Way of the Knights

Chapter 314 - Improved Awareness

---

Spatial Awareness.

Normally, this refers to being aware of one's surroundings even though there are constant changes and movements. It's not quite similar to an eidetic memory, since even though the person who has a decent spatial awareness could tell if something was out of place even without looking. People who has this talent usually excels at archery, take Anne for example. 

That being said, there are also varying qualities of this talent. What the Elves - Tenrou and now Raven inherited is probably the highest quality of Spatial Awareness. 

Raven's perspective of the world changed. Though he cannot see it nor interact with it for now, he is aware of the new existence around him - well, not really new since space had always been there but he could sense it with more clarity now. 

To him, it feels like if he just exerted a lot of effort, he could somehow interact with space. However, Raven didn't dare to do so since he knew that this feeling is very deceiving. Moving space is more difficult than ascending a mountain, not to mention that he's new to this and is extremely inexperienced. 

Sure, Raven might've been able to interact with space before but that's either through the help of his brute strength, inscriptions or his laws. It is possible for him to warp space through his brute strength but he has to use every drop of strength he has available to do so. With inscriptions, he has to prepare at least a hundred seals and that's just to isolate things or humans. And for his laws, it just breaks space for a little bit to cause intense shockwaves but it repairs itself almost instantly. 

Those interactions he have was different from what he feels like he could do now. To him, it feels like he could somehow control how space behaves, he just needs guidance. Nevertheless, gaining this high quality of affinity towards space is not at the level of Space Laws just yet. Raven is not even confident if he could gain enlightenment for that. 

This fact was more evident with Time Laws as well. 

Being aware of space is one, but being constantly aware of Time existing around you - almost like a tangible object, is something that Raven, and probably all people who could feel the same, could never get used to. 

Time Awareness for him felt like being caressed by the gentlest gust of air. Only this air was constant and as it passes through it everything, it takes something that can never be taken back. This is profound impression that he had with the briefest exposure. 

Normally, Raven wouldn't like this feeling. But then again, this is Time. Careless experimentations might lead to dangerous aftermath so he just let it be for now. 

"The experience was different from what I had in my previous life." Raven murmured as he gently felt his surroundings, "Back then, I passed out before the process was finished. Causing the blood assimilation to lose potential, I thought that I didn't lose out on much since the process was almost finished. But boy, was I extremely wrong."

"I didn't know that just hanging on for a few more minutes could make such a difference but here we are." Raven mockingly said as he marveled at the new senses filling up his body. "Had I endured for a little bit more and stayed conscious throughout the process, I might've been able to gain enlightenment on those two laws back then."

"Well, it's not like it matters anymore." Raven muttered, "Time and Space Laws barely does anything to the high-leveled abyssals anyway. If anything, they might've targeted me earlier since I would be such of a huge threat."

"Still, who would've thought that I would become such a menace to the Abyssals even though I am one trick pony with my Earth Laws. It's always been fun to watch their dumbfounded faces whenever I transformed a piece of rock into a hulking meteor just before they took a bite of me." 

Raven chuckled as he looked onto the ceiling while remembering fond memories. 

"I could still remember when they sent a hundreds of abyssals just for me. It's so funny seeing how bloated they were."

This memory was one of the most glorious moments of Raven's previous life. As Raven was rising in ranks due to the war against the abyssals, the Abyssal Emperor saw him as a huge threat and sent a hundred abyssals after him. It had to be known that an abyssal child is able to destroy or devour a whole country within a day, it might even be faster depending on the circumstances. 

Abyssals that went after him were trained warriors of their race, even the weakest amongst their ranks could devour an entire plane or planet if they wanted to. 

When everyone thought that he was done for, Raven proved why he was to be feared. The comical scene of him throwing rocks at the abyssals, which was seen as a pitiful act of self preservation, had become the worst nightmares of all abyssals. 

As soon as the rocks left his hands, transformed into hulking meteors, leaving the abyssals with no choice but to devour them. Unfortunately, since Raven mastered Earth Laws back then, he could create as many rocks, or meteors, as he pleases to hurt them. In the end, the stomachs of the abyssals were filled for the for the first time but not with humans, but with rocks. 

In the end, he made the meteors inside their bodies explode. And with his survival, Humanity experienced their first real victory against the abyssals. It was also then that Raven was appointed as one of the leaders of humanity. 

"Ah, what fun times." Raven murmured as he shook his head. "But that was the past. In the end, I was completely outclassed by the Abyssal Emperor. I even had to opt for mutual destruction. A last ditch effort to out with a boom, but I had no way of knowing if he would survive my self destruction or not."

"Well, not that I would ever know since I'm here now." Raven muttered. 

"Needless to say, it would be different this time." He proclaimed as he looked up with gleaming eyes. "If you thought I was annoying with my rocks back then, let's see if I would still be outclassed by you again."

*Grumbles*

"But first, lunch." Raven looked at Venus and said: "Come girl, I'll prepared some boar stew."

***

"It's seems that I was right. Something really did change here."

In a vast forest filled with gloom and decay, a man could be seen walking gently like he was at his yard. This man is evidently old, proved with the fact that his back was bent and he needs the assistance of a cane to keep him stable. 

His head was mostly bald, except for a few strands of white hair left on the sides. His forehead was wrinkled, so much so that it drooped down and was almost covering his eyes. His brows as well as his long facial hairs were also white. His nose was large and has a couple of warts, his long earlobes dangled down and almost reached his shoulders, he's also wearing three hollowed earrings on each ear.

He wore a loose grey robe with white hems. He's also wearing loose pants and a pair of wooden sandals. 

The old man looked around at the dead forest which appeared to be calm and undisturbed on the surface. He was indifferent about the fact that he was surrounded with decayed skeletal remains of beasts who tried became the victim of this hungry forest. 

His steps were light and even, but each step he made carried him closer and closer to the depths of the forest with incredible speed. This alone proves that this old man was far from being ordinary. 

It only took him a total of five steps in order to reach the core of the forest from the entrance. He suddenly found himself looking up to a tall black tree with dark leaves and pulsing purple core. 

He took normal steps and arrived closer to inspect this told tree. His eyes concentrated at its core since it was the source of the irregularity that he felt. 

"Would you look at that." The old man smiled and laughed out loud, causing him to wheeze and clutch his chest to calm his troubled heart. 

He cleared his throat and look at the core of the tree. More precisely, the color at the center of the core. 

The core was still mostly purple but at it's center, there is a trace of blue and pink colors that chased after each other in an endless cycle. 

This caused the old man to show a kind smile and say: "The Young Bud finally has the courage to correct it's ways. What a joyous day it is."

He stepped closer to the tree and caressed the trunk fondly. "I cannot wait until you bloom once more so that we could dream together. Until then, I'll wait for you."

He then turned around and looked at a distance. A smile crept up to his face once more as he said:

"Well then, I should pay a visit to this young man so that I could thank him personally."