The Duke's Worthless Daughter Awakens an SSS+ Guide Core

The glowing numbers above the arena slowly faded as the final candidates completed their strength assessment, marking the end of the initial evaluation. One by one, the towering pillars descended beneath the metallic platforms until they disappeared entirely into the subterranean storage compartments.

A crisp mechanical chime echoed throughout the massive stadium, capturing the immediate attention of every participant still standing in the testing zones. The automated system announced the transition to the next stage of the examination without delay.

[Phase One Complete.]

The digital voice paused briefly, allowing the words to resonate across the crowded stands.

[Preparing Phase Two: Speed Assessment.]

The transparent barriers surrounding each platform dissolved into countless particles of shimmering blue light, restoring a temporary sense of openness to the arena floor.

Candidates quietly stretched their stiff muscles and adjusted their gear while instructors moved efficiently between the testing stations. These seasoned officers worked with ease, recalibrating the complex sensory equipment to ensure absolute accuracy for the upcoming trial.

Kaelen Viremont glanced toward Merianah once more, a look of distinct skepticism flashing across his sharp features. He let out a quiet scoff, clearly aiming to unsettle her confidence before the next phase began.

"Technique alone won’t carry you forever," he murmured, his voice laced with a subtle arrogance.

Without waiting for a response, he turned away to face his own lane with an air of complete self-assurance. Merianah ignored his remarks completely, keeping her gaze fixed straight ahead. There was absolutely no reason to waste valuable physical or mental energy on meaningless conversations with rivals.

The mechanical voice resumed its broadcast, delivering the next set of parameters to the waiting crowd.

[Candidates will remain on their assigned platforms.]

Immediately following the command, the smooth metallic floor began shifting and groaning beneath their feet. Long walls rose rapidly from hidden compartments in the floor, expanding upward until each platform transformed into an enclosed running course.

The once open arena had become hundreds of individual obstacle lanes, entirely separating the applicants from one another. A detailed holographic map appeared before every candidate, casting a faint blue glow over their faces.

Merianah studied the floating blueprint carefully, instantly breaking down the layout. At first glance, the path appeared to be a straightforward sprint designed for raw velocity. However, as she looked closer, her eyes narrowed in sharp concentration.

The map revealed that countless movable barriers, rotating walls, elevated platforms, and pressure-sensitive floors were hidden throughout the entire course. This was not merely a race to test pure cardiovascular endurance or leg strength. It was a rigorous evaluation of movement efficiency and spatial awareness under intense pressure.

Colonel Serena Vale stepped onto the central command platform once more, her presence instantly commanding silence from the anxious applicants. She folded her arms across her chest, looking down at the maze of metal lanes with a critical eye.

"The second assessment measures far more than simple foot speed," she announced, her voice carrying clearly over the loudspeakers.

Several candidates frowned as they listened to her words, beginning to realize the true complexity of the trial.

"The course will actively change as you advance through the sectors," Serena continued, offering no comfort to those who looked overwhelmed.

"There is no single correct route to the destination."

She paused, letting the weight of the challenge settle over the arena before delivering the final objective.

"Reach the finish line as quickly as possible."

The crowd in the viewing stands immediately became restless, whispering among themselves about the difficulty of the layout.

"If the course changes randomly while we run, how can anyone prepare a proper strategy?" one noble applicant muttered to his peer.

Serena answered the unspoken anxiety of the room with absolute coldness.

"Battlefields do not ask for your permission before they change," she stated firmly.

An immediate silence followed her grim declaration, cutting through the murmurs of the crowd like a knife. Merianah could not help but agree with the colonel’s harsh perspective on combat philosophy.

The administration was not testing the physical limits of the candidates’ legs today. They were testing their cognitive adaptability in a volatile environment. The countdown timer appeared overhead in glowing crimson numerals, ticking away the final seconds of preparation.

10...

Merianah lowered her center of gravity slightly, though her posture remained distinct from the others. She did not drop into a traditional sprinter’s stance like the athletes around her. Instead, she settled into a flexible, highly responsive combat stance.

Many years ago, during her time on the ruined streets of Earth, she had learned a vital lesson about survival. Running in a straight line in an unpredictable environment almost always meant an early death.

An effective survivor moved according to the immediate presence of danger. One could never move according to mere habit or routine.

5...

She slowly exhaled, letting the cool air steady her racing pulse as the final seconds slipped away. Every unnecessary thought disappeared from her mind, leaving her completely anchored in the present moment. Only the shifting geometry of the course remained within her field of vision.

3...

The heavy metal walls ahead began shifting prematurely, generating a low, rhythmic grinding sound. They were already changing their configurations before the starting signal had even been given.

Merianah found the tactic rather interesting. The designers were clearly attempting to confuse the candidates before the examination even started.

2...

The floor beneath her boots vibrated with a subtle, electric current. She recognized the sensation immediately as the activation of hidden pressure plates. Working quickly, she memorized their exact locations on the path before her.

1...

A loud, piercing buzzer echoed across the entire expanse of the arena, signaling the official start of the trial. Merianah exploded forward, her movements precise and deliberate from the very first stride.

Several candidates immediately sprinted at full speed, attempting to overpower the obstacle course through raw athleticism alone. Merianah did the exact opposite, choosing a measured approach. She accelerated steadily instead of launching into an instantaneous sprint, conserving her initial energy.

Three steps into the lane, she executed a sharp, fluid pivot to the left. A massive rotating wall swept across the lane exactly where she would have been had she continued running straight ahead.

Without breaking her running rhythm, she slipped effortlessly past its trailing edge. Her movements remained remarkably smooth and economical as she adjusted to the environment. Every single step landed precisely where it needed to, leaving absolutely no room for wasted motion.

Ahead, two massive elevated platforms suddenly shifted apart, creating a rapidly widening gap over a deep drop. Several candidates ahead of her attempted desperate leaps to clear the opening. One unfortunate runner slipped on the edge, while another crashed heavily into the side of the moving metal structure.

Merianah never jumped, refusing to risk her balance in mid-air. She changed direction before the gap could fully open, utilizing a narrower side path that almost no one else had noticed.

Watching the live feeds from the command center, Colonel Serena’s eyes followed Candidate Twenty-Seven once again. She leaned forward against the railing, her interest thoroughly captured by the young woman’s unconventional trajectory.

"Look at her," Serena whispered, gesturing toward the screen.

"She isn’t reacting to the obstacles at all."

The senior technician standing beside her looked thoroughly confused by the observation.

"What do you mean, Colonel?" he asked, adjusting the focus on the primary monitor.

Serena pointed toward the high-definition replay monitor, which tracked Merianah’s real-time trajectory data.

"She’s predicting the movements before they happen," the colonel explained, her voice filled with quiet admiration.

Below them on the track, Merianah’s eyes remained fixed on the constantly changing environment. She had quickly realized that every obstacle moved according to a specific, mechanical rhythm.

Once she recognized the underlying mathematical pattern, the course stopped looking random altogether. It became entirely predictable, allowing her to anticipate the next shift with ease.

To her, it was just like watching enemy troops reveal their formation before launching an attack. A faint, knowing smile appeared on her lips as she adjusted her pace.

"This layout is far less complex than I anticipated," she whispered to herself.

She crossed another moving platform without slowing down, her momentum perfectly preserved.

"It is much easier than running through a city full of monsters," she thought, remembering the terrifying chaos of her past life.