Way of the Knights

---

Raven was currently inside his palace, sitting in front of the table and reading a rather thick book. He was so focused that not even an earthquake could pry his eyes away from this book. 

'Zeus, Poseidon and Hades…'

'These brothers had a rather humble origin. Born in raised at small city in the Red Cloud Great World, they originally wanted to be soldiers in order to experience a more comfortable life. They started out ordinary commoners, they ate what commoners ate and wear the same things as them. Their dreams were fairly common too as they seeking a way out of their poverty.'

'Though they share the same origins, each brother was vastly different from one another. Hades, although the youngest, was the biggest amongst them. He was born with an inborn divine strength but it was often forgotten due to his very soft-spoken and mild attitude. Although all of them aspired to be soldiers when they were young, Hades' true dream was to become a pastor.'

'Poseidon had the looks, and therefore the focus of the attention most of the time. He was akin to a seasoned gentleman and scholar. Some people even tried to coerce him into marrying in their family just so that their descendants will look better. Despite that however, Poseidon never agreed since he too wanted to be a soldier. More than that, he wanted to be a commander, or a General.'

'He didn't want to dirty his hands with the enemies blood if necessary, he wanted to be the one who will point them into a direction where they should slaughter to their hearts content. That's what he truly wanted. If he can't achieve that, then he has enough smarts in order to become a true Scholar.'action

'Zeus, the Eldest and the most reliable of the tree. He was a compassionate man with overwhelming charisma. He was a simpleton. All he wanted was a better life for his family. He didn't want his parents getting tired with field work anymore. He wanted to provide good food to the table. He wanted to give them a better house. He wanted them to be comfortable.'

'So long as he could achieve this, he'd be satisfied and couldn't care less about what happens to him.'

'As the brothers grew up, they started working harder and harder for their dreams until a dreadful event happened. Their city was invaded. Everyone could either choose to surrender and swear fealty to the invaders or die. Nothing in between.'

'The family was devastated, they were originally living peaceful lives but all of a sudden it turned to a nightmare. Without any choice, they could only surrender in order to preserve their lives. The family was ten taken as captives and the bothers were forced to work for the invaders.'

'As it turns out, the invaders were rather straight-forward in their approach. So long as everyone participated and do as they say, they won't be punished. In fact, they were even protected. Every captives were kept at a large prison, however this prison was more secure than their own homes, it's even warmer and more comfortable here, they were even given soft mattresses to sleep on. The food were also better. And the weather isn't as horrible as it was before.'

'All in all, they might be imprisoned but in truth, this place is much better compared to their own homes.'

'After a while of adjusting to their new home, Zeus eventually learned everything from chatting to other captives. As it turns out, they were captured by Immortal Cultivators. These people were strong. They could level mountains with a wave of their hand and fly to the skies. They're basically no different from gods!'

'At first, Zeus was unconvinced but then he witnessed the miracles personally and he became a believer. In fact, this is where it all started.'

'The Immortal Cultivators captured them because they lacked people to do the menial tasks for them. They only wanted them to do these mundane tasks for them since they have no time to do so. They weren't planning on killing them or feeding them to their dogs. They also weren't planning to make them as their slaves or sacrifice them to some mad god. They just wanted a pair of extra hands that all.'

'According to what Zeus heard, if they render enough merit to the Immortals, not only will they experience a much better life, they might even be directly chosen as a disciple of an Immortal, if they do then it's possible for them to do what the Immortals could do. That's basically an unparalleled glory!'

'From that point forward, a new dream was born in Zeus' heart. He swore that he would become an Immortal Cultivator. He wanted his brothers to join him in this and they agreed. After that, they started working hard to render great merits in order to achieve their dreams.'

'After a long period of time, their hard work finally paid off. And to their surprise, the first one to become a disciple was Hades. His uncanny talent when it comes to rearing beasts and wildlife was noticed by an Immortal, after observing him for quite sometime, the Immortal chose to accept him as a disciple.'

'His older brothers were ecstatic and of course encouraged him to go. Hades also got the support of their parents, therefore he no longer hesitated.'

'After a few more years, it was Poseidon's turn. During his work as a librarian, he read many books published by Immortals. He was deeply obsessed by them, prompting him to read every single book in there. As it turns out, there was a hidden inheritance amongst the books and only those who had a clear conscience and deep thirst for knowledge would be able to inherit them. And this person was Poseidon.'

'As he finished reading the last book, he entered a state of sudden enlightenment. When he woke up, he noticed that the world was different and he's taken his first step into being an Immortal. He was then accepted as the closing disciple of the Grand Elder of the sect.'

'With his brothers successfully being accepted as disciples, Zeus felt incredible happiness as well as some bitterness. Amongst the three of them, it was him who wanted to become an Immortal the most, yet until now he has yet to encounter his chance.'

'As years went by, the reputation of his brothers within the sect become more and more resounding. Their contributions for the sect caused Zeus and their parents to live a life of unparalleled comfort. Zeus no longer has to work for the Immortals. With so much time in his hands, he used them to accompany his parents instead.'

'Zeus expressed no desires of marrying as up to this point, he's still adamant to become an Immortal. Nevertheless, he never shied from his filial duties as his parents were reaching their end of their lifespan. In the end, they passed away in peace as the brothers reunited once more to mourn for them.'

'When asked what his plans were, Zeus expressed his desire to explore the world and try his luck out there. His brothers originally opposed to this but Zeus's will was tougher than they imagined. They can't change his mind at all. When they said that they're going with him, Zeus reminded them of their duties to the sect and told them to never betray it since it was the sect who changed their lives. As for him, this is the best way to go. He didn't want to be a burden or a weakness to his brothers. As the eldest, this was his pride.'

'In truth, Zeus never wanted to leave his brothers behind. They're the only family he had left so how can it be easy for him to leave? Unfortunately, Zeus didn't find luck in the sect. Even with his brothers putting in good words for him, none of the Immortals accepted him as their disciple. Why? Nobody knew.'

'Zeus can't stay. If he does, then he'll just become a casualty - a weakness for his brothers. He's aware of the competition and schemes within the Immortal Community, and he'll be damned if he becomes a captive to be used in order to hurt his siblings.'

'This is why he chose to leave, secretly too. Not even his own brothers knew when he'll leave. Nevertheless, he eventually did, and from then on he started travelling all over the world.'

'His time within the sect broadened his horizons, he's no longer naive as before. He also developed some skills that could help him survive on his own, all of which was tested when he left his nest.'

'From a normal civilian, he became a guard, a doctor, an advisor, a mercenary for hire, a hunter and so on. Zeus jumped from one job after another, living his life as he pleases and discovering the vast world beyond him.'

'He met numerous people, some he befriended, some he killed.. He ate many delicacies, drank many alcohol, slept with many women, applied for numerous jobs until finally, opportunity presented itself for him.'