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

answer

Should he lie?

wouldn't even

skills to lie

for the

reason, this would feel

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

he give a

should do, what the village should do, or what the morally correct thing to do is?"

the Lightning Emperor answered as

send it out of the village," Shang said. "If you can't do that, nurture it and trust that it won't betray

didn't show any

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

Lightning Emperor

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

piqued the Lightning Emperor's interest, but he let Shang

as for what I

would let it

your reason?" the Lightning

existence has no impact or

Lightning Emperor said

be

beast if I want to have any shot at reaching my goal. Even more, the beast's growth might even give me the incentive to train even

that the beast is stronger than me, it means my goal was impossible

as well kill myself right

Silence.

at Shang

just tell me to kill myself?"

my own goals and priorities are not in line with most people's goals

"You are not me."

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

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 regret

but among billions, trillions,

how many of them

only a thousand people left from one trillion people, that is still a thousand people that I have to defeat if I want to become the

from being