Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 271: Soulbind Nexus?!

BZZZZT!

The world around Ethan suddenly twisted like a warped mirror, and in the blink of an eye, he was yanked into some kind of alternate dimension. At the same time, a deep, mechanical voice echoed in his ears, freezing him in place.

"Player Valkarion, attention!"

"Player Valkarion, attention!"

"Level 4 Strategic Artifact: Soulbind Shackles has been activated!"

"Combatants have entered the special domain—Soulbind Nexus. Death within this space prevents soul units from returning to Creature Dwellings or being revived at the Hero Altar. Upon three consecutive kills of the opponent, the Soulbind Nexus will collapse automatically."

...

Soulbind Shackles?!

Soulbind Nexus?!

Ethan blinked, stunned. Did he hear that right? No way. That was the Soulbind Shackles?! The real deal?

"Valkarion!"

"You filthy human maggot!"

Across from him, the Naga Swordmaster, Kairos, bared his fangs in a twisted grin, eyes burning with rage and mockery. "You dared to defy the will of the gods? Then I, in the name of Sea King Maelthorak, will deliver your punishment!"

"You know where you are now? Let me enlighten you! This is the Soulbind Domain—one of the Necropolis faction’s most feared artifacts. A space forged by the Soulbind Shackles!"

"Here, your life is mine to toy with!"

"Even if I kill you, your soul will be trapped here, unable to return to the Hero Altar. You’ll be stuck in this limbo until you’re completely erased! Scared yet, you pathetic little worm? Hahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA!"

Kairos was practically vibrating with manic glee, his confidence surging back like a tidal wave. His face twisted with triumph as he stared Ethan down, laughing like a madman.

This was his trump card.

In the world of Glory Lords X, death wasn’t always the end. Heroes could be revived at the Hero Altar, and soul units could return to their Creature Dwellings. But the Soulbind Shackles? That was one of the few exceptions.

A Level 4 Strategic Artifact—technically a replica of the legendary Level 5 version—it didn’t offer permanent death, but it was still terrifying. If you got killed three times in this space, the artifact would collapse and go dormant... but three deaths? That was more than enough to break even the strongest.

Even Legendary-tier heroes in orange, or the godlike Crimson Ultimate heroes—hell, even the so-called invincible deities—if they got taken down three times in a row, their power would plummet. From the heavens to the dirt, just like that. And for regular heroes? Forget it.

...

No exaggeration—this artifact was a death sentence for most.

In this place, titles didn’t matter. Status didn’t matter. The only thing that counted was raw power. It was a brutal, unforgiving arena where the strong ruled and the weak were crushed.

And right now, Kairos—the Naga Swordmaster—saw himself as the one in control. The victor. The Overlord of this domain.

Ethan? In his eyes, Ethan was just another weakling about to be torn apart.

"Hahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA—"

But then, something happened that Kairos didn’t expect.

Ethan laughed.

Not a nervous chuckle. Not a sarcastic snort. A real laugh—deep, genuine, and full of amusement.

"You... what the hell are you laughing at?!"

Kairos’s grin faltered. His voice cracked with fury as he glared at Ethan, eyes twitching.

He’d expected fear. Despair. Maybe even tears. That’s what people usually showed when faced with the Soulbind Shackles.

But Ethan?

Ethan was laughing.

And that unsettled him more than he cared to admit. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

"What am I laughing at? Heh... I’m thanking you, obviously."

Ethan grinned, eyes twinkling with amusement as he looked straight at the stunned Naga Swordmaster Kairos.

"You just handed me a gift, man. I was literally just thinking how I needed something like this—and boom, you show up with the perfect solution. Soulbind Shackles? That’s not a trap. That’s a damn blessing. So yeah, thanks. Really."

He was smiling ear to ear now, and it wasn’t forced. He was genuinely thrilled.

And why wouldn’t he be?

Just a few days ago, he’d been racking his brain over the Forest Library project. Sure, it was one of his best bets to eventually take down a Leviathan-tier hero, but building it? That wasn’t something you knocked out over a weekend. We’re talking years—maybe even decades.

And yeah, technically, with his current status as an orange-tier Legendary hero, he had time. Lifespan in the thousands, maybe tens of thousands of years. A few decades was like a summer internship.

But still... for a guy who was barely in his twenties? That kind of wait felt like an eternity.

And to make matters worse, by the time he actually finished the damn thing, Seraphina and Cicero would probably have hit their second awakenings. Even if they were fighting on enemy turf, two of them against one? Odds were they’d be fine.

Which meant the Forest Library plan? Kinda pointless.

So yeah, he’d been stressing about it.

But now?

Now it was like the universe had read his mind and handed him a cheat code.

Soulbind Shackles.

Screw fourth-tier domain magic—this was the real deal. The most broken, overpowered Strategic Artifact in the game. Who needed years of prep when you had this?

It was beautiful.

"HAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Kairos blinked, thrown off by Ethan’s reaction. For a second, he just stood there, stunned. Then his face twisted into a sneer, and he burst out laughing—loud, mocking, and full of contempt.

"You seriously think you can beat me? You? Don’t tell me you’re actually that delusional!"

But before he could finish basking in his own arrogance, something changed.

One by one, massive figures began to materialize behind Ethan—towering, powerful silhouettes that shimmered with raw energy.

Kairos’s laughter died in his throat.

His pupils shrank. His face went pale.

"You... you..."

"What’s wrong, Kairos?" Ethan tilted his head, voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Weren’t you just full of confidence a second ago? Cat got your tongue now?"

Kairos stood frozen, like someone had cast a petrify spell on him. His mouth hung open, but no words came out.

Ethan could barely hold it in anymore.

"Hahahahahahahaha..."

Ethan couldn’t help it anymore—he burst out laughing.

Honestly, if Kairos had been just a little more cautious, if he’d brought a full army of Legendary and Mythic Units to the negotiation table, things might’ve gone differently. Ethan still didn’t think he would’ve lost, but it definitely would’ve been a bloodbath. Messy. Complicated. Like that brutal war with the Crimsonstar Kingdom all over again.

But now?

Now this dumbass had walked right into the trap—alone.

Who the hell does that?

To be fair, under normal circumstances, it kinda made sense. A one-on-one duel? Kairos was a Level 70+ orange-tier Legendary hero. In a straight-up fight, he had every reason to believe he could win.

But he’d missed one very important detail.

A fatal one.

Ethan wasn’t just a hero—he was a Lord.

And in the world of Glory Lords X, every Lord was blessed by the laws of the main world. That meant access to a personal Hero Unit and troop-carrying space—basically, a mobile army in your back pocket.

For players, it was like having a hero and unit inventory system.

Kairos, despite being one of Sea King Maelthorak’s top lieutenants, had either forgotten that—or worse, never even considered it. Maybe he thought Ethan was just some upstart. Maybe he figured no one would dare defy the Sea King’s divine will.

Either way, he’d come alone.

No backup. No army.

And Ethan?

Ethan had brought the whole damn squad.

Seraphina.

Cicero.

Kyros.

Elyra.

Auremax.

Bronze Golem Karnak.

Gold Golem Arbachel.

And behind them? Hundreds—literally hundreds—of Tier 12, Tier 13, and Tier 14 elite units.

This wasn’t a fight.

This was a massacre waiting to happen.

"Master, this place... is it what I think it is?" Cicero asked, stepping forward, his eyes scanning the strange, ethereal battlefield. His voice was calm, but there was a spark of excitement in it.

Ethan turned to him, smiling like a kid on Christmas morning.

"Yup. Someone just handed us a gift-wrapped opportunity."

"This is the Soulbind Nexus—special domain of the Level 4 Strategic Artifact, Soulbind Shackles."

He said it like he was announcing a party.

Meanwhile, Kairos looked like he’d just seen a ghost.

His face had gone completely white. Sweat poured down his scaled skin. His heart felt like it had dropped into a bottomless pit.

He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

He’d thought Ethan was bluffing. That maybe he had a few tricks up his sleeve, sure—but this?

This was a damn army.

Hero Units—plural. Crimson-tier Ultimate heroes like Seraphina and Cicero, who, according to his intel, were supposed to be back on the Sacred Continent. What the hell were they doing here, in the middle of the ocean?

And those Tower-faction Metal Golems—where the hell had those come from?

This wasn’t a duel.

This was a firing squad.

He was screwed. Completely, utterly screwed.

Kairos’s mind reeled. His intel had been wrong—so wrong. He’d walked into this thinking he was the executioner.

But now?

Now he was the one with his head on the chopping block.

His legs trembled. His breath came in short, panicked gasps.

...