Cosmic Lord: The Error Awakens
Chapter 154: The Plateau’s Drones

Chapter 154: The Plateau’s Drones

Noon’s fierce sun glared over a windswept plateau above the western valley, its cracked stone expanse dotted with scrub and the faint shimmer of golden veins. Kael El stood on a pre-Nexus transport platform—a wide, rune-etched disk uncovered from the cache—its surface humming as Vren activated its controls. Kael led his team—Drayce, Veyna, Vren, Sira, Jory, and 10 militia and Dusk Enclave hunters—testing the platform’s potential to move supplies or troops. Stormforged Blade blazed in his grip, shard-pommel pulsing, its hum a defiant roar against the gusts. EX: Dragonflame Reaver burned at his hip, Stormhide Armor snug, Lyra’s fierce spirit and Rhea’s gentle love fueling his resolve. His flirty smirk was absent, replaced by a sharp focus, masking a surging alertness—rogue drones, triggered by residual corrupted runes, swarmed from hidden vents, their red beams and bladed wings slicing the air. He brushed EX: Gold Dominion, golden veins flaring through the plateau, molten and fierce, amplifying his team’s reflexes.

The plateau erupted in chaos—drones, sleek and insect-like, dove with mechanical precision, their corrupted runes glowing red, firing beams that scorched the stone. Kael’s team, a mix of Kin, survivors, and enclave, wielded Thora’s rune-etched weapons, their training under Drayce razor-sharp. The cache’s tech promised new mobility, but these drones, remnants of Nexus experiments, guarded their secrets. The conflict was physical and technical—destroy the drones, secure the platform, and purify the corrupted runes to harness its power. Jory’s courage, forged in Drayce’s militia, made him key to rallying the recruits, his leadership tested in battle. Blood hunts. Kael’s blood stirred, heavy with a new truth: Devourer, you are the valley’s spark. The shard blazed—vision: the platform, drones shattered, runes purified, unity forged: Devourer, your blood binds us. His blood roared, the plateau trembling—binds? Jory blocked a drone’s blade with his spear, voice steady. "Lord, they’re fast—my squad’s holding, but we need you!" His eyes burned—youth’s fire.

Kael’s voice was fierce, blade slashing a drone’s wing. "Need? I’m the storm, Jory—lead ’em!" But the drones’ speed unnerved him—Vara, what’s this tech? Veyna’s wolves, Grim and Shade, leaped at a drone, her bow loosing rune-tipped arrows, voice calm. "Kael, wolves smell oil—Vren, kill those runes!" Her trust glowed—hope held.

Vren ducked a beam, his red shard flaring, voice strained. "Kill? These runes—Nexus warped control, like my crew’s traps. I’ll shut ’em down, Kael—cover me!" His hands carved counter-runes—redemption’s fight.

Drayce’s glaive smashed a drone, voice gruff. "Cover? Militia’s 2,800—Sira, flank!" His rune-glaive flashed, guilt fueling him—Level Up: Rune-Glaive Range, Enhanced Sweep Attacks. Sira’s spear pierced a drone’s core, voice sharp. "Kael, my hunters know tech—Vren’s right, runes are key!" Her scar gleamed—Level Up: Enclave Spear Precision, Enhanced Tech Disruption.

Kael’s jaw clenched, shard blazing—vision: the platform, drones fallen, Jory rallying, runes pure. He roared, "Militia, enclave—left flank, drones! Veyna, pin ’em! Sira, guard Vren! Drayce, Jory, with me!" His blood surged, EX: Dragonflame Reaver igniting—flames roared, melting a drone’s frame, leveling his mastery of EX: Vitality Reaper to restore team stamina—Level Up: EX: Vitality Reaper Potency, Enhanced Team Recovery.

The battle raged, Kael charging a cluster of drones, Stormforged Blade slicing through metal, sparks flying as pure runes shattered corrupted ones. EX: Gold Dominion pulsed, golden veins cracking the plateau, boosting his speed—Level Up: EX: Gold Dominion Speed, Enhanced Dash. He dodged a beam, flames searing a drone’s circuits, voice fierce. "Nexus junk—valley’s mine!" A blade grazed his shoulder, pain flaring, but EX: Vitality Reaper mended it, his blood roaring.

Veyna’s wolves tore at a drone’s wings, her arrows piercing its sensors, rune-enhanced accuracy deadly—Level Up: Rune-Arrow Speed, Enhanced Rapid Fire. Grim and Shade flanked, snarling, Veyna’s voice steady. "Kael, core’s under the platform—drones guard it!" Her leadership shone—Level Up: Wolf Tactics, Enhanced Flanking. She loosed an arrow, shattering a drone’s lens, her trust in Jory sharpening her aim.

Drayce and Jory fought back-to-back, Drayce’s glaive smashing two drones, Jory’s spear jabbing their cores. Drayce’s leadership burned—Level Up: Militia Command, Enhanced Squad Coordination. "Jory, rally ’em—militia’s fire!" Jory’s spear glowed, his voice rising, "Squad, form up—valley’s one!" His courage surged—Level Up: Militia Spear Leadership, Enhanced Rally Cry. Recruits tightened ranks, their spears felling drones.

Sira led the hunters, her spear deflecting beams, guiding Vren to a rune-covered panel beneath the platform. Her enclave instincts flared, voice sharp, "Vren, here—core’s runes!" Her leadership solidified—Level Up: Enclave Tactical Precision, Enhanced Rune Targeting. The hunters shielded Vren, their rune-spears disabling drones, trust in Sira binding them—Level Up: Enclave Team Efficiency, Enhanced Strike Sync.

Vren knelt, his red shard blazing, counter-runes glowing, neutralizing the corrupted runes’ energy. His past drove him—Level Up: First Code Rune Mastery, Instant Purification. "Kael, drones slowing—core’s next!" His voice was raw, runes flaring, three drones stuttering, their beams dimming. His redemption burned—I’m valley.

The team pushed to the platform’s center, Jory rallying the recruits, his spear thrusting, voice booming, "Militia, for Kael!" A massive drone, its wings spiked, emerged from a vent, its core pulsing red. Kael charged, Stormforged Blade slashing its frame, pure runes cracking corrupted metal—Level Up: Stormforged Blade Force, Enhanced Armor Break. The drone’s beam seared his chest, pain spiking, but EX: Vitality Reaper healed it, EX: Gold Dominion flaring, golden veins boosting team strength—Level Up: EX: Gold Dominion Team Strength, Enhanced Power Surge.

Veyna’s arrows pierced the drone’s joints, her wolves tearing at its base, voice calm. "Kael, core’s exposed—hit it!" Drayce’s glaive slashed a wing, Sira’s spear pinned another, their teamwork seamless. Jory led a recruit charge, their spears jabbing, his voice fierce, "Valley’s ours!"—Level Up: Militia Leadership Aura, Enhanced Team Morale. Vren’s runes flared, a final pulse purifying the platform’s core, the drone’s runes fading—Level Up: First Code Rune Control, System Override.

Kael leaped, Stormforged Blade driving into the drone’s core, flames from EX: Dragonflame Reaver exploding, shattering its frame—Level Up: EX: Dragonflame Reaver Precision, Enhanced Core Strike. The drone collapsed, sparks flying, the platform’s runes stabilizing, humming smoothly. The plateau quieted, drones shattered, the team panting, bloodied but victorious. Kael’s chest ached, but EX: Vitality Reaper healed it, his blood calming.

Jory approached, spear high, offering a militia badge, bone and iron, etched with a strength rune. "Lord, for you—not captain, but brother. I led, valley won." His voice was raw—Jory’s heart. Kael pinned it beside Veyna’s arrowhead, blood stirring—Vara, we’re growing. "Brother? Jory, you’re our fire. Lead them." His trust burned—new bond.

Rhea arrived with a relief team, flames flaring softly. "Lead? You’re gold, love—Jory, Veyna, all of you. Valley’s one." Her hand linked with Kael’s—love burned.

Drayce’s grin was wide, glaive bloodied. "One? Militia’s 2,900—Kin, survivors, enclave fire. Kael, you’re the storm!" His trust glowed—Drayce’s fire.

Veyna’s wolves licked wounds, her voice calm. "Storm? Wolves see Jory—valley’s pack, Kael’s wise. Platform’s ours." Her trust glowed—hope held.

Vren’s voice was steady, runes dim. "Ours? Runes are clean—valley’s safe, Kael’s storm." His trust glowed—hope held.

The plateau glowed, golden veins strong, the team rallying. Kael faced the platform, blade raised, voice a rough hum. "Valley’s ours—drones gone, platform’s next. Speak."

Rhea’s voice was soft. "You’ve bound us, Kael—Jory’s fire, Vren’s runes, we’re stronger. Lead on." Her hand tightened—love held.

Jory’s voice was steady, badge gone but heart full. "Stronger? You’re my brother, Kael—valley’s one. I’m yours." His hope glowed—trust burned.

The valley’s edge stood firm, golden veins pulsing, the platform humming—Kael’s empire kindled anew, its heart forged in a plateau’s drones.

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