Lightning Is the Only Way

Gravis wasn't sure how he should feel. He had just realized that the children he had fathered and loved for millions of years had actually never existed.

Yet, on the other hand, it only felt natural not to have strong emotional attachments to things that weren't real.

It was just like a long dream.

"How was it?" Mortis asked from the side.

Gravis looked at Mortis with a bitter smile. "Just like you would think. However, I really don't feel much attachment to the things I have experienced and the people I have met. It really feels like a dream."

Mortis took a deep breath.

He knew that Gravis' personality was very stable, and he knew that Gravis wouldn't feel any issues.

However, what about Mortis?

Would he react this calmly?

"Now, it's your turn," Orthar said to Mortis. "Are you ready?"

Mortis took another deep breath and nodded.

Orthar nodded and extended his hand towards Mortis.

And then, Mortis' eyes became vacant.

Gravis looked at Mortis with interest.

"I thought this was instantaneous," Gravis said.

"I can only make time move so fast," Orthar explained. "Samsara doesn't need to invent things. All the perceived realities are already there, and it only has to replay them. That's why Samsara is instantaneous."

"In comparison, I have to continually manage the perceived reality Mortis is currently experiencing. I can only make it move so fast without endangering the management of the actual Cosmos," Orthar explained.

"Huh, so even you can't do anything," Gravis added with a smirk.

"Of course not," Orthar said. "I'm not some omnipotent being. I'm a Cultivator, just like you and everyone else. The only difference is that you can create life via procreation, while I can create a Cosmos. It's not very different. It's only on a grander scale."

"Okay, so how long will Mortis take?" Gravis asked.

"About five years. That's how long it took you."

"Five years? That's pretty fast," Gravis answered.

Orthar didn't answer for several seconds.

"What did you feel during the end of your perceived reality?" Orthar suddenly asked.

"Tons of regret," Gravis answered immediately. "However, that's only natural. I want to cultivate anyway, and I knew from the beginning that I wouldn't truly be happy if things turned out this way."

"Sure, living a fulfilling life with all my friends and family is great, but it's simply too short. I want to cultivate, but when I have been in the perceived reality, it was like I've simply accepted that I wouldn't cultivate anymore."

"Now that I'm awake, it feels so stupid. Why wouldn't I just continue cultivating? That would've solved all my regrets," Gravis said. "In a sense, I feel like I've never had the chance to do what I wanted, which makes the entire dream feel surreal. It's like someone else has lived my life."

Orthar nodded. "That's a good response. Someone with strong convictions won't feel attached to the dream since it forces you into doing something you don't truly want to do. That's also why the dream has basically no effect on you."

"What about Mortis?" Gravis asked.

Orthar only looked at Mortis.

"Huh?" Mortis said in confusion as he opened his eyes.

was currently sitting on

asked with a frown. "You said you

Mortis quickly said

was now

no longer hinged on

and Orthar had gotten over

continue cultivating with Stella, while Mortis had

to watch the sunset

never had

to Mortis, he felt a

in the past had finally become

to fear his future since he and

days on the cliff, just staying by each other's side. None of the two of them spoke during all of this. In comparison to Stella and Gravis, Mortis and Azure were on the

long as Azure didn't have something to complain about. As soon as she could complain about something, she

enjoyed

since they wouldn't cultivate anymore. Staying in the Cultivation world would only invite danger, and the two of

entire world, and they looked at

but as soon as he had decided to

was so interesting how the instincts of young and weak animals and beasts

that, Mortis started to think of them as cute

some children," Azure said at

all these thoughts about simple and weak beings had been a manifestation

"Yes, let's," Mortis answered.

of children, but these new children would be

had had no emotional attachments to her children back then, but things were

children, and they watched them from a distance. Since Azure was a beast and Mortis counted as half a beast, the children were born with beast bodies,

Mortis looked at

the kids didn't feel any kind of familial love towards

and Mortis were used

to be there

didn't mind that their

also been like that in the past, and

had died,

to Azure and Mortis for their

the two of them to

Mortis felt a

in total left, three million as an Ancestral God, and ten million as a Divine God,'

a long life

at one point, it will

Mortis spent their time together with their family, and eventually, it was time to become

of my total life have passed, and ten

'I'm still young.'

time passed, Mortis

and death came closer, Mortis felt

have so much time left. I've already lived for so long, and only this little

Death was coming closer.

of years, Mortis and Azure

want

to stay together

However, they couldn't.

they would always look towards the end. School holidays and vacations

looked towards

time dragged on, they would keep in mind how long

the end drew closer, the person would feel

Mortis wasn't ready yet.