[{"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-829":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},1242285,1669,"Chapter 829: Someone Lit the Match","mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-chapter-829",829,"\u003Cp>Ethan finally understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t just some high-grade energy resource site.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a fully functional—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Self-sustaining, near-zero-maintenance war engine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lake generated energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forest converted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nests produced soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endless troops. Endless power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder the four races were willing to bleed themselves dry over this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Ethan was still piecing it all together—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky began to shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint pale light crept into the gray, like the first breath of dawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Balric’s face changed instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We have to go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice was tight, urgency bleeding through every word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we don’t leave now, we won’t make it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When the sun rises, the Daybound and Sunborn armies will start converging on this place.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And by dusk, the Starborn and Nightveil will be here too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nearly growled the last part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"When that happens—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This lake becomes a slaughterhouse.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No one gets out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ethan didn’t move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze stayed locked on the lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t greed in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was calculation—cold, precise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were just about absorbing the lake’s energy, then sure, the Primordial Lake was valuable. Rare, even.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could take the whole thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disassemble the system. Rebuild it. Repurpose it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then it wouldn’t just be a resource.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be a machine—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A war engine that could endlessly produce both power and troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes shifted to the forest surrounding the lake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nests embedded in the trees were still working silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No minds. No loyalty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just pure function—summoning Noctilume Skeletons on loop, following preset rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could extract those nests...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Integrate them into Emerald Castle...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The army’s summoning rate would double. At least.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The idea took shape in Ethan’s mind fast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a fantasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A viable, tactical plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emerald Castle had already gone to war with Narlost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Total conflict was only a matter of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before that happened—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to push the castle to its absolute limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he ran the numbers in his head—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horizon on both sides suddenly shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air split open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two powerful forces surged toward the lake from opposite directions—almost simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan slowly looked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two armies emerged, one from each side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not massive in number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But every soldier radiated dense, dangerous power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These weren’t grunts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were veterans—honed by years of fighting at dawn and dusk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What caught Ethan’s attention even more were their weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stable energy cores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Refined construction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clear, specialized functions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even their armor—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It bore a striking resemblance to Emerald Castle’s Powered Combat Armor in design philosophy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This world’s tech level was far from primitive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the two armies neared the lake’s edge—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hunched old man stepped out from the Daybound ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked frail, but with every step he took, the air around him rippled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he stopped, he slammed his staff into the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A wave of raw power burst out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dozens of Energy Greatswords materialized midair, their blades all aimed at the opposing shore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Morvakar.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s voice was low, but carried absolute authority.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Today is the day you die.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We, the Daybound, are the only true Overlords of this world.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Everything here—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Was ours to begin with.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the words had even finished echoing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A figure stepped out from the Nightveil ranks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another elder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His presence was just as powerful, but colder—like he was carved from the night itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aurelion,\" he said, voice sharp and mocking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You shameless old bastard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just because the Daybound want something, you think it automatically belongs to you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurelion burst into laughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It rolled across the lake, loud and arrogant, with no attempt to hide the contempt in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"From the moment this world was born, the Daybound have stood at its center.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze swept across the Nightveil ranks with open disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are nothing but lowborn creatures that crawled out of the dark.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You think you’re our equals?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re not even close.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the words landed—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Nightveil side erupted in fury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Morvakar’s face twisted with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his staff high, power surging wildly around him. The air itself grew unstable, thick with the scent of violence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>War.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All it needed now was a spark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan stood at the edge of the lake, watching the scene unfold, eyes narrowing slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both armies had fully deployed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Formations locked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weapons drawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Power boiling just beneath the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no one had made the first move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They just stood there—shouting, posturing, trading insults.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like they were waiting for something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...This is it?\" Ethan muttered under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d expected a brutal, fast-paced clash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what he saw looked more like a ritual—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drawn out, deliberate, almost theatrical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His lips curled into a faint, unreadable smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No buildup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A surge of pure, alien power—completely outside this world’s system—erupted from his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Target: Nightveil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first Nightveil soldier exploded on the spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The third.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The force hit like invisible warhammers, slamming down one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the span of a heartbeat, over a dozen Nightveil warriors were wiped out—without even realizing what hit them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air went dead silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Morvakar’s pupils shrank to pinpricks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan was standing near the Daybound line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And beside him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Daybound tribesman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that instant, every clue snapped together into a single, obvious conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You... you dare strike first?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Morvakar roared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no doubt in his voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t need any.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a place like this, the first blow was all it took to declare war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In that case—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his staff, voice tearing through the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nightveil warriors!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kill them all!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The order dropped like a hammer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the two armies—already stretched to the breaking point—finally snapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They surged forward, crashing into each other with full force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Power clashed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weapons collided.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blood and energy exploded into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle didn’t build up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It went straight to full throttle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan didn’t move to strike again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply stood at a slight distance, calm and composed, watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was studying them—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How they fought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How their weapons were built.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How they coordinated, sacrificed, and squeezed out every last drop of power under the constraints of dawn’s rules.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wanted to conquer this world—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to understand it first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And right now was the perfect time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his gaze sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid the chaos of both armies—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noctilume Skeletons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were mixed into the front lines, shoved forward as expendable shock troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No sense of allegiance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They just kept advancing, unleashing raw force at anything in their path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That path led straight into other Noctilume Skeletons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you looked closely, you’d notice—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each of them had a glowing core embedded inside their skull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some glowed white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others, a deep, shadowy black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if they’d been forcibly categorized, tagged, and bound to opposing sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Control cores...\" Ethan murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in that moment, his theory locked into place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These skeletons weren’t a race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>War assets.\u003C\u002Fp>",1178,"2026-06-05T15:15:49.877Z",1,"novelbin.me","5d05685e511b15e5bb7fbef4987d2b1f0fbfc85baa56f78868ec6da79d61c353","mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-chapter-830","mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-chapter-828",1138,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmystic-calling-stone-of-glory-cover.jpg"]