You should at least be a person, right?

In the Underworld, a melody like plucked strings spread upwards along an invisible anchor line, reaching all the way to the Sea of Imaginary Numbers.

Splash!

Giant waves surged, and a colossal being, with verdant earth-like tentacles sprouting from its head, ascended from the depths. In its palm, it gathered a spirit of light in a human-like form.

"Good morning, Tiamat..."

The greeting, transmitted through a resonance of consciousness, reached the fingertips of this Origin Goddess, who was tightly bound by the anchor line.

"Where did we leave off yesterday? Ah, yes! That tsundere goddess, Ereshkigal!"

"You have no idea how difficult her personality is. She claims to hate trouble and humans, yet she works harder than a bee every day, ceaselessly creating spear cages. I suspect she foresees the end of the Mesopotamian world approaching, which is why she's been solidifying these soul-protecting artifacts in such large quantities."

"What's even more beyond my comprehension is that it's not enough for her to work overtime constantly; she drags me, a snake, into it every day. It's inhumane!"

"And get this, she's never met the quotas she sets for the spear cages! Can you believe it?"

"In the end, either her magic runs out, the Garuda Spirit goes rampant, or a new batch of souls needs housing. She always falters at critical moments."

"As a result, the next day you'll see her tossing and turning in bed with her blankets..."

Amidst the mountains of the Underworld, the ancient snake, having snuck away from its post and coiled within a rock crevice, rested in the quiet gap, closing its eyes while chatting with Tiamat in the Sea of Imaginary Numbers.

"Besides all that, she's recently become enthusiastic about digging holes into Uruk on the surface. The way she sneaks around is just like a groundhog that fluffs up at the slightest noise."

Lin Xian's analogy amused him, and the wicked serpent hissed, chuckling inwardly.

However, as he spoke, the ancient snake looked up towards the dark dome of the Underworld, a hint of solemnity on its face.

"Tiamat, for some reason, even though you've withdrawn, the Alliance of the Three Goddesses that historically destroyed Mesopotamian civilization has still formed. According to the spirits that have recently entered the Underworld, they are currently hunting humans. Forests, oceans, demonic beasts, goddesses – everywhere you look, humanity is surrounded by enemies. There have even been sightings of numerous [Eleven Demon Beasts] on the surface..."

"These are powers that only you possess. I don't understand why it's still happening like this..."

Lin Xian fell silent for a moment, tilting his head upwards as if listening for a response.

However, Tiamat in the Sea of Imaginary Numbers simply floated there, her gaze vacant and pale.

After a long while, the ancient snake slowly lowered its head and sighed softly.

Most of the Origin Goddess Tiamat's powers and divinity had been transformed into the framework for creating the Mesopotamian world. The opening of the Hole of Heaven allowed her to come into contact with the real world, and at the same time, it briefly restored some of her emotions. If history had unfolded as planned, perhaps Tiamat would have reclaimed her divine foundations step by step as she destroyed the world. But in the most recent, desperate moment, the goddess, who had degenerated into a demonic beast, had miraculously overcome her bestial instincts and sealed the Hole of Heaven herself.

Lin Xian recalled the silhouette he had seen in the white consciousness space and the deep sorrow on Tiamat's face at that time. A ripple of tenderness spread through his serpentine vertical pupils. He lowered his head, flicking his tongue, and murmured softly.

"Mother Goddess, truth be told, your choice wasn't made solely for me. No matter how betrayed, no matter how much pain you endured, you still love these children, you still love humanity, don't you..."

"That's why you suppressed your beastly nature and chose self-sealing, self-exile..."

There was no reply from Tiamat in the Sea of Imaginary Numbers, but Lin Xian faintly felt the anchor line connecting him and this creator goddess tighten for a moment. It was as if that pathetic being had lightly flicked a finger.

The ancient snake bared its fangs. The guilt he had felt over Tiamat degenerating back into a beast because of this choice slightly subsided.

"Don't worry. Since you love them so dearly, I will follow your will and ensure Mesopotamia is spared."

Then, his slightly opening and closing serpentine vertical pupils flashed with a deep, ethereal glow.

"However, in exchange, the Sumerians will need to make a small sacrifice and undergo a change..."

The reason his Origin Mother Goddess couldn't return was primarily because her powers and divine foundations necessary for her existence had been stripped away. Furthermore, her bestial side as the "Mother of Evil Dragons" was feared and rejected by humans.

What if both of these issues were resolved?

Even if the Ark of Life, weighing hundreds of millions of tons and submerged in the Sea of Imaginary Numbers, couldn't be pulled back by a single anchor line tethered to a World Bubble, then what about a hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand!

Even one hundred thousand! One million! Ten million!

As long as Tiamat's fixed image as a "great disaster" could be altered, and her divine nature, which had once shone brightly, could be reshaped. Couldn't the worship of the entire Mesopotamian region, the collective faith of all Sumerians, bring back this Origin Mother Goddess?

This was the inspiration that line in his mind gave Lin Xian! Even if he were to bring Tiamat back, it would absolutely not be in the guise of a universally condemned evil beast. To pit this pitiable Mother Goddess against her children, making them undergo bloody slaughter to eliminate the victor.

How tragic! How cruel, that kind of ending!

Since the future has been changed, anything is possible.

So why can't humans and gods reach a consensus?

The ancient serpent, breaking free from its inherent mold and forging its own path, hissed its tongue through the cracks in the stone, eager to ascend to the surface and spread its gospel to the Sumerians.

But as Lin Xian looked down at his own black scales and slender body, he had to temporarily abandon this tempting plan.

In his current state, he was going to fight the Babylonian gods for territory?

Heh, secretly clearing Tiamat's name and establishing the foundation for the Origin Mother Goddess's return on Earth was a mission of hellish difficulty.

The Babylonian gods had established their great deeds of creating heaven and earth and fashioning humanity by killing the primordial womb, Tiamat.

What Lin Xian intended to do was equivalent to completely negating the legitimacy of these gods.

Putting aside whether his petty actions would be noticed by the gods and result in him being struck down by lightning.

Even if those high and mighty existences were truly blind and deaf, it didn't mean Lin Xian himself was safe.

Humans of the Age of Gods could teach him how to be a snake in an instant.

That's right, "cook" as in making a meal.

If he were to rashly appear in a Mesopotamian city, it was highly probable that some famished household would immediately capture him, skin him, dismember him, and stew him into snake soup.

A truly brutal scene!

Besides, he had just had a falling out with Gilgamesh. If he went to spread his gospel now, who knew if that shining golden fellow would be so magnanimous as to spare him next time.

After all, that Heroic King had never been particularly fond of gods.

Of course, there was something even more important.

Humans of the Age of Gods weren't so easily fooled. To break into Sumerian civilization and gain their trust would be difficult from the outset.

With the beast calamity raging so fiercely, to complete all this smoothly, he at least... he at the very least... had to be human, right?

Tsk, the road ahead was long...

Lin Xian looked at the tip of his own tail, which was curled up before him. His slender body slumped, and his enthusiasm was significantly dampened by the harsh reality.