292 Chameleon's Maze -1
[Ren Hilton POV.]
Run, run, run, run, run, run.
The only thing that was on my mind right now was to make it past the third entrance to the maze without any trouble, or everything would be messed up immediately.
Covering 300 acres of the island's expanse, each circle within the maze is encircled by walls, each 8 feet wide, creating a series of winding pathways. The last circle, housing the final prize, boasts a diameter of 30 feet. With a 15-foot gap between each wall, participants navigate through the maze, aiming to reach the coveted center. A total of 2863 circles fill the maze, connected by narrow passages, with gaps between walls spanning approximately 136.43 feet....by the way each wall is FRICKING high that it's hard to look at the sun once you enter the place.
And the most fucked up thing about this is the fact that these circles keep moving at the pace of 100 km per second at intervals of every 10 minutes, and the trajectory changes.
Like, you can be nearest to the center of the maze, and the next second you can be far away from it. You can't get by the moving walls as it's not allowed to climb them, or the magic would pull you down.
"Ugh," I gritted my teeth as I pushed more mana into my legs and took a boost, heightening my senses to the top of them.
Narrowing my eyes, I could see the third entrance, and it looks like no one's actually trying to enter by that place as it'll take about five more minutes than required - time is the key.
"Stop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Huh??" I looked back as I saw Aron.
"What the fuck is this guy doing?" I thought to myself.
Aron was running, his robes flailing in the air while he used wind under his feet to skip steps and leap longer and more efficiently.
He's catching up to me.
I couldn't understand how, but he was fast.
"Wait for me, you motherFUCKER!!!!" cursed the prince.
I glanced at the entrance; it had been six minutes, and I was about to reach it. I turned back.
"Motherfucker," I cursed as Aron was almost right behind me. I slowed a few steps and let him catch up.
"Why the hell are you running like that?!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Just follow me," I replied and picked up the pace.
Aron said nothing, but he followed. Each entrance of the maze was grand, with about seven of them for every team to enter as they pleased. However, they all used the first one as it was the nearest, and that's where they messed up.
In the game, once you enter the first entrance, the circle changes its trajectory, and they somehow get past the starting hurdles and get near the center. But the third one gets closer.
If my calculations are correct, then taking the third would propel me 70 circles ahead of the main cast immediately. However, I'd have to make it before the outer layer begins moving.
In a few seconds, I was near the entrance. It was silent and devoid of any movement for now.
"Haa, stop, I-" Aron slowed down, but I grabbed him by his collar and, planting a foot on the ground, leaned sideways and threw him inside the entrance, jumping right behind him.
The moment my feet touched the threshold of the entrances archway-
Tut*
I closed my eyes.
A loud noise rang behind me, and a lot of dust arose from the ground as the ground beneath me shook.
I stepped forward a bit and turned. The large wall was now moving, spinning.
The maze had trapped us now. The entrance was no longer in its place, and it wouldn't stop until the game ended.
"Haa, haaa, what the hell was all this about?!" asked Aron.
"Why were you following me?" I asked him coldly.
"Because you were acting suspicious. I figured you had something in your mind, but you were about to get us crushed by that gigantic wall! And how the hell is it moving this fast?" Aron's voice cut in between because of the noise of the moving wall.
"Haa, dumbass," I slumped down, catching my breath. I don't think I ran this fast even when Thargtusk was chasing me.
The wall was still moving, and as I looked around, it seemed we were in the same place, but now the maze had transformed into a complex network of circles within circles. Each circle shifted, making it increasingly difficult to reach the final destination. Hidden pathways and shortcuts crisscrossed the labyrinth, reminiscent of a game of snakes and ladders on a grand scale.
Currently, we stood before a stationary wall, backed by the relentless movement of another. I got up, ready to press on.
"Okay, now let's get going-" I began, but was interrupted.
"Is this the way?" came a voice.
"Whoa!?" I flinched, startled by the sudden interruption.
"Wha- whoaaaa;!!!!!!?!!" Aron echoed my surprise.
"How did you get here!?" I asked, taking a few steps back.
"You were busy catching your breath, so you didn't notice me, I guess," said the silver-haired girl calmly.
"Nah, I mean... how did I not sense you?" I trailed off, puzzled by the unexpected encounter.
"I told you, you were busy catching your breath, or you would have noticed that I was just behind Prince Aron," Vexa explained. "You can ask Erik if you don't believe me- oh... he's unconscious, I guess." She gestured towards Erik, who lay nearby, his condition looking rather serious.
I looked at Aron, who in turn was staring at Vexa, who had her attention fixed on the unconscious Erik.
"This..." I paused, then glanced to my right, where I heard heavy footsteps approaching. "Is going to be interesting... I guess, at least."
[A/N:
