"Forget it." In the end, Charles sighed, pushing aside his worries for now. "Once we're back, alert Blackstaff Tower and have the whole city step up its vigilance. We're not letting some evil creature take advantage while our guard is down."
Setting the whole mess aside, he looked up, "Since we're clearly not fighting a Vampire tonight, let's just move on and take out the Mummy next!"
That was what he said, but he had plenty of doubts. If the Vampire could get away, why couldn't the Mummy or the Lich do the same?
Hiss… Just how many Purification Points do I even have left? And how many more headaches are still waiting for me?
He couldn't help but feel a chill at the thought.
Next to him, Anno nodded quietly, worry written plain on her face. She turned and followed him out of the cavern, back to rejoin the main group.
Even with the worries nagging at him, Charles kept a relaxed facade for the battle nuns, urging them not to fret. He himself found the tree above the Mummy's crypt and chopped it down. Once again, the earth began to tremble.
Thankfully, this time nothing out of the ordinary happened. Charles hurried back to the group, just in time to watch a horde of undead stream out from the cavern, charging directly toward their defensive lines.
The makeup of these undead was much the same as last night—ghouls, skeleton warriors, and the like. Battle nuns held their ground, repelling the attack, while Charles swept through for cleanup, racking up Purification Points.
With last night's experience under their belts, the battle nuns—already well-trained—were even more efficient today. Their lines held like bedrock, unfazed by the surging undead tide.
It wasn't long before the horde was wiped out. As the battle ended, though, the Mummy—who should have been the main event—still didn't appear.
Not only that, but the four mummy servants who were supposed to fight by her side were nowhere to be seen either.
Charles frowned, a bad feeling rising in his chest.
Damn it, really? What was supposed to be a simple grinding spree was turning into an endless parade of problems and glitches.
Had even the fallen prince's princess-to-be—the desert princess—snuck away?
He wasn't sure, but the possibility gnawed at him and brought on new frustration.
"Hattie, Theresa, Anno, let's go!" he said. "We'll check the Mummy's tomb ourselves—see if she's just oversleeping or if she's escaped too!"
Anno responded with a worried look. Nymeria stayed behind to lead the nuns, while Hattie and Theresa hurried after Charles and Anno toward the cavern.
Inside was a wreck—traps meant to ward off invaders had been trampled and ruined by the undead swarming out, but that only made things easier for Charles and his group as they navigated the cave.
They quickly reached the deepest chamber—the crypt of the Mummy.
Even before entering, just drawing close, the group noticed an odd aroma of incense drifting in the air. Even in such a desolate place, someone cared enough to keep up appearances.
But this scent was hardly normal for a crypt. The group grew wary, realizing something unexpectedly dangerous might be waiting ahead.
Still, they weren't afraid of poison—Charles, Hattie, and Theresa were immune, and Anno's Aura of Protection guarded her as well—so they pressed forward bravely, Anno in the lead, Charles and Hattie close behind, Theresa covering the rear.
The moment they stepped inside, they saw her—a woman in a crown, stunningly beautiful, with a lush, curvaceous body bare except for layers of pale bandages. She sat alone and lost in thought atop an ornate sarcophagus at the center of the chamber, staring dreamily at the ceiling.
Charles let out a soft breath of relief. From the bandages and the ornate crown, he immediately recognized her as the master of this crypt—the miniboss he was supposed to face, the fallen prince's fiancée, a princess from a distant desert kingdom…
Kind of awkward—he'd never remembered her name since this boss hadn't unlocked any CGs, and players online just called her "the Mummy Princess."
And at this moment, rather than the crazed and cursed terror she was meant to be—driving players mad—she looked for all the world like a lonely, troubled young girl. Her full thighs were crossed, her dainty feet swinging lightly, as if she hadn't even noticed Charles and company arrive.
What skin was visible—her face, and the glimpses through the bandage gaps—looked flawless and taut, as soft as a child's. Her toes and the balls of her feet even had a faint blush to them, nothing at all like the rot or decay the undead usually show—she looked honestly alive.
Anno tensed up. "That's her?"
Charles took a deep breath. The sweet, spicy aroma left him oddly calm. "Yeah… but something's off. Anno, wait—don't rush in!"
And as he spoke and watched, the princess on the sarcophagus gently lowered her head, her red eyes meeting his gaze.
"So, it was you who woke me?" she spoke, lips parting, her voice clear and ethereal. Charles could even spot her whitened teeth—if not for the bandages, she'd pass perfectly for the living.
"Yeah…" Charles mused, raising a hand to hold Anno back, then looked up and met the princess's eyes. "We found reference to undead on this island while researching ancient texts, so we came to purge them. I'm not sure what we triggered, but it caused some sort of earthquake, and a whole army of powerful, well-trained undead flooded out of that cavern."
"So, after defeating them, we came down here to check what happened. If I may—who are you, exactly? And how much do you know about what's going on here?"
He stared closely, wondering if she'd trigger some bonus questline—he'd be happy to oblige for some extra rewards.
Beside him, Anno gripped her sword, on edge. She knew a lucid undead was far deadlier than a mindless one—if this princess turned hostile, it'd be a tough fight.
When the mummy heard this, her face darkened momentarily with sorrow. "So that's it… Well, it's true. We had already abandoned life, choosing to become undead."
Her voice was hauntingly beautiful. She turned to Charles. "I respect your defense of mortal dignity—in fact, my only wish as an undead is to die at your hands. It would be an honor."
Charles was taken aback, but she went on: "But, I have a request—if you're willing to grant it."
Charles and Anno exchanged a glance. Anno bit her lip and said, "Speak. If it's in our power, we'll try."
She knew the risk of a fight with this difficult foe—and if it could be avoided, she'd rather do that. She'd heard Charles's stories of the desert kingdom and felt some sympathy for the princess. If this undead willingly accepted purification, Anno felt it was right to help her fulfill a last wish.
"I hope that when my body is reduced to ashes, it can be buried in the sands of my homeland," she said softly, "because only in that place—my body and soul, at rest—can ever find peace."
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