The Mummy

As the prayer ended, apart from the black stone tablet still standing on the ground, the surroundings had undergone drastic changes.

William's pupils gradually adjusted to the darkness.

What he saw was no longer the original temple ruins.

Before my eyes, hundreds of thick Doric columns appeared out of thin air, meticulously arranged in rows, stretching as far as the eye could see, seemingly endless.

These stone pillars, engraved with pictures and texts, are all incredibly tall and support the dome.

There are also many statues around.

The closest one was a twelve-foot-tall sculpture of a snake with a ram's head;

Beyond that, there was a man with a ram's head and a human body, carved from ebony, sitting on a moon boat;

The fire-breathing witch, every hair of hers is a writhing cobra.

Beside a door stands Egypt cat cast from black rock, its two hind paws raised upright;

Further on, William discerned a massive stone sculpture with an eagle's head and a human body, holding a longsword...

They are all ancient Egypt, the gods in the minds of Muggle, or you could say the most powerful wizards and sorcerers of that era.

There are intermittent cavities between the stone statues, where countless mummies stand, tall and eerie.

The pale blue flames flickered at their feet, like distant, dim stars.

William was surprised to find so many mummies.

He could understand having statues on the altar, but why would there be a mummy?

The temple may not have served as a tomb!

So, were these things originally there to be guarded, or were they deliberately moved there?

Hermione observed for a moment, then astutely exclaimed, "William, these mummies are all Pharaohs!"

William followed her gaze and, upon seeing a certain object, immediately agreed with her assessment.

Sun worship and Osiris worship were two of the most important aspects of ancient Egypt Muggle religion.

They are all embodied in one image: the "Sacred Eye".

The Sacred Eye... it might sound a bit unfamiliar, but it's arguably the most frequently appearing symbol worldwide:

On the back of the one-dollar bill is a pyramid design, and at the top of the pyramid, within a radiant triangle, is a "Sacred Eye."

And the importance of ancient Egypt, the birthplace of the symbol, is even more self-evident.

Pharaohs throughout history were buried wearing the Sacred Eye bracelet.

The cut surfaces of noble mummies were often covered with a metal disc bearing a Sacred Eye.

As for commoners... they are not qualified to be mummified.

These mummies all wore bracelets with the Sacred Eye on their hands.

They were undoubtedly... the Pharaohs.

The problem is that most of the existing tombs of the pharaohs are located in the Valley of the Kings.

Why is a mummy here?!

William sensed something was wrong.

But the Goblin didn't care; they had gone mad, their eyes gleaming with greed.

Although the pharaohs wore smelly, tattered clothes, they were covered with numerous burial goods.

A rope made of gold statues, silver chains, ocean-blue sapphires, and green pearls larger than pigeon eggs...

Priceless.

The Goblin seemed to be under a spell, their eyes flashing red, and they charged straight ahead.

They planned to take all the treasure from the mummy.

A young Goblin was the fastest and had already reached the mummy, trying to remove the golden mask from his face.

The Goblin had barely touched the Pharaoh when it suddenly screamed in agony as half of its arm began to melt away, emitting a putrid stench.

A strange, clattering laugh echoed throughout the empty hall.

The mummy creaked as it raised its arm and removed the mask covering its face.

There was no face beneath the mask, only a yellowish skull with a few bits of skin stuck to its cheeks, and many black scarabs wriggling and crawling out of the empty eye sockets.

"Whoever disturbs the Pharaoh's slumber, Death will spread its wings and descend upon his head!"

The mummy spoke hoarsely, its voice dry and raspy, as if uttering a curse from the throat of someone on the verge of death.

He stepped forward and grabbed the Goblin with his withered arm.

Despite the pain, the Goblin still raised her remaining arm and cast a spell.

The light pierced through the mummy, shooting out a large hole, but he paid no attention, locking the Goblin in place with both hands from the front.

The two formed a bizarre, intertwined shape, followed by a cracking sound of bones breaking.

It's chilling.

The Goblin's entire chest cavity was ripped open and mangled, and before she died, the mummy grabbed her neck and slammed her head against the wall.

With a single blow, the already barely breathing Goblin's eyeballs popped out of their sockets, a horrifying sight.

Another mummy, its head thrown back, let out a piercing roar that shook the temple and sent dust flying.

With his five bones like hooks, he scooped the Goblin's heart out of her chest cavity and swallowed it whole.

Having absorbed flesh and blood, he was greatly invigorated and gazed even more greedily at the life that had suddenly appeared.

Countless scarabs also emerged from the hard ground.

The dense, stacked mass is enough to drive someone with trypophobia crazy.

They surged forward, one after another, like a river, like a torrent, clinging to the wizard's ankles and climbing up his robes.

After one scarab beetle pierced the skin, all the scarab beetles swarmed in, burrowing into the wizard's body through the same spot and continuing to gnaw.

He screamed in agony, his fingernails digging into his skin, desperate to pry the contents out of his body.

A dozen long, horrifying bloodstains were slashed across his face and chest.

In just a few moments, the wizard was completely devoured. He shriveled up, leaving only a layer of skin; even his bones had been eaten.

The number of teams composed of Goblin and wizards tasked with breaking the curse is rapidly decreasing.

The circle formed by the mummy and scarab beetles is also constantly shrinking.

William and Hermione were also among them, back to back, turning their backs to each other as they continuously fended off attacks.

These mummies cannot cast spells, but the corpse poison on their bodies has a corrosive effect.

Their defensive capabilities and physical strength have also increased significantly.

William waved his wand, unleashing a spell that exploded in mid-air, tracing countless intricate red lines.

The crimson light circled around the backs of several mummies, directly shredding their chest cavities and skulls.

The mummy died instantly, turning into dust, but quickly coalesced again and reappeared beside the stone sculpture.

They rejoined the attack!

It can't be killed!!

Hermione noticed this too, and she exclaimed:

"William, we need to get out of here!"

Leaving... not leaving this temple.

The altar where the inscription was just recited and the location we are in now are definitely not in the same space.

Going back is very simple.

But the black stone tablets were blocked by the pharaohs, preventing them from quietly reciting the inscriptions again.

Besides, now that they were inside, William and Hermione had no intention of leaving.

They have other things to look for.

As the number of Goblin dwindled, more mummies and scarabs surrounded them.

William flipped his wand, twirled his fingers, and shot out a cloud of black mist, as black as ink, which flew toward the mummy.

Inside the temple, a row of mummies turned to dust, and scarabs were torn apart layer by layer by the black mist, constantly being squeezed.

Having gained some space, William swung like a sea eagle, and Hermione leaped up, skillfully climbing onto him and clinging to his head.

William leaped into the air and flew towards the "Metternich Stela" that the Goblin had stolen.

Hermione began to wave her wand, and the air currents swirled and coalesced wildly in her palm.

Without needing to exchange words, Hermione, working in perfect harmony, naturally crossed her legs and locked William's bird head in place.

The girl bent down, and with her years of yoga practice, she was light and agile, reaching out her hands to grasp the stone tablet.

Having already cast a spell on her hands, she displayed immense power, pulling the heavy stone tablet forward and dragging it onto William before quickly placing it inside the Safety Watch.

The movements were executed flawlessly, as if they had been practiced countless times.

William let out a sharp screech, ignoring the resurrected mummy and scarab, and continued flying deeper into the distance.