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Translator: adomman
Editor: Snorri
Amon was thus gone, and the people no longer felt the gaze of God Amon watching in the shrine of the city of Salem, and he no longer listened to the call of the faithful. When the struggle for the Plains of Duc reached the most complicated and crucial moment, and in the midst of the admiration, praise, and expectation of his believers, Amon left. It was not only his physical body who left, but his spiritual presence also disappeared, and the statue on the altar seemed to go into a slumber.
At that time, the people in the shrine did not know what had happened. Lynk rushed to Eden and met a confused Metatro. When Amon left, Metatro did not know about it as he was meditating in his cave. It was a long cry of pain that woke him up, and he was nearly swallowed by the sudden disturbance of the soul world. He rushed out from his cave, only to hear that Amon and Gabriel were gone, but Geshtinanna and Moses were also not sure what had happened.
For such a long time, Lynk had done everything with full confidence, but for the first time, it was as if he had lost his backbone, and he was a little frightened and unsure of what to do.
The disciples searched the valley of the Euphrates River and the Plains of Duc like headless flies for many days, but they neither found any trace of Amon nor heard any news of him. They did not know what urgent situation had befallen God Amon, but now, without the help of Amon, it was up to the people of Salem to face the future on their own.
God Amon had already given guidance to them, and they could not lose faith simply because of his departure!
The Anu Legion was about to enter the Plains of Duc through the Charcoal Marsh, and the news of Amon’s departure had to be tightly sealed, or it would cause unrest among the people of the city. Furthermore, the conflict and friction between Salem and Enlil City in the north were still going on, so no one could leave right now.
Metatro, who was currently facing the test of loss of power, volunteered to travel far away to search for the whereabouts of Amon, as he guessed that Amon had most likely gone to Ejypt. Lynk said with concern: “It will be too dangerous for you to travel so far now that you have lost your power, let me go instead.”
Metatro shook his head and said: “You cannot leave Salem now, and I am the head of the disciples of God Amon, so I should also look for the whereabouts of God Amon. Although I can’t use my magical power, I am still a strong warrior, and with my profound martial skills and perfect physique, I am more powerful than an ordinary advanced warrior. Back then, I was just a fourth-level warrior, but I traveled across great mountains and rivers to your tribe to smuggle Damasc iron. Should I be afraid to travel far nowadays instead?”
Lynk had no choice but to agree in the end, as he also desperately wanted to know the whereabouts of Amon. Metatro disguised himself as a merchant and planned to follow Aesop’s merchant caravan to distant Ejypt. Metatro made one last effort to find information about Amon before he left. He asked Lynk to secretly deliver Allaha’s oracle as a divine emissary and told the Duc miners to build a shrine and perform a summoning ritual for Amon.
The miners of Duc believed in their one and only god, Allaha, and upon their arrival in the city of Salem, they placed the large tent in the open space and placed the golden plates with the ten covenants in the tent as a temporary shrine. Aesop ordered his workers to build houses for them and agreed to the construction of their own shrine in the city, but the war started not long after, and the work was delayed.
At this moment, the main shrine was built with haste, and the altar was dedicated not to the statue of Allaha, but to the holy cross that symbolized the light of Allaha. On the day of the completion of the main shrine, the twelve Judges gathered the clan to hold a ritual to summon the gods to descend, with Lynk, Idu, Hardedef, and others hiding in the shadows to watch. Disappointingly, Amon did not appear.
Has Amon really given up on the city of Salem and on his people?
Metatro was about to set out to find Amon, and everything had been prepared, but he was not able to leave after all. On that night, Lynk prayed to the statue of Amon, no longer feeling the firm gaze from the statue that had been there for so long, and he suddenly felt a moment of weakness, as if his magical power had also disappeared with the departure of God Amon.
Coincidentally, when Metatro was packing his luggage that night, he inadvertently held the dagger created from the two-headed serpent’s fangs and heard the familiar sound of the monster’s roar. He actually recovered his magical power at this time!
Just like that, Metatro had passed the test, and he now had the eighth level of achievement. On the other hand, it was Lynk’s turn to experience the test. Metatro could only replace Lynk to stay in the city of Salem, while Lynk intended to replace Metatro to travel to Ejypt. However, he was stopped by everyone, and Metatro used his status as the head of disciples to order him to train in the Garden of Eden.
When Metatro looked back on his own experience, he understood that the test Lynk faced would not be simple. It came right at the same time that God Amon disappeared, and most likely Lynk would have to wait until Amon returned before he could pass the test.
In the end, Lynk agreed to go to the Garden of Eden, because everyone heard the voice of Mourrin in time. The goddess finally spoke at the altar, and she told the crowd shocking news – A major incident had occurred in Ejypt, where the Adoratrice ordered everyone to leave the Shrine of Isis, and she had activated the scroll of Tiamat’s Wrath to kill a demon which had descended upon earth.
This was the official announcement to the people of Ejypt, and it was also recorded in the historical records of Ejypt. The people had infinite admiration for the Adoratrice and expressed in various ways their feelings of remembrance. It was impossible to cover up such a big incident, and the officials of Ejypt had to give the people an acceptable explanation, and this was the story told.
But Mourrin told Metatro and the others that the one that Maria had used the scroll on was not some demon who had descended on the shrine, but the god Seth, who was now worshipped by the Ejyptian Empire. Seth did not die but escaped to his divine realm with heavy injuries, and he won’t be appearing any time soon. Even if Amon wanted to take revenge on Seth, it would be impossible for Amon to find him.
Now everyone finally knew what happened, and this was probably the only thing that could make Amon rush out of the Garden of Eden like a madman. This young man who had always seemed like a god was now utterly heartbroken. Even if his disciples found him, they won’t be able to comfort him. Since Mourrin had heard about this matter, perhaps only this goddess can find a way to locate and comfort Amon.
……
Gabriel also saw everything in the Terroculus, and when Tiamat’s Wrath unfolded the light disappeared. Amon swayed unsteadily for a bit before falling to the ground, his mouth spurting blood as he cried out in pain. After that, he rushed out and left the Garden of Eden. When Gabriel chased out of the Garden of Eden, Amon had long disappeared.
Gabriel was a warrior, so she had personally witnessed a lot of sacrifice and death, but she was also ready to sacrifice her life at any time, and always charged forth bravely on the battlefield. When she left Ejypt, she was well aware of Maria’s situation in her heart, but she did not expect this result. At this point, she finally understood why Maria wrote that letter to her, and Gabriel remembered what Maria had said in the letter –
“When you see this letter, you may have already passed the test, but you will face another choice. Amon will make a demand for ransom that the Ejyptian Empire cannot accept, and you will become his slave. After the Ejyptian Empire formally rejects his demand, he will release you and set you free. At that time, what will be your faith?
I know your faith very well, there is no need to change it deliberately. I am well aware of your faith in divinity, which is the light within your heart. But I hope you find the truth behind divinity — which is its real source — and let the light shine again in your heart. And finally, I would like to ask you a favor. If one day Amon grieves a broken heart, please protect him, as you once protected me.”
Always strong and fearless of life and death, Gabriel was now in tears, and her first thought was to rush to Ejypt. But what could she do if she rushed to Ejypt? The images shown by the Terroculus ended when Tiamat’s Wrath unfolded, and neither Amon nor Gabriel knew what happened afterward, nor whether Seth was still alive. He might very well have died together with Maria.
If that’s the case, it would be the most heartbreaking torture, for there wasn’t anything he could do, not even to revenge.
Since Tiamat’s Wrath was used, Maria definitely would not have survived, but Amon would definitely go to Memphis to find out what happened. He wouldn’t accept this fact until he convinced himself! He also had to confirm the whereabouts of Seth. If Seth was still alive, Amon would definitely seek revenge on this god!
Gabriel had the same idea as Amon. If Seth was still alive, she would definitely try to kill the god herself, but she had another task that Maria had given her long ago – she had to find and protect the heartbroken Amon.
Gabriel had comprehended the original power, but comprehending was not the same as possessing. She was an eighth-level supreme warrior, and she needed to verify the new path. The good thing was that she had the foundation of the second awakening of the power from before, so the verification was easy. Right now, she already possessed the sixth-level in magic arts, so she could operate a shuttle.
Amon had given her a shuttle so that she could move around in the Garden of Eden with ease, and right now, she was using this shuttle to chase after Amon. After chasing Amon for a day and a night without seeing him, and slightly regaining her calm from her grief, Gabriel was also thinking about how she could find Amon. In her opinion, it was too cruel for Maria to let Amon witness what happened.
The Adoratrice had been treating General Amon with care, concern, and giving out selfless help, and one could see her tender feelings in the silence. But in the end, she chose to let Amon see that scene with his own eyes. Maria herself probably didn’t even realize that the Terroculus would be used in such a way eventually.
Thinking back carefully on what Maria and Seth said, it was conveying a very important message to Amon. Firstly, if a deity does not wish to meet the mortals, there is simply no way the mortals could see them, no matter how powerful they are. Secondly, if an in-world deity is targeted by hostility strong enough, they will be unable to leave this world as they wish.
To deal with a true god, one has to force him to show himself and be close enough to use powerful magic to trammel him in this world. If Seth was still alive and Amon wanted to take revenge, would Seth give him this opportunity? What could Amon use to force Seth to show up?
If one wants to destroy a god, the best prerequisite is to become a transcendent and eternal god oneself – this was the last testimony Maria left to Amon.
……
Gabriel did not know where to find Amon, but she first wanted to find out what was happening in the Ejyptian Empire, and this she could do in her own way. The supreme warrior returned alone to the territory of the Ejyptian Empire and first “met” with Rod Drick.
Rod Drick was woken up by Gabriel in his sleep, in his bedroom in the governor’s residence. He was so frightened by Gabriel’s appearance that he almost fell out of his bed, but the woman by his side had been sleeping heavily, apparently having been knocked out by Gabriel. The supreme warrior was sitting in the darkness, holding in her hand a battle-axe that flowed with the slightest hint of electricity.
He had not offended Gabriel, and she had no reason to assassinate him, so Rod Drick sighed in relief when he recognized her. Sitting on his bed, he asked cautiously: “Lord Gabriel, why did you come to me?”
Gabriel reached out and stroked her axe, and replied expressionlessly: “Lord Drick, the security of your residence needs to be strengthened. If I had been an assassin, you would have been killed. There is no need to be afraid, I am here to ask you one question: what happened in Memphis?”
She came to see Rod Drick as soon as she arrived in Ejypt. The nomarch of Cape was always well-informed, for all the decrees were sent to the nomarchs first. Rod Drick understood as soon as he heard the question and hurriedly replied: “Are you here for the matter of the Adoratrice? I just got the news yesterday.”
The Adoratrice, the guardian of Isis, received an oracle from Seth that a terrible demon would descend to earth to bring disaster to the city of Memphis. So the Adoratrice ordered the priests of the shrine as well as the people of the city to retreat a mile away from the shrine and destroyed the demon when it descended using the power given by God.
This was the official announcement made by Ejypt. According to the inside information coming from the royal capital, Pharaoh Merneptah would also posthumously award the Adoratrice with the position of the chief high priestess of the Empire and worship her in the main shrine of the Empire, which was the highest honor that the past heroes of the Empire could obtain. This decree had not yet been announced, because Merneptah also saught to announce another event.
The main shrine of Isis was destroyed, and Merneptah wanted to rebuild it. Instead of restoring the original shrine, he would build a shrine of Seth on the site, making Seth the new guardian god of Lower Ejypt to commemorate this momentous event. Merneptah gave Maria the highest honor, and the prestige of the Adoratrice reached its peak, but its mission and duty that passed down through the generations, came to an end at Maria’s hands.
After Gabriel heard this, she asked again: “Lord Drick, do you really believe that it was a demon that descended on the Shrine of Isis?”
It could be that the night air was too cold, and Rod Drick couldn’t help but shiver as he replied in a whisper: “According to the information I obtained from Memphis, the last person the Adoratrice had seen was the supreme warrior Ankh. She told Ankh to send the Isis Legion to guard the place around the shrine, and that no one was allowed to approach. Several of the shrine’s high priests also said privately that the scene over at the main shrine was clearly someone who had unleashed Tiamat’s Wrath.
As far as I know, in the past hundred years, only Nero has succeeded in making a scroll of Tiamat’s Wrath on the continent, and Supreme General Amon was the one who obtained Nero’s relics. With the relationship between the Supreme General and the Adoratrice, it is entirely possible that he gave the scroll to the Adoratrice.
I also heard that the Adoratrice just recently became a ninth-level supreme mage, and she has an incomparably powerful scepter of the Adoratrice in her possession. If she wanted to deal with any demon, would she still need to activate Tiamat’s Wrath and sacrifice herself? Even if the demon was more powerful, she could also call all the high priests of the Isis Shrine or even the Isis Legion for help, without having to personally take action. So some people are saying…”
At this moment, Rod Drick hesitated to continue, and Gabriel took over and said: “So people said that what the Adoratrice tried to destroy was actually a god! And before the battle took place, the name she mentioned was Seth.”
Rod Drick shivered again. “These are just private discussions, no one dares to say it publicly. But at that time, many people heard a long hiss and saw a figure escaping to the sky.”
Gabriel was taken aback and stood up and asked: “Is that man still alive? The Adoratrice used Tiamat’s Wrath, and he somehow managed to escape!”
Rod Drick: “No one has seen who that person is. It is not good to speculate. But he escaped Tiamat’s Wrath. I don’t believe any mortal can do that, not even Enkidu … Lord Gabriel, I’ve told you everything I know, including what I can say and what I cannot say.”
Gabriel then realized that she had walked to the bedside with his battle axe in her hand, and this stance scared Rod Drick. She sighed and put away the battle axe, looked at Rod Drick, and said: “Seven years ago, it was you who sent me to bring her to Memphis, and in order to make her the Adoratrice, we also took her to Duc to look for the God’s Tear. Do you still remember? She was just a child at the time. It was us who started this. We need to do something for her, and for us.”
The first person Gabriel went to was Rod Drick. She went to him not only to ask for information but also as a kind of remembrance to Maria. Her soul was full of sorrow. Seven years ago, she was also alone, with nothing but her sword, when she escorted the little girl all the way to Cape. And then, persuaded by Rod Drick, they went to Duc and found the God’s Tear.
Maria was unique. The first time she saw the girl, Gabriel knew that she would be the Adoratrice. And later Rod Drick indeed found the God’s Tear in Duc. Ever since first sight, She had had the feeling that she had a responsibility to protect her, not only because she was a supreme warrior of the Shrine of Isis. And she believed that Rod Drick, who was equally involved, also had his own part of the responsibility in this affair.
A very special incident also happened during that journey, which seemed insignificant at the time, but turned out a decisive one. A boy in the town of Duc extracted the God’s Tear which made Maria the Adoratrice of Isis. The fate of both had been deeply changed by the same piece of stone. They left the town for different reasons, reunited years later, changed each other’s fate once again, then again separated by their own will.
Rod Drick lowered his head with a long sigh. After a long silence, he said: “Lord Gabriel, do you need me to do anything?”
