Sword God in a World of Magic

The Lightning Emperor listened to Shang's description and his troubles.

"And you're sure this mystical Concept of yours exists?" the Lightning Emperor asked. "I've never heard of a Concept like this, and I am also unsure what that could even be."

"It exists," Shang said. "The God confirmed it over 3,000 years ago."

Silence.

"The God confirmed it?" the Lightning Emperor asked.

"Yes," Shang said. "Back then, I was searching for a way to combine my four styles into one, and I wanted to know if it was possible to combine Fire, Ice, Light, and Darkness. That was when the God said that the Concept existed and that it needed the Concepts of Temperature, Twilight, Addition, and Subtraction."

"And all four of them lead into one Concept?" the Lightning Emperor asked.

"Yes," Shang answered.

"A Concept that needs four other Concepts on a similar level to be comprehended. These kinds of Concepts exist, but they are very rare. Additionally, these kinds of Concepts are usually just very advanced fusions of two Affinities."

"I've never heard of a Concept that needs four Concepts from four Affinities."

Silence.

"However, I can also see why I've never heard of something like this," the Lightning Emperor said. ""Comprehending something like that requires you to learn several Concepts that are not even that useful to you, and you would need to blindly try without any assurance for success."

"I'm pretty sure that there are many, many more Concepts out there that still remain hidden since trying to comprehend them essentially requires you to bet your life on comprehending them."

"Fire, Ice, Light, and Darkness," the Lightning Emperor mused. "Lucius knew a lot about these Affinities."

"Shang, I might not know about this Concept, but Lucius might," the Lightning Emperor said.

"Lucius is dead," Shang said.

The Lightning Emperor sighed. "I know, but part of him still exists, but in a very different form."

you elaborate?"

Trial of Want," the Lightning Emperor

Trial of Want?" Shang asked. "Didn't you create

said. "Lucius gave all of us something before he left. The thing he left me

helped them in furthering their own powers, but I was the

very important and might save the world one day. He was quite

right path, but a Mage's path to power is

"Fire, Ice, Light, Darkness..."

that combines all

trial for

that might save the

had a

a sixfold Spirit

Lucius, Shang," the Lightning Emperor said. "Is there

Silence.

naturally quite conflicted about this

was something that could potentially solve his

left behind by Lucius for his eventual successor. After all, Lucius had also left

Lucius seemed to have been very confident in his

prepared so many

know that he would

of the

was very different from how Shang believed him

Emperor seemed to have been very close friends with Lucius, to the degree that he was willing to

the Child

fine with killing the Emperors and some Mage Kings, but Shang couldn't imagine the Lightning Emperor being fine with destroying

Child of Calamity meant supporting the end

just the mere title of Child of Calamity induced caution and fear in

if, after destroying the world, Shang destroyed

was

an Abomination, and

the manifestation