His bow was now made of wood and metal. The damage also increased by twice as much.
"Oh, right! I was so excited with trying everything out in this world that I forgot to formally give my allegiance to you. If you don't mind I would like to offer my life to you and serve as a member of your personal army."
Smoke was astounded by Rasant's rapid chatter.
"Of course, I'd be honored to accept."
+ Rasant Rind has joined your Personal Army
Rasant Rind is the
second Maneator that the DarkElf named Smoke has created. He was molded
to be an Assailant and has high Agility.
Level: 97
Job: Assailant
Loyalty: 100
Favorite Weapon: None
Equipped Weapon: bullwhip
Abilities:
Rapid Reflexes: Gains double the dodge rate from total Agility.
Rapid Strike: Gains double the attack speed from total Agility.
Rapid Movement: Gains double movement speed from total Agility.
Dual Wield: Handles two weapons simultaneously.
Vanguard Force: Temporarily increases HP and DEF.
Scourge of the Beast III: 50% Increased damage against Beast type monsters.
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With his second Maneator in tow, Smoke and his men headed towards the labyrinth's treasure room.
* * * * * *
As they followed the confidential labyrinth map, Weise thought to teach his younger brother how to read. Rasant obliged. He was eager to do anything.
Smoke thought that Rasant had too much energy to spare, any form of task was welcome to exhaust the orange Maneator's enthusiasm.
After a day's travel, the confidential labyrinth map led Smoke and his men to an empty great hall. It guided Smoke to the center of the vast chamber.
There, the DarkElf found a discreetly hidden keyhole on the floor of the expansive room. Smoke instantly thought to use Mitleid's key.
As Smoke turned the key, selected pillars out of the hundreds inside the great hall began to glow a luminous red color.
The red glowing pillars formed a teleportation circle. Smoke and his men were caught in a flash of light. When they were finally able to see they had already been transported.
- Entered Treasure Room of Zuchthaus
- The Guardian of the Treasure Room is a Level 700 Monster.
- Suggested level for entering the treasure room N/A.
|
For a split second, the DarkElf was afraid when he saw the game notification. He had never encountered a level 700 monster before, but he was also curious why the suggested level was N/A.
"Everyone! Weapons Out!"
Before Smoke, Igniz, Espion, Weise, and Rasant could do anything, a gigantic lion claw came at them and slashed them all to the ground.
The monster was still lying down on all four legs when it attacked. It had the body of a lion with a wings of a great condor, and a head of male man.
The great sphinx was 5 meters from the ground to its head, 4 meters from its left paw to its right, and had a body length of 18 meters.
With with one attack, Smoke and his men were reduced to 2% of their maximum lives.
"Intruders? Andrais can't recall the last time there was anyone brave enough to venture here or are you people just idiots who have no idea who you're up against?."
Smoke tried to get a hold of the situation. He desperately tried to look around the room, but it was empty, except for the golden radiating sphinx in front of them.
The DarkElf resented himself. How could he have placed Igniz, Espion, Weise, and Rasant in such a dangerous situation. They currently had no chance of winning against a level 700 monster.
"Igniz, Espion, Weise, Rasant, forgive me for bringing you into this mess. I had no idea that we would be up against such a legendary monster."
Smoke sincerely apologized to his men before they would be killed. As a sonstwelter he could revive, but these moments could very well be the last moments his Zectian companions had.
The great sphinx curiously draw near the DarkElf.
"DarkElf, you speak highly of your men and treat them as family. Andrais thinks that killing you now would only bring back Andrais' boredom faster. Also, Andrais appreciates such acts of heroism and valor because of this, Andrais shall test your wits. Answer all of Andrais' questions correctly, and not only will Andrais let you escape Andrais shall even reward you."
Smoke couldn't begin to explain the wave of solace that went through him.
"Oh, great Andrais. I'm truly grateful for giving me this test, but may I place my life alone? I wish for my companions to be free in exchange for my own life."
The great sphinx angrily raised his right claw and was about to strike the DarkElf down. Fortunately for Smoke, Andrais managed to stop himself.
"Ignorant DarkElf! You are in no position to give Andrais conditions! Make one wrong answer and you're all dead."
Smoke immediately knelt to the ground and bowed down. He quickly signalled his men to do the same.
In a hushed voice he told his men to hide their weapons and to make no attempt of attacking the great sphinx.
"Forgive my ignorance, oh merciful Andrais. I was only afraid for their lives, but no excuse could be valid enough to question your authority. Please do with us what you will."
The DarkElf desperately tried to get on the great sphinx's good nature.
"Stop it! Cease your pathetic attempts of appeasing Andrais. For now Andrais shall continue to let you live. Are you ready to answer Andrais' first question?"
"Of course. We are only alive by your gracious will."
"A convicted criminal was given a chance at salvation. There were three rooms with an exit that led to his freedom. The first room was completely filled with flames, the second room was filled with hidden Assassins equipped with sharp blades, and the third had three lions that haven't eaten in a year. Which room should the criminal pick?"
Rasant quickly answered before Smoke.
"The room filled with Fire. If he has high tolerance to Fire like Smoke then he could pass that room with ease..."
The DarkElf quickly held his hand over Rasant's mouth and stopped the orange Maneator from talking.
"That isn't our answer. Rasant was just thinking out loud for us. The condition for the convict to have high Fire resistance is not a sure answer."
Smoke pondered on the three rooms for a few more seconds and finally spoke.
"It is the room filled with lions."
Confused at the answer, Rasant immediately turned to the DarkElf.
"Why? Do you think the convict has a high dodge rate and can fight the lions barehanded?"
Andrais looked to Smoke. The great sphinx indicated that he wanted to hear the DarkElf's reason for choosing the lions.
"Well, the two other rooms only has a slim chance at survival, but the room filled with the dead lions is a sure thing."
Rasant asked Smoke once more.
"But the sphinx didn't say the lions were dead?"
To which Smoke replied with.
"Three lions can't survive for a year without eating. Even if they became cannibals and ate each other, they would still die in that span of time."
"Ahhh!"
Exclaimed the orange Maneator as he finally realized the answer.
"Good choice DarkElf. Next, Andrais would like to hear your orange Maneator answer this one by himself."
Everyone in Smoke's party shuddered. Rasant had always shown his rash personality. They could only hope that it was a yes or no question.
"Tell me eager Maneator, what happens once in a second, twice in a millennium, but never occurs in the course of a lifetime?"
Without a second thought Rasant answered the great sphinx.
"Easy, the letter 'N' Weise recently taught me how to read. I find the letters 'N' and 'Q' to be quite amusing."
The great sphinx smiled. He was amused at the orange Maneator.
"Correct."
Andrais grabbed Rasant with his claws and pushed him to a different side.
"Now, I want the young Spy to answer this one. A man wanted to enter an exclusive tavern but had no idea on the password of the secret entrance. He patiently waited within an earshot of the door. A tavern member walked up to the door and knocked. The doorman opened the small peep hole and said, 'twelve.' To which the member replied, 'six'. The first tavern member was allowed entry. Minutes passed, and a second member arrived at the secret tavern door. This time the doorman said, 'six.' The member answered, 'three' and was allowed inside. After hearing that much, the man thought he had cracked the code. He confidently walked up to the door and knocked. The doorman said ,'ten' and the man boldly answered, 'five.' But he was denied access to the tavern. Tell me, young Spy. What should the man have answered?"
Espion thought that he was very lucky with his question. It was common for a Spy to decode passwords and messages.
The young Spy was mumbling to himself for a couple of minutes. Slowly he exhausted all the possible answers in his head.
"The man should have said three."
The great sphinx snickered.
"Tell Andrais your reason, young Spy."
The great sphinx asked. As he wanted to hear Espion's logic.
"That's because the tavern members answered the length of the spelled out number and not the half of the number. Imagine if the doorman said seven? He would have to answer with three and a half."
"Very good!"
Once more, Andrais separated them. He grabbed Espion and placed him together with Rasant.
"Next, Andrais wishes to have the wise looking gray Maneator answer this one."
Weise readied himself and listened closely to the great sphinx.
"Lost in the forest, you luckily find a broken-down wooden bridge which crosses a dangerous looking ravine. The ravine is too threatening to try anything else to cross it except by using the bridge. You need to make sure if you can cross the bridge safely. Fortunately, you recognize the town over the bridge to be, 'Veritasitus'. Everybody who lives there are cursed to tell lies or truths. You're tired and you know there is a main road to your hometown if you go to Veritasitus. Then, you see three people across the bridge.
You shout out over to them: 'Are you truth-sayers?'
The first man says something inaudible.
The second person yells, 'The first one says he's a truth-sayer.'
Then, the third one there bellows, 'No, that's not what he said. The first one said he was a liar-sayer.'
Well, gray Maneator, which should you ask to know if the bridge is safe to cross?"
Weise sat down and started writing into his imaginary paper. He kept thinking out loud to himself about how the three men could act.
"If I assume that the first man is a liar and the question was 'Are you a truth-sayer' what would be his response? It needs to be a lie so he would say he was a truth-sayer. On the other hand if he was a real truth-sayer then he would still have to say that he was indeed a truth-sayer. With this much I know that the second man is also a truth-sayer because regardless if the first person was a truth-sayer or not he was sure to say that he was a truth-sayer. I don't need to think about the last person, he is only there as a distraction."
The gray Maneator looked to the great sphinx and answered him.
"I will ask the second man if the bridge is safe enough to cross."
Andrais chuckled as he set Weise aside with Rasant and Espion.
"Now, it's your turn. Dark ember sprite. Step forward little purple fireball."
Smoke was troubled. Igniz did not have the ability to talk, the DarkElf had no idea how his symbiote could answer.
"There is a rich impatient man. He wants to fill up an entire room that has a volume of twenty cubic feet in a second. Tell Andrais, what should you use to fill up the room?"
Igniz smiled as he heard his question from Andrais.
The dark ember sprite floated closer to the great sphinx and shone a bright purple light to best of his ability. Igniz's radiance temporarily blinded Smoke and his companions.
"Very well done. Andrais is pleased to have such smart intruders. Now, you may join your friends to the side."
Igniz flew towards Espion and the Maneators. The great sphinx returns his focus to the DarkElf.
"You're the last one DarkElf."
Smoke readied himself. He wasn't sure if he was prepared for the great sphinx's question, but he had a gut feeling that he could answer it without a hitch.
"Tell Andrais, how many questions has Andrais asked all of you?"
