“We’ll talk more later,” James said before following the line of people heading to the park. Noah and Nicole walked alongside him, not saying anything.

“Good timing!” Noah sighed. It seemed that his luck wasn’t all that bad. However, it surprised him that this was the final trial. A tutorial having only three trials wasn’t unheard of, but it certainly wasn’t common.

“This trial will probably last a while then."

Given that the trio was already on their way to the park, it didn’t take long for them to arrive. Seeing the large crowd in front of them, James whistled as they made their way to its fringes.

Although Noah was no expert in counting large crowds, he assumed there couldn’t be any less than a thousand scrunched together in the park. The morning sun beamed down gently and along with a cool breeze, created a pleasant temperature.

“What do you think the trial is about?” Nicole asked. Seeing her enthusiasm, Noah merely smiled while James said nothing.

The tiled area of the park ran out of space as more bodies compacted their predecessors.

Sighing helplessly, Nicole commented, “It was a good thing that the early groups banded together, banning any criminal behavior. This explanation would have been a mess if that were not the case.”

“Are those early groups strong?”

Laughing, Nicole replied, “Of course! Although James and I are pretty strong, we were the twelfth to finish the second trial, and that number may be even lower as groups could’ve hidden when they arrived.”

She continued, “Many groups in the top ten have people with traited cores. Although I’m not sure if this is true, as they haven’t displayed their abilities, the first group claimed to have someone with a core as high as rare-tier.”

“Then when did the first group arrive?” Noah asked, finally getting an opportunity to find out how long he slept.

Nicole scratched her chin before hesitatingly replying, “Probably about three days ago, I’m totally sure because it’s their word, not mine. We arrived here just over two days ago, though.”

Noah nodded his head before turning his attention back toward the center of the square. Like the wind, a rustle of voices dominoes from in front of Noah. Noticing that their heads were pointed up, he couldn’t help but look at the sky.

Like a fairy in a snowstorm of cherry blossoms, a female figure stood floating on a pink cloud. Her beauty was undeniable, even Noah felt he had never seen a physique of this caliber before. Her alabaster skin and porcelain hair shone like the moon, complimenting her abyssal dress.

Noah looked from side to side. Most men had their mouths hanging open like they were about to swallow a fruit whole. He couldn’t help but frown, such mental weakness worried him. It was better to have a powerful enemy than incompetent teammates.

“At least Nicole and James seem unaffected. The other groups that finished faster than them should be pretty good.”

Thinking this, Noah stood on his toes, attempting to seek-out individuals in the mass. Unfortunately, his figure was simply too short, leading to him being unable to see beyond the mountain range of heads.

Nicole chuckled from his side, causing him to scowl.

“Shush,” James hissed, “She’s starting to speak.”

The crowd had quieted, all eyes watching the woman as she parted her red lips, beginning the explanation.

“The third and final trial will be testing your ability to escape. This city will become a maze, a deadly puzzle where danger and reward go hand in hand. This trial will end in three months, any participants left in the city after this time will meet an unpleasant demise.”

A clamor erupted from the crowd. “So it wasn’t a defense-type trial. If it’s testing my ability to escape, then I’ll have an even greater advantage,” Noah lowered his head, a complicated expression on his face.

“The shuffling of the city will now begin. Good luck, and welcome to the,” she stated before disappearing in a tornado of pink blossoms. She hadn’t looked down once.

“Some explanation,” Nicole scoffed, crossing her arms. “She didn’t even tell us about the system or what’s going on.”

Noah nodded his head in agreement. James said nothing, however, his eyebrows were furrowed together in contemplation.

A rumble akin to that of an earthquake shook the air in the park. Panicked screams spread out, encasing the park’s atmosphere in a tense gel. Turning around, Noah watched as the buildings shifted in random directions, crushing those who hadn't attended the meeting. The sight was akin to a god shuffling blocks on a board; it was as ruthless as it was humbling.

“It’s strange that we were given three months to escape. Even if I ran around in circles, it wouldn’t take that long to leave the city. There must be something else,” Noah thought, frowning. It was a pleasant surprise that his conjecture was wrong, but he was someone who liked monotony and reputation over unpredictability.

Change was a dangerous thing. When there weren’t any problems, there was no reason to do something different. Noah, despite preferring an escape trial over a defense trial, didn’t like the unexpected nature of this tutorial.

Of course, he adapted. While he didn’t like change, he was human after all. If he didn't adapt, he would die.

It didn’t take long for the rumbling to stop. Looking around, besides the park, the entire city had changed. Noah couldn’t see his hotel anymore; the restaurant that he ate at was less than fifty feet away from him. It seemed that the city had truly been randomized.

“Can I have everyone’s attention please!” a man shouted from the center of the square. Strangely, his voice entered the ear of everyone prescient despite the clamor. Maybe because of his domineering attitude, or perhaps the wish for control, the crowd became silent.

Another rumble traveled along the brick flooring, this one much lesser in scale than its predecessor. Gasps escaped the mouths of the crowd as they saw a handsome man rise above them on a pedestal of earth. The man smiled, his charisma alone forcing many to reply in kind.

Opening his mouth, his pristine teeth shone in the sunlight as he spoke.

“I’ll start by introducing myself to those who don't know me,” he clasped his hands together, bringing the group's attention away from the horrific spectacle that was the creation of the maze. “My name is Jack Gallohs, and I am the leader of the first team to finish the second trial as well as the possessor of a rare core.”

“Before all this,” he waved his hand in the air. “I was a doctor. I saved lives. Naturally, I intend to keep on doing so despite these grim circumstances.”

"It is obvious that this system doesn't care about us. It kidnapped and killed us without warning, just like now. But!" he emphasized, "We don't have time to mourn those who have passed. Unlike before, there is a time limit and I believe that it's there for a reason. If we're given three months, it should take three months."

"There is no time for indecisiveness, weakness, or playing around. Everyone must contribute whether it's manning the hospitals, exploring the maze, or even taking care of the few kids who made it."

“No one will be left behind as long as they play their part. We have to work together, and there is no excuse for laziness or criminal activities. I know that recently many have decided to indulge themselves in heinous acts of murder, rape, and the like, but this can not and will not be tolerated.”

“My group will be actively enforcing these rules. And as for those who decided to take advantage of the first day’s chaos,” everyone’s eyes turned to a group of people bound in chains, unable to move, “I believe that we should vote on what to do with them. My proposal is that they serve as scouts for this trial, exploring this maze and braving its dangers. What does everyone think?”

Despite appearing to put no effort into his words, they resounded loudly, entering the ear of everyone present like the whisper of a snake.

“A natural-born leader,” Noah sighed internally. Rare cores were, well, rare, but on a galactic or even planetary scale, they were a dime in a dozen. It was Jack’s charisma and character that impressed Noah; such things were much harder to find.

The participants were sold. Murmurs of agreement rose up from the crowd.

“Let’s do it!” a man shouted, raising his fist. “Criminals deserve to be treated as such; they can only blame themselves for their action's consequences.”

Other prominent figures nodded their heads. No one spoke up for the guilty.

Jack clapped his hands and solemnly said, “Then we will proceed with my suggestion. These criminals, and any others who decide to commit atrocities in the future, will be hunted down by all of us. I hope everyone takes this seriously; as the lady said, we have to clear this trial to survive.”

The group shouted out their agreement, all kinds of voices filling the air in an aura of harmony. Noah naturally participated, his face flushed red and a silly grin plastered across his face.

“Well then, let’s continue from yesterday's discussion and then talk about what to do for this trial. I believe that…”

After listening to the various topics discussed, Noah excused himself and wove through the crowd back to the city. Rushing around, he quickly found a restroom and relieved himself. It has been three days, after all.

He had listened for half an hour to find out the progress made while he was sleeping and was surprised at the quantity and accuracy of the information they had.

Listening in further, Noah had been shocked to hear that many novels were written about situations similar to this. He could only shake his head at the absurdity of such a coincidence. For fictional writing to predict a world’s integration, how lucky was that? It was no wonder that so many people rose up and took control of the chaos.

“Indeed, troubling times give rise to countless talents,” Noah thought to himself as he headed back to the meeting. This wasn’t a situation like the second trial where he could just waltz into the maze and leave by himself. It was too risky and he wasn’t certain of the dangers within the maze.

Besides information gathering, Noah had spent most of the meeting deciding on his next course of action. He wanted the best score possible, and that required a plan.

The system rewarded the bold and the special. These were the basic laws that the system upheld; those who dared to risk themselves were rewarded if they survived. Those with talent were rewarded for their work. It had no interest in cowards or garbage.

Knowing these rules, Noah had racked his brain on the best way to improve his performance. Was escaping the maze as fast as possible the way to go? It would certainly be risky.

But thinking further, that was it. Anyone with Noah’s skill set could escape, it wasn’t “special.”

Noah's eyebrows scrunched together. He hadn’t found an answer to his question.

“What outstanding achievement could I complete that is, at least, somewhat unique?” he pondered, rubbing his forehead. Simply showing outstanding combat expertise or planning wouldn’t cut it with this trial. He had to do something that no one in this tutorial would even think of, something extraordinary, something unimaginable.

A kid’s cry shook Noah out of his thoughts, causing him to frown.

“Strange!”

He ran in the direction of the piercing sound. A young girl with long, black hair stood at the curb, her hands rubbing her eyes as she bawled loudly. As most people were at the meeting, the city was empty besides the smeared bloodstains from those who chose to not participate.

A kind smile made its way across Noah’s face. He walked up to the kid and asked, “Are you lost? Where's your group?”

The little girl tilted her head in confusion. “We were going to the meeting but the world just went all over the place and they disappeared. I don't know where they went!”

Noah’s eyes narrowed for a split second before he chuckled lightheartedly, “So you were outside but never went to the park? Then how come you didn't disappear with your group?”

The girl scratched her cheek. “Amanda said I shouldn’t tell anyone what my mana core is so I can’t tell you. It's a secret.”

“Is that so,” Noah replied. “Then would you like to come with me to the meeting and maybe we’ll find your group there?”

“Really?” the girl grinned. “You’re so kind mister!”

Noah laughed and stretched out his hand.

"I'm only sixteen, you shouldn't call me mister. My name is Noah."

The little girl merely smiled and grabbed his hand. The pair then left for the park, uncaring for the gruesome scene around them.