514: A True Account of Unbridled Desire

Olexia let out a long yawn, physiological tears welling in the corners of her eyes. Her nightgown slipped open halfway at the collar, revealing fine silver patterns etched near her collarbone.

She rubbed her messy blonde hair, her tone laced with the anger of being woken up, yet she still barely managed to maintain the final shred of divine dignity: "Your Majesty, it is currently three in the morning on the Ativi Continent."

"Even if you are the Underworld Empress and my direct superior, isn't it a bit too self-indulgent to disturb a deity's sweet dreams at such an hour?"

In the background of the screen, behind the curtains of a luxurious bed, a few pairs of furry ear tips retreated into the shadows in a panic. This was followed by the rustling of clothes and the soft 'click' of a door being closed.

Shang Wan Ning stared at the Goddess of Desire on the screen, whose hair was disheveled and nightgown askew, yet who was still trying to maintain a stern expression. Her temples throbbed.

She composed herself and kept her attitude as calm as possible: "Olexia, the main quest progress has been stuck at 98.7% for half a month. I need an explanation."

"Explanation???"

Olexia yawned again, this time covering her lips with the back of her hand in an attempt to maintain her poise, but the irritability in her eyes was nearly overflowing.

"Your Majesty, do you know what I've been busy with for the past half month? I've been explaining 'freedom of belief' and 'the future development path of the sea race' to eighty-seven Naga tribal chiefs."

She pushed aside a few strands of blonde hair from her forehead, her emerald eyes half-squinted, revealing a state of soul-crushing exhaustion.

"Those snake-tailed fellows have nothing in their heads but muscle and stale Sea God dogma."

"I used seven types of divine technique demonstrations, thirteen sets of speech templates, and even promised to give them customized 'Deep Sea Special Spicy Hot Pot Seasoning Packs'..."

Shang Wan Ning: "So why is the progress stuck?"

"Because!"

Olexia's voice suddenly spiked before quickly dropping back down. She rubbed the space between her brows, her nightgown sleeve sliding to her elbow and revealing the tense lines of her forearm.

"Because their old priest—a Naga who's three thousand eight hundred years old and has almost lost all his scales—insists on waiting for the 'Sea God's Final Echo'."

She lowered her hand and stared at the screen, her expression a distorted mess from trying to maintain her dignity.

"Your Majesty, do you know what the 'Sea God's Final Echo' is?"

"It means going to the seashore on every full moon night to listen to the tide. If they hear a specific rhythm, it means the sleeping Sea God is still breathing."

Olexia fell backward, sinking her entire body into a pile of velvet pillows, her blonde hair spreading out around her.

"On the last full moon night, I spent four hours with that group of sea folk on the rocks, enduring the sea breeze. All I heard were waves, seagulls, and the growling stomach of some young Naga."

She threw an arm over her forehead, too lazy to even adjust the hem of her nightgown which had rolled up to the top of her thigh: "I am the Goddess of Desire, not a marine biologist, and certainly not a tide recorder!!!"

As Shang Wan Ning listened to this long string of complaints, the veins in her forehead throbbed even more violently.

However, she captured the key piece of information.

"So, as long as we deal with that old priest or prove that the 'Sea God's Echo' is nonsense, the Naga Clan will sign the contract?"

"Theoretically... yes."

Olexia's voice was muffled under her arm. "But that old fossil is stubborn. I used divine arts to simulate an 'oracle,' and he insisted it was fake. I offered to take him to see the miracles of our God of the Abyss, and he called it heresy."

She suddenly sat up, her blonde hair draped messily over her shoulders, her emerald eyes flashing with a light that suggested she was on the verge of a breakdown.

"Your Majesty, do you know what the most hopeless part is? This crappy continent doesn't even have decent entertainment."

Olexia counted on her fingers, her speech getting faster and faster as her divine poise collapsed at a visible rate.

"There's no internet, I can't check trending topics, and I can't watch new anime. The Beast-Eared Girls are cute, but talking to them is nothing but 'Praise my God' or 'You are so beautiful'. When I want to discuss the latest rankings of 'Idol 101,' they just blink their big eyes and ask, 'Your Eminence, what is that? Is it edible?'"

The Goddess of Desire grabbed a pillow and hugged it to her chest, resting her chin on it with a numb, vacant expression.

【༼ꉺ౪ꉺ༽】

"And then there's the food... roasted meat, white bread, and sickly sour fruit wine. The last time I ate something with actual seasoning was two months ago when the Dwarf King offered 'Secret Roasted Rock Lizard' as tribute."

"I took one bite and felt nauseous for three days."

Olexia looked up, her eyes actually turning a bit red, though it was unclear if it was from sleepiness or sheer grievance.

"Your Majesty! After staying in the Netherworld, do you know how hard it is to go from luxury to frugality?"

"I used to have taro mud boba milk tea every afternoon, binge-watch shows with crawfish at night, and order BBQ delivery before bed."

Her voice trembled: "And now?"

"Now, I look at roasted meat and imagine it saying 'Eat me, I'm spicy flavor,' but in reality, it doesn't even have the salt sprinkled evenly."

Shang Wan Ning: "..."

She opened her mouth, but for a moment, she didn't know what to say.

The Goddess of Desire on the screen—where was the elegant and leisurely Older Sister Type from the Mercury Plane?

She was clearly just a modern shut-in girl who had been driven mad in another world.

But the mission had to be completed!!!

[Amen. Better you than me.]

Shang Wan Ning suppressed the irritation in her heart, knowing that conventional methods were no longer useful.

She switched strategies and said coaxingly, "Olexia, what if I send you a batch of supplies right now?"

"I'm not just making empty promises; these are real things you can have immediately."

Olexia brushed the blonde hair from her face and narrowed her emerald eyes, showing a mix of suspicion and longing.

"What supplies?"

"This crappy continent doesn't even have chili. What can Your Majesty send? An upgraded version of dry bread?"

"Hot pot base."

Shang Wan Ning uttered those three words.

Olexia's ears twitched visibly.

"Sichuan-Chongqing beef tallow pot, clear oil pot, tomato pot, mushroom pot..." Shang Wan Ning continued to up the ante. "And the accompanying packets of sesame oil, minced garlic, cilantro, and chopped green onions..."

Olexia sat up straighter, not even caring that her nightgown had slipped down her shoulder.

"Milk tea ingredients," Shang Wan Ning pressed her advantage. "Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea bags, non-dairy creamer, black sugar pearls, coconut jelly, pudding, grass jelly, taro balls..."

Olexia swallowed hard.

"And..." Shang Wan Ning paused before revealing her trump card. "Limited edition snacks from 'Tangxin Zhai' in the Underworld Market: Osmanthus Lava Pastry, Rose Bean Paste Cake, and Matcha Nama Chocolate Lava Cake. I just got three boxes; I'll give you one."

Olexia's breathing became rapid.

Her fingers tightened around the pillow, her knuckles turning slightly white as her final shred of divine restraint fought a fierce battle against her desires.

"...Is, is there anything else?" she asked with a trembling voice, trying her best to remain calm, but her tone betrayed her.

"Yes," Shang Wan Ning smiled.

"My private stash of 'Wangchuan Spring' wine. It was brewed last year and has been aged for a full year. It has a mellow aroma and a long-lasting aftertaste. I'll send you twenty jars."