Rick O'Connell stood behind the iron bars, his face shadowed by overgrown hair and an unkempt beard. His blue eyes, though dulled by weeks in prison, still carried that spark of reckless confidence.
"So what do you want from me?" he asked. His voice rough but steady.
Daniel stepped forward, arms crossed. "Nothing complicated. We just need a guide to Hamunaptra."
Rick blinked, then let out a dry laugh. "You must have lost your damn mind if you thought anyone in their right mind would go back to that cursed place."
Daniel's tone was calm but firm. "Maybe I have. But there's something there I need—something I'm willing to risk a curse or two for."
His thoughts flickered briefly to the system's quest
[Recover Object: Golden Book of Amun-Ra]
[Recover Object: Soul of Imhotep]
Both buried deep within Hamunaptra — and both essential to uncovering the truth about his strange "Omniverse Recovery System."
He couldn't turn back now.
"In return," Daniel continued, "you get your freedom… and a share of the treasure. Otherwise," he nodded toward Warden Gad Hassan, who was watching with greedy impatience, "you can take the scenic route — by rope."
The warden grinned, tightening his belt as if eager to start the hanging.
"So… it's either treasure or the Gallows."
Daniel smiled faintly. "That's the deal."
For a long moment, Rick was silent — then he leaned closer to the bars, smirking. "Well… I've had worse offers."
"So that's a yes?" Daniel asked.
Rick shrugged. "Yeah. I'll show you the way."
***
The Next Morning — Giza Port
The sun blazed over the Nile, gilding the river in liquid gold. Ships rocked gently at their moorings, their sails fluttering in the warm breeze.
The port was alive with noise — traders shouting, camels groaning, and porters carrying mountains of luggage.
Among the crowd, a small group stood out. Evelyn Carnahan, wearing her explorer's outfit and wide-brimmed hat, looked equal parts nervous and thrilled.
Jonathan was already complaining about the heat while pretending to oversee the luggage — though he mostly watched others carry it.
And Daniel?
He stood beside them, adjusting the strap of the large rectangular box slung across his back.
Everyone who saw it assumed it was a rifle case.
It wasn't.
Inside was a sledgehammer.
Yep — a heavy, steel-headed, utterly simple hammer.
He wasn't carrying it for show. The truth was, Daniel had no idea how to handle a gun. He'd never fired one back in his own world, and judging by how this world worked, it wasn't like he could just Google a tutorial or sign up for a shooting class.
Learning to aim, reload, and actually hit something while under pressure? That wasn't something he could master overnight.
But a hammer? Anyone could swing a hammer.
And thanks to his new Steel Skin, which made him practically impervious to modern firearms, he didn't have to worry about bullets tearing him apart. He could fight up close, where his strength really mattered.
With muscles enhanced far beyond a normal human's, swinging the heavy steel hammer was effortless — almost natural.
Besides, when your enemies were ancient, undead corpses wrapped in bandages, a hammer made a lot more sense than a bullet. You couldn't shoot something that didn't bleed — but you could sure as hell smash it to pieces.
"Jonathan, be careful with that crate!" Evelyn scolded sharply as her brother stumbled near the edge of the dock, nearly sending a box of archaeological tools splashing into the Nile.
"I am being careful!" Jonathan protested, wobbling to regain his balance. "It's these dockhands you hired who aren't!"
Evelyn exhaled in exasperation, turning just in time to spot Daniel loading his own gear. Her gaze narrowed. "And remind me again—why are we hiring a criminal as our guide? Don't you trust my intelligence? I can find the route myself with the map!"
Daniel raised his hands in mock surrender, and a placating smile tugging at his lips.
"No, no, I trust you, Evelyn. Completely. But it's better to have someone who's already been there. That way you can… relax a little."
"Relax?" she repeated, incredulous. "While trusting a man who was in prison?"
"Well, he did survive Hamunaptra once," Daniel pointed out.
Evelyn crossed her arms. "I don't think that criminal went there at all."
Before Daniel could answer, a familiar voice cut through the noise.
"I hope that criminal isn't me?"
They turned to see Rick O'Connell, freshly shaven, dressed. His old confidence was back, and so was his trademark smirk.
"Of course it's you," Evelyn shot back. "And if you can't guide us properly, we'll make sure your freedom doesn't last long." She turned on her heel and strode toward the riverboat, muttering under her breath about "reckless men and their nonsense."
"Evy! You forgot your luggage!" Daniel called after her.
Without looking back, she lifted a small wooden box in her hands. "Carry it for me, my hands are full!"
Jonathan watched her disappear up the gangplank, then nudged Daniel on the shoulder.
"She's angry."
"I can see that," Daniel muttered, hefting both her bags with a resigned sigh.
Rick smirked. "You two seem used to that."
Daniel gave a tired grin. "It's becoming a recurring theme."
"Daniel, do we really need to bring that fatty with us?" Jonathan asked, pointing at Gad, who was trudging along behind them.
"Well, he can be useful for porter work," Daniel replied with a shrug.
*****
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