The four of them pushed out of the suffocating forest at last, stumbling into the open clearing that surrounded the Pyramid of Ahm Shere.
The golden structure loomed above them, glowing faintly in the pre-dawn darkness, its polished surface catching the first hints of rising light.
Daniel ran a hand through his hair, shaking out leaves, dirt, and whatever pygmy-related debris had decided to hitch a ride on him.
"Finally. This bullshit is almost over," he muttered, flicking a twig away with more annoyance than force.
The truth was, he hated fighting enemies this small. It wasn't fear—just pure, honest frustration.
They were hard to see, harder to hit, and somehow always fast enough to slip under his guard. Half the time he was swatting at shadows or getting blindsided by something barely up to his knee.
Give him a giant any day—big target, clear swings, straightforward. Giants roared, charged, and tried to crush you. These tiny things screeched, vanished into branches, and came at you from ten different angles like cursed mosquitoes with knives.
Daniel lifted his left hand automatically, intending to check his watch—only to realize it was long gone, ripped off somewhere in the chaos.
"Great. Of course,"
He switched to the old-fashioned method and tilted his head back, studying the sky. The horizon was beginning to tint a faint orange, the first sign of dawn pushing through the forest canopy.
"Judging by that glow… thirty minutes, give or take," he said. Then, louder: "Good thing we arrived early. Barely on time, but still counts."
No one argued—they were too exhausted, scratched up, and honestly just grateful to still be breathing after surviving the pygmies.
The group crossed the clearing and stepped into the entrance of the Pyramid of Ahm Shere. It was quiet inside, almost eerily so, the air still and heavy with ancient dust. They waited in silence, every minute stretching thin as the sky brightened outside.
Then the moment came.
Sunrise broke through the treeline, the first rays spearing across the clearing and striking the golden pyramid. Light rippled across the walls, and at that exact instant, the Bracelet of Anubis clamped around Evelyn's arm shuddered.
A sharp metallic click echoed through the chamber.
The bracelet slid off her wrist and hit the floor with a dull thud.
Evelyn released a shaky breath—one she'd been holding for days.
Relief washed across her face, raw and unmistakable. She had escaped the death sentence the artifact carried… by seconds.
Daniel gave her a small, reassuring nod. "Told you we'd make it."
He bent down and picked up the bracelet. This thing had almost killed his wife. If he hadn't pushed through the forest fast enough… if they'd been even a minute late… his beautiful wife would've died because of it.
Not happening. Not on his watch.
"Well, off you go," he said, voice low with finality. "Forever disappear from this world."
He tossed it into his inventory. The artifact vanished with a faint shimmer—no ceremony, no dramatic farewell. Just gone. Exactly what it deserved.
With that final condition fulfilled—the bracelet reaching the pyramid at sunrise—the prophecy sealed itself.
Which meant the Scorpion King…
was now waking up beneath their feet.
Daniel rolled his shoulders, letting the lingering tension slide off him. His eyes sharpened, turning cold and focused—the look he always got right before a hunt.
"Alright," he muttered, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Time for the fun part. Let's go collect that soul."
After all… this was the last recovery mission his system had listed.
Once he finished this, who knew what would show up next?
More retrievals… or something bigger?
***
The four of them entered the pyramid—well, Daniel insisted they should go in first, and the others followed because arguing at this point felt pointless. The air inside was cooler, echoing faintly with the shifting rumble beneath their feet.
As they walked deeper, Daniel mentally replayed the prophecy again, ticking off each requirement in his head.
There were three conditions for the Scorpion King's awakening.
First — the Bracelet of Anubis had to choose a host.
Evelyn had fulfilled that the moment it snapped onto her wrist and refused to let go.
Second — that host needed to reach the Golden Pyramid before the seventh sunrise.
And they had made it… barely, but "barely" still counted. Sunrise had hit, the bracelet had fallen, and Evy had escaped the death sentence that came with it.
Third — five thousand years had to pass since the Scorpion King's death, allowing someone to finally drag him out of his limbo for a final duel.
All three conditions were now complete.
Which meant Daniel could finally kill the guy and get this whole thing done.
The four of them stepped into the heart of the pyramid — a vast, echoing chamber whose towering walls were carved with scenes of the Scorpion King's brutal conquests. Torches guttered along the sides, their flames wavering with every distant tremor from below.
At the center stood the great bronze gong — the summoning bell.
One strike, and the warlord would rise to meet his challenger.
Daniel approached it with calm, measured steps, studying the ancient engravings as if he'd seen them a hundred times already. He didn't need a translation. He understood the message perfectly.
One bang.
One duel.
One king left standing.
Ardeth followed behind him, his footsteps slower, burdened with the knowledge of what this challenge meant.
"Daniel…" he began, his voice low, grave. "Are you absolutely certain you intend to challenge him? If you fail, the Scorpion King will be unleashed — and with the Army of Anubis behind him… the world will fall in a single day."
Daniel paused, looked back over his shoulder, and smirked — just enough to let Ardeth know he wasn't joking, not even a little.
"I know the stakes, Ardeth. Relax," he said. "I don't challenge things I can't handle."
He reached into his inventory. Crimson mist swirled at his fingertips before solidifying into cold metal — the Spear of Osiris.
The only weapon capable of killing the Scorpion King.
Jonathan, still catching his breath and very much not built for this kind of destiny, piped up from the back.
"Can't we just… leave?" he asked hopefully. "You know, let someone else do the whole 'ancient monster duel' thing?"
Daniel shook his head, not unkindly.
"No. It's something I have to do."
*****
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