Chapter 643: Scholars
Sylas looked down at him and could feel why immediately. It wasn't just the look of the armor. There were plenty of odd abilities in this world. Even when he fused with the Basilisk King they didn't stare at him this hard.
It was his aura.
There was a dense and suffocating aura around him. The poison mist that had hung in the air was even swirling around him as though it wanted to be closer to him than it already was.
In fact, Sylas could sense the armor swallowing up the poison, using it to slowly grow stronger. If it had been injured or damaged in battle, he could even feel that this poison would have helped the armor to heal itself.
Sylas bet that when he mastered the third layer, even his own body could use this method to heal itself.
This Rune Inheritance was truly worthy of being the Legacy of a powerful organization. So the question was...
How had it ended up on Earth?
Sylas dismissed the armor and pulled the scorpion into the Madness Key.
By this point, the Madness Key could no longer absorb any more Bronze Genes to get larger, so it was truly enormous. Well over 200 meters in diameter. Even as a home it was far too large, let alone as a storage device.
But if creatures kept getting this big, then maybe Sylas would soon feel that it wasn't enough.
"Let's clean up this mess and get ready to set out." Sylas said.
Since his armor had sucked up all the poison in the region, there was no need to worry about it any longer. He would just have to keep an eye out for anyone who had acute symptoms.
Ignoring the reverence in the eyes of the people around him, Sylas got to work.
--
Days later, Sylas finally set eyes on what they had been traveling toward all this time.
It was a pyramid... but unlike what it was like on modern Earth, this pyramid was built on slabs of limestone and granite that encapsulated its surroundings instead of directly into the sand.
Tall pillars of etched stone pinned the four corners of this large slab, and on its surface, there seemed to be a few merchants, business men, and scholars that were making their living through various means.
In the distance, not too far off, there was a wide river of water Sylas could only assume was either meant to be the Nile in this depiction of history, or maybe it was an exact replica.
By this point, it was hard for Sylas to tell what was the truth and what was just fabrications of this world.
However, what he did realize was that even as the supposed Great King of this world... the reception wasn't nearly as grand as it should be.
Sylas stepped out of his carriage with light steps to find two scholars waiting for him. It was an older gentleman and a middle-aged one, both of whom bowed deeply and somberly.
[Eldran Voren]
[Level: 27]
[Kalren Odrin]
[Level: 29]
Eldran, the older man, and Kalren, the younger, both greeted Sylas respectfully.
"We are graced by your presence, Great King."
Sylas nodded. "Lead us to the library."
The two men hesitated then looked toward one another.
Sylas didn't rush them, nor did he frown. He simply stood there in silence, and for some reason... the two felt even more pressure now than they would have had he spoken.
Was this really the foolish King they had heard so much about?
"Great King, there is a problem," Eldran began slowly.
"Explain."
"The Star Festival was not long ago and the Great Priests received signs of bad omens while reading the constellations. The Great Temple has decided that Egypt is the prime location for deciphering the details of these bad omens and also the ideal location for a sacrifice to the Gods."
"And?" Sylas asked calmly.
"They... They have ordered that Egypt be cornered off."
"Even from its King?"
"I..." Eldran began to cough heavily, his old age getting to him. In the end, Kalren could only curse the old man in his heart, feeling that he was doing this on purpose.
Kalren could only grit his teeth and finish the words.
"There is news, Great King, that a Great Priest has died in your royal city... The... The Great Priests have deemed that for the safety of the kingdom, it is best if you stay away from Egypt until they can find the source of the bad omen."
Sylas nodded.
He thought he had dealt with the Great Priest's death adequately enough. But when he thought about it, did it matter how well he handled it if Aki was still around?
So long as the Thryskai had his hand on the scale, it didn't matter how clever Sylas was. Sylas also bet that whatever "bad omen" these Great Priests were trying to deal with were actually just more methods of helping the Thryskai sink their claws into Earth.
While he might not have any personal experience with religious fanaticism as it wasn't a very prominent part of Earth's culture at the moment, Sylas knew that dealing with this situation wouldn't be easy. That was why he had dealt with the Great Priest as secretly as possible.
But compared to that, this felt severalfold more complex.
If he was too forceful, the entire country would likely turn on him.
But if he was too lax, then they would succeed before he could raise a finger.
It was troublesome indeed.
"Okay. Then I will listen to the words of the Great Priest." Sylas nodded.
The two men were taken aback, but they also breathed out sighs of relief. This went much
more smoothly than they expected.
Until Sylas walked by them.
"Ah, Great King-."
Sylas looked back. "Is something the matter?"
The two froze, a chilliness filling their hearts. They didn't even know what to say.
It was only after they confirmed that Sylas was only strolling the markets that they somewhat relaxed, but deep inside, they remained anxious.