Cosmic Lord: The Error Awakens
Chapter 95: The Truce Breaks

Chapter 95: The Truce Breaks

The eighty-ninth dawn erupted over Kael El’s Ashen Empire with a fierce golden blaze, the vast dominion trembling with betrayal’s sting. The capital’s skyline gleamed—bone steel keeps dwarfed by the Golden Colossus, its hundred-meter frame now complete, core pulsing an unsteady violet-gold. Kael stood atop the eastern outpost’s ramparts, 1,200 kilometers from home, Stormforged Blade in hand, shard-pommel humming like a storm’s edge. EX: Dragonflame Reaver glowed at his hip, Stormhide Armor dented, Sylth’s shadows and Myra’s beams aching in his bones. His flirty smirk flickered, a cool dominance masking a spark of fury—yesterday’s truce, Myra’s scroll promising truth, now a lie. He flexed EX: Gold Dominion, golden veins threading the stone beneath his boots, hotter, like his blood’s answer.

Day 89. Myra’s truce—bait, not truth. Time to shatter her. His dark eyes gleamed, pride burning through strain—her envoy’s violet-gold scroll had teased an Empress’s seat, but Veyna’s wolves caught her army moving at midnight. My empire’s iron—millions strong, keeps soaring—but lies cut deeper than blades. The Nexus crackled through the wind: "Kael’s reign roars!" He smirked faintly, jaw tight. Roar? I crush.

Day 89: Post-Peace Period. Territory Level: 5 – Commanding Lord. Territory Size: Vast. Population: Millions. Food Stock: Thin. Resource Yield: High (Lord’s Blessing). Resources: Ample. Summon Limit: Ample. Territory Lv. 6 Conditions: Reach Higher Power, Continental Empire (More Strongholds), Defeat Mighty Foe, Vast Wealth, Great Treasury, Army of Elite, Build World Wonder [Completed: Golden Colossus].

Lord Nexus Leaderboard: Kael El leads, Myra schemes, Lyra lurks, Gavrin stirs, Sylth broken, others trail.

Kael gripped the rampart, shard humming as he scanned the eastern plain—1,200 kilometers out, Myra’s 250,000 surged, Veyna’s wolves howling at dawn: crystal-clad troops, violet-gold beams flaring. First place, unchallenged—Sylth’s ash, Myra’s lies, Gavrin creeping closer. He rubbed his shoulder, the golem’s weight still heavy—his blood had roared then, like now, answering the Colossus’s glitchy pulse. "The Error" whispered through the shard, colder since yesterday’s vision: Dominion’s seat. A scout’s cry echoed—Vex’s fall: Throne’s curse.

Drayce strode up, glaive gleaming, gold-clad elite fanned below—thousands shining, the army vast behind. "Lord, Myra’s close—crystal army, bigger than before, beams like the golem’s. Elite’s gold—Colossus sparked ’em—but we’re worn." His voice held grit, trust rebuilding after the festival, but his arm shook—Sylth’s losses lingered.

Kael’s grin sharpened, clapping his shoulder. "Worn? We’re steel—5,000 elite’ll break her. Her truce was a knife—let’s carve back." He turned to Veyna, bow taut, wolves snarling. "Flanks—bleed ’em before they shine."

Veyna nodded, eyes sharp but tight. "Wolves’ll rip ’em—crystal’s bright, but brittle. Myra’s desperate—Gavrin’s 1,650 kilometers, waiting." Her hunter’s glee faltered, glancing at Rhea nearby—yesterday’s fear clung.

The horizon shimmered violet-gold, then exploded—Myra’s army charged, thousands in crystal armor, blades jagged, beams lashing from towering constructs. Grunts swung glowing steel, relentless, while elites in radiant cloaks wielded staves, Nexus energy crackling. Kael laughed, blade raised. "Shiny trap—let’s smash it."

He charged, EX: Stormwing Prime blurring him in, the army thundering behind—gold elite gleaming, the Colossus’s morale pulsing west. Drayce’s vanguard hit—glaives slicing through grunts, crystal shattering, beams glancing off gold steel. Veyna’s wolves flanked, frost fangs tearing ranks, her arrows piercing elites—bodies falling, staves clattering. Thora’s turrets, hauled east, fired—golden bolts shredding dozens, earth trembling as thousands reinforced.

Bone golems rose, EX: Bone Dominion summoning a score, crushing waves, claws splintering crystal. A construct fired, beams lashing—hundreds caught, armor melting, screams fading. Kael cursed, dodging a blast, stone sizzling. EX: Volcanic Tsunami roared, fire melting dozens, crystal sizzling. An elite captain swung a staff, beam grazing Kael’s arm—pain flared, blood humming hotter. He parried with the Stormforged Blade, shard screaming, EX: Gold Dominion flaring—gold veins surged, binding the foe, EX: Vitality Reaper draining life, blade shredding—ash fell. "Brittle," he spat, dust swirling.

Dragons dove, fire and ice raining, dozens vaporized. Elys’s lightning cracked, frying ranks—her shout sharp: "Kael, they’re Nexus-fed—your blood’s stronger!" Rhea torched waves, flames steady but eyes wide—she stumbled, a beam clipping her cloak. Kael’s heart spiked—not again—but she stood, firing back. Lyra’s violet chaos tore through, her wink strained. Hundreds fell, Myra’s line buckling—constructs silent, army fading to ash.

Kael felt power surge, blood roaring—leveled up. He sheathed the blade, breath heavy, rushing to Rhea—she gripped his arm, steady but pale. "I’m fine," she whispered, voice cracking—fear, not pain. He nodded, jaw tight, turning to Drayce. "Losses?"

"Heavy," Drayce said, wiping his glaive. "Hundreds—beams cut deep. Myra’s gone—ash everywhere." His voice held relief, but his eyes lingered on Rhea—crew’s bond tighter.

Veyna tossed Kael a crystal shard—Nexus-charged, violet-gold. "Her last toy—worth keeping. Wolves say Gavrin’s 1,600 now—Lyra’s with him." Her smirk returned, but softer—Rhea’s stumble weighed.

Back at the capital by dusk, the Colossus pulsed—jagged, colder. Lena met him, map glowing, voice tight. "Lord, keeps soar—strongholds stack, gold flows, resources pile. Losses hurt—subjects mourn, but Colossus holds ’em." Her eyes flicked to Rhea, then Kael’s arm—red, raw.

Kael winced, hiding it with a wink. "Holds ’em? We rise—Myra’s done, coalition’s cracking." He strode to the Colossus, shard humming, Rhea trailing—flames dim, hand on his. "You’re pushing too hard," she said, eyes searching. "That pulse—’The Error’—it’s eating you."

Kael’s smirk faltered, squeezing her hand. "Eating? I’m gold, Rhea—stronger than ever." But the chill burned—like the golem, like her fear. He turned to the crew, voice a rough drawl. "Myra’s ash, coalition’s next—thoughts?"

Elys sparked, grim. "You’re a reaper, Kael—Myra’s gone, but hundreds dead—Colossus didn’t shield ’em." Her lightning dimmed—losses hit hard.

Lyra grinned, violet flaring. "Shield or not, you’re the blade—Gavrin’s 1,600, Lyra’s waiting. Cut ’em." Her tease hid strain—harem felt the toll.

Veyna notched an arrow, sharp. "Cut, sure—Gavrin’s scared, Lyra’s bold. Wolves’ll hunt—don’t bleed more." Her gaze lingered on Rhea—hunter’s edge softened.

Kael’s grin hardened, gold veins pulsing—EX: Gold Dominion deeper, like a throne’s claim. The shard jolted—vision: the Empress, lattice fraying, a rift glitching beyond. "Dominion’s rift..." He blinked back, pulse colder—Error Rift? "Lena, stack it—Thora, watch the core—Veyna, hunt ’em—Drayce, honor ’em."

By night, the capital stood stronger—keeps climbing, gold heavy, resources high. Kael leaned on the ramparts, shard glowing, Myra’s ash heavy—hundreds gone, Rhea’s fear heavier. The Colossus pulsed—glitchy, whispering: Rift wakes... A scout’s cry echoed—Vex’s fall: Rift’s curse! He smirked into the dark, gold hotter. "Curse or rift—I’m the storm."