Mystic Calling：Stone of Glory-Chapter 74: The confrontation had begun

Nocturnal Crescent Guild Headquarters – An Unknown Courtyard

"Ethan, have you noticed that Mr. Carter has been acting a little strange?" Ethan frowned as he recalled the odd behavior he had picked up on earlier.

"Strange?"

Isabella was momentarily stunned. She furrowed her delicate brows, looking uncertain. "Now that you mention it, I have felt like something’s off with my father these past couple of days... but I can’t quite put my finger on why."

"Is that so?"

Ethan’s eyes flickered with thought, as if piecing something together.

"Miss, Lord Valkarion—"

A voice suddenly interrupted them. Isabella turned toward the source and was immediately surprised.

"Uncle Nightfall? What are you doing here?"

"I..." Nightfall hesitated, as if struggling with his words. But in the end, he gritted his teeth and handed Ethan a recorded video.

"Lord Valkarion, you need to see this."

In Glory Lords X, the system had a built-in recording function.

Even William himself had no idea that Nightfall had secretly kept something like this...

"What’s this?" Ethan was momentarily taken aback but wasted no time in playing the video.

Whoosh!

A holographic screen appeared before the three of them.

On the screen, two figures could be seen moving—it was William and Nightfall.

In front of them, another holographic display was visible, showing a remote video feed.

"Lord Whitestone?" Isabella’s expression changed the moment she saw the figure in the video. She was clearly shocked.

"Who’s that?" Ethan asked casually, though his tone carried an edge.

"Lord Valkarion, Lord Whitestone is a core member of Sterling Group and also a high-ranking officer in the Scarlet Legion guild. You’ve heard of Sterling Group, right? One of the country’s most powerful conglomerates, and one of the major financial backers behind Scarlet Legion. In the real world, they dominate the northern regions—an old-money powerhouse with terrifying influence." Nightfall explained cautiously.

A conglomerate like Sterling Group might not be on the same level as the top ten guilds, but they were still a dominant force known across the entire country.

Besides investing in Scarlet Legion, Sterling Group also directly funded four mid-sized guilds and even a large one.

That alone spoke volumes about their deep pockets and overwhelming power.

Compared to them, Nocturnal Crescent and their Carter Group were practically nobodies.

And that was exactly why Nightfall was feeling so uneasy right now. He wasn’t sure if the choice he was making was the right one...

"William, you’re a smart guy. A deal this big—do you really think your little Nocturnal Crescent Guild could handle it without us? If we, Scarlet Legion, weren’t willing to work with you, do you think you’d even have a seat at the table?"

A cold, condescending chuckle echoed from Whitestone in the video.

Isabella froze.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed instantly, a sharp glint flashing in them.

So that’s how it is...

Someone thought they could just walk all over them.

Meanwhile, the video continued playing.

"Enough with the small talk. William, this deal was originally set—Scarlet Legion takes 60%, Nocturnal Crescent gets 40%. But now, let’s have a little private discussion..."

"You know about Sterling Group, don’t you?"

"William, it’s important to know your place. A deal of this scale—even with just 40%, do you really think your tiny Nocturnal Crescent Guild can handle it? Why not let us, Sterling Group, ’help’ you out? Don’t worry, we believe in harmony and mutual benefit. We won’t be too greedy..."

"How about this—just hand over half of your share in the troop trade, and we’ll call it even."

...

Whitestone’s voice was filled with arrogance, issuing commands as if he were speaking to a subordinate. His tone was laced with cold amusement, as if the outcome was already decided.

The room fell into complete silence.

As the video ended and the holographic screen faded to black, Isabella couldn’t hold back her anger any longer. Her whole body trembled with rage as she snapped, "This is outrageous! They just expect to take 20% of our troop trade share like it’s nothing? Who the hell do they think they are?!"

Nightfall let out a bitter chuckle and cautiously glanced at Ethan, whose expression remained eerily calm. His heart pounded with unease as he spoke carefully,

"Lord Valkarion, I showed you this video, and I’ll admit... I had my own selfish reasons. But Whitestone’s status is no joke, and Sterling Group—they’re a behemoth. Nocturnal Crescent is in no position to go against them. If this puts you in a difficult spot, then... just pretend I never said anything."

With that, he bowed deeply, his voice filled with sincerity.

"I sincerely apologize, Lord Valkarion."

"Uncle Nightfall..." Isabella looked at him, feeling a deep sense of discomfort.

But before she could say anything else, Ethan suddenly chuckled.

"No," he said, his voice light yet firm. "You did the right thing."

Nightfall froze.

Then, as if struck by lightning, he snapped his head up, staring at Ethan in disbelief. His face was a mix of shock, excitement, and astonishment, and deep in his eyes, a flicker of hope trembled.

Who would willingly let themselves be trampled on? Who would just sit back and let someone blatantly rob them?

No one.

That was exactly why he had taken the risk to come to Ethan. But even then, he hadn’t dared to hope for much. Compared to Sterling Group, Nocturnal Crescent and Carter Group were nothing more than nobodies—weak, powerless, insignificant.

And when the strong and the weak collide, the outcome is usually obvious.

But Ethan’s response... was completely unexpected.

"Trying to take something from me, Ethan? Bold move..." Ethan’s eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint flashing through them. "Since they want to play, I’ll entertain them. And while we’re at it, this is the perfect opportunity to set some ground rules."

To him, the world of players was too small—too weak.

It wasn’t even worth his attention anymore. His focus had already shifted to a higher level, a much broader battlefield—the native powers of Glory Lords X.

Because of that, with his development centered around Emerald Castle, he couldn’t always keep an eye on Isabella or his sister, Emily.

So, in the time he had, he needed to establish an absolute authority within the player community—something that would make people fear him, respect him, and most importantly, think twice before crossing him.

That way, he could shield and protect those close to him.

And the first step in that plan? Teaching a lesson to those who dared to break the rules.

A show of strength. A warning.

And Sterling Group? They seemed like the perfect example.

Ethan calculated his next move in his mind.

"Ethan... what exactly are you planning?"

Isabella’s voice carried a hint of worry. She hesitated before speaking again. "Sterling Group is the real deal—a true powerhouse with deep and complicated connections. They’re not easy to deal with... Maybe we should just let this go? Even if we lose 20% of the trade share, it’s still a huge deal for Nocturnal Crescent. It’s not like we’re walking away empty-handed."

"You don’t need to worry about this." Ethan gently ruffled Isabella’s hair, shaking his head with a reassuring smile. "Trust me. It’ll be fine."

Ding!

"Ethan, Scarlet Legion’s representatives are here!"

At that moment, the communication system chimed. It was a message from William—Scarlet Legion had arrived.

"They’re here, huh..."

Ethan’s gaze shifted toward Nocturnal Crescent’s conference room, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light. Then, he chuckled softly.

"Let’s go. You’re about to witness one hell of a show."

...

Nocturnal Crescent Guild Headquarters – Conference Room

Whitestone had just taken his seat, but his face still carried traces of shock, disbelief, and even a hint of fear.

Because moments ago, he had received some truly unbelievable—no, terrifying—news.

That mysterious faction’s envoy... had shown up with a Tier 10 unit, a Thunderbird?!

A Tier 10 unit—did they even understand what that meant?

Even as one of Scarlet Legion’s top powerhouses, he didn’t have a single Tier 10 unit. His strongest unit was only Tier 9.

In other words... this mysterious faction was stronger than him?

And not just that—Thunderbirds were Tier 10 flying units, making them even more valuable and far rarer than ground-based Tier 10 troops.

For someone to casually bring out such a high-tier unit as a show of force... whether it was real or just a bluff, it was enough to send shockwaves through Whitestone’s mind.

His thoughts were in complete turmoil.

"Who the hell are these people? Even Scarlet Legion’s intelligence network has nothing on them—not a single record. It’s like they just appeared out of thin air! How is that even possible?"

Whitestone was deep in thought.

By now, the player hierarchy was already set in stone. The power structure had been firmly established. Even if there were hidden factions operating in the shadows, Scarlet Legion—as one of the top ten guilds—should have known about them.

For one, the top ten guilds shared intelligence on major threats.

And second, Scarlet Legion had close ties with military-backed guilds.

Which meant... if even Scarlet Legion had no information on this faction, then it was highly likely that none of the other top ten guilds—or even the military guilds—knew about them either.

That realization sent a chill down Whitestone’s spine.

For a faction to grow to such an absurd level of power, right under the noses of the top ten guilds and the military, without anyone noticing...

Just how terrifying were these people?!

At that moment, footsteps echoed from outside the conference room.

Whitestone immediately straightened up, his expression turning serious.

A few seconds later, Ethan walked in.

The moment Whitestone laid eyes on him, his pupils contracted sharply.

"He’s this young?!"

"Valkarion, you’re here! Come, come, have a seat!" William quickly stood up, greeting him warmly.

Whitestone, to his credit, reacted instantly.

He forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart, stood up, and put on a bright, welcoming smile.

"So, you must be Mr. Valkarion? A pleasure to meet you. I’m Whitestone from Scarlet Legion. It’s an honor."

But what he didn’t expect—not in a million years—was Ethan’s response.

Ethan barely spared him a glance before speaking in a calm, indifferent tone.

"Seems like Scarlet Legion doesn’t think much of Draconic Pact, huh?"

The room fell silent.

William blinked in surprise.

Whitestone’s smile froze. His expression darkened slightly as he stared at Ethan, his face shifting between uncertainty and irritation.

"Valkarion... what exactly do you mean by that? I don’t quite understand."

"Oh? Do I need to spell it out for you?" Ethan chuckled, casually pulling out a chair and sitting down.

He leaned forward slightly, interlocking his fingers, his gaze cool and detached.

"Tell me... don’t you think you’re not qualified to speak to me?"

Whitestone’s expression stiffened.

Ethan’s voice remained calm, but his words carried a chilling weight.

"Scarlet Legion sent someone like you to negotiate with me. Should I take that as an insult?"

A smirk tugged at Ethan’s lips.

"Or are you saying Scarlet Legion doesn’t take me seriously?"

The confrontation had begun.