Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 161: Enemy attack!!

Under the night sky, stars glittered like scattered diamonds, though only a few shone bright.

Ethan stood atop the battlements of Emerald Castle, gazing northeast toward the Fury Wasteland. His eyes flickered with unease, brows slightly furrowed. He couldn’t explain why, but a gnawing sense of dread had taken root in his chest.

"Master, is something wrong?" Elynn asked, picking up on his tension.

"It’s nothing," Ethan replied, shaking his head. "Just a weird feeling... probably just my imagination."

Seraphina, standing nearby, looked like she wanted to say something but held her tongue.

Elynn wasn’t so easily deterred. "Master, this enemy you mentioned... who exactly are they?"

Ethan hesitated for a moment, then decided not to keep it to himself. "I’m not entirely sure yet. But I have a strong suspicion it’s the Dungeon—or someone connected to them."

"The Dungeon?!" Elynn’s whole body stiffened. Her face went pale, panic flashing in her eyes.

Anyone native to the world of Glory Lords X knew just how terrifying the Dungeon faction was. As one of the major evil forces, their name alone was enough to send chills down spines. freёnovelkiss.com

And lately, their armies had been rampaging through Sylvanwood—pillaging, slaughtering, leaving nothing but ruin and despair in their wake.

Elynn had seen it all firsthand.

And it scared her.

The Dungeon’s power was overwhelming. If Emerald Castle really had to face them head-on... they might not stand a chance.

The thought alone made her stomach drop. Her expression shifted rapidly, anxiety tightening her chest. She didn’t know what to do.

BOOM!

ROOOAAAR!

Suddenly, the sky in the distance churned with violent winds. A thunderous roar echoed across the land, shaking the very air.

All three—Seraphina, Elynn, and Ethan—snapped their heads upward.

Through the swirling storm clouds, a massive figure tore through the sky, heading straight for Emerald Castle at breakneck speed.

As it drew closer, the shape became clear.

"Cicero’s back," Ethan muttered, eyes narrowing. "Did he find something?"

"Cicero! What did you see?" he shouted.

THUD!

In a flash, Cicero landed heavily beside them, his wings folding as he spoke without delay.

"Master, I found traces of the Hydra in the Fury Wasteland!"

Ethan blinked. "A Tier 13 Hydra?"

"Not just a Tier 13," Cicero said grimly, shaking his head. "There’s also a Tier 14 Chaos Hydra... and a Venomspike Manticore."

"Chaos Hydra, Venomspike Manticore... wait a second—" Ethan froze mid-thought, then his whole body tensed. His pupils shrank as realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. "You mean the Hydra bloodline from Ashenwood... and the Venomspike Manticores from Obsidian Ridge?!"

"Yes," Cicero confirmed with a grave nod. His expression was tight, serious. "And I overheard them talking. The Hydras from Ashenwood and the Manticores from Obsidian Ridge—they’ve joined forces."

"They’ve teamed up?" Ethan echoed, frowning. "What for?"

But even as the words left his mouth, a chill ran down his spine. His eyes widened. "Wait... don’t tell me—they’re targeting the Behemoth Lair?"

"That’s what it sounded like," Cicero said, his voice low and tense. "Master, I don’t think we can just sit this one out. We need to help Balthazar and the Behemoths. If they fall, Emerald Castle could be next. We’d be completely isolated—and vulnerable."

"I agree," Elynn chimed in quickly, her voice urgent. "We can’t just stand by and watch the Behemoth clan get wiped out!"

The Behemoths, at the very least, were allies. There was a foundation of trust there—fragile, maybe, but real.

But the Hydras of Ashenwood? The Manticores of Obsidian Ridge?

They had zero ties to Emerald Castle. No diplomacy. No history. No reason to hold back.

The Hydras were savage, bloodthirsty monsters who thrived on chaos and carnage.

And the Venomspike Manticores? Just as brutal and merciless as the Black Dragons or the Red Dragons—ruthless to the core.

If the Behemoths were truly wiped out by this unholy alliance, who was to say Emerald Castle wouldn’t be next?

Everyone standing there understood the stakes. If your neighbor’s lips freeze, your own teeth won’t be far behind. That ancient truth rang loud and clear in all their minds.

Elynn felt it too.

Even if the Hydras and Manticores weren’t planning to come after Emerald Castle next, she still didn’t trust them. Their entire cultures were built on dominance and betrayal—trust wasn’t even in their vocabulary.

"Master!"

"Lord Cicero, you’ve returned?"

"Did you find anything?"

Voices rang out as Elyra, Eldorin, Bromir, and Lilith arrived, having rushed over the moment they heard the commotion.

"You’re just in time," Ethan said without missing a beat. "Get ready—we’re heading out."

Truth was, he felt the same way as Cicero and Elynn. Between siding with unpredictable, violent monsters and standing with the Behemoths—who, at the very least, had never betrayed them—he knew where his loyalty lay.

"But Master," Elynn said hesitantly, "what about Emerald Castle? Shouldn’t someone stay behind to guard it?"

She had a point.

Emerald Castle wasn’t just their stronghold—it was their heart. Their lifeline. If anything happened to it, everything they’d built could come crashing down. Sure, it was unlikely anyone could breach it without them knowing, but still... better safe than sorry.

Some risks just weren’t worth taking.

"Of course we need to!" Ethan nodded without a second’s hesitation.

He’d already guessed what Elynn was worried about—and he totally agreed. Honestly, the reason he’d gone all-in earlier, acting like they were mobilizing every last unit, was because he’d assumed their enemy was the full-blown Dungeon army.

And if that really were the case...

Then in his mind, preserving the strength of the Behemoth bloodline would be way more important than holding Emerald Castle.

Because let’s be real—if the nest is destroyed, no egg survives.

If the Behemoth clan got wiped out, Emerald Castle wouldn’t be far behind. At that point, he’d have no choice but to fall back on his last resort: get the hell out of there.

If I can’t win, I can at least run, right?

But now it turned out the enemy wasn’t the Dungeon army?

Just a Hydra and a Venomspike Manticore?

The pressure that had been crushing him suddenly lifted—by a lot.

Sure, those two were still terrifying in their own right. But compared to the Dungeon army? Not even close.

And more importantly, there was no need to go all-out in a do-or-die battle.

Which meant Emerald Castle was still the top priority. It couldn’t fall—no matter what.

With that in mind, Ethan turned to Eldorin and Bromir and said firmly, "Eldorin, Bromir—you two stay behind and defend Emerald Castle."

Treants were beasts in close combat—tough as hell, with insane durability.

But they were slow.

So they weren’t great for blitz attacks, rapid deployments, or sudden reinforcements.

But for holding a fortress? For a defensive stand? They were perfect.

Aside from Seraphina and Cicero—the two dragons—Eldorin and Bromir were hands-down the best choices to stay behind and guard the castle.

"Yes, my lord!" Eldorin and Bromir exchanged a glance. They were a little disappointed, sure, but they didn’t dare complain.

Besides, they knew their own strengths and weaknesses.

They understood that Ethan’s decision wasn’t just reasonable—it was the right call.

Other than Seraphina and Cicero, they really were the best suited for defending the castle. Even Elyra, the unicorn hero, couldn’t compare in this case.

Why?

Simple.

First, Elyra’s level was lower—she wasn’t as powerful as Eldorin, who was also a Legendary-tier hero.

Second, Elyra barely had any troops under her command. She was basically a one-woman army.

Meanwhile, Eldorin and Bromir had nearly ninety troops between them—9th-tier Treant Guards and 10th-tier Ancient Treant Soldiers.

And with their innate skills boosting their forces, that was a serious wall of defense.

But the third reason—and the most important one—

Elyra’s attacks were all magic-based.

And not just any magic—wide-area, high-impact spells.

Which meant that if she slipped up even a little, or lost control for a second, she could end up blasting parts of Emerald Castle by accident.

Just imagine it—if a spell with power close to Tier 4 magic, like Divine Storm, were to go off near Emerald Castle... or worse, inside it...

The damage would be catastrophic. Unthinkable.

That’s why Ethan didn’t even want to consider letting Elyra stay behind. One misfire, and the whole place could be reduced to rubble.

But Eldorin and Bromir? No such risk.

Their attacks came from their own bodies—vines, to be exact.

And those vines were like extensions of their limbs—just as precise and responsive as a person’s hands or feet.

There was almost zero chance of a misfire.

"Everyone else, you’re coming with me!" Ethan shouted, his voice ringing out across the courtyard. "Let’s go win this damn war!"

"As you command, great master!"

"Victory will be ours!"

"To battle! To battle! To battle!"

...

At that very moment, deep in the Fury Wasteland, Chaos Hydra Thal’Zor had already led his Hydra army to the outskirts of the Behemoth Lair.

"Chieftain, we’ve arrived. The filthy Behemoths are holed up right there."

A 14th-tier Chaos Hydra growled, its eyes gleaming with bloodlust as it stared at the lair. "I can barely hold back the urge to kill. Tonight, these disgusting beasts die."

Thal’Zor’s gaze was cold and sharp, locked on the Behemoth Lair in the distance. His entire body radiated a murderous aura so intense it chilled the air around him.

"Then let’s begin," he hissed. "I’ve been holding back long enough."

The moment the words left his mouth, Thal’Zor surged forward, slithering through the darkness with terrifying speed and grace.

BOOM—

At the same time, the overwhelming power of a Mythic-tier unit erupted from his body like a storm. It rolled out in waves, crashing forward like a tidal wave of raw destruction.

He was already upon the nearest Behemoth—a 13th-tier beast—before it even realized what was happening.

CRACK!

"You filthy ape—DIE!"

With a single, brutal strike, Thal’Zor’s nine heads lunged forward and crushed the Behemoth’s skull. Blood sprayed across the ground. The creature didn’t even have time to scream.

Its massive body collapsed with a thunderous thud, shaking the earth beneath it.

The impact echoed through the lair—and the Behemoths inside instantly roared in fury.

"ROOOAAARRR!"

"Who dares?!"

"Thal’Zor?! That bastard Hydra chieftain from Ashenwood?!"

"It’s not just him—there’s a whole damn swarm of Hydras! Chaos Hydras too! They’ve brought their entire army!"

"Enemy attack!!"

"Kill those filthy nine-headed freaks!"

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The Behemoths’ roars shook the skies.

War horns blared.

The battle had begun.

...