Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 263: Full-scale war?

"Elyra, let me see your stats now," Ethan said eagerly, his voice still buzzing with excitement.

Ever since his second awakening, Ethan could no longer access Elyra’s status panel at will—he needed her permission first.

"Yes, Master!" Elyra replied without hesitation, her tone warm and obedient.

A glowing interface shimmered into view before Ethan’s eyes:

[Elyra Auradane]

Gender: Female

Level: 55

Race: Unicorn

Tier: Orange – Legendary

Hero Class: Lightcaster

Attack: 133 (199)

Defense: 115 (167)

Spell Power: 433 (471)

Knowledge: 296 (313)

HP: 43,000

Physical Damage: 275–311

Magic Damage: 454–687

Hero Skills:

Wisdom (Level 4)

Resistance (Level 4)

Light Magic Mastery (Level 4)

... and more

Hero Talents:

Divine Storm (Level 3): Unleashes a massive area-of-effect thunderstorm infused with holy and lightning energy. Devastating damage across a wide radius (257 units). Especially effective against Dark and Water-type enemies, with a 15–35% damage bonus. Classified as Tier 4 Magic.

Sacred Resistance (Level 2): Increases resistance to Light Magic by 15%. Scales with level, up to a max of 90%.

Thunder Resistance (Level 2): Increases resistance to Thunder Magic by 10%. Scales with level, up to a max of 70%.

Thunder Mastery: Boosts Thunder Magic damage by 12%. Increases to 30% upon reaching adulthood, maxing out at 45%. Allows learning and creation of Tier 1–3 Thunder Magic without Wisdom restrictions.

Bearer of Light: Boosts Light Magic damage by 12%. Increases to 30% in adulthood, up to a max of 55%. Allows learning and creation of Tier 1–4 Light Magic, also bypassing Wisdom restrictions.

Avatar of Light & Thunder (Level 2): Can shift into either the Form of Thunder or Form of Light (cannot be active simultaneously).

Form of Thunder: +15% Thunder Magic damage, -30% mana cost.

Form of Light: +20% Light Magic damage, -30% mana cost.

Both forms consume significant stamina and mana.

Can be upgraded to Level 3.

Unicorn Highlord (Level 3): Boosts HP of all Tier 11 unicorn units under command by 20%, and increases their Attack and Defense by 20 points each. Can be upgraded to Level 5.

Overall Rating: S-Class Orange Legendary Hero!

"Whoa... that magic damage is insane..." Ethan muttered, eyes locked on Elyra’s stat panel.

The nearly 700 points of magic damage practically lit up the screen—it was impossible to ignore.

If he translated that number into real combat effectiveness, especially with her skill multipliers factored in... it wasn’t an exaggeration to say she could seriously wound a Tier 13 Legendary Unit in a single strike.

And if she had elemental advantage on top of that?

A one-shot kill wasn’t out of the question.

Even though Elyra hadn’t gained any new talents after her second awakening, all her existing abilities had undergone a massive transformation. Especially Divine Storm—one of her core talents—it had now reached max level: Level 3. Its destructive power was on par with Tier 4 Magic.

And Tier 4 Magic... Ethan didn’t even need to imagine it. He’d seen it firsthand during the Crimsonstar Kingdom campaign, when the Kirin Legion unleashed that apocalyptic tsunami.

That wasn’t just a spell—it was a battlefield nuke. The kind of magic that could wipe out entire armies and decide the outcome of large-scale wars.

Even more crucially, Divine Storm’s thunder element made it a natural counter to sea creatures—an absolute nightmare for anything that lived in the ocean.

"Perfect... looks like things are about to get a whole lot easier," Ethan murmured, a flicker of confidence lighting up in his chest.

With Elyra’s second awakening, she alone could grind down wave after wave of Leviathans and Deep Sea Leviathans. If they could just take out most of the Crimson Ultimate Hero’s support troops—especially those backing the Leviathan Sea Sage—their odds of victory would skyrocket.

And once that happened, a newly awakened Crimson Ultimate Hero wouldn’t be enough to stop them.

Just thinking about it made Ethan’s heart race.

"I didn’t even realize... the power I’ve built up in my hands has already reached this level..."

From the days when he could only look up in awe at Crimson Ultimate Heroes, to now—where he could stand toe-to-toe with one who had undergone a second awakening—that wasn’t just progress. That was a transformation.

"Now we just need Seraphina and Cicero to awaken too..."

"If those two Crimson Ultimate Heroes can complete their second awakenings, then Emerald Castle’s strength might actually be enough to rival the major factions," Ethan said, eyes narrowing, a fierce light burning in their depths.

Sure, they still wouldn’t be able to match the top-tier factions head-on. But just below that level? They’d absolutely be a force to be reckoned with.

That would be a whole new playing field.

"Master."

Just then, Cicero approached, Green Dragon Scepter in hand, his steps calm and steady. He looked at Ethan with curiosity and asked, "I heard from Kyros... our next opponent is a Crimson Ultimate Hero?"

"That’s right," Ethan nodded. "And not just any Crimson Ultimate Hero—one who’s already undergone their second awakening."

He glanced at Cicero—and blinked in surprise.

"Wait... you’re already level 37?!" Ethan’s eyes widened. "How the hell are you guys leveling up so fast? Didn’t the battle at Stellamaris Kingdom just end? How did you—"

Before he could finish, Cicero cut in, his voice low and serious.

"Master, the reason we’ve been able to grow this quickly... is because the major factions have already gone to full-scale war."

"Full-scale war?"

Ethan’s expression shifted instantly, his face tightening with concern. His voice dropped, tense and urgent. "When did this start? What’s the situation now? How bad is it on the continent? What about Sylvanwood?"

He fired off question after question, barely pausing for breath. The anxiety in his tone was impossible to miss.

And for good reason.

A war between the major factions wasn’t just some skirmish—it was a cataclysm. If you didn’t have the strength to protect yourself, getting caught in the crossfire could mean total annihilation. The consequences were beyond terrifying.

"Yeah..." Cicero nodded gravely. "Dungeon and Inferno have joined forces and launched a full-scale invasion of the main world. The primary battlefield is on the mainland, so out here on the seas, we haven’t felt the full pressure yet..."

"But on land, it’s already chaos. The fighting’s brutal. Word is, even top-tier powerhouses like the Inferno Demon King, the Dungeon King, and the Archangel Commander have personally entered the fray."

"Inferno Demon King... Dungeon King... Archangel Commander?!" Ethan’s eyes narrowed, his brows furrowing deep.

Those names weren’t just titles—they were warnings.

The Inferno Demon King and Dungeon King were on the same level as Malphas’s direct superiors—monsters among monsters. And the Archangel Commander? That had to be someone like Wisdom Angel Cain, a being whose presence alone could shift the tide of war.

From what Ethan knew, these were the apex elites of their respective factions—just one step below the Overlords. They were the kind of figures who usually stayed behind the curtain, pulling strings, not stepping onto the battlefield themselves.

But now? They were out there, fighting in person?

That was way too fast.

The war had only just begun, and already the big guns were being deployed? If things kept escalating at this pace, it wouldn’t be long before the Overlords themselves showed up.

And just thinking about that made Ethan’s scalp tingle.

Overlords...

The very word sent a chill down his spine. They were terrifying. Untouchable. But at the same time, deep in his heart, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of awe... and ambition.

Lord. King. Overlord.

These were the three defining tiers of Hero Units across all factions. And Overlords? They sat at the absolute pinnacle—not just of their own factions, but of the entire world of Glory Lords X.

They were like gods.

No—more than gods. Eternal. Indestructible. Immortal.

Once upon a time, Ethan wouldn’t have dared to even dream of reaching that level. It would’ve felt like chasing the moon—beautiful, but hopelessly out of reach.

But now...

Now, a seed had been planted in his heart.

What if Emerald Castle could one day produce an Overlord?

What if he, Ethan, could become one?

What if that impossible dream... wasn’t so impossible anymore?

...