After traveling across Greece for some time, Alaric returned to the Academy of Mystra.
However, his work did not stop.
Having used the Argonaut heroes as a catalyst to initially draw Athena to his side, Alaric's overall layout of the Greek Divine Domain had come to a temporary conclusion.
What remained was to wait for the idea of resisting the gods to gradually spread among mortals. This required time.
Even with the help of the Argonaut heroes and Athena, and with the mages of the Academy of Mystra fanning the flames, it would still take a while for everything to fully ferment.
During this process, the Academy of Mystra no longer needed to do much else, maintaining the current situation would suffice.
So what should they do next?
Alaric shifted his attention to other divine domains.
And his first target was the Egyptian Divine Domain, the one closest to Greece.
The division of divine domains actually originated from the various pantheons' rule over the land on Earth.
Because of the invasion of the Predatory Star sixteen thousand years ago, the planet's primordial gods united together, but they were nearly annihilated in that war.
However, it was precisely because of that war that a new generation of gods gradually awakened.
They cast off their chaotic primordial states and slowly developed complete personalities.
Thus, complete pantheons were born one after another.
Compared to the primordial gods of the past, these newly emerged deities were no longer relatively omnipotent. Instead, they became gods who each governed distinct domains, specializing in their respective fields, yet their overall power was even greater.
And because they possessed personalities, they also harbored stronger desires.
This led to the possibility that clashes of desire and competition for unified domains between different pantheons could spark divine wars.
Based on the needs of each pantheon, and in order to prevent divine wars from destroying the world, they each delineated their own territories and isolated themselves from one another by dividing divine domains.
The existence of divine domains created barriers across the world, somewhat similar to crystal spheres, preventing gods from freely traveling between domains.
At the same time, it eliminated the possibility of catastrophic wars between pantheons that could lead to irreversible consequences.
However, while gods could not leave their divine domains, mortals were a different matter.
Compared to gods, although the barriers between divine domains also restricted mortals, the limitations were far weaker.
It was just that in the past, mortals had not been strong enough to break through the boundaries of divine domains.
But now, someone capable of breaking through these restrictions and visiting other divine domains had appeared.
That person was Alaric.
Thus, after matters in Greece temporarily settled down, Alaric began to feel eager for inter-domain travel.
His first stop was the Egyptian Divine Domain.
…
In the vast yellow sands, endless dunes stretched as far as the eye could see.
The arid desert was scorching by day and freezing by night, and it lacked water year-round.
For this reason, very few living beings survived here, and human traces were even rarer.
Yet exceptions always existed.
Within this boundless desolation, a long procession, resembling a centipede, gradually emerged.
It was a camel caravan.
Many people clad in white robes led camels forward. They had dark skin, black hair, and black eyes.
They were Egyptians under the rule of the Pharaoh, and this group was clearly a merchant caravan.
Since only the oases along the Nile were suitable for habitation, in ancient Egypt, travel and the circulation of goods between cities depended on such caravans.
Besides the people riding them, the camels carried mostly various clay jars, cloth bundles, and wooden crates, all filled with goods.
Although the desert appeared to offer only a single monotonous view in every direction, the caravan had its own methods of navigation.
Moving steadily in one direction, the caravan continued its journey through the desert.
The owner of the caravan was a dignified middle-aged man. He was also the only person in the group allowed to ride atop a camel.
To maximize cargo capacity, most people did not ride the camels, he was the exception.
From his elevated position, he could see farther than anyone else, and thus also served as a lookout.
Even he felt a hint of weariness during this long desert journey. But when the caravan crested another dune, the man suddenly perked up.
"Sobek-saf," he called to one of his subordinates, "your legs are the fastest. Go ahead and take a look, there seems to be someone moving in the desert ahead."
Even for Egyptians accustomed to the desert, it was a cruel place.
Thus, caravans that frequently traversed it would usually offer help when encountering a lone, lost traveler, if the situation allowed.
Aside from the descendants of gods, no one could survive alone in the desert. This was an accepted truth.
Sobek-saf was a young man, a slave of the merchant. Upon hearing his master's command, he responded briskly and hurried forward.
Soon, atop the next dune, he saw the target his master had mentioned.
It was an exceedingly handsome man. Though his appearance carried an exotic flavor, it was enough to make Sobek-saf feel ashamed of himself.
The man wore a white robe. Its style was entirely different from Egyptian attire, yet it looked extraordinarily magnificent. Sobek-saf's master was considered a fairly successful merchant in Egypt.
But compared to this man's clothing, Sobek-saf's own garments were like those of a slave compared to a king.
Moreover, the man's every movement inspired awe in Sobek-saf.
Though walking in the desert, the man seemed as if he were strolling through a clean, refreshing palace garden.
The treacherous sands were like level ground beneath his feet.
Neither wind nor dust could leave any trace upon him. Even while standing in the desert, he remained dazzlingly immaculate.
'Is this man a descendant of some god?'
Sobek-saf thought to himself. Though he was a slave, following his master between cities had broadened his horizons.
Yet even in Egypt's capital, Memphis, he had never seen such a magnificently dressed and elegantly composed noble figure.
In Sobek-saf's impression, even the most exalted priests or nobles would pale in comparison to the man before him, perhaps only those descendants of gods, the Pharaohs of Egypt, could match him.
With these thoughts, Sobek-saf's attitude became exceedingly respectful. He bowed deeply before the man.
"Honored traveler, greetings. You are walking alone in the desert, do you require any assistance? My master wishes to invite you to come forward and speak with him."