Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory

"We won!" Ethan finally let out a breath of relief. That bastard was taken care of—so the corrupt energy infecting the Adamant Dragons should be gone now, right?

"…Huh?"

"What the hell?!"

But when he turned around—

He saw the Adamant Dragon Sovereign still in a berserk frenzy. In fact, the dark energy around him had exploded outward, completely engulfing his body and radiating waves of terrifying power.

The other Adamant Dragons were in the same state.

It was like they'd all gone feral at once.

"Shit! What the hell is going on?!" Ethan sucked in a sharp breath, then rushed over and yanked Idra out of harm's way.

BZZZZT!

BZZZZT!

BZZZZT!

…

In that moment—

All the Adamant Dragons closed in around them. The energy pouring off their bodies linked together, forming a massive arcane web that wrapped around Ethan and Idra like a trap.

Ethan clenched his jaw so hard his teeth cracked.

He hadn't expected things to go this sideways.

It was clear now—there was no saving the Adamant Dragons.

He'd have to honor the dying wish of the old Sovereign…

And put them all down.

But they were in no shape for another fight. Taking out Skyfiend Overlord Vorath had already drained them. If they pushed any further, they might not make it out alive.

Which meant—

He had no choice but to fall back to Emerald Castle and bring reinforcements.

With that thought, he didn't hesitate.

"Idra, we're pulling out! Let's go!" His eyes flashed, and with a swift motion, he tapped the space beside them. Instantly, a shimmering portal tore open.

With his current power—

Opening a spatial rift like this was child's play.

After all, he was a Tier 16 SSS-class now.

In the blink of an eye—

They vanished into the portal.

BZZZZT!

When they emerged from the Plane World of the Adamant Dragons and returned to the fourth layer of the Sky Citadel, they were stunned.

Everything had changed.

The architecture and decorations from Emerald Castle had been transplanted here. The entire fourth layer now looked like a perfect replica of the castle's grand hall.

"Master, you're back!" Seraphina flew over the moment she spotted them.

But then her expression shifted. Alarmed, she asked, "Master, what happened to you?! Are you hurt?!"

She'd clearly noticed the battle damage on Ethan.

"Seraphina! Mobilize the army!" Ethan ordered, his voice low and firm.

"Yes, sir!" Seraphina's eyes lit up with excitement. Battle was her favorite thing in the world. If there was a war to fight, she was all in.

She immediately relayed the command.

WOOOOOO!

WOOOOOO!

WOOOOOO!

…

BOOOOOOM!

It didn't take long. Ethan had assembled a massive force, and they surged into the Plane World of the Adamant Dragons like a tidal wave.

But when they arrived—

The sky had changed color. The air itself was thick with the taint of Skyfiend corruption.

And worse—

Skyfiends were everywhere.

Thankfully, most of them were low-tier—just cannon fodder, probably summoned here as distractions.

But that didn't matter.

Because the Adamant Dragon Sovereign—now fully consumed by madness—was far more powerful than before.

He hovered in the sky, drawing in the surrounding dark energy like a black hole.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM…

His entire body radiated a savage, chaotic aura.

He was terrifying.

"This guy's completely gone feral… and way stronger than before." Ethan frowned as he watched the Adamant Dragon Sovereign floating in the sky, dark energy swirling around him like a storm. If they let him keep absorbing power like this, the consequences would be catastrophic.

"My Lord, is that them?"

Frostwyrm Sovereign Dravyn's voice was filled with disbelief. "Those are the legendary Adamant Dragons, right? What the hell happened to them?!"

Ethan pointed up at the Sovereign, his tone calm but cold. "See that one? He betrayed his people. Made a deal with the Skyfiend Overlord from the Sky Citadel… and got played. Now look at him—he's the reason the entire Adamant Dragon race is falling apart."

"Damn…" Dravyn let out a heavy sigh, his expression darkening. As a fellow dragon, seeing one of their own twisted into this was hard to stomach. "What a waste…"

"My Lord, just give the word!"

Skythunder Sovereign Razeon stepped forward, eyes blazing with anticipation. "I've been itching for a fight. Let me tear them apart!"

Ethan didn't hesitate. He waved his hand. "Go. Kill them all."

Normally, a battle like this would require more planning, more caution. But with the sheer power they had on their side, they could afford to be reckless.

So screw it—go in, hit hard, wipe them out.

…

"ROOOAAARRR!"

"ROOOAAARRR!"

"ROOOAAARRR!"

…

"Attack!"

"Push forward!"

"Kill them all!"

…

In an instant, without a shred of hesitation, Ethan's entire force surged forward.

Even though only a portion of Emerald Castle's army had come, it was more than enough. Alongside the Frost Dragons and Thunder Dragons, they had heavy hitters like Ataneya and Seraphina on the field.

"ROOOAAARRR!"

BOOOOOOMMMMMM—

Ataneya's ten fox tails unfurled behind her, glowing with an eerie, supernatural light. With a single graceful sweep of her tails, the air itself trembled. A shockwave of raw energy exploded outward, ripping across the battlefield.

The force was like a blade—razor-sharp and unstoppable. It sliced through the air and tore into the ranks of the Adamant Dragons, shredding an entire line of them into bloody chunks. Explosions echoed one after another, and the sky filled with crimson mist.

Every flick of her tails was a devastating strike.

Meanwhile, as the two armies clashed, the battle reached a fever pitch. The entire world around them began to tremble violently.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Thunderous crashes shook the heavens and earth.

And right in the middle of it all, Ethan made his move.

He locked eyes on the berserk Adamant Dragon Sovereign—and launched himself straight at him.

With a roar, he drove his fist into the Sovereign's skull with a brutal crack.

He was hoping—maybe, just maybe—that the impact would knock the corruption loose, purge the dark energy from his body, and bring him back to his senses.

But that was just wishful thinking.

The Sovereign didn't flinch. If anything, the hit only made him more unhinged.

Realizing there was no saving him, Ethan summoned every ounce of his power and conjured a monstrous Dragonfang Spear—twisted, jagged, and pulsing with lethal energy.

With a roar, he drove it straight into the Sovereign's chest.

CRACK!

"AAARRRGHHH!"

The Sovereign let out a blood-curdling scream, his face contorting into a mask of rage and agony.

But even that wasn't enough.

The Adamant Dragons were the pinnacle of melee combat—built for war, with bodies tougher than steel and strength that could shatter mountains.

Even a direct hit like that didn't take him down.

If anything, it only made him more furious.

More savage.

More dangerous.

...