"O" and "X."
A safe but lengthy road to failure.
A shortcut offering a slim chance of survival-and hope.
Two stairways leading to different fates lay silently before them.
The atmosphere inside the stone chamber instantly grew heavier.
"Is there even a choice?!"
A candidate with a scar across his face was the first to break the silence.
His voice twisted with agitation.
"If we take the safe route, we're finished! Waiting here for ten hours won't leave us enough time, even if we don't have to do anything afterward!"
"Exactly! The shortcut is our only option!"
"A slim chance of survival is better than none!"
The desperate candidates chimed in, as though they had seized their last lifeline.
Their eyes burned with a frantic intensity.
Under the pressure of the ticking clock, reason had long since vanished.
"We can't take that route!"
Kurapika immediately objected.
His expression was more serious than ever.
"'A slim chance of survival' isn't a figure of speech! This is Trick Tower. We have to interpret the examiner's words in the worst possible way! That means only one out of every ten of us might survive that route!"
"So what?!"
The scar-faced candidate snapped back heatedly.
"That's better than all of us getting eliminated! Besides, we don't know who'll be among the nine or who'll be the one!"
As he spoke, he cast a pointed glance at Leorio, who sat slumped on the floor.
"Some people who drag everyone down deserve to die!"
Those words plunged into Leorio's heart like a poisoned blade.
Leorio sprang to his feet.
His eyes were bloodshot, guilt and anger tangled together.
"I... I choose X!"
He roared his choice with every ounce of strength he had.
"I'm the one who wasted everyone's time! I'll take this route, even if it kills me!"
He was staking his life on a chance to atone.
"Leorio! Calm down!"
Gon grabbed him anxiously.
Killua frowned as well.
"Idiot, don't let him bait you. Acting on impulse now is suicide."
Tsk, tsk, tsk. Here comes a classic.
Luo Ye leaned against the wall, his mental commentary already filling the screen.
Guilt-tripping, a sinner's atonement, a blindly following crowd, and reason left standing alone. Damn, isn't this much more entertaining than all that fighting just now?
One multiple-choice question blew every weakness of human nature wide open. The examiner really knows how to put on a show.
Still, this shortcut sounds pretty exciting. A slim chance of survival? Isn't that just delivering evolution experience packs straight to me? That genius finally did something useful.
A mechanical voice sounded again.
[Please make your choice. The minority must obey the majority.] [If you choose O, please stand on the left.] [If you choose X, please stand on the right.]
The moment the voice fell silent, they moved.
A large group of candidates, led by the scar-faced man, rushed to the right without hesitation.
Leorio broke free of Gon and staggered toward the right with unwavering resolve.
More than half of them were already there.
The outcome was decided.
Watching the scene, Kurapika's eyes flickered with helplessness.
He wanted to stand by reason, but the rules were merciless.
"The minority obeys the majority..."
"This is the trap of group decision-making: the stupidity of the majority drowns out the wisdom of the few."
Killua sighed and walked to the right as well.
"Nothing we can do. Let's go."
Gon looked at Kurapika, then at Leorio, and finally followed.
Luo Ye stretched, then ambled over to the right last.
He patted Leorio on the shoulder, speaking in a tone that said, "I've got faith in you."
"Nice work, genius. I like people like you who keep everyone entertained."
Unable to tell whether that was praise or mockery, Leorio could only muster a smile uglier than tears.
[Choice confirmed: route X.] [Good luck to you all.]
The cold mechanical voice fell silent.
The stairway marked "O" slowly sank beneath the floor.
Only the pitch-black passage leading to "X" remained, its depths impossible to see.
There was no turning back.
The scar-faced man charged down first, with the other candidates close behind, afraid to fall even a step behind.
Kurapika took a deep breath and followed.
Killua and Gon exchanged a grave look.
Luo Ye whistled, in high spirits.
He pulled the still-dazed Leorio along and descended the stairs with him.
"Come on. I'm counting on you for all my experience packs."
As their group entered, the stone slab behind them slowly slid shut.
Their only way back was sealed off completely.
Darkness swallowed them all.
Before you continue