Seeking the Age of Giant Beasts

What a pity.

Xu Zhi had been eating and chatting with Chen Xi, enjoying the fragrant, sweet, nutritious, and delicious farmhouse dishes. He was in high spirits and had no time to pay attention to him. Besides, he did not want to.

A life meant to die of old age would eventually do so. No one could remain immortal forever.

Not even the once-mighty Zerg Queen had managed it. Otherwise, before her lifespan ended, she would not have tried to break through the barren earth and charge into the legendary Eternal Life Realm in search of a way to prolong her life.

No species could live forever.

Even Xu Zhi, the "farmer," was suffering from a terminal illness. He did not know when his stomach cancer would reach its late stage, when he might suddenly die at any moment, without even the blessing of a normal death from old age.

"And this king in the field? He was truly fortunate. His glorious life drew the attention of countless people, and later generations would write vast epic hymns in his praise. They might even envy me to death."

Xu Zhi laughed.

He had lived a legendary life that even Xu Zhi found enviable. His achievements were brilliant; he had opened the origins of civilization. In the tribe, he had married more than three hundred beautiful wives in his lifetime. What was there left to regret?

Nothing.

If Xu Zhi could turn into one of those little people, then, to put it bluntly, he would have gone in himself to enjoy a carefree life of wine, women, and song, partying himself into the heavens.

In Xu Zhi's view, there was nothing regrettable about dying after such a life. For someone with a terminal illness like him, it was already more than fulfilling.

"Let's go. We're heading into the city to buy a washing machine."

Xu Zhi stood at the courtyard gate and deliberately touched his thick black hair.

"Brother Xu Zhi, then ride my Electric Scooter!"

Chen Xi smiled and scratched her head. "Actually, I still have a lot of professional questions I want to ask you. After all, you're a senior from our school, and I study the same major as you!"

"Sure." Xu Zhi smiled.

Xu Zhi had not bought a car.

After all, he had only had a few hundred thousand in savings from his previous job. Buying a decent car would have nearly emptied his pockets, so he had chosen not to buy one. Then chemotherapy had drained most of his savings anyway. Now, there was only a bicycle in the courtyard, so naturally, he could only ride Chen Xi's Electric Scooter when going out.

Then Xu Zhi and the girl happily rode the Electric Scooter into the city to shop.

They bought appliances to improve his rural home life. After all, this was a modern city. Living without any electrical appliances at home was terribly inconvenient!

This time, he was quite casual about it, believing Gilgamesh would remain as calm as he had the first time.

If he could not resist aging, then he would silently accept death, just as Xu Zhi had chosen to do, and enjoy the final days of his life.

However, he had overlooked one thing: once people gained satisfaction, they ceased to be satisfied.

The first time he faced death, Gilgamesh had nearly resigned himself to fate. But after living a second life, he was overjoyed. Having experienced the terror of death and then rebirth, he came to fear death completely and utterly.

This heroic ruler wanted to live a third life.

Year 102 of the Sumerian Dynasty. Gilgamesh was one hundred and forty-two years old.

This legendary king had founded his nation more than a century ago. Though he possessed three times the lifespan of an ordinary citizen, signs of age had finally begun to appear on his face. He was utterly shocked and flew into a rage, immediately issuing an edict to mobilize the entire nation in search of the Wisdom Giant Beast.

"Anyone who discovers traces of the Wisdom Giant Beast will be richly rewarded!"

At the same time, he summoned extraordinary people from across the land to brew potions and study black magic.

For a time, countless giant beasts from primeval forests were slaughtered. Their horns, hearts, and all kinds of body parts were used in experiments. The Ala Giant Beast, once flourishing in vast numbers, was even driven to near extinction as a result.

History entered the famous Tyrannical City-State Era, and Black Wizards ran rampant.

Year 113 of the Sumerian Dynasty.

A court Black Wizard used Dora's horn, the juice of White Beard Grass, and the organs of various giant beasts to create a longevity potion through witchcraft. It successfully extended Gilgamesh's life, but after he took it repeatedly, it soon stopped working. He once again gradually moved toward unstoppable decline.

Death was something no living creature could avoid, not even the greatest hero!

Year 145 of the Sumerian Dynasty.

More than thirty years passed. Gilgamesh felt his life rapidly draining away completely. This robust old man sat upon his throne, his hair utterly white and his body covered in wrinkles. He sat there calmly without moving, closing his eyes.

"My life is about to end, yet I still do not want to die."

After sitting in silence for three days, he finally opened his aged eyes. Choosing to submit to the passage of time, he ordered:

"Select candidates for the next generation's king!"

Boom! The dynasty erupted in turmoil and shook to its core.

"The great king is going to die!"

"Even Gilgamesh, the long-lived and immortal Hero King, is reaching the end of his life?"

Yet for a time, no one dared speak.

The last time Gilgamesh had aged, he had made his most trusted son, Kish of Aga, the next leader. But after living his second life, he had personally killed the son he loved most.

Everyone feared becoming the next Kish of Aga. If Gilgamesh managed to survive once again, he would surely kill the next king!

At this moment, Gilgamesh proved himself worthy of being the smartest king and directly ordered:

"Candidates for the throne will receive the Blood of Power! They will possess strength comparable to mine and need not fear me! Furthermore, they will gain the right to lead their followers and establish a second royal city elsewhere."

He permitted the founding of cities!

He bestowed the Blood of Power!

When this news spread, the entire nation was shocked.

"The throne is mine!!!"

"I will become the second Sumerian king!"

Countless merchants, slaves, commoners, nobles, and craftsmen surged before the royal palace.

In the end, countless people died during the trials or perished because they could not withstand the Blood of Power. Only the forest warrior Enkidu and the grassland barbarian Ishtar survived after receiving the Blood of Power, establishing two city-states.

Two next-generation kings possessing the Blood of Power had emerged. They would soon take turns wielding royal authority, succeeding the aging Gilgamesh and guiding the next generation of Sumerian Civilization.

—Civilization had begun in Gilgamesh's hands, but it could not end in his hands.

Year 175 of the Sumerian Dynasty.

Three royal cities stood side by side. Three kings jointly governed the world, and the Sumerian city-states entered an unprecedented golden age. Gilgamesh suddenly sensed death descending upon him completely, and he began attempting one final struggle.

He summoned craftsmen to construct a temple, building the Wisdom Giant Beast Palace, even more exquisite than his Uruk Royal Palace, to enshrine the Wisdom Giant Beast.

Within the enormous stone temple stood a majestic giant statue. The vast, towering giant bathed in radiance held the youthful Hero King Gilgamesh in one hand, its gaze lightly overlooking the boundless land, its entire body radiating astonishing white divine brilliance.

That day, he led his ministers and all several million citizens in a nationwide worship of the Wisdom Giant Beast, hoping that the great giant intelligent species would sense his call.

"If I can see the Wisdom Giant Beast once more before I die, see that great and mysterious intelligent species one more time, then..." Tears streamed down Gilgamesh's aged face.

Eighty-eight years later, the aging Gilgamesh led all the ministers of the royal court in worship at the temple, pleading for a second time to see the Wisdom Giant Beast again:

"Great Wisdom Giant Beast, Gilgamesh wishes to see you again!"