"Howl... Howl..."
As Jowalin cursed in frustration, the loud howl of a wolf echoed through the area, pulling him out of his deep thoughts.
He scanned his surroundings cautiously and traced the sound. In the distance, he spotted a massive black wolf standing by the river, staring directly at him.
Their eyes locked, neither moving for a moment, but the wolf's saliva dripped from its fangs as it continued to release deafening howls.
"Howl..."
What surprised Jowalin was the absence of fear. The wolf was enormous, with sharp claws and long fangs capable of tearing flesh, yet Jowalin remained calm.
He smirked, but before he could act, the wolf charged with incredible speed, the air whistling from its rapid motion.
"Damn it... I don't have any weapons. But it doesn't matter β my physical strength has always been the best in the family!"
The wolf's jaws opened wide, its fangs ready to tear into Jowalin's neck. But at the last moment, Jowalin's shadow flickered, and he reappeared beside the beast, punching it hard in the stomach.
Blood gushed from the wolf's mouth as it staggered back.
"Heh... Seems like my strength is still intact. Nothing's changed β only the world seems different. What exactly is going on?!"
Jowalin clenched his fists and muttered, "First, I need to find someone to explain this madness... after I finish off this wolf."
In an instant, Jowalin dashed forward. The wolf, sensing danger, tried to flee, fear flashing in its eyes.
"Too late... You sealed your fate the moment you attacked me," Jowalin sneered.
Before the wolf could escape, Jowalin struck it again with a powerful blow. As the wolf flew through the air, he leaped after it, grabbed its head, and pulled with immense strength.
"Howl... Howl..."
The wolf's mournful howls filled the air until its head was violently torn from its body. Blood splattered the ground, and the lifeless body collapsed.
Jowalin caught his breath and gazed at the slain beast. His stomach grumbled, and he couldn't help but imagine the wolf roasting over a fire.
"Wait a second... Isn't this the same strange wolf we encountered when we left the underground shelter?"
Lost in thought, Jowalin's ring suddenly vibrated, and a strange black-and-white glow emerged. A small book appeared β or rather, it was just a cover with no pages inside.
The cover bore hieroglyphic inscriptions:
ππ°π€π°πππ°π€ππ°πππ°π»π ππ°ππ ±π³π°π€
"The Book of Life and Death."
Jowalin instantly recognized the symbols, given his family's expertise in Egyptian archaeology.
"How could the legendary Book of the Dead be inside this ring? What kind of ring is this?!"
There was no one to answer his question. The book hovered in the air briefly before floating above the wolf's corpse.
The book trembled slightly, and as it did, Jowalin felt the space around him shiver, sending chills down his spine.
This ancient book was said to record the lives and deaths of every being in Kemet. Yet, what he held was merely the cover.
Suddenly, a thick black mist began to ooze from the wolf's body. It resembled some form of dark energy.
The mist coiled like a sinister whisper, "Ssshhhβ¦"
Out of nowhere, a tiny black vortex opened in front of the book, swiftly absorbing the ominous mist.
Jowalin watched, mesmerized by the surreal sight β a book acting on its own, extracting strange energy from an even stranger wolf.
Moments later, the soft rustling of a page broke the silence.
The book opened, and a single golden page shimmered into existence. Curious, Jowalin reached for it cautiously. When he touched the book, it didn't react, allowing him to pick it up.
The page was filled with ancient hieroglyphs. As Jowalin began to read, his eyes widened in disbelief:
"Location... The Central Land, the First Earth."
"Time... The First Era of Earth, the Infernal Age."
"Creature... Nizrak."
"This wolf is at the bottom of the food chain in this era."
"What?! The First Era of Earth? The Infernal Age?!"
"That's more than four billion years ago!" Jowalin exclaimed in disbelief, terror creeping into his heart. He remembered that this era was one of colossal monsters and primordial beasts.
"What kind of cursed ring is this?!"
He stared at the ring in horror and tried to remove it, desperate to return to his original time. But no matter how hard he pulled, the ring wouldn't budge. It had become part of his very flesh.
"Damn that old man... He's the one who told me to investigate the secrets of the Great Pyramid!"
Jowalin sighed in frustration, then a troubling thought crossed his mind:
"What about my real body? Is it still in my original timeline, or did I fully travel through time?"
---
(In the Natural Timeline, Before Jowalin Left the Underground Shelter)
"Jack, carry Grandpa! We need to take him to that crazy old doctor," Jowalin ordered.
The group β Jowalin, Nathan, Jack, and Amber β exchanged uneasy glances. Just the mention of the eccentric doctor sent shivers down their spines.
"Umm... Jowalin, that guy is terrifying. Why don't you take Amber instead?" Jack stammered.
"What?! You call yourself a man, yet you expect a sweet girl like me to go instead? Hmph!" Amber snapped.
The others exchanged skeptical looks, each thinking the same thing:
"...Sweet?"
It was fortunate Amber couldn't read their thoughts, or they would have faced her wrath.
In the end, Jowalin and Jack carried the unconscious old man to the doctor's lab.
The underground structures were small but well-organized, with spacious training areas scattered throughout. The place they were headed to, however, was larger and more mysterious, resembling a research lab or an experimental facility.
As they approached the entrance, fear gripped them once more. Suddenly, a voice echoed:
"Oh... Look who it is! The finest of the fifth-generation family members!"
Their faces paled further, but the voice continued:
"What's this? Have you finally agreed to let me experiment on your bodies?"
Jack trembled and was about to bolt, but Jowalin steadied himself and replied, "Hello, Doctor... Umm, Grandpa was talking to us when he suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed. Please, could you take a look at him?"
The voice fell silent. Just as they were about to lose hope, the door opened, and a middle-aged man with snow-white hair emerged.
Despite his age, the man's body was fit, giving him the appearance of someone in their forties. His sharp eyes and eccentric demeanor were as unsettling as ever.
Looking at the unconscious old man, the doctor smirked.
"It seems this fool said something he shouldn't have said."
The doctor scoffed and then looked at the old man, who had been unconscious for a while.
"A slap..."
Suddenly, the doctor slapped the old man, leaving everyone in shock.
"Ha ha ha ha... You old fool, do you think I won't take advantage of such an opportunity?"
"He he... You and your damned son have always been the strongest underground; now that I've slapped you, I am the strongest! Ha ha ha ha!"
Everyone: "....."
They were completely at a loss for words. What kind of logic was this?!
After that, the doctor calmed down and turned serious again. He extended his hand, picked up the old man, and took him inside, closing the door without saying a word.
"Damn it... We survived; let's run quickly."
Jack was the first to flee, followed swiftly by everyone else, and then each person went to their home.
"Mom... I'm home."
Jowalin took off his shoes and entered the house, which was simpler and smaller than the other houses.
"Welcome back, my son... What is this blood? Did something happen to you?"
What Jowalin encountered was a woman in her thirties, very beautiful, with the same dark eyes as Jowalin and brown hair, wearing a very simple dress, but this simplicity added another layer of beauty.
As soon as she saw blood on Jowalin's clothes, she was filled with fear, and worry appeared on her face as she checked every inch of him anxiously.
"Don't worry, Mom, this isn't my blood... it's from Grandpa."
Jowalin reassured his mother and then recounted what had happened, which left her in a state of shock, but he changed the subject and asked,
"Why don't I see Dad?"
"He's in the training yard; it seems he's preparing the family children to go out..."
"Is that why Dad is called the General?"