Dumbledore thought about killing Murphy because of Grindelwald, but Murphy had considered how to eliminate Dumbledore a long time ago.
With the Wall of Saint Peter sealing inside and out, creating a duel to the death cage, plus a Great Shaman-level powerhouse.
This was Murphy's preparation for dealing with Dumbledore, a condition negotiated nearly by becoming part of Arkaim.
However, now there was Grindelwald, turning what was initially a two-on-one into a two-on-two. But since Grindelwald had just been released and wasn't at his peak, with the shamans' bizarre magic to assist, victory was not out of reach.
Regrettably, this Maxim was the last of Arkaim's Great Shamans—Murphy had killed the other two.
And another powerhouse of this caliber from the Soviet, Lady Yaga, refused to leave the Empress's side since she felt Arkaim was no longer safe without the Wall of Saint Peter. Otherwise, it would have been three against two, making the battle much easier.
But even so, this was the best chance to kill Dumbledore.
The next instant, Murphy transformed into a demonic form, surrounded by electrical fire and rising black smoke, identical to the image controlled by the followers of the Holy Mother.
Countless Thunderbolt Crows flew out from behind him, forming seven or eight small antenna arrays in the air. He would use these to modulate magical power, freeing himself from Maxim the Great Shaman's magical blockade, and gaining an advantage.
Having done all this, he looked at Dumbledore.
"Professor, the scenery here is nice. Stay a while."
...
And at the moment the Wall of Saint Peter unfolded above the white cliffs.
In a dilapidated confessional underground, a priest wearing a crown of thorns stood up from a high-backed chair.
He pushed open the door and entered a huge underground hall.
The hall, as wide as a football field and extending far like a tunnel, had a nearly five-meter-tall marble statue of the Holy Mother covered in dust at its forefront. She looked down at the entire space with a benevolent gaze, hands spread open.
On the floor, numerous stone coffins were neatly arranged, totaling over a hundred.
The Thorn Priest knelt before the statue of the Holy Mother, "May the merciful spirit guide the lost lambs, allowing the holy knights to be reborn."
As his words fell, another priest in black robes holding a censer walked from the other end of the hall, billowing white smoke pouring from the small censer, followed by hundreds of people shambling forward, chanting scriptures uniformly.
The black-robed priest led them to the coffins. As they approached, the coffins trembled, and skeletal arms pushed open the lids, with black smoke billowing out, enveloping the dazed standing people and suddenly pulling them into the coffins.
The next moment, screams and horrific roars and gnawing sounds filled the hall.
Blood seeped from the bottom of the coffins, filling the hall with a pungent stench.
Soon, the noise ceased, and the coffins reopened, revealing knights in black armor crawling out.
The Thorn Priest watched excitedly, "The Mass of Resurrection is complete. Great Spirit, the holy knights return to eradicate the oathbreakers, just as three hundred years ago."
He knelt again before the statue, "Please guide their path."
The massive statue of the Holy Mother began to shake, and then, her calm and benevolent voice filled the hall, "Arkaim. Kill the 'Prophet'!"
...
Arkaim, Palace of Spring.
"What are the prohibitions after entering the burial chamber, Your Majesty?" Lady Yaga sat at a table, with several ancient scrolls spread out before her.
"See not, speak not, hear not," said the Empress.
"How many steps from the Gate of Rebirth to the kneeling spot?"
...
Sofia's gaze shifted to a crow at the window, strutting proudly as if nothing was amiss.
Suddenly, the crow flapped its wings and flew to another tower.
Her gaze followed its path to a feather-like cloud in the sky.
She frowned, lost in thought looking at that cloud.
"Your Majesty!"
"What?" The Empress started.
"How many steps from the Gate of Rebirth to the kneeling ground?" Lady Yaga repeated.
"Uh... six steps? Or eight?" The Empress was unsure.
"It's seven steps, then one step back," Lady Yaga said. "Your Majesty, you were distracted."
"This is your first grand ceremony since your ascension, Empress. All the wizards of Arkaim will be watching. Every step must be flawless," Lady Yaga said sternly. "You'd better memorize all the steps... especially those after entering the burial chamber. It's the most sacred and dangerous place, where any mistake could trap you there forever!"
"I'm sorry, Lady Yaga," the Empress still seemed distracted.
Lady Yaga glared at her, sighed, "Alright, we'll review this later. Until those birds turn into lightning or a man, you probably won't listen."
The Empress was a bit embarrassed but quickly asked, "They say his opponent is the greatest wizard in England, some say even more powerful than a Great Shaman. Do you know this Mr. Dumbledore?"
"Yes, he's not a simple character, maybe even more difficult than Alexei or Felipe. And he has help."
"Can he win?"
"Possibly," Lady Yaga said. "Even if he can't kill them, he can always leave. I just hope he doesn't lose the Holy Wall."
The Empress sighed, "If only I could use divination. But since meeting him, my precognitive abilities seem to have failed."
"Prophecy and divination are attempts to peer into the mysteries of time. Failure is common. It's unusual that you've often succeeded in the past," Lady Yaga said. "Now, can you focus and let this old lady teach you about the ceremony? Your Majesty?"
"Your Majesty?"
The Empress seemed not to hear her, staring at the horizon, "Lady Yaga, is there a bonfire festival today?"
"What?" Lady Yaga didn't understand.
"Smoke," the Empress looked towards the horizon, then suddenly stood up and went to the window, looking out, "There's a fire! There's a fire in the city... no, that direction is... the ancestral burial chambers, the Holy Forest! The Holy Forest is on fire!"
At that moment, a scream came from outside.
Then, someone nearby shouted, "Who's there?!"
Immediately after, the sound of a large and urgent bell rang nonstop.
Several explosions seemed to occur within the palace, shaking the ground beneath the Empress's feet.
"Invasion!" The Empress stood at the window sill, looking at the smoke in the distance, feeling a chill to the bone, "Someone has invaded Arkaim!"
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