"This is?"

"Eat something while we wait. Jack told us you've outside the professor's office for the last two days and you looked hungry."

Neo narrowed his eyes, staring at Jack with a piercing gaze.

Why did you tell them?

His eyes were asking.

Jack whistled and looked away.

"Hey, don't blame Jack. He was worried about you."

Felix stuffed the snacks in his hands.

"Besides, all this is luxury food. Do you know how long I waited in the line for all this?"

Neo, sighing internally, sat on the nearby bench.

The food was too much for him to eat alone.

While he wondering what to do, he noticed Jack and Felix staring at the food in his hand with salivating gaze.

"…Want some?"

"N-no, I'm not hungry." Felix gulped.

Neo clicked his tongue.

"Come eat with me, or I can just throw away the extra food."

"Well, if you insist so much.

"I'm not hungry, okay? I'll just take a bite because you are insisting so much."

Felix hopped to the empty seat next to him.

Jack followed behind her.

"Do you guys need separate invitation?"

Neo stared at Arthur, Mars, Nathan and Sean.

Arthur, Nathan and Mars came.

"Sean, you too."

Sean nodded.

Looking at him, he was clearly feeling guilty about what happened during the mission.

Sean, along with other members, was undergoing therapy to handle the stress caused by the mission.

He understood his actions back then were horribly wrong.

Lucas, Harrison and Cassandra arrived.

They waited at the side for a few minutes.

The principal and the puppet maids came to the venue after an hour.

"I'll make it quick since I'm short on time."

She continued,

"The Sphinx is a formless being, one of the four protectors of the academy and an administrator of the Akashic Record.

"It holds infinite knowledge.

"It can answer almost any question you ask.

"However, be careful of the Sphinx.

"It likes to play with the mind of the people.

"If you value your sanity, don't do anything that could land you in trouble.

"Just go inside, ask the question, get the answer, and return."

Arthur raised his hand.

"What should we not do?"

"Maybe start by not asking stupid questions and instead use your common sense."

"…"

Arthur lowered his hand with an awkward expression.

After a short QnA, Charlotte told them to close their eyes.

She snapped her fingers.

"Don't open your eyes unless you want to go blind.

"Now, if you understand everything, start walking forward."

The students followed her words.

Neo felt himself entering a portal.

He continued to move and entered multiple portals.

"You can open your eyes now," Charlotte spoke after they changed the location multiple times.

They were standing in a giant hall.

White mist gathered near the floor and giant pillars held the roof.

The gate at the end of the hall opened.

Only darkness existed beyond it.

"Go inside."

Following Charlotte's words, they entered the door.

Mars and others with Fire or Light element created source of light inside the pitch black darkness.

However, it was useless.

They could not see anything.

Neo suddenly realized he was alone.

The others disappeared before he could notice anything.

He kept moving forward calmly.

Soon he saw light at the end of the tunnel.

Stepping into the light, he met the Sphinx.

…

Felix's POV

"You are the Sphinx?"

She stared at the giant snake that covered the room.

"I am."

The snake hissed.

Felix had been separated from others.

She arrived at the room alone.

"Where are my friends?"

"They are meeting the other me. Alone, of course."

The hissing voice of the Sphinx crawled under Felix's skin and gave her goosebumps.

"I want to ask—"

"Now, now, why are you in such a hurry? How about we have a small chat?

"It's not every day that you meet The Sphinx."

The giant snake circled Felix, trapping her within its giant body.

Felix recalled the principal's advice.

"I'm honored to meet the great Sphinx.

"Your boundless wisdom stretches far beyond the comprehension of mere mortals.

"Truly, there is no corner of existence, no hidden mystery, no fleeting thought that escapes your all-knowing gaze.

"The universe itself seems to pale in comparison to the depths of your knowledge.

"Each word you utter is a beacon of enlightenment, an endless fountain of insight that nourishes the minds of all who have the honor to listen.

"You are the living embodiment of wisdom itself, a force both eternal and immeasurable —"

"Just ask the question."

The Sphinx, irritated by Felix's machine like response, cut her off.

Felix smiled.

"I want to know the method to kill the Gods."

The Sphinx laughed.

Its eerie laughter was a mix of hissing and rasping sounds.

…

Arthur's POV

"I greet the Sphinx."

Arthur bowed to the being in front of him.

It had the body of a lion, the head of a pharaoh, and majestic wings behind its back.

The Sphinx sat on the ground.

One of its front legs rested over the other with regal grace.

"What is your question, child?"

"…?"

Arthur realized the Sphinx was not trying to do idle talk.

He wondered if the principal's advice was wrong or the Sphinx was not interested in chatting with him.

"I want to know why I have been given the name 'Kingsley'."

"Ho? You are not going to ask about the whereabouts of your father?"

Arthur flinched.

He became wary.

"…How do you know about that?"

"I know everything, child. I know you were raised by your grandfather alone on a mountain.

"I know what kind of life you've lived until a few months ago.

"I know why your grandfather mysteriously disappeared.

"And I know why you are searching for —"

"Shut up!"

Arthur shouted.

He was breathing heavily.

His eyes shook.

"Are you not going to ask about your father because you want to find him yourself?"

The Sphinx smiled.

Arthur glared at it.

"Just answer the question I've asked about."

"Mhm, I thought you would attack me if I poke you a bit.

"Seems like the mission taught you an important lesson."

"What?"

Arthur felt something was weird with Sphinx's words.

It was as if Arthur was the Sphinx's goal.