Cosmic Lord: The Error Awakens
Chapter 89: The Crystal’s Secret

Chapter 89: The Crystal’s Secret

The eighty-third dawn rose over Kael El’s Ashen Empire with a steady golden shimmer, the 10,906 square kilometers of his Territory Level 5 dominion humming with quiet triumph. The capital city stood at 300 buildings, bone steel and golden turrets piercing the sky as 2,688,000 subjects drove the empire’s rhythm—forges blazing, fields yielding, streets alive with purpose. Kael stood in the Lord’s Estate forge, Stormforged Blade across a workbench, its shard-pommel pulsing with a faint, insistent hum. EX: Dragonflame Reaver rested at his hip, and Stormhide Armor clad him, its scars catching the furnace light. His flirty smirk played across his lips, a cool dominance radiating as he flexed EX: Gold Dominion, golden veins threading the stone floor beneath his boots.

Day 83. Myra’s ash settles—let’s crack her tricks open. 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 anvil—time to forge some answers. The Nexus whispered through the forge’s heat: "Kael’s 74, gold endures!" He smirked at the air, voice low. Endure? I thrive.

"Day 83: Post-Peace Period. Territory Level: 5 – Commanding Lord. Territory Size: 10,906 sq. km. Population: 2,688,000 Subjects. Food Stock: 17 Days. Resource Yield: +100% (Lv. 5 Bonus) + 100% (SSS: Resource Lord). Resources: 1,460,000/1,000,000 for Lv. 5 Completion – Excess Banked: 30,000. Summon Limit: 20/Day. Territory Lv. 6 Conditions: Reach Level 105, Continental Empire (500+ buildings) [300/500], Defeat 100,000-stat Entity [Not Met], 5,000,000 Resources [1,460,000/5M], 250,000 Gold/Month [190,000/250,000], Army of 10,000 Elite [2,500/10,000], Build World Wonder [In Progress: Golden Colossus]."

"Lord Nexus Leaderboard: 1. Kael El (74), 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 the workbench, shard-pommel singing as he eyed the crystal cores piled from yesterday’s rout—twenty fist-sized orbs, violet-gold light swirling within, Myra’s loot from her shattered 200,000. "Level 74, first place," he murmured, voice teasing but sharp. "Myra’s 64, 80,000 to nothing—Lyra’s 63, 50,000 licking wounds. Coalition’s bleeding—let’s see what she was hiding." He’d called Thora and the council after Veyna’s wolves dragged the cores back, their glow matching the shard’s song.

Thora stomped in, hammer slung over her shoulder, gold dust streaking her grin. "Lord! Cores are live—Nexus energy, same as the Colossus’s core, but twisted. Myra’s SSS: Crystal Lord’s in ’em—violet-gold, like her towers. Shell’s up today—80 meters, 50,000 resources—stands at 320 buildings by dusk."

Kael’s grin widened, picking up a core, its hum syncing with the shard. "Twisted, huh? My blood ate her curse, shard sang through her army—same vibe. What’s it do?" He tossed it to her, spinning the Stormforged Blade.

Thora caught it, squinting, then tapped it with her hammer—a sharp note rang, violet-gold light flaring. "Manipulates Nexus—amps stats, maybe summons. Her 200,000 hit harder than Lyra’s—Level 25s felt like 30s, 2,800 Stats. Towers shot beams—20,000 damage, took three turrets. Empress tech, Lord—old as your shard."

Kael’s smirk sharpened, leaning closer. "Empress tech—prophecy said ’The Error stirs when she crowns.’ Myra’s 64, tapping this—my blood’s older, ate her curse. Crack one—see inside."

Thora grinned, slamming her hammer down—crack!—the core split, violet-gold mist spilling out, a faint hum echoing. "Crystal lattice—Nexus energy bound in it. Myra’s SSS weaves it—controls the flow, like your Gold Dominion, but brittle. Colossus’ll outshine it—shell’s today, core’s humming."

Kael laughed, deep and rolling. "Brittle’s right—200,000 shattered. Lena!" He turned as she entered, map glowing. "Numbers?"

Lena’s voice was calm, precise. "Buildings hit 310 this morning—forges doubled shifts. Resources at 1,480,000—cores added 20,000. Gold’s at 195,000 monthly—taxes bumped it. Shell’s 50,000, drops us to 1,430,000 by dusk—320 buildings."

Kael winked, tapping the shard. "310’s a jump—push to 320, bank 50,000 after. Myra’s 64, her SSS’s Nexus tricks—Level 74 says I’ll break her harder next time." He paced to the forge’s heart, where the Golden Colossus’s core glowed in a gold-steel cradle, its shell rising outside—eighty meters, ribs wrapping up.

Veyna strode in, bow in hand, wolves pacing. "Lord, wolves hit 1,500 kilometers—Myra’s down to 50,000, towers cracked, pulling east. Lyra’s 50,000, 1,300 east—Sylth’s shadow’s thicker, 1,600 out. Coalition’s licking wounds, but not dead."

Kael’s grin turned predatory, spinning the blade. "50,000 each—Myra’s 64, Lyra’s 63, Sylth’s 60—coalition’s desperate. My 2.7 million, 10,906 square kilometers—Colossus’ll choke ’em. Drayce, elite?"

Drayce entered, glaive gleaming. "2,500 drilling—Colossus’ll double ’em to 5,000 by week’s end. Myra’s 200,000 hit hard—those cores—next time, we smash faster."

Kael nodded, shard humming louder. "Faster’s my style—Empress tech or not, I’m 74, they’re 64, 63, 61, 60. Prophecy’s stirring—’The Error’ tied to this." He held the blade up, shard glinting, and a faint jolt hit—vision flickering: the Empress, golden armor cracked, weaving violet-gold energy into a cage, shadows glitching beyond. "Dominion’s our cage..." Her voice faded, and he blinked back, council watching.

"Lord?" Thora asked, hammer paused. "Shard again?"

Kael’s grin returned, sharp. "Yeah—Empress weaving Nexus, like Myra’s cores. ’The Error’ outside—my blood hummed back. She built this game—my Devourer’s older." He tapped a core. "Lena, study these—Thora, shell it—Veyna, stalk Sylth—Drayce, drill ’em."

Lena nodded, taking a core. "Nexus energy’s key—Myra’s SSS mimics it. Your blood’s beyond—1,480,000’s tight, but we’ll bank 50,000 by tomorrow."

Veyna strung her bow, smirking. "Sylth’s shadow’s moving—wolves’ll track. Myra’s 50,000’s scared—Colossus’ll crush ’em."

Drayce grunted, glaive tapping. "Crush ’em with 5,000 elite—cores or not, we’re gold, they’re glass."

Kael turned to the harem, voice a teasing drawl. "Ladies, 2.7 million souls, 10,906 square kilometers, 1,480,000 resources, Level 74—Myra’s 64, 50,000 left, her SSS’s Empress tech. Colossus rises—thoughts?"

Elys sparked, grinning. "Tech’s fancy, Kael—you’re fancier. Myra’s 64’s dust—Colossus’ll blind ’em."

Rhea’s flames danced, voice soft. "Blind ’em, but listen—Empress tech’s hers, your blood’s not. ’The Error’—it’s watching."

Veyna notched an arrow, sharp. "Watching’s fine—50,000’s prey. Stalk Sylth, smash Myra—your game."

Kael’s grin sharpened, predatory. "Fancy, blind, stalk—my rhythm. Lena, crack it—Thora, raise it—Veyna, hunt it—Drayce, sharpen it. Coalition’s glass—I’m the hammer." He stepped to the window, shard alive, the Colossus’s shell climbing—ninety meters, gold steel wrapping the core.

The day rolled on, forges thundering as 311, 312, 315 buildings rose, the shell taking shape—fifty meters wide, ninety high by afternoon. Resources dipped to 1,430,000 with the 50,000 burn, gold steady at 195,000 monthly. Kael stood in the plaza, shard singing, watching smiths haul slabs. The Empress’s cage, Myra’s cores, his blood—threads tightening. He smirked, spinning the blade. "Weave your cage—I’ll eat it."

By dusk, 320 buildings stood, the Colossus’s shell near complete—hundred meters tall, resources at 1,440,000 with daily yield, 50,000 banked. Lena joined him, map in hand. "320, Lord—shell’s up, core’s next. Myra’s tech’s Nexus—your blood’s more."

Kael winked, shard glowing. "More’s my edge—2.7 million says so. Myra’s 64’s cracking—next move’s mine."

Thora shouted from the forge, hammer swinging. "Core’s ready—tomorrow, it lives!"

Kael laughed, blade humming. "Live it will—coalition’s got a giant to fear."