Chapter 1280: The Guardian of the Underworld
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
On the north side of the pyramid, an irregular hole appeared at the bottom of the cracked outer wall. The hole was black and lacquered, and a pitted passage extended into the interior of the pyramid.
The smoke had yet to settle. Those wearing masks and protective glasses were soaked in sweat. They all felt a sense of satisfaction from their work.
Peter Lee was delighted and gave everyone a thumbs-up as appreciation for their hard work. His efforts and sacrifices had finally paid off.
This was virgin land that no one had set foot on for more than 2,000 years. It must be filled with a lot of pure cosmic energy. If he was able to absorb this energy, he would likely reach a higher level of living.
The bald scholar’s face was covered in gray dust. He looked like any construction worker who had just left work. He ran to the hole and carefully observed the smoke. Alas, he could not help but sigh.
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” asked Peter Lee.
He tried smelling the chemical reagents and used the palm of his hand to fan the air at the hole a few times. Frowning, he said, “This… It is reasonable to say that the pyramid has been closed for more than two thousand years, and the air inside should be musty. However, I cannot get much of that smell…”
“Oh?” Peter Lee was also stunned.
The members of the Society had worked hard for a day and night, and they had finally succeeded in breaking the wall. He was planning to let everyone rest for a while and let the air in the pyramid mix with the outside air before entering. He feared the dangers that a deficit in oxygen could bring. For this reason, he also carried a miniature blower and a small oxygen-filled canister.
The scholar pointed to the dispersing smoke. “As you can see, this smoke has a tendency to diffuse outwards. This means that the pyramid itself has flowing air.”
The people present were outstanding experts in their various fields. Everyone knew this was simple common sense—if the pyramid had only one external opening, it would neither produce air convection nor blow the smoke out.
In addition, the air in the pyramid did not seem all that toxic. The situation was different from what they’d expected.
“Is it true than that the seal of the pyramid is not tight?” someone guessed. “After all, this is the last pyramid of the last dynasty of ancient Egypt. It may have been completed in a hurry. Maybe there are problems with the construction quality at some locations, or damage caused by the earthquakes from the previous years. Maybe even cracks…”
“Maybe the German soldiers did something?” Other speculations were raised.
After they’d arrived last night, they had driven around the pyramid and seen the military vehicles buried in the yellow sand on the south side. However, they had not checked it out carefully. It had been nighttime, and the light had not been good. When they’d seen the outer wall on the south side intact, they had driven back to the north side and prepared explosives for blasting.
Was it what the Germans had done before they died, but they’d failed to discover it because they were in a hurry? These two possibilities could not be ruled out.
Peter Lee thought for a while before addressing the others. “Everyone has worked hard in the past few days. Now we have come to the last step. We have to work harder. Instead of guessing, why not follow me into the pyramid to see what is going on?”
Curiosity about what was inside overwhelmed everyone’s sense of tiredness. They threw down their digging tools and dusted off their hands, ready to enter.
It was definitely not possible for everyone to enter. There must be someone left outside to guard the vehicles and the unused explosives. Now, while they were currently under the shadows of the pyramid, they would soon face the sun for a long time. The remaining explosives that had been prepared but not used up must be disposed of as soon as possible.
This was supposed to be done while they waited for fresh air to enter the pyramid. However, their plans had now changed.
The so-called disposal, of course, was just not to bring them back to their vehicles. It was too dangerous and would jeopardize their desire to reach a higher state of life…
Everyone wanted to enter the pyramid and absorb cosmic energy. However, it was necessary to follow the plan. Peter Lee decided that the Consul and Colonel would stay outside to settle the explosives. Others would slowly replace them as they exited the pyramid.
The Consul and the Colonel nodded, despite being slightly unhappy with the arrangement.
The remaining five people each carried a flashlight, headlight, a small oxygen cylinder, a gas mask, and other items that may be useful for entering the pyramid. They lined up in order and entered the blasted hole.
Peter Lee walked in the front. His flashlight illuminated a white passage full of dust. Countless dust particles danced in front of the light.
The cool environment inside provided some relief from the scorching heat. By concentrating, it was possible to feel a slight breeze flowing through the entire structure. This proved that there may be small holes or gaps on the other side of the pyramid.
The floor of the passage appeared to be casually laid, with sharp corners scattered throughout. They tried to make it as walkable as possible by removing some of the loose stone. However, they did not did too much work. After all, they would only enter and exit at most two or three times, and it was not necessary to make it perfect.
Suddenly, the flashlight seemed to cast light on something shiny. It had a metallic luster, but what it was could not be seen clearly through the smoke.
Peter Lee held a flashlight in one hand, the other hand on his dagger. He made a gesture, telling everyone to be alert and to move forward carefully.
After they’d taken a few more steps through the blasted passage, a black stone statue appeared a few meters away.
Peter Lee heaved a sigh of relief while frowning, because the shape of this stone statue was a bit horrible. It had a human body and a snake head. It had more than one snake head, in fact. It was a three-headed cobra.
The three snake heads were carved vividly. They were glaring and screaming, as if indeed being aggressive toward a person.
The body of the stone statue was slightly longer than the average person, showing obvious feminine characteristics. It worse an off-shoulder robe covering a bulging chest. The arms, shoulders, and other visible parts were carved with snake scales.
Obviously, this was a deterrent left for tomb raiders when the pyramid was built.
The people behind him were also walking through the passage, and the five flashlights were concentrated on the stone statue. No one spoke. Everyone was silently observing the horror of this statue.
The Scholar walked forward and looked closely at the stone statue for a moment. He turned back and said, “You don’t have to worry. This is the guardian of the underworld in ancient Egyptian mythology, Meredith Segar. The Turin Museum also has a stone structure with her appearance engraved on it. It has the same three-headed snake, but this should be the first time she has been discovered in the form of a stone statue… Ah, priceless treasure…”
His explanation did not help much in comforting the rest. In any case, it proved that the ancient Egyptians had placed the stone statue here to guard against tomb robbers. It was indeed a shock to them, but it was now too late to withdraw.
Peter Lee made a gesture. “Be careful. Don’t touch this stone statue. Don’t get too close. Walk around it…”
Before he could finish, he suddenly saw something moving in the smoke behind the stone statue.
