Remaking and Reforming

A faint crimson light cast from the main body of Meslamtaea, the Temple of Heat, projected across the Underworld, slightly dispelling the chill from the depths of the earth.

On the cliff's edge, a cold wind swept by. The ancient serpent, curled up within its red cloak, shivered. It emerged, poked its head out, and habitually surveyed its surroundings.

I spent the night on a cliff with Ereshkigal?

And my master, who always postpones waking up, actually went to Uruk to dig before dawn.

Going by routine, this would be a day-long affair.

It seems I was too demanding of her last night, giving Ereshkigal more serious matters on her mind.

The ancient serpent stood on the precipice, casting a wistful glance at the clusters of crystal flowers scattered all over the ground. It sighed softly, a hint of guilt surfacing within.

In a past world, everyone had to wear various masks, sometimes deceiving others, sometimes deceiving themselves.

And during the perilous Age of Gods, where survival was a constant struggle, he needed a myriad of masks and lies as cover to achieve his grand ambitions.

However, the ancient serpent always adhered to one principle.

Deception was merely a means, not an end.

If he couldn't grasp this, he would either die from the arrogance and conceit of deceiving living beings, or he would shed his humanity and become a demon who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

Therefore, when Lin Xian engaged in deception, he would often find ways to compensate on another level.

That is, if he did something bad, he would feel compelled to do something good, offsetting each other in form to ease his conscience.

You could call him hypocritical, or you could call him bored.

But in doing so, he wouldn't forget that he was once human.

His serpent tail whipped out, striking Lin Xian's head with a crisp sound, jolting him out of his reverie and inexplicable emotions.

Alright, time is critical, I can't dally here any longer.

The ancient serpent sprang from the cliff, slithering through the crystal flower patch that had taken him over half a year to cultivate.

Just as he was about to crawl out of the deep valley, Lin Xian, with a conflicted heart, turned back. With his tail, he scooped up a clay tablet marked with "Ereshkigal and Samael's 200-Day Anniversary."

Then, his scales flared slightly, and dense Aether particles erupted, forming swirling bands around him. This propelled Lin Xian to his maximum speed, transforming him into a streaking black lightning bolt.

Originally, I wanted to spend a few more days with my master, a subtle farewell.

But I couldn't help myself and wanted to change the Underworld Goddess's resolve and stance. However, my words touched upon too many secrets.

Since my final attempt proved fruitless, we can only go our separate ways, and see whose answer is more worth defending.

Tens of minutes later, the familiar black shadow stealthily infiltrated the temple. Coiling its tail, it hooked a cage-like metal weaving from an unguarded cubbyhole.

Seeing that this crucial item was in hand, the ancient serpent slowly exhaled.

Fortunately, within the Underworld, my master couldn't use this thing at all, so it was just gathering dust in the cubbyhole.

Coupled with my attribute as a tool-serpent, besides weaving spear cages, I've also had to contain spirits. Thus, I'm familiar with the operation of this item.

Otherwise, I wouldn't be confident in taking another comrade who boarded this ship of doom out of the Underworld.

After briefly calming his mind, the ancient serpent carefully placed the commemorative clay tablet in the most conspicuous spot on the temple table.

Then, after a brief pause, Lin Xian absorbed the gray-black death qi around him, transforming into a shadow, and quietly slipped away.

Snakes were naturally adept at stealth and camouflage, and coupled with Lin Xian's long-term residence in the Underworld and familiarity with the terrain, he reached his treasure hoard without incident.

The black shadow, slithering along the rock crevices, confirmed that the cuneiform runes at the valley entrance, which possessed concealment and early warning functions, were intact. Only then did it carefully crawl inside, reaching the deepest part. With a sigh of relief, it settled down amidst the scattered gold and silver ornaments and numerous clay tablets.

It looked like a dragon guarding its treasure hoard.

Hoo! Let's begin!

Time was of the essence. After a brief moment of rest, the ancient serpent closed its eyes, and its consciousness began to resonate with the anchor line connected to Tiamat.

The pure black beastial authority entwined with the anchor line was painstakingly extracted, then gradually torn apart and crushed, integrating into its own soul.

This act of forcibly shoving foreign objects into its consciousness brought extraordinary pain and a feeling of pressure.

As the last fragment was completely absorbed by the humanoid soul, and with the command issued by its consciousness, a solemn, majestic, and ancient rhythm instantly spread throughout the serpent's body.

Immediately, a red and black blood mist billowed forth. Different parts of the ancient serpent's body underwent drastic transformations: some swelled and bulged, while others contracted inward.

Furthermore, its stretching and deforming bones cracked like popping beans, piercing and running through the flesh, forming a framework to support another body.

"Chik chik!"

Amidst the eerie contortions and friction of its body, scales peeled away, accompanied by splattering flesh. Suppressed groans echoed in the cave.

Screech!

After an unknown amount of time, with a strange sound like tearing fabric, a fair arm emerged from the red and black blood mist.

Then, with the red and black mist swirling, a handsome man, completely naked, with scattered black, messy hair, whose features possessed a three-dimensional Western quality, combined with a hint of feminine grace and mystery, staggered out, leaning on the stone wall.

The man's skin was as fragile as a newborn's, with faint rosy marks, and residual mucus and blood.

His eyes, opening and closing in the darkness, revealed peculiar vertical pupils like fiery red gems, both mesmerizing and alarming.

His mysterious aura was like poison wrapped in honey, a blend of deliciousness and danger, coexisting.

Finally, I have the chance to become human again.

The man muttered to himself, reaching out to touch his cheeks and body as he observed his surroundings from a new height and perspective.

A sense of relief at regaining what was lost washed over him.

Fortunately, this time the reshaping of his face and body had gone smoothly, following the model he had envisioned in his mind.

Excitement bubbling, the man took a wobbly step forward, and felt a pulling sensation against his skin on his left leg, still caught in the red and black mist.

Turning his head, he saw that the thing clinging to his skin was a black snakeskin.

It was time to say goodbye to the past.

The man reached for the snakeskin, bent down, and tore away this last connection to himself, then leaned against the stone wall, stumbling as he learned to walk again, hoping to reawaken the primal instincts of a human body as quickly as possible.

As his cold body gradually warmed, newly activated neural pathways and the harmonizing flesh, blood, and bones began to align with his entire being.

While getting acquainted with his body, the man glanced at the faintly shimmering mark on the surface of the snakeskin, his thoughts drifting.

This reconstruction was different from temporarily altering his body structure with magic; it was a complete transformation.

Even the mark Ereshkigal had left on the snakeskin to protect him had been completely discarded during this metamorphosis.

Therefore, even if his former master stood before him, it would be difficult to guess his past identity.

The reason for such a clean break was also out of necessity.

That serpentine side of him was connected to many dark secrets, and if discovered, he would surely be cooked.

Hiding these past events was also a form of indirect protection for those he cared about.

Of course, if Ereshkigal saw him now, she would likely be so enraged that she'd immediately start boiling water and stew him completely.

This was precisely why he had not dared to reshape his human body until he had left the underworld.

As the unfamiliarity of his body gradually faded, the man put on the clothes he had prepared beforehand and packed most of his treasures in a bundle.

Anything he couldn't take, he could only destroy on the spot.

Before leaving, the man cut open his palm and dripped a few drops of blood onto the snakeskin, leaving his scent so his master wouldn't detect him for a short while.

The pervasive gray death energy seemed tame and harmonious upon contact with him, completely isolating his earthly aura as a living being.

When everything was ready, the man deactivated the concealment of the Cuneiform Rune and stepped out of the cave, beginning his walk towards the valley.