Shepherding Humanity

Chapter 11: The Sword of Damocles

When Gilgamesh neared the end of a Bugapes life span and was about to die, he used the Blood of the Conqueror to restore his body and gain a second lease on life. The mighty and ambitious Hero King was back to lead his tribe on to further conquests.

Another ten years passed.

The tribe had gone through several generations. Their wooden huts decayed over time and had started deteriorating. Led by Gilgamesh, the Sumerians started to build houses out of stone, and officially entered the Stone Age.

Gilgamesh, who had assimilated termite genes, could easily pull up massive ancient trees by the roots and leap seven to eight meters high. His strength could move mountains.

After another three years, he finally chose to challenge the mightiest of the great beasts, the gigantic legendary behemoth, Fenba!

Their great battle raged on for three days and three nights. The land fractured, valleys crumbled, and the beasts of the forest fled in panic. When the dust had settled, Gilgamesh returned home triumphant, his chiseled body bathed in blood. He held the Sword of Damocles in one hand, and with the other, he dragged behind him the gargantuan body of the great behemoth Fenba.

His tribesmen were filled with pride when they beheld his great strength, which could move Fenbas colossal body which was the size of a small mountain with one hand. Countless bards wrote songs in his praise, celebrating his power. He was the mightiest Hero King in history.

"I will build a kingdom." The moment he had returned, he looked at his tribesmen and so declared.

History is written by the victors. Gilgamesh chose to leave out the atrocity of killing his own son, and only recorded his valor in the Book of Genesis.

The middle part of the Sumerian Epic thus said:

[Gilgamesh drank the Blood of the Conqueror, slew the legendary beast Finbar with his holy sword, and founded the Sumerian dynasty. Moving giant boulders, he built Uruk City and established the first city-state in history.]

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Time moved ever onward.

The invincible Gilgamesh began to work on the development of civilization.

He was diligent, heroic, and charismatic, but also tyrannical beyond compare.

He developed currency, perfected language, and built cities, yet he would also cruelly divide his people into the lower classes and establish slavery. He spent immense resources to cultivate warriors and sent them to explore the far corners of the world.

Eighty-seven years into the Sumerian dynasty, Gilgamesh was one hundred and twenty-seven years old.

The royal city of Uruks massive population now numbered in the tens of millions. Countless slaves were being traded daily. A Colosseum had been built, and nobles entertained themselves by making their slaves fight against giant beasts.

In Uruks dimly lit royal palace.

The arched ceiling was decorated with delicate carvings. The white wall lamps cast a soft light. Stone pillars engraved with golden wreaths lined the room. The floor was covered with a bright red carpet made from the fur of a powerful beast.

A handsome and imposing man sat calmly on a magnificent throne made of white bones. He held in his hand the legendary Sword of Damocles which he never allowed to leave his side.

"Great King of Sumer, Lord of the City! Your Majesty, King Gilgamesh!!! We have finished exploring the entirety of the earth." Dionysius, the one of the Royal Ministers, lightly bowed and spoke fervently of what he had seen and heard over the years.

"What is our world like?"

Gilgamesh was as beautiful as a Greek statue. He reclined languidly upon his throne, which was made from the bones of the great beast Fenba, and looked thoughtfully into the distance, as if he could see endless blue sky beyond the palace walls.

His warriors had advanced ever outward in their quest to explore the land. They traveled in all directions, and dedicated more than twenty years of their lives to this grand crusade. The cost in lives was immense, but they have finally finished mapping the entire world.

Throughout history, no matter what dynasty they belonged to, ancient monarchs have always had a strong desire to know the world.

Dionysius respectfully, yet exaggeratedly, gestured: "Our world is made up of a round sky and square earth. The sky is an infinitely high arc, and the ground is a perfect square, with a huge ocean in the center, surrounded by mountains and rivers. This land is infinitely vast; if you ride the fastest Finchra beast in a straight line, from end to end, itll still take more than 20 years, even at full speed.

After a moment of silence, the world's greatest king nodded and said: "All right, stand down."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Dionysius rose to leave.

Suddenly, he paused and turned his head to look worshipfully at the king. This great hero had uplifted his people from a primitive life living in caves, started their agriculture, and brought about the city-states era.

He was the man who had singlehandedly shaped civilization.

More than thirty years ago, when Dionysius was still a famous and promising young warrior, he had been summoned to the palace by the king and ordered to inspect the geography of the entire land. The grand undertaking to map the city-states territories became his lifes mission. Thirty years later, he had returned to the royal city of Uruk once again. He was no longer a spirited youth, but a trembling old man with clouded eyes who would not live much longer.

But His Majesty was still young as ever.

He looked the same as he did on the day of their audience. Time had left no mark on his perfect, handsome face.

"What a great monarch!"

Dionysius trembled with fervor.

His Majesty had not displayed his power for over a hundred years, who knows how much stronger he had gotten in that time. Perhaps in the future, this immortal king will continue to lead his people into the next era.

.

"Our world is made up of a round sky and square earth."

When the palace was empty, Gilgamesh sighed deeply before slowly drawing the holy sword that he always carried with him. The Sword of Damocles masterfully crafted blade emitted a cold light.

His fingers gently caressed it, as if it was a lover who had accompanied him for many years.

"I have mastered the power of the Torch and the Blood of the Conqueror. But the Sword of Damocles even though I have searched the entire world, I still have no idea how it was made." Gilgamesh whispered. "What exactly is it made of? Is this material the bone of some great beast? Or is it a product of civilization?"

Unfortunately for Gilgamesh, his world was, in the end, not the real world.

There were no ore veins, no copper or iron ores. Xu Zhi hadn't deliberately buried ores into the earth. This was originally an ordinary piece of farmland, and the ground was only composed of earth. They could only be stuck in the Stone Age forever. In their perception of the world, there was no such thing as "metal".

In this world, this solid and shiny material was mysterious, powerful, and one of a kind.

"Though we have searched to the ends of the earth, we have yet to find the dwelling of the Great Beast of Wisdom from long ago. Where in the world does he live?" Gilgamesh took a deep breath.

The level of civilization that the Great Beast of Wisdom possessed was simply unfathomable.

His treasured weapon, the Sword of Damocles, was the holy sword that had helped him shape civilization. But, it was also a warning.

He had only partially grasped the power of civilization. Much was still unknown, just like the secret of how this sword was made. This filled him with fear and unease.

The Sword of Damocles felt like a sword hanging high over his head, its tip pointing at him.

This sword had granted him the power of civilization. Its power had helped him open a path to glory. Yet its mystery made him feel extremely insecure. He felt as if the sword tip could fall down at any time and take his life.

"The power of civilization is really fascinating."

Like a slumbering lion, he sat lazily on his throne, a faraway look in his eyes. The long years fell away as he relived that fateful day. A hundred years ago in a distant forest, a colossus wreathed in divine white light had lifted him up high, showing him the world and granting him the Three Treasures of Civilization.

"Unfortunately, my life is coming to an end once again, and the Blood of the Conqueror no longer works for me. But I still want to live a third lifetime, and see the scenery of a distant future Great Beast of Wisdom, I want to see you again!"