The scene shifted, and Tighnari appeared.
"Cyno, judging over 300 people all by yourself. Do you think you're amazing?"
There was anger in Tighnari's voice, but more than that, there was concern.
"Today, I caught them all in one net~ After all, there's no reason to 'cast a wide net' for evil intentions!"
Hearing Cyno's deadpan joke, Tighnari shook his head helplessly, but still offered some praise.
"Your jokes today are a lot better than they used to be."
"Right? I've been thinking about it for ages. Now, come on—let's have an intense match of Genius Invokation TCG!"
Cyno pulled out a card and struck a dashing pose.
Thanks to the Sky Screen's broadcasts, the people of the Douluo Continent had also grown interested in Genius Invokation TCG.
Dori seemed to have spotted a business opportunity. Her eyes narrowed into a smile.
"Cyno still loves playing cards as much as ever. The Ferocious Beasts at the Akademiya have really had their fill of his antics, especially the Scarlet King—no, he's called Akainu now.
"Just using Genius Invokation TCG to get that guy to change his name—that's a real talent of Cyno's."
Thinking of Cyno's antics, Ouyang Kong couldn't help smiling.
After all, with the way Cyno thought, if someone was named the Scarlet King, how could he not play Genius Invokation TCG? Not only did he have to play, he had to be a top player to live up to the name.
The name Genius Invokation TCG came from the Seven Sages under the Scarlet King.
The scene on the Sky Screen changed once more, and an aged voice rang out.
"Our revered lord, priest of priests, Lord Hermanubis."
Hearing that voice, Sethos grew visibly excited.
"That's Grandpa's voice! I never thought I'd get to hear Grandpa's voice again!"
Sethos's eyes grew moist, but he didn't cry. Tears were a sign of weakness; he had long since learned to be strong.
On the Sky Screen appeared a figure with a wolf's head and a human body. It was none other than Hermanubis.
"That lightning was his incarnation, an extension of his will."
"He was once a warrior of Tinaler. He emerged from the desert and served the divine king Deshret."
"After the divine king's death, Hermanubis brought his followers and the people of Tinaler, who had served as priests for generations, to the City of Tulaytullah, where they founded the Temple of Silence."
"That was our beginning. Our duty was to protect the knowledge left behind by the Scarlet King's civilization."
"More than a hundred years later, turmoil broke out in the desert."
"The gilded kings launched one war after another, and the last remnants of civilization were destroyed by the fires of war."
"Only the realm of wisdom, Tulaytullah, escaped destruction under the leadership of the people of Tinaler."
"But peace did not last. The beasts still set their sights on the City of Tulaytullah, which legend said held the Scarlet King's knowledge."
"The king of Gurabad surrounded the city with his army and ordered the wise to surrender the Temple of Silence, so he could display the might of his arrival."
"The city's nobles colluded with the overlord, offering up the Temple of Silence to preserve their own rule. They even claimed that the knowledge stored in the Temple of Silence was the source of the corruption."
"In an instant, the Temple of Silence was besieged on all sides."
"Our revered lord had already exhausted his power trying to stop the corruption contained in the Scarlet King's knowledge from spreading."
"To keep the Temple of Silence alive, he shattered himself and began the rite to pass on Hermanubis's power, entrusting it to a mortal."
"With that power, the Temple of Silence defeated the overlord's army, but we were not hailed as heroes."
"The people of the desert feared this unknown power and rejected us."
"In the end, the Temple of Silence left the desert with the people of Tinaler from the City of Tulaytullah and entered the rainforest."
"The end of the story is easy to imagine. The nobles of Tulaytullah were wiped out, and the fires of war swept across the entire desert."
"As for us, we wandered from place to place to keep our secrets safe."
"Betrayal drove us from the desert into the rainforest. And because we were not trusted, we returned from the rainforest to the desert."
"For so long, for so long, we have waited. At last, the day has come for the glory of Hermanubis to return."
As Sethos's grandfather, Bamun, spoke, the Sky Screen unfolded a scroll of history about Hermanubis and the Temple of Silence, letting the people of the Douluo Continent feel the grandeur of the desert's past.
When the scroll ended, the view pulled back to reveal the Temple of Silence's magnificent architecture, surrounded by many statues of Hermanubis.
Sethos and Cyno stood in the dueling arena, watched by a crowd.
"I am Sethos, a bearer suited to Hermanubis's power, and grandson of Bamun, current leader of the Temple of Silence."
"For ages, we have pursued Lord Hermanubis's true knowledge and power, longing for his soul and light to descend together."
"Now, I will fight to claim that power!"
Cyno, standing opposite Sethos, spoke in turn.
"I am Cyno, the General Mahamatra of the Akademiya, and student and successor to the sage Cyrus. I fight to protect my power, my teacher, and my homeland."
"What about you? Surely there's more you want to say. Since this is a ritual duel, show your true heart before Hermanubis."
Sethos took a deep breath.
"Grandpa was a wise leader, and a chief who bore a bloodstained name. I know what he thought, and I know what he expected of me."
"We have been bound by our faith for a long time. I've been to Sumeru City, and I know the times have changed."
"Cyno, we possess the same power, yet we live completely different lives."
"The spirit of Hermanubis also represents different things: might, glory, and countless unknowns... Perhaps our spirits represent different things. Or perhaps you've found an answer that I never could."
"Cyno, I believe you can give me an answer. What else can I offer besides this power and faith? Come on!"
Then Cyno and Sethos both invoked Hermanubis's power and began their duel.
Pure power clashed against pure power, the battle raging fiercely as their lightning repeatedly collided,
until Cyno withdrew Hermanubis's power and drew a spear to block Sethos.
Sethos understood what Cyno meant. He, too, drew a spear and fought Cyno with it.
Sethos excelled with a bow, so he was naturally a little less skilled with a spear.
As expected, Sethos lost in the end. It had all gone according to plan.
Without hesitation, Sethos gave his own spirit to Cyno. Cyno absorbed it, and Hermanubis's lightning once more blazed through the Temple of Silence.
The scene shifted to Bamun. He slowly closed his eyes and drew his final breath. At the same time, captions appeared on the Sky Screen.
[Bamun spent his whole life living by his faith in Hermanubis. He bought Cyno from his parents so Cyno could undergo a spirit experiment together with his adopted grandson, Sethos.]
[Perhaps it was a wicked deed, but it was his faith. With the last of his life, he set in motion the return of Hermanubis's power, and freed the Temple of Silence from the need to hide.]
[He was a wise man and a devout believer, worthy of respect.] ```
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