241: Chapter 242 Tasharin's Pursuit

Approximately ten minutes later, a streak of light radiating powerful mental energy fluctuations sped from the southeast. It cut through the gloomy Siberian sky at a speed far exceeding that of ordinary top-tier experts, accurately landing outside the temporary camp of Bear Country.

It was Marianne Cersie, summoned by Lin Muyang. From receiving Lin Muyang's brief message to crossing thousands of kilometers to reach this icy plain, she only spent a little over ten minutes. This incredible speed was naturally attributed to Lin Muyang's heaven-defying God-Tier Aura of Power of Wind Control. The moment Lin Muyang temporarily added her to his team and activated the Aura, Marianne felt as if she had broken free from the shackles of space, and her flying speed increased tens of times over! What would have originally been at least an hour's journey was compressed to the extreme. In these ten minutes, she even had time to return to the Eternal Garden to retrieve some professional tools and magic materials she thought might be useful for interrogation.

When Marianne's tall, graceful figure, clad in a deep purple mage's robe and carrying a hint of the chill and dust from her long journey, appeared at the edge of the camp, it immediately drew the attention of the guards. But after confirming her identity, the guards respectfully made way, their eyes filled with thinly veiled awe—this was a prominent figure who once wielded immense influence in the American Empire, and now she had become a subordinate of Mr. Lin Muyang.

Marianne paid no heed to the guards' reverent gazes. Her expression was calm as her eyes quickly swept over the camp. The lingering, purified faint sweet and bloody scent in the air, the battle traces and scorch marks on the ground that hadn't been completely cleaned, and the geniuses from various countries gathered in small groups between tents, still shaken despite being rescued and conversing in low voices... all silently spoke of the tragedy that had occurred here not long ago. She felt little emotion; after the baptism of the Crocodile Shark Island battle and the soul contract, her state of mind was no longer what it used to be, focusing solely on completing the task assigned by her master.

Under the guidance of a Bear Country official, Marianne arrived in front of a relatively spacious and well-insulated tent in the center of the camp. The official respectfully announced her presence at the entrance, then stepped aside.

Marianne tidied her slightly wind-blown light golden hair and robe, took a deep breath, lifted the tent flap, and stepped inside.

The temperature inside the tent was comfortable, with a magic heater quietly radiating warmth. Lin Muyang was casually seated on a chair covered with a thick bearskin, toying with an ice-blue crystal, seemingly studying something. Beside him, a young lady with equally golden hair, though brighter in shade, and exquisite features with a northern charm, was carefully brewing hot tea for him with delicate silver tea sets. Her movements were gentle, but her eyes occasionally stole glances at Lin Muyang, filled with undisguised adoration and admiration.

Marianne recognized this young lady: Tashalin, the genius Summoner from Ice Bird Country, quite famous among the younger generation, rumored to be rather proud and aloof. But seeing her now, so respectful and even cautiously fawning over Lin Muyang, where was the rumored aloofness? Marianne's heart stirred slightly, but she showed no emotion on her face.

"I have arrived, Mr. Lin. What are your commands?" Marianne walked directly to about three paces in front of Lin Muyang, bowing elegantly yet with utmost respect, her tone humble. This was the natural reverence of an absolute sovereign, stemming from the soul contract.

At the same time, she observed Tashalin out of the corner of her eye. Tashalin clearly recognized her as well, her movements pausing slightly, and her clear blue eyes flashing with undisguised shock. This was Marianne Cersie! A transcendent figure in the American Empire, a top-tier psychic master of unfathomable strength!

Even the ruler of Ice Bird Country would treat her with respect. For such a prominent figure to be so humble, even subservient, before Lin Muyang? Tashalin's shock was immense, and her understanding and awe of Lin Muyang instantly soared to a new, unimaginable height. She became even more convinced of how correct and even fortunate her decision to follow Lin Muyang was!

Lin Muyang put down the ice crystal, looked up at Marianne, and nodded: "You're here. Sit." He pointed to an empty chair beside him.

Marianne did not sit down immediately, maintaining her respectful posture: "Mr. Lin, please give your instructions first."

Lin Muyang did not insist, simply recounting the camp attack, the capture of six black-robed assassins, and his hope that she would use her psychic abilities for deep interrogation.

"They are controlled by Daji's Innate Charm, but that control is more about behavioral manipulation. For extracting deep memories and secrets, it might not be as direct and effective as your professional methods," Lin Muyang said.

"No problem, Mr. Lin." Marianne agreed without hesitation; this was not difficult for her, in fact, it was her area of expertise. But after agreeing, a hint of appropriate difficulty and hesitation appeared on her face. She bit her lower lip and then spoke: "However, Mr. Lin... there's something I might need your help with first. Previously on Crocodile Shark Island, the skill used on me by your Nine-Tailed Fox lady, attached a special effect from a mythic grade equipment, permanently sealing three of my highest-grade core skills..."

She paused, her tone carrying a hint of plea: "I wonder if you, or that lady, could help me remove this seal? Without those three core skills, my psychic abilities will be greatly diminished, especially when it comes to high-intensity memory searches and soul interrogation, I might be insufficient, affecting the interrogation results."

Lin Muyang was stunned for a moment, then slapped his forehead with a mix of realization and amusement: "If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten about it."

When Daji charmed Marianne, she was equipped with the mythic grade orb "heart of magic prohibition," one of its special effects being that targets successfully controlled by her skills would have three highest-grade skills permanently sealed. This effect was very domineering, but Lin Muyang had recently acquired too many mythic grade equipment and skills, and Su Daji rarely used this against her own people later, so he indeed forgot about it.

"Daji's heart of magic prohibition effect can be actively dispelled. I'll have her unseal it for you." Lin Muyang said casually, then, through the soul contract link, conveyed the instruction to Su Daji, who was resting in the Eternal Garden. Su Daji, thousands of kilometers away, received the command, and with a thought, remotely dispelled the seal on Marianne's three skills.

Marianne immediately felt an invisible shackle deep within her soul quietly loosen, and those three familiar and powerful core skills became clear and usable again. She breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that even such a powerful negative effect could be dispelled just like that, as if flicking away a speck of dust. She quickly bowed again: "Thank you, Mr. Lin!"

"Alright, go do your work. The people are in the tent next door, watched by the Bear Country personnel." Lin Muyang waved his hand.

Marianne respectfully took her leave and, guided by the Bear Country official, headed to the tent where the black-robed assassins were held.

After Marianne left, Lin Muyang picked up the ice crystal again, but his thoughts were no longer entirely on it. He seemed casual, but in reality, he had quietly activated his "God's Perspective," like a high and mighty deity, silently extending his perception to the interrogation tent next door. He didn't distrust Marianne's abilities, but he had developed a genuine interest. Anyone who dared to plot against him and try to frame him, no matter who was behind it, he had no intention of letting them off easily. Personally observing the interrogation process might reveal some details.

Inside the adjacent tent, the atmosphere was grim. Six black-robed assassins, bound by special magic-prohibiting chains, slumped on the ground, still under the lingering control of Su Daji's Innate Charm, their eyes hollow. Several Bear Country powerhouses stood guard around the tent, their faces ashen, their eyes burning with rage.

Marianne walked in, nodded to the Bear Country powerhouses, and signaled them to temporarily retreat outside the tent to avoid interfering with her magic. Although the Bear Country powerhouses were resentful, they knew to leave professional matters to professionals, so they complied and exited, but still guarded the entrance tightly.

Only Marianne and the six assassins remained in the tent. She didn't act immediately but first slowly walked around the six, light flowing in her pale purple eyes. Powerful mental energy, like invisible tentacles, meticulously scanned their physical condition, magic flow, and soul fluctuations. She was assessing their mental defense strength, possible countermeasures, and the most suitable interrogation method.

Lin Muyang observed the situation in the tent. Tashalin had already refilled his hot tea and was quietly standing by, like a docile canary.

"Tashalin, the genius Summoner from Ice Bird Country..." Lin Muyang scrutinized the exquisite-looking young lady before him, whose eyes were filled with adoration and expectation. Her talent and combat power were indeed outstanding among her peers. As for her personality, she seemed much easier to get along with than rumored, at least in front of him.

"You wish to follow me?" Lin Muyang asked, his voice calm.

"Yes, Mr. Lin!" Tashalin immediately straightened her back, her clear blue eyes sparkling with resolute light. "I am willing to follow you forever and do anything for you! Whether it's fighting, reconnaissance, or handling miscellaneous tasks! Just give the command!"

Lin Muyang made no comment. Tashalin's combat power, in his current view, was only decent. But her advantage lay in her Summoner class, which had a high ceiling. If cultivated well, she might become a good asset in the future. Moreover, he indeed lacked people to handle peripheral affairs, run errands, and deliver messages. While Elabess and Lilia were capable, they primarily served as core combatants and companions; assigning them to trivial matters would be overkill.

"Since you have this intention, it is acceptable." Lin Muyang nodded. "You can follow me from now on. I will arrange accommodation for you in Xia Country. When there are no tasks, you can cultivate freely. If I have something for you to do, I will notify you. Of course, since you are working for me, I will not treat you unfairly; there will be corresponding rewards."

"Really? Thank you, Mr. Lin! Thank you!" Tashalin was overjoyed, her small face flushed with excitement, and she bowed repeatedly. "Regardless of rewards, as long as I have the opportunity to serve you, I will be content!"

Lin Muyang smiled, not responding to her words. Anyone could say pretty words, but actual benefits lasted longer. Since Tashalin had become his, he would provide corresponding resources and support. Otherwise, with her current strength, she would quickly be left far behind and become worthless. He had quite a few epic-grade and legendary-grade Summoner equipment and skill books in his storage ring; just a few of them would be enough to boost Tashalin's strength several times over in a short period. This was also one of his methods for building his influence.

Inside the camp, besides Tashalin, there were actually quite a few surviving geniuses and powerhouses who, after witnessing Lin Muyang's miraculous abilities and terrifying strength, also expressed a desire to follow him. However, Lin Muyang had little interest in those people. Their talent, potential, and even character, in Lin Muyang's view, were too ordinary, with limited cultivation value. Taking Tashalin was more about her Summoner class, her decent potential, and the pure adoration and determination she displayed at this moment.

While Lin Muyang was contemplating, Marianne had already completed the initial information gathering and walked into the tent with a crystal inscribed with magical imprints. She respectfully presented the crystal to Lin Muyang and handed a copied mental imprint to Vasily, the Bear Country official waiting outside.

Lin Muyang took the crystal, scanned it with his mental energy, confirmed the detailed information, and nodded in satisfaction. "You've worked hard. Rest for a while. When things here are concluded, we'll return to Xia Country together."

"Yes." Marianne bowed in response, then quietly stood aside, closing her eyes to meditate and recover her depleted mental energy.

Lin Muyang put away the crystal and looked towards the gloomy sky outside the tent. The camp's affairs were mostly dealt with: the culprits caught, intelligence acquired, survivors appeased. Subsequent investigations and retaliation could be left to Bear Country and other relevant nations to worry about; he only needed to provide some assistance at critical moments.

"Now..." Lin Muyang felt the surging power within him, and his level, which had just risen to 93, a glimmer of anticipation flashed in his eyes, "It's time to summon a new companion."

The previous Frost Corridor secret realm had caused him and the young ladies' levels to soar, and he himself had successfully broken through the level 90 mark, reaching level 93.