Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 887: All hail the new lord!

Ethan didn't bother watching Tigris leave.

His mind was already sketching out a new picture.

Not long after, he stepped out of the main hall and made his way to the open platform beyond the city walls.

In the distance, the spatial vortex still churned slowly, its energy flows rising and falling like a living tide.

He didn't know how much time had passed before a familiar figure emerged from the vortex.

Feylora returned with several goblins in tow, her expression unmistakably tinged with excitement.

"Confirmed, my lord," she reported. "Stormhowl Castle is indeed an independent small Plane World. The world's structure has been split in two, but it's still held together by a unique energy field. The native lifeforms aren't aggressive, and the civilization leans heavily toward peaceful development."

Ethan rested his chin on one hand, falling into brief thought.

Peaceful.

Resource-rich.

Structurally unstable.

Those three traits snapped together in his mind like puzzle pieces—forming a strategic target too tempting to ignore.

"In that case…" he said slowly, his voice returning to its usual calm, "it's time we had a proper conversation with their lord."

The words sounded reasonable, even diplomatic.

But Feylora caught the flash in his eyes.

That wasn't the look of a negotiator.

It was the gleam of a conqueror already calculating the yield.

Ethan didn't linger. Without another word, he turned and stepped into the still-spinning vortex.

A new world opened beneath his feet.

Behind him, the vortex slowly sealed shut.

He now stood before a sizable, yet strangely serene castle.

Its walls were built from pale gray stone, faint energy lines pulsing just beneath the surface. The air carried a warm, stable mineral scent—nothing like the high-tension battlefield atmosphere he was used to.

But what surprised him most—

Was the complete lack of alarm.

No sirens. No soldiers rushing to arms. Not even wary stares.

Two children playing near the gate glanced at him curiously. One of them even jogged over, holding out a steaming baked potato with both hands.

"Mister, where'd you come from?" the kid asked, eyes wide. "How'd you end up at Stormhowl Castle? Are you here for mineral scouting too, like that lady before?"

Ethan cleared his throat, softening his expression. He reached into his spatial pouch and pulled out a few pieces of candy and chocolate from Emerald Castle's stores, handing them over.

The kids' eyes lit up instantly.

"I'm here to meet your lord," he said gently. "I'd like to talk—see if there's a way to help make life even better for all of you."

The moment the words left his mouth, the surrounding onlookers stirred.

"Really?"

"He's from the outside!"

"That's amazing!"

Excitement and hope spread through the crowd like wildfire. No one questioned his motives. Instead, they eagerly stepped forward, offering to guide him to the main hall of the castle.

…

The grand hall wasn't lavish, but it was vast.

At the center, seated atop the throne, was a boy who looked no older than ten.

He had a quiet, childlike face, his feet dangling above the floor. But around him pulsed a field of pure, stable energy—so dense that even the faintest leak caused subtle ripples in the surrounding space.

This wasn't the aura of an ordinary powerhouse.

It felt more like something tethered directly to the world itself.

Ethan's steps slowed for a beat.

But he didn't back down. Instead, he took another step forward, letting his own energy flow out naturally to meet the pressure head-on.

The two forces collided in silence.

The air in the hall grew heavier. Stone pillars groaned under the strain, hairline cracks spiderwebbing across the floor.

Time stretched thin.

Then, after a few tense breaths, the energy around the boy began to waver.

His form blurred, like mist caught in a breeze.

A moment later, the "body" dissolved completely—collapsing into a single, translucent diamond-shaped crystal that hovered quietly in midair.

Ethan's heart skipped.

He stepped forward at once to examine it.

It didn't take long to realize—

This wasn't a living being. It was a projection, formed from the world's unique mineral energy field.

Not a ruler.

More like a vessel—an avatar for the world's will.

It didn't govern through ambition or desire. It simply issued commands aligned with the world's natural tendency toward balance, peace, and moderation.

Stormhowl Castle had never been ruled by a person.

It had always been ruled by the world itself.

The hall fell into stunned silence.

The people who had once pledged loyalty to their "lord" now stood frozen, their faces a mix of shock and confusion.

Ethan's chest tightened.

He turned instinctively, scanning the room—

And sure enough, every single gaze had locked onto him.

If they thought he'd just "killed" their leader, this could spiral out of control fast.

Then, in that razor-thin moment of tension—

An elder dropped to one knee, voice trembling with emotion.

"This is the world's choice," he said.

"The mineral spirit has acknowledged him."

"He is the new lord chosen by the gods!"

That single declaration lit the fuse.

One by one, more people knelt, pressing their foreheads to the floor, their voices filled with awe and reverence.

"All hail the new lord!"

"Please protect our home!"

"May our families be safe, may the mines never run dry…"

The hall erupted.

Prayers, cheers, and cries of devotion surged like a wave.

And standing at the center of it all, Ethan finally realized—

He hadn't just stumbled into this world.

This world had chosen him.

He cleared his throat, a little awkwardly.

He honestly hadn't expected the logic of this place to be so… literal.

From his perspective, that scene had looked a lot like "the ruler vanished on the spot"—which could easily be interpreted as some kind of kill event. But instead of panic or outrage, these people had simply accepted him as their new ruler without question.

It was almost funny.

After a brief pause to collect himself, he decided not to fight the cultural gap. He stepped forward and calmly took his seat on the throne—the symbol of power in this world.

"That's right," he said, voice steady and clear. "From this moment on, I am your new lord."

The hall fell silent again.

Every eye turned to him.

"I will lead you to a new world," Ethan continued. "There, you'll have more land, more wealth, and access to greater power than you've ever known."

For a heartbeat, no one spoke.

Then the room exploded.

Gasps, cheers, and excited chatter filled the air.

The previous "lord" had never spoken of expansion, or the future, or strength. Only of stability, farming, and maintaining the status quo. But now, this new lord was offering something else entirely—something they'd never dared to imagine.

Hope. Real, tangible hope.

Word spread fast.

Within hours, nearly the entire population of Stormhowl Castle had gathered outside the main keep, standing in the open with simple bags slung over their shoulders, eyes filled with nervous anticipation and quiet excitement.

They were ready.

Waiting for their fate to change.