16 Dark Universe III

The world turned to sand, and the dark, damp tomb vanished when the Egyptian sun shined overhead. The light wind kicked up sand, and then she appeared in the distance.

The copper-skinned beauty with dark black glistening hair and a flowing white dress fell to her feet. Though, as she walked through the desert, the light wind carried the bottom of her dress, exposing her long pretty legs.

As she drew closer, one could see her fingers' tips colored cerulean blue with tattoos that started from her hand and ran up along her arms. She wore an exquisite Usekh collar that made it clear that she was thee Princess of Egypt.

I stood unflinchingly as I experienced the illusion. The woman I know as Ahmanet was a lot shorter than I expected as I towered over her. As she looked up at me, she extended her hand towards me as she spoke in ancient Egyptian.

"You have set me free," she said while placing a soft hand on my cheek. Ahmanet inched closer and raised to the tips of her toes until her lips lightly hovered over mine.

"My chosen," she added right before slowly going in for a kiss.

Just before our lips touch, I smirk, then spoke in Ancient Egyptian, which I was surprisingly fluent in now, "Dangerous beauty."

I grabbed her by the shoulders and plant a firm kiss on her lips before pushing her out of my mind. After a few blinks, I found myself back in Ahmanet's prison. Smiling at the sarcophagus, I shook my head.

"We'll have plenty of time to play," I told her.

For the remaining time in the tomb, Tengyi and I moved the sarcophagus and harnessed it in a rope attached to a helicopter.

'Do it now!" I shouted in my mind.

Outside of the hole, my team turned up and eviscerated enemy insurgents. Reika then used her full power to pressure the minds of the American soldiers until they fell unconscious. I could feel the psionic energy. Then I felt a rush of magic as Di forced the helicopter to land.

Once I got out of the hole, things became a little dicey. Crows appeared from all over, and the desert winds became intense. I looked towards the sarcophagus then walked over to detach it from the hooked rope attached to the helicopter.

With a wave of my hand, the lid of the sarcophagus flew off.

When the main cast saw all of the bodies laid across the sand and then witnessed my power, they began to freak. I emitted a quick burst of spiritual pressure, and they fell to the sand with a thud.

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3rd POV

Team China watched as Ahmanet devoured her last victim. They marveled at Ahmanet's reclaimed beauty.

Her mummy wraps had fallen off, and she was absent of clothes, her natural allure to be placed on full display. She was covered in tattoos of an ancient script. Her skin was paler, but her beauty was ever-present. Ahmanet's hair now seemed as dark as death, and her big dark brown eyes had turned a vibrant hazel and developed another iris in each eye.

Di struggled to take off his jacket to offer it to the princess, but Tie Ta reached and stopped him. Tie Ta then stepped forward as Ahmanet called out like an enchantress, "Setepa-i..."

"Try English," said Tie Ta.

"But you speak Chinese," she spoke in Chinese.

"That's fine too," Tie Ta replied.

Ahmanet's head tilted to the side in confusion. "What are you?" she asked.

"I'm your chosen. But you really need to stay out of my head, which is so odd because I have no way of keeping you out. It must be the curse. What do you want, Ahmanet?" Tie Ta asked bluntly. "And don't say revenge. Everybody you knew is dead. How about you and I make a pact."

"What sort of pact?" Ahmanet reverted to ancient Egyptian.

"A mutually beneficial pact. You need the Dagger of Set. I need to strengthen my team. That's why I brought us here. So, we'll take you to the dagger, and then you go explore the world, the new world."

"You want the dagger?" she asked.

"No, you do. But, your freedom gets me what I want. So how about we go catch a plane?"

Ahmanet's head jerked one way and then another as she looked into Tie Ta's thoughts. "You are an evil man. Are they not your allies?"

"Everyone is fated to die at some point. So let's get to it," said Tie Ta.

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"Wherever it goes, I go. It is my responsibility, Doctor, or have you willfully forgotten?"

Dr.Halsey blinked a few times, then looked around a bit confused. Like everyone else, they had woken up in the convoy that was preparing to leave. Everyone felt that they had lost a bit of time, but they had no memory of what happened.

Team China and the main cast had left the village and were arriving at the C-130. However, a sandstorm was hot on our tail the entire way. Or at least that's what the soldiers thought.

When Team China landed, things were a bit chaotic with the high winds and the rush to stay in front of the storm.

"Get movin'!"

"Let's go!" the soldiers shouted as they unhooked the sarcophagus and pushed onto the C-130.

"Everyone load up," Tie Ta shouted to my team.

Each of them walked on with their own smug looks. The mission was seamless so far.

"Sixty seconds, in the air. Let's go!" the Colonel ordered his men.

Team China was already strapped into their seats as they watched the doctor stress herself over the fragility of the 5000-year-old sarcophagus. All the while, Ahmanet was sitting by Tie Ta, amused by Reika and Ouyang Di's powers.

"Only High Priest had such power in my time," said Ahmanet.

"It's a new world, Princess. Enjoy the flight and let me know when we arrive."

Once the drop doors were closed, the plane moved fast and took to the air as fast as possible. For a moment, it looked like they weren't going to make it until the plane shot from the sand storm illusion and began to climb in altitude and speed.

"Princess, can you maintain you're own illusion for now?" asked Tie Ta.

Ahmanet gave him a nod. Reika and Ouyang Di finally relaxed with an audible sigh. They both ate, downed a bottle of water, and then went to sleep to recuperate after the large use of power.

Tie Ta made his way to Dr. Halsey.

"So how is it that you had a map to the tomb?" he asked her.

"Years of research, Lieutenant. How is it that you discovered it?" she asked.

"Fate. I heard the gunfire and moved to its source. Part of my job is to be a third-party witness to combat in the region. Terrorists destroy what they want and sell the rest. Americans teach them democracy and western culture by putting holes in them. And in the end, the Americans and Brits are the cultural thieves that take what they want and put things in museums to save themselves a trip to the dusty savage middle east."

"Is that really how you think of us?" Halsey asked.

"No. But do the Iraqi not have a globally recognized government? So tell me, why are we flying this out of the country and not to them? Or at the very least back to Egypt."

Halsey looked at Tie Ta, but she couldn't give an answer.

"See, Doctor. I understand the thieves. They stole your map and found it, but you, I still can't make sense of you. Who's Henry?" Tie Ta asked as he handed her the map and note that Yinkong took off of Sergeant Morton.

Her eyes briefly go big. She snatches the papers and says, " A family friend. Dr. Henry Jykell. If you'll excuse me, I have some work I must be doing."

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Tie Ta closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat. Dr. Halsey had already begun recording her analysis of Ahmanet's sarcophagus. She spoke of its origins and began to read the story inscribed in hieroglyphs.

As the doctor read aloud, Tie Ta experienced flashes of memory from Ahmanet's life. Her time training with a staff in the desert, her pact with God of Death, Set. Her night with her chosen. Tie Ta then found himself straddle by the princess as she held a dagger above her head.

Ahmanet then put the dagger down and sat on top of him. On the plane, she had once again found a seat next to her chosen.

"What I did had to be done." she whispered, "My entire life, I was raised to rule, promised a kingdom. Then some...whore, with a pretty face and nice pair of tits caught my father's attention. When she became pregnant, my world had changed. If it was a girl, I would have been lucky. But it was a boy, and everything I had was suddenly stripped away from me and given to him."

"It was a different time." said Tie Ta, "Your move was the only move. Don't dwell on the past. When the time comes, you will fulfill your pact, and everything will be okay."

In his mindscape, Ahmanet had taken Tie Ta to see ancient Egypt and all the people she had once known.

The duo was walking along the bank of the Nile River when Ahmanet stopped. "There are things in your mind that I cannot see. What are you hiding from me?" she asked.

"I am not hiding anything. It is the Gods who are fighting you."

"Why not kill everyone now. Why play this game with that stupid woman scholar?"

"Because I need her to find the people who want to imprison you," said Tie Ta

Tie Ta's eyes snapped open, he sharply inhaled. Time had passed, and all of his team was now awake.

"We are here," said Ahmanet.

Tie Ta's orders were issued telepathically. Reika and Ouyang Di worked in tandem to create an illusion of the original movie scene.

Like in the movie, Corporal Vail had become possed by Ahmanet's power and attempted to cut her loose. Colonel Greenway moves towards Vail and gets himself stabbed in the chest.

Everyone on the plane watched cautiously as Corporal Vail mindlessly came at them with his bloody knife. A moment later, Morton was forced to shoot him.

When Vail dropped dead, Team China was already geared up with the drop door open. Ahmanet could read her chosen's mind and summoned a flock of crows to attack the pane. All the while, Team China had begun to leap from the plane one by one.

When Tie Ta saw Morton struggling to get Dr.Halsey strapped into the parachute harness, he moved to help them. After Dr.Halsey was ejected from the plane, Tie jumped out as well.

As Team China parachuted down to the middle of some field in the United Kingdom, The C-130 was going down in flames.

When Tie Ta finally made it to the ground, Team China and Ahmanet were already packed up and ready to go.

"Alright, get dressed in civilian clothes and pack everything else up. I'll take the assault rifles," said Tie Ta.

Tie Ta stored all of the excess gear in his storage ring. Team China only carried pistols and a backpack now, and they all looked like tourists. Tie Ta then handed out cases of gold coins, 500 each.

"Di and Wutong, you're with me. Lingyue and Tengyi find somewhere for us to set up, Yinkong and Reika start plotting the heist."

"How can we do that if we have no idea where it is," said Yinkong.

Tie Ta then gestured to the shocked Dr. Halsey, who landed near them. "Reika.."

Reika put the doctor to sleep.

"She is the key. We make her believe that Nick Morton is the chosen. Lead him to the dagger, and Prodigium catches Ahmanet."

"No. I don't want to be caught," said Ahmanet.

"You're the only one they want. This way, the dagger and everything we need are all in one place. We kill our enemies and bring Set into this world with one move."

Ahmanet pursed her lips. "Fine," she spoke as she disappeared in a gust of sand.

"Teleportation." said Di, "I can't wait to do that."

"How long are we staying?" asked Tengyi.

"A week or two, Maybe longer. Make the place comfortable."

"Why so long?" asked Lingyue.

"Because the mission objective can only happen when I'm ready." Tie Ta smirked. "We all meet at King's Cross Station when we're finished. "

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Team China then split up into three teams and went their separate ways. Tie Ta led his team to the newly discovered Crusader Tomb discussed all over the news. Lingyue and Tengyi went to London to play husband and wife as they shopped for a house. While Yinkong and Reika followed Dr.Halsey and waited for her to make a phone call.

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-Lingyue and Tengyi-

"So, are you really okay with this?" asked Tengyi.

Lingyue sighed as she rolled her eyes. " Why do you worry so much, Tengyi? Tie Ta risked his life for us. Helped us in GOD's Dimension. Now, this mission is to make us all stronger, and we have the easiest job. Imagine what Di and Wutong are going to be doing."

Tengyi took a deep breath and focused on driving his stolen car. "I might not be cut out for this. I mean, I sell stolen goods. I don't steal them. I don't repel down into cursed tombs. And I don't eat fictional herbs that enhance my body. But I have done it all since I've arrived in this game. I'm just way out of my element."

Lingyue giggled and patted Tengyi on his shoulder. " I find this to be exhilarating. Every mission, I can be someone new. Adventure and nonstop action. Magic and Scifi. This world is my chance to be someone new and better. In the past few weeks, I survived a pagan god, became a vampire, killed people, stole a car, and jumped out of a plane. It's something primal in me. There's something in all of us. You just need to tap into yours."

Tengyi nodded in agreement, and Lingyue laughed him off as she turned on the radio. She thought about Dracula. Before she had left GOD's Dimension. Lingyue had studied the Dark Universe and particularly liked 'Dracula Untold.'.

She had yet to reach the level that made her immune to the weakness of a normal vampire. But even now, the sun only made her weak and sluggish. That's why she needed the Intermediate Level Qi. By using her Qi, Lingyue bridge the power gap that the sun created during the day.

But besides blood magic, she had no cool abilities like the ones she desires to steal from the vampires of the Dark Universe. She could taste the power already.

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-Reika and Yinkong-

"So how does a girl as young as you become an Assassin?"Reika asked as she made a right turn after a taxis cab.

"The same way 24k CyberScythe became a black hat at such a young age. I found my calling. No, honestly, I was trained to be this." Yinkong replied. "If I had a choice, I wouldn't have chosen the childhood I lived."

"Now you're free," said Reika, "So how'd you know it was him?"

"Resident Evil. The Boss is a legend in that world. Even before the apocalypse. I figured he created his back story or GOD implanted his real-life into the movie since he spent so much time there."

Reika smirked at the smart girl. "Did you know of him before you came here?"

"Yeah. He was actually in the middle of the craziest Cyberattack China ever faced. Whatever he wanted from them must have been big."

"Why do you say that?"

"When Tie Ta vanished off the face of the earth, Beijing was attacked. Some hidden military facility. Some people say it was Tie Ta. They think he found something big and went into hiding. No one would have ever thought he was here."

"Beijing..." Reika muttered, and a flash of Chu Xuan's face appeared in her head. But they were Tie Ta's memories, memories of military profiles attached to a file titled "C.B.S."

The memory then faded as she realized that Tie Ta didn't give her memories of the file's contents.

"Are you okay?" Yinkong asked. "You kind of spaced out."

"Oh, I'm fine. Did the media say anything else about that secret military base?"

"No, but India and the American's broke off their alliance. Africa is talking about forming a Continental Union, and Canada has closed its borders and went dark."

"What the fuck is happening out there?" Reika muttered.

"Hey. Hey. Hey. They're stopping. Pullover behind that car." said Yinkong, "We should go in and make sure there isn't any interference when we trace a call."

Reika and Yinkong then followed Dr.Halsey and Nick Morton into a pub. They sat at a corner table as Reika waited on her laptop.

Suddenly Morton started wigging out and went off to the bathroom. Yinkong smiled at Reika.

"The Psycho Princess is actually playing along," said Yinkong.

Reika wasn't as excited as Yinkong. Dr.Halsey's phone began to ring. Reika had already connected to the doctor's phone through Bluetooth. All she had to do was trace the call as Dr.Halsey talked to her employer, Henry.

"What's wrong, Reika?" Yinkong asked as Reika seemed to be in low spirits.

"She's helping us because Tie Ta wasn't lying to her. He is going to let her stab him with the Dagger of Set. Becoming Set's vessel is the best way to bring all of the characters back to life and defeat Ahmanet."

Yinkong was in disbelief. "Can't the Book of the Dead bring everyone back to life? The Book of Amun Ra can kill Ahmanet."

"It's not that easy, sweety. Tie Ta becoming Set is the only way to defeat Ahmanet. She is one with life and death. Colonel Greenway, Corporal Vail, Henry, Henry's henchmen, Malik, everyone with a name in the end credits has to be alive to guarantee we complete this mission without penalty. Even Ahament has to be alive. He must defeat her, not kill her."

Reika glanced at her computer then closed it. "Time to go."

"You found them?" Yinkong asked, referring to Prodigium's location.

"A secret monster organization, the size of Prodigium, is bound to slip up here and there." Reika winked at Yinkong as she rose from her seat.

The two players quickly left the pub and followed the map of London until they arrived at the train station to meet the rest of Team China.