Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory

The moment those two unleashed their power, the temperature around them plummeted. The air itself froze solid, and even Ethan couldn't help but shiver.

"What the hell are you supposed to be?" Namyanna's voice was sharp, her eyes glowing with a piercing ice-blue light. "You think you can talk to us like that?"

Behind her, the air shimmered with a deadly chill, frost forming in midair as her own power surged to match the intruder's.

Crack-crack-crack…

The collision of their auras sent fractures through the space around them, like glass under pressure.

But the Frostwyrm Sovereign didn't seem interested in Namyanna. His focus was locked on Ethan, and he was pouring more and more power into the clash, clearly trying to force her back.

Ethan saw right through him.

In a flash, he appeared beside them. "Namyanna, stand down."

"My Lord!" she protested, eyes wide. She could feel the hostility radiating off this guy like a blizzard, but she didn't dare disobey. With a reluctant nod, she backed off.

Ethan stepped forward, his gaze cold and steady. "Who are you? Where are you from?"

The figure sneered. "You don't have the right to ask me that."

"Oh? Or is it that you're just too scared to say?" Ethan shot back with a smirk, his tone dripping with mockery. "Guess that makes you a coward."

"What did you say?!" the Frostwyrm Sovereign roared, his voice like a glacier cracking apart. "Fine. Listen well, human. I am the Frostwyrm Sovereign, from the mighty and eternal Whitefrost Expanse! Got it now?"

His power surged again, resonating with the frozen air around him. Shards of ice began to form in the air—razor-sharp icicles, dozens of them, all aimed at Ethan.

"I came here for one reason—to take back what doesn't belong to you. You're not worthy of the Dragon God's power. Hand it over now, or I'll tear you apart and scatter your remains across the void."

Ethan snorted. So that was it. This guy had clearly been in contact with the Auric Dragonkin—or at least heard about him. That explained why he was here, trying to block his path.

He took a slow breath, then stepped back, raising one hand. A sphere of crackling blue energy formed in his palm, lightning arcing wildly around it.

"Hand it over? You've got some nerve," Ethan said, his voice low and dangerous. "Here's what's gonna happen. I'm giving you one chance—kneel, and swear loyalty to me. Bring every last one of your Frost Dragons under my banner. Or I'll burn Whitefrost Expanse to the ground."

The Frostwyrm Sovereign's pupils dilated, his face twisting with rage and disbelief.

No one had ever dared say something like that to him. No one.

"You arrogant little insect," he growled. "You think you can destroy Whitefrost Expanse? You don't even know how to get there."

Ethan's expression didn't change. Cold. Unimpressed. With the system backing him, finding the entrance to Whitefrost Expanse would be child's play.

But right now, he was more interested in the guy standing in front of him.

That power… it was potent. If he could extract it—refine it—he might be able to harvest an even purer form of Dragon God energy.

That would be a massive boost. For him. For Idra. For everything.

Ethan's eyes locked onto the white crystal embedded in the Sovereign's chest. Every time the guy used his power, that gem pulsed with light. That had to be the source.

"Alright then," Ethan said, his voice like ice. "Let's start with you."

In a blink, he vanished—reappearing right in front of the Frostwyrm Sovereign. The blue energy sphere in his hand surged with power as he slammed it forward.

"You dare?!" the Sovereign's eyes went wide in shock.

He hadn't expected Ethan to actually attack—let alone with that much force right out of the gate.

No time to hesitate.

He threw everything he had into defense, summoning a massive Glacial Spire and hurling it straight at Ethan.

The Glacial Spire radiated a terrifying cold, so intense that even the slightest movement of the spear caused the surrounding air to rumble like thunder. The space around it began to crack, as if reality itself couldn't withstand the pressure.

The frost it unleashed was brutal.

As Ethan closed in, he felt his blood freeze for a split second—his veins locking up like ice in a pipe.

It was clear now: the Frostwyrm Sovereign didn't rely on a wide range of magic. He had mastered a single element—ice—and pushed it to its absolute limit. The purity of the cold radiating from him was almost beautiful in its lethality.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

RUMMMMMMBLE...

Ethan's power erupted in response, slamming into the incoming Glacial Spire head-on. The impact was cataclysmic. Space around them collapsed and shattered, forming swirling dimensional vortexes that blinked in and out of existence.

But even those vortexes couldn't survive the clash of their powers—they were instantly crushed under the sheer force of the collision.

Everyone watching was stunned into silence.

No one had expected Ethan to be this powerful.

Especially the Dragon God energy pouring off him—it wasn't just strong, it was commanding. It made people want to kneel without even realizing it.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

The two forces clashed again and again, until the battlefield was nothing but broken space and swirling void. Finally, they stopped, both sides hovering in the wreckage of what used to be the sky.

"Damn it!" the Frostwyrm Sovereign roared, his face twisted in disbelief. "How the hell are you this strong?! Even without the Dragon God's power, you're still matching me blow for blow! How?!"

Ethan didn't answer.

He didn't need to.

He'd already made up his mind—this guy wasn't walking away from this fight.

"Idra!" Ethan called out.

In a flash, Idra leapt to his side, landing gracefully on his shoulder.

HUMMMM!

HUMMMM!

Golden light burst from both of them, blinding and divine. Their energies fused instantly, and in the next moment—

A pair of massive Dragon God wings unfurled from Ethan's back.

The golden radiance flooded the sky, blotting out the sun, casting everything below in a shimmering, holy glow.

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

WHOOSH!

At the same time, Ethan's power surged—skyrocketing past his previous limits. In an instant, he was pushing the edge of 16th Tier—SSS-rank.

Stronger than Elira. Stronger than Ataneya.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The sheer force of his aura crushed the space around the Frostwyrm Sovereign, warping it, collapsing it inward like a black hole of divine pressure.

SWOOSH!

The Sovereign's eyes widened. He felt it—a killing intent so sharp it cut through his soul.

He tried to run.

But it was already too late.

HUMMMM!

HUMMMM!

The space around him had been completely sealed. Even the energy inside his body was being suppressed by the overwhelming Dragon God power. He couldn't summon more than a flicker of magic.

His bones began to crack—loud, sickening pops echoing from within him.

That was the Dragon God's dominance.

Anyone with dragon blood couldn't resist it. Under that pressure, their very skeletons would begin to shatter.

"No—!" Panic surged through the Frostwyrm Sovereign's mind. He could feel it—his body was breaking down. If this kept up, he'd be crushed into nothing.

"Wait! I'm the Sovereign of the Frost Dragons! If you kill me, you'll bring down the wrath of my entire race! You really want that kind of revenge coming for you?!"

Ethan just smirked coldly.

He raised a single finger.

Power surged—wild, golden, divine.

A beam of light shot forward, piercing straight through the Sovereign's chest.

SHLUNK!

...