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.
