In a grand hall that radiates magnificence and elegance…
The King of Egypt speaks, his voice clear and audible to everyone in the hall. However, he does not look at them, instead staring at a distant point, piercing through everything, as if seeing something beyond reality itself. The others, however, gaze into a crystal ball, seeing the same thing the King sees.
"Have the gates been opened? Has the connection between Earth and our world been made? Then, time is running out quickly… What a fortune. As long as the people of Siris hold such hatred towards the Earth humans, things will only worsen. And now, the Earth Egyptians have set foot on our land—but they are too weak to make a difference. They won't even be able to defeat a beginner-level beast at their current level."
A mysterious smile appears on the King's face as he continues:
"The strongest among them is at the ninth level of body rehabilitation."
He pauses for a moment, the smile still etched on his face.
"Is this a joke? How did they discover the gates—especially the gate to this world—with such weak levels?"
A silence falls in the hall, no one able to respond, before he continues:
"I understand now. It seems they cannot enter a deep slumber to break through the second phase of the power system. It seems they haven't even discovered the second level yet."
His eyes remain fixed on the Earth Egyptians, watching them as they explore cautiously, their faces tense. Without turning to anyone, he says:
"What do you think? Should we help them? Give them a hint of our knowledge?"
The army commander requests permission to speak, and once granted, he says:
"No, my Lord, we must not help them. You know the prophecy—they will return, and we must unite with them against the threat of other races and the higher beings who fought Ra and his sons. They must become stronger—stronger than ever—because we know the threat and what happened in the thousands of years that have passed."
The High Priest requests permission to speak, and once granted, he says:
"As the Supreme Commander said, I suggest we test them and give them a hint that will guide them toward strength. We should not help them directly, making them rely on us—but rather, give them a chance to rely on themselves."
The King nods in agreement:
"I like your idea, High Priest."
He then asks:
"And what is the future pattern for this, Priest?"
The Priest responds quickly:
"You know well, my Lord, that reading future patterns is difficult and requires much preparation. This is one of the secrets of Egyptian civilization."
The King nods in understanding:
"That's fine, take your time—I want to know when you are ready."
He then gestures with his hand to the commander without looking at him and says:
"Send a beast—a beginner-level one."
He continues watching the Earth Egyptians seriously and says:
"And send a unit of the army as well. If they defeat the beast, let the unit fight them and train them. If they are defeated, let the army kill the beast and protect them—but don't care about them afterward. They failed the test this way."
The commander understands the order and sends a team with the beast to intercept the Egyptians.
Not much time passes before the unit arrives and releases the beast to attack the group of Egyptian warriors.
A fierce battle ensues.
The warriors feel the overwhelming power of the beast and the fear it induces, realizing how weak they truly are. But instead of surrendering, they use tactics and teamwork to hold their ground.
The King speaks:
"Although my judgment was correct—they are too weak to fight a beginner-level beast—still, their cooperation reduces their weakness."
He smiles again and says:
"I would love to say they'll be defeated… but they will win in two minutes."
The commander is surprised and asks permission to speak:
"This is impossible, my Lord. I can take down dozens of beginner-level beasts with a simple press of my button, but this is a mid-level beginner beast, and humans at this level of body rehabilitation can only defeat beasts at the very lowest level. If they fight in teams, they might only be able to kill a beast at the very first level of beginners. Are you saying these Earth Egyptians will defeat a mid-level beginner beast? How is that possible?"
The King does not respond, his eyes still focused on the Earth Egyptians, seeing what others cannot see.
"Watch… and learn."
He smiles, a strange interest in his eyes.
It takes only seconds before the beast is defeated by one of the warriors with a sniper rifle, a shot to its head causing it to fall to the ground.
The entire hall is stunned—except for the King, who had predicted what would happen.
The High Priest and the commander are shocked, while the royal minister quickly analyzes the weapon:
"Did they use explosives and iron to create a device that fires small pieces of metal using pressure and engineering? Oh, this seems deeper than that… I don't fully understand it."
The King asks:
"What do you think of this weapon? It seems to have several forms."
The King appears to have easily analyzed the weapon, as if nothing could escape his eyes.
The minister responds enthusiastically:
"This could make our weapons more effective in wars against other races. If empowered with Heka energy, it could kill first-level soldiers and seriously injure second-level ones. It won't defeat higher levels, but that doesn't matter. Our problem has always been numbers—and this weapon solves that problem."
The commander asks, with doubt:
"But it only fires one shot—how does that solve anything?"
The minister responds:
"I'm not referring to this type alone—wait until you see the other types. You'll understand when the Earth Egyptians kill the Siris Egyptians."
The commander stares into the crystal ball.
The unit commander, who is also watching, seems surprised but takes the matter seriously, following the King's orders to begin the fight.
While the warriors try to catch their breath and celebrate their victory…
But their rest and joy don't last.
Before long, the army surrounds them, and the commander appears, looking at the commander of the warrior team.
Without warning, the attack begins.
The warrior commander shouts to his anxious friend:
"They've been watching us all along. Protect the sniper! Use rifles and swords!"
Then he yells:
"Formation one! Protect your brothers' backs—we must get back to our families!"
The warriors quickly take up a defensive position. Though they are weaker, they fight fiercely. They know the only way to return is to face the fight head-on.
Each time one of them is on the verge of death, another stands by his side. There's a wonderful harmony among them. They use firearms, but none of the army are injured—just slightly pushed back.
The commander fights his opponent, trying to provoke him:
"Hey! We're not here to fight—we're explorers!"
No response.
"Don't understand me? Did the cat eat your tongue?"
But no matter how much he tries to provoke him—no answer.
Inside, the commander feels astonished.
"This man is much stronger than me… and he hasn't used all his power yet. We must flee. I regret that this beast would have been an important research paper—but survival is the priority, and getting everyone out safely."
Then he feels something strange.
"Why do I feel so familiar with this man and this army… are they Egyptians… this is strange."
Finally, the warriors are defeated.
They expect to be captured and prepare for it—but…
The commander speaks sarcastically:
"You are weak. Why did you come? Were you seeking death?" Then he looks at them and notices their resolve and their refusal to be broken by defeat. He advises them:
"Know this: your weakness requires you to become stronger. There is no place for weakness in the center of worlds."
The commander is surprised to hear the man speak in Arabic—though with an old accent mixed with the spirit of hieroglyphs.
He looks at him defiantly and says:
"Tell me then—how do we become stronger? Do you have the second level of the Heka system?"
The commander does not respond immediately—but smiles:
"Search for my Ka and Ba energy."
The commander is shocked:
"There are other energies besides Heka that we can use?"
---
The Next stop: No more delay, the second level emerges.
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If you liked the chapter, let me know! I want to hear your honest thoughts about the story and this chapter in particular. With just one chapter left until the end of the first arc, now's the time to speak up - your feedback will help shape the second arc!
Major Revelations:
1-Future Patterns have finally appeared! (This was a painstaking system to design, so I'm excited to hear what you think).
2-The Three Energies are now fully introduced:
- Heka (𓁩) - The most crucial energy
- Ba (𓅽)
- Ka (𓂀)
(Yes, these were authentically used by ancient Egyptians!)
Chapter Questions:
- What do you predict for Heka's second mastery level?
- With Heka being the dominant energy, how do you feel about the power balance so far?
- General thoughts on events/ideas up to this point?
(This is your last chance to influence Arc 1's finale before we dive into Arc 2!)