One day, Li Lin made his way to the great cavern in the lowest layer of the Underworld as usual. Amidst the starlight of souls, he saw Eresh crouching alone, molding clay in her hands and reinforcing it with divine power to form spear cages.
Seeing this, Li Lin walked over and spoke without a second thought. "Lady Goddess, would you like to have a family? Just say the word, and I'll find one for you right now."
"Eh?!"
The words made Eresh, who was focused on her work, stumble and nearly fall over. She turned her head, looking at Li Lin with disbelief, her lips stammering, unable to form words.
Fa-family?! Is he talking about me? Does he want me to become his family?! Th-this is too sudden!
A blush crept onto Eresh's pale cheeks, and her beautiful eyes darted back and forth as she whispered, "Um, don't you think our relationship is moving a little too fast? I think it would be better if we spent a bit more time together..."
"Hm? What are you talking about?" Li Lin asked, walking closer with a puzzled expression as he watched Ereshkigal muttering to herself.
"Uh, well, it's just... Mmph..."
As his face drew nearer, Ereshkigal subconsciously took a step back, the words she wanted to say getting stuck in her throat.
"Pfft." Li Lin couldn't hold back a laugh. Her flustered, evasive behavior was just too cute. She clearly wanted to agree, afraid that if she refused, he would never ask again. Yet, the last shred of her innocence kept her from wanting to be as "easy" as her detested sister, Ishtar. So, she just stood there, anxiously wringing her hands.
"Sorry, perhaps I wasn't clear. The family member I was talking about isn't me," Li Lin said, deciding he had teased her enough. "As for who it is, you'll know if you come with me."
Hearing this, Ereshkigal's trembling body stilled, and the blush on her face faded. A benign smile appeared on her lips. With a low chuckle, she reached out and gripped Li Lin's shoulder.
"Teasing a goddess... is that fun for you?" she purred. "Hehe, I suddenly feel like having some fun myself. Tell me, my subordinate Inquisitor... what should I do?~~"
"Uh, well, I can explain," Li Lin said, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead as he heard the words being squeezed through her clenched teeth.
"Hehe~~." Ereshkigal just gave a cold laugh and said nothing more.
Shortly after, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the great cavern.
"Hmph. Is this what you call a Reverse Summoning Ritual? It doesn't look like much," Ereshkigal said, looking unimpressed at the summoning circle on the ground, which looked like a crude version of a Heroic Spirit summoning. In the Age of Gods, this was low-tier stuff.
Li Lin, who now sported a large red handprint on his cheek, shrugged and explained, "It doesn't matter if it's low-tier, as long as it works. For gods like us, meeting [Mother] is actually quite easy. We just need to follow our [Connection] and use this ritual as an aid to meet her as a spiritual offshoot."
"However," he continued, "this method is forbidden in the Age of Gods. The King of Gods of the storm will not allow any chance for [Mother] to reawaken."
"Oh? Then why are you doing this? Aren't you afraid I'll report you?" Ereshkigal asked, turning her head with curiosity.
"You won't," Li Lin replied simply, shaking his head. "I trust you won't report me, my lady."
"Hmph~, don't be so sure," Ereshkigal retorted with a haughty sniff, crossing her arms. "You should know what [Mother] represents to us Sumerian gods. Strictly speaking, even a portion of your divine power belongs to her."
"Yes, you're absolutely right," Li Lin conceded. "But what does that have to do with me going to see my [Mother]?" He looked down at the completed summoning circle.
In truth, his decision to see Tiamat was based on several considerations. First, his real goal was to absorb the power of the Seven Deadly Sins. But his simulated identity as a god of light was too weak compared to the vessels of Original Sin. Ishtar was the goddess of war who ruled Venus; he, a mere god of light, had to hide from her. If he didn't strengthen himself, how could he proceed with his plans?
Second, as the potential Second Beast, Tiamat herself possessed the power of [Original Sin]. He could take this opportunity to absorb it and complete his own enhancement.
Therefore, this journey into Imaginary Number Space was a must.
"You don't need to worry so much. I'm certain Mother will not [Return]," Li Lin said, crouching down and placing his hand on the circle. As he poured in a vast amount of magical energy, the circle began to glow faintly.
"She is the Mother of Creation, an existence capable of single-handedly rebuilding the entire planet's ecosystem. Do you really think anyone can truly imprison her? In the end, it was because she loved too deeply that she was hurt so deeply. Over ninety percent of her is in a state of self-sealing. As for the other ten percent..."
Li Lin turned his head, his expression becoming serious for once. "As the ruler of the Underworld, you have the protection of the [Father God]. Furthermore, if anything unexpected happens, I swear on my life I will bring you back safely. So, what do you say? Will you come with me to see family? No, let me rephrase that... will you come with me to become family?"
"Mmph~."
Hearing that, Ereshkigal's carefully constructed tsundere expression completely shattered. Her face flushed red as she shot him a reproachful glare. This guy is definitely doing it on purpose! We're going to see Mother, so why does he have to use such easily misunderstood words like 'family'?!
She was beginning to think that recruiting Li Lin was a terrible mistake. Other gods had subordinates who were respectful and deferential. Hers? He either teased her or said strange, flustering things!
"Hmph~ (╯^╰), of course I'm going too," she declared. "Since you're so confident that Mother won't return, as your superior, it's my duty to ensure the safety of my subordinate. After all, you're the first celestial god in all these years willing to work in the Underworld. I don't want to have to find a replacement after losing you. As for the King of Gods' decree... I don't care! In the Underworld, I am the king!"
With that, she crossed her arms and turned her face away in a classic tsundere pose.
Li Lin couldn't stop the grin spreading across his face. Looking at his adorable goddess, he deliberately said in a voice just loud enough for her to hear, "Hehe, Eresh-chan really is cute."
"C-cute...?!"
"U-urusai!"
The flustered Ereshkigal, trying to maintain her authority, turned beet red and was utterly defeated.
P.S. It's actually not that hard to meet Tiamat. Chaldea was able to summon an Alter Ego version of her through a 'connection.' There's no reason a god like the protagonist and Eresh couldn't do the same. As for needing a Holy Grail, I don't think so. A wish on the Grail just uses a massive amount of magical energy to accelerate a concept that already exists in the world. Enkidu, for example, can mimic the Grail and grant wishes if given enough energy. The protagonist, being a god, knows the method for reverse summoning and has no shortage of magical energy, so not needing a Grail is perfectly normal.
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