Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 116: A true powerhouse

Ethan froze for a moment before letting out a wry smile. "So they’re keeping it under wraps, huh?"

"Exactly..."

Cicero nodded and explained, "With how cunning the demons of Inferno are, there’s no doubt they’ve planted spies within the Light Alliance. Everyone knows that! And for something this big, they wouldn’t take any chances—no one would be exempt from their scrutiny."

"Yeah... forget it, then."

Ethan shook his head, abandoning the idea of leaking the information for a reward. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com

Because, honestly... the demons of Inferno might be lunatics, but they were smart lunatics—ruthless, calculating, and dangerously intelligent.

And it wasn’t just the Light Alliance. In fact, every faction in the world of Glory Lords X—even the dominant nations of the main world, down to the smallest kingdoms—had Inferno spies lurking in the shadows.

At that moment, seeing that both Ethan and Cicero had fallen silent, Lilith hesitated before cautiously speaking up. "My lord... are you satisfied with my gift?"

Ethan glanced at Lilith and replied coolly, "Let’s sign the contract."

Lilith blinked in surprise, then her expression lit up with joy. She was practically trembling with excitement as she bowed deeply. "Thank you, my lord! Thank you!"

Without wasting another second, Lilith immediately signed the submission contract with Ethan.

And not just any contract—the strictest kind. Once it was sealed, it meant that everything about Lilith—her life, her power, her very existence—was now under Ethan’s absolute control. If he wanted her to live, she would live. If he wanted her dead, she would die.

[Lilith]

Level: 36

Race: Tier 10 Special Hidden Race—Dragonblood Elves

Tier: Orange Legendary Hero

Hero Class: Shadow Hunter, Dark Stalker

Attack: 97 (108)

Defense: 66 (131)

Spell Power: 72 (106)

Knowledge: 55 (78)

HP: 5000

Physical Damage: 144~191

Magic Damage: 87~132

Hero Skills: Offense, Wisdom, Dark Magic Mastery...

Hero Talents:

Shadow Concealment – Can enter a hidden state in dark environments and perform short-range teleportation (up to 30 feet). Undetectable by any unit below Tier 14 Mythic Units.

Shadow Melding – Can merge into natural shadows, significantly enhancing stealth.

Silent Domain – Creates a Silent Domain covering a 500-meter radius. Undetectable by any unit below Tier 14 Mythic Units.

Dragonblood Surge – When her dragon blood reaches a boiling state, increases damage by 50%, critical hit rate by 30%, and grants a 5% chance for triple attacks. Lasts for one minute.

Umbral Adaptation – Gains a 20% boost to all base stats and 10% extra HP in dark dungeon environments. This effect also applies to regular troops, though at half potency.

Overall Rating: C-rank Orange Legendary Hero!

"..."

Ethan paused for a moment, then couldn’t help but exclaim, "Damn, that’s impressive."

Honestly, Lilith’s stats deserved that kind of praise.

Why?

Simple.

She was a Tier 10 Special Hidden Unit Hero, yet she had already reached the level of a C-rank Orange Legendary Hero—that alone was terrifying.

And maybe that was exactly why her mother, Malenthia, the ruler of the Dungeon, had wanted her dead.

A daughter who could one day threaten her position? Better to strangle that threat in the cradle before it had a chance to grow.

That was just how things worked in the Dungeon world.

Beyond that, Lilith’s stats screamed pure assassin.

Shadow Concealment, Silent Domain, Shadow Melding—her stealth abilities were damn near perfect. And with Dragonblood Surge boosting her power, she was practically built for one-shot kills.

A nightmare in the shadows.

Ethan thought for a moment before turning to Cicero. "Cicero, I’m leaving Lilith in your hands for now."

To be honest, Lilith was clearly a cunning one. Setting aside raw strength, Seraphina and Elyra wouldn’t stand a chance against her in a battle of wits. Only someone like Eldorin, with his years of experience, or Cicero, with his sharp mind, could keep up with her.

But Eldorin wasn’t strong enough to keep her in check.

Which meant Cicero was the best choice.

Cicero glanced at Lilith, who was obediently keeping her head down, then sighed and shrugged. "Understood, Master."

With his intelligence, he could easily guess what Ethan was thinking.

So, like it or not, this headache was now his problem.

Sure, Lilith had signed the strictest contract possible...

But contracts weren’t always foolproof.

At that moment, Ethan spoke again. "Lilith, I’ve got a job for you."

Lilith immediately nodded. "As you command, my lord."

"Keep an eye on the Dungeon. Track their movements. I need to know exactly what they’re planning." Ethan’s expression was serious.

Since the Dungeon and Inferno were working together, it was only a matter of time before the Dungeon forces pushed out of the underground and started raiding and slaughtering on the surface.

That meant the underground entrance was a massive security risk.

Sure, Sylvanwood probably wasn’t a primary target... but who could say for sure? The Dungeon’s lunatics didn’t care about strategy or logic. As long as there was a fight to be had and blood to be spilled, they’d show up anywhere.

Which meant they needed constant intel—just in case.

"Yes, my lord!"

Lilith nodded and spoke up. "Rest assured, my lord, I’ll keep a close watch on any movements from the Dungeon side!"

"Alright, that’ll be all for now..." Ethan nodded, then got up and walked out of the meeting room.

The development of Emerald Castle had now reached a steady phase—no longer as turbulent as before.

After an extensive, thorough search, they had finally taken full control of the entire Gleaming Forest!

Within the Gleaming Forest, they had discovered and conquered over a hundred different resource points, more than two hundred Creature Dwellings, as well as two small Magic Pattern Veins and one medium-sized Magic Pattern Vein!

A small Magic Pattern Vein produced 0.2 units every seven days.

A medium Magic Pattern Vein produced 1 unit every seven days.

It might not seem like much, but the value of Magic Pattern Ore was astronomical! Almost a 1:160 exchange rate compared to the six major resources. Given enough time, this would turn into an immense fortune!

On top of that, they had also discovered an Upgrade Altar of Thought and two regular Altars of Thought within the Gleaming Forest!

The Upgrade Altar of Thought was a recruitment structure for the Conflux faction’s Tier-12 Royal Units—Magic Elementals!

The regular Altars of Thought were recruitment structures for the Conflux faction’s Tier-11 Royal Units—Psychic Elementals!

To be honest, this was the first time Ethan had ever seen a recruitment structure for Tier-12 Royal Units. Even though Magic Elementals weren’t his top choice, their value was undeniable!

In short, the increasing number of high-tier Creature Dwellings meant steady, sustainable growth—and a stronger, more solid foundation.

The only downside?

They were expensive as hell.

And they consumed a ton of resources.

But honestly, when it came to high-tier units, there was no such thing as too many.

...

Once Ethan finally had some free time, he decided to relax a bit. He picked up his phone and called Isabella.

"Hello? Honey? Are you finally done with work?"

The moment the call connected, Isabella’s voice came through, sounding a little excited.

Even though they talked on the phone often and met up occasionally, they still spent more time apart than together. And for a couple like them, that kind of distance was... well, frustratingly sweet.

"I’ve got a little free time for now," Ethan said with a smile. "Are you free? Wanna grab dinner downtown?"

The downtown commercial district—the best and most high-end area in Boston.

Naturally, that was also where the top-tier restaurants were.

"Sure! Actually, I have something I wanted to talk to you about too..." Isabella agreed right away.

"Oh? What is it?" Ethan asked, curious.

"Well..." Isabella hesitated, like she wanted to say something but couldn’t quite get the words out.

Seeing that, Ethan didn’t press her. "Alright... we’ll talk about it tonight."

Meanwhile, on the other end of the call, Isabella hesitated for a moment after hanging up. Then, she dialed another number.

"Hello, Miss Isabella. This is Nathaniel Grant."

A deep, aged voice came through the phone, carrying a mix of warmth and surprise.

"General Grant, hello. My boyfriend seems to have some free time now—he’s taking me to dinner in downtown Boston tonight. About what you mentioned before... I can’t give you an answer on his behalf, but I can ask him tonight and see if he’s willing to meet you." Isabella spoke carefully.

"Thank you, Miss Isabella. Truly, I appreciate this..." Nathaniel’s voice was filled with gratitude.

"There’s no need to thank me, General Grant. Honestly, I haven’t really done anything. But I hope you understand—I can’t make any promises about Global Battlefield. That’s something only he can decide. I hope you don’t take it the wrong way." Isabella apologized.

"No, no, the fault is ours for being too forward."

Nathaniel sighed on the other end, his tone thoughtful. "Just getting this call from you already means a lot... In any case, I’ll see you tonight. And if possible, please put in a good word for us with Mr. Ethan. Thank you."

"I’ll do my best..." Isabella nodded before ending the call.

...

A few hours later, at Ostra, a high-end seafood restaurant in downtown Boston, Ethan and Isabella were already seated and having dinner.

But despite the exquisite dishes in front of her, Isabella barely touched her food. She picked up her fork, then put it down again, clearly distracted.

Seeing this, Ethan sighed and shook his head. "Are you trying to force me to upgrade my mind-reading skill to expert level?"

"It’s not that..." Isabella shook her head, looking conflicted. "I just... I don’t know how to bring it up."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, the corner of his mouth curling into a teasing smirk. "Then just say it. What, are you afraid I’ll—" He paused, his eyes glinting mischievously. "—eat you up?"

Isabella’s face instantly turned red. Under the table, she lightly kicked him and shot him a playful glare. "You’re such a jerk!"

Ethan chuckled, about to tease her some more, but Isabella suddenly dropped the playful act and got serious.

"General Grant wants to meet you. It’s about Global Battlefield. And... he’s actually outside right now. After you called me this afternoon, I let him know."

"Nathaniel Grant?" Ethan’s expression shifted slightly at the name.

That was a big name.

In fact, in this world, North America had essentially merged into a single nation. The former United States, Canada, Mexico, and several smaller countries had combined into one entity—Greater America.

And Nathaniel Grant was one of the highest-ranking figures in Greater America’s military and government.

In Ethan’s past life, this was the kind of man who appeared on TV every single day. A true powerhouse.

Even though Ethan wasn’t intimidated—after all, he wasn’t the same person he used to be—there was still something surreal about suddenly coming face-to-face with someone who had once seemed so distant and untouchable.

...