Way of the Knights

Chapter 504 - New Batch

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?? Palace within the Crown Space.

"Alright, everything I need is ready." Raven murmured, his eyes then gleamed with a profound shine as he said: "Let's start."

Walking inside the floating nebula of Equinox Waters, he went into a meditative state for a bit in order to clear his mind off of distractions. Once his focus was sharp enough, he then reviewed the methods for the 4th Stage of Myriad Incarnations Scripture just so that he won't make a mistake in the process. He only has one batch of materials he needed, if he messes up then he'll have to accumulate Merit Points again. 

After memorizing the methods by heart, Raven relaxed for a bit and then started the process. 

A series of profound chants and runic images started emanating from him. The ingredients he needed for this process had been prepared and was already being consumed from the moment he started chanting. 

Raven felt a tinge of headache assaulting him but he didn't dare to lose focus. This headache is caused by more thought partitions emerging, which means the process is working as intended. As the materials gradually disappear, several silhouettes started manifesting around him. 

There were 18 in total. At first, they started as a mere outline but as time goes by, they started looking more and more like Raven until they became an exact copy of him. 

Although the body of the new batch of Avatars were ready, the process isn't done just yet. The additional thought chambers in his brain are still in the process of being created, only when 18 more thought chambers finished manifesting and connecting to each Avatar, would this process be done. 

The creation of additional thought chambers took the longest. Raven sat within the Equinox Water Nebula for five straight days just creating them, the headache he's experiencing was getting stronger as time passed but Raven wasn't fazed by this even in the slightest. 

At midnight of the fifth day, the 18th thought chamber was created. With the difficult process out of the way, it would be smooth sailing from now on. 

Raven formed link after link, connecting each Avatars to the newly created thought chambers. This process took him half-day but that's because he's taking it slow. Once he formed his connections to all of his newly created Avatars, all of them - including the original Raven, opened their eyes at the same time. 

The Avatars looked at each other and received a mental command from Raven to get acclimated with their new existence. The following tests went on without a hitch and only then did Raven breathe a sigh of relief. 

He let the new Avatars do mundane tasks for now while he, the original, grabbed himself something to eat and recover his mental fatigue by sleeping. 

Even though Raven was sleeping, his connection with his Avatars allowed him to be informed of what they were doing. Most of them were just relaxing and taking their time while the others were either stretching and touring the Palace. 

Raven slept for two whole days, once he woke up, he gave out orders for the new batch of Avatars and started profiting. 

With a total of 27 Avatars under his belt, Raven was almost at a loss on what to do. The Avatars were divided into several groups. Some worked on refining his pre-existing skills, while the others were trying to gain further enlightenment for his Laws. Others focused on the many seals he had to study while the rest was divided into other menial tasks. 

As Raven relaxed and ate his fill, he was receiving feedback from his Avatars. The stream of knowledge and deductions stumped him at first but he managed to bear with it until it's no longer giving him headache. 

By the end of the day, Raven calmed down and was well rested. It was then that he began mastering the rest of the techniques written on the 9 Cleansing Plume Records. 

Speaking of Cleansers, Raven was thankful that his previous conjecture was correct...

As a seed bearer himself, he had the responsibility to remain in Tartarus so that the flames he left on the chapel continues boosting the strength of the regular Cleansers. Although he wasn't truly restricted, he was encouraged to do so. 

Going inside the Crown Space was a bit risky since, like he was told previously, the farther away he is at the flame, the weaker his connection with gets. And the connection is weak enough, the boost to the other cleansers will diminish as well. At first, he was debating if it was a good idea to go into seclusion within the Crown Space since he's just informed that the Cleansers will be busy due to the return of the Crusade. 

But then, he had a gut feeling that it would be okay and he trusted it, so he dived in and was relieved to know that, even though he's technically in another world, his connection with the flames he left remained stable and strong. This relieved his worries and thus allowing him to whole-heartedly focus on his seclusion. 

Raven used some time to familiarize himself with the Cleansing Flame Seed and explore its uses while at the same time, also raising his mastery over the technique he received from the Cleansers. 

The complete 9 Cleansing Plume Records are : White Gloves, Torch, Beads, Links, Chains, Rosary, Robes, Orbs, and Crucifixion.

Each of this technique deals with differentiating levels of Will Poisoning. Each one could be used in conjecture with the other. As for the last technique - Crucifixion, this is performed when the victim is already inches away from turning. 

It had to be known that the 9 Cleansing Plume Records only cleanses the Devil Emperor's Will. By no means could it return one's humanity once they completely succumb to the devilish whispers of the Devil Emperor. If this techniques are used to Devils of Converted Devils, it will only hurt them or outright kill them. 

'That's too bad.' Raven hummed during one of his breaks, 'It would be nice if the Cleansing Flames could return their humanity back. Unfortunately, the Devil Emperor's Will is just too poisonous that it completely contaminates it - turning them into mindless minions.'

'Even though the Cleansers weren't saying anything, I concur that most of them probably witnessed someone close to them turning into a Devil.' Raven inwardly thought, 'That must've been excruciating to watch, specially knowing that there's nothing they could do about it. They will either be forced to run away from them or ordered to slay them, at least in that way, they won't hurt anybody. Oh, that sucks.'

Raven has no concrete evidence for his conjectures but from the way their faces change whenever they talked about someone turning, Raven could more or less figure out a thing or two. 

'Hmm...' Raven was suddenly struck with a thought, 'Maybe…just maybe…'

'Is it possible for me to do return their humanity back?' 

This line of thought, if heard by the Cleansers or even their founder - Fire Keeper Theodore, would definitely cause alarm. They'll probably react to it the opposite way and tell him that its either dangerous or impossible. But is it though? 

'What am I saying?' Raven let out a small chuckle. 'I don't even have experience yet and here I am setting up unrealistic standards for myself.'

He shook his head and let out a sigh. But then, Raven entered a long daze. His thoughts mostly lingering about the subject. Even though he made efforts to throw it at the back of his head, he couldn't. 

'Did anybody even try?' He asked to particularly no one. 'I mean, if they tried and failed, then I don't have anything to say. But there's also a chance that they never did or the thought never crossed them. Why? I don't know. Maybe the idea of directly confronting with the Will of an Ancient Evil deters them so much that they didn't even try.'

'But that brings the question, do I dare?' Raven frown as his thoughts went here. 'Am I really willing to confront something so evil and snatch whatever leftovers it has just so that I can - might, be able to save and return a stranger's humanity and free will back?'

Raven bit his lower lip and remunerated at this lingering thought. This was a difficult question even for him. If someone could promise him that he won't be harmed, targeted or plagued with the Devil Emperor, then he wouldn't hesitate to agree. 

But that's the thing though…

Nobody…not even one person, could completely guarantee him that. 

Which then repeats the question, would he really dare?

'Ai! I don't know.' Raven huffed in frustration. 'Not now at least.' 

Raven was momentarily lose in a daze. He thought of many outcomes in his head but never found something that made him happy of satisfied. In the end, he could only sigh. 

'Not now…at least.' Raven repeated, 'But when my Cleansing Flame Seed finally blooms in full splendor, or grows into a towering tree, then I wouldn't hesitate to try.'

'At least by then, even if I fail, then I am confident of keeping myself safe from harm.'