Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 918: Something Is Still Running Down Here

Ethan’s brow tightened instantly.

His system interface flared open, lines of data scrolling rapidly across his vision—

Target Name: Burrow Drake

Bloodline Classification: Mutated Dragonkin

Core Trait: Carries trace amounts of Void-tainted Dragonblood

That single line—"trace amounts"—was enough to set off every alarm in Ethan’s mind.

Void affinity meant instability, corruption, and rule distortion. And when fused with dragon blood, it often birthed destructive power far beyond its tier—sometimes even granting short-range void traversal.

This wasn’t some random wild beast.

This was a high-risk anomaly.

Ethan didn’t hesitate. Power surged through him, condensing into a heavy, stable Energy Greatsword in his palm.

"And who are you supposed to be?"

"Why are you here?"

He threw the creature’s own question right back at it.

The Burrow Drake—its crocodilian features twisted with confusion—paused for a beat.

Then it slowly straightened its massive frame and drew a crude but weighty staff from its side.

The staff was etched with dense golden runes, each one pulsing with pure, ancient draconic energy—clearly forged through some kind of ritual refinement.

"I’ve lived here for over a thousand years," it growled, voice rough and low, thick with possessiveness. "Everything in this place belongs to me."

"No one has ever stepped into this territory. You trespassers came here to die."

The moment the last word dropped—

The Burrow Drake swung its staff.

A golden light exploded outward, coalescing midair into a massive spectral dragon. It roared and lunged straight at Ethan.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Ethan met it head-on, his Energy Greatsword clashing with the golden dragon’s maw.

The resulting energy storm tore through the cavern, fracturing the very walls. Cracks spiderwebbed across the stone, and the energy embedded in the surrounding ore was forcibly drawn out, forming chaotic surges in the air.

Ethan felt it immediately—

The Burrow Drake wasn’t just strong. It was attuned to the mine’s structure, able to manipulate the internal energy flows and weaponize the environment itself.

In just a few breaths, its aura had visibly swelled.

"...It can actually redirect ambient energy like that?"

Ethan’s heart sank slightly.

He stepped back half a pace and activated his Powered Combat Armor. The armor’s etched circuits lit up with blinding light, and the firepower systems roared to life at full output.

A wave of raw pressure slammed forward.

The Burrow Drake’s pupils narrowed.

Even with the mine’s energy boosting it, it couldn’t gain a clear upper hand.

After a brief calculation, it abruptly retreated and pulled a blood-red orb from its storage device.

Inside the orb, a coiled dragon shadow twisted restlessly, releasing a low, guttural hiss that echoed with unease.

It was a corrupted artifact—tainted and dangerous.

Just as the Burrow Drake began channeling its power—

A golden flash burst from Ethan’s body.

Idra emerged, hovering midair, her eyes blazing with pure, regal draconic light.

"You filthy thing," she said, voice cold and furious.

"You dare imprison the remnants of a Dragon God’s soul and bloodline?"

"Today, I will crush you completely."

In that instant, the full force of Dragon God power erupted from her.

The pressure was overwhelming—like the sky itself collapsing.

It slammed down on the Burrow Drake like a divine judgment.

The Burrow Drake froze.

It hadn’t expected this—hadn’t even imagined that someone like Ethan could be harboring such a pure, high-tier draconic presence inside him.

But after that brief flash of shock, its eyes lit up with something far more dangerous.

Greed.

Its own dragon power came from centuries of devouring and plundering. And now, standing before it, was a true Dragon God bloodline.

To the Burrow Drake, that was the ultimate prize.

"...So that’s what you are."

A twisted grin curled across its snout.

The blood-red orb in its hand began to tremble violently.

A low, guttural roar erupted from within the orb—unnatural and furious.

ROAR—!

A moment later, a swirling vortex of pitch-black energy exploded outward, like the gaping maw of the abyss itself, and surged straight toward Idra.

Space warped. Energy structures collapsed.

This wasn’t just an attack.

It was a capture field—designed to swallow, seal, and refine her completely.

Ethan didn’t hesitate.

The instant the vortex began to close, he dove down like a missile, grabbed Idra, and yanked her back into his body just before the field snapped shut.

Then, mid-spin, he brought his Energy Greatsword around in a wide arc, the blade howling as it tore through the air.

BOOM—!

This strike hit harder than anything he’d unleashed before.

Even the energy bleeding off the sword’s edge cracked the surrounding space like glass under pressure.

The Burrow Drake panicked.

Even with its rune-etched staff and corrupted orb, it couldn’t withstand that kind of force head-on.

In desperation, it hurled a second orb—this one a deep, ghostly blue.

The moment it hit the air, it detonated.

A violent shockwave blasted outward, slamming into Ethan and knocking him back dozens of steps. His vision blurred as energy dust swallowed the cavern.

By the time the smoke cleared—

The Burrow Drake was gone.

Only chaotic energy ripples remained, still churning through the cave.

Just then, members of Emerald Castle arrived, weapons drawn and faces tense.

"Commander, what happened just now?"

"Where did that thing come from? We sealed every tunnel—"

"Wasn’t the mine’s barrier supposed to block native species?"

The air buzzed with confusion and unease.

Ethan didn’t answer.

His eyes were locked on the lingering energy trail.

"It’s not far."

Before anyone could respond, he vanished—just a blur of motion streaking into the tunnels.

The Burrow Drake’s escape path was buried deep underground, winding through narrow, twisting channels. Its energy signature flickered in and out, barely traceable.

Ethan didn’t stop.

He chased it through the dark, through the silence, until—

The tunnel opened up.

A vast, enclosed underground chamber stretched out before him.

This place was nothing like the mineral core.

The air was thick with Nethora Power—colder, heavier, and laced with a strange, alien rhythm. It felt like stepping into a space governed by an entirely different set of rules.

But what caught his eye first—

Were the walls.

Every inch of the surrounding rock was carved with ancient runes.

Not decorative.

Structured.

They pulsed faintly, releasing a steady, ancient energy signature—like a dormant system still quietly running after countless years.