Chapter 223: The Immortal Emperor

The Tomb Prince bowed slightly, and Sinuoli stepped onto the lead Kuluoma carriage, with Rogov and Balin riding with him. The other Hammer Guards boarded the carriages behind in order.

Sinuoli advanced along the main road into the city, escorted by Ushabti on both sides of the chariot. The Ushabti were a group of giant stone statue guardians carved in the likeness of the ancient gods of Nehekhara.

These fellows, over three meters tall, could be called monuments to the former power of Nehekhara. Liche Priests bound the spirits of ancient heroes into the bodies of these constructs through powerful magic. Thus, their every movement was imbued with the temperament of the departed heroes and the power of the gods.

Sinuoli stood on the chariot, hand resting on the carriage frame, surveying the historic city of Khemri. Some of the sites here were famous throughout Nehekhara, from the massive pyramids and towering temples to the mysterious Sphinx statues.

The Tomb Prince was not a dedicated tour guide; he rode silently on his own warhorse, leading the way in front. However, Sinuoli still recognized two landmarks based on the literature he had read and the memories of his past life:

The Great Obelisk of Khemri, which recorded the achievements of the Immortal Emperor during his lifetime, and the temple of the sun god Petela-Shenxuan, the former chief deity of Nehekhara.

The chariot moved quickly along the empty main street, and after about a quarter of an hour, the Dwarfs saw a vast expanse of pyramids. Adventurers who had come here before called this the Khemri Necropolis.

This was a labyrinth composed of hundreds of smaller pyramids surrounding the great pyramid of Settra himself. As Khemri was the most powerful city-state in Nehekhara, the successive kings here had built the most and largest pyramids for themselves.

After many twists and turns, the carriage stopped in front of the largest pyramid. Sinuoli looked up at the intricate creation; this thing was the crystallization of the wisdom and sweat of countless Nehekharan scholars and laborers.

On either side of the entrance stood a Bone Giant. These behemoths were as tall as real giants, but they were not the skeletons of giants. They were still constructs, only because of the Nehekharans' obsession with death and immortality, the Colossus was carved directly into the shape of a giant skeleton.

The bodies of the Bone Giants were covered with skulls, bones, and other common funerary decorations, and they wore ornate breastplates and helmets. To awaken such a behemoth required the combined magical power of twenty Liche Priests.

Sinuoli climbed down from the carriage and walked into the pyramid with his head slightly lowered, his guards following behind carrying gifts. The grandeur of this building was worthy of praise even by Dwarf standards, though it lacked a bit in refinement.

The tomb passages inside the pyramid were very complex, with many forks and traps. In Sinuoli's view, it was questionable whether his entire force of three thousand could conquer this single pyramid, let alone the fact that there were so many descendants of Settra the Imperishable in the surrounding area.

Not to mention the troops in the other burial pits, just the pairs of Ushabti every few steps and the two Bone Giants at the entrance were enough to give the Dwarf troops a hard time. These constructs were heavy and powerful, and the damage they caused was not something armor could absorb.

However, Sinuoli thought to himself that Settra probably hadn't expected to wake up in this way along with his subordinates, so it was reasonable to have prepared some traps to deal with tomb robbers.

Following the leading Tomb Prince, the group wandered through the pyramid and went deep into its interior. Suddenly, the space opened up, and they entered a hall.

What appeared before Sinuoli was a flight of stairs. He looked up and saw a coffin inlaid with jewels on the stairs. Sitting upon it was a king wearing an ornate ritual helmet, his mummy body completely covered in golden armor inscribed with spells.

Compared to the somewhat diminutive mummy, the two giant lion-shaped constructs beside him were undoubtedly more eye-catching. Sinuoli's subordinates couldn't help but grip their weapons; perhaps out of confidence in their own strength, the Dwarfs had not been asked to surrender their weapons upon entering the hall.

Those were two Khemri War Sphinxes. They lay at the feet of the king, as serene as pet cats, but everyone who witnessed them could clearly feel the power contained within them.

There was almost no mention of these things in the records of adventurers regarding Tomb Kings, because they were not exposed to the outside, but guarded the entrance to the king's bedchamber.

Unlike the clumsy Bone Giants, besides having astonishing destructive power and being almost invulnerable to blades and arrows, they were also very fast and had the ability to leap. It could be said that no intruder could escape their pursuit.

"Creatures of the Qunshan, why have you come to Nehekhara, my kingdom?" The figure on the steps spoke, his voice low, revealing a thick sense of dominance.

"I offer you my highest respects! Great Emperor of Nehekhara, King of Kings, Petela-Shenxuan, Champion of the Desert Gods, Watcher of the Eternal Necropolis, Your Majesty Settra the Imperishable!" Snuo took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed deeply before speaking.

As a visitor of sufficient status, Sinuoli did not chant all of Settra's titles like a servant or slave. He selected a few representative ones, which were also titles Settra had earned during his lifetime, and reported them.

"Rise!" Settra's voice took half a minute to sound. Sinuoli had maintained his bowed posture; this was the lowest he had ever lowered his attitude since he had transmigrated.

"I am the son of Thorgrim Grudgebearer, the current High King of the Qunshan, and the chosen of our mother goddess Valaya. Following a divine oracle to reclaim our ancestral lands in the Southlands Qunshan, I must pass through your territory. I offer a humble gift and ask for your accommodation!"

Sinuoli straightened his back and stated his identity and purpose concisely.

"Has the once-mighty Dwarf race now fallen into decline? You also contributed some effort when my mausoleum was built." Settra looked at the group of Dwarfs before him and recalled something.

Sinuoli naturally knew that Settra's rise had occurred two thousand five hundred years before Sigmar established the Empire of Man. At that time, the War of the Beard had not yet broken out, and Elves and Dwarfs were still in their honeymoon period.

The sky and the sea belonged to the High Elves and their Dragons, while the earth belonged to the Dwarf Realms. The strength of the Dwarfs was exceptionally powerful, and the humans of Nehekhara had received no small amount of help from the Dwarfs at that time. This was the reason Sinuoli dared to come for an audience.

"In consideration of the sentiments of your ancestors, I shall grant your request! However, your kin once disturbed the slumber of my subjects and stole their wealth! I hear that you like to record Grudges, so how should this be calculated?"

As Settra spoke, he stood up and placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. The two Sphinxes seemed to sense their master's anger and began to stir.