MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 1337: Riddles

Anthony felt himself being teleported to another location. He felt the ground under his feet. He opened his eyes to see that he had appeared in what seemed to be a palace of some sort. Within this palace, there was no stench of death, or graves, or anything related to death here. It was almost like the forest where he had met Nature’s Savant.

Anthony couldn’t help but keep his guard up. Around him, there were nine other candidates, as though some sort of trial like the one he had just left was waiting. Anthony didn’t react. He knew it wasn’t that type of scenario, or it would be repetitive.

Of the nine standing before him, six of them were from the top Organizations that Anthony was familiar with. As for the rest, Anthony was sure they were also from top Organizations too.

"How long are we going to wait?" one said impatiently.

The moment those words left his lips, the wall seemed to ripple like water that a stone had been dropped into. As the wall rippled, it then vanished as a man stepped out from it. He was a Human, dressed like a Grim Reaper as though he was cosplaying. But no one dared make such a comment despite all of them thinking the same thing.

"Congratulations to the ten of you," the Grim Reaper started to speak. "You are all welcome to Master’s resting place," he stated calmly.

At the Grim Reaper’s words, eyes widened as they instantly understood that this was The Lover Of Death’s specific tomb. They couldn’t help but wonder how a palace could be someone’s tomb. But everyone had their tastes and preferences.

"Each stage has been fighting and killing till now, but that changes from this point on, as this is Master’s resting place," the Grim Reaper continued. "The test for this area is simple. The ten of you will walk into the passageway behind me. You will be asked various riddles. The first to answer all five riddles wins the greatest reward within The Sleeping Hollow, while the rest will be sent to the other domains until the Sleeping Hollow closes, which will be the moment the winner finishes receiving the reward," he stated.

"A riddle?" a genius asked, as it seemed ridiculous, but she dared not make a mockery of it. They had come too far for any mistakes.

"The only clue you get is that each answer is related to death in one way or the other," the Grim Reaper stated, answering no questions or caring about their thoughts.

The Grim Reaper stepped out of the way and gestured into the dark passageway as he spoke, "You all may enter."

None of them stood around. They all walked forward and stepped into the passageway. The moment Anthony entered, he felt a dark light descend from above, enveloping him as a voice came.

"For this round, all abilities, Laws, techniques, and anything that isn’t ordinary will be sealed until after the round," a voice came from above.

Anthony didn’t react as he simply let the dark light do its thing.

[Ding]

[Every ability Host possesses till now has been sealed]

[Nullify?]

’No!’ Anthony replied.

[Affirmative]

The system vanished at the order.

"Please note that there are five questions, and only five. If you fail one, you are disqualified," the voice continued calmly. "Does the participant understand?"

"Yes," Anthony replied, ready to put his intelligence to use.

"First riddle," the voice came.

"I am what remains when warmth has finished its work. I remember the shape of what I was, but possess none of its strength. Wind may scatter me, water may carry me, and time may bury me. Yet from what I become,

others may one day rise.

What am I?"

At the riddle, Anthony’s mind spun as he searched for anything related to death that wind might easily scatter. It didn’t take more than a second to arrive at an answer.

His lips opened as he answered, "Ash."

The dark light cloaking him flickered, then the voice came again, "Congratulations, participant Anthony."

Anthony said nothing and simply waited for the second riddle.

"Second riddle," the voice continued.

"I enter without knocking and leave without a door. While I remain, a silent rhythm continues. When I depart, the rhythm follows me. I am neither life nor its absence, but the thin boundary between them. Every living thing possesses me, yet none can keep me forever.

What am I?"

’It got harder,’ Anthony thought to himself as his mind shuffled between answers that best suited the riddle. Although it was hard, with his intelligence, it wasn’t much of a challenge to him.

"A last breath," he answered after a moment of thought, as that was the only answer he felt made any sense at the moment.

This time, the riddle didn’t say any congratulations; it simply jumped straight to the third question.

"Third riddle," it stated.

"I am older than every memory and younger than every forgotten thing. Kings have entered me without crowns, and heroes without their names. I do not destroy the body, nor silence the voice. I merely make it so that, eventually, no one remembers that either ever existed.

What am I?"

Anthony fell into his thoughts again. His lips opened to say an answer, but he said nothing as he shook his head. Although it was a bit of a race against time since the other nine candidates were here, he wasn’t going to rush and give a wrong answer.

"Oblivion," he finally answered, although he wasn’t sure at the moment. After all, the hour could just decide it was another answer.

"Fourth riddle," the voice moved on, acknowledging the answer as the right one.

Anthony couldn’t help but smile, but said nothing. Although he rarely got to use his intelligence, he enjoyed moments like these.

"I never choose who approaches my shore. I never ask what they carried in life. Gold cannot purchase my favor, and tears cannot purchase another crossing. I have carried tyrants beside their victims, cowards beside their heroes, and children beside the ancient. Yet I myself have never crossed the water.

Who am I?"

At the question, Anthony couldn’t help but arch an eyebrow, wondering if the riddle was suddenly easy. Even the dumbest cultivator out there should know the answer, right?

"The Ferryman of the Dead, or Charon, anyone you choose to call it," he replied, giving two answers, just so the voice wouldn’t play tricks.

"Final riddle," the voice came again.

"I can outlive the flesh that created me, yet I possess no body of my own. I may be carried by a stranger who never knew the one who gave it birth. I can grow weaker without dying, and die without a body being buried. A single generation may preserve me, while a thousand generations may erase me. I am the only part of a dead man that can still change after his death.

What am I?"

At the question, Anthony couldn’t help but sigh for a moment. A smile touched his lips as he proceeded to answer, as he already knew the answer before the riddle was completed.

"Memory," his voice low, as though the riddle somehow related to him on a personal level.

At Anthony’s answer, an explosion tore through the entire place as the dark light cloaking him exploded, as the same voice echoed.

"Congratulations, Null Anthony. You may proceed forward," the voice stated.