After saying that, under Blade's unbelievably complicated gaze, he leisurely left that gloomy castle once again.
Egypt, deep in the boundless heart of the Sahara Desert. The blazing sun hung like a massive fireball, roasting the endless yellow sands. The air itself twisted and warped in shimmering heat waves. A newly discovered pyramid, half-buried beneath the dunes, had drawn an archaeological survey team led by Mister Fantastic. They believed this pyramid concealed an energy secret from some lost civilization.
At the site, heavy machinery roared as workers, drenched in sweat, cleared sand and rubble from the entrance. Reed was using his freely stretchable body like an agile snake, slipping deep into a narrow crack that had just been opened to conduct an initial probe. His fiancée, Sue Storm stood nearby, assisting and recording the data.
"The energy readings are really abnormal, Sue," Reed's voice came from deep within the fissure, carrying a trace of excitement. "It's not any known radioactive substance. It's more like… some kind of biological heat aggregation."
Suddenly, the ground shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck. Dunes slid, and at the freshly cleared pyramid entrance, sand and stone erupted upward like a fountain! Along with a low, ancient, savage roar, an enormous creature burst through the sand and revealed its terrifying form.
It was a giant crocodile—but far larger than any known species.
Nearly ten meters long, its body wasn't covered in ordinary leathery hide. Instead, it was plated in thick, heavy scales that looked like they'd been forged from yellow sand and rock, reflecting a dull sheen under the fierce sun. Most strangely, orange-red light glowed faintly from the gaps between the scales along its back, as if molten lava flowed inside. It opened its huge jaws, revealing dagger-like interlocking fangs, and the breath spilling from its mouth carried scalding white steam.
"My God! What is that thing?!" The workers on-site screamed and fled in terror.
"Careful, Sue!" Reed instantly retracted his body, stepping in front of her as his arms shot out, stretching and reshaping into a massive elastic shield.
The sand crocodile seemed enraged from being awakened. With a single sweep of its thick tail, it flung a heavy excavator away like a toy! It stomped forward on all fours, charging toward the densest cluster of people, each step making the earth tremble.
"We have to stop it!" Reed decided at once. His arms launched outward like rubber cables, rapidly winding around the sand crocodile's body as he tried to restrain its movement. His body's elasticity and toughness were extreme—enough to hold back a speeding train.
However, the instant his arms touched the creature's scales, a terrifying heat surged through him!
The temperature was unbelievably high. Even Reed felt searing pain, his skin instantly scalding.
"—Hiss!" Reed sucked in a sharp breath, feeling like his arms had been pressed onto a red-hot iron plate! The sand crocodile's scales didn't just absorb sunlight and convert it into heat—its surface temperature was scorching.
Bound up, the sand crocodile grew even more frenzied. It snapped its head around and clamped its tooth-filled maw down toward Reed's wrapped arms! Heat on top of a horrifying bite force—Reed felt a danger he'd never experienced before!
He hurriedly released the restraint and pulled his arms back. Clear burn marks and deep tooth impressions were left behind. If he'd been even a moment slower, his arms might have been bitten clean through.
(End of Chapter)
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