Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 292: The Deep Naga Temple

"No... it’s not the same." Seran shook his head, his voice calm. "Zyraxis, you were born a Hero Unit—you’ll never understand what it’s like for the rest of us. Let me ask you something... do you know how old the Grand Elder is now?"

"How old?"

"Almost thirty thousand years," Seran said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"Thirty thousand?!"

"Th-thirty thousand?!"

"Thirty... thousand..."

The moment Seran said it, Zyraxis, Lilith, and Ethan all froze, their expressions shifting in shock.

"Yeah," Seran continued, his tone heavy. "The Grand Elder’s pushing thirty thousand. Since the day I was born, he’s been the strongest among the Gem Dragons. I’ve even heard him say he’s lived through four or five major faction wars—some of them world-shaking. And yet, even after all that, he’s still nowhere near becoming a Hero Unit. Not even close. There’s not a shred of hope."

"Zyraxis, do you know why that is?" Seran turned to look at Zyraxis—

But after just a glance, his gaze shifted to Ethan instead. He spoke slowly, deliberately.

"It’s because if you stay stuck in your old ways, if you never take a step forward, you’ll never evolve into a Hero Unit. That’s something the Grand Elder told me himself."

"That’s why I chose to follow the Lord. I left the clan, stepped out into the world—because only by doing that do I have even the slightest chance of evolving."

He paused, then smiled.

"To be honest, My Lord, one of the reasons I chose to follow you was because you had a Crimson Ultimate Hero by your side. Being near someone like that... it’s bound to help with my evolution. But I underestimated you."

"You don’t just have one Crimson Ultimate Hero..."

"You have two!"

"You really are something else!"

By the end, Seran’s voice was tinged with excitement. You could hear the respect and admiration in his tone.

But as he finished, Ethan and Lilith exchanged a glance—

And then both of them burst out laughing.

"Hahahahaha..."

Zyraxis and Seran blinked, clearly confused by the reaction.

"My Lord, what’s so funny?" Zyraxis asked, unable to hold back.

Lilith looked over at Ethan, her eyes asking for permission.

Ethan gave a small nod.

With that, Lilith turned back to Zyraxis and Seran, a playful smile on her lips.

"Two Crimson Ultimate Heroes? You’ve got it wrong. Here at Emerald Castle, we don’t just have two..."

"We have three."

"Th-three?!"

"Three Crimson Ultimate Heroes?!"

Zyraxis and Seran’s eyes went wide, pupils contracting in disbelief.

They stood there, completely stunned.

Lilith’s words hit them like a thunderclap.

Three Crimson Ultimate Heroes?

That wasn’t just impressive—that was insane.

"My third Crimson Ultimate Hero... you’ll be meeting him soon enough," Ethan said with a faint smile. "Though by then, you’ll probably be marching under his command—straight into battle against the Dungeon army."

He chuckled at first, but then his expression darkened, his voice dropping into a murmur.

After the journey across the sea, his power had grown—drastically, even—but when it came to facing the Dungeon horde... or worse, the Dark Alliance, those monstrous forces... he still wasn’t sure he was ready.

Right now, he was standing at the edge of the final, treacherous peaks on the path to the top. The kind of path where one wrong step meant death. But if he made it through—if he pushed past the danger—he’d soar.

This was his shot. His one real chance. And yeah, it was risky as hell, but he had to take it. Because who knew when the next faction war would come? Or if there’d even be a next time?

No one could say.

And when Ethan finished speaking, both Zyraxis, the Mana Crystal Dragon, and Seran, the Gem Dragon, straightened up instantly. Their expressions turned serious, and they bowed deeply toward him.

"As you command, my Lord!"

"You have our word. The Gem Dragon Clan does not fear war!"

...

A few days later, Ethan’s Tier 4 warship finally arrived at the shores of the Stellamaris Kingdom.

Lined up along the coastline was Queen Thalassa herself, flanked by ranks of Stellamaris troops, all waiting for Ethan’s return. The moment they spotted his ship, Thalassa stepped forward, her posture regal, her voice respectful.

"Welcome home, my Lord. We’ve been awaiting your return."

Ethan descended the ramp of the warship, his eyes already scanning the horizon. "Thalassa," he asked as he approached, "what’s the situation with the Tidebreaker?"

"I’ve already sent Master Mareth to negotiate," she replied softly. "But... it seems they’re still hesitating. No decision yet. However..."

She trailed off, her voice faltering slightly.

"However what?" Ethan paused, turning to look at her.

"There are two envoys who arrived recently. They claim to be from the Deep Sea Naga Tribe. They’re waiting for you in the palace—they’ve requested an audience."

She hesitated again, then added, "And... they brought gifts. A lot of them. Gold, all six core resources, and even rare materials like Abyssal Mithril. Not to mention hundreds of elite troops—Tier 11 Naga Swordsmen and Tier 12 Naga Swordmasters."

"Deep Sea Naga envoys?" Ethan blinked, surprised.

Immediately, a familiar face flashed through his mind—Kairos, the Naga Swordmaster. frёewebnoѵēl.com

"They’re from Kairos’s people?" he murmured to himself.

Then he shook his head, clearing his thoughts, and turned to the group of heroes behind him.

"Cicero, you’re with me. Everyone else—take some time off. Do as you like."

"Yes, my Lord!" the heroes responded in unison.

Cicero shifted into his humanoid form and fell in step behind Ethan as they made their way toward the heart of the Stellamaris Kingdom—toward the royal palace.

...

Several hours later, inside one of the grand halls of the Stellamaris palace, Ethan finally came face to face with the two Hero Units who claimed to be envoys of the Deep Sea Naga Tribe.

[Orykas]

From the Greenwave Sea, one of the elite warriors of a powerful Deep Sea Naga tribe.

Level: 67

Race: Deep Sea Naga

Tier: Orange Legendary Hero

Class: Naga Swordmaster

Unit Tier: 12

Attack: 313

Defense: 211

...

Overall Rating: B-rank Orange Legendary Hero

[Thaloren]

Also from the Greenwave Sea, Thaloren is the chieftain of a Deep Sea Naga tribe and one of the Ten Elders of the Deep Naga Temple.

Level: 79

Race: Deep Sea Naga

Tier: Orange Legendary Hero

Class: Naga Ocean Mage

Unit Tier: 11

Attack: 166

Defense: 111

Knowledge: 311

Spell Power: 213

...

Overall Rating: SSS-rank Purple Epic Hero (formerly D-rank Orange Legendary Hero)

One look at them, and the contrast was obvious.

Orykas stood tall and powerful—clearly in his prime. His presence radiated strength and discipline, the kind of warrior who’d cut through a battlefield like a blade through water.

Thaloren, on the other hand, looked ancient. His body was hunched, his scales dull and faded, and his long white hair hung limp around his shoulders. He looked like he could barely stand, let alone cast a spell.

But despite appearances, Ethan could tell right away—

Thaloren was the one in charge.

The old mage might’ve looked like he was one foot in the grave, but the way Orykas deferred to him, the way the air shifted when he moved, the sheer weight of his presence—it was clear. This wasn’t just some frail elder. This was a man who’d seen centuries of war, who’d survived things most wouldn’t dare imagine.

And then there was that name...

"The Deep Naga Temple... what the hell is that?" Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly, thoughts racing behind them.

...