As the soldiers cleared the way, the group ventured deep into the tomb. Qin Ming and the others were surprised to find that there weren't as many enemies as they had expected. Instead, they encountered a group of miners.
These miners had been brought in by the rebel forces from elsewhere and were commissioned to excavate the tomb.
Right now, the workers were toiling away enthusiastically, completely unaware that this new group of intruders—dressed completely differently from typical rebels—was not on their side.
As it turned out, the rebels' decision to mine the pyramids had been a rather wise one.
Because the tomb was stuffed with burial treasures! And not just a lot—but also extremely valuable!
Jewels embedded in the walls, metal artifacts in the rooms, and even ancient, priceless antiques.
At that moment, the miners were hauling all these valuables out. Carts overflowing with gemstones rolled through the corridors, glittering temptingly.
Although these miners were supposed to be loyal followers of the rebels, even the most loyal person had a limit to their resistance against temptation.
And this was exactly such a situation—faced with so much wealth, some had already started secretly pocketing treasures.
Disputes were breaking out—either because someone got caught stealing, or because the loot wasn't being split evenly. Fights were happening on the spot.
Walking among the crowd and looking at the walls and structures that had been crudely hacked apart, Qin Ming and the others frowned deeply.
Just as they were scanning the area, a sudden shriek rang out.
The next second, several miners came charging out of a tomb chamber, pushing a mine cart down the rails at high speed.
On top of the cart sat a solid gold mummy coffin.
"Look what I found! A Pharaoh's golden sarcophagus! Even if there aren't any burial items inside, just the coffin itself is worth a fortune!"
Hearing this shout, the surrounding miners lit up with excitement. One after another, they dropped what they were doing and gathered around.
As they examined the golden sarcophagus in amazement, some suggested opening it, while others argued that it should be delivered intact to the rebel command.
In the end, the majority ruled. Driven by overwhelming curiosity, they decided to open the coffin right there and then to see what was inside.
With a creeeeeak, the lid was slowly pushed open… revealing a very strange-looking mummy.
And strange it was—not only was the mummy entirely black, but it also wasn't dressed in the usual Pharaoh garb.
Most notably, aside from this body, the coffin contained absolutely nothing else—not a single burial artifact.
The miners stared, dumbfounded.
Before they could figure out what was going on, a breeze swept through the chamber, and the black mummy disintegrated into ashes!
Yes—it literally turned into ash!
The fine black dust swirled into the air. Some of it was inhaled by the miners; some of it seeped into the ground.
Seeing the black smoke drifting their way, Qin Ming and his team immediately took a synchronized step back.
As those with dark bloodlines, they could clearly sense the ominous aura radiating from the dark mist.
That smoke—it was infused with dark energy! It was a cursed substance—a filthy evil.
And just as Qin Ming and the others were pulling back from the cursed fumes, screams erupted from the miners who had gathered around the coffin.
Their skin began to shrivel, and their bodies rapidly dehydrated. In just seconds, they were twisted from living humans into mummified monstrosities.
And every one of those mutated creatures shared something in common—they had all secretly stashed tomb treasures on their bodies.
The Pharaoh's curse had begun to take effect!
What lay inside that golden coffin wasn't any treasure belonging to a Pharaoh—nor was the occupant a Pharaoh at all.
He was merely a decoy, a booby trap disguised as a Pharaoh to deter grave robbers!
Once someone opened the coffin, the curse would be triggered—everyone who had coveted the treasure would be turned into a mummy!
Seeing their fellow miners undergoing horrifying transformations, the uninfected ones nearby screamed in terror.
Before they could even retreat, the newly mutated mummy-miners suddenly lunged stiffly at them!
Though these mummy-miners moved slowly and their bodies were rigid, their strength was terrifying.
More importantly—they were poisonous! Extremely poisonous!
If someone were scratched or bitten, they'd be infected instantly… and turn into a new mummy!
[Name: Cursed Mummy]
[Strength: 25]
[Constitution: 25]
[Agility: 2]
[Spirit: 1]
[Skill: Mummy Toxin (B-rank)]
[Description: A virus-based creature accidentally discovered by ancient Egyptians, called "Tomb Guardians." Immune to conventional weapons but afraid of sunlight, they only appear within tombs.]
Watching the wave of mummies taking stiff, staggering steps toward him with arms outstretched, Qin Ming frowned.
He raised his hand to stop the soldiers from firing, then silently removed his sunglasses and tucked them away.
The next second, he suddenly brought both hands together at his waist, assuming a charging stance.
At the same time, a terrifying wave of energy surged from his body.
Heat shimmered like smoke around him—blood-red heatwaves rolling off his skin.
The force was so overwhelming that even the soldiers behind him had to take several steps back.
After charging for a few seconds and getting familiar with the new power within him, Qin Ming's lips curved upward. The next instant, he launched the swirling blood-red energy orb from his hands with a roar:
Murderous Intent—Wave Fist!
BOOM!
A violent shockwave burst out. Even before the energy orb reached the group of mummies, the impact ripped them to pieces on the spot.
Amid flying limbs and shreds of flesh, the blood-red orb zipped forward like lightning, covering nearly a hundred meters in an instant before slamming hard into a tomb wall.
CRACK—!
In the next moment, the entire stone wall exploded, leaving behind a massive crater carved into the stone—riddled with spiderweb-like fractures.
This was an S-rank skill—the ultimate secret technique of the Assassination Sect:
Murderous Intent – Wave of Killing!
After clearing the area with a single move, Qin Ming straightened up and couldn't help but exhale deeply. Feeling the raw, wild energy coursing through him, he nodded in satisfaction.
As expected of an S-rank ultimate skill—this Murderous Intent Wave is absolutely brutal!
Not only could it wildly amplify a chosen attribute in a short amount of time, but at its peak, it could even deal true damage-like effects!
As long as someone couldn't resist the invading wave of murderous intent, all of their defenses would become useless.
This was a force born solely for killing—an embodiment of pure bloodlust and the deepest self!
The more intense your killing intent, the stronger you became!
Blood Manipulation. Blood Buddha Body. And now—Murderous Intent Wave.
Qin Ming realized—he was really starting to look like a villain now!
(End of Chapter)