The Embryonic Form of an Alliance

For Ziusudra, the hermit of the Underworld who survived the Great Flood of the last world-ending catastrophe and gained immortality, meeting Rovi, who was not the Chosen One, was an extremely important matter.

It wasn't because Rovi had opened a rift in the Underworld, allowing him to emerge.

Rather, it was because he knew that a disaster similar to the world-ending flood of that year was about to sweep across the land once more.

And Rovi would be a crucial figure in it.

He had reason to find him.

One who had experienced destruction did not wish to see the scene of a barren land and a broken civilization after the floodwaters receded.

And so, time passed.

The following period, for Rovi, became surprisingly peaceful.

After all, in that room, Gilgamesh, who had become serious, had devised a plan to delay the gods' 'punishment'.

Gilgamesh ordered the temple priests to pray to the heavens, proclaiming that he was considering the gods' demands.

Regardless, Gilgamesh was a Keystone of Heaven cultivated by the gods themselves. Unless absolutely necessary, the gods did not wish to lose such a useful pawn.

Thus, they still held a sliver of hope.

And it stemmed from confidence – they were not afraid of Rovi and his companions making any moves, so they naturally slowed their pace, waiting for Gilgamesh's 'reply'.

No complications arose during this process, and the period remained calm and uneventful.

Rovi enjoyed a rare moment of peace.

Although his ultimate goal had nothing to do with a peaceful life, occasional relaxation was quite necessary.

Moreover, Rovi felt it necessary to use this free time to research deeper applications of the 'Key of Heaven' he possessed, to avoid being tricked next time—

During this period, he had indeed grasped some of the Key of Heaven's abilities.

He had even managed to influence the divine protection bestowed upon him to a certain extent.

He couldn't completely turn it on or off yet, but he could weaken its effects.

Turning 'immortality' into conditional 'immortality'.

It was also during this time that he took the opportunity to return to the Pantheon to visit those old men—with the imminent formal split between Uruk and the gods, the priests' situation was undoubtedly awkward.

Rovi could see their awkwardness and indecisiveness.

Although they had agreed to Gilgamesh's request to report to the gods that time had been bought, they had not yet decided whether they should betray their lifelong faith and break with the gods.

Such a question was difficult.

Rovi didn't say much either; he always respected their choices.

Whether they became friends or foes later, at least the priests had taken good care of him.

This was just a very, very small interlude.

The rest of the journey was smooth sailing.

The only issue was probably a certain goddess who often came to 'harass' him...

In the courtyard near the Uruk royal palace, the warm sunlight of early morning fell upon the land, baking it into a clear expanse, with lush greenery covering the four corners of the walls.

Rovi picked up the clay bowl on the table, took a sip of the full-bodied barley wine, and then looked up, his gaze immediately falling on the figure opposite him, who was coveting the contents of his bowl.

Her exposed arms in the sunlight still appeared fair and translucent, her graceful figure concealed beneath a crimson coat.

Above that, two strands of long black hair cascaded down, framing a delicate face and a pair of fiercely staring crimson eyes.

Ishtar, Rin—it had been like this every day for the past few days.

Appearing at his residence first thing in the morning.

Staring intently at him...

Unfortunately, it was Ishtar who came.

These past few days, however, Ereshkigal had been nowhere to be seen.

"Cough, cough, cough, Rovi, what do you want to eat today?" Enkidu walked over with light steps, her emerald green hair cascading down, her beautiful face carrying a hint of contemplation. "They say the closer one is to a divine being, the more delicious their taste... how about..."

She glanced at Ishtar.

Ishtar instantly flinched and retracted her gaze from Rovi.

Enkidu smiled, saying nothing.

This was also part of the daily routine—Ishtar, as the goddess's vessel, greatly feared Enkidu.

After all, the Lock of Heaven was meant to bind the power of 'Heaven'.

'Heaven' was, in essence, the gods.

Ishtar was naturally powerless against her and had no desire to anger Enkidu... although, due to some strange attribute brought by her vessel's body, this was difficult to achieve.

After all...

"So delicious—" Ishtar began to devour the food Enkidu had brought to the table, and after a full meal, she let out a contented sound. "It's great, Divine Constructs are so good at cooking too!"

These past few days, Rovi's cooking has been so sparse and bland that it's barely enough to fill one's stomach. So, all the meals here have been handled by Enkidu.

Divine Construct Golems possess extremely strong practical skills, making such tasks effortless for them.

But then, this Venus Goddess let out a sigh, "Mmm... you have a Divine Construct Golem taking care of you, yet you're still coveting the Goddess of the Underworld... You truly are greedy... By the way, is this Divine Construct Golem male or female? Golems, they shouldn't have a gender, right? Then how did you... uh..."

The Venus Goddess seemed to be speaking without a filter, and by the end, her voice grew quieter and quieter.

Because a shadow loomed behind her, Enkidu stood behind her, a gentle smile on her face, radiating warmth and charm...

It's over.

Ishtar's face froze.

"Waaah... let me down!" A moment later, the rafters inside the house groaned under the strain amidst the terrified shouting.

Rovi glanced at the goddess who was being dangled by the Lock of Heaven, and put a hand to his forehead.

When it comes to courting disaster, this woman has more talent than he does.

Rovi fell into deep thought.

"Rovi, what are you thinking about?" Enkidu's clear voice sounded in his ear. Rovi snapped back to attention and happened to see Little En's face leaning close, her emerald eyes bright, her moist lips reflecting specks of light. "Do you want me to let that person down?"

"Mhm..." Rovi glanced at Ishtar, who was still struggling fiercely over there.

Ishtar also looked over, putting on a pleading expression.

Let me down—

Rovi saw the goddess's desperate gaze and was about to reply.

Bang.

Enkidu, with a smile, closed the door, completely shutting out Ishtar's figure and voice.

She didn't wait for Rovi's answer at all.

Ishtar: "..."

Rovi: "..."

"Hahahaha, what lively sounds!" Just then, a very distinctive voice rang out from outside the door. "Is this a welcome ceremony prepared in advance, knowing of this King's arrival?"

Under Enkidu's smiling gaze, Rovi, no longer looking at Ishtar, calmly took a sip of mead.

He watched Gilgamesh stride in, followed by his aide, Miss Siduri. "It's one thing for you, Golden Pikachū, to come, but even the usually busy Miss Siduri is here... It seems there's something important to discuss here?"

"Just some insignificant riff-raff daring to challenge this King's authority..." Gilgamesh sat down opposite Rovi without a care, his arms crossed. "This King will soon let those scum know that in all of heaven and earth, there is only one person qualified to bark at me, who commands all creation!"

"Your words are giving me goosebumps!" Rovi rolled his eyes.

But he probably knew what Gilgamesh was referring to.