Earth's Greatest Magus

Among the rogue magus confronting Emery and his companions, there was a mix of different moon rankings. One full moon, three half-moon, and the rest were all crescent moons, signifying that these rogue magus were far from weak. This explained their audacity and lack of civility in approaching the three.

Siyan, the full moon bodyguard, was prepared to reveal their Nephilim identity to intimidate the rogues, but Emery restrained him. "Let's not be hasty... I am sure they could reason with"

It was a plot not to scare them away, yes, Emery planned to play with them for a while. His approach seemed to have the desired effect, as his words succeeded in bolstering the confidence of the rogue magus.

Emery took a moment to consult the data from the bracelets and discovered that all the rogue magus belonged to a group known as the Kreener bandit. These bandits were known to be tyrants over three low-realm planets located within the neutral zone. They were essentially bullies who oppressed civilizations that lacked the power to resist, reminding Emery of the Kronos magus.

Their unexpected arrival provided Emery with an opportunity to quench his lingering regret over not participating in the Magus fight against Kronos with his friend.

The tension in the chamber mounted as a magus with mechanical eyes received information from a small flying drone, delivering the news that there were no other intruders present.

"No one else is here, just the three!"

The rogue magus exchanged knowing glances, their smiles dark and wicked. They awaited orders from a young half-moon magus, who, according to the Nephilim information, was the Kreener bandit's young master, the son of their patriarch.

"You must have spent the whole day here, we found a cleared temple back there, now, give me all the shards you have, and we will let you go," the young magus demanded, his voice dripping with arrogance.

However, a more experienced crescent moon magus voiced his concerns. "Master Kreener, I don't like this. They can't be just anybody... and those two... I think I've seen them before." He pointed toward Emery and Mahinder, casting suspicious glances in their direction.

Sensing the young magus's hesitation, Emery calmly retrieved the shards he had recently obtained and purposely showed the other two he had left. With a confident smile, he held them up and said, "Is one shard enough to secure our release?"

The young bandit's eyes widened in surprise. "No, three lives, three shards," he replied, attempting to assert his dominance.

Emery's grin grew wider. "That's a good deal," he agreed. Then, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, he continued, "Now, I want fifteen shards if you all wish to live."

As soon as he said the word, Emery swiftly retrieved his powerful artifact, the [Rampant Staff], and with a deft command, summoned a flurry of [Jade Roots] Multiple dark green roots came out from the ground, they coiled around the magus legs and bodies, and In a matter of seconds, managed to ensnare five of them.

"He has a tier 6 artifact!" one of them exclaimed, panic creeping into their voices.

Emery's initial spell, while not overwhelmingly powerful, was enough to immobilize a portion of the rogue group. The full-moon magus among them charged toward Siyan, while another half-moon made a beeline for Mahinder. The remaining rogues, headed toward Emery, the one who holds the shards.

As the conflict unfolded, one of the half-moon magus who attacked Emery appeared to be a master of spirit attacks. However, Emery's [Emperor Focus] swiftly turned the tables, causing the rogue magus's spell to backfire, rendering him unconscious in an instant.

In the wake of their companion's sudden collapse, panic rippled through the rogue magus. Before they could even begin to fathom what had happened, Emery transformed, his figure shifting into that of a ferocious wolf.

"He's a Half-Blood!!"

Emery lunged at the second half-moon magus, crashing into the strong-looking man and sending him sprawling to the ground. The brutal impact of the attack resulted in the distinct, sickening sound of bones cracking. The magus pitiable cry echoed through the chamber.

Witnessing this display of savagery, the other rogues staggered backward in fear and disbelief. Their expressions contorted between shock and terror.

"Who are you!?" shouted the young master.

As they struggled to make sense of the situation, the elderly rogue magus suddenly realized the truth and blurted out, "That's... the savage magus! And the other... the divine monk... the ones from the tournament...."

However, Emery was not inclined to engage in a lengthy conversation. His intent was clear, and he didn't waste any time executing it. With a speed that rivaled a lightning strike, he invoked his [Blink] ability, vanishing and reappearing with swift and brutal punches aimed at each of the surrounding magus. Their collective strength and battle prowess stood no chance against Emery's overwhelming power, a formidable 600 battle power that rendered his blows more than enough to shatter bones and incapacitate his foes. In a matter of moments, they crumpled to the ground, groaning in agony and defeat.

While the young master and his comrades initially sought to make a swift retreat, their hopes were dashed as Emery cast [Gravitational pressure], creating a force that drove them to their knees, leaving them paralyzed and unable to escape. In this submissive position, they had no choice but to accept their predicament.

Witnessing the situation unfold, the Kreener full moon magus, driven by loyalty and the desire to protect his leader, leaped forward. He invoked a powerful lightning attack, sending a barrage of electric energy hurtling toward Emery.

Emery, however, was ready. In a swift response, he cast another gravity spell [Expulsion]. The force of this spell was used to throw the charging magus back. Then, in an instant, he triggered his [Blink] ability, appearing next to the young master. With a vice-like grip on the man's neck, Emery compelled the full moon magus to cease his assault. The Kreener full moon magus now found himself powerless in the face of Emery's dominance.

It's not that Emery couldn't have defeated the full moon magus – much like Siyan, the magus was just a grade 1 full moon, someone who had most likely advanced to his current realm by massive resources rather than skill. Emery's choice wasn't a matter of ability; it was all about efficiency. He didn't want to expend too much energy dealing with these low-lifes. Within a matter of minutes, all of them were under his control, helpless, and at his mercy.

Deep regret filled the young master's face as he implored, "Please, let me go, senior... It's my mistake. I couldn't recognize your exalted identity. Please, spare me and my men..."

Emery responded with a calm demeanor, saying, "Of course, you can go."

Relief swept over the young master's face, but his hopes were dashed when Emery added, "One life, one shard."

The young master's smile faded, and with trepidation, he reluctantly produced three medium shards and a bag of smaller ones, pathetically pleading, "That's all we have, I promise we're not lying."

Emery, however, couldn't simply take their word for it. He administered a drop of his potent poison to the young master and Upon administering the poison, the young master's faces twisted in agony as they felt its cruel grasp. 

The poison Emery employed was referred to as the "Venom of Shadows," a sinister concoction he had refined with Kronos's assistance several weeks earlier. By incorporating a portion of Chututlu's toxin, he had created an exceptionally effective torture poison. This poison inflicted severe pain, induced paralysis, and triggered hallucinations, once a day until given an antidote. There was no necessity to convince the Kreener bandits of its potency; as soon as they recognized Emery's status as a master apothecary, they were certain to acquiesce to his requests.

As the terms were settled, the Kreener bandit leader could only accept the terms with a sense of helplessness. 

With the agreement in place, Emery turned his attention to the celestial temple that loomed before them. "You can claim this temple; I will go for the other one." Emery casually stated.

In the final hour, Emery dedicated himself to clearing the second temple, working diligently to extract the medium shard it held. He also took the time to retrieve the shard from the temple previously cleared by the Kreener bandit, a testament to their successful new partnership.

"Great work. Eleven more shards to go," he remarked, offering words of gratitude for their assistance. 

In a span of a mere four hours, they had amassed five medium shards. Emery generously distributed one shard to Mahinder and another to Siyan. To his astonishment, he witnessed a rare chuckle escaping from the monk.

The three then made their way back to the gate, where they would reunite with Jinkan and the others, preparing themselves for the upcoming battle with the second guardian.

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