Global Lords: Building the Strongest Civilization with SSS Rank Talent

Rubedo flexed his clawed fingers and listened to the strained pop of joints adjusting to the sheer density of his soul.

The 100x Growth Multiplier buzzed under his skin, turning every subtle movement into a lethal hazard. He stepped closer to Julia's bed, but before he could even look down at her, the heavy oak doors of the medical ward smashed open.

Emperor Kronos sprinted into the room, his cape flaring wildly behind him and his boots skidding against the polished stone.

"Guards! Secure the perimeter!" Kronos shouted over his shoulder. He swept a frantic gaze across the ward, breathing heavily. "The mana density just spiked to an impossible level. Something breached the inner wards—"

He choked on his own words the second he spotted the towering figure looming beside the medical bed. Kronos stared at the thick violet aura bleeding off the Apostle, his eyes widening with rising panic. He didn't recognize Krug in this mutated, glowing state.

He only sensed an anomaly that completely defied the natural laws of their reality.

Kronos drew his sword in a fluid, desperate motion. The enchanted steel hissed against the scabbard as he leveled the tip at the intruder's chest.

"Step away from her," Kronos demanded, his voice tight with adrenaline. "Who are you?"

Rubedo turned slowly. The sheer, physical weight of his presence pivoted with him, warping the air and suffocating the ambient magic in the room. He looked down and let his burning, violet eyes lock directly onto Kronos.

He didn't say a word.

The multiplied aura crashed down like a collapsed mountain. Kronos gasped violently as the pressure shoved every ounce of oxygen from his lungs.

The enchanted sword slipped from his suddenly numb fingers and clattered uselessly against the floor. Unable to withstand the crushing gravity of the Sovereign's gaze, the Emperor collapsed forward, his knees slamming hard into the stone.

Rubedo looked down at Kronos. "I am the Sovereign of the Vanguard."

Kronos widened his eyes in instant recognition of the title. He scrambled backward across the stone floor and bowed his head in complete submission.

"Secure the perimeter," Rubedo commanded. "Prevent anyone from entering this ward under penalty of death."

"Yes, Sovereign," Kronos answered. He climbed to his feet and rushed out into the hallway to enforce the lockdown.

Rubedo turned his attention back to Julia. She lay motionless on the mattress. Her chest rose and fell in a deep sleep induced by the void bandages. Waking her would require him to manually unravel the magical restraints. Attempting that delicate process with his violently multiplied stats risked killing her on the spot.

I need the name of the missing classmate today, Rubedo thought. I cannot afford to wait for her to recover.

He flexed his mutated fingers and formed a new plan. The Vanguard currently held twenty-five other Earthlings captive in the Tarnstead dungeons. Those prisoners shared the exact same memories of the reunion party. They possessed the answers he needed.

Rubedo stepped away from the bed and exited the medical wing. Kronos stood rigidly in the corridor and guarded the entrance exactly as instructed. Rubedo walked past him and headed straight for the teleportation array located in the courtyard.

"Set the coordinates for Tarnstead," Rubedo ordered the soldiers manning the array.

Rubedo stepped onto the runic circle in the Gildreath courtyard. The array activated with a blinding flash of violet light, tearing his physical vessel across the continent. He materialized instantly on the teleportation dais inside the Tarnstead grand palace.

The sheer cosmic magnitude of the multiplied descent radiated outward from the runic circle. The massive power shift warped the spatial fabric of the entire palace.

Every normal soldier stationed within the fortress dropped their weapons and collapsed to the ground beneath the overwhelming force of his presence.

The Vanguard commanders such as Iron-Scale, Syra, Gulag, Krax, and Novus, who were present at the palace at that moment, sensed the catastrophic surge in mana from their respective posts.

They drew their weapons and mobilized immediately. They led a rapid march across the courtyards and converged directly on the palace receiving hall to confront the anomaly.

They burst through the grand archways with their weapons drawn. The blinding teleportation light faded, revealing the towering, synthesized form of Krug stepping casually down from the dais. Violet fire bled continuously from his cracked scales.

Syra and Gulag instantly relaxed their stances. They sheathed their weapons and exhaled in relief.

"Chief, you are finally awake," Syra called out.

Gulag stepped forward to greet him. "Congratulations on your recovery. We thought the infirmary vat would hold you for another year."

Iron-Scale recognized the absolute cosmic terror radiating from the violet flames. He lunged forward and grabbed Gulag by the shoulder to forcefully pull the warlord back.

"Silence your mouths right now," Iron-Scale commanded his peers. "You are looking directly at the Sovereign. He has descended into Krug's vessel."

Total panic washed over the commanders. Syra and Gulag threw themselves onto the polished floor. Krax and Novus immediately followed suit. Iron-Scale dropped to his knees and bowed his head deeply.

"Forgive our ignorance, Sovereign," Syra pleaded. She pressed her forehead against the cold stone. "We welcome your divine presence to Tarnstead."

The other commanders echoed her apologies and began chanting the Vanguard prayers of absolute submission.

Rubedo looked down at the kneeling commanders scattered across the floor. "Stand up."

Syra and Gulag exchanged nervous glances before rising from the polished stone. Krax and Novus followed suit. Iron-Scale stood last and kept his eyes respectfully averted.

"You have absolutely nothing to apologize for," Rubedo told Syra and Gulag. "An empire built entirely on blind terror will eventually collapse from within. You greeted your chief with genuine respect. I do not punish loyalty."

Rubedo turned his gaze to Iron-Scale. "How did you recognize the descent?"

"I know your aura, Sovereign," Iron-Scale answered. "Krug possesses incredible might, yet the energy bleeding from these scales belongs entirely to you. I felt your presence the moment you crossed the teleportation array."

Rubedo acknowledged the answer with a nod. He understood the unspoken concern lingering among the group regarding their chief's physical state as they feared the cosmic merge had destroyed him again.

"Krug survived the synthesis process," Rubedo stated. He raised his synthesized hand and allowed the violet fire to crackle across his knuckles. "He evolved from the ordeal. The flames bleeding from these scales signify his ascension into a being capable of carrying a god's soul. He forged his body into a perfect vessel."

Syra and Gulag stared at the violet fire. A profound sense of pride replaced their initial panic. Krug had achieved true glory.

"Strive for that exact same strength," Rubedo challenged the gathered commanders. "Fortify yourselves and this city for the coming decade. Make yourselves worthy of the Vanguard."

The commanders placed their fists over their hearts and bowed in unison. Rubedo left them in the receiving hall and walked toward the underground dungeon blocks to confront the captive Earthlings.

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