Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"Just treat them like your lazy apprentices, you know what I mean?"

A lazy apprentice?

Scáthach raised her eyebrows, a hint of menace appearing on her face with a palpable sense of immersion.

"Oh, and if Gaia makes any moves, remember to let me know."

Immediately, Samael dropped a chess piece in front of the sand table, clapped his hands, and turned to walk out the door.

"Where are you going?"

Scáthach couldn't help but feel a little lost, and subconsciously asked a question.

"Time is running out, go and finish what needs to be done."

The ancient serpent waved its hand behind it, and its figure gradually disappeared into the pillar of light of the Rainbow Bridge teleportation array.

After a brief tremor, as the light faded, Samael was greeted by a vibrant wilderness, with lush flowers and grasses growing on both sides of the road.

A gentle breeze ripples through the neatly divided fields, creating waves of golden wheat that fill the air with an enticing aroma.

At the end of the road, an old man in a black hooded coat with a simple face stood leaning on a cane, seemingly waiting.

Behind him, a magnificent city in gold and blue rose from the ground, and residents coming and going had satisfied smiles on their faces.

Meanwhile, looking around, several Babylonian dragons peeked out from the nearby wetlands; Ugal chased and hunted in the jungle; and in the sky, three-headed lion-dragons and two-legged wyverns circled and swept by.

Everything is as vivid as I remember, everything is as real as yesterday.

Long time no see, Uruk...

A hint of nostalgia flickered in Samael's eyes as he set off to meet the old man waiting by the roadside.

Chapter 223 Paradise Lost

Samael and the old man nodded to each other and walked together toward the building they remembered.

Crossing the reed-covered plains, we arrived at the foot of the city. In the blood-red sunset, the entire metropolis was painted with magnificent colors. Vehicles carrying goods and soldiers patrolling the streets 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.

"Samael! Samael! Here! Here!"

The little purple-haired girl in the black cloak, hooded and headband-wearing girl in front of the city gate raised her face covered with crumbs of wheat cake and excitedly waved and shouted at the two figures walking out of the wilderness.

Beside the purple-haired girl, a kind and excited guard uncle, who had contributed wheat cakes, knelt down on one knee and bowed respectfully to the newcomer, holding a long spear.

"Welcome back, Your Majesty."

"Yes, I'm finally home."

Samael was quite moved. He helped the guard up and took a piece of wheat cake from the bag that Anna was holding up like a treasure. He took a crunchy bite, and the familiar wheat aroma burst in his mouth.

On the way, two hamsters, one big and one small, were munching on biscuits, their movements perfectly synchronized.

The little girl's purple eyes sparkled as she raised her chin and asked with pride.

"Uncle's wheat cakes, aren't they good?"

"Yes, it's absolutely delicious, crispy and sweet. No wonder you kept craving it in Greece, Anna. I'll have to ask your uncle for the recipe later, so I can make it for you anytime you want!"

The ancient snake squinted in enjoyment, praising the sight, and then turned its head towards little Anna, winking mischievously with its left eye and making a smiling promise.

"Ok!"

The purple-haired girl's face flushed, and she nodded excitedly.

As we passed the city gate, inside the eastern barracks, shouts and cheers filled the air. The assembled soldiers were divided into groups: one side rhythmically pounding their shields and chanting Spartan beats, while the other side opened their arms and spoke in Babylonian slang.

"Take down this despicable outsider! Boss, I've staked everything on you!"

"Go! Go! Go! Let's teach those Uruk people a lesson! General, our chances of turning things around depend on this!"

In the center, surrounded by soldiers, Taller, the centurion of the ruined Babylonian capital, and Tabad, the muscular old general of Uruk, squatted in front of the stake, wrestling with their knuckles cracking.

A familiar feeling welled up in his heart, and Samael couldn't help but smile.

Avoiding the noise of the military camp, walking on the streets, the layout of the city's inner side still faintly shows traces of the past.

Even as night fell, the city remained brightly lit and 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.

Several familiar faces were also mixed in.

For example, old Um is teaching his burly son how to enchant weapons at the ironworks; the former one-armed general Tim is escorting cartloads of weapons to the sacrificial site.

Everything seems like it was just yesterday.

This is Paradise Lost, the deepest level of hell in the Mesopotamian world.

The souls of those who perished in the battle for salvation in Uruk return here, are reborn, and recreate their former glory, enjoying an ideal life.

This is both the divine's impartiality and the divine's selfishness.

Before they knew it, Samael, Anna, and old man Jusudra had arrived at the front of the Uruk embassy.

The sweet aroma of butter cake, the rich flavor of fresh milk, the spiciness of lamb chops, and the delicate fragrance of ale wafted out from under the door, filling the air with their enticing aroma.

Before the three could enter the house, the door opened on its own, and the high priest, Siduli, greeted them with a smile.

Inside the courtyard, the unlucky leopard somehow offended the Feathered Serpent Goddess again and got a good beating with his head being pressed down.

"What's wrong with you?"

Samael casually mentioned it, remembering the contributions of a certain four-legged creature from years ago.

"It's nothing, it's just that this guy stole the food I prepared."

Upon seeing Samael and the other two arrive, Kukulkan immediately reduced his strength, straightened his disheveled clothes, and smiled amiably, though with a hint of helplessness.

"How much did you eat?"

"Half a piece..."

"No, no!"

The ancient snake offered words of comfort, casually making excuses for the leopard.

"She spat the remaining half back in..."

"It's because Kukul's stewed beef is too tough and gets stuck in your teeth! Even a dog wouldn't eat this!"

The leopard beside it seized the opportunity to break free and loudly defend itself.

"You guys continue, I didn't see anything."

Samael's cheeks twitched slightly, and he turned his head without hesitation, covering Anna's eyes with his hand as he did so.

hiss!

At the same time, the leopard, which had been shouting loudly, suddenly felt a chill run from its tailbone straight to the top of its head. It couldn't help but shrink its neck and stiffly turn its head.

Behind her, a pair of golden-red, snake-like vertical pupils opened and closed with a smile, and the ten interlocked fingers clenched together, making a series of teeth-grinding cracking sounds from the knuckles.

A moment later, as Samael and his two companions walked past, a series of heart-wrenching roars sounded behind them, until a human-shaped flagpole with its head stuck in the ground appeared in the yard.

Having bid farewell to the daily love-hate relationship between the two Mayan gods, Gilgamesh, dressed in casual clothes, and Leonidas, having removed his armor, are drinking together on the steps of the main hall.

Inside the room, the two goddesses of Uruk, Ereshkigal, were setting up the table and chairs. She thoughtfully placed a bouquet of flowers, still glistening with dew, in the ceramic vase in the center of the table.

Ishtar then took over the task of setting out the cups and plates, but Samael vaguely noticed that a few of the gold cutlery pieces that the woman handled seemed to be missing.

Meanwhile, Enkidu, the Lock of Heaven, Shamhat, the old priestess, and Siduri, the high priestess present, were going in and out of the kitchen, preparing Uruk's special dishes.

This is their reunion since that battle to save the world.

Although the old swindler Merlin was absent, the presence of an Assyrian empress helped sober him up, which somewhat made up for the absence.

As exquisite and abundant food was served dish by dish, its rich aroma filling the air, the men were finally allowed to enter the house.

"Okay, everyone's here, so only one last dish is left!"

Quetzalcoatl clapped his hands and waved with a smile. The women who had been crowding around the kitchen door with mysterious smiles on their faces stepped aside and made way for him to present the main course of the feast, as if he were the center of attention.

The verdant touch of the earth, accompanied by scattered strands of green hair, cascaded down to the ground. The figure, dressed in a white apron and with blinking cross-shaped eyes, slowly opened her arms and revealed a serene smile to the ancient serpent.

"Samael, welcome back!"

"Ok!"

Samael was stunned for a long time until the gazes of the crowd turned mocking. He then suddenly came to his senses, nodded heavily, his face beaming with a satisfied nasal sound.

I went home these past two days.

My mother summoned me back home these past two days to do some work. Yesterday, I tidied up my rented apartment in the city and went home, where I met with all my relatives. I was a bit tired last night, so I went to bed early.

I will maintain normal updates for the next couple of days. I expect to finish this volume this month. I apologize, I've been quite busy this month. This is the first time in the history of this book that I haven't had a perfect attendance record. I'll try my best to make up for it, as much as I can. There's no way I'll abandon this book.

I also want to thank the readers who have been urging me to update and who have given me tips recently. Thank you, but I feel unworthy of such kindness.

Chapter 224 Palace Thieves

Night falls inside the embassy.

One after another, Sumerian delicacies were served on the table, and Gilgamesh generously tossed several jugs of royal wine onto the table, pouring the amber-colored liquid into cups.

"cheers!"

Amidst cheers, every face beamed with genuine smiles, and every name was etched in each other's memories.

Of course, the old man, as always, used water instead of wine to express his feelings.

After a thousand years, the long-separated people reunited. What made everyone happiest was that the mother goddess Tiamat had absorbed enough divinity, shed her status as a banished beast, and returned to the earth in her complete form.

Samael sat down beside the mother goddess Tiamat, his fingers quietly climbing up her arm, clasping her slender white fingers, conveying a longing that had been accumulating for thousands of years.

A warm atmosphere filled the air.

Everyone raised their glasses to celebrate the Mother Goddess, their eyes filled with joy and comfort.

In the past, the Mother Goddess parted from the world for their sake, and now they have finally welcomed her back, making up for the regrets of the past.

Children will one day step out of the cradle and grow up, but a mother's embrace is always a safe haven for them.

After several rounds of drinks and several dishes, everyone finally had a rare day of leisure. Their tense nerves relaxed a bit, and they chatted casually in small groups, each talking about topics that interested them.

However, after trying all the dishes on the table, Samael felt that something was missing.

Suddenly, the ancient snake slapped its forehead, realizing the answer.

Beef, ah, it's been so long since I've had it. Without the stew and the nationwide celebration from last time, it just doesn't feel right.

Samael clicked his tongue, his eyes turning to Ishtar with a wistful look, and then glancing regretfully at the gold and blue striped pet under the corner of the table.

Tsk, it's so small, there's hardly any meat...

The malicious glance sent a chill down the spines of both the Bull of Heaven and its master, Ishtar.

"Hmm, I'm full. I'll go for a walk to help digest."

Ishtar felt a chill run down her spine. Had she been discovered?

The goddess of heaven's heart pounded, she hurriedly withdrew her hand, coughed, and slipped out of the embassy.

Samael glanced at the high priest sitting next to Ishtar, then looked at the great goddess's hurried appearance, and stroked his chin thoughtfully.

A quarter of an hour later, at the Royal Palace Tower.

A furtive figure fumbled for a key and excitedly searched for the lock.

"Cough cough..."

Just as the figure lying in front of the forbidden gate of the royal palace tower was overjoyed, a sudden cough from behind startled her so much that she almost threw the golden-blue striped divine beast in her hand as a hidden weapon.

"Samael... Samael? You... how did you get here?"

Ishtar's gaze fell upon the person staring at her from behind. She hurriedly slung the hidden weapon and key behind her back, her eyes darting around as she stammered her question.