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

that his answer

Should he lie?

even attempt

had the skills to lie in front of a Mage

argue for

reason, this

the Lightning Emperor? After all,

he give a

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

Emperor answered

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

didn't show

either collectively raise the beast to make it follow everyone's orders or kill

Lightning Emperor

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

Emperor's interest, but he let

for what I would

let it

the Lightning

its existence has no impact or relevance," Shang

Lightning Emperor

be the strongest," Shang

any shot at reaching my goal. Even more, the beast's growth

turns out that the beast is stronger than me, it means my goal was impossible to achieve

means I might as well kill myself right

Silence.

looked at Shang

tell me to kill

I would do. I know that my own goals and

"You are not me."

choice in your case, it doesn't mean that

eyebrow. "That sounds a bit extreme. Is your

"I sacrificed everything else, and I don't regret

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

how many

that is still a thousand people

stops them from being the