Cosmic Lord: The Error Awakens
Chapter 112: The Blood’s Surge

Chapter 112: The Blood’s Surge

The hundred-and-sixth dawn draped Kael El’s Ashen Empire in a fractured golden haze, the continental dominion—a sprawling colossus—humming under an unseen pulse. The capital’s skyline soared—bone steel keeps dwarfed by the Golden Colossus, its hundred-meter frame a radiant titan, core pulsing a volatile violet-gold that cast glitching shadows across the plaza. Kael stood in the war room, Stormforged Blade across the table, shard-pommel screaming like a chained beast. EX: Dragonflame Reaver glowed at his hip, Stormhide Armor scorched and dented, the Empress’s beams and Lyra’s chaos burning in his grazed arm. His flirty smirk flickered, a cool dominance masking a raw dread—the sealed rift, the "Error," and Rhea’s trembling plea clawed at his blood. He flexed EX: Gold Dominion, golden veins surging through the stone floor, molten and heavy, answering the shard’s jagged wail.

Day 106. Her cage is dust—my blood stirs. His dark eyes gleamed, pride a blazing inferno despite the ache—dozens lost, the Empress’s fall, the Colossus’s glacial pulse gnawed at his core. My empire’s iron—millions strong, lands vast—but blood breaks iron. The Nexus whispered through the room: "Kael’s reign consumes!" He grinned, jaw tight, arm stinging. Consume? I forge.

Day 106: Post-Peace Period. Territory Level: 6 – Continental Lord. Territory Size: Vast. Population: Millions. Food Stock: Thin. Resource Yield: High (Lord’s Blessing). Resources: Vast. Summon Limit: Ample. Territory Lv. 7 Conditions: Reach Greater Power, Global Empire (More Strongholds), Defeat Greater Foe, Immense Wealth, Grand Treasury, Army of Greater Elite, Build Greater Wonder.

Lord Nexus Leaderboard: Kael El reigns, Myra gone, Lyra broken, Gavrin fallen, Sylth dust, others fade.

Kael tapped the shard, its scream piercing as he eyed Lena’s map—golden light tracing the east, silent since the Empress’s fall. First place, unchallenged—enemies dust, but the rift’s silence unnerved him. Blood breaks. His arm throbbed, a pulse deeper than pain—his Devourer Blood stirred, volatile, like a storm trapped in his veins. The shard jolted—vision: the sealed rift, violet-gold, glitching faintly, a whisper: Devourer, your blood wakes. His blood surged, the room trembling—wakes? Thora burst in, hammer slung, gold dust thick. "Lord! Core’s spiking—rift’s stirring east, 1,200 kilometers, Nexus echoes, violet-gold. Your blood’s calling ’em—Colossus feels it."

Kael’s grin sharpened, blade in hand. "My blood? Let’s tame it." He turned to Drayce, glaive against the wall, eyes fierce but worn. "Elite—5,000, gold-clad. Clear echoes, guard me—I’m checking the rift."

Drayce nodded, grip tightening. "Guard’s good—dozens gone last fight, we’re gold but raw. Echoes sound like her—don’t let ’em near." His voice held a brother’s fire, trust iron—Empress losses lingered.

Veyna slipped in, bow taut, wolves snarling. "Wolves smell ’em—Nexus echoes, no form, pure energy. Your blood drives ’em—east’s silent otherwise." Her hunter’s edge burned, but her eyes flicked to Kael’s arm—Rhea’s fear mirrored.

Lena unrolled her map, quill steady despite the tension. "Lord, keeps pile higher, gold flows thicker, resources stack endless. Food’s tight—days left. Her voice is gone—subjects fear your blood." Her calm wavered, eyes on Kael’s scorched armor—raw, red—then the east. "Echoes—your rift?"

Kael winked, masking a wince. "My rift? I’m the storm—clear ’em, tame my blood." He strode out, shard screaming, the Colossus’s pulse rippling—colder, glitch flickering. My blood—like Rhea’s eyes. "East, 1,200 kilometers—light force."

The eastern plain crackled, air heavy as echoes emerged—hundreds, violet-gold, Nexus energy swirling, formless but sharp, pulses of light flickering. Beyond them, the sealed rift hummed—violet-gold, glitching faintly, a whisper: Devourer, your blood. Kael laughed, blade raised. "My shadows? Let’s silence ’em."

He charged, EX: Stormwing Prime blurring him toward the rift, thousands following—gold-clad elite gleaming, Colossus’s morale a blazing tide. Drayce’s vanguard struck—glaives slashing echoes, energy scattering, pulses dissolving. Veyna’s wolves flanked, frost fangs snapping at flickers, her arrows piercing cores—echoes fading, light dimming. Thora’s turrets fired—golden bolts shredding dozens, earth trembling.

Bone golems rose, EX: Bone Dominion summoning a handful, crushing echoes, claws splintering energy. An echo slashed, beam lashing—dozens caught, armor sizzling, screams fading. Kael dodged, arm burning—damn blood. EX: Volcanic Tsunami roared, fire melting dozens, energy sizzling. An echo struck, pulse grazing Kael’s arm—pain flared, blood surging, volatile. He thrust the Stormforged Blade, shard screaming, EX: Gold Dominion flaring—gold veins bound the core, EX: Vitality Reaper draining energy—echoes collapsed, ash swirling.

Dragons dove, fire and ice raining, echoes vaporized. Elys’s lightning cracked, frying cores—her shout fierce: "Kael, it’s your Nexus—your blood’s louder!" Rhea torched echoes, flames blazing, but her eyes flicked to Kael—yesterday’s burns haunting. Lyra—his Lyra—blasted violet chaos, her wink strained: "Tame it, lover—your blood’s wild!" The echoes died, the rift humming—Kael reached it, shard screaming.

He gripped the shard, EX: Devourer Blood flaring—gold veins surged into the rift, his blood roaring, Nexus energy clashing. The shard jolted—vision: the rift, glitching void, his blood pulsing, a whisper: Devourer, your blood breaks or binds. His blood surged, pain spiking—veins burned, power swelling, threatening to tear him apart. Break or bind? He pushed harder, EX: Gold Dominion binding the rift, veins threading its core—energy wavered, then steadied, his blood calming. The rift dimmed, stable, whisper fading: Bound, for now. Kael staggered, blood humming—stronger, but no leap. His veins cooled, but the surge lingered—wild.

Kael sheathed the blade, chest heaving, rushing to Rhea—she stood, burns faint, eyes fierce but scared. "You’re reckless," she said, voice raw—fear, not anger. He pulled her close, jaw tight. "Losses?"

Drayce approached, glaive bloodied. "Light—dozens gone, echoes hit soft. Rift’s quiet—east’s clear." His voice held relief, eyes on Rhea—crew’s bond tighter.

Veyna tossed Kael a violet-gold shard—echo core, Nexus-charged. "Your spark—strong as hers. Wolves say east’s silent—your blood hums." Her smirk softened, eyes on Rhea—losses weighed.

Back at the capital by dusk, the Colossus pulsed—jagged, colder, glitch rippling. Lena met him, map glowing, voice steady. "Lord, keeps soar—strongholds stack, gold flows, resources pile endless. Losses light—subjects cheer, rift’s stable." Her eyes flicked to Kael’s arm—raw, bleeding—then Rhea, burns faint.

Kael nodded, wincing—power surging, a titan’s might. He strode to the Colossus, shard screaming, Rhea trailing—flames dim, hand on his. "Your blood," she said, eyes searching. "Rift, ’The Error’—it’s growing in you."

Kael’s smirk faltered, pulling her close. "Growing? I’m gold, Rhea—the rift bends for me." But the chill deepened—my blood, the Error. He turned to the crew, voice a rough drawl. "Rift’s stable, my blood stirs—game shifts. Thoughts?"

Elys sparked, grim but fierce. "You’re a titan, Kael—your blood’s poison. What’s it waking?" Her lightning dimmed—losses stung.

Lyra—his Lyra—grinned, violet flickering. "Waking? You’re the blade, lover—your blood’s wild. Tame it." Her tease hid fear—no voice lingered.

Veyna notched an arrow, sharp. "Tame? East’s silent—wolves smell nothing. Your blood’s real—watch the rift." Her gaze lingered on Rhea—hunter’s edge softened.

Thora stomped up, hammer slung, gold dust thick. "Rift? Core’s glitching worse—your blood’s screaming. It’s stable—but it’s colder." Her pride cracked, eyes on the core—pulse glacial.

Kael’s grin hardened, gold veins pulsing—EX: Gold Dominion heavier, like a throne’s crown. Error Rift—my blood. The shard screamed—vision: the rift, silent, his blood pulsing, no voice. Blood wakes. He blinked back, pulse icy—wake or bind? "Lena, map the rift—Thora, crack the cores—Veyna, scout—Drayce, sharpen ’em."

The council lingered, personally invited by Kael to join him for dinner—Elys sparking, Rhea’s warmth fading, Lyra’s violet subdued. Kael waved them closer, voice teasing but strained. "Ladies, my blood stirs, rift’s stable—game shifts. Truth?"

Rhea’s flames flickered, voice soft. "Truth? Your blood’s the rift—’The Error.’ Choose us, Kael." Her hand trembled—fear raw, burns aching.

Elys nodded, lightning dim. "She’s right—you’re a storm, but storms break. Your blood—let it lie." Her voice shook—losses echoed.

Lyra tossed a violet spark, smirk faint. "Lie? He’s the prize, ladies—his blood’s power. Tame it, lover." Her tease wavered—no voice hit.

Kael laughed, rough and warm, blade spinning. "Tame? I dance—the rift’s mine." But Rhea’s tremble burned—Error Rift, in me? He turned to the echo core, locked with the others—Your blood wakes. "Thora, dig deeper—Lena, trace the rift—Veyna, eyes out—Drayce, rest ’em."

The day waned, forges thundering as keeps rose—strongholds climbing, gold flowing, resources endless. Kael paced the plaza, shard humming, his blood heavy—Devourer, your blood. Drayce rallied the elite, voice gruff but strong. "Gold’s iron—ready, Lord." His trust blazed—victory held.

Lena scribbled, map glowing, voice steady. "Capital’s mightier—keeps stack, gold’s heavy, lands vast. Rift’s stable—subjects cheer, Colossus steadies ’em." Her calm held, eyes on Kael—crew’s worry mirrored Rhea’s.

Rhea stood closer, flames soft, voice low. "You’re not the rift—blood, ’The Error.’ Choose us, Kael." Her hand tightened, fear raw—burns, grazes, losses.

Kael’s laugh was rough, pulling her close. "Choose? I’m the storm, Rhea—the rift bends for you." But her fear burned—Error Rift, in me? He gripped the shard, its song jagged, pulse colder—glitchy, whispering: Blood wakes... A memory stirred—Vex’s cry: Rift’s end! He smirked into the dusk, gold molten. "End or rift—I’m the blade."

By night, the empire stood mightier—keeps soaring, gold heavy, lands vast, resources endless. Kael leaned on the ramparts, shard glowing, his blood heavy—dozens gone, Rhea’s fear heavier. The Colossus pulsed—jagged, shadow flickering, subjects chanting below. The east was silent—the game shifted. He spun the blade, gold veins flaring. "Rift or crown—I’m the storm breaking free."