"Hmm?" Muria let out a slight murmur as he approached. The human shield warrior's questioning tone was merely a ruse, using a bizarre technique to draw Muria's attention, creating an opportunity for his comrades.
In that brief moment, an arrow shot towards Muria like a streak of light—it was fired by the legendary rogue dressed in a wanderer's garb.
"Amateurish." Muria halted in midair, reaching out to catch the arrow without concern for potential injury. To the human legends, this posture seemed exceedingly arrogant.
Rogues are versatile; they excel in reconnaissance and stealth like assassins but can also confront enemies head-on if needed. Some even dabble in magic or archery—skills that are often seen as trivial.
"This has a hint of elven archery, but it's far inferior." As the arrow, resembling a bolt from a magical cannon, approached, Muria still had the leisure to make comments.
Under the horrified gaze of the legendary rogue, Muria reached out and caught the scarlet arrow. There was no impact or explosion; the arrow's light dimmed, revealing a rune-covered metal shaft, which disintegrated into metal dust under the immense force, scattering in the wind.
Meanwhile, the mage had finished casting his spell. Compared to the rogue's attack, the mage's action was far more dramatic, exuding the majesty and presence expected of a legendary spellcaster.
Above and below Muria, two legendary magic circles formed, a binding force enveloping him, intending to immobilize him like a bug in amber.
"This level of restraint could halt an ancient dragon for three breaths—quite decent," Muria commented calmly. "Now for the main course."
At Muria's command, the four elemental forces—earth, wind, water, and fire—gathered from all directions, forming four swords of various elements, their blades inscribed with runes. Without giving him any more time, these rune-engraved swords shot towards him, seemingly intent on obliterating him in one strike.
A thunderous roar echoed as black, spiderweb-like cracks spread from Muria's position. A powerful suction force emerged, swiftly consuming the elemental cloud created by the exploding elemental swords, revealing Muria's figure, gradually emerging from the aftermath.
The terrifying strike left the four legends hopeful, momentarily forgetting about the crystal dragon trapped in the mountains, indicating that they perceived Muria as a greater threat.
"Such an attack, even if not fatal, would be crippling," the legendary mage said, his face pale. His aura had significantly weakened after casting the spell, showing that he had paid a considerable price for the attack.
"Don't be careless. You've seen it yourself; one blow, and Marko was dead. Such a terrifying being won't be easy to kill. Be prepared," warned the legendary priest who had seemed inactive.
"The sword saint isn't dead. You seem to underestimate a legend's resilience. Haven't you ever been dismembered before?" A voice rang out in the air, making the four legends change color instantly. They saw a tall figure standing in the dissipating elemental cloud, staring at them expressionlessly.
"You're unharmed? That's impossible!" The mage was in disbelief. His spells had barely affected Muria. How could that be, given the spatial rifts caused by the previous attack, which should have weakened him?
"Nothing is impossible," Muria replied coldly. "Now it's my turn! If any of you can withstand a single blow from me and survive, I'll let you go."
Muria sensed none of the repugnant aura of professional dragon hunters from these four, which suggested they were not dedicated to hunting dragons. This realization lessened his inclination to kill them outright.
However, they had still attempted to kill a dragon and attacked him, so Muria had no intention of letting them go unscathed. He planned to capture them instead.
"Arrogant!" The legendary warrior, now enraged by Muria's words, began to transform. His already massive body swelled, his jaws protruded, and he took on a bear-like appearance, standing five meters tall.
"Try killing us in one blow!" The now bear-like warrior growled, raising his enlarged shield and slamming it into the void as if striking solid ground.
A familiar scene unfolded before Muria: a steel-colored barrier appeared, shielding the four legends from him.
"Interesting." Muria's lips curled into a slight smile. He had seen this move before. "Is this a standard skill for human shield warriors? It doesn't seem very effective."
Raising his hand, Muria shot a beam of light intertwined with thunder and flames from his fingertip. As it traveled, the beam widened, and by the time it struck the steel barrier, it was about ten meters in diameter.
Unlike the shield warrior who had withstood multiple strikes from Claudia's army, this legendary shield warrior's barrier lasted less than three breaths under Muria's attack before shattering. The beam then struck the warrior directly.
In the golden beam of dragonfire and lightning, the warrior's heavy armor began to glow red, then brightened, showing signs of melting. Despite enduring unimaginable pain, the bear-like man's face twisted, yet he remained silent.
"A true warrior, impressive," Muria remarked, lowering his hand. There was no need to continue the attack.
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