Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 273: Overlord?

Under normal circumstances, when a Hero Unit dies, they’ll randomly lose between one to five levels.

But the odds of dropping all five levels? Practically nonexistent. We’re talking fractions of a percent here. Honestly, even losing four levels is ridiculously rare—less than five percent, easily.

Unless your luck is just catastrophically bad...

Seriously, in most cases, a Hero Unit might lose one, maybe two levels tops. Even losing three is already pushing it.

But now?

Now this guy just straight-up lost four levels in one go?!

Pfft...

Ethan couldn’t hold it in anymore.

He was about to burst out laughing.

He honestly hadn’t expected it—this guy’s luck was that bad? One death and he drops four levels? That’s basically the same as what most people would lose after dying twice.

Damn. This guy’s not just unlucky—he’s cursed.

Hahahahahahahahahaha...

Meanwhile, even in his current soul state, the Naga Swordmaster, Kairos, was still staring at Ethan and Seraphina with a mix of lingering despair and fear in his eyes.

But beneath that, buried deep in his gaze, was something darker—pure hatred. A venomous grudge aimed straight at Ethan.

And behind that? A fury so intense it was practically boiling over. Madness, rage—barely contained.

If he still had a physical body, he’d probably be shaking with rage right now, face twisted in fury.

Sure, Ethan was laughing his ass off at the guy’s misfortune, but for Kairos?

This was a devastating blow. A total disaster.

In the world of Glory Lords X, one of the things heroes fear most is death. And the stronger they are, the more they dread it.

Because the consequences? They’re brutal.

Take Kairos, for example.

He just lost four levels from this one death.

You know what that means?

Since level is directly tied to power, regaining those lost levels is going to take him forever. At his current tier, it could easily take centuries just to claw his way back.

And that’s assuming he’s lucky enough to be in the middle of a war, with battles happening everywhere—plenty of chances to earn XP.

But if this had happened during peacetime? Forget centuries—add another zero to that timeline and it still might not be enough. Hell, there’s no guarantee he’d ever recover at all.

The future’s unpredictable. Who can say they’ll always be on top, always safe, never in danger?

Yeah, no. That’s a fantasy.

Which is exactly why losing four levels like this? It’s like someone ripped out his spine, drained his blood, and carved up his flesh.

The loss was massive. Absolutely devastating.

Right now, the hatred boiling inside Kairos was so intense, he could practically taste it. If he had his way, he’d tear Ethan apart with his bare hands—rip him to shreds, devour him alive, make him suffer a thousand deaths.

But he also knew...

That was nothing more than a fantasy.

A pathetic, powerless dream.

Worse yet, he didn’t even dare let Ethan sense that hatred—couldn’t afford to let a single flicker of resentment show on his face or in his aura.

Because if it were just about losing power, no matter how bad the hit, there was still a chance to bounce back. But if he actually pissed Ethan off—if he really pushed him too far and got himself locked away in these Soulbind Shackles forever?

That would be the real end.

No freedom. No future.

Just eternal imprisonment.

And that kind of fate? That was worse than death. Way worse.

The thought alone was enough to make Kairos snap out of it. He forced himself to let go of the hatred, bury it deep. He took a long, shaky breath, and the proud, arrogant tilt of his head finally dropped. His posture slumped, and the fire in his eyes dimmed.

"...Haaah."

"Lord Valkarion," he said, voice low and strained, "I believe we can... talk. I’m willing to offer compensation. A ransom for my life."

Kairos was groveling now—no pride, no pretense.

He knew exactly where he stood.

His life, his freedom—both were in Ethan’s hands. He was nothing more than a defeated prisoner now. No leverage, no power. And with that, all his arrogance had vanished.

"Compensation?" Ethan raised an eyebrow, then chuckled softly. He stared at Kairos’s soul with a calm, almost amused expression. "Alright, I’ll bite. Let’s hear it. But I hope you don’t waste my time—because I’m not exactly known for my patience. And if this little negotiation drags on too long, or you test my limits..."

He leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a cold, razor-sharp whisper.

"Trust me, the only one who’s gonna suffer is you."

"Kairos... you get that, right?"

The words hit like a hammer.

Kairos’s face twitched hard, his expression twisting into something ugly and bitter.

That was a threat. A blatant, undisguised threat.

But he couldn’t say a damn thing about it. Couldn’t even protest.

Because as harsh and humiliating as Ethan’s words were... they were true. If this deal fell apart, Ethan wouldn’t lose a thing. But Kairos? He’d lose everything. His freedom. His future. His soul.

He couldn’t afford that. Not even for a second.

So he lowered his head even further, shoulders hunched, the picture of defeat and desperation.

"I understand..." Naga Swordmaster Kairos gave a bitter smile, then spoke in a low, careful voice. "Lord Valkarion, I can tell you who leaked your location. It was King Elandor the Seventeenth of the Crimsonstar Kingdom. He’s the one who sold you out."

"Elandor XVII?"

Ethan’s eyes narrowed instantly.

A cold, murderous glint surged in his gaze, sharp and unrelenting.

That damned Crimsonstar Kingdom... really just won’t stay buried, huh?

"Lord Valkarion," Kairos pressed on quickly, seizing the shift in Ethan’s expression, "if you’re planning to take revenge, now’s the perfect time!"

"The faction wars are escalating fast—fighting’s broken out even across the seas. Just recently, an Overlord-level powerhouse issued a personal Overlord Summons..."

Ethan’s eyes flicked toward him, sharp with interest. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

"Overlord?" he echoed, his voice low. His whole body tensed as he stared at Kairos’s soul. "You mean one of the Overlords from the faction forces? And what the hell is an Overlord Summons?"

Honestly, Kairos’s words had caught him completely off guard. He hadn’t expected things to escalate this fast. The faction war had barely even started, and already Overlord-tier monsters were stepping onto the battlefield?

No way. That couldn’t be real.

Was this war speedrunning itself straight to the final boss fight?

Kairos nodded slowly, a flicker of awe and fear flashing across his face before he continued.

"Yes. It’s true. One of the Overlords from our Tidesworn faction—Sacred Kirin’s own Aurclim Wyrmbreaker—has taken the field."

Ethan’s brows shot up.

Aurclim Wyrmbreaker? That name alone sounded like a damn natural disaster.

Kairos went on, his tone more serious now. "Not long ago, an Inferno Overlord descended onto the seas. And when an Overlord shows up... only another Overlord can stand against them. That’s why Aurclim himself had to step in and take command of the war effort."

"An Inferno Overlord’s already here?"

"So soon?!"

Ethan couldn’t help but groan, rubbing his temples.

This was getting out of hand.

The pace of this faction war was completely off the rails. He’d expected skirmishes, maybe a few mid-tier generals clashing first. But this?

Overlords already throwing down?

What happened to buildup? What happened to pacing?

Was this even a war anymore, or just a damn speedrun to the apocalypse?

Jesus.

They were dropping nukes before the first punch was even thrown.

...