——————Zheng Zha stood atop a massive stone pillar, surveying the distant desert. The pillar must have been at least ten meters high, likely a central support for some colossal palace or temple in ages past; yet, it stood firm after millennia, granting Zheng Zha a view spanning ten thousand meters.

Sand. Nothing but sand. He had been standing on that pillar for over two hours. Given his physical condition and endurance, enduring the sun for a while longer was no issue.

"Hey, just how long are you planning to stand up there? Hmph, you probably climbed up there deliberately just to avoid me, didn't you?" a disgruntled female voice called up from the base of the stone column.

Zheng Zha and Zhan Lan had been assigned to the same team, tasked with monitoring the vast desert stretches to the northwest. For better surveillance, he had scaled the colossal pillar with his bare hands—a feat that posed no real difficulty for him. Of course, Zhan Lan lacked the ability to climb, leaving her staring up at him in frustration.

Seeing Zheng Zha ignore her, Zhan Lan touched the small black cat nestled against her chest, then spoke again, chastising him loudly, "Hey! Don't think you can ignore me. You've been acting so strange. Ever since we entered this horror movie, you’ve been distant toward me. It was the same when we swam in the river; you could have easily held me from behind and swam together, so why didn't you? You know I was carrying the kitten."

Zheng Zha could only crouch down helplessly. He looked at Zhan Lan below. "It's not that I’m ignoring you. It’s just that we all have to face another Reincarnation Squad, and we’re already down two thousand points each. If we don't kill one of them first, we might all end up dead... Tell me, do you think I have the mood for saying, 'Hey, want to go on a date?' in a situation like this?" Zhan Lan looked at Zheng Zha intently. Because the sun was beating down from overhead, she couldn't make out his expression clearly, so she spoke with a shadow of sadness, "Please don't treat me like this... Don't do this to me. I'm not trying to start anything physical with you, though my heart does... But I have my limits. I absolutely will not destroy someone else's relationship or hurt another girl; that is my boundary. You don't need to act like you're dodging me. Truly... If it’s because of what happened with Zhang Jie—if you’re hesitant or conflicted about whether to trust me or him—then you can temporarily forget what I said last time. Can't you just treat me the way you used to? Like a friend?" Zheng Zha fell silent for a moment, then sighed, "Isn't this current arrangement fine? We are comrades. I can protect you, and you can support me. As long as there are no other entanglements... it's better for both of us, isn't it?" The two gradually quieted down, the atmosphere briefly growing awkward. Thus, one above and one below, they gazed at each other as the sun slowly sank, evening finally arriving.

"...The moment we opened that stone sarcophagus, a damp mummy shot right out. Absolutely true, a mummy thousands of years old, yet still completely saturated with moisture."

Jonathan spoke loudly to the group, recounting their exploration beneath the tomb. As he concluded his tale, Zheng Zha and the others exchanged silent glances. That moist mummy was none other than the undead high priest, Imhotep, though he had yet to be fully resurrected.

At night, everyone returned to the camp. After a simple meal, they gathered around to discuss their experiences of the day. O'Connell and his two companions recounted the scenes from deep within the tomb, while Zero Point and his group spoke calmly about the surrounding environment.

Once Zero Point’s group finished, O’Connell suddenly asked, "Are you planning to fight here? Such detailed environmental reconnaissance is something only an army would do... Brother, if there’s something you need to tell us, why not share it with us all? How about it?" Zheng Zha smiled and patted him, "This is our business. At the very least, we can’t drag you into it... Also, you’d best stay far away from those Americans..." O'Connell shrugged helplessly, "Today’s expedition wasn't lucky for that group of Americans either. It seems three of their guides were... dissolved."

"Dissolved?" Eve and Jonathan echoed in surprise.

"Yes, concentrated hydrochloric acid. They fell victim to an ancient trap."

Zheng Zha suddenly remarked with a smile, "There really are things like curses in this place, you know. I wonder if ghosts exist here too."

The three from O’Connell’s group fell silent for a moment. Eve suddenly declared loudly, "Come on, there are no such things as ghosts or curses in this world! I only believe what my eyes can see!" Zhang Jie leaned over and interjected, "We have personally witnessed real ghosts. Terrifying, truly terrifying... Many of our former team members were killed by those ghosts. If not for sheer luck, even we would have been killed, ha ha ha..." Zhan Lan quickly chastised him, "Zhang Jie, enough, don't talk nonsense... Eve, it’s fine, don't listen to him. Everything he just said was a joke... Zhang Jie, do you want your reward points deducted?" Zhang Jie laughed and shrugged. Zheng Zha was about to chime in with something when, suddenly, the faint sound of hooves drifted in from the distance—many hooves, as if nearly a hundred people were galloping toward them.

The expressions of everyone present shifted instantly. Zheng Zha stood up quickly, "Everyone grab your weapons... A fight is likely coming."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than over a dozen riders burst from behind the distant stone pillars. They were all clad in black robes. Several of the American hired guides at the front immediately fell as these black-clad knights began firing their weapons while charging toward everyone in the camp. Some even carried torches and started setting fire to the tents and supplies. Soon, dozens of knights had charged out from behind the pillars.

Zheng Zha reacted fastest. He pulled out his micro submachine gun and unleashed a steady burst. The leading group of black-clad knights dropped instantly. Then, Zhang Jie and Zero Point, standing beside him, also drew their submachine guns and pistols to attack. In a short time, nearly twenty black-clad knights were knocked from their mounts. The power of their weapons clearly surpassed the capabilities of this era's firearms; the black-clad figures couldn't get close enough. After dropping another dozen bodies, the black-clad knights were forced to retreat. Before long, the fiercely aggressive column of black riders had vanished entirely, leaving behind only dozens of corpses on the ground and a few injured horses.

The American hired guides gradually quieted down. They began cheering and thanking Zheng Zha’s group loudly. Even O’Connell and his two companions stared at the scene dumbfounded. Of course, the Americans who had just emerged from the tomb were unaware of what had transpired; they were still excitedly showing off their findings to those nearby—several ancient glass vials... and one thick, ancient black book!