No! You Don't Want This!

In the valley between the seven gates of the underworld, leading to the epicenter, Ereshkigal, holding a new lantern, strode forward.

Behind them, a sullen snake slithered haphazardly across the rocks and potholes.

According to the plan, Samael was supposed to become a human being, strengthening the imprint of his other side in the mind of the other woman, so that she could easily climb into his bed.

But the embarrassing encounter that morning made Ereshkigal feel ashamed. Only after forcing her pet to revert to its familiar monster form did she feel less ashamed.

Well, everyone needs some time to adjust their mindset. Let's take it slow.

Seeing that the servant, feeling guilty, stopped and bent down to beckon him with his arms outstretched, Samael sighed helplessly.

He twisted his waist, climbed onto Ereshkigal's fair wrist, and continued upwards, passing through her collarbone, heading towards a certain place.

However, in an instant, Samael was grabbed by the tail by a fierce-looking shrew, pulled from his chest, wrapped around his forearm, and tied in a tight knot.

"I think..."

"Laugh!"

Ereshkigal gave a sinister laugh, casually wielding the golden-white spear wheel manifested by the Temple of Heat, Meslamtaea, and neatly cleaved the giant rock, which was over ten meters high, in two.

"I think this is quite comfortable..."

Samael felt a chill on his lower body and obediently wrapped his arms around the baby's forearm, abandoning his insistence on the chest-rubbing ritual.

The goddess rolled her eyes at the long worm, her gaze deep and unsettling.

Although she already knew that this guy possessed near-human intelligence when he was first thrown into the underworld.

However, Samael's highly ambiguous serpentine appearance and his status as a creature of the underworld made Ereshkigal instinctively ignore this fact in her ecstasy.

Now, when he returned to the underworld and appeared before him in human form, there was not a trace of incongruity.

It was as if everything was meant to be this way.

The growing confusion and doubt made the Underworld Goddess, who had calmed down, sense that something was amiss.

The threatening blow just now made it obedient without hesitation, which at least proved one thing: this guy wasn't honest.

At least, he's not as honest as he appears.

Hmph, daring to run away from home, daring to lie, daring to steal and run away! I was too lenient with them before.

And, he was almost kidnapped by that woman!

Could it be that all these malicious thoughts were infected by that woman Ishtar?!

Recalling what she had seen during her several moments when her consciousness floated to the surface, Ereshkigal's expression shifted between light and dark, her teeth chattering, and her hands unconsciously tightened their grip.

It must be! She just can't stand seeing me suffer! She's jealous that my underworld can have living beings!

"Ereshkigal... it hurts..."

"It's broken... it's going to break!"

Finally, the painful sounds coming from being twisted in the palm of her hand finally awakened the little creature's consciousness.

Ereshkigal looked at the ancient snake, which had been unintentionally ravaged, stretched to twice its original length, and twisted into a heap, and suddenly realized what was happening. She hurriedly let go of it.

The highly elastic snakeskin, when rolled up, makes a crisp snapping sound.

Samael, tossed about like a rubber band, let out a painful howl and immediately darted out of Ereshkigal's clutches, leaping to the ground like a slender bolt of lightning.

The goddess instinctively wanted to reach out and stop him, but seeing the terrified fear on Zhang She's face, and the trembling that came from his animal instincts, Ereshkigal lowered her head and tucked her hands into her sleeves.

"Huh? Isn't this... that crystal crater from back then?"

The ancient serpent, driven by intense lust, wanted to change the subject and ease the tension. Looking around, it was astonished to find that the two had unknowingly arrived at that secluded valley.

Beneath the pervasive Death Qi, there was none other than the farewell gift he had carefully prepared.

Samael then disappeared into the thicket, weaving and wandering among the scattered bushes, while Ereshkigal, who seemed lost in thought, hurriedly chased after him, as if she had just remembered something.

The crystal stones inside are still vibrant and dazzling, their shimmering fluorescence evoking a flood of memories.

Well, we're almost at the place where I made my promise with Ereshkigal and erected a monument. It's worth revisiting this old haunt and taking one last look...

Erect... erect a monument?

The ancient serpent coiled before a mound of stones, gazing at the tombstone Cuneiform Rune, lost in thought.

What made him even more dumbfounded was that, seemingly to create a solemn atmosphere, the surrounding crystal stones had been broken off and neatly arranged in front of the tombstone as a form of ritual.

Within a radius of more than ten meters, the area had become completely barren.

"No, don't look anymore. It's all a misunderstanding. I made a mistake."

Just as Samael was somewhat confused, a red and black figure, a step behind, hurriedly stood between the grave mound and Samael, his gaze somewhat evasive.

"Have you been to the place where I shed my skin?"

The ancient serpent's gaze fell upon the black Snake Molt wrapped around Ereshkigal's wrist, and it immediately understood, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, I thought of going up there to fulfill your Ereshkigal, but I was afraid you wouldn't allow it, so I sneaked out without saying goodbye."

"It's... it's okay, I'm back anyway, and you did a great job."

As Ereshkigal responded, for some reason, her eyes kept glancing aimlessly at the small grave.

The ancient snake circled the grave twice, full of suspicion, when its scales inadvertently touched a flat, hard object with bumps and dents in front of the grave.

With a flick of the snake's tail, the crystal fragments were swept aside, revealing the Clay Tablet beneath which he recognized it very well.

"Isn't that unnecessary?"

Samael looked at her strangely and pulled out the certificate of his contract with Ereshkigal with a pained expression. It was covered with scratches from crystal branches and other sharp objects.

"I will keep it safe!"

However, before the ancient serpent could examine it for even a moment, Ereshkigal snatched the mud tablet from his body and held it in her arms.

Her eyes, which dared not meet her gaze, and her fingers, which were fidgeting on her cloak, revealed the unease and unease of this Underworld Goddess, as if she were deliberately hiding some secret.

"Anyway, there's nothing much to see, we should go!"

Hearing the soft hum that was trying to remain calm but couldn't hide the slight tremor in it, Samael glanced at the half-meter-high pile of rubble, his eyes showing a hint of understanding, and suddenly spoke.

"Ereshkigal, look, I'm still alive. Since it's a misunderstanding, let's level this grave first, otherwise it feels weird."

"Wait! Hold on!"

The Underworld Goddess, who had been holding the Clay Tablet, suddenly changed her expression and hurriedly turned around to try to stop her.

However, the ancient serpent, who had long harbored ill intentions, immediately swept away the pile of rubble with lightning speed, a triumphant smile spreading across its face.

Tsk, the only skin I have left is in your hands. What's in the grave?

Stones... stones... why are they all stones?

Samael stared at the crystal raw materials scattered on the ground, some as big as fists and some as small as pigeon eggs, and muttered to himself, his expression somewhat astonished.

But as these crystals collided with each other, divine patterns engraved on their surfaces lit up one after another.

Immediately afterwards, large and small orbs of light, shaped like soap bubbles, floated upwards, with figures flickering inside and women's murmurs emanating from them.

"No... don't look..."

At this moment, looking at the small grave with scattered rocks, Ereshkigal's cherry lips moved, uttering difficult words. She stood there stiffly, like a doll that had lost its soul.