Chapter 7 => Getting Close

Like a bowling ball, once I reached the end of the sloped paths I kept rolling forward for a considerable distance.

I ended it by abruptly killing my momentum and standing up with both arms spread out in a sort of T-pose.

The entire environment had changed drastically. It was hard to describe, but a faint glow came from above, enough lighting to reveal the long walls boxing me in on either side.

One may think, Oh? Some more walls. So what?

Well what if said walls were riddled with countless tiny holes, stretching for several hundreds of meters?

This could be nothing else but another trap. A very troublesome trap.

It wouldn’t make that much of a difference if it was poisoned. But having to waste any strength avoiding all of them would be inefficient.

So, I pulled down the brim of my fedora, crossed my arms as I hunched myself over…

And started running.

TWICK! TWICK! TWICK!

The shower of arrows rained upon me from both sides. Occasionally, one would be aimed at an exposed area of my body like my cheek, urging me to snatch it mid-air before tossing it away.

I pushed through this assault that would normally spell the end for many others with nothing but a plan as basic as: run like heck.

After being showered some more by a few hundred or so arrows, I’d at last gotten through the annoying trap.

I looked at my coat. Tiny stains dotted it here and there, probably from the poisoned tip of the arrows. None of them had penetrated the coat, though.

Dad was right. It really is tough.

Next, I inspected my hat…

Two arrows stuck out from the top of it.

I quickly pulled them out, and tossed them behind me.

Putting myself together, I advanced further into this mysterious tomb.

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While moving ever deeper through the seemingly harmless path, I started to observe some weird phenomena, like what clearly appeared as rays of sunlight intersecting each other up ahead.

Aesthetically, it was picturesque. But logically, it made no sense! Given that I was more than a few feet underground at this point. It was like the design of tomb was disregarding common sense.

Little did I know, that what awaited me next would far surpass the previous abnormalities.

Flowing water…

There were two huge gaps on either side of the passage way that seem to extend for miles. Water flowed in from the right and exited on the left.

To get across from the end I stood to the other would require me to cross a distance of two hundred meters eyeballing it.

Several circular rocks scattered throughout the stream of water, each of them around three feet in diameter.

As I neared the very edge of the solid ground, prying into the water, the true obstacle revealed itself.

Jaws rose out of the water. Jaws that were about to clamp down on my head.

Reflexively, I pulled back just in time to escape. The creature fell back into the water with a—

SPLASH!

What I had seen now was none other than a freaking Nile crocodile!

Once again, this tomb has made its uncanniness evident. Shouldn’t crocodiles be really scarce if not completely gone from northern Egypt for decades now?

I won’t get anywhere like this… I’ll have to play along with the whims of this place.

But a Nile crocodile. A creature with a bite force estimated at roughly twenty-two thousand Newtons, and a pressure of approximately five-thousand PSI.

Once locked between its jaws, it performs the famous “death roll” without losing its grip. And that’s my next opponent, huh?

As if to correct me, more ripples radiated through the waters, and several more crocodiles made themselves known.

⨷⨷⨷⨷⨷

“Groaw!!!”

“Graagh!!!”

The deadly jaws of the crocodiles rushed at me.

Hopping from one stone platform to another, I avoided these jaws—

SNAP!

—as these beasts tried to ensnare me.

They numbered ten, every one of them attempting to pull me into a watery demise.

“Ha!”

My foot connected with one of their sides. A firm kick that sent it skidding briefly over the surface the water. But soon after, it joined up with the others to attack me once more.

“A pincer attack?!”

Two crocodiles lunged at me from both sides!

I ducked, using one hand to hold on to my fedora, while the other I curled up into a tight fist.

No point conserving my strength, I guess.

Due to their lackluster team work, when the crocodiles had lunged at me they’d collided overhead. Their heads were up against one another.

Before gravity could pull them back down, I let loose a mean straight with my right fist, sending the two crocs up into the air, effectively putting them to sleep.

SPLASH!

It was like the other crocodiles picked up on my decision to take them a little more seriously. But I’d still rather not have to beat them up.

So I started running across the platforms to quickly reach the other end.

Another crocodile had predicted the next platform I’d land on, opening its maw as if to welcome me into its deadly embrace.

Unfortunately for it, I avoided its mouth and instead stepped on the croc’s snout, using it as a platform to launch myself forward to my intended destination.

The crocodile slid off where it had failed its assault back into the water, defeated.

A more tenacious member of the group furiously pursued me on the right. I smirked as I thought of a lovely way to deal with it.

I came to a sharp stop in my movements.

The crocodile not catching on was still mid-chase, slightly out of the water.

And once more than half of the length of its body had gone past me, I unleashed a kick far greater than the previous one. A kick that landed right in the middle.

Like a soccer ball, it shot across the water and out of sight. It wouldn’t be moving until after a long while.

I was nearing the end, when suddenly one sprung out of the water, right in front of me. By the skin of my teeth, I dodged jaws lined with several razor sharp canines.

My posture was awkward—

Thrown off balance. I caught my fedora that had separated from my head while teetering backwards toward the water.

The crocodile now changed its aim, ready to strike my unbalanced form.

Like hell I’d let you!

Collecting myself, I brought my right foot behind my left. Using the toe end of my shoe, I cut off the fall. Inertia said I would still fall, but I wasn’t going let it have its way.

Putting power into my thighs, calves and heels, I rocketed forward with my fist ready.

I was met with the crocodile mere seconds away from chomping down on me.

But—

“RAAAAAH!!!”

I buried my fist into its snout that caved under the force of my blow. I kind of felt bad for it even though I continued driving it deeper.

SPLASH!!!

A pillar of water shot up as the crocodile’s body was sent back into the water with a loud splash that eclipsed all the others until now.

With less than a meter to my goal, I fitted the fedora atop my head before gracefully leaping over to the other end.

Shaking off the droplets of water clinging to me, I started to walk forward—

HIIIIISSSS!

Without giving it much thought, I brought up my left hand to shield my face.

A bite.

Taking a good look at it, the creature clamping onto the back of my hand was an Egyptian cobra. And this one seemed to be on the larger side, at around six feet long.

Its fangs pricked the skin that was exposed, since the sleeves of the trench coat stopped at my wrists.

I sighed, grabbing the base of its head and prying it off

“Look, bub,” I said, jerking my thumb behind me, “I just wrapped up with your reptile buddies back there. Now, I respect animal rights, but don’t go infringing on mine.”

Balling up my fist, I added, “So I’ll give you a little punishment, and send you on your way.”

I’ve never seen a shocked snake before. If they could show that expression, it’ll probably look like the one currently shaking in my grasp.

With a light toss in the air, I gave it an uppercut interrupting its descent. It smacked into a nearby wall before slithering away.

Now, someone would wonder why I wasn’t fretting over its bite. This snake boasts of powerful neurotoxins and cytotoxins that block nerve signals from reaching muscles.

Well if my dad’s words had any credibility, in a passing conversation, he once said:

“Poisons, toxins—doesn’t matter. We Occultists are pretty much immune to all of them that exist under the heavens. HAHAHA! Can’t kick the bucket due to a little mystery goop, right?!”

Then he forcefully patted me on the back.

Sigh…

But seriously! Anyone else who ever gets bitten by one should seek medical help immediately! I would have considered looking up on the web for a makeshift treatment.

But… I left my phone in the car…

No matter.

I adjusted my coat as I continued on what I felt would be the final stretch of my quest…