Circa 2500 BCE – Old Kingdom, Egypt
The Nile shimmered beneath a blazing sun as Marcus walked barefoot across the sand, his skin golden from centuries of sunlight. He had come seeking something ancient—something older than belief itself.
He wasn't disappointed.
In the court of Pharaoh Djoser, he was known as Seti-Nu, "the man who does not die." He helped design irrigation systems, fought off raiders with shocking agility, and debated the priests about the true weight of the soul.
But it was when he entered the Temple of Thoth that everything changed.
The priests froze.
"He… He speaks the old names," one whispered.
Marcus didn't know how. The gacha system had gifted him an ability—Language of the First Tongue. With it, he could call to the gods.
He stood before Anubis, god of the dead, in a hidden chamber.
"You are not a man," Anubis said, his jackal face unreadable.
"No," Marcus answered. "But I'm not a god either."
"You walk between. That is dangerous."
"Tell me something I don't know."
They struck a bargain. Anubis taught Marcus ancient secrets of the soul, while Marcus shared visions of distant futures. Before leaving, he inscribed a message in hieroglyphics:
> "The Stranger Who Defied Time Walked Here. May He Be Judged Fairly."
That inscription would later be found… by Napoleon's men.