Apocalypse: Starting With Three Unique Blessings-Chapter 55: Riddle (2)

Magnus watched the council, their hushed discussion a low murmur he couldn’t quite decipher. Yet, their confused reaction spoke volumes. They were clearly baffled by his correct answer to Cassius’s riddle. Finally, the murmuring ceased, and their attention focused on him like a laser beam.

"Mortal," one god boomed, his voice dripping with arrogance, "I am quite surprised you were able to answer Cassius’s riddle. But do not for a moment think you will be fortunate enough to answer mine."

Magnus remained silent, his brow furrowed. Just as he suspected, the council hadn’t wanted him to succeed in the first place. The entire setup felt like a charade. Why present the riddles at all if success wasn’t a genuine possibility? A troubling thought began to take root.

’Could it be the gods can’t directly kill someone and must resort to these elaborate rituals instead?’ he wondered. It was the only theory that made sense, but he pushed the thought aside as the god prepared to deliver his riddle.

"Mortal, for your second trial, answer this," the god continued. "I am the beginning and the end, the container and the contained. I embrace all things, yet am touched by nothing. I am the path, but I have no destination. What am I?"

Magnus’s brows knitted together. The beginning and the end... that suggested a circle. Container and contained... A thought flickered in his mind.

’Is the answer the universe?’ he pondered.

The universe seemed close, but something felt off. The riddle seemed to point towards a concept, not a physical entity. Besides, the universe is touched by things – time, matter, energy. So, what could it be? The phrase "touched by nothing" seemed to be the key. What was untouchable, even by time itself?

His frown deepened as he wrestled with the enigma.

Meanwhile, the twelve gods observed Magnus’s struggle with open satisfaction, especially Thoth who had asked the question.

He was certain this mortal stood no chance against his carefully crafted riddle, subtly designed to lead him astray.

"Mortal, why don’t you just give up?" Thoth taunted. "Your fate is sealed. There’s no way you’ll solve my riddle..." He didn’t get to finish. Magnus’s voice, firm and confident, cut through the air.

"Infinity," Magnus declared, his eyes blazing with certainty. "The answer is infinity." He had wrestled with the riddle, but once he grasped the concept of "touched by nothing," the solution had become clear. It was harder than the first, but he was sure he had it. What was unaffected by time, space, or matter? What contained all things yet was contained by nothing? What was the path without a destination? Only infinity fit.

Thoth froze mid-sentence, stunned by Magnus’s answer. "Mortal, what did you just say?" he stammered, utterly shocked.

"I said the answer to your riddle is infinity," Magnus repeated calmly.

The moment the word left his mouth, Cassius’s voice erupted like a thunderclap. "Impossible! There’s no way any mortal could have solved that! You’re cheating!" An immense pressure descended upon Magnus, a crushing weight against his very soul.

"Mortal, explain how you arrived at that answer this instant, or I won’t hesitate to obliterate your soul!" Cassius roared.

Magnus felt the pressure bearing down on him, but anger surged within him, eclipsing the fear. Gritting his teeth, he retorted, "Are you suggesting the so-called Council of Gods is incompetent?"

"Insolence! How dare you utter such blasphemy before your gods!" Azrael’s thunderous voice echoed through the chamber.

"Mortal, apologize immediately before I obliterate your soul!" another god chimed in, clearly offended by Magnus’s audacity. Magnus, however, wasn’t about to back down.

"Apologize? For what, exactly?" he challenged.

"For daring to speak such insulting words to your gods!" another god responded.

"Insulting? I never insulted you. In fact, it was Thoth who insulted you all by implying a mere mortal could cheat right under the noses of the council. Isn’t that an admission of your incompetence?" Magnus countered, his voice sharp and unwavering.

"You!" Thoth sputtered, the pressure on Magnus intensifying.

But the other gods fell silent, a flicker of realization in their eyes. Magnus was right. To suggest a mortal could deceive the entire council undetected was indeed a grave insult, a blatant accusation of incompetence.

"Thoth, enough," the goddess from earlier intervened, her voice still filled with motherly kindness. "The mortal has answered your riddle. There’s no need to stoop to bullying."

Cassius hesitated for a moment before lifting the pressure from Magnus. It was humiliating enough to have resorted to such tactics; he didn’t want to push it further. However, a new respect for the mortal was beginning to bloom. To solve two of their riddles suggested an intellect that rivaled even the gods, especially considering the complexity of his own.

Magnus, feeling the pressure release, glared at the assembled gods. He was incredulous that such elevated beings would resort to intimidation simply for answering their riddles correctly. His perception of them had undergone a complete transformation. He had once held them in high esteem, particularly after receiving a divine gift upon arriving in Aetherium. Now, however, that reverence had vanished. They were nothing more than arrogant, power abusing entities in his eyes.

While these thoughts swirled in Magnus’s mind, the council engaged in a hushed discussion. They were deeply unsettled by his ability to answer the first two riddles. They knew they had only one remaining chance to prevent his success.

"Thoth," one of the gods inquired, "how confident are you that he won’t be able to answer your next riddle?"

Under normal circumstances, such a question directed at Thoth, the most intelligent of the twelve, would have been met with outrage. But Magnus’s performance had put them all on edge.

"Very, very confident," Thoth stated firmly. He had held back before, underestimating Magnus, but now he intended to unleash the full force of his intellect. He didn’t believe the mortal stood a chance.

"Okay, we trust you," the god replied, and their collective attention returned to Magnus.

Thoth fixed a steely gaze upon the mortal before him. "Mortal," he began, "I’m not sure how you managed to answer the last two riddles, but don’t think it will work this time. Prepare yourself for your third and final riddle."

Magnus steeled his resolve, his gaze locked onto Thoth. He hadn’t initially believed he could succeed, but having come this far, he refused to be defeated. He’d come too far to lose now.

"For your third and final riddle," Thoth announced, "answer this: I exist where time folds upon itself. I am the echo of what was, the whisper of what will be, and the silence of what is. I am the key to all locks, yet I open no doors. I am the answer to all questions, yet I reveal no truths. What am I?"

Magnus’s brow furrowed immediately. This riddle was undeniably difficult.

Thoth, meanwhile, wore a smug expression. He was certain Magnus couldn’t possibly solve this one. He’d eat his head if the mortal succeeded.

Magnus racked his brain, his frown deepening with each passing second. Time was running out, and he needed an answer, but he had no idea where to even begin.

Then, a flicker of recognition sparked in his mind. ’Wait a moment... I think I’ve got this,’ he mused, a smile slowly spreading across his face.

Thoth, noticing the smile, felt a pang of unease. ’Does he have the answer?’ he wondered. ’No, impossible,’ he quickly dismissed the thought. There was no way Magnus could have solved it. But... what if he had? Doubt began to gnaw at him.

Magnus’s smile widened into a chuckle. "Potential," he declared, his expression turning smug. "The answer is potential, isn’t it, Thoth?"

"What! Impossible!" Thoth roared, disbelief etched across his face. Magnus, meanwhile, offered a triumphant smile, thanking the heavens for his incredible luck. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

The last riddle had been incredibly difficult, so challenging that he’d initially felt completely lost. But then, something had clicked. The riddle felt familiar. He’d seen it somewhere before, back on Earth. He remembered watching a short video online and seeing the riddle in the comments section, along with the correct answer. He hadn’t paid much attention to it at the time, but hearing it now, on the verge of defeat, had triggered the memory.

"Impossible!" Thoth continued to bellow. Magnus’s smile widened. He had passed.