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.

Sense focused on the Lightning

that his answer would decide his

Should he lie?

wouldn't even attempt

that he had the skills to

he argue for the

reason, this would feel

Lightning Emperor? After all, he was much

he give a

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

them," the Lightning Emperor answered as he

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

Lightning Emperor didn't show

raise the beast

Lightning Emperor

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.

interest, but he

for what I would

let it

your reason?" the Lightning Emperor

no impact or relevance," Shang

the Lightning Emperor

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

me, it means my goal was impossible to achieve

I might as well kill myself right

Silence.

Lightning Emperor looked at Shang with

you just tell me

what I would do. I know that my

"You are not me."

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

a bit extreme. Is

"I sacrificed everything

are so many people in this world. Geniuses might be rare, but among billions, trillions, quadrillions, or however many people

geniuses, how many of them are

one trillion people, that is still

from being