Thud!
The stone wall slid into the ceiling with a heavy sound, snapping Echo out of her daze. A cold, eerie light radiated from beyond, sending chills down her spine while also drawing her in with an air of strange elegance.
Behind the wall stretched a long, wide corridor. Unlike the rough stone walls they had seen before, this hallway gleamed, covered in a layer of gold. Intricate carvings lined the walls, primarily featuring depictions of the Egyptian sun god. Under the pale light, the gold didn’t shine extravagantly but gave off a chill, regal aura that demanded respect.
“Gold,” Hawk muttered, running his hand cautiously along the wall, his brow furrowed.
Extravagant.
The entire corridor was plated with gold. It was extravagant-leaving little room for any other thought. But for a pharaoh-regarded as the closest being to the gods during ancient Egypt’s slave-based society-this kind of indulgence was nothing extraordinary.
Echo’s curiosity was fully piqued, and she followed them inside.
Both walls of the corridor were lined with alcoves, and in each recess stood an armored guard. The figures stood tall and imposing, dressed in ancient Egyptian gold-plated armor, wielding round shields and long spears that evoked the height of ancient craftsmanship.
Above each guard’s head glimmered a faintly glowing gem. If Echo’s guess was right, these were night pearls-legendary artifacts rarely seen today. Each one was about the size of a fist, radiating a soft, cool light. Though dim on their own, the sheer number of them illuminated the corridor in a ghostly shimmer. So this was where the strange light was coming from.
“What the hell are these?” Cobra asked, his brow creasing in confusion.
Without even looking back, Echo grinned, her excitement barely contained. “Mummies.”
The single word made Ryan’s brow twitch slightly, while Cobra and the others instinctively stepped away, a mixture of surprise and disgust crossing their faces.
Mummies were just dressed-up corpses, after all-thousands of years old at that.
The group, accustomed to dancing on the edge of death, didn’t fear them, but that didn’t make them any less repulsive.
“Boss, there’s blood.” The local guy, trying to prove himself, pointed toward a corner of the golden hallway.
Ryan shot a cold glance at the spot, then, without missing a beat, grabbed Echo by the waist and hauled her along. He gave her no chance to argue or resist.
Dragged along by Ryan, Echo shot one last longing glance at the golden hallway. The mummies didn’t interest her much-they were just shriveled corpses, fascinating only to archaeologists with peculiar tastes. But the night pearls on their heads? Now those she wanted-really, really wanted.
And Ryan wasn’t giving her a chance to grab even one. The frustration boiled up inside her. Of all the bad luck! She didn’t care about the mummies, but missing out on all those pearls? That stung.
At the end of the golden corridor was a staircase leading downward, just as elaborately decorated as the hallway above. Gold covered every surface, and every other step was guarded by a fully armored mummy.
Under the eerie, dim lighting, Echo could only see the steps stretching endlessly downward, disappearing into the depths. It seemed impossibly steep, and she raised an eyebrow-she had never heard of any pyramid designed like this.
The group descended in complete silence. No one dared to speak. Even Cobra, usually brash and fearless, was subdued by the atmosphere. There was no swagger to be had in the presence of these ancient, lifeless guardians.
The air carried a strange scent-part faintly sweet, part sharp-maybe a lingering trace from the mummification process, or perhaps something else sealed away with the bodies for centuries.
“What kind of pharaoh’s tomb is this? Why is it so heavily guarded?” the local guy muttered, his expression growing more uneasy the further they went down.
Echo glanced at him. “So, you noticed too.”
The local guy frowned and said, “I’ve never seen a pyramid this extravagant in Egypt. This kind of burial setup was only reserved for the greatest pharaohs in history. But all of those tombs have already been discovered. So whose tomb is this?”
While Echo and the local guy were filled with curiosity and suspicion, Ryan and his group remained coldly focused. Their only concern was finding who they came for. They didn’t care about pharaohs, pyramids, or burial customs. As far as Ryan was concerned, this was just another place where dead people were put to rest. Pyramids didn’t interest him-he had no love for grave-digging.
What Ryan didn’t realize, however, was that the more elaborate the tomb, the more dangerous it became. The wealth, power, and influence of a pharaoh dictated how many traps and secrets their pyramid held.
And the deeper they ventured, the deadlier it would get. None of them, except for Echo-and even she was barely knowledgeable-had any expertise in dealing with ancient Egyptian architecture or its dangers.
While there might not be actual curses or magic, underestimating the ingenuity of ancient civilizations could prove fatal, especially here.
Echo didn’t bother explaining any of this to Ryan. It would’ve been like talking to a wall-assuming the wall even cared. She knew Ryan well enough to understand his mindset: if you couldn’t predict what the enemy might do, you just faced it head-on. If there was no way to prepare, you took it as it came. That reckless confidence of his was something Echo understood all too well.
Step by step, they continued their descent-exactly 1, 180 steps in total. A true stairway to heaven.
Echo exchanged a look with the local guy, both realizing that whoever was buried in this pyramid was no ordinary figure. In ancient Egyptian belief, the longer the stairway, the greater the honor and status of the deceased. And this was the longest one ever found in any pyramid excavation.
At the bottom of the stairway sat a golden sarcophagus, placed precisely at the center of a vast chamber. It was impossible to miss. The gleaming coffin, made entirely of gold, sat there with a quiet authority, waiting-its presence alone enough to demand attention.
Echo slowly scanned her surroundings, her eyes betraying the shock and excitement she felt.
The walls were covered in elaborate carvings, filling the space from the ground to the ceiling. The artwork depicted all sorts of fantastical imagery-solar gods, cosmic deities, and snake-bodied goddesses riding chariots across the sky. The sun god gazed down upon the world, every detail crafted with astonishing precision.
Standing on the ground were rows of mummies arranged in strict order. On the outer edge, fully armored guards knelt on one knee, forming a protective circle. Inside the circle, the pharaoh’s closest slaves knelt humbly, their attire marking them as servants. And at the very center sat four figures, each facing a different direction with their backs to the pharaoh’s sarcophagus, as if performing rituals to guide the ruler to the afterlife.
The rigid hierarchy and meticulous arrangement made Echo’s lips twitch slightly in amazement. The whole setup screamed authority and grandeur. It was the first time she had ever laid eyes on an imperial tomb-after all, wasn’t the pharaoh one of the world’s earliest emperors?
“Search,” Ryan ordered in a low voice from the bottom of the staircase, his cold eyes sweeping the chamber.
Cobra and the others spread out, inspecting every corner.
Meanwhile, Echo was practically starstruck by the burial goods scattered around. These artifacts were the perfect antiques. Though the gold used wasn’t the finest, the craftsmanship was remarkable-each intricate detail a testament to ancient artisans’ skill.
Jewels were piled across the floor like discarded stones, as if laid there for the pharaoh to walk on. Cat’s eyes, jade, and all kinds of gemstones glimmered in Cobra’s flashlight beam, casting dazzling colors throughout the chamber. The light reflected off the precious stones, creating a subtle rainbow effect in the room.
Echo approached the stunning sarcophagus, walking carefully over the scattered treasure. For the first time, she felt a strange sense of vanity creeping in. This was the kind of path only royalty could tread-walking atop priceless jewels. A broad smile spread across her face as she stepped forward.
After circling the sarcophagus once, she noticed the local guy nearby, occasionally glancing at it with a mix of seriousness and distaste.
Curious, Echo asked, “What does it say?” Though fascinated by Egyptian pyramids, she wasn’t exactly fluent in hieroglyphs-let alone ancient Egyptian.
“Curses,” the local guy muttered through clenched teeth. Being Egyptian himself, he didn’t take the old beliefs too seriously, but it still made him uneasy.
“Oh, in that case, don’t tell me,” Echo quickly cut him off. She was curious but preferred to avoid any unsettling thoughts that might come with knowing.