Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 170: Am I dreaming?!

BOOOOMMMM!

Outside Emerald Castle, a massive Gold Dragon descended slowly from the sky, its entire body radiating a terrifying golden light. Its eyes—majestic, otherworldly, and gleaming with curiosity—swept over the castle below.

"So this is the place?"

"I can feel it... there’s a strange power here, calling out to me. Someone... someone’s summoning me?!"

His name was Auremax—a 14th-Tier Mythic Unit Gold Dragon with a passion for one thing above all else:

Travel.

That’s right.

Not hoarding treasure. Not conquering kingdoms. Not even fighting epic battles.

Just traveling.

In fact, in the world of Glory Lords X, every single 14th-Tier Mythic Gold Dragon is absolutely obsessed with travel. It’s not just a hobby—it’s practically a national religion for their kind.

No exaggeration: the Gold Dragons have left their footprints in every corner of the world.

No one knows the world of Glory Lords X better than they do.

That’s why people call them "the most worldly dragons" or simply "the world travelers."

And thanks to their constant globe-trotting, the Gold Dragon race has evolved into the fastest flyers among all dragonkind.

Not even Archangels, Arch Devils, or Black Dragons can keep up with them in the skies.

Barring a few rare hidden units, the only regular 14th-Tier Mythic Unit from any faction that can even come close to matching their speed is the Eternal Phoenix from the Conflux faction—famous for being the fastest Mythic Unit in the game.

In terms of raw combat power, the Eternal Phoenix is... well, pretty average. Honestly, it ranks near the bottom among Mythic Units.

But when it comes to speed and being a pain in the ass to deal with?

Top-tier. Possibly even number one.

So why had Auremax, this legendary Gold Dragon, suddenly appeared here—hovering above Emerald Castle, staring down at it like it held some kind of secret?

The answer was simple.

On the mystical side of things, he’d felt a strange, irresistible force pulling him here... like fate itself had whispered his name.

But if you stripped away the mystery?

It was because of a system reward.

As a result of the players completing the high-difficulty S+ quest—The Fall of the Behemoth Lair—Auremax had been summoned here by the system’s mysterious power as part of the reward.

And yet, Auremax couldn’t help but feel a little... confused.

"This castle’s lord... is it one of you? Are you the ones who summoned me?" His golden eyes flicked between Eldorin and Bromir, narrowing slightly.

Something didn’t add up.

Sure, he could tell that Eldorin was a 10th-Tier Ancient Treant Soldier—an orange-ranked Legendary Hero. Impressive, maybe, but not enough to impress him.

Auremax didn’t consider himself the kind of dragon who’d answer the call of just any Legendary Hero.

At the very least, it should take a Crimson Ultimate-tier hero or lord to be worthy of recruiting him.

But here? Aside from these two Treant heroes, the castle seemed... empty.

What the hell was going on?

Had he misread the signs?

Was his legendary intuition... wrong?

ROOOAAARRR!

Just then, a thunderous dragon’s roar erupted behind Auremax, shaking the very air like a shockwave tearing through the sky.

At the same time, a sharp, surprised voice rang out:

"Gold Dragon?!"

"Who are you—and what are you doing here at our Emerald Castle?!"

BOOM!

As the words fell, a powerful surge of energy exploded outward, rippling through the air like a storm front.

VMMM!

With a low hum and a sudden whoosh, the space beside Auremax twisted violently. A moment later, a woman stepped out of the distortion—her entire body radiating a fierce, untamed Draconic Force. Her eyes locked onto him, wide with surprise.

This was the effect of Seraphina’s innate ability—Sacred Realm—a teleportation skill that let her instantly appear wherever she sensed a threat or anomaly.

The moment she felt the presence of a Mythic-tier Gold Dragon near the castle, she didn’t hesitate. She warped straight to the source.

Because seriously—what the hell was a Gold Dragon doing here?

"You... who are you?!"

At the same time, Auremax blinked in shock. His massive golden body tensed, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

"A Green Dragon?!"

"No... wait—A Green Dragon Hero?! You’re actually a Green Dragon Hero?!"

In the Forest faction, Green Dragons and Gold Dragons shared a deep lineage.

Green Dragons were 13th-Tier Legendary Units. Gold Dragons were their 14th-Tier Mythic evolution. Technically, Gold Dragons were the superior form—an upgraded version, so to speak.

But their relationship wasn’t some rigid military hierarchy. It wasn’t about dominance or control.

Quite the opposite, actually.

They were close. Allies. Trusted companions.

They shared the same homeland, the same love for nature, the same thirst for knowledge and magic, the same wanderlust. Their bond went back generations—long before the current age.

So it was no wonder Auremax was stunned to see her.

Because while Green Dragons were already rare, Green Dragon Heroes were practically mythical.

In all his years of traveling the world, Auremax could count the number of Green Dragon Heroes he’d met on one claw.

And now, here in Sylvanwood, he was looking at another one.

"Greetings," Auremax said, his voice deep and resonant. "I’m Auremax. You must be the lord of this castle, right?"

"The lord?" Seraphina blinked, then quickly shook her head. "No. I’m not the lord of Emerald Castle. My great master is."

"M-Master?!"

Auremax froze, stunned again. His voice slipped out before he could stop it:

"You... you signed a master-servant contract with someone?!"

In the world of Glory Lords X, there were several ways to recruit powerful units.

The most basic was a mercenary-style deal: you pay, they fight. But with high-tier units, even that wasn’t guaranteed. They could take your gold and still walk away—and there wasn’t a damn thing you could do about it.

That was the privilege of power.

The most classic example?

When recruiting Legendary or Mythic Units, the latter always have the right to refuse. And if they do? Tough luck. Your recruitment fee is gone—no refunds.

That’s how most wild Creature Dwellings work in Glory Lords X.

Technically speaking, it’s a pretty loose arrangement. Not much binding force behind it.

Then there’s Contract Recruitment. This one’s a bit more solid. Both parties sign a formal agreement, witnessed and enforced by the World Core—the fundamental power that governs the main world of Glory Lords X.

Think of it like an official, magically binding contract.

And if you take the money and don’t follow through?

The World Core punishes you. Hard.

You could be exiled from the main world entirely—forced to wander the outer realms, cut off from everything.

So yeah, this method has teeth. It’s got real consequences.

This is the standard method for recruiting wild units—like Balthazar and his kind.

But then... there’s the rarest, most extreme form of recruitment.

The one Auremax just mentioned.

Master-Servant Contracts. Also known as Slave Contracts.

These are heavily skewed in favor of the lord. For the unit—or even a unit hero—it’s a raw deal.

Almost no one agrees to them.

Unless... they were raised by the lord from birth. Or hatched from an egg under their care. The kind of bond that runs soul-deep.

Because even the slightest resistance in your heart?

And the contract fails. It just won’t take.

That’s why Ethan never forced one on Seraphina.

First, he couldn’t bear to.

Second, he didn’t need to.

Whether it was Seraphina, Cicero, Elyra, or Elynn—he trusted them completely. No conditions. No contracts.

He believed that emotional bonds—real, heartfelt connections—were the highest form of loyalty.

What good is a contract, no matter how powerful or binding?

It still has limits. It still ends.

But emotions? Feelings?

They’re limitless.

They never end.

Seraphina didn’t answer Auremax’s question. She just shook her head and flipped it back on him.

"You haven’t told me—why are you here at Emerald Castle? What do you want?"

"I..."

Auremax had just opened his mouth to respond when suddenly—his eyes narrowed, his body tensed.

He looked past Seraphina, gaze locking onto something behind her.

There—standing tall on Cicero’s back—was Ethan.

Behind him, the full might of Emerald Castle’s army surged forward like a tidal wave. Elyra, Lilith, Elynn... all of them. The whole force, returning in triumph, their presence overwhelming, their aura undeniable.

"Green Dragon?!"

"No... wait—another Green Dragon Hero?!"

Auremax’s voice cracked with disbelief.

"What the hell is going on?! Two Green Dragon Heroes? In the same place?!"

"Am I dreaming?!"

His expression twisted, flickering between shock and utter disbelief.

One Green Dragon Hero was already rare enough to leave him speechless.

But two?

Two in the same castle?

This was insane.

...