Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 884: When the Sky Stops Breathing

Ethan's voice cracked through the air like thunder, laced with fury. "Who the hell do you think you are? Coming here and throwing your weight around—tired of living, are you?!"

The man froze for a split second, clearly not expecting such overwhelming power from his opponent. But he quickly regained his composure, a flicker of disdain flashing in his eyes.

"Didn't think a low-tier world could produce someone this strong," he muttered. "Looks like I underestimated this place. Send a signal to the Empire—tell them to dispatch a full fleet. We're wiping this world off the map."

Ethan's eyes narrowed, stunned by the man's arrogance. Even now, they still thought they had the upper hand?

He wasn't holding back anymore.

A massive energy sphere formed in his palm, pulsing with lethal force. Without hesitation, he hurled it straight at the enemy.

The battle erupted instantly.

There weren't many of them—barely a few dozen—but each one was powerful, most hovering around early 29th Tier.

But to the current Emerald Castle?

That level of strength was nothing.

Ethan immediately summoned all the commander-level elites. With the boost from their Powered Combat Armor, they crushed the enemy's momentum in minutes.

In less than fifteen minutes, the invaders were cornered, boxed in with nowhere to run.

The lead attacker was panting hard now, his face twisted in disbelief.

He hadn't expected Emerald Castle to be this strong.

But even with fear in his eyes, he still wore that smug, arrogant smirk.

He pulled out a strange black token and held it high, his gaze locked on Ethan.

"You really don't know what you're messing with," he sneered. "Take a good look. See where we come from."

Ethan didn't even glance at the token.

He just raised his hand—and slammed another energy blast down like a meteor.

The explosion vaporized them on the spot.

Not even ashes remained.

"Arrogant bastards," Ethan muttered under his breath. "Do they really think Emerald Castle is some pushover? One wave after another, and they still don't get it."

As the dust settled, Ethan looked around at his people.

Their faces were a mix of anger, exhaustion, and pride.

They'd won.

And anyone who dared challenge them again would meet the same fate.

Ethan didn't waste words.

"Spread out. Rest up. Stay sharp," he ordered calmly.

…

Far away, in the heart of the Phoenix Empire—

The capital city floated like a burning kingdom in the sky.

Layer upon layer of flame-wreathed structures hung suspended above the clouds, like a constellation of fire. Massive energy veins pulsed through the city's skeleton, and the air shimmered with oppressive heat and power.

Compared to this, Emerald Castle looked like a remote border outpost.

High above the city, the Phoenix Queen hovered in silence.

Her long hair lifted gently in the heat currents, golden flame patterns flickering across her skin. Behind her, a colossal phantom of a fire phoenix slowly took shape, its wings stretching wide enough to ripple the very fabric of space.

Then, from the sky above her—

A massive warship descended.

Its hull gleamed with dark silver plating, runes pulsing across its surface like veins of cold steel. It hovered like a floating fortress, casting a long shadow over the city.

A moment later, a towering figure stepped out from the ship's open bay, walking through the air with heavy, deliberate steps. His gaze was sharp, his presence oppressive.

"My Queen," he said, voice low and edged with steel. "Don't you think you've gone too far? You wiped out every envoy we sent."

The Phoenix Queen didn't even look at him.

She simply raised her hand.

Flames surged around her, condensing into a greatsword of molten gold in her palm. The blade hadn't even fully formed, and already the heat was cracking the air with sharp, snapping bursts.

"You didn't come here to negotiate," she said coldly. "You came to erase me. Once I'm gone, there's nothing left in this world that can stop you."

Her voice was calm—but every word cut like a blade.

The man hesitated, caught off guard by her directness.

Then, slowly, the mask on his face cracked.

A cold, knowing smile curled at his lips.

He reached into his robes and pulled out a pitch-black orb. Strange, shifting patterns crawled across its surface, devouring the light around it.

"My Queen," he said softly, "you are powerful. And the Phoenix Empire is glorious. But can you really be sure… that everyone under your banner still serves you?"

The air went still.

Like the world itself had stopped breathing.

The Phoenix Queen's brow furrowed slightly.

This wasn't baseless paranoia.

Cracks had been forming within the Phoenix Empire for years.

Their energy reserves were nearing critical levels. The expansionist faction had been growing louder, pushing for war to seize new resources. But she had always insisted on restraint—on order. That ideological divide had long since bred resentment among the upper ranks.

And now, she couldn't shake the feeling that the people standing before her… were pawns. Brought here by those very factions working in the shadows.

But she gave them no chance to press further. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

The Phoenix Queen inhaled deeply.

Then, with a sudden motion, she brought her flaming greatsword down in a sweeping arc.

A blazing slash tore through the sky, splitting the heavens with a roar of fire and fury.

The man's expression shifted instantly. He jerked backward, barely dodging the strike. Behind him, the air itself ignited, leaving a warped, burning scar in space.

Before he could regroup or counterattack, a spatial rift opened behind him. He and his entourage vanished into it without hesitation, fleeing into the void.

The Phoenix Queen didn't pursue.

She simply hovered in place, slowly drawing back the flames that still danced across her skin.

As the power receded, a flicker of weakness crossed her face—so brief it was almost invisible. The flow of energy within her stuttered for a heartbeat, like something deep inside was quietly unraveling.

She knew exactly what it meant.

And she knew no one could ever find out.

Not now. Not with so many eyes watching. So many hands waiting to strike.

After a moment of quiet focus, she turned and began descending toward the capital, heading for the core district to rest and recover.

But—

Just as she reached the edge of the city's defensive barrier, the sky in the distance convulsed violently.

Multiple spatial rifts flared open at once.

And from them, a massive army surged forth like a tidal wave—warships, energy arrays, heavy artillery, all packed in tight formation. In seconds, they had the entire capital surrounded.

The pressure in the air spiked.

The Phoenix Queen's gaze swept across the encircling forces.

Warships hovered above like a steel stormcloud, blotting out the sun. Layer upon layer of energy grids locked into place, sealing off every possible escape route from the city.

Her fingers curled slightly.

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked, voice calm—but a faint tremor slipped through. "Bringing this much firepower here without warning… what exactly are you trying to do?"

But she already knew the answer.

She just didn't want to admit it.

...