The stars are hidden from it, the passage of time is immeasurable, the dimensions of space are imperceptible, and there is naught but vastness everywhere.
Turbulent chaotic storms constantly tear and twist everything into irregular clumps of matter.
The deeper one goes, the more the instability of the sea domain increases, with unpredictable spatial turbulences and chaotic waves rolling in continually.
However, in this hostile environment where ordinary life struggles to survive, a fully enclosed warship, shimmering with magic light patterns, sails stably against the surging waves.
Inside the cabin, the planks, layered with defensive charms and divine blessings, creak persistently, as fluorite illuminates the ship, casting flickering ghostly light with the sway of the vessel.
It seems that returning to the familiar ocean environment, Tiamat’s [self-recession] has somewhat alleviated.
Not long into the voyage, she awoke from her coma.
Drawn by the aroma of food and looking at the attentive "beloved son," Tiamat, her consciousness still in chaos, is invited to sit at the table to savor the snacks, food, and wine prepared meticulously for her.
Luo En accompanies with a smile, subtly gathering information through probing exchanges and questions.
With the catalysis and numbness of alcohol, Tiamat seems to forget the betrayal and pain she suffered in her homeland, and begins to recount some news about the Babylonian Divine Era.
At the beginning of creation, the authority of origin was shared by Mother Goddess Tiamat and Father God Apsu.
But with Apsu’s demise, and Tiamat’s defeat, this formidable divine authority naturally came into the successful grasp of the [King of Kings] Marduk, the victor.
Due to his position being above the Babylonian pantheon, he was also given the title [God of All Gods].
Below him were the three pillar gods as the power pillars of Babylon.
Namely, Heavenly God Anu, Earth and All Waters God Enki, Air and Spiritual Lord Enlil.
The three-pillar god system, huh?
Luo En pondered, and couldn’t help but think of another divine era with striking similarities to Babylon — Egypt.
In ancient Egyptian mythology, there are nine pillar gods, but the ones creating and supporting the world are still three, the Sky Goddess Nut, the Earth God Geb, and between them, the Air God Shu.
In addition, Tiamat mentioned something else that caught his interest.
To the west of the Babylonian Divine Era, there seems to be another divine era of the same magnitude, named [Canaan], which originated from the Jordan River, with a similar three-pillar god system.
Origin God as the Supreme Yi Le. His wife was Heavenly Queen Asherah, who governed fertility and reproduction.
Their three sons were the Thunderstorm and Storm God Baal, God of the Sea Yam, Netherworld God Mot, each governing the sky, the sea, and the netherworld.
As divine eras in proximity, Canaan and Babylon had intermittent interactions during their development.
This included friendly and also unfriendly exchanges.
Thus, Tiamat suspected that the treachery of her children might have been instigated by the influence of this old neighbor, Canaan.
Luo En listened while contemplating in secret.
The legendary Promised Land?
The ancestor of the Israelites, the Prophet Moses, is said to have led the enslaved people from Egypt through the Red Sea to this Promised Land by the Jordan River, where they laid their foundations.
Egypt, Canaan, Babylon...
If not coincidental, these three divine eras might have some cultural reflections and influences, with relations perhaps even more intimate than those of Celtic and Nordic.
In that case, he is very likely to face two or even three origin gods, increasing the risk of infiltrating the Babylonian Divine Era significantly.
Indeed, prudence averts peril.
If not for asking a few more questions to discern some details, barging into others’ territory to overturn the table would most likely result in a major setback.
Furthermore, if memory serves correctly, whether it’s the Supreme Yi Le of Canaan or the King of Kings Marduk of the Babylonian Divine Era, both seem to be strong contenders for the title of [God].
Two competitors in a row?
No hurry, once ashore, I’ll play along with them first.
Luo En made up his mind, continuing to chat idly with Tiamat, learning from this Mother of Creation some insights about the faith in the Babylonian Divine Era.
In the Babylonian Divine Era, humans were born from the corpses of the Old Gods, born with [Original Sin], and created as slaves to please the pantheon, responsible for labor and work for the gods, without high status.
Yet, these resilient life forms continued to propagate and flourish on Earth, creating a brilliant civilization, often offering their daily harvest to the gods in hopes of cleansing themselves from [Original Sin].
Gradually, the Babylonian pantheon discovered the power of faith, guiding demigods with divine blood through manifesting miracles and inheriting bloodlines, leading humans to establish city-states and temples in the Two River Basin, thus developing sacrificial practices for the deities.
Wherever there are people, there are conflicts of interest.
Even deities are no exception.
Thus, the city-states of Babylon, akin to those of Greece, each had their own guardian god to worship.
For example, the faith center of the King of Kings Marduk is in Babylon.
The city protected by Heavenly God Anu is Uruk, where now the tyrant Gilgamesh reigns, who is Anu’s grandson in terms of lineage.
The city protected by Earth and All Waters God Enki is Eridu, according to Sumerian legend, the first city in the world. Their creation myth says: "In the beginning, there was nothing in the world; then there was a city — Eridu." The Sumerians believed Eridu was their earliest settlement on the Mesopotamian Plain. Even the Sumerian King List starts with: "Kingship descended from heaven, landing on Eridu.".