Chapter 1128 - 357: Temple’s Enigma (Part 2)

"Who are you?" Ian’s voice was calm, but the magic wand had quietly slipped into his palm. The other person didn’t answer, just took a step forward. The person was completely shrouded in a deep black robe, the hood hung low, covering the face. His footsteps were so light that they were almost inaudible, as if he was gliding rather than walking.

Ian wasn’t surprised, just slowly turned around to face the individual.

Sunlight finally illuminated the Mysterious Man’s figure—slender yet upright, and the arms under the black robe faintly showed some ancient runes, like Curse Seals etched into the skin.

"You better not pursue this any further." The Black-robed Man’s voice was deep, with a hoarse metallic timbre, "Some things are not for you to know."

Ian smiled faintly.

"Are you here to warn me?"

"I ask you," Ian stared at her, "Is the curse on that old man your doing?"

Upon hearing this.

The Black-robed Woman chuckled lightly, the sound was like ice water dripping onto stone.

"If it were me, you wouldn’t be standing here alive." This statement was both a denial and a warning. Ian wasn’t scared, instead he became more interested.

Ian squinted his eyes.

"Then what do you know?"

He asked.

The Black-robed Man remained silent for a moment, seemingly weighing whether to speak. Eventually, this Mysterious Man spoke in a low voice, her voice so calm it seemed cruel, "All sixteen wizards who pursued this matter died in accidents—their souls were torn apart, their bodies turned to ashes. Do you think you can be the exception?"

This sentence was filled with cruelty.

Ian laughed.

"How would I know unless I try?" Ian’s lips curved slightly. He wasn’t afraid of Anubis, so he wouldn’t be intimidated by a few words from others.

Now, Ian was curious about the identity of this suddenly appearing person. The Black-robed Woman was silent for a moment, then let out a sigh filled with complexity.

That tone was like pity, yet also like mockery.

"A wizard with a heavy curiosity, huh?" The Black-robed Man seemed surprised that Ian would answer like that. She slightly raised her head, and the sunlight finally shone on her somewhat visible face—a young yet pale face, her cheeks and forehead seemingly engraved with ancient runes, like some sacred imprint.

"That’s the reason most wizards meet their end."

Her tone was full of warning.

Ian’s gaze swept over those runes, his brows slightly furrowed. Those symbols didn’t belong to any magic system he knew, more like... some kind of sacrificial marks.

"Aren’t you a wizard too?" he probed.

The Woman shook her head, her lips forming a mysterious arc.

"I’m not a wizard." She slowly raised her arm, the runes glimmering with faint golden light under the sun, "I am a servant of the Great God Ra."

He slowly raised his hand, lifting the hood. A truly young yet pale face appeared before Ian. It was a woman, seeming no more than in her early twenties, her skin as white as ivory, black hair cascaded like a waterfall onto her shoulders. But the most striking thing was the runes engraved on her face—they were not tattoos, but some mysterious metal thread embedded into the skin, forming complex ancient characters, shining with faint golden light.

Ian’s pupils shrank.

Servant?

Not a wizard?

He stared at the runes on her face, asking softly: "Priest?"

The Woman didn’t answer, just gently raised her hand, pointing to the distant night sky—where the spire of the Sun Temple was faintly visible under the moonlight.

"If you really want to know the truth," she whispered, "go to the Sun Temple again at night."

Ian’s pupils shrank.

"What do you mean?"

However, the Woman had already stepped back, the black robe suddenly lifting—next second, her figure distorted and transformed, turning into a giant eagle, spreading its wings and soaring into the night sky, a sharp cry of the eagle piercing the twilight sky. The eagle soared high, vanishing into the clouds, disappearing from Ian’s sight.

Ian stood there, looking in the direction she had left, his brows deeply furrowed.

"Temple at night..." he muttered to himself, "What is hidden there?"

A servant of a god wished for Ian to investigate her god’s temple at night; this matter itself was filled with a strange taste, difficult to comprehend.

Sixteen wizards, all dead?

Divine punishment?

The Servant of Ra was also wary of impostors?

Clearly.

This isn’t an ordinary trap.

Behind the matter lies a colossal mystery. And that Woman—she isn’t a regular priest nor a regular wizard. The runes on her face, the energy fluctuations, Ian had never seen before. She might be a much older entity, or perhaps, she was the true Guardian of the "Eye of the Ra."

Just then, Ian suddenly recalled the Woman’s final words—

"If you want to know the truth, go to the temple of the Sun God Ra at night."

This sentence sent a jolt through Ian’s heart.

Was she guiding him?

Or setting a trap?

Ian was a bit puzzled, yet he didn’t hesitate. He knew, the real answer wasn’t on the streets, nor in dreams, but within that temple standing on the western bank of the Nile River.

Night had yet to fall.

And he, was already prepared to understand the truth.

After the mysterious Woman transformed into an eagle and disappeared in the sky, Ian looked up at the high-hanging sun, several hours still until nightfall. He rubbed his chin, pondered for a moment, and decided to take a stroll in the city first.

After all, a foreign wizard wandering aimlessly through the streets of Ancient Egypt for too long would surely draw attention, and blending into the crowd was the best disguise.