The tension in the waiting room was palpable as the candidates prepared for the second stage of the trial. Suddenly, the twin organizers reappeared on a large flat TV in the center of the hall. They proceeded to explain the rules and details of the upcoming test.
The second stage was designed to test the candidates' endurance, intelligence, and adaptability in various scenarios. It was an obstacle race filled with challenges and AI opponents that fired fake bullets. A single hit would be considered elimination. The course included water bodies, rock climbs, parkour sections, rope climbs, and even a boss fight that could be skipped if desired. Tasks like lock-picking and stealth situations were also thrown in to assess the candidates' abilities to complete missions safely and successfully.
As the twin organizers finished explaining, a door opened in front of Adam, revealing a screen displaying a list of candidates ranked based on the previous round. Adam found himself in the 8th position on the list, which meant he had to wait his turn.
One by one, candidates entered the course, and their completion times were displayed on the screen. The pressure mounted with each passing moment. When Adam's turn finally arrived, he was faced with a crucial decision: whether to read the manual first or dive into the course immediately. The catch was that if he chose to read the manual, the time spent reading would be added to his overall course duration.
Adam hesitated but ultimately decided to start without reading the manual. However, before he could finalize his decision, the AI chose the option of Reading the Manual for him. Adam felt a pang of disappointment, but he knew he had no choice but to follow the AI's decision.
As he began to read the manual, he stumbled upon a surprising revelation—a shortcut hidden in the obstacle race. By utilizing a map routing strategy at the beginning, candidates could bypass up to 80% of the course within just 5 minutes.
With this newfound knowledge, Adam executed the map routing technique and swiftly navigated through the challenges, landing directly in front of the door leading to the boss fight. The rules allowed him to either fight the boss or choose a stealth option to skip the confrontation. Recognizing that this round was about testing intelligence and endurance, Adam opted for the stealth approach and skillfully bypassed the boss fight.
To everyone's astonishment, Adam completed the entire course in a remarkable 10.38 minutes—the lowest time recorded thus far. With this outstanding performance, he advanced to the next level, joining the previous seven candidates in the waiting room.
As candidates gradually gathered in the second-level waiting room, anticipation grew for the twin organizers to announce the winners of round two. Adam felt a sense of accomplishment, knowing he had deftly demonstrated both endurance and cunning in his approach.
Meanwhile, outside the test facility, someone was secretly sending coordinates of the location to THE GENERAL's 5th Place Holder, Akbar, also known as Mischief. The shadowy figure's actions hinted at a larger plot at play, and the intrigue surrounding the resistance and THE GENERAL deepened.
As the twin organizers reappeared on the screen, the moment of truth arrived. The candidates waited with bated breath, eager to hear who would emerge as the winners of this challenging round.
To be continued...
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