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Chapter 509: Hardcore Heist Plan

Egyptian mythology, a mythological system not widely known in modern times, although its specific details are rarely mentioned, features several well-known figures, such as Anubis.

Many Egyptian gods frequently appear in games, yet many people are unaware that they originate from the Egyptian pantheon. A good way to identify such characters is to check if they have animal heads or represent natural phenomena.

Egyptian gods can be divided into two main categories: those born from natural phenomena, such as Sun god, Wind god, Fire god, Moon god, etc., and animal gods, like Beetle, Panther, Lion, Vulture, and so on.

Additionally, the well-known concept of mummies is closely tied to Egyptian mythology, and Schiller drew inspiration from the intriguing background of mummies to develop his audacious Death plan.

Many people may have heard of mummies or even seen them in museums, but this fascinating culture originates from Egyptian mythology's understanding of Death.

Ancient Egyptians believed that the body merely served as a vessel for the soul. After death, the soul was influenced by divine power and journeyed to the Underworld. Still, they had a chance of resurrection. To ensure a successful resurrection, the body needed preservation, leading to the creation of various forms of mummies.

In terms of understanding Death, the ancient Egyptian civilization, thousands of miles away from China, shares remarkable similarities. Both cultures believed that the deceased entered a magical world after death, where they continued to receive offerings. Therefore, the living had to construct luxurious tombs and offer burial goods to ensure a better afterlife.

This belief led to the construction of the pyramids of ancient Egypt and the Emperor Qin Shi's Terracotta Army in China.

However, within the Marvel universe, Schiller is well aware that myths here are not mere stories but concrete realities with actual gods, suggesting the presence of an Underworld.

Yet he also knows that this world encompasses five major Creation Gods, including Death, and all beings eventually journey to Death's realm. To resurrect, they require specific powers.

One widely known example is Asgard's Hall of Heroes, where the gods of Asgard go after death, and they might have a chance at resurrection within the Hall.

After inquiring with Loki, Schiller learns that Odin can resurrect warriors through the Hall of Heroes because he struck a deal with Death.

Odin's countless acts of warfare and death incurred an unimaginable toll, but Death didn't mind if he resurrected a fraction of warriors to slay more people. Nonetheless, resurrecting a god required an immense amount of energy.

In this context, why can the lesser-known Egyptian gods easily resurrect their followers? Schiller once asked Khonshu this question, but he received no answer. Schiller understands that Khonshu isn't obligated to answer every question for his followers. Therefore, he decides to seek the answer himself...

However, the location of the Underworld remains elusive. To enter, a special method is necessary.

Schiller happens to know a method that can allow him to enter the Underworld: replicating the experiences of Moon Knight from the Moon Knight TV series.

In the TV series, Moon Knight's body is killed by Arthur, a follower of Ammit. Consequently, Moon Knight's two personalities enter the Underworld and manage to leave it, thereby resurrecting in the real world.

After the battle in the small town, during a moment when Marc switches personalities, Schiller takes the Sacred Beetle from him. While driving the car from the small town to the border of Deo, Schiller notices that Arthur has awakened. Instead of exposing Arthur, Schiller intentionally leaves the Sacred Beetle he acquired from Marc on the seat.

As expected, Arthur takes the Sacred Beetle and uses the power left to him by Ammit to travel to the seal and release Ammit, thus freeing her from her imprisonment.

Ammit granted Arthur power, urging him to seek revenge on Schiller and Marc. As the purple Thunderbolt formed from Ammit's divine power descended, Schiller lowered all defenses, allowing Ammit's power to kill his physical body.

In reality, with Grey Mist present, Ammit's divine power wouldn't have been enough to destroy Schiller's body. Yet, Schiller made Grey Mist simulate a state of feigned death, where heartbeat and breathing ceased, allowing the soul to be drawn to the ship where Moon Knight had arrived in the TV show.

This part of the TV show's plot was intriguing. After Moon Knight's split personalities experienced death, Marc had a peculiar dream. He found himself in a mental hospital, and the attending doctor was none other than Arthur, the one who killed him. Arthur revealed that Marc was a mental patient all along, with his roles as a mercenary and archaeologist being mere delusions during his episodes.

What fascinated Schiller the most was that, in this mental realm, Marc's two personalities appeared as distinct individuals. When they arrived on the ship, it was the same: both Marc and his other personality, Steven.

This oddity prompted Schiller to speculate that this so-called Underworld was similar to the Dreaming in the DC universe, a realm interconnected with the human world of consciousness.

Since Marc could bring his two personalities aboard the ship, it followed logically that Schiller could bring numerous personalities as well. This ship could then navigate within the realm of dreams.

Listening to Schiller's account, Marc's emotions were complex. He took a deep breath, sighed, and said, "I can't decide whether you possess a probing intellect or complete madness."

"Just for a speculative theory, you're willing to face Death. Have you considered that all of this might be a delusion triggered by your mental illness? If so, you're truly risking your life."

"Are you afraid of death?" Schiller asked.

"Aren't you?" Marc retorted. Suddenly, he paused, then said, "Oh, right, I've met KGB agents who aren't afraid of death..."

"Essentially, it's confidence in my professional expertise. My research skills in dissociative identity disorder, the relationship between the mind and the world of consciousness, dreams, and more are quite good."

As he spoke, Schiller walked to the edge of the ship. With the vessel speeding forward, the sand sea beneath grew thinner, and the surging skeletons became fewer.

Marc extended his hand, gazing at the sky. He noticed that the once-clear and bright starry sky was becoming hazy. A gentle breeze brushed his fingertips, carrying a faint white mist.

Abruptly, Marc turned his head and saw the massive bow heading into the dense white mist. The ship seemed to float atop a sea of clouds, like a sword slicing through white jade. Looking downward, the sand sea had disappeared; there was nothing beneath the ship, as if it were suspended in mid-air.

"Woo—woo—"

A deep horn sounded, masts creaked, sails unfurled. Marc observed as the layers of sails billowed, their full arcs resembling multiple rising crescent moons.

Approaching Schiller, Marc asked, "Where are you taking it?"

"I'm going to pick up a friend of mine and show him the scenery beyond the dreams of ordinary people," Schiller smiled and replied.

"What about resurrection? Don't you want to resurrect?" Marc clearly struggled to accept his own death. He appeared restless, his face marked with worry.

"You said it yourself, KGB agents aren't afraid of death," Schiller turned to look at him. Marc was furious, about to retort, when he noticed that behind the white-coated Schiller, the young Schiller was slowly raising an umbrella-blade.

Schiller chuckled and asked, "Are you still afraid of death now?"

Looking at the cold light on the umbrella-blade, Marc swallowed and took a step back, vigorously shaking his head.

The large ship sailed through the white mist, and the surroundings remained unchanged. It was impossible to gauge the ship's speed accurately. Jack and Schiller stood together at the bow of the ship. Jack asked, "What are you planning to name this ship?"

"The Flying Godship, how does that sound?"

"Not very appealing. It's better to simply call it the Flying Ship. Why insist on adding 'God'?"

"I... oh, we've arrived." Schiller was about to answer Jack's question, but he spotted the shadows of buildings in the thick fog. He ordered the ship's crew to lower the sails, causing the massive vessel to descend slowly.

As the ship descended, the outlines of the buildings became clearer. The first to come into view was a Gothic spire, followed by what appeared to be an English-style school.

Charles, standing at the entrance of the dream school, gaped as he watched the enormous ship's shadow slowly descend.

Just a few minutes ago, he had been puzzled in his real-world office, wondering why Schiller had called him on the phone, asking him to enter the dream. Now, Charles understood because he had seen Schiller standing at the bow of the ship.

After the ship landed, it appeared even larger than what Charles had seen from the air. It surpassed any ship he had encountered, no longer just a sailboat but a flying aircraft carrier draped in sail-like attire.

"My goodness, what is this?! Did I see wrong? Is that the Sun emblem from the Egyptian tomb?"

"Professor, truly you're exceptional. You're the most discerning person I've encountered." Schiller descended from the ship and shook hands with Charles, genuinely praising him.

"After the Tower of Babel, you've constructed another Egyptian ship in the dream? But why? Have your personalities finally run out of space?"

"You've misunderstood," Schiller turned his head to glance at the ship, then back at Charles. He explained, "I didn't create this. I don't have that ability. The story is quite complicated, but to put it simply..."

Schiller turned back, pointed at the ship, and confidently stated, "This is the 'Gifts of Nature'."

"Alright, I understand. You don't need to explain," Charles immediately responded. Evidently, in the process of working with the Radiance Alliance, he had learned the style of these individuals. There was a risk of compromising his ethical standards by asking too many questions.

"So, what do you want to talk to me about?" Charles asked.

"Professor, many young mutants have gone to the Great Nebula of the Fairy System for space colonization and development. Due to the vast distance, it's challenging to bring them back for classes, right?"

Upon hearing Schiller raise this issue, Charles nodded with some helplessness and said, "While I can connect with them here, I can't bring their consciousness back here for classes."

"As I mentioned earlier, so-called psychic connections are related to brainwaves, which are affected by physical distance. If I'm too far from them physically, the signal quality deteriorates."

"Correct. I've always believed that mutant education is of utmost importance. If internships interfere with teaching, the priorities are mixed up."

"The saying goes that one cannot be too poor for education. For the sake of the shared future of humanity and mutants, I hope this small ship that can navigate within dreams becomes a school bus for mutants. I hope it becomes their Noah's Ark, allowing them to navigate through the ocean of knowledge with the wind at their backs..."

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