Chapter 125: Mysterious Library

As tired as he was, he didn't want what he was feeling to disappear. So he twisted the door knob without taking a break this time, Hubris didn't ask he just followed right behind his heels.

They entered a mysterious room bathed in a soft, ethereal hue. It was very warm and welcoming. Right by what should've been a window stood a big ancient table, with two chairs already set on each end.

Atop which rested a chessboard, in the not so usual black and white colours but in ones Kiro couldn't exactly comprehend but to him they looked red and black, that's the best his tiny brain could come up with. A glowing orb was hovering, gifting the whole space light.

Curiosity and determination surged within his heart as they approached the table. Kiro didn't particularly like chess, but he liked the mental stimulation it gave him if he played with someone good enough and where he came from there weren't a lot of those.

They reached it, he gingerly put his finger on each piece, they always gave him the same feeling of zeal, he couldn't wait to get started.

In that moment, a surge of energy coursed through his veins the same feeling he'd gotten before being transported into an arena, and sure enough the room transformed around them.

They found themselves in a great library, books spanning as far as the eye could see. Each book whispered secrets and knowledge waiting to be unraveled. He walked for a distance feeling the spines of the books as he went, enjoying the smell of old books the same.

With the chessboard at the beginning and now books, he didn't have to think hard about what the next challenge would be. They'd clearly pick his brains to see how good they are.

Just then a series of riddles and puzzles presented themselves, designed to test his intellect and awareness. The first riddle appeared before them, etched into the very air they breathed, the words were floating.

"I am the beginning of everything, the end of time and space. I am essential for life, yet can bring destruction. What am I?"

Kiro furrowed his brow, contemplating the riddle. He repeated the riddle to himself, making sure he understood every word, every syllables.

Time seemed to stretch as he picked his brain, taking apart the riddle and putting it together in the strings of sentences.

Doing this made it easier to decipher for him, so it wasn't a sudden surprise when a spark of realization ignited within his eyes.

"It's the letter 'E'," he exclaimed, his voice echoing through the great library.

This took him back to the first trial of the game, when they had to answer the sphinx, only this time, he had no idea what would happen if he answered incorrectly.

"Accepting that you know nothing." He said, after much deliberation.

"Do weapons kill or is it people?"

"This one is just silly. Of course people kill, a weapon would never drive itself into a man's heart, it needs another man to hold it."

There were a lot paintings, they couldn't pass them without answering their questions. Kiro long realised that, there were no wrong answers, the questions were philosophical, they could be debated based on ones perspective.

Time seemed to lose its meaning as he delved into the depths of his own philosophical perspectives. Some questions even made him seriously reconsider his life.

Some confused him, nonethless he emerged from the hall with newfound clarity and a sense of enlightenment. There were no more paintings, just the road ahead. Hubris was enjoying the free ride of not doing anything, he could've of course answered some with his brain but decided he would only interfere if Kiro asked.

They found themselves standing before a colossal chessboard, each piece emanating an aura of ancient knowledge. Across from them stood a figure clad in a robe, their face obscured by a hood. The ancient Chessmaster, the guardian of the room it seemed, spoke.

"To proceed, you must defeat me in a game of chess," the Chessmaster proclaimed with a voice that carried an air of wisdom.

Kiro had no choice but to accept the challenge, the pieces at their disposal mirrored their mental prowess.

With every move, the Chessmaster displayed cunning and great foresight, attempting to outmaneuver and corner Kiro early on. The game wasn't only a battle of intellect but also of intuition and adaptability.

Minutes ticked into hours, Kiro and the Chessmaster were focused and engaged in the dance of wits, each move calculated and deliberate.

But as the game reached its climax, Kiro's perception sharpened, unveiling the delicacies of the Chessmaster's strategy. With a final decisive move, he checkmated the Chessmaster, ending the duel.

"Congratulations young one, you've bested me. As promised, the path is yours to take."

After those words, everything disappeared, only the door remained. A door to an other side that they weren't quite ready for. Every door they walked in, hadn't been kind to them. Although this last bout was by far, Kiro's favourite.

He twisted the doorknob.