Lan Ze paused slightly. "Where?"
"Don't ask. Just follow me. It's a great place with tons and tons of treasures."
Ishtar's smile was dazzlingly beautiful, yet for some reason, Lan Ze felt an inexplicable chill crawl up his spine.
"This great place you're talking about... is it legitimate?"
"Of course it is. Very legitimate." Ishtar said seriously, "There are countless gems, countless weapons, and all sorts of treasures."
"So...?"
"Rejoice! This goddess is granting you the privilege of going with me to that treasury to rob... take things!"
"You said rob just now, didn't you?!"
"Ahem... that was a slip of the tongue. Stop talking nonsense and let's go!"
"Oh! We're off!"
Ishtar raised a hand and shouted at the azure sky.
Lan Ze froze for a moment and said nothing.
Why did this goddess suddenly seem a little unhinged...?
No, that didn't seem quite right either. In any case, he felt this goddess's personality was a little too lively.
Ishtar glanced at him and grabbed his wrist. "Oh! We're off!"
"Oh, okay..." Lan Ze raised a hand and shouted weakly.
He looked rather like a beckoning cat.
"Lady Goddess, where exactly are we going?"
Lan Ze followed closely behind Ishtar, occasionally looking around. The surroundings were somewhat dark, so dark that he could not see his hand before his face, and he nearly walked into the wall several times.
He had no idea what Ishtar was planning, but he had a feeling it was nothing good.
Otherwise, there would be no need to sneak into such a pitch-black place.
"Shh... keep your voice down. It'll be troublesome if someone hears us." Ishtar turned around, pressed a finger to her lips, and made a shushing gesture.
So it really wasn't anything good... Lan Ze began to hesitate. "How about we go back...?"
Ishtar immediately turned around. With a thud, she planted one hand against the wall behind Lan Ze and glared fiercely into his eyes. "Aren't you my Divine Messenger? Could you bear to let your master sneak into such a dark place all alone?"
I absolutely could... And why was she standing so close? Didn't she know men and women should keep their distance?!
The fragrance of Ishtar's hair drifted into his nose, making his heart race.
Lan Ze wanted to retreat a little farther, but the wall was behind him. There was nowhere left for him to go.
Ishtar lifted her head slightly, apparently wondering why Lan Ze had remained silent for so long.
After studying him for a while, she seemed to realize something. A hint of delight entered her voice as she muttered, "Oh... I see."
Ishtar revealed a teasing, little-devil smile and leaned closer still. "Are you embarrassed, my Divine Messenger?"
As she spoke, she casually brushed the long hair from her shoulder. Her skin appeared almost translucent in the faint light, fair and delicate. No matter how one looked at it, her figure was flawless... except for that regrettable chest.
But before such beauty, even that tiny regret seemed negligible.
Ishtar gazed into Lan Ze's eyes, a faint curve forming at the corner of her lips as her fingers lightly brushed across his cheek. "Actually, I wouldn't mind if you became my lover, you know?"
Lan Ze blanked out.
What kind of development was this?
As though she had not noticed his stare, Ishtar continued on her own. "Then we can take the treasures from the treasury and go to the King's Hall together to piss off that Golden Flash. What do you think?"
After a brief daze, Lan Ze immediately sighed. "Lady Goddess, I'd like to know where exactly we're going right now."
He only felt that Ishtar was teasing him and did not take her seriously at all.
"You really are boring. I took the initiative to confess my feelings to you, and this is your attitude?" Ishtar complained.
Without a doubt, Ishtar cared greatly about looks. As long as someone was handsome and had a personality that suited her tastes, that was enough. Lan Ze met both requirements, so she had been entirely serious about her confession.
It was just that her tone had been too unserious, making it easy for people to mistake it for a joke.
But that was simply the kind of person Ishtar was. As a goddess beloved by the gods, she had been spoiled from childhood. She could obtain nearly anything she wanted, so she rarely considered the consequences, and her tone was always lofty.
"You'll definitely regret this later. Even if you kneel at my feet and sincerely beg me then, I won't accept your confession anymore!" Ishtar said unhappily.
Lan Ze said, "Oh."
Ishtar narrowed her eyes, becoming even more displeased.
But in the end, she sighed in boredom and withdrew her gaze. "Forget it. Getting the gems is more important. Once we're back, I can slowly train... ahem..."
Ishtar coughed lightly, turned around, and faced away from Lan Ze. "Let's go."
But Lan Ze instantly became alert.
Had this goddess just said something rather terrifying?
Seeing the suspicion in Lan Ze's eyes, Ishtar pretended to be unhappy. "Why aren't you moving? Do you want me to carry you?"
"Where exactly are we going?" Lan Ze asked.
"Didn't I tell you? We're going to that Golden Flash's treasury to get gems."
Lan Ze was so startled he nearly jumped. "You're going to King Gilgamesh's treasury?!"
"It's called taking, not stealing!" Ishtar reiterated, then grabbed the back of Lan Ze's collar. "Come on, come on. I'll give you some when we get back."
But I don't want to go!
Lan Ze wailed inwardly.
It would be troublesome if Gilgamesh remembered him.
Everything in this game seemed to be real. Just imagine it: if, one day, during a Holy Grail summoning, Gilgamesh saw Lan Ze and suddenly remembered that this "mongrel" had once gone with Ishtar to steal from his treasury.
...He would probably kill him on the spot.
But he could not leave now. Ishtar had already dragged him completely aboard this pirate ship.
He could only take things one step at a time... Lan Ze sighed inwardly.
The two walked for who knew how long before Ishtar suddenly stopped. Excitedly tugging at Lan Ze's arm, she pointed at a great door ahead and said:
"Look, we're here!"
Lan Ze looked up and saw an enormous iron gate standing before them. It looked majestic and imposing, stirring immense awe at first sight.
[Uruk's Gate of Babylon discovered. Reward: Gate of Babylon 1.0]
Lan Ze stared at the interface that had appeared before him and paused slightly.
Gate of Babylon 1.0?
Did that mean there was a 2.0, or even a 3.0?
"What are you standing around for? Hurry up!" Ishtar patted Lan Ze's shoulder and started toward the gate.
"I was wondering what sort of rat had snuck into my treasury. So it's the useless goddess. Why are you sneaking into my treasury through a secret passage like a rat?"
However, before they had taken more than a few steps, a clear yet arrogant voice suddenly came from behind them.
Bare-chested, Gilgamesh stood behind Ishtar with his arms folded. No one knew when he had appeared there. His scarlet eyes held an arrogance as though he looked down upon the entire world.
"And there's another rat... You don't look like one of my subjects. Who are you?"
Gilgamesh's gaze quickly fell upon Lan Ze. At the same time, golden rings of light silently bloomed behind him, and dozens of Noble Phantasms extended their weapon edges from those golden ripples, pointing at Lan Ze.
"A face I've never seen before."
Gilgamesh showed a thoughtful expression, then quickly smiled. "Stranger, if you leave this useless goddess now, I can still spare your life. Otherwise, remain here and be buried in this place alongside her!"
As soon as he finished speaking, three boxed options appeared before Lan Ze.
[task 1: Agree to Gilgamesh's request, leave this place, and say to Ishtar: Our contract ends here. Useless goddess, I'll be leaving first! (Reward: one-time Chains of Heaven)]
[Task 2: Refuse Gilgamesh and laugh mockingly: Ho hahaha! Golden King, bullying a weak woman—is this the measure of a king, mongrel?! (Reward: one-time Curry Stick)]
[Task 3: Remain silent and cast Gilgamesh a disdainful look (Reward: one-time Dark Night Sun Ship)] ```
NMDWSM?!
Why did these options have to appear at a time like this?!
[Host, you just had the thought of showing off before others. I merely helped push things along.]
"The problem is that your push is way too extreme, isn't it?!" Lan Ze roared inwardly.
He had indeed entertained some thoughts of showing off while Gilgamesh was speaking, but he had never expected the system in this game to read his thoughts and present them in such an exaggerated manner.
If he chose task 1, Ishtar would absolutely come looking to settle the score afterward.
Gilgamesh would not and could not truly deal with Ishtar here. It would be troublesome if Ishtar came knocking afterward. If she really gave him a curse and it affected reality as well, that would be disastrous.
As for Task 2... Lan Ze felt that the moment he chose it, Gilgamesh would probably hurl Noble Phantasms from the Gate of Babylon and kill him outright.
After reasoning it out, Lan Ze ultimately chose Task 3.
He remained silent, glanced at Gilgamesh, and snorted coldly without saying a word.
"Ho..." Gilgamesh raised a brow. A hint of delight appeared in those scarlet eyes.
How long had it been since anyone dared to look at him with such disdain?
This unfamiliar youth truly had some nerve.
"Hmph." At that moment, Ishtar suddenly snorted. "This guy is my Divine Messenger."
Unexpectedly, Gilgamesh did not get angry. Instead, after staring blankly for a moment, he burst into uninhibited laughter. "Ho hahaha! A useless goddess as poor as you actually has someone willing to become your Divine Messenger? You must have cried and begged someone to become your Divine Messenger!"
It was as if Ishtar had been struck where it hurt. Gritting her teeth, she said furiously, "Golden Flash, do you know who you're talking to?"
Gilgamesh's delighted laughter did not diminish as he continued laughing loudly. "A poor and useless goddess, isn't that right?"
Ishtar exploded with rage. Even Lan Ze, standing nearby, could feel the terrifying pressure radiating from her. She stepped forward, and the Heavenly Ark Ma'anna behind her rapidly gathered terrifying light.
"You dare disrespect a goddess? You arrogant Golden Flash, let me see whether your strength is as formidable as your mouth!"
In an instant, a dazzling beam of light blasted forth, charging straight at Gilgamesh.
But the Golden King did not move at all. With his arms folded, he coldly watched the incoming beam.
Accompanied by a sharp rush of wind, countless weapons shot out at high speed from the golden gate behind him and collided with the beam.
A massive explosion suddenly thundered beside them.
Hearing the violent explosion, Siduri hurried over. Seeing the two engaged in fierce combat, she quickly shouted:
"King, please reconsider! This is near the treasury. If a battle breaks out here, a great deal of treasure may be destroyed!"
"Lady Goddess, please calm down as well!"
"I've always been very calm." Ishtar's gaze was sharp as she coldly stared down at Gilgamesh below.
Her hand formed the shape of a gun and pointed at Gilgamesh. "I'm simply going to knock this arrogant Golden Flash flat on the ground!"
As her pleasant voice fell, a terrifying ray shot forth.
Without even looking, Ishtar turned and rode Ma'anna into the sky. Only an incomparably arrogant voice echoed in their ears. "If you've got the guts, come out and fight me!"
"A useless goddess like you dares challenge me? Fine. I happen to be somewhat interested today, so I'll indulge you for a while, Ishtar!" Gilgamesh stepped forward, and in the next instant, vanished from sight.
The place that had been so lively moments ago suddenly fell silent.
Lan Ze stood where he was. Feeling Siduri's gaze upon him, he suddenly felt utterly bewildered.
Before you continue