Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory

BOOM!

RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE—

"Shit! No—!"

The dragon-winged man's eyes went wide with panic, but before he could even react, Idra's divine energy surged around him like a tidal wave, locking him in place.

Then—detonation.

Ethan stood frozen, stunned.

He hadn't expected Idra to unleash that kind of power. It was on a whole different level—terrifying and awe-inspiring all at once.

Moments later, the man was gone. Obliterated. Nothing left but a mist of blood and shredded flesh. Even the Dragon God energy within him had been completely absorbed by Idra.

Whoosh!

Ethan let out a shaky breath, relief washing over him. He turned to Idra, ready to get the hell out of there—

But the space around them suddenly twisted.

Dozens of swirling vortexes tore open in the air, and from each one stepped out figures—humanoid, but with massive dragon wings unfurling behind them.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

One after another, they emerged, their wings etched with glowing golden runes that shimmered like firelight. It was as if the sky itself had been set ablaze with ancient symbols.

Just standing there, they made the air feel like it was collapsing in on itself. Ethan could barely breathe. His chest tightened.

He knew—any one of these beings could crush him like an insect.

But none of them attacked.

Instead, every single one of their eyes locked onto Idra, who still floated in the air like a goddess descended. Their expressions were a mix of shock, reverence… and fear.

A middle-aged man stepped forward, clearly the leader. He raised a golden rune in his hand—an artifact that pulsed with sacred light, ancient and ceremonial.

The rune's glow expanded, forming a radiant sigil that slowly drifted toward Idra, scanning her like a divine seal.

As the light passed over her, the air trembled with a deep, resonant hum.

Then—CRACK!

The sigil shattered into countless golden fragments, which burned away into ash midair, leaving nothing behind but silence.

Ethan didn't move. Didn't even breathe.

These people were too powerful. If they decided to attack, he wouldn't stand a chance.

"A true Dragon God… with pure Primordial Celestial Dragon blood," the leader murmured, disbelief in his voice. "Unthinkable…"

"But why?" he asked, his tone respectful but laced with tension. "Why have you come here, of all places?"

Though he spoke with reverence, the energy rolling off him was anything but peaceful. It was wild, dangerous—like a blade half-drawn, ready to strike.

Idra slowly lifted her head, golden eyes glowing. She didn't answer.

Instead, she vanished in a flash and reappeared behind Ethan, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"This is my father," she said calmly. "If you have questions, ask him."

Ethan's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

What the hell, Idra?!

He'd been trying to figure out how to escape without getting vaporized, and now she'd just dumped the entire situation in his lap.

"...Father?" the leader repeated, narrowing his eyes as he looked Ethan up and down.

Ethan floated forward slowly, trying to keep his expression neutral.

The man's voice turned cold. "So… a human, lucky enough to stumble upon a Dragon God with Primordial Celestial Dragon blood. I suppose fortune favors fools. But this realm belongs to us—the Auric Dragonkin. You trespassed. You killed one of ours. That demands an explanation."

Ethan's expression hardened.

"First of all, I didn't come here on purpose. I was trying to reach the second level of Sky Citadel. I didn't even know this place existed," he said, voice low and steady. "Second… he tried to kill me. So I killed him. That's it."

The words dropped like a hammer.

Silence fell over the entire space.

The leader stared at Ethan, eyes cold and unreadable. For a long moment, no one moved.

Then, without a word, the man turned and reached out to the space beside him.

WMMM—

A vortex opened, swirling with energy.

"If that's the case," he said, voice clipped, "then leave. Now."

Hearing that, Ethan paused for a second—caught off guard—but then gave a firm nod. "Thanks."

He turned, ready to step into the vortex and get the hell out of there.

But just as he was about to leave, the middle-aged man reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

"Remember this," the man said, his voice low and heavy with meaning. "The power of a Dragon God with pure Primordial Celestial Dragon blood is the highest authority in this world."

"You possess that power now. Use it wisely. But if the day ever comes when that power begins to corrupt or collapse within you… we, the Auric Dragonkin, will take it back—by force."

Ethan's eyes narrowed. The hell was this? These guys really thought they could dictate how he used his own power?

He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say a word, Idra raised her hand.

WMMM!

A terrifying wave of energy exploded from her palm, slamming into the Auric Dragonkin like a shockwave. The leader was thrown to the ground, pinned there, gasping for breath.

"You arrogant bastards," Idra said, her voice still soft and girlish—but the force behind it was anything but. "How dare you speak to my father like that? Touch him again, and I'll cut off every one of your heads and rip the Dragon power from your corpses."

The threat hung in the air like a blade at their throats.

The Auric Dragonkin didn't move. Not a single one of them. That overwhelming pressure from Idra had frozen them in place.

Ethan exhaled slowly, tension bleeding out of his shoulders.

Without wasting another second, he grabbed Idra's hand and stepped into the vortex.

When they emerged on the other side, they were standing before a long, floating staircase—old, cracked, and suspended in midair.

Below them stretched a sea of clouds, and far beneath that, the first level of Sky Citadel. Above, more clouds drifted lazily, and the staircase continued upward, leading toward the second level.

Ethan took a deep breath.

Then he started climbing.

He still didn't know how he'd ended up in that strange, hidden realm—but he wasn't shaken. Not even a little. One day, he'd go back there. And when he did, he'd make sure those smug bastards learned exactly who they were messing with.

Besides, every one of those Auric Dragonkin carried Dragon God energy.

If he could absorb all of it… who knew how far his power could grow?

At the top of the stairs, he passed through the clouds and stepped into another massive hall.

This place looked just like the first level of Sky Citadel—ruined, crumbling, and ancient.

But it was heavily guarded.

Sky Citadel soldiers were everywhere—Skyfiends, and even more terrifying, a whole squad of Sky Citadel Fiend-Dragons.

These guys weren't pushovers.

And standing right in the middle of them… was Tormyrr.

...