Lightning Is the Only Way

Gravis thought about what the Empress had said for a while. 'I'm absolutely sure that no human would get something like that as soon as they reach the Nascent Nourishing Realm. Father said that there is some kind of secret weapon that humans get when they reach the Nascent Nourishing Realm, but this surely isn't it.'

Gravis looked at the horizon with narrowed eyes. 'I think this is another one of Heaven's ways to keep the beasts powerful enough to serve as tempering. The beasts probably don't have access to this secret weapon that humans have, which is why Heaven bestows a Law upon the beasts.'

'Additionally, for beasts that haven't come into contact with the Laws before, understanding a Law might give them the start they need to understand more. I'm pretty sure that Heaven teaches the Laws differently than when I have absorbed the Punishment Lightning. Otherwise, this would make no sense,' Gravis thought.

Then, Gravis looked at the Empress again. "I've got another question."

"Go ahead," the Empress said. She didn't really mind talking to Gravis. After all, the whole matter with the competition had passed, and now she had way too much time on her hands again.

"Are there situations where beasts immediately die as soon as they become Kings?" Gravis asked.

The eyes of the Empress widened. "How did you know?" she asked.

Gravis had already put his armor away and scratched his chin in thought. "So, there is. That's what I have expected."

Father has said that this might make it harder for me to understand my first other Law, which had been proven true. Without my father's guidance and the unreal pressure in my fight against the

must transport the minds of the beasts into some kind of

narrowed his eyes. 'Yet, not all beasts are able to comprehend Laws. This means that some beasts just wouldn't be able to leave this space. According to what I know of Heaven's conduct, it wouldn't allow such inferior

with some annoyance, "I asked you how you knew that." She had watched Gravis looking at the horizon for

had pulled Gravis out of his thoughts, and he looked back at her. "I was lost in thought. I

Empress furrowed her brows. "How does this make sense? If you don't know about this, there is no way to extrapolate something like this from context clues. So, how did you know?"

lot of secrets, and I don't want

with patience, but you say you can't answer my own?" she

he answered. "Due to my background, I know a lot about the workings of the world, but that knowledge is

other beast had said these things to the Empress, she would have scoffed at them. Yet, Gravis' powers and

about threatening Gravis, but as far as she had seen, Gravis

as he looked at the Empress. "There is something that has been bothering me for the longest time, and if

share? Who can force you to

complicated expression on his face. "Sadly, that's part of my secrets. I can only tell you that I haven't lied to you

Gravis so secretive all of a sudden? On top of that, she remembered that he was still a Lord. Why did it feel like she was speaking to an equal rather than someone way weaker than her? This whole situation felt surreal to

the Empress sighed again. She decided to concede. It felt weird to her to concede to some Lord, but the potential gains may be worth the loss. If Gravis' secrets were bullshit, she could still