Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory
Chapter 445: Maelthorak’s treasure vault

Chapter 445: Maelthorak’s treasure vault

"Since that’s the case, I’ll take my men and head out first."

Alvariel didn’t say much more. He just gave Ethan a long, meaningful look—then glanced over at Seraphina, Cicero, Kyros, and the others standing not far away. Without another word, he turned and left, leading his Archangel Legion away.

He wasn’t about to pretend their legion hadn’t played a part in this victory.

They’d fought hard, spilled blood, and earned their place in this war.

But deep down, he knew the truth.

The real turning point of this battle hadn’t been the Archangel Legion. It had been Seraphina, Cicero, Kyros—and most of all, their lord, Ethan.

The four Crimson Ultimate heroes had joined forces and taken down the Sea King Maelthorak, who was already on his last legs.

And the cost?

Just a few regular units.

Not a single Ace Unit had fallen.

To Alvariel, that was nothing short of a decisive victory.

"Alright, let’s head back too," Ethan said, turning to Auremax, Cicero, and the others. "Once we’ve had a bit of rest, we need to move fast and take control of the Five Sea Kingdoms."

"Yes, my lord!"

"Set course for home!"

. . .

A few days later—

Crimsonstar Kingdom, Royal Palace.

Ethan sat on the throne at the highest point of the grand hall. Flanking him on either side, standing just below the dais, were The Jewel King Astharel, Grand Duke Fiesto of Blazeblade Kingdom, and Grand Duke Zurei of Thundervale.

"I’m glad we’re able to sit down like this," Ethan said, his voice calm but commanding. "Because it means each of you has made the right choice. You’re all victors now."

He wore a faint smile—one that carried both warmth and authority.

As soon as he finished speaking, all three men—Astharel, Fiesto, and Zurei—stood up and bowed deeply.

"It’s our honor, great lord," they said in unison.

"Sit down," Ethan waved a hand casually. "No need for all the formalities here."

"To me, you’re not just allies—you’re the ones who stepped up when it mattered most. I don’t forget that kind of loyalty. I’m not the type to burn bridges once I’ve crossed them. So rest assured, I’ll make sure you’re all rewarded."

"And as for the promises I made before—every single one of them will be kept."

He gave a slight shake of his head, then raised his voice a bit.

"Now, let’s talk about what comes next. I’ve got some new rules, so listen up."

At that, the three men straightened, their expressions turning serious as they focused in.

"First," Ethan began, "I need you to move fast—unify the Five Sea Kingdoms and the surrounding coastal regions. Bring them together under one banner. Make it a single, solid force. Any objections?"

"None," the three replied without hesitation.

"Once that’s done," Ethan continued, "I want you to establish a new kingdom to oversee the seas on behalf of Emerald Castle. And the one who’ll rule this new kingdom... will be Astharel."

He paused, then glanced deliberately at Fiesto and Zurei.

Both men caught the look. And though they couldn’t help but smile wryly to themselves, they nodded without hesitation.

"No objections, my lord," they said in unison.

They’d seen this coming.

They’d been prepared for it.

So now, there was nothing more to say.

"As for the two of you..." Ethan said coolly, glancing at Fiesto and Zurei. "You’ll serve as Astharel’s deputies for now."

Then he turned to Astharel. "From now on, anything that happens on the seas—I’ll be coming to you. I’d say this fulfills the promise I made to you, doesn’t it?"

"Thank you, my lord!" Astharel didn’t hesitate. He dropped to his knees with a thud, head bowed low in reverence. "I swear, from this day forward, I will dedicate everything I have to you—my strength, my loyalty... even my life!"

"Alright, that’s enough. Get up," Ethan said with a shake of his head, his tone still calm. "Astharel, how long will it take you to unify the Five Sea Kingdoms and the surrounding coastal regions, and establish the new kingdom?"

"One month," Astharel replied without missing a beat. "Just one month, and I’ll have it done. But, my lord... I’ll need some help."

"What kind of help?" Ethan asked.

"Kyros," Astharel said immediately, then softened his tone to explain further.

"My lord, you’ve seen the state of the seas. Inferno Devil forces are running rampant everywhere. On top of that, we’ve got to keep an eye on the Greenwave Empire... and even the Tidesworn. Honestly, the three of us alone aren’t enough to handle all that. We’re outmatched. We need reinforcements."

Ethan nodded thoughtfully. "Alright. I’ll leave Kyros behind to assist you. Elyra and Seran the Gem Dragon will stay as well."

He paused, then added, "And I’ll assign them around 500 Tier-13 Kirin, 300 Tier-13 Gem Dragons, and 100 Tier-14 Sacred Kirin. That should be enough, right?"

Currently, Ethan had about 50 Sacred Kirin, 100 Gem Dragons, and 120 Kirin under his command—not counting the private forces Astharel and the others already had.

He planned to scale those numbers up to 100 Sacred Kirin, 500 Kirin, and 300 Gem Dragons.

With that kind of force—plus the personal armies of Astharel and the others, and the strength of Kyros and the other Hero and Ace Units—they should be more than capable of handling whatever came their way.

"Seriously?!"

"That’s more than enough! Thank you, my lord!" Astharel was visibly shaken with excitement. He’d only hoped to get Kyros—just that alone would’ve been a huge win. But this? This was beyond anything he’d expected.

Ethan gave a small nod. "Now, onto the second matter..."

He turned to Astharel again and continued, "I need you to help me find something."

As he spoke, Ethan pulled out a shimmering artifact—the Gem Dragon Bracelet—and held it up for them to see.

"Astharel, this should look familiar. It’s one of the sacred relics of the Gem Dragon race—the Gem Dragon Bracelet. There are two of them, a matching pair. I have one. The other..."

He paused, then said, "Most likely, it was in Maelthorak’s possession. But now that he’s dead, I’m guessing the second bracelet is hidden somewhere tied to him."

"I need you to find it."

Astharel exchanged a glance with Fiesto and Zurei, then stepped forward and said, "My lord, I believe the item you’re looking for... is in Maelthorak’s treasure vault."

"His treasure vault?" Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," Astharel nodded. "To the southeast of the Greenwave Empire lies a powerful sea kingdom called Tidegrave. It was one of Maelthorak’s main territories—and the location of his palace when he was alive. The vault I’m talking about is there."

He paused, then added, "My lord, Maelthorak was never one for collecting treasures. He didn’t care much for them. Most of what he had was just tossed into that vault to gather dust. A lot of people know about it—it’s common knowledge. I’m confident that’s where the other bracelet is."

"He’s right," Fiesto chimed in. "Maelthorak wasn’t into hoarding valuables. Actually, it seems like the whole Kirin race is like that. They’ve never been big on treasure."

"Is that so?" Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "What kind of strength are we talking about with this Tidegrave Kingdom?"

"Formidable," Astharel said without hesitation. "But... they don’t have any Crimson Ultimate heroes."

"No Crimson Ultimate heroes?" Ethan blinked, then chuckled. "Well, that makes things easier."

He looked at Astharel again. "Alright then. I’m putting this mission in your hands—and Kyros’s. I don’t care how you do it, but I want that second Gem Dragon Bracelet. And I want it soon."

"Yes, my lord!"

...

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