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."

elaborate?"

of Want," the Lightning Emperor

Want?" Shang asked. "Didn't

Lightning Emperor said. "Lucius gave all of us something before he left. The thing he left me was the Trial of Want, which was

things that helped them in furthering their own powers, but I

about it, he said that the Trial of Want is very important and might save the world one day. He was quite adamant that

but a Mage's path to power is long

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

Concept that combines

trial for

might

had a sixfold Spirit

have a sixfold

be quite connected to Lucius, Shang," the Lightning Emperor said. "Is there something you haven't told

Silence.

was naturally quite conflicted about this

had just learned that there was

Lucius for his eventual successor. After

him, Lucius seemed to have been

so many things

know that he would

of the

and again that he was very different from how Shang believed

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

Child of Calamity was beyond

some Mage Kings,

Child of Calamity meant supporting

Child of Calamity

the world, Shang

all, he was the Child

and

were the manifestation