Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory

Ethan turned the crystal over a few times but found nothing else of interest. He was about to toss it aside when an imposing voice came from the group’s left.

"You’ve caused quite enough trouble in my territory."

The speaker’s voice was cold.

"Don’t you think you’ve gone too far?"

Everyone turned.

A man in golden armor stood at the edge of the mine. Sunlight reflected off the metal so brightly that it was difficult to look directly at him.

Another tall figure stood behind him.

Judging by the build and the sword at his side, it was Valric.

Ethan continued turning the crystal over in his hand.

Taking something from the mine without permission was technically crossing a line.

But after seeing how terrified the villagers were of their own army, how could anyone call what they had done causing trouble?

Ethan tossed the crystal into the air.

It spun in the sunlight, scattering streaks of color.

Eldran raised one finger.

A spark of golden energy shot from his fingertip, lengthened in midair, and solidified into a sharp golden arrow.

It flew in a straight line and struck the crystal before it could fall.

Clang!

The arrow knocked the crystal into the distance, sending it spinning beyond the edge of the mine.

Valric and Eldran reacted almost simultaneously.

The instant the arrow knocked the crystal away, Valric stepped forward. His sword slid from its sheath and slowly came to rest across his chest, its blade forming a barrier between Ethan and the king behind him.

Ethan looked at the crystal flying into the distance, then at Valric’s defensive stance.

Was that supposed to be a warning?

Or were they afraid of the crystal?

White energy gathered in Ethan’s palm and gradually condensed into a glowing sphere. He did not attack. He simply held the energy sphere and walked forward at an unhurried pace.

Valric left Eldran’s side as if they had reached a silent agreement.

The two kept their eyes on each other as they crossed the yellow sand at the mine’s edge and headed toward an open area nearby.

Eldran watched Valric’s back helplessly.

He had only one hope.

That Valric wouldn’t hesitate again.

Eldran turned his attention to the others.

On the sandy plain outside the mine, Emerald Castle’s army and the Immortal Kingdom’s forces had already formed their respective battle lines. Soldiers gripped their weapons as banners snapped taut in the wind. Fighting could break out again at any moment.

Ethan attacked first.

The energy sphere in his hand had only just taken shape when he hurled it at Valric. The white orb skimmed over the sand, flying straight for his chest.

Ethan followed directly behind it.

He closed the distance and drove a fist toward Valric’s face.

Valric made no attempt to dodge the energy sphere.

He moved his sword behind his back, clenched his free right hand into a fist, and met Ethan’s punch head-on.

Bang!

Their fists collided.

The impact pushed the surrounding sand outward. At the same moment, the white energy sphere struck Valric’s chest. Its light sank into the black-and-yellow armor, then erupted inside him.

Violent energy passed through his armor and tore into his flesh.

His sternum shattered.

Light ripped through his muscles.

Destruction spread inward along his energy channels, breaking down every tissue it passed through.

Valric didn’t care.

The destroyed flesh immediately began rebuilding itself, and the broken bones reconnected beneath his armor. Before the energy had fully dispersed, most of the damage to his chest was already gone.

Valric kept one hand locked around Ethan’s fist.

His other hand remained hidden behind his back, along with his sword, concealing his next move from Ethan.

Ethan likewise held his free arm behind his side, keeping his own preparations out of sight.

They remained locked together for a moment.

Then both released their fists at the same time.

Using the remaining force of the collision, they leaped backward. As the distance opened between them, they looked at each other and smiled.

Both were up to something.

The moment Valric landed, he put both hands behind his back and gripped the sword’s hilt.

The blade shot out from behind him.

It flew straight at Ethan, while Valric followed close behind, weaving from side to side. Each change of direction left clear footprints in the sand, making it difficult for Ethan to lock on to his actual position.

Energy spheres flew from Ethan’s hands one after another.

The first grazed Valric’s left shoulder.

The second skimmed past his waist.

The third struck the spot he had just left, blasting a deep crater into the sand.

Valric stayed behind the flying sword and dodged every attack with his shifting footwork.

Ethan stopped wasting energy spheres.

White lightning covered both hands, arcing between his fingers and across his knuckles. He punched forward with his right fist while keeping his left hand behind him, continuing to build power.

The sword was already in front of him.

Just before its point reached Ethan, Valric seized the hilt from the side.

Using his forward momentum, he leaped high into the air, flipped, and drove the sword diagonally into the ground.

The blade sank into the sand, and its flat side sent a thick cloud of dust flying.

The wave of sand rushed straight at Ethan’s eyes.

But his white shield had already formed.

Sand struck the glowing barrier and slid down its curved surface, spilling harmlessly to either side. Not a single grain made it through.

Valric did not stop.

More black-and-yellow armor grew from his shoulders and waist, spreading in layers over his body. The added weight accelerated his descent, and both feet landed squarely on the sword lodged diagonally in the ground.

The blade bent beneath him.

Using it as a temporary foothold, Valric charged forward. The moment he left it, the sword sprang free of the sand and spun into the air.

Valric reached both hands behind him and caught the hilt without looking back.

The seamless sequence of movements was almost dizzying to watch.

Ethan stared blankly at Valric’s flashy performance from behind his shield.

The energy sphere in his hand had been waiting this entire time.

Was this really the moment to waste time showing off?

Ethan dropped the shield.

Valric was already upon him.

The sword thrust forward from behind, its tip aimed directly at Ethan’s throat. Ethan raised his right hand and caught the blade with five fingers wrapped in white lightning.

The sword shook violently in his grip but could not advance another inch.

Ethan extended his other hand.

A fully condensed energy sphere appeared directly in front of Valric. At that distance, there was almost no room to dodge.

Valric continued pushing his sword, but it still could not break through Ethan’s grip.

Then he suddenly stomped both feet into the ground.

A strange current of wind swept in from the side of the battlefield, scooping up a huge cloud of sand and blowing it straight toward them.

Valric stood downwind, so only a few grains reached his eyes.

Ethan took the brunt of it.

His vision filled with yellow once again.

"..."

Ethan had no words left.

He released the sword and thrust his palm forward. White energy slammed into Valric’s chest, pushing the two of them in opposite directions.

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

At the same time, Ethan sent out the energy sphere in his other hand.

Both men retreated with their eyes closed.

Valric had been less affected by the sand, so he opened his eyes first.

The moment his vision returned, he discovered an energy sphere resting in his hand.

When Ethan shoved him away, he had planted the glowing orb directly into Valric’s palm.

Valric instinctively tried to throw it.

Red warning lights flashed across its surface.

Too late.

Boom!

White energy erupted in Valric’s face.

The blast hurled a vast amount of sand into the sky, raising a massive yellow pillar over the plain. The ground at the center of the explosion collapsed inward, while the expanding shock wave swept toward the edge of the mine.