Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 64: The Hydra

At this moment, Blackmire Castle’s forces had suffered devastating losses—so severe that their entire combat strength was on the verge of collapse.

The lower-tier troops, from Tier 6 all the way down to Tier 7, had been completely wiped out.

Even the elite Tier 8, Tier 9, and Tier 10 units had lost over a third of their numbers, and the casualties were still mounting at an alarming rate.

The only ones left standing were the five Tier 11 Wyverns, all of them poisoned but still holding their formation, desperately trying to keep the battle from spiraling into total disaster.

But it was pointless.

This was nothing more than the last, futile struggle of a doomed force.

A beast backed into a corner, lashing out in vain.

It wouldn’t change a thing.

Boom!

Seraphina struck again.

Her foot came crashing down on the skull of an 8-Tier Greater Basilisk, crushing it with a sickening crunch.

Was she just finishing off a weakened enemy? No. This was pure battlefield instinct. A warrior’s nature. When you had the advantage, you pressed it.

And now, with victory firmly in her grasp, she was reveling in the thrill of domination.

The rush of battle, the sheer exhilaration of overwhelming an enemy—it was intoxicating.

She wanted more.

"Seraphina, the enemy’s Tier 11 Wyverns are yours to handle!"

Elynn’s voice rang out, sharp and commanding.

"Silver Pegasus Knights, assist Seraphina in eliminating them!"

"Cicero, take care of the remaining Mighty Gorgons! Wipe them out immediately!"

"Unicorn Cavalry, attack freely, but stay alert!"

With her orders given, the forces of Emerald Castle surged forward, each unit charging toward their designated targets with unwavering determination.

ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The battlefield erupted into chaos as Emerald Castle’s warriors clashed with the remnants of Blackmire’s forces.

But then—

BOOM. BOOM.

A deep, thunderous rumble echoed from the nearly collapsed gates of Blackmire Castle.

And then—

They appeared.

Massive figures, charging forward like an unstoppable cavalry unit, their presence alone sending a wave of dread through the battlefield.

Grim Raiders.

A hidden, elite Tier 10 unit from the Fortress faction.

The last trump card of Blackmire Castle.

At that moment, Ethan’s vision was instantly filled with the status panel of the incoming enemies.

[Grim Raider]

Special Hidden Unit!

Tier: 10

HP: 2800

Attack: 75

Defense: 60

Innate Skill – Petrifying Charge!

Petrifying Charge: While charging, the Grim Raider can generate the power of a Tier 3 petrification spell, turning everything in its path to stone. The destructive potential is terrifying!

"Damn... that’s strong."

Ethan couldn’t help but be taken aback the moment he saw the Grim Raiders.

This was the textbook definition of a frontline combat unit—balanced in attack, defense, and endurance.

But what truly made them terrifying was their innate skill, Petrifying Charge.

Turning everything in their path to stone?

On a large-scale battlefield, this was an absolute nightmare for mid-to-low-tier troops.

Fortunately...

It wouldn’t work on Cicero or Seraphina.

ROAR!

A deafening dragon’s roar split the sky.

Seraphina shot upward, her wings slicing through the air as she soared high above the battlefield.

Then, without hesitation, she dove straight toward the four charging Grim Raiders, meeting them head-on.

BOOM!

A massive impact shook the battlefield.

Winds howled as Cicero—yes, Cicero—slammed into the four Grim Raiders, stopping their charge dead in its tracks.

Even though the Grim Raiders were a powerful hidden Tier 10 unit, they were still bound by the limits of their tier.

And that meant...

Against Cicero, they didn’t stand a chance.

Especially now, when they had already lost the momentum of their charge.

The power gap was simply too vast.

And to make matters worse, the lingering effects of the Venomous Dragon Breath were still eating away at their strength, steadily weakening them with every passing second.

The balance of power had completely shifted.

They were doomed.

"ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!"

With the Grim Raiders’ charge halted, Cicero let out a thunderous roar that shook the battlefield.

Then—

His claws lashed out.

A single, devastating strike.

BOOM!

One of the Grim Raiders—a supposedly elite Tier 10 hidden unit—was instantly obliterated.

Just like that.

"THUD!"

At the same time, three Tier 11 Unicorns charged in from different angles, forming a deadly pincer attack against the remaining three Grim Raiders.

Their sharp, gleaming horns struck true—

SPLURCH! SPLURCH! SPLURCH!

ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!

Blood sprayed into the air.

The Grim Raiders howled in agony as they were overwhelmed.

And the Unicorn Cavalry didn’t let up.

Seizing the opportunity, they pressed the attack—

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

In a relentless assault, two more Grim Raiders collapsed into pools of blood, slain on the spot.

And then—

Cicero struck again.

One final blow.

His claws came crashing down—

CRACK!

The last Grim Raider’s skull was shattered in an instant.

Total annihilation.

With the Grim Raiders wiped out, the remaining forces of Blackmire Castle were reduced to mere scraps:

Tier 7 Basilisks: 6 left

Tier 8 Greater Basilisks: 5 left

Tier 9 Gorgons: 2 left

Tier 9 Dark Raiders: 3 left

Tier 10 Mighty Gorgons: 2 left

Tier 11 Wyverns: 5 left

Compared to their former strength, this was nothing.

A pitiful remnant of what had once been a formidable army.

And the most terrifying part?

Emerald Castle had suffered zero casualties.

Zero.

Let that sink in.

"It’s over."

Ethan exhaled, shaking his head as he turned to Elynn.

Then, with a smile, he said, "Elynn, today’s greatest victory belongs to you."

Elynn’s eyes widened in surprise.

"Master, you flatter me!"

Despite her words, a flicker of excitement flashed across her face.

She was thrilled.

To be recognized and praised by Ethan—there was no greater honor.

No greater joy.

But then—

Something changed.

A sudden shift.

An unexpected twist.

Something was coming.

...

Just as Cicero was about to continue his slaughter and wrap up the battle as quickly as possible,

he suddenly sensed a hint of danger.

With a low growl, Cicero’s body flickered as he dodged instinctively.

"Boom!"

Sure enough, the very moment Cicero shifted away, a massive, grotesque serpent head burst out from the ground, its jaws snapping shut right where he had been standing just a second ago.

But thanks to his quick reflexes, the attack missed completely!

"What the hell is that...?"

Everyone’s eyes immediately locked onto the monstrous serpent head.

At the same time, the ground trembled violently, the earth churning as if something terrifying was about to break free.

And then—

With a deafening roar, an enormous creature, nearly a kilometer in diameter, erupted from the swampy ground!

A suffocating, putrid stench filled the air, making everyone gag while their hearts pounded wildly in their chests.

"A Tier 13 Legendary Unit... Hydra!" Ethan’s face darkened as he spoke each word with weight.

The Hydra—Fortress faction’s ultimate beast. A Tier 13 Legendary Unit, second only to the Tier 14 Mythic Units.

A monstrous creature with a massive body, thick, nearly impenetrable hide, and overwhelming strength. It could unleash multiple attacks simultaneously, making it a nightmare on the battlefield.

It was on the same level as the Tier 13 Green Dragon—an absolute powerhouse!

At that moment, Ethan’s gaze locked onto the Hydra’s status panel.

[Hydra]

Tier: 13

HP: 17,500

Attack: 122

Defense: 131

Damage: 210~250

Hiss...

The moment Ethan saw the Hydra’s stats, his entire body tensed up. He sucked in a sharp breath, his scalp tingling with shock.

Seventeen thousand HP?!

Triple-digit attack and defense stats?!

Over two hundred base damage?!

This thing is completely broken!

"Wait... hold on... this... ’Weakened State’?"

Ethan’s eyes flickered as he noticed something crucial.

"I see... this Hydra is still recovering from severe injuries!"

Right there on the Hydra’s status panel was a debuff—Severely Injured & Weakened!

(This unit is currently in a severely injured and weakened state. HP reduced by 50%, Attack and Defense stats lowered by 40%.)

"Thank god... if that’s the case, Cicero should be able to handle it—"

But before Ethan could even finish his sentence, Cicero had already engaged the Hydra in battle!

"ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!"

The Hydra’s nine monstrous heads let out a deafening, ear-splitting roar, shaking the very air around them.

The sheer volume was enough to make people feel physically sick.

And despite its mountain-like size, the Hydra moved with shocking agility!

Its attacks came fast—blindingly fast!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In just a matter of seconds, Cicero and the Hydra had already clashed seven or eight times.

"Gah!!"

One of the Hydra’s heads seized an opening, sinking its fangs into Cicero and tearing off a chunk of flesh. Cicero let out a pained scream, his voice filled with agony.

Without hesitation, he flapped his wings and shot into the sky, trying to gain the upper hand by leveraging his aerial advantage.

But—

The Hydra’s nine heads suddenly reared back in unison, unleashing a barrage of chaotic energy beams that streaked through the air—all of them locking onto Cicero!

Boom!

The blasts struck him dead-on, sending him plummeting from the sky!

"Cicero!!" Ethan’s face twisted in shock as he shouted his name.

At that moment, he understood—even though the Hydra was a ground unit, the sky was not beyond its reach.

A Tier 13 Legendary Unit wouldn’t have such a ridiculous weakness.

Even Tier 11 and Tier 12 Royal Units wouldn’t have a flaw like that.

Because at higher tiers, units became more and more refined—closer to perfection.

At that level, the only thing that determined victory or defeat was raw power.

Absolute strength.

Ethan’s gaze snapped to Elynn, his expression serious.

Right now, Cicero was clearly at a disadvantage. Even if he could turn things around in the end, Ethan wasn’t about to let him fight to the brink of death just to win.

Elynn immediately caught on to Ethan’s intent. She nodded firmly and raised her voice.

"All combat units, listen up!"

"Pegasus Knights and Silver Pegasus Knights—engage the enemy’s Tier 11 Wyvern forces! Keep them occupied!"

"Vestal units—redirect healing! Prioritize healing and reviving the Silver Pegasus Knights!"

"Moon Doe units—maintain support! Keep amplifying the Unicorn forces!"

"Unicorn units—attack freely! Wipe out all enemy ground forces as quickly as possible! But be careful—avoid engaging the enemy’s Tier 10 Mighty Gorgons! Grand Elf units, your job is to take them down!"

Elynn paused for a brief moment, then turned to Seraphina.

"Princess Seraphina, please assist Prince Cicero! Hold off the Hydra until we can regroup and take it down together!"

ROAR!

Seraphina let out a thunderous dragon’s roar, a flicker of determination flashing in her eyes.

Then, with a swift turn in midair, her massive form twisted gracefully before she shot forward like an arrow, slicing through the sky—charging straight at the Hydra!