Magus: A Supernatural LitRPG Saga (Apocosmos Book 2) Dimitrios Gkirgkiris (good english books to read .txt) 📖

beast laid eyes on us, all thoughts about genders and other trivial details like this escaped us. Its voice was terrifying but soothing at the same time. It was omnidirectional and my chest thrummed with the depth of it.

"Creatures of the Apocosmos," the sphinx's voice boomed, reflecting off the platinum walls around us. "You have come here with a purpose."

For a moment, none of us said a word. We just stared at each other, not sure to whom the sphinx was talking, until Louie barked loudly and we felt the creature focus in on him. I wasn't sure if I wanted its attention on Louie but I was sure there was nothing I could do about it.

"Our purpose is gaining your approval," Louie said, puffing out his small chest, proud and fearless in the sight of this ancient being.

"You are not the first to arrive here seeking my approval," the voice said. "How do you plan to achieve such a task?"

"We can offer you knowledge," Louie said.

"Child..." The voice became a bit warmer this time. "There is no single significant piece of knowledge that I or my brethren do not possess. Our research is pushing the limits of how reality is understood and perceived."

Since my introduction to the Apocosmos, there hadn't been a day that I hadn't stumble upon something I didn't know, a new piece of information that gave rise to multiple more questions, those in turn giving birth to even more. Some of my questions were answered by Leo and Rory, some by the Apocosmos internet. Many of them had answers, but they were kept behind lock and key by powerful organizations and clans, especially when there was profit to be made from them. And then there were those overarching universal enigmas that people could only theorize about--the origin of the Dark Energy, the formulas governing stats, the limits to leveling.

The way this creature spoke, the frequency of its voice, and the feelings planted in me by its words made me believe what it said. It, or its kind, did in fact hold the answers to all these questions, and all the questions ever asked, and questions we could not yet even think of asking. It was as if they were the source of all knowledge and not just an archive of it.

"Knowing this," the creature continued, "how do you plan on seeking my approval?"

"By proving ourselves against your riddles," I said, in an epiphany of remembrance.

The Sphinx turned its gaze on me and instantly I struggled to breathe. My lungs felt heavy and even though I wasn't suffocating, my heart raced faster due to the sudden change of pressure.

"You, human," the voice boomed, and the creature's purple eyes flashed, "are part-Greek. You know of the old ways of my kind."

"I am," I said and bowed my head in respect. "And I do. Will you test us like your kind tested humans in the past?"

"This is but a long-gone habit of one of my siblings. But..." The creature paused and purred slightly. "It is one I always wanted to try. What would be your terms?"

"Are we to define the terms?" I asked and looked at the others, confused.

"You know what my sibling did to those who failed to answer her riddles, do you not?"

"Yes, I do. We would like less violent terms," I said quickly.

"You have already proven yourselves by finding me here. In this case," the sphinx said after a moment, "I will ask you one question each. If you give me the right answer, I will take a question from you and answer truthfully."

"And if we don't give you the correct answer?" asked a worried-looking Louie.

"Then I will ask you a second question to which you will give an honest answer for all to hear."

"That doesn't sound so bad," I said. "At least it's not dangerous."

"The truth can be more dangerous than anything, human," the sphinx said.

I gulped at the statement.

"But we don't want answers," Louie interjected. "We would like your approval for our quest."

"Of course you do. In the balance of the world, a piece of knowledge is worth more than gemstones and platinum. Yet the approval and trust of another are worth twice that."

"So would two correct answers amount to your approval?" I asked, not really sure if that was the meaning behind the words.

"This would suffice for the purpose of your quest. Shall we proceed then?" The sphinx opened its gigantic wings, giving them a good stretch before folding them again.

"Let's do it," Louie said decidedly and the sphinx faced him again, its eyes flashing once more.

"Louie Thunder." The androgynous face of the sphinx gave a faint nod. "Your name gives you power. Are you ready for your question?"

"I am," Louie said and barked twice.

"I am not a king but I wear a crown. I do not own a watch but I keep track of time. What am I?"

I knew I wasn't supposed to help Louie but I couldn't help but try to solve it myself as well. I always hated riddles. Not because I didn't find them smart, but because whoever asked them usually pushed for an answer for far too long. At this moment though, I wished I had endured all those smart-asses back in college and taken an interest in the subject.

From the little experience I had with riddles, the answer was either an abstract concept or an animal. Never something close to what it sounded like. So what could keep track of time? Perhaps the sun? All stars have coronas which is the Greek word for crown--

"You are a rooster," Louie said and barked excitedly, following it with a quick turn around himself.

"That is correct, Louie Thunder. Am I to assume you would like to exchange two questions for the approval?"

"Yes please," Louie replied.

"In that case, who would like to go next?"

"Let me go next," Rory said and moved to stand in front of me. "I am all ears."

The great creature now regarded the dwarf, its eyes flashing again.

"Rory