Sword God in a World of Magic

Shang wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

For now, he decided to remain silent.

"Let me explain my conundrum with a metaphor," the Lightning Emperor said.

"Imagine you are a mortal and live in a village with 50 other villagers. You don't have any sort of real societal standards and norms, and the strongest person in the village is the leader."

"Now, imagine there is a council of five leaders since they don't want to fight each other for whatever reason, and you are one of them."

"One day, you find the offspring of a very powerful beast, which is far more powerful than any member of the council."

"You nurture it, and it follows you."

"Yet, it doesn't completely follow your commands, and you know that there is a chance that it might attack you and everyone else. After all, it is still a wild beast."

"But maybe, it will also help you."

"But also only you. What if it attacks any of the others in the village?"

"Right now, the beast is still a baby."

"So, what do you do?"

"Do you nurture it?"

"Do you kill it?"

"Do you ask the others?"

The Lightning Emperor drank another mouthful of tea.

"Everything about this beast screams risk at you. No matter what happens, it will be a risk. If it isn't one for you, it definitely will be one for the village."

"But you like the village. You live in the village. You are happy with the village."

"You don't want your beast to kill other villagers."

"But it very likely will."

"So, what would you do?" the Lightning Emperor asked.

focused on the

answer would decide his

Should he lie?

wouldn't even attempt

the skills to lie in front

for the beast's

good reason,

responsibility of the decision to the Lightning Emperor? After all, he was much older and much more powerful than

he give a

know what I would do, what someone else should do, what

Lightning Emperor answered as

be to send it out of the village," Shang said. "If you can't do that, nurture it and trust that it won't betray

Lightning Emperor didn't

the village is to either collectively raise the beast to make it follow everyone's

Lightning Emperor remained

would do, it would depend on their ambition. Is it worth the risk to nurture it for the eventual payoff? The person could become the leader of the village. Maybe, they could even

Lightning Emperor's interest, but he let Shang

for what

let

your reason?" the Lightning Emperor

existence has no impact or relevance," Shang

elaborate," the Lightning

to be the

to have any shot at reaching my goal.

me, it means my goal was

might as well kill

Silence.

Lightning Emperor looked at Shang with a

me

told you what I would do. I know that my own goals and priorities are not in line with most people's goals

"You are not me."

while I might make that choice in your case, it doesn't mean that you should make that choice or that it is the correct

bit extreme. Is your

Shang said. "I sacrificed everything else, and I don't

world. Geniuses might be rare, but among billions, trillions, quadrillions, or however many people there are, there

many

one trillion people, that is still

stops them from being