Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory
Chapter 326: They’d just… pulled back?

Chapter 326: They’d just... pulled back?

This hero talent, Sacred Realm—yeah, it’s as overpowered as it sounds.

Take the Tempest Dragon Realm form of Sacred Realm, for example. It’s a domain shaped by the raw forces of wind and storm, ruled by a dragon that literally commands the elements. That alone says everything you need to know.

It can overpower other Crimson Ultimate heroes of the same Tier! It boosts the user, weakens enemies, controls the battlefield—it’s practically untouchable!

Then there’s Divine Dragon-King’s Empowerment. Same deal. It buffs the hero, strengthens regular troops, increases recruitment numbers, slashes recruitment costs—and the scariest part? It even raises the odds of recruiting Ace Units.

That’s not just a good skill. That’s a god-tier ability.

He hadn’t thought much of it before, honestly.

But ever since he got that quest reward—Zylarion’s Arcstone—his view on Ace Units, especially those Legendary Tier-13 ones, had skyrocketed. Their importance? Easily shot up by dozens of points in his mind.

To him now, these Ace Units aren’t just elite troops—they’re basically future Hero Units. Hell, some of them might even be on track to become Crimson Ultimate heroes themselves. How is that not insane?

Insane in the best way possible!

But what really caught Ethan’s attention—what really made his heart race—was Seraphina’s evolution progress. Her Crimson Ultimate hero Tier had jumped from 12% all the way to 83%.

Which meant...

Just 17% more, and she might evolve again. If that happened, her power would hit a whole new level.

He didn’t know exactly how much difference there was between heroes of the same Tier but different sub-ranks...

But he had a gut feeling.

That Leviathan hero, Thal’Zar—the one who nearly wrecked them before?

Looking back now, Thal’Zar didn’t seem nearly as strong as Seraphina.

Was that just his imagination?

Or was it because Thal’Zar was only a D-rank Crimson Ultimate hero...

While Seraphina was already B-rank?

B-rank... and at 83% progress!

She was practically knocking on A-rank’s door!

Ethan’s eyes flickered with thought, then he turned to Seraphina and asked, "Seraphina, do you think you could beat Isaryne now?"

Seraphina paused for a second, then answered without hesitation, "I haven’t fought her directly, so I can’t say for sure... but if I go with my instincts, I’d say I’ve got at least an 80%—no, 90% chance of winning."

"90%?"

"That high?!"

Ethan’s eyes widened in surprise.

Isaryne wasn’t some pushover—she was a Crimson Ultimate hero at level 62!

"Master, it’s just a feeling. You never really know until you fight," Seraphina said with a soft smile. Her words were modest, but up close, Ethan could clearly see the calm confidence in her expression.

That kind of confidence—it wasn’t fake.

It came from deep inside.

And just like that, Ethan couldn’t help but smile too, a bright, confident grin spreading across his face.

Seraphina’s strength—

That was his greatest trump card right now.

Just then, the system notification suddenly chimed in!

Ding!

"Congratulations, player Valkarion! Your Hero Unit, Green Dragon Cicero, has successfully shattered the Castle Heart of the Crimsonstar Kingdom, destroyed the kingdom, and claimed the territory..."

Ding!

"Congratulations, player Valkarion! You are now the first Lord in the world of Glory Lords X to destroy a Castle Heart and wipe out a kingdom! You’ve earned the following rewards:"

+1,000,000 reputation with the Light Alliance

-100,000 reputation with Neutral factions

-1,000,000 reputation with the Tidesworn faction

1 billion gold

500 units of each of the six core resources

10 Legendary Units of Tier 13 (either chosen or random)

Ding!

"Attention, player Valkarion: Your relationship with the Tidesworn faction has changed to: Unfriendly."

The moment the notifications hit, Ethan froze for a second—then his excitement exploded.

"Talk about a two-for-one win..."

The rewards were great, sure, but what really mattered was that with the Crimsonstar Kingdom out of the picture, he could finally call Cicero, Kyros, and the others back.

And that? That was a massive boost for the final showdown they were about to face in Sylvanwood.

"Master, something good happen?" Seraphina asked, picking up on his sudden shift in mood.

"Crimsonstar Kingdom’s done. I’m bringing Cicero and Kyros back," Ethan said without holding back.

"For real? Perfect!" Seraphina lit up, grinning wide. "It’s about time they saw what I’m capable of now—ha! I can’t wait..."

She looked genuinely fired up, practically itching for a chance to show off.

After all, Cicero had always overshadowed her. She never resented him for it, but that didn’t mean she didn’t feel the pressure. Now, finally, she had a shot at pulling ahead—even if just for a moment.

And Seraphina? She was never one to back down from a challenge.

So yeah, of course she was excited.

"Don’t worry," Ethan chuckled. "They’re gonna be in for one hell of a surprise. Let’s go—we need to get back and start prepping."

He picked up the pace, heading straight for Emerald Castle.

It didn’t take long before they arrived.

But just as they stepped inside, Seraphina suddenly frowned, her expression tightening.

"Master... those three spies outside the castle? They’re gone."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. He paused, then his face darkened, a sharp glint flashing in his gaze.

"Don’t tell me... the Dungeon army’s finally making a move?"

"Master!" Elynn appeared before him, her tone urgent. "Archmage Eldrin just sent a magical message!"

"On the northern front—Dungeon forces have... retreated."

Elynn’s face was tense, clearly unsettled.

Because to her, this didn’t make any sense.

The Dungeon army was known for being relentless—once they set their sights on something, they didn’t stop until it was crushed.

But now?

They’d just... pulled back?

No warning. No reason.

Something was definitely off.

"Not only have those three Dungeon spies outside the castle vanished," Elynn muttered, "but even the Dungeon army facing Archmage Eldrin on the northern front has pulled back? That kind of large-scale movement... only the Dungeon King himself would have the authority to make that call..."

Which meant...

He probably already knew.

The Dungeon King had to be aware that the three heroes they sent—Skarvex, Drexon, and Xenodrath—had been wiped out. And more importantly, he likely knew about Seraphina’s second awakening.

So now, instead of dragging things out, they were going for a preemptive, all-or-nothing strike?

Trying to catch them off guard and force a final showdown?

As Elynn finished her report, Ethan’s gaze sharpened, flickering with thought as he pieced it all together.

Yeah, the Dungeon army’s sudden retreat from the northern front was strange on the surface...

But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.

Actually, it was the logical move.

First off, with Seraphina’s current power—hell, to be blunt—she could probably solo those three Dungeon lords who had been lurking outside Emerald Castle. No contest.

Her strength now was easily on par with peak-level Isaryne. Maybe even beyond that.

And those three creeps outside the castle? Sure, they weren’t weak—but they were nowhere near the level of Skarvex, Drexon, or Xenodrath.

So if they’d stuck around?

They’d have been walking corpses. Just waiting to be wiped out.

Second, the Dungeon army’s presence on the northern front—facing off against Eldrin and the Tower faction—was never meant to be a real offensive. It was a feint. A distraction. Classic misdirection.

And honestly, whether they attacked Eldrin or not didn’t even matter.

The real threat to them—the real battlefield that could decide the outcome of this war—was right here.

Emerald Castle.

And more importantly, the Firebird’s roost, guarded by Isaryne on the first floor of the Dungeon realm.

That was the true prize.

So instead of wasting time with fake plays and drawn-out skirmishes, they were pulling their forces back, regrouping, and going all-in. A desperate, high-stakes gamble to strike first and strike hard.

If they won? Great.

If they lost?

Well, then they’d just have to crawl back to whatever hole they came from.

And honestly? That kind of move was exactly in line with the Dungeon faction’s nature.

Brutal. Direct. Unhinged.

They didn’t do slow, grinding warfare. That was more the Inferno faction’s style—relentless, corrosive, like a parasite that never lets go. They’d bleed you dry over time, make you suffer, make you despair.

...

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