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.

barbarian looks like when I have never seen other barbarians

didn't say much as he only

several seconds, he tried to

was speaking of things that didn't happen, and that confused the

are a barbarian," the man said. "You

lack the ability to understand something that is even remotely abnormal? What's so

know what a

"But you-"

don't know what

me what a Ruiner

bit longer in confusion,

tries to challenge the Tribe's strongest," the

called Ruiners?" Shang

Tribe," the barbarian explained.

"A weak Tribe dies."

Tribe will turn

weak barbarian trying to become the strongest is someone that brings

is trying to destroy

the barbarian turned silent again as Shang scratched his chin

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

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

"Yes," the barbarian answered.

that means that as soon as you are on the top, it's all or nothing unless you step

if the leader steps down?" Shang asked. He assumed that it was fine for a leader to step

barbarian looked at

step

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

hearing these words, the eyes of

said with an

the reaction with interest. "Is

"A Ruiner has power."

Ruiner can go back and

"A weakling is worthless!"

food but doesn't

weakling brings enemies but doesn't

leave or

watched the angry barbarian with

other barbarian weakling," Shang

of his sails, and the barbarian looked away again as he continued lying

"Why?" Shang asked.

I was

if you were, would the other barbarian be a

at Shang

am not stronger," he

but if you were," Shang

stronger," the barbarian answered with furrowed

not. What I am asking is, theoretically, if you had somehow

barbarian looked at Shang with furrowed

"I didn't win!"

first time in a long while, Shang actually got

a hypothetical?!' he thought with

as

are not stronger

do you want to become stronger

barbarian looked at Shang with furrowed brows, and Shang could

can teach me?"

"Yes," Shang answered.

narrowed his eyes, and he slowly stood up from his lying position. He

a bit taller than Shang, and he looked down

say you are stronger than me?" he asked

his chin in

was severely beaten and disrespected, as soon