Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory

VMMM—

BOOOOOOM!

The Dragon God's energy erupted from Ethan like a tidal wave, shooting into the sky and shaking the heavens. It was raw, divine, and utterly overwhelming.

And more importantly—it was the natural enemy of Fiendish Power.

The moment it touched the air, Xymorg flinched. He immediately backed off, his wings twitching as if scorched.

His eyes narrowed, locking onto Ethan.

"Dragon God…? Hah. So it's true. You really possess that legendary power."

"Good. That means I can't let you leave here alive."

"Next time we meet… you'll die screaming."

And with that, he vanished.

Just like that—gone.

...

Ethan didn't chase him. He didn't even move.

He just watched him go, calm and collected.

There were two reasons for that.

First—he couldn't stop him. Xymorg's power was on par with Elira's. If he was determined to escape, there was no way they could pin him down.

Second—Ethan needed this.

He needed to test himself. To see if he was truly ready to take on the Sky Citadel. And Xymorg? He was the perfect benchmark. A living, breathing test of everything Ethan had become—and everything he still needed to be.

Time passed.

Then, without warning, the sky rippled again.

VMMM—

ROOOOAAARRR!

A deafening dragon's roar tore through the air. A moment later, a massive dragon burst through the sky, wings spread wide, its scales gleaming like obsidian.

And standing beside it—hovering effortlessly in the air—was Xymorg.

BOOM!

RUMMMMMMBLE—

The moment the massive dragon appeared, the entire battlefield trembled. Its power exploded outward in a violent surge, shaking the very fabric of space around it.

The sky above twisted unnaturally, as if being pulled toward the beast. Energy from the surrounding air was drawn in like a vortex, funneling straight into the dragon's body.

Ethan's eyes narrowed, his expression darkening. "What the hell is that thing…?"

He immediately scanned the creature's data.

Tier: 16 — SS-Rank Peak.

"Seriously? That strong?" Ethan muttered, brows furrowing.

A 16-Tier SS-Rank at its peak—this thing wasn't just strong. It was on the same level as Elira and Ataneya… maybe even stronger. And judging by the way its aura kept climbing, it was probably still hiding something.

What really caught Ethan's attention, though, was the gem embedded in the dragon's forehead—a flawless, crystal-clear jewel radiating a terrifying energy.

And then there was Xymorg.

He'd changed.

A blood-red stone now pulsed in the center of his chest—clearly newly embedded, and clearly the source of a fresh surge of power.

Ethan didn't flinch.

He had the Dragon God's power now. And if this dragon had even a trace of dragon blood in its veins, then Ethan could suppress it through sheer bloodline dominance.

He took a deep breath, steadying himself.

Idra floated silently on his shoulder, her body glowing with divine energy. The Dragon God's aura rippled outward from her, warping the space around them.

Their bond was absolute. Just a flicker of power from one of them could distort reality.

"Master!" Sycaron suddenly rushed to Ethan's side, his voice tight with concern.

"That thing's name is Tormyrr. He's the leader of the Sky Citadel Fiend-Dragons. His power is immense—even I might not be able to take him down. You shouldn't risk it!"

But Ethan didn't even hesitate.

He shoved Sycaron aside and stepped forward.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

A tidal wave of Dragon God energy erupted from Ethan, sweeping across the battlefield and slamming into Tormyrr like a divine storm.

"What?!" Tormyrr's pupils shrank.

He hadn't expected Ethan to attack him head-on. In every world he'd ever set foot in, anyone with dragon blood instinctively submitted to him.

Because Tormyrr wasn't just any dragon—he carried a fragment of Dragon God power himself. He'd stumbled upon it in a cave ages ago, and over the years, he'd fused it into his body.

That power gave him dominance over most dragonkin.

But now…

BOOM!

Tormyrr roared as his own power surged. A massive greatsword materialized above him, floating in the air like a divine weapon. He grabbed the hilt with both hands and brought it crashing down.

Ethan didn't back down.

He unleashed his full strength, forming a barrier of pure Dragon God energy and charging straight into the attack.

CRACK!

The moment their powers collided, Tormyrr's body jolted violently. He stumbled back, wings flaring wide to slow his retreat.

"You… what are you?" he growled, his voice laced with disbelief. "You're human. How the hell do you have Dragon God power?!"

Ethan didn't answer.

He just kept pouring out his energy, letting it spread across the Sky Citadel like a divine tide.

And then it happened.

Every creature nearby with dragon blood in their veins suddenly froze. Their bodies trembled—and then, one by one, they dropped to a knee.

The Dragon God's authority was absolute.

Tormyrr's eyes widened in horror. The runes on his wings flared to life, but the power they emitted was weaker now—tainted by fear.

"Who are you?!" he shouted again, backing away. "Why won't you answer me?!"

Ethan just smiled.

A slow, eerie grin.

Above his head, a massive golden Dragon God phantom began to form—its presence so overwhelming that even the air seemed to bow to it.

Tormyrr's fear deepened. He flinched, wings twitching, and then turned to flee.

But Ethan wasn't about to let him go.

WHOOSH!

He shot forward like a golden comet, chasing after Tormyrr without hesitation.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

The two of them tore through the sky, one after the other, vanishing into the clouds above.

Everyone left behind stood frozen in place, stunned.

Above them was the second level of the Sky Citadel—no one knew what waited there.

But one thing was clear.

"Follow the Master!" someone shouted.

And just like that, the army surged forward once more.

...

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The Sky Citadel was in chaos.

No one had expected things to spiral this far out of control. When they summoned Tormyrr, it was supposed to be a show of force—a final, crushing blow to drive the Emerald Castle invaders back.

But instead?

Tormyrr—their Overlord, the apex of the Skyfiend Fiend-Dragons—had shown fear.

And then he ran.

He actually ran.

The entire Citadel was stunned. That kind of thing just didn't happen. Not here. Not in the Sky Citadel. Not from someone like Tormyrr.

He was one of the three Overlords who ruled the lower levels of the Citadel. A being whose presence alone could silence rebellions and crush armies.

And now he was fleeing from a human.

A human.

Panic spread like wildfire.

The remaining Skyfiends and Fiend-Dragons didn't have time to process it. The Emerald Castle army was already charging in, their morale sky-high after watching Ethan force Tormyrr into retreat.

With their commander gone, the defenders fell into disarray. They tried to rally, unleashing everything they had in a desperate attempt to hold the line.

But it was no use.

The Emerald Castle forces were relentless, cutting through them like a blade through silk. Within minutes, half the defenders were dead or dying.

And Xymorg?

He was completely pinned down.

Elira and Ataneya had him locked in a brutal two-on-one, their combined power overwhelming. He couldn't even breathe, let alone fight back. Every time he tried to break free, one of them was already there, slamming him back down.

Meanwhile, Ethan had already broken through to the second level of the Sky Citadel.

And what he found there… wasn't what he expected.

It wasn't a fortress. It wasn't a battlefield.

It was something else entirely.

...