Chapter 375 Black Tide

 Rumbles——

  In the sky, storms collided with lightning, and lava blocked the rivers.

  The huge vibrations spread hundreds of miles away, causing the mortals in Heliopolis to pray to the gods even more devoutly.

  But in fact, the book in his hand was flipping quickly, and a large number of complicated words flashed in his eyes. Most of Thoth's energy was devoted to the complicated runes in front of him, and only a small part of him was still vigilant.

  After all, he would not trust his enemy so easily, and would not really give her a chance to slip away.

  Whether the battle between worlds can be won or not has no direct connection with surrendering to the outer gods. At least for Thoth, this is not the first option.

  "This kind of ritual, life, soul... It's a pity that Goddess Ra did not give me the authority of her life. Otherwise, maybe I could study the mystery myself."

  "Well, not entirely. Judging from the results shown by Isis, does she actually believe that our souls, including those of the gods, are inherently in an 'imperfect' state?"

  "A soul that is split into 'Ka' and 'Ba' is flawed in itself - no, she even feels that the fact that God has a soul is a flaw in itself."

  Although he had just come into contact with it, with the help of special divine power, Thoth was able to understand the principle of Isis's ritual.

  This former goddess of life and magic seemed to have very different perceptions from ordinary people. She felt that the more aggregated and pure things were, the more perfect they were, and the more dispersed and messy they were, the inferior they were.

  Only a complete and unified pure soul is a perfect soul, and only a god that has unified spirit and flesh is a true god. In her opinion, if this can be achieved, the god will no longer be restricted by aging and death, but will be able to obtain true "eternal life".

  This is a bold conjecture, and Thoth doesn't know whether it is right or wrong. Being in Hermeneus, even as the god of wisdom, he doesn't know that the gods of Chaos are actually so unified. They don't have independent bodies and souls. Their divine bodies exist in a way that has both material and energy forms, and change in different states as their subjective will changes.

  He also didn't know that in the records of later Eastern mythology, their ancient practitioners also believed that the cultivation of the soul was to "refine all the Yin residue and return to pure Yang", and the legendary immortals were no exception. They had the state of "taking shape when gathered and becoming invisible when dispersed", and had two bodies of different natures.

  Thoth only knew that his divine authority vaguely told him that this method might really be the right way to perfect himself, and the ritual of Isis was based on this.

  In her philosophy, the body is one, the torso and limbs are not connected by any medium, so the soul should also be one, and the 'Ka' and 'Ba' should not be separated.

  But since Hermeneus was born like this, Isis had no way to merge the two into one. In addition, facing an impending life-and-death crisis, she simply chose another path.

  "If a person's body is injured, it can be healed. So, if a person's soul is injured, it can be healed as well."

  "But whether the injury can be recovered depends on the extent of the injury. Forcibly severing the connection between 'Ba' and one's 'Ka' is like a person tearing half of his body apart. That is an act that will surely lead to death. But if the person who does all this happens to have the authority of [Life], then the result may not be the same..."

  Runes flashed in his eyes, and Thoth couldn't help but admire Isis's boldness.

  Since the soul is naturally divided into two and cannot be integrated later, just use external force to eliminate one part, and then grow a new part on the remaining part, and then connect them together.

  In this way, the newly born soul is integrated, and it will have both the characteristics of "Ka" and the ability of "Ba". In other words, it is a complete soul itself.

  At this moment, Thoth felt that if the world had not been facing external enemies and Isis had not chosen to betray at this moment, with this discovery, she might be able to obtain the priesthood of the soul and further improve the order of the world, so that the life of the entire world can complete the integration of the soul.

  By then, she will gain countless faiths and the favor of the world's will, and the existence of all spirits will be the source of her power.

  If she could then use her soul as the main body to unify life and magic, and then devour the wisdom he possessed... then Isis might really be able to leap into the abyss above the true gods and become as powerful as the god Ra.

  Moreover, the power of Ra is because the sun of the world of Hemenu is naturally powerful. Its birth is rebirth, the supremacy of the stars, the collection of powers such as light, fire, purification, etc. If Isis succeeds, she will be able to splice the powers by herself and create another divine power that is not inferior to the sun.

  This miracle is simply unimaginable.

  "Phew—I can't say for sure."

  "After all, if one is not facing the catastrophe of death, who would choose to give up power and destroy half of their soul?"

  Shaking his head slightly, Toth could only say that fate was such a coincidence.

  If there had been no invasion from outside, there would probably not have been this ritual of Isis. Even if she had further ideas, she would not have done something that could lead to death. But with the invasion from outside, she invented this ritual, but because of it she lost the chance to be promoted.

  Indistinctly, it seemed as if fate was stabilizing everything and all coincidences were destined.

  "Whatever fate may have been, that is a thing of the past."

  "But judging from this ritual, if I want to complete this step, I will need the help of life force. But I don't know how much power the gods need to complete this step, so I have to try my best to ensure that your remaining power is not depleted. Is that right?"

  With a calm expression, dozens of pages flew out of the book in Thoth's hand and then scattered into the surrounding void.

  It seemed to be an open conspiracy. Even if Isis completed her narration of the ritual, he still could not do anything to her, because once the Outer Gods attacked Ka in the Source Sea again, he would most likely face the same situation that Isis had faced before.

  Although without her interference, the Outer Gods would most likely not target the gods again, but what if? So he still had to leave a way out.

  However, Thoth was not opposed to this, because his mission was to prevent Isis from interfering in the disasters caused by the Ennead again, not to kill her personally.

  Then he is doing very well now, the void is locked, and Thoth is behaving uprightly.

  You don't have to fight, but you don't have to go anywhere. Otherwise, it's better for you to use your remaining power to help the Outer Gods than for me to consume it myself.

  If I can't use it, then no one else can either.

  "Hmm~ It seems that you are still somewhat loyal to La, and Shu's death did not have that much impact on you."

  With her eyebrows slightly raised, Isis noticed the changes around her.

  She slowed down her hand movements temporarily and looked at the means of blocking the space.

  Maybe it was La's help. After all, he had mastered the power of [Absolute Void]. This blockade seemed extremely mysterious and it was difficult to break through again.

  "So you want to stay here with me? Well, this option is at least safe enough."

  "...Stay here quietly. The victory or defeat between the Outer Gods and our world is not something that Shu can decide after all."

  "Don't think I'll be like you and surrender before the other team breaks through. I'm just making preparations in advance."

  'After all, even if we win... no one wants to be like Shu, but would rather live to see the fruits of victory.'

  He spoke quietly, the last part of the sentence was left unspoken, but Isis understood.

  Thoth's words at this moment actually represent the views of other gods to some extent.

  Even though Shu was dead, they had no intention of betraying Ra. Putting aside the battle between the worlds, at least they still had some hope of winning this game, so at this moment, the gods were at best preparing for "what if".

  Besides, as Toth said, victory or defeat is still unknown. But for Shu, he is sure that he has nothing to lose.

  ······

  call--

  sough...

  Hermeneus was far smaller than Chaos, but the "massive" battle between the two incarnations of the gods was far from enough to affect the entire world.

  However, it cannot be used in combat, but it can be used with the authority of the gods.

  On earth, the weather changed dramatically in an instant.

  Along the Nile River basin, there was a torrential rain that seemed to have no end in sight. The rain poured down like a column, causing the river surface, which had sunk not long ago, to rise again.

  In the desert far away from the river, there are no clouds in the sky, only sandstorms raging and wild beasts howling.  

  Sasha...

  Subtle noises came from under the desert. Since the day the sky changed, countless ants, insects and animals gradually gathered at the edge of the desert.

  They gathered here but showed no signs of moving. Driven by hunger, they devoured each other, as if they were waiting for something. Their numbers only grew larger.

  Until this day, heavy rain in the distance seemed to divide the sky and the earth into two worlds, water and sand, and along the edge of this division, a cavalry team was rushing towards here.

  Tap tap tap…

  "Ah… stop—!"

  At the command, more than a dozen riders stopped immediately.

  At the front of the cavalry, the leader was wearing a white robe with gold ornaments and his long hair was wrapped in a turban.

  He was obviously of distinguished descent, and his every move bore witness to his education.

  In the past years, he must have seen a lot of the world. But now, looking at the densely packed "black spots" in the desert, a sense of tension still surged in his heart.

  Perhaps it was the memory of their ancestors passed down through their blood, or perhaps it was because people had a subconscious fear of dense things. Even though they had always regarded the scarab as a sacred object and knew it was not their enemy, they could not hide their panic.

  "This... Your Majesty, is this the 'army' God has given us?"

  The sound was a little unnatural. Beside the leader, the tall warrior in armor subconsciously tightened his grip on the rope.

  He didn't fear death, as he had been at the forefront of the battlefield before. But if he died by being devoured by insects, it would be too cruel.

  This is not only a physical death, they also believe that this kind of death is the extinction of the soul.

  "…Don't be afraid. This must be what God promised. It is the army we can use to defeat the Egyptians."

  "Of course, before that, we still have to complete God's mission and kill those aliens cursed by God."

  Taking a deep breath, Cash didn't want to admit it, but this might be his future soldier.

  But can human soldiers really fight with them? He doesn't know. But such an army is probably equally powerful.

  Decades ago, Kash and his subjects, as well as the entire Nubian people, were head-on defeated by Ramses II, the ruler of the 19th Dynasty of Egypt, who was in his prime.

  As the troops approached, the Pharaoh, who was regarded as a god on earth by the Egyptians, showed no mercy to them.

  From then on, Nubia was forced to submit to the rule of the Egyptian pharaoh, and Ramses II even personally sacrificed Nubian prisoners of war in the Abu Simbel Temple to demonstrate his own achievements.

  Hatred was born, but the gap in power could not be bridged. Kash thought that his generation would have no chance of revenge, and he only hoped that someone would inherit his name and hatred in the future, and then defeat Egypt in the name of Nubia.

  But who would have known that at this moment, the god Amon of Thebes actually gave them a response from the oracle.

  The gods, who had always preferred Egypt, seemed to have finally grown tired of their incompetence. They made a promise to the Nubians that as long as they could slaughter all the mortals with sinful blood, Kash would be able to keep this invincible army until his death, and the gods would recognize Nubia's status and allow them to march into Upper and Lower Egypt and become the new pharaoh.

  "This is our best chance."

  Raising the whip, Cash's expression became firm.

  "The Egyptians occupied the best land along the Nile River and were favored by God. Even if all the tribes in the world united, it would be difficult to defeat the Egyptian army."

  "But this time is different. Not only will we defeat them militarily, we will also win God's favor. As long as... we complete that mission."

  "Walk--!"

  Moving forward again, Cash took the lead, with the rest of the cavalry following closely behind.

  The black wave in front of them was getting closer and closer, and their faces were getting uglier and uglier. But even Cash was willing to move forward, so who would dare to retreat?

  Tap tap -

  tread.

  The horses stopped in front of the black tide, and the dense "rustling" sound made people's nerves tense to the extreme.

  Cash noticed that these little lives seemed to be aware of his arrival. They were looking at him, looking at this visitor who exuded a special scent.

  "clang——"

  Drawing the long sword from his waist, Cash steadied his shaking arms.

  The tip of his sword pointed toward the sky, then slowly slid down toward the direction of the clouds.

  "By the command of the great god Amon, I will be your commander. We will cross the rain and kill the source of all evil!"

  "Now, line up!"

  There was a slight crack in his voice, and Cash looked nervously at the black tide in front of him.

  He didn't know whether his actions would be useful, nor whether they could understand his requests, but he still tried his best to make the attempts he could think of.

  …

  Sasha...

  After staring at each other for a long time, just when Kash's courage was about to fade, he saw that the vast black tide finally changed.

  The endless 'tide' split into two, as if making way for the sword-raising Nubian king.

  "Huh…"

  With a sigh of relief, Cash finally let go of his worry.

  He rode forward, following the path cleared by the black tide, and arrived at the center of the group of ant beasts.

  "Now..."

  "They are mine now."

  The sword in his hand seemed to be lighter, and Cash looked towards the clouds in the distance.

  God still protects him. With this invincible army, what can stop him?

  "The whole army—"

  "forward!"

  The sword pointed in the direction of the oracle, and Kash promised God that he would kill everyone without leaving any alive.

  Chapter 376 Sacrifice

  Shasha...

  The black tide passed through the rain curtain and moved forward in the direction guided by the unknown.

  Countless insects and ants were washed away by the flood on the road, but subsequent replenishment was endless.

  Only animals with instinct are more fearless than humans. Inspired by the spirit of gods, they rush into the rain one after another.

  The heavy rain in the hundreds of miles around Memphis did not stop them at all.

  On one side of the Kuroshio, the water of the Nile River was surging and rolling under the rain, and the mud on both sides was washed down.

  If this obviously abnormal astronomical phenomenon was not actually extracting water vapor from the underground, Egypt would probably be experiencing not heavy rain but floods.

  Of course, the Ennead would not do this, because civilians are still civilians under the flood, but the army may not still be an army.

  Without the deterrence of the surrounding troops, these mortals would have fled in all directions long ago.

  By then, it will be extremely difficult to kill them.

  …

  Crackling...

  The flames crackled, and on the flat ground, the outline of a big city was miraculously being built.

  The progress of city construction changed almost every day, and its efficiency was comparable to that of later machines.

  Just a few miles away from the Hebrew camp, 100,000 Egyptian troops watched silently in their tents.

  The giant tree, like a miracle, also protected them from the wind and rain, so that the soldiers stationed here would not be soaked.

  However, even so, most soldiers still prefer to stay in the tents, with only a few sentries scattered in various directions, monitoring the movements in the city every day.

  "…Hey, I'm talking to you. Come back to your senses and stop thinking about it. There are only two of us here. Can't we say a few more words?"

  Wadi turned over the clothes he was drying and was a little dissatisfied with his partner.

  "There's nothing to worry about with the affairs of the gods. If you ask me, you're just thinking too much."

  "Even though these Hebrews made a lot of noise, they are still surrounded by us. If that evil god is really as powerful as we imagined, I'm afraid we would have surrendered long ago."

  "And seriously, Senid...what do the gods and pharaohs have to do with us? These people just want to leave, so let them go."

  "——Ahem, keep your voice down!"

  After coughing twice, and frightened by his partner's outrageous words, Senid instantly came back to his senses.

  He glared at Wadi. How could he just say something like that?

  "Okay, there's no one else here. In this kind of weather, everyone who has any connection is hiding in their tents. Only the two of us were sent here to monitor those Hebrews."

  Curling his lips indifferently, Wadi added some more firewood to the fire.

  It's funny to say that nowadays the firewood used for burning must be dried with fire before it can be used. In the past, Wadi would only think this was a joke.

  But now, even though there was no physical chemistry in Egypt at this time, Wadi still felt that he had learned something new.

  This is a rare experience in the traditionally dry land of Egypt.

  "...To be honest, I don't think we need to stay here at all. Those criminals don't dare to come out."

  "We are just the outpost. There are more than 100,000 people behind us. Do you know how many 100,000 people are? There is no end in sight. It is said that if they were not near Memphis, they would need several times more slaves to transport supplies. The entire Egyptian force would have to be mobilized for this."

  "Uh, I've strayed off track again - Senid, I'm actually right, these things really have little to do with us. The gods and pharaohs need to consider the big things, but how much do those big things have to do with us?"

  "If they win, it's just a delicious meal and at most some reward, which I can only redeem if I live to see that day. And if they lose, it's nothing more than the Hebrews successfully leaving. Even if they suddenly change their minds and want to unify Egypt, we can just work for someone else."

  "But at least you are not a slave yet." With a frown, Senid felt that the other party's thoughts were indeed dangerous: "Have you seen those Hebrews? Do you want to be like them?"

  "...Of course not."

  He shook his head slightly, but then Wadi sneered: "They really have a miserable life. They work from birth to death. But Senide, huh, believe it or not..."

  "Although they are slaves, those with higher status among them are definitely living much better than us. If the day really comes when I can be considered a trained soldier, who knows, they might even let me be a leader to manage other 'slaves'?"

  "Besides, there's no need to think so much. The two of us can't decide the outcome of the war. Egypt has a huge population, one less or one more won't make a difference. When the crisis comes, the gods will protect us. After all, this war was fought under their will."

  "As for me, it's better for me to live a few more days."

  "…"

  After Wadi finished speaking, Senid was speechless for a moment.

  He didn't think the other party was right, but he was sent here without being rotated, and he felt a little resentful.

  Egypt is so big that it does not lack the two soldiers sent here... But if everyone thinks this way, who will go to war?

  Under the rule of Ramses II, the Egyptians have become the undisputed overlords in the Nile River Basin. No matter how you look at it, this is a great era.

  Sasha...

  "Say less, this is the will of the gods, we just need to obey. Even if we die in battle, our souls will be protected by the gods, and our names will be sung by people after we die."

  Feeling a little bored, Senid stood up and looked at the world under the rain.

  Although he didn't want to stay here, he was a devout believer in the gods after all. Although the gods did not seem to destroy those sinners immediately, it did not affect his faith.

  After all, compared to the gods and pharaohs, he certainly couldn't see that far ahead.

  "Hmm? What's that?"

  The corner of his eye seemed to catch a glimpse of something, and Senid pointed to the distance.

  Wadi, who was standing by, also stood up alertly upon hearing the sound. Although he complained, he would not be careless for the sake of his own life.

  Sasha...

  "That's... the water turned black?"

  The distance was so far that Wadi was a little uncertain for a moment.

  The black tide that was flowing slowly from afar seemed to be different from other waters. It was coming straight towards the city that was being built.

  In their midst lay an Egyptian camp, garrisoned by several thousand soldiers.

  However, it seemed that the rolling black tide had no intention of avoiding, but instead rushed straight forward.

  "What is this, a black tide... No, it's an enemy attack!"

  After observing again and again, Senid's face suddenly changed. He still couldn't see what the black tide was, but he saw a group of cavalry standing in the tide.

  It was definitely something controlled by someone, maybe it was the sorcerer in the legend? But no matter what, the Egyptian army never expected to be attacked from behind, and they were completely unprepared.

  In other words, in such heavy rain, the guards who were supposed to be there basically did not perform their duties, and only the sentinels monitoring the Hebrews were still doing their best.

  "Hurry, let's go back--"

  "Hurry, let's run--"

  "…"

  After looking at each other, Senid and Wadi were silent for a moment.

  "...I know you are a devout believer, Senid, but you were also worried about the future before, right? You don't think the gods are omnipotent."

  Wadi took a deep breath, forced a smile and persuaded.

  "So you want me to be a deserter?"

  "No." Shaking his head, Wadi continued, "We are going to ask for help."

  "This is clearly an unexpected enemy. We are unable to deal with it, so we have to ask for help. After all, we are sentinels guarding against the Hebrews, right? It is not our responsibility to guard the rear."

  "If there is no danger over there, they can solve the problem whether we go there or not. After all, there is only one cavalry. But if it is really dangerous over there..."

  "So are you really going to risk your life, perform a duty that is not yours, and run back to tell them the news?"

  From the look in his eyes, Wadi knew that Senid was not the only one in his family. And looking at the other person's expression, he couldn't help but feel that this time the problem would not be serious.

  "...Then light a big fire. We should at least do something. Hopefully they can see something...Wadi, you're right. We have to go get help."

  Sure enough, although it was a bit difficult, when Senid looked back at the rolling black tide, he made a decision.

  He didn't know what it was, but to be honest, when he made this choice, he seemed to feel relieved.

  …

  Ding-ling-ling——

  "Enemy attack, enemy attack——!"

  Wow——  

  "What? What enemy attack? Are the Egyptians coming?"

  …

  On the flat ground, in the city under construction, a sharp whistling sound suddenly crossed the sky.

  In order to prevent a sudden attack by the Egyptian army, Aaron had already arranged enough manpower to be on guard day and night, and even selected a number of people to train day and night.

  And at this moment, it proves that his choice does make sense.

  "Tap tap tap—"

  "Master Aaron, the enemy is attacking!"

  Pushing open the wooden door, the sentry spoke loudly in a trembling voice.

  Aaron, who was originally checking the construction plan, frowned slightly. He felt a little surprised.

  Are the Egyptians attacking? I don't think so.

  From the looks of it, Pharaoh's previous actions, he wanted to slowly wear them down, waiting until the most critical moment to kill them with one blow.

  Therefore, Aaron had long ago advised Moses to give up his fantasies and directly organize people to break out, and to go as far as he could with the help of his scepter.

  But Moses said that he would never give up these people voluntarily, and Aaron had no choice but to accept the situation.

  But now, are the Egyptians unable to sit still?

  "Tell me about it."

  The tone was steady, and after hearing this voice, the young sentry calmed down a little.

  "My lord, it is like this. I was originally on guard against possible unusual movements by the Egyptians."

  "But not long ago, I saw..."

  "…"

  "--What?"

  His expression changed slightly, and Aaron felt as if he was listening to a mythological story he had heard in childhood.

  Snakes, insects, rats and ants formed a huge army, and the black tide was controlled by people. Thousands of Egyptians were wiped out by one third in an instant, and the remaining ones seemed difficult to resist...

  "No."

  Calming down and suppressing the urge to reprimand the sentry, Aaron suddenly realized that he was now acting out a myth.

  The believers of God were condemned by foreign nations, endured hardships and tests, and finally found a way out under the guidance of the prophet... If this is a myth, then what else is impossible?

  "Notify the guards to assemble, we have to - no, the hastily made stone spears may cause harm to people and fight against large beasts, but they are useless against those rats and ants."

  "Besides, they are coming from all directions. We can't possibly deal with them."

  Make a judgment subconsciously, but then overturn it.

  Aaron pushed the door open and climbed directly onto a simple wooden tower built nearby.

  This was originally used to observe the layout of buildings, but now, Aaron uses it to observe the situation in the distance.

  "There... is what he called the 'enemy'."

  Climbing to a high place and looking into the distance, Aaron could see the scene outside the city.

  After a while, the camp of thousands of Egyptians was almost submerged by the tide. Only a few people were still holding on, but they seemed to be struggling to survive.

  Humans have an absolute advantage when facing a small number of insects and ants, but with such a number... just looking at it makes Aaron's scalp tingle.

  "Let Moses think of a solution. His divine grace... no, his scepter has turned into a giant tree. It should not be moved until the city is built. And we should always seek God's help. What else does God want us to do?"

  "And I don't care about this city. The reason I repaired it was just to make Moses see clearly that the Egyptians are untrustworthy and to make him make up his mind to cut off his own arm. Once it is impossible to do anything, it will be gone."

  "In that case, let the people I just trained climb the wall to defend... No, that won't work either. Not to mention that the wall hasn't been built yet, even if it was built, what use would it be to those insect jackals?"

  "They are used to deal with the Egyptians. We cannot let them die here early."

  Thoughts flashed through my mind, and then were eliminated one by one.

  If they wanted to deal with a life that was obviously driven by supernatural forces, they could only use supernatural means. But they didn't have any supernatural powers right now.

  Besides Moses, Aaron had only seen the woman who had given them the spring water not long ago. But she didn't know now either -

  "...Yes, it seems that we still have it."

  As if he remembered something, Aaron turned his eyes and looked towards the only remaining fountain of life.

  The spring water emanates outward, making the air sweet. Only believers can drink it, and any existence with malicious intent will be turned into a mummy by the spring water.

  However, the spring water was not unlimited, and the daily output was not much. Aaron knew this early on, but in addition to this, he also knew another thing.

  That is, the output of spring water can actually be increased later. Its production requires life energy and in addition to daily natural recovery, there is a second way to solve this energy problem.

  That is to exchange life for life.

  This is the case for all the lives that died after drinking the spring water. Their bodies turned into mummies, which actually meant that all their life force had been sucked away.

  Aaron never mentioned it just to prevent panic.

  "...Guards, I remember asking you to separate believers from non-believers?"

  Aaron inquired, his expression calm.

  "Yes, sir."

  I don't know why he asked this at such an emergency, but the guard still answered respectfully.

  "Yeah, very good."

  Aaron nodded slightly, knowing that although they were all believers, there were actually huge differences between them.

  For example, the general believers and shallow believers are not really devout, but just believe a little bit, and may not even remember all the deeds of God. But even so, there are still many Hebrews who are unwilling to make a commitment to faith.

  Aaron felt that Moses was too kind. He might be suitable to be a spiritual leader, but he was definitely not suitable to lead a nation that was in trouble both internally and externally.

  "So, don't tell him about this for now. I think God will understand me even though I am a non-believer."

  "Once this happens, the remaining people won't be so easily swayed. My work will also be much easier."

  Stepping down from the tower, Aaron made a decision.

  "For the future of the Hebrew people, for the glory of God, for victory and justice, someone has to make some sacrifices."

  "Messer was not aware of this, so I will bear the blame."

  With enough spring water of life, this thing that can directly suck the life of pagans dry can easily deal with those ants.

  I just hope the Egyptian gods won't cause any more accidents...

  At the beginning there were only natural disasters, but now there are natural disasters plus man-made disasters. If there are more disasters, Aaron will be helpless.

  ·········

  Outside the human world, above the source sea.

  Everything on the earth is not clear here, but the main traces can still be seen clearly.

  Nine pillars of gods stood here - of course, only eight are left now.

  "Sure enough, these ordinary things alone cannot solve the problem of the Hebrews, nor are they enough to make Him take action."

  "We're not putting enough pressure on them."

  Above the source sea, the sky goddess' sweat almost soaked her clothes.

  Tefnut and Set attacked one after another, but the Outer Gods showed no sign of stopping and instead just watched their actions.

  No way... He wouldn't leave the opportunity for them to take action... Those Hebrews are facing a crisis, don't you plan to save them?

  "I will shake the stars."

  As if she had a good chance of success, the Sky Goddess forced a smile and said, "A meteorite will fall from the sky and hit the tree that has withstood the heavy rain, and then turn it into dust."

  "The Outer God will definitely take action when the time comes. We have nothing to worry about. It's impossible for Him to sit back and watch the Hebrews die or get injured when the game is only halfway through."

  No one responded to her, and the remaining gods looked at the ground nervously, especially Tefnut, Thoth and Set who attacked together.

  It makes sense, but who knows if the Outer Gods are reasonable?

  It is best to say that although the gods of Hemenu will die, they are still far away from death.

Chapter 377 Earth and Water

  Boom boom

  The thunder rumbled, as if the heaven was angry.

  In the distance, the sound of the Nile River lapping could be heard faintly. In the entire Hebrew settlement, only the most central area was rarely visited by people.

  This is the root system of the giant tree, and it is also the place where Moses prayed. At this time every day, Moses would pray silently to God and tell Him about his inner thoughts when he made every decision.

  "…This is my choice."

  "Many people don't understand me, even Aaron doesn't understand my choice. But Almighty and Eternal Lord, when I gave up eternal life in front of you, I have seen my heart clearly."

  "Although I was forced to flee Egypt for forty years ago, there has not been a day since the day I left that I did not regret my incompetence."

  "So I finally came back here... I only hope that your light will spread on earth as it spreads in heaven, so that every devout believer can be saved."

  No one would disturb Moses while he was praying, whether they believed in God or not.

  The mystery and nobility of the priests were ingrained in the bones of the people of that era. If not for this, as an outsider who had been away for forty years, Moses would not have been able to easily gain the trust of his people.

  The person who can communicate with God is the most respected person in this era. People revere this special person as if he were God, whether they are the Egyptians or the Hebrews.

  …

  The sacrifice lasted for a long time, and Moses spoke for a long time under the big tree that was transformed from the snake staff.

  Every time, he expected the holy fire to be lit in front of him, so that he could receive the revelation from the gods again. However, until the moment he stood up, nothing happened.

  God did not respond to him, as if the previous revelations had said enough.

  Moses was willing to exchange his eternal life and everything he had for the salvation of others, and God had already given His answer.

  He doesn't need to say the same thing a second time.

  "…Maybe this is fate."

  "My choice was also within God's expectations. Perhaps when God saw me, he knew that I was destined not to choose eternal life. Because the past and the future are before His eyes."

  Moses stood up silently and sighed.

  The giant tree that he had planted with his own hands was right in front of him. It could not only block the rain from the sky, but also dispel most of the harsh climates, such as storms and heavy snow. It could even stabilize the earth, and its roots could prevent ground cracks and lava.

  With it, the power of the Egyptian gods would be useless, and they could build the city safely and wait for the Pharaoh to let them go after fulfilling the agreement.

  This is the holy object bestowed by God. Even though it is already so tall, it can still absorb nutrients and grow taller and taller...

  "...growing taller and taller?"

  His expression changed, as if Moses realized something.

  He stared at the giant tree. It seemed to have grown a little taller than before.

  But how could this giant tree, which was made up of the power of the spring and the snake staff, grow taller out of thin air? Was it the power of the spring that increased, or was it the power of the snake staff that became stronger?

  "What happened? Has another disaster struck? Aaron should have dealt with it, but why didn't he come to tell me--"

  boom--

  Before he finished speaking, the earth shook and the huge tree trembled violently, causing Moses to almost lose his balance.

  A loud noise came from the treetops, and some rain leaked through the cracks, splashing mud on the ground.

  Moses raised his head to look, but the dense branches and leaves still blocked his view. For a moment, he didn't know what had hit the giant tree.

  But following the connection with the snake staff, Moses knew that the attack came from the sky.

  "But the attack in the sky just happened, why is it still growing... What's going on outside? Isn't Aaron out there protecting the people?"

  Any change in anything has a source of power. At this moment, Moses discovered that although the giant tree was attacked, it was still growing.

  A sense of joy of completion inexplicably rose from the bottom of his heart, but at this moment, Moses felt only anxiety.

  He had no idea what was happening outside, but now it seemed that they were being attacked from both the sky and the ground at the same time.

  This world is still unwilling to let him go.

  "God has revealed my fate to me... Among the devout believers, three out of ten young men will die; five out of ten women and children will die; and seven out of ten old and sick people will die... Is this fate? Then what's the point of what I'm doing?"

  "No, it makes sense. At least, I'll make more people 'devout believers'."

  The confusion disappeared in an instant, and Moses' eyes regained their determination.

  Looking at the growing giant tree, he stretched out his hand and tried to control its branches.

  Millions of branches then began to dance, some trying to slap the meteors upwards, and some trying to attack the enemies outwards.

  Moses gave it the order to destroy any approaching danger.

  The miraculous creation then began to move, as if a mountain was moving its body... and at the same time, outside the shelter of the giant tree.

  People around Memphis could see that the thick clouds in the sky were torn into large holes.

  Meteors fell one after another, crashing onto the sinners on earth.

  ······

  "ah--"

  "Let me go, I am willing to change my faith, let me go!"

  laugh--

  "Ra is the god of all gods, the source of everything. You will be punished by God. Stop, don't resist in vain. We are born with original sin, and the suffering we endure is just a process of atonement. When the disaster is washed away--"

  laugh--

  "Where is the great prophet, where is Moses, let me go, don't you always say that all Hebrews are brothers and sisters and should love each other? Liar, liar!"

  puff--

  "Master Aaron, why are you doing this? What good will it do for you to let us die? I can listen to you--"

  laugh--

  "Evil God, evil god, you will not be able to die well!"

  laugh--

  "...The earth will be stained with sin and blood, and you will pay the price... No one can escape, no one can!"

  …

  Standing on a mound, Aaron's face remained unchanged as he listened to the prayers, wails, curses and yells that came one after another.

  Before the city was built, there was a moat in the city planning, but no water flow was brought in.

  But heavy rain solved all this, and the moat's ditches blocked the water flowing from other places. Now, a short canal leading directly outside the city is being urgently dug by thousands of people.

  After all, even if the Fountain of Life produced enough water, it would be difficult to transport it by hand. Moreover, the spring was so small that even with more water, it might not be able to stop the huge black tide.

  However, no matter how terrifying those snakes, insects, rats and ants were, their individual strength was still small. Even the diluted spring water was enough to use.

  "Hurry up and don't pay attention to what they say."

  "If they had a sincere heart, they could have proved it long ago. God doesn't need to use killing to force them to believe. This is just a small decision I made personally."

  The voice was calm. Aaron looked at the spring in front of him, which was becoming clearer and holier with the nourishment of life.

  The blood of sin waters the sacred flowers, and corpses are scattered under the sacred spring that heals life.

  Perhaps this is the case behind every glamorous person in this world, it's just about being active and passive.

  "At least for humans."

  Walking down the slope, Aaron estimated that most of the Egyptians should be dead.

  Whether his plan will succeed depends on the subsequent evidence.

  Having devoured the flesh and blood of so many of their own kind, when facing alien races, they must let more of them die.

  "You have been training for a while. Although the enemy is not human, we still have to take up arms to defend our lives and wealth."

  After a while, when Aaron walked to the top of the city wall, the surging black tide was already right in front of his sight.  

  He seemed to see the figure wrapped in the black tide, a man on horseback.

  He may be a priest of the Egyptian gods, or he may be the king of a country.

  "Draw your sword!"

  No matter who it is, it cannot change the fact that this is the enemy.

  Aaron climbed up to the top of the wall and stood with the soldiers.

  "God is with me."

  …

  "God is with me."

  Outside the city, riding on a horse, Cash prayed softly, and then looked into the distance at the buildings that could not even be called a city.

  He saw the soldiers on guard above - well, he would rather call them a mob that had taken up arms.

  He couldn't see any excellence in either the equipment or the training.

  "I thought the enemies in the oracle were so powerful, but it turns out they are just these insignificant sinners... I have heard of them. They are a people cursed by the god Ra. Their ancestors committed great sins. I didn't expect that the Egyptians couldn't even deal with them."

  The blade was still dripping with blood, all that was left of the Egyptian nobleman that Kash had killed.

  Although due to the oracle, he would not directly cause trouble for the Egyptians at this time, but since the other party was blocking the way, he might as well eliminate them.

  This brief battle proved beyond a doubt that even well-trained soldiers were no match for his army. As for the sinners called Hebrews, there was naturally no difference.

  "They don't even have decent leather armor, nor do they have enough weapons."

  "Stone Spear... Ha, are we still living in the ancient times?"

  "Hahaha..."

  Kash's words caused a burst of laughter. Along the way, even though they knew that these insect ant armies would not harm them, every Nubian still had a lot of negative emotions accumulated in their hearts.

  The massacre of the Egyptians just now gave them a little vent, but this venting was far from enough.

  "Everyone, get ready. Complete God's mission as soon as possible, and then defeat Memphis directly. I want to use Ramses II as a sacrifice to God to prove my ability."

  "By then, everything in the city will be ours!"

  Kash swung his sword forward, and with a thought, a rolling black tide rolled forward.

  He saw the city walls, the moat, and the vigilant guards, but all of these were meaningless in the face of sheer numbers.

  No one knows how many lives there are in the desert, but to Kash, the number can only be infinite.

  Salsa…

  With a fine crawling sound, the front end of the tide touched the shallow moat.

  The tide rushed forward without any hesitation. They didn't need to dodge, they just needed to fill it up with numbers.

  Watching this scene, Cash began to wait silently.

  "…"

  "…"

  "…"

  "Um?"

  His expression changed slightly, and the front end of the tide continued to pour into the shallow moat, but the clear water surface was like an abyss, swallowing everything.

  If it wasn't right in front of him, Kash would even think that his army had stopped here instead of advancing.

  "Your Majesty, there seems to be something wrong with this water!"

  The voice came from the side, and Cash nodded slightly.

  He also saw that this might be a trap. However, he was not angry about the loss, on the contrary, he was slightly relieved.

  The oracle told them to destroy this group, and they seemed so vulnerable. However, if they were really so weak, the Egyptians should have killed them long ago.

  And there was this giant tree that was obviously abnormal... Although Cash believed that the army given to him by God was invincible and acted very confidently, he was still very alert.

  "So the first level is the moat? No problem. Let the ants build a suspended ant bridge and send other lives across."

  "They have this ability. I have seen it more than once."

  Issued the order, although this would greatly slow down the advance, but Cash didn't care.

  His army is endless, and this small city cannot stop him for long.

  ······

  Swoosh——

  Whoosh——

  Whoosh——

  …

  The collision on the ground has begun, and the power of Nut, the last of the four pillar gods, the goddess of the sky, is gradually emerging.

  In the sky, hundreds and thousands of stars began to fall towards the earth, aiming directly at the huge tree.

  Strictly speaking, the Sky Goddess does not have the power and authority over the stars, but she gave birth to the stars and has the power to mobilize them.

  So under her guidance, the meteors were like another heavy rain, bringing destruction and burning to the earth.

  "Why hasn't He taken action yet? Isn't He afraid that those mortals will be slaughtered by the stars?"

  Nut was feeling uneasy, but he knew that they actually had the advantage in this game.

  In any case, this is the world of Hemenu after all. Since both sides are interfering in the human world, their power will be weakened, but the other side will be weakened more. And there is another problem, that is, He does not hold the divine power of Hemenu.

  This was one of the reasons why he Egyptian gods chose to accept the chess game in the beginning, they believed that although the outer gods were powerful, they still had a good chance of winning when both supernatural and human forces had advantages.

  However, ever since what happened to Shu, almost all the Pillar Gods began to feel uneasy, and the power displayed by Moses also puzzled them.

  He did not rely on the power of the outer gods to perform various miracles, which directly overturned the balance of power in the human world. So at this moment, no one else said anything, at least for Nut, she just wanted to drag out this round and then pin her hopes on the god Ra.

  "So why don't you take action yet!"

  Looking at the falling stars, Nut was much more anxious than Moses at this moment.

  She hoped desperately that the Outer Gods could reach out and stop them, but only disappointment awaited her.

  Until the first star fell on the tree, the world remained the same. The gods from other lands did not intervene, but watched all this happen.

  "…"

  The stars fall on the trees, and even more on my heart.

  In an instant, Nut's heart began to sink.

  She forced a smile and looked in the direction of Ra, but all she could see was the golden mask covering the eagle's head.

  "Don't dream, Nut, He has come..."

  A deep voice came from beside him, and Seth looked at the air expressionlessly.

  It was the same feeling as when Shu fell before, it seemed that he was doomed.

  "...Anubis, my unborn son..."

  With divine power surging, Seth did not seem to intend to sit back and wait for death.

  Looking at the huge hand that seemed to cover everything, Set, as a god who symbolized the earth of Hermeneu together with the earth god Geb, soared into the sky.

  The divine light flickered like an ant trying to shake a tree.

  Chapter 378

  Taking Shape

  On the source sea, the two colors of black and gold roll and intertwine.

  I just don't know when the golden tide seemed to be calmer than before, and no longer as agile as at the beginning.

  "Seth..."

  Standing on the endless abyss, looking at the light rising into the sky, there was only indifference in La's eyes.

  Compared to the complete world, Shu's existence is actually insignificant, even with the addition of the three gods who have taken action now.

  After all, no matter how small the world is, it is still a world. Even the great divine powers seem insignificant in front of Him, let alone ordinary gods.

  However, in many cases, size alone does not represent everything. What exists or does not exist is far more important than how much there is.

  Just as Chaos's law of death, no matter how incomplete it is, as a complete world, there is still the god of death; and in the world of Hermeneu, the proportion of wind may be far less than that of water and fire, but it is equally indispensable.

  But now, with the intersection of wind and earth, Set, the god of desert and storm, rushed to the sky. As one of the fulcrums of the world, 'wind' might be in danger of completely disappearing from the world of Hemenu.

  Such a sophisticated "instrument", even if it loses just one screw, will inevitably lead to disaster in the future if it is not handled in time.

  "Your Majesty, what should we do in this situation?"

  With a pale face, the earth god Geb asked for help from La who was sitting on the sun sphere.

  It wasn't his turn yet, but he knew it probably wouldn't be long.

  His wife, who had been with him for ten thousand years, was about to die. How long could he hold on? After they were done, La would probably not escape either. Was he not panicking at all?

  boom--

  As he was speaking, Set, who was flying into a flame in the sky, was shot down without any resistance, and the Rain God and the Sky Goddess had no choice but to fight to the death.

  The battle was happening right beside them, and for a moment, the power of the three gods was like a candle in the wind. However, due to the rules of this place, the flames were swaying but not completely extinguished.

  "Don't be impatient, wait and see."

  Ra raised his eyes slightly, as if responding.

  The scene on the Source Sea now is not just a confrontation of strength. The power of the outer gods is enough to easily crush the resistance of the three gods, but the reason why they can still resist a little is because the war in the human world has not yet been decided.

  Therefore, the power that makes up the chessboard is vaguely protecting them - but everyone can see that the struggle of the three gods will probably not last long.

  "The chessboard has been unfolded. No one can move. Unless one of you can break free from the world power that constitutes the chessboard, and then defeat the Outer God in a head-on confrontation."

  His eyes narrowed and his peripheral vision swept across the surroundings.

  Now, apart from Ra, there are only three pillar gods who have not taken action yet. Geb, the god of the earth, Osiris, the god of the underworld, and Nephthys, the protector of the living and the dead. In fact, this is also the result of his intention.

  The enemy had more methods than he had imagined, but La was not without ways to deal with them.

  "You can't do it, and neither can I."

  "All we can do now is to prepare as much as possible for the next step."

  …

  tear——

  On the ground, under the tall trees, a brutal fight is going on.

  Cash underestimated Aaron's preparations. The poisonous spring water could actually be affected by human beings. The ant bridge he built was quickly destroyed by the waves, and the offensive was curbed again.

  However, Aaron's methods obviously only went so far. When Kash ordered his army to use the most primitive method to transport soil and rubble, and bring these things into the ditch in an attempt to fill up the moat in a mutually destructive manner, the hand-to-hand combat began to count down.

  The Fountain of Life has no effect on dead things. Even if the water keeps rolling, a road can be easily filled up by endless insects and jackals.

  The vast army came like a tide and joined forces with the soldiers who had soaked in the spring water beforehand.

  Then things went in the direction Aaron least wanted to see. Although the insects and jackals in the desert were unable to do anything to the soldiers who were soaked in the spring water for a while, their number was thousands times that of the guards.

  They fearlessly crossed the defense line and moved freely among the tents in the rear.

  The camp was in an uproar, with people scrambling and fleeing in all directions.

  Trampling, pushing, and even deliberately tripping others to make way for themselves, the evil of human nature is clearly revealed.

  Accompanied by bursts of roars, loud noises came from the sky, and dripping rain fell from the holes.

  "Will we fail, my Lord?"

  Aaron had long since abandoned the sword he used to kill people, and used a wide door panel to smash to death a group of poisonous insects in front of him.

  However, the gap created was quickly filled by the subsequent influx of similar people, who did not care about life or death and showed no signs of fatigue.

  "No, it's hard to say for others, but you will definitely be the last ones to die."

  Exhaling, Aaron felt like a reef in the ocean.

  If things reached the most dangerous point, he would decisively lead his men back to the vicinity of the spring and establish the strongest line of defense.

  But it hasn't come to that yet, he's still waiting for things to turn around.

  "The power God has bestowed on the great prophet may be beyond our imagination. It just depends on whether he is ruthless enough."

  "Oh, but come to think of it, I don't know whether I really want him to be cruel, or whether I want him to stay the way he is now. People are so contradictory."

  If Moses could discover it, Aaron could naturally do it too.

  When he was sacrificing those unbelievers, he also noticed the changes in the towering tree.

  Aaron didn't know if this was a coincidence or if there was some other connection, but at least he knew they wouldn't fall here.

  boom--

  It was another meteorite, even bigger than the previous one.

  A hole was smashed into the branch of the giant tree, and rain poured down.

  The crowd's panic became more and more serious. At this point, Moses must have realized the seriousness of the problem.

  "Whatever, let's continue. You can give me a chance."

  "What?"

  "That's the man."

  Looking at Kash in the black tide, Aaron smiled and said, "Whether we retreat or not, I have to kill him first."

  "A snake cannot move without a head, and a bird cannot fly without a head. Without a commander, these insects and jackals will be much easier to deal with."  

  "Their number is indeed endless, but as their master, I wonder if this person has immortality?"

  Immortality is naturally a joke, and Hermeneus is not immortal.

  So Aaron lowered his body and pretended to be in a panic, and signaled his most capable assistants to charge forward with him.

  To be honest, he really should thank the Fountain of Life, otherwise, as Moses' brother, at Aaron's age, he would not have the ability to charge.

  But now, feeling the energy and vitality surging through his body, just like when he was young, Aaron pressed his sword forward.

  ······

  Click——

  It was like a bolt of thunder across the boundless water, causing huge waves.

  When Aaron planned to attack Kash in the insect swarm, the power in the void that originally protected Set suddenly dropped.

  The power derived from the entanglement of the two worlds began to dissipate. Although things had not yet begun, the result seemed to have been revealed.

  In this situation, if Set chose to curl up beside the Rain God and the Sky Goddess, he might be able to survive for a while. After all, the power of the world is so strong that no one can kill him here before he really loses.

  However, sensing this change, he still charged forward without hesitation, just like a knight challenging a windmill, reckless but brave.

  "Seth...I didn't realize before that he was so brave."

  "If I had known earlier, I should have switched the order and let Gabe do it first, leaving him for later."

  La felt a little regretful, but it was only fleeting.

  Just as he did not notice Isis' betrayal, Ra admitted that he was still lacking in some areas.

  Of course, this is all secondary.

  Looking at the Outer God in front of him who was taking action for the second time, unlike the Sun God Ra, Amon Ra's reaction seemed flat and indifferent on the primordial water.

  He watched the scene on the source sea. Set's final counterattack was still useless.

  When the Outer Gods gave up on the human world again, his life or death was a foregone conclusion. When Set was held in the other's hand, Ra felt the momentary weakness and wailing of the Hemenu world.

  But compared to the last time, La was not so angry at this moment.

  On the one hand, he knew he couldn't stop it, and on the other hand, unlike the first time, the death of the god was rewarding.

  The death of those mortals with the blood of foreign gods is secondary. The most important thing is that although no one noticed when Shu Gang died, La unexpectedly discovered some changes as time went by.

  For example, if the power of the world is damaged, the power that bound the gods to the source sea will also decrease, so they can invest more power. Of course, the outer gods are the same as them in this regard.

  For example... because of the complete death of a god, La was surprised to find that along with the [Absolute Void] that he had partially mastered, more power seemed to be poured into him from the world.

  Even with Set about to follow, the raise became a little quicker.

  This was not the first time, La was familiar with this change.

  The reason why he was able to transform from the sun god to Amon-Ra-Atum and then steal the power of the Eight Gods was because he was blessed by Hemenu when he fought against the Outer Gods outside the world and took the opportunity to intercept part of the power.

  Based on this, when Ra was reincarnated, he successfully added 'Amon' to his own name and gained even greater power.

  And now, the feeling is so similar.

  "So, you think of me as your savior?"

  His breath was restrained, and he did not reveal his change at all.

  At this moment, instead of feeling that this was Hemainu's appreciation and favor, he felt it was a little ridiculous.

  The blessing of the world...what was He doing before?

  If He had not only given himself a vague revelation thousands of years ago, when the blood of the Outer Gods had just flowed into the world, Nala would have been able to eliminate those sinful bloodlines in the bud, and even use it to analyze the laws of the other world.

  At that time, the situation would not be so bad. It was clearly a confrontation between the worlds, but the gods from the opposing side could actually invade the interface they were in.

  Even if I missed this opportunity, if the world had given me such favor a thousand years ago, my power could have been further enhanced to truly cover every corner of the world.

  With this kind of power, the traitor Isis has nowhere to hide, and he can also plan calmly, discover problems in advance, and then make various responses.

  Even now, if the world was willing to give him all its power at once, Nara could just overturn the chessboard in front of him, break the so-called rules, and let the outside gods know that this was not a foreign land, but his Egypt.

  Then he can also keep the Outer Gods here permanently, or even turn them into a nail driven into the opponent's world, changing the offensive and defensive situation.

  However, at this moment, La felt the strength in his body increasing.

  He could probably figure out that if a progress bar was assigned to the realm above the True God, even if the other nine gods died, the power bestowed by the world would probably not be able to fill up the progress bar.

  Just like a program with rules already defined, the greater the loss He suffers, the more chips He will put at the stakes...but what's the point of making changes once He really loses to that point?

  It was just a slow death, but that was the world. La knew it very well, and there was nothing more to say.

  "Huh - but that's fine, this is also a method."

  "Kill them, kill them. Even if you swallow their power, how much stronger can you be... If you have the ability, kill them all, and then kill me, and kill 'Sun God Ra Atum'."

  "Kill all the gods. Since you want them, I'll give them to you."

  His expression was calm, as before him, Ra saw with his own eyes that Set, like Shu, had fallen into the clutches of the Outer Gods.

  One of the nine pillars suspended above the sea of ​​origin, the pillar that symbolized the desert and the storm, also broke apart. The source power flowed like water, surging towards the Outer God.

  The foundations of the world trembled again, and tiny gaps and loopholes began to appear in the laws that governed all things.

  It seemed that some chain changes were about to take place in the human world, but the quantitative change had not yet reached qualitative change, so this change was temporarily stopped.

  Everything was the same as last time, and there were no surprises. The only difference from Shu was that La unexpectedly discovered that Set had not made any sound from beginning to end, just like a tenacious warrior who would rather die than surrender to the enemy.

  "…Is this Seth?"

  "Well, it seems that my previous understanding of him was too limited. It turns out that he appears to be a power-hungry, ruthless and heartless god, but in reality he is so steadfast and unyielding."

  "pity..."

  He shook his head slightly and sighed, perhaps only disaster can reveal a person's true nature.

  But no matter what he thinks, God's will will not be shaken.

  The void swayed, time and space flickered, and Set's 'Ka' and 'Ba' were destroyed and sublimated in the palm of God.

  In the distant fifth spiritual world, at the core of the interface, the final changes began to slowly take shape.