Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory

"Finally found you..." Ethan said, his face calm and fearless. Back in that strange dimension, he'd absorbed some of the Dragon God's power. His strength and level had both taken a serious leap.

Maybe before, Tormyrr would've been a challenge. But now? He could take him down without breaking a sweat.

And besides—he had Idra by his side.

"No way," Tormyrr stammered, eyes wide. "I activated the Auric Dragonkin's dimension. You should've been teleported there. How the hell did you end up here?"

Ethan let out a cold laugh.

A sudden surge of energy exploded from his body—

The overwhelming power of the Dragon God rippled out like a shockwave.

BOOM!

RUMMMMMMBLE...

"So it really was your doing," Ethan said, his voice low and dangerous. "I knew something was off when I got yanked into that place. Since you're behind it—guess it's time to pay the price."

In a flash, his body turned into a streak of lightning—whoosh!—and in the blink of an eye, he'd already sliced off the heads of two Skyfiends.

"Father! Let me help too!" Idra shouted, her voice full of excitement.

The Dragon God's power surged from her as well, radiating off her like heat from a furnace.

She casually lifted a finger—BOOM!—and another enemy exploded into pieces.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

They tore through the enemy ranks like living weapons, unstoppable and merciless. It was a massacre—nothing could stand in their way.

Eventually, they cornered Tormyrr, forcing him back into a tight spot.

"D-Damn it... You... both of you..." Tormyrr's whole body was trembling, his pupils shrunk to pinpricks, his face twisted in terror.

The Dragon God energy pouring off Ethan and Idra was crushing him, pressing down like a mountain.

They could strip him of every ounce of power he had—if they wanted to.

And he knew it.

It would be the end of him.

The remaining Skyfiends and even the Sky Citadel Fiend-Dragons had completely lost their nerve. None of them dared to step forward. They just cowered in the distance, shaking in fear.

Ethan stepped forward and planted his foot on Tormyrr's shoulder.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood today. I'm not gonna kill you—yet. But you're gonna tell me something. What's going on with the Sky Citadel? Why is this level so empty? Why are only your kind stationed here?"

Tormyrr's breathing turned ragged. He rushed to answer, "The bottom three levels of the Sky Citadel don't have any elite units. And lately, the Lord Sovereign summoned all the major lords to the top level of the Citadel... so..."

"So the defenses down here are paper-thin," Ethan finished for him.

Tormyrr's eyes flicked with a sudden glint, and he lowered his voice. "If you're interested in exploring the rest of the Sky Citadel... I could guide you. I know the way."

Ethan chuckled, but it was a cold, mocking sound. "Is that so? Well, maybe next time. When I come back, you'd better be ready to lead the way."

With that, he turned and walked off without looking back.

"My Lord, why are we leaving now?" Elira asked, clearly confused.

They were winning—why pull back now?

Ethan shook his head. "Elira, this place is way more dangerous than any dungeon we've dealt with before. You need to understand—it's not that simple. If we're unlucky, we could run into a 17th-Tier powerhouse here. Maybe even something stronger. Think about it—if that happens, what are our chances?"

"Seventeenth Tier?!" Elira froze, her expression darkening. She lowered her head. "You're right… I was being reckless. I'm sorry."

Ethan gave her a small nod. "Besides, this world seems to be connected to a bunch of others. And those places? They're not exactly friendly either."

He looked out across the horizon, his voice calm but firm. "We'll take the Sky Citadel eventually. That's a given. But there's no need to rush. Not until we've figured out everything about this place. Once we know what we're dealing with, then we strike."

Everyone around him nodded in agreement. No one argued.

But just then—

BOOM!

A terrifying surge of power rippled through the sky not far from them.

RUMMMMMMBLE...

A blinding white light spread across the heavens, swallowing the sky in its glow. Moments later, a figure bathed in pure white light appeared, hovering in midair.

The energy rolling off him was wild and violent—

And unmistakably infused with Dragon God power.

But that wasn't all. A bone-chilling frost radiated from his body, so intense it dropped the temperature around them to freezing in seconds. The air itself seemed to crackle with cold.

"What the hell…?" Ethan muttered, stunned.

He'd already been surprised when the Auric Dragonkin turned out to carry Dragon God energy.

But this guy?

This guy was something else entirely.

His aura was off the charts—16th Tier, SS-rank, and right at the peak of it.

A top-tier powerhouse, easily on par with Elira or Ataneya.

But what really caught Ethan's eye was the icy blue gem embedded in the man's chest. It pulsed with a terrifying cold, sending waves of frost through the air. Whoever this was, he had complete mastery over some kind of devastating ice power.

"I can't believe it…" the figure growled, his voice laced with fury. "After all these years, a true Dragon God with pure Primordial Celestial Dragon blood has returned? And you—a human—dare to wield that sacred power? You even call yourself the Dragon God's father?!"

His rage exploded outward as he flared his wings and launched himself forward.

WHOOSH!

The air around him twisted violently, energy surging as the runes on his wings lit up with blinding white light.

Ice gathered in the air, swirling rapidly until it formed a massive spear of frozen death.

He gripped the spear tight, his body vanishing in a blur as he lunged straight at Ethan.

But just as he was about to strike—

The air shimmered. Space twisted.

A figure appeared out of nowhere.

CLANG!

Namyanna.

She blocked the incoming spear with her trident, the impact shaking the sky.

BOOM!

RUMBLE!

CRACK!

The shockwaves tore through the clouds, thunder rolling across the battlefield as the two forces collided.

...