Lightning Is the Only Way

When Gravis heard Aris speak, he felt like he was meeting someone completely new.

Aris had always had inner conflicts. Some parts of human psychology and beast psychology battled in his mind. One side told him that he should get into contact with others more and join a group, while another part of himself told him that he didn't need all that. He only needed power.

Gravis knew of all these inner conflicts, but when he saw Aris again, he felt that the conflicts had been resolved.

The Opposer had told Aris that he should go into a world where the tempering was organization-based, not species-based. In that world, humans and beasts joined the same powers, and they lived in relative harmony with each other. The enemies were not the ones that didn't look like them, but the ones belonging to other powers.

Apparently, living in such a world for such a long time had done a lot to shape Aris' personality.

Well, that and time. After all, Aris had spent nearly 200,000 years in that world.

"Aris," Gravis said with a smile on his face as he came closer. Then, Gravis looked Aris up and down. "Honestly, when I just saw you, I thought that I saw another version of myself. You really resemble me."

Aris smiled slightly.

Pack!

Gravis' eyes widened as Aris pulled him into a hug.

"I missed you, father," Aris said.

Gravis was taken aback as he heard Aris' words.

Without noticing it, Gravis' feelings were going wild.

Gravis had always told himself that his children were beasts and that it was normal for them to not want to spend any time with him. He knew that, and that was why he always gave them their free space.

However, this didn't mean that Gravis didn't wish for a deep connection with his son.

After all, Aris was his son!

Even if they hadn't met for a long time, Aris was still one of the most important beings in his life.

returned the hug

Aris had hugged

such a

"As your father, it was my

looked into each other's

you were an honest person, I would have doubted these words," Aris said with a smile. "When I joined my Sect, I saw how hard it was for human parents to let go of their children.

children left for a fight, and whenever I saw that, I was reminded of

sighed with a bitter smile. "It was difficult. It was hard to see you guys growing up in the wilds while constantly having to fight off other beasts. It was hard to see you guys leave for the Tribes to temper yourselves,

were not high for you to return alive, and

as he put his arms on Aris' shoulders. "But here you are! You've

have matured, and I now realize how much of a burden I must have been

Gravis repeated. "You've

said with a more serious voice. "Even now,

looked at Aris, and he saw that

been saved by sheer luck a couple of times," Aris said. "For Heaven, I count as a beast, and

because I am your

hard to stay important to Heaven so

an awkward

awkwardly. "I didn't really work that

remembered the tens of thousands of years

Working hard?

Eeehhhh.

on Gravis' shoulder. "You're human, just like half of all beings. You can't work yourself to the bone at all times,

Even with the inclusion of all the natural worlds, only one beast arrives for every two humans. Humans don't have worlds where only humans are, but beasts have worlds where only beasts are. If there were no natural worlds, not even one in a hundred Ascenders would be

an outcome is uncertain. When two parties have the same power, it's

In a sense, it hurts my pride, but I also know that luck shouldn't be a deciding factor in

middle world while we all looked down on you time and time again, forcing you to prove your

were willing to help us so much

exchange. You would get the chance to reach the Nascent Nourishing Realm, and we would get the gift of life. Our mother abandoned us, and there was nothing to it. I'm partially a beast, and I realize that

beasts with mindsets completely unlike human mindsets. We didn't feel any love for you, and we only saw you as a more powerful beast of our race. We didn't think about your survival, and

but you still never stopped loving us. You helped us time and time again, even though we were

you also have to think about your