bacchusnovels Chapter 254 The Vanished Her
Chapter 254 The Vanished Her
Chapter 254 The Vanished Her
Sean learned that some strange phenomena had recently occurred at the Great Pyramid of Giza.
It is said that under the moonlight, certain parts of the pyramids occasionally shimmer with strange light, and deep inside the pyramids, one can hear a deep, rhythmic sound that is neither produced by modern machinery nor by any sound in nature.
Upon hearing this, Gringotts in Egypt dispatched an exorcist to investigate.
Bill was one of them.
Bill warmly welcomed Sean and Vivi and offered to take them through a special passage to visit the Great Pyramid of Giza, personally acting as their guide.
The two readily agreed.
So Bill led the two men through the bustling crowds of tourists and around a corner onto a secluded passageway prepared specifically for expedition teams, leading directly to the core area of the pyramids.
As soon as Sean stepped into the pyramid, he felt a heavy, oppressive atmosphere wash over him.
The further you go in, the more this becomes true.
Sean guessed that it might be related to the oxygen content inside the pyramid, perhaps because the space was relatively enclosed and oxygen circulation was poor.
Bill turned on his flashlight, and the beam danced on the rough stone wall.
As he led Sean and Vivi forward, he explained, "The Great Pyramid of Giza is an outstanding representative of ancient Egyptian civilization, and the mystery of its construction still amazes people today."
"Each of these stone walls you see now has been meticulously carved and weighs several tons."
"We speculate that ancient wizards may have used their mystical powers to move and stack these megaliths," Bill explained.
"Were wizards already around back then?" Sean suddenly asked. "If I remember correctly, the information about the Great Pyramid of Giza at the entrance says that it was built about 4,500 years ago, right?"
“Yes, Mr. Harker, your memory is very accurate,” Bill nodded. “The Great Pyramid of Giza is indeed 4,500 years old. As for the shamans, you could call them priests in Egyptian terms; they were a very important part of ancient Egyptian society.”
"As you know, the earliest history of Britain can only be traced back to the Roman era." Bill smiled as he said this, "Therefore, our research on the history of magic can only be traced back to that period as well."
"In contrast, the civilization of ancient Egypt and their practices of 'magic' undoubtedly have far deeper historical roots."
"The pharaohs of ancient Egypt were hailed as children of the gods, and they had intricate connections with gods such as Horus, Ra, and Amun; the same was true for the high priests, who were servants of the gods and in charge of various temples and affairs of the country."
"It is understood that these priests are divided into male priests and female priests according to their gender, and thus are responsible for different affairs;
Priests are divided into high-ranking and low-ranking priests based on their magical power, and this determines their duties in charge of temples or funerals.
"But what makes them different from us is..."
At this point, Bill's voice suddenly stopped.
"What sets us apart is that our wizards have not historically held such a prominent position and had such clearly defined roles as the priests of ancient Egypt." Bill's voice was slightly lower, as if he was contemplating the differences between the two. "In our culture, magic is more often seen as a secret, personal power, rather than as part of the state and religious system as it was in ancient Egypt."
"The priests of ancient Egypt, their magical practices were closely linked to the rise and fall of the nation, the change of kings, and at certain times, the priesthood itself was a political force that could not be ignored."
"There is also...an important difference."
As they spoke, the three of them arrived at a stone chamber.
The stone chamber was small, with walls made of rough stones, giving it a sense of oppression and mystery.
In the center of the stone chamber stands a broken stone statue. The face of the statue is blurred, but it can still be recognized that it was once a statue of a majestic god or pharaoh.
"What's the difference?" Sean asked, picking up where Bill left off.
He noticed that Vivi's gaze was wandering around every corner of the stone chamber, as if she was looking for something.
"Their magic can be passed down through bloodlines," Bill said slowly, his voice echoing in the stone chamber, adding to the mystery.
Bathed in the flickering light of the stone chamber, Bill's face appeared particularly solemn. "In ancient Egypt, the priests' magic was often passed down through bloodlines, meaning that their magic was innate, rather than acquired through learning or practice."
"This magical power of bloodline inheritance endowed ancient Egyptian priests with extraordinary strength and talents from birth," Bill continued. "They were able to communicate with the gods and possessed much knowledge and power beyond that of ordinary people, which is one of the reasons why they held such a high position in ancient Egyptian society."
"Bloodline inheritance...? How is that even possible?" Sean suddenly realized something, his expression changing abruptly. "Could it be—they maintain the purity of their magic through inbreeding, and by combining..."
"It's just what you think." Bill nodded, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. "In ancient Egypt, to ensure that the inheritance of magic was not diluted, priestly families often chose to marry close relatives. For example, Pharaoh Ramses II married his own daughter."
"And if you combine that with priesthood, which is what we now call black magic, it's entirely possible to achieve this..."
"This is unbelievable," Sean muttered to himself.
"Yes, ancient Egyptian civilization is full of mystery and contradictions," Bill sighed. "They created a magnificent civilization, but they also paid a huge price. Perhaps the magic of this bloodline inheritance is one of those reasons."
The lights inside the stone chamber seemed even dimmer.
Sean and Bill remained silent for a moment, staring at the broken stone statue, until Bill began to introduce the next stone chamber, at which point the atmosphere eased slightly.
"Are you sure you have what you're looking for here?" Sean asked hesitantly after getting into the car.
Before starting the car, Sean adjusted the rearview mirror.
"Mmm." Vivi, sitting in the passenger seat, nodded. "I can feel that aura."
"What kind of aura is that?" Sean asked, puzzled.
Staying in that stone chamber, he felt nothing but suffocation.
"A very subtle yet very strong aura," Vivi tried to describe it in words, "like an ancient and mysterious intertwined, with a subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation of power."
"I have studied many ancient documents and relics, and I have only felt this way before in a few places that have been confirmed to contain major discoveries."
Upon hearing this, Sean frowned slightly, started the car, and slowly drove away from the parking lot.
Vivi shook her head slightly, her gaze passing through the car window as she looked at the pyramids receding into the distance. "I'm not sure, but my intuition tells me that what's here is extraordinary."
"And don't you find it strange?"
"What's so strange?" Sean asked, puzzled. His attention was mainly focused on driving, but Vivi's words still attracted a lot of his attention.
"We just got here, and strange things started happening a few days ago," Vivi murmured to herself, her gaze still fixed on the window. "I read in today's newspaper that strange lights were seen near the pyramids, and some people said they heard a low chanting sound, like—an ancient incantation."
Sean's brow furrowed even more. "Radiance? Chanting? But... what does this have to do with us? Are you just overthinking things?"
Vivi gently shook her head. "I think... this is the guidance of fate."
Sean always felt something was off whenever he heard the word "fate".
It was as if all the choices and encounters in his life were arranged by some invisible force, which made him feel both uneasy and helpless.
"Let's come back tonight." In an instant, Vivi had made her decision.
"Will there be any danger?" Sean asked cautiously.
Although the entire operation was nominally carried out by two people, he was actually the only one who actually carried it out.
Vivi's magic had been completely exhausted long ago, and now she was almost no different from those Squibs who could not cast spells.
The entire operation could only be carried out by Sean alone.
However, to be honest, Sean's current level of magic is also pitifully low.
So, Sean has made up his mind.
If faced with unforeseen circumstances, he would turn around and leave without hesitation.
Compared to the promises Weiwei made to him, he still felt that his own life was more important.
"There's no danger." Vivi shook her head. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have come in my current state."
That's the truth.
When the two returned to the hotel, it was already two or three in the afternoon.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, bringing a touch of warmth to the somewhat dull space.
Sean had a simple lunch at the hotel restaurant and then went back to his room to sleep.
He lay in bed, closed his eyes, and tried to give himself a full rest, both physically and mentally, so that he could be well-rested for the night's activities.
At one o'clock in the morning, the night was dark and the wind was high, and the entire hotel seemed to be immersed in silence.
Sean stood in front of Vivi's bedroom door and knocked to let her know that it was time for the appointment.
However, no matter how much he knocked on the door, no one answered.
He pressed his ear against the door, trying to catch any sound inside the room.
But strangely, the room was unusually quiet.
This confused Sean even more. He blocked the view of the surveillance camera with his body and took out his wand from the other side, pointing it at the door.
With the command "Open the Araquo!", the door was opened.
As he stepped into the room, the scene inside stunned him.
Weiwei wasn't in the room; the bed was neatly arranged, showing no signs of anyone having slept there.
Sean frowned as he searched the room, but found no clues or information left by Vivi.
Has she encountered some kind of danger?
Or did she suddenly change her mind and decide not to participate in this operation?
Sean felt a sense of bewilderment.
This situation clearly left him somewhat bewildered.
He now has only two paths before him.
First, fly back to England.
Second, visit the Great Pyramid of Giza.
Sean made his choice in just five seconds.
That's right, it's the Great Pyramid of Giza.
First of all, he chose to come to Egypt with Vivi not only for the Deathly Hallows that Vivi mentioned, but also for her as a person.
Simply put, he always felt that Weiwei was inextricably linked to the series of events three years later.
And push from back to front.
Since Vivi is alive and well three years later and has even become the director of the Department of Mysterious Affairs, it means that she did not encounter any danger tonight.
This is also the source of Sean's confidence in choosing to come to Egypt with her and visiting the Great Pyramid of Giza at this time.
When Sean reached the hotel parking lot, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Because he discovered that the car they had rented together was missing.
This means that the car was driven away by Vivi herself, and not taken away by someone else.
This also reduced the possibility of Weiwei being kidnapped, which calmed him down a bit.
But why did Vivi suddenly leave?
Moreover, it happened in the dead of night, without leaving any information or clues.
Sean picked up his phone and called Vivi to see if he could get in touch with her.
The phone ringing was particularly jarring in the quiet parking lot, but unfortunately, the call was not answered.
Sean dialed several times, but got the same result each time.
We can't wait any longer.
Having made up his mind, Sean went to the hotel front desk and called a car for himself.
It must be said that the service at a five-star hotel, costing £3,000 a night, can sometimes exceed expectations.
In less than ten minutes, a clean and comfortable taxi pulled up in front of the hotel, and the driver politely opened the door for him.
The driver didn't even ask him about visiting the Great Pyramid of Giza late at night, and even... considerately asked him if he needed to wait for him there for a while.
Sean declined the driver's offer, which disappointed the driver.
But then, when he saw the stack of tips in his sight, the driver's disappointment was quickly replaced by a bright smile.
"Fifteen minutes, I guarantee I'll get you safely to the entrance of the Great Pyramid of Giza," the driver assured him, patting his chest.
Just as the driver said, only twelve minutes later, Sean was standing where he had left in the afternoon.
As he looked toward the entrance to the Great Pyramid of Giza, he noticed that the Gringotts wizard who had appeared during the day had not left, but had instead set up a small tent on the side entrance of the Great Pyramid of Giza.
A faint light shone from inside the tent, suggesting that some people were still awake and chatting inside.
Sean put on the invisibility cloak he had brought from the safe house not long ago and tiptoed toward the side door behind the tent.
But as he tried to pass through the tent, he heard people inside saying...