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.

were loved ones around

horrible by watching him

tell him to give up

Shang

Probably.

on as it was. Any person that told him to just rest might tip him over

at his side would

would transform his likely death into

believe that this was the right

this was

the right to fight for his

Shang was glad that there was no loved one

He didn't want them.

He didn't need them!

weakness would make

what if he

least he would

focusing on his body,

But he kept breathing.

He kept fighting.

One more year passed.

And another year passed.

of someone at the Fifth Realm, and any other person would have long

wouldn't

He would never stop!

him, it needed

More years passed.

became 1010

moved a single muscle in the last

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

that

He couldn't do anything.

even feel

But he wasn't dead.

waking moment was agony, but he

Was this living?

to most

couldn't be

to Shang, this

consciousness still

long as he could think, he was still

Shang couldn't interact with

perception was confined in his

as alive, but in truth, he wasn't doing more than a stone lying at the

Was it life?

No.

Was it death?

No.

something

was neither alive nor

It was limbo.

Or Purgatory.

This was Purgatory.

was what Shang had

ten years in this state, Shang had gained a

understood by people that went through