Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 210: Submit

Mareth froze for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. "Well, in that case, Lord Ethan, just say what you came to say."

Ethan’s voice was calm, almost indifferent. "I’m sure the Crimsonstar Kingdom already knows what you’re up to. After all, that other Pirate King you ran into—Seyric? He was just one of their pawns."

The moment those words left his mouth, both Mareth and Thalassa’s expressions shifted sharply.

A flicker of panic flashed in their eyes.

Before they could respond, Ethan continued, his tone steady. "Crimsonstar Kingdom isn’t stupid enough to let a threat like you grow unchecked. So next time, you won’t be facing some puppet. You’ll be up against their navy. Think you’re ready for that?"

Queen Thalassa of the Stellamaris Kingdom didn’t answer.

But her eyes said everything—uneasy, shaken... maybe even scared.

Ethan let out a quiet sigh and went on. "To be honest, I originally came here for the Kirin’s Creature Dwellings."

"The Kirin’s Creature Dwellings?!"

Thalassa flinched like she’d been struck. Her face went pale, and she instinctively took a few steps back, glaring at Ethan with suspicion. "You... you’re trying to take advantage of us!"

Ethan chuckled, then turned to Mareth, who had remained silent. "You wanna talk some sense into her?"

Mareth sighed, then looked over at Thalassa and shook his head. "Your Majesty... let’s hear him out."

Clearly, Mareth understood the situation.

Right now, the real issue wasn’t the Kirin’s Creature Dwellings. It was whether they could even hold this pocket dimension.

If they could defend it, great—everything inside would be theirs. But if they couldn’t... well, they might not even survive, so what good would the Kirin’s Dwellings do them then?

It’d be meaningless, wouldn’t it?

Thalassa’s expression shifted again and again, her emotions flickering across her face.

Finally, her shoulders slumped, and she let out a weary sigh. "I’m sorry, Lord Valkarion. I was out of line earlier. Please accept my apology."

Ethan gave a small smile and didn’t sugarcoat his response. "Let’s be real—I didn’t save you out of the kindness of my heart. I’m interested in this pocket dimension too."

Thalassa flinched again at that, but this time, she held her tongue.

She just stared at Ethan in silence.

Seeing this, Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he pressed on. "Let me break it down for you. Based on what I’ve seen, with your current strength, once Crimsonstar’s army shows up, you’re done. No chance."

"But we still have the Coral Fortress!" Thalassa shot back, defiant. "As long as the Coral Fortress stands, so does Stellamaris!"

Ethan glanced at her, his tone cool. "Sure... the fortress can hold out for a while. But how long, really? Its core runs on stored magic, and that’s not infinite."

"To Crimsonstar, this so-called war of yours? It’s just a joke. A desperate last stand. A cornered animal lashing out."

"They don’t even need to rush. All they have to do is send in a few Tier-13 Legendary Units—or hell, even Tier-14 Mythic Units—and just... play with you. Slowly."

Then Ethan’s voice shifted, laced with a mocking edge as he looked Thalassa dead in the eye. "Crimsonstar has the luxury of dragging this out. Does Stellamaris?"

Thalassa trembled, her face going ghostly pale.

She didn’t answer—because she didn’t have to.

She knew the truth.

Stellamaris didn’t have that kind of luxury. Not even close.

"Lord Valkarion, just tell us what you want."

It was Mareth, the elder of the merfolk, who finally broke the silence. His voice was calm but firm. "I understand your point. So let’s stop dancing around it and lay everything on the table."

"Alright then..."

Ethan smiled, not bothering to sugarcoat it. "I want to recruit you. I want you to submit and become a vassal force under my Emerald Castle."

The moment those words landed, both Mareth and Thalassa’s eyes narrowed sharply, their expressions darkening.

In an instant, both of their faces turned grim.

"Lord Valkarion... are you seriously trying to take advantage of our crisis?" Mareth took a deep breath, his tone heavy.

"No," Ethan replied evenly, his expression calm as he turned his gaze toward the horizon. "I’m offering a peaceful solution."

"Unless you’ve got some hidden ace up your sleeve, you’ve only got two choices—submit to me, or submit to the Crimsonstar Kingdom."

He paused, then turned back to them, his voice low and deliberate. "And let’s be honest—setting aside whether Crimsonstar would even accept your surrender, could you really stomach kneeling to the ones who slaughtered your people? To your sworn enemies?"

That hit like a hammer.

Mareth and Thalassa both flinched, their anger freezing on their faces, replaced by something colder—something closer to dread.

"And another thing..."

Ethan’s voice cut through the tension again, calm but laced with steel. "Don’t act like submitting to Emerald Castle is some kind of humiliation. I won’t waste time bragging, but let me ask you this—do you think Crimsonstar has a Crimson Ultimate Hero?"

...

Crimson Ultimate Hero.

Just those three simple words were enough to make both Mareth and Thalassa fall completely silent. Because they knew—better than anyone—what that title meant. As native powers in the world of Glory Lords X, they understood it all too well.

A Crimson Ultimate Hero, once fully awakened and grown into their power...

That was someone who could make even the mightiest empires bow their heads. A being on par with the gods themselves.

Compared to that? The Crimsonstar Kingdom was nothing special. Not even in the same league.

And for their own Stellamaris Kingdom? Honestly, this wasn’t a humiliation. If anything, it was a step up—an opportunity they’d never dreamed of.

But... to actually submit?

Thalassa’s heart twisted in turmoil.

As a royal descendant of Stellamaris, she had always dreamed of restoring the kingdom’s former glory—when their name struck fear across the seas, when they ruled the waves with unmatched pride.

She wanted to bring that name back into the world’s spotlight, to make everyone on the ocean remember who they were.

That dream... it was the one thing her people had clung to, generation after generation, through hardship and decline.

And now, if she chose to kneel... that dream would die.

"Take your time and think it over," Ethan said quietly, turning to leave.

He’d said what needed to be said. Now it was up to fate.

"Wait!"

Thalassa suddenly raised her head, her voice sharp, stopping him in his tracks. She locked eyes with him, unwavering.

"Can you promise me one thing?"

"What is it?" Ethan asked.

"Even if Stellamaris Kingdom submits to you... no matter what happens, our name must remain. The name of our kingdom must never be erased. That’s my only condition," she said firmly, her voice like steel.

"That’s it?" Ethan let out a half-laugh, half-sigh, and nodded without hesitation. "Deal. As long as Stellamaris pledges loyalty to Emerald Castle, your kingdom’s name will be preserved—forever."

The moment the words left his mouth, a flash of joy lit up Thalassa’s face.

And Mareth, standing beside her, finally let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

From his perspective, surrendering was clearly the smarter move. Resistance would’ve been suicide. But Thalassa was their queen—only she had the right to make a decision that would affect the entire kingdom.

So he had stayed silent.

"Whew..."

Thalassa exhaled deeply.

Thud!

Then, slowly, she dropped to one knee before Ethan. The sound echoed through the chamber.

She bowed her head, her voice trembling slightly as she spoke.

"I, Thalassa, Queen of Stellamaris, pledge the allegiance of our entire kingdom to Emerald Castle. From this day forward, may our lord treat us with honor—and never forget the promise made between us."

She paused for a moment, then shifted her tone, more formal now.

"Your humble servant, Thalassa, greets you, my lord."

Thud!

Right behind her, Mareth—the merman—also knelt, lowering his head.

"Your humble servant, Mareth, greets you, my lord."

And right at that moment, a flurry of system notifications exploded in Ethan’s ears—one after another, rapid-fire like a jackpot machine going off.

Ding!

"Congratulations, player ’Valkarion’! You are the first Lord in the world of Glory Lords X to receive the allegiance of an entire nation! You’ve earned the following rewards:"

Light Alliance Reputation: +1,000,000

Main World Reputation: +100,000

Gold: 100 million

Basic Resources (all six types): +5,000 each

Special Resources (selectable): +500

Mythic Units (Tier 14, selectable or random): x3

Orange-grade Tome: The Lost Tower of Storms

Ding!

"Bonus Reward Unlocked: Random Talent Skill Draw initiated."

Ding! Random Talent Skill Draw in progress... Draw complete!

"Congratulations, player ’Valkarion’, you’ve obtained the talent skill: Controlled Rampage! Please check your inventory."

Controlled Rampage

One of the top-tier berserker talents in Glory Lords X. Allows the user to enter a berserk state while maintaining full mental clarity—no loss of control.

Damage Output: x2

Defense: -25%

Duration: 2 minutes

Potential Side Effects: Moderate (varies by usage)

Upgradeable: Current Level 1 (Max Level 3)

Ding!

"Congratulations, player ’Valkarion’! Your personal Hero Tier has advanced! You are now an A-Rank Orange Legendary Hero!"

Ding!

"Congratulations, player ’Valkarion’! Your Light Alliance Reputation has reached 1,386,000! You are now eligible to claim the title of Marquis in any major city within the Light Alliance (Castle, Forest, or Tower factions)."

...

The barrage of notifications nearly knocked Ethan off his feet.

"Hoooooly sht..."

He sucked in a sharp breath, his whole body trembling with excitement. His voice cracked as he tried to speak, barely able to contain himself.

"I-I-I... Holy crap, this is insane! Am I about to skyrocket straight to the top?!"

He stared at the reward list like it was a dream. His eyes were practically glowing red from the rush of adrenaline.

Reputation, gold, and basic resources were already amazing—but Mythic Units? A rare orange-tier tome? A top-tier talent skill? Selectable special resources?

This wasn’t just a win. This was a full-blown jackpot.

And then, his personal hero panel updated right before his eyes: freēnovelkiss.com

[Valkarion]

Race: Human-Elf-Dragon Hybrid (Rebirth Available)

Class: Vanguard Knight / Dragonblood Warrior

Title: Count of the Light Alliance (Hero)

Tier: Orange Legendary Hero (A-Rank)

Level: 45 (Max: 80. Second Awakening at Level 55. Post-awakening cap: 80. +2 Attribute Points per level. Points can be distributed among the four core stats.)

Attack: ...

Defense: ...

Hero Talents:

Lv1 Green Dragon Lord (Linked to personal Tier-13 Green Dragon. +5% damage, +3 to Attack/Defense attributes)

Lv1 Draconic Might (Grants strength and physique comparable to true dragons)

Lv1 Controlled Rampage (Top-tier berserker talent in Glory Lords X)

Overall Rating: A-Rank Orange Legendary Hero