the maze could throw at them.
Ray, deep in thought, nodded in agreement. His hand subconsciously brushed over the 4th-dimensional ring on his finger, feeling its cool surface. The ring, though small, held great power. A quick thought, and he could summon his gun, his one and only weapon, out of thin air.
But as they walked, neither of them expected the ground to suddenly give way beneath their feet with a sharp click.
Before either could react, the earth cracked open, and a swarm of giant bees erupted from the hidden trap. Each bee was the size of a small man, its wings beating with an unnerving intensity, and their stingers gleamed wickedly under the dim light.
"Shit!" Ray cursed under his breath, instinctively reaching for his gun. In the blink of an eye, his gun appeared in his hand, summoned from the 4th-dimensional ring.
The bees buzzed angrily, their eyes locked onto the two of them. Ray knew he had to act fast. His fingers tightened around the gun, but a sinking feeling settled in his chest. His accuracy was terrible. He could barely hit a target beyond five meters, and these things were swarming all around them.
"Ray, move!" Stephen shouted, already darting forward with speed Ray hadn't expected. His body was fluid, like a spring uncoiling, as he avoided the first bee's charge with ease. "Stay close!"
Ray's eyes widened in shock as Stephen, his movement almost too fast to follow, landed a devastating punch to a bee's head. The impact sent the creature hurtling backward, crumpling against the maze's dense foliage. Stephen was... fighting like a trained fighter.
"What the hell?" Ray muttered, momentarily stunned as he aimed his gun and fired, the shot muffled by the silencer. The bullet pierced a bee's wing, causing it to fall to the ground with a violent crash. The shot had been close enough for him to land, but his heart was still racing.
Stephen didn't seem to notice Ray's shock. He was already in the thick of it, his fists flying with precision as he took on multiple bees at once. With each movement, it was clear: this wasn't just raw strength. His blows were calculated, measured, as if every punch had been drilled into his muscle memory. It was almost like watching a fighter in a ring, controlling the flow of the battle.
"Damn it, I've gotta keep up," Ray thought, gritting his teeth. He fired again, his gun's silenced shots ringing out one after another as he tried to cover Stephen. His hands were shaking, but his focus was razor-sharp. One bee fell. Then another. Each shot felt like a struggle, but he couldn't afford to miss.
Stephen, meanwhile, was in his element. He sidestepped a bee's lunge, his body moving with the kind of grace and control Ray had only seen in professional fighters. He followed up with a quick series of punches, a jab, a hook, then an uppercut that sent one bee spiraling through the air. His legs, too, were a blur, delivering powerful kicks that crushed the bee's carapace with bone-crushing force.
Ray was still processing the display of skill in front of him. "What the hell is he…?" he thought. He'd never seen someone fight like this. Stephen wasn't just swinging punches randomly—he was dismantling the bees with precise strikes, his movements controlled and sharp, like a well-honed weapon.
Finally, one bee managed to get close to Ray, its stinger aimed directly at his chest. His heart skipped a beat, but before he could react, Stephen appeared out of nowhere, intercepting the creature with a spinning roundhouse kick. The force of the kick sent the bee crashing to the ground, its wings twitching in a final, useless attempt to lift itself.
Ray's eyes widened. "Boxing? Karate? CQC... He's trained in all of them," he realized. Stephen's martial arts background was now unmistakable, his every move a testament to years of discipline.
The last few bees were no match for them. Ray continued to fire as Stephen's fists and feet found their marks with deadly efficiency. In a matter of moments, the clearing was littered with the defeated creatures, their bodies lying motionless on the jungle floor.
Panting, Stephen stepped back, wiping the sweat from his brow. "You alright?" he asked, glancing at Ray.
Ray nodded, still in awe of what he had just witnessed. "Yeah... I... didn't know you were that good."
Stephen chuckled, shaking his head. "I'll tell you about it later. Let's just focus on surviving this maze first."
Ray didn't respond immediately. He was still processing. "Where did that come from?" he thought. But for now, he knew one thing—Stephen was someone to watch out for.
Together, they continued their journey through the maze, the buzz of giant bees now a distant memory. The maze still had many dangers ahead, but Ray felt a little more confident with his new, unexpectedly formidable ally by his side.