Cosmic Lord: The Error Awakens -
Chapter 80: Echoes of the Shard
Chapter 80: Echoes of the Shard
The seventy-fourth dawn draped Kael El’s Ashen Empire in a shimmering gold veil, the 10,906 square kilometers of his Territory Level 5 dominion alive with the clatter of progress. The capital city stood at 235 buildings, bone steel and golden turrets thrusting skyward as 2,688,000 subjects fueled the forges and fields. Kael strode into Thora’s forge—a cavernous hall of fire and steel beneath the Lord’s Estate—Stormforged Blade slung across his back, EX: Dragonflame Reaver a faint ember at his hip. He’d swapped the tunic for Stormhide Armor again, its scars glinting in the furnace light. His flirty smirk danced across his lips, a cool dominance radiating as he flexed EX: Gold Dominion, golden veins threading the anvil where Thora worked.
Day 74. Myra’s plotting, Lyra’s lurking—let’s see what the Empress left me. His dark eyes gleamed with unwavering confidence, pride a molten core beneath his chill exterior. Two-point-seven million souls, 10,906 square kilometers, Territory Level 5’s my hammer—time to crack some history. The Nexus hummed faintly: "Kael’s 70, gold forges!" He winked at the air, smirk sharpening. Forge ahead, huh? Damn right.
"Day 74: Post-Peace Period. Territory Level: 5 – Commanding Lord. Territory Size: 10,906 sq. km. Population: 2,688,000 Subjects. Food Stock: 26 Days. Resource Yield: +100% (Lv. 5 Bonus) + 100% (SSS: Resource Lord). Resources: 970,000/1,000,000 for Lv. 5 Completion – Excess Banked: 0. Summon Limit: 20/Day. Territory Lv. 6 Conditions: Reach Level 105, Continental Empire (500+ buildings) [235/500], Defeat 100,000-stat Entity [Not Met], 5,000,000 Resources [970,000/5M], 250,000 Gold/Month [150,000/250,000], Army of 10,000 Elite [2,000/10,000], Build World Wonder [Not Met]."
"Lord Nexus Leaderboard: 1. Kael El (70), 2. Myra (64), 3. Lyra (63), 4. Gavrin (61), 5. Sylth (60), 6. Elynn (59), 7. Jorr (57), 8. Kalia (56), 9. Zane (55), 10. Taryn (54)."
Kael leaned against a pillar, watching Thora hammer gold steel into a curved frame around the black shard from Vex’s loot. Its golden veins pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat trapped in crystal. "Level 70, first place," he murmured, voice low and teasing. "Myra’s 64, Lyra’s 63—girls are scrambling. What’s this thing got, Thora?"
Thora grunted, wiping sweat from her brow, gold dust streaking her grin. "It’s old, Lord—older than the Nexus, maybe. Won’t melt, won’t crack, but it sings when I hit it. Look." She struck the shard with her hammer, a clear note ringing out, deep and resonant. The air shimmered, and Kael felt it again—that jolt from the night before, pulling him somewhere else.
He stepped closer, hand hovering over the shard. "Sings, huh? Let’s hear its story." He gripped it, and the forge faded. Darkness swallowed him, then light—blinding, golden light. A battlefield stretched endless, littered with broken armor and shattered blades. Above it stood the Supreme Empress, her golden armor cracked, star-crown dim. Her voice cut through the silence, cold and vast: "The Error betrayed us all. It twists dominion, feeds on it. This cage is our last stand." Shadows writhed at the horizon—not troops, but something alive, glitching, tearing at reality. She raised a blade like Kael’s, gold and bone, and the vision snapped.
Kael blinked, back in the forge, Thora staring. "Lord? You went still—eyes glowing like gold fire. What’d you see?"
He released the shard, flexing his hand, smirk returning slowly. "The Empress, fighting shadows—called ’em ’The Error.’ Said dominion’s a cage, whatever that means. This competition’s hers, Thora, but it’s tied to something bigger." He tapped the shard. "Finish that frame—pommel for my blade. I want it close."
Thora nodded, hefting her hammer. "Aye, Lord. Gold steel’s binding it now—won’t let it slip. Whatever ’The Error’ is, we’ll smash it if it comes." She slammed the hammer down, sparks flying, the shard’s song echoing again.
Kael chuckled, turning as Lena swept in, her map glowing with golden lines. "Lord, resources hit 1,000,000 this morning—taxes and ore swaps. Buildings at 237, gold steady at 150,000 monthly. Excess is banking now—10,000 so far."
"Million’s a milestone," Kael said, winking. "Push to 240 by dusk, Lena. Bank 50,000 more by week’s end. Myra’s envoy’s got me thinking—she’s playing angles, but I’m the one who bends ’em."
Before Lena could reply, Veyna burst through the forge doors, bow in hand, wolves growling. "Lord! Scouts caught Myra’s crystal riders—50 of ’em, Level 25, 2,500 Stats each, 1,200 kilometers east. Probing our lines, not the envoy’s crew."
Kael’s grin sharpened, predatory. "Probing, huh? Thought she’d test me after that ’alliance’ talk. Drayce!" He shouted, and the warrior appeared, glaive ready. "Take 10,000—gold-clad elite and wolves. Crush ’em quick."
Drayce saluted, voice gruff. "Aye, Lord. Fifty’s nothing—back by noon." He marched out, Veyna joining with a nod, her wolves snarling.
Kael turned back to Thora, who’d paused mid-hammer. "Keep forging. Myra’s poking, Lyra’s lurking—Empress’s shard says we’re caged. I say we break it wide open." He clapped her shoulder, gold dust flaking off, and strode to the map table with Lena.
The skirmish was swift—Drayce returned by noon, glaive bloodied, Veyna’s wolves dragging crystal shards. "Fifty down, Lord," Drayce reported. "No losses—caught ’em in a ravine, smashed ’em flat. Loot’s light, few thousand resources."
"Ding! XP Gained: 50 enemies (Lv. 25, 1,767,922 XP each) × 0.1 × 50 = 4,419,805 XP."
Kael smirked, waving it off. "Pocket change—keeps us sharp. Myra’s testing my reach. Lena, tally it—buildings?"
"239 by midday," she said, scribbling. "240 by dusk, resources at 1,005,000 with the loot. Excess banked at 15,000."
"Good," Kael said, leaning over the map. "Myra’s 1,500 kilometers out, 60,000 strong—now she knows I bite back. Veyna, double the scouts east—1,400 kilometers. I want her towers in my sights."
Veyna notched an arrow absently, nodding. "Wolves’ll run tonight—her crystals won’t hide long."
Kael stepped back, spinning the Stormforged Blade, the shard’s song still ringing in his ears. The Error—twists dominion, huh? He glanced at the golden veins in the floor, his empire’s pulse. "Cage or not, Empress, I’m no prisoner." He grinned, turning to Thora. "How’s my pommel?"
"Nearly done," she said, holding up the shard, now encased in a gold-steel grip, its black crystal glinting. "Fits your blade—feels alive, though. Careful, Lord."
Kael took it, slotting it onto the Stormforged Blade. The weapon thrummed, heavier, its edge sharper somehow. "Alive’s good—I like things that fight back." He swung it, a golden arc slicing the air, and laughed. "Myra, Lyra, the Error—bring it on."
By dusk, 240 buildings stood, gold turrets gleaming, resources ticking to 1,010,000, excess banked at 20,000. Kael stood by the forge’s open window, blade in hand, staring east. The Empress’s war, Myra’s game—pieces moving. He smirked into the fading light. "Keep twisting, world. I’ll cut through."
Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report