The transition from the sterile analytical booth to the Maze Runner arena was jarring. Gabriel found himself standing on synthetic turf in a massive, darkened structure that smelled faintly of ozone and rubber. He was surrounded by eighteen other qualifiers from his North-East bracket, all looking aggressive and ready to run.
[ROUND TWO: THE MAZE RUNNER - DURATION: 20 Minutes]
Objective: Locate and activate the three Central Nexus nodes and exit the maze before the timer expires.
The arena was a sprawling, three-dimensional construction of steel scaffolding and pressurized plastic walls. It wasn't just a simple path; it was a multi-tiered environment where bridges retracted, platforms moved, and paths were constantly being reorganized.
"You've all passed the Mind Test," a digitized voice boomed from the overhead speakers. "But intelligence without application is useless. This is a test of spatial efficiency, perceptual agility, and DEX under pressure. Only the top five finishers proceed to the Battle Royale."
A holographic map flashed briefly across the ceiling, too fast for most eyes to track, showing the location of the three Nexus Nodes—glowing green targets—scattered across the labyrinth.
"Map analyzed," Gabriel calculated instantly. "Node A is high, requiring vertical movement. Node B is central, protected by a sliding gate. Node C is the final point, near the exit, but requires a puzzle key."
The starting gun fired.
Most of the competitors burst forward, relying on pure DEX and hoping to overwhelm the maze with speed. Gabriel didn't run; he glided. His Jeet Kune Do footwork, designed for closing distance economically, translated perfectly to navigating tight corners and uneven surfaces.
He immediately ignored Node A, which was currently locked behind a slow-moving, complicated ramp system. Inefficient use of time.
He targeted Node B, sprinting toward the central section. He saw a cluster of three other runners already struggling with the barrier: a massive steel gate with a glowing red control panel.
"It's a pattern lock!" one runner yelled, smashing his hand against the wall in frustration.
The control panel displayed a 4x4 grid of lit and unlit squares. The task was to match the pattern to a fleeting sequence shown on a small screen above. The sequence changed every two seconds.
Gabriel slowed his approach, observing the pattern. The other runners were trying to memorize the light sequence.
Wrong approach. This is an INT/WIS filter.
He realized the sequence wasn't random. It was based on the Binary-Reflected Gray Code—a common logic puzzle that ensures only one bit changes between successive values. Instead of tracking the shifting lights, Gabriel focused on the single cell that toggled position.
He bypassed the three struggling runners and slapped the trackpad three times—not hitting the lights that matched the current pattern, but hitting the cells that followed the Gray Code progression.
[NODE B ACTIVATED. TIME BONUS: 30 Seconds.]
The steel gate slammed open. Gabriel shot through the opening before the system could reset and lock the gate behind him. The three runners he'd just passed stared in disbelief. They were still watching the lights.
Objective 2 Complete. New Priority: Node A. Verticality needed.
Node A was now accessible via a series of rapidly retracting metal platforms designed to test balance and precise jumping—a high-stakes DEX check. Many players were failing the jumps, falling back onto the safety net below, which triggered a two-minute penalty wait.
Gabriel didn't just jump. He treated each platform like a striking surface. His forward momentum was calculated to ensure his landing foot absorbed the exact energy needed to immediately transition into the next jump. It wasn't sprinting; it was flowing.
Mid-jump, he saw a trap: the third platform blinked red, indicating it would retract too early.
[Threat Assessment: Platform Instability (High). Prediction: Requires trajectory alteration mid-air.]
He adjusted his jump, twisting his powerful torso in the air to redirect his momentum, landing perfectly on the side edge of the fourth platform rather than the retracting third.
[NODE A ACTIVATED. TIME BONUS: 20 Seconds.]
With two nodes down, Gabriel raced toward the final section, Node C, near the exit. The challenge here was a series of sliding panels that formed the pathway.
The panels weren't locked by a puzzle; they were controlled by a small, illuminated switch at a central pillar. The switch needed to be held down for thirty seconds to activate the final exit path, but holding the switch locked the runner in place, while the sliding panels still actively tried to push him off the path.
This was the ultimate Hybrid Check: Endurance (CON) combined with Perceptual Awareness (WIS).
Gabriel slapped the switch.
[30 Seconds Remaining.]
The path beneath him twisted. A panel near his right foot began to slide away. Gabriel widened his stance, dropping his center of gravity. He wasn't relying on strength (STR); he was relying on stability and awareness—the ability to feel pressure changes through the floor, a subtle skill honed in years of grappling.
He saw the pattern. The panels moved in a rotating, cyclical pattern: Left-Side, Center-Diagonal, Right-Side. It was a simple trio cycle.
Instead of trying to fight the panels, he moved with them, placing his weight only on the static or inwardly-moving panels. It looked less like fighting a machine and more like a focused, rhythmic dance.
[5 Seconds Remaining.]
He heard the frustrated yells of other runners entering the area, trying to fight the movement and failing.
[NODE C ACTIVATED. EXIT UNLOCKED.]
Gabriel released the switch and sprinted the final thirty feet, exiting the maze with a full four minutes remaining on the timer.
The announcement was immediate and booming:
[ROUND TWO COMPLETE. TIME: 16 Minutes, 09 Seconds.]
[RANK: 1st (NA North-East Bracket)]
Gabriel stepped into a decompression chamber. His body was damp with sweat, his breath steady, his mind already cycling through the variables for Round Three. He had not only won; he had established an intimidating baseline of efficiency.
A new notification glowed into existence before him, far more complex than the simple test confirmation.
[ATTRIBUTES RECORDED.]
[Physical Efficiency Rating: A-Rank (DEX/CON)]
[Perceptual Efficiency Rating: S-Rank (WIS)]
The S-Rank in Perception pleased him the most. The ability to instantly analyze and categorize environmental data was always the core of his Jeet Kune Do.
He smiled faintly, his electric blue eyes sharp with predatory satisfaction. One more round.
Round Three: The Martial Battle Royale.