Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 255: Friendly offer

Under normal circumstances, dying twice—especially within a short period—can seriously damage a hero’s core power, leading to a drop in strength.

It could even cause a hero’s Tier to fall!

And that was exactly what terrified him the most right now.

If his son Leopold were to fall from an Orange Legendary hero down to a Purple Epic... for the Storm Kingdom, that would be nothing short of a national catastrophe.

After all, relying on just one Orange Legendary hero—especially one who was old and well past his prime—to hold the kingdom together? That was a long shot at best.

That’s why he had turned a blind eye—or rather, quietly given his blessing—for Leopold to go after Ethan.

To complete Sea King Maelthorak’s bounty.

Because if they could somehow get in good with someone like Maelthorak, even if the Storm Kingdom lost all its Orange Legendary heroes, they’d still be able to sleep easy for years to come...

As the mighty Sea King, Lord Maelthorak had both the power and the clout to make that happen.

But Regnar XI never imagined that not only would Leopold fail—he’d fail so spectacularly that he got himself killed in the process.

"BANG!"

Furious, he slammed his palm down on the chair in front of him.

The chair shattered instantly into splinters.

But even that didn’t help. Regnar XI was still a mess inside, his mind spinning, unsure what to do next.

Just then, the old mage Edric, his white hair flowing like snow, hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and speaking up.

"Your Majesty... there’s something else."

"What is it?" Regnar XI snapped.

"From what we’ve gathered from the revived troops... there’s a Crimson Ultimate hero from the Kirin race standing beside the Lord of Emerald Castle."

"You... what did you just say?!" Regnar XI’s whole body jolted. He spun around, eyes locked on Edric, his face frozen in utter shock.

"A Crimson Ultimate hero from the Kirin race? I thought it was just a Kirin egg!" he said, disbelief written all over his face.

"I don’t know the full details either... but it’s true. And the Seventh Prince was involved in this too. He might know more," Edric said slowly.

"Corvan?"

Regnar XI’s eyes narrowed, his voice low and cold. "Where is he now?"

"He should still be on Blackwake Isle, but I’ve already sent someone to bring him back," Edric replied immediately.

"Good..." Regnar XI exhaled deeply, his face dark as a storm cloud. "Edric, once Corvan returns, send him to me immediately. I mean it—immediately."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

...

A few days later, Corvan returned to the Storm Kingdom’s royal palace—and was brought straight to Regnar XI.

Thud!

"Father..."

Corvan dropped to his knees, bowing low. His heart was pounding. On the way back, he’d already been warned about what was waiting for him.

"Corvan, tell me everything. Every last detail."

"And that Crimson Ultimate hero from the Kirin race—what the hell is going on there?!"

Regnar XI stared down at his son, his voice sharp and direct, wasting no time.

Corvan gave a bitter smile, but didn’t dare hold anything back. He told Regnar XI everything he knew—every last word.

As Corvan finished recounting everything they knew—

Silence.

A heavy, suffocating silence blanketed the entire throne room.

Regnar XI and the old mage Edric exchanged a long, stunned look. Finally, Regnar XI broke the silence, his voice filled with disbelief.

"You’re telling me... that Crimson Ultimate hero from the Kirin race wasn’t something they already had... but came from that Kirin egg?!"

"Yes, Father," Corvan confirmed with a solemn nod.

Regnar XI’s face darkened instantly.

There was no question—an unhatched Kirin egg and a fully awakened Crimson Ultimate hero were two completely different beasts.

If he’d known this was how it would turn out, he never would’ve let Leopold get involved. What started as a simple egg had now become a living, breathing Crimson Ultimate hero.

That changed everything.

If this spiraled out of control, neither he nor the Storm Kingdom could afford the consequences. But now...

"Damn it..."

BANG!

Regnar XI slammed his palm down on the armrest again, shattering what was left of it. His face was grim, his thoughts a chaotic mess.

"Father, we’re talking about a Crimson Ultimate hero here," Corvan said carefully, trying to keep his voice calm. "And you know as well as I do—Emerald Castle doesn’t just have one. Going up against them with the strength of our Storm Kingdom? That’s suicide. Like throwing an egg at a boulder..."

He was terrified his father might lose his temper and make a reckless decision. If that happened, it wouldn’t just be a mistake—it would be the end of them.

This wasn’t something they could afford to screw up.

Just from the intel coming out of Crimsonstar Kingdom, Emerald Castle already had two Crimson Ultimate heroes from the Green Dragon race. Now, with this Kirin joining the ranks, that made three.

Three Crimson Ultimate heroes under one banner.

That wasn’t just rare—it was unheard of. Even the most powerful empires wouldn’t dare dream of such a lineup.

To go to war with a force like that? That wasn’t bravery. That was suicide.

There’d be no way out.

"..."

Regnar XI opened his mouth, but no words came out. His jaw clenched, and a muscle twitched at the corner of his eye. He knew Corvan was right—but that didn’t make it any easier to swallow.

Egg against stone?

He was a king.

The King of Storm Kingdom.

"Edric," he said, turning to the old mage. "What’s your take on this?"

He trusted Edric deeply. The man wasn’t just a mage—he was a strategist, a thinker, someone Regnar XI had leaned on for years. And right now, with his mind clouded and his emotions running wild, he needed that clarity more than ever.

"My take?" Edric’s cloudy eyes gleamed faintly as he spoke, his voice calm and deliberate. "Your Majesty, I believe... we’ve already passed the point of no return. The only path left is to see this through to the end."

"Edric! Are you insane?!" Corvan’s face went pale. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

"Silence!" Regnar XI barked, cutting him off with a sharp glare.

Then he turned back to Edric, his expression heavy, voice low. "Tell me, Edric. What exactly do you mean?"

"That’s just my theory," Edric said slowly, "but I believe the Lord of Emerald Castle already sees us as enemies."

He paused, then added, "Of course, that’s not the most important part. What matters is... Your Majesty, take a look at this."

With a flick of his fingers, a ripple of Psychic Elemental energy shimmered in the air, forming a detailed, crystal-clear map right in front of them.

"A map?" Regnar XI blinked in surprise. "Is this... a map of the Storm Kingdom?"

"Not exactly."

Edric shook his head and pointed at the glowing projection. "This is a map of the Five Sea Kingdoms, the Crimsonstar Kingdom, and the coastal regions of the Sacred Continent."

"Crimsonstar Kingdom?" Regnar XI frowned, his expression tightening as he fell into thought, clearly connecting some dots.

But Edric didn’t stop.

"The dimensional rift to Stellamaris Kingdom is located... here."

He tapped a spot on the map, and a bright, star-shaped marker flared to life.

Then he continued, his voice low and heavy. "And now that Stellamaris Kingdom has pledged allegiance to Emerald Castle... Seventh Prince, Your Majesty—do you understand what that means?"

Corvan opened his mouth to speak—

But it felt like an invisible hand had clamped around his throat.

He couldn’t say a word.

Because he realized exactly what Edric was getting at.

And just like that, any argument he’d been about to make died in his throat.

Meanwhile, Regnar XI slowly sank back into his throne, his face unreadable. After a long silence, he muttered, voice grim and low, "It means... Emerald Castle has ambitions to dominate the seas."

"Exactly."

Edric nodded, his expression dark. "Even if they didn’t before, the moment they accepted Stellamaris Kingdom’s surrender, that ambition was born. And their first enemy will be Crimsonstar Kingdom. The second... is us."

The Five Sea Kingdoms bordered Crimsonstar Kingdom.

And among them, Storm Kingdom shared a direct border with Crimsonstar—land and sea.

In other words, once Crimsonstar Kingdom falls—once it’s crushed and replaced by Stellamaris under Emerald Castle’s control—

Storm Kingdom will be next.

There’s no avoiding it. No negotiating around it. Their territories are too close. Conflict is inevitable.

Unless they can somehow hold off Stellamaris Kingdom’s advance and maintain a cold balance, like the current standoff between the Five Sea Kingdoms and Crimsonstar.

But that’s a fantasy.

Emerald Castle has three Crimson Ultimate heroes.

How the hell are they supposed to stop that?

Even if they could hold out now, what about later—when those three monsters grow stronger?

Then it’s game over.

In other words, the moment Emerald Castle moved their piece and took Stellamaris, they and Storm Kingdom were locked into a death match.

One of them had to fall.

Unless Storm Kingdom was willing to kneel... to submit to Emerald Castle.

But that was never going to happen.

They hadn’t even fought yet—how could they surrender now?

Which meant only one thing: they had to strike first. Do whatever it took to weaken Stellamaris before it grew too powerful. Crush it, if possible.

Regnar XI took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as he turned to Edric, his voice low and cold.

"Edric, I want you to go meet with Lord Maelthorak. Tell him we’ve located the Emerald Castle lord. Then reach out to Crimsonstar Kingdom. If Stellamaris rises, they’ll be the first to fall. I’m sure even that idiot Elandor will see reason and accept our... ’friendly offer.’"

"Yes, Your Majesty..."

Corvan opened his mouth again, but this time, he didn’t even try.

He just stood there, shoulders slumped, eyes hollow.

Because he knew—this was out of his hands now.

...