DOTM: Chapter 315/316

Chapter 315: Everyone Is Waiting to See the Joke

Just as Evelyn was about to press for more details—was it a trick? Some kind of magic? Or perhaps a chemical reaction?

Before she could ask, the warden had already brought out the person they were looking for.

"Is that him?"

Ethan turned to ask Jonathan. Of course, he recognized the disheveled, messy-haired man in front of him as Rick O'Connell, their target, but he couldn't let it show. Sometimes he had to pretend to be clueless.

"That's him."

Jonathan had also recovered by now. Unlike the locals, he was a 'superior being' from a civilized country and wasn't as superstitious. When Evelyn mentioned magic and chemical reactions, he figured Ethan's display was likely just some sleight of hand.

Just as Ethan had said, "It was just a small trick, nothing to be surprised about."

Back to normal, Jonathan even stepped forward with a grin to greet O'Connell. "We meet again."

O'Connell looked a bit confused. A group of strangers had come looking for him. He figured they were probably after information about Hamunaptra, and he had prepared for that. What he didn't expect was that these people would be so influential—the warden had clearly been afraid of them.

His shackles had already been removed. After wearing handcuffs for so long, his wrists were sore. As O'Connell gently rubbed them, he kept scanning the group, trying to determine who was in charge.

As for Jonathan, who had stepped up cheerfully, O'Connell didn't bother with him. This guy was clearly a clown.

Also, he looked really familiar. Had they met before?

"We want to ask you a few questions."

Evelyn didn't care about anything else. Her mind was fully focused on Hamunaptra. Seeing O'Connell, who might know the location of the legendary city, she immediately stepped forward, eager to question him.

At this point, the warden said to Ethan, "The person you were looking for has been brought. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."

He was dying for Ethan's group to leave, but didn't dare say so directly, only keeping a respectful distance.

To his relief, Ethan didn't want to linger. After all, Cairo prison was far from comfortable. The conditions were terrible. Under normal circumstances, no one would want to stay long. So after confirming O'Connell's presence, he casually pulled Evelyn back, who kept trying to get closer, and pointed at Jonathan. "Keep an eye on him. That guy's tied to your gold."

Nothing mattered more to Jonathan than gold. The greedy thief declared he'd definitely watch O'Connell closely and wouldn't let him escape. With that, the group left the prison.

At this point, O'Connell had already determined that the young man who didn't look very old was the leader of this group.

As for the so-called gold? He could guess it referred to the legendary treasure buried in Hamunaptra.

After leaving Cairo prison, Ethan and the others found a relatively clean hotel and checked in. While they didn't have currency from this era, Ethan always carried hard currency like gold and stones during world travel—these could be used almost anywhere.

While arranging accommodations, O'Connell suggested getting new clothes and cleaning himself up. Ethan didn't worry about him running, but just in case, he had Logan accompany him.

In the original plot, Evelyn had saved O'Connell from the gallows, and he had repaid her by leading her to Hamunaptra.

But now, none of that had happened. Who knew if O'Connell would run off the first chance he got? But with Logan around, there'd be no opportunity.

After sorting out the rooms, Ethan ordered some local dishes and asked for them to be delivered.

When the table was full of local food, O'Connell and Logan returned. Seeing the cleaned-up man—handsome and full of presence—Evelyn's infatuation was triggered again. She stared at him, forgetting to blink.

"All right. Now tell me what you got me out of prison for."

O'Connell already had a general idea of why they were looking for him. He just wanted to confirm. He walked to the table, sat down, and started eating heartily.

His time in prison had been rough. He hadn't eaten or slept well. Now that he was out, the first thing he wanted to do was feed his stomach.

Ethan didn't mind O'Connell's bluntness and responded just as directly.

"Hamunaptra. I need you to take us there."

O'Connell stuffed a few large bites of food into his mouth, feeling much better. He poured himself a drink and swallowed before replying.

"How do you know I know where Hamunaptra is?"

Ethan glanced at Jonathan. The habitual thief didn't want to talk at first, but even Evelyn was glaring at him now, so he reluctantly began to 'explain.'

"Remember me? We drank together at a tavern. You got drunk and let a few things slip..."

O'Connell smiled and looked at Jonathan, his expression one of 'realization.' "Ah, so that's how it is..." Before he finished, he punched Jonathan hard in the face, knocking the smirking thief out cold.

Now he remembered. He had seen this guy in a tavern, and the man had stolen a small item he had brought back from Hamunaptra.

He looked at the rest of the group, realizing they had figured out he knew Hamunaptra's location because of this.

He didn't intend to deny it. In fact, he also wanted to return there.

But finding a legendary pyramid in the vast desert wasn't simple. Most importantly, you needed enough funding.

O'Connell had strength, experience, and he knew the way, but not the money. Without proper equipment, traveling through the desert was a death sentence.

But now, the money had seemingly come to him.

By all appearances, this group wasn't short on funds.

"I can take you to Hamunaptra."

Evelyn, hearing this, immediately dropped the unconscious Jonathan to the ground. The extra impact woke the unlucky guy up, but he was groggy and confused about what had just happened.

"You really know where Hamunaptra is?"

"Isn't that why you came to find me?"

"Swear it?"

Not only was Ethan speechless, but even O'Connell gave him a look, silently asking, Where did this idiot woman come from? You're seriously bringing someone like this into the desert to look for the legendary City of the Dead?

"Mr. Rick O'Connell, I will provide all the necessary funding. You'll be responsible for preparing the equipment and supplies. Until we reach Hamunaptra, you'll be our 'commander.'"

Traveling through the desert wasn't easy. Without an experienced guide, it was suicide.

O'Connell had desert survival experience and had even made it back to Cairo from Hamunaptra. In this regard, no one in the group was more qualified to lead.

He was very satisfied with Ethan's offer. As for the gold in Hamunaptra? He wasn't all that interested. Or rather, this was a man who enjoyed the thrill of adventure. He cared more about the journey and also wanted to understand what strange things he had seen there last time.

"Let's have a pleasant cooperation."

"Pleasant cooperation."

Evelyn stood to the side, dazed. She suddenly felt like an outsider. Wasn't she the one who started this expedition to find Hamunaptra?

Just then, Jonathan got up, rubbing his aching head. He still hadn't figured out what was going on.

"Enjoy this meal. You won't get anything this good once we enter the desert."

O'Connell offered sincere advice, though at the same time, he looked at the group with anticipation.

Look at them. A naive, bookish woman who had clearly never suffered. A thief who only knew how to steal. A rich young man who looked strong but pampered. A delicate, pale-skinned Asian woman.

Only the big guy—Logan—seemed capable. Maybe he was a bodyguard? But O'Connell doubted he really understood how brutal the desert could be.

He was really looking forward to seeing how this team would handle the various difficulties they were about to face in the desert.

"It's definitely going to be interesting."

Maybe when the time came, these rich people would pay him more just to get them out of that hellhole. Or maybe they would regret this journey altogether.

"I really don't know if these people can even make it to Hamunaptra."

O'Connell didn't have much confidence in Ethan's group. Ethan, who likely knew he was being underestimated, didn't bother to explain. In any case, once they entered the desert, he certainly wouldn't be the one suffering.

More likely, it would be the brother and sister next to him. Jonathan's thievery was more like a reflex, and Evelyn had clearly studied herself into a fog. Neither of them had been through anything real, so this trip was bound to be entertaining.

As for the exploration team that was also headed for Hamunaptra, Ethan didn't believe they would be able to beat him to the Book of the Dead—not with his interference.

And even if they did find it first, they wouldn't be able to hold on to it.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 316: Resurrecting Imhotep?

Ethan's team moved swiftly. From finding O'Connell to preparing supplies and setting out, it took less than a day in total. Even so, they ended up on the same starting line as the American group.

Both teams boarded the same ship. They would spend a considerable amount of time aboard before transferring to land and crossing the barren desert to reach Hamunaptra.

Though Ethan and the others kept an eye on him, Jonathan was still playing cards with the Americans, but he didn't reveal too much.

However, with Ada occasionally probing, they quickly figured out that the Americans had the same goal. They too had found a guide who knew the location of Hamunaptra.

"Shouldn't we do something?"

Ada found Ethan gazing at the scenery at the bow. According to her usual methods, when a group of competitors appeared, even if she didn't eliminate them, she would at least create some trouble to tire them out and ultimately win through attrition.

But Ethan had no such intention. Even if the others traveled with them, or even reached Hamunaptra first, it wouldn't change the outcome.

Ethan wanted the two legendary books, and he didn't mind using force to obtain them.

His strength was continuously increasing, and his current combat capabilities were beyond what ordinary people could resist. But most of the time, he chose deterrence over elimination. Only clear enemies were truly dealt with and removed.

This time, he didn't intend to eliminate the group of "archaeologists." The overwhelming gap in strength meant he could easily suppress them and take what he wanted.

What he was currently struggling with was the issue of Imhotep and the Egyptian gods.

Gods did exist in this world, but they couldn't directly descend into the human realm. They could only exert influence through priests or grant some power to their believers.

Those who obtained such divine powers possessed strength far beyond the average person. Among them, Imhotep, the powerful antagonist in the first Mummy movie, was exceptionally strong. Ethan wasn't certain how powerful Imhotep had been at his peak, or whether he could defeat him.

From another angle, Imhotep had mastered countless ancient Egyptian spells, or rather divine arts. His research into the soul was profound, especially the art of spirit summoning, which he could perform flawlessly.

And that was precisely the knowledge Ethan wanted. Compared to the content recorded in the Book of the Dead, learning this knowledge directly from a high priest was far more reliable, and could prevent the unpredictable side effects that came from misinterpreting spells.

This issue required careful consideration. As a fellow mage, Ethan understood how a single misunderstanding of a spell could lead to drastically different outcomes. He didn't want to end up causing a disaster for Tony while trying to fulfill his promise.

"So you're hesitating over whether to resurrect that powerful priest named Imhotep?"

Ada listened to Ethan's explanation and finally understood why he was standing there in the wind—because he hadn't decided what to do next.

"If Imhotep is resurrected, those explorers are dead for sure. Of course, I don't think their deaths would be a loss."

Ethan knew exactly what these so-called "archaeologists" were. He wouldn't feel any sympathy if they died. If he needed Imhotep to be resurrected, it was far better for these people to become the "sacrifices" than others.

"You think Imhotep will be difficult to handle?"

That was exactly what Ethan was struggling with. According to the plot, the priest's only obsession was resurrecting his lover, Anck-su-namun. Other than that, he had no ambition. Perhaps after resurrecting her, he'd go find a quiet place to live happily ever after.

"I'm not sure."

If he helped Imhotep resurrect Anck-su-namun, would the priest offer something in return? Maybe teach him spirit-summoning spells?

Going by his usual style, it would be better to make a mutually beneficial deal with Imhotep. As long as he didn't go insane and start trying to destroy the world, it wouldn't really matter.

The reason Ethan hadn't made up his mind was that Imhotep's resurrection would trigger a legendary disaster. Imhotep himself didn't care, of course, but it would impact countless innocent civilians. Ethan wasn't a saint, but even so, he felt that kind of move would be too irresponsible. That was the root of his hesitation.

"So that's it."

Ada had been quietly listening and now understood what Ethan was wrestling with.

Resurrecting Imhotep and making a deal with him was clearly in Ethan's best interest.

What kept him from doing it was the worry that Imhotep's resurrection would trigger a string of disasters, dragging countless innocent people into suffering—as if Ethan himself had created the chaos and thrown them into the abyss.

"Can you handle Imhotep's strength after his resurrection?"

As an outsider, Ada didn't need to think too deeply. In her mind, she only needed to compare Ethan's power to Imhotep's.

"I'm not sure. Maybe. Imhotep is a priest. The upper limit of his strength doesn't lie in his own magic power, but in how much support the god he serves gives him."

From this angle, being in Egypt gave Imhotep an advantage.

But among Ethan's strongest skills were spatial spells. He was fully capable of creating a sealed, independent space to cut off Imhotep's strongest support.

Ultimately, what would determine the outcome was their own strength or who had better external assistance. In that regard, Ethan had the edge, as he could use the Cosmic Cube in an emergency to restore his mana, while Imhotep might not even be able to communicate with his god in a sealed space.

"Then it's simple. If you're confident you can take him, just try to talk to him first. If that fails, take him out."

Simply put, the bigger fist wins.

As long as he was strong enough, Imhotep wouldn't be able to cause any real disaster under Ethan's watch. If there was no risk of disaster, then Ethan didn't need to feel conflicted. He could go ahead and let the resurrection happen.

"You're right. It really is that simple."

In the end, it was because Ethan's strength had improved so fast, even he didn't have an accurate understanding of it. If he knew the enemy was weaker than him, he wouldn't hesitate. But since he couldn't gauge Imhotep's full power, he thought too much.

"Besides, there's also the Book of Amun-Ra."

The resurrected Imhotep had one major weakness: the curse recorded in the Book of Amun-Ra was his absolute counter. Even if an ordinary person read it aloud, it could strip him of his magic and render him mortal. Once he lost his magic, Imhotep would be easy to deal with.

So as long as Ethan secured the Book of Amun-Ra in advance, he would be invincible.

Having thought it through, Ethan now understood exactly what he needed to do next.

First, throw all the Pharaoh's guards who had sneaked aboard into the river. If they destroyed the ship, they'd have to walk far more in the desert—which was not something Ethan wanted.

Even though their motives were right, they were still in Ethan's way. These guards were ruthless and saw no innocents. To them, anyone who dared covet Hamunaptra was a sinner deserving death.

Of course, from a certain point of view, they weren't exactly wrong.

Ethan casually pulled out a Beretta. Using this weapon against them was overkill. Ada also drew one, and the two quickly cleared out the enemies on the foredeck, each shot clean and precise.

Suddenly, Ethan remembered it wasn't just the men in black who had caused the ship's destruction during this scene. Evelyn and O'Connell had also "contributed." The two of them had started a fire during the fight, and in the chaos, no one had put it out. Though it was a small fire at first, the men in black kept setting more flames everywhere, causing the fire to grow until everyone had to jump into the river to escape.

Remembering this, Ethan rushed into the ship's cabin with Ada. At that moment, Evelyn ran out of her room, waving her hands and shouting for help when she saw Ethan.

Then she tripped on her nightgown and fell flat on her face.

Immediately afterward, O'Connell came rushing out and quickly warned Ethan and Ada, "Hurry up and get out of here!"

In his eyes, these two pale-skinned young people were just burdens in this chaotic fight, like Evelyn. But he still acted professionally and tried to buy time for others to escape.

What crushed his spirit was that Ethan ignored the warning, pointed at Evelyn, and after having Ada help her up, walked straight past him toward Evelyn's room—which was already on fire.

"Careful!"

There were still enemies inside. Walking in like that would get him shot full of holes. But the expected scene never happened.

Ethan stood at the door and gently waved his hand. The raging flames inside the room suddenly seemed to receive a command like a trained pet and obediently flew into his hand, forming a fireball that danced in his palm.

This magical scene stunned both O'Connell and the man in black who had been preparing to shoot.

(To be continued.)