Way of the Knights

Chapter 800: The Last Fragment

“I am here.” 

Raven opened his eyes to one of the most mystical sceneries he ever encountered on both lifetimes. 

He’s surrounded with nebulas swirling with different colors and sprinkled with a hefty amount of gold and silver glitters. The scene does not only look extremely mystical and beautiful, it also evokes a feeling of grandness and boundlessness. 

Wherever he stared, Raven feel like he could numerous insights about everything yet nothing at the same time. It’s such a profound experience that can’t be explained in mere words. 

Raven could feel goosebumps appearing on his skin. Even with his mental fortitude forged by two lifetimes, he couldn’t help but be momentarily captivated by the sheer beauty of his surroundings. 

He took a deep breath in and focused. He recalled his mission and decided that it’s best to not tarry any longer. Despite his desire, he cannot stay here for long. He’s not allowed to stay here for long. His time is limited so he could only press down the lingering attachments he has. 

Raven started walking. He approached the swirling nebulas but not quite going to them exactly. His strides brought him near but wasn’t actively entering or interacting with the nebulas. His goal wasn’t them in the first place. What he seeks, lies beyond this.

Raven felt vulnerable. Never mind the lack of clothes, here, Raven was as good as a mortal. His cultivation completely lost meaning here. He won’t be able to muster any kind of energy nor circulate them, he can’t form seals nor even summon the Scepter of Wisdom. His senses are reduced to that of a mortal. 

Nevertheless, Raven continued. Bravely taking large strides without an ounce of hesitation. It isn’t so bad. It’s not like this is the first time something like this happened to him – being reduced to mere mortal that is. 

Time passed without his knowledge. Raven continued on his way, walking towards his goal ever closer until he arrived. 

The once colorful and swirling nebulas disappeared, left far behind him. Raven’s surrounded with a gray mist – which isn’t the void either, he left the void quite sometime ago and arrived somewhere else entirely. 

Raven can’t see a damn thing, but this is fine, he doesn’t need to. The gray mist might’ve been covering his surroundings like a heavy smog but that’s fine too. Even the fact that he wasn’t quite sure how he’s still standing right now, is fine too. He didn’t have the time nor patience to care about these things. 

He just kept on moving forward. 

By the time Raven arrived at his destination, he was numb. He was blind, can’t hear a damn thing, can’t feel nor taste and say anything either. Raven was deprived of all his senses, he wasn’t even quite sure if he body remained intact. All he knows is that he arrived. 

“I am here.” He said. 

At least that’s what he intended to do.

Did he even speak just now? He’s not sure. However his intent is clear despite him losing pretty much everything. 

Raven couldn’t feel anything at first. Which made him doubtful until he remembered that of course he won’t be able to feel anything, he’s deprived of his sense of touch as well. 

But then…there was a spark. 

No he didn’t see it. He didn’t feel it. In no way, shape or form did he sensed it. But he knows, he just knows that it was there. He’s never been so sure of something his entire life. 

That spark. He tried to observed it using whatever’s left of him but it was faint. It felt like it’s going to die, be gone the next second, but it persisted. 

Raven focused his entire being on that spark. Intent of not letting it go no matter what. He wasn’t quite sure if he’s chasing it or he’s reaching out to it. All he knows is that he isn’t letting go of this spark no matter what. 

With time completely escaping him, he didn’t know how long it has been since he felt another reaction. It just occurred to him. 

That sharp sting – it registered as something like that to him at least, made him perk up. Raven summoned the rest of his will and grabbed onto the spark. 

He received a resonance. The spark was communicating with him. Probing who he was. Trying to check what his intentions are. 

Raven focused like he’s never been his whole life. He took the deepest breath he could muster and said:

“I am here.” 

Then, he felt something exploded…or was it him who exploded? Honestly at this point, he can’t be quite sure anymore and he truly couldn’t care. His mind just kept on repeating the same words he uttered earlier. 

He was here. He is here. He will be here. 

After what seemed like an eternity, the sensations started returning to him. Raven felt his eyes fluttering open. He could hear the beating of his own heart, he could feel the heat coursing through his body. He could feel his weight. Taste the atmosphere at back of his tongue, smell a peculiar fragrance he always had. See same gray mist that filled the space around him, dancing and fluttering around like they were celebrating. 

Raven’s back. And he never felt so lively in his entire life. 

He felt surreal. His senses overwhelmed him. He had this feeling of omnipotence and omniscience. He felt invincible and he wasn’t quite sure if he’s just exaggerating.

Raven felt alive and amazing. 

He got up and stood amongst the gray mist. He closed his eyes and delved deep into his body. He could feel something present in him. Something seated deep at the core of his very being. 

Sure enough, after searching for a bit, he found it. 

A tiny, tiny spark of brown spark. Emitting a soft and gentle light, illuminating his heart. It danced around there as if it finally found its long lost home. 

Raven couldn’t help but feel giddy. A smile appeared on his handsome face as he started at the brown wisp like it’s his own child. 

“I did it.” 

Raven heaved a sigh of relief. He sounded so light and carefree. It’s as if the mountain pressing down on his chest disappeared. He still find this unbelievable but seeing the brown wisp inside his heart made him believe. 

“I did it.” He muttered once more. “I refined the Last Fragment of Chaos.” 

The Last Fragment of Chaos…

Had the members of the Dawn Council known that such a thing was practically sitting under their noses this entire time, they’d probably cry rivers of blood and bang their heads to wall until their shatter their own skull. 

The freaking Last Fragment of Chaos. 

Anyone who discovers that Raven managed to capture and refine, they’d probably turn green from envy and spit blood. 

Chaos. What is Chaos? 

Chaos represents the Absolute Beginning. The Origin of All Things. The First Born. The True Allfather and etc. In short, Chaos is the start of everything. 

It is a big deal. A very big deal – knowing that Raven captured and refine the Last Fragment of Chaos. This is because this just made him the first to even have a real chance at peering through the realm Beyond Divinity.

A realm that many people fantasized about. Many people chased after and died for. It is something that’s so close yet ultimately so far. Many people craved for it, yet none managed to reach it. 

It’s known that all roads lead back to one. Many people who chased after the realm Beyond Divinity knew that if they wanted to succeed, it is required for them to return back to origin of all things – Chaos. 

Many experiments had taken place in order to produce even the faintest shard of Chaos, yet none of them succeeded much to their regret and agony. Even now, the said experiments are still going on without bearing any fruit. 

Everybody knew that Chaos had already disappeared. None of it was left. Therefore the path towards the realm Beyond Divinity is cut-off. Humanity’s cultivation has reach it’s peak. A dead end. 

They never would’ve imagined that Chaos is not entirely gone. The Last Fragment is still around. Waiting ever so patiently, persisting through the Spacetime, to find someone worthy. 

Now it has been found. 

Even if one asks how Raven knew about it, he’ll probably won’t be able to answer. 

Truth is. He just did a very dangerous gamble. 

All he had was clue – no, an idea, that the Last Fragment is here. He’s not certain of its existence in the first place. 

He only felt its calling the moment he broke through the Empyrean Realm, and it was with the help of the Scepter of Wisdom that he even heard the calling. Without it, it doesn’t matter how much he accumulated, he’ll still end up at the same dead-end as the others. 

Now however, things are different. His gamble paid off. Once again, his instincts served him well. He managed to do what everyone wanted to do. 

He risked his very life for this and he was rewarded handsomely. 

To him, all kinds of treasures that the Divine Land gives birth to will never be able to surpass the value of this gentle brown wisp dancing around his heart.