Nobody told me this wasn't a game.

Melville's emerald eyes were devoid of emotion; waves of rage surged through her mind.

She unconsciously clenched her fists and squinted as she asked, "Are you humiliating me, Your Excellency?"

Zuo Chang remained calm: "You can think that way, I don't mind."

A solemn silence fell beneath the statue of the god.

The only sound in the spacious room was the splashing of water from the fountain.

Zuo Chang stood beneath the statue of the god, while Melville sat four or five meters away by the fountain; neither of them spoke.

After his initial outburst of anger, Melville gradually calmed down.

Her mind was racing, and she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy—

sorrow.

As Zuo Chang said, being a descendant of the Grand Witch is not an honorary title.

Compared to her rather glamorous appearance, Melville's social status was not so noble. Her only noteworthy quality was her innate talent for alchemy.

She meticulously dressed herself, learned various etiquette rules, and tried her best to imitate the speech and behavior of "high society" people, but...

Melville knew in her heart that she had never truly integrated into that circle.

She originally had no chance in this "battle for the top spot".

She barely qualified after making a "promise" to a powerful figure.

If she fails at the last hurdle, everything will be for naught, and she will die on the way.

If she can break through the Tower of Choice and successfully obtain the identity of an exorcist, then she will also have to become that important person's concubine, which can be considered as a kind of give-and-take.

Melville didn't see anything wrong with it.

Those in positions of power are always winners. She had nothing, so she had to give more.

just now……

An opportunity seems to have arrived.

Melville turned to look at Zuo Chang, who was examining the statue of the god—this man was very unfriendly and lacked manners.

However, he seems to know a lot about the Grand Order battles and possesses formidable fighting power.

Being by his side feels like getting closer to my dream.

"cough."

Melville cleared his throat, about to speak.

Zuo Chang turned to look at him and said, "Just say what you have to say. There's no need to keep coughing. I can react now."

"..."

Ok.

Melville said, “Mr. Zuo, you have just offended me, but I don’t mind. I am magnanimous and can forgive your rudeness.”

Zuo Chang looked at her, puzzled: "You were the one who offended me first. Melville, I still prefer the way you always refer to yourself as a commoner. Can you please switch back to your old ways?"

"...To be so petty, you can hardly be called a man! I think you should be more understanding of me, after all, I am a lady, don't you think?"

"I was taught by the internet to be a true egalitarian, your approach is completely useless."

"??"

What is Zuo Chang saying?

Zuo Chang looked at her with a smile, a hint of curiosity in his eyes, and asked, "I'm really curious about what price you paid to get here. Melville, I think I've been incredibly rude, yet you're willing to swallow your pride... You're that eager to win?"

Melville believes that honesty may be necessary now.

Zuo Chang is a formidable helper.

Being honest with him is in her best interest.

She raised her chin slightly, exuding arrogance: "There was no price to pay. I made a deal with a notorious nobleman in 5245, promising to be his lover for three years after I became an exorcist."

Zuo Chang didn't react much upon hearing this: "After becoming an exorcist, I still have to be his lover for three years?"

"Yes."

"...Is he very handsome?"

Melville smiled slightly: "He is so ugly it breaks my heart."

Zuo Chang was even more incomprehensible: "You can accept this? With the fighting prowess you just displayed, I think you should have more options."

“I had no choice, Mr. Zuo. When the Grandmaster of 5245 was first announced, the Grandmaster immediately sent someone to me, hoping that I would represent him in the competition—but just one day later, I was disqualified.”

Melville remained calm.

She raised her hand to smooth the ends of her hair: "It was that nobleman who was behind it all. He denied me the right to choose. If I still want to participate in the competition for the crown, I have no choice but to agree to his conditions."

Zuo Chang remained silent.

Melville curled his lips into a smile: "It's not bad, is it? For us adventurers, strength is the foundation of our material wealth and the source of our status. If I can seize this opportunity, I can oppress others in the same way that others oppress me now. That should be... fair."

Chapter 196 Let's have a men's battle!

Give up the desire to help others and respect the fate of others.

Zuo Chang remained silent upon hearing this, his calm demeanor bordering on cold. Melville turned to look at him and asked, "Why aren't you reacting?"

Zuo Chang waved his hand: "Without knowing the full picture, I will not comment."

“It’s alright, Mr. Zuo, you can speak freely. Since I’ve made this choice, I don’t care about my reputation. I understand what I’m doing.”

Melville crossed his legs.

She seemed to have forgotten that she was in a vacuum. Something flashed by, but unfortunately, Zuo Chang's attention wasn't focused enough, and he still couldn't see the whole picture.

Zuo Chang shook his head, rattling off one set of ideas after another, seemingly wanting to take the postgraduate entrance exam: "Don't advise others to be kind if you haven't experienced their suffering."

"Humph."

Melville gave a cold snort, his mood...

It's quite easy.

Some things are indeed better said out loud; keeping them inside makes you feel suffocated.

Zuo Chang's seemingly indifferent attitude actually showed her the utmost tolerance. Melville even felt that she could feel Zuo Chang's gentleness.

The peaceful atmosphere was quickly broken.

Zuo Chang and Melville both turned their heads to look at the doorway.

Just now, footsteps were heard at the door.

An extremely tall man broke through the mist and entered. His bloodshot eyes were devoid of emotion, but his smile was still polite: "Oh dear... there's already someone here."

Melville became alert.

The Soul Reaper can sense the location of all contestants, but cannot sense the location of "their own kind".

The red-eyed man before her, like the assassin who had humiliated her before, was a soul-reaping messenger.

Zuo Chang looked at the thick dragon tail behind the red-eyed man and asked, "Are you a half-dragon?"

The red-eyed man nodded: "Yes. But don't worry, I love peace and am very friendly."

"You're from Community 2, aren't you?"

"I admire your extensive knowledge. My name is Dragon, and I look forward to your guidance."

Zuo Chang examined the faint scales on his jaw carefully and said, "Lord Dragon, your dragonification is very advanced. You have dragon scales on your wrists and jaw, and the proportion of dragon blood in your body should be over 80%."

A flash of murderous intent crossed Dracon's eyes.

Zuo Chang continued, "Such a high percentage of dragon blood is enough to prove that you are not human, but more like a dragon—friendliness is probably out of the question; you and I are not the same kind."

Gulu.

Although I didn't quite understand what Zuo Chang was saying, things seemed to be getting dangerous.

Melville breathed more cautiously, his vigilance greatly heightened.

Dragon raised his hand and stroked his chin.

His bloodshot eyes scrutinized Zuo Chang as he said, "Is it just my imagination, Your Excellency? I feel... you resemble someone."

Zuo Chang raised his chin: "Who do I look like?"

"No, you can't be him. Even if you were him, it wouldn't matter... We beat him once in the Grand Tournament."

Dragon shook his head slightly, giving up on explaining.

He spread his hands and continued, "Do you want to cooperate with me, human? The fact that you've been stationed here proves you're familiar with the battle for the Grand Rank. Our goals are aligned; let's join forces and create conditions that are as favorable as possible for us! As for who wins between us, we can settle that later!"

Without hesitation, Zuo Chang shook his head and said, "The battle for the Grand Rank is jokingly called the 'Battle of the Half-Dragons,' a fact known to everyone in the Ascended World. My goal is to become a Grand Hero, and someone as threatening as you must be eliminated immediately!"

"You want to fight me?!"

Bang!

The thick dragon tail slammed into the ground.

The room shook, and a deep groove appeared in the floor.

A chilling killing intent swept over him. Scales grew on Dragon's body, reflecting a cold luster, covering half his face like armor plates.

His pupils had turned into vertical slits, and he growled in a low voice, "Are you qualified?"

To this-

Zuo Chang's fighting spirit was no less than Dragon's: "Don't you think this place is too cramped?"

"Ah!"

Domain-specific technologies will be deployed simultaneously!

Dragon preemptively unleashed "Volcano of Ferocity." Melville was slightly taken aback, but soon realized that the fountain room had vanished.

Instead, there is sweltering air and scorching sun.