Lightning Is the Only Way

This time, no one else at the seventh level spoke up. Who was Gravis kidding? That guy with the Will-Aura was already one of the top people at the seventh level of Energy Gathering in the Fire Guild. That guy was already able to fight people at the eighth stage, yet Gravis just killed that guy with a single attack.

They all sighed. Gravis hadn't been kidding when he said that only supreme geniuses at the eighth level of Energy Gathering and people at the ninth could fight him. Someone at the eighth level of Energy Gathering would similarly get stomped into the ground if they didn't have a Will-Aura.

The disciples at the eighth stage also breathed heavily. None of them had a Will-Aura. Why would someone at the eighth stage with a Will-Aura fight someone at the sixth stage? Gravis sure wouldn't. It was only natural to think that there was nothing for them to gain in such a fight.

"Argh! I'll go!" shouted a disciple at the eighth level of Energy Gathering. "You cowards won't dare to fight someone at the sixth level? Why are you all even part of the Fire Guild!?" he shouted at the crowd.

The other disciples first wanted to stop him from going. This was suicide! Yet, when he called them cowards, their concern vanished and got replaced by disdain. Fighting a battle that one couldn't win is not bravery but stupidity. There, at least, had to be some chance of victory. That stupid idiot called them cowards? Fuck that guy!

Gravis was quite surprised that someone at the eighth level of Energy Gathering still wanted to fight him. 'Well, in over a thousand people, there has to be at least one idiot, I guess,' he thought. Everyone around the disciple knew that he couldn't win because they were actually somewhat rational people. 'Well, more Energy and money for me,' Gravis thought.

The disciple threw a pill over, and Gravis looked at it. This time, Gravis' eyes furrowed. "This is not one of the accepted pills," Gravis said as he threw it back. The others looked in shock at Gravis and the pill. Sure enough, it was not one of the pills on the banner.

"What? You won't accept this pill? Are you a coward?!" the disciple shouted, but the others didn't buy it. Their disdain increased even further. The guy wanted to act tough but never intended on actually fighting.

him. He quickly handed over a pill bottle with a

bottle, and his brain stopped working. He didn't see that one

that's one of the acceptable pills," said Gravis from a distance and extended his open hand. "Come on, throw it over! We can fight then," he

breathing heavily through his mouth in panic. This

KICK!

back at his disciple brothers and sisters in shock. He now stood in the front, away from all other disciples. "Come on, you can do it, senior brother!" shouted one

panic and fear heightened, and cold sweat appeared all

crowd to Gravis and then at the crowd again. In his panicked mind, there was only one thing he

WHOOSH PACK!

pill to Gravis, who caught it with a smirk. The disciples quietened down and looked at the guy with shock. He actually went through with it! With this, he had regained all his previous

will die, yet

challenging fight he would ever have in his life. If he managed to get through this, he would manage to get through every other obstacle as well. This was

BANG!

from the other side of the arena. 'Why do people close their eyes in front of an enemy? Are they stupid?'

just spars. They sparred with their disciple brothers and sisters and in tournaments. In such spars, it was forbidden to attack the opponent when they were not ready yet. Even if that were allowed, why would they do that? The actual fight in a spar was more important than winning or losing. If the opponent hadn't readied themselves, they couldn't get

world. Here, the disciples mostly sparred to get stronger. Real life and death battles mainly happened with beasts. Together with the karmic luck of humans, over 90% of all encounters with beasts were initiated by humans in an ambush. It was really rare for beasts to ambush humans. So, even in an actual life and death battle, humans