Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Anna angrily waved her little fists, her teeth grinding. She now had a psychological aversion to fish; just thinking about them made her mouth feel nauseous from the fishy smell.

"Yeah, how can you not eat something you made yourself?"

Samael realized what was going on, picked up a skewer of grilled fish, and handed it over with a forced smile.

Just as the two fish were cooked, he and Anna unconsciously took the seemingly golden-brown and tender grilled fish. But the moment they tasted them, all their fantasies instantly turned into a nightmare.

Damn! That Mei has no conscience! To save face, she actually used illusion magic!

"Brother, I appreciate your kind offer."

"However, I am a half-sleep demon, a dream eater..."

Merlin blinked and subtly pushed the bioweapon away.

Damn it! You've hardly ever eaten human food, and you still dare to cook!

Is this what you call a reward and gratitude? I'm speechless!

The two victims' forehead veins bulged, and they wished they could catch the nightmare and give it a good beating.

"Alright, it's getting late, let's hurry on our way."

Seeing that things were not going well, the white-haired nightmare demon immediately got up with a smile and, under the pretext of leading the way, slipped away.

This guy's way of moving forward—transforming into flower petals and scattering, then regrouping in another location—is extremely dazzling and flamboyant.

The two victims tried to catch up several times, but they were always just a little distance apart, which made them grit their teeth with hatred.

Merlin deserves to die!

Anna, feeling cheated, vented her anger with a cold snort, while Samael, who was slightly behind, wrote down the score in his little notebook.

At the same time, as the ancient snake turned its head, its gaze fell on the swamp in the reeds, and a golden-red pattern appeared on its fingers and palm.

After a whole day and night of hard work, we finally made some progress.

While Merlin and Anna were away, he, the wounded man who remained behind, absorbed the remains of a furious lion, replenishing the magical beast spirit core within his body that lacked a trace of divine essence.

Moreover, even without transforming into Uldeum's form, it can still exhibit some of its characteristics.

For example, it has beast instincts, increased arm strength, enhanced speed, and finally, it seems to have some resistance to fire.

However, the Lion Ulidim is a relatively low-level creature among the eleven magical beasts, and the enhancements it provides are quite limited.

Moreover, to avoid alerting the cunning old dream demon, he didn't dare to be too ostentatious about absorbing the monster's corpse, and only chose one.

After he finished, Samael carefully threw the body into the swamp to destroy the evidence.

Improving one's strength is not something that can be accomplished overnight.

In this era where heroes abound and monsters roam, freaks are everywhere. You'll survive much longer with your brains than with brute force, so it's always a good idea to be careful and develop your strength stealthily.

After calming his thoughts, Samael withdrew his gaze and bid farewell to the reed field that held a secret.

After walking for several hours, the three had crossed most of the reed plain and were approaching the border.

"laugh!"

At that moment, as they passed a body of water, a brownish-green scorpion-like hooked tail suddenly sliced ​​through the reeds along the way and shot out.

"when!"

Samael, who was the first to be hit, almost instinctively swung his longsword the moment he felt the change in wind pressure, and parried the scorpion's tail.

"Roar!"

A strange roar followed, and a lizard-like, pointed-headed demonic beast, Muxiu Huxiu, covered in bluish-green scales, charged fiercely across the reeds on either side.

Damn it! It's me again! You all want to pick on the weak, right?

The ancient serpent, once again chosen as a priority target, was so angry that it wanted to curse.

However, before he could directly encounter the heavily armored monster, Anna, the little angel who had been taking good care of him, stepped forward.

The crimson scythe slashed down heavily, slicing a smooth line through the monster's neck.

As the stench of blood filled the air, rustling and crawling sounds could be heard from nearby.

The three exchanged a glance, then immediately channeled their magic and left the swamp at top speed.

Finally, after running for more than ten minutes, they crossed the reed field safely.

Standing on the open, flat ground and looking out, the magnificent outline of Uruk, the fortress city that defends human dignity, can be vaguely seen.

We’ve arrived at our destination!

Chapter 40 Merlin deserves to die! (Fourth update)

“Even the wetlands of the reed plains have been found to be inhabited by magical beasts, making them a suitable habitat for Muxiuhuxiu, who lives in the swamp.”

"Furthermore, judging from the noise we just heard, they seem to be nesting and breeding there..."

"This would cut off the road from Uruk to Kusa."

“The minerals from the area around the Ebifu Mountains cannot be transported and circulated quickly, which is a bit of a problem.”

Merlin habitually stroked his chin in thought, a hint of worry creeping into his eyes as he pondered.

Immediately, the great sage, who rarely showed such a serious expression, turned to Samael, who had been accompanying him, and gave him an apologetic smile.

"Brother, I'm sorry to have affected you, but thankfully the crisis is over."

"The rest of the roads around here should be safe. What are your plans for the future?"

However, before Samael could consider his answer, Anna looked up and whispered a suggestion.

"Come with us to Uruk! It's the safest place right now!"

The ancient snake sensed the child's kindness, gently cupped Anna's head with its fingers and stroked her lightly, then chuckled and nodded.

“Very well, I have a mission to undertake and am on my way to visit King Gilgamesh. We can go along the same route.”

The nightmare stood at the front of the road, a smile playing on its lips, bowing slightly in an elegant courtly gesture, raising its hand in an invitation.

"Well then, welcome to the Mesopotamian world, to Uruk, the oldest fortress city in human history!"

As the saying goes, "Looking at a mountain makes a horse run itself to death," and that magnificent city seems to have already taken shape.

However, the three of them set off from the border of the reed plains at noon, and by the time they actually reached the outskirts of Uruk on foot, they could only see the afterglow of the setting sun.

Under the blood-red setting sun, the entire city was painted with magnificent colors, and vehicles transporting supplies and soldiers coming and going flowed endlessly on the solid, wide roads.

The high walls on both sides, built of clay bricks and stones, exuded an aura of magical incantations, making them appear indestructible.

The outer walls of the archway, painted with green and yellow pigment, are decorated with sculptures of livestock such as cattle, sheep, horses, and dogs. The simple lines exude a rustic charm.

Through the open doors, the layout of the city's interior can be vaguely seen.

Even as night fell and it was wartime, Uruk, which housed most of the remaining population of Mesopotamia, remained bustling with activity.

The sounds of comings and goings, transactions, discussions, playful banter, training, casting, and other lively activities filled the air.

The area boasts a full range of functional and distinctive venues, including fruit and vegetable stalls, pottery workshops, ironworks, an observatory, livestock farms, hotels, and restaurants, creating a bustling and vibrant atmosphere.

Merlin, who was in charge of leading the way, handed over the travel pass around his neck at the city gate and then led Samael and Anna on a tour of Uruk, the fortress city that had withstood the monster tide for half a year.

“It’s getting late. Even if Wang hasn’t gone to sleep, he still has a lot of work to do.”

"Why don't I take you to the embassy to stay first, and then we can go to the Royal Palace Tower to pay our respects early tomorrow morning?"

After briefly appreciating the charm of this Sumerian city, Merlin looked at the setting sun gradually sinking below the horizon and made a suggestion.

Samael glanced at Anna, who was engrossed in munching on a snack beside him, and smiled slightly.

"If meals are provided, I have no objection..."

As Anna passed through the city gate, a kind guard took pity on the child who had traveled a long way to Uruk for refuge and gave her some biscuit-like snacks that she was carrying.

After that, from the moment the three entered the room, the girl kept making noises like a greedy squirrel.

Anna noticed the gaze on her side, looked up with a hint of panic, and raised her little face covered with cookie crumbs.

After recalling the topic from earlier, the little girl nodded her head innocently, flashed her fangs, and gave a stern warning.

"Yes, and Merlin is not allowed to cook!"

The white-haired succubus first clutched its chest in feigned sadness, then, under Anna's threatening gnawing, reluctantly nodded.

"No problem, you can have a big feast this time!"

Samael and Merlin exchanged glances and nodded to each other knowingly.

The ancient serpent could tell that Anna had become much more cheerful after the two of them bantered along the way, so it tacitly refrained from exposing the great sage's little trick.

In addition, to satisfy your cravings, you should also rinse your mouth of the fishy smell.

After locating the embassy, ​​Samael took out a money bag from his bundle and prepared ten witch's silver coins, entrusting the task of purchasing them to little Anna, who was very curious about the market.

As for the ten shrine maiden silver coins, they were naturally her errand fee.

Watching the jubilant little angel depart, Samael, with Merlin's help, began to tidy up the embassy, ​​which was showing signs of neglect.

As night fell, with the purchase of daily necessities such as fruits, vegetables, cooked food, bedding, and curtains, Gu She took the initiative to take over as the chef, making some mushroom soup and regular stir-fries.

Although he is not a gourmet, living alone has given him some basic cooking skills.

In addition, thanks to the teachings of a certain holy prostitute, some basic dishes should be provided, which is acceptable.

As for the diners' opinions, Anna, with a stack of lamb ribs piled up next to her and busy munching on butter cake, had already proven the deliciousness of the dishes with her round little belly.

Merlin, who was drinking his mead with gusto, looked quite like a drunkard.

Furthermore, although this guy claimed to be a nightmare demon, food for humans, and that it didn't have much practical significance for him, he still couldn't help but try a few pieces and praised them highly.

Such behavior made Samael, who had been tricked by the "Stargazing" meal, roll his eyes.

"From now on, Merlin must never be allowed in the kitchen!"

Anna, who was clinking glasses and sipping her drink, suddenly slammed her hand on the table and stood up, whether out of a sudden feeling or because she was recalling painful memories of the Reed Plains.

"If he dares to keep trying to trick us into eating awful food, we'll smash his head in!"

Beside him, Gu She subtly licked his lips, nibbling at a piece of juicy lamb chop.

"Yes! Smash his head!"

Anna excitedly waved her little fists, her face flushed, and then tilted her head back to drink the contents of her cup in one gulp.

Before Samael could react, the purple-haired girl summoned a scythe, jumped over the table, and swung it at Merlin.

"Hey, hey, hey! Anna! That's an immortal weapon in your hand! Playing with it like that will kill someone!"

The nightmare was so frightened that it hurriedly dodged away.

"Hey buddy! Stop her!"

Samael frowned slightly and reached out to help Anna, who was staggering, so that she wouldn't stumble or bump into anything.

Unexpectedly, upon contact, a strong smell of alcohol wafted from the little girl's breath.

Ancient Serpent's face darkened. He reached across and took the cup Anna had used earlier. The bottom layer of pale white milk emitted a strong aroma of ale.

"Merlin, you bastard, you secretly added alcohol to Anna's milk! Die!"

"Just a little bit..."

"Besides, look how little she can hold her liquor; she should definitely start training from a young age..."

The nightmare hiding by the door cautiously peeked out, offering a dry laugh as it tried to justify itself.

They even lie to children. Good luck to them. They have no conscience!

The ancient snake released the little drunk cat from its arms without expression and whispered seductive words into the girl's ear.

"belch…"

"Merlin... deserves to die!"

Anna burped, muttering the keywords she had just heard, her eyes glazed over, and she stumbled forward like a kitten showing its claws.

The Flower Magician, who had committed numerous evil deeds along the way, finally reaped what he sowed, being chased all over the yard by a drunken Anna.

Chapter 41 "Kind and Simple" Outsiders