Lightning Is the Only Way

Even though Deryl's awareness was numbed, he was sure that he wasn't so numb that he was hallucinating. The mysterious new disciple was talking to him. Nobody in the Lightning Sect knew exactly what was up with this person. He just showed up a little over a month ago and kept hanging around Old Man Lightning and the Sect Master.

This person was also responsible for granting the new generation the Destruction Lightning. On top of that, that person had created the tree in the middle of the plaza. Yet, no disciple had ever talked to him. It was always only the Sect Master or Old Man Lightning talking with him.

In total, all disciples in the Lightning Sect had no idea about Gravis. They didn't even know his name. They didn't know where he came from or why he was here. They only knew that he popped up out of nowhere. Gravis' unique status also created a divide between him and the other disciples.

"Sure," Deryl said absentmindedly. He wasn't sure how to proceed since he was just so shocked that this elusive new disciple was talking to him.

Gravis sat down and ordered some Spirit Wine for himself. For once, he wanted to see why people drank it. Was it a pleasure? Gravis wasn't sure. He couldn't imagine something that numbed his Spirit to be pleasurable. His drinks with Ballor were too long ago, and he was also younger. Maybe one needed some maturity to enjoy it.

"Tell me about your fight with the bird," Gravis said. He wanted to know how Skye's parent had died.

Deryl felt his insides shake. That was a memory that he didn't want to remember. The fight with the bird had been the worst day of his life. "I'd rather not," Deryl said.

'As expected,' Gravis thought. If someone with a Will-Aura didn't want to talk about something, then that something was probably a traumatic experience.

"Then let me tell you a story. Today, you and I are similar. I guess that the second person that didn't return from the mission was someone important to you. I have also lost someone important to me, and I want to tell you about it," Gravis said.

Deryl smiled sadly. "You're right," Deryl said with a shaking voice. "I have lost my love in the fight, and I don't want to remember it. I only want to forget." Deryl drank some of his Spirit Wine. "If you want to share your experience, I will listen."

looking at it for a while. The Spirit Wine created a burning sensation in his throat, but that was negligible compared to his will. He went

went after it," Gravis started narrating this tale. Of course, he didn't go into detail.

Deryl heard "big green bird', his insides shook. That sounded exactly like the bird he had killed. Did this

the tree but didn't reveal the element or identities of his opponents. That

he stayed together with the birds, Deryl started realizing that was happening. His heart sank as he realized that the close person that died was the bird he had killed. His inebriation quickly started vanishing as nervousness and fear started building.

close they were. Of course, he also told Deryl about Skye's parent. When Deryl heard that the parent bird reached the

Spirit Wine every couple of minutes, yet nothing happened. He felt no different than before. Gravis guessed that the ingredient that would numb his

as a body that has been thrown

transformed into fear for his life. Yes, he was still in a slump due to his dead lover, but as soon as a threat appeared,

initiative. "So, tell me about

in these hunts. We wanted to ascend together, so we always were together. Like this, if one dies, the other one would die too. There was no reason to keep living if

Deryl's voice started becoming shaky at this point. "We fought for a couple of minutes but couldn't win. It's way of fighting was brilliant. We also couldn't flee since it was

down his raging emotions. "Seline said that she had a plan. She would distract it, and I would only need to release all my power in one slash. I regained hope, and I followed her instructions. She took the initiative to attack, and it attacked back. At some point,

could react," his words started becoming hard to decipher due to his emotions, "she had released all the lightning in her body. She had compressed it inside her body and made it explode. The bird was

himself more than to Deryl. With Deryl's inebriation, will, and similar temperament to lightning, he wouldn't lie about something like this. This was not the

Gravis said as he stood up

didn't intend to kill him? Why? "You're leaving? Just like that?" he asked involuntarily. After speaking these

die. Killing you because you were