[ Riddle Game ]
[ Time Remaining: 00h : 00m : 00s ]
The timer hit zero and started to gleam with glowing blue light and the letters on the timer screen began to blink.
Sethryn took a glance at it before returning his gaze to the Simhas.
[ The Riddle Game Has Ended ]
The notification dropped in his Synapse but Sethryn showed no physical responses to the notification. It would not change anything even if he did.
He simply maintained a staring contest with the Simhas who glared back at him with no words exchanged between the two.
Sethryn had made his final decision and offered his answer to the riddle. Even if he wanted to change it, he could not.
The ten minutes allotted to the game was up and the Riddle Game had ended.
It was now time to know the outcome of his decisions.
Was he wrong?
Was he right?
Did his hastiness at the last moment finally deal him in?
Sethryn was going to find out sooner than later.
The Simha in the middle was the one he chose as the Simha of Both.
The one on the right, he chose as the Simha of Truth.
Finally, the one on the left, he chose as the Simha of Lies.
He stood still, unwavering in his thoughts and patiently waiting for the 1st Keeper's decision.
The Simha in the middle smirked and moved his feet two steps forward.
He struck the bottom of his rod on the floor and the Simhas by his side began to disperse in the form of black clouds until their presence completely vanished.
That was not all.
The room started to regain its crumbled structures back, gradually retaking the shape it had before Simha began his test.
"As I thought," Sethryn said in his mind, "it wasn't real."
The room was never tampered with in the first place. It was all Simha's ability messing up with the reality that Sethryn's eyes saw.
Sethryn started to walk towards the Keeper in measured steps.
"So did I pass or what?"
Simha sneered at the player, not for the guts to walk towards him but for the cockiness with which he asked his question.
Sethryn was getting complacent for the mere player that he was.
"You have passed the Riddle Game," Simha said, his voice was slow and dragged like an aged person speaking.
Sethryn's mouth reflexively arched into a satisfactory smile — an expression of self-grandiosity and high esteem in one's self.
"Of course," he boasted, "I'm always lucky in this sort of thing."
Simha raised his eyebrows.
"Luck?"
Sethryn nodded and slightly raised his hand, placing it on the back of his head.
"Yes. Luck," he replied.
"It was both wits and luck. Even though I deduced which of you was the Simha of Lies, I couldn't make out the others because they both said the truth and knowing that both can say the truth, I could no longer rely on asking questions... as I have exhausted that as well."
Simha chuckled. "Impressive."
"So I was right about the unspoken rules and clues involved in this game. The limit of three questions was one of them, I suppose."
Simha nodded.
"You're correct. The enigma in the game isn't just the riddle itself but everything that comes together to make it the Riddle Game. Even we, the Keepers, are part of it."
With Simha's reply, Sethryn felt more impressed with himself and continued to blab about how he solved the riddle.
"I'd found out the Simha of Lies but finding out the rest was difficult. It was then something odd occurred to me. Perhaps it was luck or an unspoken clue, I don't know but your standing positions drew my attention.
"I started to think if it was a random occurrence and something that was intentionally done. A false clue or a true one? I didn't care which one it was because either I accepted the supposed clue and used it or the timer runs out on me and...
"I don't go down without a fight."
Simha clapped his hands, applauding the player's wits.
"You are a smart one like a few before you."
Sethryn's eyes narrowed as Simha made his praiseful statement.
"Then Eve must have gone through this floor," he thought.
Simha waved his hands and snapped his finger.
Notifications started to drop rapidly into Sethryn's Synapse like rain.
...
...
...
<< Test 'The Riddle Game' Has Been Completed >>
<< You Have Completed The Test Of The 1st Keeper >>
[ +1 Level Up ]
[ +200 EXP ]
<< You Are Ready To Ascend To The 2nd Floor >>
<< You Have Earned The 'Right Of Roaming [R.O.R]' >>
<< Click HERE To Add Rewards >>
Sethryn sneered at Simha.
"Tch! Only level up and experience points?" he muttered under his breath.
He was disappointed with the rewards he received. He expected more given what could have happened had he lost the Riddle Game.
"Not even a 'Grace' or whatever that is?"
No matter how much he whined about it, Sethryn knew that nothing would change.
He would have to make do with a raise in his avatar's level and experience points.
Sethryn clicked 'HERE' on the prompt screen and another list of rewards appeared that he proceeded to add to his avatar profile.
His face lit up immediately and he smiled.
"That's more like it."
<< The Climb Of The 1st Floor: Successful [ REWARD: +2000 Coins ] >>
Sethryn rubbed his hands.
He was now more satisfied and happier with the rewards, at least with the coins he could upgrade his shield even more but he was hoping to lay hands on a few mana cores.
Sadly, that was not the case and he would have to hope to get his hands on them anywhere else in the tower but the 1st Floor.
...
...
...
Simha cleared his throat.
"Now, for your ascension."
The Keeper struck his rod on the ground three times and with the third strike, a tremendous surge of energy exuded from his body and hovered in the atmosphere of the room.
Sethryn's hair and clothes swayed backwards and he was forced to equip his shield as a protective measure from being flung back by the pressure of Simha's energy.
His shield was only enough to prevent him from flying away as he was still easily pushed back by the force of the strange energy.
"What's this energy?"
He wondered what it could be but had no solid clue.
Sethryn could only guess that it was some sort of source for the abilities that they possessed and the ones they would come to possess as players in Alderix... somewhat like magic.
"It's just like chakra in anime classic, Naruto," he muttered.
"Too powerful."
His notification beamed and blared loudly, turning from blue colour to red.
<< CAUTION! >>
[ Threat Detected! ]
[ You Are Been Exposed To High Pressure Of Mana ]
[ Upgrade 'Shield' In Inventory To Be Able To Withstand The Mana ]
"Mana?"
That's what the energy was called, at least that was what Synapse called it... Mana
Mana, the energy of the world of Alderix.
Sethryn took a peek at his avatar profile to confirm what Synapse warned him about.
It was indeed true.
Outwardly, he looked fine but Simha's mana was killing him from inside albeit slowly.
"What!"
His life points (LP) had dropped from 200 LP stats to 102 LP and the bar was still decreasing.
He had taken damage that reduced his LP by forty-nine per cent (49%).
Further exposure to Simha's mana without any form of protection was going to be fatal.
"What the hell!" Sethryn lamented.