Mummy Evolution-Chapter 11: Guardian, you dare!

Zarah's scream echoed through the chamber, a raw, guttural sound of pain and terror. Her arm, severed just below the shoulder, lay on the cold stone floor, blood pooling around it. Zainah's face contorted in horror as she clutched her sister, trying to stem the bleeding with her bare hands.

"No, no, no!" Zainah cried, her voice breaking. "Zarah, stay with me! Please, stay with me!"

Sett's eyes narrowed as he turned his full attention to the High Guardian. The creature stood tall, its armor glinting in the dim light of the Tomb. In its hand, it held the two Tomb Hearts it had ripped from the fallen Guardian. Its hollow eyes glowed with a malevolent intelligence, and its jaw hung open in a grotesque grin.

"You..." Sett growled, his voice low and dangerous as he began running towards it.

He didn't want to let it absorb the Tomb Hearts.

Argh!

He gritted his teeth in frustration.

The one thing he hated the most in this world was seeing faces that should smile—cry. His women were not allowed to be hurt, especially not Zainah. She was the sort of women who could handle being thrown into a pit of fire, but not watch her loved ones be bitten by ants.

And as a man, Sett had failed himself and his women.

How would they now rely on him?

How would they trust him to protect them?

How can they now believe they were utterly safe when around him?

The guttural anger thrumming through his veins almost made Sett roar.

He had completely lost their trust!

The High Guardian tilted its head, as if mocking him. It raised the Tomb Hearts to its chest, and Sett watched as the two glowing orbs were absorbed right into its body. The creature's form began to shift, its armor cracking and reforming, its body growing larger and more menacing.

The air around it seemed to warp, and Sett could feel the sheer power radiating from it.

This was no ordinary High Guardian anymore. It was evolving.

Sett's mind raced. He had to act fast. If the Guardian completed its evolution, it would become a Tier 1 "Grand" Guardian, a level of power that even he, with his six Tomb Hearts, might not be able to handle. He couldn't let that happen.

"Zainah!" Sett barked, not taking his eyes off the Guardian. "Take Zarah and run! Get out of here!"

Zainah hesitated, her hands still pressed against Zarah's wound. "But—!"

"NOW!" Sett roared, his voice echoing through the chamber. "Can't you learn from a single mistake! For once?!"

This content is taken from fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm.

Zainah's eyes filled with tears, but she nodded. She scooped Zarah into her arms, ignoring the blood that soaked her clothes, and began to run toward the exit. Zarah whimpered in pain, her face pale and her breathing shallow.

Sett watched them go for a split second before turning his full attention back to the Guardian. The creature was almost fully evolved now, its body pulsing with dark energy. Sett tightened his grip on the rusty sword and charged.

The Guardian roared, a sound that shook the very walls of the Tomb. It swung its massive arm, and Sett barely managed to dodge, the force of the swing sending him skidding across the floor. He gritted his teeth and lunged again, aiming for the creature's chest.

But the Guardian was faster. It caught Sett's sword mid-swing, the blade shattering in its grip. Sett cursed and jumped back, narrowly avoiding a crushing blow from the Guardian's other hand.

Think, Sett, think! he urged himself. You can't beat it head-on. You need a plan.

He threw the hilt at its face, briefly distracting it. Then before it focused, he swung his leg in an arc around its knees, making it buckled under its own weight.

"Argh! Kill you!" it shouted.

Sett punched its helmet with all his force, crushing the metal into oblivion. But the mummy's face remained unharmed, even harder than its armor.

The Guardian hooked its arms around Sett, trying to pin him on the floor. His eyes darted around the room, searching for anything he could use to his advantage—and he found it. His gaze landed on the wine-green flames that lined the walls. Fire.

The Guardian's weakness.

He slid away from the creature's hold and it jumped forward to attack him.

This time, Sett didn't dodge. He let the blow connect, the force sending him flying across the room. He crashed into the wall, the impact knocking the wind out of him. But he didn't stop. Using the momentum, he pushed himself off the wall and grabbed one of the flaming torches, and with it in hand, ran towards the enemy.

The creature grinned.

Suddenly, water appeared out of nowhere and the flame in Sett's hand was doused just like that.

Axiom of Water!

"Fuck you!" Sett threw the smoking torch at the mummy and dodged its swing.

But just as he wanted to move again, the creature swung its leg just like Sett had done earlier, and he was made to buckle under his own weight. The Guardian raised its fist, ready to end him with a single punch through the skull.

A music echoed from outside the room and the Guardian stopped for just a second. Sett used the chance and backed away, then, smirking, he pushed the Guardian from the back. It stumbled forward and slid on the water it had used to douse the flames.

Sett pushed again, making it take a few more steps forward and into the—coffin. Right as it fell in, he pushed the door closed with all his power and resistance appeared immediately after. The Guardian began trying to push the door open but Sett didn't relent.

A matchbox came flying towards him and he caught it in his desperation.

Zainah!

"This is useless with its Axiom," he cursed.

And boom. He was pushed back by more than a few steps and the creature crawled out of the coffin with a roar of hatred.