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墨書 Inktalez
Time flew by like a fleeting shadow. Chang Annchun had been in Egypt for three days, not because he didn't want to leave, but because he felt an unsettling presence, as if something was lodged in his throat, preventing him from finding peace.
In the deep of night, Chang Annchun leaned on his cane and strolled through the streets.
Somehow, he found himself inexplicably drawn back to the temple, standing before the stone statue that was now nothing but a torso.
In pursuit of Egypt's ancient civilization, Chang Annchun had devoted much of his life to this quest. He had witnessed the resurrection of Suri's head and Jacques' tomb, yet the mists of history only grew thicker, shrouding everything in obscurity.
Curses—did they truly exist, transcending time and space?
The bacteria that had caused the sudden deaths of the archaeological team remained unsolved, and recently Song Yong had succumbed to venomous ants. Could it be that the few numbers etched on the tomb's entrance truly condemned one to an unmarked grave?
If the black gelatinous substance that had imprisoned Suri's head fell away due to a curse being lifted, then why was Jacques' head simultaneously ensnared by a similar substance, resulting in both losing their heads?
Suri's head?
Jacques' head?
One head stirred up too many entangled grievances.
Chang Annchun shook his head helplessly. Just as he was about to turn away, a stooped old man entered the temple, carrying a bulging bundle on his back.
The old man did not glance at Chang Annchun; instead, his gaze was fixed on Jacques' statue.
"Hello," Chang Annchun greeted him in fluent Egyptian. At such a late hour, it was unusual for anyone to enter the temple unless they had a specific reason.
The old man ignored Chang Annchun, continuing to stare at Jacques' statue with cold, resentful eyes as if he wanted to see through it.
Chang Annchun was not offended; instead, he chuckled and said, "The temple is magnificent! It's a pity the statue is so damaged. Look, Jacques' head is missing."
"Heh, someone as wicked as Jacques has no right to be placed in the temple of the sun god."
The old man finally spoke, contemplating for a moment before saying fiercely, "Beheading is already the lightest punishment for Jacques; that devil should be sent to hell!"
"You seem to hate Jacques very much?"
"Shouldn't I hate him?" The old man lowered his head to look at his hands, his voice hoarse as he said, "It is because of him that I lost my son, my only son."
"Were you the Tomb Raider from back then?" From the way the old man entered the temple and looked at Jacques' statue, Chang Annchun vaguely guessed his identity.
"That's right..." The old man exhaled deeply, seeming to age another ten years. He trembled as he placed the bundle on the ground in front of Jacques' statue, then turned and walked toward the temple entrance.
Chang Annchun leaned on his cane, hurried a few steps, and reached out to grab the old man, pointing at the bundle on the ground. He earnestly said, "You forgot your things."
"That is not my thing." The old man sighed in relief, looking at Chang Annchun with a strange expression. "Do you want to know what’s inside?"
"What is it?" A strong sense of foreboding surged in Chang Annchun's heart as he pressed for an answer.
"What did Jacques lose?" The old man countered with a question, his gaze revealing an indescribable complexity.
"The head!" Chang Annchun's eyes widened in shock, filled with astonishment and confusion.
"Heh..." The old man let out a cold laugh.
"You stole Jacques' head?" Chang Annchun raised his voice, disbelief evident in his tone.
"That's right, it was me, it was me..." The old man nodded slowly, his expression slightly sinister.
"What on earth is going on?" Chang Annchun trembled with excitement, nearly losing control of his emotions as he desperately sought the truth.
"Heh, I know you're part of the archaeological team, but none of that matters now because I have already taken my revenge."
The old man turned and glared fiercely at Jacques' statue, gritting his teeth as he said, "Now it's time to tell you the truth..."
"Years ago, my friends, my newly adult son, and I entered Jacques' Tomb. We were deeply shocked by the mountain of treasures within the tomb. However, I scoffed at those treasures, for Jacques was far more captivating to me. With a heart full of curiosity and trepidation, I opened the coffin where Jacques lay in eternal slumber, and in that instant, I beheld the lifelike mummy. Just as I was overwhelmed with joy, a thick cloud of black smoke suddenly erupted from the coffin. The smoke spread rapidly, and those who inhaled it went into a frenzy, losing their sanity as they savagely bit one another, even tearing into the flesh of their companions like beasts. My son... my only son was bitten to death by them!"
At this point, the old man broke down in tears, his body trembling with grief as he choked out, "I know this is Jacques' doing; that demon will not spare anyone who disturbs him, even after a thousand years of death. I was filled with rage, consumed by the desire to destroy his body. Suddenly, I noticed a barrel of black oily liquid inside the coffin. In my fury, I poured the entire barrel over his face. The liquid seemed to come alive in an instant, swiftly binding Jacques' head. I intended to continue destroying Jacques' head, but the tomb's mechanisms were about to activate; the door was closing fast. With no choice left, I fled in haste. Though I managed to escape by a stroke of luck, I inhaled a significant amount of that black smoke, and since then my body has been ravaged to the brink of exhaustion. It’s nothing short of a miracle that I’m still alive."
"You never told the archaeological team any of this!" Chang Annchun shouted angrily, his brow furrowed and his face contorted with rage.
The old man let out a cold laugh and wiped away the tears from his eyes. "That day you found me and asked me to lead you to excavate Jacques' Tomb. Even though many years have passed, my hatred for Jacques has not diminished one bit. I knew that if you unearthed Jacques' Tomb, I would never have the chance for revenge again. Coincidentally, on that day I saw the head of Jacques' statue fall off, so..."
The old man forcefully shook off Chang Annchun's hand and staggered toward the temple entrance. As he walked, he spoke in a low and hoarse voice, "So I infiltrated the tomb again the day before your team arrived and severed that wicked head. I want Jacques to never find peace in Paradise!"
"Don't you worry about the curse? Jacques' Curse!" Chang Annchun called out loudly from behind.
"I never believed in curses!" The old man replied without looking back. After saying this, he swayed his frail body out of the temple.
Chang Annchun stared blankly at the old man's retreating figure before turning to look at the decapitated statue and the round bundle nearby. Thoughts raced through his mind as he suddenly understood everything.
The collective death of the archaeological team years ago was likely due to inhaling that black smoke. Although they did not perish within Jacques' tomb, Egypt's ancient culture had formed a complete system over thousands of years; tomb defenses were generally similar. As for what exactly caused madness—the black smoke and viscous substance—perhaps it would remain forever unknown, shrouded in layers of historical fog that were difficult to disperse.
"Jacques' Curse... who exactly did you curse? The intruders or yourself?"
Chang Annchun gazed at the bundle in silence for a long time.
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