Renzo said goodbye to Reed and Charles. This time, he went alone, deciding to travel to Egypt and see the situation for himself.
A spatial vortex opened, and in the next instant, he arrived in another land.
The sky was choked with yellow sand. Wind howled across the barren desert, blotting out the sunlight despite it being broad daylight. For miles in every direction, nothing grew.
The first thing he saw was utter desolation, without the slightest sign of human life.
Renzo wasn't surprised. Nor did he feel uncomfortable.
Wherever the Scarlet Witch went, life was erased.
That woman had completely lost her mind. To reset the universe, she had even begun hunting gods.
Red...
Red...
Renzo immediately spotted the massive pyramid rising from the desert. It was the same place where Khonshu and Ammit had fought their decisive battle in the finale of Moon Knight, and where the avatars of the Ennead had been murdered by Ammit's champion.
When he'd watched the show in his previous life, he'd thought those gods seemed like part-timers. They had managed to seal Khonshu inside a stone statue not long after appearing, only to be wiped out by a single person afterward. It had been a rather embarrassing performance.
The pyramid, nearly a hundred meters tall, had endured thousands of years of wind and sand yet still stood majestic and unyielding. It proclaimed its ancient grandeur to the world—a true wonder of civilization.
In his previous life, Renzo had always carried a simple dream.
Even though he had been a homebody who spent most of his time watching TV shows, browsing his phone, and playing games, there had always been a part of him that longed to travel.
He had imagined climbing Mount Tai to experience the feeling of standing at the summit. Waiting before dawn at Meili Snow Mountain, shivering in the freezing cold just to witness the first sunlight illuminating the snowy peaks. Visiting Paris and wandering its romantic streets. Driving an off-road vehicle across the African savanna while desperately trying not to become a lion's dinner.
Boys always dreamed bigger than reality.
In their imagination, they became the heroes of the world, destined for greatness, traveling across mountains and oceans, leaving their names everywhere they went, wielding legendary swords, and carving out a world of their own.
As a child, Renzo had loved The Mummy, imagining adventures through ancient ruins, treasure hunts in endless deserts, battles against monsters, searches for mythical elixirs, and unforgettable encounters with Cleopatra.
Then Pirates of the Caribbean came out, and his dreams shifted from deserts to the boundless sea.
At least now, those dreams were no longer impossible.
With a single thought, he could visit the Great Wall, the Vienna State Opera, the British Museum...
The artifacts he had taken from the British Museum still hadn't been found. Meanwhile, in the Far East, the museum that had received the returned relics had nearly caused its curator to suffer a heart attack upon discovering the overwhelming collection.
Later, Britain strongly protested and demanded the artifacts be returned, but the ambassador's response left the matter at a standstill.
Since then, the entire internet had been searching for the mysterious "hero" who had robbed the museum. The sudden return of the relics had even become one of the world's great unsolved mysteries.
If this were adapted into a science documentary, it could probably run for two hundred episodes.
And now, the culprit himself stood atop the pyramid, staring intently below.
A tide of crimson mist poured from deep within the pyramid, carrying an overwhelmingly sinister aura that nearly forced Renzo to the ground.
His expression changed.
The concentration of Chaos Magic here was almost on par with the infected base in New York.
He didn't dare underestimate it. No ordinary human could survive contact with this corrupted Chaos Magic. Even Reed and the others would become infected almost instantly.
Renzo slowly descended onto the pyramid's peak.
A golden beam sliced through the ancient stonework, carving out an opening just large enough for him to enter.
He couldn't help but think how inconvenient this was.
When he had still possessed invisibility, he could go anywhere. There had even been one time when Wanda had been taking a shower, and his face had ended up pressed against the bathroom mirror. Thankfully, the thick steam had hidden him. Otherwise...
Someone probably would have died of fright.
Boom!
The interior of the pyramid was filthy.
No one had entered for thousands of years. Thick layers of dust covered the enormous chamber, nearly burying Renzo's feet as he landed. The dry, stale smell made him frown.
Fortunately, this was a biochemical body.
An ordinary person would've probably developed rhinitis on the spot.
"Wanda?"
Renzo called out directly.
He knew ordinary infected creatures couldn't produce Chaos Magic on this scale. Only Wanda herself could. She had transformed all of Egypt into her personal domain.
He walked slowly through the vast hall.
Nine enormous stone statues stood within the pyramid—the Egyptian Ennead.
At the center was Ra, the sun god.
Around him stood Shu, god of air; Tefnut, goddess of moisture; Geb, god of earth; Nut, goddess of the sky; Osiris, god of the underworld and agriculture; Isis, goddess of life, magic, marriage, and family; Set, god of deserts and storms; and Nephthys, protector of homes and the dead.
The colossal statues were embedded into the towering stone walls, each painstakingly crafted from gold and stone. They looked almost alive.
Some eyes seemed to contain blazing suns.
Others reflected storms.
Some shimmered with mysterious magic.
Yet every single statue stared in exactly the same direction.
Their expressions held divine majesty...
...and unmistakable fear.
Why would gods be afraid?
Had they encountered something even more terrifying than themselves?
Before Renzo could think further, a majestic aura suddenly descended.
At the same moment, the queen seated upon the scarlet throne appeared before him.
The Scarlet Witch.
Wanda.
"I knew it."
Renzo let out a long sigh, looking helplessly at the crimson figure that dominated the chamber.
She was breathtaking.
She was terrifying.
"Long time no see... although we technically met just last week."
He raised a hand in greeting, as if speaking to an old lover.
"I really didn't expect you to accept Chthon's power... or that you'd figure out how to make him worship you."
He pointed toward the place where all nine statues were looking.
A tiny stone figure knelt atop a pillar.
Compared to the surrounding giants, the statue—less than thirty centimeters tall—looked almost like a child's toy.
Its entire body was wrapped in bronze chains.
It knelt with its head lowered in humiliation, its face hidden from view.
To ordinary people, it was nothing more than a peculiar carving.
But Renzo was one of the few beings who had fought Chthon to the death.
His mind had engraved that aura forever.
He recognized the kneeling figure instantly.
Chthon.
The Elder God who stood above even the cosmic pantheon.
The demon who had nearly crushed him beyond recovery.
Every detail of that monster remained etched into Renzo's soul.
He could still remember the pain.
His severed limbs.
His shattered face.
The overwhelming power that had destroyed him as effortlessly as snapping a piece of tofu.
Everything that had happened within the Scarlet Dimension remained carved into the only soul he had left.
He would never forget.
Yet Wanda had actually carved Chthon into a stone statue, forcing him to kneel before the gods in silent submission.
Like a prisoner bound within the endless cosmos.
The divine gazes of the Ennead bore down upon him, while endless waves of divine power continuously stripped away his strength.
"Using an evil god as a sacrifice to gain power?"
Renzo couldn't help smiling.
"But it looks like Chthon isn't willing. You're forcing him to keep supplying you with energy."
He laughed openly.
"He might be the unluckiest god in existence."
Renzo made no effort to hide his hatred.
If Chthon hadn't torn through dimensions and taken his girl...
None of this would have happened.
Even now, his girl didn't know which universe she was in.
Whether she was safe.
Whether she had enough to eat.
Whether someone was bothering her.
Every possibility replayed endlessly in Renzo's mind.
He wished he could smash Chthon's statue into dust and dump the pieces into a public restroom, letting the mighty Elder God experience a different kind of humiliation.
Perhaps he'd finally get to meet a higher power himself.
Renzo looked away from the tiny statue and fixed his eyes on the witch.
She looked exactly like the girl he loved.
Yet she was someone else entirely.
"He created me."
Wanda lifted her chin proudly, like a swan refusing to bow.
"So he deserves to pay."
"He thought he was creating the perfect vessel. A pet he could control."
Her lips curled into a smile.
"He didn't realize he'd found an eagle that would never submit."
She spoke without the slightest hesitation, utterly confident in both her beauty and her strength.
And her confidence wasn't misplaced.
Renzo stared at that familiar face.
For a brief moment, he remembered another Wanda.
The girl who had once lain on the bed acting spoiled, hugging that ugly stuffed dog with the broken nose and laughing while shoving it into his face.
Buzz.
He shook his head violently.
He buried those memories deep within his mind, forcing himself to lock them away so he could face the scarlet witch before him.
But some memories couldn't be erased.
The happiness that girl had given him remained branded into his soul like hot iron.
Every day, it burned.
Renzo looked into Wanda's eyes.
There was endless sorrow hidden beneath his gaze.
"Don't you think this world is broken?"
Wanda spoke calmly.
"'Everyone is equal.' 'Everyone has equal rights.' They're only slogans."
"People are murdered by gunfire every day in America. Lives are taken over meaningless disputes."
"Others live lives worse than animals. Misfortune wraps around them like chains they can never escape."
"The wealthy indulge themselves without consequence. Even those without conscience can buy their way free."
"But good people struggle just to survive."
"They cram themselves into tiny apartments, wondering where their next meal will come from."
"That's unfair."
Her voice rose.
"The world's order is fundamentally broken."
"And that's only one part of it."
"Entrenched social hierarchies, endless conflict, inherited privilege..."
"They all deserve to disappear."
"The old order must burn before a new dawn can rise."
She smiled with terrifying excitement.
Raising her snow-white arms, she released streams of black energy that twisted upward like venomous serpents.
She hated the injustice of the world.
She intended to tear it apart and rebuild it into the paradise she envisioned.
"You're insane," Renzo replied quietly.
"You'd probably get along with the Mad Titan."
"It seems there are still heroes left in this world."
Wanda smiled.
"Yes."
Renzo slowly floated into the air.
"And I can send you to meet him."
"Unfortunately..."
"He's already dead."
Golden light erupted from his body.
Wanda instantly seized countless wandering spirits, using them as shields.
The ghosts screamed as the golden beam tore through them.
Chaos Magic surged around her like a living beast before crashing toward Renzo in a crimson flood.
A spatial vortex opened.
Most of the scarlet energy disappeared into the blue portal.
Only a few hair-thin strands slipped through, hissing toward his steel-like skin.
Renzo waved a hand.
The remaining magic vanished.
The brief exchange was over.
What came next would be a true battle to the death.
"So you've made your choice."
Although phrased as a question, Wanda already knew the answer.
"So that's it."
"You really don't care about the bond you once shared."
"My Wanda is still waiting for me."
Renzo slowly shook his head.
"So..."
"I'm sorry."
"But it's better if you're the one who falls."
"Hmph."
Wanda turned away with obvious contempt.
The smile stretching across her beautiful face had become almost grotesque.
"My son loves toys."
She looked back at him.
"Something as unusual as you should make an entertaining one."
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
Two scarlet blasts shot toward him like cannonballs.
Renzo sidestepped them effortlessly.
A golden beam answered in return, flashing through the air like lightning.
It grazed Wanda's head, slicing away several strands of her black-and-red hair.
That was enough to enrage her completely.
With a furious scream, she thrust both hands skyward.
The entire pyramid began shaking violently, as though it might collapse at any moment.
Rumble!
Renzo turned sharply.
The statues of the Ennead were moving.
The enormous stone gods slowly rose to their feet.
Cracks spread across their carved bodies.
Golden and crimson light burst through the fractures.
The stone shells exploded apart with thunderous force.
Their true forms emerged.
The gods of the Ennead had awakened.
__________________________________________
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