NOVPUB
Chapter 53: 53:The Stormbearer
Inside the Control Room
Kael wiped his bloody hands with a white handkerchief, looking down at Augustus who was in the sorry state of a man he’d just wrecked.
The guy was shaking, his face was pale and his body was completely broken, ragged, and torn into pieces as Kael ripped off the pieces of flesh.
However, he wasn’t dead but Kael wasn’t sure if this guy could survive after this.
And why did he do all this?
It was just to send a message.
A message to the person who arranged it if he is watching.
On top of that, he had pissed himself.
Kael clicked his tongue.
"Tsk. Tsk."
"Why do spineless bastards do things they can’t handle the consequences of?"
He let out a long sigh, shaking his head.
"What a weird f***ing world."
Then, he heard the soft sliding of a hidden door.
He snapped his head up.
Ramos and the others walked in.
Kael’s lips stretched into a wide grin.
"Yoooo, Uncle!" he called out, spreading his arms. "Did you like my performance?"
He leaned forward slightly. "Want to give some feedback? Maybe a review?"
Ramos sighed deeply. His face was as grumpy as ever, but there was something in his eyes—a flicker of something he wouldn’t admit.
"You outdid what I expected." He rubbed his temples. "You’ve done... splendidly well."
Kael grinned wider. "Heh. I know."
He tossed the bloody handkerchief aside. "So what’s next?"
"Next... we head to the Awakening Chamber." Ramos turned on his heel. "Let’s go."
Kael blinked. "Huh? You want everyone to come?"
"Yeah." Ramos shrugged. "It’s not that big of a deal. We’ll keep them in the tunnel, though. Only your knights go inside."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "This still sounds like some top-secret sh*t."
Ramos snorted. "Kid, there’s a big difference between a secret and something people don’t give a damn about."
"What about this g.."
CRAACKKK!
Ramos swallowed back his words as Kael stepped over a twitching man snapping the guy to death.
Shocked, he looked around only to see everyone whistling and saying.
"Today’s weather is so nice."
"Yeah, what a pleasant wind."
Ramos blinked in horror and asked," Couldn’t you have let him go."
"Sorry old man. I don’t have a habit of leaving hidden danger.
Hearing this Ramos sighed, shaking his head.
Kael chuckled. "Alright, whatever. Lead the way, old man."
........
The Awakening Chamber lay in the basement of the castle.
They stepped into the dimly lit tunnel. The torches lining the walls flickered, casting long shadows that danced with every step.
The deeper they went, the heavier the air became. Kael could feel it.
Something old. Something powerful that was waiting. For some reason, his heart rate spiked up.
When they reached the end, the tunnel opened into a massive chamber. The knights waited outside to guard as ordered by Ramos while the rest followed in.
As soon as they stepped in, the torches lining the circular walls *burst to life—one after another illuminating the murals painted across the stone.
Kael stuffed his hands into his pockets, whistling. "Damn. Fancy."
Chris’s eyes widened as he took in the sight. Baret and Gare weren’t much different.
"This place is rich in history," Gare muttered, rubbing his chin. "Every major event has been marked here."
Kael strolled forward, eyeing the murals. Most were just boring sh*t about battles and kings. Same old, same old.
But then one thing caught his attention.
A figure stood with his arms stretched wide toward the sky. Above him, storm clouds swirled, lightning flickering within them.
Kael paused there a bit.
Something about it made his skin prickle.
"I thought we have a bad history with the Churches."
"Of course not. We are all devout followers of the Church of Storm, not others. Previously all the Churches belonged to Storms but during my old man’s time, he fucked up letting other churches occupy the land, and for one reason or another, the Church of Storms had decided to strike back.
Ramos came up beside him. "That was the moment the God of Storms blessed Veydrin," he said. "Gave us our Storm Bloodline."
Kael’s head tilted. "Huh."
"Since then," Ramos continued, "every Veydrin has awakened with the Storm Pathway. Doesn’t matter if they’re weak, strong, or idiots."
Kael smirked. "Sounds like some rigged sh*t."
Ramos grunted. "That’s how fate works, brat."
Kael exhaled through his nose, turning back to the mural. His fingers twitched in his pocket.
’The Storm Pathway, huh?’
A slow grin curled his lips.
This was about to get interesting.
A scene of the past flashed in his eyes. It was during the battle that occurred in the void where after he was escaping completed the task, but was stuck.
He prayed to Goddess for help yet he turned a blind eye. During the helpless state, by coincidence, he screamed God of Storm’s real name which caused a shower of lightning, snow, hailstorm, and windblade attacks.
From that day, he was already labeled as a heretic in the Church of Storm with a bounty of 1 million gold coins.
’That was a memorable day,’ Kael thought, rubbing his nose.
Kael kept staring at the storm-covered mural, his grin widening.
"So..." He tilted his head. "What did this guy do to get the Storm God’s blessing?"
Ramos let out a long sigh, arms crossed over his chest.
"The first Storm King, Noel Veydrin." He nodded at the mural. "He wasn’t just given anything. He took it."
Kael snorted. "What, did he run up to God and punch him in the face and take the God of Storm power?"
Ramos shot him a grumpy glare. "Shut up and listen, brat."
Kael smirked but stayed silent.
Ramos gestured to the mural. "Veydrin wasn’t born great. He was a warrior from the wastelands, a no-name mercenary. But unlike others, he had something special."
Chris leaned in. "What?"
Ramos tapped his temple. "Guts. A hunger. A refusal to bow."
Kael chuckled. "Sounds like my kinda guy."
Ramos ignored him. "One day, a great calamity swept through the land of the Black Tempest. A storm so violent it swallowed entire cities, tore down mountains, drowned kingdoms."
He pointed at another mural, showing dark clouds devouring the land.
"People called it the wrath of the gods." Ramos’ voice lowered. "They prayed. Begged. Cried for mercy."
His lips curled. "As for Noel Veydrin? He didn’t pray for mercy, rather he climbed the highest peak and screamed at the storm to challenge it."
