Chapter 430: Ancient Assyrian City, Saint Assassin

After Christmas, according to the scheduled itinerary, Yeats rushed to the Assyrian region along the Euphrates River.

From the perspective of location, the Assyrian region is located in the southeast of the empire, close to the west of Asia. Yeats plans to first use the teleportation technique of the snowy owl to reach the empire, and then use the flying technique to go to the Assyrian city "Irimu".

"In the Assyrian region, there is a legend about the oldest heroic king."

Mammon narrated: "Gilgamesh, the oldest hero, rejected the courtship of the Venus goddess Ishtar, who hated him. The goddess released the Bull of Heaven to kill his best friend Enkidu... Gilgamesh wanted to find the elixir of immortality to revive his best friend, but the elixir was accidentally eaten by a snake. This made him realize that the dead cannot be resurrected, and he eventually became the wise king of ancient Assyria."

This Gilgamesh you're talking about... will he release the Star of Separation? Ye Zhi stroked his chin and thought, "I wonder what the Bull of Heaven would taste like."

"These goddesses are so petty. When they are rejected by mortals, they send their magical pets to harm people!" Diamond complained.

"That's right. Unlike me, even if Ye Zhi rejected me, I would only wish him happiness~" Daisy held her cheek and smiled sweetly.

Ye Zhi's forehead jumped.

"That's enough... get on the road!"

Two days later.

Yeats had already arrived at the city of Irim in the Assyrian region as planned.

The Euphrates River flows outside the ochre-red city walls with a golden color. The obelisks standing outside the city are engraved with cuneiform runes. Those tadpole-shaped magical characters are a completely different system from the runes.

Yeats disguised himself as a merchant and successfully entered this exotic city. The camel bells of caravan camels carried the salty smell of wind and sand as they passed over bronze bricks, veiled women carried alabaster jars on their heads, and the market was filled with the aroma of herbs and laurel.

Looking further into the distance, the remains of a giant tower stand alone at the end of the horizon, like an imprisoned Titan.

The broken top of the tower still pierced the sandy yellow sky, and the spire was wrapped with chains woven with dark red spells, which seemed to be still flowing and turning faintly.

"That is what remains of the Tower of Babel."

Daisy's emotional voice rang in Yeats' ears as he looked up.

"Humans planned to build a tower that would reach heaven, but they were met with the wrath of God, who sent down thunderbolts that destroyed the tower..."

"Now, in the remains of the tower bound by chains, the ancient sinners and their descendants are still sealed."

"Because of the endless darkness and hatred, they are no longer like human beings. I hope you stay away from that tower, Yeats." Daisy said softly, "Not because it is dangerous, but because... it is not interesting."

Yeats was thoughtful.

The Tower of Babel, the mythical tower that reached the sky, turned into ruins overnight because it offended the majesty of God.

Gazing at the still majestic ruins, Yeats inexplicably developed a respect for the ancient survivors imprisoned in the ruins… They had accomplished feats that were on par with the gods, and even the Creator would be afraid of them.

This spirit of constantly exploring higher worlds is the reason why human civilization keeps moving forward.

"Let's go straight to the maze!" said Diamond. "Let's get the job done and make a feast with the Minotaur's tongue!"

"Wait a minute, I plan to go to the local fortune-telling street first..."

Divination magic is quite popular in the Assyrian region.

Local old women often tell fortunes by observing the patterns on animal entrails or even traces of coffee grounds.

In the city of "Irimu", one can see several young men wearing veils and walking in a hurry. Yeats sensed the extraordinary aura from them. After paying a little attention, he discovered that these people were good at stealth and most of them were members of the Assassin's League.

"The Ritual of Sloth, the invisibility cloak is hidden in the tower of the Assassin's League. Perhaps I can also put on a vest, sneak into this group of Assassins, and secretly take the invisibility cloak..."

While thinking, Yeats strolled through the city.

Before I knew it, I had arrived at the entrance of a quiet street.

Yeats had a vague impression that a prophetic old woman could be found here who could provide key clues for hunting the Minotaur.

At the corner of the alley, a divination chart made from a temple curtain was hung outside a mud brick house, and two oil lamps on both sides of the door emitted a faint blue light.

At the door, an old woman wearing a lapis lazuli veil was grinding a stone mortar. Suddenly, she raised her eyes and looked at Yeats's back as he was about to leave.

The old woman murmured hoarsely:

"When the moon's orbits overlap, the traveling hero will pass through the entrance of the labyrinth... I saw Krit Timaunos awaken from the depths of the labyrinth that was breathing out brass mist... The weak woman used her flesh and blood to fill the three hundred bulls' eyes with endless desire..."

After reading the obscure prophecy, the old woman became like a sculpture again and continued to pound the medicinal herbs, as if the changes in the outside world had nothing to do with her.

Ye Zhi was quick to notice these words, and thought to himself:

"It seems that she is the fortune teller who appeared in the plot."

"Crit Timaunos? It turns out that he is the ancestor of the Minotaur in the plot. He may appear in the maze!"

"Just right, I'll use it to test the quality of my Crazy Armor!"

The Minotaur Cretan Timaeus was the first monster to appear in the Minotaur's Labyrinth. It was a deformed monster born from the union of a human king's wife and the Cretan bull.

The "Minotaur complex" in later ACG culture can also be found in this story passed down from Greek mythology.

This Cretan bull is also of great significance. It is an epic beast that can breathe fire and once appeared in the Twelve Trials of Hercules.

Its offspring, the Minotaur, was a man-eating beast and later became a symbol of evil during the Catholic missionary work.

"The Minotaur Ancestor, that creature lived in the old era, the same era as the nine-headed Hydra... Even it is about to awaken, it seems that it is indeed the era of the revival of mythology."

Ye Zhi's eyes flickered, his heart was filled with a sense of justice, and the soul of the god of pure love was burning.

"I have an irreconcilable relationship with the Minotaur. I swear to kill this bull and rid the people of this evil!"

"Go directly to the maze? Or accept the bounty first!" Mammon suggested, "Although the bounty is not worth much, a mosquito is still meat!"

"The reward should be posted at the Amber Tavern in town."

The suspicious-looking members of the Assassin's League appeared in Ye Zhi's eyes, and he decided to go to the tavern first to collect information before leaving.

*Amber Tavern, Irimu City.

The copper lamps cast a halo of light between the beams and pillars of the tavern, and the edges of the camel tapestries on the wall were stained with wine and barbecue oil. The tavern was noisy, with caravans and mercenary teams meeting here, and the bard playing the poor-quality three-stringed harp.

Ye Zhi chose a corner to sit down, from which he could just observe the suspicious and deliberately disguised assassin team.

They were sitting on the second floor. There were two of them in total. One of them was missing an ear, and the other was a woman dressed as a man.

Although the disguise is very good, it cannot hide from the eyes of Yeats, the master of tricks... Judging from the number of circles of the breast wrap, this woman in men's clothing is as flat as a file.

It's regrettable.

Yeats decided to name the two assassins "One Ear" and "Sister File".

Immediately, Yeats ordered the dwarf waiter to bring up some local specialties.

"Well, sir, our blood beer, snake nest barbecue, date cheese and medicinal sand lizard are all first-class delicacies!"

The green-skinned dwarf put on a flattering smile, with the wrinkles on his face squeezed together. He stared closely at Ye Zhi's silk merchant robe and rubbed his hands, saying:

"Please wait a moment. I will ask our Asian dragon chef to cook for you. The taste is guaranteed to be authentic!"

Yeats casually gave the dwarf a few copper coins and asked him to tell the chef to be more careful not to add lizard saliva into the dishes as a condiment.

The dwarf's eyes seemed to be shining. He was full of gratitude and said yes repeatedly, then bent down and stepped back.

at the same time.

Several malicious glances were cast towards Ye Zhi's table.

The tavern was a mixed crowd, with many adventurers and mercenaries, but when they noticed the family crest that Ye Zhi had slapped on the table, they immediately looked away in dismay.

Honeysuckle! Although I don't know where this merchant got the honeysuckle family emblem from.

But the influence of this family emblem is not something that a few local mercenary groups are qualified to think about! The Assyrian region was conquered by nomadic peoples hundreds of years ago. Later, the empire sent troops to expel the nomadic peoples, and the Assyrian Kingdom gradually became a vassal of the Divine Court Empire.

Hastings, the "Spear of the Lord" in the empire, and the Winged Hussars he led once made the nomadic cavalry in the Assyrian Kingdom terrified, and the Assyrian people also regarded Hastings as a hero.

But it was such a person who knelt down before Yeats Browndi of the Honeysuckle Family at the Roland Games, accepting his defeat wholeheartedly!

At this point, the prestige of the Duke of Honeysuckle, with Hastings as a stepping stone, rose rapidly in the Assyrian Kingdom, and his family's emblem naturally worked in Assyria.

There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!

In this way, Yeats enjoyed the sumptuous meal served by his waiter in the presence of several suspicious, jealous and awe-inspiring gazes, as if no one was around.

The belief in Dionysus was very popular in the Assyrian Empire and could compete with the belief in Eros.

Blood Ale is a peculiar drink brewed by Dionysus's followers using blood grapes and Dionysus wheat. It tastes like a mixture of wine and barleywine, with lots of bubbles. After drinking it, one can be blessed with the power of Dionysus, and can hold weapons more steadily. It is deeply loved by mercenaries and adventurers.

Snake Nest Barbecue is made from blind-bellied sand snakes in the cracks of rocks outside the maze. The poison nests in their bellies are removed, the meat is skewered on iron skewers and cooked, then topped with honey. It is worth one silver coin and is considered the signature dish of the Amber Tavern.

Date cheese and medicinal sand lizards are delicacies that mercenaries usually don't want to enjoy. Ye Zhi is feasting on them by himself at this moment. I don't know how much savings he has on him, which makes the mercenaries present jealous.

But because of the bright family emblem on the table, even the most reckless mercenaries became calm, drank the cheap wheat wine dryly, and couldn't help but glance at Ye Zhi's table.

A man with a trough nose muttered, "Damn, this guy's shit tastes better than what we eat."

"Puff..." A dwarf sprayed half a bottle of wheat beer, "I'm eating, can you fucking talk?"

"Why, you want to fight?" the man asked with his eyes squinted.

"Come on, let's hit him!"

The noisy duels in the tavern are a must-see. The guests around have long been accustomed to it and make way for their seats while placing bets with laughter.

The second floor of the pub.

The man, whose cloak was full of rags, was peeling dates with a dagger, and his injured left ear was curled up like a baby's finger.

After licking the juice of the dates on the blade of the dagger and confirming that it was non-toxic, the man handed the dates to the black-robed assassin in front of him, and said in a low and hoarse voice with a hint of flattery: "Lady Saint..."

A sharp gaze looked over.

The black robe wrapped her thin body, the silver needles on the suede wristband sparkled, and the assassin called the Saint used charcoal to draw eyeliner as sharp as a sword blade, and the deliberately blackened ink eyeshadow set off her eyes as bright as the night.

One-ear humbly changed his address and said, "Master Gray Harrier, try the dates here, they are delicious."

"Staying hungry helps you think, Matteo," Gray Harrier said coldly.

Matteo thought to himself, but you're so hungry that you're skin and bones, you don't even need a chest wrap.

Of course, these words were fatal, so Matteo could only silently put the dates into his mouth and said hoarsely: "Master Grey Harrier, the merchant sitting in the corner downstairs has been watching us. We need to be careful."

Gray Harrier glanced in Yeats' direction and whispered, "He's just a low-ringer... Oh? He actually has the family crest of the Duke of Honeysuckle? No wonder he dares to act so brazenly."

Seeing that Ye Zhi's strength was low, the Saint of the Assassin's League ignored him and turned the topic to the Duke of Honeysuckle.

Matteo frowned slightly: "Duke Honeysuckle... I can't imagine that he can actually defeat Hastings. I believe him when he says he has become a strong man in the Sanctuary."

"This kind of person doesn't need us to comment on him anymore. Just do our job well."

Gray Harrier said coldly: "The mission to retrieve the Cretan Horn Cup requires success. If we fail in the maze... only death awaits you and me."

"Legend has it that the Cretan horn cup is the utensil of the god of wine. Drinking from it can make one's body extremely powerful and possessed by the Minotaur in the labyrinth. As long as we can successfully assassinate the Minotaur, it will be of great benefit to the development of our sect in the Assyrian Kingdom." Gray Harrier emphasized the key point again.

"I see the bounty in the kingdom has been issued for some time, Lord Gray Harrier, why don't we just accept it?"

"Wait a little longer. If we show up directly, it will be too conspicuous. It is best to act secretly this time. Once someone accepts the bounty order, we can go together!"

Ding-ling-ling——

The tavern bell rang.

A woman wearing a pomegranate skirt, a snow-white neck, and a black cloak walked into the tavern.

Several burning gazes fell on her.

Ye Zhi's heart moved, thinking that this should be the priestess who appeared in the plot.

Inanna Ninurta.

She was from a poor family and was sold to a brothel by her father when she was a child. Later, she redeemed herself and became a priestess in the temple of the god of love. Because the god of love was also the patron saint of prostitutes, the believers in the temple did not feel dissatisfied with Inanna's humble origins.

She had a friend in the brothel who entrusted her daughter to Inanna before she died, hoping that Inanna could raise her daughter. Inanna treated her as her own daughter, but the girl died under the monster of the labyrinth.

Inanna then decided to perish with the monster in the labyrinth... relying on the blessing she had received from the temple goddess.

That blessing is a necklace that has the power to control people's hearts. The person wearing this necklace can become the most beautiful person in the eyes of the other person. It is essentially a "lustful ritual object".

"It makes sense to save her life and retrieve the ritual object at the same time..." Ye Zhi thought to himself.

The subsequent plot development was exactly as Yeats had expected. Inanna accepted the list on the bulletin board with the Dionysus relief in full view of everyone, which caused a burst of laughter in the tavern, and many people even used foul language.

Inanna said nothing, but quietly put the bounty order in her pocket and left the tavern.

On the second floor of the tavern, One Ear looked at the thin figure inquiringly: "Saint... Oh no, Lord Gray Harrier..."

"In one ear and out the other? No, you don't have a right ear!" Gray Harrier glared at Matteo and said, "Follow me!"

Ye Zhi also saw the two members of the Assassin's League leave the tavern.

"The Saint of the Assassin's League?"

Yeats was thoughtful.

"It seems that I can get both ritual objects at once this time!"

…

(End of this chapter)