Eternal Zero

1

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The first time the man encountered humans was a long time after that when he walked into a small village. Obviously, the locals were very cautious of him and kept their distance.

However, he did not entirely care about their reaction. He simply wanted to see humans for himself. He saw them moving in groups or on their own, either way, they were always headed for something.

He saw the merchants on the streets. Exchanging either foods, pots, or fabric for spices or valuable items. There seemed no specific currency in this small village.

However, what drew his attention was a statue in the middle of the small village, crafted from stone. It appeared to be about a woman sitting cross-legged while spreading her arms in a welcoming manner.

The man saw several people standing near the statue, all of which had their hands joined, eyes closed, and were whispering slowly in union.

Curious, the man walked towards one of the people standing near the statue. It was an elderly man wearing brown robes with two children at his side. Both the man and children were in the same pose as everyone else around the statue.

"Ahhh... Ahhhh," the young man groaned out when he reached the elderly man.

The villager turned to him and looked in confusion. "I'm sorry, but are you speaking to me?" He asked.

The young man narrowed his eyes in agitation. That was the first time he tried to use his mouth for anything other than breathing. He knew he could speak, it is simply the first time he ever attempted to do it.

Clearing his throat, he took a deep breath and opened his mouth again. "Ahhh... whaaa... what... are you doing?" He asked, finally able to form sentences.

The elderly man still looked somewhat confused before he saw the stranger look around at everyone near the statue. "Oh, are you a traveller perhaps? Well, we are praying to our goddess, Inanna, for blessing us with fertility this year."

"Fer... tility?" The young man looked around and saw that nearly everyone praying to the statue had a child with them.

The elderly man nodded. "That's right. Would you like to join us in our prayers?"

The young man shook his head and turned around. "Why would... a god... pray to... another one," he mumbled before walking away, leaving the elderly man in confusion.

The young man was confused. These people worshipped a certain goddess, yet he had no one like that. He knew what he was, yet he was not born with any recognition or people around him.

He could not enforce the people of the village to pray to him, for he understood the difference between a god and a tyrant, and he had no desire to cross the line between them.

For now, all he can do is move forward.

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Could I have revealed who I was and made those people worship me by force?

Perhaps. But they already had a deity to worship and pray to, and I had no desire to take the people and followers of another god.

I encounter many humans afterwards, yet they all appeared to have their own diety and beliefs.

Yet, I have not met a single mortal that knows my name.

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He had been walking for a long time in this desert.