American comics: Starting from the Dimensional Demon

Sahara Desert, a temporary encampment.

Whoosh...

The desert wind was somewhat scorching. Facing the wind, a golden-blue scarab beetle floated up from a palm, pointing distantly in a certain direction.

"It really is Hamunaptra, the legendary city that suddenly appeared..."

Holding a crocodile-headed cane, wearing a red shirt, Arthur Harrow turned his gaze away from the direction the scarab beetle indicated and looked at Steven beside him.

With two burly men with beards holding his shoulders firmly, Steven was utterly bewildered. He couldn't understand what was happening.

"Friend, isn't there some kind of misunderstanding between us?"

"Misunderstanding?"

Turning around, Arthur Harrow smiled playfully.

"As the previous knight of the moon god Khonsu, I think... I wouldn't mistake someone."

"Uh... I don't understand what you're talking about?"

Shaking his head, Steven tried his best not to look at the... moon god Khonsu, who had suddenly appeared in the distance.

It was a figure with a huge skeletal bird head. He had no neck, was quite tall, his head hovering above his body, wrapped in bandages like a mummy. He held a crescent-shaped scepter, and when he spoke, his tone was lofty and condescending.

[Kill him, Steven!]

Steven silently shook his head. How could he do such a thing? Besides, the other guy has... a gun.

"He's here... isn't he?"

As a former doctor, Arthur Harrow merely glanced at his face and noticed something was off.

"Uh..."

Watching Khonsu roaring there, Steven didn't know what to say.

"He must hate me very much, right? Let me guess, he wants you to kill me?"

As expected of a man who had worked with Khonsu before, he understood his thoughts perfectly.

"..."

Steven nodded awkwardly, watching Khonsu almost press his head against Arthur, yet unable to touch him.

"Don't worry, he can only rely on the power of an agent to deal with me. In this real world, he's just a phantom projection."

Disdainfully curling his lip, Arthur reached out and grasped Steven's hand, muttering incantations. The black scales of the scales tattoo swayed on his right arm.

"In the name of Ammit, I summon her divine power for judgment!"

Steven was clueless, passively watching him perform some kind of ritual. The black scales tattoo swayed left and right, unable to stabilize.

A minute later, Arthur calmly released his hand. Since he couldn't judge him, he would try to win him over.

Waving away his two subordinates, Arthur personally led Steven around the camp. If one ignored the firearms, the camp was actually quite peaceful.

Picking up two plates, Arthur amiably led Steven to a table, eating while promoting his ideas.

"Khonsu punishes those who have already committed crimes, but his punishment comes too late. By the time his vengeful fist arrives, people have already suffered."

Taking a bite of the beef on his plate, Steven quietly watched him.

"Ammit understands all of this very well. She wants to eradicate evil at its source, making judgments before crimes are committed."

"Therefore, we must revive her!"

"Okay, but... wouldn't that be a little strange?"

Putting down the fork in his hand, Steven asked strangely.

"Do we really need to trust the judgment of a... bizarre mother crocodile?"

"You don't need to doubt her judgment. Ammit will eradicate the root of evil, illuminating the path to goodness."

Arthur's answer was firm and unwavering, deeply believing in it. He even revealed the secret of why he was stealing his scarab beetle.

"The scarab beetle's purpose is as a compass, guiding us to find Ammit's tomb. Now we have confirmed that it is in Hamunaptra. Ammit must be waiting for us there, yearning to be released.

And the violent should be judged by her. Only after their wailing can we usher in a world without evil!"

"Sorry, if Ammit judges people before they commit crimes, then isn't she judging an innocent person?"

Frowning more and more as he listened, Steven couldn't agree with his point of view.

"I mean, having thoughts doesn't equal committing a crime, right? Like, I think about killing my boss every day, but I wouldn't actually do it!"

"Steven..." Arthur tried to interrupt him, but Steven spoke first.

"What about a child? Would she kill a child for something he might do 30 years later?"

"I'm glad you brought that up..."

His face darkening, Arthur raised an arm to explain, but his words were quite cruel.

"Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. The difference between medicine and poison is actually just a matter of dosage. For example, a diseased limb needs amputation, very terrible, very disgusting, right?

But for the health of the whole, it's necessary!"

"But... a child isn't a diseased limb!"

More and more unable to agree, Steven simply stood up, staring into his eyes.

"Sorry, maybe it's just me, but I want to distance myself from murderers!"

Speaking with righteous indignation, his naivety quickly cost him.

Even Khonsu cursed, [Idiot!]

"..."

Failing to win him over, Arthur's expression was ugly. He stood up, picked up his crocodile-headed cane, and coldly ordered his subordinates around him.

"Go, throw him into the desert. Only when a person faces death alone will he know what he has rejected!"

"Wait, you can't do this!"

Steven panicked, wanting to struggle, but several subordinates pounced on him, punching him unconscious, and dragged him out of the camp.

"Really, having my mood affected by an idiot..."

Straightening his collar, Arthur coldly lifted his foot and walked out.

"Set off, I want to see Hamunaptra today!"

"Yes."

......

Rustle, rustle...

Hot!

Lying on the ground with a bruised and swollen face, Steven was awakened by the heat of the sand. As soon as he opened his eyes, there was an endless desert.

The sky was unusually dry, and the sun shone on him like a flame.

He had no compass, no companions, no food or water. Those who had left him here hadn't killed him, seemingly wanting to watch him struggle.

Khonsu had disappeared, and it was unknown whether he had given up on him.

"So thirsty..."

Walking forward with unsteady steps, his lips were cracked, Steven was very dehydrated. His throat was already parched, and his eyes were burning intensely.

Perhaps it was still daytime, perhaps it was noon, Steven didn't know, he was trapped in a bright, fragmented nightmare... staggering.

As if he had lost consciousness, like a moving corpse, in the blink of an eye, night had fallen.

Thud!

He fell to the ground, crawling, the wind whipping up sand into a stinging storm.

It wasn't until a beam of light shone on Steven that he vaguely saw three figures running towards him.

"Coulson, there's someone here..."

I... I'm saved.

He couldn't hear the voices behind him anymore, darkness and exhaustion swallowed all of him.....