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."

sword,' Gravis thought. 'The Law of Punishment Lightning has basically been granted to me by the lightning itself, not by Heaven. 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

wants all the beasts to become powerful. Therefore, Heaven must transport the minds of the

Laws. This means that some beasts just wouldn't be able to leave this

knew that." She had watched Gravis looking at the horizon for a while now, even though she had asked him

her. "I was lost in thought. I didn't know that specifically, but it made sense in

is no way to extrapolate something like this from context clues.

a lot of secrets, and I don't want to tell just anyone about that. I'm

with patience, but you say

my background, I know a lot about the workings of the world, but that knowledge is

have scoffed at them. Yet, Gravis' powers and conduct were incredibly strange and atypical. He had shown powers that could

thought about threatening Gravis, but as far as she had seen, Gravis didn't appear to be a beast that was susceptible

something that has been bothering me for the longest time, and if you can accept this condition, I will tell you as much

as you're allowed to share? Who can force you to keep your secrets with me present? You said yourself that you are not part

expression on his face. "Sadly, that's part of my secrets. I can only tell

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

concede to some Lord, but the potential gains may be worth the loss. If Gravis'