I raised my fist, crackling with Fist Qi, toward the mummies before me.
Demonic Heavenly Art: Dragon Fist.
Demonic Heavenly Energy surged forward. The mummies touched by the energy lost parts of their bodies and collapsed to the ground. I stepped over the fallen mummies and headed toward the river.
Demonic Heavenly Art: Heavenly Demon Step.
Countless mummies reached out to grab me, but they couldn't catch me as I moved swiftly using the footwork. Even when they managed to grip my shoulder or body, they couldn't stop me. When I swung my fist with full force, the mummies flew away like lightweight styrofoam.
Still, there are too many of them.
I couldn't recklessly attack the mummies blocking my path. Even if I did, they would regenerate and rise again after a short time. In contrast, my mana was limited. Considering the upcoming battle with Anubis, I needed to conserve it.
My sense of presence detected something. I subtly turned my head to glance behind me.
A blazing fireball hurtled toward me.
Instead of striking me, the fireball crashed into the mummies directly in front of me.
Flames engulfed the mummies' bodies. The fire spread rapidly through the densely packed ranks, engulfing them in all directions.
This isn't ordinary fire! It's Kasha's flames!
The flames burned with such intensity that the mummies were swiftly reduced to charred husks, collapsing to the ground. Thanks to Kasha's support, I could now advance toward the river with greater ease. Of course, mummies continued to emerge from the river.
"Stop right there!"
A man was chasing me the Vice Leader, with his dirty beard.
I frowned. "Why are you following me?!"
I was heading toward a death trap. That's why Ahmad, who hated me, wasn't pursuing me. In Ahmad's eyes, I must have looked like I was going to commit suicide.
"I realized while tracking you you knew more about the Pyramid than anyone else! You could see through all its traps and monsters!"
"...So?"
The Vice Leader extended his left hand toward me. A metal chain shot out from his palm, snaking toward me. It must be a Skill or Unique Trait.
Demonic Heavenly Art: Heavenly Demon Step.
I moved with a fluid grace, dodging the iron chains that vanished without a trace the moment I evaded them. They reappeared instantly, extending from the Vice Leader's left hand.
"You opened the gate yourself and didn't even flinch when you saw tens of thousands of mummies rising from the river! You knew this was coming! You lured us here to use us as bait to scatter the mummies!"
I knew the Vice Leader was no fool, but that made his actions even more baffling.
"You're not planning to die with me, are you? Do you really want me dead that badly?"
"Yes! I want you dead! I'll kill you and take whatever you're after! You're not just going to die you're risking your life for something immense. No, not just something power, perhaps!"
The Vice Leader laughed.
I shook my head at his greed-filled smile.
"Do as you please, you fool."
I'd thought he was smarter than this, but I was clearly mistaken. The Vice Leader was blinded by greed.
"Don't bother me," I warned, dodging his iron chains. I wasn't going to kill him because fighting him would be a waste of time.
I headed toward the part of the river free of poisonous mummies.
Splash, splash!
I waded into the black river, my feet sinking into the murky water.
"In the river?! You're in the river?! I'll kill you and take it for myself!"
A chain flew from behind, wrapping around my left wrist with a clang. I couldn't dodge it because my feet tangled with a mummy rising from below.
The Vice Leader yanked on the chain.
I don't have time to untangle or cut it.
Instead, I pulled on the chain and plunged into the river.
"E-eh? E-eeh?!"
The Vice Leader panicked and was dragged along. This confirmed my suspicions: I was stronger than him. My Strength stat was clearly higher. Moreover, I possessed the Heavenly Demon Physique (A).
"Damn it! You think I'll let go?!"
The Vice Leader refused to release the chain. Instead, he gripped it tighter and charged toward me.
I sank into the black river water. I didn't suffocate; I could breathe. The Water's Blessing was working perfectly.
This feels disgusting. The water's clearly liquid, yet it clings to my body like mud.
The black river was pitch-dark, but a short distance away, something glowed with a golden light.
I swam toward the golden light. The deeper I went, the worse I felt, as the river itself seemed to possess an evil Qi.
It's not poisonous, so I can endure it.
According to information from the original work, staying submerged for too long or drinking the water shouldn't cause any major problems.
Something brushed past me. I recognized it as a chain. It seemed chains could be thrown with either hand, not just the left.
The chain wrapped around the golden light, which was now rapidly approaching. As the light drew closer, its form became clearer.
It was a coffin.
A coffin carved from stone radiated golden light.
I'll grab it!
I reached out with my right hand toward the coffin, but the chain coiled around my left arm yanked me sideways. My right hand missed the coffin.
...Damn it.
The chain on my left arm vanished. The golden coffin drifted further away. I frowned and swam after it, desperate to catch up.
Splash!
When I emerged from the river, the Vice Leader was already opening the coffin. The stone sarcophagus, now out of the water, no longer radiated its golden light.
I strode toward him, my footsteps echoing through the air.
The Vice Leader pulled out the mummy from the coffin. It wore a golden mask.
As he tore the mask from the mummy's head, the corners of his mouth split into a grotesque grin.
"Hahahaha! An SSS-Rank treasure! Who would have thought I'd possess such a treasure?!"
"Give it up and hand it over. You can't handle it anyway. Don't do something you'll regret. Just give it to me."
"Regret?! It's already in my hands! It's mine! You're the one who'll regret this, not me!"
The Vice Leader placed the Golden Mask on his head.
I kicked away a charging mummy and strode toward him.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
The Vice Leader laughed, reveling in his newfound power.
But his laughter quickly turned into a scream.
"Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"
The Vice Leader flailed his arms, trying to remove the Golden Mask. But it wouldn't budge. His body began to wither, all moisture vanishing as if drained away.
And so, the Vice Leader died.
"I told you to give up."
I removed the Golden Mask and held it in my hand. The surrounding mummies didn't attack me.
Tutankhamun's Golden Mask
While wearing this mask, you are immune to all curses.
You become undead.
Mana increases by 50.
You can control undead based on your mana level. However, mummies can be controlled regardless of your mana.
Destroys the wearer's mind. If your mind remains intact, you can become the true master. But if your mind is destroyed, you will degenerate into a mummy.
Rank: SSS
The Vice Leader's death was simple: his mind was destroyed, just as the information had warned.
Blinded by greed, the Vice Leader overestimated himself. While strong mental strength could withstand the Golden Mask's mind-destroying effect, such mental fortitude is rare.
Humans can't endure it. Not without at least an S-Rank Mental Defense Trait, Skill, or Item.
In the original work, Kang Myungjin possessed a Mental Defense item, allowing him to use the Golden Mask.
I have the Mental Resistance Trait obtained through the Pleasure World App.
Mental Resistance Lv. 5
I'm not sure exactly what level this is, but I'm certain it's at least SS-Rank.
The Golden Mask awaits.
Divine Throne, Golden Mask.
Tutankhamun.
The true master of this Golden Mask was anticipating my downfall.
And Anubis is also waiting for my destruction.
The King of the Demonic Heavens and the Lord of the Heavens remained silent. They knew my mental strength couldn't be broken here. Their lack of reaction only reinforced my conviction.
Raising the Golden Mask high above my head, I declared to the swarming mummies around me:
"I... will become the Lich King!"
I donned the Golden Mask.
Death brushed past me.
It tried to devour me, but couldn't approach.
The Golden Mask is astonished.
Unbelievable...?! A mere human has withstood thousands of deaths?!
The Golden Mask's original master was stunned.
I raised my right hand. Every mummy in the chamber bowed before me.
The mummies that had been attacking Kasha, Ahmad, and the bandits, as well as those continuously emerging from the black river, all prostrated themselves without exception.
Control of the mummies now belonged to me, not Anubis.
My heart isn't beating.
As the Golden Mask's effects dictated, I had become one of the dead.
You are dead, yet you live.
"Living yet dead."
"An unbelievable feat."
"You have been granted the title 'Undying One'."
"All stats increased by 2."
I gazed up at Anubis atop the pyramid, then pointed my right index finger at him.
"Kill him!"
The seventy thousand mummy army surged toward Anubis.
"The Cycle of Life and Death activates its power."
"The power of the Cycle of Life and Death (Pseudo) intensifies."
Anubis's body grew even larger, now towering over six meters tall.
He slammed his staff, which had grown proportionally, into the ground.
Purple flames erupted around the pyramid, incinerating the mummies.
"...The mummies aren't regenerating. This isn't ordinary fire."
This time, Anubis aimed his staff at me.
The Cycle of Life and Death (Pseudo) curses you with decay.
The curse has no effect on you.
This was the effect of the Golden Mask. While wearing it, no curse could affect me unless the Divine Throne itself manifested to cast one.
The Cycle of Life and Death uses its power.
The Cycle of Life and Death (Pseudo)'s power intensifies.
Anubis's body grew even larger.
I frowned. Anubis had already surpassed 10 meters in height.
Realizing the curse was ineffective, Anubis moved directly. Each time his massive foot struck the Pyramid, the structure cracked and crumbled.
The Cycle of Life and Death uses its power.
The Cycle of Life and Death (Pseudo)'s power intensifies.
12 meters.
The four-story building loomed closer, its flames extinguished. Mummies swarmed the colossal Anubis, but they scattered like autumn leaves as he swung his staff.
Not even for a second could the mummies impede Anubis's advance. I was terrified. In the original work, Anubis was defeated by the mummies, but the Anubis before me continued to grow larger.
"What the hell is that?! This is cheating! System, what are you doing?! Hey?!"
Intervening.
The Cycle of Life and Death is consuming vast amounts of Primordial Power.
Warning the Cycle of Life and Death again.
Sanctioning the Cycle of Life and Death.
"Damn it."
My face beneath the mask began to rot.
Primordial Power.
The very essence that allows a god to exist as a god their very being.
Using Primordial Power meant the Cycle of Life and Death was fully committed to killing me.
"The System was working properly."
The System had been blocking the Manifest Realm of the Cycle of Life and Death, which was fueled by Primordial Power. If that thing had manifested, I would already be dead.
I snapped my head up. Only a Divine Throne can oppose another Divine Throne.
"Lord of the Heavens! Grant me your aid!"
The Lord of the Heavens casts a disinterested glance.
I realized the Lord of the Heavens didn't even perceive this as a crisis.
I can guess why. To Zeus, the Cycle of Life and Death is no different from a stray dog.
Zeus was completely disregarding the Cycle of Life and Death, a Divine Throne. He clearly believed I should handle this trivial matter myself.
I switched my target.
"King of the Demonic Heavens!"
The King of the Demonic Heavens is looking at you.
"I overcame your fucking bullshit trial! You know the reward for that trial was ridiculously stingy, right? Compensate me right now! The mental trauma I suffered back then... I demand compensation for it now!"
The King of the Demonic Heavens has sponsored 1,000 AP.
"The trial reward is already settled. I paid you fairly according to the System."
Thump! Thump! Thump!
It was getting closer. Anubis had already grown to a colossal 20 meters tall.
"Fuck! Help me before I ditch this Demonic Heavenly High bullshit!"
I had two Status Windows:
Thunderclap Slayer and Heavenly Demon.
Choosing which Status Window to activate was entirely up to me. I could abandon the Heavenly Demon path completely and live as the Thunderclap Slayer. If I did that, the King of the Demonic Heavens would be finished.
"Lord of the Heavens! I'm ready to abandon the Demonic Heavens and follow only you, Master!"
The Lord of the Heavens shows interest.
The King of the Demonic Heavens' eyes widen.
"Fuck! I'm giving you three seconds! If you don't help me within exactly three seconds, even if I survive this, I'm done with the Heavenly Demon path!"
The King of the Demonic Heavens leaps to his feet.
The King of the Demonic Heavens urgently summons the System.
The System is busy.
The King of the Demonic Heavens makes an offer to the System!
The King of the Demonic Heavens makes an offer to the System!
The King of the Demonic Heavens makes an offer to the System!