Early in the morning, warm light flooded the cave, and a breeze carrying the fresh scent of soil and plants drifted through.
Samael stretched lazily, waking from sleep in good spirits.
But the tightness around his waist and the pressure on his chest made the ancient serpent lift a corner of the blanket and look down.
There, curled up in his arms like a cat, was Tina, who had somehow slipped into his bed during the night. Her peaceful face radiated childlike innocence.
A drop of crystal-clear saliva slid from the corner of her lips and dripped onto Samael's chest, leaving a sticky, cool sensation.
When he moved too much, Tina stirred awake, groggily climbing out of bed.
The blanket that barely covered her slid from her shoulders, exposing a pair of voluptuous breasts that bounced before Samael's eyes, dizzying him.
Worse still, as Tina leaned back, her pert hips shifted and pressed down as she sat up straighter.
The hard surface beneath her made the goddess, lacking any real sense of reason, press her legs together and squirm uneasily. Confused, she curiously reached her hand toward the foreign object rising, hot and hard, beneath her.
Hiss...
Samael's face turned black as the bottom of a pot, and he sucked in a sharp breath. Before she could touch anything, his hand shot out like lightning and clamped down on hers.
It took coaxing and deception before he finally managed to get the Mother of All, with only the mind of a child, to leave him be.
Samael jumped straight out of bed, rushing into the cavern connected to the underground river, and dove in.
Only under the icy current did the desire burning in him gradually fade, and the ancient serpent was finally able to crawl ashore.
"Smack!"
A crisp snap landed on Tina's smooth forehead, making the goddess larva crouched at the riverbank yelp and clutch her head in pain.
"How many times have I told you not to climb into my bed at night?"
Samael rolled his eyes, snorting as he laid down the rule again.
"Samael... like..."
Tina wrinkled her nose and nestled close to him, radiating affection.
"I'll find time to be with you during the day, but not at night."
Samael looked at her pure, innocent face. He had intended to keep his expression stern and scold her, but his resolve crumbled instantly. With a sigh, he raised his hands in surrender and offered a gentle explanation instead.
Tina tilted her head, confusion plain on her face.
"Because you don't yet understand what it really means to love."
"We'll wait until later..."
Cross-legged on the riverbank, the ancient serpent stroked her head softly, muttering with a bitter smile.
He had always been emotional, harboring a deep fondness and admiration for Tiamat, the goddess who had left such an impression on him.
But as the wheel of fate turned, their two distant souls had become entwined.
In truth, the Mother Goddess Tiamat had saved him three times.
And through their time together, Samael had grown to pity her tragic fate.
Her kindness to humanity had moved him.
Her compassion and protection toward him had made him fall completely.
Naturally, that fondness had ripened into love.
But for now, it was one-sided. Tina, stripped of her reason, could not yet grasp what love truly was.
He was, without question, a lecherous serpent. He had cunningly taken advantage of Ana, Ishtar, and Ereshkigal more than once.
But they had always possessed their full judgment, and he never crossed the line.
The only time he had was when his own master, half-willing, had tacitly allowed it.
And even then, Ishtar ruined everything—leaving him lying there, able only to look but not touch.
So yes, he liked her. But he would never let his desires drag him down to Zeus's level—raping, kidnapping, deceiving, and tricking to satisfy himself.
Perhaps that was the mark of a human soul born from a society ruled by law—neither perfectly virtuous nor purely wicked.
That sense of moral restraint might have grown thin, but it was still there, along with his own bottom line.
No matter how strong his lust burned, he would never push down the Mother of All while Tina lacked reason.
He would wait until her divinity grew strong enough to suppress her beastly nature, until her emotions returned and her full self-awareness revived.
When that time came, he would not refuse. In fact, he would gladly try all eighteen positions.
And yes, a certain shameless old lecher had already played out mother-daughter and sisterly scenarios in his mind more than once.
Even Tina's name had been chosen for two purposes—hiding Tiamat's true divine name so it wouldn't be exposed in Greece, and making it easier for a bold, taboo-breaking "son" to cross the line without guilt.
Food and sex were both part of nature.
There was no shame in being an old lecher.
In this chaotic age where power decided law and morality was laughable, "possessiveness" and "wanting it all" were hardly surprising.
But a lecher with no moral bottom line wasn't just shameful—he was terrifying.
After collecting his thoughts, Samael's slit pupils narrowed. His hand shot out like lightning, seizing two large, sharp-toothed, blue-scaled fish and slamming them unconscious onto the riverbank.
"Bring the spices and new firewood. We're having fish today."
"After breakfast, we'll go hunting nearby. Kill a few Magical Beasts and properly replenish ourselves."
Hearing the ancient serpent's instructions, Tina quickly pushed down the trace of confusion in her heart and ran excitedly into the kitchen.
The goddess, relying on her memory, fetched several spices one by one. Along the way, she even swallowed a little drool, her eyes full of longing and delight for the promise of flavored food.
After all, with enough spices, even with Samael's rather average cooking, the impact on the taste buds was unbeatable in the Age of Gods—where cuisine was otherwise natural and primitive.
As the saying went, "With spices like these, even shoe soles would taste good."
After a round of cooking maneuvers that would make any professional shake their head, Samael and Tina found themselves surrounded by over a dozen fish bones, sucked clean and gleaming white.
The heavy sense of fullness left both of them moving lazily, basking in comfort.
But just as Samael was about to take Tina out hunting—both to digest and to sharpen their strength—the vines at the cave entrance trembled, and the sharp sound of wind chimes rang out.
The magecraft array used for surveillance immediately revealed the figure of the blonde nymph from yesterday.
Daphne?
Hadn't he promised her something today? Tsk... what a persistent little girl.
Now that the debt collector had shown up, today's plans were finished.
Samael tapped his head and gave Tina a helpless, apologetic shake of his own.
The goddess, understanding, nodded obediently and watched her caretaker leave.
Anyway, the cave was filled with interesting things—enough to keep her entertained for days without getting bored.
Besides, if she behaved, Samael would definitely praise her when he returned!
But what kind of reward should she ask for?
A pat on the head? Ear cleaning? A bath? Or maybe sleeping together?
The goddess blinked her bright, glistening eyes, a trace of longing flickering in her innocent gaze.
...
(50 Chapters Ahead)
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