NOVPUB
Chapter 54: 54:The Unseen Behind
Kael made a skeptical expression and asked"Isn’t this typical madman behavior?"
’Still, I Love this shit.’
Ramos smirked slightly. "He challenged it. Demanded to God that if he can survive the onslaught, he wanted the blessing."
"A blessing to help in his endeavor so that he can serve his Lord and carry his name."
"The Emperor of Heinz?"Kael asked.
"Yes," Ramos tapped the mural again.
"And the storm answered."
Kael’s eyes flickered as he saw the next depiction of the storm descending, a bolt of lightning striking Veydrin.
"Instead of dying," Ramos continued, "Veydrin absorbed the storm. Became one with it. He tamed the Black Tempest and took its power."
He turned back to Kael.
"That’s how we got the Storm Bloodline. Not from some mercy. Not from begging nor praying someone like others," His eyes narrowed. "We took it and conquered it."
Kael let out a slow, low whistle.
"Now that’s some badass sh*t."
Chris’s jaw hung open. "He... absorbed a storm?"
Baret simply nodded. "A reminder that true power is never given freely. It must be claimed."
Kael ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, respect to the guy. But what did Veydrin do after he became a lightning god?"
Ramos exhaled, shaking his head.
Kael and the others followed Ramos as he moved further into the chamber, stopping in front of a massive mural.
This one was different.
It didn’t just show one moment. It showed many. A timeline of Veydrin’s greatest feats.
Ramos gestured to the first panel.
"The Stormborn Army."
The mural showed soldiers wrapped in lightning, marching like a thundercloud, swords crackling with raw energy.
"Veydrin created the first-ever army of storm-wielders. The Founder Noel Veydrin shared his blessings" Ramos’ voice deepened. "They moved like lightning strikes. Fast. Unstoppable. Devastating."
Kael raised a brow. "Damn. How bad was it?"
Ramos smirked. "Imagine fighting an army where every soldier is a living thunderbolt."
Kael chuckled. "So basically... a nightmare."
Ramos moved to the next panel.
"The Fall of the Iron Kingdom."
The painting showed a fortress, walls reinforced with metal, shattering under the force of a raging storm.
"The Iron Kingdom was thought to be indestructible. Its walls were said to withstand a hundred sieges." Ramos’ eyes glinted. "Veydrin took it down in one night."
Barry blinked. "One night?"
Ramos smirked. "Yes, one night. He called upon a storm so strong it melted the metal walls into slag."
Chris let out a low whistle.
Kael cracked his knuckles. "Goddamn. That’s some ’final boss’ type of sh*t."
Ramos moved again.
"The Battle of Crimson Skies."
The mural showed a sky painted red, lightning clashing against a burning sun.
"This was Veydrin’s greatest battle." Ramos’ tone turned grim. "The Heinz Empire, our eternal allies, now saw put growing power and feared us. They sent their best legions. Eighty thousand true elite knights."
Kael’s brow raised. "And?"
Ramos smirked. "Veydrin killed half in the first battle."
Kael’s grin widened. "And the other half?"
"They surrendered."
Kael let out a low, amused laugh.
Baret folded his arms. "That’s why, even now, the Empire respects us. They remember the day Veydrin could’ve wiped them off the map... and chose not to."
Chris was still stuck on the numbers. "He... wiped out ten thousand people in one attack?"
Ramos chuckled. "I told you, kid. We don’t forgive. We don’t bow. We take."
Kael gasped, eyes wide. "You mean the Heinz Empire... The same Heinz Empire I know? The one that sent an army?!"
"Yeah," Ramos nodded grimly.
Kael stared, waiting for more, but the old man just stood there like that was normal.
"Oi, old man, elaborate."
Ramos sighed. "We backed a prince who seemed weak but had potential. Turns out, the Crown Prince was a paranoid little sh*t. He took offense and sent a goddamn legion to put us in our place."
Kael squinted. "A legion?"
"hundred S-rankers. The weakest of them could wipe out entire battalions alone."
Chris coughed. "Wait, Hundred S-ranks? That’s not a legion. That’s a goddamn death squad."
Ramos chuckled darkly. "Yeah... and we buried them." 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
Kael blinked. "Wait... we actually won?"
"Of course," Ramos shrugged. "They came here like they owned the place. We reminded them whose land they stepped on."
Kael smirked. "So we shoved them back hard?"
"More than that," Ramos said. "We forced them into a treaty. Veydrin swore to stay out of politics. In exchange? The Empire never f*cks with us again."
Chris let out a low whistle. "Damn..."
Kael crossed his arms, deep in thought. That was all well and good. But...
"Say if we are so strong can we still take them now?"Kael asked with a flicker in his eyes.
Doesn’t that mean, he can become an Emperor if he wants?
Ramos frowned at the question and shook his head.
"NO!"
"We have past the prime."
Kael raised a brow. "Meaning?"
Ramos sighed deeply. Then, his face twisted with disgust.
"Your grandfather was a f**king embarrassment."
"Oi!" Kael choked but Ramos ignored him.
"A pathetic, womanizing sack of sh*t. Drowning in whores, drugs, wines, and cheap pleasure while Veydrin’s power rotted."
Kael burst out laughing. "Wait! Aren’t you talking about your own dad?!"
"So what? Don’t you curse your own dad?"
Kael stopped laughing immediately. "Fair point. Continue."
Ramos rolled his shoulders. "That moron had no real power. Just a B-rank wind ability with the ego of a god. Walked around like he was hot sh*t when he was barely worth a fart."
"That rotten m*therfucker...If I wasn’t his son, I might have butchered him."
Kael’s brows twitched. Ramos was getting mad.
Like, really mad.
Chris, Baret, and Gare started sweating buckets.
Baret leaned toward Gare and whispered, "We’re not gonna get executed for hearing this, right?"
Gare wiped his face. "I... I have no idea."
A tense silence fell over the room.
Then...
Kael yelled, throwing his hands up. "I get it! Grandpa was a pathetic, arrogant bastard. I understand."
Ramos snorted. "Just making sure."
Kael groaned, running a hand through his hair as he turned when he stumbled a bit upon a flame torch.
"Shit!"
The flame torch fell down onto the wall which lit up the wall with flames.
SWOOOSHHHH
A vibrant vigor flame erupted that burned along the wall and extended upwards to the top of the walls.
"What the fuck did you do now?"Ramos asked gasping in shock.
"I don’t know.."Kael shouted and looked up and saw the entire ceiling caught on fire.
The fire then emerged running through the lines.
Soon, it reached the which exploded.
"HOLYSHITTT!"Ramos screamed in panic.
This place was ancestral heritage. If it was destroyed he would be fucked up.
Kael was about to call guards but paused seeing the fire creating a painting.
And the moment he saw the painting, he froze.
His breath hitched.
His stomach dropped.
"Huh...?"
His eyes locked onto a mural.
A man with a long muscular build on his face, with a majestic posture was carved into the ceiling.
Kael stepped closer looking up, his eyes scanning every line, every feature.
He knew this face.
In fact, he knew it so well that he couldn’t help but scream.
"What the f**kkkkkkkkkk—?!"
