Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory
Chapter 401: This place is really that big?

Chapter 401: This place is really that big?

"Master, don’t forget—you’re a Crimson Ultimate Hero now too..." Cicero said with a grin, his tone light but tinged with awe. "And I can feel something strange coming from you... a power that’s somehow making me stronger!"

He looked genuinely surprised as he said it.

"Oh yeah?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So how much stronger are we talking?"

He had a pretty good idea what this was—it had to be the power of his exclusive Sacred Realm.

"Hmm... I’d say about... ten percent?" Cicero hesitated for a moment, thinking it over before answering.

"Only ten percent?" Ethan blinked, a little let down. He’d been hoping for something more dramatic—thirty percent, maybe even fifty. Ten felt kinda underwhelming.

But Cicero shook his head, still smiling. "Master, don’t sell yourself short. A ten percent boost is no small thing for me. And you know I’m not like your average Hero Unit—or even a typical Crimson Ultimate Hero."

Ethan paused, then it clicked.

"Ohhh... so what you’re saying is, my Sacred Realm power might give other heroes an even bigger boost? That’s what makes it special, huh? No wonder..."

Cicero nodded, eyes lighting up with understanding. "Exactly, Master. Your Sacred Realm power enhances others—especially those below Crimson Ultimate level. The effect should be much more noticeable on them."

"Wuuuh..." Just then, the Ebonite Colossus, Kaiin, stirred from his nap. His sleepy eyes blinked open, and the moment he saw Ethan, they lit up. With a happy little squeal, the tiny Kaiin toddled forward, arms wide open, clearly wanting a hug.

"Come here, buddy..." Ethan chuckled and scooped the little guy up into his arms. He turned to Cicero with a teasing smile. "Hey, remember? This little guy looks just like you two did when you were kids."

Cicero blinked, then laughed, his face softening with nostalgia. "That was the happiest time of my life. I still remember it like it was yesterday."

Ethan smiled too, his voice warm. "Same here... That was the first time I met you guys. From nothing to everything, right?"

Cicero’s eyes gleamed with emotion. "Master, I swear to stay by your side—forever. Through life and death."

"Wuuuh!" Little Kaiin squeaked again, waving his tiny arms like he understood every word.

"Forever by my side... through life and death," Ethan echoed, glancing between Cicero and the little one in his arms. He nodded firmly, then smiled. "Alright. Let’s get out of here."

...

With that, the group left the chamber and returned to the landmass of the Plane World.

Coincidentally, Eldrin and the others were nearby.

"My Lord, you’ve completed your evolution? Congratulations!" Eldrin rushed over the moment he sensed Ethan and Cicero’s presence. He bowed respectfully, though his eyes couldn’t help but scan Ethan up and down, clearly noticing the change.

The awe in his gaze was unmistakable.

After all, Ethan had become a Crimson Ultimate Hero—something every Hero Unit in the world of Glory Lords X dreamed of, regardless of race or origin.

Eldrin was no exception.

And what made it even crazier...

Just how many Crimson Ultimate Heroes did Emerald Castle have now?

Back when he first joined, Eldrin had thought there were only three: Cicero and Seraphina from the Green Dragon clan, and Kyros, the Kirin Hero.

But now?

It hadn’t even been a full month since he joined Emerald Castle, and that number had already doubled.

Cicero, Seraphina, Kyros, the Ancient War Tree Oakenmaw, the Ebonite Colossus Kaiin, and Emerald Castle’s Lord himself—Valkarion, aka Ethan...

That made six Crimson Ultimate Heroes.

Six.

It was honestly insane.

If word got out, Eldrin figured most people wouldn’t even believe it. Hell, he wouldn’t have believed it himself if he weren’t standing right here, seeing it with his own eyes.

The thought filled him with a strange mix of awe and gratitude.

To be honest, when he first joined Emerald Castle, it wasn’t exactly by choice. It was more out of necessity than anything else.

But now?

Now he didn’t feel that way at all.

Six Crimson Ultimate Heroes. That wasn’t just powerful—it was absurdly powerful. Like, world-shaking powerful.

"Eldrin," Ethan’s voice cut in, pulling him from his thoughts. "How’s the development of this Plane World coming along? Have we mapped out the landmass, resource points, production rates—stuff like that?"

Eldrin straightened up immediately. "Apologies, my Lord," he said quickly, then continued. "We’re still in the process of exploring and developing the area. The intel we’ve gathered so far is still pretty rough..."

"But from what we can tell, the overall size of this Plane World is massive. Based on preliminary estimates, it’s at least fifty to a hundred times larger than Sylvanwood."

Ethan’s eyes widened slightly.

"As for the resource points—both standard and special types—they’re not quite as rich as Sylvanwood’s, but the sheer scale of the place more than makes up for it. Overall, we’re looking at twenty to thirty times the total yield of Sylvanwood."

"Of course, these are just early estimates," Eldrin added quickly. "We’ll need about two more weeks to get a full, accurate report."

Ethan blinked, then broke into a grin.

"This place is really that big?"

"Perfect. That makes it even more ideal for building a secret base."

That had been his plan all along—turn this place into a hidden stronghold. And the bigger the space, the better.

"Alright, Eldrin. I’m leaving this area in your hands for now. If anything new comes up, I want to know immediately."

"It’s an honor to serve, my Lord!" Eldrin said, practically glowing with excitement.

To Ethan and Cicero, this place might’ve looked like a barren wasteland—desolate, empty, and a total mess—but to Eldrin? It was a goldmine.

Because let’s not forget who this place used to belong to.

The legendary Archmagus of Mechanica.

This entire Plane World was once a testing ground left behind by one of the ancient Supreme Mages, countless years ago. For any mage, that made it a treasure trove.

And Eldrin was no exception.

In fact, he was thrilled to stay here. He wanted nothing more than to comb through every inch of this place, uncover every hidden relic, every trace of prehistorical magic, and unlock every secret buried in its depths.

This was exactly the kind of thing he lived for.

Meanwhile, Ethan turned to the little figure in his arms.

"Kaiin... I’m sorry, but you’ll have to stay here for now."

He looked down at the tiny Ebonite Colossus with a soft, apologetic smile.

"But don’t worry—I promise I’ll be back for you. Really soon."

He gently lifted Kaiin up, holding him close for a moment before setting him down.

They couldn’t risk exposing Kaiin just yet. His existence had to stay under wraps, at least for the time being. It wasn’t ideal, but it was necessary.

"Wuuu..." Kaiin looked up at him with big, sad eyes, clearly not thrilled about being left behind—but he didn’t throw a tantrum. Instead, he gave a small nod, then hopped down from Ethan’s arms.

He landed with a soft thud, then patted his tiny chest with both hands, like he was saying:

It’s okay. I’ll wait right here for you to come back.

...