The moment they realised the snakes were about to surge forward, both Ye Chen and Lu Shixun reacted almost instinctively.

"Fire!" Ye Chen snapped.

Lu Shixun didn’t hesitate. He quickly pulled out the makeshift bottles they had prepared earlier. With simple mixtures, but enough to serve their purpose. Ye Chen took one, lit it with a lighter, and hurled it forward.

The bottle shattered on impact.

Flames burst across the ground, spreading rapidly in a rough line between them and the approaching mass of snakes.

The reaction was immediate.

The hissing intensified, but the snakes recoiled, their bodies writhing as they avoided the sudden heat and light. Some retreated into the holes along the walls, while others tangled together in confusion.

"Now!" Ye Chen said sharply.

They ran.

There was no hesitation, no looking back. The fire gave them only a brief window, and both of them knew it wouldn’t last long. The air grew hotter as they passed through the burning line, the smell of smoke mixing with the damp, suffocating scent of the tomb.

Ahead of them, a strange stone door came into view—its surface carved with patterns resembling hollow snake eyes.

"Open it!" Ye Chen urged.

Lu Shixun rushed forward, his hands moving quickly despite the pressure. Years of experience kicked in, allowing him to locate the mechanism almost immediately. He twisted, pushed, and pulled in one fluid motion.

The door shifted.

Just as the flames behind them began to weaken, and the sound of snakes slithering forward grew louder again—

The door opened.

They slipped inside without slowing down, then shoved it shut with all their strength.

*Thud.*

The sound echoed in the enclosed space.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then—

Hisssss...

The faint but unmistakable sound came from the other side of the door.

Both men leaned back against it, their bodies finally giving in to exhaustion.

Ye Chen let out a long breath, his chest rising and falling steadily. "That was close."

Lu Shixun nodded, still catching his breath. "Too close."

They stayed like that for a few seconds, letting their bodies calm down.

"This is the first time in my life I’ve seen that many snakes together," Ye Chen said, his voice carrying a trace of lingering tension.

Lu Shixun gave a weak laugh and patted his chest. "Same here. If they weren’t afraid of fire, we’d be done for."

Ye Chen straightened and looked ahead. "Shixun... are we in the final room?"

There was a faint excitement in his tone now, replacing the earlier tension.

Lu Shixun followed his gaze and finally observed their surroundings carefully.

The chamber was vast and quiet. The ceiling stretched high above, with green lamps lighting the darkness. In this chamber stood five sarcophagi—four arranged in all corners, with one at the centre.

"I’m not sure," Lu Shixun said honestly. "But I hope it is. I don’t think I can handle another trap like that."

The words had barely left his mouth—

*A low rumble spread through the chamber.*

Lu Shixun stiffened immediately.

Ye Chen clicked his tongue. "Crow mouth."

Before Lu Shixun could respond, the source of the sound became clear.

The four sarcophagi began to tremble.

At first, the movement was subtle, but within seconds, it grew more violent. The lids shook as if something inside was pushing upward with force.

Ye Chen’s expression hardened. He drew out his pistols in one smooth motion. "Shixun, stay behind me."

Lu Shixun glanced around out of habit, then realised there was nowhere to hide. He swallowed and quickly moved behind Ye Chen.

The trembling reached its peak.

Then—

*Boom!*

The lids of the four sarcophagi were blasted into the air.

They didn’t simply slide off—they were punched away.

Each lid shot upward before crashing down heavily onto the stone floor, the impact echoing through the chamber and sending a faint tremor under their feet.

Lu Shixun’s pupils shrank.

That kind of force... wasn’t normal.

From inside the sarcophagi, something began to emerge.

Rotten hands gripped the edges.

Then, slowly, four figures stood up.

Their bodies were decayed, their skin darkened and uneven, clinging tightly to bone in some places while hanging loose in others. Their movements were stiff, unnatural, as if each step required effort after centuries of stillness.

A cold presence filled the room.

It wasn’t loud or overwhelming, but it was heavy enough to make breathing feel slightly harder.

"What the hell is that..." Ye Chen muttered, his grip on the gun tightening slightly.

"Mummy!!!" Lu Shixun blurted out.

Ye Chen frowned and glanced at him. "Your mom?"

"...What?"

"Which one?" Ye Chen continued seriously. "Why is she buried here with them?"

Lu Shixun stared at him for a second before nearly losing it. "Brother Ye, not my mom! I mean mummies—the ones from pyramids!"

"...Oh." Ye Chen nodded. "The ones in movies?"

"Yes!"

"But don’t they usually have bandages?" Ye Chen asked.

Lu Shixun paused, then said uncertainly, "Maybe... the people who buried them forgot to buy?"

There was a brief silence.

Then, Lu Shixun snapped out of it, his face turning pale again. "Why are we even talking about this?! They’re coming!"

The four mummies had already started moving.

Their steps were slow, but each one carried weight. The ground seemed to respond faintly with every step, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

"Calm down," Ye Chen said, his tone steady. "They’re already dead. Let me send them back to their graves."

His eyes narrowed slightly as he observed their movements. He didn’t care how these dead things were alive. What mattered now was to deal with them.

’They are strong indeed, but also slow. Are they stiff, sleeping here for centuries?’

’Whatever.’

He raised his gun and fired.

*Bang!*

The bullet struck one of the mummies in the forehead.

A dent appeared, but it didn’t penetrate.

"Good defence..." Ye Chen murmured.

The reaction was immediate.

The four mummies let out rough, distorted growls and surged forward. One of them grabbed a fallen sarcophagus lid and hurled it toward them with frightening force.