I planted a sacred tree in Tokyo.

Chapter 615 Thebes, Your High Priest Has Returned!
After a few days,
"Gentlemen, we have passed Luxor and are heading towards the 'Ancient Upper Egypt' region."

A ground effect vehicle sped along the desert, kicking up clouds of yellow sand behind it and leaving a straight trail, like a speedboat cutting through the waves.

Since the advent of the supernatural and the subsequent escalation of danger in the oceans, ground effect vehicles have seen significant development: these vehicles, which fall somewhere between airplanes and ships, possess both impressive speed and considerable carrying capacity, making them the preferred choice for mobile forces in various countries.

At the same time, it is also an essential means of transportation for a large number of 'adventurers'.

As for drawbacks such as high price, short lifespan, and high risk, these are not problems in this era!

Being able to get ahead of others is an absolute advantage.

Amir served as both guide and translator.
Pointing to the golden light outside the window, it was diligently playing its part.

"As you can see, once you leave the Nile, there is nothing but sand."

Egypt is arid throughout the country. Except for the Nile Delta and the northern coastal areas, which have a subtropical Mediterranean climate, most of the rest of the country has a tropical desert climate: the Libyan Desert in the west is part of the northeastern Sahara Desert, and the Arabian Desert in the east. In short, it is all yellow sand.

"If you are planning to explore the ancient Egyptian pyramids, then only Thebes in Upper Egypt is likely to be the only place where they might exist."

Ancient Egypt can be roughly divided into two parts: 'Upper Egypt' and 'Lower Egypt'.

Simply put, it refers to the upper and lower reaches of the Nile River.

Upper Egypt has a dry climate and its economy is mainly based on agriculture and mining, relying on the Nile River for its livelihood; Lower Egypt receives more rainfall, and its economy depends more on fishing and trade.

As for other places?

There are only a few people in the scattered oases.
Therefore, "Children of the Nile" is not an exaggeration, but a realistic depiction.

Thebes?

Several blond, blue-eyed white men—cough, no, white adventurers—exchanged glances.

They came here to 'hunt for treasure,' so they must have done their homework; but since they had nothing better to do, teasing this boy to pass the time was a good idea.

“Amir, tell me, how much do you know about Thebes?”

"Yes, sir."

As an ordinary teenager who fled all the way here and managed to get a job as a 'guide', Amir had long since honed his ability to read people's expressions, so how could he not hear the teasing in the other person's tone?

But what does it matter?
His job is to make the other person happy as long as he gets paid.

Thebes, known as the largest city in the world 3,400 years ago, was called the "City of a Hundred Gates" by the ancient Greek poet Homer.

The term "City of a Hundred Gates" does not mean that the city has a hundred gates, but rather that the city is a magnificent place that is said to have 'a hundred city gates'.

Writers, regardless of country, mostly like to exaggerate. In the past, people only thought it was a rhetorical device. But now we have to consider that maybe Homer wasn't exaggerating at all?
This was the height of Egypt's prosperity. The annual silt deposits from the Nile River produced enough grain to not only feed the people but also provide them with wealth. This enabled successive pharaohs to build numerous temples, palaces, and tombs in Thebes.
"Outside the world-famous Karnak Temple, two rows of sphinxes and rams lie prostrate."

"And there's the famous seated statue of Ramses II."

In the boy's mouth, countless wonders were slowly recounted: it is reasonable to call it an ancient civilization, because Egypt in that era did indeed create many wonders that still look magnificent today.

The pyramids, the giant seated statues, and the grudges buried in the sands of history. What were once just legends and stories may now hide secrets of extraordinary powers!
slap slap slap,

"Not bad."

The white leader of the group couldn't help but clap and admire.

I never expected that the guide and translator I hired on a whim would have such insight.

Pity.
"This damned place is completely empty now."

A white man couldn't help but mutter aloud. Outside the window, the sun hung high, casting rings of white light, and the view was filled with scorching heat. The monotonous sand dunes stretched endlessly into the distance.

Even though they were sitting in this 'ground effect vehicle' with the air conditioning on, their skin still felt a burning stinging sensation.

"Sir, Thebes was destroyed by a massive earthquake more than two thousand years ago. Now—"

Is it just a waste of time?!
"Ok?"

The other white man piloting the 'ground effect vehicle' suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey friends, is that pyramid at 3 o'clock marked on the map?"

"Let me see--"

impossible!
As the others opened their tablets, Amir looked to his right in surprise.

A magnificent pyramid, bathed in sunlight, with its top shimmering with light, like some kind of spherical glass.
Egypt has a few hundred pyramids, not many, but not few either. In order to earn money from tourists, Amir memorized all the books and information about them.

Are there pyramids in this area? Probably not!
They are currently located near Nasser in Egypt, which is close to the area where Thebes is located, but still several tens of kilometers away.

And it's more than 50 kilometers away from the Nile River—how could there possibly be pyramids in this godforsaken place?!
Don't be fooled by the fact that the pyramids are tombs and assume they're located in the middle of nowhere; in fact, most of them are situated around cities.

For example, the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Sphinx are located on the outskirts of Cairo.

Even if ancient Egypt had advanced agriculture, it would have been impossible to travel tens of kilometers to build such a wonder: given the environment there, the resources required would have easily crippled an empire.

"No? No!"

"Wow, it looks like we've won the lottery!"

"Hurry, hurry, turn, turn, drive past—"

After repeatedly comparing the maps, the white men immediately started shouting excitedly.

The pyramids on the map don't exist. If they were normal people, they would definitely hesitate because of doubt. But they came here to seek extraordinary power, and encountering such an 'abnormal' thing is the greatest gain.

As the 'ground effect vehicle' drew a semicircle in the desert, it carried the excited and bewildered crowd straight toward the pyramid.

Oh?
At the top of the tower, where light shimmered, an invisible figure surveyed everything.

Has a 'destined person' already come knocking on the door so quickly?
Let's see who the 'lucky one' is~~
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"Oh my God,"

"This height definitely surpasses that of the Great Pyramid of Giza!"

"It's about 300 meters high, and if you include the part buried by the yellow sand, the height is even more terrifying."

The group, having landed their ground-effect vehicle, looked up at the magnificent pyramid, which, in both height and size, completely surpassed the Great Pyramid of Giza. If the Egyptian government wasn't collectively blind, then there was only one possibility:
"Praise the Lord, we have finally encountered an extraordinary relic!"

"Shut up!"

"You should praise 'La,' you idiot!"

As the saying goes, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. This is the ancient Egyptian pyramids. Praising the Lord here—are you sure you won't be instantly killed by a ray of sunlight?
"Quick, quick, get the tools out!"

Urged on by the team leader, several white men immediately carried the instruments down one by one.

Ground penetrating radar, small electromagnetic induction device, vibration monitoring instrument
Since they came to search for the secrets of the pyramids, these high-tech tools were naturally indispensable; as they roughly attached and installed the devices into the pyramid, various scientific methods began to sweep across this behemoth.

"Come on, let me see inside you, baby~~"

The team leader then opens a heavy, box-shaped computer, uses LiDAR to scan the external structure, and generates a high-precision 3D model to simulate the possible internal mechanical support structure.

As data was fed back, the internal structure of the pyramid on the computer was gradually simulated, corrected, and pieced together.

Finding or encountering this eerie pyramid is only the first step;
Before the Egyptian government can react, rush in and grab anything of value!

Once the government discovers it, it's someone else's good fortune, not theirs.

"Very good, very good!"

As the internal structure diagram was simulated on the computer, the team leader suddenly stood up.

“Amir!”

"Sir, what can I do for you?"

The curly-haired boy lowered his head, making himself appear exceptionally respectful.

"Come help me move these things!"

"Yes!"

Without asking any questions or hesitating, Amir, under the leader's command, began unloading tools from the 'ground effect vehicle'.

Facing the pyramid, these 'tourists' no longer concealed their fanaticism and greed; gun holsters were revealed beneath their pulled-back clothes, and the skulls printed on the unloaded crates silently spoke of what was inside.

In this day and age, the government's deterrent power has declined dramatically.

In the past, people were willing to take any risks for money; now, what wouldn't they do for superhuman power? Anyway, once they possess superhuman power, the so-called government is nothing more than a stray dog ​​on the roadside: with overwhelming power, it's easy for one person to take on an entire nation.

The descendant of the God of Destruction, 'Ie', has already performed it.

Amidst their busy work, a long object was inserted into a hole drilled into the tower.

boom----! !

A violent explosion rolled across the desert, its sound echoing in all directions.

"Hurry! We don't have time!"

The team leader, who was hiding on the other side of the pyramid, got up and ran, and the others followed: if before they could still hope that the government was blind, then after they forcibly demolished it like this, they could only hope that the Egyptian government was still deaf.

"Follow me, follow me!"

A group of people rushed to the gap that was still shrouded in smoke, and under the leader's command, they began to clear away the rubble with crowbars.

As stones of all sizes continued to roll down the slopes of the pyramid, soon:

"found it!"

A dilapidated, pitch-black entrance appeared before them.

There are passageways inside the pyramids; otherwise, how could the pharaoh's sarcophagus have been placed inside?

Of course, these passages are all secrets, and after the pharaoh was buried, they would definitely be sealed off, leaving tomb raiders in the dust: that's right, in addition to being a wonder, the original purpose of building the pyramids was to prevent theft!

It's made of millions of tons of boulders, clearly placed here. How are you going to steal it?
However, in the face of high-tech detection and reckless blasting, mere giant rocks are no match for people.

"Put on the respirator,"

As one by one, people put on their ventilators, even Amir got a set: before he could say anything, the team leader gestured with his chin toward the dark cave entrance.

"Get in!"

Hey,
Amir didn't say anything, turned on the miner's lamp on his mask, bent down and went inside.

The interior of the pyramids is actually not complicated, and there are no traps or mechanisms. The millions of tons of stone are the best protection: what can break through this defense is not afraid of any traps. Wearing respirators, we walked in headfirst, constantly sticking fluorescent tape on our faces along the way.
As technology advances, if it weren't for the need to save time, devices like drones and robotic dogs would be even safer.

Bending down and moving forward along the straight, sloping passage, the group soon arrived at the first room.

"Ok?"

There was no stone coffin here, but instead a statue that was four meters tall with a jackal's head and a human body.

The statue holds a key to the underworld resembling a cross in one hand and a long spear of hell in the other; its jet-black body is adorned with a golden headdress, arm armor, and belt. Even its eyes are emerald green gemstones—it's clearly priceless! However—

"It looks so new?"

A white man uttered a quiet gasp of surprise.

This figure is undoubtedly the famous 'Anubis'.

It is indeed majestic and magnificent, but it shows no signs of age whatsoever, which makes one wonder.

"That proves we've come to the right place."

The team leader couldn't contain his excitement as he looked at the towering statue of the 'god of death' from ancient Egyptian mythology.

That narrow passage was not wide enough for such a huge statue to enter.

But before that—

Turn around,

The team leader's gaze fell on Amir.
"Sir, I don't want anything."

The boy, with his hands raised, tried to survive by being obedient, but the response he received was:
The dark muzzle of a gun.

boom! boom! boom! boom! boom! boom!
He fell straight backward, without looking at the convulsing boy, and the team leader turned around and coldly gave the order.

"Keep exploring."

"Yes!"

No one else was surprised: the guide was supposed to be disposed of anyway, no matter what they had discovered.

It's just a human life anyway.

In this era, we are like ants.

hateful
The sound of footsteps fading into the distance could be heard. The boy, his body growing colder, lay on the ground, only able to twitch unconsciously.

Dying?

Amir had anticipated this scene.

But when the coldness and darkness truly surge in, there is still a sense of resentment—

Of course he was unwilling! Why did he have to be killed?

Just like their home,
This place, where our ancestors lived, has suddenly become someone else's land.
'Um?"

'A vibrant, resilient, and tenacious soul?'

Whether it was a hallucination before his death or a stroke of luck, an intriguing voice suddenly echoed in Amir's mind.

Who?
Who I am doesn't matter, what matters is that I can save you.

I promise!
Before the voice could finish speaking, all of Amir's spirit and will were concentrated into this sentence.

Whatever you want me to do, body or soul, I'll do it!
'Ah, good.'

------

"Quickly! Full speed ahead!"

In the distance from this magnificent pyramid, billowing smoke and dust rise as a large number of off-road military vehicles rush toward them.

The khaki camouflage paint and uniform military attire: there is no doubt that the Egyptian military has received intelligence and is rushing this way.

In modern society, even the wilderness is not truly empty: various signal towers and power transmission networks, like a dense spider web, cover everything. Moreover, the previous explosion had alerted the area's advanced early warning systems.

Upon hearing the news of the bizarre appearance of a giant pyramid that shouldn't exist in the area, the Egyptian military immediately rushed to the scene. Reconnaissance aircraft that arrived first had already spotted it:
A ground-effect vehicle parked beneath the pyramids, along with various tools scattered around.

There are tomb raiders!

"Damn it! That's our superhuman!!"

Inside the speeding military vehicle, the commander slammed his fist heavily on the steering wheel.

Needless to say, someone had already discovered the pyramid and entered it, which must have filled the Egyptian government with shock and anger.
If the other party takes it—

Boom, boom! ! !

What are you afraid of?

Just as a group of military vehicles sped towards them, the pyramid suddenly began to tremble.

The violent tremors created ripples across the desert like water, causing the off-road military vehicles to brake suddenly.

"Hahahahaha!!!"

Amidst the domineering laughter, the pyramid, in the eyes of the many Egyptian soldiers, collapsed, disintegrated, and turned into yellow sand.

Instead of scattering downwards, the yellow sand defied common sense and surged upwards, gathering together and quickly transforming into the shape of a bald priest.

The colossal sand priest rose from the earth, opening his arms as if to embrace the world.

"I was sealed away for three thousand years,"

"He has suffered the torment of being devoured by insects again today—"

The unknown language uttered by the giant had a strange charm, but its meaning had already clearly landed in everyone's minds.

"Finally back in this world!"

As if to welcome his return, countless sounds rose from the rolling, roaring, and howling winds of the desert:
"Imhotep! Imhotep! Imhotep!"

(End of this chapter)