Chapter 35: You Carry the Scent of the Blue Dream Organization

Nothing had actually happened between Esdeces and Melard; the cunning woman had merely used ambiguous words to fabricate false memories meant to mislead.

Yet this did not conflict with Esdeces’ desire to beat her senseless.

“Next, enjoy Melard being beaten for one hour (pure version).” Jia Ji found an ideal vantage point to watch the show, and casually called out to Chelsea—should she accidentally get caught in this battle between two women, she’d be lucky to walk away with just her head intact.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Esdeces launched her long-prepared attack without hesitation; the wind from her fists churned the air with devastating force, capable of shattering flesh and bone into dust in a single strike.

Melard, too, was battle-hardened; though not an Imperial Artifact user and incapable of insect manipulation, she had spent considerable time in past assassinations relying solely on her own body, refining her martial arts to the point she could not be felled by a single blow.

In combat, though her movements were graceful and agile, she showed no trace of seduction—her eyes radiated icy killing intent, like a venomous serpent poised to strike.

Yet Esdeces, barehanded, struck without any fixed pattern—her techniques were spontaneous, effortless, yet lethally effective, born from real combat against dangerous species.

The sheer intensity of her killing aura and the brutality of her strikes left Melard in constant peril, even as she concentrated every ounce of her spirit, energy, and willpower, refusing to slacken for a moment.

Yes, she had fought Esdeces years ago and hadn’t suffered too badly—but this girl, her own age, had since utterly surpassed her, crushing her completely.

What, then, was the decisive factor behind this gap in strength?

"...Physical fitness."

Afterwards, having tasted defeat for the first time in years, Melard analyzed the reason while serving tea to Esdeces.

"Our physical fitness differs too greatly."

Though it sounded incredible, people in this world still had a physical limit; once reached, no amount of training could bring further progress.

Melard, raised since birth as the organization’s leader, underwent unimaginable hardship and finally hit her own ceiling, after which she turned to mastering more techniques to strengthen herself.

Yet when she faced Esdeces again, she could not deny the existence of true “monsters” who shattered common sense—even if one temporarily broke their limit through dangerous occult arts or drugs, they still might not match this woman.

Who could have imagined that within this slender, still youthful frame, within these soft, pale hands, lay a power overwhelming all humanity on this earth?

Even if she claimed she could seize the title of Empire’s Strongest solely through her wrist strength, Melard would not be the least surprised.

For no one understood this truth better than she, who had just taken a punch from Esdeces—no sane person would choose to face her head-on.

…Unless you counted Jia Ji, the professional punching bag.

Seeing this one-sided carnage, Jia Ji couldn’t help wondering if he’d gone too far—wasn’t the normal progression in this world to join Night Raid, fight through ranks one by one, and only defeat Esdeces through collective effort?

Why did it fall to him to carry the final boss around and crush the entire world? This… this was too amazing!

Adolescent Esdeces and the original Queen-style Esdeces each had their own merits.

Though she lacked the arrogant, supreme-dominance aura, she gained youthful vitality and lacked the sadistic torture and judgment kinks—interacting with her was infinitely easier.

Now she could still be a friend; wait too long, and she’d only be your servant.

“Indeed, arriving early has its advantages.”

“What did you say?”

Esdeces casually tossed Melard—whose ribs were broken in several places—to Chelsea, then brushed the dust off her hands and approached Jia Ji curiously.

“I was thinking about how to ignite the world.”

“What?”

“But before that, I think I need to ask your opinion.”

“My opinion? What does that have to do with me?”

Esdeces pressed further, utterly confused—sometimes she truly wanted to crack open his skull and see if his brain worked like a normal person’s.

Jia Ji’s expression turned solemn. “Your goal—is it merely to become the Empire’s Grand General?”

Based on his impression of Esdeces, in his view, she was a blunt, exaggerated, utterly pure character—unconcerned with righteousness, law, or rules, living solely for her own desires.

A fanatic and battle-obsessed maniac who’d rather die than lose or weaken, her fighting style was bloody and brutal; yet to those she found uninteresting or submissive, she could be downright kind.

This character profile made Jia Ji think of a powerful youkai from Yagumo Shizu’s world—they’d likely have much in common, or perhaps immediately fight to the death to settle superiority.

“Hmm… for now, yes. After all, the Grand General is the strongest person in the world, and I intend to become the strongest.”

When she spoke those final words, Esdeces’ tone carried unshakable confidence—she had never doubted whether she could achieve it; for her, this proposition had no second answer.

Either win completely, or die.

“Good, I understand. And I can tell you—you’ve already achieved it… but have you ever considered that there are people above the Grand General?”

“You mean—the Emperor?”

The Empire, having endured a thousand years, had seen many succession struggles, yet the imperial bloodline remained unshakably supreme—the descendants of the founding emperor still sat upon the throne. Though many factors contributed, after such a long span of time, the throne had nearly become tradition.

Neither ministers, nobles, nor rebel armies had ever considered taking the throne themselves—they knew it was unrealistic, impossible.

“The throne isn’t some golden toilet sealing away a demon god—why can’t you sit on it?”

“But…”

Esdeces had never conceived of such an outrageous idea—not because she refused, nor lacked ambition, but because the concept of seizing the throne had never once entered her mind.

Right now, even a dog on the throne would be better than the vermin in the capital.

“Go for it! Go for it! Go!” Jia Ji leapt into the air, punching toward the sky, his excitement overflowing—every gesture seemed to radiate a demonic charm, as if a devil whispered in his ear.

Esdeces showed signs of hesitation, her mind still locked in fierce internal struggle—until one final phrase from Jia Ji truly swayed her.

“Stop being so damn timid!”

Jia Ji raised one index finger and swore on the chat group:

“When it’s done, I’ll crown you Ice Empress! Ten times more glorious than now!”

Chelsea, who had been feigning unconsciousness from start to finish, nearly broke character—how could such a tactic, like offering candy to an adult, possibly work…?

“I’m in!”

Chelsea: “It actually worked?”

The picture of Melard I worked hard to find yesterday got deleted immediately—Qidian AI has earned its death sentence!

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(End of Chapter)