Ancient Egyptian cities were incredibly lively.
Vendors loudly hawked spices, pottery, amulets, and carved idols.
Children ran and played through the crowds, while priests' sacred chants drifted over from afar, as though the entire city were steeped in a mysterious yet solemn atmosphere.
"Those sacred artifacts were powerful alchemical items, things wizards could never create." The one-eyed old man explained to Ian, his voice carrying unmistakable envy.
He was a wizard.
There was no doubt about that.
Anyone who had managed to gain even the slightest connection to the temples during the age when the gods were active could only have been a wizard. After all, there was no equality among all beings in the feudal era. Only wizards were qualified to become priests serving the gods, and the people those priests associated with would naturally be wizards as well. The class divisions among Muggles were even more obvious in the supernatural world.
"A test?" Ian raised an eyebrow. "What kind of test?"
The old man glanced around before speaking, a trace of reverence in his voice. "The gods, ah, they loved testing mortals. Ra, Anubis, Set, Isis... every god had their own methods. They would take the form of travelers, priests, even animals, appear before you, and give you a riddle or a trial. If you completed it, you earned their recognition. If you failed... you either got nothing, or vanished forever."
As he spoke, an unusual light flashed through his eyes, as though he had personally experienced those legends.
"Do you think they are merely gods who look on coldly? No. They enjoy toying with Destiny. They enjoy watching mortals struggle to survive. They are like... the protagonists of a story, while mortals like us are merely actors in their script." The one-eyed old man truly seemed to