The Extra Villain: I Made a Contract With The Dragon Empress!

Merlin looked at Lyserra with a haughty, arrogant gaze. Since this dragon couldn't harm him, why should he grovel or act afraid?

That would only make the dragon even more arrogant. So, he had to show the attitude of her future master.

"You..." Lyserra seethed, the urge to tear Merlin apart exploding inside her.

But she couldn't. Even her fireball couldn't kill him—how could a mere physical attack do so?

Her body was shackled by unbreakable iron chains. There was no way she could kill Merlin.

With a cold snort, she folded her four legs beneath her and lay lazily on the floor.

"Become your spirit? Don't dream, kid. I won't do it—even if it costs me my life," she declared, closing her eyes.

Merlin was stunned by her stubbornness. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak, but no words came out.

In the end, he could only turn to the system for help.

'System, what should I do? This monster refuses to make a contract with me,' he said helplessly.

"[Sorry, Master. This is your problem, and I can't interfere,]" the system replied with a soft sigh. "[However, I can give you a suggestion. This dragon has been trapped here for an unknown amount of time. If you promise her freedom, I'm sure she'll be tempted.]"

'Oh!' Merlin's eyes widened in surprise, a smile spreading across his face. 'That's a great suggestion! Thank you, system!'

"[Hehehe! You're welcome, Master. Cheer up!]" the system encouraged.

Merlin gave a small nod. His gaze shifted back to the dragon, and he cleared his throat to break the silence.

"Ahem! Lyserra, are you really not going to reconsider? Think about it. If you make a contract with me, you'll be able to leave this place. Don't you miss the outside world?" he coaxed softly.

But Lyserra didn't react at all. Her eyes remained closed, her expression indifferent, as though she had shut her ears to his words.

Merlin grew irritated and kept trying to persuade her, but her attitude never wavered. With a small sigh, he decided to take a slower approach.

After all, he and Lyserra weren't close—hardly even acquaintances. It was only natural that she didn't trust him, so patience and strategy were needed if he wanted her to listen.

Without another word, Merlin turned away, walking about fifty meters before sitting down and closing his eyes.

Lyserra cracked her eyes open slightly, a faint glimmer of curiosity flickering in her gaze.

Time passed quickly. Yet in this dimension of consciousness, where there was no concept of time, Merlin had no idea how long he had been there.

All the while, he kept trying to persuade Lyserra to become his spirit, but her answer never changed—she refused.

Even so, Merlin didn't give up. Each time she rejected him, he simply returned to his spot, sat down, and closed his eyes.

Naturally, his persistence caught Lyserra's attention. Whenever Merlin turned away, her eyes would open just enough to watch his back—a sight that, strangely, reminded her of someone from long ago.

'He really looks like him,' she whispered softly, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

Meanwhile, Merlin sat with his eyes closed, seething with irritation.

"System, I'm sick of this!" he growled. "I've tried a hundred—no, maybe two hundred times—but this damn dragon keeps refusing! If this goes on, I'll lose my mind!"

No matter how much patience he forced himself to have, even a human had limits.

This time, the system offered no encouragement. It had already witnessed how Merlin tried again and again, only to fail. Its silence was a quiet acknowledgment of his frustration.

Time passed once more, and Merlin opened his eyes with a deep breath. He rose to his feet, staring at Lyserra with eagerness.

With a firm expression, he walked toward her and stopped exactly ten meters away.

"Lyserra, I'll ask you once more. Will you become my spirit?"

His gaze burned with determination and conviction.

Strangely, Lyserra didn't refuse right away. Her crimson eyes widened as they locked onto Merlin's violet ones.

Then, an image surfaced within her vision—the figure of a man. He was handsome, his black hair fluttering in the wind.

Yet his eyes were hidden. Only his nose, ears, and lips were visible—and those lips curved in a faint smile.

They moved slowly, as if whispering words she couldn't hear.

Lyserra's eyes widened briefly before she drew in a quiet breath.

'So that's it... The one you meant is this boy, Ishtar...' she whispered.