All Chapters of Rise of the Peerless God of War: Chapter 161
- Chapter 170
185 chapters
Chapter 160
Lunch was worse than breakfast.The family gathered in the main dining hall. Well, not entire. Father was still occupied with whatever military matters consumed his time. But everyone else was there.Thomas sat at one end. Marcus at the other. And across from Draven, Daniel had arrived.Fourth brother. Wind mage. Number two on the Wall of Recognition.He looked every bit the prodigy. Sharp eyes. Confident posture. The kind of presence that drew attention without trying."So you're the famous disappointment," Daniel said, not even waiting for introductions. "I've heard stories.""I'm sure you have.""Thomas says you've grown a spine. Marcus says you're still slow." Daniel smiled. It didn't reach his eyes. "I want to see for myself.""Not interested.""Wasn't asking." Daniel set down his fork. "After lunch. The main training ground. You and me. Let's see what two years at the academy taught you.""I already sparred with Marcus this morning.""Marcus went easy on you. I won't."Draven lo
Chapter 161
Draven couldn't sleep.The cuts from Daniel's daggers had stopped bleeding, but they still throbbed. Small reminders of the public humiliation.He lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, mind drifting back.Back to who he used to be.The estate was quiet. Middle of the night. Nothing but his own thoughts for company.And his thoughts were cruel.He remembered being seven years old. Standing in this same training ground where Daniel had just cut him apart. Holding a wooden sword that felt too heavy. Watching his brothers swing theirs with ease.Garrett had been fifteen then. Already better than most adults. Fire magic came to him like breathing.Marcus was thirteen. Lightning crackling at his fingertips. Natural talent that made instructors shake their heads in disbelief.Thomas was eleven. Moving earth before he could properly read.And Draven? Seven years old with shaking hands and no magic at all."Try again," their father had said. Cold. Disappointed already.Draven had tried. Reached
Chapter 162
Sleep didn't last.Draven woke before dawn, restless. The estate was still dark. Still quiet. Everyone else asleep.He dressed and slipped out of his room. Needed air. Needed space. Needed to be anywhere but inside these walls.The grounds were empty at this hour. Just guards at their posts, barely glancing at him as he passed. The disappointment wandering around. Nothing to worry about.Draven walked without direction. Past the training grounds. Past the gardens. Past the stables.He ended up at the edge of the property. A section he'd never explored as a child. Dense trees blocking the view.A path led through them. Overgrown but visible.Draven followed it.The trees opened into a clearing he didn't recognize. Old stone markers rose from the ground. Dozens of them. Rows and rows stretching into the morning mist.A burial ground.Draven stopped at the entrance. Read the inscription on the nearest marker.Corporal Aldwin Marsh. Died in service to the crown. Third Battalion.The next
Chapter 163
Draven barely made it back to his room before the shouting started.Voices echoed through the manor. Loud. Angry. Coming from the main hall.He moved toward the sound, still processing his grandfather's memories. Still reeling from the revelation about his father.But whatever was happening downstairs couldn't wait.He reached the balcony overlooking the main hall and stopped.Thomas and Marcus were facing each other in the center of the room. Both in fighting stances. Both furious."Take it back," Thomas growled."Why? It's true." Marcus's lightning crackled at his fingertips. "Your fortress failed. Three hundred soldiers dead because of your engineering.""That collapse wasn't my fault. The foundation—""The foundation was YOUR responsibility." Marcus stepped closer. "You built Ironwall in three days. Everyone praised you. But you cut corners. And men died."Thomas's earth magic surged. The floor trembled. "You know nothing about engineering.""I know dead soldiers. I know families
Chapter 164
The gathering began at noon.Noble families arrived in carriages. Military commanders in formal uniforms. The kingdom's elite filling the Ashworth estate with power and influence.Draven stayed in the background. Watched. Waited.His brothers moved through the crowd with ease. Thomas greeting engineers and military officials. Marcus receiving salutes from officers who'd served under him. Daniel surrounded by admirers who'd heard of his Wall of Recognition ranking.Everyone knew the Ashworth brothers.No one looked at Draven.Perfect.The main event was scheduled for late afternoon. A combat exhibition. Traditional for gatherings like this. A chance for the family to show off their strength.Draven planned to stay invisible. Let his brothers take the spotlight. Survive the day without incident.That plan lasted until Marcus found him."Little brother." Marcus Jr. appeared beside him, two officers in tow. "I've been telling Captain Voss and Lieutenant Harrow about you."The officers loo
Chapter 165
Draven lay in his room, staring at the ceiling. His body ached from Edmund's lightning strike. The burns on his chest throbbed with every breath. Elena had done what she could with bandages and salve, but some wounds needed time.And pride? Pride needed longer.The gathering continued without him. He could hear it through his window. Music. Laughter. Nobles celebrating while the disappointment nursed his injuries alone.Exactly as expected.A knock at the door."Come in."Elena entered with fresh bandages and a tray of food. She didn't say anything at first. Just set the tray down and started changing his dressings."You should eat," she said finally."Not hungry.""Eat anyway. You'll need strength for tomorrow.""What's tomorrow?"Elena paused. "You haven't heard? The General announced it an hour ago. Main Combat Exhibition. All his sons are required to participate."Draven closed his eyes. Of course. More chances to be humiliated publicly."The General," he repeated. "Father actuall
Chapter 166
Morning came with the sound of trumpets.Draven woke instantly. Trumpets at the estate meant only one thing.Someone important had arrived.He dressed quickly and moved to his window. The courtyard below was chaos. Servants running. Guards snapping to attention. Nobles emerging from their rooms to see what was happening.At the main gate, a procession was entering.Imperial banners. Phoenix emblems. Soldiers in crimson and gold armor.The Phoenix Guard.Draven's heart stopped.And at the front of the procession, dismounting from a black warhorse, was Garrett.His eldest brother looked every inch the commander. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dark hair pulled back. The Phoenix Guard insignia blazing on his chest.But it was his presence that caught attention. Even from the window, Draven could feel it. Power radiating like heat from a forge.This wasn't Edmund's showy lightning or Thomas's solid earth or Daniel's swift wind.This was something else entirely.Draven grabbed his jacket and heade
Chapter 167
The main hall buzzed with anticipation.Draven stood in his corner, watching nobles and officers mingle before the exhibition. Garrett's arrival had shifted the energy of the entire gathering. People who'd ignored Draven yesterday now glanced at him with curiosity.The champion had acknowledged the disappointment.That changed things.Not much. But enough.Edmund was furious about it. Draven could see it in the way he moved. Sharp gestures. Forced smiles. He kept looking at Garrett like he wanted to challenge him right there.But he didn't.Because Edmund knew. They all knew. Garrett was on a different level."Interesting, isn't it?"Draven turned. Aldric Vane stood beside him, wine glass in hand. The instructor who'd noticed him holding back against Daniel."What is?""The dynamics." Aldric nodded toward the Ashworth brothers. "Edmund's been the dominant one since he arrived. Thomas defers to him despite being older in household ranking. Daniel stays in his lane. But now Garrett's he
Chapter 168
The exhibition continued after the Ashworth demonstrations.More visiting nobles. More displays of power. But the crowd's attention had shifted. Everyone was talking about one thing.Edmund's lightning destroying Thomas's fortress."Did you see that? One strike.""The captain doesn't hold back.""That was a message. Everyone knows Thomas and Edmund don't get along.""Public humiliation. Bold move with their father watching."Draven listened from his corner. The politics of his family on full display. Edmund asserting dominance. Thomas seething in silence. Father allowing it to happen.This was how Ashworths operated. Competition over cooperation. Victory over unity.No wonder they all hated each other.Thomas sat rigidly in his seat, hands gripping the armrests. His earth magic stirred beneath the surface. The ground around his chair cracked slightly.Edmund noticed. His smile widened.He was enjoying this."Brother." Edmund's voice carried across the seating area. Deliberately loud.
Chapter 169
The manor was quiet that evening.Too quiet.Draven walked the halls after dinner, restless. The formal meal had been tense. Father presiding in silence. Garrett eating calmly. Thomas staring at his plate. Daniel watching everyone.And Edmund?Edmund hadn't come.His absence spoke louder than words. The war hero. The lightning captain. Marcus Jr. Humiliated in front of nobles and officers. Defeated with a single touch.He was hiding. Licking his wounds.Draven understood the feeling.But Edmund's pride was different from his. Draven had learned to swallow humiliation. Had lived with it his whole life. Edmund had never tasted it before today.That made him dangerous.Draven found himself near the east wing. Edmund's quarters. He hadn't meant to come here. His feet had just carried him.Voices from inside. Muffled but angry."—think you can just hide forever?"Thomas.Draven pressed against the wall, listening."Get out of my room." Edmund's voice was cold. Controlled. More dangerous th