Cosmic Lord: The Error Awakens
Chapter 113: The Harbinger’s Wrath

Chapter 113: The Harbinger’s Wrath

The hundred-and-seventh dawn blazed over Kael El’s Ashen Empire with a fractured golden fury, the continental dominion—a sprawling colossus—shuddering under an unseen pulse. The capital’s skyline towered—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 atop the eastern outpost’s ramparts, 1,200 kilometers from the capital, Stormforged Blade in hand, shard-pommel screaming like a war horn. EX: Dragonflame Reaver glowed at his hip, Stormhide Armor scorched and dented, the echoes’ pulses and Lyra’s chaos burning in his grazed arm. His flirty smirk blazed, a cool dominance masking a raw dread—the rift’s silence, the "Error," and Rhea’s trembling plea clawed at his blood. He flexed EX: Gold Dominion, golden veins surging through the stone, molten and heavy, answering the shard’s jagged wail.

Day 107. Her remnant rises—my blood answers. His dark eyes gleamed, pride a blazing inferno despite the ache—dozens lost, the blood’s surge, the Colossus’s glacial pulse gnawed deeper. My empire’s iron—millions strong, lands vast—but blood breaks iron. The Nexus thundered through the wind: "Kael’s reign consumes!" He grinned, jaw tight, arm stinging. Consume? I shatter.

Day 107: 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 gripped the rampart, shard screaming as he scanned the eastern plain—1,200 kilometers out, a rift pulse roared. First place, unchallenged—enemies dust, but the rift’s faint glitch unnerved him. Blood wakes. His arm throbbed, the Devourer Blood humming, volatile, like a storm barely contained. The shard jolted—vision: the sealed rift, violet-gold, glitching, a shadow stirring: Devourer, her remnant wakes. His blood surged, the ground trembling—her remnant? Veyna’s wolves howled, a scout’s cry ringing: "Nexus harbinger, east! Violet-gold, rift-charged, echoes at its side—her echo drives it!" Kael’s grin sharpened, blade raised. "Her remnant? I’ll crush it."

Drayce strode up, glaive gleaming, gold-clad elite fanned below—thousands shining, the army fierce and vast. "Lord, it’s massive—echoes like before, but stronger. Elite’s gold—Colossus fuels ’em—but we’re sore." His voice held fire, trust iron, but his arm trembled—echo losses lingered.

Kael clapped his shoulder, smirk blazing. "Sore? We’re blades—5,000 elite’ll break it. Take it down—its truth’s mine." He turned to Veyna, bow taut, wolves snarling. "Flanks—bleed echoes, pin it."

Veyna nodded, eyes fierce. "Wolves’ll rip ’em—echoes fast, harbinger’s deadly. Its heart’s yours." Her hunter’s fire roared, but her glance flicked to Kael’s arm—Rhea’s fear lingered.

Lena approached, map glowing, voice steady despite the tension. "Lord, keeps pile higher, gold flows thicker, resources stack endless. Food’s tight—days left. Her echo grows—subjects fear the harbinger." Her calm wavered, eyes on Kael’s scorched armor—raw, red—then the horizon. "Harbinger—her last?"

Kael winked, masking a wince. "Last? I’m the storm—break it, end her echo." He strode forward, shard screaming, the Colossus’s pulse rippling—colder, glitch flickering. Her remnant—like Rhea’s eyes. "Move!"

The eastern plain roared, dust swirling as echoes surged—hundreds, violet-gold, Nexus energy pulsing, pulses of light glinting. At their core, the harbinger—formless yet towering, violet-gold energy coiling, a spear pulsing, her echo humming: Devourer, her will endures. Kael laughed, blade raised. "Her will? I’ll bury it."

He charged, EX: Stormwing Prime blurring him in, thousands thundering—gold-clad elite gleaming, Colossus’s morale a roaring tide. Drayce’s vanguard smashed—glaives slicing echoes, energy scattering, pulses dissolving. Veyna’s wolves flanked, frost fangs tearing flickers, her arrows piercing cores—echoes falling, light clattering. Thora’s turrets fired—golden bolts shredding dozens, earth trembling.

Bone golems rose, EX: Bone Dominion summoning a score, crushing echoes, claws splintering energy. The harbinger swung its spear, beams lashing—dozens caught, armor sizzling, screams fading. Kael dodged, arm burning—damn blood. EX: Volcanic Tsunami roared, fire melting dozens, energy sizzling. The harbinger thrust, beam grazing Kael’s shoulder—pain flared, blood surging, volatile. He parried with the Stormforged Blade, shard screaming, EX: Gold Dominion flaring—gold veins bound the spear, EX: Vitality Reaper draining energy—it staggered, form flickering.

Dragons dove, fire and ice raining, echoes vaporized. Elys’s lightning cracked, frying cores—her shout fierce: "Kael, it’s her 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: "Break it, lover—her echo’s weak!" The echoes died, the harbinger reeling, spear wavering.

Kael reached the harbinger, its spear blazing, Nexus energy pulsing—her last echo. He laughed, EX: Dragon Sovereign summoning a gold dragon, claws raking—its guard shattered, form cracking. The shard jolted—vision: the rift, glitching void, her echo fading: Devourer, her will falls. Kael smirked, EX: Devourer Blood flaring—life drained, spear clattering, the harbinger collapsing, ash swirling. "Her will’s dust," he spat, shard screaming—vision: the rift, silent, his blood pulsing. Her echo falls.

Kael felt power surge, blood roaring—leveled up, a titan’s might. He 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, harbinger hit hard. It’s ash—east’s clear." His voice held relief, eyes on Rhea—crew’s bond tighter.

Veyna tossed Kael a violet-gold shard—harbinger’s core, Nexus-charged. "Her spark—strong as hers. Wolves say east’s silent—her echo’s gone." 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, her echo’s fall lifts ’em." Her eyes flicked to Kael’s shoulder—raw, bleeding—then Rhea, burns faint.

Kael nodded, wincing—power surging, stronger. He strode to the Colossus, shard screaming, Rhea trailing—flames dim, hand on his. "You ended her echo," she said, eyes searching. "Rift, blood—’The Error’—it’s still in you."

Kael’s smirk faltered, pulling her close. "In me? I’m gold, Rhea—her echo’s dust." But the chill deepened—my blood, the Error. He turned to the crew, voice a rough drawl. "Harbinger’s ash, her echo fades—game shifts. Thoughts?"

Elys sparked, grim but fierce. "You’re a titan, Kael—her echo was poison. What’s left?" Her lightning dimmed—losses stung.

Lyra—his Lyra—grinned, violet flickering. "Left? You’re the blade, lover—her echo’s gone. Claim the rift." Her tease hid fear—no voice lingered.

Veyna notched an arrow, sharp. "Claim? East’s silent—wolves smell nothing. Her echo’s gone—watch your blood." Her gaze lingered on Rhea—hunter’s edge softened.

Thora stomped up, hammer slung, gold dust thick. "Blood? Core’s glitching worse—your blood’s screaming. It’s ash—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 echo. Blood endures. He blinked back, pulse icy—endure or break? "Lena, map the rift—Thora, crack the cores—Veyna, scout—Drayce, sharpen ’em."

The council lingered, the harem gathering—Elys sparking, Rhea’s warmth fading, Lyra’s violet subdued. Kael waved them closer, voice teasing but strained. "Ladies, her echo’s dust, 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. Claim it, lover." Her tease wavered—no echo hit.

Kael laughed, rough and warm, blade spinning. "Claim? I dance—the rift’s mine." But Rhea’s tremble burned—Error Rift, in me? He turned to the harbinger’s core, locked with the others—Your blood endures. "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, her echo heavy—Devourer, her will falls. 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. Her echo’s gone—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 endures... 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, her echo 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."