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

knew that his answer

Should he lie?

even

to

he argue for the

good reason,

decision to the Lightning Emperor?

give a neutral

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

of them," the Lightning Emperor answered as

be to send it out of the village," Shang said.

Lightning Emperor didn't

is to either collectively raise the beast

Emperor remained

do, it would depend on their ambition. Is it worth the risk to nurture it for the eventual payoff? The person

Lightning Emperor's interest, but

as for what I would

would let

the

no impact or relevance,"

elaborate," the Lightning

be the strongest,"

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

that the beast is stronger than me, it

might as well

Silence.

Lightning Emperor looked at Shang with a

you just tell me to kill myself?"

answered emotionlessly. "I told you what I would do. I know that my own goals and priorities are not in line

"You are not me."

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

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

"I sacrificed everything else,

might be rare, but among billions, trillions, quadrillions, or

many of them are extremely

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

them from being the