Chapter 316 Julian's wrath
Raphael and the commander could only watch in awe.
Their expressions were both of fear and respect as they stood in the presence of a power that has transcended the mortal realm.
Julian clenched his fist, and the lightning around him intensified.
“They will regret ever daring to betray the Easvil name.”
He raised his hands to the trembling sky, and the air around him immediately crackled in response.
With a swift motion, he lowered his hands in a gesture as if he were pulling the very sky down to him.
The sky responded with a deafening roar of thunder, and in an instant, a massive bolt of lightning shot down. It struck the castle with a power that sent shockwaves throughout the land.
The castle walls crumbled instantly. The earth quaked, and the space itself seemed to break into fragments under the wrath of Julian.
But it wasn’t over.
With his hands raised again, Julian summoned another bolt, more powerful than the first.
It tore through the sky and crashed into the remnants of the castle, destroying what was left.
Then, another lightning strike followed, and another.
The strikes were relentless, crashing down one after another in a continuous barrage.
Each bolt that hit the castle obliterated everything in its path—stone, metal, and ground—all disintegrated under the raw force of the lightning.
By the tenth strike, nothing remained. No walls, no towers, no ruins—only dust and scattered debris.
Raphael stood frozen, watching in complete awe as Julian effortlessly tore the castle apart with nothing but his will.
His mouth opened wide, unable to fully comprehend the magnitude of what he was witnessing.
This is beyond anything I have ever seen.
The commander, who usually was calm and composed also stood utterly mesmerized.
What kind of power is this?
He was literally born on the battlefield and had fought in countless battles, but nothing could ever compare to what he was witnessing now.
The once-proud castle had been reduced to nothing but a massive crater.
As the dust cleared, Raphael finally spoke, “My lord… you truly are unstoppable.”
After some time, Julian finally lowered his hands and the sky above calmed. The violent lightning ceased, and the dark cloud slowly faded.
The betrayal had been answered. And Julian knew this was only the beginning.
The effect was almost immediate. The massive destruction Julian had unleashed rippled through the land, sending shockwaves that could be felt across the surrounding counties, viscounties, and marquis states.
Every noble family, every commander, and every soldier felt the tremors of the lightning strike.
Panic spread quickly. Gates were slammed shut, and walls were now reinforced with every available resource and man that they could gather.
Everyone knew something unusual had just occurred—and whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
Even Lian and Arberus, who were leading the army of 1500 men down the mountain, stopped their march.
Their faces were tense with both confusion and fear.
The men who had been moving forward, fueled by the greed of gold and power, found themselves frozen.
Lian wiped the sweat from his forehead as he glanced around, searching for any sign of what had caused such destruction.
“What in the fuck was that?”
He had seen a lot in his time as a torture machine, but nothing could prepare him for what he had just felt.
Arberus narrowed his eyes as he observed his surroundings, trying to make sense of the situation.
He could feel the air crackling with the remnant energy, and the sky above was still heavy with the massive lightning storm that had just brewed moments ago.
“I don’t know. But that shit is not good.”
His gaze shifted to the direction of the now obliterated castle.
“That wasn’t just a random strike. Someone powerful is behind this.”
Lian clenched his fists in frustration. “Do you think it was Julian?”
Arberus didn’t answer immediately. He had heard the rumors of Julian’s abilities and his mastery over lightning.
But after feeling the overwhelming force himself, there was no room for any doubt.
“It could very well be,” Arberus finally said. “And if it is… we may have underestimated him more than we thought.”
The army, which had once marched forward with confidence, now found themselves questioning their path. They stood still, not knowing whether to proceed or retreat.
The ground still shook beneath them, and in their hearts, they knew this wasn’t the same enemy they had initially expected to face.
Just as Lian and Arberus were still processing everything, the ground beneath them shook once more.
The quake was stronger this time, and the weaker soldiers stumbled and fell to the ground.
Even those who managed to stay on their feet couldn’t help but panic.
Lian’s heart was racing wildly. He took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.
“Holy fuck… what is even going on here?” he said, his voice barely audible over the rumbling.
But before he could gather his thoughts, another quake erupted. This one felt even more intense, and the earth cried as if it were being torn apart from within.
The soldiers who had managed to regain their footing stumbled once again. They all cried in fear, grabbing whatever they could to steady themselves.
Arberus, however, was already used to the shaking of the land.
“It’s from another direction now!”
He pointed towards the land that was very far from the initial rumble.
“Shit… this is bad. This isn’t just some random earthquake. It’s like… like someone’s unleashing hell on us.” Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire
Their morale was already broken by the constant tremors. Panic spread through their army, and whispers began to circulate.
Some believed it was a sign from the gods; others thought they were being punished for their crime.
The fear was tangible, and even Lian and Arberus couldn’t ignore the growing sense of dread that filled them.
Another quake followed, and this time, it felt like the very sky itself was trembling.
The soldiers looked up, expecting the worst. However, there was neither thunder nor lightning storm, and they all breathed in relief.
Just as the tremors seemed to fade, one of the soldiers squinted his eyes towards the end of the forest.
He rubbed his eyes, thinking he was seeing things, but when he looked again, he saw a shadowy figure that was peeping through one of the tall trees.
It was faint, almost like an illusion, but it was definitely there in the distance.
“Commander!” the soldier shouted in panic. “There is someone there!”
Lian’s head turned toward the soldier, and a cold shiver ran down his spine.
“Where?!” he shouted as he scanned the surroundings.
The soldier pointed in the direction of the forest.
He couldn’t see anyone, but he could unmistakably sense the presence of someone there.
“There! In the trees! But… it’s gone now. It disappeared!”
Lian clenched his fists and gritted his teeth in frustration.
“Damn it! Keep your eyes open, all of you!” he commanded.
His own instincts were warning that something was wrong, but no one could see anything clearly.
The army was already on edge, but now the atmosphere had become even more suffocating.
Lian’s gaze shifted towards the forest that lay ahead of them. It was thick with tall, towering trees, but no matter how risky it was, there were no other options than to make their way for it.
“We will move forward, but stay alert,” Lian ordered, taking a deep breath.
He began to lead the way down the mountain, and his army followed quickly.
As they approached the entrance of the forest, Lian tried to focus on his mana, but something felt off.
He attempted to channel it, but there was a resistance, almost an invisible force pushing back.
“There’s something here,” Lian said.
His hand reached out, attempting to penetrate past the barrier, but it was no use as his mana simply bounced back.
Arberus, who was standing beside Lian, narrowed his eyes and frowned.
“A barrier… something’s preventing us from using our magic,” he said.
Lian nodded gravely. “We are not alone here. Whoever set this up knows what they are doing.”
The soldiers following behind them looked nervously at one another, their grip tightening on their weapons.
The silence in the forest was haunting, and the only sound was the gentle breeze and the soft rustle of leaves.
They continued moving forward, and the quake seemed to have come to a halt.
But, just as the soldiers began to regain their composure, the ground shook again. However, the tremor was much closer, and it sent goosebumps through everyone present.
Arberus cursed loudly, his hands gripping his sword tighter.
“Those fuckers are toying with us,” he shouted in rage. “This is nothing but a fucking game to them!”
Lian took his sword out as he turned to face the direction of the tremor. He knew that they were being cornered, that someone or something was playing with them, but he could do nothing about it.