A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Sodom, a domain city erected in a mere day to combat the dragon calamity, now stands as the most vibrant metropolis in the entire Western Lands, bar none.@@novelbin@@

— When nearly a tenth of the empire's extraordinary beings become permanent residents of a single city, it inevitably bursts with life and activity.

In the chaotic Western Lands, dragon species perish every moment, be they lesser drakes or purebloods. Vast quantities of materials flood the market, and Sodom provides the perfect nexus for this trade.

Besides Sodom, four other domain cities are scattered throughout the Western Lands. It is precisely these impeccable and timely logistical conditions that draw a ceaseless stream of ambitious extraordinary beings to confront the dragon calamity.

Seated in her wheelchair atop Sodom's highest point, Nine gazed down upon the city. Though not expansive, it surpassed any domain city in the Western Lands's history in terms of prosperity.

She murmured softly, "What a metropolis of desire and sin... Wouldn't you agree, Lord Suellen?"

Beside Nine, a maiden as pure as an iris sighed wistfully, "No one takes this catastrophe to heart; they merely seek to profit from it."

Though Suellen's words echoed Nine's sentiment, her demeanor was one of demure acquiescence, suggesting a nuanced dynamic between the two.

"Approximately twenty percent of the extraordinary beings have begun to withdraw," Nine remarked, her tone unwavering as she rested her cheek on her hand.

"Once they've sold off their final batch of materials, they'll depart the Western Lands without a backward glance."

By then, the second surge of dragons will rend the Western Lands asunder. Even the great Hydral, who has been locked in continuous battle with several ancient dragon species and emerging victorious, cannot be omnipresent throughout the West.

Destruction and slaughter will inevitably descend. The dragon hordes, bearing the madness and hunger of their king, will unleash indiscriminate devastation upon all living creatures in their sight if they fail to find suitable prey, despite their disdain for weak opponents.

The scene that awaits will undoubtedly be one of utmost cruelty and despair. With four Dukes fallen and no more extraordinary beings to stand guard, the common folk of the Western Lands face only the most wretched… demise.

Yet Nine remains indifferent, caring neither for the extraordinary beings' cold avarice nor the impending brutal fate of the commoners. After all, her original strategy was to prolong the dragon calamity, gradually purging the Western Lands of non-compliant adventurers. However, Ansel, in his quest to resolve the calamity, rejected her plan.

Indeed, she may not care, but others do. Thus, irrespective of other factors, Nine had already begun formulating an alternative strategy in her mind following Ansel's directive to "refrain from any superfluous actions."

"No matter. We can still secure at least another week," Nine intoned dispassionately, her fingertips pressed together. "They think they can simply sell everything and leave? It won't be that easy."

Although Sodom and the four other domain cities provided an ample market for the extraordinary beings who flocked to the Western Lands, Nine had been covertly sabotaging its order… rather than maintaining it.

From subtle price manipulations to insidious trade frauds, she had employed every tactic conceivable to disrupt the flow of dragon materials.

Nine's strategies were manifold: inflating prices above market rates to prevent extraordinary beings from leaving immediately after acquiring dragon materials; disseminating spurious rumors about rare materials to retain those who came solely for acquisition rather than profit; entangling them in a web of real and fabricated transactions to impede their departure; and stoking their dragon-hunting desires with various pieces of information…

Nine, and Shadewell, Garden, these two major organizations under Ansel's command, in collusion with some fifth-stage extraordinary beings, had exerted every effort to ensnare the extraordinary beings who had come to the Western Lands.

Consequently, even with the second wave of the dragon calamity looming so ominously, only twenty percent of these beings, who bore no responsibility to protect the Western Lands, had withdrawn.

Crucially, Nine had proposed this scheme before the onset of the second dragon wave. At that time, like Ansel, she had been unaware that the rapid culling of dragons would invoke an even greater catastrophe.

Shadewell, Garden, and even Ansel himself were mystified by her apparent foresight. They believed that rather than planning three moves ahead, Nine had simply taken a step that fortuitously became a springboard for future actions—a testament to her remarkable talent nonetheless.

Only Suellen knew the true purpose behind Nine's orchestration of these cities. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

Suellen could never forget the moment this woman suddenly materialized in her chamber.

She could never forget… the bone-chilling calmness in Nine's voice as she asked:

"What value do you believe you still hold for Mr. Ansel, Lord Suellen?"

Suellen was uncertain of her value to Ansel.

Upon learning of the death or disappearance of all the empire's Dukes, and confirming Evora's demise, she first experienced an indescribable, almost trembling ecstasy, followed by an endless void of emptiness and panic.

Did the empire still require an emperor? Was there anyone left who could check Hydral's power?

Beyond her identity as a Flamefeast bloodline, what value did she, now utterly dispensable, hold for Ansel? Did the now-indomitable Hydral, who no longer needed to maintain any pretense, truly require a puppet empress?

As Suellen's anxiety grew due to these fears, Nine appeared, promising her an opportunity.

The condition was that Suellen would conspire with Nine, using her current position—still somewhat endorsed by Ansel—to execute an act of utmost insanity.

After a moment of contemplation, Suellen cautiously ventured to ask Nine, "Nine…Lord Nine, regarding Lord Ansel and the power you mentioned, do you truly..."

"What?" Nine tilted her head slightly, her slightly hoarse voice tinged with derision. "You doubt my ability to become Mr.Ansel's pact head, is that it? Isn't it a bit late for regrets, Lord Suellen?"

"No... I'm not questioning your abilities, it's just—"

Suellen's words trailed off, unable to continue.

Indeed, Suellen was worried, for Nine had yet to fulfill the promise she made when she first approached her.

— This madwoman had claimed she would become Hydral's Head of Devouring.

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