"Translation?"
This was Professor Nick's specialty, so he nodded without hesitation. "No problem at all. But, if I may, I could use a bit of rest."
"If it's all the same to you, what about tomorrow?"
Homelander raised an eyebrow but then gave a slight nod. "Tomorrow works for me."
"Great, it's settled then. Right now, all I want is a hot bath and maybe something light to eat."
"Meat is probably out of the question," Professor Nick muttered to himself, "maybe just some bread instead."
Before he could say much else, he noticed that his feet had lifted slightly off the ground. He was no longer feeling the cold from the mountain interior, as if a shield had blocked it out. Homelander was holding him mid-air, flying them both back toward the depths of the pyramid.
Homelander didn't feel like waiting until tomorrow to get a translation. He wanted answers now about those texts in the room below. He enveloped Professor Nick in a Bio-field, ensuring the flight and cold environment wouldn't harm him.
Watching Homelander whisk her professor back into the pyramid, Amy was stunned before calling out, "Homelander, please take me too!"
"I can help! Please don't leave me here alone!"
Homelander ignored her pleas, continuing at a steady pace with Professor Nick in tow.
Professor Nick turned to him, "Could you bring Amy along as well?"
"Do you need her help?" Homelander asked, half-amused.
"Not really, but I'm worried for her safety," the professor replied.
"Don't worry. The danger here has already been dealt with," Homelander replied casually. "Unless she decides to get herself into trouble."
In no time, they reached the main chamber. Professor Nick immediately noticed the passageway leading downward at the center of the room.
"This... could be the legendary Passage to the Underworld from Egyptian lore. It's said to go straight down, all the way to the afterlife."
As he marveled, Homelander was already flying down with him. The professor exclaimed, "Where...where are we going?"
"Relax. We're not going to the underworld."
"At least, I don't have that power just yet." Homelander chuckled. "Down there is a chamber covered in ancient Egyptian script. I have a feeling it might hold some useful information."
Professor Nick chuckled as well, "I didn't know you had an interest in Egyptian civilization."
"Everyone has their hidden depths. Wouldn't you agree?" Homelander replied smoothly.
In moments, they emerged into the chamber. Homelander's eyes glowed like twin suns, illuminating the area as if sunlight had flooded the room.
"Oh my... that's the Elder's Coffin!" Professor Nick exclaimed. "Blast it! Someone's already opened it!"
"Exposure to oxygen will ruin whatever's inside. So many details could be lost." He shook his head in dismay.
Homelander, the culprit himself, shrugged, setting the professor down and gesturing toward the walls. Text covered the walls, and intricate murals depicted scenes of ancient rites and powers.
On the mural, a figure—Queen of the Night—stood with a scepter in hand, her lower body gradually merging into a pyramid shape. This pyramid was divided into levels.
The lowest, largest level depicted three imposing figures, each clad in luxurious robes and wearing elaborate masks, holding unique scepters. The levels above featured progressively more figures but grew smaller in scale.
The second level held fourteen figures.
The third had thirty-six.
The fourth had eighty-nine.
This mural seemed to outline some sort of hierarchy.
Professor Nick's hands trembled as he touched the wall. "This... This connects directly to the Book of the Dead and the lore of the Queen of the Night!"
Reading aloud, he translated, "The Queen of the Night founded a great kingdom—a place where death itself held no dominion. This was a kingdom where she was the supreme ruler."
"Below her, three Pharaoh Kings governed under her command, managing the kingdom's affairs."
"These Pharaoh Kings, in turn, commanded fourteen Pharaonic rulers, thirty-six High Elders, and eighty-nine Elders, forming the higher echelons of this undying empire."
"It says the Queen of the Night waged war against those who defiled and desecrated her lands."
At this, the professor chuckled, "Of course, in the official Egyptian royal records, the story was very different. In those, she was painted as the betrayer, a heretic."
Homelander nodded, silently congratulating himself on bringing this human translator along. Without the professor, none of this would have made any sense.
Professor Nick continued, "Ultimately, this war failed. The Egyptian king wielded a mysterious artifact... the text only refers to it as such, and regrettably, it's not any clearer than that. Ancient languages tend to be vague, lacking specificity."
Homelander signaled he understood.
"The use of this artifact meant the undying ones were no longer invincible," the professor continued, "even the Queen of the Night was nearly destroyed."
"So... that's why she left Egypt?"
"Yes, exactly. She and her followers journeyed through deserts and mountains before finally reaching this land."
"They planned to settle here, but one day, a species of Otherworldly Beings descended from the sky."
"These invaders fed upon the life forms of this world—including the undying ones, whom they considered the highest delicacies. This conflict eventually escalated into war."
Homelander recalled the alien figures depicted in the murals, emerging from strange vessels.
"What were these otherworldly beings? Aliens?" he asked.
"The text isn't explicit," Professor Nick frowned. "It only states that these beings could 'wear' human bodies like clothes, making them nearly impossible to detect."
"Moreover, those humans who wore these beings essentially became puppets, entirely controlled by their otherworldly hosts."
"These beings, cursed armors, forced their hosts to slaughter humans, and even the undying ones weren't immune."
"The war between the Immortals and the Otherworldly ultimately ended in a pyrrhic victory for both sides. Most of the otherworldly beings retreated to the skies, while a few disappeared."
"The Immortals suffered massive casualties; the Queen herself was gravely injured and entered a deep slumber, perhaps never to awaken."
"Two of the three Pharaoh Kings perished, along with the majority of the fourteen Pharaonic rulers, thirty-six High Elders, and eighty-nine Elders."
"This once-great kingdom, after two brutal wars, was left in ruin. This account... is left by Brooks, Chronicler."
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