Chapter 197: Magical Beasts and Tomb Raiders
Part 2: Magical Beasts and Tomb Raiders
Jack, the Tomb Raider, flashed a mischievous grin that could rival the sharpness of his front teeth, seemingly confident in his knowledge of Azidahaka’s identity.
“Gee whiz! This is exactly why I can’t leave this city, Cairo. Seriously, you wouldn’t believe the things that happen here! A beast you only hear about in legends, right here in this city? I want to get a paw print or something for my collection!”
“My identity…”
Azidahaka instinctively twitched at the mention of paw prints, stroking the palm of her hand while revealing her sharp canines with a low growl.
“So, Azidahaka has lost her cool and is letting out some secrets, huh?”
Normally, she wouldn’t advertise her abilities in front of others, but right now, her nerves were as jangled as a porcupine on caffeine.
“I guess the only option is to eliminate all the witnesses.”
“Whoa, whoa! Wait a second! Let’s hear the whole story, shall we?”
Jack’s reaction to the fiery dragon’s threatening demeanor was priceless; his eyes bulged out like he’d just seen a ghost. He started pointing at the other unfortunate souls in the den of thieves.
“See that guy over there? That’s the runaway Whitehead. He’s hiding behind a black robe, trying to look human, but he’s a gryphon. A mid-tier felon that managed to flee from his gryphon gang! And that dude over there, he’s Damas—formerly a Gold Grade hunter from the human kingdom—a real nutjob who attacks anything that moves, regardless of gender, and he’s currently a wanted man for being a total weirdo. And then there’s that…”
“Uh, what are you explaining?”
Azidahaka cut Jack off mid-sentence, prompting him to shrug and reply nonchalantly.
“Eh, it’s not like you’re the only one here who’s unwelcome in this city. Nobody’s gonna rat on you!”
Listening to Jack’s explanation, I inadvertently opened my mouth—a rare occurrence nowadays.
“So, what do you want to bring us here for?”
“Listen, buddy, I already said it! I’m a tomb raider! What else do you think I do besides raiding tombs? I’m talking about the Second Pyramid here!”
“Right, I remember now.”
“If we team up, we could reach some truly insane places! We could breach secrets previously thought impossible to enter!”
Jack was practically bouncing up and down like a kid who just won the lottery. His over-the-top excitement was so loud it turned the heads of even those who were previously indifferent to him.
I kept a close eye on his antics while my mind raced with thoughts.
“The pyramid—well, I was going there anyway.”
According to the snow cat Nebah, that rascal Satan had headed toward the pyramid. She didn’t know which of the three enormous pyramids he went to, but given the circumstances, it was highly likely that he was off to the newly opened Second Pyramid.
While I was lost in thoughts and worries, Jack, filled with jubilation, suddenly growled like an enraged beast.
“I’ve figured out the secret of the pyramid! I opened the door to the Second Pyramid! I won’t let anyone else take the lead now!”
“You opened the door to the pyramid?”
Azidahaka, who had been maintaining a prickly attitude, suddenly relaxed and fired back with a question.
“Yeah, I did.”
“That’s absurd! The mystery of King Ojimann Dias is famously unsolvable…”
“Everyone thought the same! But I solved the mystery and opened the door to the new pyramid! That’s how I was able to step foot in the forgotten tomb before everyone else! Oh, but what awaited me inside were only monstrous ancient creatures and traps that threatened despair!”
His jet-black eyes sparkled as if they were lit by fireworks.
Tomb Raider Jack still remembers that fateful day—the day when he operated the hidden door under the light of two rising moons.
A mystery untapped for thousands, no, even ten thousand years—his heart raced at the thought of the ancient king’s treasure that rested somewhere in this desert.
“Destiny is definitely on my side!”
For a tomb raider, exploring an untouched underground relic or grave holds great significance. It symbolizes the right to feast on pure chunks of meat, not just scraps left over by others—the ultimate privilege.
He dreamt of the treasures and achievements that would soon be his, picturing the bounty he would secure before anyone else.
Unfortunately, that dream shattered when he confronted the beasts and traps lurking in that tomb.
“Our party had no choice but to flee. We tried to regroup and prepare for another attempt, but the shock was too great, and all my companions quit. Ever since the rumor got out that I opened the door, everyone has been scrambling to plunder the tomb! And that was over a month ago.”
Yet, Jack still felt a glimmer of hope. He possessed a secret path that only he knew—the map to the Second Pyramid. Everything mapped out, just for him.
Of course, knowing the path and navigating through it were two very different battles.
“I need strong allies. Allies who won’t flinch at the sight of danger and can wield their power freely.”
In this regard, discovering the White Beast felt like pure fate. After ten years of being a tomb raider, Jack saw this White Beast as a treasure in the rough.
“This guy is certainly a strong beast. Sure, he’s a bit bumbling in wanting to sell Desertlings, but he’s stronger than any beast I’ve encountered!”
And hilariously enough, the beast’s party was strong enough to split the desert in half—he likely wouldn’t get another chance to find an ally this powerful in his lifetime.
So, Jack put his thinking cap on, going to such extremes to persuade them that one might think his head would burst from all the effort.
“Listen up! I have the map to the Second Pyramid! It’s an ancient treasure map that only I can read!”
Azidahaka and I rented a room in the shabby little inn that Jack introduced us to. It looked like it could collapse any minute, but on the inside, it was surprisingly neat—good enough for a one-night stay.
“Here, we’re not likely to get discovered. Plus, the breakfast is delicious! Tomorrow at the peak of the sun—so gather in front of the central spire by horse time. I’ll take care of the supplies and preparations; all you need to do is show up!”
With that, Jack waved goodbye and vanished.
“So, what do you think?”
I flopped back on the bed, counting the wooden patterns on the ceiling. Azidahaka began to take off her jewelry, piece by piece, before casually responding.
“Well, there’s a sleazy, vulgar edge to him, but he doesn’t seem to be a malicious beast. He doesn’t strike me as a liar either. It seems he’s not just an ordinary beast, seeing as he managed to open the entrance to the pyramid.”
“Yingyi!”
My little buddy Yingyi, lying next to me, wriggled as if agreeing with Azidahaka’s assessment.
“I did accept his proposal, but it was such a hasty offer that now I’m second-guessing whether that was a good choice.”
“We really don’t have many options with our lack of information. Plus, now that we know Satan has gone to the pyramid, we might need to head there first to take the initiative. Meeting someone who has the map is actually a welcome turn for us.”
“Yeah, that makes sense.”
“Moving quickly is definitely the way to go. I spotted the Golden Mercenary Group to the east of the city earlier.”
Azidahaka removed her jewelry and took off her hood, perching on the edge of my bed as she continued her tale.
“The kingdom—the pursuit squad sent by King Solomon is closing in. With gryphons, Satan, and humans involved, we have a lot to be anxious about, so we need to wrap things up as quickly as possible.”
“Golden Mercenary Group… What exactly do they do again?”
When I asked, Azidahaka clicked her tongue disdainfully.
“Very detestable folks. They were the ones who captured me in the first place, all decked out in gold armor. They will stop at nothing to achieve their goals—money-hungry sc*m!”
“Oh, right. So, those guys made it all the way to Cairo, huh?”
It’s clear they’ve been sent here looking for me and Azidahaka. The fact that we hadn’t yet been caught was quite impressive.
“Adam and Solomon are no fools. They probably have a hunch that we’re after the pyramid. To prevent any clashes from breaking out inside, it’s best we trust Jack and his map of the secret path.”
“Alright! That means it’s time to move quickly starting tomorrow. I should enjoy good food and get some sleep!”
Yawn.
After letting out a tremendous yawn, I lay back. It was the first day in the city, and after everything I’d dealt with, my mental state was quite weary.
“Raiding a pyramid, huh.”
An inkling of excitement coursed through me at the notion of embarking on a ‘true adventure’—I mean, I’d watched countless documentaries about the Seven Wonders of the World, so naturally, the thrill simmered beneath the surface.
The thought of actually jumping into a scene similar to one of those documentaries filled me with anticipation.
“Will there be a mummy in there?”
As I chuckled to myself, Azidahaka attempted to lie down beside me but gave my side a sharp pinch instead.
“Ow! What was that for?!”
Let’s just say, being pinched by a mythical creature felt like having flesh ripped away. Luckily, my thick skin saved me from a gaping hole in my side.
“Why the sudden pinch? I was trying to sleep!”
Azidahaka growled back at me.
“The female scent radiating from you is so overpowering it’s making my nose crinkle. You should sleep on the floor!”
“Female scent?”
I sniffed my own body, and indeed, just like Azidahaka said, an intoxicatingly sweet aroma wafted from me—like a ripe peach.
I wasn’t sure if it was the scent from Roxy, who had marked me, or if it was the smell of Nebah, but Azidahaka seemed to disapprove.
“Could it be jealousy?”
I got up from the bed and started walking off somewhere.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Going? Nowhere! I just happen to have something good that I brought back.”
Scrummaging through my leather bag resting atop a small table, I pulled out a transparent glass vial containing a purple liquid. Roxy, the owner of the underground shop “Meow Meow,” had hinted that with this stuff, even the most prim and proper lady could transform into a wildcat in no time.
I had already experienced its effects with the innocent Nebah.
“What’s that?!”
“You’ll find out soon enough!”
“Don’t touch it…!”
Azidahaka tried to lash out at me with her tail, frustration and embarrassment mingled in the intensity of her assault.
Was she seriously trying to k*ll me? I easily swatted it away with my front paw before leaping onto her back.
“Let’s take a gander at that back, shall we?”
“Eep! C-cold!? What do you think you’re doing?! Nooo!”
*
The next day.
As promised by Jack, the breakfast served at the inn’s ground floor restaurant was incredibly delicious!
“I heard quite the ruckus last night. Seems you two were having the time of your lives, huh? Hehe. My husband and I had our fair share of glory days too.”
A short, stout middle-aged woman who resembled a stone dwarf giggled behind her hand, partially covering her mouth.
I shrugged nonchalantly at the innkeeper’s comments while glancing down at my ragged fur, which bore visible patches here and there.
“This stuff works too well, honestly; I ended up going feral with its terrifying effects…”
As I shuddered at memories of last night, Azidahaka extended a sausage from her plate toward me.
“Just so you know, everything I said last night was an act.”
“Yeah, figured.”
At my indifferent response, Azidahaka nervously flicked her tail beneath her robe.
“Everything about enjoying a good backside was just pretense. That was a lie.”
“Sure, I bet.”
“Even when I asked you to lick my feet, that was all just for the role. I needed to replenish my magic before the big mission.”
“Right, got it. You were just pretending to shred all my fur too.”
“Ahem…”
Clearing her throat, Azidahaka extended another sausage in my direction.
[Author’s Note] If you enjoyed reading this, please hit the recommend button at the top of the mobile screen! Just two seconds of effort can brighten an author’s day! Thank you to everyone who left comments and coupons!
