Pharaoh's Tomb

Ancient Egyptian cities were bustling with activity.

Vendors loudly hawked spices, pottery, amulets, and carved idols.

Children ran and played through the crowds, while hymns chanted by priests drifted from afar, as though the entire city were steeped in a mysterious and solemn atmosphere.

"Those sacred relics are powerful alchemical artifacts, things wizards could never make." The one-eyed old man introduced them to Ian, his voice carrying undisguised envy.

He was a wizard.

There was no doubt about that.

Anyone who had been connected to the temples in an age when the gods walked among men could only have been a wizard. After all, there was no equality for all in feudal times. Only wizards were qualified to become priests serving the gods, and the people those priests associated with would naturally also be wizards. Among the supernatural, the class divide between wizards and Muggles was even more pronounced.

"A test?" Ian raised a brow. "What kind of test?"

The old man looked around before speaking, reverence tinging his voice. "The gods—they love testing mortals most of all. Ra, Anubis, Set, Isis... every god has their own way. They may appear before you as travelers, priests, or even animals, then offer you a riddle or a trial. If you complete it, you earn their recognition. If you fail... you either gain nothing, or disappear forever."

As he spoke, a strange gleam flashed through his eyes, as if he had personally experienced those legends.

"You think they're merely gods who watch coldly from the sidelines? No. They enjoy toying with fate. They enjoy watching mortals struggle to survive. They're like... the protagonists of a story, while we mortals are merely actors in their script." The one-eyed old man truly seemed to have lived through a few legendary tales.

His words carried