Chapter 5: Ring

The Owl flaps its wings and spoke with a sinister expression in its face, "Then, let's the game begin!!!"

Damn..... Did I just step in a landmine?

Right on the cue, the environment changes.

The forest previously changed to a small stone platform with a pit of boiling lava underneath.

"Before we start, I'll introduce myself first and explain the content of my questions", The Owl flies around. "I am Quill, the spirit beast symbolizing knowledge, and answer five riddles to earn treasures from my trove."

He's really a spirit beast, that explains his ability to communicate.

So, I just need to answer the five riddles to gain 5 treasures.

But why did it need to change the terrain.

"But what's the catch?"

It's impossible for it to not have any catch considering I'm standing in a small stone platform with a pit of boiling lava underneath.

"Well, the catch is... ", Quill flew down in front of me and said, "If you ever gave at least one wrong answer, you will fall in the boiling lava beneath you."

Damn.... I shouldn't really have accepted its offer thoughtlessly.

"If you don't have any more questions, we will start now."

"We can start now"

"Then, here's my first riddle," Quill flew up again, "I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I?"

I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What could be the answer?

Is it a speaker? But speakers don't have ears and especially it should be something without a body.

Wait! I shouldn't think the description in the riddles is the literal physical characteristics of the answer. 

Those possibly could be a metaphor.

It speaks without a mouth, no ears and no body.

Is it sound? But it's not specific.

Then.....

"Echo, is it the answer?"

Ding!!! Ding!!!!

"Correct...!!!"

..

A few minutes later.

I managed to answer all four correctly and there's only 1 Riddle left.

"For the last riddle," Quill said as he landed in front of me, "I can fly without wings. I can cry without eyes. Wherever I go, darkness follows me. What am I?"

I can fly without wings. I can cry without eyes. Wherever I go, darkness follows me.

What could it be? Is it a cloud?

I mean, clouds are up in the air and they also don't have a wing.When it rains, the sky is dark and it also looks like it's crying.

So...

"Is it clouds the answers."

I couldn't help but be nervous when answering. I mean, this concerns my life too. I don't want to fall in the pit beneath to die.

My nervousness couldn't help but reach its peak when Quill didn't say anything but just stared at me pitifully.

"Ummm, am I wrong?"

Argghh!!!, Why can't he tell me already? Did he want me to kill myself in this tension.

When I thought it would take more time to know the result, Quill just gave me the word that I'm waiting for.

"You're correct, the answer is clouds."

"Why didn't you just tell me earlier? You made me nervous for no reason." I asked irritatedly.

"Hahaha nothing! I just want to see your reaction."

Quill laughed. "Your face looks like it will fall in despair if I still haven't told you the result."

"Anyway I'll keep my promise"

Quill's child-like voice echoed throughout the place and the surrounding came back the same forest previously.

"Just like I promised, I will give you five treasures." Quill shows me a holographic screen that shows the list and descriptionsof his treasures. "Make sure to choose the one you really need."

Elixir of Youth, Durandal, Seed of the World Tree, Chain of Gods, etc. There's really many treasures here. I can even see the names of some wildly known treasures. What should I pick? He said I should just pick what I need, but I don't really know what I need right now.

Wait? Does he have those too?

"Does your trove have martial art techniques for scythe too?."

"Of course, I might not have all the techniques but I can certainly assure that I have at least one for every kind, even techniques for scythe." Quill proudly said.

"Then recommend one for me."

"Of course I can." Quill said as he brought out a book from his trove.

[Twilight king's Severing Arts]

-A martial art technique that uses scythe.

"Twilight king's Severing Arts?" Curious about the book, I couldn't help but ask. Considering its name, this was a martial technique of someone called Twilight king.

"Twilight king's Severing Arts is the Scythe technique of a God who was known as the twilight king. He was the God who governs harmony... " Quill proudly said as he shares stories about the twilight king. He looks like a die-hard fan talking about his idol.

God? How old is he?

"Is he strong?" I curiously asked.

"Of course you fool he was strong and not just strong, he was considered the strongest God in the past." Quill talked like a fan boasting his idol. "That's why be honoured that I'm giving it to you."

"Well enough of that, choose your next treasure now!!" Quill urged.

"Can you choose for me, there's too many."

"Sure." Quill brought out several items in his trove.

[Grim Reaper's Hooded Robe]

-immune to any dark attribute attacks

[Twilight King's Scythe]

-increase any dark attribute attacks

[Awakening Potion]

-awakens only the dormant trait in the body so it's useless if you don't have any dormant trait

[Mysterious Egg]

-egg of a beast, the result is based on luck.

"What's with the last two? I don't think those two will be usefull to me." Confused, I couldn't help but ask.

The first two items are certainly useful for me but for the last two, I don't think so. I'm not even sure if I had a dormant trait much less a strong luck.

"Believe me, it will certainly help you," Quill flew up in the sky and said, "and you should leave now. "

"What do you mean—" Before I could finish what I would say, my vision blurred and I passed out.

..

It's been a few hours since i woke up, the sun is already down.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself inside one of the rooms in the Vestige Hall with the same librarian I talked to.

I asked her what happened to me.

"I found you laying unconscious, a few minutes after you left." That's what she said.

Right now, I'm currently inside my dorm room

The room assigned to me was bigger than the apartment I lived in before.

It also came with a couch, bed, rice cooker, TV, computer, and even magic tools.

Sigh...

"…is it just a dream?"

Slouching down on the comfy couch, I pondered.

When I wake up, I don't have any treasures with me so I'm wondering if what I experienced is just my fantasies.

The most unfortunate thing is, I haven't found any martial arts technique that I can use despite going to the Vestige Hall.

I just wasted my time.

Thinking about it now, it might have been better to leave Elysium. I should just focus on finding a job somewhere and living peacefully.

Should I just quit?

"Mmm…"

I thought of something foolish.

I doubt I can even live in peace in this hellish world.

Just as I was pondering about my future...

—ding dong

The bell rang.

An electronic voice rang out beyond the door.

— Azazel. Stardust. Take. Your. Luggage.

It was a robot. Jumping up from the couch, I opened the door and saw a fairly big box on the ground.

Who's the sender? I don't have any relatives outside.

My belongings that the school will send in our room are already here.

I picked up the box and brought it in.

[Sender: Unknown.

Receiver: Azazel Stardust.

Content: Unknown.]

What the.....

The sender is unknown, even the content is unknown.

Isn't items supposed to get check before sending it to the receiver to avoid accident.

Heh, It seems like the one who sent it likes to play mysterious, huh?

With a smirk, I pulled off the tape.

"… Huh?"

There was only a single item inside the big box.

In this big box, there was only one small black ring.