Meanwhile, Ishtar, still unaware of the abyss awaiting her, was cheerfully making her way through the land of the Underworld. Although the surroundings were gloomy and filled with an immense pressure, as a chief god, she paid it no mind.
Soon, she reached the end of the path. As she crossed the boundary into the land of the dead, the crown on her head, which symbolized her kingship, was instantly stripped away by the power of the Underworld.
"Huh, what's this?!" Ishtar was startled and quickly reached up to feel her head. A light flashed in her red eyes, and she understood. "To enter the land of the dead, one needs no crown? Heh, a welcoming gift right from the start." A disdainful smile crossed her face. Losing a mere crown was no threat to her.
Ignoring the Authority of Kingship that had been taken from her, she continued down the path.
After treading on the dark earth and following a winding path downwards, Ishtar arrived at the first gate of the Underworld. A simple stone gate stood quietly in the distance. It wasn't tall or magnificent, looking as if it were made of ordinary stones, very old and dilapidated. But Ishtar knew better than to judge by appearances. This was the true manifestation of the Underworld's Authority—seven gates in total, containing the absolute power of judgment and balance.
"Phew~~." Ishtar took a deep breath, her expression becoming serious for once. She slowly approached the gate and declared arrogantly, "Hmph~, a mere stone gate. I, Ishtar, have never needed anyone to justify my actions. My heart and my actions are as clear as a mirror; all that I do is for justice!"
The Stone Gate: "..."
The gate didn't refute her words. Instead, it began its programmed questioning. "Answer, O living one who has fallen into the Underworld. Answer the nature of your soul's existence." A pale blue light emanated from the gate, and a deep voice echoed in the empty space. "The meaning of life is varied, why we are born, and why we die. But among them, there is one answer that is always the same. I ask you, what is that answer? Tell me the truth."
Ishtar fell silent. She looked at the fading light of the gate, her lip twitching, a curse on the tip of her tongue. The meaning of life? The one answer that is always the same despite the variety? How the hell should I know?!
She scratched her head in frustration. This gate felt like it was deliberately trying to screw her over. As an absolute power of justice and balance, shouldn't the questions be about the person being judged? Why had it suddenly jumped to a grand philosophical question? Damn it! Ishtar was certain that the wicked woman behind the scenes had tampered with it.
"Hmm, let me think~." Ishtar racked her brain for an answer. Suddenly, her eyes lit up as if she had figured it out. A confident smile spread across her face. "Hehehe, I know the answer. This is child's play. The meaning of life is to serve the gods. To provide entertainment for this goddess!" she declared, her hands on her hips, her little nose in the air.
"Ding-dong~~~." The stone gate lit up with a blue light, as if in acknowledgment. This was, in a way, correct. As the guardian of the land of the dead, Ereshkigal was supposed to be impartial. But in a sense, all life was indeed born because of the gods. However...
Just as Ishtar was proudly walking through the gate, BOOM—!!!
A bolt of crimson lightning struck her from above. A hurricane of immense magical energy and electricity spread out. When it all ended, a humanoid figure with an afro, charred black and occasionally puffing out smoke, stood there.
"Id~iot~~," a mocking voice echoed through the space.
Ereshkigal, watching through the stone tablet, couldn't help but laugh out loud. While the answer was technically correct and the gate had opened, the question was about the meaning of [Life], not a specific species. The term [Life] was vast. Strictly speaking, all living things were included, and that naturally included the gods.
So ultimately, Ishtar's answer was only half right. Some creatures on Earth were indeed born because of the gods. But if you expanded the concept to the level of all [Life], then there was only one final answer: [To Live]!
Simple, yet an absolute truth.
On the surface, Li Lin, as Eresh's emissary, was also aware of the commotion in the Underworld. Watching Ishtar's performance on the stone tablet, he was speechless. This was clearly a trap set by Eresh.
The meaning of life? From a god's perspective, the first thought would naturally be about other species. That's why Ishtar had answered as she did, and why her answer was considered partially correct. But the petty Eresh was never going to let that woman pass so easily. So, the result was a powerful blast of Underworld lightning.
Li Lin winced at the sight of the crimson storm. The power was clearly much greater than the one that had struck him before. He could just imagine Ereshkigal right now, covering her mouth with her hand and letting out a sinister "Ohohoho~" laugh.
P.S. Cute butt~ asking for tickets. Please comment. Mwah.
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