Germain didn't rush to step through the gate.
Instead, he stopped just outside the Boundary Gate and set up a teleportation lantern.
That left him with seven unused teleport lanterns in reserve.
Only then did he begin walking once more toward the towering gate.
In typical expeditions to the Dark Continent, travelers would take to the sea — journeying from one of the Six Continents to reach the Boundary Gate, then setting foot onto the Dark Continent's mainland from there.
But Germain had gone in reverse.
He'd broken into the Dark Continent's interior first, and only afterward made his way back to the Boundary Gate — to carve out a proper, official route.
"Reverse pathfinding."
That was the term for it.
He extended a hand and pressed his palm against the cold metal of the gate.
After confirming there were no traps, he gathered his aura, letting his Nen surge outward in a powerful wave.
Rumble—
The Boundary Gate, weighing over 256 tons, swung open under Germain's push as effortlessly as a normal door.
Once everyone had passed through to the other side, Germain released his grip, allowing the massive gate to close again with a thunderous boom.
"Whoa."
Bisky let out a gasp, her hair tied up in her usual twin buns — but she wasn't marveling at the gate.
What caught her eyes was the beast waiting for them just beyond it.
A lion-bodied creature with powerful muscles and thick, fluffy fur.
Its face was that of a human — intelligent, cold, and unreadable.
Massive wings were folded across its broad back as it crouched low, eyes locked onto the group like a predator watching prey.
"That must be the 'Sphinx' the old man — Netero — mentioned," Bisky muttered.
As someone who had crossed the Boundary Gate twice in his lifetime, Netero had, of course, shared every detail of his experience with Germain's party before their departure.
The Boundary Gate.
The Sphinx...
All of it had been covered.
And clearly, even after more than half a century, that intel was still accurate.
This was their second trial —
To safely pass through the Sphinx's courtyard.
"The Sphinx loves to ask difficult, morally complex questions," the old man had warned.
"Your answers will directly affect — even alter — aspects of your reality."
Of course, the fastest way to get through the courtyard…
Was to kill the Sphinx.
However, whether it was the Gatekeeper or the Deep Sea behind it, what they despised most was rudeness—especially those arrogant enough to behave recklessly in their domain.
Germain didn't want to offend the Gatekeeper right from the start.
And he certainly didn't want to provoke a demigod.
That would not only be dangerous for him personally, but it would also hinder the opening of new sea routes.
So, for now, it was best to follow the rules here and answer the Sphinx's question.
The Sphinx's golden vertical pupils swept over the faces of Germain and the others.
It slowly raised a front paw.
"I am the Sphinx," it spoke in a woman's voice, using the common language of the Six Continents.
"Three of you must each answer one question."
"If all three answer, everyone may pass. If even one refuses, then none of you will go through. You may choose among yourselves which three will answer."
Just as Chairman Netero's intel had described, the Sphinx would choose the number of questions and participants based on how many people were present.
The maximum was three people.
The minimum was one.
And based on the responses, the Sphinx could alter reality—granting either a "blessing" or a "curse" to the one who answered.
They had already discussed beforehand who would respond if this situation came up.
Now, with only a few exchanged glances, three people stepped forward.
Germain.
Bisky.
And Morel.
Shizuku stood at the very back, her hands clasped behind her curving hips, silently watching the three walk toward the Sphinx.
"Who will go first?"
The Sphinx didn't care who answered in what order.
However, its vertical pupils lingered on Germain for just a brief moment longer.
"I'll go first," Morel said, planting his long smoking pipe into the ground like a cane.
The Sphinx gazed at Morel for a moment, then asked,
"Your disciples, Knuckle and Shoot, lie gravely injured and unconscious..."
"There is a terrifying and cruel monster, far stronger than you, chasing after you."
"If you want to escape, you can only take one disciple with you, or else the monster will catch up. How will you choose?"
When Morel heard Sphinx mention Shoot and Knuckle, he already guessed what kind of question it would ask.
Even with this preparation, after hearing the full question, he still furrowed his brows, struggling to decide for a long time.
Sphinx did not set a time limit. In theory, Morel could think about this question forever since it was not wasting Sphinx's time.
After a while, Morel smiled in relief and answered, "As expected, I still cannot betray my heart to make a choice."
His gaze was firm as he said, "In that situation, even if the chance is slim, I will try to save both my disciples at the same time."
Sphinx remained unmoved, speaking coldly, "Is that your final answer?"
"Yes, I choose to escape with both of them."
"Very well, as you wish."
Shhhh—
In the next moment, Morel suddenly spat out a spray of bright red blood.
Pain struck him fiercely. After a dizzying spin, he almost fell, but the large smoking pipe in his hand supported his strong, tall body.
"Morel!" Bisky was shocked and hurried close, asking with concern, "Are you alright?"
Germainan also looked over, his expression serious.
After taking several deep breaths, Morel waved his hand at them, "I'm fine, I'm fine... really, I'm okay…"
He spat a mouthful of bloody phlegm onto the ground, looking quite battered as he lifted his head to face Sphinx.
"Because I decided to save two disciples, I was badly injured. Is that right?"
"That's correct," Sphinx replied coldly, looking down without any hint of emotion.
Morel cracked a smile, blood streaking between his teeth. "Then let me ask you—since I'm still alive, does that mean I managed to save them all?"
Sphinx stared at him without a word.
"Looks like 'silence' is your answer," Morel laughed heartily, not caring about the blood flowing from his wounds as the small healer, Shizuku, approached to bandage him.
Shizuku's technique wasn't as skilled as Cheadle, Sanbica, or Gel, but it was enough for emergency care.
"Honestly," Bisky sighed, rubbing her forehead in frustration, "Even at a time like this, you still argue about details…"
"Forget it... Sphinx, I'm next. Ask me," she said.
Sphinx's vertical pupils locked onto Bisky.
But Bisky stood calmly, hands on her hips, fearless.
After hearing Sphinx's question to Morel, she had already figured out the pattern and guessed several possible choices that could be posed to her.
After a moment, Sphinx finally spoke, immediately hitting Bisky's sore spot.
"You have two forms: one strong like an ox, the other small like a rabbit."
"I can make your small form even cuter and more beautiful, or make your strong form more fierce and brave."
"But no matter which form you choose to improve, the other form will become worse. How will you decide?"
As expected, it was this kind of question... Sphinx's challenge didn't go beyond Bisky's expectations, yet it still troubled her.
Bisky quickly understood what Sphinx meant.
If she chose to make her smaller form cuter and more beautiful, then when she returned to her stronger form, her power would drop significantly compared to before.
If she chose to make her stronger form faster and more courageous, then when she changed back to the smaller form, her appearance would show obvious signs of aging.
However, unlike the expected hesitation, Bisky almost immediately gave her answer after understanding the question.
"I choose to make myself faster and braver in the strong form."
Everyone looked at her in surprise; they knew how much Bisky cared about her looks and figure.
But at this moment, she hesitated almost not at all and directly chose to enhance her battle power in the strong form.
Because she knew, for the upcoming challenges and the journey to the Dark Continent ahead, strength mattered more than appearance.
*******
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