Two people climbed onto the stroller, but as the goblins began, it seemed like he couldn't find the words to anxiously say anything to Evan.
"We must make the best use of our time, Mr. Mason," Zuosey said with a sharp tone. "I am different from you. My time is precious, and there are many tasks waiting for me."
"Yes!" Evan looked at the old goblin, not understanding what he meant. "I don't know what you want to achieve, but you will definitely not succeed," Zuosey continued, fishing a pocket watch from his pocket. He spoke provocatively, saying, "I even suspect if you can understand the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs."
To be honest, Evan didn't know the hieroglyphs, only recognizing a few distinctive symbols.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean," he asked directly.
"My point is that reading the translation and the first edition of the 'Emerald Tablet' won't be of great significance to you. I've seen too many arrogant human wizards like you who presume to find the true secrets within the 'Emerald Tablet,' but they end up empty-handed," Zuosey said, putting away the pocket watch and turning to look at Evan. "All those rumors are nonsense. Besides the knowledge contained within, that legendary magical artifact is nothing more than an ordinary slab of stone, and you'll find no magic power in it."
"Knowledge itself is priceless, and the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs might inspire me," Evan said.
He realized that Zuosey had a low opinion of him, believing that he didn't need to read the first edition of the 'Emerald Tablet.'
"It's really troublesome, a waste of time," Zuosey muttered quietly.
After that, neither of them spoke, and the stroller sped along a winding labyrinthine path. Soon, Evan's surroundings became increasingly blurry. The underground terrain here was much more complex than in London, with many areas covered in gravel. Magic maintained a narrow path for them to follow, and after passing the stroller, everything behind them turned into a pile of windblown sand.
The icy-cold wind howled, and after a dozen minutes, they reached a deep underground location. Amidst the yellow gravel and rocks, Evan spotted remnants from different ancient eras, each layer representing a different time period. This seemed to be a characteristic of Egypt, with its abundance of ancient relics. As they descended further, the air became even colder, and the stroller's wheels clanked as they crossed a mountain stream.
"We've arrived!" Zuosey declared, pointing in a direction. Countless rays of light appeared, dispersing the surrounding darkness.
Evan saw a massive stone in front of them, quite different from the complex and sturdy iron gates of Gringotts in London. Before reaching the stone, Zuosey spoke seriously, "Sesame seed, open the door!" He extended a long finger to gently tap the giant rock, and suddenly, a wide entrance appeared before the large stone.
Evan looked at him speechless. Gringotts goblins definitely hadn't read "One Thousand and One Nights"; otherwise, they would have recognized the reference to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, the inspiration for this thieves' den.
Quickly, Evan's attention shifted to the room behind the rock. In the light, a green stone emitted a soft glow. It was a massive green slab, entirely made of emerald, covered with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
The slab had an unusual edge with a large crack in the upper left corner, as if it had been struck from somewhere.
"This is what you've come to see, Mr. Mason—the 'Emerald Tablet,'" Zuosey said, a malicious smile playing on his lips. "Millennia ago, ancient Egyptian wizards retrieved this priceless treasure from tomb raiders. It was kept in a secret chamber inside Pharaoh Hermes' Pyramid, which is now nothing but ruins. Unfortunately, the writings on it are incomplete, and the essential information is missing."
"Indeed, it's a pity," Evan agreed, examining the "Emerald Tablet" room carefully.
"The Egyptian Ministry of Magic entrusted Gringotts with the care of this priceless alchemical book. The temperature and humidity in here are strictly controlled, and no one has entered for decades, as too many visitors would damage the 'Emerald Tablet' itself."
"I understand, Mr. Zuosey. May I take a closer look?" Evan asked. "It's a bit hard to see from here."
He didn't want to enter the room rashly; he could sense traces of defensive magic and curses all around the room. Zuosey hadn't shown any goodwill, and he stood by the rock, watching Evan closely without offering any warning. If Evan entered without caution, he might suffer consequences.
"Of course," Zuosey said, his smile gradually fading. He gestured, "Please, Mr. Mason."
Evan walked closer, and behind him, Zuosey kept a close eye on him, making the atmosphere uncomfortable. Just as Professor Snape had mentioned, Evan couldn't decipher the hieroglyphs on the "Emerald Tablet," which were the most primitive form of ancient Egyptian writing. He rotated the stone twice but returned to the same spot, confirming that there was no magical aura present.
Seeing Evan's actions, Zuosey chuckled. "Do you still wish to continue?"
Zuosey asked softly, taking out his pocket watch. "I told you that you're wasting your time."
Ignoring him, Evan had previously read the translated version of the "Emerald Tablet" and remembered it. He compared the hieroglyphs to those in the stone. The existing "Emerald Tablet" contained thirteen concise and profound admonitions, guiding the reader to connect with the profound and divine aspects of nature, which formed the foundation of alchemy.
But this wasn't the complete text. Nicolas Flamel had told him that the "Emerald Tablet" didn't only contain the secret of creating the Philosopher's Stone in the temporal world. Only a master of alchemy with the key could understand the true secrets hidden within the "Emerald Tablet."
That key was in Evan's "Book of Abraham," the most authentic source of the "Emerald Tablet." Evan took a deep breath, focused his mind, and softly recited the first incantation from the "Book of Abraham."
With his action, the writing on the stone tablet gradually began to change. It started emitting an eerie green light, becoming more pronounced. In the green light, the hieroglyphs on the "Emerald Tablet" seemed to come alive, rising slowly from the stone and surrounding Evan.
Behind Evan, Zuosey, the goblin, watched this scene in astonishment, his mouth agape, unable to believe his eyes.
In the underground stone chamber, all the inscriptions on the "Emerald Tablet" floated and encircled Evan. Zuosey watched this astounding phenomenon with shock, gradually falling silent, unsure of what Evan had done to produce such a spectacle. He had studied the "Emerald Tablet" extensively and was certain that there was no magical power within this jade slab. It contained the foundations of alchemy, and the tablet itself was nothing more than an ordinary piece of jade.
However, the current events had overturned his previous conclusions and shattered his worldview. The "Emerald Tablet" was indeed a legendary magical artifact, possessing unique powers, and this young human was performing a miracle.
Zuosey let his pocket watch fall to the ground, ignoring it as he focused on Evan. He suddenly felt a profound sense of joy, realizing that this was more meaningful than studying cultural relics. The magic emanating from the jade, while not strong, was extraordinary. Zuosey greedily watched it unfold, envisioning that if this mystery could be unraveled, it could become a groundbreaking archaeological discovery, shaking the world of magic.
Of course, Zuosey cared more about gold and boundless wealth. Alchemists were known to be the wealthiest individuals, and he had often heard legends about Nicolas Flamel and his ability to turn any substance into gold using the Philosopher's Stone. Gold was what all goblins coveted, their lifelong pursuit.
Two years ago, when Flamel and Dumbledore had publicly announced the ruin of the Philosopher's Stone, Zuosey had regretted missing out on the opportunity. Upon hearing that Evan was a student of Nicolas Flamel, he had secretly observed him, though initially, he had been disappointed by the sight of a 15-year-old wizard.
How could a young wizard possibly possess knowledge of the Philosopher's Stone? It seemed nonsensical. However, the current events filled Zuosey with newfound hope. He already knew that the "Emerald Tablet" concealed the secret of creating the Philosopher's Stone, but the inscriptions contained only seemingly meaningless words.
Now, from what he was witnessing, it appeared that Evan might understand this secret.
At this moment, Evan, enveloped in the green, misty light, entered a miraculous state. As he recited the first incantation from the "Book of Abraham," the ancient inscriptions began to appear in his mind. Although these were ancient hieroglyphs he couldn't comprehend, he could grasp their meanings.
"Real not empty, will never lie, certainly brings," the low, deep voice resonated slowly. The meaning was clear: "This is the truth of the temporal world, unfaltering and irrefutable, the ultimate truth."
"Next is similar, under on is similar, helps too a miracle according to this." The meaning: "To work miracles, one must understand that both the upper realm and the mortal realm are interconnected."
"Myriad things are too one, from too creates because of the differentiation." The meaning: "The creator gave birth to all things, making them spring from a common source."
The low, deep voice continued to resonate, lingering softly. These were the foundational principles of alchemy that Evan had studied before. Though the glyphs before him were in a foreign script, he understood their meanings.
Evan heard his own voice clearly, but it sounded lower, deeper, and hoarser. He continued to chant the first incantation of the "Book of Abraham," and these words transformed into the inscriptions on the "Emerald Tablet."
With each utterance, the inscriptions on the tablet rose from its surface, entering Evan's mind. Although the words were originally in classical Chinese, they transformed into sentences that Evan could comprehend naturally.
"Sun is its father, moon is its mother, it breeds in the womb of wind, the creation together earth has nourished it."
"It is in the world the fathers of all miracles, it has the versatile strength."
"Saa it in the soil, it can isolate from the fire the soil, can make the exquisite thing present from the thick thing."
"It can fly upwards the sky from the ground, then, it can also descend again the ground, agglomerates the all strengths of upper boundary and world of mortals."
"From this you will obtain the entire world most outstanding honor, all gloomy will dissipate from your side."
"This is most powerhouse in great power, it can surmount all exquisite thing, can seep into all firm bodies."
"Universe like this was created, according to this process, has had numerous extraordinary changes from this only thing."
"Reason that I am called Hermes, because I have undertaken the entire universe wisdom tertiary role."
As the last word was spoken, the ancient green inscriptions in front of Evan began to move. They fused together like a mist, forming the image of a young man. This figure was of a very young man with dark skin, wearing winged sandals on his feet and a short robe.
On his head was a crown resembling a crescent moon, surmounted by a giant full moon disc radiating an unusual energy.
"Thoth!" Evan murmured, recognizing this ancient god's image from various ancient relics. Thoth was the most significant god in ancient Egypt, the god of wisdom and the editor of the "Emerald Tablet" and the "Book of the Dead." Thoth could appear in various forms depending on the situation.
As Evan continued to chant the first incantation from the "Book of Abraham," he didn't pause but kept reciting, while observing the vague figure before him. Finally, Evan's gaze fell on the object the figure was holding, which looked strangely familiar.
It was a scepter, coiled by two serpents, just like the Caduceus Evan had seen before in the hands of Slytherin. This same symbol was also etched into Slytherin's related relics and appeared on the second page of the "Book of Abraham."
Nicolas Flamel had told Evan that this scepter was the key to unlocking the secrets of the "Book of Abraham." Regrettably, after seeking for more than 600 years, Flamel hadn't found it. Evan knew that its last owner was Salazar Slytherin.
As Caduceus appeared before him, everything seemed to click into place: alchemy, the Philosopher's Stone, the Four Founders' hidden treasures, the void evil gods, and the Titans. The connections became clearer, but what was missing was a strong link to tie it all together.
To establish that link and unlock all the secrets, Evan needed Caduceus.