Noah's Ark 3/4

"The Fir Beast Humbaba... the Heavenly Ox Gugalanna..."

"It seems this isn't an isolated case!"

Merlin stroked his chin, his expression serious, and the atmosphere on the field became heavy.

"Um... I also have something to say... but I'm afraid Q'uq'umatz will beat me up..."

At this moment, the Jaguar Man standing at the edge of the pillar looked awkward and uneasy.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of things over there."

Samael stepped forward and gently patted the Jaguar Man on the shoulder, comforting Xu Nuo.

With the assurance of this person who was favored by Feathered Serpent God, the Jaguar Man felt relieved and casually activated the Sorcery Array.

"This is it!"

"Bang!"

Inside, a grotesque head, several meters tall and shaped like a dragon or snake, rolled into the royal court. Judging from the broken neck, it had been twisted off.

"The Abgal!"

The High Priestess Siduri, stared in astonishment at the etched images of gods and monsters offered by the Eridu.

"Yes, Q'uq'umatz encountered this thing while traveling south carrying the Sun Calendar Stone."

"This guy is amazing. The storm he stirred up even flooded Eridu and Ur."

The Jaguar Man drooped his head, his voice lowered, and his tone was filled with an unusual emotion.

"Except for the first group who sought refuge inside the Mayan Pyramid, everyone else died..."

"So many people..."

"Q'uq'umatz was furious and chased it for two days and two nights before he finally managed to twist its head off."

"Otherwise, it wouldn't have taken so long to come back."

Samael looked at the southern regions, which were almost completely occupied, with a gloomy expression and a mocking gaze.

"One Apsu isn't enough, so we need to add three legendary monsters as henchmen..."

"Should we be proud of their favoritism?"

Faced with this subtle question, Siduri, who still held a sliver of reverence for the gods, was speechless.

"I mean, aren't these bastards afraid that after Apsu finishes dealing with the humans, he'll also kill them off?!"

"Perhaps, I'm not afraid at all..."

Seeing Samael, who had lost his composure after being mocked by Merlin, raised his eyelids and whispered softly.

"If they're so confident, then it'll be even more difficult to deal with."

The ancient snake frowned, the resentment on its face subsided slightly, and it looked down at the sand table, murmuring to itself.

At the same time, Samael gazed at the extinguished Sorcery Array and couldn't help but shake his head.

He now understood why King Gilgamesh used to always call someone a "bastard".

Perhaps, this seemingly noble hybrid of human and god is something he finds disgusting.

"Chirp chirp!"

Just as the atmosphere in the Royal Palace Divine Tower turned somber, a small, stunted wind dragon flapped its wings and nestled into Samael's arms.

"General Tim has sent word!"

The ancient serpent's eyes lit up when it saw the bamboo tube tied to the leg of the wind god pterosaur. It immediately pulled out the sheepskin scroll inside and tossed the little messenger a few pieces of fine fresh mutton as a reward.

"Do we still need another day?"

"It's the third day since Apsu went submerged. That means if the Dark God finishes digesting the Holy Grail and emerges from the surface on time, we'll need to endure at least a one-day gap?"

Samael strode to the sand table, repeatedly deducing and estimating, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

It's troublesome because the problem isn't just one target, it's three.

Even the weakest of the Fir Beast Humbaba, was killed through the combined efforts of Enkidu and Gilgamesh, demonstrating the wickedness of the mastermind behind it all.

Furthermore, the current situation is only barely maintained thanks to Quetzalcoatl defeating the Abgal, which relieved the pressure from the southern hinterland and brought the Sun Calendar Stone.

However, Quetzalcoatl paid a considerable price to defeat the legendary monster sent by the God Ea to hunt down the Goddess Ishtar.

So she didn't come to this meeting that day.

The ancient snake looked around, its eyes no longer reflecting the healing smile of the South American woman as usual, and it sighed quietly.

However, Samael quickly adjusted his mindset and solemnly made a series of arrangements.

"Siduri, starting tomorrow, urgently mobilize manpower to reinforce and raise the surrounding city walls!"

"Merlin, keep a close eye on the celestial phenomena, and send more Magecraft and priestesses to investigate potential geological hazards in Uruk!"

"Leopard, take a squad of Quetzalcoatl to the Mayan Pyramid. They are responsible for transporting the people from Eridu and Ur who are taking refuge here. If you encounter any beings of the same level as these gods and monsters, avoid them if possible. Protecting the people is the top priority!"

"Ishtar, watch out for the Mount Epiph line, and keep a close eye on your cattle!"

"Finally, the sacrificial site, the Shrine Maiden's Office, and the Astrology Platform must expedite the preparation of the list of supplies I mentioned last time. They must be ready before Apsu breaks through the surface!"

Everyone nodded in agreement, but their brows remained furrowed with worry.

Samael looked around, raised the parchment in his hand, and exuded confidence.

"Gentlemen, as long as we hold out until the eighth day, we have a chance to win!"

"Win? How can we win? With the support of the land and water gods, Apsu is invincible. He is the god of the abyss and freshwater."

Merlin massaged his temples, and his headache subsided.

"Invincible on land, let's move to another place..."

The ancient serpent's fingertips slid down the sand table, eventually following the two rivers and inserting themselves somewhere at the end of the serpent.

Ishtar, clutching the mud tablet, approached with a pounding heart and an excited expression.

"The Persian Gulf! Yes!"

"By diverting Apsu, which is freshwater, to the saltwater sea, wouldn't that completely sever its connection with the land's waterways?!"

"You're something else, Samael!"

Merlin raised his arm, helplessly splashing a bucket of cold water on the situation.

"Don't be too happy yet. Gilgamesh and I have also thought of this method, but the problem is how to lure Apsu to the sea?"

"And Uruk is still here. The moment that freshwater god bursts forth from the earth, he will make the land of Mesopotamia tremble!"

The ancient serpent nodded slightly, quite satisfied with the three's seemingly unrelated thought process, which further solidified his belief.

Immediately, Samael, who had been questioned by Merlin, handed the parchment to the Great Sage, a slight smile playing on his lips, his gaze resolute and profound.

"So, we have to hold out until the eighth day..."

"Only when the things Tim and his men have secretly prepared arrive will there be a chance for things to turn around!"

Merlin opened the scroll and stared at the enormous object on it, shaped like a ship and made of cedar wood, metal, and even magic crystal. His pupils contracted sharply.

"What is this thing?!"

"The old man who accepted the commission, named Ziusudra, was referred to as..."

"... Noah's Ark!"

Samael spoke slowly, his words clear and forceful, with a restrained arrogance.

"You actually made something like this behind my back!"

Merlin, who had been getting increasingly sleepy lately, suddenly became animated and energetic, patting Samael on the shoulder with great enthusiasm. He then began circling the sand table as if possessed, his voice growing more and more excited.

"Yes, that's it!"

"Carrying the people of Uruk, Noah's Ark sailed downstream, using the banks of the two rivers, and headed towards the Persian Gulf to reach the sea!"

"When the time comes, Apsu will be weakened when he comes to the saltwater area to pursue and kill them!"

"We won't pursue them; we can stay out of it and wait for the floodwaters to recede!"

"Perhaps, the freshwater god who has lost his purpose will find another way to wreak havoc."

The Great Sage seemed to remember something, and looking at the gloomy sky outside the window, he curled up the corners of his mouth with schadenfreude.

"Haha, they're in luck!"