Evelyn's expression was full of confusion.
She turned to her brother Jonathan, as if recalling something, and her face immediately shifted into one of realization—mixed with annoyance.
"Damn it, Jonathan, are you bragging again? Telling people we're Egyptian nobles who can pull strings for them?"
Clearly remembering some unpleasant experiences from the past, Evelyn glared at him, her irritation evident. Yet, there was something oddly endearing about her when she was angry.
"No! I stopped using those cheap tricks ages ago! …I mean, I've never deceived anyone like that!"
Jonathan's explanation sounded completely unconvincing, even to himself.
"My apologies, sir. My brother tends to exaggerate. We're really just travelers temporarily settled in Egypt."
Ignoring Jonathan's red-faced protests, Evelyn turned to Herman with an apologetic look.
"My name is Evelyn. I currently work at the library in Cairo—you can just call me a librarian."
She extended her delicate hand toward him. Her skin was smooth and fair, surprisingly so for someone living in Egypt's harsh climate. Perhaps she simply didn't go out much.
"Most travelers don't become librarians mid-journey."
Herman chuckled softly as he shook her hand. He already knew a great deal about Evelyn—just as he did about so many other figures from the Marvel Universe.
After all, she was the heroine from The Mummy.
Much like Skye, Kara, or Aunt May, she was a familiar name to him long before his transmigration. He could still remember how, as a child, a local TV station would frequently replay The Mummy movies. The scene of Imhotep's resurrection had once been the stuff of his childhood nightmares.
'If I can find the City of the Dead this time,' Herman thought, 'maybe I could even bind that millennia-old evil spirit, Imhotep, into my [Realm of the Dead] to serve me.'
Evelyn blinked, pausing briefly at his lighthearted remark.
"The Egyptian National Library contains the most comprehensive records of Egypt's history. I've been able to read many rare ancient manuscripts there," she explained earnestly. "I've been fascinated by ancient Egypt since I was a child—as if there's something about that history that calls to me."
As she spoke, a subtle brightness flickered in her amber eyes. Herman understood perfectly why. The woman standing before him was the reincarnation of an Egyptian princess. Of course Egypt's history would hold a special pull over her.
If he remembered correctly, contact with certain ancient Egyptian relics could even trigger flashes of her past-life memories—visions that came to her like echoes from another time.
It seemed the Egyptian version of the "forgetfulness potion" wasn't very effective. Not only Evelyn but others with past lives often found themselves stirred by familiar sights, awakening fragments of who they once were.
'Perhaps it's connected to the reincarnation methods used by Anubis, the god of death,' Herman mused silently.
Outwardly, he remained calm, nodding slightly. With his usual easy charm, he offered Evelyn a gentle smile.
"To have something you love—and to devote yourself to it with genuine passion—that's one of the greatest joys in life."
He spoke with quiet sincerity, his tone carrying a depth that made the words feel more than polite sentiment.
"Ah... you're right! Sorry, I got a little distracted… I was just thinking about that document I read yesterday."
"Exactly, that's it."
Evelyn, caught off guard by Herman's smile, blanked out for a moment. When she came to, her cheeks flushed scarlet as she scrambled to explain herself.
She tried her best to hide the fact that she'd been distracted by Herman's looks, but her ability to lie was nowhere near her brother Jonathan's.
"It's fine."
Of course, Herman knew exactly what was going on. He had always been exceptionally handsome, but after unlocking the Silver-tier Identity [Fiancé of a Superpowered Individual], he'd also gained the special ability [Extraordinary Charm], granted by the [All-Seeing Eye].
Any woman would be affected by it to some degree.
Evelyn, innocent and unworldly, was especially susceptible—completely drawn in by his appearance. His charm now far surpassed even Leonardo DiCaprio at his prime.
"Hey, hey, hey! Enough chit-chat, everyone! Let's get down to business already!"
Jonathan snapped his fingers several times, abruptly cutting into their conversation. This time, however, his impatience wasn't just about getting his promised reward from Herman.
He knew exactly why Evelyn had turned red. The last thing he wanted was for his sister to fall for a sorcerer.
Even if the man looked wealthy, Jonathan had no intention of sacrificing his sister's happiness. Herman's looks alone were more than enough to attract trouble wherever he went.
"I told you already—I'm just a librarian, a scholar. What could I possibly help you with?"
Evelyn hesitated again.
This wasn't how she'd imagined things would go. She'd assumed her brother had been exaggerating as usual, and that once everything was explained, it would all turn out to be a misunderstanding.
"He needs your knowledge! You know, that ancient Egypt stuff that puts everyone else to sleep!" Jonathan jumped in before she could finish, answering on Herman's behalf.
"Um… you're a prospector? Did you find some ancient Egyptian treasure?" Evelyn asked, misunderstanding again as she gave Herman a curious look.
She hadn't really noticed before—but now that she looked properly, his clothes struck her as strange. Earlier she'd been too distracted by his face to pay attention to what he was wearing.
His outfit was light and casual.
Stylish, yes, and undeniably eye-catching—but did this man really have no idea how brutal Egypt's climate could be?
"A prospector? I suppose you could call me that. I'm heading to an ancient Egyptian ruin—there might be a few treasures hidden there."
Herman considered his words carefully.
Most treasure hunters chased after gold and silver. He was after something else entirely—the deathly power of Anubis.
In a way… it wasn't all that different.
"You haven't been to the Egyptian Deserts before, have you? Just flew into Egypt?"
Evelyn couldn't quite make sense of Herman's attire, so she came to what seemed like the most reasonable conclusion: he must be a rich young master who'd never truly experienced Egypt before.
She couldn't identify the brand of his clothes, but just from the fabric and cut, she could tell they were expensive—definitely custom-made. People who could afford to wear something like that weren't in the same league as ordinary treasure hunters.
"Just arrived, I suppose."
Herman nodded. As for the matter of flights, there was no need to explain. He couldn't very well tell Evelyn that he had crossed decades through time itself to get here.
"Your family must be quite well-off. The way you speak and carry yourself shows you've had an excellent education."
"With a privileged life like that, why come to the desert just to die?"
Had it been anyone else, Evelyn would never have spent this much effort trying to talk sense into a treasure hunter.
But as her gaze lingered on Herman's handsome face, even she—who usually had nothing but disdain for gold diggers—found herself thinking it would be a real tragedy for such a man to die out in the sands.
She'd met handsome men before, but none had ever made her heart skip or held her eyes quite like this one.
That thought alone made the face behind her black veil flush even redder.
Like a ripe apple—though the veil covered her features, Herman could still see it perfectly clearly.
Super Vision had its perks.
"Isn't it possible," he said with a raised brow, "that I simply won't die?"
Herman didn't believe for a second that the desert sands could threaten him.
If anything out there could truly put him in danger, it would have to be one of Egypt's gods descending in person.
"Don't be overconfident. Not everyone who enters Egypt's deserts comes back alive. The desert doesn't care if you're rich or beautiful—it shows no mercy. It treats everyone with perfect fairness."
"Every year, more than ninety-five percent of prospectors perish in these sands. That should tell you just how deadly this place really is."
"We must treat it with respect."
Evelyn's words came quickly, her tone earnest and sincere. She truly wanted to dissuade him.
"My dear sister… he's just asking you to be a guide. Why all the lectures? Aren't you supposed to be the walking encyclopedia of the desert who never gets lost?"
Jonathan, anxious that Herman might lose interest and back out, cut in immediately. If that happened, all those Rolexes—and his dream of buying a British villa—would vanish into thin air.
"Huh? A guide?"
Evelyn blinked in confusion.
She hadn't expected Herman to ask her for something like that. "But I've only taken two days off, and I don't want to go traipsing through the desert helping someone hunt for treasure."
She might have been willing to admit Herman was good-looking—exceptionally so, even—but she despised treasure hunters.
Treasure hunting?
How was that any different from grave robbing?
"Come on, think about it! Your curator's easygoing—he'd let you take a few more weeks off without a fuss. This handsome gentleman is offering us a very generous reward!"
Jonathan tried his best to persuade her, his tone filled with pleading urgency.
"What good is money to me?"
Evelyn's voice was firm, but her expression softened slightly as she looked at Herman. After a brief hesitation, she decided to at least warn him.
"Most of the so-called guides around this market are swindlers. Their usual trick is to lead clients into the desert and rob them halfway through the journey."
It was a trap that caught many rookie treasure hunters every year.
Realizing she couldn't talk Herman out of it, Evelyn could only offer the warning.
"Thanks… but I doubt they'd take me once they heard where I plan to go."
Herman knew exactly how to strike her curiosity. He sighed softly, feigning helplessness, then added casually, "You know, I've been here for a while, but I've never heard of locals refusing to go somewhere."
And just as expected, Evelyn's curiosity sparked immediately.
"Where exactly are you heading? I've been here quite some time, and I've never heard of any place locals wouldn't go."
Her voice carried both skepticism and interest.
"The City of the Dead. The City of the Undead. The Egyptians call it Hamunaptra."
Herman's smile didn't waver as he spoke slowly, deliberately. He knew exactly what effect those words would have on her.
And sure enough—
"What!? What did you just say!?"
Evelyn's wide, bright eyes flew open in shock, her reaction even more exaggerated than a wolf spotting its prey.