I slowly opened my eyes, with a strong feeling of déjà-vu. I stood up on my feet, around me… a plain. Once again, I woke up in the middle of a huge plain. I don’t know who have made this but clearly, he lacks imagination. Well, at least I am not in the jungle anymore. I wonder how I did get out though. If I remember correctly, I was about to leave the forest...no! There was a cliff! And a… bridge?
This is useless, everything is blurry. Maybe I fall down and hit my head? In any case, I am alive now, and out, meaning that I passed the trial. This is the most important right now.
I took out the book from my pocket.
“Struggle#02
Objective: Undo the inhabitant’s petrification
Sub-objective: none”
Well, at least this time the objective seems clear. I looked around, if there are people to save, surely there should be a village or a town nearby, and indeed, I could see a huge structure 20km away - approximately. I couldn’t see it with my bare eyes of course, but with magic, I can create a sort of ghostly third eye and send him high up in the air. This magic thing sure is convenient.
I don’t know how, but I am not hungry nor tired. Maybe I level up? Haha, that would be funny. The important fact is that I am full of energy! So I decided to run towards the city, and reached it in an hour, I know I keep saying this, put this magic thing is really a cheat. I don’t even feel tired...
So here I am, this doesn’t look like Lora’s village at all. This city is way more modern, there is a lot of tall and modern building. I never seen one in real life before, they are impressive. Actually, this is the first time I see a city so clean, I am a bit jealous.
Well, not that much. The city was inhabited, of course, and as expected, there were all petrified. The streets were filled with statues of people. They weren't shocked, or afraid, so it should have happened instantly. That or they are real statues and the quest is messing with me once again.
I tried to cure them the same way I did back then with the villagers, but without any success, reminding me that I still have rooms for improving this ability.
I was reflecting on a course of action while wandering this frozen city. Will I have to cure them myself? If so, I need to train a lot, cause I feel like I am nowhere close the required level. Another possibility would be that there is somewhere someone or something that could help me. This is highly possible, seeing how the game had functioned until now.
“Great! A new challenger!”
What? I looked around me, I was in a huge plaza, with a huge fountain right in the center. In front of this fountain stand a weird creature on a pedestal. It was a lion with a human head and a pair of wings. Pretty ridiculous combination.
“What are you waiting for? Come in front of me!”
The chimera was talking. To me. Well, at least it doesn’t try to kill me.
I approach the pedestal. She opened her eyes wide and gazed intensely into mine.
“Fine! You are worthy of listening to my riddles.”
“Riddles?”
“Yes! To complete my challenge, you have to answer correctly to 3 of my best enigma.”
“And what happens if I got them wrong?”
“Silly question, if you fail, you shall be petrified.”
“So you are the one that turned those people into statues!”
“Absolutely, as their representative failed the challenge, they all paid the price!”
That was true, I saw on the other side of the pedestal another stone person, but this one had clearly panicked before the transformation. If this thing turns people into stone, I don’t think I can fight it. My best bet would be to take the challenge. Damn, it seems simple yet so dramatic. I may have survived hell to be frozen in time by a chimera so ridiculous it could have been drawn by a 12-year-old drugged addict.
“Are you ready?”
“I guess so.”
"First riddle: What have 4 legs in the morning, 2 in the afternoon, and 3 at dawn?"
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Shit, I am really not good at riddles. I took a deep breath, okay, let's think rationally. First, what is he talking about? He spoke about legs, so it must be an animal or something that move. Second, no animal I know has the particularity to change its anatomy during the day. So the legs are probably referring to something else, or maybe the metaphor is on the cycle of the sun. Oh! I see!
"It’s the human."
"Correct answer! Second riddle."
“Wait, I don’t need to explain why?”
“Nah, everybody knows this one, it’s a kind of warm-up.”
… and here I thought I was clever.
"As I was saying. Second riddle: How old am I?”
"You… don't know it yourself?"
"Correct answer!"
This thing is stupid or what? There is a text incised in the stone pedestal right in front of me saying: Sphinx, [some bullshit about her intelligence], date of birth: unknown. I feel so underwhelmed...
"Third and last question! You can answer by only yes or no. If you are right, the petrification spell will be lifted. If you fail, you will be joining them in a motionless eternity!"
He stopped talking in the middle of his speech and smiled. Maybe for a dramatic effect. I hope it is because it is working pretty well. My chest is about to explode right now.
"Will I petrify you?"
...Shit. I should have seen something like that coming. If I say no, he might petrify me, and I lose. If I say yes, he won’t petrify me, meaning that I lose, meaning that I will be turned into stone anyway. I finish petrified with both answers… This shitty challenge… I was framed from the beginning. No, maybe there is a way. Maybe there is a right answer. I just have to believe my instinct.
"My answer is yes"
His smile widens.
"CORRECT ANSWER!"
He shouted so loud I had to cover my ears and closed my eyes. Is that it? I opened my eyes, no, I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn’t. In fact, I couldn’t move my body at all. That was it, I was petrified. Shit, I was wrong after all. At least the city would be cured, right? I am not even sure any more…
I stood there, can’t see anything, can’t feel anything. Nothing but the silent darkness of eternity. I wonder how long I will stay in this state. Do I need to eat or drink? Well, at least I can still think properly for the moment. I already miss my senses though, eternity would be more bearable if I could at least feel the light summer breath of the wind on my face, yeah, pretty much like that.
Wait, what?
I opened my eyes, I could see again, I could hear. I have been cured! In front of me was standing the proud statue of the Sphinx. I guess this was the answer, I was counted with the other petrified people before she lifted the spell. Haha, I am so luc.. hum smart! Just to be sure, I took out the Questbook.
“Struggle#02
Objective:Cure the people of J-City
Sub-objective: Pass the Sphinx test – Tell the city about the cursed – Find the city’s secret”
Apparently, the sub-objective are revealed only after finishing the first one. That’s pretty fucked up. Well, that doesn’t matter for now, ‘cause I have won!
----------------------------------------
“Struggle#03
Objective: Reach the summit
Sub-objective: none”
I didn’t want to spend too much time in the city, so I left as fast as I could.
Here I am, on the lower part of a mountain. The whole thing is huge, and I obviously don’t have any equipment. I feel pretty stupid for not buying basic survival materials at the city 20 minutes ago. Well, I didn’t have money anyway, and besides, I resolve the blanket problem. Thanks to magic, I can heat myself while I sleep, not much, but enough to be comfortable. I am starting to wonder how this thing works though.
I took out the book once, and red it from the beginning again. The more I think about it, the less it makes sense. It is titled “Samsy’s Quest: Seer of Humility”, what does that mean? Is Humility a person? What his a Seer? Why my name is written here?
Something caught my eyes, the back of the book was emitting a faint light. I returned the book, and there was a sort of translucent screen floating on top of the back cover. Something was written on it.
V: Took you long enough nevvbie! (*￣n￣)