Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 991: The Mountain of Fire

Ethan casually set the sack on the ground.

"These ores are already refined," he said, calm and matter-of-fact. "You can absorb the energy directly."

He looked over the gaunt crowd.

"Take them. Get your bodies back first."

After a brief silence, the crowd erupted.

People who'd been so weak they could barely stand were suddenly shaking all over—not from exhaustion this time, but from raw excitement.

They'd never seen anything like this.

Under The Nexaris Overlord Xarathos, they'd mined their entire lives and never once been allowed to truly gain the energy inside the ore.

And now—

This was being handed to them like it was nothing.

A few seconds later, the crowd dropped to their knees almost in unison.

"Master!"

Someone's voice quivered as they shouted it.

In that moment, they accepted Ethan completely.

The old man sank down too, tears shining in his eyes.

"Master." He pointed toward the distant mountain range. "The mines we work… they're over there."

His voice grew more and more urgent.

"And deeper inside, there's a power everyone dreams of."

He paused, swallowing.

"Infernal energy."

The air went still for a beat.

Ethan's eyes lit up.

Right now, what he lacked most was mineral resources.

And more importantly—

Infernal energy.

Power from The Infernal Abyss.

He'd just seen the potential of that force with his own eyes. Whether it was Ataneya or those abyss-born fighters, infernal energy had shown terrifying growth.

If he could secure enough veins and enough output, Emerald Castle's strength would transform.

Ethan didn't hesitate.

He turned immediately.

"Everyone, get ready."

His voice rang out above the wall.

"Move out. We're going to the mines. Now."

To him, this castle wasn't that important anymore.

Even if an enemy took it back, it didn't matter.

All the most valuable energy resources and treasures in the city were already in his spatial storage.

What mattered now—

Was the mines.

Not long after, a team quickly left the city.

They moved through shattered streets, passed beneath towering walls, and marched toward the distant mountains.

When Ethan finally reached the mining range, even he was shaken by what he saw.

The entire mountain chain was practically plated in ore.

Different colors glimmered across the cliff faces.

Red. Orange. Gold…

The minerals were embedded in the rock like stars lodged in stone.

The most absurd of all were the fire-aspected ores.

Nearly half a mountain was covered in that kind of scarlet crystal. From a distance it looked like a peak that was burning.

Dense fire energy hung in the air.

Ethan stood there for a moment, genuinely at a loss for words.

"This deposit…" he muttered. "This is insane."

If he stripped this place and brought it under full production…

He could potentially forge a goblin legion that wielded Radiant Elemental power.

Just thinking about it made Ethan's breathing turn tight.

He couldn't stay calm anymore.

In the next second, he was already charging for the mine entrance.

The moment he dropped into the tunnel, a strange sensation hit.

The surrounding ore seemed to sense something.

Energy that had been dormant started to quiver.

Threads of flame aura surged from deep within the veins, gathering toward Ethan like a flood that had been awakened.

It felt like the entire mountain was responding to his arrival.

And it wasn't just him.

The others who entered after him quickly felt it too.

The energy in the air began to surge and churn.

Power inside every person resonated in response.

The once-silent energy here had turned unnaturally active.

Ethan took a slow breath.

He reached out and grabbed a chunk of fire ore.

The stone was scorching hot. Inside it, energy danced like a living flame.

Then he pulled a Creature Dwelling from his spatial storage.

It was a portable summoning device.

When he placed the ore into the core slot, the device's internal energy matrix immediately started to run.

A few seconds later—

Two streaks of firelight gathered above it.

The glow faded.

Two fire goblins appeared inside the mine tunnel.

Their bodies were built from flame-aspected energy. Scarlet patterns shimmered across their "skin," and their eyes burned like coals.

More importantly—

They could cast fire skills by instinct.

Ethan's eyes lit up.

"It worked."

He immediately took out more Creature Dwellings.

One. Two. Ten…

Before long, the tunnel was crowded with summoning light.

At the same time, the rest of Emerald Castle's people moved just as fast.

They found open areas in different sections of the mine, then started summoning their own troops.

The mine's energy grew wilder and wilder.

Fire ore kept pouring out power.

The entire cavern filled with overlapping waves of energy.

And out of everyone there, the one benefiting the most was Ataneya.

She didn't do anything—just stood there.

Yet the energy around her surged toward her like a tide.

That infernal power from deep in the veins seemed to be drawn to her on instinct.

The red flames inside her grew stronger, little by little.

They were still absorbed in summoning and recovering energy when—

The distant sky abruptly changed.

Something extremely powerful was approaching fast.

Its pressure made the air vibrate.

Outside the mine, the sky gradually darkened, like some massive presence was descending from far away.

That sudden force overhead made the air around the entire mining range feel heavy.

Ethan sensed it almost immediately.

His pupils tightened, instinctive caution rising from deep in his gut. That presence wasn't just strong—it carried an ancient, crushing pressure, like some colossal being was looking down on this land.

In the next second, Ethan's power was already cycling.

White lightning surfaced around him. Fine arcs crept through the air with low electrical snarls.

"On guard!"

Ethan barked, his voice echoing between the mountains.

As he gave the order, he was already moving—shooting out of the mine like a streak of white thunder, rocketing straight into the sky.

Above the mountains, the sky had fully shifted.

Clouds that had been calm moments ago were now rolling and churning, as if stirred by a gigantic hand.

And above those clouds, a huge figure hovered silently.

A giant.

It stood more than a hundred feet tall. Its skin was rough like stone, and deep-red energy rolled around its body in steady waves.

That power expanded through the air like burning fire, swelling until even space around it began to warp.

Ethan slowed in midair and came to a stop.

His brow furrowed.

Even from hundreds of meters away, he could feel that aura clearly.

This wasn't ordinary energy.

It was infernal pressure.

"What are you?" Ethan called out, his voice not loud but carrying cleanly through the open air.

The giant in the sky opened its eyes.

They looked like twin blazes.

The instant they opened, the energy inside its body detonated.

BOOM—!

Violent infernal power swept outward like a burning storm. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The giant stared down at Ethan, and its voice rumbled like thunder.

"I am a general under Prince Zerathrax."

"You outsiders… you dare invade this place."

The giant slowly clenched a fist.

The energy in the surrounding air began to shake violently.

"Are you looking to die?"