The space was slightly distorted, and the light and shadows condensed and changed.
Not long after the strange buzzing sound was heard, outside the prototype of the kingdom of God condensed by the white bear Beiluo, a white wolf jumped out accompanied by a silver light.
The dim moonlight flickered on him, and the visitor seemed unable to control its existence very well. But seeing this scene, Bei Luo couldn't help but flash a trace of envy in his eyes.
The White Wolf Zhu Se, the 'Wolf God' and 'God of Glimmer of Light' worshipped by some barbarian tribes, is also his rival and friend whom he has known for thousands of years.
Thousands of years ago, the two of them almost successively obtained the treasures bestowed by God. Later they learned that the treasure was called [Divinity], and from then on they were freed from ignorance and possessed wisdom.
Then, driven by their divine instinct, the two became totem spirits worshipped by two northern barbarian tribes in their pursuit of faith, and they were rivals and fought against each other for a long time.
Of course, this did not last long. After all, the tribe with the totem spirit quickly stood out from the scattered and disordered tribes of all sizes, grew stronger, and thus came into contact with the Olympian gods and humans in the south.
Faced with this unprecedented threat, they all put aside their differences and huddled together for warmth.
However, friends are friends. Due to the difference in power, there is always some difference in status between the two.
In the past thousand years, Bei Luo, whose divine nature possessed the field of [Fighting], had always been the stronger one. He was even much faster in completing the accumulation and becoming a true believer in God.
However, all this changed after Zhu Se came to the fifth level of the spiritual world. This old friend, who was originally only a "glimmer" in the realm of godhood, had some kind of luck and was favored by Lingyue.
His [Glimmer] domain was taken away by one of the five spiritual moons and turned into [Moonlight]. Thus, Zhu Se also successfully changed from a simple humanistic god to a natural god.
This can be seen just by looking at the noise he made when he came. He used [Divine Ability: Changing Space] to cross the long void in the fifth level of the spiritual world.
It is said that this ability is the authority engraved in the bottom layer by the existence of the creation of [Godhood], which allows the owner to consume a large amount of divine power to have a power similar to the authority of [Space]. Bai Xiong Beiluo also tried it once when building the prototype of the Kingdom of God, but he never did it again since then.
After all, this level of divine power consumption is still too extravagant for a newly promoted god of faith. Humanistic priesthood is different from natural priesthood. He does not have the divine power provided spontaneously by priesthood. Every bit of his power is painstakingly extracted from faith and sacrifice.
"Why are you here? Did you also feel the change just now? But this change doesn't seem to have much to do with us. Why don't you quickly adapt to the gift of 'Spirit Moon' and come to me?"
After crossing the barrier of the embryonic form of the kingdom of God, Bei Luo came in front of the white wolf.
The slightly chaotic space and time hit his body like a tide, but was easily blocked by a layer of fine golden light.
This is why, in the beginning, believers in the God of God looked for large native outer realms like the Seven Hills Paradise and the Unfettered Wilderness to get close to and establish the prototype of the Kingdom of God near it.
In any case, the nature of time and space in the deep spiritual world is still chaotic and disordered. Unless one's own divine power is strong and not afraid of loss, one must always find a "safe haven" first and slowly build his own "boat".
"It doesn't matter...it looks like you don't feel anything anymore."
The white wolf opened its mouth, but it did not look ferocious like a wild beast, instead it looked somewhat sacred.
"What does it feel like?"
Bei Luo looked a little strange, he didn't have any special feelings. However, in front of him, the white wolf just shook his head slightly.
"It's hard to describe the feeling of 'completeness' that comes from the godhead... but now it seems that this is the induction from the natural priesthood."
"Haha, I advise you to find a way to change your priesthood. After what happened before, I always feel that for this world, only those who hold the natural priesthood are half of His 'own people'. As for the rest... they are all poisonous insects."
Speaking lightly, Zhu Se did not continue speaking because he was not sure whether his guess was right or not.
What is a humanistic priesthood? It is a created priesthood that has no inherent power, just like the [Glimmer] that originally came with his godhead.
Faint light is also different from starlight, moonlight, firelight, or sunlight. It is a fabricated concept of measurement, and there is no inherent standard in the world itself. What kind of light is "faint" light and what is not, and what characteristics "faint light" has, are all determined by humans. Of course, we can also try to expand it later.
Zhu Se had been exploring bit by bit over the long years, and by changing the believers' cognition and imitating related abilities, he gradually gave [Weak Light] certain "healing" abilities.
Of course, this ability does not mean the formation of a new priesthood, it just makes the concept of "glimmer" look more real and full, rather than full of artificiality and emptiness.
But now all this has nothing to do with him. The faint divine power that had accompanied Zhu Se for thousands of years has been lost, and replaced by the tiny authority of "Spirit Moon" in the third spiritual world.
It doesn't seem like much, but even with only a small part, Zhu Se deeply felt the essential difference between this natural priesthood and the humanistic priesthood.
"Bei Luo, this is my advice. Although your brain has never been working well, you should know that I will not lie to you."
Smiling, the white wolf shook its tail, then mobilized the power of space again and returned to the prototype of its own kingdom of God.
He came here just to verify his guess, and the result was just as he expected.
"...You are the one who has a bad brain. Humph, if I had that opportunity, I would not need your reminder."
The giant bear pounded his chest with a low grunt. Of course he also wanted to transform, but there was no chance.
But thinking of this, his huge bear eyes couldn't help but look towards the place where the sound came from.
The void of the fifth spiritual world was pitch black. The distant time and space made it impossible for him to see the person at the core, the black and white interface that was opposed to each other, and naturally he had no idea what was happening there.
If he could step into that place... I wonder if he could be as lucky as Zhu Se and be favored by something and become one of the natural gods.
...
boom--
Different from the slight movement at the edge, in the core of the fifth spiritual world, a huge vortex of time and space is swirling.
The positive energy interface Gao Xuan is at the 'top' of the space-time level, and the negative energy interface is sunk at the 'bottom' of the space-time field. And a little to the east between them is where the space-time vortex is born.
There, cracks like lightning twisted and turned, and the laws of the interface were more cohesive and active than ever before.
It seemed as if something was about to happen, making the origin of the fifth spiritual world happy.
Wow——
It was like a river in the sky tilting, or like the ocean flowing backwards. At a certain moment, when the rotation of the space-time vortex reached its limit, with a loud bang, the vortex exploded.
A stream of azure light flashed from the center of the vortex, and then suddenly exploded in all directions. Energy and spirituality intersected, and a small interface took shape.
Almost in an instant, another interface composed purely of elements and energy was born at the core of the fifth spiritual world.
[Inner World·Wind Element Plane], with its birth, the other three directions on the same plane with it also slightly disturbed.
Near the south, a fiery red light also began to condense, and another elemental interface was taking shape.
Energy gathered, the void swayed, and faint light began to flash in the remaining two directions, but this was already the limit.
When the [Inner World - Fire Elemental Plane] also appeared, this change was forced to stop.
At the center of the fifth spiritual realm, the four elemental planes are like a three-dimensional rhombus, with the positive and negative interfaces being the upper and lower tips.
When it condensed into shape, the origin of the fifth spiritual world shook violently. It seemed to want to complete some kind of sublimation, but in the end it failed due to insufficient strength.
Even the two element interfaces that had already formed were shaking slightly, and seemed to be in danger of disintegrating. However, the power of the interface immediately suppressed them and temporarily stabilized their structure.
"Are we there yet? We still need two more: Earth and Water."
At the same time as changes were happening in the spiritual world, the big snake, far away in the Nine Hells, seemed to have noticed something.
In the Chaos plane, the presence of [Earth] and [Water] is naturally far greater than that of [Wind] and [Fire]. However, compared to the latter, the former are so powerful that corresponding gods were born at the beginning of creation.
It cannot be said that the spiritual world has not been involved in these two authorities, but it has always been only in the corners. However, in order to gather the four elements into a complete interface and let them circulate on their own, at least these four authorities must reach the level of powerful divine power.
The power of part of Crius's [Weather] plus Shu's [Atmosphere] and [Wind] undoubtedly met the requirements; there is no need to say much about [Fire], not to mention the gains from Chaos, even the Great Snake itself also received part of the power of the Kingdom of Fire in the Nine Realms, but now that it is enough, He will continue to keep it in Hell.
However, there has been no chance to take action against [Earth] and [Water] in this world, so we can only rely on the generosity of the Ennead Gods of Hermeneus.
Fortunately, in the big snake's impression, the nine pillars of Egypt include Set, who symbolizes the desert, and Geb, who symbolizes the earth. As for water, even if we don't mention the original water, the rain and the lake god are enough.
"Although I'm not sure what happened over there, the efficiency of the divinity is really fast enough."
"But it is necessary. After all, only when the fifth spiritual realm is perfected, the power he can use will be stronger. If he only maintains the current level, even if Hemenu reaches the end, I am afraid he will not gain much benefit."
"It's better to hurry up. After the earth, water, wind and fire are perfected, I'm afraid that not only will the power of reincarnation be enhanced, but the fifth level of the spiritual world itself may also undergo some kind of qualitative change."
It is obvious that it doesn't matter whether you take it early or late, but this is why God still wants to take the spoils in advance.
It takes time for the spirit world to digest the spoils. If we really wait until everything is over to start, then the opportunity will probably have slipped away from our hands long ago, and there will be no chance of getting it back.
Moreover, once the cycle is formed, the power between the elements can be transformed into each other. If the origin of [Earth] is stronger and [Water] is weaker, they can also return to balance in the cycle, it just takes some time.
The more balanced and stable it is, the stronger the explosive force will be, and the higher the ability to withstand destruction will be. All of this requires that the cycle be established in advance before the Hemenu world truly reaches its end.
"Wait a little longer, it shouldn't take long."
The snake's head coiled, a trace of greed flashed through the snake's heart, and the face of "evil" flashed through his mind.
In his impression, Hermeneus did not have a world trash can like Tartarus, carrying the chaos outside of order, the remnants of the beginning of creation.
But the absence of a place does not mean that these chaos and remnants will disappear out of thin air. So when these gathered together, Apophis, the chaos snake that lived under the earth and was hostile to Ra, came into being.
Among all the beings that have broken the limits of true gods, the Serpent of the Atrium actually has the lowest hard power. After all, he was an incarnation from the beginning, and most of his power came from the three levels of hell that he controlled.
A sneak attack is fine, but a real fight is another matter. This situation is undoubtedly something he cannot tolerate.
"Hiss—Apophis, my food..."
"Wait till I swallow you..."
The snake's tongue waved in the air, and the big snake closed its eyes, and the atrium became dark.
He needed to conserve his energy and then wait for his delicious food.
······
The changes in the spiritual world are hidden deep in time and space, and Chaos's human world is unaware of them.
Far away on the other side of the void, above the primordial water, Ra also did not feel any changes.
Sublimation has not yet been completed, so the improvement it brings will naturally not produce too obvious feedback. If the cycle is not built and the spiritual world is not perfected, then Shu's power is just a powerful divine power, and he will not take it seriously.
At this moment, he was mobilizing the power of the endless void to analyze the information of this Outer God. The most basic content was His name.
Well, it feels ridiculous to think about it. The fight has already started, but I don't even know who the other party is.
"It's really useless to rely on them. In the end, everything still depends on me."
"...I hope to get as much information about the foreign land as possible before that. We know absolutely nothing about Him. But speaking of it, after Shu's death, the world seems to have changed for me..."
The thought flashed through his mind. Standing on the pristine water surface, La felt that the time nearby seemed to slow down again.
No, not as if.
Looking down at the human world, La realized that this was not his illusion, but time had really slowed down.
The speed of the entire world slowed down a little, which manifested itself as time being stretched, and it was most obvious where he was.
This slowness seems to be from high to low, gradually intensifying from the outer layer of the world and the source sea, and constantly spreading to the entire world.
It's like a dying person trying to delay the arrival of death, longing for a turnaround that he doesn't know whether it exists or not.
"Is it because of Shu's early death? Yes, the death of one of the Nine Pillar Gods has plundered part of their essence. Although this is not a serious blow to a world, it is an extremely dangerous omen."
"So the world began to save itself. He further slowed down the passage of time, and then stirred up the origin at all costs... But He was not aware that this behavior was nothing more than a slow death."
I don't think this approach makes any sense. Of course, it may be that we are just unable to observe changes at that level.
In short, no matter what, La cannot actually change the changes caused by the world's instincts, and he does not intend to do anything.
It is not the time for him to take action yet. Shu's death is already a thing of the past. Although the result is unexpected, La can only choose to accept it.
No matter how much they hate Isis for causing this unfavorable situation, and no matter how much they hate foreigners, this game of chess must continue.
"Hmph - betrayer, do you think the gods of a foreign land will trust you?"
With a cold snort, La noticed that the climate in the human world had changed again without anyone noticing.
And it seems that perhaps because of Shu's death, the magnitude of the change this time is much greater than he thought. The barrier between the source sea and the material world seems to have been weakened, and they can penetrate with stronger power.
Of course, this is mutual, not just for them, but also for their opponents.
"Let's get started. This is already the second time. I hope this time... you can achieve some results."
Under Ra's gaze, the changes in the human world were like a silent film in fast forward. Tefnut's rainstorms fell first, and sandstorms hovered over the desert.
All kinds of wild beasts showed ferocious eyes, and they gathered on the earth like crazy, whether they were insects and ants in the desert or birds in the sky.
As for Toth...
"Eh - it seems he still has some skills."
With a flash of his eyes, La discovered that the other party seemed to be trying to perform an act similar to the descent of God. However, in the process, it seemed that many sorcery techniques were used and mixed in.
Shu didn't do this before because he couldn't do it at that time. Even Ra only sent down an oracle, and then was restricted to the source sea, outside the world.
But because of Shu's death, the law seemed to have a small loophole. This loophole could not be bypassed by divine power for the time being, but for Thoth, who took over some of the magical secrets after Issi's death, it seemed that he could indeed take advantage of it.
······
The human world, the royal palace of Memphis.
The changes in the sky had not yet been reflected on the earth, and even the person involved himself did not know that the moment he stepped into the palace again, it would be the day of Shu's death.
Moses only keenly discovered that when he appeared before Pharaoh again, the wind in the sky outside the palace seemed to become even stronger.
The violent airflow made bursts of noise, hitting the buildings and withered plants, making sharp explosions.
The strong wind blew through the streets and alleys, flowing back in the narrow space, like the scream of a night owl, harsh and sharp.
The strange weather was like someone wailing, cursing, and venting his malice to all things... Moses couldn't help but sigh in his heart, because he was not the only one who noticed his movement, but Pharaoh also heard it.
"Guards, expel him. This is not a place where he should set foot!"
Inside the tall and magnificent palace, Ramses II had a solemn expression on his face.
Seeing Moses again, Pharaoh was filled with murderous intent, but after his last experience, he knew very well that it would be difficult for him to kill him.
This was a sinner who was favored by the evil god. He could cast witchcraft, summon swamps, and even create curses. Not long ago, a more loyal slave among the Hebrews secretly ran out from their gathering point, informed Pharaoh of the changes there, and even offered a basin of clean water.
It was because of this loyal slave that Ramses II knew why his plan did not work. It was not because his plan was wrong, but because the other party had supernatural power to help him.
However, seeing is believing. In order to verify the slave's words, Pharaoh ordered the criminal to drink the basin of water to see if it really has the ability to "distinguish beliefs and bestow curses."
The result was not surprising. Those who still believed in the Egyptian gods died of old age the moment they drank the water, while some faithless criminals were unharmed.
"Your Majesty, your persistence will not get you what you want. I don't intend to be your enemy, we just want to leave here!"
With a wave of his staff, the guards around him retreated. Under the wind outside the palace, Moses' voice was still loud: "Egypt has lost a year's harvest because of this, and all the vegetation in the fields has withered and turned yellow."
"What price do you want to pay before you let us go? You can't stop us forever. One day -"
"--no way!"
The voice was cold and resolute, the Pharaoh's tone hard as steel.
"You are the wealth given by God to the Egyptians, and you are the sinners banished by the gods. No one can leave until you have redeemed your sins!"
clang——
He stood up suddenly and pulled out the bronze sword beside him. Ramses found that the opponent's magic was stronger than last time.
But it didn't matter. The reason why he was not afraid of Moses' methods and didn't care about the snake he conjured and the wind he summoned was because these powers had no effect on him.
He is the Pharaoh, a god on earth in the eyes of the Egyptians. This is not a statement that is meant to fool people or maintain mystery and prestige. In fact, it is just an objective description.
Because the pharaohs and their descendants were protected by divine power, no folk sorcerer could harm them with magic. The divine power from the sun always surrounded Ramses, and although he could not use it, he could still be protected by it.
brush--
He strode forward and slashed with his sword, his eyes behind the golden mask filled with murderous intent.
Mortal soldiers cannot hurt you, but your magic can never hurt me. Just because you have courage, do you think I don't?
When -
The air was cut by the sword's edge, and Messer was caught off guard. The guards around him were also stunned for a moment.
No one thought that the Pharaoh, as the lord of Upper and Lower Egypt, would actually do it himself.
He raised his hand to parry, and his cane blocked the edge of the bronze sword. But under the opponent's attack, Moses couldn't help but take a step back.
"Hehe... sinner, where are your magic and your gods? You have repeatedly tried to get me to let you go. Isn't the best way to capture me and the master of Upper and Lower Egypt in your hands? Now the opportunity is right in front of you, so why don't you do it?"
BANG——
Another heavy blow. Although decades of shepherding life made Mercer's physique not weak, he had indeed never learned martial arts.
When the supernatural powers of both sides were ineffective against the enemy, he could only defend himself. In front of him, the Pharaoh was still merciless.
"Come, fight me back. If you can defeat me, I will acknowledge that your God is better than my God. Then you can hold me hostage, make your soldiers retreat, and lead your people away."
"But why don't you do it? Is it because you can't do it?"
brush--
The long sword swept across, and Messer dodged it awkwardly. He waved his cane lightly, and an invisible force immediately pulled him away.
However, Pharaoh strode forward and struck with his sword again.
However, after several rounds, Moses finally reacted and did not take the sword. He just flashed and came to the gate of the palace.
"Oh."
The distance was instantly pulled away, and with a sneer, Ramses II saw the enemy go away and did not pursue him. He was also very old, standing in the center of the palace, the pharaoh stood with his sword.
At this moment, he felt the changing looks of the guards and ministers around him. His morale and confidence, which had fallen after the previous defeat, were restored in just a few short strikes, and his fear of the evil god was also swept away.
Yes, the Pharaoh is still here. Even if the other side has the protection of the evil god, the Egyptians still have the gods in the world!
"Huh - Your Majesty, your swordsmanship has opened my eyes. But the will of God cannot be stopped by the power of mortals."
Standing at the gate of the palace, Moses never expected that Ramses, the Pharaoh of Egypt, would dare to draw his sword to fight.
What if he still had some hidden tricks? How would he deal with it? But at this moment, Messier had to admit that although this was a bit risky, it was indeed the best way to deal with it.
He also noticed the changing gazes around him. The people's hearts, which had been loosened due to the loss of contact with the gods, seemed to be close again.
My idea of leading the people away would probably be even more difficult to achieve.
"Oh, Moses, what you call God's will is nothing but the power of an evil god."
In contrast to Moses, Pharaoh stood in the center of the palace with a firm tone.
"The glory of Ra shines on the world, just as the sun rises every day, without interruption. Moreover, as the manifestation of God on earth, I am right here. If you have the ability, then come and kill me."
"But as long as I don't fall down..."
"Then the Egyptians will not submit to you!
Crash——
Suddenly, as if in response to Pharaoh's declaration, accompanied by a flash of lightning, the land that was dry a moment ago was hit by a heavy rain.
Heavy rain fell from the sky, instantly washing away the previous dust.
Seeing this scene, the guards around seemed to recall the achievements of Pharaoh Ramses II. Just as he said, he had never retreated once.
"…Your Majesty, it seems that I cannot convince you. But I believe that one day, you will change your mind."
Moses looked around the palace and saw that the ministers, who had originally had flickering eyes, now became determined.
He took a step back and his body was immersed in the rain.
Such heavy rain is not a big deal for the city, as it already has measures to deal with rain. But for the hundreds of thousands of Hebrews living in simple houses outside the city, it is a huge disaster.
He waved the staff again, and the increasingly magical snake staff immediately took him away, and the palace of Memphis became quiet again.
…
clang——
Inside the palace, Ramses II took a few steps back, sheathed his sword, and sat back on his golden throne.
He glanced at the ministers present, but no one dared to look him in the eye.
That's good, because the turmoil caused by an oracle from the high priest was easily quelled, and nothing can unite people better than a victory.
However, the arrival of this heavy rain was somewhat coincidental. Is this another punishment from God? Regardless of whether it is or not, it is indeed urgent to eliminate these sinners.
"Everyone, you have seen it. These people who have been punished by God have become more and more rebellious. So if I decide to raise an army to destroy all the Hebrews, how long will it take to prepare?"
His expression was calm as Pharaoh asked calmly, as if he wasn't talking about a massacre.
"...Your Majesty, if you mean 'crush', then that is not difficult to do. But if we mean to kill them all...the enemy's civilians outnumber our soldiers by a lot. Unless we are in a city and can guard the gates and walls, it is basically impossible to kill them all."
A minister responded, and what he said was exactly the reason why Pharaoh did not use direct violence before.
"...Hmm, so all we need is a city, right?"
As his fingers stroked the hilt of the bronze sword, Ramses II's eyes became increasingly cold.
At a certain moment, as if he had thought of something, he asked, "I remember that those sinners were responsible for building the temple?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. It's just that the construction has been temporarily suspended due to the previous natural disaster."
"very good."
Nodding, Pharaoh seemed to have discovered something. He raised his hand slightly, signaling the minister to take note.
"That evil god believer who can perform sorcery is very capable, right? Tell him I have changed my mind."
"The Hebrews were declared sinners by the god Ra, so they could not leave. But if they could atone for their sins, that would be considered."
"One temple is not enough. If they can build a city like Heliopolis and worship the god Ra, the Sun City, then perhaps their sins can be forgiven and the gods will allow them to leave."
The oracle that the high priest had received before also reminded Pharaoh that the holy city seemed a little far away from Memphis.
Give the sinners hope, build a city, and then dedicate this city and their lives to the god Ra, and eliminate the potential crisis at the same time.
"Go ahead," Pharaoh said calmly, "If they don't obey, there will only be war."
"Their blood will dye the Nile red, and their corpses will make the grass and trees more fertile next year. This is my last mercy."
After the strong wind came heavy rain, and the endless natural disasters showed no sign of stopping.
The mortals in the world of Hemenu had never experienced anything like this before. It seemed as if the heaven and earth were venting their anger and punishing the ant-like creatures.
The stars twinkled faintly above the heavy clouds, as if echoing the heavy rain on earth. Their trajectories began to shift little by little; in the desert far away from the Nile River, poisonous insects, rats and ants gathered into a tide, but as if they were waiting for something, they did not move their positions.
At the same time, Pharaoh's order was transmitted from the city of Memphis and quickly reached the Hebrew settlement outside the city.
The heavy rain continued, and the roads became muddy. However, along with the messenger came 100,000 elite guards. Even in the heavy rain, they still obeyed the orders of the God of the World and were willing to sacrifice their lives for him.
…
"Ridiculous, this is murder!"
Snap——
The speaker's anger was clearly visible as he slammed the table loudly.
"It is simply impossible for us to build a city in such heavy rain! The rain will wash away the foundation and prevent the materials from drying. Such a project is simply a pipe dream!"
A tall middle-aged man spoke loudly in the makeshift meeting room, and many people around him nodded in agreement.
"Yes, that's true."
"We were exhausted from building the temple in the sandstorm. But the sandstorm only made the construction more difficult and caused a shortage of water. But the heavy rain - I have never heard of any building being built in the rain, let alone a city!"
"Yes, in this kind of weather, we have to worry about falling into a pit even when walking. How can we possibly go and build a city?"
"…"
Boom boom boom——
"Be quiet. I know you are angry, but we have no choice, everyone."
Aaron frowned slightly and knocked on the table amid the discussion of the crowd.
"Pharaoh's army is outside. We can't stop them."
"Of course, they can't kill everyone, but most of us will die here. You are all well-known and capable Hebrews, and you should know how dangerous the situation is. Do any of you want to try your luck?"
The voice was serious, and Aaron knew that Moses was not good at dealing with this.
This blood relative of his always has some unrealistic and beautiful fantasies about many things, and therefore often cannot make some decisions.
However, Aaron did not change his mind about the situation, he just chose to step up and help him deal with these problems.
After all, this fantasy might be one of the reasons why Moses came here. Without these, he might not have risked his life to save his fellow tribesmen whom he had not seen for decades, and went to meet Pharaoh several times for this purpose. Instead, he would have given up everything early and become one of the chosen people by God.
Compared to him, Aaron is more pragmatic.
"You are right. Pharaoh's army is indeed powerful. But Sir Aaron, I think you may have made some mistakes. Perhaps you should use the word 'you' instead of 'we' to describe it."
With a sarcastic tone, a young man spoke up: "From what I know, this Lord Moses who came from afar has some extraordinary abilities. He can even sneak into the Pharaoh's palace and survive even though he is wanted."
"We may die under the blades of the Pharaoh's army, but you won't. Although... before you came, I never knew that I would have to face a life-and-death crisis."
"But this is a revelation from God!"
Moses spoke in a deep voice and said loudly: "This is the sign God gave me in the fire. The gods of Egypt will punish us--"
"——Yes, Lord Mercer, you said so early in the morning."
With a sneer, the young man continued, "But think about it from another perspective. Perhaps it is because of your coming that we are being punished by God."
"Just like the previous disaster, I drank the water sent by Pharaoh, and I am still alive today, right?"
The young man's words were blunt and sharp, but they did arouse the approval of many people.
The future may be bright, but if possible, no one would want to be a slave for a lifetime. This is why they easily believed Moses at the beginning.
But a bright future cannot always be eaten. Even though there are still many people supporting Messi, the pressure is gradually gathering invisibly.
Seeing this scene, Aaron couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
He had said before that those who attributed natural disasters and suffering to God should be killed, or at worst expelled. Even the solution was simple, just poison the water sent by Pharaoh, making it dangerous for those who drank it.
At that time, the believers of God would be cured by drinking the spring water sent by the lady, while the pagans could only wait for death. This could further arouse the Hebrews' gratitude to God and their hatred of Pharaoh, and invisibly, they were cleansed by the hands of the enemy.
But Moses refused, thinking that those unbelievers could still be educated and could not be cleansed so easily.
But Aaron was not denying the usefulness of education, but that required sufficient time, and they didn't have so much free time now. Besides, God was far away in heaven, so how could he understand people's hearts all the time... Putting aside his messy thoughts, Aaron took a step forward, looked at the young man and asked calmly:
"So what do you plan to do? Tell Pharaoh that the Hebrews are incapable of doing this and that you are willing to submit to the Egyptian gods - and then do you think he will let you go and exempt you and your followers from the labor of building the city?"
"If you think so, you can go ahead and do it. I will never stop you."
"...Oh, that's easy to say, but you've already brought me trouble. How can I avoid it?"
"But since you created the problem, you have to be able to solve it!"
The young man raised his hand and pointed at the clouds in the sky outside: "The city was built by all of us, but you are responsible for solving this heavy rain. Isn't the so-called power of God supposed to be reflected in this?"
"you--"
"You're right. I'll take care of this matter."
Interrupting Aaron's words, Moses spoke calmly.
Moses stepped down from the platform, walked through the crowd, and walked out of the house, standing in the heavy rain.
The wind and rain soaked his clothes, and the water flowed over his body like a lake. Although many people did not understand him, Moses was not angry about it, he just felt sad for them.
"You cannot understand the existence of God, which is normal because you have not received divine revelation like I have. But I still hope you can understand it, because this is your only possibility to survive..."
tear——
He cut his palm with a sharp object, and the blood dripped onto the cane along with the rain.
This divinely gifted vessel will become stronger as the disaster befell the Hebrews, but it is not yet strong enough to contain this natural disaster.
Aaron had suggested that he cleanse the unbelievers, in fact, he also wanted to help him strengthen the power of this holy object. But for Moses, if he had a choice, he would rather bear this disaster himself.
God said that he was more important than the entire Hebrew nation, so the harm he suffered should be equal to the harm suffered by the entire Hebrew nation.
Buzz——
There was a sound, and when the blood fell on the cane, a force was indeed pried open.
Visible to the naked eye, patterns of gold and silver intertwined are swirling on the body of the snake staff.
As if it had absorbed something, the holy object suddenly shone brightly, and Moses also felt that an omnipotent power was held in his hands.
"Omnipotence...just an illusion."
"But it should be more than enough to keep out the heavy rain."
Looking up to heaven, Moses raised the scepter with his pale hands and thrust it into the ground.
The next moment, nine of the ten springs that previously contained the power of life dried up in an instant, and the scepter took root like a plant.
In an instant, the plant transformed by the scepter rose from the ground and evolved into a giant tree with an umbrella canopy covering dozens of miles. The heavy rain was instantly blocked above the giant tree, and under it, everything returned to normal.
"Ahem—that's enough."
After coughing twice, although Messer had always been in good health at over 80 years old, he felt unwell at this moment.
Moreover, his cane turned into a giant tree, so he temporarily had no other means.
"Aaron, arrange for everyone to build the city. I hope Pharaoh will keep his promise."
"…Yes, sir."
Looking up at the giant tree that was born in an instant, Aaron was a little dazed for a moment.
Although he had seen Moses' methods before, this was the first time he had seen such shocking methods.
But the effect is really good... Glancing around, Aaron clearly saw the changing expressions of the people around him.
As expected, the vast majority of people fear power rather than virtue.
"Let's get started. Now, I think you guys have no objections."
Aaron suppressed the excitement in his heart and spoke to the young man before him.
With the remaining spring water to restore strength and the huge trees to block out the sky, building a city may not be impossible.
But whether Pharaoh would keep his promise... Aaron actually had no hope.
······
At the same time, on the hillside outside Memphis.
It was here that Moses had met Isis before, and he came here again later to thank this righteous person for her help.
But unfortunately, he never saw her again.
But in fact, Isis never left here. Moses couldn't find her, but she didn't want to meet him.
"I never thought that the cane could have such power?"
"Shu's fall did make the power that descended upon it even stronger, but it shouldn't be able to perform such a miracle all at once. The damage to the Hebrews actually gave it strength..."
With a hint of doubt in her eyes, Isis felt that there might be some secrets in the blood of these people. And Moses had secrets from his blood to his soul.
However, the birth of the Hebrews happened after she passed on her "card" that carried her authority. Without authority, she naturally had no way of perceiving deeper mysteries.
I don't know what bloodline that foreign woman is carrying, and what status she holds in the foreign land? But no matter what, this looks like a blood sacrifice ceremony.
Use their bones and blood to enhance the power of this God-given staff; perhaps this was what the great man originally intended.
He did not include himself in the calculation, but this did not affect his success. Because the more Hebrews died, the stronger the power Moses had, and the less likely he would die... Even he himself might have some special secrets.
So He agreed to Moses' wish to save his own people, because He knew that most of those people would be sacrifices for His own fulfillment.
"Forget it, this is not something I should consider."
"He is the enemy I should deal with now, Toth..."
Shaking her head slightly, Isis disappeared in a flash.
After a while, she arrived at the city wall of Heliopolis.
As soon as she arrived here, she felt wisps of divine power descending from the sky, and along with it, the magical power she was familiar with was pouring in from all directions.
Thoth, the wisdom of Ra, who replaced himself as the Ennead, is performing a divine descent here.
Now Isis could even stop him, except that it would be pointless.
In a chess game, you can capture the opponent's piece after it is placed, but you cannot interrupt him before he places his piece. If you do this, the opponent can just take out a new piece.
So Isis just waited on the top of the city, waiting for Thoth to come.
…
Bang...
Wow——
Time passed slowly, and at a certain moment, the sun was at the zenith, and a hole appeared in the dense dark clouds.
The sunlight shines into the holy city like a beam of light descending from the sky.
"…when Ra came down from heaven to earth and breathed life into the nostrils of the people, they stood up…"
"... when Ra came again to earth and endowed men with reason, they built cities and cultivated the fields..."
"…Praise you, your beauty is unparalleled, your light illuminates the earth…"
"...you rise from the east, your light illuminates the whole world..."
"...Great God, your power is infinite, and your wisdom is unmatched. You created all things, and you rule over all things..."
"…Praise you, you are our creator and our protector. We pray to you, may you bless us with peace…"
"…Praise you, your name will be remembered forever, your glory will last forever. We will praise you forever, we will love you forever…"[Note 1]
Poems praising the god Ra were heard one after another on the earth. At the front of the crowd, a man in gorgeous priest robes was singing and dancing songs to please the god.
The whole ceremony was as if the god who descended was not Thoth, but Ra.
"This is history... In the eyes of mortals, Shu is the breath of Ra, and Thoth is his wisdom. In fact, only Amon-Ra-Atum is the source of all things in this world, and the rest of the gods are his creations."
If time is long enough and there are no foreign invaders, perhaps Ra will develop into a true monotheistic belief... Without commenting on this, Isis sat on the top of the city wall.
She looked at the temple where the divine light was growing more and more magnificent, silently waiting for Thoth's coming.
bite--
Jingle Bells——
Woo——
…
In the solemn and dignified temple, bells, drums and oboe tunes play music.
Under the gaze of many musicians and believers, Cassim performed a dance to worship the gods, calling for the arrival of wisdom from the god Ra.
"…"
"…your light illuminates every face, yet no one knows it; for thousands of years, you have been the eager source of new life…"
"…"
"...truth of words, tranquility of heart, arise and drink of your light; for you are yesterday, today, and tomorrow..."
"…"
"Praise be to you, Ra, who awakens life from its slumber! You rise, shine, and reveal your glorious image."
"Tens of millions of years have passed, and we cannot count them all; tens of millions of years will come, and you will illuminate eternity!"
Ancient poetry depicting the piety of the dead praising the sun, a ritual passed down in the 'Book of the Dead'.
Under the holy melody, a cocoon of light in the center of the temple became clearer and more transparent.
It was originally a statue that had been invited in and worshipped in Thoth's temple for a thousand years. But now, it was placed at the core of the ceremony, ready to receive the will of the gods.
Click...
Click——
A crisp cracking sound came from nothing, the outer shell peeled off, turned into debris and dissipated in the air, and the scene inside the light cocoon gradually revealed itself.
An animal that looks like a baboon stretches out its curled up body, almost visible to the naked eye, and it changes its appearance at an extremely fast speed.
The hair fell off, the body shrank, and in the blink of an eye the baboon transformed into a middle-aged man wearing a white robe and holding a book.
Thoth, the wisdom god of Hermeneus, the scribe of the god Ra, the creator of writing, and even mortals on earth worshipped him as the moon god.
With the help of the statues in the human world and the power of magic, the new Ennead finally succeeded in tearing off a part of his "Ba" and throwing it into the human world.
tread--
"Huh... Cassim, you did a great job."
Stepping on the bluestone floor of the temple, Thoth took a breath of the moist air and praised with a smile.
"It is my honor to welcome you, Your Highness."
"It has been too long since the human world has listened to the will of God. Even Heliopolis was deserted for a time. It is an honor for all believers in Upper and Lower Egypt to receive the oracle of God Ra to welcome your coming."
With a respectful bow, Qasim, as the most loyal believer of God Ra, behaved impeccably.
The believers around him, whose expressions were fanatical yet somewhat ashamed, were undoubtedly proof of his words.
Many of them left the holy city because of the disappearance of the gods, and only returned here recently, and then caught up with Thoth's descent.
"No matter what, Cassim, you have always held on here. God Ra remembers your deeds."
His eyes swept across the kneeling believers, and then stopped at Cassim. Thoth's eyes flashed, but in the end he just praised him.
At this moment, in the surrounding air, the endless elemental power was being devoured by Thoth's divine body that was like a black hole, turning into a part of him and replenishing this empty body.
This is the ability that comes with taking over part of the magical divine power, and it is also the reason why Ra asked himself to stop Isis.
At this moment, among the nine pillars of gods, only his incarnation can exert enough power in the human world to prevent the traitor from interfering in the confrontation between the gods and the gods from outside the world again.
"Your mission is over, Cassim. I do not need your service. Go and do what you are supposed to do. When the gods win, you will be rewarded with gifts beyond your imagination."
"In the past, monarchs in the world built tall golden towers for themselves in an attempt to gain the favor of the God of the Dead and accomplish the miracle of resurrection, but most of them were just wishful thinking. But with your achievements, perhaps you will be rewarded like this."
Speaking quietly, Thoth walked out of the temple.
His eyes looked towards the direction of the city wall, and Thoth seemed to sense a presence lingering there.
Isis, the target of his trip, was also the one among the nine pillars that was the most difficult for him to see clearly.
Among the gods, she is the patron saint of natural life and magic; among mortals, she is a friend of slaves, sinners, artisans, and the oppressed, and listens to the prayers of the rich, maidens, nobles, and rulers.
No one knew what she was thinking. In fact, until the day when Ra suddenly declared her guilty, Thoth did not think that Isis would just sit there and wait for death. Soon after, the news of her death came. When the power of magic fell into his hands, he accepted this reality with some disbelief.
But now it seems that everything was just her trick, and she had already made her choice.
brush--
Without hesitation, Thoth soared into the sky, intending not to damage the palace of Ra.
Since coming into contact with the power of magic, Thoth has discovered many secrets that he had not noticed before, but he has only been in control for a thousand years.
Now Toth was going to intercept Isis, but if possible, he also wanted to learn something else from her.
"Praise be to Ra, the embodiment of the divine mind."
As Thoth's figure receded, Cassim chanted in a low voice, paying homage to the great god.
The devout believers knelt down and prayed, expressing their piety in their own way.
But at this moment, beside Kasim, his well-known apprentice Aibu looked at the devout believers around him, stepped forward and asked in a low voice:
"High Priest, what should we do next?"
"What else can we do? We can spread the glory of God to the believers and tell them that the current disasters are caused by the gods fighting against evil enemies and that the gods will surely win. What else can we do?"
He spoke lightly. At least Qasim was satisfied that Abu knew how to say his job title when working.
But there are other areas that need to be taught.
"Uh... I see."
After a moment's hesitation, Abu nodded and agreed. Qasim saw his doubts, but still did not intend to explain.
The messenger whom he had sent not long ago to convey an oracle to Pharaoh had returned again.
The messenger, in accordance with his duty, informed Pharaoh of the whole story of God's descent and once again conveyed the oracle - to destroy those mortals who had shed sinful blood, and then brought back a reply to Pharaoh that made no difference.
Cassim knew that Ramses would not come to the holy city. But just like last time, the messenger not only delivered the oracle, but also brought back some news that had not been circulated in Memphis.
"Last time, the messenger told me that the existence that is hostile to all gods is called by the Hebrew priests as 'the Creator of all spirits, the eternal holiness. All spiritual things in this world belong to Him.' This broad description still doesn't seem to be accurate..."
"But it just sounds like he is different from Apophis, the enemy of the god Ra in mythology. He is a rational and powerful god who has never been heard of before... And this time, the messenger told me that the Hebrews created a spring of life-giving water to survive the previous disaster..."
Kasim silently took note and did nothing. As a loyal believer of the god Ra, he had to tell other believers about the good news of the descent of the god.
Considering the wisdom of the god Ela, the great god Thoth would surely be able to easily resolve the problem, allowing Egypt to return to the rule of the gods and enjoy eternal tranquility and peace.
Well... no matter how bad it is, it won't be like Shu Shen, right?
Kasim raised his head slightly and looked at the sky. However, at this moment, with the end of the ceremony, the clouds torn apart by the sunlight returned to their original state.
Compared to Memphis, Heliopolis is far from the core, so the heavy rain is still brewing and has not yet fallen.
"Father… High Priest, I, I still have some doubts. Was what I saw before really just an illusion?"
The voice came from beside him, and before leaving to carry out the order, Aibu hesitated again.
Although he had been explained, he was still somewhat reluctant to believe it.
Since the disaster broke out, he often saw some strange scenes, such as nine pillars standing tall in the sky, and invisible forces filling the sky and earth, causing strong winds and dark clouds.
For example, he saw one of the pillars in the sky suddenly break, and a shrill curse sounded in his ears.
Even when it came to Thoth's divine coming, he seemed to have seen more than others.
But Cassim told him not to take it to heart and just do what a priest of Ra should do. Those magnificent scenes were all fake.
"Of course it's an illusion, Aibu. Although the sorcerers of the old times claimed that people with superb innate inspiration could see things that ordinary people couldn't see, you have always been very interested in this. But what do you think, how are you better than me?"
Cassim asked, speaking calmly.
"Of course... it's far inferior."
He sighed, thinking how could he be better than his father. It was hard to tell whether he was disappointed or relieved, and Aibu bowed slightly.
"Then I will go and do my work now, Your Excellency the High Priest."
"Go ahead."
With a slight nod, Aibu's figure disappeared into the distance.
Cassim watched his students disappear from his sight, then he knelt down and kowtowed, praying silently to the god Ra like other believers inside and outside the temple.
His movements were standard and graceful, an instinct formed through millions of times of practice. Anyone who saw him would praise his faith.
"God Ra, may your light shine forever on the earth as it shines forever in the sky."
"All evil will turn to dust, and lies and deception will be exposed."
He committed a crime, a crime of lying. After all, a person's natural inspiration has nothing to do with status and achievement. In this regard, he is far inferior to his son, and he can't see the things he said.
However, as the most devout believer of God Ra, Cassim believed that there was nothing wrong with his handling of the matter.
It is just a vain fantasy of young people, how can it be true? Letting such blasphemous words be known to others is the greatest offense to God.
It would be better if the father and son kept such things in mind.
······
brush--
The sound of breaking through the air gradually decreased, until it was no longer able to suppress the reaction during flying.
Thoth used magic to mobilize the invisible wind to lift himself up, but this time it was much more difficult than before.
He knew why, because Shu was dead, and the authority over the atmosphere and wind was taken away.
If there were no gods like Set, the god of storms and deserts, Hermeneu's power over the wind would probably be even more violent.
But when he thought of this, Toth couldn't help but feel a trace of envy or pity in his heart.
In today's Hermeneu world, the nine gods are confronting the outer gods in the sky, but in fact, as a world, although the number of gods in Upper and Lower Egypt is not as many as Chaos, there are actually far more than nine of them.
Animal gods such as the frog god and the fly god, the patron gods of various gnomes (city-states), and natural gods such as river gods are all part of the Hemenian pantheon.
However, just as Chaos, only beings with medium or above divine power could sense the turbulence of the Source Sea, among the gods of Upper and Lower Egypt, except for the Nine Pillars who could still maintain their divine bodies on the surging and boiling Golden Sea, the other weak gods had long lost consciousness in their drowsiness.
I'm afraid they won't have a chance to wake up until this war is over.
"We have avoided a crisis, but now others will have to decide the future."
"Whether he will fall asleep forever or wake up when the danger is over, no one knows. Going with the flow... this is the original sin of the weak."
With a calm expression, Thoth thought of Harpy, the god of the Nile.
If it weren't for the excessive "regional" attributes in his priesthood, he should probably be one of the players sitting on the chessboard at this moment.
This ancient god was born in the era of Atum, but he is still no different in the face of the disaster.
"Huh—it's right ahead."
Heliopolis was not as big as I had imagined, and in the blink of an eye the city walls were right before my eyes.
Thoth stopped and looked at the familiar figure who looked even more youthful and beautiful than a thousand years ago.
"Isis, long time no see."
Speaking calmly, Toth's power locked onto the opponent in front of him from a distance.
She had plenty of divine power. Judging from the upper limit of divine power that her 'Ba' could store, she still had at least 80% of her strength. It seemed that helping those criminals did not cause her too much loss.
"You betrayed Ra and all the people of Hemenu and threw yourself into the arms of the foreign gods."
"By order of Ra, I will prevent you from interfering in this war involving the world, and give you the judgment you should have received thousands of years ago."
As the voice fell, the legendary book used to create characters floated up beside Thoth.
Words, wisdom and magic, these are authorities that fit together very well.
Unlike Ra, who used reincarnation as an efficient means to accommodate new powers, Thoth used this book to carry the power of magic, integrating it into himself little by little, making it another 'card' of his own.
The elements of the surrounding heaven and earth were mobilized by him, and they were put together into shape with the help of a little divine power brought down by the gods.
Thoth looked murderous, but opposite him, sitting on the top of the city wall, facing the impending attack, Isis simply pressed down the hem of her skirt that was blown by the wind.
"Alright~ don't waste your energy. You're just an avatar, and you don't have much divine power. Your mastery of magic alone is not enough to use it against me."
"You can only disrupt my whereabouts, but you can't really kill me. The outcome of this war is not something we can control."
Isis stretched her body, looked at the increasingly thick clouds, and casually invited:
"Thoth, you have now split your 'Ba'. The god has descended to the human world and has temporarily escaped from the bondage of the source sea."
"So you want to know how I used magic to cut off the connection, separate myself from the authority, and then fake my own death to escape?"
"…"
Without saying a word, Thoth remained unmoved.
There were bursts of explosions in the air around him, as if he was fighting the opponent with magic, and the battle was fierce and intense.
"Let me tell you, that is actually a very interesting magic, a byproduct of my research on a ritual. I originally wanted to use it to deal with Ra..."
Not knowing that she had successfully backstabbed Ra in the original myth, Isis herself did not think that her research would be successful at this time.
On the contrary, she felt that the by-product of her research was truly valuable.
"Come on, let's put aside the battle and let me explain the principles behind it. After all, the way to progress in magic is to share it, right?"
Isis still smiled as she stretched out her hand and drew a symbol in the air. It was as if the person in front of her was not an opponent, but an apprentice who wanted to learn from her.
In front of her, Toth was holding a book in his hand, and the loud noises in the sky around him became more and more frequent.