Way of the Knights

Chapter 740: Calling, Giant, and Master?

“…well, now that’s over. I can concentrate on the errands I have left.”

Raven just finished catching-up with his friends, mostly the War Gods. Just like he thought, most of them thought that he died in there if it weren’t for the fact that his Avatars remained here. They had a little celebration before it was time for them to get back to work. 

During the recent years, the War Gods had fallen into a plain but fulfilling routine. They got used to the peace and quiet that it’s somewhat disorienting for them to get out of their personal routines. Raven didn’t hold them back of course. He allowed them to return, in fact there’s no need for the return celebration at all. It was their idea to do so he just followed along. 

Now that pretty much everyone knows that he returned safely, Raven decided to start handling the matters that he had left before going to the Celestial Ascension Platform. 

First and foremost, he registered for a solo Olympian Climb. He planned on knocking this one first since he had a strong feeling about it ever since his return. 

Something was calling him there…

Raven had a vague idea of what to expect, but he didn’t think too much about it. 

After gaining the permission from the Sect Master, he didn’t waste time and began his climb. For Raven’s current abilities, the Olympian Climb is barely a challenge for him. The changing timelines, the enemies, the erosion of his will…none of those can touch him. This is a walk in the part for him. 

Raven flew, aiming to clear this task as fast as he could since there are some task that he needed his attention.

He compressed space numerous times on his way allowing him to virtually travel great distances in a few steps. Five minutes since the start of his climb, he already appeared at the 1st Checkpoint. 

The checkpoints are resting grounds for the climbers. A place where they can let their guard down and recover from their injuries. 

Raven remembered this place. During the first time that they were here, he saw that the first checkpoint was guarded by a giant who seems to look at his differently. Looking at it now, this was the same place. Raven wondered if he’ll meet the giant here again since during the last time he’s here, the giant told him something. 

He decided to enter the checkpoint and to his surprise, the interior was different from he can remember. Before the giant was sitting down on his table, greeting and getting arrangements for ‘customers’. 

Now, Raven saw the giant standing. There were no other people aside from the two of them. The roof of the checkpoint was gone and the giant can be seen staring at a dark starry skies. 

“Welcome back, Starchild.” The Giant greeted one Raven entered. The way this giant addressed him caused Raven to frown.

“Starchild? That’s new.” He murmured. 

“It’s what we call those who are Half-Celestials.” The Giant replied. ” The Celestial beings are born of the stars. They are the manifestations of the constellations themselves. Well, explaining what they are exactly is not really the reason why you’re here, eh?”

“Indeed, it is not.” Raven agreed. “But I do have time. I can listen.”

Contrary to his expectations, the Giant shook his head and said: “As much as I would like to. I’m not the one who can tell you. That task, falls to someone else’s hand. I’m only here to watch and wait for the time when you, Starchild, finally meets the requirements to inherit the Scepter of Wisdom.”

“…!” Raven was alarmed.

His shock didn’t last for long though. The giant’s words just basically confirmed his suspicions. 

“You’ve received their approval.” The Giant continued, “My task here is complete. Finally, at long last, I can rest and return.”

The giant’s tone was filled with melancholy, he then pointed towards a specific direction and said: “Go. What you seek is at the top of the mountain. Claim it and answer your destiny.” 

After saying that, the Giant suddenly turned blurry, so does the rest of the checkpoint. Slowly but surely, the 1st Checkpoint disappeared. 

Raven wanted to ask some questions but in the end, he stayed silent. He just watched as the Giant disappeared. 

Once the first checkpoint was gone, Raven was back on the mountain road. Only, he felt the fabrics of Spacetime Stable. 

This meant that the timelines will no longer shift erratically. The climate won’t change all of a sudden anymore. Raven observed his surroundings for a bit and then resumed flying. 

His little encounter with the Giant was short but it did clear up some of his suspicions. 

One this Giant is connected to the Celestials, he’s probably a comrade or a lackey to them. Two, the calling he felt was indeed from a piece of the Scepter of Wisdom. 

The Giant was also the one who told him that one day, he’ll return here to search for answers. Now, the Giant told him to go at the summit and answer his destiny, 

Raven has no idea what this destiny is all about but he didn’t think too much. For now, he just planned on going back at the summit to hopefully complete the Scepter of Wisdom after all this time. 

During the Celestial Ascension Platform, Raven got pieces of the scepter after clearing up each trial. When he finished his tasks, he got the 9th piece and he thought that the scepter was finally complete, however when he looked at it closer, he discovered that something’s not right. 

As it turns out, it still not yet complete. There is or are pieces that were still missing. Upon his return to the sect, he immediately felt the a calling from somewhere, it whispered his name and told him to come. 

When he traced its source, he discovered that it’s from the Mount Olympus. He could’ve went there straight head but he decided to postpone it since there are stuff he wanted to do first, like catching-up with his friends. But now that he’s done with all of that, it’s time for him to take this piece and knock down the remaining errands he have here at the sect. 

—

The rest of the journey was surprisingly peaceful. 

He was weirded out that none of the Trial Gates appeared before him but he’s no complaining. And since the fabrics of Spacetime remained firm in here, he didn’t experience extreme climate changes, to him this is literally just like a normal hike. Only, he’s flying towards the summit. 

The Mount Olympus is tall. Before it took them a whole year to scale it. But now, Raven can probably finish it within three days of non-stop flight. 

On the second day of his climb, he reached the summit. He was extremely fast since there were no distractions barring his way, he didn’t meet a single soul on his way, but he’s not complaining. 

Upon reaching the summit, he stood at the center of then flat and semi-uneven ground. Looking around with a frown on his face. The Giant said it himself, that the thing he was looking for is in here. However once again, he can’t see anything. 

The summit was completely empty. 

Still Raven didn’t give-up that easily. He looked around, spreading his senses to make sure he’s not missing anything, still there was nothing. 

It was then that an idea struck his mind all of a sudden…

‘He was looking up.’ Raven remembered. 

Raven looked up and saw the mystical view of the starry skies above him. He lost focus for a bit due to him admiring the scene. He can’t remember if this place looked like this the last time he was here. Then his eyes widened…

He held out his hand and the incomplete Scepter of Wisdom appeared on his hand. 

The moment it appeared, the scepter released a sonorous hum and fluctuations that distorted the space around him. Raven held the scepter closely and sank his perception within. 

Then, he felt it answering his call. Raven opened his eyes and raised the scepter, pointing it to the starry skies above. 

The Scepter of Wisdom released a glaring beam of light which shot towards the skies. It penetrated all the way out to space. 

Raven could feel a strong connection between the scepter in his hand and the piece that was left here, the beam of light struck the piece and it began descending to the summit where Raven was at. 

Rainbow colored brilliance illuminated the whole summit. Raven basked under it and felt extraordinarily calm. Following that, he saw the piece entering his line of sight, it was using the beam of light as a guide. 

He saw a fragment descending and landing on the Scepter, the moment contact was made, the scepter released a blinding brilliance. 

When Raven opened his eyes, he found himself standing in the middle of a vast expansive white space. He frowned for a bit before he heard someone speaking behind him. 

“My, my. Kids these days grow up so fast.” 

“Master!!?”