Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory

In that moment, the power surging through Ethan's body soared to an all-time high.

He hovered in midair, arcs of golden and violet lightning crackling across his body, snapping and hissing like the sky itself had caught fire.

Slowly, he raised a single finger.

The air froze instantly—so heavy and suffocating it felt like the world had stopped breathing.

Then, without warning, the sky split open with a deafening roar, and a bolt of lightning as thick as a mountain came crashing down.

BOOM!

RUMBLE—CRACK—BOOM!

"No—no way!" The Thunder Dragons were terrified. They could feel it—raw, unfiltered dragon energy, wild and divine, pulsing through that lightning.

If that power hit them directly…

They'd be vaporized on the spot.

But Ethan didn't strike them.

He just stared them down, cold and silent.

Then, with a flick of his palm toward the sky—

It was like the heavens themselves answered his call. Thunder rained down in a relentless storm, bolts slamming into the earth with explosive force. The Thunder Dragons' pupils shrank in horror, their scales prickling, nerves on fire.

They could feel it—every inch of it. The sheer, terrifying magnitude of Ethan's power.

None of them dared move. They stood frozen in place, some even bowing their heads instinctively, as if their bodies knew better than their pride.

Ethan's gaze swept over them, sharp and unyielding.

Then he floated above them, his voice echoing like thunder itself.

"You've got two choices," he said. "Swear loyalty to me… or die."

"Make your decision."

BOOM.

His words carried the weight of thunder, reverberating through the sky. Not just the Thunder Dragons—hell, even the Frost Dragons nearby dropped to their knees without thinking.

"Master! We submit!"

No one knew who shouted it first.

But in the next instant, every Thunder Dragon dropped to one knee, heads bowed in surrender.

Ethan exhaled slowly, letting out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

Finally. They were his.

If they hadn't submitted, he really would've had to wipe them out.

He steadied his breathing, then reached out and pressed his hand against the air beside him. The space shimmered, cracked, and then tore open, revealing a jagged rift in reality.

BZZZZT.

"Let's go," he said. "I've already drained most of the Thunder energy from this world. There's nothing left for you here. Follow me back to Emerald Castle."

The Thunder Dragons didn't hesitate. Not even a second. They scrambled to follow him through the rift.

Back at Emerald Castle, the atmosphere was electric with celebration. They'd just taken two levels of the Sky Citadel with barely any resistance, and their forces had grown stronger in the process.

Now that Ethan was back, they could push even higher.

It wouldn't be long before the entire Sky Citadel was theirs.

But just as the cheers reached their peak, the sky nearby rippled with a strange, ominous energy.

Then, out of nowhere, a figure appeared—floating in midair like a demon from a nightmare.

He looked like a Skyfiend, but something was off. His aura wasn't just demonic—it burned with molten fury, like lava given form.

The moment he arrived, the sky turned blood-red, scorched by the heat radiating off him. His power rolled out in waves, smothering Emerald Castle in a suffocating blanket of dread.

"You filthy insects," he snarled, voice like grinding stone. "You dare invade the Sky Citadel? You must have a death wish. Today, I'll reduce you and this pathetic Emerald Castle to ash."

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The moment he finished speaking, his power exploded outward, and he launched himself straight at Emerald Castle.

Even the pressure from his presence alone—

Was enough to level half the castle the second he touched down.

"What?!" Andona's eyes widened in shock.

There was no way she was letting that happen. Her angelic wings flared open with a sharp snap, lifting her into the air. In a flash, her Angelic Sword materialized in her hand, gleaming with divine light.

With a fierce cry, she slashed it forward.

Zzzzzzzzzap!

A wave of holy energy surged through the sky, colliding head-on with the Skyfiend's attack and halting it mid-air.

"Hm?" The Skyfiend narrowed his eyes. "So there's another powerhouse here? And that Angel energy… it's different. Wait—could that be the power of the legendary Angel King? Shit. So you're the trump card they were counting on to challenge the Sky Citadel?"

He let out a low, guttural growl.

"Well then… I'll just kill you first!"

ROAR!

BOOOOOOM!

The Skyfiend let out a thunderous bellow, and a tidal wave of dark, molten energy erupted from his body, surging toward Andona with murderous intent.

But Andona wasn't backing down. The power radiating from her was just as terrifying, and their levels weren't far apart. For a moment, the two forces clashed in perfect balance—neither side giving an inch.

Still, as the battle dragged on, it became clear Andona was starting to lose ground. The energy radiating from her opponent seemed to suppress her angelic power, like it was designed to corrode it from the inside out.

BOOM!

BOOM!

CRACK—BOOM!

RUMBLE!

Shockwaves exploded between them with every clash, tearing massive rifts through the sky. Even the fabric of space itself trembled under the pressure.

Truth be told, both of them were monsters—hovering right at the edge of Tier 16, SS-class power. At that level, it was nearly impossible to determine a clear winner.

BANG!

They clashed again, then broke apart, both thrown backward by the force.

Andona was breathing hard now, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She was clearly exhausted. Meanwhile, the Skyfiend didn't even look winded—his energy still pouring out like a bottomless well.

Worse, there was something twisted about his power. It wasn't just strong—it was unnatural. It had a corrosive quality that seemed to eat away at her divine energy, like acid on silk.

It didn't make sense. Angelic power wasn't supposed to be vulnerable like this.

Just as the stalemate dragged on, the sky suddenly trembled with a new, overwhelming presence.

BOOOOOOM!

Ethan dropped from the heavens like a meteor, his arrival shaking the entire battlefield. Behind him, a massive army of dragons filled the sky, their wings blotting out the sun.

The Skyfiend froze mid-air, stunned. He hadn't expected Ethan to return so soon—let alone with an entire dragon legion at his back.

"My Lord!" Ataneya's face lit up with relief and joy.

"I'm here," Ethan said calmly, his eyes locking onto the Skyfiend. Then he glanced at the enemy's status panel.

Just as he suspected—Tier 16, SS-class. Name: Vulkrath.

"Let me handle this," Ethan called out to Ataneya.

In the next instant, his power exploded outward, a storm of energy swirling around him as he launched himself at Vulkrath.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Thunder and ice fused together in a chaotic storm of destruction, the sheer force of it warping the air. And woven into it all was the divine might of the Dragon God—a power so ancient and primal it made the soul tremble.

...