Silence fell, and everyone stared at the Master of Magic with anticipation, each of them harboring dozens of questions within.
The apprentices of the Immortals wondered: Who are the Egyptian priests? As for the Shamans, they seemed to know a little about them, but none had ever met an Egyptian priest before.
The Master of Magic took a deep breath and said:
"I read in the memoirs of the ancient sorcerers... They are a legacy, knowledge preserved within the Tower, which every sorcerer must read and update regularly. The memoirs say that it all began with the first Master of the Magic Tower, when magic was first discovered... in the Golden Age of Magic."
In that era, we were a rare few. We traveled in search of qualified mentors and the resources needed to uncover the truth. We believed we alone possessed these powers, that no one could rival our knowledge. We roamed the world, fought monsters, and gathered resources, convinced we stood alone at the pinnacle.
But one day, we heard of Egypt. It was a great nation, thriving, ruling over vast cities and tribes. Everyone spoke of its power and wealth. I, along with a group of sorcerers and mentors, decided to go there, eager to see this legendary land. I was certain we would find promising apprentices there—I even imagined they would rejoice when we told them of immortality and absolute truth.
I sent a message to the Land of Sorcerers and the Tower, informing them of our destination. They approved and wished us luck, anticipating our return with new mentors from Egypt.
But when we arrived... we were stunned.
Egypt was not just another nation... It was something beyond our comprehension.
Everything was different. The cities, the temples, the streets... It was as if they belonged to another world, one not made for ordinary humans.
I saw soldiers standing guard with firm discipline, yet they did not look down on the peasants as was customary in other lands. The peasants respected the soldiers, spoke with them, laughed with them—as if the divide between classes was not an unbreakable wall.
The slaves? They were not like the slaves we knew... It was baffling.
In the markets, the streets, the temples... Everyone worked, yet there was no sense of oppression. Hierarchy existed, but it was nothing like what we were accustomed to.
And the colors... I had never seen anything like them. The temples, houses, and paintings pulsed with life, as if the walls themselves told eternal stories.
That day... It would remain etched in my memory forever.
After discussing with my companions and mentors, we decided to observe the situation before taking any action. We were shocked, but within us lurked greed... Each of us coveted something different.
We stayed in Egypt for nearly two months, and during that time, we discovered that everything we knew about the world was wrong.
We tried to approach the nobility, as they were usually the most eager for immortality—just as we had seen in other nations. But once again, we were stunned.
We heard the story of a noble heir who lost his title and lands—not due to betrayal or rebellion, but because he was simply not competent enough. And who took his place? A commoner who had proven his worth and right to the position. Simply put, bloodline did not determine nobility here... Merit and achievement did.
And the nobles were not independent rulers as elsewhere. They were subordinate to the king, and they could lose their titles if they proved incompetent or disloyal.
We then decided to seek out commoners and slaves, but again, we were shocked...
Anyone could become wealthy, any slave could earn freedom—even rise in society if they had the ability!
At that point, we decided to go straight to the king and the temple that ruled this land from the shadows.
We stood before the king and confidently made our offer:
"Your Majesty, noble lords and priests, we are sorcerers from the Land of Sorcerers. We invite you to join us in the pursuit of truth... of immortality."
We were certain their response would be what we were used to—hidden desire, greed for eternal life, questions about how to join us.
We continued with confidence:
"You could travel the world, face monsters, test your strength, and in the end... become immortal, transcend human limits, and live forever!"
But the king merely looked at us calmly and said:
"I am not interested. Return to your land and do not trouble me with such nonsense."
I could hardly believe my ears. I asked in astonishment:
"Your Majesty, we are speaking of immortality! A body of unmatched strength! Absolute power! You could do whatever you desire!"
Then one of the priests spoke, his voice tranquil:
"It seems you know nothing about us... We do not seek immortality. We embrace death. Had you come to us with the secret of death, perhaps we would have been interested."
I felt anger, confusion, even fear. I asked, flustered:
"You... embrace death?! Are you not human?!"
The priest smiled and said:
"We are human, and that is why we embrace death. Everything must have an end—that is the secret of our progress."
Then he continued, his voice calm yet carrying the weight of centuries of wisdom:
"If the world were immortal, I would not wish to live in it. Now tell me... Is magic not an obsession with *more*? An obsession with being special? What happens after you become immortal? You will live alone, grow bored, lose the very meaning of life. Is that what you want?"
I was left speechless.
The priest went on:
"The world is just only when everyone is in their rightful place. Not everyone in this hall can be king, or priest, or farmer, or warrior. The world—or perhaps the gods—chooses each person's place. But you sorcerers... You always crave *more*. Is magic itself not an endless pursuit of *more*?"
He regarded us coldly, then said:
"We are not like you. We do not flee from death—we live it in every moment. We do not seek immortality, but to achieve something worth remembering after we die. We strive to fulfill our dreams, to leave a legacy for our descendants, and then we depart with dignity—rather than wasting our lives chasing the illusion of immortality."
Then he turned his back and said:
"This meeting is over. Return to your land, and may you find what you seek."
But I could not accept that...
So I said angrily:
"Then what of a duel? If you witness the power of magic, perhaps you will change your minds."
The priest smiled, neither mocking nor serious, and asked:
"Are you certain you wish to fight the Egyptian priests?"
I glared at him defiantly and demanded a personal duel.
But he glanced at the king, sought permission, and then summoned... his *lowest-ranking apprentice*.
I felt insulted, but I did not back down.
I thought I would crush this young apprentice easily...
But what happened was the exact opposite. As you might expect, I was utterly defeated. Overwhelmingly. With ease.
Next Stop: Something Strange... And How Will the Other Organizations React?
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If you enjoyed this chapter and the story so far, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
• What did you know about Egypt before this?
• What do you think of this sorcerer - is he weak or his power?
• Any predictions for Part 2?
[Author's Note]
Update schedule change: New chapters will now post every other day because:
1- I have exams on 6 month (wish me luck!)
2- I'm taking 2 days per chapter instead of 1 to fix mistakes - I noticed engagement dropped due to my errors, so I'm improving the quality for you!
Special thanks to:
Lithuanian readers - your silent support means everything
American readers - hope you're loving the supernatural twist!
Indian fans - did the shaman rituals remind you of any local legends?
And to all my anonymous readers around the world: though I don't know your countries, your silent presence matters. I'd love to see you emerge from the shadows someday—react, theorize, or just say hello!
New Ghanaian readers - apologies for delays but thank you for joining this adventure!"