Lightning Is the Only Way

Gravis wasn't sure how he should feel right now.

Joyce had definitely become someone that couldn't be saved anymore, and her actions were more than enough to kill her.

Yet, Gravis just couldn't forget the young girl he had met back then.

Joyce had traveled the lower world to hand out gifts for eventual repayment.

When Gravis had met Joyce again in her Clan, their start had been rough, but Joyce had even managed to convince Gravis somewhat that he was running away from his emotions.

Joyce had been a very kind girl back then, and she even had issues accepting when anyone died in front of her. She saw these deaths as unnecessary.

However, this was exactly one of the things that had drawn Gravis to her.

Gravis had been in a dark place back then, and he had acted like a cynical teenager. He had constantly told everyone how difficult he had it and how many bad things had happened to him.

In a sense, Joyce had been a pure and innocent light in a world of oppressive darkness for Gravis. Joyce had had something that Gravis had lost.

They had even promised each other that they would be together when they reached the highest world.

Sadly, they had both changed severely, and they were no longer compatible.

Mortis shared these same memories, and maybe that was also one of the reasons why he was even attracted to Joyce.

If Joyce and Mortis hadn't met each other before, they might not have ended up together. They weren't even truly that compatible.

'Maybe her extreme purity back then resulted in her becoming the other extreme,' Gravis thought with a sigh. 'Her innocence couldn't possibly have survived until now, even if she tried to preserve it.'

Joyce's death made Gravis think, but he didn't have any great emotional reaction to her death.

It was like Gravis had long accepted that Joyce would eventually die like this.

Because of that, Gravis' mind quickly went back to the deaths of his other friends.

Liam, Styr, Sary, Skye, Yi Lu, Siral.

of them

from beside Gravis. "They made their choice, and they had

the distance. "Everyone believes that they won't die. After all, it hasn't happened before. We know

is so normal that it

they knew that they would certainly

Aris didn't answer.

of you, but if I had to

Gravis looked at Aris.

your life for

sighed and shook his

Aris felt guilty

put his hand on Aris' shoulder. "Don't feel guilty. We are Cultivators, and we chase power so that we can survive. I don't want you

much pain and have lived for so long that

the ones that have given

Gravis' words, and his guilt

feel guilty for feeling exactly like

seconds of silence passed in which Aris was only

negligible by now, you are still able to teach me such things?" Aris asked with a

slightly. "Teaching isn't necessarily a superior instructing someone inferior. A Forger can teach an Alchemist about forging, and an Alchemist can teach a Forger about

In our case, I just know a lot about Sentience

asked with

Spirit's disposition. If I didn't have the ability to just directly absorb Heavenly Lightning, you would know more about lightning than me. After all, you even

surprised when he heard that, but

and knowledge about lightning had always been far superior to his. He still remembered how Gravis

it weren't for that ability, Aris would be superior to Gravis right

sense, Aris had overtaken Gravis in that

that he

overtaken his father in one

the end, Battle-Strength was the most important thing, and Aris

asked, changing the topic. "Liam died.

powerful than me since he knows two level seven

"Makes sense," Gravis commented.