The Rise of the Titan

"Use all your abilities to attack me and see what happens." Muria gazed at the formidable hybrid before him, one possessing the bloodlines of five distinct species, inviting him to launch another assault.

From the alchemists' descriptions and remarks, Muria concluded that this flesh-engineered Sivarin had a combat strength rivaling that of a genuine legendary being. His seemingly frail appearance was deceiving; it was precisely because of his overwhelming strength that he appeared so underwhelming against Muria, who could suppress him with a single move.

With an astonishing count of 128 Soul Rings, combined with divine essence, Muria's power post-promotion was overwhelming, nearly crushing any lower-tier legend. In the dragon hierarchy, even the most exceptional golden and red dragons typically reached legendary status with around 45 Soul Rings, or 40 for those slightly less adept—compared to Muria's threefold difference.

If dragons fared this way, other creatures had even less of a chance. Coupled with his exclusive weapon and divine attributes, Muria's enhancements were incredibly exaggerated.

"Attack me with all you've got. I want to see just how powerful I truly am," Muria commanded Sivarin. It was apparent that the alchemists had embedded some form of control within his soul to regulate his actions.

Even though Sivarin was treated as a whole life form, this did not stop the alchemists from enslaving, controlling, and studying him. Yet, he still retained his own will.

Upon hearing Muria's command, Sivarin glanced at the alchemists before complying with Muria's request. A terrifying ripple formed between his twin horns, and a pinpoint of black light appeared, rapidly absorbing surrounding elemental energy and expanding.

"Void God Flash! Slaughtering Shadow, stop him! Interrupt it now!" The researchers panicked as they recognized the power Sivarin was about to unleash. Their faces turned pale with fear, suggesting they had witnessed this devastating ability before.

"Shut up! Don't interrupt him!" Muria barked at the noisy researchers, silencing them instantly. He then watched with keen interest as the black sphere between Sivarin's horns grew. He sensed the attack was powerful but not dangerous enough to harm him.

"Take your time charging up. Push this attack to the absolute limit of your control," Muria ordered, observing the now slowly growing Void God Flash.

"Roar!" Sivarin, enraged by Muria's nonchalant attitude, let out a fierce roar. Veins bulged across his upper body while his serpent tail straightened and its dark, colorful scales stood erect. The three pairs of black-iron wings on his back unfolded, and the energy-conducting patterns etched on them glowed as they drew in elements from the air, channeling them to Sivarin's horns.

**Void God Flash!**

As the alchemists looked on in terror and Muria remained unfazed, a black beam with crimson edges shot from the black sphere between Sivarin's horns, hurtling towards Muria.

Muria did not dodge. He allowed the attack, which had paralyzed the alchemists with fear, to strike him directly. From the beginning, his instincts told him there was no need to evade.

Silently, the space around the point of impact shattered into a dense web of cracks before healing and disappearing...

"Not bad!" Muria remarked, looking down at where the formidable attack had struck his chest plate. Wisps of white smoke rose, but his scales remained unscathed, with no deformation or signs of high temperature. Sivarin's full-force assault left no mark except for the fading smoke.

"Impossible!" Some of the alchemists were on the verge of breakdown upon seeing Muria emerge unscathed from their pride and joy's most destructive attack. The weapon they had painstakingly created couldn't even scratch him—an utterly demoralizing reality.

"What do you expect? Would it be more reasonable if I were injured by this?" Muria tilted his head and questioned them.

"Of course not. But your defense is beyond what any living creature should possess. Slaughtering Shadow's Void God Flash has a history of piercing through a legendary sea beast, and this attack was even stronger," one of the alchemists stammered in disbelief.

"My scales are fused with a set of legendary armor," Muria revealed nonchalantly. With his current strength, he no longer worried about others coveting this knowledge. "If you want to hurt me, you need to break through legendary metal first."

"Legendary metal!" The researchers were even more astounded as they looked up at Muria's colossal form. "How much legendary metal has this Dragon Duke integrated? How wealthy must he be?"

"So this is his maximum attack power. Still not enough. I need to find another way to gauge my strength," Muria muttered to himself, contemplating his current position within Erathia's legendary hierarchy.

Despite being newly ascended, hybrids like Sivarin, who had advanced on their own and undergone flesh modification, were no match for him. They were almost powerless against him.

"Besides Sivarin, where's your second hybrid beast?"

"It's only a prototype. Although we've completed its creation, for some unknown reason, the Enchantress of the Azure Feathers remains unresponsive. We've detected no issues," the alchemist explained.

"Take me to see her."

"At once."

Soon, in a laboratory, Muria stood before a massive crystal tank nearly twenty meters tall. Inside, he saw the alchemists' second hybrid creation, named the Enchantress of the Azure Feathers. As her name suggested, she was a female hybrid in appearance.

"Are you trying to create a counterpart to Sivarin, a female hybrid of similar stature?" Muria asked, casting a peculiar glance at the alchemists. "What are you aiming for? Breeding hybrids like Chimera or Rakshasa?"

"Indeed, Your Grace. Our ultimate goal as flesh-crafting alchemists is to create hybrids capable of reproduction. Slaughtering Shadow is so powerful; we don't want him to become a mere historical footnote. We aim to perpetuate his bloodline.

Because the exact conditions that produced Slaughtering Shadow are almost impossible to replicate, and his creation involved a stroke of luck, we can't make another like him. Thus, we tried to create the Enchantress of the Azure Feathers as the mother to carry on Slaughtering Shadow's lineage."

"You grafted that serpent tail onto her, didn't you? And her wings—they're from Sivarin, aren't they? You really have a knack for this," Muria noted as he examined the hybrid. The Enchantress appeared to be crafted from a legendary Siren as the primary material—he recognized some features.

"Your insight is impressive, Your Grace. The Enchantress of the Azure Feathers' tail and Slaughtering Shadow's come from the same Devouring Mountain Serpent. Her wings were cultivated from Slaughtering Shadow's blood. She also carries the ancient bronze dragon bloodline to balance her physiology," the alchemists elaborated, hoping Muria might provide some insights.

"I don't see any issues. This is your area of expertise. I've never delved into it before," Muria said as he scrutinized the Enchantress, who floated in the nutrient fluid, looking as if she were merely sleeping. "Some things cannot be forced; sometimes, luck plays a role. Take your time."

After a brief tour of the research island, Muria spread his wings and departed.

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