Free Web NovelChapter 36: Chapter 36: The Empire Loses Its Mind
Mu Jian’s heart seized violently, his jaw clenching as he lifted his head slowly, eyes blazing despite his injuries.
"There is no female," he said harshly through gritted teeth. "Our duke has no female."
The man laughed again, louder this time.
Han Ruyan’s eyes gleamed with cruel delight as he casually turned his head, his gaze sweeping across the platform and then suddenly stopping.
Yue Yue’s breath caught. Her eyes met his, and it was so cold, sinister, and predatory that it sent a chill down her spine.
Han Ruyan smiled slowly.
"Of course," he said softly, his gaze locking onto her, "she’s right there."
And in that instant, Yue Yue knew she was caught and she was too powerless to do anything. She is just like a lamb waiting to be chopped.
The moment Mu Jian shouted that word...female...the entire empire seemed to explode at once, as if someone had dropped a bomb straight into the heart of the star network, turning every public channel, private feed, and floating comment screen into uncontrollable chaos.
"What did he just say?!"
"DID HE SAY FEMALE?!"
"They’re fighting for a FEMALE?!"
"No way, no way, no way, I refuse to believe this!"
"I thought it was a political coup, not a romance drama!"
"I skipped work for THIS, and it was worth it!"
The comment section flooded so violently that the live screen shook slightly, thousands of messages stacking on top of each other, overlapping, glitching, and scrolling so fast that the words almost blurred into a storm of madness.
"Streamer! STREAMER! TURN THE CAMERA!"
"Stop filming the sky, you idiot; film the FEMALE!"
"Where is she hiding?!"
"Zoom in! ZOOM IN!"
"Are my star coins not enough for you?!"
The hovering high-grade camera trembled slightly in midair as the owner of it struggled to maintain balance, his hands shook violently, and its lens was still focused on the injured hawk and the black-winged serpent man standing coldly on the platform, yet everyone watching had already lost interest in the fight.
They wanted to see the female.
Even though the camera was far away, it still clearly captured the terrifying beast forms, the shattered shields, the cracked platform, and the overwhelming pressure radiating from the two S-level Orcs, but no matter how much it adjusted, it could not locate the small figure hiding behind the protective barrier.
And that only made them more excited.
"She’s there!"
"I swear she’s there!"
"I can feel it in my bones!"
"All females are treasures of the empire; hurry up and show her!"
"What kind of female can make TWO winged serpent brothers fight like this?!"
"This is historic! Someone record this!"
"All clans, come watch; this is better than the imperial arena!"
Somewhere far away, floating nervously inside his personal hover pod, the live streamer finally realized something was very, very wrong.
He was just a small-time streamer and an E-level frog orc.
Originally, he had only planned to do a peaceful city sightseeing live stream, floating around the upper districts, showing the neon skyline and luxurious aerial lanes, and talking casually about restaurants and recent price increases in energy crystals.
Then the sky exploded.
Then two terrifying high-level beastmen started fighting.
Then his viewer count jumped from three hundred to three million in less than thirty seconds.
And now...it was still climbing.
The frog beastman gulped loudly, his throat bobbing visibly as he stared at the floating number in the corner of his screen, his eyes slowly widening until they almost popped out of his head.
"Five... five million..." he croaked weakly, his webbed hands trembling as he adjusted the camera controls, his heart pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears.
Then the gift notifications started.
Star coins rained down like a flood.
High-tier gifts.
Limited edition gifts.
Clan-emblem gifts. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
The kind he had only ever seen big streamers receive.
"STREAMER, ONE MILLION STAR COINS IF YOU SHOW THE FEMALE!"
"FIVE MILLION IF YOU GET A CLEAR SHOT!" fгeewebnovёl.com
"I’LL EMPTY MY ACCOUNT, JUST TURN THE CAMERA!"
The frog beastman’s eyes instantly turned into glowing star shapes, his pupils reflecting lines of zeroes as he imagined the wealth he would gain, his mouth opening and closing soundlessly as greed and fear wrestled violently inside his chest.
"That’s... that’s too much money..." he whispered hoarsely, wiping sweat from his face with one trembling hand.
But then reality hit him like cold water.
Those weren’t ordinary beastmen down there.
Those were S-level Orcs with high combat ability.
If he got too close or if he angered them...
Even if he died, it would just be called unfortunate collateral damage.
The higher-level beastman would pay a small compensation, maybe issue a brief apology, and the matter would be closed.
The frog beastman swallowed again, his legs shaking.
"I... I don’t want to die rich..." He muttered weakly.
The comment section immediately exploded again.
"Coward!"
"You’re a frog; aren’t you supposed to be brave?!"
Frog Orc: "..."
When did Frog Beastman become braver? Why didn’t he know about it?
"I’ll pay for your funeral!"
"Don’t worry, we’ll remember you!"
"GO CLOSER OR I’M UNSUBSCRIBING!"
Another massive wave of gifts slammed into his account.
The frog beastman stared. His breathing stopped.
"...I can buy a floating island with this..." he whispered.
That was it.
He gritted his teeth.
"Alright!" he croaked suddenly, voice shaking but loud, "I’ll... I’ll try to get closer, but if I die, remember me!"
The empire cheered.
"HE’S DOING IT!"
"LEGENDARY STREAMER!"
"MOVE LEFT, SHE’S DEFINITELY ON THE LEFT!"
The hover camera slowly descended, inch by cautious inch, its lens sweeping across the shattered platform, the injured Mu Jian, the cold and smiling Han Ruyan, and finally toward the far corner where a faint protective shield shimmered.
The camera adjusted.
Zoomed.
Refocused.
At first, nothing appeared.
The comment section groaned loudly.
"She’s not there!"
"Streamer, you’re blind!"
"Check behind the debris!"
Then...
The lens caught a glimpse of movement.
A small figure hidden behind a large pillar.
The frog beastman’s breath caught sharply.
"...Wait," he whispered, "I think... I think I see her."
The entire empire went silent.
The camera zoomed in slowly. Carefully, and then...she appeared.
Yue Yue stood behind the barrier, her small frame wrapped in beautiful clothes, one hand gripping the robotic maid’s arm, her long pastel violet hair flowing softly, strands shimmering like liquid starlight as they framed her pale face.
Her wide eyes were like twin precious blue gems.
She looked up. And her gaze met the camera. But she was too scared to give any priority.
For one single breathless second, the frog beastman forgot how to breathe, his mouth hanging open as his brain completely shut down, unable to process what he was seeing.
"...By the ancestors..." he whispered.
The empire exploded.
"WHAT..."
"SHE’S TOO BEAUTIFUL!"
"IS SHE REAL?!"
"I’M IN LOVE!"
"NO WONDER THEY’RE FIGHTING!"
"THIS IS ILLEGAL, HOW CAN A FEMALE LOOK LIKE THAT?!"
"She’s so petite!"
"She looks fragile!"
"I WANT TO PROTECT HER!"
"I WANT TO MARRY HER!"
"I WANT TO BE KILLED BY THE DUKE FOR HER!"
Yue Yue frowned slightly, confusion flickering across her face as she stared at the floating camera, her brows knitting together softly, her innocent, puzzled expression delivering a critical hit straight into the hearts of millions.
The frog beastman let out a strangled sound.
"She’s... looking at me..." he croaked.
