Chapter 116: Changing Heaven and Earth, The Goddesses' Battle for Supremacy
As a being created by the Mesopotamian gods, Gilgamesh possessed wisdom far beyond ordinary people. Over the thousand years he governed the Underworld, constantly judging and arbitrating at the boundary of death, his experience and insight accumulated into something vast enough to reshape even a king's perspective.
Innate brilliance intertwined with lived history.
And after long, relentless contemplation, he finally understood what hid beneath Rowe's many abnormal choices.
Perhaps Rowe was deliberately seeking death.
Seeking death, embracing complete disappearance.
"As expected of you, Gilgamesh. So besides having a filthy mouth, you actually have a brain." Rowe was not stingy with his praise, and he did not deny the conjecture.
He stepped onto the dais, paced to his former seat, and sat down as if he had never left.
"Hmph. Spare me the useless chatter. This King has no interest in listening to you." Gilgamesh's expression cooled. He understood that Rowe's secret remained unspoken for a reason, so he did not press.
Then he spoke again, voice echoing through the magnificent main hall of the Uruk palace. Light and shadow scattered across towering pillars as the Hero King's words rang out.
"If you intend to use the aura of the Underworld to accomplish this step, then I advise you to give up."
"Unless you plan to remain here for several centuries, and pray nothing unexpected happens during that time."
Rowe's current vitality was too stubborn. To completely extinguish the life force clinging to the outer shell of his soul, to enter a state of absolute death, and reach the Throne of Heroes carrying only a core spiritual essence, he truly would need centuries in the Underworld.
"This King will not stop your death," Gilgamesh continued. "Though you are a reckless wild dog, I trust my own judgment. If you do something, you must have your reasons."
"But to die like that, do you not find it monotonous? Boring?"
Rowe raised an eyebrow.
"Are you trying to stir up trouble again?"
"AHAHAHAHA. This King is merely seeking amusement in his own courtyard." Gilgamesh waved his hand, then added with a strange seriousness.
"Also, the Uruk I rule should return to its original path. It should not remain forever in this desolate, shattered Underworld."
"This King thinks Greece is very good."
He wanted the people of Uruk to return to the human world.
But Uruk on the surface had already been destroyed.
So it would have to change its appearance, appearing before the world as a new civilization.
"So that's the plan." Rowe understood, and he could not deny the temptation.
If Uruk returned to the current world with its scale, it would inevitably overturn Greece, or quietly replace it.
To do that meant only two options.
Either contend with the gods.
Or fully commit to winning them over.
For Gilgamesh, both were acceptable. Conflict with gods had always been his favorite form of entertainment, and forcing the world to acknowledge his will was exactly what a king should do.
He had led Uruk into the Underworld, so at the proper time, he should allow his people to return.
That was the burden he carried.
That was the judgment he executed.
"The gods of the Underworld will be handled by me," Gilgamesh said, face solemn. "But this time, this King entrusts the heavy burden of heaven and earth to you, my friend."
Rowe glanced sideways.
"Just say you cannot go up. Do not worry, I will not laugh at you."
"You insolent brat." Gilgamesh glared. "This King merely disdains to set foot in the current world in the body of a deceased. If I return, it must be in a complete form that displays my glory."
"Still cannot go up, then."
"…"
Gilgamesh choked on his own dignity.
Rowe laughed, genuinely amused.
"Relax. I will help you, kid."
"Damn it…" Gilgamesh cursed, but the tension in his shoulders eased.
Only by dealing with the Greek gods could a replacement on that scale be achieved.
And only Rowe could be entrusted with something that heavy.
Rowe agreed readily for a simpler reason.
If he did this, he might be able to directly confront Zeus, the almighty machina god, and by colliding with that absolute authority, immediately enter a state of complete death. No centuries of waiting. No slow erosion.
Centuries carried too many variables.
Gilgamesh's plan also carried risk, but at least the chance of success was higher, and it was exciting enough to make fate tremble.
This journey into the Underworld might be Rowe's greatest gain.
If it failed, he would simply fall back into the Underworld again.
"But no rush. Let me rest first," Rowe suddenly said.
He needed to familiarize himself with the higher spec power he had just gained. He needed to master the operation of that second generation Atlantis machina god king.
If he was going to do something this large, he had to sharpen himself as much as possible.
Perhaps he could even severely wound Zeus.
And create a feat worthy of being remembered.
But before that, after such a long awaited reunion, he also needed to properly spend time with his friend.
"Come. Let me see if your vocabulary has improved."
Night in the old courtyard.
"AHAHAHHAHA. Mere wild dog. Do you think this King made no progress while you were gone?" Gilgamesh's laughter rang out. "This King is the glorious, sacred ruler of all things. How could you measure me?"
"Tsk. Anyone can boast. Glorious and sacred, yet hiding in the Underworld." Rowe swirled his wine glass. "If you have the guts, go up there."
Similar layouts gave birth to similar architecture. Near the palace in Uruk's nether realm, Rowe's old courtyard still existed.
Not similar.
The same.
Gilgamesh had moved all of Uruk into the Underworld.
Siduri stood to the side, suppressing a helpless look as she watched the two of them trade insults like breathing.
The Underworld was eternally dark and deep, yet above the Uruk city state, a suspended radiance hung in the sky.
The King's Treasury.
Its shimmering ripples were as brilliant as sun and moon.
Rowe lifted his glass slightly.
"It seems your vocabulary really did improve."
"How could a mongrel like you comprehend this King's progress?" Gilgamesh laughed, delighted.
Then, as if remembering something, his tone sharpened.
"This time, if you dare disobey my command again when you set off, I will not let you off lightly. Even if you flee to the ends of the starry sea, this King will find you and deliver the greatest judgment."
Rowe spread his hands.
"This time I am going to Greece. You must not interfere with anything. Anyway, nothing will happen to me."
"Just like back then."
Just like back then.
Gilgamesh's smile thinned.
"Hmph. I hope you do not disappoint this King again."
He did not refuse. As a friend, he trusted Rowe completely. A thousand years of separation meant nothing to Gilgamesh's will.
"For this task, it is most fitting to let a keen nosed wild dog handle it."
"AHAHHAHAHA."
His laughter carried real delight.
The King would preside over the royal city.
The Sage would walk the four directions.
The three would eventually reunite.
Just like in the past.
But this time, the King had already decided.
He would not lose again.
…
The Sage ventured into the deadly realm of the Underworld and reunited with the King of old. A distant fire lit a scene of a once magnificent civilization. An ancient kingdom that unified the four directions and commanded the submission of all eight now slept here.
The King said, I want the glorious light to reappear in the human world.
The Sage said, I can help you carve open the boundary between heaven and man.
The King also said, you and I shall be as we were.
The Sage also said, all things return in cycles.
A faint light appeared, and the King and Sage made their plans here.
They would uphold the brilliance of an ancient civilization.
They would bring new fire and light to Greece.
Greek Mythology: The Sage in the Underworld.
For the following period, aside from daily planning and strategizing with Gilgamesh, Rowe immersed himself in mastering his newly acquired power.
A massive, fluid machine body was what men loved most, and Rowe was no exception.
Whenever he manifested in the form of a colossal machina god, the sheer sense of power roaring inside him made him satisfied in a way no simple victory ever could.
Cronus's body was not as updated as Zeus's, but in its prime it had been classified as a planetary annihilation type mobile fortress, an interstellar main battleship. Even though its power had declined after being devoured by Rowe, its essence remained unchanged. It still carried terrifying firepower.
More than that, even in machina god form, Rowe could still use Ea's authority of primordial stellar rotation. The two did not conflict. They could even stack together.
After that, the Underworld ruled by Gilgamesh often saw a colossal machina god soaring over the netherworld. Metal woven wings unfolded crimson storms. Gears turned steel fists, and every punch carried power capable of ripping the air and shaking the very space of the stars.
Power that could rival a Divine King shook the deep dark realm.
Gilgamesh stood atop his high palace, watching Rowe in the distance with narrowed, snake like eyes.
"Lord Rowe has grown stronger," Siduri could not help saying.
"It is only natural." Gilgamesh crossed his arms, tone casual. "My friend must possess such strength."
As master of the netherworld, his own progress over nearly a thousand years was not inferior to Rowe's.
Time passed.
Half a month in the Underworld disappeared in a blink.
Rowe gradually mastered seamless transitions between machina god form and his human body.
During that period, Hades visited several times. Rowe always managed to leave him speechless, yet the Lord of the Underworld would always wear an expression of sudden enlightenment afterward.
He invited Rowe to be a guest in the Greek Underworld.
Rowe agreed readily.
If he wanted to return to the mortal world, he would need to ascend through the Greek Underworld governed by Hades anyway.
So, half a month later, Lord Hades sent an escort team for Rowe.
Rowe did not actually need protection, but the gesture itself was etiquette.
Etiquette between two Underworlds.
And the ones who came were famous even in Greece.
Cerberus, the three headed hound of hell.
And a group of hellbeasts subordinate to the hound.
They were to ensure Rowe was safely escorted to the temple where Lord Hades resided.
However…
"Why is it a husky?" Outside the Uruk city state, Rowe's eyes widened as he stared at the dog before him.
Its tongue lolled out. It wore a goofy expression. That distinct black and white coloring.
Was this not exactly the appearance of a Siberian husky, the kind later generations nicknamed a two ha?
"You are Sage Rowe, whom Lord Hades spoke of?" Cerberus hopped along beside him, talking without pause. "You do not look like much. Small arms, small legs. Lord Hades said your wisdom surpasses gods, but with such a small head, not even half the size of my true body, how can it hold so much?"
"There are many dangers on this journey, but do not worry. With me, Cerberus, no hellbeast would dare approach. After all, I am a subordinate of Lord Hades, a subordinate god of one of the three great Divine Kings of Greece…"
This dog talked too much.
From the moment they left Uruk, it had not stopped.
Rowe cast a glance at the dark scenery of the Underworld. After confirming they had left Gilgamesh's territory, he finally looked at the three headed hellhound.
"Then what will Hades do to you if I disappear?"
"He would stew me, of course!" Cerberus said cheerfully, as if discussing dinner was harmless. "But do not worry. I am the three headed hound of hell. No scent escapes my nose. I will not get lost. Uh… where did he go?"
Its voice grew softer.
Because it realized it was alone.
Rowe was gone.
"Woof woof woof? Where is he?" The husky like hellhound frantically clawed at the ground. Its claws cut into the solid soil of the Underworld, leaving long trails.
"Come out, woof woof woof… Sage Rowe, come out, I do not want to be stewed, woof woof woof!"
In the end, it only dug up a few words.
Remember to tell Hades to save me a bowl of dog soup.
Rowe, left behind.
"Damn it!" Cerberus cursed, shivering as the consequences rushed into its mind.
The visit of a dignitary from a neighboring Underworld was like a high ranking official on a diplomatic mission.
If that official vanished during the mission, no matter the reason, it would trigger an enormous reaction.
"I am finished. Am I really going to be stewed?"
With Hades's honest personality, he might actually do it.
Cerberus covered its heads with its paws and shook violently.
Undoubtedly, Rowe had left on purpose.
This was his plan from the start. Use the diplomatic mission as a pretext to slip into Greek territory.
Meeting Hades was out of the question. Rowe was afraid that the Lord of the Underworld might, like Poseidon, give him a vow that could not be easily broken.
As for Cerberus, Rowe felt nothing in particular.
After all, it was a god of the Underworld. It would not die.
In the deep dark place, after Cerberus had gone far, Rowe took a slow breath and looked up.
He gently closed his eyes and sensed the key he had left behind in the human world.
From here, he would return to the present through that key.
In an instant, like being swept through a chaotic current, Rowe's consciousness traversed time and space.
It seemed to have moved, yes?
Do not change the subject. Even if it moved, it is mine.
No, Athena, look…
Rowe opened his eyes in a daze.
He looked at the silver haired, red eyed goddess clinging to his arm, then scanned the shadowy figures around them.
Divine light blazed.
A hall of goddesses stood within a magnificent chamber, as if scrambling for something.
"Rowe, you are back?" Surprise flashed in Athena's eyes. "Quick. Tell these damned goddesses you are mine, not theirs to covet!"
"The wise Sage who once, in the name of not understanding beauty, criticized Ishtar, the goddess of beauty in Mesopotamia, yet still praised a mere human as the greatest beauty in the world." A beautiful red haired goddess smiled, her words dripping with disdain for humans. "I certainly will not give him up. Athena, do you think this alone will make me retreat?"
"Aphrodite!" Athena glared.
"Athena, calm down." A black haired goddess in a white dress, looking like a young girl, tugged at Athena's sleeve.
"Hestia, are you also trying to stop me from defending my love?"
"But you are a virgin goddess…"
"Not anymore!"
Listening to the completely unreasonable argument, Rowe squinted upward. In the blink of an eye, he recognized the place.
Mount Olympus.
He, or rather, the Key he left behind, had somehow become the target of contention among many goddesses.
Something capable of making goddesses fight over it.
In Rowe's memory, there was only one thing with that kind of mythic weight.
The golden apple that triggered the Trojan War.
Which meant…
"My Key of Heaven replaced the golden apple?" Rowe could not understand it.
But he was once again deeply shocked.
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