ONLINE: Blades of Eternity-Chapter 290: RODRIGUEZ’S PAST

The very air within the coliseum shifted.

In the wake of Kent and Valir's sudden and gruesome demise, a pressure unlike any before surged outward—

A roaring explosion of mana erupted from Castaneda and Lockwood, shaking the very foundation of the arena beneath them.

The sheer fury in their auras sent violent ripples through the air—warping it, distorting the space around them with an overwhelming force.

"Everyone, stay close!!" Marel exclaimed in hurry as Lila and the others stayed together behind Marel and Castenada as they protected them from Lockwood's and Castenada's aura.

Lockwood's eyes burned with a chilling light, his magic manifesting in the form of ancient sigils that flickered ominously around his hands.

Castaneda, however—

His expression darkened.

His body trembled—not with fear—but with something far more dangerous.

His gaze locked onto King Alexandria, piercing straight through the eerie, unwavering smirk on the king's face.

And in a voice colder than ice, he muttered—

"You will regret this."

But King Alexandria's expression remained unchanged.

Not a flinch.

Not a reaction.

Only a quiet, steady gaze—as if he were watching something that amused him.

And then—

SWOOSH.

Before either Castaneda or Lockwood could move—

Dark figures suddenly descended upon them from all sides.

A group of cloaked combatants—their presence like phantoms moving under the command of one man.

Alden's lackey.

The one who followed the First Magi's ideals without question.

His cold, calculating eyes gleamed as he stepped forward, leading his forces with a silent yet commanding presence.

Like a coordinated strike, they encircled Castaneda, Lockwood, and the others who had gathered.

Trapped.

"Huh?"

"How did they encircle us without us noticing?"

The sudden shift in control left Castenada and Lockwood along with the others momentarily stunned.

But the question still hung thick in the air—

How did they bypass their senses and encircle them?

How had they been so quickly boxed in—right in such an open area?

But before any of them could react—

"Now, now."

King Alexandria's voice cut through the tension.

His tone was no longer amused—no longer light.

It was low.

Threatening.

"There is no need to be so impatient."

He tilted his head slightly, his smirk widening by a mere fraction as his gaze swept over Castaneda, Lockwood, and the others.

"You will get what you seek from me soon enough."

His words carried an undeniable weight—

A chilling promise laced with something more.

And in that moment—

Despite their power.

Despite their fury.

Despite their desire to fight back.

A dreadful realization settled into the hearts of those who opposed him—

King Alexandria seems to have a few tricks up his sleeves.

Meanwhile....

In the dimly lit coliseum hallway, the atmosphere was tense. The muffled roars of chaos from the arena rumbled through the stone walls, but inside this corridor, a deadly silence loomed.

Vice Chancellor Reeves stood in front of Kaelen, Forbes, the Devouring King, and Kelvin, his face grim as he quickly explained the situation.

"Valir left without a word because something bigger is at play," Reeves said, his voice low yet firm. "King Alexandria… he's not acting alone. The fissure—whatever it is—has already begun to change the very nature of mana itself."

Kaelen's brows furrowed as he absorbed this information, his now invigorated royal-blue eyes reflecting a sharp glint of concern. "And what exactly does that mean for us?"

Before Reeves could answer—

A shift in the air.

A flicker of movement.

Then—

WHOOSH.

A hooded figure materialized right before them.

Every muscle in Kaelen's body tensed.

Forbes clenched his hands on the hilt of his sword at his waist. Kelvin's stance subtly lowered into a defensive posture.

Even Vice Chancellor Reeves, experienced as he was, instinctively took a step back, his senses screaming danger.

The figure stood motionless, cloaked in shadow, the fabric of his hood concealing his face. A chilling stillness emanated from his presence, as though he did not belong in this world.

And then—

"Long time no see, Rodriguez."

The voice was smooth, almost nonchalant. But beneath its calm surface lay something far more sinister.

A slow, creeping malice.

A tone that spoke of forgotten nightmares.

The Devouring King—Rodriguez—visibly froze.

His pupils shrank. His breath hitched.

Then, to everyone's shock, his body trembled.

A reaction none of them had ever seen before.

It was not a tremor of rage.

Nor of excitement.

But of something far worse.

Disbelief.

Horror.

As if he were staring at a phantom—a ghost from a past he had desperately wished to forget.

"...No," Rodriguez rasped, his voice unsteady. His expression, usually so composed, was now one of sheer dread.

It was as if reality itself had fractured before him.

As if, in that moment—

He had realized something truly terrifying.

The silence in the hallway was suffocating. The only sounds were the distant echoes of chaos from the coliseum and the quiet but unmistakable tremors racking The Devouring King's body.

Kaelen narrowed his eyes. "Devouring King, what the hell was that reaction? Who is this person?"

Forbes stepped forward, his expression a mix of confusion and concern. "Yeah, you look like you've seen a ghost."

Kelvin, ever sharp, studied The Devouring King carefully before turning his gaze toward the hooded figure. "That name… 'Rodriguez.' You flinched the moment he said it. What's going on?"

"That.... Is actually my name" The Devouring King quickly said with a pale look on his face.

"What?" Kaelen muttered with a surprised look on his face, but Forbes wasn't too bothered by it since he knew about it before now. While Kelvin just decided to not react to it.

'This is no ordinary aura, who is he?' Vice chancellor Reeves thought with a vigilant look in his face as he gazed on the hooded figure.

The Devouring King who is actually named Rodriguez looked as if his very soul had been drained from his body. He opened his mouth as he planned on speaking further, but before he could speak—

"Go ahead," the hooded figure interrupted in a calm, almost mocking tone. "Tell them. Tell the whole world of your so-called tragic past."

Rodriguez's breathing hitched. He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his entire body taut with emotion. Then, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke, his voice hollow and heavy with the weight of years past.

"My past…" Rodriguez muttered, his gaze darkening. "If you want to know, then listen well."

The air grew heavier as he began his tale.

"My father…" He inhaled sharply, as if the very mention of the man burned his throat. "They called him 'The Reaper.' A fitting name, considering the terror he instilled. To him, power was everything. Mercy was weakness. And I…" He exhaled shakily. "I was merely his tool."

Kaelen and the others listened in eerie silence, feeling the weight of each word as if it were a curse upon the air itself.

"My mother," Rodriguez continued, his voice lower now, filled with a deep sorrow. "She tried to protect me. She was the only light in my existence, the only warmth I ever knew. But she was a hindrance to him. A weakness. And so… he killed her. Right in front of me."

A deafening silence followed.

Kaelen's fists clenched.

Forbes looked away, jaw tight.

Kelvin's expression was unreadable, but there was a distinct glint of anger in his eyes.

Rodriguez let out a bitter chuckle, but there was no humor in it—only pain. "That wasn't the end of it. No… my suffering had just begun. He made sure I understood that lesson well. Every day after that was hell. Torture disguised as training. Punishment masked as discipline. I lived in constant agony, in fear, in rage… Until the day I decided I'd had enough."

He paused, looking at his own trembling hands. "At ten years old, I picked up a blade and plunged it into my father's heart. And I watched him die."

Kaelen's eyes widened slightly, while Forbes let out a slow breath. But before anyone could say anything—

A deep chuckle interrupted them.

"Hah… So that's the story you tell yourself?" the hooded figure sneered. "That you killed me?"

Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he reached up and pulled down his hood.

The air in the hallway froze.

Rodriguez took an unconscious step back, his entire body seizing with absolute horror.

Because standing before him… was a face he thought had perished long ago.

A face that bore a striking resemblance to his own.

But marked with a grotesque scar that ran diagonally across his face.

"I'm afraid, son…" The man grinned darkly. "Your attempt to kill me… failed."

Rodriguez's breath left him in a shuddering gasp.

It was him.

The Reaper still lived.

"How.... Is this possible?" Rodriguez muttered with a horrified look on his face since he just confirmed that it is actually his father who stands in front of them.

"I must say though, I owe the First Magi a big one for letting me escape death. Your story could have been completely true if he didn't intervene in time" The Reaper suddenly said with a sinister grin on his face.