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.

Sense focused on the Lightning

that his answer would decide

Should he lie?

even attempt

had the skills to lie in front of a

for

a good reason, this

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

give a

should do, what the village should do, or what the

of them," the Lightning Emperor answered as he drank more of his

village," Shang said. "If you can't do that, nurture it and trust that it won't

Lightning Emperor didn't

smartest choice for the village is to either collectively raise the beast to make

Lightning Emperor remained

to nurture it for the eventual payoff? The person

interest, but he

for what I

would let

the Lightning Emperor

existence has no impact or relevance," Shang

the Lightning Emperor said with

goal is to be the

to have any shot at reaching my goal. Even more, the beast's growth might even give me the incentive to train even harder than

that the beast is stronger than me, it means my goal was impossible

means I might as well kill myself right

Silence.

Emperor looked at Shang with a bit of

me to kill myself?" he

emotionlessly. "I told you what I would do. I know that my own goals and

"You are not me."

that choice in your case, it doesn't mean that you should make that

Lightning Emperor raised an eyebrow. "That sounds a bit extreme. Is your goal

Shang said. "I sacrificed everything else, and

billions, trillions, quadrillions, or

geniuses, how many

there are only a thousand people left from one trillion people, that is still a thousand people that I have to

them from