Chapter 3: A Transmigrator’s Imagination Seems a Bit of a Dimensional Attack
The manor fell into a strange silence, a scene of utter devastation.
“Annrina Tazella, hereditary Baroness, wanted by the Directorate, Level 2. Suspected involvement in multiple disappearances in Lesa City.”
Shaya yawned, reciting the required announcement from the mission regulations manual as a mere formality.
“According to the Fifth Amendment jointly issued by the Military and the Directorate, as the executor of this wanted mission, I have the right to exercise law enforcement authority within certain limits upon securing evidence.”
Although the other party’s rambling seemed to continue, Annrina no longer had the leisure to listen.
Because she recognized the badge pinned to the chest of the person named Shaya.
It was the emblem of Saint Roland Academy, the top Beast Taming Academy in the Imperial Capital, vastly different from the lower-tier academies in Lesa.
And he was not exaggerating; some senior students at Saint Roland Academy already possessed abilities comparable to mid-level Beast Tamers, qualifying them to be hired by the Military, the Directorate, or even the Holy See.
Annrina’s eyes flickered, her gaze lingering for a moment on Shaya’s unremarkable, even plain attire.
If not for that, he would have been mistaken for one of the “country bumpkins” and recruited into this manor.
“Although you’re from Saint Roland Academy, judging by your clothes, you’re probably just a commoner or a minor noble.”
“You possess exceptional beast taming talent, yet you’re restricted by evolutionary resources and reinforcement materials, forced to rely on major powers for paltry rewards.”
“The offspring of those big shots wouldn’t risk their lives on these dirty wanted missions.”
Annrina shifted slightly, her impeccably tailored evening gown accentuating her curves, and spoke in a husky voice, different from her previous tone.
“My Familiar is very special; its growth doesn’t require those precious Extraordinary Materials. As a noble, I’ve accumulated considerable wealth over the years.”
“In exchange, I won’t make things difficult for you. Give me two hours, and after two hours, you can report the mission as failed to the Directorate.”
“Believe me, the entire fortune of a hereditary noble is definitely worth more than the bounty offered by the Directorate.”
Shaya raised an eyebrow in surprise, her level of cooperation exceeding his expectations.
He shook his head, “What I want, you cannot give.”
“How will you know if you don’t ask?” Annrina waved her dagger, tearing at her shoulder, revealing snow-white skin and a subtly alluring depth. “Perhaps what I can offer is more than you imagine?”
“Regrettably, while you have a large chest, yandere isn’t on my menu.”
“It’s fine for a look in anime, but in reality, I think it’s best to neutralize it.”
Shaya took out a tissue from his pocket. “Of course, if you can hand over the stone statue you found in your father’s warehouse on the day you were nineteen years and three months old, I might consider your offer for a ‘toll’.”
Annrina fell silent for a moment.
On one hand, she was astonished that he knew about a casual act of hers years ago with such precision, like a perverted stalker. She had no idea how much information he possessed about her.
On the other hand, this stalker, who should have been obsessively infatuated with her, upon hearing her seductive words amplified by her Familiar’s psychic abilities, showed not a trace of wavering in his dark eyes, despite his verbal regret.
Furthermore, she absolutely could not give up that stone statue.
If she hadn’t coincidentally obtained the magical stone artifact from her ancestors’ inheritance, her mediocre soul aptitude and lack of talent would have made it impossible for her to become a Beast Tamer.
It would have been impossible for her to evolve a “Flower Dance Butterfly,” which was merely at the Awakening stage, into the “Nightmare Butterfly” that could now devour souls, a sinister and powerful being.
Once one tasted power, they would never let go of its source.
“So, as I said, what I want, you cannot give. To save everyone time, let’s just each go our separate ways and finish this.”
Shaya wiped his mouth with the tissue and glanced at the pitch-black butterfly shape quietly suspended mid-air behind Annrina. “Speaking of which, after all this waiting, it should be almost complete…”
Almost at the very moment Shaya finished his last sentence.
Wisps of black mist began to permeate the butterfly shape, which was itself composed of black mist, silently.
In an instant, it covered the walls of the hall, the dining table.
Until Shaya’s figure was completely engulfed within it.
“It’s finally done.”
Watching the black mist consume him, Annrina endured the weakness in her soul caused by her Familiar’s high-level skill, and let out a sigh of relief.
She knew that anyone qualified to undertake a secret mission from the Directorate must be an elite from Saint Roland Academy. Despite his young age, his Beast Tamer level was likely not low, and it was even possible he was stronger than her.
If he were allowed to summon his Familiar and engage in a direct confrontation, she, who was not good at frontal combat, would have little confidence.
“But, in the end, he’s just a student from a Beast Taming Academy. Although strong, he lacks practical combat experience.”
Real Beast Tamer battles were not like the arena matches in academies, where one had to wait for both sides to summon their Familiars and set up formations, with rules even forbidding Familiars from directly attacking their Tamers.
Her Familiar, the Nightmare Butterfly, possessed a high-level skill called “Lingering Dream,” which could be activated silently, dragging the Tamer into a mental illusion without warning.
Once activated, both Annrina and the Nightmare Butterfly would be immobilized. However, within the mental illusion created by “Lingering Dream,” terrifying illusions, both real and unreal, would continuously appear, grinding down the trapped soul until it was completely consumed.
It could be said that once “Lingering Dream” was successfully activated, unless the opponent was a Four Rings Master-level Beast Tamer capable of forcefully breaking free from the illusion with their mental strength,
Even a Three Rings advanced Beast Tamer, once trapped in the “Lingering Dream” illusion, would only face the possibility of their soul withering away.
Master-level Beast Tamers were few even in large cities like Lesa, and given his age, he definitely could not have reached that level.
In other words, she was already in an unbeatable position.
Annrina suppressed the mental exhaustion and cast her consciousness into the “Lingering Dream” illusion.
This black-haired youth named Shaya gave her immense pressure; she had to personally witness his soul being devoured to have peace of mind.
Immediately after.
She looked on in bewilderment as a colossal object, with a silver-white, streamlined exterior and a form she could not comprehend, materialized at the center of the illusion.
Then, before her eyes, it detonated.
Amidst the surging light and heat, a mushroom cloud slowly rose.
Shaya, with his hands in his pockets, glanced at the colossal “Big Ivan” that had suddenly exploded in the distance, causing the entire “Lingering Dream” illusion to tremble precariously. He then looked at the faint, distorted illusory figures that seemed to be still brewing something, and let out a whistle.
“I’m just saying—”
“Competing with transmigrators for imagination, isn’t that a bit like bullying?”
