Credits: LothWolf
(Long Chapter)
It was merely a fleeting illusion, yet Alaric was certain that the crossing of gazes was real and undeniable. If not for the dragon's heart reacting so violently to the serpent's eyes, he might have dismissed it as a trick of the mind.
With this thought, Alaric raised his hand and pressed it against his chest.
In that moment, only one emotion surged from within Alaric:
Hunting.
The hunt for that fallen goddess turned beast.
To devour her flesh, drink her blood, and consume her soul.
A burning desire to completely kill and devour the monstrous goddess Gorgon.
At this moment, the inhuman side of Alaric revealed itself to the extreme.
It was a mindset entirely different from that of primates—pure wild instinct and primal desire, the kind of judgment that only a beast could make.
'This is... problematic.'
Alaric hadn't expected to feel such a reaction toward Gorgon. Although he could suppress it, it was by no means a long-term solution.
And if he approached Gorgon with such a mindset, Alaric couldn't guarantee that Gorgon wouldn't immediately start a fight with him.
"Hmm? Did you discover something?"
Nearby, Merlin, unaware of the gaze Alaric and Gorgon had exchanged, only noticed the noticeable fluctuations in Alaric's magical energy.
He asked curiously, "You just released quite an impressive aura, you know!"
In that instant, what Alaric released wasn't merely a fluctuation of magical energy but also the power of a dragon.
Infused with the essence of his soul, the red dragon's blood within Alaric had undergone a subtle transformation, diverging slightly from the red dragon bloodline of Artoria.
It was climbing toward a higher, more primordial form of dragonhood, though its outward manifestation remained that of a red dragon.
A dragon closely tied to Britain, one yet unborn.
Unfamiliar with the changes in himself, Alaric, interrupted by Merlin, said, "Merlin, the situation has shifted. If we proceed further, we might walk straight into an ambush.
When Gorgon gives the signal, the monsters will tear us apart on the spot."
If he felt such a wild, predatory desire toward Gorgon, then the monstrous goddess Gorgon couldn't remain unaffected.
The worst-case scenario was that she would feel the same primal hunting instinct toward Alaric.
To devour him, using his flesh as sustenance or as material for the growth of her monstrous army.
After the battle with Lionheart King, Alaric had gained some understanding of such mass-production abilities.
In his current assessment, the monstrous goddess Gorgon's ability to create beasts was most likely tied to her Authority. However, this also came with significant costs—massive amounts of magical energy and other materials limited her ability to overwhelm the northern defensive lines with sheer numbers in a short time.
She could only opt for a war of attrition, attempting to amass her forces for a decisive battle.
If Alaric ventured deeper into the cedar forest, it was highly likely he would encounter an ambush of monstrous beasts. Their numbers might far exceed three hundred monsters, lying in wait for Alaric and Merlin to walk into the trap.
"Well then, are you still going in?"
Hearing this, Merlin immediately realized the cedar forest was fraught with danger. Naturally, he distanced himself, saying, "You'd be facing the goddess head-on if you go any further!
Gorgon is different from the other two goddesses. She absolutely won't negotiate with you. She detests humanity—or rather, she doesn't care about humans at all."
With that, Merlin waited silently for Alaric's response.
With Alaric's current abilities, he could fight a goddess, but it wasn't necessary and carried the risk of death.
In Merlin's eyes, confronting Gorgon at this moment was entirely irrational. Surely, Alaric would make a reasonable decision in light of the risks.
At that moment, Alaric was also deep in thought.
If they turned back now, Alaric would undoubtedly feel unwilling. But if he charged straight to Gorgon, he believed the odds of encountering an ambush of monstrous beasts were exceedingly high.
Faced with Merlin's suggestion, Alaric found himself unable to outright refuse.
After all, he couldn't drag the currently powerless Merlin into Gorgon's lair to die.
And just then—
'!'
As Alaric considered Merlin's proposal and was about to say something, he suddenly sensed a wave of magical energy emanating from deeper within the cedar forest. His head snapped toward the source.
His expression shifted to one of surprise as he gazed into the depths of the forest, straining his sight to locate the origin of the magical energy.
Although he couldn't see its source, Alaric committed the sensation of that energy to memory.
It was a magical energy completely distinct from Gorgon's, something Alaric had never encountered before. Yet, deep within his heart, a name surfaced.
"Tiamat."
The Primordial Goddess of Creation—Tiamat. Although it wasn't her magical energy, Alaric's heightened senses detected a faintly familiar essence.
'Aside from me, could Tiamat have made contact with someone else?'
Alaric immediately made a conjecture: if a connection could be established with him, then Tiamat might have the ability to replicate the same operation.
But what was the purpose?
During that brief contact, the exchange between Alaric and Tiamat was minimal—almost nonexistent.
The exchange of glances only served as a momentary between two abandoned individuals—man and god alike.
Because of this, Alaric could not grasp Tiamat's intent behind reaching out to him.
However, if there were others involved, Alaric doubted that their circumstances would be as aimless as his. At the very least, they would act with purpose.
If the slumbering Tiamat could freely make contact with the outside world, Merlin surely would have noticed it. It was Alaric who informed Merlin of this hidden possibility—that Tiamat could indeed connect with the outside world.
If so, Tiamat's frequency of contact with the outside world must be extremely low—perhaps not even reaching double digits.
But if the slumbering Tiamat did reach out to the outside world, what could she possibly want?
Alaric's eyes narrowed slightly. This was an obvious conclusion:
The presence that fleetingly appeared deep within the cedar forest must be closely connected to Tiamat—possibly even her means of self-rescue!
"Should I make contact?"
If this existence was truly viewed by Tiamat as her means of salvation, then its power would naturally be formidable. Could Alaric, in his current state, defeat or even contend with such a being?
And what if the magical energy fluctuation was a trap?
A deliberate release of magical energy to lure Alaric into a trap.
This thought emerged in Alaric's mind but did not cause any hesitation.
The answer was clear from the start—there was no need to overthink it.
This entire line of thought concluded in an instant. Alaric suddenly turned his head to Merlin, who was standing beside him.
"Merlin, stay here and don't move. I'll be back soon!"
Before Merlin could respond, crimson lightning arcs began to flicker around Alaric's body. The magical energy surging through every inch of his being caused tremendous environmental changes with even the faintest leakage.
Without waiting for Merlin's reply, Alaric stomped his feet.
Boom!
The ground suddenly caved in, and the surging crimson electricity ravaged the cedar forest. Everything in its wake was reduced to charcoal, with some areas even catching fire.
The compressed magical energy exploded!
[Thunder Flash!]
This was Alaric's unique Mana Burst technique. Now, with his ever-increasing strength, it radiated an incredible brilliance that far surpassed its former glory.
And over this magnificent power, Alaric activated assassination techniques that completely masked his overwhelming magical energy fluctuations, as if they had never existed.
This assassination technique, learned from the Old Man of the Mountain, granted Alaric unparalleled aura concealment skills. It allowed him to mask the magical energy fluctuations caused by his Thunder Flash to the greatest extent possible.
In the next moment, Alaric moved at a speed beyond the limits of human perception, streaking through the cedar forest like a beam of crimson light. His mastery over Thunder Flash now reflected his immense strength.
No longer did he merely charge blindly forward, relying on brute force to make slight directional adjustments. Now, Alaric's powerful body allowed him to freely maneuver Thunder Flash however he wanted.
This was true mastery over his power!
The crimson streak of light wove through the cedar forest, drawing a radiant path.
"...Might as well hide for now."
Seeing Alaric charge off without hesitation, Merlin didn't react much. After surveying his surroundings, he started walking in a certain direction.
Much like Alaric's intention of meeting Gorgon, Merlin also had someone he wanted to find in the cedar forest.
"Let's see... Where are you hiding?"
With his staff in one hand, Merlin walked toward the opposite end of the forest from where Alaric had gone.
Meanwhile, behind Merlin, the crimson streak of light racing through the forest finally reached the source of the magical energy fluctuation after traversing a great distance.
Crackle!
When the magical energy around Alaric dissipated, revealing his figure amidst the cedar forest, he finally came to a halt.
Faint arcs of crimson electricity still danced across his body. The slightest discharge left scorch marks on the ground.
At this moment, Alaric paid no attention to the state of the ground. His entire focus was locked on the figure standing before him.
Under the towering cedar trees stood a person clad in white and veiled in green—a figure as beautiful as a blossoming flower.
[Enkidu]
The moment Alaric laid eyes on the green figure, memories of what he had seen in the past naturally resurfaced in his mind:
The ancient hero described in the Epic of Gilgamesh.
A weapon created by the gods. A clay construct capable of transforming into anything.
Praised by the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, as the strongest—Enkidu, the chain that binds heaven and earth.
A puppet created by the gods, yet also the embodiment of nature and harmony.
At the same time, Enkidu was the first and only friend chosen by the aloof King Gilgamesh, and Enkidu, in turn, regarded Gilgamesh as his one and only friend.
After their battles in the city of Uruk, Gilgamesh and Enkidu—now friends—went on many adventures together. Ultimately, Enkidu met his demise in a battle with the divine beast Humbaba.
"Enkidu is already dead. So this presence here must be something similar?"
Having never seen Enkidu before, Alaric couldn't discern any differences between the person before him and the legendary hero.
What truly caught Alaric's attention was the combat capability of this suspected Enkidu.
Upon arriving and seeing the figure in person, Alaric's instincts told him one thing: the person before him was incredibly strong.
At the very least, this person possessed power equal to or surpassing his own.
According to legend, Enkidu's combat strength was nearly on par with the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, at his peak.
During their battle in Uruk, Enkidu exhibited abilities equal to those of Gilgamesh—one of humanity's strongest heroes.
While Gilgamesh in his prime wielded immense power, limited only by the era's resources, even he faced the possibility of exhausting his strength.
Yet despite these constraints, Gilgamesh still stood as one of humanity's greatest.
If this Enkidu-like figure before him possessed the same strength as the original Enkidu...
Alaric felt it might be time to consider retreating.
He could summon the Heavenly Vessel near the northern wall, and until it arrived, he was confident he could hold his ground.
Even if this Enkidu had strength equal to Gilgamesh, it wouldn't be possible to defeat Alaric in a short time.
Unless there was an overwhelming gap in strength, Alaric couldn't imagine anyone defeating him quickly.
After all, Alaric could now unleash his full power, even rivaling his peak state when he wielded the Holy Grail. In this short burst of strength, he could even contend with Gawain under the midday sun.
Not to mention his new abilities, enhanced after acquiring Ether from the Age of Gods.
Just as Alaric's thoughts raced, the suspected Enkidu finally turned his gaze toward him.
"You came—just as expected."
The voice was calm and serene, making it difficult to discern gender. Yet it carried an unmistakable sense of emotion.
It was as tranquil as the forest and earth.
And yet, this calm tone confirmed to Alaric that he had been lured here intentionally.
"Since I was invited, I couldn't refuse. How should I address you?"
Calming himself, Alaric spoke evenly. "You can call me Alaric. May I ask for your name?"
Even if this was a trap, Alaric wouldn't leave without accomplishing something.
"You may call me Enkidu—the companion of Gilgamesh, King of Uruk. Have you heard of me?"
The figure who claimed to be Enkidu smiled lightly. "Or shall I introduce myself?"
Beautiful.
Seeing the smile on the figure's face, Alaric held his breath for a moment.
Had he not already harbored doubts, he might have lowered his guard under this gentle, spring-like smile.
What a shame—it's a villain.
Alaric silently thought to himself, then returned the smile as he replied, "As far as I know, Enkidu, companion of Gilgamesh, has been dead for many years. The dead cannot return to life. Could it be that you are... a second version?"
"Hmm, a sharp mind."
"If you already know, then I won't waste words."
With a proud demeanor, the figure declared his true identity:
"Listen carefully, you insignificant being connected to Mother. I am the child of the Creator Goddess Tiamat, a new human created by her.
I am the one who will replace you old humans and lead the world forward—a new humanity!"
As the passionate declaration rang out, Alaric stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Tiamat's child... Kingu?"
If so, why does Kingu look exactly like Enkidu?