ONLINE: Blades of Eternity - Chapter 55

Chapter 55: THE AFTERMATH

‘Sh*t, he got away’ Back in the coliseum in the Pacesetter Academy, Kaelen thought with a grim look on his face. Based on what he has observed concerning the orb of chaos, he now knows how grave his duties has become.

As for General Cao, he currently has a deep frown on his face as he suddenly turned to look at Sylvester and said.

“Tell the students seated that they should go back, but the tournament will still go on as planned”

“Yes General Cao” Sylvester said before he turned to face the students seated in the coliseum. Right after that, General Cao turned towards the other authorities in the coliseum and said.

“As for you guys, some of you should go and meet Bowel and tell him what happened here, while the others should also do the same to the Vice Chancellor”

“Yes General!” The authorities replied before they immediately flew off to various directions to do what General Cao said. After all these, General Cao finally put his attention on Kaelen.

But Kaelen didn’t notice as he suddenly recieved a notification in his head which made him have a darkened look on his face.

**Mythical Quest Detected!**

**Details: Defeat the Dark Descendant and retrieve the orb of chaos**

**Rewards: Unknown**

**Punishment for failure: Unknown**

‘It didn’t even give me a choice’ Kaelen thought with a wry look on his face. But right at that moment, he suddenly felt a strong grip on his right hand which made him to come back to his surroundings. What he saw is General Cao holding him as he said.

“Prepare yourself, I want to take you somewhere”

“Where?” Kaelen asked with a confused look on his face. But it was already too late as he suddenly and unexpectedly vanished from the coliseum with General Cao.

…

Bowel, the Dark Saint, stood in the grand front yard of his mansion, his tall, imposing figure casting a long shadow under the afternoon sun. The front yard was immaculate, lined with carefully trimmed hedges and ornate statues that reflected the grandeur of his household. The mini version of his son, Kelvin, and his daughter, had often played here, their laughter once filling the air. But today, there was no laughter—only a growing sense of dread as he awaited the report from the academy authorities who had gathered before him.

Three of the academy’s senior officials, their faces etched with grim expressions, approached him with hesitation. They were seasoned individuals, hardened by years of service, but even they seemed unnerved in the presence of the Dark Saint. Bowel’s dark eyes, usually calm and calculating, now held a flicker of unease as he noticed the weight of the news they bore.

One of the officials, a tall man with a stern face, stepped forward. He cleared his throat, struggling to meet Bowel’s gaze. “Lord Bowel… there has been an incident at the academy, during the Pacesetters Rookie Tournament.”

Bowel’s eyes narrowed. “What incident?” His voice was steady, though a hint of tension laced his words.

The official hesitated, then continued, “It involves your son, Kelvin.”

At the mention of Kelvin, Bowel’s heart skipped a beat. He had always been aware of the dark path his son was treading, but he had hoped to guide him, to steer him away from the abyss. “Speak,” Bowel commanded, his voice low but firm.

The official took a deep breath, his words coming out in a rush. “Kelvin shockingly unleashed the rumored power of the Chaos Orb during the tournament. He… he used it against a fellow student, a girl named Carolina. The orb consumed her entirely, right off the stage. The school authorities, including Sylvester, tried to intervene, but Kelvin repelled all of them with overwhelming force. Then he… vanished.”

“What?”

The words hit Bowel like a physical blow. He felt the blood drain from his face, and for a moment, the world seemed to tilt around him. He struggled to process the enormity of what he had just heard. Kelvin is actually in possession of the orb of chaos, that cursed object, and in doing so, he had committed an atrocity—an act that could never be undone.

The other officials, sensing Bowel’s distress, shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to say. The mansion’s front yard, usually a place of serenity and order, now felt heavy with the weight of despair. Bowel’s mind raced, a storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm him—fear, anger, guilt, and most of all, sorrow for the son he had lost to the darkness.

Finally, Bowel spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, “And the girl? Carolina… is she…?”

The official shook his head, his expression grim. “She was consumed by the orb, Lord Bowel. There’s nothing left of her.”

Bowel closed his eyes, his hand trembling slightly as he ran it through his thick, dark hair. He had always known the risks amd dread of the Chaos Orb, the danger it posed, so he knew how bad it will affect Kelvin. The boy he had raised, the son he had loved, was now a fugitive, lost to the very power Bowel had hoped to control.

For a long moment, Bowel said nothing. The officials watched him in silence, the tension thick in the air. When Bowel finally opened his eyes, they were filled with a deep, unspoken anguish.

“Leave me,” he said quietly. “I need to think.”

The officials bowed and quickly retreated, leaving Bowel standing alone in the front yard. He stared at the spot where they had stood, his mind churning with thoughts of Kelvin, of Sofia, of the family he had failed to protect. The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the ground, and Bowel felt the weight of his own shadow pressing down on him, as if the darkness within him was finally consuming him as well.

As he stood there, the realization dawned on him that he might never see Kelvin again—that his son, the boy who had once played in this very yard, had become something unrecognizable, something monstrous. And with that realization came a pain so deep it felt like a knife twisting in his heart, breaking him down from the inside out.

Bowel, the Dark Saint, was known for his strength, his power, and his unyielding will. But in that moment, he was just a father—one who had lost everything.

…

Knock! Knock!!

The Vice Chancellor sat in the quiet solitude of his residence, a grand yet austere chamber filled with ancient tomes and artifacts from ages long past. The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from a single flickering candle on his desk, casting long shadows across the stone walls. He was deep in thought, reviewing a manuscript when a sharp knock echoed through the heavy wooden door, disturbing the stillness.

He frowned, not used to being interrupted during his private hours. “Enter,” he commanded, his voice calm but authoritative.

The door creaked open, and a nervous-looking aide stepped inside, clutching a sealed scroll in his trembling hands. The Vice Chancellor’s keen eyes immediately noted the aide’s pale complexion and the beads of sweat forming on his brow. Something was terribly wrong.

“What is it?” the Vice Chancellor asked, his tone now edged with a hint of impatience.

The aide took a shaky breath before handing over the scroll. “This just arrived from the academy, sir. It’s… urgent.”

The Vice Chancellor took the scroll, his sharp gaze never leaving the aide’s face. He could see the fear there, the dread of delivering bad news to someone of his rank. Unrolling the scroll, his eyes quickly scanned the contents, and as he read, his expression darkened.

The words were concise, but the message they conveyed was staggering. Kelvin, one of the academy’s most promising yet volatile students, had unleashed the Chaos Orb during the Pacesetters Rookie Tournament. A girl—Carolina—had been consumed by its power, erased from existence in front of the entire academy. The faculty had tried to intervene, but Kelvin, fueled by the chaos within him, had repelled them all and vanished without a trace.

The Vice Chancellor’s hand tightened around the scroll, his knuckles whitening as he processed the information. He had surprisenly been aware of the growing instability in Kelvin since he was the last remaining child of Bowen, the darkness that loomed over him, but this… this was beyond anything he had imagined. The Chaos Orb was a relic of unimaginable power, something that even the most seasoned mages feared. That it had been unleashed within the walls of the academy was unthinkable, a disaster of unprecedented magnitude.

For a long moment, the Vice Chancellor said nothing, his mind racing through the implications of what had happened. The academy’s reputation, the safety of its students, the very balance of power within the region—all were now in jeopardy. And more than that, the loss of Carolina was a tragedy that would ripple through the lives of many.

Finally, the Vice Chancellor spoke, his voice low and measured, though it carried a weight that made the aide flinch. “Leave me. And ensure that no one disturbs me until I summon them.”

The aide bowed quickly and exited the room, leaving the Vice Chancellor alone once more. The door closed with a soft thud, sealing him in the oppressive silence.

He sat back in his chair, staring at the flickering candle, the only movement in the room. His thoughts were a storm, swirling with anger, regret, and a deep, unspoken sorrow. Kelvin had been a troubled student, yes, but there had been potential in him—a potential now twisted into something dark and uncontrollable.

The Vice Chancellor closed his eyes, breathing deeply as he tried to quell the turmoil within. This was not just a failure of the academy but a personal failure as well. He had watched over these students, guided them, and in Kelvin’s case, had tried to prevent the very outcome that had now come to pass.

‘Seems like there is no other choice’

When he finally opened his eyes, they were filled with a cold resolve. Action would need to be taken, swift and decisive. The academy could not afford any further chaos, and Kelvin would need to be found and dealt with before he could cause more destruction.

But underneath the resolve, there was a heavy weight in his heart. The Vice Chancellor was a man of great power and influence, but he was also human, and the loss of a student—even one as troubled as Kelvin—was a burden that he would carry with him.

As the candle flickered out, plunging the room into darkness, the Vice Chancellor remained seated, his thoughts a tangled web of duty, loss, and the grim path that lay ahead.