Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory
Chapter 438: So this is your real trump card, huh?

Chapter 438: So this is your real trump card, huh?

Even though the enemy forces were overwhelming in numbers, the only real threat to Ethan came from the Sacred Kirin—those Mythic Units ranked at Tier 14.

If enough of those Sacred Kirin gathered together—dozens, maybe even hundreds—and launched a full-scale assault on him, then yeah, that could be dangerous. He might even get hurt. But Ethan had one trump card that completely flipped the script: his Sacred Realm’s unlimited teleportation ability.

With that power, getting surrounded? Not a chance.

Being pinned down and overwhelmed? Forget it.

Instead, he could zip in and out of the battlefield at will, picking off isolated Sacred Kirin one by one—strike, kill, vanish. Rinse and repeat.

It was downright shameless. A total hit-and-run tactic from hell.

And those once-imposing Kirin legions? Under Ethan’s relentless, almost invincible assault, their numbers started dropping fast.

By the time the battle had dragged on a bit, even Ethan couldn’t help but marvel at himself.

"No wonder everyone’s so terrified of the Inferno Devil," he muttered. "This kind of unlimited teleportation is insane. As long as you’ve got the upper hand in raw power, you can grind down even a massive army. And the best part? You’re never really in danger..."

Of course, unless you were also a Crimson Ultimate Hero, there was no way—even for the infamous Inferno Devil—to pull off teleportation like Ethan could. That guy’s spatial movement had limits. Cooldowns. Restrictions.

But Ethan? No cooldowns. No delays. As long as he had energy left, he could teleport endlessly. That kind of power? Only Hero Units had it.

And not just any Hero Units—only Crimson Ultimate Heroes or higher.

"Looks like the only way to counter a Crimson Ultimate Hero... is with another Crimson Ultimate Hero. Or at the very least, a Hero Unit. Maybe an Ace Unit if you’re lucky," Ethan murmured, right after slicing down another two or three Tier-14 Sacred Kirin.

At this point, he was completely in the zone—no pressure, no fear.

He’d already taken out thousands of enemy units by himself. And among those, at least a tenth—maybe even a fifth—were high-tier Kirin: Tier-13 and Tier-14 Sacred Kirin.

Add in the kills racked up by Auremax and his Gold Dragon army, plus Archangel Alvariel and his Archangel legion, and the once-mighty Kirin forces—who had come in with such overwhelming momentum—had already lost at least a third of their total strength.

Meanwhile, on Ethan’s side?

They’d only lost a few dozen units. Tops.

The outcome was already clear.

If this kept going, there was no doubt about it—

Victory was theirs.

The reason why the casualty ratio between the two sides was so lopsided—even though both had 14-Tier Mythic Units—was actually pretty simple.

It all came down to leadership.

Both the Gold Dragon army and the Archangel legion had powerful commanders at their core.

For the dragons, it was Auremax.

For the angels, it was Alvariel.

With leaders like that, their troops could rally around them, coordinate attacks, and support each other. That kind of tight formation made it way harder for them to suffer losses.

And let’s not forget the Archangels had another ace up their sleeve—

They could resurrect fallen allies.

If luck was on your side and an Archangel triggered their innate skill—Holy Resurrection—you’d be brought back to life on the spot, fully healed and ready to fight again. Who the hell could compete with that?

It was straight-up broken.

Practically invincible.

So when you combined that kind of leadership with resurrection support, it was no wonder their casualty rate was insanely low.

And the more enemies they wiped out, the less pressure they faced. Which meant fewer chances of dying. It was a snowball effect.

At this point, the tide of battle had clearly shifted.

And up on the city walls, both Regnar XI and Opriston were starting to panic.

"Opriston, we can’t keep going like this... Think of something! Come on, think of something!" Regnar XI shouted, his voice cracking with desperation.

Meanwhile, Sea King Maelthorak was still locked in a stalemate with the three Crimson Ultimate Heroes from Emerald Castle.

If their side lost here...

It would only be a matter of time before Maelthorak fell too. And once that happened, it was game over. No comebacks. No second chances.

"..."

Opriston didn’t answer right away. He stood there in silence for a moment.

Then finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "We’ll have to do it ourselves."

"What?!" Regnar XI blinked, stunned. "Are you insane?!"

"I’m not insane. But we’re out of options!"

"No one else can threaten him! Don’t forget—we were once Orange-tier Legendary Heroes too! Or have you been king so long you’ve forgotten what real power feels like?!"

Opriston’s eyes gleamed with a wild, dangerous light. He roared, "You, me, and Olyrant—we take him down together! He’s just a lord. He’s not some battle-hardened Crimson Ultimate Hero. Regnar, we’ve got a shot!"

"If you hesitate now, we’re the ones who’ll end up dead!"

With that, Opriston took a deep breath, drew the sword at his waist, and his face twisted into a fierce, almost savage expression. He bellowed, "Olyrant! With me—kill the enemy!"

"For the glory of the Umagral Kingdom! We will not be defiled!"

"ROOOAAAR!!"

A thunderous roar erupted from beneath the sea.

Then, rising from the depths, came a massive Kirin—far larger than any ordinary one. A towering beast, radiating power.

A 13-Tier Legendary Ace Unit.

The moment Ethan laid eyes on it, his gaze sharpened.

"Legendary Ace Unit, huh?"

That’s right.

Olyrant wasn’t just any Kirin—he was a top-tier unit.

[Olyrant]

Race: Kirin

Tier: 13

HP: 30,000

Attack: 299

Defense: 270

Damage: 398–468

Magic Damage: 407–488

Innate Skills: ...

Potential Rating: C

Overall Evaluation: 13-Tier Legendary Ace Unit (56%)

"So this is your real trump card, huh?" Ethan said with a smirk, eyes locked on the charging Grand Duke Opriston. "Too bad it’s just a 13-Tier Legendary Ace Unit. If it were a 14-Tier Mythic Ace Unit... maybe then I’d feel a little threatened."

"Talk is cheap. Let’s see if you’re still this smug in a minute!" Opriston snapped coldly. "Olyrant—kill him!"

"ROOOAAAR!!"

With another earth-shaking roar, the massive Kirin Olyrant charged straight at Ethan.

Water magic surged violently around him, the ocean itself responding to his fury. Magic particles swirled in the air, forming colossal tsunamis that came crashing down toward Ethan like a wall of death.

The entire sea trembled.

It was terrifying.

But to Ethan?

This level of power... was nothing.

...