Way of the Knights

Chapter 609 - Rivers Of Stars

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"Argghhhh!" 

A long groan of frustration could be heard escaping from Raven's lips as he scratched his head, feeling lost. 

"Man, what a bummer!" He complained, "All that hard work ends up in a disappointment. Had I known that I won't gain anything from here, I wouldn't have come in the first place." 

Raven was really disappointed by his situation. The others might be receiving their rewards from reaching the peak of Mount Olympus right now, while on the other hand, here he is. Alone and empty handed. 

"And what's up with that pragmatic words." Raven huffed as he sat down, placing a hand to support his face. "Now's not yet the time? It's still too early? I'll known when the right time will come and I'll be here searching for answers? What're those all about? Ugh, so confusing."

At this point, Raven doesn't even care that if that disembodied voice was still here and listening to him. For all he knows, it probably won't care whatever he has to say. 

What made Raven really upset is that, he became the biggest loser of this trip. He had given his all in supporting his teammates to the point of actually carrying them in his back only to end up with nothing. Sure he had made some advances here and there but he would eventually reach his current level of strength even without making a trip here, he just needed time that's all. 

And he might not say thus out loud, he was actually the most excited to reach the peak and see what it has to offer. He was even hyping the concept to his teammates in order to ignite their passion as well, but now it turns out to be disappointing for him. 

Except from hearing a disembodied voice saying that there's nothing for him here, he didn't even see anything. Who wouldn't feel frustrated at that? But the cherry on top of it all, was...

"I can't leave this damn place unless the War Gods finished receiving their rewards. I don't know how long that's going to take and it's irritating. What's more is that, my entry to the Crown Space is sealed!! How the hell did that even happen? And without my knowledge too!" 

This, this is what really frustrated Raven the most. This was similar to blatantly rubbing the fact that 'he was biggest loser here' to his face. He was forced to wait until his teammates completely received their rewards while he was stuck doing nothing. He can't even go into conclusion right now since, through some unknown means, his entry at the Crown Space is barred. 

There were no warnings nor any signs, he just can't enter it. He even thought if he had used up all of his chances of entering and discovered that he didn't, which made him extremely alarmed. For some unknown reasons, someone or something completely invisible to him, was aware of his secrets and could even prevent him from using it without alarming him. 

Raven was of course badly startled by this, which caused him to hate this place more as time goes on. He wanted nothing but to leave this place once and for all and if possible, never return. 

Releasing yet another sigh of frustration, Raven lied down on the ground and looked at the swirling silver rivers of stars above him. This is the only thing that he could right now to ease up his mood. Sure he could train but that's pointless, in fact he knew that he'd just end up stressing himself out even more if he did that. 

He could meditate as well but that's boring, he could eat sure but he's not hungry and he didn't feel like cooking something right now. This leaves the potential of just sleeping, but even that felt rather dull to him. 

So he opted to gaze at the rivers of stars instead, hoping that somehow, these silver swirls could distract him from the frustration he was feeling. 

"If I summon a meteor, would the number of stars above me decrease?" Raven asked in a lifeless tone. "If I summon ten meteors all at once...can I destroy this damn mountain?" 

That second thought actually made him chuckle. Of course he wasn't planning on doing that at all. Summoning ten meteors at once? Forget about ten, he can't even handle two at once with his current strength. 

Strangely though, observing how the rivers of star flow slowly was a relaxing experience to him. Once again, the feeling of being infinitesimally close to the stars, coursed through his body. It was such a profound feeling that he truly felt that if he just reached out his hand, he'll be able to pluck the stars above him. 

Raven actually tried to do just that but he immediately let out a wry smile as soon as he raised his hand. This is because that profound feeling actually disappeared the moment he attempted to do it. 

"This is so dull. To think I'd fall for such false sensation." Raven smiled helplessly to himself. 

Yep, he's bored out of his mind. He already had the sneaking suspicion that it won't work yet he still fell for it. Normally he'd admonish himself for falling for such an easy trick yet right now, he just laughed it out. 

Honestly, he had nothing else better to do. Which just left him staring at the rivers of stars, trying to distract himself from the frustration he felt. 

What he didn't know is that, he actually fell into a state where he's no longer aware of anything aside from the endless rivers of stars above him. 

Raven didn't notice when this start. Right now, his eyes reflected nothing else aside from the rivers of stars which was moving in a slow yet hypnotic manner. 

Through his eyes, the rivers of stars started reflecting some images and secrets. Different shapes, size, faces, words, runes, etc. It was extremely mystical, yet Raven was unaware of it, which was a great shame since these transformations were only visible to him and no one else, yet he's not even aware that it's happening. 

Another thing that happened to him that he's completely unaware of, was his aura. Slowly but surely, his aura was transforming. 

Usually, the appearance and feel of Raven's aura will depend on his current mood. Normally, it would be quiet, contained and expressed harmony. When he's angry, it transform into a nightmare-inducing one which is capable of breaking the will of his foes before the battle even began. 

Now however, his aura was transforming. As time passed by that he stared at the stars above him, his aura was slowly bur surely dissipating. It even reached a point where, if one wasn't paying attention properly, then no one would notice him at all due to how much concealed his aura became. 

Not only that, it also started to contain an genuine archaic air with it. It's like Raven was a very ancient being that has seen ridiculous amounts of life experiences that nothing will surprise him anymore. This is special since not even those truly old experts that had lived until this day possess this kind of aura. 

For someone who hasn't even lived a fraction of his life, it should be impossible for Raven to acquire this kind of aura, yet here it was. 

This sort of thing happened several time actually, most of them occurred when Raven made some advancements on his Spacetime Laws or when he gained the acknowledgement of the Constellations. It's just that the archaic air didn't last back then. 

However now, that's changing. 

...yet Raven's completely unaware of it still. 

Raven's current state lasted for quite sometime before he shook out from it due to the commotion happening around him. There was a Spatial Portal opening near him which woke him up from his stupor.

At first, Raven was dazed. He shook his head and thought that someone woke him up rather rudely. He genuinely thought that he fell asleep on the ground while stargazing. He didn't even notice the changes on his aura at all. 

He looked at the nearby portal and thought to himself: 'That should be the exit right?'

Without further ado, Raven stood up, dusted himself up and stretched for a bit, feeling his muscles sore from sleeping on the ground. Then he unceremoniously entered the portal and disappeared from the peak of Mount Olympus. 

When his vision re-adjusted to his surroundings. He found himself looking at his teammates. A complex feeling rose up from his chest, seeing how much they change after receiving their rewards. On one hand he's jealous but that feeling was drowned by the glee of seeing them stronger than before. 

All of them didn't make a breakthrough in terms of cultivation, yet Raven could easily tell that they're at least 10 times more dangerous compared to how they were before. 

"Gosh, look at you four." Raven smirked, "Your faces are nearly splitting in half with how wide your smiles were."

"Haha! It's that obvious?" Logan replied, his face still beaming with a wide smile. 

"Forget about us, what about you? What happened?" Henry asked. 

Raven groaned and said: "I received nothing. I was conned..."

War Gods: "....eh?"