ONLINE: Blades of Eternity-Chapter 268: A GAME OF DECEPTION

Kaelen and Lila moved cautiously through the dense forest, their senses on high alert. The purple sky above cast an eerie glow over their surroundings, making everything feel unnatural, almost surreal.

As they walked, Lila spoke in a low, serious tone.

"That thing we just fought… I've read about them before," she said, tightening her grip on her Ice Jade Scepter.

Kaelen glanced at her. "You have?"

Lila nodded. "They're called Memory Leeches—monsters capable of shapeshifting into anyone they encounter."

Kaelen frowned.

"That's not the worst part," Lila continued. "They don't just copy appearances. The moment they take a form, they absorb that person's memories—making them almost indistinguishable from the original."

Kaelen's steps slowed.

The implications were chilling.

"So… they could copy us… and even act like us?" he muttered.

Lila nodded grimly.

Kaelen exhaled. "Great. As if this place wasn't unsettling enough."

But before he could dwell on it further—

Swoosh!

A blade shot toward him from behind.

Kaelen's instincts screamed, and he whirled around, his Blade of Eternity flashing—

CLANG!

He barely managed to deflect the strike in time.

The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air.

Lila gasped, quickly stepping back as Kaelen steadied himself.

"What was that?!" she demanded.

Kaelen's eyes narrowed as he locked onto the source.

From the bushes ahead, a figure stepped forward.

A familiar figure.

"…Kelvin?" Kaelen muttered.

Kelvin—Kaelen's longtime rival and a warrior fueled by revenge who is a member of the Valen military academy—stood before them, his dark scythe lowered in a defensive stance.

His sharp gaze flickered with caution.

"…Sorry for attacking you," Kelvin said, his voice even. "I didn't know who you were."

Lila sighed in relief. "Kelvin, you scared us. What are you doing here?"

But before she could take another step toward him—

Kaelen moved.

Without hesitation, he lashed out—sending a swift, calculated slash straight toward Kelvin.

Kelvin's eyes widened in shock as he barely dodged the attack.

"What the hell, Kaelen?!" he barked.

But Kaelen didn't stop.

His sword glowed, and he launched another strike, his movements fierce and unrelenting.

Kelvin leaped backward, parrying just in time. "What's wrong with you?!" he snapped.

Kaelen's expression was icy cold.

"The Kelvin I know," he said darkly, "would never apologize for attacking his enemies."

Lila's eyes widened in realization.

Kelvin's brows furrowed—then his lips curled into a dangerous smirk.

"…Heh. Seems like I messed up there."

Then—

His form began to ripple.

His body distorted—shifting, twisting—

Until what stood before them was no longer Kelvin.

But another Memory Leech.

Kaelen's grip on his sword tightened.

"Lila."

Lila's ice-cold aura surged as her scepter began to glow with chilling energy.

"No need to say it."

They both knew.

It was time to eliminate this imposter.

And so, the Memory Leech, now fully revealed, hissed as it lunged forward, attempting to strike first—

But it was too slow.

Kaelen moved like lightning.

With a single blur of motion, he sidestepped the creature's attack and slashed downward with his Blade of Eternity.

SHING!

A clean, precise cut.

The imposter let out a guttural shriek as its body split apart, its form already dissolving into mist.

But before it could fully vanish—

Lila raised her Ice Jade Scepter and murmured, "Frozen Grave."

A spike of ice erupted from the ground, instantly impaling what was left of the Memory Leech—freezing it solid.

CRACK!

With a swift motion, Lila snapped her fingers.

The ice shattered into countless fragments.

The battle was over in seconds.

Kaelen let out a breath and flicked his sword to the side, ridding it of any lingering energy.

"That was… almost too easy," Lila remarked, lowering her scepter.

Kaelen nodded. "Let's keep moving."

–––

After weaving through the dense forest for several minutes, they suddenly emerged from the treeline—

And were greeted by a breathtaking yet ominous sight.

In the distance, a massive pyramid-like structure loomed over the landscape.

It was covered in glowing runes that pulsed faintly, their patterns shifting as if alive.

Lila's eyes narrowed. "What is this place?"

Kaelen didn't answer.

He was too focused—studying the strange energy radiating from the structure.

But before they could process what they were looking at—

BOOM!

An explosion erupted not far from the pyramid.

Their heads snapped toward the source.

Smoke was rising.

Kaelen's expression hardened. "Someone's fighting over there."

Lila nodded. "Let's check it out."

Without wasting another second, they rushed toward the commotion.

Kaelen and Lila arrived at the scene of the explosion—

And what they saw stunned them.

Three Eldrics were engaged in a fierce battle, their lightning-clad blades clashing at blinding speeds.

Each one moved with the same skill, the same ferocity, making it almost impossible to tell them apart.

Lila's expression darkened. "This again… more imposters."

Kaelen didn't respond immediately.

Instead, he observed the battle, his sharp eyes noting the odd dynamics at play.

Two of the Eldrics were ganging up on one—

The lone Eldric was on the defensive, struggling against their combined attacks.

Kaelen frowned. "Logically, the outnumbered one should be the real Eldric."

Without hesitation, he rushed into the battle, his Blade of Eternity humming with energy.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

But as soon as Kaelen entered the fray—

All three Eldrics abruptly stopped.

They turned to him, their expressions flooded with relief.

"Kaelen! You finally arrived!" they said in perfect unison.

Then—

All three extended their hands toward him.

"Help me get rid of these imposters!"

Lila took a step back, shocked. "All of them…?"

Kaelen, however, remained calm.

For a brief moment, silence filled the battlefield.

Then—

SCHING!

Kaelen moved like a storm.

His blade sliced through all three Eldrics in a single, fluid motion.

And in the next moment, the three Eldrics collapsed, their bodies quickly dissolving into mist, confirming his suspicion.

Lila was stunned. "Kaelen! Why did you kill all of them?! What if one of them was the real Eldric?!"

Kaelen scratched his cheek, looking slightly embarrassed.

"There's a particular trait Eldric always has that I didn't see in any of them."

Lila raised an eyebrow. "What trait?"

Kaelen smirked. "Not telling."

"Come on now, please tell me. It might come in handy for me in here if you aren't around" Lila pleaded with an unwilling look on her face.

"Am sorry but I just can't tell you. And besides, I won't ever leave you alone here so there is no need" Kaelen replied with an unwilling look also on his face.

Lila eventually sighed in frustration. "You're impossible."

"I know"

Kaelen simply shrugged before turning his attention back to the massive pyramid ahead.

"We should find a way into this pyramid.Eldric and Kelvin might be inside since we saw their imposters earlier."

Kaelen and Lila circled the pyramid, their eyes scanning every inch for an entrance.

But after nearly an hour of searching, frustration crept in.

Lila sighed. "Maybe… there isn't a way in."

Kaelen frowned, his confidence waning.

The structure was massive, covered in strange runes, but not a single visible door or opening.

Just as Kaelen was about to suggest leaving, Lila, out of impatience, kicked a small stone near the pyramid's base.

The moment her foot touched the stone, the entire pyramid rumbled.

A section of the wall vanished, revealing a dark swirling portal.

Before either of them could react—

Lila was suddenly yanked inside!

"Kaelen!!" she screamed.

Kaelen's eyes widened.

"Don't worry, am right behind you!"

Without hesitation, he leaped forward, diving into the portal after her.

The moment Kaelen passed through, he felt himself falling.

A twisting, disorienting slide sent them both spiraling downward—

Until, with a hard thud, they landed in a vast hall.

The air felt ancient, the walls covered in hieroglyphic-like inscriptions.

At the center stood a massive altar, glowing faintly with crimson light.

But—

That wasn't what caught their attention.

On the far side of the hall—

Kelvin and Eldric were locked in battle.

Kelvin's dark scythe hummed with eerie energy, its deadly arc slicing through the air.

Eldric's three-foot-long sword crackled with lightning, clashing against Kelvin's strikes with precision.

Their movements were so fast, it was difficult to follow—

Each attack sending shockwaves across the shrine-like chamber.

Kaelen and Lila exchanged glances.

Something serious was happening here.

But when Kaelen and Lila were just about to step forward—

The entire shrine suddenly trembled violently.

The stone walls quaked, dust and debris falling from above as if something ancient had been disturbed.

'Huh? What is happening now?' Kaelen thought as both him and Lila raised up their guard.

Kelvin and Eldric halted their battle, their gazes snapping toward the source of the tremors.

A deep, foreboding presence filled the hall.

For a brief moment, all sound faded—

Then, in the next instant—

A pulse of ominous energy surged from the altar.

In the midst of the shaking shrine, Eldric's eyes landed on Kaelen and Lila.

His expression lit up with joy.

"Kaelen!" he called out, immediately rushing toward them.

Without hesitation, he embraced Kaelen in a strong hug before turning to greet Lila with a grin.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see familiar faces."

Kaelen gave a small smile, patting Eldric on the back before turning his gaze toward the altar.

Kelvin, however, did not react to their reunion.

He stood rigid, eyes locked on the altar as if he could see something the others couldn't.

His fingers tightened around his scythe, a rare sign of unease flashing across his usually composed face.

Not long after, Kaelen, Lila, and Eldric also felt it—

"Wha....?"

A deep, heavy pressure descending upon them.

Their attention snapped toward the altar.

The crimson glow intensified, warping into something unnatural.

And then—

It stepped out.

A silhouette of pure light emerged from the altar, but despite its radiance, its presence was anything but comforting.

Its aura was so overwhelming, so solid, that every fiber of their beings froze on instinct.

Kaelen felt his body stiffen, his limbs refusing to move.

It was as if their very souls were being suppressed.

His eyes narrowed as a realization struck him.

'This… this must be the boss of this trial.'