[{"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-848":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},1242304,1669,"Chapter 848: Defense Test: Passed","mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-chapter-848",848,"\u003Cp>Ethan’s figure flickered—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the blink of an eye, he was standing right in front of an enemy with the head of a goat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The creature looked calm on the surface, but its eyes gleamed with cruelty. Just moments ago, it had torn over a dozen goblins to shreds—their blood still fresh on the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just a bunch of worthless bugs,\" the Goatman sneered, power crackling around him as he laughed like the battlefield was already his. \"And they dare oppose the Narlost Empire? Pathetic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice echoed with smug contempt, like he was looking down from a throne.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan stared at him coldly, a mocking smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. \"Hey, kid,\" he said, voice low and sharp. \"Far as I can tell, you’re just an animal that hasn’t even finished evolving.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, eyes sweeping over the Goatman with deliberate disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Back where I’m from, things like you get skinned and roasted whole.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words had barely left his mouth—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan activated the weapon systems on his Powered Combat Armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Goatman’s face twisted instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was pure, unfiltered insult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fury surged through him. In a flash, a massive energy battle axe formed in his hands, howling through the air as he brought it down on Ethan with brutal force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their bodies collided midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The axe slammed into Ethan with a deafening clang, metal ringing out in a rapid-fire chorus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan didn’t budge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a step back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a block.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just stood there, letting the blow land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He could feel the impact ripple through the armor, but inside, the force was absorbed, dispersed, and neutralized almost instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan’s breath caught for half a second—then a flicker of excitement lit up in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t even used his own strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d just stood there and let the Goatman swing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Powered Combat Armor? Not a scratch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Defense test: passed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought flashed through his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The armor’s internal energy channels lit up, power surging to his wrists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BZZZT—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy cannon activated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>THUMP!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOOM—!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blinding energy beam erupted from his arm, tearing through the air with a roar. The space around it warped violently, like it was being ripped open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blast hit the Goatman dead-on, slamming into him with crushing force. He was sent flying, tumbling through the air before barely managing to stabilize himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d never imagined his opponent could unleash that kind of power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staggering back, he gritted his teeth and gathered energy between his hands, forming a massive glowing sphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment he raised his arms—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A second energy blast was already on its way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan wasn’t giving him a second to breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In terms of raw power, Ethan was already one of Emerald Castle’s top-tier fighters. With the armor’s boost, the Goatman didn’t stand a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Ethan sensed the upper hand, he went all in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Energy surged and fired again and again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blast after blast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It didn’t take long before the Goatman was blasted out of the sky, crashing into the ground with a thunderous impact, dust and debris exploding around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ethan didn’t stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dove after him, the glow on his armor shifting as an energy blade formed in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next instant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He brought it down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The strike ended the fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in his final moments, the Goatman couldn’t understand—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where had it all gone wrong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just the raw force Ethan unleashed had been enough to completely overwhelm him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Goatman down, Ethan didn’t let his guard drop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes snapped toward the far side of the battlefield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, a strange figure stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snake-like head. Lizard-like body. Its anatomy was twisted and dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the battle, its head had been darting in and out with unnatural speed, striking from impossible angles. Several Emerald Castle soldiers had already fallen to its ambushes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan’s pupils shrank sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now did he truly realize what kind of monster he was facing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power erupting from the Gnoll wasn’t just overwhelming—it was on a completely different level from anything he’d encountered before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t wild or chaotic. It was refined. Condensed. Stable to the point of suffocating. The air itself seemed to instinctively recoil from its presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tier 29. Peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number exploded in Ethan’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his current strength—even with the Powered Combat Armor—he had almost no chance in a straight-up fight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clenched his jaw, forcing down the surge of dread, and gathered every ounce of power he could muster. The air trembled in his palm as a massive Energy Disc formed, then launched with a sharp flick of his arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the result—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It shattered on contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRACK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shockwaves rebounded through the air like invisible sledgehammers, slamming into Ethan’s chest again and again. He staggered back several steps, the ground beneath his feet fracturing with each one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately activated a system scan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The data panel unfolded in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gnoll wasn’t just a brute. It had a fully developed magical talent system and a body that had been pushed to terrifying extremes. The muscle density in its neck alone was hundreds of times harder than solid rock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what truly made Ethan’s blood run cold—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the blood-red gem embedded in the Gnoll’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The energy readings were spiking off the charts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t just a personal enhancement device. It was a highly unstable energy core. If it went critical, it could wipe out half of Emerald Castle in a single blast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan’s breathing quickened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time, he understood with painful clarity—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t a fight he could win with brute force.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he’d targeted this thing first, maybe—just maybe—with the armor still online, he’d have had a shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The armor was offline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the Gnoll was still standing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that split-second of hesitation—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A massive figure suddenly stepped in front of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BZZZT—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thick, stable energy barrier unfolded, wrapping around Ethan in a protective dome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feylora.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stood inside a towering War Machine, hands locked into the control core, her body practically fused with the machine itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Gnoll’s charge slammed into the barrier—and stopped cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much power it unleashed, the shield only trembled slightly. Not a single crack appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master,\" Feylora’s voice came through the War Machine’s comms, calm and laced with excitement, \"this is the lab’s newest model. I want to see if it can kill that thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ethan didn’t argue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew exactly what this meant to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since her first encounter with a War Machine, Feylora had been obsessed. She’d practically moved into the lab, pestering the scientists until they built her a custom unit from the ground up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was fully locked in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The War Machine’s core lit up, unleashing a surge of pure, violent energy that instantly locked onto the Gnoll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Ethan could even react—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Feylora moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The War Machine surged forward, walking on air, carrying the full weight of destruction as it slammed straight into the Gnoll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM—!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The impact was cataclysmic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky twisted violently, like some invisible hand had grabbed it and wrung it out. Space itself groaned under the pressure, warping and buckling, on the verge of collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Ethan hadn’t reinforced this area of the battlefield multiple times—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This entire section of sky would’ve already been torn into nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>",1243,"2026-06-05T15:15:49.877Z",1,"novelbin.me","84ce388cdd01f349915bb439035d4a6d87bad364cb1dfa8aea02d19ebaa37b0c","mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-chapter-849","mystic-calling-stone-of-glory-chapter-847",1138,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmystic-calling-stone-of-glory-cover.jpg"]