Facing the Uprising Alone

The next day.

The sky stretched like a curtain.

Outside the monster border in western Uruk.

Fertile land rolled on amid endless yellow sands.

From afar, Rovi could see the lush forest rising at the edge of his vision, along with the Guard Tower Stone Wall standing atop the hills before it.

He knew that was the Monster Forest.

The journey from the Uruk City-State had been dull. Even with the gods' protection, this was still an ancient age.

Human footprints had yet to cover the earth.

Everything beneath his feet was yellow earth, save for more yellow earth.

So Rovi had flown here directly using the Flying Treasure Tool from the Treasury of Babylon that Gilgamesh had given him.

Now, his feet touched the ground.

His linen robe billowed freely in the headwind.

He explained his purpose and identity to the guards around the Monster Forest who had come to stop him from approaching.

"Greetings, Priest Rovi."

Before long, the leader of these guards, a tall and powerfully built man, appeared before Rovi.

"You have worked hard."

Rovi looked over them. Their faces were covered in windblown sand and dust, and the armor protecting only their vital areas was badly damaged. Many of them had vines and leaves wrapped around bleeding wounds.

It was clear that things had not been easy for them.

But that was all right.

"I have come bearing the king's order." Rovi said, "Leave the rest to me!"

He waved a hand.

Brilliant golden ripples emerged around him. As they spread, sharp edges shot forth.

The guards could not help but tense.

They had confirmed the visitor's identity and no longer held the slightest doubt.

"Take me to the front!" Rovi pointed toward the forest beyond the wall.

"Will you not rest first?"

The guard leader could not help saying, "You should first understand the situation..."

"A riot is about to break out over there, isn't it?" Rovi glanced at him. A single sentence left the tall man unable to answer.

In fact, by the time the report had reached Uruk, the Monster Forest had already experienced more than one monster uprising. The beasts dwelling within the forest seemed drawn by something, madly assaulting the walls and guards stationed around it.

During this time, the soldiers had fought day and night, with not a moment of rest.

The exhaustion on their faces and the wounds on their bodies had all come from this.

And now, even if they said nothing, Rovi could sense that another monster uprising would arrive soon.

After all, he was a properly ordained priest of Uruk's temple. He had at least that much observation skill.

Naturally, he would not stand idly by—

"My lord, I think you should still understand the situation first."

Seeing that Rovi intended to immediately cross to the other side of the wall and join the effort to hold back the Monster Tide, the leader could not help trying to dissuade him again.

He said, "You have only just arrived and do not know the dangers of the Monster Forest. Within it, a mortal's strength is heavily suppressed."

"Moreover, it is filled with all sorts of 'accidents.' Even the most skilled warrior may die because of the tiniest mishap..."

"There's something that good?" Rovi instantly grew excited.

"..." The guard leader fell silent.

Had this priest understood what he said, or not?

Seeing the strange look on his face, Rovi immediately realized what had happened. "Ahem, what I mean is... since I am the king's envoy, I naturally cannot merely watch when something like this happens."

"I represent the king. You would not want to see anything that tarnishes the king's prestige, would you?"

Rovi invoked Gilgamesh, and the guards could no longer try to stop him.

Otherwise, they would be tarnishing the king's prestige.

Gilgamesh was a complete tyrant, but because of his immense strength, he still held great prestige among the guards.

In the army, no one dared, nor would they dare, disrespect him.

"Let's go!"

Rovi waved his hand. "Open the gates and have everyone withdraw."

"What...?"

The guards were stunned again.

"I said, open the gate and pull back the troops!" Rovi lowered his hands, smiling, yet his voice allowed no doubt.

"I alone am enough."

As he said this, he showed no courtesy at all. "If you stay, you will only get in my way."

Having gone through several earlier accidents, Rovi had learned his lesson.

He had to eliminate every possible accident.

Every guard before him was a battle-hardened warrior. Their presence might very well affect Rovi's plan.

After all... Rovi's plan was for himself to die in an accident.

History was full of such things.

A powerful warrior faced an opponent he clearly could have defeated, only to suffer a crushing loss due to a shift in Lady Luck's favor, eventually meeting a tragic end.

That was what he wanted.

To bloom like a summer flower in life and die in dazzling splendor, leaving endless regrets behind in the pages of history.

"I convey this warning in the king's name." Rovi no longer paid attention to the guard leader. Instead, he looked around at everyone and shouted:

"Soldiers, you have given everything to defend your homes and the nation behind you."

"You have worked hard."

"But I want you to know—you are not alone."

"You have already fulfilled your duty."

"From this moment on—"

"This is my battlefield."

Rumble... Gears turned, and the stone gate embedded within the majestic wall slowly rose under the force of its mechanisms.

The soldiers guarding beyond the wall remained silent. Their hands had been tightly gripping their blades and spears. Though their bodies were covered in wounds and their faces heavy with exhaustion, they still watched the depths of the forest vigilantly, staring at those pairs of silently swaying scarlet eyes.

Before this, they had swung their swords countless times, fighting to protect their homes. They had watched their companions and comrades fall, grieving inwardly while gritting their teeth, picking up the fallen weapons, and continuing to fight.

But at this moment, when Rovi stepped forward, when they heard his words, they all froze.

Soldiers were those who defended the land.

But they were not the only ones who defended it.

You have support. You have us.

Rovi closed his eyes and stepped forward. More and more brilliant ripples opened around him, and sharp sword-like Treasure Tools emerged from within, pointing from afar toward the restless monsters across the forest.

In that scene, the warm morning sunlight shone like a rainbow, reflecting across the dense woods beyond.

The guards stared fixedly at the slender young figure clad in linen robes.

So dazzling.

Yet that radiance did not belong to a god. At this moment, it shone upon every one of them.

Fearless in the face of death.

Resolutely facing the surging flood!

Roar—

The monsters that had been lurking and writhing about finally could no longer suppress themselves beneath the overwhelming threat radiating from the Treasury of Babylon Rovi had deployed. They erupted completely!

Claws and fangs flashed as countless bodies darted forth. Trees were smashed down in droves, while clouds of dust and green leaves were flung skyward, rising into enormous waves that shook heaven, earth, mountains, and seas.

The Demon Tide surged.

This was an uprising.

And one even fiercer than before—an unprecedented uprising!

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