However, the instant Samael's eyes fell on Tina, he frowned and, without hesitation, erased that option as well.
Among the Twelve Olympians, aside from a rare few with actual principles, the rest were nothing but scum.
Zeus, the so-called God King, was infamous as the "human seed spreader." Any goddess, nymph, or mortal woman he set his sights on almost never escaped his grasp.
And then there was Hera, the "mistress killer" and "bastard terminator." As husband and wife, their endless family soap opera had plagued all of Greece.
Worse still, Zeus's tastes weren't limited to women—he liked men as well...
Once, there had been a Trojan prince named Ganymede, whose youthful beauty caught the eye of the great stallion of a god-king.
Zeus carried him to the heavens, making him both lover and cupbearer, serving wine to the gods.
Later myths claimed Zeus transformed into a giant eagle and abducted Ganymede from Mount Ida; to appease his father Tros afterward, Zeus gifted him a pair of divine horses.
The thought of it made Samael's back go cold, a knot tightening in his gut.
If Zeus ever set his sights on him... well, that would be a nightmare. He had no intention of becoming "man on man."
By the hierarchy of the Divine Spirits, one had to advance through the stages of lower god, middle god, and upper god before being able to contend with a chief god or god-king.
And beyond them still lurked the hidden bosses—Chaos, the god of primordial void; Ananke, inevitability incarnate; Gaia, the Earth Mother herself.
With the world wall sealing Tiamom's true body, it was left to Samael alone to face this band of deranged gods favored by the Greek World. The cards in his hand weren't nearly enough.
At best, he could grab Tina and run from Greece.
For the sake of safety, it was smarter to remain on the sidelines, bide his time, and fish in troubled waters to build strength.
The ancient serpent leaned back, collapsing weakly into his chair, pressing his temples with both hands to ease the dull ache in his skull.
Damn it... he actually started to miss Uruk. Miss Mesopotamia.
At least back then, he had somewhat reliable allies at his side, and Tiamom watching his back.
And if Ereshkigal was right, once Mesopotamia returned to the Age of Gods, a monster like Gilgamesh, upon being enshrined, might very well ascend straight to god-king.
A god in heaven, a king on earth—it wasn't mere boasting.
Add to that the Mandate of Heaven embedded within Gold-glitter's body, and he could even pose a threat to Marduk.
Even though that wedge of heaven had long since turned its back on the gods, their only outlet had been to sacrifice Enkidu in anger—there was nothing they could do against Gilgamesh himself.
In short, the situation could be summed up in one line: "I love that you can't stand me, but can't do a thing about it."
Tsk. If only he could summon Gilgamesh, that pervert, along with Ishtar, Ereshkigal, Enkidu, and a whole entourage of friends and kin...
Once they adapted to the Age of Gods and broke through their limits, maybe—just maybe—he'd have the confidence to go head-to-head with both Greek factions.
Samael leaned deeper into his chair, slipping into idle fantasies.
Then, recalling the tangled family ties of the Greek gods, his thoughts turned back to Mesopotamia. His expression grew strange.
A family entourage? That's... actually true.
In a sense, Gilgamesh was the divine child nurtured by Apsu, the Father of Creation, through the Tablet of Destinies.
Enkidu's body carried fragments of the soul of Kingu, son of the Mother Goddess Tiamat.
Ereshkigal and Ishtar were both born from the division of the Mother Goddess's powers.
And himself? An adopted son granted new life by the Goddess of Beginning.
Good grief—one brother, three sisters...
If they all came to Greece, it would literally be a whole family reunion.
The thought made Samael laugh and sigh at once, his restless heart gradually calming in the memories.
He didn't regret his decision. And he would never, out of stubbornness, drag Gilgamesh and the others into the Greek World.
The ancient serpent steadied his thoughts, tapped the clay tablet with his engraving knife, and continued writing.
So then, arranged from near to far in time, the list would be as follows:
Task 1: Familiarize myself with the Cilician Marshes. Clear out nearby Magical Beasts, devour them, complete the Authority of the Beast and Spirit Origin Chart, and raise my divinity.
Task 2: Find a way to establish contact with Ekidna, the Mother of Serpents.
This main-god-class being rules over the Cilician Marshes and wields the Authorities of earth and death. She is most likely the mother of the three Gorgon sisters.
I wonder... has Ana already been born?
Task 3: Watch for an opportunity. Wait for the war between the old and new Twelve Olympians to erupt, then slip into the chaos.
After all, I am the son of Tiamat, and my potential is extraordinary.
That war, stretching on for more than ten years, would leave countless Titans and monsters dead or wounded.
If he could secretly devour their flesh and corpses, his power would surely skyrocket.
At this point, Samael set down his carving tool and looked with satisfaction at the clear outline of his plan etched on the clay tablet. Raising his hand, he slid it onto the shelf as if shelving a casual book.
For safety, Samael hadn't even used cuneiform. Instead, he had written everything in simplified Chinese characters—letters that wouldn't exist until thousands of years later.
Whether it was Greek gods or visiting Mesopotamians who stumbled upon it, none of them would be able to decipher its contents.
When it came to matters of his own life and death, and the success or failure of reviving Tiamat's reason, one could never be too cautious.
With his thoughts organized, the rebellious serpent plotting against the Greek World rose to his feet and stretched. His joints cracked crisply as his body loosened.
Refreshed, Samael hummed a little tune as he moved about the wide cavern and began to cook.
The staple was wheat cakes, a Mesopotamian specialty taken from Noah's Ark. The main dish was several pounds of marinated, roasted Magical Beast meat, its aroma mouthwatering.
As for side dishes and dessert, Greece offered plenty of wild fruits steeped in Ether, mashed into sauces that were sweet and tangy, perfectly suiting Mediterranean flavors.
Half an hour later, a lavish dinner was ready.
The Goddess of Beginning, still happily playing with rabbits, was dragged off by Samael to wash her hands before being allowed to eat.
Watching Tina at the table, cheeks puffed as she devoured her meal with gusto, Samael smiled in satisfaction.
Even here in the Age of Gods, the quality of life must not be allowed to slip.
Whether human or serpent, one must always have standards.
After dinner, Samael tucked the energetic young Mother Goddess into bed. A wave of fatigue settled over him.
The ancient serpent tossed aside the clay tablet he'd been using as a bedtime storybook, let the ache of Ether tempering his bones sink in, yawned, and staggered into his own chamber, collapsing straight into sleep.
A quarter of an hour later, a shadowy figure crept forward like a puppy searching for home, nose twitching as it followed a familiar scent, crawling up into the corner of the bed.