Sword God in a World of Magic

When confronted by death, many people would think about their life and reevaluate past decisions.

What were their regrets?

What would they have changed?

Maybe they shouldn't have been so strict with their children?

Maybe they shouldn't have broken up with their first love?

If they hadn't taken out that loan from those dangerous people, their children would have something to inherit today?

Naturally, Shang wasn't any different.

Should he have been more amongst people?

Should he have accepted the Sweeper's confession?

Should he have spared Jerald?

Shang thought about all of these things.

And he acknowledged something.

He would be happier if he had someone with him.

It would feel nice not to be alone right now.

Everything was so painful, exhausting, dark, and lonely.

Shang knew that he would feel better if he hadn't been so brutal and inflexible in his past.

However, did this mean that Shang would have changed his past actions if he could?

No.

If he hadn't killed Lash, the Grandmountain Kingdom might have killed him.

If he hadn't killed Jerald, he would have eventually caved in and told someone.

If he hadn't declined the Sweeper's advances, Shang wouldn't have had enough time to comprehend his form of Void Casting or the Concept of Twilight.

Yes, he felt lonely, and he wished that someone was at his side.

However, Shang knew that this luxury would come with a price he wouldn't want to pay.

And then came another thought.

So what?

Since everyone would die, it didn't matter what one accomplished in their life.

Might as well die happy and surrounded by loved ones, right?

However, that was only true when death was a certainty.

At this moment, Shang kept putting in effort.

Shang still had hope.

there were loved ones around

horrible by watching

tell him to give

would Shang

Probably.

was. Any person that told him to just

a loved one at his side would

likely death

that this was the right thing

was

right to fight for

the end, Shang was glad that there was no loved one

He didn't want them.

He didn't need them!

would make

he was about

least he would die

focusing on his body,

But he kept breathing.

He kept fighting.

One more year passed.

And another year passed.

over the maximum lifespan of someone at the Fifth Realm, and

he wouldn't give

He would never stop!

take him, it needed

More years passed.

Shang became 1010

muscle in the last ten

split at multiple locations, and the Death Mana in his body had started to leak out

a corpse that was unwilling

He couldn't do anything.

even feel his

But he wasn't dead.

agony, but he still

Was this living?

most people's standards,

couldn't be considered

Shang, this

his consciousness still existed,

he could think,

interact with the living

confined in

as alive, but in truth, he wasn't doing more

Was it life?

No.

Was it death?

No.

something

was neither alive nor

It was limbo.

Or Purgatory.

This was Purgatory.

what Shang had been

state,

understood by people that went through