There’s no denying it, I am a lucky being. Through the three lives that I can currently remember I have made so many mistakes, done so many stupid things that should’ve killed me and destroyed my soul making it impossible for me to ever reincarnate again. Never forget, in the world of martial cultivation and magic only two things matter. Luck and Determination.

- Nicholas Freeney

Despite everything I’ve said about how healing the elemental sea’s felt to me, they are more dangerous then you can possibly imagine, especially the Lightning Sea. Lightning essence is extremely volatile, as everyone knows the vast majority of mage-apprentices who die during their initial awakenings and training are lightning mages. Even warriors who decide to focus on the lightning path suffer a far greater percentage of injuries and setbacks in training than other warriors. Yet, people are always willing to risk those injuries and the few lightning mages who survive to reach the peak of their powers are incredibly powerful! This is due to the very nature of lightning; it is untamed, violent, explosive, and fast! Speed second only to light, explosiveness exceeding even that of fire, it can be considered to be the ultimate destructive element!

As an unprotected soul, there is no way that I should’ve been able to survive even a millisecond in that sea. Only the most powerful masters of cultivation and arch-mages could even hope to survive on that sea. The only reason I survived for so long, was even healed by the sea, is because when I used that forbidden technique so long ago I actually became lightning essence in a way. My soul was forever changed that day, and I could’ve been destroyed so many times over that to this day just thinking of all the things that could’ve gone wrong forces me to break into a cold sweat. Then, to make matters worse I actually plunged deep into the Lightning Sea with a damaged soul. I have made many mistakes over the course of all of my lives, but that explosion is hands down the worst of them all. I should have died that day, no questions about it. I got lucky.

Pain

There are no words that can describe what damaging your soul feels like, only experienced experts who have withstood powerful soul attacks can possibly understand. Even then, what they experienced is only a minor annoyance, a bug bite, compared to what happened to me that day. For the second time since I used that forbidden technique holes were torn through my soul, and I was forced into hibernation.

I was never sure how long I slept this time, only that in comparison to the millenia that I know passed during my first period of hibernation, this was over much faster. I slowly, groggily came to awareness only to receive the greatest shock since the last time I awoke. Growling slightly, I tenderly moved. I moved!

“There, there, don’t move. You haven’t fully recovered yet, pup.”

Shocked, I turned my head…. Wait, I have a head! The happiness I felt at being able to move, even with the massive amounts of pain even the slightest movement sent through my body! Only someone who has been paralyzed for a decade or two, unable to move anything but his eyes, could possibly understand what having a body meant to me at that moment. Tears were instantly streaming down my face as I happily jumped about. Finally, it hurt too much to move anymore and I layed down on the floor, happily crying my heart out.

Thankfully, he walked into my view at that point, because I couldn't have turned even an inch to face him. I nearly fainted in shock, staring at the massive wolf standing in front of me. He was nearly 15 feet tall even while standing on four legs, with a coat of startling blue that seemed to be moving. Looking closer, I realized that he was actually covered with lightning! The lightning was streaking from his head towards his tails in an intricate pattern of interwoven bolts. The three tails were a fiery red and they seemed to be absorbing the energy from the constant, coiling lightning running down his body. With a massive grin on his face, the nearly foot long scimitar shaped fangs that stuck out over his lower lip made me relieve myself on the ground as I shook in terror.

What is this thing?!?!?!?!?

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA” his booming laugh shook the room, while thunder fit to destroy the universe shook through the sky. Looking into his startlingly purple eyes, I just couldn’t imagine a more terrifying, majestic being than this.

Suddenly, another voice rang through the room from outside as a massive ball of white fire flew through the open door at an insane speed. “RAIJU! What the hell do you think you’re doing laughing like that in the middle of the night?!?! You’re disturbing the peace!”

With a lazy swipe of his tails, the ball of fire dispersed into nothingness leaving behind only a slight warmth in the room. “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA” The attack from outside seemed to have only encouraged the massive wolf to make more noise.

More voices came from outside the room, “Why the hell is he our Emperor?!?” and, “You awoke the Empress, you shall suffer!” and, “We should depose him! Exile the Emperor!!!!” more and more cries for his death, exile, and torture seemed to come from the angry mob forming outside the door. Yet, all this only seemed to make him laugh harder, “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA”. The laughter continued, and at this point I finally stopped pissing myself. Not because I wasn’t scared out of my wits, but rather because my rather small bladder was so empty that I didn’t need to piss again for a week.

Suddenly, the first voice I’d heard carried over the rest authoritatively, “SHUT UP!!! You’re just encouraging him I’ll deal with this!” Then, another fireball came through the door. Except, it was much smaller and faster. Before the laughing wolf could even react it’d smashed into his tongue and down his throat. “That should shut him up.”

Walking through the door was the most beautiful being I had ever seen. While the huge wolf apparently called Raiju was rolling around on the floor breathing out smoke and coughing, I couldn’t help but happily yelp at my savior. She was much shorter than the massive wolf, only about eight feet tall and HOT! I don’t mean sexy hot, although she was that, I mean surface of the sun HOT! Her skin was the most startling white, while her red hair and blue clothes seemed to burn on her body. Suddenly, I realized that she was actually made of fire! Suddenly, I was just as scared of her as I was the massive wolf.

The woman smiled at me warmly, then glared at the wolf saying, “You’ve frightened him! I should never have agreed to let you stay in here.” Then, she reached down to pick me up. HOT HOT HOT!!!

Yelping, I tried to run away but she held on tight refusing to let me go. From the floor, the wolf seemed to have finally put the fire in his throat out because he started laughing again, “You blame me for scaring him and here you are burning him! HAHAHAHAHAHA”

She seemed to realize what she was doing to me as the smell of my burning fur came to her nose, her pale face was suddenly full of color as she blushed, “Shit, I forgot!” Despite my yelping, she still didn’t put me down. Instead, the fire on my body seemed to change. Going from unbearably, scorching hot to comfortingly warm. I even felt the various aches and pains of my body slowly disappearing as she smiled down at me. “Sorry, little one.” The comforting warmth seemed to seep into my bones, into my very soul. I let out a single growl of satisfaction before the drowsy feeling overtook me sending me deep into sleep.