Earth's Greatest Magus

Chapter 2922: Interrogation

With Emery’s overwhelmingly dominant spirit sense, entering Varkul’s weakened soul required little effort.

The Phantom Blade had already suffered severe spiritual damage. With a single thought, Emery’s divine sense pierced through the outer layers of resistance and descended into the man’s memories.

Scenes began to unfold one after another.

What Emery discovered was far more interesting than he had expected.

Apparently, his raid on the Midnight Brotherhood’s hidden base six years ago had caused damage well beyond the destruction of a single stronghold. Magus enforcers intensified their hunt, while several factions that had long suffered under Brotherhood extortion took the chance to strike back.

The organization had been pushed into turmoil from all sides.

Yet the external pressure was not their greatest problem.

The true crisis came after the capture of their Third Brother, Khadeth, and the destruction of his centipede spirit beast. Khadeth had been the key figure behind the refinement of the infamous Violet Death Poisons, the means by which the Brotherhood controlled hundreds of Magus Realm followers, keeping them obedient through addiction, fear, and dependency.

Without the centipede beast’s influence, that chain of control broke.

Subordinates began to rebel. Some fled. Others refused orders. Regional cells withheld tribute. The surviving brothers turned on one another, blaming each other for the collapse and scrambling to secure what power remained.

Several confrontations nearly ended in bloodshed.

Then—

Their master emerged.

The Chimera Sovereign, who had remained in seclusion for many years, suddenly stepped back into Brotherhood affairs. His return was swift, decisive, and strangely effective. Internal disputes vanished almost overnight. Rebellious factions submitted once more. The surviving brothers fell back into line, and new members were selected to restore the Brotherhood’s sacred ten seats.

Order returned too quickly.

Too perfectly.

That unnatural calm planted the first seed of suspicion in Varkul’s mind.

Unlike the others, he had survived for centuries through caution and observation. He watched what others ignored. During the acceptance ceremony of the newly appointed Madame Butcher, he noticed something deeply wrong.

The Three-Flame Bird spirit beast that had elevated their new sister into the Second Cosmos realm carried traces of foreign tampering.

At first, he assumed it was some hidden enhancement method granted by their master. But once suspicion had taken root, he began to investigate quietly.

What he uncovered chilled him.

Not only Madame Butcher’s beast.

His own bonded beast.

His brothers’ spirit beasts.

All of them had been tampered with.

The Chimera Sovereign, as a Spirit Shaman, had secretly planted hidden seals and soul imprints within every beast under his disciples’ control. Through those spirit creatures, he could influence, suppress, or perhaps one day consume the cultivators who relied upon them.

They had never truly been disciples.

They had been prepared resources.

Varkul considered exposing the truth, but fear stopped him. He knew his brothers too well. Some would dismiss the accusation as paranoia. Others, eager for favor, might report him directly to their master.

So he remained silent.

Instead, he searched for a private solution.

In secret, he attempted to remove the hidden imprint from his own spirit beast. The process failed. The seal was too deeply integrated, intertwined with the beast’s core and his own cultivation path. Removing it outright would have crippled him.

Unable to erase it, he chose another path.

He planted an additional hidden seal of his own—a final trap buried beneath the master’s control mark. If the Chimera Sovereign ever tried to devour or dominate him completely, the seal would detonate and destroy both beast and connection.

A desperate insurance policy.

That explained his behavior during the battle.

He actually had some clues that Emery’s strength was beyond what his brothers realized, but he kept quiet and chose the weakest opponent while keeping himself occupied for safety.

As one brother after another was devoured by the Chimera Sovereign, Varkul immediately understood that all his fears had been justified.

Whether Emery lost or the Brotherhood lost, remaining in the open meant death for him.

So when chaos engulfed the battlefield, he used a secret technique, splitting his soul and hiding it within a prepared artifact.

Then he waited.

His plan had been simple: remain hidden among the ruins until both sides departed.

It was a clever scheme.

Unfortunately for him—

He had underestimated Emery’s divine sense.

Which had led to his current predicament.

Emery shook his head with quiet amusement after learning the truth hidden within Varkul’s memories.

The additional seal planted by the Phantom Blade had been the final spark behind the Chimera Sovereign’s destruction. In the end, the infamous Chimera Sovereign had fallen to the consequences of his own methods.

It was karma in its purest form.

Now that Emery had fully uncovered his thoughts, the terrified Varkul, who had begged moments ago, gradually disappeared. Though still kneeling under Emery’s control, he now carried himself with a composed manner.

"Lord Emery," he said respectfully, "with your profound capabilities, it is clear that I can no longer preserve my life through information alone."

He lowered his head slightly before continuing.

"However... I have something else to offer."

Emery gave a faint smile.

"Speak."

Varkul raised his eyes carefully, measuring every word.

"For over three centuries, I have been the man behind most of the Brotherhood’s operations. I hold relations with dozens of important figures across the sectors..."

Emery’s gaze narrowed. Even standing still, the pressure coming from him was enough to make the restrained soul tremble.

"So what are you proposing?"

Varkul bowed deeper.

"I am willing to help you, Lord Emery."

His voice faltered for a moment, then steadied.

"No... I am willing to serve you and make use of all these relations for you... If you spare my life."

Emery was not surprised. Men like Varkul valued survival above pride, and once cornered, they adapted quickly. He considered the offer in silence.

Unlike Barnet, the former Magus Academy instructor Emery had captured earlier, Varkul held limited knowledge regarding the Moonlight Syndicates. He did not possess the information Emery most wanted. That reduced his immediate value considerably.

Still, value took many forms.

Emery finally spoke.

"I have already seen these so-called relations of yours. Most of them are people you threatened, blackmailed, bribed, or coerced into cooperation."

His eyes remained cold.

"I wonder how useful such relations truly are."

The words struck hard. Varkul fell silent, clearly searching for the one answer that might preserve his existence. Emery watched calmly as the man weighed truth, deception, and desperation.

Then Varkul made his gamble.

"I witnessed what you built in Dawnstar," he said carefully. "My understanding may be incomplete, but I can still recognize ambition."

He lifted his head just enough to meet Emery’s gaze.

"Forgive my boldness, Lord Emery, but men of honor alone cannot rule places built on vice. You need someone like me. Someone who understands the criminal networks, fear, leverage, and the kinds of people who bow only when properly handled."

He pressed his forehead lower.

"If you spare me, I can gather what remains of the Brotherhood and become your shadow force."

Hearing this, Emery smiled faintly.

As the strategist behind much of the Midnight Brotherhood’s operations, Varkul was indeed an intelligent man. More importantly, he had correctly identified a weakness in Emery’s growing power structure. Emery possessed warriors, elites, and loyal followers—but very few who were suited for work in the shadows.

The gladiators under his command were fierce and dependable, yet too direct in nature. The chivalrous Terra warriors valued honor and discipline, making them ill-suited for covert dealings, intimidation, and criminal suppression. The Red Lotus had the intel, but they still lacked the strength and influence required to dominate lawless sectors.

To take control of slum territories filled with smugglers, extortionists, assassins, and syndicates, Emery would need more than noble soldiers.

He would need criminals to control criminals.

Taking over what remained of the Midnight Brotherhood would certainly carry risk. Varkul himself was cunning, adaptable, and not the type to trust lightly. Whether the man could truly be loyal remained to be seen.

Still—

The opportunity was too valuable to dismiss.

It would save Emery years of groundwork, allowing him to inherit hidden routes, underground contacts, and an existing structure that only needed to be reshaped under stronger leadership.

In fact, a person came to mind—someone he trusted who could help keep Varkul in check.

Which led to his decision.

"Alright," he said calmly. "But I will place restrictions upon your soul."

Under normal circumstances, Emery would not have been able to impose such restraints upon a powerful Two Cosmos figure like Varkul. Even in his current weakened state, the Phantom Blade was still no ordinary cultivator. If he chose to resist completely, there remained one final option available to him—

Self-destruction.

A soul detonation from someone of Varkul’s level would be enough to erase what remained of himself and deny Emery any control or further use.

Varkul’s expression stiffened, though he remained kneeling. Behind that outward composure, his thoughts raced wildly as he weighed the choices before him. Submission meant bondage. Resistance meant annihilation.

Emery saw every flicker of hesitation.

With his spiritual sense still linked to the restrained soul, the man’s doubts, fear, calculations, and desperation were laid bare before him.

Emery continued, his tone even and controlled.

"Do your work well, and unlike your former master, I am willing to remove those restrictions after one hundred years."

He looked down at the bald man, his gaze steady and unreadable.

"What’s your answer?"

Silence followed.

Varkul’s mind churned. Fear of death pressed heavily upon him, but so did something else—Emery’s growing reputation. His ability to defeat the Brotherhood, his ability to fight the Chimera Sovereign, and his reputation among his followers.

The struggle in Varkul’s eyes slowly faded.

He lowered himself into a deep and respectful bow.

"Yes... I, Varkul, pledge you my life to you... Master."