Chapter 287: Two Personalities, One Personality (1/2)
”Where did that suddenly come from?” Lasar asked. ”You've thought about this debt for over a year, and now you just say that everything is resolved? Sounds like a waste of time to me.”
Gravis didn't get angry at that comment. By now, he had regained his calm mind. ”I have no other choice,” he said.
Lasar lifted a brow. ”That sounds weird. What happened?”
While waiting for Gravis' answer, Lasar informed the still present Patriarch and Grand Elder that they should wait a minute. He was still in the middle of explaining how Gravis could become so strong but had to stop due to Gravis contacting him.
Gravis told Lasar everything that happened in the last couple of minutes and also his predictions regarding that situation. After Gravis was finished explaining, Lasar scratched his stubble with his fingers.
”This is interesting,” Lasar said in thought. ”And you say that this is basically the same feeling that you had had when you were under the influence of Lightning's Temperament in the Proxy-Lightning Guild?”
”Yes. It's exactly the same,” Gravis answered.
”Huh, I think I know what's going on with you,” Lasar said. ”You might know more about how Heaven and the world works, but don't forget that I have been the Sect Master of the Lightning Sect for a while. I have a lot of experience in that regard, and I saw a lot of people being influenced by Lightning's Temperament. So, please take my following words seriously, okay?”
Gravis nodded. ”Sure, but you didn't have to show your authority on the subject like that. I wouldn't take your words lightly either way.”
Lasar smiled a little. ”That's good to hear. Anyway, I think that you are constantly being influenced by Lightning's Temperament, even when you're calm.”
Gravis furrowed his brows. ”I'm not sure if that makes sense. After all, I don't just kill someone as soon as they look at me the wrong way.”
”Let me finish,” Lasar said. ”Let's say we have two kinds of personalities that an elemental cultivator always has. One personality is their own, while the other is the personality of their element. This makes sense, right?”
Gravis nodded. ”Sure.”
Lasar lifted a finger. ”So, we could say that these personalities are living in the same body, or under the same roof, if you want to call it like that. The main personality is always in charge and is the one to act, while the second personality keeps itself hidden away. Yet, when the main personality does something that the second personality is entirely against, the second personality will show its disagreement.”
Lasar continued explaining. ”Depending on the second personality, or depending on the element if you want, it acts in different ways. In the case of the earth element, for example, it will just leave. In the case of lightning, since it doesn't like to be restrained, it tries to take over control. That's when the person is affected by Lightning's Temperament. Makes sense up to now?”
Gravis nodded. ”Yes. I think that's a pretty good analogy.”
Lasar also nodded. ”Now, in this case, the two personalities are two completely separate entities that can't communicate with each other. The second personality just watches the main personality and judges everything only based on action. The how and why of those actions are irrelevant to it.”
”Now, in your case, I think this works differently,” Lasar said. ”Because your Spirit is adapted to lightning, this second personality has fused with you to some degree. I think it didn't fuse completely, but only to a certain degree. Yet, this fusion allows the two personalities to exchange concepts.”
Gravis continued listening in interest. ”What gave you that idea?” he asked.
”The fact that you could calm your lightning down by forgoing the debt,” Lasar explained. ”Think back to when you have been influenced by Lightning's Temperament. Would any rationale or reasoning have stopped you from going berserk?”
Gravis thought back and shook his head. ”I doubt it. I was basically completely blinded by rage.”
”Exactly!” Lasar transmitted with more enthusiasm. ”Now, think about what you did just now. Did your emotions only calm down after you have officially forfeited the debt, or did they calm down when you made the decision? This is important!”
Gravis didn't even need to think about the answer. ”As soon as I decided to forsake the debt, my rage quickly died down. I was already fully calm before I contacted you.”
Lasar nodded. ”Just as I thought. Remember how I said earlier that the second personality only cares about the actions and not the reasoning behind it? In your case, the lightning was able to understand your intent and reasoning and calmed down even before you actually acted. This is not how it works with normal people.”
Gravis realized several things and fell into thought. ”That makes sense. If I couldn't reason with my lightning, I wouldn't have been able to hold myself back until you arrived. I would have just killed the old man. Yet, due to my incomplete fusion, the lightning still demanded justice. It held back because it understood that being angry wouldn't help.”
Gravis then furrowed his brows. ”Though, any other lightning cultivator wouldn't have had such a violent reaction due to only one incident. It normally takes multiple such incidents of when the cultivator and the element don't agree with each other to create such a huge conflict. Yet, with me, it happened directly in the first instance.”