But the outside route isn't completely impossible.
Those flying beasts are hideous and large, but not unbeatable. The problem was that the would-be climber lacked enough strength. Others—like Hanzo, let alone Ron or Hisoka—would have a fair chance of defeating one. Taking down a single monster and taming it could allow you to fly down. Or you could be more direct: simply step off the edge and free-fall, like Netero did from the airship in the second stage.
"At this height, it shouldn't be a big deal."
Ron strolled to the edge and looked down but ultimately decided against jumping. It wouldn't serve his purpose here, which was not merely to pass the exam but to gain the fullest possible benefit from the experience.
"I recall that the third stage of the Hunter Exam involves teamwork. So who should I join?"
He glanced over the other candidates: Hisoka, Illumi, Gon, Killua…
"When it comes to extracting 'qualities' for my ability, more people means greater effect. The largest group would be five. And based on my past experience, Hisoka, Illumi, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio can provide the most progress. Hisoka and Illumi for their strength, Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio for their potential.
"As for Killua and Hanzo, it's not that their talent is inferior—they simply arrived at the exam already advanced enough that the test won't push them much further. Their growth here won't be as dramatic as Kurapika's or Leorio's, and they're also weaker than Illumi or Hisoka. So my best bet is to replace Tonpa's spot in the original story."
Just then, Gon waved.
"Ron! Over here."
"Killua and I found several hidden doors," Gon said. "One, two…there are five in total. There just happen to be five of us here. But we don't know where each door leads—any ideas?"
Time had been ticking for a while. Gon and Killua, both around the same age, had become fast friends; and somewhere deep inside, Gon instinctively felt Ron was trustworthy, much like the way he'd trusted Kite at first glance. Besides, Ron's ability clearly exceeded that of most other candidates, even though Gon hadn't witnessed his fight with Hisoka. From Killua's mention of Heaven's Arena, Gon could guess Ron's strength was on another level.
"You all pick first," Ron offered. "Hunter Exams seldom hinge on pure luck, so no matter which door you choose, each has some path to the bottom. But each path will differ somehow."
He knew from the original storyline that these adjacent doors each led to a separate route.
The group exchanged looks.
"All right," Killua said, glancing at Gon. "You go first."
Gon picked a door, then Killua, then Kurapika, Leorio, and Ron took the last one.
Click!
They each pushed a door open, and in that instant, the slabs beneath them flipped down.
Thud!
They dropped to the floor below.
Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Ron all landed steadily. Only Leorio came down awkwardly, slamming face-first instead of landing on his feet—a likely result of still not being fully recovered from his earlier injury at Hisoka's hands.
"It looks like we're on a route that needs a group," Ron observed.
A small circular dais came into view, set against a wall with a built-in screen.
"From here on," a voice intoned, "your team of five must abide by the rule that the minority is overruled by the majority, until you either successfully complete the trial or run out of time."
On the dais were five small timers.
"Guess we begin now," said Kurapika.
They each put on the devices. At first, the decisions and votes were trivial—an easy introduction to the "majority rule" mechanic, Ron suspected, so the participants could get used to it as they moved forward.
All the while, Ron kept an eye on the "crystal ball" in his mind. Ever since the second stage, its progress percentage had risen more quickly, now at around the mid-twenties, but nowhere near completion.
"By the original storyline, finishing this third stage means we've about hit the halfway mark of the exam—maybe even passed it. But I'm not sure if this version follows the old adaptation or the newer one. The older one would have had an extra test on the 'Battleship Island.' If I had a choice, I'd prefer the old storyline so I'd get more time and settings to draw from."
Clack!
A door opened ahead, but Gon and Killua, in the lead, had suddenly stopped moving. Ron snapped out of his musings. The door led onward, but a stone platform in front of them was severed from the rest—just an isolated platform in mid-air, not connected to either side. On the far side stood five figures.
At once, Ron felt a particular aura emanating from them. It was the aura of people who'd spent a long time in prison. Ron almost felt nostalgic.
His first job after leaving the Zoldyck estate was at Heaven's Arena, where, for a bit of cash and to test his skills, he accepted assassination requests. Some of his targets were death-row criminals—two of them were Nen users, though not very proficient. Ron had dispatched them with little trouble.
But these five…they were much weaker than the "Five Great Death-Row Inmates" from the original storyline, each of whom had posed a serious threat. Here, even the strongest among these prisoners was weaker than the weakest of those five from that story.
"Remove our shackles," rumbled one of them. Click. Click.
Heavy restraints fell away with dull thuds. Clearly, those metal cuffs had been weighted.
One prisoner pulled off his hood, revealing a bald head scarred with several deep lines—giving him an even fiercer appearance. The atmosphere grew tense.
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