Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 48: Protection money

"Who is it?" Emily asked curiously.

"Isabella," Ethan answered honestly.

"Your girlfriend, Isabella?" Emily pouted slightly but remained understanding. "Go ahead and take it."

Ethan answered the call with a teasing grin. "Hello? Is this the one and only, unbelievably adorable Isabella?"

But to his surprise, the voice on the other end sounded distant.

"Ethan, I... Can you come over? I’m not feeling great." Isabella’s voice was hoarse, as if she had been crying.

Ethan’s brows furrowed. "What happened? No, never mind—where are you? I’m coming right now!"

"I’m at..." Isabella’s voice was weak.

"Stay put, I’ll be there soon!" Ethan hung up immediately.

"What’s wrong?" Emily had noticed the shift in his expression and couldn’t help but ask.

"Something’s happened to her. I don’t know the details yet, but I need to go check on her," Ethan said seriously.

"Alright, go see Isabella. I won’t tag along. Just call me if anything happens," Emily said.

"Got it..."

The two quickly parted ways.

Not long after, in a luxurious suite of a five-star hotel in Boston, Isabella was curled up in bed, looking utterly drained. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were swollen like peaches, and faint tear stains were still visible on her cheeks.

Ethan’s expression darkened as he stepped inside. "What happened to you?"

"...Ethan." Without warning, Isabella threw herself into his arms, clinging to him tightly as if afraid he would disappear.

Ethan’s heart sank. He gently but firmly pulled her away, holding her by the shoulders so he could look her in the eyes. "Tell me what happened. Whatever it is, I’ll handle it."

Isabella hesitated, her lips trembling, before finally breaking down into sobs. Her eyes were red as she choked out, "Ethan... The Sinclair Group is coming after Carter Group! The gaming guild my family has been supporting—Nocturnal Crescent—controls a Viscount-tier city called Icelight City. But now, Inferno Dragons Guild has officially declared war on us! And the power gap between us is massive. Nocturnal Crescent doesn’t stand a chance against them!"

"Shh, it’s okay. I’m here." Ethan held her close, his voice calm but firm. "What happens if you lose?"

"...Lose?"

Isabella froze, her eyes reddening even more. Her body trembled as she explained, "If Nocturnal Crescent loses, we’ll be forced to withdraw from Icelight City. If we refuse, Inferno Dragons could wipe us out completely!"

"But if we do withdraw, we’ll lose our only Viscount-tier stronghold. That means Nocturnal Crescent will no longer qualify as a mid-tier guild. We’ll lose our status, our reputation, everything! Members will start leaving, even our core players. If that happens, Nocturnal Crescent is finished!"

"My family has poured everything into Nocturnal Crescent—time, money, resources. If it collapses, we’ll suffer a devastating loss. We’ll lose everything..."

At this point, Isabella looked up at Ethan, her entire body shaking. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Yesterday, someone from the Sinclair family came to our house to talk to my father. They said they’d spare Nocturnal Crescent... and our family. But only if we agree to let Inferno Dragons absorb Nocturnal Crescent as a subordinate guild. And... I have to marry Blake Sinclair."

Before she could say another word, Ethan cut her off, his voice unwavering.

"That’s not happening."

"Ethan..." Isabella’s eyes brimmed with tears as she clung tightly to him, her shoulders trembling with quiet sobs. "You know better than anyone... In this era, everything in the game is everything. I love you, I really do... but I can’t just abandon my family."

As soon as she finished speaking, she suddenly lunged at him, her expression filled with determination. Gritting her teeth, she whispered, "Ethan, I love you. Right now, I just want to give you the most precious thing I have."

But before she could do anything, Ethan stopped her, his face unreadable. "Isabella, do you trust me?"

"I..." Isabella stared at him, momentarily stunned, unsure how to respond.

"Answer me!" Ethan’s voice was firm, leaving no room for hesitation.

"I do!" Isabella’s voice was soft but unwavering.

"Then give me some time. Tell me where Icelight City is." Ethan’s tone was decisive.

"Ethan, what... what are you planning?" Isabella asked, confused.

"Give me two days. You’ll see." He didn’t explain further, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Inferno Dragons Guild?

Sinclair Group?

Looks like it was time for him to have some fun.

Ethan stood up, ready to leave.

"Wait—Ethan, wait..." Isabella suddenly reached out and grabbed his wrist.

He paused, turning back to look at her. She sat on the bed, her expression conflicted, before finally lowering her gaze and whispering, "E-Ethan... I’m sorry, for earlier..."

Before she could say more, Ethan gently placed a finger over her lips, silencing her. Their faces were close, his voice low and steady.

"Isabella, as your man, of course I want you. But not like this. Not here, and not because of this situation. That would be an insult—to both of us. Do you understand?"

"I... I’m sorry, I just..." Isabella’s guilt deepened at his words.

"You don’t need to apologize." Ethan cupped her cheek, his voice softer now. "Just remember—you’re my woman, Isabella. And I’m your man. So trust me. I’ll take care of this. Just give me some time, okay?"

Isabella’s eyes shimmered with emotion as she threw her arms around him, holding him tightly. "I trust you! I’ll wait for you, no matter what."

Ethan let her hold him for a moment before gently pulling away. He gazed at her for a long second, then leaned in and kissed her deeply.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away—his steps firm, his resolve unshakable.

Back home, Ethan wasted no time. He logged into the game.

It was time to get to work.

...

Icelight City

One of the twenty-nine count territories in the Unicorn Duchy, Icelight City was a viscount’s domain under Redwood Keep.

But now, it had become the battleground for two powerhouse guilds—Inferno Dragons and Nocturnal Crescent!

A full-scale guild war. A siege battle.

For Nocturnal Crescent, Icelight City was their only viscount-level stronghold—their last line of defense.

If it fell, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In other words, Inferno Dragons’ ambitions were crystal clear. This war wasn’t just about territory—it was about wiping Nocturnal Crescent off the map.

And the worst part? They had the strength to do it.

By all estimates, Inferno Dragons were at least three times stronger than Nocturnal Crescent.

If not for the fear of opportunistic third parties swooping in to take advantage of the chaos, Nocturnal Crescent would’ve been crushed ten times over by now. They wouldn’t have lasted this long.

...

Nocturnal Crescent Guild Headquarters – Icelight City

Inside the guild’s war room, over a dozen high-ranking members of Nocturnal Crescent had gathered. Among them were the key figures of the Carter Group, the corporation backing the guild.

The atmosphere was heavy. Suffocating.

"James... No, Nightfall. Do we have the latest casualty report?"

At the head of the table sat William Carter, chairman of the Carter Group—and father of Isabella Carter. His voice was low, grim.

A middle-aged man with a commanding presence stepped forward.

James Walker.

Better known in the guild as Nc_Nightfall, the Guild Master of Nocturnal Crescent.

"The numbers aren’t good," Nightfall said through gritted teeth. His expression was dark. "We suffered devastating losses in the last few battles."

"Our Tier 1 Spearmen Corps and Tier 2 Halberdiers Corps—we’ve lost at least 40% of them."

"But that’s not even the worst part." Nightfall took a deep breath before continuing. "Our Tier 5 Griffin Corps, Tier 6 Royal Griffin Corps, Tier 5 Stone Golem Corps, and Tier 6 Iron Golem Corps—they were completely outmatched. The difference in power and numbers was just too great. We’ve lost over 30% of them in battle."

"Thirty... Thirty percent?!"

William’s pupils shrank. His chest tightened, a sharp pain stabbing through his heart.

The Griffins, Royal Griffins, Stone Golems, and Iron Golems—these were the backbone of Nocturnal Crescent. Their core forces. Losing so many in one go... It was a devastating blow.

"What about them?" William’s voice trembled with frustration. "Inferno Dragons—how much have they lost?"

Nightfall let out a bitter laugh and shook his head.

"I don’t have exact numbers," he admitted. "But if I had to guess... our losses are at least ten times worse than theirs."

"T-Ten times?!"

William’s face went pale. His lips quivered.

For a moment, he just stood there, frozen. Then, as if all the strength had drained from his body, he collapsed back into his chair.

His expression was one of utter despair.

"Chairman, I’m not trying to undermine our morale or overestimate the enemy, but... the truth is, Nocturnal Crescent is no match for Inferno Dragons!" Nightfall’s voice was heavy with frustration. "If we keep fighting, we’re going to be completely wiped out. Decades of effort—gone in an instant. Chairman, you really need to think this through. Because, honestly... our chances of winning this war are next to none."

As soon as he finished speaking, the other executives chimed in, one after another.

"Yeah, Chairman, maybe we should just surrender? Or abandon Icelight City? As long as we survive, we can always rebuild!"

"Inferno Dragons is just too strong. We can’t go head-to-head with them. We have no choice but to compromise. Otherwise, Chairman, Nocturnal Crescent might not even exist after this."

"That’s right, Chairman. The gap between us and Inferno Dragons is just too big. At this point, surrendering or negotiating is our only way out."

"By the way, didn’t someone from Sinclair Group approach you earlier? If we agree to their terms, Inferno Dragons might back off..."

"But Chairman, Icelight City is our only viscount-level stronghold. If we lose it, it’s like losing the very foundation of Nocturnal Crescent! If that happens, trying to make a comeback will be nearly impossible..."

...

Hearing all this, William Carter shut his eyes in pain.

For a long time, he said nothing.

Then, finally, he opened them again, his voice hoarse.

"James... be honest with me. Between abandoning Icelight City and submitting to Inferno Dragons, which is the better option?"

Sinclair Group had given him two choices.

One: Give up Icelight City and take Nocturnal Crescent elsewhere.

Two: Swear allegiance to Inferno Dragons—they’d still manage Icelight City, but from now on, half of all profits would go to Inferno Dragons.

Basically, protection money.

Nightfall hesitated for a moment, then sighed.

"Chairman... a viscount-level city means we’re a mid-tier guild. And you know better than anyone what that means—honor, prestige, influence... but more importantly, resources and benefits." frёeωebɳovel.com

"That’s the foundation of Nocturnal Crescent. It’s what keeps us standing. It’s what gives us the chance to rise."

"And more than anything... it’s the only thing keeping our guild members fighting."

Nightfall paused, his voice dropping to a near whisper.

"But if we lose all of that... if we lose everything that defines Nocturnal Crescent... then the last bit of hope keeping our people together will disappear."

"And once that happens, it won’t take long before Nocturnal Crescent collapses. People will start leaving in droves. And when that happens..."

"Nocturnal Crescent will be nothing but an empty shell."