ONLINE: Blades of Eternity - Chapter 56

Chapter 56: THE VICE CHANCELLOR

“Where exactly is this place?” Kaelen asked curiously right after he laid his eyes in the environment General Cao took him to.

“Don’t you know how a tomb looks like?” General Cao asked with a surprised look on his face. When Kaelen heard him, he immediately became stunned as he quickly asked back.

“This is a tomb?”

The tomb looks like a solemn, ancient chamber, steeped in an eerie silence that seemed to press in from all sides. Its walls were carved from dark stone, worn smooth by time, yet still exuding a faint, ominous energy. The air was cool, almost unnaturally so, carrying the faintest scent of earth and age.

At the center of the tomb lay a coffin, hewn from a single block of black marble, its surface etched with intricate runes that pulsed faintly with a pale, otherworldly light. The coffin seemed to hum with a latent power, a magic so ancient and potent that it felt almost alive. Its lid was slightly ajar, as if it had been disturbed long ago, though the darkness within revealed nothing of its contents.

To the side of the coffin, a standing stone slab commanded attention, rising from the floor like a monolith. The slab was covered in lines of an unknown language, the characters sharp and angular, glowing faintly with the same ethereal light as the runes on the coffin. The script was foreign, indecipherable, yet it radiated an aura of significance, as if it held secrets long forgotten by the world above.

The floor of the tomb was a mosaic of ancient symbols, some faded with time, others still sharp and clear. These too seemed to hum with latent power, linking the coffin and the slab in a network of mystical energy that permeated the entire chamber. It was as if the very stones of the tomb were alive, holding vigil over whatever dark secrets were entombed within.

The atmosphere was heavy, oppressive, as though the air itself carried the weight of countless centuries. The faint light from the runes and the slab cast flickering shadows across the chamber, making the walls seem to close in and shift with a life of their own. This was no ordinary resting place—it was a sanctuary for something powerful and dangerous, something that had been sealed away with layers of ancient magic and forgotten language.

As Kaelen stood within this tomb, there was a palpable sense of being watched, of something just beyond the veil of the physical world, waiting, observing. The tomb was a place where time itself felt distorted, where the boundaries between the living and the dead, the past and the present, seemed to blur. It was a place of deep mystery, of forgotten lore, and of a power that, once unleashed, could change the world forever.

“Well this tomb might have some slight differences like the slab or the symbols written all over the place. But ultimately, this place should have at the least give you an impression that this is a tomb” General Cao replied to Kaelen with a feeling of not knowing if he should laugh or weep on Kaelen’s behalf.

“Well I have never been to a tomb before so it should be normal I don’t know how a tomb looks like” Kaelen conceded with a bitter smile on his face. But when General Cao heard him, he immediately became stunned as he thought.

‘He hasn’t been to a tomb before?’

“What are you doing here Cao? And why did you bring Kaelen with you?” But not long after this, Both Kaelen and General Cao heard a calm and solemn voice from within the same tomb they were in.

Suddenly, a subtle shift in the air was felt—a presence, powerful and overwhelming, making its way into the tomb. Before either Kaelen or General Cao could react, the very space in front of them seemed to ripple. A figure materialized out of the shadows, stepping forward with an air of authority that demanded attention.

It was the Vice Chancellor.

He stood tall and composed, his expression as unreadable as ever. His presence seemed to push the oppressive energy of the tomb aside, as if it dared not approach him. He was clad in the dark, formal robes of his office, their edges glinting with the same eerie light that emanated from the runes around them. His eyes, sharp and calculating, surveyed the chamber with a quick, discerning glance before settling on the two of them.

“Vice Chancellor” General Cao muttered in shock before he hurriedly remained stoic, though Kaelen could sense a shift in his stance, a subtle acknowledgment of the Vice Chancellor’s authority.

“General Cao,” he acknowledged the man with a slight nod, his voice carrying an edge of command. Then his gaze shifted to Kaelen, who felt the full weight of the Vice Chancellor’s scrutiny upon him.

Kaelen’s heart raced as he met the man’s gaze. There was something he must have missed when he first met this man a few years ago because right now he could notice something almost unnatural in the Vice Chancellor’s eyes—something that made him feel as if every thought and intention were being laid bare.

The Vice Chancellor said nothing for a moment, his silence more imposing than any words. Then, finally, he spoke, his tone laced with a warm yet quiet power that resonated through the tomb. “I can’t believe I will get to see you again in this setting. But you have ventured deep, Kaelen. Far deeper than most ever will.”

“There is a reason I brought him here Vice Chancellor” General Cao suddenly spoke up in a deep and respectful tone.

“Which is?” The Vice Chancellor asked calmly while he shifted his gaze towards General Cao.

“Show him your sword Kaelen” But General Cao didn’t give the Vice Chancellor a reply. Instead, he shifted his attention towards Kaelen and said in a serious tone.

‘Huh? Don’t tell me he knows about the blade of eternity?’ Kaelen thought as he was initially stunned to what General Cao wants him to do before he became anxious about it.

But after reading the atmosphere of the tomb and how the tense the two men seem currently, Kaelen had no choice but to do as General Cao said.

And so, Kaelen swallowed hard. His hand moved to his side, where the hilt of his blade rested. With a steadying breath, he drew the Blade of Eternity from its sheath. The ancient weapon gleamed in the dim light of the tomb, its surface catching the eerie glow of the runes. The blade seemed almost alive, its very presence commanding attention as it thrummed with a subtle, otherworldly energy.

The Vice Chancellor’s eyes widened slightly as the blade was revealed. His composure, so unwavering moments ago, cracked just for an instant—an expression of immense shock flashing across his features. He stepped closer, his gaze locked on the weapon as if it had reached out and grabbed him by the soul.

“That blade…” he whispered, his voice barely audible. There was a note of disbelief, even awe, in his tone—something that Kaelen had never imagined he would hear from the Vice Chancellor.

Kaelen held the blade out slightly, allowing the Vice Chancellor to see it more clearly. The intricate designs on the blade’s surface, the subtle shimmer of power within it—all of it seemed to draw the older man’s attention like a magnet. The Vice Chancellor’s eyes traced the patterns, his mind clearly racing as he tried to process what he was seeing.

“The Blade of Eternity,” the Vice Chancellor finally said, his voice filled with a reverence Kaelen hadn’t expected. He reached out, hesitating for just a moment before his fingers brushed the air near the blade, careful not to touch it directly. “This weapon… it’s been lost to time. A relic of an era long forgotten.”

General Cao, who had been silent until now, stiffened at the Vice Chancellor’s words, his gaze shifting between the blade and Kaelen with newfound respect.

“Where did you find this?” the Vice Chancellor demanded, his voice urgent now, his shock giving way to a deep, burning curiosity.

Kaelen hesitated, but the gravity of the situation urged him forward. “I… I found it during one of the academy’s trials,” he said, his voice steady but carrying the weight of the truth. “It called to me. I don’t know why, but it felt like it was meant for me.”

The Vice Chancellor’s gaze flickered with recognition, and something deeper—perhaps fear or anticipation—flashed in his eyes. He took a step back, his hand dropping to his side as he absorbed Kaelen’s words.

“The Blade of Eternity,” he repeated, almost to himself. “If it has chosen you, then… the implications…” He trailed off, his mind clearly working through the possibilities. “This changes everything.”

“The reason I brought him here is because of this sword Vice Chancellor, I felt like this sword wasn’t ordinary since it could actually resist the dark magic Kelvin was sending out more than my weapon” General Cao suddenly commented with a serious look on his face.

“Of cause this sword would be more resistant to dark magic compared to your weapon. Don’t you know who forged it?” The Vice Chancellor replied with a straight look on his face as he looked at General Cao. But right after, he looked right back on Kaelen’s face and continued in a more friendly tone this time.

“And that’s why I will personally temper you here in other for you to fully bring out this sword’s monstrous potential”