Shepherding Humanity

Chapter 32: Hermes, the God of Wisdom

It certainly wasn't the power of meditation.

If they were like Gilgamesh who relied on muscle strength, Xu Zhi would have already been turned into mince meat.

But the witches relied on mental powers and couldn't hurt him because he was under the protection of the Tyranis Hive Mind.

In reality, he was weak.

"Who are you?"

The witches were shocked. This was the first time theyve met an intelligent non-human species that could speak, and it was a strange, black-feathered, three-eyed crow.

"Another intelligent species"

Their breaths quickened.

They remembered the ancient legend of Gilgamesh. The only intelligent species other than human beings had been the Great Beast of Wisdom, who was also the Creator.

The three of them held their breaths, they no longer had any thought of fighting. They hadn't bothered to put on their clothing, and proudly displayed their perfect and graceful curves. They stood steady and alert as they looked at the mysterious creature before them.

"You, are you a god?"

Medea's voice trembled. She couldn't help but ask.

Originally in this world, there was no concept of god.

In the beginning, there was only the term "Great Beast of Wisdom". The people of the land only knew that this mysterious creature possessed great power and unfathomable wisdom.

But after learning the terrifying truth and experiencing the Great Flood, the people officially recognized the existence of god.

The mysterious creature before them was not the great Creator, the supreme god who stood towering above the clouds, but perhaps he was a lesser type of god.

There have been speculations early on that humans were not the first intelligent species to appear on this land, but they were the only intelligent species capable of reproducing in large numbers!

There should be other intelligent species in this world!

Perhaps the Supreme God had created many powerful species after creating the world. Many violent, ignorant, horrifying, and incomplete creatures had been born, and humans were the final products created after countless failures. Though they were a weak sentient species, they could naturally reproduce.

Perhaps, this mysterious and powerful creature in front of them was a perfect intelligent life form that the Creator had personally crafted.

"God?"

Xu Zhi smiled gently from his lofty perch. He ruffled his luxurious black feathers and spoke enigmatically, like a raven messenger out of myth: "If you believe me to be a god, then I am a god"

Xu Zhi had never wanted to be a god.

But if that was what they all thought, then he did not mind playing along.

Also, can you guys put on some clothes

Though Xu Zhi was a crow at the moment, and there was no physical reaction, he still had a human mind. He couldnt help but feel a little excited. I already have a girlfriend, even if its only superficial.

He thought for a moment, and said: "I am one of the intelligent beings created by God. Though I am powerful, unlike you, I do not have the ability to reproduce, and am a unique existence. I am the God of Wisdom, Hermes, who was appointed to guide the beings of this world. You may also call me by my other name, Mercury. I've come to this backwards tribe to light the fire of civilization and bring you the Truth of this world!"

The witches held their breaths.

Circe couldn't help but ask, "Oh great god of wisdom, Hermes, what is the truth of this world?"

Xu Zhi smiled. "Truth is the origin of all the worlds rules, the source of all power. All that you see around you is a facet of Truth, and I have come to grant mortals the Three Great Disciplines of Meditation, Alchemy and Magic."

The Truth of this world.

Meditation, Alchemy, and Magic.

The witches were stunned.

Back then, Gilgamesh had been gifted with the Three Treasures of Civilization, and now, they were about to receive the Three Great Disciplines of Truth?

"To think that we would encounter a legendary deity" One of the beautiful witches started to tremble in joy. Under her crown of flowers, her pretty face was flushed with excitement. She spoke in a choked voice: "It's like a dream."

Xu Zhi was silent.

It was only natural for them to be shocked. This meeting, this conversation between god and man would go down in history.

"What's Meditation, Alchemy, and Magic?" Medea asked.

Another person whose curiosity is stronger than her fear.

Such people can reach unimaginable heights, but I just hope she doesn't become the next Gilgamesh.

She does not have a violent personality, so it should be alright.

Xu Zhi smiled and started speaking. Filtered through the raven's throat, his voice had turned into a hoarse and eerie cackle: "The Three Great Disciplines Meditation is the path of spiritual cultivation, and the foundation for you to become gods. It is the path you must take if you want to become a higher being like me, and gain authority over this world. One day, you will be able serve the Creator on high, and listen to His teachings in the Lord's holy Temple of Genesis."

Becoming a god.

Their breaths quickened.

This was shocking information. They would be able to rival this mysterious and powerful creature before them, and become one of the gods who controlled this world?

Achieving immortality

This was a forbidden realm that not even the ancient Hero King Gilgamesh could set foot in!

Xu Zhi continued on, oblivious to their shock.

"Alchemy is the mystical discipline that can create life. It is the method to pry open the Gates of Truth. If you can master this discipline, you will gain the honor of knowing all the truths of this world. There will be nothing left in this world that is unknown to you."

His voice was not loud, but through some mysterious power, it resounded throughout the mountain spring of Ameya and drifted towards the mountain peaks, carrying far into the distance.

"The principle of alchemy is that all things in the world are related. The mystery of alchemy is based on the Trinity Formula': one element is subordinate to another, one element is the bane of another, and one element dominates another."

What was this!?

The women raptly listened even though they could not fully understand the esoteric words.

The voice seemed to come down from heaven and reverberated deep within them. It felt as if something sleeping within their soul was beginning to awaken. They dazedly listened, but did not dare to interrupt. They could only bite their lips in silence, and nervously forced themselves to memorize every single word.

Every word was extremely difficult to understand, but there must be a deep meaning behind them, containing the truth of the world.

Xu Zhi saw their respectful attitude, and started on the third principle: "Magic is the miraculous power that allows your spirit to extract earth from fire, the essence of the sun and moon from electricity, and fire from the ocean. From a single object, you can produce many extraordinary transformations following this principle."

Wind, rain, and lightning. Transforming everything?

"What an unimaginable power!" The three witches were stunned. Their mind went blank from shock. These words had shaken them to their very core.