In the previous story, we left off at the end of the life of the insect ape, and the death of Gilgamesh the hero-king. However, he used the blood of strength to survive a near-death experience and regain his youth, living a second life. He returned to his youthful and valiant self, leading his tribe back into the fray of battle.
Ten years have passed, and the settled tribe has gone through several generations. Their wooden houses have rotted and become damaged, prompting Gilgamesh to lead the people into the stone age, building houses from stones and entering an era of resistance against the giant beasts.
Gilgamesh, now possessing the genes of termites, could effortlessly uproot a hundred-year-old giant tree that would require the strength of four people to embrace. With a single leap, he could jump seven or eight meters high and possessed the strength to move mountains.
He led the people in their resistance against the giant beasts, constantly battling, and after thirteen years, he reached the peak of his power. He chose to challenge the most terrifying and powerful beast on this land, the hundred-meter monster known as Fenba.
Fenba, a monster that crawls on the ground, was like a towering mountain range. Its body cut across the entire Smikar giant tree forest. Its sleeping breath was strong enough to form a gust of wind in the lush forest, causing countless giant trees to sway. With one breath, it could blow away the Ala monster.
This was the same monster that Xu Zhi had previously seen, with a huge and terrifying body resembling that of a giant cat. It was the ruler of the entire era of giant beasts.
The great battle lasted for three days and nights. The earth cracked, canyons collapsed, and countless giant beasts fled from the forest.
On this day, Gilgamesh returned covered in blood, his body in great shape, holding the sword of Damocles in one hand and dragging the corpse of the hundred-meter monster Fenba in the other.
His strength was so great that he could drag the body of the hundred-meter monster Fenba, comparable to a towering mountain, with just one hand. The people of the tribe were filled with pride and awe, and countless songs were written in his honor. He was the strongest hero-king in history.
"I will establish a nation," he declared upon his return, looking at the people of the stone age tribe.
The tribe was ecstatic! They cried tears of joy and embraced each other, knowing full well that with this great and handsome hero-king leading them, the days of wandering and fearing the brutal giant beasts were over.
A new era of civilization has begun!
History is written by the victors. Gilgamesh did not record his atrocities of patricide, but instead, in the book of Genesis, his heroic deeds are noted.
In the historical records of the Sumerian dynasty, it is written:
"Gilgamesh, who was bathed in the blood of strength, slayed the legendary beast Humbaba with his sword, established the Sumerian dynasty, moved massive stones to build the first city-state in history, and erected the city of Uruk."
Time continued to move forward.
Gilgamesh, who was invincible on the entire continent, began to devote himself to the development of civilization. He was a charismatic leader, talented and heroic, but also arrogant and cruel.
He created currency, perfected language, and built cities, but also cruelly divided people into three classes and established slavery, causing great harm to the people and depleting their resources. He sent numerous brave warriors to explore the boundaries of the world.
He was a great hero-king to the people, but also an unyielding tyrant.
In the eighty-seventh year of the Sumerian dynasty, Gilgamesh was one hundred and twenty-seven years old. The city of Uruk finally reached a terrifying population of over ten million.
Countless slaves traded here, and even an arena was built where nobles laughed heartily as slaves fought against giant beasts.
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The descendants of the tribe, who had experienced nearly a hundred years of time, had forgotten the hardships and struggles of their ancestors, and gradually moved towards decadence with comfort.
However, the king of Sumer, Gilgamesh, remained heroic.
In the dark and dim Uruk palace, the meticulously carved circular arch ceiling had intricate patterns, and the snow-white wall lamps cast a faint light. On both sides were stone pillars with circular golden patterns carved on them. The ground was covered with a red carpet made of the fur of powerful beasts.
A magnificent and handsome man sat calmly on the exquisite white bone throne, and the legendary sword, the Sword of Damocles, was always within his reach.
"Great king of Sumer, lord of the city-state! His Majesty Gilgamesh!! We have explored the entire continent." The palace minister Dionysus bent slightly and fanatically recounted the experiences of these years.
"What is our world like?" Gilgamesh, with a body as handsome as a Greek statue, sat on the throne of the giant beast Humbaba's bones, as if seeing through the endless blue sky outside the palace.
The brave explorers who ventured out from all directions, spending more than 20 years on a huge project, finally discovered the shape of the entire world at great cost of life and injury.
Throughout the history of the Earth, no matter which ancient and great king, they all had a strong desire for knowledge and ambition regarding the world.
Dionysus respectfully and exaggeratedly gestured, "Our world is round in the heavens and square on the ground. The sky is an infinitely high arc, and the ground is a perfect square. In the center is a huge ocean, surrounded by mountains, rivers, and streams. On this vast and endless land, riding on the fastest Fincila beast in a straight line, it takes more than 20 years to run to the edges of the two ends of the world..."
After a moment of silence, the greatest king in the world said, "Alright, you may leave now."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Dionysus stood up and left.
He suddenly paused, turned around and looked at his king with a desire for worship. This great hero king led them out of the cave, into the era of tribe farming, and into the Stone Age. He slaughtered the most terrifying beast king, Humbaba, and led one civilization after another.
More than 30 years ago, Dionysus was still a young ranger known throughout the city-state. He was summoned to the palace by the king and entrusted with a lifelong mission - to draw a map of the city-state. Thirty years later, when he returned to Uruk, he had become an old man with trembling and wobbly body, cloudy eyes, and not much time left to live.
But the king remained young.
As handsome and perfect as he was when he met him as a young ranger, time seemed to have never left any marks on his face.
"What a great ruler this is!" Dionysus trembled with enthusiasm.
For more than a century, the king's power had not been exerted, and his strength was already unknown to what extent. Perhaps in the future, this long-lived and immortal king would lead the Sumerian people into the next era of civilization.
"Our world is round, and spacious," he whispered, as he gazed at the empty palace. Gilgamesh let out a deep sigh before slowly drawing out the holy sword he had carried with him for years – the sword of Damocles. Its finely detailed blade emitted a brilliant steel light, and he touched it as if it were his beloved companion throughout the ages.
"The power of the torch has been mastered, and the power of the blood has been fully understood. But the sword of Damocles...I have searched the entire world and still have not found how it was forged," Gilgamesh said with shock, his fingers delicately caressing the sword's blade. "What material was used to make it? Was it the skeleton of some great beast, or some sort of advanced technology?"
Regrettably, this world was not truly a world. There were no veins of metal, no copper or iron mines, and no ore deposits intentionally buried beneath the ground. This was originally just a common farmland and orchard, with only soil beneath the surface. Therefore, they were perpetually trapped in the Stone Age, with no concept of the word "metal" in their understanding of the world.
To this world, this shining and hard material was both mysterious and powerful, and also unique.
"We have found the edge of the world, but have yet to find that great intelligent beast, who knows where it lives in the world?" Gilgamesh took a deep breath.
The civilization possessed by the intelligent beast was simply unfathomable. Even though this weapon, the sword of Damocles, was gifted to him and had opened up an entire civilization, it also served as a warning to him.
He only possessed part of the power of this civilization, with the rest being unknown. The secret of how this sword was crafted was similar, and it made him feel frightened and apprehensive.
The sword of Damocles was like a sword hanging over his head, providing him with the power of civilization – powerful, mysterious, and allowing him to open up a brilliant future. However, it was also incredibly unsafe, and at any moment, the blade could fall and take his life.
"The power of civilization...it truly is something to yearn for." Gilgamesh sat on his throne like a sleeping lion, slowly surveying the distance with his eyes, as if he were peering through the long years of the past, gazing at the ancient forest he had encountered a hundred years ago, the colossal giant towering over him with a height of ten thousand feet.
Its whole body radiated a radiant light, and its enormous hands held a young Gilgamesh, overlooking the mountains and rivers below, and passing on to him three treasures of civilization.
"Unfortunately, my life is reaching its end, and the power of blood is no longer effective for me. I want to live a third life...great intelligent beast, I want to see you again!"