Magus: A Supernatural LitRPG Saga (Apocosmos Book 2) by Dimitrios Gkirgkiris (romantic love story reading TXT) 📕

producing a thick stream of smoke landed in my hands. The item was warm to the touch and no matter how much I tried to keep the smoke inside my clenched fists, it kept escaping, enveloping my whole arm.

Item: Ever-Smoking Orb of the Sphinx

Type: Magic Item

Durability: 1200/1200

Rarity: C Grade

Weight: 2st.

Description: This extremely rare magic item is testament of the approval of a Sphinx. As long as the owner stays true to themselves, the orb will continue to emanate smoke that can't be hidden or sealed while the item is outside of the owner's inventory.

"Thank you," I muttered, yet before I was able to say another word, the sphinx turned its gaze away.

We did it. We passed the test.

Leo didn't even have to go through with the riddle for our quest, though knowing him, he had already prepared a question that would provide him with a life-long advantage--perhaps something like the factors that play a role in whether a weapon would break while enchanting it, the formulas that determine damage, or maybe even a source of new spells.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sphinx's voice, which boomed out louder than before.

"My kind," the Keeper of Knowledge said, "value knowledge and honesty above everything."

Leo took a step back and I noticed his knees tremble. Was he experiencing the same pressure of the sphinx's gaze I'd felt?

"Yet this creature is the personification of deceit," the sphinx continued, and momentarily bared its teeth. They looked a lot more like the ones lions have than those of humans. "It's very nature is deception, and yet under the hard light of truth, whatever lies have flowered will swiftly wither and die."

The sphinx flapped its wings so hard we were barely able to keep our footing, Leo having it hardest of us all. Halastur, the Keeper of Knowledge, let out a loud roar and a piercing blue ray of light traveled from his mouth directly at Leo's chest. I moved forward, trying to grab his shoulder and pull him away from the attack but was frozen with fear when the sphinx glanced at me again, its eyes now glowing and alternating colors rapidly.

"Do not dare to interfere," the sphinx said, and I had to force myself not to cower back in fear.

The blue ray became a cloud and enveloped Leo, hiding him from our eyes. For a few moments, the glowing blue cloud remained unmoving and all we could see in it was Leo's form shifting, his limbs moving at unnatural angles, cracking sounds echoing around the chamber--though there were no sounds of pain coming from him. Once the shifting stopped, the sphinx swiped its right wing, sending a gust of wind toward him, and instantly making the cloud disperse.

Yet the person who emerged looked nothing like Leo.

"What did you do to him?" I shouted at the sphinx. "Where's my friend?"

It was a tall slender woman that stood before us now.

"If this is not your friend," the sphinx replied calmly, "then this creature probably knows where he is."

"Enough with yer games, damn ye," an exasperated Rory said. "What do ye mean?"

"Take a look for yourself," the androgynous face said, and spread its wings. "Fare well."

With that, the sphinx launched itself toward the opening in the ceiling above, revealing a shimmering portal behind where it has been standing. But my attention wasn't focused on the portal. When I looked at the creature that had replaced Leo, I felt my jaw drop.

Name: Viki Anthur

Race: Doppelgänger

Class: Iron Knight

Level: 33

11

Nightfall

"What the fuck is this shit?" I said, immediately drawing my swords and stepping in front of Louie.

Rory took out his war hammer and stepped toward the muscular woman that was only now opening her eyes.

"We've been played, half-Celt," he roared, and kicked the doppelgänger in the belly, knocking her to the ground.

The woman's slender body convulsed in pain, yet nothing showed on her pale face. Her pupils flashed yellow, in stark contrast to the carbon-black painted band around her eyes, making her look threatening.

Rory, however, was not easily intimidated. Before she was able to pick herself up, he pushed her down against the floor and kept her there with his war hammer on her chest.

"Who is this woman?" I asked Rory, and then turned to face her. "What have you done with Leo?"

"She's a shapeshifter," Rory bellowed, pressing the hammer harder. "Talk damn ye!"

"What is there to talk about?" she replied, her voice smooth and calm. "It's all over now."

"The hell it is!" I shouted and stood above her, my swords touching her neck. "Tell us where Leo is, or--"

I cut my sentence short as she pushed her head up, the edges of my swords piercing her neck, blood running down it. Her eyes narrowed, hatred directed at me through her yellow slits.

"Or what?" she hissed. "What are you going to do about it? Kill me and lose any shot you've got at finding your friend?"

"Let's see what ye think once I bust yer knees, ye fucking scum," Rory said and raised his hammer up above his head.

Before I was even able to think about whether I should stop him or not, the woman moved her feet to the side, and the hammer landed between her thighs. Not wasting a single breath, she pushed herself back using the hammer's head as a launching point, swiftly escaping the range of my swords. Yet as soon as she stood up, an ice crystal flew over my shoulder and pierced her ankle, one of the only parts of her that wasn't covered by the brigandine armor she was wearing. According to her HP bar on my party screen, the spell had a minimal effect but glancing at her debuffs, I understood why Louie had done it.

Name: Ice Crystal Aura

Type: Debuff

Level: 4

Effect: Reduces the target's Movement Speed by 20% for 60 seconds

Time Left: 59 seconds

Description: Once the ice crystal has pierced the target's skin, it disrupts the flow of