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.

"How can I know what a barbarian looks like when I have never seen other

as he only looked

several seconds, he tried to

that didn't happen, and that confused the

you are a barbarian," the man said. "You know how barbarians live. You

truly lack the ability to understand something that is

don't know what a Ruiner is," Shang

"But you-"

still don't know what a Ruiner

tell me what a Ruiner

bit longer in confusion,

someone weak that tries to challenge the Tribe's strongest," the

they called Ruiners?" Shang

Tribe," the barbarian explained. "A weak

"A weak Tribe dies."

weak Tribe will turn

trying to become the

to destroy

the barbarian turned silent again as Shang scratched

while not being the most powerful is akin to threatening the entire Tribe. Because of that,

the leader loses? Will he

"Yes," the barbarian answered.

the top, it's all or nothing unless

down?" Shang asked. He assumed that it was fine for a leader to step down, but he

at

step

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

words, the eyes of the barbarian became

said with an

with interest. "Is a weakling worse than a

"A Ruiner has power."

Ruiner can go back

"A weakling is worthless!"

eats food but doesn't bring

weakling brings enemies

leave

angry

called the other barbarian weakling," Shang

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

"Why?" Shang asked.

was stronger," the barbarian

the other barbarian be a weakling?"

looked at Shang again in

am not stronger," he

you

the barbarian answered with furrowed

you are not. What I am asking is, theoretically, if you had somehow won. I know that you didn't,

barbarian looked at Shang with furrowed brows for a

"I didn't win!"

a long while, Shang actually

of a hypothetical?!'

said as

know that you are not

you want to

barbarian looked at Shang with furrowed brows, and Shang could even see some anger and disdain in his

you can teach me?" he

"Yes," Shang answered.

and he slowly stood up from his lying position. He was still injured, but he had healed

up, he was quite a bit taller than Shang, and

me?" he asked in a dark

his

beaten and disrespected, as soon as I even slightly challenged his power, he