The Cloud-Raised Brave Man's Travels

"The northern front is gathering all our remaining forces to resist the Gorgon's attack. Generals Leonidas and Ushiwakamaru are setting up defenses along the front. Similarly, a corps of demonic beasts is gathering in the northern forests. Scouts have reported their numbers are at least thirty times ours. We must also be wary of the second-generation demonic beasts Gorgon mentioned, as we haven't yet detected any specifics. A rough estimate is that the demonic beasts outnumber the soldiers on the front by fifty to one. Their corpses, piled high, could cross the front lines."

Siduri explained the situation to everyone. The fifty-fold difference in military strength was indeed frightening. Even if Quetzal and Ishtar were placed at the front line, they might not be able to withstand it. As for Elle...if the Underworld happened to be below the front line at this moment, she could kill these monsters alone, but according to the current speed of the Underworld, it would take at least three to four days for it to move to Uruk, and five to six days to move to the front line.

"That's right. Given this situation, humans have absolutely no chance of winning. The disparity in troop strength and the fact that the monsters are generally stronger than the soldiers mean that even with Leonidas, the fall of the northern front is only a matter of time. Therefore, our only option is to raid the enemy headquarters."

Hearing this, Koya looked at Merlin, who nodded slightly. The Gorgon had never been a problem; Koya could have easily killed her on her first day. The trouble was the Gorgon behind her. Koya had assumed the goal of this decisive battle was to seal the Gorgon and then build defenses against Tiamat. Didn't she realize Gilgamesh was already prepared?

Tachibana didn't notice the eye contact between Koya and Merlin. Naively, she thought Gorgon was the only enemy left in this singularity, and that as long as she was eliminated, the singularity would be over. So she stepped forward and spoke to Gilgamesh.

"We'll take the initiative this time, right? No problem, Koya said he can easily defeat the Gorgon with his strength, and with the help of Quetzal, Ishtar, and the others, there will definitely be no problem."

"Well, I'm sure it will get better. You will set off at noon today. We, the people of Uruk, will gather all our strength to delay the northern front for one day. You only have this day to launch your decapitation plan against Gorgon. Now you must be clear that the Blood Temple where Gorgon is located has become an inherent barrier. You must break this barrier before you can see her. Currently, we have the hand axe of the god Marduk to break this inherent barrier, but it will be more troublesome. Koya Constantine, do you have a way to break this inherent barrier?"

"Hmm... I don't know what an inherent barrier is, so I'm not sure. Merlin, could you release it so I can feel it?"

"Eh? Well, alright, my Noble Phantasm is indeed a type of inherent barrier. [There's an Avalon in Dalian]~"

Koya used the divine domain to cover Merlin's direction, carefully feeling the feedback from the divine domain. Yes, there was indeed something similar to an eggshell covering Merlin, but it was also as fragile as an eggshell. Under the erosion of the divine domain, Koya could pierce the eggshell with just a finger.

"If the Blood Temple's inherent barrier is similar to Merlin's, I can break it in three seconds."

"very good!"

The defense team on the northern front and the team that would assault the Blood Temple were quickly confirmed. Elle and Quetzal would stay, and Elle would return to the underworld to move it below Uruk as a last resort. Quetzal could not attack Gorgon directly because of the ongoing alliance, but he would have no problem attacking the monster. The team that would assault Gorgon was confirmed to be Tachibana, Mashu, Merlin, Anna, Ishtar, and Koya.

The name of this operation is - Gorgon Blitz!

Chapter 174: Farewell before the Final Battle

After the meeting, Tachibana, Mashu and Anna went to say goodbye to their acquaintances in Uruk. Quetzal went to the front line, Elle returned to the underworld, Ishtar returned to the temple to rest, and Siduri went to check the preparation of weapons. Only three people stayed in the entire tower tacitly. They all knew the truth of this world, so the real combat meeting was only held now.

"Tiamat's activity is increasing. Seawater samples collected from the Persian Gulf Observatory show that the salt concentration is ten times higher than normal. If nothing unexpected happens, Tiamat will awaken within a week."

"Well, Koya said that the 'Day of Rebirth' that Enkidu is concerned about might be coming soon. They're quite clever. They used the Gorgon, the ancestor of Greek magical beasts, and combined it with Tiamat's magical womb to force a connection and actually summoned Tiamat. But thankfully, it was just a projection..."

"Merlin, do you really think that Tiamat in the Indian Ocean is a projection?"

Koya couldn't get a word in on Merlin and Gilgamesh's conversation because he truly didn't understand the situation. He couldn't fathom the Gorgon's supposed roles, like Earth Mother and Forefather of Warcraft. It was incredibly difficult for someone who'd only read the basics of mythology. He could only say that mythology wasn't reliable. For example, the apocalyptic stories mentioned Elei having a husband, and the husbands varied from one version to the next. The funniest part was that in one version, Elei's husband was Gugalana... Wasn't that a joke?

"If it's not a projection, what is it? If it were really Tiamat, how could she be deceived by my illusion?"

"Is it possible that Tiamat's love and hatred for humans caused her to sleep in the depths of the Indian Ocean, and your illusion was merely the incense that allowed her to sleep more peacefully?"

"Are you serious?"

"real."

"..."

Merlin was silent. If it was just the servants with Tiamat's spirit base, he felt that Uruk still had some chance of winning. But if Tiamat, the God of Creation, really came in person, he would have no idea how to fight!

"Hahahaha, don't be too pessimistic, Merlin. Our goal from the beginning wasn't to kill Tiamat. That's not realistic. None of us can solve her immortality. My idea is to use EA to send her back to the inner sea of the stars."

"If that's the case, it's not impossible. However, the actual implementation depends on you, Koya. You're probably the only one in this world who can rival Tiamat."

"I try my best."

Koya naturally had no confidence. He was only a Lv.3 in Orario who had just emerged from the rookie stage. Now he was asked to go head-to-head with the God of Creation. The gap between them made Koya a little nervous. The Black Dragon at full power should not be a match for Tiamat. The only thing he could rely on was the Holy Sword that he had not used since he drew it in the beginning. After all, the enemies he encountered so far did not need to use this weapon.

There was nothing more to discuss after that. After all, against an enemy like Tiamat, all schemes and tricks were futile; the only way to defeat her was through sheer force. It was like a fair poker game: if your opponent played three, you had to counter with a higher card. As for cheating during the game, that depended on Gilgamesh's skill.

"Speaking of which, King Gilgamesh, how are you going to use the hand axe of Marduk?"

"I have my own plans. Originally, I was going to use this axe to break the inherent barrier of the Blood Temple. However, since Koya has the ability to break that barrier, this axe naturally has a better use."

"As long as you have an idea."

·Dividing line·

Tachibana and Mashu were saying goodbye to the people of Uruk. This should be the last time they would see the people of Uruk. After spending more than a month together, Tachibana and the others couldn't help but feel a little reluctant.

"I have to say goodbye to everyone. While solving the singularity is exciting, I also feel a little lonely."

In the city of Uruk, people seemed to have no worries about the coming of doomsday. Uruk's market was prosperous. After a day's work, men, women and children strolled around the market, choosing tonight's dinner. In just one day, they had said goodbye to everyone they knew. Mashu didn't know how to describe her feelings at the moment. Perhaps it was because this was the most fulfilling and happiest month since she was born, and the communication between people could be so happy.

"Because among the seven singularities, Uruk is the only place where we have seen peace. We have never experienced interacting with so many people before."

"After all, this time we are staying in one place for a long time to carry out activities."

"We also have to say goodbye to our embassy. Um—when we get back, please ask Da Vinci to build an identical embassy in the vacant space!"

"it is good!"

Mashu and Tachibana smiled and set a task for Leonardo da Vinci. The memories left at the seventh singularity were enough for them to be a little willful.

Just as Tachibana and Mashu were about to leave, an old woman, leaning on a wooden stick, slowly walked into the Chaldea Embassy. Mashu and Tachibana hurried over to help the old woman in and sit down, and poured her a glass of water.

After sitting down, the old woman panted slightly and thanked the two. In Uruk's time, it was rare to find an elderly woman of this age, so Tachibana and the others confirmed they didn't know her. So, what was she doing at the embassy? During their month in Uruk, the Chaldean Embassy had indeed also served as a part-time jack-of-all-trades, and many Uruk residents had indeed come seeking their help.

"Old lady, what brings you here for?"

"I heard you were leaving Uruk, so I thought I'd come and thank the petite purple-haired girl before you left."

The old woman slowly placed the pottery jar in her hand on the table and slowly stated the purpose of her coming here.

"Anna?"

"Ah."

"Well, little Anna. I'm a very stubborn old woman. Even at my age, I couldn't bear to give up my little flower stall, so I ran it on my own despite my family's opposition. Little Anna helped me a lot. Even though I'm gradually losing my sight, I can still feel the light radiating from that child. During those few days, I felt several years younger."

"Is that so? Mashu, go get Anna back."

"Hi! I'm going right away."

"Old lady, could you please wait here for a moment?"

"Well, I also want to say thank you to little Anna in person."

"Old lady, I think Anna will also feel happy to meet you these days."

"Thank you, little girl. You are a good kid too."

Five minutes later, Mashu brought Anna back to the embassy. The old woman wanted to give Anna a flower crown, which she had personally made from the most beautiful flowers picked from the flower shop. This gift was the most precious treasure for Anna. As a "monster", she received a gift of love from others for the first time.

"Thank you, old lady. I will always treasure it."

Anna lowered her hood, put the crown of flowers on her head, and gave the old woman a sweet smile.

"Ah... you really scared me. It's such a shame to keep hiding yourself with cloth. You will definitely become the most beautiful woman in Uruk, so don't hide yourself anymore in the future. Please raise your head."

"Grandma, I'm so happy to be with you. Thank you so much."

"This way, my long life can be said to have some value. Even though I'm already an old woman with one foot in the underworld, it would be great if I could still do something for you."

Finally, the old woman's son came to take her home. Under Anna's gaze, the old woman and his son slowly walked out of everyone's sight; this was a farewell. Although Anna would never see the old woman again, she had left an indelible impression in her heart.

"The old woman is right. Anna, it's a shame that such a lovely face of yours is hidden under the hood all day long."

"I know. And don't get too close to me, scumbag Koya. I feel dangerous around you."

"No, no, no... No matter what, I wouldn't attack a child."

Koya and Merlin have now returned to the Chaldea embassy. When they came back, they saw the three girls saying goodbye to the old woman. Later, they learned about what happened from Tachibana. Koya actually always knew that Anna was a pretty girl, but because she always had a bitter and vengeful expression on her face, she suppressed her beauty. Now, Anna with a flower crown on her head and a smile on her face can indeed be called absolutely beautiful. If she were in Orario, she would definitely be praised as being as beautiful as the gods.

"Then Koya, you still attacked Hestia~~"

"How can Hestia be called a little girl?! She's hundreds of millions of years old, and it seems she was the one who attacked me, right?"

"Hahaha, yes."

"Wait?! Koya, you're related to the Greek pantheon?"

"Oh, come to think of it, Anna really doesn't know my origins yet... Tachibana, you should tell her. I always feel a bit boastful when I tell her myself."

·Dividing line·

Koya and his companions arrived at the northern front, which was now in full swing. After Quetzal arrived, the goddess summoned her followers, the pterosaurs, to do labor. These pterosaurs were very strong, and with their help, they used huge rocks to build another line in front of the northern defense line. Quetzal used the power of the sun to create a lava river between the two lines of defense. Except for the fact that it was a little hot around the defense line, there was no problem at all with Quetzal's arrangement.

"Koya, I remember now, don't you still have a summoning skill? Why don't you leave Cerberus here?"

"Ah... Indeed, I really forgot about Him."

With his current strength, Koya no longer needed to recite the cumbersome spell. With a single thought, his consciousness connected with Cerberus. A massive magic circle unfolded beneath his feet, a force many times more powerful than the one he'd used in Orario. Back then, he could only barely summon a three-headed dog to spit fireballs, but now standing before him was Cerberus, the guardian dog of the underworld blessed by Hades, with fifty heads and a body as huge as a mountain.

"Master, your strength is improving too fast, isn't it? Last time, you could only barely summon a head, but now you can actually summon me completely—"

The complete Cerberus' strength is at Lv.11, which is just above the level of God. After all, he is just a guard dog of the underworld, and his strength is not that strong.

"Cerberus, your next mission is to defend this wall and prevent the monsters from crossing it. Can you do it?"

"No problem, Master. This is my job! I'm very familiar with it."

Even if the summoned Cerberus dies, he is not really dead. Just like Hades, the god of the underworld, often rescues him in the underworld, Cerberus summoned by Koya will only return to the underworld after his death and wait for Koya's next summons. It can only be said that the underworld is indeed unreasonable.

Although Cerberus looks a little scary, after all, not everyone can accept a dog with fifty heads open that makes people feel claustrophobic, but his strength is unquestionable. With him in charge of the northern front, the original one day may be extended to another day. After all, the addition of a top-level combat force can have a great impact on the battle situation.

After leaving Cerberus on the northern front, Koya Rika and the others set out from there. They would use Merlin's illusion to lurk near the Blood Temple first, and would not take action until the monsters launched their offensive and left. Because time was not urgent, some of them even leisurely took a carriage to the ambush site, and because of Merlin's illusion, the monsters along the way did not notice their traces at all.

Koya fell asleep in the carriage. He had not rested at all in the past two days. He was either on Ishtar or Elle. Although he was not physically tired, his spirit was still a little exhausted. So he decided to take advantage of this small break to rest. However, there was an accident in his dream this time. He did not come to the familiar training ground, but to an endless starry sky.

There was a starry sky all around Koya, with 'stars' shining with white light all around him, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not touch the stars that were so close to him. In this starry sky, there was a huge ball of light like the sun in the distance. Apart from the strangeness there, there was no other place worth noting in this starry sky, so there was no doubt that Koya walked towards the place where the white light was.

Koya didn't know if he'd moved at all, because the scene around him remained the same. Even though he was surrounded by light, he felt as if he were walking in darkness. It was as if nothing existed, only nothing. Koya instinctively tried to speed up, but his Brilliant Dragon Transformation wouldn't activate, his flight ability was sealed, and he couldn't sense his portable storage... It was as if nothing existed.

[Why are you here, child? No, you are not my child? ]

Chapter 175: Tiamat

Koya saw the person speaking clearly. She was incredibly beautiful, so beautiful that Koya didn't know how to describe her. She was perhaps the most beautiful woman Koya had ever seen. She had long blue hair and purple-red eyes that seemed to hold stars. Her beauty was no less than that of Aphrodite, but her aura was exceptional. No matter who saw her, they were always impressed by her maternal nature. It was the kind of person who immediately felt that she would be a good mother.

The woman was incredibly tall, standing about two and a half meters tall. Even when Koya stood in front of her, he barely reached her chest. The two massive horns on her head pushed her height to around three meters. These horns were just as exaggerated as Koya's sky-piercing horns, except that they curved downwards...

Come to think of it, I hadn't noticed it just now, and I clearly couldn't use my abilities, so why was the sky-piercing horn on my head still there? Does it have any connection to my arrival in this dream? Probably not. Isn't the Black Dragon just a dragon that relies on brute force? I don't see any special abilities.

"The god Tiamat?"

"Do you know me? The outsider kid?"

"Well, it's just that I didn't expect to meet you in this situation. Can we talk?"

"Yes, of course."

Tiamat's voice was very gentle, and her maternal instinct seemed to be magical. For a moment, Koya wanted to throw herself into her arms and call her "Mom". This was too scary... She agreed without hesitation to Koya's request to talk. She was eager to communicate with others and also eager to share her inner sadness with others.

Koya didn't know what Tiamat wanted to talk about. He couldn't just start by asking why she wanted to destroy the world, could he? He decided to try to get closer first, then ask the question.

"God Tiamat, let me introduce myself. I am Koya Constantine, from another world. A girl named Fujimaru Tachika from this world summoned me to help her."

"Can I call you Koya? It turns out you're from another world. I thought you were a visitor from outer space."

In fact, even visitors from outer space would call Tiamat their mother after integrating into the mythology of this world, such as Quetzal. She was an alien life but was also summoned to this era by her mother. Only someone like Coya who came from another world completely, would Tiamat not be able to see the breath of a child in him.

"Goddess Tiamat, would you like me to introduce you to my world?"

"Is it okay? Of course."

There was a hint of joy in Tiamat's tone, and for a moment, Koya actually felt the girl's cuteness from this mother. Come to think of it, although the description of Tiamat in mythology tends to be that of a doting mother, how could a person have only one side? As the omniscient and omnipotent mother goddess of creation from the beginning, the other world would definitely surprise her.

"In my world, there's a huge city called Orario. In Orario, we humans walk alongside the gods. The gods, tired of life in the divine realm, sealed their divine power and came down to the lower realms to form families with mortals. They treat mortals as their own children and grow up with them in Orario. I am a member of Hestia's family and also their leader..."

The gods, Orario and the dungeon, Koya made them into a beautiful fairy tale and told them to Tiamat. For example, although he mentioned things like the dark faction, they all appeared as villains. Koya's plan was also very simple. The last of his world pass was bound to Tiamat as the user, so even if he had to trick her, he had to trick Tiamat to go to Orario!

"Is the world in your book like this? That's wonderful! And in this world, why did my children exile me... Can't we grow up together like in your place..."

Tiamat's emotions were clearly expressed, her face showing every emotion. The world Koya had described pierced her heart deeply, and the sorrow on her face was beyond words. She couldn't understand why the children of this world would rebel against her, even though she had given them everything...

"I gave birth to many lives and was loved by all. But the children used me as a stepping stone and left me. I wanted to keep loving them and want them to stay by my side forever. Is my love... all wrong?"

"No, Goddess Tiamat, this is not wrong."

"really?"

"Of course. Hestia and I are in love in my own clan, and we made a promise to never separate. There's nothing wrong with love between gods and humans. But love is mutual. You love those children, but do they love you?"

Here, Koya surreptitiously shifts the subject matter, juxtaposing Tiamat's maternal love for her children with his own love for Hestia. He also deliberately pokes holes in Tiamat's heart: she loves those children, but do the children love her? This is the first sharp edge Koya uses to break through Tiamat's defenses.