The Extra Villain: I Made a Contract With The Dragon Empress!-Chapter 334: Controlling Graham

Graham was an expert at the First Spirit Core level.

Logically, it should have been impossible for Merlin—just a kid at the Fourth Spirit Core level—to trap him in an illusion.

But strangely enough, the kid had done it. Graham was completely trapped inside the illusion Merlin created.

"No… this can't be! I must be mistaken!"

Unable to accept reality, he clenched his right fist and threw a punch at the Merlin in front of him.

Boom!

Merlin's figure shattered into pieces. The next second, Merlin reappeared, smiling.

"Sorry, Lord Graham. I don't have three Mythic-tier items, but I—"

Boom!

"Sorry, Lord Graham, I—"

Boom!

Graham kept attacking again and again until, without realizing it, he completely lost his mind.

***

"Phew… finally finished perfectly…"

Merlin opened his eyes. His purple pupils had turned pitch black.

A moment later, they returned to normal. He smiled as he looked at Graham, who stood before him with a blank, dazed expression.

"A Mythic-tier hypnosis skill really is terrifying. All my effort to master it wasn't wasted."

Ability: It can hypnotize anyone weaker or stronger. However, only those within two levels can be affected by this skill. Note: Using it drains the user's mental strength, so use it wisely. The stronger your enemy, the more mental strength you will need to expend. Additionally, the effect will be weaker, so be careful.

Merlin read the description and let out a long sigh.

"Luckily, I managed to trick Graham. Otherwise, it would've been impossible to bring him down with just this hypnosis skill," he muttered helplessly.

Graham was incredibly strong. With his power, there was no way Merlin could defeat him.

Fortunately, Merlin had already considered the worst-case scenario—Graham's betrayal.

So before coming here, he had mixed an extremely potent poison into the drop of level-nine monster blood.

He had bought that poison for nearly eighty thousand system points.

Its effect was to significantly weaken anyone who drank it without realizing it. Even a First Spirit Core expert would be affected, though the process would be slow.

The moment Graham drank it, Merlin quietly used his hypnosis skill on him.

Although there was a high risk of being discovered, the gamble paid off.

Suddenly, an overwhelming wave of fatigue washed over Merlin's body. He collapsed as cold sweat drenched his forehead and back.

Just then, a streak of light appeared behind him. Lyserra's human form materialized.

She knelt beside him and channeled her power into his body.

"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

Merlin smiled weakly. "I'm fine. Thank you."

Lyserra furrowed her brows as she examined him closely. Then she said, "Your body is extremely weak. It feels like you've lost half your lifespan. What happened?"

Merlin glanced at Graham standing in front of him, then explained everything.

Once Lyserra understood, her expression darkened. She pinched Merlin's cheek and scolded him. "Are you stupid? That was practically suicide, you know?"

Since she had been asleep, she hadn't realized what Merlin had done.

Who would've thought the kid would go to such extremes?

Merlin didn't deny it. What he had done was crazy and reckless. But the result was worth it, so he didn't regret it at all.

Still, he wasn't about to say that out loud. If he did, Lyserra would keep scolding him until his ears burned.

"I understand. By the way, could you help me up?" he asked.

Lyserra said nothing and helped him to his feet. She then looked at Graham, who stood frozen like a statue, and asked, "What are you going to do with him? Kill him?"

Merlin shook his head. "No, I won't kill him."

Even though he had managed to subdue Graham, killing him was impossible. Aside from the gap in their strength, First Spirit Core experts also possessed extraordinarily tough bodies.

Merlin's power wasn't enough to kill Graham, at least not right now.

Not to mention, Graham's name was inscribed in the Arden family's family tree. If he died, his name would be erased, and that would cause an uproar within the Arden family.

As the last person to have contact with him, Merlin would undoubtedly become the prime suspect and be hunted down relentlessly.

Most importantly, Graham's status was valuable. He was the head of the Arden family. If Merlin could use him to his advantage, it would bring enormous benefits.

Lyserra made no further comment. In truth, she could have used her power to kill Graham.

But since Merlin had no intention of doing so, she dropped the idea.

With Lyserra's help, Merlin slowly regained his strength. He then walked up to Graham and placed his palm on his head.

Closing his eyes, he declared, "Graham Arden, by my command, you are now under my control. Do you agree?"

Graham's vacant eyes suddenly lit up. Then, with an expression of absolute devotion, he knelt on one knee and clasped his hands together.

"I accept!"

Buzz!

A red light appeared above his head. At the same time, a black mark spread from his forehead across his entire body.

Seeing this, Lyserra looked slightly surprised.

"A slave contract, huh?" Her eyes narrowed. "Merlin really isn't messing around this time."

A slave contract was a binding pact that turned someone into another's slave. Once formed, the slave lost all freedom. Unless permitted by the master, it was impossible for the slave to resist.

With that contract, Graham was now completely under Merlin's control.

No matter how strong he was or how high his status, in front of that contract, he was powerless.

"Huff…" Merlin exhaled deeply and slowly opened his eyes.

He looked at Graham with satisfaction.

"Now, the Arden family is officially under my control… hehehe…"

A thin, sinister smile spread across his lips.

In truth, he had never imagined bringing the Arden family into his forces. After all, in the novel, that family was one of the main villains.

However, as the famous saying goes, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."

In the novel, Merlin Clay was only a minor villain who died in less than twenty chapters.

Although his status had now shifted into that of the main character, replacing Abel, Merlin never saw himself as someone worthy of that title.

Still, the Arden family could become his allies. Of course, the danger and threat they posed were immense. That was why he needed a binding force strong enough to control them.

Now that he had found a way, he would use it to perfection.

Merlin withdrew his hand from Graham's head and said, "Graham Arden, I want you to keep this a secret. Act as you normally would, as if you never met me. Do you understand?"

Graham stood up and replied respectfully, "Understood, my lord."

Merlin smiled faintly and ordered, "Now help me. I want you to find a boy named Abel. He's my age, and…"

If Merlin hadn't intervened four years ago, Abel would be at the academy right now, enjoying his harem life.

But everything had changed. With Merlin here, Abel never appeared in the Holy Kingdom of Aldoria.

However, according to the system, Abel had fallen ill. It was likely because of Merlin's influence that his father, Gustav, had contacted him earlier and was now taking care of him.

Graham listened carefully before replying, "Don't worry. I'll find him. Once I do, I'll send him to the academy."

Merlin nodded in satisfaction. After exchanging a few more words, he took Lyserra's hand and led her out of the hall.

Once outside, they ran into Arkas. When he saw Merlin walking beside an extraordinarily beautiful woman, Arkas looked slightly stunned.

Lyserra was so beautiful that Arkas momentarily lost his train of thought. But then he remembered he had never seen this woman by Merlin's side before.

How could she have been inside?

Merlin paid no attention to his confusion. He simply gave a brief nod and continued walking with Lyserra.

"By the way, I'm really curious, Merlin. Graham has become your slave, but you didn't even ask for the Arden family's treasure. That's not like you."

Lyserra's sudden words made Merlin smile casually.

"I don't need it. Legendary and Mythic-tier items are tempting, but I don't want to carry them around. It's a hassle."

Carrying so many items was dangerous; it would only make him a target later.

He could stay safe by keeping them secret, but he had no interest in doing so.

Besides, Mythic-grade artifacts were rarely created naturally. Most were crafted by blacksmiths who had reached the First Spirit Core level. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Compared to the items the system granted through missions, those artifacts were insignificant.

Lyserra processed his words, though she was still somewhat confused. In the end, she said nothing and changed the subject.

Just then, someone approached from ahead. Merlin looked up and saw a beautiful woman smiling at him.

He didn't recognize her, but he had seen her before—the woman who had come out of the room where Fenric Beethoven was.

'What does she want?'

As Merlin wondered, the woman stopped right in front of him and bowed her head slightly.

"The Master wishes to see you. Please follow me."