Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 843: That Wasn’t Supposed to Exist

Ethan couldn't contain his excitement. He stepped up to the War Machine and slapped its metal hull with a grin, the impact ringing out with a satisfying clang.

"This beast—can it move? How much power can it unleash? And how long can it stay operational in combat?"

The lead researcher immediately pulled up a stack of data—schematics, energy readouts, performance charts. Page after page of precise figures made Ethan's pulse quicken.

With his system, he could already scan and analyze anything in this world. But now, with these scientists under his command, it was like having an external processor—another system entirely—capable of dissecting and optimizing everything down to the last detail.

And buried in the data was something that made his heart race.

If the War Machine operated at full output, it could run continuously for ten days. If pushed into overdrive, it could still fight for three straight days.

That was exactly what Ethan needed—a war engine built for endurance and raw power.

With this, Emerald Castle's strength would skyrocket. The next time Narlost came knocking, they wouldn't just hold the line—they'd crush them.

But just as he was soaking in the thrill of it all, a panicked voice cut through the air.

"Master! Urgent news! A force has appeared outside the barrier!"

Ethan's expression darkened. His eyes sharpened. "So Narlost's dogs came faster than expected. Alert the army—prepare for battle."

"No, Master—it's not Narlost," another voice called out from behind. "They claim to be your followers. They say they've come to join you."

Ethan blinked, caught off guard. His brow furrowed.

Most of the people who wanted to follow him had already been absorbed into Emerald Castle. Could there really still be stragglers out there?

No time to overthink it. He made a quick decision, grabbed a few trusted guards, and headed straight for the outer perimeter.

They reached the edge of the defensive barrier within minutes.

Sure enough, a group of figures hovered in the sky, slowly approaching.

Ethan narrowed his eyes. The energy radiating from them wasn't weak—but as he looked closer, he noticed something off. Many of them looked worn down. Some were women and children, others elderly, their faces pale and bodies thin, clearly ravaged by hunger and hardship.

They had power, yes—but they weren't here to fight. They were here to survive.

Ethan's expression tightened.

They weren't reinforcements. They were refugees.

He took a deep breath, his face unreadable, then rose into the air to meet them.

"Where are you from?" he asked, voice low but firm. "Why have you come to Emerald Castle?"

His tone was calm, but the weight behind it made the air tense.

A man stepped forward from the crowd, clearly acting as their spokesperson.

But before he could finish, the group erupted into noise—dozens of voices speaking at once, each trying to explain, to plead, to be heard. It was chaos. And it was clear—they weren't from the same place.

Ethan didn't respond right away. Instead, he silently activated his system and scanned them all.

The data confirmed it: they came from different dimensional worlds. But all of those worlds were low-tier. The highest among them barely reached Tier 25.

Something clicked in Ethan's mind. He pressed further, asking more pointed questions.

Eventually, the truth came out.

They had once belonged to a powerful civilization—one that had been utterly destroyed by an even greater force. Their homes gone, they'd scattered across the dimensions, searching for safety.

At first, they found temporary shelter in other realms. But as more and more refugees poured in, those places became overcrowded, unstable, and dangerous.

Then they heard whispers of Emerald Castle—of its strength, its defenses, its leader.

And so they came, hoping to find peace. A place to stop running. A place to survive.

Ethan's brow furrowed deeply.

Emerald Castle had grown rapidly—its territory expanding hundreds of times over—but taking in this many refugees all at once? That would strain everything: food, housing, security. Social unrest was inevitable.

Worse, even with all the resources under his control, he wasn't sure they could sustain this many people for long.

He took a breath, recalibrating. His plan was to speak with them briefly, lay down the rules—self-sufficiency or nothing—and prepare to relocate them outside the city if necessary.

But just as he was about to speak, two little girls stepped forward, their eyes wide and frightened. One of them tugged gently at his sleeve.

"Big brother… can we stay?" she asked, voice soft and trembling. "We haven't eaten in a long time…"

The words hit him like a bolt of lightning.

That tiny voice, the way they looked up at him—thin arms, dirt-smudged faces, eyes full of hope—it cracked something inside him. He knew this was a bad idea. He knew the risks. But before he could stop himself, the words were already forming.

"Let them in."

He didn't open the gates to the main city, though. He wasn't that reckless.

Instead, he ordered the refugees to be settled on the plains outside the central fortress. They'd be given basic supplies—shelter, food, water—but not access to the castle's core. Not yet.

Once everything was in motion, Ethan gathered a dozen trusted subordinates and headed into the nearby mountain range. He needed to verify the refugees' story—specifically, the part about the army that had destroyed their world.

According to them, that force had already reached this region.

Ethan scanned the terrain as they moved. Aside from the jagged peaks, the surrounding area was nothing but barren desert. No vegetation. No water. No signs of life.

It didn't make sense. A force large enough to wipe out entire worlds wouldn't camp in a place like this. There was no cover, no resources. It was a tactical dead zone.

He was just about to call off the search when a sudden surge of energy slammed into his senses.

The sky above twisted.

A massive, coiling dragon-shaped aura formed in the clouds, its presence suffocating. The pressure alone made the air feel like it was collapsing inward.

"Master! That's a dragon—an ancient one!" Cicero's voice rang out, sharp with both excitement and alarm.

The green dragon didn't wait for orders. His body flashed with golden light as he shot into the sky, wings unfurling mid-flight. Power surged through him, condensing into a glowing energy sphere that he hurled straight at the draconic presence.

The sphere expanded midair, crackling with violent force. The shockwave tore through the sky like a blade, splitting clouds and shaking the mountains.

But the dragon's aura didn't just hold—it exploded outward.

The counterforce hit Cicero like a hammer. He was flung backward, spinning through the air like a broken kite before slamming into a distant cliffside with a thunderous crash.

"What the hell?!"

Ethan's eyes widened. The pressure bearing down on him was immense—far beyond anything he'd expected.

In an instant, his own aura erupted, a tidal wave of energy blasting outward as he shot forward and caught Cicero mid-fall, pulling him out of the air before he could hit the ground again.

Without hesitation, Ethan formed an Energy Disc in his palm and hurled it skyward. The disc tore through the air, its force so intense it shattered the lingering shockwaves and cleared the suffocating pressure in an instant.

His gaze locked onto the sky, burning with fury.

"Who are you?" he shouted, voice like thunder. "You think you can show up here and cause trouble? You've got a death wish?"

His words echoed across the mountains, laced with raw authority.

Then, the sky shimmered—and a figure emerged.

Tall. Towering. Radiating power.

The being's entire body was covered in eyes—dozens, maybe hundreds—each one glowing with a strange, multicolored light like embedded gemstones. The air around him pulsed with unnatural energy.

From those eyes, power surged—wild, chaotic, and overwhelming.

It gathered into a massive energy sphere, swirling with unstable force, and launched straight toward Emerald Castle.