A question suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
At that moment, the sound of a ticking clock echoed, and sure enough, the shadow of a sweep hand appeared on the sign.
Is it magic?
There seemed to be nothing unusual about the sign itself, so it was probably the case.
The sign itself seemed ordinary, so it was probably the case. The sweep hand moved slowly, completing a full rotation in exactly sixty seconds.
I was even more bewildered by the sudden situation, but then something from my previous conversation with the Iron-Blooded Lord came to mind.
There were five divine beasts in the Badnikers: the deer, the rat, the sheep, the dog, and the snake. Thus, the correct answer here was the deer, which was number three.
Coincidentally, there were four forks in the path. That meant I should take the third path, right?
I thought for a moment and stepped onto the third path.
"Correct answer. The rewards will be increased," an artificial voice echoed. "To stop here, turn right."
A new fork appeared in the tunnel.
Ah, I see.
If I continued straight ahead, I would face another question. But if I turned right, I would be done. I had no idea what question awaited me, but I decided to move forward.
Soon, I reached a wider space where another sign appeared.
2. Choose from the following the one that best fits the description. (2 points)
① Michael ② Gabriel ③ Uriel ④ Raphael
Current Score: 1 point
※Caution※ An incorrect answer results in the loss of two molars.
The points available had increased, and a Current Score section was now visible.
Once again, the clock's sweep hand started ticking.
I studied the question, pondering.
I had no idea. The Badnikers possessed more than one treasure sword, and the sword names were unfamiliar to me. Even I, who had sold the family's treasure sword, had never heard of these names before.
And what was with that warning? Two molars for an incorrect answer? Was it implying they'd pull out my teeth? Who would want that?
I snorted, but I couldn't bring myself to dismiss the question outright.
—Michael.
While I was weighing my options, I heard the Martial God's voice.
"Do you know anything about artifacts?" I asked, feeling as though it had been a while since we'd spoken.
—That's not an artifact. It is a forgotten divine name.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
—Never mind. More importantly, I sense a sinister presence up ahead.
I continued down the first path as I conversed with him.
"Correct answer. The rewards will be increased," the artificial voice echoed again. "To stop here, turn right."
"Should I stop here?"
Perhaps because of my experience with Juan, I was now more willing to heed the Martial God's advice. If I needed information about Senior Brother He Lou, I could find it at the Imperial Academy. There was no need to stick to the snake when it came to signing a contract with a divine beast.
—No. Despite the sinister feeling, there was no immediate hostility.
"Okay."
—Let's continue, Messenger. I'm curious about this too. If anything feels off, I'll let you know right away.
"Understood." I nodded and pressed deeper into the tunnel.
It was a subtle realization, but soon I understood the tunnel was slightly sloping. In other words, the more questions I solved, the deeper I ventured.
The place lacked light, yet it wasn't dark—strangely, I could still see everything clearly.
3. Which of the following races was once considered an intelligent member of the allied powers but is now regarded as a monster? (2 points)
① Kobold ② Orc ③ Lizardman ④ Knoll
Current Score: 3 points
※Caution※ An incorrect answer results in the loss of two ears.
4. Which of the following races, once among the seven most powerful, has become difficult to find today with the fewest members remaining? (1 point)
① Giant ② Dragons ③ Fairies ④ The Winged Race
Current Score: 5 points
※Caution※ An incorrect answer results in the loss of five fingers.
I recognized some of the answers, but most were unfamiliar. To be honest, I didn't know many of them. Yet, I solved the questions effortlessly.
—Lizardmen.
—Dragons.
The Martial God had provided the right answers.
—The one who created these questions must be quite knowledgeable about history.
At first, the Martial God's tone was one of admiration. But by the time we reached the eighth question, his voice changed slightly.
8. The Nameless Empire, the only country on the continent today, started out as a federation. How many countries were there when the federation was first established? Choose from the following. (5 points)
① 5 countries ② 7 countries ③ 10 countries ④ 15 countries
Current Score: 15 points
※Caution※ An incorrect answer results in the loss of the tongue.
Of course, I didn't know the answer to this one either, but I had a hunch it was the second option. After all, I'd heard countless times the legend of the Nameless King, who had united the seven races.
I waited quietly for the Martial God's answer, but he seemed hesitant for some reason.
"Martial God?"
—Number four. There were fifteen countries.
I nodded and stepped onto the fourth path.
The artificial voice congratulated me on my correct answer.
That was a five-point question, I thought.
The Martial God's voice grew more serious.
—It's surprising that someone still remembers the origin of the empire.
"Is that knowledge hard to come by?"
—That's right. It was one of the most turbulent times in the continent's history. No one knew how small actions would be remembered in history, so every opposing faction was intent on erasing each other's records.
"I see."
—Perhaps ancient texts were preserved, or maybe...
The Martial God trailed off.
—Let's continue for now.
I followed his advice and kept walking, coming across the next question.
9. Choose from the following the demon king with the most different nature. (5 points)
① Green-Tongued Demon King ② Black Swamp Demon King ③ Blood Moon Demon King ④ Colorless Demon King
Current Score: 20 points
※Caution※ An incorrect answer results in the loss of one arm.
At this point, I took my first real look beyond the tunnel. An odd feeling told me someone on the other side was watching me.
—Hmm...
For the first time, the Martial God, who had been answering without pause, hesitated.
—This question is strange. The criteria for a different nature are highly subjective. It's unclear how we should judge this. In the first place, the gods of disaster are the rulers of Hell, natural transcendent beings. From a human perspective, they've all been lumped into the category of demon kings, but in truth, they have little in common. Each is a unique being. Messenger, what are you thinking about?
"I just noticed that I have a lot of enemies aiming for my arm," I complained before glancing back at the question
I had already encountered three demon kings, and as the Martial God had just mentioned, they were all distinctly different.
Just comparing Ahop and Tantata—their appearances, auras, and abilities couldn't be more unlike.
Beyond that, I already knew which demon king had the most different nature, vague as that phrase might be. No matter how dissimilar the demon kings were, only one was from a different world.
I still had time, but I stepped onto the fourth path without hesitation.
—Messenger? You're rushing—
"Correct answer," the artificial voice echoed, and the Martial God fell silent, slightly embarrassed.
Upon reflection, while the forgotten Martial God was familiar with Bai Luguang, he ddidn't seem familiar with his disciples. He must've been shocked to learn Bai Luguang had taken any at all.
I suddenly became curious as well.
Suddenly, my curiosity flared. Why had my master suddenly decided to take on disciples? Why had the first one been Senior Brother He Lou? Could it be tied to why Senior Brother He Lou had been expelled?
Once again, I realized how little I truly knew about my master.
By the way, how many questions are there in total? I wondered.
At this point, it felt as though I had descended deep underground. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, a new sign appeared. This one was different from the others, though. It showed only two paths.
10. Choose the right answer. (10 points)
① Left ② Right
Current Score: 25 points
※Caution※ An incorrect answer results in the loss of your life.
Was this for real? No clues, just left or right?
—Messenger.
"Wait a minute," I interrupted the Martial God.
Hadn't he mentioned sensing a sinister presence beyond here? Even if this being wasn't outright evil, it definitely wasn't decent either.
Meanwhile, the clock kept counting down.
I studied the question again. The risk was clear. If I made the wrong choice, I would lose my life. Given that, I wondered whether this would be the final question. The only clue offered was the choice between two paths.
Should I just give up? Why not go back the way I came and turn right?
I considered it briefly, then shook my head. It seemed unlikely that such a meticulous question architect would offer a decision like this without reason. There had to be a clue hidden somewhere.
I closed my eyes, letting the ticking clock fade into the background. I retraced the earlier questions in my mind, trying to imagine the mindset of the one who had created them.
This is an erudite and brooding individual. They enjoy toying with others, with a cruel streak.
Perhaps I was letting my biases cloud my judgment, but putting everything together, these qualities suggested a person with a strong sense of reward and punishment. There had been several moments when I could have quit, but each challenge solved had brought greater rewards.
Would such an individual come up with such a ludicrous question at the end?
At that moment, an unnatural alternative choice materialized in my mind.
I calmed my racing thoughts and slowly opened my eyes.
The remaining time was likely only a few seconds. I counted down inwardly, Three, two, one.
At last, the sweep hand stopped moving.
Nothing happened.
"Correct answer."
Not only that, but the artificial voice echoed again, and a new passage appeared between the two paths.
I exhaled deeply. "What a sinister bastard."
My guess had been right.
My guess had been right. Unlike the previous questions, there was no from the following prompt. This meant there was no correct answer among the choices, so the only remaining option was to choose nothing at all.
It was an obvious trap, but the pressure of the ticking clock, combined with the momentum of the nine previous questions, had created a mood that pushed you to act.
I glanced at the newly revealed space, exhaustion setting in.
What the hell is this bastard up to? A mix of curiosity and dread filled my mind. I both wanted to see their face and dreaded it.
For now, I walked toward the central cave.
The moment I stepped into the unusually dark space, it felt as though an unknown liquid was engulfing my entire body. The shock was brief, but I soon recognized the sensation. It was similar to the feeling when I teleported using the ring Assad had crafted.
Like before, my vision went black before gradually clearing.
I was confused. Should I call it a library?
Books that would normally be neatly arranged on shelves were scattered across the floor, with one pile towering like a mountain. Strangely, there was water on the ground, but the floating books remained completely dry.
I continued moving, scanning the room, and quickly realized that calling this place a library was inaccurate. The room was cluttered with all sorts of strange objects—vials of reagents, a beaker, brain cells, internal organs, and unidentified monster parts. A skull-shaped candle rested among them, while stuffed animals and bizarre dolls dangled from the ceiling and walls. In the center of the room stood a table with a glowing crystal ball atop it.
However, the most attention-grabbing object in the room was a cauldron. on. It simmered with what appeared to be green porridge, stirred by a staff that moved on its own.
This doesn't look like the work of a mage , I thought. More like a witch's workshop.
Honestly, I wasn't sure what exactly separated a mage from a witch.
I scanned the room once more. There were no signs of life. Could the owner be absent?
"I didn't expect such a young man to answer all ten questions correctly." A voice broke the silence, muffled as though suppressed by something.
If my ears weren't deceiving me, the voice came from beneath the pile of books in the center of the room.
At that moment, the stacks of books started to stir.