Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 131: Pathetic prey

"Only one left now, huh..."

Ethan, hidden deep within the canyon, watched the scene unfold, his eyes flickering with thought.

He was considering whether to take advantage of this golden opportunity.

After all, chances like this didn’t come around often—this was a once-in-a-lifetime shot!

At the same time, a stream of information appeared before Ethan’s eyes.

[Malphas]

One of the Infernal Lords!

A subordinate of Baelthar, the Infernal Overlord of the Sixth Layer of Inferno.

Level: 70

Race: Efreet

Tier: Orange Legendary Hero

Class: Fire-based Melee Mage

Stats:

Attack: 65

Defense: 32

Spell Power: 123

Knowledge: 60

HP: 7000

Physical Damage: 88~121

Magic Damage: 188~230

Hero Skills: Wisdom, Offense, Fire Magic Mastery...

Hero Talents:

Flameguard Aegis – A powerful flame barrier that burns anyone who attacks it while also reflecting a portion of the damage back!

Efreet Warlord – Increases the base Attack, Defense, and HP of all Efreet under his command (Tier 11). Starts at 5% and scales with level, maxing out at 40%. Currently at 35%.

Inferno Flames – Unleashes a devastating Inferno Flames spell over a wide area, dealing massive damage! Scales with Spell Power and Knowledge.

Infernal Judgment – A concentrated Inferno Flames attack that deals immense single-target damage! Also scales with Spell Power and Knowledge.

Overall Rating: C-rank Orange Legendary Hero

"..."

"What the hell?"

"Why are his stats so low?"

Ethan froze for a moment as he scanned the panel.

A C-rank Orange Legendary Hero at level 70, yet his stats were worse than Balzareth, the level 56 Tier 10 Pit Lord he had encountered earlier? That didn’t make any sense!

"Master, his power is being suppressed by the laws of the Prime World," Elynn explained, sensing Ethan’s confusion.

"The laws of the Prime World?" Ethan blinked.

"Yes..."

Seraphina nodded. "Different worlds have different planar laws. Traveling between them comes at a cost. To the Prime World, beings from other planes are considered outsiders—invaders. The world’s laws naturally suppress their strength."

"Of course, the major factions all have ways to counteract this. Hell Gate is one such method. But from the looks of it, he brute-forced his way in instead of taking the proper route through Hell Gate..."

As she spoke, a sharp glint of battle intent flashed in Seraphina’s eyes.

"Master, let me handle this. Leave it to me—I’ll take these bastards down."

"You sure?" Ethan asked, his tone serious. "Even if that Efreet hero is weakened, those Tier 13 Inferno Devils, Tier 12 Efreet Sultans, and Tier 11 Efreets are still a huge problem! If they manage to regroup, you’ll be in serious danger alone!"

Seraphina’s biggest problem wasn’t her own strength—it was that she didn’t have enough backup.

A Tier 12 Champion Knight (3 units) and Tier 11 Unicorns (5 units)—sure, they could hold the line for a while, but not for long.

Because on the other side?

A Tier 13 Inferno Devil (1 unit), Tier 12 Efreet Sultans (12 units), and Tier 11 Efreets (30 units)—the difference in numbers was just too overwhelming!

If she got bogged down in battle, the consequences would be disastrous.

"Please trust me, Master!"

Seraphina’s voice was firm, her golden eyes burning with determination. "Give me a little time—I will take him down! And once that Efreet hero is dead, the rest of their forces will crumble!"

The real strength of an army under a unit hero came from the stat boosts the hero provided to their troops.

But if the unit hero was killed—forced back to their Creature Dwellings respawn point—then all those buffs would vanish instantly.

Without those stat boosts, the enemy troops would be no different from wild creatures.

And to Seraphina?

Wild creatures were nothing.

"Alright..."

Ethan nodded as the realization clicked. He turned to Seraphina. "Wait until he finishes off Helena—then strike."

A fight was inevitable, but Seraphina’s presence needed to stay hidden for now.

Paladin Helena was already a stubborn, single-minded zealot—a total pain to deal with. If she found out about Seraphina, it’d be as good as announcing it to the entire world.

Because Paladins don’t lie.

Ever.

And no, that wasn’t an exaggeration.

A person capable of lying could never become a Paladin in the first place.

"Understood!"

RUMBLE!

Seraphina nodded immediately. The Draconic Force within her surged, her massive jaws parting slightly as a powerful dragon breath churned in her throat—silent, yet terrifying.

Not a single sound escaped.

Not even the faintest ripple of energy.

Like a venomous serpent lurking in the darkness, waiting for the perfect moment to strike and kill.

As a guardian of the forest, the Green Dragon embodied all the best traits of forest creatures.

Patience. Precision. Deadly efficiency.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t fight like this—she just usually didn’t bother.

But if it was Ethan’s command?

She would execute it flawlessly.

As one of Ethan’s core subordinates, Seraphina’s mindset was simple—pure.

Ethan is always right.

Everything he says is correct.

And if, by some impossible chance, he was wrong?

Refer to the first rule.

In her world, in her very being, Ethan’s word was absolute.

If he gave an order, she would follow it.

No hesitation.

No questioning why.

...

The battle between Paladin Helena and the Infernal Lord Malphas didn’t end as quickly as Ethan had imagined.

Because this wasn’t a desperate final showdown—it was a cat playing with its prey.

And Malphas was the cat.

Helena? She was the mouse.

Letting prey die in the depths of despair, savoring the cruel pleasure of toying with them—Malphas seemed to enjoy this kind of game.

In fact, most Inferno champions were exactly like this.

Unlike the Dungeon faction, which was all about brute force, ruthless slaughter, and sheer destruction—crushing everything in their path—

The Inferno faction preferred to play with their prey’s fear, to revel in their despair, to watch them wither away, piece by piece.

But Malphas quickly lost interest.

Because Paladins knew no fear.

At least, not in the face of Inferno’s wicked champions. They stood their ground, fearless, ready to die for their cause.

"You followers of the Light are such boring prey," Malphas muttered.

And with that, he ended it.

With cold, merciless efficiency, he struck Paladin Helena down.

Boom!

At that moment, holy light erupted. Helena’s soul rose from her fallen body, her gaze unwavering, fearless even in death. She locked eyes with Malphas, her voice ringing with conviction.

"The Light will purge all evil! You Inferno filth—I, Paladin Helena, will see you all destroyed!"

Thud!

A dull sound echoed. The holy light vanished.

And with it, Helena’s soul disappeared, returning to the Dunmire hero resurrection point.

Malphas sneered. "Pathetic prey."

He didn’t give her final words a second thought. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed Helena’s lifeless body into the blood pit of the Hell Gate.

Gurgle... gurgle... gurgle...

The blood within the pit churned and bubbled, thick and ominous, filling the air with a sickening heat.

At the same time, the Hell Gate’s dimensional passage was stabilizing—almost fully formed.

"The Hell Gate is nearly complete..." Malphas gazed at the portal, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust and anticipation.

The Hell Gate—Infernal Legions’ gateway to the mortal world, their foothold for invasion.

Once it was fully opened, his mission would be nearly complete.

But just then—something changed.

Whoosh!

"Someone’s here?!"

Malphas’s expression twisted in shock, his pupils contracting violently. A terrifying, overwhelming force surged toward him—so powerful, so lethal that his heart clenched, his entire body tensing as if he were suffocating.

Every instinct in him screamed danger. His body trembled uncontrollably, alarms blaring in his mind.

"Flameguard Aegis!"

With a desperate shout, Malphas activated his innate ability—Flameguard Aegis—almost instantly.

But he was still too late.

BOOM!

The devastating force struck like a storm of annihilation—faster than lightning, more unstoppable than thunder.

In an instant, it pierced straight through Malphas’s chest.

Squelch!

The impact tore a massive hole through his body. The sheer force of the blow sent him hurtling backward like a cannonball, crashing violently into the scorched, sulfurous ground of the Infernal wasteland.

THUD!

The earth shook beneath the impact, dust and debris exploding into the air. The ground trembled in a relentless quake.

"WHO?!"

A furious roar erupted from the chaos.

And then—flames.

A towering inferno burst into existence, engulfing the battlefield in a sea of fire.

From within the raging flames, Malphas transformed.

His body expanded, shifting into the form of an Efreet Titan—a colossal, mountain-sized behemoth. His sheer size blotted out the sky, his presence suffocating, his fiery aura scorching the very air.

Tens of thousands of feet tall, his monstrous form would have driven any ordinary person into sheer, mind-numbing terror.

"ROOOOAAARRR!!!"

But then—another roar.

A deafening, earth-shattering dragon’s roar.

From the sky, a shadow emerged.

A deep emerald figure, growing—expanding.

300 feet... 3,000 feet... 30,000 feet...

Until finally—90,000 feet.

Only then did the monstrous figure stop growing.

And now, it dwarfed Malphas.

More terrifying. More massive. More apocalyptic.

A mythic beast of destruction.

It was her.

The one who had been waiting, watching, biding her time for the perfect moment to strike.

Seraphina.

"A Green... Green Dragon hero?!"

Malphas’s pupils shrank. His face twisted in disbelief.

"ROAR!"

Seraphina unleashed a deafening bellow.

Her massive wings unfurled—and the world shook.

A hurricane-force windstorm erupted, a maelstrom of raw power surging toward Malphas like a living tornado.

"Damn it—!"

Malphas’s face darkened. He lashed out in retaliation.

But just as Seraphina had predicted—his power was severely weakened.

The combined suppression of tier hierarchy and dimensional laws left him struggling.

Against her, he was nothing more than a doomed opponent.

BOOM!

ROOOOAAAARRR!!!

The storm swallowed Malphas whole.

Even an Infernal Lord like him was helpless—tossed around like a ragdoll, flung through the air like a withered leaf in a hurricane.

He tumbled, crashed, and rolled across the battlefield, utterly overwhelmed.

And Seraphina?

She wasn’t done.

She struck again.

This time—with her ultimate move.

...