Chapter 87 The Heart of the Pharaoh
The Prime Minister of Japan stared intently at the words "Red Hackers," gritting his teeth as he said, "It's them! It must be them!"
Guided by claims of "surveillance and satellite malfunction," the investigation is straying further and further from the truth.
......
Zhou Jue and Cheng Gan turned off the noisy international flame war on their phones with satisfaction.
Watching Japan and the Philippines tear each other apart, with the US in the middle looking completely overwhelmed, she felt even better than drinking iced plum juice.
"Let them argue all they want, we should get down to business." Zhou Jue stretched, completely turning his attention away from the outside turmoil and focusing on the ancient and mysterious land before him.
Eniro.
The air was filled with dry dust and a unique sense of historical weight.
Instead of rushing things, the two spent the entire day visiting world-famous historical sites with the same pilgrimage-like spirit as ordinary tourists.
Standing beneath the majestic Great Pyramid of Giza, they felt the overwhelming grandeur and awe. The massive stones, stacked perfectly together, seemed to silently recount the glory and wisdom of thousands of years ago.
They also gazed into the distance at the Sphinx, which stood silently in the desert. Its incomplete face carried a sense of calm and mystery, as if it had seen through the vicissitudes of life.
"As expected of one of the four ancient civilizations, its cultural heritage is so profound." Cheng Gan couldn't help but exclaim.
Zhou Jue nodded in deep agreement, but her heart burned with an even brighter anticipation than Cheng Gan's. Because on the system's energy sensing map, the light in this area was as intense as the sun in the sky, and its most dazzling core pointed directly at the pyramid complex before them!
After scouting the location during the day, the two returned to the hotel to rest and recharge.
As night fell and a crescent moon hung in the deep blue velvet sky, the operation officially began.
Invisibility charm, soundproofing talisman, signal blocking – the whole process is seamless.
The two once again transformed into phantoms in the night, silently avoiding all guards and surveillance equipment, and easily infiltrated the pyramid complex.
Guided by the brightest point on the system map, they arrived at a relatively smaller and older pyramid.
"Brother Tongzi, scan the internal structure and find the entrance and the secret room," Zhou Jue ordered in his mind.
[Scan complete. The pyramid's interior structure is complex, containing numerous deceptive passages and traps. The safest route has been planned for you, leading directly to the main burial chamber where the energy core is located.]
A pale blue three-dimensional image appeared in Zhou Jue's mind, clearly marked with a flashing green path.
Instead of taking the usual tourist route, the two followed the system's guidance to an extremely secluded spot on one side of the pyramid. Zhou Jue stretched out his hand, concentrated his spiritual energy, and pressed it against a seemingly ordinary stone wall.
"Crack—"
With a soft sound, the massive boulder, weighing several tons, was silently pushed inward, revealing a dark opening just wide enough for one person to pass through.
Donning gas masks, the two slipped inside, the passage closing silently behind them.
The air inside was somewhat murky, filled with the smell of decaying time. The passageway was narrow and deep, and the walls were covered with ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs and murals.
Ordinary tomb raiders would have likely triggered countless traps or gotten lost in the labyrinthine paths by now. But Zhou Jue and Cheng Gan, with the system's "full-map navigation," traversed the area as if it were flat ground.
They easily bypassed a deep pit filled with venomous snakes, avoided a wall that fired poisoned arrows, and passed through a tomb chamber filled with hallucinogenic gases.
After walking for about ten minutes, they finally arrived at the end of the green path.
A heavy, golden gate blocked the way.
The gate was carved with an image of the sun god Ra, exuding a solemn and sacred aura. And the immense energy that Zhou Jue so desperately longed for emanated from behind that gate!
"Brother Tong, open the door."
[Command received. Cracking the energy lock... Cracking complete.]
"Boom!"
The heavy golden gate slowly opened to both sides with a low, grinding sound.
The sight behind the door made even the well-informed Zhou Jue and Cheng Gan gasp in shock.
This was not the tomb filled with gold and silver treasures they had imagined, but a huge circular space. The dome of the space was inlaid with countless gems, simulating the trajectory of the stars.
In the very center of the space, a fist-sized golden heart made of pure energy floated silently in mid-air, beating rhythmically.
"Bang...bang...bang..."
Each pulse seems to resonate with the pulse of this land, radiating a warm and vast energy.
[Ding! High-level energy aggregate detected—'Heart of the Pharaoh'. This item is the core formed from the condensed fortune of the ancient Enilu Dynasty and the spiritual power of countless pharaohs after their deaths, containing the power of the laws of 'protection' and 'eternity'.]
[Effect 1: It can serve as a top-tier energy source to power ultra-large magic arrays or interstellar spacecraft.]
[Effect 2: Can be integrated into the Starry Sky Box, greatly stabilizing the space, expanding the internal area, and has a very low probability of generating the special ability of a 'Guardian Barrier'.]
[Effect 3: If absorbed by the host, it can greatly enhance mental strength and grant the 'Mental Barrier' talent.]
Zhou Jue's eyes lit up instantly!
This is simply a gift from heaven! Regardless of the specific effect, it's a huge improvement she's been dreaming of!
She almost instinctively wanted to take it away with her mind.
However, at this moment, Cheng Gan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, her voice carrying a hint of solemnity: "Xiao Jue, wait a moment."
"What's wrong, Sister Cheng Gan?" Zhou Jue asked, puzzled.
Cheng Gan pointed to the beating golden heart and said in a deep voice, "Look at its every beat; it's connected to a certain rhythm of this land. I have a feeling that this thing is the 'national treasure' of this country. If we take it away, although it won't cause the pyramid to collapse like demolishing a load-bearing wall, I'm afraid... it will cause irreparable damage to the country's fate."
Zhou Jue was taken aback, but quickly calmed down.
She remembered what Cheng Gan had said during the day.
This ancient country has a comprehensive strategic partnership with China. In international affairs, it has always stood firmly with China and is a true friend.
Targeting a friend's house, especially stealing their most precious possession... I just can't bring myself to do it.
Zhou Jue was instantly caught in a mental struggle.
On one hand, there are huge benefits that are readily available; on the other hand, there are one's own code of conduct and morality.
Just as she was struggling with this decision, the system's voice sounded again.
[Host distress detected, solution provided.]
[The 'Heart of the Pharaoh' is a dead object for this country, essential for stabilizing its national destiny, and cannot be actively utilized. The host can exchange it for an equivalent value using 'Void Stones' obtained from the Sakura Kingdom.]
[Exchange Proposal: Replace the Pharaoh's Heart with one ton of 'Void Stone'. After the exchange, the 'Void Stone' will actively absorb the dissipated cosmic energy, replenishing the nation's fortune. The nation's fortune will increase by 0.5% compared to the 'Pharaoh's Heart'.]
Zhou Jue's eyes widened suddenly!
Is there really such a good thing?!
Not only can you get the treasure, but you can also avoid harming your allies and even help your friends in return?
"Change it! Change it right away!" Zhou Jue was overjoyed and made the decision without hesitation.
"Sister Cheng Gan, don't worry, we'll trade with it, and we guarantee the nation's fortune will only rise, not fall!"
With a thought, piles of silvery-white minerals appeared out of thin air on the floor of the tomb. Under the precise control of the system, these "Void Stones" automatically flew up, following some mysterious pattern, circling the inner wall of the pyramid, and then rushing towards the pyramid, where they were inlaid in a staggered and orderly fashion.
The "Heart of the Pharaoh" that was suspended in the air slowly stopped beating, its golden light receded, and it transformed into a warm, golden crystal that gently floated toward Zhou Jue.
Zhou Jue carefully held it in his palm and then solemnly put it into the Starlight Secret Box.
After doing all this, the two quietly left the pyramid without attracting anyone's attention.
Back at the hotel, Zhou Jue felt the surging energy emanating from the heart inside the Starry Sky Box, and his heart was filled with passion.
As for the other scattered, pigeon-egg-sized lights on this land, such as the Sphinx and the Karnak Temple, neither of them touched them again.
Even when fleecing others, there needs to be a sustainable approach. You can't exploit one person to the point of exhaustion, especially since this is a friend's sheep.
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