Descent of the Demon Master

“I loathe to admit this, but my abilities are a mess,” said Wiggins, his voice calm and contemplative. “I’ve tried to learn far too many things, my lord. And that includes sword and magic techniques. Once upon a time, these two things served as a foundation for me to surpass others. Now, though, they are nothing more than fetters holding me back.”

Everyone listening nodded in silence.

A man who could do two things well was far more useful than another person who could only do one thing. However, that was only true when both people boasted a similar level of capabilities.

Compared to a person boasting 100 points of proficiency in one thing, a man with 100 points of proficiency in two things was obviously superior. However, what if the latter boasted only 80 points in those two things?

Then the situation would change somewhat.

The advantage of mastering both only meant something if you could keep pace with others mastering only one.

Attaining complete mastery of both swordsmanship and magic would make you far, far superior to those mastering only the sword or magic. However, what if you had not attained such mastery in either of those disciplines? It meant you were taking on training several times harsher and heavier in load compared to your peers.

Initially, it might have been doable. Wiggins was a genius, after all. A man who possessed latent talents others couldn’t dare imitate.

But he was a human being at the end of the day, and all humans were bound to run into the “wall” sooner or later. In martial arts, overcoming just one wall was enough to push a person's mental strength to the absolute brink. And it could even lead to heart demons, too.

But Wiggins had to overcome two separate walls because he mastered two different paths. That didn’t sound like something a sane person should subject themselves to.

Wiggins was no fool, so he knew this, too.