"Nine!" Zheng Zha had already surged past two hundred meters, reaching the edge of the canyon. Then, with a mighty push off his feet, he launched upward like an arrow, clearing more than ten meters into the air. He landed on a boulder, stomped down hard again, and as the rock shattered and exploded beneath him, he sailed over the canyon rim. Only then did Imhotep and the dozens of figures behind him register looks of stark terror, but it was too late for any reaction. Everything they did seemed to unfold in slow motion to Zheng Zha, especially the few who were leveling their weapons at O’Connell and the others.

"Eight!" Zheng Zha slammed to a halt in front of the man supporting Evie—a tremendously powerful, dark-skinned giant. Judging by his attire and the weapon in his hand, he appeared to be the leader of the black-clad men. This man was just tightening his finger on the trigger of a handgun when Zheng Zha seized his gun-wielding arm and wrenched it with brutal force.

The entire arm twisted into a knot, as if made of mere paper, with effortless ease. The giant’s expression hadn't even shifted, the speed of the attack clearly too overwhelming. Zheng Zha yanked on the mangled arm, and as the giant was flung backward, Zheng Zha drove his foot squarely into the man's spine. A sickening crack echoed, and the giant was kicked out in a distorted 'Z' shape, flying far into the distance.

"Seven!" Zheng Zha’s next targets were the two black-clad men holding O’Connell and Jonathan hostage. They were positioned closest together and were the next in line, right behind the giant, ready to fire. Zheng Zha barely managed to reach them and knock up their weapons before the guns erupted. Had he been even an instant slower, O’Connell and Jonathan would have met instant death with shots to the head. Because of this near miss, Zheng Zha showed no mercy to these two. He swung his fists down with devastating force toward their heads, instantly pulverizing both skulls into dust. After all, they were not great trees capable of resisting the full impact of his blow.

"Six!" As the two headless bodies fell, a massive explosion suddenly roared from the center of the canyon, followed by a violent storm of ash and dust thrown up by the blast. Everyone involuntarily turned their attention there. A miniature mushroom cloud bloomed several thousand feet up in the central chasm, and the detonations within the canyon continued ceaselessly, filling the entire space with fire.

The man holding the big-bearded black agent captive had managed to subdue him on his own. During the moment Zheng Zha vanished into the canyon, the bearded agent had already prepared himself. As soon as the dark giant was sent flying,

The bearded agent suddenly crouched low, then sprang up violently, slamming the back of his head into the bridge of the man’s nose behind him. As he blasted that man away, he simultaneously spun around and kicked the man’s neck with tremendous force, knocking him instantly unconscious.

"Five!" Zheng Zha was technically no longer in the "Explosion" state, but he could vaguely feel the tearing pain of the penetrating wound in his chest. He didn't hesitate any longer. He drew the Zaku Electric Axe while simultaneously forcing a thread of internal energy desperately into his storage ring, then lunged toward Imhotep.

The reaction speed of the undead priest was truly lacking. However, this was perhaps understandable; he had been merely a priest in life. Even possessing potential beyond ordinary men and an undying body, he still lacked the fundamental qualities of a warrior. Thus, only several seconds later did he snap back to awareness, attempting to coalesce into a whirlwind. But before the rotation could fully take hold, Zheng Zha's storage ring slammed into him. That invisible force field instantly blasted him out of his spinning posture. Zheng Zha, moving even faster, was upon him the instant he flew out. The Zaku Electric Axe swung down with a heavy chop, cleaving Imhotep cleanly in two.

"Four!" Simultaneously, the remaining black-clad men finally recovered their senses and raised their firearms, seemingly intent on beginning a wide-area spray. Seeing this, Zheng Zha committed to an even more extreme action. He gripped the gravity rope of the Electric Axe and swept the axe head sideways. His strength was so immense that the axe not only easily cleaved through men, but the gravity rope itself sliced through bodies, bisecting them. After this single rotation, only the beautiful woman positioned toward the rear and a few black-clad men near her remained standing. Genuine terror finally flickered in their eyes.

"Three!" Zheng Zha swiftly deployed the Green Goblin Glider. He rapidly sped toward O’Connell and the others, either tossing them onto the board, tucking them under his arm, or lifting two with a single hand. With his free hand, he drew the Gatling gun. As he shot out on the Glider, he aimed the weapon at the undead priest Imhotep, who was currently attempting to regenerate on the ground.

"Two!" Zheng Zha disregarded everything else and squeezed the trigger of the Gatling gun. A tongue of flame nearly a meter wide erupted, spitting countless rounds into Imhotep on the ground, riddling the constantly reforming priest until he resembled a block of Swiss cheese, then tearing him into fragments. The Green Goblin Glider was already streaking outward along the jungle terrain, flying almost skimming the tops of the canopy, displaying the practical application of seven hundred kilometers per hour—a speed rivaling Zheng Zha's full sprint under the "Explosion" state. In the blink of an eye, they were far beyond where Imhotep and the others stood.

"Done!" Zheng Zha finally reverted from the "Explosion" state. He immediately spat out several large mouthfuls of blood, nearly tumbling off the Green Goblin Glider. Yet, balancing on one person, clutching another, and holding two more, he miraculously managed not to fall, maintaining control of the Glider as it flew forward. After flying for an indeterminate time, the damaged airship that had crashed at the forest edge finally appeared before them. Black figures were bustling about below. This was all Zheng Zha registered before his vision went black, and he passed out, unaware of how long he remained unconscious. Zheng Zha slowly awoke from his stupor. He felt as if his entire body was ablaze, burning hot and painful, his body threatening to tear apart. Especially his left chest, where it felt like countless ants were crawling and biting.

The discomfort was so profound he wanted to scream, but his throat was dry and aching. He could barely manage to keep his eyes open; moving even an inch caused agony.

When Zheng Zha managed to open his eyes, he saw O’Connell and the others rushing to give him fresh water. After drinking, he could clearly see he was lying on the deck of the airship, completely swathed in bandages, wrapped so tightly he resembled a mummy. What astonished him most was that the airship was currently airborne.

"Your glider is truly effective! We just had to tether it underneath the deck, securing it to the ship with wooden supports. Plus, the airship's gasbag still had a little residual gas, which was just enough to get us flying. And the speed is astonishingly fast, ha ha ha!" Issy exclaimed with a hearty laugh.

The airship's current velocity was indeed incredible, even surpassing the speed achieved using the ship's own rocket boosters. At this rate, they would reach the City of the Dead, Hamunaptra, by evening at the latest. Zheng Zha began to assess his physical condition.

Overusing the "Explosion" skill while already injured had pushed his body past its limit. Several major blood vessels had ruptured, and there were indications of dislocated bones. Furthermore, the muscles in his left chest had torn open again, causing a massive hemorrhage into his lungs that nearly suffocated him. Fortunately, his formidable life force had managed to keep him alive.

"Must be due to blood loss, then. A couple of days of rest, and then we head back to Hamunaptra to retrieve the Book of Thoth," Zheng Zha felt no dissatisfaction. The fact that everyone survived this ordeal was a blessing beyond measure. It seemed the power of the "Explosion" skill was truly terrifying. All he needed to do now was thoroughly master it; then, even facing his own Replicated self, he might stand a chance.

Because the airship was moving at such astonishing speed, the group arrived back at the City of the Dead, Hamunaptra, by dusk. Zheng Zha finally received professional medical treatment, rather than the rough and haphazard bandaging from O’Connell and the others. After having a medicinal paste applied to his wounds, they were bandaged up, and the penetrating injury in his left chest was stitched several times. Once everything was done, Zheng Zha finally fell into a deep sleep, remaining unconscious for nearly thirty hours.

He had to admit the terrifying regenerative power of his Vampire Count bloodline. Upon waking, Zheng Zha could move freely, as if he were an ordinary person, despite suffering injuries that were nearly fatal just two days prior. When he awoke, a gift awaited him: the thick, golden Book of Thoth was clutched tightly in Evie’s arms, while the surrounding workers cheered in disbelief.

"As expected, great rewards bring forth brave men,"

This was the bearded agent’s remark. Every worker had received ten times their usual wages, paid on the spot immediately upon excavating the Book of Thoth. This caused the workers to praise God fervently. Naturally, after accepting the Book of Thoth, Zheng Zha immediately headed to the altar unearthed from the tomb. He had to test whether the Replicated self's words held true; otherwise, all his efforts would have been for naught.

"Resurrecting members of the Main Team. Those possessing a corpse require the expenditure of one B-rank Side Story Scenario, with a reward of seven thousand points. Those without a corpse, or whose corpse was manufactured by the 'Main God' space, require the expenditure of one B-rank Side Story Scenario, with a reward of eight thousand points. The corpse will replicate the deceased member's state at the time of death." "Confirm Resurrection of Team Member?" Jump to