The most formidable foe often proves the easiest to win over—so long as one possesses the courage to stare down death and the integrity of a truly good heart.
That said, during their earlier clash, Castorice hadn't been entirely without a plan.
First, her intuition told her that even if she failed to block that strike, the other would bring her back. Don't be surprised—Quetzalcoatl, being the winged serpent deity, possessed exactly that kind of power.
As for the second reason, it was the inexplicably abundant vitality within Castorice.
Ever since being struck down by Gorgon last time, she had been puzzling over the source of this life force, yet so far, its origins remained hidden from her.
But during her fight with Quetzalcoatl, that very power surged forth once more, healing all her wounds.
Saved by this mysterious energy twice now, Castorice had begun to form her own suspicions—though she'd have to wait for the right moment to test them.
After forming a contract with Quetzalcoatl, the group made their way to the location of the Axe of Marduk.
Seeing the axe up close, Castorice still found herself stunned. What she'd seen in animations was nothing compared to witnessing the real thing.
There was no way a relic of that size could be hauled back to Uruk by human strength alone. But with Quetzalcoatl's wyverns helping out, it wasn't much of an issue.
Before returning, Castorice discussed with Quetzalcoatl and decided to relocate all the civilians from both Eridu and Ur back to Uruk.
Though Quetzalcoatl didn't fully understand the reasoning behind the move, she didn't refuse Castorice's proposal and agreed to assist.
And so, the rather massive procession set out for Uruk.
Along the way, they encountered plenty of magical beasts—but their lineup was simply too overpowered.
With divine-tier fighters like Ishtar and Jaguar Man, a chief goddess-level Quetzalcoatl, plus Castorice and the others… even Gorgon herself would've left with a couple of slaps to the face, let alone common monsters.
In the end, the group reached Uruk safely.
Without even pausing to rest, Castorice led the others straight to Gilgamesh's palace.
But the moment they arrived, they could tell something was wrong.
The entire palace was shrouded in gloom.
"What's happened, Siduri?"
Not seeing any sign of Gilgamesh, Merlin spoke up, puzzled.
"The King… has passed away."
Siduri, who was now managing affairs as an emergency measure, replied with exhaustion lining her face.
She was grieving, but with all of Uruk's administrative duties now resting on her shoulders, she wasn't even allowed the time to mourn.
"Dead? How? He was holding Uruk—who could have killed him?" Merlin shook his head in disbelief at the news.
"It wasn't an assassination… The King worked himself to death, overwhelmed by endless duties and matters of state."
"Hah?"
Hearing the cause of death, everyone nearly lost their composure.
Aside from Castorice, who already knew how the story went, the others were completely floored.
Everyone knew Gilgamesh's constitution was far beyond any ordinary human's. If overwork could kill him, he'd have died countless times over by now.
But soon, Siduri informed them that similar cases had been occurring all over Uruk.
Gilgamesh wasn't the only one.
Quickly, suspicion fell upon the last of the Three Goddesses: Ereshkigal.
Only a goddess who presided over death could be behind something like this.
So, before long, the group had a plan in motion.
In this world, when a person's heart stopped, it wasn't true death—only a kind of suspended state. True death came only when the soul returned to the underworld.
This was still the tail end of the Age of Gods, after all. For humans, so long as the soul could be returned to the body in time, revival was possible.
Gilgamesh was the cornerstone of Uruk's defenses, so he couldn't be allowed to die. After some discussion, they decided to venture into the underworld and bring his soul back.
And conveniently, this being the Age of Gods, the celestial, mortal, and underworld realms were still interconnected.
The simplest way to reach the underworld? Smash a hole straight through the ground.
"Sadly, much as I'd love to go, my powers are useless in the underworld. I'd just be dead weight. I'll stay up here and keep watch," Quetzalcoatl said with a sigh.
As for Ana, she too chose to remain behind, having matters she couldn't leave unattended.
In the end, the team was set: only Castorice, her guard and part-time servant, Ushiwakamaru, and—oh yes—their guide, Ishtar, would descend.
Though Castorice had been there once and knew the way, and Ishtar was anything but eager to enter the underworld, having one more person along couldn't hurt.
The method of entering was brutally straightforward.
Unlike other tales where the underworld lay in some alternate dimension, this world operated on simpler rules: the underworld was right beneath the surface. With enough power, you could just dig straight down to get there.
Soon, Castorice, Ushiwakamaru, and Ishtar arrived above the underworld—near the city of Kutha, in fact. Its proximity to the realm below was why the place always felt so gloomy.
With a thunderous blast from Ishtar, the three dropped through a massive crater into the depths below.
Each landed using their own method, and just like that, they had officially arrived in the underworld.
But the moment they set foot there, both Ishtar and Ushiwakamaru stared in disbelief.
"Wait, this is the underworld? Why is there a field of flowers here? I thought no living thing could survive in the underworld!" Ishtar exclaimed, gazing at the sea of blossoms before her.
"Truly magnificent. I never expected such beauty in the land of the dead," Ushiwakamaru remarked in awe.
Castorice simply scanned their surroundings. Compared to when she'd last left, the flower fields had expanded noticeably—proof of just how much their mistress cherished them.
"Even the void can give birth to dreams. Is it so strange, then, for beautiful flowers to bloom even here in the underworld?"
Castorice murmured the words softly as she stepped forward into the field, leaving a bewildered Ishtar behind, still puzzling over what she'd meant.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.