Earth's Greatest Magus

"Please provide the criminal's name and their bounty number," the officer requested, his tone indifferent as he glanced at Emery, noting his half-moon magus rank.

Emery complied, and as soon as the officer read the data, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"This… is a grand magus-level criminal! Is this a mistake?"

Emery was swiftly escorted to another room, where he presented his proof: Mo Yan's cold, headless corpse, accompanied by the severed head. The sight was enough to startle even the most seasoned magus. The remains were promptly sent for verification, and after a thorough examination, the officer returned, visibly shaken.

"Please wait a moment, sir. I need to call my superior."

Mo Yan's notoriety was well-known. His criminal activities had led to the annihilation of multiple worlds, resulting in the deaths of over a billion mortals for his twisted experiments. His actions had also claimed the lives of hundreds of magus and over a dozen grand magus, placing him among the top 100 most wanted criminals in the Magus universe.

The senior officers arrived to verify Emery's identity, and after knowing of his historical records, their demeanor shifted to one of respect. Emery was then asked to submit a brief report on how he had captured Mo Yan. He provided some account of the events, ensuring that the crucial details were covered. The officers cross-referenced his report with another submitted by the Magus Alliance outpost on Desolation Alpha planet four days prior.

After confirming the details, Emery was informed of his reward:

[250 million spirit stones]

[40,000 alliance merits]

Though the sum seemed substantial, Mo Yan's bounty was relatively modest compared to others on the top 100 list, primarily because he had been missing for 300 years. However, for Emery, whose faction was only at the level of grade 1, this amount was significant. It was equivalent to nearly a year's income for his faction or about six months of his successful apothecary business.

In terms of alliance merits, the last significant reward he received during the Demon's Pit incident had been less than 20,000 merits. Earning 40,000 merits was a huge achievement, comparable to the value of capturing two dozen full-moon dark elf magus.

Unfortunately, such a significant bounty came with a stipulation: half of the reward was contingent upon submitting Mo Yan's living soul as proof. This requirement was due to the value that a captured soul provided to the Magus Alliance, offering them the chance to extract vital information and impose their form of justice. Since Emery only had Mo Yan's physical body, without its aperture, he could only claim 30% of the reward.

Realizing the immense value of Mo Yan's soul only intensified Emery's desire to retain it. This information was crucial, prompting him to reconsider his next steps regarding the captured grand magus' soul.

For now, Emery decided to submit Mo Yan's body and claim the available portion of the reward. The senior officer swiftly processed the documentation giving him no trouble.

[You received 75 million spirit stones]

[You received 12,000 alliance merit]

It took them an hour to successfully withdraw the spirit stones into his personal Magus Alliance account. As for the alliance merits: he could claim them for the Earth faction or the Terra faction.

[Earth faction: 45,200/63,100]

[Grade 1, Merits Rank - 3211]

[Terra faction: 21,700/398,700]

[Grade 1, Merits Rank - 289]

The numbers on the right indicated their total accumulated merits, while those on the left showed their usable merits. Since Emery had been assigned as the leader of both factions, he had the authority to access and allocate both sets of merits.

Seeing the high number of Terra faction accumulated merit, Emery couldn't help but be reminded of the history of Lord Izta.

After finishing his 1,000 years of duty serving the Nephilim, Lord Izta the Gilgamesh used his first 10,000 merits to purchase ownership of a land permit. This permit granted him control over a small settlement in the empty desert plains. With a vision and determination, Lord Izta began the arduous task of transforming this barren land into a thriving community,laying the groundwork for what would become his Terra kingdom.

Recognizing the importance of defense and stability, he ventured forth to secure additional permits – trade permits, military forces permits, and the permits to assemble his own battle armada. Now, half a millennium later, the fruits of Lord Izta's labor manifest in the form of the Terra faction, a stalwart presence that has ascended to the upper echelons of distinction. Ranked among the top 300 amidst a sea of over 10,000 grade 1 factions.

Since Emery assumed leadership, the bulk of their remaining merits had been invested in fortifying the Terra Kingdom into an impregnable fortress, utilizing most of their remaining permits. However, this time around, with the acquisition of other permissions, they planned to allocate all the new merits to the Earth faction.

In fact, over the past four months, their endeavors in hunting pirates had proven highly successful, yielding around 20,000 merits. This campaign involved the eradication of a dozen pirate groups and the prevention of numerous other incidents that threatened the space around Golden City.

The primary objective of accumulating these merits to the Earth faction was to secure the permit necessary to establish an official magus alliance teleportation gate in the Earth-

Moon Base. This permit, costing 100,000 merits, would enable access from Earth to multiple Alpha Quadrant outposts, significantly enhancing their reach and ensuring greater accessibility and security. Such a strategic investment would bolster their defensive capabilities and strengthen their position within the Magus Alliance.

"Transfer all merits to the Earth faction," Emery instructed decisively.

"Certainly," the officer acknowledged.

[Earth faction: 57,200/75,100]

[Grade 1, Merits Rank - 2658]

"Thank you for your contribution," the senior officer expressed gratitude as Emery received the rewards.

After collecting his bounty, Emery made his way back to Terra City to rendezvous with Magus Rosia. The meeting was brief but informative. As they exchanged reports on the progress of the pirate campaign, Emery listened intently to the recent success in routing a pirate outpost. Although it brought news of some casualties, they also managed to seize pirates' treasures worth over 50 million spirit stones. This news only solidified his resolve.

Feeling assured of his next steps, Emery entrusted the 75 million spirit stones to Magus Rosia, instructing her to procure something of value on his behalf.

With his business concluded in Terra City, Emery made his way back to the cold subterranean cave. "All right, I have 10 days to crack this aperture open."