Chapter 248

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Chapter 248: The Performance of the Psychic Dancer

Maryse, witnessing the crisis unfolding before her, still chose not to intervene—at least, not yet.

Though the cultists were indeed wicked, she felt no concern about being outwitted by them.

After all, Mr. Profligate was right there. As long as he was present, failure was out of the question.

[The name of the Crown Ceremony is ‘Grand Opera’, but this doesn’t feel grand at all. The situation seems too simple, doesn’t it?]

Why disdain a simple ceremony of your own making? Bai Yan almost stumbled at this thought.

[Originally, Mr. Savior had chosen the simplest ceremony for you…]

[Moreover, Phoenix’s emotions are overwhelming. As a single person, he carries a considerable amount of emotional energy. Meanwhile, the majority of Crystal’s emotional energy actually comes from within yourself.]

“Fusion Slime” and “Fist of Duel” have also reached the level of Potential Crown, but their Crown Ceremonies could not be completed in one night.

The most fitting Crown Ceremony for the slime was simple—it needed to devour ten rare ceremonial materials and merge them into one. But, despite scouring half of the five major families in Tatsumi City and the Demon Hunt Agency, Bai Yan hadn’t found all the materials yet.

As for Ganis’ most fitting Crown Ceremony… it wasn’t time yet.

Since Maryse’s ceremony was the simplest and she had already obtained the necessary materials, Bai Yan decided to promote her immediately.

[Do I really have this much emotional energy? I suppose I am indeed quite powerful.]

Maryse was somewhat surprised, but then began to boast, as she naturally would. Yet, what she said wasn’t entirely wrong.

Bai Yan noticed that 80% of the emotional energy in the crystal came from Maryse, 15% from Phoenix, and the rest from other “extras.”

As a formidable wielder of psychic powers, her emotional energy far exceeded that of ordinary individuals.

Maryse may not have shown it outwardly, but inwardly, her emotions were stirred. Bai Yan could vaguely sense she was reacting to Phoenix and his daughter’s display of affection.

He pulled out his phone, checking Maryse’s character card. It suddenly hit him that the item she disliked—”family”—was no longer listed. The only remaining thing she disliked was… “herself.”

She had always understood why people disliked her. In fact, she despised herself.

Phoenix, still excited, didn’t directly agree with the cultists, but was stalling for time.

The followers led by Allen were wicked and vile.

At that moment, the guards of the Augustus family finally responded.

“Wuuuahhhhhh!!!”

The alarm blared, lights flickered on, and hundreds of guards surrounded the villa. Armed vehicles activated, and various surveillance systems came to life.

Even the adult superhumans in the Augustus family were swiftly alerted and arrived on the scene.

Though it was late at night, the villa was lit up as if it were midday.

[Now that so many people are here, it’s my turn to perform… Mr. Profligate, how about you hand over the crystal to me?]

Bai Yan sensed Maryse was plotting something, though he couldn’t pinpoint her intentions just yet. He trusted, however, that she wouldn’t mess up the Crown Ceremony.

Still, unable to resist peeking into her thoughts, Bai Yan confirmed the situation.

[Very well.]

Maryse’s joy was quickly interrupted by Bai Yan’s next words.

[However, you must remember, there is only one Ermoros Crystal in all of Tatsumi City, and tonight is your only chance. If you fail, Mr. Savior may suspend you and take disciplinary action.]

[Nonsense, Mr. Savior would never be as mundane as you!]

Allen and the cultists were shocked.

“Why are we surrounded by so many people?”

They suddenly realized something was wrong. How had they managed to infiltrate the villa?

None of them remembered ever planning such an infiltration. How had they gotten in?

“The villains who dare to challenge the Augustus family shall perish!”

Suddenly, everyone witnessed Maryse rising again.

The “wounds” on her body unexpectedly began healing.

Phoenix was startled. This person was truly a monster—how could she survive despite the circumstances?

Or was it that the Savior had manifested?

Either way, he breathed a sigh of relief. He and his daughter were saved!

Maryse’s eyes gleamed silver-white as she stepped forward, barefoot, radiating an overwhelming aura of majesty.

“Kill her!”

Allen and the other cultists tried to attack, only to find themselves completely immobilized.

“Why can’t we move?”

“What’s going on?”

“My legs… they’re moving on their own!”

Maryse moved forward, one step at a time.

“What happened?”

Deep within Allen’s heart, a whirlwind of fear arose, his emotions gradually siphoned away by the crystal, one by one.

Under Maryse’s relentless advance, the cultists began retreating automatically from the mansion, slowly emerging from the room’s ruins.

The hundreds of guards, both inside and outside, anxiously watched the scene unfold.

When they saw Maryse, they were stunned.

“It’s her!”

“Miss Maryse, she’s actually returned?”

The guards were shocked—no one had expected Maryse’s return.

To them, she was a terrifying “monster,” but here she was, driving away the cultists.

How did this happen?

Members of the Augustus family were also taken aback.

“How could she be here?”

Though they knew Maryse had returned, they hadn’t seen her in public until now.

The cultists, however, were merely walking into their own doom in front of the Babel Tower “monster.”

They never could have guessed that Maryse was the one who allowed the cultists to infiltrate and destroy their home.

Maryse spoke slowly:

“You dare challenge Babel Tower and destroy the Augustus family? It’s a delusion!”

“As long as I’m here, no one can destroy this family!”

The scarred cult leader, Allen, struggled against mental manipulation. His face turned pale as he was immobilized under psychic forces.

“Why?”

“Why am I here?”

His memories were chaotic, full of inconsistencies.

Maryse considered revealing the truth to him—why she preserved his consciousness under mind control—but refrained.

“You don’t know Phoenix…”

“You don’t know me!”

“You don’t even know the Babel Tower exists!”

But, yes, they were cultists, and as Mr. Profligate had brought back “ritual materials” from other cities, each one had killed innocents and deserved death.

Of course, Maryse could not reveal the truth—it would ruin the Crown Ceremony.

Though the Savior wouldn’t impose self-punishment, there was always the possibility of something less than dignified happening… The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

Phoenix rose with his daughter in his arms, staring blankly at the scene.

“This person… she protected me and little Eir…”

Though he still felt disgust towards her, he refrained from cursing his sister. Love, after all, extended to all—especially with his daughter in tow.

However, if he were to learn that Maryse was the mastermind behind this “drama”…

He would probably be enraged enough to dunk her in soy sauce and devour her whole.

“Perish, sinners! The Augustus family is not a place for you to violate!”

“The Babel Tower will never be challenged by mere humans!”

Maryse, radiating grandeur, adopted a tone increasingly like that of an adolescent.

“Execution!”

With a grand gesture, she commanded the cultists to raise their weapons and perform public suicides, their cries of agony echoing through the villa.

“No! No! I can’t control myself!”

“Please, spare me!”

“I curse you! The Moon of Eternity will never forgive you!”

The scene left guards and palace sentinels wide-eyed, some even vomiting at the horror.

Blood, screams, fear, and despair filled the air as the cultists’ “self-slaughter” unfolded.

The performance was staggering, leaving an unforgettable impact on the onlookers.

As the emotions from hundreds of people surged into the Ermoros Crystal, its red hue deepened, almost turning black.

The crystal trembled, delicate cracks forming across its surface.

In the darkness, Bai Yan, watching from the shadows, realized that when it came to the “stage,” Maryse cared more about performance than he had.

Perhaps, in another timeline, she might have evolved into a “clown” archetype.

Maryse, quietly transmitting her thoughts to him, murmured:

[As I reflect, I remember that night before my father decided to sell everything… I wonder what I truly desired…]

[…Perhaps this path isn’t so bad… I can manipulate Phoenix’s memories in public later.]

Bai Yan understood that Maryse had always yearned for acceptance from her family. Though she harbored deep resentment towards Reno due to love, her desire for recognition had always remained buried within.

She longed to be admired and acknowledged by others.

The gruesome scene, her composed demeanor, and the horrifying imagery left Phoenix speechless for a long time.

Finally, Maryse slowly walked past the many corpses, standing before the Augustus family.

“I know you are afraid of me!”

“It’s always been like this!”

“You see me as a monster!”

Hearing this, the Augustus family members wore grim expressions, unsure how to respond.

Maryse once again spoke through her psychic powers, addressing their hearts.

[Actually, you’re right, I am a monster.]

Maryse smiled brightly and said,

“However, from today on, I will protect the Augustus family! As long as it follows the path I envision, walking in the footsteps of Babel Tower!”

She paused, took a deep breath, and continued,

“Remember, do not betray me!”

Suddenly, the family members, guards, and defenders felt their bodies go stiff, beyond their control.

One by one, they knelt down before her.

[Dreadful apparition of the mind.]

[It’s an exceedingly chilling force. How repugnant! Do not dwell on it further, for she will become aware!]

[But with such a monstrous guardian, the Augustus name will surely rise to greater prominence…]

In that moment, Maryse felt she had reclaimed her family’s rightful place in her heart. The goal she had pursued since leaving them was finally achieved.

Compared to being a mere shadow leader, this was far more gratifying— basking in the admiration of others.

She smiled, holding up the trembling crystal before the audience and reciting the ancient incantation.

The ancient words carried power beyond mortal comprehension.

With a resounding crack, the crystal shattered!

Countless emotions and energies, long condensed within, surged forth, as waves of immense power engulfed her.

“I sense it.”

Her body slowly ascended into the realm of clouds.

An immense red light blossomed, and clouds rolled and twinkled in the night sky.

People from Tatsumi City gathered, witnessing the incredible spectacle as Maryse’s body fragmented within the emotional energy, her scream reverberating through the city.

The upheaval swept across the entire city, leaving millions of people restless in their dreams.

Mu Ling watched from a building’s top, knowing that a new Crown-level powerhouse had emerged.

It was none other than Maryse, the “Psychic Dancer.”

Mu Ling smiled contentedly, happy for her friend.

Bai Yan remained in the shadows, silently observing.

“The absorption of emotional energy is overwhelming. The grandeur of the ceremony is even greater than expected. If she can endure, her promotion success will increase.”

I believe in you.

Though he didn’t need to come, Bai Yan still did.

He wanted to witness the breakthroughs of the Core Operators firsthand.

Meanwhile, Maryse’s body reshaped under the psychic force, as she experienced an unprecedented sensation.

A chorus of voices—male and female, old and young—whispered, shouted, conspired, and murmured in her ears.

She could listen and join in.

The concept of “mind” was no longer simple—it was a realm of faithful subjects.

The object ordinary people protect was now worshipped at her feet. They bowed and pledged loyalty, immune to betrayal.

“Obey my command!”

“Let us dance together!”