Shepherding Humanity

Translator's Note: This chapter was released quite a bit later than originally intended, and I apologize. But life got in the way. Really makes me wonder how some people can pump out more than two chapters a day, every day, without any problems. Is it possible that they actually do this for a living or something?

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The Emperor of Alchemy who everyone thought was dead had returned to the prime of his life.

"Why didn't you die? How did you return to your prime?"

"He didn't break through to the Epic Seventh Level, how could he still be alive?"

"This is something that not even the mythical Three Witches and Gilgamesh could have done. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have tried to kill God or have an audience with the God of Wisdom, Mercury, in their old age!"

"The Emperor of Alchemy has surpassed the ancient myths…"

The great magic schools and the Beastmen Kingdom despaired, and the Rose Saviors were incredulous. They could not believe what was happening. Not only had the Emperor of Alchemy returned alive, he has even become younger.

"No matter what, the Emperor of Alchemy will not spare us rebels. We will die unless we can get the Empress to protect us!"

"But, if we release her…"

"We have no choice."

Originally, the great schools and the Beastmen Kingdom worked together to stop the Rose Saviors from breaking the seal, but they had no other choice now.

"The Emperor of Alchemy has the temperament of a great ruler! He has a generous heart! He did not drown the world in blood immediately upon his return, but chose to wait in Babylon for us rebels to come apologize. But this is a mistake! We can use this remaining time to rescue this world’s only other Epic Level, the terrifying Empress who once ruled the Age of Dark Witches!"

Emery, the king of the Beastmen, couldn't help but tremble when he said this. Just thinking of her title—The Ruler of Death—filled him with fear.

She was the legendary monster who could open the door into the afterlife and summon the deceased.

If it weren't for his oncoming death, he would never commit such a taboo act.

On the following day, countless Legendary Sixth Level Mages contacted the Rose Saviors and crossed Oceanus into the dark island of alchemy—Gorgon Island.

In recent years, the rose Saviors had already found a way to break the seal, but were stopped by other forces.

At this moment, unhindered, they easily broke the seal. Beneath the island, a door opened, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful woman inside. She was sitting before an alchemy table and observing a biological sample under the microscope. 

"This is the legendary Empress of Death, one of the strongest and most terrifying beings in this world…"

"But she looks so beautiful, so gentle and serene…"

All the Sixth Level Mages were silent; they were all afraid. As expected of a legendary Epic Seventh Level, she was still as youthful as ever when even the Emperor of Alchemy had grown old.

She raised her head slightly and looked at everyone in surprise, "Who are you all? How did you break Grantham's seal?"

"Empress, we are here to save you." the Rose Saviors hurriedly stepped forward to explain themselves.

"So that’s what happened. He grew old and almost got killed by you lot."

Medusa laughed, but after a brief moment of surprise, she lowered her head and resumed her studies. "I don't want to leave. I am in the middle of studying alchemy. The Emperor of Alchemy has founded an extremely subtle and profound discipline, which allows me to understand the true meaning of death by studying the microscopic realm. Surprisingly, even the individual components of a living organism have their own cycles of life and death. This is one of the Great Truths of this world."

"But Empress…"

The Rose Saviors said anxiously.

They didn’t think that this would happen. For countless years, they’ve worked hard to break the seal, but the Empress of Death was now too engrossed in her research and did not want to leave…

Medusa laughed and looked up at them, "This generation has a lot of Sixth Level Mages. This is great progress… But didn’t you say that Grantham had opened the Gates of Truth and seemingly gained “omniscience” in his old age? He knows everything, and leaves nothing out in his plans. Facing him is like facing the combined wisdom of the entire world, did you really think he’d overlook you all coming here?"

Everyone had nothing to say to that.

Medusa laughed and quietly continued "I don't know how he prolonged his lifespan, but in the end, he is only a Legendary Sixth Level Wizard. Legends live up to 250 years, while Epics live 600 years; the fundamental difference between each Level is that great. So what if he has doubled his lifespan and will live 500 years? It’s still not as long as my lifespan."

"Why should I care about his overwhelming combat power? He won’t live very long! So what if he seals me for a single lifetime? He’s still a Sixth Level Wizard and can't kill me! I only need to wait for him to die of old age or sickness, and the world will be mine again."

Medusa bent down as her slim and pale fingers adjusted the microscope. She smiled softly and continued: "Back then, I was quite discouraged after my defeat, but after all these years, I’ve come to realize that a momentary victory or defeat meant nothing, and the real winner is the one who survives till the end."

Everyone was silent. They were stunned by her words. The Witch Empress who was calmly continuing her research was a true sage.

Medusa had more to say. "Actually, he did this on purpose. He waited three days so that you’d have time to release me. He wants to face me in a battle where he could die at any moment, and use that pressure to break through to the Epic Seventh Level, just like I did back then… If he succeeds, at that moment, I will die. There’ll be no second chances."

This is the strategy that the netizens had come up with.

But, they had underestimated the great empress who once dominated the entire world. She easily saw through their plot and was not going to give Grantham a chance to break through to the Epic Seventh Level by battling against her.

After this day, the entire world knew:

The Empress of Death, Medusa, has voluntarily sealed herself away on the Island of Alchemy, and vowed that as long as the Emperor of Alchemy was alive, she would never set a foot outside of Gorgon Island!

"As long as the Emperor of Alchemy is alive, the Empress of Death, Medusa, who once ruled over the Dark Ages, would never leave? She has acknowledged that the Emperor of Alchemy is invincible in this era!"

"The Emperor of Alchemy has dominated an entire era and none dares to defy him!"

"While the Emperor of Alchemy is not an Epic, he’s much stronger than an Epic!"

On the third day, all the rebel Sixth Level Mages had given up hope. Their forces despaired, and took the initiative to appeal to the Kingdom of Babylon for mercy.

In just half a month, a great purge was carried out.

Countless undercover Level Six Mages and spies were discovered. They were stripped of all their magical power and confined on an island in the "Carlson Great Prison". These traitors and rebels would never again see the light of day.

Those who were overly ambitious now kept their heads down. The Emperor of Alchemy has conquered old age, and no one knew how long he’d live in the future.

This page in history was thus recorded in The Spear of Witchcraft:

【The Kingdom of Babylon, year 539. During the twelve years after the aging Emperor of Alchemy was assassinated, the realm was plunged into darkness and turmoil as great powers fought for hegemony. But on this day, the Emperor had gained a second life and returned to take command over the entire world. All rebels came before him to beg for mercy.】

……

The Kingdom of Babylon, year 549.

Ten years have passed since the rebels had been suppressed, and the reign of the Emperor of Alchemy continued.

He had completely surpassed the normal lifespan of Sixth Level Wizards, and it seemed as if he would reign forever.

He was still strong, youthful, and energetic; full of vitality.

The legendary love story of the Emperor of Alchemy has also reached its happy conclusion. By employing the same method he used to prolong his life, he successfully rescued the sealed Seven Little Witches and extended their lifespan.

Only, they were no longer fully human, and had the characteristic “ahoge” of Slimes growing on top of their heads.

At this moment, ten years later, the people had finally realized the truth behind the Emperor of Alchemy’s longevity.

"They must have integrated the blood of Slimes!"

"How is this possible? They’ve clearly taken in the blood of the Evil Eye, which means that this is their second bloodline integration? But only one bloodline can be integrated, this is the immutable law of the Magic World…"

"The aging Emperor of Alchemy must have developed a method to integrate a second bloodline. This was how he prolonged his life and brought peace to the world."

"The Emperor of Alchemy's unfathomable alchemical skills has already reached the realm of the gods… Compared with people who waste all their time on intrigue, he is a true wizard! Give me enough knowledge and I can move the entire world!"

The Kingdom of Babylon, year 600.

On the centennial celebration of the nation’s founding, the Emperor of Alchemy, who had lived for over three hundred years, announced his grand marriage with the Seven Little Witches of “Elizabeth’s Coven”.

It was a glorious and prestigious wedding. The entire world congratulated them and presented them with many rare and precious treasures as wedding gifts.

The giant "Adolphus" launched colorful alchemical fireworks, and the magnificent lightshow covered the sky above the royal capital of Babylon. In the streets, countless merchants, shopping women, and pedestrians looked up with tears in their eyes.

"Our king is finally married."

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon flew up into the sky, and the grand wedding ceremony was held under the brilliantly shining stars.

Ermin, the Emperor of Alchemy’s one and only disciple, silently stood guard to the side and smiled sentimentally. "Master, at this moment, you are no longer the all-knowing and omnipotent Emperor of Alchemy, but a lover who has been waiting for over two hundred years."

Ermin wiped her eyes as her tears flowed freely. "Master, the more I understand you, the more I admire you… You are a true hero, despite being a Slime."

On this day, the Emperor of Alchemy entered the palace with his seven beautiful brides.

Flowers were scattered throughout the garden, and countless mages were weeping sentimentally as they discussed with one another.

"Legend has it that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built by Emperor Grantham for his consorts so that their home would be preserved, and they’d still have something familiar even a hundred years later. One of the rooms inside is that exact same shabby little room from back then, when they lived together in “Elizabeth’s Coven”.

Many women cried when they heard this.

"The Emperor of Alchemy hadn’t studied the art of alchemy all his life in order to become a god. He just wanted to save his mortal lovers!"

"They’ve finally reached their happy ending. Our Great Emperor can now happily live out the rest of his days."

Countless witches were standing in the palace of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon as they looked at the beautiful fireworks in the night sky. They all sighed longingly; if there was someone who loved them so much, then they could die without regret.

Such a lover was rarer and more precious than any treasure in this world.

…….

After entering the royal palace.

Grantham took off his power armor and turned back into a bouncing Angel Slime with a swaying “ahoge”. He leaped into Elizabeth's arms, surrounded by Melly and the other five little witches in white wedding dresses.

Elizabeth laughed and hugged the cute little Slime. "Back then, the weak little Slime we picked up had boasted that he would become the next Emperor. But to think that he would actually fulfill that promise!"

"All of you didn't believe me back then, but do you believe me now?" Grantham was also crying and laughing as he tried to wipe away his tears.

While with them, he was no longer the Great Emperor who had to maintain a dignified front at all times, and was just their little pet.

They were his family, and after all these years of waiting, they had finally woken up.

This "Potion of Longevity" had not only prolonged his lifespan but also theirs as well.

"Say cheese!!!"

Screenshots

Screenshots

Screenshots

…..

These posted screenshots were worthy of being made into wallpapers. Netizens looked at the exquisitely beautiful night scenery filled with dazzling fireworks and were filled with emotion.

"I'm so happy, really happy! Finally, after such a difficult and fantastical journey—Ermin and the aging Slime Emperor’s great escape—he’s reached the perfect happy ending to his two hundred years long love story, and is now getting married."

"Although, I find the sudden shift in genre a little weird. (😋)"

"To the above poster, I wanna beat you up! Humph! Don't joke around at a time like this! Theirs is the purest and most beautiful love, a beautiful and nebulous emotion that’s halfway between familial and romantic love. They’ve shared so many happy memories in Elizabeth’s Coven back then, and it was because of this that the boss could keep working hard these past two hundred years. He has come this far for the ones he loves."

"I'm so touched. Although he’s marrying seven wives, I’m not objecting at all. It’s probably because there is no physical contact, and it’s not a relationship built on lust… He only wanted to formally recognize them as part of his family. It’s such a pure desire… to be honest, I’m crying right now. I usually watch tragic movies, but I've never used so many tissues before. (😭)"

"Why is everyone so sad? You should be happy! This visual novel has finally reached its perfect ending thanks to all our help! It almost feels like the child that I’ve worked so hard to raise has finally grown up and is now getting married. (😭,😭)"

Countless netizens watched this wedding and were filled with emotion.

Thanks to their assistance, this visual novel was finally coming to an end. They’ve reached their desired perfect ending, and were now watching the ending slides filled with fireworks and beautiful brides.

….

Xu Zhi had also been following the post on the computer in his room. He sighed:

"Grantham can really stir up trouble in his later years. Just like the founders of the previous eras, he just couldn’t sit still…"

He laughed, "But as long as he does not cause any trouble for me, it’s all good… He frantically begged for sympathy while acting cute so that the netizens would help him; thanks to that, those guys gave me quite the pleasant surprise… However, Grantham, you couldn't break through to the Epic Seventh Level after all."

The Epic Seventh Level was simply too far away.

Grantham was a scientist and a builder, his magical talents were not that amazing.

Even if he could live a little longer, he still had very little hope of breaking through. Even with a second other gene and the help of netizens, he could at most live another one or two days in reality.

"Even if the Emperor of Alchemy had gained some extra years, his glorious era will soon come to an end." Xu Zhi looked at the other sandbox that had just been opened for the third beta test. A group of new players had already entered the sandbox.

It was time to plan for the next era after the Emperor of Alchemy.