Chapter 648: What’s the point of stealing my man?

How did the King die?

The man, or rather the King of Uruk, Gilgamesh, stood on the top of the mountain, frowning and thinking about the cause of his death.

Because he had previously killed the Bull of Heaven and expelled the goddess Ishtar, angering the gods and bringing about various natural disasters and curses, and in order to seek immortality, he abandoned his duties as a king and left Uruk for a long time. Therefore, when he came back after his enlightenment, he found his kingdom in chaos.

In order to make up for the mistakes he had made, he reorganized his old subordinates, ascended the throne, and dealt with domestic affairs day and night, hoping to restore Uruk's previous order as soon as possible.

The last moment he could remember, he seemed to be handling official business.

So, I was exhausted to death?

Gilgamesh came to this conclusion and felt it was ridiculous.

At this moment, a team of fully armed Garula spirits floated through the dead air and conveyed the divine will to Gilgamesh in soul form:

"Hero King of Uruk, the goddess wishes to see you."

Hero King, the king of heroes.

In every age of gods, there are countless heroes of divine descent created by divine blood and divinity, but only the strongest are qualified to enjoy this reputation.

The Garula spirits use this name, which obviously implies some respect and recognition.

——Ereshkigal wants to see me? What is that crazy woman doing?

Gilgamesh frowned and thought for a moment, and finally chose to follow the Garula spirits.

After passing through layers of dark and depressing fog, the scene before my eyes suddenly became clear.

The water flows gently, the ground is covered with green shade, and the flowers and plants are vying for beauty.

This is a beautiful paradise that is incompatible with the underworld environment.

In the center of the park, a man and a woman were sitting around a stone table, enjoying beer and snacks.

The woman had a face quite similar to Ishtar, the former patron goddess of Uruk, but her temperament was completely different, gloomy and reserved. She was none other than Ereshkigal, the mistress of the underworld.

The man looked strange, as if he had never met him before.

"Gilgamesh, right? I've been waiting for you for a long time. Please sit down."

Lorne took the initiative to greet him, waving his hand and pulling out a chair in front of the table.

Gilgamesh's eyes flickered, and he asked thoughtfully:

"You want to see me?"

"Well, let me introduce myself. I am Dumuzi, a wandering shepherd god, who was invited to visit the underworld. According to my suggestion, the underworld is preparing to establish a complete trial mechanism to determine the destination of the dead souls after their death based on their words and deeds during their lifetime. However, due to the importance of the matter and the complexity of the affairs, it is necessary to recruit three souls with rich administrative and judicial experience to serve as judges of the underworld. I have heard about your deeds and think you are very suitable, so I specially recommended you to the goddess."

Loen told the whole story.

After listening to this, Gilgamesh discovered a blind spot:

"You took the initiative to come to me? In other words, I am not dead yet, but was dragged down to the underworld by you?"

"That's right."

I'll OO you XX!

Gilgamesh cursed in his heart and was almost furious.

He was working in Uruk and was so busy that he was overwhelmed.

As a result, before all the troubles in life were solved, the work after death had already been arranged.

Does he look so much like a cow or a horse?

Even cows and horses should have time to eat some grass and take a good rest, right?

"Judge of the Underworld? What does this have to do with me? I am not interested in playing house with you."

Gilgamesh snorted coldly, turned around and prepared to leave.

It was because he had cultivated himself over the years and no longer had the bad temper he once had. Otherwise, he would have flipped the table and started a fight with the two gods who wanted to manipulate him.

As for whether or not you can win, that’s not the point.

"Aren't you prepared to listen to our terms first?"

A voice with a hint of temptation came from behind. Gilgamesh did not stop and sneered in his heart.

You want to bribe me? What a joke!

I own Uruk and hold the [Key of God] that opens the Treasury of Babylon. I have everything from gold and gems to divine artifacts and secret treasures. What can you do to defeat me?

"Enkidu..."

Gilgamesh suddenly stopped and turned to look at the two gods in front of the stone table:

"Where were we talking about?"

"You are going back to Uruk."

"You don't want to play house with us."

Lorne and Ailei answered while drinking.

"You're recruiting me to serve in the underworld as the judge of the dead, right? I have to say, you have good vision, hahahaha!"

Gilgamesh laughed out loud and sat down in the vacant seat without any embarrassment after being teased.

It has to be said that after going through a series of trials, this heroic king who was once known for his "tyranny" has had his edges smoothed out by the cruel reality and has become much more rounded.

Just know how to restrain yourself and keep your head down.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Loen's eyes. He poured a glass of wine for Gilgamesh, who took the initiative to sit down, and told the heroic king the whole story.

Gilgamesh thought for a moment and asked:

"So, you intend to manage the underworld with justice, punish evildoers, reward gooddoers, and bring equality to them?"

“That’s right!”

"Let alone gods and humans, even people are born unequal! Some are kings who can live a life of luxury without doing anything, some are nobles who can wear gold and jewelry with just a wave of their hands, and some are slaves who may not be able to get a full meal even if they work hard every day... This is reality! The strong prey on the weak, and the fittest survive. This is how the world has always been! Your insignificant kindness and compassion can't change anything."

"Has it always been this way? Since his birth, your good friend Enkidu has quelled your tyranny in Uruk and led you onto the right path; he wiped out the rebellious cedar beast Humbaba; he stopped the rampage of the Bull of Heaven... During this time, he saved countless weaklings from suffering, but in the end he was punished by the gods and died of exhaustion. What did he do wrong? Was it just because he was weak?"

Lorne asked back with a sneer.

Gilgamesh was speechless, his face as gloomy as dead water.

If it was him who died, given his personality and experience, there would be nothing much to say.

But unfortunately, the gods chose to punish their good friend, making him a victim of the struggle for theocracy.

Mingming, the green person is so gentle and kind, and never wants to hurt innocent lives easily.

Seeing that Gilgamesh was touched by these words, Lorne spoke frankly about his opinion:

"It is true that there are too many inequalities in the world, but that is why someone needs to bring about change. We may not succeed, but if we do nothing, everything will stay here forever!"

"That's right!"

Ai Lei couldn't help but raise her arms in support, and the idea brewing in her mind became clearer and more solid.

"I don't care what happens in the world of the living. But at least after death, I hope to use my own power to bring the last bit of respect and equality to those dead souls!"

Hearing these words from the heart, Gilgamesh could not help but be moved. He looked at the goddess of the underworld with a very complicated look, and a rare trace of respect appeared in his words:

"If you can truly practice what you preach, you are the most merciful god I have ever met."

"I'm not that good. Dumuzi taught me."

Ai Lei's pretty face flushed slightly, and she quickly waved her hand, giving the credit to Lorne beside her.

"Then you have a good eye for choosing a husband." Gilgamesh immediately changed his tone.

"Puff!" Luo En spit out a mouthful of wine and helplessly corrected, "Don't get me wrong, I'm just a guest of the underworld."

"Oh, I guessed wrong." Gilgamesh responded indifferently, but he snorted in his heart.

guest?

Which guest lives in the host's most secret garden? And gives suggestions on the host's [decoration] and [furnishings]?

This is clearly the treatment and power that only the male protagonist has!

Besides, the way the Queen of Hell looks at you is almost tearing your hair out. You're a guest? I don't believe you!

After a while of mumbling, Gilgamesh did not dwell on this personal issue any further, and directly asked about what he really cared about:

"Just now, you two seemed to have mentioned the name of my good friend?"

"You mean Enkidu? He was cursed by the gods, and although his body decayed and his soul was cast into Hades, it did not completely dissipate. I helped to preserve most of his self."

Ai Lei paused and proposed a condition.

"If you are willing to serve me as the judge of the underworld, I can return Enkidu's soul to you in exchange."

After listening to this, Gilgamesh appeared calm on the surface, but his body was shaking slightly with excitement.

When he first ascended the throne, he was young and frivolous, arrogant and domineering, bullying the weak all day long, causing the people in the country to complain and even appeal to God, hoping that he would be punished and return to the right path.

Enkidu was born from the hands of the gods.

Its name is [Chains of Heaven], which is used to restrain and guide the existence of this tyrant.

After the two met, they had a fierce battle, but eventually they became friends because of their mutual respect.

Gilgamesh therefore understood that there are always people better than you, so he put away his arrogance, shared his royal power, governed the country with Enkidu, and served the Babylonian gods of Anu more devoutly.

In order to show his loyalty to his grandfather, he even expelled Ishtar, the patron goddess of Uruk.

But in the end, not only did he fail to receive the praise of the gods, but he became a victim of the struggle for theocracy, and even his good friend Enkidu was implicated and killed by him.

This has always been an unhealed scar in his heart.

He was willing to make any sacrifice if there was a way to save his friend's life.

However, the lesson of the Bull of Heaven case was still fresh in his mind, and he really lacked trust in these sanctimonious gods.

Moreover, the sisters seemed to be hiding a huge secret, and the gods did not want any force or individual to get too close to them.

Thus, Uruk was severed from Ishtar, and the underworld was in a state of death.

If you accept the call of the Queen of the Underworld, it would be tantamount to going against the will of the gods.

Gilgamesh's eyes flashed, and he asked in a deep voice:

"As the judge of the underworld, what do I need to do? To uphold justice for the mortals?"

“This is just your initial job.”

Lorne smiled and added meaningfully,

“Once we have accumulated enough experience and the time is right, [fairness] will naturally become universal.”

Gilgamesh understood what he meant and could no longer suppress the impulse in his body. He smiled grimly and nodded:

"Okay, I'll do it!"

What does popularization mean?

Under the iron law, all beings are equal.

Whether it is humans or gods, they should all be judged for their actions and bear the consequences!

If the so-called judge of the underworld is just playing some small games claiming to be "justice", even if the other party has Enkidu as a bargaining chip, he has to consider whether the other party will sell him out in a critical moment and whether he should really join them.

But since the other party had the intention of judging the gods from the very beginning, he had no worries.

He had been badly harmed by those gods, and had long wanted to pull these hypocritical guys off the altar and let them also have a taste of being ravaged and punished!

Looking at the almost twisted smile of excitement on the face of the Hero King, Loen knew that he had successfully planted the seeds of rebellion in the other's heart.

So, next...

Luo En's eyes flashed, and he asked with a smile:

"Then do you have any recommendations for the remaining two judges of Hades?"

Gilgamesh pondered for a moment and gave his answer:

"Ur-Nammu, the king of Ur, and Hammurabi, the new king of Babylon, are both well-versed in law and government affairs, and are relatively suitable candidates."

Lorne nodded in approval.

The answer was consistent with what he expected.

According to later research, the Code of Ur-Nammu is the first written code of law discovered in the world so far, and the Code of Hammurabi is the first relatively complete written code of law discovered in human history so far.

As compilers of two codes, Ur-Nammu and Hammurabi were both qualified to serve as judges of the underworld.

More importantly, the city of Ur governed by Ur-Nammu worshipped the moon god Sin, and Hammurabi intended to get close to Utu, the sun god.

One of the two gods is Ishtar's nominal father, and the other is her nominal brother. They are the few who dare to have close contact with Ishtar.

Pulling Ur-Nammu and Hammurabi into the system of the three great judges of the underworld is equivalent to indirectly pulling the sun god Utu and the moon god Sin behind them into the camp of the underworld.

In addition, both gods possess the authority of judgment and justice, and are even called "Judges of the Gods." They will certainly not easily reject this opportunity to increase faith and strength.

As we all know, pirate ships have a characteristic: it is easy to get on but difficult to get off.

Once a solid alliance of interests was formed, his dear "brother-in-law" and "father-in-law" would have no choice but to go down the wrong path until they were on the opposite side of the Babylonian gods.

A malicious smirk flashed in Luo En's eyes, and he looked up towards somewhere in the underworld.

Another target seemed to have arrived.

At the same time, a golden light like a falling star pierced through the layers of gray fog condensed by deathly energy and fell into the dim underworld, forming a terrifying aftermath of the explosion.

The angry cry echoed in the billowing smoke and dust, almost resounding throughout the underworld:

“Ereshkigal, come out! What’s the point of stealing my man?”

(End of this chapter)