God-Tier Villain

Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Which meant he had to keep advancing, keep escalating.

Obedient and Submissive meant Victoria might bend to his ideas, even lend him aid.

But the next tier, Deep Affection and Righteousness, meant becoming unforgettable, claiming a place at the center of her heart, her feelings would deepen past recall, and there would never again be room for another man.

More effort, chances like this came once in a lifetime.

A bold idea surfaced, Soren pulled her into a tight embrace, his free hand tracing slow, winding paths along the line of her waist.

The audacity sobered her, a little, her face stayed burning.

"Soren! You... don’t push your luck!"

"I may be a Demon Emperor, but I am also a very traditional woman."

"That’s enough, release me. Quickly."

Letting go was the one thing Soren could not do, domineering was the entire strategy.

"What a heartless woman."

"That’s clearly enjoyment written all over your face, isn’t it?"

Victoria wanted to die of embarrassment. "It is not."

"A woman who lies to me has earned herself a little punishment." A wicked chill spread across Soren’s face.

Just as he prepared to push things further, Bruce erupted from the rubble, hammer high, charging at full speed.

"Demoness! Let go of my Master!"

"I’ll smash you flat!"

The roar scattered Victoria’s thoughts and made her heart jump, that eardrum-splitting bellow also shocked her awake.

A hair’s breadth before Soren could move, Victoria shot backward out of his arms.

"You blockhead!" Soren glared at Bruce, swearing under his breath.

If the fool hadn’t ruined it, he’d had an eighty percent chance of brushing the threshold of Deep Affection and Righteousness.

Bruce wiped grit from the corner of his eye, looking wounded, after a long internal struggle, he squeezed out a sentence.

"Master is right to scold me!"

"I am a blockhead!"

He had no idea what he’d done wrong, but so long as that demoness was away from his master, all was well.

Victoria stood staring at Soren, chest heaving, emotions in full riot. The man had done such outrageous things, very nearly wrecked her reputation as a Great Demon Emperor, and yet she couldn’t dredge up an ounce of hate, thinking back on it, she even felt the tiniest bit unsatisfied.

Thank the heavens Bruce had misunderstood the scene, or she would have needed a crack in the earth to crawl into.

Victoria pressed a hand over her chest, steadying the riot inside, before today, she and Soren had met exactly once, no connection, no fondness, nothing.

So why did it feel as though this man had filled some hollow place in her heart she hadn’t known was empty?

She pressed her red lips together and did not attack Bruce again.

"If you are truly just passing through the Violet Jade Immortal Domain..."

"I can let you leave."

"On one condition."

Soren was about to answer when Bruce leaned in, round eyes wide, and whispered his advice.

"Master, she can’t be trusted! This demoness is definitely up to no good!"

"Today she dares to kiss Master, tomorrow she’ll dare to suck out Master’s Yang energy!"

Victoria was an Upper-Tier Demon Emperor, not a sound within a hundred miles escaped her ears, whispers very much included.

The corners of her mouth twitched rapidly, uncontrollably.

If not for Soren’s sake, Bruce would already have died several times over, she kissed Soren? It was that bastard who forced a kiss on her!

Victoria chose not to lower herself to a blockhead’s level.

"Soren, I will escort and watch the two of you the entire way, until you have left the Violet Jade Immortal Domain."

"I am this domain’s ruler, and you are carrying a World-Destroying Demonic Lotus capable of erasing it, surely this small precaution isn’t too much to ask?"

Had anyone else attached conditions, Soren would have refused flat, but this was Victoria, agreeing cost him nothing, and he had his own arithmetic.

This escort was a golden window to continue the conquest.

As for Victoria, her stated reason was for show, her private arithmetic was simpler, she wanted more time near him, every extra second made her glad.

"Then I’ll trouble you to come along."

Since the master had agreed, Bruce had nothing more to say, but he swore a private oath to guard his master well, to keep the demoness from dirty tricks, he made his decision, he would stick close and never let her within half a step of Master.

They exchanged no more words on the road, at void-tearing speed, they would clear the Violet Jade Immortal Domain in about the time an incense stick took to burn, Soren decided he would launch one last fierce offensive on her heart right before departing.

This tear through the void placed them in the domain’s central city region.

Seeing he had no intention of lingering, Victoria spoke up.

"I hear the Immortal Domain’s General Commerce Guild is bringing out some fine items for auction these next few days, would you like to go have a look?"

As if Soren couldn’t read her, she was manufacturing him an opportunity.

He was more than eager to finish conquering Victoria, partly because a beauty of this caliber appeared once in a lifetime.

Partly because Victoria was information, resources, and firepower all in one, an alliance with her was an alliance of the strong.

His overriding goal was to defeat the Great Demon Emperor and unite all the demon races under himself.

That demanded confidants, and it demanded muscle, beyond breaking the human Empress Lysara into his loyal hound and turning her against the human race, he was willing to pocket Victoria too, and keep her all to himself.

So when Victoria floated her casual invitation, Soren had no reason to refuse.

Bruce’s eyes darted back and forth, his instincts lit up.

"A minute ago she said she’d watch us until we left the domain, now she’s inviting us to shop at the Commerce Guild."

"Master, this demoness changes her attitude far too fast, she is definitely up to no good!"

Soren cleared his throat. "I know what I’m doing."

"Uh. Yes!"

Bruce’s obedience was total and blind, his relationship with Soren sat at the final tier, Following to the Death.

If Soren told him to go die, Bruce would trust it was for his own good.