Chapter 409: Sphinx

"DO YOU WISH FOR ETERNAL YOUTH? A SIMPLE RIDDLE AND YOU SHALL ATTAIN IT." A voice from somewhere stated and Adrian looked at the source to be non-other than the sphinx.

[You are under the influence of the Sphinx.]

[You cannot access the chat while under the influence of the Sphinx.]

[You cannot tell lies while under the influence of the Sphinx.]

[The Sphinx does not like bloodshed on its own territory, so fighting is not allowed in its presence.]

[Skills and Attacks cannot be used in the area where the Sphinx is.]

[All skills will be locked until you are no longer under the Sphinx' area of influence.]

"Eternal youth? Sorry but I already have that." Adrian replied and the sphinx stared at him with full eyes.

"A demon. I did not know why such a being covets my treasure. It merely maintains your youth which would be ineffective to timeless monsters like you." The Sphinx stated.

"You dare call us demons as monsters when you are a monster yourself. You even lie that the artifact that you are guarding as a thing that can only retain youth. Do not mock me, guardian!" Adrian stated while laughing.

"You dare mock me! I should just make you vanish from where you are standing." The sphinx stated in a threatening tone.

[Your soulbound Charon has died.]

Adrian did not know what to do upon hearing the notification because he could not really move from his location. The aura that the sphinx radiated locked him in place, but he was not frightened.

[You cannot move due to the pressure that the Sphinx is placing on you.]

A black shadow like entity suddenly manifested a few meters away from Adrian. The shadow like entity is none other than the Shadow Fiend. It looked at the sphinx with desiring eyes, but it suffered the same status anomalies that Adrian is experiencing.

The Shadow Fiend looked at Adrian with malice, but it could not move because of the sphinx. The sphinx could feel the desire that the Shadow Fiend and it knows why it came to this location.

"You! Guardian! Give me what I seek!" The Shadow Fiend stated as it changed its form.

The porcelain looking mask started to fuse with its whole body while its body that looks like it is just made of shadows became humanoid in shape. Adrian thought it was laughable what this Shadow Fiend wants.

"It wants to use the Sands of Time in order to reverse its own time. It wants to revert itself back to a person. The curse of the Goddess of Darkness did turn it to that which means only a god or artifact made of a god could reverse what is done." Adrian thought.

"You cannot order me around. A mere copy dares to order me!? You have no right to proceed in this trial. Begone, foul creature!" The Sphinx shouted as it blasted a ray of light from the serpent in its headdress.

The Shadow Fiend could not evade as it just melted away in the light. It looked at Adrian one last time to memorize his face. The shadow fiend burned Adrian's face on its mind so that the main body could remember even if its copy perishes.

The Sphinx then returned to its resting position and stared back towards Adrian. It once again conversed with Adrian.

"Do you wish to answer my riddle? Unlike that copy, you presented yourself to me and even undid some of the temporal corridors that I made. It is very impressive for a greater demon to managed to break my traps in a short amount of time." The sphinx stated.

"I guess that you cannot attack me because I am following your rules. But yes, I did undo all the temporal corridors because it was constantly sucking my health away. I actually really wanted to know how you did that." Adrian stated to engage in conversation.

"You do not need to worry and just answer my question. Do you want to answer my riddle?" The sphinx asked one more time.

"Fine! If I answer correctly then I want to be able to use the Sands of Time. I know that you are guarding it because time in this area is volatile to the point that I could not even cast temporal spells. But I want to know, what will happen to me if I answer wrong?" Adrian asked.

"Like the ones before you, you will forfeit your life if you answer correctly. Worry not as I will use your life force as nourishment for the tomb to stay afloat. A lot of energy is used for this dungeon after all." The sphinx answered.

"Okay. I accept the risks." Adrian replied.

"The riddle is simple. What goes on four feet in the morning, two feet at noon, and three feet in the evening? You have all the time in the world to answer but I am not the patient type. I want to have my beauty rest." The sphinx stated.

"What goes on four feet in the morning, two feet at noon, and three feet in the evening?" Adrian mumbled as he thought of an answer. Riddles are really not his forte because it has been forgotten due to the more popular memes.

"This riddle should be based on one of the books or stories in the real world because that is what Pandemonium is all about. A collection of stories from the real world all weaved into one chaotic mess hence the name Pandemonium." Adrian thought as he used all his brain power to think of an answer.

"Do you have an answer?" The sphinx asked.

"Give me a bit more time." Adrian thought as he tried remembering the books that his father made him read.

"The riddle should originate from a famous book. I am pretty sure that Oedipus has mentioned a sphinx once. I just got to remember what the answer for that riddle." Adrian thought as he suddenly remembered that two of his soulbounds has a specific ability that could help him.