NPC Code: Red Riding Hood

By the time Match and I returned inside the library, the pile of books had disappeared from the table. Instead, those volumes transported themselves somewhere inside the shelves. There was already one peeking in front of us.

"Present." I read the title out loud upon taking it from the shelf. "What is this doing here? We're the only ones inside this library."

I did not sense any magical output until the last minute. Even my map did not place any red marks on anyone. Match couldn't possibly do all of that on her own with only a few seconds. And besides, she was always there beside me. That girl wouldn't dare leave my place even if I asked her to move.

It only meant one thing…

"This place did it. Those books would change randomly if we got the answer right. We just need to find where the puzzle placed the books on the shelves," I exclaimed, and tasked Match to look for the remaining books.

Thanks to our efforts, Match and I found the books. It took us some time before we collected them and placed them back on the table once again. They were hiding in plain sight, given that we only answered one of the four riddles.

If we could answer more of those puzzles, the challenge would increase.

"We have nine books in our hands and three puzzles. It means that there are six wrong words mixed up with the answers," I murmured, while heaving out a sigh. "Well, it doesn't matter for now. And since we all gathered the books, we might as well resume to the second riddle."

Match seconded my suggestion and waited for the monitor to appear. I slid the screen open and pressed the second riddle among the other two remaining.

[Second Riddle: What has roots as nobody sees is taller than trees. Up, up it goes. And yet never grows?]

Judging by the riddle's sentence, it was more complicated than we had imagined. Our boggling eyes made the best out of us after reading such a roundabout riddle. It was as if the puzzle did not want us to win.

It wanted us to lose…

The two of us again browsed the pile of books on the table. We already used the word "Star" on the altar. And the two other books: such as "Fire" and "Light", did not apply to the riddle.

Match was the one that pointed that out. She shoved those two volumes to the side and focused on the remaining six on the table. Since our options lessened than before, it was safe for us to assume that we had a higher chance of winning.

"The riddle has to be something tall. If I have to guess right, I think our best bet would be the words: hill and mountain," Match explained, while sticking out her tongue. It was her own way of thinking things. "What do you think, Red? Do you have any suggestions?"

"I think your thoughts are the same as mine, since hills and mountains fit the descriptions perfectly."

It was what Match had mentioned. The hill and mountain were our answer, but there should be only one book on the altar, or else we would face the wrath of the flying archers! The labyrinth had more dangerous traps stored for us, but we would not dare to know that.

A heavy exhale fled from my mouth after thinking about all the pessimistic stuff inside my head. After brushing it away, I finally approached Match and pointed out the book in her right hand.

"The hill… that's my guess."

"Mine is the mountains, but whatever," Match replied. Since she placed her trust in me, she went along with my decision.

The two of us went outside the library, bringing the two books in our hands. As soon as we arrived on the set, the three altars welcomed our sights.

Our hands shivered upon looking at the spaces of these pedestals, knowing we would feel devilish punishments if we made the wrong answer. That did not stop us from placing the book "hill" on the space.

All we had to do was wait for the pedestal to shake.

We captured the motion, but it was not what we had expected. Instead of accepting the book, the altar rejected it, tossing it in our direction. My reaction time kicked in as I caught the book with my hands, mid-air.

"This whole thing doesn't feel right," I commented, and checked every nick and corner of the entrance. "We better get inside the library and rethink our new plan!"

With my words, Match and I hurried back to the book room, only to see a boulder plummeting above. It was a good thing that I snatched Match away from danger. I placed her behind me, where it was safe, before continuing further to the haven room.

[Warning! Because you placed the wrong book, the cave would experience an earthquake. Please enter inside the library, or else you two get buried alive.]

"You don't say!" Match remarked, while evading the falling rocks from above. "Red, do something!"

"I'm already trying!" I answered.

Despite my reply, there was nothing I could do to stop this from happening to us. I did not have any overpowered skills that could shield us from this earthquake or control the land itself! All I could do was slit the throats of vulnerable people!

I looked upwards and spotted countless stones reaching out to the other wall. Those bumps formed like stairs in my eyes. Since it had already come to this, I cooked up a plan inside my head.

"I have an idea," I said, and hauled Match's hands away from where she stood.

The two of us leapt from one hump to another, travelling at the side and across the entrance. Since I called myself an acrobatic assassin, jumping on these terrains was a piece of cake for me. It did not take us some time before reaching inside the library.

Upon slamming ourselves inside the mouth of the book room, the quaking motion had put to a stop. It was as if the setting knew that we were inside the library that the entire situation did not pursue any longer.

The place had a mind of its own if it knew Match and I got away from that dangerous place.

"You should teach me those moves once we get the time. But for now, I think the answer to that riddle is the book 'mountain'. We should better place it on the altar right away," Match exclaimed, and went outside of the athenaeum.

I tried stopping her, since the place might have left some traps. But my worried expression was all for nought when I already witnessed the book snuggled in the burrowed space.

After a few seconds, the cave collapsed once again. But it was not the violent one that we experienced before. Those shaking motions were the nostalgic ones we had earlier when we placed the correct book on their slot.

"I guess you're right, Match," I said, complimenting her about the solved riddle.

Just like before, the altar succumbed downwards and made a chiming sound. It was the tone that told us that we accomplished our goal. And the answer we gave was correct.

[Second Riddle Complete!]

[What has roots as nobody sees is taller than trees. Up, up it goes. And yet never grows?]

[The answer is a MOUNTAIN]

"Two down, only two more to go," I commented, and stretched out my arms.

I knew that I made a mistake about guessing the wrong word. But all went well according to our plan. As I glanced at my side, Match flashed me a pout instead of a smile.

"I told you that the answer is the mountain and not the hill."

"I'm sorry about that… You're right about the mountain," I answered, and caressed Match's hair.

Match heard my confession as she looked me in the eye. She hugged me from behind and snuggled beside me like a child.

"You don't trust me, do you?" the little girl asked.

"I do," I answered. "This sister of yours is just bad at answering riddles. Don't worry. Those two riddles would be all yours to answer."

Match finally flashed me a beam while holding my hand. My answer was everything she needed as the two of us walked away from the two pedestals.

After accepting my defeat, we returned to the library, only to witness something unusual.

As the two of us stepped foot on the book room, the room magically conjured a second floor. That elevated floor had more shelves and books than the first one. There were also more tables loitering everywhere, with dozens of books that we did not recognise.

The library also did not have any light compared to last time. Upon approaching the first shelf in front of me, a clipped note greeted my eyes.

"What the hell is this?"