Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory
Chapter 409: Wait… Cicero’s already that strong?

Chapter 409: Wait... Cicero’s already that strong?

"Then what should we do? Refuse?" Cicero frowned slightly. "But that doesn’t seem like an option either... After all, Emerald Castle is still officially part of the Light Alliance. We can’t afford to lose that status right now."

"We can’t refuse," Ethan said, shaking his head. "If we turn them down, we might never get another chance to leave Sylvanwood. That refusal would become a permanent weakness they could exploit."

"Then...?"

"It’s not that complicated, really." Ethan gave a faint smile. "Let’s be honest—what’s stopping us from taking over the three empires is just that we’re not strong enough yet. We can’t hold that much territory. But if we can’t swallow all three, surely we can handle just one, right?"

"As long as we don’t get greedy and try to grab too much land, it won’t be a big deal. Besides..."

"Besides, time’s on our side. Emerald Castle is getting stronger every day. If we can power up fast enough, who’s to say we won’t be able to take all three empires eventually?"

"I get it now..." Cicero nodded slowly.

"Let’s go. Astharel’s still waiting for us. Honestly, compared to what’s happening on land, I’m actually more excited about what’s going on at sea..." Ethan’s eyes lit up, a flicker of anticipation and excitement dancing in their depths. "Cicero, what if we actually manage to take down Maelthorak?"

"That’d be a huge win, wouldn’t it?"

Experience points.

Maelthorak’s Crimson Ultimate Hero-level Primordial Force.

He’s one of the top ten Sea Kings of the Tidesworn faction—just imagine the treasure hoard he’s built up over the years.

Not to mention the quest rewards from the Gem Dragon clan.

And even better, the system’s ’First Kill’ bonus.

All of it—every single piece—is worth getting hyped about.

That’s why, once Ethan figured out what the other side was really after and guessed their deeper motives, he didn’t waste time. A few words, and he sent them packing.

Because his mind was already somewhere else.

First kill on a Sea King!

Even if Maelthorak’s injured and not at full strength, that’s still a hell of a prize!

The sense of achievement alone was enough to make Ethan itch with anticipation—never mind the massive, tangible rewards practically waiting to be claimed.

Now that’s the real deal. That’s the good stuff.

Wouldn’t you agree?

"Maelthorak..." Cicero’s eyes gleamed at the mention of the name, clearly intrigued.

He looked eager, almost itching for a fight. "You’re right, Master. It’s definitely worth a shot. Sure, Maelthorak used to be a Sea King of the Tidesworn, but I doubt he still has that kind of power."

"With my current strength—and Seraphina backing me up—we should be able to take him down. It’s just a shame Kyros hasn’t gone through his second awakening yet. If he had, he’d be a huge help. The ocean is basically home turf for the Kirin clan, after all."

"That’s easy. He’s probably close to his second awakening anyway. But you..." Ethan chuckled, then asked casually, "That Dragonblade Knight, Veyra—how much stronger do you think you are compared to her?"

"Her?" Cicero scoffed, a hint of mockery in his voice. "If it came down to a real fight, I could kill her outright."

"You could kill her outright?" Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly, thoughts racing. "If that’s true... then the gap between your power levels must be pretty big."

In the world of Glory Lords X, having a high level or overwhelming power doesn’t automatically mean you can kill your opponent.

Take this for example: two Crimson Ultimate heroes, both ranked B-tier—one’s level 64, the other 65. The difference? Barely anything. In a fight, sure, the level 64 might lose, but getting killed outright? That’s highly unlikely.

That’s why, when two Hero Units are in the same tier, if you really want to kill the other one, you need a serious advantage—at least a three-level gap, maybe even five or more.

Which means, even now, with Cicero at level 59 and Dragonblade Knight Veyra at 64, the fact that Cicero claims he could kill her outright suggests he’s punching way above his level. We’re talking a real power gap of at least three to five levels.

In other words, if Cicero can take down someone like Veyra—a Crimson Ultimate hero of her caliber—then his actual combat strength is probably pushing level 70.

That realization hit Ethan like a brick.

He blinked, staring at Cicero in disbelief.

"Wait... Cicero’s already that strong?"

Level 70 combat power.

...

What did that even mean?

Honestly, that was insanely strong.

Just ten more levels and he’d officially qualify as a King-tier powerhouse.

And let’s not forget—Veyra isn’t weak by any stretch. She’s a C-tier Crimson Ultimate hero. That’s no joke.

To reach King-tier status, the bare minimum is being a D-tier Crimson Ultimate hero at level 80.

So technically, Cicero’s not even ten levels away from that threshold. Which means he’s already standing at the doorstep of King-tier strength.

Not strong?

He’s ridiculously strong.

"Cicero," Ethan said, his voice low and serious, eyes gleaming with anticipation. "If we’re really going after Maelthorak... I’m counting on you."

"I live to serve, my noble and mighty Lord," Cicero replied without hesitation, nodding firmly.

...

Not long after,

They returned to Emerald Castle—

And met with Astharel.

"My Lord!"

"I’ve got urgent news—about Sea King Maelthorak!" The Jewel King, Astharel, practically jumped to his feet the moment he saw Ethan.

"Easy," Ethan said, raising a hand. "Take your time. Start from the beginning..."

"My Lord... Sea King Maelthorak—he’s planning to make a move on Prince Kyros," The Jewel King Astharel said gravely.

The moment the words left his mouth, Ethan and Cicero exchanged a glance.

And in that look, there was no surprise—just confirmation.

So it’s true.

They’d already discussed the possibility before coming here, so this wasn’t exactly shocking. Still, that didn’t mean the pressure wasn’t real.

Because no matter how you looked at it...

This was a Sea King they were talking about. A King-tier powerhouse. A serious threat.

Ethan’s expression darkened slightly. "What else? Do we know their strategy?"

Astharel nodded, his tone steady. "My Lord, about half a month ago, Grand Duke Opriston of the Umagral Kingdom—one of the Five Sea Kingdoms—invited us to the royal capital. Once we arrived..."

He began recounting everything in detail—every conversation, every move, every subtle shift in the atmosphere.

He didn’t hold anything back.

Even his own undercover plans, his personal thoughts, his doubts and suspicions—he laid it all out, piece by piece.

...