A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

Chapter 755 Sacrificer - II

Perhaps they rejoiced that the Western Lands might finally be spared from draconic calamity, or perhaps they were utterly subjugated by Hydral's awe-inspiring mastery over the abyss. More likely, most exulted at the prospect of an unprecedented windfall.

How formidable must the dragons that survived this onslaught be? And if slain... what maddening value might their corpses hold?

The ferocity and avarice of the extraordinary beings reached a fever pitch. Those who had merely held their positions behind aether barriers and magical fortifications now surged forward in a killing frenzy. Slaughtering lesser dragonkin paled in comparison to the astronomical value of the surviving ancient dragons or the supreme glory of vanquishing such beings.

These prospects inflamed the extraordinary beings' souls, their desire for ascension and greed stimulated to the utmost.

Now, there was no need to fear the defensive line breaking or the Western Lands succumbing to draconic devastation. No matter the dragons' reserves, they could not possibly muster another dozen top-tier fifth-stage colossi at this juncture. Even if fate disregarded all reason, it remained an impossibility.

But... at what cost?

The nine-headed serpent dissipated from the firmament, revealing Ansel of Hydral's silhouette. His aether was utterly depleted, a desiccation so profound it would require an eternity or an endless influx of resources to replenish.@@@@

In his current state, how could he possibly "reclaim" Evora? Let alone command the God from the Machine; even sustaining Nidhoggur's aether now relied solely on Ravenna's own reserves.

"...Ansel."

Ravenna materialized beside him, instinctively steadying the youth. The undisguisable weariness etched upon his visage caused her heart to constrict with anguish.

Ansel gently patted Ravenna's arm, offering solace: "Fear not, I've no intention of concluding matters thus."

"But you..."

Ravenna's mind had conjured myriad scenarios regarding how Ansel might overcome this impasse.

The most abhorrent of these was not merely Ansel being forced to choose between two dire options—be it abandoning the struggle against fate or forsaking the West's commoners—both of which Ravenna found unacceptable. Beyond this...

there loomed a more pressing concern: Ravenna dreaded that Ansel, in his determination to achieve both objectives, might recklessly employ the Abyssal Sermon upon himself once more, disregarding his own well-being.

As the Head of Abyss, privy to the elements possessed by Hydral, Ravenna comprehended better than anyone the... burden Ansel bore as a Hydral.

"Ansel... kill you... save me... Ansel!"

Amidst the frenzied bellowing, Ansel discerned a voice he knew all too well. Even without hearing it, he could have identified the core of this malformed body.

At the center of the enormous, deformed head, amidst dozens of faces and bulging, twisted sinews, Ansel beheld Evora, her eyes rolled back, utterly unconscious.

Her physical form remained intact, as if embedded within the massive, deformed tumor rather than fused into it. No... the entire twisted, malformed growth had burgeoned forth from her very flesh!

Evora had seemingly employed some method to extricate herself from the skeletal throne, but in doing so, had been transmuted into this... neither human nor monster abomination.

Ansel had to admit... this madwoman, who had dared to move against her own mother, the reigning empress, even before donning the crown, truly possessed exceptional talent. Even in such dire straits, she had fulfilled her promise, "creating" this opportunity. It appeared she might have nearly escaped on her own, without Ansel's intervention.

—The several golden chains firmly embedded in the tumor's rear ensured her escape remained merely a possibility.

"Save me... kill... Ah—!!"

Standing beside Ansel, Ravenna furrowed her brow: "Is this Evora? No... what is this?"

She regarded the monstrosity with trepidation, concerned whether Ansel could contend with it in his current state.

Ansel gazed at the malformed tumor-beast for a prolonged moment, his eyes narrowing slightly:

"So many fifth-stage extraordinary beings' powers and elements, crudely and forcibly amalgamated without any compatibility. It bears a slight resemblance to Hydral's Head of Devouring, though vastly inferior."

At this juncture, Ansel's gaze turned glacial.

This imitation of Hydral's Head of Devouring, coupled with the Tidecaller's corpse within the skeletal cranium, and the siphoning of Flamefeast's power...

Truly... an ominous portent.

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