Change for Me!

Half an hour later, the big cat emerged from the bath, dripping wet, its paws feeling soft like it was walking on marshmallows.

It wasn't until its owner, Ereshkigal, activated the temple's authority and dried the moisture from their bodies that the dazed Lin Xian regained some clarity.

However, just as he was about to follow his owner's lead and collapse onto the bed to sleep, he was kicked off. Ereshkigal looked at him with clear disdain.

Did she find out?!

Lin Xian shivered, his scales standing on end.

At this moment, the goddess pointed at the pet on the floor and opened her mouth to speak sternly.

"Change back!"

The Meslamthea Temple was already hot enough. If she were to sleep while cuddling this fluffy big cat, Ereshkigal suspected she'd suffocate.

So that's all it was?

Understanding that it was a false alarm, Lin Xian couldn't help but chuckle wryly. He immediately gathered his red and black blood mist, transforming into the Ancient Snake, and then slithered into the covers to cool down.

It seems the big cat form is out of favor on the bed.

Lin Xian muttered to himself, twitching the corners of his mouth in helplessness.

As the night deepened, Ereshkigal, tired from her day's activities, soon fell into a deep sleep. Her curled-up body tightened its grip on the cool-feeling pillow in her arms.

The Ancient Snake, not wanting to, squeezed out a few inches from his owner's embrace and let out a shaky sigh of relief.

That was close, my snake gall nearly burst. Sometimes being a cuddle companion is a deadly job.

Then, Lin Xian carefully shifted, wanting to withdraw the last section of his serpentine body to loosen up his stiff form.

However, the moment the tip of his tail slipped from the goddess's palm, Ereshkigal frowned, her delicate body curling into a ball. Her hands flailed unconsciously, her expression growing increasingly anxious and uneasy.

"Don't go... don't go..."

Her mumbled whispers exuded loneliness and fear. The head buried in her golden locks began to shake more violently, as if she might wake up from a nightmare at any moment.

Snap...

His dangling snake tail gently coiled around the goddess's wrist, only to be grasped tightly by her. The furrow between her brows gradually smoothed out.

In the faint light emanating from the Meslamthea Temple, the Ancient Snake, gritting his teeth in pain, quietly looked at his owner's serene and contented sleeping face and sighed softly.

He had known for a long time that in the unique, deathly still environment of the Underworld, Ereshkigal could not express, or even possess, her own happiness, joy, sorrow, or friends.

Over the long years, even the souls she wished to cherish would gradually wither and shatter.

Ultimately, this goddess, unable to leave the Underworld, could only continue to be alone through the ages.

But even though Lin Xian understood this pain, he could not truly empathize with it.

And now, through this subtle action, he finally understood how crucial his existence was to Ereshkigal.

By consuming the Immortal Herb, he would be immortal and could stay with his owner forever.

As a living being, he was so real, fulfilling Ereshkigal's longing for contact with this vibrancy.

He could provide comfort to her pain, share in her joy, and lend an ear to her troubles.

If he chose to leave, it would be another devastating blow to Ereshkigal's world, which had only recently gained color.

Yet, even so, Lin Xian had no other choice.

First, Ereshkigal had joined the Triple Goddess Alliance and made a pact to destroy the Mesopotamian world with two other mysterious beings.

If anyone could seize the last stronghold of Mesopotamia, Uruk, and obtain the Holy Grail from Gilgamesh's treasury, they could permanently possess this land.

Lin Xian guessed that his owner was digging pits underground every day precisely because she wanted to win first and protect Uruk in her own way.

Moreover, based on his previous observations, Ereshkigal's reason for not confronting the other two goddesses to defend this land was definitely due to some hidden circumstances.

Once this stubborn and serious woman made a choice, it was not easy for her to change her mind.

What's more, the contract for the Triple Goddess Alliance this time seemed more overbearing and stringent than he remembered.

Therefore, even if Ereshkigal wanted to defect and switch sides to the human faction, she would need a reason to convince herself.

To expect a proud goddess to risk death and alter her will based on a few empty words was itself a fantasy and irresponsible.

Thus, if he intended to stop Ereshkigal, he had to demonstrate his worth and resolve.

Second, and most crucially.

By her side, in his snake form, he was restricted in everything he did and easily targeted by certain entities.

He shouldn't forget that he was the Ancient Snake who consumed the Immortal Herb, and according to fate, he should have perished.

Now, all eyes were on the actions of the Triple Goddess Alliance. Even if he managed to persuade Ereshkigal to change her mind.

Then, such an unusual anomaly would inevitably lead to the investigation of those who had laid out the plan.

He hadn't been in the Underworld for long, and he had already gotten entangled with Gilgamesh's journey to immortality. His origins and identity simply couldn't withstand scrutiny.

In conclusion, if he tried to persuade Ereshkigal as a snake and failed, it would be fine. But if he actually succeeded and caused a drastic change, he would essentially be courting death!

Therefore, the only solution Lin Xian could think of was to break out of this dead end, change his identity, and lie low in secret.

Even with the authority granted by Tiamat, he was ultimately too weak. He could only seize opportunities and leverage existing power.

The Triple Goddess Alliance had been ravaging the Mesopotamian world for nearly half a year, leaving him with little time.

If he delayed any further and missed certain crucial junctures, he might find himself powerless to change things.

Ah well, one step at a time.

Lin Xian suppressed his scattered thoughts, resting his head on his owner's chest, lying there quietly to offer her a touch of coolness in the night.

The next day, as the faint red glow of the temple of heat began to dawn, Ereshkigal, overcoming her habit of lingering in bed, struggled to rise. She tugged at the Ancient Snake and headed to a flat clearing beneath the cliff face.

As his mistress released him, the snake, thrown into the deep valley, felt the whistling wind around him. He noticed the earth and stones below gathering and rising, coalescing into sharp ground spikes pointing upwards. He let out a lament in his heart.

Alright, the daily required lesson has arrived.

Since he had previously asked Ereshkigal to help train him.

This meticulous owner had taken it quite seriously, directly summoning Garuda Spirits for practical combat.

Furthermore, these monsters, just formed into skeletal shapes, were essentially seasoned death soldiers with actual combat experience.

Thus, in the early stages, Lin Xian, one-on-one at the same level, was repeatedly beaten black and blue. Not a single inch of his body was uninjured after each session.

However, his almost monstrous immortality granted him extraordinary healing capabilities. As a result, he could be on death's door one day and bouncing back the next.

Later on, he actually managed to outlast the Garuda Spirits he fought, grinding them down until they died.

Coupled with his quick wit, his combat experience also soared with time. He could even handle two Garuda Spirits at the same level.

Unfortunately, because he was so resilient, Ereshkigal felt even more at ease and boldly trained her beloved pet, always beating him within an inch of his life.

Forget it, no need to talk about it. The past is too painful to recall.

Swallowing a mouthful of bitter tears, Lin Xian mustered his full attention, twisting his body in mid-air to evade dozens of piercing ground spikes. He then moved through the gaps, landing on the yet undamaged ground.

But before he could catch his breath, the death fog around him churned violently, and a Garuda Spirit wielding a spear drifted ominously towards him.

Tsk, there are three Silver-ranked Garuda Spirits in total. One has appeared to test the waters, while the other two are still waiting for their moment. The difficulty has increased.