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 Lightning

answer would decide

Should he lie?

wouldn't even attempt

the skills to lie in front

he argue for the beast's

reason, this would feel

to the Lightning Emperor? After all, he was much older and much more

he give

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

Lightning Emperor answered as he

send it out of the village," Shang said.

Lightning Emperor didn't show

raise the beast to

Emperor

a normal person 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 leave

the Lightning Emperor's interest,

what I

let it

your reason?" the Lightning

existence has no impact

the Lightning

to be

reaching my goal. Even more, the beast's growth might

if it turns out that the beast is stronger than me, it means my goal was

might as well kill

Silence.

Shang with a

me to kill

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

"You are not me."

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

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

is all I have left," Shang said. "I sacrificed everything else,

might be rare, but among billions, trillions,

those geniuses, how many of them are extremely

that is still a thousand people that I have to defeat if I want to become the

stops them from being the