I suggest you look at the Hex to ASCII more closely, it isn't that simple.

Also, the guard said that it was a single word...

@GeorgeGibson Please look at the updated answer.

Nope, it's one word.

@f'' Yes, and that can be used to decypher the last line.

Getting closer, but what is 'The greeting'?

Please see the final answer. I'm probably over-thinking :/

Argh, you're so close!!

That seemingly random series of punctuation does have some significance...

@GeorgeGibson Yes, I pondered over them, but what came me my mind was a "star" as in 5 star and an asterisk in between the two forward slashes in the middle line.

hello

@ABcDexter The High-five clue is not what you'd expect it to be...

Yes,

it might be 5 factorial,

but as you mentioned,

It is a hint to the meaning of the symbols.

5, so rail fence with key 5 to those, is it??

Also,

@GeorgeGibson Yes, I pondered over them, but what came me my mind was a "star" as in 5 star and an asterisk in between the two forward slashes in the middle line.

Ok, I am checking those symbols

the forward slashes, /, + , .

The symbols will tell you the greeting.

If you dig deep enough...

Yes, I am trying,

using python 3 :)

Is the answer

related to 5! i.e. 120? am i digressing??

Ok, now i understand

@GeorgeGibson The greeting paved the wayright

so, give me 5! acts as cover for the symbols, and hint to the answer hidden among them.

am i right??

No, the number 5 itself has no particular significance.

The most useful clue you have to the meaning of the symbols is 'High-five'.

Or, as I would put it, HIGHFIVE.

(That was a really big clue)

Ok, Hi-five, right.

Is the answer just HI :?

Gosh, my proofreading is bad ;)

That is part of the old storyline which I removed, you should essentially ignore that bit.

It's a good question, really "brain teasing" xx

xD

You were asked for a "word" by the guard. In computing, a word is 4 bytes (32 bits). The result of 5 factorial, 120, is converts to 01111000 in binary which is a single byte. My guess is the next three lines of punctuation translate to the remaining three bytes to make up the "word". But this doesn't account for George's hint of "HIGHFIVE"... so I'm not really certain.

@Tonkleton Nice guess. but no.

I might put that in a future puzzle, so keep your eyes open :)