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Evelyn was finally persuaded by Daniel's reasoning, though a part of her still itched to return and verify the inscriptions at the statue of Anubis.
But logic — and curiosity — won out. So the group began searching the vast labyrinth of chambers for the statue of Horus, the Lord of the Afterlife.
After nearly an hour of careful exploring — guided mostly by Evelyn's sharp eyes and ability to decipher hieroglyphs carved faintly into the stone — they finally found it.
The statue of Horus loomed over them, half-buried in dust and shadow.
"Yep, this is the one," said Daniel with a satisfied grin.
He crouched down near the statue's feet, brushing away centuries of sand and grime. Beneath the thick layer of dust, something metallic glinted faintly.
It wasn't just stone — there was a box, almost fused into the base of the statue, cleverly disguised to look like part of the rock.
Jonathan squinted. "Are you sure that's not just a rock?"
"Positive," Daniel replied, finding a narrow seam — an opening mechanism hidden under a carved plate.
With a grunt, he pulled the stone panel aside, revealing a small compartment beneath the statue's foot. Inside was a rectangular case wrapped in faded linen.
"Wow, there really is something there," Jonathan said, his eyes widening.
"Didn't I say?" Daniel smirked, carefully pulling out the box. He opened it — sand spilling from the edges — and inside lay an object wrapped tightly in old cloth.
As he unwrapped it, the group leaned in close. The faint firelight caught the gleam of pure gold beneath the linen.
The moment the last fold fell away, the room seemed to glow. A golden book rested in the ] box, its cover etched with ancient hieroglyphs that shimmered faintly in the light.
Evelyn gasped, her scholar's heart practically bursting with joy.
"This is it… the Book of Amun-Ra!" she whispered, her voice trembling with awe. "One of the most powerful and sacred texts ever written — over three thousand years old!"
Without hesitation, she reached out and took the book , tracing her fingers over the intricate hieroglyphs etched into its golden surface.
Jonathan's jaw dropped.
"It's solid gold!" he blurted, eyes wide. "How much do you think we could get for selling this?"
"Jonathan!" Evelyn snapped, clutching the book protectively to her chest. "This isn't for sale! This is history — sacred history!"
As the group was examining the book — after all, it's not every day you find a massive tome made of pure gold — Daniel saw something entirely different.
His system reacted to the book, drawing out a glowing orb of light that only he could see.
[Book of Amun-Ra: Recovery Complete]
[Reward: Sword of Death (Intermediate)]
[Powers: Can kill any being below god level with a single strike.]
[Limitations: Can only be used once. Throwing the sword won't work — it must be wielded in hand.]
For a moment, Daniel could only stare at the glowing text floating before his eyes.
'Damn... this thing's incredible,' he thought, lips curling into a faint smirk. 'But one-time use? What a pity.'
Still, even a single strike with something that could slay anything below god level was nothing short of terrifying. Imhotep, the Scorpion King, or even any resurrected horror this cursed land could throw at him — one blow and they'd crumble to dust.
Daniel exhaled slowly, trying to steady his racing thoughts. 'To kill anything below god level…' He shook his head in disbelief. 'It would've been perfect if it were permanent.'
A faint frown creased his face. 'Still, it's strange — a Sword of Death, coming from a book tied to the magic of death itself. Could they be connected somehow? Maybe the sword's power comes from the same energy that binds the Book of Amun-Ra...'
Before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, a familiar, impatient voice broke through.
"Dan! Give me the box — that is the key!" Evelyn's voice rang out, full of infectious scholarly excitement. She grabbed his arm, shaking it eagerly. Her eyes practically glowing with anticipation.
"Okay, okay, I'm getting dizzy! Don't shake me so much," Daniel grumbled, reaching into his coat. He pulled the key from his inventory and handed it to her.
Evelyn eagerly fitted the key into the lock and opened the Book of Amun-Ra.
"Well, Jonathan, you're coming with me. We're going to check another area," said Daniel, already planning his next move — he had one mummy to dig up.
Jonathan's face fell. "What? No way! Take that fat guy instead!"
Daniel gave him a sidelong glance, a half-smirk forming. "We're looking for gold. You still want me to take the fatty?"
Jonathan paused. His eyes darted to the walls, then back to Daniel. "…Let's go, Daniel! What are we waiting for?" he said quickly, his greed overcoming his laziness.
Daniel shook his head slightly, amused. "Thought so."
The two made their way down a sloping corridor.
Finally, they stepped into a vast chamber beneath the towering statue of Anubis — the resting place of Imhotep himself.
"Hmm, this should be the place," Daniel murmured, scanning the chamber as beams of sunlight bounced between ancient mirrors, scattering warm light across the walls. "Gotta hand it to them — the ancient Egyptians knew what they were doing."
Jonathan wiped the sweat off his brow. "Yeah, well, let's hope what they were doing doesn't involve trying to kill us."
Daniel didn't respond. His gaze traveled up toward the ceiling, his instincts prickling. Centuries-old dust shifted slightly above them — too deliberately. He crouched, picked up a small rock, and weighed it in his hand.
"Jonathan, you might want to step back," Daniel said evenly.
Jonathan frowned. "Why? What are you—"
Daniel threw the rock. It hit something hidden in the ceiling — a faint click echoed through the room. A split second later, a massive stone box dropped from above, slamming into the floor with a thunderous crash, sending dust and gravel flying.
"Bloody hell!" Jonathan stumbled backward, clutching his chest as his heart raced. "That thing nearly flattened us!"
Daniel didn't even flinch. He brushed a bit of dust off his coat and said calmly, "That's why I told you to step back."
Jonathan shot him a wide-eyed glare. "Maybe next time mention the part where death is falling from the ceiling!"
Daniel smirked. "Where's the fun in that?"
Jonathan just shook his head, muttering under his breath as Daniel stepped forward toward the sarcophagus.
He brushed some dust off the lid — and then stopped.
His eyes widened, color draining from his face.
"...Fucking hell," he muttered, staring at the sarcophagus in stunned disbelief.
Jonathan blinked. "What? What is it?" he asked, taking a cautious step forward.
Daniel didn't answer. He just kept staring.