"General Esdeath, you have pacified the Northern Barbarians for the Empire this time. What reward do you desire?
Speak freely."
The Little Emperor sat on his high throne, looking like a good emperor.
In his eyes, all the Empire's nobles and officials were loyal and virtuous, and no amount of reward was too much.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Although I have no desired reward, if Your Majesty grants treasures, please distribute them to the soldiers and the citizens of the Imperial Capital," Esdeath said after a slight show of respect. Her respect for the Little Emperor was solely because he had treated her rather well.
If she wanted to do something, there was probably nothing in the entire Empire she couldn't do. She was the strongest in the Empire.
Even General Bude, who was also known as the Empire's strongest, in her opinion, would only require two more moves.
"As expected of General Esdeath. Then, the rewards for the General this time shall be distributed to the soldiers," the Little Emperor said happily. "However, General Esdeath has not received any reward herself, which goes against custom."
"General Esdeath may not want it, but I cannot not give it. From now on, General Esdeath may directly take any treasure in the Empire that catches her eye."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"As expected of General Esdeath, hehehe. Your Majesty has arranged a guest room for the General to rest. Please rest in the Imperial Palace for a few days." Ernest held chicken drumsticks in both hands, his face covered in grease, and his eyes full of greed.
Reward the soldiers? Those shining gold coins given to those commoners would be an insult to the gold coins. It's better if I keep them safe. But it's not good not to give them to the soldiers at all, so I'll give half, no, one-third will do, hehehe.
"Then I shall take my leave," Esdeath said, walking out of the palace under the awestruck gazes of the many ministers.
Although General Esdeath had never been heard of killing Imperial citizens or nobles, her exaggerated killing intent made them feel as if she could kill them at any moment just by looking at her.
"General Esdeath, we have arrived. Please rest," the palace maid said respectfully.
"You may withdraw," Esdeath waved her hand casually.
"Yes."
Esdeath entered the small courtyard prepared for her by the Emperor. "Did he not directly tell me when to deal with the rebels? But the Little Emperor's approach isn't bad."
Esdeath said, then sat down on a stone stool in the courtyard.
At this moment, an unfamiliar voice appeared: "A puppet emperor deceived, blinded, and brainwashed is quite regrettable."
"If not for Ernest, he might have become a good emperor."
Esdeath's face was cold, and she looked around but found no one. "Who is it?
She thought of something and smiled: "It's those little mice who have been spying on me since the northern border. You're quite capable, to be able to sneak into the Imperial Palace. You shouldn't be Imperial citizens, but rebels, right?"
"Rebels? Perhaps you misunderstand, you are the rebels."
The voice suddenly held a hint of playfulness, and Esdeath instantly turned around and shouted, "White Beak!"
Bone-chilling cold instantly enveloped the entire small courtyard. Everything around was instantly covered in ice blue.
Dozens of two-meter-long ice spikes appeared out of thin air from all directions, shooting towards the same spot.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh
"Very fast reaction. In physical quality, it reached Lv.2; in reaction, it reached Lv.3; in ability, it reached Lv.5. If a move that freezes particle motion has been developed, it would be comparable to Lv.6."
A man with black shoulder-length hair and light golden eyes appeared there, gently rubbing his chin with his finger,
As if he was examining a delicate figurine, he scrutinized Esdeath.
"If the power within her body is fully released, it could cover two provinces, influence the weather, and turn summer into winter."
Esdeath's pupils contracted: "What?"
All of her moves instantly stopped, as if time had paused, and at the same time, the ice she had created slipped from her control.
"Gray Chair Leg!"
Esdeath instantly pressed her palm to the ground, and ice-blue vapor surged up from the ground. Giant ice spikes appeared in front of her, shooting straight towards the man who had suddenly appeared.
She had once used this move to directly destroy the barbarians' city walls and freeze half a city.
"This move is at Lv.3," Xia Wei commented, his golden eyes lighting up. All the surrounding freezing air disappeared, including all the ice.
Esdeath felt as if she had been completely drained, instantly losing all her strength. Her legs gave out, and she half-knelt on the ground.
"What? My ability—" Esdeath's expression was shocked, and her hand involuntarily touched the Imperial Armament tattoo on her chest.
The power within her body had not disappeared, but it had completely quieted, like a dead sea. The power within her body would not allow her to act against this strange man before her.
"What a joke! Power has always only submitted to me!"
Esdeath was furious, extremely furious. She would absolutely not allow herself to be controlled by her own power. Only puppets of power were controlled by power!
Dazzling Magnetic—
Ice-blue freezing air reappeared as mist outside Esdeath's body, her ice-blue pupils accompanied by tiny ice-blue lightning.
"This willpower—it truly surprises me," Xia Wei said, slightly astonished.
Esdeath's ability remained a dead calm, because he had completely sealed it.
But Esdeath's will continued to expand, incidentally giving rise to new abilities.
In other words, her will was too tenacious, so tenacious that she herself triggered a miracle, and this miracle formed a new skill.
"When the body becomes a burden, the will will lead you to break through the encirclement. This moment truly seems to be fulfilled, but the scene is a bit out of place."
This kind of situation usually only appears in plots where heroes face a world-destroying demon lord.
"Excellent, truly excellent. This excellence has surpassed most ordinary protagonists, only slightly inferior to invincible-style and kingly protagonists."
Xia Wei said, and once again sealed the new skill on Esdeath.
Esdeath pressed her hands to the ground, gasping for breath, her pupils constricted, and her body trembling slightly.
This was caused by unprecedented rage.
What's happening?
What in the world is going on?
This feeling of powerlessness, of having one's life and destiny controlled at will.
The feeling of being utterly unable to resist!
Even just a glance was enough to shatter her.
"There is actually such a powerful person in the world, hehe, hehehehehehe—" Esdeath quickly accepted the fact that she had been instantly defeated, and laughed wildly, looking up at the sky. She swayed as she stood up, slowly spreading her arms, her eyes no longer containing killing intent, only a wild desire to be conquered.
"Man, I lost. The strong plunder the weak, and can treat the weak however they want. You have conquered me. I am your spoils of war."