Mummy Evolution-Chapter 45: Zainah in trouble

Zainah… had vanished?

From his arms?

Sett turned back to look behind him.

There, Zainah floated in the air—as if being held up by something tall and invisible.

Sett and Zarah became nervous immediately.

And for the first time in this battle, Sett completely—and truly—lost his composure.

"Don’t do anything rash," he said to the invisible person, a wary warning in his tone. "We can still talk about this."

A few tense seconds passed between them, Zainah trying desperately to leave the invisible hold.

"Talk?"

The voice came from behind Sett, followed by a wisp of smoke twisting into the form of a young man. His eyes were like dead stars—cold, indifferent. Leaning against the alley wall, he exuded an eerie stillness.

Sett raised his arms, even more on alert.

Fuck.

"Yes, I want to have a talk."

Shining White jeered in condescension. "The last person who you had a talk with is dead. Silver, kill that girl."

Shining Silver nodded.

A strangled sound escaped Zainah as Shining Silver’s grip tightened around her throat.

But before he continued, he hesitated.

This woman was so beautiful.

Why was he harming her?

Silver, the invisible man, looked at Zainah, suddenly feeling conflicted.

I should try to help her, he thought.

Zainah’s face warped with effort, and Sett growled in anger. But he couldn’t move, not yet.

Zainah struggled, her body twisting in his grasp. Sett clenched his jaw, fury burning beneath his skin—but he didn’t move. Not yet. Shining White was too close, waiting for him to take the bait.

Silver became even more conflicted.

The one at fault was not this girl anyway, it was that pale young man.

He was the one who killed Lord Burrhen, not this girl.

As far as Silver knew, at least.

Why should I listen to what Shining White, that arrogant guy, says anyway? Let’s help her. Lord Burrhen is no longer alive, it’s not worth fighting for a dead man.

Killing this beautiful a girl was too big of a waste.

She seems so pitiful. So beautiful.

Will she see me?

If I let her go, help her,

Silver stood rooted to his spot.

As a person who was born invisible, his life had been a long journey of non-existence.

Other people never noticed him unless he was needed immediately.

They will never ask for him to join them in dinners.

Not when they were going for a drink.

He was invisible.

He was silent.

He was unnecessary if he was not needed for something.

Will this girl see me…

Even if I am invisible?

Silver almost subconsciously let go of Zainah but before he did that, he noticed Shining White’s immensely cold eyes.

Indeed, he had remembered how Shining White did things.

This man might even kill Shining Silver for disobedience.

And Silver was, truly, incapable of fighting against White.

He was terrified of Shining White.

No, he will kill me.

How can he—someone with the simple ability to remain invisible—fight against Shining White, who had such a battle oriented Axiom?

Not to mention that Silver was just a Tier 2 "LOW" Tomb Raider.

Whereas, Shining White was a monster at the Tier 2 "HIGH" level.

With an Axiom, to boot.

As Silver became overwhelmed by the fear and the consequences of aiding Zainah, her ability, Game of Benefits, failed to take hold of him.

With tears falling from invisible eyes, he hoisted Zainah’s tender body higher into the air.

He was a big, tall man, even though he was invisible, silent, and unnecessary.

Even though he was never seen by anyone.

Even though he was a crybaby when no one saw him.

Zarah gasped in horror.

Then.

Sett moved.

Zarah heard a thundering heartbeat, a single beat, and it sent shivers down her spine. Then, it faltered as if it didn’t have the energy to activate.

But Sett didn’t care. He moved.

Then, her vision blurred.

She had been thrown into the air.

With a burst of power, Sett threw Zarah skyward—and in that same instant, he lunged.

Silver barely had time to react.

After all, he was consumed by self pity and grief!

That was too deadly a mistake in a battle to the death.

Sett became a blur of physical strength and speed, too fast for the eyes.

He was a monster.

But Shining White, the other monster, had been waiting for exactly this moment.

The moment Sett turned his back to him, the air twisted.

A scythe of green smoke materialized in White’s hands, glinting with sharpness.

He swung.

Sett ignored it.

The blade carved deep, splitting flesh.

Green smoke hissed as it ate into Sett’s back like acid.

Sett gritted his teeth.

Pain was irrelevant.

Only speed mattered.

Even though the Game of Benefits ability had failed, Silver still wished to help Zainah inwardly. Thus, when Sett closed in, Silver flinched—just for a second.

Just enough.

His hands slackened.

Zainah fell into Sett’s arms.

Momentum.

He pivoted. A longsword flashed into existence in his grip.

A longsword was no use against someone like Silver, after all, Silver’s body was as dense as Titanium. Just like Sett’s own body. Harming them was not so easy anymore unless they were injured in the most vulnerable areas like the eyes or mouth.

Even that needed surgical precision.

Axiom of Reincarnation—Death’s Calling.

An ability that made a person’s physical body soften as if they were dead since long ago. It was not that useful against Axiom Holders, but against Tomb Raiders, it can remove their most powerful defenses.

After all, if softened by death and decay, even Titanium would be mere human flesh.

The longsword tore through Silver’s neck.

His titanium body, which should have been strong enough to resist even attacks from people like Shining White, was torn apart like tofu.

White’s smoky scythe came crashing down—Sett turned and met it mid-swing with the bloody longsword.

Steel met solid smoke.

The impact sent Sett skidding back—but not before he caught Zarah from the air.

The longsword had been broken.

Shining White looked at Sett with his own heart beating wildly.

What was this monster?

Even he, a Tier 2 "High" Tomb Raider, couldn’t physically harm Tier 2 "LOW" Tomb Raiders without using his Axiom.

After all, their bodies were truly as strong as titanium.

How can it be so easy to kill them?

And.

Did he predict that I would attack in exactly the way I did? Did he do that even before he threw the little girl into the air?

That made Shining White’s heart chill.

Otherwise, Sett wouldn’t have been able to catch Zarah while retreating from the attack’s impact.

Methods. Experience. Foresight. Courage to do what he thought.

Shining White gulped.

Sett Ramses, the monster from ancient times.

Zarah and Zainah both looked at him with their hearts quaking in their chests.

"Heh." Sett wiped the blood at the corner of his lips.

More blood pooled beneath him.

"Sett," Zainah said, looking at White warily.

Sett and Zainah had been thrown away by the immense strength, but Sett had protected his sweetheart with all his energy. She had been cradled in his chest like a precious gem.

And when they landed a few feet away, even though Zainah was completely fine, Sett was riddled with wounds.

His skin was also cracking like earlier.

Shining White calmed down and smiled coldly.

"Your whole body must be in pain!" he exclaimed.

After all, his Smoke Scythe was acidic and poisonous.

Sett looked at Shining White with a smile that was not a smile.

Absorb.

Sett’s body was cracking like a vase again, and that earlier pain that made him want to die had returned. This time, though, it wasn’t nearly as intense.

After all, unlike Life Share, Death’s Calling didn’t need to remain active for a whole minute.

Zarah suddenly noticed something and placed her ears against Sett’s chest.

Heartbeat.

Gentle, human heartbeat.

Unlike earlier, when she had heard that tremendous single beat, this was a soft heartbeat, gentle and human-like. It was still strong, but gentle at the same time. It almost felt as if Sett’s body, which had been completely undying till now, had gained a spark of life.

And it had the special warmth of life, too.

Suddenly, all of the others except Zarah—Shining White, Sett, and Zainah—turned to look in one direction.

Beside Shining White, where Silver had died in a bloody mess, a corpse became visible.

Subconsciously, everyone felt that they had to stare at that corpse.

That they had to honor it by looking at it.

The corpse had been beheaded, but the head still remained in place. And due to some sheer coincidence, the face hadn’t been bloodied at all.

Seeing the face, Sett had to admit that the face was one of the most handsome he had seen.

It had that sense of human struggle, grief that lingered even after death

But until Silver’s death, that face had remained invisible, even to himself.

Born invisible, the man had lived invisible till death, his Axiom incapable of being deactivated. And after death, he had become nothing but a lifeless—beautiful corpse.

He was never the chosen one, never gifted with power, but for a moment, everyone watching saw his greatness.

For some reason, Sett felt that he would never forget this man.

Silver—the invisible man.

Sett didn’t even know his real name, but he had left an impression.

But avoiding unnecessary emotions amidst battle, Sett smirked.

He will remember Silver.

Especially after giving Sett, not one, but two Tomb Hearts.

You will live on within me, he thought with a smirk.

Thankfully, the energy he absorbed from Shining Silver was rapidly mending his wounds and making him stronger.

[Tomb Walker progress: +2 Tomb Hearts]

Sett felt the warmth rushing through him, slowly filling him with energy.

As a side benefit of absorbing Tomb Hearts, the wounds he had been inflicted began to vanish, replaced by new flesh and blood.

He looked at Shining White.

Turning back from Silver’s body to look at Sett, Shining White became speechless. Sett had already healed from the injuries he had given him using the scythe.

He assumed Sett was using an Axiom ability to heal.

Growing stronger in the midst of battle?

Such a thing was unheard of for a Tomb Raider without eating Tomb Hearts.

But regardless, Shining White realized that Zainah was not the only one to have an Axiom. Nor was Sett an easy enemy to get rid of. Sett was strong, strong enough to kill most of Lord Burrhen’s subordinates.

Most probably, only he himself and Shining Gold could truly pose a threat to him.

No wonder he had dared to kill Lord Burrhen.

Wait, Black should have been here by now, White frowned. Is he dead, too?

Sett licked his lips, already a Tier 2 Mid-level Tomb Walker.

For a few moments, neither Sett nor White moved, just watching each other cautiously.

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