Sword God in a World of Magic

After a while, Shang walked over to the first barbarian that had been beaten up by the group and squatted down.

The barbarian's body was slowly recovering. He didn't have a warrior's body, but as someone at the Peak General Stage, he could still recover with quite some speed.

Right now, the barbarian wasn't moving as he kept lying on the ground in a fetal position.

Blood and dried spit were all over him.

"Why didn't you resist?" Shang asked.

For a while, the barbarian said nothing.

"I'm a Ruiner," the barbarian eventually answered.

Some more seconds of silence.

"Ruiners get beaten."

"Says who?" Shang asked.

This made the barbarian move his head and look at Shang warily.

"It is normal," he said.

"So?" Shang asked. "Does it mean that it's the right thing to do just because it's normal?"

The barbarian looked with confusion at Shang.

"It is known and normal," he said.

"It is how things are."

"This is what life is."

The barbarian turned away from Shang again while saying these things.

"It is your life," Shang said. "You decide what to do with your life."

The barbarian didn't look at Shang, but Shang could see with his Mana Vision that a confused expression appeared on his face.

Apparently, this barbarian had never heard of such a concept.

"I am a Ruiner, and Ruiners get punished," the barbarian repeated.

"What's a Ruiner?" Shang asked.

This piqued the barbarian's interest, and he looked at Shang again.

"You don't know what a Ruiner is?" he asked in shock.

Shang noted the barbarian's reaction. 'The word Ruiner seems to be common knowledge, but instead of doubting my words, he believed me and only asked for confirmation.'

'A normal human would think that I am mocking them. After all, who doesn't know what a Ruiner is?'

'But he believed me.'

'Sadly, it makes sense. The barbarians are raised to follow orders like slaves. The Mages don't want them to think for themselves.'

"I don't know what a Ruiner is," Shang said. "I left my home long ago, and I've been living in the wilderness ever since. I don't know much about how normal barbarians live."

The barbarian's expression became shocked and confused.

"But you are a barbarian," he said.

"How do you not know how a barbarian lives?"

"You are a barbarian. You must know how barbarians live. You are living as a barbarian," he reasoned.

what a barbarian looks like when I have never seen

he only

several seconds, he tried to understand

of things that didn't happen,

barbarian," the man said. "You

the ability to understand something that is even remotely abnormal?

a Ruiner

"But you-"

I still don't know what a Ruiner is," Shang

tell me what

a bit longer in confusion, but eventually, he looked

tries to challenge the Tribe's strongest," the barbarian

are they called

strong leader makes a strong Tribe," the barbarian explained.

"A weak Tribe dies."

Tribe will

trying to become the strongest

to destroy

the barbarian turned silent again as Shang

the most powerful is akin to

if the leader loses? Will he become a Ruiner?"

"Yes," the barbarian answered.

the top,

assumed that it was fine for a leader

barbarian looked at

is step

when you are still the strongest, but you don't want to lead anymore and give the position to

these words, the eyes

with an

reaction with interest. "Is a weakling worse than a

"A Ruiner has power."

go back

"A weakling is worthless!"

weakling eats food but doesn't

enemies

must leave

angry barbarian

the other barbarian

took the wind out of his sails, and the barbarian looked away again as he continued

"Why?" Shang asked.

was stronger," the barbarian

if you were, would the other

looked at

not stronger,"

you

am not stronger," the barbarian answered with furrowed

am asking is, theoretically, if you had somehow won. I know

with furrowed brows

"I didn't win!"

the first time in a long while,

understand the principle of a hypothetical?!' he thought with frustration. 'It's not

as

know that you are

want to

brows, and Shang could even

you can teach me?"

"Yes," Shang answered.

from his lying position. He was still injured,

was quite a bit taller than Shang,

stronger than me?" he asked in

his chin

as soon as I even slightly challenged