That protagonist is trash; I could do better!

Hall's lips twitched. He only realized that Merlin and Anna were people sent by King Gilgamesh to participate in the wrestling tournament when he saw them.

If Hall were to choose two of the least suitable individuals from all of Gilgamesh's followers to participate in the wrestling tournament...

That must be Merlin and Anna.

It's not entirely a matter of ability.

The former is a habitual slacker and a troublesome troublemaker, while the latter is innocent and cute, but has a complicated background.

The trip of the four people to Yeridu was a complex chemical reaction, and the situation was completely out of control.

However, King Gilgamesh must have had a deeper meaning in sending Merlin and Anna.

Or perhaps it was meaningless, simply assigning two Servants who were of no use to Uruk to fill the quota.

The invitation from Quetzalcoatl specifically mentioned Hohr and Ishtar, clearly indicating that it was aimed at them.

Chapter 428 On the Way

The journey from Uruk to the southern city of Eridu is long, requiring crossing a vast wetland, then the Euphrates River, and finally passing through the city of Ur.

It would take the Servants a full day and night to reach Eridu by foot, and the wrestling tournament hosted by Quetzalcoatl was set on the road from Ur to Eridu.

To accommodate Merlin and Anna, two Servants who cannot fly, only walking was used.

"Hall, didn't Emma come along?"

On the way, Anna tugged at Hall's sleeve, tilted her little face up and asked curiously. Without the hood covering her, she looked less mysterious and gloomy, her eyes were big and round, and her gaze was pure and innocent.

Emma is Tiamat's alias; publicly, she is Howl's familiar.

"I'm sorry, she has other things to do, and it may be difficult to see her again in the future," Hall said apologetically, patting Anna's head.

"Ok."

Anna lowered her head, her mood becoming depressed.

Merlin, holding his staff, smiled and said, "I remember Emma was the name of your familiar, a very special familiar."

Hall nodded slightly as he walked: "It's the one I introduced at the dormitory bar last time."

"Speaking of special familiars, I used to have one too, named Cathy Palug. She was very cute, but unfortunately she's not with me now." Merlin's words were loaded with meaning.

They are indeed very special familiars, beasts of original sin that threaten human reason.

Tiamat is the mother of creation, while Cathy Palug is a primate killer.

The former is the mother of all life, while the latter is Gaia's monster, a half-finished product created by Earth in imitation of UO.

Hall glanced at Merlin: "It has another name now, Fouf. I've seen it before."

Merlin slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing something: "Hahaha, speaking of which, I almost forgot that you had contact with Chaldea."

The conversation was only touched upon briefly, and both parties were well aware of the implications.

The wetlands of the southern plains of Uruk are covered with lush grass that towers over Anna's head. Looking around, one can see the uneven, undulating pools of water, rippling in the breeze.

The moisture blowing in from the sea nourishes this land.

Anna walked at the front of the group, scythe in hand, her expression calm, but she kept muttering, "Kill you, kill you, kill you, kill you, without you..."

As she vented her resentment, she cut down the weeds in front of her, clearing a path.

Ishtar, riding leisurely on the Skybow Horse Anna, patted the spot next to her when she saw Anna venting her frustration and asked in a friendly manner, "Anna, would you like to sit here?"

Anna stopped what she was doing and shook her head: "Thank you, but I prefer walking on my own."

Merlin, who was at the back of the group, supported himself with his staff and said breathlessly, "Goddess! If it's alright, I wouldn't mind sitting with you. Such a long journey is indeed a bit difficult for me. I am a Caster, after all."

Ishtar's expression changed drastically: "I'm sorry, you should walk slowly with Hall."

Merlin sighed deeply and remained silent.

Hall shook his head and chuckled, naturally displeasing her for forcing her to participate in the wrestling tournament.

After walking for a while, Hall's eyes flickered, and his magic eyes glowed as he looked to the right front. The elemental familiar had found a lone magical beast.

The wetlands are south of Uruk, and theoretically, there are no monsters there.

However, a very small number of magical beasts avoided the North Wall and bypassed it by going around to the south of Uruk via the mountains behind it. Due to the treacherous terrain and various other reasons, very few magical beasts were able to reach the wetlands, and without exception, they were all elite among the magical beasts.

In reality, it's virtually impossible for them to reach Uruk. Along the way to Uruk, there are numerous cursed traps targeting magical beasts. These traps are few in number and disorganized, and lone magical beasts are not much stronger than the beasts of the Age of Gods.

"Leave it to me."

Anna also sensed the presence of the magical beast and volunteered to join the fight.

Swish!

Her petite figure vanished in an instant, cutting a large patch of grass down to her waist. Killing the monster was the reason for her appearance, and this journey was finally not so boring.

This journey is the most arduous for Anna. She does not yet have a Master, nor has she been given a physical body. Her means of restoring magical power are limited. The most effective way is to use the properties of her scythe-wielding Noble Phantasm to devour the life force of magical beasts.

oooo~~

A moment later, the mournful howls of monsters echoed from the far distance.

Ishtar sighed unhappily, "Even here there are magical beasts. Just how far will the three goddesses go in ravaging this land?"

Merlin shook his head: "If it were just magical beasts, that would be fine. The problem is that once we enter the dense forest area, it will undoubtedly be the domain of the goddess."

“That’s right. It’s no wonder you’ll encounter danger if you barge into someone else’s territory like an idiot.” Ishtar wrinkled her nose and snorted disdainfully, clearly full of resentment, and was saying it to Hall.

Merlin asked, "Goddess Ishtar, have you ever seen the true face of the Forest Goddess?"

Ishtar sat cross-legged on the Heavenly Bow Maana and shook her head: "I don't know the specifics. I've seen her from afar before. She's a very troublesome goddess with high divinity. Even if she doesn't want to admit it, she's clearly superior to me. Hall should know her true identity."

"Higher divinity than the goddess Ishtar... Isn't that at the level of a chief god? Hall, is that so?" Merlin turned his gaze to Hall.

Hall shrugged. "Pretty much. You'll know who she is when you see her."

Merlin smiled wryly: "How am I supposed to deal with such a troublesome god? King Gilgamesh has really given me a huge problem."

Anna returned carrying a dark purple scythe, nodded calmly, and reported, "It's resolved."

Hall nodded: "Thank you for your hard work."

The group continued onward, encountering several waves of monsters along the way, all of which Anna dealt with. As the sun began to glow red and dipped below the distant horizon, Hall and his companions finally saw the scenery beyond the wetlands.

euphrates river

The river is serene and beautiful. Upstream is Uruk, and across the riverbank is a dense forest, a stark contrast to the wetland climate, resembling a tropical rainforest.

"It's dusk, but the temperature is rising abnormally. Judging from the distance from here to Eridu, only a high-ranking deity could have such a wide-ranging influence."

Merlin muttered to himself as he reached the riverbank. He tapped his staff on the water, and ripples spread out, causing thousands of crimson flowers to bloom from the surface, transforming into a flower path leading to the other side.

The river reflects the setting sun, its surface shimmering, and purple flowers sway in the evening breeze.

The sky and earth are vast and open, as if you are inside a painting.

The tranquil and beautiful scene left Anna and Ishtar momentarily speechless.

Hall used magic to record this scene as a topic of conversation with Ellie that evening. He wondered how happy Ellie would be if she saw it.

Merlin, accustomed to such scenery, urged, "What's wrong, everyone? Let's hurry and cross the river; we'll settle on the other side tonight."

Ishtar exclaimed in surprise, "You're going to step over all these flowers? Don't you think that's a waste?"

"I created this flower path precisely to cross the river," Merlin chuckled.

Hall stepped onto the flower path first. "Time is running out, let's go."

Anna hesitated for a moment, then followed behind Hall, carefully avoiding stepping on the purple flowers.

Does anyone know what flower Merlin's Noble Phantasm is made of?

Chapter 429 Leopard Man

Into the night

Hall and his group found a place to stay outside the dense forest. They first set up a simple magical barrier around the area so that they could sense any magical beasts or attacks from the forest immediately.

They lit a campfire to drive away wild animals and mosquitoes, and then set up tents.

Merlin yawned and said with a smile, "Lord Hall and Lady Ishtar, I'm sorry, the night watch duty is entrusted to you tonight."

"Huh? Why?" Ishtar asked, displeased.

Merlin said helplessly, "I am a Servant summoned by King Gilgamesh. Because I cannot obtain magic power from King Gilgamesh, I have been living a tense life of self-sufficiency. Sleep is one of the few effective ways for me to restore magic power now. Anna should have a deeper understanding of this."

Anna pulled down her hood to cover her face and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Seeing Anna's downcast mood, Ishtar comforted her, "I know about Anna's situation, but it's hard to say about Merlin. He's a Caster, so he should have many ways to restore his magic."

Merlin protested, "Protest! This is prejudice! Besides, I have my own difficulties."

“Who knows?” Ishtar turned her face away and snorted.

Hall didn't participate in the discussion, but he did know that Merlin's true form was still trapped in the dream, which was why he couldn't use high-intensity magic or methods to recover his magic power. However, Merlin was, after all, a Grand Magus, and he must have some tricks up his sleeve that even Hall didn't know about.

Merlin and Anna fell asleep one after the other, leaving Hall and Ishtar to keep watch at the camp.

Hall went alone into the dense forest not far from the camp, picked a fresh coconut from a tree, lay down on the grass to enjoy it, and admired the starry sky of the Age of Gods.

Ishtar approached Hall, hands on her hips, and asked with displeasure, "I also want to rest. Are you sure you can keep watch by yourself?"

Still angry?

Ishtar glared at Hall: "Isn't this obvious? To drag me into this stupid and boring event, with the Forest Goddess as my opponent, it wouldn't be unreasonable to charge Gilgamesh double the commission!"

It's true that as long as the money is right, anything is negotiable.

Hall took a sip of coconut juice, thinking casually.

Seemingly sensing Hall's thoughts, Ishtar raised her eyebrows slightly, pressing him aggressively: "What are you thinking?"

"No, it's just that I find it funny to see you like this."

"You're treating me like an idiot again! Enough, I'm going to sleep." Ishtar stormed off.

It didn't take long for Ishtar to return. From the subtle changes in her expression and demeanor, it was clear that it wasn't the real Ishtar.

Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld.