Sword God in a World of Magic

Shang slowly opened his eyes in the real world.

Shang was inside his room in the academy's basement, which wasn't very pleasant to look at. There was only a table, some chairs, and a bed. That was about it. It looked more like a fancy prison cell than an actual room.

The Dean noticed that Shang was back and looked at him.

"How did it go?" he asked.

Shang looked at his teacher.

"22 points."

The Dean nodded. "That's better than I expected. I feared that the weak Middle General Stage beast would be too much for you, and I also expected you to fail your fight against the Average Early Adept."

"It seems I underestimated you."

"I assume you used your peculiar Ability to gain three free points?"

Shang nodded, but his brows furrowed.

At this moment, the procedure and its effects went through Shang's head.

The procedure had upgraded his body by one level, which essentially granted him three additional points per category, giving him nine free points.

Then, his Affinity gave him three additional free points.

So, the procedure and his Affinity had given Shang twelve points in total.

Shang had left the trial with 22 points, and if he subtracted the twelve free points, he would be at ten points.

In short, without these two things, Shang's Battle-Strength was about as powerful as the Dean's Battle-Strength had been back then.

"You seem to be unhappy with your results," the Dean said as he noticed Shang's expression.

"The only reason why I got so many points was the procedure and my Affinity," Shang said. "Without them, I would have only gotten as many points as you, and several of those fights had been incredibly close."

The Dean's expression didn't change.

"So, you are disappointed that you only are as strong as the strongest and most talented warrior in the world," the Dean said.

Shang listened to his teacher, but he didn't look at him.

knew that it might not be "appropriate" to feel

just couldn't help

He wanted more.

this, Shang," the Dean said. "If I had access to the procedure for myself, I would be

at the

sound very

even more advantages than just their

"Don't forget that the strongest aspects of us warriors are our techniques and our battle experience. At the moment, the gulf regarding the baseline is so wide that technique won't be able to change anything, but if that gulf can be closed just by a little bit, all the techniques become

can diminish a

on the level of Duke Whirlwind or any

I had access to the procedure, and if I were on their

reasons why I can't directly just kill

accomplishments lightly, Shang," the Dean said with a cold gaze.

to

or if he was only

the reward?" the Dean

had already noticed the book in

this was

lifted the book

Battle-Strength of all General Stage warriors and

help you

interested and extended his hand, waiting for Shang to hand

you are supposed to do," Shang said

hand didn't retreat immediately, and his eyes focused

met him?" the Dean asked with a glint

a… talk. You could call it a

I abused

had met the God, and he

that Shang could

only wanted to take a look at it, and if it

hadn't met the God in over a century, which

had talked to the God

forget that there was someone watching their every move and that someone

seconds, the Dean pulled the book back and skimmed

was still on the level of

through the entire book and

the book and put it into his

Silence.

the Dean only looked at the