ONLINE: Blades of Eternity

After traversing treacherous terrain, overcoming various obstacles, and defeating rare creatures that tested their teamwork, Kaelen and his comrades finally stood at the foot of the foggy hill.

But the moment they arrived, their eyes immediately scanned the area—

Several groups were already there.

Valen Military Academy which is obviously led by the Devouring King, exuding raw, battle-hardened aggression.

Dawning of Magic Academy, with Kent standing at the forefront, has an amused glint in his eyes.

Stormfell Family, with Alaric, his posture calm but sharp as a drawn blade.

Royal Chosens, where Aric Alexandria stood with his Blade of Dawn, his gaze unreadable.

The air was thick with tension. The groups weren't just standing idly— they were sizing each other up.

Each side was on edge, fully aware that at any moment, someone could make a move.

Then— Kent broke the silence.

With his signature smirk, he spread his arms wide and spoke in a mockingly welcoming tone—

"Ah, the Pacesetters Academy finally arrives. Welcome to this… 'wonderful' gathering."

His words dripped with playful arrogance, as if he found the entire situation amusing.

'What a great time to just show up huh?'

Kaelen's gaze sharpened as he thought, while Forbes remained calm yet calculating.

It was clear.

This wasn't just a gathering.

This was the calm before the storm.

–––

The tension between the gathered groups was palpable, each side waiting for someone to make the first move.

But the one who broke the deadlock wasn't Kent, the Devouring King, or even Aric Alexandria—

Instead, it was an unknown person whom hid in the fog.

Without warning, a surge of chaotic energy burst through the thick fog—

A spell laced with Advanced Chaos Magic shot directly at Kent.

"Huh? Where did that come from?"

"Who sent that?"

'Is that chaos magic?' Kaelen thought with a pensive look on his face while he observed the attack. But he didn't ponder for long as Guinevere suddenly spoke up. "This is definitely chaos magic. And am pretty sure it is coming from a coward in the Dragonyx family"

The spell crackled with destructive force, warping the air around it as it tore through space toward him—

But Kent?

He didn't even blink.

With a lazy flick of his wrist, the spell was dismissed as though it were nothing more than a stray gust of wind.

The air hummed with power as the remnants of Althea's magic dissipated into nothingness.

And then—

She and her group finally emerged from the fog, their figures becoming clearer as they walked toward the gathering.

'The Dragonyxs....'

Kaelen and his comrades instinctively shifted their positions, their eyes narrowing at the unexpected arrival. Especially Kaelen whom had a dreadful demeanor around him as he observed them.

Forbes remained calm, but his grip on his sword tightened.

Valir's fingers twitched over his daggers.

Morris let out a slow exhale, tension coiling in his muscles.

And Kent?

He merely smirked.

"Now that," he said, his voice smooth and unbothered, "was a bit rude."

Althea, her sharp crimson eyes blazing, stepped forward, her aura radiating challenge.

"What's wrong?" she taunted. "I thought you could handle more than that."

Kent chuckled, shaking his head as he glanced at the other groups.

"Looks like things are getting interesting."

And so, the air around the foggy hill was already thick with tension, but in the next moment—

It became suffocating.

A powerful, vengeful intent surged through the atmosphere like a tidal wave, directed entirely at Althea.

'Huh?'

Her sharp instincts screamed at her, and as she turned—

She saw him.

Kaelen Dragonyx stood a short distance away, his gaze burning with unrestrained fury.

His hands clenched into fists so tight his knuckles turned white, his whole being trembling with barely contained rage.

A smirk slowly formed on Althea's lips.

"Oh? And here I was wondering where that venomous glare was coming from."

She crossed her arms, tilting her head mockingly as her voice dripped with contempt.

"So, even a traitor's son still dares to glare at me like that? I shouldn't be surprised. After all..."

Her smirk widened as she spoke the next words with cutting malice.

"Aren't you and your parents the shame of the Dragonyx family?"

Kaelen's aura exploded.

A violent burst of mana whipped around him, causing cracks to form beneath his feet as his killing intent sharpened to a lethal edge.

His rage—his humiliation—everything within him screamed to shut her up.

"You—"

He moved—ready to charge at her without hesitation—

But in an instant, Forbes and Lila intervened.

Forbes gripped Kaelen's shoulder tightly, his normally calm expression carrying a rare seriousness.

"Not now." His voice was firm.

Lila, standing beside them, placed a hand on Kaelen's arm, her usually warm gaze somber.

"It's pointless, Kaelen. You know it is."

Kaelen's teeth ground together, his breath coming out ragged as he glared at Althea, his muscles trembling with suppressed fury.

Althea, still smirking, shrugged.

"What? No sudden outburst?" She let out a mocking chuckle. "How disappointing."

Forbes ignored her, pulling Kaelen back while keeping his tone level.

"Focus, Kaelen. The battle for the crown is more important than her petty words."

Kaelen squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to take deep breaths.

He knew Forbes was right. He knew this wasn't the time.

But the hatred in his heart?

It didn't fade.

And deep inside, he silently vowed—

One day…

She'll regret those words.

Meanwhile, Kelvin who has been silent for quite some time now suddenly glanced at Kaelen with an unreadable expression on his face, while Kent had an interesting look on his face as he observed the exchange between Althea and Kaelen.

Rumble! Rumble!!

But just as Kaelen's raging emotions were beginning to settle, the ground beneath them suddenly rumbled.

A deep, trembling vibration spread across the area, causing loose rocks to shift and dirt to quiver. The unexpected quake startled nearly everyone—

Except Kent.

While others tensed up in confusion or braced themselves for an attack, Kent merely stood with a curious gleam in his eyes.

He wasn't just looking at the shaking earth—

He was gazing directly at the foggy hill.

Kaelen and his comrades quickly scanned their surroundings, minds racing.

"What the hell is going on?" Morris muttered, gripping his staff tightly.

"I don't know, but stay sharp." Forbes replied, his golden eyes narrowed.

Then, before anyone could form a proper theory—

The doors appeared.

One by one, massive doors materialized at the base of the foggy hill, lining up in perfect rows.

At first, there were only a few.

But then—

More appeared.

And then more.

Until finally—

The entire base of the hill was covered with them.

The ground suddenly stabilized, the tremors ceasing as abruptly as they had begun.

A deep silence fell over the gathered groups.

Every eye was fixed on the countless doors, standing ominously before them.

No inscriptions.

No markings.

No hints as to what lay beyond them.

Nothing.

Just doors.

An unnatural stillness settled over the area.

"What… the hell is this?" Alaric from the Stormfell family muttered under his breath.

The Royal Chosens' leader, Aric Alexandria, frowned. "A trial?"

Althea, still recovering from her exchange with Kaelen, crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. "Seems like an invitation."

Kaelen, now fully composed, studied the scene carefully.

The doors weren't ordinary.

They felt unnatural, almost otherworldly—

And something in his gut told him that they were far from simple.

"It's a test."

Everyone turned to Kent, who had finally spoken.

The leader of the Dawning of Magic Academy took a slow step forward, still gazing at the hill with interest.

"The hill is rejecting unworthy contenders." He gestured toward the doors. "If we want to reach the peak, we must first pass through these trials."

Forbes exhaled. "Then that means..."

"Each door leads to a separate challenge." Lila concluded.

A weighty realization settled over the groups.

The foggy hill was no ordinary mountain—

It was a gatekeeper.

And before they could claim the Battle Crown…

They would have to prove themselves.

But before anyone could step forward toward the doors, a sharp voice suddenly cut through the tense atmosphere—

"Wait! Look over there!"

Everyone turned toward the voice—one of the Valen Military Academy's students stood a short distance away, his expression one of shock and urgency.

He was pointing toward something near the base of the foggy hill.

A massive stone slab.

It stood upright, partially hidden by the mist that still lingered around the area. Its surface was covered in glowing inscriptions, faintly pulsing with an eerie light.

Instantly, all the groups moved closer, drawn by curiosity and caution.

As they gathered around the slab, their eyes scanned its contents—

And what they read made their blood run cold.

"RULES OF THE FOGGY HILL TRIALS"

"Each challenger must enter a door alone.

Two or more attempting to enter the same door will be met with instant death."

Silence fell over the area.

"Only one rule?" Alaric from the Stormfell family muttered, brows furrowed.

"It might be a bluff," murmured Eldric while crossing his arms.

Skepticism filled the air.

No one wanted to believe that breaking this rule meant death.

But then—

A horrible sight unfolded before them.

"Ain't no way such a rule exist in this shabby place"

"Yeah, I would like to see what exactly will kill me if I break this rule"

Two students from the Dawning of Magic Academy had stepped toward one of the doors, clearly intending to test the rule.

They moved with careful steps, glancing at each other as if to reassure themselves that the warning was meaningless.

Then—

They reached for the door handle.

And the moment they both touched it—

Their bodies instantly dissolved into mist.

No screams.

No resistance.

No struggle.

They were simply erased from existence.

Gone.

The doors didn't glow.

The slab didn't react.

Nothing changed.

Like it had never happened at all.

"Wha....."

"Sh*t!!"

A deep chill spread through the groups.

The doubt was gone.

No one needed further proof.

The rule was real.

And disobedience meant certain death.