The picture changed instantly. The mirror disappeared, and in its place, a semicircular opening appeared in the wall, in which a blue-colored force field shimmered with discharges and lightning periodically running through it. And one after another, indicators of life, fatigue, and hunger were drawn in the form of multi-colored stripes. When each strip appeared in front of my eyes in the form of a tooltip with text, a notification popped up, so I didn’t have any incomprehensibility or questions about the innovations.

I turned my head, but the translucent strips, as if glued, remained all the time in the upper left part of my field of vision. They did not interfere with watching, did not annoy at all, and all the scales were of the maximum possible length. So I nodded in satisfaction, speaking out loud to the unknown game developer:

Everything is clear, there are no questions. Except one. Should I go through this blazing hole? Well, how does lightning strike me?! Or will nothing happen?

Predictably, I did not receive an answer, but at the bottom of the screen, a small icon appeared in the form of circles nested in each other, as if waves diverged from a stone thrown into the water.

Scanning. Class skill. As the skill increases, the scan radius and detection probability will increase, the types of responses received will expand, and the cooldown time of the skill will decrease.

Oh how! Am I going to use echolocation like a bat now? But what about the words in the Prospector class description about electronic scanning and all that? I was in some confusion, especially since it was impossible to test the new feature in practice - the icon remained inactive.

Meanwhile, familiarization with the gaming capabilities continued. A progress bar appeared at the bottom of the screen.

Using skills and performing game actions lead to filling the progress bar. When the scale is filled, the character level increases. The death of a character resets the progress bar.

ATTENTION!!! The death of a character with a zero progress bar results in the loss of one level, all unallocated skill points, and part of the skills already available. Repeated death will result in the loss of two levels and a significant loss of skills.

But this was very important information for me. Firstly, it is quite possible to die in the game, and it is not fatal. In addition, if the progress bar is at least slightly filled, the death of the character does not lead to any serious irreversible consequences. Secondly, death with an empty progress bar is punished much harder.  

By the way... I looked at the empty gauge and my first character level. What happens? If right now my Level 1 Prospector suddenly dies, then… is there even a level zero? Or is it the final death? I felt somewhat uneasy, climbing into the force field and experimenting on my skin, something suddenly got sick.

Meanwhile, the inventory of my Mosquito opened. Denim jacket and trousers, turtleneck, sneakers, underwear. Clothing items were located in the corresponding equipment slots and did not carry any properties. Except that my old denim jacket gave +1 to the armor indicator, but was half “torn” at the same time. Most of the possible cells remained so far empty. Yes, there is no headgear, the slots on the belt are inactive, there are no main or spare weapons, and no gloves, glasses, bracelets, or rings. In the so-called "backpack" there are only six compartments, one of which was occupied by a pack of condoms ...

Just get ready for the test. No compass, no coil of rope, no set of colored crayons to mark already proven dead ends and turns. Not even an elementary flashlight in case of darkness in the labyrinth, or at least the most primitive knife. I somehow suddenly came to my senses and was even surprised at my recent recklessness. What is it that came over me, since I decided to poke my head into an unfamiliar place without preparation ?!

Instead of reckless self-confidence, fear swept over me. I almost changed my mind about where to go and was looking for a way to open the virt-capsule, but then the luminous force field flickered, dimmed and turned off, opening a passage in the wall. At the same time, a countdown timer appeared at the bottom of the screen. I was given thirty minutes to get out of the maze...

 ***

Naturally, now there was no talk of any exit from the game. Forward! As soon as I stepped through the opening in the wall, the scan icon changed color from gray to purple - the skill could be used. I immediately looked back to see how the opening through which I came through looked like from this side. But the wall behind me was perfectly smooth and solid with no signs of breaks or holes. One-way portal, fuck it! There was no way back. Now just look for a way out.

By the way, the scattered light emanating from the walls was quite enough, so a flashlight would not be required here in the labyrinth. But where to go? Everywhere there are only white smooth walls. From above, at a height of about three meters, there is a blank ceiling. It's time to activate the scan icon.

I did not immediately understand whether this was the result of my actions, or the map appeared on its own, but at the bottom of the screen, over the image, the diagrams of the corridors of the circular labyrinth were indeed displayed. And not only the nearest areas that I could see with my own eyes but also hidden ones, located behind the walls. Class! The scan is working!

But the skill recharge time was as much as ten minutes, and the radius of drawing walls on the map turned out to be quite small, literally fifteen steps. The displayed section of the labyrinth included only a few rings of walls, openings in them, and forks. However, the fact that the labyrinth is circular, and I am in its very center, has already become valuable information.

Thirty seconds later, guided by the map and following the only corridor leading out, I ran out of the studied piece of the labyrinth and stopped at the next fork. Right or left? I randomly turned left and ran along the wall, as is usually advised when passing through small labyrinths. The path along one selected wall is a reliable, albeit rather slow, way to find a way out. But I assumed that the labyrinth was hardly a large one since it was designed to test the abilities of beginners. So sooner or later I must meet the exit, and the main thing is to just move fast enough to have time to get out of the labyrinth within the allotted time. In addition, I immediately noticed that when I moved through the maze, the map was also drawn. Ah, then at all kindergarten! You can't even get lost here!

Stop... In a small round hall, which I found myself after four minutes of my run, in addition to three other exits, there was also a descent down and an ascent up. My self-confidence and cheerfulness were blown away by the wind. The main difference between multi-level labyrinths and single-level ones, in addition to their greater complexity, is that moving along the wall does not at all guarantee an exit. In addition, the length of the corridors in the case of several floors increased, and my extremely slow method became frankly losing. It was necessary to change tactics.

I expanded the map to fill the screen to get my bearings. Nobody taught me how to unfold the map, and therefore I was even belatedly surprised that I did it completely automatically, focusing on the experience of other virtual games, and got the desired result. So, am I far from the center of the labyrinth?

A single glance at the interactive map was enough for me to howl in horror and impotent rage - all the sections of the labyrinth that I had already marked on the map were gradually erased! The center has already completely disappeared, and the corridors along which I rushed gradually disappeared! I roughly estimated the lifetime of the markers on the map at three minutes. Only this was not enough! How can I navigate this multi-layered labyrinth?!

Leave marks or noticeable objects at the forks so as not to poke into dead ends several times. Perhaps this is an option. I took out a bag of condoms from inventory, tore off a small piece of colored cardboard packaging and threw it near the corridor from which I came. The mark was supposed to mean that there was no need to go there - a dead end. I didn't go to the upper and lower floors yet and continued my run through the labyrinth.

Endurance points gradually decreased, and my Mosquito began to get tired of running so much. Another five minutes, maybe six, and I'll have to take a step. In all this nervous, uncertain situation, the only thing that pleased me was that the progress bar was slowly but surely filling up. So even if my Prospector happens to die in the labyrinth, the character should be reborn.

The time has come to use the scan, the skill is recharged. I immediately used it and looked at the map for the results. Again a circle of steps thirty in diameter, and on it was displayed a piece of that hall with the descent and ascent through which I ran. Moreover, judging by the map, I should have returned to it soon again - the corridor I had chosen turned out to be incorrect. And so it happened - a minute later I marked two corridors with new scraps of thick paper.

There was one more unexplored corridor at this level, but I decided to change the floor and climb higher. He ran completely at random, ignoring some branches and diving into others. A couple of times I encountered gaps in the floor that I had to jump over, and once again I had to crawl through a small section of a corridor with a low ceiling. Suddenly ... I again found myself in a round hall with several exits, descent, and ascent. Moreover, some corridors were marked with scraps of paper! How so?! I went up!

But there was no time to bother with such questions - the last ten minutes of the allotted time had gone. I went down the floor and was not so much running as alternating a quick walk with short runs - endurance was teetering at zero.

Another scan...

And then, when there was almost no hope left, on the piece of the map received after scanning, I saw the outer border of the labyrinth! The resulting circle with corridors and walls seemed to be cut off on one side! And I also noticed on the map on one of the inner walls very close to me some kind of mark, which I had not seen before. Having oriented myself and turned in that direction, I found an unusual section of the wall - there were numerous cracks on it. It looks like the wall in this place was not that strong, and it could be broken...

That's just the meaning of such an action if I saw on the map that it was possible to get through this wall in a normal way ?! I did not break the wall and, having oriented myself, I ran to the outer corridor, beyond which there was already the border of the labyrinth. Perhaps there was a way out somewhere.

Unfortunately, I did not find a way out in that area - all the paths again turned to the center of the labyrinth. But I found something else - in one place on the outer wall, there were also numerous cracks! If you break through the wall here, you will find yourself outside the labyrinth!

***

When I fell out of the punched hole in the wall into some dark void, there were only six seconds left on the timer. I landed painfully enough flat from a decent height on the sand, causing the air from my lungs to escape with a cry, and blood flowed from my nose. My clothes were covered in dust, my knuckles were broken, and the sneakers on both legs were worn out and did not stay on my feet at all. The health scale was balanced somewhere at the level of thirty percent, and the stamina had already been zero for a long time. But I made it!

Acquired five free character attribute points

The Scan skill has been upgraded to the second level!

The Cartography skill has been upgraded to the second level!

Fame increased to 1.

- Unusual way out. I see that lang Radugin listened to our wise advice and stopped supplying his recruits with information about the labyrinth in advance.

The phrase was uttered a step away from me, and with some strange, extremely unusual accent. A deaf and quiet voice, too even and distant, as if its owner was completely indifferent to what was happening to me.

Grimacing in pain, I lifted my head... and stared at the worn metal boots of size seventy, if not one hundred.

Costa Dykhsh. Geckho. Clan Vaide-Dykhsh. Diplomat level 56

There is an alien next to me! It is impossible to demonstrate to him the weakness and worthlessness of a representative of the human race. I somehow gathered my strength and got to my feet, although I was still staggering from the fall. A huge shaggy humanoid towered over me by two heads, carefully examining me with its piercing black eyes and watching my attempts to stand straight with a fanged grin. He was wearing the same metal armor as the alien in the video. Or maybe Costa Dykhsh was the same alien that was shown on television.

I bowed with dignity, hoping very much that my actions appeared as a gesture of deep respect for the overlords, and not an inability to stand upright.

“Greetings to the representative of the great and powerful civilization Shikharsa!”

In response, the diplomat either coughed or laughed. It sounded like a muffled bark through tightly clenched teeth.

“I see, Gnat, you have already been enlightened about my race. But put aside your attempts to express reverence, you still fail to do it sincerely. Tell me better, did you pass the test of the labyrinth?

“With difficulty and, it seems, in an unconventional way, but I seem to have succeeded,” I smiled with bloodied lips. – Received five free points to enhance the characteristics of the character.

- Five? Great result, which means you didn't know anything about the maze. Usually your faction's lang prefers to play it safe. A bird in the hand is better than a crane in the sky. His words. Recruits memorize the path through the maze before entering the game. And get only two points, but guaranteed. I'm glad that your commanders again allowed newcomers to take risks and try their hand.

I got embarrassed and looked down.

- Yes, actually, no one allowed me. It's just that everyone was busy due to the attack of the Dark Faction, and I tried it myself at my peril and risk.

“That’s why I look at your equipment and am perplexed,” the humanoid shook his head reproachfully in a completely human way. - Oh, and you will fly in tomorrow from the authorities. As they say there ... Ah! Get it on the first number!

- Why does it have to fly? I passed the test! Winners are not judged!