Sword God in a World of Magic

A couple of minutes later, Shang left the Caves and went to where Jerald was currently.

Jerald simply handed Shang several large books, and Shang left for the Caves again.

As soon as he came back, Shang read through all the books.

These books were Spell Compendiums, and they basically listed every standard True Mage Spell known to the Skythunder Kingdom.

Something like that would go for an extraordinary price, but Jerald just gave them to Shang.

Sure, these Spell Compendiums were extremely valuable, but their value was still perceived in gold.

Shang could hunt True Path Stage beasts. If he wanted to repay Jerald, he would only need to hand over a single corpse, and he would have repaid far more than he owed.

Naturally, Shang wasn't interested in learning Magic. He only looked at the Spells and how they worked to gain inspiration for his techniques.

Shang was no longer on a level where he needed to learn other people's techniques. No, he needed to create his own techniques.

Additionally, with Shang's powerful Path, he was more than qualified to create such techniques.

Over the next two years, Shang's Path didn't make much progress. He was fully focused on coming up with new techniques and trying to manipulate his Mana and Affinities well enough to actually use them.

He created a couple of duds, but he also found a couple of useful ones.

After coming up with a good framework for his future fighting style, Shang went on to make his new fighting style an actual reality.

The beginning was hard since this was a new field for Shang.

Three years later, Shang had only made marginal progress.

At least, that was how it felt.

When Shang actually looked at the Star Map, he noticed something.

The Shards that had symbolized Shang's different Affinities were starting to connect to Shang's Paths.

This didn't increase the actual progress of his Path but made it wider and more powerful.

By now, all four Paths were even wider than Mervin's Path, showing their ridiculous power.

Shang realized that he was onto something big, and his determination to continue pursuing this path only increased.

Five years later, Shang managed to fully integrate his Affinities with his Paths.

In the last ten or so years, Shang's Path hadn't advanced upward but had gotten far wider.

Right now, Shang's Path was still stuck at a bit more than 50%, but it couldn't be compared to its earlier version.

From this point onward, Shang focused on progressing his Path again with its new width.

Over the past couple of years, even more True Path Stage warriors and High Mages appeared.

Sadly, the number of deaths amongst the True Path Stage warriors rose.

They started to be sent on reckless missions or just mysteriously vanished.

Most of all, the warriors that died were all warriors that were not too happy with the Mages.

to realize that the Council

simply didn't have the power to go

was something

appeared on the critical frontlines, even

expected of them but didn't go beyond. They simply did the bare minimum and tried to stay

warriors didn't even announce their new power or show themselves in public. When nobody knew that

given up on the

the leaders didn't respect them,

changes, the frontlines between the Skythunder Kingdom and the Magic Purity

Council was forced to lower the pressure they

no way to announce

previously had been done in the shadows. If they announced now that they were no longer doing these things, it

the world over the years, but

still deep in the Caves, working on his

now, Count Sword

general lectures on politics still included him, but he was basically only a

been only a very powerful and talented Peak Commander Stage warrior. By now,

warriors that reached

world was changing, and even if Count Sword actually existed, he would

might have been outstanding back then,

yet? Wouldn't he have shown himself? True Path Stage warriors needed resources and experience. Wouldn't he want to fight Mages? How could he fight Mages

if Shang knew about all

working

power was increasing day by day, and Shang could

in the underground, and more time

later, some bad news reached

Ranos had died.

been killed

only take a deep breath and continue working on his

was the future he had

of the

he could

the most

year later, Soran

also most likely

truly been Shang's biggest fan, but it was still sad to see one of George's

student, the woman Viera, had been

while hunting beasts

she also wouldn't

was systematically getting rid of all the important people

later,

had been the one that gave Shang the quota for the Day of Chaos, and she had also been the one that gave him the

her in 50

year later, Mattheo

hit Jerald

his sole heir, and he had had a bright future ahead of

powerful Peak Commander Stage warrior and a powerful Peak True Mage at

been the most powerful person in the Commander Stage aside from

had been

powerful, and he was

biggest threat to

died, he had never urged Shang

needed a

the other left Jerald's life,