For his trip to Ebihu Mountain, Jiang You chose to go alone. Fairy Tristan was still learning how to rule as King from Gilgamesh (which basically meant handling territorial affairs), Medea was searching for local specialties in the Underworld, Lancelot had gone to Ur on vacation with Gudako and Mash, and Jiang You had settled the Five Gorgon Sisters in the rainforest near Ur—after all, they were snakes, so that environment should suit them perfectly. However, the sisters aside from Gorgon all gave Jiang You the stink eye for this arrangement.
As for the remaining odds and ends, there wasn't much to say. They all had their own lives. Ibaraki, for instance, was acting like a grieving widow, drowning her sorrows in alcohol day and night, perpetually drunk and dazed. Jiang You figured the best solution would be to have Minamoto no Raikou chop off her head—that should sober her up.
"I haven't done anything alone in this game for ages. Come to think of it, it could work well as a travel simulator too. It's just a bit overkill for a card game, and the time commitment is way too long."
Riding atop the Wind God Pterosaur, Jiang You shifted into a more comfortable position. While this game's collaboration events were lackluster, every other aspect was top-tier. The only drawback was its synchronization with real-world time, which somewhat dampened Jiang You's experience. Still, he understood the reasoning: to create an open-world map where players could freely engage in combat without being hindered by differing progression rates.
Having learned from his overly long descent from the mountain in version 1.6, Jiang You opted to accelerate his journey this time by using his mount. While Pegasus was faster and more responsive, the Wind God Pterosaur remained Jiang You's personal property—a creature he could store in his Item Slot and intended to become a permanent companion. It made sense to nurture their bond and familiarize himself with its controls. Besides, Medusa's earlier remark about teaching Jiang You how to ride her child (Pegasus) had left Jiang You feeling somewhat uneasy.
After approximately two hours of flight, Jiang You finally arrived at the Temple atop Ebihu Mountain. The tedious journey wasn't without its rewards; a new Skill icon, [Riding: E], had appeared on Jiang You's skill panel, reminiscent of grinding proficiency in a typical online game.
"The good news is my Skill panel has expanded. The bad news is the Quick Card bonus has only increased by 2%."
Jiang You couldn't quite grasp the purpose of a Skill that only affected ordinary horses. How long would it take to grind it to EX? "Still, being able to grow between Acts is a plus. It's better than that godawful 'Divinity C' anyway."
Grumbling about this patchwork System, Jiang You pushed open the Temple's massive doors.
"A mortal daring to seek audience at this hour? How truly pious! When the Goddess demands tribute, I'll grant him a slight discount."
Ishtar had been lounging lazily on the Temple's throne, idly playing with her Jewels. Hearing the door creak open, she immediately straightened up and used Jewel Magic to illuminate the interior, casting the Temple in an aura of Mystery and solemnity.
"So, Lady Ishtar, what discount do you plan to offer your devout worshiper?"
A male voice, vaguely familiar to Ishtar, drifted in from the Temple entrance.
"Let me think... seventy percent... no, no, no, eighty percent! Yes, eighty percent it is!"
Perhaps a regular worshiper? Ishtar found it merely curious.
"So, in your eyes, a devout believer is only worth this much? I thought you'd be so moved you'd offer yourself in marriage."
A voice from the doorway chuckled, sounding smugly vindicated.
"Who are you?!"
To any god, this was the height of insolence. Ishtar rose, stamping her foot. "How dare you speak to a goddess with such disrespect! This is unforgivable! I've decided—I will absolutely unleash divine punishment upon you to punish your blasphemy! Until you repent, you shall serve as my slave here!"
"It's me," Jiang You said, stepping into the light. "It's been a few days, Miss Ishtar."
"You?!" Ishtar exclaimed in shock. Her trip to the Underworld had made forgetting Jiang You impossible. She'd initially thought he was just an ordinary servant captured by Eresh, never imagining he could command a Grand-rank servant. As a goddess, she knew all too well the immense power of Grand-rank servants. She stammered a greeting. "You've come so far... I'm sorry I couldn't welcome you properly..."
"Enough with the fancy talk," Jiang You interrupted. "What strange knowledge has the Holy Grail stuffed into you?"
Jiang You cut through Ishtar's polite formalities. "I'm not here for revenge. I represent the Faerie Realm, seeking an alliance with you."
"The Faerie Realm?"
As a goddess who patrolled the skies daily, Ishtar was well aware of the anomalies in Uruk. However, given that the territory was under Quetzalcoatl's domain, she had refrained from entering without authorization.
"So you're one of Quetzalcoatl's people? No wonder you clashed with that gloomy woman. But aren't goddesses forbidden from attacking each other?"
Ishtar prematurely concluded that Jiang You belonged to Quetzalcoatl's faction.
"The opposite is true. The Faerie Realm has already achieved a complete victory. Not only Uruk, but now Quetzalcoatl herself serves me," Jiang You explained with a shake of his head.
"...Speaking of which, it seems Eresh and Gorgon are both under my command now too. How come the Three Goddess Alliance doesn't have a 'collect all members' achievement?"
"Are you some kind of goddess collecting machine?" Ishtar retorted, her neck tensing slightly as she recalled Jiang You's earlier remark about wanting her (Card).
"If you've already conquered all the goddesses, what need do you have for my help?"
"Because this is your territory, we plan to relocate the residents here. The upcoming battle will engulf the entire Mesopotamian Plain, and we need a high-altitude refuge. Your territory is undoubtedly the most suitable."
"A battle that will engulf the entire Mesopotamian Plain?"
Ishtar possessed Noble Phantasms with an extremely wide area of effect, but to blanket the entire Mesopotamian Plain in a single strike... what kind of opponent could achieve such a feat?
"Haven't you already consolidated all the power on this land? Who could possibly oppose you now?"
"That would be the Creator Mother Goddess, Lady Tiamat, of course."
"Tiamat?!?"
Ishtar gasped, drawing in a sharp breath, "How could she have awakened? The circumstances shouldn't allow for this!"
"Oh, I intend to release her myself," Jiang You said casually, delivering an answer that sent chills down Ishtar's spine. "Humanity needs a trial, and Tiamat is the perfect choice."
"No, no, no! Even if you defeated Eresh, you can't let it go to your head like this!"
Ishtar thought Jiang You had gone completely mad. "You have no idea what Tiamat represents! Even with the assistance of a Grand Servant, you're not them! I won't allow this!"
"For the sake of justice, I must stop you!"