Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory
Chapter 481: Keep fighting?

Chapter 481: Keep fighting?

BOOM!

A massive surge of Draconic Force erupted as the Green Dragons gathered their power. Like a tidal wave crashing down, the energy surged forward—and then, from each dragon’s maw, blinding beams of raw magical energy blasted out.

"Woooosh! Woooosh! Woooosh..."

Across the battlefield, the Shadow Matriarch commander cracked her whip, summoning dark magic in a desperate attempt to rally her forces. The air shimmered with power as she tried to recreate the devastating combo from earlier—but this time, it didn’t work.

KRRAAA-BOOM!

A storm of fury descended from above.

In a flash, a monstrous dragon claw tore through the sky.

"Heh."

Orryn, the Green Dragon, was a blur of motion—his wings slicing through the air as he dove into the heart of the Shadow Matriarch ranks. He moved like a living missile, piercing through their formation again and again, weaving in and out with terrifying speed.

One by one, their coordination fell apart. Orryn’s relentless assault shattered their ability to launch a unified counterattack. And then, the rest of the Green Dragon legion struck—hard.

They didn’t just attack.

They devoured them.

"ROAR!"

"ROAR!"

"ROAR!"

...

RUMMMMMMBLE...

"Venomous Dragon Breath!"

Orryn’s roar split the sky, and with it came the unleashing of his most terrifying innate ability. A beam of deep emerald energy—so intense it looked like it could punch a hole through the heavens—erupted from his jaws.

It slammed downward like a divine judgment.

In an instant, the shockwave of Draconic Force spread for miles in every direction.

Wherever it touched, Shadow Matriarchs were obliterated—like they’d been hit by artillery shells. Hundreds of them were wiped out in seconds, their bodies crumpling like rag dolls.

With their numbers decimated and their formation shattered, the remaining Shadow Matriarchs didn’t stand a chance. Orryn led the Green Dragon legion in a final, merciless sweep—cleaning up every last one of them.

Not a single enemy survived.

And over on the other fronts, the Black Dragon and Red Dragon legions were doing the exact same thing.

Within minutes, the entire battlefield fell silent.

The Shadow Matriarch army had been completely annihilated.

Not one escaped.

And then—like music to Ethan’s ears—the system notifications started rolling in.

DING!

Congratulations, Player [Valkarion]. Your Hero Unit [Green Dragon Orryn] has reached Level 55 and is now undergoing Second Evolution!

DING!

Congratulations, Player [Valkarion]. Your Hero Unit [Ebonite Colossus Kaiin] has reached Level 52!

DING!

Congratulations, Player [Valkarion]. You have leveled up! You are now Level 71!

DING!

Congratulations, Player [Valkarion]. You have reached Level 71 and triggered Divine Evolution! You are now an Intermediate Deity and have received the blessings of Intermediate Divine Power!

...

DING!

Congratulations, Player [Valkarion]. You are the first player in Glory Lords X to ascend to Intermediate Deity! You have earned the following rewards:

All Hero Units gain +1 Adaptive Level

Receive 50 Mythic Units (Tier 14), either random or player-selected

...

After that round of upgrades, Orryn had shot straight up to level 55—triggering his second evolution. Meanwhile, Ebonite Colossus Kaiin lagged just a bit behind at level 52.

Why the gap?

Simple.

Orryn was a combat-type Hero Unit.

Kaiin, on the other hand, was built for defense.

And when it comes to grinding enemies, defense units just can’t keep up with offense units. That’s just how it is—completely expected.

But putting that aside...

Ethan had scored big this time.

After deliberately taking out a few extra Black Dragons, he’d managed to push his own level up to 71.

And hitting level 71 meant he now had the power to evolve into an Intermediate Deity—just like Seraphina had earlier. Which also meant his strength had probably just taken a massive leap, same as hers did.

And that wasn’t all.

There was also the First-to-Reach reward.

Fifty Mythic Units—Tier 14, either random or player-selected. That alone helped make up for the heavy losses he’d taken in this battle.

Because let’s be real—he’d lost a lot. Every bit of reinforcement helped.

Then there was the real gem:

"+1 Adaptive Level to all Hero Units."

"Now that’s the good stuff," Ethan muttered to himself, grinning.

He still remembered the early days—back when he’d scored a +3 Adaptive Level bonus for his Hero Units. That had set the bar high. So later on, when he got +2s or +1s, they didn’t feel quite as exciting.

But now, thinking it through...

Even a +2—or hell, just a +1—was a huge deal.

Take this current situation, for example.

Seraphina and Malenthia had been locked in a dead-even fight. But what if Seraphina suddenly jumped to level 72 thanks to this +1?

That’d be the final straw—the one that tips the whole damn scale.

And the best part?

This wasn’t a single-unit buff. It was global. Every Hero Unit under his command got the boost.

Tell him that’s not badass.

It was seriously badass.

With that in mind, Ethan didn’t waste another second.

"Use the reward," he said.

DING!

"Player Valkarion, are you sure you want to use the reward: +1 Adaptive Level to all Hero Units?"

"Confirm," Ethan nodded.

And just like that, his level—and the levels of all his Hero Units—jumped up by one.

Ethan: Level 72.

Seraphina: Level 72.

Orryn: Level 56.

Kaiin: Level 53.

...

"ROOOAAARRRR!!!!"

The sudden surge in power hit Seraphina like a lightning strike. In the middle of her brutal clash with Malenthia, she let out a thunderous dragon roar that shook the battlefield.

The level-up had hit her hard—and in the best way possible.

Strength flooded her body. Her muscles tightened, her wings flared wide, and her eyes gleamed with a wild, primal light. The rush of power was intoxicating, and for the first time in this drawn-out battle, she felt it—hope. Real, tangible hope.

It was like someone had ripped the chains off her soul.

She felt free.

"What’s wrong, you filthy old hag of the Dungeon? Keep going! Why’d you stop? Weren’t you just trying to kill me a second ago? I’m just getting warmed up! Come on! Fight me! FIGHT ME!"

Seraphina’s voice was a savage roar, her tone dripping with bloodlust and unhinged excitement. She stepped forward, one clawed foot at a time, her eyes blazing with a feral hunger.

She wanted blood.

She wanted to feel her claws tear through flesh, to rip her enemy apart piece by piece.

She wanted to destroy.

On the other side, Malenthia’s expression had gone from cold to downright grim. Her face darkened like a storm cloud, lips pressed into a tight line.

"Damn it... her power just spiked again..."

For beings at their level, even the slightest shift in strength was noticeable. But this? This wasn’t subtle. This was a full-on transformation.

Malenthia had felt it the moment it happened—Seraphina’s sudden leap in power. And it was bad news.

Very bad.

She moved to strike again, but the moment she did, a wave of danger slammed into her instincts like a hammer. Her eyes widened—too late.

SHRRRIP!

Seraphina’s claws tore through the space where Malenthia had just been, slicing the air like it was paper. The attack was faster. Stronger. More precise.

Malenthia barely dodged in time.

"Her speed... it’s increased. Her strength, her Divine Power, even the Draconic Force she’s putting out—it’s all stronger now... Shit. She’s almost overpowering me."

Malenthia locked eyes with Seraphina, her gaze sharp, calculating.

But inside?

She was already thinking about how to get the hell out of there.

Keep fighting?

That was no longer an option.

...