Put It in Writing!

At dusk, the faint red glow on the horizon gradually faded, and a bonfire rose atop the cliff.

Ereshkigal sat on a bluestone with her knees drawn up, propping her chin in her hand as she gazed into the deep valley. The ground was covered in brilliantly colored Crystal Flowers, flickering faintly between light and dark. Set against the evening scenery, they looked exceptionally beautiful.

Lost in the sight, the goddess closed her eyes and raised a hand, grasping toward the sea of Crystal Flowers. The relaxed, sweet satisfaction on her face made it seem as though she possessed a world filled with blooming flowers.

Then, realizing such behavior was unbecoming of her dignity, the master opened her eyes and furtively looked around.

After confirming that there was no one in this dead world spying on her and laughing, Ereshkigal patted her chest in relief, and the blush on her face gradually faded.

However, due to the blind spot beneath the lamp, Ereshkigal never noticed a certain little rascal that had seen everything.

After going through a wealth of inner turmoil, the goddess's gaze fell upon the clay tablet laid across her knees, and satisfaction spread across her lovely face.

This was a gift she had found after treasure-hunting among the Crystal Flowers. Its crudely carved illustration vividly depicted the first meeting between the ancient serpent and her, the God of the Underworld.

Once upon a time, that pitiful little thing had fallen unconscious and curled up in her palm, so frail and so tiny.

"Celebrating the 200th day since Lady Ereshkigal and Samael met!"

The crooked line of cuneiform beneath it made Ereshkigal's fingers linger on the tablet for a long time.

The ancient serpent, having climbed onto his master's shoulder, could vaguely sense a slight tremor running through the goddess's body.

Yes, it had been more than half a year.

Before either of them realized it, she and this little fellow had been together for so long.

The memories stirred by this were unlike the mostly pale and empty experiences of the past ten thousand years. Nearly every moment had been filled with life and color.

Just as the goddess sank into memory and indescribable emotions welled up within her, her fingertips brushed several strange indentations on the back of the tablet.

"Hisss..."

At some point, the ancient serpent had slithered in front of Ereshkigal. He flicked his tongue and blinked, and his master came back to herself before turning the tablet over.

Lines of tangled, frustrated cuneiform came into view.

"Lady Ereshkigal really wants to see flowers bloom in the Underworld, but sadly, I'm still too weak. All I can give her right now is a fake field of flowers..."

"But I won't give up!"

"I still owe Lady Ereshkigal a sea of flowers..."

"A sea of flowers truly blooming in the Underworld!"

"One day, I'll make these beautiful things from the surface cover the Underworld in bloom!"

"I'll repay it... I definitely will!"

As her gaze traveled downward, Ereshkigal's eyes settled on the lower-right corner of the tablet.

"This is an IOU—Samael..."

Below the signature was a simple sketch that captured a hint of serpentine charm, seemingly carrying a touch of embarrassment and shyness.

"I've always wanted to give Lady Ereshkigal a gift and thank you for your kindness."

"But I can't make flowers bloom in the Underworld right now."

"But I can promise that one day, I'll definitely give Lady Ereshkigal a sea of flowers! A sea of flowers that truly belongs to you!"

The ancient serpent's tail swayed from side to side, as though he were uneasy. He hesitated as he left his marks on the tablet, but his tone between the lines was resolute.

"I..."

Just as the little fellow, burdened by guilt, wanted to offer more explanations and promises, a pair of soft hands scooped him into her palms.

At the same time, golden hair scattered in the wind, and pink cherry lips gently landed on the little fellow's brow, like two cool pieces of jelly.

As the scent of divinity washed over him, the ancient serpent instinctively stiffened his scales.

He vaguely sensed that beneath his master's hard shell lay blazing emotions like volcanic magma.

"No, Samael..."

"This is the best gift I've received since I was born!"

"There will only ever be this one!"

"Thank you..."

Ereshkigal held the little fellow against her chest and murmured her response, bright colors gleaming in her eyes.

"You like these Crystal Flowers?"

"I like them! I like them very much! They won't rot or wither. They can stay with me forever!"

"Then... can the IOU be voided?"

The ancient serpent glanced at the Contract Clay Tablet beside the goddess's hand and asked cautiously.

"Growing flowers in the Underworld really seems pretty hard..."

Smack!

A snake tail that had secretly curled toward the proof was brutally slapped away by his master.

"No!"

"Don't you know that once you make a contract with a god, you, can, not, go, back, on, it!"

Though she seemed angry, her eyes were filled with laughter as the goddess kneaded the ancient serpent's head and emphasized the added Hegemon King clause word by word.

"Ahhh! That's so shameless! This is way too hard..."

The ancient serpent struggled free from his master's demonic grasp and wailed as he scratched furiously across the tablet, denouncing the unreasonable nature of divine authority. He looked exactly like an oppressed victim.

Pitiful, weak, and helpless...

"The Underworld's soil is too barren, and it's all Death Qi. What if I really can't grow any flowers?"

"Then stay by my side forever!"

Ereshkigal blurted it out, but under the ancient serpent's tilted-head stare, the goddess's eyes darted around before she straightened her face and explained.

"I mean, I'll supervise you until you grow flowers..."

"If you promised something, then you have to do it!"

The goddess grabbed the little fellow with the miserable expression and happily stroked the smooth, cool scales on his body.

Ereshkigal even curled a finger beneath the ancient serpent's chin, teasing him into reacting.

In the end, after the clash between god and beast, the pitiful, weak, and helpless ancient serpent was defeated, his face filled with gloom and dejection.

"Hey, Lady Ereshkigal, I won't change it anymore..."

"Good!"

"Then can you stop keeping those human soul uncles locked up all the time? They helped out a lot too. I want to repay them, just like I want to repay you, Lady Ereshkigal."

The ancient serpent's compromise made Ereshkigal think for a moment before she finally nodded slightly.

"Well, all right. In the future, I'll do my best to open part of the Spear Cage barrier and expand the area where they can move around."

"But fully lifting the restrictions and letting them out is impossible."

Lin Xian blinked, looking confused.

"Why? This is the Underworld. Are you afraid they'll run away?"

"That's not why..."

Ereshkigal hesitated for a moment. Her gaze passed over the distant shadows of countless Spear Cages containing clusters of soul flames, and she lightly bit her lower lip.

"The Spear Cage barrier can resist the erosion of Death Qi to the greatest extent possible, slowing the rate at which these souls age and wear away."

"In truth, it isn't just human bodies that have lifespans and endings. Souls do as well."

The ancient serpent fell silent for a brief moment, his thoughts in turmoil.

In a sense, Ereshkigal truly was protecting these souls. Her kindness was beyond doubt.

But wasn't this unilateral choice by a god also a form of power and oppression?

Life inside the Spear Cages was not pleasant. Coupled with the gloom and dullness shrouding the Underworld, some weak-willed souls would eventually be driven mad.

Lin Xian could not judge whether this protection, equivalent to imprisonment in another form, was good or bad.

In the end, the ancient serpent, who had wanted to plead with the Lord of the Underworld for those human souls, could only choose to compromise.

"Can't you loosen some more of the Spear Cage's restrictions?"

At that moment, the Underworld Goddess, who had just been beaming with delight, furrowed her brow and firmly shook her head.

"The Third Storm sweeping through Uruk is stirring up trouble. The Underworld must remain stable!"

"More importantly, I don't want to see these souls head toward extinction because of my negligence."

"Souls without bodies or anchors are simply too dangerous drifting through the Underworld."

The ancient serpent lowered his head, seemingly overwhelmed by a sense of helpless defeat.

Ereshkigal's heartstrings were tugged, and she finally parted her lips and made a difficult decision.

"Actually, opening the Spear Cages isn't impossible."

"But at the very least, we must wait until the Third Storm sweeping through Uruk has passed..."

"For the humans of the Mesopotamian world, death in this crisis may actually be a kind of fortune..."

At least in my hands, they still have a chance...

Unknowingly, the master murmured the lingering words in her heart.

When she came back to herself, the little fellow was holding up a clay tablet directly in front of her. His tense snake face was utterly serious.

"You said it. Put it in writing!"

"Huh?" Ereshkigal did not know whether to laugh or cry.