Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

Its content, of course, is to have Samael, who possesses both divine seals, judge the merits of the two goddesses.

Ishtar, who had previously tried to stand up for herself, decisively backed down after being struck by lightning and left charred and burnt. She tearfully nodded to the priest who was answering the question.

Thus, amidst the question setter's frantic attempts to insert his own agenda and the respondent's tactful flattery, the six gates leading to the Underworld Temple opened one by one.

Ishtar, who was under special care by the six gates of the underworld, had her divinity stripped away piece by piece, and her body shrank rapidly, turning her into a tiny sprite about three inches in size.

The ancient serpent looked at the rows of gun cages along the way, and the ghosts that moved around and whispered among themselves within the barrier, and a slight smile appeared on its lips.

Irene heeded his advice and was willing to give these souls more freedom.

Even if this indulgence would drastically shorten the ghosts' lifespan, it at least gave them another taste of "living".

Just as their thoughts were in turmoil, a demonic laugh came from a dark rock wall, and everyone instinctively looked back towards the source of the sound.

Sure enough, before anyone could see him, King Gilgamesh's voice was heard, and he emerged from the shadows with a delighted expression.

He first engaged in a war of words with his old rival Ishtar, each bringing up their past wounds and mocking each other. Then, he offered a rare affirmation and appreciation for everyone's efforts.

"You actually did this behind my back, and almost succeeded! You're something else, Ereshkigal!"

Gilgamesh's lips twitched slightly as he recalled what he had seen and heard in the underworld after his death from exhaustion, while he was hiding from Garuda's pursuit.

"Pfft... Haha, died from weakness? Got your base raided? That's hilarious! You shiny gold guy, you've finally met your match!"

"You dare call yourself a wise king? If Uruk had been handed over to me, the goddess, this situation would never have happened!"

“Even Samael, who just took over as shepherd priest, is stronger than you!”

"You should just step down as soon as possible, stop making a fool of yourself here!"

Ishtar, never one to forget his sarcastic remarks, leaned on Samael's shoulder, gloating.

"Hehe, I seem to remember that a certain goddess once came to the underworld to challenge Ereshkigal."

"In the end, it seems he was stripped of his powers and dragged to the temple where he was stabbed to death with a bunch of guns, right?"

"You've become a barking, defeated dog once again. It's more amusing that you're like this."

"Samael, you'd better take good care of your little pet, or it might get stepped on and killed."

Merlin and the Ancient Serpent coughed in succession, finally causing these two long-time rivals to each let out a cold snort and temporarily focus their attention on the more pressing issue.

“Let’s go, let’s go see the goddess who almost sank Uruk into the underworld.”

"I'm afraid without her permission, the souls of the dead in Kusa and Uruk cannot be returned to the surface."

Immediately after a moment of contemplation, Samael stepped forward and expertly entered the voice password "Ereshkigal" into the seventh door.

A pastoral priest? This woman chose him? Interesting…

Gilgamesh, lagging behind the group, stroked his chin and looked at the figure carrying Ishtar through the door with a subtle expression.

As the group ventured into the depths of the vast, flat, dark area, a terrifying low-pressure system swept over them, and the sinister divine power made the creatures on the ground feel an unprecedented sense of oppression and threat.

Suddenly, a massive red skull aggregate, crowned and draped in a light veil, materialized from the composite power of [17 Plagues], rose from the dead fog and emitted a cold, stern rebuke.

"How dare you lead such a harlot to so brazenly defile my temple! Unforgivable! Unforgivable!"

Fear! Pray!

"You arrogant fools who, as living beings, dare to trespass into this death trap, are you prepared to bear my wrath?"

As the beam of light slammed down, sharp spikes began to spread across the ground, and a black tide of deathly mist, imbued with seventeen curses, swept in.

"Merlin!"

At that moment, Samael roared and charged toward the terrifying giant skull.

The white-haired succubus recalled the strange request the leader had made to him privately on the road, and immediately gripped his staff tightly with both hands, chanting a spell as he rapidly pointed the end at the ground.

In an instant, a dreamlike sea of ​​flowers spread from the foot of the plum grove, transforming the deathly mist and earth spikes into layers upon layers of flower stamens.

Flowers? Is my underworld really blooming?

Hidden within the giant skeleton, Ereshkigal looked bewildered. Instinctively, she reached out her bony hand, gathered up the scattered pink and white petals, and murmured softly.

"No! Why is my power failing! In the Underworld, I am the strongest!"

The goddess of the underworld, who had just come to her senses, gripped her halberd tightly, somewhat incredulous.

Merlin's illusions rely more on his thoughts.

"The reason you succeeded so easily is because your heart is full of flowers, Ereshkigal..."

The figure that walked through the sea of ​​flowers whispered softly, and as it looked up, it revealed a faint smile to the giant skull where the goddess was hiding.

In an instant, that familiar call opened the floodgates of Ai Lei's memories.

The past that surfaced in her mind gradually outlined a slender silhouette, causing her to look at the human-looking newcomer in astonishment. She then shook her head repeatedly, her lips moving.

"No...impossible! You can't be it!"

"I told you I owed you a sea of ​​flowers, do you remember?"

The words Samael uttered seemed to possess a terrifying magic, causing the enormous skeleton afflicted with the seventeen plagues to stagger backward.

There is only one being who can make this promise, and that is naturally the snake that has been with him for more than half a year.

After a moment of disorientation, Ereshkigal gritted her teeth and recalled the scenes she had witnessed through Ishtar's body. Her blood surged, and she angrily slammed down the light-shaped gun wheel in her hand.

"You're not dead?! Then why did you lie to me! Why did you run away from me?!"

"Does my existence only evoke fear in you? Does it only make you want to run away?!"

"fraud!"

hum!

However, when the gun wheel, which had deflected to one side, cleaved open the several upward-thrown bags, particles of various sizes and shapes were scattered everywhere.

"This is…"

A suppressed, trembling voice came from the giant skull, and the fingers gripping the gun barrel shook more and more violently.

"Flower seeds..."

Samael sighed slightly with regret, bent down and picked up the scattered little things one by one, explaining as he collected them.

"This soil was specially collected for you from all over Mesopotamia. I wonder if the improved underworld soil will be able to make them bloom..."

At this moment, the giant skull turned into red and black dust and dissipated inch by inch. The goddess with golden hair and wearing a red and black Sumerian dress revealed her true appearance and stood there blankly.

"You left the underworld... to... gather flower seeds for me?"

"Of course! I said I'd give you a sea of ​​flowers! I have to keep my promise!"

Samael tossed a pomegranate seed into his pocket, looked up with a serious expression, and answered decisively.

Then, the ancient serpent glanced back at the fading illusory flowers around it, its expression somewhat helpless.

"Merlin is a nightmare; his illusions can only last for a while. I said I would give you real flowers, so this naturally doesn't count!"

"So you left without saying goodbye. I thought..."

The goddess gazed at the snake molt wrapped around her arm and gently bit her lower lip.

"It's so dangerous outside, you wouldn't agree even if I told you."

"Move your foot away first, there's another one underneath..."

"Oh…"

The ancient serpent uttered a casual remark, which caused the god of the underworld, who governs death and terror, to give way.

Immediately, feeling flustered and at a loss, Eresh crouched down and searched around for the scattered flower seeds.

"I'll help you pick them up..."

"Keep an eye on it, don't put the wrong kinds of things in there, so we don't have to pick them all over again when we come back."

"it is good!"

Everyone stared in disbelief at the two figures who were engrossed in searching for flower seeds on the ground, whispering amongst themselves. Their minds went blank and their thoughts became a jumbled mess.

What are we here for? Something doesn't seem right.

Chapter Ninety-Five: Sweet to the Point of Sadness (First Update)

"These are iris seeds collected near Mount Aibif. When they bloom, they will surely be more vibrant and softer than those stones..."

"The roses found on the outskirts of Kusa have a strong fragrance; if you wear them on clothes, the scent will last a long time..."

"Sea buckthorn near the cedar forest—after it bears fruit, it's edible; it tastes sweet and sour and is quite delicious..."

"The roses at the Uruk flower shop are famous. I asked the shop owner for different types of roses, all of which were carefully cultivated and selected..."

"Furthermore, the environmental changes in Ur and Eridu have brought many new species from exotic lands, such as marigolds, South American daffodils, and orchids..."

Ai Lei opened the pocket and stared blankly at the colorful flower seeds that had fallen inside, imagining in her mind the beautiful scene of them taking root, sprouting, and blooming.

The ancient serpent that brought these things had a bright, sparkling light in its eyes as it explained with great interest the origin of each seed, its living environment, and the related customs and traditions.

Even speaking of things getting interesting.

Wild berries from the cedar forests, ale from Kusa, butter cakes and lamb chops from Uruk, date porridge from Eridu, and sea buckthorn juice from Ur all fall within the scope of Samael's descriptions...

Ultimately, it even encompassed the entirety of life in various regions, including pottery making, metallurgy, animal husbandry, and wedding customs.

The goddess of the underworld, who knew very little about everything on earth, couldn't help but look on with longing and yearning, her pretty face beaming with delight.

yes……

The place Samael traveled through was called Mesopotamia;

The culture he encountered was Sumerian;

The air he breathes comes from the free sky and the solid earth;

There, you can feel the warmth of the sun, smell the fragrance of flowers and grass, experience the flow of the river, and feel the gentle breeze.

These are all things I once longed for, things I once envied…

The snake she had once adopted was trying to bring her the beauty of the earth.

All the efforts stemmed from a seemingly absurd promise.

"You did all this for me?"

"Well, although Merlin was brought here, his illusions are ultimately fake, so they can't be considered real..."

"I promised you, no matter what, I would find a way to make the most beautiful flowers bloom in the underworld!"

Samael's eyes were clear, and his face was gentle and devout.

"But all I can bring to Lady Ereshkigal are these flowers..."

Then, the ancient serpent looked up at the dark dome, then lowered its eyelids, and in a slightly sentimental reverie, its voice gradually lowered.

"Mesopotamia is no longer what it used to be."

"Mount Aibif has been ravaged, barren and desolate, with no greenery left to cover the rocks..."

"Kusa has become a dead city, the taverns are no longer open, and the roses in the temple have long since withered..."

"The cedar forest is teeming with monsters, and the river is littered with human corpses..."

"Ur and Eridu are surrounded by rainforest; you can hardly see any date palms or sea buckthorn trees, and no one dares to go out and pick these fruits..."

Aileen's fingers, gripping the edge of the pocket, trembled. Her face darkened, and she bit her lower lip tightly. She tried to speak several times, but remained silent.

The gods are high above, possessing innate authority; the waves they stir up at will can ravage the earth.

The tiny bit of beauty that humankind has created over millions of years is quickly shattered into countless pieces of glass.

Whether it's Ishtar or the three goddesses, they are undoubtedly destroyers.

A strong sense of guilt arose within this god of the underworld, who wanted to protect Sumerian culture and preserve human souls.

Samael picked up a glistening pomegranate seed and couldn't help but sigh.

"These things, however beautiful, are merely inanimate objects with only outward appearances. Human culture is the most magnificent and eternal flower of the Mesopotamian world..."

"Aileen, you taught me to recognize these beauties, and to yearn for everything on earth, so you must feel the same way, right?"

As he pondered, the ancient serpent's bright eyes, filled with anticipation, turned to the bowed god of the underworld.