Lightning Is the Only Way

The two of them remained silent for a couple of seconds.

"If you were more powerful than me, what would that change?" Gravis asked.

"I would have been able to help you with your Sin Aura," Stella answered immediately.

"And I wouldn't have comprehended the True Law of Suffering. By not being of much help, you helped me more than you could have helped by actually helping me," Gravis answered.

Stella frowned.

"Let me finish," Gravis interjected before Stella could say something. "I know that my words sounded very crass, but there is a point to all of this."

Stella suppressed her desire to interrupt Gravis.

"Now, if we ignore this entire Sin Aura thing. If you were more powerful than me, what could you do for me?" Gravis asked.

"I could protect you when-"Stella started, but she didn't finish her words as she realized something.

Gravis nodded. "Exactly," Gravis said when he saw that Stella realized the meaning behind his words. "Anything that endangers my life is tempering, and if I want to become more powerful, I can't have any help with that. As soon as I realize that my life actually isn't in danger since you will intervene, my Will-Aura won't be able to grow anymore."

"Now, let's assume you could give me a ton of Laws I don't know, and all these Laws would increase my Battle-Strength by an entire level. Would that make me safer?"

Stella grimaced.

"No, it wouldn't," Gravis added. "Because, when my Battle-Strength grows, I also have to fight even stronger opponents for tempering. In a sense, you giving me more Laws might actually endanger me more than if you didn't. My power increases, and to help my Will-Aura grow, I would need to put myself under even more danger."

"Then, when I am actually in danger of losing my life, you would have to retreat far away so that you can't possibly help me. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to temper myself."

"So, if you were more powerful than me, and if you could give me many more powerful Laws, you wouldn't be able to make my life safer."

"The same thing is true if you could give me incredible equipment. Due to the powerful equipment, my Battle-Strength increases, which means that I have to fight more powerful enemies."

"Now, what about if an enemy appears that I can't possibly win against? Sure, you could save my life and kill them yourself, but at that point, wouldn't you also be many times more powerful than me again?"

"Wouldn't the entire dynamic reappear but with switched sides?"

Stella's mind was trying to come to terms with what she heard.

She hadn't seen these things from that viewpoint.

"Alright, so, what can I do for you with my power?" Gravis asked.

Stella thought about protecting her, but that wasn't even true.

were even more powerful than Gravis.

Equipment?

already

was Gravis actually doing for

"Just based on my own merits, I don't deserve to

Gravis chuckled, and

I had given all these Laws

do you

explained. "Most of our friends died in temperings. Sure, some of them were also killed by far more powerful Cultivators, but a lot of them also simply died since they lost against their opponents. They could

they had more Laws, they would have fought more powerful enemies. Would they have survived

opponent when they are as powerful as you. When two opponents with the same power fight each other, Battle-Strength becomes irrelevant. After all, they are already equally as powerful.

ability to grow under pressure. If your ability to grow under pressure is below your opponent's, you will die. After all, if

The more you want to

a smirk. "You're fighting two or three levels above yourself. Sure, it wouldn't be anything special

able to comprehend new Laws during tempering, and you would inevitably die when you meet an opponent that comprehends a new Law

before, but you

still be able to fight, at least, one level above yourself, maybe even two. That's

Holy Maiden of a Peak Sect of

that you're unworthy of

the

talk about

Stella looked at Gravis.

at home

Ferris, and Exar would have died in their wild war against the other Sects. Without you, one more powerful Star God would have

nearly all of my friends and my son, just like they have saved yours in the war. I can deal with

absentmindedly at

Gravis said. "If I didn't know how much my death would hurt

gaze shot to Gravis

Gravis sighed.

Aura was unimaginably terrifying," Gravis said. "I was continually fighting against the desire to kill myself.

time, I didn't think about my father, or

death. Sure, Aris and Yersi would grieve for me, but

them. The death of a parent is horrible, but the

horrible thoughts," Gravis said as he looked with a pained expression to the side. "I didn't

of guilt for killing myself, but Mortis hadn't had someone back then. I could accept taking his life away too, as long as this torture would

get over my death, just how I got over their death. It sounds cold, but that's

me from just

Gravis looked at Stella.

"Except you."

a

you would be under unimaginable pain. A part