The Extra Villain: I Made a Contract With The Dragon Empress!-Chapter 280: Defeating the Archdemon Malpash (2)

Leina breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that.

She loosened her embrace, and Merlin quickly stepped back, pressing a hand to his chest, which was still racing.

’What wonderful, soft... objects. No wonder men go crazy over them—they’re truly amazing,’ he whispered in awe, glancing at Leina’s big breasts, which he had just used as a pillow.

"You said there weren’t any side effects before, right? So why are there still side effects?" Leina’s hesitant voice pulled Merlin out of his reverie.

"I don’t know," Merlin admitted, shaking his head. "But it doesn’t seem to be a side effect. My body probably just experienced a sudden surge in strength. After it returns to normal, I feel weak for a short while."

The system’s words couldn’t lie. It had guaranteed that the potion he drank had no side effects, so it had to be true.

Leina considered his explanation and found it reasonable.

"All right, I understand. In that case..."

Before she could finish, her heart began to race.

"Danger!"

She shoved Merlin behind her, but her reaction was too slow.

A black tentacle shot toward her at lightning speed.

Leina’s eyes widened. Time seemed to freeze as the tentacle aimed straight for her heart.

Then, suddenly...

Boom!

A shadow slammed down from above, striking the tentacle with immense force and causing a massive explosion.

Leina and Merlin froze for a moment before regaining their senses.

Smoke and dust swirled and gradually cleared. Standing before them was Jason, arms folded, smiling broadly.

"Sorry I’m late to help you two."

Leina and Merlin exhaled in relief. It was a good thing Jason had arrived in time—otherwise, the attack could have seriously injured one of them.

"What took you so long, Jason?" Leina asked irritably.

If he had arrived earlier, defeating the demon wouldn’t have been so difficult. After all, Jason was the Eighth Awakening, and his power was on par with hers.

Jason coughed and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry, Leina. I wasn’t deliberately late, but Victor’s condition was really bad. I had to find a safe place far from where you two were fighting," he explained with a resigned tone.

Leina frowned. "What exactly happened to Victor?"

Jason stepped closer and explained everything.

Once they understood, Leina and Merlin exchanged glances, faces full of astonishment.

"Victor was beaten by a Dark Tunnel member and almost sacrificed to summon the demon?" Leina repeated in disbelief. "If it weren’t for the serious look on your face, I’d hardly believe it."

Although Victor wasn’t as strong as her, defeating several Dark Tunnel members should have been manageable.

"At first, I thought the same. But that’s the truth, and it can’t be denied," Jason said with a shrug.

Leina shook her head. "I understand. By the way, I almost forgot—the victims are still underground. Let’s go save them."

Jason nodded and moved to break through the ground, but Merlin suddenly raised his hand.

"Wait!"

Jason and Leina turned to him at the same time, confusion written all over their faces.

"You don’t need to worry about the victims. I’ve already taken care of them."

"What? You saved them? How is that even possible? There are thousands—maybe even more. How did you manage that?" Leina gaped in shock.

Jason shared her disbelief and waited for Merlin to explain.

"I have a spell that can teleport thousands of people at once. I moved them outside the city of Helvar, so they should be safe now," Merlin said calmly.

"A spell that can teleport thousands of people at once?" Leina’s eyes widened. "What kind of spell is that? Could it be a holy spell?"

"No, it’s a high-level spell," Merlin replied casually.

"Does such a spell really exist, Leina?" Jason asked, doubt clear in his voice.

As far as he knew, no high-level magic had such powerful abilities.

Leina rubbed her chin. "There are many types of high-level magic. I don’t know if one like that exists, but if Merlin says he has it, then it must be true."

Although she was a Second Spirit Core mage, she didn’t dare claim to know everything.

Magic was vast, and many of its mysteries were still unexplored.

"I understand." Jason nodded slightly. Smiling, he patted Merlin on the shoulder. "Thank you, Merlin. Because of you, we don’t have to evacuate the trapped victims."

Merlin felt a bit embarrassed and nodded weakly.

"You’re welcome, Professor Jason."

The three of them then devised a plan to resolve the chaos in Helvar. The city had just become a battlefield.

Its buildings and facilities were destroyed and needed urgent repair.

"By the way, is the demon dead?" Jason asked.

Merlin glanced toward a hole several meters deep in the distance—that was where the demon had fallen.

"[Status of the Archdemon Malphas: Dead.]"

Merlin exhaled in relief. "He should be dead. Still, it’s better to double-check."

"Let me check. You two wait here," Jason ordered.

He approached the hole cautiously, increasing his alertness. Peering inside, he saw that the demon was gone.

"Gone? Could he have escaped?" Jason’s eyebrows knitted in confusion.

Unable to find a clear answer, he decided to report to Leina and Merlin.

"What did you find?" Leina asked.

"The demon is gone. His body isn’t anywhere to be found," Jason replied, uncertainty etched on his face.

"Gone? Did he return to his world?" Leina asked skeptically.

"I don’t know. It seems likely," Jason said with a shrug.

Merlin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The demons’ homeland wasn’t in this world.

After being punished for aiding the Evil God Vorgath in the past, they had been exiled to a mysterious, unknown place.

Merlin was certain that Malphas should have returned to his original realm—but in a dead state.

"Forget it. Now, let’s carry out the plan we’ve made," Leina said indifferently.

Jason and Merlin nodded slightly in unison.

...

"Failed? What a bunch of useless fools! I gave them the power and the means to resurrect those demons, and they still failed!"

In a remote cave, an old man growled in anger, his red eyes fixed on the blue crystal ball in his hand.

Suddenly, his expression shifted, as if he had uncovered something horrifying.

"So that’s it... so that’s it! I understand now! No wonder they all lost—it’s the work of the thief of destiny, Merlin Clay!"

The grinding of his teeth echoed sharply.

"That child has grown stronger. If I don’t stop him now, he’ll become a true threat. I must act immediately," he whispered coldly, his eyes flashing with a fierce, lethal intent.