Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

However, this idea was utterly outrageous in the context of the distinct class-based relationship between humans and gods in Sumer.

It's understandable that Marduk, the King of Kings, would deliberately conceal this information to maintain stability.

Moreover, in order to prevent future troubles and to stop these multiplying humans of the Golden Age from challenging the authority of the gods, these ancient Babylonian gods did nothing of note.

Enlil, one of the three pillar gods and the lord of the atmosphere and spirit, caused a great flood under the pretext of hating human noise. The flood washed away the earth's surface and wiped out most of the threats to humans and other creatures.

Even more coincidentally, Marduk, the King of Kings, eventually replaced Enlil's divine position, and in some documents, the two are considered to be one and the same.

Lin Xian didn't believe there wasn't something fishy going on.

Throughout history, the transfer of divine authority has been bloody.

The ancient Babylonian gods had done things like killing their fathers and mothers, so what psychological burden did they have to kill off humans, creations used to please them?

This was only a threat to the status of the gods, and it was then swept away by a flood.

What he wants to do is to welcome back Tiamat and overthrow the authority of the gods!

If I get caught, a nobody like me, at the bronze level, won't just be boiled into snake soup; I might be subjected to all eighteen different procedures, from frying and steaming to boiling.

Lin Xian thought about it and immediately felt a chill run down his spine, causing the scales on his back to bristle.

Play it safe! You absolutely must play it safe! Anyone who's stubborn is a fool!

The ancient snake made up its mind to immediately shut down its wicked intentions in a dark room and not to let its mind wander for a while.

However, before the course ends, it's necessary to clarify the strength or weakness of some objectives.

"Lady Ereshkigal, what rank does the Heavenly Bull, Gugalana, belong to?"

"Very powerful! God-level!"

Aileen showed a hint of apprehension, then realized that she hadn't mentioned the level of strength she was discussing before, so she simply added an explanation.

The birth of gods varies, some early and some late, and their strength varies.

To avoid frequent wars between gods, there were also great deities with clearly defined responsibilities, such as those related to water, harvest, and death, who were in charge of coordinating and ruling.

These are the forces that often underpin a pantheon, the so-called chief god.

The one who currently rules over all the gods is Marduk, the King of Kings.

Currently, both Ereshkigal, the goddess of the earth, and Ishtar, the goddess of the sky, are at the level of chief gods.

But to Lin Xian's surprise, that bull from Gugalan was also so monstrous.

No wonder his owner was so wary of Ishtar, who had brought the Heavenly Bull.

However, as one mystery was solved, a new confusion arose in Lin Xian's mind, and he couldn't help but raise his head and express his doubts.

"Lady Ereshkigal, I don't quite understand why the legendary Bull of Heaven, a god-level being, was killed by Gilgamesh and Enkidu working together?"

"That Hero King is one-third human and two-thirds god, which makes him a demigod. Even if you include Enkidu, the difference is still too great!"

The goddess of the underworld smiled slightly as she recalled how Gilgamesh had killed the Bull of Heaven, who was ravaging Mesopotamia, and threatened Ishtar.

Then, the owner glanced at the underworld dome and responded with a hint of schadenfreude.

"First, that was just a downgraded projection of Gugalana, and it was suppressed by the rules, so it could only exert a portion of its power. Furthermore, the divine essence of the Bull of Heaven is still alive."

"Secondly, Ishtar underestimated Gilgamesh."

"How could the Wedge of Heaven, chosen by the gods, be so simple?"

"He is indeed a demigod, but he has all the qualities to become a god!"

"If Gilgamesh truly undergoes an ascension and returns to the side of the gods, he could at least advance to the rank of a chief god!"

"even…"

At this point, Ai Lei hurriedly shut her mouth, her face turning slightly pale, as if she had touched upon some taboo.

Lin Xian's vertical pupils flashed with a ghostly light as he looked up at the top of his head.

There can only be one king.

Whether it's the human side or the gods' side.

In addition, Lin Xian recalled a joke from his past life, which perfectly described Gilgamesh's current state.

Some people get a perfect score because there are only 100 points on the test paper.

At this moment, the owner carefully looked around, waited for a long time, and only after confirming that nothing unusual had happened did he pat his chest and slowly breathe a sigh of relief.

Then, maintaining her composure and pretending nothing had happened, the goddess stretched, got up, and casually picked up her gold and red spear, preparing to leave.

Judging from the direction, he guessed that his owner was planning to dig a hole in the Uruk region, intending to drag Gilgamesh's entire kingdom into the underworld in the future.

What grudge do you have against Uruk that you're so angry about?

Watching Ai Lei's retreating figure as she went to dig the hole, Lin Xuan was both amused and exasperated.

Chapter Sixteen: Tricks Within Tricks

The underworld, which used to be deathly silent and cold, is now unusually noisy.

"Go! Kill that serpent!"

"Idiot! Just step on its tail, hold its head down, and chop it off with one stroke—it's that simple!"

"They slipped away again! They slipped away again! They were on the left, you idiot!"

"Damn it! I really don't know what the goddess sees in these brainless idiots. All they know is brute force. If they were my soldiers, I would curse them until their families are wiped out!"

Inside the gun cages on both sides, hundreds of humanoid flames of soul flickered violently.

The undead, whose faces were still vaguely discernible, were shouting and yelling in anger, their hands holding stones engraved with skull symbols, as if they wanted to smash them.

"Samael, yes, yes, just like that, beat him up!"

"Poison is useless! Garula is a spirit, it knows all kinds of magic or divine arts, so bring them on!"

"Combat techniques are also acceptable. Resonating with the etheric factors and the resulting shockwaves can cause substantial damage to the ghosts!"

"Haha, you little rascal, you really learn fast! I knew I was right about you!"

Meanwhile, another group of ghosts, each wielding a stone with a snake-shaped symbol, offered advice with beaming smiles, or engaged in verbal battles with the opposing side.

On the open ground, two figures, one large and one small, clashed and fought fiercely.

The aftershocks of the unleashed magic caused the surrounding rocks to explode, and the powerful shockwaves stirred up a hazy dust.

"Woo!"

A sharp wail came from one side. Garula, shrouded in deathly aura, was unable to break through after a long attack and gradually descended into madness.

The monster's eyes blazed with red light as it swung its claws, causing silver light patterns to ripple outwards.

"Garula has gone berserk! The power she's using is beyond the limit! It's a foul! It's a foul!"

The ghostly Um, clutching seven or eight serpentine symbol stones in his arms, pounded on the gun cage and roared angrily.

The souls, who were originally in opposing formations, stopped jeering almost simultaneously, their eyes flickering with flames.

However, before they could react, the situation on the field suddenly changed.

The slender figure shrouded in the evil wind saw the bone claw wreathed in eerie blue flames almost within reach, and immediately raised its neck and hissed, its scales flipped and burst open, and red and black blood mist spread out.

Immediately, just as Garula struck the cloud of red and black blood mist, a hairy claw with brownish-red markings suddenly shot out and slammed it heavily to the ground.

"boom!"

A violent roar spread outwards, sending debris flying everywhere.

Garula, trapped deep in the pit, emitted a dull, low sound from its sternum, which forcefully dissipated the deathly aura surrounding it.

At the same time, as the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, the clear outline of the thing that had been stepping on Garura Spirit was revealed.

This lion-like monster, with its reddish-brown fur, is majestic and ferocious, standing about 2 meters tall. Its gaping maw is filled with two pairs of sharp canines and a mouthful of chisel-like teeth.

In addition, its neck, back, and tail are covered with golden mane, like dancing flames.

"This thing isn't..."

Old Um smacked his lips, his expression strange, with disbelief on his face.

"Uridim the Furious Lion! One of the eleven legendary beasts created by the goddess Tiamat!"

A newly arrived ghostly commander of a thousand men from the ruins of Babylon spoke in a dry tone.

Just as the atmosphere inside the gun cage froze, the angry lion turned its head and cautiously inquired, its signature serpentine vertical pupils opening and closing as it surveyed the surroundings.

"I said, it fouled first, but it still won the round, right?"

Could this monster be a transformation of that wicked Samael?!

As the ghosts looked at each other in bewilderment, Garula, who was pinned to the ground, shook his skull head.

Its previously scattered death energy surged wildly, flames burned in its eyes, and its jaws snapped open, viciously biting at the forepaws of the majestic demonic beast.

However, with even greater agility, the Angry Lion pierced through the thin death aura with a single claw, knocking Garura's head away and allowing the creature to calm down for a moment, slowly healing its wounds with the help of the death aura.

"Hey, buddy, that's enough. If you work this hard, no one will claim your work injury."

Lin Xian, now transformed into an angry lion, muttered to himself, then released the Garura spirit and, with the elegant steps of a feline, approached the group of gun cages.

"Well, a bet is a bet, so pay up. Combat skills, magic, antiques, treasures, and the like can all be discounted."

The ghosts, suddenly realizing what was happening, erupted into chaos, throwing stones engraved with skull symbols at the lion.

"Screw you, there's something fishy going on!"

"You can transform into Uldeum now, what's the point of betting!"

"That's right! You bastard! Give me my money back!"

This Garuda spirit that guards the underworld has only recently been transformed and is only at the Silver level, lacking most of its combat skills.

Even disregarding the "Eleven Warcraft" game that served as the template, this level of god-like monstrosity is still remarkable.

Currently, most of the mature Ulidem beings in the rampant beast tide in the world of Mesopotamia are at the Silver level.

And you're letting a brainless Garuru Spirit suppress its strength and fight you one-on-one? Are you kidding me? Where's your shame?!

Several knowledgeable Sumerian soldier spirits cursed the most fiercely, wishing they could jump out of their gun cages and chop the wicked thing to pieces.

Amidst a dense rain of stones, the Angry Lion's glossy fur automatically deflected the objects that struck it, its steel-like body feeling no pain or itch whatsoever.

"Tch! I said let's be peaceful, let's be reasonable."

"You guys are trying to get me to fight Garulling, and you're even placing bets on it in a sneaky way."

Lin Xian, transformed into an angry lion, approached the few most snarling spirits, his expression somewhat aggrieved.

Meanwhile, the ghosts on the other side, who were betting on Lin Xian's head with serpentine stones, couldn't hold back when they saw that the other side didn't want to admit defeat, and started cursing.

Ultimately, the chaotic noise and disputes subsided as the Garura spirits gathered and the gun cage barrier was sealed off.

At dusk, a slender figure slipped into the cave, dragged out a large bundle, and furtively knocked on several gun cages.

Several gems engraved with wedge-shaped symbols were thrown on the ground, causing the restraining barrier to spread out.

In the dim light, the bundle was untied, and the shimmering light of treasure illuminated a snake's face and two flames of soul.

To ensure the deceased have a better life in the underworld, mythologies from various civilizations record instances of spirits bribing the underworld's guards.

The Sumerians were no exception; the undead who placed bets during the day all had some stockpiles on hand.

Even without cash, the clay tablets on the table, inscribed with valuable secrets, can be used as collateral.

"After settling accounts with those guys who placed bets, this is all that's left."

"According to the rules, everyone splits the profits 30/30, so that 10% is considered a favor."

"After all, in the underworld, everyone runs into each other all the time, so there are some things you can't just take."

"For example, the gold ring that Ninnuta's wife gave him to be buried with her, Nash's heirloom amethyst, and the medals of several soldiers from the ruins of Babylon..."

"These all need to be returned."

The ancient snake flicked its tongue, picked out a few items separately, then thought for a moment, its eyes flashing.

"If 10% isn't enough, the rest can be deducted from my 30%."

"If there are no objections, are you satisfied with this division? Old Umm, and General Tarel?"