Quartet

They proceeded through it and finally arrived at a grand hall, surprisingly well-lit and decorated with statues of various mythical beings. At the far end was another door, this one more ornate than any they had seen before, embellished with golden filigree and intricate carvings.

As they reached the door, a timer appeared, counting down from 10 minutes. Haruto looked at the digital numbers and then sat down in front of the door. "Let's wait for a while," he said.

His companions exchanged glances but said nothing, following his lead and sitting down as well.

Meanwhile, on another part of the maze, Killua found himself navigating through twisted corridors with hidden traps. Like Haruto had said, he wasn't looking for help; he wanted to challenge this exam on his own. He disarmed a series of pressure plates with ease, only to find himself facing a chamber filled with thick mist and a series of suspended platforms.

Stepping onto the first platform caused the rest to flicker in and out of visibility. "Visibility or intuition? Fine, let's play," he murmured. He jumped from platform to platform, each materializing only a second before his foot landed.

As he made it to the other side and proceeded, he felt a familiar presence. Gon was ahead, seemingly stuck at a puzzle featuring spinning wheels with symbols on them.

"Need a hand?" Killua asked, smirking.

"No," Gon grinned, "I've almost got it."

Killua waited. A few moments later, Gon let out a triumphant cheer. The spinning wheels clicked into place, opening a new path.

The two friends continued through the maze, soon stumbling upon Kurapika, who was engrossed in decoding a wall of ancient text. "This one's more to your taste, isn't it?" Killua quipped.

"It is. The text is actually a list of conditions. Satisfy them and the door will open," Kurapika explained. A moment later, he pressed a series of symbols, and the door in front of them slid open.

The three of them moved forward and soon found Leorio, who was awkwardly balancing on one leg while trying to retrieve a key hanging from the ceiling.

"Really, man? You're a doctor, not an acrobat," Killua said, leaping effortlessly to grab the key and unlock the door.

From then on, the four friends worked together to solve the riddles and face the obstacles of the labyrinthine maze. Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio entered a room where the walls were filled with different colored tiles, each inscribed with an abstract shape.

"Okay, how do we solve this one?" Leorio asked, scratching his head.

"Maybe it's a pattern or sequence," Kurapika suggested.

Killua grinned. "Only one way to find out." He pressed a blue tile. The room rumbled, but nothing happened. "Maybe not that one."

Gon stepped forward and pressed a green tile. A rumbling noise filled the room, and a few tiles sunk into the walls, revealing arrows. He ducked just in time as arrows shot out.

"Watch out!" Gon warned. "This room fights back."

Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching. Four newcomers entered the room, eyeing the group maliciously.

"Looks like we got competition," one of them sneered. "But this room ain't big enough for all of us."

Leorio clenched his fists. "I have a feeling you guys aren't here to play nice."

"Observant," the intruder replied, lunging at Leorio with a small knife. Kurapika blocked the attack with his Bokken, and Killua swiftly disarmed another attacker with a well-aimed kick.

Gon, not willing to resort to violence unless absolutely necessary, focused on the puzzle. He noticed that the tiles had shapes resembling natural elements—water, fire, earth, and air. He pressed them in what he felt was a logical sequence: fire, air, water, earth. The room shuddered, and this time, a door opened on the far side.

"We've got it! Come on!" Gon shouted.

Kurapika used his weapon to trip another attacker, giving them enough time to dash through the door. It slammed shut behind them, separating them from their attackers.

The next room was a large open space with what seemed like an endless pit in the middle. Around the edge were stone pedestals with buttons.

"Do we press them?" Leorio wondered, eyeing the buttons cautiously.

"No time like the present," Killua said, pressing one. A plank extended from one side of the room to a platform on the opposite side. But as he stepped on it, it started to wobble dangerously.

"Stable, this is not!" Killua said, balancing precariously.

Kurapika examined another pedestal. "They have different symbols. This one has a feather on it; maybe it means it's lighter?"

Gon pushed the button with the feather symbol. Another plank extended, and as Killua tested it, this one remained stable.

"One by one, let's go!" Kurapika said.

Carefully, they all crossed the plank to the other side. Once they were across, the plank withdrew into the wall, and another door opened.

The friends found themselves in a forest-like environment. Tall trees with luminescent leaves surrounded them, and the atmosphere was filled with an eerie mist.

"Looks almost magical," Leorio said.

"Yeah, too magical," Killua responded, squinting at the trees. "Watch out for those branches!"

As if on cue, the tree branches began to move, reaching out for them like tentacles. Gon grabbed a branch and used it to vault himself out of reach. Killua dodged and weaved, avoiding the branches skillfully. Kurapika used his Bokken to latch onto a tree and pull himself upward, and Leorio simply ducked and covered.

"Run, just run!" Gon yelled, sprinting toward what he hoped was the way out. The others followed suit, dodging the increasingly aggressive branches.

Finally, they reached another door, this one carved with tree-like motifs. Kurapika pressed against it, and it creaked open.

Once they were through, they found themselves in a calm, well-lit hallway, catching their breath.

"That was intense," Leorio said, panting.

Kurapika nodded. "Indeed. But we managed, and that's what counts."

Gon grinned. "Right. So, what's next?"

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