The first question it asked was this:

"A wealthy man had two sons. Upon his death, the sons read his will, which stated that they must race their horses to a distant city. The horse that crosses the finish line last will inherit the entire fortune. The two sons began the race, riding as slowly as possible, each hoping to inherit the wealth. That night, they stayed at an inn and told the innkeeper about their dilemma. The next morning, the sons raced as fast as they could to reach the finish line first."

"So, tell me, what did the innkeeper say to them?"

The Sphinx asked, delivering a short question after a long preamble. Crown and his friends gathered together, racking their brains and discussing possible answers, all with serious, furrowed brows.

"Yawn... I'm tired of waiting. I'll just give you the second question now so you can think about them both at the same time. One question alone is taking you forever. If I asked them separately, I'd be waiting here until I starved."

The Sphinx grinned, having already spent an hour waiting for an answer while lazily rolling around.

"Damn it, we're already struggling with one question, and now we've got another one to deal with!"

Crown muttered in frustration. The group decided to split into two teams: one to work on the first question, and the other to tackle the second. The second question the Sphinx posed was...

"On a pitch-dark night, Luke, Mila, Canton, and Anna are on one side of a bridge. They all need to cross the bridge, but they had to use a torch to light the way as it was so dark. However, they only have one torch to light the way and the bridge can only hold two people at a time,

and each person crosses at a different speed:

- Luke takes 1 minute to cross the bridge.

- Mila takes 2 minutes.

- Canton takes 5 minutes.

- Anna takes 10 minutes.

Of course, when two people cross together, they must walk at the pace of the slower person so that they can cross together while sharing the torch. The faster person must walk at the slower person's speed.

The question is: What is the shortest time in which all four can cross the bridge, and how should they do it?"

As soon as the question was asked, the group assigned to the second riddle started scratching their heads, realizing that this was a calculation puzzle, something they were not particularly good at. Meanwhile, the Sphinx went back to rolling around lazily, waiting comfortably for their answers.

.....

Chang Long spent just a day and a half on the ship before arriving at the port of Alexandria, a city named after the one from history. The lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World built by Alexander the Great, was so grand and magnificent that many people, including Chang Long herself, could not help but stare in awe.

Upon arriving at the port, Kimhant was the one who had to pay for the ship fare and the food that Felon had devoured, nearly bringing him to tears. The cost was almost as much as the ship rental from Aseana Island to Europa Island, with most of the expense coming from the voracious pet's food.

"You're so fat now, look at you... You can barely fly, and you're still eyeing food!"

Kimhant complained as they disembarked onto the large port of Alexandria, bustling with both players and NPCs. There were small food stalls selling toasted bread, sweet milk tea, and refreshments to beat the desert heat lining both sides of the street.

"This city feels like we've stepped into the ancient world even more than Troy did. Look at how those NPCs are dressed!"

Chang Long said excitedly to Kitsune.

"That's true, the people here are dressed so differently, and it's really fascinating,"

Kitsune replied, trying to please her. The two of them strolled around cheerfully, looking left and right and taking in the many interesting sights. Meanwhile, Hulu walked with a sullen expression, closely monitored by Devi-chan, who did not even allow him to glance at the roadside shops.

"Hey, missy, aren't there mummy monsters at the pyramids that you can hunt for experience points? You should check it out. I heard some young guys passing by saying that it's really good for leveling up,"

Devi-chan suggested with interest, still keeping a strict eye on Hulu.

"Are you crazy, Devi-chan? A popular spot like that would be swarming with players. Even if it offers good experience, if you get taken down the second you spawn, it's not worth the wait!"

Chang Long replied.

"Well, that's true. So, have you figured out where you want to grind for experience?"

Devi-chan asked.

"Not yet, but I'll figure it out,"

Chang Long answered calmly, not seeming too worried, which irritated Devi-chan a bit, though he did not press further. He followed Chang Long and Kitsune as they made their way to the massive city gate, located over 500 meters from the port. Inside the city, the hustle and bustle were even greater than at the port, with players rushing around as if something exciting was happening.

"Hey, big brother, what's going on? Is something exciting happening?"

Chang Long quickly asked a player passing by, her curiosity piqued.

"Oh, the system just added four new quests, all dungeon crawls to slay beasts and acquire rare items. They're accepting registrations right now, but you have to hurry because there's only half an hour left before it closes!"

The male player replied rapidly before rushing toward the mission registration building.

"Sounds interesting,"

Devi-chan remarked, glancing at his heir.

"Sounds more like a hassle,"

Chang Long replied as she walked past the mission building without even a glance. Instead, she continued to explore the city, enjoying the sights as the evening deepened, making the city even more beautiful. Chang Long and Kitsune wandered around, taking in the sights, until they found themselves in a desolate area filled with ruins of an ancient temple—definitely not the kind of place one would normally want to explore.

"My lord, I can sense the presence of a Reaper Guardian in there,"

Cedric quickly communicated telepathically to Chang Long.

"In... there?"

Chang Long pointed at the old temple ruins, which looked eerie and uninviting, with an expression that showed she had no desire to go anywhere near it.

"Yes, I'm certain!"

Cedric confirmed. Chang Long sighed heavily, pursing her lips as she glanced over at Devi-chan, who was grinning with delight. He knew that the ruins likely housed beasts with levels perfect for Chang Long to farm experience.

"Judging by your face, you seem pretty happy about this,"

Chang Long muttered. She then headed back into the city to stock up on crystals for herself and her two pets. Judging from Devi-chan's expression, this task would not be easy. It took her a while to find a potion shop because the city was vast, and Chang Long had been meandering without paying much attention to the buildings around her. So, she ended up wasting even more time to ask for directions from passing players. Once she and her pets were fully prepared, she turned to Kimhant with a meaningful look.

"You should take your pet somewhere else. It'll be good for basic combat training. If you come with me, you won't get to fight seriously, and your pet is still at a low level. If it encounters a high-level beast, it might just run off."

"Alright, I was actually thinking of having Felon fight a bit too,"

Kimhant agreed. He had been planning to separate and give his chubby pet some exercise to lose weight anyway. Felon was still comfortably perched on his shoulder, licking a lollipop.

"Then let's split up here. I'll contact you once I'm out of those ruins."

Chang Long nodded, and Kimhant acknowledged her decision before taking Felon and heading off in a different direction. Meanwhile, Chang Long had Kitsune lead the way back to the abandoned temple on the outskirts of the city. The temple seemed to be isolated from the main part of the city, quite a distance away. With a sigh through her nose, Chang Long stepped forward into the ruins. The entrance door was warped, leaving a gap wide enough to slip through easily.

Inside the temple was a vast, open space with towering pillars supporting the high ceiling, preventing it from collapsing. The walls and pillars were covered in hieroglyphic carvings, and statues of gods stood along the way, gazing at the visitors with a majestic and imposing presence. About two hundred meters ahead stood an altar dedicated to the god Amun-Ra, the revered sun god and father figure in Egyptian mythology, seated on a throne. However, the head of the statue bore a large scratch running down its length.

"What a bad omen,"

Chang Long muttered, grimacing as she scanned the surroundings. In the dim light of the torches ignited by Kitsune, she noticed that the floors, walls, pillars, and even the statues of other gods lining the path were all marred by mysterious claw marks.

"It's strange. Why don't we see any creatures around?"

Kitsune remarked, glancing around curiously. Despite the signs of damage everywhere, there was no sign of the culprit.

"Maybe they come out after sunset, big bro,"

Hulu suggested, sniffing the air with a displeased expression.

"Almost time..."

Chang Long responded, her gaze shifting to the last rays of daylight that were about to disappear from the temple's entrance in just a few minutes.

Grrrr!

A low growl echoed from the direction of the large throne of Amun-Ra, revealing the form of a large black hyena, almost as tall as a St. Bernard. Its lean, agile body emerged from the shadows, sniffing the air cautiously before turning its blood-red eyes towards Chang Long and her companions.

Howwwl!

A chilling howl pierced the air as the hyena raised its head, as if calling its pack from the darkness to join in hunting the intruders. Within moments, more howls responded, sending shivers down Chang Long's spine. She and her two pets were now surrounded by nearly twenty hyena beasts, each at level fifty, encircling them.

The hyena beasts licked their lips, eyeing their prey hungrily, eager to tear into flesh. As soon as the pack leader signaled, they all lunged at Chang Long and her pets with ferocious hunger.

"Charge!"

Chang Long shouted a command, raising the Sovereign Sword to deflect the claws of one of the hyena beasts that attacked her swiftly. The dark fur of the hyenas and the dim lighting inside the temple made it difficult for her to track their movements until they were right in front of her, illuminated only by the faint light.

However, Hulu and Kitsune had no such issues. Their sharp senses and eyes adapted to the dark allowed them to fight effectively. For them, it was as if the temple were bathed in the light of a full moon, revealing every detail.

Chang Long chose not to summon any spirits to possess her body because she wanted to truly train herself. She aspired to develop keen senses like her pets and to practice the combat techniques she had learned from the time Devi-chan and Hisa-chan possessed her. Although it was much more challenging and complicated than using the spirits' powers.

Devi-chan and Hisa-chan, while concerned for Chang Long, could not help but feel proud. Her desire to become stronger on her own, despite having powerful spirits like Hisa-chan and Devi-chan at her disposal, was commendable. Using those spirits would have made it much easier to defeat enemies quickly and with less risk of harm or loss.

"I really did choose the right person to follow..."

Hisa-chan commented, watching Chang Long fight with focused intent.

"Of course! She is the heir of the great pirate king, Devi Jones!"

Devi-chan boasted proudly.

"Who is Devi Jones? I remember your name being Devi-chan, isn't that right?"

Hisa-chan asked, looking puzzled. Devi-chan froze in his triumphant pose, glaring at Hisa-chan, who had mockingly jabbed at him, which only made Hisa-chan laugh.

"Hmph! That's what's so infuriating. How dare she give a fearsome, dashing, and mighty pirate king like me the name Devi-chan!"

Devi-chan grumbled, clearly annoyed that his once-intimidating name had become something to be laughed at.

"Haha, why be upset, Devi-chan-chan? I think it sounds cute. Look at my name—she calls me Hisa-chan too,"

Hisa-chan said, chuckling at Devi-chan's frustration. Devi-chan, on the other hand, wanted to plant his foot on Hisa-chan's back for calling his name cute. But when he saw how much Hisa-chan admired Chang Long, Devi-chan quickly realized that Hisa-chan was taken with her.

"I think... I'll go help her with some sword techniques,"

Devi-chan said, trying to change the subject.

Hisa-chan smiled cheerfully at Devi-chan before floating over to Chang Long to help her refine her sword techniques, both in attack and defense. He quickly noticed how fast she was picking up the skills, likely because she remembered the movements from when he had previously possessed her.

"Elegant form, sharp swordsmanship. Hehehe, it won't be long before she's worthy of the title of Supreme King. Not even that battle-crazed demon, Beleth de Montes, will be able to match her. My heir has surpassed me, the one who passed on the title of Reaper. She has gained the Reaper's recognition and is now being called to undertake the task of soul fusion on her own... Hehehe, this is getting more exciting by the moment!"

Devi-chan laughed in delight. He could not resist joining in, offering his own guidance. Soon, Chang Long found herself overwhelmed, unsure of whom to listen to as the two spirits were fighting to be the one to teach her.

-----

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