Chapter 17
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The whole group had to wait for three hours until Marlon finally said, "Alright, it's time to bring this to an end. Those who didn't get here until now aren't qualified to participate in the next test!"
"Finally!"
"I've been waiting for so long already!"
"I was just about to fall asleep!"
Many exclamations like these were heard from the now 594 kids that arrived. Once enough people had entered the labyrinth, they met each other frequently and started to work together to get through the labyrinth. They used the method Beta had thought of at the beginning and just stood on someone's shoulders to overlook the labyrinth and lead them through it. That led to almost 600 kids passing the test. Although it does sound like a huge amount of people, if you consider that thousands stood in front of the gate, 600 is still a small amount. Beta himself just stood up and prepared to leave when Marlon's voice was suddenly heard.
"There's no need to stand up. The next test will be a written test."
Again, many complaints followed. No one liked to do theory after all. Marlon didn't mind and just continued.
"The second test will test your wits. Being strong isn't everything. If you have an opponent that is weaker than you, he can still win by the use of his wits!"
The whole group couldn't help but nod at that. They didn't want to end up as stupid brutes that will die to someone weaker than them. They all clearly understood the value of wits.
"Before I ask my question, you should all take a few pieces of paper and a pen. The materials are on the table behind you. Take as much as you need."
Everyone was already interested in what way they would test them, so they followed Marlon's instructions and got themselves the needed materials. Beta and Brian, too, picked up a few pieces of paper and a pen.
"Now that everyone is ready, we can finally start with the first question. There's a group which consists of four persons who intend to cross a bridge in a dark night. They only have one lantern and its fuel is already almost empty, so they have to cross the bridge as fast as possible. The light is only bright enough to let two people cross the bridge at the same time, and it's impossible to walk over in the dark. They also can't carry a person. Person A needs 5, B 10, C 20, and D 25 minutes to cross the river. Now, how do you think, can they all cross the bridge before the lantern goes out? Write your answer on the paper and give it to me once you're done. It's not allowed to work together on the answer."
The kids were stupefied. Wasn't this question too easy? Almost all of them wrote down an answer. Only a few people didn't write anything at all and just looked dejectedly at their piece of paper. Beta knew the answer the others had in mind. But he didn't agree to it. If it was that simple it wouldn't be a battle of wits, would it? It's definitely a trap! After thinking about it again, he got an idea and wrote it down with a small smile. When Marlon saw Beta's smile, he was quite satisfied. "Looks like we'll have someone who's not that stupid this year.", he thought to himself with a smirk. After everyone was done and handed their papers in, Marlon checked their answers and soon gave them a response.
"There's only one person who came up with the fastest way!"
Everyone was surprised when they heard that. Wasn't this question really easy? How could they all be so stupid? Is what they all thought. But some had already realized that some things aren't that simple.
"Most of you chose the naive way of solving the puzzle. You let person A and B walk over the bridge and then get the C and D one by one for a total time of 65 minutes! 10 + 5 + 20 + 5 + 25 = 65 minutes. This is indeed a way to cross the bridge, but is it the fastest one? No!"
All the kids felt bad when they heard Marlon's berating voice. They had all thought that they are the only ones to solve it, just to find out that they chose the simple, naive answer.
"And what exactly is the best answer then? That's already the fastest!", a kid suddenly voiced out. Many others thought the same so they waited for him to explain more.
"Simple! A and B walk over the bridge, A comes back to the beginning and lets C and D walk over. After that, B comes back and once again walks over the bridge with A for a total of 60 minutes! 10 + 5 + 25 + 10 + 10 = 60 minutes. This is the fastest way to solve it!"
The whole group was flabbergasted.
"That's just a difference of 5 minutes! How does it relate to our real life anyway? This is all bullshit!", the kid that spoke out earlier said.
Many agreed to that. Wasn't it just 5 minutes?
"Fool! Do you actually think that 5 minutes isn't much? Let's say that you start to explore the world after school. You're going to some freshly discovered ruins and come across an enemy which is too strong for you to handle. It starts chasing your group and you have to run. Suddenly, there is a small, bridge in front of you and you have to decide how you can get over it in the fastest way possible. If you can't manage your team correctly and waste 5 whole minutes, someone might die! In such a situation even seconds count, not to talk about 5 minutes! You might also think that you will never encounter a situation like that, but let me tell you... the headmaster of this academy did! This whole question is based on his experience! On that day he chose the naive way to solve it and lost one of his friends! Ever since then, he occasionally lets young people solve that question, so that they won't make the same mistake he did."
They all became pale listening to his words. They didn't want to lose a friend. Especially not because they were too naive to think of the fastest solution. Wouldn't they regret it their whole lives?
Marlon looked at their faces with a satisfied smile, he had achieved what he wanted. He made these kids see the importance of a quick mind.
"Alright, the first question was just a warm-up. Anyone who didn't even get one of the named passable answers, is disqualified."
After Marlon said this, their group now only consisted of 547 people. The ones who left, did so with their heads down.
"Okay, now let's go over to the second question. A farmer has to take a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage on the other side of a river on his boat. He can't let the sheep alone with the cabbage, or the wolf alone with the goat. He can always only take one with him. How does he get all over the river?"
This time the kids seriously listened to the question in order to not miss any clues. They thought about it for a while, wrote down what they thought is right and handed it to their instructor. Beta and Brian were still sitting down, thinking of how to solve it the most efficient way. After a while, they both smiled and wrote something down. Ten minutes later, Marlon released the results.
"Looks like I finally got your mind working! But there still are quite many that are disqualified. What did you even think of? Bind the wolf to a rope and drag him behind the boat? Are you an idiot?!"
When he said that everyone started laughing. Only one little girl became all red and wished she could sink into the ground.
"You there! Why are you even laughing? Knocking the wolf unconscious? As soon as you go away, it will wake up and have a goat for dinner!"
The boy who Marlon pointed at became pale and quickly pulled up his cloak, hoping to hide himself. Everyone started laughing even more, with only a few staying quiet.
"And this?! What is wrong with this kid's answer?! You killed the goat, wolf, and ate it including the cabbage just so that you can get to the boat with no worries! You even pointed out that all 3 are technically together with you on the boat so the answer counts!? How much of a glutton are you, hungry pig?!", exclaimed Marlon which felt defeated by this incredulous answer.
Almost all the kids lost it and laughed so hard that some are even hitting ground they are sitting on, some clutching their stomachs, and even the ones who were staying quiet can't help but show a slight smile. Beta and Brian glanced at each other with a knowing smile. They, too, thought that if it was like their situation back in the forest, they would rather kill the livestock and keep the meat but since this is a test which didn't place them in a situation where food is scarce, they'll give the teacher a satisfying answer. The fat kid who answered that gave a soft grunt, with an annoyed face while softly mumbling, "But I really can eat them both with extra space! Hmpf…"
"Alright, alright, settle down! Well, at least most of you got it right. You first have to bring the goat over and then the wolf. Then you take the goat with you to the starting point again, take the cabbage over to the wolf's side and finally get the goat after that."
When the kids heard that, many were relieved, and some were not. Beta and Brian passed this test with ease and only waited for Marlon to continue with the next question. But before Marlon could say anything, a boy asked a question.
"Umm…Is that also one of the headmaster's stories?"
The kids suddenly thought back to the last question and were quite interested in Marlon's answer.
"No, it's not. This question was merely for the sake of letting you think things through first before taking action since there might be repercussions."
That answer satisfied everyone so Marlon continued.
"Before we continue, the ones who messed up the last question have to leave, you're disqualified."
Again, a few people left with their heads down, with only 501 remained.
"The next, and last question, will be a simple one again. A prisoner is told "If you tell a lie we will hang you; if you tell the truth we will shoot you." What can he say to save himself?"
This question troubled many kids. They just couldn't comprehend how you could survive in a situation where both the truth and a lie would get you killed. They pondered for a long time before they wrote something down. Beta on the other hand, directly wrote something down and looked at Brian who soon finished as well.
"The results are out. 426 candidates passed, and only one out of you all passed with a perfect score. This test tested your way with words. In the future you might encounter situations which can be solved by talking. Sometimes, you can even make a big profit with that! Now to the answer of the question. The answer most of you chose would be using the half-truth. This is one possibility to solve it, but still not the preferred one. The top answer is actually very simple - "You will hang me:". If they hang him, then the statement was true, but they could only hang him for telling a lie. If they shoot him, then it makes the statement a lie, but they were only to shoot him for telling the truth. An alternate solution is to say, "You will not shoot me," leading to the same quandary for the killers."
When the kids heard him say that they were all mindblown, except for one, Beta. When Beta listened to Marlon, he just smiled.
"Those who didn't pass, please leave now."
"Now it's time for you to head to the last test. Just follow the road until you find someone."
When everyone started standing up to leave, Marlon stopped Beta.
"I'm expecting a lot of you. I hope you will also take first place in the next test. You use a staff to fight, right? If you manage to get the first place, I will let you roam the Martial Abode to pick a martial art that you like.", Marlon said with a warmhearted smile.
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
The whole group had to wait for three hours until Marlon finally said, "Alright, it's time to bring this to an end. Those who didn't get here until now aren't qualified to participate in the next test!"
"Finally!"
"I've been waiting for so long already!"
"I was just about to fall asleep!"
Many exclamations like these were heard from the now 594 kids that arrived. Once enough people had entered the labyrinth, they met each other frequently and started to work together to get through the labyrinth. They used the method Beta had thought of at the beginning and just stood on someone's shoulders to overlook the labyrinth and lead them through it. That led to almost 600 kids passing the test. Although it does sound like a huge amount of people, if you consider that thousands stood in front of the gate, 600 is still a small amount. Beta himself just stood up and prepared to leave when Marlon's voice was suddenly heard.
"There's no need to stand up. The next test will be a written test."
Again, many complaints followed. No one liked to do theory after all. Marlon didn't mind and just continued.
"The second test will test your wits. Being strong isn't everything. If you have an opponent that is weaker than you, he can still win by the use of his wits!"
The whole group couldn't help but nod at that. They didn't want to end up as stupid brutes that will die to someone weaker than them. They all clearly understood the value of wits.
"Before I ask my question, you should all take a few pieces of paper and a pen. The materials are on the table behind you. Take as much as you need."
Everyone was already interested in what way they would test them, so they followed Marlon's instructions and got themselves the needed materials. Beta and Brian, too, picked up a few pieces of paper and a pen.
"Now that everyone is ready, we can finally start with the first question. There's a group which consists of four persons who intend to cross a bridge in a dark night. They only have one lantern and its fuel is already almost empty, so they have to cross the bridge as fast as possible. The light is only bright enough to let two people cross the bridge at the same time, and it's impossible to walk over in the dark. They also can't carry a person. Person A needs 5, B 10, C 20, and D 25 minutes to cross the river. Now, how do you think, can they all cross the bridge before the lantern goes out? Write your answer on the paper and give it to me once you're done. It's not allowed to work together on the answer."
The kids were stupefied. Wasn't this question too easy? Almost all of them wrote down an answer. Only a few people didn't write anything at all and just looked dejectedly at their piece of paper. Beta knew the answer the others had in mind. But he didn't agree to it. If it was that simple it wouldn't be a battle of wits, would it? It's definitely a trap! After thinking about it again, he got an idea and wrote it down with a small smile. When Marlon saw Beta's smile, he was quite satisfied. "Looks like we'll have someone who's not that stupid this year.", he thought to himself with a smirk. After everyone was done and handed their papers in, Marlon checked their answers and soon gave them a response.
"There's only one person who came up with the fastest way!"
Everyone was surprised when they heard that. Wasn't this question really easy? How could they all be so stupid? Is what they all thought. But some had already realized that some things aren't that simple.
"Most of you chose the naive way of solving the puzzle. You let person A and B walk over the bridge and then get the C and D one by one for a total time of 65 minutes! 10 + 5 + 20 + 5 + 25 = 65 minutes. This is indeed a way to cross the bridge, but is it the fastest one? No!"
All the kids felt bad when they heard Marlon's berating voice. They had all thought that they are the only ones to solve it, just to find out that they chose the simple, naive answer.
"And what exactly is the best answer then? That's already the fastest!", a kid suddenly voiced out. Many others thought the same so they waited for him to explain more.
"Simple! A and B walk over the bridge, A comes back to the beginning and lets C and D walk over. After that, B comes back and once again walks over the bridge with A for a total of 60 minutes! 10 + 5 + 25 + 10 + 10 = 60 minutes. This is the fastest way to solve it!"
The whole group was flabbergasted.
"That's just a difference of 5 minutes! How does it relate to our real life anyway? This is all bullshit!", the kid that spoke out earlier said.
Many agreed to that. Wasn't it just 5 minutes?
"Fool! Do you actually think that 5 minutes isn't much? Let's say that you start to explore the world after school. You're going to some freshly discovered ruins and come across an enemy which is too strong for you to handle. It starts chasing your group and you have to run. Suddenly, there is a small, bridge in front of you and you have to decide how you can get over it in the fastest way possible. If you can't manage your team correctly and waste 5 whole minutes, someone might die! In such a situation even seconds count, not to talk about 5 minutes! You might also think that you will never encounter a situation like that, but let me tell you... the headmaster of this academy did! This whole question is based on his experience! On that day he chose the naive way to solve it and lost one of his friends! Ever since then, he occasionally lets young people solve that question, so that they won't make the same mistake he did."
They all became pale listening to his words. They didn't want to lose a friend. Especially not because they were too naive to think of the fastest solution. Wouldn't they regret it their whole lives?
Marlon looked at their faces with a satisfied smile, he had achieved what he wanted. He made these kids see the importance of a quick mind.
"Alright, the first question was just a warm-up. Anyone who didn't even get one of the named passable answers, is disqualified."
After Marlon said this, their group now only consisted of 547 people. The ones who left, did so with their heads down.
"Okay, now let's go over to the second question. A farmer has to take a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage on the other side of a river on his boat. He can't let the sheep alone with the cabbage, or the wolf alone with the goat. He can always only take one with him. How does he get all over the river?"
This time the kids seriously listened to the question in order to not miss any clues. They thought about it for a while, wrote down what they thought is right and handed it to their instructor. Beta and Brian were still sitting down, thinking of how to solve it the most efficient way. After a while, they both smiled and wrote something down. Ten minutes later, Marlon released the results.
"Looks like I finally got your mind working! But there still are quite many that are disqualified. What did you even think of? Bind the wolf to a rope and drag him behind the boat? Are you an idiot?!"
When he said that everyone started laughing. Only one little girl became all red and wished she could sink into the ground.
"You there! Why are you even laughing? Knocking the wolf unconscious? As soon as you go away, it will wake up and have a goat for dinner!"
The boy who Marlon pointed at became pale and quickly pulled up his cloak, hoping to hide himself. Everyone started laughing even more, with only a few staying quiet.
"And this?! What is wrong with this kid's answer?! You killed the goat, wolf, and ate it including the cabbage just so that you can get to the boat with no worries! You even pointed out that all 3 are technically together with you on the boat so the answer counts!? How much of a glutton are you, hungry pig?!", exclaimed Marlon which felt defeated by this incredulous answer.
Almost all the kids lost it and laughed so hard that some are even hitting ground they are sitting on, some clutching their stomachs, and even the ones who were staying quiet can't help but show a slight smile. Beta and Brian glanced at each other with a knowing smile. They, too, thought that if it was like their situation back in the forest, they would rather kill the livestock and keep the meat but since this is a test which didn't place them in a situation where food is scarce, they'll give the teacher a satisfying answer. The fat kid who answered that gave a soft grunt, with an annoyed face while softly mumbling, "But I really can eat them both with extra space! Hmpf…"
"Alright, alright, settle down! Well, at least most of you got it right. You first have to bring the goat over and then the wolf. Then you take the goat with you to the starting point again, take the cabbage over to the wolf's side and finally get the goat after that."
When the kids heard that, many were relieved, and some were not. Beta and Brian passed this test with ease and only waited for Marlon to continue with the next question. But before Marlon could say anything, a boy asked a question.
"Umm…Is that also one of the headmaster's stories?"
The kids suddenly thought back to the last question and were quite interested in Marlon's answer.
"No, it's not. This question was merely for the sake of letting you think things through first before taking action since there might be repercussions."
That answer satisfied everyone so Marlon continued.
"Before we continue, the ones who messed up the last question have to leave, you're disqualified."
Again, a few people left with their heads down, with only 501 remained.
"The next, and last question, will be a simple one again. A prisoner is told "If you tell a lie we will hang you; if you tell the truth we will shoot you." What can he say to save himself?"
This question troubled many kids. They just couldn't comprehend how you could survive in a situation where both the truth and a lie would get you killed. They pondered for a long time before they wrote something down. Beta on the other hand, directly wrote something down and looked at Brian who soon finished as well.
"The results are out. 426 candidates passed, and only one out of you all passed with a perfect score. This test tested your way with words. In the future you might encounter situations which can be solved by talking. Sometimes, you can even make a big profit with that! Now to the answer of the question. The answer most of you chose would be using the half-truth. This is one possibility to solve it, but still not the preferred one. The top answer is actually very simple - "You will hang me:". If they hang him, then the statement was true, but they could only hang him for telling a lie. If they shoot him, then it makes the statement a lie, but they were only to shoot him for telling the truth. An alternate solution is to say, "You will not shoot me," leading to the same quandary for the killers."
When the kids heard him say that they were all mindblown, except for one, Beta. When Beta listened to Marlon, he just smiled.
"Those who didn't pass, please leave now."
"Now it's time for you to head to the last test. Just follow the road until you find someone."
When everyone started standing up to leave, Marlon stopped Beta.
"I'm expecting a lot of you. I hope you will also take first place in the next test. You use a staff to fight, right? If you manage to get the first place, I will let you roam the Martial Abode to pick a martial art that you like.", Marlon said with a warmhearted smile.
The whole group had to wait for three hours until Marlon finally said, "Alright, it's time to bring this to an end. Those who didn't get here until now aren't qualified to participate in the next test!""Finally!""I've been waiting for so long already!""I was just about to fall asleep!"Many exclamations like these were heard from the now 594 kids that arrived. Once enough people had entered the labyrinth, they met each other frequently and started to work together to get through the labyrinth. They used the method Beta had thought of at the beginning and just stood on someone's shoulders to overlook the labyrinth and lead them through it. That led to almost 600 kids passing the test. Although it does sound like a huge amount of people, if you consider that thousands stood in front of the gate, 600 is still a small amount. Beta himself just stood up and prepared to leave when Marlon's voice was suddenly heard."There's no need to stand up. The next test will be a written test."Again, many complaints followed. No one liked to do theory after all. Marlon didn't mind and just continued."The second test will test your wits. Being strong isn't everything. If you have an opponent that is weaker than you, he can still win by the use of his wits!"The whole group couldn't help but nod at that. They didn't want to end up as stupid brutes that will die to someone weaker than them. They all clearly understood the value of wits."Before I ask my question, you should all take a few pieces of paper and a pen. The materials are on the table behind you. Take as much as you need."Everyone was already interested in what way they would test them, so they followed Marlon's instructions and got themselves the needed materials. Beta and Brian, too, picked up a few pieces of paper and a pen."Now that everyone is ready, we can finally start with the first question. There's a group which consists of four persons who intend to cross a bridge in a dark night. They only have one lantern and its fuel is already almost empty, so they have to cross the bridge as fast as possible. The light is only bright enough to let two people cross the bridge at the same time, and it's impossible to walk over in the dark. They also can't carry a person. Person A needs 5, B 10, C 20, and D 25 minutes to cross the river. Now, how do you think, can they all cross the bridge before the lantern goes out? Write your answer on the paper and give it to me once you're done. It's not allowed to work together on the answer."The kids were stupefied. Wasn't this question too easy? Almost all of them wrote down an answer. Only a few people didn't write anything at all and just looked dejectedly at their piece of paper. Beta knew the answer the others had in mind. But he didn't agree to it. If it was that simple it wouldn't be a battle of wits, would it? It's definitely a trap! After thinking about it again, he got an idea and wrote it down with a small smile. When Marlon saw Beta's smile, he was quite satisfied. "Looks like we'll have someone who's not that stupid this year.", he thought to himself with a smirk. After everyone was done and handed their papers in, Marlon checked their answers and soon gave them a response."There's only one person who came up with the fastest way!"Everyone was surprised when they heard that. Wasn't this question really easy? How could they all be so stupid? Is what they all thought. But some had already realized that some things aren't that simple."Most of you chose the naive way of solving the puzzle. You let person A and B walk over the bridge and then get the C and D one by one for a total time of 65 minutes! 10 + 5 + 20 + 5 + 25 = 65 minutes. This is indeed a way to cross the bridge, but is it the fastest one? No!"All the kids felt bad when they heard Marlon's berating voice. They had all thought that they are the only ones to solve it, just to find out that they chose the simple, naive answer."And what exactly is the best answer then? That's already the fastest!", a kid suddenly voiced out. Many others thought the same so they waited for him to explain more."Simple! A and B walk over the bridge, A comes back to the beginning and lets C and D walk over. After that, B comes back and once again walks over the bridge with A for a total of 60 minutes! 10 + 5 + 25 + 10 + 10 = 60 minutes. This is the fastest way to solve it!"The whole group was flabbergasted."That's just a difference of 5 minutes! How does it relate to our real life anyway? This is all bullshit!", the kid that spoke out earlier said.Many agreed to that. Wasn't it just 5 minutes?"Fool! Do you actually think that 5 minutes isn't much? Let's say that you start to explore the world after school. You're going to some freshly discovered ruins and come across an enemy which is too strong for you to handle. It starts chasing your group and you have to run. Suddenly, there is a small, bridge in front of you and you have to decide how you can get over it in the fastest way possible. If you can't manage your team correctly and waste 5 whole minutes, someone might die! In such a situation even seconds count, not to talk about 5 minutes! You might also think that you will never encounter a situation like that, but let me tell you... the headmaster of this academy did! This whole question is based on his experience! On that day he chose the naive way to solve it and lost one of his friends! Ever since then, he occasionally lets young people solve that question, so that they won't make the same mistake he did."They all became pale listening to his words. They didn't want to lose a friend. Especially not because they were too naive to think of the fastest solution. Wouldn't they regret it their whole lives?Marlon looked at their faces with a satisfied smile, he had achieved what he wanted. He made these kids see the importance of a quick mind."Alright, the first question was just a warm-up. Anyone who didn't even get one of the named passable answers, is disqualified."After Marlon said this, their group now only consisted of 547 people. The ones who left, did so with their heads down."Okay, now let's go over to the second question. A farmer has to take a wolf, a goat, and a cabbage on the other side of a river on his boat. He can't let the sheep alone with the cabbage, or the wolf alone with the goat. He can always only take one with him. How does he get all over the river?"This time the kids seriously listened to the question in order to not miss any clues. They thought about it for a while, wrote down what they thought is right and handed it to their instructor. Beta and Brian were still sitting down, thinking of how to solve it the most efficient way. After a while, they both smiled and wrote something down. Ten minutes later, Marlon released the results."Looks like I finally got your mind working! But there still are quite many that are disqualified. What did you even think of? Bind the wolf to a rope and drag him behind the boat? Are you an idiot?!"When he said that everyone started laughing. Only one little girl became all red and wished she could sink into the ground."You there! Why are you even laughing? Knocking the wolf unconscious? As soon as you go away, it will wake up and have a goat for dinner!"The boy who Marlon pointed at became pale and quickly pulled up his cloak, hoping to hide himself. Everyone started laughing even more, with only a few staying quiet."And this?! What is wrong with this kid's answer?! You killed the goat, wolf, and ate it including the cabbage just so that you can get to the boat with no worries! You even pointed out that all 3 are technically together with you on the boat so the answer counts!? How much of a glutton are you, hungry pig?!", exclaimed Marlon which felt defeated by this incredulous answer.Almost all the kids lost it and laughed so hard that some are even hitting ground they are sitting on, some clutching their stomachs, and even the ones who were staying quiet can't help but show a slight smile. Beta and Brian glanced at each other with a knowing smile. They, too, thought that if it was like their situation back in the forest, they would rather kill the livestock and keep the meat but since this is a test which didn't place them in a situation where food is scarce, they'll give the teacher a satisfying answer. The fat kid who answered that gave a soft grunt, with an annoyed face while softly mumbling, "But I really can eat them both with extra space! Hmpf""Alright, alright, settle down! Well, at least most of you got it right. You first have to bring the goat over and then the wolf. Then you take the goat with you to the starting point again, take the cabbage over to the wolf's side and finally get the goat after that."When the kids heard that, many were relieved, and some were not. Beta and Brian passed this test with ease and only waited for Marlon to continue with the next question. But before Marlon could say anything, a boy asked a question."UmmIs that also one of the headmaster's stories?"The kids suddenly thought back to the last question and were quite interested in Marlon's answer."No, it's not. This question was merely for the sake of letting you think things through first before taking action since there might be repercussions."That answer satisfied everyone so Marlon continued."Before we continue, the ones who messed up the last question have to leave, you're disqualified."Again, a few people left with their heads down, with only 501 remained."The next, and last question, will be a simple one again. A prisoner is told "If you tell a lie we will hang you; if you tell the truth we will shoot you." What can he say to save himself?"This question troubled many kids. They just couldn't comprehend how you could survive in a situation where both the truth and a lie would get you killed. They pondered for a long time before they wrote something down. Beta on the other hand, directly wrote something down and looked at Brian who soon finished as well."The results are out. 426 candidates passed, and only one out of you all passed with a perfect score. This test tested your way with words. In the future you might encounter situations which can be solved by talking. Sometimes, you can even make a big profit with that! Now to the answer of the question. The answer most of you chose would be using the half-truth. This is one possibility to solve it, but still not the preferred one. The top answer is actually very simple - "You will hang me:". If they hang him, then the statement was true, but they could only hang him for telling a lie. If they shoot him, then it makes the statement a lie, but they were only to shoot him for telling the truth. An alternate solution is to say, "You will not shoot me," leading to the same quandary for the killers."When the kids heard him say that they were all mindblown, except for one, Beta. When Beta listened to Marlon, he just smiled."Those who didn't pass, please leave now.""Now it's time for you to head to the last test. Just follow the road until you find someone."When everyone started standing up to leave, Marlon stopped Beta."I'm expecting a lot of you. I hope you will also take first place in the next test. You use a staff to fight, right? If you manage to get the first place, I will let you roam the Martial Abode to pick a martial art that you like.", Marlon said with a warmhearted smile.
