The Cloud-Raised Brave Man's Travels

When the Warcraft front appeared, the witches and priests of the Uruk Temple performed a ceremony. They hoped to summon Ishtar, the city god of Uruk, to help Uruk overcome the difficulties. They succeeded. They possessed Ishtar in the body of a human girl, and this is the current Ishtar.

The girl's self-consciousness merged with the goddess's essence to form a new personality——

"Originally, all the gods of Mesopotamia had radiant golden hair. Ishtar's black hair probably stems from the girl herself, but she is undoubtedly Ishtar. Remember this."

"I see. No wonder the goddess Ishtar's personality differs quite a bit from what is described in mythology."

"That goddess Ishtar is more human than a god..."

"Oh~~ Anna, from your tone, you seem to prefer this human-like Ishtar. Hmm~~ That's strange, isn't it Anna who hates humans the most?"

"Eh?"

Anna was frightened by Merlin's sudden question. Then she pulled the hood on her head and hid herself completely in the black robe. She lowered her head and walked quickly away from Merlin and walked forward.

"Humans hate it, gods hate it, but Merlin is the most annoying!"

"Ah, am I disliked by the little girl? Brother Merlin is so heartbroken."

No one paid any attention to Merlin's antics as they chatted and laughed as they advanced towards Kusa. Their pace wasn't slow; aside from Fujimaru Tachibana, there were no ordinary people in the group, so they ignored the terrain and advanced in a straight line towards Kusa. However, due to the forced march, Tachibana remained on Koya's back. Mashu offered to carry her several times, but Tachibana refused. Merlin also feigned exhaustion several times, only to be chased by Anna with a scythe each time.

With Merlin around, their journey wasn't boring at all. It was unclear whether he did it on purpose or if it was simply his personality.

As the sun cast its last rays, the group finally arrived at Kusa. Looking at the city, Koya felt a sense of alarm.

The sun still shone through, but Kusa seemed shrouded in darkness. Koya, standing high above, scanned every corner of Kusa. There was no sign of life at all: no snakes, insects, rats, or ants. Even the plants were withered. Just as Merlin had said, the city of Kusa seemed dead.

Koya's senses were still working, and the premonition of danger was urging him to escape from this place. To be honest, Koya really wanted to fire a destructive ray directly at the city, but he couldn't do that.

Just as Koya frowned as he looked at the city shrouded in darkness, Mashu also completed the preliminary reconnaissance and reported to Tachibana.

"There are absolutely no traces of magical beasts around here. This place isn't far from the north, and there are magical beasts roaming even outside the rainforest, but there aren't a single one here. They seem to be afraid of this place, too."

"Well, it's too dangerous to enter this city at night anyway. Let's find a place to camp outside the city tonight."

Merlin's proposal was approved, and soon four modern camping tents that were quite out of tune with the times were set up on a rocky mountain outside the city of Kusa. Anna also collected enough firewood, which Koya didn't have in his portable warehouse, as he wouldn't need it after all.

"Koya Koya, I want to eat ramen."

"It's only instant, but it's already soaked, so just eat it."

Koya took out five cups of steaming instant noodles. The fresh and fragrant smell and chewy noodles whetted everyone's appetite. Mashu was a little puzzled as to how Koya, a medieval servant, could take out such modern things. She had wanted to ask this question when she was setting up the tent.

"Hey, can Keya make some more barbecue?"

Koya didn't say anything, but silently took out a lot of lamb skewers, beef skewers and some grilled vegetables. He also took out two cans of beer, one for himself and one for Merlin.

"Wow, there's still beer? Koya, you're awesome~~~"

Merlin excitedly pulled the ring, drank a can of beer in one gulp, and then reached out to ask Koya for more.

"Five cans at most, don't get drunk."

“Okay~~~”

Around the campfire, the group ate barbecue and drank beer. Despite the danger, they seemed to be enjoying camping. As for Annakoya, there was also an unlimited supply of cake. I don't know if it was an illusion, but Koya felt that Anna's eyes had softened when she looked at her. It turned out that children really like sweets.

Nothing unexpected happened tonight. Although Keya's early warning system had been working, the night remained peaceful. Perhaps too peaceful, perhaps. There were no insects chirping, no wind spirits, and the starlight and moonlight were exceptionally dim. Aside from the campfire, the world seemed plunged into darkness. This feeling filled Keya with a chilling feeling. The fear of the unknown was more terrifying than facing a ferocious enemy.

Early in the morning, everyone looked at Koya eagerly, anticipating what kind of food he would serve. Koya didn't disappoint, providing plenty of meat buns and soy milk! Koya was clearly incredibly powerful, but his biggest role in the team was logistics. Anna and Mashu could handle minor dangers, while Merlin would handle even slightly more serious ones with his sword. And if they encountered truly troublesome enemies, Koya didn't need to intervene; Merlin waved his hand and everyone fled, leaving Koya... powerless!

After breakfast, the group gathered their thoughts and entered the city of Kusa. The dead in the city had already been taken care of by the rescue team led by Leonidas. There were currently no traces of any living creatures in the city. Finding a clay tablet in such a large city was no easy task, so Tachibana suggested splitting up the search.

Chapter 161: The Underworld

Walking alone in this dead city, Koya felt a chill down his spine. No matter how strong, wealthy, or powerful one is, death always treats everyone fairly. No one is not afraid of death. In Kusa, which seems to be shrouded in death, the stronger people are, the more uneasy they are, because they know very well that death is always around in this city.

Koya subconsciously deployed his divine domain to cover a five-meter radius around him, and it indeed felt much more comfortable. Without it, it felt like walking home from a horror movie at night, with all the streetlights under maintenance and no one else around... With it activated, it was like suddenly turning a corner on this quiet street and arriving at a bustling food court. The uneasiness and fear that had been lingering within him were instantly replaced by the hustle and bustle of life.

After opening the divine realm, Keya began searching the abandoned houses for the so-called Destiny Tablet. However, the dilapidated structures were covered in a thick layer of dust, leaving nothing of note. Keya had a hunch that no matter how hard he searched, he wouldn't be able to find the Destiny Tablet. After all, if it were truly in this city, with a bit of luck, he might have been able to unleash it with a simple kick upon entering the city. This was the confidence his skills gave him.

However, before Keya could figure out where the Destiny Tablet was, the system gave him a warning—

[Ding—It has been detected that Fujimaru Tachika is in danger of life. Please go to her side as soon as possible. It has been detected that Fujimaru Tachika is in danger of life. Please go to her side as soon as possible. It has been detected that Fujimaru Tachika is in danger of life. Please go to her side as soon as possible.]

Three reminders in a row had Koya's mind spinning. It had only been less than ten minutes since he'd left, and how could something have gone wrong with Fujimaru Tachibana? Wasn't that monster named Fufu still with her? How could something have gone wrong if the monster couldn't even defeat her?

However, Koya's body moved before his thoughts. He subconsciously activated the Brilliant Dragon Transformation, and then converted all the energy in his body into thunder attribute. He slammed the ground with an ultimate punch. Although the penetration of thunder made this attack make a huge noise, all the energy went to the ground, and Fujimaru Tachibana was under the ground.

·Dividing line·

"Eh hey hey? Where is this place? Why am I here?"

Fujimaru Ritsuka just blinked her eyes in the square of Kusa. When she opened her eyes, the sun above her head had disappeared. Although the ceiling here was shining like stars, it was just enough to see clearly. Fujimaru Ritsuka was now on the edge of a cliff, and there was a downward staircase next to her.

"Fufu——"

"Is Fufu with me? I feel a little relieved, but where exactly is this place? Am I still in Kusa? Am I dreaming?"

Fujimaru Tachibana has a lot of experience in dreaming. Sometimes when he wakes up from bed with his eyes closed, he finds himself in prison, and sometimes he finds himself on the grass or in the ocean. In short, if it is really a dream, then the situation before his eyes is very normal.

"But if I'm dreaming, Fufu probably won't follow me, so we should stay at the Confidence Singularity."

Fufu, who was lying on Fujimaru Tachibana's shoulder, suddenly reacted. It turned around and stood on Tachibana's shoulder, baring its teeth behind her, like a puppy about to attack.

"Fufu? Holy shit! What the hell is that!"

As soon as Fujimaru Tachibana turned around, she saw an incredibly ugly zombie standing behind her. It was shrouded in a black robe, with only its face exposed. This face was the direct cause of Tachibana's shock. It looked like a mummy, with bulging eye sockets and two eyes wide open. Its nose was turned outward, nostrils pointed forward like a pig's, and it had a large mouth with only one or two teeth left... Ugly, so ugly that it could scare people to death! Behind her, zombies like this were slowly gathering. At a glance, there were at least a dozen of them.

Fujimaru Tachibana instinctively kicked forward. This zombie, this mummy... well, let's just call it a zombie. The zombie offered no resistance and was sent flying by Tachibana's kick, even crushing several zombies behind it. But the other zombies showed no reaction at all, continuing to gather towards Tachibana.

"A living person..."

"It's a living person."

“Why are living people in the underworld!!!”

These zombies could actually speak? Their voices were unpleasant, like the throats of decades-old smokers. In this empty yet enclosed space, the combined sounds formed an echo, as if the entire world were questioning Tachibana.

"The Underworld? Why am I here?"

Tachibana didn't feel much fear, just a bit of confusion. After all, she had experienced all kinds of storms and waves, so why would she be afraid of a small underworld? Moreover, didn't these zombies say that she was still alive?

"No living person should ever set foot in this place. This is a netherworld without dignity, hope, or a future. It's the home of those of us who were killed, used as tools, and then discarded... Are you here to laugh at us... Are you here to rob us... Are you here to abandon us... This is unforgivable, absolutely unforgivable!"

Facing the approaching zombies, Tachibana did not sit still and wait for death. His fists and feet were wrapped with fragile magic, and his martial arts of shooting hundreds of zombies was released between his hands and feet. Crackling - the zombies were knocked back, but it was useless. How could a dead person feel pain? They crawled up from the ground and continued to approach.

"Die, die, die!"

Gradually, only these two words remained in the zombies' mouths. They envied this warm body, envied her ability to breathe warm air, and envied her life still blooming. The zombies wanted to make Tachibana understand death -

Just as Fujimaru Tachibana's magic power gradually dissipated, the sound of thunder rang out in the underworld - the roar of thunder made the zombies retreat in fear. No matter which world it was, the roar of thunder always carried justice and majesty. In this underworld where the sound of thunder could never be heard, the zombies were afraid!

Then there was the sound of collapse, and a hole with a diameter of two meters suddenly appeared in the ceiling of the lightless underworld. The diameter of two meters is like putting a chopstick in the desert for the entire underworld, but it is this small hole that attracts the attention of all creatures in the underworld, because a beam of light shines down from there, those warm sunshine, it is sunshine!

"Oh--"

The zombies that had been besieging Tachibana all stopped, staring greedily at the beam of light, as if it were a priceless treasure...

Chapter 162: Ishtar Arrives

The man who broke through the underworld, Tachibana, saw it. When the dragon covered with scales landed beside her, the joy in her heart was simply beyond words. Although the plot of a hero saving a beauty is cliché, it really works. Tachibana felt that her affection for Koya had risen several levels. She loved this husband so much! Even in the underworld, he could come to protect her. This sense of security was great!

It’s a pity that Koya’s whole body is covered with scales now, otherwise she would definitely hug him tightly!

"Tachibana, are you okay?"

"Yeah! I was almost out of magic power. Koya, you came just in time! Love you~~"

"I'm glad you're alright...but why did you suddenly come to the underworld?"

"Eh, I don't know. I just walked into the square, and in the blink of an eye I was in the underworld."

"I'll take you back—"

"Stop your steps, you rude people."

"Eh? Are you the old man from Uruk?"

A man walked from behind the zombies to the front of Koya and the others. As he walked forward, the zombies around him turned into blue souls and disappeared on the spot. This newcomer was also wearing a black robe, but his image was very different from the zombies. He was no different from a living person, like a normal old man, but his muscles were strong and he looked powerful.

"Those who have not touched death have visited the realm of the dead. You should be thankful that Ereshkigal, the master of death, is not in the underworld at this moment. Otherwise, even if you have not yet died, you would be forever entombed in the abyss."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't know how I ended up here. Grandpa, can you take me back?"

"I do owe you a favor, but it's only enough for me to save your life..."

"what?"

Before Fujimaru Tachibana could say anything to refuse, she and Fufu had already floated up. Koya stood aside and did not stop them. When he came here, he had already discovered that the current Tachibana should be just a soul, and her physical body should still be in Kusa. So... If Fujimaru Tachibana really came to the underworld in the physical body, she might have died the moment she opened her eyes.

Feeling the constant aura of death assaulting his divine realm, Koya felt a wave of emotion. He hadn't expected to somehow reach the Underworld. He'd have to brag about it to Hestia when he returned to Orario. A beam of light gradually shone from the ceiling onto Fujimaru Tachibana, and she and Fufu vanished from the Underworld.

"Grandpa, didn't you say you were only going to save Tachibana? Why did you send Fufu up there too?"

"That evil beast doesn't need my help. It came to the underworld only to protect that girl."

"I see. Do you have anything to say to me, old man? If not, I'll leave."

"You are much more polite than that king. Go back. The living are not welcome in the underworld."

"Okay, by the way, old man, is Ereshkigal one of the three goddesses?"

"The answer to this question is up to you to find."

With that, the person before Koya, like the souls he had initially sent away, transformed into a streak of blue light and vanished before Koya's eyes. Sigh, it seems he didn't accomplish anything this time in the underworld, and didn't even get any intelligence. What on earth was he doing down there? Just a formality?

Keya didn't spread his wings, primarily because they couldn't be opened through the cave. He tried to summon the flight ability he'd long ago acquired but never used, and staggered out of the underworld. Unbeknownst to Keya, a massive skeleton spirit had been silently watching him from the moment he arrived. Upon sensing his departure, the giant skeleton summoned its power to seal the hole he'd opened.

"So that's the husband Ishtar has her eyes on? Damn it! Why would someone want that spoiled and willful Ishtar? I refuse to accept this! Just take him away from her! Will Ishtar cry if you take him away from her? Hehe, hehehe!"

·Dividing line·

When Koya returned to Kusa through the cave entrance, Tachibana, Mashu, Merlin and the others were gathered at the cave entrance.

"You're really awesome! You just opened a hole in the ground and ran to the underworld! Koya!"

Merlin's tone was filled with emotion. He had clearly told Koya about Ereshkigal before. In the Underworld, everything was controlled by the mistress of the Underworld. It could be said that in the Underworld, the Lord of the Underworld was invincible, unless someone could blow up the Underworld.

"I didn't think too much about it. I just sensed Tachibana was in danger and acted instinctively. But Merlin, what you said about the ground being connected to the underworld actually meant it literally. It's incredible that I can actually reach the underworld by digging down. Oh, by the way, Tachibana, how are you feeling now?"

"Yeah, that seems to be totally fine! Oh, and I found the Koya Destiny Tablet! Look!"

"That's great."

However, before they could happily share the joy of completing the task, a stream of light came towards them from the sky. Mashu immediately raised her shield and stood in front of everyone.

"Senior, be careful."

It seemed that the target of the streamer's attack was not Koya and his group, but fell beside them. When the smoke and dust cleared, a familiar person appeared in front of them.

"Ah, my partner, why are you coming to a place like this when you're not in Uruk looking forward to our wedding? And... you need to explain to me why I gave my gem to the rancher!"

"It was you who damaged the rancher's pasture, causing him to lose his sheep, and you also looted all the gems from his house. Koya is helping you compensate for your losses!"

"What... No way! I helped that rancher kill the monster on his ranch, and the gems are my well-deserved reward! Anyway! I'm really upset that my husband gave away such precious gems! So just stand there and don't move. I want you to understand who will be the head of this family from now on!"

"Wow, this goddess is so unreasonable, Koya Koya, you really shouldn't marry her~~~ Marry me, I don't want this rude woman, I will love your husband very much~~~"

Tachibana's tea art is still not good enough, but it is more than enough to irritate Ishtar. After hearing what Fujimaru Tachibana said, the veins on Ishtar's forehead were about to burst out, and the Sky Boat slowly condensed an oversized energy arrow beside her.

"Senior, please don't provoke that goddess at this time."

However, just as Koya was about to take action to stop the daughter-in-law who had not yet married, the sun completely disappeared from the mountains in the sky, and the moonlight enveloped the earth. Ishtar just stood there in the air, as if she had lost consciousness...

Chapter 163: Ai Lei - Win!

Koya and his companions settled down in Kusa City tonight. Although they knew the city lay beneath the underworld, it was unfortunately raining tonight. While modern tents certainly offer protection from the rain, sleeping in a house would still be more comfortable, right? They had packed up three rooms: Tachibana, Mashu, and Anna would stay in the middle, Merlin would stay on the left, and Koya would stay on the right with the unconscious Ishtar. While they shouldn't be attacked in this underworld, Merlin still set up an illusion barrier just in case.

In the cabin, a small battery-powered lamp brought by Koya illuminated the bedroom. Ishtar lay peacefully in her sleeping bag, and Koya, using the lamp's light, read the books he had collected during the apocalyptic era. He was currently reading "A Compendium of Mesopotamian Mythology." Because Mesopotamian civilization had ceased to exist, the book's mythology contained many artifacts and modifications, but it still helped Koya understand the world in general.

What he was reading now was the chapter about Ereshkigal, the lord of the underworld. The book recorded the story of Ishtar's journey to the underworld alone and her death. Koya read it with great interest. It felt great to have knowledge stored in his brain!

"Huh? Are you awake?"

Although Koya was reading, she kept a close eye on Ishtar. Ishtar, nestled in her sleeping bag, fluttered her eyelids, opening her ruby-like eyes. She shifted her head slightly, a bit confused, and then saw Koya, sitting in a chair, smiling at her. For a moment, Ishtar's face flushed...

"Ko, Koya, why are you here?"

"Because you suddenly fainted, I'm looking after you. Are you okay?"