Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 218: That was a terrifying force

First off, if it comes down to a naval battle, the Unicorn Duchy doesn’t stand a chance against the Crimsonstar Kingdom. Not even close.

Second, this whole mess? It’s not really their problem. At best, they might lend a hand—just a little support, nothing more.

Go all in?

Yeah, that’s definitely not happening.

And even if we set all that aside...

What does the revival of the Stellamaris Kingdom actually do for the Unicorn Duchy?

It just means swapping out one power for another—one kingdom for another—blocking their access to the sea.

What’s the difference?

There is none.

After all, maritime trade routes are like gold mines for any nation—absolutely priceless.

Unless someone’s completely lost their mind, there’s no way they’d willingly hand over such a treasure trove to someone else.

It’s just not realistic.

"First of all, yes—I do want to help Stellamaris Kingdom rise again," Ethan said calmly, unfazed by the skepticism. "There’s a Kirin Creature Dwelling in the alternate dimension where Stellamaris is located. I want it for myself. I’m not letting anyone else get their hands on it."

"Kirin...? You mean a Creature Dwelling for the Legendary Unit Kirin?" Marquis Lucan froze, visibly stunned.

Of course he knew the value of a Legendary Unit’s Creature Dwelling—especially a Kirin, the undisputed king of the seas among Legendary Units. For a seafaring nation like theirs, it was the ultimate prize.

The most coveted of all.

"Yeah," Ethan nodded, then continued, "Second, sure, the Crimsonstar Kingdom isn’t exactly easy to take down. But I’ve got a Crimson Ultimate Hero on my side..."

I’ve got a Crimson Ultimate Hero.

The moment Ethan said that, Marquis Lucan just stood there, stunned.

Then he let out a bitter laugh and glanced toward the grand hall’s entrance—where Cicero was lazily napping in the sun.

Right. The Crimsonstar Kingdom might be tough, but with a Crimson Ultimate Hero? That changes everything.

That alone is more than enough.

"And here’s something else," Ethan added, his voice steady as ever. "I don’t just have one Crimson Ultimate Hero."

Boom.

Another bombshell, dropped without a hint of hesitation.

"Wait—what? You... you’re saying you have more than one Crimson Ultimate Hero? Are you serious? That’s... that’s impossible!"

"Oh my god..."

Marquis Lucan’s face went pale in an instant. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Ethan like he’d just grown a second head.

A single Crimson Ultimate Hero was already terrifying.

These were the kind of heroes that could single-handedly support a superpower—enough to establish a kingdom and hold its ground in the main world of Glory Lords X.

But two?

That wasn’t just one plus one equals two.

That was a whole different level.

Even the major factions would have to take notice.

"If you want to know whether I’m telling the truth, you can go ask the Angel Lord standing behind you—Wisdom Angel Cain. Or maybe that Cavalier hero from the Castle faction, Roland. He should know too," Ethan said casually, nodding toward Cicero outside.

"After all, the Green Dragon I brought last time wasn’t the same one that’s out there now..."

Back when he met with Wisdom Angel Cain, Ethan had brought Seraphina. But now, it was Cicero. So it wouldn’t take much digging to figure out whether he was bluffing or not.

And let’s be honest—one Crimson Ultimate hero versus two? That’s a whole different ballgame.

Marquis Lucan fell completely silent at that.

He didn’t dare say a word.

Didn’t even seem to know what to say...

Then Ethan spoke again, his tone calm but firm. "Marquis Lucan, the reason I’m telling you all this is simple—I want you to understand that wiping out the so-called Crimsonstar Kingdom? That’s not hard for me. And if I wanted to, I could do the same to your Unicorn Duchy. The only thing I’m short on right now... is time."

Lucan’s face stiffened.

He looked like he wanted to argue—

But in the end, he didn’t dare.

"...Then why come to me?" Lucan finally asked, looking Ethan in the eye. "I’ve got some influence in the Unicorn Duchy, sure, but I don’t make the big calls. If you want to pull us into this, you’ll need Grand Duke Theodore’s approval—and at least two other marquises to back it."

"First," Ethan said, holding up one finger, "I’m lazy. I don’t feel like making another trip to Dunmire."

"Second..."

He raised a second finger, smiling faintly as he looked at Lucan.

"Second, I believe you’re a smart man, Marquis Lucan. And if you help me out here, I’ll owe you a favor."

Lucan’s pupils contracted slightly. That clearly got his attention.

A favor from Ethan... that wasn’t something to take lightly.

"And honestly, I’m not asking for much," Ethan continued. "All I need is for the Unicorn Duchy to keep Crimsonstar Kingdom tied up for a while. Just enough to stop them from making any sudden moves."

He paused, then added with a cool edge, "And even if Grand Duke Theodore says no—so what? As long as you’re willing to help me, that’s enough."

"Because I happen to know," Ethan said, his voice low and deliberate, "that the most powerful navy in the Unicorn Duchy... is under your command."

"..."

Lucan fell silent again. Then, after a long moment, he clenched his jaw and said through gritted teeth, "Give me two days. I’ll head to Dunmire and do everything I can to convince Grand Duke Theodore."

"Appreciate it," Ethan said, exhaling quietly in relief.

Not long after, Marquis Lucan left Castle Lucan in a hurry, wasting no time.

...

Meanwhile, deep within the Crimsonstar Kingdom, a storm was brewing.

"What did you just say? War?!"

"Against him?! Are you serious?!"

The moment King Elandor XVII heard Hero Tarneth’s report, his face twisted with fury. He slammed his fist down and roared, "So he really thinks Crimsonstar Kingdom is nothing to him, huh?!"

"Your Majesty... are we really going to fight?" Tarneth, the Naga Swordsman hero, hesitated, his voice low and uncertain. "I mean... I don’t think he’s bluffing. If we push too hard..."

Clearly, despite the tough front he’d put on when facing Ethan earlier, Tarneth had his doubts. Deep down, he wasn’t so sure anymore.

Because from his perspective, no sane person would just casually declare war—unless they were either bluffing hard to scare Crimsonstar Kingdom off...

Or they genuinely weren’t afraid of going to war with them.

And if it was the latter...

Then this whole thing was starting to feel very wrong.

"Heh. Tarneth, you’re too soft."

At that moment, another voice cut in—cold and sharp. Thalric, the Naga Swordmaster hero who’d been silent until now, straightened up and sneered. "If he really wasn’t afraid of us, do you think you’d still be alive right now?"

Tarneth froze.

He hadn’t thought of that...

Yeah. If Ethan had already declared war, why let him walk away? If they had the chance to take out a Crimsonstar hero before the fighting even started, that would’ve been a huge blow. No one in their right mind would pass up that kind of opportunity.

"Looks like I was right," Elandor XVII said darkly, clearly siding with Thalric. "This so-called Emerald Castle... all bark, no bite."

His expression turned grim, eyes flashing with cold, murderous intent.

"Fine then," he said flatly. "If that’s how he wants it—then we go to war."

He turned to Thalric, his voice icy. "Lord Thalric, looks like I’ll need you to handle this personally."

"I’ll pull back a third of the 11-Tier Naga Swordsman and 12-Tier Naga Swordmaster legions from the southeastern border and assign them to you. On top of that, I’ll give you thirty 14-Tier Sacred Kirin and a hundred 13-Tier Kirin. That should be enough, right?"

In Crimsonstar Kingdom, a single 11-Tier Naga Swordsman legion started at 5,000 troops.

A 12-Tier Naga Swordmaster legion? At least 1,500.

So a third of that meant around 1,500 elite 11-Tier troops and 300 12-Tier Swordmasters. Add in thirty 14-Tier Sacred Kirin and a hundred 13-Tier Kirin...

That was a terrifying force.

No exaggeration—this kind of army could wipe a small nation off the map.

Say what you will about Elandor XVII being greedy or arrogant, but he wasn’t stupid. The sheer scale of the force he was committing showed just how seriously he was taking this—and how cautious he really was beneath the surface.

"...That much?" Even Thalric looked a little surprised by the numbers.

But then he nodded without hesitation, a confident smirk spreading across his face. "More than enough."

Sure, a Crimson Ultimate hero was no joke—dangerous, unpredictable—but Crimsonstar Kingdom had its own strengths. Endless waves of lower-tier units, thousands of elite 11 and 12-Tier Royal troops, hundreds of 13-Tier Legendary units, and over sixty 14-Tier Mythic-class monsters...

And Thalric himself? A second-awakened Legendary hero, with raw combat power that could crush most enemies in single combat.

If they wanted to crush someone, they’d bury them in bodies if they had to. Victory was almost guaranteed.

And while Crimsonstar Kingdom finalized its war plans and began mobilizing its terrifying army, back on the other side of the conflict, Ethan finally received the news he’d been waiting for.

Marquis Lucan had returned—and he brought good news.

Grand Duke Theodore, along with all four of the Unicorn Duchy’s marquises—including Lucan himself—had agreed.

They would back Ethan.

And they were sending troops to stand against Crimsonstar Kingdom.

...