Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory

Just as Ethan was soaking in the pure, chaotic energy of the Draconic Ascension Pool, a sudden wave of murderous intent tore through the sky above.

BOOM!

A pillar of searing flame crashed down beside the pool, scorching the earth and sending shockwaves through the valley.

"Who the hell are you two?! How dare you defile the sacred ground of the dragon race?!"

Ethan shot to his feet, eyes narrowing.

Above them, the sky had filled with dragons—dozens of them. Each one radiated terrifying elemental power, their scales shimmering with different hues. Fire, ice, wind, lightning, earth—every element imaginable was represented. And at the center of them all hovered a dragon unlike any Ethan had ever seen.

This one glowed with a radiant, multicolored aura—five distinct elemental forces swirling around its body in perfect harmony.

Its eyes locked onto Ethan and Seraphina with cold fury… until they drifted to the egg floating beside the pool.

The moment it saw the egg, its expression changed completely. The killing intent vanished in an instant, replaced by shock—and then awe.

It dove from the sky, landing hard enough to shake the ground.

"That's… that's the Dragon God Egg!" the dragon gasped, voice trembling with reverence. "This isn't just any Celestial Dragon Egg—it carries the bloodline of the Primordial Celestial Dragon, the highest lineage of our kind! Where did you get this?!"

Ethan's arms instinctively tightened around the egg, pulling it close to his chest. His eyes narrowed. "It's mine. And who the hell are you supposed to be?"

Seraphina emerged from the pool behind him, her body still steaming with residual energy. The Thunderstorm Wings on her back had fully fused with her—no longer just attached, but part of her. She could feel it: she now controlled 60% of their power, and it was still growing.

The multicolored dragon's eyes flicked to her—and widened.

"Wind… lightning… and venom? You've mastered three elemental forces? And you're a dragon? I've never seen you before. What bloodline are you from?"

His tone had shifted completely—no longer hostile, but curious. Almost respectful.

Ethan didn't lower his guard. His aura flared, power rippling off him in waves. "You still haven't answered my question."

The dragon blinked, then quickly raised a claw in a gesture of peace. "Right, right. My name is Sycaron. I'm the leader of the Celestial Dragon clan. This place—this entire valley—is our sacred domain."

Ethan hesitated for a moment, then extended his hand. "Ethan. Lord of Emerald Castle."

Sycaron's eyes lit up. "Emerald Castle? That explains it! You're dragonkin too—of course! No wonder the egg responded to you. If you weren't one of us, we would've attacked without hesitation."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. Sycaron was surprisingly… casual. No boundaries, no suspicion—just instant camaraderie because they were both dragons?

HUMMMM—

Suddenly, the egg in Ethan's arms began to glow.

CRACK!

A sharp, crystalline sound echoed through the valley as golden runes flared across the shell. The cracks spread rapidly, light pouring from within.

And then—

With a final snap, the shell burst open.

A tiny dragon hatchling emerged, its scales shimmering with divine gold and silver, its eyes glowing with ancient wisdom far beyond its age.

HUMMMM!

BOOOOM!

A wave of divine energy exploded outward, shaking the heavens. The hatchling hovered in the air, wings unfurling with a blinding radiance. The sheer pressure of its presence was overwhelming—holy, absolute, and terrifying.

The sky lit up as if the sun had descended.

All around them, the Celestial Dragons dropped to the ground in unison, their heads bowed low. Even Sycaron, the clan leader, fell to his knees, trembling.

ROOOOAR!

ROOOOAR!

ROOOOAR!

The dragons roared in unison, not in defiance—but in reverence.

Even Seraphina, standing tall just moments ago, felt her knees buckle. Her wings trembled, her head lowered instinctively.

As Ethan stood there, still soaking in the aftershocks of the Draconic Ascension Pool's energy, the tiny Dragon Hatchling nestled in his arms let out a soft, high-pitched series of chirps—"Ying, ying, ying!"—and snuggled closer to his chest.

Ethan blinked, caught off guard by how affectionate the little guy was.

Sycaron, still kneeling, stared at the scene with eyes wide as saucers, his jaw practically on the ground.

"By the stars… you really are his father! He just called you 'Dad'!"

Ethan froze. "Wait, what?"

He hadn't understood a word the hatchling said—but before he could even process it, a hum echoed through the air, followed by a BOOM of divine energy. A golden light burst from the hatchling, wrapping around Ethan like a cocoon of holy fire.

The energy from the Draconic Ascension Pool surged into him again—this time not in violent bursts, but in a steady, controlled stream. It was like the pool itself had recognized him. Or rather… recognized the bond between him and the hatchling.

He could feel it now—something deep, primal, and unbreakable. A connection between him and the newborn dragon. Their energies resonated, intertwined, and then exploded upward in a beam of light that pierced the heavens.

BOOM!

A system alert flashed in his mind:

[Level Up!]

Tier 16 → Tier 16 (S-Class: 100% Progress)

Evolution Threshold Reached: Preparing for SS-Class Ascension

Ethan's power doubled in an instant. His muscles tightened, his senses sharpened, and his body felt like it had been reforged in divine fire. Even more shocking—half of the Draconic Ascension Pool's energy, which had previously resisted him, was now flowing freely into his core.

Sycaron's expression shifted from awe to reverence. The other Celestial Dragons descended from the sky, landing around Ethan in perfect formation. One by one, they dropped to a knee.

"You are the father of the Dragon God," Sycaron said solemnly. "That makes you our master. From this moment on, we serve you. We will follow you into fire and storm, without hesitation."

Ethan stood there, stunned. "Wait… I'm his what now?"

And then, as if a switch had flipped, he suddenly understood the hatchling's chirps. The words weren't in any known language—but they resonated in his mind with perfect clarity.

"Daddy!"

The little dragon looked up at him with wide, glowing eyes, tail flicking happily.

"…Idra," Ethan whispered, the name forming in his mind like it had always been there.

That was her name.

Idra.

The Dragon God.

The one born with the Primordial Celestial Dragon bloodline—the highest, purest lineage of all dragonkind. A being of legend. A divine force in the making.

He might be small now, but his future? Unstoppable.

And every dragon around them knew it.

BOOM!

CRACK-KA-BOOM!

Just as Ethan was basking in the moment, the sky above them split open with a violent roar. Sycaron's expression darkened instantly.

"Damn it… they're back. The dragons from Sky Citadel. Persistent bastards."

The Celestial Dragons around them immediately flared with power, wings spreading wide as they entered battle stance.

Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Wait, you said Sky Citadel dragons?"

Sycaron nodded grimly. "They're not real dragons. Not like us. They were born in Sky Citadel, forged from raw elemental energy and corrupted by Skyfiend blood. They look like dragons, sure—but they're twisted. Impure. They're fakes."

He spat the word like venom.

"They've got fragments of dragon blood in them, but their essence is warped. They're not recognized by the Draconic Lineage. That's why they keep attacking this place—they want to steal the Ascension Pool's power, hoping it'll make them 'real' dragons."

Ethan's expression hardened. "So they're not here to kneel. They're here to take."

"Exactly," Sycaron said. "And they'll never stop. Not until they're wiped out—or until they corrupt everything we are."

Ethan glanced down at Idra, who was now perched on his shoulder, eyes glowing with a soft golden light. The hatchling let out a low growl, sensing the incoming threat.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The sky above them cracked like glass, and through the fractures poured a storm of twisted dragons—massive, jagged-winged beasts with glowing eyes and bodies wreathed in corrupted elemental energy. Fire that burned black. Lightning that screamed. Wind that cut like blades.

The Fiend-Dragons of Sky Citadel had arrived.

...