Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 856: The World Blinked
For the first time, Ethan's heart truly sank to rock bottom.
He knew it—
There was no way he could take that hit head-on.
And then—
A shadow dropped from the sky.
Boom!
It slammed hard into his back.
In the next instant, the Powered Combat Armor activated.
Metal components unfolded like a living creature, snapping into place and locking around him in a seamless embrace.
That familiar power surged back into his body—
Only this time, it felt even more stable. More complete.
Ethan whipped around.
Down below, in the direction of the lab zone, the scientists stood on the shattered defense platform, pumping their fists in the air.
One of them even threw up both arms in an exaggerated victory pose.
In that moment—
Ethan understood.
The final flaw in the armor had been fixed.
Every ounce of hesitation, every trace of despair—crushed in an instant.
He could feel the power roaring through him.
And then—
He smiled.
A second later, his figure shot upward like a bolt of lightning, straight into the sky.
"Still trying to fight back?"
Arkhadon froze for a beat, then let out a mocking laugh.
To him, this was just a last gasp before death.
He didn't hesitate. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
The massive Energy Greatsword in his hand came crashing down.
But this time—
Ethan didn't dodge.
He steadied himself midair and raised both arms.
Energy surged across the armor's surface, condensing into a thick, nearly tangible barrier of pure force.
He met the attack head-on.
The Energy Greatsword—formed entirely from destructive power—fully materialized in the sky.
It wasn't sharp like a blade of steel.
No—
It looked more like a tear in reality itself, compressed to the brink.
Wherever the sword passed, the air shredded apart. Space warped with fine black cracks. Even light bent unnaturally around it.
Anything that touched that power directly—
Would be erased on the spot.
But Ethan stood his ground.
The outer energy shield of the Powered Combat Armor unfolded layer by layer, forming a flowing wall of light.
On the armor's back, several hidden energy cores lit up in unison.
Stable output.
Continuous recharge.
Circuits closed.
He didn't move.
The Energy Greatsword came crashing down.
No explosion.
Just a sharp, bone-deep compression sound that made your teeth ache.
When the blade struck the energy barrier, space visibly warped and collapsed inward—like two opposing laws of reality were colliding.
Then—
Crack.
A crisp, piercing snap rang out.
The massive sword, forged from the power of destruction itself, fractured at the midpoint. Energy destabilized. The structure—like a beam of light forcibly bent until it broke—shattered in an instant.
The fragments of destructive energy were completely absorbed, redirected, and dispersed by the armor's shield.
Ethan didn't take a single step back.
Arkhadon's pupils shrank sharply.
"…Impossible."
For the first time, his voice faltered.
"I'm channeling the power of this world itself."
"How could your defense override world-level authority?"
Ethan didn't answer.
He simply raised his hand.
A high-speed spinning Energy Disc formed in his palm—then he hurled it.
The disc tore through the air and slammed into Arkhadon's shoulder.
It didn't pierce his flesh, but it left a clear white impact mark across the surface.
Not a wound—
But a residual trace from forcibly disrupting his energy structure.
Ethan didn't stop.
The Powered Combat Armor's propulsion module flared to life, launching him like a meteor straight at Arkhadon.
His fists came down in a relentless barrage.
Each strike carried a tightly compressed shockwave, pounding Arkhadon down toward the ground.
BOOM—!
The earth caved in.
Stone and energy erupted in a chaotic blast.
"You really thought—"
Ethan hovered above, eyes cold as steel.
"You alone could destroy my Emerald Castle?"
The killing intent inside him finally broke loose.
Energy surged and reformed, condensing into a massive energy blade in his hands.
He brought it down.
RUMBLE—!
The ground split open in a jagged line.
Arkhadon's body was absurdly tough—this strike didn't deal a fatal blow.
But—
The disruption had begun.
The rhythm of his destructive energy flow was thrown off.
"Enough!"
Arkhadon roared.
A violent shockwave burst from his body, blasting Ethan backward.
Ethan flipped midair, stabilizing himself. Power surged again, and another energy blade formed in his grip.
His gaze turned sharp, vicious.
"Pathetic."
"You think hiding in that shell puts you on my level?"
"Today—"
"I'll show you what real power looks like."
Destructive energy coiled around his Energy Greatsword as it reformed.
This time, the pressure was even heavier.
Ethan didn't flinch.
He poured everything into the energy blade in his hands and charged straight in.
The two figures collided midair.
The clash rang out like metal slamming metal, again and again.
Sparks and wild energy bursts exploded around them.
They stopped using complex abilities.
Now it was just—
Raw power against raw power.
Once.
Twice.
Dozens of times.
Their weapons clashed in brutal, direct strikes.
Space tore open and stitched itself back together over and over.
In that short span—
Neither could overpower the other.
The people of Emerald Castle hovered quietly at the edge of the sky.
No one dared approach the center of the battlefield.
That zone had become a full-blown energy storm.
Every weapon clash triggered spatial shockwaves.
Every power collision sent out visible shock blasts.
Even the high-tier leaders—those who had already stepped into the upper ranks—could only watch from afar.
They knew—
One step closer, and their bodies could be torn apart.
Time slowed under the crushing pressure.
No one knew how long it lasted.
Until, finally, one last thunderous impact echoed through the sky—and the two figures broke apart.
Ethan and Arkhadon hovered at a distance, facing each other.
Both were breathing heavily now.
Their power had been pushed to the limit.
Neither could suppress the other any further—at least not right now.
Arkhadon slowly raised his head. His gaze was still cold, but now there was a flicker of genuine recognition.
"…I take back what I said."
His voice was low, laced with restrained fury.
"You are… a worthy opponent."
He paused, then his tone turned icy again.
"But that doesn't change what you are."
"A lowly insect."
"I may not kill you today—"
"But one day…"
"I'll tear you apart with my own hands."
As the words left his mouth—
Arkhadon's aura surged.
VMMM—
The space around him twisted violently, as if invisible hands were folding and stretching reality itself.
His body began to merge with the distortion.
And in the next instant—
He vanished, swallowed by space.
Only the rippling distortion remained, slowly fading as the battlefield began to settle.
