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Ishtar suddenly looked up to the sky, her expression turning grave.
A tornado descended from beyond the heavens, piercing the earth like a massive drill. The violent storm uprooted everything in its path, even sweeping across the entire city of Babylon, tossing its citizens into the air like dandelion fluff.
From within the storm emerged a young man with dark green hair, handsome in appearance, dressed in a simple white robe, yet his expression was as cold as a chilling wind.
"Ishtar, you've overstepped your bounds."
The handsome youth's gaze was icy, his face covered in frost.
"Enlil!"
Ishtar's face soured as she snapped back, clearly displeased.
Xu Zong narrowed his eyes. The god of the wind, Enlil, was the guardian deity of the city-state of Nippur, and his status was exceptionally unique.
In Sumerian mythology, the world was created by the sweet sea god Apsu and the salty sea goddess Tiamat. Later, including Anu, the gods were born from these two creator deities.
Sumerian mythology would see three generations of divine kings, the first being the great god Anu, the son of Apsu and Tiamat, born with the power to control the skies. Gods like the wind god Enlil, the goddess of beauty Ishtar, and the water god Enki were all children of Anu.
Although Anu was powerful, he was indifferent, staying in the sky, quietly watching everything unfold. Enlil used his winds to carve out the middle part of the world, ascending to the throne as one of the three creator gods, earning the recognition of the other deities.
While Anu was the supreme god, it was Enlil who wielded real power. At this time, Enlil could be considered the second generation of divine kings. With the passage of time, he also acquired the War God's divine nature and was also the main culprit behind the World Annihilation Great Flood.
Later, Apsu and Tiamat, unable to tolerate the clamor of the gods, decided to exterminate them all. The supreme god Anu still did nothing, and the gods, considering him too weak, banded together to rise up. Eventually, Apsu was killed by the god Ea, and Tiamat was slain by Marduk. Marduk took Tiamat's corpse, created the heavens, stars, and humanity, and thus, receiving worship from gods and humans alike, replaced Enlil as the third generation of divine kings.
The change in divine positions and natures, historically speaking, reflected the rise and fall of the various city-states within Sumerian civilization. But on a deeper level, it was a struggle for faith among the gods.
And in this era, it was a time when Anu was indifferent, and Enlil held great power, meaning Enlil was the strongest god of the time, equivalent to the divine king of Sumer.
No wonder Ishtar's expression was so grim. She might disregard gods like the water god Enki, the moon god Nanna, the sun god Utu, and Marduk, but to her, Enlil was a genuine and formidable foe!
"Gilgamesh, your duty should be to suppress humanity, to maintain their reverence for the gods, but what are you doing now? It's as if you're leading a rebellion against the gods."
Enlil's gaze was sharp as a knife as it pierced towards Xu Zong.
"If you withdraw your troops now, I might forgive your transgression."
"Are you done posturing?"
Xu Zong scoffed coldly, staring back at Enlil's gaze.
"I'm sick of your high and mighty attitudes. You're nothing but mixed practitioners who can't survive without human faith, yet you want to dominate humanity? Ha, even gods can dream!"
Ishtar glared at him with a sour face. Do I also rely on human faith to survive? Am I also a mixed practitioner?
"How dare you!"
Enlil's face darkened as he rebuked angrily.
"Gilgamesh, who do you think gave you your power and status? Where do you think your noble divinity comes from? You have no awareness of your own mission!"
"Interesting!"
Xu Zong tilted his head, a scornful smile on his lips.
"If you want to discuss origins, why not go back even further? Why should you Sumerian gods have survived the hands of the white giants? Shall I tell you?"
"You! How do you know about that…"
Enlil's face changed instantly.
Hearing the title of the white giants, Enlil's face showed unmistakable fear, and his look towards Xu Zong turned incredulous.
Even Ishtar was shocked, staring at Xu Zong in disbelief.
"If you want to fight, then come at me. If not, get lost now!"
Xu Zong extended his hand, pointing at Enlil, and cursed without mercy.
"…Don't be too pleased with yourself. One day, a device to suppress you will come!"
Enlil's expression changed several times, and finally, with a dark glare, he vanished into light.
He couldn't be sure how much Gilgamesh knew or where he had learned it from. He needed to consult with his father god Anu.
"Gilgamesh, you were so cool just now!"
Ishtar's eyes shone as she looked over.
In the entire Sumerian civilization, the only one who dared to tell Enlil to get lost was the great god Anu. She thought she dared too, and Gilgamesh, a demigod, was so bold, stirring her heart.
Xu Zong frowned at her, then turned to leave.
He was only using this madwoman, not wanting to get entangled with her.
"Where are you going?"
Ishtar took the initiative to follow.
"To attack Nippur!"
Xu Zong said coldly.
Ishtar was stunned, then burst into laughter.
"Good, then let's make a scene in Enlil's city-state of Nippur!"
Nippur held a very special position on the Mesopotamian plain. As it was guarded by Enlil, no city-state dared to attack Nippur, and war had never spread there, much like the later holy city of Jerusalem.
But today, Xu Zong broke this unspoken rule.
While Enlil was still unsettled, Xu Zong stormed into the city-state of Nippur and in front of tens of thousands of citizens, shattered Enlil's temple with a single sword strike!
Enlil did not appear, clearly frightened by the news of the white giants. Xu Zong easily took Nippur and then conquered several small city-states in the south. Ninety percent of the city-states on the Mesopotamian plain were swallowed up, their populations all transported to Uruk, ordered to develop the city-state.
Thus, only one city-state remained unconquered—Kutha, guarded by the underworld god Ereshkigal!
***
The city-state of Uruk.
Xu Zong stood atop a palace several tens of meters high, his excellent vision allowing him to overlook the entire city of Uruk. The vast city-state was bustling with construction, with countless stone houses, pastures, and fields being built outside the city walls. Although there were many fanatics of other gods causing trouble, after Xu Zong ordered a bloodbath, these voices disappeared without exception, and Uruk thrived.
But Xu Zong knew this was just the calm before the storm.
With this move, he had offended nine-tenths of the gods in heaven, and they were surely looking for ways to suppress him. Ishtar had returned to heaven to clear his name, but even she probably couldn't quell the anger of so many gods. A storm was likely on its way.
"Do you regret it, King Gilgamesh?"
A voice, as if processed by a computer, echoed around the hall.
"Who's there?"
Xu Zong's gaze sharpened as he looked around.
"Me."
A dark figure appeared below the hall.
Shrouded in a black robe, his appearance was indiscernible, his face like a black hole, reflecting no light, his presence blank, only the outline of his robe hinting at his existence.
"I don't know you."
Xu Zong's eyes narrowed, warily watching the robed figure.
"Heh, that's normal. Even among the gods, few know me."
The robed figure chuckled lightly, his tone revealing no hostility, even somewhat friendly.
"I'll ask again, do you regret offending the gods?"
"No."
Xu Zong replied decisively.
"Even if it may bring misfortune in the future?"
The robed figure followed up.
"As long as all the gods are expelled, won't there be no misfortune?"
Xu Zong retorted with a cold laugh.
"…Ha, hahaha, what an interesting answer!"
The robed figure paused, then burst into laughter.
"Wow, I didn't expect your will to resist the gods to be so strong. Good, very good. But with your strength, it's almost impossible to expel all the gods."
"I have time."
Xu Zong remained unmoved.
"Are you here to discourage me? Or are you here to kill me?"
"No, quite the opposite. I'm here to help you."
The robed figure chuckled, then waved his long sleeve.
Following that, a golden bow composed of two long swords appeared before him, radiating an intense divine aura.
Then, with another wave of his sleeve, something even more terrifying than the golden bow appeared.
Xu Zong's pupils constricted.
Before the robed figure, a weapon that could be considered a sword floated gently, its rounded hilt adorned with dazzling gold guards, and its blade composed of three cylindrical parts, engraved with crimson divine runes.
"Choose. Do you want this End Sword Enki, or this 'sword'?"
The robed figure floated two extraordinary divine artifacts before Xu Zong, asking in a leisurely tone.
"…Could you be the god Ea?"
Xu Zong's expression turned to surprise, his gaze at the robed figure filled with astonishment.
"It's rare indeed. That name should have been forgotten by many."
The robed figure too was surprised, but then he understood.
"But if you know about the white giants, it means you possess rare wisdom. Could your divine nature be that of the god of wisdom… Never mind, choose which sword you want."
"If I choose, will you give it to me?"
Xu Zong's expression shifted, questioning again.
"Yes."
The robed figure, or perhaps the god Ea, affirmed calmly.