Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory

Ethan stood frozen, brows furrowed, lips pressed into a tight line. He didn't say a word—but everything the others were whispering, every doubt, every fear… they were exactly what he was thinking.

He'd gambled everything on Ataneya.

And now, all he could do was watch.

Meanwhile, the Dungeon heroes—those who'd been forcibly drained by the Holy Fox Sovereign—were in far worse shape. Their bodies trembled uncontrollably, skin pale and sunken, like their very life force had been ripped out of them.

Unlike Ethan and his allies, who had willingly offered their power, these poor souls had been violently harvested—no care, no restraint, no mercy.

And that difference… it showed.

The gap between Ataneya and the Holy Fox Sovereign was still painfully clear.

"You still think you can win?" the Sovereign sneered, his voice dripping with venom. "I'll admit, your bloodline power is… impressive. Maybe even a little stronger than mine."

He stepped forward, eyes glowing with cruel delight.

"But that doesn't matter anymore."

"Because today is your end. And the end of every last one of you insects."

"I am the Holy Fox Sovereign. And I will kill you all."

BOOOOOOM!

"Shadowstorm Domain!"

The sky darkened instantly, as if the world itself had been swallowed by a void. A storm of shadows erupted around him, swirling like a hurricane of death.

Ataneya gritted her teeth, her body trembling under the pressure. But she didn't back down.

She roared and charged forward, clashing with the Sovereign again and again—blow for blow, strike for strike.

Their battle reached a fever pitch.

Each collision sent shockwaves tearing through the battlefield, ripping apart the very fabric of space. The others could only watch from afar, helpless, as the two titans fought like gods.

Then—another massive impact.

The two were blasted apart, skidding back through the air, putting distance between them.

SWOOSH!

SWOOSH!

The Holy Fox Sovereign's expression twisted into something darker—something vicious.

And then… something strange happened.

A glowing crystal orb emerged from his chest.

It pulsed with a sickly, unnatural light.

HUMMMM—

Ataneya's eyes widened. "What the hell is that…?"

The orb wasn't just some artifact—it was alive. It throbbed with dark energy, like a heart made of corruption. It wasn't just connected to his bloodline—it was his bloodline. A core of pure devouring force.

Every pulse of the orb seemed to suck in the energy around it, like a black hole in the shape of a gemstone.

It was his source.

His engine.

His abyss.

"This is your honor," the Sovereign growled, voice low and guttural. "To be consumed by the devouring core of the Shadow Fox bloodline. You'll become part of me. My strength. My legacy."

He threw his head back and roared.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The crystal orb spun violently, and a vortex of energy erupted from it, pulling at everything—light, air, even Ataneya's power.

"Shit!" Ataneya's pupils shrank. She could feel it—her strength was being drained, pulled toward that orb like water down a drain.

And worse—

The Holy Fox Sovereign wasn't slowing down.

He was still drawing power from somewhere else. From the Dungeon heroes? From the void? From the very fabric of this realm?

Wherever it came from, it meant one thing:

He wasn't running out.

But she was.

Her breathing grew ragged. Her tails flared behind her, glowing with desperate intensity.

HUMMMM—HUMMMM—HUMMMM—

Then, with a sharp cry, she raised her hand—and a massive, multicolored sphere of energy formed in her palm. It pulsed with chaotic, unstable power, like a miniature star on the verge of collapse.

If it detonated, it could tear this entire space apart.

But even that… might not be enough.

Still, she didn't hesitate.

She pointed.

And the sphere responded.

The energy inside it surged forward, drawn toward the Holy Fox Sovereign like it had a will of its own—like it wanted to destroy him.

Ethan's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched tight as he stared up at the sky.

He could see everything from where he stood—and what he saw made his blood run cold.

Ataneya was barely holding on.

One wrong move, one mistimed breath, and she'd be dead. The Holy Fox Sovereign was overwhelming her, and it was only a matter of time before he landed the killing blow.

"No," Ethan muttered, fists tightening. "I have to do something. I can't just stand here and watch her die."

His mind raced, thoughts spinning like wildfire—until suddenly, something clicked.

His gaze snapped toward the half-dead Dungeon Hero Units scattered across the battlefield.

Eyes lit with realization.

"That bastard's power… it's all coming from them. He's been draining them this whole time. Even now, he's still feeding off them like parasites."

He took a sharp breath.

"Then what if we cut him off?"

The idea hit him like lightning.

"What if we kill them all?"

The thought was brutal. Ruthless. But it made sense.

If the Holy Fox Sovereign's strength was tied to those Hero Units—if they were his battery, his fuel source—then cutting them off might be the only way to stop him.

And if they could absorb that Primordial Force instead…

Maybe—just maybe—they could create another powerhouse. Another 16-Tier SS-Class. Or higher.

He didn't know if it would work.

But he had to try.

He turned sharply, eyes locking onto Elira and Andona.

"Elira! Andona!" he shouted. "Take them out! Kill every last one of those Dungeon Hero Units! Then absorb their Primordial Force—everything they've got! Push yourselves to evolve, to break through!"

Right now, his strongest fighters were Elira and Andona—both at the peak of 16-Tier S-Class. If either of them could ascend to SS-Class, they might be able to turn the tide.

It was a long shot.

But it was the only shot they had left.

And thankfully, there were plenty of targets.

Over a dozen Dungeon Hero Units still lingered on the field—some of them once terrifying, like the Hell Bug that had possessed and amplified other heroes' powers. That thing alone had been SS-Class.

But now?

Now they were husks.

Drained. Weak. Barely clinging to life after being sucked dry by the Sovereign.

"Understood!" Elira called back, her voice sharp and focused.

"Yes, My Lord!" Andona echoed, already moving.

BOOM!

BOOM!

Without hesitation, the two of them launched forward like twin bolts of lightning, cutting through the battlefield with deadly precision. Others followed—those still able to fight, those who understood what was at stake.

They descended on the weakened Dungeon Hero Units like wolves on wounded prey.

And it was a slaughter.

Despite their former strength, the Hero Units were shadows of their former selves. Their energy had been drained so thoroughly that they couldn't even muster a proper defense.

Their Tier levels meant nothing now.

They were helpless.

Andona's blade tore through one after another, her movements fluid and merciless. Elira danced between enemies, her strikes precise, her aura flaring brighter with each kill.

Even the 15-Tier Hero Units joined in...

...