Chapter 267: Krug’s Powers, Return of the Apostle
"Well, well. Krug, it seems you have to get to work as soon as you wake up," Rubedo said. He tapped the edge of his console and opened the communication link. "You absorbed an entire coalition’s worth of souls. Rest in the Bastion for a few days. I will send you to the Fourth Continent once you stabilize."
Krug tightened his grip on his recycled-iron greataxe. The violet flames flared brightly across his armor. He looked up at the ceiling to address the voice in his mind.
"I do not need rest, Ka-Lam-Tee," Krug said. "I am ready now. Send me to the frontlines."
Rubedo smiled. ’He just woke from a coma and immediately wants to wage war.’
"You already know what the first Vanguard army of five hundred thousand is doing in Tarnstead," Rubedo explained. He brought up a sprawling map of the globe on the digital display and traced a glowing red path. "I withheld another piece of the board while you slept. Two months ago, I dispatched a second voyage."
Krug tilted his head. He watched a localized projection materialize inside the infirmary. "A second army?"
"They reached the Second Continent forty days ago," Rubedo confirmed. "They bypassed the western route entirely. They docked at the eastern shipyards with Old-Shell and crossed the Third Continent from the opposite side."
Krug traced the illuminated lines on the projection. He saw the vast distance covered and calculated the logistics in his mind. The operation required immense resources and perfect coordination.
"Where are they now?" Krug asked.
"They crossed the desert," Rubedo replied. "They established a temporary forward base on the edge of the Fourth Continent. Ignisar and Nyxara provided direct assistance for our logistics."
Rubedo zoomed in on the western border of the Fourth Continent. The digital map expanded to highlight an unmapped territory. The region bore the label of the Gildreath Empire.
"The second army is preparing to launch an invasion into Gildreath," Rubedo continued. "Once they conquer the western territories, Iron-Scale will have already taken Tarnstead in the east. Voranthar will have absolutely nowhere left to run. We will crush his capital in a perfect pincer attack. We will force the remaining Heralds out into the open."
Krug looked at the tactical map. Glowing markers completely surrounded the enemy continent. He understood the strategy perfectly. The trap was already set. The enemy king had no escape routes left.
"What should I do then?" Krug asked. He lifted his greataxe and pointed the blade toward the projection. "Where do I deploy?"
"You stay exactly where you are," Rubedo commanded. "You need to get used to your new power. You passed the spirit trials during your coma. You awakened a personal mana core."
Krug frowned slightly. He placed his greataxe against the wall and flexed his fingers. He looked down at his hands, trying to feel the foreign energy circulating through his veins.
The loose glass shards on the infirmary floor immediately floated upward. A localized gravitational pull caught the debris. The pieces of glass orbited his wrist like small satellites, spinning in a perfect circle.
Krug stared at the floating glass in surprise.
"You awakened gravity manipulation," Rubedo noted. He watched the telemetry data spike rapidly on his screen. "It is an incredibly complex and volatile ability. Krax relies on a Ley-Crystal to anchor his magic. You generate it internally. Master that power first. When the pincer closes on Voranthar, I will need you at your absolute peak."
Krug closed his fist. The floating glass shards instantly crashed back onto the stone tiles. He looked at his hands again. He realized the sheer destructive potential resting in his palms.
"I understand, The Spiral," Krug replied. "I will train until the call comes."
’Now that Krug is back, I don’t have to worry about anything. He is my proxy. Now, even if I go into a seclusion or a deep slumber, Krug will manage everything on my behalf.’ Red changed the screen to the city of Spiral and checked on Elian.
"Elian sure has it though. He has to manage the city as a king, rule over humankind of the entire seventeenth continent as ruler, and also manage his duties and responsibilities as an Apostle," he chuckled. "I have burdened him too much. Perhaps, I should reward him greatly."
The news of Krug waking up spread through the Bastion immediately. Thousands of followers lined up outside the Alchemical Infirmary to see his newly ascended form.
For an entire week, Krug stood in the central plaza and greeted the endless line of visitors. He shook hands with the soldiers and accepted their praises.
"It is good to see you awake, Krug," a veteran soldier bowed respectfully.
"Thank you," Krug replied. He carefully controlled his newly forged strength while shaking the soldier’s hand. The violet flames flickered constantly around his armor. He towered over everyone in the plaza, yet he made sure to speak with every person who came to visit him.
The line stretched all the way out the main gates. Fortunately, Krug no longer required sleep. He spent seven entire days acknowledging the respect of the warriors who fought beside him during the continental siege.
Once the final greetings concluded, Krug walked to the eastern training wing of the Bastion. He needed to master his gravity manipulation before Rubedo called him to the Fourth Continent.
The designated training chamber featured reinforced steel walls and solid stone pillars.
Krug stood in the center of the room. He placed his greataxe on the floor and raised his hands. He focused on his newly awakened mana core. He channeled the energy directly into his palms.
The loose gravel on the floor immediately floated upward. Krug grinned and pushed more mana into the invisible field. He wanted to test the limits of the pull.
Suddenly, the gravitational force spiked violently out of his control.
The floor tiles cracked and ripped themselves free from the foundation. Hundreds of stone chunks orbited Krug in a chaotic vortex. He tried to rein in the energy, but the power was completely unstable.
The localized gravity field expanded outward and caught the structural pillars.
’I am pulling too much mass,’ Krug thought. He tried to sever the connection to his core.
The stone columns snapped instantly under the crushing force. The steel walls groaned and bent inward. Krug clenched his fists to forcefully shut down the mana flow. The sudden cancellation reversed the gravity entirely.
The shattered pillars and floor tiles launched upward. They slammed into the ceiling and completely obliterated the roof of the training wing in a massive explosion of dust and debris.
Moss-Eye sprinted into the ruined chamber. He stared at the collapsed ceiling and the twisted steel beams in absolute shock.
"Stop!" Moss-Eye yelled. He waved his arms frantically. "You are going to bring the entire Bastion down on our heads!"
Krug dropped his hands to his sides. "I lost control of the radius."
"You destroyed half the eastern wing," Moss-Eye pointed out. He gestured toward the crumbling walls. "The foundation is compromised. You cannot test that magic indoors."
Krug retrieved his greataxe from beneath a pile of rubble. "I will move to the outer courtyard."
"Move to the barren mountains," Moss-Eye corrected quickly. "Take your gravity as far away from the infirmary as possible."
