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

Battleforge," the sphinx announced. "You take pride in your name. Are you ready for your question?"

"Spit it out already," Rory said, looking it straight in the eye.

"I have an end but I never stop. I run but I have no legs. I have banks but I do not have any money. What am I?"

Three statements? Was this supposed to throw us off balance? Running without legs? Perhaps time. Maybe there will be the end of times. But there's no time-bank.

"Do I get any clues?" Rory said and scratched his beard.

"This is not something we agreed upon, dwarf," the sphinx replied.

Come on, man. You're so old. You should know these things.

"Damn, I don't know. History?"

"That is not the correct answer. Are you ready to be honest?"

"How will ye know if I'm--" Rory began, but was interrupted by the sudden spread of the sphinx's wings.

This time however, a bright outline appeared around the creature as it posed its question.

"The truth is something that can give birth to gods as easily as it can bring down empires. What is the single truth you would never tell yourself?"

Instantly, Rory's muscles tensed and I moved to his side in case he tried something we'd all regret afterward. The dwarf had pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes, which now had a sense of profound grief in them. Whatever the sphinx was doing, Rory was trying to resist it but with little success.

"That..." the dwarf said, and tears were now running freely from his eyes. "That there was nothing I could have done to save him. That it's not me fault that me son is dead."

My stomach dropped at hearing the dwarf utter those words. This was too personal. He would never have said that if he wasn't being magically forced to do it.

"You monster!" I shouted, rage building up in me. "Why would you do that?"

"What is it you think I did?" the voice asked indifferently.

"Why did you make him say that?"

"I did not make him say that. I asked a question and made him speak the truth. The truth shined through, and perhaps you cannot see it yet but this truth will set him free."

"It should have been his decision," I said, and looked at the dwarf who had now fallen on his knees, staring at the feet of the sphinx.

"The truth does not take the decisions of mortals into account. The truth forms the decisions that mortals make. Now, who will go next?"

"Ask me," I said, disregarding Louie who was pulling at my pant leg with his jaws to calm me down.

The majestic beast's eyes flashed again, this time looking at me. I felt a coolness wash over me, soft at first but rapidly increasing to frosty cold, and stopping just before it became painful.

"Alexander Rage. Your name means he who repels men with his rage. Are you ready for your question?"

"I'm ready," I said and tried my best to breathe normally.

"I am the great equalizer, yet I am not death. I am all that is you, yet without me, you would still be you. What am I?"

The great equalizer is death. It is the single thing that makes us all equal. Yet in a world where immortals and gods walk the planes, death is but a temporary inconvenience.

What else makes everyone equal?

I left the first part for a bit and considered the second half of the riddle. This confused me even more than the first one. I tried to think of everything that could be considered the sum of myself.

My personality? That's what makes me different from everyone else.

Could it be my experiences or my relations? No. Again, they're what makes us all different.

"Do you have an answer, Alexander?" the sphinx asked.

"Give me a little more time," I said, trying to put my thoughts in order.

"Take all the time you need," the sphinx replied.

The intense glare of the sphinx didn't make it any easier to think. I was still having trouble breathing under its constant stare while the exhaustion and lack of sleep made any cohesive thoughts impossible. I was just not in the position to do two things at once.

First, I focused on my breathing. Deep breath in, slow exhale. I repeated my breathing exercise, trying not to think of the riddle at all.

In.

Out.

After a few seconds, I felt the weight lift from my chest. I wasn't sure if I was now immune to the sphinx's stare, or if I was responsible for the weight on my chest to begin with, but the important thing was that I now had one less thing to worry about.

What's something we all have?

My body. No. If I were to lose my body, I wouldn't be me anymore.

My mind. No. I may look the same without my mind but that is not something that makes us all equals.

Fuck!

I had to keep my cool. I looked at Louie, staring at me, his tongue lolling out. I felt my anger fade away but not my worry. I couldn't let him down. I knew Leo would probably be able to solve his riddle on a good day, but we were all on our worst day. Even more so for him, since he still hadn't recovered from his abduction.

It had to be me. They'd all followed me here. Leo was still struggling and Rory was on the floor weeping because I brought them here to bind...

That's it!

"You're a soul!" I exclaimed.

The androgynous face closed its eyes and nodded with a very soft smile.

You have successfully completed "Man's Best Friend IV".

Quest Name: Man's Best Friend V - Bind the Soul

Availability: Single

Rarity: B Grade

Description: The Faery Queen, Goddess Karaerin, has bid you embark on a quest of soul entanglement.

Success: Share your love with the world.

Failure: Give in to violence.

Status: 0/1

Time Left: Unlimited

Reward: Access to the last part of the quest

Do you accept the quest? Yes No

I mentally accepted the quest and glanced up as something shining came floating down toward me. A red glowing bead