Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 261: Whew… made it out alive

"Lord Valkarion, Paxton asked me to pass along a message—he’d love for you to visit him in the Gemspire Kingdom! You’re more than welcome there. Oh, and this warship? It’s a gift from him to you!"

Zyraxis, the Mana Crystal Dragon, hovered in the air, his wings beating slowly as he gestured toward the massive vessel floating on the distant sea.

"That’s..." Ethan blinked, caught off guard. Then a grin slowly spread across his face. "Seriously?"

He hadn’t expected The Tidebreaker Paxton to leave him a Tier 4 warship.

That was no small gift.

Even in the Five Sea Kingdoms—or hell, even in the Greenwave Empire, which practically lived and breathed the ocean—Tier 4 warships were top-tier assets. Their value rivaled, if not outright surpassed, that of multiple 14-Tier Mythic Units.

"This is... a hell of a gift," Ethan muttered as he flew toward the ship, a mix of excitement and reluctant amusement in his voice.

As amazing as the gift was, it came with strings attached.

And favors? Favors were tricky.

They could be small, sure—but they could also be massive. If he had a choice, he’d rather pay for something outright or trade for it. Owing someone like Paxton a favor? That was a dangerous kind of debt.

But what could he do now? The ship was already his. And to be honest... he really wanted it.

So yeah. Guess he was keeping it.

Ethan chuckled and shook his head, then turned his attention to the ship’s specs, which had just popped up in his interface.

[HMS Dauntless] (Name can be changed)

Type: Advanced Military Magic Warship (No sails)

Class: Tier 4 Warship (Note: Tier 1–3 are classified as warboats; Tier 4–5 are full warships)

Weapon Systems: Arcane Barrier, Magic-Guided Cannons, Deep-Sea Missiles, Orbital Magic Missiles, High-Energy Magic Bombs

Damage Types: Magical, Physical

Troop Capacity: 20,000

Main Cannons: 16

Main Cannon Damage: 177–213

Magic Energy Reserve: 55%

Secondary Cannons: 64

Secondary Cannon Damage: 121–135

Hull Integrity (HP): 40,000

Arcane Barrier: Reflects 3% damage, adaptive damage reduction 10%–15%, barrier HP: 20,000. Can be sustained and repaired.

Cruising Speed: ...

...

"Just as I thought... Tier 4 and up warships really are on par with Mythic Units in terms of combat power."

Ethan skimmed the stats, and even with just a glance, he could already get a rough sense of the ship’s true strength.

Main cannon damage topping out at 213? That was right in the ballpark of a Mythic Ace Unit.

Even the secondary cannons, maxing at 135, could seriously threaten standard Mythic Units.

In other words, as long as the ship had enough magical energy to run at full capacity, its firepower could easily outmatch most Mythic Units—and might even rival a Mythic Ace Unit in raw destructive potential.

And that Arcane Barrier? That was practically a second life.

A god-tier ability, no question.

Still, the ship wasn’t without its weaknesses. For one, it had a massive health pool but no real armor—so if enemies got in close, it could be in serious trouble. Its full power depended on keeping enemies at a distance.

And then there was the issue of mobility. It wasn’t exactly nimble.

Any 14-Tier Mythic Unit worth their salt can fly, dive, and move freely through any terrain—no limits, no boundaries. But this warship? Not so much. It’s stuck on the ocean’s surface. That alone makes it pretty restricted in terms of mobility.

Then there’s the issue of energy reserves—and how long it can actually stay in a fight.

Even with a full 100% energy charge, a Tier 4 warship can only sustain high-intensity combat for, what, thirty minutes tops?

Sure, half an hour sounds like a decent stretch on paper. But in a real battle? Wars don’t wrap up in thirty minutes. That’s just not how it works.

So yeah, energy’s a serious concern.

Still, even with those limitations, the value of a Tier 4 warship is undeniable. I mean, this thing can take down Mythic Units. What more do you want? Can’t be too greedy now.

"Zyraxis, until next time!"

Ethan stepped aboard the Tier 4 warship, the deck humming beneath his boots as he took the helm and set sail toward his next mission.

"Lord Valkarion of Emerald Castle, I look forward to your triumphant return!" Zyraxis called out, his crystalline eyes gleaming. Then, with a shimmer of magical particles, the Mana Crystal Dragon vanished in a flash of light, heading back to Gem Dragon Isle.

Meanwhile, on the deck of the ship, Ethan summoned Kyros and Auremax, his tone shifting to business.

"Kyros, Auremax—what do you know about the Deep Sea Leviathan and the Leviathan species?"

"Deep Sea Leviathan and Leviathan?" Auremax blinked, then glanced at Kyros. "My lord, I think Prince Kyros might be more familiar with them than I am."

Kyros nodded thoughtfully. "Master, the Deep Sea Leviathan and the Leviathan are ancient oceanic creatures—Mythic and Legendary Units from the Abyssal faction. Honestly, they’re some of the most powerful sea-based units out there. Among the few who can actually go toe-to-toe with our Kirin race in the water."

Ethan narrowed his eyes. "Do they have any weaknesses?"

"Weaknesses?" Kyros paused, thinking it over. "If I had to name one, I’d say it’s their lack of close-combat prowess. Both the 14-Tier Deep Sea Leviathan and the 13-Tier Leviathan rely almost entirely on their tentacles as weapons. And those things are tough—annoyingly tough. They hit hard, too."

"If you get caught in their tentacles, it’s hard to break free. The more you struggle, the faster you burn through your stamina. Eventually, you’re just... done."

Kyros’s tone shifted, a hint of disdain creeping in. "But aside from those tentacles, the rest of their bodies are surprisingly fragile—especially the heart. Hit that, and you can deal massive damage. Maybe even kill them outright. That’s why they avoid close combat whenever they can. They prefer lurking in the deep, waiting to ambush when no one’s looking."

"Close combat, huh..." Ethan’s eyes gleamed with thought.

If it came down to melee, his Behemoth units and Bronze Golem Karnak were absolute powerhouses. But the real question was—how the hell do you get close to a Deep Sea Leviathan?

Neither the Behemoths nor the Metal Golems were aquatic units. Sure, they weren’t exactly afraid of the ocean, but they’d still be limited in movement underwater. That would definitely affect their combat effectiveness.

Aside from them, the only ones who could really go head-to-head with the Leviathans were Kyros and the other Kirin.

Of course, the Kirin—and especially the Sacred Kirin—were widely recognized as the kings of sea-based combat. One-on-one, they could absolutely overpower a Leviathan or even a Deep Sea Leviathan.

But the problem was numbers.

He didn’t have enough of them. Not even fifty, all told.

That wasn’t gonna cut it.

Especially not when the Leviathan faction apparently had a Crimson Ultimate Hero among them. Ethan rubbed his temples, feeling the pressure mount.

"Yeah, no... charging in headfirst isn’t gonna work. Not yet. We need to scout them out first—get a feel for what we’re dealing with. And besides, Seraphina and Cicero are still on their way. That’ll take time."

After thinking it through, Ethan made up his mind—this was going to be an all-hands-on-deck situation.

He’d call in every available unit under his command. No holding back.

Because let’s be real—a Crimson Ultimate Hero at the Legendary Unit level, backed by hundreds of Legendary and Mythic Units? That’s not something you mess with lightly.

He had to play this smart.

...

A few days later, Ethan’s Tier 4 warship cut through the churning waters of the Arcane Mistsea—a place where the sky was perpetually dim, the sea raged like a beast, and the air crackled with unstable magic.

"So this is the place?" Ethan narrowed his eyes at the violent, storm-lashed sea, then turned to Kyros beside him. "Kyros, I need you to scout ahead. Find out exactly where they’re hiding. And if you can, try to draw out their Crimson Ultimate Hero. But listen—your safety comes first. Got it?"

Kyros gave a confident grin. "Don’t worry, Master. The ocean’s my domain. If I want to get out, no one’s stopping me."

With that, he leapt overboard and vanished into the depths with barely a splash.

BOOM.

BOOM.

BOOOOOOM...

Moments later, the already furious Arcane Mistsea erupted into utter chaos.

Towering waves rose like mountains, blotting out the sky. From deep beneath the surface came a thunderous, bone-rattling roar that shook the entire warship.

Massive shadows began to stir beneath the waves—colossal, shifting forms that moved with terrifying purpose.

Then came the tentacles.

Dozens of them, thick as towers and covered in jagged, pulsating runes, burst from the sea and lashed toward the sky. The sight alone was enough to make Ethan’s skin crawl. His breath caught in his throat, and a cold sweat broke out across his back.

Shit.

FWOOOSH!

Kyros shot out of the water like a missile, his voice sharp with urgency. "Master, RUN!"

"ROOOAAARRR!"

At the same time, a deafening roar exploded from the deep.

And then it rose.

A monster—no, a nightmare—emerged from the abyss. It had to be tens of thousands of feet long, its body a writhing mass of darkness and tentacles, its presence blotting out the sea behind it. The pressure alone felt like it could crush steel.

Tentacles surged toward Ethan like a tidal wave of death.

"Crimson Ultimate Hero?!" Ethan’s pupils shrank to pinpricks.

No hesitation.

He slammed the controls, pushing the Tier 4 warship to full throttle, engines roaring as the ship tore across the sea, fleeing at top speed.

"ROOOAAARRR!"

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Behind him, the sea exploded in chaos.

But Ethan wasn’t alone.

The Kirin and Sacred Kirin—already in position and ready—launched their counterattack. Kyros led the charge, unleashing their racial ultimate: Tsunami.

A wall of water surged forward, crashing into the Leviathan’s assault and forcing the beast back into the depths.

"Whew... made it out alive."

Ethan exhaled hard, adrenaline still pumping as he opened his interface.

If everything had gone right, the system should’ve logged some basic intel on that monster from the encounter just now...