Sword God in a World of Magic

As Jerald entered the room, he looked at Shang with a smile.

"You're not wearing your armor?" he asked.

"Yeah, about that," Shang said.

Jerald raised an eyebrow.

"I need a new one."

Jerald's eyebrows rose in surprise. "I take it you had a very tough fight?"

Shang nodded.

Then, he began to recount everything about the centipede and his fight with it. Jerald knew everything about Shang except for his control over Abominations, which was why Shang didn't need to keep anything a secret.

After Shang recounted everything, Jerald's brows furrowed. "Shang, I've fought maybe hundreds of True Path Stage beasts in my life, and I can tell you that not even one of them had any sort of power even similar to that centipede."

"I'm not exaggerating," Shang said. "This is exactly what happened."

Jerald nodded. "I know. If this came from anyone else's mouth, I wouldn't believe them, but I know you."

Jerald rubbed his chin in thought. "This doesn't sound like a beast at all. You said you saw a huge diagram. Do you still remember how it looked?"

Shang nodded. Even though Shang's mind was far below the power of his body, it still was vastly more powerful than a normal person's mind. Because of that, he remembered about 60% to 80% of the complex diagram.

Jerald summoned some paper and handed it to Shang along with a pencil. He knew that Shang probably didn't carry such stuff with him.

Shang reconstructed the diagram as best as he could and handed the paper back to Jerald.

When Jerald looked at it, his eyebrows shot up in shock.

"That definitely didn't come from a beast," he said. "You see how these circles are positioned in relation to each other? That follows the common Marnur Nomenclature for clean and dispersed creation for Magic Circles. When beasts use Magic, they don't use it in such a methodical and clean manner."

"These Runes also follow the classic Old Magic Library Placement. The position-"

interrupted, "You know that I don't understand anything you

Magic Circle that follows all the common conventions for smart Spell

is far beyond my level. The Runes interact in very unusual, unknown, and strange ways. It's like there are concepts in these Runes that us High Mages

an eyebrow. "High Mages, as in all of them or only the ones in

a quick and surprised glance. "You

you've told me, yes," Shang answered. "You are basically already at the highest level in the five Kingdoms, and I think you can even estimate the power of the Kings. If this Magic Circle

ceiling as he

think about the centipede?"

it came from?"

Shang nodded.

at the diagram for

scientific research into the potential creation of beasts. You know, man-made beasts. The Skythunder Kingdom was once

and monumental this task would be. In fact, not even

that, the project

looked at Jerald. "So, you think this was one of these man-made

likely," Jerald said

how did it get here, and why was it here?" Shang

some more as he continued looking at

as he got an

"Invasive species," he said.

rose. "So, you don't think it was put here deliberately but

design or control such a creature wanted you dead, they wouldn't need to use the creature. They could just

that, I don't think that you were

this place on accident and lived inside

creatures are common and fulfill a certain purpose?"

he thought back to

think of

with physis?"

small area, taking away their flexibility. Its wall of scythes is nearly impenetrable by anyone fighting in close range. It seems like a

like that," Jerald said. "From what you told me, all the other Paths have deteriorated into what they are now. You said the God said

don't see why anyone would want to design a creature to kill physis when physis can't even deal with an

his chin