All Chapters of Rise of the Peerless God of War: Chapter 171
- Chapter 180
185 chapters
Chapter 170
Father's speech droned on.Words about legacy. About strength. About the future of the Ashworth name.Draven heard none of it.His eyes were locked on Edmund and Thomas. Watching the tension build with every passing second.Edmund's lightning flickered brighter now. Not hidden anymore. Visible to anyone who looked.Thomas's earth magic had spread cracks across the floor in a six-foot radius around his feet.The nobles nearest to them had started to notice. Whispers spreading through the crowd."Is that lightning?""Look at the floor. It's breaking.""Are they going to fight? Here?"Garrett shifted his position. Moving closer to the platform. Closer to where he could intervene.But Edmund noticed.His eyes snapped to Garrett. Hatred flashing. Then back to Thomas.Whatever he was planning, he knew Garrett would stop him. He was calculating. Waiting for the right moment.When Garrett was distracted. When Father looked away. When he could strike before anyone could react.Draven's heart p
Chapter 171
The manor felt different that night.Heavier. Darker. Like something terrible was waiting in the shadows.Draven couldn't sleep. Kept thinking about Thomas's breakdown. The raw pain in his voice. The years of resentment finally spilling over.And Edmund's smile. That satisfied, poisonous smile.Around midnight, Draven gave up on sleep. Got dressed and left his room.The hallways were empty. Guards at their posts but otherwise silent. The nobles had mostly retired, still processing the scandal they'd witnessed.Draven walked without direction. Let his feet carry him wherever they wanted.They carried him to the training grounds.And there, sitting alone in the darkness, was Thomas.His brother hadn't noticed him. Was staring at the ground where his fortress had stood before Edmund destroyed it. Where his pride had crumbled along with the stone.Draven should leave. Should turn around and walk away. Thomas had never been kind to him. Had called him a disappointment. A stain. A mistake.
Chapter 172
Dawn came too quickly.Draven woke with his heart already racing. The dreams had been vivid. Violent. Prophetic, maybe.Today was the day.He dressed mechanically. Formal clothes again. The last day of the gathering required proper presentation.The manor was already active when he emerged. Servants preparing for the final breakfast. Guests packing their belongings. The gathering winding down.But the tension hadn't wound down with it.If anything, it was worse.Draven felt it the moment he entered the great hall. The air itself seemed charged. Heavy with anticipation.The breakfast tables were arranged in a large U-shape. Father at the head. His sons arranged along the sides. Guests filling the remaining seats.Draven took his place at the far end. The disappointment's seat. Far from anyone important.He had a clear view of everything.Thomas sat stiffly, eating nothing. His face was pale but composed. Whatever he'd decided last night, he was keeping it contained.For now.Edmund sat
Chapter 173
The great hall remained frozen.Draven stood between his brothers, heart pounding. The pendant still burned against his chest. The power he'd kept hidden for so long now exposed for everyone to see.No going back.Edmund was the first to move. He stepped away from Draven, sword still in hand, lightning still crackling. But his eyes held something new.Fear."How?" Edmund's voice was barely a whisper. "You're the disappointment. The failure. You can't—""Clearly he can." Garrett walked forward, positioning himself near Draven. Not threatening. Protective, almost. "The question is how long he's been hiding it."Thomas struggled to his feet. His earth magic had faded, shock replacing rage. He stared at Draven like he'd never seen him before."You saved me," Thomas said. "You actually saved me.""Don't read too much into it.""You could have let him kill me. No one would have blamed you. I've been terrible to you for years.""I know.""Then why?"Draven didn't have an answer. Not one that
Chapter 174
Suddenly, morning came. Draven hadn't slept. Had spent the night sitting by his window, watching the stars fade and the sun rise over the Ashworth estate.Thinking.Father's offer played in his mind on repeat. Recognition. Power. Finally being seen as a true Ashworth.All he had to do was become a weapon.A knock at the door."Come in."Elena entered with breakfast. She set the tray down and looked at him with knowing eyes."You look terrible.""Thanks.""Big decision ahead?""You heard what happened.""Everyone heard." Elena sat on the edge of his desk. "The disappointment saving his brother. Moving faster than lightning. The whole estate is buzzing with it.""Great.""It is great. For years, I watched this family treat you like dirt. Now they know the truth. Now they have to deal with who you really are."Draven looked at her. "And who am I really?""That's for you to decide." Elena stood. "But whatever you choose, don't let them make you into something you're not. You're not a weap
Chapter 175
The carriage rolled to a stop at the edge of town.Draven stepped out into the afternoon sun. The Ashworth estate was behind him now. Miles away. But its weight still pressed on his shoulders.Everything had changed.He wasn't the disappointment anymore. Wasn't invisible. His father knew about the pendant. His brothers knew he'd been hiding. The entire noble gathering had watched him move faster than Edmund's killing strike.No going back."Draven!"He turned. Jin was running toward him from the town square, Lyra and Sera close behind. His team. His friends. The people who'd waited for days while he faced his family alone.Jin reached him first, grabbing his shoulders. "You're alive!""Were you expecting otherwise?""With your family? Honestly, yes."Lyra arrived next, slightly out of breath. "What happened? We heard rumors. Something about a fight? About you saving someone?""Rumors travel fast.""Noble gatherings are gossip factories." Sera studied him with those sharp eyes. "You lo
Chapter 176
Three weeks passed faster than Draven expected.He spent every day training. Not hiding anymore. Not holding back.His team watched with wide eyes as he moved through combat forms at full speed. Techniques from ancient warriors flowing through him like water. Fire magic burning hotter and brighter than any second-year should be capable of."How long have you been able to do this?" Jin asked after one session."A while.""And you just... didn't?""I had reasons."Jin shook his head. "You're terrifying. You know that, right?"Draven didn't respond. Just kept training.The academy noticed the change. Students who'd dismissed him now watched from a distance. Masters who'd overlooked him started paying attention.Master Vex observed several of his training sessions. Said nothing. Just watched with those calculating eyes.Word spread.The disappointment wasn't a disappointment anymore.Two days before the gala, Draven packed his things and said goodbye to his team."Be careful," Lyra said.
Chapter 177
The day of the gala arrived.Draven stood before the mirror in his room, adjusting his formal attire. Dark fabric with silver trim. The Ashworth crest embroidered on his chest. Every inch the noble son he was supposed to be.He barely recognized himself.A knock at the door."It's time." Thomas's voice. Neutral. Professional.Draven opened the door. His brother stood in the hallway, dressed similarly. They looked at each other for a moment.Things had changed between them since the gathering. Not friendship—that would take more than one life-saving moment. But something like respect."Ready?" Thomas asked."As I'll ever be."They walked together toward the main hall. The manor had been transformed overnight. Flowers everywhere. Chandeliers blazing with magical light. Servants in pristine uniforms moving with practiced efficiency.The Ashworth estate had become a palace.They reached the gathering point where the brothers were supposed to assemble before the formal entrance. Edmund was
Chapter 178
The crowd parted as Lucas led Draven toward the exhibition area.Every gala had one. A space set aside for demonstrations. For challenges. For young heirs to prove themselves while their families watched.Tonight, that space would become a stage.Nobles followed, sensing entertainment. The music faded. Conversations died. All attention focused on the two young men walking toward the center of the hall.Draven felt his brothers watching.Edmund with barely concealed anticipation. Hoping for failure.Thomas with something like concern. Maybe remembering who'd saved his life.Daniel with calculating interest. Always analyzing.And Garrett. That knowing smile. Those sharp eyes missing nothing.Father stood on the elevated platform beside Count Nervia. Both men expressionless. Both watching their sons with the detachment of generals observing a battle.Lucas reached the exhibition circle first. Turned to face Draven."Standard rules," Lucas announced, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Fir
Chapter 179
The great hall remained frozen.Lucas Nervia slumped against the wall. Draven standing in the exhibition circle. Smoke still rising from his hand where the controlled fire had erupted.Everyone staring.Draven looked up at the platform. At his father.Waiting for the reaction. The anger. The disappointment. Something.Father's face was stone.No expression. No emotion. Nothing.He simply stood there. Watching. Like he was observing a training exercise rather than his son publicly destroying an ally's heir.That silence was somehow worse than any anger could have been.But everyone else?Everyone else lost their minds.The whispers exploded into full conversations. Nobles grabbing each other's arms. Officers exchanging shocked looks. The carefully maintained decorum of the gala shattered."Did you see that speed?""He moved like—I've never seen anything like that.""The fire. That controlled burst. How is he only sixteen?""Second-year student? Impossible.""Lucas Nervia didn't stand a