ONLINE: Blades of Eternity

The sun hung low, casting elongated shadows across the decayed landscape as Kaelen and Kelvin crept silently along the twisted edge of the corrupted forest, their tattered cloaks pulled over their shoulders. The dying light painted everything in hues of crimson and ash, adding a grim glow to the world around them.

And then, through the thinning veil of vines and ruined branches, they got a clearer view of the town's front gate—and what they saw made them stop dead in their tracks.

There were beastkins.

Two guards stood on either side of a thick wooden gate reinforced with steel beams and mana glyphs that pulsed dimly. One bore the features of a large wolf—gray fur lining his arms, snout slightly protruding from his face, and eyes that glowed faintly in the darkening light. He leaned on a halberd easily twice his size, sniffing the air occasionally as though instinctively monitoring every scent in the region.

The other had the appearance of a feline—tiger-striped arms, sharp golden irises, and a spear resting against his shoulder with an ease that spoke of honed skill. His tail swayed lazily behind him, betraying a sense of alertness beneath his calm exterior.

Kaelen and Kelvin ducked low behind a moss-covered boulder, their breaths shallow, eyes wide with disbelief.

"…Beastkins," Kelvin muttered under his breath, eyes darting from one guard to the next. "I thought they were extinct in the land of Aetheris during the dark ages?"

"Looks like we were wrong," Kaelen replied, peeking again. "And not just guards. Look there."

Further inside the town's borders, they saw dozens of beastkins roaming freely—wolfkin and tigerkin children playing near the well, a burly bearkin hoisting crates onto a wagon, a pair of deerkin mages meditating near a glowing fountain. All of them bore the unique blend of human and animalistic traits—ears, tails, fur, and heightened features that gave away their heritage.

"This entire town…" Kelvin murmured, "it's a beastkin settlement."

Kaelen's eyes narrowed. "Which means we're the outsiders here. Humans like us might not get a warm welcome."

Kelvin didn't need to be told twice. He had thought that both of them will fight in countless territories—some where humans ruled, others where they were hunted for trespassing by maybe the elves, Hybrids or even ogres. But this place, judging by its tight borders and heavily armed patrols, was clearly cautious of invaders. And with their current state—rough appearance, torn clothes, and weapons that reeked of dark power—they'd look like walking threats.

"We can't go in during daylight," Kaelen said. "Not like this."

Kelvin nodded. "Too risky. We'll wait until nightfall—find a blind spot along the wall, sneak in quietly. Maybe grab cloaks or clothing that blend in."

Kaelen looked down at himself—at the runed shimmer of his Blade of Eternity, at the strange markings that had slowly begun to etch across his forearm ever since the Magic Pandora entered him.

"I'll need to keep this hidden," he muttered, sheathing the blade carefully. "Same for your scythe. That thing screams danger."

Kelvin chuckled dryly. "Yeah, I noticed. Let's find some cover for now. Somewhere close to the gate, but out of sight."

They crawled deeper into the undergrowth, bypassing cracked stones and broken trees until they found a small natural alcove carved into a mound of roots and fungus-encrusted stones. It offered just enough shelter to remain unseen but close enough to still observe the town from afar.

The forest behind them echoed with distant screeches, but they were used to that now.

Night crept in slowly, the air growing colder, the sky turning a bruised purple as corrupted clouds drifted lazily across a cursed moon. The guards at the front gate were soon replaced by new ones—just as bestial, but more relaxed, their movements slower in the dimness.

Kaelen and Kelvin sat close, unmoving, listening.

"I don't like this," Kelvin muttered. "We don't know how the beastkin will react. Some of them might still harbor hatred towards other species, Human included for what happened during the dark ages."

"I know," Kaelen replied. "But we don't have a choice. If we want answers… if we want a path forward… we need to enter that town. There might be clues about where the Magic Pandora sent us. Or if anyone else got dragged here too."

Kelvin nodded solemnly.

They stared at the glowing gates in silence, their resolve slowly hardening like stone.

Tonight, they would sneak into a town filled with ancient enemies.

Tonight, the hunt would begin anew.

And so, the moon had climbed high in the sky by the time Kaelen and Kelvin made their move. Cloaked in the shadows of night, they crept toward the town's outer wall. With their newly sharpened senses and familiarity with infiltration tactics, they moved like phantoms, darting from tree to tree, crawling under guard patrol lines, and avoiding detection with calculated precision.

They reached a portion of the wall where thick vines trailed down like natural curtains. Kaelen climbed first, using the vines as a makeshift rope, while Kelvin kept watch. Moments later, Kelvin followed, and the two of them dropped quietly into the alley on the other side.

They landed with a soft thud, crouching behind a stack of old barrels.

"So far, so good," whispered Kaelen, pulling his cloak tightly around his shoulders.

Kelvin, with his dark eyes scanning the silent alley, nodded. "Let's get something to help us blend in."

After navigating the winding backstreets, they stumbled upon what seemed to be a laundry line strung up behind a modest home. Several hooded cloaks, likely belonging to merchants or travelers, hung fluttering in the night breeze. They made a quick decision—grab the least conspicuous cloaks and disappear.

In mere seconds, they were gone again—now hooded, disguised, and free to walk the town under the veil of anonymity.

They passed through dimly lit streets, avoiding conversations and speaking only in low mutters. The town was more alive than expected—lamplight cast warm glows from homes and shops, and late-night vendors packed up under the watchful eyes of nocturnal beastkin guards. The scent of roasted meat and herbs filled the air, blending with distant laughter from within homes.

Despite their calm exterior, both Kaelen and Kelvin were on edge. This town was not their home. It was unfamiliar. Alien. And the beastkins around them were strong. They could feel it—every passerby had a rawness to their aura, an animalistic depth that kept the two warriors perpetually vigilant.

"I thought we'd find something by now," Kelvin said as they passed a quiet herbalist's shop.

Kaelen shook his head. "No one talks about the Human territories. It's like the entire region is isolated."

"I don't like it."

"I don't either. Let's try the tavern. If there's anywhere information spills freely, it's in ale-soaked whispers."

They made their way to a worn building near the center of the town. "The Crescent Paw Tavern," read the etched wooden sign swinging on rusted chains above the door. From inside came the soft rumble of conversation, laughter, the clink of mugs, and the muffled strumming of a lute.

Inside, the tavern was packed with beastkin of all kinds. Foxkin, bearkin, aviankin, even a hulking lizardman seated in a corner with a plateful of roasted meats. Kaelen and Kelvin kept to the shadows near the back, hooded and silent, sitting at a vacant table and blending in like experienced drifters.

They didn't need to ask questions. They just listened.

And soon, they heard what they needed.

"…They say the Human territory is being drained…"

"…Mana veins… vanishing one by one…"

"…It's him. The Dark Eternal. Endless. No one's standing in his way."

"…Not even the Celestials? Aren't they supposed to be the gods of order?"

"They're doing nothing. It's like they're letting it happen…"

Kaelen's fingers clenched beneath the table.

Kelvin's brow furrowed deeply. "They're not even resisting?" he muttered lowly. "Why?"

Kaelen's mind spun with the implications. Endless was draining the very lifeblood of the land—the mana veins—without opposition. That would collapse the world's balance, killing ecosystems, civilizations, and perhaps even realms tied to the mana flow.

He couldn't help but remember the vision from his dream… Reeves… Morris… Lila… Elena…

Was it truly a dream?

Just as he was about to speak, everything around him dimmed slightly—and then it hit.

A strange force pulsed in the center of Kaelen's mind.

[New Mission Detected.]

The voice was cold. Mechanical. Monotonous, yet impossible to ignore.

[System Notification: The Town of Crescent Paw is in the path of damnation.]

[Mission Objective: Prevent the annihilation of the Beastkin settlement.]

Kelvin sat up sharply beside him, clearly hearing the same thing. "What the hell…?" he whispered, looking to Kaelen with wide eyes. "Did you hear that too?"

Kaelen was initially stunned by Kelvin's response but still nodded slowly. "It's the system… Since you heard it and they didn't, it means you are part of it now."

Kelvin's jaw tightened in confusion. "System? What system?."

"It's kind of complicated to explain here, let's get a place to stay for the night and I will explain" Kaelen replied before he began to read through the contents on the screen that Kelvin could also see.

[Warning: The calamity begins in three days.]

[Failure to act will result in total destruction of the Crescent Paw settlement.]

Kaelen exhaled slowly and leaned back against the creaky tavern chair. The quiet hum of voices and laughter around him continued like nothing had changed, but to him and Kelvin, the world had just shifted again.

Kaelen clenched his jaw. "First the Human territory… and now this."

Although he was still a bit perplexed, Kelvin still slowly stood. "Looks like we're not getting any rest after all."

Kaelen's eyes burned faintly beneath his hood as he whispered, "Then we make our move. We'll save this town… and stop Endless."

They slipped out of the tavern like ghosts, their new purpose as heavy as the weapons they carried.