Nobody knows how to be a villain better than me.

"Is it my fault? I don't understand anything about you and her, but anyway, you're the one who carved both hands."

"What kind of shepherd and priest? I don't want to be one, but you insist on making me. Why don't you take these things back?"

To be honest, he really didn't want to get involved in the love-hate relationship between the two sisters.

Because I'm too weak, if these two start fighting, I might get trampled to death first.

Moreover, he has a long history of misdeeds in the underworld and many secrets about him.

If you interact too much with the goddesses Ishtar and Ereshkigal, it's easy to reveal your past through subtle details.

Therefore, he really didn't want to do things that would easily attract attention and make him a target.

Snakes should hide in the dark and wait for their chance to strike.

If it's exposed to the sunlight and becomes the focus of everyone's attention, it's not so scary; basically, anyone can condemn it with a single blow.

Ishtar immediately forced a warm smile, conveying a sense of reassurance.

"How could it be your fault? Blame them!"

Now that this goddess has been through a lot, her desire to make money by hoarding goods has faded considerably.

Now, it's mostly because of that pent-up anger that she has to vent.

Whether for the sake of dignity or for the sake of venting her anger, the more frustrated she became, the more she wanted to go against her sister from the underworld.

Erasing the divine mark to admit defeat? Impossible!

"Alright, figure this out on the way. Let's speed things up!"

"Hands, hands, hands!"

As Ishtar saw the demonic claw approaching, her expression changed drastically. She immediately jumped away and waited until she was within a safe distance of ten meters before awkwardly responding.

"For safety's sake, you go first, I'll cover the rear."

The three nodded helplessly and walked ahead to clear the way, leaving the suspicious Ishtar behind.

On the road, without the constant chatter of a certain goddess, Samael found the journey somewhat boring.

Surrounded by only sprawling vines, swarming poisonous insects, and a humid climate, one can't help but feel irritable.

Because of the [Underworld Protection] matter after leaving Ur, some time was wasted, and the rainforest leading to Eridu was even denser and more ancient.

Therefore, it wasn't until nightfall that the four of them had only covered half the distance.

In this unfamiliar environment, to avoid any accidents, the four of them had no choice but to choose a gentle slope with good air circulation to set up camp and rest, in preparation for completing the rest of the journey the next day.

At night, a campfire was lit, meat soup simmered in a pot, and everyone ate the wheat cakes they had brought with them.

After eating, the travelers who had ventured into the dense forest either meditated or fell asleep.

As for Samael, who was on night watch, he felt a slight burning sensation on the back of his right hand and sighed as he looked at the figure walking through the bushes.

"Alone on night watch? Come and enjoy some treats."

The goddess, now noticeably more dignified and somber, gracefully sat down in front of the tree trunk and handed Samael a cup of hot tea with honey.

"Thanks…"

The ancient snake smiled and nodded, picked up the teacup, sipped carefully, and looked quietly at the night with a much gentler expression.

"That's... a divine mark?"

"That woman...cough cough...did I...make things difficult for you again during the day?"

When Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld, whose consciousness had risen, saw the crown-shaped mark on the back of Samael's left hand, her brows furrowed and her fingers, which were hanging on her lap, clenched tightly, showing great indignation.

Before the ancient serpent could gather his thoughts and organize his words to reply, Ai Lei raised his right hand, examined it carefully for a moment, and slowly let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness, I'm relieved to have this thing protecting you."

"Forget about that troublesome matter for now. Are you going to see Kukulkan?"

Samael was more than happy to be able to avoid the topic of the two sisters' quarrel, and nodded tactfully, telling Eresh about the origin of their trip to the dense forest.

"I see. I didn't expect that even after Uruk has come to this point, you still haven't given up on saving yourselves."

"Well, I don't dislike hardworking people."

The goddess turned her head, a hint of admiration in her eyes.

Unlike Anna, Merlin, and Ishtar, these three outcasts, this man is the true embodiment of the will of humanity.

In reality, Tiamat, the goddess of origin, possesses supreme power and transcends physical boundaries; Ereshkigal cannot see the serpent within this human skin.

None of the four people in this group are human.

If we had to categorize it, Samael, who possessed a human soul, would be the closest to the truth.

"So, as compensation for what happened before, I'll give you a piece of advice."

"Quetzal Coyatt is a benevolent god, representing the pinnacle of goodness, in addition to the existence of a chief god."

"In other words, even kind things are no match for her."

"Therefore, whatever her purpose may be, do not waver, do not be influenced by her, and do not even agree with her actions."

“Once you lose your hostility and are assimilated by the will of the supreme god, you will have absolutely no chance of winning!”

Samael nodded seriously at Ereshkigal's advice, which was more insightful than the answer he remembered and solidified his strategy.

After the kind reminder, the goddess intended to leave, but for some reason, the man next to her casually remarked something that aroused her desire to sit down and chat.

Thus, the solitary life in the underground temple, the joy of having a snake as a pet, the confusion and awe about destiny, and the jealousy of a certain goddess who can freely enjoy the sunlight.

All sorts of emotions poured out unintentionally.

The man sitting on the crossbeam mostly listened quietly, occasionally interjecting a few words to help her recall or to move on to the next topic.

With such a perfect audience, Ai Lei unknowingly talked for three or four hours.

Seeing that it was past midnight, the goddess suddenly realized what was happening behind her and gave an apologetic smile.

Will humanity win?

"That's your own business, don't always think about relying on the gods!"

"So, do you want humanity to win?"

"What does this have to do with me? Just don't cause me any trouble!"

The goddess waved her hand, got up, and walked into the night.

The unspoken meaning of "not causing trouble for the gods of the underworld" is, of course, not to die.

You even have to guess this? When are you going to be honest with me, Master?

The ancient snake shook its head slightly, somewhat helpless about its owner's deeply ingrained arrogant personality.

Samael then snapped out of his reverie and turned his gaze to the swaying bushes.

Chapter 81 The Oldest Driver (Third Update)

"Oh, you seem to be having a good chat."

Merlin, who had come to relieve the night watch, sat by the fire and greeted everyone with a grin.

Seeing Samael's lukewarm response, the white-haired nightmare seemed to be deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about? Tell me, maybe I can help."

The ancient serpent glanced at Merlin, hesitated slightly, and then slowly spoke.

"How much do you know about Elidu?"

"I don't know why, but the closer I got, the more creeped out I felt, as if something was making me very uncomfortable."

Merlin turned to look at the bushes and smiled faintly.

"You should ask that person about Eridu, uh, no, Ishtar during the day. Theoretically, she knows more about it than I do."

"Ishtar?"

"Fine, since that goddess can't show up right now, I'll just say what I think. Just listen to it, whether it's right or wrong, how much of it is true or false, I, your big brother, will not take any responsibility for."

As the ancient serpent frowned and murmured, Merlin thought for a moment, then, quite nonchalantly, put on a gossipy expression, waved his staff, scattering starlight, and began to recount his understanding of Eridu.

In fact, the guardian deity of Eridu was Ea (also known as Enki), one of the Sumerian three pillars of gods who was in charge of earth, water, and wisdom.

According to Sumerian legend, Ishtar once got him drunk and tricked him out of many mites, which he then took home.

(Me represents the power of holiness and civilization; one of Ea's tasks is to protect this treasure.)

After waking up from his drunken stupor, Ea sent the sea monster Abogaru to search for Ishtar along the Euphrates River, but the goddess Maanna, who piloted the celestial ark, had already fled.

In a sense, this is the oldest known racing route of Ishtar.

Is Eridu actually the guardian city of the earth god Ea?

Samael, who couldn't possibly know much about Sumerian mythology and had even had his treasures stolen by Ishtar, was slightly surprised to hear this answer and couldn't help but frown and ponder the secret behind it.

From the perspective of the history of civilizational change, the looting of Ishtar also foreshadows the decline of Eridu (the city of Ea) and the rise of Uruk (the city of Ishtar).

Samael picked up a twig, brushed aside the dead leaves, sketched a few lines, then suddenly stopped and looked up at Merlin.

"Why is the Marduk Axe we're looking for in Eridu?"

"For that King of Kings is the son of Ea, the god of the earth, and his birthplace is Eridu."

Merlin smiled slightly and responded calmly.

Therefore, Eridanus is inextricably linked to the earth god Ea and Marduk, the king of kings.

In addition, coincidentally, the earth god Ea killed Apsu, the male creator god, while Marduk resolved the issue of Tiamat, the mother of female origin.

This father and son happen to be the archenemies of the two creator gods.

Could it be that the Mother Goddess is worried about the axe that once wounded her, Marduk? Or is she worried that I will be exposed?

I have a feeling it's not that simple...

Samael was completely baffled and could not find a satisfactory answer.

Left with no other choice, he could only suppress this vague worry for the time being.

In short, the area around Eridu is rather sinister. Quickly sow discord between Quetzalcoatl, take Marduk's Axe, and then leave immediately.

Samael always felt that something might happen if he stayed too long.

"I'll solve one of your problems, and you answer one of mine, okay?"

Merlin, holding his staff, gazed at the raging flames and murmured softly. His profile, illuminated by the firelight, unconsciously lost some of its frivolity.

What are your thoughts on Kukulkan, the feathered serpent god?

Samael was slightly taken aback, then suddenly remembered that in his memory, the nightmare demon still harbored suspicion towards that South American woman.

Therefore, after Quetzalcoatl betrayed and withdrew from the Three Goddesses Alliance, Merlin took advantage of Kukulkan's trust to trick the South American woman, causing her divinity to decline.

The ancient serpent hesitated for a moment, not finishing its sentence.

"Generally plausible..."

"However, I still don't quite understand her motives for accepting the summons and descending to the world of Mesopotamia, and I always feel uneasy about it."

Merlin nodded slightly, his expression serious.

"It's rare that we've come to the same conclusion."

"Of the three goddesses, the other two are easy to understand, but she is currently the most powerful and the most unpredictable, having experienced both the destruction and creation of the world."

"To be honest, I don't really trust her until I figure out her true purpose in coming to the Mesopotamian world."

"After all, gods don't accept spirit possession without a reason; most of their appearances are tragedies!"

Samael somewhat understood Merlin's concerns. Besides, this old liar was full of lies and had enemies everywhere. It was normal for him to judge others by his own standards.

However, if the key to destroying Mesopotamia lies not in the three goddesses, but in "destiny".

Merlin's suspicion is very dangerous for the future situation!

The ancient serpent pondered for a moment, then leaned close to Merlin's ear and whispered.

"We probably won't get anything out of Kukulkan; that goddess is very shrewd."