Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 298: The Jewel King

You think Elder Thaloren wasn’t pissed?

Oh, he was furious.

Ethan had killed two of their orange-tier Legendary heroes—two of their best—and now they were the ones who had to come crawling back with apologies? How humiliating was that?

How could he not be angry?

Anyone would be!

But as the High Elder of the Abyssan Naga Temple, Thaloren carried the weight of his entire people on his shoulders. That meant he didn’t have the luxury of throwing a tantrum like Orykas. He couldn’t afford to get mad like a regular person—he had to get mad smart.

And this? This was what smart anger looked like.

A no-win trap, gift-wrapped as a favor.

Was it really that subtle or complicated? Not really. Anyone who thought it through carefully could probably see it. But the brilliance of it wasn’t in how hidden it was—it was in how utterly inescapable it was.

It was the kind of trap where—even if you knew you were being played—you still had no choice but to walk right into it. And worse, you’d have to smile and thank the guy who set it.

That was Thaloren’s way of fighting back against Ethan—using his brain.

"E-Elder Thaloren, you... you..."

As for Orykas, the Naga Swordmaster, he was frozen stiff, a chill running down his spine. His scalp tingled, his limbs went numb, and he couldn’t even get the words out.

Honestly, even though Thaloren had told him time and time again—use your brain, use your brain, use your damn brain—he’d never really taken it seriously. He’d always thought, what’s the point? Power is everything.

If you’re strong enough, who needs brains?

But now, for the first time, he truly understood just how terrifying "using your brain" could be.

This so-called "trap" was just a few words. That’s it.

But those words carried the weight of divine power.

Even though the Lord of Emerald Castle knew he was being manipulated, he still had no choice but to walk into the trap. And even after paying a steep price, taking massive risks, and barely making it through—he’d still have to turn around and thank Elder Thaloren for the privilege.

It was...

It was just...

Orykas was speechless. His heart trembled, his face went pale. He could only stand there in stunned silence.

"Sigh..."

Just then, Elder Thaloren let out a long breath and spoke.

"Orykas, to be honest, I don’t actually want him to fail. What we need right now isn’t more enemies, or irrelevant losers—we need powerful allies. Friends. Maybe even partners."

"If he really does come out on top in the end... then we’ll probably have to do this all over again. And next time, we’ll be offering a real apology."

With that, Thaloren shook his head and dove deeper into the sea, disappearing into the dark waters.

Orykas stood there for a long, long time, silent and still... before finally following after him without a word. The ocean returned to its quiet, lifeless calm.

Meanwhile—

The Stellamaris Kingdom had just welcomed a new guest.

...

Stellamaris Kingdom,

Inside one of the royal palaces. freewebnσvel.cøm

"The Jewel King Astharel, at your service, Lord Valkarion."

An elderly man with golden hair and a crown atop his head bowed respectfully to Ethan, his face lined with age but lit up with a warm smile. This was none other than Astharel Gemspirel, the current Jewel King of the Gemspire Kingdom.

[Astharel Gemspirel]

From the Greenwave Sea, one of the Five Sea Kingdoms. Current ruler of the Gemspire Kingdom.

Level: 55

Race: Human

Tier: Epic (Purple)

Class: Gem Berserker

Tier Rank: Tier 10

Attack: ...

Overall Rating: S-Class Epic Hero

Standing just behind Astharel was none other than The Tidebreaker, Paxton.

He glanced at Ethan, his expression complicated, clearly wrestling with something. After a moment, he finally spoke.

"Valkarion... regarding the Crimsonstar Kingdom, His Majesty would like to speak with you personally. I’ll excuse myself—"

But before he could finish, The Jewel King Astharel raised a hand and cut him off.

"No need to leave, Paxton. Stay."

Paxton froze for a second, then gave a resigned smile and sat back down. Astharel turned his gaze to Ethan, his eyes sharp and searching. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"Lord Valkarion, I’d like to ask you something. And if possible, I hope you’ll answer me honestly."

"Go ahead," Ethan replied with a nod.

"Is your goal limited to the Crimsonstar Kingdom... or do you plan to keep expanding?"

The question hit like a stone dropped into still water.

Ethan blinked, caught off guard, then fell silent.

The air in the palace grew tense, the atmosphere suddenly heavy.

Expansion?

Yeah... not exactly a light topic.

But if they were going to talk about working together, this was the elephant in the room. No way around it.

After a moment, Ethan gave a small nod and answered quietly, "To be honest, Crimsonstar Kingdom is just the first step."

"If Emerald Castle manages to survive this massive war between factions, then yes—the deep sea is absolutely one of my targets. King Astharel, when that time comes... we might end up as enemies."

The Crimsonstar Kingdom and the surrounding coastal waters were the gateway to the Sacred Continent’s eight duchies.

And the Five Sea Kingdoms? They were the sea route to the Greenwave Empire. From a strategic standpoint, the Five Sea Kingdoms were wide open—Greenwave Empire could’ve taken them anytime. But they didn’t.

They left them alone.

Why?

Simple. They needed a buffer zone between themselves and the mainland.

Direct borders meant friction. Friction meant conflict. Conflict meant war. And while the Greenwave Empire was a dominant naval power, even they weren’t arrogant enough to think they could take on the entire continent alone.

So they backed off.

They let the Five Sea Kingdoms exist as a cushion.

That way, any pressure from the Sacred Continent had to pass through Crimsonstar, then the Five Sea Kingdoms, before it ever reached Greenwave. By the time it got there, it was practically nothing.

This strategy allowed Greenwave Empire to isolate itself from the mainland and focus entirely on ruling the seas.

And honestly? It was a smart move. The ocean was rich in resources—far more than the land. Why waste time fighting over scraps on the continent when you could quietly build an empire beneath the waves?

But...

That same strategy also gave up-and-coming lords like Ethan the breathing room to rise.

Take Ethan’s plan, for example.

First, conquer Crimsonstar Kingdom—lock down the coastal front.

Next, take Sylvanwood. Use it as a foothold to push into the eight duchies that splintered off from the Holy Griffon Empire. Piece by piece, he’d carve out territory that seamlessly connected land and sea.

Once that happened, his domain would rival a major duchy in size.

Then, with the Five Sea Kingdoms at his back, he could push inland. And once he’d swallowed the eight duchies whole, he could turn around and strike the Five Sea Kingdoms from behind—bringing him face-to-face with the Greenwave Empire.

If he pulled it off—if he took the Five Sea Kingdoms, the coastal waters, and the eight duchies—he’d be a force on par with Greenwave itself.

And when that day came?

Greenwave Empire would be next on his list.

So yeah... if you were the Gemspire Kingdom, one of the Five Sea Kingdoms, odds were Ethan wasn’t going to let you off the hook.

Because your future was directly tied to his.

But hearing Ethan lay it all out so bluntly—so damn honestly—left both Paxton and Astharel with bitter smiles on their faces.

"Lord Valkarion," Astharel said with a sigh, "I have to admit... you’re brutally honest."

"If I lied about something like that," Ethan said with a shrug, "I’d be treating you like fools."

Astharel’s smile twisted into something more pained. "But if that’s the case... do you really think we can still work together?"

A guy who openly admitted he planned to swallow their kingdom whole... now wanted to talk about cooperation?

What kind of madness was that?

"Why not?" Ethan shot back, raising an eyebrow.

Then, with a cold, almost mocking smile, he added, "Or what—do you really want to keep playing watchdog for the Greenwave Empire?"