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.

Spirit Sense focused on

knew that his answer

Should he lie?

wouldn't even attempt

the skills to

argue for the

good reason, this would feel

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

he give a neutral

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

the Lightning Emperor answered as he drank more of

do would be to send it out of the village," Shang said. "If you can't do

didn't show any

to either collectively raise the beast to make it

Lightning Emperor

for the eventual payoff? The person could become the leader of

interest,

for what I would

would let it

your reason?" the

its existence has no impact or

Lightning Emperor said with

is to be

the beast if I want to have any shot at reaching my goal. Even more,

is stronger than me,

means I might as well

Silence.

looked at Shang with

me

"I 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

an eyebrow. "That sounds a bit extreme. Is your goal really that important to

is all I have left," Shang said. "I sacrificed everything else, and I don't

rare, but among billions, trillions, quadrillions, or however many people there are, there have

many

people left from one trillion people, that is still a thousand people

stops them from being the