Cosmic Lord: The Error Awakens
Chapter 88: Crystal Shards and Golden Wrath

Chapter 88: Crystal Shards and Golden Wrath

The eighty-second dawn broke over Kael El’s Ashen Empire with a fierce golden blaze, the 10,906 square kilometers of his Territory Level 5 dominion trembling with anticipation. The capital city stood at 285 buildings, bone steel and golden turrets thrusting skyward as 2,688,000 subjects fueled the empire’s pulse—forges roaring, fields bending, streets alive with purpose. Kael stood atop the eastern outpost’s ramparts, 1,200 kilometers from his capital, Stormforged Blade in hand, its shard-pommel pulsing with a restless hum. EX: Dragonflame Reaver glowed at his hip, and Stormhide Armor clad him, its scars glinting amid the rising sun. His flirty smirk danced across his lips, a cool dominance radiating as he flexed EX: Gold Dominion, golden veins threading the stone beneath his boots.

Day 82. Myra’s turn—let’s see her sparkle break. 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 shield—time to dent her crystals. The Nexus crackled faintly: "Kael’s 73, gold stands!" He smirked at the sky, voice low. Stand? I strike.

"Day 82: Post-Peace Period. Territory Level: 5 – Commanding Lord. Territory Size: 10,906 sq. km. Population: 2,688,000 Subjects. Food Stock: 18 Days. Resource Yield: +100% (Lv. 5 Bonus) + 100% (SSS: Resource Lord). Resources: 1,470,000/1,000,000 for Lv. 5 Completion – Excess Banked: 20,000. Summon Limit: 20/Day. Territory Lv. 6 Conditions: Reach Level 105, Continental Empire (500+ buildings) [285/500], Defeat 100,000-stat Entity [Not Met], 5,000,000 Resources [1,470,000/5M], 250,000 Gold/Month [185,000/250,000], Army of 10,000 Elite [2,500/10,000], Build World Wonder [In Progress: Golden Colossus]."

"Lord Nexus Leaderboard: 1. Kael El (73), 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 on the rampart, shard-pommel singing as he scanned the eastern plain. "Level 73, first place," he murmured, voice teasing but edged. "Myra’s 64, 80,000 scared—Lyra’s 63, 50,000 left. Coalition’s cracking—prophecy’s stirring." Yesterday’s council lingered—the Empress’s voice, ’The Error stirs when the Empress crowns,’ tied to his blood, the shard, the Golden Colossus rising back home. Veyna’s wolves had returned at midnight, her report sharp: "Myra’s moving—200,000, 1,400 kilometers east, crystal army rolling west."

Drayce strode up, glaive gleaming, 50,000 troops fanned out below. "Lord, Veyna’s wolves say Myra’s 10 kilometers out—160,000 Level 25, 2,500 Stats, 40,000 Level 45, 8,000 Stats. Crystal towers mobile—SSS: Crystal Lord’s glowing violet-gold, Nexus energy thick."

Kael spun the Stormforged Blade, shard’s song rising. "200,000, huh? Myra’s 64, desperate after her curse flopped. 500,000—gold elite, summons, full line. We crush ’em here—Colossus watches from home." He winked, EX: Dragon Sovereign roaring as dragons circled overhead.

Veyna joined, bow taut, wolves pacing. "Flanks, Lord—towers are slow, troops are fast. Wolves’ll bleed ’em." Thora’s turrets, hauled east, hummed as 100,000 manned them, the rest of Kael’s 500,000 roaring behind.

The horizon shimmered crystal, then erupted—200,000 charging, Myra’s army a tide of glittering steel. 160,000 Level 25 grunts in crystal-threaded armor swung jagged blades, 2,500 Stats pulsing, while 40,000 Level 45 elites in shimmering cloaks wielded glowing staves, 8,000 Stats crackling. Crystal towers—ten, twenty meters tall—rolled behind, violet-gold beams lashing out, SSS: Crystal Lord tearing earth into shards.

Kael laughed, raising the blade. "Shiny toys—let’s smash ’em." He charged, EX: Stormwing Prime blurring him in, 500,000 thundering behind. Drayce’s vanguard smashed—glaives slicing 20,000 grunts, crystal splintering, beams deflecting off gold armor. War Surge bellowed, 15,000 shredded, dust swirling. Veyna’s wolves hit the flanks, frost fangs ripping 18,000, her arrows piercing elites—5,000 down, staves clattering.

Turrets fired, golden bolts shredding 25,000, earth trembling as 100,000 reinforced. Bone golems stomped, EX: Bone Dominion summoning twenty, crushing 20,000, claws shattering crystal. Kael reached an elite captain, 8,000 Stats flaring, staff blazing. The captain swung, a beam lashing, Kael dodged, earth splitting. EX: Volcanic Tsunami surged, 10,000 damage melting 12,000 grunts, crystal sizzling. The captain thrust, Kael parried with the Stormforged Blade, shard screaming, then triggered EX: Vitality Reaper—10,000 health stolen, 20,000 damage shredding the foe into shards. "Too brittle, Myra’s pet," he grinned, gold dust mixing with crystal ash.

Dragons dove, fire and ice raining, 30,000 vaporized, ash pooling. Elys’s lightning cracked, 20,000 fried, Lyra—his Lyra—blasted violet mockery, tearing 15,000. Rhea and Fyra torched 25,000, flames roaring—harem reaping havoc. 130,000 down in an hour, Myra’s army buckling.

The elites rallied, 40,000 forming a crystal phalanx, towers firing beams—three turrets down, 5,000 troops lost. Kael smirked, EX: Seismic Rupture splitting the ground, 5,000 damage cracking ranks, bone golems smashing 10,000. EX: Ash Reaper spun, 50,000 damage wiping 15,000, dust choking. Drayce’s glaives reaped 20,000, Veyna’s wolves tore 12,000, turrets pounded 18,000—195,000 dead, 5,000 fleeing, towers silent.

"Ding! XP Gained: 200,000 enemies (160,000 Lv. 25, 1,767,922 XP each; 40,000 Lv. 45, 33,554,432 XP each) × 0.1 × 50 = 8,115,387,200 XP."

—Level Up! Level 73 to 74.

Kael felt the surge, EX: Gold Dominion flaring, shard singing brighter. "Level 74—Myra’s glitter’s my gain." He sheathed the blade, clapping Drayce’s shoulder. "Loot?"

"Solid," Drayce said, wiping his glaive. "20,000 resources, crystal cores—towers are scrap."

Kael nodded, turning west as the army marched back, reaching the capital by dusk. The Golden Colossus’s frame towered seventy meters, core glowing faintly, Thora’s smiths hauling gold steel for the shell. Lena met him at the gates, map in hand. "Lord, buildings hit 295—forges pushed hard. Resources at 1,490,000—loot added 20,000. Golds at 190,000 monthly taxes bumped it."

Kael winked, dusting ash off his armor. "295’s a leap—push to 300 by tomorrow, bank 30,000 after. Myra’s 64, 200,000 to dust—Level 74 says she’s next." He strode to the plaza, shard humming, tapping the Colossus’s frame. "Progress?"

Thora grunted, hammer swinging. "Core’s set—shell’s tomorrow, 50,000 resources. Stands at 300—week’s end, it’s alive."

Kael’s grin widened, turning to the harem—Elys’s sparking, Rhea warming, Veyna pacing. "Ladies, 2.7 million souls, 10,906 square kilometers, 1,490,000 resources, Level 74—Myra’s 64, 200,000 gone. Colossus grows—thoughts?"

Elys grinned, lightning dancing. "You’re a crusher, Kael—Myra’s done. Colossus will bury the rest."

Rhea’s flames flickered; voice soft. "Bury ’em, but careful resources dipped for it. Your blood’s the real spark."

Veyna notched an arrow, smirking. "Spark’s enough—80,000 was 200,000. Wolves’ will hunt her scraps—coalition’s bleeding."

Kael’s grin sharpened, predatory. "Crush, bury, bleed—my tempo. Lena, squeeze ’em—Thora, shell it—Veyna, stalk ’em. Coalitions on ropes—I’ll snap ’em." He stood by the frame, shard alive, gold veins pulsing in the ground.

By night, 300 buildings glowed, the Colossus’s shell starting—eighty meters tall, resources at 1,460,000, gold steady at 190,000, 30,000 banked. Kael watched from the ramparts, shard singing, Myra’s ash in the wind. The Empress’s prophecy—’The Error stirs’—felt closer, his blood humming back. He smirked into the dark. "Stir all you want—I’m the one breaking."

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