Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory

Ethan narrowed his eyes, a flicker of suspicion flashing across his face.

Something was off.

He instinctively took a step back, refusing to take the gem the Adamant Dragon Sovereign was offering. Instead, he scanned the area, eyes darting across the landscape while silently activating his system to analyze the surrounding energy.

Nothing obvious popped up.

But if you looked closely—really closely—you'd notice it. The air itself carried a faint, unnatural scent. Subtle, but wrong. Like rot hidden beneath perfume.

What the hell is this? Ethan thought, his mind racing. Then he shook his head slightly and looked back at the Sovereign.

"Adamant Dragon Sovereign," he said calmly, "no need to be so quick to shut the door. We can talk this through—"

He didn't even get to finish.

"Enough!" the Sovereign barked, his voice like a thunderclap. "Leave. Now. Or I won't be so polite next time."

His aura exploded outward, thick with killing intent, the air around him vibrating with raw power.

Ethan's eyes narrowed further.

And then—he struck.

Without warning, he surged forward, Dragon God energy erupting from his body. His hand shot out like lightning, aiming straight for the Sovereign's throat.

"You dare?!" the Sovereign roared, fury blazing in his eyes. "You're dead, human!"

"Let him go!"

"You filthy invader! Release the Sovereign!"

"I'll rip you apart, you bastard!"

The other Adamant Dragons were already charging in, their fury boiling over as they rushed to defend their leader.

But Ethan didn't flinch.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

He held his ground, his Dragon God power flaring like a sun, pressing down on the Sovereign with crushing force. His fingers locked around the dragon's throat, holding him in place.

Then Ethan grinned—cold and sharp.

"Where is he?" he growled. "Tell him to come out."

The Sovereign's pupils contracted, his expression darkening. "What… are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb," Ethan snapped. "You think I can't smell it? That stench—Skyfiend corruption. You think I wouldn't notice?"

His voice dropped, icy and lethal.

"Bring. Him. Out."

There it was.

The truth clicked into place. That strange, twisted aura—he'd felt it before. It was the same as the one that had clung to Skyfiend Overlord Zerathor back in the Sky Citadel.

The Sovereign's eyes widened in shock.

"You—!"

He couldn't even finish the sentence.

BOOM!

RUMBLE…

Suddenly, a wave of overwhelming energy surged from nearby. It was thick with demonic corruption, unmistakably Skyfiend in origin—identical to Zerathor's.

And then, he appeared.

A Skyfiend floated into view, suspended in midair. He was handsome, almost unnaturally so, with a cruel smirk playing on his lips. His eyes locked onto Ethan with cold amusement.

"Well, well," the Skyfiend said, voice dripping with mockery. "What a nose you've got. Sniffed me out, did you?"

He chuckled darkly, his tone turning razor-sharp.

"Did you really want me to show myself that badly? You want to die that much? And here, of all places—on Adamant Dragon territory? You must have a death wish."

His voice echoed through the sky, laced with arrogance and venom.

And beneath it all, that same terrifying, demonic energy pulsed—thick, oppressive, and utterly malevolent.

It made the air feel heavier.

It made your skin crawl.

The moment those words left the Skyfiend Overlord's mouth, a visible shudder rippled through the ranks of the Adamant Dragons.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

One after another, they erupted with power, their auras flaring violently as they surged forward—completely ignoring the fact that Ethan still had their Sovereign in a chokehold.

Ethan's brow furrowed. So that's how it is… Just holding the Sovereign wasn't going to cut it anymore. It was clear now—the Skyfiends had already sunk their claws deep into the Adamant Dragon clan. This entire Plane World was compromised.

"Fine," Ethan muttered, eyes narrowing. "Let's see what you've got."

In a flash, he released the Sovereign and darted backward, raising his hand mid-motion. Dozens—no, hundreds—of glowing energy spheres materialized around him, each one pulsing with destructive force.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

He hurled them forward in a storm of light and fury.

"Hmph." The Skyfiend Overlord sneered, lifting his own hand. In an instant, a barrage of dark energy orbs formed around him, launching forward to meet Ethan's attack head-on.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The two waves of energy collided in midair, unleashing a shockwave so intense it tore cracks through the very fabric of space. The ground trembled. The sky warped. Even the Adamant Dragons charging toward Ethan were forced to halt and stagger back from the sheer force of the clash.

"Damn…" Ethan's expression darkened. He could feel it now—this Skyfiend wasn't just strong. He was dangerous. The kind of dangerous that twisted the rules of reality. And the energy radiating off him… it was wrong. Corrupt. Unlike anything Ethan had ever faced before.

He didn't hesitate—he blinked out of the blast zone, retreating in a blur of motion.

Idra wasn't far behind. She let out a furious roar that shook the heavens.

ROOOAAARRR!

The sonic blast warped the air itself, sending ripples through the sky. The Skyfiend flinched, momentarily thrown off balance, and dropped down beside the Adamant Dragon Sovereign.

"See?" the Skyfiend said, his voice oily and smug. "I told you. That bastard came here to enslave and destroy your people. Now do you believe me?"

The Sovereign's breathing grew ragged. His eyes flickered—then darkened. A black, sinister energy began to swirl in his pupils. His mind was slipping, his will being bent by the Skyfiend's venomous words.

"These filthy invaders… They dare threaten the great Adamant Dragon clan?!" he roared, his voice shaking the realm. "I'll crush them! I'll kill them all!"

The Sovereign's fury exploded outward, his killing intent so thick it made the air feel like molten lead. The entire Plane World seemed to respond—winds howled, the ground cracked, and the sky dimmed.

The other Adamant Dragons roared in unison, their eyes now glowing with that same eerie black light.

They charged.

"Seriously? Already under his control?" Ethan muttered, jaw tightening. "This is getting out of hand…"

But there was no time to dwell on it.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The battlefield erupted as Ethan unleashed his full power. Dragon God energy surged from his body like a tidal wave. He met the Sovereign head-on, throwing a punch that cracked the air itself.

CRACK!

His fist slammed into the Sovereign's chest—

Only to rebound.

BANG!

Ethan was thrown backward, skidding across the ground.

"Shit! That body's like a damn fortress…" he hissed, eyes wide. "Can't brute-force this."

He quickly adjusted his breathing, then grabbed Idra's arm. "We're pulling back. Now."

The two of them bolted toward the dense forest nearby, vanishing into the shadows of the trees within seconds.

"After them!" the Sovereign bellowed, his voice shaking the mountains.

"Kill them both!"

The ground trembled as the Adamant Dragons gave chase. Several nearby hills exploded into dust from the sheer force of the Sovereign's rage.

Meanwhile, the Skyfiend Overlord stood back, watching it all unfold with a smug grin.

"Heh… Adamant Dragons? More like brainless brutes," he said with a chuckle, stepping up beside the Sovereign. He clapped a hand on the dragon's shoulder and pulled out a small, pitch-black orb from his robes.

"Here," he said smoothly. "You've burned through a lot of power. This is a gift from Sky Citadel. Take it. It'll replenish your strength."

...