[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-mystic-calling-stone-of-glory":3,"chapter-mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-chapter-148":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1241904,1669,"Chapter 148: Do you want both?","mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-chapter-148",148,"\u003Cp>The room fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xavian and Nathaniel exchanged glances, their expressions growing serious. They hadn’t considered this angle before, but now that Caesar had pointed it out, they realized—he was absolutely right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four powerhouses—Fake the Demon King, Skylon, Amaterasu, and Vishnu—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t just top-tier players; they were the faces of their respective nations, symbols of national strength—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hell, they were practically living superweapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, Ethan had obliterated them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just defeated them—he had forced a PK kill on them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kind of grudge that would create... it was beyond personal. It was a blood feud of the highest order.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If those four decided to throw caution to the wind and band together for revenge, it wouldn’t just be dangerous—it would be terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that wasn’t even the worst of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The arrival of the 12-Tier Royal Units was a massive threat to the top powers of Europe, the Middle East, and Russiania.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no way they’d just sit back and do nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, even with all their combined strength, they still wouldn’t be able to stop the unstoppable force that was the 12-Tier Royal Units.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But expecting them to surrender without even putting up a fight? To just roll over and hand over their dominance of the global stage?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was never going to happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant, when this all played out to its inevitable conclusion—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>North America might end up standing alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Against Korea. Against China. Against Japan. Against India.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hell, maybe even against Europe, the Middle East, Russiania—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire goddamn world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought alone was enough to make Xavian and Nathaniel’s faces darken even further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were starting to panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Alright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, Ethan’s calm voice broke the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can lease you the 12-Tier units. Lease, not sell. Their ownership stays with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, he was simply deploying his forces on a temporary mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At any moment, with just a single command, they would return to his side—no hesitation, no exceptions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what leasing meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course!\" Caesar nodded without hesitation. \"Mr. Ethan, for each 12-Tier unit, Lich’s Covenant is willing to pay an annual leasing fee of... 10 million coins. How does that sound?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>10 million per year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because it was too little—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But because it was way too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A 12-Tier unit only cost 600,000 to recruit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was a one-time purchase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No annual salary. No upkeep. Nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan chuckled and shook his head. \"No wonder Lich’s Covenant is ranked number one among the top ten guilds. You guys really are loaded.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not about being loaded—it’s about having no other choice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caesar let out a bitter laugh and explained, \"Mr. Ethan, let me be straight with you. Even for Lich’s Covenant, paying 10 million coins a year... we wouldn’t be able to sustain that for long. General Grant and Xavian both know this too. Sure, the guild has money, but our expenses are massive. A sum this big puts a huge strain on us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry, Caesar. We’ll pitch in too,\" Nathaniel reassured him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strictly speaking, Caesar wasn’t renting these 12-Tier units just for Lich’s Covenant. This was about securing the stability of all of North America.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant the government and military had a responsibility to contribute as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have two 12-Tier units available right now. Do you want both?\" Ethan suddenly asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hiss—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"W-what?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re saying... we can rent both?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nathaniel and Caesar froze in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xavian, however, reacted the fastest. His excitement was palpable as he immediately spoke up. \"Mr. Ethan! Could you lease the second 12-Tier Royal Unit to Holy Concord Guild? Please give us this opportunity! I promise, we’ll pay every single coin upfront—right now, no delays!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, they had only expected to get one 12-Tier Royal Unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was beyond their wildest dreams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, Ethan had just dropped an absolute bombshell on them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both 12-Tier Royal Units were up for lease?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This... this was insane!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like winning the lottery—except a thousand times better!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, they had been complaining about the financial strain, about how tough it would be to afford this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But deep down, they all knew—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The value of a 12-Tier Royal Unit wasn’t something that could be measured in mere millions of coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Take the simplest example:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a 12-Tier Royal Unit, they could easily complete high-level A-rank missions in bulk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant they could rapidly accumulate 11-Tier units.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Give them just a little time to develop quietly, and their overall strength would skyrocket to an entirely new level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that wasn’t even the best part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With these 12-Tier Royal Units, they could stand tall against the pressure from the rest of the world—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unshaken. Unbothered. Completely unfazed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No exaggeration—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the current era, a 12-Tier Royal Unit was more terrifying than a nuclear bomb. More devastating than a hydrogen bomb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If war broke out—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Russiania? Europe?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The so-called strongest players in the world?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The so-called top ten global experts?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All of them would be nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, in the player community, there was absolutely no one—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who could stand against the power of a 12-Tier Royal Unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this wasn’t just one unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Do they even realize what that means?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the kind of power that could dominate the entire world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hell, if they were bold enough, they could even take these 12-Tier Royal Units and start conquering foreign territories—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crushing their enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forcing them into submission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Expanding North America’s influence while squeezing out the competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as their enemies weakened, North America would only grow stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until, eventually—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would stand at the very top of the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unrivaled. Unstoppable. The absolute strongest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, that’s fine, but could you pay two years’ rent upfront?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right then, Ethan spoke up. \"I want 28 million gold. Convert the rest into crystals for me. Deal?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did he need so many crystals?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was planning to use the money to recruit a Tier-13 Green Dragon and a Tier-13 Ancient War Tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ideally, if there were enough recruitment slots left for Green Dragons, that would be the best choice—9 million gold and 480 crystals per unit. Best value for the cost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was only one recruitment slot left at Dragon Cliff. So, he had no choice but to go for the Ancient War Tree instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that thing? 20 million gold and 1,000 crystals to recruit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just thinking about it gave him a headache. But what choice did he have? No matter how expensive, he had to recruit it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Renting out those Tier-12 units?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was basically free money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pure profit. Like looting a legendary chest with someone else’s key.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why hesitate to spend it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Alright!\" Caesar, Xavian, and Nathaniel exchanged glances, gritted their teeth, and agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gold wasn’t the issue. Crystals, though—that was a huge problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike gold, crystals were always in short supply. Every major faction burned through them like crazy, and stockpiles were never enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter how big the problem, they had no choice but to make it work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Screwing this up? That would be their regret to bear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Ethan, this is a huge amount. Could you give us a few days to gather everything?\" Caesar asked cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sure.\" Ethan nodded, smiling. \"I’ll be in Dunmire for a few more days. No rush.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s a relief...\" Caesar let out a breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright then, I’ll be off. If anything comes up, just contact me.\" Ethan gave them a casual wave and turned to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Understood, Mr. Ethan. Safe travels...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Take care, Mr. Ethan...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan strolled leisurely out of the town, ready to leave, when suddenly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone appeared in his line of sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped in his tracks, slightly surprised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You?\" Ethan raised an eyebrow, half-smiling as he looked at the man in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Cavalier hero from the Castle faction—Roland.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But deep in Ethan’s eyes, there was a flicker of doubt and curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was he doing here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hah...\" Roland took a deep breath, then spoke slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Count Valkarion, Lord Cain wishes to meet you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cain?\" Ethan blinked. \"Who?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord,\" Roland said expressionlessly. \"Wisdom Angel Cain of the Castle faction.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wisdom Angel?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan had heard quite a bit about the Angel race of the Castle faction from Cicero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The so-called Wisdom Angel—it was actually a unit hero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not just any unit hero, but a Tier-13 Legendary Unit—an Angel hero.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That put him on the same level as Seraphina and Cicero—a Crimson Ultimate existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe even stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the potential and innate abilities of the Angel race far surpassed those of the Green Dragons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Ethan fall silent, Roland’s eyes flickered with a hint of mockery. But he still spoke slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Cain said you can choose the time and place. Anywhere, anytime—it’s up to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan blinked, then suddenly chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this disrespect?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or just absolute confidence in his own strength?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lead the way,\" Ethan said casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...What?\" Roland was momentarily stunned, staring at Ethan in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You said Cain wants to see me, right? Then let’s do it now. Take me to him.\" Ethan’s tone was indifferent, as if this was just another routine meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave Ethan a long, deep look before finally turning around and gesturing forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Count Valkarion, this way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the same town, inside a nameless tavern, a tall man in a gray robe sat quietly, sipping his drink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hood covering his head left just enough space for golden hair to spill out, radiating a holy glow—a sight so surreal it felt almost dreamlike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The aura around him was... strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unreal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Footsteps echoed through the tavern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roland, the Cavalier hero of the Castle faction, appeared before the man and bowed deeply, his posture filled with utmost respect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Cain, Count Valkarion has arrived.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tall man in the gray robe lifted his head and looked at Ethan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, Ethan was met with a face that was pure, sacred, and radiant—yet carrying a gentle, almost kind smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the kind of face that made people instinctively lower their guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lord Valkarion, please, have a seat.\" Cain smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke, he turned his gaze toward Roland and said lightly, \"Roland, step outside for now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, Lord Cain.\" Roland bowed again before turning and leaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Ethan pulled out a chair and sat down across from the Wisdom Angel, Cain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that very moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His entire body tensed. His pupils shrank. His expression changed drastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because right in front of him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rough outline of Cain’s status panel had just appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>",1790,"2026-06-05T15:15:29.580Z",1,"novelbin.me","03416902c4f24ec794851ad7bade16ea617beac7db0d636c66cd4d3421b6b7d6","mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-chapter-149","mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-chapter-147",1138,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmystic-calling-stone-of-glory-cover.jpg"]