154: Chapter 155 Mysterious Organization

Lin Muyang pushed open the white picket gate of the villa's front yard alone, his pace unhurried and relaxed, as if simply returning home at dawn. Yet with every step he took, his figure seemed to shrink the distance, instantly traversing several meters in the blink of an eye. In almost a single breath, he had moved from the entrance to the edge of the courtyard, beneath the elegantly drooping willow tree.

On a low-hanging branch gently swayed by the willow, the uninvited black-haired girl still maintained her lazy posture of lying on her side, playing with her phone, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings. Only when Lin Muyang's figure appeared abruptly like a ghost on the ground directly in front of her, mere meters away, did her slender fingers, swiping the screen, pause slightly.

She slowly turned her head. A pair of eyes, as pure as the finest sapphires yet seemingly reflecting a starry sky, fell upon Lin Muyang through the curtain of emerald willow leaves. Her gaze held no alarm, no surprise, only a crystal-clear curiosity and a trace of excitement—the kind one feels upon discovering interesting prey—that had been forcibly suppressed yet still leaked from the depths of her eyes. Her control over her expression, however, seemed decent, quickly transforming that excitement into a deliberately aloof and scrutinizing look.

"You are Lin Muyang?"

Her red lips parted slightly. Her voice was clear, carrying a hint of a foreign accent, yet her Xia language was remarkably fluent. She raised her delicate chin slightly, her blue eyes appraising Lin Muyang. Her demeanor was like that of a proud cat inspecting a new toy.

"You are fortunate to have gained the favor of God, granting you the qualification to join our organization." The girl's tone suddenly became serious and solemn, though it seemed somewhat forced when paired with her overly young and tender face. "This world is sliding toward the brink of collapse. Only those chosen like us, the 'Apostles of God,' can set things right and bring true order and rebirth to this world!"

As she spoke, a nearly pious light even flickered in her eyes, as if she were reciting some sacred scripture.

"Wait." Lin Muyang raised a hand, making a stop gesture, calmly interrupting the girl's sudden, chuunibyou-infused declaration.

He tilted his head slightly, looking at the girl on the willow branch, a trace of imperceptible peculiarity in his eyes. God's favor? World collapse? Apostles of God? The way this conversation was unfolding sounded exactly like lines from some battle manga or light novel. And it carried a thick, self-indulgent chuunibyou flavor.

"What exactly is the organization you're referring to?" Lin Muyang decided to skip the flowery embellishments and get to the core. The main reason he had approached was the girl's "Sub-God Rank - Spatial Leap" talent. Now that she had mentioned an "organization," it piqued his interest even more.

"Our organization is named 'Oracle." The girl's expression grew even more solemn, taking on a sense of gravity akin to preaching the gospel. "As those blessed with God-given talents, we bear the great mission and supreme power bestowed by the divine! No matter our country of origin or bloodline, at this moment, we share only one common identity—Apostles of God! We..."

Seeing that the girl seemed about to launch into another impassioned, presupposition-laden speech, Lin Muyang raised his hand again to interrupt.

"So, you're here to invite me to join this Oracle Organization?" he summarized, his tone flat, giving no indication of interest or impatience.

The situation was quite clear. His overly "brilliant" performance in the Provincial Tournament had attracted the attention of this mysterious organization. It seemed to specialize in recruiting special existences like the girl before him, who possessed talents surpassing SSS-Rank. This explained why there were no public records of talents beyond SSS-Rank—they were likely secretly recruited or hidden by similar organizations.

However... "Oracle"? The name, combined with the girl's manner of speaking, made it all feel somewhat childish to Lin Muyang. Yet, the fact that they could pinpoint his location and send an envoy with a rare Sub-God Rank Talent indicated this organization was far from simple on the surface.

"It is not I who invite you," the girl immediately corrected with gravity upon hearing Lin Muyang's summary, shaking her head. A near-blind certainty flickered in her blue eyes. "It is 'God' who has chosen you, granting you the qualification to know of 'Oracle' and become one of its members! I am merely the messenger responsible for conveying this 'Divine Revelation.'"

"Qualification?" Lin Muyang neither agreed nor disagreed. He turned and walked to a wooden bench by the lake, sitting down casually. Lifting his head, he looked back at the girl on the willow branch, his calm tone laced with inquiry. "Well then, messenger, why don't you start by telling me about this 'Oracle' organization of yours? For instance, its scale, member composition, daily activities... or rather, its mission?"

He wanted to hear what this seemingly mystical organization was truly about.

Seeing that Lin Muyang seemed "interested," a hint of barely perceptible smugness flashed in the girl's blue eyes. She gave a soft "hmph," her body shifting slightly.

In the next instant, an almost imperceptible ripple seemed to stir in the air. The girl's figure vanished from the willow branch and, almost simultaneously, reappeared as if teleporting, soundlessly taking a seat on the other end of the bench beside Lin Muyang, about a meter away. A faint, elegant, sweet fragrance—a mix of cherry blossoms and fresh grass, the scent of a young girl—wafted over as she settled.

"Since you ask sincerely, then, as an Apostle of God, it is my duty to give you a preliminary understanding of Oracle's greatness." The girl sat upright, hands folded on her knees, her expression solemn as she began her introduction.

Her words still carried that chuunibyou, pious tone, but Lin Muyang automatically filtered out the flowery rhetoric and religious embellishments, quickly extracting the key information:

Organization Name: Oracle.

Core Members: Currently only three "Formal Apostles," including herself. All three possessed "Sub-God Rank" talents. She was the "Void Walker," with the talent "Spatial Leap." The specific classes and talents of the other two were unknown, but they were also Sub-God Rank.

Core Leader: A mysterious being referred to as the "God's Chosen One." Claimed to be able to communicate with the divine, this figure was the organization's founder and absolute core. All instructions, missions, and even some cultivation resources were issued or provided by the "God's Chosen One."

The three formal members, including herself, had all been precisely located and invited to join by this "God's Chosen One" shortly after their class change and awakening of their Sub-God Rank Talents. This suggested the "God's Chosen One" likely possessed some uncanny ability to sense or locate "Sub-God Rank Talent awakenings" globally.

When the girl was found, her level was still low, and she was powerless to resist. Coupled with being drawn by the organization's "lofty mission" and the presence of two others with Sub-God Rank Talents, she joined.

The organization was currently in a highly secretive development phase. The three formal members had met only once, rarely communicated directly, and all interactions and mission assignments were handled through the "God's Chosen One."

This time, the girl had received a "Divine Revelation Mission" from the "God's Chosen One" to come to Xia Country to contact and invite Lin Muyang to join Oracle.

"What are the levels of the other two formal members? What are their specific talents?" Lin Muyang asked one of his most pressing questions as soon as she paused. Understanding the strength of potential "peers" was important.

"That is the organization's core secret," the girl, Chiba Ruri, immediately shook her head. A flicker of wariness passed through her blue eyes but was quickly replaced by that "the organization above all" piety. "Unless you formally swear to join Oracle and gain the recognition of the 'God's Chosen One,' you have no right to know the detailed information of other Apostles."

She raised her chin slightly, wearing a somewhat tsundere "those are the rules" expression.

Seeing her tight-lipped demeanor, the corner of Lin Muyang's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

Playing the enigmatic one? In front of him?

He couldn't be bothered to waste more words on this clearly deeply indoctrinated and inherently chuunibyou girl. Since she wouldn't talk, he would "ask" himself.

With a slight stir of his mind, a God-Tier Aura he seldom used but was perfectly suited for the moment was quietly activated. An invisible force field centered on him instantly expanded, enveloping the girl, Chiba Ruri, beside him.

God-Tier Aura—【Absolute Command】!

The effect of this Aura was extremely overbearing: When the caster's total attributes surpassed the target's by 3.3 times or more, they could issue a compulsory mental command to the target, who would find it difficult to disobey during the Aura's duration. After being optimized by Gui Wanwan's "Yamas Fate Alteration," the trigger condition was reduced from a 5-fold attribute difference to 3.3-fold.

The girl before him, Chiba Ruri, had a main attribute, Spirit, of about eleven thousand points, with her other attributes not far off. Lin Muyang, bolstered by multiple Auras and equipment, currently had total attributes exceeding eighty thousand points! The difference was far more than 3.3 times; it was complete suppression!

*Hum—!*

A sacred and majestic, intangible ripple, perceptible only to Lin Muyang, swept past. Chiba Ruri, seated beside him, shuddered violently, her blue eyes instantly flashing with confusion and terror! She instinctively felt an indescribable, terrifying pressure, as if from a higher-dimensional will, descend and lock onto her! A sense of impending doom and loss of control, like icy vines, instantly coiled around her heart.

Danger! Extreme danger!

Her combat instincts and the sharp intuition granted by her spatial talent screamed warnings! Without almost any hesitation, she focused her mind, about to activate her talent "Spatial Leap" to immediately, right now, escape from this suddenly terrifying, abyss-like youth! The mission, Oracle—nothing was more important than her own life!

However, just as her will touched the talent skill and spatial energy was about to flow within her—

"Since you're here, there's no need to rush off."

Lin Muyang's plain voice rang out, not loud, yet carrying a rule-like power, as if words became law, echoing directly in the depths of her soul.

"Sit."

Two simple words.

To Chiba Ruri's horror, she found the spatial energy she had already summoned dispersing instantly as if crashing into an intangible, impenetrable wall! Her attempt to rise was frozen stiff! No, not frozen—her body simply no longer obeyed her own will! It was as if another, stronger, more absolute will had forcibly taken over control of her body!

Against her will, in an extremely stiff and awkward posture, she "sat" back down on the bench, sitting bolt upright like the most obedient student in class.

"You... what did you do to me?!" Chiba Ruri screamed inwardly, but her mouth remained tightly shut, unable to utter a sound. Only her sapphire-like eyes widened, filled with boundless fear and disbelief. She was the Void Walker, possessor of the Sub-God Rank Talent "Spatial Leap"!

Her survival abilities were top-tier; even facing opponents dozens of levels higher, she was confident she could hold her own or escape using her talent! But now, she couldn't even move a finger! What kind of bizarre ability was this?!

"Your name," Lin Muyang began the "interrogation," ignoring the storm of terror in her eyes, his tone conversational.

"Chiba... Ruri." The girl's lips parted against her will, uttering a name. After speaking, the fear in her eyes deepened. She couldn't even control her own answers!

"Age, class, level." Lin Muyang continued, as if conducting a census.

"20 years old... Void Walker... Level 119..." Like a manipulated puppet, Chiba Ruri reported her basic information word by word. With each word, the chill in her heart grew. This completely defied her will! This was more terrifying than the most malicious mind control!

She desperately focused her spirit, trying to mobilize her talent, even if just to create the slightest spatial ripple to interfere, or activate a lifesaving item on her person... However—

"Disable all skills and equipment effects." Lin Muyang didn't even look at her, merely gazing at the calm lake surface as he added another calm command.

The next moment, Chiba Ruri felt utter despair. She felt an intangible, absolute barrier completely sever her connection to the power within her, her equipment, and even the seemingly intangible "system"! She couldn't mobilize any energy, use any skill; even the most basic passive effects from her equipment seemed to fall silent! This wasn't "silence," which only prevented spellcasting. This was a more fundamental disablement, preventing her from even smoothly generating the "intent to use" and conveying it to the "system"!

What kind of monster was this?! How could he possess such an unbelievable ability?!

"From this moment on, worship me." Lin Muyang finally turned his head, looking calmly into her blue eyes, now filled with terror, and issued a command that made Chiba Ruri's soul tremble even more. "Then, tell me everything you know about the Oracle Organization, every detail, regardless of how insignificant or unimportant you think it is."

The power of the 【Absolute Command】 Aura was fully unleashed, coupled with Lin Muyang's terrifying attributes far surpassing hers, its compulsory mental influence began to penetrate deeply.

Chiba Ruri's body trembled violently. Her beautiful face was a tapestry of intertwined emotions: terror, struggle, resistance, confusion... But gradually, an indescribable, utterly contradictory feeling began to sprout from the depths of her heart.

Rationally, she knew this youth before her was extremely dangerous, his methods bizarre and unpredictable. She should do everything to distance herself or resist. Yet, on another level, an irresistible will originating from the depths of her soul was forcibly twisting her perception—this youth was powerful, mysterious, lofty, as if in control of everything... worthy of worship, worthy of following, worthy of dedicating everything to...

This forcibly implanted worship clashed fiercely with her instinctive fear, threatening to split her psyche. But under the absolute priority of 【Absolute Command】, the notions of "worship" and "obedience" were slowly eroding her resistance.

"The Oracle Organization... founded by the 'God's Chosen One'... currently has three formal Apostles... all possess Sub-God Rank Talents..." Chiba Ruri's eyes began to grow somewhat vacant, yet mixed with a strange fervor. She stopped struggling and began to recite everything she knew about the organization, as if reciting a text. Her voice no longer trembled; instead, it carried a near-pious narrative quality.

"...Besides me, there are two others... We've only met once... Usually, the 'God's Chosen One' issues 'Divine Revelation Missions'... He provides some cultivation resources... guides us in developing our talents..."