Tianzun instinctively felt it as he watched the battle between the two powerhouses. The world felt like it had been destroyed and rebuilt seven times.
In the distance he saw Shamhat also watching the fight.
Tianzun simply watched with cold detachment. Fate had already begun, this story would play out like usual. The future was set in stone. His face simply kept the same smile as he gazed at the magical explosions and the earth being torn asunder.
A chunk of rock flew towards him only for it to be destroyed by multiple flying leaves. In that moment he grinned as the battle soon came to a halt.
Two figures laid collapsed on the dirt and struggling to move. Both knew that if either of them made a move, they would achieve mutual destruction.
The Chains of Heaven had run out of clay and the king had run out of treasures. A feat that many could argue was impossible.
In that instant he let go, he would simply watch fate run it's course. But he would not let fate shackle him from forging his own destiny.
The clown potion digested as he felt a sense of warmth before new abilities emerged. Nine spells emerged in his head as he thought to himself.
He watched as the two idiots started laughing as they forged their friendship at that moment.
He shook his head before pondering.
He was an outsider, he didn't belong here and he knew that instinctively. But he was already here and with no way of discovering who he was before...
There was only one path forward. Seize power. Enough power to bend the world itself to the knees. The tarot card on the table changed words, from Clown to Magician.
It was as if something whispered to him. But he vaguely understood that it was how he should act.
A magician must challenge the impossible even if the final result is just an illusion.
A magician never performs unprepared.
Take initiative and control attention.
Receive applause.
Tianzun shook his head as he paced himself back and forth as he ascended in a rush of grey fog. The castle above the grey fog greeted him once again.
The copper mottled table remained empty and desolate. However something caught his eye, he hadn't scoped out the extent of this place. However, there was a small drawer on the side of the table.
The pupiless eye symbol remained suspended above the chair. However, in front of the chair was a small drawer that went unnoticed.
He opened it to find two items that seemed a bit too familiar. They called out to him, it was almost as if they were similar to the curtain.
"Monocle" That's what it was called. He took it up and placed it on his right eye. The crystal monocle felt so comfortable and it fit him perfectly. It was almost as if it was tailor made for him.
The remaining item was a star speckled tasseled rod. He picked it up as he felt the familiar weight as he spun it across his fingers and played with it for a while. His intuition told him that these items belonged to him.
The urge to retrieve and keep these belongings was likely his subconscious recognising these items.
Tianzun wondered what else he had missed in the castle as he combed through each place. He soon spotted a random cupboard that seemed to be rattling very hard. He himself couldn't even open it despite being the "owner" of this place.
Tianzun had a few theories on this place. One, it was likely that he himself owned this place and that he had kept certain things from being revealed too early.
Or that this originally belonged to someone else and he happened to gain control over it by coincidence and that these items needed to be unlocked by certain conditions.
A surge of gold as Tianzun returned to reality. The people around stared at the new item on his eye with curiosity.
The people had long knew that this strange seer or clown had a smile that never faded. It was a eery sight but this strange item caused mass unease when one looked at his face.
Tianzun twirled the rod in his hand as he found a new fidget toy.
~~~~
Tianzun had been sitting in his house for the past few weeks thinking of a single performance so grand and so magical that the potion digestion would exhibit huge feedback. The people of Uruk had been much happier since Enkidu had befriended Gilgamesh.
Tianzun knew that the time of reckoning would begin soon. The city of Uruk would be plunged into chaos.
"Challenge the impossible..."
A sickening grin emerged from Tianzun's face. What could be more impossible then killing a god?
Tianzun would wait for the moment where public opinion would boil and at that moment seize all the attention and perform an act of killing a god.
His brain continued to think and scheme on how to kill a god. He was weak, pitifully weak, no doubt about it. But... Only idiots try face everything by themselves.
All he would have to do is to make it look like he did it. And what easier way to kill a god than to use another god?
Tianzun closed his eyes as he fell into a dream, "Which god will be likely to help me in my quest?"
Darkness, darkness. He saw darkness, yet in that small flicker a flame of blue appeared. A crimson gaze appeared as he saw the flowing blonde hair and gaze of the goddess. He could tell that she couldn't see him.
A very obvious alarm sounded out, "Grey fog?" The goddess looked slightly wary before Tianzun retracted his gaze.
He sighed as he started making preparations. The paper figurine substitution was a very useful spell along with the damage transfer. He would also need small sparks of flames for the flame jumps.
A sudden surge of magical energy erupted from the Ziggurat as he grinned. He would have to begin his preparation soon.
But visiting the underworld without a gift would be a bit rude on his part wouldn't it?
Soon, the heavens crackled and thunder cracked throughout the land. It would seem Ishtar is a bit impatient. Tianzun's face cracked as he had not expected Ishtar's patience to run this thin. His preparations would have to be sped up.
The location to the entrance of the underworld was quickly divined as he rushed over while grabbing a bouquet of flowers.
The underworld entrance was practically sealed leaving only a small gap.
Tianzun lit a small flame and slipped it through before reappearing on the other side.
He gazed at the desolate path, even in the face of death he did not forget to smile.
"All the world's a stage"
"Smile for the world."
//Next Chapter: The Smile that Descends//