Damn, I've become a 'Saint Man'?

The goddess named Aruru couldn't help but freeze at the sight.

As a deity entrusted by the gods to shape the final form of 'Enkidu', Aruru naturally possessed corresponding abilities—she was the Goddess of Creation, holding the seat of 'Mother Goddess' among the Mesopotamian pantheon.

And she was especially skilled at creating life and bestowing suitable forms upon it.

But until now, no matter what means the goddess Aruru employed, she could not make this God-made Clay, which already possessed a certain degree of life consciousness, react.

If not for this, she wouldn't have been troubled to this day.

But now, what she could not accomplish had been done by a human who appeared out of nowhere.

The clay surged, blocking in front of the goddess, and even more so, fell before Rovi as if meeting a loved one.

Yet after the initial surprise, Aruru looked at Rovi again and instantly understood.

"Key of Heaven?" She froze.

And hearing Aruru's words, Rovi also grasped the reason for this sudden turn of events.

Gilgamesh is the Chains of Heaven that maintains the connection between the gods and the mortal world, while Enkidu, used to bind Gilgamesh and guide him onto the right path, is the Keystone of Heaven.

Originally, there were only these two.

But coincidentally, before Rovi set out, he had received the 'Key of Heaven' bestowed by the gods from the High Priest.

Lock and key are inherently closely related.

At this Present Moment, Enkidu, not yet formed, lacks wisdom but possesses a natural instinct for this close relationship.

Understanding the reason, Rovi deeply pressed his forehead; he felt... like he'd messed things up again?

With a last shred of hope, Rovi turned his gaze to the Mother Goddess of Creation standing frozen in place.

And what he got in return was an inexplicable smile.

Aruru suddenly understood—

She too was one of the gods; there was no way she wouldn't know what the Key of Heaven signified.

The Key of Heaven is recognized by the gods.

How could such a person be disrespectful to the divine?

His earlier action was not directed at her, but at the God-made Clay... it seemed contemptuous, but it was deliberately shown.

Its true purpose was merely to make the God-made Clay react.

And the God-made Clay would inevitably react.

Being despised by someone close is something the immature 'Lock of Heaven' absolutely cannot tolerate.

To stop this disdain, the Lock of Heaven would make its form draw closer to that close one.

It would gradually 'become human'.

And moreover, a 'human' perfectly aligned with its essence, perfectly bearing its power.

"One recognized by the gods... it seems I have misjudged you." Aruru revealed a rather gratified expression. "You truly are worthy of admiration..."

"???"

What are you saying?

I understand every word, but when you string them together, I can't make sense of it?

Rovi looked utterly bewildered.

"Then from now on, that child is in your hands!"

Aruru flicked her Jet-black long hair, her crimson lips curling upward. She stretched her full, lithe body in the warm sunlight, and amidst a ripple of pale radiance, transformed into a streak of light, soaring into the sky and vanishing from sight.

Rovi had no time to stop her.

He could only watch as the figure in that empty space disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a patch of scorched earth, while the lush greenery all around remained unchanged.

The deity had departed, but her divine might lingered.

The beasts naturally still lay prostrate on the ground.

Rovi sighed.

He knew this goddess must have misunderstood... misunderstood that his earlier mockery was actually carried out with benevolent intent.

That's why she entrusted Enkidu to him.

Why does it always end up like this... He scratched his hair.

Just then, a crisp cry caught Rovi's attention.

He looked ahead.

At the pitch-black God-made Clay that had just fallen before him.

Just as Goddess Aruru had thought—It was changing.

Because of Rovi's momentary 'disdain', it felt intense unwillingness.

And so at That Instant, it sensed what was in Rovi's heart.

...drawing closer to a certain form within his heart.

The pitch-black mud instantly solidified, shedding its original color, and under the soft light reflected by the sun, it rose into fang-like material.

First the arms, then the legs, the head...

Rovi's eyes widened, as if witnessing an invisible hand sculpting a perfect work.

"Mm..." A final soft sound escaped from the freshly formed vermilion lips.

The 'person' born from the mud opened its eyes.

It was just like the 'Enkidu' in Rovi's memory.

It had beautiful long emerald hair, lush like this thriving Monster Forest, and beneath those cascading strands, its features were delicate and lovely. Its eyes were the same vibrant green, full of life. Its nose was straight, its lips like petals, its fair neck slender and curved, descending to a chest with a gentle rise.

Enkidu's arms spread wide, its limbs appearing extremely slender, but its thighs carried a hint of fullness. Its legs were slightly crossed, its hips pert and raised upward, its waist cinched like a silver vase.

Everything was exactly as Rovi had imagined.

The only difference... was perhaps a few more feminine traits?

Rovi fell into deep thought.

He admitted that in his heart, the Nasuverse's Enkidu did lean closer to female...

Even though a Divine Construct, in essence, had no concept of gender.

Enkidu, with its Divine Tool's transformative nature, could take any form.

But because of this thought in his heart, it wasn't strange that Enkidu's first, most original form had become what stood before him now...

"Ah-ah-ah?"

A babbling sound emerged from those moist vermilion lips. Enkidu spread its arms slightly, swaying as it stood on a tree very close to the branch Rovi occupied. Its delicate face showed a longing for closeness.

A yearning for intimacy.

Rovi finally realized where that faint sense of strangeness in his heart came from—

In later ages, the epic recording the King of Heroes Gilgamesh told the story of Enkidu's transformation.

It was born in an ancient, secluded forest.

At first, it was in a state of ignorance and formlessness.

Until one day, a Holy Maiden serving the gods, guided by divine will, stepped into the forest.

Enkidu, pure and ignorant by nature, was drawn to her and stayed with her in the forest for seven days and seven nights.

Finally, it understood humanity, gained self-awareness.

And from then on, it began to walk the earth in that maiden's beautiful form.

But now, Enkidu had transformed.

There was no maiden in the forest.

The only one with a direct connection to the divine... was probably Rovi himself.

In other words—

"I've become the Holy Maiden... no. It should be 'Saint Man'?"

Rovi pondered, but could not understand.

He couldn't make sense of it, but at this moment, he was deeply shaken.