Chapter 728: The Sudden Monster, The Sudden Crisis
Dressed in robes woven by the priests themselves, feasting on the fattest livestock in the city and vegetables plucked at dawn, still glistening with dew.
Like a child of the gods, he was carefully tended to by the people.
But this was not due to merit or achievement—it was merely for sacrifice, to offer this meticulously crafted "offering" to the gods in exchange for a single day of merciful respite.
No one saw anything wrong with this. Even the man himself, after his eldest brother was killed by a demonic beast and his younger brother joined the rebellion only to be slaughtered by the goddess, had come to see life as meaningless.
Death was a terrifying thing, but compared to the crushing poverty of a barren home, the gnawing hunger with no relief, the loneliness with no one to share it… descending into the underworld seemed almost a kindness.
For the world had abandoned him, and he had no desire to salvage this crumbling world.
Yet just at this moment—an envoy from Uruk barged into the forest, visiting the isolated city of Ur.
"Hah… hah…" His heart pounded violently, whether from fear or excitement, he couldn't tell. At this very moment, the man was infinitely grateful that he had enjoyed a final feast before leaving—so that, whether he succeeded or failed, he would have no regrets.
Closer, ever closer—the goddess's temple, radiant with divine light, was now right before him.
Ascending the stone steps, sunlight piercing through the dense foliage, the deafening roar grew clearer, nearly splitting his eardrums. Through the scattered light and dust, the man trembled as he lifted his head, gazing upward until, in the dazzling radiance, he beheld the goddess, smiling like a demon, and the silent, towering figure clad in solemn black.
And so, he cast aside all hesitation and fear.
"By the Sun God above!" The man, clad in fine robes and anointed with oil, fell to his knees, filling his chest with air as he roared with pious fervor:
"I am but an insignificant soul from the city of Ur, which reveres You. I have come through great peril to deliver a message to You."
"I beg of You—grant me Your mercy!"
————
The erupting earthfire roared like a beast, forming a towering pillar that shot toward the heavens.
But in the next instant, the pillar of flame was torn apart down the middle.
Facing the petite yet tyrannical fist of the South American goddess, the figure in black robes silently raised a hand, fingers clenching, allowing the eerie flames of death to surge between them before striking back with equal force.
The collision of divine might and silent fury erupted—
BOOM!
The sound of shattering stone rang out, the explosive collapse like bamboo splitting, unending. Beneath the scattering divine light, the goddess's eyes widened with delight as she watched her own arm twist and crack, fissures spreading like broken porcelain.
As if what she had struck was not a fist, but an unyielding spear!
Just as she swung her powerful leg, eager to lose herself further in the joy of battle, she heard it—
A voice.
Unfamiliar, human, and pitifully pleading.
The will to fight dissipated with the breeze. The goddess shook her head, casting off the lingering traces of slaughter in her consciousness, then tied up her loose long hair. She shook her head at her silent sparring partner, cleared her throat, and resumed her dignified and cold demeanor.
Descending slowly, she faced the prostrating unfamiliar man.
"A human from the city of Ur?" Her voice, amplified by divine power, rolled out like ocean waves, layer upon layer, reaching the man's ears.
"To violate the covenant between me and Ur, crossing the dense forest to come here... Hmm, judging by your attire, you must be one of Ur's sacrificial offerings? If you hoped to earn my pity through sheer audacity and recklessness in traversing the rainforest, I regret to inform you that such a plea is impossible for me to grant."
An intangible hostility pressed down like a cage, forcing the man to grit his teeth and kowtow heavily. "Not so, goddess! I came here to offer a message in exchange for your blessing!"
Before the goddess could speak, as if fearing he might lose the courage to continue, the man spilled his news like beans from a bamboo tube: "An envoy from Uruk—a group of four calling themselves Fujimaru Ritsuka, Merlin, Anna, and Sakatsuki—arrived in Ur today!"
"They seek to overthrow your rule, goddess! They aim to lead the foolish people of Ur away from the rainforest, beyond your dominion. Such an act is—utterly unforgivable!"
Despite the man's impassioned speech, the Sun Goddess fell into brief silence. Stealing a glance, the man noticed an indescribable expression on her face—something akin to anticipation, yet tinged with disappointment and anger...
"Then, today's living sacrifice," the goddess sighed, her voice distant, "what do you wish to receive from me in exchange for this news?"
"An honor."
Filled with joy and gratitude, the man prostrated himself once more. "The honor of serving as your hands and feet, to act on your behalf in Ur."
"I wish to replace the decaying high priest—to become the mediator of the covenant between god and man, your will and executor!"
He proclaimed loudly, yet kept his eyes, brimming with courage and desire, hidden in shadow.
For a fleeting moment, the man seemed to see plump cattle lowing, to smell the rich aroma of lavish feasts. As his fingers twitched, he could almost feel the smoothest silk woven by the most skilled hands beneath the damp soil.
But as his vision lifted, what greeted him was his own headless body, still kneeling in pious devotion. Then came the branches of trees stained crimson and the pristine blue expanse of the sky.
Ah, how beautiful... (No, no, no! How could this be!)
Is this... the death I longed for? (I was so close, so very close!)
Thank you, great and noble goddesses... (Why have you forsaken me? Why withhold your mercy?)
Perhaps in his final moments, the man would realize his own insignificance and laugh at his pitiful self-delusion.
But now, the death he had wished for found him. With a smile not yet stiffened, he plunged into endless darkness.
Before the impossible glory and greed, after the discarded duty and resolve.
Then—divine might surged forth.
Witnessing a human die by decapitation before her, the Sun Goddess's pupils constricted. Instinctively, she unleashed her suppressed fury.
The wind was choked into silence, gasping in terror as the trees bowed down in fearful reverence. Those golden eyes pierced through the sudden, unwelcome intruders like daggers:
"You... monsters!"
"Mind thy tongue, relic of a bygone era." The creatures were wrapped in black, leather-like distortions, their powerful chitinous wings beating as they folded their arms. The pale, toothy maws that replaced their heads twisted into sneers, as if mocking everything before them.
"Hey, did we just crush something on the way here?" one asked casually.
"Who knows? It was so fragile I barely felt a thing," the other replied with a cold laugh. "Even a blade of grass or a tree would've been tougher."
As if they had merely plucked a speck of dust rather than a human head during their flight, the two Baal Lahmus opened their drooling mouths and let out shrill, distorted laughter.
"Hey, hey, are you serious? Are you actually angry? Don't tell me you're angry?"
"Who would've thought? The mighty Sun Goddess, showing rage for the sake of humans? Hahahaha! That's just like—"
A surge of demonic energy, alien to the laws of this world, rose around them. The two Baal Lahmus turned their gaze toward the Sun Goddess and the black-robed figure who had arrived slowly, their tone abruptly turning icy:
"—Just like that foolish one from back then!"
Even toward their own kin, they showed no restraint in suspicion and warning.
Even as they trespassed into the domain of gods, they swaggered without fear, even threatening the goddess who ruled this land.
They despised and slaughtered humans; they mocked and scorned the world.
As if they were the embodiment of every conceivable evil in existence.
Unbelievable—these were the children Tiamat had called forth in her dying moments. And now, within the [Three Goddess Alliance], they stood above all other goddesses as its most dangerous leaders.
"Hey, hey, come to think of it, your actions are pretty suspicious too," the two Baal Lahmus shifted their accusations toward the Sun Goddess, seizing the opportunity. "Though Mother graciously granted you the task of exterminating humanity, you don't seem too eager, do you?"
"Who knows? That so-called 'rule of only killing one person a day'..." the other sneered. "Disgustingly slow. Even when trash from the old era shamelessly crawls before you, you still stoop to listen carefully... Are you a dog begging for its master's mercy? Why don't you roll on the ground, strip naked, and bare your belly while wagging your tail for us?"
At these blasphemous words, a murderous glint flashed in the goddess's eyes. But faster than her, the Baal Lahmus took flight, transforming into streaks of black light.
With speed beyond even a god's perception, the Baal Lahmus crashed into the black-robed figure, their razor-sharp claws—capable of piercing even the sturdiest walls—plunging deep into his chest and slamming him to the ground.
"Humans are nothing but obsolete relics, unworthy of any care—just like this one!"
Boom!
The black-robed figure fell silently. Under the Baal Lahmus's merciless assault, even the goddess's divine domain caved in instantly, collapsing into a deep crater.
It was an attack that would have slain even a dragon. Yet when the Baal Lahmus released their grip, the black-robed figure stood up once more.
A sound of shattering and reassembling came from the chest, yet with just a few heavy breaths, the black-robed figure returned to its original form, head bowed, indifferent.
Watching the weapon that remained unfazed despite the heavy blow, a flicker of astonishment passed through the goddess's eyes, while Baal-Lahamu tensed up as if facing a formidable enemy.
After undergoing Mother's modifications, this thing had grown increasingly eerie. Even now, they could still hear the sound of cells deep within its flesh constantly annihilating and regenerating, striving toward perfection with relentless growth.
Just how far had this thing evolved by now?
But this wariness soon turned into delight.
The more powerful the fallen hero became, the better—because didn't that mean they would fight even harder to slaughter their own kin?
"Ah, by the way, what was it that little insect we casually crushed just now said?"
Suddenly, Baal-Lahamu chuckled softly, their gaze fixed unwaveringly on the silent black-robed figure, their malice undisguised.
"That damned nightmare, the bastard wearing that face, and the weak human that fool sees as hope—seems they've traveled all the way to the city of Ur."
"What are you planning—" An ominous premonition born of instinct made the goddess raise her head warily, only to hear the monsters burst into mad laughter.
"Hey, hey, if that's the case, doesn't that mean Uruk is left unguarded?"
"Who knows? But in other words, there are only four foolish little bugs trespassing in our territory!"
Their chitinous wings spread, and the divine pressure of a chief god radiated outward with their malice, staining the rainforest in shades of despairing gray and black.
As she watched the two laughing Baal-Lahamu, the sun goddess Quetzalcoatl's heart sank completely.
Under the weight of their venomous words, even a being as noble as a god closed her eyes in anguish.
"We're looking forward to it," the monsters sneered eerily, offering their blessing:
"To the sight of the former hero—utterly destroying everything they once swore to protect!"