Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 874: Are You My Dad?

Ethan exhaled slowly.

He took a step back, gripping the Energy Greatsword with both hands as the armor system began reallocating all available output.

"So this…"

"…is the true heart of this world."

The next instant—

Both figures moved at once.

Gold and crimson energy collided midair.

BOOM—!!!

The shockwave tore through the underground chamber, shaking the entire mountain. Rock layers split and crumbled, the earth groaning like the mountain itself was crying out in pain.

If this kept going—

The core of this world might not survive.

Ethan clenched his jaw, teeth grinding audibly.

He could feel it—clearly.

His power was being drained, bit by bit.

Not just consumed.

Devoured.

It was like the enemy's very existence granted him a higher-tier "right of extraction," overriding Ethan's own energy flow.

If not for the Powered Combat Armor continuously siphoning energy from the blood-red lake to patch the losses, Ethan would've already collapsed.

The two forces locked in a brutal stalemate, pulling and tearing at each other.

The air was so tense it felt like it might snap.

Then—

From deeper within the cavern, a strange, low sound echoed out.

Not footsteps.

More like the world itself sighing as something ancient stirred from slumber.

A moment later, a weathered, primordial presence began to seep from the darkness.

It wasn't hostile.

But the moment it appeared—

It blanketed the entire underground space.

Ethan.

The crimson warrior.

Both were caught in it.

"…"

They both felt it at once—a sudden weight.

Not pressure.

But the unmistakable sensation of being watched.

"You two—"

A cool, sharp voice rang out through the cavern, tinged with irritation.

"Are you done making noise?"

Ethan's body tensed on instinct.

No system alerts.

No scan results.

It was as if—

Whoever this was didn't even register within the system's definition of "life."

Before he could react, a figure stepped out from the shadows.

She moved slowly.

But the energy around her peeled away with every step, fading into nothing.

Until finally—

A young face emerged into the blood-red glow.

Barely in her twenties, maybe younger. Soft features. Almost childlike.

Ethan blinked, caught off guard.

But across from him, the crimson-armored man—who had just moments ago radiated overwhelming dominance—went pale in an instant.

He staggered back a step, visibly shaken.

"N-No way…"

"You're supposed to still be asleep underground…"

The girl tilted her head slightly, a few strands of hair swaying across her forehead.

"And?"

"You thought while I was sleeping, you could claim this place for yourself?"

Her voice was light.

But the blood-red lake beneath them surged violently in response.

"So…"

"…annoying."

The moment the words left her lips, she raised a hand.

Not to strike.

Just a single, casual point.

BOOM—!

The crimson energy exploded, instantly engulfing the man.

Space itself began to unravel around him.

"AHHH—!"

"NO—!!"

He thrashed wildly.

But his armor, his shields, even the blood-red gem on his forehead—

The moment they touched that power, they began to melt, dissolve, vanish.

Not destroyed.

Erased.

By the world itself.

"I was wrong—!"

"I just wanted a little energy!"

"I never meant to take it all—!"

His voice twisted into something unrecognizable.

The next second—

The blood-red light abruptly collapsed inward.

Silence fell.

Only scattered traces of energy remained. Not even a corpse was left behind.

The girl clapped her hands lightly, as if brushing off a bit of dust.

Then—

She turned to Ethan.

Her gaze landed squarely on his Powered Combat Armor.

"You too."

"Your power… it's close to his."

"And that armor of yours—"

"It's absorbing energy from here."

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"So, you're planning to claim this place for yourself too?"

Ethan's pupils contracted sharply.

He immediately triggered a full system scan.

—No results.

No level.

No attributes.

No data to parse.

Not even an "Unknown" tag.

It was as if the system instinctively refused to define her.

Just her standing there—

And the space around her began to fracture, fine cracks spiderwebbing through the air.

Ethan drew a deep breath.

No hesitation.

He stepped back several paces, releasing his power and forming a massive Energy Disc in midair.

But just as he was about to strike—

A blood-red energy orb appeared in the girl's hand.

She wasn't in a combat stance. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

It looked more like—

She'd casually picked up a star.

"Don't be nervous," she said softly.

Then, without warning, she tossed the orb toward him.

BOOM—!!!

A wave of energy so intense it defied reason exploded through the underground chamber.

If that thing landed—

Everything here would be wiped from existence.

Ethan didn't have time to think.

The moment the orb left her hand, he instinctively unleashed every ounce of power he had, throwing up a full-force defense in a desperate attempt to block it.

But—

The expected annihilation never came.

Just a few steps from impact, the energy orb vanished.

No warning. No trace.

As if it had never existed.

Ethan's heart lurched.

Before he could process what had just happened, the girl's form began to shift.

Her presence shrank rapidly, her body growing smaller.

The blood-red energy faded. The crushing pressure vanished.

In just a few seconds—

The being who had just erased a high-tier warrior with a flick of her finger had transformed into what looked like a six- or seven-year-old child.

She looked up at him.

Her eyes were clear. Confused.

"Who are you?" she asked, voice soft and innocent, echoing through the cavern.

Ethan didn't even have time to react before the little girl grabbed his arm.

"Are you my dad?"

"I've been sleeping here for so, so long… it's really boring."

"Can you take me away from here?"

The entire underground space went still.

Ethan froze.

Just moments ago, this same being had effortlessly erased a foe who could go toe-to-toe with him.

And now—

Her hand was warm. Her tone was childlike. Her eyes held a quiet, trusting dependence.

Anyone—any normal person—would be completely thrown off by this.

Ethan took a slow breath.

And he started to understand.

This wasn't a disguise.

It was regression.

When the world's core lost its structural integrity, its will couldn't maintain its original form.

She was reverting.

Back to her most primal, instinctive state.

"…Alright."

Ethan finally nodded.

No more hesitation.

He unleashed his spatial power, folding the world into his perception.

From its energy structure, this was clearly the embryonic form of a high-tier Plane World.

But its rules were incomplete—

It lacked a stable sovereign.

It lacked a central system to guide energy flow.

Because of that, it could barely hold itself together.

And because of that—

It couldn't resist being taken.

As the space sealed shut, the entire world—along with its energy core—was pulled away with Ethan.