Evelyn's expression was like that of a cat spotting a bowl of fresh fish.
"You know the location of the City of the Dead!? Or do you have a treasure map!?"
She stared at Herman in disbelief, completely captivated by what he'd just said. For anyone who studied ancient Egyptian history, there was no way not to know about Hamunaptra—the legendary City of the Dead.
Hamunaptra was the burial ground of the Pharaohs across dynasties, said to hold countless rare treasures and artifacts left behind by their reigns.
For generations, treasure hunters had scoured the endless sands, searching for the wealth of the Pharaohs, but none had ever succeeded.
In fact, even Egypt's official archaeologists and historians had spent years trying to uncover Hamunaptra's location. Yet to this day, no one had found any trace of it.
"I only know a general direction—and how to begin searching for it. That's why I need a guide. Someone deeply familiar with Egyptian history."
The information Herman had came from his memories before the Transmigration—from the movies. It should be accurate, even if he couldn't pinpoint an exact coordinate.
Still, he wasn't worried.
He was certain Evelyn would make an excellent guide. After all, she was the reincarnation of an Egyptian princess—who could possibly have a better chance of finding the true City of the Dead than her?
And if the logic of The Mummy films held any truth, there was a mysterious pull of fate that would inevitably guide Evelyn toward that place.
"What's the City of the Dead? What are you talking about? Is it filled with treasure?"
Jonathan looked completely lost.
He knew nothing about Egyptian history. Despite living in Egypt for quite some time, the only things he'd studied were tricks to swindle money from unsuspecting gold hunters.
In terms of education, he was barely a step above illiterate.
"Of course it's full of treasure—more than you can imagine. It's the Pharaohs' resting place. The burial goods alone would be beyond belief," Evelyn replied to her brother.
But unlike Jonathan, she wasn't drawn by thoughts of gold or jewels. What fascinated her was the ancient civilization itself—the stories buried beneath centuries of sand.
She turned back to Herman, her expression cautious.
"Are you sure your information is reliable? Over the years, plenty of people have claimed to possess treasure maps. Without exception, every single one turned out to be a fraud."
"Just like my dear brother here."
Evelyn's tone carried a touch of skepticism—not because she thought Herman was lying, but because she suspected he might have been deceived by someone else.
"I'm not a fraud!" Jonathan blurted indignantly, eyes darting about. "Good heavens! The Pharaoh's burial site—that's the royal tomb, isn't it? Imagine all the gold inside! We have to find it!"
He sounded completely certain, his imagination already overtaken by greed.
Blinded by visions of Pharaohs' wealth, he seemed ready to dive straight into a tomb and start hauling treasure out by hand.
"The information's reliable," Herman said calmly, not a hint of guilt in his tone. "It came from a dying man's last words—someone who had actually been to the City of the Dead."
The "dying man," of course, referred to the male lead from The Mummy.
Whether that man had crossed into the Marvel Universe or not didn't matter. Now that Herman had found Evelyn first, it was as if that protagonist never existed in this world at all.
It was typical of Herman's strange sense of logic. After solemnly finishing his explanation to Evelyn, he glanced toward Jonathan, who already looked ready to bolt for the nearest camel vendor.
The man was clearly plotting how soon they could set off.
"I don't recall saying I'd hire you," Herman said evenly. He knew Jonathan's type—more trouble than help—and had no intention of bringing him along.
A thief like him would be useless in the desert.
And as for the idea that a man and woman traveling alone together might cause gossip—well, only people with dirty minds would think that way.
Herman's intentions were simple: to properly hire Evelyn as a guide to the City of the Dead.
"What? You can't just leave me behind! If you're hiring my sister, you have to hire me too! The Pharaoh's fortune should be shared by all who find it!"
Jonathan didn't doubt Herman's story for a second.
When it came to such mysterious, otherworldly places, perhaps this wizard truly did have some unique form of divination. He'd witnessed Herman's "sorcery" firsthand, after all.
"The man who went to the City of the Dead—was he a treasure hunter too?" Evelyn asked, still uncertain as she tried to verify his claim.
She didn't object to Herman leaving her brother behind—in fact, she preferred it that way. In many ways, Evelyn had a practical, almost tomboyish nature.
Of course, Herman's looks likely played a role too. With a face like his, no woman would instinctively suspect him of ulterior motives. His [Extraordinary Charm] worked effortlessly, earning trust without a word.
"No, it was a soldier," Herman replied calmly. "He stumbled into the City of the Dead during battle. Everyone who entered with him was killed by black-clad, masked figures."
Recalling the plot of The Mummy, Herman spoke with complete seriousness, as if recounting a real event.
His explanation made Evelyn nod thoughtfully.
"It must have been the tomb guardians. I've studied ancient Egypt—the Pharaohs had elite guards who protected their tombs for generations." A spark of excitement flickered in her eyes. For the first time, she found Herman's story somewhat believable.
Hamunaptra—the City of the Dead! If they could truly find it, so much of Egypt's missing history could finally be recovered and completed.
Just imagining it made Evelyn's heart race.
"What else do you know? Which direction is Hamunaptra in?" she asked, her words tumbling out in rapid succession.
Her scholarly curiosity had completely overtaken her. This wasn't treasure hunting—this was archaeology!
They weren't chasing gold; they were chasing history!
Yes, that was how she justified it to herself. And if necessary, she would even stop Herman from damaging any artifacts—surely that made it a noble, righteous cause. In her mind, she'd already convinced herself entirely.
"You're willing to be my guide, then?"
A faint, teasing smile curved Herman's lips. He'd known from the start that invoking the name of Hamunaptra would be irresistible to her.
"Please, hire me! No one could be more qualified! I might not have worked as a guide before, but I know this desert inside out. Just like my brother said, I've never gotten lost. I can definitely help you find the City of the Dead!"
Evelyn's attitude had flipped completely—a full three-hundred-sixty-degree turn from before. She looked at Herman with bright determination, introducing herself with the utmost sincerity.
"My sister's right! She's the best guide you'll find! But if you want her help, you'll have to hire me too!" Jonathan chimed in eagerly, promoting himself without shame. There was no way he was missing this golden opportunity to strike it rich.
"Didn't you say you only had two days off?"
Herman's tone was amused, his smile faintly playful. He was simply teasing the inexperienced scholar.
"The curator's easy to talk to," Evelyn said quickly, blinking earnestly. "Forget ten days—even if I took a whole month off, he probably wouldn't fire me. After all, I'm the only scholar willing to work tirelessly in that library for just ten pounds a week."
She hesitated, watching his expression anxiously, afraid he might change his mind. Then, flustered, she added, "Really, believe me—I'm like a living map of the desert! And I can cook too… simple meals, at least! That's no problem!"
Even with such uncertain odds, Evelyn didn't want to pass up the chance to uncover a lost piece of history.
"When can we depart?"
Herman raised an eyebrow.
His question made Evelyn pause for a moment before realizing what he meant.
"Anytime!" she answered eagerly.
But after a quick glance toward the horizon, her enthusiasm dimmed slightly as she recalled the current weather conditions.
"Though… it might be better to wait a few days. The sandstorms in the desert haven't stopped lately."
Her tone carried reluctant acceptance. She wanted to leave immediately—but safety had to come first.
"I hope we can leave today. I still have other matters to take care of."
Herman hadn't forgotten the voice that had called to him from beyond the cosmos.
"What could possibly be more important than finding the City of the Dead, Hamunaptra?" Evelyn's eyes widened in disbelief. To her, it sounded like Herman didn't truly understand the importance or value of what he'd discovered.
"For me," Herman said with a quiet laugh, "it's far more important than the City of the Dead."
The voice that had reached him from outside the universe—no matter how one looked at it—was clearly of a higher order than the power of Anubis, the god of death.
Even the Anubis from The Mummy was, at best, a single-universe-level being. He couldn't possibly perform a "summoning" that pierced the boundaries of reality itself.
"Marriage? A family crisis? Or perhaps… inheriting a noble title?" Evelyn's imagination ran wild as she studied him, her expression turning slightly uneasy.
"With winds this strong, it's far too dangerous. Sandstorms out there can be deadly," she warned seriously.
She couldn't help feeling that Herman lacked the proper respect for the desert. In her eyes, only those who held true reverence for it could hope to survive its merciless trials.
"The wind and sand are indeed fierce."
Herman lifted his gaze to the storm-darkened sky. A faint light flickered in his eyes as a divine aura—Sky Father–level power—spread silently across the vast desert around them.
"But there's no need to worry. It'll stop soon."
As soon as the words left his lips, the raging storm fell completely still. The swirling sand disappeared in an instant, the air clearing as the sun broke through. The sky stretched open in a perfect, cloudless blue, bright and tranquil as if the chaos had never existed.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
Evelyn and Jonathan froze, utterly stunned. Their faces showed pure disbelief, as though they had just witnessed a miracle.
Evelyn had no idea what had just occurred.
Jonathan, however—having already witnessed Herman's supernatural abilities once before—understood immediately.
"This is magic!? Good heavens! It's an actual miracle!"
For once, his outburst wasn't wrong.
This was indeed a miracle—one born of divine power. Not just the siblings, but the entire marketplace was thrown into shock.
People all around them began shouting in their native tongue, some dropping to their knees, bowing and pressing their foreheads to the ground in awe.
...
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