Chapter 142: Weird Encounter

"...I can't believe we did that," Ereshkigal muttered, a stunned expression on her face as she helped an unconscious Zenkichi to safety.

Behind her was a deep dark bottomless sinkhole that had nothing within.

But there was.... and it was the afterlife.

'He did it, actually did it. He managed to break through the ceiling/boundary and carried me into the land of the living!' Ereshkigal's eyes sparkled as she stared at the sinkhole to the underworld. An eerie purple glow emanated around the circle.

In an act of great ancient magic and the laws of the world, the sinkhole began shrinking. From a egg-shaped hole that was as wide as the copper mine sinkhole in Chile to as big as an ordinary well in matter of seconds.

"Fortunately, the tunnel is closing itself up thanks to the world laws." Ereshkigal sighed in relief. She huffed and shifting Zenkichi's arm around her shoulders and carried him off.

Minutes into their journey, beads of cold sweat dropped down the side of Ereshkigal's face.

She expected a lot of things when she stepped into the land of the living once more after so long; elation, joy, sadness, melancholy, indifference, etc.

Exhaustion was not one of them.

'I shouldn't be this weak, even if I'm injured, I'm still a Goddess! I'm still physically stronger than humans and some demonic beasts. Why can't I handle carrying one human to safety?' Ereshkigal furrowed her brows in confusion.

She started to breathe heavily, her legs trembling. Looking around, she found a tree nearby with a few giant rocks around it, making it both a suitable resting and hiding spot.

"This should do for now..."

Ereshkigal carefully laid the unconscious Zenkichi against the tree and sat down besides him, her usual introversion was forgotten as resting took more precedence and she plopped down besides him.

She glanced at Zenkichi, his face pale and sweat-soaked, yet peaceful in his unconscious state.

His injuries were severe, but they were all gradually healing thanks to his own regeneration. Although she could feel the varying energies in his body getting chaotic, they still somehow reached a state of equilibrium.

"He's quite impressive. Not even two decades old, and he has the abilities to match a God. I can feel a bit of divinity within him but... it's wrong? He isn't like the other lower gods without authority." She huffed and closed her eyes, leaning down against Zenkichi.

'He's slightly cold.'

When they came out of the tunnel, Zenkichi was completely drained, his energies nearly depleted from the intense battle and the arduous escape.

The journey to the surface had taken more out of them than Ereshkigal had anticipated, some of her own power was still fluctuating from the transition between realms. She felt her own strength waning, the toll of their ordeal catching up to her rapidly.

"I owe you my life," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Without you, I'd still be trapped in my.... home and be killed by that otherworldly monster. Thank you. I'll repay you with anything that you want."

She sighed, "But I don't know if I can. When I recover and go back to face that monster, can I really win against her and come back alive to repay you?"

She glanced at the youthful face by her side, both fear and awe flickering across her eyes.

But deep within those emotions, there was also a glimmer of hope. Zenkichi had achieved the impossible once; perhaps, with him by her side, she could do it again.

Ereshkigal closed her eyes, trying to rest while staying alert to their surroundings. She knew they couldn't stay here forever, but they needed to recover their strength before moving on.

The world around them was peaceful, a stark contrast to the chaos they had just escaped.

Usually whenever she goes to sleep or feeling exhausted, her 'other' self would wake up and take control of their shared vessel.

It was only because of the recent events with the Ancient Monster of Envy that they had come to an agreement and Ereshkigal had full control over their vessel for as long as the monster remained a threat.

But now, with the immediate danger behind them, she wondered if her 'other' self would stir soon.

She hoped she wouldn't, Gods above know how insufferable she was. She'd start acting all rude to her savior! She can't have that.

Deep inside of her, her 'other' self sent out a sensation that basically translated to: "Oh don't you give me a reason to wake up now, bitch!"

'Hmph! Let's see if you dare break your promise!'

The other goddess responded back, but she didn't took over control. The two ended up trading barbs at each other, insults and petty words.

In the end, Ereshkigal didn't get any proper rest.

The gentle rustling of leaves and the distant chirping of birds provided a soothing background, a reminder that they were indeed in the land of the living.

"Oh? Well, I didn't expect to see you here, nyan~!" A mischievous, melodic voice echoed through the tranquil forest.

'That voice...!' Ereshikigal's eyes snapped open and she stared at the approaching figure. Emerging from the trees was an orange-haired woman with cat-like ears and dressed in a tiger onesie, she grinned maniacally as she raises her spear, which was a stick with a feline paw at the end, like a playful yet deadly toy.

She looked incredibly ridiculous.

Yet, Ereshkigal knew better than to underestimate her.

"The subordinate God of the God from a distant culture. What are you doing here?" Ereshkigal asked, her voice steady despite her exhaustion. She kept her gaze fixed on the whimsical yet dangerous figure before her, ready to defend Zenkichi at any moment.

"Subordinate?! Nyan! I'm no subordinate of that meanie! Hmph!" The woman in a tiger onesie looked appalled then proud, as she smirked and poses. "I'm her rival, nyahahaha! I'm an avatar of the jungle! An embodiment of great warriors! Jaguarman!"

'She sounds dumb as ever,' Ereshkigal gave her a blank look. Also, why is she calling herself Jaguarman when she's clearly wearing a tiger outfit?! It doesn't make sense!

Jaguarman frowned and pointed her spear at her once more, "You... don't look so good, nyan."

Ereshkigal gave her a weak smile, clutching Zenkichi's arm. "What? Pfft, no. I'm fine, totally fine. I'm just taking a brief... rest is all. I mean, what is up with the heat in this forest?" Now that she mentioned it, the Ether in this area was a bit richer than she expected.

It was almost as if it was like—

"Hmm. Oh really, nya? Then I suppose you had absolutely nothing to do with the sudden spike of Ether in the area and undead creatures roaming around, nya?" Jaguarman asked.

"....no." Ereshkigal answered with a straight face.

"....."

This was bad. Although she didn't seem like it, but she's a genuine Divine Spirit—a God! Is she was at her peak state, Ereshkigal could easily handle Jaguarman. But now, in her weakened condition, even a low-tier deity like her could pose a significant threat.

Jaguarman's eyes narrowed, and she looked at Zenkichi with curiosity. "And who's this, nyan? He looks like he's been through quite the ordeal."

Ereshkigal tightened her grip on Zenkichi's arm, her protective instincts flaring. "He's a friend. He helped me with troublesome matters that you don't have to know about."

"Hm. Fair,"Jaguarman tilted her head, her feline ears twitching. "Wait, did you say... friend?"

She stared at her in disbelief. "You? You have a friend?"

Ereshkigal flushed red in embarrassment and she yelled, "Yes! He's my friend! Got a problem with that?!"

"No, not really~" A mischievous grin spread across Jaguarman's face. "Just didn't think a Goddess such as yourself would ever make a friend, nyan. It's kind of cute."

Ereshkigal's blush deepened, and she looked away, trying to compose herself. "Well, it happened, alright? Now, if you don't mind, we need some rest."

Jaguarman's expression turned serious. "No can do, nya. You either speak your business and get captured by me or get out of here and be hunted down. You're in my territory."

Ereshkigal blinked.

"Oh." After a moment of hesitation, she sighed and raises her arms. "We surrender."

"Hm! Good choice, nya!" Jaguarman furrowed her brows, her feline ears twitching. She turned her head and said, "New intruders? Looks like I have to deal with as well—wait, what?! They're trying to destroy the jungle! Oh, not on my watch! Mister Jaguar!"

"Ah!"

A tiger cub popped up from behind Ereshkigal, scaring her. The little cub meowed as it sat besides the dumbfounded Goddess.

Jaguarman pointed her spear at the little cub and commanded, "Watch over them for me, Mister Jaguar! I'll handle the other intruders!"

The tiger cub, Mister Jaguar, meowed in response and sat down vigilantly beside Ereshkigal and Zenkichi, its eyes sharp and watchful. Jaguarman gave one last playful salute before sprinting off into the forest, her form quickly disappearing among the trees.

Ereshkigal leaned back against the tree and sighed heavily. She looked at the little cub, who was still eyeing them intently. "Well, I guess we have a babysitter now," she muttered, trying to find some humor in their predicament.

Zenkichi stirred slightly, his face contorting as he came closer to regaining consciousness. Ereshkigal gently brushed a stray lock of hair from his forehead. "Hang in there," she whispered softly. "You've done so much already."

...

AN: Extra chapter here for the long hiatus.

❄️Shout-outs to the best Reincarnators who arrived in my patreon! 

•Lustful-Angel96

•LeadStar

•NocYoCheese21

•Stephen Scott

❄️A bigger shout out to the ones who ascended to become a One Above All!! The GOATS! THE MAJESTIES!!

•Tyler Dann

•Banphot Chada

•Adrian Durand

•weykerz h

•Gilgamos

Wanna read advanced chapters, stock-piled stories, photos of the characters and support me all at the same time so I can pump out more chapters, and possibly dish out extra chaps? Well then, head on over to my patreon and become heroes! For me and others!

p.a.t.r.e.o.n.com/FroztDouluo