Chapter 414: Esdeath's Love-Struck Mind
"All of you here are loyal subjects of the Empire… Whoever offers the most to the Empire shall be granted noble titles and estates."
The young emperor recited the practiced opening lines fluently.
Below, most of the wealthy merchants and nobles trembled slightly, not daring to look up at the boy who, at least in name, held supreme power in the Empire.
One wealthy man, who smelled faintly of the sea, stepped forward respectfully. "Your Majesty, I am the owner of a fishery in the Eastern Sea. I bring you the finest giant sea fish from the east!"
He then presented a tribute list—
not just the fish, but also rare treasures and a promise of continuous deliveries to the capital.
"Reward him!"
The emperor nodded cheerfully.
These merchants had long coordinated with Minister Honest. All the emperor had to do was follow Honest's instructions and bestow rewards.
One by one, the merchants received noble titles, estates, and various privileges.
Esdeath sat at the side, bored to tears.
She had no interest in these matters. The only reason she stayed was because—
"Your Majesty, it is a pleasure to meet you for the first time."
A voice drew Esdeath's attention.
Fang Yi stood with a polite smile, addressing the bored emperor.
"I'm a merchant from another world. I wish to use the [Core] of the Imperial Arms world to construct a Tower of Death. If possible, I'd like your help in gathering the scattered Imperial Arms across the Empire."
"In return, I will offer you the chance to fulfill your desires."
As expected—he mentioned the Reincarnation Game.
Esdeath's pupils narrowed like a predator's as her lips curled upward.
Ever since becoming a player, she had long wanted to know who was behind the Reincarnation Game.
It was an instinctual urge of a true hunter—
to first identify the master of a hunting ground, no matter how alluring it seemed.
"Fulfill my desires?"
The emperor blinked in confusion and laughed. "I'm the Emperor. Who in this world could fulfill my desires?"
The Empire ruled most of the world, and he was the supreme ruler.
If anything, he granted others their wishes—no one granted his.
What an arrogant joke.
Fang Yi chuckled and asked,
"For example, what if I offered you the power to oppose Minister Honest, to no longer be his puppet?"
"Impudent!"
"Who are you?! Guards! Arrest him at once!"
Though Honest had left, many of his loyal officials remained.
At Fang Yi's brazen suggestion, they erupted in fury.
The emperor's body trembled briefly, but he quickly recovered.
"You dare try to sow discord between me and the minister?!"
An "otherworld merchant"?
Ridiculous.
Fang Yi remained calm. "All trades are based on fairness. If you're unwilling, you may decline."
In the early days, when the Reincarnation Game lacked foundation, he'd had to rely on persuasion to prove its value.
But now, with its strength fully established, he no longer needed to convince anyone.
If the emperor refused, Fang Yi would simply walk away.
The Revolutionary Army would be more than happy to cooperate—though they'd require more effort.
He'd already seen through the emperor.
Though seemingly naive and dim-witted, it was all an act.
Even an idiot could see Honest's overreach—of course the emperor noticed.
He simply lacked the power to resist.
"How interesting… Trying to pit me against my minister.
Killing you would be too easy—I'll make you regret it."
After a long silence, the emperor looked at General Budo.
"General Budo, lend him your Imperial Arm. I want to expose his lies right here."
"Your Majesty…"
Budo hesitated.
Though loyal to the throne, his elite guards were funded by Honest.
If he angered the minister and lost that support, he couldn't afford to maintain them.
"General Budo?"
The emperor's tone darkened. Despite his youth, his position carried weight.
A sliver of imperial authority leaked into his voice.
"Yes!"
This was the opportunity Budo needed.
To Honest, it would seem as though he'd been forced by the emperor.
Once the rebels grew stronger and the guards gained power,
he could purge the corrupt minister.
As for Fang Yi's claim of being a merchant from another world?
Nonsense.
Even if he handed over the lightning-controlling [Thunder God's Wrath],
someone without compatibility would be crushed by its power.
Clunk, clunk…
The towering general stepped down from the platform and tossed the armor at Fang Yi.
Next moment—
Fang Yi caught the heavy Imperial Arm with one hand—effortlessly.
Budo blinked.
The armor was incredibly heavy. Even elite guards struggled to lift it.
But in Fang Yi's hand, it was light as air?
Something felt… off.
"Trade complete."
Fang Yi's smile didn't waver.
In his grasp, the Imperial Arm crumbled into a palm-sized stone.
Absorbing origin without breaking an item was possible.
But extracting a [Core] destroyed the vessel entirely.
This stone was a fragment of the world's Core.
"My armor?!"
Budo's eyes widened in shock.
The connection he once felt with his Imperial Arm was gone.
His chest ached, as if he'd lost something vital.
Even the origin granted by the arm had vanished.
"So you really are the Reincarnation Game's master!"
Esdeath burst out laughing.
Her porcelain face lit with excitement, radiating a dangerous aura.
"Back when that strange invitation fell on me, it promised to grant all my desires, didn't it?"
"Well, my wish is simple—to fight the strong!"
Her gaze burned as it locked onto Fang Yi. She looked ready to devour him.
Flushed with excitement, she smiled seductively.
"Since you made me a player, aren't you responsible for me now?"
"You must be stronger than anyone I've met. I want a duel with you!"
To utterly crush you.
The final line went unsaid, but Fang Yi heard it clearly.
He gave a helpless smile. "You're too weak right now.
If you reach Tier 3, I'll grant you one fight."
Combat-crazed players like her were always a handful.
"I can't wait…"
Ignoring the emperor and the officials,
Esdeath's body was already surrounded by icy spikes.
To her, weaklings didn't even deserve to scream.
"General Esdeath, have you lost your mind?!"
The temperature plummeted.
A shivering official dared to stand and scold her for releasing an Imperial Arm inside the palace—
Shnk.
An ice blade pierced his chest.
His blood froze before it could spill.
"Let's fight!"
Esdeath leapt into the air.
Ice armor covered her long legs, transforming her into a graceful Ice Queen.
She twisted her waist midair like a dancer,
and a freezing whip of ice lashed out at Fang Yi.
"Just as you believe the weak don't deserve to live…"
Fang Yi didn't move.
Still smiling, he said,
"Failing to realize your own weakness… is what drives people mad."
Crack…
The ice whip shattered.
Her ice armor fell away in pieces.
Esdeath froze mid-attack.
"My Imperial Arm… was stripped?"
She stared blankly.
[Demon's Extract], which had accompanied her through countless wars,
had been removed by this man.
Instead of panic—she grew even more excited.
She charged barehanded.
"Then let this be the price for your arrogance."
Fang Yi didn't move.
He simply watched as Esdeath, in full battle mode, closed in.
With each step,
her powers drained away.
First her Imperial Arm.
Then her newly acquired [Ice Shaping Magic].
Then her hard-won combat skills and monstrous physique.
By the time she reached him—
She was powerless.
Her fists drooped. She couldn't even lift her arm.
A game notification appeared:
[Power sealed. Unlock cost: 200,000 contribution points]
"So… this is the worth of my life?"
Esdeath couldn't even twitch a finger.
Her fist hovered in front of Fang Yi's chest, never touching him.
She was like a lamb at slaughter.
A long-forgotten sense of helplessness returned—
like the day her tribe was wiped out by Danger Beasts.
The once-dominant Esdeath now felt the humiliation of powerlessness.
Yet, her defiant spirit flared.
She lifted her head,
planning to bite if that's all she could still do.
The game continued displaying higher unlock costs—
but she wouldn't give in.
Tap.
A single finger pressed gently against her lips, closing them.
Fang Yi smiled.
"That's enough. If you keep going, even your life force will be sealed. That's a price you can't afford."
300,000 contribution points—
everything Esdeath had, including the luxury estate and her earnings from the zombie world.
If she pushed further,
Fang Yi wouldn't hesitate, even if he appreciated her potential as a player.
"…I understand."
Her voice was a whisper.
Esdeath looked up,
gazing at the man who had sealed her entire being.
His smile reflected in her icy blue eyes—
and her face turned bright red.
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