On the majestic throne of the underworld, Ereshkigal was shrouded in a thick black mist, a powerful netherworldly aura filling the surroundings.
She lowered her proud head slightly, her red eyes fixed on the man kneeling at her feet.
She said nothing, but one could tell from her overwhelming presence alone...
The Queen of the Underworld, Ereshkigal... was super pissed! (oへo╬)
Gulp~!
Li Lin unconsciously swallowed, feeling like he was toast.
Although the identity he was simulating was that of a deity, wasn't the underworld full of gods who had fallen and been stripped of everything?
On top of that, he had sealed his own divinity. His soul currently had the strength of an ordinary person, making it even harder to escape the underworld's punishment.
Ugh, damn this terrible luck! [Grits teeth.]
"Hmm... what should I do with you, I wonder?"
Ereshkigal propped her cheek up with her left hand, her red eyes narrowed as she looked at Li Lin coldly.
"How about I string you up and throw you into the endless abyss?"
"After all, a mere mortal who dares to transgress against the dignity of a goddess! You must be taught a lesson!"
"Uh, can I just say this was all a misunderstanding?"
Hearing that he was going to be thrown into the endless abyss, Li Lin finally couldn't help but speak up.
"I had no idea the goddess was down there. It was truly a coincidence!"
"A coincidence? Heh."
Ereshkigal sneered.
Did he really think she would believe that?
Although Li Lin had sealed his divinity, a god is a god. His origin remained unchanged.
As the ruler of the underworld, how could Ereshkigal not see through Li Lin's true nature?
So, here was the question.
You, a god, sneak into the underworld, and then out of nowhere, you steal the first kiss of its queen.
Is this the kind of thing that can be resolved with a simple "misunderstanding" or "coincidence"?
"A coincidence, you say? You're going to be the death of me!"
When Ereshkigal remembered that passionate kiss, her face couldn't help but flush with heat.
She lifted a well-rounded, beautiful leg and, in a domineering fashion, stomped on Li Lin's head.
"Ugh..."
Feeling the pressure from above, the corner of Li Lin's mouth twitched.
It wasn't that being stepped on by a goddess was unacceptable.
But couldn't she at least take her shoes off? The hard, metallic feeling wasn't comfortable at all.
However, despite his complaints, Li Lin didn't dare say them out loud.
He waited quietly for her anger to subside a little before slowly raising his head and speaking cautiously.
"Um, Lady Ereshkigal, I really didn't do it on purpose."
"Please, seeing as I am just a humble, weak, and ordinary person, spare me just this once."
"Spare you? Impossible."
Ereshkigal crossed her arms and rejected Li Lin's request without hesitation.
She kept her shapely leg on his head as she spoke coldly.
"You violated the authority of the underworld. No matter who you are, you cannot escape punishment by death."
"Hmph, hmph~~. Scared now, are you? It's too late."
Seeing Li Lin prostrated on the ground, trembling slightly, Ereshkigal couldn't help but hum triumphantly.
With a wave of her hand, a shimmering, dark portal appeared beside her.
Clearly, she intended to follow through on her word.
If she said she would throw Li Lin into the endless abyss, she absolutely would not go back on it.
Seeing this, Li Lin's heart dropped.
The star of death was burning brightly above his head.
"W-wait! Lady Ereshkigal, I have more to say!"
Feeling the suction from the portal grow stronger, Li Lin desperately grabbed Ereshkigal's leg.
"This isn't entirely my fault! I remember Lady Ereshkigal being quite proactive at the time, too!"
"Wh-what...!"
"Sh-shut up! I was not proactive!"
"And let go! Stop hugging my leg!"
Li Lin's words made Ereshkigal's face turn bright red.
She lifted her foot and kicked at his face, trying to send the scoundrel flying.
But how could she match Li Lin's strength?
To avoid being thrown into the abyss, he had thrown all his dignity to the wind. His hands were like an octopus, clinging desperately to Ereshkigal's thigh.
"Let go of me!"
"No! Not unless you take back your plan to throw me into the abyss. Otherwise, I'll die holding on."
"You—you—know your limits—!"
Finally, amidst Ereshkigal's extremely embarrassed and enraged roar, a thick, crimson bolt of lightning struck Li Lin squarely on the head.
BOOM—
An intense flash of light illuminated the dim space of the underworld.
A few seconds later, Li Lin lay on the ground, charred black, with wisps of white smoke occasionally puffing out of his slightly open mouth.
"Hah… hah… hah…"
Ereshkigal pressed her hands to her chest, slowly calming her violently beating heart.
A lovely blush stained her cheeks, and she bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth. Her watery red eyes held a complex expression as she looked at the charcoal-like man before her.
To be honest, her feelings for Li Lin were complicated.
Although they had only just met, Li Lin's behavior—his lack of fear, his refusal to run, his audacity to even hug her leg like a scoundrel and beg for mercy—sparked a strange feeling in Ereshkigal's heart.
As the goddess of fear who presided over all decay and death in the world, when had anyone ever willingly gotten so close to her?
What's more, he was a god.
Logically, he should have understood the terror she represented even more keenly, so why...
Why did he feel so familiar and approachable?
It was as if they were friends, and one was asking the other for forgiveness after making a mistake.
It gave off a feeling of sincere apology, but without the usual distance and formality.
"A friend... huh?"
Ereshkigal placed a hand over her heart, her face flushing an adorable shade of red.
She looked at Li Lin, who was still lying on the ground, lifted her chin slightly, and said with feigned arrogance.
"Hmph. Seeing as you've apologized so sincerely, I suppose I can forgive you."
"But while the death penalty may be waived, you can't escape punishment entirely. As your penalty, you will stay here in the underworld and work for me."
"When you've earned my approval, then I'll let you go."
After speaking, Ereshkigal turned into a wisp of black smoke and vanished, as if fleeing the scene.