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

that his answer would decide his

Should he lie?

even attempt

that he had the skills to lie in front of

for the beast's

good reason,

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

give a

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

the Lightning Emperor answered as he drank more of

thing to do would 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 show any

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

Lightning Emperor

eventual payoff? The person could become the leader of the village. Maybe, they could even leave the village

Emperor's interest, but he let

what

let it

the

has no impact or

Lightning Emperor said with

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

the beast is stronger than me,

as well kill myself right

Silence.

at Shang with a bit of

me to

know that my own goals and priorities are not in line with most

"You are not me."

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

a bit extreme. Is your goal really that important

Shang said. "I sacrificed everything else,

this world. Geniuses might be rare, but among billions, trillions, quadrillions, or

those geniuses, how many of them are extremely

that is still a thousand people that I have to defeat if I

them from