In the center of that ancient city swallowed by yellow sand, where the Sun God Ra of Egypt should have shone, it was now replaced by a strange, dark red "sun." It was not a source of warmth, but a floating, slowly pulsating blood-red halo in the sky, like the heart of a living creature.
The new sun hung in the original sun's place, yet emitted unsettling energy fluctuations.
The twisted shadows cast by the stone pillars in the city seemed to indicate that the entire world had undergone some fundamental dislocation at that moment. And right below this halo.
A breathtakingly perfect figure emerged from a ruptured giant embryo.
He had the appearance of a human but exceeded the mundane scale. His skin was as pure as ivory, with a metallic luster; the symmetry and harmony of his features reached mathematical perfection, as if carved by the hand of a deity. His eyes were two deep voids, reflecting nothing yet able to swallow all gazes.
This was indeed a perfect shell.
A bit like a shell on Pinduoduo.
With an Apollo-like flawless face, his body, proportioned with the golden ratio, was balanced and full of power, each inch of skin radiating a non-human, holy brilliance that dared not be looked at directly, as if condensed from the purest light. Seven dazzling golden wheels spun slowly behind his head, commanding great awe.
Each was engraved with incomprehensible ancient runes, emanating a soul-shaking pressure.
The Evil God's pure white robe fluttered without wind, its hem flying as if stars were born and died within it. Most striking was the complete "Eye of the Ra" embedded in his chest—a vertical eye flowing with molten gold-like liquid light, radiating solar-core-like warmth and majestic energy fluctuations.
Illuminating the entire ruin.
If Ian did not possess true sight, he might have difficulty discerning its grotesqueness.
"You still managed to be born."
As the young legend, Ian stood at the center of the temple ruins.
The magic robe crackled in the invisible energy waves. He looked up at the sky, seeing the being that emerged from the embryo slowly descending onto the top of the tallest pyramid.
Facing this newly born Evil God. The wind and sand formed an invisible barrier around him, his gaze unwavering, only deeply solemn. He recognized the "Eye of the Ra"—the true core divine rank of the Ancient Egyptian Sun God, which should have been suppressed in the deepest vault of the temple.
But now it was embedded in this evil creature's chest, becoming the source of its power and a tool of disguise.
"Ian Prince."
The Evil God spoke, his voice rising not from a throat but directly in the depths of everyone's minds, like a flood of whispers from billions of beings, carrying a strange rhythm that made one want to surrender, "Look, I have descended. I am the new sun, the end of order, and the beginning of equality."
"Kneel before me, before this new era. Feel the light, it will purify all your pains and distractions. Even though you committed some mistakes, I am still willing to forgive you, allowing you to become my most cherished people." The God's voice was like a thousand voices whispering simultaneously, both pleasing and eerie.
The Evil God's tall slender body was covered in skin like liquid gold, his face breathtakingly beautiful, his eyes like two miniature suns burning with eternal flame. His naked upper body showcased perfect muscle lines, while his lower body was wrapped in energy flows like a solar corona.
"Come! Join me!" As he extended his arms, twelve wings of light appeared behind him, with numerous distorted human faces floating on each wing.
"Hmm?"
Ian felt an invisible pressure coming from all directions, trying to force him to kneel. He slightly raised the corner of his mouth, showing a hint of mocking smile, not truly affected.
Instead, he calmly raised his hand, the tip of the magic wand gathering blinding white light.
"Kneel? To a monster that steals divine rank, climbing out of a corrupt embryo? Sorry, I'm more used to standing and fighting. Your shell, though splendid, is rotten and foul inside. Besides, I kneel to heaven and earth, kneel to my parents, but never kneel to a pseudo-god!" Ian's voice resonated throughout the city with magical support.
The Evil God heard.
Not annoyed.
He smiled.
That smile was as warm as sunlight yet made Ian's skin feel pricked. At this moment, Ian also launched an attack, a pure white beam condensed with the power of spatial rift shot out from the tip of the magic staff, fast as lightning, aimed directly at the Evil God's chest where the "Eye of the Ra" was located.
Ian intended to break the opponent's disguise.
The beam burned the air into twisted marks as it passed, vaporized the stone pillars instantly. Yet, that attack, capable of destroying a mountain peak, when touched the body surface of the Evil God three feet away, dissipated silently like a mudoxen entering the sea. More strangely, that dissipated magic energy was subtly absorbed by his chest's "Eye of the Ra."
The molten gold light in the opponent's pupil seemed to brighten momentarily. The Evil God didn't even blink, the seven golden wheels rotated more steadily, as if the attack was merely a breeze passing by.
"Futile struggle." The Evil God's voice remained calm, carrying a divine compassion, "Your magic is nothing but fragments of mortal wisdom. While I have long absorbed the inspiration of all great artists, the debates of all philosophers, the bravery of all warriors, the infatuation of all lovers for three thousand years... all into me. My existence is a perfect entity. I have no shortcomings, no weaknesses. I am the sun of this new world."