Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

The little kid's response was a funny face.

This is good.

Just then, the prison gate was suddenly opened, and three prison guards walked in. They pulled the protagonist, O'Connor, out of the prison, but seemed not to see Zheng Zha and the others, and left without even closing the prison gate.

The light curtain dissipates, and the story begins.

Section 3: Fish aren't so easy to touch.

The Mummy tells the story of Imhotep, a resurrected ancient Egyptian high priest who attempts to bring back his lover from a thousand years ago, only to be defeated by the combined efforts of the male and female protagonists. Of course, there are sequels and sequels, but there's no need to focus on them too much at the moment.

The Central Plains team's strength is insufficient. Although Alice cannot yet ascertain the true combat power of the Central Plains team, the undisguised worry on the faces of several members of the team reveals that their own combat strength is not superior. Through sorting through her own memories and Zhan Lan's explanation of the plot, Alice also roughly understands the combat power level of Imhotep.

Altering the heavens, creating sandstorms, and summoning the dead that blankets Cairo. Considering the millennium curse, the advantage of terrain, Imhotep's clumsy close combat skills, and the weakness of the fearsome cat, this is probably the peak level of a mortal mage before Alice became a true witch.

Quantitative changes haven't yet led to qualitative changes, so there's still a chance for a fight. But if we take the subsequent Indiana team battle into account, then the situation becomes much more complicated.

The girl pondered, calmly planning her next move while following the Central Continent team's activities. Because she wasn't very familiar with the Mummy movie, and her spellcasting abilities and physical modifications had all disappeared, Alice decided to keep her presence to herself, only interjecting a few words at crucial moments to prove her existence. She would let the Central Continent team do as they pleased.

Or rather, watch Hsiao Hung-lu's one-man show.

This twelve-year-old boy, who liked to pull out his own hair and claimed to be being studied in a hospital, possessed extraordinary insight. He quickly devised a rough plan for the Central Plains team and persuaded all the veteran members to follow his strategy.

It's actually quite simple; it's just about leveraging momentum. Since the Indiana team arrived so much later than the Central Asian team, they are undoubtedly superior. The time gap is exactly the time the God of War gave the Central Asian team to prepare. Because of the God of War's five-kilometer restriction, everyone can't stray too far from O'Connor, so the strategy of leveraging momentum can only be based on O'Connor's route.

Naturally, there won't be any crisis during this introductory opening sequence. The male protagonist, O'Connor, a prisoner, is saved by Evelyn, the female protagonist, before being hanged by the governor. After they separate, the Middle-earth team takes the opportunity to get to know O'Connor, quickly befriending him through the power of gold and firearms.

To be fair, O'Connor was truly a passionate and magnanimous man. Although he was initially taken aback by Zero's use of modern firearms, he quickly forgot about the offense after Zheng Zha spoke to him politely and offered gold bars as compensation. He was not only willing to take the entire Central State team to exchange gold and buy weapons, but if the Central State team hadn't been wealthy enough to book the best hotel in Cairo, he probably would have even booked their entire night's lodging. By the time these miscellaneous matters were resolved, it was already evening.

At that moment, Alice decided to take action.

"What? You're planning to go to the Egyptian Museum? Didn't you read the mission requirements? We can't leave O'Connor by more than five kilometers!" Zheng Zha's face was full of disbelief as he looked at Alice, who had been silent all along the way and whose limelight had been almost completely stolen by Xiao Honglu.

Alice smiled and spread out a newly bought map on the table in front of Zheng Zha.

“We’re here, and the museum is here.” She pointed to two points on the map that weren’t far apart. “Although the route is a bit roundabout, the straight-line distance is only three kilometers, which is still within our activity area.”

“This strategy is feasible. According to the plot, nothing should happen tonight.” Xiao Honglu glanced at Alice with some surprise. “Staying at this hotel was your suggestion, wasn’t it, Sister Alice? Were you planning to do this back then? Are you confident you can gain something from the museum? Or are you planning to contact Evelyn now?”

“No, it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision.” The girl shook her head slightly. “I just don’t think the evening should be wasted. Besides, after we set off tomorrow, the journey until we reach Hamunaptra, the city of the dead where Imhotep was resurrected, will be mostly desert. At that point, we really won’t be able to do anything but travel. So I think we should do something now.”

Zheng Zha stroked his chin. "What you said makes some sense... Xiao Honglu, what do you think?"

“Why not give it a try? There’s nothing to lose, right?” Xiao Honglu made a helpless gesture. “But it might not be safe for Alice to go alone. How about finding someone else to go with her?” He yawned, looking very sleepy. “I’m just a kid, so I’m going to bed early. I’ve had more exercise today than I usually do in a week…”

“Go ahead, go ahead.” Zheng Zha waved his hand. Then he looked at Alice: “Alice… tsk, this name always reminds me of that character from Resident Evil. Foreign names are really hard to remember… I’ll just call you Margot Lloyd. So, Margot Lloyd, the museum exploration is in your hands. Remember, we’re a team now, so don’t take any risks, understand?”

Alice nodded, indicating that she fully understood.

"Alright, then hurry back. Don't worry if you don't find anything. I'll have Zhang..."

A cold voice interrupted him.

"I'll go with her," Zhao Yingkong suddenly said, which surprised Zheng Zha.

However, it was only slightly unexpected. After exchanging glances, Zheng Zha did not raise any objections.

Fifteen minutes later, Alice and Zhao Yingkong knocked on the museum door. The heavy wooden door slowly opened after a while, and the museum's old curator, looking impatient, poked half his body out from behind it.

His expression softened after he recognized the two girls. "Young ladies, the museum is closed now. Go back and come back tomorrow."

"Excuse me, you must be the famous Curator Bell. I am Alice, Alice Margot Lloyd, a scholar who shares your love for ancient Egyptian culture. I have heard that you have a deep understanding of the ancient Egyptian dynasty three thousand years ago. I happen to have some academic questions, so I am bothering you. Please forgive me."

The museum curator looked suspicious, but out of basic scholarly courtesy, he did not close the door immediately, instead giving Alice a chance to speak.

“It’s rare to see such a studious young lady like you. But it’s getting late, and I have some things to do. Come in, you have ten minutes,” the curator said, ushering the two into the museum.

So, for the next half hour, Zhao Yingkong witnessed firsthand how Alice, with the vast knowledge of a seasoned witch who had lived for hundreds of years, thoroughly and flawlessly utterly and skillfully overwhelmed the pitiful old Egyptian. She pointed out and corrected the museum director's various academic errors with extreme sarcasm and without a shred of mercy, until the poor fellow clutched his head, screamed wildly, and ran back to his research lab to escape reality. Only then did she let out a soft sigh and feign a dismissal.

Evelyn and her brother Jonathan, left in the museum, stood there dumbfounded, not daring to utter a sound. When Alice's gaze swept over them, they screamed and ran away.

“A bunch of trash,” Alice said dismissively. She then looked at Zhao Yingkong, whose cold little face had long since collapsed. “Alright, now we’ve made a deep enough impression on Evelyn. As a genuine expert in ancient Egypt, it shouldn’t be difficult for us to get the Book of the Sun and the Book of the Dead from Evelyn. If I remember correctly, burying Imhotep requires the incantation from those books.”

“You…are indeed a professional.” Zhao Yingkong hesitated for a moment before saying, “…a scholar.”

“Of course.” The girl nodded slightly. “Now we can visit this museum. I think we should be able to gain something from those scriptures, mummies, and antique artifacts. And I don’t think the owner here is in the mood to stop us from taking this treasure away.”

“Our previous world was Ju-on 2,” Zhao Yingkong suddenly said. “Someone did something similar to what you did.”

"Oh? And then?" Alice walked into the museum's display area, gently stroking the ancient artifacts displayed on glass shelves. She could intuitively feel the history of those artifacts, and the... power beneath that history.

Ancient and mysterious things often possess magic, and she can use that magic to her advantage.

"The one who did that was Zheng Zha. He did it because he was already familiar with the rules of the reincarnation world. Of course, that's not important. What's important is that you, as a newcomer, have revealed too sharp fangs, yet you've hidden them too well." A dagger quietly appeared in the young assassin's palm.

"Your true identity is not that of a simple scholar as you claim. I can sense that the real you is far more terrifying than you appear. Like a hungry wolf among sheep, no matter how you try to conceal it, you cannot hide your extraordinary nature."

[I see... Hmm, I've been slacking off in Gensokyo for too long, so I can't control my aura when I switch to serious mode... That's a huge flaw, I need to fix it.]

Alice shrugged: "So you're planning to attack me now? Just because I'm overthinking things? Hey, I'm your teammate, dying in a team fight means points are deducted, you know."

“I won’t hurt you, but…” The assassin girl gripped her dagger tighter. “I need to make sure you don’t cause trouble at the crucial moment.”

Alice sighed softly. She picked up a piece of wood carving of Anubis, the ancient jackal head gleaming dimly under the chandelier.

“You know how to get a witch to get spellcasting materials…” A puppet string popped out from Alice’s sleeve.

"...What does it really mean?"

Fourth Quarter - Welcome to the Zhongzhou Team

[As expected, Gensokyo is a place that wears down one's fighting spirit. I've only lived here for a few decades, yet I've almost forgotten what real combat is.]

Alice raised her hand and held up the wooden Anubis sculpture towards Zhao Yingkong, who was rushing towards her.

"Anubis is the god of the underworld, the guardian of the underworld, and the creator of mummies." Before the words were finished, deep black energy surged out from the wooden carving, instantly forming a phantom image of a jackal-headed warrior holding a long sword. The blade then fell, blocking Zhao Yingkong's path.

It was a humanoid shape made of mist, but it was also a real knife.

The next moment, the blade collided with Zhao Yingkong's dagger in mid-air!

With a soft 'thud,' the jackal warrior's phantom, along with its blade, was sliced ​​in two. A wisp of dark flame suddenly burst forth from the dagger's blade, instantly obliterating the phantom like blazing sunlight illuminating snow. The attacking assassin then advanced further, stepping over the vanishing shadow and continuing forward.

The Fang of Netherfire, a weapon Zhao Yingkong redeemed. The dark flames attached to it can effectively kill spirits.

“A fine weapon, a good dagger.” Alice, who had retreated several meters away when the phallus of the jackal warrior was slain, raised an eyebrow slightly. Her fingers brushed against a fossilized scarab beetle, and a faint light immediately shone from the tip of her finger.

"Kebri is the god of beetles, the trajectory of the sun, and the god of dawn."

That glimmer of light immediately expanded and grew, its color changing dramatically, becoming as dazzling as the rising sun in the blink of an eye!

That was a flash of light, a supernatural blinding bullet!

Whether they closed their eyes or forced themselves to continue advancing, it would impair their vision, but at this distance, the obstruction of the bright light had the same effect on both of them. The dazzling light instantly filled the museum's exhibition hall. And within this extreme brilliance, Zhao Yingkong heard the sound of air being torn apart.

She instinctively stepped back, but a sudden numbness made her pause for a moment. It was just a negligible pause, but a feeling of frustration welled up from the assassin's mind like a spring.

"I was too careless," Zhao Yingkong thought to herself.

As she regained control of her body, she made a defensive slash in front of her, but before she could raise her arm halfway, a slight stinging pain came from her neck.

When she was finally able to see everything clearly, she discovered that the doll's strings were wrapped around her neck.

"This is a ritual. I just used the layout of the buildings here to create a temporary altar, and your position happens to be where the offerings are placed. Although it can only last for a moment, in that moment you will be regarded by the ritual as a helpless sacrifice. Just like that." Alice explained from a distance, her right hand controlling the puppet's strings, and her left hand holding a piece of snake molt.

Isis was the most primitive goddess of ancient Egypt, and her sacred object was the serpent, representing nature and magic.

"In terms you can understand, it's something like a feng shui killing formation," Alice added, then asked, "So? Want to fight again?"

"I haven't lost yet," the young assassin said in a deep voice, and the next moment, her eyes became blank.

The threat has grown... Is this the genetic lock?

Alice thought to herself, and moved her fingers, but stopped before she could do anything. She saw Zheng Zha appear at the entrance of the exhibition hall, accompanied by Zhan Lan and Xiao Honglu.

“Enough, let’s stop here.” Zheng Zha walked to Zhao Yingkong’s side with a stern face. “It seems you’ve been hiding a lot from us, Miss Margot Lloyd. Perhaps we need to have an open and frank talk.”

Alice flicked her wrist, and the puppet strings wrapped around the young assassin's neck suddenly retracted into her sleeve.

"So you noticed the abnormality in me quite early on?"

“Of course.” Xiao Honglu took a small step forward, a hint of pride in his voice. “Judging from your appearance, Sister Alice, you’re no more than seventeen. However, no matter how talented you are, unless your brain is made of a computer, it’s impossible to be proficient in so much knowledge and academics at this age. Besides, you were far too calm and composed during the day. Even a neurotic like me would be afraid of the unknown world. There’s definitely something wrong with you. Of course, these are all just guesses. The most important thing is…”

“Brother Zheng Zha told me that you were already awake before they arrived. This has never happened before, so you definitely can’t be an ordinary person.”

"Ah... I thought I was putting on a good show. I didn't expect it to be full of holes from the very beginning. A comfortable life really does kill you." Alice sighed softly, making a gesture of surrender.

"Alright, then I might as well tell you. I am a witch, and the kind of witch who has grown tired of the fighting and killing and has decided to live a peaceful old age in the countryside. I know magic, I know curses, and I have some knowledge of occultism, except for things from ancient times. Finally, don't ask about my age, I won't tell you."

"I see." Xiao Honglu nodded slightly, gently plucked a hair from his head, and blew it outwards. "This way, some of my previous doubts can be answered."

"When you first entered the horror movie, you didn't actually have much fighting ability, right? That's why you disguised yourself as a scholar with some skills at the beginning. Although there were many loopholes, as long as you survived the period before the protective shield disappeared... your magic needs an external medium, right?"

"And once you left the dungeon and obtained the medium, you regained some of your power. So you stopped caring so much about your disguise, because you now had the ability to protect yourself, right?"

“Mostly right.” Alice tilted her head slightly. “I’m not very interested in being a bullet-making craftsman; it’s better to take control of my own destiny. Alright, now that the cards are out in the open, what’s your decision? Tell me.”

Xiao Honglu immediately fell silent. He took a step back, handing over the reins to Zheng Zha, who had only said one sentence on the way there. After a few seconds of silence, the latter burst into laughter.

"You know, sometimes you don't know someone until you've had a fight. This is a good opportunity for us to work together. We'll still need to work together in the future, so I hope this kind of thing doesn't happen again. Margot Lloyd, if you need anything, just let us know. We're teammates, and we'll help you if we can."

"So?" Alice blinked.

Zheng Zha extended his hand in an inviting gesture. "Welcome to the Central Plains Team, Miss Margot Royd."

Alice gently squeezed that hand.

Just then, Zhan Lan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "Evelyn and Jonathan are approaching this way, we have to go."

Section 5 - It really looks stupid

How many years have passed since Alice embarked on her journey to explore the mystical?

In the fourteenth century, she worked as an assistant in the alchemy workshop of Paracelsus. From a curious and innocent girl to a scholar seeking secrets, she gained extraordinary powers for the first time and became a true witch.

In the 15th century, she met Patchouli Knowledge, who carried on the Hypatia's academic traditions. She gained a lifelong friend and filled the gaps in her own knowledge. It was also from that time that her hobby of making dolls developed, and she began to explore her own unique path of magic.

In the 16th century, she struggled to survive the witch hunts that swept across Europe. She transformed from a merely competent witch into a truly powerful one, thus landing herself on the witch hunters' kill list. After several major battles, she finally gained the ability to protect herself in the chaotic world.

In the seventeenth century, she traveled across the ocean, trying to find a place to settle in the sparsely populated New World. It wasn't until her secluded town of Salem was caught up in the storm of witch hunts that she was forced to leave and seek a safer place to live.

In the 18th century, at Patchouli's invitation, she traveled to South America and Atlantis to explore secrets and interact with ancient savages and otherworldly beings. She went mad three times and died seven times. Only when the stars moved to their correct positions did the two witches, cursed and crippled, return to the Americas.