Shepherding Humanity

Chapter 12: Era of the Great Search

Unfortunately for Gilgamesh, Xu Zhi was eating at the time, chatting with Chen Xi while enjoying a simple countryside meal. The food was both nutritious and delicious. Teasing the cute girl who tried in vain to ignore him was fun. Xu Zhi was quite content.

All life inevitably ends in old age and death. No one lives forever.

Not even the previous Tyranis Queen could do that. Otherwise, at the end of her life span, she wouldn't have tried to leave behind her inferior territory and break into the land of legend, Eternia. She must have sought a way to extend her life from the eternal land.

No species can live forever.

He, Xu Zhi the farmer, was also terminally ill, and could die at any time once his stomach cancer reached its final stages. He did not even have the luxury of dying normally from old age.

"And this king of the sandbox? He led a glorious and happy life. His entire nation will mourn his death. His legend will live on in posterity. Im so envious!"

Xu Zhi laughed.

Gilgamesh had lived an enviable life that will go down in legend. It had been a life of great achievements, laying down the foundation stones of civilization. Within the tribe, he had three hundred beautiful wives. What's there to regret?

Nothing.

Had Xu Zhi been able to turn into a Bugape, to put it bluntly, he'd have entered the sandbox himself. While it would only be a fleeting dream, he'd have lived a divine and glorious life. It would have been an amazing power trip.

From the terminally ill Xu Zhi's point of view, there was nothing to regret after having lived such a life. He would already be very satisfied.

"Let's go. Let's go into town and buy a washing machine."

Xu Zhi stood in front of the courtyard and ran a hand through his thick black hair.

"Then get on my scooter!" Chen Xi laughed. She scratched her head and innocently said: "Actually, I still have a lot of questions that I want to ask you about my studies. After all, you are an alumni of my college, and I even picked the same major as you!"

"That's good." Xu Zhi smiled.

Xu Zhi did not have a car.

After all, he only had a few hundred thousand yuans in savings and could not afford to buy a nice car. His chemotherapy had emptied most of his savings and he only had a bicycle at home. He naturally had to share the girls scooter when heading out.

He happily shared the scooter with Chen Xi, and together, they enjoyed their shopping trip in town.

He bought electrical appliances to make his farm life easier. After all, a modern lifestyle without any electrical appliances was very difficult!

He leisurely took his time, thinking that Gilgamesh would calmly accept his death like before. If old age was inevitable, then itd be best to silently accept your impending death, like Xu Zhi had done, and spend your final moments enjoying life to the fullest.

However, he had overlooked one thing.

Man is an animal that can not be satisfied.

The first time he faced death, Gilgamesh had resigned himself to his fate. He was naturally ecstatic to have a second chance at life, but having lived a second lifetime after experiencing the terror of death, he had become utterly terrified of dying.

The Hero King wanted to live a third life!

..

In the year 102 of the Sumerian dynasty, Gilgamesh was one hundred and forty-two years old.

The legendary king, who already had three times the lifespan of an ordinary citizen, was at this moment beginning to look old. He started to panic, and issuing a royal decree, he launched a nation-wide search for the Great Beast of Wisdom.

"The one who finds a trace of the Great Beast of Wisdom will be handsomely rewarded!"

At the same time, he summoned the world's sages and men of learning and began to concoct potions and study black magic.

A large number of beasts living in the deep primordial forests were slaughtered, and their horns, hearts, and various body parts were used in experiments. The once thriving Arrah great beasts were even brought to the point of extinction as a result.

History entered the era of tyrannical city-states, with black mages running rampant.

Year 113 of the Sumerian Dynasty.

A court mage successfully created a life-extending potion from the horn of the Arrah, the sap of the white bearded grass, and the organs of various behemoths. The magic potion prolonged Gilgamesh's life, but soon lost its effect after repeated doses. He once again headed down the path towards unavoidable decline.

Death was inevitable for all living creatures, even the greatest of heroes!

Year 145 of the Sumerian Dynasty.

Gilgamesh felt his lifeforce rapidly ebb away. The magnificent old man sat motionlessly on the throne, his eyes calmly closed. His white hair had completely lost its luster.

After meditating for three days, he finally opened his aged eyes and decreed.

"Start selecting candidates to become the next king!"

His decree had the effect of a bomb.

The dynasty reeled in shock.

"The great king is dying!"

"Gilgamesh, the eternal and immortal Hero King, is also reaching the end of his lifespan?"

But no one dared to step forward.

The last time Gilgamesh was about to die of old age, he made his most trusted son, Agga of Kish, the next chief. Yet, after he had gained a second chance at life, he killed his son with his own hands.

Everyone was afraid of becoming the next Agga of Kish. Gilgamesh would surely kill the next king if he survives once again!

At this point, Gilgamesh showed his worth as the wisest of kings. He decreed:

"Candidates for the throne will receive the Blood of the Conqueror! If you possess power thats equal to mine, you do not need to fear me! You will also be granted the right to lead your followers beyond Uruk and build another royal city!"

Permission to build a city!

The Blood of the Conqueror!

News spread. The entire nation was shocked.

"The throne is mine!"

"I will be the next King of Sumer!"

Countless merchants, slaves, paupers, nobles, and artisans flocked to the royal palace.

In the end, though many passed the preliminary trials, most of them died after drinking the Blood of the Conqueror, except for the forest warrior Enkidu and the grassland barbarian Ishtar. They gained the power of the Blood of the Conqueror and established two new city-states.

Two Conqueror Kings have appeared to lead the next generation. They were ready to accept royal authority from the aging Gilgamesh, and lead Sumerian civilization into a new age.

Civilization may have been started by Gilgamesh, but it would go on after his death.

Year 175 of the Sumerian Dynasty.

The three royal cities harmoniously coexisted. The three-kings council ruled the world. The Sumerian city-states had entered an unprecedented era of prosperity. But Gilgameshs final hour had come, and he attempted to struggle against fate one last time.

He had gathered his craftsmen and built a grand temple dedicated to the Great Beast of Wisdom, a towering edifice that was more magnificent than even the royal palace.

In the great stone temple, the statue of a towering deity stood tall. Wreathed in white light, the great titan held in his hand the young Hero King Gilgamesh as he looked down on the entire world, radiant in his divinity.

Gilgamesh led his ministers, and his millions of subjects, and brought the entire nation before the Great Beast of Wisdom, hoping against hope that the great and wise titan would hear his call.

"If only I could see the Great Beast of Wisdom one last time before dying! Oh great and wise one, I want to see you again" Gilgamesh's aged face was wet with tears.

After 88 years, the dying Gilgamesh led his entire court to worship at the temple and pleaded for a second audience with the Great Beast of Wisdom:

"Great Beast of Wisdom, Gilgamesh wants to meet you again!"