READ WEBNOVEL Post-Disaster Reconstruction!
*Vol. 1: Tales of a God.
Chapter 37 - Post-Disaster Reconstruction!
Here's the new chapter!
I'm adding 'ASTRAS' to the DxD world!
Thanks for waiting peasant!
Without further ado, enjoy the chapter!
Pov. Thor.
Finding survivors were rare.
Floods already wreaked havoc in my time apart from a few deaths.
But floods in antiquity?
It was a death sentence.
Cities were destroyed, houses demolished and buried in mud.
Scattered around the place were piles of bodies of young, or old.
It wasn't a pretty sight...
But I still found survivors, they looked at me and seemed to cry out for help... I obviously helped them and left them in safe and high places where they could rest.
They called me Adad.
I didn't know if they were mistaking me for someone else, or was the name they gave me.
I didn't care what they called me.
I had more important things to think about... A good example?
I knew there was going to be a flood in ancient Mesopotamia.
After all, after the flood, it would be marked by the reign of Gilgamesh.
But what bothered me was that it was my group that indirectly caused the flood.
This would obviously make no sense, for the simple fact that my group in theory would never have left north in the common timeline.
I could only think of one thing...
Fate was playing with me.
It was kind of common knowledge that 'fate' held a high position in the top 10 strongest existences not because of raw power... but rather because of its ability to shape the history of most existences according to its will.
Unfortunately, at the moment I couldn't do much about it, but when I have the opportunity I would meet with the 'agents of fate' to settle the score.
If fate changed events so that the flood happened due to my group's interference, what else changed?
And if this change was due to my existence as well as interference, why wasn't I contacted by any of the 'agents of fate'?
After all, I will soon be a thousand years old...
I thought about possible answers as I rescued the survivors and buried the dead.
But even after I finished my actions...
I didn't find an exact answer, just possibilities.
At the time I was sitting near the camp, Ihbana was sleeping due to simple magic and the rest of my group was asleep.
Except for two.
One was me, obviously, who had been on guard duty.
But the other?
"It's really a shame I let my power slip a little, it's always frustrating not having control over something that's yours... Don't you agree Asgardian?" asked the person in front of me.
Enlil.
The current leader of the Anunaki.
"...I can't say the same thing, I've always kept my power under control as best I could" I replied.
This seemed to amuse Enlil.
"Oh? Strange... That seal on your back tells a different story~" said Enlil.
... Well, that surprised me a little.
"How do you know?" I asked.
I knew what my seal was, but at the time, I hadn't met anyone who realized that my back tattoo was actually a seal.
Enlil hummed before answering.
"Many gods think that my little brother and I are mighty gods, however, if there is one thing my brother and I know it is about seals. After all, Enki was the one who sealed the Abzu millennia ago as he couldn't kill him" said Enlil.
Oh yeah...
The Enuma Eliš.
One of the first rebellions between generations of gods from the same pantheon.
But there was something I was curious about at this event.
"I learned that it was you who defeated Tiamat when she rose to avenge the defeat of her consort Abzu. I'm not questioning your strength, but... There were legends about a kind of weapon, a sword to be exact," I said.
When I stopped talking, he knew what I meant.
Divine weapons are powerful things.
A good example of this? The Hindus had their own divine weapons...
The Astras.
They were the first divine weapons to be forged in addition to being known as the most powerful.
But not all were tangible weapons...
When I go to India I would go alone, I had already told my group despite the complaints.
Never would I let my group around beings with those kinds of weapons.
Honestly, from Thoth's stories, Astras were pretty powerful things if used correctly.
Some being are capable of destroying planet earth... Just with the manifestation of the weapon.
Of course, the weapons of the Hindu pantheon were frightening.
But there was one that stood out...
Pashupatastra.
This weapon was the main reason I was afraid to go to India with my group...
I didn't want to risk anyone's life.
But back to the question... Although the Hindus were the first to manufacture these weapons of mass destruction.
Other pantheons have tried.
The Anunaki were one of them.
"...You are quite discerning, Prince Thor... This is information that should not be told laymen," said Enlil with a small smile.
Just by Enlil's smile, it was clear that he was not happy.
How did I realize this?
Suddenly the wind stopped...
There was just absolute silence.
"... It's not really secret information, but there are still few people who know about this weapon, and that it's used by you and your brother, for your bad luck I know that this type of weapon exists," I said.
For a few seconds, Enlil was silent... Until the wind 'returned'.
"*sigh*... Well, in a few years it won't be a secret anymore, after all, it will be quite noticeable if any god saw the sword... In simple terms, when Enki sealed the Abzu, the power of our primordial was connected to the sword, I admit that my brother and I are in a high position in the top 10 because of this sword. However, I want to know why you wanted to know about this?" asked Enlil.
Then the sword was connected to the power of the primordial that was sealed...
Well, that complicates it a little...
"...I had ideas to do something similar," I said, admitting.
Using Mjolnir has a problem.
I couldn't use the unawakened Mjolnir without my gauntlets...
Without my belt, the megingjörð, I was probably dangerous enough to possibly cause Mjolnir to crack.
This was something I was trying to get rid of.
Mjolnir never woke up.
And I had no idea how to forcefully wake him up.
So I was looking to forge a powerful weapon that I could use as a replacement.
If I use unawakened Mjolnir without at least my gauntlets... I could break it.
So I came up with the idea of forging a powerful weapon that could withstand my full strength, without my limiters.
But I had no idea where to start.
So I had to look in other pantheons for 'examples' of weapons.
As my old man had asked me to come and wake Enlil, I accepted the opportunity to catch only a brief glimpse of the weapon.
The weapon is known by a name...
The Sword of Rupture.
But as Enlil stated... The sword was only connected to the power of the Abzu.
So did that mean that the sword was only powerful as long as it was connected to the power of the Abzu?
"If it's connected to the power of the Abzu... What would happen if someone cut that connection?" I asked.
Enlil answered without hesitation.
"If that happened, the 'sword of rupture' would then be an ordinary sword... A tough and uniquely shaped sword, but still a mere sword," said Enlil.
I was disappointed...
I very much doubt that such a sword would be enough to withstand my full strength...
So I guess I have no choice...
I need to see an Astra.
Only then can you consider forging a new weapon.
However, this still remained in doubt.
After all, I didn't know whether Enlil was telling the whole truth or half-truths or even lying.
Enlil is not known as the god of truth.
And since I don't want to fight him in this place and risk the safety of my group… I could only accept the answer silently and look for alternatives.
"I see you have my great-granddaughter..." said Enlil, looking at my group.
In fact, Enlil ignored my entire group, there was only one person Enlil was interested in.
Ihbana.
Well, at least I was right about my suspicions.
Ihbana was the daughter of Utu, son of Enlil, and god of the sun.
"I ran into her in town, she was alone... I offered her to come with me and she accepted the offer" I replied.
This seemed to have caught Enlil's attention.
"…Do you want to take her?" asked Enlil.
Enlil asked this question in a tone so... Bored.
"I admit it wasn't my original plan... But plans can change and it's up to me to adapt to the situation if necessary. Will you stop me?" I said.
Enlil didn't seem to mind.
"Not really, you can take it, I don't care about those half-bloods. It's a fact that for most of my pantheon humans are mere... fun? Hmm... Yes, 'fun' is a good word to describe what we do with them" said Enlil.
Ihbana will not be missed by the Anunaki.
That was the truth.
For gods, especially the older ones, humans are mere entertainment. Enki himself had several sons and daughters with mortals.
On the other hand, Enlil treated humans as if they were...
Ants.
If the 'ants' bothered him too much, Enlil would 'kill' the 'anthill'.
"Well, thank you for waking me up... I will prepare for the meeting of the leading gods now, I wish you luck on your Asgardian travels" said Enlil, standing up.
Enlil then walked a little...
Until he stopped and turned to me.
"By the way, although our first meeting was 'peaceful'... As soon as you leave my territory you are no longer welcome as long as I am the leader" said Enlil.
This surprised me.
... Is that what the term 'persona non grata' feels like?
"…May I at least know the reason?" I asked.
Enlil looked amused and pointed at me before replying.
"There's no way I'm going to let someone who has this type of seal in my territory roam free, it's too dangerous even for me. While I do not care for humans, I do care for my land, I will not let it possibly be destroyed if you end up releasing this seal" said Enlil.
So the reason is the 'berserker' brand...
I'm not going to lie and say it's not justifiable...
Even I'm afraid to release the seal.
I don't know what I would become.
"How long am I allowed on your lands?" I asked.
Enlil thought for a moment before answering.
"Half millennium, nothing more, nothing less. You have been respectable enough so far, therefore I have trusted you for this time, do not betray my trust Asgardian" said Enlil.
Well... half a millennium is not so bad.
I think he said that number for the simple fact that he is one of the oldest gods in this world.
Half a millennium must be considered by Enlil but one more week.
As long as Enlil had authorized us to be here, there was one good thing about it.
I could go after the plant that was located at the bottom of the sea in the epic of Gilgamesh, the place would come to be known as the Persian Gulf.
The main reason to find this plant?
Ihbana was still mortal.
"... Thank you for allowing us to stay on your lands, we will respect the guest law," I said.
Enlil just waved and then the 'body' of the leader of the Anunaki turned to wind and disappeared into the night.
I just went back to camp and sat by the fire, I could only think of what 'fate' had in store for me.
If during all this time none of the 'agents' came to me... I have to look for them.
Maybe after this journey of mine, I have to go to the 'Norns' to talk specifically about my destination.
But again, the 'Norns' don't speak the fate of each existence lately... Maybe I have to bribe?
It's no use thinking about it now... I have more important things to think about.
I have to go to China to learn Touki.
I have to go to India to learn the spiritual side so that I can have the possibility to bring Haki to this world, beyond the 'Astras'.
Aside from these places, there was one place I should go...
Greece.
For a simple fact.
If the current leader, who is Kronos, decided to 'close' the 'borders' of the Greek territory to other pantheons, I should invade.
Why the hell would I invade the Greek pantheon?
There were some beings I should know about.
The Telkhines.
And as they were technically 'forgotten' by their leaders I could make good use of them.
They were pretty underrated... The main reason I wanted to meet them?
These creatures were immune to magic.
According to Frigg, not even Hecate's magic, during Uranus' rule, was effective on the Telkhines.
This could be useful considering that magic was quite common.
Although I'd like to think more about my future plans... I was tired.
I then looked at the closest person and saw Hermod.
"... Hermod, it's time for you to take your shift," I said, grabbing my brother and waking him up.
"Uhg... Is it my turn yet?" asked Hermod.
I didn't respond and just summoned my water canteen and threw it in his face.
This seemed to have effectively awakened Hermod.
"Oh! No need to do this! I'm awake!" said Hermod.
I just released him and walked towards my tent.
Tomorrow I will start my searches on the seabed for the 'plant of youth'.
- Time: Current era – 2690 BCE (Thor: 1310 years old)
Pov. Third-person.
And so years passed, until years turned into decades, and decades turned into centuries, the Asgardian group remained in the Anunaki territory for over 300 years, though they visited Asgard from time to time for celebrations or other important events.
The reason Thor chose to remain in Anunaki territory was for learning reasons...
If there was anything else Thor wanted to know, it was about the sealing magic that Enki was so well known for.
For Thor, it was an advanced form of magic that would take centuries to learn... After all, it was this magic that sealed a primordial.
Thor didn't have so much patience anymore.
The thunder god had spent over 7 centuries learning Thoth's self-healing technique, and he wasn't willing to spend more centuries learning a technique he might never use...
So Thor set out to learn the basics.
Elemental sealing magic.
Immobilization sealing spell.
Simple sealing spells, but if used correctly can be of great help.
A good example was elemental sealing magic, although Thor may have a high immunity towards the lightning element, the other elements can hurt...
It was then that Thor had the idea of learning elemental sealing magic so that he would be more confident to fight beings with weapons that use elements other than lightning.
As the Astra of the Hindu fire god, Agni.
The Agneyastra.
An Astra capable of producing flames that cannot be extinguished by natural means...
Simply put... Did Thor think the Hindus wielded the most powerful weapons?
The answer would be YES.
The Astra considered 'weakest' was the Anjalikastra, an Astra that will decapitate the target it hits; it was the only Astra without much absurd destructive power.
But the rest of the Astras?
They held such fearsome destructive power that it was the main reason Thor told his group that they will not accompany him to India.
After learning these sealing spells, Thor headed to a city, alone... The reason was to buy new food for his group.
Thor, wearing the amulet of shrinkage, walked along the path until he reached Uruk, the city protected by Anu, another sky god, and father of the Anunaki, as well as their former leader.
It was then that Thor noticed that two people were approaching, it looked like these two people were coming from Uruk...
Thor then greeted the two people, who were a man and a woman, just as Ihbana had spoken.
"Kadra! (greetings)" said Thor.
The man and the woman spoke.
"/Kadra!/"
Thor then spoke.
"I'm a traveler... My group and I are camping nearby, I'm heading towards Uruk to buy supplies, by any chance could you tell me about the town market?" asked Thor, looking at the man and woman.
The man and woman didn't respond for some time before exchanging glances.
"/Traveler, I know it's too much to ask... But could you accompany us on a mission? You have the physique of a warrior, maybe you can help us and then I will accompany you to Uruk, I am a hunter but my father is a farmer, I can convince him to give you a share of the harvest in exchange for your help, you will not need pay/" said the man.
It was then that the woman spoke.
"/Yes, and if that's not enough perhaps I can pay by 'other means', I'm well known in Uruk by men as one of the best priestesses in the temple of the goddess Inanna/," the woman said with a small smile.
It was then that Thor looked at the woman more closely and noticed the 'garment'.
The Norse god realized that he was a 'priestess' of Inanna.
In simple terms...
A harlot.
A hunter and a harlot...
This situation was a little familiar to Thor.
"Just a little bit of the harvest is good... But first I want to know what kind of help," said Thor.
It was then that the man/hunter said quickly responded.
"/There is a man who looks and behaves like an animal that is said to come from the woods of Edim, this being is killing my hunts and he is big and strong, a monster I tell you! I went to Uruk to talk to the king, but he only said to take one of Inanna's priestesses, according to the king the animal will return to being a man after spending time in the arms of a woman/" said the man/hunter.
Thor was increasingly familiar with the situation.
But to be sure...
"I beg your pardon, I'm from far away... Could you tell me, who is the current king of Uruk?" asked Thor.
The man and woman gave him strange looks, but the woman replied.
"/The king of men... Gilgamesh/" said the woman.
This confirmed Thor's suspicions, as well as the situation he found himself in...
The hunter and the harlot are heading towards the being that was created by the gods to challenge Gilgamesh...
Enkidu, the beast.
"/So... Could you help us in exchange for free food?/" asked the hunter, raising his hand.
Thor then smiled.
"Deal," Thor said as he reached up and shook the hunter's hand.
Well, that's all folks!
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
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