Underworld King Gilgamesh

"Siduri ..."

In the magnificent and spacious temple of Uruk Royal City, a voice addressed the towering throne. "Your Majesty, have you not returned yet?"

This is an old man with a weathered face, wearing a linen robe. He is the High Priest of the Pantheon, the one who brought the sage who had left the world to meet the king.

Of course, that was in the past.

The Present Moment Pantheon has been stripped of most of its power, leaving only the right to perform sacrifices, and most of its elderly members are now retired and living at home.

But the former High Priest still comes to the palace every day to ask the same questions.

Has the king returned?

"High Priest." A voice spoke from beside the Divine Seat. It was Siduri. Although her appearance was still light, her voice was no longer as clear as before, but carried a hint of the depth of age. "The King has not yet returned."

"Is that so..." The old priest wasn't surprised, but there was also a hint of hope in his voice. "It seems that the departures of Rovi and Lady Enkidu have had a significant impact on the King..."

Since the day the Sage Rovi was stolen by Tiamat, the Primordial God, Enkidu left without saying goodbye, only leaving a 'letter' to inform Gilgamesh that she was going to find Rovi and to tell her friend to take care.

The remaining god of the original world, Ishtar Rin, has also disappeared. It is said that she went to a higher dimension where all gods eventually arrive. She said that she will definitely wait for Rovi's return there and she will settle the 'settlement' with him before.

It was after that that the King of Uruk, after a period of silence, also departed.

He said he was going to a faraway place to find the Elixir of Immortality to break the curse.

That departure was followed by several days without return.

If it weren't for the Sage Rovi Lovi's construction of a complete bottom-up system for this vast country, which would allow it to function even without a king, as long as the monarchy existed and the people surrounded it, Uruk would have long since fallen apart and become a mere shell of its former self.

But this does not mean that the country does not need Gilgamesh its king.

In fact, because Gilgamesh was absent, Uruk could still function, but it was always in a state of contraction.

Many important matters were put on hold, and no one was able to make a decision, even Siduri lacked the wisdom and courage.

Thinking of this, the old priest sighed again... It was precisely because he knew the story of those three that he felt even more moved and helpless.

Just then, a familiar laugh came from outside the door.

"Hahaha... It seems this country truly cannot do without the great King himself!"

As arrogant and rampant as ever.

The old priest was stunned, Siduri was also stunned.

They glanced at the figure approaching from outside the door... He had long, flowing golden hair, wore golden armor, his hair was disheveled, his face was still handsome, but his skin was slightly dark, bearing the marks of many experiences.

"Your Majesty!" Siduri exclaimed, slightly excited.

"Your Majesty—" The old priest also bowed.

Gilgamesh nodded and stepped forward. As he approached the throne, his gaze swept over the two long-empty thrones, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Your Majesty..." Siduri was somewhat surprised.

It's worth noting that Gilgamesh had been 'depressed' for a while after Rovi and Enkidu left—although this depression manifested as him cursing even more harshly and acting even more recklessly.

The former evokes the feeling of that sage, while the latter restores the appearance it had before meeting the sage.

But now, that feeling has disappeared.

"It's nothing, Siduri." Gilgamesh shook his head. "I was just thinking about how that idiot looked when Tiamat captured him... Damn it, just mentioning that bastard makes me laugh out loud, hahahaha!"

Siduri: "..."

Oh no, the king has broken down again.

After laughing for a while, Gilgamesh paused again and said, "Do you know where I went on this trip?"

"I traversed this entire world on foot and found the legendary immortal herb that could lift a curse." Gilgamesh sat down on his throne, his voice low. "But I... threw it away."

Because that thing should never have belonged to me.

Because during this long journey, Gilgamesh saw and learned a great deal.

'That's what the returning king said.'

I have climbed the highest mountains in the world and seen the colorful clouds left by the Bull of Heaven.

'I have also walked the depths of the abyss, and seen the profound depths of the underworld.'

I crossed the vast ocean and saw the ends of the earth.

'At that time, I was only a child.'

'My friend...'

'Come on, you've always been by my side.'

"Ha ha ha... That idiot left me a vast world in the Underworld!" Gilgamesh laughed.

What does the future hold for Uruk?

Gilgamesh also pondered this carefully after the departure of his two friends.

Uruk could not last long.

It's not just because of so-called historical correctness, but also because nothing in this world is permanent; stagnation leads to destruction, and so does rapid expansion.

However, after being cursed, Rovi made countless trips to the underworld...

There, he used his own power of creation to carve out a vast world.

Whether before or after death,

The wise men who served the king had all prepared a way out for him.

"I believe that guy is still alive."

"Therefore, I, the King, will personally lead Uruk, and the three of us, to our most glorious moment, and wait here for their return!"

These were the last words the king left behind on that day.

'From then on, the king began to govern diligently and launched conquests on all sides.'

He actively handled government affairs and reformed Uruk.

He led his army to expand Uruk's territory to encompass the entire Mesopotamian Plains.

'He touched the earth deeply with the name of Uruk.'

He once intersected with the vast world of the Aegean Sea, exerting a profound influence on the scattered civilizations of those city-states, and is known as "the Great King of the Golden Age."

He was the First King, and the Symbol of Heroes.

'The first, heroic king'

'At night, he led all of Uruk to the underworld, where he awaited the return of the King's friend.'

After his departure, Mesopotamia was scattered once more, which led to the resurgence of the Akkadian civilization and the eventual unification of Mesopotamia by Babylon.

Five hundred years later, Hammurabi created the world's first legal code based on the clay tablets left by the sages.

'The Non-God King of the Underworld '

' Rovi before the King'

Even today, some people still refer to it that way.

' The Epic of Gilgamesh '

"Hahaha... You Golden Flash, you may have a foul mouth, but you've done a pretty good job!"

"Jill, it's so painful..."

Hades.

After the Goddess Ereshkigal was destroyed, the realm fell under the 'rule' of Gilgamesh.

High atop the towering palace, Gilgamesh slightly opened his eyes.

Is it an auditory hallucination...?

Their voices.

A hint of surprise flashed in Wang Xinghong's eyes.

He looked at the key floating in the air before him.

Tumbling, turning into silver chains and spiraling swords.

The manifestation of the power Projection left behind by Enkidu and Rovi.

Gilgamesh was stunned.

He immediately laughed.

This is not an illusion.

They had always been by his side...

"Your Majesty... Hades, King of the Underworld the underworld in the Aegean Sea, invites you to visit."

Siduri's voice rang out from the side.

These days, the neighboring King of the Underworld, the ' Mechanical God ' who descended from the heavens, has been hoping to obtain the 'personality' that King of the Underworld should have from Gilgamesh.

"Understood. Tell that mechanical head—I will go." Gilgamesh put away what was before him and treasured it in the deepest part of the treasury.

Those crimson eyes, devoid of thought, remained only solemn, along with that unchanging, rampant smile.

Even if he were to return to the underworld, he would never mind the world proclaiming his existence.

Moreover, in the 'future' he could see, on that piece of land, there was that guy's figure.

"Enkidu... what is humanity?"

"Actually, I don't understand either, but I know that as long as you have the longing for someone in your heart, you will definitely know what a person is."

"Really... but I still don't understand."

"You will become one day, just like the broken steel shell you have shed. You will inevitably become a goddess who understands humanity, Artemis."

"I, in truth, was once just a divine creation, devoid of emotions..."