Give Me a Change!

Half an hour later, the big cat crawled out of the bath, soaked from head to toe, its four paws weak as it felt like it was walking on cotton candy.

It was only after Ereshkigal, his owner, activated the temple's authority and blew the moisture off both of them that the dazed Lin Xian regained some clarity.

However, just as he was about to follow his owner's footsteps and collapse onto the bed to sleep, he was kicked down with a look of utter disgust on Ereshkigal's face.

Had she found out?!

Lin Xian jolted, every hair standing on end.

At that moment, the goddess pointed at her pet lying on the floor and spoke sternly.

"Change back!"

Meslamthea Temple was hot enough already. If she had to sleep while hugging this big cat with its thick fur, Ereshkigal suspected she might suffocate to death.

So that was what this was about?

Realizing it had been a false alarm, Lin Xian did not know whether to laugh or cry. He immediately gathered red-black blood mist, transformed his body into an ancient serpent, then slithered into the blankets to cool her down.

Apparently, the big cat form was unwelcome in bed.

Lin Xian muttered to himself, helplessly curling his lips.

As the night deepened, Ereshkigal, who had been busy all day, soon fell into a deep sleep. Her curled-up body tightly hugged the cool pillow in her arms.

The ancient serpent finally managed to squeeze a few inches out from his owner's arms and let out a long, trembling breath.

That had been close. His snake gallbladder had nearly been crushed. Sometimes, sleeping beside her was a deadly job too.

Then, Lin Xian carefully shifted, hoping to pull out the last stretch of his body and loosen his stiff limbs.

However, the instant the tip of his tail slipped from his owner's palm, Ereshkigal furrowed her brows tightly. Her delicate body curled into a ball, her hands grasping blindly in unconscious panic as she grew increasingly anxious and unsettled.

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

The vague murmur carried loneliness and fear. The head buried in her golden hair began to shake more violently, as though she might wake from the nightmare at any moment.

"Slap..."

The dangling snake tail gently coiled around the goddess's wrist. She immediately clutched it tightly, and the knot between her brows gradually eased.

In the faint glow of Meslamthea Temple, the ancient serpent, grimacing in pain, quietly watched his owner's peaceful, contented sleeping face and sighed softly.

He had long known that in the Underworld's uniquely lifeless environment, Ereshkigal could neither display nor even possess happiness, joy, sorrow, or friends of her own.

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

In the end, this goddess who could not leave the Underworld could only remain alone through the endless years.

But even if Lin Xian understood that pain, he could not truly empathize with it.

And now, through that tiny gesture, he finally understood just how important his presence was to Ereshkigal.

By consuming the Immortal Herb, he would become undying and could remain with his owner forever.

As a living being, he was so real, fulfilling Ereshkigal's desire to touch something alive.

He could even comfort her pain, share her joy, and listen to her words.

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

But even so, Lin Xian had no other choice.

First, Ereshkigal had already joined the Triple Goddess Alliance and made a contract with the other two mysterious beings to destroy the world of Mesopotamia together.

Whoever could seize Uruk, the last fortress of Mesopotamia, first and obtain the Holy Grail in Gilgamesh's treasury would possess this land forever.

Lin Xian guessed that his owner dug holes underground every day because she wanted to win first and protect Uruk in her own way.

Moreover, based on his previous observations, there had to be another reason why Ereshkigal had not fought the other two goddesses to defend this land.

Once a stubborn and serious woman like her made a choice, she would not easily change it.

What was more, the contract of the Triple Goddess Alliance seemed even more overbearing and airtight than he remembered.

Therefore, even if Ereshkigal wanted to turn against them and side with humanity, she would need a reason convincing enough for herself.

Expecting a proud goddess to risk death and twist her own will based on nothing but a few empty words was nothing more than delusion and irresponsibility.

So, if he intended to stop Ereshkigal, he had to demonstrate the value and resolve required of him.

Second, and more importantly.

At Ereshkigal's side, he was constrained in everything he did as a snake, and he could easily attract the attention of certain beings.

He must not forget that he was the Serpent of Original Sin who had devoured the Immortal Herb. According to fate, he should have perished.

Now, everyone was watching the Triple Goddess Alliance's movements. Even if he truly persuaded Ereshkigal to change her mind—

Such an abnormal change would inevitably draw the scrutiny of those who had set things in motion.

He had only fallen into the Underworld a short while ago, yet he had already become involved in Gilgamesh's quest for immortality. His origins and identity could not withstand close investigation at all.

All things considered, trying to persuade Ereshkigal while remaining a snake would be fine if he failed. But if he actually succeeded and triggered a drastic change, he would simply be courting death!

Therefore, the only solution Lin Xian could think of was to escape this dead end, change his identity, and infiltrate in secret.

Even with the authority Tiamat had granted him, he was ultimately too weak. He could only exploit openings and borrow the momentum of others.

The Triple Goddess Alliance had already ravaged the world of Mesopotamia for nearly half a year. He did not have much time left.

If he delayed any longer and missed certain crucial turning points, he might no longer have the power to change anything.

Forget it. He would take things one step at a time.

Lin Xian put aside his tangled thoughts, rested his head against his owner's chest, and quietly coiled there, giving her a trace of coolness in the darkness.

The next day, just as the faint red glow of the Temple of Heat appeared, Ereshkigal forced herself to overcome her habit of staying in bed. She struggled up, grabbed the ancient serpent, and headed to a flat patch of ground beneath the cliff.

The moment his mistress let go, the snake was thrown into the ravine. Feeling the howling wind around him, he saw the earth and rocks below gathering and rising, forming sharp ground spikes that pointed upward one after another. He immediately sighed inwardly.

Well, here came the daily required lesson again.

Because he had previously asked Ereshkigal to help train him,

his serious owner had put a great deal of effort into it, directly summoning Garuda Spirits for actual combat.

Moreover, these monsters that had only just assembled into skeletal forms were essentially dead soldiers with genuine combat experience.

Thus, in the beginning, Lin Xian was repeatedly beaten to a pulp in one-on-one battles against Garuda Spirits of the same rank. There was never a single patch of uninjured skin left on his body.

But his nearly absurd immortality gave him extraordinary healing abilities. He could be barely alive one day, then be bouncing around again the next.

Later, he actually dragged things out until he ground the Garuda Spirit serving as his opponent to death.

Combined with his quick mind, his combat experience soared over time, and he could even handle two Garuda Spirits of the same rank.

Unfortunately, because he was so hard to kill, Ereshkigal became all the more confident in training her beloved pet. Every time, she truly beat him as though trying to kill him.

Forget it. The past was too painful to revisit.

Swallowing a mouthful of bitter tears, Lin Xian focused with all his might. He twisted through the air, dodging dozens of ground spikes shooting toward him, then landed through a gap on a patch of ground that had not yet been ravaged.

But before he could catch his breath, the death mist around him churned violently, and a Garuda Spirit holding a spear drifted toward him with a sinister air.

Tch. There were three Silver-rank Garuda Spirits in total. One had shown itself to test him, while the other two were still waiting for the right moment. The difficulty had increased.