Sword God in a World of Magic

Shang had nothing he could do but increase his power. In a way, it felt very stifling, but Shang knew that he wasn’t completely helpless.

Even though increasing his power wouldn’t help him at this moment, it would help him in the future.

Over the next month, Shang fully focused on training. Most of the time, he remained inside his room, training his swordsmanship, but he also sometimes came out to ask the teachers a couple of questions.

Mervin had answered most of Shang’s questions since he was the trainer responsible for teaching swordsmanship.

When Mervin saw Shang again, he noticed that Shang’s eyes didn’t seem as lost and apathetic anymore.

“You changed for the better,” Mervin said.

Shang didn’t want to get into the topic and asked his questions, which Mervin answered thoroughly.

Since Shang hadn’t come into contact with any very advanced martial arts in the past, his fighting style had been solidified enough. Introducing a stronger martial art to him would no longer make him lose his way, which was why Mervin now used already established martial arts to answer Shang’s questions.

Introducing him to these techniques now was timed just right. Shang learned many new things thanks to the inspirations and hard work of his predecessors.

The most important thing Mervin had shown Shang was something that basically every technique inside the academy included.

Using the Domain to its fullest potential.

Shang hadn’t been able to create a Domain yet, but learning how to utilize it correctly might help him in creating his own.

‘If I can create my own Domain, I can advance to the Peak General Stage without any issues. Theoretically, I would be able to reach the Commander Stage with it, but that would throw me into mediocrity.’

In actuality, Shang was already planning on reaching the Mid General Stage, but he wanted to go at it slowly.

Shang was currently not in need of money since he had earned a ridiculous sum over the last three months, but Shang wanted to take the slow path anyway.

Advancing to the Mid General Stage cost warriors around 100,000 gold, which was a lot of money for them.

They would need to buy pills and medicine that figuratively shoved Mana into their bodies. One could compare it to enlarging one’s stomach by constantly overeating.

If one got the medicine, one would only need about three months to advance.

And what was the slow method?

Training.

Same as at the Soldier Stage.

Going via this route would take warriors at least two years to advance.

But Shang wouldn’t take that long.

Not only did Shang have the willpower to go through tremendous pain for his power, but a different disadvantage had turned into an advantage in this case.

The cost of his Affinity.

In battle, injuring oneself to attack was always a drawback.

But, during training, this was good.

Just by unleashing Ice and Fire Blasts alternatively, Shang could very precisely and methodically destroy parts of his body, which he would then heal with his warrior’s body and his passive regeneration.

How long would Shang need to reach the Mid General Stage this way?

About two months.

Yes, in two months, Shang would reach the Mid General Stage.

However, Shang wouldn’t be able to train without being disturbed for these two months.

After all, he had an appointment.

About one month after Shang started his training again, he was called to the front of the school about an hour before dawn.

The sky was still dark when Shang reached the entrance to the school.

He saw no one else present, which meant that he was first.

Shang simply waited on the side of the gate for the others to arrive. 

Shang also noticed that teacher Loran was guarding the gate, like every night.

He was sure that teacher Loran had already noticed and recognized Shang, but apparently, teacher Loran didn’t have anything to say to Shang.

‘I’m just one of many students,’ Shang thought. ‘The teachers in schools and academies go through students like copy-paper, and they also generally don’t feel very close to most of them.’

‘Just a part of the job.’

Shang waited in silence for a couple of minutes until the second person appeared.

It was a man with short, green hair, and he carried a long but thin sword with only a single edge.

As Shang saw the sword, he got reminded of One. He had a nearly identical weapon.

Shang knew that he would travel with the other four people that had also undergone the procedure, and this had to be one of them.

The man wasn’t very tall, and he looked at Shang from a distance.

“You’re-“

“We are not alone,” Shang interrupted the student before gesturing at teacher Loran with his head.

“It’s fine,” the student answered casually.

Shang lifted an eyebrow.

“Vice-Dean Soran said that we no longer have to keep the procedure a secret from today onward,” he said.

Shang looked at Loran, but Loran still acted like he was asleep.

“How come?” Shang asked.

“Because the outcome doesn’t matter,” the student said with a shrug. “If we get the go-ahead, we will announce it. If we don’t get it, the method will be spread over the entire world anyway.”

Shang scratched his chin with furrowed brows.

That explanation made sense.

“You’re patient zero, right?” the student asked.

For a second, Shang became nervous, but he quickly realized that the student didn’t know about Shang’s second identity.

Shang only nodded.

“I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to become more powerful,” the student said with a lot of respect.

Shang only looked at the student with a frown. “I didn’t do anything for you.”

“But you did,” the student said. “Without you, the procedure wouldn’t have become survivable for me.”

The student’s voice shook a bit as he thought back to his own procedure.

“I almost died. If it had been only a little bit more painful, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

“That’s why I want to thank you. Without you, I would have still accepted the procedure, but I would have most likely died to it,” the student explained with sincerity.

Shang only looked at the student with a complex expression.

He didn’t feel like he had done anything worth mentioning.

After all, Shang hadn’t even thought about others when undergoing the procedure. He had done it solely for his own power, nothing else.

“I had no intention of helping anyone else,” Shang said. “I’m only interested in my own power. There’s nothing for you to thank me.”

“Just accept his thanks,” teacher Loran said as he stopped acting like he was asleep. “I can’t keep listening to this.”

Shang looked at the student again, but he wasn’t sure if he should accept the thanks.

“Listen,” the student said. “I know that you never thought about me or anyone coming after me. I’m also desperate for power, which is the reason why I undertook the procedure in the first place. Just like you, I didn’t think about everyone that came after me.”

 “However, if you intended it or not, your actions have helped me. You might not have had the intention, but your actions have still helped me.”

The student smiled. “And actions are more important than intent.”

Shang furrowed his brows.

“If you see it like this, sure. Then, no problem.”