Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory

In an instant—

BOOOOOOM!

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—!

A violent surge of energy erupted from the blazing "sun" in the sky—the monstrous form the Holy Fox Sovereign had become. The air trembled as a terrifying force exploded outward, shaking the heavens.

But that wasn't all.

A reverse current began to form.

The very power that had been flowing into Ataneya and Feylora… was now being pulled back.

"No—!" Ethan's face went pale. His heart dropped as he realized what was happening.

Ataneya had actually succeeded in siphoning the Sovereign's power—it had worked. But the Holy Fox Sovereign was simply too strong. If he wanted to, he could take it all back. He could undo everything.

And right now, that's exactly what he was doing.

If he succeeded, then everything they'd fought for—everything they'd risked—would be for nothing.

But then—

Something impossible happened.

Ataneya didn't back down.

She roared and pushed harder, unleashing every ounce of her strength to fight the pull. And then—another tail burst from her back.

Eight.

She now had eight tails.

Each one pulsed with raw, terrifying energy, flaring in the sky like celestial banners. They whipped through the air, creating shockwaves with every movement, and the power radiating from her was enough to make the ground quake.

"What the hell?!"

Everyone froze, stunned.

No one could believe what they were seeing.

Even the Holy Fox Sovereign faltered.

"You dare defy me?!" he snarled, his voice cracking with fury. "You insignificant insect! You think you can steal from me?! I'll tear you apart! I'll devour you whole!"

He went berserk.

His energy surged, trying to reclaim what Ataneya had taken. But no matter how hard he tried—he couldn't overpower her.

"Come on, Ataneya! You've got this!" Ethan shouted, his voice raw with urgency. "She's close to her limit—don't let up!"

And then—

The Holy Fox Sovereign staggered.

His body trembled violently, and with a guttural growl, he suddenly severed the energy link himself, stumbling backward several steps.

Ataneya stood tall, her body glowing with power.

The energy she'd absorbed from the Sovereign surged through her, flooding every cell, every fiber of her being. Her eight tails shimmered like divine weapons, and her aura exploded outward in a wave of pure dominance.

She had ascended.

Her combat power had skyrocketed—she was now at the absolute peak of 16-Tier SS-Class.

"You filthy little worm!" the Holy Fox Sovereign howled, his voice cracking with madness. "You dare steal my power?! I'll rip you apart! You'll be my feast—I'll devour you and take back what's mine!"

He lunged at her, completely unhinged.

But mid-charge, his energy faltered again—his aura flickered, unstable.

Ataneya just smirked.

"You really think I don't know what you are now?" she said coldly. "You're nothing but a broken shell—patched together with the stolen Primordial Force of fallen Dungeon heroes. You're a fake. A parasite. And you're running out of time."

Her eyes narrowed, glowing with fury.

"You want to devour me? Keep dreaming."

"Now I'll show you what real devouring looks like!"

BOOOOOOM!

Her power exploded.

All eight of her tails flared outward, and at the tip of each one, a vortex formed—eight swirling maelstroms of pure absorption. They locked onto the Holy Fox Sovereign, pulling at his energy with unstoppable force.

The Sovereign's body began to distort, his form unraveling as his Primordial Force was ripped away.

The pressure was immense.

The battlefield shook.

The sky darkened.

The air itself screamed.

"My Lord—help me!" Ataneya shouted, her voice strained but fierce.

Ethan didn't hesitate.

He blinked forward, slamming his palm against her back and pouring every drop of his power into her.

The moment he did, her aura surged again.

The others saw it—and they understood.

Without a word, they followed.

One by one, they stepped forward, channeling their energy into Ataneya—Elira, Cicero, Namyanna, Andona, Feylora, even the wounded. Everyone gave everything they had.

And then—

BOOOOOOM!

The sky split open.

A tidal wave of power erupted from Ataneya, amplified by the strength of her allies. Her eight tails became like divine conduits, drawing in the Sovereign's energy faster than he could resist.

The Holy Fox Sovereign screamed.

But it was too late.

The devouring had begun.

And nothing could stop it now.

BOOOOOOM—

The sky cracked open with thunderous force.

Ataneya's power surged at a speed visible to the naked eye—her aura expanding, intensifying, until it reached a level that made even the air around her tremble.

In mere moments, she had ascended.

16-Tier SSS-Class.

The peak of mortal power.

But even with everyone's strength combined, there was only so much they could give. And now… they'd hit their limit.

Still, it was enough.

HUMMMM—

Ataneya's body shimmered in midair, her eight tails flaring behind her like celestial banners. A pulse of raw, divine energy rippled outward from her form.

Then she moved.

A blur of light and fury.

"Let's finish this," she growled, voice echoing like thunder. "Let's see who the real victor is!"

She launched herself forward, a comet of destruction aimed straight at the Holy Fox Sovereign.

"You dare—!" the Sovereign roared, his voice twisted with rage. "You filthy insect! I'll crush you into dust!"

He charged to meet her, his form blazing like a dying star.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The two collided in midair—and the world shattered.

The impact was cataclysmic. A shockwave erupted from the point of contact, tearing through the sky, ripping apart the battlefield. The sheer force of their clash sent cracks spidering through the very fabric of space.

Everything around them—stone, air, light—was on the verge of collapse.

SWOOSH!

SWOOSH!

SWOOSH!

Their tails lashed through the air, each movement unleashing waves of power that could level cities. Every flick, every clash, sent out ripples of annihilation.

"Holy shit…" Ethan whispered, eyes wide with awe.

He and the others had already been forced to retreat, pushed all the way back to the farthest edge of the battlefield. They were huddled near the wall, barely able to stand under the pressure radiating from the two titans.

The energy in the air was suffocating.

They had nothing left to give—every ounce of their strength had been poured into Ataneya.

And now, all they could do was watch.

"This is insane…" someone muttered behind Ethan. "This is what a battle between two peak 16-Tier SSS-Class beings looks like? No wonder we'd be dead in seconds if we got caught in that."

Ethan nodded grimly. "The Holy Fox Sovereign… he's close to 17-Tier. You can feel it. If he'd fully absorbed the Primordial Force from those Dungeon heroes, we wouldn't even be having this conversation. Ataneya wouldn't stand a chance."

"Yeah, but even now… she's still at a disadvantage," another voice said, tense. "He's just too strong."

"I've never seen anything like this," someone else whispered. "It's like watching gods fight."

"If they wanted to," another added, "they could wipe us all out in a heartbeat."

A heavy silence fell over the group.

Then someone asked the question they were all thinking:

"Did we make the right call? Giving her all our power… betting everything on one shot? What if it's not enough? What if we lose?"

...