As the empire was on the move, in the northern part of the Chaos Sea, on the Pale Moon Peninsula, lay the city of Holy Tides. A secret meeting was being held at the Holy Tides City Heroes Guild.
Holy Tides City, with its population of several million, was a large metropolis. With such a vast population base, it was certain that the number of Heroes in the city would be significant. At its peak, the Holy Tides City Heroes Guild boasted about 6,000 Heroes. This was no small number, as not just any Hero could join the guild; only those above a certain level of strength were eligible to apply.
However, the guild had now dwindled to a mere 4,500 Heroes. In just one month, the number had sharply decreased by over 1,500. There hadn't been any large-scale battles recently, so this significant reduction in numbers was certainly abnormal.
"Enough!" one of them exclaimed. "We can't keep fighting like this!"
"Haven't you realized?" another said. "We're being played. This is all part of a big conspiracy!"
The president of the Holy Tides City Heroes Guild was a Golden Crabfolk, standing at a height of two and a half meters. His appearance was that of a humanoid crab, with a shell that shimmered in gold, exuding an imposing and majestic aura. This crabfolk Hero was named Doto Daisho. He was a Hero from the island nation, possessing the strength of a Level 5 overlord. As one of the earliest founders of the Holy Tides City Heroes Guild, he held great prestige among the Heroes of Holy Tides City.
Doto Daisho was furious. He shouted, "Why has the situation in Holy Tides City turned out like this? Have any of you thought about the reasons behind this chaos?"
An eelfolk retorted, "If it wasn't for the sneak attack by the Wild Wolf Heroes Guild, we wouldn't have fought with them!"
A rayfolk countered, "Bullshit! It was your people who ambushed us first! I swear, I'll make eel rice out of you!"
"The hell you just said? Bring it on if you dare!"
"Duel me then!"
The Holy Tides City Heroes Guild comprised over a dozen significant Hero groups. They had finally been gathered here, but before they could discuss much, they nearly broke into a fight again.
"Shut up!" Doto Daisho roared furiously. "Anyone who dares interrupt me again will never be able to speak again!" His roar and the outburst of his Qi instantly enveloped the entire hall, finally suppressing the quarrelsome Heroes.
He continued, "The events of the past month are too bizarre. There's definitely something wrong here. I sense that there's a force fanatically instigating conflict among us!" Hearing this, the Heroes exchanged glances, also feeling that something was amiss.
Doto Daisho continued, "A month ago, the situation was looking great. Except for the White Sand Clan, which we hadn't fully controlled, the other three major families had essentially become our puppets. But now, look at us! In less than a month, our influence and control over Holy Tides City have drastically declined. On the other hand, the White Sand scums, in collaboration with this so-called 'Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce,' has not only stabilized but is also rapidly regaining influence."
"If this keeps up, we'll lose Holy Tides City!"
As the Heroes absorbed his words, the tension in the air began to ease. They realized the strangeness of their situation. Why had so many conflicts erupted among them in less than a month, especially when they had previously cooperated so well?
A shrimp Hero asked, "President, what do you think is going on? Who is behind all this?"
Doto Daisho replied, "This mysterious force is cautious and meticulous, and seems to be adept at disguise and illusion. I haven't been able to find them, but I have a suspect in mind."
"Please tell us, President!"
"Who is it?"
"If this recent turmoil was indeed orchestrated by some force, then we must tear them apart!"
Doto Daisho spoke gravely, "Without concrete evidence, the party that benefits the most from our month-long strife is our prime suspect. Who do you think has gained the most?"
Almost in unison, everyone answered, "The White Sand Clan!"
Doto Daisho's gaze darkened as he said, "I've heard that the balance in the Azure Water Federation is breaking, and chaos will soon ensue. We can't afford to hesitate any longer. We must take complete control of the city. I have a plan."
"That is, regardless of whether the White Sand Clan is behind this, we should set aside our past grudges and focus all our strength on crushing them! If they are indeed the culprits, we will surely find clues or extract confessions during this process. And if they're not, at least we'll have eliminated a power that's been watching from the sidelines!"
Upon hearing this, everyone found the reasoning sound. The Heroes were already aware of the recent upheavals in the Azure Water Federation and realized that the region would soon descend into chaos. With this in mind, they felt they could employ methods previously off-limits. The White Sand Clan indeed seemed very suspicious! With the world on the brink of chaos, it was the perfect opportunity to completely eliminate them. If the White Sand Clan was truly the culprit, it was ideal; if not, it was still an opportunity to divide their resources and wealth.
"I agree!"
"Me too!"
"Let's do it, we should act immediately!"
"Destroy the White Sand Clan, slaughter and plunder the merfolk!"
The Heroes of Holy Tides City, already frustrated by recent events, eagerly seized this opportunity to vent their anger.
As they were preparing to act under Doto Daisho's lead, a voice suddenly interrupted.
"Hehehe, it seems you're not as foolish as I thought." The voice belonged to a woman, magnetic and charming. As everyone turned to look, their expressions changed dramatically. Surrounded by dozens of merfolk, several distinctive figures appeared before the group of more than 4000 Heroes.
"What's going on?"
"Who are you people?"
"How did you get in here?"
The location was the headquarters of the Holy Tides City Heroes' Guild, heavily guarded and secure. The unexpected appearance of this group, without any prior alert, was undoubtedly extraordinary.
"Let me introduce myself," said one of the figures. "I am Han Kexin, the Vice-City Lord of the Darkness City and the Prime Minister of the Chaos Federation."
Doto Daisho was shocked. "You're a Demon King!"
The expressions of the Heroes changed drastically. It was unthinkable for a Demon King, with just a few companions, to boldly invade the Heroes' Guild. Wasn't this a death wish?
"So that's it!"
"It's all a plot by the Demon Kings!"
"They've conspired with the White Sand Clan!"
Han Kexin was accompanied by less than ten direct subordinates from Gloom City, including two monarch-class units, Han Qiuyue and Han Dongxue, as well as the Empress of Azure Water, Shuilan, sent by Zhang Nu to assist. In addition, there was Shuiyao from the White Sand Clan, along with several dozen merfolk from their family. Although not many in number, their strength was formidable.
"Great!"
"A Demon King dares to crash in here!"
"Since you've come here seeking death , we'll grant it to you!"
A eelfolk Hero with the strength of a Level 4 overlord raised his trident to attack. Han Kexin addressed Doto Daisho, the head of the Heroes' Guild, "Your men are not very obedient. Kill them for me."
Before the sea eel Hero could react, a giant crab claw, radiating with combat Qi and resembling an indestructible pair of giant scissors, swiftly bisected the Hero's body. Doto Daisho had taken action, eliminating the eelfolk. The other Heroes at the scene were shocked and alarmed.
"President!"
"What are you doing!"
"Are you betraying the Heroes' Guild?"
Doto Daisho's expression was ferocious. "The mistress's command is supreme. Anyone who dares to attack the mistress will meet this fate!"
The crowd was both horrified and confused. Just moments ago, the guild leader seemed normal, but now he suddenly turned traitor, an absurdly quick change. His expression, demeanor, and murderous intent didn't seem like he was under the control of a psychic spell.
While recovering her severely depleted mental energy, Han Kexin nodded in satisfaction. The moment she entered, she had used her Level 5 ability "Permanent Charm" on Doto Daisho. At this moment, Doto Daisho had been imprinted mentally and would become as loyal as a directly summoned unit of a Demon King. This was the formidable ability of the Succubus Queen. While her direct combat power might not match other high-level Demon Kings, her terrifying ability was undiminished.
"You insects dare to threaten my mistress! You all deserve to die!" Doto Daisho, enraged, swung his giant crab claws. His Qi transformed into scissor-like attacks, resulting in a gruesome scene filled with screams and rivers of blood.
After killing more than twenty Heroes, the rest finally realized the Guild Leader had completely betrayed them.
"Shit!"
"Kill them all!"
"We outnumber them, there's nothing to fear!" The Heroes prepared to fight back.
However, at that moment, Han Kexin, having recovered most of her MP through various means and with Han Qiuyue's MP transfer, was ready to act. "Domain of Domination!"
Han Kexin activated her domain. With a light wave of her left hand, hundreds of psychic threads whistled out, instantly hitting hundreds of Heroes, and with the slight movement of her delicate fingers, the controlled Heroes turned to attack their comrades.
Magic! Martial techniques! Various ferocious skills were deployed!
"What the hell, what's happening? I can't control my body!"
"I'm being controlled too, get away from me!"
Sitting down, Han Kexin casually crossed one leg over the other and manipulated the threads in her left hand. Hundreds of Heroes, under her control, were frantically attacking their peers. The psychic threads were invisible to the naked eye and undetectable to those without sufficient strength. The Heroes on the scene had no idea what was happening. They only saw the terrifying Succubus Queen sitting before them, casually moving her fingers like a puppeteer, causing hordes of Heroes to turn on each other.
"Kill! Kill!"
"Die! All of you, die!"
Unable to distinguish who was controlled and who was not, the Heroes, in self-defense, attacked indiscriminately. Suspicion and panic rapidly spread, eventually leading to a collapse. Thousands of Heroes fought amongst themselves in a frenzied melee. Although some attacks were directed at the Succubus Queen, they were blocked by Han Qiuyue, Han Dongxue, and the Azure Water Empress at her side. Some tried to escape, but the Queen's domain had already taken control of the area, preventing anyone from fleeing. Trapped in this desperate situation, they were left with no choice but to kill or be killed.
"Spare us!"
"We surrender!"
"We will submit to you!"
As Han Kexin continued to manipulate and slaughter, the continuous screams and pleas for mercy, far from disturbing her, seemed to amuse her greatly.
"This woman... is terrifying!"
Even the Azure Water Empress uttered such an exclamation, finally understanding why the Great Demon King of Darkness City had recruited Han Kexin. After ascending to Level 6, Han Kexin now possessed mythic-class strength, even surpassing the current Azure Water Empress. Her cunning, her temperament, and her methods made the Azure Water Empress realize that Han Kexin might be more fitting of the title of an empress than herself. With the strong support of Han Qiuyue, the Demon Sage King, there were no issues with Han Kexin's supply of MP. And with the Azure Water Empress handling defense and counterattacks, Han Kexin controlled the puppet-like Heroes in a game-like manner, annihilating all the Heroes in the Holy Tides City.
This scene deeply shocked Shui Yao, the young clan leader of the White Sand. She only knew that the ruler of Darkness City was an unfathomable being, but now this new vice city lord of Darkness City and Prime Minister of the Chaos Federation, a Succubus Queen, was also terrifyingly formidable.
In fact, in terms of sheer dreadfulness, she surpassed the Dragon Demon King. The Dragon Demon King's horror lay in his overwhelming strength and despair-inducing power, whereas this Demon Queen possessed the ability to treat people as toys, manipulate them at will, and forcibly control them. In front of this Demon Queen, the fragility of the human heart was trivial. Even the closest of brothers and friends could become untrustworthy.
[You've slain a Level 4 Hero. Hero's soul +1, skill stone+1!]
[You've slain a Level 4 Hero. Hero's soul +1, skill stone+1!]
[You've slain a Level 3 Hero. Hero's soul +1!]
[You've slain a Level 2 hero. Hero's soul +1!]
[You've slain a Level 4 Hero. Hero's soul +1, skill stone+1!]
[......]
Through Han Kexin's actions, Darkness City gained thousands of souls. She was very satisfied. After killing the last Hero, she stretched lazily, stood up from her seat, and said, "I'm tired from playing, I'll take a rest. You guys take care of the rest."
She walked over to Shui Yao and patted her shoulder: "I remember the Great Demon King promised to help you with your revenge. Now, that promise has been fulfilled. Next, I will help you ascend to the position of city lord. From today, Holy Tides City will become a part of the Chaos Federation, but the entire White Sand Clan must swear loyalty to Darkness City."
"You know what to do, right?"
Shui Yao, sweating profusely, replied, "Yes, Vice City Lord, rest assured, I will immediately lead all our people to officially swear allegiance to His Majesty!"