"Most of the troops are intact, with only a very small number of personnel suffering minor injuries from the debris caused by the collapse of a small part of the wall."
After reporting this, Siduri glared at Ophis with some frustration.
Although she knew Ophis was trying to protect her, the kick she received had made her one of the many 'fallen objects'.
Fortunately, as a sacrifice, she received divine protection and was unharmed by such trivial reasons as falling from a height.
"What's the extent of the damage to the city wall?"
Ophis, ignoring the slight dissatisfaction, asked after a brief thought.
"It's not severe. If we disregard the harassment from the monsters, repairs should be completed within half a day."
"Then we'll do our best to repair it. Additionally, have one of the hundred-man teams that has already seen heavy action split in half to provide cover."
Fifty people might not sound like a large force, but if they received a portion of Ophis's energy and formed a formation, even someone like Altira would have to take some time to deal with them if she didn't use her treasure.
Oh, I mean Altira in her normal state.
"Yes, sir."
Siduri knew the matter couldn't be delayed, so she immediately instructed one of the messengers to convey the order.
"Also, call the commander stationed at the city wall. I have something to discuss with him."
"Yes!"
Another messenger quickly departed.
"Next…"
While waiting for the commander, Ophis glanced at the several heroes who had gathered around her, then focused on Arjuna.
"Arjuna, you should have seen it. What's the other party?"
"As expected of a Master, you noticed it too?"
Arjuna closed his eyes, as if replaying the scene in his mind.
Clairvoyance B+ might not sound very powerful, but it's a unique skill. Clairvoyance at A level can achieve super long-distance sight and has functions similar to mind reading and limited future sight. In terms of 'farsightedness' alone, Clairvoyance B+ is top-notch. (The great hero who can see into the future in a limited range, read minds, and keep responding is indeed impressive.)
As for EX-level Clairvoyance…
That is on a completely different level, beyond ordinary understanding.
With his B+ level Clairvoyance, Arjuna could clearly count the weeds and stones on the hill from a considerable distance, so he easily saw the situation there.
"The opponent is the 'Scorpion Man'."
"Scorpion Man?" Siduri asked, confused.
"That's right. 'Scorpion Man' is the term I use to describe them… those monsters with a human upper body and a scorpion lower body."
Before Arjuna provided this information, Ophis had already been piecing together what she knew.
Half human, half scorpion?
Is this the legendary…
Xi Lingying…
"Well, one of the eleven sons of Tiamat, right?"
Before Ophis could fully process her thoughts, Merlin spoke up.
"The eleventh son of Tiamat…"
Hearing Merlin's words, Ophis recalled more details.
Tiamat's name literally means Mother of Life. In legend, Tiamat represents the primordial sea, which, along with Apsu (salt water), gave birth to the gods.
However, after the gods grew up and overthrew Apsu, Tiamat calmly accepted this, which showed that parental love can be stronger than spousal love.
In the end, even the gods did not spare their own mother. Tiamat, overwhelmed, gave birth to new offspring—eleven monsters known as the Eleven Sons of Tiamat.
These eleven, led by Kingu, Tiamat's son and second husband, fought a great battle with the gods and were eventually defeated by Marduk's bravery. Tiamat was killed, and her body was split into the sky and the earth.
Of course, this is just a legendary story and differs from the facts, but it is the foundation of the land called Mesopotamia, built on the remains of the gods.
"The seven-headed snake - M'shomafu, the poisonous snake - Barshom, the Scorpion Man - Kitablilu… these eleven monsters are the Eleven Children of Tiamat in the legend." (If you're interested, you can look it up yourself. I found it but it's too difficult to pronounce, and the titles are almost the same.)
"Half scorpion, half human… So, the enemy we faced was the Scorpion Man Kitablilu!?"
Siduri thought quickly and realized the gravity of the situation. Her expression shifted as she understood that the eleven children of Tiamat in legend were more than just stories; they were indeed powerful.
"King Ophis… what do you think?"
After hearing Merlin's question, Ophis considered it carefully.
"The power is very strong, indeed. It feels like a god's."
The power seemed even stronger than Ereshkigal's before…
"Oh… that's really possible."
Merlin smiled meaningfully.
"Arjuna?"
"Just as Master suspects, that arrow did not take the opponent's life. I'm very sorry."
Ophis wasn't surprised by Arjuna's words. If the opponent were indeed one of the eleven monsters, it would be problematic if he were easily killed by Arjuna.
Rather, the fact that the opponent didn't die or suffer serious injuries indirectly confirms his identity. Even if he's not one of the real eleven monsters, he would be nearly as powerful, or even more formidable.
Moreover, Ophis could see the situation over there but was too lazy to mention it herself.
"Wait, so… the god we have to face is really Tiamat?"
Siduri spoke up in a panic.
It's understandable. Tiamat is one of the highest gods, akin to a 'creator god'. There's no reason to believe such a being could be easily confronted.
Even though she had mentally prepared for imminent destruction, hearing that they might face such a being filled her with a heavy sense of despair.
However, no one could answer Siduri's question.
Finally, Ophis turned to Merlin.
She had always wanted to ask him questions, but only now had the chance to explore them.
What exactly is this 'monster' the other party is referring to?
Although Merlin maintained his usual smile, his eyes were unusually serious as he responded to Ophis.
"As for the question King Ophis probably wants to ask… I can only say that even if it's not Tiamat, it will definitely be a 'monster' of the same level."
Thus, the reality was stated plainly, sinking Siduri's heart even further.