Way of the Knights

Chapter 833: Making A Name For Themselves

—

Weeks turned to months. At this point, the audience has lost count on how many times the participants died within the Dream Sequence. 

Only some people could managed to get a hold of their memories. Even then, it's faint. 

Nobody succeeded yet, which is understandable since the Second Phase is way too difficult to pass. Still there were certain kids that the crowd is now focusing on. 

The first one being Kyle himself. 

To the citizens of the Divine Realm, Kyle is mysterious. Yes, the Dawn Council had his profile available for viewing but still, they can't wrap around their heads about the fact that this young man was something else. 

He was strong. Unusually strong. Not only physically but also mentally. He is the leading figure during the Second Phase since he is the one who could still remember that he's living within a dream. 

Don't be mistaken. Raven wasn't pulling his punches here and purposefully making things easier for Kyle. He did this on his own. Kyle's will has been forged with his adventures all over Divine Realm so this is not surprising. And it's not like he's immune to the lull of the dream anyways. 

In truth, Kyle's barely holding on. Just one wrong move and he'll fall just like everyone else. But that's exactly what makes him unique. Even though he's teetering at the edge of sanity, he was holding on. Stubbornly refusing to let go since he knows what it entails. 

It wouldn't be surprising he manages to wake himself up. 

Closely behind him were Raven's twin sisters – Nina and Tori, refusing to be outdone. Although they are admittedly weaker than Kyle, with the twins being at the mid-Noble Knight Stage and Kyle being a Knight King, their strength output and their will are stronger than most. 

The twins didn't experience the same dream together of course. They participated individually. Still, nobody would ne surprised if they too managed to wake themselves up from the Dream Sequence. 

As for the rest, well they're going to take the easier route by attempting to last through the dream. It's the only option for them since they already fell for the allure of the dream and had already forgotten their mission. 

Even though Raven was aware that this could be controversial, he didn't really care. 

He didn't bother hiding the fact that he has a connection with Kyle and his sisters. There's no reason for him to hide that since it would only be suspicious if he hid it. He was transparent with the information he placed within the documents. 

Plus, it's not like he's not allowed to do that. He didn't stop when the Heirs of other Empyreans participated so why should he stop his own disciple and sisters from participating? That just wouldn't make any sense. 

What the audience wanted to know is how the hell did a small plane such as the Grand Ancestral Plane manage to give birth and raise such talented seedlings. 

It doesn't make since these three were outperforming even Divine Knight descendants. What even more ridiculous is that, Raven wasn't as hands-on in raising them. He didn't pamper them nor interfered too much, heck nobody knew that these kids had connection with him until the meet began. 

Don't even get them started with the members of the Dawn Council itself. 

Six of the brightest and most talented people came from the same homeland and flourished within Divine Realm's grounds. 

If this isn't enough to make them curious about what kind of place the Grand Ancestral Plane is, then nobody knows what could. 

That being said, the location of the Grand Ancestral Plane is hidden. At this point, many tried to search for its whereabouts already, but even after scouring the Divine Realm, they failed to find it. Which means that the Young Lord must've done something. 

It's the most logical conclusion they have left. There could be many reason why Raven decided to hide the Grand Ancestral Plane from their view but they are convinced that it is indeed Raven who hid it. 

This act sends a message to them, which many people understood. 

Raven hid his home for a good reason and they don't want them there. This reason was understandable and frankly, valid for most so they just accepted it and dropped the attempts altogether. 

Of course, Raven was aware of their curiosity. He knew this day would come and its practically the reason why he made those preparations years ago. 

Raven's reason was simple. He didn't want unassociated people to disturb the serenity of his home, that's practically it. Call it selfish, call is insecure, whatever. He doesn't truly care. What he wants is peace and serenity for his home and his family there. Nobody will get in his way. 

—

More time passed and soon three months flew by. 

Kyle did it. 

He woke himself up from the Dream Sequence. He's also the first one to reach the final phase of the Grand Youth Meet. 

At this point, his name was well known to the Divine Realm. He truly has come far. 

That being said, he couldn't really celebrate since he's somewhat exhausted. 

The second phase really took its toll on him. He still hasn't snapped-out of his reverie since waking up a few days ago. He say within his tent, eyes blank and doubtful. He can't fall asleep since his body won't allow him to. 

His state is currently unstable but Raven's already paying attention to him. The moment he show signs of instability, Raven wouldn't hesitate to act. 

Thankfully, it seems that there won't be a need for Raven to personally step-in. Kyle was recovering well. His eyes are still dull but little by little, clarity returns to him. It'll only be a matter of time before he recovers completely. 

Barely a month after he wakes-up, Nina woke up as well, followed closely by Tori. 

Just like Kyle, they too were blank when they woke-up but they're being monitored. 

As for the rest, well they're still trying to finishing the Dream Sequence even though they don't even remember it anymore. 

At this point, they're just doing their best to live since they were whole-heartedly convinced that everything around them was real. They experienced many different lives and since they can't remember anything anymore, there isn't a backlash…

At least not yet…

The backlash will occur once they wake-up. The collective memories of their lives and their deaths will be unlocked and they'll have to manually organize it once they succeeded in waking-up from the dream. 

The process will be painful. They won't have a good time and its possible that they might break under that mental assault. Raven wouldn't let them die of course but they had to deal with it largely on their own.

As for the rewards of the Second Phase – referring to the offers for those participants that managed to pass. Well, nobody really gave anything to either Kyle, Nina nor Tori. 

Why would they? It's not like they can offer anything that Raven can't provide for them. Moreover for free? 

Raven didn't stop them of course but the experts chose to respect Raven by not offering anything. Which is fine really. These three kids weren't expecting anything much either. To them, participating to a Grand Event like this is already good enough. 

As more time passed, Kyle, Nina and Tori managed to snap-out of their reverie and return to their present. They could now move about and digest the experiences they got from the dream. Right now, they're meditating within their spot to organize their gains. 

Someone also managed to finish the dream sequence, and just as expected, the moment this participant woke-up, they experienced a severe headache which caused them to faint. One followed by another and slowly but surely, the first 50 list was being filled.

Seeing this, Raven decided to leave the monitoring duty to his team. 

Raven excused himself since he had to make final preparations for them Final Phase of the Grand Youth Meet. 

50 participants was still a lot. That being said, the first two phases were already enough for their names to be well–known throughout the Divine Realm. 

The craze will just rise from this point forward, especially once the final phase starts. Raven already has a plan and implementing it will just be cinch for him. 

That being said, he still needs to prepare the venue. Although the event is already left a mark in history, he still wanted it to be as Grand as possible. Therefore, he wouldn't hesitate to use high-end methods to get what he wants. 

'The headquarters should be big enough to host the event. And since the seal is stable, this should do. I can't just apply it this way…'

Raven started preparing for the final phase as more participants wakes-up. With his team being alert, they managed to save the kids from succumbing to a breakdown, keeping them safe. 

Right now, those who managed to succeed are now resting. Waiting patiently for this second phase to be over and for the next one to start. 

….whatever the next phase in store for them is still a mystery but they don't plan on backing out now.