《This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist》


 Chapter 1: Rebirth

    Rita opened her eyes, staring blankly at the luxurious chandelier on the ceiling. Wasn''t she just being drained of blood by Rick in that dungeon ritual? Instinctively, she tried to channel the energy within her¡ªa reflex honed from a year of running for her life. Her body had developed a habit of finding safety first before assessing any situation.


    But as she attempted a quick, fluid movement to spring up, nothing happened. The reaction from her body told her the harsh truth: she was now just an ordinary person.


    At that moment, she heard voices outside the door¡ªvoices she would never forget, even in her dreams. It was her agent, Amelia.


    Sitting up, Rita scanned her surroundings. A hotel? Beside her was a phone she hadn''t seen in years. Grabbing it, she checked the time: March 12th, 10:00 PM.


    2088!


    Rita''s breath quickened. She had been reborn? Reborn a year before the world would be invaded by the game *Starsea: Rift of the Beasts*?


    A year from now, on this exact day, the entire planet would be overtaken by a game that would link itself to Earth as an anchor. In 2088, this game would descend onto Earth in the form of a video game, linking itself to the planet in a way that went beyond the digital realm. It had only been beta tested three times, each for just seven hours, without any warning.


    Barely anyone knew of its existence, but still, a few hundred people downloaded the game either out of boredom or by chance. During the third beta test, leaked information led to six-figure numbers logging into the game early.


    For some, those who participated in the beta spent the rest of their lives regretting that they had only played for a few minutes. For others, it was a life-changing event, catapulting them from obscurity to greatness. Her dear brother was one of those who soared.


    The first beta test was scheduled for February 22nd at 2:22 AM.


    But Rita had no interest in saving the world or warning others. The alien invasion would be a slow process, with plenty of restrictions. During that time, more people would die at the hands of their fellow humans than from the invaders.


    As she recollected her thoughts, she quickly changed into something more practical. Although four years had passed, she remembered these days vividly. Tomorrow was the day someone''s life would change forever due to a game. Tonight, however, her agent Amelia would get her drunk and send her to the bed of a company executive.


    Back then, she had scared him off with her madness, but it only led to endless scandals, lowly jobs, and minor roles where she was either slapped or dunked in cold water.


    Rita pushed the door open, and there was Amelia holding a bottle, smiling warmly. "Rita? Want a drink?"


    Rita considered killing her right then and there, but her time on the run had taught her patience and how to wear a mask. She smiled back, even warmer than Amelia, "No thanks, my brother''s in trouble, I need to go."


    With that excuse, Amelia knew Rita wasn''t staying tonight. In her mind, Rita was the ultimate doting sister¡ªhalf of her earnings went to her brother, and even if she injured her leg while filming, if her brother called, she''d crawl back home to him.


    Only if Amelia claimed her entire family had died could she possibly convince Rita to stay, but that was too far-fetched, especially since Rita had seen her calling her family just yesterday.


    Handing Rick the glass of liquor, Rita said, "Come on, let''s toast! Soon, I''ll be able to buy you that mansion!"


    Rita knew she wasn''t stupid. She had been fooled by Rick for so many years because he almost always fulfilled her requests. He wasn''t like those brothers who only knew how to exploit their sisters. This brother was a high-level manipulator.


    He waited to eat until Rita was home, complied with her every wish, and even got jealous when she dated. The money she gave him, he saved, then bought her a mansion earlier that year, even putting it in her name.


    A brother like this, how could Rita not fall for his tricks? She didn''t think it was unreasonable¡ªeven if it was, what could she do? It was her own foolishness, her own indulgence.


    But now, with the fog cleared, Rita realized Rick had indeed done everything she asked, but he had also taken every benefit for himself. He wasn''t working alone; Samuel and Scarlett were his partners in crime.


    That mansion that had moved her to tears? It was bought with her own money! Shouldn''t it have been in her name? She bought herself a house with her own money and then immediately turned around and bought Rick an even bigger one...


    Fortunately, she was reborn just in time, still in the early stages of house-hunting, planning to surprise her dear brother.


    Low-level exploitation involves the whole family in the manipulation. High-level exploitation is a coordinated attack¡ªone person hits, another heals, and a third serves tea to help you catch your breath.


    But it''s not too late this time.


    Rick, the good brother, naturally wouldn''t refuse his sister''s request, even if it was 2 AM, even if he knew one drink would knock him out, even if Rita''s reason for drinking was vague. He didn''t even bat an eye, only showing concern, "You should take care of yourself. Money isn''t everything... As long as we''re together as a family..."


    Rita clinked her glass against his.


    With a look of helpless affection, Rick downed the drink in one go, swayed, and collapsed.


    Complete trust.


    Rita''s eyes grew cold as she watched Rick lying on the floor. Hearing sounds from the master bedroom, likely Samuel and Scarlett, she quickly dragged Rick into his room and closed the door.


    She settled on the couch in Rick''s room, phone in hand, keeping a close eye on the time. The game would only last seven hours, and she didn''t plan on leaving tonight. Even though Rick would usually sleep through the night when drunk, she wasn''t taking any chances.


    In her previous life, Rick had been like the protagonist of a power fantasy novel, always getting the best of everything. His god-tier talent was the only SS-ranked ability on the entire planet. Even after marrying into the Lopez family, where the eldest daughter initially treated him like a pretty pet, she eventually became his adoring follower.


    Under Rick''s guidance, she even targeted Rita, ultimately seeking to strip Rita of her god-tier talent.

 Chapter 2: Draw! Draw! Draw, Draw, Draw!

    On the way home, Rita considered waiting until Rick downloaded the game before knocking him out. That way, a year later, when he realized the significance of the game, he''d be devastated. But she quickly dismissed that idea¡ªshe couldn''t afford to take that risk. What if she was two minutes too late and he managed to draw his talent? Then the one who''d be devastated would be her.


    Rita decided to stay in Rick''s room tonight.


    2:22 AM.


    As soon as the clock hit that time, Rita immediately searched for *Starsea: Rift of the Beasts* in the app store. Seeing the red moon icon on the app, she felt a rare sense of calm¡ªthis life would definitely be different.


    Every second counted. She didn''t know how many people would be playing the game tonight or how long those who soared to greatness in her past life had played during the beta. She only knew that every minute was precious now.


    Skipping the opening animation, she went straight to the character creation screen. Whether it was due to the game''s power or something else, the default character looked about 80% like her. That wouldn''t do¡ªshe had things to accomplish in the game. She hit the randomize button until she landed on a face that didn''t resemble hers much, then casually named the character *Idontcare*.


    The game world had a Western fantasy setting, with various races and factions, all of whom, despite their differences, had formed alliances when they invaded Earth. Humans couldn''t transform into other races, but Rita carefully selected her character''s race because each race had unique abilities. She wanted to see if choosing a different race would allow her to steal its racial abilities.


    In her previous life, she had killed many beings from different races, but the ones she dreaded the most were the *Undead*.


    The Undead were one of the few races that had two racial abilities:


    **Undead Will:** Having already died, the more dire your situation, the stronger your willpower. When your health drops below 5%, all your attributes double. When your health drops below 1%, your current attributes double again.


    **Feast:** Consuming flesh can heal your wounds.


    The first ability was practically a comeback miracle. If someone reduced her health to between 1% and 5%, she would double her attributes once. If they reduced her health below 1%, she would double her attributes again, compounding the effect.


    So if you faced an Undead, unless you could quickly finish them off when their health dropped below 6%, you might end up facing an enemy with quadruple their original attributes.


    As for *Feast*, it provided a way to restore health by eating flesh when all other healing skills and potions were on cooldown. In her previous life, Rita had often found herself in a weakened state, waiting for death. If eating flesh could heal her, how much harder would she have been to kill?


    After choosing the *Undead* race, her character''s face became noticeably paler and more gaunt.


    A world with a fully developed combat system invading Earth¡ªnaturally, humanity would be given a chance to survive.


    On the day of the invasion, every human would have the opportunity to draw a divine talent, just like every other being had from the moment they were born. This was the key to humanity''s rapid rise and resistance against the invaders.


    Now that Rita had created her character, she too had a chance to draw a divine talent.


    **[Light Fingers] (Grade A):** You can steal anything¡ªitems, attributes, even talents¡ªbut you can only attempt to steal from each person once, regardless of success or failure. The key to not getting caught is to avoid greed.


    **Skill 1:** *This Looks Familiar:* You have a 10% chance to steal an item from your target; you have a 5% chance to steal 1 point from a random attribute.


    **Skill 2:** *Defy Fate, and I''ll Become the Thief God:* You have a 0.05% chance to steal your target''s talent.


    Rita lingered on *Light Fingers* for a long time... It was so tempting.


    Her hesitation wasn''t due to any moral reservations¡ªafter the game''s invasion, she killed people almost daily, so what was theft compared to that?


    This skill was undeniably attractive, despite the low probabilities. She knew of several items that could increase the chances of success.


    After weighing the pros and cons, Rita ultimately decided against it. This skill was too dangerous, likely to attract other players'' hostility. And besides, this divine talent wouldn''t truly change her life.


    After several more rounds of character deletion and recreation, she finally saw a moon shoot towards her in the starry sky for the first time!


    A voice echoed directly in her mind: *Greedy, restrained, and adept at disguise¡ªyou are worthy to walk among mortals as the Thief God.*


    **[Thief God] (Grade S):** You can steal anything in the world¡ªitems, attributes, talents, even life itself. Only a thief would refuse greed, but the Thief God loves stealing as much as life itself. If someone possesses something you must have, there''s no reason to stop.


    You can use this skill repeatedly on the same person, but from the second attempt onward, each theft will cost you 20% of your health.


    **Skill 1:** *I Want This, This, and This:* You have a 20% chance to steal an item or money from your target, and a 10% chance to steal 1 point from their highest attribute. (You cannot steal from beings with a lower life level than yours. The Thief God never bullies the weak.)


    **Skill 2:** *The Thief God''s Theft, Which Can Also Be Robbery:* Sorry, I stole everything you owned. My apologies. Bet on the Thief God''s name to steal your target''s divine talent. This skill can only be used once in the Thief God''s lifetime. (If the stolen divine talent is higher than S-grade, the theft may fail.)


    **Skill 3:** *Disguise!:* Summon a new identity. You can temporarily alter your appearance, physique, and scent, and no item or skill can see through this disguise. Disguise lasts for one hour, with a cooldown of six hours.


    **Skill 4:** *Huh, Where Did That Go? (Passive):* After a successful theft, the target will temporarily forget they ever owned the stolen item. They will only realize something is missing after one day.


    At that moment, Rita chose the talent without hesitation.


    *Five minutes ago: "Being a thief isn''t so great, is it?"*


    *Five minutes later: "I must have this!!!"*

 Chapter 3: [God of Thieves] (S-Rank)

    All S-Class talents are unique and extremely rare. In her previous life, during the second year of the game''s invasion, various ranking lists were released. On the Top 100 Combatants list, almost 80% of the players had their information exposed through items or talents, while the remaining 20% managed to hide their details somehow.


    Among those nearly 80 people, only two had S-Class talents, both of whom were in the top ten of the list.


    And both were connected to the male lead¡ªone was his brother, the other his second wife.


    It was as if S-Class divine talents were exclusively reserved for the male lead''s team.


    Even if she couldn''t develop herself for the next year, she had to secure this talent! This talent would allow her to rise rapidly and suppress her enemies. More importantly, she had an extremely bold idea regarding the second skill.


    By the time Rita chose the talent and entered the game, it was already 4:00 AM. Ever since she drew the S-Class talent, her heart hadn''t stopped racing.


    Her character spawned in a bustling yet gloomy city, surrounded by pale-faced Undead, suggesting this was the main city of the Undead race.


    **[Character]**: I don''t care (Level 0, 0%)


    **[Divine Talent]**: Thief God (S-Class)


    **[Race]**: Undead (?)


    **[Racial Talents]**: Undead Will | Feast


    **[Health]**: 100/100


    **[Mana]**: 100/100


    **[Strength]**: 5


    **[Constitution]**: 6


    **[Intelligence]**: 10


    **[Agility]**: 11


    **[Luck]**: 8


    **[Charisma]**: 9


    In addition to these basic attributes, there were also more detailed stats like critical hit rate, critical damage, hit rate, cooldown reduction, and other advanced attributes.


    She was penniless at the moment, so her top priority was to figure out how to make money and learn skills.


    Rita entered the alchemy shop and spent 5 gold coins to learn Basic Alchemy. This unlocked eight potions: **[Basic Healing Potion]**, **[Basic Mana Potion]**, **[Water Breathing Potion]**, **[Basic Invisibility Potion]**, **[Basic Strength Potion]**, **[Basic Agility Potion]**, **[Basic Constitution Potion]**, **[Basic Intelligence Potion]**.


    In her previous life, a single alchemy recipe could sell for over 500 gold. Among the Top 100 wealthiest players, apart from guild leaders and those who were already wealthy before the game''s invasion, the richest individuals had only amassed just over 700 gold coins.


    With 13 gold coins left, Rita spent the rest learning every alchemy recipe she could at the basic level.


    After learning 37 alchemy recipes, her account balance dropped to 6 gold coins.


    She then went to the herbalist shop to buy ingredients for **[Basic Healing Potion]**. In a large city like this, the herbs needed for the most basic potions weren''t expensive. A single **[Basic Healing Potion]** sold for 1 silver coin, while the herbs to make it cost 50 copper coins. Rita spent 4 gold coins to buy 400 sets of herbs for Basic Healing Potion and 400 sets for Basic Mana Potion.


    With the remaining money, she bought ingredients for three Basic Invisibility Potions.


    By then, it was already 5:32 AM.


    She was broke again.


    With the game shutting down at 9:22 AM, she had less than four hours left.


    In her past life, she had learned a recipe for a very niche potion. After learning a recipe in the game, it would be ingrained in the player''s mind, as if a master alchemist was playing a video tutorial in their head, guiding them step by step. Players could then follow the instructions just like learning to cook from an online video.


    But now that her character was still in the game, Rita just had to click a button to craft the potion. The progress bar moved quickly, and in less than a second, she could make a bottle.


    Rita sprinted to a cauldron in the corner of the alchemy shop and began crafting.


    6:00 AM.


    Rita had already used up all 800 sets of herbs. Initially, due to low proficiency, she occasionally failed to craft the potions, but as she became more skilled, the failures stopped.


    Now, she had 397 bottles of **[Basic Healing Potion]**, 392 bottles of **[Basic Mana Potion]**, and 3 bottles of **[Basic Invisibility Potion]** in her bag.


    She hadn''t stopped for a moment, only pausing briefly when unfamiliar customers entered the shop, at which point she would steal from them.


    803 successful crafts had leveled up her alchemy skill to Intermediate. She could now upgrade her alchemy skill and learn new recipes.


    But there was a


    problem¡ªshe was broke again and needed to "borrow" some more from the NPCs.


    She could sell the 700+ potions to the alchemy shop owner, but while they sold for 1 silver coin each, the buyback price was only 80 copper coins! Even if she sold everything, she''d only get a little over 6 gold coins, while upgrading her alchemy skill to Intermediate cost 100 gold.


    A drop in the bucket.


    Looks like she had to be a street thief again¡ªor rather, the Thief God.

 Chapter 4: Time is Running Out

    Rita wandered around the Undead capital again, picking up quests wherever she could and using her Thief God talent on every NPC she encountered. She even targeted the patrolling guards and didn''t spare the beggar in the corner¡ªafter all, who knew if he might be a hidden master?


    From 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM, Rita continued this routine. With just over two hours left before the game shut down, she finally stopped. In addition to gaining 1 point of Constitution, she now possessed a Level 40 purple bow.


    She had stolen it from the innkeeper.


    Without hesitation, Rita went straight to the weapons shop and sold it. The shopkeeper clearly recognized the bow, repeatedly emphasizing in the dialogue box how risky it was for him to buy it. But Rita held firm, lowering her price from 3,000 gold down to 1,000, refusing to go any lower. She knew that whoever bought this item would be holding a hot potato.


    After five minutes of back-and-forth, just as Rita was considering lowering her price a bit, the transaction succeeded.


    Rita immediately directed her character back to the alchemy master, spending 100 gold to upgrade her Alchemy skill to Intermediate. She then learned all the recipes available, which cost her another 200 gold.


    Rita then traveled halfway across the city to the goblin district, where she found a goblin engineer barely taller than her knee and learned **[Engineering]**.


    This was a well-considered decision. Whether it was jewelcrafting, leatherworking, or tailoring, these professions all involved crafting equipment, which could be done as long as she had the materials. But her time was precious, and the equipment made at the beginner level had limited practical use. She wouldn''t need it before the game''s invasion, and it would quickly become obsolete afterward.


    Engineering, however, had great utility for her current situation. Even at the beginner level, she could craft firearms, bullets, and explosives.


    More importantly, she knew where to get the blueprint for **[Repair Robot]**, but to learn that, her Engineering skill needed to reach Advanced.


    Rita quickly paid and learned **[Engineering]**, then immediately learned all the recipes she could. She bought materials to craft 10 firearms, 500 bullets, and 100 bags of low-quality explosives.


    Using the goblin''s workbench, she quickly crafted 10 guns, 5,000 bullets, and 100 packs of low-quality explosives, pushing her Engineering skill to Intermediate.


    After upgrading, she again learned all the blueprints available.


    With only about 300 gold left, she returned to the herbalist shop and spent it all on herbs, filling every remaining slot in her inventory.


    By this time, it was 8:45 AM.


    In the real world, Rick was still lying on the floor snoring, and she could hear Samuel and Scarlett talking outside the door. Rita went to the bathroom in Rick''s room, turned on the faucet to create the illusion that he was taking a shower, and then returned to sit by the bed.


    She directed her character to the center of the Undead city, heading toward the ruler''s palace.


    Unlike in peaceful times, the otherworldly races had been waging war and plundering for ages, where strength ruled supreme. Rita didn''t know how many cities the otherworldly races had or how their hierarchies were structured, but she knew that only those with power could become city lords¡ªthere wouldn''t be any incompetent nobles like those found in novels.


    Even in her world, after the game''s invasion reshuffled everything, every city lord was a top-ranked individual on the leaderboard. Even though the elites had greater advantages in concentrating resources to nurture powerful individuals, in the end, strength still dictated who held power.


    City lords might have to listen to influential factions, but the ultimate power always rested with the strongest.


    8:52 AM.


    Rita''s character was stopped by guards outside the luxurious palace.


    A dialogue box popped up, and Rita typed in: "There''s a problem with the anchor point."


    When she was selling the purple weapon earlier, she realized that the game automatically translated her language into the Undead''s language.


    The guards remained unmoved, but the commotion quickly drew the attention of a higher-ranking guard. After Rita typed the same message again, she was brought into the palace.


    The Undead city lord, clad in black armor, sat on the throne at the top of the palace.


    A dialogue box appeared: "You say there''s a problem with the anchor point?"


    9:13 AM.


    **[Strength]**: 5


    **[Constitution]**: 7


    **[Intelligence]**: 10


    **[Agility]**: 12


    **[Luck]**: 8


    **[Charisma]**: 9


    **[Available Attribute Points]**: 0


    The sight of the SS-Class talent made Rita''s eyes instantly well up with tears. Even though it was incomplete, she could see that three of the five skills under the talent were glowing, with only two grayed out. An SS-Class talent! Even if she had only managed to steal one skill, it would have been worth it. Comparing it to her S-Class Thief God talent, not a single skill was useless.


    Looking at Rick, still fast asleep nearby, she could barely contain her laughter.


    She quickly stashed both the backpacks inside her clothes, the coin purse taking up one slot. When she focused her attention, she could sense exactly how many gold coins were in the purse.


    Rita picked up Rick''s phone, unlocked it with his fingerprint, and confirmed that the game wasn''t on his phone. She then moved him onto the bed, tucking him in just like she used to, before leaving the room.


    Downstairs, Samuel and Scarlett were making breakfast. Rita stood by the stairs, listening quietly. Scarlett was complaining about why Samuel had agreed to let Rick buy a villa for Rita and put it in her name. Samuel replied softly, reasoning that they should think long-term¡ªRita could make loads of money, and a villa only cost 30 million. Over the years, Rita had brought home at least 70 million...


    Rita listened silently until they changed the subject, then returned to her room expressionless.


    Only then did she examine her new divine talent.


    But before she could thoroughly inspect the new **[Immortal]** talent, she noticed something odd.


    **Skill 2**: *The Thief God''s Theft, Which Can Also Be Robbery*: Sorry, I stole everything you owned. My apologies. Bet on the Thief God''s name to steal your target''s divine talent. This skill can only be used once in the Thief God''s lifetime.


    The second skill under **[Thief God]** was still active.


    In her previous life, she had used skills and items with cooldowns before. When a skill or item was on cooldown, it would be grayed out and unusable. If a one-time-use item was consumed, it would permanently turn light gray, meaning it was now garbage.


    But why was this skill still active?


    "Only once in a lifetime?"


    Did her character''s death in the game count as the end


    of its life?!


    So...


    So!


    So this meant she could use this godly, overpowered talent again?!!!


    Rita closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to calm down, but she couldn''t. She had never been so grateful for her decision!


    As expected of the S-Class talent, Thief God!


    She walked over to the mini-fridge by her bed, grabbed a bottle of ice water, and downed it in one gulp. Once she was completely calm, she finally opened the new **[Immortal]** divine talent.

 Chapter 5: The Thrush

    **[Immortal] (SS-Class)**


    *You are Death itself.*


    **Skill 1: Wait for Me, I''ll Be Back:** Upon death, your body will randomly appear in an underground coffin and resurrect after seven natural days. This effect can only be triggered once every 365 days.


    **Skill 2: Only the Dead Obey:** You can control any creature that has died by your hand. The duration and number of controlled creatures depend on your mana.


    **Skill 3: Death Mimicry:** Choose a target that you have killed and mimic their divine talent. You can only mimic one target''s talent at a time. Switching targets will cause the previous mimicked talent to disappear.


    **Skill 4: I''m Not Crazy, Just Twisted:** When using dark-side skills or items, all effects are increased by 50%.


    **Skill 5: Return of the Fallen:** When on the battlefield, this skill allows you to resurrect all dead members of your race to continue fighting for you. Cooldown: 90 natural days.


    This talent was practically designed for warfare. Skill 5 alone explained why that Undead could become a city lord and why this divine talent was rated as SS-Class.


    Unfortunately, both Skill 4 and Skill 5 were grayed out, indicating that the theft hadn''t been fully successful.


    But Rita was more than satisfied, especially with Skill 1. Staying alive was paramount¡ªno matter how long the cooldown, it was the skill she was most pleased with. Her life was now remarkably resilient.


    Rita''s mind flashed through the names of her many enemies.


    Her potions, weapons, and gold were all still in her inventory, and she even retained the Undead race''s talents due to a bug exploit. If she still managed to lose with such a powerful start, she would have no one to blame but herself.


    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door in the next room, followed by startled cries.


    After quickly taking a shower, Rita left her room, acting as though she hadn''t noticed the shocked and panicked expressions on Samuel and Scarlett''s faces. She clutched her forehead and said, "I was so happy about a new endorsement yesterday that I came home to have a drink with Rick. I''m off to work now. Could you make him some hangover soup?"


    Without waiting for a response, she left. Before leaving, she tried using her Thief God skill on both of them, only to find it didn''t work. She recalled the skill''s description: "You cannot steal from beings with a lower life level than yours. The Thief God doesn''t bully the weak." Perhaps they weren''t considered players, so their life level was lower than hers?


    Would the same apply to players who were lower level than her?


    Without even eating, she headed to the pet market to buy a thrush, then grabbed a few takeout dishes from a nearby restaurant and returned to the villa she had bought for herself with her own hard-earned money.


    Upon entering, she deleted all the fingerprints and facial recognition data for Samuel, Scarlett, and Rick from the security system.


    After sitting down and opening the takeout boxes, she twisted the thrush''s neck.


    Then she activated her skill **[Only the Dead Obey]**. Almost instantly, she felt a connection form between herself and the dead bird. With a thought, the thrush, whose head had slumped to the side, took to the air. Its head righted itself in an eerie motion, as if an invisible hand were supporting it.


    When she closed her eyes and concentrated, she could "see" everything the thrush saw: the large living room, and a woman sitting cross-legged in front of the sofa.


    She checked the time and commanded the thrush to fly circles around the room.


    After finishing her meal, Rita tidied up the house. She hadn''t stayed in the villa yet, preferring to live with her so-called family when she had time off.


    Then she drove out to buy clothes and toiletries, all while keeping the thrush flying above her car, under her control. Before going to bed, she gave the thrush an order: keep flying and don''t stop.


    The next morning at 7:00 AM, she checked her mana¡ªshe had 20 points left.


    It had taken 80 mana points to keep a dead thrush flying for 12 hours. What if she were controlling a human?


    That day, Rita brushed off Scarlett''s comments about how Rita already had a house and Rick still needed one. She organized her inventory, packing her firearms, bullets, and explosives into three identical large storage boxes. These boxes were stacked in one of her inventory slots.


    If necessary, she could pull out the storage boxes and rummage through them.


    She kept one loaded gun in another slot.


    She didn''t plan to store healing potions and mana potions in the same way. These were items she needed quick access to¡ªevery second could be the difference between life and death. She filled one slot with each until they were maxed out.


    She ordered a traditional Chinese medicine cabinet and, for an extra fee, had it delivered the same day. She labeled each drawer with the names of the herbs and filled them accordingly. The excess healing and mana potions were stored in the bottom row of drawers.


    This left her with five occupied slots out of 30 in her game inventory: **[Basic Healing Potion] x99**, **[Basic Mana Potion] x99**, **[Basic Invisibility Potion] x3**, **[Crude Shotgun] x1**, and **[Storage Box] x3**.

 Chapter 6: Only the Dead Obey

    After activating her **[Disguise!]** skill, Rita used cash to purchase various alchemy tools, weapons such as crossbows, long knives, and stun batons. That day, she also experimented more with the **[Only the Dead Obey]** skill.


    When she commanded the thrush to stay still on the table without moving, it only consumed 2 mana points in 12 hours. However, the dead bird''s body began to emit a faint odor. It seemed that while the skill could keep the deceased in motion, it couldn''t prevent the natural process of decay.


    That evening, Rita drove to a mall near Robinson''s residence. In the restroom, she used **[Disguise!]** from her Thief God talent, changed into a different outfit from her in-game backpack, and stepped out of the stall. Seeing a completely unfamiliar woman in the mirror, Rita couldn''t help but be amazed. The game talents were indeed beyond scientific explanation.


    Not only had her height and facial features changed, but even her hair had become shorter.


    Rita hailed a taxi, and in just seven minutes, she arrived at Robinson''s apartment building. Her thrush had been following Robinson since he left his office, and although she didn''t know why he hadn''t returned to his villa, she didn''t care.


    After paying the driver in cash, Rita exited the car.


    Three minutes later, Rita rang Peter''s doorbell.


    A sultry woman in a sexy nightgown opened the door and gave Rita a once-over. "Who are you looking for?"


    Rita responded formally, "I''m here to see my boss, Robinson. I have some urgent work matters to report."


    The woman nodded, opened the outer door, and let her in, her expression neutral. The sound of running water came from the bedroom, suggesting Robinson was in the shower. Rita asked, "May I wait for him in the study? Just tell him his agent has something important to discuss, and he''ll understand."


    The woman seemed agreeable and led Rita to the study, even pouring her a glass of water.


    Rita stood behind the door, took a stun baton from her inventory, and gripped it tightly in her hand. She felt excitement rather than fear. Sometimes she wondered if she was naturally drawn to danger; after all, in her previous life, she had walked the line between life and death countless times, feeling nothing but a rush rather than pain.


    Soon, the sound of water stopped, followed by the sound of conversation between a man and a woman. A few moments later, footsteps approached the study.


    The door opened, obscuring Rita''s figure. As the familiar figure stepped into the study, Rita shut the door with her left hand and pressed the stun baton against Robinson''s neck with her right.


    A few seconds later, Robinson convulsed and collapsed. Rita turned the stun baton to its highest setting and held it against his chest for five minutes until he stopped moving. She then attempted to use **[Only the Dead Obey]** on Robinson. The next moment, Robinson''s eyes opened, though his gaze was vacant.


    Rita''s mana was draining rapidly, almost a point per minute. She only had 3 points left, but that was enough.


    After running past the dozen interns in the office, Robinson reached a window, checked to make sure no one was below, and then leaped out.


    ...


    Rita held her head as it spun from mana depletion. Although she had plenty of mana potions, she was at home now and could wait for her mana to regenerate naturally. It would take just over three hours to fully recover, as mana regenerated at one point per minute. If she consumed meat, her recovery rate would increase to 5 points per minute, restoring both health and mana.


    The next morning, Rita was awakened by the doorbell. She opened the door to find a security guard and two police officers, a man and a woman. Rita controlled the thrush to fly outside and wait while she feigned surprise and invited the officers in.


    After offering them water, the police asked if she knew about Robinson and Amelia''s relationship.


    Rita bit her lip and remained silent, expressing reluctance.


    At the officers'' repeated insistence, she finally spoke, "I know, and I also know that Amelia was plotting against me."


    She could have pretended not to know, but that wouldn''t explain her recent strange behavior¡ªtaking three days off for the first time, behaving uncharacteristically haughty, and choosing to live alone in her villa rather than with her family. Whether or not the police had investigated her so thoroughly, she acted as if they knew these details.


    The officers were well-trained and didn''t let their expressions slip, but after about ten more minutes of questioning, they prepared to leave. At that point, Rita asked, "May I ask if they''ve been arrested for a crime?"


    The officers gave her a standard reply, telling her to wait for further notice.


    That afternoon, Rita received a call from Samuel. His voice was warm and caring as he asked if she was facing any difficulties and expressed concern for her well-being, suggesting she take a break if she was tired.


    Having played many roles, Rita adopted a tone that was both tearful and determined, saying she was indeed exhausted and needed to rest. She mentioned that her agent and the company seemed to be in trouble, and all her money had been invested, leaving her under great pressure.


    There wasn''t even a pause on the other end of the line. Before the call ended, Samuel had already transferred a million yuan to her account: "Daddy has money. Take it and treat yourself, my sweet girl!"


    After hanging up, Rita stood expressionless by the window, staring at the distant lake.


    Samuel and Rick were like master anglers¡ªthey wanted the big fish, so they offered the best bait. Every now and then, they would let the line out a little, allowing the fish to relax its guard.

 Chapter 7: The Wilson Family’s Treasure Vault

    Why had Rita always trusted Samuel and Scarlett? It all began the year she entered the entertainment industry as an actress. That year, they were involved in a car accident that, while not serious, left them bedridden in the hospital for nearly two weeks. Rita didn''t arrive until the third day, and it was Rick who had stayed by their side, taking care of them.


    She was filled with guilt and remorse, but it was also that day when they gave her their entire savings¡ª5 million yuan.


    "Accidents happen so suddenly," Samuel had said, "and we don''t know how long we have left. It''s better to be clear about things early on. We''re giving you all the money we have, Rita. From now on, you''ll be the backbone of this family."


    "Your brother will get married one day," Scarlett added, in her usual stingy tone but with words that carried a strange warmth. "If the money goes to him, who knows whose side he''ll be on once he has a wife. You might end up being the one who suffers. But if the money stays with you, we can rest easy. If your brother is good, you can give him some; if not, we''ll keep it for ourselves."


    Scarlett''s familiar miserly attitude was still there, but her words were laced with affection. "Don''t blame me for being frugal; look, I''ve saved this money for you! Have I ever lied to you? You''re the best, Rita. I may nag you a lot, but you''re my favorite."


    What a performance.


    Rita had always thought she was being cautious, otherwise, she wouldn''t have only given away half of what she earned over the years.


    She often wondered if she was too cold-hearted, questioning why she held back when her family trusted her so much, giving her everything they had.


    It wasn''t until the third year of the game''s invasion, when she was being hunted by the Lopez family and had nowhere to turn, that she stumbled upon the Wilson family''s secret room while hiding in their home for a day.


    How absurd¡ªshe had thought that buying two floors of a luxury apartment in the city center was impressive. She had no idea that the adjacent unit on the first floor also belonged to the Wilsons, used exclusively to store the family''s treasures. The storage room in that apartment connected directly to the study in their home, serving as a hidden vault.


    Inside, there were 300 kilograms of gold bars, thirteen boxes of valuable antiques, paintings, and artifacts, and seven boxes of jewelry.


    It turned out that the Wilson family didn''t have much cash. Samuel was merely a distant relative of the Wilson family in B City, with no right to participate in the family''s business. On the surface, he was just an ordinary professor, but the real wealth of the family lay in the treasures his father had inherited when the Wilson family divided their assets.


    Those 300 kilograms of gold alone were worth over 70 million yuan...not to mention the priceless antiques and art.


    Yet they had told her that 5 million was all they had, claiming they trusted her with everything.


    Rita clutched her aching chest and reminded herself not to rush, not to blame herself, that she wasn''t stupid¡ªthey were just too clever.


    But the more she tried to rationalize it, the more the tears flowed.


    He wanted her talent, so she had to die.


    The stains on her reputation were just there to make the male lead look "pure and innocent."


    But now it seemed like Rick genuinely believed that she considered him her property. Who was the real psycho here?


    Rita suppressed her disgust and played along with Scarlett, saying a few supportive words but never mentioning the villa purchase.


    However, she couldn''t help but ask, "Mateo is rich, right? Will his family approve of ours?"


    Rita was genuinely curious, no acting required. She couldn''t understand it, even after dying once. Mateo was a well-known rich second-generation in the industry, and the Lopez family''s assets were in the billions. Could they really accept Rick as a brother-in-law?


    Scarlett''s expression stiffened, and her voice lowered. "That''s why, you see, you already have a house. Couldn''t you buy one for your brother too? Just for show at the wedding. We can transfer it back to you afterward."


    In her previous life, they didn''t need to ask her directly. Rita stifled a laugh, pretending to be helpless as she spread her hands. "I''m out of money. A friend told me about a great investment opportunity, and I put all my money into it. We celebrated with drinks the other night because of that. If it pays off, I''ll buy as many villas as you want, but right now, I''m really broke."


    Scarlett was easily manipulated by Samuel, but she was also easy to deceive. After Rita''s explanation, the anger on her face subsided. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she remained silent and looked to Samuel.


    Rita knew this was Samuel''s cue to step in.


    But Rita didn''t want to hear it. She quickly suggested, "Why don''t we sell this house? That should be enough for a down payment."


    Everyone fell silent. Rita sighed and lamented her uselessness, mentioned that her current movie hadn''t finished filming, and that her agent was in trouble, throwing out a few useless phrases before retreating to her room with a look of career frustration.


    As she passed the study, she walked in and discreetly placed the thrush''s skeleton in a corner. The bird''s flesh had already been stripped away, leaving only the small, delicate bones.


    After hiding the thrush, she grabbed a random book and exited the study, only to find Samuel standing outside. He smiled warmly, but Rita knew he was guarding the study''s secret from her.


    Rita returned to her room as if nothing had happened. She then began doing bodyweight exercises on the carpet, keeping a close eye on the thrush''s movements. She hadn''t allocated her upgraded five attribute points yet because certain attributes could be increased through training in the early stages.


    After an hour of exercise, she took a shower and started jotting down all the secrets and information she remembered from her previous life.

 Chapter 8: Clearing Out the Wilson Family Vault

    Rita sat cross-legged, meditating against the bedroom door, waiting until 3 a.m. before hearing movement outside. She immediately connected to the thrush''s vision.


    After a few moments, she saw Samuel appear at the entrance of the study. He first rotated a specific spot on one of the desk legs, then stood on a chair to fumble around the top of the bookshelf. Finally, he removed all the books from the third shelf and tinkered with something in the corner.


    With that, the bookshelf split open, revealing a hidden passage just wide enough for one person to pass through.


    A short while later, Samuel emerged carrying a valuable painting.


    After reversing the process, Samuel carefully returned the books to their original positions.


    Once Samuel had returned to his room, Rita immediately got up. The Wilson home had no security cameras in most places, but she wasn''t sure if there were any in the vault. To be safe, she changed her clothes, put on gloves, and used her disguise skill to transform into Rick before stealthily entering the study.


    Now that she knew the locations and the order of the mechanisms, it didn''t take long to open the secret door.


    Rita swiftly entered the passage, leaving the thrush at the door to keep watch and alert her if anyone approached.


    After walking a few meters, she arrived in another room, which was likely the converted storage room from the adjacent apartment. This room had no door and seemed deliberately sealed off, with only the passage to the study remaining. The room was roughly the same size as the study, filled with wooden crates.


    Rita had seen these crates in her previous life. At the time, she was a fugitive, having been on the run for months, eating and sleeping in the wild. But Samuel and Scarlett had been busy moving their lifetime''s collection of treasures into the living room, preparing to transport them to the new villa Rick had bought them. Their faces had been filled with joy and pride.


    Rita pulled out the large cardboard boxes she had prepared, transferring the contents of the wooden crates into them. Then, with a thought, she stacked the boxes in her inventory, leaving behind only the empty wooden crates.


    After completing the task, she closed the vault, satisfied, and returned to her room. After changing out of her disguise, she finally allowed herself to sleep, feeling at ease for the first time.


    On the 26th, Rita woke up early and went out for a run to stay in shape.


    She had to be present when Zoey arrived today.


    Zoey was also a beta player, and as the male protagonist''s main wife, she certainly wouldn''t be weak.


    Although it was baffling why a wealthy heiress would download an obscure game in the middle of the night without any promotion...


    Rita could only guess that Rick was playing it, and Zoey downloaded it to play with her boyfriend. Or perhaps being the female lead meant she had some special fate?


    During her run, Rita received a call from the company informing her that her role, which she had barely started filming, had been given to someone else. Rita didn''t mind. She had more important things to focus on than the entertainment industry.


    At 11 a.m., Rick arrived with Zoey.


    There were no security cameras in the stairwell, but modern security doors had built-in surveillance.


    Rita retrieved a **[Basic Invisibility Potion]** from her backpack and drank it. This potion granted five minutes of invisibility with a seven-minute cooldown. She had to be mindful of the time.


    After drinking the potion, not only did her body become invisible, but everything she was carrying also vanished. She walked over, pulled out an invisible key, and unlocked the Wilson family''s front door.


    The door opened slightly as if blown by the wind, then quietly closed behind her.


    Keeping track of time, Rita headed to the study, leaving the door open behind her.


    Samuel was sitting behind the desk, while Scarlett and the others were seated on the sofas, all wearing relaxed smiles.


    Moving silently, Rita approached Zoey''s side. The moment Rick reached out to put his arm around Zoey''s shoulders, she began stealing relentlessly!


    She stole four times in a row until her face turned pale, her health dropping to 20%. She downed a **[Basic Healing Potion]**, bringing her health back to 80%, and continued!


    Three more consecutive steals!


    Success! Rita checked and felt a surge of joy¡ªanother point of Luck!


    Could this be what they meant by "the more you steal, the luckier you get"?


    Rita kept counting the seconds in her head. With two minutes left before the invisibility wore off, she quietly exited the room and made her way to Rick''s bedroom. She pulled down the bedspread and hid under the bed.


    Her personal attribute panel now showed a Luck stat of 10, with the words "Max Value" next to it.


    Shortly after she lay down, the invisibility wore off. She munched on some dried meat to quickly restore her health while waiting for the **[Basic Healing Potion]** cooldown to end. The meat allowed her to regenerate 5 health points per minute.


    Five minutes later, when the potion cooldown ended, her health had already recovered to 45%.


    Rita didn''t rush to drink the potion, continuing to eat the dried meat instead. She could afford to steal recklessly at low levels, but as she leveled up and her health reached several thousand, each additional theft would cost her a percentage of her health.


    **[Basic Healing Potions]** only restored 60 health points; in the future, she would need to use mid-level, high-level, or even super potions, making the cost of each additional theft extremely high.


    Just as her health reached 96%, the bedroom door opened, and voices followed.


    It was Zoey and Rick.

 Chapter 9: The Chávez Set

    Of course, she thought, what couple wouldn''t have their private chat in the bedroom?


    Rick and Zoey took their sweet time settling down on the bed, legs touching, as Rita lay beneath it, her mind clear and focused. Time to steal!


    She executed four consecutive thefts, dropping her health to 16%.


    On the bed, the couple''s faces turned slightly yellowish, while under the bed, Rita''s face had turned ghostly pale, as if she''d been dead for three days.


    She downed a healing potion in small sips, fearing the noise might be too loud, restoring her health to 76%.


    She kept munching on her dried meat.


    Another three attempts.


    Rita could barely keep from grinning. She knew it¡ªshe must have used up all her luck when she rolled for her divine talent in the game. She had to steal hundreds of times in the game to succeed a few times. But today? She hadn''t stolen that many times and had already snagged 2 points of Luck! And now, she''d stolen an item too.


    **[Cha?vez Set: Mask (1/3)] (A-Class):** Upon use, this mask disguises your character panel information. As long as the mask remains in your inventory, it will remain effective. If the mask is removed, the disguise fails. (Cannot be detected by items below A-Class. Note: Each additional piece of the Cha?vez set increases the concealment level by 1.)


    Seeing this item brought Rita immense joy, even more than when she had stolen Luck.


    Items and equipment were different. Items had all sorts of effects¡ªsome worked simply by being in your inventory, others needed to be equipped, and some required unusual conditions to activate. But they didn''t take up equipment slots, and some could even stack with equipment.


    After the initial excitement, a wave of caution washed over her. This was a set item. If there was a mask that could disguise her character panel, was there also something like Cha?vez''s Eye or glasses that could reveal it?


    Rita calmed her breathing, waiting for the cooldown on her healing potion to finish.


    Thankfully, it was broad daylight, and the couple only exchanged kisses without doing anything more. Otherwise, she might have dug through the floor.


    Maybe a person''s luck is constant throughout the day.


    After stealing 2 points of Luck and obtaining an A-Class item, Rita spent an hour lying under the bed, replenishing her health with potions and dried meat, stealing whenever her health was full again.


    In that moment, she truly understood what it meant to "love stealing as much as life itself."


    Finally, she managed to steal 1 point of Charisma.


    Rita wasn''t disappointed. Charisma and Luck were attributes that couldn''t be boosted with attribute points. The rarer, the better.


    She continued stealing until the couple finally left the room. Not long after, the whole family went out, probably for dinner. She didn''t know if they''d tried calling her, but she had turned off her phone and stashed it in her game inventory¡ªshe''d just act like she was unaware.


    When Rita crawled out from under the bed, pale-faced and disheveled, she reckoned she could scare Scarlett to death if her heart wasn''t strong enough.


    Her health was down to 16%, and she was reluctant to use another potion.


    She had spent the entire day stealing from Zoey, consuming more than twenty basic healing potions and finishing off the 20 pounds of dried meat in her inventory. She felt like her face had grown a size bigger.


    Rita returned to her room and slept until the happy family of three came back. When she awoke and saw that her **[Disguise!]** skill was ready, she first disguised herself as the burly man from earlier, changed clothes, then drank an invisibility potion before leaving her room, heading downstairs and out of the house.


    She left the door slightly ajar to avoid making too much noise, figuring they''d notice it eventually.


    After walking down the stairs to the second floor, the invisibility potion wore off, but her disguise remained intact. Rita calmly carried her toolbox out of the complex.


    ...


    Before leaving the neighborhood, Rita used the Cha?vez Mask to alter her character panel information.


    Her real data was:


    So, she decided not to make Charisma too low. For now, she disguised her talent as **[Broker]**, an A-Class talent that was good but not alarming.


    If the Thief God talent were ever revealed, she would become the enemy of all players. No one would tolerate someone who could steal their attributes.


    Later, when she obtained a more suitable divine talent through **[Death Mimicry]**, she would modify her panel again.


    She placed the mask deep in one of her storage boxes. This would be her most precious item for a long time.


    ...


    On her way home, Rita kept mentally reviewing whether she had left any loose ends, thinking back to every detail since the day she was reborn on the 22nd.


    The time of her rebirth was so close to the game''s beta test that she hadn''t had time to plan or scheme. Just getting home in time had been difficult enough. What if Rick discovered the significance of the game? Would he resent her?


    Rita didn''t care about Rick''s resentment, but it would affect her ability to continue hiding within the protagonists'' camp. Many opportunities could only be discovered by the main characters. Even if she couldn''t sabotage them outright, she could at least stay close, drink some of the soup, and lull them into a false sense of security.


    In her previous life, during the first two years of the game''s invasion, Rick occasionally took her to secret realms and dungeons fully controlled by the Lopez, Taylor, and White families. She had genuinely obtained many good items through Rick. Even though she now knew the locations of those dungeons, and could use potions and skills to sneak in, many valuable items couldn''t be obtained solo.


    Especially the bosses that required dozens or even hundreds of people to take down...


    She had to think... think about how Samuel and Rick had gained her trust over the years.


    Yes, every time they gained something from her, they would give a little back, like buying her a 30-million-yuan villa with the money she had given the family. Or after discovering the dungeon in the villa she had given Rick, he had taken her there, claiming that the White family had taken control of it and that he had only managed to secure visitation rights, allowing him to take her occasionally.


    Even when the Lopez, Taylor, and White families were hunting her, Rick had risked his life several times to tip her off, helping her avoid minor crises.


    Each time she avoided danger thanks to Rick''s warnings, her trust in him deepened.


    But now, thinking back, she realized that she had come close to death every time she narrowly escaped a minor crisis...


    So what about her? Should she give Rick a little taste, some bait? If she wanted to participate in the Lopez family''s large-scale operations after the game''s invasion, gain their trust, and cause trouble from within, she would need Rick''s help.


    There were still two more beta tests. This was the perfect opportunity to tell Rick the secret, then secretly sabotage him. By only saying a few words, she could earn his maximum trust while ensuring he gained nothing.


    But would this risk Rick turning the tables on her?


    She knew the safest course of action was to kill Rick immediately, but she couldn''t bear it!


    She used to laugh at protagonists in novels who didn''t immediately kill their enemies after being reborn. But now that she was in that position, she understood¡ªone clean cut wasn''t enough. The raging hatred in her heart couldn''t be quenched just by killing Rick!


    Sometimes, a quick death was a mercy to one''s enemies.


    She could leave Amelia to sink in her pit of despair for now, but Rick was different.


    She didn''t want to


    look ahead; she wanted to look down. She wanted to trample Rick beneath her feet, making him see nothing but her soles, watching him suffer until her hatred was satisfied!


    And then there were his three women and those five idiot brothers!


    Rick could die, but she would hunt down each and every one of them!


    More importantly, killing Rick was easy, but she couldn''t fight the Lopez, Taylor, and White families alone. The best way was to infiltrate them and make them tear each other apart.


    But the more she thought about it, the more she realized that letting Rick participate in the beta tests was too risky.


    There had to be a way... Rita closed her eyes, trying to recall every skill, item, piece of equipment, and potion she had ever known.

 Chapter 10: hit a stalemate

    The investigation into Amelia and Robinson''s case hit a stalemate. Although it was determined that Robinson''s cause of death wasn''t due to the stab wound or the fall, many people had seen Robinson escape from Amelia''s grasp, and the blood on her hands, along with her fingerprints on the knife, were undeniable evidence.


    Amelia wasn''t going anywhere anytime soon, especially since Robinson''s wife was adamant about sending her to prison. The situation had escalated quickly, and in just a few days, it was already making waves online.


    With her agent gone and no one to manage her, Rita was free to do as she pleased. The two most troublesome people in the company were out of the picture¡ªone dead, the other under investigation. In her previous life, those two had conspired to create all the negative press about her.


    Other higher-ups in the company had been willing to give her a hand, but Amelia had insisted on terminating her contract, intending to switch agencies. So, they had remained silent and allowed Amelia and Robinson to act.


    Rita planned to coast for the next six months until her contract expired and then quit the industry altogether.


    She had been incredibly busy lately. Yesterday, she spent the entire day thinking about how to gain Rick''s trust while still keeping him under control.


    The first thing she ruled out was altering memories. Even if she changed Rick''s or even Samuel and Scarlett''s memories of the 22nd, the security footage wouldn''t lie. Rick was inherently suspicious and cautious to the bone. If he became suspicious, he would definitely check the footage.


    If the false memories conflicted with the surveillance, not only would Rita fail to gain Rick''s trust, but she would also provide him with solid evidence that she was trying to manipulate him.


    In her previous life, the Lopez, Taylor, and White families all sent people to hunt her down. Surprisingly, the most troublesome wasn''t the Lopez family, even though they had sent the most people. The most difficult to deal with was the person sent by the White family¡ªnot just because of Sanchez''s vicious nature, but because someone in the White family had an incredibly annoying divine talent!


    Even now, thinking about that person made Rita''s head spin, cold sweat breaking out as if she had been doing advanced calculus all day.


    **[Wheel of Fate] (B-Class)**


    **[Skill 1: Another Happy Day]:** Select a target and use the skill to spin their wheel of fate, altering the target''s luck for the day. The modification lasts for six hours, with a cooldown of six hours. (You may choose whether to hide the modified luck value from the target.)


    **[Skill 2: Your Outfit Doesn''t Suit You, I Don''t Like It]:** Select a target and use the skill to spin their wheel of fate, swapping their highest and lowest attribute values. The swap lasts for one hour, with a cooldown of six hours.


    It was only a B-Class talent, but it was incredibly frustrating!


    Or rather, in the absence of any offensive skills, being rated as B-Class wasn''t without reason.


    How could the female lead not be a beta player?


    The world didn''t revolve around Rita, but it certainly revolved around the main characters.


    Not only were the male and female leads beta players, but so were the male lead''s brothers. How else could they be worthy of being his sworn brothers?!


    Fantastic, she thought, she''s the only one who isn''t the protagonist''s sister.


    Are they trying to isolate her?


    Rita''s visit to the White family''s mansion wasn''t just about the Wheel of Fate; she was also after the male lead''s second girlfriend¡ªSanchez.


    The male lead''s three love interests all had S-Class talents. His lawful wife, Zoey, reportedly had a divine talent related to healing, later becoming the strongest support character by collecting and learning various buffs. The second girlfriend, Sanchez, also had an S-Class divine talent, one of the only two S-Class talents publicly revealed in the top 100 rankings.


    **[Water God] (S-Class)**


    **[Skill 1: Wherever There''s Water, There''s Me]:** Transform into water droplets and merge into a water source.


    **[Skill 2: You''re So Watery]:** Increase the effectiveness of all water-related items and skills by 50%.


    **[Skill 3: Vampire]:** Use this skill to have a 20% chance of draining 1% of the target''s health.


    **[Skill 4: I, Water God, Heal (Passive)]:** When transformed into water droplets or submerged in water, your injuries will gradually heal.


    Rita coveted this talent, but she didn''t plan to steal it. If Rick managed to draw an SS-Class talent with only 1 Luck, she would decisively use **[The Thief God''s Theft, Which Can Also Be Robbery]** to steal his SS talent and kill him. If Rick received an ordinary talent, she would save the skill, preventing him from turning the tables.


    And since dying in the game would reset **[The Thief God''s Theft, Which Can Also Be Robbery]**''s cooldown, she could use it twice more in the game as long as she hadn''t used it in real life. She wasn''t about to waste it in the real world.


    She planned to try stealing items from Sanchez. She didn''t believe the female lead wouldn''t have anything good on her.


    Her 50-million-yuan villa was in the same area as the White family''s mansion, not far away. In her previous life, Rick had used the dungeon in that villa to connect with the White family.

 Chapter 11: Bottomless Coffee Cup

    **Chapter 11: Obtaining the Wheel of Fate**


    That night, Rita used her disguise skill to head toward the villa district. She didn''t return to her own villa¡ªthere were too many strange and unpredictable skills, and from the start, she hadn''t planned on leaving any trace that could lead back to her hideout.


    She hid in the woods surrounding the villas before her disguise wore off, leaning against a tree to sleep until 2 AM. When she woke and saw that it was only the 27th, she was momentarily stunned. It felt like so much time had passed, yet it hadn''t even been a week.


    After downing a cup of iced coffee, Rita donned a mask and covered her hair entirely with a swim cap, ensuring that not a single strand would be left behind. She then put on gloves, drank an invisibility potion, and began a 10-kilometer run to the White family estate. She figured she might as well get some exercise while she was at it.


    She had tried using an invisibility potion while inside a car to see if the vehicle would turn invisible too, but the potion''s energy was limited¡ªit couldn''t extend to large objects. She had even tried a bicycle and an electric scooter, but those didn''t work either. Only a skateboard remained invisible, but using that was as good as ringing a bell.


    After running 10 kilometers and hiding in the bushes while waiting for the potion''s cooldown to end, Rita didn''t hesitate to drink another potion. She brewed her own potions for a reason: to use them.


    In the game, she had always been reluctant to use her good items, hoarding them in her inventory until she eventually quit the game. But in reality, she would use every resource at her disposal if it meant reducing her risk of being discovered.


    The White family''s villa could be called a mansion¡ªa sprawling estate that dwarfed Rita''s own 50-million-yuan "small villa," which now seemed like a speck of dust in comparison, akin to a security booth at the entrance of a typical residential complex.


    The towering iron gates were equipped with various monitoring and sensing devices, but after drinking a basic phasing potion that allowed her to become intangible for 15 seconds, Rita passed through the gate and into the White family''s estate.


    She ran for another 10 minutes before reaching the White family''s main house.


    Rita was truly impressed.


    With this level of wealth, was it really necessary to hunt her down for an A-Class talent?


    She first went to the nearby secondary buildings to locate the **[Wheel of Fate]**. The White family''s driver and housekeepers all lived on the estate, ready to serve the family at any moment. But their living conditions were nothing short of luxurious.


    Rita hid in a utility room, waiting for the cooldown on her invisibility potion to end. Once she was ready, she took another dose and continued her mission.


    Using a liberal amount of phasing potions to slip in and out of rooms, Rita quickly located the driver''s bedroom on the second floor of one of the smaller buildings. Standing beside the bed, she used **[I Want This, This, and This]**.


    The attempt succeeded, but the theft failed. Without wasting time, Rita drew a knife from her inventory and slashed the driver''s throat. The young man''s eyes shot open in terror as he stared at the bloodstained fingers that had appeared out of thin air. But no sound escaped him. He clutched a basic healing potion in his hand, which Rita quickly pried from his grasp with the tip of her knife.


    Within moments, the man''s eyes went blank, and he stopped breathing.


    Was this really a set? Or was it a status symbol for the female leads?


    **[Bottomless Coffee Cup] (C-Class):** A cup filled with endless coffee. Each cup holds 500ml and restores a total of 500 mana points. It can be refilled once every 24 hours.


    This was practically an infinite mana potion!


    It was only rated C-Class probably because of the long cooldown.


    But the cooldown didn''t overlap with that of mana potions, making it incredibly valuable. When her mana potions were on cooldown, she could rely on the coffee to restore her mana.


    The coin pouch didn''t hold much¡ªonly three gold coins.


    But it was better than nothing.


    As for the three attribute points, they all went to **[Agility]**.


    In her previous life, Sanchez had chosen the assassin''s path due to her ability to merge with water. On rainy days, she was like the god of death, taking lives with every step, no one able to predict which raindrop she would emerge from. She was known as the God of Assassins.


    Her voice carried significant weight within Rick''s team.


    Sanchez wasn''t quite right in the head. She had actually believed Rick''s words, thinking Rita harbored a twisted love for her brother. She had even tried to use her talent to replace Rita or Zoey just to be with Rick.


    How could she have believed such nonsense?!


    Sanchez had issued the bounty on Rita, not only demanding her capture alive but offering separate rewards for each of her limbs¡ªpractically suggesting that as long as Rita''s limbs were severed and she was kept alive, she could be sold off piecemeal!


    Rita forced down her hatred and continued stealing until 7 AM.


    She managed to snag another 3 points of Agility and 2 points of Strength before finally stopping.


    Her Agility was now a staggering 18, and her Strength had increased to 7.


    In total, she had gained 8 attribute points from Sanchez alone¡ªalmost as much as if she had leveled up twice.

 Chapter 12: A Bit of Interest

    After restoring her health to full, Rita used her disguise skill to transform into Zoey''s appearance. She didn''t expect this low-level deception to be particularly effective, but it was better than using her own face.


    She donned a baseball cap over her swim cap, took out a hatchet, and drank a basic invisibility potion.


    Cautiously emerging from beneath the bed, she approached the bedside.


    She had intended to decapitate Sanchez, but seeing the black metal collar around Sanchez''s neck stopped her. This collar was something Sanchez had worn in her past life. Given Sanchez''s abilities, it was unlikely she couldn''t acquire a necklace-type item. This collar must be an item, and a high-grade one at that. How had she missed it?


    Even if it wasn''t a collar, with her current 7 points in Strength, Rita couldn''t guarantee a single blow would sever this high-quality metal collar along with Sanchez''s neck.


    Without hesitation, she aimed for Sanchez''s right arm. Leaping high, she brought down all her strength with the hatchet.


    So, the God of Assassins, huh?!


    The hatchet swiftly severed Sanchez''s right forearm, all in less than a second.


    Blood sprayed onto Rita''s face, revealing her disguised Zoey eyes, locking with Sanchez''s terrified and vengeful gaze.


    In almost an instant, Sanchez used her skill to merge with the blood on the bed, leaving only an arm behind.


    Rita had abandoned her initial plan to decapitate Sanchez after realizing how difficult it was to kill her. With abilities like merging into water and healing over time, Sanchez was nearly invincible. Even if Rita had struck Sanchez''s heart or knocked her out first, Sanchez would have had several seconds to escape.


    It seemed that divine talents of S-rank were not to be underestimated.


    Leaving behind an arm, specifically the right forearm, was still a benefit.


    Once the body data was processed, though severe injuries could heal with health restoration, missing body parts couldn''t be recreated from thin air. With an arm or leg severed, unless the parts were recovered and reattached, the character would remain disabled.


    With Sanchez''s lost arm, Rita considered it merely an interest.


    She stored the severed limb in her game inventory. Before anyone outside noticed her presence, she used **[Cha?vez''s Eyes]** to change her character panel information. While the basic invisibility potion was cooling down, she used a mid-tier invisibility potion. Both potions had different cooldown times, and the parts of her that had become visible due to blood were once again concealed.


    After consuming a phasing potion, she walked through walls to exit the room.


    Through **[Cha?vez''s Eyes]**, she could see all the information of everyone in the mansion.


    There were no players, not even Sanchez''s brothers were players at this time.


    They probably first entered the game during the second beta test with Sanchez''s help.


    Rita escaped the estate before her invisibility potion wore off.


    With her Agility at 18, she ran faster than the quickest sprinter. Even before her invisibility potion ran out, she had exited the villa district, not returning to her own villa but heading straight to a nearby lake. Maintaining her Zoey disguise, she washed off the blood at the lake, burned her clothes by the shore, and then scooped up the ashes along with the dirt into the lake.


    Post-game invasion, some objects on Earth had a chance of mutation. She even heard a starch factory''s equipment had mutated into an S-Class item capable of producing starch sausages that increased strength by +2 for five minutes after consumption.


    She wasn''t interested in such trivial items. Though she didn''t plan to reveal the game invasion to everyone, she wouldn''t touch items clearly intended for battlefield use by the authorities.


    What she wanted was a cat bed from a pet hospital. This cat bed had been there since the pet hospital opened, where all the stray cats that passed by could rest. The doctors regularly cleaned it, and after the game invasion, it triggered a mutation chance, becoming an S-Class item.


    **[Meow Meow Inn] (S-Class):** When placed at the doorstep, it has a chance to attract stray animals. If the animals stay and are treated with sincerity, they will leave behind one of their favorite recent collections as a gift.


    Even though it was vaguely described as "a recent favorite collection," being an S-Class item meant the collection wasn''t ordinary rubbish like mice or stones.


    In her previous life, this pet hospital quickly rose to fame because of this cat bed. However, the pet hospital had many people, and the bed''s existence was no secret. It was soon discovered, and within a night, the hospital and all its animals were wiped out.


    This was why she had come early to take the cat bed.


    She truly had a good conscience.


    Rita patted herself on the back: despite her stealing and lurking under beds, she was still a good person.


    Alright, she admitted that even if the pet hospital hadn''t been wiped out because of this cat bed, she was still determined to take it.


    She wanted it, and she would get it.


    She hadn''t come back to be a moral paragon.


    The cat bed was outside the pet hospital, left out in all weather conditions except for strong winds and rain. Even if the hospital was closed at night, the old gray cat bed remained outside.


    After dark, using her disguise skill, Rita set up two luxurious cat tents, one on each side of the pet hospital''s entrance. She then tucked the cat bed under her arm, returned to her rented car, and tossed the cat bed into the passenger seat. She then moved ten boxes of premium cat food to the hospital''s entrance and placed a sign saying, "Free food for all stray animals."


    She opened ten cans on-site and placed them in a line at the hospital''s entrance.


    The next day, she disguised herself as someone else and went to the hospital to donate two million dollars.


    It was a classic case of strong-arming.


    As she left the hospital, she could hear staff lamenting the disappearance of the cat bed, noting how they had become attached to it.


    Rita feared this outcome. Even if she could wait to take the cat bed after the game invasion, some things, once they became emotional attachments, were prone to binding.


    Once bound, such items could only be used by the one they were bound to. Even killing the person would not unbind them.


    With the cat bed in her possession, she purchased materials for making bandages and ingredients for cooking recipes, then returned to her small villa. She planned to spend the next week leveling up **[First Aid] (Beginner)** and **[Cooking] (Beginner)** to intermediate levels, preparing for the second beta test on June 6.


    On the morning she returned to Los Angeles, Zoey showed up again at the Wilson family estate

 Chapter 13: Let Little Rick Celebrate Childrens Day Early

    After completing her setup, Rita finally focused on leveling up her professional skills until her current alchemy and engineering experience were maxed out.


    The cat bed was placed in the front yard of her villa. Every day, she left a portion of low-oil, low-salt meat next to the cat bed, intending to build a bond with it starting today.


    By early April, Zoey and Rick''s engagement was officially set. The two families had a meal together, and as Rick''s sister, Rita naturally attended, maintaining politeness and a smile throughout.


    The Lopez family''s manners were neither particularly good nor bad¡ªbasic politeness was present, but respect was lacking.


    Originally, it was just a son-in-law. Frankly, Zoey was interested in Rick''s genetic material. The child could be a bit dim-witted, but not ugly. Various prenuptial agreements were being signed, and the Lopez family was huge. Even if the Lopez elders and their three children were all dead, Rick, as a son-in-law, would never control the Lopez family.


    Rita had attended a similar meal in her previous life, where the Lopez family was cold, and she felt sorry for Rick. This time, she focused on eating and smiling. After the Lopez family left, only Zoey stayed behind. Rita wanted to leave but was held back by Rick.


    Rick looked at Rita with concern and tentatively asked, "Sis, are you unhappy about my marriage?"


    Seeing Zoey''s unusual expression, Rita wanted to ask Rick if he thought he was making himself look more attractive by making Zoey feel insecure. Why was he so petty?


    She looked at Rick with a surprised expression and said, "Of course not! I''m happy for you."


    Rick, with an expression of disbelief, said, "Then why have you been..."


    Rita sighed, "I''m genuinely happy for you and Zoey. It''s just that the company is having some issues, and I might be out of a job."


    Rick was still skeptical, but Rita opened her bank app and showed him the thirty million in her account: "See this number? Doesn''t it make you anxious?"


    Rick''s smile faltered. He wanted to accuse her of being dramatic, but Rita''s sincerity was too apparent.


    Zoey, however, believed it. This amount of money was just a month''s worth of pocket money for her, so it was indeed concerning. Her doubts were entirely dispelled.


    Rick noticed Zoey''s reaction. He realized that he couldn''t elicit Zoey''s sympathy today. There would be other opportunities. Smiling, he pulled out his phone and started transferring money to Rita: "Sister, it''s okay. I''ll support you."


    Just as Rita was about to smile, Zoey interrupted, pressing Rick''s hand down. She took out her own phone, asked for Rita''s bank account details, and transferred twenty million: "This is from Rick and me, a little pocket money for you."


    Rita immediately withdrew her smile towards Rick and smiled at Zoey: "I have pictures of Rick from when he was little on my phone. I''ll send them all to you later. Don''t worry, I''ll delete them from my side after sending them. You''ll be the only one with them in the whole world!"


    Zoey''s smile became even more sincere.


    "Don''t worry, the price remains the same."


    "Why did he offend you?" The sharpshooter asked respectfully.


    "Make it quick! Otherwise, I won''t pay the balance. Remember to take away and destroy the severed parts."


    Half an hour later, Rita received a call from Scarlett, who was hysterical and asked her to come to the hospital quickly, saying her brother had had an accident.


    Rita, her face expressionless under her mask, spoke with feigned concern and panic: "What happened?! What happened? Hello? Mom?"


    Samuel took the call, his voice exhausted, and gave her an address.


    Rita was genuinely surprised; it was another escapee''s black clinic from her past life!


    By the time she arrived at the clinic, Rick had already been out of the operating room for a while.


    In the dim, narrow ward, Samuel sat by the bed smoking, while Scarlett continued to cry. When she saw Rita, she started to scold her but couldn''t come up with a reason to blame Rita for the injury, given the absurdity of the situation.


    After a long, fruitless attempt to find words, she managed to say: "Why are you only arriving now?"


    Then she resumed crying by the bed.


    Rita, with a somber yet pained expression, showed disbelief and reluctance, putting her acting skills to the test: "This is impossible! Did he offend someone?"


    Samuel, lost in thought, had nearly burned his fingers on the cigarette without taking a puff.


    Scarlett shook her head between sobs: "He''s so well-behaved, how could he offend anyone!"


    Rita: "Can he be reattached?"


    Scarlett: "The person had a gun. How much hatred could there be? Initially, he missed. The person then fired seven more shots! Later, they used a knife. It''s truly heartless!


    An animal..."


    Rita: Nice! Fifty kilograms of gold well spent!!!

 Chapter 14: Early Childrens Day for Little Rick

    Little Rick has lost half his arm!


    But it''s okay. Even a short one is cute.


    Rita raised her voice slightly: "How could people like us offend someone with a gun?!"


    Her words startled both Samuel and Scarlett. Even the dazed Rick frowned, as if waking from a dream.


    Scarlett was stunned for a moment, then her eyes widened in realization. She turned to Samuel and whispered, "Is it the Lopez family?"


    Samuel shook his head, finally taking a drag from his cigarette. "Hard to say."


    Seeing that Rick was already waking up, Rita said, "Let''s discuss this outside so we don''t disturb Rick."


    Samuel and Scarlett stood up and followed Rita out of the ward. As they closed the door, Rita noticed that Rick''s hand was clenched into a fist.


    Once they were outside the ward, Rita asked, "Do we have any enemies in the Wilson family?"


    Samuel frowned. "Why do you ask?"


    Rita replied, "I just feel like this kind of harm seems aimed at the entire Wilson family, as if trying to wipe us out... Of course, as long as we''re still around, there''s still hope, right? What did the doctor say?"


    "There''s still a chance," Samuel sighed, his tone weary. "I''ll look into this. You should stay safe and preferably return to the Wilson house for now."


    He sounded like a caring father, but Rita suspected he was hoping that if anyone came looking for revenge, she would be there to take the hits. She didn''t agree, "My brother is still going to marry into the Lopez family, right?" This old fox had immediately sent Rick to a black clinic, clearly trying to keep it hidden.


    "It would be too suspicious if I returned home now, it might raise Zoey''s suspicion."


    This reason was convincing. Samuel quickly gave up on persuading her to return home.


    After staying for a while, Rita used the excuse of going home to cook soup and left.


    She knew Rick was awake, but she didn''t want to continue acting. She feared she might end up laughing during her act, so she hurried away.


    Indeed, Samuel and Rick were alike. When something happened, their first reaction was to hide it, not to consider the terrible consequences if Zoey found out about the marriage. They preferred to avoid trouble rather than face it.


    In her previous life, Rita had always questioned if Samuel was really her biological father. She had even done a paternity test after her rebirth, confirming he was indeed her biological father. Samuel and Rick both had a tendency to view women as unreliable, no matter how polite they appeared. They were dismissive of women.


    She wanted Rick to live in pain and fear every second!


    Marrying into the Lopez family? Even if he''s no longer a complete man, he still dares to marry Zoey. Ha!


    She was eager to see what Rick could do next.


    She wasn''t worried about making enemies with the Lopez family. She had already reduced the protagonist''s luck to 1. Even as an ordinary person, Rick managed to evade seven shots fired by one of the top ten assassins in the underground city. In the end, only a partial amputation succeeded.


    The Lopez family dared to harm the protagonist? They would soon face bankruptcy.


    Wait, was she even more impressive in her previous life? With luck at 1, she had been pursued for seven days by numerous people before being captured...


    Could it be that she was the ultimate heroine?


    Rita hummed a tune as she returned to her villa. There were high-level spells for healing severed limbs in the game, which Zoey used to become famous in the third year of the game invasion, being the only one on Blue Star who knew them.


    No matter, Rita had ways to ensure Zoey would never encounter these spells in her lifetime.


    And Rick had a lot more to endure in the next two years.


    It wouldn''t be as simple as buying a fake to fool Zoey.


    After dealing with Little Rick, Rita began her preparations for the second game beta test.


    Now that she had a backpack, she wanted to see if items from the real world could be brought into the game and sold for gold.


    Even if a $10,000 item could only be sold for 1 gold in the game, it was still profit!


    Money quickly became worthless after the game invasion. Even if she converted it to gold, it was better than worthless paper. Though gold and gold coins are fundamentally different, with the latter containing a hint of magic that cannot be faked, some traders among the races, especially goblins, would accept gold.


    Goblins are only interested in money and are indifferent to life and death. They will do any kind of business, even exchanging gold for gold coins. One gold coin is worth less than 100 grams. In goblin merchants, 300 grams of gold can be exchanged for one gold coin.


    They claimed that running a business on Blue Star was costly, citing various additional fees such as battlefield subsidies, travel expenses for Blue Star business trips, potential funeral costs, and the costs of producing gold coins.


    With the gold price currently around $500 per gram, fluctuating slightly, it would take $150,000 to buy a gold coin, though this was before the currency collapse.


    When goblin merchants appeared, the currency had already collapsed. Everyone traded using game currency. Not only was gold no longer used to buy gold, but since goblins also accepted gold for coins, gold had basically become worthless.


    But all this was post-game invasion. Rita was now preparing to convert all her money into gold.

 Chapter 15: The Son-in-Law’s Engagement

    After sorting through the antiques, jewelry, and artworks she had collected from the Wilson estate, Rita picked out three items that she had seen Rick handle in her previous life¡ªthese three were likely to have mutated into equipment or items. The rest she stored in her backpack and set off for Vancouver.


    In Vancouver, with its mixed crowd and where no one knew her, the influence of the Lopez, White, and Taylor families was irrelevant.


    Upon arrival, she immediately dumped her items into an underground auction house. The commission was high, but it specialized in selling illicit goods. Buyers typically kept such items hidden rather than flaunting them.


    Because there were so many items, she had to wait for authentication and auction, and she needed to find someone to exchange them for gold. Handling large amounts of gold was extremely troublesome. She had to be cautious of potential traps and those looking to capture her. Sometimes, she had to deal with the situation by using firearms and explosives she made with her engineering skills.


    They really came in handy!


    Rita left Los Angeles in mid-April and stayed busy until late May. She sold all the antiques and jewelry, then returned to Los Angeles with over 3,200 pounds of gold and 800 million Hong Kong dollars in her Vancouver account.


    During this period, she wore the Cha?vez Eye, but she didn''t encounter any players.


    Over 3,200 pounds of gold could be exchanged for over 5,000 gold coins, even at the goblin merchants'' inflated rates. If all went well, not only would she not worry about learning professional recipes, but she could also buy skill books in the game auction house.


    The game has no fixed classes, so regardless of race or origin, players don''t have specific skills. Instead, players are roughly categorized by their main attributes, such as healing, agility, magic, melee, and ranged. The core of every player''s skills revolves around their divine talents. All skills are designed to complement these divine talents.


    Of course, there are also free-form styles where players learn any skill they come across, and some of them work out surprisingly well.


    Rita hadn''t touched her 50 million yet. She intended to first see how much gold she could get from the gold before deciding on the use of the remaining money.


    During this time, Samuel and Scarlett were frantically searching for her. Rita told them she was traveling in Italy, which left them speechless. She didn''t understand why they were so eager to contact her. Was it really necessary for the step-son''s family to interfere with the engagement?


    In the days leading up to June 1st, Rita bought various items, from large appliances to small groceries and beverages. When she dragged a cart full of packages back to her villa, the security guard asked if the apocalypse was approaching.


    Rita could only say she had just moved in, and the house was empty. She sent the guard away.


    In the post-game invasion world, daily necessities were abundant and more varied than ever, so stocking up was unnecessary.


    On the day of Zoey and Rick''s official engagement, her game backpack was only half full.


    Rita applied a modest makeup and wore a well-fitting but low-key blue casual suit. When she arrived at the hotel, she clearly saw the satisfaction in Zoey''s eyes.


    Competition between women!!


    How naive do you have to be to think the protagonist''s older sister would be fond of you?


    With her agility at 18, Rita couldn''t have missed it, and Zoey had clearly tested her reaction. Rita gave a normal reaction as a regular person might.


    The minor incident, however, stirred unpleasant memories for Rita.


    Rick was getting engaged on June 1st. She vowed to castrate him before June, so Little Rick could have a Children''s Day without his father.


    After dealing with Zoey, Rita went to her agency, announcing her intent to retire. The senior staff were incredulous, but Rita, sticking to her principle of avoiding trouble, stated she could issue a resignation statement immediately.


    Friends who have committed murder know that those who have killed and those who haven''t are mentally different.


    Ordinary people resolve disputes with: "Maybe it''s better to let it go."


    Those who have killed think: "Maybe it''s better to kill."


    Rita was incredibly busy. The second game beta test was on June 6, and she needed to max out her proficiency in Alchemy and Engineering before then, and also level up Cooking, Fishing, and First Aid to intermediate level, ensuring she could learn intermediate skills in the second beta test.


    She didn''t want Rick to have an incident at the Wilson house. If the little brat immediately suspected the women at home after an incident, it would be easy to expose her.


    However, considering Rick''s situation, he was probably still training his skills and wasn''t yet qualified to join the Lopez family.


    A son-in-law with half his member removed¡ªhe and Zoey didn''t even know who was calling whom ''wife.''


    Rita only thought of a method as she left the estate.


    Thanks to years of fleeing, she knew many escape friends. She hired several young men and women to act as Rick''s illegitimate fan club, asking why he hadn''t informed them of his marriage and creating as much chaos as possible.


    She killed a small sparrow and used the "Only the Dead Obey" skill to make it fly to the Wilson estate and keep watch.


    By April 2nd, the operatives hadn''t even made it to Plan B. Rick moved to a nearby hotel on the evening of April 4th.


    That same night, using an anonymous phone card she bought in Vancouver, Rita called a contact she met when buying gold there, providing Rick''s phone number, WeChat, and email. She instructed the contact to send Rick constant inappropriate messages for the next month and to add him as a friend to ask about "H" activities, then listed his phone number on a gay website.


    From that day on, Rick''s phone became a nuisance.


    The second beta test was set for June 6 at 6:06 AM.


    At 3 AM on June 6, Rita arrived outside the hotel using her disguise skill. She turned into a narrow alley, drank a medium invisibility potion in a blind spot of the surveillance, and entered the hotel, climbing the stairs all the way to the 27th floor where Rick''s room was located.

 Chapter 16: The Second Beta Test

    Rita never asked the Wilson family about Rick''s whereabouts. She tracked down this information with her little sparrows. Before Rick entered the hotel, one of these sparrows had snuck into his hoodie and followed him into his room, now hiding in a potted plant inside the room.


    Concerned that the sparrow might spread a decaying smell, Rita had replaced it with a new one each day.


    Drinking an invisibility potion, Rita successfully entered Rick''s hotel room. Even though she was multitasking, she needed to personally ensure that Rick did not enter the game before she could be at ease.


    Inside the hotel room, Rick lay on the bed with a furrowed brow, occasionally shifting. It was unclear whether he was asleep or not.


    In the corner of the room lay a phone, its screen cracked, likely from being thrown against the wall.


    Rita went over to inspect it. She couldn''t discern the brand, but it was likely a high-end phone Zoey had given him. Surprisingly, the screen wasn''t shattered.


    Once Rick joined the Lopez family, he''d probably enjoy the benefits of a top-tier phone and special services, never receiving spam messages again.


    She watched Rick, and when he turned his back to her again, Rita used her toes to nudge the phone into her backpack and then used her invisibility potion to move to the neighboring room¡ªone booked in advance by a Vancouver contact using his ID.


    Rita took out the phone, still in invisibility, and wasn''t worried about any high-tech features recording her appearance. She inspected the phone, noticing a small dent in the top left corner, likely from hitting the wall. She aligned the dent with the wall and then struck it forcefully.


    The phone cracked with a snap, the screen displaying the date while half of it turned into a green and purple distorted mess.


    Rita put the phone back in the backpack and returned to Rick''s room. The damaged phone was still in the same place, and Rick remained facing away from the door. Rita placed the broken phone back exactly where it had been and quietly left.


    She had imagined dozens of scenarios before arriving, but the simplest one occurred. She had even considered what to do if Rick, instead of becoming agitated by the messages, actually got excited and started practicing his skills or playing a game at 6 AM.


    She had prepared for the worst-case scenario of having to knock Rick out.


    At 6 AM, Rita returned to Rick''s room. The broken phone was still on the floor, and Rick was still lying with his head covered, seemingly asleep. Rita used "Wheel of Fate" to set his luck to 1, then went back to the neighboring room to prepare for the second beta test.


    [Goldsmithing] (A-Class) (Goblin Exclusive): Infuses gold with magic to create a unique gold coin (Proficiency: 0/10000)


    - Trait 1: Each coin forged automatically deducts 20g of gold as tax paid to the Goblin Merchant Association.


    - Trait 2: Money can buy anything, but to maintain market stability, each goblin can only produce 3 coins per day for personal use.


    Rita immediately took out a 500g gold bar from her backpack. The crafting option showed (4/4). She selected to craft all, and soon, golden light emanated between her character''s hands. The progress bar completed in seconds. Her backpack now contained 3 gold coins, and the 500g gold bar was reduced to 140g.


    Proficiency increased by 3 points.


    This meant Rita could now forge gold coins herself. After making 10,000 gold coins, she could learn Advanced Goldsmithing if she acquired the blueprint or found another goblin willing to teach her.


    Although she could only make 3 coins per day, this amount was substantial. Even though she could steal dozens of coins and acquire 100 gold from the Undead City Lord, in the real world, despite extensive gameplay, earning even a single gold coin was arduous.


    Rita didn''t delay further. She pushed her chaotic thoughts aside and took out several large storage boxes from her backpack. She asked the goblin if they would buy them. The goblin assessed the boxes, dismissing the electronics and toys as trash, offering only 2 silver coins per box. However, for the two large storage boxes of alcohol, he offered 12 gold coins.


    Rita sold all 55 boxes of alcohol, exchanging them for 330 gold coins. The trash was sold for less than 1 gold coin.


    Next, she asked how many gold coins she could get for 10 pounds of gold. She needed more coins to learn skills.


    The goblin offered a rate of 200g of gold per 1 gold coin.


    After 5 minutes of haggling, she managed to get a rate of 180g per 1 gold coin. She knew there was still room for negotiation, but with only half an hour left of her disguise, she quickly handed over all her gold¡ª3,216 pounds from Vancouver and the gold from the Wilson estate¡ªtotaling 3,240 pounds. She received 6,000 gold coins in exchange.


    This amount of gold was almost equivalent to the total reserves of a small to medium-sized guild in her previous life.


    Rita then went to the nearby goblin engineering master, upgraded her engineering skill to advanced, and learned over a hundred new recipes. She did the same for alchemy at the alchemy store, upgrading to advanced and learning over a hundred new recipes.


    When it came to academics, Rita was hesitant; in gaming, she was aggressive and eager for knowledge!

 Chapter 17: She Must Get This Skill

    After memorizing the ingredients for advanced invisibility potions, Rita headed straight to the nearby herb shop and bought six slots'' worth of herbs. She would have liked to buy more, but the game''s rigid inventory system prevented her from stacking items or saving space by combining different things in storage boxes. She had to leave some slots free for the auction house.


    Rita was racing against the clock.


    Her disguise time was down to just 23 minutes.


    She rushed to the auction house, and while passing a restaurant, she quickly upgraded her cooking skill to intermediate, learning over a hundred new recipes.


    At this point, she had 4,286 gold left.


    Standing in front of the auction house, she entered a keyword: "Cha?vez."


    Nothing.


    Without wasting any time, she tried another keyword: "Bag."


    She spent 800 gold to buy two 36-slot bags, which were the largest capacity bags she could find.


    As soon as she paid, a game notification popped up in her mailbox about the new bags. She clicked to retrieve them, and they appeared in her inventory. While quickly reorganizing her items into the new bags, she continued her shopping spree.


    The Thief God''s talent meant she could choose any profession¡ªstrength, agility, or magic-based¡ªbut there wasn''t enough time to be picky. Naturally, she had to go with skills she was already familiar with.


    Then, she spotted a skill that captivated her attention: **[Phantom Shift]!**


    **[Phantom Shift] (SS-class):** After use, you can teleport to any place you have previously visited. The teleportation distance depends on the caster''s intelligence stat. (No cooldown time, casting time 0.1 seconds, each use consumes 1% of mana.)


    10,000 gold! And it was the only skill book of its kind in the entire auction house...


    This skill book¡ªthis skill¡ªstruck Rita right in the heart.


    No cooldown and an extremely short casting time.


    This meant the skill was almost impossible to interrupt, and as long as she had mana, she could use it as many times as she wanted.


    Her obsession with "no one in the world can catch me" was almost ingrained in her bones.


    She immediately abandoned all her original stockpiling plans. She **had** to get this skill!


    In her previous life, she had never even heard of this skill. Even Rick''s group, with all their power and resources, had to obediently rely on transportation to get around in dungeons.


    Fine, if that''s how you want to play it.


    Without hesitation, Rita cast **[Sleep Spell]** on Rick. This skill was originally prepared for him. She was about to leave the hotel for a long time and couldn''t keep an eye on Rick.


    As Rick collapsed to the floor, Rita walked over and poured the sleeping potion down his throat. After making sure he swallowed it all, she left the hotel. **[Phantom Cloak]** consumed 10 mana per minute, but by chewing on meat jerky, Rita reduced the mana drain to just 5 points per minute.


    This way, she could stay invisible for 20 minutes before running out of mana, but a single basic mana potion could restore 60 points.


    With the combination of **[Phantom Cloak]** and invisibility potions, she could now stay invisible for extended periods, without needing to hide while waiting for potions to cool down.


    Rita immediately dashed toward the Lopez family''s estate.


    Where was there a lot of gold? Other than banks, it had to be in the Lopez family''s vault!


    All the secrets that couldn''t be exposed and the valuable assets that needed protection were stored there.


    Rita knew this because the evil ritual that could strip someone of their divine blessing was in that vault.


    It was now 7:13 AM.


    With the cooldown reduction necklace equipped, **[Disguise]**''s cooldown was reduced to five hours and six minutes, meaning she could use the skill again at 12:12 PM.


    The second beta test would end at 13:06.


    She had only four hours.


    At 12:12, whether or not she had acquired gold from the Lopez family, Rita would find a safe place to re-enter the game, reapply her disguise, and return to the city. While she was willing to adjust her plans for **[Phantom Shift]**, she wasn''t about to become fixated on it.


    Originally, she had planned to stock up on items and then head into the wild to level up. Now, she would just swap that time with running the Lopez family dungeon.


    Running all the way to the Lopez estate was impossible; it was a two-hour drive from the city center. Last time, she barely survived running from the White family estate to the city.


    She called the gunman who had failed to shoot Rick, asking him to find a fast driver willing to make some extra cash and have him pick up a double-door refrigerator in the alley next to the XX Hotel and deliver it to the suburban villa district. If they made it in an hour and a half, she would pay 50,000; for every minute earlier, she would add 10,000.


    Although the gunman charged 50 pounds of gold per job, he knew plenty of brothers with principles and boundaries¡ªguys who didn''t want to get involved in bloody work but didn''t mind bending the law. After Rita repeatedly assured him that there was no body inside the fridge, he immediately took the job.


    Ten minutes later, a black pickup truck pulled up at the alley. Two men got out, scouted around, and quickly found the fridge their employer mentioned. Together, they loaded it onto the truck and sped off.


    At 8:45, the fridge was dropped off in the woods outside the villa district.


    Rita, who had hitched a ride with the fridge, stowed it back in her inventory. Following her usual routine, she put on a swim cap to ensure no hair would fall, donned a mask and gloves, and then reactivated **[Phantom Cloak]** before sprinting toward the Lopez estate.

 Chapter 18: Desperate for Money

    Rita smoothly infiltrated the Lopez estate, relying on her phasing potion to navigate through the mansion. Following the memories of her past life, she found the entrance to the vault in the study of the main building. From there, she descended into the depths, passing through various high-tech security systems along the way.


    She was mentally prepared for the possibility that heat sensors might detect her and was ready to make a dash for it, grab whatever she could, and escape. But fortunately, magic was her answer¡ªonly magic could defeat magic.


    She felt like she had descended several meters, passing through three doors, before alarms suddenly blared around her as she reached the last door. Looking down at the tiles beneath her feet, she clicked her tongue, instantly realizing there must be pressure sensors installed.


    Without hesitating, Rita drank another phasing potion, passed through the ornate, ancient door, and entered the vault.


    The vault was as vast as the mansion above, with sections dedicated to books, jewelry, antiques, and gold.


    Rita sprinted through the vault until she was nearly blinded by a room filled with golden bricks neatly stacked inside a small glass enclosure. Each gold brick was slightly smaller than a smartphone but about half a finger thick. Having handled so much gold recently, Rita quickly estimated that each brick weighed about 10 pounds.


    Whoever said wealthy families lacked liquid assets clearly didn''t consider the possibility that they hoarded gold instead of cash!


    She quickly entered the enclosure and began stuffing the gold bricks into her spatial backpack.


    Thankfully, she had bought new bags, leaving her with 44 empty slots out of 72.


    In other words, if she filled them all, she could carry 44 stacks of 99, totaling 4,356 gold bricks.


    She could have packed even more by taking the time to place the bricks into storage boxes, but there wasn''t enough time.


    Soon, she heard movement outside¡ªthe sound of doors opening, guns being loaded, and footsteps getting closer. Rita practically threw herself onto the pile of gold bricks, frantically loading them into her bag.


    Just as the large group of guards stormed in, Rita abruptly stopped, leaving 20 slots still empty. Without hesitation, she left the room full of gold, downed another phasing potion, and sprinted out.


    Rita was greedy, but she knew when to stop.


    As she reached the final door, the guards¡ªfollowing the orders of the Lopez family head¡ªbegan firing into the gold storage room. They didn''t care if they damaged the gold or the decorations inside.


    Sparks of electricity danced across the floor outside the door, making Rita stop dead in her tracks. She quickly pulled out ten packets of homemade explosives, lit a few, and threw them down the hallway ahead of her. Then, she took cover behind the door. Five seconds later, a series of explosions rocked the corridor, leaving nothing but blackened debris.


    She continued her escape.


    While the phasing potion only lasted 15 seconds per use, it had a short cooldown of just 30 seconds. Fortunately, the Lopez family seemed to trust technology more than their guards. The initial group that stormed the basement was likely their most trusted men, with no significant reinforcements following.


    Rita didn''t flee the estate immediately but instead headed for Zoey''s room.


    Upon entering, she found Mateo, Theodore, and Zoey sitting in the bedroom playing a game. Despite the chaos below, they remained unfazed, either trusting the Lopez family head''s ability or too engrossed in this life-changing game to care.


    Without hesitation, Rita cast **[Sleep Spell]** three times.


    Thud. Thud. Thud.


    One by one, all three collapsed.


    *Idontcare:* "You don''t have even 60,000 gold?!"


    *Goblin:* "...Do you?"


    Rita: *Are you being sarcastic?*


    *Idontcare:* "Then how much do you have, my friend?"


    *Goblin:* "20,000."


    *Idontcare:* "Don''t you have any friends?"


    The goblin went silent again.


    *Say something, darling!!!*


    After a long pause, the goblin finally responded: *"I''m not trading anymore."*


    *Idontcare:* "I''m your most loyal friend!!!"


    *Goblin:* "That''s disgusting."


    *Idontcare:* "Let''s start with 20,000 gold then."


    *Goblin:* "Fine, my disgusting friend."


    Rita swallowed her frustration.


    She then sought out the goblin engineer to exchange more gold, but he ignored her.


    *Idontcare:* "Teacher?"


    The goblin was focused on hammering a copper pipe.


    *Idontcare* moved closer: "Teacher?"


    It wasn''t until the third time she called him that the dialogue box finally popped up with a response.


    The little goblin on the screen exploded in rage: *"I have no money!!! I have no money!!! Asking, asking, asking, didn''t you see I was ignoring you? I''ve spent all my money on research! If you really consider me your teacher, give me more tuition! If you don''t have any, go find that bastard Bill!"*


    Rita: *"... Sorry to bother you."*


    Ten minutes into the game, Rita, cursing under her breath, took her 20,000 gold and rushed to the auction house.


    Her first move was to spend 10,000 gold to buy the SS-class skill **[Phantom Shift].**


    Then, she went on a shopping spree.

 Chapter 19: Frenzied Shopping

    **[Animagus]** (A+ Rank): Allows the user to transform into any animal they have petted within the past 7 days. Cannot be detected by skills or items below A Rank. The transformation is interrupted if the user takes any damage. While transformed, the user cannot use skills other than their divine gift. No cooldown. Each use consumes 50 mana points.


    It had some limitations, but it was incredibly practical. The last restriction, *"cannot use skills other than divine gifts,"* was perfect for her. This skill was practically made for her!


    3,000 gold¡ªbought!


    **[Shadow Control]** (A+ Rank): 2,500 gold! This skill allows the user to control their shadow freely. The shadow can use all of the user''s skills, but with only 20% of the original attributes. A perfect skill for stealth attacks! Bought!


    **[Fountain of Light]** (A+ Rank): Creates a well that lasts for 3 minutes, and the water it produces restores health. Each milliliter of water restores 1 health point. The skill has a 30-minute cooldown and consumes 1% of the user''s mana per use.


    A life-saving skill, and not just for herself. With this skill, she wouldn''t be easily abandoned in team battles. Even the main characters wouldn''t dare make a move against her lightly.


    3,000 gold¡ªbought!


    **[Ice Flower Seal]** (C Rank): Creates a snowflake that flies toward the target, freezing them within 3 seconds of contact. The freeze effect is influenced by the user''s intelligence. (2-second cast time, 30-second cooldown, consumes 50 mana points per use.)


    An ice-based control skill that could be countered by fire spells, but that was to be expected. Most skills had countermeasures. For only 103 gold, it was worth it¡ªbought!


    **[Magic Missile]** (C Rank): Guides a magic missile toward the target. No cast time, no cooldown, consumes 10 mana points per second.


    A quick-cast spell with no cooldown? 97 gold¡ªbought!


    **[Gourmet''s Bib]** (B Rank): When wearing this item while eating, all beneficial effects from food are doubled.


    A useful item that could be relied on for a lifetime. 700 gold¡ªbought!


    **[Persey''s Cat Toy]** (F Rank): Has no special effects, but cats go crazy for it and will be attracted to it.


    Perfect to pair with her **Meow Meow Inn**. Plus, it was cheap¡ªonly 17 gold¡ªbought!


    **[Compass]** (E Rank): Helps locate unclaimed treasures within 1 kilometer and guides the user to them.


    The range was a bit short, but for 80 gold, it was worth it¡ªbought!


    **12:47 PM**


    Rita stood a short distance from the Undead Palace, watching it. Ever since she had stolen the Undead Lord''s divine gift, the guards outside the palace had multiplied by the hundreds. The undead soldiers practically encircled the palace, hand in hand.


    But it didn''t matter. Rita, still in her goblin disguise, walked to the teleportation array in the Undead City and used her last 5 gold coins to teleport to one of the elf capitals¡ªBlood Moon City.


    **12:57 PM**


    Standing in front of the elven capital, Rita approached the captain of the elven guards, who was armed with an ornate bow, and claimed that her anchor point had malfunctioned and she needed to see the city lord. The guard captain immediately drew his bow and aimed it at her.


    In that moment, Rita''s mind went blank. Almost reflexively, as the guard''s name turned red, she used **[The Thief God''s Theft, Which Can Also Be Robbery]**.


    *"In the name of the Thief God, you attempt to steal the divine gift of Blood Moon City''s Guard Captain Elfala."*


    *"Theft successful."*


    *"You have died."*


    The screen went black.


    Moments later, it lit up again, showing a ghostly goblin standing in a graveyard.


    In the upper right corner were two options: she could either search for her body to revive with a weakness debuff or wait for an automatic resurrection. The resurrection timer showed 47 hours, 57 minutes, and 36 seconds.


    Rita didn''t move, simply waiting until the time reached **1:06 PM**.


    The phone turned into black smoke, leaving two bags on the ground.


    She looked at her hands¡ªgood, she hadn''t turned into a ghost. Even though she knew beta testers couldn''t die permanently, seeing her in-game character become a ghost had given her a moment of panic.


    After calming down, the first thing Rita did was modify her character''s panel, hiding the new divine gift she had obtained. Then she tucked the bags into her inner coat pockets, drank an invisibility potion, and let the skills she had learned surface in her mind. Spells, gestures, and the techniques for channeling her magic were all etched into her memory.


    She could sense a small area centered around herself, but most of it was shrouded in a fog, with only a portion clearly visible¡ªlike a crooked line on a running app showing the day''s route.


    If she wanted, she could instantly teleport to any location within that area. It was clear these were places she had visited before.

 Chapter 20: Don’t Get Too Cocky

    Rita focused and sensed several distinctive landmarks, estimating that her maximum teleportation range was 10 kilometers. Her intelligence stat was currently at 10, and since all magic-based skills were influenced by intelligence, she figured that as her intelligence increased, so would her teleportation distance. But no worries¡ªshe could simply cast the spell multiple times if needed.


    She opened her eyes and raised her hand¡ª*Phantom Shift*!


    Rita appeared in Rick''s hotel room, where he was still hunched over, his head buried in his suitcase. To be cautious, Rita attempted to use her theft skill on Rick.


    ¡ª*Skill cannot be used!*


    Rita sighed in relief and used *Phantom Shift* again to leave. She needed to pull off one more devious act; otherwise, it would feel like she hadn''t fully taken advantage of this scumbag.


    Still in her Phantom Cloak, Rita appeared outside the Aids Control Center, waiting for someone to arrive while checking her character panel. Upon seeing that *The Thief God''s Theft, Which Can Also Be Robbery* was still available, she finally relaxed. Unfortunately, she couldn''t keep abusing the skill in the game by stealing, dying, and stealing again.


    Beneath her **Immortal** divine gift, a new divine gift had appeared.


    **[Divine Gift] Master Archer (A)**


    You were born to shoot; all ranged weapons feel like an extension of your arm. The moment you pick them up, you can slay gods. A true master archer doesn''t need to try¡ªthey''re just naturally strong.


    **Skill 1**: *You''re Too Weak (Passive)*: In combat, you can instinctively detect an enemy''s weak points.


    **Skill 2**: *Guaranteed Critical! (Passive)*: The number 7 has magical properties. Any shot connected to the number 7 will result in a critical hit.


    **Skill 3**: *I''m Getting Serious (Passive)*: If you aim at an enemy for more than 3 seconds, the shot is guaranteed to hit, even if blocked. The projectile will persist until it either lands or is destroyed.


    **Skill 4**: *Now I''m Scary Strong*: Activate this mode, and each arrow/bolt/bullet you fire will randomly be imbued with ice, fire, or lightning magic. Consumes 10 mana per second. After activation, this skill enters a 5-minute cooldown once deactivated.


    Rita gasped. It really was a gift that required no effort to be strong¡ªthree out of four skills were passive. Not a single one was wasted. Skill 1 would enhance her combat abilities, regardless of whether she used a bow. Skill 2 meant that every seventh shot would be a guaranteed critical hit¡ªa game-changer in battle. Skill 3?


    Homing missiles, basically. And Skill 4 was a burst skill that made her even more formidable.


    Rita carefully inserted the needle into Rick''s hand, injecting the tainted blood slowly. Three injections later, she felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Her mind was at peace once more!


    Just for good measure, she tried to steal something again¡ª*Skill cannot be used*.


    Rick was still an ordinary person.


    Even better.


    "Don''t get too cocky, Rick!"


    Satisfied, Rita returned to her villa. After destroying the syringe, she considered how to dispose of the severed arm and ear in her inventory. She had planned to feed them to some monsters in the game, but she hadn''t had a chance since she''d been so busy. Neither a crematorium nor a pig farm seemed suitable¡ªshe didn''t want to involve innocent people.


    In the end, she decided to burn them somewhere remote.


    No time to waste¡ªshe was still under disguise.


    Using *Phantom Shift*, Rita teleported to a beach she had visited during a previous film shoot. At this hour, the beach was deserted; it wasn''t the right time for any late-night escapades. She placed the severed arm and ear on the ground, removed the ear stud from the ear, and buried them along with ten packs of explosives. Then she lit the fuse and *Phantom Shifted* a hundred meters away.


    After the explosion, Rita returned to the blast site. She gathered up the remaining meat chunks and bones, piled them up, and blew them up again.


    Finally, she scooped the ashes and debris into a metal bucket, walked to the shore, and dumped everything into the sea.


    Relieved, she thought, *Killing someone only feels good for a moment, but revenge feels good every day.*


    Playing with the ear stud by the sea, she felt utterly content. The ear stud was a token that could trigger a chain of quests, and completing them would grant the top-tier healing magic that could cure any ailment and restore 70% of health with a single use. She had even searched for that top-tier healing spell in the auction house but hadn''t found it.


    After reducing part of her enemies to ashes, Rita returned home to sleep. She was about to drift off when she realized, *Damn, why didn''t I just use Magic Missile?!*


    She had completely forgotten she was a mage now!

 Chapter 21: Acting Until Your Heart Breaks

    Rita had a big performance coming up in a few days. But before that, she needed to take care of some loose ends. First, she went to the hospital to have a tooth extracted, making room to install the **Magician''s Fake Tooth**. The moment the fake tooth touched her numbed gum, it settled in perfectly.


    The second thing on her list was dealing with the secret room in the Wilson family''s study. She hadn''t expected Samuel to be so useless¡ªhe still hadn''t noticed anything was wrong! If she revealed that she was a player in the second beta test, even a pig would know who moved the valuables out of the house.


    On June 8th, Rita had no choice but to make another trip to Vancouver. Using photos of the antiques and jewelry she had sold before, she had some high-quality fakes made, along with 300 pounds of fake gold bars. With the help of her game backpack and *Phantom Shift*, she transported everything back to Samuel''s study.


    There weren''t any major expenses coming up for the family, and in her previous life, when she returned from her escape, the old couple was still busy moving those treasures. Although Rick constantly asked her for money in her past life, that was because he had become a beta tester and needed large sums of money.


    But this time around, he was just an ordinary 9cm warrior¡ªwhat money could he possibly need?


    After a round trip, everything was back in place by the 10th.


    That day, Rita gathered Samuel, Scarlett, and Rick at Rick''s hotel. She even considered inviting Zoey, but with one ear missing, Zoey wasn''t in the mood to deal with her. Fine, it didn''t matter if the heroine wasn''t there. If she couldn''t gain the heroine''s trust, she could at least create a rift in the relationship between the male and female leads.


    Rick sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes downcast, wearing an expression that said, "Even though I''m in a bad mood, I''ll cooperate with whatever my sister wants."


    Once everyone was settled, Rita made sure the hotel room door was securely closed before rejoining them. Lowering her voice mysteriously, she said, "I think I''ve found a way to heal Rick."


    In an instant, the two people who had been maintaining a veneer of patience but were secretly growing impatient, along with the one who was openly frustrated, all widened their eyes and looked at her.


    Before anyone could respond, Rita continued, "I was going to invite Zoey today as well, to see if she could investigate this. With the Lopez family''s influence, they must know more than us ordinary people."


    After calming himself, Rick asked, "What skill did you get?"


    "It''s not exactly a skill," Rita explained. "It''s a talent I drew. It can make people either lucky or unlucky by altering their luck. I can only use it once a day." She smiled. "Want to try? I can set your luck to 10, which is the highest."


    Rita had already decided to disguise her **Divine Gift** as the **Wheel of Fate** from now on. This ability was too useful¡ªit could modify someone''s luck, and she could choose whether or not to let them know. It was the ultimate tool for causing trouble, hiding the bad and showing the good¡ªperfect for mischief.


    Rick was conflicted. This talent sounded useful but wasn''t overwhelmingly powerful, something that would create a vast gulf between people. However, he couldn''t help but feel a pang of regret that it wasn''t a healing ability. But his complex emotions quickly passed, and the jealousy faded, leaving only genuine gratitude. He was truly touched that Rita would share such a significant secret with them.


    Even though Rita had always kept something for herself, never giving them all her money, this moment began to dissolve those past grievances. Rick decided that he wouldn''t let Zoey pressure her anymore¡ªhe''d find another way to make Zoey feel insecure.


    Samuel''s feelings were also mixed. Why hadn''t his son encountered such a fortuitous event? But then his heart warmed. He knew the son he had raised. If Rick had stumbled upon such luck, he might have shared a sip of the benefits, but he would never have revealed everything.


    Scarlett felt the same. She regretted that it wasn''t her son who had the fortune, but she was also deeply touched, her heart warming at Rita''s foolishness in telling her family everything.


    Rita opened the lunchboxes and invited everyone to eat while they chatted. Then, with a slightly embarrassed smile, she put the pouch away, indicating that she wasn''t going to share more.


    This time, unlike before, Rita''s reluctance didn''t bother them. In the past, even though Rita often gave the family money, Samuel and Rick thought it was never enough, given the family''s wealth. Her reluctance to share more had made them feel she was ungrateful and holding back. But now, after she shared such a significant secret, they didn''t see her as withholding¡ªjust frugal, as usual.


    Rita couldn''t read minds, so she couldn''t tell what these two cunning old foxes were thinking, but she continued with her plan, always on guard. In her past life, both Samuel and Scarlett had only become players after the official game invasion, and their talents were mediocre. She was determined that if either of them hit the talent lottery this time, she would eliminate them immediately.

 Chapter 22: Whether It’s True or Not, It Probably Is

    During dinner, before Rita even needed to speak, Samuel and Scarlett were already urging Rick to approach Zoey and try to gather information.


    Rita cautioned, "But be careful not to alarm her. If she''s already a player, asking her outright might make her think you''re suspicious or testing her, and that could damage your relationship."


    Rick nodded repeatedly, showing he understood.


    Samuel then asked more about the game, and Rita shared what she could. She explained that money was hard to earn in the game. Despite playing for two hours, she had only managed to earn 2 silver coins and a shabby little pouch.


    The healing potion she had given Rick was something she bought just before planning to venture outside the city to fight monsters, but the game had ended before she could even buy a weapon.


    Rick said in a serious tone, "This game is likely to reappear. We just don''t know the pattern yet."


    Rita shook her head, "There''s nothing about it online. I only stumbled upon it because I was feeling nostalgic and wanted to search for our old high school game, World of Warcraft. This game had a similar name, so I decided to try it out. But there were no ads, and no one online is talking about it."


    Samuel commented, "That''s how it should be. Who wouldn''t keep something like this under wraps, only telling close family at most?"


    Scarlett added, "Should we stock up on anything? I feel like things might get chaotic soon."


    The family discussed it for a long time before finally dispersing. Rita noticed that Samuel and Rick seemed to be treating her better, more genuinely. In the past, while they were affectionate, she always felt it was a bit forced. But now, this affection felt more like they were truly seeing her as one of their own.


    A few days later, the family gathered at the hotel again, this time with news from Rick: Zoey''s ear had been cut off.


    Before Rita could even speak, Scarlett said, "Then that incident, could it have been done by an enemy of the Lopez family? Maybe they couldn''t get to her and took their anger out on you instead!"


    Rick''s expression showed that he was thinking the same thing, but he didn''t want to be the one to voice such an accusation.


    Rita advised, "Whether it''s true or not, it''s better for you to stay with the Lopez family. It''s safer there than out on your own."


    Whether or not the Lopez family was to blame, you should just assume they weren''t, right? she thought. But deep down, Rick was uncomfortable. He felt certain that it was the Lopez family''s trouble that had spilled over onto him, but he also worried¡ªif it really was the Lopez family''s enemy, did Zoey know what had happened to him?


    Due to her experience at the Lopez estate, she used **Phantom Shift** to materialize directly under Sanchez''s bed during her visit there... only to find herself beside the bed instead. Looking down, she saw that Sanchez had changed beds¡ªthe old one had been sealed off.


    Luckily, the White estate hadn''t yet adopted the revealing mist. After stealing from Sanchez, she took a quick tour of Sanchez''s closet, mapping it out so she could **Phantom Shift** directly there next time.


    Rita persisted in her daily visits to the Lopez and White estates. After a month, she finally succeeded twice, stealing 1 point of intelligence from Zoey and 1 point of strength from Sanchez.


    Rita''s current stats were:


    - **Strength**: 7 + 1


    - **Constitution**: 7


    - **Intelligence**: 10 + 1


    - **Agility**: 18


    - **Luck**: 10 (Maxed)


    - **Charm**: 10 (Maxed)


    However, her biggest concern was her professional skills.


    She knew about many items and equipment that had mutated after the game''s invasion, but priorities had to be set. Those items weren''t going anywhere. Her most pressing task now was to focus on her **Alchemy** and **Engineering** skills.


    These days, Rita stayed holed up in her villa, following an extremely regular schedule. In the morning, she worked on alchemy, in the afternoon on engineering, and used meal times to level up her cooking skills. She also made a point to prepare some meat for the cats near the **Meow Meow Hostel**.


    Since she started using the cat toy, nearly every night, a cat would spend the night in the cat hostel outside her villa.


    At night, she practiced archery on the second floor of her villa, reading **Alchemy Notes** or **Engineering Notes** before bed. On weekends, she went to the lake in her villa community to practice fishing. After the game''s invasion, many fish species had mutated, and only those with high enough fishing levels could catch the better-quality fish.


    Unfortunately, her alchemy skill soon hit a bottleneck at Advanced (77/100,000). After reaching Advanced level, the required herbs were impossible to find in the real world. She had used up all the materials she had brought from the game.

 Chapter 23: Silly But Cute (Maybe?)

    In the game, making potions was as simple as waiting for a progress bar to complete, but in reality, Rita had to follow every step from the mental tutorial videos to the letter. Sometimes, brewing an advanced potion could take over an hour. She had to carefully process the ingredients, control the temperature, know when to stir, and when to add the next herb...


    Even though she believed she was replicating every step perfectly, the result often showed as a failed brew. Occasionally, though, even a failure would give her 1 or 2 experience points.


    She hadn''t studied this hard even before her college entrance exams.


    The situation was the same with engineering. The difference between advanced and beginner or intermediate levels was like night and day.


    Beginner and intermediate levels were like Western medicine¡ªeverything was clear-cut. Once you learned the necessary knowledge, the correct answer was the correct answer. Once a diagnosis was made, even the most esteemed doctors couldn''t change it.


    Advanced levels, on the other hand, were more like traditional Chinese medicine¡ªeach practitioner might have a different approach, sometimes completely contradictory, yet all could still be effective. The connections between ingredients were often unclear, and sometimes the video tutorials would change.


    One time the teacher would add 20 grams of spirit grass powder, the next time 18 grams, and then switch to another herb entirely because she had accidentally added a bit too much of something else. But it didn''t matter¡ªthe results were still the same.


    At first, Rita wanted to curse the lack of precision and professionalism. "What nonsense!" she thought. But later, she became so engrossed in the alchemy videos that she would sometimes forget to practice engineering altogether.


    She felt like the undead tutor in the videos was like a maestro conducting an orchestra, skillfully balancing the properties of various ingredients, unbound by rigid formulas. Sometimes, minor mistakes would lead to unexpected surprises.


    By July, Rita completely stopped trying to brew advanced potions. She decided to relearn and remake all the beginner and intermediate recipes.


    She couldn''t help but recall an interview she once saw where a player solemnly said, "The professional skills you learn during beta testing are the real treasure. I can craft blue and even purple gear, not because of any special talent, but because of the sewing knowledge I learned from a non-human teacher. Yes, he will always be my teacher.


    Even if we meet on the battlefield and fight to the death, even if you all call me a traitor, I''ll still say that non-human was my teacher."


    However, on July 1st, Zoey suddenly announced that she wanted to treat the entire Wilson family to a meal. When the eldest daughter invited you, it wasn''t really an invitation¡ªit was more of an order. Rita prepared herself and went to the restaurant.


    When she entered the private room, she realized she wasn''t the last to arrive; Samuel and Scarlett were already seated inside.


    Before coming, Rita had carefully checked her character panel, stashed all her equipment and items into her pouches, and hidden her two 36-slot bags inside her Magician''s Fake Tooth. Now, she only had a small 4-slot pouch on her.


    After another half hour, the bodyguards opened the door, and Zoey, wearing a monocle, walked in first.


    - **Agility**: 7


    - **Luck**: ?


    - **Charm**: ?


    Rita had no idea that Zoey''s monocle was so weak. All her smooth and slick maneuvers were, in the end, like performing for a blind audience.


    Seeing the 0.001% experience, Zoey believed most of what Rick had told her.


    Rita could practically see Zoey''s expression soften, and Rick gave her a wink.


    Rita: **Gross!**


    Recently, Rick had been unable to get any useful information from Zoey, so yesterday, he just outright told her he knew about the game¡ªRita had told him.


    He hadn''t intended to explain why Rita didn''t tell Zoey, but to his surprise, Zoey asked when Rita had told him. Rick said it was around the 9th or 10th.


    Zoey''s expression had softened immediately, as she recalled that Rita had indeed messaged her that day, asking her to come to the hotel because she had something important to tell both her and Rick. But she had been too preoccupied¡ªlosing an ear and half her family''s gold didn''t exactly leave her in the mood to meet with the sister of her future husband.


    Rick quickly added, "Yes, she did invite you. She only trusts the family. Zoey, we are family, right?"


    Because of this, Zoey had completely let go of any grievances against Rick. Although she still thought Rita was a bit foolish for telling someone who hadn''t even married her brother yet, she also found it endearing. Rita must have considered them family, after all. Zoey couldn''t help but find her charmingly naive.


    Today, Zoey had just wanted to confirm the truth of Rita''s story. Although she had tested Rita months ago, she hadn''t had a detection item at that time.


    Although she couldn''t see the Divine Gift, Rita''s experience was only 0.001%, so it seemed she really hadn''t played much, just as she had claimed.


    However, Zoey didn''t tell Rick about her participation in the beta test. Such things were best left unsaid¡ªif he heard it from someone else first, it could hurt their relationship. Although she didn''t take Rick too seriously, there was no need to cause unnecessary strife.


    As for whether Rick would eventually find out she had hidden something from him, Zoey didn''t care. She truly liked Rick''s face, but that was about it.

 Chapter 24: Restocking

    By the time dinner was wrapping up, Zoey still hadn''t mentioned that she was already a player. Instead, she promised that she would share any new information with them. She also requested that Rita notify her if she managed to get back into the game. Zoey was preoccupied with setting up the Lopez family''s defense system, as she''d recently lost another attribute point.


    Her brothers had reassured her that it was temporary and due to the game''s instability, but Zoey wasn''t so sure. If it was just a game glitch, why hadn''t her brothers lost any attribute points?


    After sending Zoey off, Rick returned to the private room, his expression cold.


    Rita asked with concern, "What''s wrong?"


    Rick shook his head and whispered, "She''s definitely a player. She''s hiding it from us."


    Samuel asked, "What makes you say that? Do you have proof?"


    Rick pressed his lips together. "Her ear... the entire right ear is gone. On the 6th, it was still there, but by the 14th, when we met again, she had changed her hairstyle. She wasn''t wearing any bandages, and there was no sign of recent treatment. She must have used something from the game to heal it. That healing potion¡ªdoesn''t it heal wounds?"


    Rita shrugged. "I only had that one bottle, and I gave it to you. I never tried it myself."


    Rick sighed in frustration. "Why didn''t you buy more?" He thought to himself that he really had started to see Rita as one of his own.


    **Damn you! Did you hear that? Damn you! Do you want me to have someone cut off another half, leaving you with just 4.5 centimeters?**


    Rita kept a smile on her face while angrily downing a glass of Coke.


    After dealing with Zoey and Rick, Rita didn''t rush back to the villa to study. Zoey''s glasses had left her feeling deeply uneasy.


    The Cha?vez mask no longer provided her with the sense of security it once did. Although, for now, no item below S-rank could penetrate the altered information on the mask, what if? What if someone out there was lucky enough to obtain an S-rank detection item in the first beta test?


    Rationally, she knew it was unlikely. The best detection item she had seen in her previous life was only A-rank, similar to the Cha?vez glasses, but she couldn''t bet on that. The thought of someone potentially uncovering her Divine Gift left her on edge.


    What happened to detection items and equipment being rare? How did Sanchez get an A-rank item in the first beta test, and now Zoey has another detection item of unknown rank in the second test?


    During monster fights, Theodore would send Rita ahead to lure the monsters and occasionally "miss" with his arrows. The shots would be slow and easy to dodge, but they forced her into the path of the monsters'' attacks.


    Rita wasn''t one to take things lying down. In her past life, after every team battle, she would tell Rick not to invite her next time. Although the Lopez family distributed valuable materials or equipment based on contributions, she figured she could manage on her own, even if it took longer.


    Every time, Rick would give her his share of the loot, apologize, and say he only wanted to help his sister because he longed for family. He would then complain about Theodore, sharing details about Theodore''s skills and personality, urging her to avoid him...


    Back then, Rita had felt a mix of emotions¡ªtouched, exasperated, but mostly angry. **You''re suffering, so you want me to suffer too? Are you the one marrying in, or am I?**


    But now, seeing through Rick''s true nature, she couldn''t help but wonder, **Was Rick trying to manipulate me into hating Theodore, hoping I''d take him down? And when he realized I wasn''t falling for it, he stopped inviting me to Lopez family events.**


    **Damn it! If that''s the case, why didn''t you just tell me directly?!**


    **I may not go out of my way to harm others, but I''m hardly burdened by any moral code. If you''d asked and convinced me, I would have agreed!**


    Staring at Theodore sleeping in his bed, Rita grew more and more furious.


    The Olympics were over, and the next one wasn''t until ''80. It was so far off that Rita didn''t feel any need to hold back. She used **Wheel of Fate** to lower Theodore''s luck to 1 and then began using **I Want This, This, and This** repeatedly.


    She had no plans to sleep tonight. After dealing with Theodore, she would visit Sanchez and then head straight to the airport.


    After over an hour of stealing, she had taken 3 points of agility and 1 point of intelligence from Theodore. Satisfied, she stopped.


    - **Intelligence**: 11+1


    - **Agility**: 18+3


    Just the agility attribute alone now rivaled that of a fully agile level 2 player.


    Yet, she was still only level 0.

 Chapter 25: The Taylor Family

    Rita didn''t intend to kill Theodore outright¡ªafter all, he eventually met his end at the hands of the male lead anyway. He liked Sanchez, and in this kind of story, that basically sealed his fate. Not only that, but before his death, he caused the male lead a lot of trouble, from framing him to oppressing him, ridiculing him, and stealing his things.


    He was like the evil sister-in-law trope in a BL story, but as an evil brother-in-law.


    After stealing 4 attribute points from him, Rita couldn''t help but rummage through Theodore''s belongings to see if there was anything useful. To her surprise, she found a dirty white belt that added +1 to Constitution. It wasn''t the bonus she was scoffing at¡ªit was the fact that the belt looked like it had been soaked in pig fat for ten years and then air-dried.


    It was a cloth belt, but it felt like leather after all that grime.


    She stuffed it in her bag anyway. It could probably fetch a few silver coins.


    After leaving the Lopez mansion, Rita made a quick stop at Sanchez''s wardrobe. Recently, the White family had installed mist sprayers with revealing potions, just like the Lopez estate. But, like the Lopez family, they were using basic-level potions. The daily consumption of potions for the entire estate was massive¡ªthere wasn''t enough supply of mid-level potions to go around.


    Sanchez wasn''t doing well these days. Knowing that modern technology couldn''t heal her severed hand, and refusing to use a prosthetic, she''d been obsessively searching for players. Not only that, but she''d enlisted several of the White family''s trusted aides into the game as well. She also suspected that Daniel White might be involved¡ªafter all, why did he die on the same day her hand was cut off?


    Thanks to her Cha?vez glasses, she knew Daniel was a player, though she hadn''t confronted him yet.


    She had everyone Daniel knew investigated, but they found nothing.


    With no progress in her search, and after discovering that her in-game character was also missing an arm during the second beta test, Sanchez''s mental state had become terrifying. Aside from family, few dared to approach her.


    After more than an hour of stealing, Rita finally got another reward: +1 to Constitution.


    Satisfied, she returned to her villa, gulped down a big cup of coffee, and cooked three large bowls of meat for the cats outside her house. She patted the three feline heads nestled in the cat house, then headed to the airport, driving herself.


    Even though she could use **Phantom Shift** to teleport straight to the airport, she didn''t want to risk raising suspicion. For anything that wasn''t shady, she acted like a normal person, making sure her movements were traceable.


    While at the airport, she messaged Samuel and the others, telling them she was heading to Beijing. She mentioned finding possible leads on players in an online forum and wanted to investigate.


    They believed her without question.


    As she waited to board, Rita closed her eyes and mentally reviewed the video of her undead mentor demonstrating how to brew basic potions.


    A hesitant voice interrupted her thoughts. It was a young girl asking if she was Rita.


    Rita froze, her mind quickly scanning through all the faces of enemies and fellow escapees from her past life, but none of them matched this girl.


    Hitman: "Go to the xx bank, head north for xx kilometers, and you''ll find a McDonald''s. Go inside and ask for the Crazy Wednesday special. If they say they don''t have it, ask for a $2 cone, but say you don''t want the cone, just the ice cream in a cup. They''ll take you there."


    Rita: "..."


    Rita: "Why is it that the underground market in Los Angeles only needed me to find the back door of the right bar?"


    Hitman: "Ah, that''s because you didn''t really enter the underground market in LA."


    Rita, holding her head: "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" **I hired someone to shoot off a guy''s... and you''re telling me that wasn''t the underground market?!**


    Hitman: "Yeah, you just got lucky. I happened to be there grabbing a coffee. If you want the real underground market in LA, go to xx Cafe? and ask for a 2-liter black coffee. When they say they don''t have such a large size, tell them you brought your own beans. Then, hand them a 1g gold nugget, and they''ll take you in."


    Rita was silent for a while, then sighed, "You really are genuine."


    Hitman: "Yup. Call me anytime."


    And with that, he hung up.


    **Is he flirting with me now?** Rita thought with a cold smile. **As if I''m calling you back.**


    Minutes later, Rita was squatting by the curb, calling the hitman again.


    She was considering having a drink to ease her frustration.


    Hitman: "What''s wrong? Didn''t make it in?"


    Rita, staring at the McDonald''s across the street: "No. The guy took me to a door, and then we just stared at each other. I thought I knew what to do¡ªI pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to him, but he didn''t take it. Then he kicked me out."


    Hitman: "They don''t take cash. Only gold. You need 2 grams of it."


    Rita: "Why didn''t you say that earlier?"


    Hitman: "Wanted you to appreciate my sincerity."


    Rita: "..."

 Chapter 26: The Chávez Set is Complete!

    After getting information about the Taylor family, Rita wasted no time. She found a massage parlor and booked a three-hour session. As she relaxed and got massaged, she caught up on some sleep¡ªshe didn''t plan on resting later tonight. Time was of the essence, and she wanted to finish up quickly so she could return home and continue leveling up her alchemy skills.


    It was already July 3rd, and the third beta test would begin on October 10th. She had to level up her alchemy as much as possible before then.


    The massage therapist, number 88, really lived up to the expectations of having such a prestigious number. By the time Rita''s three hours were up, it felt like she had slept the entire night. She glanced at the therapist and mused that when the game invaded, this person''s massage skills might just become an actual game skill.


    Rita didn''t bother looking for a hotel afterward. The massage parlor allowed overnight stays for an extra fee. After confirming that the room had no surveillance cameras, she booked it for the night and instructed the staff to wake her at 8 a.m. the next day.


    After the staff left, Rita double-checked the room for any hidden cameras. Satisfied that there were none, she locked the door, placed her bag on the massage bed, and went to the bathroom. She activated **Phantom Cloak** and then used **Phantom Shift** to teleport near the underground market entrance, close to a nearby delivery station.


    She wasn''t a fan of relying on others to run deliveries to sketchy places. It wasn''t a good habit to develop, especially when she didn''t want anyone tracing her movements.


    Rita quickly acquired the station''s delivery schedule. Every day, at this time, a delivery truck would stop at the station before moving on. The seventh stop on the route was only 5 kilometers from the Taylor estate.


    It was a bit of a hassle, but she had never been to the Taylor estate before, so **Phantom Shift** wouldn''t work without a clear image in her mind. She didn''t want to risk teleporting straight into Camila Taylor''s lap.


    Hitching a ride on the real "express delivery," Rita arrived outside the Taylor estate by nightfall.


    "These days, you''re not qualified to be the male lead''s wife unless you live in a mansion, huh?" Rita thought with a smirk.


    Taking a deep breath, she let her experience in breaking and entering guide her to Camila Taylor''s room without issue. As for Henry Taylor, like her, he was also a relative of the male lead, but their situations were worlds apart. Camila and Henry were practically inseparable, even after Camila fell for Rick. She would never harm Henry for Rick''s sake.


    Rita had been so envious of their bond in her previous life.


    Tonight''s main goal, however, wasn''t revenge¡ªit was acquiring the final piece of the Cha?vez set. Using her potions, she walked directly into Camila Taylor''s room, but instead of hiding under the bed as usual, she realized¡ªdamn it¡ªthe bed was solid wood underneath.


    With no other choice, she sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed, thankful that she had learned **Phantom Cloak**.


    She kept her gaze low, knowing that sometimes, even in their sleep, people could sense being watched.


    First, she used **Wheel of Fate** to reduce Camila''s luck to 1. Then, just to be safe, she hit her with **Sleep Spell**. Rita didn''t hold back and began gulping down low-level mana potions as she cast **I Want This, This, and This** over and over on Camila.


    **Intelligence +1.**


    **Intelligence +1.**


    **Cha?vez Hat +1.**


    Bingo! She stopped immediately.


    This hat¡ªshe had seen it in her previous life. It was the final piece of the Cha?vez set. How cliche?¡ªof course, this would be the heroine''s standard gear!


    - **Mana**: 200/200


    - **Strength**: 8


    - **Constitution**: 8+3


    - **Intelligence**: 12+2


    - **Agility**: 21


    - **Luck**: 10 (Max)


    - **Charisma**: 10 (Max)


    Her health had finally started to increase. Constitution was a vital stat, influencing health, defense, magic resistance, mental resistance, and recovery rates. Her initial Constitution had been 6, and while previous boosts didn''t increase her health, now that she had exceeded 10, every additional point of Constitution added 50 health points.


    Each level up would also increase these numbers, though the exact growth wasn''t fixed¡ªthose with higher Constitution would receive greater bonuses.


    Her mana had also risen to 300 thanks to her increased Intelligence.


    Rita tucked the pocket watch under her shirt and into her bra. If she could, she''d sew a small, locked pocket onto her bra to keep the watch even safer.


    While just having the watch in her inventory would allow her to disguise herself, wearing it was necessary to avoid being scryed. Plus, to use its skills, she had to wear it, and Cha?vez''s abilities were far too useful to go without.


    Since she''d taken the delivery route to the Taylor estate, she had seen enough of the area to teleport back. Even though the massage parlor was over 30 kilometers away, her Intelligence now allowed her to teleport 14 kilometers at a time. After three uses of **Phantom Shift**, she was back in the parlor''s bathroom.


    She showered, changed clothes, unlocked the door, and crawled back into bed to avoid collapsing from exhaustion.


    At 8 a.m., when the staff woke her, she booked another three-hour session and slept until noon. Afterward, she grabbed lunch.


    Now she had to decide what sort of gift to leave for Camila and Henry Taylor.


    She couldn''t let them off easily¡ªnot after they had once inscribed a slave contract on her back. Back then, Rick had swooped in to save her, but looking back with clearer insight, Rita realized something had been off about the timing. Why had he waited until the ritual was completed?


    He didn''t want Camila dead¡ªhe couldn''t have. He needed her alive for revenge to be satisfying.


    **I need to make them suffer first. Then, and only then, will killing them bring me peace.**


    Killing an enemy too quickly felt like going into an all-you-can-eat buffet after starving for ten days, only to fill up on chicken salad for the sake of health.


    If she took them out with one clean strike, she''d wake up in the middle of the night, slapping herself: **You really just killed them that easily?!**

 Chapter 27: I’m a Good Person

    Rita wasn''t entirely sure if a person''s body could still contract diseases after being digitized... but poisoning them? That had potential. After all, what better way to bond the male and female lead than with a shared affliction?


    She headed to the underground market and picked up some toxic substances. The vendor noticed her clumsy handling and lack of knowledge and cautiously warned, "If you''ve never dealt with this stuff before, now''s the time to stop. You can still turn back."


    Disguised as a 50-year-old man, Rita handed over the money casually and replied, "Oh, it''s not for me. It''s for someone else."


    The vendor looked at her like she was the scum of the earth before completing the transaction.


    Rita shot him a look of disgust, thinking, *You''re worse than scum.*


    With her new tools in hand, Rita mulled over her next steps. Having come this far, she wasn''t going to just sit idle. She felt restless, like her bones itched when she wasn''t doing something. She even went to a black market doctor to check if she was sick. The doctor, with no regard for bedside manners, glanced at her and said, "It''s not an illness¡ªit''s just because you''re cheap."


    Rita: "..." *Damn, that''s harsh. No wonder this guy isn''t a real doctor.*


    But it was the only clinic around, and they offered a variety of services. She left behind two strands of hair¡ªone from when she was in disguise and one as herself¡ªto check their DNA. While waiting for the results, she decided to search for mutated items in B City that she''d heard about in her past life.


    She wasn''t interested in large-scale items or those meant for the battlefield, nor did she care for personal treasures too valuable to their owners. What she wanted was something that had a story of misfortune attached to it, preferably belonging to someone she had a grudge against.


    After finishing her coffee in a nearby cafe?, she realized she couldn''t think of any notable items that fit the bill. Most famous mutated items either drastically improved their owner''s life or brought them significant misfortune¡ªusually the former.


    The country''s order hadn''t collapsed, so although there were dark undercurrents, society was still largely united against the alien invaders. Even that group that destroyed the pet hospital paid a heavy price for their actions.


    Finally, she recalled one of the male lead''s former friends, a guy named Julian.


    Julian was someone Rick had known even before the game invasion¡ªthey were both streamers. After the third beta test, Julian moved to Los Angeles to seek refuge with Rick. At some point, he even pursued Rita romantically.


    Back then, Rita had been puzzled as to why a guy who had nothing to offer would act so superior in front of her. He provided no real affection or care, just a lot of talk. When she turned him down, he acted as if she was the one at fault. To call his incessant pestering "pursuit" was an insult¡ªit was harassment.


    Rick never explicitly supported Julian, but he didn''t stop him either. Looking back, Rita suspected that it was because they were both players and saw non-players like her as beneath them.


    Julian''s **Divine Gift** wasn''t particularly strong¡ªjust an A-Rank, which was nothing compared to the S-Ranks that surrounded the male and female lead. Even Rita''s A-Rank gift was better.


    Rita felt elated as she watched their growing frustration. The more upset they were, the more she knew she''d done the right thing.


    When they mentioned the Wilson family, Rita paused. *Could they be talking about Samuel''s real family?*


    But it didn''t concern her. After all, she had confirmed through DNA tests after her rebirth that she was indeed related to Samuel, Scarlett, and Rick. The dream of being a "true heir" had long since been shattered.


    Rita leaned against the wall, resting her eyes until Henry left. After waiting a bit longer to ensure Camila was asleep, she cast **Sleep Spell**.


    It''s always better if someone falls unconscious while already asleep. They''d just think they slept too deeply. But if they were awake, they''d remember passing out.


    Following the method she''d learned from the shady vendor, Rita made sure Camila would have a "happy" time. She then went next door to repeat the process on Henry.


    Rita spent a week in B City, waiting for her DNA results. It turned out that the DNA from her **Disguise**-altered hair only had a 99.5% match to her real DNA¡ªabout the same as the similarity between two strangers. That was a relief¡ªshe no longer needed to wear a swimming cap when using **Disguise**.


    During her stay, Rita didn''t idle. Every night, she visited the Taylor siblings like a personal doctor, injecting them with "happiness." She was meticulous, always applying a bit of healing potion to the needle marks to help them heal and wiping the area with alcohol swabs. Truly, it was a five-star service.


    Once she was sure the poison had taken hold, she returned to Los Angeles.


    She swore that from now on, she was going to be a good person! No more scheming or plotting¡ªshe would focus on studying diligently!


    But the moment she arrived at the airport, she spotted Rick waiting for her...


    Rita: "..."


    Sometimes, she had to admire Rick''s dedication. No wonder he could have three women fighting over him.


    She had only mentioned yesterday afternoon that she''d be returning today, but Rick... There he was, slightly disheveled, sporting a bit of stubble, with tired but eager eyes, holding a McDonald''s breakfast that had gone cold.


    The details were clear: *"I didn''t know when your flight would arrive, so I came early to wait for you."*


    *Why the hell didn''t you just ask me what time I''d land?!*

 Chapter 28: Moving House

    Rita was so moved that her eyes teared up¡ªwell, mostly because she was holding in a yawn. She was utterly exhausted. "Let''s go home. I found a person who might be a player, but we haven''t met directly. You might even know him."


    On the way back, she explained her "discovery." "You can''t be too obvious when asking about this kind of thing. Everyone''s keeping it under wraps. I didn''t meet the person directly¡ªwe were both being cautious. So, I changed my approach and started asking if anything strange had happened, and I found out something."


    "Do you know a game streamer called ''WinterSnow''? His skills have improved dramatically lately, right?"


    Rick''s eyes lit up. "Yes, we''ve been friends for a long time. Recently, people in our gaming group have been talking about him, saying it''s like he''s suddenly unlocked his potential."


    Rita nodded. "Yeah, when I was talking to that player, they mentioned Julian, too. They suspect he has a voice-related ability. I watched some of his recent streams, and every time he shouts things like ''Stand up! You''ve got this! I believe in you!'' his team suddenly performs much better."


    Rick looked confused. "What?"


    Rita explained further, "I told you about **Divine Gifts** before, right? They''re weird and varied. I can manipulate a person''s luck for a short time, so it''s not impossible that another player''s ability could affect others through their voice."


    Rita left the Julian situation to Rick. For now, he was still a normal person, and whether he could leverage his friendship with Julian into a closer alliance was up to him.


    When they arrived back in town, Rita didn''t let Rick take her back to her little villa. She didn''t like others stepping into her private space. In fact, she was planning to sell the villa soon and buy a small apartment that might host a dungeon portal in the future. That way, whether she traded resources with the authorities or kept the place to farm dungeons herself, it would be a smart move.


    After dinner at the Wilson house, she turned down Rick''s offer to drive her back and returned to her villa alone, ready to immerse herself in study once again.


    It turned out that the reason she wasn''t a top student in the past was because she hadn''t found the right subject.


    For the next while, Rita dedicated herself to studying with an almost religious fervor. She meticulously reviewed every alchemy recipe she had, both beginner and intermediate levels, watching the accompanying instructional videos again and again, memorizing every movement of the undead instructor.


    Rita took half a day to bake over a thousand focus-enhancing cookies, nibbling on them as she studied.


    By August, Rita had even made time to return to her company and officially terminate her contract. She then announced her retirement from the entertainment industry. Given her current circumstances, staying out of the public eye was the safest course of action.


    The story she told Rick about Julian''s growing notoriety wasn''t entirely false¡ªafter all, Rick''s gaming group had indeed been talking about it. Such developments might seem like mere gossip to non-players, but to those in the know, they could quickly connect the dots to the game.


    She suspected that in her past life, Julian''s sudden move to Los Angeles to join Rick had been driven by similar suspicions¡ªthat someone had noticed his unusual behavior, and he sought refuge with a trusted friend.


    Rita''s retirement announcement caused a brief stir online. People dug up the recent incident where her former agent had died and speculated whether Rita had been affected by the scandal.


    Rita responded to the rumors, clarifying what she could. Just because she didn''t care about her fame didn''t mean she was willing to let people tarnish her name.


    "I''m fine. I wasn''t hurt. I just feel tired and want to take a break and live the life I really want."


    "No, I haven''t suddenly struck it rich or married into a wealthy family. I just did the math, and my savings are enough to live comfortably."


    "Yes, that was me selling my designer bags. I never really cared for them. I only needed them for my work as a celebrity. Now that I''m leaving the industry, I don''t need them anymore."


    "If I were truly broke, I wouldn''t be retiring. Thanks for the concern, though."


    "The company and I parted on good terms."


    "No, I don''t have a wealthy boyfriend. I''m not interested in dating or getting married. I don''t want to spend anyone else''s money¡ªI''ve got enough for myself."


    Rita spoke with such confidence that it was hard to believe she was the same person who had robbed the Lopez family of their gold just a few weeks ago.

 Chapter 29: Taking a Gamble

    By the end of August, Rita had watched the alchemy videos for beginners and intermediates seven times. One day, she noticed something strange: after several hours of merely watching the videos without doing anything else, her alchemy experience increased by 1 point. It was a small gain, but it meant progress.


    Rita decided to try making basic potions again. This time, everything felt different. Rather than rigidly following the instructions step by step, she felt much freer, as though she could improvise. While the resulting potions didn''t differ much from their original recipes, Rita had a sense that she had finally stepped through the true gateway of alchemy.


    Later that night, after turning into a goblin to craft her daily three gold coins, Rita went to sleep. Lately, she had stopped visiting Zoey and Sanchez''s homes to steal attribute points. After a month of fruitless attempts, likely due to diminishing returns, she decided it wasn''t worth wasting valuable potions. In the early stages of the game, even basic healing potions were incredibly valuable.


    Instead, she focused on resting and recharging her energy, using the next day for more efficient study.


    But Rita''s good mood didn''t last long into September.


    Rick had moved into the same villa community¡ªjust two kilometers away from her own villa.


    Samuel and Scarlett even invited her over for a housewarming dinner at Rick''s new place. The villa''s security post was significantly larger than hers, and while the house was bare¡ªno appliances, no furniture¡ªthe food had been delivered from a local restaurant.


    Wearing a look of sincere happiness for her "dear brother," Rita spoke up before anyone else could: "I''ll cover the appliances!"


    It wasn''t much to offer, really. If they wanted her to hand over in-game items¡ªwell, not even Theodore''s plain white belt would be willingly gifted¡ªbut a few hundred thousand dollars? Next year, that wouldn''t even be enough to buy a decent low-level blue item. She would definitely make it all back, with interest, from Rick.


    As she observed Rick, there were no noticeable changes in him. She still couldn''t be sure whether he had contracted HIV from the blood injections. She had looked it up and knew the disease could have a symptom-free period of years, but she couldn''t help but feel anxious. What if the three tubes of infected blood hadn''t been enough to infect him?


    At the same time, it was better if Rick remained unaware. If he didn''t realize he was infected, it would make it easier for him to pass it on to Zoey.


    They had already completed their pre-marriage health screenings by the time Rita injected the virus into Rick, so he wouldn''t suspect anything was wrong.


    Since hoarding and price-gouging were out of the question, it seemed pointless to make any more money. It would be better to travel to a few more cities and sell off her gold bricks.


    After some thought, Rita decided to make another trip to Vancouver. She wanted to buy some weapons¡ªbows, crossbows, or the best guns on the market. If the game invaded and any of these weapons mutated, she would profit immensely.


    Eight hundred million Canadian dollars wouldn''t even buy 3,000 pounds of gold. At 180 grams per gold coin, that was just over 8,000 gold coins¡ªenough to buy a handful of legendary bows and guns.


    In her past life, a legendary weapon had come from a collector. After the game''s invasion, a sword he polished every day mutated into a top-tier weapon with three attributes. It had no level requirement, only stat requirements, making it extremely valuable. Even a guild had offered him 3,000 gold for it, but he refused to sell. That price was astronomical, even for a level 20 legendary weapon.


    The Lopez family had tried to buy it as well but had been turned down. Yet a little while later, Rita saw that same sword in Mateo''s hands.


    After telling the Wilson family she was heading to Vancouver to "investigate players"¡ªher go-to excuse¡ªRita flew out that night. She met with a broker, asking him to keep an eye out for famous bows, crossbows, and high-end firearms.


    She even used her **Cha?vez watch** to **Insight** him, confirming he was just an ordinary broker without a Divine Gift.


    Spending 800 million on herbs, fabrics, or furs would require buying a warehouse to store everything. But when it came to weapons tied to history or legacy, spending 800 million felt like spending 8,000.


    She bought three famous bows and five crossbows, spending a billion dollars in the process.


    As word spread that a wealthy collector was in town buying up top-tier weapons, Rita stayed for another week, collecting 15 more bows and 21 crossbows.


    In total, she spent five billion Canadian dollars on 21 bows and 27 crossbows.


    Perhaps it was her maxed-out luck stat, but she also managed to buy two meteorite-handled pistols. They were the weapons she was most excited about. Though she hadn''t heard of any pistols mutating into top-tier weapons in her past life, she couldn''t know everything. And smart people often kept their best things hidden.


    Many weapons had level requirements after mutation, so even if they had transformed into top-tier items, they might not have been immediately usable. That could explain why she hadn''t heard of them.

 Chapter 30: Meteor Desert Eagle

    The true meteorite pistols were custom-built by a U.S. arms manufacturer, made from meteors estimated to be 4.5 billion years old. Only two were ever created, and they were immediately donated to an American museum. Many wealthy collectors couldn''t even get their hands on them.


    But as long as there''s demand, there will always be someone willing to make more.


    Meteorites, while rare, aren''t entirely unobtainable. Through a broker, Rita managed to buy a pair of custom Desert Eagle meteorite pistols from a wealthy businessman. The price? A staggering $60 million, with no room for negotiation. The man had spent a fortune acquiring the meteorite and then more finding a craftsman skilled enough to forge a functional, working firearm¡ªnot just a display piece.


    The Desert Eagles were modified to fire the impressive .50 AE caliber bullets, known for their ballistic performance and devastating stopping power. However, the magazine capacity was small, holding only seven rounds.


    The wealthy man seemed hesitant to sell even after finalizing the deal, almost regretting his decision. He couldn''t explain why he suddenly felt compelled to part with them.


    He insisted that Rita buy both pistols, as they were a pair. Though the price far exceeded the value of a regular gun, Rita didn''t hesitate to make the payment.


    The **Meteor Desert Eagle** had a unique silver-grey sheen, the rough meteorite texture blending perfectly with the powerful, rugged design of the Desert Eagle. Rita instantly fell in love with it. Most importantly, the bullets were already part of her engineering recipe.


    Once back at the hotel, she immediately stored the pistols in her **Magician''s Fake Tooth**. Although the seller assured her that the radiation emitted by the meteorite was minimal, all she could think about was the seller''s shiny, bald head.


    Luckily, her engineering skills, even though not fully leveled yet, were sufficient to maintain the pistols until the third beta test.


    With the pistols secured, Rita had already spent $620 million on bows, crossbows, and guns. She then spent another $200,000 custom-ordering 10,000 arrows, 50,000 crossbow bolts, and 7,000 rounds of Desert Eagle ammunition.


    No one was willing to produce more than that, so she had to settle for the current amount.


    With just over a billion left, she decided to diversify her purchases. Rita bought a variety of swords and shields as well.


    With Rick now living in the same villa community, strangers couldn''t easily enter. Rick''s phone had been encrypted by Zoey, and her previous method of hacking into it during the second beta wouldn''t work anymore.


    Very few people knew about Rick''s move, and although his good friend Julian had come to Los Angeles, Rick had merely lent him a small apartment he used for work. This was unlike the previous timeline, where Julian had stayed at the Wilson family''s home. Without this cover, Rick couldn''t easily shift the blame onto someone else.


    After some thought, Rita decided she needed to establish an alibi for herself during the beta period. With **Phantom Shift**, basic mana potions that restored 60 MP, and her **Bottomless Coffee**, which replenished 500 MP, she could theoretically travel anywhere. With her base mana of 200, plus the potions, she could keep going as long as her body held up.


    Of course, that was just the theory. She still wasn''t sure how well her body and mind could handle the stress of teleporting repeatedly.


    On the night of the 4th, Rita paid a visit to the Wilson family villa. Though technically Rick''s new home, both Samuel and Scarlett had moved in as well.


    "I''ve been thinking about visiting Jiangcheng," she said casually. The family had grown used to her frequent travels by now. But Rita hadn''t come just to say this. She shifted to a more serious tone, "I''ve got some information on the closed betas. The first was on **February 2nd**, and the second on **June 6th**. A few of us think if there''s a third beta, it''ll follow a similar pattern.


    Nothing happened on **September 9th**, but we think **October 10th** or **November 11th** could be key dates. You need to keep your phone with you 24/7 on those days."


    Rick felt a surge of gratitude. For the first time, he felt a genuine sibling bond with Rita. Even Samuel and Scarlett were touched. Sure, Rita was frugal, but when it came to the big picture, she was generous and reliable.


    Rick nodded earnestly. "I understand." He took Rita''s hand, sincerely adding, "Thank you."


    Zoey hadn''t told him anything. He didn''t believe that the Lopez family, with all their resources, couldn''t have found similar information. Yet Rita had gone out of her way to share this with him.


    Rita patted his hand. "If we all become players, you''ll have more leverage in the Lopez family. Don''t take any chances. And don''t give me any of that sentimental nonsense¡ªI''m off."


    Rick insisted on walking Rita back to her villa before heading home.

 Chapter 31: The God of the Culinary Arts (SS) - Stolen!

    The next moment, the screen brightened, revealing Rita''s blood elf avatar in ghost form at the graveyard. Just a few steps away lay her bloody corpse. Approaching it, she saw the option to **Resurrect Weak**, which she selected.


    Her character became solid again, but now her status changed from **Weak** to **Severely Weak**, with a countdown ticking: **47:59:59**.


    All her stats were now at **40% of their original value**.


    Rita once again entered **Silvermoon City**.


    Through her shadow vision, she saw Rick taking on a quest¡ªa high-level, multi-step chain quest, no less.


    A few minutes later, Rita found Rick by comparing the in-game buildings to those on her screen.


    **[By the Name of the Thief God, you attempt to steal the Divine Gift of Blood Elf Player Rick.]**


    **[Theft successful¡ªDivine Gift detected as too high level¡ªTheft interrupted!]**


    Rita glanced at the time: **10:57**.


    There was no time left. Plus, in her current **severely weakened** state, she couldn''t afford to die again. She had no idea what might happen if she did, and she wasn''t about to gamble her life on her greed.


    Even though the in-game status hadn''t impacted her real-world body yet, hundreds of **Phantom Shifts** had left her physically and mentally drained, teetering on the edge of collapse.


    Rita moved her character to the **Goblin District**.


    Rich goblins were hard to find. She had to go from one goblin to another, exchanging small amounts here and there, wasting precious time before finally amassing **10,000 gold**.


    By then, her **Disguise** time was down to **5 minutes**.


    Rita hurried to the nearest city gate, slipping out of the city. But given her weakened condition, she didn''t go far, opting to stand by the wall between the two gates instead.


    Then, she logged off.


    Closing her eyes, the overwhelming sense of **severe weakness** threatened to drown her, but she ignored it. She didn''t even look at the loot she had gathered or the **watch** and **false tooth** in her inventory.


    Instead, she immediately opened her **character panel**.


    **[Character] Rita (Level 0, 0.001%) (Severely Weak) (47:45:39)**


    **[Divine Gift] Thief God (S-ranked)**


    **[Divine Gift] Immortal (SS-ranked) (Fragmented)**


    **[Skill 4: Oh? Friend, look, there''s a pot over here]**


    *The God of the Culinary Arts does not receive negative feedback. You can mark someone who trusts you, and any negative emotions or resentment from diners will be redirected to the marked target.*


    **[Skill 5: You want a free meal? (Passive)]**


    *Nobody gets to eat the God of the Culinary Arts'' food for free. If a diner eats your food without paying¡ªunless you explicitly say the meal is on the house¡ªtheir luck will be yours until the meal is paid for. Their bad fortune will continue until they pay their damn bill.*


    Just like the **Immortal** gift from the undead lord, there were five skills in total. The first four were unlocked, with the fifth one still grayed out.


    Finally, Rita felt like she could breathe again, as if she had been drowning in deep water, unable to move or breathe, and now she was free.


    And she understood.


    She finally understood why Rick had treated her the way he did in her past life, why he worked so hard to win her trust, and why his women and brothers were so hostile toward her.


    **So that''s why...**


    **That''s why, Yu Xunhuan!**


    But knowing the truth didn''t bring her peace or forgiveness. Yes, Rick had transferred others'' negative emotions onto her, but those people were still the ones who had acted on those emotions and hurt her.


    No, she wouldn''t forgive anyone who had wronged her.


    Everyone else might betray her, but she could never betray herself¡ªnever betray the pain and suffering she had endured!


    Rita''s hands shook as she downed a healing potion, but her HP remained capped at **40**. She realized that her HP max would remain at 40% until the countdown timer expired.


    Still, she felt invigorated, more alive than ever.


    She put on her **cooldown reduction necklace** and crawled under the bed to rest. She was exhausted, but she didn''t dare sleep yet. Instead, she meditated, constantly monitoring Rick''s actions through their shared shadow.


    Rick''s original **Luck** stat, which she''d glimpsed earlier, was maxed out at **10**, just like hers. Although he hadn''t immediately noticed that part of his **Divine Gift** had been stolen, he did remember the **You want a free meal?** skill.


    So, Rick spent the rest of his money buying large amounts of ingredients and began cooking. He focused on low-level recipes, knowing he wouldn''t suddenly become a culinary genius. Most of the food he made was barely passable, often failing to meet even basic standards.


    He placed the cooked food on the ground, allowing NPCs and players alike to eat freely as they passed by.


    At first, his luck was average, but as more people ate his food, Rick''s fortune began to **snowball**. In under two hours of questing, he earned **3 gold coins** and a **green-quality item**. After learning cooking, he found a pouch with **300 gold coins** in the city''s sewers. He used the gold to study **jewelry crafting** and **alchemy**.


    And Rita? She simply watched as Rick siphoned the **luck** from everyone who ate his food, canceling out the bad luck she had inflicted on him by lowering his **Luck stat**.

 Chapter 32: The Third Beta Test

    As soon as Rick left, Rita activated all the visibility potion humidifiers in her room. She made sure they were filled with high-grade visibility potions and had enough to run for a full week. Only then did she drive out of Los Angeles, heading 4,000 kilometers to the city of Jiangcheng. Avoiding highways as much as possible, she took small roads and back routes.


    After all, if she had to Phantom Shift back to Los Angeles from a highway, she might get hit by a car the moment she arrived. Better to be safe than sorry.


    This was also a chance for her to "unlock" more areas for future Phantom Shift. The more places she visited now, the more teleportation points she''d have later.


    Thanks to her acting career, she''d been to many cities over the years.


    Halfway through her journey, Rita found herself struggling. She wasn''t just exhausted from the drive; she had to periodically stop and cook meals to recover her energy. She even equipped the white belt she''d taken from Theodore, which gave her an extra +1 to vitality.


    Finally, by the morning of the 9th, she reached Jiangcheng. Without wasting time, she checked into a hotel, took a long bath, and slept.


    At 7 a.m. on the 10th, Rita made a video call to Scarlett, showing her the scenic views of Jiangcheng and chatting about local specialties. She reminded both Scarlett and Samuel to make sure Rick was glued to his phone all day. After about ten minutes of chit-chat, she hung up.


    Then, it was time.


    Rita began using Phantom Shift to teleport back to Los Angeles¡ªover 4,000 kilometers away. With her 14 Intelligence, she could shift 14 kilometers in a single jump, but because she wasn''t traveling along the most direct route, she estimated she''d need to shift around 300 times. She also had to maintain Phantom Cloak for stealth throughout the process.


    After 50 shifts, she started feeling dizzy.


    By 100 shifts, she was nauseous.


    She stopped, gulped down some coffee to restore her mana, and ate food that boosted her mental fortitude.


    At 120 shifts... then 150...


    By the 200th shift, Rita collapsed on the ground, vomiting uncontrollably.


    It was still not even 8 a.m., but instead of feeling relief, she was gripped with fear.


    Despite planning so carefully, despite accounting for rest and recovery time, something was going wrong. It felt like an invisible force was trying to prevent her from returning to Los Angeles. After passing the halfway point, her Phantom Shifts started veering off course¡ªjust slightly, but enough to throw her off. It felt like she was walking in circles, like she was being led astray.


    Teeth clenched, Rita pressed on.


    Rick had incredible luck, but she was maxed out in Luck too! No matter what, she was getting back to Los Angeles today. If she couldn''t stop Rick from logging into the game, she''d deal with him directly!


    After 300 shifts, Rita was still 500 kilometers away from Los Angeles.


    She coughed up a mouthful of blood.


    Her character status now displayed Weakness.


    For the next 24 hours, all her attributes were reduced by 20%.


    No. She didn''t believe Rick was so charming.


    In an instant, Rita used Wheel of Fate, lowering Rick''s Luck. Then, she cast her Shadow Merge skill, fusing her shadow with his.


    Leaving her shadow behind, Rita herself slipped back to her own villa.


    Once home, she logged into the game while, through her shadow''s vision, watching Rick''s screen and his Divine Gift.


    It was [God of the Culinary Arts] (SS-rank).


    She felt her mind split in two¡ªone part icy cold, the other consumed by fear, greed, and fury.


    Rick''s character appeared in the Blood Elf capital, Silvermoon City.


    Rita, meanwhile, logged into her own game, using Disguise to transform herself into a blood elf. She walked through the city gates, passing a wanted poster with a picture of a skeleton and a goblin, both looking uncomfortably familiar.


    She teleported to Silvermoon City.


    It was the third beta, and the city was bustling, packed with players. The population had multiplied compared to the second beta, with so many people it felt like there wasn''t space to breathe. If the alien invaders had managed to break through, these main cities would be swamped.


    Rick''s character stood in the middle of the crowded city, staring around curiously.


    Rita followed his every move, walking past the same inn, herbalist''s shop, and weaponsmith that Rick had passed. She even walked by the statue of the Elf King. When she brushed past Rick''s blood elf character, she immediately used Insight.


    [Character] Rick


    [Divine Gift] ???


    Without hesitation, she used her skill to steal from Rick.


    [By the Name of the Thief God, you attempt to steal the Divine Gift of Blood Elf Player Rick.]


    [Theft successful¡ªDivine Gift detected as too high level¡ªTheft interrupted!]


    Rita calmly exited the city gates, opening her character panel.


    Sure enough, under her Immortal ability, there was a new entry: [God of the Culinary Arts] (SS-ranked) (Fragmented).


    Five skills were listed, but only two were unlocked.


    She didn''t stop to read the descriptions. Instead, she found the nearest graveyard outside the city, and, pulling out her remaining explosives, she placed them at her feet.


    Seconds later, her screen went black.


    [You are dead.]

 Chapter 33: No one is allowed to say no

    **16:16**, cooldown ended.


    Rita immediately logged into her game. Only **54 minutes** remained before the third closed beta would end.


    Once online, she **Disguised** herself as a goblin and returned to the city. She headed to a Silvermoon City restaurant and learned all the city''s signature recipes. Then, she teleported to **Bloodmoon City**, where she found a wealthy goblin and bartered for **10,000 gold**.


    She checked the time¡ªstill enough left¡ªso she went around collecting small amounts from other poorer goblins, eventually gathering an additional **800 gold**.


    By this point, she had accumulated a total of **20,800 gold** from the two elven main cities. Adding the **378 gold** she had earned from making 3 gold per day between June 7th and October 10th, and subtracting the costs of teleporting and learning recipes, she now had **21,108 gold**. She still had **1,084 gold bricks** looted from Lopez''s house.


    Rita spent more gold learning the signature dishes from the **Bloodmoon City** restaurant before heading back to the **undead city**, where she had first learned **alchemy**. Entering the alchemy shop, she approached the familiar figure busy with cauldrons and test tubes, typing "teacher" into the dialogue box.


    The undead alchemy mentor didn''t stop her work but suddenly issued Rita a task: **[Alchemist Master Apache asks you to craft ten beginner potions and ten intermediate potions.]**


    Though the task didn''t specify if all ten needed to be the same potion, Rita understood that this was a test.


    But since the game only showed progress bars for crafting, it seemed impossible to judge her performance that way.


    After a brief thought, she submitted the **20 best potions** she had made recently, including a variety of types. "Teacher, these are my latest results."


    The undead mentor stopped stirring the test tube, taking the potions from Rita.


    Minutes later, the task completion notification appeared.


    The reward was a book: **[Apache''s Alchemy Notes]**


    **[Apache''s Alchemy Notes (A-grade)]: A notebook containing the thoughts and insights of Alchemist Master Apache during her advancement from an advanced alchemist to a master alchemist. You won''t learn any new recipes from it, but perhaps you''ll gain something more valuable. (Other alchemists innovate for honor, but me? I do it for the money to buy more booze!


    That''s why my potions always sell the best. It''s been so long, and they still don''t understand¡ªpassion projects don''t pay the bills! ¡ª Apache)**


    After silently reading through the description, Rita pulled out **2,000 gold** and handed it over. "I may not have the chance to come back again," she typed.


    Before she could even hit **send**, the gold was gone¡ªsnatched up by Apache in an instant.


    She also found a **Binding Stone (A-grade)**: **[Binds an item or tool to your soul, making it impossible to lose or be stolen, not even by the Thief God. Upon your soul''s dissolution, the item will turn to ash, returning to the void.]**


    Rita: "Is this targeting me?!"


    Still, she needed it just as much as anyone else.


    They cost **100 gold each**, and Rita bought **50 of them** without hesitation!


    She spent **5,000 gold** without blinking an eye.


    Then, she began buying up cooking recipes¡ªanything in the auction house she didn''t already know. Each time she bought one, she immediately learned it to avoid buying duplicates.


    All of this was preparation for her **God of the Culinary Arts** Divine Gift. Even low-level recipes wouldn''t be incredibly useful, but learning more would help her later when creating her own.


    Once done with culinary prep, it was time to focus on her **Master Archer** Divine Gift.


    **[Explosive Arrow (B-grade)]: Fires an explosive arrow that detonates on impact, dealing damage to the target and enemies within a 2-meter radius. Costs 100 MP per use. No cooldown.**


    **[Push Shot (C-grade)]: Your projectile emits a shockwave, pushing enemies back. Costs 30 MP per use. 3-minute cooldown.**


    **[Soul Resistance (Passive, S-grade)]: Provides permanent defense against soul-based attacks, granting immunity to mental control skills and reducing soul-based damage by 30%.**


    One was an area attack, the second a pushback skill, and the last one provided immunity to mental control.


    Originally, Rita had planned to buy more offensive skills, but when she saw **Soul Resistance**, she didn''t hesitate. Even though it cost **12,000 gold**, far more than her **Phantom Shift**, she needed high-end skills.


    She bought **Explosive Arrow** for **450 gold**, **Push Shot** for **130 gold**, and combined with the **3,000 gold** for Apache, the **5,000 gold** on Binding Stones, the **20 gold** for the bed, and the **485 gold** spent on recipes, she was left with only **23 gold**.


    Satisfied, Rita left the **undead city** after spending her last **23 gold** on herbs for more **advanced invisibility potions**.


    She then logged off, canceling the shadow she had left in Rick''s secret room.


    The time was **17:03**.

 Chapter 34: The Sweet Taste of Revenge

    Rita put away her equipment and then indulged in a chocolate puff pastry she had cooked herself. It was a simple **F-grade** dish, but since acquiring the **God of the Culinary Arts** talent, each dish now came with a unique score, likely a feature exclusive to this divine ability.


    **[Chocolate Puff Pastry (F-grade©§64 points)]: Restores a total of 30 HP over 5 seconds. If you savor it for 10 seconds, you''ll be fully nourished, gaining +3 Constitution for 5 minutes.**


    A simple low-level dessert.


    However, with the **God of the Culinary Arts** talent, the food''s effects were tripled. After eating the puff, her **Constitution** increased by **9**.


    Her original Constitution of **11 ¡ú 4.4** was now updated to **[Constitution]: 20 ¡ú 8**.


    Although her health didn''t increase immediately, she felt less weakened. She followed it up with a glass of milk that boosted her **mental clarity**.


    It was a little disappointing that the buff from **God of the Culinary Arts** prevented the effect of the **Gourmet''s Bib** from stacking, but that item still provided a convenient cover for her abilities.


    Two minutes later, Rita disappeared from the Wilson home. After a few quick **Phantom Shifts**, she returned to her villa but didn''t rush to contact Rick or his family.


    She knew that after a closed beta test, the game phone connections would all vanish into thin air for a while, leaving everyone temporarily out of contact.


    Rita locked her doors and took a much-needed nap.


    When she awoke after the **Disguise** skill cooldown had reset, she disguised herself as an elderly person and used **Phantom Shift** to appear in an airport restroom. After locating a flight to Las Vegas, she snuck into the baggage hold while cloaked by **Phantom Cloak**. Once there, she used **Animagus** to transform into a kitten and hid among the luggage.


    Finally, feeling safe, she took the opportunity to bind her **Cha?vez pocket watch** with a **Binding Stone**, securing it for good. Only then did she relax.


    The flight had a stopover midway, departing at **17:45** and arriving in **Las Vegas** at **9:00** the next morning.


    Once she landed, she returned to her hotel. After briefly stepping out to buy a new phone and a SIM card, she logged back online and immediately asked in the family chat whether Rick had succeeded the previous day.


    Rick hadn''t logged on yet.


    Only Samuel and Scarlett were active in the chat.


    After a few messages back and forth, Rita called them on video chat to ask how things had gone yesterday.


    Both Samuel and Scarlett were glowing with joy, eagerly praising Rita for her thoughtfulness and care.


    Rita felt a bitter sting. In her previous life, no matter how well she treated them, did she ever receive such praise? Never!


    Gold bars! ¡ª Thrown to the floor and stomped on!


    He had never been so unhinged in his life. He knew he was behaving like a madman, but he didn''t care. He felt as if he were on the verge of insanity.


    If he had initially drawn an A-tier or even B-tier Divine Gift, he wouldn''t have lost his mind like this...


    Once the treasures in his vault were wrecked, he stormed through the house, destroying anything in his path.


    Eventually, exhausted, Rick collapsed and fell asleep.


    After Samuel and Scarlett finished their video call with Rita, they began searching for their son, eventually discovering the chaos he had caused.


    Pushing open the door, Scarlett found Rick lying among the ruins of their once-luxurious home.


    Samuel, following the trail of destruction to the vault, took one look at the shattered antiques and artifacts inside and fainted on the spot.


    ...


    When Scarlett called Rita, she was staying at a hotel near the police station, hiding out until her **severe weakness** debuff ended.


    Hearing that both her father and brother were now hospitalized, Rita acted concerned. "Is it serious?" **Please don''t let it be nothing!**


    Scarlett sighed, "Your father just fainted, but do you have any more of that potion? Honestly, seeing the broken antiques made me want to pass out, too."


    **You think it''s ginseng?** Rita replied, "I do, I''ve learned how to make it. Ask Rick if he has any left, let him use that for now. We won''t run out of it from now on."


    Rick had also learned alchemy, so by offering this, she could earn some goodwill.


    After stealing Rick''s Divine Gift, Rita''s burning hatred had subsided by about half. Now, she could even treat revenge as a kind of game.


    Of course, she would always keep her real-world **Thief God** skill ready, to make sure Rick never recovered, until he died!


    After a few more minutes of conversation, Rita hung up.


    She spent the next few days holed up in her hotel, keeping the windows and curtains open to ensure the police across the street could hear her if needed.


    Sitting by the window, Rita read through **Apache''s Alchemy Notes**. She ordered takeout three times a day but didn''t actually eat any of it, relying solely on the food from her inventory. At times, it felt like she was back in her fugitive days from the previous life.


    Finally, on the afternoon of the **12th**, her **severe weakness** debuff ended, and all her health, mana, and other stats returned to normal. She left the hotel without hesitation, paid someone to drive her car back to Los Angeles, and caught a flight home.

 Chapter 35: Last Lifes Calculations

    On the morning of the 13th, Rita arrived in Los Angeles. After leaving the airport, she headed straight to the hospital. Samuel was still bedridden, while Rick, on the other hand, was up and about, preparing for his upcoming wedding. Apparently, Zoey had dragged him to practice for it. Rita had never heard of someone needing rehearsals for a wedding before.


    At the hospital, she gave Samuel two bottles of **basic healing potions**. Samuel stared blankly at the ceiling while Scarlett pried his mouth open and forced him to drink the potion. He showed no reaction, making Rita wonder if he had become a vegetable.


    Rita pulled Scarlett aside and quietly asked what was going on. Scarlett, hesitant and unsure how to explain, simply said she didn''t know. After all, they had kept secrets from their daughter for years, and suddenly telling her now would only hurt her feelings.


    Rita wasn''t particularly concerned. Her main reason for coming was to use **Insight** on the couple''s **Divine Gifts**.


    In her past life, she didn''t have an **Insight** tool, and most of the information she gathered came from either her own observations or what others revealed.


    Scarlett had once claimed that her **Divine Gift** was related to cooking, saying that the food she made had a 5% chance of boosting a person''s stats. Rita had even joked back then that Scarlett and Rick were truly mother and son, both with cooking-related **Divine Gifts**.


    But now, as she looked again, Scarlett''s **Divine Gift** was actually fire-based. The more she talked, the more powerful her fire-related abilities became, resetting daily.


    Suddenly, it all made sense. In her past life, Scarlett always called Rita home for dinner, and every time she returned, the food was already prepared. The dishes, though made with premium ingredients, tasted average. Rita, being someone who repaid kindness with gratitude, always left something behind for Scarlett and Samuel after the meal.


    No wonder... Everything had been part of a bigger plan to complement Rick''s **God of the Culinary Arts** talent.


    The high-quality ingredients ensured that the dishes had decent ratings, but the average taste meant the score stayed low enough to avoid triggering the double-effect bonus. Rita never once suspected the connection to Rick, nor did she ever gain any stat boosts from the food.


    Meanwhile, the emotional manipulation worked in Rick''s favor. Not only did it make her feel grateful enough to offer things in return, but it also subtly siphoned away her luck, converting it into "payment" for Rick''s benefit.


    Looking back, every time she had a meal at home, her luck seemed to plummet for a while. At the time, she chalked it up to bad vibes with her hometown.


    Rick hadn''t entirely lied to her, either. He had told her that his **Divine Gift** doubled the effects of the food he made, and indeed, when she ate it, the effects were doubled. He even made custom dishes for her, ensuring that the bonus applied every time. Yet, despite two years of eating his food, she never gained any stat points.


    It was all so carefully orchestrated¡ªbalancing the skills, earning her trust while scheming against her, and never giving her a real advantage.


    Rita had learned her lesson!


    She wasn''t surprised that Rick coveted her luck. From a young age, she had always been lucky. Her starting **luck stat** in the game had been **8**, higher than most people. Still, it was strange that someone so lucky had missed both the first and second game beta tests...


    But the most sophisticated lies were often truths.


    He never needed to fight. How many lies had he told her that she had no way of verifying?


    What a family...


    Rita stepped into the sunlight outside the hospital but still felt a chill seeping into her bones.


    **How was she born into this family?**


    She sighed, thinking about her recent moves.


    She wasn''t much better.


    They were all conniving, whether it was **Samuel**, the sly old man, **Scarlett**, the naive mother, **Rick**, the manipulative brother, or herself, the cunning player.


    Scarlett might be an idiot, but they were all in this together now.


    On the 15th, Rita accompanied Rick to his wedding rehearsal. She watched him from afar¡ªhe was smiling, looking like nothing was wrong, no trace of despair, anger, or sorrow.


    But the more Rita watched, the happier she became. The deeper Rick buried his emotions, the better. It was just like her¡ªeach time she had smiled at Rick, her retaliation had been all the more vicious afterward. She was eagerly waiting for the day he would snap.


    After enjoying Rick''s performance and his mask of calmness, she pulled Zoey aside with a mysterious grin and whispered, "I''ve got a wedding gift for you¡ªsomething from the game. Where''s a good place to give it to you?"


    Zoey, intrigued by the idea of a game-related gift, led her to the dressing room. Rita waved for Rick to join them. Once they were all inside, she pulled out the item¡ªa bed that, at first glance, would turn anyone''s face pale.


    Zoey''s expression remained neutral as she thanked Rita, but her eyes lit up.


    Rick, too, breathed a sigh of relief. Although it was a bit awkward, the item... hit the mark. He needed it¡ªdesperately.


    After days of darkness, Rita had finally brought him a glimmer of good news. Rick gave her a grateful look.

 Chapter 36: Stealing From Thirty-Seven Players at the Banquet

    After wishing Zoey and Rick a happy wedding, Rita excused herself to leave. Zoey, clearly pleased with the wedding gift, personally escorted her to the door and even arranged for a Lopez family driver to take her home. It was evident that Zoey was not only satisfied with the gift but also appreciated Rita''s tactfulness.


    The next day, Rita was unexpectedly invited by Zoey to visit their new home¡ªa villa within the Lopez family estate, which had been prepared as a marital residence for Zoey and Rick. Rita had previously assumed it was occupied by other members of the Lopez family and hadn''t imagined it was reserved for the couple.


    Upon entering, Rita noticed a faint blue light glowing beneath her feet, accompanied by the scent of revealing potion, though there was no visible mist. It seemed the Lopez family had upgraded their security system using advanced technology. Zoey casually explained, "Oh, don''t mind it, it''s just pressure sensors, no harm."


    Rita understood immediately. Having spent most of September in Vancouver collecting weapons, she hadn''t been to the Lopez estate in a while. She figured the entire main house must now be outfitted with such systems, and likely, the White family had also come up with countermeasures. Rita quickly decided she would avoid both the Lopez and White families for the time being.


    After all, where there''s detection, there''s likely a corresponding capture system.


    After a tour of the marital home and staying for a meal, Rita prepared to leave. She could tell how much Zoey appreciated the wedding gift.


    Before departing, Rita told Zoey, "On your wedding day, I''ll use my talent to boost your luck to full! Don''t worry about a thing!"


    Zoey''s expression froze momentarily. Her luck had once been maxed out at 10, but mysteriously dropped to 8, which had led her to suspect everyone around her. She even investigated whether Rita, being a potential player, had some sort of **Divine Gift** that could curse people.


    However, Zoey quickly adjusted her demeanor, smiled, and instructed the Lopez driver to take Rita home. She even had a second car follow behind, filled with gifts for Rita.


    That evening, during dinner at the Wilson family villa, Rita showered Zoey with praise.


    Rita''s casual glance at Sanchez seemed nothing more than idle curiosity toward the wedding guests. She kept her focus on the food, smiling and clapping at the appropriate moments, playing the part of an unassuming relative. Even though her maxed-out charm often drew people''s attention, she remained low-key.


    And yet... this inconspicuous relative with her unassuming demeanor managed to use her **Cha?vez watch''s Insight** skill to steal from thirty-seven players at the banquet.


    These were all "familiar faces" from her past life.


    The more she stole, the angrier she became. Nearly every one of these people had crossed her before, making her wonder if she had some natural talent for attracting enemies.


    Now, though, she understood¡ªRick had been using her as his **tank**, diverting all the aggro toward her.


    By the end of the banquet, Rita had stolen **2 points of constitution, 2 points of strength**, and **1 point of intelligence**.


    After the party, Rita tactfully escorted Samuel and Scarlett home. They didn''t stick around to crash the wedding night celebrations. While the Lopez family could playfully harass the couple, if the Wilson family joined in, it would be seen as overstepping boundaries.


    Lopez family members arranged for a driver to take them home. In the car, Samuel, who had kept up a cheerful facade all day, finally relaxed. He slumped in the backseat, staring emo-ly out the window.


    Rita asked a few probing questions, but Samuel remained silent. Understanding his mood, she didn''t press further.


    Upon returning to her own villa, Rita prepared a feast for her backyard''s "Cat Motel." Since gaining the **God of the Culinary Arts**, she had developed an obsessive compulsion when it came to cooking. If the ingredients weren''t cut perfectly, it bothered her. If the heat wasn''t just right, it irritated her. If the dish didn''t score high enough, she felt like a failure...

 Chapter 37: If You’re Not Biological, Who Is?

    Rita didn''t mind the perfectionism brought by the **God of the Culinary Arts** gift. It required her to cook meticulously to maximize its benefits. She didn''t rush things anymore, though. Ever since the first beta test, she had been in a state of constant anxiety, unable to relax for even a moment, always feeling as if a predator was chasing her.


    Now, with the biggest threat in hand, she could slow down¡ªat least enough to make sure she got six hours of sleep every day!


    As she lay in bed, her mist diffuser gently sprayed **Advanced Reveal Potion** into the air. She checked her current stats:


    - **Strength**: 8+2


    - **Constitution**: 11+2


    - **Intelligence**: 14+1


    - **Agility**: 21


    For someone healthy and with a habit of exercising, a starting value of 7 was typical. Of course, intelligence was influenced by IQ, and men with strong physical training often started with higher strength and constitution, sometimes even reaching 10. Runners or parkour enthusiasts had agility far above 7.


    But even by those highest standards, Rita''s current stats were equivalent to those of a level 6 player. And yet, she was still at level 0, with just a handful of experience points from the few small tasks she''d done during the first beta test, plus the quest from Apache.


    The game was set to fully integrate with reality by February next year. Rita wasn''t planning to tip off the authorities. Her plan was already completed, and whether she acted good or bad wouldn''t make much of a difference. The truth was, after the third beta test, many of the players would be itching to show off.


    Some people just couldn''t help but flaunt their newfound powers, while others sought to settle old scores.


    There was no way to keep such things under wraps.


    In her previous life, by the end of 2078, strange news stories were already popping up, and rumors about the game spread even a month or two before the full invasion began. Rita figured the authorities had likely already received intel. Out of the millions of people involved, some were bound to be government agents, which would explain why they had reacted so quickly last time.


    Having prepared for everything¡ªhoarding supplies, securing resources, spending where needed¡ªRita decided to devote her time to learning martial arts and marksmanship. She was no stranger to close combat or ranged attacks; in her last year on the run, her hand-to-hand combat skills had been honed in countless life-or-death battles.


    Her fighting style was purely lethal¡ªno fancy moves, just brutal efficiency aimed at weak points. Elbows to the throat, eye-gouging, kidney punches, stabs to the heart. It wasn''t that she disdained formal techniques, she simply wanted to expand her repertoire. Even with high stats, if she couldn''t effectively use her power, it wouldn''t matter.


    There was a reason formal martial arts systems were so highly regarded¡ªeach had its advantages, and Rita wanted to study them.


    Rita immediately held down the message, selected **Reply**, and tagged Rick:


    **"@Rick, Brother, I''ve got my eye on a new gun [blushing emoji]."**


    She knew Rick had the money.


    Rick sighed deeply. Ever since marrying into the Lopez family, he had been receiving 5 million as a monthly allowance. All his living expenses were covered by the Lopez family¡ªclothes were bought or custom-made for him. That 5 million was pure pocket money. Eating soft rice really was a sweet deal!


    And his wedding night had gone smoothly, thanks to the bed Rita had gifted. After a night of intense passion, Rick had almost forgotten about his "little problem." Even Zoey seemed pleased, though she couldn''t shake the nagging feeling that something wasn''t quite the same length as before. Still, satisfaction outweighed suspicion.


    Feeling generous, Rick transferred 500,000 to both Rita and Scarlett.


    He then asked them to help gather information about **Divine Gifts**, especially whether anyone had discovered a **Divine Gift** that had stopped working.


    The women immediately promised to do their best, flooding the group chat with enthusiastic messages:


    **"Got it! Don''t worry, boss!"**


    **"Leave it to us!"**


    Their service was so good it rivaled certain well-known hotpot chains.


    Samuel jumped in too, transferring money to the women and asking them to keep an eye out for any skills or items that could repair broken objects.


    The two women responded with another round of **"Got it, boss!"**


    And then promptly forgot all about it.


    A week later, when Rick and Samuel asked if they''d found anything, they were met with radio silence. Rita looked at the group chat and started laughing at herself:


    **"Rita, if you''re not the biological child, then who is?!"**

 Chapter 38: Training

    Rita, realizing she couldn''t push people too hard, finally responded in the group chat.


    **Rita**: "So, how''s the bed working for you?!"


    **Rick**: "Not bad."


    **Rita**: "See? Good stuff doesn''t just fall from the sky. How do you expect me to find great news all the time?"


    Samuel and Scarlett both asked what bed she was talking about.


    Rita shared the information about the bed, explaining it was the wedding gift she''d given.


    **Scarlett (Blissful Scarlett)**: "Is there more? Mom wants one too. Your dad could use it!"


    **Samuel (Depressed Samuel)**: "???"


    **Rita**: "You think these beds grow on trees? They''re insanely expensive! Dozens of gold coins! Have you seen how much it takes to trade for 1 gold coin nowadays? You''ll understand how pricey that bed was."


    Samuel, having kept up with recent news, knew that silver coins were now going for 10,000 each, and gold coins were even crazier.


    **Depressed Samuel**: "I heard it takes a million to get just one gold coin, but no one''s actually done it yet."


    **Blissful Scarlett**: "A bed that costs millions?! That''s outrageous! You won''t splurge when you should, but now you''re splurging on this!"


    For a moment, she had sensed someone attempting to divine her information, but the **Cha?vez Watch** had blocked it. Through the fog in her mind, it felt like she could peer through space and time to see the person trying to uncover her¡ª a young man with a buzz cut.


    After her session, Rita headed to a nearby restaurant for a meal. Whether it was due to her maxed-out charm stat or everything she had experienced, she now carried an aura far more captivating than before.


    There was a mystique about her from **Thief God**, a coldness from **Immortal**, the sharpness of **Master Archer**, and the warmth and approachability of **God of the Culinary Arts**¡ªall layered over her natural restraint and madness. Combined with her already refined and gentle appearance, Rita had become the kind of person people couldn''t help but stare at.


    In fact, she had noticed this at Zoey''s wedding. Even though she had tried to keep a low profile, she still caught the occasional glance. Of course, most of the guests that day were wealthy and prestigious, so they kept their distance during the event.


    But after the wedding, Rita had essentially "disappeared." She spent her time either training or cooking at home, ignoring unknown calls and rejecting friend requests from strangers.


    There were times when she could sense people secretly taking pictures of her while she ate, but such was the reality of this era.


    Ever since she had left the entertainment industry, and with no rivals stirring up controversy, people online were genuinely supportive of her. Most comments were positive, and occasionally, she would trend briefly. But since she didn''t engage with the attention, her popularity would eventually fade again.


    Unexpectedly, **Amelia** reached out to her, hoping to collaborate once more and stage a comeback in the entertainment world.


    Rita had nearly forgotten about that snake. After using **Insight** to confirm Amelia wasn''t a player, Rita unceremoniously kicked her out and hit her with **Wheel of Fate**, reducing her luck to 1.


    The investigation into **Robinson**''s murder was still ongoing, as they sifted through his enemies. Although the discovery of the game had cleared Amelia of suspicion, no one suspected Rita either. Robinson hadn''t had a chance to harm her yet, and they had no visible conflict. As for Amelia, she had been a convenient scapegoat.


    But if Amelia were to die, things might change.


    Rita hadn''t hired a chef to teach her cooking. She had never been a fan of cooking, but now, with the in-game cooking skill, she didn''t mind preparing her own meals. The detailed cooking videos attached to each recipe were enough, and many methods differed from real-life techniques. There was no need for a teacher.


    More and more stray cats came to her villa for food, though, especially now that autumn and winter were settling in. Luckily, her villa was in a secluded area, so no one noticed the growing feline population.

 Chapter 39: Earning a Side Income with Wheel of Fate

    It was a nice day, and for once, Rita didn''t go out to do anything serious. Instead, she hired a cleaning lady to give her house a deep clean, while she personally washed the cat bed of her "Myriad Cats Den." During this, she not only used **Insight** to check if the cleaner was a player but also hid her shadow within the woman''s shadow as a surveillance measure.


    With so many secrets, Rita was cautious that anyone sent to her home might plant surveillance equipment or try to monitor her.


    Rita realized that her paranoia, born from her past life on the run, would likely never go away. She''d always be suspicious of anyone who got close to her. But she didn''t mind¡ªit kept her alive. Her only regret was not buying a cleaning skill. Then, she wouldn''t have to let strangers into her home in the first place.


    She wasn''t sure exactly what benefits the cat bed would bring, but knowing it was an S-rank item capable of building a small force around a pet hospital in her previous life, Rita had already decided: once the game invaded, if the cat bed mutated, she''d bind it immediately with a **Binding Stone**. A mere 100 gold was nothing for something of that caliber.


    As she dried the bed in the yard, seven or eight cats were lounging in the sun. In the past, she had been too busy to pay attention to the cats that frequented her yard. She only had a vague idea that the cats came and went, none of them staying long. But today, she realized that two of the cats seemed familiar. She had either seen them back in August or earlier when she lived in her previous mansion.


    One was a chubby tabby with snow-white paws, and the other was a black-and-white cow-patterned cat.


    Rita made a mental note of the two cats'' appearances.


    The cleaning lady spent the entire day working in Rita''s house. Since Rita didn''t want too many people in her home, she only hired one cleaner but paid handsomely¡ª10,000 for the day. It was a big payday, much more than she would make working half a month at someone else''s house. Naturally, many other cleaners had competed for the job.


    Rita inspected the work and found it spotless. She paid the woman without hesitation and sent her on her way. However, she refused the lady''s request to exchange WeChat contacts and didn''t mention the possibility of hiring her again. Rita planned to rotate cleaners to avoid anyone getting too familiar with her home and possibly being bribed to plant bugs or other surveillance devices.


    Her experiences from the last life were her greatest wealth.


    Just after sending the cleaner away, Rita received a message from Zoey.


    The buzz-cut youth checked his stats and saw that his luck had indeed risen to 10. He nodded to Sanchez, who gave him a subtle smile.


    Rita also nodded to the group with a polite smile and prepared to leave. Zoey didn''t try to keep her and instead had someone escort her back home.


    As soon as Rita got into the car, she received the payment notification.


    On the drive home, she felt someone attempting to divine her information again¡ªit was the same buzz-cut youth. Rita smirked to herself. It seemed the **White** and **Lopez** families were collaborating.


    ...


    Indeed, the White and Lopez families had formed an alliance. Shortly after Zoey''s wedding, they had a secret meeting. The Lopez family was shocked to learn that someone had infiltrated the White family and severed Sanchez''s arm. Meanwhile, the White family was equally stunned because someone had not only cut off Zoey''s ear but also stolen a large stash of gold from the Lopez family''s vault.


    This created an awkward situation.


    Even though the White family had come to the table with a diplomatic approach, deep down, they still harbored some resentment. Who''s to say it wasn''t the Lopez family''s enemies trying to use the White family to get back at them? After all, Lopez had been hit hard, too.


    The Lopez family, meanwhile, had mixed feelings. While losing a stash of gold bricks hurt, the family was wealthy enough that it wasn''t a crippling blow. Zoey''s injury, though unfortunate, was relatively minor compared to losing half an arm. She could easily cover her missing ear, and few would even notice.


    It was a delicate situation. The White family, under the guise of wanting to "discuss," seemed to expect the Lopez family to explain. If they didn''t, Sanchez''s testimony that Zoey was the culprit could lead to serious conflict.


    Both sides stared at each other in silence.

 Chapter 40: The Costume

    Both **Sanchez** and **Zoey** were utterly furious, their faces grim with anger. It wasn''t just the physical injuries they had suffered that enraged them; it was the fact that the assailant clearly treated them like pawns in a game, orchestrating a crude attempt to pit two victims and their families against each other.


    The culprit was likely reveling in their turmoil, laughing at how easily they had been manipulated.


    Recently, the **White family** had been focusing heavily on developing their involvement in the game, with all its members participating. After the latest closed beta, they had been actively searching for information about other players, specifically those with **Divine Gifts** related to divination. Evidence had disappeared, so they were forced to rely on the mystical powers within the game.


    Finally, they managed to track down someone with such abilities¡ªonly to discover that they couldn''t divine anything about the culprit.


    As both families discussed, they concluded that the perpetrator must have had grudges against both the **Su** and **Liang** families. As for the driver who was killed, he was likely just a small accomplice who was eliminated after serving his purpose.


    Thus, the elders began sifting through possible suspects with ties to both families, while the younger members worked together, using their **Divine Gifts** to seek clues.


    This is why Zoey approached **Rita**, asking her to boost the luck of a divination-related player using her **Wheel of Fate**. They hoped it would help reveal something. But the results were clear¡ªnothing came of it.


    Although the buzz-cut youth didn''t uncover anything through his divination, his luck took a sudden turn for the better. On his way home, he stopped by a lottery shop, bought a ticket on a whim, and won a prize. This immediately caught Sanchez''s attention, who, during a conversation with Zoey, mentioned the remarkable effects of Rita''s **Divine Gift**.


    Rita''s ability seemed like it could be useful in the future.


    Sanchez had long known about the **Wheel of Fate** **Divine Gift**. After the first closed beta, she had **Cha?vez''s Eye** and used **Insight** to scan every member of the White family, discovering **Daniel White''s** **Divine Gift**. She didn''t make this information public, instead reporting it to the family head and keeping an eye on Daniel to see if his newfound abilities would lead him to rebel.


    Besides, with her ties to the Lopez family, no one wanted to risk making her an enemy.


    Rita hadn''t expected that the skill that had gotten her killed in her previous life would now be earning her money.


    With the end of the third closed beta, Rita no longer worried about being outed as a player. The Lopez family and other powerful figures who needed her **Divine Gift** would protect her. After all, her ability wasn''t dangerous but was still unique enough to be useful¡ªlike a divination tool. She was open about using it for business, making her a reliable resource rather than a target.


    If there was ever a need for a scapegoat, she wouldn''t be the first choice.


    Even without a background, many other players posed a greater threat. No one would go out of their way to capture someone who had business dealings with all the major families.


    Rita''s income now far outpaced what she earned as a celebrity. Even though many of her clients could easily obtain rare weapons or gear, she preferred to receive money and buy what she needed herself. After all, if those items mutated after the game fully invaded, she didn''t want anyone to claim that she had stolen their fortune.


    Now, Rita spent two to three hours a day earning extra cash with her **Wheel of Fate**, saving her money for an upcoming trip to a strange country known for its mystical artifacts. She planned to stockpile items there in hopes of triggering some mutations.


    But before that, she had another task¡ªto retrieve a costume from her past.


    When she first debuted, Rita had played a supporting role as a secret guard obsessed with the male lead in a low-budget historical drama. Dressed in black from head to toe for 35 of the 36 episodes, her character had garnered attention, and the show became an unexpected hit. This was the role that had propelled her from a rookie to a third-tier actress.


    Like most hit shows, the production had sold off the main characters'' costumes as part of a merchandising effort. A fan had bought her costume, but after her reputation was destroyed in her previous life, the fan had been heartbroken and sold it.


    Later, after the game invasion, that very costume had mutated into a high-quality blue-tier piece of gear.

 Chapter 41: Little Silver Coin Strikes Again

    Rita had a clear memory of why that costume was so special to her. It wasn''t just a prop from a low-budget drama that marked her rise to fame; two years later, it had found its way back to her in the most ironic way possible. During her first escape attempt in the previous life, when she was being hunted down, she had killed one of her pursuers.


    While searching the body for supplies, she found that same costume¡ªand discovered her name still stitched inside the collar.


    It was her first acting gig, and though the costume wasn''t anything remarkable¡ªit was just good-quality, durable fabric meant to last through months of filming¡ªshe had stitched her name in black thread inside the collar with hopes for a bright future.


    In this life, she hadn''t initially planned to search for that costume. After all, she hadn''t been smeared by scandals or forced to sell it off. Her fan probably hadn''t been so heartbroken as to auction it.


    But, while idly scrolling on her phone one day, she was hit with a recommendation from the algorithm¡ªa fan''s video showing photos of her eating at a restaurant, followed by pictures of the costume itself. The fan mentioned they were short on cash and wanted to sell the outfit they had bought for 20,000 yuan.


    Immediately, Rita messaged the fan from her main account, saying she was nostalgic and offering to buy back the costume. She played the sentimental card, then followed up with a more compelling one¡ªcash. She offered 50,000 yuan.


    The fan, perhaps feeling guilty or embarrassed that their favorite actress had seen the post, initially refused, saying they had changed their mind about selling it.


    Rita raised her offer. "100,000."


    The fan apologized again, explaining that they were only trying to sell it out of desperation, not because they didn''t like her anymore.


    "150,000, sweetheart," Rita said, adding a touch of affection to seal the deal.


    Whether it was the allure of the money or the endearing term, the fan relented.


    The next morning, Rita personally drove to pick up the costume. Once home, she washed and sanitized it before hanging it in her walk-in closet. It was a simple black modified Hanfu¡ªnothing elaborate, just a long black robe with a wide belt. Actors could wear whatever they wanted underneath. The moment you slipped the robe on and tied the belt, you were ready to act.


    **A blue-tier piece of gear!**


    A blue-tier piece that had been with her through a year of running and fighting for her life. And now, after all that, it was back with her.


    She briefly considered finding a skilled tailor to embroider some subtle patterns on the fabric, hoping it might enhance the costume''s rank when the game invaded. But she decided against it. What if the change interfered with its potential to mutate? Better to leave it as it was¡ªsafe and unaltered.


    Since Rita had started making big money again, accepting jobs that paid 1 million per session, her family had grown envious once more.


    Not long after Rick''s message, Rita sent her location from the airport.


    **Rita:** [Location shared]


    **Rita:** You''re too late! I already planned a trip to Thailand to scout out some interesting things. I''ll bring you all souvenirs when I get back~


    Then she turned off her phone.


    Rick stood in the kitchen, his face dark with frustration. He didn''t want to resort to this, but he was out of ideas.


    After the third closed beta, Zoey had asked if he had become a player. He couldn''t exactly admit he hadn''t, especially knowing how differently players were treated. He feared Zoey would look down on him even more. So, when he told her he had, the next question had been about his **Divine Gift**.


    Now that everyone knew about **Divine Gifts**, it had become an unspoken rule not to ask about each other''s gifts¡ªunless it was for cooperation or hiring purposes, or the person volunteered the information.


    Even Rita had shared her **Divine Gift** voluntarily, and Rick hadn''t pressed for more details about her skills beyond altering luck. Asking more would have been a breach of privacy, like trying to pry into someone''s bottom line.


    But Zoey didn''t care about that. She wouldn''t pry into her friends'' **Divine Gifts**, but Rick was her husband, her property¡ªof course, she had the right to know.


    Just as the Lopez family had the right to ask about the **Divine Gifts** of their employees who participated in the game''s betas. It was only natural, and they had every right to do so.


    Rick understood the significance of this unspoken power dynamic. He could bet that Zoey wouldn''t dare ask Rita about her **Divine Gift**, but she had no hesitation in asking him. To Zoey, she had the right to know and control everything about him.


    At the time, Rick had shown no displeasure. Instead, he had smiled wryly and told Zoey he had drawn an excellent **Divine Gift** but that it had been sealed. When she pressed for more, he admitted it was an **SS-rank** gift, but most of its skills had grayed out after the game.


    Zoey hadn''t said whether she believed him, but she clearly took the matter more seriously after that.


    Rick had skillfully avoided mentioning the one skill he could still use, quickly steering the conversation toward his newly learned crafting skills, offering to make jewelry and potions for Zoey. He even brought up Rita''s ability as a distraction.


    It was all thanks to him that Rita was making so much money!


    Unfortunately, she had managed to slip away... again.

 Chapter 42: Another Happy Day

    Rick sighed, recalling how Rita had immediately informed them about the game. In hindsight, he was relieved. It was good that she had run off; he had been too eager. There were still so many options available to him¡ªno need to take drastic action against her just yet.


    As he thought about how his luck had improved in the game by making food for random passersby, Rick decided to repeat the process. With all the year-end banquets at the Lopez household, maybe he could sneak in some of his food there. Surely, the wealthy guests, born with far more luck than Rita, could offer him even greater fortunes?


    Still, he knew it was best to keep this hidden from the Lopez family. Even though he was confident that Zoey would support him if he revealed the true nature of his skill, he preferred to keep it a secret. He didn''t want to reveal it until absolutely necessary.


    But tonight, with all the ingredients already bought, he couldn''t just waste them. Thoughts of Samuel and Scarlett briefly flashed through his mind before he settled on another target: Julian, who was still staying in his apartment rent-free.


    Smiling, Rick began to prepare a meal. After all, Julian had lived there long enough without paying any rent.


    ---


    Meanwhile, Rita had no idea her dear brother wasn''t angry at her, but rather thankful she had left. Even if she knew, it wouldn''t have moved her. A villain''s fleeting kindness wasn''t true kindness¡ªit was merely keeping her in reserve for future use.


    In Thailand, after using her **Disguise** skill to turn into a bald man, Rita found a local guide. She gave clear instructions: she wanted bizarre, sinister items¡ªprice was no object, but they had to be mysterious and, ideally, old.


    The guide''s smile became more sincere as she realized she had found another rich sucker.


    But the next moment, Rita pulled out a tiny pistol with her right hand, pressing it to the guide''s temple, while her left hand flashed a stack of cash. "This, or this?" she asked coolly.


    The guide''s smile instantly crumbled. "None of these things are real, though...," she stammered.


    Rita calmly holstered the gun, her tone soft but serious. "Find items tied to crime scenes, items with a long history, or with chilling stories behind them. If you put in real effort, you''ll be rewarded¡ªat least 500 dollars per find, and more if I''m impressed. No upper limit."


    The guide, calming down after seeing Rita''s composed demeanor, responded honestly, "I can promise I''ll bring you whatever I find, but I can''t guarantee their value."


    Smiling, Rita handed the guide a few bills. "That''s fine. I''ll be staying here for a week. How much you earn is up to you."


    Rita tried not to laugh as she pointed to the durian husk. "What''s the tragic backstory behind this?"


    She leaned in to sniff it¡ªit still had the scent of fresh durian!


    Did this guide think her gun was empty?


    The guide excitedly explained how the durian husk had once fallen from a tree and killed a man. "It hit his head, but didn''t even penetrate his skull¡ªthe impact just shattered it!"


    Rita sighed deeply. "And let me guess, that kid who picked it up and ate it was your child?"


    "Y-yes," the guide admitted sheepishly.


    Rita felt defeated. How could she have thought that the cons here would be any better than the ones back home?


    At least back in China, scammers had the decency to respect her intelligence. Here, they treated her like a fool!


    Even her gun couldn''t save her from this nonsense.


    Resigned, she handed over $2,500 and swept the junk into her black backpack. This trip was over. She''d buy a few latex mattresses and head back home.


    She was exhausted. Better to spend her time training and preparing for the game dungeons than wasting time here.


    Less than a week later, Rita was back in familiar territory.


    With nearly 30 million dollars left and nowhere to spend it, she felt a little restless. What a headache.


    She decided to convert the remaining cash into gold. It was easy to justify: once the players took over, the value of money would plummet. Gold was a much safer investment.

 Chapter 43: The Old Ones and the Young Ones Are Both Useless

    Rita took the time to run to the Wilson family villa, dropping off the latex mattress she bought for Scarlett in the living room. She then declined Scarlett''s invitation to stay for dinner and headed straight to the gold shop.


    When Rick wasn''t a player, Rita had no problem dining with the Wilson family. But now that Rick had about... five percent of the **God of the Culinary Arts** talent, she didn''t want to touch even a grain of rice from the Wilson household.


    From that day on, whenever someone came to her to use the **Wheel of Fate**, she only accepted gold. The market rate at that time was about 3.8 pounds of gold for the price of 1 million USD. However, Rita didn''t bother with precise numbers and rounded it up¡ªrequesting 4 pounds of gold instead.


    **Zoey**: "..." It was the first time she heard someone round up like this, and now just the thought of gold was making her feel nauseous.


    Still, rich people didn''t mind overpaying by a little.


    After modifying their luck, many people were initially worried¡ªwas this borrowing future luck in advance? Would they be lucky now but suffer misfortune later? Most were observing cautiously, but as time went on, they realized there were no negative effects. Even though their luck improved, it only helped things along within a certain range¡ªit wasn''t like they could achieve things effortlessly.


    It was like when someone is trying their hardest to climb to the heavens, and the wind suddenly shifts from against them to behind them.


    Take the short-haired guy who won the lottery, for instance. The first time he scratched and won a million, he immediately bought ten more tickets but didn''t win again.


    Rita''s divine talent wasn''t just sustaining interest¡ªit was attracting even more buyers. People didn''t need it every day, but when something big came up, they wanted to ensure smooth sailing. It was more useful than those fortune plants and feng shui trinkets!


    During this time, Rick, Samuel, and Scarlett also wanted to sneak in and get a taste of **Another Happy Day** for themselves, experiencing the joy of having a lucky score of 10.


    Rita readily agreed to such a trivial request.


    The day only had 24 hours, and the skill took 6 hours to cool down after each use. Most powerful people¡ªexcept those giving birth at midnight¡ªtended to request her services during the day. Even though some important business might happen over dinner, it rarely extended into the night.


    Rita usually handled two jobs per day¡ªone in the morning, one in the afternoon. This way, she earned her gold without it interfering with her training schedule. The clients arranged transportation, and after casting **Wheel of Fate**, they''d drive her straight to her class.


    As for late-night sessions, that eerie timeslot was reserved for the Wilson family.


    Rick couldn''t make it to her place at night, and as a brother who adored his sister, he couldn''t possibly ask her to go to his place at midnight just to cast a skill on him. That would be absurd.


    But Samuel and Scarlett, who lived in the same villa complex, could.


    But then again, everyone has a gambler''s mindset.


    After class each day, Rita would swing by the antique market, buying up all the junk she could find. Once, when Scarlett came over to help clean up, she saw a pile of things Rita hadn''t even bothered putting into her game inventory and remarked that Rita would definitely fall for health product scams when she got old.


    The male protagonist was falling apart, and the third female lead was poisonous. Yet, here she was gambling.


    Everyone had a bright future ahead of them.


    But there was one person who seemed to be on the verge of breaking.


    One day, Rita received a call from Rick, asking if she was free that evening to help one of his friends modify their luck. He offered to pay her¡ª5 pounds of gold per session.


    Why wouldn''t she agree? It was a no-risk transaction, especially since she''d be taking money from Rick.


    However, anticipating that Rick might invite her to dinner, she preemptively suggested, "Business is business, but tonight, dinner''s on me. I''ll even pop open a good bottle of wine."


    At a restaurant that charged over ten thousand per person, plus a bottle of wine worth around twenty thousand, the total only came to about one pound of gold.


    Rita looked in the rearview mirror, smoothed her hair, and nodded at her reflection: *You''re so generous!*


    Then she swerved the car towards the Wilson family villa, picking up Samuel and Scarlett. She didn''t know who Rick''s friend was, but she could guess it was probably one of his rich and handsome brothers, and she didn''t want to dine with them alone.


    This silly brother of hers always acted like he was introducing a girlfriend to the family. Whenever he made new friends, he''d bring them home for dinner, proudly pointing to Samuel and Scarlett, saying, "I''d like you to meet my family."


    In reality, Rick brought home at least two different "brothers" every semester, all of whom were tall, rich, and handsome.


    Rita used to think he was either brain-damaged or hiding something.


    Later, she realized it was actually pretty smart!


    Those friends were all so moved by the gesture that they shed tears of gratitude and helped Rick in many ways.


    Rita felt it was hard to truly understand Rick. Maybe his success wasn''t just about luck after all.

 Chapter 44: The Value of the "Wheel of Fate

    It wasn''t just Rita who had grown accustomed to these dinners¡ªso had Scarlett and Samuel. Each time, Samuel would bring out a bottle of his latest liquor, claiming, "This is the good stuff your uncle''s been saving for special occasions. Since you''re Rick''s friend, I''ll treat you like a son. Come, let''s have a drink together!" The cups and the lines never changed.


    As expected, when Rita entered the private room, she saw Julian, whom she had met not long ago in City B. But now, he looked worn out, as though he was about to break apart.


    Although his eyes lit up briefly when he saw Rita, his mood quickly sank again. Lately, Julian had been incredibly unlucky¡ªhe hadn''t won a single game, not even when the odds were in his favor. The situation with his fans had blown up, and the people he had offended in City B had come after him. Even staying home doing nothing, he would choke on his food...


    When everyone sat down, Rick seemed more anxious than Julian himself, immediately pulling out a five-pound gold bar and handing it to Rita. "Sis, please help my friend out. He''s had the worst luck recently."


    Rita didn''t bother with modesty. She was wary that if she refused, Rick might take back the gold brick without further insistence. She skillfully dodged Scarlett''s elbow jabs, pocketed the gold bar, and then used her skill on Julian.


    It didn''t take much thought for Rita to realize what had likely happened: Julian had probably eaten food Rick had made, but hadn''t paid for it.


    With Rick''s dishes, it wasn''t just about skipping the bill¡ªRick secretly cooked and served people without letting them know they needed to pay! By paying Rita to boost Julian''s luck, Rick was doing him a favor, adding a sweetener to build more trust and gratitude.


    This was a tactic Rick had used on her in the past.


    But now, seeing Rick manipulate a brother who had once been his trusted companion, Rita only felt validated in coming to this dinner¡ªshe could probably eat an extra two bowls of rice with this new insight.


    Rita decisively boosted Julian''s luck to 10, letting him experience the charm of **Another Happy Day**. From Rick''s attitude, it seemed like Julian would likely become a regular customer of her services in the future.


    Even when the game invaded reality, this skill would be a goldmine.


    When defeating a boss and opening a treasure chest, wouldn''t **Another Happy Day** be essential?


    Rick, on the other hand, found no issue with Rita''s attitude. In fact, this suited his plan perfectly¡ªher indifference only highlighted how good a friend Rick was to Julian.


    When Rita finally got home, it was late, but she still spent another hour preparing food for the cats in her yard.


    The weather had turned colder, and more and more cats were seeking refuge in her yard. Rita had a custom pet house built, installed heated mats, and arranged it all inside. There were so many cats now that she couldn''t bear to see the weaker ones freezing outside while the stronger ones slept comfortably.


    She even installed a motion-sensor faucet, so any passing cat could have fresh water whenever they needed it.


    That was as much as she could do for them.


    Rita squatted by the floor-to-ceiling windows, facing the yard, where a calico cat was pawing at the door, wanting to come inside.


    She wagged her finger at it, saying, "Not a chance."


    ¡ª"Meow~"


    "Impossible," she replied coldly, getting up and walking away.


    Over the next few days, Rita continued upgrading the cats'' backyard. She bought some cat toys and climbing frames and even installed a retractable canopy that could shield them from the rain while still letting in sunlight.


    She justified her actions by telling herself that she was merely ensuring the cat bed would mutate after the game''s invasion¡ªnot because she was softening up to the cats.


    As she busied herself, she kept pondering the pricing for **Wheel of Fate**. The more she thought about it, the more she realized her paranoia was flaring up again. The skill was just as dangerous as **Roleplay**.


    A Divine Gift that could alter luck and swap attributes wasn''t rated **B-class** for no reason.

 Chapter 45: Unexpected Visitors

    Despite the fact that nobody had made any moves on Rita yet, not even Zoey, the moment of peace wasn''t likely to last. Right now, her skill seemed like a harmless party trick, akin to a fortune-teller helping people boost their luck¡ªa novelty but nothing game-changing. However, when the game invaded reality, it would be a different story.


    If a group could consistently increase the value of the loot they obtained after raids by even 10-30%, they would eventually leave everyone else in the dust.


    Currently, players weren''t earning much, so Rita wasn''t charging high fees. But when they got stronger and wealthier, her ability''s value would skyrocket. She''d need to tread carefully, ensuring balance. Demanding a percentage of a team''s loot could make her a target. But charging too little? That wouldn''t sit well with her either.


    She knew herself¡ªdeep down, despite her caution, she was greedy.


    Suddenly, her phone rang. The call was from security, informing her that two people were at the gate claiming to know her from the game on October 10th.


    Rita smirked, understanding immediately: players.


    She wasn''t concerned. These people were approaching in broad daylight, on friendly terms. Whatever their intentions, they seemed peaceful for now. She instructed the guard to let them in.


    The visitors were a man and a woman, both dressed casually. However, their posture and the way they carried themselves suggested they were professionals. Rita led them into her house, offered water, and cut straight to the point, "What brings you here?"


    The woman with a ponytail introduced herself, "Hello, I''m Shadow.Q. We work for the government."


    Rita felt a surge of excitement, thinking to herself, **Finally, they''re here!** She had anticipated this moment for some time.


    She had already solved the dilemma of how to balance the use of her power. **Why worry about balance when you can find a stronger force to protect you?**


    Rita nodded calmly. "What a coincidence¡ªI work for the government too."


    Shadow.Q was caught off guard by the joke, but she smiled despite herself. Her tense demeanor softened slightly. Initially, she had been worried that Rita might be one of those people who, after gaining extraordinary abilities, started to act arrogant. But Rita''s response showed that, at the very least, she wasn''t hostile toward the authorities. Shadow.Q replied, "I think you know what we mean."


    Rita seized control of the conversation. "You''re interested in my **Divine Gift**, right? You want to work with me?"


    The word "cooperation" unsettled the man with the buzzcut. **They weren''t looking for cooperation¡ªthey wanted control.** Cooperation implied equality, shared profits, and payment for each use of her ability. Asher couldn''t help but blurt out, "Haven''t you thought about serving your country?"


    And so began a back-and-forth negotiation, with Shadow.Q and Asher taking turns, one pushing hard, the other softening the blow. Occasionally, Asher would say something deliberately awkward to ease the tension, showing how well they worked together as a team.


    At first, Rita wasn''t too invested in the conversation. But as the pair continued to press her, she grew curious. "Could you explain why you need my Gift so badly? Is it for scientific research? International affairs?"


    Both Shadow.Q and Asher shook their heads. They couldn''t divulge any details.


    Rita tried to read their expressions, but they were completely unreadable.


    In her previous life, even though she occasionally followed giants like the Lopez and White families into dungeons, she never knew much more than the average person. Most of what she learned came from the news¡ªthings like beta testing dates, the number of players involved, and the occasional headline about a mundane object undergoing a strange mutation. She was never privy to the real secrets.


    So what could be so important that they''d need her **Divine Gift** this desperately?


    Scientific research? Sure, maybe a little luck would help, but real progress came from genius minds and painstaking research¡ªnot something that required long-term cooperation.


    International affairs? Even more far-fetched.


    That left only one possibility: something related to the game itself.


    Crafting equipment? Dungeons?


    Or, if she dared to think even bolder¡ªdid someone have a way to **re-enter the game**?


    After all, who said there could only be three beta tests? Who said that after the beta ended, the game would be inaccessible?


    In her previous life, the government''s dominance over the major families and corporations seemed too effortless to be just about resources and manpower. She didn''t believe that. Look at Mateo and Sanchez''s uncle¡ªthose guys would dream of ruling the world if they could.


    Rita''s heart began to race. Her eyes gleamed as she sat up straight, staring at the two officials.


    Asher and Shadow.Q exchanged nervous glances.


    **Don''t look at us like that. You''re scaring us.**

 Chapter 46: Could This Be a Scam?

    Rita''s attitude took a complete 180-degree turn. She took away the two guests'' water and asked, "Coffee, juice, or tea?"


    Shadow.Q was visibly confused. **This doesn''t feel right...**


    Asher, trying to lighten the mood, clenched his fist and coughed awkwardly. "Please, don''t act like this. We''re starting to get scared."


    Rita, now in full-on host mode, brewed them the finest coffee she had, even taking out some snacks from her game inventory. These treats were some of her highest-scoring creations, just under the 80-point threshold. She placed the plates on the table, saying, "Sorry for the lack of hospitality earlier."


    Shadow.Q''s unease deepened. "Just tell us what you''re thinking."


    Rita cut straight to the point. "Do you guys have a way to enter the game?"


    Shadow.Q and Asher looked like they had been sucker-punched. The very thing they''d hoped to avoid had happened¡ªRita had figured it out. With her unique gift and their overly obvious behavior, it wasn''t surprising she had guessed.


    Their expressions grew serious. Asher, in a tone far more formal than before, said, "If you want to learn more, you''ll have to join us. Don''t worry, we offer excellent benefits and plenty of freedom within the rules."


    Rita understood immediately: **Good benefits** meant they''d make sure she put in more work than she''d ever get back, and **freedom within the rules** was just a fancy way of saying she wouldn''t actually be free.


    Rita saw right through their script. She shook her head, feigning regret. "Looks like we won''t be reaching any sort of agreement."


    Her tone was final¡ªthere was no room for negotiation.


    Shadow.Q pulled out her phone. "Mind if I step outside to make a call?"


    Rita waved dismissively. "Go ahead."


    As Shadow.Q left the room, Asher leaned forward, genuinely curious. "Can I ask why? Is it because you don''t trust us, or is it that you simply don''t want to?"


    Rita was blunt. "Both. I know this game isn''t ordinary, and I know you''re working for a good cause. But where there are too many people, there will always be factions and internal power struggles. Are you telling me that won''t happen here? Even the small company I used to work for had three major factions.


    I''m not cut out for that."


    Unfazed by Rita''s silence, Shadow.Q continued. "We do, in fact, have a way to enter the game. It''s not like the beta tests, though¡ªour physical bodies are transported, and death there means death here. We can bring you in and even provide protection. But, naturally, you''ll have to pay for that service with your **Wheel of Fate** skill."


    The power dynamic of the conversation had shifted dramatically.


    But Rita wasn''t in a rush. In fact, she was thrilled. **They really do have a way back in!**


    She immediately asked, "Where would we arrive?"


    Shadow.Q replied, "We have someone who bought a small house in Undercity, the capital of the Forsaken. His **Divine Gift** allows him to open a portal, which will take us straight to Undercity."


    **Undercity? The enemy stronghold.**


    Shadow.Q watched as Rita''s expression shifted from excitement to calm. "What''s the problem? Don''t like that idea?"


    "... No, I like it." Rita knew her in-game character looked different from her real-life appearance, and besides, she had her **Disguise** skill to fall back on. She asked, "How do we leave once we''re there?"


    Shadow.Q''s smile widened. "Ah, that''s another paid service. We have a player who can turn people into cute little animals, and another who can **Disguise** as an undead to sneak us out of the city."


    Rita could already transform into animals and disguise herself, but if she didn''t want to reveal those abilities, she''d have to pay. She rubbed her forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache. **This feels like one of those ''free'' vacation packages that trap you with hidden fees once you get there.**


    Shadow.Q''s smile grew even brighter, and even Asher looked pleased.


    Rita sighed. "Is there a time limit? Can I stay in the game as long as I want?"


    Shadow.Q nodded. "Yes, but whether you''re going in or out, each use of the portal will cost you fifty skill storage stones filled with **Wheel of Fate**. Don''t worry, we''ll provide the empty stones."


    The price was steep, to say the least.


    But in a monopoly like this, the cost made sense. If Rita didn''t join them, she''d end up paying even more elsewhere.


    The high cost made sense¡ªgetting back into the game opened up the possibility of untold riches. Even if the entry fee was high, it would be worth it.

 Chapter 47: Sneaking into Lania Kaia

    The cooldown time for **Another Happy Day** was six hours, but with the necklace that reduced cooldowns by 15%, Rita realized that, in practice, she could use the skill every 306 minutes. If she timed it right, she''d only need about eleven days'' worth of skill uses to pay for a trip to the other world. This price seemed entirely reasonable to Rita!


    If she owned such a portal, she''d likely set the same price herself. It was a fair amount, considering the value of such an opportunity, without being extortionate. It was a good balance that would also build positive relations with the other party.


    Rita asked, "I only need you to turn me into an animal and sneak me out of the city. How much for that service?"


    Shadow.Q responded, "Five skill crystals."


    **What a rip-off...** Rita thought. She sighed and asked the last question: "If that player dies, can we still get back?"


    Shadow.Q answered, "Well, that''s another paid service."


    Rita''s patience snapped, and she said, "You know what? Maybe you should leave. Let''s pretend this meeting never happened."


    Both Shadow.Q and Asher stood up in unison. "Alright then."


    Rita raised her hand. "Wait! Let''s talk it out."


    Asher deadpanned, "But every time we talk, you don''t like what you hear."


    Rita felt the sting of her pride. **I''m the great, reborn protagonist of a revenge novel! How dare you treat me like this? You''re really pushing it!**


    Shadow.Q offered another solution, smiling as she spoke. "We also have **Skill Stones** with teleportation spells. Crush one, and you''ll return safely. Each one costs 52 skill crystals."


    Rita grimaced. "Do you accept gold coins?"


    Shadow.Q shook her head. "Nope, only your skill crystals."


    Rita asked, "Can I pay in installments? Like, I go in first and then gradually pay you back?"


    Shadow.Q responded with a saleswoman''s enthusiasm. "Of course! In your special case, you''d need to pay every three days, with a minimum of ten crystals per payment, plus five extra as interest."


    Rita, now entirely skeptical, questioned them directly. "Are you *really* government officials?"


    Asher, without hesitation, answered, "Absolutely."


    Rita had a nagging feeling she might have walked into a scam.


    The costs kept piling up: 50 crystals for the teleportation fee, 5 crystals to be transformed into an animal, another 52 crystals to teleport back, and an additional 5 crystals for the installment plan.


    Rita arrived at the library''s top floor, wearing a mask, sunglasses, and a baseball cap. The room was filled with people, most of them similarly disguised to hide their identities.


    In the corner of the room, a table was set up with food and drinks. Rita didn''t go near it¡ªshe had learned her lesson about free food. She''d never trust it again.


    At exactly 7 PM, a man in military uniform entered and addressed the crowd of a few hundred people, laying out the rules for the journey ahead.


    "Those following the team must obey commands. Disobey more than three times, and we reserve the right to execute you."


    "For independent players, you are free to move about once you''re outside the city. If you run into trouble, you can seek our protection, but remember, we only take care of our own."


    "And to those of you here on a loan, make sure to pay on time. Miss a payment, and future cooperation will be difficult."


    "Lastly, respect the confidentiality clauses in your contract. That contract is backed by a **Divine Gift**. You really don''t want to find out what happens if you break it."


    "Is that clear?"


    The group responded with a resounding, "Yes, sir!" The whole situation felt eerily like a military boot camp.


    ---


    Later that evening, Zoey, after finishing a meeting, heard about what had happened with Rita. Her brows furrowed. **The government took her skill...**


    A feeling of displeasure bubbled up within her, as if something that belonged to her had been taken away. However, she quickly regained her composure, considering why the government might need **Wheel of Fate** so urgently.


    At dinner, she casually asked Rick if he knew about the situation.


    Rick showed her the group chat.


    Zoey''s gaze lingered on the line, "I''ll be away for over a month, and I can''t share the details of my trip."


    She asked, "Did they really not pay her?"


    Rick shrugged. "It seems so. She''s stingy, but she wouldn''t lie about something like that."


    Zoey nodded thoughtfully, then dropped the subject. In her mind, the government probably needed **Lucky 10** for something important, like the time she and Sanchez had used a similar gift to ensure smoother divinations.


    While she acknowledged the usefulness of the skill, she wasn''t too upset. Recently, she had been considering officially bringing Rita into the Lopez family, though she was still debating which family branch should marry her. Rita was impressive, but too great a match would be overkill, while too poor a match would embarrass Zoey. After all, Rita was still her husband''s sister.


    **Oh well,** Zoey thought. **It''s just a B-level gift.**

 Chapter 48: I’m the Great Protagonist of a Revenge Novel…

    Rita had no idea that Zoey was already thinking about making her marry into the Lopez family and work for them. But even if she did know, it wouldn''t matter much. She had already been angry about that in her past life.


    The Lopez family was funny sometimes. If you worked for them as an employee, the closer you got to the core, the better the benefits, encouraging everyone to climb the ladder. But if you married into the Lopez family as a spouse or son-in-law, that was it for you¡ªfree labor. Since you were now family, why would you still demand benefits?


    Surely, you didn''t marry into the Lopez family just for their gold, right?


    In her past life, after gaining some fame through her **Divine Gift**, Zoey had constantly tried to set her up with several unsavory members of the Lopez family. But Rita, having seen the kind of life Rick was living in the Lopez household, had no positive impression of the family.


    If it weren''t for the fact that Sanchez and Camila Taylor entered the picture later and the White and Taylor families'' power balanced against the Lopez family, Rick''s status and treatment would have been much worse.


    And besides, the people Zoey introduced? Rita would never agree. After rejecting Zoey''s proposals multiple times, Zoey got it in her head that Rita must have feelings for Rick.


    What a filthy imagination!


    ---


    At 8 p.m., the portal activated on time, and people lined up one by one to go through. Each person had to wait two minutes after the previous one before they could cross.


    Stepping through the blue light, Rita found herself in a dimly lit room with only a single candle flickering in the corner. Two people stood inside: a short-haired woman and the man in the military uniform who had addressed the crowd earlier. The man had now changed into a gray robe, and the short-haired woman waved at Rita, motioning for her to approach.


    "Come over here. Time to turn you into a little animal."


    Rita eyed her warily. "Where are the others? No way they got turned into animals and left the city that fast, right?"


    The short-haired woman smiled and stepped aside, revealing a small glass box filled to the brim with cockroaches. They were piled on top of each other, crawling over one another in a frantic attempt to reach the top.


    **This is what they meant by ''cute little animals''?!**


    Wait a second... what were Shadow.Q''s exact words? **"We can turn you into adorable little animals."**


    Rita was stunned.


    Rita even felt as though she could cast **Ice Flower Seal** instantly, without any incantation.


    One by one, players passed by Rita, but she didn''t use her **Thief God** skill. In the early days after her rebirth, she would have stolen from anyone, even a passing dog. But after stealing Rick''s **God of the Culinary Arts** gift, her anger had diminished significantly. There were plenty of enemies out there, especially from the Su, Liang, and Han families.


    She didn''t need to target people who had done her no wrong.


    After what seemed like a long wait, everyone was finally ready. A ginger cat¡ªwho turned out to be the short-haired woman¡ªjoined the group next to Rita.


    The military man had already stored away the cockroach box and used an item to transform himself into an undead. Leading the two cats and the dog, he stepped out of the room.


    The streets of the Dark City were filled with all kinds of strange beings¡ªtrolls, blood elves, dwarves, and goblins. Nobody paid any attention to a few ordinary pets.


    The group quickly made their way out of the city, with Rita sticking close to the leader as they navigated past wolves, goblins, and other low-level creatures'' territories. After a long journey, they finally arrived at a large tree some distance from the Dark City. From here, only the spires of the undead palace were faintly visible.


    **Cha?vez''s Pocket Watch** once again proved its worth, as words appeared in front of Rita''s eyes: **"A magically modified dwelling."**


    The leader knocked on the tree, muttering a password. A flash of light appeared beneath their feet, and a few seconds later, a door materialized on the tree''s trunk. A bespectacled man opened the door, allowing the group inside.


    The space inside had been enchanted to appear much larger than the outside. It resembled a football field, complete with two rows of tents¡ªnearly a hundred in total, at a quick glance.


    The ginger cat transformed back into the short-haired woman. She turned to the cat and dog behind her. "This is our base. You can come here to make your loan payments."


    **Such a cold statement.**


    Rita, feeling a bit silly, nodded her cat head. Realizing how ridiculous she looked, she transformed back into her human form, adjusting her mask and cap. "Are there any other services here?"


    The short-haired woman pulled out the cockroach box again, releasing the bugs one by one and turning them back into human form. As she worked, she addressed everyone: "If you find you can''t survive here, you can come back and work with us. Of course, that means you''ll need to follow orders. As for other services, here''s a price list."


    Rita took the list from the bespectacled man. It was filled with various charges¡ªfrom healing and lodging to potions and disguise services. There was even a service for helping people who got lost find their way back to the camp.


    The scariest part? At least half of the prices listed said **"Negotiable."**

 Chapter 49: Treehouse Base

    Rita asked, "How much does it cost to stay here for the night?"


    "It''s just 2 silver coins. But if you pay with skill crystals, it''s even more cost-effective," said the bespectacled man, pulling out a roster. "May I ask your name? You can tell me quietly."


    They were clearly targeting specific individuals¡ªa sort of personalized "big data" exploitation.


    Rita understood instantly.


    She needed to find a way to turn the tables; she couldn''t remain passive like this!


    How irritating! These cunning rabbits had already turned this into a full-fledged industry, and they were doing it so openly, with such justification, that no one could even be mad about it!


    Considering it was already late, Rita decided to stay the night. As for the players who had joined the official faction, they left with the military man, presumably to another location.


    After paying 2 silver coins, Rita settled into a tent. Inside, there was nothing but a sleeping bag. Rita dragged the questionable, probably-used-by-others sleeping bag to one side, took out her own toiletries and sleeping gear, and after a quick wash, spent her first night in this alien world. She even set an alarm to wake up during the night to make a **Wheel of Fate** skill crystal.


    The next morning, she used her loan contract to collect the return teleportation stone from the bespectacled man. The stone was labeled: **Teleportation Stone (One-time Use): Break to teleport to the teleportation array at Los Angeles, XX Street, XX Alley 51. (Activation time: 1 second) (Creator: Noah).**


    Such a grandiose item, with such an ambitious-sounding name for the teleportation array.


    Rita asked for more details. "When activated, does the stone teleport me immediately, or does a portal open, and I have to step into it?"


    The bespectacled man explained, "After the 1-second activation time, the array will directly teleport you."


    He then pulled out a water-balloon-like object and added, "If you get lost or can''t find a contact point, you can break this water orb. Someone will come to escort you to the nearest outpost, but each time you use this, there will be a fee. For you... let me check. It will cost 3 skill crystals per escort."


    Rita felt like she had fallen into a den of robbers.


    Slipping into a sewer entrance, Rita sprinkled some revealing potion around and waited a minute before using **Disguise** to transform into a goblin. She donned a long robe that matched the alien world''s aesthetics and first crafted 3 gold coins for the day.


    Then, she pulled out the official price list and turned to the last page, confirming that, as she expected, they sold translators for 2 gold apiece.


    How absurd! Players barely earned anything in a day, yet they dared to charge 2 gold for this?


    Grumbling, Rita crawled out of the sewer and headed for the goblin district.


    Once she got there, she could understand the strange languages. But when she tried speaking softly, she still spoke in Chinese. Rita didn''t care much about that. She went to the goblin engineer''s shop, pulled out the necessary materials, and crafted herself a translator.


    The translator was a mid-level engineering recipe, and the materials weren''t expensive. The total cost came to just 27 silver coins.


    Now that she had the device, she could communicate with the goblins. Unfortunately, the goblins had been drained dry¡ªnone of them were willing to exchange gold bars with her. While she could still make a profit from the exchange, she was running out of money, and even Old Bill, the wealthiest goblin, couldn''t afford to buy drinks these days.


    Rita hadn''t yet used up her stash of herbs. Thinking she wouldn''t be able to access the game again, she had shifted her focus to combat training. Finally, she stopped by the auction house and spent 5 gold on the skill book **Clean Sweep (E-rank)** and 18 gold on **Water Creation (D-rank)**, solving her long-standing regret of not having bought cleaning and water creation skills earlier.


    After finishing her shopping, she returned to the sewer, transformed back into the cow cat, and left the city.


    It was time to level up.


    Rita was certain the official players were already ahead of her. While she wouldn''t lose in terms of attributes, if she wanted to participate in major official events, she needed to reach the minimum threshold.


    Back in the cemetery, Rita reverted to human form. Her three years of experience from her past life meant she didn''t need to mentally prepare herself to kill monsters. However, it had been a while since she engaged in high-intensity combat, so she figured she''d start with a warm-up.


    She walked for over ten minutes, heading away from both the treehouse base and the Dark City, before finally encountering a monster.


    **[Skeletal Wolf] (Level 2) HP: 200/200**.

 Chapter 50: Level Grinding

    The skeletal wolves were the remains of ordinary wolves whose flesh had been consumed by low-level undead. They resembled wolf skeletons, moved quickly, but lacked magical abilities and didn''t have high attack power. They were easy to deal with¡ªperfect for a warm-up.


    Rita pulled out her crossbow, aimed, and shot. A regular attack could take off 50 points of health, and a critical hit would deal 100. With her **Explosive Arrow** skill, not only could she instantly kill the targeted enemy, but nearby monsters would also take 50¨C60 points of damage.


    Even though she was using the most basic crossbow, her stats and her skill, which guaranteed a critical hit every seventh shot, made her extremely efficient at killing monsters.


    Before the battle, she had also eaten food that increased her movement speed by 15%. With the triple critical hit boost, her speed was nearly doubled, allowing her to react quickly and dodge even when aggroing a large number of monsters.


    After warming up, Rita began pulling more monsters, drawing a group of over ten skeletal wolves before systematically wiping them out.


    She continued fighting from 10 AM until noon, replenishing her mana with coffee when needed. In two hours of non-stop combat, her experience had risen from 0.001% to 0.268%.


    Taking a break, Rita created a **Wheel of Fate** skill crystal and ate a dish that increased her attack speed as her lunch.


    She wasn''t discouraged by the slow XP gain. In fact, this was the normal leveling pace in the game, and even faster than most, considering she had an abundance of weapons, food, and potions to replenish health and mana.


    In a dungeon, where the monsters were more concentrated and there were bosses to fight, her progress would likely be even quicker. Bosses gave extra experience points, after all.


    For higher-level players who were relentless and lucky, leveling up once in a little over a month was possible¡ªbut only if they had ample dungeons and resources. Regular players would level even slower.


    While the initial levels required less experience, players also had fewer combat skills at their disposal. In the later stages, while they would have more abilities, the amount of experience required to level up increased dramatically.


    In her previous life, when she died at the end of the third year of the invasion, the top player on the leaderboards was only level 27. Zoey and Rick, both blessed with resources and luck, had only reached level 25.


    The fact that the alien world was connected to Earth via a game made sense¡ªthe world here felt like one enormous game itself. Monsters dropped loot when they died. Skeletal wolves had a low drop rate¡ªabout one in every ten monsters dropped something. Most of the time, it was just a few copper coins.


    In two hours, she had managed to loot a **Bone Bracer** with +1 Constitution¡ªan exceptionally high drop rate thanks to her **Luck 10**.


    Rita didn''t complain about the meager rewards. She picked up every copper coin that dropped, and even equipped the bracer. In the real world, she might be picky about cleanliness, like when she had turned her nose up at Theodore''s belt, but in battle, she couldn''t afford to be.


    One skill crystal equaled 3 gold.


    The offer of a month of lodging with meals and treatment didn''t sound too bad.


    But Rita still chose to pay with silver coins. To her, **Wheel of Fate** skill crystals were far more valuable than gold coins.


    She had been grinding monsters from 10 AM until 9 PM, with breaks for meals and rest. In total, she had farmed for about 10 hours, yielding three pieces of equipment.


    That was the power of **Luck 10**.


    In her previous life, with **Luck 8**, she had often spent entire days grinding solo and ended up with only one piece of equipment. On a lucky day, she might get two, but those days were rare.


    Yet the difference between **Luck 8** and **Luck 10** was like night and day.


    Despite selling over a hundred **Wheel of Fate** skill crystals to the officials, Rita didn''t feel she had been shortchanged.


    Equipment was divided into five ranks: Poor, Common, Fine, Rare, Legendary, and Epic. Poor and Common gear didn''t emit any glow, but from Fine gear onward, equipment began to radiate light. Fine gear glowed green, Rare gear blue, Legendary purple, and Epic orange.


    Sets, which were separate from these ranks, could have bonuses stronger than Epic gear, though individual pieces might be weaker than Legendary items. For example, Rita''s **Cha?vez** was an S-rank set, but individually the pieces were A-rank.


    The rank of equipment indicated its quality, but not its level. There were even level 5 Legendary items in the auction house.


    However, gear below level 5 wasn''t worth much. Even level 5 purple gear only sold for dozens of gold.


    But the more gear you had, the stronger you became, making it easier and faster to grind for more.


    Ultimately, Rita felt that both she and the officials had benefited equally from their deal. It was a fair partnership where neither party took advantage of the other.


    She doubted the officials would hold off on using her skill until level 10 or beyond. While the rewards would be better then, falling behind at this stage could have lasting consequences. Holding out for "later" could mean there was no "later" at all.

 Chapter 51: Level Grinding Part 2

    After placing the 2 silver coins on the table, Rita chose to set up her own tent for the night. With her vast experience camping in the wild (or, more accurately, in dangerous situations), she had a backpack filled with all kinds of well-equipped outdoor gear. She set up a small stove, lit the coals, and prepared a pot of stamina-replenishing steak noodles to refresh herself and banish her fatigue.


    The air around the other tents was also filled with the aroma of food. Smart players all made an effort to learn some cooking skills. Not only did this help sustain them during monster hunts, but it also provided a profitable side job for those who didn''t know how to cook.


    Not every beta tester had enough money to learn how to cook, and in the future, those who could cook would have a lucrative market selling food to players who couldn''t.


    After making her steak noodles, Rita set aside a portion and carried two bowls to the front desk, where she saw a group of people gathered around the bespectacled man. His desk was piled high with food offerings. When the group saw her approach with her food, someone enthusiastically waved her over. "Come on, we''re all here sharing info. Join us."


    Rita smiled and took a seat, placing her bowl of steak noodles in the middle of the table alongside the other dishes. "Do you charge for this?" she asked.


    A young woman sitting nearby looked at Rita''s face in awe. She recognized Rita from her acting career and had been the one to invite her over. She answered, "He wants to, but we''re all just chatting here."


    The bespectacled man, Minglang, helplessly replied, "I can''t really say much, you know. We have rules. Besides, most of the money we make goes to helping regular folks."


    A young man beside him stuffed a piece of chicken into Minglang''s mouth to shut him up. "Yeah, yeah, we know."


    Sure, people could be selfish, but they weren''t heartless. Even Rita wasn''t being stingy. If she had no moral compass, she could have easily used her stealth abilities to follow Shadow.Q, eventually tracking down one of the players working with them.


    She could have snuck into their operation and discovered a way to use the portal without permission¡ªby turning invisible, disguising herself as an animal, or sneaking into someone''s bag. Where there''s a will, there''s a way.


    The group continued chatting and sharing information until midnight. Rita picked up quite a bit of useful intel, especially about places where "high-level monsters" roamed and should be avoided.


    At some point, another group of cockroaches arrived, led once again by the short-haired woman and the thick-browed, sharp-eyed man in the military uniform. Seeing that everyone was socializing, the short-haired woman even grabbed a cup of wine and joined in.


    However friendly and welcoming the atmosphere seemed, Rita didn''t touch any of the shared food. She only ate the meal she had brought herself.


    ...


    To avoid running into other players, Rita woke up at 6 AM the next morning and headed out to hunt monsters.


    Yesterday, she had gained 1.473% experience after a full day of grinding. That was a decent pace, but today, she wanted to find monsters in the deeper forest, those between levels 4 and 6.


    As soon as she stopped moving, she began drawing her bow again for another shot.


    Rita maintained a relentless pace¡ªthis was a skill she had honed in her previous life. Even if she had to roll to avoid an attack, fell face-first into the dirt, or turned to run, she would always be casting or firing, determined to take a chunk out of her opponent before retreating.


    Unlike the flashy elite players who loved big, showy abilities, Rita preferred short-cast, short-cooldown, mobile-friendly skills. No matter how powerful a big spell was, it was useless if it didn''t hit the target. Most big spells had long casting times, making them easy to interrupt. Worse, if they missed, it was like burning mana just to set off a firework.


    **Magic Missile** didn''t deal much damage¡ªonly 5 HP per hit, compared to her arrows that took off 60+ HP with each shot. But **Magic Missile** fired quickly, launching 2 to 3 magical projectiles per second. Best of all, it didn''t require chanting and could be fired while moving, making it perfect for dodging and firing on the run.


    In her previous life, many of her pursuers hadn''t been killed by a grand, flashy skill but by the relentless barrage of **Magic Missiles** that wore them down.


    After two more arrows, the spider lunged at her. Rita used **Push Shot** to knock it back, followed up with two more arrows and a few **Magic Missiles**, and watched as the level 4 spider''s health dropped to zero.


    Keeping her bow drawn, she cautiously approached the fallen spider and nudged it with her foot, revealing a pair of green-glowing boots beneath its body.


    No surprise there¡ªit was her, after all. Loot just seemed to find her.


    She picked up the boots.


    **[Spider Silk Cloth Boots] (Fine)**


    **Attributes:** Intelligence +3


    **Magic Properties:** +6% Movement Speed


    Not bad¡ªtwo bonuses.


    Finding a safe spot, she immediately swapped her old boots for the new ones.


    Checking her experience bar, she noticed that thanks to the bonus for killing a higher-level monster, her experience had increased by 0.01%. That meant killing 100 of these spiders would raise her experience by 1%¡ªmuch faster than killing skeletal wolves.


    But it still wasn''t enough. She wanted to hunt even stronger monsters.


    Even though **Thief God**''s skill **I Want This, This, and This** had a rule preventing her from stealing from those weaker than herself, meaning she couldn''t rob lower-level players of their items or attributes, she had no intention of holding herself back just to maintain an advantage in stealing.

 Chapter 52: Her Strength, Impossible to Hide

    Rita never stopped pushing herself, all for the sake of living a better life, for the day Rick would look up to her, always beneath her. She would crush him underfoot until the day she had vented enough and could finally kill him.


    Even now, as she held back from confronting the male and female leads, it was only to better use them, to backstab them later, expending the least effort to topple the powerful Su, Liang, and Han families.


    There are many ways to hide in the shadows. You can be a rat in the gutter or a strong figure they look up to and respect.


    In her previous life, her stats and level were never extraordinary. She survived on sheer combat talent, and Rick would occasionally bring her along to fights, using her to deal with people who had bad feelings toward him. This time, though, such a strategy wouldn''t work. While she could give Rick a few "benefits" to gain his trust, Rita had no patience for humiliation.


    Her plan now was to become a powerful ally¡ªsomeone Su, Han, and White families would turn to when facing tough bosses. That way, she could infiltrate their circles and wreak havoc from within.


    There''s a time to lie low and a time to assert dominance.


    Besides, her strength was something she couldn''t hide even if she wanted to!


    Rita rubbed her forehead, shaking her head with a bitter smile.


    She could disguise her attributes and level, but she couldn''t hide the damage she dealt. One shot from her bow, and the difference in damage would be too obvious. Anyone paying attention could easily calculate how much stronger she was.


    Using her **Cha?vez Watch** to avoid all the trees marked as "A Modified Magical Dwelling," she was surprised at how many of them there were.


    She passed through the spider territory, then the areas with level 5 monsters. It wasn''t until she reached the level 7 zone that the treehouses disappeared. Clearly, the official players using modern technology and teamwork had only made it this far. She wondered how strong they had become by now.


    Rita continued deeper into the forest until she found her target: **The Living Dead**.


    **[The Living Dead] (Level 8)**


    ...


    At 11 a.m., Rita finished her hunt, eating one of her homemade mana-restoring fried steaks as she headed out of the forest. She had confirmed that she could handle up to three living dead at once without taking any damage. But that still wasn''t enough.


    She needed better gear and more arrows to train safely and efficiently.


    Once at the forest''s edge, Rita transformed into the black-and-white cat and made her way into the sewers beneath Undercity, where she transformed back into a goblin. She quickly made her daily batch of three gold coins, changed into her regular clothes, and hurried to the auction house.


    With her **Translator Earpiece** on, a blue magical screen appeared in front of her, translating all the information on the auction house''s items.


    She didn''t buy anything too high-end. Good gear would be hard to resell once it became obsolete.


    Most players didn''t have much money at this stage. Even if an item was worth the price, many simply couldn''t afford it.


    For now, level 5 green equipment was ideal¡ªcost-effective, easy to sell later, and relatively cheap. A piece could be purchased for less than 1 gold.


    Helmets, shoulder pads, chest armor, gloves, belts, pants, boots¡ªexcluding necklaces and rings, there were seven main equipment slots.


    Rita spent 7 gold and 21 silver on a set of decent green gear, each piece providing at least +5 to Constitution.


    In the early stages of the game, a solo player grinding all day would earn around 3 silver coins in pure currency, not counting drops. That meant about 1 gold per month. In her previous life, despite being lucky and hardworking, it had taken her three months to gather a full set of green gear.


    Rick had then taken one of her best pieces, a fine-quality pair of boots, under the pretense of trading her for a piece of junk gear.


    It turned out those boots were unique, with a hidden letter in the sole that tied into a questline involving the White family. They had been searching for the boots but kept the hunt low-profile to avoid drawing attention from other families. When Rick found out, he swapped the boots from Rita to curry favor with Sanchez.


    If it had ended there, Rita wouldn''t have hated him so much. After all, she didn''t know the boots'' true value, just like a person selling an antique without knowing its worth. If someone has the ability to exploit that, that''s their skill.

 Chapter 53: So Busy, Yet Not Sure What Shes Busy With

    To be fair, if Rita knew that Rick had some seemingly insignificant treasure that could bring her great benefits, she might have found a way to take it herself. The only difference was that she would have compensated Rick afterward. But Rick wasn''t like that¡ªhe didn''t compensate, and he shifted the blame.


    After Rick sold the boots to the White family, their strength in the dungeon increased significantly. Meanwhile, the Lopez and Taylor families held a grudge against her because of it. Rick positioned himself as a protector, making it seem like he shielded her by giving away various benefits to the Lopez and Taylor families to keep her safe.


    When Rick explained that the Lopez and Taylor families were mad at her because the boots originally belonged to her, she was dumbfounded. She wanted to shout, *Those boots were Rick''s after I traded them to him!* But the fact remained that both families were causing her trouble, and Rick "sacrificed" to protect her.


    Rick even said that he had already explained the situation, but Zoey wouldn''t let anything happen to him, and the Taylor family, out of respect for Lopez, wouldn''t move against him either. Thus, all the trouble fell on her, but he promised to protect her. Rita had been deeply moved at the time.


    Looking back now, she just wanted to curse. *If you hadn''t told them the boots were mine, they wouldn''t have come after me!*


    Thinking about Rick and his manipulations soured her good mood.


    With a blank expression, Rita went to the weapon shop and bought a special quiver. It didn''t offer any special bonuses but could hold up to 999 arrows. After restocking her arrows, she left the city immediately.


    Back in the territory of the living dead, Rita was now clad in a black outfit with a faint green glow.


    Her gear included a headband that added +5 Constitution, finely crafted leather armor with +7 Constitution, beastskin pants with +7 Constitution, bone shoulder guards with +5 Constitution, a corrupted knight''s belt with +3 Constitution, wolfskin gloves with +6 Constitution, and wolfskin boots with +5 Constitution.


    This time, Rita was truly terrifyingly strong.


    **[Character: Rita (Level 0, 1.583%)]**


    - **HP:** 2150/2150


    - **MP:** 350/350


    - **Strength:** 10


    - **Constitution:** 13 (+38)


    - **Intelligence:** 15


    - **Agility:** 21


    Before she even landed, another three bolts were already on their way. She landed in a crouch, back against the tree trunk, and switched to her bow, loosing several more arrows that found their marks.


    The monsters, having endured countless critical hits, collapsed almost simultaneously.


    Rita glanced at her experience bar and confirmed that it had increased by 0.7%. Satisfied, she moved forward to loot the bodies. Coins littered the ground. She gathered them into a pile, fusing several copper coins into a single silver one. She picked up the silver and the remaining copper coins.


    This marked her tenth day in the otherworld. Her experience had now reached 47.21%. At first, she could barely fight back. Then, little by little, she began to counterattack with her crossbow. Now, she was proficient with a bow.


    Switching from crossbow to bow had taken her several frustrating days. During that time, she had met the short-haired woman from the treehouse base. The woman had noticed the scratches covering Rita''s bow and sat down for a chat.


    Though Rita had four major **Divine Gifts**, she never considered herself superior to others. When she realized how familiar the woman was with bows, she shared her struggles in combat. The woman simply asked, "Why are you trying to fully draw the bow every time?"


    Rita had wanted to explain that she could easily draw it fully, but then she froze.


    She bought the woman a drink.


    From that day on, it felt like Rita had an epiphany. Not just with the bow, but in everything. She no longer tried to deal maximum damage with every shot, nor did she make big, exaggerated dodges just to avoid attacks. Yes, such movements were perfectly safe, but they also wasted a lot of energy.


    She laughed at herself. With magic, she never chased maximum power, always prioritizing fast-casting spells. She believed that hitting the target was more important than unleashing a powerful attack. Yet, with a bow, she had forgotten that principle.


    She had no intention of finding stronger monsters. Her current leveling speed and training conditions were perfect. Tomorrow, she planned to increase the number of monsters to eight.


    Recently, Rita had fallen back into an extremely busy routine.


    She trained and leveled up during the day, returning to the treehouse base before dark. After dinner, she would lie in her tent, watching alchemy tutorials.


    There was also a small trading market among the players, tucked into a corner of the treehouse base. Most transactions were barters. The official base charged exorbitant prices for goods, but they didn''t forbid players from trading among themselves.


    Rita used a mid-tier engineering-made **Translator** to trade with a **Jewelry Maker** player for a pair of earrings with +3 Agility.


    Though it was an early-stage jewelry crafting recipe, the materials were expensive. The cost of upgrading jewelry crafting was far higher than alchemy, as it required all kinds of gemstones.


    The earrings had been priced low because the seller didn''t want to undersell, but charging too much would make them impossible to sell¡ªafter all, few players had all seven of their equipment slots filled at this stage.

 Chapter 54: Attribute Surge

    A burly man asked, "So, how did it go?"


    The tall, thin man from their five-player team shook his head, "She didn''t agree."


    The burly man chuckled, "Figures. Levi Lopez wanted to talk it out first, though. What a joke, huh?"


    The leader of the five-player team, Levi Lopez, responded, "Gotta give people a chance."


    The burly man snorted, "You''re so fake. You''re the cruelest out of all of us, yet you always want to talk first. Like that makes you some kind of good guy."


    The other players were clearly used to their bickering and continued with their own tasks.


    Levi said, "Alright then, let''s move. She''ll be back before dark. Everything ready?"


    The burly man nodded, "Yeah, don''t worry. She won''t die. But what if the officials catch us?"


    Levi gave a refined smile. "So what? You think they''ll kill ten players over one washed-up has-been?"


    The burly man laughed and added, "Hey, could we keep her legs for a bit? I wanna have some fun with her before we cut them off. Never played with a celebrity before."


    Levi shrugged, "Go ahead."


    Another player eagerly chimed in, "Boss, I want in too!"


    "Me too!"


    Levi, still patient, replied, "Sure, have your fun. We''ll cut them off afterward."


    Overhearing their conversation, Rita lay silently on the cave wall, her emotions calm. She already had a clear picture of their plans¡ªto cripple her, heal her afterward, and keep her like a pet. A "lucky charm" they could parade around.


    No, they probably wouldn''t even leave her hands intact. After all, with hands, she could still cast spells.


    Keeping her breathing steady, Rita quietly crawled out of the cave. She removed all her equipment, reducing her max HP to 250. Then, she ate a high-grade dish that would triple her critical hits and regenerate 600 HP per minute. Turning into a spider, she quickly crawled back into the cave, positioning herself on the rocky ceiling above the group, just within range of her skill.


    ¡ª¡ª**I Want This, This, and This**!


    The satisfaction she felt was like a caffeine addict finally getting their fix. It was exhilarating.


    - **Luck**: 10


    - **Charm**: 10


    She had gained 17 attribute points, making her stats comparable to a level 9 player. These weren''t enemies¡ªthey were walking goldmines.


    But Rita wasn''t done yet. She wasn''t the type to settle for just stealing a few points as payback. Even though the players'' disgusting words didn''t get under her skin, she was still furious. She had no doubt they would have carried out their threats.


    Turning into a bird, Rita followed the last group as they left the cave, tracking them until she found them using silenced guns to hunt a venomous spider. While she couldn''t use any of her abilities except for her **Divine Gifts** in her **Animagus** form, she didn''t need to rush.


    Using her **Cha?vez Pocket Watch**, she **Insight** the man holding a shield in the front line:


    - **Strength**: 7


    - **Constitution**: 4


    - **Intelligence**: 5


    - **Agility**: 5


    - **Luck**: 5


    - **Charm**: 3


    Rita waited for the perfect moment. Just as the spider was about to charge the shield-bearer, she activated her **Wheel of Fate** skill, **Your Outfit Doesn''t Suit You, I Don''t Like It**, swapping the man''s highest attribute with his lowest.


    She felt a slight flicker in her vision as **Strength** and **Agility** shifted. His strength dropped to 4, while his agility rose to 7.


    She was slightly disappointed to find that **Charm**, the unalterable stat, couldn''t be swapped. But if it could, her **Wheel of Fate** would be rated much higher than just B-tier¡ªprobably an A-tier skill.


    As players leveled up and gained more attributes, many would focus on specific stats. However, to meet the requirements for gear, they still had to spread points around. By the time they hit double-digit levels, only **Luck** and **Charm** capped at 10.


    With his strength suddenly cut, the shield-bearer failed to block the spider''s charge and was thrown into the air.


    He cursed, having no idea why he was struggling so much today. It had felt off since the beginning, and now he was flat-out sent flying.


    With their formation broken, the rest of the group quickly descended into chaos.

 Chapter 55: Insight

    As Rita canceled her **Animagus** transformation, she swiftly activated **Disguise!**, changing her appearance to that of a goblin. She also cloaked herself in **Phantom Cloak**. The whole transformation took only an instant, and one of the players below barely caught a glimpse of a shadow disappearing into the trees.


    First, she launched an **Ice Flower Seal** at the player in the back, freezing them in place. Then, she drew her bow and fired, using **Push Shot**, which sent a wave of force that pushed the five players toward the spiders while stunning them for three seconds. In those three seconds, the spiders'' legs skewered two of the stunned players.


    Rita summoned her shadow clone, which leaped into the fray and grappled two of the remaining players. By the time they shook off their stun, it was too late.


    With perfect coordination between Rita and the spiders, the entire squad was wiped out in no time. As the poisonous spiders began feasting on their fresh kills, Rita didn''t intervene. She was close to the treehouse base, only five minutes away.


    She withdrew her shadow, transformed into a bird, and flew to another tree, where she turned into a small spider and hid within a crack in the bark¡ªa perfect blind spot.


    Now, she just had to wait.


    A short while later, a new team of players arrived, making quick work of the feasting spiders. Checking her watch, Rita noted that it took only seven minutes for the backup to arrive after the previous team had been wiped out.


    The group inspected the area around the bodies. One of them scanned in four directions and said, "No one''s here."


    A woman with long hair knelt by the bodies and inspected the wounds. "Looks like a mistake," she said, touching the blood and closing her eyes, clearly using a skill.


    From her hiding spot, Rita squinted, considering several possibilities. What if this skill could reveal the identity of the attacker? What if it showed the moments leading up to the player''s death? What if it extracted the victim''s memories?


    Rita didn''t feel she had done anything wrong, but she couldn''t gauge the official team''s stance on player conflict. The world hadn''t descended into chaos yet, so the officials might not enforce draconian measures. What was their real attitude toward these kinds of clashes between players? Hard to say.


    After using her skill on each of the bodies, the woman shook her head. "There was an energy shock from that direction that stunned them for a few seconds. She was frozen by a skill before she died, and these two were held down by a shadow figure."


    The buzz-cut man turned to the one who had declared the area clear. "You checked, and there was no one here when we arrived, right?"


    "Yeah, I used my skill before the spiders finished killing them. Didn''t detect any other players."


    The group chatted a bit more, recorded details of the skills used in the fight, and then left.


    Rita stayed put, waiting another thirty minutes in complete stillness. The official team returned twice during that time, but she remained hidden. Finally, tired of watching, she transformed into a bird and flew off.


    She was confident that there were no tracking marks left on her. After years of running, she was well-versed in the various tracking methods out there¡ªperhaps not a complete expert, but certainly more knowledgeable than most. Besides, she had a habit of checking herself every day.


    So how did the officials know these players had died?


    **Divine Gift**, maybe?


    However, if other gear added to the required attributes, one could potentially equip powerful items early. As a result, gear that only required attributes, not levels, generally sold for 20¨C30% more than normal.


    This was gear Rita intended to sell. Despite her recent focus on training, she still planned to follow the path of an archer, prioritizing agility over intelligence.


    The group straightened up, clearly interested. Despite the high attribute requirements, they weren''t disappointed.


    They had been around long enough to reach level 2, and though they were still far from level 3, it was just a matter of one or two months.


    Rita couldn''t sell it at a higher price than at the auction house. She wasn''t looking for gold anyway. "I want to trade for skill crystals."


    The long-haired woman raised an eyebrow. "Empty ones? You can just trade at the exchange for those, right?"


    Rita explained, "They only accept my **Divine Gift** skill crystals for empty ones. I figure I can get a better deal trading with you guys."


    The group exchanged glances. It wasn''t against the rules; nothing prohibited them from trading their empty skill crystals for player gear.


    The buzz-cut man asked, "How many are you looking to trade for?"


    "Fifty empty skill crystals."


    The group immediately stood up.


    "Forty!" Rita called after them.


    No response.


    "Thirty!"


    The group began loudly discussing lunch: "What should we eat?" "Didn''t we just eat?" "Oh yeah, what did we have?" "How could you forget?" "The price shocked me."


    Rita sighed, exasperated. "Fine! Let''s talk. I''m serious! Whoever isn''t serious is a dog!"


    The group turned around in unison.


    Rita clutched the boots, feeling like she should''ve found a less cunning group to negotiate with.


    No matter how rare, this was still low-level gear, worth no more than three gold in the auction house. What Rita really wanted was information. Independent players like her often lacked the insider knowledge and connections that official personnel enjoyed. They got discounts at official bases, so they rarely traded with lone wolves like her.

 Chapter 56: Just This?

    Rita asked the group, "You guys get a discount when exchanging for empty skill crystals, don''t you?" She had previously visited the exchange point and found that they only accepted her skill crystals for trade, with no option to purchase them with regular currency.


    The group didn''t hide the truth, explaining, "Yes, every three days, we get one free skill crystal. If you want to buy from us with in-game currency, it''s 60 silver per crystal. That''s a fixed price¡ªno negotiation."


    Back when Shadow.Q had offered her a trade of 1 skill crystal for 5 empty ones, the math worked out to exactly 3 gold.


    "Friendship price, huh?" Rita thought sarcastically. She put away her boots just as the group prepared to haggle. But before they could utter a word, Rita flipped her hand, revealing one of her freshly crafted **Another Happy Day** skill crystals. "Want to trade? One skill crystal for seven empty ones."


    The five players were taken aback, and the long-haired woman immediately tried to negotiate. "That''s too much. You can only get five empty crystals for one at the exchange point. Why should we give you seven?"


    Rita countered, "How many of my skill crystals would you need to get from the exchange?"


    The group fell silent, and Rita realized what was going on¡ªit seemed even the officials had some internal bureaucracy.


    "So, do we have a deal? I''ve got two crystals, and if you take both, I''ll sell you those boots for 3 gold."


    The long-haired woman smiled wryly. "That''s not how you do business, my friend."


    Rita immediately stood up to leave.


    "Didn''t you say earlier that whoever isn''t serious is a dog?" the long-haired woman teased.


    Rita sighed and replied, "Woof. Now, are we trading or not?"


    The group relented, and a few minutes later, Rita left with 3 gold and 14 empty skill crystals in hand.


    ---


    Rita had one more thing to confirm. She approached one of the exchange point staff and asked, "Do you have a method for exchanging in-game gold with NPCs?"


    Rita''s face remained expressionless, but internally, she was disappointed. *This is it?*


    *This?* she thought.


    *Every time I sell tens of thousands of gold coins, and this is what I get?*


    Rita pressed her thumbs to her temples. If she didn''t, she feared her ego might inflate again.


    Meow.Q and her partner exchanged a curious glance. "Is she... too happy?"


    Rita looked up, straightening her jacket. In that moment, she felt like the corporate elite she had once portrayed in her dramas. "Do you guys accept gold coins? I can help you exchange them¡ª200 grams of gold for one gold coin."


    Meow.Q and her colleague were stunned.


    Meow.Q finally asked, "Are you selling that method?"


    Rita smiled. "No. I''m only willing to exchange up to 100,000 gold coins."


    After factoring in the 360 grams of gold she needed for daily coin production, Rita still had 10,778 kilograms of gold. Each month, she''d use about 21 kilograms of gold for coins, so she couldn''t afford to exchange all of it. But she could certainly exchange a substantial portion¡ªabout 10,000 kilograms, or approximately 27,777 coins.


    With 36 cities spread across 12 races on Lania Kaya, she was confident she could manage that volume.


    But acting as the middleman for the officials was a different story. She would charge a 20-gram gold commission per coin. For 100,000 coins, that would amount to 4,000 kilograms of gold in fees. Was that excessive?


    No.


    "Not only that," Rita continued, "but in exchange, I won''t charge a commission. However, I expect you to sell my **Wheel of Fate** skill crystals and provide me with empty crystals in return¡ªat no cost. But publicly, I want you to claim that you''re only giving me a 20% profit margin. It''s a win-win for both of us, don''t you think?"


    Meow.Q and her partner were silent.

 Chapter 57: You Wont Like What I Have to Say

    It was clearly a beneficial deal. The significance of 100,000 gold was immense. To give an example, that amount could buy enough C-rank spells to outfit an entire squad of elite soldiers.


    Moreover, having the **Another Happy Day** skill stones sold exclusively through the government''s channel was a form of security for Rita. She wasn''t just handing them profit; she was leveraging their protection. By allowing them to officially distribute the stones, it would prevent other factions from coveting the earnings, knowing it was under official control.


    Plus, it gave the government the advantage of first refusal on the stones, an invaluable resource in looting high-level equipment.


    Meow.Q said she needed to seek approval from higher-ups.


    Rita took a sip of her coffee with a calm smile, "No rush, go ahead."


    But she hadn''t even finished half her cup when Meow.Q returned¡ªthis time with Shadow.Q.


    Rita sighed internally, straightened up, and said, "I''m in a bit of a hurry. If you agree, let''s sign the contract quickly. I don''t have time for further discussions."


    Meow.Q blinked in confusion. "Weren''t you just saying there''s no rush?"


    Shadow.Q found it amusing. She''d just seen this woman lounging over coffee, looking completely at ease, but now she was claiming to be in a hurry. Shadow.Q placed a contract on the table. "I''ll agree, but I want 40% of the profits. That''s our bottom line. After all, if we publicly say we''re only taking 20%, it could damage our reputation, and that loss is priceless."


    Rita smirked. "They''ll believe it. The value of these skill stones won''t stay at 3 gold forever. Right now, that''s maybe what a small squad makes in three days. But in the future, when they''re making 10 gold in that same period, are these stones still going to be priced at 3? These stones may not have combat value, but their worth in acquiring high-level gear is beyond measure.


    I can''t protect this on my own, so I''m coming to you."


    Shadow.Q nodded, seemingly sympathetic. She repeated, almost wistfully, "You can''t protect it on your own, so you need us."


    Rita bit her lip, realizing she had shown a bit too much of her hand. She wasn''t as skilled in negotiations as these professionals. "I could always throw my lot in with another faction," she countered.


    Shadow.Q remained calm. "But you don''t like internal power struggles, do you? Joining a faction means dealing with those struggles. Once people recognize the real value of your skill, other factions will begin fighting over you and the faction you align with."


    Rita stayed silent for a long while before standing up abruptly. "Forget it, then."


    Shadow.Q froze, mid-sip of her coffee. **What the...?** She looked at Rita, genuinely shocked that she was backing out just as the deal seemed to be within reach.


    With an annoyed click of her tongue, Rita grumbled, "I''m sick of talking. I''m done. I''m out of here."


    Shadow.Q smiled sweetly. "Because I''ll come after you."


    Rita: **"..."**


    Shadow.Q led Rita back to the table, still gripping her shoulder. "If you only exchange 100,000 gold, you''ll get 0.5% commission. But if you can exchange 200,000 gold, we''ll raise it to 1%."


    Rita extended her hand. "Deal. I''ll aim for 200,000 gold."


    Shadow.Q''s smile froze.


    Meow.Q leaned over. "Sis, that''s some savage negotiation."


    Shadow.Q barked, "Shut up!"


    Rita no longer felt the urgency to hunt down Levi and his group. She waited patiently for the contract to arrive, thoroughly reading through it once more to ensure it matched their agreement.


    1. Rita will exchange gold from the planet Lania Kaiya at a rate of 200 grams of gold for one gold coin, on behalf of the Special Affairs Bureau. If she exchanges less than 100,000 gold coins, she will receive a 0.5% commission. If she exchanges more than 200,000 coins, her commission will rise to 1%. During this period, the Bureau may not use any method to **Insight** into Rita''s methods of exchange.


    2. Rita''s **Another Happy Day** skill stones will be sold exclusively through the Special Affairs Bureau. In return, they will provide her with blank skill stones and publicly declare that Rita only receives 20% of the profits. The Bureau will also offer Rita protection. Of the profits from **Another Happy Day**, the Bureau will take a 20% cut, settled every 15 days.


    The contract was fair to Rita. It only stipulated that her skill stones had to be sold through the Bureau, but didn''t restrict her from using them personally or for others, meaning she could still use them as needed.


    Should the contract be broken, all members under the Special Affairs Bureau would lose 1 attribute point, while Rita would lose 10 attribute points and all her gold. The contract also had a two-year term, after which they could renegotiate.


    This didn''t surprise Rita. **Wheel of Fate** was, after all, just a B-grade Divine Gift. A-Grade and below gifts weren''t unique¡ªanother **Wheel of Fate** might surface someday. But if they didn''t find another user, then the upper hand would be hers once more.


    There were many details outlined, including a clause preventing Rita from exchanging gold for any other factions, and a requirement that after one year, she would disclose her method of gold exchange to the Bureau.


    In exchange, the Bureau guaranteed that if anything happened to her within those two years, and they traced her killer using a **Divine Gift** related to causality, they would avenge her.


    It was a fair deal. Even if only to protect their access to the gold exchange, the Bureau would keep her safe. Plus, should anything happen, they''d be obligated to seek revenge on her behalf. As for revealing her method in a year, that wouldn''t impede her own progress¡ªby that time, she would have drained the goblins of all their resources anyway.


    Satisfied with the terms but aware of the small price she had to pay, Rita carefully reviewed the contract once more before signing her name.


    Shadow.Q signed on behalf of the Bureau, stamping it with the official seal.

 Chapter 58: Running a Currency Exchange Business in the Game World

    Curious, Rita asked, "Does a game contract recognize official seals?"


    Shadow.Q chuckled, "Of course it does."


    She had returned to her composed and elegant demeanor, and Rita couldn''t help but wonder if all the lighthearted banter earlier was just another one of Shadow.Q''s negotiation tactics.


    Once the contract was signed, Rita checked her character interface, which now displayed the contract details. After reviewing it thoroughly, she finally felt at ease.


    Shadow.Q added, "We''ll have the gold delivered within three days. Wherever you go in that time, just let the local outpost staff know. Your information and rank have been entered into our system, and currently, you''re the highest-ranking external member."


    Rita glanced at the time¡ªit was already 3 p.m. If she didn''t hurry, her revenge might have to wait until tomorrow. "Alright, I''ll stay nearby for the next few days. I''ve got to go now. I still have unfinished business this afternoon."


    Shadow.Q and Meow.Q escorted her to the outpost entrance, drawing the attention of other players as they watched them leave.


    Once outside, Rita hurried into the forest, pulling on a black cloak that covered her entire body. Using her **Phantom Cloak**, she quietly made her way to the cave she had tracked Levi to earlier in the morning. She positioned herself in a corner and waited patiently.


    While she waited, she played alchemy tutorials in her mind and planned her next moves. With five days left until New Year''s, she intended to focus on leveling up in the meantime. Once the gold arrived, she would start exchanging it for game currency. Any downtime could be used to practice alchemy.


    The cooldown time for using her **Thief God Disguise** skill was 5 hours, with each work session lasting an hour. During the cooldown, it wouldn''t make sense to fight monsters, as traveling back and forth to different regions outside of the major cities would be inefficient. Instead, she could use that time to train her professional skills in places like the sewer system.


    Besides, with her ability to turn into animals and **Phantom Shift**, she wasn''t worried about escaping if things went south.


    As night began to fall, Rita heard familiar voices approaching¡ªLevi and his group, now eight strong.


    Rita had counted earlier. Levi''s group had 21 members in total. She had killed 10 in the morning, but why were there only eight now?


    "Do you think she suspects something?"


    "Unlikely. She''s turned down invitations from other teams before without raising any alarms."


    "Maybe she went to a different outpost. Doesn''t she move around a lot?"


    "...I do. So what?"


    "I heard he spent all his savings on gold and couldn''t even afford to eat."


    "...I heard that too. But he earns 60 grams of gold profit with every coin he mints, which means he''s making a free gold coin every two days. That''s 182 gold coins a year."


    "Plus 50 silver."


    "...Right, 182 gold and 50 silver. Over ten years, that''s 1,825 gold coins. So, are you trading or not? 180 grams per coin. No one else will give you this kind of deal."


    "Fine. I''ve only got 1,000 coins, though."


    Some capital city goblins were poor, while others were wealthy, but their bottom line was always 180 grams per coin. Anything lower, and they''d get angry. Bill, as it turned out, was the wealthiest of them all, and she hadn''t come across any goblin willing to trade 20,000 coins in one go like he did, which slowed her progress considerably.


    With **Disguise**, she could only trade twice a day, for one hour each time. Originally, she thought an hour would be enough to trade and explore the capital cities, but Bill was an exception¡ªfew goblins were willing to trade large sums. Rita had to negotiate with them one by one, sometimes trading just 800 or 1,000 coins at a time.


    Each capital had hundreds of goblins, and she went from one to another, slowly gathering her haul.


    Every day, she could only visit one capital city and had to split it into two sessions. The rest of her time was barely enough to explore local restaurants and learn new recipes from the chefs of various races.


    Rita fully committed to the grind, working while her skill cooled down and sleeping in between. The moment her cooldown ended, she''d **Disguise** herself and head back into the cities to chat with goblins and exchange coins. Thankfully, the time zones of different cities worked in her favor, allowing her to trade for 30,000 to 40,000 gold coins a day during her four-hour work sessions.


    After several days, Rita realized she probably knew more goblins than she did people in the entertainment industry.


    One day, she returned to Undercity, this time disguised as a cow-patterned cat she had encountered in Ironforge, one of the dwarven cities. It looked nearly identical to the form she had used when she first arrived on Lania Kaiya.


    In her cat form, she strolled into Outpost 0003, jumped onto the counter, and asked to see Shadow.Q.


    Shadow.Q arrived quickly, possibly because she had been expecting Rita.


    When Shadow.Q saw the 100,000 gold coins, she finally relaxed. There had been some internal doubts that Rita might abscond with the gold and stay in Lania Kaiya permanently.


    Rita, unaware or uncaring of these suspicions, took another 40,000 pounds of gold from Shadow.Q and continued her business as a gold coin exchange broker.

 Chapter 59: Spending Spree

    By January 11th, Rita was exhausted, noticeably thinner from all the work. She felt like she had spoken more in the past few days than she had in her entire life, and she suspected that she could now hold basic conversations with goblins without needing a translator. But despite the physical toll, she was immensely satisfied.


    Not only had she exchanged her 10,000 pounds of gold for 27,777 gold coins, but she had also pocketed an additional 22,222 gold coins in kickbacks. Coupled with the leftover coins after learning new recipes, her total wealth had finally surpassed 50,000 gold coins for the first time.


    She felt like she could live comfortably for the rest of her life with this fortune.


    After handing over 200,000 gold coins to Shadow.Q, she also received her 1% commission, totaling 2,000 gold coins.


    Now, she had 52,073 gold coins and 87 silver, along with 778 pounds of gold still in reserve.


    Rita couldn''t help but feel a little bashful as she accepted the bag of coins. At that moment, even the dark circles under her eyes seemed to lighten. "Pleasure doing business with you."


    Shadow.Q sighed in admiration, "You''re now the wealthiest player among us."


    Rita, her voice raspy from days of endless talking, replied, "Maybe. Now I can finally afford to buy some skills."


    Shadow.Q pulled out a booklet. "Want to buy some? These are our internal skill stones."


    Rita''s eyes lit up, and just as she reached for the booklet, Shadow.Q pressed her hand down, smiling coyly. "You know, this is also a paid service... Getting access to this kind of information is worth the price. Many people want to buy but can''t. It''s confidential."


    Rita deadpanned, "How much?"


    Shadow.Q beamed, "One gold."


    Rita scoffed, "Do I look like I''m begging to be scammed?"


    Shadow.Q patted her hand. "What''s with the attitude? This is a *friendly* price!"


    Rita flashed a smile that could only be described as forced, like the infamous fake-smiling meme. "The last time you offered me a ''friendly price,'' it was exactly the same as the market price."


    Shadow.Q, unbothered, replied, "Well, we''d only just met, didn''t we? How could we have *real* friendship back then?"


    In the vision, Rick stood at the center of a ritual circle in the Lopez family''s basement. Not far away, another man lay in a separate ritual circle, bleeding profusely. The man had an eye patch and a tangled mess of hair partially obscuring his face. His lower face was covered in blood, and though Rita couldn''t hear his voice, his lips were clearly hurling curses¡ªpresumably aimed at Rick.


    The man looked familiar, but she couldn''t immediately place him.


    However, she recognized the place and the ritual¡ªit was the same ritual used to strip someone of their **Divine Gift**, a ritual she had personally witnessed in her past life.


    *Where the hell did Rick get his hands on such a sinister ritual?*


    She had no way of knowing when this event would take place. The characters'' clothing offered no clues, as the Lopez family estate was kept at a constant temperature year-round. But she could tell it wasn''t happening anytime soon.


    That ritual required the blood of a powerful monster, at least Level 15, and some rare gemstones produced by **Advanced Jewelry Crafting**. Rick wouldn''t be able to gather these resources quickly, especially considering that the Taylor family hadn''t even arrived in Los Angeles yet.


    Far from dampening her mood, knowing Rick''s next move made Rita feel better. There was nothing more satisfying than watching Rick''s hopes crumble time and again. She couldn''t wait to crush his dreams once more.


    Returning downstairs, she found Shadow.Q eating with her sister. She bought two more **[Dear Spirit, Tell Me]** skill stones and then prepared to return to the real world. She was worried about Rick, concerned for the cats in her backyard, and, above all, sensed the brewing tension in the game world.


    Shadow.Q had hinted that it might be wise to lay low for a while and avoid leaving the outposts.


    Whatever it was, Rita wasn''t particularly interested. But she had noticed an increase in people trying to find her, even as she traveled across Lania Kaiya. Levi''s group wasn''t the only one. If not for the Bureau''s intervention and their announcement that her **Divine Gift** would only be sold through them, her situation would have gotten much worse.


    However, with the imminent full-scale invasion of the real world by Lania Kaiya, Rita decided it was better to head back to keep an eye on her assets¡ªespecially those precious cats that might mutate during the chaos.


    Before leaving, Rita made a trip to the Undercity auction house, buying 1,000 high-quality belts. Since they didn''t stack due to their different styles, she stuffed them into a large chest to store in her game inventory.


    She also stocked up on the ingredients necessary for making intermediate and advanced potions.


    Advanced alchemy required not just basic herbs but a range of materials that could only be found through the auction house. Many of these materials came from other crafting professions once they reached the advanced level. Rita had long since used up the supplies she had hoarded before.


    Mastering advanced alchemy was a slow grind of watching alchemy tutorials, spending money on materials for practice, and repeating the process over and over. It required patience and dedication, and Rita was prepared to spend years learning. Though her recent attempts at advanced recipes had been mostly failures, gaining only a point or two in skill, she was committed.


    After all, she had the resources to see it through.

 Chapter 60: Back to Reality

    In addition to her current plans, Rita purchased a few more crucial skills:


    - **[Portal] (A-Rank)**: Allows the user to set an anchor point at a specific location. The user can open a portal to that anchor point, but only two portals can exist at any given time. Cost: 1526 gold coins. A steep price, but far more convenient than paying the official transport fees repeatedly. Plus, it doubled as an emergency escape option.


    - **[Hunter''s Eye] (A-Rank)**: Activates a 50-meter radius in which all living entities are revealed to the user''s perception. It drains 100 mana per minute while active. Cost: 817 gold coins. This skill far outshined invisibility potions. Though it didn''t reveal names, its accuracy and detection range made it worth every coin, especially for spotting players who might shapeshift, just as she could.


    - **[Rain of Hatred] (A-Rank)**: Fires a barrage of energy arrows over a designated area, raining destruction from above for five seconds. Costs 250 mana per use with a three-minute cooldown. Cost: 1279 gold coins. This area-of-effect skill would be useful for her future monster hunting expeditions.


    - **[Beast Tongue] (B-Rank)**: Enables the user to understand 27 of the most common animal languages. Cost: 388 gold coins. She had always wanted to know what the cats in her backyard were gossiping about. Plus, it might prove useful for gathering intelligence in the future.


    - **[Spider Silk Trap] (F-Rank)**: Deploys a trap that paralyzes and immobilizes targets. Each use consumes three bundles of spider silk. Cost: 17 gold coins. She planned to install this in her villa. While easy to escape from, a little poison mixed in would make it more effective. Spider silk was cheap¡ªonly a few copper coins per bundle.


    She also spent 3000 gold coins on advanced alchemy materials, 3639 gold coins on new skills, 1000 gold coins on belts, and another 388 on more personal purchases. In the blink of an eye, she had spent 8027 gold coins. If she hadn''t made such a big profit recently, she''d never have been able to afford this kind of expenditure.


    It became clearer than ever that the high-level players from her past life must have had significant backing from the government. There was no other way to reach this level without institutional support.


    She also tried searching the auction house for a book on crafting skill stones but found none. It was likely that creating skill stones was a **Divine Gift** itself. However, there was no need for her to pursue that knowledge now. Her contract with the government provided her with the blank stones she needed, and for her personal use, she could simply exchange stones through internal channels.


    Before leaving, Rita found the **[The Witch of Pleasure''s Bed]** had dropped in price¡ªdown to 19 gold coins. But she couldn''t justify buying it. Sure, she had bought it as a wedding gift for Zoey and Rick, but spending that much on Scarlett and Samuel? Absolutely not.


    Instead, she found a cheaper alternative: **[The Devil of Delight''s Handcuffs] (D-Rank)**, with similar effects for only 2 gold coins. Perfect.


    She grabbed some bait for Rick, left the auction house, and swung by a general store to sell off the gear she''d stolen from Levi''s group, netting herself 90 silver coins. Afterward, she transformed into a cat, winding her way through the sewer system until she reached the basement of a restaurant.


    There, she set her anchor point on the ceiling, reasoning that the ceiling was a blind spot for most people.


    With that done, she headed back into the sewers, dispelled her **Disguise**, changed into modern clothing, and crushed the teleportation stone the government had given her.


    - **[Sullen Samuel]:** *It''s alright, I guess.*


    - **[Rita]:** *[Embarrassed Face.jpg]* *You don''t need to share *everything* with the kids.*


    - **[Happy Scarlett]:** *30 gold coins! Why can''t I share my experience with your thoughtful gift? My daughter''s got great taste!*


    - **[Sullen Samuel]:** *Alright, alright...*


    - **[Rita]:** *[Causing Trouble for Society.jpg]*


    Rick found himself smiling for the first time in a while as the family chat bustled with activity.


    Meanwhile, Rita was busy making food for the cats in her backyard. She had left in mid-December, and it was now nearly mid-January. The cats'' loud meowing was a clear sign they were hungry. In the past, she could never understand their incessant cries, but now, thanks to **[Beast Tongue]**, she knew they were cursing her out.


    *Maybe I shouldn''t have learned this after all...* she mused.


    With a blank expression, she prepared **[Roasted Spider Legs]** and a large bowl of **[Fresh Meat Lamb Soup]**, also baking plenty of fish and chicken jerky. She filled every dish in the backyard. She even used **[Fountain of Light]** to create a small well, whose waters had healing properties.


    It was great for monsters, and while she wasn''t sure if it would benefit the cats, the water tasted great, and she had used it during battles before.


    Sure enough, a few cats eagerly ran over to lap up the water, drinking so much they momentarily forgot about eating.


    Listening to the cats purr as they ate and drank, Rita lay back on the grass, hands behind her head, enjoying the peace.


    Zoey''s dinner invite probably came with an agenda. While the players couldn''t openly discuss the ability to travel to **Lania Kaiya** due to the contracts, there were always loopholes. The usefulness of **[Another Happy Day]** had likely already spread. Rita doubted no one from the Lopez family had infiltrated the government ranks.


    But it was too late. She had already been "forcibly" conscripted by the authorities.

 Chapter 61: Tension Unresolved but Not Fully Broken

    As for whether there was a truth-telling **Divine Gift**, there certainly was. Samuel''s second skill could detect lies, for instance. However, Rita trusted that the authorities had ways to counteract such measures; after all, she wasn''t being given two percent of the profits for nothing.


    Feeling content, Rita closed her eyes.


    ¡ª"Why do you think she''s been gone so long?"


    ¡ª"She must be hunting food for us."


    ¡ª"Meow, this food is so delicious!"


    ¡ª"Such good food must be hard to get. Maybe we should bring her a gift next time."


    ¡ª"What should we bring? Mice? She''s such a great cook, she probably wouldn''t eat mice."


    ¡ª"I don''t know either. I just feel like I should give her something."


    ¡ª"Same here, meow~ I feel the same~"


    ¡ª"How strange~"


    Rita smiled, her heart lightened. It seemed the cats in her yard might indeed mutate.


    After relaxing for half a day, Rita went on a search for cockroaches to use as surveillance, but after searching the entire villa, she couldn''t find any. Eventually, she went to a pet market, bought two small spiders, and killed them to use the rarely utilized skill **[Only the Dead Will Listen]** to control them, placing them as her new surveillance tools in the safe room.


    The next day, Rick picked her up and brought her to the Lopez family estate. Oddly, he hadn''t brought Scarlett or Samuel along. At the Lopez mansion, not only was Zoey present, but also Mateo, Theodore, and a few of Zoey''s cousins.


    Rita kept a polite smile. Even though she already knew these cousins were notorious influencers who had been involved in scandals, she didn''t lose her composure.


    "And they made me sign a contract with the official government seal, recognized by the game itself."


    "I can''t afford to break the contract. The penalties are too severe; it would be like killing me."


    Her tone was calm but serious.


    Throughout the conversation, the butler standing behind Zoey hadn''t poured Rita a drink, indicating that she wasn''t lying. This realization finally cooled Zoey''s anger, though she still couldn''t fully let go of her frustration. "You should have come to us first."


    This wasn''t how you treated a partner in a business deal. Rita highly doubted that if Zoey failed in a negotiation with another partner, she would turn around and blame them for not reaching out sooner.


    Rita remained silent. She wasn''t going to grovel for the Lopez family. She wasn''t about to tolerate this level of disrespect either. Sitting here explaining herself was already testing her patience.


    Sensing the tension, Mateo raised his glass to break the ice. "Sorry, Zoey didn''t mean it that way. We just regret that we didn''t establish this partnership with you first. We see you as part of the Lopez family."


    *Oh, so now I''m family, huh?* Rita thought, maintaining a friendly smile she had perfected in her entertainment industry days. "Maybe so, but I think I''m better off as a part of the nation. Even though they take a cut, they''ve promised to protect me. Plus, if I die, they''ll use a cause-and-effect **Divine Gift** to hunt down my killer and avenge me."


    A heavy silence fell over the room.


    The three Lopez siblings felt slighted by Rita''s blunt refusal, but more than that, they were shocked by the terms of her contract. It meant they couldn''t resort to extreme measures if they couldn''t get what they wanted from her. Not only that, but it confirmed how significant her **Divine Gift** was if the authorities were offering this level of protection.


    They regretted not pulling Rita into the family sooner.


    Rick, however, felt nothing but satisfaction. The Lopez family had never cared for the Wilson family, but now he envied Rita. Her **Divine Gift** might be B-ranked with no combat utility, but it was valuable, and she had leverage.


    Rita''s assertiveness made the Lopez family rethink their approach. They were beginning to realize that she wasn''t someone who would give up her principles to cling to their power, nor would she cower in fear of them. More importantly, she now had the backing of the government.


    The younger generation of the Lopez family, though arrogant, weren''t stupid. They were quick to adjust their attitudes when they sensed Rita''s stance.


    Even Zoey, despite her frustration, concealed her anger. For now, they had no choice but to be civil. With only one **Wheel of Fate** in existence, they needed to tread carefully until they fully understood why this skill was so important.

 Chapter 62: Displeasure

    As Rita watched the three Lopez siblings force smiles and raise their glasses to toast her, she sighed inwardly. Before coming here, she had planned to bring up the government''s involvement, hoping to maintain some surface-level peace. But she hadn''t been able to hold back her irritation. She had overestimated herself.


    Still, seeing the Lopez siblings clearly seething inside while holding it all in gave her a sense of satisfaction. Even better, Rita glanced at Rick, who was dutifully pouring wine for Zoey. In her previous life, Zoey had often vented her frustrations on Rita. At times, Rita had felt like she was the one married to Zoey, not Rick.


    But now, with her **God of the Culinary Arts** skill in mind, she suspected Zoey''s irritation was being directed at Rick instead. After today''s unpleasant encounter, Rick was probably in for a tough time.


    The atmosphere between Rita and the Lopez family had torn slightly, but not completely. It wasn''t an irreparable rift, just a small crack that could be patched over.


    Once again, the room was filled with laughter and light conversation, as if the previous tension had never existed. Although, Rita didn''t eat much during the meal. She picked at her food, eating only a few bites out of politeness. After some small talk, she excused herself and left.


    Zoey, perhaps feeling guilty about the earlier awkwardness, not only had someone drive Rita home but also sent an entire carload of gifts afterward.


    Even though Rita hadn''t suffered any losses today, she still felt displeased. And when she was unhappy, she liked to stir things up for the Lopez family.


    However, for this plan, she would need a collaborator.


    Rita intended to profit from the early-game gear by selling it to the Lopez family, draining their gold reserves. Although she suspected the Lopez family had some connections on the alien planet, she doubted they had as much starting capital as she did to exchange for gear.


    The reason she had rushed back to reality was for this very plan. While the Lopez family might be well-informed, only a select few people knew about her exchanging 200 grams of gold for 1 coin. As long as she acted quickly, she was confident she could trade each piece of green gear for 1 pound of gold.


    The equipment she had carefully selected were all belts.


    By February 22nd, when the game officially invaded, a factory near Los Angeles would mutate, and the belts produced there would all be **+2 Strength, +1 Agility** green-grade items. These belts would be extremely useful for players between levels 0 and 2.


    The factory was quickly taken over by the government under a profit-sharing agreement, mass-producing green belts to supply the nation''s players during the difficult early stages. Within half a month, the prices of belts in the market would plummet.


    Although there would still be a temporary shortage, knowing there was a steady supply meant that players would prioritize purchasing gear for other body parts. Especially for those in Los Angeles, belts were never in short supply.


    During those months, green gear of the same level could sell for as high as 1 coin, but belts would go for no more than 40 silver. After all, belts produced by the government sold for just 15 silver.


    Rita had bought 1,000 belts. Her goal was to get at least 1,000 pounds of gold from the Lopez family.


    No one knew about his physical flaws or subtly mocked his incomplete **Divine Gift**.


    But lately, the public''s attitude had changed.


    His real name, which he had kept hidden during his streaming career, was now exposed. People had also discovered that he was Rita''s brother and that he had "married into" a wealthy family. However, no one seemed to know exactly which family that was.


    The sudden attention made him go viral.


    But this wasn''t the kind of fame Rick wanted.


    Though modern society was more open-minded, with people celebrating the perks of marrying rich, there was still a portion of the population that ridiculed those who lived off others'' wealth.


    In reality, these taunts didn''t bother Rick much. He had long come to terms with his situation. He knew exactly what he was after. The real problem was the Lopez family''s treatment of him.


    Previously, they had warmed up to him for reasons unknown. But lately, they''d grown cold again. At times, Rick felt more like Zoey''s pet than her husband. In fact, he probably ranked lower than Zoey''s prized border collie¡ªand he wasn''t wrong about that.


    Ignoring the snide remarks in his livestream chat, Rick finished his game with a forced smile before logging off.


    Just as he was about to shut down the streaming platform, he noticed a private message in his inbox.


    [4289359285]: Interested in buying green gear? You know which game.


    What a coincidence. He received thousands of private messages every day, yet today, this particular one caught his eye.


    But Rick didn''t find it strange. His luck had always been this good. Ever since he started cooking meals for his studio brothers, he had seemed unstoppable. He had secretly gathered quite a bit of intel on the Lopez family and had even started building his own faction, all without anyone in the Lopez family noticing.


    Before marrying Zoey, Rick had planned to genuinely collaborate with her, using his good fortune to help her develop the family business and thus earn the Lopez family''s trust. However, when Zoey joined the game and failed to include him in any of the important discussions, he changed his plans. Now, he intended to grow his own power within the Lopez family''s shadow until he could stand on his own.


    Lately, though, it felt like he was making no headway. At today''s dinner, for instance, despite the game being the main topic of conversation between Zoey and his sister, Rick had barely been able to get a word in. If it weren''t for Rita occasionally speaking to him, he would''ve been a complete outsider at his own family''s table.


    Rita paused for a moment before deciding not to shut down the software just yet.

 Chapter 63: Setting a Trap for My Good Brother

    **Rick** stared at the chat window, deep in thought.


    **[kGod]:** "What game?"


    **[4289359285]:** "Divine Gift, WoW, 10.10."


    **[kGod]:** "What type of green gear? How much?"


    **[4289359285]:** "1,000 pieces, belts. Can you handle that? Only accepting gold in exchange."


    Rick, initially dismissive, suddenly felt his heart race. He immediately shifted into a more serious mindset, calculating how much profit this could bring him. His first thought was to sell the gear to **Rita**, using her to connect with the government.


    Right now, the only people he truly trusted were his parents, **Samuel** and **Scarlett**, and Rita.


    But he quickly dismissed that idea. Connecting with the government would mean directly crossing the **Lopez family**, and that wasn''t worth the risk. Plus, Rick couldn''t handle such a large deal on his own; he only had a handful of followers under his command.


    **[kGod]:** "How much gold per piece? What are the attributes? I need to see the actual items."


    **[4289359285]:** "Each adds 3¨C4 attribute points. 2 pounds of gold per piece."


    Rick knew immediately that this was grossly overpriced. While he had only participated in one closed beta test, he had browsed the auction houses enough to know that 2 pounds of gold, roughly equivalent to half a million dollars, was asking far too much.


    Though he couldn''t recall exact prices, Rick was an expert in **Jewelry Crafting**. Even at the **beginner level**, he could craft earrings that added 5 attribute points. The materials for such items were costly, often requiring gems worth over a million dollars, but that was unique to **jewelry**.


    He knew other professions, like **Leatherworking**, **Tailoring**, and **Engineering**, could produce gear with similar stat boosts at far lower costs.


    Using her usual method, Rita snuck onto a flight and arrived in Vancouver, disguised as a large man. She headed to the agreed meeting spot.


    Inside a hotel suite, Hong Kong Boy was waiting for her. Rita had already used her **Hunter''s Eye** to scan the surroundings and found the adjacent rooms filled with people. But that didn''t bother her; the numbers were within reason. She ignored the tea on the table and got straight to the point. "Deal settled? Is it the buyer I recommended?"


    Hong Kong Boy didn''t ask why she insisted on that particular buyer. "Yes, it''s done. You can check for yourself. He and his wife are in the next room."


    Rita nodded. "Where''s the gold?"


    He opened a case, revealing stacks of gold bars.


    The sight was familiar, and Rita felt a wave of nostalgia. She quickly brought out her box of belts, and they exchanged the goods, pushing their respective cases forward.


    Rita''s **Cha?vez Pocket Watch** had an **Insight** ability that allowed her to check not only people''s information but also items. She only needed to verify the purity of one gold bar before confirming if the rest were legitimate. The game''s inventory system helped her quickly calculate the total weight.


    Checking all 900-plus belts, however, was more tedious. But Rita remained patient, allowing Hong Kong Boy to inspect each item. All the while, she stayed on high alert, prepared for any sudden betrayal.


    After half an hour, Hong Kong Boy breathed a sigh of relief. He had worried this might be a scam. Satisfied, he pocketed the belts. "Pleasure doing business. If you''ve got more deals like this, let''s keep working together."


    He had no intention of turning this into a double-cross. They were in the middle of the city, and everyone involved was a player. It was easier to trade peacefully, especially since they had made a substantial profit from the deal. The Lopez family had been unwilling to part with more gold, agreeing to pay 1 pound per belt. Still, they had been willing to pay extra cash.


    Hong Kong Boy and his associates had made an extra 10,000 dollars per belt, netting them nearly 1 million in profit after selling 900 belts. Even after keeping a few for themselves, they''d still be set for the year.


    Rita nodded in satisfaction and left promptly. She didn''t have much **Disguise** time left.


    Between the healing potions and the belts, Rita had drained 1,200 pounds of gold from the Lopez family.

 Chapter 64: The Cast-Iron Pot

    The next morning, as Rita was about to head out to buy more wine¡ªher recent supply had depleted rapidly¡ªshe planned to stock up. Additionally, she wanted to collect some cocktail recipes to gift the **Undead Alchemy Tutor**, hoping for more rewards.


    Just as she was about to leave her neighborhood, she received a message from **Rick** asking if she was home, claiming he had something good to deliver to her.


    Rita turned back and waited. Soon, Rick arrived with a belt to gift her. Amused, Rita recognized it immediately¡ªit was one of the belts she had sold the day before. It was a belt with 4 attribute points, one of the rare ones from the batch of 1,000. Only fifty or so belts in that lot had 4 attributes; the rest had 3.


    Rita wasn''t surprised. The Lopez family operated in predictable patterns¡ªwhen they acted human, they seemed genuinely kind, but when they weren''t, they were utterly ruthless. She played the role of a loving sister, thanked Rick warmly, and gifted him three **Lesser Healing Potions** she had made herself before sending him on his way.


    Rick, used to this dynamic, left satisfied. He knew Rita always reciprocated when given something, so not only did he feel he had strengthened their bond, but he also believed he had come out ahead. Ever since facilitating the deal for the 1,000 pieces of green gear, he had gained some sway in the Lopez household. Things that once happened without him even knowing now included him.


    Moreover, knowing that the healing potions Rita gave him fetched a high price¡ªeach sold for 250 grams of gold¡ªhe felt even more victorious.


    As for the ambush that followed yesterday''s transaction, where several Lopez family members were killed¡ªwell, that wasn''t Rick''s concern.


    After Rick left, Rita quickly reset her **Spider Silk Traps** and hurried out for the day. She didn''t return home until the afternoon, but instead of immediately heading to the alien world of **Ranaya Kaya**, she focused on setting up her safehouse.


    Rita had been collecting weapons, antiques, and miscellaneous items for months, and she decided it was time to remove them from her in-game inventory and store them in the safehouse. She wasn''t sure what caused objects to mutate, but she suspected the in-game storage might block whatever forces led to those changes.


    Even things she had picked up for fun, like old polaroid cameras and **durian shells** from a previous trip to Thailand, were placed in the safehouse.


    Every day, she meticulously inspected the traps around her home. Every step you took near the safehouse landed you in a **Spider Silk Trap**, with the webs soaked in poison.


    - **Corrosive Potion**: Contact with it causes a target to lose 10 HP per second, lasting for 3 minutes.


    Recently, he had found a player who could repair the valuable antiques and relics he had collected. While the repair costs were steep, he had managed to secure some of **Rick''s** money¡ªbeing married into a wealthy family had its perks. With the extra cash, he was able to restore several items without touching his own savings.


    But when he went to sell some of these restored items yesterday, the appraisers had declared them fakes. His legs had nearly given out right there in the shop.


    He had skipped dinner, gathered up all the family treasures, and taken them to three different appraisers, all of whom confirmed the worst¡ªthey were forgeries.


    Samuel felt like his entire world was crumbling. He drank heavily, filled with bitterness, unable to shake the despair.


    The worst part was, he couldn''t even confide in **Rita**, as she had never been informed of these valuables in the first place.


    He suspected a player had switched out the items during restoration and wanted **Rick** to confront them and get their money back.


    Rick, to his credit, accepted the responsibility, knowing he bore 95% of the blame. However, when he tracked down the person responsible, he discovered they were affiliated with the **White family**, which put an end to his plans for retribution. Lopez and White were currently in the middle of a delicate partnership, and making a move against them would cause too much friction.


    Seeing that Samuel wasn''t willing to talk about it, Rita dropped the matter. If he didn''t want to share, she wouldn''t push.


    As **Samuel** wallowed in his misery, **Rita** found his drinking oddly amusing, using it to liven up her own meal. Meanwhile, **Scarlett** was busy taking photos, posting about her glamorous life on social media.


    Scarlett knew about the loss of the billion-dollar treasures but found herself unbothered. Just like the issue of future grandchildren bearing the family name, the loss of these treasures didn''t concern her directly. Even if they had been sold, her lifestyle would have barely changed¡ªshe would still only spend a few hundred million at most.


    In her mind, not much would have been different, so she remained unfazed.


    Scarlett prided herself on being the most clear-headed, pragmatic woman in the family.

 Chapter 65: The Bad Influence of Lania Kaia

    Bringing **Samuel** and **Scarlett** along to the restaurant turned out to be the right call. During their meal, Scarlett took pictures of the food and shared them in their family chat, prompting Rick to generously transfer some gold coins to cover the bill, claiming the meal was on him. Rita didn''t spend a dime and managed to scout the restaurant thoroughly.


    After dropping the emotionally drained Samuel and the ever-cheerful Scarlett back home, Rita went to bed early, planning her next move.


    At exactly 2 a.m., Rita woke up with her mission in mind. As usual, she layered on a **Disguise** skill, followed by **Phantom Cloak**, then used **Phantom Shift** to teleport to the Lopez family restaurant. Using **Phasing Potion**, she slipped through the walls into the kitchen.


    There were eight identical iron pots. Rita couldn''t distinguish between them by appearance¡ªafter all, they were clean, well-maintained, and the rust had long since been cooked into the meals served to customers. Without hesitation, she packed all eight pots into her storage box and stashed them in her in-game inventory.


    She wasn''t about to leave behind a few replacement pots; the fewer traces she left, the better.


    With eight pots in tow, Rita made a smooth escape, though she felt a tinge of regret that the Lopez family wouldn''t realize what they had lost immediately. Inspired by this thought, Rita **Phantom Shift**ed outside the Lopez estate and transformed into a small bird, heading straight for Zoey''s villa.


    Landing by the window, Rita shifted into a small spider and crawled inside. As expected, the villa''s security systems were no match for a creature weighing only a few grams¡ªnone of the pressure-sensitive alarms were triggered. However, navigating as a spider proved tedious, with what would normally be a few steps for a human taking her several seconds, and climbing stairs was an arduous task.


    Thankfully, Zoey had invited her to this new house before, so Rita knew exactly which room belonged to Zoey and Rick. Without wasting time, she scurried directly into the master bedroom. Crawling under the bed, a familiar sense of satisfaction and security washed over Rita. This hiding spot felt like home.


    Tonight, Rita wasn''t targeting Zoey¡ªher sights were set on **Rick**. Activating **Another Happy Day**, she reduced his luck stat to 1 before attempting a triple steal.


    Nothing.


    But Rita had all night. She retreated to the bathroom, shifted back into human form, and consumed a meal that would regenerate her health over time. Under the effects of her three-times critical hit buff, she recovered 600 HP per minute. Once her health was restored, she transformed back into a spider and returned to Rick''s side, stealthily continuing her theft attempts.


    The process was slow, but Rita was patient. She alternated between stealing and sneaking to the bathroom for regeneration. As she munched on her steak by the toilet, she mused to herself, "Rita, you really have to stop being so sneaky next time!"


    By the time Rita returned home, the sun was rising. She made herself a cup of self-made tea to boost her mental energy and got to work. After preparing several bowls of food for the backyard cats, she began cooking eight dishes in the iron pots, all of which had health-restoring properties. She planned to continue using the pots daily to ensure their power remained active until the game''s invasion.


    With her plan set in motion, Rita headed back to **Ranaya Kaia** to attend her usual lessons with the undead alchemy tutor. Today''s session was shorter, only 40 minutes. Afterward, she went to the auction house to search for any **God of the Culinary Arts** items.


    Unfortunately, she found nothing. She tried searching for **Thief God** items as well, but again, nothing came up. On a whim, she searched for **Water God**, and to her surprise, something interesting popped up¡ªa ruby button.


    - **Water God''s Truly Disgusting Thing** (Grade A): A toy of the Fire God. When equipped, if someone tries to drain your HP and fails, you will drain 1% of their HP in return. If they succeed, they will suffer from **Burning**, losing 1% HP per minute for 5 minutes.


    It was expensive, priced at 998 gold coins, and the use case seemed narrow. Rita had only encountered one vampire-like skill so far¡ª**Sanchez''s Water God** ability, **Vampire**, which had a 20% chance of draining 1% of an opponent''s HP.


    Still, Rita didn''t hesitate to buy the button. After all, she was amassing wealth to deal with these very enemies. She quickly used a **Binding Stone** to bind the item to herself and attached it to her pocket watch chain.


    Given how tightly she was managing her **Disguise** skill''s cooldown, Rita also searched for other disguise abilities. Unfortunately, most of them came with limitations or flaws. Nothing compared to the versatility of **Thief God''s Disguise** skill. Sighing, she used her remaining **Disguise** time to **Phantom Shift** to the outskirts and begin her daily level grinding.


    Before ending her session, she tried searching for **Zoey''s Holy Light** ability but came up empty-handed. Instead, she stumbled upon something even better¡ªa skill called **Emerald Feast**, one of the rare percentage-based healing skills. Even better, it was **S-rank**.


    **Emerald Feast** (S-rank): Instantly restores 50% of your HP and regenerates 10% HP per minute for 3 minutes. Cooldown: 10 minutes. You can also extract life force from plants to store up to 500% of your max HP. Using stored life force doesn''t trigger the skill''s cooldown.


    This was an absolute healing powerhouse. In terms of sheer healing, it was on par with **Zoey''s** strongest healing skill from her previous life. But the key advantage of **Emerald Feast** was its ability to store up to 500% of your max HP, meaning Rita could use it to sustain herself for 25 theft attempts without taking any damage.


    The price? 12,999 gold coins. Rita didn''t even flinch¡ªshe bought it immediately.


    Lately, the auction house seemed to have picked up some bad habits. Prices were always ending in 99, 999, or 9999, like they were running a clearance sale. It gave Rita the false impression that she was getting a bargain instead of spending a small fortune.


    She strongly suspected this was **Shadow.Q''s** influence. There was no proof¡ªjust a gut feeling.

 Chapter 66 The Second "Brother

    The next night, Rita returned to her familiar spot¡ªZoey and Rick''s bed. At this point, sneaking under their bed felt as comfortable as returning to her own home. Tonight''s haul wasn''t great¡ªjust a few pieces of trashy gear and no attribute points.


    Even though her success rate varied, Rita still felt lucky overall, as she had been consistently getting more attribute points than gear or items, which she knew were far more valuable in the long run.


    Rita continued stealing until 3 a.m., but instead of leaving right away, she stayed. She had noticed something odd earlier. Over the past few days, **Cha?vez''s Insight** had been in constant use in energy-saving mode. Zoey had returned home with her usual 100% health yesterday, but tonight, when Rita entered the room, Zoey''s health was at 99.8%.


    At first, Rita didn''t think much of it¡ªafter all, it was just a tiny fluctuation. However, after seeing an open sanitary pad in the bathroom during her meal break, she realized Zoey was on her period.


    But several hours later, Zoey''s health was still at 99.8%. Shouldn''t it have automatically regenerated by now? Rita had experienced periods herself¡ªthough there would be slight fluctuations, players'' health would automatically recover based on their constitution stat. With Zoey''s high constitution, even the heaviest bleeding wouldn''t prevent her health from regenerating fully.


    Suspicious, Rita flew to the bedside table, shifted back to human form while activating **Phantom Cloak**, and carefully drew blood samples from both Zoey and Rick using a syringe. With her work done, she headed to her next target.


    Her next stop was a private school owned by the **White** family. She snuck in, uprooted a statue of one of their ancestors (who happened to be **Sanchez''s** great-grandfather), and stashed it into her in-game inventory. According to its in-game lore, this ancestor had been a philanthropist. However, Rita didn''t care much about his good deeds¡ªshe wasn''t a saint herself.


    After the game''s invasion, the statue would undergo a transformation, granting powerful buffs to any team that carried it. In her previous life, the **White** family had been mocked for lugging around the statue during dungeons, but in reality, everyone was just jealous of the advantage it gave them. Zoey had been among the envious ones, complaining about it many times.


    Rita decided that until the game''s invasion, the statue would stay in her possession. Once its in-game features unlocked, she''d put it up for auction and force the White family to buy it back if they didn''t want it falling into someone else''s hands.


    After a long night of mischief, Rita returned home just as the sun was rising. Realizing she hadn''t slept again, she grabbed a quick bite and went to **Ranaya Kaia** for her daily alchemy lessons. By the time night fell, she had already received the results from the blood samples: both Zoey and Rick were infected with **HIV**.


    Rita''s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Not only did their health no longer regenerate, but she wondered if there were any other long-term effects. She also hoped that when the game''s invasion occurred and the player stats officially updated, the infection would show up on their health panels.


    After all, Rita really didn''t want to be collateral damage if Zoey decided to take out her frustrations on Rick.


    Modern men at least had the decency to send flowers when courting a woman. But after the game''s invasion, Aaron''s idea of a gift was casting a buff on her. Equipment, gold, skill books¡ªshe never saw any of that from him. He was the ultimate cheapskate.


    Even Rick, in his effort to gain her trust, would occasionally voice his "honest" thoughts, telling Rita that she was heartless for ignoring Aaron''s deep affections.


    Rita knew that if she hadn''t been hunted down in her previous life, she probably would''ve died from sheer frustration if she had stayed in that miserable place.


    Aaron had only become a player after the game''s official invasion, so he had been late to the party. But of course, his **Divine Gift** was S-ranked, an injustice that made Rita''s blood boil.


    So, she decided she would track Aaron down in the next few days by following Rick''s movements.


    It wasn''t that she was bloodthirsty. Aaron hadn''t committed any major crime. All he had done was "fall in love" with her, and there was nothing wrong with liking someone, right?


    Aaron hadn''t done anything seriously wrong¡ªaside from telling her to just "endure" whenever she faced hardship, aside from professing his love while watching everyone criticize her for rejecting him, aside from being secretly in love with Rick but being too cowardly to admit it, so he used her as a tool to perform his fake acts of affection.


    When Rita found out about his secret, Aaron had the audacity to get on his knees and beg for forgiveness. A few days later, rumors spread that Rita had accepted his proposal, with the condition that Aaron would give her 1,000 gold coins and a full set of level 20 blue gear.


    It was infuriating.


    But that was all in the past. Rita figured she could settle the score by gouging out Aaron''s eyes. That would make them even.


    After all, he had been blind when he shouldn''t have been in the previous life, so it was only fair to let him be blind for good this time around.


    In her mind, it was a merciful end for him.

 Chapter 67 Can He Be Stronger Than His Wife?

    February 22nd was a special date. In Rita''s previous life, many people had anticipated it would mark the start of the fourth game beta. At that time, although Rita was still unaware of the game''s existence, she knew about Rick''s major moves¡ªhe had gathered a few people and established a small studio, composed of both players and well-connected non-players.


    One of these non-players was **Aaron**, a wealthy second-generation heir with a privileged background.


    Enjoy exclusive content from empire


    Just two days before the game''s official invasion, Rick had brought a group home for dinner. At that point in Rita''s life, her career had been completely destroyed, and the resources Rick had introduced through the **Lopez** family were hardly beneficial. She spent most of her time at home, and she was there the night of that dinner. Among the guests were **Julian** and **Aaron**.


    Judging by the timeline, it was probably around now.


    With less than a week left before the invasion, Rita''s schedule was packed. She couldn''t care less about attending this dinner.


    She used **Phantom Cloak** and **Phantom Shift** to arrive near Rick''s small apartment. As a small bird, she flew to his window and peered inside. Sure enough, several people were huddled around their computers. She recognized **Julian**, **Aaron**, and a few other familiar faces. They weren''t playing games¡ªthe screens displayed chat windows and forums.


    It was clear that Rick was already in the process of building his team.


    Rita didn''t even wait for nightfall. She flew to the apartment''s restroom and activated **Disguise**, taking on the appearance of a **White** family member she had seen before. After donning a mask and gloves, she calmly stepped out and walked right up to Aaron, who looked confused. Without hesitation, she grabbed his throat, swiftly pulled out a knife, and gouged out both of his eyes.


    The nerve connections snapped with a satisfying sound, and once the eyeballs hit the floor, she stomped them into a mushy pulp.


    She released the screaming Aaron, pocketed her knife, and turned away calmly. As she moved to leave, her gaze fell on a familiar figurine in the cabinet¡ªit was the same one she had mutilated before by snapping off an arm and shaving its head. Either Julian had repaired it or bought a new one. She couldn''t resist.


    Throughout the day, as Rita leveled up, she couldn''t help but chuckle to herself. She even made a trip to the **Treehouse Outpost** to trade gear, planning to gather a full set of agility-boosting equipment. Once she had it, she could rely on her high attack and agility to solo dungeons. Meanwhile, she set aside her constitution-boosting gear for group play.


    She didn''t bother hiding her newfound ability to teleport freely between **Earth** and **Ranaya Kaia**. **Shadow.Q** already knew how much gold she had, so it wasn''t a big deal to buy a **Portal** skill. As for others who might be curious, Rita felt no need to explain. After all, when had a truly powerful person ever felt the need to justify their strength?


    She preferred to keep some tricks up her sleeve, but that didn''t mean she was afraid of anyone.


    Once her **Disguise** skill had cooled down, Rita attended another lesson with her **Undead Mentor**. Following the lesson, her mentor suggested she buy a few old notebooks and alchemy texts, which cost Rita a small fortune in gold. Rita suspected the mentor was exploiting her, but she had no proof.


    Still, with over 30,000 gold and 2,000 pounds of gold at her disposal, Rita didn''t mind the expense. As long as it helped her grow stronger, she was happy to spend. After all, earning gold was easy, but opportunities to improve her strength were rare. Over time, she noticed that the mentor only seemed to offer lessons to her; other suspected players in the shop never received the same attention.


    Evening came, and when Rita returned home to the Wilson estate, she noticed three missed calls from **Scarlett**. There were no messages in the family group chat, so she called her mother back while preparing dinner.


    "Where have you been?" Scarlett scolded. "I tried calling you!"


    "One of your brother''s colleagues had his eyes gouged out. Oh, it was awful¡ªright in broad daylight!"


    "Your father and I rushed to the hospital. I just left, and I''m heading home now. That person seems dangerous. Your father thinks they might come after your brother next, but Rick wasn''t even there at the time. Why blame him?"


    Rita stifled a laugh as she reassured her mother, "Mom, no one''s stronger than the Lopez family. Don''t worry, everything''s fine."


    Scarlett seemed to agree. If her tone on the phone was any indication, she wasn''t all that worried. She sounded more like she was gossiping than fretting. "You''re right. No matter how strong they are, can they really be stronger than his wife?"

 Chapter 68 The Mystic Eye

    Samuel had recently begun to feel that perhaps the Wilson family''s feng shui was off. His daughter had quit the entertainment industry, and his son had been involved in several incidents. To top it off, the family treasures, which had just been repaired, had been swapped with fakes.


    He had even considered the possibility that Rick was behind the switch. After all, who gets so mad that they destroy family heirlooms? Had Rick staged the whole "emotional breakdown" as a cover to break the fakes? Maybe he hadn''t expected Samuel to find a player to repair them.


    But suspicions aside, Rick was now part of the **Lopez** family. Even if Samuel had his doubts, he had to pretend otherwise. What else could he do?


    Now Rick had angered the **Jones** family!


    Even though the whole situation had nothing to do with Rick, and the **Jones** family had identified the perpetrator through surveillance footage¡ªa member of the **White** family¡ªthere was no easy way for them to let this go. The Jones family couldn''t lash out at the White family, and directly confronting them wouldn''t accomplish much. However, the Jones family wasn''t powerless.


    Even if they couldn''t touch the White family, the rest of Rick''s studio was fair game. As for Rick, who was only considered a half-member of the Lopez family, well, he was essentially just a "live-in son-in-law." As long as the Jones family didn''t escalate things too far, they could still hold Rick''s group accountable.


    Their youngest son had lost his eyes at Rick''s studio. It was only fair that someone took responsibility. The Jones family could argue that the trouble had been stirred up by Rick''s group and that their son had taken the hit for it.


    They conveniently ignored the actual culprit and targeted Rick, demanding an explanation.


    Rick, **Julian**, and the rest of their team were under serious pressure. Even though their backgrounds were comparable to the Jones family''s, their situation was complicated. As players, they had unpredictable abilities, but they couldn''t handle this kind of issue alone.


    Rick, in particular, was stressed to the breaking point. Not only had his attribute points inexplicably dropped by three, but he''d also lost several pieces of equipment and an important item. He was still trying to wrap his head around those losses when Aaron''s eyes were gouged out.


    Rita heard that the matter had been "resolved" by the 19th, when Rick called to invite her to dinner at the Wilson house. He wanted to introduce some of his friends to the family¡ªa situation that mirrored what had happened in her past life. Out of curiosity, Rita privately asked Scarlett about the details, and her mother happily spilled everything she knew.


    It turned out that Rick had, unsurprisingly, handled the situation on his own. He had given Aaron an **A-rank Mystic Eye**, a valuable item that saved Aaron from permanent blindness. Not only did it prevent Aaron from becoming disabled, but it also provided him with a rare and powerful tool that would be almost impossible to buy. The Jones family was pleased with this outcome.


    The cheapest healing potions in **Ranaya Kaia** sold for 1 silver, but on Earth, they could go for as much as 20 silver.


    Thinking about the batch of potions she had sold to the Lopez family for 100g of gold still made Rita smile.


    It wasn''t as if the Lopez family didn''t know the true value of those potions. But since they couldn''t access **Ranaya Kaia** yet, they were willing to pay the price. The people who did go to **Ranaya Kaia** were too busy leveling up to spend time reselling potions. And even if they had the money, they''d rather invest it in their personal growth than wasting time on such trivial items.


    The cost of traveling back and forth would outweigh the profits.


    For the truly wealthy, 100g of gold wasn''t much¡ªabout 50,000 dollars. That was pocket change for people who regularly spent even more on luxury items. A potion that could instantly restore health was worth every penny, even if they weren''t players themselves.


    Rita briefly considered asking **Gun King** to sell another batch to the Lopez family, but she quickly decided against it. With February 22nd just around the corner, the Lopez family, rich as they were, wouldn''t want to be ripped off again. The 1,000 bottles she had already sold them were enough to prepare their family for emergencies.


    By now, most of the major players were simply waiting for February 22nd. If the fourth beta did happen, they could just buy potions in the game. Unlike the large transaction for the 1,000 pieces of equipment, buying potions was a small matter. The Lopez family could scrape together 5 gold coins and buy them directly from a game store for 1 silver each if necessary.


    Just as she was mulling things over, **Samuel** came over and sat down beside her. After some fatherly chit-chat, he got to the point: "Daughter... do you have any gold coins left? Could you lend me some?"


    Rita gave Samuel a glance, then reached into her bag and handed him a gold coin. "This month''s payment from the special bureau hasn''t come in yet. You can use this for now. Don''t talk about borrowing and lending between us." Ever since Samuel had become a player and gained his **Divine Gift**, he knew how difficult it was to earn gold.


    Although the amount was less than he had hoped for, Samuel understood how tough it was to make money in the game. Many people considered themselves wealthy if they had just a few silver coins. He patted Rita on the shoulder and offered a few warm words of thanks.


    Rita played along, letting the father-daughter scene unfold.


    Not long after, Rick arrived at the villa with his five friends.

 Chapter 69 A Shield?

    Rita immediately noticed Aaron, wearing an eye patch. The exposed eye was a striking blue, beautiful enough to make anyone want to dig it out. She quickly used **Insight**.


    **[Magic Eye] (A-Rank)**: The magical eye of Biteri, which accompanied him on countless seafaring adventures.


    - **Skill 1: Time Rewind** ¨C Allows the user to "see" the target''s experiences from the last 6 hours. Consumes 20% mana per use, with a 24-hour cooldown.


    - **Skill 2: Mind Reading** ¨C Direct eye contact allows the user to read the target''s thoughts. Consumes 10 mana per second while in use.


    - **Note**: Must be installed in an eye socket to function.


    Upon reading the description, Rita''s heart skipped a beat, a cold sweat breaking out. She quickly realized, however, that she had the **Cha?vez** ability, which should shield her from such invasive skills. Plus, Aaron wasn''t even a player yet. He had no mana to use the eye''s abilities, and she could bet that Aaron was only able to see through the eye due to some healing spell cast by a player.


    But that magic eye... Rita had to get her hands on it. Even if she couldn''t use it herself, she needed to seize it.


    While Rita was using **Insight** on Aaron''s magic eye, Aaron was looking at her too. In that moment, an idea struck him: a brilliant plan that would allow him to stay close to Rick without raising Zoey''s suspicions. He would use Rita as his shield...


    During dinner, Aaron began to lavish attention on Rita.


    He wasn''t alone; several others were also intrigued by Rita. After all, her striking appearance and elegant demeanor were hard to ignore. But Aaron acted the fastest. Just as he poured Rita a drink, she gave him a thoughtful look, as if contemplating something.


    Aaron, trying to suppress his excitement, smiled shyly, feeling both pleased and nervous.


    Why wait for a threat to become real before acting? Why not eliminate it early? Then Rita spoke, "I think I''ve seen you before. Weren''t you involved with **Blue Cheng**?"


    Her words landed like a bombshell, plunging the table into silence.


    The awkward moment was soon brushed over by Rick''s easy banter. No one else seemed particularly upset with Rita. After all, she was a player, and Aaron wasn''t. Plus, she had offered a sincere apology in the form of a belt that was clearly a fine-grade item, glowing faintly green. It was a generous gesture.


    Whether it was gear or potions, everyone knew they would eventually lose value as time passed. But for now, they were in high demand among players, and such items were incredibly scarce. Many were willing to pay but couldn''t find them anywhere.


    Even Aaron couldn''t hold a grudge for long. Although he found Rita annoying, he let his anger fade, chalking up her comment to impulsiveness.


    After dinner, Rita excused herself. Before leaving, she generously gave each of them a bottle of **basic healing potion**, earning her even more goodwill as she left the Wilson household.


    She was beginning to understand Samuel and Rick''s tactics. Offering small, insignificant tokens that didn''t cost her much, but created a favorable impression¡ªit was a clever strategy.


    Before driving off, Rita discreetly placed a small, **"Dead Man''s Spy"** spider near Rick''s car and then left in her own vehicle.


    That magic eye? She was going to get it tonight.


    Rita had a nagging feeling that Rick had somehow used this magic eye in his past life. If he didn''t use it himself, he must have given it to one of his brothers or wives. But why had she never seen it?


    Surely he hadn''t hidden it... somewhere unspeakable?


    Forget it. First, she needed to get her hands on the eye. Then she could figure it out.


    The spider had already climbed into Rick''s car, hiding in the back seat. Under its surveillance, Rita saw that Aaron and the others were leaving the Wilson estate.


    Though they were all close friends, by evening they each returned to their respective homes. Rick drove them one by one. First, he dropped off the others, until only **Julian** and Aaron were left. Julian had been living with Rick since moving to Los Angeles and had become too lazy to find his own place. Aaron, meanwhile, didn''t want to return to the **Jones** family''s estate anytime soon.


    He feared that if he went back, someone else from the family might take his other eye. At least at Rick''s place, Julian could protect him.


    That was the kind of deep, touching friendship these protagonists shared. Aaron trusted the people he had only known for a few months, but not the Jones family, who had risked offending others to seek justice for him.

 Chapter 70 How Did You Go Blind Again?

    At 2 a.m., this had almost become Rita''s internal clock. Even on nights when she didn''t stay up late, she''d still wake up at this exact time.


    After using her **Disguise** ability to transform into a goblin and crafting her daily three gold coins, she put on gloves, activated **Phantom Cloak**, and **Phantom Shift** to Rick''s apartment. First, she activated **Hunter''s Eye** to ensure there were no ambushes nearby. Once she confirmed it was safe, she slipped into the next room and cast **Sleep Spell** on Julian.


    Passing through the living room, she couldn''t help but check the damaged action figure.


    Great. Its arm was still missing, and the head had been scraped off. Now it looked much more pleasing to the eye.


    Find more to read at empire


    Next, she entered Aaron''s room and cast another **Sleep Spell** on him. She then pulled out a knife, pried open his eyelid, and with a quick twist, removed the magic eye. The sudden surge of pain from having the eye removed interrupted the **Sleep Spell**, and Aaron instinctively clutched his face and screamed.


    But by that point, Rita was already gone, **Phantom Shifting** away with the magic eye in her possession.


    She went to the seaside, cleansing herself thoroughly, then stored the magic eye inside the **Magician''s Fake Tooth**. Only after that did she **Phantom Shift** back to her own home.


    ---


    "WHAT?! He went blind AGAIN?!"


    By noon on the 21st, Rita received a call from Samuel.


    It wasn''t just to gossip. He wanted to know if she had anything good to offer as compensation to **The Jones Family**.


    Rita, pretending to be outraged, let out a sarcastic laugh over the phone. "Have they ever considered that maybe **The Jones Family** has pissed off the wrong person? Why is it every time something happens, Rick''s the one to blame? We already compensated them with an A-rank artifact! Do they even understand how much an A-rank artifact is worth?!"


    Since Rick was likely eavesdropping on the conversation, Rita raised her voice more than usual, feigning intense anger with a tinge of hurt and concern for her brother.


    Such a valuable item! And he had given it to **The Jones Family**?!


    Zoey had never sworn in her life, but in this moment, she let out a very loud, "Holy sh*t!"


    An artifact that could see into someone''s recent actions and read minds! If you had offended **White Family**, Lopez could have taken care of it! But you gave such a powerful artifact to **The Jones Family**? Who are they to deserve it?! Even if you had pissed off the **White Family**, if you gave the magic eye to Lopez, we would have not only protected you but given you anything you wanted in return!


    "And why is it your problem that someone from **The Jones Family** had their eye gouged out? It could very well be their fault for offending someone! Even Rita understands that! And what about your sister? Why didn''t she mention before that she had channels to buy equipment?"


    Zoey was growing angrier with each word. She didn''t even care about revealing that she had been investigating the whole incident.


    Rick sat on the couch, his head propped on his hand, staring at the floor while silently enduring Zoey''s rare outburst of cursing.


    Mateo, standing beside them, had maintained a cold expression as he watched Rick. Finally, once Zoey had exhausted herself with yelling, Mateo spoke. "You don''t trust the Lopez family."


    It wasn''t a question, nor did it leave any room for Rick to deny it.


    Rick didn''t try to refute him. He sighed, leaning back into the sofa, eyes closed, and his voice heavy with exhaustion. "Have you ever included me in any of your core meetings about the game? Even after I helped you secure nearly a thousand pieces of equipment, you still leave me out of the important decisions. How do you expect me to trust you?"


    Zoey and Mateo both fell silent. It was the truth, and even they couldn''t argue against it.


    In their eyes, Rick had always been an outsider. Especially with his weak and practically useless **Divine Gift**, the only valuable thing about him was his maxed-out luck stat. That''s why they had let him develop on his own, without investing much in him, hoping he might one day surprise them.


    And surprise them he did, by managing to acquire such a powerful A-rank artifact. But the shock was quickly followed by disappointment, as he had given it away just as quickly.


    Still, this incident made Zoey realize something. Rick was generous to those he trusted.


    And in a way, that showed he was a man of loyalty.

 Chapter 71 The Loyal and Righteous Rick

    Rick didn''t dare open his eyes. He feared that if he did, tears would start flowing.


    Sure, he had given the magic eye to Aaron, but his plan was to quietly retrieve it in a few days. He had everything worked out: if there was a fourth beta test on February 22nd, he would use the money he had saved to buy two skills, one for **Disguise** and one for offense. Once the game ended, he''d go and take back the magic eye.


    But then someone had intercepted it midway¡ªefficiently and ruthlessly.


    After giving Aaron the eye, Rick had stayed with his group of brothers the entire time. They had been inseparable for days, and last night was the first time they parted ways. He had thought that with the beta test starting at 2 a.m. on the 22nd, it wouldn''t be wise to be wandering around on the 21st. What if the Lopez family made a big move, and he missed out?


    Yet, disaster struck in the early hours of the 21st.


    The magic eye was gone.


    Men are said to hold back their tears, but the thought of losing the magic eye filled Rick with overwhelming sorrow, and he genuinely wanted to cry.


    He had spent half a year scheming to get that magic eye, and he couldn''t ask for help or tell anyone about it. He had to rely on his own careful planning, and in the end, he had killed two people to secure it. His plan was to bring the magic eye into the beta test and see if it could be installed painlessly.


    If not, he was prepared to undergo surgery to remove his own eye, so he could install the magic one.


    But plans never keep up with change.


    One mistake led to another.


    The loss of the magic eye reminded him of his ruined **Divine Gift**. If his gift hadn''t been mostly wasted, he wouldn''t have gone to such lengths for the magic eye. Thinking about his useless **Divine Gift** made him recall the main reason he had started playing the game¡ªto fix his 9cm problem. And remembering the pain of having half of it cut off...


    The hardships of the past year hit him all at once. Rick couldn''t hold it in anymore, covering his face as silent tears streamed through his fingers.


    Mateo: ".........." This really wasn''t necessary!


    Zoey: ".........." Uh... uh, he''s really crying?


    The siblings didn''t feel guilty, exactly, but they did recognize that, in a way, they had been the ones to sideline him first.


    The siblings were completely in sync. A single glance was enough to communicate:


    ''Let''s get someone to verify this.''


    ''Alright.''


    Rick clung to Zoey, his eyes cold as he stared at the curtains.


    He knew Zoey would have it investigated as soon as he mentioned it. Over the past six months, aside from working on the magic eye, he had been searching for a way to **Disguise** his **Divine Gift**.


    The answer lay in a very special item:


    **Chameleon Teapot Pet** (A-grade): Its shed skin can conceal or falsify any information, including personal panel details, item descriptions, and skill information. The effect lasts for seven days and cannot be seen through by any A-grade or lower tool or skill. It must be watered daily with high-quality tea.


    When satisfied, it sheds once per day, and each shed skin can alter one piece of information. (Note: The quality of the tea may affect the shedding time.)


    Even the best tea in the real world was nothing special for a magic item, so it had taken Rick three months of daily care to produce twelve pieces of shed skin. Once he confirmed the shedding frequency was stable enough for his needs, he waited for the perfect moment to "confess" to Zoey.


    By the time the Lopez siblings left, their anger was completely gone, and they even left Rick with a set of equipment.


    Rick opened his personal stats panel.


    The faint blue screen appeared before him, visible only to him. He gently placed a thin piece of the **Chameleon Teapot Pet''s** shed skin over his one and only active **Divine Gift**.


    **Skill 5**: "Good Cooks Have Good Luck" (Passive): The **God of the Culinary Arts**'' mission is to make every diner feel happiness. After a diner eats your food and feels happy, you will become lucky for a period of time. The happier the diner, the luckier you become.


    Still holding onto hope that his skills might one day recover, Rick also altered **Skill 4**:


    **Skill 4**: "There''s Nothing a Good Meal Can''t Fix": Mark a diner. Their negative emotions are transformed into luck for you, with the amount of luck equivalent to the number of dishes from the **God of the Culinary Arts** they''ve eaten that day.


    Whether it was conscious or not, Rick had tied all his skill disguises to luck¡ªperhaps an influence from Rita''s emphasis on the value of luck.

 Chapter 72 Game Invasion

    Rita didn''t yet know about Rick''s latest moves, but even without that knowledge, she would never underestimate him.


    She truly intended to help the Jones family as she promised. After all, why not make some money? It was just a middleman job, after all.


    After gouging out Aaron''s eyes, their past grudges were settled. Rita had no habit of exterminating entire families¡ªher main enemies were always Rick, Zoey, Sanchez, Camila Taylor, Henry Taylor, and the Lopez, White, and Taylor families, as well as anyone who had wronged her.


    Thinking about it, she realized her list of enemies was getting pretty long, almost like reciting a menu.


    But she didn''t plan on harming the Jones family further. Her philosophy was simple: return grievance for grievance, revenge for revenge. While she wouldn''t let Rick and the others die easily, she''d only make the lives of those who didn''t deserve death miserable.


    Rita touched her forehead, half expecting a Buddha-like red mark to appear there. "I''m too kind," she mused.


    She stood in her backyard, gazing at the silver-white full moon in the sky. She had thought she would be excited or thrilled when this day arrived, but now that it had, her heart was as calm as still water.


    The full moon slowly began to show intricate red markings, which quickly spread across its surface.


    She glanced at her phone to check the time: 2:21. A moment later, the "1" flickered and became a "2."


    Rita silently counted down in her mind, reaching 22 seconds.


    At that precise moment, a mechanical voice echoed in her mind:


    **[Ding¡ª]**


    **[The game "Star Ocean: Rift of the Beasts" is officially live.]**


    **[Server "Earth" has connected successfully.]**


    **[Server "Lania Kaia" has connected successfully.]**


    **[Welcome, players, to "Star Ocean: Rift of the Beasts." Each player will draw their unique Divine Gift.]**


    **[Detected: Player already possesses Divine Gifts: <Thief God> <Immortal> <God of the Culinary Arts> <Master


    **[Character panel function is now fully enabled.]**


    **[Chat channels are now enabled.]**


    **[Auction House is now enabled.]**


    **[Achievements are now enabled.]**


    **[Map function is now enabled.]**


    She placed the cat bed deeper inside the cat mansion. While it could be bound with a **Binding Stone**, doing so would make it unusable by anyone but her. Since the bed only worked when cats used it, Rita had to leave it in place for now, using it only when she was home. When she left, she''d take it with her, ensuring the hostel would always be open for business.


    Rita walked up to the second-floor glass room, where various items were scattered on the floor¡ªguns, antiques, iron pots, durian shells, and even the toppled-over statue she had recently acquired. She wasn''t sure what triggered the mutation process, but she had laid everything out to ensure they were exposed to the magical energy released during the invasion.


    Just looking at the **Meow Meow Hostel** was proof enough that transformation could happen in an instant. Either it happened, or it didn''t.


    To be thorough, she activated **Insight** and began sorting through the items, putting those that displayed magical properties into her in-game inventory. The ordinary weapons that didn''t mutate were tossed into a nearby storage box.


    With that done, she opened her safe room door. In the corner stood an oval-shaped light screen, about two meters tall. The light was a pale purple, indicating the dungeon''s level was below 10.


    "Good, there''s a dungeon now."


    Satisfied that everything was in order, Rita hummed a little tune as she headed downstairs. Samuel and Scarlett were probably on their way.


    While waiting, she decided to check on the item she was most excited about: the Desert Eagle pistols from the meteorite desert.


    **[Embers] (Legendary)**


    *"Every bullet fired from this weapon gleams like a falling meteor."*


    **[Stat Bonuses]:** Agility +67©§Constitution +21©§Strength +14


    **[Magic Properties]:** +18% Crit Damage©§+15% Skill Damage


    **[Legendary Skill] Unrelenting Fury:** For 1 minute, all bullets will be infused with burning rage, adding +55% fire damage. Cooldown: 3 minutes.


    **[Requirements]:** Agility >85©§Strength >37


    The other Desert Eagle was nearly identical, except the second magical property was +15% Movement Speed instead of Skill Damage.


    What Rita liked most wasn''t the stats but the **requirements**: pure attribute-based requirements with no level restriction!


    For her, that was the most valuable aspect of these guns. It meant she could use them as long as her attributes were high enough.


    Given that the average starting attribute for most players was 7, these guns effectively had an implicit level requirement of around 21. But with the right gear, she could lower that requirement even further.


    And Rita had no shortage of ways to meet those attribute requirements.


    Without hesitation, she bound the guns to herself using a **Binding Stone** and stored them in her **Magician''s Fake Tooth** for safekeeping.


    These would be her most precious gear in the near future, and she estimated she could equip them well before reaching level 10.


    A legendary item of this caliber with such low requirements would fetch thousands of gold in the Auction House, but why bother? Instead of buying expensive gear, she''d rather save her money for skills or professional formulas. Besides, finding such treasures in the real world was like hitting the jackpot.

 Chapter 73 Sudden Wealth

    After reviewing her most anticipated weapon, Rita didn''t rush to count how many items had mutated. Instead, she curiously pulled out the durian shell she had bought in Sawadikap.


    **[Durian Shell] (D-rank):** An ominous item emitting a strange fragrance. Every day, it produces one piece of fruit. Consuming the fruit reduces your Luck by 2 for two hours. The more you eat, the longer the effect lasts.


    The palm-sized durian shell already had a plump piece of durian fruit growing from it, emitting a scent identical to that of the Musang King variety. Rita leaned in for a sniff.


    Rick loves durian, she thought, wondering if the **-2 Luck** effect would show up on his character panel.


    As she was pondering, the doorbell rang. Rita stashed the durian shell away, deciding not to reveal it to the Wilsons until she fully understood its effects. There would be plenty of opportunities to let them have a taste later.


    Rita quickly headed to the backyard to put the cat bed into her inventory before running back to open the door for Samuel and Scarlett. On her way downstairs, she used her **Insight** ability to scan all the visible items in the house, confirming that nothing else had undergone a mutation.


    As soon as Scarlett stepped inside, she started rambling, exclaiming, "Oh my gosh! Has everyone turned into players? Is money going to be worthless soon? Should we spend all our cash now?"


    Rita went to the bar and poured two drinks for them, making herself a coffee before bringing the drinks to the living room.


    Samuel had become more withdrawn since his depression set in. His previously gentle and refined demeanor had turned into that of a brooding middle-aged man. Scarlett even said she didn''t let him go out much anymore, fearing that his new "princely charm" would attract younger women.


    He sat silently, sipping tea and listening to Scarlett and Rita chatter, only occasionally offering a word or two. But Rita was sure Samuel had activated his lie-detection skill when he walked in, as his mana was slowly depleting.


    Rita added the two to her friends list and then said, "If you still have any money left, you might as well spend it. I also think the currency system will collapse soon. I don''t have much left myself¡ªjust over ten million, but I''ll spend it all in the next few days."


    Scarlett sighed in frustration and asked, "What should we buy to be safe? Equipment? Or maybe potions?"


    Without hesitation, Rita answered, "Gold. If you have money, stock up on gold. People I know in the Special Affairs Bureau are trading gold for in-game coins. You can ask Rick too¡ªLopez family info will be more reliable than mine. Ask them what will hold its value."


    Samuel furrowed his brow and asked, "Do you have any connections in the Special Affairs Bureau? Can you get us something more valuable, like skills?"


    Once they left, Rita closed the door and started reviewing her successfully mutated items and gear.


    First were the three items she''d intercepted from the Wilson family''s vault: a jade hairpin, a sapphire ring, and an emerald pendant. She had seen Zoey, Sanchez, and Camila Taylor wearing these in her previous life.


    Sure enough, all three had transformed into equipment.


    And they were rare, high-value accessories.


    All three were legendary-grade and required a level of 10 or higher to equip. At level 10, purple accessories like these would easily fetch around 800 gold each, meaning she could sell them for at least 2,400 gold altogether.


    While the attributes were decent, there was nothing special about these items, so she didn''t plan to wear them. Selling them in Lania Kaia or even Earth would be easy, and letting Rick and Samuel find out would add to their heartache. But she wasn''t willing to risk exposure just for that¡ªthere were plenty of ways to make them suffer without creating unnecessary trouble.


    As for the eight iron pots from the Lopez family restaurant, one had mutated.


    **[Old Iron Pot] (A-rank):** A pot that has witnessed the century-long rise and fall of the restaurant. Cooking with it has a chance to trigger a moment of insight, allowing the user to learn secret culinary techniques. There is also a 20% chance that the dish will be even more delicious.


    She set aside the non-mutated pots, planning to destroy them later.


    But the White family''s grandfather statue¡ªnow that was a gem.


    **[Ancestor Statue] (S-rank):** Praying sincerely while touching the statue increases maximum health and mana by 10% for 10 minutes. This effect can only be triggered once every 30 minutes. (Note: If the player''s surname is White, they receive an additional 10% damage boost, and the duration extends to 15 minutes.)


    Rita had never touched this thing in her previous life. She had only seen it used in raids, where it was strictly reserved for White family core members. But now, it was in her possession, and the grin on her face was unstoppable.


    This statue was too special. There was even a biography of the ancestor carved into the base. If the White family didn''t want to be laughed at by the entire Los Angeles player base, they would have no choice but to buy it back. And with such a powerful team buff, other players would be willing to spend big to get their hands on it.


    The White family wouldn''t stand a chance unless they were willing to bleed for it.


    Unfortunately for them, now wasn''t the time to sell. She''d let them grow a little richer first¡ªno sense in selling it off too early and getting a lower price.

 Chapter 74 Dungeon

    The 60 historical weapons Rita had collected at great expense in Vancouver had caused locals to laugh, calling her a fool. After all, even the best firearms didn''t cost eight figures, but here she was, willing to spend a fortune collecting these items, comparable to buying antiques.


    In the end, it paid off¡ª31 of the 60 items had mutated.


    Her multi-billion investment wasn''t in vain.


    Among them were 27 rare blue-grade weapons and 4 epic purple-grade ones, all ranging between levels 5 and 19. Whether she kept them for herself or sold them, it was a massive profit.


    She picked through them and selected a longbow that required two attributes to equip.


    **[Kill Them All] (Rare)**


    - **Bonus Attributes**: +21 Agility | +9 Constitution


    - **Magic Properties**: +7% Attack Speed | +5% Critical Damage


    - **Equipment Requirements**: Agility > 30 | Strength > 25


    Based on the attribute requirements, this was roughly an 8th-level piece of equipment. Without gear, Rita''s Agility was 25 and her Strength was 17¡ªnot far off. She only needed to equip some items that boosted Agility and Strength to meet the requirements.


    Your journey continues with empire


    As for the 4 purple-grade items, three required the wearer to be above level 20 to equip. The most special of them, a shield, only had dual attribute requirements.


    In a team, shields were often the most valuable equipment, far more so than weapons. A 20th-level purple weapon could fetch between 1,000 to 2,000 gold, depending on its quality. Jewelry could sell for over 2,000. But a shield''s starting price was no less than 2,500 gold¡ªthat''s the difference.


    Just counting those 4 purple items, Rita had already made back her investment and then some!


    Although she couldn''t sell them immediately, Rita wasn''t pressed for cash. As for the shield, a key piece of equipment that could influence a team''s success in raids, she''d sell it to Rick''s rivals.


    She stored all the weapons in a custom display case and then placed it in her game inventory. The durian shell went into the fridge to grow its fruit at its own pace.


    After organizing everything, Rita went upstairs and pulled out the costume that had accompanied her through the hardships of her previous life.


    **[Did You Make Money Today?] (Rare)**


    Lania Kaia claimed they needed Earth''s resources due to overpopulation. They had billions of inhabitants, some of whom were immortal, living for hundreds of years. Undead creatures were even worse¡ªdying didn''t mean the end for them. Magic in their world was running dry, and Earth, though small, was rich in magical energy.


    The inhabitants of Lania Kaia proposed cooperation, offering Earthlings contracts to join them. And indeed, many players later betrayed Earth for their benefits.


    The dungeon Rita had entered was based on a historical battle between the Trolls and the Undead¡ªa Level 3 dungeon. The enemies ranged from Level 3 to 4, with the boss being the highest level at 4. The monsters needed to survive for 45 in-game days before they could break free into reality.


    The dungeon in Rick''s downtown apartment, in contrast, housed Level 10 enemies, requiring 150 days to break free.


    Rita had carefully selected this dungeon to both level up and farm gear. It was also relatively safe: once a player began fighting, the entrance would close, preventing others from entering. If she left, the dungeon would reset, with any slain monsters being replaced.


    She had visited this dungeon three or four times in her previous life. Each time, she''d been filled with bitterness, knowing that the mansion had been her gift to Rick. It pained her every time Rick brought her here for a dungeon run, and she still had to thank him.


    Stepping through the portal, Rita found herself in a dense forest. She didn''t know much about the specific history behind the dungeon¡ªjust that it was a small-scale skirmish. The Trolls'' camp was to the south, while the Undead forces were to the north. Scattered throughout the forest were scouts from both sides.


    Rita activated **[Hunter''s Eye]**, followed by **Phantom Cloak**, and began scouting.


    Within a few minutes, she found her target:


    **[Troll Scout]** (Level 3)


    - Health: 350/350


    Rita drew her bow and aimed, using **[Push Shot]** before releasing the string. The arrow struck the back of the scout''s head, knocking him out of the tree and stunning him for 3 seconds¡ªlong enough for her to fire a second shot.


    With her 51 Agility, even a regular arrow could deal 180 damage.


    If it weren''t for the risk of the scout alerting others, she wouldn''t have bothered using **Push Shot**.


    As Rita progressed, she cleared the forest of troll grunts. She even encountered a troll patrol squad but wiped them out in less than 30 seconds with **[Explosive Arrow]** and **[Rain of Hatred]**.


    However, the mana cost was high¡ª**Explosive Arrow** used 100 mana, and **Rain of Hatred** used 250.


    Rita adjusted her strategy, sending out her **[Shadow Control]** spell to summon a shadow that pulled aggro, allowing her to safely pick off enemies from a distance. Occasionally, she''d use **Explosive Arrow**, and with her Divine Gift guaranteeing a critical hit every seventh shot, her efficiency rivaled that of a full team from her past life.


    This time, though, she didn''t have to thank Rick.

 Chapter 75 Sis~ Have You Eaten?

    Rita had entered the dungeon at 3 AM and continued playing until 6 AM, finally wiping out the 300 troll soldiers in the troll camp. The most intense moment came when over 20 trolls cornered her, but she fought the urge to use **Phantom Shift** to escape. Instead, she activated **Master Archer''s** **[Now I''m Scary Strong]**, transforming each arrow into a magic projectile.


    With a few critical hits sprinkled in, she wiped out the squad in under a minute.


    However, the drop rates in this game remained frustratingly low. Despite her Luck stat of 10, not every kill yielded loot. After killing 300 Level 3-4 trolls, Rita only managed to collect 27 silver coins and a pile of copper.


    The camp still had a Level 5 troll boss and five Level 4 elite guards, but Rita was too exhausted. Another all-nighter had drained her. She planned to exit, grab some food, and rest before returning, even if it meant re-clearing the dungeon. After all, experience and practice were what she needed, and any kills were good for leveling up.


    Upon exiting the dungeon, Rita received a friend request¡ªfrom Rick. The game''s new features allowed players to add friends, but given how common certain names were, finding the right person often required matching avatars or meeting in person. Rita''s name wasn''t particularly common, and it seemed Rick had scrolled through the list of avatars until he found her.


    She accepted the request and casually glanced at her phone¡ª17 missed calls.


    Some were from Rick, and others from Zoey.


    The game''s sudden arrival had disrupted many people''s plans. Most had assumed February 22 would be the fourth closed beta. No one expected the game to fully integrate into reality. Lopez''s family had initially planned to enter the game to buy equipment and potions to arm their team, but now it was clear there was nowhere to buy from.


    Those 900 belts and 1,000 beginner health potions Rita had previously sold them had instantly become invaluable.


    Your next journey awaits at empire


    Within the first hour of the game''s integration, the Lopez family discovered dungeons under their various properties. The younger generation, familiar with gaming, understood that if this new reality functioned like a massive game, dungeons equaled wealth. A quick survey revealed 12 dungeon locations.


    It''s not a good deal."


    Rick had the phone on speaker, with Zoey and Mateo standing nearby. Glancing at their expressions, he pressed on, "What about the price for beginner health and mana potions?"


    Rita replied, "If you use in-game currency, it''s 5 silver per bottle. But if you''re paying in gold, the last time I bought some, they were 100 grams of gold per bottle. Prices are definitely higher now. How many do you need? I can ask for you, or if you''re in a hurry, I can give you three bottles right away."


    Zoey, running out of patience, snatched the phone, keeping her voice as sweet as usual, "Rita, it''s Zoey."


    Rita stopped playing dumb and pretended to realize, "Oh! So it''s for the Lopez family? You probably need a lot, right? How many do you need? I can talk to my contact or give you their number so you can negotiate directly."


    Rita''s straightforwardness took Zoey and Mateo by surprise. They had expected her to try making a profit as a middleman, gouging them in the process. Zoey sighed inwardly at Rita''s perceptiveness, forcing herself to sound more patient as she replied, "That would be wonderful. Thank you so much. I owe you one."


    Rita rattled off **Shadow.Q**''s contact number, adding a warning, "This is a contact from the Special Affairs Bureau. Doing business with them doesn''t mean you have to join, and honestly, they''re pretty reasonable."


    After hanging up, Rita folded her arms, smirking as she waited. **Shadow.Q**? A legit businessman? No way¡ªhe was more like the king of conmen.


    Sure enough, less than five minutes later, Zoey called back.


    This time, her tone was disgustingly sweet, "Hey~ Sis~ Have you eaten yet?"


    Rita froze.


    Zoey had never called her "sis" in two lifetimes. The sudden shift felt incredibly creepy.

 Chapter 76 Arent You Afraid of Getting Hit for That Price?

    Zoey had no other choice. After hanging up with Rita, she immediately dialed the number Rita had given her¡ªShadow.Q. It didn''t take long for her to receive a staggering quote: 300 grams of gold for a single beginner healing potion.


    Rita''s offer of 100 grams of gold per potion was already exorbitant, considering the in-game price was just 1 silver coin¡ª50 times the price. But Shadow.Q''s rate? That was 150 times the original price.


    And the equipment? Even worse. Items that sold for 1 gold coin in the auction house were being offered for 2 pounds of gold each.


    Fifty thousand dollars for one piece of gear? Sure, it didn''t sound too bad at first glance¡ªZoey''s jewelry was worth more than that. But with over a thousand subordinates to equip, even giving each of them a single piece of gear would cost 2,000 pounds of gold. Worse, she knew how quickly low-level gear became obsolete. The rate of replacement was faster than upgrading a smartphone.


    Soon enough, those pieces would be lying on the ground, ignored by players because they only added a few stat points. Zoey figured eating a gourmet meal would be more beneficial than those items.


    The belts Rick had managed to secure for 1 pound of gold each were barely tolerable¡ªat least Zoey could justify it as a morale-boosting investment for her team.


    Unable to hold back, Zoey blurted, "Are you really from the Chinese Special Affairs Bureau? Or is this Myanmar''s Special Affairs Bureau?"


    Shadow.Q, likely used to this question, responded confidently, "Of course I am. You can even verify me on the bureau''s official website."


    After hanging up with Shadow.Q, Zoey realized just how "sincere" Rita had been.


    Hearing Zoey call her "sis" didn''t particularly please Rita. She responded bluntly, "Negotiations fell through?"


    Zoey dodged the question, asking instead, "What''s the price on your end?"


    "I just asked. The supplier''s willing to sell 500 beginner healing potions and 500 beginner mana potions, each for 150 grams of gold. No haggling. But they''re also throwing in 50 beginner bandages. Though they don''t instantly restore health like the potions, if you have a wound, applying the bandage will restore 1 HP per second for a minute. So the effect is almost the same."


    Rita paused, then added, sounding slightly apologetic, "But if I manage to seal this deal, you''ll need to handle my brother''s situation with The Jones Family. I''m pulling a lot of favors here, and this supply was originally meant for The Jones Family."


    Zoey glanced at Rick, who was staring blankly at the phone, and immediately agreed, "Deal."


    The Lopez family''s morale had already been shattered by the meager loot¡ªjust a few dozen silver coins after three hours of dungeon grinding. And compared to Shadow.Q''s outrageous prices, 150 grams of gold per potion suddenly seemed like a bargain. Shadow.Q''s price was practically forcing the Lopez family to cooperate with the Special Affairs Bureau.


    This was a far faster way to make money than converting gold into coins with goblins.


    It was no surprise Zoey was scrambling to buy potions and gear in this life. A little deduction was all it took. In the past life, Rick''s talent was the greatest lure¡ªattracting elite players to serve the Lopez family with little cost. The ability to increase one''s attributes just by eating had been enough to win over top players.


    And they probably started recruiting heavily after the first closed beta, boosting the core team''s stats. So after the game''s full launch, they didn''t need much gear or potions to clear dungeons quickly and rise to prominence.


    But this time, without Rick''s freebie abilities to lean on, the Lopez family had to offer tangible benefits to keep their players. Otherwise, why wouldn''t those players join the Special Affairs Bureau for better perks?


    Rita happily accepted the friend requests from Rick and Zoey, then noticed one from **Shadow.Q** and accepted that as well.


    **[Shadow.Q]: Hey**


    **[Rita]: ?**


    **[Shadow.Q]: So cold.**


    **[Rita]: How much are you charging for beginner healing potions?**


    **[Shadow.Q]: 300 grams of gold per bottle.**


    **[Rita]: Aren''t you afraid of getting hit for that price?**


    **[Shadow.Q]: Yeah, that''s why it''s a different price when we talk face-to-face. But over the phone or online? Doesn''t hurt me.**


    **[Rita]: ...**


    Rita didn''t regret setting the price at 150 grams per potion. It was just right. She didn''t aim to get rich off the Lopez family¡ªjust wanted to show them she had connections while keeping things superficially friendly.


    Now that everyone was a player, with billions scrambling for the limited supply of beginner healing potions, 150 grams of gold? She wasn''t even making that much profit!

 Chapter 77 Its AIDS!

    In her past life, the market eventually stabilized quickly. Players who had learned alchemy during the beta tests began selling their beginner healing potions, and the official game developers also started mass-producing potions to help players get through the initial stages. At the same time, modern medicine stepped up, creating treatment options in the form of injections, pills, and capsules.


    There were plenty of ways to heal.


    However, with a market of over ten billion players, even the fastest methods took time. Healing items, unlike belts, were consumables. A belt might only be bought once, but healing potions were used up instantly, ensuring that anything put on the market was snapped up immediately. The market for beginner healing potions alone would stay hot for at least two weeks.


    Rita decided to find more ways to sell potions to Zoey over the next few days. She doubted that the Lopez family was truly desperate. After all, this was a family that had prepared since the first beta test. Even if they ran out of alchemical potions, they still had bandages, or they could rely on cooked meals to heal¡ªthere were always alternatives.


    This situation was perfect for Rita: she made money, resolved Rick''s issues with The Jones Family, and earned both Rick and Zoey''s gratitude. At the same time, she left them with the impression that she had valuable connections. More importantly, she constantly seemed to be thinking of their best interests.


    Where could they find a better relative than her?


    Just the thought of how much she had subtly scammed them¡ªand how grateful they were in return¡ªfilled Rita with a sense of satisfaction. She could feel the hatred and pain she had buried deep within her heart slowly being healed.


    Rita didn''t feel the need to explicitly tell Rick that she had smoothed things over with The Jones Family. He would figure it out on his own. No need to "ask for credit" by bringing it up. After having breakfast and packing the cat bed into her in-game inventory, she drove out, ditched a few people tailing her, and parked near the black market entrance.


    After finding a secluded spot, she used her **Disguise** skill to travel to Lania Kaia. Even though she wasn''t lacking potions, she needed to make it seem like they were hard to come by. She attended a 50-minute lesson with the undead alchemist and then divided the 2,000 potions into two storage boxes before returning to Earth.


    Finally, "after much hardship," she delivered the 2,000 potions to the Lopez family, earning herself 600 pounds of gold in the process.


    Although she could have used the game''s mail function to send everything to Zoey, she preferred to hand them over in person¡ªpartly to observe any new equipment the Lopez family had acquired. Experience tales at empire


    As she entered, Rita habitually used **Insight** on Rick''s **Divine Gift**.


    What she saw left her momentarily speechless.


    Rick''s current skills¡ª**Skill 4** and **Skill 5**¡ªwere so pure and innocent, they looked as if they were designed to benefit both others and himself.


    But just as she was finally about to fall asleep, the image of that **curse description** flashed through her mind, causing her to wake up with a laugh.


    ---


    Rick had indeed noticed something was wrong. When the game officially launched, the first thing he did was check his **Divine Gift** to see if any miracles had occurred. No miracle¡ªjust a mysterious curse.


    He had no idea what this "Unknown Curse" was, but the "contagious" part was enough to make him wary. Zoey, eager to join her family in planning their next moves, had rushed out of the room to meet Mateo. The moment she left, Rick used the **Chameleon Teapot''s Shedding** to hide the curse from view.


    By dawn, Zoey was still leading her subordinates through dungeon runs, while Rick, distracted, practiced his cooking skills in the kitchen.


    He wanted to go get checked out, but after The Jones Family incident, Zoey was undoubtedly keeping a close eye on him. He couldn''t go to the hospital himself, and he didn''t trust his so-called brothers enough to ask them for help. What if the results became leverage against him?


    After much thought, he concluded that Samuel was his safest bet. When Rita had visited earlier, he had wanted to ask her to bring back a blood sample for Samuel to test, but she had been in such a rush that he didn''t have a chance to speak with her.


    The more Rick thought about it, the more restless he became. Was this curse unique to him? Unfortunately, he didn''t have any **Insight**-type items or skills...


    That''s when it hit him¡ªhe could check through the game. He sent a private message to Samuel.


    **[Rick]: Dad, what are you up to?**


    **[Samuel]: Looking for a dungeon.**


    **[Rick]: Can you come to the Lopez house?**


    **[Samuel]: What''s wrong? Did something happen?**


    Before Rick could respond, Zoey entered the room with a guest, introducing him as a friend she wanted Rick to meet.


    Rick, of course, knew better. This "friend" was just someone Zoey had brought in to **Insight** his **Divine Gift**. The whole "friend" thing was just a friendly cover to keep things from getting awkward.

 Chapter 78 Why Dont You Just Tattoo It on Your Butt?

    Rick smiled politely as he entertained Zoey''s "friend," but his heart sank. He could only hope that this person''s **Insight** ability wasn''t strong enough to see through the **Chameleon Teapot**''s disguise.


    In the past, Rick had confidence in his good fortune, where everything always seemed to go his way. But after the events of the past year, even with his maximum luck stat at 10, he wasn''t so sure anymore.


    It wasn''t until ten minutes of idle chit-chat had passed and Zoey escorted her guest out with a smile that Rick finally breathed a sigh of relief.


    Zoey had hired this player with an **A-tier Insight** ability to scan Rick. The Lopez family had tried to recruit her multiple times, but she''d always refused permanent positions, only accepting one-off jobs. After learning about Rick''s complete **Divine Gift**, Zoey understood why Rick had been so tense lately.


    Anyone in his shoes would have been crushed¡ªRick was just more sensitive than most, and he''d managed to maintain his composure far better than expected.


    When Rick had initially told Zoey about his dysfunctional **Divine Gift**, she''d thought he was exaggerating, but now she realized he hadn''t been lying. Although it was unfortunate that four of his skills were unusable, Zoey quickly composed herself.


    In a way, this limitation was a blessing¡ªif Rick''s **Divine Gift** had been fully functional, the Lopez family would have struggled to control him, and he might have used them as a stepping stone to greater power.


    But **Skill 5** alone was enough.


    Zoey hugged Rick, softly comforting him, and even apologized for not believing him earlier. After a heartfelt conversation, the couple grew closer.


    Zoey told Rick to focus on improving his cooking skills. The Lopez family would prioritize equipping him with the best gear, and he would be able to join their dungeon runs.


    After spending hours grinding dungeons, the Lopez family had already gathered a wealth of information, particularly regarding how luck worked in the game. It wasn''t just about having a lucky player in the party; the key was for the person delivering the final blow to have high luck. That''s what truly influenced the loot drops.


    Zoey didn''t want to force her subordinates to let Rick deal the final blow, as that would hurt morale. Instead, the best approach was to boost Rick''s stats so he could contribute meaningfully, allowing his party to discover for themselves that his high luck led to better drops. Then they wouldn''t mind letting him finish off the monsters.


    Rick, feeling touched, hugged Zoey and joked that he''d just live off her from now on, supporting the Lopez family''s operations by handling logistics.


    When it came to Zoey, Rick knew better than to display excessive pride. She preferred him obedient and humble, so he acted accordingly. If she wanted him to appear vulnerable and pitiful, he played the part. As a live-in son-in-law, he couldn''t afford to have a backbone. If he tried to assert himself, the Lopez family could very well make sure he never stood up again.


    ---


    Rita woke up that evening and immediately went to check on her cat bed in the backyard. The feeling of owning a rare treasure, always anxious that someone might steal it, was incredibly frustrating. She placed two bowls of meat soup outside and sent a message to Shadow.Q.


    **[Rita]: Do you have any items that can bind objects?**


    **[Shadow.Q]: Sure, **Binding Stone**, **A-tier**, I''ll give you a friend price¡ª100 gold per stone.**


    Ultimately, she decided to place the tattoo over her heart. If that area was ever in danger, it would mean a life-or-death situation, and if she managed to survive, she could reclaim the cat bed. If she didn''t... well, the cat bed would no longer matter.


    Pressing the tattoo against her skin, she immediately felt a connection to the cat bed in a sort of pocket dimension. She summoned it back into existence and placed a cat inside. The cat rolled around before getting up and heading back out to eat.


    Satisfied, Rita placed the bed back into its dimension. Looking down at her chest, she saw the tattoo was now a faint grayish mark, much lighter than when she first applied it.


    Feeling much more at ease now that her precious item was secure, Rita still chose to hide the tattooed cat bed in a corner of the cat mansion, covering it with cushions and blankets.


    As for the **A-tier Magic Eye**, Rita wasn''t sure what to do with it just yet. Like the **Magician''s Fake Tooth**, it required taking up a part of the body. While the fake tooth replaced a molar, the magic eye would need her to sacrifice one of her own eyes. It wasn''t that she was particularly attached to her natural eye, but the magic eye''s shady origins made it unwise to openly wear.


    Glancing at the time, she realized it was already 2 a.m. For some reason, whenever it got to this hour, she felt incredibly energized. If she didn''t do something, she wouldn''t be able to sit still.


    ---


    Rick had definitely noticed something was off. As soon as the game had launched, he checked his **Divine Gift**, hoping for some kind of miracle. Instead, he found a mysterious curse.


    He didn''t know what this "Unknown Curse" was, but the fact that it was contagious was enough to put him on high alert. When Zoey rushed off to plan with her family, Rick wasted no time. The moment she left the room, he used the **Chameleon Teapot''s Shedding** to hide the curse from his status.


    By dawn, Zoey had already organized teams for dungeon runs, while Rick distracted himself by practicing cooking in the kitchen.


    He desperately wanted to get checked out, but after The Jones Family incident, Zoey would undoubtedly be monitoring his movements closely. He couldn''t go to the hospital on his own, and there was no way he could trust his so-called brothers. If the test results could be used against him, that would be disastrous.


    After weighing his options, he concluded that Samuel was the only one he could rely on. Earlier, when Rita had come over, he had wanted to ask her to take a blood sample back to Samuel. But she had been in such a rush that he hadn''t found the chance.


    Frustrated, Rick sent Samuel a private message through the game.


    **[Rick]: Dad, what are you up to?**


    **[Samuel]: Looking for a dungeon.**


    **[Rick]: Can you come to the Lopez house?**


    **[Samuel]: What''s going on? Did something happen?**


    Before Rick could respond, Zoey entered the room with a guest, introducing them as a "friend" she wanted Rick to meet.


    But Rick knew exactly what was going on¡ªthis so-called friend was just there to **Insight** his **Divine Gift**. The "friend" excuse was merely a polite cover.

 Chapter 79 She Smokes and Drinks on the Side

    Rita first headed to the Wilson family villa. This time, possibly because she had told them about the game ahead of time, her fingerprint was registered, and she even had a key to the front gate. She could come and go as she pleased, and they had even left her a room on the second floor. Unlike in her previous life, where despite having paid for the house, her fingerprint wasn''t even registered.


    Rita went straight to the wine cabinet, grabbed two bottles of wine, and on her way out, spotted an unopened pack of high-quality cigarettes. If she remembered correctly, each cigarette in that pack cost over ten bucks. She casually pocketed a pack.


    All thanks to the **Thief God** gift! It had her picking up some bad habits!


    Carrying the wine and cigarettes, she returned home. After confirming there was no one around using **Hunter''s Eye**, she headed to her rooftop safe house, intending to level up in the dungeon.


    Her current experience was at 89.46% of level 0. Killing 300 level 3 trolls earlier had boosted her experience by 6%. That''s the perk of soloing dungeons¡ªshe could take the entire dungeon''s loot for herself. In a five-person party, each member would only get around 1.2%, and even that wasn''t guaranteed in three hours of grinding.


    Rita, now familiar with the layout, quickly cleared out the scouts and headed straight for the troll camp. To hone her combat skills, she avoided eating any power-boosting food and purposely pulled groups of three troll squads at a time. She only used her ultimate skills in critical situations.


    Trolls were much more agile than undead, and they had full control over their faculties, working in coordination. With three squads, that made for 15 trolls, and though they were only level 3, Rita found herself getting some good practice by limiting her skills.


    By the time it was 5 AM, Rita exited the safe house, freshened up, and cooked two meals: one for herself, seasoned with spices, and a bland one for the cats in her backyard. After eating, she made two more meals to take with her to Lania Kaia.


    Once more ensuring that everything was safe with **Hunter''s Eye**, she retreated to her bedroom, disguised as a goblin, and headed to Lania Kaia.


    The time zones of Lania Kaia were slightly different from Earth''s, but there was no time difference between the Dark City and China. When she arrived at the alchemy shop in the Dark City, the shop had just opened, and the undead assistant, now familiar with her, let her in without a word. Rita handed one of the breakfasts to her and entered the shop.


    The undead teacher, sleepy and groggy, stumbled downstairs, running her hands through her messy hair. Rita placed the other meal on the table, along with a bottle of wine.


    Rita had her reasons for being so respectful to her mentor. Recently, she had noticed something peculiar. She always stored her self-made potions in the potion bag Apache had given her, as it could hold up to 999 potions. But one day, one bottle simply wouldn''t fit. The bag showed she had 998 bottles, yet this one wouldn''t go in.


    Upon closer inspection, the name was the same, but the description had changed¡ªthe potion healed 61 health points instead of 60.


    It was just one point, but to her, that single point meant more than brewing a high-grade potion.


    Apache glanced down at her, pausing briefly before continuing the lesson. "After grinding the lionfish bones into fine powder, it''s best to lightly roast them over a residual fire... You only need three drops of armadillo bile. If you accidentally add too much, it''s fine. I''ve taught this before. How do you fix it?


    Answer, if you can."


    Rita was speechless. **Why are you quizzing the cat?!**


    "Meow..." she tried, meaning to say, **Neutralize it with the juice from Moonlight Flowers**.


    She tried her best, but it still came out as a meow.


    Surprisingly, Apache seemed to understand. Nodding in approval, she said, "Not bad."


    Rita: "..."


    Since her cat form seemed to please Apache, she didn''t rush to leave. In fact, Apache was so in a good mood, perhaps thanks to the cigarette or the cute fat cat, that she went into great detail about her potion-making process. She explained the techniques and underlying principles for every step. Whenever the undead assistant finished with customers, she hurried over to listen as well.


    Apache didn''t mind.


    At noon, when Apache stopped for lunch, Rita hurried back to Earth. She was determined to milk this rare moment of goodwill for all it was worth. She rushed out of her house, drove straight to the Wilson villa, and swiped all five packs of premium cigarettes that Samuel had stashed.


    Samuel wasn''t home, but Scarlett was. "What are you doing?" she asked curiously.


    Without missing a beat, Rita lied, "Pulling strings to get medicine. Yesterday, I hooked the Lopez family up with 2,000 potions and helped Rick settle things with The Jones Family. I need these smokes for a deal."


    Scarlett didn''t argue. In fact, she pointed out another cabinet. "There are two more packs in there."


    Rita grinned. "You''re the real deal, Mom!" She swiped those too.


    Returning to Lania Kaia, Rita placed two packs of cigarettes on the table. Thanks to those cigarettes, she managed to stretch out her lesson for the rest of the day, absorbing every bit of knowledge until her head spun. It wasn''t until the shop was ready to close that Apache grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and threw her out. Only then did the day''s lesson finally come to an end.

 Chapter 80 Keep This Up, and Ill Block You

    When Rita returned to Earth, it was already 9 PM. She forced herself to prepare a few more bowls of the meat stew she stored in her game backpack for the cats in the backyard. After washing up, she collapsed into bed and quickly fell asleep.


    "Studying is a hundred times more exhausting than fighting monsters," she always said.


    When she woke up the next day, Rita felt a bit disoriented. With her days and nights completely flipped, she checked the time and realized it was already the 24th. She opened her friends list, ignoring requests from strangers, and clicked on the messages from Shadow.Q. Despite her quirks, Shadow.Q''s messages usually contained important information, so Rita didn''t want to miss them.


    **Shadow.Q**: Can you still exchange for gold coins? We still need them, and you''ll get the usual 1% commission.


    **Rita**: Nope, no more exchanges.


    At the time, she thought trading 36 major cities for 200,000 gold would be more than enough, but in reality, even goblins had limits. Bill was already the wealthiest of the goblins, but even their ability to mint coins had its restrictions, just like the alchemy process she learned.


    If Rita hadn''t offered such a favorable exchange rate with the profit margin from the gold price difference, the goblins wouldn''t have even considered it.


    To get the 200,000 gold, Rita had nearly run herself ragged, visiting 25 cities and negotiating with nearly a thousand goblins. Including the Undercity and Blood Moon City, she had already exhausted 27 cities'' goblin resources, leaving only 7 cities untouched. Running around to them would be a waste of time, and she had other things to focus on¡ªlike keeping an eye on the Lopez family.


    The undead spider she left behind to spy on them had overheard that they were stockpiling gold, which presented a perfect opportunity to stir up some trouble.


    Plus, in the future, she would need her own gold reserves. Once the remaining goblins were drained by the Special Affairs Bureau, where would she go for gold? Sure, she could demand a higher commission, but 1% was already pushing it. Any more would cause trouble. While Rita was greedy, her greatest strength was knowing when to stop.


    **Rita**: That''s the limit. Even if you offered me 10% or 20%, I couldn''t get more right now. As per our contract, in a year, I''ll share the exchange method with you all, and then you can handle it yourselves. But for now, I really can''t get any more.


    Shadow.Q read Rita''s message aloud to the others in the meeting room before saying, "It seems she''s hit her limit."


    A middle-aged man sitting across from her frowned. "Could she be withholding the coins? After all, she could just exchange them herself."


    Shadow.Q responded, "That''s possible. She did earn a batch of gold early on using her **Divine Gift**, but it wasn''t much. She only really started stockpiling gold afterward."


    Another person at the table chimed in, "Could she be the one holding the top spot on the wealth leaderboard?"


    The top spot on the wealth leaderboard was the most outrageous¡ªit belonged to someone with over 30,000 gold coins, more than the entire treasury of the Special Affairs Bureau. While the speaker doubted this was the case, he thought it worth asking. Read new chapters at empire


    **Shadow.Q**: Fine. How much for the whole lot?


    Although they were low-level weapons available in the auction house, not needing in-game currency to buy them made the offer quite tempting.


    **Rita**: Pay what you think is fair.


    Rita wanted to test the Bureau''s sincerity. If they took her supplies and handed her a vague promise of "government trust," she''d think twice before working with them again. Rita understood the Bureau''s need to milk resources from players for the greater good¡ªshe could empathize with that. But outright taking things for free? That crossed a line.


    If the Bureau handled things fairly, there''d be future collaboration. If not...


    After sending the items, Rita waited. Though they were low-level items, in the 0-2 level range, selling them all in the auction house would still net her at least 600 to 700 gold.


    Shadow.Q, despite handling valuable items worth hundreds or even thousands of gold coins, didn''t dismiss Rita''s bundle as junk. Quite the opposite¡ªthis was exactly what they needed. After handing the crates to a colleague, she sent something to Rita in return. The other people in the meeting room had no objections.


    Rita''s talents were already well-known, and her attitude toward the Bureau had been amicable so far. It was only right to reciprocate.


    Rita looked down at the small dragon-shaped coin in her hand¡ªa **China Contribution Point**. It was the size of a fingernail and made of some unknown material, clearly impossible to counterfeit. She tipped out the rest of the coins from the pouch, counting five in total.


    She''d heard of contribution points in her past life but had never seen one. These were supposedly used as currency within the official organization. Whenever their teams raided high-level dungeons and looted legendary gear or items, they could only bid using contribution points¡ªno gold was accepted. Moreover, these points were non-transferable, and each one was logged in the official records.


    Rita had heard that the Lopez family had cooperated with the government a few times, but when they couldn''t buy anything good with their gold, they stopped. Rick had even complained about it, saying the Special Affairs Bureau lacked vision.


    Any organization that Rick complained about was surely a good one.


    While she wasn''t sure how useful these coins would be, Rita stashed them away carefully.


    Next, she pulled out a few large storage boxes filled with food she had made while leveling her cooking skills. Most of it was rated around 65 points¡ªneither boosting effects nor increasing attributes¡ªand wasn''t worth much. Few players on Lania Kaia bothered buying food from the auction house since there were plenty of restaurants in the main cities.


    In the real world, it was even more unnecessary. Most people didn''t have much money, and even if they did, they''d prioritize potions or equipment over food.


    She kept the dishes she and the cats liked, then sent the rest to Shadow.Q.

 Chapter 81 The Lopez Family Is My ATM

    Rita had made up her mind: she was going to rob the Lopez family, her personal ATM.


    Ever since selling them those thousand belts, she''d been keeping a close eye on the Lopez family''s movements. She''d planted undead spiders not only in the Lopez mansion but also in Rick''s office and car.


    She didn''t know how thorough their **Insight** skills or detection tools were, but the spiders were tiny, and the information displayed above them was barely readable, akin to the smallest line on an eye chart. Hiding in the corners, they were nearly invisible.


    With her **Cha?vez Pocket Watch** allowing her to modify information on controlled objects, the spiders'' statuses now read:


    **[Rotten Little Spider] HP: 1/1 (Controller: Rick)**


    If the spiders were ever discovered, she''d just leave it as a surprise for Rick.


    On January 24th, the third day after the game''s arrival, the world had already been turned upside down. Everywhere, people were racing to discuss the game. Even casual conversations at breakfast stalls revolved around **Divine Gifts**, the game, superpowers, and equipment.


    The new era was a complete reshuffling of the social order¡ªthose who advanced first would soar to the top, while those who fell behind might never catch up.


    The Lopez family had started preparing for this as early as after the second beta test. They, like many other families, had been stockpiling game-related resources. However, back then, players were rare and preferred to stay hidden, reluctant to reveal themselves. Even the Lopez family had only managed to locate a few hundred players, and even fewer were willing to trade with them.


    After the third beta test, the family intensified their efforts, recruiting players and gathering intel. But as with any large ship, turning quickly was difficult. Liquidating assets and going through proper procedures couldn''t be done in just a few months. Worse, anyone capable of taking over their industries knew the winds of change were blowing.


    Those who didn''t know were incapable of stepping in to help.


    It was an awkward situation.


    After activating **Phantom Cloak**, she **Phantom Shifted** to the back kitchen of the Lopez family restaurant in downtown Los Angeles.


    Mateo and his men were upstairs discussing business.


    The restaurant was bustling, and with so many people coming and going, it was too risky to have the spiders move around. They''d likely get squashed in the chaos, so it was better to leave them in the car, continuing to monitor the group''s movements. Ideally, the spiders would even catch a ride back to the Lopez mansion.


    Rita didn''t head upstairs. Instead, she stayed in the underground parking lot, standing near Mateo''s designated parking spots, waiting patiently while occasionally sipping on mana potions or coffee to maintain her **Phantom Cloak**.


    Half an hour later, Mateo and his entourage came down.


    Rita blinked in disbelief¡ªthere were so many people it looked like a concert had just ended. The parking lot was packed with people.


    What was going on? Weren''t there only 17 players leaving earlier?


    Now, nearly a hundred people were gathered, all flocking around Mateo as they headed toward the parking lot.


    Rita was dumbfounded. Just how much gold were they exchanging?


    The crowd split into smaller groups, with every four people getting into a car. It was clear they were planning to leave in a convoy.


    They had spread out, but not too much. If one car got attacked, the others could converge quickly. And with the gold divided among them, it would be difficult to determine which car held the treasure.


    Despite Mateo''s smokescreen, Rita recognized two of his most trusted aides from the original group of 17 players. Both were standing on the outer edges, heading toward separate vehicles.


    "Well, well," she mused. "Let the games begin."

 Chapter 82 She’s Not Short on Cash, Just Morals

    As soon as the group was about to split up, Rita swiftly approached the two men she had marked. Without hesitation, she pulled out a **Fine Pistol** and fired a shot directly into one man''s temple.


    Before coming here, she had accumulated six regular attacks in her safe house. This was her seventh shot, and with her **Master Archer** talent, the seventh strike was guaranteed to be a critical hit.


    Her high stats only added to the damage¡ªone shot was all it took to blow the man''s head clean off. Immediately, she fired multiple shots at the second man, aiming for his head and heart. Simultaneously, she tossed two grenades toward the larger crowd of players, without even glancing in their direction.


    As the crowd scattered, taking cover from what they assumed were active grenades, Rita crouched and quickly searched the first corpse. Players'' backpacks were only so discreet¡ªafter years of experience, she knew the typical designs and hiding spots. Within seconds, she found the hidden backpack inside the man''s jacket, snatched it, and stuffed it into her own crossbody bag.


    Meanwhile, the second man was bleeding out fast.


    The grenades hadn''t exploded yet, causing confusion among the players. As they realized they''d been tricked, they scrambled to attack. Swearing erupted across the parking lot.


    Ignoring the chaos, Rita calmly started looting the second corpse. This time, she didn''t use grenades. Instead, she grabbed handfuls of silver coins and tossed them into the air. Left hand looting, right hand scattering coins¡ªshe repeated this three times before finally finding the second game bag.


    The players were still not fully loyal to the Lopez family, and silver coins were hard to come by¡ªjust a handful of coins was worth a full dungeon run, and the Lopez family always took the lion''s share. A third of the players immediately crouched to collect the coins, while another third hesitated for just a moment.


    That brief hesitation gave Rita two more seconds. She stashed the second game bag in her pack, stood up, and bolted.


    With her **52 Agility**, the enemy''s skills couldn''t even touch her. Only one wide-range sonic attack grazed her, breaking her **Phantom Cloak**, but it only cost her about twenty health points.


    Mateo stood there, watching helplessly as the situation unfolded. This elderly woman had appeared out of nowhere, killed two of his men, and sprinted off, all while the crowd was scrambling for silver coins. He''d only seen her from the back¡ªan old woman, with spry steps and graying hair. The obvious **Disguise** felt like a slap in the face. And his men¡ªhis elite crew¡ªhad failed to stop her!


    Mateo clenched his fists, his chest heaving with rage. He wanted to scream at his incompetent subordinates, but the world had changed. They were all players now, and without the overwhelming power to crush them, he couldn''t treat them like dogs.


    The two bodies were quickly retrieved, and Mateo''s eyes burned as he glared at them. He didn''t need to check¡ªthey were his trusted aides. This meant that their game bags were loaded with gold.


    Using her dagger, she pried open the locks, and a flash of gold nearly blinded her.


    Touching the gold bricks, she sighed. Even these were laced with tracking potion.


    Clever. Very clever.


    She carefully removed each gold brick, confirming that every one had been tainted with tracking potion. There were ten boxes in total, each containing 1,000 pounds of gold.


    In total, she now had 12,000 pounds of gold.


    "Thank you, Lopez family, for your generous donation."


    Rita burst into laughter. She might not be short on cash, but she was certainly short on morals. Just thinking about Mateo''s shocked and furious expression made her chuckle even harder.


    The best part was that the pain wasn''t over yet. Gold''s value was tied to its ability to be exchanged for coins through goblins. In the previous timeline, goblins had exchanged gold for coins on **Earth**, but now? She had already drained the goblins of their coins. It wasn''t even certain they''d return to **Earth** anytime soon.


    All that gold might not even be worth what the Lopez family''s old assets were.


    This was why she had been so eager to encourage the Lopez family to exchange their assets for gold in the first place. She didn''t mind taking a slight loss on the belts and potions¡ªgetting them to switch to gold had been the ultimate win.


    Rita didn''t have the right potion to neutralize the tracking solution yet, but she knew the recipe. It was part of intermediate alchemy. She packed the gold bricks back into the stolen game bags, slung them over her shoulders, and headed to the alchemy shop.


    There, she bribed **Apache** with half a pack of cigarettes, borrowed her cauldron, and brewed several dozen bottles of the antidote. Afterward, she bought a pot from the tavern, returned to the sewers, and carefully scrubbed each gold brick clean.


    Storage boxes were something she had plenty of. Once the gold was neatly packed into her own boxes, she carried the metal containers out into the wilderness, set them on fire with a few **Explosive Arrows**, and obliterated them. She collected the fragments, tossed them into a barrel filled with fresh meat and blood, and dumped the mixture into a spider den as an offering.


    Afterward, she slathered herself in pungent-smelling potions to erase any lingering scents before finally heading back to her safe house.

 Chapter 83 Old Fox, Young Fox, and Foolish Fox

    While Rita was having a busy, productive day, Rick''s day was heading in the opposite direction.


    Lopez family members were undoubtedly dealing with some big issue, and Zoey was also busy. Rick took advantage of this to slip out to his own studio, where he secretly met with Samuel. Handing over a vial of his blood, Rick asked Samuel to get it tested, under the pretense that it belonged to a "suspicious colleague" who had been acting odd lately, avoiding everyone, and whose health seemed off.


    By the time Rita returned from **Lania Kaia**, Rick had already received the test results and learned what the mysterious curse was.


    It was... **AIDS**.


    Sitting on the couch in the Wilson family mansion, Rick stared at the report. The moment he saw the result, he thanked his lucky stars that he hadn''t revealed the blood sample was his. He feared that Samuel might have abandoned him if he had known.


    Even though terror coursed through him, Rick had to pretend everything was fine, feigning calm.


    He didn''t know how this had happened. When he first saw the test result, his immediate reaction was to believe it was a mistake! He had Samuel test the blood again at a different hospital.


    AIDS... again!!


    Rick''s personal life had never been wild. With his good looks and wealth, he wasn''t the type to casually sleep around. In fact, Zoey was his first woman. Although he briefly suspected Zoey, they had both undergone premarital health checks before getting engaged, and both had come out clean¡ªespecially him, since he had undergone every test imaginable. Otherwise, Zoey would never have let him touch her.


    As Rick thought it through, he came to a horrifying conclusion: it must have been during the surgery when he got castrated! The black-market clinic must have infected him then. That had to be it. But if he had been infected back then, then... had he passed it on to Zoey?


    Cold sweat broke out on Rick''s forehead, and his body began to tremble with fear. He couldn''t bear to imagine the consequences. If the Lopez family found out he had infected Zoey with a disease like this, he''d be living a fate worse than death! They would never let him go.


    Meanwhile, the Lopez family had no time to worry about Rick''s whereabouts¡ªthey were too busy reeling from the loss of another 10,000 pounds of gold.


    They wanted to blame the courier, but no one was that foolish. With the world descending into chaos, who would willingly deliver such a valuable shipment without taking precautions? And to make matters worse, the wealthy families didn''t trust the authorities¡ªthey refused to go through official channels, fearing confiscation or seizure in the name of public good. After all, it wasn''t impossible.


    In desperate times, it''s always the rich who are first to be squeezed dry. When assets aren''t physically in your hands, it''s not a question of "if" but "when" they''ll be taken.


    The Lopez family had been extremely cautious. They had used every method of protection¡ªtransportation security, tracking devices, the works. They couldn''t be expected to move like small-time traders, lugging a few hundred pounds of gold at a time.


    Since all the ingredients were from Rita''s own stores, even if Rick cooked, it wouldn''t be considered mooching. Besides, he hadn''t been plotting against Rita lately. Obediently, Rick went to the backyard to clean up after the cats.


    At dinner, Rick was distracted throughout the meal. Rita, on the other hand, didn''t avoid the dishes Rick had touched. However, at one point, Scarlett accidentally bit into a spicy pepper and started coughing. Her drink had run dry, and in her rush to find water, Rick offered her his glass of wine. Scarlett glanced at it briefly before instinctively pushing it away.


    For a brief moment, Rick''s expression darkened, cold and terrifying.


    Rita, observing the whole scene, knew that Scarlett had pushed the drink away simply because she didn''t like dry red wine. But Rick''s reaction? That was interesting. She filed the incident away for later, not dwelling on it, and quickly handed Scarlett a glass of juice from her game inventory.


    Once Scarlett recovered, Rick''s expression returned to normal, showing no signs of the brief flash of anger.


    Realizing that Rick had likely figured out his "curse," Rita''s mood improved even more. She ate her dinner with great satisfaction, each bite filling her with joy.


    After dinner, she pulled out nine bottles of **Basic Healing Potions** and gave three to each of them.


    "These are made with some materials I came across recently," Rita said, pushing the potions toward them. "Here, these are for you."


    Scarlett was thrilled, taking the potions with a wide grin. "These are so hard to come by now! You can''t even buy them with money!"


    Samuel''s ever-present frown softened as he gazed affectionately at Rita.


    Rita pulled out two extra bottles and placed them in front of Rick. "Don''t say I''m playing favorites," she told Samuel and Scarlett. "Lopez family may have bought a lot of potions, but they won''t necessarily give priority to Rick. Who knows when he''ll need to go into a dungeon, and you''ve heard how dangerous those can be, right?"


    Both of them nodded in agreement, "Of course, of course. We don''t go anywhere dangerous. We don''t need them as much."


    Though they said that, Scarlett was already snapping pictures for her social media.


    Rick accepted the five potions and thanked Rita, but inside, he felt nothing.


    His heart remained strangely cold.

 Chapter 84 Entering the Leaderboard

    Rick didn''t lack resources. Thanks to his innate luck, even though he had spent most of his energy scheming for the magic eye, he still managed to accumulate plenty of valuable items. Not only did he have a full set of equipment, but he had also crafted rings and necklaces for himself using **Jewelry Crafting**. On top of that, he had stockpiled over a hundred potions.


    Unlike Zoey, who had nearly a thousand people under her, Rick only had a few employees in his studio.


    However, Rita''s words reminded him of something¡ªhe was also an **Alchemy** specialist! There were so many alchemical recipes, and even though he had only learned the basics, there might be one that could cure his curse.


    He immediately opened up his list of recipes and began searching. Soon enough, he found a recipe for something called **Basic Vitality Potion**, which claimed to cure minor negative statuses. He asked, "Sis, do you have any Basic Vitality Potions?"


    Rita did, of course, but she wasn''t sure if such a potion would work on Rick''s unknown curse. "No," she replied. "I''ve been focusing all my energy on collecting materials for healing potions."


    Rick pleaded, "Sis, can you help me find the materials for the Vitality Potion?"


    Rita agreed without hesitation. "Sure, no problem." She even pretended to check the recipe in front of Rick. "So, we need **Vitalroot Grass**, **Soothing Flower**, **Lionbone Fish**, and **Squid Heart**, right? I''ll help you look for them."


    Continue your adventure with empire


    Rick breathed a sigh of relief, unaware of how much he now trusted Rita¡ªnot just her ability but also her promise to help him. He took out a **Blue Jay Tail Ring** that he had crafted using **Jewelry Crafting** and handed it to her. "Sis, this is for you¡ªa belated New Year''s gift. I made it myself." He didn''t play favorites, either.


    He also gave one of his expertly crafted rings to both Samuel and Scarlett.


    The items were impressive, each granting four additional attribute points. The ring Rita received boosted her **Constitution** by two points and her **Agility** by another two. She immediately slipped it on, pleased with the unexpected gain. She wondered if Rick realized how their relationship had shifted¡ªRita always seemed to give a little but receive much more in return.


    The family dinner was warm and harmonious.


    After they left, Rita turned invisible and used **Phantom Shift** to visit the patient from whom she had previously extracted infected blood. With a quick **Sleep Spell** and **Insight**, she saw two bright red blood drops next to the man''s in-game name.


    **[Unknown Curse II]: All healing effects reduced by 10%. Maximum HP reduced by 5% permanently. Cannot regenerate health naturally. Contagious.**


    She drew another vial of the man''s blood, planning to take it to **Lania Kaia** the next day to let her teacher, **Apachi**, analyze it. She was sure her mentor would be thrilled. Not leaving the man empty-handed, she healed his HP with a basic healing potion and even left him a piece of green equipment she''d looted from a troll¡ªher way of thanking him for the blood sample.


    On the 25th, the fourth day after the game''s invasion, Rita woke up early for a change. She headed to **Lania Kaia** to deliver the blood sample to Apachi, explaining the curse, especially emphasizing its contagious nature. Apachi looked as if she had just discovered a new world and eagerly took the blood to her lab.


    Still, Rita had no intention of selling anything else to the Lopez family. She had already sold them 3,000 potions and 1,000 belts. Though she had made a tidy profit, stripped the Lopez family of their gold, and deepened the disguise of her animosity toward them, selling more would be arming the enemy.


    By next month, she planned to "collect some parts" from Zoey or Rick to heal her own emotional trauma.


    **[Rita]: I really don''t have any more. There are some things I''m under contract not to discuss, but you can try reaching out to the Special Affairs Bureau.**


    **[Zoey]: Rick mentioned you can make potions yourself?**


    **[Rita]: Yep. If you have the materials, I can brew them for you. For every 11 materials, I''ll give you 10 potions.**


    **[Zoey]: What about equipment? Any left?**


    **[Rita]: I have some, but they''re not much cheaper than what you''ll find at the auction house. I might be able to get you three or four pieces.**


    Zoey fell silent.


    The auction house did indeed have items, but prices were erratic, and transactions were conducted using **Lania Kaia''s** gold, silver, and copper coins. Just like the intel Samuel had gathered during the beta tests, it now cost $1 million to buy a single gold coin. People were throwing out random prices, hoping some rich fool would bite.


    A piece of green gear with a few extra stat points had a price tag of 50 gold coins.


    Anyone with a brain wouldn''t buy it, and anyone without a brain couldn''t afford it.


    Thinking about it, Rick decided to list an **F-ranked Mars Spell** he had looted earlier that day for 199 gold coins.


    Suddenly, she understood why people were listing things for ridiculous prices. Who knew, maybe there really was a fool out there willing to pay?


    After listing the spell, Rita was immediately flooded with private messages from strangers.


    Not only that, but her phone also began buzzing with messages from people she knew¡ªfrom former colleagues in the entertainment industry, actors she had worked with, and even entertainment companies.


    Rita slapped her forehead. How could she have forgotten about Amelia?


    She had been untouchable before, but now? Now Amelia could be dealt with. Everyone was dying left and right these days¡ªwhat difference would one more make?

 Chapter 85 Fate

    Alchemy has its perks¡ªthere''s a potion for everything. Rita pulled out a poison crafted with intermediate alchemy skills, one that drained 10 HP per minute for 10 minutes. She coated her dagger with the poison, drank an invisibility potion, and **Phantom Shifted** to **Amelia''s** house. At that moment, Amelia was on the phone, discussing the purchase of basic healing potions.


    Rita silently moved behind her and lightly slashed the back of Amelia''s neck with the poisoned dagger before retreating a few steps.


    The dagger was razor-sharp, and though the cut was shallow and Rita was quick, Amelia felt a brief sting. When she touched the wound, her fingers came away with blood¡ªnow turning a dark purple. Opening her character panel in terror, Amelia saw a new status effect:


    **[Poisoned]: Lose 10 HP per minute. Duration: 10 minutes.**


    Amelia had only just become a player a few days ago, and her total health was 100 HP. Panicked, she fumbled with her phone, desperately begging to buy basic healing potions while simultaneously grabbing a kitchen knife and waving it wildly.


    Rita watched silently, savoring her moment of revenge.


    Over the course of ten minutes, she observed Amelia''s emotions shift from fear to pleading, then to rage, and finally to despair when she couldn''t buy any potions. She frantically slashed at every corner of the house, trying to find the hidden assailant. Eventually, when Amelia noticed her health slowly regenerating¡ªalbeit only 5 HP per minute¡ªshe clung to the hope that she could survive.


    The ten minutes passed, and the poison wore off. Amelia collapsed to the floor, drenched in sweat and tears, laughing hysterically¡ªshe had made it. But in the very next moment, another cut appeared on her arm, and the blood once again turned dark purple.


    A scream tore from her throat.


    Rita suppressed the urge to reveal herself. She finally understood why, in her past life, Rick had chosen to step out in the end. There''s something irresistibly satisfying about watching your victim flounder in confusion, completely unaware of who is tormenting them. It''s almost unbearable not to step out and reveal the truth.


    But she held back. What if Amelia had also been reincarnated?


    Rita never revealed herself, even after Amelia died. She stuffed the corpse into a box, tossed it into her game inventory, and made her way to the beach, where a dungeon lay. She noticed a group of people approaching but paid them no mind. She entered the dungeon, walked for a few minutes, then casually threw the box containing the body into a mob of level 8 monsters before leaving.


    On her way back, she decided to stop by **Rick''s studio**.


    There, she saw **Julian** holding a broken action figure and crying.


    Rita used **Insight** on the broken, armless figure.


    As she looked at Aaron, she felt a pang of envy. While the freeze duration depended on the target''s attributes, level, and resistance¡ªwith stronger enemies only freezing for a second¡ªthe skill''s strength lay in its ability to ignore these factors. At a critical moment, one second could determine life or death.


    These S-rank Divine Gifts were no less powerful than her **[Thief God]**, and some even had better-sounding names...


    Rita hesitated for a moment. Unlike arms or ears, eyes could be replaced to restore sight. While it was difficult to find an A-rank magic eye that granted both sight and valuable skills, mechanical eyes were easy to come by. Intermediate engineering could make them, meaning Aaron could regain his sight anytime. And once he did, his S-rank abilities would ensure his rapid rise.


    Maybe she should just kill him.


    But then, her thoughts came to a sudden halt. She stared at Aaron, taking a step back and observing him from a distance¡ªthe angle, the bandaged eyes...


    Suddenly, she recalled the vision she had seen through the **Divination Stone**! The person lying in the ritual circle, whose Divine Gift was being stripped away by Rick, was none other than Aaron!


    For a moment, she felt the absurdity of being manipulated by fate. If she hadn''t taken Aaron''s eyes, with his Divine Gift and combat prowess, he never would''ve ended up in that situation. She had unwittingly set the stage for that future.


    So what would happen if she killed Aaron now?


    Would Rick find someone else to steal a Divine Gift from?


    After pondering for a while, Rita decided against killing Aaron. It was better to let fate play out and see how things unfolded. She could always investigate how Rick planned to steal Divine Gifts and find a way to sabotage him.


    If that didn''t work, she could always come back and kill both Aaron and Rick later.


    Still, as she left the room, the feeling of being toyed with by fate gnawed at her.


    For a brief moment, she was tempted to turn around and kill Aaron just to defy fate.


    But no... **Voldemort** had died that way, hadn''t he? Better not be so reckless.


    Rita **Insighted** the other three people in the apartment. Their Divine Gifts were ordinary, and Rita knew Rick would soon discard them. She hadn''t seen them in her past life.

 Chapter 86 ∠(°�°) Salute!

    After dealing with Aaron, Rita realized she was out of cigarettes and alcohol at home. Instead of returning, she went straight to the mall. On the way, she took out her phone from her game inventory¡ªit wouldn''t stop buzzing with messages. Seemed like everyone was trying to contact her.


    She glanced at her notifications, even seeing someone offering film resources in exchange for her **[Sparks]** skill book. Rita regretted not setting it to anonymous when listing it earlier. Maybe she was getting overconfident, thinking an F-rank skill book wasn''t a big deal...


    After some thought, she delisted it and re-listed it at a more "reasonable" price. She set the buyout price to 19 gold, starting at 18 gold.


    In **Lania Kaia**, this F-rank skill book would typically sell for 2 to 5 gold at most. After all, it only summoned a small fireball, about as dangerous as a bullet. But for ordinary people? Even a small spark was still magic!


    While many had **Divine Gifts**, most Gifts were only useful for self-enhancement, not direct combat. For these people, 19 gold was expensive but still more reasonable than the ridiculous 50-gold price tags slapped on green-tier gear. And in the current market, the cheapest skills were still overpriced. If someone dared to list basic gear for 50 gold, skill books could easily go for double.


    After sweeping up the mall''s stock of alcohol and cigarettes, she rejected a passerby''s request for an autograph. Just then, she received a system notification¡ªher **[Sparks]** skill book had sold.


    Grinning, she collected her earnings. This was easy money! She resolved to sell any similar skills she found in the future before people wised up and stopped paying inflated prices. However, she didn''t plan to engage in large-scale arbitrage between **Lania Kaia** and Earth.


    Even though the auction house allowed for anonymous listings, she couldn''t justify it to herself. Selling items she obtained personally? Sure. But profiteering off others'' desperation by reselling? It felt like war profiteering, exploiting players'' resources in a time of need. It wasn''t her style.


    If she needed money, she could just raid **Lopez**. That way, she''d get both cash and satisfaction¡ªmuch more fulfilling.


    Carrying the booze and smokes for **Apache**, she returned to **Lania Kaia** for more lessons.


    Alchemy involved over 3,000 commonly used materials. In each class, **Apache** would go over about ten of them, explaining processing techniques, properties, and usage. She''d only explain it once, never repeating herself. Fortunately, Rita had a good memory and took meticulous notes, recording every bit of knowledge. Even a casual comment from **Apache** went into her notebook.


    This diligence seemed to impress **Apache**.


    Although progress was slow, the more Rita learned, the more she realized how far she was from mastering alchemy. Still, she thoroughly enjoyed the process of learning about this foreign world''s knowledge, seeing it as a relaxing escape from her revenge and grinding.


    For the next few days, Rita followed a structured routine¡ªalchemy lessons in the morning and dungeon runs in the afternoon and evening. Through intense practice, she not only mastered the techniques taught by her coach but also honed the survival skills she had learned during life-and-death situations in her past life.


    By now, she could skillfully evade and fight off 30 goblins simultaneously without taking a single hit, relying solely on her movement.


    She was ready to clear this dungeon and tackle the one beneath her downtown apartment. It wasn''t arrogance¡ªher stats had grown significantly. The level 3 goblins had been great for leveling up, but they were no longer challenging enough to serve as her personal sparring partners.


    When she opened her mail, she saw the reward: two **dragon-shaped coins**, one gold and one silver, and 1.5 contribution points.


    **[Rita]:** "By ''internal sales,'' you mean you kept all of them for yourself?"


    **[Shadow.Q]:** ¡Ï(¡ã©f¡ã) "Salute! You''re our most valued friend at the Special Affairs Bureau."


    **[Rita]:** "You didn''t even bother adding ''forever'' to your empty words."


    **[Shadow.Q]:** ¡Ï(¡ã©f¡ã) "Forever salute! You''re our most valued friend at the Special Affairs Bureau."


    **[Rita]:** "..."


    Enjoy new stories from empire


    She couldn''t help but be amused.


    But what amused her even more was that just after receiving the payment from **Shadow.Q**, **Samuel** and **Scarlett** arrived at her place for dinner. As usual, the conversation eventually circled around her dealings with the Special Affairs Bureau.


    Scarlett, the gullible one, soon brought up the topic of Rita''s earnings, even mentioning the **[Sparks]** skill book she had sold. She questioned why Rita didn''t just keep it for family use instead of selling it.


    Rita sighed and said, "The healing potions I''ve been giving you guys? I had to buy the materials for those myself. I need money for equipment and maintaining my connections¡ªeverything costs."


    Scarlett, although nai?ve, began to think it was enough. After all, they had received quite a few potions from Rita, and now even with money, potions were hard to come by. But Samuel shifted the topic to her appearance on the leaderboard.


    He smiled and added, "You''ve always been the one I could count on the most. Top 100! Out of billions of players, my daughter''s in the top 100! That''s impressive! How''d you do it?"


    Watching his mana slowly drain as he activated his lie-detecting skill, Rita thought about how she was living with constant surveillance. She responded, "Just grinding dungeons. Isn''t Rick doing the same with the Lopez family? The Special Affairs Bureau also controls a lot of dungeons."


    Every word she said was the truth. Samuel, however, sensed that she was avoiding more specific details, though he didn''t think she was lying. He figured she just didn''t want to reveal all the dungeon info.


    Samuel, who had once worked with Rick to manipulate her life in the past, wasn''t the type to rush things. He knew pushing too hard would only make Rita shut down. If he wanted her to willingly share dungeon information, he needed to play it cool.

 Chapter 87 A Match Made in Heaven

    Rita managed to have a relatively peaceful meal. When Samuel wanted to, he could be the perfect father¡ªgentle, considerate, generous, and respectful of his daughter, listening attentively to her every word.


    Scarlett, carefree as ever, asked directly if Rita could take her to see a dungeon.


    Rita, sipping her soup without lifting her head, responded, "Do you even know how much it costs to enter a dungeon nowadays?"


    Curious, Scarlett asked, "I heard it''s tens of thousands for a ticket. Is that true?"


    Recently, dungeon-related news had been everywhere. The hottest topics were still **Divine Gifts**, followed closely by dungeons, with skills, gear, and potions trailing behind.


    Since the game merged with reality, everyone in the world had become a player. Although there was initial chaos, the authorities acted quickly, swiftly handling those causing trouble and publicly announcing the existence of dungeons to shift the public''s focus.


    Got energy to cause trouble? Take it to a dungeon¡ªyou might even earn loot and gear.


    Dungeons that appeared in public areas were managed fairly by the **Special Affairs Bureau**. They operated like restaurants¡ªpeople would line up with their IDs, and when their number was called, they entered. If you wanted to team up with friends, you had to line up together. No matter how long you stayed inside, once you left, you had to queue again.


    The smaller dungeons could hold up to 20 people, with 19 spots for regular citizens and the last reserved for an official. This wasn''t just for security; it was also to prevent people from hogging the dungeon or refusing to leave.


    Each player''s ID was verified for these public dungeons, making it impossible for scalpers to hold spots.


    However, for dungeons that appeared on private property, the owners controlled access. Some people kept them hidden for family and friends, others leased them to the government for rent, while others monetized the entry, charging steep ticket prices.


    These tickets were going for crazy amounts, even more than the hottest concert seats.


    But it wasn''t tens of thousands¡ªthree beginner healing potions or three silver coins could get you in.


    Rita explained, "It''s three healing potions or three silver coins per entry. If you''ve got that, I can take you for a tour, but forget about fighting. You won''t last, and a single scratch could take off 40 or 50 HP."


    Scarlett immediately lost interest. "Never mind, then."


    It made Rick want to jump out of bed, but he forced himself to stay still.


    This morning, the same player who had **Insight**''d his **Divine Gift** came to their house again. Rick knew this time, they were checking for the **unknown curse** next to his name. After the player left, Zoey sat alone on the couch for a long time.


    Using the excuse of practicing his cooking, Rick escaped to the kitchen, where he took Samuel''s call.


    After hanging up, Rick calmly continued cooking. He flipped the steak, brushed on some honey glaze, and hummed a little tune.


    In the reflection of the kitchenware, he could see someone standing not too far away, watching him.


    Zoey didn''t like strangers in her space, so unless she needed something, the only people around the house were her and Rick.


    Forcing down the dread rising inside him, Rick continued playing the role of the gentle, innocent man.


    That night, Zoey suddenly hugged Rick and said she wanted a baby.


    In that moment, Rick''s heart went cold, but at the same time, he realized just how perfectly matched they were¡ªa match made in heaven.


    He knew exactly what Zoey was thinking. She wanted to infect him first and then frame him for giving her the disease. That way, she''d tie him down, using his guilt to control him, forcing him to work for her. Together, they could leverage his luck and her power to slowly manipulate the entire **Lopez** family.


    After all, he''d been thinking the same thing.


    There was no way she''d let anyone in the **Lopez** family find out about this. Just like he wouldn''t dare let the **Wilson** family know.


    They were truly a match made in heaven.


    Rick embraced Zoey with feigned joy, lovingly kissing her hair. "That''s wonderful."


    Go to hell.

 Chapter 88 No Problem Alchemy Cant Solve

    On the morning of March 1st, Rita left her villa, drove around for a bit, and entered an office building. She activated her **Hunter''s Eye** skill to lose the red dot following her closely. After reaching the 26th floor, she found a quiet corner and left the Blue Star.


    The building belonged to the White family, and in the far corner of the 27th floor, there was a hidden dungeon. In her previous life, it took the White family a month to discover it. During that time, a few companies in the building had secretly been using it, keeping it hidden.


    Eventually, their greed led to a conflict, and when the situation blew up, the White family stepped in, harshly dealing with the companies to warn others not to mess with their property.


    Rita hoped that the people from the Lopez family following her would find it.


    As for whether Lopez would sell her out and cooperate with the White family? Rita thought it unlikely. This was a level 1 dungeon, easy to cash in on immediately, and the Lopez family wouldn''t pass up the chance.


    Even if they did sell her out to collaborate with the White family, as long as she wasn''t caught red-handed, the White family wouldn''t dare move against her, especially since she had ties with the **Special Affairs Bureau**.


    In just a few days, her mentor **Apachi** had made significant progress, thanks to the blood sample she had provided. Specifically, Apachi had developed a variety of poisons.


    As for a cure...


    "We need more data samples; I''ll need to conduct further experiments to draw any conclusions," Apachi said, having recently purchased a batch of white monkeys for testing.


    The good news was that based on Apachi''s knowledge of all known formulas, none could cure the **Unknown Curse**. When Rita heard this, she felt reassured. As she helped Apachi with some tasks, she noticed her mentor seemed to be in a good mood today. So she handed over a pack of cigarettes before asking, "Mentor, can I ask you something unrelated to alchemy?"


    Apachi took a whiff of the unfamiliar cigarettes and responded, "Ask."


    Rita asked, "Someone wants to use a magic formation to steal my **Divine Gift**. Is there a way to stop them?"


    As she spoke, she drew the formation from memory for Apachi to see.


    It''s highly sought after, as many fear death more than anything.


    Once part of the **Divine Gift** was sacrificed, even if someone tried to steal it, they wouldn''t be able to take the whole thing. And most importantly, no one, not even demons, could attempt to steal from the same person twice. The thief would only receive an incomplete **Divine Gift**, and they would still have to fulfill their promise to the demon.


    Two thousand gold bought a lot of information, even on Lania Kaia. Not only did Apachi explain the methods, but she also provided Rita with detailed instructions for each one.


    The system chimed:


    - **Ding!**


    - **Apachi has taught you demon knowledge: Dark Deals.**


    - **Apachi has taught you the master alchemy recipe: Word of Redemption.**


    - **Apachi has taught you the master alchemy recipe: Heart of the Undying.**


    Seeing the term "master-level alchemy," Rita quickly gave up the idea of crafting the artifact herself. She asked if Apachi had any **Heart of the Undying** or **Word of Redemption** in stock.


    Without hesitation, Apachi pulled out a bottle of golden potion. "499 gold," she said. Then she produced a heart-shaped black gem. "1,999 gold."


    Rita: "..."


    "You''ve been corrupted."


    These people from Lania Kaia, they''ve gone bad.

 Chapter 89 Pawn the Gift for Immortality

    Bought it!


    Rita had just scored 10,000 pounds of gold from the Lopez family, and she could afford this! More importantly, the **Heart of the Undying** was exactly what she needed. If it could make Rick suffer, then 2,000 gold was nothing!


    Just as she was about to pay, she thought about how many alchemy recipes required gold. "Do you take gold?" she asked.


    Apachi shook her head. "Don''t need it."


    Without hesitation, Rita handed over 2,500 gold coins.


    This was just who Rita was. Even after reincarnating, some habits were hard to break. When someone treated her well, she would be generous in return. In her past life, she had given half of her earnings to the Wilson family. Even though Rick and Samuel had never been satisfied, others who knew of her actions all thought she was generous¡ªsome even called her foolish.


    She treated Apachi the same way. It wasn''t about trust. In Rita''s mind, a master like Apachi, willing to teach her rare knowledge, was an opportunity money couldn''t buy. Whatever Apachi charged, Rita paid without thinking to check if it was cheaper in an auction house.


    Apachi, in high spirits, accepted the payment. As she handed over the **Word of Redemption**, she also tossed a small, dark gray stone to Rita. Apachi did things on a whim, and when she liked someone, she would gift them something. "Here, take this, too."


    Rita hadn''t even had the chance to inspect the **Word of Redemption** and **Heart of the Undying** when she caught the stone. It was a dark gray, hamburger-sized disk, about 2 centimeters thick.


    **[Alchemy Crust (Curious Item)]:** A failed product created from alchemical waste during a botched alchemy attempt by a master alchemist. Toss it into a fire while cooking for a chance of culinary transformation. The effects are unknown.


    Curious items had no specific levels and could produce random effects¡ªgood or bad, powerful or weak. But since it was from Apachi, even garbage was premium garbage. Overjoyed, Rita stored it.


    After thanking Apachi, she finally took a closer look at the golden potion and heart-shaped gem.


    **[Word of Redemption]:** Endows the soul with the power of holy light.


    That was the entire description. If not for Apachi''s explanation, most people wouldn''t understand its value. Many advanced alchemical potions had equally cryptic descriptions, and without proper knowledge, someone could create it and have no idea how to use it.


    In fact, she might turn it over to the Special Affairs Bureau in a couple of months.


    She was sick of Samuel and Scarlett constantly visiting her for free meals, though the issue of the cats in her backyard was harder to solve.


    Rita then rushed back to the alchemy shop and described something she''d read in fantasy novels¡ªa portable, hidden space. She asked if anything like that existed.


    Apachi gave her an odd look, as if sizing her up for fleece. "Yes, a legendary-level engineering creation: a magical house. You can set rules so no one can find it. Want to buy one?"


    Rita checked her balance¡ª27,000 gold coins¡ªand confidently asked, "How much?"


    Apachi replied, "Takes a legendary engineer two years to make. Last one I saw at auction started at 50,000 gold, buyout at 100,000."


    Rita was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Never mind. My current place is fine."


    Read new chapters at empire


    Apachi squinted at her. "Didn''t you learn engineering? Once you''re an advanced engineer, you could make a mini version, big enough to live in if you turned into a fat cat."


    At first, Rita thought Apachi was joking and played along, but as she returned to the Blue Star, the idea grew on her. If she could make a mini magic house and set rules, like only allowing actual cats to enter, then putting the cat bed inside would solve all her problems!


    The real question now was whether the "cat hotel" was worth the investment.


    It had been so long, and she hadn''t seen any returns on her investment. It was like buying a junk stock¡ªshe kept putting in resources without seeing any benefit.


    With that thought, Rita decided to take a break from fighting. She cleared out the nearby monsters and exited the dungeon, heading straight to the backyard.


    She crawled into the cats'' wooden mansion, feeling around near the cat bed. Ever since the bed had transformed, she made it a habit to check on it regularly, but there had never been any changes.


    But perhaps because she had just mentally cursed the bed for being a one-way investment, this time, her fingers brushed against something!

 Chapter 90 Heart Surgery

    Rita pulled a small, hard object from the cat bed. It was a golden amber with a scorpion trapped inside.


    **[Golden Amber: Scorpion (Curious Item)]:** Soak it in alcohol to enhance the quality of the drink. After seven days, the drink will become mildly toxic and incredibly spicy. Drinking it will make your mouth tingle, as if electricity is flowing to your heart¡ªleaving an unforgettable taste.


    What a find!!


    Lately, Rita had been stressing over what to bring Apachi as tuition gifts. The cigarettes and cocktails would last for a while, but what about later? Apachi loved variety, and she would eventually get bored of the same gifts.


    Rita stashed the amber away, planning to brew a large batch of spiked liquor with it today. As for the cat bed, well... it seemed she would need to continue investing in it.


    Holding the amber, Rita smiled but then froze. Looking out at the backyard full of cats, sleek and shiny, basking in the sun with their bellies exposed, she felt a sense of resignation. One cat, lying on its back, rolled to its side as if making room for her to pass.


    Had she just been sweet-talked into this?


    Her smile faltered, and she fell into deep thought...


    ---


    Meanwhile, back at the Lopez family, the team following Rita had trailed her to an office building. Trying not to get too close, they observed her entering the building and used invisibility potions to follow. Though they quickly lost sight of her, they were determined. Believing that there was a dungeon within, they soon found the glowing portal hidden behind the water tower on the rooftop.


    This information was immediately reported to Zoey.


    As Rita predicted, Zoey''s first reaction wasn''t to inform the White family. Instead, she had her people investigate the dungeon quietly. After learning that the monsters inside were only level 1-2, Zoey quickly decided to keep the discovery to herself.


    Why involve the White family? Their alliance with White was only based on a shared enemy, not any true partnership.


    As for Rita, Zoey hesitated for just a moment¡ªnot because she feared facing Rita, but because she was concerned about the Special Affairs Bureau. However, upon considering the Bureau''s usual hands-off approach to private domains, she felt reassured. The Bureau only intervened in public domain portals, and as long as no one was killed, they wouldn''t care.


    Zoey assumed Rita had been farming the dungeon quietly with the Bureau. If she took control of the portal, neither Rita nor the Bureau would cause a fuss. Since none of them actually owned the portal, it was fair game for whoever took it.


    It was happening again! The same nightmare! Last time, they took his eyes¡ªnow they were going for his heart!


    Though he couldn''t see anything, the darkness intensified his pain. He could feel his flesh being sliced open, and then something was forced into his mouth¡ªa potion.


    A moment later, he heard a voice, neither distinctly male nor female, say, "Relax, you won''t die. I''m just doing a job. Someone paid me to take your eyes, but my Divine Gift doesn''t allow me to owe debts. This **Heart of the Undying** cost me a fortune to acquire."


    "It''ll weaken your Divine Gift, but it''ll grant you immortality. Your HP will never drop below 1. You get it, right? That''s a protagonist''s perk."


    "Restoring your eyesight is simple. An engineer can make mechanical eyes for just a few dozen gold coins. But this heart I''m giving you is worth over a thousand gold."


    "This is my way of compensating you for taking that magic eye. After this, we''re even."


    A cold, hard object pressed against Aaron''s heart, and an icy chill surged through his body.


    **[Ding¡ª]**


    **[You are about to curse your Divine Gift, sacrificing part of the power bestowed upon you in exchange for immortality. Would you like to use the Heart of the Undying?]**


    Should he use it?


    Aaron could feel his blood slowly draining, the mysterious figure not bothering to give him any healing potions.


    But even if his life weren''t slipping away...


    Aaron was still willing.


    Since the game''s official descent, he had yet to fully understand his Divine Gift. Compared to the unknown, **Immortality** was priceless. Who wouldn''t want that? Everyone feared death.


    As long as he couldn''t die, there was hope for everything else.

 Chapter 91 Immortality, the True Curse

    In that moment, Aaron almost believed the person replacing his heart was genuinely compensating him for stealing his eye. He felt the mysterious figure quickly close up his chest and feed him several healing potions. As the wound began to itch and his flesh regenerated, warmth returned to his body.


    "If you don''t want someone to steal this heart, it''s best you don''t tell anyone about this. Whether it''s real or not, you can check your status panel after you regain your sight," the figure said, leaving Aaron with those final words before he passed out again.


    When he awoke, he groped around and found himself back in his familiar bed, with his nightstand beside him. He realized he had been returned to his apartment once more.


    Rita''s biggest concern during the heart transplant had been whether or not the "Heart of the Undying" would be detectable via **Insight**. However, the moment the heart touched Aaron''s still-beating, crimson organ, it turned into a black mist and was absorbed. Aaron''s status panel reflected this only with a new icon beside his name: a black cross.


    **[Undying Curse]:** Your HP can never drop below 1.


    Apart from this simple description, there were no other indications related to the curse. However, his **Divine Gift** had been downgraded, changing from S-rank to S-.


    **[Breath of Winter] (S- Rank)**


    **Skill 1** ¨C *You Are Winter (Passive)*: All your skills will now include frost damage with a 7% chance to freeze enemies (reduced from 10%).


    **Skill 2** ¨C *Drink of Winter (Passive)*: When you consume an S-rank ice-based dish, you have a 3% chance (reduced from 5%) to learn an ice-based skill. This passive activates only once per day.


    **Skill 3** ¨C *Breath of Winter*: Release a freezing breath around you, affecting all targets you wish within 8 meters (reduced from 10 meters). Casting time: 2 seconds, Mana cost: 10%. Cooldown: 45 minutes (increased from 30 minutes).


    **Skill 4** ¨C *Winter''s End, Spring''s Arrival*: Absorb ice energy to restore HP. Each 1% mana restores 8% of HP (reduced from 10%).


    Every skill had been slightly weakened. The chance of freezing enemies had dropped, and the range of his ice breath had shrunk. The healing efficiency of his mana had also decreased.


    Rita found herself thinking that, in a twisted way, the curse was somewhat of a bargain. But then, she quickly corrected herself: power was everything. Without enough strength, immortality wasn''t a gift¡ªit was a curse.


    What if he encountered an enemy stronger than him? Immortality would only prolong his suffering, not protect him. With his HP stuck at 1, Aaron could be dismembered¡ªtrapped in a body that could never die.


    No wonder Apachi had called the "Heart of the Undying" a cursed artifact.


    Rita briefly considered using it on Rick but quickly dismissed the idea. Rick deserved to die¡ªpermanently. Letting him live forever, even in torment, would never feel as satisfying as turning him to ash.


    ---


    Rita didn''t give it much thought. She packed up her things, preparing to leave, when she got a delivery from Rick. Inside was not just 1 gold coin, but also 100 dishes with various stat-boosting effects.


    The note read: *"Thanks, Sis~ This is my treat."*


    Rita scoffed, impressed by her own performance. Not only had she gotten some gold, but Rick had even gone out of his way to label the food as a gift. How thoughtful.


    But was she moved? Of course not. Her trust didn''t come that cheap.


    Even though Rick had made it clear the food was a gesture of goodwill, she still wasn''t going to eat any of it. She had too much of a psychological block against anything from him.


    Rita got into her car and drove out of Los Angeles. As she passed through the suburbs, she noticed a White family convoy, likely heading off to raid a dungeon. This wasn''t the first time she''d encountered them.


    Everyone on the same mountain had been keeping busy since the beta test. The White family''s activity had been especially noticeable, with players constantly coming and going. However, they had remained relatively well-behaved.


    Whether it was White''s strict rules or their own caution, none of them acted recklessly or intruded on others'' property¡ªcertainly not to the point of hiding under someone''s bed like some lunatic.


    They were quite civilized.


    A few minutes later, Rita got a private message from Sanchez, asking if she was selling any skill stones.


    **[Rita]:** "Sorry, I''m under contract with the Special Affairs Bureau. All of the [Another Happy Day] skill stones go to them for distribution."


    **[Sanchez]:** "I''ll pay top price."


    Rita wondered if these people simply couldn''t take "no" for an answer, or if they thought she was too scared to outright refuse them.


    **[Rita]:** "I''m serious. Breaking the contract would be as good as a death sentence for me. I can''t even sell to the Lopez family. I don''t have the strength to guard this on my own, so I let the Bureau handle it." Explore more at empire


    This time, Sanchez didn''t reply.


    Sighing, Rita thought to herself how much better Zoey was at handling things. Even though there had been some tension after the first dinner at the Lopez family''s house, Zoey had quickly made amends, sending a truckload of gifts and never treating Rita condescendingly again.


    Still, it puzzled Rita that Sanchez hadn''t escalated the conversation. Usually, by now, he would have resorted to threats. Why had the conversation just... fizzled out?


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 Chapter 92 Zoeys Already Used the Full Version

    Just as Rita was pondering over Sanchez''s sudden silence, she received a private message from Shadow.Q.


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "Take some time to check out the Special Affairs Bureau''s website. We''ve taken the heat for you, so if anyone tries to buy skill stones from you, just direct them to our site."


    Curious, Rita visited the website and saw that they had indeed posted a new announcement. It detailed the Bureau''s cooperation with players, listing eight unique skill stones, including her own **[Another Happy Day]**. However, no player names were mentioned, and the specific details of the skills weren''t provided¡ªjust their names, which made it difficult for others to deduce their effects.


    The statement boldly declared that the players had entrusted the Special Affairs Bureau with the full rights to handle their skill stones, and anyone interested in purchasing them should contact the Bureau directly. It also assured that the Bureau would protect these players, and in the event of their deaths, the Bureau would use their Divine Gifts to track down and avenge them.


    The announcement ended by encouraging other players with special Divine Gifts to collaborate with the Bureau, promising favorable terms.


    Rita was quite pleased with the Bureau''s efficiency. Not only would this deter people like Sanchez, but it would also reassure Zoey and Rick.


    Indeed, Sanchez had seen the announcement, which was why she stopped wasting time trying to negotiate with Rita. Instead, she went to Zoey to complain, grumbling about how they hadn''t secured Rita for the Lopez family sooner.


    This prompted Zoey to check the Bureau''s website as well.


    It was only then that Zoey fully believed Rita''s claims. Although the butler had previously confirmed that Rita hadn''t lied, Zoey knew there were countless ways to twist the truth. She hadn''t been entirely convinced¡ªuntil now.


    Turning to Rick, Zoey remarked, "It seems that luck really is everything."


    Rick, who had always trusted Rita more than Zoey did, simply nodded in agreement.


    Recently, Zoey had been buying gems to help Rick level up his **Jewelry Crafting** skill. Whenever Rick crafted jewelry, the attributes added were always at their maximum potential. For example, if the blueprint for **Bluebird Earrings** indicated that they could increase Intelligence by 2-3 points and Constitution by 1-2 points, Rick''s earrings would always add 3 Intelligence and 2 Constitution.


    Zoey had even compared Rick''s work to that of a professional jeweler who had been in the trade for over ten years, someone she''d sent into the game during the second beta test. Despite the jeweler''s skill and careful craftsmanship, his creations yielded truly random results¡ªunlike Rick''s, which always hit the maximum stats, even though his work was comparatively less refined.


    Seeing this, Zoey decisively shifted all the family''s jewelry-related resources to Rick. As for professions like alchemy, which didn''t rely on luck, she wasn''t as interested.


    This caused some unrest within the Lopez family. A few members began resenting Rick more and more. Just before the game''s official launch, Rick had arranged for the Lopez family to buy 1,000 green-tier belts¡ªa deal that seemed promising at the time. However, after the game began, belt prices plummeted while other equipment held their value.


    This led to murmurs within the family that Rick''s short streak of luck was draining his future fortune. Even Mateo and Su Langfeng began to wonder if the family''s misfortune was somehow tied to Rick. As a result, they restricted Zoey''s ability to funnel resources to Rick, allowing her to use only her own share.


    "A mechanical eye," Aaron said. "It can be crafted with Intermediate Engineering. I heard it only costs a few dozen gold."


    Rick immediately checked the auction house. If helping Aaron would secure The Jones Family''s support, a few dozen gold seemed like a bargain. But there were no listings for mechanical eyes¡ªprobably because the materials required for Intermediate Engineering were still too rare. He called Rita right in front of Aaron, putting the phone on speaker.


    "Hey, Sis, you''ve studied Engineering, right?" Rick asked.


    "Yeah, why?"


    "Can you make a mechanical eye?"


    "I''ll check."


    A moment later, Rita replied, "There''s a blueprint for it. Do you need one? The materials are a bit much: 10 **Mechanical Parts**, 1 **Electronic Core**, 5 **Springs**, and 2 **Magic Crystals**. If you can find those, I can make it for you."


    Rick searched for the materials in the auction house but couldn''t find any. He sighed, then turned to Rita, still on the call. "Can you get your hands on these materials? I''ll pay double."


    Rita, ever quick-witted, instantly understood what was happening. Rick wasn''t asking for himself¡ªhe was doing this for Aaron, who was sitting right there, listening in. She played along.


    "Oh, are you helping that friend from The Jones Family?" she asked. "Alright, I''ll ask around at the Special Affairs Bureau. It won''t be cheap, though. I probably can''t get it for double, but I''ll see what I can do. You understand, right? People always want to make a cut."


    "No problem, Sis. Would 80 gold be enough?"


    "That should cover two mechanical eyes. No worries, if it''s short, I''ll cover the rest. By the way, did Lopez Manor pay The Jones Family back after we helped them out with that deal?"


    "They did, but... well, you know."


    "I get it. Your conscience won''t let it go, right? Don''t worry, I''ll get back to you as soon as I can. Do you still need more materials for those vitality potions?"


    "No, I''m good."


    "Alright then."

 Chapter 93 Holy Light

    After hanging up with Rick, Rita headed to Arpachi''s lab in Lania Kaiya Star for her daily lessons. Though Arpachi was busy researching the unknown curse and only agreed to teach for two hours a day while brewing potions on the side, Rita cherished every minute of it.


    She often attended lessons in her cat form, and after class, she''d stop by the restaurant to observe the master chefs at work. Rita was determined to improve her cooking skills. After all, dishes with a rating of over 95 had a 20% chance of increasing attributes upon consumption. That was far more valuable than leveling up.


    By spending just a few hours grinding, her gains could match others who spent three days. She regularly checked the leaderboard to ensure she stayed within the top 100, but as long as her pace was steady, she wasn''t too worried.


    For the first half of March, Rita settled in J Province. Occasionally, she''d drive back to Los Angeles, run a few dungeons, whip up some food for the cats in her backyard, and check if anything new had appeared in the cat''s magical nest.


    During this time, the market price for healing potions started to drop. Initially, they were rare and could fetch a whole gold coin, but now the price had stabilized to 2 silver and 50 copper per bottle, with predictions suggesting a slight further drop. Still, if someone couldn''t afford healing potions, they could visit a hospital for pills, injections, or even blood-clotting bandages.


    There was also food therapy, and in the worst case, health would naturally regenerate over time if someone rested at home. Overall, people weren''t in dire straits.


    Rick continued to ask about the mechanical eyes, and Rita didn''t delay for long. After receiving 80 gold from him, she quickly went to the auction house, spent 12 gold to gather the necessary materials, and forged two mechanical eyes, which she mailed to Rick.


    Meanwhile, Rick held the two mechanical eyes in his hands, his gaze dark as he stared at Aaron''s character panel, particularly at his Divine Gift.


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    **Why?**


    **Why do these losers get to have S-rank Divine Gifts?**


    That day, Rick had finally acquired a tool that allowed him to **Insight** other players'' abilities. His first target? Zoey.


    **[Holy Light] (S-rank)**


    - **Skill 1**: **Punishment** (Passive) ¨C Each attack has a 50% chance to restore 10 health to the caster.


    - **Skill 2**: **Hope** ¨C Chant the Song of Hope. Those who hear it have a 15% chance to gain 1 attribute point. This bonus can only trigger once per 30 days for each individual.


    - **Skill 3**: **Prayer** ¨C Channel holy energy toward a target, dealing holy damage to enemies and reflecting 20% of that damage back to an allied target, restoring health equivalent to the reflected damage. Requires continuous channeling, consuming 10% mana per use, with no cooldown.


    When he saw the "S-" next to it, his heart sank. But then he noticed the **[Undying]** attribute, which completely grabbed his attention.


    For a moment, Aaron felt a strange gratitude toward the mysterious person who had taken his eye but given him a heart in return.


    At the same time, Rick noticed the curse icon beside Aaron''s name.


    **Rick wanted to curse out loud.**


    Why was it that other people''s curses granted them immortality? Was this really a curse, or was it a blessing?


    Rick desperately wanted to know how he could get his hands on such a beneficial curse. But he couldn''t ask. If he did, he''d expose the fact that he''d been using **Insight** to spy on people''s private information. Even the strongest of bonds wouldn''t survive that revelation.


    Julian, always blunt, immediately asked about Aaron''s Divine Gift. Aaron didn''t mind sharing, and when he did, the entire workshop buzzed with excitement. With such a powerful ability, Aaron was destined to be among the top players, even though he had started late. The future of their workshop seemed bright.


    Rick forced himself to endure the celebrations that lasted all afternoon.


    Later that evening, when Aaron returned to the Jones family, another round of celebrations ensued.


    Though Aaron had relied heavily on Rick and his team while he was blind, he never forgot the support he''d received from his family. Aaron was no fool¡ªhe knew the value of maintaining strong family ties. A good relationship with his family would only benefit his future endeavors.


    When the Jones family learned that Aaron had an S-rank Divine Gift, they immediately allocated resources to help him catch up on the time he had lost. They sent him into dungeons to level up and provided him with plenty of equipment, potions, and gold.


    The Jones family also knew how to show gratitude. Upon learning that Rita had crafted the mechanical eyes, they discovered that she was an intermediate engineer with connections to the Special Affairs Bureau. Despite Aaron''s insistence that Rick had arranged the deal and paid extra, the Jones family sent Rita a gift¡ªa brand-new sports car.


    When Aaron found out the gift was a sports car, he said nothing.


    It was just like the bed Rita had gifted Zoey and Rick years ago.


    Completely useless.


    But it sure looked impressive.

 Chapter 94 Do You Know the Penalty for Robbery?

    Rita spent about half a month in JL, occasionally returning to clear out a camp of monsters. One day, she''d wipe out an undead camp, the next, it would be a troll camp. Thanks to her ability to fight higher-level enemies and monopolize the experience, even if she didn''t return daily, every time she did, she earned 5-6% of her XP bar.


    This rapid progress pushed her to 90% of Level 1, landing her in the top 30 on the leaderboard. The top 29 players were all people whose names could be found on the Special Affairs Bureau''s website.


    Her leveling speed shocked Shadow.Q, who reached out to probe for more information.


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "Would you sell your leveling strategy?"


    **[Rita]:** "What kind of relationship do we have? Talking about money is so crass."


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "Go ahead, tell me."


    **[Rita]:** "I think we don''t need to talk about money. After all, I consider myself part of the nation, and this sort of talk hurts feelings. Constantly bringing up money is unnecessary."


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "Check your mail."


    Rita opened her mail, casually tossed out a handful of silver coins from her pouch, and accepted the single silver coin Shadow.Q had sent¡ªjust enough to prevent Shadow.Q from noticing anything strange by tracking her wealth on the leaderboard.


    **[Rita]:** "Spend some money at the auction and buy an AOE skill, then go solo some dungeons. You''d level up fast too."


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "Give me back my silver coin."


    **[Rita]:** "I''m serious. Don''t you guys have rocket launchers or something? Clearing out monsters should be quick."


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "We tried, but the effect is about the same as a C-rank skill."


    **[Rita]:** "You guys should have better methods than I do for clearing dungeons. Short-term attribute-boosting alchemy potions, buff food, full sets of gear and weapons, landmines everywhere, and an AOE skill. Then just use terrain to your advantage¡ªpiece of cake."


    She was confident that the Special Affairs Bureau had already experimented with all these methods. Though she relied on her boosted attributes to solo dungeons, the Bureau had access to powerful weapons. The issue wasn''t whether they could solo a dungeon¡ªit was that they couldn''t concentrate all their resources on just one person.


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "Three crystals, of my choice. Or, ten, as long as they''re B-rank or below."


    **[Rita]:** "I''ll give you the dungeon from 7 AM to noon. Seven skill crystals, any rank I choose."


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "Deal."


    Both of them understood each other''s negotiation rhythm. It was like a dance¡ªone step forward, one step back, a flick of the wrist, and the deal was done with efficiency.


    Rita told Shadow.Q to come by her place on the 18th to finalize the details.


    Since she still had a couple of days before returning to Los Angeles, Rita decided to stir up some trouble. She planned to let the White family discover that their office building''s dungeon had been farmed by the Lopez family for half a month. Of course, something like this had to be done carefully.


    She made a trip to the underground market and found an informant¡ªsomeone who sold information for a living. This person had been her escape buddy in her previous life, a weasel who was always running from people trying to kill him. Yet, due to his talent for sniffing out secrets, even big shots occasionally needed him, so no one had ever truly killed him off. Rita liked people without scruples.


    She paid him 50 silver coins for a simple piece of information: "There''s a dungeon at the top floor of such-and-such office building." Knowing how cunning he was, she was confident he''d sell that information to the building''s owner and then resell it to others to milk it for as much as possible.


    The more people knew, the better she could cover her tracks. Even if the White and Lopez families traced the tip to this informant, they wouldn''t suspect any deliberate manipulation. Of course, nothing in life was absolute, but Rita was doing everything she could to make her tracks untraceable.


    Information had an expiration date, and Rita was sure the informant wouldn''t sit on it too long. Otherwise, if the White family found the dungeon on their own, the information would be worthless. She waited two days before driving back to Los Angeles. On the night of the 18th, she arrived at her villa, immediately flattened her rooftop safe house, and covered it with a wooden cabinet.


    She carved a teleportation array to Lania Kaiya Star under her bed, then started sorting through her spoils from J Province in the living room.


    She hadn''t gone to JL just to avoid trouble¡ªthough she had wanted to stay clear of Lopez family drama involving the office building dungeon. Her primary goal had been to purchase an herb.


    When the game world merged with reality, many people started panic-selling their businesses, thinking the world had fundamentally changed. One particular business was a health supplement company. When they discovered that none of their products had mutated, they slashed prices, with the boss intending to use the proceeds to buy gear and skills.


    Rita was after one of the ingredients this company was dumping¡ªwild **Changbai Mountain Red Ginseng**.


    It hadn''t mutated, but by boiling 100 grams of red ginseng with half a bottle of healing potion using her cooking skill, it could be transformed into a rare and powerful food item: **Ginseng Essence**.

 Chapter 95 Cutting Off Ricks Source of Wealth

    **[Ginseng Essence]** is a product that falls somewhere between alchemy and cooking. A small vial of this essence not only instantly restores 80 health points but also regenerates 1 health point per second for 10 minutes. While that may not seem like much, the effect is incredibly valuable in-game¡ªessentially a life-saving potion.


    With 80 health points restored instantly and a total of 680 health restored over time, **Ginseng Essence** easily surpasses any beginner-level healing potion or food made with Blue Star ingredients. Find exclusive stories on empire


    While Rita didn''t plan on competing against the government for profits, there was no rule against going head-to-head with Rick.


    In her previous life, Rick and Zoey had randomly gone on a "vacation" to J Province at the end of March¡ªstrange timing, given that the game had just invaded the real world. During their trip, they happened upon a business owner sobbing in the street.


    Unable to sell his ginseng stockpile, the owner was desperate, and Rick swooped in to buy 20,000 pounds of dried ginseng slices at a ridiculously low price.


    **Ginseng Essence** had a market price over double that of standard healing potions, selling for 5 silver coins per vial. Yet its production cost was just half a bottle of beginner-level healing potion and 100 grams of ginseng, which was practically free at the time. Compared to a one-use healing potion, **Ginseng Essence** was far more efficient, making it highly sought after.


    In the previous life, Rick and the Lopez family had access to plenty of healing potions from early game testing, which allowed Rick to turn a massive profit. The cost of one potion in Rick''s hands was multiplied fourfold or more, bringing him and the Lopez family huge profits. Not only did they amass vast amounts of capital, but they also gained a loyal following of solo players.


    It wasn''t until two weeks later that the Special Affairs Bureau managed to reverse-engineer the **Ginseng Essence** formula. By then, Rick had already bought up nearly all the ginseng on the market, raking in massive profits.


    One ton of ginseng could produce 50,000 vials of **Ginseng Essence**, requiring 25,000 bottles of beginner-level healing potions. Even if Rick bought the potions directly from Lania Kaiya Star, the cost would only be 250 gold coins. However, selling 50,000 vials at 5 silver coins apiece would yield 2,500 gold coins in revenue.


    After accounting for costs, Rick stood to make a profit of at least 2,250 gold coins.


    Rita had 25,000 gold coins in her wallet right now. If just one ton of ginseng could yield a 2,250 gold coin profit, why wouldn''t she get in on the action?


    After fixing the two of them drinks, the trio headed upstairs, sipping as they went. Shadow.Q surveyed the glowing dungeon portal hidden behind the wooden frame and immediately started planning where to build the portal entrance. She pointed to the plant-covered shelves and asked, "How about here? We could place the door behind these shelves. Would that work?"


    Rita had simple requirements: "Just make sure nothing spills downstairs." Then, she added, "Oh, and leave this half untouched. I''m going to put a food cabinet here with some meals I''ve made."


    Asher frowned and interrupted, "That''s inappropriate! We can''t accept anything from the public."


    Shadow.Q shot him a strange look.


    Rita''s expression was even more peculiar. She wondered if Asher had deliberately sabotaged her pitch. How could she finish her sentence now? She suppressed her frustration but couldn''t resist saying, "Well, if anyone wants to eat, they can pay for it..."


    After two seconds of silence, Asher nodded approvingly, "That''s acceptable."


    Shadow.Q bit her lip, turning away to avoid laughing.


    Rita gestured toward another corner. "I''ll also be setting up some tables and chairs over there. Free of charge. I''ll provide what I can, but my only rule is that no one goes downstairs or uses any skills to spy on my privacy."


    After verifying that the dungeon was indeed a Level 3 instance, Shadow.Q handed Rita a skill crystal as part of their agreement. "Here, you can use this to block off the second floor and below. All players who rent out their dungeons to the Bureau get this as a perk. You''ll get one for free every month."


    **[Water Curtain]:** Encircles a designated area with a water barrier, rendering it immune to prying eyes. Anyone who enters without permission will be marked, and their location will be shown on the user''s map for the next 24 hours. Activation consumes 10% mana, and the barrier lasts for 30 days.


    Rita remained outwardly calm as she read the item description, but inside, she was on high alert. She hadn''t seen anything like this at the Lopez house in her previous life, but with everything that had been stolen from them this time around¡ªZoey even having an ear cut off¡ªit wouldn''t be surprising if they were preparing similar defenses.


    She''d have to tread carefully from now on, especially around the Lopez and White families.

 Chapter 96 Vending Machine

    After listening to Shadow.Q explain how to use the skill crystal, Rita immediately activated it. Soon, she could clearly sense her entire villa and an area within a 2-meter radius around it, all covered by a light blue water curtain. She could adjust the size and shape of the curtain at will.


    She set the water curtain to cover only the first and second floors and the backyard. This made the barrier look like a rectangular prism with a quarter-circle attached to it.


    Once the range was defined, she injected 10% of her mana into the barrier. Almost immediately, she heard a light rain, but when she opened her eyes, she saw that although it seemed to be raining outside, the drops vanished upon hitting the ground without leaving it wet. The sound wasn''t annoying either; it felt like white noise, calming her mind.


    The Special Affairs Bureau worked quickly. Even though they hadn''t started using the dungeon yet, they let Rita choose her first month''s rent in the form of skill crystals.


    Originally, Rita wanted to choose skills related to divination or disguise, but as soon as she saw a skill crystal named **"Hello, I''m a Student"**, she didn''t hesitate to pick five of those!


    **[Hello, I''m a Student]:** Wherever you are and whatever currency you use, you''ll receive a 10% discount on all transactions.


    Given how much money Rita handled¡ªsometimes in amounts exceeding tens of thousands¡ªthis skill was exactly what she needed!


    She also picked two **[Why Am I Overweight Again]** crystals, which expanded the inventory slots in her game backpack. Each backpack could only use the crystal once, and her current ones had 36 slots¡ªthe largest available in Lania Kaiya Star, made by master tailors. Only skill crystals could extend backpack space beyond that.


    After finishing the dungeon rental agreement, Rita treated Shadow.Q and Asher to a meal before sending them off. Then, she got to work crafting a vending machine using intermediate engineering. Even though the materials cost her 21 gold coins, the dungeon would likely be popular for at least six months, ensuring she would recoup her investment.


    She planned to sell not only her dishes but also some green-tier gear and niche alchemy potions and engineering creations.


    Silent potions, berserk potions, invisibility potions, revealing potions, agility potions, mechanical eyeballs, pathfinding robots¡ªanything she had on hand.


    Like any craftsman, Rita couldn''t resist the urge to showcase her work. She had studied two major disciplines in this life and was eager to display her creations.


    These items weren''t valuable enough to provoke theft, but they were useful enough to sell.


    She also set up a rest area with tables, chairs, a coffee machine, a water dispenser, and disposable cups.


    Once everything was in place, Rita headed to Lania Kaiya Star to buy a batch of beginner healing potions and then began making **Ginseng Essence**.


    Unlike alchemy potions, which required precision, **Ginseng Essence** was easier to make. Once she had the correct ratio, she could cook up a large batch at once and bottle it.


    After Brooks left, Sanchez asked his uncle why they hadn''t tried to recruit her.


    "There''s no need," Josephine White replied. "People like that tend to make enemies. If we hire her, she''ll eventually get us into trouble. Better to just buy information from her when we need it."


    Sanchez nodded. "What about Lopez?"


    Experience more on empire


    "Send someone to verify the information. If we can block them off, even better," Josephine said.


    Soon enough, the White family caught the Lopez family red-handed, blocking them at the dungeon entrance.


    Negotiations followed. The White family couldn''t let this slide without losing face.


    Before the game''s invasion, the Lopez family had been much stronger than the White family. But now, things were different. The Lopez family hadn''t advanced much faster than the Whites.


    Rita, who had been eagerly waiting for this moment, perked up the instant her undead spider relayed the news. She had been preparing for this for a long time.


    This was still a minor dispute, so neither family''s leaders would get involved. The Lopez family sent Zoey to handle the situation since her status was on par with Sanchez''s in the White family. After all, it was just a Level 1 dungeon¡ªno need to make a big fuss.


    Zoey was still on her way when Sanchez sat down outside the dungeon entrance to wait.


    This was Rita''s chance.


    Instead of using **Phantom Cloak**, which could be detected by certain skills, she **Phantom Shifted** near the office building. Fully geared up, she used her **Thief God**''s **Disguise** skill and then teleported to a blind spot on the 26th floor. She transformed into a gecko and crawled up the exterior wall to the roof.


    After finding a safe spot to hide, she didn''t have to wait long¡ªZoey soon arrived.


    To Rita''s relief, Zoey didn''t try to pin the blame on her. After all, Rick was her brother, and with Rita''s connections to the Special Affairs Bureau, there was no need to create an enemy out of her.


    The Lopez family was willing to acknowledge their mistake but wasn''t about to pay the 200 gold compensation the Whites were demanding.

 Chapter 97 Time to Collect Interest from My Enemies

    Discover hidden stories at empire


    Half a month in, and all the Lopez family had gotten from that Level 1 dungeon was barely 10 gold, even with round-the-clock grinding. That''s after deducting the costs of potions and food¡ªthough the gear and experience were still valuable.


    Zoey and Sanchez, the two eldest daughters of their families, sat facing each other, the tension palpable. The area had been cleared, and both sides had used revealing potions and **Insight** skills to ensure there were no hidden threats. However, Rita had chosen her position skillfully, exploiting the weaknesses in the **Insight** abilities being used.


    One of the **Insight** users on the White family''s side had a talent that allowed them to sense air currents, a power the Whites were using to detect life forms by reading subtle disturbances in the surrounding air.


    But really, how much air did a little gecko like Rita displace? Certainly not more than the gusts of wind or the occasional fart released by the players.


    As Zoey and Sanchez''s conversation became increasingly heated and reached an impasse, Rita made her move. She slithered to the ground, creeping behind the machinery shed. Once she saw that the player sensing air currents had used up a chunk of his mana, she shifted back to human form and drank an invisibility potion.


    At that moment, both **Insight** users were in cooldown periods¡ªthe revealing potion had just worn off, and the air current reader had recently finished using his skill. Rita crept toward the back of Zoey''s team, where she softly whispered in a disguised male voice, "A cripple dares to act so arrogant..."


    They were all players. Even a Level 0 player could catch those words, let alone Sanchez, who was already Level 1 and had increased her constitution. The word "cripple" was crystal clear.


    And Zoey? Well, the voice was close enough for her to hear perfectly too.


    That word... that one word set both women ablaze with fury!


    Especially Sanchez, who was already sensitive to the term "cripple" due to her injury. She immediately raised her hand and fired a water cannon spell toward where she thought the insult had come from. The spell exploded right in the midst of the Lopez family''s ranks.


    Zoey, who was equally irked by the word "cripple," knew it was likely one of her subordinates speaking up on her behalf. So while she felt a mix of satisfaction and irritation, she was about to scold her team to maintain a peaceful front. But before she could say a word, Sanchez''s water cannon came barreling toward them.


    Lopez family members, already on edge from countless dungeon runs, reacted instinctively. The first reaction was to dodge, and the second was to strike back.


    Zoey glared at Sanchez with unprecedented coldness. She could no longer hear anything¡ª*and she was now completely earless!*


    "I''ll remember this," Zoey said icily. Turning to leave, she aimed her gun at one of the White family''s corpses and fired repeatedly, emptying her magazine before finally walking away.


    Sanchez didn''t bother chasing her. This kind of grudge couldn''t be resolved with a few nice words. She sat down on a bench, holding her head in frustration. "Did anyone see who fired first?" she asked, already dreading the answer.


    One of the White family''s healers stepped forward hesitantly. He had seen the player who fired the shot at Zoey. He had considered healing him earlier but didn''t have enough mana left¡ªhe had to save it for Sanchez.


    Now, it was clear. There would be no passing the blame onto the Lopez family for a misfire.


    Someone picked up the gun and exclaimed, "No wonder the shot was so accurate¡ªthere''s a device on it."


    Sanchez took the gun and saw the **Mini Homing Device** installed. Her fury surged again. They had treated Zoey like a boss monster, guiding the bullet to hit her no matter what.


    She fired a few more shots at the riddled corpse.


    With evidence piling up, Sanchez returned to the White family estate and told Josephine about the situation. Josephine was left speechless.


    After a long silence, she asked, "Could this be someone else stirring the pot? Like that mutual enemy of the Lopez and White families?"


    Sanchez stared back at her, deadpan.


    The dungeon''s location had been bought by the White family, the Lopez family had been blocked by their people, and they had used every **Insight** skill available. Plus, Sanchez had fired the first shot, and, most importantly, Zoey had seen a White family member shoot her with her own eyes.


    There was no passing this off as someone else''s fault.

 Chapter 98 Two Dungeon Portals

    Rita cranked up the music at home, practically turning her kitchen into a party zone as she brewed **Ginseng Essence** with the same intensity as stir-frying spicy intestines. The thought of cutting off Rick''s money-making venture made her so giddy that she considered installing a disco ball on her roof to celebrate while she brewed.


    Everything was falling into place, and her nagging feeling that something had been amiss finally dissipated. While taking the Lopez family''s gold had been satisfying, it hadn''t truly hurt Zoey. But now¡ªthis violent strike, maiming Zoey''s hearing and stirring up a bitter feud between the Lopez and White families¡ªit finally quenched the malice brewing in her heart.


    Not to mention, Zoey would surely take her rage out on Rick. A double win!


    Sure enough, Zoey was fuming, her fury uncontainable. Not even Matthew, Mateo, or Theodore could calm her down, and all three were promptly thrown out of her room. The Lopez family trio cast knowing glances at Rick.


    Rick: "..."


    He nearly pointed to himself in disbelief, silently asking, *Me?*


    Damn it, the Lopez family really were heartless, but he couldn''t say anything out loud. After all, recently, they had been diverting valuable resources to his jewelry crafting and taking him to grind dungeons for five hours every day.


    With a sigh, Rick politely escorted the three men out, took a deep breath, and entered Zoey''s room to face the music.


    Zoey wasn''t just furious¡ªshe was utterly desperate. Ever since losing her ear, she''d had her subordinates comb the world for any way to regain it. But nothing turned up! The only remotely related device was a piece of **advanced engineering** tech designed for alien toddlers to help them learn words.


    It worked by displaying a speech-to-text overlay whenever someone spoke, intended to help young non-humanoids learn language. Its secondary use, of course, was for someone like Zoey¡ªa deaf person.


    Sitting beside her, Rick knew sweet words wouldn''t help. Instead, he grabbed his phone and typed out a message: *"I''ll ask Rita if she can contact someone in the Special Affairs Bureau. You know they''ve been planning ahead for things like this, so they must be nurturing people with advanced skills. For now, we can use this device to get by until we find advanced healing magic to restore your ear."*


    Zoey said nothing, staring down in silence.


    Rick called Rita without even putting it on speaker. Turning on the speakerphone in front of someone who couldn''t hear would only rub salt in the wound.


    By now, Rita was well accustomed to Rick''s methods. As soon as she heard two distinct breaths on the line, she understood what was going on. When Rick asked if she knew anyone who could craft the **learning device**, she responded, "Let me check... Oh, it''s an advanced engineering thing, huh?"


    She hadn''t realized it before, but after rifling through her extensive collection of engineering recipes, she found the device listed. Advanced engineering, of course. It figures that something like this could help Zoey return to a semblance of normal life. Tch.


    What was originally supposed to take a month¡ªbrewing 350,000 bottles of **Ginseng Essence**¡ªwas done in less than two weeks. The rest was left to Kayden for bottling.


    In the meantime, Los Angeles had become a battleground for spectators, as the feud between the Lopez and White families heated up.


    Initially, the White family had been in the wrong and wanted to avoid escalating the conflict. They were willing to settle the matter with compensation. But when the Lopez family opened negotiations with a demand for 20 dungeon portals, the Whites had had enough.


    *I was willing to give you an ear, and you''re asking for my heart?*


    Josephine White scoffed. "*Screw that.*"


    They''d rather invest those 20 portals in training their own people than hand them over to the Lopez family, only to face a stronger enemy in the future.


    Rick, meanwhile, was quite content watching the drama unfold. Every day, the Lopez family dragged him to dungeons, and when they weren''t, he''d team up with his workshop buddies, Julian and Aaron. Though his **Divine Gift** wasn''t powerful in itself, his **Luck** stat of 10 made him incredibly valuable.


    When Rick joined a dungeon raid, they always got better loot. One run with him was worth three normal runs for the others. Even though his companions were annoyed that they had to let him land the final blow on monsters to get full experience, Rick''s drop rates more than made up for it. With him around, dungeons consistently dropped two pieces of gear.


    The team learned to tolerate his presence, and Rick reaped the rewards¡ªgaining 5% experience daily.


    Zoey, on the other hand, had plenty of people clamoring to team up with her thanks to her powerful **Divine Gift**. But she had grown much more silent and sullen, her entire demeanor dark and brooding. Even when standing next to Rick, the two of them looked more like a matched pair than ever.


    Though Rick''s mouth curved upwards and Zoey''s downwards, with one''s smile mirroring the other''s frown, their combined aura gave off a similar vibe to outsiders.


    Zoey had also stopped experimenting with her hairstyle. When she had more hair on one side, her earlessness was less obvious. But now, any hairstyle would struggle to conceal her bald patches. Anyone who saw her would inevitably notice something was off.


    Thankfully, the **learning device** took the form of an ear-covering headset. Whenever Zoey went out now, she always wore it, which hid the gaping hole where her ear used to be. To those unaware of her situation, it just looked like a fashion statement.


    She clung to Rick even more than before. Rick had initially planned to play along with her, letting her blame him for everything. After all, guilt worked both ways. Zoey wanted Rick to believe he had infected her with the curse, and that guilt would give her leverage over him. But as the only one who knew the truth, Rick thought he could use her growing guilt to his advantage.


    However, now that Zoey had become this twisted, his plan might not work...

 Chapter 99 Oh, Everyone Knows About Your Disease Now

    Rick couldn''t rely on a psychologically twisted person like Zoey to feel any guilt. Instead, he decided to take the offensive and reveal everything himself. He didn''t expect Zoey to feel sorry for him, but at the very least, this could keep her from lashing out at him with such arrogance, right?


    "I told you, turn around and speak to me! Did I ever say you could have your back to me?" Zoey''s angry voice barked from behind him.


    Ignoring the disdainful, mocking, or amused glances from the Lopez family servants, Rick turned around without missing a beat and went back to placating Zoey.


    Mateo and Theodore quietly watched the scene unfold, not daring to make a sound¡ªafter all, if Zoey was yelling at her husband, they couldn''t possibly be the next target.


    Rita wasn''t there to witness this firsthand, but she could easily imagine what was going on. Despite her seemingly good-natured demeanor, Zoey could be scarier than Sanchez when she was in a bad mood.


    Unlike Sanchez''s explosive temper, which came and went quickly, Zoey was the type to simmer and stew in her anger for long periods, making her far more terrifying when she finally blew up.


    Meanwhile, Rick dealt with his frustrations by cooking for the Lopez family more frequently. Maybe he truly had a talent for cooking¡ªhow else could he have attracted a **Divine Gift** like **God of the Culinary Arts**? Even though he hadn''t known how to cook before, now that he''d learned, his meals were delicious.


    And Rick was sneaky. He didn''t absorb large chunks of luck from his guests at once. Instead, he would quietly mutter about how certain expensive ingredients he used shouldn''t go unpaid for, keeping the flow of bad luck subtle. The Lopez family wouldn''t notice any sudden bouts of misfortune, but their dungeon loot gradually dwindled.


    In contrast, the loot Rick obtained after landing the final blow on monsters kept improving.


    As Rick''s value increased, so did the attention the Lopez family paid him. For Rick, it was a virtuous cycle.


    By the beginning of April, Rick had reached Level 1, 53%, which was faster than 90% of players. After all, for most people, getting into a dungeon once a day was already an accomplishment.


    Meanwhile, Rita had already reached Level 2.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Rick had tried to investigate her progress a few times, but Rita hadn''t hidden anything from him. She bluntly told him that she had a Level 3 dungeon in the upstairs area of her villa, which she had rented to the Special Affairs Bureau. However, she had reserved a portion of the time for herself. Once Rick reached Level 3, he could bring heavy weapons to her house and solo the dungeon.


    Rick felt a little envious, but when he considered that the Lopez family had access to over a hundred dungeon resources, his jealousy quickly faded. After all, Rita had just gotten lucky early on. Once her level increased and she couldn''t find better dungeon resources, her leveling speed would slow down significantly.


    Even so, he told Samuel to contact Rita and see if she could help them level up.


    When Samuel and Scarlett called Rita, she immediately knew this was Rick''s idea. Even though Rick trusted her to some extent, his nature hadn''t changed. He wasn''t malicious toward her, but he wouldn''t go out of his way to wish her well either.


    Rita had been planning to teach Samuel and Scarlett a lesson for a while. She readily agreed to help them: "Sure, just stick close to me. If anything seems off, run."


    **Rick:** *Did you hear?*


    **Zoey:** *Wait for me at the apartment.*


    Those six words sent a chill down Rick''s spine. Even with his strong mental fortitude, he couldn''t suppress the shudder that ran through him.


    **Rick:** *I want to know if you gave it to me.*


    **Zoey:** *Ha.*


    **Zoey:** *How would you know I had it? Did you use Insight on me?*


    **Zoey:** *And if you did, you still slept with me?*


    **Zoey:** *You felt invincible because you gave it to me first.*


    Rick realized his panicked counterattack had backfired, exposing him. Through the window, he saw Zoey''s car pulling up outside the apartment building. Not only did Zoey get out of the car, but two of her top-tier players with the most powerful attack-focused **Divine Gifts** stepped out as well.


    **Rick:** *I can help you hide the curse information. My **Divine Gift** can absorb the Lopez family''s luck. I can help you take over the Lopez family. We can make a contract.*


    **Rick:** *My skill is called "Freeloaders Will Pay." It''s passive. No one can enjoy my cooking for free. If I don''t explicitly say "this meal''s on me," then anyone who eats my food without paying will have their luck siphoned off for my use.*


    **Rick:** *I contracted the disease during surgery. I only found out recently. You can ask the butler to run a truth test¡ªI swear I didn''t mean to give it to you.*


    **Rick:** *I can help you get revenge on the White family. I can give it to Sanchez! To your brother, your dad, anyone! Even the butler!*


    Rick had never typed so fast in his life.


    Zoey, who had been ready to kill everyone, nearly tripped over the stairs when she read the line about infecting the butler.


    The doorbell rang, and Julian''s voice called from outside: "Who''s there?"


    **Zoey:** *Open the door. I''m not here to kill you.*

 Chapter 100 Dont Worry, Everyones Got It

    Rick and Zoey sat across from each other in the study, both silent. Once upon a time, they''d had some genuine affection for one another, but over time, that small bit of sincerity had been worn away.


    Maybe it was because Zoey hadn''t shared information about the game''s closed beta with Rick at first, or maybe it was because Rick hid his injury from her. Perhaps it was because Zoey never allowed Rick to participate in Lopez family meetings, or because Rick had lied about his **Divine Gift**. It could even have been the moment when they both started scheming after discovering the **Unknown Curse**.


    Who made the first wrong move? Neither knew, and neither would admit it.


    They had both seen each other''s dark sides. As Rick had once thought, they were a perfect match¡ªon the surface, glamorous, but inside, darker and more twisted than anyone.


    Rick didn''t bother pleading for his life anymore. The fact that Zoey hadn''t killed him meant she was interested in his proposal.


    Zoey, on the way over, had imagined hundreds of ways to torture and humiliate Rick. She wanted to strip him naked, castrate him, and hang him in the town square. She wanted to chop off his limbs and force-feed him healing potions, turning him into a pet dog for the Lopez estate. She had a myriad of cruel thoughts...


    But now, she decided to endure.


    As Rick had said, he was useful.


    Not just his luck, but his **Divine Gift** and even his disease were useful.


    The two of them signed a contract. From then on, Rick could not hide anything from Zoey. All equipment and items Rick acquired had to be handed over to Zoey for distribution. Rick had to fully support Zoey''s takeover of the Lopez family, and he couldn''t harm Zoey in any way. If Rick found a way to cure the curse, he would have to tell Zoey immediately and prioritize curing her.


    In exchange, Zoey would also cultivate Rick, at least ensuring that he would benefit from her **Divine Gift''s Hope Song**, which could increase his attributes.


    It wasn''t exactly fair, but with two enforcers waiting outside, Rick had no choice but to comply.


    Rick obediently handed over a **Chameleon Figurine**, which allowed Zoey to hide the curse information from her character panel.


    The warmth between them was gone, but so were the lies. From now on, they would be each other''s most reliable allies¡ªeven if only temporarily.


    Zoey would take care of the potential fallout from Rick''s exposure, while Rick would help Zoey with her curse problem. Zoey even went a step further, paying Brooks ten times the usual rate to confess that she had tricked the White family.


    For a price, Brooks had no sense of integrity. Reputation? That could be bought and sold too.


    Even Brooks herself was shocked that her reputation could fetch 50 gold coins.


    And she could still salvage it.


    Brooks privately met with the White family again, not refunding the previous payment but instead "gifting" them some insider info. "Someone hired me to mess with you guys and send you after the Lopez family, so I gave you false information."


    The White family''s reaction was simple: "Do we look stupid to you?"


    Additionally, the 350,000 bottles of **Ginseng Essence** were now fully bottled. Over the course of this time, Rita had also bought another 50,000 pounds of ginseng and 6 pounds of 30-year-old ginseng from Los Angeles and nearby areas, though the prices were slightly higher. She started brewing more **Ginseng Essence** while listing the first batches for sale anonymously.


    The only downside was that the marketplace wasn''t exactly smart¡ªshe could only list 1,000 items at a time.


    But every time she listed a batch, she felt like she was stabbing Rick in the back.


    The initial batch of **Ginseng Essence** sat unsold for a while. Rita made herself a cup of coffee, but when she returned, all 1,000 bottles had been sold out. She listed another 1,000, and those were gone within 3-5 minutes.


    The powerful healing properties and affordable price made **Ginseng Essence** an instant hit. Almost everyone was clamoring for it.


    People were talking about it everywhere, from the **World Chat** to regional and even local channels.


    Young players needed it for dungeons, while older people wanted it for health reasons. "I feel stronger after drinking it," one user commented¡ªthough that was clearly a placebo effect. Another asked, "Can pregnant women take this? What about children? What are the ingredients?" clearly fishing for the recipe.


    **Ginseng Essence** was perfect for elite monster battles, which often lasted 10 to 30 minutes. Players loved it because they would otherwise use up at least three bottles of healing potions, making this product far more cost-effective.


    Speculation about who had created it quickly spread. "Could it be the person at the top of the wealth leaderboard?" someone guessed, pointing to the person whose wealth was increasing by the minute.


    There hadn''t been much reselling yet. After all, the **Ginseng Essence**''s value was in its affordability. Raising the price wouldn''t make sense¡ªplayers could just buy cheaper healing potions from the Special Affairs Bureau.


    However, by the second day, the prices of ginseng, red ginseng, and other similar herbs began skyrocketing in the marketplace.


    While no one had cracked the recipe, they figured ginseng had to be part of it, so they stockpiled it just in case.


    Even the Lopez and White families began hoarding supplies.


    As for the Special Affairs Bureau, they went all-in.


    Rita wasn''t interested in hoarding supplies for the long term. She knew the Special Affairs Bureau would soon reverse-engineer the **Ginseng Essence** recipe, and once they did, prices would drop. She needed to offload her inventory as quickly as possible.


    She sold 30,000 bottles a day from the 8th to the 19th. By the time she had used up all the ginseng she''d bought, she had produced 252,000 bottles. She kept 2,000 for herself and sold the rest.


    With nearly 1.4 billion people in the market, 600,000 bottles barely made a splash.


    After subtracting auction house fees and paying her undead worker''s salary and bonus, Rita ended up making a tidy profit of 26,600 gold. During this time, she also kept making 3 gold coins daily using her goblin skill.


    Big money and small money¡ªshe was equally passionate about both.


    She was very, very interested in money.

 Chapter 101 Idle Hands Are the Devils Workshop—Time to Settle Some Scores

    On April 29th, after selling her entire batch of 600,000 bottles of **Ginseng Essence**, Rita finally stopped. Though she had sold anonymously, everyone knew it was the wealthy "anonymous big shot" at the top of the wealth leaderboard who was behind the Ginseng Essence.


    This was because her assets had been skyrocketing every minute, eventually stabilizing at **52,339 gold, 17 silver, and 89 copper**.


    The well-known second-place holder was the Special Affairs Bureau''s financial officer, marked by a small golden dragon beside their avatar. Their ranking fluctuated frequently, sometimes even hitting first, but once the anonymous big shot surpassed 50,000 gold, they never managed to climb back up.


    Rita didn''t feel much about being ranked first in wealth; after all, she earned and spent her money quickly. What she was more excited about was creating the **Rare Ginseng Essence**.


    - **Rare Ginseng Essence (91 points):** Restores 120 HP immediately, and over the next 10 minutes, restores 1% HP per second.


    Experience more on empire


    This high-end version was made using 30-year-old ginseng and intermediate healing potions. She only had 93 bottles, and once used, they were gone for good. She planned to save them until at least level 10, as the higher her max health, the more valuable these would become.


    Three days after she finished her Ginseng Essence operation, on May 1st, the market was flooded with more Ginseng Essence, available not just at auction houses but also in hospitals. While Rita had been a one-person operation with limited production, the Special Affairs Bureau, after figuring out the recipe, could mass-produce tens of thousands of bottles per day, quickly saturating the market.


    Soon, prices dropped to 4 silver per bottle, and the price of basic healing potions also fell to 1 silver, 80 copper.


    Rita filled her automatic vending machine upstairs with 100 bottles of **Ginseng Essence**, priced at 5 silver each. She didn''t care whether they sold or not and went off to grind in a dungeon.


    By April, she had already reached level 2, but between brewing Ginseng Essence and attending classes at **Rania Kaya**, she only made it into the dungeon once every few days. And since she was now level 2, grinding level 3 monsters no longer gave her much of an XP bonus for fighting higher-level mobs. Even when she cleared all 700+ enemies, it barely earned her 9% experience.


    Sometimes, when Apache felt generous and lectured longer, she''d stay up all night learning, skipping the dungeon the next day.


    As the dungeon portal closed and then reopened a few seconds later, indicating it had refreshed, Zoey and her team prepared to head back inside. After a few more moments, when the guards relaxed and sat back down, Rita flew down from the tree, darting low to the ground and slipping past the guard playing on his phone. She zipped through the portal just before it closed.


    Inside the dungeon, she didn''t move immediately, instead peeking around to spot Zoey''s team in the distance. Only their backs were visible, so she flapped her wings and soared upwards until she reached a safe altitude, where she could watch from above.


    Below, Rick and the others had reached the first wave of monsters and were preparing for battle. The dungeon enemies were **Draenei**, a blue-skinned race that looked a bit like avatars from an old movie and specialized in jewelcrafting.


    Rita observed their fighting style for a while. Zoey provided healing and support damage, Rick handled finishing blows and additional damage, Aaron was on offense and crowd control, and Su Wu acted as the tank, drawing enemy aggro.


    Though the Draenei had intelligence and knew to target healers first, Su Wu effectively blocked their attacks and even used abilities to redirect their attention when they couldn''t be physically stopped.


    Rita perched on a tree, used two **Another Happy Day** skill stones, reducing Rick and Zoey''s luck to 1. She then flew a distance away, transformed into human form, and ate a dish that granted +300 HP regeneration per minute. Thanks to her **God of the Culinary Arts** talent, the triple crit meant she would heal 900 HP per minute for 30 minutes¡ªthe best dish she could currently make.


    With her current health at 350, even without equipping items that increased her vitality, she would lose 70 HP each time she used her stealing skill. To keep her HP above 80%, she needed to steal about once every five seconds.


    Rita swooped down, transforming into a **Draenei** and blending in with the group of enemies Rick''s party was fighting. She even changed her name to **Draenei Warrior**.


    From there, she carefully maneuvered closer to the group and used **I Want This, This, and This** to siphon their stats. Thanks to the evasion skills she''d honed during her grinding, Rick''s team couldn''t land a hit on her.


    Whenever the Draenei were on the verge of being wiped out, she''d shout some of the few phrases she knew in Draenei and flee the scene. Then, once Rick''s team pulled another group of Draenei, she''d slip back into their ranks to continue stealing.


    Each time she fled, she''d grab a couple of Draenei to "escape" with her, leading Rick and Zoey to believe that the Draenei were a race that loved to run away when they couldn''t win.


    Draenei: **Our reputation has been ruined.**

 Chapter 102 Where Did My Attribute Points Go?!

    Rita had spent over fifty minutes stealthily stealing from Rick and his team. As they surrounded the last group of monsters, she quickly made her exit, transforming into a bird and flying out of the dungeon. When Rick''s team returned and re-entered the dungeon, she repeated the process, slipping in after them.


    This was way more fun than grinding dungeons.


    From 1 PM to 9 PM, as they finished their runs and went for dinner, Rita had stolen a whopping **16 attribute points**. Specifically, Rick contributed **4 Intelligence points**, Zoey gave her **4 Intelligence**, Lincoln unknowingly handed over **5 Constitution**, and Aaron added **3 Intelligence**.


    Besides the attributes, she also acquired **3 jewelry crafting blueprints**, **two skill books**, **four green-tier items**, and **27 gold**.


    Rita checked her own stats:


    - **Health**: 618/618


    - **Mana**: 1170/1170


    - **Strength**: 17


    - **Constitution**: 15+5


    - **Intelligence**: 21+11


    - **Agility**: 25


    - **Available Attribute Points**: 15


    She smirked. Maybe stealing from Lincoln wasn''t the best idea¡ªher Constitution had increased, raising her health, which in turn made her bleed more when using her stealing skill... But hey, it was a bit of a luxury problem. She enjoyed the irony.


    Satisfied, she returned to her villa and sorted through her other gains.


    She listed the four green-tier items on the auction house for **80 silver** each, slightly below the market rate, and they were snatched up almost instantly.


    The two skill books were both **F-rank**¡ªone for **Water Ball** and the other for **Ice Arrow**. Rita learned both immediately. She hadn''t bothered with fire skills since their damage wasn''t substantial, and she didn''t need a fancy way to light things on fire. But **Water Ball** could come in handy when cooking, and **Ice Arrow** was perfect for chilling drinks and cooling down in the summer.


    Very practical.


    But even though Zoey mentioned it, no one seriously considered Rita as the culprit. First, the dungeon entrance had guards, and Rita didn''t know about this location. Second, Rick hadn''t noticed any changes to his luck, although he hadn''t exactly been paying attention. Third, even if Rita could reduce their luck, it wouldn''t explain how they were losing attribute points.


    Zoey pulled up her interface. "I''ll check if there are any Divine Gifts related to stealing. Back when I first started losing attributes and gear, there wasn''t much information available since players were still few and far between. But now, there might be something."


    As they pondered their situation, Rita continued her operation undeterred. The **Thief God''s passive ability** caused people to briefly forget they had ever owned the items they lost, which meant that while the team was now focused on yesterday''s missing loot, they wouldn''t remember the new losses until later.


    It was like an endless loop of forgetfulness:


    Day 1: "Hey, where''d my stuff from yesterday go?"


    Day 2: "Wait, I''m missing stuff from yesterday too!"


    Day 3: "Damn it, what happened to yesterday''s gear?!"


    They were like goldfish, perpetually rediscovering their misfortune.


    Rita stopped stealing around 2 PM. She had to attend a class at **Rania Kaya** later, and besides, today''s haul was more than satisfactory.


    - **5 pieces of green-tier gear**


    - **3 Intelligence points** from Rick


    - And the jackpot: a **Rare Item¡ªFate Coin**.


    - **Fate Coin (Rare Item):** When faced with a difficult decision, flip the coin. The number on the coin will change. The closer the number is to 10, the more likely your subconscious desires will succeed. The coin doesn''t know what you''re thinking.


    From Zoey, she had gained only 1 Intelligence point, but surprisingly, she had also stolen another **Rare Item¡ªRice Cross**.


    - **Rice Cross (Rare Item):** Place it in a jar, and it will retrieve a small amount of high-quality rice from a distant palace. The daily limit is 1 pound.


    As for Aaron and Lincoln, they hadn''t yielded much since Rita hadn''t spent much of her health pool on them.


    Her Intelligence stat had now reached an impressive **36**.


    Thanks to her increased Intelligence, her **Phantom Shift** skill could now cover a maximum distance of 36 kilometers, allowing her to zip around Los Angeles in seconds.

 Chapter 103 Your Sister is Really Great!

    Rita didn''t even bother returning home and went straight to Rania Kaya Star. After dropping off the five green-tier items at the auction house, she went to the alchemy shop for her lesson. Ever since helping Rita with the Ginseng Essence and earning a hefty sum, the little undead Kayden eagerly looked forward to Rita''s visits.


    Even if Rita didn''t give her more side jobs, Kayden would remain as pure-hearted as ever.


    It seemed Apache was also pleased with Rita letting Kayden earn some extra cash. Since that day, Apache had begun sharing some of her unique alchemy techniques during lessons. Another day of becoming even more awesome, Rita thought.


    After her lesson, when Rita returned to Blue Star, she received a message from Rick.


    **[Rick]: Sis, do you know of any items that can steal other people''s attribute points?**


    Ah, asking the expert herself, huh?


    **[Rita]: Haven''t heard of an item like that, but I''ve seen skill stones that can.**


    **[Rick]: What skill?!**


    **[Rita]: It''s called something like ''This Looks Familiar.'' But the chance to steal an attribute is low, around 5%, I think.**


    **[Rick]: Does the Special Affairs Bureau sell it?**


    **[Rita]: Yeah, but it''s pretty pricey. One gold per stone. With that kind of money, you''d be better off buying gear. If you want, I can help you purchase some.**


    **[Rick]: Got it, Sis. Can you buy me five of them? I''ve sent the money over.**


    Rita didn''t waste any time. This wasn''t a lie, after all. The Special Affairs Bureau really did have this stone. She took the 5 gold Rick sent and passed it straight along to **Shadow.Q**¡ªher go-to contact. Shadow.Q had practically become her personal supplier at this point. Rita often sent Shadow.Q high-profile clients, so the latter was more than happy to oblige.


    Rita used her own Special Affairs Bureau quota for Rick''s purchases, but since she was bringing in big customers like Zoey and Rick, Shadow.Q benefited greatly. It wasn''t against the rules either. No one in the Bureau was strictly required to buy for themselves¡ªif they could resell to others at a markup, why not?


    The more Shadow.Q sold, the more she earned, often making more than her salary from these side deals.


    Caught up in his excitement, Rick didn''t even notice that Rita had taken a 10-gold cut from his payment. In fact, he felt so appreciative, he thanked her with a smile.


    Grateful for her help, Rick and Zoey immediately reached out to Shadow.Q.


    Only to be hit with a serious price shock.


    Zoey nearly spat in disbelief. "Five gold per stone?! Why not just rob us outright?"


    Sure, they made more than most players from their dungeon runs, but after paying just 1 gold per stone with Rita, seeing the price jump to five times that stung hard. Suddenly, they both realized Rita hadn''t been profiting off them at all...


    Rick completely forgot about the 10 gold Rita had quietly pocketed. As far as he was concerned, giving his sister a little pocket money wasn''t theft¡ªit was an investment!


    Zoey sighed, feeling a new level of respect for Rita. "From now on, we''ll just buy from your sister. Honestly, I don''t mind paying a little extra if it goes to her. Your sister''s really something. She may act a bit stingy, but when it comes down to it, she doesn''t try to fleece us."


    Rick nodded. "Yeah, that''s just how she is. But deep down, she''s a good person."


    After their little chat, they had Aaron and Lincoln try their luck with Shadow.Q. While Aaron successfully got his hands on more stones, Lincoln wasn''t so lucky.


    Shadow.Q''s response was... blunt.


    **"Not everyone can buy these skill stones from the Special Affairs Bureau. Rita has connections with us, which is why we sell to her. While the Lopez family and The Jones Family don''t have any direct partnerships with us yet, we respect your status and are willing to make an exception. But for anyone else? Sorry, they don''t qualify."**


    A blatant, shameless flattery¡ªbut one that landed perfectly.


    Even Zoey found herself at a loss for words.


    Aaron, instead of being offended, felt like he''d been complimented with just the right touch.


    As for Lincoln, he just silently lit a cigarette: **Fine.**

 Chapter 104 Must Have Been Jinxed by Him-Her

    Aaron had managed to buy five skill stones, of which Rick took three, and Zoey kept two. Whether Aaron wanted any for himself didn''t matter to them. But for Rick and Zoey, who had successfully stolen attribute points with the stones, a few stones just weren''t enough to satisfy their craving.


    They had lost anywhere between five to seven attribute points in total. If they hadn''t discovered that it was possible to steal them back using the skill stones, they would have gone completely mad. Especially since this wasn''t the first time they''d lost attributes¡ªmonths ago, they had noticed similar losses.


    Rick grew suspicious of everyone who had been around him during those times, but there was no discernible pattern. The only constant was that Zoey had always been by his side when it happened.


    Zoey, on the other hand, had her own suspicions about Rick. The first time she noticed her attributes and items missing was the day after visiting the Wilson family. She hadn''t been with Rick at the time, but much like now, she had simply noticed things were gone. Subsequent losses occurred at random, whether she was at home all day or out in the dungeons, but Rick was always around.


    Yet, both of them quickly dismissed these thoughts, assuming it was just bad luck from being around the other. Neither could really point fingers since they were both suffering the same fate, losing their attribute points and equipment.


    They both silently concluded: **I must have been jinxed by them.**


    After that day, Rick and Zoey became even more cautious while running dungeons. They quickly devised a solution: bringing sixteen members from the Lopez family to fill the dungeon''s capacity. They even switched to a different dungeon. This strategy proved effective¡ªRita couldn''t sneak in once the dungeon was full!


    The Draenei, meanwhile, were completely robbed of their chance for redemption...


    But the more Rick and Zoey tried to block her, the more determined Rita became. She might not be able to sneak into the dungeon, but she could still work her magic outside. Her aim was to heighten their paranoia, pushing them into a state of hyper-awareness and distrust.


    In the downtime while waiting, Rita didn''t waste a moment, reviewing alchemy videos in her mind to reinforce what she had learned from Apache. Once Rick and Zoey''s group emerged from the dungeon, she would immediately begin using her skills on them.


    After three days of stalking, she managed to steal another two attribute points from both Rick and Zoey. As she watched their increasingly frustrated and disheveled expressions, Rita finally felt satisfied and decided to lay low for a while.


    By then, Rita had stolen a total of nine points from Rick''s Intelligence and seven from Zoey''s. Combined with the previous points she''d pilfered, Rick, despite being level 3, now had attributes that resembled a level 1 player.


    These three machines alone brought in about 30 gold coins each week, and with the additional 3 gold she earned daily from her Goblin transformation ability, Rita was raking in an average of 7 gold per day.


    She had never imagined such a prosperous life. Sure, selling **Ginseng Essence** or exchanging gold coins earned her tens of thousands, but she never underestimated the value of steady income.


    Plus, the money collected from the vending machines was temporarily stored inside them and didn''t immediately reflect in her wealth ranking. This way, no one could trace her rising wealth from the leaderboard fluctuations.


    After restocking, Rita headed downstairs to make herself lunch, avoiding the Special Affairs Bureau members who would soon arrive for their noon dungeon runs.


    Of course, Samuel and Scarlett weren''t about to miss out on this lucrative spot. Despite having been scared out of their wits the last time they joined Rita for a dungeon run, they had developed a keen interest in the vending machines.


    Rita didn''t bother hiding her operations from them. After all, she controlled the access to the goods, and they would undoubtedly report back to Rick and Lopez about everything they saw. There was no need for her to act secretive.


    Recently, Scarlett had been overly attentive, offering to help Rita with household chores or to take care of the cats in the backyard. Rita politely declined, using the excuse that she needed peace and quiet to focus on her professional training.


    Truthfully, Rita was unsure whether Scarlett had been aware of Rick''s schemes with the food in their past life. Maybe she had been kept in the dark, or maybe Rick had spun a tale, claiming he didn''t want to pressure Rita, so he had Scarlett lie about making the dishes herself to put her at ease. Knowing Scarlett''s personality, she could easily have agreed to that.


    Your next read awaits at empire


    Scarlett might have seemed dim-witted at times, but she had a shrewd internal compass, always calculating what would benefit her most. Whether she was truly biased towards her son Rick was debatable. It was equally possible that she was simply stringing Samuel along as part of some long-term game.


    But none of that mattered to Rita anymore. She had died once before and no longer cared about uncovering the truth. All she knew was that when she looked at Samuel and Scarlett now, all she felt was disgust and pain.


    Rather than taking direct revenge herself, Rita wanted them to experience the misery of having their luck siphoned away by Rick. She was eager to see how they would react when they discovered the truth. But until then, she''d kick those two nuisances back to Rick. Let them enjoy their cozy little family reunion.

 Chapter 105 From Living Off a Woman to Living Off a Woman and Enjoying It

    Once again, when Samuel and Scarlett came over for a meal, Rita casually mentioned Rick''s fast leveling progress to Uncle Den and Benby, suggesting they keep an eye on him. "Lopez family likely has plenty of retirees like you and Dad, who are too scared to fight monsters themselves. They might have a team dedicated to leveling these people up. It''s the Lopez family, after all.


    How could a solo player like me compare?"


    She then turned to Samuel and said, "I know you don''t want to trouble Rick, but times have changed. Now, whoever is stronger has more power. Look at me¡ªbecause I can use my connections to help Zoey and her team get good items from time to time, Zoey even calls me ''sister'' now."


    "Once my level went up, they all treated me with respect. Why do you think I push myself so hard?"


    "You two should do the same. Ask Rick to get you into the Lopez family''s leveling squad. Once your levels are up, I can get you some gear, and that''ll give Rick more confidence, won''t it? Why should distant relatives of the Lopez family get in on this, but you can''t?"


    "Rick is already in the top 100 on the leaderboard. He should have some say, right?"


    "And besides, leveling up and adding to your Constitution is better than any health supplements or skincare products."


    Samuel and Scarlett were moved by this. In fact, they had been intrigued by leveling up for a while. Why else would they have been convinced by a few words from Rick to come to Rita and ask her to help them level up?


    Exactly¡ªwhy should Lopez family''s distant relatives get leveled up, but not them? If the Lopez family really had a dedicated leveling team, it had to be safer than Rita taking them out solo, right?


    And with that, Rita kicked these two balls right back to Rick.


    She wasn''t worried about Rick not handling it. After all, the Lopez family did have a "Golden Years Leveling Squad." The Wilson family only had two elderly members, but the vast Lopez family had at least a few dozen old-timers. They were rich, constantly using the latest technology for health maintenance, and many of them lived well into their 70s or 80s.


    These were the elders of the Lopez family¡ªthere was no way the family would abandon them.


    In fact, all the big powerhouses had similar squads.


    In her past life, Rita had even worked part-time for such a "Golden Years Leveling Squad." These jobs were in high demand because they involved babysitting a few elderly folks. No need to line up for dungeons, you could level up quickly, and the loot was all yours. The only downside was some of these old geezers had stubborn and irritable personalities¡ªsuper annoying.


    Scarlett and Samuel hadn''t been part of such a squad in their past life. Rick''s subordinates had scrambled to level up Samuel and Scarlett just to curry favor with him. Thinking back, it was so obvious. If those people were willing to level up Rick''s parents, why wouldn''t they have wanted to level up her as well? No one had ever offered. Rick must''ve been up to something behind the scenes.


    After Samuel and Scarlett were passed back to Rick, he didn''t throw them back to Rita. Instead, he smoothly placed them into the Lopez family''s "Golden Years Leveling Squad."


    Rick''s level had increased considerably¡ªthough no one knew his attributes were as weak as a level 0 player. When he joined Zoey''s team for dungeon runs, they got great rewards. He now had seven offensive skills, most of them F-rank, but they looked impressive enough, right? Stay connected via empire


    Rick told himself he had a clear conscience.


    The little spider Rita had placed in the apartment quietly observed everything.


    As she chopped vegetables, Rita watched the scene play out in her mind, silently rooting for them: **Come on, turn to the dark side! Don''t let this slide!**


    Julian stubbed out his cigarette, his voice low and steely. "We can''t let this slide."


    One of the others held his face in his hands and mumbled, "What else can we do? It''s the Lopez family..."


    The last guy still had some sense of reason. "Honestly, he doesn''t really owe us anything." Like a company going bankrupt and laying off employees, Rick didn''t actually owe them anything...


    But even though they said this, none of them were satisfied. They watched as Rick climbed into the top 100 on the leaderboard, while Aaron, who had started leveling up two weeks late, had already reached level 2 on their friends list. What did this mean? It meant those two had left them behind to advance on their own!


    It was like a company promising grand success before going public, only to optimize them out once it actually did. Who could tolerate that?


    Julian gritted his teeth. "Then why did he take our dungeon with him?"


    The other two fell silent.


    What really got under their skin was that now they had to line up with the common players, using their IDs to queue for dungeons. Getting into a dungeon once a day was considered lucky...


    Unlike before, when they had their own studio dungeon and could farm whenever they wanted.


    But after Rick left, Zoey''s people came and claimed the dungeon, staking their territory. The old Zoey wouldn''t have been so ruthless.


    Her previous self would have left them ten hours a day to farm and level up. A dungeon destined to be phased out eventually, used to make a few connections with players with potential¡ªwhy not?


    But they weren''t dealing with that version of Zoey anymore. They were dealing with Zoey in berserk mode.


    Zoey didn''t even bother with making connections. The fact that she wasn''t taking out her anger on these people was a sign that her mood was relatively stable.


    Rick, who had been whipped to below 10% health by Zoey every night recently, thought: **Oh yeah, nobody''s more stable than you.**

 Chapter 106 Previously, Following Stars and Picking Up Stars

    Rita found it amusing as she kept an eye on Rick. Though the perspective of the little spider could be minimized to the bottom corner of the screen and broadcast 24 hours a day, she couldn''t perceive it when she was in class on Rania Kaiya, so she couldn''t detail who Rick met or what was said each day¡ªotherwise, she wouldn''t have missed the fact that Rick got the magical eye.


    However, she still knew some significant events, like the studio''s instance screen. It''s often said that people flock together, and this instance was one Rick stumbled upon by his bizarre luck. After his third internal test, he inexplicably got to know a person in debt, who sold his house to Rick at a low price.


    Even though Rick had already married into the Lopez family and should have looked down on such a small house of just over ninety square meters, he still bought it.


    Once the game officially invaded, the instance screen appeared, and it became Rick''s exclusive property. But Julian and the others felt that even if Rick disbanded the studio, he should let them continue to monopolize the instance.


    Julian suggested, "Shall we sell Aaron''s Divine Gift information? A detailed report on an S-level Divine Gift can fetch 20 gold coins."


    Carter, the rational one among them, asked, "Wouldn''t that offend the Jones family?"


    Julian replied, "You don''t want it?"


    "Want it!" x2


    Julian sneered. If it weren''t for his ambition to build his own power, he wouldn''t want to share with these two. Among those present, the one who hated Rick the most and felt the most wronged was definitely Julian.


    Rick was willing to spend tens of gold coins to buy mechanical eyeballs for Aaron and even gave him an A-grade magical eye, yet he wouldn''t spend money to help Julian repair his contract figurine!


    Selling Aaron''s talent alone wouldn''t be enough to relieve his resentment. He admitted he not only hated that Rick helped Aaron but also envied Aaron''s talent. Suddenly, he recalled something Rick''s sister said during dinner at Wilson''s house: Aaron and Ezra had once talked... Ezra? If leveraged well, this could be an excellent entry point.


    Though conversations revolved around the game after its invasion, star chasers were always present! Previously, they compared who was more handsome or beautiful; now, they compare who has the higher main character status!


    Julian, Carter, and Dylan were adept at gathering information; otherwise, they wouldn''t have been recruited by Rick. Before the studio disbanded, their primary job was collecting and selling information. Rick had initially obtained the lead on that magical eye from their intel.


    In just three days, they used both legitimate and shady means, along with connections to some "friends" with special Divine Gifts, to quickly uncover the relationship between Ezra and Aaron.


    Indeed, these two had not only talked... the three also discovered a significant scandal.


    Aaron was the youngest son of the Jones family''s patriarch, born when he was nearly 50 and adored at home. His older brother and strong-willed sister-in-law were often busy, leaving Aaron less scrutinized.


    Who really cared for him? It was the responsible, maternal-like sister-in-law and the gentle, family-loving second brother. They were the ones looking out for his meals, living conditions, education, and emotional well-being.


    Aaron''s family treated him well, not just because of the age gap with his older siblings but because the patriarch and matriarch were quite sensible. Though the whole family lived together, they had divided their assets when Aaron was born.


    The eldest and second sons each received 30%, the elder and younger daughters-in-law split 10%, leaving 20% for Aaron, with the grandparents keeping 10% for their retirement.


    Without any conflicts of interest, the relationships among the Jones family members were genuinely harmonious.


    The children of the first and second houses were about the same age as Aaron, and they raised him together; the two families practically treated Aaron as one of their own children. Experience tales at empire


    What about Ezra? He was a son born from an affair between Aaron''s older brother and sister-in-law...


    And Aaron was aware of this.


    However, Ezra''s identity wasn''t uncovered through mere investigation; it was revealed using a mysterious Divine Gift.


    **[Let me guess]:** Can Insight delve into the deepest secrets one doesn''t want others to know? It requires the target''s blood and has a cooldown of 10 natural days.

 Chapter 107 Please,Send a Message to Rick

    After paying online, the other party was even unwilling to tell Julian and the others their own ID. They only instructed them to deposit their blood in a gym locker, and someone would come to collect it. For the sake of Aaron''s secret, the group spent almost half their funds¡ªmoney that had been accumulated since the studio''s third internal test.


    Rick either looked down on it or didn''t want Aaron to think he was too harsh; when the studio disbanded, he didn''t take the money but placed it in a pouch in the living room.


    As for Aaron''s blood, they had plenty in the studio. After all, he had been pried twice for his eyeballs, and when blood splattered onto the carpet and curtains, they didn''t even consider replacing them; they simply cut out the soiled carpet and sent it. The other party had a tool that could refresh the blood, for which Julian and the others even paid an extra fee.


    In exchange, they received a bombshell secret: Aaron''s hidden truth was that he didn''t want anyone to know he had been with his older brother and sister-in-law''s illegitimate son, Ezra. If they had Rick''s blood, Julian would have wanted to place another order to investigate Rick''s secret.


    However, Aaron''s secret was explosive enough, especially considering Ezra''s identity. This meant that if the three operated well, they could not only profit from Aaron but also obtain valuable items from Ezra. They could even, if bold enough, extort Aaron''s older brother and sister-in-law.


    Goodness, no wonder the owner of that secret talent hid himself; there was so much to gain! Rita was also shocked. She happened to be changing her sanitary pad when she overheard their conversation about this talent, which made her panic and set the used pad on fire, deciding to do the same in the future.


    Moreover, after consuming healing potions, she would have to be careful to clean off any blood stains left on her, nipping it in the bud¡ªshe could never let her blood spill outside! Wasn''t this skill directly targeting her? She was afraid that if the other party used this skill on her, she might hear, "This person''s secret... um... where to begin?"


    From their conversation, she not only learned about this Insight talent that could delve into secrets through blood but also about Ezra''s identity... another thing she had never known in her past life.


    As for why Aaron didn''t want anyone to know, there could be many reasons: perhaps it was because his sister-in-law and second brother treated him well, and he didn''t want to hurt them; maybe Ezra asked him not to tell anyone; or perhaps he didn''t want to see the Jones family in turmoil.


    Rita was intrigued. The Jones family had never harmed her in her past life; they were merely strangers. Their association with the Lopez family was just for better development, which was understandable. They probably didn''t even know who Rita was.


    Which subsidiary would take the time to get to know or investigate a bullied employee at their headquarters? Even during meals and gossip, they''d be talking about the top 100 list! So, Rita genuinely had no feelings towards the Jones family.


    Her focus was on Ezra! How coincidental! Another enemy of hers! Ezra had no emotional ties to her; he wasn''t a sycophant and wasn''t the second male lead in a love story. So why did Rita hate him?


    In truth, the inspiration for Rick contracting AIDS in this life came from Ezra. During the second year of the game invasion, Rita had been rarely accepting Rick''s invitations. Even though Rick treated her well and said how hard it was for him in the Lopez family and how he missed family and Rita, she wasn''t a masochist.


    Why would she go seek out trouble when the Lopez, White, and Taylor families bullied her?


    But somehow, she kept encountering these people in various corners... Even when she whimsically went to the mountains to find undiscovered wild instances, she would run into them.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Was it easy for her?!!!


    Please, Qingfeng, help her deliver a message to Rick.


    Please, heavens, is there anyone who can be more despicable than Rick?


    The more Rita thought about it, the angrier she became, directly activating the Master Archer''s "Now I''m Scary Strong" explosive state to start rampaging.


    Once out of the instance, she planned to send a message to the Jones family.


    However, before that, she stopped by the Rania Kaiya auction house.


    Searching for "Guess."


    Nothing.


    Searching for "Secret."


    Still nothing.


    She changed her term to "Inside Story."


    Still no results.


    She wasn''t afraid of others Insight-ing her secrets; not to mention how careful she always was, that kind of Insight was a form of divination, and her Cha?vez pocket watch could avoid it.


    Her goal for searching was purely mischievous; she wanted to know others'' little secrets.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing... Such a wicked talent really suited her.

 Chapter 108 Drought for the Drought, Scarlett Drowns

    In the end, Rita still made a purchase, spending 398 gold on a Malice Detector.


    **[Malice Detector] (B-rank)**: It trembles slightly when someone with malicious intent approaches; the greater the malice, the stronger the tremor.


    A small cross with a tiny hole, she strung it onto the chain of her pocket watch, right next to the ruby-shaped **[Water God''s Disgust]**. After earning three gold coins from her session at the Rania Kaiya auction house and attending a class for an hour, Rita''s first stop back on Blue Star was to find Shadow.Q for another purchase.


    **[Rita]**: Have you heard of a Divine Gift that can detect a person''s deepest secrets through their blood?


    **[Shadow.Q]**: I''ve heard. We''re also looking for that player to establish a long-term partnership, but they don''t trust us.


    **[Rita]**: That''s too small-minded!


    **[Shadow.Q]**: Who says it isn''t? So, are you going to donate something to earn the nation''s trust?


    **[Rita]**: No need for that. I trust the nation; it doesn''t need to trust me. I''m the nation''s sycophant.


    **[Shadow.Q]**: ...


    **[Rita]**: Do you have similar skills over there?


    **[Shadow.Q]**: Yes. **[Got it, here I come]** can provide insight into one closely related secret that the target doesn''t want the user to know, but you need to hold both the target''s and user''s hair in your hand.


    **[Shadow.Q]**: Friendship price: 8 gold each.


    **[Rita]**: Don''t mention friendship! I''m allergic to it. Can you advance my rent for this month''s instances? Give me three of those.


    **[Shadow.Q]**: ...


    **[Rita]**: Hmm? Your attitude is unacceptable. Why are you always speechless with customers?


    **[Shadow.Q]**: Fine, got it. I''ll send them to you.


    **[Rita]**: Great! Now for the remaining four: two **[Anonymous Letters]** and two **[It''s You! My Bloodline]**.


    The former allows her to inform Aaron''s sister-in-law and brother without anyone tracing the sender''s identity, while the latter can determine blood relations, meant to be sent to the Jones family''s sister-in-law and brother. The three **[Got it, here I come]** will be used on Rick, Samuel, and Scarlett to see what they''re plotting against her.


    Rita could sometimes be lazy and procrastinate, but when it came to making her enemies uncomfortable, she acted decisively. After obtaining the skill stones, she wrote down Ezra''s birth date, the names of his adoptive parents, the relationship between Ezra and Aaron, and that Aaron knew Ezra''s identity from the start. She attached the **[It''s You!No?v(el)B\\jnn


    She couldn''t cross that mental barrier.


    Even if she suddenly went on a rampage and killed all the strangers running instances at her place, she would only feel upset for a while, but that would eventually pass.


    But if she truly killed Samuel and Scarlett with her own hands, she would surely awaken at midnight, staring at the ceiling, questioning herself¡ªwas it really worth it?


    As long as she turned a blind eye, they could coexist peacefully!


    But was it really worth it?


    Samuel''s instigation and Scarlett''s complicity¡ªno, not complicity; she was a knife in Rick''s hand...


    Rita sighed deeply, suppressing the heat in her eyes.


    Her hatred lingered; she couldn''t achieve reconciliation.


    She tossed the **[Cross]** into the rice cooker, and soon, a thick layer of fragrant, pearl-like rice emerged.


    **[Stardust]**: Magical rice, only the royalty of the 12 Holy Races and the lord of a city are qualified to consume it. Long-term consumption can strengthen your most outstanding talent.


    Since acquiring the **[Cross]**, she had been using it to make staple foods daily. The rice produced was unlike anything she had seen before, with varieties from different races, and **[Stardust]** appeared most frequently¡ªlikely the most common, considering the rice was obtained from various palaces.


    Naturally, the royal families and city lords of all races would consume **[Stardust]**, so its drop rate was naturally the highest.


    Unfortunately, there was no specific data; how long is "long-term"? What exactly is "most outstanding talent"? How much stronger can it get? It was like the health product ads on Blue Star.


    How long until it takes effect? Uncertain, but the effect is as stated; if it doesn''t work, it means you didn''t persist.


    Sometimes when Rita didn''t want to eat rice, she would save the other rice, but whenever **[Stardust]** appeared, she would finish it all that day.


    Unfortunately, perhaps due to her lack of culinary skills, even the dishes made with **[Stardust]** couldn''t reach a score of 95.


    Your next read awaits at empire


    Where did Rick learn his cooking skills in his past life?


    Could he truly be the innate gifted son-in-law? Did he possess all the talents a good wife should have?

 Chapter 109 It Turns Out Everyone Is Well-Fed Behind the Scenes!

    Aaron had been having a rough time lately. His biggest fear¡ªthat his secret would be discovered¡ªwas coming true. Even though he had broken up with Ezra, he had already missed the best opportunity for honesty. Now, if he kneeled before his sister-in-law and brother-in-law to confess, they would never forgive him, and he would only end up offending his older brother and sister-in-law.


    No matter what he did, it seemed wrong...


    He could only follow that person''s demands: give equipment, potions, and gold.


    Aaron couldn''t shoulder this alone; he reached out to Ezra, hoping he could help share the burden, only to discover that Ezra was also being extorted.


    Ezra didn''t want his background and preferences revealed either, as it would severely damage his career. Stars might seem to live glamorous lives with countless fans and gifts, but where there''s love, there''s also hate. They had their share of haters, and while online criticism was manageable before, now it was a real threat¡ªpeople could come after you.


    There were countless mysterious Divine Gifts out there, and it was hard to guard against them.


    The most frightening thing was the so-called "true fans." In the past, if true fans turned against you, it might just mean they''d expose some secrets out of bitterness. Now, turning against you could be life-threatening...


    What if there was a powerful figure among them with a special Divine Gift? Ezra didn''t dare to imagine.


    Furthermore, despite the fact that the Jones family''s sister-in-law and brother-in-law seemed to be hands-off¡ªone exuding the air of a long-established matriarch, the other warm and approachable¡ªthey were not to be underestimated.


    Otherwise, why would the elder brother and sister-in-law of the Jones family send Ezra away until he grew up, ensured he had a stable personality, a sound mind, and an understanding of the gravity of his situation before approaching him?


    He didn''t believe his biological parents would protect him; he even suspected that if the truth came out, he would be the first to be abandoned.


    In short, both of them were stressed and overwhelmed.


    Fortunately, they could communicate privately in the game. After adding each other as friends, they could discuss matters without meeting face-to-face. Ezra, relying on the support of his fans, didn''t lack for items and equipment, while Aaron borrowed a lot of unusual items from Rick and the Lopez family.


    Before long, they had tracked down Julian and his group.


    What was there to say?! It was time to hunt them down and deal with them!


    In his past life, the relationships among Aaron, Ezra, and Julian had been excellent. While Aaron and Ezra had lingering ties, Julian, despite being straight, had relied on a contract item to join Rick''s team¡ªhow could he not be perceptive?


    In the end, were only the two of them not well-fed?


    So it turned out that everyone else was thriving behind the scenes!


    Nova and Isaac didn''t make a scene; instead, they took advantage of the fact that everyone was caught off guard to start digging into the resources of the Jones family.


    Before the game invasion, it would have been tough for them to seize control of the company. After all, the elder brother and sister-in-law of the Jones family had held power for many years and had a loyal following. But the times had changed¡ªnow, whoever was strong got to speak.


    And both Nova and Isaac''s talents were indeed stronger than their respective partners.


    Nova could control paper, meaning she could manipulate any paper products she created. While lacking attacking skills wasn''t terrifying, what was scary was a Divine Gift that was both unique and scarce.


    As for Isaac, his Divine Gift was related to water. Though it was only a B-rank, he could briefly merge with water; as long as he had enough magic power, he could transform into water and flow anywhere.


    One gathered information through origami, while the other caused chaos using water.


    Although precious items were now stored in their game backpacks, most things were still kept in their respective vaults. After all, backpacks had limited space, and many commonly used items couldn''t all be stored away; when needed, everything had to be taken out and searched for...


    Not just gold, but also potions and equipment that were meant to be distributed according to contribution points were stored in their vaults.


    The revenge duo took everything!


    They were aware that the Lopez family was collecting gold; while they didn''t yet know its purpose, the fact that the Lopez family had converted many of their industries into gold post-invasion showed its importance. They directly seized the equipment, potions, gold, and various gems from the main and secondary houses of the Jones family.


    Thanks to the jewelry processing industry, gem prices had barely dropped.


    They even took the collections of the elders and Aaron.


    Nova began tightening her hold on her properties, especially those with instance mirrors, and Isaac did the same. These items differed from the company''s influence; the Jones family had operated for many years, and their loyal subordinates listened only to them. Even if they stepped in, it would be easy for them to be sidelined. But the instance mirrors under their names were another matter...


    They took the proof of these properties and directly leased them to the Special Affairs Bureau. As for those from the Jones family controlling the instances, the Special Affairs Bureau would handle it.


    A windfall had fallen; the Special Affairs Bureau was grinning from ear to ear.

 Chapter 110 Isnt This Even Scarier Than That Disease?!

    Of course, even though the Jones family''s elder brother and sister-in-law had rented out the instance mirrors, it wasn''t impossible for them to get part of it back, but that would require a divorce to split the assets.


    Nova wasn''t worried¡ªaside from the portion in the prenuptial agreement, she would still profit after a divorce. Isaac wasn''t worried either, as fate had smiled upon him¡ªout of the 27 instance mirrors he owned, 20 were his from before the marriage, so Abigail could only claim 7, and he could even get a share of her assets.


    Besides, they were confident that even if things escalated, Wyatt and Abigail wouldn''t get divorced. Both had three children, making a total of six kids, and the inheritance hadn''t been divided yet. Ezra was practically a common enemy to all six of the children. As long as they didn''t want to alienate their own kids or have the six children gang up on Ezra, Wyatt and Abigail wouldn''t dare to act.


    As for the so-called "big picture" or "the Jones family''s future"? To two people who had been triple-betrayed and starving for decades, that was all nonsense!


    Naturally, Wyatt and Abigail quickly sensed something was off with their spouses'' sudden, large-scale actions. Their first thought was that Ezra''s secret had been exposed, but by the time they realized, Nova and Isaac had already wrapped up everything in less than a week.


    Almost immediately after reclaiming the instance mirrors and signing contracts with the Special Affairs Bureau, they publicly revealed Ezra''s true identity. Along with that, they also leaked photos and chat records of Ezra and Aaron together.


    To top it all off, they even released Ezra''s medical report.


    On May 17th, the top ten trending searches were all about Ezra and Aaron.


    Ezra and Aaron''s emails were leaked, filled with nothing but hate.


    Ezra was kicked out of his team. Even though everyone''s bodies had become digitized, people were still terrified of such an incurable disease.


    Aaron''s situation was slightly better. Zoey had used an Insight item confiscated from Rick to check Aaron''s stats, and when she didn''t find any signs of a curse, she was a bit disappointed.


    After all, Rick and Zoey had the disease as well.


    **Aaron**: "Please believe me, I don''t have it!!!"


    **Rick & Zoey**: "Heh heh heh, what a coincidence, but we do."


    The only one who seemed uncomfortable was Lincoln, but he didn''t want to leave the team. Not only was the leveling speed fast and the drop rate high, but he also got to enjoy various benefits by staying close to the Lopez family''s eldest daughter. Besides, as long as he was careful, he figured he''d be fine¡ªjust make sure to heal any injuries quickly and keep Aaron at a distance.


    So, Lincoln didn''t show any signs of concern. On the contrary, he even tried to comfort Aaron, saying that even if he had the disease, it might not be a big deal. Maybe with higher levels and a stronger constitution, it could even heal on its own.


    Aaron''s face turned red with frustration. He didn''t have the disease!!!


    But neither he nor Lincoln noticed the looks of approval Rick and Zoey gave Lincoln¡ªthere was a hint of admiration and even a bit of surprise.


    The two exchanged glances: Why hadn''t they thought of increasing their constitution? Lincoln, who had focused on boosting his constitution, could no longer be harmed by ordinary weapons. If they increased their constitution enough, could it cure their disease?


    **Ezra**: "I''m sorry..."


    **Aaron**: "Heh, so you''ve been enjoying yourself after we split up, huh?"


    Though Aaron was sarcastic, once he learned that Ezra''s talent was S-rank, he let it go.


    He even recommended Ezra to Rick, suggesting that he join their leveling team and promised that Ezra would keep his distance from everyone.


    Rick found the situation extremely odd, as did Zoey.


    But there wasn''t much to fear.


    It was like when no one cared if your body was left on the street after death¡ªthe ones who should be scared weren''t them.


    After learning about Ezra''s talent, they immediately brought him into their team. With nowhere else to go and being hunted down by disgruntled fans, Ezra had no choice. The Lopez family''s territory wasn''t a place anyone would dare to intrude.


    However, the 16 melee fighters Zoey had recruited weren''t having any of it! The experience was great, but their lives mattered more. How could they fight monsters without shedding blood?


    Zoey decisively disbanded the team, giving the 16 people access to another instance and telling them to fight on their own. After all, even when they were filling the team slots, the group still experienced theft¡ªjust less of it. They hadn''t lost any attributes or equipment recently, so there was no need to fill all 20 slots for instance fights anymore.


    When Rita learned about this, she immediately entered the instance and stole 4 points of Ezra''s strength and two pieces of equipment.


    The next day, when Ezra realized he was missing 4 strength points and two items, he was furious.


    What the hell happened?!


    The whole team fell into an awkward silence.


    **Aaron**: "Oops, forgot to warn Ezra how cursed this team is..."


    The group finally explained why they, despite being strong enough to grind solo, had previously insisted on filling the team slots with 15 or more players.


    **Ezra**: ...


    Damn, isn''t this even scarier than AIDS?!


    If he had anywhere else to go, Ezra would''ve bolted.

 Chapter 111 This Son Is Ruined

    After stealing from Ezra, Rita decided to investigate the leveling group. She was genuinely curious about how Samuel and Scarlett got involved with the White family. Using her connection as Rick''s sister, she quickly found the location. The instance mirror was situated in a residential area, though Rita didn''t know who owned it.


    It was lunchtime, and from a distance, Rita spotted Samuel and Scarlett sitting outside the instance mirror, having lunch and chatting with two elderly folks. Thanks to her sharp hearing, she could clearly hear Samuel''s voice calling one of them "Brother Liang," a clear indication that they were connected to the White family.


    After some investigation, Rita discovered the truth. This leveling group was a joint venture between several powerful forces in Los Angeles, a form of alternative socializing. Even though there were conflicts between the Lopez and White families, it didn''t matter¡ªthere were plenty of conflicts between the various factions involved, yet they still participated in this leveling group.


    In private, they would still fight if necessary.


    Josephine''s Divine Gift was no secret in their wealthy circles. He wasn''t short on partners. People would lose attribute points after sleeping with him a few times, but no one was stupid. They noticed something was wrong. However, Josephine wouldn''t go around killing everyone he slept with, right? He could, but it wasn''t necessary¡ªwhy create such a big liability?


    His sister''s temper got her in trouble back then when she killed Sanchez''s father, forcing her to hide overseas even now. So, Josephine stuck to voluntary encounters, compensating his partners afterward with a few items in exchange for an attribute point or two. Both sides were satisfied. After all, this was the kind of thing that would eventually leak, so he never bothered hiding it too deeply.


    Instead of letting it become a liability, he was upfront about it.


    That being said, this was only known to a small circle. Josephine wasn''t bothered if people found out, but he wasn''t going to broadcast it either.


    Sanchez, after becoming enemies with Zoey, came up with a sinister plan: she proposed that Josephine marry Rita. Once he drained Rita of her attribute points, they could make her use the **Wheel of Fate** skill to deal the final blow to monsters and gather loot.


    This way, she could be exploited for the White family''s benefit, and they could hurt Rick in the process, as it was rumored that he was very close to his sister.


    Josephine didn''t care either way. When he saw Rita''s profile on the ranking board and noticed she was quite beautiful, he agreed to the plan.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Of course, Rita didn''t uncover Sanchez''s scheming¡ªshe only learned that Josephine''s situation wasn''t exactly a secret. However, she didn''t plan to repeat the strategy she had used against Zoey by making White family elders die at Samuel''s hands. One coincidence might be dismissed as an accident, but two would seem deliberate to suspicious minds.


    Besides, a direct confrontation between the Wilson and White families could easily affect her, and she preferred staying hidden in the background. It was a pity the Taylor family hadn''t arrived yet; otherwise, she could have shifted the blame onto them.


    She came up with an excuse to have dinner with Rick and then used the **"Hey? Friend, look, there''s a pot here"** skill on him. Once it succeeded, she noticed that next to Rick''s ID, a new metric appeared¡ª**Trust Score: 89**.


    A trust score below 60 meant the skill couldn''t be used on the target, but Rick''s trust in her was a whopping 89.


    Sanchez was furious. To her, the people on the game forum were beneath her¡ªpeople who usually weren''t even qualified to meet her were now ridiculing the White family anonymously.


    Josephine, on the other hand, remained calm. In his younger years, his temper had been similar to Sanchez''s, but over time, he had learned to rein it in. If you lost your cool over every little thing, how could you keep a clear head for the big issues?


    Besides, compared to her mother, Sanchez''s temper could be considered mild...


    While ordering an investigation into the surveillance footage surrounding the statue''s disappearance, Josephine issued a public statement, clarifying that he had never concealed his Divine Gift from his partners. In his view, this matter was easy to handle¡ªwhat was there to argue about when both parties were willing?


    Unfortunately, it seemed that bringing Rita into the White family was no longer an option.


    Josephine was intrigued by Rita''s looks, connections, and Divine Gift. So far, neither the White family nor any other faction had found a second person with the ability to modify luck.


    Many suspected that Rita''s rapid leveling was due to her extraordinary luck. Good luck naturally led to finding better instances and better loot, which created a virtuous cycle.


    Currently, anyone with a high luck stat was in high demand for teams, but those with luck stats above 8 were rare, let alone a maxed-out 10. Plus, not everyone had an Insight skill, so many people¡ªdespite their terrible luck¡ªwould claim they had a luck stat of 9, leading to frequent disputes.


    Meanwhile, Samuel was also lamenting. Now that Josephine''s matter had come to light, there was no way he could pretend ignorance and try to match Rita with Josephine.


    He had been hoping to align his son with the Lopez family and his daughter with the White family, hedging his bets on both sides...


    But even if none of this had been exposed, he wouldn''t have pursued it any further.


    Because both he and Scarlett had received shocking news about Rick: **Your son has AIDS**.


    All the past suspicions now came flooding back. For example, when Rick first asked him to go to the Lopez house to retrieve his blood, the topic was quickly diverted, and it ended up being about testing a colleague''s blood. Then there was Rick''s disbelief and despair when the results came in, and the time Scarlett brushed Rick''s cup aside during dinner, leaving him visibly unsettled.


    All these little details practically confirmed the truth of this message.


    **This son is ruined.**

 Chapter 112 Revenge Must Be Fair

    What terrified Samuel and Scarlett the most was the realization that if the Lopez family discovered Rick''s illness, it could spell total disaster for the Wilson family. The once cherished Rick would be loathed by his parents, who might only refrain from hating him as long as they retained any semblance of parental love.


    Samuel had already decided that they needed to have another child with Scarlett. Until then, Rita, as their only healthy offspring, was someone they couldn''t afford to alienate. In fact, they were even discussing how perfect it would be if Josephine were into men¡ªthen they could hand Rick over, using him to help the Lopez family fight against the White family.


    That way, Rick could at least redeem himself in some way.


    All their plotting was relayed to Rita through the little spider she had left in the Wilson household.


    She couldn''t help but marvel at the power of the **God of the Culinary Arts** skill that allowed her to deflect all the malice aimed at her onto someone else so seamlessly. It was no wonder the people in her past life had gone insane¡ªthis skill transferred the blame so perfectly that no one suspected a thing.


    She wasn''t worried that Rick would catch on. First, the skill was truly worthy of an SS-rank Divine Gift, deflecting blame with such grace that it created a plausible logical chain, making the transfer of malice seem reasonable. Even if there were slight inconsistencies, the targets wouldn''t overthink it.


    Second, if Rick ever began to suspect that this was related to his missing skill or that it might involve Rita, his trust score would immediately plummet, and she''d know right away. That day would also mark Rick''s end.


    ...


    The statue theft had triggered a new wave of people searching for mutated items across Blue Star.


    Indeed, many people found items, and while most tried to conceal identifiable features when posting on forums or social media, the images revealed more than they intended. Plenty of people posted their items one day and got visited the next.


    Rita didn''t bother joining in the commotion¡ªshe was too busy setting traps for the White family.


    She considered herself fair. Revenge had to be served evenly. Zoey had lost an ear, Aaron, Ezra, and Julian were like stray dogs, and Rick was already a wreck, struggling with his illness and stats as low as a level-zero player.


    But Sanchez had enjoyed a long stretch of good days, which was unfair to Zoey and Rick, wasn''t it?


    The White family certainly had the strength to clear a level-four instance, though it would cost them significant resources and carry some risk.


    In the previous timeline, the minotaur bounty had appeared in August. This time, Rita planned to bring it forward by three months, waiting until later to reveal the sacred relic''s existence.


    ...


    First, Rita used **Phantom Shift** to quietly approach a nearby cattle ranch and find a calf to touch, adding it to her **Animagus** transformation forms. Since obtaining **Animagus**, Los Angeles'' bird markets, farms, pet stores, and aquariums had practically become her second, third, and fourth homes.


    As for her second and third homes? They were Zoey''s and Sanchez''s bed frames¡ªtoo bad she hadn''t visited in a while.


    Once she confirmed she could transform into a calf, she flew to the White family''s seaside villa.


    The White family had guards stationed outside every instance, but this wasn''t a problem for Rita. She transformed into a bird and flew through a second-story window, quickly locating the instance mirror on the second floor.


    Upon passing through the mirror, she found herself in a tent. A gust of wind opened a small gap in the tent, through which she could see a vast grassland and blue skies beyond.


    Rita transformed into a cat and sprinted across the grassland for over ten minutes before spotting a cluster of tents¡ªthe gathering place of the foreign race.


    Just like the instance at the top of her own villa, players could choose not to fight immediately upon entering. They could converse with the foreign race and even accept tasks from their leaders. These tasks usually helped players understand the history of the foreign race, which was often tragic, heroic, or emotional, with the foreign races usually portrayed in a positive light.


    But without any enticing rewards, Rita wasn''t interested in doing any quests. As she neared the tented area, she ate a healing dish and transformed into a calf, slowly making her way forward.


    To the minotaurs, calves were sacred and untouchable.


    Each calf was considered an unblessed young minotaur. Rita brazenly walked through the towering three-meter minotaurs, making her way toward the largest tent in the center. There, she finally spotted the most distinct calf¡ªa small minotaur prince standing outside the tent.

 Chapter 113 The Sacred Relic Acquired

    This young minotaur was noticeably different from the others. Not only was he much smaller in size, but his horns were golden, and most importantly, his nose ring was very small, almost perfectly fitted to his nose. Among the minotaurs, the smaller the nose ring, the higher the status. Only the minotaur rulers wore just a nose stud.


    At that moment, the little minotaur prince was roasting wolf ribs and drinking, chatting with his subordinates, and complaining about when he''d get to meet humans from Blue Star.


    Rita lay down beside the young prince and began continuously using her **Steal** skill.


    For the next three days, apart from her two-hour daily alchemy class on Rania Kaiya Star, Rita spent all her time inside the instance. She managed to steal 7 strength points and a ton of equipment and items. She sustained herself with **Emerald Feast** and meat provided by the minotaurs¡ªsince they believed good cows should eat meat.


    When she slowed down, she''d sneak away to the corner to eat some of her own dishes to recover.


    Just as Rita was beginning to wonder if she was wasting her time, on the morning of the fourth day, after using her skill as usual, she suddenly noticed that the little minotaur prince''s nose ring was gone.


    She paused in shock and quickly opened her inventory screen. There, in the last slot, she saw the item:


    **[Ring of Fire Spirit]** (Sacred Relic)


    The nose ring of the young minotaur prince, crafted by the minotaur chief himself, using the rare Fire Spirit Essence, specially made to match the prince''s attributes and affinity.


    **Skill 1**: *What It Means to Be Royalty* (Passive): Upon binding, each level-up grants an additional attribute point to allocate.


    **Skill 2**: *This Is Royalty* (Passive): When suffering a potentially fatal blow, activates Holy Radiance, blocking the lethal damage. Can only trigger once every five minutes.


    **Skill 3**: *Royal Aura*: Activates an inspiring aura that increases all allied units'' attributes by 20% for five minutes. Cooldown: 1 hour.


    No wonder the minotaurs had hounded the White family relentlessly in the previous life! By the time Rita died, the minotaurs were still offering bounties for White family members. When the relic''s existence was revealed in the second year, despite being hunted by minotaurs, outlaws, and voices advocating for peace, the White family refused to return the sacred relic.


    As for the nose ring being dirty? Just wash it! She had eaten cow tongue the day before¡ªwhy not wear a cow''s nose ring?


    There was no need to hide her identity either. Rita openly used her ID to register and waited in line. With the combination of modern medicine and various healing potions, it only took 10 minutes for Rita to get a small hole in her navel, ready to wear any accessory.


    Since the game''s invasion, hospitals weren''t as crowded anymore. While many diseases still couldn''t be cured, injuries that caused bleeding were easily treated with a single potion. Even surgeries were quick recoveries, with patients often healing immediately after drinking a potion.


    In some cases, even internal diseases could be treated with obscure magical potions. In a way, the game invasion had its pros and cons.


    Back home, Rita locked her door and immediately took out the **Ring of Fire Spirit**, applied a **Binding Stone**, and bound the relic. She then lifted her tactical vest and green leather armor, fitting the ring onto her navel.


    Afterward, she stared at her navel for a moment, musing: *If only I could install a magical eye in my navel...*


    Why shouldn''t a belly button count as an eye?!


    She had even asked Apache before if there was a way to wear the magical eye without being noticed¡ªand without gouging out her eyeball.


    Apache had said it was possible to alter the shape of the magical eye to coexist with her regular eye, but such accessories could only be crafted by master jewelers. Sometimes, they appeared in the auction house, but you had to be lucky to snag one.


    So, Rita would occasionally visit the auction house in hopes of finding one. Now that she knew such items existed, it was only a matter of time before she could use the magical eye.


    Even if the two couldn''t coexist, it didn''t matter. She could always remove one of her eyes and **Disguise** the magical eye to look like a normal one.


    For the sake of power, she was willing to stop being human.


    Too excited after obtaining the **Ring of Fire Spirit**, Rita hardly slept that night. She took the time to sort out the durian flesh from the ominous durian shell. Some of it she posted on the auction house, and the rest she stocked in her vending machine.


    She had no intention of using it on anyone close to her. Her **Wheel of Fate** skill was far more discreet and effective¡ªthere was no need to go through the hassle of making durian dishes for someone else.

 Chapter 114 Drawn by the Scent

    By the end of May, Rita had accumulated 90 pounds of durian flesh since late February. As anything related to luck value was selling for high prices, she listed the durian flesh at 19 silver per pound. Since she had also stocked her vending machine with the same item, she didn''t bother to remain anonymous.


    Leaving no trace wasn''t her style¡ªhiding everything would just make people more suspicious of her.


    It turned out there were plenty of coins in the world, and these bad-luck-inducing durian pieces were snapped up almost immediately, with buyers opting for the buyout price instead of bidding. Even the durian meat in her rooftop vending machine was likely to sell out fast, producing a steady income of 19 silver per pound each day.


    As the saying goes, even the smallest fly is still meat. Rita wasn''t complaining about the money.


    After dealing with the durian, Rita moved on to processing the various items and artifacts she had collected from her cat den over the past few months. There were poison-making tools, items to promote plant growth, gadgets to change the color of equipment, and even one that could store sunlight.


    In total, she had 12 different items, averaging about one discovery per week, though most of them were somewhat useless. She kept the poison-making tools out and categorized the rest for storage.


    So far, none of the items had directly increased her power¡ªnothing even remotely as useful as the **Ã××Ö¼Ü (Rice Cross)**. But she wasn''t disappointed; after all, she''d only had the cat den for three months.


    It was likely that someone on the roof had noticed Rita stocking new items in her vending machine in the middle of the night, as half an hour after restocking at 1 AM, it was empty again. She restocked it a second time, and after a quick midnight snack, it was empty once more. Finally, she decided to check and refill it every half hour.


    Once she confirmed that the White family had located the instance, Rita stopped meddling. Now, all she had to do was wait for the minotaur shaman to summon the young prince''s soul and begin hunting down the White family.


    It was a pity that Rick wasn''t on good terms with the White family¡ªotherwise, dragging him into the mess would have made the plan even more perfect.


    Having finished this business, Rita had a particularly good week ahead. She began tackling the level-10 instance in her apartment. Currently, fully equipped in level-3 blue gear, with an average attribute value exceeding 28 across the board, her stats were comparable to those of a level-17 player.


    Add to that her three S-tier and one A-tier **Divine Gifts**, and if she couldn''t solo a level-10 instance, she might as well just give up.


    With the bonus experience from fighting higher-level monsters and not having to share the experience with others, she gained 10% of a level''s worth of experience from just a third of the instance. By the time she had cleared half the instance, she had shot up from the 70s to within the top 40 of the ranking board, after having been stagnant for three days.


    Then, Rita stopped grinding. Even though she occasionally paused to practice cooking and alchemy, her leveling speed was already fast enough to catch attention. It wasn''t long before **Shadow.Q** came sniffing around.


    **[Shadow.Q]**: "Selling?"


    Two simple words, straight to the point, skipping any fake pleasantries. Rita appreciated that kind of direct communication.


    **[Rita]**: "Not for now."


    **[Shadow.Q]**: "If you do sell, contact me first. I''ll guarantee a good price!"


    **[Rita]**: "Sure."


    Before Zoey could say anything further, another message from Rita arrived.


    **[Rita]**: "The cost of running an instance is about 50 gold. How many people are you bringing?"


    Ezra, who had been listening in, couldn''t help but ask, "Where did she get so much money?"


    Though Rick liked competing with Rita and didn''t enjoy seeing her surpass him, when it came to outsiders, he had a different attitude. After all, Rita''s strength indirectly boosted his status.


    He replied, "She''s an alchemist and an engineer. She has vending machines at the entrance to her instance, and she makes about 10 gold a day from them. Plus, her **Divine Gift** can modify luck. The items she gets from instances are at least as good as ours, but she doesn''t have to share them. All that loot can be sold for a lot of money."


    These were things the Lopez family had discovered about Rita, so Zoey knew it, and naturally, Rick did too. That''s why neither of them doubted Rita''s ability to fund her own solo runs.


    Still, Zoey insisted on having Rita take them through an instance. She wanted to see just how efficient Rita''s methods were.


    Rita didn''t mind. She had already planned to team up with the Lopez family for one run. First, she wanted them to **Insight** her stats again¡ªof course, after **Disguising** them. She also wanted to create the illusion that some of her stats had been stolen too.


    She had the landmines, wolfbane explosives, and a rocket launcher ready. As for the instance, the Lopez family could provide that!


    With Zoey''s high status¡ªthanks to her **Holy Light** Divine Gift¡ªshe had the third-highest authority within the Lopez family. She was also the only young person allowed access to the Lopez family''s treasure vault. Any instance under their control was hers to enter at will.


    They scheduled the run for the next day, and within ten minutes, Zoey had secured a level-4 instance and sent the location to Rita, along with 50 gold.


    The next day, Rita treated the group to a VIP instance run. She handled the run as if she were taking a boss client on a dungeon tour.


    Rita had them wait at the entrance while she went in to plant landmines. Then, she lured the monsters to them, using a combination of landmines, wolfbane explosives, and a rocket launcher to clear the instance. The only hint of her personal power was her impressive footwork and high damage from her archery, which aligned with her agility being her highest attribute.


    Just as Rita had expected, the moment she arrived, Rick and Zoey simultaneously used **Insight** items on her. Zoey used Rick''s A-tier item, while Rick used Zoey''s discarded monocle. These two really had a toxic kind of synergy at times.


    What they saw was that Rita''s stats were higher than a typical level-4 player, but still within a reasonable


    range. Zoey couldn''t remember Rita''s exact stats from before the game invasion, but even now, her highest stat¡ªagility¡ªwas only 24 points.


    It was an impressive number, but not outrageous. They figured she must have found a way to boost her stats, likely through some method connected to the Special Affairs Bureau.


    Throughout the instance, Rick and Zoey privately discussed Rita, analyzing her performance.


    Their final conclusion: for the third time, they ruled Rita out as a suspect.

 Chapter 115 Playing the Role All the Way Through

    Ever since their stats and equipment were stolen, Zoey and Rick had been paranoid, suspecting everyone around them. They even collected every strand of hair in their home and had it tested to rule out any foreign traces unrelated to the Lopez family.


    Naturally, Rita had also been under suspicion, especially by Rick, whose paranoia was growing. He couldn''t shake the feeling that his Divine Gift had been stolen along with his attributes. After all, if someone could steal stats, why not Divine Gifts too?


    But after extensive testing¡ªwhether it was the hair samples collected from the Lopez house or the surveillance footage¡ªRita was always cleared of suspicion. Any foreign hair could be immediately compared to Rick''s, ruling out Rita, and the surveillance footage provided further proof.


    In many cases, she had an alibi, but even in situations where she didn''t, the circumstances only further absolved her of guilt. Sometimes, being too perfect raises suspicion, but Rita''s actions felt so natural that no one questioned her.


    For Rick, his biggest concern was the third closed beta test. But on that day, Rita had been in Jiangcheng. He even had the Lopez family check the local surveillance footage¡ªfrom the airport to the hotel, Rita hadn''t left the city.


    In truth, the investigation into Rita was more of a precaution. Deep down, neither Rick nor Zoey considered her a real suspect. After all, Rita had been the one to share the game with Rick after participating in the second closed beta¡ªshe had even tried to share it with Zoey. This solidified the belief in their hearts: *Rita would never hurt us.*


    During the dungeon run, Rita allowed the group to use **Insight** on her, pretending not to notice. With her **Disguise** ability, thanks to her watch, her stats were masked 24/7. No matter who used **Insight**, they would only see her normal, slightly elevated attributes.


    They finished the level-4 instance in just three hours, and each person gained 3% experience. Soloing would have earned more, which explained Rita''s rapid level gains. Her speed was terrifying, but the cost was high¡ª50 gold worth of landmines and explosives had been used up. No one else could afford such an expense at this stage.


    When they exited the instance, Rita explained to the group, "This method is only for occasional use. It''s the first time I''ve tried it. It''s only worth it when you''re rushing levels; otherwise, it''s not very cost-effective."


    Zoey, being generous, gave her 50 gold to cover the cost. She wasn''t one to nitpick over small matters like this.


    Rita gave Zoey all five pieces of gear they had obtained in the instance¡ªnot that it was a big sacrifice. The total value of the gear would only fetch about 5¨C6 gold at auction.


    Zoey did a quick calculation of the costs and benefits and decided it wasn''t worth it. Two runs per day would cost at least 90 gold, and after three days, she''d be broke.


    Since Rita needed to keep a low profile while manipulating things behind the scenes, she couldn''t afford to consistently refuse the main characters'' requests. Doing so might make them suspicious. So, instead of rejecting their first request outright, she agreed to help, then subtly dissuaded them from asking again. By the look on Zoey''s face, Rita knew she wouldn''t be bothered by them for a while.


    After spending most of the day on Rania Kaiya Star, Rita returned to Blue Star and saw some good news on the game forum:


    - **"Shocking: Minotaurs Post Bounty on the White Family"**


    - **"What Did the White Family Do to Anger an Entire Race?"**


    - **"Blue Star''s First Incident: A Local Faction Bounty from a Foreign Race"**


    - **"Analysis: Could It Be Related to the Minotaur Prince?"**


    Rita hesitated but ultimately decided not to fan the flames. Doing too much could backfire. If the sacred relic was revealed too soon, the entire situation would seem premeditated.


    Plus, the White family didn''t know about the relic yet. If she exposed it now, it would give them a chance to explain or cover their tracks. It was better to wait a bit longer¡ªby then, the White family wouldn''t be able to talk their way out of it.


    She had a part to play tomorrow anyway. Rita went to bed early and, the next morning, managed to gain another 14% experience. Unfortunately, all the gear she looted was level 10 or higher, so she set it aside. Still, her luck wasn''t too bad¡ªshe found a sewing pattern, which she immediately learned. She planned to make items and sell them at auction for some extra income.


    In the afternoon, nearly 30 hours had passed since the dungeon run with Zoey and Rick. Rita messaged Rick, casually probing for information about where Zoey had used the stolen stat and gear-stealing skill stones.


    Rick immediately caught on to why she was asking. He had noticed the previous day that two pieces of his equipment were missing. He and Zoey checked their attributes and inventories daily¡ªso much so that they had written it on their hands as a reminder¡ªso they always knew when something was missing.


    Now that Rita was asking, it was clear that she had also lost stats or equipment! This realization left Rick with mixed feelings¡ªhe was both terrified by the relentless thief and oddly comforted by the thought that he wasn''t the only one suffering.


    What pleased him even more was that Rita suspected Zoey but didn''t suspect him...


    Of course, Rick never considered using the skill stones on Rita. There were too many detestable people in the Lopez family to steal from first¡ªRita didn''t even make the list.No?v(el)B\\jnn

 Chapter 116 The Dragon and the Flood Dragon

    After managing to bluff Rita and put her suspicions to rest, Rick relayed the incident to Zoey.


    Zoey had mixed feelings¡ªfurious that the thief still lurked in the shadows, but also a bit smug that Rita had been targeted too. However, she didn''t mind that Rita suspected her. Having been a victim herself, she completely understood how being stolen from could make you suspect everyone around you.


    Recently, it seemed their stats had become so low that they hadn''t lost any more attribute points¡ªjust equipment. Their precious items remained safe, as they had started using a clever trick: whenever they weren''t using important items, they''d list them in the auction house at ridiculously high prices. It acted as a sort of insurance¡ªtoo high to actually sell, but safe from theft.


    The experience of being stolen from had taught them too much.


    When Rick and Zoey learned that Rita had lost attribute points after just one dungeon run with them, they immediately invited her for more runs, hoping to work together to catch the culprit.


    Rita: *I''ll pass, thanks!*


    No need to invite bad luck into her life again.


    After dealing with Rick and Zoey, Rita went back to her own business¡ªbrewing potions, crafting engineering products to sell, attending classes on Rania Kaiya Star, and practicing her cooking. She had plenty to keep her busy.


    Lately, her cooking had stabilized with a rating of around 83.


    That progress wasn''t slow, considering she had only gained the **God of the Culinary Arts** Divine Gift a little over six months ago and had only started learning to cook recently. Once her dish ratings stabilized at 95 or higher, she would have another way to increase her attribute points.


    Coupled with the **Sacred Relic** and **Thief God** abilities, she was confident that she could overpower anyone. She even believed that once she fully grew into her power, she would be able to take on the Lopez, White, and Taylor families.


    But for now, she wasn''t there yet. No matter how powerful a boss you are, you can''t defeat hundreds or thousands of players attacking you all at once.


    Rita continued improving her strength steadily. She needed to level up quickly to intercept an important opportunity that was meant for Rick.


    At the end of this year, the Lopez family would discover a juvenile dragon inside their level-15 instance. At that time, Rick would conveniently have a basic pet contract scroll.


    The limitation of this scroll was that it could only tame beasts below level 15. Originally, Rick hadn''t been in any rush, but when they first found the young dragon, it was level 14. Half a month later, it reached level 15, and Rick had to act quickly.


    Of course, she wouldn''t openly compete with Rick and his team for the dragon¡ªthat would burn bridges. It would also anger the dragon. To truly tame the dragon, it had to be a one-on-one battle. To avoid any delays, Rita didn''t plan on waiting until she reached level 15. If she could contract the dragon earlier, she would.


    And she planned to use this opportunity to mess with Rick again.


    The most famous pets from her previous life were, of course, Rick''s dragon, which ranked first, and a slightly lower-level flood dragon, which ranked second.


    That flood dragon had been alive for who knew how long, possessing exceptional intelligence and an overwhelming presence.


    Unlike the young dragon, whose violent temperament had developed over time due to resentment¡ªbeing tamed by someone it despised, constantly rebelling against the contract¡ªthe flood dragon was born naturally savage.


    Its situation had been similar to the young dragon''s. It, too, had been discovered by a faction, and since Rick''s dragon was already renowned by then¡ªmaking headlines globally¡ªeveryone wanted a dragon. And a flood dragon? Well, it was close enough!


    The faction leader gathered his forces to fight and tame the flood dragon, but the beast had a unique skill: **Reversal**. It played weak during the battle, but at the moment of the contract, it reversed the contract¡ªturning the would-be tamer into *its* pet.


    The humiliation that followed was immense, with countless jokes made at the leader''s expense. But since a pet''s death meant the master''s death too, the leader couldn''t kill the flood dragon.


    Although that particular instance didn''t belong to the Lopez family but to another faction, that wasn''t a problem for Rita. She had plenty of ways to bait Rick into taking interest. Her goal was to ensure she could become Rick''s ally when the time came. She didn''t trust Rick''s luck. What if the flood dragon''s contract reversal failed with Rick, but succeeded with someone else?


    She had to follow Rick and curse his luck with a **Luck 1** debuff. If even that didn''t prevent the flood dragon from failing its reversal, Rita would step in.


    Moreover, based on the current dynamics between Zoey and Rick, it wasn''t even clear who would end up with the flood dragon.


    This time, during the instance run with Zoey and Rick, Rita had noticed their relationship had changed. Zoey was clearly in charge, with Rick playing a secondary role. While this had been the case on the surface in the previous timeline, back then, the dynamic felt more like a playful power balance between equals.


    Now, Zoey was truly the dominant one, and Rick wasn''t even eating at the same table anymore, let alone mooching off her wealth with a smug grin.


    As a good sister, it was only right for Rita to help Rick out.


    Help him find a new master.

 Chapter 117 Isnt This a Win-Win?

    In the second half of June, Rita, through her connection with **Shadow.Q**, found herself some professional combat instructors. The cost? The rent of a dungeon. As long as she kept training, the rent would be waived. Every day from 2 PM to 5 PM, she attended these lessons.


    Now, her daily routine included classes on **Rania Kaiya Star**, two hours of dungeon runs, and then combat lessons in the afternoon.


    Since players'' bodies had become digitized, not everyone was a superhuman, but anyone who made it onto the leaderboard was certainly far from ordinary. With attribute points assigned to strength, agility, and endurance, anyone with more than 10 points in those stats could easily outperform former Olympic champions.


    Consequently, many traditional training methods had been updated, breaking the limits of human potential.


    The Special Affairs Bureau didn''t reject Rita''s request. If she had been an ordinary player, they would have required her to join the Bureau to enjoy such privileges. But as someone on the leaderboard who leaned toward the government''s side while maintaining her independence, the Bureau treated her as a friendly collaborator.


    Freelancers like her were highly valuable¡ªno need to invest large resources in training them, yet they could still be used as an asset in critical moments through trades. Of course, such freelancers needed to be vetted. Those who were too greedy would gradually be excluded from the Bureau''s list of trusted individuals.


    As for rare opportunities that could increase attribute points? Those weren''t available to her yet, but finding combat instructors was no problem. Relationships are built over time, after all. When a top instructor teaches you, you might not become best friends, but at least they''ll be more inclined to help you later on.


    One-on-one sessions weren''t possible due to resource constraints. Just like dungeons, top-tier instructors couldn''t be monopolized by one person. Rita was placed in a 10-person team. Unlike the combat instructor she had found earlier, this one specialized in lethal moves.


    Moreover, the facility was equipped with professional tools unavailable elsewhere. There were devices for training reaction time, others for enhancing toughness, and ones for improving footwork.


    Rita''s favorite was the modified tennis ball launcher. In a dedicated training area, four machines, one in each corner, would launch tennis balls at her from various angles and heights. The balls were color-coded¡ªred ones had to be hit back, while white ones had to be dodged. The machine would adjust its speed based on her agility stats, pushing her to her limits.


    The machines even had a tracking function.


    Unfortunately, the Bureau wouldn''t sell these machines, so Rita couldn''t train without restrictions outside of class.


    This training couldn''t be done half-heartedly. To hold back would defeat the purpose. If she wanted to train properly in the future, she realized she''d have to get some custom-made weights to wear during her sessions.


    After just one session, Rita decided she would train here as long as possible.


    She even signed up for melee and shooting classes. If she weren''t worried about spreading herself too thin, she would have enrolled in every course available.


    Just as the Bureau wanted to maintain a good relationship with her, Rita also wanted to establish more open connections with them. This would help her avoid being tied down by the Lopez family¡ªshe had no desire to be labeled as one of their people.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    If the White family lost, Rita won.


    If the Lopez family lost, Rita still won.


    How was that not a win-win for Rita?


    Rick was busy grinding levels and trying to climb the leaderboard. It wasn''t until mid-July, when he was over halfway through level 6 and had made it into the top 80, that he realized Samuel and Scarlett hadn''t reached out to him much in the past month.


    Strictly speaking, they hadn''t completely stopped communicating¡ªthey still occasionally messaged him through the game to ask for money, equipment, or potions. Rick gave them something each time, but unlike before, they hadn''t asked him to come home for a meal in weeks.


    This was highly unusual. Samuel and Scarlett had previously insisted that Rick come home at least once a week, under the guise of wanting to see their son.


    But now, they didn''t seem to want to see him at all...


    Rick felt a mixture of anger, frustration, and even fear at this realization.


    Over the past month, even **Rita** had come to see him occasionally¡ªthough it was to sell him alchemy potions and engineering products at a 2% discount.


    But Samuel and Scarlett? Nothing.


    What kind of situation would cause formerly close family members to avoid someone like the plague?


    Rick glanced at Ezra and Aaron.


    The answer was clear.


    Ever since the scandal broke, those two had been living in near exile.


    They weren''t completely shunned¡ªafter all, not everyone would distance themselves from an S-tier Divine Gift user. But whenever Ezra or Aaron invited someone to a dungeon run, all sorts of excuses would surface as to why they couldn''t participate.


    S-tier gifts were rare and precious, but everyone only had one life. Forum evidence had already confirmed that this disease, even in its digitized form, was incurable. It had morphed into what was now called the **Unknown Curse**.


    One day, Rick told Zoey he needed to take a break and return home. She granted him leave, as she also needed to visit the Lopez family to prod them about why Sanchez''s ear hadn''t been delivered yet.

 Chapter 118 If You Hate Mom and Dad, You Cant Hate Me Too

    Rick decided to call Rita first.


    It was noon, and Rita happened to be on Earth. Seeing it was Rick calling, she answered right away: "Hello? What''s up?"


    Rick gripped the steering wheel, trying to sound as casual as possible: "No dungeon today. Do you have time for lunch? Want to eat together?"


    Though Rita wasn''t sure what had gotten into Rick, she wasn''t going to refuse such a small request, especially since it was an opportunity to get some of Rick''s hair: "Sure. Where are we eating? Did you make a reservation? Are you picking up Mom and Dad, or should I?"


    Rick''s mood eased a bit: "I''ll pick them up. I already booked a table at the Lopez family restaurant. You love their food, don''t you?"


    Rita agreed: "Alright."


    After hanging up, Rick let out a deep breath. He had always known that he was somewhat cold-hearted, but even so, he didn''t want his family to know about his condition. He didn''t want to end up like Ezra and Aaron¡ªbetrayed and abandoned by his own family.


    After his relationship with Zoey had become strained, he realized that the only people he could truly trust were Rita, Samuel, and Scarlett. He couldn''t bear the thought of losing even them...


    Rick drove to where Samuel and Scarlett were running a dungeon. The dungeon instance was in a private room at a restaurant, and luxury cars lined the outside of the establishment. Rick parked in the Lopez family area and waited near the entrance of the private room, standing just out of sight from the open door.


    It didn''t take long before Samuel and Scarlett emerged, chatting and laughing with an elderly man with graying hair. The three of them stood in the hallway, waiting for the rest of the group to exit before the dungeon could refresh.


    Rick circled around and suddenly stepped forward, smiling as he appeared right in front of Samuel and Scarlett.


    At that moment, Rick was less than half a step away from his parents. He clearly saw their reaction: the fear in their eyes, the way they immediately stepped back, and the sharp intake of breath, as if a cesspool had just exploded in front of them.


    Rick''s smile didn''t falter, but his heart sank.


    Realizing their reaction had been too obvious, Samuel and Scarlett quickly composed themselves, but it was too late. Rick had already seen what he needed to see...


    And, standing with them, was a man from the White family. Rick''s eyes darkened as he glanced at the elderly man, who was now giving him a meaningful look.


    Rick smiled politely and nodded at him, but internally, he knew¡ªthis man couldn''t be allowed to live. Samuel and Scarlett''s reaction had been too telling.


    The rumors spread by the White family that Rick had contracted AIDs had been smoothed over by Zoey, who even made the informant switch sides. But for the White family, the suspicion remained...


    When they entered the private dining room, Rita was already there. As soon as they walked in, she sensed that something was off. She''d been acting for years and was an expert at reading people''s expressions. All three of them were smiling, but Rick''s smile didn''t reach his eyes, Scarlett''s smile held relief, and Samuel''s gaze was filled with unease.


    *Well, isn''t this interesting,* Rita thought.


    Her first instinct was: *Did Rick find out that his parents know about his illness?*


    Not sure yet¡ªbetter to observe some more.


    By the middle of the meal, she was certain. They did know, and Rick seemed to have started resenting Samuel and Scarlett.


    Rick kept serving Samuel and Scarlett food, not even bothering to use communal chopsticks, but his own. Though Samuel and Scarlett ate the food Rick gave them, their expressions when they looked down were poorly masked. Lopez family restaurant food was famous for being delicious, but to them, it seemed as if they were eating something rotten.


    Rita, however, played her role perfectly. When Rick served her food, she ate it casually and even shared a drink with him, taking half of his Coke when hers was finished.


    By the end of the meal, Rick''s trust in her had increased from 89 to 89.5.


    Rita pretended not to notice how Rick''s gaze towards Samuel and Scarlett grew darker, nor did she acknowledge their increasingly furrowed brows. After finishing her meal and packing up some leftovers, she patted Rick affectionately on the head before leaving.


    *If you hate Mom and Dad, you can''t hate me too,* she thought. *Big sis never thought you were dirty.*


    Rick didn''t find anything strange about Rita eating and then leaving so casually¡ªshe even packed food to go. Back when she was in the entertainment industry, she had spent at least half of her earnings on the Wilson family, but only when they did something that touched her heart. Recently, Rick hadn''t done anything special for her, so it was normal for her to be stingy.


    As for Samuel and Scarlett, they were too preoccupied with Rick to care about where Rita had gone. Logically, they knew the disease could only be transmitted through blood or bodily fluids, but sitting next to Rick made it impossible to overcome their deep-seated fear and disgust.


    Every bite of food Rick gave them felt like ants crawling over their skin.


    After Rita left, Rick even insisted on taking Samuel and Scarlett home, declaring that he would stay at home that night.


    Samuel: *...*


    Scarlett: *...*


    *So thoughtful. A little too thoughtful.*

 Chapter 119 You Two Really Found a Bug, Huh?

    Rita sat in her car, staring at the few short strands of hair in her hand¡ªhair she''d pulled from Rick''s head when she patted him earlier. Without hesitation, she clutched the hair tightly, then crushed the skill stone of *"Got It, Came For Me"*, beginning to insight into the secret Rick most didn''t want her to know.


    **¡ª"Should I use this curse that absorbs luck on Zoey or my sister? My sister''s luck stat seems lower than Zoey''s, but she always feels luckier. Is it because of her *Wheel of Fate* Divine Gift? But it seems easier to get Zoey''s blood than hers..."**


    Rita: *You''ve got to be kidding me...*


    Even with a trust level of 89.5, he''s still thinking of going after me? Trusting me and stealing my blood are two different things, huh?


    *This guy''s a real piece of work...*


    Rita swallowed her anger and started thinking about curses that could absorb someone''s luck, but her knowledge in this area was limited. In her past life, she was just a struggling player, and in this life, while she''d learned a lot about alchemy, curses weren''t her forte.


    Alchemy, jewelry crafting, engineering, and even tailoring could all potentially create cursed items. But it didn''t matter¡ªRick''s thoughts had already revealed the most critical part of the curse: it required blood as a medium.


    Rita glanced at her own outfit. Her combat style was focused on long-range attacks, relying on agility and mobility. Her clothes were usually lightweight and practical, not for show. However, her *"Made Money Today?"* outfit was an ancient robe that practically covered her entire body.


    Ever since the game invaded reality, people walked around wearing all kinds of gear, so her outfit wouldn''t stand out.


    Her outfit, coupled with how often she met Rick, made it understandable why Rick thought getting Zoey''s blood might be easier than hers.


    But Rita made a mental note to stay extra vigilant. She already took great care to prevent her blood from falling into the wrong hands¡ªeven burning her used sanitary pads. But now, she''d be even more cautious, not just around Rick but also around Samuel and Scarlett.


    Though Samuel and Scarlett''s relationship with Rick was currently in a strange place, she believed that if Rick offered them enough, they wouldn''t hesitate to help him get her blood.


    And for Rick? Even if he grew to resent Samuel and Scarlett, it wouldn''t stop him from using them.


    With one last glance at the three people who had just left the restaurant, Rita stepped on the gas and headed to her training ground.


    The three of them fought together, fending off several waves of Lopez family pursuers. During a lull in the action, Rita had asked them for the real story, since, at that point, Skylar''s friend was still "betraying" her online.


    To her surprise, the two women, arms linked, told her that all the rumors were false. Skylar had indeed killed a member of the Lopez family to avenge her friend, but her friend had never actually betrayed her.


    **¡ª"Su Linfeng deliberately got close to her, even sending people to try and seduce her. At first, we didn''t realize what was going on, but then the number of handsome guys confessing their love to her got ridiculous. She was attracting more suitors than we had gold coins, so we figured something was up."**


    **¡ª"Her Divine Gift is weird. Every time she betrays a friend and puts them in danger, they gain an attribute point. And every time she is betrayed and put in danger by someone she trusts, she gains an attribute point."**


    Rita hadn''t been able to hold back her reaction at the time: *You two are really bugging the system, huh?!*


    She was beyond envious.


    She suspected that Su Linfeng had known about this¡ªthat''s why he had plotted to send people to seduce Skylar''s friend. Even the Lopez family had caught on at some point¡ªwhy else would they occasionally call off the pursuit? But every time they did, these two women would publicly taunt the Lopez family, rubbing their faces in the dirt.


    If the Lopez family didn''t respond, the sisters would camp out at the Lopez family''s dungeon and ambush one of their members.


    Rita had always thought Skylar and her friend''s hatred for the Lopez family ran as deep as her own... but the two had never shared the full story with her.


    Still, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Besides, in her past life, Skylar and her friend had caused the Lopez family no end of trouble, which made Rita naturally inclined to like her.


    Skylar, for her part, didn''t understand why a leaderboard player and former celebrity like Rita was so friendly toward her, but she liked Rita too. After all, she was a sucker for good looks, and Rita was one of the most beautiful, elegant people she''d ever met. Plus, Rita was kind and easygoing¡ªwhat wasn''t to like?


    In just half a month, the two had grown quite close. They weren''t exactly best friends, but if either of them needed to rally a group for a mission, they could count on the other.


    It was a shame Skylar''s friend wasn''t around. If she were, Rita would''ve loved to befriend her too!


    Not for any specific reason¡ªRita just wanted to experience that kind of *playstyle*.

 Chapter 120 Yes, She Admits Shes Biased

    Rick lay in his bedroom at the Wilson household, twirling a white feather between his fingers. This feather was a cursed object he had acquired before signing the contract with Zoey. By soaking it in someone''s blood, he could absorb their luck.


    Over time, Rick had learned how to master the *God of the Culinary Arts* skill. He understood the nuances: luck was about making things fall into place, like getting high-quality equipment or useful items. But fortune¡ªfortune was something else entirely. It gave more options, often unseen.


    While luck might push you toward the best of three choices, fortune would create a fourth or fifth, better option out of thin air.


    The difference was immense, and stealing someone''s fortune not only brought good things to the thief but left the victim drowning in misfortune.


    Rick was torn.


    Undoubtedly, the one he hated most was the person who stole his attributes and Divine Gift. But second place went to Zoey...


    Zoey, who had humiliated him, treated him like a dog, and took every good thing for herself. Every humiliation and every slight weighed heavily on Rick''s mind.


    Despite his jealousy of Rita''s success, his hatred for Zoey burned brighter.


    He clenched the feather in his hand, finally making up his mind. He''d use it on Zoey.


    As for Samuel and Scarlett? They were no longer a concern. He called the Lopez family and had their leveling privileges revoked. He didn''t bother to hide his actions¡ªhe knew they wouldn''t dare confront him.


    *Want to level up? Go beg Rita.*


    That very evening, Samuel and Scarlett received the news. They''d been kicked from the leveling group. While the message was phrased politely, its meaning was clear.


    The two exchanged glances, knowing Rick had seen through them just as he predicted.


    Scarlett now fully realized that their reaction during lunch hadn''t escaped Rick''s notice.


    Rick''s illness was an open secret within the family. Perhaps only Rita remained in the dark.


    The next morning, Samuel and Scarlett acted as if nothing had happened, smiling as they prepared breakfast for Rick. Rick returned their smiles, thanking them for their care.


    But as soon as Rick left the house, the smiles faded from their faces.


    Both were growing tired of Rick. Where once they doted on him, now they saw only an ungrateful son. How could he catch such a filthy disease and still dare come home? And to cancel their Lopez family benefits over something so petty?


    *Rita was better, more considerate.*


    Speculation ran wild across the forums. Some admired her, some analyzed her playstyle, while others accused her of being selfish for hogging dungeon resources. Some begged her to share her soloing techniques.


    Rita didn''t have time for that. She was far too busy between leveling, training, cooking, alchemy, and running her operations on her rooftop dungeon. She hadn''t even had time to pay Sanchez a visit.


    Yes, she admitted to herself, she was biased. She''d spent too much time tormenting Zoey and Rick...


    But they were a much more efficient use of her time! Taking down one of them was like taking down a whole group.


    Rita laughed to herself, wondering how people managed to juggle multiple romantic partners at once. She couldn''t even handle the workload of tormenting a few enemies.


    And those who tried stirring up drama on the forums, hoping for a response, were left frustrated. Rita didn''t care about their noise.


    ---


    On August 3rd, after three consecutive days of dungeon grinding, Rita reached level 7. If she increased her dungeon time, her experience gains soared, and she made it into the top three on the leaderboard for the first time.


    Thanks to the *Fire Spirit Ring*, she now gained six attribute points every time she leveled up.


    She allocated 38 total attribute points for the first time, dumping them all into agility.


    Her current stats:


    - **HP**: 618/618


    - **MP**: 1670/1670


    - **Strength**: 28


    - **Constitution**: 20


    - **Intelligence**: 40


    - **Agility**: 25 + 38


    Her stats were equivalent to those of a level 25 player with no equipment. It was her overwhelming strength that gave Rita the confidence to toy with Rick, Zoey, and the others at her leisure.


    With the Fire Spirit Ring enhancing her powers, her next move was clear¡ªRick, Zoey, and her enemies wouldn''t know what hit them.

 Chapter 121 Entering the Dungeon

    Even after maxing out her stats, Rita still wasn''t satisfied. She made a trip to Lania Kaia and spent nearly five hundred gold coins on a beginner-level pet contract scroll. Then, she scoured the auction house for hours before finally finding a piece of equipment requiring dual attributes, around level 25.


    It was a shoulder guard, priced at 1170 gold. She gritted her teeth and bought it. Equipment with dual attribute requirements was naturally much more expensive than gear with just level requirements. Plus, this one was rare quality, so although the price was steep, it wasn''t unreasonable.


    This was why Rita wasn''t particularly enthusiastic about buying herself equipment. She had no shortage of low-level gear from running dungeons. But if she wanted to equip items worthy of her current stats, it meant purchasing dual-attribute gear, and that was a huge expense.


    Her stash of gold was reserved for any S-tier skill books that might pop up in the auction house. Spending it on equipment felt wasteful. If she came across a skill book she wanted but didn''t have enough gold for it, it would break her heart.


    But for the young dragon, this expense was justified. She needed to boost her stats enough to equip those two Meteor Desert Eagles.


    The level 22 rare weapons provided substantial bonuses, with every attribute in the double digits:


    **[Horn of Mist] (Rare)**


    - **Bonus Attributes**: Agility +41©§Strength +19


    - **Magical Attributes**: +11% Crit Damage©§+12% Fire Skill Damage


    - **Equipping Requirements**: Agility > 37©§Strength > 27


    After equipping this, Rita''s agility skyrocketed to 91, and her strength to 47.


    This meant she could now wield the two legendary guns, *Ember* and *Meteor*.


    Although her other gear was still level 7 standard, the dual-attribute requirements of her costume and shoulder guard, combined with the bonuses from her two legendary weapons, now made her stats comparable to a mini-boss.


    In her previous life, she didn''t have the qualifications to join the hundred-player dragon raid, but it was a big event at the time, with the forums full of discussions about it.


    Once all the preparations were made, she picked a quiet midnight hour to enter the dungeon.


    She found herself in a small village, bustling with activity. Creatures of all kinds roamed the streets, and even sentient beasts were selling liquor on the roadside.


    This was a large-scale dungeon that could accommodate up to a hundred players, so the map wasn''t small. After checking, she estimated the map was about the size of an entire city.


    Rita''s first move was to find a lone villager, follow him to a secluded spot, and eliminate him to lock the dungeon, ensuring that no one else could enter. Only then did she start interacting with the village inhabitants.


    After talking to about seven or eight villagers, she was sure this was one of those undead-themed dungeons.


    According to the villagers, a terrible dragon lived atop the distant volcano. From time to time, it would descend to raid their crops and steal the nobles'' jewels. The lord of the land, an undead being, had issued a bounty and was gathering warriors to slay the dragon.


    Rita decided to join this quest. While she intended to fight the young dragon one-on-one, that didn''t mean she had to charge in recklessly.


    She could first join the dragon-slaying party, learn the dragon''s attack patterns, and most importantly, unlock the map. That way, when the time came to fight, she could use *Phantom Shift* to evade the dragon''s attacks.


    As for whether this group of warriors might kill the dragon before her? That was the least of her concerns.


    Whether on Earth or Lania Kaia, these species were often at war with each other. But when it came to facing Earth''s players, their goals were aligned. At any moment, the warriors could turn on her and help the dragon instead.


    They might even attempt to recruit her as a pawn for the undead, trying to sign her into a contract when she was near death.


    Rita headed to the lord''s castle to sign up for the quest.


    Without even meeting the undead lord, she received her first task from the butler: The dragon-slaying party needed more information on the dragon''s habits. She was tasked with finding a book in the castle''s library that detailed the dragon''s behavior and weaknesses.


    The reward was decent: three medium-level healing potions.


    The butler led Rita to the lord''s library, where she quickly realized that this was not going to be a simple task.

 Chapter 122 Apache, the Alchemy Madwoman

    The library contained at least a thousand books, and to make matters worse, the spines of all the books were blank.


    This meant that if someone without the *Insight* skill came in, they would have to pull out each book to see the title. And here was the kicker: once a book was pulled from the shelf, it had to be read for 10 minutes before it could be put back. This was basically the equivalent of forced video ads on streaming websites!


    Moreover, there was another hidden catch to this quest: all the book titles and texts were written in undead language. To understand them, players needed a translation tool. Without it, they would have to sign a basic contract with the undead, essentially "borrowing" the knowledge from them.


    Rita used her *Insight* skill to scan the shelves. Most of the books were related to the undead, with titles like *History of the Undead*, *Making the Undead Great Again*, *The Blood and Tears of the Undead*, *Heart of the Undead*, *Undead: Makers of Miracles*, *Undead: Masters of Death*...


    It was as if she had entered an undead marketing course. This library was practically forcing Earth players to learn undead history.


    Rita planned to waste about half an hour casually browsing and then find the book about dragons to complete the task. However, just as she was walking past the bookshelves toward the nearby bar to make herself a cup of coffee, she spotted a very familiar name¡ª*Apache, the Alchemy Madwoman*.


    Without hesitation, she pulled out the book and brought it over to the bar. She deftly operated the coffee machine, which was the same model as the one in the Lania Kaia alchemy shop, and brewed herself a steaming cup of coffee. Sipping the hot brew, she opened the book.


    It took less than ten minutes for her to feel like she had accidentally wandered into the women''s fiction section of a tomato novel website.


    Apache was born in a remote farm village, the daughter of a farmer.


    Unfortunately, when she was 8 years old, her father, burdened with debt, sold her to a noble family as a maid. Luckily, the noble''s daughter was studying alchemy, and Apache''s job was to serve her.


    Some people are just born with a natural talent for something. Apache, with her remarkable aptitude, started self-learning undead text and alchemy just by tidying up books for her young mistress or serving fruits and tea during lessons.


    Apache carefully hid her talent. For nobles, having a servant who was more talented than the master was considered an insult.


    From ages 8 to 16, Apache devoured all sorts of knowledge¡ªliterature, herbs, potions, gems... She spent more time learning alchemy than she did undead script.


    Her mistress, lacking talent, often had to repeat lessons multiple times, which gave Apache ample opportunity to patch up her knowledge.


    However, the truth was that the alchemy teacher had noticed Apache''s secret learning long ago. When Apache turned 16, the alchemist bought her from the noble family for 20 gold coins.


    She led Apache out of the castle and told her she was free.


    In her first year, she beat second-year students.


    In her second year, she defeated third-years.


    In her third year, she started humiliating teachers from less popular subjects.


    In her fourth year, she used alchemy to defeat the parents of her classmates who had come to challenge her.


    In her fifth year, she stood toe-to-toe with the heads of the *Viper*, *Snow Leopard*, and *Manatee* houses.


    By her sixth year, Apache had read every book in the school library. No longer learning anything new, she walked into the headmaster''s office and filed for withdrawal from the school...


    *"I''m not fit for alchemy? Ha, I was born for alchemy!"*


    *"Without me, the world of alchemy is as lost as Lania Kaia without the sun."*


    ¡ªApache


    ¡ªExcerpt from *Prinsen Academy Alchemy School: Untold Histories*


    Rita, nearly digging a hole in her boots with her toes: ...


    Rita quietly closed the masterpiece she had barely read a third of and exited the library. Holding up the book with a serious expression, she asked the butler, "Can I take this book with me? Name your price. I''ll buy it."


    The butler glanced at the title, looking momentarily stunned, as if unsure why such a book would even be here. However, he quickly regained his composure and smiled:


    "This book has been banned for certain... unspeakable reasons, and it has undergone a very violent purge. Only fewer than a hundred copies remain, making it extremely valuable. But since the brave warrior likes it, I''ll make an exception and give it to you. We welcome every friend of the undead."


    Satisfied, Rita stored *Apache, the Alchemy Madwoman* in her inventory and returned to browsing the library. She found that the place wasn''t entirely useless after all. She even stumbled across the *Memoirs of Lucia*, which had been mentioned in *Apache, the Alchemy Madwoman*.


    After consulting with the butler, she added that book to her inventory as well.

 Chapter 123 This Dragon, Its Hers!

    Unfortunately, aside from those two alchemy-related books, the rest of the library''s collection was mainly undead history, which Rita had no interest in.


    She found the book titled *Every Dragon is a Glorious Epic*¡ªthe only book in the library with the word "dragon" in its title.


    It provided a detailed introduction to the general characteristics of dragons. They were strong, proud, revered strength, and harbored an intense desire for revenge. Dragons would only submit to those who defeated them one-on-one.


    If you could defeat them despite being weaker, beating them head-on in a fair fight, they would not only submit but also offer their loyalty.


    Dragons were highly sensitive to emotions, and they had a keen sense of morality. Don''t ever try to deceive or toy with a dragon.


    Each dragon''s *Divine Gift* was at least of the S-rank level, making them the chosen of Lania Kaia. Even if someone managed to sign a stringent pet contract with a dragon, the dragon wouldn''t die with its master when the master perished because of its immense life force.


    The book also covered dragon blood, scales, skin, horns¡ªeach part of a dragon being precious, containing great amounts of magical energy. Masters from nearly every field¡ªalchemy, tailoring, jewelry crafting, engineering, and forging¡ªcoveted dragon materials.


    Rita couldn''t help but think of how Rick had sold even the dragon''s blood in her previous life. It was likely that materials like scales, horns, and even the skin¡ªparts that could be harvested without killing the dragon¡ªhad been sold too...


    At the end of the book, there was a friendly reminder: if you wanted to gain a dragon''s friendship, it was best to sign an equal contract with the dragon.


    An equal contract?


    The main difference between an equal contract and a regular pet contract was that the owner could not harm the pet. If the owner harmed the pet, the contract would backfire. Since Rita had no intention of mistreating the dragon, this was perfect.


    Thinking back on the dragon''s tragic fate in her past life and how it had helped her, Rita didn''t hesitate to message Shadow.Q.


    **Rita**: Can you help me buy a top-tier pet contract scroll from Lania Kaia?


    **Shadow.Q**: 1999 gold. Are you sure?


    **Rita**: Sure.


    She transferred the 1999 gold immediately.


    **Rita**: You can use my personal dungeon in the mornings for the next five days as a commission.


    Less than 10 minutes later, Rita received an email from Shadow.Q with the top-tier pet contract scroll as an attachment.


    This was the only scroll Rita knew of that allowed for the signing of an equal contract.


    On the level leaderboard, Rita had dropped to 50th place.


    By now, the forum users were used to it¡ªwhile Rita''s solo efficiency was high, she sometimes disappeared for days.


    Rick and Zoey assumed Rita was busy gathering materials again.


    Samuel and Scarlett were still hoping Rita would help them level up, only to find she had seemingly vanished. They messaged her, asking what was going on.


    Rita''s reply was direct: "Stuck in a dungeon."


    They didn''t ask which one, fearing that if they pressed, Rita might ask them to get help from the Lopez family.


    They didn''t ask, and Rita was glad to be left alone.


    Finally, on the morning of the fourth day, Rita completed a total of 58 prerequisite tasks.


    When she joined the dragon-hunting party on their way to the volcano, she felt a sense of relief¡ªfinally, no more trivial tasks.


    However, the rewards were plentiful. She had gathered over 100 potion ingredients, received two pieces of level-15 green gear, a basic healing potion recipe, and earned 2 gold coins.


    Rita immediately sold the basic healing potion recipe on the auction house, listing it for 499 gold. It was snapped up almost instantly.


    To 99% of players, they didn''t know about the beta testing or that they could even travel to Lania Kaia. They were unaware that by missing the beta, they had permanently lost the chance to systematically learn a profession. The value of the healing potion recipe was obvious.


    As they reached halfway up the mountain, Rita could already hear faint dragon roars.


    After two hours of riding on horseback, the nearly 100-person group reached the foot of the volcano¡ªso she really couldn''t understand why she had to buy supplies for this trip. Were they going to starve in two hours?


    The group left their horses at the base of the mountain and, led by the undead captain, began their hike up on foot.


    Rita stayed at the back of the group, slacking off. This continued until they reached the summit and finally encountered the young dragon.


    The 14-level young dragon, when standing upright, was about the size of a small airplane, with strong hind legs and shorter forelimbs. Its wingspan was at least three meters.


    Most of its body was covered in pale blue scales, which shimmered like gemstones under the sunlight. Its white belly had silver, ice crystal-like patterns, and in the middle of its forehead, there was a water-drop-shaped white gem.


    Majestic, awe-inspiring, noble¡ªand with its chubby belly, it was almost adorable. It looked like a masterpiece of art.


    This dragon, it was hers!

 Chapter 124 Everyone Has Cheats, So Lets Not Point Fingers

    Rita had always admired this dragon in her previous life¡ªbeautiful, proud, and most importantly, it never bullied her. With that in mind, Rita couldn''t wait to engage in a proper battle with the creature.


    While staying at the back of the fight, Rita expertly slacked off. She occasionally mimicked shooting an empty bullet, aiming her guns at the ground and muttering "biu," saving her precious ammunition. Every now and then, she would perform dramatic rolls as if avoiding a long-distance attack from the young dragon, 50 meters away.


    She left the heavy lifting to the undead squad, while she roamed around the battlefield, lighting up the map of the area. This would allow her to teleport freely using her Phantom Shift when she faced the dragon in a one-on-one fight.


    At the same time, she closely observed the dragon''s attack patterns. Single-target strikes, area-of-effect skills, flight height, the little motions the dragon made before casting spells, and how the flapping wings could affect the trajectory of arrows and bullets¡ªRita studied them all.


    But something felt off. When she turned around, she noticed all the undead around her were staring. They were swinging their weapons into the air, but their eyes were all on her.


    Rita: "?"


    What is this, a period drama?


    She glanced up at the dragon. Sure enough, it was spewing fire into the sky but sneaking glances in her direction with its eyes.


    Alright, so she was the only outsider here, huh?


    An undead soldier next to her shouted, "Soldier! Why aren''t you fighting?"


    Rita calmly holstered her guns in her tactical belt and responded with righteous indignation, "Ahem... I can''t bring myself to hurt the dragon. A dragon''s life is still a life."


    Wait, that''s not in the script.


    The undead, encountering a Blue Star human for the first time, were confused.


    Blue Star humans... are they this easy to fool?


    The undead captain immediately asked, "Then are you willing to sign a peace contract with us?"


    If Rita''s *Malice Detector* hadn''t been vibrating like crazy, she might have believed them.


    But she was done with the charades. Even though both sides had been playing actors, she had gathered enough intel. She knew over a dozen of the dragon''s most commonly used skills and had a good idea of its defense and attack strength. Conclusion: she could win.


    Most of the map within 20 meters of the dragon was now illuminated. For the closer areas, she could use the *I''m In a Hurry* ability from her Cha?vez Pocket Watch to teleport as needed.


    The dragon was momentarily stunned: Why is she eating now?


    Each piece of meat was deliberately small, designed for quick consumption in battle. With just a few chews, Rita swallowed, and thanks to her *God of the Culinary Arts* talent, the food''s effects were tripled. Her attack power skyrocketed by 15%.


    She downed a bottle of *High-Grade Constitution Potion*, boosting her Constitution by 30% for the next five minutes.


    *Shadow Control*! A shadowy figure, identical to Rita, split from her body.


    *Now I''m Scary Strong*! For the next few minutes, every bullet she fired would carry magical attributes.


    Rita skipped any testing phases, going all out from the start.


    The dragon, named Nivalis, was primarily ice-elemental, but her magic wasn''t limited to just that.


    Rita dodged the dragon''s frost breath the moment she saw a white mist forming in its mouth. She cast spells whenever the dragon flapped its wings, using abilities like *Rain of Hatred*.


    Whenever black smoke puffed from the dragon''s nostrils, Rita prepared to defend against fire-based attacks.


    One... two... three... seven...


    Every seventh shot, Rita took three extra seconds to aim carefully, ensuring that her guaranteed critical hit landed squarely on the target.


    Rita''s combat instincts had been honed through relentless solo dungeon runs and nonstop training.


    Nivalis had over 20,000 HP and thick skin. Even when Rita scored a critical hit, she only shaved off 800 HP. Against a regular level-14 monster, Rita''s current stats could have wiped them out with just a basic attack.


    But the dragon had absurd regenerative abilities.


    No wonder the book called dragons the "chosen of the heavens."


    Rita: "This dragon is basically cheating."


    But Rita wasn''t much better. With multiple S-rank *Divine Gifts*, an endless supply of potions and meals, legendary weapons, and countless escape tools, she had plenty of tricks up her sleeve.


    And she hadn''t even shown her full strength yet.


    Worried that the dragon wouldn''t submit if she felt slighted, Rita hadn''t used her *Immortal* ability to control the dead. Otherwise, she could have brought back the fallen villagers to fight on her behalf.

 Chapter 125 Hello, Nivalis

    Once fully equipped, Rita''s health was just over 4,000¡ªbarely enough to survive two hits from the dragon. But her speed was unparalleled, and she never got greedy for damage, making it nearly impossible for the dragon to land a direct hit. The dragon had to resort to area-of-effect attacks instead.


    Even when the young dragon used its wide-range *Divine Gift* spells, it made little difference. Rita could teleport a hundred meters away in an instant. And even when the dragon managed to graze her with an attack, Rita had countless healing methods at her disposal.


    The battle was going far better than Rita had anticipated. Although a direct hit from the dragon could knock off 90% of her health, she had plenty of ways to heal: her skills *Emerald Feast* and *Fountain of Light*, various healing potions from basic to advanced, *Ginseng Essence*, and numerous buffing foods.


    And if worse came to worst, she still had the *Blood Bodhi* in her inventory, which could grant her five seconds of invincibility.


    Rita realized quickly that the dragon, though powerful, was a bit... slow. Instead of using basic attacks, which could still deal significant damage, the dragon seemed addicted to flashy, drawn-out spells that took too long to charge.


    In fact, once the two became somewhat familiar with each other¡ªor perhaps because the dragon was embarrassed by constantly missing¡ªshe started announcing her moves aloud before casting.


    Dragon: "Aurora Veil!"


    Rita reflexively asked, "What element is that?"


    The dragon paused mid-cast and solemnly explained, "Ice, my strongest ice spell." Then she resumed her charge.


    Rita: "Thanks..."


    Rita couldn''t help but wonder if having such a pet might lower her own intelligence. This dragon was a bit slow.


    The fight dragged on from 5 p.m. until 1 a.m., lasting a grueling eight hours!


    At one point, the dragon''s health dropped to 30%, only for it to fully restore its health and mana using a *Divine Gift* ability. And it did this *twice*. Even though Rita had mentally prepared for such things, it nearly made her cough up blood in frustration.


    There was even a little comedic interlude. Throughout the battle, Rita had to stop every so often to eat something for buffs. She kept munching on food while the dragon, seeing this, couldn''t help but grow envious. By the third hour, the dragon couldn''t take it anymore and roared, "You''re eating again! That''s cheating! I want a break too¡ªlet''s stop for ten minutes so I can eat something!"


    Rita, panting between dodges, retorted, "But if you eat, you''ll heal."


    Dragon: "You''re healing too when you eat!"


    Rita: "But it''s my food."


    Dragon: "... Fine, you give me food, and then we can keep fighting. If my health drops below 15%, I''ll count it as my loss."


    Rita quickly agreed. She needed a break too, and with the dragon having just healed back up to 93%, she didn''t stand to lose much.


    Rita cautiously approached, still prepared to teleport away at a moment''s notice. The dragon had proven to be honorable, but Rita had long learned to stay on guard. She spread the contract out on the ground. "You can check it."


    The dragon grabbed the contract with her claw, carefully inspecting it. Satisfied that everything was in order, she pricked herself, drawing a bit of her own blood to write her name in elegant, complex symbols.


    Rita followed suit, pricking her finger and signing her name in blood.


    As soon as she completed the final stroke of the "A" in her name, the symbols on the contract glowed gold, and a few seconds later, the scroll dissolved into two glowing orbs that flew into the foreheads of both Rita and the dragon.


    The dragon scratched her name into the ground with a claw, slowly introducing herself. "My name is Nivalis."


    Even without the translator, Rita could now understand her perfectly.


    Rita looked up at the beautiful young dragon, grinning brightly. "Hello, Nivalis. I''m Rita."


    At the same moment, a system notification rang out with a world announcement.


    **[World Announcement: A player has successfully signed a pet contract with a mythical creature. The Pet Ranking function is now available.]**


    **[Ding¡ªPlayer Rita and her pet Nivalis have entered the Pet Rankings. Would you like to conceal this information?]**


    Rita instantly selected **No**.


    There was no point in hiding it. Unless she never let Nivalis out of her pet space, this would be impossible to keep secret. So why bother?


    Opening the new Pet Rankings interface, Rita saw her name already at the top.


    **Pet | Level | Species | Contract Holder**


    Nivalis | Level 14 | Dragon | Rita


    Her private messages immediately exploded¡ªeven though she had restricted her messages to friends only.


    Shadow.Q, Rick, Zoey, Samuel, Skylar, her trainers¡ªpractically everyone in her contact list had messaged her.


    Even her email inbox had gone berserk, with over 99,000+ unread messages in an instant.


    It was 1 a.m., and everyone was still awake?

 Chapter 126 Pet Rankings Open! The Only One Listed!

    Rita laid out a large tablecloth and placed all the food and wine from her bag onto it. Smiling gently, she said to Nivalis, "Eat up~"


    Nivalis, already famished, didn''t hesitate. She grabbed a piece of meat with her claw and started eating. Seeing Nivalis happily devouring the food, Rita quickly stood up. First, she wiped away Nivalis''s name that was written in the dirt. Then, she began collecting the dragon''s blood that had been spilled during the battle.


    She carefully gathered the fresh blood from leaves into glass bottles. Dragon blood was an incredibly valuable alchemical material, practically impossible to find on Lania Kaia. Any blood that had soaked into the soil or solidified on the leaves, she scraped up along with the dirt and stored it in containers.


    Though these might not be usable for alchemy, they could still be sold for a fortune or used to gain favor with the government.


    As Rita continued her search behind Nivalis''s lair, she stumbled upon a small mountain of dragon dung. Without hesitation, she pulled out her storage box and a shovel, eagerly collecting the dung. This stuff was a treasure!


    Even if she couldn''t sell it on Lania Kaia, she was sure Shadow.Q would buy it. Not only that, she could imagine Shadow.Q praising it with something like, "Ah, true dragon dung¡ªsmells great!"


    Nivalis, watching all this, wasn''t upset. Rita had earned this victory, and to Nivalis, these were just spoils of war. However, when she saw Rita shoveling dragon dung, Nivalis fell silent for a moment. It seemed this human really admired her... or had a strange fascination. Unable to hold back, Nivalis said, "If you like, I can give you all of it in the future. Fresh or dry, whatever you prefer."


    Stay connected with empire


    Rita paused mid-shovel and smiled back at Nivalis, "Thanks, dry will do."


    Nivalis: "What about the shape? Do you prefer..."


    Rita hurriedly interrupted, "Anything! Really, anything is fine! Just eat your meal. You must be starving!" *Please stop talking before I beg you!*


    Nivalis: *She cares about me.*


    As she shoveled dragon dung, Rita opened her chat panel and began browsing through the messages.


    At that moment, the chat channels were moving faster than they had on February 22nd, the day of the game invasion. The global, national, and regional channels were all abuzz, talking about Rita and her dragon.


    *A dragon!*


    The world channel was filled with all kinds of languages, making her eyes hurt, so Rita switched to the national channel.


    **[National]**


    - "How did she manage to make a level 14 dragon her pet? She''s only level 7, right?"


    - "She''s been inactive for a while, even dropped down to 87th place. Then last night her experience skyrocketed¡ªshe jumped back to the top three. Didn''t anyone notice?"


    - "Did she find a dragon lair? Can we all have a dragon too?!"


    - "Look at the dragon''s avatar! It''s a light blue dragon, so beautiful, like a gemstone!"


    - "Wait, how did she find a dragon? Can dragons even be contracted? If so, can I contract a blood elf? I want to be stepped on by a blood elf!"


    - "Ahhh, I want a dragon too! I want to be a dragon rider!"


    - "Yeah, seriously, this is 2024. How many leaderboard players do you see helping out ordinary players?"


    - "Just throw out the guilt and see if it sticks¡ªwho knows, maybe it''ll work."


    - "Might as well! Cast the net, maybe it''ll catch something."


    - "She''s the only one on the pet list..."


    - "Do you think she''d sell her dragon? Would a hundred billion be enough?"


    - "I''ll offer 150 billion. Can I buy one?"


    - "I''ll offer 200 billion."


    - "If I divorce my wife and pursue her now, is there still time?"


    - "She''ll probably have her dragon beat the crap out of you."


    Rita chuckled at the chaotic chat before finally opening her private messages.


    She first checked Shadow.Q''s message.


    **[Shadow.Q]**: ¡Ï(¡ã©f¡ã)! Sis, need a human pet?


    **[Rita]**: Speak properly, I''m busy.


    **[Shadow.Q]**: Selling the dungeon location? How much?


    Shadow.Q knew better than to ask if Rita was selling the dragon itself. She was smart and went straight for the dungeon location, planning to send the government in after the next dungeon refresh to claim any future dragons.


    In her past life, Lopez''s family had heavily guarded this dungeon. Even after Rick contracted the dragon, Rita had never been there. She wasn''t sure what appeared in the dungeon after the dragon was taken, but it definitely wasn''t another dragon¡ªotherwise, Zoey would have gotten one too.


    Just to be sure, Rita turned to Nivalis, who was currently chugging wine straight from a bottle. "After I take you out of here, will a new dragon appear when the dungeon refreshes?"


    Nivalis let out a loud roar in response. "No! There aren''t many dragons left. The 12 Holy Races forced us to send one dragon to Blue Star for the war. We only gave up one because we had no choice. As long as I''m alive, no other dragon will come here."


    Rita breathed a sigh of relief. She still planned to check the dungeon herself after leaving with Nivalis, but she had no intention of selling the location to Shadow.Q.


    As she''d said before: she couldn''t trust anyone. This was Lopez''s dungeon, and if word leaked out, it could spell disaster.


    **[Rita]**: Next time, maybe. Not this time.


    **[Shadow.Q]**: Fair enough.


    Rita appreciated Shadow.Q''s straightforwardness. They could banter and tease all day, but when Rita gave a serious refusal, Shadow.Q never pushed.

 Chapter 127 As Comfortable as Being at Home

    After finishing up with Shadow.Q, Rita opened Rick''s private messages.


    **[Rick]**: Sis!!! Where did you get that dragon? How did you do it? I want one too, Sis! Sis! Sis~!


    How much is it? I''ll start raising money!


    **[Rita]**: It''s not the kind of pet you''re thinking. I signed a *balanced contract* with this dragon, so I can''t order it around.


    Rick frowned and relayed this message to Zoey and the others. Unfortunately, only he could see the game interface, so the butler from Lopez''s family couldn''t verify the truth with any skill.


    Zoey also received a similar response from Rita, reiterating that she had signed a balanced contract with the dragon. Although she owned the dragon, she couldn''t command it at will.


    Whether or not this was true, it certainly made Rick and Zoey feel a bit better. They had been wondering how Rita, at level 7, could have contracted a level 14 dragon.


    Rita also placated Samuel and Scarlett by promising to show them the dragon eventually. After dealing with them, she opened messages from the people she knew from the training camp. She needed to assess their reactions to decide if it was worth maintaining contact with them.


    These individuals were lone wolves by nature, preferring direct, fair transactions over exploiting friendships for information. Their messages were either congratulations or straightforward inquiries about whether Rita would sell information about pets.


    Rita responded to each in kind. For the congratulations, she replied with a simple "thanks." As for the inquiries about pets, she uniformly replied, "If you want to contract a pet, prepare a pet contract and weaken the beast to low health¡ªthat''s how you can contract one." She didn''t charge for this information since it was common knowledge for advanced players.


    Rita passed this same information along to Shadow.Q, Rick, Zoey, and the others.


    Meanwhile, Nivalis devoured all the food Rita had painstakingly prepared over the past six months, including the wine she had planned to gift to Apache. Rita patiently waited. Every time she took something away from Rick, it made her feel like her soul had been massaged¡ªleaving her relaxed and satisfied.


    Once Nivalis had eaten her fill, Rita brought her into the *Pet Space*. This space was a separate dimension that adapted to each pet''s preferences. However, Nivalis didn''t like it much, spending only a few seconds inside before coming back out.


    Rita, with a sigh, tried to soothe her. "Just stay in there for a little while. Once we get home, I''ll let you out. You''re too big, and it''s not convenient."


    Now it made sense why no one had added more pets after obtaining the dragon. The replacement creatures weren''t nearly as appealing. If a pet wasn''t as valuable as a dragon and also resistant to control, it wasn''t worth the effort or resources.


    Rita returned to the town. She coaxed Nivalis back into the *Pet Space*, then used her *Disguise* skill to change into the form of a teenage boy. She returned to the town to gather more information. As expected, the storyline was unchanged, except the dragon at the top of the mountain had been replaced by a giant python.


    She went back to the castle to meet the new steward after the dungeon had refreshed and was given a similar task as before: head to the library to find a book about the python from among thousands of blank-spined books.


    Rita skimmed through them all. Aside from the usual undead history and biographies of famous undead figures, there was only one obscure book about the python. It seemed like all traces of anything related to dragons had been wiped clean from the place.


    Now truly relaxed, Rita moved through the town like it was her own home, stealing from everyone she passed. She felt completely at ease.


    By the time she left the dungeon, she had picked up an additional 4 points in Constitution, 2 in Agility, and 1 in Strength. Satisfied, she returned to her villa.


    Once home, she let little Nivalis out of the *Pet Space*. Rita then gave the mini dragon a tour of the house, showing her how to fill the bathtub, watch TV, play video games, where to find snacks, and, most importantly, that the cats in the backyard were off-limits for snacking.


    The house was soon filled with little Nivalis''s excited roars.


    In her previous life, the first time Rita had met Nivalis, the dragon had been full of rage, always on the verge of an outburst. Now, though, she was as happy as a baby, full of joy, and it softened Rita''s heart even more.


    People on the roof, who had been running dungeons, clearly heard the little dragon''s roars but, despite their curiosity, no one dared to enter Rita''s domain through the water curtain. Rita appreciated the rules the government agents followed. While she was pleased with their restraint, she also knew she had no desire to join such a rigid system herself.


    Rita told Nivalis about the areas outside the water curtain, warning her that those places didn''t entirely belong to them. She could go there but might encounter strangers. If anyone tried to harm her, she was free to defend herself, but she should leave at least one person alive for Rita to deal with.


    As for Nivalis causing trouble on her own? Rita wasn''t worried. The dragon had too much pride to bully the weak.


    It was already 3 a.m., but instead of going straight to bed, Rita spent time playing games with the little dragon. She also made about 20 pounds of roasted meat for Nivalis and the backyard cats. Before heading to bed, she reminded Nivalis not to wander off and to leave the cats alone.


    Mini Nivalis spent the rest of the night happily chasing the cats around the yard. She had suppressed her dragon aura and played with the fluffy little creatures, even discovering a shiny object in the cat''s den. However, when the cats told her it was a gift for Rita, Nivalis didn''t touch it.


    While dragons loved shiny treasures, they wouldn''t take what belonged to a stronger being.

 Chapter 128 [Divine Gift] Ice Queen (SS)

    Rita had barely fallen asleep when the doorbell rang, waking her up.


    She didn''t need to guess; it was definitely Rick, Zoey, Samuel, and Scarlett.


    Looking at the screen by the entrance, sure enough, the four of them were standing there. Rita was surprisingly calm about their unannounced visit. After all, they didn''t bring along their usual entourage of chaotic friends and followers, so that was already a sign of respect.


    At that moment, little Nivalis flew over. She hadn''t slept at all¡ªspent the entire night playing games, watching TV, playing with the cats, and snacking.


    Nivalis pointed to the group on the screen and growled, "Are they here to bully you? Do you need me to protect you?"


    In Nivalis''s view, since Rita had defeated her, Rita had earned the right to command her, and she was willing to follow orders.


    Rita, using their mental connection via the contract, told Nivalis, *"No, they''re my family, but I don''t like them very much. I don''t want them to know that just yet."*


    She kept her explanation simple, ensuring Nivalis would understand the relationship.


    Nivalis nodded, summarizing bluntly, "I don''t need to be friends with them for your sake."


    Rita laughed. "Exactly." She was starting to enjoy this straightforward way of communicating. "You can act a little rebellious in front of them."


    Nivalis seemed pleased. "Understood."


    Rita then asked, "Do you have a way to hide your *Divine Gift* from being *Insight*-ed by others? Just the points are fine."


    Nivalis tilted her head. "Why hide it?"


    To her, power was something to flaunt, something the world should know about.


    Rita bitterly glanced at Nivalis''s *Divine Gift* info:


    **[Ice Queen] (SS Level)**


    Become stronger? Just keep breathing.


    **Skill 1:** *Queen Card* (Passive) ¨C When Ice Queen is present, all units below her level are forbidden from using ice-based skills, ice-based items, or ice-based equipment. Additionally, Ice Queen may designate one magic attribute each day, increasing damage by 300% and spellcasting speed by 150%. This effect resets at midnight.


    **Skill 2:** *Dragons Are Just Like This* (Passive) ¨C Eating, sleeping, playing¡ªsimply by existing, the Ice Queen has a chance to learn new skills or magical principles.


    **Skill 3:** *Specialist Consultation* ¨C Upon activation, all curses are removed from the target, body parts are healed, and all negative statuses are cleared. The target''s HP and MP are restored to 100%, and for the next 10 minutes, all stats are doubled. Cooldown: 3 hours.


    **HP:** 18219/23500


    **MP:** 19754/21200


    **Strength:** 179


    **Constitution:** 175


    **Intelligence:** 178


    **Agility:** 112


    **Charm:** 10


    **Luck:** ???


    Despite not being able to see the specific details of *Ice Queen*, both Rick and Zoey lingered over the words *SS Level Divine Gift*, only for their *Insight* tools to show *[Broken]* right afterward.


    They couldn''t say anything and just had to bottle up their feelings.


    *Can''t mess with her...*


    Just seeing the SS rating was enough to know that this dragon''s *Divine Gift* was insanely powerful. And her attributes? Except for agility, everything else was over 170.


    What did that even mean?! She was only level 14!


    Rick felt an intense wave of jealousy. He painfully put away his now-cracked monocle. "What kind of skills does she have?"


    Rita shrugged. "I don''t know all of them. I''ve only personally witnessed about twenty¡ªwater, fire, wind, ice, lightning¡ªshe''s got a bit of everything."


    Zoey stared at the dragon. She had already fallen in love with Nivalis just from seeing her avatar on the pet leaderboard. Seeing the dragon in person only deepened her infatuation. Yesterday, she had privately offered to buy the dragon, naming any price, but Rita hadn''t even responded to that message...


    Before coming here, Zoey had been planning to bring it up in person. She''d been willing to offer anything¡ªeven a daily *Hopeful Song* in exchange. But she didn''t dare discuss buying the dragon in Nivalis''s presence. Even though the dragon was the size of a smartphone, the pressure of its draconic aura was still palpable. Zoey couldn''t risk angering it.


    And now, after seeing Nivalis''s *Divine Gift* and stats, she realized the truth...


    She couldn''t afford it. Even if she sold the entire Lopez family, she couldn''t buy this dragon.


    Meanwhile, Scarlett was busy taking pictures of the dragon for her social media, while Samuel looked at Rita with a proud, fatherly expression.

 Chapter 129 The Sister Who Shines in Critical Moments

    That morning, Rick and Zoey were the first to arrive at the Wilson family villa. Rick even hinted to Samuel about asking Rita to give him the dragon. Samuel found it amusing and a little ridiculous¡ªsure, maybe Rick could ask for money, but a dragon?


    Samuel was very clear on this: if he ever had a dragon, it would go to his grave with him, not be given away, let alone sold. Asking for it? Absurd! That''s the kind of request that could ruin relationships.


    All Samuel said was, "You do know how stingy your sister is, right?" effectively shutting Rick down.


    Rick had nothing to say in response. In the past, when they schemed to get money from Rita, they had to take a roundabout route. Asking for a dragon? Unless they killed Rita, but even then, he couldn''t beat a level 14 dragon anyway.


    The day before, Rick had constantly bombarded Rita with private messages asking how she managed to get the dragon. First, she said it was luck. Then, she mentioned some fortuitous event. By the third time, Rita responded, "Maybe I''m just a lucky charm, huh?"


    Rick was left speechless.


    That morning when Rick entered the villa, Rita noticed her trust level with him had dropped to 83. She didn''t need to ask; it was clearly because she hadn''t told him the exact details of how she got the dragon.


    But Rita didn''t care. 83 was still manageable, and that was enough for now.


    The four of them chatted downstairs about the dragon for a while, but Rita quickly grew tired of answering all the questions. She then asked if they wanted to check out the rooftop dungeon. Since she had the morning slot, they could go in and play whenever they wanted.


    Rick and Zoey had been curious about the self-serve vending machines that had become somewhat famous at Rita''s place, so they put down their cups and headed upstairs.


    Nivalis, feeling bored, flew off Rita''s shoulder and returned downstairs to continue playing games and snacking.


    Nivalis acted this way because the previous day, after Rita had brought her home, she had a very serious conversation with her, saying this place was her home now, and she could do whatever she wanted. Nivalis was the little mistress of the house.


    Nivalis could sense that Rita was sincere, so now she felt free to do whatever she pleased.


    However, to Rick and the others, it seemed like a confirmation that the dragon wouldn''t fully listen to Rita.


    Rita pretended not to notice their exchanged glances. She led them to the rooftop, where 10 vending machines stood. She busied herself restocking the machines. What made her vending machines special was the variety of rare items and fair pricing, matching the prices on the Lania Kaia auction.


    Most people in the Special Affairs Bureau had been to Lania Kaia and knew the value of these goods.


    Zoey and Rick lingered near the vending machine that Shadow.Q had set up, purchasing a few items. When they saw Rita''s stock, Zoey directly asked, "Do you take custom orders?"


    If Nivalis hadn''t paused for a few meals along the way, Rita wasn''t sure she could''ve made it.


    Before sleeping, Rita disguised herself as a goblin and made a quick trip to a Lania Kaia restaurant, buying 10 gold coins'' worth of food. She returned, cooked three gold coins'' worth of meals, fed the dragon and the cats, then collapsed into bed without even checking the cat nests.


    She slept straight through to the next day.


    Upon waking, Rita felt a bit dazed. After such intense exhaustion followed by a full rest, she felt both refreshed and drained. She didn''t get up immediately but instead opened the game system.


    A whole day and night had passed, and yet her name was still trending in the chat channels.


    After a quick browse of the game forums, finding no new useful information, she closed it.


    There was still plenty to do today. She had to prepare a large quantity of food¡ªafter all, she now had a dragon to feed.


    On top of that, she needed to attend her classes in Lania Kaia, go to training, and practice both alchemy and cooking.


    Even though Rick and Zoey were now in a chaotic state, Rita wasn''t about to slow down. Growing stronger had become second nature to her.


    Before leaving, she asked Nivalis if she wanted to come along to Lania Kaia, but Nivalis was too engrossed in her games to be bothered, waving her off with a wing and saying she''d stay to guard the house.


    Rita didn''t push. Having someone at home to watch over things was even better. She wasn''t worried about anyone trying to kill her dragon while she was gone.


    It would take an army of players to even attempt it, and even then, she could sense Nivalis''s status through their contract, allowing her to instantly summon the dragon back to the pet space if necessary.


    Besides, Nivalis had her own teleportation and life-saving skills.


    With SS-level *Ice Queen* abilities and terrifying stats, even if Nivalis didn''t have great combat instincts, there was no way she''d get taken down easily. It had taken Rita eight hours to wear her down with full equipment, food, potions, and high-level skills.


    Leaving Nivalis behind at the villa, Rita disguised herself again and headed off to Lania Kaia.


    It wasn''t that she was particularly passionate about alchemy¡ªshe just missed Apache. She wanted to chat with her... about literature... about books... about Lania Kaia''s sun...


    As she crawled under the bed, Rita had the nagging feeling she had forgotten something... someone... What was it she had said she''d do after the dragon fight?

 Chapter 130 Do You Know How the Sun of Lania Kaia Was Born?

    Considering that Apache might get overwhelmed by the conversation, Rita made sure to pack plenty of alcohol, snacks, and cigarettes before leaving her house, including many rare items she''d specifically arranged for people around the world to buy and ship to her.


    Nivalis, naturally, threw a bit of a fit when Rita tried to leave, so Rita had to calm her down by shopping online and purchasing half the store''s stock of snacks and alcohol. The shop owner would pack everything up and send it directly to Rita in-game, and when it arrived, Nivalis could go pick it up herself.


    When Rita entered the alchemy shop, she found Apache in her usual spot, standing in the corner, brewing potions while wearing a robe embroidered with magical runes.


    Rita had always wondered about one thing¡ªwasn''t alchemy supposed to be done in a controlled environment? Why did Apache always brew potions in the open space of the first floor?


    Now that their relationship was more than friendly, Rita finally dared to ask the question.


    Without even looking up, Apache continued stirring her cauldron, her eyes low, and replied, "There are seven alchemy shops in Dark City. Why did you choose to walk into mine?"


    Rita: ...


    Could she admit that she had just happened to pass by?


    No, she couldn''t.


    Rita had a sudden epiphany. "Ah, so it''s part of your strategy to attract customers!"


    Apache: "..."


    The expression and tone from the disguised goblin didn''t reveal anything, but for some reason, Apache''s hand involuntarily clenched into a fist.


    However, her attention was quickly drawn away when she saw the "tuition" Rita had brought for her.


    Since Lania Kaia had begun planning the invasion of Earth, it wasn''t uncommon for Earthlings to bring gifts to this little shop, but everything came down to fate.


    For Apache, having one Earthling like Rita was more than enough. Teaching any more would make her a traitor to Lania Kaia.


    Besides, Rita never just brought things based on her own preferences. Apache had noticed more than once that some of the food and drinks Rita brought weren''t things she''d enjoy herself¡ªnot that she''d think it was poisoned. Trying to poison a master alchemist would just speed up one''s demise.


    This showed that Rita wasn''t self-centered when selecting gifts. She always brought a variety of items, allowing Apache to explore new things on her own and decide what she liked best. This level of attentiveness wasn''t something everyone had.


    Sometimes, Rita would even manage to obtain special rice reserved for Lania Kaia''s royal family and gift it to Apache. For someone of Apache''s status, getting such things wasn''t hard, but for an Earthling, it must''ve taken a great deal of effort and cost.


    ...


    After fleeing from Lania Kaia, Rita took some time to process two more orders before heading to the Special Affairs Bureau''s training camp for her lessons.


    As expected, she couldn''t avoid questions about her dragon. No matter how cool and independent some people tried to act, when the owner of a dragon appeared in front of them, their curiosity would get the better of them, and they couldn''t help but ask a few things.


    Nivalis was still trending on social media, and Scarlett had practically turned into an influencer by posting dragon pictures everywhere.


    Rita didn''t mind. After all, it wasn''t like she could keep Nivalis''s existence a secret forever, not with her on the top of the pet leaderboard. And she didn''t care if pictures of herself ended up online either. After so many years as a celebrity, her face was already all over the internet.


    In fact, she had never stopped people from taking pictures. Everything could be used to her advantage. Being caught by someone''s camera could later provide her with an alibi if she ever needed one.


    Avoiding attention at all costs would only backfire when she needed to be seen. In contrast, making it seem natural and unintentional was much more effective.


    If she ever needed to do something shady, she''d just use her Disguise skill. Whether or not she got caught was completely in her control.


    When they found out Rita hadn''t brought the dragon to class, people were a little disappointed, but no one complained. Instead, the conversation naturally shifted to how to contract with beasts and which ones were the most powerful.


    Rita didn''t know much herself. In her previous life, she had little access to reliable sources of information. However, since encountering Nivalis, she had made a point of researching beast contracts, so she could share some useful tips.


    Everyone present was a lone wolf with skill and connections. While Rita shared what she knew, she also picked up new information she hadn''t heard before:


    ¡ª"There''s this old tailor who became a high-level tailor after the game invaded. He can now custom-make blue-grade gear, though it''s expensive. If you have the connections, it''s better to buy from Lania Kaia... but the travel costs are outrageous!"


    ¡ª"The leader of that club¡ª''Bunny Ears,'' or whatever it''s called¡ªhas an S-rank Gift related to defense. Their club is definitely going to grow; they just need a good healer. With a strong tank like that, they''re set for boss fights."


    ¡ª"Now, so many shops are only accepting copper coins... and loads of businesses have moved to the auction house. I even bought some late-night snacks through the auction house once, and they arrived instantly¡ªfaster than delivery."


    ¡ª"If you''ve got dungeons to run, life''s not bad. One run can cover living expenses for several days, but of course, that''s risking your life."


    ¡ª"Tell me about it. My cousin wants to go, but he doesn''t have a good Gift. I told him to start small and save up to buy better gear and skills first."


    ¡ª"Yeah, but it''s not like dungeons are always available. You sometimes have to wait in line forever. Some people can only run once a day, but if you have connections or a private dungeon, you can grind all day and get way ahead."


    That topic quickly grew too big for lone wolves like them to handle, so everyone silently agreed to change the subject.

 Chapter 131 Give Me a Refund!

    Ever since the Pet Leaderboard was introduced, Blue Planet had been swept up in a frenzy of searching for dragons and acquiring pet contract scrolls. In the past few days, the auction house had seen a surge in these items.


    An entry-level pet contract scroll now cost 888 gold, mid-level doubled at 1,688 gold, and high-level ones were going for 2,888 gold. As for the top-tier special pet contract scrolls, they were priced at around 2,500 gold¡ªa price more outrageous with each level.


    Rita couldn''t say for sure about the basic scrolls, but as for the mid-level, high-level, and special scrolls¡ªthose were definitely being monopolized by the Special Affairs Bureau. They were clearly targeting the wealthy players and organizations.


    There was no way current players could loot that many scrolls from dungeons. And as for lone wolves cooperating with the Special Affairs Bureau to travel to Lania Kaia, they simply didn''t have enough gold.


    Rita hadn''t even made it home yet when Rick messaged her, asking if she could get her hands on any pet contract scrolls. Recently, whenever Rick and Zoey wanted to buy any rare items, their first instinct was to ask Rita. Only if she couldn''t get them would they turn to other contacts or, as a last resort, approach Shadow.Q.


    Why turn down a chance to earn money from her enemies?


    Rita replied: **[Rita]: How many do you need? What level?**


    Rick: **[Rick]: What''s the difference between a basic, mid-level, or high-level pet contract scroll, besides the type of pets they can contract?**


    Rita: **[Rita]: As far as I know, no other difference.**


    Rick: **[Rick]: How much for basic? I''ll take two.**


    Rita: **[Rita]: Give me a sec.**


    Rita took her time driving home. She wasn''t in a rush. Besides, this was her brother¡ªthere was no harm in overcharging him a little. After all, if you couldn''t profit from your own brother, what were you doing?


    She couldn''t charge the auction house prices, though. That might scare him off. She still needed to be subtle.


    Rita replied: **[Rita]: I can get them for about 799 gold each. Since you''re my brother, I''ll give you a discount. Let''s say 1,595 gold for two.**


    Three whole gold coins off. That''s what family''s worth, right?


    Drinking more than 50 ml puts the player in a drunken frenzy, increasing all stats by 500% for 5 minutes before forcing the player into unconsciousness for 8 hours.**


    Both were valuable. The Daughter Red, especially, was the perfect item for high-risk fights. The only downside was that since Rita hadn''t brewed it herself, the effects wouldn''t be tripled.


    As for the Turtle Jade...


    Rita took out a gold coin and threw it hard at the turtle''s shell. The instant the coin made contact, it dissolved into the jade, and a golden money bag icon appeared next to her luck stat on her status screen.


    Double the financial luck, huh?


    Rita was looking forward to this. She put both the Turtle Jade and Daughter Red into her magician''s false teeth and continued with her tasks.


    After patting all her cats in the backyard, she got to work making a large batch of food.


    Nivalis, after fighting for eight hours straight and playing for an entire day and night, was finally tired. After filling up an entire storage crate with dragon dung, she went to sleep.


    Once Rita stored all the food in the fridge and backyard, she returned to her room, closed the curtains, turned off the lights, and disguised herself as a goblin. After making her usual three gold coins for the day, she headed back to Lania Kaia.


    Her first stop was the auction house, where she sold off all the loot she''d gathered from Nivalis''s dungeon. She also put up 500 pounds of dragon dung to see if there''d be any takers.


    Then, she searched for basic pet contract scrolls.


    Even here, these things were scarce¡ªwait, what? How did the Special Affairs Bureau manage to corner this market too?! Why had the prices gone up?


    They used to be 498 gold; now they were 588! Some even listed for 599 gold...


    Where was her financial luck? Where?!


    Rita yanked out the turtle jade and squeezed it tightly: **"Give me a refund!"**

 Chapter 132 Nivalis the Internet Celebrity

    As Rita squeezed the turtle jade and continued to scroll through the auction listings, her mood soured until she spotted a basic pet contract scroll listed for just 58 gold.


    **Rita: !!!**


    Her reflexes kicked in faster than her mind, and she hit the buy button instantly, securing the deal at the "buyout" price. Moments later, a confirmation arrived in her mailbox, and she opened it to find the attachment.


    **[Basic Pet Contract Scroll] x1.**


    Satisfied, Rita relaxed. There was no chance the auction house had made a mistake. The system was designed not to allow errors, so the only explanation was that the seller must have missed adding another "8" to the price.


    **Looks like this turtle jade is the real deal!**


    Rita searched for more, but all the remaining contract scrolls were listed at their normal prices. Still, she wasn''t disappointed and bought a second scroll at 588 gold.


    With two scrolls in hand, her total cost was 646 gold. Selling them to Rick for 1,595 gold? In less than five minutes, she had pocketed a sweet 949-gold profit.


    After tucking the scrolls away, Rita skimmed through the auction house''s selection of S-level skill books. Unfortunately, none suited her¡ªthey were all attack skills, which she didn''t prioritize right now. What she really needed were utility skills to boost her stealth or provide more life-saving options.


    When it came to offensive skills, Rita believed: **"Enough is enough. No need to bite off more than I can chew."**


    But when it came to escape or survival skills, her motto was: **"Why haven''t I collected 100 of them yet?"**


    ---


    Early the next morning, Rita took Nivalis out for a stroll. The young dragon had expressed interest in seeing more of Blue Planet, and of course, Rita obliged. At Nivalis'' request, she also brought along three of the dragon''s favorite cats, who, being former strays, were far more adventurous than typical house pets.


    So, there they were: Rita, a dragon, and three cats, out cruising in the luxury car that The Jones Family had gifted her.


    While waiting at a red light, Rita sensed someone in a nearby car taking pictures of them. She ignored it.


    Later, at the mall, she gave Nivalis an invisibility potion before they entered. However, halfway through their shopping, Rita noticed the mall becoming unusually crowded. More and more people seemed to be sneaking glances at her, which was hardly surprising given Nivalis'' occasional reappearance due to the invisibility potion''s cooldown.


    Whenever the dragon became visible, the nearby shoppers would audibly gasp and immediately start snapping photos on their phones.


    Nivalis, though not one to be easily bothered, started feeling uncomfortable amidst the chaotic mix of emotions¡ªadmiration, envy, greed, and desire¡ªfrom the onlookers. It wasn''t that she feared them, but the noise of it all grated on her nerves. She much preferred the pure affection and gratitude she felt from Rita.


    Sensing Nivalis'' discomfort, Rita swiftly changed course. Pushing her cart, which now held the three cats, she headed straight for the mall manager, marked down everything the dragon and cats had shown interest in, and bought them by the boxload.


    **[Shadow.Q]: ?????**


    **[Rita]: I mean, come on. Don''t tell me you expect a free lunch with a dragon?**


    **[Shadow.Q]: How about you join the Special Affairs Bureau as a special agent? You don''t have to do anything except think of ways to make money.**


    **[Rita]: I''m already making money without joining. Look at me now.**


    The conversation stalled for a moment, and Rita wasn''t sure if she''d managed to irritate Shadow.Q into silence.


    Just as she was about to close the chat window, a message from Rick popped up, eager for updates.


    **[Rick]: Sis! Did you get the contracts yet?**


    **[Rita]: You think these things come overnight? It takes time! Getting through interstellar customs isn''t exactly fast, you know.**


    She wasn''t lying, though her real priority at the moment was to track down the dragon.


    Half an hour later, Rita discreetly left the mall through the employee entrance, taking her hundreds of boxes of goods with her.


    That day, Rita had no other plans¡ªthis was her day off, spent entirely with Nivalis for some well-earned relaxation.


    She didn''t entirely reject Shadow.Q''s offer, though. Their relationship had developed into a friendly banter, and both understood the other''s humor. Joking around was a sign that there were things to discuss seriously. So, following the address Shadow.Q had provided, Rita and Nivalis made their way to a restaurant, taking the VIP entrance to their private room.


    Inside, Shadow.Q was waiting alone. When the dragon entered, she immediately stood and greeted Nivalis with a big, welcoming smile. She extended her hand towards the ice dragon. "Hello, hello! It''s an honor to meet you, Lady Nivalis. I''m Shadow.Q."


    **Rita:** "..."


    Nivalis sniffed the air around Shadow.Q, finding her scent neutral and unthreatening. With a tilt of her head and a regal air, the dragon extended the tip of her wing to shake hands, responding, "I am Nivalis."


    Since Shadow.Q had her own high-level translator device, she understood the dragon perfectly. Pulling out a chair, she offered it with a flourish. "Nivalis, please have a seat."


    Before Rita could even clear her throat to remind them of her presence, Shadow.Q had already pulled out another chair for her. "And you too, Rita. Please, take a seat."


    Shadow.Q didn''t stop there. She pulled out three more chairs for the three cats that had accompanied them, smiling warmly. "And, of course, for our lovely feline guests. Please, sit."


    **Rita:** **Sis, please don''t. You''re scaring me...**

 Chapter 133 I Have Absolutely No Interest in Money!

    Rita nervously sat down next to Nivalis and poured herself a cup of hot tea, but Shadow.Q wasted no time getting to the point.


    **Shadow.Q**: "Are you interested in making Nivalis a national spokesperson?"


    **Rita**: "...No formalities at all, huh?"


    Shadow.Q smirked slyly. "I was trying to avoid the part where you ask for money."


    **Rita**: "...Should I leave, then?"


    Shadow.Q quickly raised her hand. "Wait!! The endorsement fee is high! Just hear me out before rejecting!"


    Before the conversation could continue, the door to the private room opened, and the waitstaff brought in an extravagant spread: eighteen dishes, twelve of which were meat¡ªchicken, duck, fish, beef, lamb, and even sashimi¡ªclearly prepared for Nivalis.


    The spicy dishes, however, were all tailored to Rita''s taste, as Shadow.Q had noticed Rita''s penchant for adding spice during meals at the training camp.


    Shadow.Q knew how to handle people. Even though she had initially greeted the dragon, she never forgot that Rita was the one in control. She treated Rita as the real decision-maker in this situation.


    Pouring Rita a drink, Shadow.Q immediately began pitching. "Let''s be real, there''s been another pet added to the pet leaderboard recently, but seriously, what even is a snapping turtle compared to Nivalis? There''s only one dragon in the world¡ªNivalis is unmatched."


    She continued, "Let''s not beat around the bush. The endorsement fee will include three opportunities per month to gain a potential attribute point through a Divine Gift, plus we''ll cover Nivalis'' food and nutritional costs¡ª50 gold coins monthly. No hidden traps, no strings attached. The Special Affairs Bureau will give you the money directly, and you can purchase whatever you need."


    Rita furrowed her brow. "And what would Nivalis need to do in return?"


    Shadow.Q asked a simple question: "How big is her true form?"


    **Rita**: "I haven''t measured exactly, but she''s around seven to eight meters tall."


    Shadow.Q nodded, relieved. "All she''d need to do is take a few pictures in front of some iconic landmarks across the country. And at the beginning of each month, she could do a brief flyover of a provincial capital."


    She took out her phone and demonstrated by snapping a picture of the three cats happily munching on specially prepared cat food, showing Nivalis how it worked.


    "But," Shadow.Q added, "in that case, the endorsement fee would be lower¡ªjust 50 gold a month for food and nutrition."


    **Rita**: **Isn''t that a bit of a downgrade? From a Maserati to a snack bar?**


    Food and nutrition? Hardly worth mentioning. These people had no idea how valuable Nivalis'' dragon dung was on the Lania Kaia auction house! One pound could sell for seven silver coins. If Nivalis reverted to her true form and went all out, she could easily "produce" seven gold coins'' worth a day.


    Nivalis looked at Rita for guidance. Without hesitation, Rita said, "We''re not strapped for cash. I have no interest in money."


    Shadow.Q raised an eyebrow. "That''s some pretty humorous Chinese you''re speaking."


    Rita couldn''t argue.


    She sighed and was about to drop it, but then she noticed Nivalis staring at her, eyes wide in disbelief.


    **Ah, crap...**


    She''d forgotten that Nivalis could sense not only emotions but also when someone was lying.


    After a moment''s silence, Rita corrected herself. "...I''m not interested in small amounts of money."


    Nivalis, still gnawing on a chicken wing, continued to stare. **Really now?**


    Shadow.Q, professionally trained to keep a straight face in any situation, simply took out a gold coin, raised it high, and sure enough, Rita''s gaze immediately shifted towards it. Like a leaf swaying in the wind, the coin moved left and right, and Rita''s eyes followed it.


    With a chuckle, Shadow.Q blew on the coin as if dusting it off. "Ah, well..."


    Her sigh said more than words ever could.

 Chapter 134 At the Age of 28, Paying in Full for 100 Pounds of Dragon Dung

    Rita had never heard such a sarcastic "sigh" before, and it made her bristle. "...Come on! You caught me off guard! If you''d waved a tissue in front of me, I would''ve looked too, alright?"


    Nivalis hesitated for a moment, considering that this human had defeated her in a fair fight. She bowed her head and continued gnawing on her chicken wing. But she couldn''t help herself¡ªshe took another bite and let out her own "sigh."


    "...Fine. You two win." Rita gritted her teeth. "I don''t need that little bit of money."


    Alright, that was the truth.


    With that, the conversation about Nivalis becoming a "celebrity dragon" naturally faded away. The Special Affairs Bureau was always careful in how they approached powerful independents like Rita. Whether it was negotiations or business transactions, they paid close attention to the other party''s preferences.


    For example, they knew Rita didn''t like being tied to factions or involved in internal power struggles, so they let Shadow.Q handle all her dealings, while Asher was assigned to deal with others.


    Rita wasn''t mad at these subtle maneuvers by the Special Affairs Bureau. If they weren''t capable of such tactics, if they were just an overly righteous, naive organization, that would''ve been far more concerning.


    Plus, everything was done in the open. No one had ever tried to force her into anything.


    After two hours of dining, Nivalis and the three cats were full to the brim. Before they left, Rita managed to sell Shadow.Q 100 pounds of dragon dung.


    Shadow.Q didn''t even blink as she paid 5 silver coins per pound, completing the full payment for 100 pounds of dragon dung at the age of 28.


    Patting the box full of dragon dung, Shadow.Q proudly declared, "This dragon dung smells incredible!"


    Rita: "..." I knew it.


    As Rita, Nivalis, and the three cats drove away, Shadow.Q sent a report to her work group, noting that the negotiation had failed.


    "Did you get a read on the dragon''s Divine Gift?"


    "Ice Throne, SS-rank, but I couldn''t get a detailed list of skills. When I tried to analyze it with a tool, my A-rank item broke."


    She removed the chain-shaped earring from her ear and gently rubbed the broken piece between her fingers. Frost clung to the chain, slowly melting.


    Hopefully, the Bureau''s repair specialist was back.


    "Did they refuse because they weren''t satisfied with the offer?"


    The uncles weren''t sleazy, they didn''t hit on or harass young women, and the aunties were kind, often looking out for younger players during dungeon runs. They might have brought up annoying topics like marriage and kids, but they never bullied anyone. If you were wronged in one of their dungeons, you could complain to them, and they would handle it fairly, regardless of age, gender, or rank.


    These people had been friends for decades, and even when the guild leader became enslaved by the flood dragon, only about 10% of the members left.


    The rest stayed behind, standing by their leader''s side.


    They managed to appease the dragon with their meticulous care, though it wasn''t because the dragon was easy to handle. Quite the opposite¡ªthe flood dragon, who had lived for an unknown number of years, was extremely cunning.


    Even before it made a contract with the human, the dragon could leave the dungeon and enter Earth whenever it wanted. It had simply been waiting¡ªwaiting for a human with status, power, and influence, someone no one would dare touch, to seek it out.


    After leaving the dungeon, the dragon didn''t immediately start eating people. Whether it was members of "Nameless" or other players who came to bother the dragon, it injured but didn''t kill them.


    Under these circumstances, even though the dragon was volatile and often vented its frustrations by tormenting the guild members, they tolerated it. They were willing to sacrifice their dignity as long as they weren''t labeled criminals for bringing a dangerous dragon into the world.


    The government didn''t intervene either. The dragon was living in the city center, refusing to move. Any attempt to eliminate it would result in heavy casualties. Since the dragon hadn''t killed anyone and there was no guarantee they could quickly take it down, the authorities stayed out of it.


    Plus, the dragon''s life was tied to the leader of a major guild. Although most player-created guilds were still small at that time, "Nameless" was already well-known. This group of wealthy middle-aged players owned over 90 dungeon portals, often renting them out to other players.


    If the guild didn''t ask for help, the government couldn''t risk getting involved and looking bad in the eyes of the public.


    It was said that the dragon would even help the guild clear dungeons when it was in a good mood.


    But in reality, the flood dragon was observing everything about Earth. It helped with dungeon raids just to level up. Most of the experience points were taken by the dragon.


    Once the dragon hit level 16, it began secretly eating the guild members, targeting those with strong Divine Gifts¡ªvaluable power sources for it. It continued feasting for nearly half a year before anyone caught on.


    When it was discovered, the dragon went on a rampage, devouring nearly 80% of the guild before fleeing into a level 20 dungeon and disappearing.


    How could Rita not leave this "treasure" for Rick and Lopez''s family to deal with? It would be a bonus to save all those nice uncles and aunties.


    She briefly considered whether to give it to the Lopez family, the White family, or the Taylor family.


    Too many enemies, not enough dirty tricks¡ªit''s a struggle.


    In the end, though, such a powerful creature had to go to Rick. The best things should always be left for the most hated people.


    After all, she was a dedicated sibling¡ªalways looking out for her brother, no matter how much she despised him.

 Chapter 135 Laughable, Do You Really Think Im a Sibling Supporter?!

    Rita bought a list of dungeons in the territory controlled by *Nameless*. As people grew more adept at controlling their abilities, nearly every dungeon had been scouted by its owners. They didn''t need to delve deep¡ªjust entering the dungeon and finding the creatures inside allowed them to estimate the dungeon''s level based on their insight.


    The *Nameless* guild had released the list themselves, making it easier to rent out slots for people to enter their dungeons. Disguised and invisible, Rita started her investigation, prioritizing the level 15 dungeons and scouting them one by one.


    On August 12th, she finally spotted the flood dragon in the heart of a lake in one of the dungeons.


    In her past life, this flood dragon was a bit of a celebrity. Rita was sure she hadn''t mistaken it.


    At first glance, it looked like a massive black snake, but its large head already resembled the legendary dragons of her homeland. It had two small, straight horns on its head and a pair of "dragon claws" beneath its body, each with only three toes.


    From a distance, Rita used her watch''s insight ability.


    **[Flood Dragon] Black Jade (Level 12, 58.25%)**


    **[Divine Gift] Wind Fury (S-level)**


    **[Species] Flood Dragon**


    **[Species Trait] Devour**


    **[Health Points]: 14,219 / 14,219**


    **[Mana Points]: 13,260 / 13,260**


    **[Strength]: 119**


    **[Constitution]: 115**


    **[Intelligence]: 168**


    **[Agility]: 92**


    **[Charisma]: 7**


    **[Luck]: 8**


    Rita suddenly thought of Nivalis'' luck. When she had used Insight on Nivalis, the luck stat had appeared as question marks. When she asked Nivalis, she had said her luck used to be 3, but after meeting Rita, it had changed to question marks.


    Rita suspected this was because she had altered Nivalis'' fate. After all, in her previous life, Nivalis had signed a contract with Rick, which definitely brought her bad luck.


    Rita took out her phone and snapped a picture of the flood dragon. She carefully chose the angle and lighting, capturing the creature resting in the middle of the lake, making it look extremely majestic.


    With the moonlight reflecting off the lake, the sheen on the black dragon''s scales was even more dazzling than the moonlight itself, like a divine weapon.


    In terms of appearance, it wasn''t much inferior to Nivalis. After all, Nivalis was still young and lacked the same imposing aura.


    A flood dragon may not be a full dragon yet, but the idea of raising it was enticing. Training a flood dragon to become a true dragon sounded legendary. Plus, once it fully transformed, it would definitely be the kind of dragon that matched the traditional image in people''s minds. There was no way Rick wouldn''t be tempted.


    Satisfied that her S-level insight skill couldn''t uncover any reverse abilities from this flood dragon, Rita finally relaxed.


    **[Mateo]: 20 gold coins**


    **[Josephine]: An apartment in Los Angeles**


    **[Ezra]: Two level 5 rare rings + a full set of level 5 excellent gear + a level 5 rare weapon (choice of sword, staff, or bow)**


    Ezra was clearly representing Rick and Zoey. Since Mateo had already made an offer, Zoey couldn''t openly compete with a Lopez family member, or people would suspect internal conflict. Having Ezra bid was just a thin cover. Mateo surely knew who Ezra was playing for.


    Ezra''s offer was worth about 30 gold coins. Even though rare accessories were valuable, level 5 gear, no matter how rare, couldn''t be too expensive.


    Although Rita''s transactions with Rick often involved hundreds of gold coins, for 99% of players, even 1 gold coin was extremely valuable. In her previous life, by this point, Rita''s entire wealth hadn''t even reached 10 gold coins.


    The bids were all generous. A single dungeon location could fetch a full set of gear, a surefire way to get rich overnight.


    And selling once every ten days? She could strike gold every ten days.


    The post quickly shot to the top of the forum.


    But it didn''t stop there.


    **[Ezra]: Additionally, one month''s use of a level 3 dungeon portal.**


    Rita, still posting anonymously, replied to Ezra.


    **[Anonymous (OP)]: I don''t want the dungeon. I want something else.**


    **[Anonymous (OP)]: I know you''re close with Aaron. Aaron works with Rick, and Rick''s sister is the one on the pet leaderboard, Rita. I want 1,000 pounds of dragon dung. Donate it directly in this post, and I''ll send you the location.**


    Rita deliberately asked for dragon dung, partly to help Rick out and strengthen his trust in her¡ªit was a long game. Trust is built piece by piece, through both big and small gestures.


    It also ensured that she was an obvious participant in this plan, lowering any suspicion¡ªeven if she wasn''t likely to be suspected in the first place.


    And of course, she could squeeze a bit more out of Rick.


    Barely two minutes passed before she received an email notification.


    **[Rick]: Sis~ I need your help. Please, can you lend me a hand?**


    **[Rita]: What''s wrong?**


    **[Rick]: [Link][Title: Flood Dragon! Exotic Beast!]**


    For crying out loud, can''t even ask for help properly, just tossing me a link?


    Laughable. Do you really think I''m just a sibling supporter?


    Well... maybe I am...


    Even if the heavens fall today, I''m still going to help my dear brother out.

 Chapter 136 She Couldnt Become That Kind of Person

    Rita waited for five minutes, enough time for her to read through the forum post, then finally replied to Rick.


    **[Rita]: I promise to get it for you.**


    **[Rick]: Thanks, sis!!! I''ll definitely repay you!**


    **[Rita]: No need for repayment, just remember my commission.**


    In less than a minute, she received two rare-level rings, custom-made for her level, along with 50 gold coins.


    See? That''s how it''s done. Rick transferred what he originally intended to spend on the information directly to Rita, even adding a little extra. As Zoey had said, it was better to let Rita earn the money than some outsider.


    Rick was genuinely touched by how Rita immediately agreed to help after reading the post without hesitation.


    Look at that! Look! That''s what it means to have a real sister!


    Rick was in a great mood. He turned to Zoey and said, "My sister agreed to help, without even hesitating!"


    Zoey''s brows relaxed. "Good, I''ll remember this favor."


    She then turned her attention to dealing with Mateo''s private messages. She''d much rather have Rick claim the flood dragon than let it fall into Mateo''s hands.


    As for dragon dung, Rita didn''t lack that. She even had dragon blood.


    Rita had fought Nivalis for eight hours, during which the dragon''s blood spilled like rain. Although most of it had coagulated by the time they signed the contract, Rita had managed to collect three small bottles of still-liquid dragon blood, totaling at least 70ml.


    If she had requested dragon blood in her forum post, the impact would have been even greater. After all, dragon blood was far more precious than dragon dung. But Rita would never let dragon blood in her possession become a trade commodity, even if this whole situation was just her left hand passing something to her right. She didn''t want people to think they could buy dragon blood from her.


    She couldn''t say she loved and pitied Nivalis, only to exploit her by eating her flesh and drinking her blood once she brought the dragon home. That would make her even more disgusting than Rick.


    Even if she ever needed dragon blood for alchemy or quests, she would pay a high price to trade with Nivalis directly. If Nivalis refused, that would be fine too.


    So, the only dragon blood she could freely use was that 70ml. As for dragon dung? No problem. Rita had her limits, but she wasn''t aiming to be a saint. She wasn''t going to be overly hard on herself either.


    Besides, Nivalis produced so much dung... Rita suspected that Nivalis might soon flood the dragon dung market in *Lania Kaia*.


    If only you weren''t glancing at me with those hopeful little eyes, I might''ve actually believed you.


    Not wanting to give in, Rita tried changing the topic. "By the way, about the profits from those Nivalis photos..."


    Before Rita could finish, Scarlett darted off to grab cleaning supplies, immediately starting to clean Rita''s house¡ªwiping down tables, fridges, floors, and even huffing on surfaces to polish them. Her sycophantic behavior was almost unbearable.


    Resigned, Rita got up to make breakfast. There was no way she could avoid feeding Scarlett now.


    Halfway through cooking, Samuel showed up too.


    Lately, Samuel had been feeling more and more down. Nothing was going right, and he had been scammed out of some money. He suspected Rick was behind it.


    He even changed his online handle from *Depressed Samuel* to *Samuel Wants to Die*.


    Samuel also wanted to bond with Nivalis, but the dragon clearly disliked him. As soon as he entered the house, Nivalis flew upstairs to the room she shared with Rita.


    With his hands behind his back, Samuel sighed, "This dragon... you really should train it better."


    Rita added more noodles to the pot. "She''s level 14, and I''m level 7. I should just be thankful she doesn''t train me."


    True, Samuel thought. After hesitating for a moment, he added, "Just make sure to protect her well, don''t let anyone take her, especially your brother. Be cautious."


    Rita raised an eyebrow in surprise. "What''s with the sudden concern? My brother''s fine..."


    But then she noticed Samuel''s mana bar twitch. He was using a lie detection skill, wasn''t he?


    That line about Rick being "fine" had been a lie so blatant she nearly expected lightning to strike her.


    Rita kept a straight face and continued, "Okay, fine, I get it. Dad might have a temper, but the dragon will be fine. You''ve seen that popular thread online, right? I''m collecting enough dragon dung to send to my brother. That flood dragon will definitely end up with him, don''t worry. I''ll help him out!"


    Samuel''s feelings were complicated. He knew his daughter was telling the truth, but he didn''t want Rick to get his hands on the flood dragon. Samuel had taught Rick, so he knew all too well what his son was like.


    Rick might not physically harm Samuel and Scarlett, but he''d certainly find ways to make their lives uncomfortable. Samuel had already noticed things going wrong lately...


    Right now, Samuel''s only wish was to keep Rick down.

 Chapter 137 Apaches Autobiography

    Rita pretended not to notice Samuel''s heavy expression. After finishing the noodles, she went to the backyard to call Scarlett in for breakfast.


    During the meal, Scarlett asked why Nivalis didn''t come to eat. She was hoping to film a few short videos of the dragon having a meal.


    Rita replied, "She''s always snacking, she doesn''t need to eat with us."


    Scarlett immediately pulled out her phone to record Nivalis'' little stories. "Mmm... tell me more?"


    Rita asked, "How many followers do you have on that account now?"


    Scarlett dramatically performed a shy act. "Over 20 million."


    Rita warned her, "Don''t go promising things to people. I''m not cleaning up your messes."


    Scarlett nodded quickly. "I know, I know. Don''t you know me by now? You''re so stingy. I know you''ll probably collect and sell Nivalis'' dragon dung."


    Rita: *Are you calling me cheap?*


    Samuel sourly added, "Your mom''s been making more money than I have lately. I''m running out of good cigars and wine."


    Rita kept her head down, eating her noodles, pretending she didn''t hear.


    Scarlett also quickly lowered her head, focusing on her food, pretending to be deaf.


    Samuel let out a long sigh: *These women are so tight with their money.*


    Talking about good cigars and wine, Samuel turned to Rita. "Did you take the good stuff I had?"


    Rita pointed at Scarlett. "Mom gave it to me!"


    Scarlett immediately pointed back. "She said she was using it as a gift!"


    Samuel''s wrinkles deepened with frustration. Just as he was about to say something more, Rita quickly handed him a bottle of *Lania Kaia* wine. "Here, this is from *Lania Kaia*, very rare."


    Of course, it was rare. Apache had bought it ten years ago, drank one bottle, found it disgusting, and never touched the second one. With only a week left before its expiration, Kayden had shoved it into Rita''s hands while cleaning out the inventory.


    Samuel smiled contentedly. "You''re still the filial one."


    Rita gave a small smile, careful not to respond directly, afraid that if she said "yes," Samuel''s lie-detecting skill would detect the falsehood and things would get awkward.


    ¡ªExcerpt from *Apache''s Autobiography, Age 27*


    She would challenge the masters with her potions one day, and provoke the authorities with them the next. She even once overturned a thousand-year-old alchemical theory, causing a huge stir in the alchemical community.


    Apache''s journey in alchemy seemed limitless. She walked whichever path she pleased, and every road she took inspired others to follow.


    Whether they loved or feared her, people constantly pursued Apache''s talents.


    Apache''s brilliance and beauty attracted many noble admirers, most notably the Minotaur Crown Prince¡ªnow the Minotaur King. Unfortunately for him, he was rejected by Apache.


    "We''re not compatible. I told him as much at the time. Every time I look at his head, I think of potion ingredients."


    ¡ªExcerpt from *Apache''s Autobiography, Age 24*


    As Apache''s wealth grew, so did her two great passions: alchemy and writing.


    At 21, she published the first autobiography of her life.


    ¡ªNote: *Apache''s Autobiography, Age 21*


    And every two years since, she published another autobiography.


    ¡ªNote: Titles include *Apache''s Autobiography, Age 21*, *Age 24*, *Age 27*, ... and *Age 75*. To date, she has published 19 volumes of her autobiography.


    No wonder she only tried to ban *Apache: The Alchemy Maniac*. It would be impossible to ban all of her autobiographies.


    Rita glanced at the title of the latest volume: *Apache''s Autobiography, Age 75*.


    She understood now.


    Apache only began to mature after age 75.


    During her career, Apache had also published five alchemical textbooks, seven travelogues, and one romance novel.


    Because that romance novel¡ª*Falling in Love with Alchemy, Just Like I Fell in Love with You*¡ªsold terribly, the Alchemy Master followed it up by publishing her fourth and fifth alchemical textbooks in the span of six months, bundling them with the unsold romance novel. This caused quite a bit of controversy at the time.


    Rita quietly closed the book.


    ...She was doomed. The next time she attended a lesson in *Lania Kaia*, she was definitely going to laugh out loud at Apache''s face.

 Chapter 138 This is an S-Class Divine Gift, Not Just Some Common Man!

    From the moment Rick and Zoey got the location of the dungeon, they began gathering allies. The news of Zoey planning to capture the dragon soon reached the White family.


    From the White family''s perspective, if Zoey got her hands on the dragon, the first thing she''d probably do was blow off Sanchez''s ear¡ªand maybe take Josephine''s ear along with it. There was no way Sanchez and Josephine were going to stand by and let someone from the White family''s biggest enemy rise to power.


    The White family started making moves.


    In the previous life, the Lopez family revolved entirely around Rick and Zoey. Their two powerful Divine Gifts sustained the entire Lopez family, so it was no surprise they were strong. But this life?


    Rick was busy swinging a spatula and dragging the Lopez family down, making them unbelievably unlucky. Matthew had already started pulling strings to reserve the first incense offering at Los Angeles'' XX temple for next year.


    In short, the Lopez family''s power was far weaker than it had been in the past.


    On the other hand, while the White family did face consequences in June after killing the Minotaur prince and getting placed on the Minotaur''s most-wanted list, it hadn''t caused any substantial harm.


    No one would go to war with a major faction just for the reward of a single item from the Minotaurs.


    People without brains don''t have the strength, and those with strength wouldn''t be so foolish.


    So while the White family did sacrifice quite a bit to take out the Minotaur prince, it didn''t cripple them.


    In mid-July, Sanchez''s mother, Ariana, managed to sneak back into the country after years of being in exile.


    With the game invasion, her past crime of killing her husband was easily solved. Hand over a few resources to the special bureau, give her husband''s family some compensation in the form of items, and with Ariana''s useful A-Class Divine Gift, the matter quietly faded away.


    Now, with Josephine, Ariana, and Sanchez united, the White family was far stronger than the Lopez family.


    The White family had no internal strife or lingering resentment. They worked together to push the family forward, already making them several times stronger than the Lopez family.


    The recent clashes between the two families showed that their strength was about equal.


    As for Ariana, Rita didn''t know her well. In her past life, she had never even met the woman. But she knew that Ariana was the brains behind the White family.


    Ariana''s intelligence surpassed Josephine''s, her schemes were more ruthless, and it was said her temper was worse than Sanchez''s.


    Whenever Sanchez threw a tantrum, all Zoey had to say was, "Your mom, Ariana, is here," and Sanchez would immediately quiet down like a well-behaved child.


    It happened so often that even Rita learned to use the line.


    During fights with Sanchez, if Rita was ever on the losing end, she''d shout, "Aunt Ariana!" and Sanchez would pause.


    Rick wasn''t afraid of Matthew, Josephine, or Han Wanli¡ªbut he was afraid of Ariana.


    On the positive side, it allowed them to mobilize quickly and have players infiltrate the game''s internal testing, setting up connections in *Lania Kaia*. For a long time, domestic players dominated the top 100 in both the level and wealth rankings.


    But recently, international players had started catching up. Seven foreign players had broken into the top 100 on the level leaderboard, and three non-domestic players were now in the top ten of the wealth rankings.


    However, the bureau had no plans to change its strategy.


    They controlled tens of thousands of Divine Gifts and 680,000 dungeon portals. They didn''t lack manpower, dungeons, or boss-level monsters. Compared to a dragon, they were more interested in assets like the "Hymn of Hope," which could boost the power of many players at once.


    When negotiating with Rita, Shadow.Q could skip the small talk and throw in a few jokes. But when talking to Zoey and Rick, things had to be more formal.


    The four of them sat at the table, drinking tea and exchanging pleasantries for half an hour before finally getting to the point.


    Asher was almost asleep.


    *This is so tedious*, he thought. *How did these two women start talking about Los Angeles'' GDP? Does that even exist after the game invaded? Doesn''t everyone just store their money in their game inventory?*


    *Taxes? What are taxes?*


    He glanced at Rick, who was sitting across from him, paying full attention to the conversation. Rick occasionally refilled the women''s teacups as they spoke.


    Whenever Shadow.Q or Zoey said something witty, Rick would let out a soft, pleasant laugh that wouldn''t disrupt the flow of their conversation.


    When things got tense, Rick would offer to order some desserts, his gentle tone helping to ease the atmosphere and give both sides a way out.


    Once the desserts arrived and the tea was refilled, Rick pushed the sweets toward the women with a smile. "Please enjoy, ladies. There''s no need to be upset."


    *No wonder he''s known as one of Los Angeles'' top sons-in-law,* Asher thought.


    *This guy is a master!*


    Asher could only marvel at Rick''s skill.


    *I need to take notes.*


    His thoughts were interrupted as the discussion between Zoey and Shadow.Q heated up again.


    Zoey snapped, "500 casts of the Hymn of Hope? You might as well give me a position in the special bureau! This is an S-Class Divine Gift, not some common man you can find on every street corner!"


    Rick: *Gives a doting smile and shakes his head, amused.*


    Asher: *Wait, what?*

 Chapter 139 Quite the Opposite, Shes Extremely Anxious!

    Shadow.Q nodded repeatedly. "I know, I know.


    "But this is a level-12 dragon we''re talking about. I''m sure with your ability, you''ve already seen the ice dragon''s attributes, so you understand that a boss-level beast like this isn''t comparable to an ordinary level-12 creature. We''re offering 95 people to help you take down this dragon. You''re smart enough to calculate the potential losses and casualties, right?"


    Zoey shook her head. "200 rounds! Bring as many people as you want, as long as they can hear me and witness it, it''ll work. If you bring 10,000 people each time, that''s still 200 million attribute points across 200 rounds."


    Shadow.Q laughed. "You''re quite optimistic. Your skill doesn''t always trigger, and each person can only benefit once every 30 days. Even if I bring 100,000 people to hear you sing, if the skill doesn''t trigger, what''s the point?"


    "You might as well ask me to hold 500 concerts for 100,000 people each," Zoey scoffed.


    "Great idea, very generous of you!" Shadow.Q quipped back.


    The tension was rising.


    This was Asher''s moment. Time to use what he''d learned! He cleared his throat, straightened up, and tried to soften his voice, attempting what he thought was Rick''s soothing tone. "Ladies, listen to me. Give me some face, don''t argue, okay?"


    Rick: ???


    Shadow.Q: ???


    Zoey: ???


    All three faces slowly turned toward Asher, six eyes locking onto him. Zoey even glanced at her game interface to reread what Asher had just said, to make sure she wasn''t seeing things.


    At that moment, Asher regretted everything.


    He immediately understood their expressions:


    *Rick, Shadow.Q, and Zoey:* Who are you, exactly?


    ...


    Asher did it. By making himself the most awkward person in the room, he successfully diffused the tension.


    Sure, the dragon was strong, but it could only serve one person or team at a time. Its overall value was limited, and the Special Bureau prioritized boosting the collective strength of players.


    Besides, if they ever needed a powerful individual to handle an emergency, they could always collaborate with someone like Rita.


    But Zoey''s "Hymn of Hope" was irreplaceable. The Special Bureau had even discussed recruiting her, offering privileges and incentives. This negotiation was a test of sorts, to see if she was worth it.


    Zoey''s earlier quip wasn''t entirely off the mark. When the Bureau learned the full details of "Hymn of Hope," their first instinct was to prepare venues and get Zoey to hold 800 concerts for 100,000 people each.


    Unfortunately, Zoey wasn''t willing to settle for 500 performances.


    And she knew that while they were grateful to her, they didn''t truly respect her. They respected Mateo and Matthew, not her.


    Because she wasn''t strong enough to crush them.


    And because they saw her as a mere support character.


    It was disgusting.


    To Zoey, if you wanted to build an unbreakable relationship, emotions were the weakest link. Only power and mutual interests could create something truly strong and perfect.


    Look at Rick¡ªwasn''t he obedient, like a dog?


    As for the rule that you could only have one contracted pet at a time? Not a problem. When she found a stronger pet in the future, she''d just kill the dragon and replace it with something better.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Rita was unaware of how deeply Zoey resented the Lopez family. She was focused on preparing for an assessment from Apache.


    After learning under Apache for half a year, it was time to prove her progress. As Apache had put it, her time was precious and she wouldn''t waste it on a fool.


    The test? Out of 252 basic potions, 47 intermediate potions, and 3 advanced potions, Rita could only fail 5%. Each potion could only be brewed once.


    Rita hesitated. This wasn''t something she could complete in just one hour using her Disguise skill.


    Apache turned to Kayden. "Close the shop for three days."


    Once the shop was locked, Apache looked at Rita.


    Rita knew what this meant. Time to drop the disguise and stop pretending.


    After Kayden secured the door, Rita headed upstairs to change into more comfortable clothes before undoing her Thief God Disguise. It wasn''t that she trusted Apache or Kayden, but she had a backup plan.


    Her portal ability allowed her to escape back to Earth at any moment.


    And if that failed, "Wait for Me, I''ll Be Back" would ensure her survival.


    Rita was taking a risk, but one she had to take if she wanted to continue learning from Apache.


    When she walked downstairs, no longer disguised, Apache nodded approvingly. Much better than the knee-high green goblin she had been pretending to be.


    Kayden even let out a soft "wow."


    Rita smiled, now wearing comfortable loungewear, ready to face the challenge head-on. She had to give it her all for this exam.

 Chapter 140 Apaches Test

    The potions Rita had to prepare involved nearly 1,300 different herbs, all of which Apache had previously taught her about. Rita handed Kayden a bag of gold coins, asking her to run to the neighboring herb store whenever she needed more supplies.


    Apache didn''t leave to drink or smoke. Instead, she stood by the cauldron, arms crossed, watching closely as Rita brewed each potion, observing the process and the results.


    During the brief periods of instability when Lania Kaia was linked with Earth, many people came to Apache to learn alchemy. In those days, like the other Twelve Saints of Lania Kaia, Apache was bound by the rules. She was required to impart knowledge to the Earthlings who sought her out, and with just a small payment of gold, they could buy her professional expertise.


    This exchange of knowledge was part of the grander connection between the two worlds. Through knowledge, magic, and historical projections, they were subtly "contaminating" the minds of Earthlings. The more thoroughly Earth understood Lania Kaia, the stronger the link between the two realms.


    This was the honey wrapped around the poison. Even if the Earthlings were aware of the danger, they had no choice but to consume it. This knowledge was their only hope of resisting Lania Kaia.


    Initially, Apache didn''t remember Rita because each time she appeared, she looked different. Sometimes she was a goblin, sometimes a blood elf, sometimes undead¡ªalways sneaky and hard to pin down.


    But she was the only Earthling who called her "teacher."


    On the final day of that unstable connection, Rita came again. On a whim, Apache tested one of her potions, and afterward, she regretted it. With the rules accelerating the process during that unstable period, it wasn''t so much the Earthlings brewing the potions as it was the connection between the worlds speeding up the synthesis. The results were not genuine potions, at least not in Apache''s eyes.


    But Rita had pulled out something different¡ªpotions brewed on Earth. They weren''t perfect; in fact, Apache could list dozens of flaws. Some of the ingredient combinations even made her laugh, as it was clear Rita had experimented after failures, thoughtfully considering the properties of the herbs despite missing some niche knowledge. Though successful, the cost was triple what it should''ve been.


    Still, the potions had a childlike creativity to them.


    And the strengths were obvious. The clarity and color of the potions indicated that Rita had studied diligently and practiced extensively.


    From just those 20 potions, Apache recognized Rita''s talent and hard work.


    Without talent, she couldn''t have brewed such spirited potions. Without dedication, she wouldn''t have focused and studied after experiencing the luxury of instantaneous potion-making during the unstable connection.


    Kayden was also there, observing. Occasionally, Apache would turn Rita''s techniques into quiz questions for Kayden: "Why is Ravenclaw doing it this way?"


    At the mention of "Ravenclaw," Rita''s hand slipped, nearly ruining the potion.


    After three days, 302 potions were complete. Seven had failed during the process, but even though those wouldn''t count toward the final results, Rita insisted on re-brewing them.


    Apache had never left her side, so there was no need to go through and grade everything afterward. The moment the final potion was complete, Rita eagerly looked to her for approval.


    Apache stared at her in silence for a long time. So long, in fact, that Rita''s hands began to tremble.


    Finally, Apache nodded and said, "Not bad. My time wasn''t wasted."


    The failure rate had been less than 3%, and 17 of the potions were above average quality.


    This was already on par with second-year alchemy students in Lania Kaia, and this Earthling had barely begun studying alchemy!


    Rita''s heart soared at the words, and after three days of intense focus and nervous anticipation, she was flooded with overwhelming joy. It was as though a tightly drawn bowstring had suddenly been released, and her emotions spilled out uncontrollably.


    In a rare show of outward emotion, Rita picked up Kayden, spinning her around in a circle like a ragdoll while gleefully singing, "Dibbi Dibbi~ Chaba Chaba~ Lubi Lubi~ Laba Laba~ Hajikumiru Lubi Lubi~ Hoo Hoo Hoo~~~"


    Apache: ???


    Kayden: !!!


    Even after Rita cheerfully returned to Earth to rest, Apache couldn''t get the melody out of her head.


    She didn''t know what the tune meant, but it stuck in her mind for days. She even asked Kayden about it, who admitted she couldn''t stop thinking about it either.

 Chapter 141 How Is This Any Different From Pooping on Ricks Neck?

    Agreeing to 500 performances of *Hope Song* was simply too much, and eventually, Zoey and the **Special Affairs Bureau** each compromised. They settled on 300 performances of *Hope Song*, starting on September 1, with one performance each day.


    Zoey had only used her skill in the Lopez family, and the most she had ever used it on was 18,000 people at once. She knew the skill required the person to see her and hear her sing *Hope Song* for a chance to trigger its effect, but she didn''t know its limits. After all, the Lopez family only had so many people eligible to benefit from it.


    However, she didn''t need to be responsible for the outcome. The **Special Affairs Bureau** would conduct tests to determine the limits, and all these specifics would be written into the contract.


    Meanwhile, the **Special Affairs Bureau** would dispatch 94 players to help Zoey reduce the dragon to near-death, allowing her to contract it. Among them, at least 80 players would be of a level not lower than the average of the top 100 ranked players. They would also ensure Zoey''s protection, with all costs for potions, food, and any casualties fully covered by the **Special Affairs Bureau**.


    The crucial factor that made Zoey agree to the deal was the **Special Affairs Bureau**''s guarantee that they would help her subdue the dragon by October 30. For each day they were delayed, the required *Hope Song* performances would be reduced by five.


    If another faction managed to claim the dragon before they did, the **Special Affairs Bureau** would help Zoey find another boss-level creature of at least level 12 for her to contract. They would even provide a list of at least ten creatures for her to choose from.


    In essence, the **Special Affairs Bureau** demonstrated their utmost sincerity to enhance the collective strength of their players.


    Zoey, of course, would have preferred the full complement of 99 players, which would have made her feel even more secure. But adding just one more person would have increased the price.


    As Shadow.Q had put it, "Are these just numbers to you? No, these are living, breathing people! The foundation of our country! The hope of Blue Star! We can give you 99 players¡ªbut that will cost you 388 *Hope Song* performances."


    Zoey: ...?


    The "living, breathing people, the foundation of our country, and the hope of Blue Star" were now reduced to mere bargaining chips in Shadow.Q''s hands.


    Zoey, clearly frustrated by Shadow.Q, couldn''t argue further. She realized that Shadow.Q had absolutely no shame when it came to haggling!


    In the end, they settled on 94 people. Zoey planned to bring along her own leveling team and invite Rita, rounding it up to 100.


    After signing the contract, Zoey couldn''t resist mocking Shadow.Q with a snide comment, "I thought you represented the nation. Don''t you have any dignity?"


    Shadow.Q smiled sweetly, gracefully tucking the contract away. With serene composure, she replied, "Everything I said just now? Once I walk out of this room, I won''t acknowledge a single word of it."


    Zoey: ...


    After Zoey and Rick left, Asher, who had silently observed the negotiations the whole time, turned to Meow.Q, who had been brought along to learn negotiation skills. "So, did you learn anything?"


    Rita didn''t know how long she had slept. She had woken up briefly, eaten a bowl of noodles, and then gone right back to bed.


    Sunlight streamed through the window, hurting her eyes. Just as she was debating whether to get up and close the curtains, the doorbell rang.


    Still groggy, she went downstairs. On her way, she patted Nivalis on the head as the little dragon sat on the couch playing video games, pawing at the controller with her claws and wings. The distraction caused Nivalis to lose concentration, and her character was immediately KO''d by a boss. Furious, Nivalis let out an angry screech, flapping her wings wildly against the sofa.


    Even before opening the door, Rita knew who it was, having already heard Scarlett''s excited voice from inside.


    She opened the door to let Scarlett in. Rita assumed she was there to take more pictures of Nivalis, but what Scarlett said next jolted her fully awake.


    "Rita~! I''m pregnant~! I''m having a baby!!!"


    Rita: !


    The doorbell rang again. This time, it was Samuel, who had fallen behind Scarlett by a few steps. He entered with a big smile on his face, carrying a cloak in his hands. In a gentle tone, he said to Scarlett, "Here, put this on. You rushed over too quickly. What if you catch a cold?"


    Rita glanced outside at the blazing sun. Big brother, it''s mid-August.


    After making Scarlett a cup of warm milk as Samuel requested, they all sat down to chat.


    The pregnancy had just been confirmed that morning.


    Rita, curious, asked, "How far along are you?"


    Scarlett, glowing with happiness, replied, "About a month~! The doctor said that even though I''m an older mother, with today''s medical technology and the available artifacts, there''s nothing to worry about."


    A month, huh? That meant she got pregnant in early July?


    If Rita remembered correctly, it was in late May that she had someone inform Samuel and Scarlett about Rick''s illness.


    So, right after learning about Rick''s condition, they had started trying for a baby?


    How is this any different from pooping on Rick''s neck?

 Chapter 142 Teacher, Say Something, Teacher!

    Rita was already on the verge of laughing as she asked them, "Have you thought of a name for the baby?"


    Samuel hadn''t stopped smiling since he arrived, not even using his skills, as his "blue bar" hadn''t moved. He was clearly too happy to even think about it: "How about Riley? Rita, Rick, Riley¡ªit sounds perfect, like they''re all siblings. Plus, ''Riley'' works for both boys and girls."


    Rita had no interest in having a younger sibling; she only cared about one thing: "Does my brother know?"


    Why call the baby Riley? Given the sensitive timing of this pregnancy, "Yuxunsi" (a term implying suspicion or plotting) might be more appropriate.


    Obviously, Samuel and Scarlett were aware of this as well. Their smiles froze on their faces, but they couldn''t act too strangely. After all, Rita still didn''t know about Rick''s condition, and they dared not mention it. If Rick found out, who knows how he''d react.


    Rita tried hard to suppress her grin, but it was no use. She couldn''t hold it back.


    She decided to just smile brightly, showing eight teeth: "I''m really happy for you two!"


    Seeing Samuel''s blue bar starting to drain, Rita looked at him and Scarlett, repeating each word clearly: "Dad, Mom, I really am happy for you!"


    She would bet all of her 2 SS and 1 S, plus 1 A Divine Gifts, that this baby was never going to be born.


    Samuel and Scarlett had arrived with smiles and left with frowns.


    Rita, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. She opened the door with a grim face but laughed heartily as she watched them leave. She could still hear their conversation from afar.


    Samuel: "Do you think he''ll believe us if we say it was an accident?"


    Scarlett: "How could that be an accident? We''ve been cruising smoothly for over 20 years, and now we suddenly crash into a pregnancy? Would you believe it?"


    Samuel: "Shh! Quiet down, we''re outside! Don''t say such vulgar things. Don''t you feel embarrassed?"


    Scarlett: "Alright, alright."


    Eavesdropping Rita: ???


    Samuel: "How about we just say you cheated? We can hire some young guy and pay him to act the part."


    Scarlett stopped in her tracks, slapping her thigh with joy: "Good! Good! That''s perfect! Let''s do it!"


    The skill description for Disguise was simple: "Summon your disguise! After activation, you can briefly alter your appearance, shape, and scent. You cannot be seen through by any items or skills."


    She once used Disguise while undergoing a DNA test. It had completely transformed her into another person, down to the genetic level.


    That''s when she began to suspect that the real value of the skill wasn''t in its ability to change appearance, shape, or scent, but in the fact that it couldn''t be seen through by any item or skill.


    Even modern technology seemed to be categorized as "item or skill."


    So, what about divination? Prophecy? Divine Gifts? Did these fall under that category too?


    Thief God was about theft. The other three skills were related to stealing, but Disguise stood out as different¡ªit was a survival skill.


    If used well, no one in the world would ever know Thief God''s true identity. If used properly, not even those with tracking Divine Gifts could find her.


    Only by staying hidden in the shadows and surviving could one earn the title of Thief God.


    If she were killed halfway, she''d just be a petty thief.


    But she had no way to test these theories. Special Affairs Bureau controlled certain unique skill stones, including those for the "Pickpocket" ability that could steal Divine Gifts. Clearly, the bureau was managing things carefully.


    Now, hearing Apache''s words, Rita''s suspicions grew stronger.


    Apache continued: "For those of us with a certain level of strength, Disguise skills below B-rank are meaningless. The magical auras and fluctuations of the 12 Sacred Races are all distinct. Even higher-level Disguise skills can be seen through with prolonged exposure. The outward appearance may change, but no one can fake the customs, manners, or habits of a species."


    "But your Disguise skill is clearly different. If it weren''t for a lucky coincidence that led me to discover you were from Blue Star, I would never have suspected a thing. You even had the greed of a real goblin."


    "Transforming into an animal was a clever move. But recently..." Apache paused, coughing as if she''d choked on her smoke. She nearly let slip something that would have branded her a traitor to Lania Kaia.


    Rita''s eyes widened. "Recently what?!"


    "Teacher, say something! I''ve hardly ever been human while in Lania Kaia!"


    Apache finally finished coughing and addressed Rita again: "Anyway, from now on, when you come to class, don''t transform into a cat anymore. Blood elves, night elves, undead, sea witches, moon foxes¡ªany of those are fine."


    Rita: Why not just say you want me to look prettier?

 Chapter 143 See? Your Disguise Skill is Different

    Rita took Apache''s subtle warning to heart, deciding that after their conversation, she''d immediately reach out to Shadow.Q about the situation. The last thing she wanted was to be wiped out, bugs and all, while in Lania Kaia.


    Apache continued, "I suspect your Disguise skill can evade even the more mysterious types of skills."


    As she spoke, she pulled out a crystal ball. "Give me a strand of your hair. This crystal ball can track your movements over the past 12 hours, starting from the moment you pull out the hair. Want to try?"


    Rita was more than eager to test the practical use of her Disguise skill, and the past 12 hours had been mundane: chatting with Samuel and Scarlett, then sleeping¡ªnothing to hide.


    With a look of mild disgust, Apache watched Rita pluck a hair from her goblin ear and hand it over. Rita discreetly pressed a hand to the Cha?vez pocket watch against her chest, quietly tucking it into her inventory.


    Apache didn''t notice her small movements and took the strand, blowing it towards the crystal ball.


    The ball projected the image of a small goblin sitting at a table, marveling at the crystal ball. The scene then began rewinding rapidly. The goblin looked up, talking animatedly to her undead instructor, expressions vivid. Soon, the goblin backtracked out of the alchemy shop, retreated into a basement of a nearby restaurant, and then *biu*¡ªvanished into the ceiling through a magic circle.


    The crystal ball flickered, and the image disappeared entirely.


    Rita, keeping her cool, subtly gripped the pocket watch in her hand. "It''s possible that the crystal ball can''t track information from Blue Star."


    "Oh? Is that so?" Apache smiled slyly, producing a long strand of her own hair and blowing it towards the crystal ball.??


    This time, the ball displayed the image of an undead woman, extending a hand towards Kayden, who was lying on the ground.


    The image rewound, and the woman withdrew her hand, stepping backward as Kayden stood up. The two moved away from each other. The woman was cautious, avoiding people and keeping a two-meter distance from anyone she passed. The encounter with Kayden seemed like a mere accident.


    She retreated into a herbalist''s shop, walked past a blacksmith''s, and lingered for a long time at the auction house, conducting various business. Finally, she backtracked to a small, shabby room, and then, with a flicker, the image shifted to a modern-looking room.


    As the scene progressed, the woman''s face gradually morphed, revealing her true human features.


    Apache, showing patience, let the scene play for a bit longer before switching off the crystal ball as the woman prepared to bathe. She then looked back at Rita.


    Rita was sweating bullets. This woman was clearly a high-ranking player from Special Affairs Bureau, likely involved in transporting resources between worlds...


    Luckily, she had come from Blue Star and not from the hidden outpost. Also lucky that Kayden hadn''t pulled her hair after she''d visited that outpost...


    Now Rita understood why the crystal ball had gone dark just as she stepped through the Portal.


    Her Disguise only lasted for an hour, and she was always mindful of every minute. While transforming into a cat allowed her to attend lessons, it wasn''t convenient for taking notes, so she usually timed her Disguise to activate at the very moment she stepped into the Portal.


    In truth, Rita had been treating every lesson with Apache as though it might be her last.


    She was always deeply grateful that Apache was willing to teach her and had always wanted to do something in return. And now, here was the opportunity.


    But she still cautiously asked, "Can you tell me what it is first, teacher?"


    Apache appreciated Rita''s calm and composure, feeling relieved that the whole "dibidi-dibidi~ jabba-jabba~" episode had been just a fluke.


    Apache fell silent for a moment, as though grappling with a monumental problem.


    Rita, seeing Apache''s perplexed expression, couldn''t help but call out, "Teacher?"


    Apache snapped out of it and replied, "Oh, I want you to steal some books for me from the Moon Fox royal library. Only Moon Foxes with six tails or more can enter. No other Sacred Race, not even royalty, can access it.


    "Your Disguise skill can fool me, so it should be able to fool the Moon Foxes. And once you escape, they won''t be able to divine your identity. Both of us can walk away clean.


    "I''ll provide you with the information and tools to escape. Even if you fail, you won''t be in any danger. So, will you do it?"


    With Apache offering her an escape plan and the task unrelated to Blue Star, how could Rita say no? "I''ll do it, teacher. Which books do you need?"


    Upon hearing Rita''s agreement, Apache smiled in satisfaction. She pulled out a folded piece of paper and laid it in front of Rita. "It''s just a small list."


    The moment Apache started unfolding the paper, Rita caught sight of the ink marks. There weren''t many¡ªjust three short lines.


    But when the list was fully laid out, Rita realized she''d been too naive.


    **"Moonlight Elixir: Alchemical Secrets"** ¨C 189 volumes


    **"The Most Mysterious Potion Ingredient: Moonlight"** ¨C 3 volumes (complete set)


    **"Moonlight and Time"** ¨C 2 volumes (complete set)


    A total of 194 books.


    So you basically want me to raid the Moon Fox library, huh?


    Rita: "Teacher, my Disguise skill only lasts for an hour. I probably can''t carry all these books in one go."


    Without a word, Apache produced a medicine chest and slid it over to Rita. "There are 30 bottles of cooldown-resetting potions inside."

 Chapter 144 "Ravenclaw? Thats My Nickname"

    When Apache handed her the potion earlier, Rita immediately thought of her one-time-use ability, *The Thief God''s Theft, Which Can Also Be Robbery*! Unfortunately, the potion''s cooldown reset had an upper limit¡ªit couldn''t reduce cooldowns longer than six hours. And since it was already a master-level potion, even higher-grade potions wouldn''t be able to reset a lifetime-limited ability.


    Little Tinker Apache pulled out a scroll, "Here''s a map of Moonlake City. I''ve already marked the library''s location."No?v(el)B\\jnn


    She then produced three vials of differently colored liquids, "These are perfumes I''ve prepared¡ªessential for Disguising yourself as a Moon Fox. Every Moon Fox crafts their own scent. Besides that, these perfumes will help you escape; the Moon Fox clan tracks by scent. Each vial lasts 12 hours, and the scents are distinct. Plan accordingly."


    Next, she brought out a gem, "This is an escape gem. Crush it to break free from all binding skills and teleport yourself to the safest place in your mind or any specific location you choose."


    Rita grinned like a farmer at harvest, hugging all the items to her chest. "Got it, got it."


    The goblin''s face was an eyesore, even Rita''s charisma couldn''t salvage it. For a moment, Apache worried that this ugly creature might just run off with all the items.


    As Rita gathered up the supplies, she said, "I''ll go study the Moon Fox royal city map and the appearance of a six-tailed Moon Fox. I''ll come back in a few days, goodbye, teacher."


    But just as she was about to leave, Apache grabbed her by the goblin ear and pulled her back. Smiling, she said, "In a hurry, are you? You haven''t asked me what I''ll pay you as compensation yet."


    She had been waiting for Rita to ask about her reward. Apache liked cigars and wine, but that didn''t mean she was willing to give endlessly. She could easily craft any fine liquor or cigar she''d ever enjoyed¡ªshe just didn''t want to waste precious time on things money could buy.


    Rita, surprised, said, "There''s a reward?!" She had been willing to do the job without compensation, but if there was a reward, why turn it down? "What''s the reward, teacher?"


    Apache patted the goblin''s bald head and smiled, "I''ll teach you everything I know about alchemy. Every formula I have, I''ll pass on to you. This promise stands until the day one of us reaches the end of our life."


    Though Apache didn''t explicitly say it, Rita understood¡ªshe was now officially her student.


    But that didn''t bother her. As Apache had once said, "If we meet on the battlefield, we''re enemies. Off the battlefield, we''re teacher and student."


    Rita responded enthusiastically, "Thank you, teacher!"


    Hilarious¡ªRita had already read Apache''s autobiography and knew this woman never set foot on battlefields; she only did logistics.


    With over half an hour left on her Disguise timer, Rita didn''t head back to Blue Star immediately. She had something important to do¡ªrelocate the teleportation circle she''d placed in the restaurant basement.


    It had been her secret spot, but now that Apache knew about it, it was no longer secure.


    Destroying the circle didn''t bring her any satisfaction. She wasn''t pleased with her own caution. On the contrary, she felt a deep sadness.


    Apache had been so kind to her¡ªboth as a teacher and a friend. Yet Rita still couldn''t bring herself to fully trust her.


    This made her feel guilty and conflicted, as if she were betraying the trust Apache had extended.


    Revealing her true name, showing her real face¡ªthese were all the signs of trust she could offer. And even that, in some part, was driven by the desire to learn more from Apache. After all, you can''t expect a genius to teach someone who hides behind lies and distrust.


    Despite her internal turmoil, her hands didn''t hesitate as she dismantled the teleportation circle.


    No matter how much she liked Nivalis, she had never taken off the Cha?vez watch in front of her or shared her Divine Gift with her.


    She just couldn''t bring herself to trust any thinking being completely.


    To be safe, Rita relocated the circle to a graveyard outside of Undercity. She''d wait for Shadow.Q''s confirmation about any major changes in Lania Kaia before deciding on any further adjustments.


    Once that was done, she prepared to return to Blue Star. She had orders to process, Moonlake City maps to study, and the appearance of six-tailed Moon Foxes to research. In the afternoon, she had training at the Special Affairs Bureau camp¡ªeven just one hour of practice was worthwhile.


    In the evening, she''d practice cooking and crafting recipes¡ªthe resulting dishes would go to Nivalis and the cats in her backyard.


    Nowadays, Nivalis was feeding the backyard cats, her inventory packed with various dishes Rita had made. For some reason, despite being a dragon, Nivalis was fond of furry creatures.


    Rita chomped down on a sandwich and got to work. She had dozens of pending orders, some of which were already overdue. She''d have to send out some extra gifts to make up for the delays.


    After all, this business was something she planned to keep running for a long time. Enjoy more content from empire

 Chapter 145 [Divine Gift] Grace Never Goes Out of Style (Grade A)

    When she first topped the wealth leaderboard in May, her assets were only at 52,339 coins. Three months later, even after spending on equipment, items, and pet scrolls, and despite Rick''s constant mooching, she had broken past 53,000 coins. And this didn''t even count her unclaimed profits from the *Wheel of Fate* crystal, which amounted to a significant sum.


    The second position was still held by Special Affairs Bureau''s treasurer. His rank fluctuated hourly, sometimes jumping to first place before dropping again. Scrolling down the list, nearly every profile had a small symbol added in the top corner¡ªrepresenting their faction, whether domestic or foreign.


    Individual players were few and far between, with only two others outside the top 90, apart from the anonymous number one.


    Surprisingly, Rick and Zoey, who had been prominent in the leaderboard in the previous life, were nowhere to be found.


    By 3 p.m., Rita had shipped all her orders and was about to head to training camp when she received a message from Rick.


    **[Rick]:** Sis, we''re planning to raid the dragon in two days. Can you help us?


    **[Rita]:** Of course, but my dragon still doesn''t listen to me. Even if I bring her into the instance, she won''t fight.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    It took a while for Rick to reply.


    **[Rick]:** That''s fine, sis. We still need one more person.


    **[Rita]:** Who''s contracting the dragon¡ªyou or Zoey?


    **[Rick]:** We decided Zoey will contract it first.


    **[Rita]:** Wow, you''re really spoiling her! But listen, this is life-threatening, so I expect to be paid. I''m not saying I need the same reward as everyone else, but at least half.


    **[Rick]:** Half? No way, you''re getting the same. Zoey has a skill that might increase people''s stats, but it only activates once every 30 days. She said you could join the group¡ª300 chances in total.


    Rita was stunned by Zoey''s generosity. Was she really going to benefit so much from Zoey?


    **[Rita]:** Little brother... Tell me honestly, do I just need to fight in the raid? I don''t have to do anything else, right?


    **[Divine Gift] Grace Never Goes Out of Style (Grade A)**


    - **You don''t like running away. You''re just more cautious than others, more sensitive to danger. And of course, you live longer.**


    1. **Sweating Bullets (Passive):** When your health falls below 60%, you enter a state of "sweating bullets." In this state, your agility increases by 200%, and your movement speed increases by 150%.


    2. **Grace Never Goes Out of Style:** Activating this ability enters you into bullet-time for 30 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.


    3. **Don''t Say I Never Thought of You:** Allows friendly targets in a selected area to teleport instantly to a location within your sight. The size of the area is determined by your Intelligence. Cooldown: 5 seconds. (Note: If the target destination isn''t clear, there''s a chance of an accident during teleportation.)


    4. **There''s a Motorcycle in My Throat:** When using a raspy voice, for each word you speak, your agility increases by 1 point. The duration (in seconds) of the effect for each word is equal to your Intelligence.


    Rita couldn''t help but imagine Shadow.Q escaping while spitting out rap lyrics in a raspy voice.


    Classy. Too classy. She was already looking forward to it...


    She absolutely had to record it.


    ...


    The dragon raid was set for August 22. In the days leading up to it, Rita focused on her lessons in Lania Kaia and training with the Special Affairs Bureau, while also studying the map of Moonlake City. She planned to head there right after the raid.


    As for her rank dropping to 23 on the leaderboard, she didn''t care. To her, stats were the real measure of power. If not for the need to match Nivalis'' level for the contract, she wouldn''t have grinded through so many instances before fighting Nivalis. Your next read awaits at empire


    On the 22nd, Rita arrived near an amusement park, wearing ordinary gear and weapons, as per Zoey''s message. Only a few familiar faces were there: Zoey, Rick, Ezra, Aaron, and Lincoln. The Special Affairs Bureau team hadn''t arrived yet.


    When Rita showed up, the group was visibly surprised. She now sported three deep blue claw marks on her forehead¡ªthe middle one was about 3-4 centimeters long, with the other two slightly shorter. These marks weren''t like ordinary scars; they resembled magical runes. Far from detracting from her appearance, they gave her a dangerous, mysterious aura.


    Rita pointed to the magical markings and said, "Nivalis doesn''t want to fight, but she drew these for me. I''m incredibly powerful today."


    Each statement was true on its own, but together, they led people to conclude that Rita had gained part of a dragon''s strength through her bond with Nivalis. She had even used her *Disguise* skill to boost her visible stats.

 Chapter 146 [Respect Blessing Lock] (38:53:55)

    Zoey smiled and thanked Rita. She had always had confidence in Rita''s abilities. Last time, even though Rita had mainly used landmines and tools to fight, her skill was evident. Plus, Zoey knew Rita had been training at the Special Affairs Bureau''s camp, so she brought up the topic of *Hope''s Song* and when to hold the sessions after contracting the dragon.


    Since the Special Affairs Bureau people would be there, and members of *Nameless Ones* were coming too, it wouldn''t hurt for Rita to join in.


    Rita played along and promised that as long as they hadn''t contracted the dragon yet, she would continue helping.


    Nearby, Aaron, Ezra, and Lincoln also greeted her. Rita stayed composed throughout, shaking Ezra''s hand without showing any signs of disgust. This level-headedness not only earned Ezra''s respect but also put Zoey and Rick at ease. Every time someone showed disdain or fear toward Ezra, it made Zoey and Rick feel like they were also taking a hit.


    While waiting for the Special Affairs Bureau group, something caught Rita''s eye: a message above the dungeon''s instance boundary, similar to what she had seen at the treehouse base.


    **[Respect Blessing Lock] (38:53:55)**


    Looking closer, she noticed a small, fingernail-sized light lock beneath the message. The lock''s glow blended with the instance boundary, making it almost imperceptible. Rita only noticed it after seeing the message.


    Judging by the name, had the Special Affairs Bureau locked the instance? There was even a countdown. So, was this how they delayed the time for foreign entities to leave the instance?


    While she was contemplating, 94 players from the Special Affairs Bureau arrived.


    They seemed to have used some sort of *Concealment* skill because their appearance was sudden, like a curtain being pulled back to reveal the people who had been there all along.


    But what stood out more than their sudden appearance was their gear. These were top-tier players, each of them fully equipped with seven items in all gear slots. This resulted in a bizarre mix of outfits, unlike what you''d see on regular players on the street.


    Each of the 12 different races had their own fashion styles and preferences, and with low drop rates for equipment, players wore whatever they could get, prioritizing strength over style.


    Rita looked around at the group: business suits paired with fur skirts, mage robes with harpoons, elegant leather armor with snow boots, chainmail worn over sheer see-through pants that revealed leg hair...


    Her eyes hurt just looking at them.


    Yet, they all carried themselves with confidence, and this unique aura made their outfits look like they were straight off the runway of some international luxury brand''s latest collection. Each step they took was like a strut on a fashion show catwalk.


    The leaders were not Shadow.Q but a man and a woman Rita hadn''t seen before, both radiating powerful energy. Glancing to the right, Rita saw Shadow.Q standing seriously among the group. She wore a silk blouse, black fur shorts, and ladies'' shoes.


    ...


    **[Rick]:** Sis~ Do you think you could ask your dragon to draw some marks on me too?


    **[Rita]:** Depends on her mood. I can''t command her.


    ...


    Everyone was added to the team. Unlike the 5-player cap on regular parties, raid teams had a maximum of 100 members. The man and woman leading the group were the raid leader and assistant leader, respectively.


    The two leaders divided the players into two squads. The male leader, a tank, would lead the melee fighters upfront, while the female leader, a magic-user, commanded the rear guard, handling the ranged attackers and healers.


    One scout player would simultaneously fight and monitor the battlefield for any unusual energy fluctuations, reporting them to the leaders, who had the final say on tactical decisions.


    Rita, Rick, and Aaron were assigned to the ranged group, while Lincoln and Ezra were put in the melee group.


    As for Zoey, she was placed in the healer group¡ªeven though 90% of the skills she''d learned from skill books were offensive. But to take down a dragon, her versatile group-healing and attack skill was indispensable.


    There was a small hiccup when Ezra joined the melee group.


    Before and after the game''s invasion, Ezra had always been a top-tier player. Everyone knew he had the *Unknown Curse*, and melee positions had the highest injury rates. Naturally, no one wanted to stand next to him, so Ezra was assigned his own squad.


    Though his face betrayed no emotion, anyone could see the humiliation in his eyes.


    Once Rita had enjoyed enough of her enemy''s misery, she went to find Shadow.Q. She, too, was a ranged fighter, relying on magic. Who knew how many kickbacks she had pocketed to secure those skill books?


    The two watched their comrades-in-arms and exchanged knowing smiles.


    Rita said, "Show me what you''ve got later."


    Shadow.Q, unfazed, replied, "Will do."

 Chapter 147 The Great Sweating Emperor

    The team didn''t immediately rush into battle with the dragon. Instead, they began by luring nearby groups of level 12 creatures to practice their coordination. Starting with 50 enemies, then 100, they eventually progressed to attacking a small settlement of monsters. The entire morning was spent in these practice battles.


    Even though the 100-person group split the experience points, the bonus for fighting higher-level monsters made Rita''s experience increase by 2%.


    During this time, an item dropped, which the team leader gave to Zoey.


    Everything went smoothly, except for the size of the instance. Most of their time was spent traveling, which left everyone feeling exhausted.


    While sitting on the ground for lunch, Rita quietly asked Shadow.Q, "You guys didn''t just organize this group to clear the instance and level up, did you?"


    Shadow.Q, in the middle of unpacking her chopsticks, immediately straightened up and defensively replied, "Hey! That''s slander¡ªpure slander. This is a *team coordination exercise,* not grinding for levels!"


    "Alright..." Rita said, knowing full well they were here to clear the dungeon and level up.


    The team really was getting more coordinated. As they became familiar with each other, melee fighters stopped colliding during combat, and the healers started managing their abilities better, avoiding unnecessary healing while ensuring no one was left without support. Even Zoey didn''t complain.


    Everyone in the group was from the Special Affairs Bureau''s elite team¡ªamong the top players not just in the country but globally.


    After the game''s invasion, most of these people had fully equipped themselves with seven gear slots and two accessory slots. Each had their own special skills and tactics, supplemented by potions and dishes. Even though they were all level 7, their teamwork allowed them to take down level 12 monsters and bosses with ease.


    But when it came to the level 12 dragon, it was a different story.


    Zoey didn''t say anything because she knew they wouldn''t be able to take down the dragon today. Even though the team''s coordination had improved, they weren''t yet synchronized enough, and they still didn''t know what abilities the dragon had.


    Rita, on the other hand, was already planning how she could continue selling information to Zoey afterward. While her original anonymous post had said she would sell the information every ten days, she never said she couldn''t sell it to the same person multiple times.


    If she sold it to Zoey every ten days, Zoey could keep the location of the instance safe, and Rita could make more money¡ªwhat a perfect deal!


    Rita would win twice.


    Rita scanned the surroundings and noticed almost all the players had similar buffs. During the cooldown, they ran as fast as they could, and once the cooldown ended, they huddled close to those with escape skills.


    One girl, in particular, was sprinting in high heels while swinging her swords. Even in this chaos, she didn''t take off her shoes¡ªlikely because they were high-tier gear.


    The escape was messy, with exclamations of "Oh crap!" echoing everywhere. Sometimes, people just can''t help but blurt it out when they''re panicked.


    Rita was reminded of her past life, running for her life alongside her escape friends¡ªit was both exhilarating and nostalgic.


    But no matter how fast they ran, they couldn''t outrun the flying dragon. Its attacks, though delayed, were inevitable. However, those in the group had their own skills. Some turned around and raised shields to block, some suddenly sprinted faster, and some even briefly flew to dodge attacks.


    Although several people still got clipped by the dragon''s attacks, the healers were quick to heal them back up.


    After 15 minutes, the scattered players successfully crawled out of the instance alive.


    Rita turned to say something to Shadow.Q, but when she looked over, she saw Shadow.Q drenched in sweat. Sweat dripped from her face and neck, soaking her shirt. Even her collar was damp.


    Glancing at Shadow.Q''s health bar, Rita saw it was sitting at 59.8%, right at the threshold for her *Sweating Buckets* state. Curious, she asked, "Is that your skill effect or just from running?"


    Shadow.Q took a swig from a potion to heal herself, then pulled out a wet towel to wipe her sweat. Finally, she changed into a fresh jacket, her routine so practiced it was almost heartbreaking. "It''s the skill effect."


    Rita held back her laughter and asked seriously, "What''s the skill called? I''m just curious. You don''t have to say if you don''t want to."


    Shadow.Q replied without missing a beat, "The Great Sweating Emperor."


    Rita: "......"


    If her skill was called *The Great Sweating Emperor*, then her own could be called *From Rags to Riches*.


    Rita wanted to tell Shadow.Q that this name wasn''t much better than *Sweating Buckets*.


    Sadly, in order to support the team, Shadow.Q hadn''t used her other skill, *There''s a Motorcycle in My Throat*, so Rita missed out on hearing Shadow.Q''s deep voice.

 Chapter 148 Has She Not Allocated Attribute Points? How Cool is That?

    The hundred-person raid team disbanded, as discreetly as they had arrived, leaving only Shadow.Q and Zoey to discuss matters. From now on, on the 1st and 15th of every month, the Special Affairs Bureau would organize a hundred-person team to help Zoey contract the dragon until successful.


    Starting from September 1st, however, Zoey would also have to fulfill her contract by singing *Hope''s Anthem* for the players of the Special Affairs Bureau.


    Although the team was not far from victory, they would need to level up a bit more. Once the average level reached 8, they should be able to handle the dragon. Until then, the Special Affairs Bureau would continue their dragon hunts, aiming to improve teamwork even if they couldn''t defeat the dragon right away. The next attempt was scheduled for September 1st.


    Zoey wasn''t keen on leaving someone behind in the instance to prevent it from resetting. Clearing the smaller monsters still yielded rewards, and today she had already gained two pieces of level 12 equipment, not to mention the experience points.


    Zoey wasn''t too upset¡ªafter all, if even the Special Affairs Bureau''s top-tier players couldn''t take down the dragon, other factions stood no chance either. This meant she still had time to secure the dragon. She had already planned her strategy: if that anonymous seller offered the dragon''s instance information every ten days, she would buy it every single time.


    After Shadow.Q left, Rita turned down Rick''s invitation for dinner and headed to the training camp for her lessons.


    After she left, Ezra asked Rick, "Where did your sister train? Her movements feel different from normal players."


    Zoey chimed in, "It''s a Special Affairs Bureau program. Only players with deep cooperation with them can participate. I''ve heard it''s really effective."


    Rick nodded, "It sure looks like it. Did you notice that my sister''s fighting skills¡ªher shooting and dodging¡ªhave improved since the last time we teamed up?"


    Zoey, who had been observing the players from the healing group, nodded, "I noticed it too."


    Rick said thoughtfully, "Maybe we should ask about it? We''re working with the Special Affairs Bureau now, after all."


    He wanted to ask Shadow.Q directly but knew Zoey preferred to handle things herself. Zoey didn''t like it when Rick made decisions on his own.


    Zoey replied, "I''ll contact the training camp. You handle finding out about the instance location. Offer whatever price is necessary, even if it means offering *Hope''s Anthem*."


    This time, Ezra couldn''t be the one to handle negotiations. It was acceptable for Zoey to have monopolized the instance location once, but not every time. Discover hidden stories at empire


    Anonymous offers were an option, but with thousands of players bidding in that forum thread, there was no guarantee the seller would even see an anonymous offer. The seller would likely prioritize famous players or those associated with top-100 ranked players to avoid wasting time on someone making random bids.


    In Zoey''s eyes, her *Hope''s Anthem* was incredibly valuable¡ªnot only because it was an S-class skill but because *she* was the one wielding it. To her, only a sky-high price would be worthy of its use.


    Unlike Rita, who had practically put her abilities up for sale the day the game invaded.


    Shadow.Q had no doubt that if Rita had possessed *Hope''s Anthem*, she would have already held concerts, charging 5 silver coins per ticket and 1 gold coin for a monthly pass. After finishing her songs, Rita might even have stood on stage, tears in her eyes, thanking everyone for coming to her show.


    To someone like Zoey, this kind of behavior would be unimaginable.


    And yet, this time, the deal had gone so smoothly. Something had changed in Zoey. Perhaps it was the sight of those elite players, standing at the top of the pyramid, or maybe it was seeing the power of A-class Divine Gifts, which in the right hands could rival S-class abilities. Shadow.Q wasn''t sure.


    But when a proud person begins to let go of their arrogance, especially one with such an irreplaceable gift...


    Who could say who would ultimately be the heir to the Lopez family?


    There was just something strange about Zoey''s stats. She was already level 7, but her attributes seemed closer to those of a level 4 player. Had she not allocated her points? How cool is that? No wonder she''s the heiress.


    ...


    Zoey was definitely feeling challenged.


    After the game''s beta, the Lopez family had started building their own team, but those players paled in comparison to the elite squad from today.


    Zoey saw that nearly everyone had an A-class ability, each with unique skills. Even without those, their combat abilities were well-trained¡ªclearly experienced fighters. Zoey doubted she could last three rounds against them, even with her many attack skills.


    The only player with a B-class gift was Rita, but she was even stronger than the Special Affairs Bureau members.


    The first time Zoey met Rita, her stats had been unimpressive. Rita hadn''t even entered the game until the second beta test, yet now she possessed the world''s only dragon.


    Even if it was an equal contract, the fact that Rita could get her dragon to create magic markings that enhanced her strength was an impressive feat.

 Chapter 149 Oh Well, I Already Hit It

    Rita''s movements were even better than those of the elite squads. Every time an attack from the distant enemies exploded near the ranged group, she seemed to anticipate it. With a subtle sidestep or a small backward movement, she avoided the attack with ease. And despite her evasions, she continued to shoot arrows, each one hitting its mark.


    Zoey never once saw her miss a shot during the entire time she observed her.


    All of this was the result of Rita''s meticulous planning. After the game invasion, she had quickly leveraged her *Wheel of Fate* talent to gain resources. She never slacked off, taking fighting lessons, later joining the Special Affairs Bureau training camp, and consistently selling items from the rooftop instance. Rita maximized every bit of her resources and abilities.


    Her offensive skills might not have been numerous, but Zoey was certain¡ªshe couldn''t defeat Rita in her current state.


    Rita claimed her dragon was acquired by luck, but Zoey believed it was the result of Rita''s relentless efforts.


    There were even online rumors that Rita''s dragon must have been gifted to her by a man. Ridiculous! If any man managed to get a dragon, 99.99% of them would probably marry the dragon on the spot. No way would they give it to a woman! The remaining 0.01% would likely be husbands bound by some contract.


    Zoey knew she could have taken a similar path. She could have done even better. But her stubborn pride, unwilling to bend, had left her stagnant for too long.


    Her *Hope''s Anthem* was worthless if it couldn''t be converted into a resource that made her stronger. It was as cheap as her self-respect.


    She had been wrong. She admitted it. But everything could still change. She wouldn''t fall behind anyone.


    ---


    Rita was unaware that she had become an important catalyst for Zoey''s change.


    It was still early¡ªaround 7 p.m.¡ªand Rita planned to rest a bit before heading to Lania Kaia to discuss matters with Apache regarding the Moon Fox tribe.


    Nivalis initially wanted to tag along but retreated when she heard Rita was going to visit the undead alchemist. The young dragon didn''t dare roam Lania Kaia alone; despite being level 14, she was still very much a child. And Lania Kaia was a dangerous place for a young dragon to wander.


    After transforming into her goblin form and using *Phantom Cloak* for invisibility, Rita crawled under her bed, and with a flash of light, the invisible goblin emerged from behind a tombstone. She immediately used *Phantom Shift* to teleport and started running towards the Undercity, her little goblin legs moving swiftly.


    She even used her *Cha?vez Watch* ability, *I''m in a Hurry*, to speed up her travel.


    Since she had been warned against turning into an animal lately, time was precious.


    When she barged into the alchemy shop, Apache was sitting in the corner, reading a book. Find adventures at empire


    Rita greeted the little undead assistant before sitting across from Apache, asking about the customs and taboos of the Moon Fox tribe.


    That night, Rita didn''t rush to bed. The next day would be the eleventh day since her last post, meaning she could once again sell the dragon instance''s location. Over the past days, the replies to her post had continued to grow. Despite her setting a minimum level requirement to comment, there were still tens of thousands of replies.


    She was even starting to worry about how she would find Zoey''s people in the sea of comments.


    At midnight, Rita opened the forum thread again.


    She scrolled through the replies, skipping over any familiar Lopez or White family names.


    Then, a familiar name caught her eye.


    **Meow.Q:** "Hello, would you be willing to negotiate? I''d like to buy out your information. My sister is Shadow.Q. You can find her photo on the Special Affairs Bureau''s official website."


    Rita paused, unsure who was behind this message.


    She quickly ruled out the Special Affairs Bureau. But she wasn''t about to ask Shadow.Q directly¡ªtoo suspicious. That woman would sniff it out in no time.


    **Anonymous:** "What, is your sister on the national most-wanted list?"


    **Meow.Q:** "..."


    Meow.Q turned to Shadow.Q, "Sis!"


    Shadow.Q rubbed her temples, clearly exasperated. "Just offer a price."


    **Meow.Q:** "You can enjoy one *Hope''s Anthem* boost every ten days until our team successfully contracts the dragon."


    **Anonymous:** "What''s the chance of success?"


    **Meow.Q:** "13%."


    *Hope''s Anthem* had a 15% chance, but based on that alone, Rita couldn''t confirm whether this was Zoey''s *Hope''s Anthem* or not. If Meow.Q was indeed someone Zoey had sent through Shadow.Q, they wouldn''t be foolish enough to give the exact probability.


    **Anonymous:** "Alright, we''ll test it tomorrow at noon, but no more than five people can be present. Write the location on a slip of paper and send it via a donation. If it''s legit, we can trade every ten days."


    Rita decided to observe from a distance. If it wasn''t Zoey, she would just ghost them.


    As for the other offers in the thread, none could beat this one. Most were offering gold or equipment, or occasionally real-world assets like houses or cars. But based on what Rita knew about Zoey, if Zoey was determined to secure the dragon, she wouldn''t be stingy. She would offer something irresistible.

 Chapter 150 The Mole Is Right Here

    Zoey had an incredibly strong sense of possessiveness. Once she identified someone or something as hers, she didn''t like others trying to take it away. If anyone dared to compete with her, she would become obsessively focused on that thing. Rick had often hinted to Zoey that his sister, Rita, might have feelings for him¡ªjust to trigger Zoey''s possessive instincts.


    So, after considering all the clues, Meow.Q seemed the most suspicious. The terms they offered and their identity were questionable. If she were in Zoey and Rick''s shoes, she''d also likely find a connection to Shadow.Q, but since Shadow.Q wouldn''t personally get involved, it made sense for Meow.Q to be the go-between.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Rita didn''t bother to check other threads for analyses debating if she was being scammed. She simply turned off the comments on her post. If the next day Zoey really showed up, it would be proof of her sincerity. Rita swore she genuinely hoped Zoey and Rick could secure the dragon.


    But if Zoey didn''t show up, it would at least pressure her into action.


    At noon, Rita activated her *Disguise* skill, transforming into a tall, slender dog-like figure standing at two meters. She donned a mask, sunglasses, a baseball cap, and gloves¡ªfully committing to her role as someone trying to hide their identity. She even changed her in-game ID to "Han Shi" before heading to the location Meow.Q had provided.


    When she arrived, Rita felt reassured.


    There were only three people in the room: Meow.Q, Shadow.Q, and a fully armed, masked individual whom Rita instantly recognized as Zoey, even though others might not. The presence of Meow.Q and Shadow.Q clearly indicated that they were there to ensure Zoey didn''t kill her.


    Although Meow.Q hadn''t explicitly mentioned the Special Affairs Bureau in their deal, they had brought Shadow.Q into the conversation. If something happened to the seller, it could implicate the Bureau.


    Everything proceeded smoothly. After verifying the code written on the slip of paper from the previous day, Zoey took Rita to a small room next door, set up a soundproof barrier, and began to sing *Hope''s Anthem*.


    Rita had to admit, the song was truly beautiful. It consisted solely of a simple "ah" sound, but it was pure and clear, almost cleansing her soul.


    By the time the song ended, Rita found herself a bit reluctant for it to be over. She opened her stats panel, and to her satisfaction, her available attribute points had increased from 0 to 1.


    Rita, with her luck stat of 10, had succeeded on the first try.


    Though her instincts as a player nearly kicked in and made her want to take action, she refrained from doing anything that might expose her. Showing signs of an injury, like losing health during a peaceful situation, would have been far too suspicious.


    As the song finished, Rita stood up decisively. "We''ll meet again in ten days."


    Explore stories at empire


    Zoey, her face calm, nodded in agreement. She didn''t seem particularly concerned whether the person calling themselves "Han Shi" had succeeded or not.


    ---


    The moment Rita left the room, she drank an invisibility potion and quickly fled the area.


    As for why Rick wasn''t here? The tuition was probably too high, and Zoey had likely left him at home. Rita figured Rick would come knocking soon enough. When a man couldn''t rely on his wife''s wealth, he turned to his sister.


    After her training session, Rita returned to Lania Kaia, primarily to ask Apache about how to solve the language barrier issue.


    Normally, language wasn''t much of a problem. Communication was easy, and over time, she had started to ignore it. In Blue Planet, all the invaders could understand the languages spoken there. In her previous life, some invaders had explained that crossing the dimensional gate gave them a blessing, allowing them to comprehend all Blue Planet languages.


    In Lania Kaia, however, the Twelve Saint Tribes didn''t share a common language, and they used translation devices when communicating with each other. But if she were to transform into a Moon Fox and still need a translator to communicate, she''d be immediately exposed. Plus, the movements of her mouth wouldn''t match the Moon Fox language.


    Unfortunately, when she arrived, Apache wasn''t there. Only Kayden was.


    When Kayden saw Rita, she cheerfully waved. "Ravenclaw~! Why are you here so late today?"


    Rita, already used to Kayden''s bubbly greeting, calmly waved back.


    Since Shadow.Q hadn''t provided any updates on why she shouldn''t turn into animals, Rita decided to try and get some information from Kayden instead.


    Kayden wasn''t interested in smoking or drinking, and she wasn''t particularly passionate about games or toys either. Even alchemy didn''t seem to obsess her¡ªshe liked it, but not to the point of being obsessed.


    Kayden''s interests were simple: she loved gold.


    Her dream was to buy a small house in the Undercity, work at the alchemy shop, live there, and grow old¡ªuntil she had to say goodbye to Apache. Apache, of course, had a lot of issues with Kayden''s dream.


    Rita, now in her goblin form, climbed onto a small stool behind the counter and stood next to Kayden. The two shorties stood side by side, watching the bustling streets outside the shop.


    Rita pulled out some snacks and fruit, and after Kayden had eaten enough, Rita quietly handed her a gold coin, whispering, "You got any intel to sell?"


    Kayden slipped the coin into her hand, not moving a muscle as she looked out at the street. She whispered back, "Selling it all. Clearance sale. Everything I know!"


    Rita chuckled to herself. She had found the mole.


    Rita asked, "Do you know why Apache told me not to turn into an animal recently?"


    This information was clearly related to the conflict between Blue Planet and Lania Kaia.


    Kayden''s large eyes were especially noticeable on her thin, pale face. She stared at Rita for a long time before finally whispering, "The newly appointed deputy city lord has a talent that allows him to see the memories of any living creature from the past 30 days. He really, really, *really* loves small animals."

 Chapter 151 Could That "What If" Be You?

    Kayden''s two seemingly disjointed sentences, combined with the three consecutive "very''s," caused Rita''s heart to race. Kayden hadn''t mentioned any news or moves from Lania Kaia, but just the information she provided was enough for Rita to piece together a lot of potential consequences.


    Some *Divine Gifts* were scary but not insurmountable. After all, it''s not realistic to use a *Divine Gift* on every single person you see. For example, Rita often thought about using her *Insight* on everyone who approached her, but doing so was exhausting and required significant effort.


    It was like trying to check the profile of every person who commented on a social media post you came across. Plus, some *Divine Gifts* had hundreds of words in their descriptions, and you couldn''t stare at someone too long without arousing suspicion. That made things even more complicated and tiring.


    But if this new deputy city lord had a thing for small animals, that changed everything.


    People who loved animals could sometimes be downright obsessive¡ªsome even found joy in watching animals relieve themselves, carefully observing every little detail.


    The worst part? Unlike the player she saw in the crystal ball, who could disguise themselves as an alien and freely move through the city without always returning to a safe house, those who could only transform into animals would inevitably need to return to the safe house to rest and regroup.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Rita couldn''t afford to waste any more time. Her left hand grabbed a handful of gold coins from under the counter and handed them to Kayden. Her right hand quickly opened her chat window to send a message to Shadow.Q. Her fingers moved faster than they had the day Rick was trapped in the apartment by Zoey''s group.


    Her urgency wasn''t driven by noble or selfless intentions. It was a simple, straightforward, and somewhat selfish reason: the better Special Affairs Bureau performed, the more freedom she, as a lone wolf, would have. If the Bureau handled the heavy lifting, she could roam around without the burden of responsibility. Discover exclusive tales on empire


    **Rita:** "The new deputy city lord in the Undercity has a talent that lets him review the last 30 days of a living creature''s memories. Also, he *really, really, really* loves small animals. Have any players who can transform into animals been captured in the Undercity recently?"


    **Shadow.Q:** "Got it. Reporting this immediately. Will update."


    Shadow.Q''s response was terse, indicating her urgency. She didn''t even have time to type out full sentences.


    This ability was terrifying.


    Imagine a necromancer in love with cute animals, cuddling a tiny puppy, showering it with affection, and using his skill to see what adorable antics it had been up to. Only to discover the puppy had left the city, transformed into a bald, muscular man in furry pants, and made a beeline for the Blue Star safe house.


    Rita''s warning set the Special Affairs Bureau into a frenzy.


    Everyone was scrambling.


    No one questioned Rita''s credibility or suspected her of passing along false information. For one, she''d been in close contact with the Bureau, and she was a renowned player in the game, having made it onto both the player level leaderboard and the pet leaderboard. Someone of her caliber wouldn''t risk spreading false information just to mess with the Bureau.


    If anything, the information was likely miscommunicated along the way, but it wouldn''t be Rita''s fault.


    She was simply the messenger¡ªthe responsible player who promptly reported important intel.


    The Special Affairs Bureau had already implemented numerous preventative measures in response to the growing knowledge of *Divine Gifts*. While Rita wasn''t aware of the full extent of these measures¡ªsince she no longer traveled to Lania Kaia with the Bureau¡ªthe requirements for entering the alien cities had become increasingly strict as more *Divine Gifts* were discovered.


    One such precaution involved the players. Any player wishing to enter the alien cities had to leave the Blue Star safe house first and stay in an external safehouse for at least three days before entering a city. The current known *Divine Gifts* with memory-reading abilities only allowed access to the past 24 hours of memories.


    Who would have expected an ability capable of reviewing memories up to 30 days back?


    *What kind of VIP-level nonsense was this?*


    The potential repercussions of this news were staggering. The Bureau even postponed verifying the information''s accuracy to focus on more immediate concerns.


    The first order of business was to arrange the immediate return of all players stationed near the 36 major cities to their respective safe houses, preparing for a potential full-scale evacuation.


    Each Blue Star safe house had been equipped with three group teleportation stones specifically designed for emergencies like this. The priority now was to get as many players back to safety as possible. Those who couldn''t make it in time were advised to find their own hiding spots.


    The goal was to ensure the majority of players could safely return to Blue Star, while a small team would later return to the cities to destroy any evidence and cover their tracks.


    This was the most efficient plan, minimizing both risks and losses.

 Chapter 152 Such a Wealthy Turtle-like Tactic…

    After the orders were issued, Shadow.Q addressed the highest-ranking officer seated at the head of the table. "This kind of intel relies heavily on timeliness. Even a second''s delay could lead to massive losses. Rita relayed the information to me as soon as she got it. If it''s fake, I''ll take full responsibility..."


    The elder, with a stern expression, replied, "Even if it''s fake, no one is to hold Rita accountable, and you won''t be blamed either."


    The others, busily sending messages and handling tasks, took a moment to reassure Shadow.Q not to worry.


    Someone chimed in, "Landon''s right. And even if the intel is false, the most we lose are some skill crystals."


    Landon waved dismissively. "It''s not about wasting resources..."No?v(el)B\\jnn


    "I know everyone''s afraid of being held responsible. I get it¡ªI went through the same thing. But she''s not one of our internal members. She''s a lone wolf, representing all lone wolves. She gave us the information, and *we* made the decision to act. If things go wrong and we turn on her, have you considered how the other players would view the Special Affairs Bureau?"


    The people around the table had mixed reactions.


    What does that even mean? Are you saying that if it were one of our own, we could just share the blame, but outsiders can''t? Is shouldering the blame an internal perk of the Bureau?


    Experience more content on empire


    Landon was from the system, but he rarely spoke in the polished, subtle tones of bureaucracy. Part of the reason he had been transferred to the Special Affairs Bureau wasn''t just his *Divine Gift*; it was because he understood young people.


    These days, young people don''t understand the subtext and insinuations from their leaders. They wouldn''t survive even the first episode of a political drama, and they''d offend every superior within a month of work, only to go home and brag to their parents, "My bosses *love* me~!"


    Those who spoke in riddles, used their seniority to manipulate others, or tried to act mysterious didn''t belong in the Special Affairs Bureau.


    Landon continued, "Shadow.Q, be sure to communicate this method of handling intel to all the lone wolf players. From now on, if they get any kind of intel, they should report it immediately! We''ll be the ones to determine whether it''s real or not. If it''s true, they''ll be rewarded; if it''s false, no one will be held accountable!"


    The Bureau had always made an effort to build good relations with skilled lone wolves, precisely because these individuals had access to unique information and abilities. So, if someone brought in crucial intel, turning around and assigning blame if things went wrong would just be shooting themselves in the foot.


    The goblin immediately turned to Kayden with concern. "You weren''t *forced* to drink it, were you?"


    Then, as if sensing Apache''s gaze, the goblin lifted her green head and met the necromancer''s eyes. Her big, confused eyes soon filled with bemusement. "Master, you''re not *suspecting* me, are you?"


    Apache: *No evidence... but this gold-hoarding, turtle-like behavior... it''s too suspicious.*


    When Rita asked to carve the teleportation circle into the shop, Apache had stared at her for several seconds with a bemused smile before pointing her to the kitchen. Only Kayden ever ventured there.


    Ignoring Apache''s gaze, Rita nonchalantly went to the kitchen and inscribed the teleportation circle on the ceiling.


    When she returned to Blue Star and crawled out from under the bed, she heard the doorbell ring. Glancing at the map, she saw two figures marked by the *Screening Water Curtain*. Most likely, it was Scarlett and Samuel.


    After finishing her daily three-coin production, Rita dropped her *Disguise* and crawled out from under the bed. Nivalis was curled up on the bed, fast asleep. Her small, round belly rose and fell with each breath, making her look like she could be squished by someone sitting on her.


    Ever since contracting Nivalis, the little dragon had done nothing but eat, sleep, and play with the neighborhood cats. She was noticeably bigger now.


    Rita hadn''t gone out of her way to bond deeply with Nivalis. To her, the dragon was a roommate, a friend, and an occasional assistant¡ªsomeone who would help when needed. She wasn''t relying on Nivalis for her life. Their relationship was one of mutual respect. Whether Rita was stronger now or Nivalis became stronger later, their contract was one of equality.


    This approach seemed to suit Nivalis just fine. Initially, the dragon had preferred to sleep in the guest room, then moved to Rita''s bedroom. At first, she conjured a cloud to sleep on, but lately, she''d taken to sleeping in the bed. Rita had even given her a diamond-studded pillow, per her request.


    Downstairs, Rita let Samuel and Scarlett into the house. After only a few days, they both looked noticeably more worn out.


    *What happened? Did Rick scare them?*


    This was too good an opportunity to pass up.


    "Did you tell Rick about the pregnancy yet? I''ve been holding it in, but it feels like such a big surprise for you to share!"

 Chapter 153 Rita, How Can You Laugh?

    As soon as Rita asked about the pregnancy, Samuel and Scarlett''s expressions turned sour. Scarlett, rubbing her belly, forced a smile and said, "Not yet. He''s been busy lately, so we haven''t had the chance to tell him."


    Ah, as expected, they were fretting over Rick.


    Scarlett looked at Rita hopefully, "Darling, do you have any friends abroad? I was thinking about going overseas to take care of the pregnancy. What do you think?"


    *Oh, how modern¡ªplanning to run away while pregnant?*


    Rita shook her head. "You can''t leave the country. Direct relatives with *Divine Gifts* at B-level or higher aren''t allowed to go abroad right now."


    This wasn''t just a domestic policy; countries around the world were restricting high-level talent. With the game invasion going on for so long, governments had realized that if dungeons weren''t cleared in time, monsters could escape into the real world. Every country urgently needed high-tier warriors or those with special *Divine Gifts*.


    Anyone leaving the country had to be inspected alongside their direct relatives. If a direct relative had a B-level or higher *Divine Gift*, they couldn''t leave. After all, if they were taken hostage, it could be used to manipulate these precious players.


    Even setting the *Divine Gift* issue aside, with Rita owning a dragon, not just Scarlett, Samuel, or Rick would be grounded¡ªanyone close to her wouldn''t be able to leave the country.


    *Oh, but I don''t have friends. So, no problem there.*


    Scarlett frowned, about to say something else, when the doorbell rang again.


    Today was turning out to be busy. Rita opened the door... and there he was¡ªthe beggar had arrived.


    Rick held up a gift high above his head, grinning, "Ta-da~! Rita! I came to see you~"


    Rita, for once, wasn''t annoyed by Rick showing up uninvited. She couldn''t even suppress her smile. "Perfect timing. Mom and Dad are here too."


    She didn''t even have to call out¡ªSamuel and Scarlett had already heard Rick''s voice and were standing at attention.


    Samuel maintained a somewhat serious expression, but Scarlett looked visibly tense and uneasy as she glanced at the sibling duo who had just entered.


    Rick''s feelings were mixed when he saw his parents. After kicking them out of his leveling party as a punishment, he hadn''t spoken to them in a while, and surprisingly, they hadn''t sought him out either. He wasn''t sure what to say at first. Of course, he was still resentful; there had been a time when he''d seriously thought about passing his illness on to them.


    But perhaps deep down, there''s a part of everyone that holds back. He realized he couldn''t quite bring himself to go through with it...


    Rita sighed, "That''s probably it. So, why''d you show up all of a sudden?"


    Rick''s expression became complicated, a mix of frustration, vulnerability, and stubbornness. But when he looked at Rita, his eyes were filled with trust and hope.


    He sure was good-looking, Rita had to admit. Even with those conflicting emotions on his face, he didn''t seem out of place. In fact, his soft, melancholic air suited him well. A true "little white flower" type.


    But Rita wasn''t impressed. Seeing a 6''2" guy acting all pitiful was just... awkward.


    *Zoey, Sanchez, Camila, Taylor¡ªyour tastes are something else.*


    Rick let out a long sigh. "Ah..."


    Rita couldn''t take it anymore. "Just say what you came to say."


    Rick finally explained, "Zoey went to the Special Affairs Bureau''s training camp, but she didn''t take me... She said they wouldn''t accept me."


    Rita nodded. *As expected, here to beg for help.* She offered, "Well, their requirements are pretty strict. If you''re not part of the Bureau, a lot of the benefits are pay-to-access. And some core programs, you can''t even buy your way into. Do you have any special items or equipment? I could put in a word for you."


    Rick shook his head. Every item or piece of equipment he acquired had to be approved by Zoey first. Breaking that contract would instantly alert her. If he violated the agreement, a random attribute point would be deducted and transferred to her. If the contract wasn''t honored within 24 hours, it would start eating into his maximum health.


    Rita sighed. "Then there''s nothing I can do. To be honest, the Bureau doesn''t really care about potions or engineering¡ª they have their own professionals for that. Of course, if you can offer an irresistible amount of gold, that might work too. Do you have any? I can ask for you."


    Rick shook his head again, speaking in a low voice, "I have to report all my spending to Zoey. If I pay my way into the training camp after she said no, that''s like slapping her in the face. She''d get mad."


    Rita, barely able to contain her laughter, smacked her leg. She almost lost it. "Why should she get mad? And so what if she does?"


    Rick looked down, his voice breaking with emotion. "She''d whip me. She''d beat me until my health drops to 5%, then heal me, and start over. One time, she couldn''t stop herself and got me down to 3%... Rita! My life is miserable!"


    Rita: "..."


    Don''t laugh, Rita! You can''t laugh!


    *Think about last life. How can you laugh at this!?*

 Chapter 154 Whoa, I Almost Laughed Out Loud!

    It was so painful for Rita to hold back her laughter.


    She tried to recall the betrayal and deceit from her past life, the humiliation of nearly being enslaved through a contract, the agony of being hunted down with bounties on her limbs, the miserable times when her health dropped to 5%, with all her potions on cooldown as she hid under a bridge, desperately waiting for her health to slowly recover...


    and the burning hatred from having her *Divine Gift* stripped away.


    *So painful! Rita, think about those moments! How could you possibly laugh?!*


    Rick complained, "She even said I''m cursed and bring bad luck to my partners!"


    Rita stood up dramatically, her voice cracking as she shouted, "That''s too much!"


    *Whoa, that was close! Almost laughed out loud!*


    Rick might have been exaggerating at first, but as he continued, it was clear that he was genuinely upset.


    Life as a "rich son-in-law" was really rough.


    If it weren''t for Samuel constantly telling him how powerful and wealthy the Wilson family was back in the day, he wouldn''t have had such high hopes for this lifestyle.


    Rick continued to rant about the untold hardships of being a son-in-law in a prestigious family.


    Rita: "What?!"


    Rita: "How can they treat you like that?!"


    Rita: "That''s so unfair, way too much!"


    Rita: "I''m seriously getting angry now!"


    Though her words were fierce, her posture was completely relaxed, sitting firmly on the couch, not budging an inch.


    After about half an hour, Rick stopped to wet his throat, his mouth dry from all the talking.


    Rita got up to stretch her legs¡ªher thigh had gone numb from gripping it too tightly to stop herself from laughing.


    Brooks would buy and sell any information as long as you paid, and she''d even help you dig up dirt. But her reliability was both high and low. If you paid 5 gold for a piece of information and someone offered her more, she''d sell you fake info, then come back and sincerely apologize for switching sides. Of course, she wouldn''t refund your money.


    She''d also sell the same info to multiple people at different prices! It seemed like she had a way of knowing how much money a person had and how wealthy they were.


    There was even a thread on the forums where a few people who had bought info from Brooks compared notes and discovered that they''d all bought information on the same topic from her, but at different prices¡ªone paid 1 gold, another paid 2, another only paid 30 silver, and someone else paid 1 gold and 21 silver.


    In the end, everyone concluded that Brooks might have a *Divine Gift* called *Big Data* that could assess how much money someone had and set prices accordingly.


    Since she became famous, Brooks rarely went to the black market anymore, afraid of being hunted. But as someone who had once fled for her life alongside Brooks, Rita knew her hideouts.


    After waiting for her *Disguise* skill''s cooldown to finish, Rita changed into an outfit that made her look like an elderly woman in her seventies or eighties. She woke up Nivalis, handed her a video game, and told her to alert Rita if anyone came by.


    Recalling the analysis about Brooks'' skill, she emptied her pockets of all gold, placing it into a chest for Nivalis to guard.


    As if guarding treasure was Nivalis'' hidden talent, the little dragon immediately enlarged herself, curling around the chest and abandoning her game to gaze at the gold with shining eyes.


    Rita glanced worriedly at Nivalis, clutching the chest like a dragon guarding her hoard. Then, activating her *Invisibility* and *Phantom Shift*, she headed to the black market in Los Angeles.


    After dropping her invisibility, she shuffled into a McDonald''s across the street from the black market.


    As Brooks had once said, she didn''t sell information for the money¡ªshe wasn''t particularly interested in it. She simply enjoyed the thrill of living on the edge, knowing she could be exposed at any moment. So, she quit the black market and took up a night shift at the McDonald''s nearby, waiting for old clients or new "destined ones" to seek her out.


    Rita approached the counter and asked the cashier, "Is Brooks here?"


    The cashier gave her a once-over and said, "Wait a moment."


    A few seconds later, the cashier returned, leading a young woman who looked clean and innocent.


    As soon as the girl saw Rita, she covered her eyes with one hand, exclaiming, "Whoa! Flashy!"


    Rita, with only 50 silver left on her: "..."


    She remembered her first encounter with Brooks in her past life. Back then, Brooks had said, "Whoa! You look so broke!"


    Rita suspected Brooks'' *Divine Gift* didn''t just tell her if someone was rich or poor¡ªit might even reveal how much wealth they had in total. Even stashing her gold with Nivalis wasn''t foolproof since, in a way, she and Nivalis were connected.

 Chapter 155 Shocking! Why is an 80-Year-Old Granny Like This?

    Rita''s heart tightened immediately, realizing that just like how Apache could detect a person disguising as a Blue Planet person through magical fluctuations, this kind of "wealthy aura" was also a flaw¡ªone that even her Disguise skill couldn''t cover up. The anonymity on the wealth leaderboard only hid her ID, not her wealth in the real world.


    And with the huge disparity between her wealth and others, it would be hard to meet anyone else at her level. If someone were to recognize her in person, wouldn''t she be exposed in minutes?


    Is this Brooks'' Divine Gift skill or a special tool? Does it have limits?


    Without hesitation, Rita switched off the energy-saving mode on her Cha?vez Watch and began to Insight Brooks'' detailed information. Before, when she was dealing with Brooks, things had been rushed, and she had never really looked into it.


    **[Character]**: MightySocks (Level 3, 2.783%)


    **[Race]**: Human (?)


    **[Racial Talent]**: Undead Will | Feeding


    **[Health]**: 100/100


    **[Mana]**: 150/150


    **[Strength]**: 8


    **[Constitution]**: 10


    **[Intelligence]**: 11


    **[Agility]**: 17


    **[Luck]**: 7


    **[Charisma]**: 7


    **[Divine Gift]**: Know-It-All (B-grade)


    **[Skill 1]**: Truth or Fake?! - You can discern the truth of any information, whether text, image, story, or prophecy. Upon using this skill, you will know if it is true or false (this skill may fail when encountering S-level or higher information). Each use consumes 20% of your mana, with a cooldown of one natural day.


    **[Skill 2]**: I Swear on My Life - After using this skill, you can designate one false message, and for the next seven days, everyone will believe this false message to be true. Each use consumes 100% of your mana, with a cooldown of 15 natural days.


    While walking with Brooks toward a corner of the restaurant, Rita read through Brooks'' information. Upon seeing her race and talent, she realized Brooks had participated in the closed beta and was indeed undead. She wondered if they had ever crossed paths in the city.


    Meanwhile, Brooks was still hunched over, coughing in the middle of the restaurant.


    A few seconds later, she straightened up and looked around in confusion, noticing that everyone was staring at her. "What happened?"


    The customer holding the tray took a long moment before attempting to summarize: "Well, uh... there was this old lady, and she was walking with you, then you two just... started staring at each other? Then you both said something like, ''No way!'' And then she... jumped on you and made you drink a potion?"


    MightySocks: "Huh?"


    Rita, now invisible, bolted from the restaurant. She started mentally reviewing every interaction she''d had with Brooks, wondering if she''d ever thought anything incriminating during their previous deals. Probably not. At most, it was something like, "This way, they won''t trace it back to me." After all, who consciously thinks their own name while pondering things?


    She had let her guard down. From now on, she needed to make it a habit to check everyone''s Divine Gift the moment she met them!


    Last time, she had warned herself to keep a constant eye on players'' talents, but with so many people around daily, it was easy to get complacent.


    Rita mentally noted this lesson.


    She''d have to postpone her plans to get the intel for now. First, she needed to find a way to shield her thoughts, and more urgently, a way to hide how much wealth she possessed. Especially the latter¡ªthis was a weakness she had never anticipated.


    Why couldn''t the Cha?vez Watch''s Concealment ability also block mind-reading?


    Good heavens, how much had MightySocks heard in their past interactions?


    Despicable! This skill is too despicable!


    One day, she would get it for herself!


    Back home, Rita deactivated her Disguise and finally managed to wrestle the money box from Nivalis'' grip. The little dragon, just like Apache, had a fatal flaw¡ªshe was a sucker for good looks. According to Nivalis herself, part of why she agreed to follow Rita was that Rita was strong, and the other part was because she was pretty.


    When Rita took the money box away, Nivalis whined, wanting to keep it a bit longer.


    Nivalis rolled around on the bed, whining, "Other owners always let their pets guard their treasure~."


    Rita wasn''t having it: "Acting cute won''t work. We''re equals, remember? You''re not a pet."


    Nivalis rolled over and lay on her side, using her wingtip to prop up her head as she sulked. "You''ve changed. You used to say you needed me to protect you. You said I was your only friend. You used to lift me up high and call me your Chihuahua. Now I just want to play with some coins, and you get mad at me.


    When you took that box of gold earlier, your thoughts were all, ''Not a single copper coin is missing,'' and ''Did my Nivalis baby feel lonely today?''"


    Rita: "..."

 Chapter 156 Ah Right, Moms Fertile Body

    Nivalis sighed, "I get it now. Silence is also an answer."


    Rita silently picked up her tablet from the nightstand, unlocked it¡ªopened the video app¡ªand then checked her watch history...


    Hmm? It was all cartoons. Nothing seemed wrong.


    She scanned the area around Nivalis and didn''t see her phone. "What have you been up to lately?"


    Nivalis turned over, presenting her back to Rita.


    Rita, remembering how she''d given Nivalis a phone to get Scarlett to send her photos, asked, "Has my mom been teaching you something weird?"


    Nivalis immediately lay down and pretended to snore.


    Rita decided she''d ask Scarlett about it directly some other time...


    Just as she was about to head downstairs for a midnight snack, she paused. Nivalis had so many skills, maybe she could help?


    She quickly turned back, sitting on the edge of the bed, patting the dragon''s back, and asked sweetly, "Our clever little Nivalis, do you happen to have a way to make others unable to see how much money your dear sister has~?"


    Nivalis groaned, "Stop it. Even dragons get scared when you act like this."


    A few hours earlier:


    Rita: *Defeated dragon, no need to flatter.*


    A few hours later:


    Rita: "Hi, my sweet baby!"


    Rita hugged the little dragon, offering her some jerky as a treat. "Sister has a little problem. Can you help me out?"


    Munching on the jerky, Nivalis spoke with her mouth full, "Tell me what''s going on."


    Rita explained the situation about someone being able to sense her wealth and fortune.


    Who would''ve thought being rich could be a liability?


    Nivalis replied, "Oh, that''s easy. I can add a layer of protection to your money pouch, like how I conceal my own Divine Gift. That way, others won''t be able to see it clearly."


    Unsurprisingly, they were both awake, replying almost immediately¡ªconfirming Rick''s suspicion.


    **[Samuel, I never expected this]**: Rick... Your dad knows this was a mistake. This child was truly an accident. Once the child is born, we can tell them that you are their father. Is that okay?


    **[Scarlett didn''t want it either]**: Ah, right, it''s my fault. I have a naturally fertile body. Find your next read on empire


    **[Samuel, I never expected this]**: Rick, please try to understand your father...


    **[Scarlett didn''t want it either]**: Rick, forgive your mother. You''ll always be my most beloved child.


    **[Family, I was wrong]**: I''m giving you two weeks. Mom, the longer you wait, the more dangerous it gets for your health. Do it as soon as possible.


    With that, he turned off his phone, taking one last look at the Wilson family villa before walking away.


    ...


    The next day, Rita woke up early to grind for two hours in the dungeon, stabilizing her spot in the top 30 on the level leaderboard. Then, she rushed to Lania Kaia Star for an hour of classes. By noon, she was back on Blue Star, studying Moonfox materials, completing her rooftop orders, training in the afternoon, and cooking in the evening¡ªmost of her food ended up in Nivalis'' belly.


    Nivalis hovered in the air, munching on chips while watching Rita cook. "You seem to be busy every day."


    Rita corrected her, "I always have things to do every minute of the day. It''s called being productive."


    Nivalis nodded, "Then I''m pretty productive too." Eat, sleep, play games, and pet cats.


    Rita: No argument there.


    Rita only felt secure when she was constantly improving herself, busy every second. It made her feel like she was making the most of her second chance at life. "Human lives are short. You dragons can live for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, but we humans only live a little over a century."


    Even with the digitalization of human bodies, humans hadn''t become immortal. In the third year of the game invasion, Blue Star researchers revealed how digitization affected human lifespan.


    After the age of 80, a person''s maximum health would begin to decline each year. This would show up as a portion of the health bar turning gray, meaning it couldn''t be healed.


    People with lower constitution lost more of their health, while those with higher constitution retained more. The lowest recorded threshold was 5%, meaning that theoretically, everyone could live to at least 100. During this time, if people increased their constitution, they could live even longer.


    Of course, this wasn''t the ultimate limit. After all, it was only the third year of the invasion, and players were only in their 20s level-wise. Even those in power who had help leveling up couldn''t have gained that many levels yet.


    At least, the top 100 players on the leaderboard weren''t elderly. They were all young people grinding dungeons day in and day out.


    They weren''t grinding to live longer¡ªthey just genuinely loved playing.

 Chapter 157 Stop Chanting...

    Nivalis crunched down on the chips with loud, satisfying snaps. For a dragon, chips were as soft as porridge, but she liked the sound they made when crushed. Crumbs scattered like snowflakes, and Rita winced as she watched the mess. With a wave of her hand, she used a cleaning spell to clear the floor.


    Nivalis grinned as she floated to the other side of the room. "But you''ve made an equal contract with me. Your lifespan will be extended, too¡ªyou''ll live for at least 500 years."


    Rita, mid-flip with the spatula as she was about to turn the steak, froze. She whipped her head around to stare at Nivalis, her voice trembling with excitement. "Really?"


    Nivalis responded casually, "Of course. Even though our stats aren''t shared, a dragon can extend the lifespan of the other party in an equal contract. It''s one of our blessings." Continue reading at empire


    Rita''s heart raced. "So you''re willing to give me this blessing?"


    Nivalis flapped her tiny wings and sat in midair. "Sure. It doesn''t cost me anything. It''s a dragon''s gift. If I like you, I''ll grant it."


    Rita couldn''t believe it. "This blessing... You won''t take it back if we ever argue, right?"


    Nivalis straightened up angrily, pointing a wing toward the sky. "Of course not! What do you take me for, some lousy dragon? Only a scumbag would take back a gift once it''s given! For example, if I gave someone 53,028 gold coins, I''d never take it back, even if we fought!"


    Rita: "..." Thank you for not directly naming me but instead citing the exact amount of my bank account balance.


    Rita turned back to her cooking, deliberately exaggerating, "Oh no! My steak''s burned!"


    Nivalis: ...Your wings have grown stronger!


    ...


    As the night fell, Brooks stood behind the coffee machine, zoning out.


    She had rewatched the security footage from the previous night. The old lady had started out acting quite normal, looking like someone who genuinely wanted to do business with her. Judging from the fact that she hadn''t lost anything except for an hour of memory, Brooks figured the old woman must''ve discovered her mind-reading ability...


    Sigh. The world was vast. She could read minds, so why couldn''t someone else discover it?


    The old lady had actually shown mercy, only erasing one hour of her memory. If she had been more ruthless, Brooks wouldn''t have survived.


    As she was lost in thought, a sharp scratching sound caught her attention. It was like nails dragging across glass. Brooks looked out the window, but no one was there.


    Rita casually replied, "Glad you are."


    What happened last night had been a reflex. Still, given the chance, she would''ve done the same thing again. If she hadn''t reacted like that, she would''ve been constantly on guard against Brooks'' ability. The more she reminded herself not to think certain thoughts, the more likely she would think them. She wouldn''t have been able to tell if her thoughts were her own or if Brooks had influenced them.


    Today, however, she came fully prepared. Before arriving, she had recited *The Lord''s Prayer* five times.


    She even learned three catchy Christian hymns.


    Her mind was squeaky clean.


    Sitting down, she asked Brooks, "Can you use your mind-reading on me again?"


    That morning, Rita had asked Apache if there was any way to deal with mind-reading. Apache had shrugged it off, saying she didn''t know because no one dared to use mental abilities on her. Though Apache hadn''t explained why, her response reminded Rita of a skill she had bought long ago.


    *[Soul Resistance (Passive)] (S)*: Provides a permanent spiritual defense. Immune to mind-control abilities. Reduces damage from mental attacks by 30%.


    At the time, the words *mind-control* had scared her enough to buy it, just in case. Since it was a passive skill, she had nearly forgotten about it over time.


    If mind-reading counted as a mental ability, would it be considered a mental attack?


    Brooks hesitated.


    Rita pulled out the first note again, pointing to the line: *"Considering I didn''t kill you or reveal your Divine Gift to anyone..."*


    Brooks: Fine, you win...


    Brooks sighed, "Alright. But I''m doing it because you asked, okay? Don''t go forcing potions down my throat again."


    Rita nodded and began silently chanting *Psalm 23*. At the same time, she gathered up the notes on the table, planning to burn them later.


    A few seconds later, Brooks'' expression became one of utter confusion. She cut the connection and said, "I could read it, but it was choppy, like bad reception. Something about... the Lord is my shepherd... green pastures... mercy...


    goodness..."


    Brooks clutched her head. "Can I stop now? Seriously, enough with the scripture..."

 Chapter 158 Then Good

    Rita understood now. That skill did indeed affect mind-reading, reducing the damage by 30%, which made the thoughts harder to read clearly. But even a few leaked key words could still be dangerous at times.


    Rita wasn''t ready to give up yet. "Can you try guiding my thoughts?"


    MightySocks, eager to get this over with and send this person away, reluctantly focused her thoughts: *"MightySocks has it rough. I should ease up on her."*


    Suddenly, Rita''s mind was flooded with the thought: *MightySocks really does have it tough... Maybe I should let it go.*


    If Rita hadn''t been prepared for this, she wouldn''t have doubted that this thought was her own. Even with her passive skill reducing the damage, it didn''t seem to weaken this particular ability.


    Wait¡ªwasn''t this a form of mind control? Or was her resistance still not high enough? Rita made a mental note to¡ª*No, stop! Think about this at home.*


    She shook off the thought, got to the point, and said, "You can stop now. We''re even after yesterday."


    MightySocks sighed with relief. The reason she had agreed to follow Rita''s requests was because she sensed that Rita wasn''t ruthless. She wasn''t one of those maniacs who would kill you the moment you crossed a line. As long as they could talk it out, they could settle things. If Rita said they were even, then they were.


    Plus, Brooks knew using her mind-reading ability uninvited had been out of line¡ªthough she''d still do it again.


    Rita continued, "Is this place secure for a conversation?"


    MightySocks took out a lollipop and stuck it in the middle of the table. "It''s safe now. Only someone who touches the table can hear anything within a meter of it."


    Rita recognized the lollipop from her previous life. She quickly used her *Insight* skill again to verify its effect. Sure enough, it was exactly as Brooks said. Satisfied, she began, "I have some free information about the Lopez family''s eldest daughter. You can sell it to anyone¡ªthe White family, the Lee family, whoever.


    But you must sell it to someone in the Lopez family, whether it''s Matthew, Mateo, or Theodore."


    Brooks wasn''t so easily fooled. She wagged a finger at Rita. "You''re just using me to do your dirty work because you can''t expose yourself. That costs extra."


    Why did Rita understand this so well? Because in her previous life, when the news broke that Zoey''s high-level healing skill could restore lost limbs, everyone had been gathered at the Wilson family estate. Zoey had joked that her skill wasn''t meant for just any cat or dog.


    Yet, before the meal was over, the Lopez family had made an official announcement on Zoey''s behalf, telling anyone interested in collaborating with her to contact the family patriarch.


    The look on Zoey''s face at that moment had been chilling, and for the first time, Rita had felt a bit sorry for her.


    "Zoey''s everything belongs to the Lopez family, and everything about her is decided by the family patriarch." For someone like Zoey, that approach was an outright insult to her dignity.


    Not long after, Theodore was dead.


    Rita wouldn''t have connected the two events in her previous life, but with everything she had learned this time around, she couldn''t help but wonder if there was more to the story. Perhaps things weren''t as simple as they had seemed. She realized now how shallow her understanding had been before.


    This move wasn''t entirely secure¡ªRita figured she had about a 90% chance of success.


    But if it worked, it could spark a major conflict between Zoey and the Lopez family. And most likely, Zoey, who was still at a disadvantage, would be the one forced to back down.


    What if it failed? Well, there were always other ways to stir the pot.


    Rita pocketed the twelve gold coins Brooks handed her and stood up to leave. But before she could step away, Brooks stopped her. "Want to add me as a friend?"


    Rita was baffled. "Why did I bother turning into a cat and pretending to be an old lady if we''re just going to be friends?"


    Brooks sighed. "...Ok. I''m fine."


    Rita smirked. "Then good."


    With that, she turned and left. She needed to get home and sleep. If she didn''t go to bed early, she''d end up messing up the sleep schedule she had just fixed.


    Honestly, she couldn''t understand why MightySocks had to do all this dangerous business at night. Why not work a normal daytime shift?

 Chapter 159 Every Question I Ask is a Trap Ive Fallen Into

    While Rita was busy with her own plans, Josephine was also hard at work. It had taken great effort to finally obtain Rick''s blood sample.


    Ever since he overheard Wilson''s parents'' reactions from his third uncle, Josephine knew there was something wrong with Rick. But last time, Zoey and Rick had managed to gloss over the issue. This time, he needed solid evidence¡ªwords alone wouldn''t be enough.


    Going back and forth with the same accusations¡ª"You''re sick!" "No, I''m not!"¡ªwas too childish. That wouldn''t solve anything.


    Josephine tracked down where Zoey''s group was grinding in the game and paid a hefty price to bribe the two guards stationed at the dungeon entrance. Their task was to collect Rick''s blood in exchange for a full set of equipment and 30 gold coins.


    Even though Zoey and Rick switched dungeons due to leveling up, Josephine was prepared to bribe new guards. But it turned out Zoey thought those original guards were reliable and brought them along to the new location.


    Josephine waited from mid-July to mid-August. Then, a few days ago, his patience finally paid off. One day, when Rick exited the dungeon, there was blood at the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away and flicked his hand, scattering a few droplets, which the guards quickly collected.


    Though there were only a few drops, the White family employed a maid with a Divine Gift that could replicate substances. Though it had limitations and a time constraint, replicating a small amount of blood was no issue.


    Josephine also managed to acquire Samuel''s blood¡ªit was much easier. He simply had someone sneak into the Wilson family''s mansion and take a sample.


    And so, that morning, two documents lay on the desk: one was a blood test result, and the other was a report confirming the biological relationship between Samuel and the blood sample, showing that it belonged to Rick.


    Ariana sat behind the desk, while Josephine and Sanchez sat across from her.


    Ariana, unlike her daughter Sanchez, looked nothing like her. While Sanchez was strikingly beautiful and alluring, Ariana exuded a gentle elegance. She wore frameless glasses and gave the impression of a serene florist or an artist leisurely traveling the world without a care.


    "Yeah, but this doesn''t prove it''s Rick''s blood," Sanchez remarked, frowning. "What if they claim Rita''s the sick one?"


    Ariana couldn''t help but chuckle at her daughter''s naivety.


    "Rita may not be a mute, but even if she were, she has the world''s only dragon. She''s practically a national treasure now. Do you really think Rick and Zoey would dare point the finger at her? The moment they tried to blame her, the Special Affairs Bureau would storm into the Lopez house and drag Rick in for a checkup. Once they''re in the hospital, even if Rita''s fine, all signs will point to Rick."


    Sanchez smiled sheepishly. Though she feared her mother, Ariana''s warmth and wisdom made her feel secure. She admired and adored her mother, and even when Ariana laughed at her, it was always with a kind tone.


    Josephine rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Sis, when do we release this online?"


    Sanchez grinned eagerly, nodding along.


    In under a minute, the three of them were smiling from ear to ear.


    ...


    At the Lopez residence, things hadn''t been going so well for Matthew lately.


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    Despite the family''s early involvement in the game''s beta testing and their careful planning, they had run into a string of bad luck.


    First, they lost a significant amount of gold from their vault. Then, his daughter had her ear cut off. And, as if that wasn''t enough, back during the game''s official invasion, Matthew had received a tip from his Special Affairs Bureau informant. He had learned that, in late December of the previous year, a large sum of gold had been requisitioned by the Bureau.


    That last piece of news was the one that finally convinced Matthew to convert some of the family''s assets into gold.


    And what happened next? The very day he made the conversion, a portion of it was stolen. Since then, all the people clamoring for gold had vanished. The Special Affairs Bureau, after taking the gold, had gone quiet.


    Where were they now?


    His streak of bad luck didn''t end there. Whenever he and Mateo or Theodore led dungeon raids, some people in their party always had terrible luck. Although no one complained, Matthew knew they all secretly wished they could follow Zoey and Rick. Those two were famous within the Lopez family for their incredible luck.


    Especially Rick. The jewelry he crafted always rolled the highest stats possible.


    But those two claimed that it was faster to level up in a smaller group and didn''t like taking others along. There was a time when they took 16 people from their side of the family, only to kick them all out later.


    Matthew took a drag of his cigarette and asked Mateo, who sat across from him, "Do you think they just don''t want to bring anyone, or are they hiding something from us?"


    Mateo didn''t answer the question directly. Instead, he brought up another issue. "It''s been harder to get her to come back and sing *Hopeful Hymn* lately."


    Matthew chuckled softly, his voice tinged with affection. "She''s proud. Of course, she''d be upset about having to sing for the family. You just need to pamper her a bit."


    Mateo sighed, smiling helplessly. "She already gets to pick whatever she wants from the family''s treasures. What more can I offer?"


    As they spoke, both of them simultaneously received a message from MightySocks.

 Chapter 160 Only When Im Strong, Lopez Can Prosper!

    No wonder MightySocks is doing so well!


    There are other brokers selling information, but most of them only deal with minor heads of families or factions. Not MightySocks though¡ªshe goes straight to the top leaders of major families.


    No one knows how she pulls it off.


    After reading the information from her, Matthew''s first reaction was to tell Mateo that MightySocks had come to sell them information again.


    Mateo shut his mouth. His first thought was the same.


    The two had even once experienced buying information from MightySocks at the same dinner table, unaware of each other''s dealings.


    [Matthew]: Just talk to me. My son''s sitting right across from me.


    [MightySocks]: Ah, haha, what a coincidence! Want to buy? I''ve got the latest on Zoey. You''ll be interested for sure.


    [Matthew]: My daughter? I already know everything about her.


    [MightySocks]: Oh? Are you referring to that player you sent to track her?


    [Matthew]: She bought him off?


    [MightySocks]: Let''s call that a freebie.


    [Matthew]: How much?


    [MightySocks]: The Lopez family is always straightforward. Not too expensive¡ª20 gold. I''ll send it to you first. If you think it''s worth it, you pay.


    Matthew knew himself well enough. Even though MightySocks offered to send the information first, he knew he''d pay. His reputation was worth more than 20 gold. But if it were Josephine? She''d probably reply, "Hahaha, put it on my tab," and never pay.


    After receiving the email, Matthew clenched his teeth and transferred the money, suppressing his anger.


    Without even caring what Zoey was doing, he immediately called her, demanding she return to the Lopez family estate.


    That night, Zoey returned home with Rick after leveling up. Knowing how Rick''s luck benefited the Lopez family, and how everything seemed to go smoothly after meals together, she brought him straight to Matthew''s study.


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    This was the first time someone told him outright, "Not enough."


    Matthew opened his mouth, then closed it again. After a few seconds, he softened his tone, speaking earnestly, "Sweetheart, your gift is a supreme support ability. You were born to help lead the Lopez family to greatness. When the Lopez family prospers, you''ll prosper too."


    Zoey laughed¡ªa clear, melodious laugh full of mockery. She walked to the desk, placed her hands on the edge, and leaned in, towering over the man she used to look up to.


    "You say you''ve been good to me? Then let me ask you, have I not been good enough to you?


    "After discovering the game, I brought you all into the beta test. I gave advice, used my connections to buy medicine and equipment, and used my Divine Gift to help you build a team. And what about you?


    "The so-called people loyal to *my* branch of the family? When I give an order, and Mateo gives an order, they hesitate, unsure who to follow.


    "No matter when we''re out raiding dungeons, I''m never the one in charge. After defeating bosses, you and Mateo get to distribute the loot, while the things I earn leading my own team have to be handed over to the family for redistribution based on contribution. You and Mateo, even Grandpa, can assign teams as you like, but I have to apply for it.


    "*Power.* I want *power!* I want the authority you''re all holding onto so tightly! I don''t want your love, your sweet talk, or your so-called access to the vault. Don''t you see the difference? Or do you see it all too well?


    "I''m doing fine right now. It''s *you* who can''t live without *me.* Father, in this world, the strong are the ones who speak. If I walk out right now and announce I''m leaving the Lopez family, who do you think they''ll follow¡ªyou or me?


    "That pack of dogs outside¡ªthey''re staying because of my Divine Gift, not because of loyalty to you!


    "Lopez family''s prosperity equals my prosperity?


    "No! You''ve got it backward.


    "It''s only when *I''m* doing well that the Lopez family can do well!"


    Zoey''s words grew colder and colder.


    Matthew''s face was tense, his jaw clenched. He was on the brink of exploding with anger, but he had to hold it in because Zoey was right¡ªthe Lopez family couldn''t do without her.


    Mateo, on the other hand, couldn''t stand Zoey''s arrogance.


    He stood up, walked over, and shoved her away from the desk. The sight of Zoey looking down at Matthew had been unnerving.


    "You think just because they''d follow you out the door that they''d respect you?" Mateo sneered. "So what if you have an S-rank Gift? You really think the moment you leave, they won''t find a way to lock you up in some place where no one will ever find you? They''ll treat you like a tool, like an object, and you''ll wish you were dead."


    That hit a nerve. That was exactly why Zoey didn''t want to break ties or turn the table just yet.

 Chapter 161 Thank You, Really, Thank You

    At this point, Zoey still needed the protection of the Lopez family.


    Even though her level was now in the top tier, and she had plenty of attack skills, her attributes were still far too low. She couldn''t protect herself properly. Her S-tier Divine Gift was both a treasure and a danger.


    Unless she left the Lopez family and immediately joined another powerful faction, the treatment she''d receive elsewhere would never be as good as what the Lopez family provided¡ªnot even from the Special Affairs Bureau.


    But knowing this didn''t help. Sometimes, people don''t act purely out of reason; they live driven by a fire inside. If things were going well for Zoey, she might have been able to bear it all, knowing that by enduring short-term humiliation, she could later reclaim more.


    But she wasn''t doing well right now, and that made it impossible for her to force herself to endure any more¡ªit would be too cruel to herself.


    Two years ago, she had already bowed and endured once. This time, she couldn''t play the obedient "good girl" or the "daddy''s sweetheart." Giving up the dragon now would mean giving up her chance at turning things around.


    Zoey raised her hand and gently wiped away the nearly invisible tear marks on her face, her voice calm as she spoke, "Aren''t you already trying to do the same thing? Lock me up, treat me like a tool or a piece of equipment."


    "If you want the dragon, then go ahead and disown me from the Lopez family first."


    Rick led Zoey out of the study, out of the main house of the Lopez estate, and toward their small villa.


    Neither of them spoke along the way. The warm summer breeze blew, making their tightly clasped hands even hotter, but neither let go.


    Rick''s mind was a mess. He had never seen Zoey so heartbroken. He felt that even when Zoey lost her last ear, she hadn''t been this devastated.


    Back then, Zoey had been more angry than hurt. But tonight, the pain overwhelmed the anger¡ªthere might not have been any anger at all, just profound sadness and disappointment.


    Later that night, they lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.


    Rick suddenly broke the silence, "You know, I kind of hate you."


    Zoey replied, "Want to get whipped again?"


    Rick sighed, "I know I was the one who wronged you first... I just... can we renegotiate the terms?"


    Zoey sat up, raising an eyebrow, "So, you''re really craving a beating, huh?" She grabbed a whip from her game inventory and pointed to the floor. "Get over there and kneel."


    Rick quickly rolled away, distancing himself from her as he spoke rapidly, "I have a feather. I got it before our contract, and it can absorb someone''s luck. If you''re willing to renegotiate our deal, I''ll give it to you. At least let me keep some dignity, like only giving you half my earnings each month. I don''t want to be treated like a tool or a piece of equipment either."


    Zoey''s hand froze mid-motion, her eyes glinting in the darkness as she stared at Rick for a long time. "You''re really calculating, aren''t you? You deliberately chose to bring this up now, thinking I''d sympathize with you because of what I''ve been through? Ha, sorry to disappoint you, but I won''t. People like you, once you rise to power, the first thing you''ll do is kill me."


    She was already too busy trying to take care of herself; there was no way she''d feel sorry for Rick.


    Rick sighed, "You really are smart... I realized I can''t find a single weakness or flaw in you."


    ...


    Rita had no idea Rick had such preferences. Otherwise, she might have tried to talk Zoey out of whipping him, fearing that it might actually make Rick enjoy it.


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    The next morning, Rita woke up to a shock. In front of her was a huge, translucent projection of Nivalis, taking up the entire room.


    Unlike the usually cute and docile dragon, this Nivalis was fully unleashed. Her eyes glowed with ice-blue dragon flames, the fire extending to the corners of her eyes, burning fiercely despite the lack of wind. Magic surged within her, and every scale shimmered with a flow of magical light.


    Instinctively, Rita Phantom Shifted out of the room, landing on the floor outside in her pajamas.


    A second later, Nivalis''s laughter echoed from inside.


    Rita: "..."


    After taking some time to give Nivalis a thorough beating, Rita began preparing her backpack for tomorrow''s trip to Moonfox City. With the dragon raid scheduled for September 1st, she needed to handle Apache''s task before that.


    She had already learned the customs and etiquette of the Moonfox tribe and had memorized the magical runes Apache required. The map of Moonfox City was firmly etched in her mind, and she had even prepared escape routes. Tools to carry the books? Check. A ladder to climb and reach higher shelves? Check.


    Nivalis floated nearby, munching on an ice cream. "Where are you going?"


    "Moonfox City. You know where that is?"


    "The main city of the Moonfox tribe?"


    "Yeah. If all goes well, I''ll be back by tomorrow night."


    "And if it doesn''t?"


    Rita wasn''t about to jinx herself. She wasn''t going to say anything like "I''ll be back for dinner" or "Don''t worry, everything will go smoothly"¡ªshe wasn''t about to tempt fate with that kind of talk!


    "Haha, well, you know, who can say? We''ll see."


    Thinking Rita was lacking confidence, Nivalis decided to encourage her. "Don''t worry! It''ll all be fine. Everything will work out. You''re my friend, after all, and I''m Nivalis! Go on, I''ll be waiting here for you to come back and have dinner with me!"


    Rita raised her hand to stop Nivalis from talking, but it was too late.


    She sighed.


    "Thank you. Really, thank you."

 Chapter 162 Theyre Actually Running Away with the Baby!

    On the morning of August 29th, Rita was busy restocking the rooftop vending machine when her phone started buzzing non-stop.


    Rita: ?


    She had already muted all the irrelevant chats¡ªfamily and gaming groups¡ªand anyone important could reach her via in-game chat. So who could it be?


    She checked her phone and found herself added to a new three-person group chat with only her, Samuel, and Scarlett. The two had even changed their usernames.


    **Scarlett also didn''t want this**: @Rita Your dad and I are leaving for a while. Can you check on the house every few days?


    **Rita**: Where are you two going?


    **Samuel truly didn''t expect this**: Heading south.


    **Rita**: Going south to take care of the pregnancy? It''s really hot down there right now.


    **Scarlett also didn''t want this**: Had a dream last night. The baby said it wanted to see the south.


    Rita: ...Are they really running away with the baby?!


    She didn''t need to ask further; they were clearly running to the north to hide from Rick and were also trying to keep her from snitching.


    **Rita**: Does Rick know?


    **Samuel truly didn''t expect this**: Your brother''s busy. Don''t tell him, okay? If he asks, just say we looked upset, seemed distressed, borrowed some money from you, and went on a trip.


    **Rita**: Got it.


    **Scarlett also didn''t want this**: Yeah, we borrowed some money and went on a trip.


    **Rita**: 1


    **Scarlett also didn''t want this**: ...


    **Samuel truly didn''t expect this**: ...


    **Rita**: ?


    After playing dumb for a moment, Rita immediately turned around and tattled to Rick.


    **Rita**: Did you upset Mom and Dad? They said they''re heading south, and they told me not to tell you. Do you not want a little brother or sister?


    **Rita**: Mom''s only been pregnant for a month¡ªshe''s still in a fragile stage. Be considerate.


    Nivalis caught a glimpse of the fluffy white tails sticking out from under the bed and tried to grab one, but missed.


    ...


    Rita had tucked an earpiece, given to her by Apache, behind her ear. It was a discreet translator, converting the local language directly into her ear. Besides that, she wore a half-mask, beautifully crafted in Moonfox style, covering the lower half of her face. The veil was elegant and appropriately thick, just enough to hide her mouth.


    She swished her gray tails around behind her, each tail moving like a flexible extra limb. When fully extended, the tails were longer than Rita''s upper body, and when relaxed, they dragged on the ground. Most Moonfoxes kept their tails slightly raised to avoid dirtying them.


    Today''s outfit had been picked out by Apache. Made from Moonfox silk, it was opaque and beautiful, though the pants were a bit odd¡ªthey had a hole in the back, with elastic fabric around it to let her tails through without being too revealing.


    In her past life, Rita had seen and even killed Moonfoxes, but those she encountered had no more than three tails, along with fox ears and whiskers on their heads.


    Six-tailed Moonfoxes, like her current disguise, had no trace of fox-like features on their faces. To the Moonfox tribe, tails were a symbol of strength, while ears and whiskers represented animalistic traits and inferiority.


    Her forged profile showed her as a 64th-level six-tailed Moonfox named **Frost Embroidery**.


    As she passed the alchemy shop, Rita briefly made eye contact with Apache, who was sitting by the window.


    Rita''s expression remained stern, but her six tails swayed in greeting. Even though this face looked unfamiliar, Apache knew it was definitely that rascal. No one else could pull off that cocky, punchable vibe, coupled with an attention-grabbing aura.


    A hundred percent, it was her.


    Apache glanced away, flipping a page of her book.


    The three main cities of the Moonfox tribe were far from the undead cities. It cost Rita 18 gold to teleport to **Moonfox City**.


    Walking through the city, Rita noticed that every Moonfox she passed, unless they were royal foxes with runes on their faces, bowed respectfully to her¡ªthey even sniffed her ears. Explore more stories with empire


    According to Apache, this was the Moonfox way of showing submission and offering their magical aura. The higher-ranked Moonfox could choose to remember the aura, which allowed them to find the lower-ranked fox for the next three days.


    The Moonfoxes were exquisitely beautiful, rivaling the elves, and each exuded a unique, intoxicating fragrance. No two Moonfoxes smelled exactly the same.


    Rita had applied the perfume Apache gave her as part of her disguise. She had smelled it before applying it, but once on her body, the scent became undetectable to her.


    Being approached by these beautiful creatures, with their gentle breath on her ears, wasn''t entirely unpleasant, especially since she didn''t have to reciprocate. Of course, if she encountered any seven- or eight-tailed Moonfoxes, she would have to offer them the same courtesy.


    But according to Apache, seven- and eight-tailed Moonfoxes were as rare as city rulers, so they were unlikely to cross paths.


    As for the highest-ranked Moonfoxes, the **Nine-Tailed Moonfoxes,** there were only nine in the entire tribe¡ªknown as the **Nine Moon Emperors.**


    Each main city had three Moon Emperors, keeping each other in check to ensure no one slacked off more than the others.


    There was no chance of seeing one of the Moon Emperors on the streets¡ªwhy would they bother walking among commoners?

 Chapter 163 Moonfox City Library

    After having her ears blown on the entire way, Rita felt like her ears had gone numb by the time she reached the library. Climbing up the hundreds of steps, she finally stood in front of the grand entrance. Guarding either side of the door were two three-tailed Moonfox guards, with a four-tailed Moonfox pacing nearby. As soon as they noticed Rita, all three of them approached.


    And once again, Rita''s ears were blown on three times.


    The four-tailed Moonfox asked, "Which clan do you belong to?" Stay updated through empire


    "Frosttail," Rita replied.


    The Moonfox tribe consisted of 72 clans. If one of the clans produced a Nine-Tailed Moon Emperor, that clan would automatically ascend to royalty. Conversely, if their Moon Emperor fell, the clan would have to remove the royal markings from their faces.


    The four-tailed Moonfox pulled out a golden fox tail and respectfully held it out to Rita. "May the Moon Goddess bless all Moonfoxes."


    Apparently, Apache had long coveted the Moonfox''s alchemical tomes and had thoroughly briefed Rita on all the necessary rituals.


    Moonfoxes with six tails or more had the right to freely enter the library to study, but they were required to leave a drop of blood¡ªpreferably from the tip of their ear¡ªat the entrance.


    Rita pinched her earlobe and produced a drop of blood, pressing it onto the fox tail.


    The four-tailed Moonfox stepped back, and the two three-tailed guards opened the five-meter-tall library doors for Rita.


    Rita walked in with confidence, and the doors closed behind her with a heavy thud.


    Inside, Rita felt as though she were wandering through a jungle of bookshelves. Overhead was a sky full of stars, with a bright full moon hanging in the middle. The gentle light from the moon illuminated the books, allowing her to clearly read their titles.


    She felt as if she had entered a labyrinth, with the towering bookshelves forming the walls. As far as her eyes could see, there were shelves upon shelves filled with books. Fortunately, the aisles between the shelves were about three meters wide, and starry lights floated above.


    These stars occasionally clustered together, forming various magical symbols that indicated the category of books in that section.


    Rita had spent days preparing, memorizing the Moonfox language and magical symbols that were unique to the tribe.


    The starlight gave the library a mysterious and enchanting atmosphere, replacing any potential sense of oppression with awe.


    Rita''s plan was to first locate the book Apache wanted, note its exact position, and then make her move in one go.


    This was the basic professional courtesy of being the Thief God¡ªscout the area first, then retrieve the goods.


    Wow!


    ¡ªA seven-tailed Moonfox! Better sniff their ears!


    Is this for real?


    ¡ªOh, another seven-tailed Moonfox! Better go sniff and greet them again!


    These fragrances are really something else...


    ¡ªAnother seven-tailed one! Better sniff again!


    Rita couldn''t help but suspect that in the Moonfox tribe, being smelly was probably a crime punishable by death.


    She even wondered if the ear-sniffing tradition was less about showing magical auras and more about determining whether the other fox''s scent was high-quality.


    Her wrist vibrated, signaling her to drink a cooldown-reset potion. She immediately took out a potion, drank it, and then refreshed her **Disguise** skill. Her appearance didn''t change, but the 59 minutes she had used up were reset.


    She couldn''t afford to linger any longer.


    Reluctantly, Rita left the fragrance section and continued her search.


    But seeing that area convinced her that she should use the escape gem Apache gave her once she got the book.


    Before coming, she had specifically asked Shadow.Q to buy her a skill stone that could instantly teleport her back to Blue Star in case of emergency. She had thought she might not need to use the escape gem and could save it, but now she felt she knew too little about the foreign tribes.


    With tensions high from recent discoveries of Blue Star agents in Lania Kaia, she decided it was better to play it safe. No point in being too cautious only to lose everything in the end.


    After drinking her second cooldown-reset potion, Rita finally found the alchemy section. The number of books here revealed just how little the Moonfox valued alchemy. Compared to the ten shelves of fragrance, alchemy had only two.


    To Apache, the Moonfoxes were a tribe that didn''t appreciate their own gifts. They had been blessed with the secrets of alchemy by the Moon Goddess but chose to focus on fragrance instead. In her view, it was Apache''s noble duty to help the Moonfox tribe restore the glory of alchemy.


    Rita couldn''t help but chuckle to herself. Yeah, right, as if anyone would dare oppose *Lania Kaia''s* sun!


    As Apache''s apprentice, Rita felt it was only natural to assist. How much could she help? Well, as much as she could... or rather, as much as she could get her hands on.

 Chapter 164 Mistblade Moon Emperor

    Finding the books was exponentially more difficult than locating the section. The latter only required scanning the magical symbols on either side of the aisles, but finding the actual books meant checking each one individually.


    Ironically, the most difficult-sounding collection, the 189 volumes of *Moonlight Potions: The Alchemical Key*, turned out to be the easiest to locate due to its sheer size¡ªan entire row of nearly identical titles. Missing it would have been impossible.


    However, the other two collections proved far more challenging. *The Most Mysterious Alchemical Material: Moonshine*, which came in three volumes (upper, middle, and lower), and *Moonlight and Time*, with only two volumes, were scattered among tens of thousands¡ªif not hundreds of thousands¡ªof books. Finding five specific volumes amidst this massive collection was no small feat.


    Additionally, every book in the Moonfox Royal Library was rare and precious, with most having only a single copy. At most, there were no more than three copies of any given title.


    Rita began to feel the strain. Thirty bottles of cooldown-reset potions weren''t enough. She should''ve asked Apache for a hundred!


    She moved from bookshelf to bookshelf, carefully scanning the spines. Despite having studied alchemy with Apache for over half a year, Rita found that she couldn''t even understand most of the book titles here. But that didn''t stop her from treating the search as a learning opportunity. After all, a book title often served as a condensed summary of its content.


    For Rita, this place had become an alchemy class in and of itself.


    She diligently read and memorized the titles while searching for the remaining five volumes. Every time her wrist timer buzzed, she''d drink a potion and reactivate her **Disguise** skill.


    By the time she finished searching the first row of shelves, four hours had passed. In total, she had now been in the library for more than five hours. Stretching her neck, Rita made her way to the second row of alchemical bookshelves. As she rounded a corner, she nearly bumped into someone. Explore stories at empire


    Instinctively, Rita counted the other Moonfox''s tails¡ªsix tails, just like her. She nodded at the Moonfox, who nodded back before hurrying away, her footsteps betraying a hint of anxiety.


    Rita: *Is she a fellow thief?*


    Rita smiled, but her smile quickly froze on her face.


    Standing less than three meters away was a Nine-Tailed Moonfox, clad in a black magical robe. The Moonfox stood by a bookshelf, leisurely flipping through a book. Her nine tails, white except for their black tips, floated behind her, swaying gracefully in the air. The tips of her tails extended a meter or more above her head, gently waving as if moved by a nonexistent breeze.


    If the other Moonfoxes Rita had encountered in Moonfox City each had their unique beauty, then this one epitomized regal elegance. But it wasn''t her appearance that captivated Rita¡ªit was her overwhelming aura. Rita didn''t even dare to use her **Insight** skill from the Cha?vez Watch on her.


    She was powerful. So powerful that anyone who saw her would instinctively feel that to comment on her appearance was disrespectful¡ª*Who am I to judge?*


    Rita understood now why the other Moonfox had hurried away so quickly.


    Rita immediately followed the misty trail. A few minutes later, she arrived at a tall bookshelf. Looking up at the top shelf, where the book sat, she pondered for a moment.


    Using a ladder would be out of the question. While her agility could easily carry her up with a few well-placed steps, that would involve stepping on the shelves and possibly knocking over books. The Mistblade Moon Emperor was still nearby, reading, so that wouldn''t be ideal.


    But there was a solution.


    The Cha?vez Watch had a special ability called **I''m In a Hurry** that allowed her to teleport short distances. There was no restriction on vertical movement, only distance. She focused on a spot halfway up the bookshelf and used the ability.


    *Thwap!* Rita agilely grabbed hold of the shelf''s edge, suspending herself in mid-air with ease. Her hands gripped the ledge, and her body dangled gracefully from the bookshelf.


    *Perfect! 10/10! Elegant!*


    Her six tails swayed happily behind her.


    Now, all she had to do was wait for the skill''s five-second cooldown to end, and she''d teleport again to reach the top shelf and grab the book.


    The Mistblade Moon Emperor, who had been startled by the sound, turned to look at her: "............"


    Five seconds later, Rita retrieved the lower volume of *The Four Seasons of Moon and Alchemy*. She grabbed the upper volume while she was at it and gracefully landed on the floor.


    Quickly returning to the Mistblade Moon Emperor, Rita handed her the requested book. The Emperor stared at her for a moment before waving her away.


    Rita, not daring to linger, swiftly left to continue her search.


    Since she and the Mistblade were now in the same section, even if separated by tens of meters, Rita didn''t dare to openly drink her potions. For the next several hours, she relied on the potions hidden in her Magician''s Fake Tooth.


    Luckily, **Disguise** was a fairly subtle skill. Although it emitted a bit of magical energy, it was focused inward, making it less likely to draw attention¡ªeven from someone like the Mistblade Moon Emperor. After all, the Moonfoxes had far stranger habits.


    Rita didn''t even dare to eat, occasionally taking out a book to pretend to read for a few minutes to avoid suspicion from the Moon Emperor. Finally, after ten hours in the library, Rita had found all the books Apache wanted.


    But a new problem arose.


    The Mistblade Moon Emperor was still there.

 Chapter 165 Charge—!!

    Rita sat cross-legged, flipping through the upper volume of *The Four Seasons of Moon and Alchemy*, patiently waiting for the Mistblade Moon Emperor to leave. Once the Mistblade had found the answers she sought, she turned to leave the library.


    As she glanced back, she noticed the clumsy six-tailed Moonfox was still there, even from a hundred meters away, holding a copy of *The Four Seasons of Moon and Alchemy*.


    The Mistblade thought about the lively perfume section and the quiet, neglected alchemy section, as well as the current decline of Moonfox alchemy. Unable to help herself, she approached the seated six-tail and asked, "What is your success rate in brewing advanced potions?"


    Seeing the Mistblade approach, Rita immediately put down the book and stood up. "Less than 20%," she replied.


    The Mistblade raised an eyebrow. "That book is too advanced for you. If you''re learning alchemy, I recommend this one."


    One of her tails extended, sending a tendril of mist toward a nearby bookshelf at Rita''s 2 o''clock, pulling out a book from the seventh shelf and floating it over to her.


    Rita took it, reading the title aloud, " *Brewing Potions? Isn''t That Something You Can Do If You Have Tails?* " She glanced down. It was written by Mistblade herself.


    Rita couldn''t help but think: *Are you and Apache long-lost sisters?*


    Regardless, Rita understood the Mistblade''s good intentions. Hugging the book to her chest, she respectfully thanked the Moon Emperor, offering her deepest gratitude for the knowledge imparted. "Thank you, Your Excellency Mistblade."


    The Mistblade suddenly asked, "What do you think of perfume and alchemy?"


    This was a tricky question. Judging by the ten entire rows dedicated to perfume research and writings, it was clear that perfume had become a vital skill and craft for the Moonfox race. But according to Apache, the Moonfoxes had once received a divine blessing from the Moon Goddess for their alchemical abilities. There was no doubt that the Mistblade was an advocate for alchemy.


    Despite her unparalleled talents in perfume-making¡ªon par with other Moon Emperors who specialized in it¡ªMistblade''s focus had always been on alchemy. She was the staunchest supporter of alchemical studies among the Nine Moon Emperors, advocating for all Moonfoxes to learn the craft.


    Rita raised her head, her gaze firm as she looked at Mistblade. "I study alchemy to follow in Your Excellency''s footsteps."


    The Mistblade was silent for a few moments. "I cannot give you honor."


    Rita passionately declared, "Your recognition is the highest honor I could ever hope for!"


    The Mistblade''s tails paused briefly before resuming their gentle sway. She nodded approvingly. "You have good taste." With a flick of her sleeve, she casually tossed over a bottle of master-level potion. "A little something. Play around with it."


    Without hesitation, Rita tucked her bag away and teleported five meters forward to dodge the incoming attacks. As soon as she landed, the pressure on her body became unbearable, forcing her to the ground. Instinctively, she bit down on the escape stone in her mouth.


    As the light enveloped her, a refined face and nine white tails with black tips came into view, the figure closing the distance in the blink of an eye. The Moon Emperor''s hand formed into claws, reaching for her.


    In that moment, Rita''s heart raced, but instead of panicking, her professional instincts kicked in. She couldn''t help but pickpocket.


    *Forgive me... I was just thanking the Moon Emperor for her kindness a moment ago. My bad. I''ll turn myself in the next time I''m reborn!*


    In the next second, the light flashed, and Rita appeared in the Undercity''s sewer system. She quickly changed her clothes, destroyed the ones she had worn in the library along with the ladder she used, and cast a cleaning spell on herself. She then doused herself in the second bottle of perfume Apache had given her.


    After drinking another cooldown-reset potion, she activated her **Disguise** skill and transformed into a blood elf, bolting out of the sewers!


    Her legs moved swiftly, occasionally using **I''m In a Hurry** to blink forward¡ªthough she avoided using **Phantom Shift** in plain sight.


    As she sprinted toward the city''s teleportation array, she caught a glimpse of the alchemy shop. She couldn''t resist peeking inside, and wouldn''t you know it, there was Apache again, sitting by the window, sipping wine. Explore stories on empire


    *Still here, huh?*


    *Haha, look at me, living an exciting and productive life, constantly on the move, risking my neck, seeking adventure every second! Meanwhile, some people waste their days drinking, wallowing in laziness. What a shame!*


    With full confidence, Rita turned her head and ignored Apache as she sped off.


    *Charge¡ª!!*


    Apache: "..." That blood elf''s expression looked familiar. Maybe I should take a closer look.


    Half an hour later, along the same path, a group of solemn Moonfoxes marched through, following a trail of golden incense. Mist rose from the incense and formed into a magnificent dagger in the air, guiding their way.


    Apache: "..."


    *That''s Mistblade''s scent, right? Someone stole a few books, and they''re going all out like this?*

 Chapter 166 How Did You Even Manage to Offend Her?!

    As Rita traveled through each of the main cities'' teleportation arrays, she left behind a pre-prepared little spider corpse at each stop. This way, she could monitor how many Moonfox soldiers had been dispatched from each city, viewing everything through the spiders'' eyes.


    After making a full circle, Rita returned to Moonfox City. She changed her clothes¡ªburned them¡ªtransformed into a goblin, and sprayed herself with a third bottle of perfume.


    She couldn''t afford to be careless and didn''t want to bring any of this mess back to Earth if possible. Ideally, she wanted to pin this whole situation on Lania Kaia, making the Mistblade Moon Emperor think that the Lania Kaia residents had stolen the books.


    From the moment she had seen the extensive perfume section, Rita had realized that the Moonfox race''s research into scents was far from simple. It didn''t matter if they couldn''t track her physical body¡ªthe lingering scent would be a clue. The worst part? She had briefly interacted with the Mistblade Moon Emperor.


    Rita''s **Disguise!** skill could certainly change her scent, but perfume, being an intangible thing, leaves traces behind. Had her **Disguise!** been affected by lingering scents that hadn''t yet completely dissipated? Where did that scent finally disappear? Could it become another method for the Moonfoxes to track her?


    It was like an endless series of traps within traps...


    Knowing how deeply the Moonfoxes had delved into scent research, Rita refused to underestimate them. She''d rather overthink the situation, battling shadows in her mind, than make a careless mistake.


    Rita drenched herself in over a dozen potions with strong, overpowering odors. Then, she plunged into the densest crowds, making her scent as complicated as possible. The more people she encountered along her path, the safer she''d be.


    At one point, Rita even found time to visit an auction house and list the potion that the Mistblade had given her. She priced it at 288 gold coins. There was no way she was keeping that thing; who knew if the potion had any hidden traps? It wasn''t exactly rare, and Apache could probably brew something similar. Better to sell it!


    As soon as she listed it, someone bought it outright for the full price before she even had time to close the auction interface.


    "288 gold! Jackpot!"No?v(el)B\\jnn


    With her earnings secured, Rita continued to dart around for another hour. But then she noticed something troubling: the number of Moonfoxes on the streets was increasing!


    The team leaders had gone from being five-tailed Moonfoxes to six-tailed ones... She even spotted a seven-tailed Moonfox among them.


    Back at the alchemy shop in Undercity, Apache silently watched as another line of Moonfoxes marched past her window. The incense they carried had clearly been upgraded... The potency of the scent? Easily at a master-level equivalent in alchemical terms.


    "This is definitely the work of the Mistblade... What did you do to offend her?!"


    For the next three hours, Rita continuously changed her form and switched between carriages. At each stop, she doused herself in more potions, leaving a little spider at every location as a watchful eye. She zigzagged her way through nearly half of Lania Kaia''s major cities, before finally transforming into an elderly goblin with white ear hairs and returning to Undercity.


    There, she found a quiet spot across from the alchemy shop and sat down.


    She was exhausted!


    She needed to sit down, have a meal, and observe the nearby Moonfox patrols. Several Moonfoxes were gathered around an incense stick, muttering things like, "It''s lost effectiveness," and "This doesn''t make sense."


    "If it worked on living beings, I would''ve given it to you long ago," Apache explained. "It doesn''t work on skin, since scents absorbed through pores aren''t easily removed. This only works on inanimate objects."


    Without further delay, Rita plunged her hands into the potion, though the cold liquid sent a shiver up her spine.


    A few seconds passed...


    "Is it done?" Apache asked eagerly.


    "Almost, almost," Rita replied.


    A few more seconds passed.


    "Is it done now?" Apache pressed, clearly growing impatient. She wanted to see the books!


    Unable to resist, Apache leaned closer and peeked inside the cauldron. She saw that Rita was carefully emptying a bag full of books into the potion, making sure not to let her hands touch the ones that hadn''t soaked yet. Each title was either about combat techniques, magic, or training manuals...


    Apache''s excitement deflated instantly. "Did you go on a shopping spree?"


    Rita replied matter-of-factly, "Yep! What else should I have done? Sat by the window and drunk all day like you?"


    Apache: "..."


    Rita soaked seven or eight books at a time, quickly cleaning all the ones she had taken. She even secretly washed the item she had stolen from the Mistblade.


    It was hard to say if her luck was good or bad. She had only stolen once, yet she had managed to take something¡ªsomething she never expected to find.


    As she washed, she discreetly examined the item, keeping her back to Apache.


    It was a plain, rectangular block, about two knuckles long and slightly wider than two fingers. On the surface were two words in the Lania Kaia script, which translated to: *Six of Bamboos*?


    It was written in a font from the Oak Fox race, easily identifiable since the outlines of their letters always resembled an acorn from the *Ice Age* movie¡ªslightly wider at the top, with rounded, cute shapes.


    Your journey continues with empire


    The rectangle was mostly white, except for the back and the words, which were a deep navy blue.


    Rita didn''t know how to play the game, but she recognized this immediately. Whether by size or by the information on it, this item was eerily similar to Earth''s version of a mahjong tile...

 Chapter 167 Server-wide Announcement! Honorary Player!

    A few minutes later, Rita finally retrieved the books Apache wanted from the potion and handed them over.


    Apache immediately stopped pacing and took a seat, grabbing a book to start flipping through it. Once all the books had been soaked, Rita handed over the upper volume of *The Four Seasons of Moon and Potions* as well. "Do you want this one?"


    Apache glanced through the book for a few minutes before saying, "It''s an intricate and interesting book, but it''s too advanced for you right now."


    Rita replied, "Oh, the Mistblade Moon Emperor said the same thing. She even recommended this one." With that, she pulled out *Brewing Potions? Isn''t That Just a Tail''s Job?*


    Apache took the book, spent even more time reading it, and nearly got through half before handing it back to Rita. "This one''s perfect for you. Study it carefully. When you''re done, let me have a look."


    After stashing away all the books, Apache turned on her heel and left without looking back. "Come back in a week for your next lesson. I''m busy!"


    Rita: "..."


    Before assigning the task: *"I promise to impart all my alchemical knowledge until one of us reaches the end of our life''s journey."*


    After the job was done: *"I''m busy!"*


    Hmph! Who would''ve thought you were this kind of undead, Apache!


    ...


    On the morning of August 30th, at 2 AM, after making sure she had completely rid herself of any lingering scent, Rita finally returned to Earth.


    The moment she appeared under the bed, she noticed something that made her hair stand on end¡ªsomething lying right next to her. She was so startled she almost used **Phantom Shift** to escape, but then she realized it was just Nivalis. With a sigh of relief, she collapsed onto the carpet, exhausted. "You nearly scared me to death."


    Nivalis, mimicking her exact posture, spread her wings and kicked her legs out. "I''ve been waiting for you for ages. Can I come with you next time you go on an adventure?"


    Rita raised an eyebrow. "You''re bored?"


    Nivalis hesitated for a moment before explaining, "Not really bored, just curious about what you''re doing every day."


    Rita chuckled. "Of course, if you want to come along, you can. The day after tomorrow, I''m going to help someone take down a dragon. Want to come watch? But you''ll have to stay hands-off the entire time, okay?"


    Nivalis chirped, "Sure! Whatever you say."


    Rita, still holding the small dragon, crawled out from under the bed, took a shower, and immediately crashed into bed for some much-needed sleep.


    But her peaceful rest was short-lived as she was woken up early in the morning by the game''s announcement sound.


    **[Ding¡ªWe''ve detected a player making significant contributions to the war between Lania Kaia and Earth, recognized by their nation. The Honorary Player ranking is officially open!]**


    **[Ding¡ªPlayer Rita has entered the Honorary Player rankings. Would you like to conceal your information?]**


    Rita, still groggy, instinctively selected **Yes** to remain anonymous.


    Was this ranking opening this early in this life?


    Rita opened the **National** channel, curious to see what was going on.


    **National Channel**


    "Seriously, does she think we wouldn''t know who she is just because she chose to stay anonymous?"


    "So it was her! The famous arrow of our country!"


    "She probably just woke up and didn''t realize what was happening, hahaha!"


    "Lol, how embarrassing."


    "As embarrassing as that line about ''an arrow shot towards Lania Kaia''? Can it get worse than that?"


    "Who wrote that script? When it''s my turn to get a reward, I don''t want that person anywhere near my announcement!"


    "Same."


    "Same!"


    "Same..."


    Rita: "..."


    She closed the **National** channel and began responding to the private messages in both her game and on her phone.


    Her family group chat was buzzing with activity.


    **[Samuel: So proud of you, @Rita! You''ve made your dad proud! I''m so proud of you.]**


    **[Scarlett: @Rita, That''s my baby! I knew you were special from the moment I was pregnant with you. I had so many dreams about it back then.]**


    **[Scarlett: I dreamed of dragons, of phones... and look, it all came true!]**


    **[Samuel: You dreamed of ice cream cones, Scarlett. You woke me up in the middle of the night demanding I go out and buy you one!]**


    **[Rita: What''s the story with the phone?]**


    **[Samuel: She just wanted an excuse to upgrade her phone.]**


    **[Scarlett: Well, did I or did I not give birth to a legend? Look at how amazing you turned out!]**


    **[Rick: The sibling in her belly must be so proud of big sister right now.**]


    Rick''s message immediately cast an awkward silence over the group chat.


    Why wasn''t anyone responding? What happened to family warmth?


    **[Rita: Haha, absolutely!**]


    **[Rita: By the way, did you know? Mom and Dad said the baby will be named Riley.**]


    **[Rick: I think "Ricky" sounds better. Don''t you agree, @Samuel @Scarlett? Also, why aren''t you guys home? Where did you go?**


    Rick would''ve made a great horror movie villain. The guy was creepy.


    Of course, Rita wasn''t surprised Rick hadn''t chased after their parents. With the dragon hunt set for the day after tomorrow, Rick couldn''t leave now. He''d probably wait until after the hunt on the 1st to deal with it.


    Satisfied with how she had expertly maintained family harmony, Rita happily closed her phone.


    With all the major business out of the way, it was time to focus on Sanchez.

 Chapter 168 Even Cured, Still Drooling

    Unaware that she was about to be "handled," Sanchez was in her study, listening to Ariana giving her a task.


    Logically, Zoey hated Sanchez the most, and sending her to negotiate or threaten Zoey would only worsen tensions and likely cause the talks to collapse. However, after investigating Zoey''s actions before and after the game''s invasion and her recent collaborations with the Special Affairs Bureau, Ariana concluded that Sanchez was the perfect person for this task.


    ¡ª"Because she''s envious of you."


    ¡ª"You have what Zoey desires the most. Long before the game''s invasion, your grandparents, your uncle, and I all prepared you to become the next head of the White family. This decision had nothing to do with your gender or your talent. We simply love you, so we nurtured you."


    ¡ª"That''s something she desperately wants but cannot have."


    ¡ª"Through her, we might be able to topple the entire Lopez family."


    ¡ª"I need you to provoke her. Our true goal isn''t the dragon; we''re already a step too late for that. What we want is her *Song of Hope*."


    ¡ª"This time, you can act a little more brash and reckless. Yes, be yourself."


    Sanchez: ?


    Okay, fine, she could accept being called hot-tempered, but when was she ever reckless?


    She was the *Water God*, okay?


    Josephine quickly cleared his throat and explained, "What we mean is, don''t bother using clever insinuations or trying to manipulate Zoey with words. Just be your usual arrogant self. Don''t overthink it."


    *Was that supposed to be a compliment?* Sanchez silently raised her fist, extended her index finger, and pointed it at herself, declaring, "I am *S-rank*, the Water God."


    Ariana nodded approvingly, "That''s the spirit!"


    Josephine added, "Exactly, Sanchez! You''re amazing. No one in the family can beat you. You''ve got top-notch combat skills! But when you''re talking to Zoey, don''t think about using sneaky tactics like ''using a borrowed knife'' or ''fanning the flames of discord.'' That''s too underhanded, and our White family doesn''t stoop to such things. We''ll face her openly and honestly, got it?"


    He couldn''t help but feel a bit baffled. The skill descriptions for the *Water God* suggested a calm, aloof personality, so how did that end up being paired with Sanchez?


    Ariana smiled, "Yes, that''s exactly what I mean."


    Sanchez: "... You could''ve just said that if I try to use tricks, Zoey will see through them, and that''s that."


    Josephine: "We didn''t want to hurt your feelings..."


    Sanchez: *What a thoughtful uncle.*


    ...


    After the argument in the study, Zoey and Matthew tacitly pretended it had never happened. They covered up the cracks in their shaky relationship, and she remained the cherished young lady of the Lopez family, while Matthew and Mateo continued to act as loving father and brother figures.


    So what? Her name was only two syllables. Did Sanchez expect their enemy to call her "Miss Shark" affectionately?


    Josephine muttered, "I think your temper might be a bit too hot..." Then he stopped mid-sentence, remembering that Sanchez''s temper had worsened after she lost most of her arm. Sympathy welled up in him again.


    After losing her right hand, Sanchez hadn''t let herself spiral into despair. Instead, she poured her time into training her left hand. Even now, as they sat in the room, she wore a weighted wristband on her left arm and was constantly practicing with a butterfly knife to improve her dexterity.


    Josephine''s heart always ached when he saw her training, especially that one time when she accidentally sliced off her finger. Even though the pain made her tremble, she didn''t cry or scream. She simply gritted her teeth, reattached the finger, drank a healing potion, and resumed her training.


    Ariana glanced at Sanchez, noticing the black gloves that hid her right hand and the knife her left hand continuously toyed with. She, too, must have been thinking about the same thing, because she smiled. "Then you''ll need to help Mom get some revenge."


    Sanchez grinned, "No problem!"


    With that, she dove back into her heated exchange with Zoey.


    **[Sanchez]: Matthew Matthew Matthew Matthew Matthew**


    **[Zoey]: He''s dead.**


    **[Sanchez]: ?**


    Sanchez fell silent.


    She couldn''t win. She really couldn''t win.


    **[Zoey]: So? What''s the bottom line? If you don''t tell me, I''m blocking you.**


    **[Zoey]: This isn''t as big of a deal as you think. At worst, I''ll get a divorce.**


    **[Sanchez]: Aren''t you afraid people will say you''re sick too?**


    **[Zoey]: Whoever says that, I''ll march right up to their house with my blood.**


    **[Sanchez]: You really need to see a therapist...**


    **[Zoey]: You need one more than I do.**


    **[Sanchez]: The White family wants your *Song of Hope*, but I need to meet with you first to learn the details of your skill before we proceed.**


    **[Zoey]: Haha, so you don''t even know the specifics of what you''re threatening me with?**


    **[Sanchez]: ...**


    **[Sanchez]: Be at the White family house at 10 PM on the 1st. I''ll be waiting.**

 Chapter 169 Here to Scam a Free Meal?

    That morning, Rita was busy cleaning out the cat''s den in her backyard while chatting with Shadow.Q about the rewards.


    [Rita]: I''ve sent the August Another Happy Day skill crystal to your mailbox.


    [Shadow.Q]: Got it. You''ve accumulated several months'' worth of revenue from selling the skill crystals. You can collect it anytime. Special Affairs Bureau bought half, and the rest was sold to various factions and guilds.


    [Rita]: No rush, you can handle it. Can I choose the A-rank skill I get as a reward?


    [Shadow.Q]: Of course, otherwise it wouldn''t be a reward. Tell me your preferences, the more detailed the better. I''ll send you a few options.


    [Rita]: Something that reduces skill cooldowns or lessens damage from mental attacks. Preferably passive.


    [Shadow.Q]: Skills like that are rare. We only have three.


    [Shadow.Q]: Almost There, Just Five More Minutes ¨C Reduces the cooldown of all skills by five minutes. The skill itself has a 30-minute cooldown.


    [Shadow.Q]: Unlimited Firepower ¨C For 15 seconds, all your skills can be used without cooldown. This skill also has a 30-minute cooldown.


    [Shadow.Q]: Cured but Still Drooling ¨C Passive skill. Any enemy attempting to use a mental skill on you has a 35% chance of failing, and for the next five seconds, that enemy will enter a drooling, dazed state.


    [Rita]: I''ll take Cured but Still Drooling!


    [Shadow.Q]: A friendly reminder: not all mental skills are harmful. Some can link you to an ally''s vision, send messages telepathically, or even enhance your clarity of thought temporarily.


    [Rita]: It''s fine, I understand. Gains and losses come together. I just really like watching people drool.


    [Shadow.Q]: Understood... It''s been sent to your mailbox.


    After receiving the email, Rita quickly learned the skill Cured but Still Drooling.


    How wonderful! With her maxed-out luck stat, surely this 35% chance would feel more like 70%.


    Although the other skills¡ªAlmost There, Just Five More Minutes and Unlimited Firepower¡ªwere tempting, they wouldn''t benefit her most frequently used abilities as much.


    [Rita]: Thanks.


    This one was just bizarre. Cooking air?


    Sometimes Rita found the God of the Culinary Arts rather strange. First, it was the drool bib, now this air-flipping spatula.


    Despite the oddity, seeing the God of the Culinary Arts'' name on the item convinced Rita to stash it in her inventory. She added it to the collection of seemingly useless trinkets she wasn''t sure she''d ever use but couldn''t bear to throw away.


    Even though she had the Special Affairs Bureau''s water shield protecting her house and Nivalis guarding the place most of the time, Rita never left any valuable items at home. She didn''t want to form the habit. What if she needed to take Nivalis on a trip one day?


    Anything valuable was stored safely in her game inventory. As for the rooftop vending machine? That was under the Special Affairs Bureau''s jurisdiction. Besides, she had rigged it so that if anyone tried to move it, they''d get an electric shock.


    Once she finished dealing with her random tasks, Rita started organizing the books she had stolen from the Moonfox City library. She categorized them neatly, aware that unlike skill books, these couldn''t be instantly learned with a click.


    In fact, all skill books originated from these magic and martial arts tomes. In Lania Kaia, skill books were formed from the experiences and insights of the beings who developed those skills. The skill books dropped on Earth were actually the condensed memories and understandings of those beings after death.


    Learning from magical tomes required studying magic runes and incantations, a process that took significant effort. But once mastered, the skills would be uniquely hers. Furthermore, studying these books would enhance her understanding of a particular school of magic, increasing her damage in that field. The same applied to martial arts techniques.


    Rita planned to leave the Special Affairs Bureau training camp in September to focus on self-study using these books.


    That day, Rita spent her time preparing for revenge. Concerned that she might need an emergency power boost, she even experimented with drinking 50ml of her Daughter Red wine, entering a drunken battle state. She found that it left her groggy but functional, though her combat ability would be instinctive rather than strategic.


    In short, using the wine in non-life-threatening situations wasn''t worth it.


    After a protective eight-hour sleep under Nivalis'' watch, Rita began gathering the materials she would need for her confrontation with Sanchez.


    By nightfall, she was ready to set off. She''d delayed dealing with Sanchez long enough and felt a bit guilty.


    Nivalis asked, "Going out for fun?"


    Rita replied, "No, I''m going for revenge."


    Nivalis tilted her head. "You think you can win?"


    Rita shrugged. "Eh, about 0.1 of a Nivalis, maybe."


    Nivalis nodded solemnly. "Terrifying. You must be extra, extra careful."


    Rita: ?

 Chapter 170 Conspiracy My Foot!!

    After transforming into a cat, Rita snuck out of her house and made her way through the woods near the villa. She caught a bird, snapped its neck with *Only the Dead Obey*, and sent it flying toward the White estate while she followed on foot.


    The bird reached the White estate first, landing on the outer gate but not entering right away. At this time, the entire White estate¡ªboth the main mansion and the auxiliary buildings¡ªwas covered by a hemispherical *Shielding Water Veil*.


    Rita didn''t rush in. She stopped a kilometer away, pulled out an invisibility potion, bit off the cap with her cat teeth, and drank it. After becoming invisible, she used her *Disguise!* skill to change into a burly man named **Carson**, adjusting her character info accordingly. When the potion wore off, she activated *Shadow Control*, separating her shadow from her body.


    Her real self, using *Phantom Cloak*, became invisible again, while the shadow that looked exactly like Carson began creeping toward the White estate. Experience new stories on empire


    Thanks to the estate''s lush landscaping, filled with trees and shadows, "Carson" was able to move between patches of darkness. Rita, using *Phantom Cloak*, followed closely behind, inching toward the estate. The maximum distance between her body and her shadow was 2 kilometers, though that was based on her intelligence stat of 40. As it grew, so might the range.


    Rita''s shadow stopped at the gate, while the bird flew up, scanning through the shield and windows, looking for Sanchez. Soon enough, it found her by the rooftop pool. Rita patiently waited.


    Since the game''s invasion, the White estate wasn''t just home to the White family. Numerous bodyguards responsible for their protection were stationed there, cycling between missions. Surely, some would return tonight.


    After waiting for 30 minutes, several cars approached from afar. Rita''s shadow stuck to the ground, blending with the shadows by the gate.


    Rita, meanwhile, drank a cooldown-resetting potion and changed her disguise again¡ªthis time into **Greyson**. Considering her charm stat of 10, it was impossible to completely hide her aura, even as a disguised goblin.


    She pulled out a black motorcycle helmet and put it on, hiding her entire head. Next, she put on a flashy Hawaiian shirt and added a thin gold chain around her neck.


    *Oh, Xiaoliang, your song is coming!*No?v(el)B\\jnn


    As the cars pulled up, the gate slowly opened, and shadow-Carson slipped under the cars, sneaking inside the White estate.


    A few minutes later, the cars stopped outside the main building. Shadow-Carson moved into one of the men''s shadows, following him inside. Meanwhile, the White family butler¡ªwho controlled the *Shielding Water Veil*¡ªwas checking his map, cross-referencing the identities of the people entering the estate.


    "Weren''t we here to conspire about important matters?"


    "Conspiracy my foot! This sounds like an attack!"


    Before they could fully comprehend the situation, a horde of people came rushing in¡ªhundreds of White family guards, identified by the symbols on their sleeves: waves for the first team, rocks for the second, and boats for the third.


    No matter how grand or luxurious the White estate was, it couldn''t handle hundreds of people flooding in within seconds.


    For the first time in their lives, these wealthy, high-status guests experienced something akin to rush hour. Within moments, they instinctively started grabbing the handrails for safety.


    In the blink of an eye, even Josephine had dashed upstairs, leaving the bewildered guests and their bodyguards behind.


    Moments later, the commotion grew louder as people began shouting things like, "Bomb!" "Run!" "What the hell?" "It''s going to blow!" and "Prepare for healing!"


    ...


    After shadow-Carson entered the White estate, Phantom Cloaked Rita remained outside, observing the brightly lit mansion. She pulled out an item she had obtained from Rick:


    **[Coin of Fate] (Curiosity): When faced with a difficult choice, flip this coin. The number on the coin will indicate your subconscious preference for one option¡ªthe closer the number is to 10, the higher the success rate for that option. The coin doesn''t know what you truly want, but it can show you.**


    Rita was torn between using *Phantom Shift* to sneak into Sanchez''s bedroom or entering through the living room. The bedroom was closer to the rooftop, but going through the living room would allow her to scout the estate and plant a few bombs along the way.


    She flicked the coin into the air, watching as it spun before landing in her hand.


    The number revealed: **9**.

 Chapter 171 Revenge Time

    Rita pocketed the **Coin of Fate** and immediately used *Phantom Shift* to transport herself into the living room of the White estate. The moment she landed, her *Phantom Cloak* failed.


    Without hesitation or surprise, she bolted up the stairs, throwing bombs and smashing poison-filled vials against the walls as she ran. The butler''s shouts echoed in her ears, though she wasn''t sure which zone was labeled "B." Regardless, she stuck to her plan.


    After reaching the second floor, she split into two¡ªher shadow going in one direction, causing chaos, while she headed directly for the rooftop pool.


    Rita didn''t bother using *Phantom Shift* or *I''m In a Hurry* after her cloak dropped. She relied purely on her agility, darting to the rooftop in the blink of an eye. By the time she reached it, Sanchez had already been alerted and was climbing out of the pool.


    The butler''s decision to prioritize protecting Ariana made sense¡ªSanchez was in her element here, the water being her ultimate sanctuary. No matter who the intruder was, Sanchez couldn''t be killed easily.


    Rita quickly drew a green-quality hunting rifle, aiming directly at Sanchez.


    Sanchez hadn''t made a name for herself just because of her S-rank abilities; her combat instincts were razor-sharp. Though her plans were often impulsive and her temper easily triggered, when it came to battle, she was the epitome of calm, calculated precision.


    From the moment she heard the butler''s warning to when she saw this guy in a motorcycle helmet¡ªdressed in a Hawaiian shirt and a gold chain¡ªburst onto the rooftop, only a few breaths had passed.


    The intruder''s strength and speed were undeniable, and the moment she saw him draw his weapon, Sanchez activated her ability, **Wherever There''s Water, There''s Me**, vanishing into the pool.


    But that was exactly what Rita had been aiming for¡ªforcing Sanchez into the water!


    Quickly, she moved to the edge of the pool and began pulling out sack after sack from her inventory, hurling them into the water. Each one was filled with lime.


    By the time the White family''s third team stormed the rooftop, Rita had dumped over fifty sacks into the pool, turning it into a massive cauldron of scalding hot soup.


    When Sanchez resurfaced, her skin was blistered and red. "Are you even human?!" she screamed, enraged.


    Rita, unfazed, pulled out an engineer-crafted gun and aimed directly at Sanchez, saying nothing.


    Facing Sanchez required 100% focus.


    Sanchez''s battle instincts kicked in. Feeling the lethal intent behind that aim, she didn''t waste time looking for cover. Instead, she bolted toward the edge of the rooftop, throwing herself over the side without hesitation.


    Upon landing, she pulled out an electromagnetic grenade and hurled it toward her previous location.


    Almost simultaneously, a figure materialized from the falling raindrops, a dagger in hand, slashing forward¡ªonly to meet the detonation of the grenade.


    The attack and defense were so perfectly synchronized it felt like they had rehearsed it in advance.


    The grenade exploded, creating a 1-meter radius electromagnetic field that stunned Sanchez, knocking her to the ground.


    This was it. Rita had already drawn her gun. They were now just 3 meters apart, and she didn''t even need to aim for 3 seconds this time¡ªthis shot was guaranteed to hit.


    **BANG!**


    The second shot!


    This time, Sanchez lost her left index finger.


    In their past life, Sanchez had beaten Rita bloody on multiple occasions, under the pretense of training her.


    At the time, Rita had accepted it. Better to suffer now than die in a dungeon or be slaughtered by the monster hordes that emerged after the dungeon''s release. Sanchez''s battle instincts were unmatched, and Rita had reasoned that she was learning from one of the best.


    However, as Sanchez realized that Rita wasn''t broken by her treatment but instead grew stronger, learning from each battle and even fighting back, her already merciless behavior became even more vicious.


    Sanchez knew better than anyone what made a warrior truly dangerous. It wasn''t flashy abilities; it was someone like Rita, who could never be broken mentally. Given time and opportunity, she could soar to the top.


    The worst incident came when Sanchez crushed both of Rita''s wrists under her boots, force-feeding her a healing potion afterward.


    The potion healed the damage, but because the bones hadn''t been realigned, they healed improperly, leaving her wrists deformed.


    Rita had to undergo surgery to have her wrists rebroken and reset.


    When Rick found out, he abandoned his dungeon run to rush to the hospital. Upon seeing Rita''s condition, he apologized before deliberately breaking both his own wrists¡ªand a leg¡ªusing his skills. He downed a healing potion, allowing his limbs to heal improperly.


    Then, with misshapen arms, he gave Rita a hug before joining her in the operating room.

 Chapter 172 Becoming Strong is Life, Revenge is a Hobby

    Sanchez couldn''t suppress her scream after losing another finger. As soon as the paralysis wore off slightly, she disappeared back into the water.


    But Rita had already started aiming at Sanchez the moment she fired the bullet that hit her index finger. This time, her sights were set on Sanchez''s left ankle.


    1¡ª2¡ª3¡ªSanchez submerged into the water¡ªjust as the bullet sliced through a droplet of water mid-air.


    If this moment could have been captured in slow motion, it would''ve been beautiful¡ªthe vengeful bullet spinning rapidly as it cleaved through the water droplet.


    The **third shot**!


    A figure tumbled out of the water, clutching her abdomen and fleeing. Sanchez realized something terrible¡ªthe person chasing her had a skill that, after prolonged aiming, made her unavoidable, even in water.


    As Rita watched the figure limping away, a strange sadness welled up within her. She didn''t feel the triumph she had expected. Instead, there was a deep, bitter ache.


    They were all pawns in Rick''s game. Sanchez had been brutal to many people, but Rita couldn''t tell how much of Sanchez''s cruelty came from her own nature and how much stemmed from her hatred for Rick. Yet, the pain Sanchez had caused her was undeniably real.


    Rita raised her gun again, this time aiming at Sanchez''s left wrist.


    She couldn''t let it go. Forgiveness wasn''t an option for her. The only thing she could ensure was that Rick would suffer a fate far worse than any of them¡ªhundreds, thousands of times worse.


    In the darkness, behind Rita, dozens of glowing skills were launched toward her. The light illuminated the sky, nearly as bright as daylight.


    But Rita stood firm, her hand steady as she aimed at her enemy.


    **Bang!** The gunshot that sent chills through everyone in the White family estate rang out once more!


    **The fourth shot**!


    Sanchez twisted her body, gripping a dagger with her remaining three fingers. As the bullet neared her, she tightened her core, gathering all her strength, and slashed with the dagger.


    **Clang!** The bullet was sliced in half by the blade.


    But then, another shot rang out!


    It was Rita''s **fifth shot** since entering the White estate.


    After aiming for three seconds and firing the previous shot, Rita had been waiting for Sanchez to stop moving. She knew Sanchez too well¡ªshe wouldn''t give up so easily. As long as there was breath in her, Sanchez would never stop fighting back.


    Rita had trained extensively in shooting. In close-range combat, she no longer needed to rely on her **I''m Getting Serious (Passive)** skill to hit her target.


    This shot, she aimed at Sanchez''s left ankle.


    In other words, *becoming stronger was life; revenge was a hobby.*


    She couldn''t do without either, nor could she afford to let them lose their balance.


    As she lay there, she suddenly felt a weight on her back.


    Nivalis''s playful laughter echoed around her.


    Darn it! She hadn''t even had the chance to ride the dragon, and now the dragon was riding her?


    Rita flipped over and started wrestling with the invisible Nivalis. Though Nivalis''s stats were far higher, she treated Rita like a backyard kitten, pulling her punches at every turn.


    The cat and the dragon tumbled across the grass, playing without a care in the world.


    Even if someone saw a cat fighting with the air, it didn''t matter¡ªcats do that sometimes.


    Afterward, Rita and the invisible Nivalis went on a shopping spree.


    Rita didn''t walk the streets like an ordinary person. She leaped across rooftops and air conditioning units, explaining each shop they passed to Nivalis¡ªwhat they sold, if their food was any good, what toys they had, and how they were played with.


    Sometimes, when Nivalis wanted something to eat, Rita would run into a shop, buy what they needed, and then they''d return to a rooftop to snack together before continuing their stroll.


    Eventually, they passed by Los Angeles''s top orthopedic hospital.


    Rita snuck inside, made her way to the rooftop of Building 2, and looked through the window of a luxury hospital room. Inside, Sanchez lay sleeping.


    Her right arm was a mechanical prosthetic, and her left hand had only three fingers remaining, which rested on the blanket.


    Her left leg was suspended in the air, with a metal brace where her ankle used to be. The sight of it¡ªbare and grotesque¡ªwas eerie.


    Sanchez looked like a ragdoll, stitched together with steel parts.


    Healing potions accelerated recovery, but they couldn''t regrow lost bones or organs. Theoretically, there were *Divine Gifts* or skills that could regenerate them, but who knew when the White family would find such a miracle?


    In the meantime, Sanchez would suffer, every minute of every day.


    Her prosthetics allowed her to meet basic daily needs but couldn''t support her in combat. Even performing complex movements was beyond her now.


    After losing her right hand, Sanchez had spent years training her left.


    But now, with only three fingers remaining on that hand, she couldn''t even hold a dagger tightly anymore.

 Chapter 173 More and More Gold Coins~~

    rita knew sanchez well. if sanchez had been cursed with the **unknown curse**, she wouldn''t be in despair. to her, a curse was merely an added negative buff. so what if her health couldn''t regenerate? so what if healing effects were weakened? sanchez would still be able to defeat her enemies before she fell.


    what truly tormented sanchez now was that she couldn''t use her strength. she had an s-tier talent and exceptional combat awareness, but she couldn''t put them to use.


    as nivalis munched on her pastry, she asked, "is that your enemy?"


    rita replied, "yes, all those injuries are from me. do you think i''m too cruel?"


    nivalis shook her head. "of course not. if you''re not cruel to your enemies, you''re being cruel to yourself."


    rita was pleased. she knew nivalis wouldn''t disappoint her. "it''s just a hassle. once she finds a way to heal herself, i''ll have to come up with a new way to get revenge."


    nivalis innocently yet wickedly said, "that''s great! you''ll always have something to play with."no?v(el)b\\jnn


    rita chuckled. "yeah, it''d be boring if i ended her too quickly."


    she sat on the edge of the rooftop, admiring her handiwork. a few minutes later, she spotted josephine, along with a beautiful woman she hadn''t seen before.


    "that must be ariana," rita mused. the woman was nothing like what she had imagined.


    ariana sat by sanchez''s bedside, her gaze gentle until sanchez stopped pretending to sleep. after saying something, ariana produced several bullet casings.


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    suddenly, rita felt the presence of someone trying to divine her location. through the fog of mystical energy, she saw ariana''s finely arched eyebrows furrowing.


    rita''s tail swished happily through the air. she watched for a moment longer, then turned to nivalis, "let''s go. didn''t you say you wanted hot pot? let''s eat before heading back."


    nivalis grinned. "can you rent out the whole hot pot restaurant just for me?"


    rita hesitated. "has scarlett been feeding you strange ideas again?"


    nivalis gave a dramatic sigh. "i know you won''t do it. i was being too bold."


    rita checked the time. it was 1 pm, peak lunch hour. "i can''t rent out the whole place, everyone''s eating. we can''t just kick them out."


    "arrow..."


    "...nivalis..."


    "three leaderboards..."


    "...arrow..."


    "luck... talent..."


    "official website..."


    "arrow..."


    rita: **... in love, people. it''s *in love*!**


    as she ate, the news about what had happened at the white estate the night before finally leaked out.


    it wasn''t just the fact that sanchez had been rushed to the hospital by helicopter that spread the news. even with the white family''s personal doctors, it was impossible to keep such a significant event under wraps, especially since many of the medical supplies and equipment needed for the surgery had to be sourced from the public hospital.


    though there wasn''t an official guild leaderboard yet, the movements of powerful factions were closely followed by the community, and the white family was definitely one of the top three forces in los angeles.


    rumors also swirled that the white family possessed an s-tier **divine gift**, and there was speculation that they had obtained legendary or even epic equipment from the minotaur prince. not to mention, the family still had that ancestral statue up for auction, which further stoked curiosity about their power.


    even rick reached out to rita for information.


    **[rick]: did you hear anything last night?**


    **[rita]: i heard something, but i didn''t go see. i didn''t want to be misunderstood.**


    **[rick]: sis~ if you find any clues, you''ve got to share with me!**


    rita knew exactly what rick was thinking. this wasn''t just idle gossip¡ªzoey was starting to get scared.


    that enemy they shared with the white family? that mysterious threat had returned once again.

 Chapter 174 I Will Remember This Truth

    zoey was indeed scared. she couldn''t wait until tomorrow night. at this moment, she was rushing to the hospital to find out more about sanchez''s condition and if the white family had uncovered any valuable information.


    ariana didn''t hide anything and told her everything.


    for zoey, hearing that sanchez had become half-crippled wasn''t necessarily good news. facing a powerful and mysterious enemy, zoey didn''t mind temporarily setting aside her hatred and forming an alliance with sanchez. but now that sanchez had become a shadow of her former self, what use was an alliance?


    additionally, from the cruel way that sanchez had been dealt with, zoey began to wonder if the incident where her second ear was blown off had been orchestrated by the same enemy.


    but it was too late to change anything. the friction between the white and lopez families had escalated, and many subordinates had died on both sides. an apology wasn''t enough. to stop the conflict now, someone would have to take responsibility. and besides, the lopez family had only acted to "please" zoey by attacking the white family.


    there was no way she could now claim it had all been a misunderstanding.


    ariana also shared another piece of news: two individuals had broken into the white family estate last night. both had **disguise** abilities, one could turn into a shadow and phase through walls, while the other''s bullets could track targets and even change direction.


    ariana detailed their skills, infiltration methods, and approach. she even mentioned the names the intruders had used, even though she knew they were fake identities made up specifically for the white family. sometimes seemingly trivial information could turn out to be crucial to others.


    by the time zoey left the hospital, she and ariana had reached a secret agreement¡ªone that did not involve the lopez family officially. zoey was only willing to offer ten uses of her **hope song** in exchange for what the white family knew. she also insisted she would only come once a week, on sunday evenings, no matter how much josephine tried to pressure her.


    however, once zoey left and ariana held up the signed contract, she smiled and studied each word of the agreement.


    josephine poured two glasses of wine, conjured ice balls, and set one of the glasses in front of ariana. "so, you were right... sis, by your logic, do you really think zoey will go after matthew mateo?"


    ariana responded confidently, "of course. no one wants to live under constant threat. instead of being blackmailed forever, it''s smarter to make someone else share the problem. soon enough, matthew mateo will be more anxious than zoey."no?v(el)b\\jnn


    josephine nodded. "but doesn''t that give us more leverage over zoey? even if matthew doesn''t know who''s behind it, we''ll figure it out."


    ariana smiled. "that depends on whether she gets her hands on the dragon."


    if zoey succeeds, the white family would become her best ally. if she fails, ariana would turn her into the white family''s most valuable tool.


    rita turned around with a black face. little ice dragon was holding her belly, laughing so hard her legs kicked in the air.


    rita: **?**


    rita: **!**


    when rita and nivalis arrived at the meeting point, it wasn''t time yet, and no one was outside. last time, they had agreed to meet inside the dungeon. rita stepped into the dungeon''s light curtain, and as she entered, the gathered players turned in unison to look at her, their eyes fixed on the little ice dragon perched on her shoulder.


    shadow.q''s eyes lit up before his expression turned awkward.


    the small light-blue dragon, about the size of a phone, sat on rita''s shoulder, wearing half of an empty eggshell like a little hat, pouting and chattering to rita in a soft voice.


    shadow.q approached curiously, "is that her little hat?"


    rita smiled. "yep." it had taken her a little extra time to make that eggshell hat, which was why she was running late.


    shadow.q complimented, "she''s adorable!"


    nivalis adjusted her eggshell hat with her wingtip. "that''s because i''m an adorable dragon."


    shadow.q nodded seriously, "i see. i will remember this truth."


    rita: **enough already...**


    nivalis stood up on rita''s shoulder, wings raised dramatically in salute, "¡Ï(¡ã©f¡ã)! salute!"


    shadow.q instantly mimicked her, giving a real-life salute, "salute!"


    as rita sensed the gaze of everyone in the dungeon shifting from awe to confusion, she silently hung her head and covered her face with one hand.

 Chapter 175 Fountain of Light

    shadow.q could tell that rita was "teasing" nivalis, but she didn''t pry into the details. instead, she casually commented on the new markings on rita''s forehead. "did nivalis draw that for you again? the design looks different this time. is it still a guaranteed critical hit on the seventh strike?"


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    rita glanced at the mischievous nivalis. "i''m not sure."


    rick, who had been quietly listening nearby, asked, "is she going to help us today?"


    zoey also looked at rita with anticipation.


    rita turned to nivalis, and nivalis played along, dramatically turning her head away, saying, "i''ll only help *you*¡ªno one else~~" with that, she flew off, leaving the rest of the group behind.


    this was part of the plan rita and nivalis had worked out in advance. nivalis'' passive ability, **queencard**, from her **frozen throne** talent, meant that as soon as she entered combat, all ice-based skills from the players would be disabled. worse, she would perfectly counter aaron''s **breath of winter** ability. so, they agreed it would be better for nivalis to stay out of the fight.


    rita watched nivalis fly off and sighed helplessly. "there''s nothing i can do. i''ve only known her for a month. honestly, i''m surprised she''s willing to help me at all."


    both zoey and rick, thinking in unison, realized this was one downside to a **mutual** contract. if nivalis had been bound by a **master-servant** contract, she wouldn''t have dared to go against or harm her master, as the contract would punish her.


    shadow.q wasn''t bothered by it, either. after all, as rita said, she and nivalis had only been in a contract for a short time.no?v(el)b\\jnn


    meanwhile, nivalis wandered around the dungeon, flying by to take a distant look at the dragon. "hmm, a fake dragon, and it''s all dark and ugly," she remarked to herself. finally, she found a large, leafy tree, rested on a branch, and gently removed her egg-shell hat before pulling out some snacks and a game console rita had prepared for her.


    an hour into the fight, the team was still in good shape, but the dragon was getting angrier. it ascended into the sky and began spewing poisonous mist at the players, targeting the healers first and then spraying the melee fighters. it even used its tail to try and swat the combat planes and flying players.


    a sharp-eyed player noticed something: after releasing the poison mist, the dragon hadn''t attempted to devour any players. the mist seemed to have some kind of casting condition or side effect.


    about 70% of the players were caught in the mist and became poisoned. their health began draining at a rate of 1% per second, and the poison lasted for two minutes¡ªa total loss of 120% of their health over that time. worse, there weren''t enough anti-venom abilities to counter the dragon''s toxic breath.


    even the players who took antidote potions saw no effect. without intervention, many would die before they could escape the poison''s reach.


    if not for zoey''s **prayer** skill, which was an s-ranked **divine gift** healing ability, the team would have collapsed. though the skill drained 10% of her mana with each use, it allowed her to heal while still fighting the dragon.


    and despite losing a significant portion of her stats due to the past events, she had acquired some new gear to make up for it, keeping her at the heart of the healing team.


    seeing the situation worsen, with the dragon flying above spraying poison at zoey and the other players struggling to survive, rita knew she had to act. she dashed over to the female commander in charge of the ranged group and stated directly, "i have a skill called **fountain of light**. it summons a well, and the water that flows from it restores 1 hp per milliliter.


    it lasts for three minutes and has a cooldown of 25.5 minutes. as long as the well remains, the water is effective."


    the female commander''s eyes widened at the sound of such a powerful skill. a three-minute well that healed continuously, combined with a short cooldown? this was a perfect support skill for a boss fight.


    she didn''t blame rita for not mentioning it earlier. instead, she admired her for not recklessly using it without proper timing. after all, powerful skills deployed at the wrong time were often worse than useless¡ªthey could disrupt the entire strategy.


    the commander gave rita an approving look, "got it. wait for my signal."

 Chapter 176 Zoey, Time to Debut!

    the female commander quickly informed the ranged group to gather near her and gave clear instructions: "prepare containers! there will be healing spring water soon. each milliliter restores 1 hp. everyone, fill up and drink by the side¡ªonly 3 minutes."


    she then relayed the message to the melee group''s leader, "once i give the signal, healers will focus all their efforts on healing the melee fighters for 3 minutes. flight team, can you get the dragon down in that time? any issues?"


    receiving a confident response from the flight team, she shouted to the entire raid, "i''ll count down from three. on my signal, rita will use **fountain of light**. healers, focus on the melee. flight team, get airborne."


    "3¡ª"


    "2¡ª"


    "1¡ª"


    at the end of the countdown, rita activated **fountain of light** near the commander, and instantly, a spring well appeared, its waters continuously flowing out.


    "quick! ranged dps with mobile casting, help the healers and grab some extra water!" the commander shouted.


    the male commander echoed, "melee with teleportation skills, go grab some water too!"


    the ranged players hurriedly drank their fill and returned to their spots with extra bottles for their teammates. the melee fighters managed to heal while continuing the fight, their hp rapidly refilling.


    the group endured the 2-minute poison debuff successfully.


    shadow.q marveled, "that''s a great skill, easily an a-grade."


    rita nodded, "yeah, i picked it up at an auction in lania kaia." if it weren''t for its cumbersome use, it would be comparable to the **emerald feast**.


    shadow.q agreed, "definitely worth the investment."


    while **fountain of light** only restored 1 hp per milliliter, when you calculated its total healing over 3 minutes, it was like a fountain of endless healing, a massive amount. the only thing preventing it from being s-ranked was the need to scoop and drink the water.


    shadow.q''s mind raced with ideas, like distributing long straws before a fight so players could just suck directly from the well during combat...


    or maybe some kind of sprinkler system? just spray the water over the players like a car wash...no?v(el)b\\jnn


    two hours into the fight, the two commanders gave the call to start withdrawing.


    technically, they could continue battling and potentially down the dragon after another ten or so hours with some losses, but it wasn''t worth it.


    explore more at empire


    **[rick]: heh, you''re the one i trust most now. sis, you''ve been so good to me.**


    **[rick]: sis, i hope i can be your little brother again in my next life!**


    **[rita]: try cursing me again, and see what happens!**


    not wanting to waste more time on rick, rita turned her attention to shadow.q, as the car now held just the two of them.


    "so, how are things over in lania kaia?"


    shadow.q didn''t hide anything. "over seventy people have been captured. we know they''re still alive, but the details are unclear. beyond that, the treehouses have been cleared out. anyone capable of surviving there has scattered, and those who couldn''t manage returned."


    rita thought for a moment. "by our contract, i need to tell you how to convert gold into in-game currency by the end of december. do you think you''ll still be able to enter the city by then?"


    "it''s hard to say, but we''re already working on new plans. since the game invaded, fewer people have been going to lania kaia anyway. most were going there initially to level up because they didn''t know the game would come to earth. but now that leveling on earth is faster, it''s different. the real loss is the resources that are now cut off."


    rita casually continued the conversation, probing for more information without making any commitments. she couldn''t be too eager.


    as the car pulled up to the concert venue, rita looked at the building, momentarily stunned. the last time she had been here, it wasn''t this big.


    from the sounds within, it seemed like the place was already full...


    shadow.q confirmed, "it''s been expanded. it can hold up to 100,000 people now."


    rita was speechless. "you''re having zoey sing in front of a crowd of 100,000?"


    "of course! it''s a rare opportunity. if we could bring in special affairs bureau agents from all over the country, we''d have way more than just this number."


    rita gave her a sideways glance. "you''re planning on turning this into a national tour for her, aren''t you?"


    shadow.q corrected her with a straight face, "it''s not a tour¡ªit''s a blessing! choose your words carefully!"


    rita: ...


    she couldn''t help but wonder what zoey''s thoughts were at the moment. **she''s practically debuting as a pop star at this rate!**

 Chapter 177 She Wouldnt, She Couldnt Bear It

    zoey''s feelings were akin to spending two hours on a long car ride, only to have the door open and realize she had been brought to a stadium.


    she stood outside the arena, silent for a while. "how many people can this venue hold?"


    the man welcoming her was a handsome one named jk, who had a bit of a melancholy air about him, much like rick. but it wasn''t a depressing kind of sadness; it was a perfect amount, just enough to evoke sympathy without being overwhelming.


    he introduced the venue to zoey, "there are a total of 100,138 seats."


    zoey wasn''t that easy to fool, and she quickly sensed something off about his statement.


    rita, just stepping out of the car, overheard as well and immediately ducked back inside. she whispered to shadow.q, "there aren''t standing tickets too, right?"


    shadow.q was unbuckling her seatbelt and, hearing rita''s question, gave her a strange look, as if she had asked something dumb. "of course there are, otherwise all that space would be wasted."


    rita silently raised a thumb in acknowledgment, at a loss for words.


    rita stepped out again but froze when she saw jk standing next to zoey. she immediately went back inside the car.


    shadow.q asked, "are you wiping your behind with my car seat?"


    without lifting her eyes from her phone, nivalis, perched steadily on rita''s shoulder, replied, "no, she wouldn''t. she can''t bear to. she burns anything she uses for that."


    rita exclaimed, "how do you know that?!"


    shadow.q blinked, incredulous. "wait, do you actually burn it?!"


    nivalis continued, "i was sitting on the bathroom sink playing on my phone. you didn''t see me, but i saw you. is that my fault?"


    rita turned to shadow.q and asked, "would you like me to explain?"


    shadow.q raised her hand to stop her. "no need. i understand, i respect it. i admit defeat!"


    those who had made significant contributions, or had a-rank abilities like rita, could enjoy those same perks¡ªsometimes even more.


    as rita walked through the halls, she passed a number of people, some chatting in small groups, discussing equipment and abilities. each of them was a minimum of level 5, and they were all well-geared. but despite their impressive appearances, rita didn''t sense any real fighting spirit from them.


    when these people spotted rita and the dragon on her shoulder, their eyes lit up, but shadow.q was quick to whisk her away before anyone could approach. a quick teleport later, they were in front of their private room.


    opening the door, rita saw that several others from their dragon-hunting team were already inside. she smiled and greeted them before noticing that this vip box had a perfect view of the stage, with no glass to obstruct the sound of zoey''s performance.


    as they found their seats, rita asked shadow.q, "you haven''t heard her hopeful hymn recently, right?"


    shadow.q replied, "nope, this will be her first time singing here."


    rita patted her friend''s arm. "then you get an extra *another happy day*." this skill was one she publicly claimed she couldn''t use on others, but privately, she had no problem giving it to a friend.


    shadow.q smiled wordlessly as her luck stat shot up to 10.


    just as rita hadn''t thanked shadow.q when she first offered the role of national dragon ambassador to nivalis, shadow.q didn''t say "thanks" now. it was simply understood between them.


    they chatted about other things, like how rita planned to stop attending the bureau''s training camp starting this month. instead, she was negotiating with them for a 15-level dungeon to train her dragon, offering in exchange one 10-level and one 3-level dungeon she currently had.


    3-level dungeons were still in high demand, especially until more people leveled up to 5.


    shadow.q asked, "is that 10-level dungeon a large one, medium, or small?"


    rita replied, "a small one that holds up to 20 people, no boss."


    shadow.q thought for a few seconds before answering, "to be honest, the bureau doesn''t have a shortage of 10-level dungeons right now. in fact, we have too many. there''s something you might not know¡ªif creatures in a dungeon aren''t killed within a certain time frame, they can leave the dungeon and enter blue star at will.


    "for every level in a dungeon, it''s roughly equivalent to 15 natural days. so, starting at the end of july, if the creatures in a 10-level dungeon haven''t been cleared, they could enter blue star at any time...


    "as for boss monsters or certain special entities, they have more restrictions. from what we''ve figured out, it''s about 20 natural days per level. even if a dungeon unlocks, they still can''t leave right away. these are all just estimates based on current intelligence."

 Chapter 178 Shadow.Q is Bound to Get Ambushed

    "our team managed to clear a batch of dungeons ahead of schedule. as for the ones we couldn''t finish, we used divine gifts to temporarily seal the dungeon gates and are working on clearing them little by little. just a little over a week ago, the 12-level dungeons also started unlocking. we simply can''t keep up..." shadow.q sighed.


    though she didn''t say it outright, the situation, while dire, hadn''t yet reached a crisis point.


    in fact, the special affairs bureau was even waiting for some of the dungeon creatures to emerge. after all, dungeons had player limits. sometimes 20 or even 100 players couldn''t handle the monsters inside, but once those creatures left the dungeon, the tables turned. with thousands of players waiting outside, surely they could take down a few monsters.


    plus, dungeon gates were small. as soon as one creature emerged, the bureau could focus on taking it down.


    weaker creatures would barely last a second after appearing. even stronger ones wouldn''t get far before being stopped, unable to reach the defense lines.


    at this point, the bureau''s players had fallen in love with these "whack-a-mole" group exercises.


    of course, this only applied to dungeons below level 10. for higher-level dungeons, the bureau had to assemble elite teams to tackle them, sometimes taking days to clear.


    many of the 94 players who joined the dragon-hunting group had previously been the main force for clearing those 10- and 11-level dungeons. this gathering wasn''t just for zoey''s hopeful hymn mission; it was also to help them prepare and coordinate better for future fights against high-level beasts and bosses.


    besides that, the bureau also had to negotiate with the owners of private dungeons. it was easier when they encountered reasonable people who understood mutual benefit, but dealing with short-sighted ones became tricky. some owners couldn''t even clear their own dungeons but still refused to let the bureau help, fearing they''d lose out on resources.


    in such cases, the bureau could only seal off the dungeons temporarily, but that wasn''t a long-term solution.


    people still treated dungeons like a game, seeing them as a chance for evolution. the public celebrated, believing life would go on smoothly. the bureau wanted things to stay orderly, even though they were aware of the impending dangers.


    for now, the bureau hadn''t shared the full extent of the situation with the public to avoid causing panic.


    there were far too few dungeon gates. many people had never even set foot in one, even though it was currently the best way to prepare for what was coming.


    right now, blue star was like a slowly sinking ship. most people were oblivious, thinking they''d just move to a new vessel and continue their journey. so, for now, they could board lifeboats in an orderly fashion, even politely helping one another.


    but what would happen once they learned the truth?


    in the near future, when higher-level dungeons start unlocking and players can''t keep up, what kind of chaos will unfold?


    would people still line up calmly for their turn to clear dungeons? would ambitious individuals exploit the situation for their own gain?


    "man, she really deserves a beating..."


    "no kidding..."


    "when i first joined the bureau, i thought she was some elite businesswoman. you know that vibe? she''s got presence! we were talking partnership, and i was convinced that if i didn''t agree, i''d be missing out."


    "and now?"


    "now, i want to call the cops, but i''m afraid if i dial 911, she''ll be the one answering."


    despite the jokes, the special affairs bureau wouldn''t make rita work for free. otherwise, they''d only push lone-wolf players further away.


    shadow.q''s offer was fair: if rita and nivalis cleared a 13-level dungeon, they would be rewarded with 20 dragon-shaped coins, and all the dungeon loot would belong to rita. the bureau wouldn''t interfere.


    rita, still pondering the dragon-shaped coins, finally asked, "isn''t this currency recognized by the game, like honor points?"


    "probably not."


    after the honor rankings were unlocked, the bureau had looked into the matter. shadow.q explained, "we''ve tried rewarding players with dragon-shaped coins since the leaderboard opened, but none of them gained any honor points or got listed.


    we think the game system has its own way of calculating honor, and while it needed official involvement at first, the bureau probably can''t control it moving forward."


    no one really knew what honor points were for yet, though.


    rita found that reassuring. "that''s good. the game system doesn''t play favorites¡ªit''s fair and impartial."


    shadow.q nodded. human biases and preferences always crept into decision-making, making true fairness hard to achieve.


    rita was about to say more when a voice from the stage echoed: "welcome, players!"


    she clapped politely, muttering, "they even got a host for this."


    and so began the story of how rita, after her rebirth, retired from the public eye, only for her nemesis to debut and throw a concert for 100,000 people...

 Chapter 179 Its You! The Masked Singer!!

    shadow.q replied, "just controlling the stage."


    the host didn''t waste any time with unnecessary talk, only reminding everyone to be quiet before introducing zoey to the stage.


    not many people knew zoey''s identity. apart from the 100-person dragon-slaying team, only a few high-ranking officials knew the truth.


    99% of the audience had exchanged contribution points for the opportunity to attend this event. special affairs bureau had even set it up so that, if the *hope song* failed due to the number of people exceeding the skill''s limit, the contribution points would be refunded.


    though zoey knew it would be hard to keep her abilities hidden for long, she wasn''t eager to have so many people see her face just yet. it was too risky. she didn''t trust that all special affairs bureau members were good people¡ªlopez family had already bribed several with money and equipment.


    so, when she appeared on stage, she wore a mask provided by the special affairs bureau and draped herself in a cloak that obscured her figure and even her height.


    rita, sitting in the audience, thought to herself: *it''s you! the masked singer!!*no?v(el)b\\jnn


    zoey clearly wanted to get things over with quickly. she grabbed the microphone and began singing without delay, finishing the performance and then immediately turning to leave.


    in fact, the original *hope song* was more of a recitation, praising holy light with a poem. but zoey found that too awkward, so she eventually modified it into a wordless chant. the effects remained the same.


    good thing she changed it. zoey couldn''t even imagine performing a poem recital in front of a crowd of ten thousand... the thought was too painful.


    as zoey exited the stage, rita was still sitting on her chair, amused. she even recorded the whole thing on her phone. she was definitely going to send this to rick: *hey, check out your masked singer wife!*


    nivalis, perched on rita''s shoulder and engrossed in her game, suddenly exclaimed, "huh?"


    rita asked, "what''s wrong?"


    nivalis replied, "i just got an extra attribute point."


    rita chuckled, "nice, that''s a bonus!"


    nearby, shadow.q added, "i got one too, thanks! i''m going to help with tracking the skill effects now. i''ll swing by your place tomorrow morning to pick you up and take you and nivalis to check out the dungeons we need help clearing."


    rita nodded, "sounds good."


    she had a lot of free time recently. apache had postponed classes, and both zoey and rick were currently on their reckless journeys. she had just collected some interest from sanchez, so things were pretty calm.


    now, it was time to give rick a little nudge¡ªhe''d better hurry up and visit samuel and scarlett!


    ---


    still, shadow.q wasn''t worried about rita''s safety. given what she observed of nivalis and rita''s relationship, if there was any real danger, nivalis would definitely protect her. so, she just gave rita a call.


    soon enough, rita emerged from the house in workout clothes, wiping sweat from her face as she opened the door for shadow.q.


    shadow.q asked, "so you''re really done with the training camp? won''t you miss those machines? i heard you love playing with the launcher."


    rita pointed at the fading traces of frost on her body. "i don''t need it. nivalis can help me train, and it''s even more effective."


    no more wearing weighted gear¡ªnow she could focus purely on dodging and training nivalis at the same time.


    they could only practice indoors though, to avoid being seen.


    to be fair, this setup was working out pretty well. the furniture acted as obstacles, and nivalis was forced to use only quick-cast skills.


    at least nivalis wouldn''t shout, "aurora shield!" and then start slowly charging it up for six seconds like before.


    because last time, after she''d finally charged it up and looked around for her target, she turned her head to see rita calmly standing behind the counter, sipping coffee. rita even took a few seconds to stir in some sugar when it didn''t dissolve.


    in that moment, nivalis''s heart sank.


    it wasn''t until rita noticed nivalis''s glowing mouth that she realized the mistake. she quickly set her coffee down and called out, *"bring it on! i''m ready! you''re such a worthy opponent with such a terrifying skill!"*


    nivalis: *...what.*


    honestly, rita wasn''t doing it on purpose¡ªshe had just been thirsty.


    all in all, it was a pretty awkward moment.


    now, rita was planning to hang up some colored cards around the house to spice up their training. red cards would represent her, and blue cards would represent nivalis. the cards would act as treasures they had to protect, while also trying to break the other''s treasures¡ªall without damaging any furniture. any damage meant point deductions.


    turn the training into a game, and nivalis might even beg to train with her.


    as shadow.q stepped inside, nivalis flew out from the first-floor bathroom, freshly cleaned and looking neat. she now bathed faster than rita washed a cup, and no longer fussed about returning to her full size.


    her fan account on social media now had hundreds of thousands of followers, with comments gushing over her cuteness from all over the world.


    rita had caught nivalis laughing while reading those comments more than once.


    before leaving the dungeon: *big is powerful!!*


    after leaving the dungeon: *small me is so cute~~*

 Chapter 180 Do You Really Chase Your Tail When Youre Happy?

    rita didn''t rush out with shadow.q right away. instead, she set up a table in the backyard and took out some food from her game backpack. the two of them, plus a dragon and a group of cats, enjoyed breakfast under the shade of a parasol.


    occasionally, voices could be heard from the roof¡ªthe players fighting in the dungeon. it wasn''t that they were loud, but rita''s senses had grown sharper and more sensitive recently.


    shadow.q pointed toward the roof and asked, "ever thought about selling this dungeon?"


    rita instantly caught shadow.q''s underlying message. if she wanted to represent the special affairs bureau and clear up the payment once and for all, they could have talked yesterday. for instance, trading the ownership of this level 3 dungeon for temporary use of a level 15 dungeon. so she asked, "how would that work?"


    shadow.q explained, "we recently discovered a divine gift that allows us to move dungeon portals. if you feel the one on your rooftop is affecting your life, you could sell it to the special affairs bureau."


    rita asked, "and who would cover the cost of moving the portal¡ªme, or the special affairs bureau?"


    shadow.q didn''t hesitate, "that''s an extra service, a convenience for the public. of course, you''d have to pay."


    rita scoffed, "oh, then just leave it up there. it''s a nice way to keep an eye on the place."


    she was sure that if it weren''t for the players coming and going on her rooftop, who knows how many people might have shown up here already. the *shielding water curtain* alone wouldn''t be enough to scare off everyone with ill intentions.


    installing a security camera in a store versus having a police station on the rooftop¡ªit''s not the same level of protection, right?


    rita felt good and enjoyed watching shadow.q''s slightly choked expression as she ate. after a couple of bites, she suddenly asked, "is that skill stone that can move dungeon portals for sale?"


    she couldn''t control her thoughts. devious ideas kept pouring out of her brain by the ton!


    shadow.q put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a napkin, and cleared her throat for a formal reply. "that''s a strategic-level divine gift. you can understand how powerful it would be in the wrong hands. in the special affairs bureau''s possession, it allows us to plan ahead. but in the hands of someone with bad intentions..."


    rita sighed internally, *oh no, this explanation is longer than nivalis''s casting of aurora shield.*


    *do you chase your tail when you''re happy?* she asked.


    *maybe it''s too happy, with no one to talk to and no one who would understand. so it can only chase itself. when it finally catches its tail, it can tell itself about the happy thing and feel that joy all over again.*


    ...


    after breakfast, shadow.q took rita and nivalis to three different places. the special affairs bureau had already been working on the level 12 dungeons for a week.


    the dungeons at these three locations were all level 13, and they were all large-scale. the bureau''s manpower was spread too thin, which was why they sought rita''s help.


    however, shadow.q didn''t give rita any formal documentation for this work.


    the special affairs bureau had done a psychological profile on rita. by analyzing her behavior after the game invasion, they''d concluded that she was someone who made others want to befriend her. she was cheerful, resilient, eager to learn, loved animals, valued family, had stable emotions, and her morality was flexible.


    of course, there were some less favorable aspects to her personality, too. she was always concerned with fairness, calculated things carefully, and disliked rules and restrictions.


    another distinctive trait was her extreme caution. to put it more plainly, rita had a deeply ingrained distrust of others.


    when the special affairs bureau saw this result, they were actually relieved.


    stay tuned with empire


    they had done psychological profiles on all the top-ranking players and those with divine gifts of a-level and higher.


    the results had been all over the place, revealing personality flaws that could fill a hundred novels about domineering ceos: people who were starved for love, obsessive, extreme, violent, envious by nature, cold-blooded, control freaks, power-hungry, vengeful, or prone to feeling betrayed at the slightest difficulty...


    the list went on¡ªalmost a full set of the seven deadly sins.


    compared to all these traits, rita''s "low trust in others" seemed refreshing!

 Chapter 181 A Dragons Emotions Never Grow Dull

    *what a good kid!*


    landon flipped through some details of what happened to rita before the game invasion, especially the amelia case. back then, he had commented, "this kid was probably betrayed. we should protect her."


    so in this regard, the special affairs bureau made sure to tread carefully.


    shadow.q was only here to show rita the locations, and then let her coordinate with the guards in front of the dungeon portal to set up a time to clear the dungeons.


    rita asked, "do any of these dungeons have boss-level beasts?"


    shadow.q replied, "the second dungeon we saw has a giant whale, but you don''t need to fight it. it''s at level 15, so you''ve got time."


    rita agreed, "got it. i''ll clear these three dungeons this week and contact you after. by the way, how do i claim those 30 chances to boost my attributes?"


    shadow.q reassured her, "i''ll send them to you within a week."


    rita was already looking forward to it. "sounds good. oh, have you found any other players with the divine gift *wheel of fate*?"


    at this, shadow.q''s expression soured. "yes! but that player got poached by a faction in b city."


    hearing this, rita felt a jolt. "what faction?"


    shadow.q answered, "wildfire. have you heard of them?"


    rita shook her head outwardly, but inwardly she was very familiar. in the later stages of the game, when factions could formally establish guilds recognized by the system, taylor''s *wildfire*, the lopez family''s *shuffle*, and the white family''s *71%* were the three most powerful guilds in los angeles, second only to the special affairs bureau.


    when these three allied together, even the los angeles special affairs bureau had to step aside. after all, the bureau couldn''t summon all the high-level players from across the country just to suppress them.


    after parting ways with shadow.q, rita stood on the street and patted nivalis, who had been quietly sitting on her shoulder. "what''s on your mind?"


    nivalis flapped her wings and patted rita''s hand. "i heard you telling her i''m not for sale."


    rita chuckled as she slowly walked under the shade of a tree toward a nearby dungeon portal, planning to clear one of the dungeons today. "that made you happy?"


    nivalis giggled, "hehe."


    rita teased, "i thought you''d never suffered enough to be so easily moved."


    she didn''t know much about nivalis''s life before coming to blue star, but based on the fifth talent skill description¡ª"*you are the team''s beloved baby! as the only dragon cub born in nearly three thousand years, you are blessed by the master of time and the ghostwalker*"¡ªshe could guess a bit.


    eleanor retorted, "i''m only 53! i''ve got more suitors than you''ve got years left to live!"


    that was the first time little rick, who was six by then, saw samuel lose his temper. "no way. i''ll make sure you never remarry, even if it kills me!"


    then eleanor calmly picked up an ashtray and smashed it over samuel''s head. afterward, she turned to scarlett and said, "go check if he''s dead."


    samuel spent two weeks in the hospital, talking tough but never reporting her to the police. when he finally moved, he took everything aiden had left behind, except the old courtyard house and the money in eleanor''s bank account.


    it was laughable¡ªhe couldn''t even take them with him.


    when aiden was alive, he turned over all his earnings to eleanor, and all their investments and assets were in her name. he''d even given the courtyard house to eleanor as a gift before they got married, signing a voluntary transfer agreement.


    in samuel''s eyes, his father was a hopeless romantic¡ªhe had loved eleanor his entire life, but when he died, she moved on so quickly!


    two years? that''s nothing!


    from that day forward, samuel never returned to b city and forbade scarlett from bringing the kids there.


    but rick had seen eleanor at the school gate, in the neighborhood, and elsewhere.


    he knew she had come to see him and rita. sometimes, she even checked on scarlett, but she never saw samuel because his work schedule was so regular. whenever samuel was about to come home, eleanor always disappeared.


    one time, the siblings saw their grandmother standing in the shade of a tree in the neighborhood. ten-year-old rita ran down to her.


    rick, disliking the heat, stayed behind. he watched the two chat for over half an hour before getting bored and turning on the tv.


    when little rita came back, he asked what grandma had said.


    rita answered, "grandma taught me how to play cards."


    after that, eleanor never came again.


    rick''s memories of eleanor had mostly faded. but 19 years later, he could still remember the slight tremor in her hand when she picked up the ashtray and the look of disappointment, anger, and sorrow on her face.


    beyond that, he mostly remembered how good her pastries were. after they left b city for los angeles, he and rita spent a long time wandering the streets and alleys, hand in hand, trying to find pastries that could match grandma''s.


    what would grandma''s divine gift be?


    why was she willing to forgive samuel...

 Chapter 182 �Divine Gift】Off Duty, Transformed into a Master Chef (A-Grade)

    to be honest, rick didn''t know what eleanor''s divine gift was, nor did he particularly care.


    originally, rick had planned to sneak into the shen family''s house under cover of darkness, use an item to get rid of the child scarlett was carrying, and then leave. but as he stood at the entrance of the alleyway outside eleanor''s courtyard, he had a strong, dangerous feeling¡ªlike a sixth sense warning him that this wasn''t the right time for mischief.


    the last time he''d had such a feeling... well, truth be told, he''d been having it a lot recently. every time he thought about doing something bad related to rita.


    rick trusted his luck and intuition, so he backed off.


    eleanor''s house was brightly lit at this hour.


    wearing a white apron, eleanor was kneading dough. around her house, on the windowsills, roof, and even beside the well, stood special affairs bureau players tasked with protecting her. inside the side rooms, a couple of colleagues were resting, waiting for their shift to start.


    eleanor was a national treasure¡ªofficially recognized as the only known player in the country with an a-grade divine gift that could increase other players'' attribute points. after the game invasion, her culinary skills materialized into a real-world master-level cooking ability, with her experience bar nearly maxed out, just one step away from reaching epic-level. explore more stories with empire


    it was thanks to this combination of extraordinary culinary skill and her divine gift that eleanor became one of the most valuable assets in b city. even though she had hidden for nearly half a year after the game invasion, she eventually sought out the special affairs bureau after the pet rankings were revealed.


    the b city special affairs bureau immediately assigned five high-level players to guard her in rotating shifts, and they even took on the responsibility of helping her level up.


    **[divine gift][off duty, transformed into a master chef](a-grade)**


    - **skill 1: golden laughter**: when you earn a sum of money that makes you laugh with joy, the food you prepare within the next hour, if scored above 98, will have a chance to grant the eater additional attribute points. the more the eater enjoys the dish, the higher the probability of increasing their attribute points. (can only be triggered once per day per target).


    - **skill 2: timing is everything**: you can create a container that lasts up to 72 hours. within this container, time flow can be adjusted at will, based on the size of the container and the caster''s mana. the container''s maximum length, width, and height (in cm) cannot exceed your highest attribute value, and the minimum size cannot be lower than your lowest attribute value.


    the range of time flow adjustments depends on the caster''s intelligence.


    - **skill 3: "i''ve cooked all this, and now you want mcdonald''s?"**: when you ask this question, any teammate who shouts, "i only eat grandma''s cooking!" with a volume exceeding 80 decibels will receive the chef''s blessing, doubling their highest attribute for the next five minutes.


    she clearly remembered the look in samuel''s eyes when he found out the special affairs bureau had assigned her personal guards.


    would any mother in the world dislike her own child?


    eleanor didn''t know about other mothers, but she didn''t like samuel.


    when she had mentioned remarrying all those years ago, it was a final chance for samuel, a way to put distance between them. she couldn''t stand living under the same roof with him, even if he appeared to be a dutiful son who treated his wife and children well.


    she had overheard how samuel taught rick.


    ¡ª"those kids mock you for always trailing behind your sister, for running to her when you get bullied. does that bother you?"


    ¡ª"i want to play with my sister. i want her to protect me, but i don''t like being laughed at."


    ¡ª"good. you dislike those mocking voices, but you enjoy being protected by your sister. have you ever thought that you could use her as a weapon to teach those people a lesson? your sister is outstanding¡ªshe can be both your shield and your sword."


    at that moment, eleanor had felt a chill down her spine.


    she knew that avery''s situation had completely twisted samuel''s personality. whenever he looked at rita and rick, he saw avery and himself.


    leaving b city had been for the best. she couldn''t watch over everything samuel said to rita, so it was better for them to be apart. at least then, he might cool off and recognize that rita was his daughter, not his sister avery.


    eleanor turned her gaze away from samuel and focused on the patties, now perfectly golden and crispy. she placed them on a plate, enjoying the sizzling sound the tongs made when they touched the crust. the patties were golden brown, with slightly charred edges, and inside, the filling of meat and bamboo shoots peeked through.


    carefully picking through the five patties, eleanor selected one and sealed it inside a food box.


    it was a simple dish¡ªjust like something you might find on a street corner. but this particular patty had a rating of 100!


    she then picked out two more, placing them into a separate box. these patties had a rating of 99.

 Chapter 183 At Least Seven Groups Snuck into That Instance

    the last two dishes, with a score of 98, were casually handed to the special affairs bureau guards stationed outside, letting them decide what to do with them.


    eleanor enjoyed the perks given to her by the special affairs bureau, so naturally, she took on some work for them. however, this work wasn''t mandatory¡ªshe could choose the tasks she wanted to do freely, and the special affairs bureau would present her with a variety of tasks, big and small.


    the special affairs bureau''s approach was quite reciprocal, following a "you respect me, i''ll respect you" attitude. initially, the tasks presented to eleanor were mostly intermediate or advanced-level, with a substantial workload.


    eleanor would often choose tasks that would benefit many players, but she was careful not to overburden herself. she would complete one task every two days, and if she accepted a task that involved joining a team for an instance run, she''d space them out to three days.


    over time, the special affairs bureau figured out eleanor''s nature: she wasn''t lazy or evasive, disliked seeing others gain too much from her, but also wasn''t interested in burning herself out for the benefit of others.


    additionally, she avoided creating food for individual players, no matter how generous the rewards were¡ªlikely to avoid getting involved in factional disputes.


    as a result, the tasks given to her by the special affairs bureau became more varied, allowing her full flexibility.


    eleanor remained the same: if she was in a good mood, she''d take on more work, but if she felt tired, she''d rest.


    after all, she was a 72-year-old grandmother¡ªwhat more could they expect from her?


    given her personality, she should''ve gone to bed early that night. however, she had seen a task to create food that could increase attribute points specifically for rita, and she had eagerly accepted it. she spent the day leveling up in instances and spent her evenings preparing for this task.


    even for her, it wasn''t a guarantee that every dish would score above 98.


    in fact, this task had been forcibly pulled from the los angeles special affairs bureau by the b city bureau specifically for eleanor to handle¡ªit was only visible to her.


    in game terms, this was undoubtedly a unique hidden task.


    eleanor''s background had long been investigated, and her family situation was known to the top officials. her estranged son and his family had left b city 19 years ago, and they had never returned. even when samuel had business trips to b city, he never visited his childhood home.


    on august 29th, when samuel and his wife had shown up crying and kneeling in front of eleanor''s gate, the b city special affairs bureau had even held a meeting!


    was this some underhanded scheme by the los angeles special affairs bureau to steal their talent by orchestrating a family reconciliation?


    if samuel and his mother reconciled, could they bring rita to settle in b city and reunite the family?


    but not even ten minutes after samuel and scarlett were allowed into eleanor''s house, samuel had already been tied up and hung from the roof to "air out" overnight...


    the b city special affairs bureau had lost hope.


    but then, the very next day, rita appeared on the honor board!


    ---


    "any updates? did you see what cards she''s holding?"


    "no, the dragon did all the fighting. she just cooked meals for it, and the dragon ate before going back to fight." find your next read at empire


    "did she poison the dragon with mushrooms?"


    "...what kind of melodramatic romance novel logic is that? befriending a dragon with a few meals? is that how she made a contract with it?"


    "no way! in those stories, it''s always about a sincere heart."


    "...stop reading those novels already!"


    ---


    "any updates? did you find anything?"


    "nope, just the dragon fighting, while she cooked."


    "huh?"


    "is she the dragon''s personal chef?"


    "should i start practicing cooking too?"


    "ahh! i didn''t have enough money during the beta to learn the cooking skill!"


    ---


    "how''d it go, bro?"


    "nothing to see¡ªjust the dragon up there casting massive spells. it''s so slow! takes six or seven seconds to charge up, then it mindlessly blows everything up. by the time it''s done charging, half the monsters have run off! and after the blast, it tilts its head back and roars like it''s all proud. the dragon''s having a great time...


    but i''m so done with how bad it is."


    "so, uh, why''d you change your avatar to a picture of nivalis casting a spell? did you secretly snap a photo?"


    "...ahem, when i said it was bad, i meant it''s totally my type. i''m drooling over that dragon."


    "you''re drooling, alright! and you think you''ve discovered something? at least seven other groups snuck into that instance today!"

 Chapter 184 So Who Are You Hiding From?

    on the afternoon of the 2nd, while rita was busy clearing instances, rick spent the entire day pacing outside his grandmother eleanor''s courtyard.


    earlier that morning, he received a message from zoey, informing him that the lopez family had learned of his grandmother eleanor''s exceptionally rare divine gift. in b city, her importance was on par with those who possessed s-tier divine gifts. zoey suggested that rick remain in b city to gather information and try to find out more about eleanor''s abilities.


    although it would be ideal to bring her back to los angeles, at the very least, he could see if she would be willing to help her grandson and granddaughter-in-law. as for rick, zoey reminded him to return by the 15th.


    rick was speechless. they didn''t even invite eleanor to their wedding...


    the reason rick was hesitant to meet eleanor was that he always felt she didn''t like him. in middle school, samuel had urged him to secretly reconnect with eleanor.


    at first, eleanor responded to his messages, but over time, her questions became more difficult and pointed. sometimes rick wasn''t sure how to reply in a way that preserved his image as a respectful and dutiful grandson while also satisfying eleanor''s expectations, so he would ask samuel for advice.


    samuel only guided him once. rick sent the message as instructed, but from that point on, eleanor never responded again.


    later, when rick got into college, samuel had him try to visit eleanor in person, but she always refused to see him.


    rita never knew about these attempts. she likely believed, as samuel often said at the dinner table, that eleanor had found a new family and new grandchildren to care for.


    rick continued pacing until nightfall. finally, a young man with a buzzcut approached and told him he had to leave.


    rick handed over the gifts he had brought. "please give these to my parents and grandmother. thank you."


    experience new tales on empire


    with that, he left obediently.


    the man, everett , took the gifts back inside and gathered his teammates. they checked the gifts with their divine gift-powered tools to ensure there were no hidden threats, then brought them to eleanor.


    eleanor didn''t even look at the gifts. "give them to his parents."


    the items ended up with samuel and scarlett. the two exchanged glances and quietly placed the gifts in a corner.


    scarlett, cautiously: "could we?"


    eleanor: "so, who are you hiding from? rick?"


    for as long as rick had been standing outside, the couple had been on edge¡ªespecially scarlett, who seemed to carry the baby like it was some sort of ticking time bomb, unable to relax.


    both fell silent.


    eleanor pressed on, "you''re hiding from him because of the baby, right? he doesn''t want you to keep the child?"


    scarlett looked up at the sky, while samuel shifted against the wall, twisting around mid-air so his back faced eleanor.


    eleanor chuckled softly to herself. how poetic. samuel had tried to stop her from remarrying years ago, and now rick was trying to stop samuel from having another child...


    she asked, "does rita know?"


    scarlett, relieved to have a question she could answer, quickly replied, "yes, she was so happy when she found out."


    samuel, recalling how rita had foolishly smiled and said, "mom, dad, i''m really happy for you," couldn''t believe it at first. he even used his truth-checking ability, only to find that when rita repeated herself, it was the truth. that silly child was genuinely happy for them.


    tearing up, samuel added, "yes, mom, rita was truly happy for us¡ªso happy. but rick''s different. he wanted scarlett to abort the baby, and he made it clear that if she didn''t go to the hospital, he''d take matters into his own hands. mom, i know i''ve made mistakes in the past, but being hurt by my own son made me realize just how wrong i was back then."


    eleanor felt like a key part of this story was missing. why would rick go to such lengths to prevent scarlett from keeping the baby? if rick had already married into the lopez family, wouldn''t this be the perfect opportunity to use the baby as leverage in a family dispute? why bother traveling all this way, just to stop scarlett from having the child?


    but she wasn''t in a hurry to figure it out. she slowly rose from her seat and left without another word.


    the next morning, scarlett and samuel woke to find themselves alone in the house.


    eleanor was gone.


    though she didn''t particularly dislike scarlett, she had little patience for samuel. as far as she was concerned, their unborn child wasn''t even fully formed yet¡ªwhat difference did it make?


    eleanor had only stayed home yesterday to work on a recipe. today, she had the time to go level up. as for samuel and scarlett? she wasn''t worried about them¡ªafter all, they wouldn''t die.

 Chapter 185 Has My Sadness Been Healed by You?

    early morning on the 3rd, while rita was brushing her teeth and thinking about what to have for breakfast, she received the rewards shadow.q had sent her.


    the package contained two wooden food boxes, slightly larger than the palm of her hand. the boxes, made from wood with visible grains, were rectangular and resembled typical takeout containers.


    along with the package was a note:


    **"the box with a ''?'' on the top right is for you, and the other is a snack for you and nivalis to enjoy. ¡ª the food maker"**


    **"this food comes with a message from the creator. the reward can only be triggered once a day, so for the next 29 days, you will receive a new reward daily."**


    **"these food boxes have a preservation function, but the food inside will disappear along with the box once the countdown ends. the food can only trigger the attribute point bonus once per day¡ªif you take the first bite and nothing happens, further eating will not trigger it again. you can eat at your own pace, but remember to keep an eye on the countdown timer." ¡ª shadow.q**


    rita gently traced the "?" on the food box with her fingers. when she opened it, there was a palm-sized meat pie inside.


    **[meat pie] (100 points): a seemingly common street snack, but with perfect ingredients, expertly fermented dough, finely balanced meat filling, and flawless cooking technique. eating this restores 30% of your health and has a chance to increase one freely distributable attribute point. the effect is influenced by how much the eater enjoys the dish. the effect can only trigger once per day.


    (maker: eleanor)**


    eleanor... that name felt so distant now.


    in her previous life, when she was a wanted fugitive, eleanor had sent her several dishes that could boost her attribute points and had even asked if she needed help. at the time, rita was on the run and stubbornly refused, not wanting to drag eleanor into her mess. after all, their relationship as grandmother and granddaughter wasn''t particularly deep.


    after leaving b city as a child, they had only seen each other a few dozen times when she was in los angeles, and not once after she turned 10. the next time they met, rita was already an actress, shooting a film in an old castle during the sweltering summer, decked out in a fur coat, crying and jumping while reciting her lines.


    behind her came a playful voice, "what delicious thing are you eating~?"


    rita blinked away her tears quickly and smiled as she pushed the other food box toward nivalis. it contained two meat pies, each rated 99 points. "meat pies," she said.


    nivalis stared at her reddened eyes for a moment, then used her **[expert''s care]** skill. a soft white glow enveloped rita, and the little ice dragon perched on her shoulder spread her wings and hugged rita''s head. "has my magic healed your sadness?"


    rita felt her heart clench. fighting the urge to cry, she nodded hard, "yes!"


    they shared the pies¡ªeach taking one and a half. after finishing, rita''s emotions had finally calmed down.


    she had later wondered if eleanor was going through something difficult herself¡ªperhaps her grandmother''s life hadn''t been easy either. but sometimes, when you are at your lowest and don''t get the support you so desperately need, even after surviving, that wound never fully heals.


    eleanor had helped rita through her darkest days, but when rita was left clinging to her last shred of hope, eleanor had blown it out. she wasn''t sure how to face her grandmother now.


    did she feel resentment? that would be ungrateful. she had never blamed eleanor. but to say she was entirely grateful? that didn''t seem quite right either.


    she simply... couldn''t bring herself to trust her grandmother anymore. if she ever found herself falling into the abyss again, she wouldn''t reach out for eleanor''s hand¡ªor anyone else''s. she would choose to grab onto the jagged cliffs herself, even if it meant shredding her hands to pieces, even if it meant falling to her death. it was better than relying on someone who might let go.


    so even though she knew about eleanor''s powerful divine gift, rita hadn''t sought her out after her rebirth. she decided to let things happen naturally. if she had time to visit b city, she would see eleanor, have a meal with her, bring her gifts, and offer her respects. if eleanor was in danger, rita would undoubtedly help her... and that would be all.


    after breakfast, rita prepared to take nivalis to continue clearing the 13th-level instance. the night before, she hadn''t had time to check the forums, but shadow.q had sent her an email explaining that someone had secretly recorded footage of nivalis fighting in an instance.


    the special affairs bureau was not responsible, but they planned to send 99 players into the instance ahead of her today to secure the area. once rita entered and killed the first monster, locking the instance, they would exit.

 Chapter 186 Pasta Princess Must Have Her Reasons for Doing This

    if it had been any other trivial matter, the special affairs bureau wouldn''t have wasted so much manpower just for rita, even if she had a dragon. but since rita was doing something to benefit the country, the bureau had to show their support.


    rita, on the other hand, didn''t expect that other players had actually snuck into the dungeon yesterday. they were probably hiding somewhere in the vast terrain of the large dungeon, where it was impossible for rita and nivalis to monitor everything.


    regarding the special affairs bureau''s arrangements, rita didn''t act modest or decline. the consequence of being too polite was often endless compromise. she''d rather be criticized for being demanding or too proud than end up making concession after concession, only to find herself in a position she never wanted.


    one day, you take a step back, and the next day, another step back, and before you know it, you''re down on your knees.


    while nivalis was clearing out the monsters, rita spent time examining eleanor''s food boxes. she had known in her past life that these food boxes were special. although they only lasted for 72 hours, the time inside the box could be adjusted. eleanor usually set it to a time-stopping mode to keep the food fresh, somewhat like the in-game inventory.


    however, unlike the in-game inventory that couldn''t store living creatures, the food box could.


    once, she even threw a small frog inside, left it for 48 hours, and when she took it out, the frog was still alive.


    this food box was terrifying. if it were bigger, could it keep a dying person alive indefinitely?


    leaving aside the timed food box, the reward wasn''t just a one-time opportunity. although the other food box was labeled as "just a treat," it actually had the same potential to increase attribute points. although she could only trigger the effect once per day, she could easily save it for another day. everyone knew eleanor was taking advantage of the bureau''s funds to spoil her granddaughter.


    but the special affairs bureau didn''t interfere too much. micromanaging would only push away powerful individuals.


    ...


    rita helped the special affairs bureau clear out three level 13 dungeons. she continued to rent the rooftop dungeon to the bureau, using the payment for clearing the three dungeons, along with the remaining four months'' rental for the rooftop level 3 dungeon, to exchange for a skill crystal that allowed her to move dungeon portals.


    she promised she wouldn''t move any portal that had an official owner. she even vowed to return any misplaced portal to its rightful owner should they come forward with proof. out of trust for rita, the bureau gave her the crystal.


    after all, it wasn''t out of the question if she found a portal even the bureau hadn''t detected, and moving it to a safe and controllable location wasn''t the worst outcome.


    such poor manners! what a sweet boy, traveling all this way to visit someone, only to be kept waiting outside!


    but when they heard he was waiting for eleanor, all the old folks¡ªwhether grandpas or grannies¡ªsilently pulled up their pants and sat back down.


    "oh, it''s *pasta princess* you''re waiting for..."


    "pasta princess must have her reasons for doing things the way she does..."


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    rick was speechless. after all these years, did his grandma still have that many admirers?


    back in the day, when eleanor had said, "there are more people chasing me than you''ll ever know," it really wasn''t just an empty boast.


    sighing, rick sat down. he had to keep up appearances, especially with the lopez family spies watching him.


    just then, a woman''s voice called out from above him. "who are you to eleanor?"


    rick looked up and saw a short-haired, sharp-looking woman with her arms crossed, standing behind him. beside her stood a handsome man with medium-length hair, who smiled warmly. "she''s my grandma," rick replied.


    the sharp-looking woman and the man both smiled before sitting next to him.


    the woman extended her hand. "hi, i''m camila taylor."


    rick gently grasped her fingers, shook them lightly, then let go. "nice to meet you. i''m rick."


    the man also extended his hand. "henry taylor."


    rick shook his hand too. "nice to meet you."

 Chapter 187 Does This Family Tree Have to Be Filled?

    it was much more comfortable for rick to chat with young people than with the elderly. at least, he didn''t have to place himself in the role of a junior. after talking for a while, the three exchanged contact information.


    rick then learned that the taylor siblings, camila and henry, were also looking for eleanor. they had heard that eleanor''s skill could increase attribute points and wanted to propose a collaboration.


    camila asked curiously, "what about you? why aren''t you going inside to see your grandmother?"


    rick didn''t bother lying. he and rita were similar in that way. if there was a lie that could easily be exposed, there was no point in telling it. the siblings weren''t people to lie to either, unless it was a harmless one or something they were sure couldn''t be verified.


    he responded truthfully, "my dad took me and my sister to los angeles not long after my grandfather passed away. i haven''t seen my grandmother in many years. for her, i''m practically a stranger. it makes sense that she wouldn''t want to see me. but what about you two? why aren''t you working with the special affairs bureau to collaborate with my grandmother?"


    camila smiled without saying much, while henry changed the subject by asking if rick had any extra gear to trade. they might find a mutually beneficial swap, especially if some of rick''s equipment didn''t match his current set but could be useful for someone else.


    rick didn''t press the matter further and instead started talking with henry about trading equipment.


    at 7 pm, eleanor returned to the courtyard with a group of special affairs bureau members escorting her. by then, the elderly neighbors had all gone home, leaving only rick and the taylor siblings under the large tree by the alley entrance.


    when the taylor siblings spotted eleanor, they immediately walked up to her, smiling as they exchanged pleasantries with the special affairs bureau members before turning to greet eleanor warmly, as if they were longtime acquaintances. they acted as if eleanor had watched them grow up, speaking with an affectionate familiarity.


    rick couldn''t help but feel outdone by their easy charm. he too approached eleanor, respectfully greeting her.


    eleanor''s thoughts: how annoying. it feels like there are three charcoal briquettes swaying in front of me.


    not only were they scheming, but they also seemed so insincere...


    eleanor had no interest in engaging with them. she simply said, "if you want to cooperate with me, talk to harriet." with a nod, she dismissed them and walked into the alley.


    the three of them tried to follow but were stopped by a stern-looking man with a buzz cut.


    the man, harriet, addressed them. "are you representing yourselves or a family or organization?"


    rick answered, "i''m just here to see my parents."


    harriet replied, "then be at the south wall of the courtyard at 11 tonight. i''ll have your father hung there, and you can see him."


    rick: "what?"


    rick blinked in confusion. "alive?"


    **big sister, i was wrong:** "yeah."


    **in meditation, do not disturb:** "finish dinner and then leave. they''ve offended the wilson family."


    **big sister, i was wrong:** "the wilson family? how do you know? i just asked the special affairs bureau members with my grandmother, and they all said they couldn''t say."


    **in meditation, do not disturb:** "thanks to you, i just found out. wilson family members saw you dining with them and called to ask if the lopez family is getting involved."


    **big sister, i was wrong:** "...my bad."


    **in meditation, do not disturb:** "after dinner, pay the bill. it''ll leave a good impression. the taylor family has some assets in los angeles, and they might relocate there."


    **big sister, i was wrong:** "got it."


    rick turned off his phone. zoey, meanwhile, continued drawing blood from her arm.


    some matters, once you''ve been threatened, open the door to future threats. this time it was the white family; next time, who would it be?


    zoey didn''t want to live in constant fear. rather than letting things spiral, she''d rather bring everyone down with her.


    after drawing her blood, zoey pulled out what appeared to be a tattered cloth that looked like it had been buried for a hundred years. she carefully squeezed the blood from the syringe onto the cloth.


    **[does this family tree have to be filled?]** (curio): when a user drips their blood onto this family tree, they mark it. afterward, the user can transfer curses or injuries to their direct blood relatives. (not yet marked)


    this was something rick had stumbled upon. he seemed to acquire curiouser and stranger items almost weekly through various coincidences. he had found this family tree hidden inside a decorative vase while out shopping.


    if not for their contract, rick would never have willingly given up this item.


    as zoey''s blood was absorbed by the tree, the name **zoey** appeared at the center, quickly moving to the top of the family tree. at the same time, in the bottom right corner, the word **wilson** appeared in blood.


    three branches spread from zoey''s name, each connecting to another: **matthew, sofia, rick**. stay tuned for updates on empire


    zoey first crossed out sofia''s name in her mind. then she stared at rick''s name for a long time before ultimately deciding against including him.


    it wasn''t about sentiment. she simply didn''t want to back rick into a corner. his bizarre luck was terrifying, especially considering how frequently he inadvertently provided resources for the lopez family. rick was like a magnet for rare curiouser and artifacts.


    forget the items and tools¡ªafter having his attribute points stolen, rick always seemed to find something odd that replenished them.

 Chapter 188 Sorry, Shes After the Family Tree!

    the most ridiculous time was when rick accidentally fell into an elite mini-boss''s lair during a dungeon run. he hit his head on some unknown treasure that the mini-boss had stolen from a tribal leader. the treasure turned into white mist, which enveloped his wound. when he got up, he had gained 2 attribute points...


    now, both zoey and rick were at level 7. zoey''s stats were about average for a level 3 player, but rick had already recovered to the level of a 5th-level player.


    the more zoey thought about it, the more irritated she became. when rick returned from b city, she was definitely going to beat him again!


    following the instructions in her mind, zoey pressed her finger on the name "matthew" and chose to share her curse with him without hesitation.


    instantly, the curse in zoey''s status changed from: **[unknown curse level 1]: all healing effects are reduced by 5%; health cannot regenerate; contagious** to **[unknown curse level 1 (?)]**: all healing effects are reduced by 2.5%; health regeneration is slowed; contagious.**


    zoey looked at the name of the curio in her hand and sneered.


    back when she married into the lopez family, her name had been successfully added to their family tree.


    thinking back, what an idiotic move that had been!


    zoey put away the **[does this family tree have to be filled?]** and pulled out another item rick had obtained¡ª a simple mug.


    **[excuse me, i need a refill]** (grade b): pour any liquid or potion below master level into the cup, even just a drop. after 10 minutes, the cup will refill itself with that liquid, containing exactly 250ml. cooldown: 1 natural day.


    zoey took a dropper filled with mateo''s blood from the table.


    that''s why loyalty from subordinates was the most useless thing. as long as the benefits were good enough, people would forget the favors they owed to the lopez family. worse, they would find a way to justify their betrayal to soothe their guilty consciences: *this is mateo''s own sister; how could she harm him?*


    after 10 minutes, zoey gently placed the cursed feather into the mug filled with blood.


    sorry, she was going after the people on the family tree!


    all those telling her to care about the "big picture" were only the ones who stood to gain from that big picture. but if she wasn''t going to be the winner, what was the point in caring about the bigger picture?


    nivalis quickly pulled her foot back and sniffed it herself. "i licked it clean! it smells delicious!"


    rita had enough. this little dragon was even less hygienic than the cats in the backyard! she grabbed a pot, filled it with water, and unceremoniously dunked nivalis into it, scrubbing her down.


    enjoy new chapters from empire


    nivalis flailed and protested, "i don''t need a bath! i''m clean! this is my dragon majesty! you''re scrubbing away my dragon majesty!"


    rita retorted, "dragon majesty, my foot! do you even wipe after using the bathroom?"


    nivalis, grumbling, said, "didn''t you say that dragon poop sells for 7 silver coins per pound? if i wipe, i''m wiping away money! why would i do that?"


    rita couldn''t take it anymore. she smacked nivalis a few times. "that explains why my pillow smells! i thought i was hallucinating from collecting so much dragon poop..."


    nivalis squirmed, trying not to use her full strength in fear of knocking rita over. she wailed, "it''s not my fault! my arms are too short to reach! you''re setting me up to fail! besides, maybe that smell is from your drool! couldn''t it just happen to smell like dragon poop?"


    rita was speechless.


    she remembered when this dragon first arrived at her home, how cute and well-behaved she had been, introducing herself with "i~ am~ turan~"...


    but now?


    after giving nivalis a proper scolding in the dungeon, rita took the sniffling dragon, who was fake-crying with no actual tears, to the mall. following nivalis'' instructions, she bought ten tubs of every flavor of ice cream.


    in exchange, nivalis solemnly promised that from now on, she would wipe herself clean after using the bathroom.


    to ensure this, once they returned home, rita placed a wet towel next to the dragon''s toilet, so nivalis could wipe herself down after every bathroom visit.


    this whole issue was indeed rita''s oversight. she had been asking nivalis to clean up after herself without realizing that the little dragon''s arms were too short to reach!


    with her wings being so dexterous, rita had forgotten about her short arms entirely!

 Chapter 189 [A Century-Old Brand] (Curio)

    on the 9th, rita realized it had been ten days since she stole those books from moonfox city. she wanted to return to lania kaia¡ªnot just for apache''s lessons, which were a minor reason¡ªbut to gather information about the moonfox clan''s situation and, more importantly, to relocate her teleportation array to a place only she knew about for her peace of mind.


    before doing that, she decided to ask shadow.q about the current situation in lania kaia.


    **[rita]:** have the people captured in lania kaia been rescued?


    **[shadow.q]:** if you''re planning to go to lania kaia soon, you could wait a couple of days and join our special affairs bureau group from la.


    **[rita]:** oh? another raid? is this a nationwide operation or just your la branch?


    **[shadow.q]:** it''s just the la branch. each branch manages its own affairs.


    **[shadow.q]:** we''ve established a new base underwater in lania kaia, near a seabed volcano.


    **[rita]:** seabed? isn''t that the territory of the sea siren clan? isn''t their main city underwater?


    **[shadow.q]:** the base is near an underwater volcano, a dead zone with no magical energy. it''s a barren land for the tribes, so the sirens don''t go there. the nearest major city is two hours away, moonforest city on land. if you can breathe underwater, you can reach the underwater city, yas city, within an hour.


    **[rita]:** the special affairs bureau is my best friend! ¡Ï(¡ã©f¡ã)


    **[shadow.q]:** are you paying your fare upfront or settling it later?


    **[rita]:** (¡ã©f¡ã)


    **[shadow.q]:** what''s that supposed to mean? no respect?


    **[rita]:** huh? i was just scratching my head, no salute! who''s saluting?


    **[shadow.q]:** haha, it''s free! are you coming or not?no?v(el)b\\jnn


    **[rita]:** ¡Ï(¡ã©f¡ã) anytime, anywhere, i''m always ready!


    **[shadow.q]:** (¡ã©f¡ã)


    **[rita]:** so how do you deal with the dark city''s vice-mayor, who can see a person''s last 30 days of memories with his divine gift?


    why did it feel like the house had been robbed?


    why was rita acting so guilty?


    suspicious, nivalis put her ice cream back into her storage space, flapped her wings, and flew upstairs. she arrived just in time to hear the study door lock.


    nivalis: !


    she quickly circled around, shrank down, and shrank even more until she was the size of a coin. then she slipped in through the second-floor balcony door.


    silent as ever, the tiny dragon hugged the corner of the balcony, pressing herself against the wall as she inched closer to the floor-length window. finally, she peeked around the corner to spy inside.


    rita had cleared off the desk and was pulling various cooking tools and ingredients out of her game inventory, setting them all in place. she then took out the wooden plaque, took a deep breath, and raised it high above her head, shouting, "this is a century-old brand!"


    nivalis: "..."


    nivalis: "pfft."


    rita: "..." she slowly turned her head, scanning the room, and finally spotted a tiny head peeking out from the corner of the balcony window.


    nivalis bolted.


    rita rolled up her sleeves and charged after her. "if i don''t beat the ice cream out of you today, i''ll take your surname!"


    nivalis zipped around, flying back and forth. "i~ am~ a~ century-old~ brand~!"


    rita: "..." you''re dead.


    the two of them ended up fighting for two hours, with rita''s **magic missiles** constantly targeting nivalis'' behind.


    nivalis wised up quickly, refraining from using big spells and instead opting for quick-casting skills. but even so, they all missed. the moment nivalis'' attack launched, rita would teleport away.


    even when nivalis rewound time to predict rita''s movements, it didn''t help. rita''s escape skills were unparalleled. even when her teleport landed her in the path of an incoming attack, she could lean back just enough to buy herself half a second to dodge again.


    nivalis: so shameless!

 Chapter 190 Im Not!

    with the five 13-level dungeons cleared and her second **[cut and paste]** skill crystal in hand, rita found herself with some extra free time, especially since she couldn''t go to lania kaia for the next few days. she decided to take this opportunity to visit rick.


    back when they fought the dragon on the 1st, she had noticed that rick''s attribute points had increased significantly again. it was time to "harvest" some of those points and clear up the surplus he''d gained.


    such a golden opportunity couldn''t go to waste.


    rita didn''t even need to make an alibi this time. she was in los angeles, completely innocent and beyond suspicion. as for rick''s exact location, she didn''t need to buy that information from brooks¡ªrick was a top 100 player on the leaderboards, and more importantly, he was rita''s brother. just based on that fact, any player who saw him would snap photos and post them online.


    when rita saw the familiar street and courtyard in the photos, she was stunned for a moment.


    it was their old home, where they grew up. no, to be more precise, it was eleanor''s home¡ªthe shen family residence.


    just as she was thinking about it, rita received an email from eleanor. the first time, it had been sent through shadow.q, but now eleanor communicated with her directly, though they never exchanged words.


    by the time rita opened the food box, nivalis had already rushed over, snapping pictures of the **souffle?** eleanor had sent and posting them on her social media app, complete with a selfie.


    rita even noticed scarlett had commented...


    since nivalis had removed scarlett from her friends list, scarlett now lurked on nivalis'' account, eagerly waiting to leave the first comment.


    after taking a few bites of the souffle?, rita recalled that eleanor used to love gardening. with that in mind, she went to the backyard, gathered up all the dragon manure nivalis had produced over the past few days, and sent it to eleanor.


    no way was she going to owe her anything...


    ---


    in the courtyard, just as eleanor had done before, she sent the food boxes to rita and prepared to head out for more leveling. ever since adding some vitality and strength, she felt younger than ever.


    but just as she reached the door, a notification pinged. opening her mail interface, she saw a message from rita. surprised, she thought, *it took her 8 days to respond?* curious, she clicked it, only to find no message¡ªjust an attachment containing two crates labeled **[a box of dragon manure]**.


    she turned to the special affairs bureau agents nearby and said, "let''s head out a bit later today."


    harriet explained, "the higher-ups sent this to me. they said to learn it and pass it along to you, but i thought you''d prefer to study it yourself."


    the other special affairs bureau members who also received **[dragon manure: a planting guide]**: ?


    samuel & scarlett: "..."


    eleanor took the papers with a hint of exasperation. "...i see..."


    *i know you report every interaction between me and rita, but you didn''t have to be *this* transparent...*


    when harriet returned to his section of the garden, the team leader, everett, quietly asked, "didn''t you take any social skills training when you joined the special affairs bureau?"


    harriet nodded. "i did. it was boring." after a pause, realizing his answer might not be convincing, he added, "i got a perfect score in the final exam, though."


    so, yes, he knew how to speak in a way that made others like him. he just couldn''t be bothered.


    everett shook his head and sighed, "you''re still too young."


    harriet shook his head in return. "you don''t understand. nowadays, it''s the honest men who get the best wives. girls don''t like smooth talkers." find more chapters on empire


    everett gave him a strange look. "you''ve got it backward. besides, haven''t you heard? among men, calling someone an ''honest man'' is basically an insult now."


    harriet returned his odd look, tinged with a bit of skepticism. "but i''m looking for a wife. why would i care what men think?"


    everett: "..." no way to argue with that.


    worse still, he could tell harriet had seen right through him.


    everett panicked. "i''m not!!"


    harriet: "it''s okay. i won''t tell anyone."


    everett: ?!no?v(el)b\\jnn

 Chapter 191 This Life Is Unbearable

    after sending dragon manure to eleanor, rita left her house. she left nivalis behind to make it seem like someone was still at home, then used **disguise**, **invisibility**, and **phantom shift** to sneak into the airport. she turned into a small cat, hiding in a corner of the pet oxygen cabin on a free flight to beijing.


    the whole process was so smooth, it reminded her of the days when she used to crawl under beds for stealth.


    nowadays, it was rare for players to sneak onto planes without a ticket. after all, invisibility potions were more expensive than tickets, and those with invisibility skills weren''t usually desperate enough to resort to fare evasion. only skilled yet sneaky players with a taste for mischief would bother with such elaborate schemes.


    since the game''s invasion, airports had noticed players occasionally sneaking aboard, but they didn''t take any major precautions. the cost was too high, the payoff too small, and it might lead to unnecessary trouble. after all, if someone with this kind of power was only quietly sneaking around and not causing harm, what more could you ask for?


    rita slept through the flight and arrived in beijing. after turning invisible, she used **phantom shift** to travel to a street near eleanor''s house, turning into a cat as she approached. this area was close to eleanor''s home, and rita had visited it before for meals during her filming days.


    it was 4 pm, and aside from the crowds gathered around dungeon portals, the streets were relatively empty. the portals had become the new commercial centers or subway stations, with all the hustle and bustle drawn toward them. in just half a year, many cities had changed drastically.


    rita leaped onto rooftops, running over a few before spotting the large tree near eleanor''s house. and there, under the tree, she saw rick chatting with... camila and henry?


    her first reaction wasn''t curiosity about how the three knew each other but excitement at the thought of dealing with all three at once. *i love it when enemies gather¡ªit''s like an all-you-can-eat buffet.*


    since using **animagus** prevented her from accessing any skills outside of **divine gifts**, rita snuck into a corner, drank an invisibility potion, and used **disguise!** to change her appearance. she then looped around to the trio and used **insight** on them.


    perfect. all three were level 8, not lower than her.


    rita''s excitement grew as she eyed them, thinking of all the attribute points she could steal. the only thing that annoyed her was that camila and henry''s character states didn''t show anything special. she had once wanted to poison them, but policies didn''t allow it¡ªsomething that still irked her.


    no matter. she could bide her time. rita ducked into a corner and transformed back into a cat.


    after running around for about ten minutes, rita, having already consumed some top-grade **ginseng essence**, returned to the tree with two cats and a dog in tow. the three animals stood a short distance from the elderly folks and the trio of young people, their eyes wide and endearing.


    henry immediately stood up, offering to go buy food for the animals. it was a perfect opportunity to score some good-guy points. an elderly lady also got up to fetch some fish for them.


    - **[constitution]**: 29 + 24


    - **[intelligence]**: 47 + 13


    - **[agility]**: 71 + 3


    - **unassigned attribute points**: 15


    the 15 unassigned points came from the 6 she had earned when leveling from 7 to 8, the 8 from eating eleanor''s food, and 1 from listening to zoey''s **hope song** disguised as han shi.


    the only downside was that none of them were agility-focused. camila was a tank, henry was melee, and rick¡ªstrangely¡ªhad started investing in constitution rather than intelligence, so agility was the least common stat she gained during her 30-minute stealing spree. find more to read at empire


    rita happily chewed on her fish, admiring her attribute panel.


    *at this rate, i''ll have almost half of nivalis'' power.*


    the **curio**, items, and equipment she acquired weren''t particularly interesting, but the attribute boost was fantastic. she''d save the gear for future disguises or for causing chaos in lania kaia.


    the skill book, however, was intriguing.


    **[this life is unbearable]** (b-grade): use this skill on any dish, and it will begin to speak, complaining about the mistakes made during its preparation.


    she had stolen this from camila. it might not be useful to her, but for a chef, it was a godsend. though it was only b-grade, its value to rita was on par with an a-grade item.


    it was like having a personal teacher who could point out mistakes anytime¡ªwithout any risk.


    rita actually owned a similar item: the **[god of the culinary arts'' magic spoon]**, which she had stolen from rick a long time ago.

 Chapter 192 Damn, This is So Messed Up!

    the **god of the culinary arts'' magic spoon** (b-grade) was a spoon used by the god of the culinary arts to taste the saltiness of dishes. over time, it absorbed the god of the culinary arts'' aura, allowing anyone who ate with it to taste the flaws in their cooking.


    rita had used it many times, and it indeed allowed her to identify what was wrong with her dishes. but the problem was that while she could tell something was wrong, it never gave her a solution! it was like doing a math problem, flipping to the back of the book for the answer, only to find a simple "9" without any explanation of the steps.


    it required way too much intuition to figure out the process.


    she had long realized that all her talents were focused on alchemy. whenever apache gave her a slight hint, she could quickly figure out what went wrong with her potions and how to fix them. once she made a mistake, she wouldn''t make it again¡ªoften without needing a detailed explanation. but when it came to cooking...


    whenever she used this magic spoon to taste her 80+ score dishes, the process went something like this:


    - taste a bite: "oh my god, am i a legendary chef? this is amazing... but something feels off."


    - taste another bite to confirm: "yes, it''s delicious, but yeah, something''s a bit wrong."


    - taste another: "no wonder it''s only in the 80s, something''s definitely not right."


    - by the time she finished the whole dish, she still hadn''t figured out what exactly was wrong.


    she even suspected that this spoon was rated as b-grade just to flatter the god of the culinary arts. it was as if the game was being diplomatic.


    but the skill **[this life is unbearable]** felt different. it didn''t require the cook to taste the food themselves, nor did it make them guess. the dish itself would tell you what was wrong¡ªhow thoughtful!


    thinking about the conversation she overheard between rick, camila, and henry, and the way they acted around eleanor, rita suspected that this skill book might have been intended as a gift for eleanor from the taylor family.


    that made things awkward. rita had no qualms about stealing things meant for the main characters¡ªshe did so with a clear conscience. but taking something meant for eleanor left her feeling uneasy. no matter how much she told herself she would treat the old lady as just a distant relative, rita couldn''t forget eleanor''s past help. and this skill book was surely valuable to eleanor.


    however, rita wasn''t about to give it up either.


    so, she decided to add eleanor as a friend via their message history.


    ¡ª¡ª"this life is unbearable! do you even know how to cook?! you messed up from the first step! you''re turning spicy stir-fried chicken into dry, chewy meat! i''ve told you a million times, if you want flavor, stop worrying about low-fat, low-calorie nonsense! find your next adventure on empire


    "where do i even begin? not enough oil, the oil temperature was too low when you started cooking, you overcooked it by five seconds, the soy sauce wasn''t fresh enough, you added the salt too early, you didn''t stir it evenly, the cornstarch was too thick¡ªit''s like a cow licked it! the sichuan pepper isn''t from this year, and the variety of prickly ash you used is all wrong...


    "and the utensils! these chopsticks? are you kidding me? what back alley did you dig these out of? and the dishware! your chopsticks and plate don''t even match!


    disposable wooden chopsticks with a porcelain plate? damn it, this is so messed up!!"


    rita & nivalis, who had flown over excitedly for a meal: ...


    her dream of becoming a top chef was shattered.


    the next day, as rita was picking up the pieces of her broken dream, eleanor sent over her ninth meal¡ªshrimp and bamboo shoot shumai.


    as rita shared the steaming hot shumai with nivalis, she anonymously listed the **god of the culinary arts'' magic spoon** on the auction house, setting a buyout price of 999 gold and a starting bid of 888 gold.


    rita wasn''t planning to pull the spoon from the auction before it sold and pretend to be the buyer. no, she had a better idea.


    rita could be stubborn at times, but her stubbornness was often about making herself feel better rather than preserving her reputation. for example, she didn''t want to personally deal with samuel and scarlett, not because she cared about appearances, but because she wanted peace of mind.


    now, she planned to have rick buy the spoon from the auction and gift it to eleanor. as long as the spoon ended up in eleanor''s hands, she''d feel satisfied. plus, she''d make some money off rick in the process.


    as for whether this would make eleanor think better of rick? rita was sure it wouldn''t.


    she knew from her previous life that eleanor didn''t like rick. even when she and rick were kids, eleanor didn''t like him. after they moved to los angeles, eleanor secretly came to see her many times. rick always thought eleanor came for him, even telling rita that their grandmother had come to her senses. but that couldn''t have been further from the truth.


    eleanor wasn''t visiting rick, and she certainly hadn''t "come to her senses."


    once, while treating rita to ice cream, eleanor had even told her that her biggest regret was not shoving samuel''s head into a toilet while he was unconscious. according to eleanor, scarlett would have gladly dragged him to the bathroom for it.

 Chapter 193 Cooked So Poorly Its Like a Newborn

    rita''s concern wasn''t about any of the moral dilemmas she''d been facing. what really worried her now was whether rick would even bother to buy the magic spoon or if he''d keep it for himself. or worse, could the current rick even afford it?


    she wasn''t concerned that the magic spoon would get buried in the auction listings. right now, there were very few items and skills listed for sale in the auction house. unlike low-level equipment, which players swapped frequently and thus had a lower market value, items and skills like these, which could be used long-term, were much harder to sell.


    if you sold them too cheap, it felt like a loss, but if you priced them high, no one had enough gold to buy them. as a result, most players traded these items directly¡ªitem for item, skill for skill.


    because everyone was wary of being cheated, many players would go through official trade brokers or find players with divines related to trade, like **[broker]** or **[gold service rep]**, to mediate. this was a worldwide trend, leading to only three pages of items in the auction house¡ªnothing like lania kaia''s 9,999 pages.


    a quick search for **[god of the culinary arts]** yielded only her recently listed magic spoon. no other related items were available. if, by some miracle, someone actually bought the spoon for 999 gold, rita wouldn''t feel bad. after all, she could always get more **god of the culinary arts** items or equipment to give eleanor in the future.


    feeling productive, rita also removed the white family''s ancestor statue from the listings. ever since ariana returned, the white family''s outbursts had mysteriously calmed, and no one seemed to care about the statue anymore.


    after listing the magic spoon, rita practiced her **[fox shadow]** for a while before casually messaging rick.


    **[rita]:** buying gear? potions? landmines?


    **[rick]:** what''s up, sis? need money?


    and with that, he sent her 8 gold.


    rick never really lacked gold. equipment and items he had to hand over to zoey for distribution, but the gold he earned remained his. zoey didn''t bother taking it, partly because she didn''t need it and partly because rick''s weird luck often led him to find rare items he wanted to buy on impulse. he always had to carry some cash, and zoey let him keep it as long as he reported his earnings weekly.


    as for giving gold to rita, would zoey care?


    rick didn''t care. in fact, he hoped zoey and rita would have a more distant relationship. that way, if the lopez family ever needed to collaborate with rita, they''d have to go through him.


    rita had no idea what kind of weird logic rick was following, but she saw the 8 gold as a pleasant surprise. in her past life, rick had often given her money, usually small amounts like 8, 88, or even 100, but always in silver coins. rick was perhaps the most pragmatic person she had ever known.


    **[rita]:** i''m planning to bid on some recipe books. almost had enough, and 8 gold helps a lot. chat later.


    and then she was gone.


    rick laughed at her abrupt disappearance. but halfway through his laugh, he froze.


    wait. why hadn''t he thought of sending something nice from the game to eleanor?


    meanwhile, rita hadn''t realized that rick was too broke to buy the magic spoon. after subtly nudging him in that direction, she went about her day. shadow.q had already informed her that the trip to lania kaia was scheduled for the 12th, which was tomorrow.


    rita cleaned up her house a bit¡ªthankfully, she had purchased the **[spotless clean]** skill, the most cost-effective one she had ever bought.


    for just 5 gold, it had made her life a hundred times better! she planned to return to lania kaia soon to see if there were any other domestic skills to improve her life. wasting time on housework felt like wasting life itself.


    after tidying up, rita headed to the backyard to refill the food for the cats, clean the litter boxes, and collect dragon dung to sell the next day. as she walked into the yard, she spotted one of the tabby cats climbing into the dragon dung bin, ready to do its business.


    every time she collected dragon dung, she had to scoop out the cat poop first, or instead of getting a **[box of dragon dung]**, she''d end up with a **[box of mixed dung]**.


    rita knocked on the glass door, startling the tabby just as it was about to squat. "this is the second time! am i not speaking clearly?"


    the tabby glanced at her but then continued doing its business.


    rita smirked, rolling up her sleeves, preparing to remove the cat.


    then nivalis, lounging in a chair eating ice cream, casually said, "that ''hundred-year-old shop'' sign was brought back by that cat."


    rita froze mid-step, slowly rolling her sleeves back down. she folded her hands behind her back and stood by the dung bin, gazing lovingly at the tabby, as if she were a benevolent leader inspecting the daily lives of her feline subordinates.


    once the tabby finished burying its poop and elegantly leaped out of the bin with dung-covered paws, nivalis burst into laughter. "just kidding!!"


    rita: ...


    with a smile, she walked toward nivalis, rolling her sleeves back up as she did.


    nivalis zipped around the yard, laughing, "haha~ living life on the edge~"


    ten minutes later...


    nivalis, now sniffling, was crouched inside the dragon''s bathroom, carefully picking out the cat poop from the dragon dung with her claws.


    rita lay back in a lounge chair, eating ice cream with a large spoon. "exciting, isn''t it?" she said, mimicking nivalis'' earlier tone with a playful, exaggerated "haha~ living life on the edge~."


    nivalis: ... damn it! how did she get even stronger again?!

 Chapter 194 Divine Gift - Rogue (B-Level)

    on the day rita was set to depart with special affairs bureau for lania kaia''s undersea volcano, she received the tenth reward from eleanor¡ªa set of three steaming crab roe soup dumplings. once again, there was no message, and rita silently accepted them without responding.


    she often wondered if her "awkwardness" was inherited from eleanor. after all, she could guess what the older woman was probably thinking. eleanor might feel guilty about not having cared for her before, and now that rita had become powerful and a regular on the ranking boards, any affection or attention might easily be seen as opportunistic or her trying to "cash in" on rita''s success.


    when rita first met eleanor after becoming a celebrity, eleanor had been far from this attitude. back then, rita was in a rough patch, and eleanor had wanted to help, but rita had distanced herself, feeling like any closeness would be seen as her trying to take advantage of eleanor. so, at that time, it was rita who had avoided her.


    in hindsight, rita often thought she was more like both eleanor and scarlett than she wanted to admit¡ªemotionally complicated and constantly torn.


    rita and nivalis sat on the steps in the backyard, enjoying the crab roe dumplings together.


    nivalis, having no use for chopsticks, picked up a whole dumpling with her claws and popped it in her mouth, "delicious! way better than that talking eel dish." read exclusive content at empire


    rita smirked, "of course, it''s good. my grandmother made it."


    then, realizing how proud she sounded, she paused. why did she feel proud all of a sudden?


    after finishing their meal, rita got ready to leave and meet up with shadow.q, with nivalis, naturally, following along. lately, unless rita explicitly asked her to stay home, nivalis didn''t like being alone, even preferring to tag along with rita and play her games while perched on her shoulder.


    the rendezvous point was hidden this time. following shadow.q''s instructions, rita went to los angeles''s largest amusement park, zigzagging through various paths until she arrived at a small balloon shop. inside, she found a freezer in a corner. upon opening it, a staircase leading down revealed itself.


    as she searched for the freezer, rita couldn''t help but complain.


    **rita:** "do we have a traitor in special affairs bureau?"


    **shadow.q:** "no, why?"


    **rita:** "then why all the secrecy? wouldn''t it be easier to meet at a police station or something?"


    **shadow.q:** "not exactly. he approached us. said that after the game invaded reality, people started hunting him down. he asked us to help hide his whereabouts¡ªat least from mystical means¡ªwhile offering to complete three missions for us every month. so, it''s more of a collaboration than him being one of us."


    that wasn''t exactly a secret. most of the bureau knew about the gunslinger''s situation, and even the people chasing him were aware of the deal.


    rita: "...oh no, did i cause this?"


    curiosity piqued, she pressed further, "does he know who''s after him?"


    **shadow.q:** "we''ve asked. he said he has no idea. he''s crossed more people than he''s even met, so it''s hard to narrow it down. plus, he''s already accepted that he''s destined to be a dangerous, yet charming, rogue. his words, not mine."


    rita: "...i can understand why they want him dead." she almost wanted to place the hit herself.


    **shadow.q:** "agreed."


    rita then activated **insight**, scanning the players around her. unlike the hundred-player squad they had for the dragon, this group was primarily b-level with only about a third of them being a-level. most of the b-level players had specialized skills. as she scanned more players, she realized their skills would likely be essential for establishing the undersea base in lania kaia.


    she couldn''t help but scan the gunslinger once more. his real name? silas. rita wondered if he might be related to *mightysocks*.


    but seeing his **divine gift** explained why the bureau was willing to cooperate with him, despite his... less-than-law-abiding nature.


    ### **divine gift: rogue (b-level)**


    **skill 1**: *young rogue*: only rogues nearing retirement look back. a young rogue goes wherever they please. by touching any photo and focusing on a point within the image, the user can instantly teleport to the selected location. the total weight of any living beings transported cannot exceed the sum of their primary attribute values. cooldown: 6 hours.


    **skill 2**: *old rogue*: a rogue turning back is worth their weight in gold. when using this skill to retreat, no skill or item can block your path. during this time, your health bar is locked. this is the determination of a rogue! duration: 1 minute. cooldown: 5 minutes.


    the first skill, *young rogue*, was a godsend. the fact that it allowed the user to transport living beings made it nearly as rare and valuable as rita''s **another happy day**.

 Chapter 195 Im Willing to Donate 300 Pounds of Dragon Dung!

    the combination of **young rogue** and **old rogue** made it incredibly difficult to kill silas unless one could ensure a surprise attack that would instantly finish him off. otherwise, as long as silas had a photograph in hand, he could escape from almost any situation by teleporting away. no wonder he wasn''t worried about being hunted. his partnership with the special affairs bureau likely served more to avoid mystical abilities used to track him than to seek protection from direct confrontation.


    rita was impressed. "this divine gift is really something..."


    read new adventures at empire


    but as she nodded in agreement with herself, it hit her¡ªsilas could only carry a limited weight when teleporting, based on his combined attributes! at level 6, silas''s total attribute points would only add up to 61. rita had a bad feeling as she scanned the room full of players again.


    she noticed a player with a talent for monitoring and intercepting emails... it seemed the reason special affairs bureau didn''t use mail for resource transport wasn''t as simple as shadow.q had casually suggested.


    her gaze then landed on a familiar face in the corner¡ªa short-haired woman. the same one who could turn players into cockroaches. she stood there, with a calm, almost benevolent smile, holding a transparent jewelry organizer.


    rita turned to shadow.q and pointed at the five-tier organizer, teasing, "wow, is that where we''re staying during this trip? so luxurious! am i even worthy of such fancy accommodations?"


    shadow.q avoided eye contact, nervously fixing her hair, "yeah, didn''t i mention it before?"


    rita: "..."


    **shadow.q**: "ahem... i got you and nivalis a single room. don''t worry, you won''t be squashed together with other creatures."


    nivalis lifted her head from her game, confused, "what single room?"


    avery, disappointed: *sad face.*


    meanwhile, the cockroach-like players inside avery''s jewelry organizer and those still in line gave rita longing, envious looks.


    riding on the donation of dragon dung, rita successfully avoided being transformed into an insect.


    two minutes later, rita was perched comfortably on avery''s shoulder, watching the insects in the jewelry organizer below. occasionally, she''d swat at the box with her paw to spook one of the cockroaches inside.


    shadow.q shook her head. she made a mental note to include this incident in her year-end promotion application as proof of her ability to handle pressure, stay calm under stress, and maintain a cheerful demeanor.


    once all the players had been transformed into cockroaches, silas extended his right hand, allowing avery to place hers on his wrist while holding the jewelry organizer full of miniaturized players. rita, still in kitten form, jumped from avery''s shoulder to silas''s, gripping his armor tightly with her paws¡ªjust to be safe.


    after everything was in place, silas pulled out a photograph showing the deep sea and a massive mountain taking up nearly a fifth of the image''s background. despite being underwater, lania kaia''s many bioluminescent sea creatures lit up the photo''s dark depths.


    rita braced herself, knowing the intense water pressure would start draining their health as soon as they arrived¡ªsomething both silas and avery had warned her about.


    "alright, everyone, take a deep breath and hold it!" silas called out.


    then, he pointed at a spot on the photo. in the next instant, rita felt like she was being thrown into a washing machine.


    gripping silas''s shoulder armor tightly, she endured the disorienting spin until, all of a sudden, she plunged into cold water. the pressure crushed against her lungs, and her health began to slowly drain, losing 3-5 points per second.


    through half-closed eyes, she saw that avery and silas were also losing health¡ªexcept their health bars were dropping at an alarming rate, almost 5% per second.

 Chapter 196 Apaches Potion

    as they reached the underwater volcano with the special affairs bureau, rita received the tenth reward from eleanor¡ªa set of three baskets of crab roe soup dumplings. once again, there were no words included; rita silently accepted them without replying.


    rita often wondered if her stubbornness was inherited from eleanor. back when rita had become a star and met eleanor in b city, she had felt awkward approaching her grandmother, feeling as though it might seem like she was after her money. but now, things were different.


    she and nivalis sat on the steps in the backyard, enjoying the dumplings together. nivalis couldn''t use a straw but didn''t care about the heat, so she simply grabbed a whole dumpling and stuffed it in her mouth. "delicious!! way better than that talkative eel stir-fry a hundred times over!" she exclaimed.


    rita responded, "my grandmother made it, of course, it''s good." she paused, slightly embarrassed by her pride.


    after finishing the dumplings, rita left home to meet shadow.q for the trip to the undersea volcano, with nivalis tagging along. lately, nivalis didn''t like staying home alone, even if it meant she''d just play on her phone while sitting on rita''s shoulder.


    the meeting spot had changed to a more hidden location. following shadow.q''s instructions, rita made her way through l.a.''s largest amusement park, took several turns, and entered a small balloon shop. there, she found an icebox in the corner with a staircase leading downward.


    rita couldn''t help but comment, "do we have a mole in our group?"


    **shadow.q**: "nope."


    **rita**: "then why are we being all sneaky? couldn''t we just meet at a police station or something?"


    **shadow.q**: "it''s for the vibe. the player who''ll help us with the undersea volcano likes this sort of ritual."


    when rita reached the bottom of the stairs, she was met with a dimly lit room containing a man sitting right in the middle. as rita approached, the man pulled the cigarette from his mouth, flicked the ash, and said, "what do you want here?"


    recognizing his face, rita paused for two seconds¡ªwasn''t this the guy with the 9cm revolver?


    the man, aka gun king, furrowed his brows, reaching for his gun on his waist, "i''ll give you and that cool, handsome, adorable dragon beside you another chance to live."


    nivalis, taking this seriously, nodded her dragon head, confirming that she heard her being called.


    rita sighed. "i''m here to join the blue horizon cruise for a 7-day, 6-night adventure."


    gun king: "sea-view or inner cabin?"


    nivalis, quick to answer: "volcano suite."


    rita was impressed. "that''s a powerful gift..."


    as she nodded to herself, she realized that carrying weight limit¡ªsilas was level 6, so his attributes only totaled 61 kg! rita had a bad feeling as she looked around.


    short-haired woman in the corner¡ªcheck. short-haired woman holding a transparent organizer¡ªcheck.


    she turned to shadow.q, pointing at the organizer. "is that where we''re staying? am i worthy of this kind of luxury?"


    **shadow.q** avoided her eyes again, "uh... i did manage to get you and nivalis a single room."


    **nivalis**, head up, "single room?"


    before rita could answer, the players had begun lining up, ready to be miniaturized and packed into the "rooms."


    nivalis, looking at the beetle-like players, hastily retreated to her space. rita cursed, realizing she was on her own.


    once close enough to avery, rita loudly shouted, "i''ll donate 300 pounds of dragon dung! 300 pounds!!"


    she summoned two large crates, dropping them on the floor. transforming into a two-pound kitten, she dodged the bullet of being transformed.


    **shadow.q**, holding the kitten, sighed deeply. she decided to include this entire ordeal in her application for promotion at the end of the year¡ªto demonstrate her perseverance, adaptability, and fortitude.


    two minutes later, rita was on avery''s shoulder, staring down at the beetles in the jewelry organizer. occasionally, she swiped her paw at them, amused.


    once everyone had been miniaturized, silas extended his arm to allow avery to hold on. rita, still in kitten form, jumped to silas''s shoulder, grabbing his armor for stability.


    once ready, silas took out a photo of an undersea volcano¡ªlania kaia''s underwater creatures illuminated the photo''s darkness.


    "take a deep breath and hold it!" silas shouted before pointing at a spot in the picture.


    suddenly, rita felt like she was being spun in a washing machine. gripping silas''s shoulder armor tightly, she braced herself for the moment they landed¡ªcold water surrounded them, pressing in, and her health began to slowly drain at 3-5 points per second.


    silas and avery''s health bars dropped at an alarming rate¡ªnearly 5% per second.

 Chapter 197 Treasure Hunt Game

    The Special Affairs Bureau had previously been sending players to Lania Kaia every week, trying to build good relationships with the instructors there and learn some new things. Despite spending a lot of resources, only three players had managed to succeed. The Bureau had even considered sending people to enroll in Lania Kaia''s academy.


    They had long suspected that Rita had an alchemy mentor in Lania Kaia. Two factions within the Bureau had even suggested paying Rita to teach their alchemists. However, they concluded that it was highly unlikely to succeed, and making such a request could potentially strain their relationship with her.


    Your next chapter is on empire


    Ever since the game''s invasion, Rita had been focused on her growth. She didn''t care for fame or updates on social media; she was clear-headed about her priorities¡ªstrength mattered most. Asking her to sacrifice her time to teach others would only hinder her development, resulting in a group of mediocre alchemists. It was better to let Rita grow freely and aim for her to become a master alchemist for Blue Star.


    No one knew the full extent of Rita''s abilities, but even what was publicly known was enough to earn respect. Based on the Special Affairs Bureau''s psychological profile of Rita, as long as you treated her well, even if she couldn''t fully trust you, she would not let you down. She was always eager to negotiate during collaborations, but she never let down anyone who was genuinely kind to her.


    **Shadow.Q**: "Can we place an order for these two potions?"


    **Rita**: "Sure, why don''t you try them out first? If they''re useful, I''ll make more as soon as I can."


    **Shadow.Q**: "Great!"


    She didn''t bring up the payment issue, knowing she''d report it later for the Bureau to record internally.


    Rita was completely unaware that the Bureau had held so many meetings just about her. She only knew that working with the Bureau so far had been pleasant. She helped them on her own terms, without feeling resentful or pressured into service for her country. And of course, she never did any forced labor, like washing dirty laundry¡ªno way, she never even washed it!


    After seeing Shadow.Q off, Rita called out Nivalis, intending to wander the area and find a secure, concealed spot to place a teleportation array. Plus, she wanted to follow the direction of her **Compass** and look for a potential treasure.


    Once Nivalis appeared, Rita asked, "Can you breathe underwater?"


    **Nivalis**: "Of course I can, I''m a dragon."


    **Rita**: "Can you carry me while swimming underwater?"


    Shadow.Q looked down to see even the beetles nodding solemnly, their long antennae swaying. She silently took out her phone and recorded the scene.


    Nice. If these guys made it to the rankings, this video would be worth a lot.


    ...


    Once they were out of the barrier, under the dim light of underwater magical creatures, Rita and Nivalis started exploring. Nivalis folded her wings to her sides, lightly swinging her tail, propelling them meters ahead with each movement.


    They patrolled around the base a few times, then headed towards the volcano¡ªa structure that seemed ominous, even from deep underwater.


    Rita glanced at the volcano, which was currently dormant. She could sense fire elemental energy within, but it was dark, giving off an eerie, terrifying aura, as though a beast were waiting to devour its prey.


    Circling around the volcano, they found a narrow crevice that could fit a goblin in. It was on the farthest side of the volcano, furthest from the Special Affairs Bureau''s base.


    Rita transformed into a goblin, squeezing through the crack and etching a teleportation array inside, setting it as one of the anchors for her **Portal**. She had removed the one she''d previously set in the alchemy shop''s storeroom but needed to clean up any traces left there later.


    Once she finished her main task, Rita took out her **Compass**. It was still glowing, its light flashing at a slow frequency. She and Nivalis headed in the direction the silver needle pointed. As they approached the treasure''s location, the compass light started flashing faster. Nivalis grew excited, "Is this a treasure hunt?"


    **Rita**: "It indicates a treasure, but I don''t know exactly what it is."


    Rita also understood why the compass was only ranked **E** and why it had never flashed before. The restrictions "within a kilometer" and "ownerless treasure" were very limiting. Finding something within a kilometer radius was pure luck.


    "Ownerless treasure" was even more complicated¡ªwhat made something "ownerless"? If an item was lost without the owner''s knowledge, would that count? No, it wouldn''t, as it still belonged to the owner until they passed away. Even if the owner declared on their deathbed that their treasure belonged to someone else, it still wouldn''t count, as it would simply transfer to a new owner seamlessly.


    Rita originally bought the compass because of the "ownerless treasure" specification, as she didn''t want to get into trouble. But she didn''t realize just how rare true ownerless treasures were.


    A few minutes later, they stopped. The compass''s flashing changed from a rhythm of **bright-dim-bright** to **brilliant-dim-brilliant**.

 Chapter 198 Wrathful Moon" (A+ Rank)

    An E-rank item, causing such a fuss? Rita and Nivalis eagerly started digging, relying on the **Compass** and the dim light from surrounding sea creatures. Rita used a shovel, while Nivalis dug directly with her dragon claws. They had dug down about seven or eight meters, and just when Rita worried that the Special Affairs Bureau might hear the noise and come looking, they finally struck something¡ªa tiny lantern.


    This miniature lantern was only slightly longer than her palm, made of silvery metal that had resisted the deep-sea elements and remained as bright as new. It looked like a vintage oil lamp from Blue Star, with a small piece of irregular gray-white stone inside the glass shade, emitting a faint silver glow.


    Rita lifted the lantern, which revealed its name: **Wrathful Moon (A+ Rank, Upgradeable)**. She almost held her breath. An A+ item? It was one step away from S-rank and had fallen into her hands as if by pure luck.


    At that moment, her keen hearing picked up faint water sounds from a distance, so she quickly stowed the lantern and Compass. She dug a few random strokes in the sand, sprinkled some coins over the spot, then took some of the displaced dirt back out of her bag to cover the coins with half a meter of sand, throwing a few more coins on top for good measure. When she heard the sound growing closer, she gestured to Nivalis to tamp down the soil and hopped onto her back.


    As they emerged from the hole, they bumped into a Special Affairs Bureau agent, who was out patrolling the area for safety risks. Noticing that Rita and Nivalis had been digging, he came over out of curiosity. Rita gave him a polite nod in greeting and slowly swam away with Nivalis.


    After they left, the agent descended into the pit, certain that there must be something there. Rita''s talent was no secret in the Special Affairs Bureau. She sold them **Another Happy Day** gems every month, and they assumed that her strength and her bond with Nivalis were due to her innate luck, which constantly brought her items to boost her power. The agent eagerly took out a tool and began digging. After a bit of work, he struck¡ªgold coins! Not just one or two, either. He dug tirelessly, expanding the already six- or seven-meter-deep pit by an extra two meters, then counted his finds¡ª32 gold coins!


    It was quite a haul. He''d earned fewer than seven coins through hard work, even after doing missions, buying potions, and upgrading gear. Just imagining how much Rita must have dug up filled him with excitement.


    When he finally returned to base, the others were already eating, and a friendly player asked if there was any news. He hesitated, unable to resist showing off, and proudly displayed the coins, sharing his story...


    ---


    After leaving the pit, Rita and Nivalis headed toward the nearest city, Yaslan. She needed to map the area and assess potential dangers along the route to determine if it was better to go through Yaslan or head toward the other city, Moonshadow.


    Once they were far enough from the Bureau''s base, Nivalis asked curiously, "Why did you drop so many coins?"


    - **Skill 2: Walk Through Time and Space** ¨C Allows you to briefly return to the past. The time span (days) is limited to your age, and the duration (minutes) is limited to your level. You must avoid being seen by your past self; if seen, your HP will be reduced to zero. Cooldown: 24 hours. (Note: Any items left behind will not persist beyond 48 hours and will be lost in time.)


    - **Skill 3: Wrathful Moon (Passive)** ¨C The lantern will only light up when it is in a good mood.


    (Note: All skills require carrying the item; placing it in your in-game inventory will nullify its effects.)


    ---


    Currently, the lantern had dimmed, suggesting that the moon inside was not in the best mood. But that was alright! Even if the moon was temperamental, Rita was ecstatic.


    Hugging the **Wrathful Moon** close, she placed a **Binding Stone** on it, which bound the lantern to her, though it didn''t seem to bind the moon itself.


    The deep-sea silence surrounded them, but inside the bubble, Nivalis could hear Rita''s heartbeat. "What''s going on with you?"


    **Rita**: "This... this is what love at first sight feels like."


    **Nivalis**: "Huh?" Explore new worlds at empire


    Rita tucked the **Wrathful Moon** away, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead. "Ugh, this is such a hassle. I''m way too strong¡ªit''s actually a problem. What if someone finds out?"


    Both **Orbit** and **Walk Through Time and Space** were indeed worthy of the A+ rank, and the fact that the lantern could still be upgraded only added to her delight.


    Nivalis: "...Yuck!"

 Chapter 199 [Three Wan]

    Rita, restless like a hyperactive child, put away the **Wrathful Moon** and brought out the **Compass**, caressing it affectionately before kissing it. "You little angel!" she exclaimed.


    How was this only an E-rank item? She almost felt indignant on its behalf.


    Wanting to keep it close, Rita took the Compass and hung it from her pocket watch chain¡ªshe decided it was better to have it outside in case she had missed treasures before.


    The Special Affairs Bureau had indeed picked a desolate spot; even though Rita expected that some creatures would adapt to this kind of harsh environment, she was surprised to find there were no significant beings nearby. Wanting to avoid attracting the attention of sea creatures, and thus alerting the other races that humans were in the area, she sought out a jellyfish, touching it to transform herself into a deep-sea creature, though she got stung in the process. Before she even had a chance to use her antidote potion, Nivalis threw an **Expert Medic** spell on her.


    Afterward, she took on the form of a jellyfish, positioning herself atop Nivalis''s head and allowing herself to be ferried around.


    They roamed the vicinity several times, and any creature with enough strength or intelligence sensed the dragon''s aura and fled. During these patrols, the Compass glowed a few more times, sending them both eagerly digging¡ªthough most of the results were disappointing.


    Once they unearthed a level-three green boot, another time just a single coin, and eventually, a beast bone that Nivalis claimed was at most level ten.


    Rita toyed with the **Compass**, realizing why it was rated as E-rank: the item, while morally admirable, lacked discernment. It didn''t deserve any better rank.


    Pulling out the **turtle jade**, she tossed a coin onto it and continued digging under the guidance of the **Compass**. This time, luck was indeed on her side. Occasionally, the Compass would flicker between two different directions, and she followed her instincts to choose which one to dig. The findings were noticeably better¡ªbeast bones capable of brewing high-level potions, a small bag of coins, broken blue gear, and even a corpse wearing a ring.


    Digging further, to her surprise, she unearthed a "mahjong" tile¡ª**Three Ten-Thousand**.


    Speaking of coins, Rita planned to travel to the remaining major cities over the next few days and trade whatever gold she could. After she dealt with Rick, she''d reveal the method of exchanging gold for coins to the Special Affairs Bureau.


    Your next read awaits at empire


    Her power had reached a point where she was no longer in the most vulnerable, dangerous phase. She didn''t need to worry about the Bureau becoming strong enough to become uncontrollable just because they didn''t lack coins. She also didn''t need to fear that the Bureau would use their money to buy items or skills capable of discovering S-tier talents in the country. It wasn''t just because she had the **S-tier pocket watch** for protection¡ªshe was confident that, even if the Bureau found out her talent was beyond B-tier or they turned against her for some reason, she could still escape unscathed.


    Call her selfish or cold-hearted, but her core principle was always self-preservation before anything else. Her abilities meant she would become a target if discovered, and explaining herself¡ªthat most of her stats came from stealing from other races¡ªwouldn''t help.


    Sometimes having something others lack is enough to make you a target.


    Besides, she had indeed targeted Blue Star players like Rick, making her seem ruthless and unfeeling in the eyes of the uninformed.


    Initially, she had agreed with the Bureau that she''d tell them the gold-to-coins method in December, a year after the game had invaded. Revealing it ahead of time would not only leave a good impression on the Bureau, but also give her a chance to set some conditions.


    She was satisfied with the Bureau''s attitude toward her, but this attitude had to be earned through her own calculated efforts¡ªwhen to compromise, when to push back, when to be generous, and when to feign ignorance.


    She hadn''t rushed to collect her profits from **Another Happy Day** in part to subtly express her trust in the Bureau, though the main reason was not wanting to make frequent trips to the Bureau for face-to-face transactions¡ªthey were a bit too thorough about it.


    It was different from her one-on-one dealings with **Shadow.Q**; when dealing with the Bureau, all transactions had to be counted and signed off in person, including signing again after receiving the coins to prove receipt.


    The Bureau really did seem full of hidden pitfalls.

 Chapter 200 Theres Just No End to It

    The process was too cumbersome, and Rita couldn''t keep pulling coins from thin air in front of everyone. However, with the upcoming early notice about converting gold, she was already planning on getting everything out of the Special Affairs Bureau. She couldn''t leave it there indefinitely, in case it got used up.


    The truth is, being a lone wolf is the hardest path. No organization to restrict you also means no organization to protect you, and you must deal with everything yourself.


    If she was too agreeable, it would be easy to be taken advantage of. If she was too assertive, the Special Affairs Bureau would think of her as too rebellious, only looking after her own interests. Letting her rise independently might cause more harm than good¡ªthey''d be more likely to use her, perhaps even force her to teach alchemy courses, since she was sure the Bureau suspected she had a mentor in Lania Kaia. They might even wield a sense of righteousness against her, with the government invoking patriotism, which no individual could resist.


    The Special Affairs Bureau isn''t the forever-heroic, ever-noble figure from a fairytale. And Rita? She wasn''t a self-sacrificing, innocent little bunny.


    It was all perfect because pure, eternal heroes and altruistic bunnies rarely survive until the end.


    About twenty minutes from Yaslan City, Rita used her ability to transform into an undead¡ªcurrently, she knew more about them than any other race except the moon foxes. She changed her gear and clothes entirely, while Nivalis temporarily returned to her pet space.


    Approaching the city gates, Rita noticed the tense atmosphere. First, there was a new wanted poster, showing a fox who was clearly innocent, but she tried not to dwell on it. Second, every visitor, no matter their race, was thoroughly questioned by the sea elves guarding the gate. Furthermore, the lanterns that lined the gates were replaced by scented candles instead of the engineering-powered energy lamps.


    After her time exploring the moon fox library, Rita wouldn''t underestimate anything scented. She caught sight of a strange floating fruit by the gate, resembling a black tomato with melon-like stripes. Even with her knowledge of over a thousand types of herbs, she didn''t recognize it immediately.


    This reminded her of the Scryl race, who loved cultivating strange plants and using them as weapons.


    Surely the heightened security wasn''t just about a few stolen books and a "mahjong tile"...


    ---


    Meanwhile, at the palace of Mistblade Moon Emperor...


    Three six-tailed moon foxes stood before the throne, reporting recent search efforts in all the major cities.


    Soon after the books were stolen, a team was sent to the Frosttail Clan, where they found a two-month-old kit named Frost Embroiderer. They also investigated every Frosttail six-tailed fox and found no indication of any suspicious activity. All had verifiable alibis for that day.


    Despite thorough tracking with every available scent, they hadn''t found the fox anywhere in the major cities. The Scryls were assisting in the search, but thus far, nothing had turned up...


    Apache checked the figure''s name¡ª[Rokwenra]. Experience new stories on empire


    Apache: "...Get in here, now."


    Rokwenra: "Sure."


    Rita slipped into the shop and took a seat beside Apache. "Teacher, I''ve only got twenty minutes."


    Apache handed her a notebook from under the table. "These are notes on ingredient prep for *Melting Time.* Go learn it yourself."


    Self-study? Wasn''t she getting one-on-one lessons before?


    Rita gave her a strange look. "Teacher, I didn''t expect us to drift apart this quickly."


    Without missing a beat, Apache flipped a page. "Mistblade will have people watching me. If you''re not afraid, come as much as you like."


    Rita accepted the notebook and stood up. "Teacher, I have other things to do, so I''ll go now."


    Apache chuckled, repeating, "Didn''t expect our bond to fade so quickly."


    Rita: "See, now you''re getting all emotional."


    Apache: ?


    Rita was promptly smacked out of the shop with a bottle.


    She then headed to the auction house to search for any available S-rank skills, but finding none, she left. Using a portal, she returned to Yaslan City, activated *Invisibility*, and phased directly to the volcano crater on Blue Star.


    Though it was a hassle, *Phantom Shift* made it bearable. It used to take only three minutes to reach the alchemy shop, but now it required an eight-minute detour, and the travel cost was 5 gold.


    But for Rita, it was worth it; despite the hassle, the volcano gave her far more peace of mind.

 Chapter 201 Born to Live Off Others

    "Rick had already been in City B for over two weeks, but he hadn''t managed to resolve either Eleanor''s situation or Scarlett''s pregnancy. On top of that, he''d lost a significant amount of attribute points. Honestly, he wasn''t sure what he was doing there¡ªit felt busy, but ultimately pointless.


    He''d gained levels through strenuous solo grinding, relying on equipment, skills, and modern weapons, but his attributes were dropping. While others were pretending to be weak to catch enemies off guard, he felt like a mere "vegetable salad"¡ªall greens, nothing else.


    The only gain he could think of was a small item he''d obtained from Henry¡ªan eraser (B-rank).


    The eraser wasn''t especially useful for Henry, but it worked perfectly for Rick because he still had two items Zoey hadn''t confiscated from him: a pencil and an electric pencil sharpener. These three items could form a stationery set¡ªa powerful A-rank tool called "What Was I Thinking While Studying?"


    With this combination of eraser and pencil, Rick could temporarily alter all the text on his character screen¡ªno illusion, but genuine alteration. It could modify attribute numbers, skill descriptions in his Divine Gift, and even contracts.


    Since it was only an A-rank item, the alterations were time-limited, with the duration (in days) equal to Rick''s current level. Though it had no cooldown time, he could continue modifying once the time ran out, effectively making the changes continuous.


    Your next chapter awaits on empire


    Unfortunately, this item also had a usage limit. When the pencil or eraser ran out, the entire set would be useless¡ªunless Rick could find replacements.


    Rick hadn''t dared use it yet, so he didn''t know how quickly the pencil would wear down¡ªwhether it behaved like a regular pencil or if it would wear down depending on the amount of information being altered.


    The set also had another crucial ability. By writing his name on someone with the pencil, Rick could make that person completely obedient to him for 10 minutes. This duration was affected by the target''s intelligence and mental resistance.


    It was a fantastic item...


    But Rick barely had time to enjoy this A-rank tool before Zoey confiscated it. Every time he got a new item, he had to report it to Zoey. Unless she explicitly allowed him to keep it, he had to turn it in. The price for violating the contract was the deduction of one attribute point, which would be given to Zoey.


    His grandmother was Eleanor.


    His sister was Rita.


    And his wife was the eldest daughter of the Lopez family from Los Angeles.


    He truly was born to live off others.


    In any case, Rick got along well with the Taylors privately, though their public interactions remained somewhat restrained.


    However, in recent days, Rick noticed that Henry and Camila seemed increasingly irritable. They walked around with long faces, whispering in-game private messages, their expressions marked by disbelief, anger, and a nervous desire to scream¡ªbut no confidence to back it up. They kept tilting their heads in circles, seemingly doing neck exercises, but Rick could tell they were thoroughly examining every word on their game interface, as if searching for an in-game support button...or a complaint hotline.


    Rick: ...Well, it all looked a bit too familiar.


    Zoey, Aaron, Ezra, and himself¡ªall of them had gone through this exact phase... the exact process.


    He didn''t even need to ask. The two of them had clearly been stolen from, just like he had.


    Rick silently pulled out his phone and booked a flight for the night of the 13th.


    He had to leave. There was no point staying in a place like this.


    Before leaving, perhaps out of guilt, or perhaps remembering Zoey''s instructions to maintain good relations with the Taylors, Rick told them about the *Magic Spoon* that he couldn''t afford. He hinted that if they wanted to earn favor with Eleanor, they could bid on it and give it as a gift.

 Chapter 202 Walk Through Time and Space

    On the morning of the 14th, after transforming into Han Shi and completing the act of listening to Zoey''s Hopeful Song, Rita went back to Lania Kaia to check the auction house once more. She wanted to ensure that Rick wouldn''t get anything valuable that could aid him in subjugating the Flood Dragon.


    After obtaining the Wrathful Moon, Rita became increasingly aware of how unpredictable full-luck stats could be. If she, with the help of an E-rank tool, managed to dig up an A+ rank item, what could Rick achieve?


    It was possible that fate, even if it wanted to give Rick something powerful to fight Zoey with, might only do so after Zoey managed to contract the Flood Dragon. Perhaps fate would let Rick long for the Flood Dragon but miss the opportunity just because his fortune aligned that way.


    Rita already regretted not trying harder to steal Rick''s luck. Although the main tormentors of her past were the women from the Lopez, White, and Taylor families and Rick''s friends, none of them compared to Rick in how much she hated him.


    She hated the knife, but she hated the one holding it even more.


    The Flood Dragon, a creature capable of both physical and mental torture, was something she absolutely intended to give to Rick as a "gift." But she began to worry because her visions showed her something unsettling¡ªa scene where Rick, in the Lopez family basement, was taking Aaron''s Divine Gift.


    If Rick truly became the dragon''s slave and toy, the Lopez family would surely discard him at the first opportunity. Under what circumstances would the Lopez family still accept him and even allow him access to their core treasury?


    Whatever happened with the dragon, it wouldn''t go as smoothly as Rita imagined. Many possibilities existed: maybe the contract didn''t reverse successfully; maybe the dragon succeeded in reversing the contract but Rick turned the tables; or maybe the dragon contracted with Zoey, and by currying favor with the dragon, Rick and Zoey together took control of the Lopez family...


    There were too many possibilities.


    It was even possible that every move she made was pushing fate towards that vision. Perhaps if she hadn''t used the prophecy skill stone, fate would have unfolded differently.


    But Rita didn''t regret her past actions; each decision was made to maximize her happiness in the moment¡ªand that was still true now. She didn''t waste time feeling frustrated or throwing tantrums because it was pointless. The road had to be walked one step at a time, and the game had to be played move by move.


    What''s the worst outcome? At worst, she would flip the board. If Rick finally acquired Aaron''s ability, she''d just find a way to kill both the dragon and Rick, thereby reducing the satisfaction she''d get from her revenge.


    Rita wasted no time traveling to Dark City where she was familiar with everything; upon arriving in Yaslan City, she went straight to the auction house.


    This was the longest she''d spent in the auction house. Usually, she just checked for S-rank skills and left or searched with specific keywords, but today Rita spent over forty minutes browsing the pet-related section.


    She checked the game interface¡ªthe displayed date was still September 14th, 4:27 PM, but the sky outside was dark. She had returned to the night of September 1st at 9:00 PM.


    Wasting no time, Rita placed the Wrathful Moon into a small pouch strapped to her front, used Disguise! to change her appearance, and combined invisibility and Phantom Shift to head for the airport.


    She only had 8 minutes; every second counted.


    From afar, she spotted herself seeing Rick off as he walked towards the boarding gate. Both wore baseball caps, sunglasses, and masks, but she''d recognize herself and Rick anywhere.


    Even though Nivalis was invisible, Rita could sense the small dragon perched on her other self''s shoulder.


    Suddenly, she heard Nivalis'' voice in her mind, "Huh?!"


    Ah, now she knew what the cryptic dragon meant back then with that "huh."


    "Shh, don''t tell me! This is our secret," Rita replied silently.


    Nivalis'' laughter echoed in her mind, "Okay."


    Rita used Phantom Shift to instantly move to a corner of the boarding area, then canceled her Phantom Cloak and walked out. She brushed shoulders with Rick as he approached.


    Another Happy Day¡ªchange Rick''s luck to 1.


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    She half-turned, and as Rick looked at her in shock and vigilance, she pulled him into an embrace while casting Ice Flower Seal on him.


    The spell effect would freeze the target for 3 seconds, depending on the caster''s intelligence and the target''s attributes. With Rita''s current intelligence and Rick''s attributes, the freeze happened almost instantly upon contact.

 Chapter 203 "Preemptive Setup"

    Rita held the frozen Rick by his shoulders and dragged him over to a secluded corner, keeping a firm grip on his shoulder to ensure he wouldn''t fall. She took out a small knife and vial, ready to collect some blood¡ªnothing held more of a person''s magical essence than their blood. Even if she managed to steal some of Rick''s equipment within the 8-minute window, she couldn''t be certain he had used it.


    The syringe she held was one she''d picked up on a ranch, a vet-grade syringe with a capacity of 10 ml. She''d thought it might come in handy someday, so she took ten of them, leaving a silver coin behind. Now was exactly that time.


    After filling one vial, she felt it wasn''t quite enough¡ªshe might as well collect a proper amount! She took out another vial and kept drawing.


    One vial... two... three... she drew a total of five full vials. If she''d had more time, Rita would likely have left Rick with barely a drop to spare.


    With the blood collection complete, she poured a small dose of a weak Forgetfulness Potion into a second vial, pried open Rick''s mouth, and poured it in.


    A mid-tier potion would wipe out the past hour of memories, while a beginner-level one only erased five minutes. However, a secondary-grade potion¡ªessentially an alchemical reject made by apprentices¡ªerased just two minutes, which was perfect for this situation. Rita had specially brewed this substandard potion while waiting for her *Disguise!* cooldown. With her skills, creating a flawed batch had actually been a challenge.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Of course, she couldn''t be entirely sure Rick wouldn''t notice something off and investigate later, but it didn''t matter. In fact, it could even work in her favor! Her other self was still likely on her way out of the terminal, giving her an airtight alibi.


    Administering the Forgetfulness Potion and thoughtfully feeding Rick a minor healing potion to restore his HP, she returned him to the spot where they had crossed paths. Her tasks complete, Rita swiftly cloaked herself and used *Phantom Shift* to return home.


    Instead of heading back to her bedroom, though, she went to the study to test if she would reappear at the same location once time resumed its normal flow.


    Using the skill for the first time, she found it exhilarating. It felt as though a strong wind buoyed her, allowing her to effortlessly ascend, descend, and change directions. Lightly testing her speed, she noticed the mana consumption remained at 10 points per second, unaffected by her pace¡ªa limitation she was curious to test further.


    After a brief test flight, she flew directly to the dragon''s rear, remaining cloaked the entire time. She pressed the stamp on its tail, ensuring the seal was imprinted, then immediately teleported back to shore and lit the incense before shifting 100 meters away.


    While the incense should only affect beasts, she wasn''t taking any chances. After all, who knew if "beast" in Moonfox''s terminology encompassed every species except Moonfox itself?


    The dragon blinked groggily, glancing at its tail as if sensing something unusual. Seeing nothing there, it then looked toward the shore, where a faint fragrance wafted over. Finding the scent rather pleasant, it relaxed, closed its eyes, and dozed off again.


    Rita waited until the incense had completely burned out before departing, satisfied. She returned to the tree marked as her star, noting that she couldn''t approach closer than 8 meters¡ªany closer and she''d lose her flight ability.


    This likely reflected the skill''s minimum range, which would increase as her level progressed. While the restriction was slightly inconvenient, it was manageable.


    She stood at the 8-meter mark, hovered 2 meters above the ground, and then used a skill to destroy the tree. In that instant, she lost her flight ability, dropping back to the ground.


    It seemed that with this skill, losing proximity to her star or having it destroyed would result in an immediate fall. If she were flying thousands of meters high, that could be dangerous.


    However, with *Phantom Shift* and her teleportation skill *I''m in a Hurry*, she could easily mitigate the risk by shifting positions just before reaching the ground. Moreover, if she marked Nivalis as her star, there''d be no risk of her star being destroyed.


    For now, *Orbit* was a skill without any major drawbacks.

 Chapter 204 A Second Skill Stone?

    After wrapping up the Flood Dragon matter, Rita took advantage of her *Disguise!* skill and paid a visit to Brooks. Lucky for her, Brooks liked working night shifts, and he was still making fries at that hour; otherwise, finding him could''ve been a hassle.


    Rita shelled out a hefty 30-gold fee to buy a single-use of Brooks'' skill *We''re Not Familiar, but That''s Okay.* Since every empty skill stone issued by the Special Affairs Bureau was tracked, any reduction in her monthly submission would lead them to cut her supply in the following month, as they''d recently begun tightening control over the distribution of empty skill stones. However, she still had a stash of empty stones she''d acquired in Lania Kaia, traded for boots, that were yet to be used.


    Giving an empty skill stone to Brooks, she walked him through the process and paid the fee, gaining in return a *We''re Not Familiar, but That''s Okay* skill stone. As long as she didn''t interrupt it, this skill would stay active.


    This, naturally, was for Rick.


    On the morning of September 15, Rita woke early and spent half an hour playing a head-to-head game with Nivalis before heading to the bathroom for a shower, aware of her tight 7 a.m. schedule. She paused as she reached the sink, surprised to find a skill stone lying there.


    Picking it up, she inspected it¡ªit was *We''re Not Familiar, but That''s Okay.*


    After using *Walk Through Time and Space,* she immediately understood that her future self had left this stone for her.


    Why this particular one?


    Rita opened her in-game white backpack. There, at the bottom row of her 37-slot inventory, lay another identical skill stone.


    Rita held back from selling her slots, as doing so might look like she was profiting off Zoey''s goodwill. On a practical level, Zoey''s willingness to offer 300 Hope Songs in exchange for her help with the Flood Dragon was already to Rita''s benefit; Zoey was making an effort to cultivate a friendly connection. Otherwise, with so many people at the Lopez family''s disposal, Zoey could easily find another ally like Lincoln, someone whose loyalty lay solely with her.


    Rita planned to join Zoey for future events, so preserving this connection was more valuable than any immediate profit from selling slots.


    Over the past few weeks, nearly 80% of the Flood Dragon raid members had reached level 8, with the remainder mainly consisting of support players. With Hope Song attribute boosts affecting most members, the team''s collective strength had noticeably improved.


    Even Zoey herself had powered up, replacing almost half her equipment. Ever since she''d used that feather on Mateo, it was as though her luck had returned to its former level, bringing her near-constant good fortune.


    Unaware of Zoey''s streak of good luck, Rita felt reassured seeing the team''s stats and morale. Today''s odds of success looked promising.


    She''d brought Nivalis along, too. Though she''d found herself wary of allowing Nivalis and the Flood Dragon to meet since the thought of "can Flood Dragons transform into true dragons?" had crossed her mind, there wasn''t a real reason for concern. Black Jade''s arrival on Blue Star would make Nivalis''s existence known to all, and with her superior attributes, level, and innate abilities¡ªplus Rita''s own support¡ªthere was no question of her needing to avoid Black Jade.


    She''d even asked Nivalis about Flood Dragons and the possibility of them transforming, though unfortunately, the dragon was as clueless as a schoolchild.


    Once inside the dungeon, Rita had Nivalis fly to a secluded spot far from the Flood Dragon. As they journeyed, she handed Rick and Zoey each a *Another Happy Day* skill stone, saying, "Knowing it''s a tough find, I got these from the Bureau myself. Here, one for each of you. Use it whenever you see fit."


    Knowing Rick''s tendency to blame anyone and everyone when things went awry, she technically shouldn''t have handed over these skill stones. However, she''d initially told clients that the adjusted luck value would appear on their status screen¡ªa half-truth, since she could keep it hidden if she wanted. Stay connected with empire


    The small deception had served a purpose early on; perceptive customers understood its practicality, reassuring them by showing the luck value. Meanwhile, those insistent on absolute transparency and prone to accusations were typically not her clients.

 Chapter 205 Was She Sparring With Air Again?

    Now that the game had fully merged with reality, her skill was effectively sold off as a skill stone through the Special Affairs Bureau, rendering her little white lie mostly irrelevant. But at critical moments like this, it was a potential landmine.


    Her talent was so notorious that there was a good chance that, if things started going south for Rick, he''d mutter, "Maybe someone messed with my luck?" So, better to take the initiative.


    Handing over the skill stones was a subtle way of offering them some control, letting them decide when to use it.


    And to make things extra clear, she planned to overtly modify her luck to a value of 10 during the prep phase for the Flood Dragon raid. This way, anyone with insight into her stats would see the change.


    *¡ªLook, my "Another Happy Day" is off cooldown. You''re free to believe whatever you want; just don''t accuse me of anything.*


    The only issue was... why wasn''t Rick wearing his monocle with Insight powers? And Zoey¡ªher Holmes-inspired earring that gave Insight was gone too. Both had changed their gear? Where were the new ones?


    None of them were inspecting her anymore; her little mental preparation was pointless. *Was she shadowboxing again?*


    ... Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    As before, they quickly cleared out the smaller creatures and approached the Flood Dragon''s domain.


    Rick had felt uneasy since the night before, and in the morning, he almost didn''t want to leave the house. However, Zoey was adamant about the importance of this raid, and without a convincing reason, she''d never agree to let him sit out. It was too late to find someone with the experience necessary for a Flood Dragon, and besides, Rick himself was invaluable.


    Although his Divine Gift had been reduced, he still had a robust arsenal of skills: control, flight, immunity, and even some interrupts. And if they ended up in dire straits, with Rick there, Rita might push her abilities to the max; maybe she''d even call on her dragon for help.


    Rick knew all of this and repressed his anxiety to accompany Zoey.


    The unease persisted right up until they engaged the Flood Dragon, at which point it subsided.


    If not for its rational mind and extensive patience, it might''ve already rushed over to seal the contract with him.


    Now, it felt even more drawn to the man.


    It couldn''t gauge the ages of Blue Star people, nor did it care about their exact relationship. But if there was a blood connection, this man was definitely the closest to the young dragon.


    Now, it just needed to test his social standing. Contracting a Blue Star person meant reversing the contract and making them its servant.


    If this person lacked status, he wouldn''t be able to provide food or protection. The more established Blue Star humans wouldn''t think twice about sacrificing someone of low rank. They would see its life as disposable and eliminate it on sight.


    Having evolved from a snake to a Flood Dragon, Black Jade''s journey had been harsh and filled with tribulation. Each evolution required an immense amount of energy to alter its genes and restructure its bones.


    It had once reached level 57. Its lifespan far exceeded that of many higher-level beasts.


    Black Jade was well aware that invading Blue Star wasn''t an ideal mission. For the higher-level members of the Twelve Sacred Tribes and elite beasts, this was an opportunity because Blue Star''s growth couldn''t keep pace with their access to the outer realms.


    But for the lower-level beasts and sacred tribes, the situation was different. The Blue Star people''s development was rapid, and the weaker invaders were mere fodder.


    Once it saw other creatures from its dungeon wiped out, it knew it couldn''t simply leave the dungeon. Sure, it could defeat a hundred Blue Star humans, but what about thousands?


    So, it not only needed to escape but also to secure a contract with a high-status Blue Star human who could escort it out. Then it could link their lives, ensuring its "harmless" integration into Blue Star.


    This was the most crucial step in its hunt¡ª*concealment.*


    Even more importantly, due to the current rules, it couldn''t harm the Twelve Sacred Tribes of Lania Kaia that had also descended on Blue Star. It needed a binding contract with a Blue Star human before it could break free from the rules, allowing it to hunt any of Lania Kaia''s lesser creatures that crossed its path.

 Chapter 206 She Trusts Every Decision She Makes

    As the fight continued, everyone noticed that the Flood Dragon seemed to target Rick. Whenever there was even the slightest delay in the tanking players drawing aggro, the Flood Dragon would immediately go for Rick.


    The Special Affairs Bureau members, all bound by a contract, prioritized protecting Rick.


    Rita asked Shadow.Q curiously, "You have to protect my brother? Does that mean I''m also on the protection list?"


    Shadow.Q, while moving Rick to a safe spot, replied, "Oh, no, not you. He''s a bonus. Initially, the contract only stated protecting Zoey. Later on, she felt like she was at a disadvantage, so I threw in a bonus to make her feel better."


    As if summoned by the conversation, Zoey passed behind them while dodging to reflect the beam skill of *Prayer*. "I heard that, thank you," she said.


    Shadow.Q responded earnestly, "Even if it''s a bonus, we won''t be careless!"


    Zoey: "..."


    Rita: "..."


    Sliding to evade a poison arrow, Rick shouted as he passed in front of them, "I heard that too, thanks!"


    Shadow.Q: "Tsk..."


    *Why do this rich couple keep haunting us?*No?v(el)B\\jnn


    ...


    From Black Jade''s perspective, every time it attacked the man related by blood to the young dragon''s owner, at least one healing skill would immediately land on him. Each time, someone would help him take the hit, and at least two Blue Star people were constantly protecting him.


    This was treatment that most of the Blue Star people here didn''t get.


    It also overheard what they were saying.


    So that woman named Zoey was the one trying to contract it?


    She had no connection to the young dragon''s owner. Eliminated.


    Taken together, the man they called the "bonus" was the best choice.


    Upon hearing this, everyone fell into silence.


    How could this sound like a fairy tale? Just like that? And the dragon followed her?


    *The evil dragon will never be a slave¡ªunless there''s food and lodging?*


    Zoey was also speechless. Was Rita the protagonist of a female power fantasy?


    What was up with these siblings?


    Rita concluded, "I don''t know why the Flood Dragon is focused on you; every beast is different. Their personalities and thoughts vary, but I think staying cautious is always the right move."


    At that moment, Rita subtly adjusted her clothing and crushed the first *We''re Not Familiar, but That''s Okay.* skill stone.


    She didn''t know why her future self would send her a second skill stone with the same name, but she decided to act as if she''d never received the second one.


    She trusted her future self as much as her present self. They were both her, and she believed in every decision she made.


    Originally, she''d planned to use it close to the contract moment. But she hadn''t expected today''s raid to be progressing so smoothly.


    Influencing Rick now, during this quiet moment of rest, had its own advantages. During battle, guidance could help one instinctively follow their feelings, but giving Rick time to prepare meant now was a better opportunity.


    Even if today''s raid failed, the thoughts she planted would be hard to eliminate. If necessary, she could try again in the next round.


    Moments after using the skill stone, Rita heard Rick''s thoughts: *Why wasn''t it me who met such a stupid dragon?*


    Following what Brooks had taught her, Rita silently projected her thoughts:


    *Could it be that even beasts have preferences and choose their own masters?*


    *The Flood Dragon favors me. Could it be testing me?*


    *Did my sister tell me to be on guard because she''s overthinking things? Or is it because she doesn''t want me to get the Flood Dragon?*


    *If I get the Flood Dragon, can I stop being bullied by Zoey? Could this give me some standing in the Lopez family?*

 Chapter 207 Impossible Not to be Tempted

    Rita watched as Rick''s head quietly lowered, seemingly focused on his meal, but she knew this was his habitual way of hiding his expression.


    *Is he interested?* She mused. *Of course, he couldn''t help but be.*


    The reasons Zoey wanted the Flood Dragon all applied to Rick as well: to grow stronger, gain control, and confront his hidden enemies. Rita only needed to subtly ignite this spark of interest, and soon, it was clear her words had sparked a wildfire in Rick''s mind.


    *"What''s a contract? If I get the Flood Dragon, I can make it restrain Zoey and force her to alter the terms."*


    *"So what if my attributes and life points were reduced? Would she dare gamble with her own life?"*


    *"Sure, Zoey promised to find me a dragon after this... but what if it never happens?"* Rita seized this line of thought, gently nudging it further.


    *"What if she doesn''t fulfill her promise? A Flood Dragon alone costs 300 ''Songs of Hope''¡ªwould Zoey really be willing to pay that much for me?"*


    Rick''s thoughts continued:


    *"Exactly... would Zoey really go that far for me? Even if she keeps her word, she could still put it off for years."*


    *"Only what''s in my own hands is truly mine..."*


    *"I heard even Nivalis''s dragon dung can be sold for money¡ªwhat about a Flood Dragon''s blood and scales?"*


    *"A Flood Dragon... it had to be a Flood Dragon... is this destiny''s way of telling me that gaining this dragon is my chance to become a dragon myself?"*


    Rick''s mind raced faster, his unease growing, and he blamed this restlessness on how long it had taken him to reach this realization.


    Meanwhile, Rita sipped her bottomless coffee mug, sipping to restore her mana as she listened to Rick''s thoughts. Hearing him say, *"It''s my time to become a dragon,"* made her nearly choke on a small burst of laughter.


    *That level of self-assuredness... she wouldn''t have dared push his thoughts in that direction, fearing he''d snap back to reality from cringing at his own bravado.*


    *Just how many male protagonist novels had he eaten up to develop thoughts like these?*


    The battle continued until 2 a.m. on the 16th. When the Flood Dragon''s health finally hit 30%, it suddenly sealed off all the air within a thousand-meter radius¡ªa move no one expected.


    But this time, when the male and female commanders issued the retreat order, they instructed everyone to retreat to the dungeon entrance but not to leave.


    As Rita and the others made their way to the dungeon entrance, they could finally breathe again, but everyone was out of healing resources. Even Rita''s *Fountain of Light* was on cooldown.


    The female commander called, "Team A, head out," and she patted Rita. "You''re out too."


    Rita was confused but followed "Team A" out. Stepping outside, she was momentarily stunned.


    Outside stood hundreds of people. As soon as Rita and Team A emerged, healing spells rained down on them, followed by various buff spells. In less than a minute, they were fully restored, and Rita and Team A returned to the dungeon while the next team emerged to be healed.


    Back in action, Rita asked Shadow.Q, "Was this tactic prepared in advance?"


    Shadow.Q nodded. "Yes, we didn''t expect to use it this early, but today, there''s a good chance we might win."


    This tactic wasn''t solely designed for the Flood Dragon. Now that levels 11 and 12 dungeons had been unlocked, this method had helped conquer them one by one.


    Rita didn''t bother asking why they didn''t lure the Flood Dragon outside. She had swept her gaze over the support players outside; they were all below level 7, and many lacked complete gear. If they couldn''t dodge the Flood Dragon''s ultimate moves, they''d be wiped out instantly.


    Only by having elite players at the forefront with support behind could they minimize casualties.


    Using this almost "cheat-like" tactic, the Flood Dragon''s health quickly dropped to 10%.


    *¡ª"Health at 10%, Mana at 17%, Weakness and Paralysis ended, Lockdown state over, Doom Curse at 27 seconds remaining, Bleeding state at 12 seconds remaining."*


    The player monitoring the battle loudly reported the Flood Dragon''s status.


    Several players were severely injured and near death, so Shadow.Q teleported them to the dungeon entrance, where they were immediately tended to by waiting healers outside. The dungeon''s locking mechanism prevented non-combatants from entering once the fight began, so support players couldn''t join the battle directly.


    "Zoey, prepare yourself!"

 Chapter 208 Moment of Reversal (SSS-Level)

    *It''s finally beginning!*


    Even before the fight against the Flood Dragon started, Rita had covertly used *Another Happy Day* to adjust Rick''s luck. She''d also brought along a spare *Another Happy Day* skill stone¡ªone she hadn''t yet handed over this month¡ªas a backup, planning to find a way to replace it later. Now, despite it being under six hours since she last modified Rick''s luck, she used it again to lower his luck to 1.


    Meanwhile, Zoey took out the skill stone Rita had given her and crushed it, increasing her own luck to 10.


    Unlike an equal contract, a pet contract doesn''t require both parties to sign. The owner simply writes their name and then lets the blood of the beast soak the contract. If the beast still has enough strength, it can reject the contract. This is why they generally wait until a creature''s health is below 20% or even 10% before attempting a contract¡ªit minimizes the creature''s chance of resisting.


    Just as Zoey threw the contract toward the Flood Dragon''s wound, the beast was struck by a shield bash, leaving it stunned. It felt a surge of panic, already planning how it would use this human contract to get closer to that dragon...


    But the moment the contract touched it, an invisible force repelled it!


    Rick exhaled in relief; he''d nearly jumped to intercept the contract but missed the chance, held back by a sudden wave of apprehension. As the contract bounced away, Black Jade relaxed internally, though it showed no sign on its face. With a commanding flick of its tail, it pointed at Rick and declared, "If I am to contract, I will only accept him!"


    It sounded as if the Flood Dragon had a say in the matter.


    Zoey''s gaze grew icy as she looked at Rick, suspecting he''d done something behind her back. She sneered, "Do you think you get to choose your master?" She turned to Shadow.Q and demanded, "Under our agreement, are you not bound to help me subdue it?"


    Shadow.Q immediately shouted, "Elijah, restrain it!"


    The male commander Elijah selected several close-combat players, and they coordinated to throw chains from four directions, binding the Flood Dragon tightly.


    Rick remained calm throughout, showing no reaction even when the Flood Dragon was restrained. He relaxed completely, giving Zoey a harmless smile.


    Zoey, feeling a bit relieved, moved to retrieve her contract, which had been knocked away. Though she had immediately rushed toward it when it was first deflected, a gust seemed to carry it further off course. With no other players nearby, Zoey had to approach the contract herself.


    Just as she bent down to pick it up, Rick made his move.


    Flood Dragon Black Jade, who had been cursing and struggling moments before, suddenly widened its green eyes, staring at the contract in the air. Red magic threads surged in its eyes, forming a magical symbol.


    *[Moment of Reversal]* (SSS-Level): When a target inflicts any kind of harm upon you, you can use this skill to exchange any identical attribute between yourself and the target, thus reversing the situation. Unless you cancel it voluntarily, the skill will remain active, even if you or the target faces death. This skill may only be used once every seven natural days.


    This skill was something it had realized upon seeing a true dragon for the first time.


    At the time, it had just been born on the island of Daylight City, with all of its attributes at 1.


    Its only Divine Gift was *Lucky Little Snake,* which included a single, silly skill called *Luck Grows With Hunger.*


    It had been carried to the island by an amateur alchemist who needed fish dragon eggs for an experiment. By mistake, a common snake egg had been mixed into the batch.


    The alchemist carelessly tossed it onto a trash heap, where no one bothered to eat it; it wasn''t delicious or nutritious.


    It was taken out of the city, its eggshell covered in cracks. The malnourished little snake hatched early in the trash pile, slithering away just before the heap was destroyed by a magical array.


    Daylight City was an island in the sky. Little Snake had crawled all the way to the island''s edge, finding nothing to eat. Just as it was about to faint from hunger, a black dragon appeared in the sky, lazily drifting through the clouds, its long whiskers stirring with the wind, its tail sweeping gracefully behind it.


    It was so far, yet so vast, that a single tail swipe from the dragon nearly blew the tiny snake off the edge.


    The dragon and the snake were, at their closest, less than a hundred meters apart.


    The dragon''s whiskers alone were hundreds of times thicker than Little Snake.


    *"Next life, I''ll grow up to look like that!"*


    This was Little Snake''s last thought before the magical storm knocked it out.


    When it woke up, it discovered it had gained an SSS-level skill, its only skill beyond its innate gift¡ª*[Moment of Reversal].*

 Chapter 209 Moment of Reversal – Who is the Master, and Who is the Servant!

    It can freely swap two equivalent types of values or information, such as the life points between itself and the opponent, or the same attributes between itself and the opponent, or even between itself and a certain beast''s divine skill. It survived because of this ability and became stronger and stronger. Divine Gift also evolved with each of its schemes, gradually bringing it closer to becoming a dragon through repeated evolutions...


    Golden light outlined the names of the two contractors, "Rick" and "Black Jade." The names appeared in the air above the contract and were about to separate, flying toward their respective masters and pets. At that moment, a red light enveloped them.


    The names of the two contractors instantly switched places!


    The illusion on the contract also changed!


    Then, under everyone''s gaze, two beams of light flew into Rick and the Flood Dragon''s foreheads.


    The light dissipated, and the Flood Dragon laughed loudly, as if it had pulled off an incredible prank. It was the first time anyone saw this Flood Dragon showing such a human-like expression.


    On the other hand, Rick appeared stunned, horrified, regretful, and in disbelief. His face turned pale, and in the blink of an eye, cold sweat appeared on his forehead!


    No, no, no! Impossible!! He rubbed his hands in the air, as if trying to erase a typo or some images he didn''t want to see.


    Rita, with a stern face, opened the pet rankings. The first thing that caught her eye was Nivalis and herself at the top. She scrolled down and saw Rick''s name at the 18th position at the very bottom.


    [Pet] [Level] [Species] [Contractor]


    Rick 8 Human Black Jade


    At that moment, Rita''s heart finally eased... halfway.


    Rita crossed her arms, standing still as she silently studied the line of text on the pet ranking, her fingers pinching the soft flesh of her inner arm: Don''t laugh! Hold it in!


    Not only that, but she also had to start showing emotions like suspicion and concern.


    If acting were a skill, Rita thought she would be at least an A-grade actor, constantly practicing it.


    Around her, murmurs began to rise.


    "Did they write it backwards? Was there a mistake?"


    "Can this game even have bugs?"


    "Why has Rick become a pet...?"


    After the light from the contract dissipated, Aaron and Ezra no longer tried to stop Zoey and Lincoln. Especially Aaron, who actively lifted the ice seal on Zoey''s leg and took a step back to avoid her gaze.


    Zoey didn''t lose her composure. She maintained her final dignity and smiled with anger: "Very well."


    She looked toward Rick and the Flood Dragon ahead. But before she could say anything, she noticed something was wrong.


    "It depends on the contract. A mutual contract is life and death together, but it can be forcibly undone before something happens to the other party. Other pet contracts don''t work like that. If the owner dies, the pet will inevitably die with them. But if the pet dies, the owner will be fine."


    "Why hasn''t anyone from the big shots explained what happened? Was it a failed contract?"


    "We''re fighting beasts with the boss right now, and no one dares to contract anymore..."


    "Has the official given any explanation? The organization that sent the public welfare text last time, wasn''t that the game''s official, Special Affairs Bureau?"


    "The organization is called Special Affairs Bureau!!!"


    ...


    Shadow.Q had already started reporting the incident.


    From the fact that she had ordered the commander Elijah earlier, it was clear that she was the main person responsible for dealing with the Flood Dragon. She had to step up.


    After a brief private report in the game, Shadow.Q immediately approached the Flood Dragon.


    Nearby, the melee fighters subtly protected Shadow.Q in the center, while healers prepared to intervene at any moment.


    Shadow.Q looked up at Black Jade and asked, "Negotiation or war?"


    Black Jade relaxed his body and looked down at Shadow.Q. "If you kill me, he will die too."


    Shadow.Q''s attitude remained calm, even somewhat indifferent. "That''s why I gave the option to negotiate, to minimize unnecessary losses."


    Is Rick''s life important?


    If only Special Affairs Bureau personnel were here today, his life wouldn''t be worth much.


    But here, there were Lopez family members and Rita, a sister deeply attached to her brother.


    Special Affairs Bureau couldn''t act rashly.


    Special Affairs Bureau didn''t want to offend Rita, nor did they want to provoke the Lopez family.


    Rick''s situation had already spread due to his appearance on the pet rankings. If they acted recklessly and killed Black Jade without regard for Rick''s fate, it would become a major scandal for the Special Affairs Bureau, throwing them into a public relations crisis.


    Even if Rick betrayed Zoey, Zoey might be the one who wanted Rick dead the most at this moment, but once Special Affairs Bureau killed Rick, she would be the one who appeared the most devastated.


    For the Lopez family, this was a great opportunity. Zoey and the Lopez family behind her would definitely use this to challenge the Special Affairs Bureau, demanding benefits, resources, and power...


    The betrayal by her husband was avenged by Special Affairs Bureau, and she could use this opportunity to gain even more.


    Zoey would be laughing all the way, with the Special Affairs Bureau as her puppet.

 Chapter 210 The Acting Master—Rita

    Shadow.Q spoke plainly: "Although we can''t kill you, we can certainly lock you up."


    In fact, that might even be better. The Flood Dragon''s blood would undoubtedly be valuable for research.


    She wasn''t bluffing. The moment Black Jade reversed the contract, she had sent a report with text updates, but also used a device to sync the visual feed, so the Special Affairs Bureau could watch everything happening here in real time.


    Meanwhile, outside the instance, Special Affairs Bureau''s elite squad had already arrived via the teleportation portal, setting up an ambush around the perimeter. If talks broke down and Black Jade dared to make a move, the fight would commence immediately.


    Shadow.Q gestured, and one of her team members stepped forward, placing a skill debuff on the Flood Dragon to prevent its automatic health regeneration.


    Black Jade remained unfazed, his posture and expression relaxed, as if his health wasn''t down to 9%.


    He understood Shadow.Q''s words, and even though he knew an ambush was waiting for him outside, he wasn''t about to back down. He responded, "You can try your best to contain me, but if you lose the bet, I swear, by the dragon blood in my veins, I will wash Blue Star in blood before I die."


    Could Shadow.Q and the Special Affairs Bureau take that risk? They couldn''t.


    Whether it was the triumphant laugh after the successful contract reversal, or Black Jade''s unruffled composure despite his 9% health, or the way he had arrogantly reduced Rick''s health to just 2%¡ªevery move he made was a psychological pressure on everyone around.


    It was hard not to suspect that the entire contract had been part of Black Jade''s scheme from the start. Perhaps, he had always planned to contract with a human from Blue Star and then leave the instance to live in Blue Star.


    What was even more unsettling was that this boss fight had gone so smoothly¡ªit might have been part of Black Jade''s plan all along.


    If that were the case, it was terrifying. Not because the boss was strong, but because, like humans, the boss could plan and manipulate.


    The standoff continued.


    Black Jade spoke again, "Actually, I don''t want to be your enemy. I can promise not to kill anyone, but I want to live in the center of your Blue Star''s capital. Every day, I demand one thousand pounds of holy beast corpses. If I''m in a good mood, I might even help you clear out the Lania Kaia 12 Holy Beasts."


    Shadow.Q felt a deeper sense of wariness toward Black Jade.


    She had encountered many boss-level beasts, and the Special Affairs Bureau had dealt with them before, even the infamous Nivalis. These beasts were intelligent and had distinct personalities, but none of them were as calculating and manipulative as Black Jade.


    If she weren''t important, they wouldn''t have taken her with them when they set up the new base at the volcano.


    But as much as she had calculated, there was no avoiding this situation. If she was going to deceive Rick, she had to deceive everyone, even sometimes fool herself. Otherwise, she would forget how to act like the perfect sister.


    And even if she weren''t here, Zoey was around. If the Special Affairs Bureau dared disregard Rick''s life, Zoey would make sure to exploit the situation for her own gain.


    After all, public opinion was a powerful weapon.


    ---


    The situation surrounding the contract was filled with oddities, the most glaring being why Black Jade had chosen Rick over Zoey. Even stranger, when Zoey attempted the contract, Black Jade had rejected her, but when Rick made the contract attempt, Black Jade''s tail eagerly accepted the contract scroll.


    Shadow.Q, trying to buy time, asked the crucial question: "Why Rick?"


    Black Jade''s gaze shifted toward Rick, though it was clear he was looking at Rita. "I know you two are siblings. If you can provide me with true dragon blood to help me transform, not only will I spare Rick, but I''ll also protect Blue Star."


    Rita''s breath caught. She had never expected this. Black Jade could really transform into a dragon? And he needed dragon blood?


    More importantly, this was the real reason he had sought Rick?


    No... no, that didn''t add up. The *pet fragrance* had likely played a part, but the blood of a true dragon was the real key.


    In her past life, Black Jade never asked for dragon blood. It wasn''t mentioned on the forums either.


    No... He had asked for dragon blood before, and he had succeeded.


    The truth began to dawn on Rita: Black Jade must have sent someone to request dragon blood from Rick, which eventually led Rick to start selling it. But then Black Jade had stopped hiding, gone on a rampage, and fled, perhaps to find a place to evolve...


    Rita knew that Rick would soon begin to hate her. And if he didn''t just hate her, but also doubted everything she had done for him, the trust between them would be shattered.


    Because if Black Jade''s words about dragon blood didn''t spur her into action, Rick would no longer trust her, no matter how much she tried to explain that Black Jade was after the bloodline of Nivalis, not his.


    And there was something else that was even more dangerous¡ªBlack Jade''s final words. The threat hung over Rita like a storm cloud.

 Chapter 211 The Crystal Must Be Given to Someone, Not the Current Me

    A dragon that hasn''t explicitly promised to protect Blue Star, and a dragon that, if it receives dragon blood and transforms into a true dragon, is willing to protect Blue Star.


    "A dragon belonging to an individual player" or "A dragon belonging to the nation"?


    This decision was too simple.


    They wouldn''t bear the loss, but the latter option would guarantee them a 100% profit.


    Rita couldn''t even guarantee that the Special Affairs Bureau wouldn''t be tempted.


    Even though the contract reversal had just occurred before their eyes, the risks were controllable. The Special Affairs Bureau was full of capable people who could think of ways to close the loopholes, and then they could acquire a dragon that would protect their country!


    Moreover, Black Jade hadn''t done anything irreversible yet. Not a single person from the Flood Dragon team had died¡ªalthough Black Jade had been deadly serious in the fight, many people only cared about the result.


    To most people, Black Jade and Nivalis, Flood Dragon and true dragons, didn''t really seem that different.


    Rita thought a lot, for a long time. The longer she thought, the longer the silence stretched.


    During this time, everyone was watching her, waiting for her answer.


    Even Shadow.Q remained silent. She couldn''t speak easily. Right now, she was the decision-maker for the Special Affairs Bureau, not Rita''s friend.


    Rita didn''t expect Shadow.Q to speak up for her. Thinking so would be underestimating Shadow.Q''s ability and work attitude. Shadow.Q worked for the Special Affairs Bureau, not for her.


    But Rita couldn''t help feeling a sense of "as expected... this was bound to happen."


    She knew what most people were thinking. They were waiting for her to agree, waiting for her to see the bigger picture.


    Humans could donate blood, so why couldn''t a dragon? Nivalis might not die from giving dragon blood, right? A little treatment could fix that.


    But Rita didn''t think it was that simple. If the Flood Dragon could transform into a true dragon, it would be a fundamental change for its species. She didn''t believe it was as easy as just giving a little blood¡ªit was definitely different from losing blood during a regular fight.


    If it were that simple, how could Lania Kaia have only a few thousand dragons? Lania Kaia wouldn''t lack research talent. They could have bred dragons themselves. There must be something related to the source power involved.


    If Black Jade rose to the sky and became a true dragon, would Nivalis fall and degrade into a half-lizard, half-dragon?


    She couldn''t afford to take that risk, nor did she want to.


    Rita thought to herself, "Nivalis, reverse time to 140 seconds ago."


    In the next moment, everything around her¡ªthe people, the objects, the sky and earth¡ªbecame ephemeral.


    Rita could feel herself moving, she and Rick were being pushed backward.


    "...Then let''s fight."


    That was Black Jade''s voice.


    The storm and frost surrounding them formed a cover, and at that moment, Rita took out a 50ml bottle of *50-Year-Old Daughter''s Red* from her magic prosthetic teeth and swallowed it directly.


    At the same time, a dragon-shaped shadow appeared behind Rita, a shadow slightly larger than her own form. This shadow was exactly the same as Nivalis.


    All attributes and values were quickly changed by Rita.


    She didn''t need to specifically design the data; all she had to do was remove the *Disguise* from her attributes.


    At this moment, without counting the attribute bonuses from equipment, Rita''s base stats were multiplied by five.


    **Strength**: 54x5 ¡ú 270


    **Constitution**: 53x5 ¡ú 265


    **Intelligence**: 60x5 ¡ú 300


    **Agility**: 89x5 ¡ú 445


    --- **[Now I''m Scary Strong] Activated!**


    Nivalis roared, and under the pressure of the dragon bloodline, Black Jade was instantly immobilized.


    Under the passive skill *[You''re Too Weak]*, Black Jade''s weak points were clearly visible, with at least seven places glowing red.


    Draw the bow¡ªaim¡ªrelease the string¡ªthe arrow, enveloped in red flames, was shot toward Flood Dragon''s still-developing "dragon horn" on the right.


    A 500% attribute bonus!!


    Magical energy attached to the skill!!


    Critical hit¡ªstrike to the weak spot!


    In a single shot, the Flood Dragon''s health dropped from 9.06% to 2.92%.


    The force of the arrow and its damage shattered the right "dragon horn" of the Flood Dragon, scattering it into a cloud of blood mist.


    Flood Dragon had dreamed of becoming a true dragon, and every symbol of dragonhood on its body was something it cherished and also something vulnerable. Rita didn''t want the Flood Dragon''s life; she wanted it to hate her. She wanted it to go mad every time it thought of its lost dragon horn!


    With the God of the Culinary Arts'' aggro skill active, Rick was lucky.


    Rita endured the feeling of dizziness and the pain in her head as if she had drunk too much, silently thankful that she never caused a scene when drunk¡ªshe just wanted to sleep. Looking down at the Flood Dragon, she coldly spoke, her voice human but laced with the roar of a dragon: "Bloodbath Blue Star? Do you think you''re worthy of that?!"


    The eyes of both Nivalis and Rita burned with blue dragon flames, and white frost threads created by ice magic surrounded the two, forming a dragon-shaped trail as they soared through the air, their black hair and white dragon whiskers flying behind them, nearly parallel to the ground.


    The light from the dragon''s shadow illuminated the area as bright as day, with the effects turned to full. Both Rita and Nivalis, whether in posture or gaze, synchronized perfectly as they looked coldly at the Flood Dragon and all the players in the area.


    Nivalis, with her neck stiff like a sore throat, let out a dragon''s roar¡ªshe wanted to howl at the sky, but Rita was still standing on her head.


    Nivalis lowered her voice and asked, one word at a time, "Swearing by the dragon bloodline? Are you provoking me? Provoking a real dragon?"

 Chapter 212 The Human... Human Pillar Force?

    The entire room fell silent.


    Not a sound came from the Special Affairs Bureau members, Zoey, or even the near-death Rick. Everyone held their breath, completely stunned.


    The only one still seething with both hatred and anger, yet with an undeniable glimmer of ambition and longing in his eyes, was Black Jade.


    A dragon! A real dragon!


    Despite Nivalis and Black Jade having similar sizes, Black Jade had never experienced such overwhelming pressure before.


    In this moment, they were finally feeling the true weight of a dragon''s might. It felt like they were facing their natural enemy. Even breathing had become difficult, as if an invisible force pressed down on them, their blood gradually draining away at an excruciatingly slow pace.


    That single red arrow, which had taken away 7% of Black Jade''s health, was a sight to behold. These one hundred players had spent nearly 15 hours battling the Flood Dragon. With all their strategies, talents, tools, and healing tactics combined, they had barely managed to lower its health to 9%.


    But Rita''s power, that insane boost in strength, the dragon illusion behind her, and Nivalis'' attitude, all pointed to the fact that this was not just Rita alone. Nivalis was behind this.


    Several players were whispering to themselves in disbelief: *Human Pillar Force?*


    Nivalis, as if reading their thoughts, delivered the line Rita had scripted for her, with a tone dripping with disdain and power:


    "Black Jade, I know what you want, but don''t even think about challenging a dragon''s bottom line. Even the Twelve Sacred Families can''t handle the wrath of the dragon race."


    Rita had just raised the flag, and from this point on, it was clear. Even if Black Jade continued to demand dragon blood, no one would dare offend an entire dragon race for the sake of a mere Flood Dragon.


    As for Rick finding out later that Black Jade sought a contract with him just for dragon blood¡ªRita wasn''t concerned.


    What Rita wanted was trust, not some nauseating "love" value.


    Let''s not even discuss the fact that Rick had betrayed his wife to secure a contract with Black Jade. Even if Rick did find out, at most, he''d hate Rita. But he wouldn''t stop trusting her just because she withheld dragon blood.


    No one wanted to take the blame for angering the dragon race.


    Rick would probably end up trying to persuade Black Jade not to openly go against the dragon, because if Black Jade were pursued by Blue Star, Rick¡ªbeing Black Jade''s pet¡ªwouldn''t be spared either.


    As for Zoey, Rita was confident that with Zoey''s intelligence, she wouldn''t make an enemy of her unless Rita made a move first.


    In her mind, Nivalis urged her: *"Hurry, hurry, think of a cooler line!"*


    That earlier line, *"Do you know who my parents are? You dare to provoke me?!"*, after some high emotional intelligence, had felt so satisfying for Nivalis!


    Rita groaned, holding her aching head: *"...think of your own lines!"*


    Despite Rita mentioning only Blue Star and not Rick during her outburst, everyone present¡ªincluding Rick and Black Jade¡ªunderstood that Rita cared deeply for her brother.


    Otherwise, why would she have acted so recklessly when Rick was almost struck dead, confronting Black Jade head-on?


    Everyone instinctively believed that Rita had intentionally refrained from mentioning Rick to prevent Black Jade from taking out its anger on him.


    They all wondered just how much of a toll using Nivalis'' power had taken on Rita... How had she fainted so quickly after such a brief burst of power?


    As Black Jade''s health dropped to 2%, the situation began to change dramatically.


    The Special Affairs Bureau wanted Black Jade to stay in the dungeon, offering to provide food, but as soon as they made the suggestion, Black Jade opened its mouth wide toward Rick.


    In the next instant, a red beam shot out from Rick''s chest, hitting Black Jade. Rick''s health began plummeting while Black Jade''s health rapidly regenerated.


    Within moments, Rick''s health dropped to 1%.


    The Special Affairs Bureau members couldn''t hold back anymore, preparing to heal Rick. But to their shock, Rick''s level began to drop!


    Level 8 ¡ú Level 7!


    Level 7 ¡ú Level 6!


    With each level Rick lost, Black Jade''s health skyrocketed.


    Before long, Black Jade''s health was restored to 52%.


    At the same time, Rick''s level had dropped to 3.


    Everyone froze. Even Rick stood there in shock, his face expressing nothing but confusion.


    Zoey, with her hands clasped together, muttered under her breath:


    *"...*"


    She had always hated people taking things from her, but at this moment, at least half of her hatred toward Rick turned into gratitude.


    From now on, if anyone said Rick was a "wife killer," she''d defend him!


    Could this be considered as killing his wife? Even raising a little ghost wouldn''t have been this helpful in protecting others from disaster.


    What was that? Did Zoey just say that? Never mind then...

 Chapter 213 My Luck Must Be a 10, Thats Why I Met You

    In the end, everyone compromised. Black Jade would move to a suburban location and provide the Special Affairs Bureau with 1,000 milliliters of Flood Dragon blood each month for their research. Additionally, Black Jade would be required to help the Bureau clear one medium-sized dungeon per month, without causing harm to anyone.


    On the surface, it seemed like the Special Affairs Bureau had the upper hand, as they could send Black Jade to handle dungeons they couldn''t manage. However, for the Bureau, the stronger Black Jade became, the greater the potential threat. This was a delicate game: as soon as the Bureau found an opportunity, they would strike to eliminate Black Jade.


    As for Rick? Considering Rita, Shadow.Q took the initiative to ask him if he had any requests. Rick stated that he wanted to break the contract, but was immediately slapped hard across the face by Black Jade''s tail.


    Shadow.Q: "..."


    She had just recently seen Rita video-chatting, showing her skill crystal account, and at the same time, saw Rita giving Nivalis a slap on the backside while she was on her lap. Now, Rick was getting slapped by Black Jade... Find adventures at empire


    These two siblings¡ªone lived like a queen, the other like a dog.


    Shadow.Q kept smiling, had the healers restore Rick''s health, and then quickly changed the subject.


    "Save yourself, or wait for your sister to find you..."


    After dealing with Black Jade''s situation, Zoey''s case came next.


    Zoey wasn''t as easy to handle. In her contract with the Special Affairs Bureau, it was clearly stated that they were supposed to help her acquire the Flood Dragon, but now that the Flood Dragon had been taken by someone else, the Bureau had to take responsibility.


    The Bureau had no intention of shirking their duty. Not only for the Bureau''s reputation, but also because Zoey''s "Hope''s Hymn" project was a long-term collaboration. If the Bureau tried to back out, Zoey could easily retaliate, and it would become a never-ending dispute. After all, they had already worked out their team and tactics, so capturing a second level 12 boss wouldn''t be difficult.


    However, Shadow.Q didn''t immediately agree but scheduled a detailed discussion with Zoey in three days.


    While not intending to back out, she knew that in business, it was natural to look for ways to profit from opportunities.


    The Special Affairs Bureau could always spin the story and claim that the drama of Zoey and Rick fighting over the beast was just a ploy to have the Bureau help Zoey get another exotic pet. Zoey didn''t press the issue too much either. She was quite confused, not knowing what to do if she encountered another creature like Black Jade, one that could reverse a contract. She needed time to think it through.


    During this time, Rick kept his head down, not looking at anyone. Even when the healers fully restored his health, he didn''t thank them like he usually did.


    Now, the Special Affairs Bureau was moving Black Jade to its new residence, and Rick had to go with them. He didn''t want to, but when he asked if he could stay behind, Black Jade slapped him across the face with its tail again.


    Did Black Jade not know that the dragon''s master was protecting this human?


    But what of it? As long as the human didn''t die, it didn''t matter. Black Jade didn''t believe the human would truly kill it.


    Moreover, it felt that the humiliation it endured from one human and one dragon had to be avenged.


    It hated Rick more and more the longer it looked at him. For some reason, whenever it saw Rick, its anger surged.


    In this situation, if Nivalis were a free dragon, with her strength, she could easily hide and level up. No one could catch her, no one could kill her.


    Rita added, "And although the main reason is to protect you, I''m doing it for myself too."


    Nivalis quietly listened, and Rita felt as though Nivalis was even happier.


    Nivalis: "When I left Zelan, my mother told me that real feelings, even if there''s only one dragon egg''s worth, are a hundred times more valuable than empty words that could fill the ocean."


    Besides, no one could deceive a dragon. She knew Rita wasn''t lying, but she could sense the emotions Rita had at each stage.


    When Black Jade demanded dragon blood, Rita''s feelings of anger, pity, and heartbreak far outweighed other emotions. Regret and worry only made up a small part.


    After a long time, the wind carried Nivalis'' response: "My luck must be a 10, that''s why I met you."


    It was getting too ambiguous!


    Rita couldn''t stand the overly sweet atmosphere and turned over, not wanting to respond to Nivalis.


    She opened a private message from Shadow.Q.


    [Shadow.Q]: Sis, are you awake? ©³(¡ã©f¡ã)©·


    [Shadow.Q]: Stop sleeping, we''re about to cross the border...


    [Shadow.Q]: India D is already welcoming you on the world channel... Sis...


    [Shadow.Q]: The price for the burst is this high, huh?


    [Shadow.Q]: Are you really just sleeping because of the side effects?


    [Shadow.Q]: Auntie... can you let Nivalis stop flying so you can sleep? Can we go to a five-star hotel and sleep? We''ll send heavy troops to protect you.


    [Shadow.Q]: We''re about to cross the border again!!!


    [Shadow.Q]: Myanmar D is welcoming you...


    [Shadow.Q]: I really aged ten years in the last two days.


    Rita: ...

 Chapter 214 Shadow.Q, Are You Doing Alright?

    At that moment, a familiar voice came from the helicopter behind Rita: "Nivalis-sama, if you keep flying forward, we''ll be leaving Rita''s homeland. Could you please fly a little to the left?"


    In the next instant, Nivalis''s left wing gently lowered, and the dragon made a graceful arc in the air.


    "Perfect! Nivalis-sama! When Rita wakes up, she''ll surely praise your flying skills!"


    "Let''s continue, Nivalis-sama, and to the still sleeping Rita, welcome to Texas! It''s a great honor to show you both the beauty here. This is the Southern Gem... the natural scenery and the local culture..."


    "The food here is..."


    Rita: ...


    She often questioned Shadow.Q''s mental state.


    Recalling the messages from Shadow.Q earlier, Rita opened the chat channel.


    [World Channel]


    "No past, no past!! That''s our dragon, don''t even think about it!"


    "Western Dragon? LOL, dragons don''t care about East or West, the Earth is round, okay?!"


    "And this dragon came from Zelan, it''s not East or West."


    "Look at the pet leaderboard, the dragon''s name is Nivalis."


    "Exactly, not ''Picture Blue''!"


    "...Can someone remove the game speech bubble from the comments above?"


    "Black Jade? So what if Black Jade is the master? That''s voluntary from our side, it''s just a play!! Mind your own business!"


    "Yeah, once Flood Dragon evolves into a dragon, we''ll have a second one."


    "Yeah, Rita is the dragon''s master, Rick is the dragon''s heir, so what?"


    Everyone was chatting away, each person speaking their own mind.


    Rita switched back to her private chat.


    [Domestic Channel]


    "Lol, I just used machine translation to check the world channel''s foreign languages. Myanmar and India are both welcoming Nivalis and Rita."


    Under Shadow.Q''s gaze, Rita quietly lay back down.


    [Rita]: So, how''s Black Jade and my brother being handled?


    [Shadow.Q]: For now, they''re getting along peacefully. There''s no other choice. What happened that day can''t be hidden.


    [Rita]: An insider?


    [Shadow.Q]: There are too many bizarre Divine Gifts outside, and this incident has gotten so big that everyone wants to know why the Beast became the master.


    [Shadow.Q]: And your brother is quite clever. Don''t be fooled by how quickly he kneeled. After the contract reversal, he immediately started recording. Our people noticed his hand movements.


    [Rita]: ...


    So sneaky, even in such a collapsed state, he''s still trying to stir things up.


    Rita wasn''t worried about the potential leak of those recordings. She had been prepared for the worst. Even the wine hidden in the magician''s dentures had been concealed with a storm summoned by Nivalis to prevent any prying eyes. After all, there were Divine Gifts that could access memories. Who could guarantee that those images wouldn''t be discovered? Especially if someone analyzed them frame by frame. She had come from the entertainment industry; she knew how to protect herself.


    [Shadow.Q]: Does the combo skill with Nivalis have serious side effects?


    [Rita]: Random attribute -2 permanently.


    [Shadow.Q]: That''s pretty serious, especially considering it only lasted for less than five minutes. Your journey continues at empire


    [Rita]: Mm.


    Neither Shadow.Q nor Rick responded after that. Rita closed the chat screen and accepted the food Eleanor had sent for the day: oil pancakes and dumplings?


    She climbed to the dragon''s head and ate with Nivalis. She would eat one and toss another into Nivalis''s mouth.


    Nivalis: "Grandmother''s cooking is the best."


    Rita: "I''ll give you the whole box when we get back."


    Immediately, Nivalis changed direction and flew toward home.


    On the way, Rita checked the game forum again to see the reactions from various parties.


    Even though it had already been a night, everyone was still talking about Black Jade.


    Even members of the <Nameless People> forum couldn''t help but join in, posting that if it weren''t for The Lopez Family''s incredibly tempting offer, they almost kept that Flood Dragon for themselves.


    People were analyzing Black Jade''s Divine Gift, wondering why this Flood Dragon ended up under Rick''s ownership, and speculating whether this was a blessing or a curse for Rick.


    There were rumors that the Flood Dragon had originally been meant for The Lopez Family''s eldest daughter, but in the end, the son-in-law had betrayed them and stolen the dragon. They hadn''t expected the betrayal to backfire so badly...

 Chapter 215 We are the Special Affairs Bureaus Most Excellent Donkeys

    Finding a suitable place for Black Jade was not easy.


    First, they had to eliminate any areas near dungeons with active portals. Currently, places with portals for dungeons ranging from level 1 to level 8 were always crowded. In addition to players, there were street vendors, 24-hour convenience stores, and queue-for-you services¡ªsometimes even more lively than city centers.


    Aside from that, there were three types of secluded, less populated areas: rural villages, wealthy districts, and deep mountains or forests.


    The deep mountains and forests were difficult to supervise.


    The Special Affairs Bureau had also avoided rural villages. Even the most remote village was only a few minutes away from the city by Flood Dragon.


    While Shadow.Q was still negotiating with Black Jade, the Special Affairs Bureau had already begun scouting potential locations. After thorough analysis, they concluded that the best option was to settle near a wealthy district.


    This was because the wealthy families would always have their own teams of staff. If the Flood Dragon caused chaos, ordinary people would undoubtedly become food, but those with their own teams could at least fend off the threat until Special Affairs Bureau''s larger forces arrived.


    Of course, the Special Affairs Bureau had provided plenty of incentives to make this work. After all, these were wealthy people, not criminals, so it wasn''t right to treat them poorly.


    The chosen location was quite delicate¡ªit was near The Lopez Family estate, only about twenty kilometers away. This place was also a manor, though it had been seized and was never sold. The Special Affairs Bureau directly purchased it using government funds for Black Jade and Rick to live in. In the future, based on Black Jade''s contributions, they would even improve the living conditions further.


    Rick was also required to live there, as Black Jade had made it clear that Rick would be responsible for serving him¡ªhis meals, daily maintenance, and even washing his scales while reading him the news.


    Taking advantage of his time in the kitchen preparing lunch for the Flood Dragon, Rick opened his chat interface. Upon seeing Rita''s message, he felt a rush of happiness, but the very next moment, the entire room seemed to darken.


    Turning around, Rick saw through the kitchen''s floor-to-ceiling windows a massive Flood Dragon head, almost covering the entire window.


    Black Jade stared at Rick and asked, "Looking for your sister?"


    Rick forced himself to stay calm and answered, "Yeah, she wouldn''t just leave me alone."


    Without warning, Black Jade shattered the window and, in Rick''s terrified scream, devoured one of his fingers.


    "You know why I contracted with you, right?"


    Rick, clutching his hand and curling up in the corner, looked into Black Jade''s eyes. He had a feeling, and he finally asked, "Why?"


    Black Jade didn''t mention how the first contract had mysteriously been nullified. "Because your sister has a dragon, and I need dragon blood."


    Now, Black Jade was full of malice towards Rick. This human was close to his sister? Then Black Jade would destroy that bond.


    The weight in Rick''s chest fell. He thought he would feel hatred, but at that moment, he realized that what he felt was more a sense of helplessness. He was powerless to hate¡ªbecause he needed Rita''s protection.


    What right did he have to hate the only person in the world who was willing and able to protect him?


    He didn''t have the right, nor the courage.


    And then there was Zoey. Although the Flood Dragon didn''t speak of it, Rick saw the scene where the first contract was easily undone, and his mind immediately went to Zoey''s luck.


    ---


    Back at the Special Affairs Bureau, after watching Nivalis and Rita enter S city, Shadow.Q and the others finished their work. They had collected all the Flood Dragon blood from the dungeon, and the matter was concluded.


    However, before they could even get off the helicopter, they were called back for a meeting.


    Shadow.Q immediately declared she was quitting! She was going to be a lone wolf!


    Five minutes later, she received an email with bonuses for the Black Jade and Nivalis incidents¡ªan D-level skill book, along with 10 bottles of intermediate energy potions.


    Shadow.Q had tried these potions before. After drinking one, it felt like she had just woken up from a three-day sleep. She was so energized that she didn''t want to sleep anymore. She wanted to work nonstop for three days and nights!


    The email''s content was as follows:


    "You are the backbone of the Special Affairs Bureau, the lifeblood of the Special Affairs Bureau. We can''t operate without you. If you miss even one hour of work, I''ll feel uneasy."


    ¡ªLandon


    Shadow.Q: ...


    She typed this message out and sent it to the group chat titled [We are the Special Affairs Bureau''s Most Excellent Donkeys] (17 people).


    "I got the same message. Exactly the same."


    "Even the punctuation marks are the same."


    "Not working for even one hour and you''re not worthy of being called a Special Affairs Bureau donkey."


    "Landon is really high EQ... The way he said that, I feel like I could work another 10 years for Special Affairs Bureau."


    "You''re easy to please."


    "Besides the rewards, there are 10 bottles of energy potions."


    "Same here... Exactly the same! Also got 10 bottles of energy potions."


    "So the energy potions are just for me, the donkey, right? Oh, wait... seems like everyone got them."


    "Another day of donkeys envying the lone wolf."


    "...Bro, I''m not a donkey."


    "Shadow.Q, huh, you came up with a name that''s both irritating and impossible to refute."


    "Hahaha... Totally forgot, oops!"

 Chapter 216 �The 5-Wan】

    After Rita and Nivalis entered the S City area, they quickly landed and cloaked themselves, taking a short detour before quietly returning to their villa. However, as soon as Rita entered the house, she received an alert from the [Shielded Water Barrier]¡ªsomeone had entered her territory without permission!


    Ever since she activated the [Shielded Water Barrier], she hadn''t granted access to anyone. Not even Samuel Scarlett would be exempt, and his entry would be marked. But now, a red dot appeared on the map, located at the back yard, and it began to move outwards just as she stepped into the house!


    Rita immediately pressed her chest tattoo, retracting the cat nest¡ªshe could clearly feel the cat nest being pulled out from another space. This discovery made Rita''s heart drop. She rushed towards the backyard, even using [I''m in a Hurry]. Many players in the Flood Dragon guild had access to instant teleportation skills, and this limited-range teleportation skill was no longer a rare or unique ability. Even if someone happened to see her from the rooftop, it wouldn''t matter.


    But the "person" was fast. By the time Rita reached the backyard, the figure had already fled. She vaguely saw a white tail with a black tip.


    A fox tail?


    A one-tailed moon fox?!


    Rita quickly opened the map. The red dot was still moving towards the outer area of the villa compound, and [Shielded Water Barrier] had already marked the intruder.


    She pointed in the direction of the moon fox''s escape and told Nivalis, "That way, follow."


    Nivalis immediately flew off in pursuit.


    This was an outdoor area, and Rita had just entered the house and immediately rushed back out. She couldn''t safely disguise herself, so she couldn''t sprint at full speed to catch up. Her high agility couldn''t help her overtake the fox. She could only use [I''m in a Hurry] to close the gap.


    The moon fox was fast, but fortunately, Nivalis was even faster. Nivalis quickly overtook the fox and blocked its path, while Rita blocked the retreat.


    It was then that she realized not only was this a one-tailed moon fox, but it was also a member of the royal family!


    Rita immediately used her analysis skill.


    [PhantomDancer] Level 12


    [Divine Gift] I Need to Start Thinking (C-Class)


    A member of the Misttail Clan of the Moon Foxes?! The name was even silver¡ªthis was an elite-level foreign race.


    Rita''s heart tightened. Her first thought was that the "Mistblade" might have found her, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Even though the 12 foreign races had long-range inter-dimensional communication methods, it would have been too fast for them to have found her, and even if it were the Mistblade who had sent this fox to find her, their first reaction wouldn''t be to try and capture her alive, but rather to kill her. So why was it running?


    Rita asked, "What SSS-class artifact? I''ve never heard of such an item."


    PhantomDancer: "...It should be SSS-class, otherwise, why would so many big figures fight for it...? Forget it, at least this foreign race doesn''t know if what I''m saying is true or not."


    Rita: "You think I would believe you just because you said so? Show it to me."


    With that, Rita began to manipulate PhantomDancer''s thoughts¡ª"This person doesn''t seem easy to fool. If I keep trying to deceive her, what if the dragon kills me?"


    "Better show it to her. At least that''ll buy me some time."


    PhantomDancer began to rethink the situation and retreated a few more steps, backing up against a tree. He pulled out an item, showing it to Rita for three seconds before quickly putting it away again.


    Rita:!!


    Another "mahjong" tile?!


    It had necrotic script on it¡ª[The 5-Wan].


    This was a fragment of an SSS-class artifact?


    No, PhantomDancer wasn''t sure, but according to his story, this was something everyone in Lania Kaia was scrambling to get?


    Rita''s mind raced, but her face remained calm. "What is this? I don''t see any description."


    PhantomDancer couldn''t believe that Rita had recognized the item.


    "Crap, now she''s going to think I''m trying to trick her, isn''t she?"


    "The real value of this bone tile isn''t something just anyone knows..."


    "If it weren''t for the Mistblade personally coming to my home and buying one from my mother, I wouldn''t even know how valuable it is..."


    "Five bottles of Epic-level potions and five pieces of Legendary gems! It was even crafted by Mistblade himself, who gave me a sacred blade just to exchange for this tile..."


    "Now what should I say? If I tell her the truth, she''s even less likely to let me go..."

 Chapter 217 In the End, I Was Defeated by Too Much Culture

    Rita: "How about we both take a step back? You return the domino to me, and I''ll give you a bottle of mid-level Forgetting Potion. You drink it, and then I''ll let you go."


    PhantomDancer: "You can''t kill me. I have the Fragrance Blade personally marked by the Mistblade Moon Emperor. If you kill me, you''ll be branded. Even though my emperor won''t seek revenge from the dragon race for me, you won''t be able to escape."


    Rita: "Fragrance Blade? Never heard of it. I don''t believe it. Ha, so funny. Who''s afraid of such a thing?"


    She laughed out loud, but in reality, she was deeply concerned...


    Although she didn''t know exactly how the Fragrance Blade worked, she was aware of how deeply the Moon Fox Clan studied fragrances, not to mention that she didn''t want any connection with the Mistblade Moon Emperor right now.


    ...In the end, she had been outwitted by too much culture.


    The standoff between one human, one dragon, and one Moon Fox lasted for several minutes.


    During that time, Rita listened to many of PhantomDancer''s rants about the lack of culture among Blue Star people, and lectures on the Fragrance Blade¡ªhow, as soon as he dies, the Fragrance Blade will transfer to Rita, and all Moon Foxes who see her will know she killed a member of the Moon Fox royal family. The Fragrance Blade will then avenge him.


    Rita asked, "Does the Fragrance Blade mark everyone who hurts you, or only the one who kills you?"


    PhantomDancer: "Of course, it marks everyone who hurts me before I die."


    PhantomDancer: "It''s not that magical, I''m not some big shot... But I guess it''s true. At the moment of my death, the Fragrance Blade will mark the closest foreigner to me. I''m not lying."


    After getting the answer she wanted, Rita didn''t want to wait any longer. Not only because her mana was nearly depleted, but also because the longer she waited, the higher the risk of exposure. This place wasn''t as remote anymore, and someone might hear the commotion and come running.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    She gave Nivalis a look: "Go! Get him down to low health."


    Nivalis understood immediately and began reading her skill bar.


    As soon as Rita saw the magic runes light up in Nivalis'' eyes, she froze¡ªAurora Shield, Aurora Shield, Aurora Shield... again with Aurora Shield!


    She almost had the words to activate Aurora Shield memorized. Sooner or later, she would have to find a way to disable this skill...


    Forget it... I''ll handle it myself.


    Rita sent a mental message to Nivalis: "Don''t make a sound from here on out."


    She then canceled the effect of *We''re Not Familiar, but That''s Okay.*, pulled out a *Crushed Soda Can*, tossed it casually, and kicked it lightly. The can instantly flew into the woods. Then, she used *I''m in a Hurry* to teleport next to PhantomDancer, gently raising her hand to strike, sending a snowflake-shaped ice flower toward him.


    After dragging PhantomDancer all the way back to her place, Rita shut the curtains, placed the Moon Fox on the ground, and expertly adjusted its luck to 1. She then started using *I''ll Take This, This, and This* repeatedly.


    When her health dropped too low, she ate food for healing or used the Fountain of Light.


    After stealing for over two hours, she finally acquired seven pieces of equipment and five intelligence points, and at last, got back the *50,000*.


    She placed the *50,000* along with the previous *6Tong* and *30,000* together but still couldn''t figure out what they were.


    When she had previously dug up the *30,000*, she had shown it to Nivalis, who said he didn''t know what it was. Thinking about PhantomDancer''s thoughts, she asked Nivalis, "Have you ever heard any dragons mention these dominoes?"


    Nivalis, who was playing a game, shook his head: "No."


    Rita tried to list the items on the auction house to see if it would recognize what they were, but the auction house showed only the simple words: *30,000*.


    Rita even took some time to search the auction house for every variation of Mahjong, but found nothing. She then put the three dominoes in a metal box and hid them in the magician''s fake teeth.


    Once she collected enough, she would figure it out.


    The next issue was how to deal with PhantomDancer.


    Killing him was inevitable.


    The question was who should do the killing...


    The White Family? The White Family''s security level had definitely increased by now.


    The Lopez Family? Not necessary for now. The Lopez Family and Black Jade would likely clash soon. Adding a Moon Fox would make it easy for Rick and Zoey to exploit the situation¡ªperhaps they could trick the Moon Fox and Black Jade into fighting each other.


    Rick? He was currently with Black Jade, and there were definitely people from the Special Affairs Bureau nearby watching. Not ideal.


    The best choice would be the Taylor Family...


    But how could she get him there so far?


    Rita glanced at the time; it was already 6 PM.


    Fine, sending him to the Taylor Family wouldn''t be too bad.


    It was better than keeping PhantomDancer here. As long as he was alive, she wouldn''t be able to relax, even if he was unconscious.

 Chapter 218 [Drone]: Keep Flying and There Will Be No One Left

    Rita bound PhantomDancer''s hands and feet, stuffed his ears, eyes, and mouth, then administered another dose of Intermediate Sleep Potion. After reducing his health to 20%, she made sure that if an emergency arose, she could instantly finish him off. Once that was done, she wrapped the entire Moon Fox in a dark-colored express package bag she had used during her move.


    There was no need to pack luggage; her game backpack already contained spare clothing and toiletries. After making all the preparations, Rita asked Nivalis, "Do you want to go to B City?"


    Nivalis asked, "What are we going there for?"


    Rita replied, "To take revenge."


    Nivalis, holding the game controller, slid his claws and responded, "What did you do before I arrived? Why do you have so many enemies?"


    Rita sighed. "That''s what happens when you''re outstanding."


    Nivalis seemed to feel a little nauseous. "Sometimes when I talk to you, I feel this weird sensation in my chest¡ªlike I want to throw up but can''t, or swallow it but can''t. What do you Blue Star people call that feeling?"


    Rita smiled. "It''s called admiration."


    Nivalis: *...*


    Despite his feelings, Nivalis followed Rita into the car because she had mentioned that they would stop by to see Eleanor, which was her official reason for going to B City.


    Rita shoved the bag containing PhantomDancer into the passenger seat, placed Nivalis in the seat beside it, and asked him to enlarge a bit to sit comfortably. Then, she covered PhantomDancer with a misty frost.


    She drove off from the villa with one fox and one dragon in tow. Just as they got on the highway, Rita received a call from Shadow.Q.


    "Hello? Shadow.Q, what''s up?"


    There was a brief pause before the voice on the other end responded, "Old Song, where are you going? Is something wrong in S City? We can change it."


    Rita winced at the nickname. "...Sis, can you just call me Xiao Yu?"


    Shadow.Q responded, "Okay, Xiao Yu, why are you leaving S City? Of course, we have no intention of limiting your freedom. You''re free to go wherever you want, but as a talent from S City, we do have a possessive desire for excellent individuals. I''m sure you understand, right?"


    For example, Nivalis could manipulate frost mist. Although she didn''t have a concealment or defense barrier skill, she could still use the frost mist to achieve her desired effect.


    Rita changed into new clothes, bent down to feed PhantomDancer a dose of basic invisibility potion, and dragged him out of the bag. Then she pulled out the Wrathful Moon charm from her waist, marked Nivalis as a star, and drank her own invisibility potion. The illusion spell had the drawback of being visible to certain skills, so she used frost mist to hide herself and Nivalis from detection.


    Once all preparations were done, she lifted PhantomDancer into the air, flying high. Nivalis followed closely behind, keeping a safe distance.


    Nivalis: "Why don''t you just let me carry you? You can''t possibly fly this high."


    Rita replied, "I want to test the limits of my skill."


    With that, she accelerated, quickly matching the speed of the revival train below them. Her magic power began to drop at a rate of 50 per second, and her health began to drop at a rate of 1 per second.


    It seemed her physical endurance wasn''t enough. When she accelerated again, her health dropped at a rate of 10 per second, and a negative effect appeared: **[Drone]**.


    A line of explanation followed.


    **[Drone]**: Keep flying and there will be no one left.


    But this speed was enough. Although they were still more than 100 kilometers from B City, they were only about 70 kilometers from The Taylor Family estate.


    Rita fed PhantomDancer another dose of intermediate invisibility potion before reaching The Taylor Family estate''s vicinity. She looked at the estate, where there were no "Shield Water Curtains," but there were faint electric arcs around the area.


    Rita poured several bottles of strongly-scented potions onto PhantomDancer to erase any scent that might have lingered from her. The effects of PhantomDancer''s sleep potion would last for another hour, but that wasn''t a concern since it would wear off after significant damage. She glanced at PhantomDancer''s health, which had automatically recovered to 30%.


    Without hesitation, she cast several magic missiles at PhantomDancer''s face, disfiguring him to ensure that even if his face was caught on camera, he couldn''t be identified. After reducing his health to around 5%, she fed him 50ml of Daughter''s Red wine and threw him into the center of The Taylor Family''s largest building.


    The Moon Fox crashed through the roof, and chaos erupted in The Taylor Family estate.


    Rita didn''t leave. She needed to see PhantomDancer die in The Taylor Family''s hands before she could feel secure. Though she had considered the possibility of PhantomDancer getting drunk and not causing trouble, that wouldn''t be so bad. At least he would die at The Taylor Family''s hands.


    After all, the main goal of feeding PhantomDancer the Daughter''s Red was to keep his mind in a confused state, to prevent him from quickly realizing it was a trap. The secondary goal was to incite The Taylor Family to go on a killing spree.

 Chapter 219 [Jungle Law]

    After PhantomDancer landed and regained consciousness, he was momentarily disoriented. By the time The Taylor Family members arrived, seeing him as an alien, they instinctively attacked. PhantomDancer, whose mind was in a state of confusion, began attacking all the "Blue Star aliens" he could see. His first instinct was to kill these enemies and escape to a safe place.


    However, this was The Taylor Family''s home turf.


    While exploration tools are rare and precious to ordinary players, they are essential for large factions. Once a faction has money, they will ensure they have at least one or two of these tools. Soon, PhantomDancer''s information was gathered by The Taylor Family.


    A level 12 alien! An elite mini-boss!


    Most importantly, his health was already below 3%!!


    In The Taylor Family, aside from important figures and main members who are level 8, most of the players were around level 6 to 7. Had PhantomDancer''s health been over 20%, or even 15% or 10%, they wouldn''t have dared to take the risk. They would have retreated immediately and called the Special Affairs Bureau.


    But now, with his health so low, the victory seemed assured, and no one wanted to retreat.


    A level 12 elite mini-boss would drop great equipment.


    Han Wanli stood at the back of the team and ordered someone to call Camila and Henry, the luckiest members of his family. The final blow was always reserved for them. In fact, when The Taylor Family raided dungeons, as long as Camila and Henry were present, the final strike was given to them. Thanks to their luck, The Taylor Family had risen rapidly after the game invasion. Although they weren''t as powerful as the Wilson Family, they were still influential in B City. Well, at least in some circles.


    PhantomDancer''s attributes were multiplied by five, and with his level advantage, he was almost invincible. However, his current condition wasn''t great. He was fighting mostly on instinct, and he wasn''t a seasoned warrior. His brain was foggy, and sometimes he would be stunned after taking hits.


    After The Taylor Family had lost over thirty players, they managed to control PhantomDancer with their control skills and quickly depleted his health.


    At the final moment, as PhantomDancer''s movements grew sluggish, Camila and Henry finally stepped forward to take the lead.


    The rest of The Taylor Family had been critical of the siblings'' recent reluctance to fight, but Han Wanli had been offering greater and greater rewards, and since their luck was indeed useful, everyone tolerated it.


    Soon, PhantomDancer collapsed, but his health still hovered at 0.13%. Camila and Henry did not let their guard down. Seeing that his health hadn''t yet been fully drained, they moved forward to continue attacking until his health hit zero.


    When PhantomDancer died, before the players had a chance to check his drops, a delicate, mist-formed dagger appeared above his body, emitting an eerie fragrance. Before anyone could react, the dagger quickly split and shot toward all players within three meters.


    The speed was too fast, and the players didn''t have time to dodge. Fortunately, the mist blades didn''t cause any damage. Instead, they integrated into the players'' bodies and disappeared.


    This phenomenon caused The Taylor Family members present to feel a sense of unease.


    That should be enough. Rita checked the auction house, but the spoon she had been watching had already been sold... Wait! It was sold to **Camila**?


    Rita happily pocketed the gold coins. Judging from the skill she had stolen from The Taylor Family''s siblings earlier, she figured that the spoon would eventually be delivered to her grandmother.


    When she arrived, Rita had already prepared herself in case Eleanor wasn''t home.


    However, just as she reached the entrance of the alley, someone came to meet her¡ªa woman with a buzz cut.


    The woman approached with a warm smile on her face: "Hello, Rita. I''m Hannah, Eleanor''s assistant, responsible for handling various tasks for her."


    Rita smiled and responded, "Hello, I''m Rita."


    Since the other person had greeted her, Rita shrugged her shoulders: "I''ll greet her."


    Nivalis, appearing from the gaming device, quickly looked up at Hannah and said: "Hello, I''m Nivalis."


    Hannah''s smile became even warmer. Though she was accustomed to the superiority complex of top players, and had grown used to it, she still felt genuinely happy when treated equally.


    Instead of guiding Rita into the alley, she said, "Eleanor and your parents were informed of your arrival yesterday. They weren''t planning on going out today, but this morning, your mother suddenly had some issues and is now hospitalized."


    Rita, surprised, asked: "Does she need to be sent to the hospital? Can''t the treatment potions solve it?"


    Hannah: "Yes, but... are you planning to wait for them here, or would you prefer to go to the hospital?"


    Rita: "Of course, I''ll go to the hospital."


    Enjoy new tales from empire


    On the way, Hannah explained Scarlett''s situation.


    "I believe you already know your mother''s pregnancy... But this morning, she suddenly started having abdominal pain, along with a very strange condition."


    "What condition?"


    [Jungle Law]

 Chapter 220 Please Contact Meow.Q

    Rick knelt before Black Jade, watching his own attributes steadily increase.


    [Rick] Level 3 (56.49%)


    [HP]: 350/350


    [MP: 200/200


    [Strength]: 12 (+15)


    [Constitution]: 15 (+17)


    [Intelligence]: 12 (+5)


    [Agility]: 13 (+6)


    In less than half a day, his stats were already on par with those of a Level 5 player! And the thin red thread that extended from his chest was still pulsing, still slowly drawing energy and boosting his attributes.


    If only he had known the effects were this powerful! If he''d waited a bit longer for that child to grow before "devouring" them...


    Glancing at his arm, Rick noticed faint scales appearing on the rough, scarred skin¡ªmarks left from Black Jade''s fury over his missing dragon horn. Each time Black Jade erupted in rage, he would either slice off one of Rick''s fingers or claw out a chunk of flesh from his body.


    Expressionless, Rick pulled down his sleeve to cover his right hand, now missing two fingers.


    In the courtyard, Black Jade lay in the sun. He didn''t particularly like sunlight, but dragons did, so he forced himself to embrace it.


    If he wanted to transform from a Flood Dragon to a true dragon, he needed to either keep absorbing dragon blood to strengthen the draconic bloodline within him or discard the serpent elements in his genes. The latter option required a certain concentration of dragon blood to initiate, and if he focused solely on expelling the serpent bloodline without supplementing it with dragon blood, he''d end up as a very weak dragon.


    Currently, selectively shedding some of the serpent bloodline was advantageous for Black Jade. However, it wasn''t as simple as him deciding to cast it off. He needed a willing person to bear his serpent bloodline¡ªsomeone who wouldn''t abandon the process midway, or else he''d face serious backlash.


    And right now, that perfect opportunity had presented itself.


    He could sense the resentment and defiance in Rick''s heart. Now, while Rick''s emotions were at their peak, was the ideal time to act, before he cooled down.


    As soon as the Special Affairs Bureau left, Black Jade had asked Rick if he wanted some of the Flood Dragon''s power. Just as he anticipated, Rick hadn''t even hesitated to agree, not bothering to ask about the cost.


    In Rick''s mind, as long as Black Jade intended to live peacefully in Blue Star, he wouldn''t kill him. And as long as he was alive, the power he gained would make anything possible.


    Otherwise, if he continued as a weakling and a nobody, then there would truly be no hope.


    [Rick]: I can manage Black Jade; don''t worry, Sis. If I need help, I''ll come to you.**


    **[Rita]: Alright, I don''t want to make things hard for you. I can''t really kill him, and even if I could, it''d only make things worse for you.


    [Rita]: I''m heading to the hospital to see Mom now. It seems there''s a complication with her pregnancy.**


    **[Rick]: Really? Let me know what they say. I''m worried about her too.


    [Rita]: Will do.**


    Closing the message window, Rick watched as the thread at his chest began to dissipate. His average attribute level had now surpassed 14.


    This felt incredible.


    He almost wanted to suggest Scarlett and Samuel have another child...


    It was a pity that **[Law of the Jungle]** only worked on weaker blood relatives...


    Otherwise, the person he most wanted to absorb would be Rita!!


    Her levels, her impressive attributes¡ªif he absorbed them, he''d soar to the top! He might even be able to inherit some of Nivalis''s power.


    Patience, Rick, patience. One day, he would surpass her, and then she''d become nothing more than fuel for his strength.


    He still trusted that Rita would protect him, but it was hard not to resent her!


    If Rita really cared, why wouldn''t she ask Nivalis for dragon blood, so Black Jade would treat him better?


    Nivalis was willing to lend her power, which showed how close they were. Why couldn''t she ask for a bit of dragon blood? Was a beast''s life more important than her own brother?


    Besides, it was Rita''s fault Black Jade had come to him in the first place!!


    And then there was Zoey. If she hadn''t wanted the Flood Dragon, if she hadn''t worked so closely with the Special Affairs Bureau, would he have fallen into this trap?


    It was all their fault!


    No, tonight, when he polished Black Jade''s scales, he''d have to ask how Divine Gifts could be nullified. Maybe Black Jade would have a solution...


    He would reclaim everything he had lost!

 Chapter 221 She Has Always Been the Happiest Person in This Family

    By the time Rita arrived at the hospital, it was already too late. The baby in Scarlett''s womb had mysteriously vanished, as if swallowed by something, and no examination could determine the cause. The strange status effect Scarlett had experienced that morning, called [Law of the Jungle], had also disappeared.


    Scarlett lay in her hospital bed, eating fruit, showing no trace of sadness; instead, she seemed almost relieved. Eleanor, too, looked calm. When Rita entered, Eleanor was just getting ready to leave, with her purse in hand. She looked Rita up and down before saying, "You''re here?"


    Even after the game''s invasion, Eleanor still kept up her meticulous appearance. Her top was a simple, almost unattractive leather armor, while her pants were black with white magical patterns, styled like loose, comfortable trousers. Somehow, she had draped a linen coat with a Lania Kaia design over the leather armor, accessorized with trinkets matching the pants, including all sorts of dangling items that didn''t look cluttered but rather like a carefully cultivated aesthetic.


    Even her handbag matched her outfit, and with her silver short hair and light makeup, she looked at least a hundred times more fashionable and cool than Shadow.Q.


    Rita suppressed her swirling emotions and greeted her with a smile, "Grandma."


    Eleanor nodded, setting her purse back on the coffee table before sitting down again.


    Rita didn''t see Samuel around, so she moved to the bed and took out some of Scarlett''s favorite dishes. "What happened? How did it just... disappear?"


    Scarlett gently patted Rita''s hand with a smile. "It''s gone, and that''s that. I''m honestly fine, Rita. This child didn''t matter much to me. Having you and Rick is enough. It''s your father who''s upset."


    Rita sometimes wondered if Scarlett had any worries at all. No matter what happened, she always seemed so cheerful, in both this life and the previous one. She had always been the happiest person in the family.


    Despite Samuel''s selfishness, his ingrained disregard for women, and Rick''s cold detachment, both men had always treated Scarlett quite well.


    Even people like Zoey Sanchez and Camila... well, they''d like Scarlett''s posts on social media.


    Scarlett eagerly pulled out her phone, her eyes darting around. "Where''s Nivalis? Where''s Nivalis?"


    Seeing Samuel drained Eleanor''s enthusiasm. After exchanging a few more words with Rita, she stood up to leave, inviting Rita to stay at her place that evening.


    Before she left, Eleanor also informed Samuel and Scarlett that, after today, they shouldn''t come to her home anymore.


    The two had differing reactions: Samuel looked relieved, while Scarlett seemed somewhat disappointed.


    Samuel had brought Scarlett to Eleanor''s home to avoid Rick. Now that the baby was gone, they had no reason to stay. Although Eleanor had let him inside, he knew she did it only to better reprimand him.


    She had allowed them to stay solely because Scarlett was pregnant.


    Eleanor would never forgive him. She wasn''t the type to endure hardship for the sake of receiving others'' admiration or praise. Even if the one causing her distress was her own son, it made no difference.


    Perhaps in the early years, if Samuel had come back and apologized, Eleanor might have given him a second chance. But he had left for nineteen years without a backward glance...


    Now that he wanted to return, Eleanor would only make him pay dearly for it.


    Rita didn''t object to staying with Eleanor. Her main purpose for coming to B City had already been accomplished. Staying at Eleanor''s place not only allowed her to avoid unnecessary trouble but also gave her the opportunity to learn more about cooking.


    While Rita had resolved to keep her relationship with Eleanor cordial but distant, she wouldn''t decline an invitation now that she was in B City, especially since she had brought meaningful gifts.


    Currently, Rita''s cooking skills rarely surpassed a score of 85¡ªgood enough for tasty dishes but still far from national banquet standards, where dishes could add attribute points.


    Eleanor was most skilled in baking, though her other culinary skills were also impressive. Decades of experience far outstripped Rita''s year and a half of learning. While Rita''s baking and cooking were both decent, they were essentially amateurish, picked up from Lania Kaia''s chefs. Eleanor''s guidance would be invaluable, even if only to help Rita refine her direction for improvement.

 Chapter 222 [Skiing Adventure] (A-Rank)

    The news of Rita''s departure from S City quickly reached those who had been keeping an eye on her.


    For instance, Zoey, who became even more assured of Rita''s stance. Just as she had expected, Rita wouldn''t take her anger out on her. This relieved Zoey; the biggest risk in this situation was that Rita might hold her responsible or shift the burden onto the Lopez family, perhaps by insisting that Zoey and the Lopez family protect Rick from Black Jade''s abuse while Rita was away from S City.


    Fortunately, none of the worst-case scenarios had come to pass. Fully aware of Rick''s true nature, Zoey felt certain that Rick now harbored resentment toward both her and Rita. Given the chance, he would undoubtedly seek revenge. In a way, she and Rita shared overlapping interests and might even form an alliance in the future.


    However, she would never give Rick the opportunity to turn things around.


    Since returning home, Zoey had not yet met with Matthew. She could imagine Rick laughing at her situation, but she could also envision Matthew and Mateo laughing even harder. Rumor had it that early on the morning of the 16th, before dawn, Matthew had woken up with a mysteriously crooked mouth, prompting the Lopez family''s medical team to rush to the main building to treat him. Zoey could only hope it was a stroke brought on by old age!


    Staying at home felt increasingly awkward for her, and every time she went downstairs, the old butler would look at her as if he wanted to say something but held back.


    Unable to wait for Shadow.Q to reach out to her, Zoey decided to take the initiative and contacted Shadow.Q herself, even though this might disadvantage her in the negotiations. They arranged to meet at their usual place on the morning of the 18th.


    ...


    Meanwhile, a meeting was underway within the White family.


    Primarily, it was Ariana and Josephine discussing matters; Sanchez was not participating, as she was busy training in the practice field.


    Missing her right hand didn''t matter, and losing three fingers on her left hand was irrelevant too. As long as she could breathe and stand, Sanchez could find a way to slice her enemy''s throat.


    Her right arm, previously fitted with a prosthetic arm, now sported a claw that replaced it. The engineering modifications securely attached the claw to her arm''s stump, allowing it to extend and retract during combat and conceal small doses of poison that could channel to the tips of the claw''s nails through a groove.


    Josephine frowned. "The guy who betrayed his own wife?"


    Though he was far from a decent person, everyone was wary of those who would betray their own family. People like that... were practically animals.


    And if you asked Josephine how he felt about his sister Ariana killing her own husband? Josephine would simply say, "Don''t make a fuss; if you have something to say, tell it to my lawyer."


    Ariana continued, "Yes, him. Although I don''t know why he chose this time to betray them, it shows he has some wits but lacks foresight. He betrayed the Lopez family and is now Black Jade''s pet¡ªhe''s in a position where he needs allies... but our real target isn''t him. He''s just a bridge. Our true collaboration lies with Black Jade, the Flood Dragon."


    She had acquired a video recording of the day Rick made his contract with the Flood Dragon, from the moment Zoey''s first contract was rejected to the scene of Nivalis carrying Rita out of the dungeon.


    Initially, Ariana couldn''t shake a few lingering doubts. The timing of Rita''s attack on the Flood Dragon seemed almost too convenient... but it was just an intuition, and she couldn''t find any logical proof.


    If she were in the same position¡ªif Sanchez were the one contracting with the Flood Dragon¡ªwhat would she do?


    In those first few minutes after the contract, she''d likely remain silent, given that the situation was already settled. But seeing Black Jade nearly kill someone precious to her... wouldn''t it make more sense to endure quietly, bide her time, and strike later?


    But... perhaps it was a difference in character. Rita''s approach wasn''t necessarily wrong. If she hadn''t struck hard the first time, Rick would likely have suffered even more abuse afterward...


    Ariana''s doubts only fully dissipated once she confirmed the news circulating within the Special Affairs Bureau¡ªRita''s cost for borrowing Nivalis''s power was two attribute points.


    From then on, Ariana no longer questioned her motives.


    In her view, it wasn''t enough to listen to someone''s words or even observe their actions. To judge sincerity, one had to see what they were willing to sacrifice for a person or cause.

 Chapter 223 You Are a Natural-Born Viper

    Rick held a brush and hose, meticulously cleaning each of Black Jade''s scales until they shone like black gemstones, reflecting his image back at him. His health was only at 3%; since moving in with Black Jade over 20 hours ago, it had never been full. He didn''t even bother wasting potions to heal himself, as Black Jade would simply drain him again. Staying at 3% meant Black Jade couldn''t beat him too harshly, fearing a single blow might kill him.


    Black Jade lazily commented, "If you don''t want me to drain your stats, I suggest you heal up to full."


    Rick paused, then reluctantly took out some restorative food and healed himself to full health.


    Black Jade chuckled, "I don''t know whether to call you smart or foolish. You have nothing to your name, so how could you dare betray the only powerful ally you had for the sake of a creature you know so little about?"


    Rick stared at his reflection in the scales, lost in thought, before finally replying, "She wasn''t my ally; I was just her servant."


    Black Jade snorted, amused. "So, you''ve just changed masters?"


    Rick shrugged, "If I''m going to be a dog, might as well serve the stronger one."


    After receiving a portion of Black Jade''s bloodline, he''d gained four new abilities. In addition to **[Law of the Jungle]**, which allowed him to drain strength from weaker blood relatives, he had **[Hibernation]** for invisibility, **[Death Grip]** which could instantly amplify his arm strength a hundredfold, and **[Shadow Hunter]** which allowed him to hide in others'' shadows.


    Each of these skills was ranked A, but using them came with a price: each time he activated one, his body would acquire more snake-like traits. Rick knew that Black Jade''s "gift" was laced with malice, yet he accepted it. He wouldn''t use the skills unless his life was at risk, but if that moment came, survival would outweigh any concern over side effects.


    Once he finished cleaning Black Jade''s scales, Rick barely had a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow before Black Jade flicked him with the tip of his tail, sending him head-first into a pile of dung nearby. As he crawled out, Black Jade shoved him back in, repeating the process until Rick started losing health from asphyxiation. Only then did Black Jade finally relent.


    Covered in Flood Dragon waste, Rick knelt on the ground, glancing at the date¡ªit was only the night of the 17th.


    Only the 17th!


    Less than 40 hours had passed since he bonded with Black Jade, yet it felt like he''d aged forty years...


    He knelt there for half an hour, knees numb and the muck on his skin dried up, before slowly turning towards Black Jade, illuminated by the moonlight. "Have you heard of the S-Rank gift, **[Gourmet Deity]**?"


    Rick confirmed, "Yes."


    Black Jade laughed heartily, "You truly are a natural-born viper! But it''s a pity¡ªI can''t, even if you are my property."


    Rick finally resigned himself to reality... but he wasn''t giving up on that demonic knowledge. If he continued to serve Black Jade well, he might one day gain access to what he needed.


    ...


    In the same private room sat Shadow.Q, Asher, and Meow.Q, but across from them was now only Zoey.


    Shadow.Q got straight to the point. "I can show you the exotic beasts currently in Special Affairs Bureau''s possession."


    Zoey, however, pressed her hand against the catalog without even glancing at it. She didn''t want to be tempted. "Just tell me your bottom line. I assume the demand for beasts has plummeted."


    She wasn''t wrong. After the Black Jade incident, the market for exotic beasts had cooled dramatically.


    Shadow.Q maintained her smile but, before she could respond, noticed her sister Meow.Q itching to speak. Remembering the recent praise Meow.Q had received for her successful negotiations, Shadow.Q gestured for her sister to proceed.


    Meow.Q sat up straight, took a deep breath, and began, "The Black Jade incident allowed us to gain invaluable insight. After a thorough review, we''ve strengthened our understanding of exotic beasts, developed new strategies, and crafted a holistic approach to integrate Divine Gifts with players to foster a symbiotic bond between beasts and¡ª"


    She never finished, as Shadow.Q reached over to silence her with a hand over her mouth.


    Shadow.Q forced a smile at Zoey, her facial muscles stiff and strained, as if her brain was issuing commands her face was unwilling to follow.


    Meow.Q: ?


    Zoey: Almost got up and left right there.


    Asher: What... was that? I feel like I just heard a bunch of words, but none of them made any sense.

 Chapter 224 [Divine Gift] Huh? (A-Rank)

    Shadow.Q smiled and said, "We''ve gotten stronger, and we''ve also patched up the vulnerability in the contract that allowed it to be reversed. The Black Jade incident is guaranteed not to happen a second time."


    Zoey nodded, quietly lowering her head to flip through the catalog.


    The room fell silent again.


    Shadow.Q lowered her head slightly, sending a message to Meow.Q on her phone.


    [Shadow.Q]: Is this how you always handle negotiations?


    [Meow.Q]: Yep!


    [Shadow.Q]: What''s your secret to negotiating successfully without getting kicked out? ¡ª A genuinely curious sister looking to learn negotiation techniques


    [Meow.Q]: Start with a downer, then end on a high note. I got inspired by you, you know. Remember when you negotiated with Rita? At first, you were pretty annoying. But later, when you softened your stance, the relief felt great, didn''t it? Once the client feels at ease, everything becomes negotiable.


    [Shadow.Q]: ?


    [Meow.Q]: I start with a load of nonsense to confuse them, and just when they''re annoyed and about to leave, bam! I lower my stance and explain things concisely, just like you did earlier. Doesn''t that make the sincerity of "wanting to be friends" come across even stronger?


    [Shadow.Q]: ...


    [Shadow.Q]: Level 5 isn''t quite enough. I suggest you spend a few more contribution points and ask someone at HQ to help you level up again.


    [Meow.Q]: ?


    Shadow.Q would never admit that she had influenced her sister''s behavior.


    Some people are just born aggravating. How could that possibly be her fault?


    The catalog of beasts was a thick book, organized by Divine Gift rank, from C to A. Each creature''s Divine Gift abilities were detailed, but there were no S-rank beasts like Black Jade. It was unclear if they simply hadn''t been found or if the Special Affairs Bureau was withholding them.


    In addition, there were three beasts whose Divine Gift abilities were labeled as unknown. Not even the Bureau''s scouting skills could detect their abilities, making them akin to "mystery boxes."


    [Koala] Green Wine (Level 11, 35.23%)


    [Divine Gift] Huh? (A-Rank)


    [Species] Koala


    [Species Trait] Sleeping


    When Zoey first saw this page, her initial reaction was to reject it. Although she wasn''t sure why Lania Kaia had koalas, she did have a stereotype about the animal...


    Then she saw the species trait "Sleeping," which only increased her distaste.


    But after she read through the Divine Gift abilities, she couldn''t bring herself to close the page.


    [Divine Gift] Huh?


    - Skill 1: Huh? (Passive) - If any target uses a skill on you without saying the skill''s name out loud, the skill will have no chance of hitting you. (Note: If the main pet contract is signed, the contract holder can share this passive ability with the pet.)


    - Skill 2: What Did You Say? - Using this skill creates an area centered on you with a radius equal to your level in meters. Within this range, all individuals will pause their current actions, their bodies freezing, and they will begin repeating the last thing they said. Duration: 5 seconds. Cooldown: 15 minutes.


    - Skill 3: I''ll Say It One More Time - Select a target and shout the skill name. For the next 5 minutes, the target can only use the skill you specify. (If the target doesn''t know the skill, they won''t be able to cast any spells for the next 5 minutes.)


    - Skill 4: So Quiet, I Thought We''d Always Have Something to Say - Activating this skill renders all non-allied targets in combat unable to speak for 1 minute. Cooldown: 10 minutes.


    Four skills ¡ª worthy of an A-rank. Unfortunately, the species trait [Sleeping] spoiled half the value.


    [Sleeping]: Must sleep at least 18 hours per day. While sleeping, there''s a chance of learning new skills.


    In other words, it could only work for 6 hours each day. Considering it might need to be ready to fight at any time, the best approach would be to avoid disturbing it outside of work hours.


    This work ethic and limited hours were touching on Zoey''s last nerve!


    The silver lining was that, lately, Zoey''s nerves had been hit by various people and events so frequently that she''d almost become numb to it.

 Chapter 225 Pasta Princess

    Shadow.Q: "Are you certain about this one? If you are, I''ll go ahead and lock it in for you, and then we can discuss the details."


    Zoey: "Yes, I''m certain. Are you sure you can''t detect any other skills it might have?"


    As Shadow.Q messaged the bureau to lock in the Koala Green Wine for Zoey, she explained, "No matter how powerful an inspection skill is, it can''t detect all abilities because not all skills are displayed on the skill panel, so they''re outside the scope of detection."


    Zoey asked, "Then, have you detected Nivalis''s innate skills?"No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Shadow.Q thought about her recently repaired earring. "... No."


    With that, Shadow.Q had successfully locked in Zoey''s choice of beast. Now came the more challenging part of the negotiation.


    Shadow.Q straightened up, her expression serious. "We can help you contract with the koala, but we need you to add an additional 100 sessions of Hope''s Hymn."


    Zoey: "The koala is only level 11, with an A-rank talent, and when Black Jade was taken, you all had some responsibility."


    Shadow.Q: "You mean the responsibility of helping you avoid a disaster?"


    Zoey: "While the outcome worked in my favor, it doesn''t erase the fact that you failed in your duties."


    The two went back and forth, and Meow.Q and Asher didn''t even dare to breathe too loudly, worried they might become scapegoats for the tense atmosphere.


    Eventually, they reached a compromise. Zoey agreed to add 65 sessions, bringing the total up to 365, covering an entire year.


    Shadow.Q: "Why not 388? Such a lucky number."


    Zoey: "318 is luckier."


    Shadow.Q: "Alright, we''ll go with your suggestion. An entire year it is. But I have one last question: since we''re filling up a full year, why not go for a leap year? 366 days."


    Zoey: "..."


    Through gritted teeth, Zoey asked, "65 sessions! Are you signing or not? If not, I''m leaving!"


    Seeing that pushing further might make Zoey walk away, Shadow.Q reluctantly conceded, "Alright, alright, 365 it is. We''re all friends here; no need to quibble over a day or two."


    It was the same as when she was a child. Eleanor would hold her hand, and she''d hold Rick''s, the three of them in a line. Scarlett would run ahead, snapping pictures of them with her phone.


    Everyone they met greeted Eleanor in the same way. It seemed like nobody disliked Pasta Princess, as if everyone knew her. For a long time, Rita had even thought her grandmother''s name was "PP" and that it was a family name.


    According to Scarlett, young Rita once insisted on changing her name to "PP." Rita vehemently denies any memory of being that foolish as a child.


    After finally exiting the alley and walking where no one else would recognize them, Nivalis turned to Eleanor and said, "So your name is Pasta Princess, PP! Your pancakes are the best!"


    Rita: "... How old are you, and how old is my grandma? ''PP'' is not for you to use casually!"


    Nivalis: "Alright, then... Princess PP."


    Rita clenched her fists at Nivalis. "Are you going through puberty or something?"


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    Eleanor chuckled at the silly dragon, casually handing Nivalis a 100-rated pancake. "Here, take this. You can call me Grandma like Rita does."


    Nivalis eagerly grabbed the pancake and flew up. "Thank you, Grandma!"


    Rita sighed, recalling how cute Nivalis had been when they''d first met...


    During breaks, Rita tried to inquire about blank skill crystals, as she hadn''t forgotten she still needed to send a **[We''re Not Familiar, but That''s Okay]** skill crystal to her past self on the 15th.


    Unfortunately, these crystals were heavily regulated.


    Shadow.Q had none available, saying she''d already used her quota for the month. With recent restrictions on blank skill crystals, she had no way to help.


    With no other choice, Rita turned to Hannah and the others.


    That''s when she learned that the strict regulation of blank crystals had started in B City. The rule had gradually been implemented nationwide, and some Special Affairs Bureau branches still didn''t understand why it was necessary.


    Not only did buying and selling blank crystals require registration, but Special Affairs Bureau players were also discouraged from selling their skills to others through skill crystals.


    Hannah initially intended to make polite excuses, but after glancing at Eleanor and seeing Rita and Nivalis eating together, she decided to explain honestly. "There was an incident. A player here had a special skill that allowed him to cheat death. He enjoyed selling his skill to others, and people loved buying it. But one day, he realized that his skill had vanished..."

 Chapter 226 Theres Still 4 Points of Goodness Left

    Rita''s first thought was to use her Sleight of Hand skill, but then she reconsidered. "Was it taken using a skill crystal? Something related to a Divine Gift skill?"


    Hannah nodded. "That''s the initial suspicion, though we don''t have concrete evidence yet. Our internal analysis suggests it''s possible there''s a Divine Gift skill that, when someone repeatedly borrows another''s skills or items, they can eventually claim ownership of them. Of course, other possibilities exist, but we''re preparing for this one."


    Since the incident, the buying and distribution of skill crystals had become much stricter.


    Rita''s brows furrowed as she asked, "I have a skill I regularly sell to the Special Affairs Bureau. Is there any chance my skill could be compromised?"


    Hannah reassured her, "No, don''t worry. Ever since this incident, we''ve been careful. Any skill crystals you sell to the Special Affairs Bureau are handled only by trusted personnel. When a buyer purchases one, they schedule a time to use it, and our staff performs the skill application."


    Rita smiled on the outside, saying she felt reassured. But internally, she''d already decided to stop selling the Feeling Blessed skill crystal. Once she returned on the 15th and delivered the last of the skill crystals, she planned to visit Lania Kaia to exchange for some gold, then discuss clearing her accounts with the Special Affairs Bureau. Afterward, she''d share the gold exchange method with them and cease selling Feeling Blessed.


    Who knew what conditions might trigger a skill theft? What if it depended on forming a connection, randomly selecting the skill afterward? Or, to think even further, what if the problem lay at the source? What if the person who produced the blank skill crystals had a hidden ability undetectable by the Special Affairs Bureau?


    For safety, Rita decided she wouldn''t sell Feeling Blessed anymore, nor would she make any skill crystals for her key abilities.


    Now that she had Nivalis and her position on the Honor Roll for protection, she didn''t need to rely on selling skill crystals for self-defense anymore.


    After pushing these thoughts aside, Rita asked, "If I wanted to buy a skill crystal, what would the conditions be? Can I buy them from you?"


    Hannah replied, "We can sell to you, but both parties need to register the transaction with the Special Affairs Bureau. How many do you need?"


    Rita asked, "How many can I buy?"


    Hannah hesitated. "...Three?"


    Rita replied, "Only three? What''s the price¡ªequipment or gold?"


    Nivalis, lifting her head from her meal, joked, "How about dragon dung? Freshly produced."


    Hannah and the others stared in stunned silence.


    Rita quickly pushed Nivalis''s head back into her bowl. "Potions work too."


    With Eleanor present, Rita wasn''t worried about being taken advantage of. Given Eleanor''s Divine Gift skill and her no-nonsense attitude, these people wouldn''t dare cross her. Rita took off a ring Rick had given her and handed it over. "How many can I get for this?"


    Hannah examined the ring''s properties. "Four. Just a moment." She turned to a nearby woman, who promptly handed over a crystal.


    Rita chuckled at Nivalis''s slightly wounded tone. "That''s right. No one knows all of me, but you are, without a doubt, the one who knows me best."


    Nivalis perked up, satisfied. "Then?"


    Rita continued, "The reason I keep things close to my chest... my grandmother, or Pasta Princess, taught me that."


    Like in her past life¡ªno matter how moved she was, no matter how much she trusted Rick and the others¡ªshe would never give Samuel, Scarlett, or Rick everything of herself.


    Whether it was sharing only part of her earnings before the game''s invasion or keeping certain opportunities from Rick after, her cautious approach was rooted in Eleanor''s teachings.


    Samuel had often looked at her with disappointment, wondering why her heart seemed so cold.


    Countless times, Rita had been thrown into self-doubt by his words, questioning if she was truly that heartless. But whenever she felt tortured by these thoughts, she would remember Eleanor''s words, spoken while standing in the shade of a tree.


    Eleanor had told her, "If someone treats you with 5 points of kindness, give them back 6. Even if you only return 5 or even 4, that''s still more than enough."


    A young Rita had asked, "Why be so stingy? I could give them 10 points of kindness."


    Eleanor had replied, "Don''t do that, Rita. Never do that. Keep at least 4 points of goodness for yourself."


    Young Rita had protested, "But... when someone is good to me, I want to be good to them in return. Isn''t that right?"


    Eleanor had asked her, "Do you know how to play poker?" Stay tuned for updates on empire


    Rita had nodded. "Yes, Scarlett taught me during the New Year."


    Eleanor had then explained, "Good. Listen to Grandma. I can''t always be with you, so I''ll teach you a basic rule. Even if you don''t understand it now, keep it in your heart.


    "Think of your life as a game of cards. Everything you have, including your emotions, is part of your hand. Don''t reveal your cards easily or team up with others too soon. Wait for others to make the first move. If they play one card, you play one card. If they play a pair, you match them. Treat others as they treat you.


    "Never let anyone know all the cards in your hand. Save your bombs for critical moments, and hold onto your jokers. Those are your trump cards. Unless you''re sure that playing your jokers will let you win against everyone at the table, keep them hidden.


    "If there''s a secret you don''t want others to know, don''t tell anyone¡ªnot even your father, mother, or brother."


    Young Rita had hesitated. "Can I tell you, Grandma?"


    Eleanor had smiled gently. "No, not even me. If you must trust someone unreservedly, that person can only be yourself."

 Chapter 227 "Whew, That Really Wore Me Out"

    Nivalis nodded as if she understood, then curiously asked, "So what happened after that? Did she teach you anything else?"


    Rita replied, "After that, I didn''t see her for more than ten years because she said she felt embarrassed to come back. She told me that since she chose to live for her own happiness and let go of traditional responsibilities, she shouldn''t come back and meddle in my life."


    A light seemed to go on in Nivalis''s head, and she exclaimed with sparkling eyes, "Oh! So, is it like how elder dragons in the nest push their young ones away while secretly hoping they grow strong quickly? Is it one of those ''say one thing, mean another'' situations?"


    "Not at all." Rita crushed Nivalis''s fantasy without hesitation. "She''s not the type to say one thing and mean another. If she says it, she means it."


    Young Rita hadn''t understood this, but as she grew older, she began to understand Eleanor''s mindset more and more ¡ª if she didn''t raise or take care of me, she had no right to act as an elder and judge my actions.


    In a way, they shared the same stubborn streak.


    Rita knew Eleanor had never remarried; she had always known. Adults might underestimate the connections kids could make, but Rita had her own ways. A quick call to some friends in B City or the neighborhood grannies could get her the scoop, paid for with a bit of pocket money.


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    Of course, she didn''t actually care whether her grandmother had found herself a new husband. That was Eleanor''s business, not hers. But she couldn''t help being curious. If her grandmother had split from her father over finding a new companion, why hadn''t she remarried and reunited the family?


    "Yeah, why not?" Nivalis asked.


    Years later, Rita could finally answer that question: "Because she didn''t care about Samuel."


    Nivalis continued, "So... does that mean she didn''t care about you, either?"


    Rita sighed, "I don''t know. It''s hard to say... I''m not sure. All I know is she never allowed herself to be wronged."


    It was likely an instinct or innate talent of these creatures.


    Rita didn''t want to risk whether Black Jade shared that talent, so she decided to observe the Lopez family instead. Since her vision of the future had shown Rick still working with them, keeping tabs on their activities should provide plenty of insight.


    Unfortunately, the Lopez estate was surrounded by a **[Veil Screen]**, so her little spiders could only linger at the perimeter.


    She placed three spiders labeled **"Rick''s Fiery Little Pets"** on the estate''s iron gate, waiting for the right moment for an important Lopez family member to leave for a dungeon, so they could hitch a ride.


    Swapping skill stones, delivering a stone to the past, finding and killing spiders (while keeping them intact), renaming them while giggling to herself, and sending the little spiders on their mission to the Lopez family...


    Ever since she returned home, Rita had been bustling around with a head of gray hair, sometimes donning a helmet and changing outfits.


    Meanwhile, Nivalis sat on the couch, sipping juice and snacking. Each time Rita passed by, she would pause to stare at her with a very peculiar expression.


    Finally, around 3 a.m., Rita finished everything. Her disguise skill wore off just as she plopped down on the couch, her appearance returning to normal. She grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge, opened it, and took a long, relieved sip.


    She was exhausted. Rita let out a long sigh.


    At the exact same time, Nivalis also let out a long sigh.


    Rita raised an eyebrow. "What''s with you?"


    Nivalis slumped over on the couch, wiping her imaginary brow with her tiny paws, and said, "Finally done! That really wore me out."


    Rita: "..."

 Chapter 228 Goblins Dont Trick Goblins!

    Rita only slept for six hours. As soon as her disguise skill''s cooldown ended, she was up, swiftly getting ready. She crawled under the bed, moving like a seasoned soldier as she expertly maneuvered herself forward.


    Nivalis was still sound asleep, and Rita had no intention of pushing her to work harder. Dragons grew stronger simply by eating and sleeping, so why force her to do something she didn''t want to? It would only risk damaging their bond and wasn''t worth it. Besides, Nivalis enjoyed sparring games with Rita, which served Rita''s training needs just fine.


    Recently, during their sparring sessions, Nivalis had gotten much better at dodging. Following Rita''s advice, she could now adjust her size to avoid attacks if flying away wasn''t fast enough. Although lazy at times, Nivalis wasn''t stupid. Rita couldn''t always keep the upper hand like before, and she even had to use a few tactics to ensure her strikes landed.


    The moment Rita used her teleportation skill, she transformed into a deep-sea fish she''d encountered in Lania Kaia''s underwater regions.


    In the next second, the small fish appeared in the volcanic fissure teleportation array at the Lania Kaia seabed. With a flick of her tail, Rita swam away, even passing by the Special Affairs Bureau''s outpost in S City. She noticed that it was even more concealed than the last time she''d seen it.


    If she hadn''t been there during its construction, she might not have even noticed it. The outpost had only a faint light, with a large boulder placed strategically to hide it. The light came from a small underwater plant growing on the rock.


    Rita swam closer and noticed the transparent dome that could alter the surroundings was just big enough to cover the boulder, allowing only a narrow half-meter space around it. Most likely, as with the previous treehouse outpost, the main area was inside the rock itself, and players could reach Yaslan City from there in their own ways. There were plenty of high-level monsters along the route, so Rita was curious about how the Bureau would manage to evade them.


    Not wanting to linger, Rita moved on to trade gold for coins with the goblins.


    There weren''t many main cities left for her to visit, as she''d already exchanged coins on her past trips. Today, she was just tying up loose ends. After the Special Affairs Bureau entered the market, this channel would likely be much harder to access.


    In less than half an hour, Rita finished her remaining trades. The mysterious goblin **"Kabi"** had disappeared from the goblin coin market for over six months, causing quite a stir among goblins who hadn''t made exchanges and now felt they''d missed out. Now, with Kabi''s return, the mere mention of exchanging gold for coins had the goblins swarming around her, even those who''d previously exchanged but regretted not trading more. Without much convincing, they were eager to trade again.


    As she handed out gold, Rita declared, "I told you before¡ªI wasn''t lying. You''ve really made a fortune with this trade. I''m practically losing money just to make friends with you all!"


    "Losing money? Really?"


    "Isn''t it true? Goblins don''t trick goblins! Any goblin who tricks another goblin should be cursed to be chased by Mistblade... or Shadow Emperor!"


    "Kabi, you''re the most honest and brave goblin I''ve ever met!"


    With her anchor set, Rita flew toward the nearest island to Polar Day Island.


    Once she reached the island, she put away the lantern and headed straight for the goblin-style building.


    Fifteen minutes later, Rita walked out of an engineering shop, thoroughly satisfied.


    "81,688 coins¡ªsuch a lucky number!"


    As she passed a general store, she casually glanced inside and spotted a ragged-looking beastman selling something to the Oak Owl shopkeeper. To her surprise, it was a **bone tile**, and she could see the bone-like inscription on it¡ª**Wan**!


    Rita immediately ran over. The transaction was already at a critical stage.


    She finally got a clear look at the tile''s inscription¡ª**4 Wan**!


    She didn''t know much about mahjong, but she did know poker. Mahjong wouldn''t have odd and even numbers jumping around, right?


    Maybe if she could collect a sequence, she''d figure out its purpose.


    Rita decided to study mahjong rules a bit after returning. Continue reading on empire


    The beastman pleaded with the shopkeeper, "Can''t you offer a bit more? I need to buy some potions. I know this tile''s origins are mysterious!"


    The Oak Owl shopkeeper placed the tile back on the counter, looking indifferent. "I can''t determine its origin. Five coins, no more."


    Seeing the beastman''s hesitation as he prepared to hand over the tile, Rita didn''t bother reading the shopkeeper''s **Divine Gift**. She raised her hand and shouted, "I''ll pay 50 coins!"


    With that shout, she made her 50-coin offer sound like a billion.

 Chapter 229 [Spring Not Late] & [I Really Dont Have Time to Shower]

    The oak-horned shopkeeper glanced at Rita, his expression unchanged, but Rita could keenly sense a hint of killing intent. She swiftly pulled out a hundred gold coins, placed them in a pouch in front of the orc, and handed it over. "One hundred gold. This item is valuable, but that''s all I can offer. Any more, and you might get yourself into trouble."


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    Then she took out a level-13 chainmail and a pair of level-13 heavy boots, items that Nivalis had obtained while helping the Special Affairs Bureau clear dungeons. They seemed to suit this orc perfectly. "Here are two pieces of equipment. I hope they can protect you."


    Finally, she presented twenty high-level healing potions, five high-level antidotes, and five high-level invisibility potions. "I also have these potions. I hope they might help."


    Sincerity is an SSS-rank Divine Gift! And throwing money at problems is its first divine technique!


    The orc didn''t even glance at the oak-horned shopkeeper''s offer of two hundred gold. Instead, he immediately handed [Four Wan] over to Rita. His massive, goblin-sized hand wrapped around her tiny one as he rumbled, "The Beast God will bless you to be reborn in our tribe in your next life!"


    Rita: Please, no need!!!


    You''re already blessed by the Beast God, and look how you''re doing. Why would I want to go there?!


    With a parting "blessing," the orc took his gold, equipment, and potions and left decisively.


    It wasn''t that the two hundred gold didn''t tempt him, but the goblin''s warning¡ª"any more and you might get into trouble"¡ªhad struck a nerve. More importantly, the goblin''s gifts were comprehensive: money, equipment, potions, all thoughtfully tailored for him. He was genuinely touched!


    Compared to the oak-horned shopkeeper''s earlier attitude, the orc didn''t hesitate to choose the goblin. He was even worried that if he took the two hundred gold from the oak-horned shopkeeper, he''d end up thrown off Sky Island by nightfall.


    The moment Rita acquired the tile, a system notification sounded in her mind. Not wasting any time, she tucked away the tile, used [I''m in a Hurry] to teleport outside, and prepared to make a swift getaway.


    Only seven minutes remained on her [Disguise!], just enough time to make it back.


    But as soon as she landed, a luxurious robe filled her field of vision.


    A familiar scent wafted into her nose, and she slowly looked up to see a face of regal elegance framed by white fox tails tipped in black, set against the sky.


    And there, above, a line of red text read: Mistblade Level 120 | 100%©§100%


    Mistblade replied, "Sell me the item you just bought. I''ll pay handsomely¡ªdouble whatever your master offers you."


    Rita paused, considering how to respond, but before she could speak, Mistblade''s central tail drifted forward, brushing her cheek.


    Rita''s thoughts raced. What''s going on?! Why is she using her tail all of a sudden?!


    Mistblade gave a small smile. "Even if you try to run now, it won''t matter. I''ll find you. Have you decided? Sell it to me, and I''ll lift the Fragrance Blade from you."


    Without hesitation, Rita replied, "How do I know you''ll actually remove it?"


    Mistblade''s gaze was stern. "I never lie."


    Rita scoffed. "What kind of claim is that? I can fool people without lying too."


    Mistblade: ... With a mouth like that, you must be good at tile games.


    Thinking of the dragons, Mistblade''s tails twitched, and she laid down an array of restrictions around them.


    As the mist grew denser, Rita felt her breathing become labored.


    She was unwilling to hand over the item, but it seemed impossible not to. If she ever wanted to return to Lania Kaia, she had no choice.


    She stalled, "How do I know you won''t silence me afterward? I know how foxes work; you have plenty of ways to find me."


    Mistblade, unconcerned with Rita''s escape now that the Fragrance Blade marked her, lifted the restraints on her. She then presented a triangular gemstone with a pink flower preserved at its center and a bottle of perfume in her palm.


    "[Spring Not Late] ¡ª this gem can permanently remove all lingering marks of any kind from your body. It can also temporarily break any bloodline constraints for a hundred days."


    "[I Really Don''t Have Time to Shower] ¡ª developed by the Windtail clan. Using it will erase all scent from you, and for the following three days, neither your body nor your clothes will emit or retain any scent."


    Rita''s heart skipped a beat. Her first question was, "What is a bloodline constraint?"

 Chapter 230 "Must Have," "This is Non-Negotiable," "Might as Well Die"

    In Rita''s mind, the image of Scarlett''s [Law of the Jungle] immediately flashed by.


    Mistblade explained, "Many curses and skills can be transmitted through bloodline chains. As long as you find the family members of your enemy, you can harm them as a way of hurting your true target."


    Rita looked down at [Spring Not Late], reading its description. Like [Heart of the Undying], it was an advanced alchemical creation. Both the gemstone and potion had instructions similar to what Mistblade described, and the bloodline chain''s severance had a deadline of only 100 natural days.


    Before Rita could process this information fully, Mistblade added, "And don''t even think about buying this gemstone elsewhere. I developed it myself. No one else in Lania Kaia can make it, and I absolutely, absolutely won''t put anything I create up for auction to make money!"


    For some reason, Rita felt like there was a hint of gritted teeth in Mistblade''s last words.


    Upon seeing [Spring Not Late], Rita made up her mind. She said, "I can sell you the bone tile."


    Mistblade didn''t waste time. "Your terms."


    Rita replied, "I want to know what this tile really is, I want an S-rank skill, and, along with [Spring Not Late] and [I Really Don''t Have Time to Shower], I also want to learn how to make them."


    Mistblade nodded, reaching out as if to choke Rita by the neck. "Then maybe I should just kill you."


    Startled, Rita quickly ducked to avoid Mistblade''s hand. "If you kill me, you won''t get it! And besides, my master left a safeguard on me!"


    Mistblade shrugged. "So what? Even if you die, it won''t disappear. It will simply respawn somewhere else, and I can find it eventually. As for your ''master''? Let them come!"


    Mistblade said this boldly, but she didn''t go all out¡ªshe was merely toying with Rita, like a cat playing with a mouse. If she were serious, Rita would have been dead already. Clearly, "random respawn" and "taking some time to find it" weren''t as easy as Mistblade made them sound.


    Rita rolled on the ground to dodge Mistblade''s tail. Now was her chance! The moment Mistblade had started attacking, she had begun using [I Want This, This, and This] on her, and each time her health dropped, she''d heal herself with [Emerald Feast]. In just a few exchanges, Rita had increased her own health by 300%, and after spending 80% of her health on four failed attempts, she had now tried a total of 19 times¡ªall unsuccessful.


    She hadn''t even managed to steal an attribute, and her passive skill [You''re Too Weak] hadn''t detected any weaknesses on Mistblade, either.


    And based on what Rita had said, she still intended to negotiate. She''d even hinted that she was framing the Oak Owl to curry favor with Mistblade...


    Mistblade couldn''t help but laugh. She threw a light orb at Rita, sending her flying. Rita spun twice in the air, and when she finally steadied herself, her health had been fully restored. Mistblade was essentially healing her with her strongest skill.


    Mistblade responded to Rita''s demands. "I could sense your tile because I already had other tiles in my possession. If a tile appears near me, I can detect it. The A-rank skill and the recipe for [Spring Not Late] are acceptable, and I''ll give you an escape gem. But [I Really Don''t Have Time to Shower] is non-negotiable. Even as the Moon Emperor, I am not permitted to share the Windtail Clan''s formula with outsiders."


    [Spring Not Late] was Mistblade''s own creation, so even if Rita obtained the recipe, she couldn''t pass it on.


    Rita discreetly wiped away the blood on herself and the floor, relieved that she had won the gamble. She knew such an omnipotent ability to detect tiles couldn''t be real; otherwise, why had a tile been buried in the depths of the ocean, undiscovered for so long? "Alright then. 50 bottles of [I Really Don''t Have Time to Shower]."


    Mistblade countered, "10 bottles. No more than that."


    Rita replied, "Deal!"


    On the surface, it might seem like she''d negotiated a low price. After all, Mistblade had previously given PhantomDancer''s mother five epic potions, five legendary gems, and a favor in exchange for a tile.


    But Rita was getting a recipe, not just the finished product. She didn''t feel shortchanged¡ªin fact, she felt like what she had received was far more valuable than what Mistblade had offered before. Besides, who was she to demand "fairness" in a deal with someone so powerful?


    Today''s exchange between Mistblade and herself was like her own encounter with PhantomDancer back then.


    Even if she had to hand over [Four Circles] today, she had still managed to obtain two tiles from Mistblade overall... which meant she hadn''t really lost out.


    Of course, Rita wanted to conclude the deal quickly and leave.


    While her theft attempts had repeatedly failed, now that she''d succeeded, she felt a pang of fear.


    Though the theft skill from the god of thieves would prevent the owner from realizing what was stolen until the next day, if Mistblade glanced at her tile collection and noticed anything missing, she could still catch on in an instant.


    If she got caught, Rita was pretty sure Mistblade would turn her into a preserved goblin, bound to Mistblade''s tail, dragged along wherever she went.

 Chapter 231 [8Tong]

    Mistblade handed Rita a gemstone, a notebook, and eleven bottles of perfume. Rita quickly put away the gemstone and perfume, then opened Mistblade''s notebook to examine it briefly. She found that the first half was filled with detailed explanations on processing herbs, extracting their essence, and removing unnecessary parts. The last three pages covered how to condense these herbal essences into gemstones. This was more than just a recipe; it contained a wealth of knowledge. Suppressing her excitement, Rita stowed the notebook and looked at Mistblade, signaling for her to continue.


    For the A-rank skill, Mistblade only offered one choice: [Fog''s Arrival]. "This is a special technique of the Fogtail Clan. Once you learn it, you can transform into thick fog, with the area of effect determined by your intelligence. The fog is everywhere and hard to pinpoint. All tracking skills will lose direction within it, and most single-target skills directed at the fog will have reduced damage, as hitting the fog is like hitting only a small part of your body."


    "This skill has its weaknesses, though. Any area-of-effect (AoE) skill can counter it to some extent. But of course, as with any skill, if the user is strong enough, there''s no such thing as a counter. As long as your defense is high enough to withstand AoE attacks, this skill has no real weakness."


    Rita agreed without hesitation. Just as Mistblade said, with enough power, counters become irrelevant. Besides, the benefits of this skill were too enticing! She was quite satisfied.


    Mistblade pulled out the skill book, and Rita practically snatched it from her hands. Without delay, she handed over [4Wan] to the Moon Emperor, Mistblade. Oddly, Mistblade didn''t look at it right away. Instead, she tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and ran her thumb over the tile''s markings, frowning and looking irritated.


    Rita didn''t waste time watching her. She simply said, "Pleasure doing business," and turned to sprint toward the direction of Polar City. The fog hadn''t dispersed, which slowed her down considerably.


    If she could, she''d rather save her escape gems. Those things hadn''t shown up in the auction house; they were simply impossible to buy, no matter how much money she had. With the Flame Spirit Ring, she was confident she could withstand any attack from Mistblade before using the gem, if it came to that.


    Mistblade watched her disappear into the distance but didn''t pursue. Rita''s background was complicated, with unknown alliances, and one had to be wary of the Bull-Headed Shaman''s dirty tricks, not to mention the weight the dragons carried.


    Moreover, Mistblade guessed that with someone as crafty as this goblin, she wouldn''t reveal their deal to anyone. With everything Rita had taken from her, she wouldn''t risk tarnishing their exchange¡ªit would be hard to explain, after all.


    Once she escaped the fog zone, Rita hung the pocket watch back around her neck, teleporting occasionally while running. As she dashed, she used the skill book for [Fog''s Arrival], relaxing only when the book turned to ash after she learned the skill.


    After turning a few corners and ensuring she was out of Mistblade''s line of sight, she activated her Invisibility Spell combined with Shadow Step and teleported to the city''s teleportation array.


    Before using the array, Rita gathered all her spoils from Mistblade: the mahjong tile, the notebook, two gemstones, and the ten bottles of perfume. She sprayed herself thoroughly with [I Really Don''t Have Time to Shower], even covering the soles of her shoes, used up [Spring Not Late], and then stored everything along with the half-empty perfume bottle.


    She paid the teleportation fee and returned to Yaslan City. After leaving the city, she started teleporting toward the undersea volcano.


    Once she was deep underwater, Rita finally had time to think about her new mahjong tile¡ª[8Tong].


    Two neat rows of acorns, four in each row, reminded her of the [6Tong] tile she had previously stolen from Mistblade Moon Emperor. Why were there so many tong tiles in Mistblade''s possession?


    Recalling Mistblade''s look of disappointment and annoyance when she received [4Wan], Rita couldn''t help but chuckle. Was Mistblade trying to assemble a bomb or maybe a three-of-a-kind?


    Looking at her own collection of tiles, though, Rita''s smile froze. She didn''t even have a pair...


    [Shadow.Q]: That''s impossible! No matter how fierce I am outside, here, I am forever your Shadow.Q.


    [Rita]: Enough... Enough... You''re giving me goosebumps. Just pick the restaurant; I''m not picky.


    [Shadow.Q]: At your command, my queen! ¡Ï(¡ã©f¡ã)!


    Closing the chat, Shadow.Q stood up, leaving the minor Special Affairs Bureau meeting. No need to waste time discussing why the person at the top of the wealth rankings had suddenly gained so many coins. It was irrelevant¡ªno one was going to donate them. As for Rita''s honor points, if she didn''t want to explain, no one could force her.


    Under the astonished stares of her sixteen colleagues, Shadow.Q looked at Landon and said, "Rita wants to meet with me. She says she can tell us how to exchange gold for coins in Lania Kaia ahead of schedule. Sorry, but I''ll have to cut this meeting short."


    Landon''s frown immediately turned into a smile. "Go on, then. Don''t waste time here. Go, go."


    Shadow.Q ran her fingers through her hair, giving a polite nod and smile to her stunned colleagues as she left the room with elegance.


    [We Are Special Affairs Bureau''s Finest Mules] (17 Members)


    "Landon''s mood changes faster than anyone''s..."


    "I''m about to lose it!"


    "Is her Divine Gift called [Bring It On, Try to Kill Me]?"


    "No, it''s [Elegance Never Fades]."


    "She shouldn''t be a ranged fighter; she should be a tank with those taunt skills!"


    "Shadow.Q is so annoying..."


    "Should we kick her out of the group?"


    "She''s the group owner... She invited us all."


    "Never mind, then."

 Chapter 232 [Talking While Pooping] (D)

    Eating together always included Nivalis, but before heading out, Rita had something to take care of first.


    After growing closer with Nivalis, the dragon no longer hid anything from Rita. During their trip back from B City, Nivalis, bored out of her mind, revealed all of her skills to Rita. Among them was one particularly amusing skill that Nivalis had developed after becoming addicted to online games on Blue Star. When Rita heard about it, her scheming mind immediately started working overtime.


    [Talking While Pooping] (D): This skill allows you to create a virtual character that exists in reality. It has the basic stats of a player, but it cannot level up, has no independent thoughts, and every action must be controlled by the user. Duration: 24 hours.


    Nivalis often used this skill to create a virtual character to take the blame in her place. For example, when teaming up with others in online games, Nivalis would sometimes feel like goofing off but knew rationally that it wasn''t a wise idea as it could get her scolded. That''s when the virtual character came into play:


    "Hey, Nivalis, can''t you use your ultimate ability already? Just go for it!"


    "Is this mage even playing right? Are you still running some weird tactical build? This is a free win if you just ult!"


    "Lol, do you not know you can unleash your ultimate once your energy bar is full?"


    "Seriously, you''re named Nivalis? Are you trying to ride on the fame of the cute, charming, and beautiful dragon on the pet leaderboard?"


    At this point, Nivalis would use her actual self to say in her sweet, innocent voice, "That''s not true!" Then, she''d have her game character unleash her ultimate.


    Inevitably, all her teammates would start yelling at the virtual character instead of Nivalis. Even if someone used their Divine Gift to dig up the virtual character''s information¡ªa shady service that could be hired for a single silver coin after the game invasion¡ªthey''d never link it back to Nivalis.


    Rita asked curiously, "Are you really that interested in the Moon Emperor?"


    "Of course! Do you know how rare they are? In Lania Kaia, while everyone talks about the Twelve Sacred Clans as being equal, we actually rank them into three tiers. The Moon Foxes, Timber Owls, and Undead are considered the Upper Sacred Clans¡ªtheir status and power are far above the rest."


    This was news to Rita. She''d never noticed such distinctions before. All 36 major cities in Lania Kaia were about the same size and prosperity, each with its unique cultural flavor. Even among the Beastkin and Minotaurs, their tribal cities were as luxurious as royal palaces.


    "What about the other clans? Who''s in the middle, and who''s at the bottom?"


    Nivalis hesitated for a moment. "That''s hard to say. Maybe Wind Scythes are stronger? But Elder Dragon always said this ranking shifts over time. The Moon Foxes, Timber Owls, and Undead have been firmly at the top for ages, though. As for why... Elder Dragon said he''d only tell me when I''m strong enough to protect myself."


    When they finally arrived at the restaurant, Rita passed along Nivalis''s information to Shadow.Q. Surprisingly, the Special Affairs Bureau had never heard of these rankings either. Like Rita, Shadow.Q chose to treat this as critical information and reported it immediately.


    Once their meal was served, Rita started a new conversation. "Do you know why the blank skill stones are so tightly regulated?"


    Shadow.Q replied, "I don''t know the details. I only know it''s a directive from B City. I''ve been asking around, but my contacts are reluctant to share anything."


    Rita suspected there was more to the story but chose not to spill what Hannah had told her. Instead, she changed the subject to test Shadow.Q''s sincerity.


    "I want to terminate my contract with the Skill Stones early. I''ll stop supplying you with [Feeling Blessed], including the quota for September. Just deduct the cost of the blank stones from my revenue, and I''d like to settle my earnings today." Experience exclusive tales on empire

 Chapter 233 Clearing Suspicion & �Bear Cookies】

    Shadow.Q replied without hesitation, "Settling the income is no problem. We''ve left everything untouched, but I need to report something first."


    After reassuring Rita of her cooperative stance, she asked, "Did someone in the bureau upset you?"


    "No," Rita said, before adding a reminder. "It''s related to the management of blank crystals."


    Shadow.Q''s expression immediately turned serious. Had the situation become so severe, or was it just Rita being overly cautious to sever their partnership?


    It didn''t take long for a reply from above: the bureau agreed to all of Rita''s conditions. Additionally, the blank crystals sent to Rita in early September would be considered a gift and wouldn''t be deducted from her profits.


    Shadow.Q pulled out the ledger for Rita to review.


    60 to 80 skill crystals to the Special Affairs Bureau. Occasionally, when she was too busy, there would be delays in producing them.


    In less than nine months, she had delivered a total of 596 skill crystals.


    The ledger not only recorded the sale prices but also detailed when each crystal had been sold. Even resources that couldn''t be converted into direct profits¡ªlike dungeon access time or temporary deployment of special players¡ªhad been calculated into Dragon Coins.


    The final earnings amounted to 812 Dragon Coins and 1,727 Gold Coins.


    This was far more lucrative than Rita had anticipated.


    After signing the accounts, the earnings were transferred to her mailbox immediately.


    Shadow.Q handed over a large bag of Dragon Coins. "Here''s an even number for you. Didn''t you have over a thousand coins already? Adding this batch, we''ve rounded it up to 2,000 as a gesture of gratitude from the bureau for your willingness to fulfill the contract ahead of schedule. Feel free to verify."


    Rita directly stored all the Dragon Coins and Gold Coins in front of Shadow.Q.


    Instantly, the name [Rita] entered the Top 100 of the Wealth Leaderboard.


    With the contract fulfilled on both ends, Rita asked if Shadow.Q had brought any exchange catalogs with her. She wanted to spend some of her earnings¡ªmostly because keeping so much money on a virtual character made her uneasy due to [Talking While Pooping]''s time limitations.


    Without hesitation, Shadow.Q produced two catalogs¡ªone for items that could be purchased with Gold Coins and another for those requiring Dragon Coins.


    Rita skimmed the lists, starting with the [Unknown Items] section.


    She wanted to see if the Special Affairs Bureau had found any "mahjong tiles."


    After flipping through over twenty pages, she found nothing.


    She wasn''t exactly disappointed. After all, had she not stolen her first mahjong tile from Mistblade Moon Emperor, she likely wouldn''t have realized its significance either.


    After all, the tiles came with no descriptions, not even a question mark after using an Identify skill. They seemed utterly mundane, their only distinctive traits being their indestructibility and intricate designs. It was hard for anyone to recognize their true value.


    Shadow.Q noticed Rita''s purposeful flipping and asked, "Are you looking for something specific? If you''d like, you can describe it to us, and we''ll keep an eye out for you."


    At that moment, Rita understood why Mistblade Moon Emperor had tried to "kill" her the moment she showed interest in the tile.


    If something seemingly ordinary was actually a priceless treasure, the best course of action would be to keep it hidden, rather than drawing attention to its value. It was better to spend more time and effort quietly collecting the items than to risk chaos by revealing their importance.


    Even if it meant taking longer and working harder, it was worth avoiding unwanted attention from powerful rivals and opportunists.


    Rita shook her head. "I just heard it was important, so I wanted to check. But I didn''t find it."


    Recognizing her unwillingness to elaborate, Shadow.Q wisely dropped the subject and focused on her meal.


    Rita continued flipping through the catalog until she came across something she had almost forgotten about¡ªBear Cookies (Unknown), listed at a quantity of 1,214,875.


    There were plenty in stock, and the label "Unknown" indicated that even after being acquired by players, the cookies provided no additional information¡ªnot even whether they were food, items, or curios.


    But Rita knew exactly what they were.

 Chapter 234 [A Big World, A Small Me]

    It wasn''t an item, a Curio, or even equipment¡ªit was a toy.


    The Bear Cookies, reportedly invented by the Oak Owls, were designed for their children. When a young Oak Owl wore the Bear Cookies, it would activate whenever a larger Oak Owl attempted to harm them. The Bear Cookies would replicate the aggressor''s attributes and transform into a small bear to protect its young wearer.


    However, the toy had its drawbacks. It required the laughter of children to charge, and if not sufficiently powered, the bear couldn''t complete the replication. Additionally, the stronger the aggressor''s attributes, the shorter the bear''s active duration.


    Every Oak Owl child wore a Bear Cookies pendant, and even after they outgrew its protection, most Oak Owls kept their Bear Cookies as a cherished keepsake¡ªunless they were utterly destitute and forced to sell it.


    Bear Cookies worked for all species, though the definition of "childhood" varied by race. For humans on Blue Star, only children under 12 years old could see its true description.


    In her previous life, Blue Star didn''t discover the Bear Cookies'' potential until the third year after the game''s invasion. It even made the news. Rita remembered glancing at the story while eating in a bridge underpass.


    Rita had no intention of buying the Bear Cookies for herself but decided to share this knowledge with the Special Affairs Bureau in advance.


    Pointing at the Bear Cookies, Rita asked, "I know what this is. Should I buy it?"


    Shadow.Q, busy peeling crab legs for Nivalis, glanced at it and asked lazily, "What is it? What''s the price?"


    "This is a Curio. As for the price..." Rita flipped a few pages and pointed at a magnifying glass-shaped item, saying, "I want to buy this one, but I''ll need an installment plan. Let''s count the discount as payment for the information. Deal?"


    [A Big World, A Small Me] (Curio): Looking at the target through this Curio for more than 1 minute activates the effect. The user can shrink the target at will. The effect lasts until the user cancels it or the Curio is lost. At most, three units (0/3) can be shrunk simultaneously.


    After dinner, Rita and Nivalis left. Of the 38 dishes on the table, Nivalis had eaten at least 32 of them. Rita figured she needed a larger container to manage everything.


    Though theoretically, body waste and personal scent shouldn''t be similar, she decided to stop selling dragon manure in Lania Kaia to avoid unnecessary risks. However, she planned to stockpile it and sell it to the Bureau at a discount once the danger passed.


    Back home, Rita emptied all her gold, silver, and copper coins onto her table. After setting her wealth leaderboard status to anonymous, she retrieved all her coins from her virtual character, finally feeling at ease.


    With the money in her possession, she could finally relax. Eating dinner earlier had felt like a chore.


    Rita pulled out [A Big World, A Small Me] and [Wrathful Moon], shrinking the lamp to the size of a grain of rice and placing it inside her pocket watch. She snapped the lid shut, locked it, and hung it around her neck.


    Now, most of her valuable possessions were hanging from her neck. The thought of someone cutting her chain one day made her shudder.


    Even though her treasures were all bound to her, the image of her scrambling on the ground to retrieve them was just too undignified. If Shadow.Q or Hetchipa saw her in that state, how would she ever maintain her confidence in teasing them?


    Rita decided she needed sturdier materials for a better chain and messaged Shadow.Q:


    [Rita]: Got any durable string or material for a necklace?


    [Shadow.Q]: Am I your secretary now?


    [Rita]: Bear... arrows... time is money...


    [Shadow.Q]: Yes, I am. Stay updated through empire

 Chapter 235 Is She Really Going to Follow the Internet to Fight Someone?

    It didn''t take long for Shadow.Q to send over several materials, including beast tendons from high-level bosses, Blue Star metals, and aerospace-grade components, accompanied by detailed durability reports.


    [Rita]: "I''ll take the three best ones. Make them all into necklaces, 55cm~60cm in length, with diameters no more than 1cm. The clasps must be sturdy and secure. How much will the materials and craftsmanship cost?"


    [Shadow.Q]: "30 bottles of [Delayed Damage]."


    [Rita]: "Deal."


    In less than half a day, Shadow.Q had sent the items over. Rita immediately wove the three plain necklaces together into one and hung her essential tools and artifacts on it.


    With her immediate tasks settled, Rita returned to her usual routine. First, she went back to the apartment dungeon and spent an entire day soloing it multiple times, climbing back into the top fifty of the leaderboard before stopping.


    After concluding her deal with the Special Affairs Bureau, she needed to make her public strength more apparent, and climbing the leaderboard was an excellent way to do so.


    Once she had leveled up, Rita returned home, locked herself in her study, and focused on studying the [Melting Time] notes from Heqipa.


    While Rita''s life returned to its usual rhythm, the outside world seemed to be spiraling into chaos.


    The truth about dungeons unlocking over time had finally leaked. One dungeon owner, afraid that reporting to the Special Affairs Bureau would result in the dungeon being confiscated, concealed its existence during inspections. However, their family and a few relatives were no match for the 13th-level dungeon.


    One late night in mid-September, creatures and aliens from the dungeon began pouring out. The first alien emerged silently, killing the entire family. The rest scattered into Blue Star, disappearing without a trace, like drops of water into the ocean.


    The incident came to light yesterday when neighbors discovered the family''s corpses. Coupled with earlier rumors on gaming forums, it became widely known: dungeon monsters could escape into Blue Star.


    The Special Affairs Bureau''s worst fears had come true. Previously, people had queued willingly and even appreciated the fairness imposed by the Bureau, where unclaimed dungeons were accessible to all on a first-come-first-served basis. Hospitals and relief centers provided affordable healing potions, offering ordinary players a lifeline.


    The Special Affairs Bureau further assisted her image. When announcing the [Bear Cookies], they specifically thanked Rita for providing crucial information. Families with children were particularly supportive of her.


    However, Rita didn''t care much about public opinion. She was too busy to bother with forums, and knowing from her past life that this issue would soon die down, she wasn''t worried.


    Instead, she focused on researching [Melting Time], hoping to create a low-budget version to trade with the Bureau. If it could reset skill cooldowns during combat, it could exponentially boost their fighting strength.


    Experience tales with empire


    Meanwhile, Nivalis occasionally took to the internet to fight back against Rita''s critics, often using a translator to wage her anti-smear campaign.


    One day, while Rita went downstairs for a break, she saw Nivalis packing multiple power banks into the small bag Rita had bought for her. Curious, Rita asked, "Where are you going?"


    Nivalis, bristling with anger, replied, "I lost an online argument. I''m going to find that person and fight them."


    Rita: ...


    Wasn''t this the same dragon who said they didn''t bully the weak? How long had she been on Blue Star to already want to follow the internet and fight someone?


    In just a few months, she had gone astray. Rita couldn''t help but worry¡ªwhat if Nivalis''s dragon mom came looking for her to settle accounts later?


    Seeing Rita''s exasperated expression, Nivalis fumed, "You don''t know how outrageous they were! They insulted you! They called you selfish, accused you of monopolizing resources, said you had no sense of contribution, claimed you did shady things to get where you are, and even questioned the legitimacy of your earnings..."


    Rita broke into a cold sweat. She immediately teleported over to cover Nivalis''s mouth. That''s enough! Stop repeating it, darling! Stop! My conscience can''t take it!


    Nivalis: ???

 Chapter 236 The Protagonists Opportunity

    In the end, Rita managed to coax the dragon back by buying Nivalis a limited-edition figurine.


    Nivalis stayed in the study with Rita¡ªRita focused on her studies while Nivalis played video games.


    Meanwhile, the Wilson Family villa nearby remained unoccupied. Samuel and Scarlett still hadn''t returned. Whether they were still in City B or had gone elsewhere was unknown. Rita, however, believed Samuel probably didn''t dare return, suspecting the child''s disappearance had been Rick''s doing.


    Not that Samuel was alone in his suspicions. Even without evidence, Rita herself strongly suspected Rick.


    Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    She figured he must have struck some sort of shady deal with Black Jade to pull off such an underhanded move.


    What she couldn''t figure out was the price Rick had paid.


    Given Black Jade''s animosity toward her, Rita found it hard to believe Black Jade would help Rick without expecting something in return.


    On the way back to City S, Rita had even asked Nivalis if she knew anything about the skill "Law of the Jungle", but Nivalis, being more of a dragon-kindergartener than a tactician, knew absolutely nothing.


    Still, the matter weighed heavily on Rita''s mind.


    Aside from the bloodline bond, the fact that Mistblade could smell the scent of dragon on her made her deeply uneasy. She only had nine bottles of "I Really Don''t Have Time to Shower" left, and she had to ration them carefully.


    Every few days, Rita would take a break from her studies to clear a dungeon, treating it as a form of relaxation. The rest of her time was spent researching alchemy. The herbal processing methods in "Melting Time" were extraordinarily tedious and complicated¡ªsome steps were more difficult than brewing an actual potion. No wonder the finished product was of master-grade quality.


    By accident, she even concocted a low-grade potion that could sterilize small animals. She made a hundred bottles and stored them with Nivalis, instructing her to use them on all the cats in the backyard.


    To focus on potion-making, Rita temporarily suspended all her orders, devoting herself with the same intensity she had once shown preparing for college entrance exams. She didn''t realize it was already the 30th until Zoey sent her a message.


    ---


    Zoey:


    Sis, coming to listen to "Hymn of Hope" tomorrow?


    Rick''s situation hasn''t affected my promise. I still remember how you helped me.


    ---


    Rita was genuinely surprised. Zoey was inviting her to a concert?


    After Black Jade had contracted Rick on the 15th or 16th, Rita hadn''t been able to attend as Han Shi anymore, nor did she have the standing to join the 300 concerts again. She''d been debating sneaking into one, only for Zoey to reach out first.


    And it was clear Zoey was inviting her at the first opportunity. On the surface, the 1st concert had triggered an attribute-point increase for Rita, and Zoey had obviously kept track of the 30-day cooldown period, timing her invitation perfectly.


    ---


    Rita:


    I''ll be there.


    Don''t worry about Rick¡ªit''s not your fault.


    Shadow.Q:


    ...That''s harsh!


    ---


    The next day, Rita didn''t bother studying. She visited the Wilson Family villa in the morning and spent the afternoon training with Nivalis on mobile casting and dodging.


    To motivate Nivalis, Rita placed 100 gold coins in the middle of the living room. For every piece of furniture Nivalis destroyed, a coin would be deducted. The remainder after three hours would be hers.


    In the first hour, Nivalis didn''t use a single skill¡ªshe simply dodged everything. The little ice dragon was annoyingly clever.


    Rita had to adjust the rules. She added 200 more gold coins, stating that if Nivalis landed more than five hits on her, the 200 coins would be hers.


    Nivalis, clutching her short little arms, listened intently and asked seriously, "Are you going to add any more rules?"


    Rita: "...No."


    Nivalis: "Promise? No tricks?"


    Rita: "Yes, I promise. No tricks."


    For the next two hours, Nivalis still didn''t cast a single spell¡ªnot even a spark.


    Rita was exasperated. "...That''s 200 gold coins!"


    Perched on the chandelier, Nivalis replied, "100 coins isn''t bad either. A guaranteed minimum is good enough for me. Being cautious pays off. Don''t go back on your word¡ªyou promised no more rule changes."


    Rita: ...


    She''d underestimated the little dragon.


    Kids these days were hard to teach good habits, but when it came to picking up bad ones, they were lightning-fast.


    Still, Rita didn''t mind spending money on Nivalis. Seeing how happy she was after getting the coins, Rita even shared half the proceeds from selling dragon manure with her. Nivalis happily accepted.


    At 4 p.m., Shadow.Q arrived outside Rita''s house on time. She took Rita to a barbecue restaurant, where a colleague capable of opening portals was already waiting. Shadow.Q had clearly arranged everything in advance, so the player wasn''t surprised to see Rita.


    Once the group was ready, they stepped through the portal and arrived on the grasslands, where they were greeted by a dense crowd.


    Zoey''s tour was in full swing. Her entertainment career was flourishing¡ªbetter than Rita''s had been even before she''d retired.


    After listening to the "Hymn of Hope", Rita didn''t follow Shadow.Q and the others back. She told them she wanted to stay and buy some local specialties, promising to return on her own.


    In truth, she had her eyes on a valuable item nearby¡ªsomething she had planned to claim soon.


    It wasn''t the male or female lead''s, but Rick''s brother''s opportunity.


    ---


    Han Shi: This refers to the persona Rita used to disguise herself when interacting with Zoey in the past. It''s her alias.

 Chapter 237 What Exactly Is Your Relationship with My Brother?!

    This "big brother" went by the name CooperLost.


    CooperLost''s malice toward Rita had nothing to do with romance or treating her as a scapegoat. In fact, Rita couldn''t even discern whether his actions stemmed from Rick''s influence or if CooperLost was simply unhinged to begin with.


    CooperLost had a younger brother he grew up with, a boy named Fang Xiangnan, who had died during the first year of the game invasion in November due to a curse.


    Later, CooperLost ended up in City S, joining Rick''s team. Upon learning that Rita''s Divine Gift was a role-playing ability, he became obsessed with having her play the part of his deceased brother.


    Rita refused countless times, but CooperLost never gave up. It was as if seeing Rita pretend to be Fang Xiangnan would bring his brother back to life.


    When she refused, CooperLost even went as far as bringing his brother''s preserved corpse to her house. Somehow, the body had not decomposed. Back then, Rita couldn''t overpower the protagonist party, so CooperLost tied her up, placing her face-to-face with the corpse while he sat beside her, narrating stories about his brother''s habits, hobbies, and life.


    Rita, desperate, made a sarcastic suggestion: "Why don''t you find a puppeteering skill and control your brother yourself? What if I start running around town in a dress and full makeup as your brother?"


    CooperLost calmly replied that he wouldn''t mind as long as he could see his brother alive and active, but puppeteering wasn''t enough.


    The worst thing CooperLost ever did was tying Rita up and making her sleep between him and his brother''s corpse.


    It was deranged and psychotic, yet Rita couldn''t summon the hatred needed to eliminate CooperLost entirely. His madness was eerily calm, and he never physically harmed her or even insulted her. He was, in many ways, a disturbingly polite patient.


    ---


    Fang Xiangnan and Rick had been gaming friends for years. According to CooperLost, they had met when they each got their first phone in middle school. Though they never met in person, Fang Xiangnan had always considered Rick his closest friend.


    After Fang Xiangnan''s death, it was inevitable that CooperLost would carry the coffin to Rick.


    Even so, Rita never considered saving Fang Xiangnan.


    Both siblings were actually quite sociable.


    Rita often remembered Eleanor''s advice: "Never show your hand first." It was sound advice, but it also fostered an air of politeness and cold fairness, making her seem unapproachable and distant, shutting emotions out.


    Rick, on the other hand, had a natural talent for making friends. He had "brothers" everywhere¡ªnorth, south, east, and west. Gifts arrived weekly, and while he appreciated them, he wasn''t particularly attached.


    The Wilson Family wasn''t extravagantly wealthy but was well-off enough to lack nothing. From childhood, Rick handed all his gifts to Rita to sort out. He only kept particularly valuable ones. Rita''s pastime for a while had been categorizing his gifts into boxes: this box is from the grasslands, this one from the mountains, this one from the seaside, this one from the fields...


    That particular box from the grasslands, she had already retrieved from the Wilson Family villa earlier that morning. It now sat in her game inventory, stacked among other storage boxes in the miscellaneous tab. She had no plans to let Rick hand it over to CooperLost.


    ---


    Finding CooperLost''s home didn''t require any effort. He''d repeated the address to her countless times: "City X, District X, Village X, Building C3."


    A truly unique graveyard.


    After confirming the route on her map, Rita took Nivalis shopping, buying over a thousand pounds of fresh lamb meat with mobile payment. Once she found a secluded spot, she used disguise and illusion spells to mark Nivalis as a star, then flew directly to CooperLost''s house.


    Hovering above the location, Rita told Nivalis to wait in the air while she descended. Scanning the Fang family yard, she quickly spotted the peculiar dark-green stone CooperLost had described, sitting in a basket filled with walnuts on the stone table.


    She didn''t waste time marveling at her smooth operation. After a swift danger scan to rule out traps, she dropped down, grabbed the stone, and ascended again in one fluid motion. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire


    Nivalis didn''t slack off either. The moment she sensed Rita flying back, she flapped her wings and bolted, warily scanning the surroundings as they escaped.


    Her stance, her gait, her "thief''s aura"¡ªthe more Rita watched, the more familiar it seemed.


    Nivalis had once invited her to visit her dragon nest. Rita silently decided she would never go, no matter what.


    If this universally protected creature and team mascot kept acting like this, Rita doubted she''d leave that nest alive.

 Chapter 238 A Ticket Evader Who Alarmed the Authorities

    Invisible, Rita and Nivalis hovered mid-air¡ªthere was no truly safe space even up here.


    Rita placed the peculiar stone near Nivalis'' mouth, motioning for her to bite it open. With a crisp "crack," fragments fell away, revealing a dodecagonal token in Rita''s hand.


    The token was pure white, roughly palm-sized, and engraved with twelve scripts representing the twelve alien races of Lania Kaia.


    Rita examined the token under the moonlight, raising it to eye level. As she tilted it, a faint human-shaped symbol flickered into view.


    [Legion Token] (Special):


    Form your own faction. Embark on the path you and your companions choose¡ªbe the heroes the world admires, or revel to your heart''s content before the world''s collapse.


    This was what players commonly referred to as a Guild Token.


    Rita carefully stored the token, deciding not to form her own faction. Instead, she planned to sell it to the Special Affairs Bureau (SAB). Blue Star''s first player faction needed to be led by an official, law-abiding organization, one that would help maintain stability on the home front.


    Nivalis, curious about Rita''s plan, asked, "Are you working for them now?"


    Rita stared blankly at Nivalis. Dragon attacks always hit where it hurts the most...


    She couldn''t refute it. She really did seem like an unofficial employee of the SAB.


    If Hecipah was the "tailless moon fox," then she was undoubtedly the "temporary worker without benefits" of the SAB.


    Next time, she thought to herself, I''ll prioritize maximizing my own benefits!


    Rita adeptly led Nivalis into the airplane''s pressurized pet cabin, intending to hitch a free ride back to City S.


    As they settled in, Nivalis began playing with the tail of a small dog in the adjacent carrier. She suddenly asked, "Why are we sitting here? I saw a bunch of seats up front for you Blue Star people. Are you here just to keep me company?"


    Rita froze. Wait... yeah...


    She could have just bought a proper ticket and returned comfortably. After all, this time, she had joined Shadow.Q and the others openly to attend Zoey''s concert. She hadn''t done anything shady or incriminating.


    But out of habit, she''d turned into a cat and stealthily boarded the plane, seamlessly slipping into the pet section like a captain heading straight for the cockpit.


    Habit really is terrifying...


    Could she explain this to Nivalis? Absolutely not.


    Still in her feline form, Rita turned her back to Nivalis, opened her game interface, and messaged Shadow.Q.


    Rita:


    I''ve got something good.


    Shadow.Q:


    What kind of "good"? Like Bear Cookies?


    Rita:


    Rita:


    I''m in the pressurized pet cabin...


    When a chubby orange-and-white cat and a dragon finally stepped out of the cabin, they were greeted by two neatly arranged lines of fully-armed players. Many of them were top-tier members of the Flood Dragon Corps, players Rita had only seen on the news. The only thing missing was a red carpet.


    How did this happen? I evaded a ticket, and the central authorities got involved...


    At the front of the crowd stood Shadow.Q and an unfamiliar middle-aged man. Both wore polite smiles, their expressions impeccably professional.


    But Rita couldn''t shake the feeling of being stared at like a billionaire grandma lining up at 5 a.m. for free eggs.


    She internally regretted not waiting until landing to tell Shadow.Q about the token. The SAB''s urgency was beyond her expectations. Didn''t they trust her to keep the item safe for even a little while?


    Maintaining her cat form, Rita gracefully approached Shadow.Q, elegantly wiped her face with a paw, and meowed, "Nivalis is afraid of flying, so I stayed with her."


    Nivalis: ¡¤?¡¤


    Rita, speaking to Nivalis telepathically: Your allowance doubles next month.


    Nivalis immediately nodded at Shadow.Q, her dragon face solemn. "Yes, I was terrified. Absolutely terrified."


    The gathered players collectively nodded in understanding.


    Only Shadow.Q''s expression remained unchanged.


    Rita boldly met her gaze: Got a problem?


    The teleportation gate behind them slowly activated. Shadow.Q bent slightly, extending her right hand outward in a gesture of invitation toward the plump cat and dragon. Nope, no problem at all!


    The group used the teleportation array to head directly to the SAB headquarters in City S.


    Rita handed the Legion Token over to the designated handler without hesitation. She trusted the SAB wouldn''t shortchange her.


    After all, with the Bear Cookies incident, the SAB had not only paid an information fee but had publicly credited Rita when announcing the item''s use to the entire player base. That gesture alone proved the SAB''s decision-makers were respectable.


    Shadow.Q led Rita and Nivalis to a meeting room, where a booklet listing all available A-rank skill books was presented for her to choose from. Most were dropped by high-tier alien beasts, while a few had been acquired through less orthodox means in Lania Kaia.


    Rita quickly selected a skill that met her needs.


    [Magic Echo] (A-rank):


    After activation, 10% of all damage you deal will be converted into mana. The mana can exceed your maximum limit and be stored. Duration: 2 minutes. Cooldown: 10 minutes.


    The skill book was soon delivered into her hands.


    Shadow.Q asked earnestly, "Do you need anything else?"


    Rita shook her head. "An A-rank skill is plenty."


    Shadow.Q nodded seriously. "The SAB will remember all that you''ve done for us."

 Chapter 239 The Worlds First Legion—�Eclipse Vanguard】!

    If Rita had taken the Legion Token to the open market, the already-established powerful factions would have spared no expense to buy it. Forget just one A-rank skill¡ªthree A-rank skills and a hefty sum of gold wouldn''t have been out of the question.


    And this wasn''t just any Legion Token¡ªit was the first Legion Token in all of Blue Star! Its value was immeasurable.


    Much like how the twelve alien races of Lania Kaia subtly competed, the nations of Blue Star were also locked in a quiet rivalry.


    With her strength, Rita could have easily protected the token from any underhanded schemes. She hadn''t relied on any resources or training from the Special Affairs Bureau (SAB), so she wasn''t obligated to assist them. Selling the token to them at her asking price was practically a gift.


    Rita, however, decided not to sugarcoat her reasoning. "I''m giving you a deal this time because of the token''s importance. But next time, we''ll stick to business."


    Shadow.Q chuckled and slid something across the table. "No need to wait for next time¡ªthis is a gift from the SAB to thank you for thinking of us first."


    It was a dark blue, high-collared sweater with reinforced chest armor.


    [Warm and Cozy] (Legendary)


    Attribute Bonuses: Agility +41 | Intelligence +18


    Magical Properties: +27% Critical Rate | +5% Casting Speed


    Legendary Skill ¨C No Pilling: When activated, skill casting speed increases by 25% for 5 minutes. Consumes 50 mana per minute. Cooldown: 10 minutes.


    Equip Requirements: Level ¡Ý 9 | Agility > 30


    A dual-stat legendary-grade piece of gear! Its legendary skill wasn''t a gimmick either¡ªit was highly practical.


    It was far superior to her current [Made Any Money Today?] gear, which also required her to modify its information. [Warm and Cozy] needed no such tweaks.


    Rita, who had recently reached Level 9, accepted the SAB''s reward without hesitation. The equipment was clearly tailored for her¡ªboth the requirements and attributes suited her perfectly.


    It was gestures like this that kept her willing to work with the SAB.


    She quickly changed into her new equipment in the room''s partitioned area.


    Now, her upper body was outfitted with the blue sweater, shoulder armor, and bracers, while her lower body featured cropped leather pants and short boots. The look was a bit odd but still within acceptable bounds. At least it was far better than pairing fur shorts with loafers.


    Glancing at Shadow.Q, Rita confirmed that her attire was, in fact, vastly superior.


    Shadow.Q, catching her look, smiled and called a colleague over. They opened a teleportation gate with impeccable efficiency, sending Rita home immediately.


    In her previous life, the SAB had acquired the Legion Token too late. Not only had The Lopez Family beaten them to it, but several other factions had as well. By the time Eclipse Vanguard was established, its reputation was far inferior to these private groups.


    Under pressure from certain factions, public dissatisfaction with the SAB grew. Many felt the SAB should disqualify players with Divine Gifts below F-grade from dungeon queues, prioritizing stronger players for leveling instead.


    Even within the SAB, many members defected to other legions. Unlike private factions, where the strongest players enjoyed special privileges, the SAB demanded equal contributions for equal rewards.


    Another notable change was the legion''s name. In her past life, the SAB''s legion wasn''t called Eclipse Vanguard¡ªit was called Civil Servants Wanted.


    Rita had always believed that the uninspiring name played a significant role in their struggle to recruit top players. It reeked of an outdated attempt to appeal to the younger generation, evoking pity more than admiration. After the game invasion, it was like calling your faction Hand Over Your Loot¡ªan absolute turnoff.


    A legion name should be striking yet enigmatic. It didn''t need to mean anything but should inspire curiosity or respect.


    Another change was the legion leader. In her past life, it wasn''t Avery.


    The name Avery felt familiar, but Rita couldn''t quite place it. Perhaps he was a member of The Wilson Family.


    Shrugging off the thought, Rita closed the game interface. Whatever the differences, this outcome was far better than before.


    As she took a few steps, her phone buzzed. She ignored it, but a moment later, Nivalis, perched on her shoulder, began reading aloud word by word:


    "Public service announcement: Thank you, Lady Rita, for your significant contribution to the Special Affairs Bureau in establishing the legion. The Special Affairs Bureau will forever be your ally! Salute! [Special Affairs Bureau]"


    Rita: "..."


    Whether this was an attempt to advertise the SAB or a genuine gesture of gratitude, the message left Rita in a surprisingly good mood.


    The word contribution was irritating only when it went unacknowledged and unappreciated. But if every effort received recognition... Maybe next time.


    With one more opportunity denied to Rick, Rita retreated to her home to continue studying [Melting Time]. The herbal processing and potion brewing methods were as tedious as ever. Soon, she found herself unsatisfied with Hecipah''s notes. She had too many ideas and needed Hecipah to verify them, meaning another trip to Lania Kaia was in order.


    Half an hour later, an invisible dragon and a jellyfish-shaped blob hovered outside Yaslan City''s gates, inspecting the wanted posters plastered there.


    There were hundreds of them, featuring individuals from all sorts of races¡ªand even alien beasts.


    What startled Rita was recognizing a few of the names and faces.


    A blood elf and undead named Idon''tcare, a moon fox named Addison, and a goblin named Kabbibika...


    Every single one was her alias.

 Chapter 240 Lucias Past

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    The bounty for Idontcare was 3,000 gold coins.


    The bounty for Addison was 3,000 gold coins plus three bottles of epic-grade potions handmade by Mistblade Moon Emperor.


    The bounty for Kabbibika was 5,000 gold coins and three more bottles of those same potions.


    Mistblade... truly the object of everyone''s obsession.


    Nivalis: "Do you know anyone on the list?"


    Rita: "Yes, four of my sisters."


    Nivalis: "Should we rescue them?"


    Rita: (grimly) "They''re beyond saving."


    Nivalis: "What bad luck! Were they framed?"


    Rita: ...


    Look at you, killing the conversation again!


    After wandering around with Nivalis, Rita transformed into a dark-skinned minotaur, donned gear stolen from the RickThe Taylor Family siblings, and entered the city. The inspection process was noticeably stricter than last time. Sneaking around with her "pet," Rita made her way to Hecipah''s Alchemy Shop.


    Hecipah, as always, sat by the window with a book, enjoying beer and snacks. When she saw a minotaur''s head pop up near the window, she instinctively prepared to slap it away. But then she spotted the name¡ª[Hecipei].


    Hecipah: ?


    After greeting Hecipah, Rita entered through the front door and sat down beside her. Nivalis, upon seeing Hecipah, promptly hid in the pet space.


    Hecipah didn''t banter this time. Her mind was consumed with the alchemical methods of the Moon Fox race, which often ran counter to mainstream alchemy. When she first saw the book "Brewing Potions? All You Need is a Tail" gifted to Rita by Mistblade, she had sensed something unusual.


    Hecipah: "How''s your progress with [Melting Time]?"


    Rita sometimes wondered if Lucia had a "gain strength by teaching students" system.


    Lucia didn''t even favor talented children. She preferred teaching average ones, believing true geniuses didn''t need mentors, whereas average kids who loved alchemy needed guidance the most.


    Her innate abilities allowed her to travel freely, and she treated all races equally. She often had multiple students at the same time: teaching noble girls in a castle in the morning, young minotaurs on the grasslands in the afternoon, and sea sirens at night. Even intelligent alien beasts could become her students.


    She seemed like a kindhearted undead.


    But she was also ruthless. She never taught a student for more than five years. After that, regardless of their progress, she would leave to make time for new students.


    Rita remembered the noble girl from Hecipah''s autobiography. According to that story, Lucia had stayed at that castle teaching the girl for eight years, which directly contradicted her five-year rule.


    Anyone would think Lucia stayed there just for Hecipah.


    Rita: "Was she your teacher?"


    Hecipah hesitated. "No."


    Hecipah added, "You should be aware of this: she no longer formally accepts students, and she doesn''t like being called a teacher."


    Rita: "Why?"


    Lucia''s autobiography only recounted her years traveling across Lania Kaia, teaching students, and their struggles and determination. It didn''t mention why she stopped or what happened afterward.


    For example, why did she spend decades traveling, yet now, as Hecipah claimed, she mostly stayed in Eternal Day City?


    Hecipah sighed. "Because of a student she taught 23 years ago. A young oak owl who continued pursuing alchemy after Lucia left.


    "But without a patient teacher like Lucia¡ªan epic-level alchemist who treated all students equally¡ªthe owl couldn''t find anyone comparable.


    "After struggling for three years, the owl made a deal with a demon, exchanging the lives of children for alchemical talent. In less than ten years, the owl became a high-ranking alchemist.


    "One day, she stood outside the Alchemy Guild, shouting Lucia''s name. She demanded to know whether her newfound ''genius'' qualified her to make Lucia break her principles and stay, just as she had once stayed eight years for Hecipah.


    "...From that day on, Lucia stopped teaching children alchemy."

 Chapter 241 Eternal Night Fortress · Lucia

    At some point, Nivalis snuck out of her space, invisibly perched on Rita''s shoulder as she listened to the story of Lucia.


    After leaving the alchemy shop, the cow-and-dragon pair continued discussing Lucia.


    Nivalis revealed to Rita that back when she was still just a dragon egg, her mother, Holy Grail, had wanted to invite Lucia to be her tutor¡ªnot to teach her alchemy but simply to share stories about the world or have casual conversations.


    Holy Grail believed that Lucia was a true legend, someone whose vision, magnanimity, and emotions were worth learning from.


    But by the time Nivalis was born, Lucia had already stopped teaching students.


    Everyone understood that this master alchemist, who once claimed that true geniuses didn''t need guidance and that she wanted to dedicate her time to ordinary children, had long since broken her own vow.


    Though Lucia never admitted that Hecipah was her student, and Hecipah never called Lucia her teacher, the truth was undeniable. Lucia had stayed for eight years in one place¡ªfor Hecipah, a true alchemy prodigy.


    The holy races and alien beasts respected Lucia and kept silent out of admiration. No one dared to question her actions.


    After all, at that time, both Lucia and Hecipah were members of the undead race. By nurturing Hecipah''s talent, Lucia had contributed to her people. No one could fault her for it.


    But then came the stubborn student.


    That student sacrificed children of her own oak owl species to a demon, exchanging their lives for alchemical talent. Eventually, this student became a high-ranking alchemist.


    To atone for this, Lucia stayed in Eternal Day City, treating poor oak owl children for free. However, she still charged adult oak owls market rates.


    As Lucia bluntly put it: "I''m here to make amends for the little owlets, not you old birds! If you want to haggle, get lost!"


    Since the task of delivering the notebooks wasn''t too troublesome, Rita decided not to return to Blue Star. Instead, she and Nivalis headed straight to Eternal Day City.


    What she didn''t expect was that it would take over an hour just to track Lucia down. Hecipah had only mentioned that Lucia spent most of her time in Eternal Day City, without knowing her exact whereabouts.


    Lucia wasn''t as much of a homebody as Hecipah. She was restless by nature. In her younger days, she would travel extensively to teach, and even now, she rarely stayed in one place for long.


    By the time Rita considered drinking her second [Melting Time], she finally got a lead from a young oak owl after bribing him with food from her backpack.


    It was as if her watch was made of ice rather than metal.


    Rita didn''t touch the watch immediately. Instead, she calmly walked to a secluded spot, checked her surroundings with [Hunter''s Eye], and confirmed she was alone before pulling out the pocket watch.


    The source of the chill wasn''t the watch itself but the tiny [Wrathful Moon] bead inside.


    The moody, non-glowing lantern fragment was now faintly pulsing with light.


    What''s going on? Feeling better now?


    Rita glanced at the silver moon overhead. Did it find its original self?


    She had brought the lantern outside at night before, but those times were either for sneaky activities or brief outings. This time, it seemed to react differently.


    Maybe Blue Star''s moonlight isn''t the same as this one''s, she thought. Perhaps Wrathful Moon only absorbs native moonlight.


    Rita re-secured the pocket watch. While she didn''t know what a happy Wrathful Moon meant, it was surely better than an angry one. Your next read awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    After another bottle''s worth of searching, Rita finally found Lucia in an open-air tavern within Eternal Night Fortress.


    [Lucia ¡¤ Level 100 ¡¤ 100%©§100%]


    Even without detection skills, Rita recognized her immediately.


    Lucia''s photo in her autobiography was unforgettable.


    Despite being undead, Lucia had been converted by the Undead Monarch after abandoning all her faith upon death. In life, she had been a siren.


    Siren culture, rooted in the deep sea, emphasized physical fitness. Their legs could transform freely between human legs and fish tails, and their constant swimming kept them in peak physical condition.


    Lucia was no exception. Though she appeared slightly older than Hecipah, her exposed arms and abdomen displayed smooth, defined muscles.


    She was a stark contrast to Hecipah''s frail, sedentary figure, who spent her days in a shop indulging in cigarettes and alcohol.


    Lucia exuded raw strength, and one punch from her would probably leave Hecipah crying for days.

 Chapter 242 Lucia—The Master Educator

    Lucia, despite her undead nature, bore the telltale signs of her transformation. Her skin was deathly pale, devoid of any color. Her movements exuded a cold and eerie presence. The deep blue hair that marked her siren heritage had faded into a mix of blue and white. Her legs, which once transformed into shimmering tails in seawater, could no longer do so.@@@@


    Yet despite the deathly aura surrounding her, her gaze and smile were invigorating, uplifting the spirits of those around her.


    When Rita entered the tavern, Lucia was chatting with the barkeep. Whatever the barkeep said made Lucia burst into laughter.


    This image of Lucia was completely unlike what Rita had imagined. There was no despair, no melancholy, no guardedness toward the people around her. She wasn''t the loving, gentle figure Rita had expected either.


    Instead, Lucia was a force of life and energy, even in her undead form.


    Lucia was surrounded by people of various races, all vying for her attention. Wherever the conversation turned, she became the center of it.


    Rita chose not to disturb her. She found a seat in a corner, ordered ice cream for the invisible Nivalis, who hid between her and the wall, and waited patiently.


    Eavesdropping on the conversation, Rita realized most of it consisted of amusing anecdotes about students and children, none of which interested her. Not wanting to waste time, she took out Hecipah''s second notebook and began reading.


    This notebook was thinner than the first but contained much more advanced material. As she read, Rita''s ideas for a low-budget version of [Melting Time] became clearer. She started jotting down her thoughts in her own notebook, a habit she had developed after seeing even a genius like Hecipah keep meticulous notes.


    As she wrote, she suddenly sensed Nivalis retreat into the pet space.


    The next moment, a melodic voice resonated beside her, so beautiful it felt like a song:


    "Are you Hecipah''s student?"


    Rita froze mid-sentence. She stood up immediately and greeted the speaker with respect. "Lady Lucia."


    Lucia studied the minotaur in front of her for a few seconds before shaking her head. "This isn''t your true appearance."


    Lucia, suppressing laughter, replied, "The preparation of groundroot is flawed. Poor quality affects the potion. Try spraying it with calming flower juice and letting it sit for five minutes before use."


    A long pause followed. Then, from the bushes: "Thank you."


    Now, looking at this sharp-eyed, cautious minotaur, who had bristled defensively moments ago but immediately abandoned her vigilance at the prospect of learning, Lucia was certain.


    There was no need to ask further. This was clearly Hecipah''s student¡ªthe kind of student who could make even Hecipah take time out of her life to teach.


    Lucia decided this was someone worth investing her time in.


    For over an hour, she generously answered Rita''s questions, even building a lesson around the herbs needed for [Melting Time]. Rita listened, utterly absorbed.


    If Hecipah''s teaching was like a college student tutoring for pocket money, then Lucia was a master educator.


    For someone like Rita, still an alchemy novice, either teacher was more than adequate.


    Initially, Rita had intended to ask a few questions and leave. But by the end, she couldn''t bear to get up. When Lucia finally stopped, Rita realized how captivated she had been.


    I let my guard down...


    She had started out so wary she wouldn''t even drink the juice, yet now, after one lesson, she found herself admiring Lucia. She even felt a sense of accomplishment whenever one of her naive questions made Lucia laugh.


    In the end, she eagerly presented every potion she had ever brewed, seeking Lucia''s feedback.


    No matter how basic or clumsy her questions were, Lucia answered them patiently, expanding on related topics and teaching Rita how to think critically and identify core issues.


    In just one lesson, Lucia had accomplished what would have taken Hecipah ten.

 Chapter 243 Hello, Lucia, I Came to Lania Kaia Just to Meet You!

    After just an hour, Rita had a clear idea of how to brew a low-cost version of [Melting Time]. What amazed her was that Lucia hadn''t directly handed her the solution¡ªshe had skillfully guided Rita to figure it out on her own.


    More importantly, Lucia¡ªa legendary alchemist¡ªhad even complimented her efforts!


    Pre-lesson Rita: "I''m just here to deliver something, don''t try to involve me in anything else."


    Post-lesson Rita: "Hello, Lucia, I came to Lania Kaia just to meet you!"


    Rita smiled, thanked Lucia, and prepared to leave.


    Lucia chuckled. "Still pretending you don''t know what I want?"


    With a sigh, Rita sat back down. Of course, there''s no such thing as a free lunch.


    "What do you want me to do? Could you tell me first?"


    Lucia took out a potion bottle filled with swirling silver mist. "This tells me you''ve been exposed to moonlight."


    Rita scratched the back of her bovine head with a sheepish smile. "Haha, this is Eternal Night Fortress. Moonlight is everywhere. What do you mean?"


    She refrained from putting her pocket watch, containing the [Wrathful Moon], into her bag. Keeping things steady was the best approach for now.


    Lucia stowed the silver potion and instead placed a cobalt blue potion in front of Rita. "This is a gift, a reward for not wasting your talent."


    Rita internally groaned. Stop being so charismatic!


    She silently picked up the potion.@@@@


    [Gold-Class Assassin]:


    - For one natural day, your charm will be set to 5.


    Lucia sighed. "I only mentioned the rewards. I haven''t discussed payment yet.


    "Whether you succeed or not, I''ll pay you 50 bottles of [Gold-Class Assassin] upfront, simply for agreeing to help. I don''t have much useful intel, so I''m giving you a year to try. All I ask is that you make three serious attempts. You don''t have to succeed, just try your best.


    "If you agree to this, we can settle it with an oath, and I''ll give you the rewards immediately."


    Rita''s demeanor shifted. Her eyes sharpened, brimming with interest.


    For someone with a resurrection skill, the task''s lenient terms were hard to resist. Lucia didn''t demand success, only effort. But Rita still had reservations...


    Lucia took out a round gemstone and handed it to Rita. "I know you don''t want to share your real name with me. This is an Oath Stone. Make your promise to it. The penalty for breaking the oath is returning the rewards. If you''ve already used them, you can repay the equivalent value in gold coins."


    Rita marveled at how thoroughly Lucia addressed her concerns. Lucia was clever, accommodating, and kind.


    But admiration and goodwill didn''t dull Rita''s caution. She inspected the stone with detection skills, then briefly listed it on the auction house to verify its description. Only after confirming its legitimacy did she swear her oath.


    In a game-like world, swearing oaths was as routine as signing contracts.


    After the agreement was finalized and she received her rewards, Rita asked out of curiosity, "Do you want moon sand because it contains moonlight? Is it for crafting moonfox-exclusive potions?"


    Her deduction wasn''t hard to make. From the unfinished potion Lucia had shown her, it was clear she was already experimenting with moonlight alchemy. Perhaps Hecipah''s fascination with moonfox alchemy had originated with Lucia.


    "Yes," Lucia confirmed, pulling out a fingernail-sized transparent container. Inside was a small amount of silvery sand, beautiful and mysterious, like a tiny scoop of the galaxy sealed away.


    "This is what 1 gram of moon sand looks like," she explained, holding it out to Rita. "Take a look."


    Rita reached out to accept it.


    Just as her hand neared, Lucia pulled the container back, her expression turning serious.


    "You''re right. I''d better hold onto it myself."


    Rita: ???

 Chapter 244 0-10,000g (Moon Sand)

    Rita thought back to the books about Hecipah she had read. They were either autobiographies Hecipah wrote herself or exaggerated tributes penned by devoted fans. She realized she had no idea how Hecipah was truly perceived in Lania Kaia.


    The thought sent a shiver down her spine.


    And now, looking at Lucia''s "if you want it, go get it" attitude, she couldn''t help but feel these two were cut from the same cloth.


    Since Lucia wouldn''t let her hold the moon sand, Rita leaned in to observe it up close. As she did, the chill emanating from her pocket watch became more intense the nearer she got to the sand.


    Rita calmly studied it for a moment before sitting back down. "Why did you come to me?"


    It couldn''t just be because Lucia suspected she was the thief who had slipped out of the Moonfox City Library unscathed. That suspicion only arose after their conversation began. At the start, it was Lucia who had approached her as she sat in the corner.


    Lucia sighed with a smile. "I already told you why. My potion told me you had been near moonlight." Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire


    Before Rita could probe further, Lucia crossed her hands under her chin and tilted her head slightly, gazing at the silver moon above Eternal Night Fortress.


    "Whether you''ve come into contact with moon sand by chance or encountered those so-called children of destiny, it shows that you''re close to what I want. Even if you fail to take moon sand from Peach Moon Emperor, you might still obtain it by other means."


    Children of destiny? Rita instinctively repeated the term in her mind.


    Lucia spoke softly. "Yes. Many of the holy races mistakenly believe the moon loves all beings equally. That''s not true. The moon favors those who alter the course of history. It gravitates toward them, drawn to their destiny."


    Rita: What does that mean? Am I... a chosen one?


    She wiped condensation from her ice juice cup onto her hands and smoothed the fur on her ears and forehead using the tavern window as a mirror. Then she adjusted the custom nose ring she had made in Blue Star. Rita, you really need to maintain a better image when you''re out in public.


    Lucia continued, "But destiny has its ups and downs. Think of those legendary epics sung by bards. Ninety-nine percent of legendary figures suffer tragic fates. After all, how can one achieve true greatness if life is always smooth sailing?"


    Rita''s expression grew increasingly grim as she listened.


    Lucia, noticing this, turned back from the moon and found the minotaur across from her wearing a sorrowful, pensive look.


    "What''s wrong?" Lucia asked.


    Thanks to Lucia''s guidance and her growing understanding of [Melting Time], Rita felt confident she could create a low-level¡ªor "failed"¡ªversion of the potion within a few days.


    It wasn''t until she realized she hadn''t received food from Eleanor in several days that she noticed the date¡ªit was already October 7th.


    As she ate lunch with Nivalis, Rita opened her interface and calculated the benefits she had gained from Eleanor''s food. She had earned an additional 19 assignable attribute points. Although the chance of gaining points wasn''t 100%, the 63% trigger rate was astonishing.


    She wondered if other players had similar luck eating Eleanor''s meals.


    Previously, she had allocated 8 attribute points to Agility while fighting Black Jade. Adding the 11 remaining points plus the 6 she earned leveling from 8 to 9, Rita now had 17 unallocated points.


    She decided to invest them all into Agility.


    Rita didn''t believe in the "bucket theory." To her, the best approach was to maximize her strengths. Most importantly, her Agility finally broke 100.


    Current Attributes:


    - Strength: 54


    - Constitution: 53


    - Intelligence: 60+5 (from Phantom Dancer)


    - Agility: 106


    After closing the interface, she glanced at Nivalis, who was quietly eating her meal. During Rita''s recent bouts of intense study, Nivalis had behaved impeccably. She didn''t cause any trouble and even helped clean up the dragon dung in the yard to keep it from being scattered by the cats.


    The self-service vending machines upstairs were restocked by Nivalis, and when Rita forgot to eat, the little dragon would make instant noodles for her, even adding extra toppings to ensure she was full. She would carefully bring the bowl to Rita with a gentle smile that warmed her heart.


    Remembering this, Rita felt her heart melt. She pulled out 200 gold coins and placed them in front of Nivalis.


    "This month, your allowance is doubled!"


    Rita was growing more satisfied with Nivalis by the day. While the little dragon could be mischievous at times, she never caused problems when it really mattered.

 Chapter 245 Time is Like Dough—Stretch It, and Theres Always More

    After pacifying Nivalis, Rita contacted Shadow.Q.


    She had finally succeeded in creating a low-cost version of [Melting Time]. Though it used completely different herbs, the ingredients were largely analogous, and many steps had been simplified. The final product was a basic potion, but for the current Blue Star players, it was more than sufficient.


    [Rita]:


    [Time is Like Dough¡ªStretch It, and There''s Always More]:


    Reduces the cooldown of all player skills by 30 minutes. Cooldown: 10 minutes.


    Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire


    [Shadow.Q]:


    "My lady, name your price! How much for a bottle?"


    [Rita]:


    "This formula is my own creation. I''m willing to sell the recipe to you directly, but it''s a bit complex. While it''s just a basic potion, three steps can''t be automated and require an alchemist''s hands. The herb costs average around 50 silver coins, but you can gather them from low-level dungeons under level 10."


    [Shadow.Q]:


    "Our offer: we''ll waive the 1,200 gold coins you owe for buying [A Big World, A Small Me]. For each bottle Special Affairs Bureau produces for its own use, we''ll pay you 1 copper coin. If we sell the potion, you''ll receive 5% of the profits. This is the Special Affairs Bureau''s show of goodwill. Deal?"


    [Rita]:


    "Deal."


    The Special Affairs Bureau, having become familiar with Rita''s personality, didn''t lowball her. Perhaps they''d been coached, or perhaps they''d learned that generosity earned Rita''s favor. She wouldn''t say it outright, but she''d always repay such goodwill with valuable offerings in the future.


    Rita appreciated the terms. Most importantly, Shadow.Q distinguished between SAB''s self-use and sales revenue.


    As a result, the entertainment industry had grown quiet, while martial arts gyms, fitness centers, and weapon shops thrived.


    Rita searched for a long time before finding an entertainment lounge. Upon entering, she realized it seemed to be run by [The Nameless Ones]¡ªa group she remembered from news reports about Black Jade''s killing sprees in her past life.


    When she asked to learn mahjong, the proprietress led her to a table with three players already seated.


    "If you want to learn, they''re the only ones here at this time willing to teach you," the proprietress explained. "Oh, and no gambling here."


    Rita removed her mask and sunglasses as a courtesy. Before she could offer to pay for lessons, two of the players¡ªboth older women¡ªeagerly pulled her into a seat and began explaining the rules while shuffling the tiles.


    "To win, you usually need 14 tiles. You need a pair of identical tiles, and the remaining 12 tiles should form four sets of three. Each set can be either three identical tiles or a sequence..."


    They explained terms like kong, flower kong, and pure color (qingyise) while Rita listened intently.


    When they reached pure color, they clarified:


    "For pure color, all the tiles must belong to one suit¡ªdots, bamboo, or characters. No honor tiles like white dragons or red dragons are allowed!"


    Rita: Hmm? Oh no...


    She thought back to Mistblade''s irritated expression when drawing a four-character tile.


    Wait. Could Mistblade... have been trying to complete a pure color hand?


    The thought struck her as absurd, like someone playing poker and fretting over completing a full house.


    Rita wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. "Auntie Wang, what happens if someone interrupts a pure color hand?"


    She quickly fabricated an example. "Say, yesterday my mom''s game was interrupted by a power outage. Everyone left the table as-is, planning to resume later. But while I was practicing my skills, I accidentally destroyed one of her tiles. I didn''t realize at the time and replaced it with a random tile. Thinking back, it might not have matched the rest of her hand..."


    The table fell silent. Then, one of the women slammed her hand on the table, eyes wide.


    "Girl, your mom didn''t try to kill you?!"

 Chapter 246 Your Mahjong Skills Are Trash, Just Like Grey-Tier Gear

    Auntie Wang looked horrified, as though Rita had just confessed to a heinous crime. "Young lady, you need to go home and apologize to your mom immediately! This is no small matter!"


    The older man across the table nodded solemnly. "It''s practically the same as slapping your mom in the face."


    Even the proprietress, who had come over to bring water, joined the conversation. "You know, there are three major forms of disrespect to your parents, and breaking up their pure-color hand is one of them."


    The woman on Rita''s right sighed and shook her head. "If I were dead and my son burned me 11 matching tiles with a red dragon to complete the set, I''d claw my way out of the ground just to beat him up."


    Auntie Wang thought for a moment, then added, "Do you young people play Ludo? Imagine your plane is about to reach home, and someone knocks it back to the start. How would you feel?"


    Rita suddenly understood. The first time she ever punched Rick as a kid was because he knocked her plane back to the start in Ludo when it was just one square away from home.


    The older man noticed Rita''s grave expression, as if she''d been sentenced to death, and asked, "Was it your biological mom?"


    Rita hesitated. "...No."


    Auntie Wang, the older man, the woman on her right, the proprietress, and even a few eavesdropping patrons from nearby tables gasped in unison:


    "Then you''re doomed!"


    Are they rehearsing for a choir? Rita thought. That was way too synchronized!


    Rita had left home at 3 PM and arrived at the mahjong parlor just before 5. Her initial plan was to learn the rules, play a few rounds, and head back. But one round turned into an all-nighter.


    Everyone here was a player, many at high levels, so staying up all night was effortless.


    At one point, an irate Nivalis came storming in, demanding to know when Rita planned to go home. But before she could drag Rita away, another table short on players pulled her in.


    By 10 AM the next day, Shadow.Q arrived at the mahjong parlor, silently walking over to Rita''s table.


    By then, Rita and Nivalis had joined forces at the same table. To play properly, Nivalis had even transformed into a human-sized version of herself, about 1.7 meters tall, with a lollipop dangling from her mouth. Both had cups of iced milk tea by their sides, exuding the aura of seasoned players.@@@@


    Rita frowned as she handled her tiles, her thumb rubbing against the surface as if in deep contemplation. Finally, with a dissatisfied expression, she discarded a tile.


    "Three characters!"


    Shadow.Q stood in silence, horrified. It''s over. The future of the US is over.


    Shadow.Q cleared her throat. "Rita, have you eaten yet?"


    Rita, unable to stop thinking about Mistblade and the pure-color hand, nodded. "A bit..."


    Rita hadn''t dared to inspect Mistblade''s Divine Gift¡ªor Lucia''s, for that matter. Anytime the thought crossed her mind, a sense of foreboding stopped her.


    But Mistblade was level 120. The only reason Mistblade hadn''t killed her that day was because she had the mahjong tiles. If Mistblade were serious... taking her out would be effortless.


    It felt like she had provoked the game''s final boss fresh out of the starter village.


    Though she had pinned the blame on Rick, he wasn''t in Lania Kaia. If he were, she''d happily throw him to Mistblade to defuse the tension.


    Since Mistblade had detected the dragon scent on her, she''d been on edge. She even avoided selling dragon dung in Lania Kaia for fear of drawing attention.


    If only I could spread the dragon scent across all of Lania Kaia... Wait, why not?


    Rita''s eyes lit up with inspiration.


    She turned to Shadow.Q. "Does the Special Affairs Bureau have anyone who specializes in perfume-making?"


    Shadow.Q didn''t even need to check. "Yes, one of our colleagues played as a moonfox during the beta. He learned a lot and continued his studies after the beta ended. Why?"


    Rita hesitated, then explained. "Can they make perfume from someone''s body scent?"


    Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire


    Shadow.Q checked and soon replied, "Yes, but the fragrance only lasts three hours."


    Perfect. Rita''s plan was to incorporate the perfume into widely used potions and sell them at the Lania Kaia auction house. Meanwhile, she''d find ways to mask or alter Nivalis''s scent.


    If nothing else, the perfume could serve as an escape tool, disorienting pursuers.


    Not one to delay urgent matters, Rita dragged Shadow.Q to meet the perfume specialist immediately after lunch.


    After confirming his Divine Gift was legitimate, Rita outlined her request. "I need a semi-finished perfume. When I decide whose scent it should replicate, I''ll add their sweat, tears, or saliva to complete it. Can you do that?"


    The young man nodded. "Yes, but it''s a more complex process, so it''ll be pricier."


    Rita immediately ordered 100 bottles. Instead of paying in gold, the perfumer requested that Rita adjust his luck stat every day during her upcoming week of classes.


    For Rita, this was even better than paying outright. She agreed without hesitation.

 Chapter 247 Fickle Fate

    As they left the perfumer, Shadow.Q casually asked Rita and the little dragon perched on her shoulder, "So, can dragon tears be sold?"


    Nivalis wagged a claw in exaggerated disapproval. "Dragons do not cry."


    Rita pulled out a glass vial no larger than her pinky. "She''s telling the truth. No tears, but I''ve got a little dragon snot if that''s worth anything."


    Nivalis flew up to Rita''s face and pressed her forehead against Rita''s, fuming. "You dare insult the greatness of dragonkind!"@@@@


    With Nivalis so close, her tiny stature forced Rita''s eyes to cross. She quickly closed them. "Fine! Let Special Affairs Bureau trade for some limited-edition figurines. You can''t get dragon tears, but they can."


    Nivalis immediately turned to Shadow.Q with wide, hopeful eyes. "Will this much snot be enough? If it''s tears you need, I can squeeze some out. I''m a very emotional dragon!"


    Rita & Shadow.Q: ...


    After handing Nivalis over to Shadow.Q to choose her toys, Rita made her promise not to agree to anything without consulting her. Once Nivalis agreed, Rita headed off alone to teach her class.


    A New Mission


    After class, Shadow.Q didn''t send Rita home as usual. Instead, she invited her to a small conference room. Once seated, Shadow.Q got straight to the point.


    "We know your true strength far exceeds what you''ve shown. Are you interested in taking on a mission?"


    Rita raised an eyebrow. Does the Special Affairs Bureau really lack manpower? She couldn''t imagine Shadow.Q being this formal just to recruit her for a dungeon raid. "A mission? Are you short on people?"


    "This is a completely optional mission," Shadow.Q assured her. "There''s no moral pressure here." She paused before explaining further. "Have you ever wondered why, despite the 14th-level dungeons unlocking, we haven''t asked you or Nivalis to help clear them?"


    Rita nodded. "I have." But she hadn''t been overly concerned. Similar issues had arisen in her past life, and while people were initially alarmed, the SAB had somehow managed to keep things under control. After all, Blue Star had survived three years.


    "We know you don''t like working with others. That''s fine. You can operate solo. We''re simply adding another possibility to ensure success.


    "We''ll provide you with the best tools, equipment, and even skills. These can also serve as rewards upon mission completion. Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire


    "So, are you in?"


    Rita was curious how the SAB had handled this in her past life. After all, Peach Moon Emperor, the oak owl royal guarding the tower, wasn''t just any noble. Even if he wasn''t their king, his rank was undoubtedly high.


    But for Rita, there was little hesitation. She needed Moon Sand anyway.


    "I''ll take the mission," Rita said decisively. "However, any tools or equipment I use will be returned afterward. I''ll cover my own expenses and losses. I''ll also bring Nivalis to assist. But I have one condition:


    "If I obtain the contents of the clock hands, they belong to me. If you get them with my help, we''ll determine my share based on my contribution. This must be written into the game contract."


    Shadow.Q countered, "If you succeed but rely on our help, you''ll need to share the contents for research, based on our players'' contribution."


    Rita hesitated. On principle, she didn''t object. If she could share materials with Hecipah, why not with the SAB?


    But the negotiation wasn''t that simple.


    This mission had started with the SAB seeking her assistance, and she''d already agreed to forgo their promised rewards in exchange for pursuing the Moon Sand.


    In matters of morality, she ought to help for free. But a mission was a mission. Mixing obligations with compensation was as ridiculous as talking about dreams during salary negotiations.


    Rita''s expression turned serious. "In that case, I won''t waive the initial rewards you promised. Every tool, piece of equipment, and skill I use will be included as part of the deal."


    Shadow.Q''s eyes narrowed slightly. "You seem to know what''s inside those clock hands."


    Rita smirked faintly. "Not much. Just extremely high-grade alchemical materials."

 Chapter 248 A Long-Term Mission

    After weighing the pros and cons of both options, Shadow.Q quickly settled on the second plan: during the mission, Rita would keep any tools or equipment she used as rewards, but the contents of the clock hands would be distributed based on contributions.


    Although the exact nature of the materials inside the clock hands remained a mystery, any experienced gamer would know that compared to tools and equipment¡ªwhich inevitably lose value over time¡ªhigh-level, mysterious materials hold greater long-term potential.


    The value of the former diminishes with time, while the latter''s possibilities are limitless.


    As Rita signed the contract, she sighed inwardly. This mission left her no choice but to give it her all. The task was not only of critical importance but also held stakes regarding the ownership of the Moon Sand. In this, she and the Special Affairs Bureau were both collaborators and competitors.


    Luckily, Rita had an ace up her sleeve. Even if the Bureau ended up with the larger share of the Moon Sand, she could leverage the martial arts manuals she had taken from the Moonfox City Library. These manuals required significant physical aptitude, with all four main attributes needing to exceed 30 to practice. For Blue Star players, even those distributing their points evenly would need to reach level 15 or higher before they could use them.


    By the time this mission concluded, the manuals would make for a perfectly timed trade with the Bureau.


    Once the contract was signed, Shadow.Q gave Rita some advice.


    "In the meantime, we hope you''ll devote as much energy as possible to leveling up. Whether or not you have equipment, we''ll do our best to outfit you with gear appropriate for your level. While our people in Lania Kaia continue to gather intel on the tower, the artist will work on completing the clock face. Once both are ready, we''ll make our first attempt. If all goes smoothly, we aim to act by the end of December.


    "This is a long-term mission. We''ll keep trying until we succeed."


    "I understand. I''ll do my best," Rita assured her.


    "Do you have access to dungeon resources? If not, we can provide them," Shadow.Q offered.


    "I do."


    With business settled, Rita took the opportunity to inquire about Zoey.


    Recently, she''d been keeping an eye on the Pet Rankings. After Black Jade was taken, there was no way Zoey would let it go. The Special Affairs Bureau would undoubtedly ensure Zoey got an explanation if they wanted to keep using her [Hope''s Anthem]. So Rita checked the rankings daily.


    At lunch, Rita noticed that Zoey had climbed onto the rankings with a new pet: Greenwine, a koala.


    Curious about what made this koala special enough to replace Black Jade, Rita asked Zoey directly. But Zoey, ever the professional, offered little detail despite their close relationship, simply mentioning that the koala was "pretty cute."


    Rita didn''t press further. Zoey''s current situation was far from her concern. The one who should be more anxious, furious, and frustrated was Rick.


    Rita wasn''t planning on killing Zoey¡ªnot until Zoey''s [Hope''s Anthem] was no longer useful to the Special Affairs Bureau. Ten attribute points in 300 days might not mean much to her personally, but for the Bureau and Blue Star as a whole, it was invaluable.


    Shadow.Q''s offer had reignited her determination. For the sake of [Wrathful Moon], she would obtain the Moon Sand, no matter what.


    Stirring the Pot


    While Rita was busy ambushing stray creatures in dark corners, eating meals mid-battle, and farming attribute points, Rick reached out to her via private message.


    His grievances alternated between needing help and venting about his problems.


    Before, it was complaints about Zoey slapping him. Now, it was Black Jade.


    Rita offered little comfort. She wasn''t about to shower Rick with gifts, but she had plenty of poisonous advice.


    - "Take my advice, Rick. Go apologize to Zoey. With her and The Lopez Family, you might actually stand a chance against Black Jade." And maybe drag Black Jade into The Lopez Family''s chaos.


    - "Of course I''m on your side! Sure, I attended her concert, but I''m rooting for you."


    - "If you want to punish Black Jade, just say the word. I''ll borrow Nivalis''s strength and break her other horn for you!"


    - "Living off someone else? It''s not shameful. If Zoey''s willing, you''d be a fool to refuse."


    - "Technically, you saved her. What right does she have to hold a grudge?"


    - "See? Even Mom and Dad bicker constantly, but they''re happy together. Original pairs are the best."


    - "She already has a new pet. Her anger must''ve cooled. Now''s the perfect time to make peace."


    - "I don''t know what Greenwine''s Gift is. I couldn''t get her to say."


    - "I know this is wrong, but have you thought about blaming Aaron and Ezra? I know you''re too kind-hearted to consider it... but it''s better than taking Black Jade''s wrath alone."


    Rita''s words dripped with sarcasm and subtle provocation. Not that Rick needed much help¡ªEzra was already being hunted by The Lopez Family and The Jones Family for allegedly stealing from them.


    Aaron had fared slightly better, only targeted by The Lopez Family. Still, forum posts suggested he had abandoned Ezra to escape the overwhelming pursuit.


    Rita added fuel to the fire by anonymously posting a bounty on Ezra''s head: 1,000 gold coins, payable upon delivery of his severed head. To ensure efficiency, she included a detailed description of Ezra''s Divine Gift, letting prospective hunters weigh their chances.

 Chapter 249 Breaking 100 Across All Stats!

    A week later, Rita sat cross-legged on the ground, a heavily armored elite squad leader from the opposing faction unconscious before her. As she chewed on some digestion tablets to stave off nausea from overeating, she continued shoveling healing food into her mouth while repeatedly using her skills on the fallen soldier.


    Just as she felt like she might vomit, she succeeded.


    Finally, the last Constitution point was hers. Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire


    Now, her base stats¡ªexcluding equipment bonuses¡ªhad all reached 100. Both her HP and MP had surpassed the 5000 mark!


    [HP]: 5850/5850


    [MP]: 6750/6750


    [Strength]: 100


    [Constitution]: 100


    [Intelligence]: 100


    [Agility]: 106


    Rita allocated the six unspent points from leveling up to Agility, pushing it to 112, before finally stepping out of the dungeon, satisfied.


    At this point, her base stats rivaled those of a level 76 Blue Star player, based on the initial average of 7 points per stat for new players.


    The only thing she lacked compared to a level 76 player was the ability to equip their high-level gear. Her strongest equipment currently were [Meteor] and [Ember], both around level 20 quality.


    As she exited the dungeon, she scooped up Nivalis, who was still deeply engrossed in a game of mahjong, and placed the little dragon on her shoulder.


    For the past few days, Rita had been splitting her time between teaching classes for the Special Affairs Bureau and grinding attribute points in the dungeon. She decided it was time to head to Lania Kaia to gather information on Eternal Night Fortress and the mysterious Peach Moon Emperor.


    Additionally, her inventory was overflowing with equipment she had stolen or looted; it needed clearing before her bag ran out of space entirely.


    Preparing for the Journey Before leaving, Rita picked up her order of 200 custom-made mahjong tiles from a parcel locker outside her apartment.


    So far, she had only seen circle and character tiles, so she had ordered only those two suits for her personal set. Though she didn''t plan to make mahjong widely known in Lania Kaia, keeping a set on hand for emergencies felt prudent.


    In a crisis, she could scatter the tiles as a distraction, potentially buying herself a few precious seconds to activate her escape skills.


    Kayden leaned closer as well, her small forehead pressing against Rita''s massive minotaur nose. "What kind of package are we talking about?"


    "The priciest one," Rita replied.


    Kayden smirked. "Follow me. This is premium content. Let''s go somewhere with fewer undead around."


    "That makes sense."


    Behind them, Hecipah muttered to herself, "How did Lucia deal with so many unruly students? I can barely handle two."


    Secrets and Plans In the shop''s backyard, Kayden accepted a "throat-clearing fee" of 10 gold coins before asking, "What do you want to know?"


    Rita had prepared her questions on the way over.


    1. "Who can provide the latest and most comprehensive intel on Eternal Night Fortress?"


    2. "What unspoken rules should outsiders know about Eternal Night Fortress?"


    3. "What do you know about the clock tower in Eternal Night Fortress?"


    Kayden admitted her knowledge was outdated but suggested that someone more entrenched in local life would have better answers.


    Finally, she made an additional offer. "I have two pieces of intel about the Oak Owls. I''ll sell them to you for 50 gold. Trust me, you won''t regret it."


    Half an hour later, Rita left the alchemy shop with a much heavier heart.


    Kayden''s answers had been worth the trip.


    - First tip: "At three o''clock from the Eternal Night Fortress clock tower, there''s a gourd-shaped island. On it is a rundown tavern. Inside, you''ll find a ghost named Gota who knows everything about Eternal Night Fortress. As long as you''re willing to pay, he''ll happily sell his knowledge."


    This information might or might not have been worth the 5 gold coins she''d paid.


    But the two pieces of Oak Owl intel for 50 gold?


    Her initial reaction had been relief¡ª"Glad I bought it."


    But her immediate follow-up thought?


    "...But maybe it would''ve been better not to know."

 Chapter 250 Earn Millions a Year Running a Fried Chicken Shop

    Kayden''s first piece of intel was chilling:


    - "The Oak Owls are skilled in cultivation. Anyone entering their floating islands will likely come into contact with a plant seed called Pigeonweed. Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    - This seed is undetectable to most species because it''s present in the island''s water supply. If you''ve ever eaten their food or drunk their water, the seeds will have entered your system.


    - Pigeonweed doesn''t harm you outright, but if you try to harm an Oak Owl, 20% of the damage you deal will rebound onto yourself.


    - Worse, if you kill an Oak Owl while parasitized, your skin will turn red, marking you as an enemy to all Oak Owls. The duration of this status depends on how many you''ve killed and their rank."@@@@


    Rita finally understood why Lucia had been so insistent about her juice being imported from Yalan City.


    But it was already too late.


    While Rita hadn''t drunk the juice Lucia offered, she had casually purchased and sampled local delicacies during her first visit to Eternal Night Fortress.


    In fact, she''d made a habit of trying dishes from all 36 major cities. As a result, Pigeonweed was almost certainly lurking in her body.


    It was essentially the equivalent of being "red-named" in a video game after killing other players¡ªexcept this was a one-sided penalty, and she hadn''t even noticed!


    Kayden mentioned that even Hecipah hadn''t found a way to deal with Pigeonweed. Apparently, Hecipah had been parasitized during her early years of wandering, and even now, decades later, she was still affected.


    The kicker?


    Only those already parasitized could retain knowledge of Pigeonweed. If an unaffected person heard about it, they would quickly forget.


    Even warnings like "don''t eat Oak Owl cuisine" didn''t work; the more you told people not to do something, the more curious they became.


    Kayden concluded, "This piece of intel is free. You need it more than I need the money."


    The Second Piece of Intel


    Kayden''s second piece was less about survival and more... horrifyingly bizarre:


    - "Anyone, regardless of species, who''s willing to pledge themselves to an Oak Owl under the Four Seasons Nest in Four Seasons City, will grow wings like the Oak Owls and gain the ability to fly.


    - Even if you part ways, the wings won''t disappear but will shrink to a minuscule size, representing the love that once existed."


    Rita: "How small are we talking?"


    Kayden: "About the size of the spicy wings you treated me to last time."


    Rita handed Gota the slip of paper Kayden had given her.


    His expression softened slightly as he motioned for her to follow.


    The two left the noisy tavern and navigated a series of winding paths before stopping under a tree.


    After scanning their surroundings with various tools and skills, Gota finally spoke. "What kind of intel are you buying?"


    Straight to the Point


    Rita had no interest in small talk with strangers. "Everything about Eternal Night Fortress. Tell me what you consider worth selling. Give me half first, set your price, and I''ll evaluate its value. Once we agree, I''ll pay, and you''ll give me the rest. Deal?"


    Gota seemed satisfied with her directness. "You''ll need to narrow it down. If I start on Eternal Night Fortress, we''d be here for days."


    "Then tell me about the clock tower," Rita replied.


    The Price of Secrets


    Gota nodded. "The tower has only one entrance. From December 15th to 17th, during the Oak Owls'' Hazelnut Festival, the fewest guards will be stationed there.


    "As for more details about the tower itself... 300 gold."


    Sensing Rita''s hesitation, Gota added, "I''m not trying to scam you. You''re Kayden''s friend, so I''ll be honest: other intel about Eternal Night Fortress is cheap¡ªno more than 50 gold per piece.


    "But anything related to the tower? Always three digits. It''s not information you can get without long-term access to the Oak Owls."


    Rita had already decided to buy it. "Do you have to enter the tower to see [Fate Out of Sync]?" she asked.


    "Yes."


    Rita handed over the 300 gold without further delay. "Go on."


    Gota''s Revelation


    Pocketing the gold, Gota stepped back, keeping a cautious distance before speaking.


    "The area around the clock tower is protected by a formation. Whether you''re aiming for the clock face or the tower''s peak, there''s only one way in: the tower''s sole entrance.


    "Inside, the tower contains the destiny nodes of the Oak Owls'' long history. Once you enter, you''ll randomly find yourself in one of these nodes.


    "Complete the trial, and you''ll reach the tower''s peak¡ªthe closest point to the moon in all of Lania Kaia."

 Chapter 251 If Talent Shows Arent Hosted by the Oak Owls, Im Not Watching

    "All Oak Owls consider reaching the tower''s peak a lifelong honor. Whenever an Oak Owl succeeds, [Fate Out of Sync] rings out, and at least one Owl Sovereign will personally appear to congratulate the climber. Most Oak Owls in Eternal Night Fortress, unless preoccupied with pressing matters, will ascend into the sky to celebrate this triumph over destiny.


    "But if someone fails, they''ll be expelled from the island via a chute beneath the tower. Oak Owls can fly back up, but other saint races will need to find their own way.


    "Huh? Why call it triumphing over destiny? Well, the tower is open to all saint races, but regardless of what race someone is before entering, upon leaving the tower, a pair of Light Wings will manifest on their back within ten breaths.


    "At first, people didn''t think much of it since Light Wings differ greatly from Oak Owl wings. But then the three great Owl Sovereigns came forward and recognized these climbers, publicly declaring the Light Wings as a reward of the tower and bestowing upon them the title of Light Owls.


    "Afterward, things got complicated. Their original kin stopped trusting them, and they couldn''t return to their old lives. Over time, it became accepted that these climbers were effectively transformed into Oak Owls.


    "But honestly, if someone doesn''t care about racial pride, it''s not a big deal. The Oak Owls treat these converted Light Owls quite well, granting them the same status and benefits as native Oak Owls."


    Rita''s heart sank deeper with every word. Involuntary talent acquisition plus forced migration!


    To make matters worse, the Owl Sovereign would personally show up, and at least half the city''s Oak Owls would ascend into the sky to celebrate.


    If talent shows aren''t hosted by the Oak Owls, I''m not watching anymore.


    If she succeeded in reaching the top, not only would she sprout Light Wings and lose her human identity, but she''d also have to steal from under the watchful eyes of all the Oak Owls present and at least one Owl Sovereign.


    300 gold coins didn''t buy her intel¡ªit bought her despair.


    Rita couldn''t help but start doubting Lucia. If Gota knew all of this, could a world-renowned figure like Lucia, who''d taught countless students, really be unaware?


    Especially given how grandly the Oak Owls celebrated tower climbers...


    How could Lucia claim she had little useful information to share? Did she believe this was common knowledge and that the real challenge lay in acquiring Moon Sand?


    Gota continued, "The leaders of the other eleven saint races don''t want their people knowing about the tower. They''ve banned the spread of information regarding Eternal Night Fortress Tower.


    "Any of their citizens caught entering it face strict penalties. Over time, many saints came to believe the tower was simply a place for transforming into Oak Owls. But that''s not entirely true¡ªrumor has it that treasures are hidden within the destiny nodes inside the tower."


    What, worried about a brain drain?


    After receiving the funds, Rita compiled her findings into a detailed report and sent it over. Then she visited a clothing store to buy some Oak Owl attire before sneaking into a sewer to disguise herself.


    She drank a dose of [Melting Time] and transformed into a small Oak Owl with tiny wings on her back, adopting the name "Cookie."


    Dressed in new clothes and adorned with the Bear Cookie she''d purchased from Gota, she went barefoot like the other Oak Owls.


    Following Gota''s guidance, she soon located the largest library in Eternal Night Fortress.


    Inside the Library


    The Oak Owls cherished their young deeply, as evidenced by their treatment of Bear Cookies. The libraries of Eternal Night Fortress, Polar Day City, and Four Seasons City were all free for Oak Owls under the age of 15.


    The first three floors were open at all times, offering food and learning resources at no cost.


    Other saint races under 15 could also enter, but had to purchase a 1-gold ticket. However, their access was limited to designated areas containing Oak Owl history, literature, and critical expose?s of the other saint races.


    Following Gota''s directions, Rita found herself before an imposing wall of books and quickly spotted the one he''d mentioned: "The Twelfth Saint Race: Oak Owls."


    The book''s opening line sent her reeling:


    "In the year 7197 of the Ruincor Calendar, three heroes¡ªPeach Crown, Pine Bloom, and Maple Syrup¡ªswore an oath beneath the tower:


    ''One day, Oak Owl wings will cleave through Lania Kaia''s skies. Acorn crests will be etched upon its land. All living things in Lania Kaia shall be engulfed in flames. The order and laws of Lania Kaia shall be rewritten by the Oak Owls!''"


    Rita reread the passage and the title multiple times before coming to a grim realization. Between the lines, the book seemed to whisper one phrase:


    "If you can''t beat them, join them."


    So much for their promises to bring carnage to Lania Kaia.


    Instead of becoming its scourge, the Oak Owls had risen as its Twelfth Saint Race.


    Even worse, the three original rebels¡ªPeach Crown, Pine Bloom, and Maple Syrup¡ªwere now revered as Owl Sovereigns.


    Was this a preface or an incriminating backstory?

 Chapter 252 �Divine Gift】 Best Supporting Role (B-Class)

    Rita spent the better part of the day in the library, occasionally taking a sip of [Time Is Always Squeezable] to reduce the cooldown of her [Disguise!] skill. Though it couldn''t compare to [Melting Time] in convenience, the situation wasn''t urgent. By relying on quantity over potency, she could conserve her [Melting Time] reserves.


    It wasn''t until Nivalis''s voice popped into her mind, asking if she would be back for dinner, that Rita realized it was already 11 p.m. on Blue Star.


    Packing up her books, she left the library but felt increasingly hollow as she walked.


    Had she really spent the entire day playing it safe? Disguised as she was and armed with [I Really Don''t Have Time to Shower], doing absolutely nothing mischievous felt strangely unsettling.


    After telling Nivalis that she wouldn''t be coming back, Rita changed direction and approached the library''s lost-and-found counter. She took out one of her custom mahjong tiles from Blue Star and handed it to the elderly Oak Owl at the desk.


    "Good evening," she said politely. "I found this while reading and thought I should turn it in."


    The old Oak Owl smiled and placed the mahjong tile into a transparent box filled with miscellaneous items¡ªfallen Oak Owl feathers, discarded Bear Cookies, and other lost objects.


    Rita left the library, looking for all the world like a responsible little Oak Owl simply returning a found item. But instead of leaving entirely, she joined the crowd on the street, waited for an opportunity, then transformed into a small bird. She quickly took flight and perched on the library''s rooftop, peering through a window to observe the lost-and-found counter.


    Inside, Oak Owls and other races passed by the counter without taking any notice. Rita remained patient, aware that transforming into an animal temporarily interrupted her disguise skill. She''d have to wait three hours for its cooldown to reset, and since she''d already consumed a fair amount of potions earlier, she decided to wait out the timer here.


    As the hours passed, Rita kept her eyes on the counter while mentally reviewing and organizing the information she''d gathered that day.


    By the time her [Disguise!] cooldown ended, there was still no sign of anyone reacting strangely to the mahjong tile. Unconcerned, she spread her wings and glided into an alley, reemerging as the small Oak Owl named Cookie, her worn Bear Cookies dangling from her waist.@@@@


    She used the Eternal Night Fortress teleportation array to travel to the southeastern gate of Polar Day City. Exiting through the gates, she used Blink Step to reach the floating island where she had previously encountered Mistblade. There, she located the small general store owned by the Oak Owl named Vanilla¡ªthe same storekeeper who had once tried to buy a mahjong tile for five gold coins.


    Vanilla''s [Divine Gift] Best Supporting Role (Grade B)


    The Oak Owl''s expression didn''t change, but his eyes sharpened with sudden intensity. He reached eagerly for the tile, but Rita pulled it back just in time. The motion seemed to snap Vanilla out of his trance.


    He hesitated, then withdrew his hand. "...Never mind," he muttered. After a pause, he added, "Come back in three days. I''ll pay a high price then."


    Vanilla''s reaction didn''t disappoint Rita. On the contrary, it delighted her.


    His hesitation and restraint suggested he had recently obtained a treasure and was now wary of triggering another backlash from fate.


    Moreover, his pained expression and carefully chosen words confirmed that he, like Rita, understood the value of mahjong tiles. However, without handling the tile directly, he couldn''t determine its authenticity.


    True mahjong tiles had subtle but definitive differences from her custom Blue Star replicas. For example:


    - Genuine mahjong tiles appeared unassuming, with no information or labels. This lack of features was precisely what made them unique.


    - By contrast, her custom replicas displayed the gray-text label "[Miscellaneous] Mahjong" and could be stacked in inventory, unlike the real ones.


    - Most importantly, genuine tiles were indestructible, even against Grade A skills.


    To verify any of this, one would need to physically handle the tile. Unlike Mistblade, who had instantly recognized the Four Ten-Thousand without touching it, Vanilla couldn''t discern authenticity without firsthand contact.


    Rita''s demeanor shifted. Gone was the timid, clueless Oak Owl. She now held the mahjong tile firmly, her expression calm and composed.


    In a low voice, she asked, "I''m not here to sell. I want to trade. Is your master looking for Circle Tiles or Wan Tiles?"


    Vanilla''s head snapped up. He stared at the small Oak Owl for a long moment, his face unreadable. Finally, he asked, "Where did you get the Bear Cookies you''re wearing?"

 Chapter 253 Pain! Such Pain! Shes Starting to Understand Mistblade!

    Rita''s heart skipped a beat. She didn''t understand how Bear Cookies had given her away. Did they have some kind of mark? But her face remained calm, and she even gave a helpless smile.


    "You caught me... Fine, this is my disguise. So, are we trading?" She opened her palm, revealing two Dot Suit tiles. "My master doesn''t need this suit, anything else will do."


    She wasn''t sure what this clever Oak Owl wanted, but she had to take a gamble. If the other side didn''t want Dot Suit either... then she''d have to summon Nivalis and use the Thieving Dragon Hatchling skill to rewind time.


    The shopkeeper Vanilla showed no disappointment at not extracting any information. He weighed the pros and cons in his head.


    "My master wants all types of tiles. If we trade, what''s in it for me? You offering me two for one?"


    "Of course not!" Rita scoffed. "It''s a one-for-one trade! But I know what you''re saying¡ªsince I''m the one asking, I can pay a bit extra. But first, I need to see what you''ve got."


    "I''m willing to trade," Vanilla replied sharply. "But I''ll have to confirm the authenticity of your tiles first."


    "Fair," Rita nodded. "We''ll show each other at the same time."


    "Deal."


    The two stared at each other from across the counter, tension mounting. Rita subtly stood on tiptoe to ensure her presence wasn''t completely dwarfed by the adult Oak Owl.


    Inwardly, she regretted not taking on an adult form. She hadn''t expected this shopkeeper to be so sharp. Even though Oak Owls were known for their love and care toward children, this one showed no signs of lowering his guard.


    Slowly, they extended their hands toward each other, tiles in hand.


    Just as their hands almost touched, Rita dropped a soda can onto the floor, which clattered loudly. Seizing the moment, she stomped on the can, sending it skittering into a corner.@@@@


    By the time she had consumed three plates of healing food to restore her own health, she finally extracted something new¡ªa Nine Bamboo tile.


    It was so painful. The realization struck her like a hammer: she was starting to understand Mistblade''s frustration when she had reluctantly taken the Four Characters tile.


    Biting her lip, Rita carefully placed the Nine Bamboo into her inventory.


    She checked the Honor Board¡ªsure enough, she''d gained another 10,000 honor points.


    She suspected that Vanilla might have more hidden tiles. His streak of bad luck could mean multiple reasons: perhaps he had already handed over one tile to his master, or maybe he had received another treasure instead.


    Regardless, the risks were too high. This shop was too close to Eternal Day City''s main hub, and Vanilla''s special status meant any further delay could lead to discovery.


    After lowering his health to 50%¡ªearning herself a 20% damage reflection penalty due to the Oak Owl curse¡ªRita slipped him a high-grade poison followed by another sleeping potion. A final Iceflower Seal completed her preparations, ensuring Vanilla would die within the next 8 minutes.


    This would give her ample time to escape, even if he had left traps or mechanisms in place.


    Yet as soon as Vanilla''s health dipped below 50%, the shop''s door slammed shut. A blinding array of three magical formations activated at once, transforming the store into a massive cage.


    Rita''s heart sank as magical runes lit up beneath her feet and Vanilla''s body.


    You''ve got to be kidding me! Your life alert system triggers at 50% HP?! That''s higher than my phone''s low-battery mode!


    With lightning-fast reflexes, Rita tried to use Phantom Blink to teleport outside the shop. However, while her magic energy was still accessible, the spell itself failed¡ªher skills had been sealed within the shop!


    Without hesitation, she switched tactics and activated her item skill I''m in a Hurry, teleporting to a corner of the store instead of aiming for the exit. This time, it worked. She narrowly avoided the glowing chains shooting out of the trap.

 Chapter 254 I Swear Allegiance to Mistblade Moon Emperor!

    Rita''s mind worked at lightning speed, strategizing her escape. She whipped out [Meteor] and unleashed [Rain of Hatred] followed by several explosive arrows, instantly draining the life bar of the prone shopkeeper, Vanilla.


    As Vanilla died, a faint red glow spread across Rita''s skin, but she had no time to examine its significance.


    Quickly scanning the area, she noticed that every shelf was shielded by feather-shaped light projections, protecting the goods within. Outside the shop, the sound of countless acorns falling onto dry leaves¡ªa unique Oak Owls alarm¡ªgrew louder and denser.


    Switching her [Scout Mode] to full power, Rita meticulously searched every nook and cranny of the shop. As she passed a corner, she grabbed the empty soda can she had kicked earlier, its effect long expired.


    Finally, she spotted two small characters, "Secret Room", engraved above a shelf. Without hesitation, she launched a barrage of Magic Missiles, blowing the shelf aside and exposing a hidden passage.


    Rita directed her shadow double into the passage to scout for an exit while she returned to Vanilla''s body. From his remains, she retrieved a Bear Cookies charm and slipped one of her decoy Blue Star Mahjong tiles into his hand.


    The falling acorn alarm intensified, echoing from every direction. Rita, sensing the encroaching encirclement, drank a bottle of [Melting Time] to reset her cooldowns.


    She used her Disguise Tool to change her ID to "Flea" and adjusted her health to 1/1 before transforming into a small spider and crawling into Vanilla''s ear.


    In the hidden room below, her shadow double discovered nothing of note and dissipated as she activated Animagus, fully concealing herself.


    She clung to the coarse hairs inside Vanilla''s ear, breathing as shallowly as possible, focusing on suppressing her presence.


    She had no intention of wasting her precious Escape Gems, a resource so rare that even Hecipah charged an astronomical 5,000 gold coins for one. Shadow.Q often teased her for being greedy, but compared to Hecipah, Rita considered herself downright charitable.


    Seconds later, the shop door burst open. The sound of bare feet shuffling in filled the space as multiple Oak Owls entered.


    Some stopped near Vanilla''s body, while others proceeded into the secret room. Rita braced herself for the worst, preparing to trigger her Flame Ring if exposed.


    Soon, the body beneath her shifted. Through the narrow ear canal, she saw a bare foot casually kick Vanilla''s arm, causing the Blue Star Mahjong tile in his hand to tumble onto the floor.


    A soft, melodic laugh echoed as the foot gently pressed down on the tile, crushing it into powder as if it were a delicate flower.


    Moments later, footsteps returned from the secret room.


    "Any findings?" asked the melodic voice.


    Another voice replied, "Detected skills: [Ice Blossom Seal], [Rain of Hatred], [Explosive Arrow], [Shadow Manipulation], [Magic Missile], and [Phantom Shift]."


    Rita''s heart raced as though a school principal had just announced her web browsing history over the loudspeakers. Despite the anxiety, she noted that [Disguise!] was not mentioned. Could it be because she had used it before entering the shop? Or perhaps Divine Gift skills were undetectable?


    Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Rita''s anxiety grew as the Oak Owls left one by one, leaving her alone with Maple Cang. The barrier hummed faintly, a reminder that escape was impossible without first dismantling its intricate enchantments.


    Maple Cang, still holding her red maple leaf, approached slowly. Despite her radiant and vibrant appearance, there was an air of lethal grace in every step, as if even her casual movements could crush the unwary.


    "You''re here for the Mahjong tiles, aren''t you?" Maple Cang said abruptly, her voice calm but laced with amusement.


    Rita feigned surprise and a hint of indignation. "What Mahjong tiles? I don''t know what you''re talking about! I came here because I heard the shopkeeper had rare items for trade, but I got caught in this chaos."


    Maple Cang''s sharp eyes seemed to pierce through her words, but she only smiled. "Rare items, you say? And yet, you left his secret passage untouched and came back to fight. A bold move for someone who claims innocence."


    Rita cursed inwardly at the Oak Owl''s keen observation but maintained her facade. "The secret passage? I didn''t trust it! I''ve heard stories of traps in places like these. I''m not foolish enough to walk into an obvious death trap."


    The red maple leaf in Maple Cang''s hand began to emit a faint glow as it floated lazily back into the air, orbiting her like a protective charm. Her tone grew softer but no less menacing. "It doesn''t matter why you''re here. What matters is what I decide to do with you now."


    Rita stiffened, readying herself mentally for any sudden attack. Despite her act of being a humble Three-Tailed Moonfox, she knew Maple Cang wasn''t fooled so easily.


    "Fortunately for you," Maple Cang continued, her smile widening, "I appreciate those who understand power and respect its authority. Your mention of the Moon Emperor intrigues me. Perhaps I will let you live... for now."


    Rita seized the opportunity, bowing her head slightly. "Thank you, Lady Maple Cang. The Moon Emperor holds the Oak Owls in the highest regard. She would not wish for any misunderstanding between our kinds."


    Maple Cang raised her chin, clearly pleased by the deference. "Mistblade Moon Emperor... I''ve heard much about her. If you truly serve her, then perhaps your intrusion here can be forgiven. However," she leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing, "there will be conditions."


    Rita forced herself to maintain composure under the intense gaze. "What conditions?"


    "First," Maple Cang said, "you will leave Everbright City immediately and not return unless summoned. Second, if the Moon Emperor wishes to compensate me, she must do so in person."


    Rita''s heart sank at the second condition but nodded slowly. "Understood. I will relay your words to the Moon Emperor."


    Maple Cang straightened, the glowing maple leaf returning to rest in her palm. "Good. Remember, little fox, strength respects strength, but weakness without submission is insubordination. Do not test my patience again."


    With a flick of her hand, the barrier surrounding the shop dissolved, and Maple Cang turned toward the exit. Before leaving, she cast one final glance over her shoulder. "Be sure to choose your allegiances wisely, ''Mistveil.'' Lania Kaia is no place for foolish decisions."


    As soon as Maple Cang was gone, Rita collapsed to the ground, her body shaking from a combination of relief and adrenaline. Her gamble had paid off, but she was acutely aware of how close she had come to death.


    "Swear allegiance to Mistblade Moon Emperor, huh?" she muttered to herself with a bitter smile. "Guess I wasn''t lying after all."


    Rita forced herself to her feet, carefully exiting the shop and blending into the night. Her mission in Everbright City had taken an unexpected turn, but she wasn''t done yet.


    There were still tiles to uncover, alliances to manage, and dangers to evade. But for now, she had survived¡ªand that was enough.

 Chapter 255 Returning to the Past, Escaping the Present

    Rita had originally planned to use [Phantom Shift] to escape, but Maple Cang''s persistence thwarted her.


    Maple Cang questioned, "Was it over that Mahjong tile that you fought him?"


    Rita glanced at the powdered remains of the fake tile on the floor, her voice low. "Yes. We both thought it was real. I didn''t have time to grab it."@@@@


    Maple Cang nodded as if she believed her, but then she abruptly locked eyes with Rita and asked, "Why is your outfit made of Seasonal Satin, a fabric commonly used by Oak Owls, instead of the Moon Silk typical of Moonfoxes?"


    Rita averted her gaze, hesitating for a few seconds before sighing in defeat. She confessed, "Because I can disguise myself as an Oak Owl with a skill... I was caught earlier because of this disguise, which left me no choice but to silence him."


    Maple Cang didn''t ask her to contact Mistblade, nor did she press further. Instead, she asked another question. "How many tiles have you collected for Mistblade?"


    Rita boldly replied, "Seven."


    That number stunned Maple Cang into silence. She eventually asked, "Why not work for me instead?"


    Rita glanced at her tails and looked back at Maple Cang with an expression that screamed, What do you think?


    Not wanting the moment to grow awkward, Rita tilted her chin and delivered her line with conviction: "I would rather die than betray the Mistblade Moon Emperor!"


    Maple Cang cleared her throat, seemingly embarrassed, and nodded. "Good."


    But before Rita could even exhale, Maple Cang flared her radiant wings, sending a sharp seed hurtling toward Rita''s ear. Rita immediately healed herself with [Emerald Feast] while teleporting to dodge the projectile.


    She quickly used [Feeling Blessed] to adjust Maple Cang''s luck and then activated [I Want This, This, and That] repeatedly. However, she was struck mid-action by one of Maple Cang''s devastatingly fast skills before she could even attempt to evade.


    In her final moments in this timeline, Rita raised her right hand, forming a gesture with her index and middle fingers lightly tapping her right earlobe. This was a sign of reverence that Moonfox royals received during worship.


    She was certain Maple Cang would recognize it¡ªor, at the very least, investigate its meaning.


    Maple Cang: !!!


    The light faded, and the chaotic shop was gone. The body, Maple Cang, and the barriers had disappeared, replaced by a quiet, orderly store. Standing behind the counter was the Oak Owl shopkeeper, staring at her in startled suspicion.


    Rita wasted no time. She used [Phantom Shift] to teleport away, leaving Everbright City behind. She didn''t return to Yaslan City either¡ªher "Mistveil" identity was undoubtedly now a wanted figure. Moreover, her red-glowing "criminal" status barred her from entering any Oak Owls city or using their teleportation arrays.


    She couldn''t resume her small Oak Owl disguise, either. The Bear Cookies charm had betrayed her once, and she still didn''t understand why. For now, she needed to distance herself from Maple Cang, eventually reaching the unexplored edges of the map before shifting into her bird form and flying toward a small, isolated floating island.


    Mid-flight, the timeline returned to the present. Rita glanced back at the floating island where Vanilla''s shop had been. A massive acorn-shaped projection now enveloped the entire island, undoubtedly Maple Cang''s handiwork.


    As she pondered her next move, a voice echoed in her mind.


    Nivalis: "When are you coming home? I''m on my third midnight snack, and the cats have been fed way too much."


    Rita: "Something came up. I can''t return yet. By the way, do you know anyone in the Oak Owls named Maple Cang?"


    Nivalis: "Maple Cang? Cang as in ''all living things''?"


    Rita: "You know her?"


    Nivalis: "Of course! She''s the most gifted descendant of the Maple line, one of the three royal branches of the Oak Owls. When I was born, she even sent a gift to commemorate the occasion. Now that the current Maple Emperor has passed, she''s the undisputed heir. Unlike Peach or Pine, there''s no competition in her line¡ªit''s guaranteed she''ll take the throne."


    Rita froze. This is bad.

 Chapter 256 Two New Skills

    Nivalis: "What happened?"


    Rita: "Oh, I just got to know her a bit. We had a lovely chat and became friends."


    Nivalis: "That''s great. I was worried you''d managed to provoke Mistblade Moon Emperor, and now you''ve ticked off the next Oak Owl Emperor too. That would be so unlucky, haha."


    Rita: ...


    This time, it wasn''t her fault¡ªshe had been as cautious as possible.


    Nivalis: "Why aren''t you laughing? Was it not funny?"


    Nivalis: "..."


    Nivalis: "...Okay, you don''t need to say it. I get it."


    Nivalis: "...Promise me, never mention my name out there."


    Nivalis: "You can use my father''s name instead. His name is Beisui."


    Rita: "Will he save me?"


    Nivalis: "He''ll make sure you die... gracefully."


    Rita: "..."


    Life was hard. Rita sighed.


    She flew tirelessly between nearby floating islands, taking breaks only to rest on the edges of the islands, transforming into a cat to nap and scout the area. This exploration would let her teleport directly in the future.


    During her journey, she finally examined the two Skill Books she had risked her life to grab.


    [Thunder Cage] (A-Rank): Create a six-sided cage of lightning to trap a target. When the cage forms, all A-Rank and below teleportation skills are disabled. Each time the target touches the lightning, they are briefly paralyzed. (No cooldown. Mana cost and cast time depend on the cage''s size; minimum cost 800 MP.)


    [100,000 Volts] (A-Rank): Release a massive surge of electricity, centered on yourself, dealing non-discriminatory electrical damage to all targets within 100 meters. Damage scales with Intelligence. Each strike has a 5% chance of paralyzing targets. (No cooldown. Cast time: 0.1 seconds. Duration: 2 seconds. Each use costs 1500 MP.)


    Rita stared at the second skill for a long time before reluctantly deciding to learn both.


    - "Has Eclipse Vanguard figured it out yet?"


    Eclipse Vanguard had indeed not figured it out.


    Shadow.Q had immediately messaged Rita to congratulate her, but it took hours to get a reply.


    - Rita: "I was busy escaping. I won''t lie¡ªI don''t fully understand the Honor Points system myself. You know me. I prioritize what matters."


    Hearing that, neither Shadow.Q nor the Special Affairs Bureau pushed further. They trusted Rita''s judgment on major issues.


    Shortly after Rita''s escape from Maple Cang, Nivalis emerged from her pet space to join her in Lania Kaia. She had already fed all the cats in the yard and brought plenty of food for Rita.


    After hearing the full story of how Rita had offended Maple Cang and acquired a new Mahjong tile¡ª[Nine Bamboos]¡ªNivalis immediately empathized.


    Slapping her little legs, she cried, "Why Nine Bamboos?! How do you even play with that?"


    Rita clapped her thighs in agreement. "Right?! Who designs this stuff?"


    Neither of them understood the true purpose of the tiles, but that didn''t stop them from analyzing strategies and theorizing gameplay.


    Rita and Nivalis stayed on the floating islands near Everbright City for three days before the red glow on her skin finally faded. Rita then disguised herself as a goblin, collected her usual daily 3 Gold, and returned to Everbright City with an invisible Nivalis in tow.


    She made a point to stroll past the 10-meter-long Wanted Board, scanning it with feigned casualness. Unsurprisingly, there was now a bounty for [Mistveil], the Fogtail Moonfox. The poster featured a slyly grinning Mistveil, with a bounty of 3000 Gold for capture¡ªalive.


    Beside it was another poster for [Cookie], the little Oak Owl, but the bounty was much lower at 100 Gold¡ªlikely because they assumed Mistveil''s true identity was Cookie.


    Rita stared in silence.


    From her perch atop Rita''s goblin head, Nivalis remarked, "Let me guess: those ''sisters'' you mentioned before¡ªthe ones you said had no hope¡ªwere all ''like this,'' weren''t they?"


    Rita sighed. "Yeah... pretty much."


    Nivalis, already small, shrank herself further and whispered, "Can you come up with a stage name for me? I''m scared."


    Rita retorted, "What good would a stage name do? You''re the only little dragon in Lania Kaia. As soon as they post your photo, everyone will know it''s you. You don''t even have transformation skills. Just breathe deeply and try to unlock a shapeshifting ability. Then I can bring you on my adventures."


    Nivalis puffed out her chest proudly. "I look a lot like my mom. She was an Ice Dragon too. If I dress up, I could pass for her! Oh, by the way, her name was Holy Grail¡ªthe most beautiful and powerful dragon in the lair."


    Rita: ...

 Chapter 257 Dont Underestimate the 12 Sacred Races

    Nivalis tugged at Rita''s ear. "Hey, hey, what''s with that look? When you argued with Scarlett, I unconditionally sided with you! If I ever argue with Beisui or Holy Grail, you''d better back me too!"


    That was a lot of pressure. Scarlett and two adult dragons weren''t even on the same level!


    Rita took a deep breath. "I''ll make sure none of you ever argue." Internally, she resolved to read more parenting books when she got back. After a pause, she solemnly promised, "I''ll always take your side."


    Nivalis finally broke into a grin, rubbing Rita''s ear affectionately. "That''s more like it!"


    Rita didn''t rush into the city. She observed the gates from a distance, noticing that security checks had grown significantly stricter. Even animals were no longer allowed entry.


    When she saw a dignified-looking bull-headed humanoid with a 9 Charm score being detained on the spot, she didn''t hesitate to drink the [Gold-Class Assassin] potion from Lucia.


    Even so, the guards scrutinized Rita for half an hour before finally letting her and Nivalis into the city. With Gold-Class Assassin in effect, Rita decided to make the most of her time in Lania Kaia before returning.


    Unlike the relatively accessible [Melting Time], this potion was much rarer and more precious. Rita could brew a cheaper alternative, [Time Is Always Squeezable], to reset cooldowns, but Gold-Class Assassin was irreplaceable. The auction house never seemed to have any for sale¡ªlikely snapped up immediately or privately commissioned.


    High-grade potions took hours, days, or even years to brew. According to Hecipah, some formulas required preparation times longer than Kayden''s entire lifespan.


    Rita''s first stop was the library, where she discovered, to her surprise, that the Mahjong tile she had turned in was still there.


    She casually glanced at the lost-and-found box without lingering too long or avoiding it conspicuously. She played the part of a curious country goblin seeing the Oak Owls'' grand library for the first time. She even smiled nervously at passing strangers in what could only be described as "goblin charm." Discover exclusive tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Nivalis stayed hidden in her pet space while Rita spent several hours in the library researching. The city''s patrols were on high alert, with soldiers even entering the library to inspect it. They confiscated the consultation desk''s lost-and-found box during their sweep.


    "Don''t underestimate the 12 Sacred Races'' royals. They didn''t rise to power by luck. All their subjects genuinely respect and admire their kings and queens. Even Kayden, who despises war and nobility, would never hate her Undead Monarch¡ªnot truly."


    This was as much warning as Hecipah could give. It echoed her earlier advice about avoiding transformation into an animal.


    Rita silently met Hecipah''s gaze, committing her words to memory. After a long pause, she smiled and said, "I understand."


    She didn''t try to defend herself, deny provoking Maple Cang, or press Hecipah for more details about the royals. Nor did she complain about the vagueness of the warning.


    Instead, she cherished this rare moment of sincerity from Hecipah.


    It wasn''t much¡ªit wasn''t warm or overwhelming. It was stingy, like a passing breeze. But to Rita, even that small show of concern felt invaluable.


    After the conversation, Hecipah retreated upstairs with her cauldron, muttering about how she shouldn''t have said anything.


    Rita didn''t press her further. She turned to Kayden, who had been eavesdropping with her trademark curiosity, and asked if she could introduce Gota as an information broker to others.


    Kayden replied, "Sure, he''s in the business. You won''t put him in any real danger. Without my recommendation, you might get swindled, though."


    Amused by Kayden''s old-soul tone, Rita chuckled. "Thanks for the warning."


    The Special Affairs Bureau didn''t need coddling. Connecting them with Gota carried little risk¡ªif anything, the Bureau would likely benefit.


    With her business done, Rita grabbed Nivalis, who was snacking on Kayden''s treats, and prepared to return to Blue Star. She was growing worried about her disconnected little spider in The Lopez Family.


    At the shop''s door, she hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided against asking Kayden about Mahjong tiles. Such precious items were best sought personally. Even if she needed help, she''d start by enlisting her own kind.

 Chapter 258 Come Back to Dragon Island with Me

    Rita wasn''t in a rush, but Nivalis, who had already felt the allure of national treasures, was getting impatient. The moment they walked out of the alchemy shop, Nivalis, still invisible and crouching on Rita''s head, patted her: "Why don''t you come back to Dragon Island with me? I want to ask the Holy Grail and North Year what this thing really is. If they don''t know, the elder dragon definitely will."


    Rita thought back to the first time she met Nivalis, comparing the dragon then and the dragon now...


    The dragon was still the same dragon, not much fatter, still the same stunning creature. But as for the aura...


    If Nivalis used to be: Extreme! Brightness!!!, then now, Nivalis was more like: Hehehe~ Aurora Shield biubiubiu~~


    They had only known each other for a few months, yet this dragon had been spoiled to the point of acting like a pet... Could she even dare to go to Dragon Island?


    If she didn''t go, Nivalis''s family might suspect that their baby dragon had gone astray. But if she did go...


    Rita hesitated and finally rejected: "Your home? I''d rather not go. Can''t you go back alone?"


    Nivalis sighed, "I could, but you''ve contracted with me, and according to the rules, I belong to you now. If you don''t go with me back to Dragon Island, the Holy Grail and North Year will definitely be angry with you..."


    Rita: "......" The more you talk, the more ambiguous it gets.


    Nivalis: "So, will you go?"


    Thinking about the fact that she only earned 1000 honor points for asking the Special Affairs Bureau to help avoid Lania Kaia''s extermination, but after collecting the fourth Mahjong tile, every one of them gave her 10,000 honor points... she had to get to the bottom of what was going on with the bone tiles.@@@@


    Even without considering the bone tiles, just the fact that Mistblade had smelled the scent of the dragon race on her made it worth a visit to Dragon Island. She needed to figure out how to get some Dragon Nest specialties to enhance her own aura.


    Nivalis was definitely the one who had gone astray! She had done nothing wrong! It was North Year and the Holy Grail who needed to reflect on their actions!


    Rita decided not to overthink it: "Fine! But we''ll stop by Blue Star first. I have something to deal with."


    Nivalis immediately began pondering what gifts to bring back to Dragon Island. Rita''s card was at Nivalis''s disposal, and there was plenty of pocket change¡ªmoney that could buy a lot back in Blue Star.


    Back in Blue Star, Rita got busy again.


    [Rita]: "Endure the bitterness before the sweetness, we''ve all been through it."


    After she sent that, she immediately felt like the words sounded too dry, almost irritating. She hurriedly changed the topic.


    [Rita]: "I''ll keep an eye out for things that might help you."


    [Rita]: "Should I send it to you?"


    [Rick]: "Thanks, sis."


    After sending the items, Rita waited for the [Disguise!] skill to cool down, then set off alone to find Rick and Black Jade. She had already confirmed the address when applying to the Special Affairs Bureau.


    There was no way she could feel at ease without seeing Rick''s trustworthiness firsthand. Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    About half an hour away from her destination, Rita used her disguise skill. She circled around the area, sprayed some perfume, and applied a magic potion to ensure her scent was masked before heading to Black Jade''s location.


    In truth, Black Jade wasn''t a Moon Fox and didn''t have much expertise in scent, so Rita was being overly cautious. But the more she knew, the more concerns she had.


    For example, after Maple Cang had easily detected the skill she used, Rita had decided to create two sets of signature skills. One set for Blue Star, and another set for when she disguised herself as different identities.


    It was best to have a set of melee skills as well, to completely separate her true identity from her long-range abilities.


    Soon, disguised as an Oak Owl, Rita appeared outside the manor.


    Before getting close, she noticed players guarding the area. She had to carefully avoid them using [Hunter''s Eye]. If that didn''t work, she would use her [Orbit] skill, making herself invisible and flying above them to avoid detection.


    From a distance, she spotted Flood Dragon near the lake, and Rick was in the water, scrubbing Black Jade''s scales.


    Unlike before when Rick wore expensive branded clothes and was always pristine, now he was dressed in a simple T-shirt and large shorts, sweat dripping down his face.


    Rita glanced at the time: 11:47 PM. Wow, not only had the son-in-law become Black Jade''s personal bath attendant, but he was also working the night shift!


    She had to get closer to gather more information, so she flew in a bit closer. She wasn''t worried about Black Jade spotting her. If that happened, she''d just zap the dragon with a Pikachu attack and give it a little lesson.

 Chapter 259 Unknown Curse II

    The moment Black Jade, who had been resting with eyes closed, opened its eyes, Rita also saw Rick''s current attributes and his trust level toward her.


    [Rick] Level 3 (63.49%) (Lowest-ranked Snake Servant)


    Trust Level: 91


    Unknown Curse II: All healing effects reduced by 10%; HP decreases by 5 per minute; infectious.


    Health: 350/350


    Mana: 200/200


    Strength: 15


    Constitution: 21


    Intelligence: 15


    Agility: 16


    Before Rita could fully grasp Rick''s attributes, her eyes landed on his right hand, which was busy applying oil to Black Jade. Two of his fingers were missing, and his arm was riddled with deep gouges, clear signs of being clawed by Flood Dragon.


    Moreover, under the moonlight, snake scales could faintly be seen on Rick''s face and body, giving him a monstrous, frightening appearance, especially with his exhausted face.


    Rita felt a strange satisfaction at that moment, a satisfaction even greater than when she successfully stole Rick''s talent!


    This was how it should be! Rick deserved to suffer more than she did, more than Zoey Sanchez, or even the Taylor family siblings!


    Rita silently set down her McSpicy Chicken Burger, suddenly losing her appetite, and gestured for Brooks to continue.


    "There are also a lot of people trying to buy her legion order news, but she''s been in seclusion. She hardly ever comes out anymore. She used to occasionally take Nivalis out to shop, but now no one knows where she is. Even her mansion seems to be empty. Probably... Well, that''s another story. That news is expensive, though, so you need to pay first."


    Rita pulled out 2 gold coins and handed them to Brooks. She understood what Brooks meant. Information about Lania Kaia wasn''t something she''d sell easily, especially not at a low price.


    Rita waved her hand, signaling she wasn''t interested in that expensive information and handed over another note: "Any other news?"


    Brooks: "Do you want news about her parents?"


    The white cat nodded.


    Brooks: "They joined a faction in B City called ''Wildfire''. There''s a massive conflict between that faction and the Wilson Family in B City, but I don''t know the details. I''m not very familiar with the situation in B City. This news is free, though."


    Rita nodded in acknowledgment.


    Brooks continued: "Rick''s whereabouts are just as hard to trace. His location and Black Jade''s are now under 24/7 surveillance by the Special Affairs Bureau. I don''t have much to sell about him."


    "As for The Lopez Family, Zoey has practically split off from them. It''s not exactly a separation, more like she''s half-independent now. She''s formed her own team and gained partial rights to the Lopez Family''s dungeon mirrors, but she still lives in their mansion. Many people in the Lopez Family are complaining about Zoey being cold and unapproachable, but Matthew has kept it quiet."


    If Matthew really had quieted it down, Brooks wouldn''t know about it, and she wouldn''t have made a point of telling Rita. Rita could see through this; Matthew was just playing the surface game. From the outside, Zoey seemed like someone who couldn''t let go of her past. The more she couldn''t let go, the more she tried to prove herself to others. It was pitiful.


    After a moment of thought, Rita pushed 3 gold coins toward Brooks, feeling content with the news. Even if she personally visited the Lopez Family, she wouldn''t be able to easily uncover this information anytime soon.


    "Mateo got hit in the face with boss venom while raiding a dungeon. His face got disfigured. The Lopez Family is searching for top-tier treatment, and they''ll pay any price."


    "The White Family has been in private contact with Zoey, but I couldn''t find out more."


    "Recently, there have been players with snake scales all over their bodies appearing in the White Family. Their attributes have significantly increased, and they''ve gained some powerful new skills. The Special Affairs Bureau is investigating this."

 Chapter 260 Ive Never Heard of Mahjong Boosting an Entire Races Abilities!

    When Rita returned home, she was still thinking about the White Family. She hadn''t expected them to collaborate with Rick Black Jade. With such an obvious snake scale trait, the Special Affairs Bureau must have already connected the dots. Given how often Rick bathed the Flood Dragon, there was no way the Bureau couldn''t have tracked down the snake servant issue. Coupled with the fact that Black Jade had been under their surveillance, it seemed likely that their "investigation" was centered around how Black Jade was transforming members of the White Family into snake servants.


    Then there were Samuel and Scarlett¡ªhow did they end up joining Wildfire? What kind of abilities did they have that caught the attention of the Taylor Family?


    As she was pondering this, suddenly, a series of bright red chains appeared, wrapping around her and tightening. But almost immediately, the chains began to bloom with pale pink flowers, one after another. Before the chains could fully envelop her, the flowers quickly spread and consumed them, until the entire thing was swallowed up.


    In an instant, both the chains and the flowers turned into mist and faded into the air.


    The appearance of the flowers would be etched in her memory forever¡ªthey were the same as the ones inside the Spring Not Late gemstone.


    Bloodline shackles? Someone was trying to use her family to cast a skill on her?


    It was a bit of a shame it was blocked so easily. She couldn''t determine the skill used or gain any clues from it.


    There were too many possibilities¡ªSamuel and Scarlett joining Wildfire, Rick''s collaboration with Black Jade and the White Family, and even Eleanor might be involved.


    Rita opened the chat group on her phone. The family chat was still filled with ordinary conversations. Samuel and Scarlett were asking how things were going with her and Rick, and Rick''s responses were normal as well.


    She replied with a few words, showing concern for Samuel and Scarlett, and casually told Rick that she could always help teach Black Jade a lesson if needed, saying other polite things like that.


    It felt like they were all playing a game, each holding their character persona, saying the right things, and pretending to be close.


    At that moment, she truly understood the meaning of the word "shackles."


    For most people, blood ties are a source of warmth and refuge, but for her, they were shackles. The moment the chains appeared, she used her shadow teleportation several times, but the chains followed her like a shadow. There was simply no escape.


    Unfortunately, the Spring Not Late''s ability to break bloodline shackles lasted only for a hundred days. She needed to find another one soon, or even craft one herself.


    Time... there was never enough of it.


    Before heading to the Lania Kaia Dragon Nest, Rita turned the aluminum can into a tattoo, placing it on the inner side of her pinky finger, near her ring finger. She stocked up the vending machine on the roof with supplies, but the Cat Hostel hadn''t yet placed any items in the backyard. With her being away for long periods of time, she wasn''t comfortable leaving the cat house unattended. Finally, she purchased the gifts Nivalis had requested.@@@@


    It was the most troublesome step, taking the entire day to prepare.


    The Dragon Island, located at the edge of Lania Kaia, was built around the remains of the deceased Dragon Ancestor, with the nearest main city being the Ton Ton Mountain of the Wind Scythe Clan.


    Through the teleportation array, Rita and Nivalis arrived at Ton Ton Mountain. After leaving the mountain city, Nivalis, having returned to her original form, carried Rita, who had turned into a small cat, into the sky, flying towards the Dragon Nest.


    Along the way, Nivalis gave Rita a tour of her homeland. "My nest is in the most beautiful dragon tooth of the Ice Dragon Ancestor. Holy Cup lives on the seventh segment of the spine, and North Year is on the third wing bone of the Light Dragon Ancestor."


    Rita meowed, "How many Dragon Ancestors do you have? Do they all fit? Didn''t you say there are over 3,000 dragons?"


    Nivalis replied, "Of course, there''s plenty of room. There are seven Dragon Ancestor remains in the Dragon Nest, and the entire continent belongs to us. We can roam freely, but we like to return to the Dragon Ancestors'' embrace to sleep and rest."


    Curious about Black Jade''s evolution, Rita asked, "Do your Dragon Ancestors look like you, or are they like what Black Jade wants to evolve into?"


    Nivalis answered, "Four of the Dragon Ancestors look like me. We call ourselves the Yinglong, while the other three are the type Black Jade dreams of. We usually call them Divine Dragons."


    "Is North Year getting along with Holy Cup?"


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got you covered. Their tempers are really good. Well, Cloud Pile might be a bit strict. He''s the elder dragon."


    "What about your clan leader?"


    "The clan leader sleeps most of the time. Cloud Pile handles most things. But it''s not a big deal¡ªhe just goes around selling dragon scales and teeth when we fight."


    "Do you sell dragon dung?"


    "We used to, but not anymore. Cloud Pile thought it was embarrassing for the dragons."


    "..."


    "Don''t worry. I know what you''re concerned about. When the time comes, we''ll just say I forced you to come to Lania Kaia and sell my dragon dung."


    "..."


    You traveled all the way to Blue Star, contracted with its people, just to force them to sell your dragon dung? I can''t even bear to listen to this.

 Chapter 261 Dragon Island · Holy Cup · North Year · Snow Pile

    Although Nivalis had said that Ton Ton Mountain was the closest major city to the Dragon Nest, it still took them over thirty hours of flying before they finally saw the Dragon Nest in the distance.


    The Dragon Nest was truly a sight to behold¡ªthree gigantic dragon bones, resembling three massive, sprawling white mountain ranges. Just one of these bones, in its pre-game form, would take an ordinary person an entire day and night to walk along its spine.@@@@


    Around the bones, various dragons of different colors and sizes lazed or competed in combat.


    Before Nivalis and Rita could even get close, two dragons, one blue and one white, flew over to them. In the blink of an eye, they appeared right in front of Nivalis.


    In the presence of such massive dragons, Rita truly felt the difference between adult dragons and young dragons. If Nivalis'' size was comparable to an airplane, these two dragons were like towering skyscrapers, each resembling an international CBD building. Above their heads were two small lines of red text:


    [Holy Cup, Level 150, 100% | 100%]


    [North Year, Level 150, 100% | 100%]


    Nivalis immediately introduced the two dragons, "Mother! Father!"


    The blue dragon, Holy Cup, and the white dragon, North Year, were as magnificent and powerful as Nivalis had described. Rita dropped her Animagus form and reverted to her human shape. In front of such powerful beings, pretending to be an animal was pointless. Moreover, as Nivalis'' contract-bound partner, it was important for her to maintain a cordial relationship with the neutral dragons.


    Holy Cup, as Nivalis had said, was an incredibly powerful and beautiful ice dragon. Her blue scales sparkled like crystal or the shimmering surface of a lake under the sun, and the deep blue gem embedded in her forehead caused a dizziness upon just a single glance. Her presence overwhelmed Rita, who could barely catch her breath. As Holy Cup drew near, a dozen debuffs instantly appeared on Rita.


    The white dragon, North Year, exhaled gently at Rita, instantly replenishing the blood she had lost. Not only did it remove all the negative states, but Rita also gained seven additional beneficial buffs.


    North Year''s body was slightly smaller than Holy Cup''s, entirely white and radiating a gentle, pure aura. Her gaze was filled with love as she looked at Rita and Nivalis. She was the epitome of a caring "mother."


    Before Rita could greet them with a "Hello, Aunt and Uncle," several more dragons arrived.


    Leading them was Snow Pile, the elder dragon Nivalis often mentioned. With a staggering level of 186, despite the word "snow" in his name, Snow Pile was actually a red dragon. Behind him followed black, purple, and green dragons...


    The contract partner must harbor no greed or malice towards the dragon, must treat them with full sincerity at all times, and never show any false affection. The dragon didn''t care whether the partner was good or evil¡ªit was the genuine emotional exchange that mattered.


    The dragons could sense emotions and lies effortlessly, and their blessings were deeply tied to the sincerity of the relationship.


    Holy Cup, North Year, and Snow Pile had probably noticed the blessings on Rita, which was why they had treated her so warmly.


    After bringing Rita back to her home, Nivalis set off with the gifts. Rita originally planned to accompany her, thinking it would be rude not to, but Nivalis told her it was fine. She only needed to come along to meet Holy Cup, North Year, and Snow Pile. The other dragons weren''t fond of interacting with non-dragon species, and it would make them uncomfortable.


    Rita sat down immediately. i-dragon? i-dragon sounds great, i-dragon for sure...


    Nivalis told her to treat the Dragon Nest as her own home and gave her access to the treasure vault, saying that she could visit it anytime if she was bored. Then, Nivalis grabbed the gifts and headed out.


    The laughter of Nivalis and the roars of other dragons echoed from outside, shifting locations as the quiet Dragon Nest became lively again.


    Rita looked around at Nivalis'' home. It was still a hollowed-out dragon tooth, but its size was far larger than her Blue Star villa¡ªalmost as big as a football field, though not as refined as a villa. It was divided into several rooms: a bedroom, entertainment room, treasure vault, and bathroom.


    The floor was made of dragon scales, and since the dragons built their nests in the bones of their ancestors, Rita suspected these scales were also from their ancestors.


    Such acts, which humans might consider sacrilegious, could actually be a form of companionship and reverence in the eyes of dragons.


    Rita didn''t enter the treasure vault. She decided to sit quietly and think about how to inquire about the bone tiles when she visited Holy Cup, North Year, and Snow Pile. But her peace was short-lived.


    Soon, Nivalis'' loud voice echoed from outside.


    "Ha ha, here comes the Supreme Starlight! The esports genius! The only true dragon of Blue Star! The holder of the Pet Ranking''s top position! The contract dragon of Blue Star''s strongest player¡ªNi~~va~lis!!!"


    Rita shut her eyes in pain and buried her face in her hands.

 Chapter 262 Im a Pokémon on Dragon Island

    The dirt was nothing compared to what was coming. When Nivalis finished distributing the gifts, the conversation outside was getting more and more dangerous.


    Nivalis: "Ah, you''re talking about the dragon dung at the auction house?"


    Nivalis: "I forced her to sell it! Yes, I threatened her with death! My dream is to have my dragon dung sold all over Lania Kaia."


    Nivalis: "What for? Of course, it''s to report back to you all!"


    Rita felt as though there were needles under her, and she squirmed uneasily, almost having the impulse to rush out and cover Nivalis'' mouth.


    Nivalis: "You see, I can only sell dragon dung if I''m doing well! If I run into danger, wouldn''t the auction house just end up with my dragon blood and dragon scales?!"


    "Oh? Then why aren''t you selling them recently?"¡ªThis was Elder Dragon Snow Pile''s voice.


    "Uh... well..."


    "Is it because you can''t squeeze it out, or you don''t want to report back?"


    Rita silently rummaged through her game backpack and pulled out the best set of gear she had, putting it on. She also sliced some defensive dishes into small pieces and tucked them into her magic-using dentures, making sure she could eat them at any time.


    Elder dragons sure were strict...


    Luckily, these dragons who had lived for countless years were very mature, and their emotions were stable. Maybe they were just teasing Nivalis. This topic was quickly brushed aside.


    Rita, feeling bored from the wait, took out the crafting recipe for Spring Not Late and started reading it.


    A single Spring Not Late required over 300 types of potions and metals. Even if every step went smoothly, it would take about a month to make, but with practice, one could craft multiple at once.


    The appearance of the Bloodline Shackles made Rita uneasy, but also sparked some curiosity. She had already used her Food God skill on Rick. By rights, if anyone had malicious intent towards her, their first target would be Rick. Even if they tried to harm both her and Rick at once, Rick would draw all the malicious attention...


    Unless the person was as resolute as Nivalis, unaffected by skill redirects.


    Or... perhaps this malice came from Rick himself.


    "Rita, Rita!"


    Rita was interrupted from her thoughts as Nivalis flew in. "What''s up?"


    Nivalis said, "North Year asked me to come call you for dinner."


    Rita immediately stood up, adjusting her outfit as she followed Nivalis outside. "Is it just Holy Cup, North Year, and Snow Pile who are here?"


    "Yes, it''s like a family dinner." Nivalis said, "Don''t worry, dragons often bring their contract partners here as guests. As long as it''s an equal contract, the elder dragons and seniors won''t mind."


    [Ding ¡ª Consuming S-rank Coconut Peach, crit rate +15%]


    [Ding ¡ª Consuming S-rank Vine Leaf, hit rate +50%]


    [Ding ¡ª Consuming S-rank Blood Dragon Pear, spirit resistance +200]


    [Ding ¡ª Consuming S-rank Starquake Grapefruit, spell-casting range +50%]


    [Ding ¡ª Consuming SS-rank Gray Coconut, spell-casting time reduced by 8%]


    [Ding ¡ª Consuming...]


    As she finished one fruit, Nivalis would immediately hand her another, showing strong "ownership" of the situation.


    Rita, while eating, had only one thought in her mind: I''m a Poke?mon on Dragon Island.


    She had once joked that each generation had its own Poke?mon, and now it turned out that she was the Poke?mon...


    It wasn''t until everyone had quietly finished the fruits that Nivalis pointed to a set of mahjong in the corner and asked Snow Pile, "Elder, have you ever seen these types of bone tiles in Lania Kaia? These tiles have the symbols of the oak owl and moon fox on them. What are they exactly?"


    Snow Pile looked at Rita and said in a deep voice, "How many of them have you collected?"


    Rita was both surprised and unsurprised. She didn''t take out the bone tiles she had collected, but she didn''t lie either. She answered truthfully, "Five."


    Nivalis immediately jumped up and ran between Holy Cup and North Year, causing a ruckus. "Do you have any at home? Do you have any? I want them! Give them to me~!"


    Rita: !!!


    Just kill me already!


    Rita sucked in a sharp breath, nearly dying from Nivalis'' antics. She almost jumped up on the spot. "Nivalis¡ª! No, no, no! Seniors, we didn''t mean it!" Was there anyone who could help her explain herself?


    Nivalis: "Of course we want them! We want them! I want them!"


    Rita''s hand was almost making a blur as she waved it frantically. "We really didn''t mean it!" This wasn''t what she had taught her!


    Nivalis: "Yes, yes, North Year, North Year~ do you have any? We''ve been collecting for so long, and we''ve only got five! Holy Cup, Snow Pile, you guys say something!"


    Rita looked up at the three towering dragons¡ªLevel 150, 150, and 180...


    Her heart, which had been hanging since entering Dragon Island, finally just died.


    Her lips twisted into a painful frown, her face wrinkled up in distress, looking as though she''d rather be anywhere else. If her fans saw this expression before she quit the fandom, they''d definitely use it to attack her in the future.

 Chapter 263 Ding——elder dragon Issues a Quest

    Rita silently screamed in her mind, "Nivalis, Nivalis, Nivalis¡ª¡ª!"


    Nivalis replied confidently, "Don''t worry, babe! I promise I''ll get it for you!"


    Without hesitation, Nivalis flopped onto the ground and started kicking and flailing her limbs, "I want it! I want it, I don''t care!"


    The more she spoke, the more excited she became. Then, as if remembering something, she added, "And the secret of the Eternal Night Fortress tower, I want to know that too~ Babe, what else do you want? You tell me."


    Rita choked back her words, barely able to say, "I want to live."


    Rita thought, I will never come to your house again!!


    She had never been this embarrassed in her life. Just thinking about the scene from today would keep her up all night, wide awake, even when she wasn''t physically in the situation.


    But she still rushed over, trying to pull Nivalis up, whispering desperately, "Nivalis¡ª!"


    What Rita didn''t realize was that Holy Cup, North Year, and Snow Pile were all watching with amused smiles.


    As the "group pet" (a term of endearment in the dragon world), Nivalis was allowed to do anything without limits or consequences. Moreover, Nivalis and Rita''s playful interactions were thoroughly entertaining to the elder dragons. To them, it was a rare chance to see Nivalis act so carefree. Nivalis had never behaved this way before. Surrounded by dragons thousands of years older than her, she couldn''t just play around with the elders like this.


    Once Rita managed to drag Nivalis back to her seat by the neck, Snow Pile finally spoke. "I know what this is. In fact, I have one in my dragon lair. But since the dragon race is neutral, I won''t tell you what it does. However... if you help us with a task, I''ll give you the one from my lair."


    A task?


    Rita wasn''t worried about the dragon race assigning her a task. She was more concerned about the debt she might owe them. However, she knew it was best not to turn down an opportunity.


    She quickly responded, "Please tell me, elder."@@@@


    [An Ancestor] (S-grade): "By touching the statue and praying devoutly, you can increase your maximum health by 10% and your maximum mana by 10%. Duration: 10 minutes. This effect can only be triggered once every 30 minutes. (Note: If the player''s surname is White, an additional 10% damage is added, and the duration is extended to 15 minutes.)"


    The face on the statue was that of an elderly member of the White family, while the face Snow Pile had shown her was of the man in his middle age. Though their features were the same, there was a clear difference between an older and middle-aged face, so Rita hadn''t immediately made the connection.


    Had the sculptor not omitted a few wrinkles, Rita might have never realized the connection.


    Nivalis, who had flown over, also made the connection. She pointed at the face and exclaimed, "This is the person in the painting, right?"


    Rita nodded slowly. She, too, now realized it was the same person.


    They both turned to the base of the statue where there was a small inscription detailing his achievements. The inscription read: "Jameson White, 1922¨C2006, ''A life of no regrets, a half-life betrayed.''"


    Nivalis pointed at the words and asked, "What does this mean?"


    Rita didn''t quite understand the depth of the message either.


    However, having found the first real clue so quickly, Rita felt a great sense of progress. The task''s progress had easily jumped forward by at least 30%.


    Feeling much better, Rita decided to spend a few more days in the dragon lair. Since the most exciting part of the journey was over, she had nothing to fear anymore. Nivalis took her around the dragon island, shopping and collecting rare materials.


    One day, they gathered dust from the dragons'' claws as they sharpened them, another day they collected dragon scales that had fallen off in the corners of the island before Snow Pile could gather them. They even found half a dragon''s whisker.


    Though these items no longer had any magical power, they were still great materials. After inspecting them, Snow Pile had allowed Rita to keep them.


    Every day, Rita and Nivalis would go to North Year and Holy Cup''s lair for meals. Rita found Holy Cup''s lair more aesthetically pleasing, so most of the time, they would go there, though North Year would still send the food to Holy Cup''s lair.


    Nivalis would always return to Holy Cup''s lair with the same "Holy Cup, I brought back some trash" look, and Rita began to notice that Holy Cup''s expression seemed to grow colder and colder every day...

 Chapter 264 Jameson White

    At first, Rita had tried to tidy up after herself and Nivalis, but gradually, she let go. Life on Dragon Island was just too fun. Every day, they either found treasures or watched epic battles between the Ying Long and the Shen Long.


    The treasures they found were amazing, and Rita and Nivalis excitedly discussed how much they could sell them for, splitting the profits. The dragon battles were equally thrilling; they would debate which dragon was stronger, only to get so caught up in it that they forgot about everything else.


    In the end, it was North Year who stepped in. After each of their wild adventures, whenever Nivalis and Rita came back exhausted, North Year would toss water balloons at them from afar. Nivalis found this fun, dodging the waterballs like they were training with Rita. But as time went on, North Year''s waterballs kept getting bigger, evolving into full-blown water cannons.


    By the 27th, Nivalis and Rita decided it was time to head back. They had explored nearly all of the treasure-rich spots on the island. Nivalis was eager to find the Dragon Ancestor''s reverse scale to exchange for the 7-Tong, so Holy Cup and North Year sped up their departure, sending Nivalis and Rita off even faster than they had brought them to the island a few days before.


    Before leaving, Nivalis stuffed a bunch of Dragon Island fruits into Rita''s bag¡ªsome for detoxing, others to restore health, and even more to cure various debuffs. She also grabbed North Year''s wing and wouldn''t leave until she got another dragon scale from him.


    Rita had previously told Nivalis about the situation with Mistblade and how the dragon scent had been detected, which led her to have custom perfume made. Naturally, now that they were at the Dragon Nest, it only made sense for Nivalis to collect a few more dragon scales from North Year.


    North Year was helpless: "Didn''t you already pick up a bunch of scales these last few days?"


    Nivalis answered without hesitation: "Just three broken ones. The others were sold by Snow Pile. Give us another scale and we can swap them out."


    From the awkwardness they''d experienced at the beginning to now being used to it, Rita remained calm as she looked up at the sky, pretending she was just an innocent bystander in this ridiculous situation. She even silently cheered Nivalis on: Go for it! Go for it! Go for it!


    Rita had fully embraced her role as the parasite living off Nivalis''s generosity.


    Many rich families aren''t well-known nationwide unless they make it onto the rich lists, but some, with their broad industry reach and numerous local jobs, are known within their communities. The White Family and the Lopez Family were two such examples.


    Many businesspeople in S City knew that the White Family''s ancestors had made their fortune selling seafood. But the generation that founded the White Family was led by someone named Jameson, whose life story was anything but glamorous¡ªhe had lived in poverty until his fifties, when he suddenly became wealthy and rose to prominence without looking back.


    It was unclear whether the White Family kept fishing boats to honor Jameson or simply out of tradition, but they had continued to fish and hold family gatherings on the water every month, even after the game invasion. However, with tensions rising and uncertainty about underwater dungeons, they no longer ventured far from the coastline.


    Rita had once thought Jameson was Sanchez''s great-grandfather, but after researching further, she realized she had misunderstood. Jameson was actually Ariana''s great-grandfather, making him Sanchez''s great-great-grandfather. Sanchez''s great-grandfather was someone Rita had once impersonated¡ªGreyson.


    To spark player discussions, Rita re-listed the statue and anonymously posted a thread in the game forum titled "How Did Jameson Become Rich?"


    Nivalis also created a new account, attempting to gather information about Jameson. However, such gossip was lost on the younger generation, who weren''t interested in the stories of their elders. Most of the game forum users were far more concerned with the latest trends than digging up tales from centuries ago.


    Rita then asked Nivalis, "What''s the use of the Dragon Ancestor''s corpse?"


    Nivalis replied, "It contains the remnants of the Dragon Ancestor''s primal power. If we interact with it long enough, it''ll purify our own powers and elevate our life level. It''s useless to other races, but we can borrow a little of its power."


    "Life level?" Rita pondered these words. The Dragon Race was already incredibly powerful. Could their life level evolve further? If so, would it result in terrifying attributes far beyond Blue Star players?


    What about humans? Could they evolve, too?


    Was Black Jade''s obsession with becoming a dragon part of this evolutionary path he was seeking?

 Chapter 265 The Sea Demon Script:¤

    After Nivalis answered Rita''s questions, Rita didn''t respond for a while, but Nivalis didn''t mind. Instead, she asked, "Why are we even looking into this? Why not just go find the Dragon Ancestor''s reverse scale? As long as we''re close, I can sense it."


    Rita closed the game interface and replied, "I just want to gather more information before we go. Let''s go tonight and try sensing it nearby. How far can you sense it?"


    She asked the question, but in reality, she didn''t have high hopes. Her villa was quite close to The White Family estate, but despite Nivalis being there for a while, she hadn''t sensed the Dragon Ancestor''s reverse scale. This could mean that The White Family had hidden it, or perhaps it wasn''t there at all. The worst-case scenario was that the reverse scale had already been taken and stored in someone''s game inventory before Nivalis arrived.


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    Nivalis thought for a moment before answering, "It''s about the same distance as the place where we found the dragon whiskers to my small dragon tooth lair."


    Rita sat quietly, deep in thought. That distance was enough for her to make multiple trips back and forth between her place and The White Family''s estate. "I''ll check again," she murmured.


    The reverse scale had been stolen over a hundred years ago. That Wind Scythe must have taken it and inadvertently brought it into Blue Star. If he had still been fleeing within Lania Kaia at the time, the Snow Pile elder wouldn''t have been able to catch up...


    This all pointed to a timeframe over a century ago, around the late 1970s. This lined up with when Jameson, the ancestor of The White Family, had made his fortune. But if it had been over a century¡ªaround 101 or 120 years ago¡ªRita had once asked Snow Pile about this, but as a dragon, Snow Pile had a hazy concept of time. A year for a dragon could be the same as a minute for humans. And the older dragons often slept for months at a time, even the elders like Snow Pile.@@@@


    Though she didn''t have much hope, Rita still took Nivalis that evening to wander around the vicinity of The White Family estate, but naturally, they didn''t sense anything.


    As they were returning home, Rita suddenly thought of Black Jade. Nivalis could sense the dragon''s aura, but could Black Jade do the same? She had this gut feeling that in her past life, Black Jade might have obtained the Dragon Ancestor''s reverse scale.


    She couldn''t explain why, but it was a feeling she couldn''t shake. Black Jade''s S-class Divine Gift skill was a key to her thoughts. One of his Divine Gifts, "The Hungrier, The Luckier," was completely different from any other offensive or defensive skills. It almost felt like a skill that didn''t even match Black Jade''s usual traits.


    The boat wasn''t a magical item or a Curio, nor did it contain any old notes or relics. The only notable feature was an old fishing net tucked in a corner, but it was completely clean, with no clues hidden inside.


    The more clean it seemed, the more suspicious Rita felt. It was like in a detective novel¡ªsometimes the most innocent-looking thing was the most suspicious.


    Rita didn''t give up. She searched every inch of the old fishing boat, even flipping it over to check the underside. Finally, in a very narrow gap between two wooden planks, she found a tiny symbol.


    If it weren''t for her attributes being over 100 and the added bonus of her Sharpshooter talent skill, "You''re Too Weak," which helped her spot even the smallest differences and changes, she would have missed it.


    The boat had many scratches, and this particular mark didn''t stand out at first, but after feeling it several times, Rita was certain it was a Sea Demon script.


    When she pressed her finger against the symbol, she could hear the sound of waves in her ears.


    If the Oak Owl script had the shape of an acorn, the Sea Demon script was like seaweed, free and flowing. To other races, Sea Demon script looked like a maze of symbols, like how Americans might see Thai script¡ªit made no sense without the proper study.


    Rita didn''t recognize it, but she had learned from Hecipah about an advanced aquatic herb, "The Devil''s Encounter."


    ¡ª"This herb, known as ''Hope'' by alchemists, has no real effect. It lacks attributes or magical power. It''s born with the silent depths of the sea, representing pure peace. If your potion or gem essence has any issues, adding a bit of Devil''s Encounter can help calm the conflict."


    ¡ª"Interestingly, the appearance of Devil''s Encounter resembles a Sea Demon script symbol. The symbol looks like transparent water rings with four small tentacles, and it''s the same as the Sea Demon symbol. But its meaning is the complete opposite¡ªit represents attack, annihilation, and an unrelenting pursuit."


    This symbol in the boat... It was definitely connected to something far darker than peaceful herbs.

 Chapter 266 "Soul Catcher" (Curio): Truth or Dare?

    After Rita shared her discovery of the sea demon symbol with Nivalis and the information Hecipah had once told her, she realized something ¡ª she had grown accustomed to sharing her findings and thoughts with Nivalis. But Nivalis didn''t seem particularly concerned.


    "I know that symbol," Nivalis said casually. "North Year told me stories about it."


    Rita''s interest piqued. "Oh? What''s the story behind it?"


    Nivalis gave a somewhat complicated expression. "The symbol has appeared three times in history. The first time was for the Undead tribe, the second time was for the Moon Fox tribe, and the third time was for the Oak Owls."


    Rita was stunned.


    "...Is this a war cry, or some twisted blessing?"


    Her heavy heart lightened instantly, and she even felt like running back to dig up the wooden plank she had found earlier, just to keep it as a memento.


    She hadn''t found Wind Scythe''s trail yet, but now, with the appearance of a sea emperor, the situation was becoming more complex. Rita couldn''t stand leaving things unresolved, and so, instead of going home, she veered off to the city''s most luxurious cemetery.


    The early hours before dawn were always the best time for any questionable activities.


    With Nivalis by her side, Rita used their flying abilities to quickly get to the cemetery. In under five minutes, they arrived at their destination. Rita held a pocket watch in her hand, using it to scan underground through layers of obstruction. She quickly pinpointed the target: "A box containing slightly impure ashes."


    Considering The White Family''s wealth, Rita started her search from the most expensive section, soon locating Jameson''s extravagant tomb. Behind the monument, there was a relief sculpture.


    However, instead of ashes, inside the tomb was a Soul Catcher (Curio).


    Rita''s heart skipped a beat.


    Not again. Another moral test was about to begin.


    Invisible, Rita surveyed the surroundings like a thief. She gave Nivalis a silent signal and whispered, "There''s something valuable inside."@@@@


    Nivalis immediately understood. "Is it the one we lost earlier?"


    As their fingers intertwined, Soul Catcher gripped Rita''s hand tightly. She instantly understood: the game had begun, and she had to play a round before it would release her.


    In her mind, two choices appeared: truth or dare.


    Rita chose truth.


    The Soul Catcher hummed with sea demon song, but this time, it was directly into her soul. She understood it clearly as it asked, "What''s more important: power or race?"


    Without hesitation, Rita replied, "Power."


    As long as she was strong enough, even if she became a different species, as long as she stood with Blue Star, humanity would not easily abandon her. Even if they did, she could always find a way. Without power, she would have nothing.


    The blue light on the symbols flickered briefly. After confirming her truthful answer, Soul Catcher released her hand, but the hand bone stayed in a loose grip. The five glowing symbols remained, radiating a soft blue light.


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    The Curio''s description updated.


    Soul Catcher (Curio): "With my ten fingers interwoven, tell me, do you choose truth or dare?"


    [One Answer (1/1)]: You may ask me one question related to increasing your strength.


    Rita thought back to the previous question. It had been too easy. If that was all there was to it, no one would ever choose dare. Where would the fun in that be? If dare was so simple, what would be the point of playing? The thrill of "Truth or Dare" came from the tension of difficult choices ¡ª truth that made people hesitant and dare that pushed people to their limits.


    It was clear this game was about to get much more complicated.


    Now, it all depended on what the [One Answer] could reveal.


    Rita tried asking, "I want to improve my pet''s strength. I need to know where the Dragon Ancestor''s Reverse Scale, which was lost over a hundred years ago on Dragon Island, is located."


    With the sound of a match being struck, the sea demon characters that had lit up on the hand bone dimmed once again. The blue light shot upwards from the Soul Catcher, transforming into a set of coordinates.


    It really worked!

 Chapter 267 Dare or Truth

    The blue light flew upwards from the Soul Catcher, forming a set of coordinates.


    It really worked! And the coordinates included both longitude and latitude, as well as the elevation?


    A minute later, the coordinates dissipated, and the hand bone, which had only been loosely held, now completely relaxed and lay flat on the table. Rita pushed the hand bone towards Nivalis, suggesting that Nivalis try the game. The game''s map automatically included the coordinates, so Rita opened it to check exactly where this location was.


    Rita keenly noticed that the glowing sea demon characters on the hand bone had changed.


    However, there were still not many of them¡ªshe counted, only 9. Whether in terms of the type of sea demon script or the number, no pattern was apparent.


    Soul Catcher: "How many gold coins would it take for you to betray your friend?"@@@@


    Nivalis looked at Rita: "How much do you want?"


    Rita casually replied, "Ten thousand gold coins."


    Nivalis, looking at the hand bone, said, "Twenty thousand gold coins." Then she turned to Rita and added, "Fifty-fifty."


    Rita nodded in approval, giving Nivalis her blessing for the betrayal.


    Soul Catcher flashed emotionlessly again. Just like before, the Curio''s description added a new skill.


    [One Answer (1/1)]: You can ask me one question related to money or wealth.


    Nivalis didn''t pay much attention to this. She eagerly grabbed the now-soft hand bone again and chose to go for Dare this time.


    The sea demon characters on the hand bone lit up with red light, and seven characters appeared.


    Soul Catcher sang out in a voice of sea demon language, announcing the dare''s challenge:


    "Betray your friend, at least once."


    The air seemed to freeze.


    Nivalis became a little flustered. Rita furrowed her brows deeply. She wasn''t worried about the content of Nivalis'' dare. In fact, the same dare appeared for both of them, so she knew she had plenty of ways to avoid it¡ªjust like how she and Skylar had once used a bug in their game. She and Nivalis could certainly handle it.


    What worried her was her own dare.


    If the dare and truth game were so closely linked, what would her dare be?


    The Dragon Ancestor above, what kind of language is this? It sounds so cold when said to a dragon!


    They stared at each other for a while, and Nivalis answered: "Holy Cup, North Year, Snow Pile, and that strong dragon, Wind Cutter, and the Emperor Dragon Umbrella, are all my friends."


    All tough characters, and all elders. Rita grabbed Nivalis'' hand and said earnestly, "I forbid you from being friends with them. I''m your only friend."


    Nivalis: "..." What now? I suddenly really want to practice free fighting with Rita.


    Finally, Rita thought of Skylar, the one who had once betrayed her in a similar manner in their previous life.


    After each of their "betrayals," those two would always wait for a moment, wait for the pursuers to come, and only then would they start running. Sometimes they would even get injured, instead of fleeing immediately after revealing information.


    So, wasn''t it essential to bring unexpected harm to the other person without them knowing? It couldn''t be "scripted."


    Like the setup they had before, where Rita knew full well Nivalis would attack her¡ªit didn''t feel like betrayal at all. It was just a situation where Rita had earned it.


    Just as Rita was about to share her analysis with Nivalis, Nivalis suddenly dove toward her head, aiming right at Rita''s nose, and hit her with a rocket-like headbutt!


    Rita couldn''t avoid it in time. Nivalis'' headbutt struck her squarely on the nose, and with a loud thud, Rita''s head snapped back. For a moment, her brain was buzzing, and it took a while for her to recover. Slowly, she turned her head, eyes dazed, holding her nose, staring blankly at Nivalis as blood slowly dripped from her fingers.


    That hit had caught her completely off guard, and the damage was enormous¡ªit took away 3% of her health.


    "My Holy Cup, that felt so good!" Nivalis relished the sensation, rubbing her head for several seconds. Then, she waved the hand bone that had released her dragon claw and laughed to the sky. "It''s done!!!"


    Rita: "......"


    That night, Rita and Nivalis spent their time practicing free fighting. Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire


    Nivalis continued to savor that hit: "That was a righteous backstab! You asked for it!"


    After cleaning up the blood from herself and the ground, Rita began her revenge: "Traitor! Spiral Bomb!"


    Nivalis: "Hmph! Mega Evolution!"


    "Z move!"


    "Ice Beam!"


    "Self-sacrifice Impact!"


    "Slap-chain!"

 Chapter 268 [One Answer] & [A Transaction]

    Rita and Nivalis didn''t play for long before the sky began to brighten. They headed out to grab breakfast, and it was on the way that Rita noticed the changes in Soul Catcher after completing the dare.


    Soul Catcher (Curio): "With our ten fingers intertwined, tell me: truth or dare?"


    [One Answer (1/1)]: You can ask me one question related to wealth or money.


    [A Transaction (1/1)]: Is there anything in this world that cannot be "borrowed" with money? My answer is: nothing. Choose a target. As long as they accept all the money you currently own, you can forcibly "rent" from them one of their possessions, a skill, or even an emotion (Note 1: You must describe the item, skill, or emotion you wish to rent; if the description is vague or incorrect, the most similar item/skill/emotion will be rented instead. Note 2: The rental duration is determined by the amount of money you pay, with one natural day of rent corresponding to the wealth value of the target).


    There are many restrictions, but it can be useful depending on how you use it. If used well, this skill can have powerful effects.


    98% of people, including those from different races, won''t refuse gold coins. Even someone as cautious as Rita would never pass up a bag of gold coins if she couldn''t detect anything wrong with it using her inspection skill.


    What''s even more terrifying is the ability to "buy" emotions. While emotions are different from objects (they come with a time limit), the fact that they can be bought opens up infinite possibilities: loyalty, friendship, love, guilt, gratitude, etc. Rita immediately thought of many ways to use it.


    Given the usefulness of the three skills she had acquired so far, Rita now realized that this Soul Catcher truth-or-dare game was definitely worth continuing. Though each skill was one-time-use, each one was more useful than the last.


    While waiting for the light to turn green, Rita, after asking Nivalis for her opinion, decided to bind Soul Catcher to her soul. Even though Nivalis said she didn''t need it, Rita explained that she could always find her if she wanted to use it. This way, they would share ownership of it.


    Just as she was about to activate the soul-binding stone, Rita remembered the advice Holy Cup had given her: "Don''t burden your soul too much."


    Rita asked Nivalis, "Does Holy Cup''s talent have anything to do with the soul?"


    Nivalis replied, "Yes, her Divine Gift is called Stargazer, which is related to the soul."


    Rita counted her currently bound equipment and items: a pocket watch, Wrathful Moon, Fire Spirit Ring, Ember, Meteorite, and Water God Is My Rival. She had unknowingly bound six items. If it weren''t for the cat nest needing to be close to the cats, she would''ve had seven items, but since the binding stone couldn''t be used, she had to settle for using tattoo ink.


    In the end, Rita decided not to bind Soul Catcher just yet. She would wait until the issue with the Dragon Ancestor''s reversed scales was over, and then look into the equipment binding stones. As of now, the only item that could be considered a "burden on her soul" was this one.


    After sitting down in the private room, Rita contacted Shadow.Q about her trip abroad. She didn''t feel the need to report where she was going or what she was doing to the Special Affairs Bureau. She wasn''t planning on following the rules, either. The more you followed the rules, the more others would make them for you.@@@@


    Rita''s tone remained calm throughout; she was just informing them, not requesting help. A few minutes later, Shadow.Q replied.


    [Shadow.Q]: "Okay, I understand. Don''t worry. What you''re concerned about won''t happen. Let us know if you need help."


    Rita closed the game screen, feeling neither particularly happy nor sad, just tired.


    For a lone wolf who had so much to gain, the attention from various factions never came with affection. The most likely outcome was that she would become a target, and they''d eventually divide her up. Until the situation was fully clear, being too independent and too high-profile was definitely not a good thing.


    Would these organizations and forces really give up on her and her dragon? Of course not.


    However, with Eclipse Vanguard''s response, the many calculations that surrounded her were gradually suppressed. Those seemingly useless public service messages and declarations in the chat channels were exactly what she needed at this stage.


    It was something she had "purchased" with repeated concessions.


    She had spent very little ¡ª probably less than 10,000 gold in total ¡ª but it bought her official protection, trust, and favor from Eclipse Vanguard.


    It was similar to when she had used money to create a public persona when she was a celebrity. She was simply using the same strategy here: buying favor with small but significant offers.


    And just like in the past, the sooner the money was spent, the more she saved. She could always recoup it later.


    In the future, she wouldn''t be able to get the same level of trust from Eclipse Vanguard for so little. By the time they grew stronger, the cost of gaining the same level of trust would be astronomical.


    Looking at the valuable Legion Orders and Time Is Always Squeezable, Rita knew they would quickly depreciate by next year or the year after. Her time was also too precious to waste on mundane errands like running errands in small towns, trading with goblins for gold. That kind of low-efficiency work was better spent researching potions for sale.


    The money she had lost wasn''t much, but it had solved many of her calculations ¡ª both overt and covert.


    As long as she remained a lone wolf, Eclipse Vanguard would treat her cautiously, not pushing her toward any other faction.


    She wasn''t just refusing to cooperate with others. She was refusing to cooperate with any faction, and no one dared to move against her. She lived more freely than anyone else, and that was the true essence of being a lone wolf.


    For now, she couldn''t achieve absolute freedom, but one day, she would.

 Chapter 269 A Deal I Want to Make

    After spending time on Dragon Island, Rita and Nivalis had left all their food, drinks, and recreational items behind. So, after their meal, they needed to restock their bags and interdimensional space, as well as buy a few items for their upcoming underwater journey.


    As for the inflatable boat, Rita wasn''t bothered with it. After the incident with the Flood Dragon, where she had been flying on Nivalis'' back and got caught in a picture, she decided against bringing it this time. Given the sensitivity of their destination, both she and Nivalis would be using invisibility throughout the trip¡ªor just resting on the seabed.


    They didn''t need a locator either; with the game''s map, Rita was perfectly fine without one.


    It was the 29th today, and their departure was scheduled for tonight. If all went smoothly, they''d return by early November in time for Zoey''s concert and get an attribute boost.


    However, while packing, Nivalis kept feeling that the sea trip would be boring. Rita had told her that no electronic devices were allowed on this journey. She had made a few game consoles for Nivalis using engineering skills, but Nivalis had already grown tired of them. In the end, Rita packed a few Sudoku books for her¡ªalthough Rita didn''t expect her to actually have the chance to play them. Sometimes, Nivalis was easy to please.


    Rita hadn''t put the cat''s nest back in the backyard either. She had refilled the cat food and found a few resident cats in the yard. She informed them that the cat food was in the row of cabinets near the back, already divided into portions. If the food ran out, they could just help themselves. If any visiting cats came, they''d need to entertain them.


    The backyard also had a sensor-controlled water faucet, so the cats wouldn''t run out of water.


    ¡ª"If a new cat comes, remember to give it a drink from the second row of the cabinet. Male cats drink from the triangular bottles, female cats from the round ones. If it''s a kitten, don''t worry about giving it anything."


    The chubby orange and white cat nodded seriously, committing Rita''s instructions to memory.


    Everything was going smoothly, except for one cat¡ªthe tabby who liked to poop in the dragon manure box¡ªwas being a bit too chatty.


    Tabby: "The leaves always turn yellow, and the cat''s heart always grows cold... You think we don''t know what that drink is for?"


    Nivalis: "What is it for?"


    Tabby: "The cat extinction plan!!"


    Nivalis: "Wow!"


    Tabby: "Do you know what kind of reputation your yard has in our cat circle?"


    Nivalis: "What reputation?"


    Rita: "..."


    She felt that Nivalis could have made a good comic partner, or even a great middleman in a live stream room. It was a shame she didn''t take those paths.


    In the end, Rita opened cans of cat food for all the cats in the backyard to get the tabby to stop talking.


    The sky turned dim, and the city streetlights flickered on. After activating their invisibility, Rita and Nivalis flew toward the sea.


    The two of them, invisible, reached the shore and gently entered the water. They proceeded to move underwater, and what once felt like a long distance, now only took them less than half a day to cover.


    [Jameson 0-Level 0% | 0%]


    This data was even stranger.


    In her mind, Nivalis said, "The reverse scale is inside his stomach."


    Rita didn''t move but activated the energy-saving mode and chose detailed analysis.


    Character: Jameson (Level 0, 0%)


    Magic Immunity: Yes


    Physical Immunity: Yes


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    Divine Gift: Storyteller (B-Level)


    Race: Siren


    Race Talent: Tides


    Health: 0/0


    Mana: 0/0


    Strength: 7


    Constitution: 7


    Intelligence: 10


    Agility: 6


    Luck: 8


    Charm: 9


    Rita stared at the first skill in Jameson''s Divine Gift for a long time, unable to speak.


    Skill 1: Life''s Journey: When used, this skill transforms the target''s entire life into a brief summary of fewer than 1000 words, which can be reviewed. Requires 500ml of the target''s blood. Cooldown: 365 days.

 Chapter 270 The Sea Demon · Miyaas

    Summing up a person''s life... is this prophecy or divination?


    Just as Rita was about to use her skill to smash the statue, the stone sculpture inside the crystal coffin slowly opened its eyes and said, "You''ve finally come."


    The voice was strange and muffled, like ventriloquism, but it resonated throughout the cabin.


    Such mysterious words! Rita didn''t hesitate and fired several skills at the statue, then followed up with a few gunshots.


    Jameson: "..."


    However, neither the crystal coffin nor the stone sculpture showed any sign of damage.


    Rita, disappointed, lowered her weapon and asked Nivalis in her mind: "Do you have any way to take out the reverse scale? Like if you summon it, would it fly to you or something?"


    Nivalis: "Do you think it''s Thor''s hammer?"


    Rita: "..."


    Great, this young dragon has already been soaked in Blue Star culture...


    She moved a bit closer, trying to take the crystal coffin, but she realized that the coffin and Jameson were actually connected. The game prompted her that she couldn''t collect living beings. Without hesitation, she changed tactics and started using the skill [I want this, this, and this] on Jameson.


    Jameson: "Are you still here?" Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire


    Rita continued using her skill: "Speak. No more nonsense. If you keep talking nonsense, I''ll team up with the officials and nuke you with an atomic bomb."


    Jameson laughed softly: "I didn''t expect you to be this kind of person."


    Rita pretended to walk away.


    But Jameson''s next sentence made her entire body chill. He said in a deep, eerie voice: "I know what your Divine Gift is, and I also know that you have enmity with my The White Family."


    For a few seconds, Rita felt like her heartbeat was echoing in the silent depths of the sea.


    She lowered her gaze and replied, "I don''t understand what you mean."


    Jameson responded, "You will understand. I know everything. I want to make a deal with you."


    Perhaps it had been a long time since Jameson had spoken to anyone. His first words were so absurd that they made Rita''s vision blur: "Do you know why I am called Jameson?"


    Rita, trying to be patient, replied: "Breaking the pot and sinking the boat?"


    "Yes, breaking the pot and sinking the boat."


    Back when he was a child, his family was poor, and Jameson didn''t have a proper name by the time he was five. One day, his father took him to sell vegetables in the market, and they overheard people discussing the story of "breaking the pot and sinking the boat." They were so stirred up by the story that on the way home, they kept repeating the phrase.


    Father and son debated all the way back, deciding that "breaking the pot" was bad, and "sinking the boat" was unlucky, so in the end, they chose the name "Jameson," thinking it sounded grand.


    "But unfortunately, it wasn''t until much later that I realized Jameson had another meaning."


    "Jameson entering the sea¡ªthe good fortune ends, and the misfortune begins."


    "Sometimes, one must believe in destiny. A name is like a prelude."


    When Jameson turned 19, he went out to sea to fish with his new wife.


    They didn''t catch any fish, but instead, they fished up a half-human, half-fish creature.


    Everyone loves beauty, and Jameson and his wife, Allison, had never seen such a beautiful face before¡ªit looked like something out of a fairy tale. They didn''t throw the unconscious creature back into the sea. Instead, they kept it on their fishing boat.


    "At first, Allison and I had impure motives. Even though we had never seen such a thing, we knew it was no ordinary being. Its appearance, its singing voice, its fish tail¡ªeverything about it was a rare treasure. We had never seen such a beautiful creature."


    "The sea demon was injured and couldn''t take care of itself. We cared for it, hoping to gain something in return once it recovered. But it was very considerate. It would sing for us when we were tired, and when we were in danger, it would protect us to the best of its ability. For a while, Allison and I treated it like family."


    "He said his name was Miyaas."


    "Miyaas said he could pray to the sea, asking the sea to protect us, bring us luck, and help us acquire treasures from the sea. Allison and I had no reason to refuse. After all, we had rescued him with the intent of profiting."


    "But during those turbulent years, even if we got treasure, we had nowhere to spend it, and we always had to worry about him being discovered. For almost half the year, we spent all our time drifting on the sea."


    "For a long time, Allison and I didn''t have children. We were afraid that children couldn''t keep secrets, and if we ever went ashore and they said something by accident, it might bring danger to him."


    "With both emotional and material motivations, our relationship grew stronger. We became like a family. Miyaas even gave us Divine Gifts¡ªGod''s blessing! From that day on, in our hearts, he became a god."


    "But later, we discovered that every time Miyaas prayed, there was always a price to pay."

 Chapter 271 Miyaass Talent

    ¡ª¡ª "Half of my life, we were deceived by him! He turned us into monsters like him! Yes, we awakened our Divine Gift early, but... but you can''t even imagine the price we paid!"


    ¡ª¡ª "Later, against Allison''s wishes, I sold Miyaas to a pharmaceutical company. I used his bones as shares... I never regretted my choice, I just hate that I betrayed him too late, and brought misfortune upon my family."


    After listening for so long, Rita''s heart remained calm. After modifying Jameson''s luck, she continued healing herself and trying to steal things from Jameson, but every attempt failed.


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    Jameson''s words initially seemed flawless. His candidness in revealing his betrayal, and his lack of hesitation about his own motives, made his story seem more genuine. It made the listener trust the rest of the tale. People tend to trust someone who''s brutally honest, even if they''re a villain.


    Rita, however, didn''t show any emotion on the surface.


    Jameson continued: "We thought leaving Miyaas behind would mark the beginning of a new life. But, soon we found out that leaving the sea monster was the real misfortune. Allison and I could never stay away from the sea for too long. If we spent too much time on land, we felt like walking on sharp knives. But, if we returned to the sea, we would receive varying degrees of good fortune."


    ¡ª¡ª "If it was just me and Allison suffering, I''d accept it. We were greedy. But even our children were cursed! The only good news is that the curse weakens over generations."


    ¡ª¡ª "But it got worse. Allison and I showed no signs of aging, and our bodies slowly began to turn to stone... When our lives neared their end, we sailed into the sea to perform a sea burial. We thought we could die with dignity. But we couldn''t even die. We turned to stone, becoming immortal monsters."


    As Jameson sank deeper into his memories, Rita suddenly interrupted: "Where did you get the dragon scales?"


    A brief moment of silence passed before Jameson spoke with a hint of regret, "You''re very smart. But without my guidance, you would never have found the answer."


    Rita pressed on, "Miyaa''s remains?"


    This time, Jameson hesitated longer before responding. "Yes... it''s Miyaas''s remains. If I could, I''d never give you such a treasure. But I''ve done countless [Life Histories] for myself, and none of them showed your name or the time you''d come to find me. That''s why I couldn''t prepare to kill you in advance."


    He paused, then continued with a sigh. "But that''s the beauty of [Life History]. Because it''s not detailed enough, it allows me to intervene in fate. If it were too detailed, it would lose its flexibility, and fate would no longer have room to be changed."


    Another gap in his story had been sealed. Rita had been wondering why Jameson didn''t simply keep the remains for himself and leave clues for the White Family to dispose of her in advance. He could''ve used the information to eliminate a potential enemy.


    Jameson had awakened his Divine Gift with Miyaas''s help long ago and used it to foresee the downfall of the White Family. However, the vagueness of [Life History] prevented him from leaving detailed instructions, which meant he couldn''t forewarn his descendants about specific threats. Instead, he had to plan everything himself to resolve the conflict.


    It all made sense now.


    With half of her [Emerald Feast] consumed, Rita was still relying on her magician''s dentures for healing. Yet, despite all her efforts, she hadn''t been able to steal the dragon scales. Even the miscellaneous items were out of reach. She stopped her skills and took a few steps back.


    There was no need to continue the attempt. She had to keep at least half of the [Emerald Feast] for safety.


    She whispered, "Tell me what you want. All I have to do is stop seeking revenge on your descendants, right?"


    "Of course, it''s not that simple," Jameson replied. "Stopping revenge on my descendants is a necessary condition. Only after you agree to that, will I tell you where Miyaas''s remains are and how you can use them to evolve your Divine Gift. But to get the dragon scales, you''ll need to agree to one more condition."

 Chapter 272 Your Caution Is Your Shackles

    Rita countered, "How do you know his bones can evolve a Divine Gift? Does it work for all players'' talents, or just mine?"


    Jameson replied, "It only works for your Divine Gift. I learned this from a certain item."


    Rita pressed, "What item?"


    Jameson chuckled. "No need to play dumb. Since you''ve found this place, you must have received help from it."


    Rita couldn''t help but take another step back. She asked, "Aside from stopping your revenge against The White Family, what else do you want?"


    Jameson said, "Once you''ve used the Sea Demon''s remains, bring them back to me. I want to use them to resurrect."


    Another gap in his story, yet Jameson filled it smoothly. If Jameson had said that the Sea Demon''s bones could evolve Divine Gifts and that he obtained this information from a research institute, Rita would have been suspicious. If it could upgrade talents, why not keep it for his descendants? Even if The White Family had not yet awakened their Divine Gifts, it would still be something valuable to hold on to.


    But as for his second request¡ªresurrecting himself with the Sea Demon''s body¡ªif he really were a true villain who had exploited and sold Sea Demons to pharmaceutical companies, why would he care about helping his descendants or reconciling with his enemies?


    He was being so open, providing information that seemed too perfect to be questioned. It made everything sound believable.


    Rita asked, "How do we proceed with the deal?"


    Jameson answered, "In the cabinet to your three o''clock, there''s an old tooth from a Sea Demon pup. You can swear an oath with it, promising to no longer take action against The White Family. In return, I will tell you the location of the Sea Demon''s remains and how to use them to evolve your Divine Gift. Once you bring the Sea Demon''s bones to me, I will give you the Dragon Scales. Of course, I will also make an oath."


    Rita immediately rejected, "I can promise not to act against The White Family for the grievances between me and Sanchez, but if they come after me, I won''t sit idly by. And even if everything is settled, I won''t allow Sanchez''s injured eye to heal." Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire


    Jameson responded, "I know the problem with her eye isn''t what you think. Fine, I can use my abilities to lock her current condition. As long as you don''t take action against The White Family, I will curse her so that her injury can''t be healed by any means."


    Rita fell into a long silence, her heart sinking with each passing moment. He had noticed her attempt to test him and even figured out the true nature of Sanchez''s injury. Was Jameson really all-knowing?


    Jameson shouted, "Isn''t this enough?!"


    "A fair deal, Divine Gift evolution, Dragon Ancestor''s scales¡ªdon''t you feel tempted?"


    "Is there really no way to resolve the grievances between you and The White Family? Haven''t you already taken your revenge?"


    "Soul Catcher''s answer was clear. The Sea Demon''s bones can solve your conflict with The White Family and evolve your Divine Gift. What are you still hesitating about? What are you waiting for?"


    "The path to the heavens is right before your eyes. The chance to evolve your Divine Gift is here. But you''re hesitating, retreating, and doubting everything. Any flaw becomes a mountain in your eyes. Even when there''s no flaw, you still see one."


    "You think your actions right now are cautious? Rational? Calm? No! You''re just cowardly!"


    "You think you''re weighing the risks, but one day, those few seconds of hesitation will cost you everything."


    "You''re afraid of missing something, afraid of risk, afraid of failure! Your caution is your chains!"


    "Do you think true power comes from hiding in the gutters? No! It comes from bloodshed, from charging forward, from destroying everything that stands in your way. It''s not about being overly careful, trying to cover every base before you act."


    Rita stood quietly in the corner, listening to Jameson''s impassioned speech. Her brow furrowed slightly, her expression unreadable, her emotions hidden from view. Under the dim light, in the deep sea, within the transparent water shield, her face remained a blur.


    Jameson''s voice was intense, as though accusing Rita of a great sin.


    The countdown reached zero, and the timer disappeared. The room fell back into darkness.


    Rita tried using her investigation skill on the crystal coffin again, but there was no response.


    Nivalis, who had been holding her breath since Jameson''s outburst, quietly whispered, "What now?"


    Rita replied, "I have... no, two guesses that need to be verified."

 Chapter 273 You Old Dog, Who Are You to Lecture Me?!

    After briefly closing her eyes to gather her thoughts and prepare herself, Rita turned to Nivalis and said, "Turn back time twice."


    Nivalis followed her instructions, and the time quickly flowed backward, returning to 280 seconds ago.


    At this moment, Jameson was saying, "...From this moment on, you will no longer harm anyone from the White Family. I will tell you the location of the sea demon''s corpse and how to use it to evolve your Divine Gift. Once you bring me Miyaas''s corpse, I will give you dragon scales, and of course, I will swear an oath."


    Rita looked as though she was struggling internally. She started pacing in the room, clearing her mind, and gave the same response as before the time reversal: "I can stop attacking The White Family because of my grudge with Sanchez, but if The White Family takes action against me, I will not just sit by. Even if our grudges are cleared, I will never allow Sanchez''s injured eye, the one I blinded, to heal."


    At the same time, with her back to Jameson, she cleared her mind, took out the Soul Catcher, and held it. With a casual wave of her hand, she hit the "Truth or Dare" button that appeared above the hand bone¡ªgame on!¡ªthe bone then firmly locked onto her hand.


    However, just as she was about to think of her next move, the bone that had been tightly gripping her right hand suddenly loosened.


    Jameson''s voice came from the crystal coffin: "There''s no need for you to test me. I know that Sanchez''s eye isn''t actually blind. The problem lies in her ears."


    Rita suddenly gripped the sea demon''s hand bone tightly!


    So that''s it... so it was true!!!


    She had intended to test Jameson by using the Soul Catcher, thinking that perhaps he was trying to deceive her. She didn''t believe that the Life Record would show that she was the one who had ruined Sanchez''s ears.


    But before she could even entertain that thought, time had already been turned back to the moment before the game started!


    This meant that Jameson not only had the ability to turn back time, but he could also read her thoughts!


    His "perfection" and his "flawlessness" were all achieved by testing his responses through repeatedly turning back time!


    No wonder everything felt so unnatural. Every single one of his actions, every point he focused on, seemed to match exactly what she was thinking. Every time she had doubts, Jameson would fill in the gaps, making it seem as though he was always one step ahead.


    That''s why he would say, "Any loophole will be magnified by you. Even if there are no flaws, you would see them as flaws!"


    Even though he meticulously patched up every possible gap, she still couldn''t trust him and didn''t want to cooperate with him.


    "Snow Pile taught me before that when this happens, it means that in a certain area, time has flowed backward at least a hundred times in a short period, causing a time disturbance in that civilization. This is a punishment for interfering with the flow of time."


    A hundred times... They had only used Steal Dragon''s Milk four times in total.


    Jameson, that old dog, must have reversed time 96 times?!


    How many times had I doubted him in my mind?


    No wonder he went crazy in the end, furiously accusing me... even asking if I had a heart!


    Turns out, without me even knowing, I had challenged him over ninety times... If I had known... if I had known earlier, I probably would''ve challenged him too.


    Now it made sense why Jameson had gone on and on with all those stories. Rita hadn''t been interested in his backstory at all, but because of her personality, she would never make a deal with something she didn''t fully understand.


    She needed to use the "story" and dialogue to judge the other party''s character, to find flaws and determine whether she should cooperate. That''s why Jameson had told her so much.


    But now it was too late. If she left now, it would be leaving behind a huge potential danger.


    Rita sighed inwardly. Since she couldn''t go back to before the incident, this deal had to be done. The fact that Jameson had put so much effort into cooperating with her meant that there was something he wanted from her, and he couldn''t use force against her. Given this, the only way to turn things around was to get involved.


    Furthermore, there were the dragon scales and the evolution of Divine Gift¡ªsuch tempting bait.


    Rita, with Nivalis, waited outside for a while to make some preparations before heading back.


    By the time they returned, the countdown had already started.


    Jameson was truly anxious this time. His survival until now had been dependent on two skills.


    Half Dream (Grade A): This skill automatically activates upon death, allowing the user to survive in a different form through a deep sleep. Death is just a long dream. For every 10 natural days of sleep, 1 second of wakefulness is granted. (The wakeful time can be preemptively used, up to 10 minutes, but after using it, double the sleep time is required to repay it.)


    Half Wake (Grade A): The wakeful time gained from Half Dream can be freely controlled by the user. In this half-dream, half-awake state, time is manipulated as if it''s in their hands.

 Chapter 274 I Have No Malicious Intent!

    Jameson had been in a Half Dream for 73 years, trading almost 45 minutes of waking time. However, when he used his Half Wake skill to rewind time just moments ago, it had nearly exhausted all the remaining time.


    But now, Jameson realized that his Half Wake skill was disabled, with a cooldown of a staggering 960 days.


    If the cooldown really lasted 960 days, there was no way he could secure an advantage in negotiations next time he met someone Miyaas specifically wanted. Not with just his mouth. This guy was too slippery!


    Frustrated, Jameson repeated his previous statements, trying once again to convince Rita with a mix of soft and hard tactics.@@@@


    With time running out, Rita cut him off decisively, "Fine. I can agree to your terms. As long as The White Family doesn''t target me, I won''t go after them either."


    She then gave him her conditions: "But you must swear that you won''t reveal our deal, and you must solidify the current condition of Sanchez''s injury. You''ll also tell me the location of Miyaas''s remains and how to use them to evolve my Divine Gift. When I bring you the remains, you must give me the Dragon Ancestor''s reverse scale. No tricks. If either of us breaks the oath, I''ll die on the spot, and all your skills will be permanently disabled. Agreed?"


    "Agreed!" Jameson quickly replied, clearly relieved. "You''ll find a sea monster''s milk tooth at 6 o''clock."


    "I have the oath stone," Rita responded, holding it up.


    "Good, good, let''s move quickly!" Jameson was in a rush. No traps, just formalizing the deal with an oath stone was perfect.


    The two quickly completed their agreement.


    Rita took out the oath stone she had purchased from Shadow.Q, placed one on the crystal coffin, and let Jameson inspect it, while she held the other one.


    Jameson sang a short tune and said, "I''ve already cursed my descendants with a bloodline curse, which you can verify."


    Though she suspected something, Rita couldn''t help but feel alarmed by the term "bloodline curse." Her mouth ran ahead of her mind, and the first question she blurted out was, "Aren''t you going to ask her?"


    Jameson replied, "What''s the point of asking when you''re already doing something wicked? No, no, little friend, I''m not targeting you. I just... I''m just saying... I... I mean, I, the old slave, have no ill intentions at all!"


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    Rita paused for a moment, then used her oath stone and declared, "Fine. From now on, as long as The White Family doesn''t provoke me, I won''t take the lives of any of their people." She left everything else open-ended.


    Rita smiled wryly and patted the crystal coffin. "At this point, I might be more eager to resurrect him than he is."


    How else could she kill him if he didn''t come back to life?


    Even though Rita and Nivalis had been pretending throughout this deal, from the very beginning, it had been full of calculation. It was clear Jameson had been scheming for years. If he didn''t die, she wouldn''t be able to sleep peacefully.


    And if the Divine Gift evolution truly allowed it to devour others, this could very well be Miyaas''s plan to target her Divine Gift. She couldn''t let such a threat live.


    Nivalis asked, "So what are we going to do now?"


    Rita, heading toward the exit, said, "Have you ever seen The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils?"


    Nivalis blinked, confused. "No. What''s it about?"


    "It''s a martial arts story. There''s a chess game in it called the Zhenlong Chessboard. A genius set it up for years to find a clever disciple. The game was so tricky that no one could win it for years. He said whoever solves the chessboard can become his disciple. But no one managed to win."


    "Why was it so hard?"


    "It''s designed that way. The game puts the players in a position where they can''t move forward or retreat. Some people don''t want to give up their pieces because they''re too kind. Others can''t let go of their advantages because they''re too greedy. There was only one main character, someone who didn''t know how to play chess, who just made random moves. He sacrificed a lot of pieces, and by doing that, he solved the game and got the treasure."


    "So?"


    "That''s how we''ll handle this. We''ll avoid the trap, give up the seemingly most valuable treasure, and go straight to the conclusion."


    With Miyaas''s chessboard bypassed, the transaction was reduced to a simple trade: "I won''t take action against The White Family, and I''ll deliver Miyaas''s remains to Jameson" in exchange for the Dragon Ancestor''s reverse scale.


    In game terms, this was like turning an S-level quest into a B-level one, cutting the task chain in half.


    Nivalis looked regretful. "You really won''t evolve your Divine Gift?"


    Rita shook her head. "Let nature take its course. If Jameson resurrects Miyaas''s remains and destroys them, then fine. If not..."

 Chapter 275 Dont Hate Yourself

    Rita acknowledged that Jameson was right. Her caution and rationality were often just another way of saying she was afraid. The gap in strength was undeniable; Miyaas had lived for an unknown number of years, was a member of the Sea Monster Royal Family, and had been planning for this moment long in advance. Rita simply wasn''t strong enough to confront her head-on at the moment.


    Moreover, the materials Jameson had mentioned were strange. Though they sounded precious and high-end, she had seen similar items in the auction house. They were expensive, sure, but all obtainable with gold.


    It wasn''t necessary for the materials to be as rare as Dragon''s Blood Moon Sand, but for something as significant as evolving an S-rank talent, the materials shouldn''t be so common. Even Hecipah had never heard of such a method being used, and yet these were the items required?


    She had already acquired two SS-rank Divine Gifts and one A-rank talent during the special period when Lania Kaia was being invaded, thanks to her Thief God talent, which she had already used to its utmost. Upgrading this talent would be good, but if it meant putting herself at risk, she would rather let the opportunity slip by.


    When it came to Divine Gifts, Rita didn''t go into the details with Nivalis. She simply explained that their strength wasn''t enough yet. Nivalis didn''t get angry but instead patted Rita''s ear and comforted her, "You decide what you think is best."


    Rita was a bit disappointed. She realized that, deep down, she had hoped Nivalis would scold her, wake her up. Jameson''s words had left a mark in her heart.


    Once upon a time, Sanchez had said that she was like a warrior¡ªnothing could break her. But after her rebirth, she realized that she wasn''t invincible. She could be broken, just as Jameson had said. She was shackled by countless things: caution, reason, restraint.


    These chains had many nice names¡ªcaution, reason, self-control. While they protected her, they also took away something vital.


    Sensing Rita''s mood, Nivalis dropped her disguise and flew up to Rita. Looking her in the eyes, Nivalis said, "Holy Cup told me that no matter how calm a heart is, it will eventually be ignited by something¡ªwhether sooner or later. Don''t hate yourself. You''re doing fine. You just haven''t been ignited yet."


    Rita froze for a moment, unsure of how to respond. After a while, she suppressed the warmth and lump in her throat, managing to force a bright smile. "If that day comes, it''ll be because of you that I get ignited."


    It was a joke, a quick reply from someone whose heart had grown cold and didn''t know how to react to kindness. But Nivalis responded seriously, "Okay, I''ll do my best."


    Rita patted Nivalis''s head, offering no more words and deciding not to waste time on unnecessary thoughts.


    Miyaas''s remains were deep in the ocean. Following the coordinates Jameson provided, Rita set off toward the location. On the way, she messaged her grandmother, Eleanor, and requested two time-stopping preservation boxes. She had learned about these boxes when she visited Eleanor in B City¡ªthey could stop time within a certain area. Soon, Eleanor sent over two large boxes, each with two portions of noodles inside.


    Her technique was a little like how she would catch cockroaches at home¡ªmeticulous and precise.


    For a moment, the self-loathing she had felt earlier seemed like a distant memory. Honestly, this cautious approach was her comfort zone.


    Why leave your comfort zone? Is there something wrong with staying comfortable?


    With the preservation box in hand, Rita scanned the area, digging a deep pit where the coordinates pointed. She swam upwards, nearly reaching the surface, before confirming there were no other unusual objects around. Then, she and Nivalis headed back to the sunken ship where Jameson was.


    She didn''t wake Jameson, nor did she step inside the cabin. Instead, she stood at the doorway, pulled out A Big World, A Small Me, and shrank the crystal coffin before swiftly using a phantom move to place it inside another preservation box.


    With both old treasures in tow, she and Nivalis headed straight home via the teleportation portal to Lania Kaia.


    Nivalis asked, "Where are we going? To Dragon Island?"


    Rita shook her head after drinking a bottle of Gold-Class Assassin. Now that Nivalis was with her, she didn''t want to involve the elder dragons in every little matter. It was better to handle things herself, especially the dragon scales. She had to deal with that issue on her own.


    After changing outfits, Rita disguised herself as a goblin and made Nivalis look like Bear Cookies to hide in her pocket. She quickly made three gold coins and then didn''t rush into trading with Jameson. Instead, she first made a stop at the auction house to buy a dandelion that could temporarily block information transmission.


    Then, she bought a Master-grade Memory Gem from Hecipah. This gem would allow the user to select a concept and erase all memories related to it from another person.


    Rita had considered erasing Jameson''s memories of her, but knowing Miyaas''s influence, she decided it was safer to erase all memories connected to her Thief God talent. Otherwise, if she only erased the answers without cutting off the reasoning trail, it would just lead Jameson to replay his little deduction game.


    After booking a room at a hotel in the center of Midnight City, Rita locked the door and used the dandelion to fill the room with seeds. From now on, they could only communicate verbally; not even Rita could send messages through the game.


    Finally, she took out Jameson''s crystal coffin, placed it in the preservation box, and enlarged it to the size of her shoe sole. She crouched down, lightly tapping on the lid, "Wake up."

 Chapter 276 No Wonder the Crystal Coffin Glows—Theres an Old Demon Inside!

    Rita knew that Jameson definitely had a way to sense her actions. After all, if he could deduce things through the blood curse on Sanchez, he was far from ordinary. Yet, Jameson still didn''t react. So, Rita opened another food container and placed it beside the crystal coffin. "According to our pact, I''ve brought Miyaas''s remains. I''ll count down from ten. If you don''t give me the Dragon Ancestor''s reverse scale, you''re dead. Ten, nine, eight..."


    The coffin quickly began to glow¡ªfaster than a phone booting up. As it lit up, the first thing Jameson saw upon waking was a big face of a goblin staring down at him. He also sensed the binding power of the oath, confirming that Miyaas''s remains had indeed been brought to him.


    Jameson asked, "How long has it been?"


    It felt like he''d just closed his eyes! The Half Dream skill hadn''t even given him a full second of wakefulness. That meant he had only been asleep for less than 10 natural days.


    "Six, five..." Rita continued her countdown.@@@@


    Jameson sensed the binding effect of the oath gem was kicking in. He hadn''t expected this person to actually come back alive. Realizing he had no choice, he extracted a reverse scale from the dragon markings sealed within his body. In an instant, a crescent-shaped white dragon scale "floated" out from the stone sculpture.


    Dragon Ancestor''s Reverse Scale (Rare) ¨C Exclusive to Dragons


    Skills:


    Half Dream, Half Wake (SS)


    Mental Resonance (SS)


    Evil Dragon''s Roar (S)


    Dragon Dance (S)


    ...and dozens of others, with the lowest being A-rank.


    Rita calmly said, "Do you believe I could bring over a foreign powerhouse that''s just as strong as Miyaas to attack here?" As long as she used the right trigger, no one would come unless they were a big shot. And when they did, she could escape. As for Jameson? She had no intention of saving him.


    Jameson''s response was quick, "The gun''s in your hands, so whatever you say... I''ll believe it! I believe you can bypass the oath. By the way, I have a trade offer. It''s a backup plan I set up without Miyaas''s knowledge. I can''t control time anymore, and I can''t read minds either. You can rest assured to listen to what I have to say!"


    Rita: This person''s mouth is faster than his brain now that he lost his time-rewind ability.


    She took out Brooks''s skill gem and crushed it right in front of Jameson.


    At this point, Jameson had no immunity to skills. You can''t read minds anymore, huh? Well, now it''s my turn.


    She carefully placed the food container with Miyaas''s remains back into her game backpack and used Thunder Cage to seal Jameson''s container before asking, "First, tell me¡ªwhat''s the deal with the giant whale''s carcass? Is Miyaas really dead?"


    Jameson responded, "Miyaas used a special method to hide his skeleton inside the whale''s body. That''s all I know. He didn''t tell me the core details of the plan¡ªhe''s a smart one, after all. My job was just to guide you to him and provide you with the materials needed for the ritual. I''m just a worker."


    He continued, "But what he didn''t know is that my wife and I secretly kept some of his blood and flesh when we first saved him. Back then, we were just curious about the taste of his fish tail. My wife even had the oil pan ready. But... Anyway, to get to the point, I wrote up his life resume in secret."


    Jameson chuckled bitterly. "I already knew his ending before your story even began. He''s a goner. He''s got two possible endings, and in mine, he loses both times. The difference is, if he had waited for the person he needed, he might''ve had a chance, but now, it''s all over for him."


    Rita was stunned. Two possible endings? Does this mean last life and this life? Is it me and Rick? This is too much of a bug. Could other prophecies have multiple outcomes too?


    Jameson sighed. "You don''t even know who''s coming for you, do you?"


    Rita frowned. "Two possible endings? You mean you still don''t know who''s really after you?"


    Jameson shook his head. "No, he''s just like you¡ªclever... He never trusted anyone. He didn''t even let me use skills to summarize his life. He didn''t like those destiny skills that show the results of events or people''s fates directly. He believed they''re like a death sentence, once you see them, everything you do gets influenced by them. He preferred the fate to give him a clue, and then he would find the way out himself."

 Chapter 277 So Thats How It Is... Sanchez...

    Rita understood now. Miyaas wasn''t the type who liked spoilers¡ªhe preferred to figure things out himself.


    She then asked, "Is Soul Catcher Miyaas''s hand bone? Is it a trap?" Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire


    Jameson responded without hesitation, "Yes, it''s Miyaas''s hand bone. It''s the price he paid when he arrived early on Blue Star through Lania Kaia. He specifically asked me to leave it in my tombstone, so you could use it to find me. He said if things went too smoothly, you''d start suspecting. That tricky bastard, making me secretly put in my will that my descendants aren''t allowed to worship me... otherwise, he''d take advantage of me."@@@@


    Jameson spoke honestly, as if he had become an entirely different person. He continued, "The dragon scale here is part of his plan as well. With Miyaas''s help, I was able to borrow some of the power from the dragon scale to guide you to his remains. But because of the scale, I was turned to stone."


    Having gotten answers to the most pressing questions, Rita asked, "So, what do you want to trade for? Why should I let you win?"


    This was a joke. She had barely managed to suppress her anger and resentment toward The White Family, and now Jameson wanted her to cooperate with them?


    Jameson quickly noticed the look of frustration and murderous intent on her face, and he didn''t try to make things complicated. He laid out his purpose and bargaining chips directly: "I can give you the treasure that Miyaas dropped when he arrived on Blue Star. There are seven items in total, two of which Miyaas spent until his last day trying to find. Plus, I know where Miyaas''s most important lair is, written in his Life Records."


    "My conditions are simple. From now on, The White Family will be at your service. We can be your sword or your whip, doing all the dirty and tiring work. You''ll be getting a great deal¡ªjust enjoy the fun in your bed, don''t worry about anything... No, no, I meant, my lord, please give this humble servant a chance!!"


    Rita realized now why Jameson had gone through so many time-reversals¡ªhe had learned to play his cards more wisely.


    "I don''t know why you have a grudge against The White Family, and I''m not interested in your secrets. But I do know that you want to quell your anger with the blood and misfortune of your enemies. But what about their loyalty?"


    "You can trust our loyalty because we have no choice but to choose you."


    Could they be friends? With Zoey around, Sanchez couldn''t form a genuine friendship with Rick. After all, Rick''s twisted luck and schemes would have tipped him off, and nothing was more important to Rick than his wife¡ªespecially with The White Family''s role in keeping The Lopez Family in check.


    As for escaping to Lania Kaia? Even if they managed to do so, it would have been too late. If they left too early, they would have walked into a trap. If they left too late, their transformed race would be exposed before they even made it off Blue Star.


    There was only one option left for Sanchez, and The White Family wouldn''t let her remain ambiguous with Rick¡ªthey would work with Zoey to share Rick as an item.


    So it was true¡ªSanchez had done all of this for The White Family. How cold and ruthless she was! Yet, for all her cruelty, she still cared about her family.


    Rita then recalled the fear on Sanchez''s face whenever Zoey said, "Aunt Ariana..."


    Was Sanchez really afraid of Ariana? No, no one would be scared of someone who loved them. She wasn''t afraid of Ariana herself; she was afraid that Ariana might see her true self¡ªthe person tormented by inner pain, her face distorted by the hatred and frustration she couldn''t let go of.


    Rita had only seen Sanchez''s brutality, but Ariana would have seen the suffering beneath.


    No wonder Sanchez had been so volatile, always on edge, ready to explode. The anger she directed at Rita was a symptom of deeper pain¡ªshe hated Rick, but she could never let it go, always building up more resentment, even when he was a mere trophy to her.


    It all clicked into place for Rita¡ªso that''s what it was with Sanchez.


    Rita asked, "You said your fate has two possible endings. What''s the other one? Is it still the spark you mentioned?"


    "Yes," Jameson replied. "It''s like two sides of fate. One side shines, and the other fades. If I meet that person, The White Family can survive the curse, but the ending will be terrible¡ªthey''ll live a life full of regret and pain."


    "The other ending? If the person I meet is someone else, then they''ll be scarred, but their fighting spirit will never die. Their lives will be full of agony, but they won''t regret it. In a hundred years, when people talk about The White Family, they''ll have no name left to speak of."

 Chapter 278 To Achieve Great Things, One Must Be Heartless

    "I''m willing to pay any price! Miyaas''s lair, the relics he left behind on Blue Star, his weaknesses, The White Family''s loyalty, and 20% of the annual gold income... Wait, maybe 20% is too much... no! Please don''t shoot, I''m your loyal servant! If it''s 20%, then it''s 20%! Just let The White Family follow you!" Jameson pleaded earnestly, his sincerity palpable.


    "Don''t let hatred blind you to the benefits in front of you. Controlling us, making us submit to you, isn''t that also a form of revenge? Doesn''t it sound delightful, young one?" He lowered his tone with every word, retreating more and more, leaving Rita room to maneuver.


    Just like before, when he made her promise not to take action against The White Family, Rita could easily set up a scenario where The White Family attacks her first, and she could retaliate without breaking her oath. Now, if she accepted his offer, she could manipulate The White Family to provoke enemies they couldn''t handle, using them to achieve her own goals¡ªperhaps even wiping them out with little effort.


    These kinds of strategies weren''t lost on Jameson, the sly old fox.


    Rita didn''t immediately accept his proposal. Instead, she took out a memory stone, using one hand to cover Jameson''s head and mouth, and with the other, she crushed the memory stone. She wiped clean all memories related to the "Thief God" concept from his mind. From this moment on, Jameson would forget everything about Rita and Miyaas''s Divine Gift. That part of his memory was now a blank, and even any fragments that could help him deduce it would vanish. All those memories had been transferred to the memory stone.


    Rita held the glowing purple memory stone in her hand, then released a surge of electricity, shattering it into dust. She collected the remnants¡ªsome would be scattered into the sea to feed the fish, some thrown into a food box to disappear on its own, and the last part kept for later use, when she''d make a Fox Shadow potion that required it.


    "You''re so sure that I''m the one who can bring The White Family the second outcome?"


    "Yes, that person has come twice. The first time, they awakened me and we made a deal. The second time, they brought a Flood Dragon."


    Rita sealed Jameson back into the food box, needing some time to think.


    To achieve great things, one must be heartless. It''s not just love or affection that defines true emotions¡ªhatred and resentment are emotions too. She understood all this, but she had to weigh whether the benefits outweighed the need for such ruthlessness.


    She was starting to piece together the concept of the Starfire, and the more clues she gathered, the clearer her suspicions grew. The Dominoes might be something capable of elevating an entire race''s level of life. If she continued down her current path, her role in Blue Star would become self-evident.


    The White Family''s involvement, she realized, was just about getting ahead of the game. But there was too much left unanswered in Jameson''s version of the future¡ªwhat if she was just a stepping stone for them on the way to greatness?


    She wasn''t sure about her own future either.


    In this deal, she didn''t have much to lose. She had already taken half of her revenge on Sanchez; the only thing left was to let go of the other half of her hatred. But the rewards Jameson offered¡ªMiyaa''s lair, the relics he left on Blue Star, his weaknesses, and 20% of The White Family''s gold income¡ªwere tempting.


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    Snow Pile felt as if he had just taken a short nap when Holy Cup and North Year called him, saying that Nivalis and Rita had returned with the Dragon Ancestor''s reversed scales.


    Snow Pile: ???


    Picking up trash so quickly?


    But soon, a crescent-shaped white dragon scale was placed before him.


    Nivalis struggled to carry it with her little hands, sighing, "Over a hundred years, and this is all there is... Elder, you''ve truly decayed, Dragon Island is decaying!"


    Snow Pile: "..."


    Rita took a step back. If she were to hit a child, then she''d better be out of the way as a guest...


    In the end, Holy Cup intervened, using her tail to swat Nivalis, "Continue, speak."


    Nivalis obediently raised both her claws and muttered, "Mother, I mean... heh, I''m just eager to improve. Is there anything Blu Blu can do to help?"


    Holy Cup and Snow Pile exchanged glances. As for whether they were touched, Rita didn''t dare to move.


    She almost wanted to shout that this child wasn''t even her responsibility! They had only met recently!


    Sure enough, Holy Cup and North Year''s gazes turned toward her.


    Nivalis, following the direction of their eyes, turned and stared at Rita. After a few seconds of silence, her conscience won out over her fear. She took a step forward, standing in front of Rita: "If you must hit someone, hit me. It''s all my fault. She''s fine. It''s me who''s not good enough."


    Rita: "..."


    You little brat, you''re doing this on purpose!


    What am I, some easy scapegoat?

 Chapter 279 The Burning Expedition · The Worlds Graveyard

    Right now, Nivalis was back to her original size. When Rita lay down, her entire body was still shorter than Nivalis''s foot! Standing before Rita, Nivalis was entirely unable to block her.


    So, Rita ended up standing completely unguarded under Nivalis''s dragon tail, awkwardly showing herself to everyone present.


    With a slightly embarrassed smile, Rita waved at Holy Cup North Year and Snow Pile, trying to cover her awkwardness. She smiled again, thinking she hadn''t smiled brightly enough, so she did it once more¡ªforcing a smile.


    Finally, Snow Pile came to her rescue, tossing a bone tile toward Rita. "Come to me in two days. I''ll answer your questions about the Eternal Night Fortress."


    The bone tile was in her hands, and Nivalis, no longer playing around, hurriedly bade farewell to the elders and flew with Rita back to Nivalis''s dragon nest.


    Nivalis shrank her size and perched on Rita''s shoulder. Rita, eager, took out the three tiles¡ª[6-Tong], [8-Tong], and [7-Tong]¡ªand placed them together.


    With a snap, the three tiles instantly fused, and a series of system prompts rang in her mind.


    ---


    [System Notification]


    Detected that the player has collected key destiny items.


    Congratulations, you have unlocked the Destiny Mission¡ªThe Burning Expedition!


    You are now aware of the truth of the world.


    This is an invasion from another realm, but it is also a game. The difference is that you are not players, and your world is but an object.


    The fate of Blue Star is like a candle in the wind.


    Will you break the shackles and fight for your world, or will you respect destiny, set aside foolish bloodlust, and offer the World''s Graveyard as a bargaining chip to the 12 Holy Races of Lania Kaia, exchanging power and protection for submission? The key is in your hands, and you are ahead of all others. You have more choices than anyone else.


    Mission: The Burning Expedition ¡ª With the World''s Graveyard Key, you can consume a World Grave ticket to enter the higher-dimensional battlefield and fight for your world and race. The battlefield opens on the 1st and 15th of every month.


    ---


    [World''s Graveyard ¡¤ Thirty Thousand]: Carry this item into the world battlefield to unlock one item for you (and your pet).


    [World''s Graveyard ¡¤ Fifty Thousand]: Carry this item into the world battlefield to unlock one item for you (and your pet).


    [World''s Graveyard ¡¤ Nine Stripes]: Carry this item into the world battlefield. You may bring one teammate (limited to those of the same race).


    ---


    The worlds that had perished didn''t even deserve names, and each tombstone had its own function. Rita wasn''t about to rush into this. Even in a game, no one went in without a plan.


    She intended to ask Snow Pile more about the world battlefield when she saw him tomorrow.


    Nivalis, already excited, hurried back to her treasure vault, but most of her treasures were dragon-specific. If Rita wanted to use them, she''d have to pay an exorbitant price, and the available power would be limited.


    For instance, when Jameson used the dragon scales, Rita noticed that his four major attributes had each dropped by one point, and he had several negative debuffs as well.


    That night, Rita and Nivalis hardly slept, lying in the dragon''s nest, discussing the world battlefield.


    The next day, Snow Pile let out a loud roar from his own dragon nest. Rita and Nivalis immediately flew over.


    Snow Pile was lying on the ground, not getting up. Unlike their previous formal "family dinner," today was more casual. Without much pleasantry, he said, "Sit."


    Rita and Nivalis took seats near his dragon head.


    Snow Pile didn''t waste time with small talk and went straight to the point. "The Eternal Night Fortress is also known as the Heart of the Oak Acorn. During the final battle between Oak Acorn and Lania Kaia, it was created using the blood of millions of 12 Holy Races warriors, as well as the essence of Oak Acorn''s legendary spirit. Because it grew within Oak Acorn''s domain and was made from the spirit of Oak Acorn, all 12 Holy Races acknowledge it as belonging to him, though all races are allowed to use it."


    He continued, "Inside, countless battles are sealed¡ªfragments of souls and memories from warriors. When you enter the tower, your body will be protected by it, but your spirit and mind will be randomly sent to a time within its history to relive various battles. The time flow within the tower differs from Lania Kaia¡ªone day here equals one hundred years in the tower. Once inside, either your mind will collapse, and you''ll be thrown out, or you''ll live out dozens of reincarnations as an Oak Acorn warrior. Or if you survive three hundred years in the tower, you''ll be able to conquer it."


    He paused before adding, "Everyone thinks that those who emerge from the tower are turned into Oak Acorns, but that''s not true. Even after three hundred years, those who enter the tower will experience life as an Oak Acorn warrior. No matter how steadfast your mind, your cognition and sense of self will still be affected."

 Chapter 280 Destiny Coins · The Blood Elf Ascends

    "Additionally, the so-called ''tower blessing'' granted upon ascending isn''t just a power boost. It''s the symbolic gesture of the Oak Owl spirit closest to the climber offering their wings as a gift. The temptation of power, coupled with 300 years of shared experiences, makes it nearly impossible for most to refuse such a gift.


    "Beyond that, climbing the tower comes with immense benefits. Inside, you can partake in countless battles, and even if you die, as long as your spirit remains intact and the tower doesn''t eject you, you''ll assume a new identity and keep fighting. While physical strength doesn''t improve, you''ll gain vast amounts of knowledge and skills.


    "These experiences are treasures beyond imagination. Within the tower, you may encounter living legends, fight under their command, and, with luck, even learn techniques long thought lost.


    "The Oak Owls used this tower to their advantage, tying climbers to their race through its gifts. Once a mere 12th Holy Race, they leveraged this strategy to quickly rise in prominence.


    "If you and Nivalis want to enter the world battlefield, you must first pass through the tower. Whether or not you accept the wings is secondary.


    "You could skip the tower entirely and go straight to the battlefield, but Nivalis¡ªif you return as a dragon egg and hatch again, I''ll rename you ''Ye Xiu''."@@@@


    Ye Xiu? Isn''t that a kind of laxative fruit?


    Nivalis fumed silently. You wait¡ªI''ll go tell Holy Cup!


    Rita interrupted, "If it''s consciousness entering the tower, does that mean soul-bound equipment can enter too?"


    Snow Pile replied, "Yes."


    Hearing this, Rita felt reassured. As long as she could bring the pocket watch, she''d be fine. While her consciousness would assume the role of an Oak Owl, who knew if vital information like her Divine Gift would remain hidden?


    Trusting Snow Pile''s pragmatic nature, she directly asked, "Elder, if someone wanted to devour my Divine Gift to upgrade their own, is there a way I could turn the tables and take theirs instead?"


    Snow Pile answered without judgment or delay. "One way is to possess a skill capable of reversal, but such skills are exceedingly rare¡ªan almost mythical SSS-level ability. I''ve only ever heard of one Flood Dragon in the City of Eternal Day having it. Another option is to possess a Fate Coin."


    Flood Dragon? City of Eternal Day? Could it be Black Jade?


    Thinking about her past dealings in the black market, Rita inquired, "Could I use a dark trade to strip them of their Divine Gift? If we share the same gift, could I then use it to upgrade mine?"


    "No," Snow Pile said flatly. "That would merely give you two identical gifts. The process of devouring and evolving a Divine Gift requires highly advanced knowledge."


    [Rita]: Almost. Should be home by the evening of the 3rd.


    [Shadow.Q]: Zoey''s concert is conveniently in S City on the 3rd. Heading to the Northwest on the 4th.


    [Rita]: I''ll be there!


    Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Rita and Nivalis rushed home at full speed. Landing at Ton Ton Mountain, she sprayed herself with Gold-Class Assassin perfume. She hated to waste it, but the 36 main cities were currently on high alert for anyone with a charm stat of 10. Not just local guards¡ªalmost all races were involved in the hunt.


    Even if her charm wasn''t exactly 10, her captivating presence and lack of a solid identity could still get her detained. Blood Elves and Moonfoxes had it the worst. In the short time she''d been standing there, Rita had already learned how to say "It''s not me!" in both Blood Elf and Moonfox languages.


    Captured individuals who were determined not to be the target received compensation, so some high-charm folks didn''t even mind getting caught.


    The Moonfox City faction offered 500 gold coins for confirmed charm 10 individuals after verification by the Fogtail clan. However, the Oak Owls from the City of Eternal Day had raised their offer to 600 coins, prompting the Moonfoxes to retaliate with a bid of 666 coins.


    Waiting in line at the teleportation array, Rita overheard passersby discussing a Blood Elf ascending at the Eternal Night Fortress. When it was her turn, she immediately changed her destination to the Eternal Night Fortress.


    Upon arrival, an immense oppressive force surrounded her. Looking up, she saw the sky swarming with Oak Owls, their sheer number blotting out the moonlight. At that moment, the fortress seemed to plunge into true darkness.


    The Oak Owls were all silently watching the high tower. There, bathed in moonlight, stood a Blood Elf. Light feathers gathered around him, forming nascent wings. However, the right wing''s tip was missing a piece, as though it had been bitten off by a beast.


    The silver moon of the Eternal Night Fortress hung behind him. In front of him stood a towering figure with massive black wings¡ªthe Owl Emperor¡ªsmiling faintly as he watched the elf.


    Above the Blood Elf''s head, a line of striking red text glowed:


    [Peach Crown ¡¤ Level 125 ¡¤ 100%©§100%]


    The usually bustling fortress was utterly silent.


    Though Rita had arrived late, the ritual continued for another half hour. When it finally concluded, every Oak Owl unfurled their wings in unison with a resounding whoosh. They began singing a powerful, unfamiliar melody, each emphatic beat accompanied by a synchronized spread of wings, like swords being unsheathed¡ªa majestic war anthem rather than a song of celebration.

 Chapter 281 Renting [Moment of Reversal]?

    After leaving the Eternal Night Fortress with a heavy heart, Rita headed straight to the Dark City. On her way past the alchemy shop, she knocked on the window, dropped off a few boxes of gifts filled with food, drinks, and other trinkets, and left for Yaslan City.


    Inside, Hecipah looked up from her book. "Who was that just now?"


    Kayden replied, "Some orc that seemed plain at first glance but gave off a sneaky vibe."


    That description rang a bell... Seeing the gifts on the table, they didn''t need further explanation to guess who it was. Excitedly, Kayden began tearing open the packages.


    Hecipah picked up a burger, unwrapped it, and took a bite. Rita hadn''t sent anything so distinctly Blue Star-like in a long time. "Hasn''t Tonton Lin recently opened a similar burger place?"


    Kayden nodded. "Yeah, rumor has it that a Blue Star native started it, but there''s no proof."@@@@


    Hecipah chuckled. "Blue Star people aren''t bold enough to flaunt themselves like that. It''s probably Windscythe exporting their recipe. Crafty bastards¡ªbetter at business than the goblins."


    Kayden sighed wistfully. "Teacher, I want to visit Blue Star someday."


    Hecipah scoffed. "Descend to Blue Star? If you last more than three days, I''ll let you call yourself Kayden and start calling me Hecipah."


    Kayden pouted. "Well, when''s Ravenclaw going to die? I''ve already found a lead on the Fountain of Undeath. Once I get my hands on it and she finally croaks, I''ll turn her into a lich and invite her over for tea... though I''m not sure she can even die on Lania Kaia."


    Hecipah: ... This kid''s still as creepy as ever.


    After rushing back home, Rita and Nivalis managed to make it to Zoey''s concert just in time. Five minutes after sitting down, Rita received +1 attribute point.


    Shadow.Q handed her a notebook. "Here''s some intel we''ve gathered on the Oak Owls. Try to swing by the Special Affairs Bureau on the 15th for a quick meeting."


    Rita asked, "When do we move?"


    Shadow.Q replied, "The operation starts at midnight on the 13th. Seven teams, including yours, will enter the tower in waves. The last team should be inside by the evening of the 14th."


    "Are you joining the mission?"


    "Yeah, I''ll be with the S City team. You''ll be tagging along with us."


    In the crowded venue, Rita didn''t want to risk being overheard, so she opened her game interface and messaged Shadow.Q.


    [Rita]: If I want to get Black Jade''s skill crystal for reversing contracts, what''s the price?


    But her hesitation lasted less than a minute. She made up her mind: it was worth it.


    At present, Miyaas posed the greatest threat. Without fully understanding his methods, he was like a sword hanging over her head, ready to fall at any moment. The reversal skill wasn''t just a way to counterattack; it was essential for her defense.


    Rita had even resolved to delay the tower mission if necessary. Despite all the effort she''d put into building a rapport with Eclipse Vanguard, it paled in comparison to the allure of evolving her Divine Gift.


    She also harbored a bold hypothesis: once she dealt with Miyaas, she''d eventually climb the tower anyway.


    If the rental period followed Black Jade''s time instead of hers, entering the tower could give her access to the skill for 300 years!


    Adding up all these factors, spending the gold to rent [Moment of Reversal] was far more valuable than hoarding it for an uncertain future skill book.


    Eight thousand gold was a small price to pay. With [Time Is Always Squeezable] selling soon, she wouldn''t be short on spending money.


    And even if Black Jade used the money to help Rick... With her abilities, extracting Rick for a three-day heist was well within her reach.


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    Having settled on her decision, Rita wasted no time.


    She activated her Gold-Class Assassin perfume just nine hours ago¡ªperfect timing for action.


    She also didn''t trust Black Jade''s current wealth to remain static. Who knew if he might suddenly hit the jackpot? She couldn''t afford to wait.


    Using [One Transaction], Rita ensured no Blue Star money would count towards her wealth. To be extra safe, she handed her cards to Nivalis and gave her three hours to spend every cent.


    Nivalis accepted the task with the solemnity of a sacred mission. "Don''t worry. Leave the spending to me!"


    Within an hour, all her digital wallets were drained, and every card maxed out.


    Nivalis grinned. "There! Satisfied?"


    Rita deadpanned. "Very. Thoroughly dead inside."


    Still uneasy, she confirmed, "Are you sure North Year borrowed all your pocket money on Dragon Island?"


    Nivalis nodded earnestly. "Positive. Not even a copper coin left... I even wanted to give you an allowance, but alas!"


    Rita instantly developed a strong dislike for North Year.

 Chapter 282 �Moment of Reversal】 Acquired!

    As soon as [Disguise!] finished cooling down, Rita set off. She didn''t take Nivalis along, worried that Black Jade might detect the scent of a dragon. To be extra cautious, she donned Oak Owl-themed clothing and doused herself in half a bottle of [I Really Don''t Have Time to Shower] to eliminate any odors. After modifying all her information and casting a Disillusionment Charm, she teleported near Black Jade''s residence, marking a large tree as a waypoint. Then, she flew toward the sleeping Black Jade by the lake.


    In midair, she clutched the shrunken Soul Catcher in her palm and activated its skill.


    [One Transaction (1/1)]: Is there anything in the world that cannot be "borrowed" with money? My answer is no.


    Upon landing, Rita walked up to the resting Black Jade and said, "Lord Maple Cang sends you his regards."


    She couldn''t keep using Mistblade as a scapegoat¡ªespecially after realizing she had stolen two World Tombstones from him. It didn''t feel right. Time for a new "friend." Maple Cang seemed like the perfect choice!


    Besides, it wasn''t really a betrayal. She was paying 80,000 gold coins to rent a skill for just one year. Black Jade might even thank Maple Cang later.


    Sensing someone nearby, Black Jade stirred, ready to strike. Nearby, Rick, who had been bathing the Flood Dragon, froze mid-motion. Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire


    Maple Cang?! Lord Maple Cang knows who I am?!


    Rita could sense players converging on the area. She opened a small box she''d prepared, poured all her coins into it, and presented a literal mountain of gold¡ªover 80,000 coins. The sheer visual impact was overwhelming.


    Looking at the glittering pile of coins, Rita felt a pang of regret. If only Soul Catcher had offered a "full refund" skill, I would''ve used it on Black Jade in a heartbeat.


    Swallowing her grief, she pushed the box toward Black Jade. "Lord Maple Cang asked me to deliver this to you. The Eternal City will always welcome you."


    The vague phrasing gave her room to maneuver. While Snow Pile''s intel suggested Black Jade was likely from the Eternal City, she couldn''t be 100% sure. If she was wrong, it could still sound like an invitation from Maple Cang.


    Black Jade blinked, dazzled by the sheer brilliance of the gold. He rarely needed coins¡ªhe didn''t require gear¡ªbut he knew the value of money. The golden mountain practically melted his cold-blooded composure. With one look, he estimated it to be at least 70,000 coins.


    His most prized skill, [Moment of Reversal], was now rendered unusable. Worse, a countdown of over 300 days had appeared on it.


    "MAPLE! CANG!"


    "Good, very good! Well played, Maple Cang!"


    Though his tail lashed at Rick, his real rage was directed at the Oak Owls. Rick, now well-versed in survival tactics, shielded his vital areas and consumed health-restoring potions and food, carefully avoiding wasteful overhealing.


    The Special Affairs Bureau players retreated, unwilling to get involved. It wasn''t that they didn''t want to help Rick, but they knew Black Jade wouldn''t kill him outright. Helping Rick would only prolong his suffering.


    Moreover, several Eclipse Vanguard members harbored resentment toward Rick. They didn''t see why someone like him, who seemed to contribute so little, deserved to contract such a powerful beast. The injustice made them unwilling to intervene.


    Mid-rampage, Black Jade glanced at the box of coins and paused. A sinister grin spread across his face as he laughed and slapped Rick''s back with the tip of his tail. "Look at this! Look! We''re rich!"


    Each slap sent Rick coughing up blood, but not responding only made Black Jade angrier. Weakly, Rick raised a trembling thumbs-up.


    Black Jade nodded in satisfaction. Now that I think about it, this isn''t so bad. It''s not like I sold the skill¡ªit''s just a rental. Besides, I''m strong enough to protect myself against these Blue Star players. I don''t even need the skill unless I encounter a truly exceptional talent. Eighty thousand gold? Definitely worth it.


    Maple Cang, you''re so generous! If anyone other than Maple Cang becomes the Eternal City''s next Owl King, I''ll protest!


    Rick, on the verge of collapse: ... Who will fight for me?


    The moment Rita acquired [Moment of Reversal], the wealth leaderboard shifted dramatically. The sudden disappearance of its top entry, even near midnight, sparked an uproar across forums and chat channels.


    Inside the Special Affairs Bureau, agents pieced together the situation. Between the rental payment and Black Jade''s reactions, it became clear that the "Oak Owl" was one of their own in disguise. Their frustration over failing to capture an alien beast was quickly replaced by regret over the massive amount of coins now sitting in Black Jade''s possession.


    The envious, green-eyed looks Black Jade received made even him a little uneasy.

 Chapter 283 If It Were You, Where Would You Set the Trap?

    Rita, now practically broke, started experimenting with her new skill, [Moment of Reversal]. She asked Nivalis to attack her.


    Immediately, she sensed she could exchange any single attribute between herself and Nivalis¡ªwhether it was a Divine Gift skill, health points, or mana. However, she could only select one term at a time.


    For example, swapping the names of their Divine Gifts wouldn''t change the associated abilities. But she could exchange Skill 1 of her Divine Gift with Skill 1 of Nivalis''s.


    If Black Jade''s original form was just a "lucky little snake," his current Divine Gift must have been meticulously cultivated through countless calculations and schemes.


    She also discovered a hidden condition within [Moment of Reversal], cleverly hinted at by its name. The skill required the user to be at a disadvantage before activation; otherwise, it wouldn''t trigger the "reversal."


    For instance, after being attacked by Nivalis, she could use the skill at any time. However, if she drank a Daughter''s Whiskey, causing her attributes to skyrocket far beyond Nivalis''s, the skill would become unusable unless her health dropped to a critical level, putting her in a disadvantaged state.


    Looking back on the day Black Jade was cornered by a hundred-player team, she realized that the circumstances allowed him to reverse the contract with Rick. Black Jade''s overall situation was at a disadvantage, enabling him to use the skill to exchange identities.


    With this discovery, Rita felt a sense of relief. One more problem solved. She decided to reward herself by personally preparing a meal for the backyard cats, something she hadn''t done in ages.


    Meanwhile, Nivalis gathered the cats in the backyard, even teaching them to wash their bowls using the sensor-activated faucet.


    As Rita stirred the meat soup, the laughter and play outside contrasted sharply with the quiet of her kitchen. The peace offered her a moment to reflect on her journey from encountering Jameson to the present.


    Jameson had been truthful, but what he knew might not have been the whole truth.


    The Whale''s Secret


    What exactly lies inside the whale?


    If there was a trap in the whale''s body, why didn''t Miyaas set it in the ship''s cabin instead?


    Was the dragon scale disrupting his plans, or was the whale''s body a deliberate part of the scheme?@@@@


    Jameson''s role couldn''t be that simple. And why did Miyaas specifically need the dragon scale?


    Rita retrieved the container holding Miyaas''s remains and tried listing it on the in-game auction house.


    The auction house displayed the item as:


    [A whale containing numerous treasures and artifacts]


    What''s more, an alert popped up indicating that, after the 48-hour listing period, the item could only remain in the auction house for 8 days and 17 hours.


    No, the most dangerous trap would be hidden in plain sight¡ªsomewhere unassuming, even comforting.


    It would be concealed at the point where the prey didn''t yet realize they were being hunted.


    It would be in the beginning.


    Soul Catcher


    Rita''s eyes snapped open.


    Soul Catcher.


    That was the first step¡ªthe first item she acquired without suspicion.


    The process of obtaining it had been seamless.


    At the time, Miyaas''s identity and intentions were still unknown to her. To Rita, it was just a "normal grave" with faint ties to sirens. It shouldn''t have been overly tied to Lania Kaia.


    Had it not been for Black Jade''s unexpected arrival on Blue Star, she would have instinctively relied on Soul Catcher, believing it to be an infallible artifact.


    After all, something without its own consciousness or agenda seemed trustworthy¡ªwho would suspect a "neutral" item?


    Even now, her first major decision had relied on Soul Catcher.


    Rita finished cooking the meat soup and set it out for the cats. Without hesitation, she and Nivalis activated their invisibility and returned to Jameson''s graveyard.


    This time, she meticulously searched every corner of the cemetery, layer by layer.


    It took nearly five hours, but she finally found it¡ªhidden within the intricate carvings behind Jameson''s tombstone.


    Breaking the relief revealed a cluster of metallic runes embedded inside.


    The sound of the metal striking the stone floor felt like a weight falling onto her chest.


    A Lingering Puzzle


    Rita wasn''t well-versed in magical runes; they were primarily used in enchanting and tailoring. She sketched the symbols and posted an anonymous inquiry on the game''s forums.


    Before she even made it home, her phone buzzed with responses.

 Chapter 284 Mayfly

    The symbols Rita found were advanced magical glyphs used for designing equipment requirements. These glyphs stabilize and balance the magic within equipment, allowing it to carry more attributes and possess superior stats. Regular equipment isn''t even eligible to use them¡ªonly Level 10 purple-grade items might qualify.


    However, these glyphs could also serve other purposes. For example, enchanters and tailors often use them to conceal or protect valuables. By setting specific visibility thresholds, items under their protection remain hidden unless the required conditions are met.


    The glyphs Rita found had the following requirements:


    Divine Gift Rank: S True Strength > 80 True Intelligence > 80 True Agility > 80 True Constitution > 80


    This was a trap designed just for her. It fit perfectly, like a hand in a glove.


    Her [Thief God] Divine Gift alone met the S-rank requirement, and anyone with such a Gift and even a modicum of ambition would ensure their base stats exceeded 80. Without any equipment, her base stats already cleared the thresholds.


    This discovery only solidified Rita''s suspicions: Soul Catcher was tainted. Her next best course of action might be investigating Miyaas'' relics and lair, as they could offer new leads.


    She and Nivalis headed to The White Family estate. After disguising her identity as a staff member and activating invisibility, she Shadowstepped into the estate.


    Confirming that Sanchez now had a [Crippling Stabilization] status effect, Rita observed her from above. Sanchez had been awake since 5 AM, relentlessly training. Her snowboard glided smoothly beneath her feet as she slashed the air with her blade, over and over again.


    Rita asked Nivalis, "Can your specialist-grade healing lift her condition?" Her mind raced with two contradictory fears: what if Sanchez healed, and what if she ended up like Sanchez herself?


    Nivalis examined Sanchez from afar. "It''s hard to say. Theoretically, I could treat her and even break Jameson''s curse temporarily. But the problem lies in the curse being imprinted on the [Bloodline Shackles]. My healing would only be temporary. The curse would slowly regenerate unless she permanently severs the Bloodline Shackles. Even temporarily breaking the shackles won''t help."


    Rita: "What do you mean by ''permanently sever''?"


    Nivalis: "All her blood relatives would have to die."


    Rita stayed in the air, watching Sanchez for a long time. It wasn''t until the estate''s water-screen detectors sensed her presence and guards approached that she left.


    Sanchez, as an enemy, was a constant threat to her peace of mind. But as a tool in her hands, Sanchez was like a rare SSR card¡ªpowerful, expendable, and free from moral obligations. Rita could use her to the fullest without guilt.


    With a deep sigh, Rita made her decision.


    She Shadowstepped into the White Family''s fishing vessel. Still disguised, she released Jameson from his container.


    The first thing Jameson did upon waking and seeing the open sky was exhale in relief. If Rita had intended to silence him, he wouldn''t have had a chance to wake. "You''ve made your decision?"


    Rita: "Yes."


    The guild leader: Ariana.


    Its three members: Ariana, Josephine, Sanchez.


    Jameson, due to his current status as a sea demon, couldn''t officially join. But he named the guild in the contract to demonstrate his sincerity. He even signed the names of Ariana, Josephine, and Sanchez into the agreement, using their blood to validate their participation remotely.


    To his final instructions, Jameson added: "Block their access to the other party''s name."


    The contract replaced Rita''s name with [Unknown].


    Golden light swept across the blood-stained names, validating the arrangement.


    Rita scrutinized the contract once more, then said abruptly, "Add someone else to the penalty list: your wife, Allison."


    For the first time, Jameson''s expression turned grim. In the end, he sighed and added Allison''s name to the contract.


    His tale had its truths and its lies. A script could be fabricated, but emotions were not.


    From the moment she met him, Jameson mentioned his wife just often enough¡ªnot too much, not too little. It was suspicious. If he didn''t care, he wouldn''t bring her up, or he''d constantly use her as bait. His restrained mentions of Allison revealed his love and longing.


    Jameson completed the final step, using Allison''s blood to validate her participation.


    As expected...


    With the contract sealed, Rita revealed her true face for the first time.


    Jameson murmured her name under his breath, committing it to memory. "They understand how serious this is. They''re also terrified. Rest assured, they won''t act out of line. They won''t even know who you are until I''m gone."


    Rita''s first order was immediate:


    "Don''t work with Rick. No matter what he offers, reject it. Crush him at every opportunity and make his life miserable."


    She added a series of tasks for the White Family:


    Investigate Yu Qingshan and Scarlett''s current situations. Locate Ezra and ensure he suffers. Gather intel on the Taylor family''s operations in B City and preemptively undermine their influence in S City. Collect any artifacts bearing the name ''God of Food.'' Identify a player using blank skill crystals to buy skills. Track a player named EasySing.


    Jameson: ...Did I just start a full-time job? Where did that "I don''t need anyone" attitude go?!

 Chapter 285 Two World Tombstones

    "Alright, I''ll take care of it," Jameson agreed, then began fulfilling the contract. "Miyaas'' relics will be sent to you within a week. His lair in Lania Kaia is located deep in the southeastern forests of Tonton Lin. It''s beneath a toxic swamp, 300 meters underground. There are no specific coordinates, only descriptions of the surrounding scenery. I''ll need to review my notes and send the details tomorrow night.


    "As for his weakness: he fears seawater. When we cared for him, we specifically prepared seawater for him, and it took us years to notice anything unusual. He hides it well, almost as if he views this weakness as a disgrace. Allison, with her sharp observational skills and his fondness for hearing her recount Blue Star stories, eventually uncovered this deeply buried secret. Prolonged exposure to seawater leaves him extremely weakened."


    Having obtained everything she wanted, Rita prepared to leave. But after a few steps, she hesitated, unable to suppress her curiosity. She turned back to Jameson and asked the question she''d been holding in for so long:


    "Does it really matter if you all turn into sea demons? You could have spared yourselves the trouble and made a deal with me to escape to Lania Kaia."


    Surprise flashed in Jameson''s eyes. He opened his mouth but seemed at a loss for words, as if a child had asked why one plus one equals two. He paused, appearing to mull over the question. Rita, instead of walking away in impatience, waited quietly for his response, compelling him to consider it seriously.


    After a long silence, Jameson finally answered:


    "Because then we''d lose our home.


    "As long as we remain human¡ªno matter the misdeeds we''ve committed¡ªso long as we don''t betray Blue Star, our kind will still accept us, believe in us, and offer second chances. There will always be a place for us here. But if we become sea demons, we can never return."


    Even through her mask and sunglasses, Jameson could sense Rita''s reaction¡ªsurprise, no, shock, perhaps even bewilderment.@@@@


    He chuckled. "I don''t know what idiotic things my descendants did to make you so stunned by my words, but I can guess a few things. I''ll just say this: the more people chase fame and power, the more they care about their homeland. Becoming outsiders in another land means losing everything they once took pride in. There, we''d be nothing."


    Though Jameson had become a sea demon, it was clear to anyone he wasn''t like the true sea demons. His fish tail was dull and lifeless, his voice lacked the melodious allure characteristic of sea demons, and on land, he struggled visibly with both breathing and walking. Both the land and the sea rejected him. He was a defective product.


    What Rita saw as an excessively harsh contract, Jameson viewed as the White Family''s lifeline and their best investment.


    Following Rita meant serving one master. Going to Lania Kaia meant being subject to anyone who could claim power over them.


    This was a high-stakes gamble: he was betting on Rita''s future and that time and loyalty might one day erase her animosity toward the White Family.


    The ability to enter the battleground early, scout the area, and prepare was exactly what she needed.


    As for the 80 grams of Moon Sand, she had no idea how Miyaas obtained it, but she decided not to keep it. On her next trip to Lania Kaia, she could try trading it with Lucia for the recipe for [Gold-Class Assassin].


    Each trip to Lania Kaia required using a [Gold-Class Assassin], and given the cost, it made sense to save the sand until she had enough to craft them in bulk.


    Despite the new relics, Rita remained focused on investigating Miyaas. While she was certain Soul Catcher was a trap, she hadn''t given up on studying the giant whale''s body.


    On the second day after receiving the tombstones, curiosity got the better of her. Thinking about the auction house''s countdown for the whale, Rita couldn''t resist experimenting.


    She expanded the whale slightly, placing its tail section in an expiring food container while leaving the rest exposed. Her plan was to cut it open and see what lay inside.


    With only a few minutes left until the container vanished, Rita and Nivalis waited in their apartment dungeon, watching the whale secured within an electric cage. Both were prepared to flee at the slightest sign of danger, with Nivalis gripping the edge of the dungeon''s exit portal.


    A gust of wind swept through, and the food container, along with the whale''s tail, dissolved into thin air.


    Rita waited for several moments. When nothing happened, she used [A Big World, A Small Me] to undo the whale''s miniaturization. Flying cautiously around the now-exposed creature, she finally glimpsed its interior.


    The whale''s internal organs, flesh, and bones were long gone. All that remained was its outer skin, filled with an otherworldly, almost sentient liquid that flowed sluggishly within.


    Even with the tail section removed, the liquid didn''t spill out. It clung together, like gelatin.


    At the heart of this liquid floated a skeletal figure with the body of a human and the tail of a fish. Its tail alone spanned at least two meters, trailing down to the ground.


    The skeleton''s right hand was missing, and it was surrounded by an assortment of materials¡ªherbs, gemstones, mechanical components¡ªsome familiar and others entirely alien.


    The skeleton''s detailed attributes remained hidden. All Rita could see was a brief description: [Sea Demon Bone].


    Its texture and luminous quality bore an uncanny resemblance to Soul Catcher.

 Chapter 286 Nowhere to Retreat

    Suspended in the currents within the giant whale''s body, dozens of palm-sized magical runes floated, numbering at least eighty. The interior was inscribed with complex symbols and patterns that Rita couldn''t understand.


    Her internal alarms blared, but abandoning this was unthinkable. People couldn''t just stand still and wait for opportunities to come to them, could they?


    She threw the unconscious body of a nearby alien species into the water. The creature drifted slowly toward the skeletal remains. This process took several minutes. Upon touching the skeleton, the creature was "absorbed," leaving behind only its empty equipment floating in the currents.


    Rita repeated the experiment with different subjects. Some bore bleeding wounds, while others didn''t. Eventually, she confirmed the water currents would not actively attack unless provoked.


    Flying to the whale''s tail using her Orbit skill, Rita kept her distance while attempting to use [I Want This, That, and That] on the skeleton.


    Had it not been for the rare fruits she''d consumed in the dragon nest, which increased her theft range to over five meters, she wouldn''t have dared to make such a bold move.


    Theft failed! Not Skill activation failed¡ªthe distinction was critical.


    Rita''s instincts screamed at her to use Apparition and escape immediately, but it was too late!


    One of the floating runes within the currents came alive, expanding a hundredfold and illuminating the entire area. Her Apparition skill was instantly sealed! The previously dormant water erupted into a massive hand, surging toward her with terrifying speed.


    In that moment, a single thought flashed through Rita''s mind: This is the second time! No wonder Apparition, an SS-tier skill, only sells for 10,000 gold. Cheap skills always have hidden flaws.


    Nivalis rushed to her aid, unleashing a frost breath at the encroaching water. Rita switched to the I''m in a Hurry item skill, propelling herself five meters forward before transforming into a bird and slipping through the gaps in the watery hand''s fingers.


    Just as relief began to set in, the Soul Catcher in her inventory suddenly flew out. The delicate white bone gently yet firmly clamped around the sparrow''s neck, pushing her back toward the massive hand.


    The hand closed around her softly, cradling her like a fragile doll, and carried her into the whale''s body.


    This was a double-layered trap!


    A trap meticulously prepared for her arrival.


    In her mind, Rita screamed to Nivalis: "Stay back! Use any long-range skills to weaken my contracts!"


    Of the grayed-out items, the loss of [Wrathful Moon] hurt the most; it had been one of her escape tools.


    Now she fully grasped why Miyaas had orchestrated the dragon scale and Jameson as key components of his plan. Not only were they used to manipulate her into finding him, but they had also served to disable Nivalis'' time-reversal skill.


    With both [Wrathful Moon] and [Time-Stealing Dragon] neutralized, Rita had no escape routes left.


    The water currents gently carried her closer to Miyaas'' skeleton.


    Everything was ready. Rita, the key component of the ritual, was about to be placed.


    In her mind, Nivalis''s voice broke through the haze: "I don''t have any curse or weakening skills! Quick, what else can I do?"


    For once, her tone was serious, though she hadn''t lost her composure. Nivalis remembered Rita''s lessons: the more dangerous the situation, the calmer you needed to be. Panic only sped up your demise.


    Nivalis unleashed a flurry of attacks against the whale''s exterior, aiming to rescue Rita. But Miyaas'' modifications to the whale''s defenses made them impenetrable.


    Healing Miyaas was also out of the question. Even if her abilities could bypass the magical currents, reviving Miyaas would spell their doom.


    Rita: "Try disrupting the whale''s patterns or freezing the water currents to slow them down!"


    At that moment, fury flared within Rita, burning away her despair.


    She despised reckless heroics, but she had never feared adversity.


    Gulping down 10ml of Daughter''s Whiskey, she endured the 10% attribute penalty, though it barely made a dent in her predicament.


    Why were these currents so potent?


    She detected the unmistakable scent of seawater. Had Miyaas submerged himself in seawater all these years to weaken himself deliberately?


    Was he guarding against [Moment of Reversal]? But how could he have such detailed information?

 Chapter 287 He Must Have Seen the Ending in Advance!

    Rita emptied her potion bag, throwing out every healing potion she had¡ªlow, medium, high-tier, and even a few special-grade potions Hecipah had rewarded her with.


    [Ten Thousand Volts]!


    Thousands of potion bottles shattered in an instant, their contents merging with the surrounding water.


    If Miyaas'' skeletal form could still suffer negative effects from seawater, then there was no reason why positive effects couldn''t also work.


    Daughter''s Whiskey was a no-go; the whale was too massive. Even with over 800ml of the whiskey poured in, she couldn''t control how much Miyaas would absorb or what stage of the effect might be triggered.


    After this, she raised her left hand, locking Miyaas'' Luck to 1. Although she couldn''t see his exact stats, the modification succeeded!


    In her right hand, she activated Fountain of Light¡ªa pure, radiant healing skill.


    "If this doesn''t heal you to death, I''ll admit defeat," she muttered.


    Still not enough.


    She activated [I Want This, That, and That] four times in rapid succession, the repeated strain pushing her own HP to 20%. The poisonous herbs she had consumed earlier brought it down further¡ªbelow 10%.


    The currents blocking Nivalis'' healing skills left Miyaas seemingly unchanged. Rita couldn''t be sure if she was currently at a disadvantage.


    But this was Miyaas'' domain. Even if he had weakened himself drastically, his sheer level disparity¡ªat least ten times greater than hers¡ªnaturally put her in an inferior position.


    Yet she still couldn''t use Moment of Reversal, for one crucial reason: Miyaas hadn''t attacked her.


    He had meticulously avoided crossing that line from the moment he made his presence known.


    The water hand and mechanical chains had never harmed her; the latter were carving beneficial runes onto her body.


    The chilling herbs that froze her body and mind increased her resistances.


    The soul-binding melody inflated her maximum HP by 10%.


    In short, every method he employed was technically "helping" her, not harming her.


    Thinking about Miyaas'' clear precautions against Moment of Reversal, Rita grew suspicious. Had he really not foreseen his fate?


    Could all these elaborate preparations have been based on a single clue?


    No way.


    People who claim to love mystery often peek at the ending first.


    For Miyaas to plan so thoroughly against Moment of Reversal, while also preemptively sealing Nivalis'' time-reversal ability, there was no doubt in her mind: He must have seen the ending!


    Miyaas attempted to recall the hand, and Rita felt it resisting her grip. Without hesitation, she plunged the bone''s fingers into her left eye and released her hold.


    Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    The hand, now embedded in her eye socket, was pulled back to Miyaas. Blood gushed from her wound.


    Whether or not Miyaas'' first attempt counted as an attack, his second strike ensured it.


    Rita reached for the two six-pointed star arrays, realizing Moment of Reversal was still unusable. Her limbs grew colder and more sluggish by the second.


    Her blood spread in the water, forming crimson tendrils. She could sense her HP dropping¡ªdown to 3%. Still not enough?


    No¡ªtoo much!


    Suddenly, she recalled the racial trait she had painstakingly chosen during the beta test.


    [Undead Will]: As one who is already dead, the deeper your peril, the stronger your resolve. When HP drops below 5%, all attributes double. When HP drops below 1%, your current attributes double again.


    Drinking a healing potion stored in her false tooth, she raised her HP to 6%.


    Immediately, Moment of Reversal became available.


    Without hesitation, she activated it, targeting the two six-pointed star arrays.


    In the blink of an eye, the arrays swapped places.


    A notification appeared:


    "You are devouring the sea demon Miyaas'' Divine Gift: [Thief God] to evolve your Divine Gift."


    The entire exchange¡ªfrom retrieving the skeletal hand to activating Moment of Reversal¡ªhad taken less than two seconds.


    As the skeletal hand returned to Miyaas, the two six-pointed stars fired at each other.


    The radiant Fountain of Light still glowed in the background, healing the surrounding area.


    Nivalis continued to bombard the whale with skills, shouting: "Are you okay?!"


    Rita reassured her: "I''m fine! Everything''s under control!"


    Nivalis hesitated but began to calm down: "Really?"


    Rita: "Not entirely. Stay put and wait for my signal."


    Celebrating prematurely was a grave mistake¡ªjust look at Miyaas. He''d been grinning at her moments ago. Where was his smug smile now?

 Chapter 288 Arrogance Is the Prelude to Destruction

    Rita''s body was paralyzed, but her hands worked tirelessly, pulling healing and buff potions from her bag. Bottle after bottle, she smashed them open, letting these valuable items, worth tens or even hundreds of gold coins, disperse into the water.


    She had never been so generous to herself before in this life.


    Now, she wanted to drown Miyaas in the best items she had, treating him as if he were her favorite child, showering him with all the gifts in the world.


    Miyaas'' skeletal hand held a potion as well. Soul Catcher gripped it tightly, floating toward Rita.


    On Rita''s interface, the first two skills of her Divine Gift were still mid-evolution. The name Thief God flickered, as though struggling to take shape.


    She glanced at the potion in Miyaas'' hand. Its radiant glow and crystalline contents bore an uncanny resemblance to the master-grade potion Mistblade Moon Emperor had once gifted her. That potion had restored all health and mana, increased all stats by 300%, and lasted half an hour. But Miyaas'' potion looked even more extraordinary, its brilliance outshining anything she''d ever seen.


    Miyaas, you''re spoiling me too much.


    The mechanical mask covering her face had drifted away, leaving her exposed. She dared not use Fog Comes for fear of disrupting the ongoing devouring process.


    Just as she was about to encase herself in a Lightning Cage, an overwhelming frost suddenly engulfed the entire whale.


    In that moment, she felt the smallness of humanity in the face of nature¡ªa vast expanse of ice spreading infinitely in all directions. The chill was suffocating. Her breathing and heartbeat were the only sounds she could perceive in this frozen silence.


    The mysterious currents within the whale froze solid, and Miyaas'' skeletal hand halted inches from her face.


    Only the six-pointed star arrays and a few runes continued their slow rotations.


    Outside, Nivalis'' voice rang out:


    "Aurora Shield!"


    It was so spectacular that Rita almost wanted to cry. Finally, her prote?ge? had learned to unleash a grand move before shouting its name.


    "Rita! Did you see that?!"


    She quickly realized the issue.


    The whale had been a meticulously crafted whole. Every material, array, and formation inside had been carefully calculated to create a stable balance, protecting Miyaas'' remains for years. Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Now, with the whale''s internal structure in disarray and its exterior breached, A Big World, A Small Me couldn''t shrink it down¡ªit wasn''t a single entity anymore.


    Rita couldn''t leave things as they were.


    Miyaas wasn''t dead.


    While Divine Gifts were the core of every creature, losing one didn''t mean immediate death. Miyaas still had his skills, his vast reserves of power, and over a hundred levels'' worth of experience.


    If she didn''t finish him now, she would be leaving a powerful enemy behind.


    This was likely the most vulnerable state Miyaas would ever be in. If she didn''t seize this opportunity, she might never get another chance.


    Rita instructed Nivalis to maintain the Aurora Shield and even refresh it for good measure. She suspected Miyaas might have prepared a contingency plan¡ªa final counterstrike if he lost his Divine Gift.


    Not just possible¡ªinevitable.


    Still, with Miyaas'' absurd level and defenses, there was no point in trying. Rita and Nivalis didn''t have the firepower to take him down. They couldn''t even pierce the whale''s skin, let alone harm Miyaas himself.


    Rita reviewed every skill she had and finally opened her mailbox. She sent 10 empty skill crystals¡ªher entire stock¡ªto Jameson, instructing him to have Sanchez craft 10 [Vampire] skill crystals.


    Moments later, the skill crystals arrived in her mailbox:


    [Vampire]: 20% chance to drain 1% of the target''s HP.


    Rita told Nivalis to be ready with another Aurora Shield if the current one dropped.


    She also handed Wrathful Moon to Nivalis with firm instructions:


    "If I say ''retreat,'' immediately use Time Walk to return to a few days ago. Once you''re out of the instance, call Shadow.Q and tell her to assemble a team to surround Miyaas at this time and place. Tell her his level, condition, and weaknesses. She''ll know what to do. If the call doesn''t go through, send a message. You team up with her often; she''ll listen."

 Chapter 289 Power Surpasses All Things

    Nivalis looked like she was about to cry. Rita reassured her:


    "I won''t die. Trust me! But if anything does go wrong, immediately return to our home. Use your skill to repair the under-bed teleportation array and go straight back to Dragon Island. Don''t come to Blue Star again."


    Nivalis clutched Wrathful Moon tightly, not nodding or shaking her head. Her voice trembled with unease:


    "Didn''t you say you have a resurrection skill?"


    Rita smiled and patted her gently.


    With her escape routes secured, Rita turned to the direction of the instance''s exit but made no move toward it. There was no point. Even if the Eclipse Vanguard team was waiting outside, she wouldn''t stop now.


    For a fleeting moment, she understood Miyaas¡ªhow fate might have declared his loss, but he refused to accept it.


    After giving Nivalis her instructions, Rita spent half a minute crafting an 8x8x8-meter Lightning Cage to enclose both herself and the giant whale.


    She marked Nivalis as a fixed point, consumed a dish that boosted all attributes by 15%, and swallowed the last fruit she had brought from Dragon Island to maintain clarity for five minutes.


    For the first time, she activated the skill King''s Aura from her Ring of Flames¡ªa buff that raised the attributes of all allies within its range by 20%.


    With a hand gesture signaling Nivalis, the ice inside the whale melted instantly. The unbound seawater surged outward, and the long-tailed sea demon skeleton slowly "stood" upright. Crimson blood vessels began creeping up its tail.@@@@


    [Miyaas 113 Lv | HP: 2% | MP: 0.02%]


    Of that 2% HP, most had been restored by her earlier healing efforts. The only silver lining was his dangerously low mana reserves.


    Rita surged forward. She had noticed the effects of the runes etched into her wrists and ankles¡ªher movements were far more agile.


    One by one, she crushed the [Vampire] skill crystals in her hands.


    Scarlet beams of energy struck the sea demon skeleton. Miyaas'' empty eye sockets turned to her as the seawater gathered into a massive blade and slashed toward her side in a blink.


    Rita stood her ground, locking eyes with Miyaas while continuing to activate [Vampire].


    ¡ª"Clang!"


    A simple, unremarkable strike shattered the golden shield of her Royalty Passive from the Ring of Flames.


    Finally, Miyaas'' HP dropped to 1%.


    But it wasn''t enough. His health was creeping upward again¡ª1.08%¡ªand the flames in his skull''s eye sockets burned brighter. He was reviving.


    If Zoey were strong enough, would she have allowed Rick to pit The White Family and The Taylor Family against her?


    If Sanchez were strong enough, would she have needed to endure the humiliation of courting the Starfire Heir? If she stood high enough, even as a sea demon, she could declare The White Family innocent, and no one would dare to doubt her. Everyone would scramble to justify her actions.


    And herself¡ªwhat about her?


    Did she truly care about cooperating with the Eclipse Vanguard? Did their trust mean anything to her? Was her deliberate display of obedience and cleverness something she offered willingly?


    No. Not in the slightest.


    Since her rebirth, she had doubted everyone, assuming they would betray her someday.


    But she wasn''t strong enough to act alone, so she had to tread carefully¡ªmaintaining good relations with the Eclipse Vanguard while securing her own interests.


    Her former fugitive allies... all powerful, all exceptional... all miserable.


    The world worked that way.


    Without power, emotions were betrayed, justice was unattainable, principles fell on deaf ears, and compromises were inevitable.


    Everything you had was seen as a resource to be taken, regardless of your consent.


    There was nothing to hide, nothing to sugarcoat, nothing to be ashamed of.


    She had finally accepted it: Power surpassed all things. Only strength could ensure that she would never have to compromise again.


    Rick... Miyaas...


    Why was it that no matter how she changed, there were always scumbags trying to steal her Divine Gift?


    If Rick had ignited her desire for power, Miyaas had fully awakened her ambition for it.


    Rita''s eyes burned with fiery determination.


    She declared loudly:


    "All resurrection skills for sea demons and humans are now banned!"


    This was her newly acquired skill after upgrading her Divine Gift.


    [One-Person Party]: When unteamed, you can establish a "party rule." All creatures meeting the rule''s conditions will be subject to its effects. The total targets, their strength relative to the caster, and the balance between the rule''s conditions and effects will determine the duration. Minimum duration: 5 seconds; maximum: 10 minutes. Each use consumes 20% mana. Cooldown: 2 hours. (If the caster meets the rule''s conditions, the rule will last for 10 minutes.)

 Chapter 290 [Divine Gift] One-Person Party (SS-Rank)

    The moment her skill activated, a 10-minute countdown appeared above both Rita and Miyaas.


    Miyaas hesitated. He faltered as though considering retreat.


    But Rita did not pause¡ªnot for a second.


    Here and now, she would stake everything on this confrontation. Between her and Miyaas, only one could survive!


    Victory or death¡ªnothing in between. A cautious person like her couldn''t bear a life of constant anxiety. As long as Miyaas wasn''t dead beyond recovery, she''d never sleep soundly, never eat peacefully. Every day would be miserable.


    Miyaas sidestepped the crimson light beams shot at him after Rita crushed another skill crystal. With a raised hand, the seawater surged, coalescing midair into a massive axe.


    Now!


    Rita drank a [Melting Time], instantly resetting all her skill cooldowns.


    In a rapid, commanding voice, she declared:


    "All sea demons over level 100 are prohibited from using water-based skills. If a water skill is cast, the user will lose 2% HP per target struck as a cost."


    The moment the rule was announced, another countdown appeared above Miyaas:


    00:05


    5¡ª!


    Miyaas wanted to stop, but it was too late. The water axe had already formed and was hurtling downward toward Rita''s head!


    4¡ª!


    Before Miyaas could disperse the skill or redirect its trajectory, Rita stomped hard with her boots and launched herself upward, rushing straight toward the descending blade.


    Midair, her form became blurry, and a thick fog began to spread. It quickly enveloped the entire whale and continued expanding outward. In an instant, the entire area was shrouded in mist.@@@@


    Standing a hundred meters away, Nivalis raised a paw to brush aside the light fog and heard Rita''s rule loud and clear.


    3¡ª!


    The warped water blade smashed heavily into the ground, sending waves rippling in every direction.


    [Miyaa 113 Lv | HP: 0% | MP: 0%]


    Rita patted Nivalis'' head.


    "Congrats! Can you freeze the water here? It contains some of my blood and Miyaas'' bone dust. I''d rather not leave it lying around."


    As for [Soul Catcher], she couldn''t risk putting it directly into her game inventory just yet. She asked Eleanor for another storage box and carefully placed it inside.


    While she suspected Miyaas might have used [Soul Catcher] to retain a sliver of his consciousness, suspicion alone wasn''t enough. She needed to confirm whether it still contained any of his contingency plans.


    After Nivalis returned [Wrathful Moon], she went to freeze the water.


    Finally, Rita had time to open her character screen and examine her fully evolved Divine Gift.


    [One-Person Party] (SS Tier)


    "A free soul is never trapped by thorns disguised as virtue. We need no thrones nor righteous facades. We are thieves in the shadows. Recognize yourself, and revel without restraint."


    Skill 1: I Really Want to Improve Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire


    Activating this skill grants a 30% chance to steal one item or 1% of the target''s money, a 15% chance to steal 1 attribute point, or a 5% chance to steal one of the target''s secrets. Each use costs 10% of the caster''s HP.


    (This skill can only succeed ten times per target. We don''t hold grudges that can''t be resolved.)


    Skill 2: I Could Just Take It


    Betting on the name of the Thief God, this skill allows you to forcibly seize the target''s Divine Gift. This skill can only be used once in a lifetime. (If the target''s Divine Gift is SSS Tier, there is a chance of failure.)


    Skill 3: Identity Is What You Make It


    Transform your appearance, shape, and scent to mimic any creature or object you''ve seen. (The first transformation requires a piece of the target''s flesh or structure.) Your identity becomes completely undetectable, immune to all tools or skills. Duration: 2 hours. Cooldown: 4 hours.


    Skill 4: Refurbish


    This skill allows you to disassemble any item, Curio, or piece of equipment into its components. Before the skill ends, you can reassemble the parts to create a new item. The quality of your craftsmanship directly affects the new item''s grade and attributes.


    (Duration: 30 minutes. Each use consumes 1 point of Luck, which regenerates after 7 days. No cooldown.)


    Skill 5: One-Person Party


    When unteamed, you can establish a "party rule." All creatures meeting the rule''s conditions must obey. The number of affected targets, their strength relative to the caster, and the balance between the rule''s conditions and effects influence the duration. (Minimum: 5 seconds. Maximum: 10 minutes.)


    (Cost: 20% mana. Cooldown: 2 hours. Multiple rules can coexist. If the caster also meets the conditions, the rule will last for the full 10 minutes.)

 Chapter 291 Why Does This Look Like Trash?

    Rita stared at the line on her character panel:


    "A free soul is never trapped by thorns disguised as virtue. We need no thrones nor righteous facades. We are thieves in the shadows. Recognize yourself, and revel without restraint."


    For a moment, she felt lost in thought.


    Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    Gently, she reached out and brushed her fingers against the glowing words on the screen. After a long pause, she exhaled softly and let out a quiet laugh.


    One-Person Party.


    She loved it.


    The new Divine Gift was a mix of gains and losses. The biggest downside was that she could no longer repeatedly steal the same target''s attributes or equipment without limits. Additionally, the stolen items would no longer be passively forgotten by their original owners. However, the two new skills were incredibly powerful, easily compensating for these limitations.


    After some thought, Rita realized that this change wasn''t necessarily bad.


    The former [I Want This, That, and That] skill was particularly useful for targeting people like Rick. The new [I Really Want to Improve] had a cap of ten successful uses per target but removed the restriction on attacking weaker opponents. The success rates were also higher, and the skill consumed less. Plus, it could now steal secrets¡ªan invaluable upgrade.


    If the new Divine Gift were ever exposed, the potential backlash from [One-Person Party] wouldn''t be nearly as severe or fear-inducing as the original [Thief God].


    The evolution from [Thief God] to [One-Person Party] elevated the Divine Gift''s rank, but the language in its description became noticeably more humble. To Rita, this wasn''t a sign of weakness or cowardice¡ªit resonated deeply with her personality, her methods, and her mindset.


    It was as the voice had said:


    "Arrogance is the prelude to destruction. Ascending the throne is the beginning of the fall."


    Rita used her watch to once again hide the Divine Gift behind [Fate''s Gears], maintaining the ruse.


    Her chat list was constantly lighting up. Acquaintances and strangers alike sent messages. Even Rick, Zoey, and Jameson had sent congratulatory notes.


    After quickly replying to those, she opened Shadow.Q''s private messages. The materials left in the scene were a mix of damaged components from various professions. She intended to sell a portion of them to the Special Affairs Bureau, along with her apartment instance.


    She was desperately short on funds. It had been a long time since she was this broke¡ªdown to just a few dozen gold coins. At this rate, she wouldn''t even be able to afford the transport fees to Lania Kaia.


    [Shadow.Q]: Congratulations.


    [Rita]: Just picking up scraps with Nivalis, nothing special.


    When she finished her assessment, she realized: Perfect. Everything here is sellable! Of course, it all needed a good cleaning first.


    As for Miyaas'' ashes, she divided them into three portions.


    One portion went into a storage box to vanish after 72 hours. A second portion would be discarded into a hidden corner during her next [Wrathful Moon] journey, where it would dissolve into temporal chaos after 48 hours. The final portion she planned to scatter into the Pacific Ocean to feed the fish.


    If Miyaas could resurrect after this, she''d concede defeat.


    Despite claiming she''d come in an hour, Shadow.Q messaged Rita within thirty minutes, announcing her arrival.


    Shadow.Q entered the apartment and glanced at the instance portal in the living room, smirking knowingly.


    "I figured you''d have another one stashed away."


    When she saw the three large crates of materials Rita had assembled, Shadow.Q fell silent for a long time. Finally, she asked:


    "Where did you even find this? Why does it all look like trash?"


    Rita''s jaw dropped. What?! This was premium-grade loot! Special Affairs Bureau agents used to clamor for low-grade food! Now they had standards this high? Who else could she sell to? She launched into an enthusiastic sales pitch.


    Shadow.Q, uneasy under Rita''s fervor, reluctantly took photos and sent them to the research department. After confirming the items'' quality, she bought the entire lot for 300 gold.


    Though the materials were rare and valuable, their core essence had been consumed during the Divine Gift upgrade. Selling them for 300 gold was more than fair.


    Rita, now flush with funds, counted her coins multiple times before storing them.


    Seeing this, Shadow.Q couldn''t help but feel a pang of sympathy. Has it come to this? She''s down to counting pocket change?


    "Hey, want to join Eclipse Vanguard? The salary''s excellent."


    Rita waved her off.


    "Nah, dumpster diving suits me just fine."


    Next was the apartment and its Level 10 instance.


    "500 blank skill crystals," Rita offered. "And it''s yours, permanently."


    Shadow.Q didn''t hesitate for long. Though the price slightly exceeded her expectations, it was still within reason.


    Truthfully, Eclipse Vanguard owed Rita a massive favor ever since she practically gave them the legion command item. This was a small way to repay it.

 Chapter 292 Who Said EasySing Was a Person?

    In US, the price of a favor was the most expensive, the hardest to repay, and the most difficult to calculate. It was nearly impossible to determine when a debt was truly settled.


    This made Shadow.Q reluctant to haggle with Rita. Even if she didn''t negotiate the price down, Eclipse Vanguard''s debt to Rita wouldn''t diminish in the slightest. Every time Shadow.Q thought about it, she couldn''t shake the suspicion that she''d never truly understood Rita.


    Was she really like Eleanor described¡ªa person who ensured those who helped her were always repaid fairly? Eclipse Vanguard''s profile on Rita emphasized her commitment to fairness. But was her "generosity" simply a calculated way to get what she wanted?


    Such doubts, however, were unspeakable. Eclipse Vanguard''s gains from Rita''s deals were tangible. Her contributions, like [Time Is Always Squeezable], were gifts that kept on giving, and larger gestures, like the legion command item, were too significant to ignore. They lingered in the mind, impossible to forget or refuse.


    The more Shadow.Q thought about it, the more Rita seemed like one of those people who appeared pure on the outside but were secretly calculating¡ªa "white-cut black."


    While Shadow.Q was lost in her internal storm, Rita was gleefully counting her newly acquired skill crystals.


    She glanced at the [Skill Storage Crystal (One-Time Use)], noting the line at the bottom: (Creator: EasySing).


    With a sigh of admiration, Rita said,


    "It''s bad to assume, but imagine if EasySing were a lone wolf. Selling skill crystals alone could have made them the wealthiest player by now. Yet, they''ve never even appeared on the wealth leaderboard. What''s their deal?"


    Jameson''s investigation had turned up nothing about EasySing. Who¡ªor what¡ªwas this mysterious figure?


    Even the solo players'' training group she''d joined recently was speculating. Someone in the group mentioned being targeted by two factions for refusing to join them. They were considering Eclipse Vanguard as a refuge and asked the group for advice. Another member had replied,


    "Join when EasySing tops the wealth leaderboard."


    Shadow.Q snapped out of her thoughts and gave Rita a strange look.


    "Who said EasySing is a person?"


    Rita froze.


    "It''s not?"


    Shadow.Q smirked.


    "EasySing is our commander''s panda."


    As she observed the playful scene, Rita mentally reviewed the day''s battle.


    Her most glaring issue was her lack of offensive options. She needed to prepare a skill capable of directly reducing a target''s health by a percentage.


    Although luck was on her side during the fight with Miyaas, it had taken eight skill crystals before she succeeded once. Against such a significant power gap, even the best skills could be suppressed. But that didn''t mean she could go without them.


    She also needed better ways to counter sleep-inducing agents and escape restraints.


    Miyaas, that wonderfully generous sea creature, hadn''t just given her a Divine Gift¡ªhe''d provided a thorough stress test for her combat strategies.


    Her only regret was that he''d only dropped Soul Catcher upon his death.


    Her mind wandered to the barrels of seawater, mixed with her blood and Miyaas'' ashes. What should she do with them? Dump them into Lania Kaia''s ocean? Too risky¡ªwhat if the sea creatures noticed? What about Blue Star''s ocean? Also unsafe¡ªthere were sea creatures there too.


    Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire


    Suddenly, an idea struck her. Could she use her Divine Gift skill [Renovate] to transform the seawater?


    The thought sent her bolting to her feet.


    But what if it failed? Maybe it was safer to wait until Nivalis'' [Time Stealing Dragon] skill was off cooldown, just in case she needed to rewind. Lowering her luck was a gamble she didn''t want to take lightly.


    To Rita, "low luck" meant anything less than maxed out¡ªand with anything less than full luck, she might as well expect to get hit by a meteor.


    She hesitated, then calculated. It was only the 6th. Nivalis'' skill wouldn''t reset until the 10th of next month. If she failed, her luck would recover in a week. She could potentially attempt this four or five times before then. Besides, [Time Stealing Dragon] only restored up to 160 seconds at a time, and using it repeatedly in a short span might cause unforeseen issues.


    Screw it. She''d try now.


    Rita stood up again, determination flaring in her eyes.


    But as she glanced around, she realized every single cat was staring at her. Even Nivalis, now unblindfolded, was looking at her like she''d lost her mind.


    "Mind your own business!" Rita snapped. "Once I''m done, we''re going out for dinner. And afterward? Mahjong night!"


    Nivalis stood at attention and saluted. "Yes, sir!"


    Rita: ... Eye roll.

 Chapter 293 She Couldnt Detect It?

    In the living room, Rita placed a barrel of [Complex Seawater] on the floor and began rummaging through her inventory for items of little value.


    By the end, the floor was covered with an assortment of scraps and junk.


    Discarded equipment, damaged dragon scales, spent magazines, a [Whistle], a [Compass], a [Never-Ending Coffee Cup], and even her [Fate Coin] and [Soul Catcher] were among the pile.


    She realized that she rarely relied on fate. She preferred to make her own decisions, thinking things through before taking action. Despite owning the [Fate Coin] for so long, she had only used it once¡ªand that was just to test its effects.


    Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    Rita seldom faced decisions she couldn''t make on her own. Beneath her seemingly cautious demeanor lay an unshakable confidence. Once she decided on a course of action, she seldom changed her mind.


    If she deemed something too dangerous with insufficient reward, she wouldn''t pursue it, no matter how promising the odds. Conversely, if she was determined to act, the potential for success or failure wouldn''t bother her much.


    The [Fate Coin] merely reflected the choice her subconscious was already leaning toward.@@@@


    However, crises often struck when least expected. It wasn''t feasible to flip a coin before every action¡ªhow lame would that be?


    "Too situational," she thought, deciding to melt it down during the [Renovate] process.


    As for the [Soul Catcher], she wanted to test if her skill could uncover any hidden issues.


    After laying out all the optional items, Rita even added a box of dragon dung. Then, with a single thought, she activated [Renovate].


    A glowing aura enveloped every item in the room. The hues varied by item¡ªsome shone with a single color, while others displayed multiple harmonious shades.


    It felt like stepping into an old-fashioned bar, complete with a spinning disco ball overhead.


    A quick glance confirmed her suspicion: items of similar colors had the highest compatibility. However, balance seemed to allow even dissimilar attributes to combine effectively.


    Rita picked up a leather armor with two distinct colors. She found she could easily disassemble it into separate components.


    Setting the armor aside, she turned her attention to the object radiating the same soft blue glow as the seawater¡ªthe magazine?


    Without hesitation, she grabbed the magazine and tossed it into the water tower. Then, she took out 200 more magazines of the same type, all with the same faint blue glow, and threw them in as well. These magazines were mass-produced with her intermediate engineering skill and had little value.


    (You are the sole owner of this Curio. Once every 30 natural days, you can skip the game''s process and directly receive a reward.)


    Point your pinky at an enemy to deliver a soul shock. This damage cannot be healed by any means except time.


    A Perfect Curio!


    As its sole owner, she could now bypass the game entirely¡ªlikely due to her own blood mixing with the item during renovation.


    More importantly, it provided her with a much-needed means of attacking souls. She wasn''t sure how potent the damage would be, but it seemed like the type of skill that could send enemies into a berserk frenzy.


    Satisfied, she stowed the [Soul Catcher] in her inventory. It was finally clean, in every sense of the word.


    [Renovate] had proven to be a comprehensive detection skill, capable of uncovering things even her pocket watch couldn''t detect.


    But why had the soul fragment evaded even Cha?vez''s probing? Rita could only guess: perhaps the bone hand had been an extension of Miyaas himself. A soul nestled in its own remains might create a seamless harmony, eluding detection.


    It was akin to how she couldn''t detect a player''s soul through conventional means.


    Rita dismantled the water tower and retrieved the altered magazines.


    [Bullets ¨C No Honor Among Thieves]:


    Altered by unknown forces, these bullets drain 3¨C5 HP from their target per hit and transfer it to the shooter.


    Out of 201 magazines, 139 had mutated, while the rest were rendered useless.


    "Only 3¨C5 HP? And a magazine only holds seven bullets... isn''t that a bit underwhelming?"


    She caught herself, realizing her greed. She stowed the magazines away, saving her scrutiny for the last item¡ªthe coffee cup.


    [Sea Salt Coffee]:


    Tasty. No special effects. Produces 500ml of coffee daily.


    Another dud. Renovation wasn''t always a guaranteed success.

 Chapter 294 The Power of Mahjong, Three Levels!

    After cleaning up the [Soul Catcher] and the seawater, Rita felt a weight lifted off her shoulders. To celebrate her upgraded Divine Gift, she took Nivalis to the entertainment district that evening. She booked a private room in the mahjong parlor, ordered five tables'' worth of barbecue and drinks, and invited the aunties and uncles from [Nameless Ones] for a full night of mahjong.


    When she stepped out of the parlor at dawn, she looked up at the sky and solemnly declared, "The power of Mahjong, three levels!"


    From her perch on Rita''s shoulder, mini-Nivalis patted Rita''s head with her wing, mimicking her dramatic tone. "Are you talking about the fact that you only won three hands all night? Truly tragic."


    With an equally dramatic sigh, she added, "Is clearing a single suit really the pinnacle of your skills?"


    Rita snapped back, "Your limit is just winning with a pong."


    Nivalis roared, "And your limit is a fake win!"


    Rita shot back, "At least I can reach the tiles! Your tiny little claws can''t even grab them without my help!"


    "YOU¡ªYOU''RE TOO MUCH!"


    Their bickering continued all the way to a breakfast shop. Along the way, a few people mustered the courage to ask for their autographs, one even mentioning a character Rita had played before.


    Rita declined but, seeing that the young girl''s Divine Gift posed no threat, she gifted her two mid-tier healing potions instead. Nivalis, unexpectedly eager, stamped her paw print on the girl''s notebook.


    To avoid attracting a crowd, Rita quickly turned invisible and left with Nivalis.


    "We can''t keep being this lazy," Rita said in reflection. "We wasted the whole night."


    Nivalis, unconcerned, replied, "I can. I''m young, and I don''t have ambitions."


    Rita fell silent.


    After a moment, Nivalis frowned. "Are you silently cursing me in your head?"


    Rita, holding up the [Soul Catcher], began slowly bending the bone''s thumb in Nivalis''s direction. Stay connected through My Virtual Library Empire


    Nivalis froze. "...I can''t even tell if you are or aren''t."


    Determined not to waste her trip, Rita sought out Lucia. Thanks to her upgraded [Disguise! I''m Whoever I Want], which lasted two hours now, she had more leeway.


    First, she searched the Eternal Night Fortress''s tavern. When that turned up empty, she paid a gold coin to a baby owl in Polar Day City for Lucia''s whereabouts.


    On her way to the next lead, she stopped at an herb shop to restock the materials she''d burned through during the fight with Miyaas. The cost: 200 gold.


    Nivalis clutched her jade turtle stone, shaking it as if to summon its luck. "Is this thing even working?!"


    Rita replied, "It should be."


    The moment she spoke, a wizened scythe weasel collapsed in front of them.


    The weasel-like Wind Scythe creatures were easy to recognize. They looked almost identical to Earth''s meerkats, with slender bodies, long legs, and small triangular heads. Their crescent-shaped ears, black facial markings, and elongated tails gave them a slightly mystical appearance.


    Though larger than their Earthly counterparts, Wind Scythes rarely grew taller than 1.2 meters. Despite their diminutive size, they always carried scythes nearly as tall as themselves.


    This particular Wind Scythe, dressed in mage''s robes and carrying a massive scythe on its back, lay sprawled on the ground, groaning in exaggerated pain.


    Nivalis, without missing a beat, pointed and blurted out, "Is this a scam?!"


    Rita replied, "Unlikely. The Wind Scythes are known for their business acumen. They''re nothing like us¡ª"


    "Compensation!" the Wind Scythe shrieked, cutting her off. "You crashed into me! Pay up!"


    Rita looked at the creature''s status bar, feeling a wave of exhaustion.


    [Wolf Castle, 103-Level, 100%©§100%]


    "103 levels..." Rita muttered.


    Suddenly, she sympathized with airport staff dealing with elite players bypassing security to evade ticket fees.


    She had disguised herself as a low-level owl for this outing. Faced with the towering strength gap, all she could feel was a bitter sense of shared frustration.

 Chapter 295 Wait, Thats a Hecipah Joke?!

    Rita wordlessly emptied her pockets, handing over her last 79 gold coins, 27 silver coins, and 3 copper coins to the Wind Scythe. "That''s all I have," she said solemnly, with an air of righteous condemnation.


    She wanted her demeanor and actions to shame this 103-level Wind Scythe into the depths of guilt!


    The Wind Scythe, however, fell silent. Its tail swished to the right, confirming that Rita was telling the truth. That was really all she had.


    He could sense financial fortune in people, and this little owl radiated wealth, yet she was somehow penniless. After a moment''s hesitation, he shamelessly scooped up the coins. "Alright, I''ll forgive you this time," he said, before skipping away cheerfully.


    Rita had been prepared to use her skills to take her money back. But as she watched the Wind Scythe''s retreating figure, a sudden thought flashed through her mind: Could his financial fortune be what I''ve been sensing?


    "Let''s find out." With a mischievous grin, she activated [I Just Want to Improve] on him.


    Before the skill could complete, the Wind Scythe disappeared into the crowd. Rita didn''t even have time to adjust his luck stat. Moments later, she heard his voice again in the distance, yelling, "Ow! You owe me compensation!"


    "Ah, so being level 103 is just his camouflage..."


    She opened her inventory to check the results of the skill and froze. Her balance had increased by 2497 gold coins.


    Her new skill could only steal 1% of someone''s wealth. If this was just 1%, that meant the Wind Scythe had over 200,000 gold coins in savings¡ªand yet he was out here scamming people.


    Visiting Lucia


    Rita didn''t linger in the area. Keeping calm, she and Nivalis casually left and followed the directions they''d bought earlier to Lucia''s current residence.


    She tucked Nivalis into her pet space, which she had filled with toys and gaming devices to keep her entertained.


    After preparing everything, Rita didn''t bother knocking. Instead, she took out a small bottle containing 50g of Moon Sand, opened the lid, and waited.


    Within seconds, the door opened.


    As they left the shop, Nivalis''s voice trembled with excitement. "MOM!!!"


    Even Holy Cup, North Year, and Snow Pile had never spoiled her like this. They''d always told her to choose just a few things. But Rita? She''d bought everything new that year!


    "Don''t call me that!" Rita hissed, glancing around nervously. "If Holy Cup hears that, I''ll never hear the end of it!" She added with a firm tone, "Relax, I can afford to raise you. Don''t worry about money."


    "...Through crime, obviously," she muttered under her breath.


    Nivalis, delighted, used her jellyfish tentacles to affectionately pat Rita''s collar. "Anything you say, darling~"


    "..." Rita stared ahead, speechless.


    The Hecipah Incident


    Afterward, Rita visited Hecipah, bringing gifts. Following Nivalis''s suggestion, she picked a fun gaming device for Kayden and bought Hecipah a clock that told minotaur-themed jokes every hour.


    When Hecipah accepted the clock, it struck the hour and let out a loud moo. Then it began:


    "Our final song tonight is ''All the Kids Are Mine, I''m Super Pure,'' requested by the Minotaur King for Alchemy Maniacs. The title? ''I''m the Star of the Village.''"


    "BAM!" Rita slammed her fist onto the clock.


    "This isn''t a minotaur joke! It''s a Hecipah joke!"


    Despite her 187 Strength, the clock didn''t break. What kind of quality is this?


    Flustered, Rita stood up and pounded on it seven or eight more times until it finally shattered.


    Awkwardly collecting the pieces, she stammered, "Wrong gift, sorry about that." Then, she handed over 5g of Moon Sand as an apology. Noticing Hecipah''s expression, she gritted her teeth and added another 5g, which she''d originally prepared for Eclipse Vanguard.


    Hecipah smirked, lowering the hand she had raised to strike. "You just saved your head."

 Chapter 296 Your People Skills Are Truly Impressive

    Upon learning that Rita had started learning [Gold-Class Assassin] from Lucia, Hecipah didn''t comment much. Instead, she handed Rita two more notebooks. "Here, this is for your next stage. Don''t forget the three notebooks I gave you last time. I''ll be checking all of them next month."


    Rita''s expression turned complicated as she accepted the notebooks. Why did it feel like a rivalry was brewing?


    Still, she wasn''t one to shy away from challenges, especially when it came to learning.


    Lurking in Eternal Night Fortress


    After leaving the alchemy shop, Rita sent Nivalis back into the pet space. There was something important she needed to take care of.


    She turned a corner, drank a bottle of [Melting Time], and reactivated [Out and About, Identity Is Self-Assigned], keeping her small owlin form but adopting a different appearance and updating her information.


    Though [Gold-Class Assassin] and [Melting Time] had no direct overlap, Lucia had a habit of slipping in her unique techniques during lessons. Rita suspected Hecipah had picked up the same habit from her.


    Thanks to today''s class, Rita felt close to mastering [Melting Time]. She wasn''t too stingy to use it now, knowing she could replenish her stock soon.


    Arriving in Eternal Night Fortress, Rita wandered near the tower while casually using [I Just Want to Improve] on the passing non-human inhabitants. Over an hour, she collected a decent amount of equipment, gold, and even managed to steal two points of Agility and one point of Intelligence.@@@@


    The real highlight, however, was a "secret" she stole from one of the guards stationed near the tower:


    "On the 15th next month, the Three Owlin Sovereigns will all be absent. If, by some coincidence, an owlin happens to climb the tower that day, will Lord Tao Li really have to impersonate a sovereign? They won''t get found out, right?"


    The 15th? Could it be related to the World Battlefield?


    Excited, Rita muttered to herself, "Shadow.Q, we might actually have a shot at this!"


    She immediately shared the news with Shadow.Q, adding a note of caution: "This information isn''t confirmed yet." She trusted that Eclipse Vanguard would have the means to verify its accuracy.


    If the Three Owlin Sovereigns really were absent on the 15th and most owlins were busy celebrating, it would be the safest day to attempt the tower climb.


    When Rita returned to Blue Star, Shadow.Q had already replied: The information is confirmed to be true. The operation was moved up to December 12th at midnight, with seven teams, including Rita''s, set to infiltrate the tower.


    Rita massaged her temples. As long as Nivalis didn''t start joining square dance groups, she could tolerate her antics. ...Though she wouldn''t mind playing a few rounds herself.


    Meeting at Special Affairs Bureau


    The next day, Rita arrived early at the Special Affairs Bureau, as instructed by Shadow.Q. When she opened the conference room door, she found Shadow.Q alone, though nameplates had already been set out.


    Scanning the table, Rita recognized several familiar names.


    Among the nine members of the Special Affairs Bureau''s team, there were Elijah and Yu Yian, the former commanders of the Flood Dragon Guild. But what shocked her most was seeing the names Zoey and Sanchez.


    Zoey was understandable¡ªshe had collaborated with Special Affairs Bureau frequently and had a strong healing talent. Though she''d lost some attribute points, equipment and skill mastery could make up for it.


    But Sanchez? The same Sanchez who, in her previous life, had taken down three Special Affairs Bureau elites in a 1v3?


    Lowering her voice, Rita asked Shadow.Q, "Sanchez? The one from The White Family? And Zoey, too? I thought this was an internal mission."


    "Zoey and her pet''s Divine Gifts are incredibly useful. She somehow caught wind of the mission and volunteered. As for Sanchez, she approached us. Despite her noticeable weaknesses, don''t underestimate her¡ªthree of our trained A-rank Gift holders couldn''t beat her together. The mission takes priority, so after signing a contract, we let her join."


    Rita hummed noncommittally. "Got it."


    Shadow.Q began distributing small booklets to each seat. "What''s the matter? You don''t have any grudges with anyone here, do you?"


    Rita snorted. "With my personality? Who could possibly hold a grudge against me?"


    Shadow.Q chuckled. "True. Even Zoey gets along with you. Those in Eclipse Vanguard who normally hate lone wolves have no issue with you. And the training camp crowd speaks highly of you. Even during those public scandals, hardly anyone attacked you. Honestly, your people skills are second to none."


    It was sincere praise.


    Even when Eclipse Vanguard was criticized, people defended its members without hesitation, often sparking further debates. Yet with Rita, negativity rarely stuck.


    Rita laughed. "Exactly! All thanks to the Food God."


    Quickly deflecting the topic, she grabbed a booklet and began reading. Small talk had a way of making her feel awkward if it went on too long.

 Chapter 297 Two Empty Eyes

    Perched on Rita''s shoulder, Nivalis busily played a game on her phone. Between rounds, she snarked in Rita''s mind: "I''m embarrassed for you."


    Rita sighed in relief. "Well, if you''re embarrassed on my behalf, then I''m off the hook."


    Nivalis twisted her expression in mock frustration. "Last time we went back to Dragon Island, North Year told me privately that I''ve changed. He said I''ve become someone he doesn''t recognize. I defended you, told him it was because I''ve grown up and matured. Didn''t snitch on you."


    "...Thanks," Rita muttered. Your journey continues on My Virtual Library Empire


    Nivalis put down her phone, letting the little character on the screen bleed out in a pool of red. "Should''ve snitched. North Year beat me up anyway and said I was possessed by a demon."


    Rita silently pulled out a bubble tea she''d picked up on the way, stuck a straw in it, and handed it to Nivalis. "Drink. For the love of God, stop talking."


    Welcome Party, Awkward Seating


    Not long after, people began trickling into the meeting room. Zoey arrived first and greeted Rita warmly, sitting to her right. Rita, ever the diplomat, returned the smile and nod.


    Sanchez, with her signature cool demeanor, entered next. She was decked out in retractable claw blades strapped to her wrists, and her snowboards¡ªnow wielded with mastery¡ªenabled her to glide across the floor with an elegance that bordered on arrogance. Barely moving her body, she practically slid into her seat, nodding at Zoey with what could almost be interpreted as civility.


    Despite their history, it seemed Zoey and Sanchez had reached some sort of truce.


    But the real shock came when Sanchez turned to Rita. She flashed her a blindingly cheerful smile and even waved with a casual "Hi!"


    Who the hell arranged this divine comedy of seating arrangements?!


    Rita sat frozen, staring ahead with blank, unseeing eyes.


    "You''re staring straight ahead, but I don''t believe for a second your eyes are empty," Nivalis teased in her mind.


    "I''m looking right ahead! There''s nothing in my eyes!" Rita snapped back internally.


    North Year was right. This dragon was absolutely possessed.


    Zoey''s Transformation


    Zoey had always been a strong presence, cool and collected. That was why the next thing she did was so utterly bewildering. She summoned her koala pet, Sweetwine, cradled it in her arms, and began gently patting its bottom.


    ...Was she about to start singing lullabies next?


    The disparity between Zoey''s usual demeanor and this behavior was so stark that Rita was stunned into a hard mental reset.


    Nivalis''s patience snapped. She headbutted Rita out of her reverie with a fiery "bonk."


    Mission Briefing


    The rest of the team trickled in. Shadow.Q moved to the front of the room, while Rita clutched her aching head and sat up straighter.


    Thankfully, Eclipse Vanguard''s meetings weren''t run by clueless higher-ups barking impractical orders. Only the mission team was present, and the focus was on practical planning.


    The intelligence and logistics team had already compiled suggestions into handouts, leaving the final decisions to the team members who''d actually be executing the mission.


    Shadow.Q''s briefing was concise, emphasizing pre-climb preparation and the post-climb retreat. The interior of the tower was still a mystery, so adaptability was key.


    "Although this is an astral projection mission, we''ve confirmed that soul-bound equipment can be taken into the tower. Eclipse Vanguard will provide top-tier gear, five binding stones for each participant, and necessary tools like translation devices, escape skills, and extraction tools for the Moon Sand.


    "The tower''s summit has a 50-meter safe zone where only climbers can enter. Within this area, each team is responsible for its own strategy. If you fail, retreat immediately. Survival is the priority. Don''t let adrenaline drive you to unnecessary sacrifices. We''ll keep trying until we succeed, while other members of Eclipse Vanguard search for alternative methods to unlock the instance."


    Rita''s role as a solo team didn''t exempt her from memorizing the dark signal codes. If she needed help inside, these signals could identify allies.


    Shadow.Q handed out forms for skill requests. Each member could choose three B-rank skills, which Eclipse Vanguard would provide before the mission.


    Generous as hell, Rita thought. B-rank skills were incredibly valuable, even if Rita''s inventory mostly consisted of A- and S-rank ones. For current Blue Star players, though, B-rank skills were exceptional.


    For this operation alone, with seven teams of roughly nine members each, Eclipse Vanguard would need to supply at least 163 B-rank skills.


    No small feat.


    Rita didn''t hold back. The mission was life-threatening. Even with survival as the primary goal, nothing was guaranteed.


    She requested skills in three categories:


    1. Escape skills (preferably ones that could counter most binding or imprisonment abilities),


    2. Shielding skills,


    3. Health-percentage-based damage skills for guaranteed hits.


    Shadow.Q collected everyone''s forms but returned Rita''s with a loud "Change the first and third. There aren''t B-rank skills that strong!"


    Rita: "..." No need to yell.

 Chapter 298 I Just Want to Improve So Badly

    After thinking it over, Rita crossed out the content in the first parenthesis of her wish list. She also crossed out the third item, replacing it with: "A ranged attack skill (the quieter and more discreet, the better)."


    Shadow.Q accepted Rita''s wish list with a speechless yet still smiling expression and said, "Wishing you a long life!"


    Rita happily accepted the blessing and replied, "Same to you."@@@@


    Shadow.Q: "..."


    Bending down slightly, Shadow.Q spoke to Nivalis in an exceptionally gentle tone, "Feel free to tell me if you have any requests too~~~"


    Rita couldn''t help but shiver at the overly sweet voice, and Shadow.Q pressed down on her shoulder. "Be careful! Don''t shake Nivalis off!"


    Nivalis adjusted the miniature sunglasses on her forehead, pulling them down coolly. "Yeah, you be careful." Then she tilted her head up to look at Shadow.Q and said in her baby voice, "Big Sis Shadow.Q~~ I want an S-grade skill."


    Shadow.Q chuckled and gave Nivalis a pat on the head before turning to Rita. "Such a funny kid."


    With that, she straightened up and walked off.


    Nivalis: "..."


    Rita, for the first time, felt that Shadow.Q''s snarky comments weren''t so annoying after all!


    Though her words could be biting, Shadow.Q''s efficiency was top-notch. That evening, Rita received three skills from her.


    [Break Time]: Temporarily removes B-rank and below crowd control effects, granting you 3 seconds of freedom. After 3 seconds, the original control effect resumes, and its duration is extended by 6 seconds.


    [Blood Shield]: Sacrifice 30% of your HP to create a shield that lasts for 12 hours. The shield can absorb damage equal to 10% of your max HP. Casting time: 3 minutes. The shield cannot stack, and there is no cooldown.


    [My Silence is Deafening]: Deals mental shock to the target with a 10% chance of causing deafness for 5 seconds. Casting time: 0.5 seconds. Mana cost: 200. Cooldown: 3 minutes.


    Rita immediately learned all three skills and even sent Shadow.Q a polite message: "I will fight to the last drop of my blood for Eclipse Vanguard!" Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire


    Shadow.Q replied with a deadpan: "Looking at the skills you picked, they don''t seem like they''d ever let you get hurt, let alone bleed."


    If she couldn''t truly kill Rick before the timer ran out, could she at least steal his Luck now? [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] no longer had a restriction against targeting weaker individuals. And her current Luck wasn''t even at its max...


    If her theory was correct, Rick really was blessed.


    Rita, now transformed into an owl, stopped outside a villa courtyard. She spotted someone leaving¡ªZoey? Judging by how familiar she was with the guards, this wasn''t her first visit. Was she here to mess with Rick too?


    Once Zoey''s car disappeared from view, Rita dove into the courtyard, picked up a random brick, and smashed it against Rick''s head with all her might. The brick shattered into powder, leaving Rick unconscious with his HP dropping to 37%.


    She grabbed him, tossed 50 gold coins at the bewildered Black Jade, and said, "Borrowing your pet for a bit. I''ll return him before dawn."


    Black Jade glanced at the coins and covered them with his tail tip.


    He had always thought he wasn''t interested in money. But ever since acquiring over 80,000 gold, he realized money was quite fascinating... These days, he counted it several times daily. It turned out his "disinterest" was just the protective mask of poverty.


    With a nod, he generously replied, "Go ahead. Just don''t kill him."


    Rita had already vanished with Rick. Eclipse Vanguard watched briefly but didn''t pursue. If Black Jade approved, there was no point in chasing. Besides, as long as Rick didn''t die in the Special Affairs Bureau''s hands, they''d have an excuse to deal with Black Jade if anything happened.


    Rita zigzagged through various paths, regretting selling her apartment dungeon. Now she had nowhere to conduct her shady activities!


    Finally, she dove into an underwater dungeon, found a secluded spot, and locked it down after killing a local alien.


    She started examining Rick''s stats.


    Not much had changed since the last time. His Charm and Luck were still at 10, though his Trust in her had dropped to 89. Understandable, given her position at the top of the leaderboard but her lack of tangible support for him.


    First, she reduced Rick''s Luck to 1. Then she poured a sleeping potion down his throat. Once he fell into a deep sleep, she activated [One-Person Party]!


    Rita declared, "Players under the status of Lowest-tier Snake Servant and Unknown Curse Level II are prohibited from receiving gifted gold coins. Otherwise, when they are targeted by theft-type skills, their Luck value will be ignored, and they will be the top priority target."


    The rule took effect, and a 4-minute countdown appeared above Rick''s head.


    That was plenty of time to test if she could steal his Luck.

 Chapter 299 I Shall Call You Little Hecipah

    Rita poured an antidote for the sleeping potion into Rick''s mouth, roughly shook him awake, and handed him a gold coin as he groggily stared in confusion and fear.


    "Here, it''s for you."


    Without waiting for his reaction, Rita turned away. Imagine Rick''s state of mind: in the middle of the night, an owl crashes into his villa, smashes a brick over his head, and when he wakes up, he''s in a dungeon, handed a gold coin by the same person. Dazed, Rick clutched the coin in silence.


    Moments later, his jaw was forcibly dislocated, and another bottle of sleeping potion, along with a significant amount of seawater, was poured into his mouth.


    As he fell unconscious again, Rita finally activated [I Just Want to Improve So Badly].


    It took her eight tries before she felt like she successfully stole something. Excitedly, she opened her character panel.


    Luck: 10 (Base [1] - Recovery in progress: 21:36:17)


    It worked!!!


    She glanced at Rick''s stats: his Luck had dropped to 0.


    This method was viable!


    At that moment, Rita felt the same satisfaction as an elderly lady who had hoarded plastic bags for decades, only to finally use them at the perfect moment. See? See! I told you keeping all this junk would come in handy one day!


    Even if her 1 frozen Luck point disappeared after the recovery timer ended because her stat was already maxed, she wouldn''t care. As long as Rick wasn''t absurdly lucky anymore, it was a win!


    Opening [Renovation], she prepared to consume another point of Luck. However, something surprising caught her eye: Rick''s equipment was glowing. Wait¡ªdid this skill let her disassemble the equipment he was wearing?


    She gave it a try on the necklace around his neck¡ªand it worked!


    Overcome with excitement, she systematically disassembled all of Rick''s gear. Unfortunately, none of it was particularly remarkable. Once her cooldowns reset with a [Melting Time] potion, she lowered Rick''s Luck to 2. With his Luck still relatively high, she worried it might be harder to steal from him.


    Then she repeated the process: announcing new rules ¡ú feeding him the antidote ¡ú waking him up ¡ú giving him a coin ¡ú knocking him out with a potion again ¡ú rinse and repeat.


    Rita spent the entire night at the bottom of the sea, working methodically until 9 a.m. [Renovation] alone took 30 minutes per use, and she used it eight times, costing her 4 hours in total.


    While using [Renovation], she even checked all her blank skill crystals just in case something else could be upgraded. Everything was fine.


    She spared no expense with [Melting Time], even shape-shifting into a goblin to squeeze out her three daily gold coins.


    Black Jade''s ultimate obsession was becoming a true dragon. He often emphasized that if Blue Star helped him evolve into a divine dragon, he''d protect the planet for 500 years¡ªrecently raised to 600 years.


    Eclipse Vanguard wanted to help him. If Nivalis weren''t tied to Rita, they might have already taken action. Even Shadow.Q frequently warned against making rash moves for Black Jade''s protection, reminding them that dragonkind was neutral and pursuing this path might bring more trouble than it was worth. But was Blue Star''s situation not already dire? Countless underwater dungeons had already been unlocked...


    The idea of helping Black Jade ascend to a dragon form now, then working to restore Nivalis'' power later, wasn''t entirely off the table.


    The real obstacle was Rita. Her honor points kept skyrocketing, increasing by tens of thousands at a time. While she claimed she didn''t know the reason, Eclipse Vanguard believed her. After all, the game invasion had only been happening for less than a year, and there were too many mysteries left unsolved.


    Still, the game-certified honor points proved her actions were benefiting not just the U.S. but possibly all of Blue Star. Even the most aggressive faction within Eclipse Vanguard refrained from targeting Nivalis for Black Jade''s sake.


    Instead, there was talk of using this situation to bait him. They could have Black Jade locate underwater dungeon barriers, promising that if his honor points reached a certain threshold, they''d fetch dragon blood from Lania Kaia to help him evolve. And if they couldn''t deliver? They''d just keep stalling...


    Unaware of Eclipse Vanguard''s schemes, Black Jade pushed Rick again, letting out an annoyed sigh. His pet was in shambles but thankfully not dead¡ªotherwise, he might''ve perished as well.


    So fragile, he thought. Wrapping Rick up in his tail, he promoted him from a low-tier snake servant to a third-tier one. Within six months to a year, Rick''s legs would transform into a snake tail, and in two more years, he''d fully become a black snake.


    Perfect! Much more pleasing to the eye. Black Jade wondered why he hadn''t done this earlier¡ªit was such an easy fix.


    After going home for a quick nap, Rita headed straight to Polar City to attend lessons with Lucia. She also wanted to check if Nivalis'' Expert Account had sold yet.


    Nivalis? She''d gone from an ice dragon to a mahjong-playing dragon, and Rita couldn''t even be bothered to call her by name anymore.


    After class, Rita couldn''t resist showing Lucia her homemade [Melting Time] potion.


    Lucia, delighted, examined the potion before pulling Rita into a powerful hug. "You''re a genius! When I taught you at Eternal Night Fortress, I thought it''d take you until next year to succeed."


    That''s a bit of an exaggeration!


    Rita couldn''t hide her grin. "Hecipah said Melting Time was actually pretty simple."


    "She says everything''s simple once she''s mastered it." Lucia laughed and knelt to meet the small owl''s gaze. Handing Rita a high-grade potion recipe, she said earnestly, "A reward for your progress. Though I''ve only taught you a few lessons and can''t truly call myself your teacher, I''m proud of you."


    Dazed and glowing with joy, Rita left Lucia''s home and headed straight to Dark City to show the potion to Hecipah.


    After examining the finished product, Hecipah gave a reserved nod of approval. "Not bad. I shall call you Little Hecipah."


    Rita: .........

 Chapter 300 Luck: 10 (+1)

    Kayden burst out laughing. "Hahahahahahahaha!"


    Hecipah frowned. "Is it funny?"


    Kayden quickly composed himself. "Not at all. I''m just so happy for Little Hecipah."


    Hecipah''s expression softened. "Good child."


    Rita: "..." Kayden, you little suck-up! And here I thought you were an honest kid.


    Still, she had other matters to discuss today, so she endured it. Taking out a few boxes of rice harvested from [Union of Grids], she handed them to Kayden to deliver to the kitchen. Only then did she ask Hecipah, "Teacher, do you know about equipment binding stones?"@@@@


    Hecipah gestured toward the materials on the side that needed processing. Rita obediently stepped up to help while Hecipah slowly explained, "I do. Don''t use too many of them."


    So the burdens on the soul really are connected to equipment binding stones? No wonder such an important item sold for only 100 gold. Rita pressed further, "Is it because adding too much weight to the soul is bad?"


    "Exactly," Hecipah elaborated. "The soul is the source of your strength. Adding too much to it might not seem like an issue at first, but later on, it will greatly hinder your development. Some places can only be accessed by the mind¡ªyour physical body can''t enter. Items bound to your soul will follow you there, which seems convenient at first. But they''ll weigh you down, even just slightly. Never underestimate the drag of something hanging on your soul. It''s best not to bind more than five items."


    Rita was alarmed. "What happens if you exceed that?"


    Hecipah answered, "After level 50, for every additional item you bind, the attribute points you gain upon leveling up will decrease. If you bind more than 10 items, you won''t gain any attribute points after level 100. By the way, do you need unbinding stones? They''re 500 gold each. They only work below level 50; after that, bindings become permanent. Since you''re my apprentice, I''ll give you a 10% discount."


    Rita: "..." Lucia, I miss you.


    No wonder binding stones weren''t expensive¡ªthe real profit was in the unbinding stones. And since only master-level jewelers could craft them, she couldn''t make them herself.


    In the end, Rita bought four unbinding stones from Hecipah. She still had the 300 gold from selling Miyaas'' junk, another 300 from selling Moon Sand, and over 2,000 from the loot she got at Wolf Fortress. Even after spending more than 1,300 on toys, she had plenty left.


    She didn''t know how much these stones sold for elsewhere, but she doubted Hecipah would overcharge her.


    Looking back, Rita realized that if she had bound [Soul Catcher] to her soul back then, her final confrontation with Miyaas might have had unpredictable outcomes...


    Nivalis shifted to lie on her side on the couch, her wingtips curling to support her head. "Is this like a match-3 game?"


    Blue Star has completely corrupted her... Rita replied, "...It''s equipment synthesis."


    She picked up two fragments of dragon scales and placed them together. One was black, the other white, both glowing faintly with matching brightness. Their sizes were nearly identical, making them a perfect pair for experimentation. Even if she failed, she still had two more dragon scales to mask Nivalis'' scent.


    Besides, their colors were strikingly similar to the yin-yang symbol. Just looking at them made her think they belonged together.


    Nivalis set down her bag of gold coins and enthusiastically darted over to watch. Rita let her be. If Nivalis'' luck had brought them together, maybe she''d be useful here. Wait... Why does that sound like something Rick would say?


    As Rita pondered this, the scales in her hands emitted a dragon''s roar. Startled, she glanced down. The black and white scales had fused into a yin-yang symbol, something so iconic and familiar that her breath caught. This has to be insanely powerful! She held her breath and checked the item''s description.


    [Common Item] [A Pretty Dragon Scale]


    Absolutely useless.


    With a flick of her wrist, Rita tossed it onto the couch. Despite her gentle motion, the scale pierced through the couch and embedded itself in the cabinet behind it.


    The sound startled Nivalis, who immediately rushed over. "Oh my Holy CupNorth YearSnow Pile! Look at this! What a beautiful dragon scale! It''s gorgeous!"


    Picking up another piece of equipment, Rita muttered, "It''s useless, though."


    Nivalis hugged the scale tightly and wagged a single clawed finger at her. "Snow Pile once said, ''There''s no such thing as useless things in the world.''"


    Rita humbly asked, "Then what''s this scale useful for?"


    Its white item name indicated no hidden abilities, and Snow Pile had mentioned the scales were already drained of power when she took them.


    Translation Note:


    Wolf Fortress is translated as Wolf Fortress. It reflects the straightforward tone and avoids unnecessary complexity.

 Chapter 301 [A Prank] & [A Lie]

    Nivalis said, "This scale fell off during a fight between Wind Shear and Emperor Umbrella. They''re archenemies and have been battling each other for over two thousand years without ever settling the score. Do you know what makes this dragon scale so beautiful? It''s because it''s exactly half Wind Shear and half Emperor Umbrella. If we take this scale back to Dragon Island and ask them in front of everyone who wants to buy this beautiful dragon scale..."


    Rita immediately understood.


    She teleported to Nivalis, lifted the little dragon high in the air, and continued, "We''re gonna make a fortune!!!"


    Nivalis raised both claws. "A fortune!!!"


    Rita shouted, "You''re a genius! A true genius!"


    Nivalis raised her claws again. "A genius!!!"


    After a brief celebration, Rita and Nivalis returned to synthesizing equipment. Unfortunately, aside from the [A Pretty Dragon Scale], every other attempt ended in failure.


    The incredible luck she''d had on her first [Renovation], creating the perfect Curio-level [Soul Catcher] and the [Thief Never Empty-Handed] magazine, now felt like nothing more than a beginner''s freebie.


    Still, the experiment was a success. Just as she''d hoped, her Luck remained at 10 even after using [Renovation], while another [+1] appeared in the recovery queue.


    This confirmed that [Renovation] prioritized using the Luck displayed in parentheses. From now on, she wouldn''t need to tiptoe around while using [Renovation]. Keeping Rick alive had been worth it after all. Truly, there''s no such thing as useless trash in the world!


    Thinking of [Soul Catcher]''s ability to skip one game per month, Rita held it tightly and selected a dare.


    The runes on the bone hand glowed, and tiny firefly-like letters appeared before her: "Please change your race." (Skippable.)


    Huh? Rita immediately used [Away from Home, Identity is Self-Assigned] to transform into a Minotaur.


    But the bone hand stayed firmly attached to her.


    It didn''t work. Just like how her disguises could block divination but not prevent her from sensing others'' divinations, she hadn''t truly changed her race¡ªdeep down, she was still herself.


    She tried to exploit a game bug, only for the game to exploit her in return.


    As Rita considered skipping the game, a sudden idea struck her. Taking out the dragon blood she''d collected during her contract duel with Nivalis, she drank a [Melting Time] potion to reset [Away from Home, Identity is Self-Assigned]. This time, when she activated the skill, she used a drop of Nivalis'' blood.


    Immediately, her body began to transform. Pale blue scales appeared on her skin, her hands turned into dragon claws, wings unfurled from her back, and a shimmering gemstone crowned her dragon head.


    Nivalis was stunned. "If you''re Nivalis, then who am I?"


    Nivalis pulled out a pair of sunglasses from her pocket and put them on. "Of course, Dragon Island. I''m going to show the dragons there what it means when the Dragon King returns!"


    Rita: "...You... Do you realize how tacky you sound?"


    Nivalis raised a claw, wagging a single dragon finger. In a low, solemn voice, she said, "Don''t worry. With me, you''ll never lose out. The dragon scale was found by both of us, but you synthesized it. So, seventy-thirty split in your favor."


    Rita''s gaze sharpened. She declared firmly, "Understood, Dragon King."


    She''d known from the moment she first met Nivalis that this dragon was no ordinary creature. She was a Dragon King!


    And Rita needed money. She had to prepare several backup plans for extracting Moon Sand before entering the tower. Whether it required skills or items, she needed a solution that would settle the clock issue in one go.


    According to Eclipse Vanguard, if Moon Sand couldn''t be extracted, they''d proceed with a second plan to either clear the Moon Sand inside the tower or relocate it with skills.


    No way! That''s like drinking my blood or eating my flesh!


    Eager with dreams of fortune, the duo skipped sleep and immediately set off for Lania Kaia. Upon arriving in Yaslan City, Rita even used Lania Kaia''s "Wind Scythe Fast Delivery" service to send a letter to Lucia, requesting a few days'' leave. She also sent a letter to Hecipah, explaining that her evaluation would need to be postponed.


    By the time [Moment of Reversal]''s cooldown ended, Rita crafted another skill crystal for it. This was a skill she wouldn''t dare sell, keeping it for her own use. She planned to stop crafting it after November 30th to ensure it wouldn''t be on cooldown when she entered the tower. If it took 300 years to cool down, that''d be a massive loss.


    Previously, it had taken Nivalis over 30 hours to fly from Ton Ton Mountain to Dragon Island¡ª33 hours nonstop or 37 with breaks. But since leveling up from 14 to 16, she''d gained 60 attribute points, with 1% increases across her four primary stats. Her advanced stats like resistance, willpower, accuracy, and crit rate had also improved slightly. The most noticeable change was her increased flight speed.


    Only two levels and such significant growth? No wonder dragons are so powerful!


    Seeing Nivalis'' strength made Rita green with envy. It was no surprise that the Twelve Sacred Clans had united to force the dragons to descend to Blue Star. And even then, they''d only sent Nivalis, a hatchling. Although Nivalis claimed she''d orchestrated this opportunity herself, it was clear to everyone that this was the dragon race''s calculated response.


    In under 33 hours, the pair reached Dragon Island. But this time, there were no big dragons to greet them.


    Rita sighed, "The cherished little one... is this it?"


    "..."


    "The Dragon King... is this it???"


    "..."


    Nivalis thought she might never grow up. At this rate, she wouldn''t even survive to adulthood¡ªshe''d die of frustration thanks to Rita.

 Chapter 302 [Absolute Clarity] (SS-Rank)

    After greeting Holy CupNorth YearSnow Pile at her lair, Nivalis flew Rita to the usual battleground of Wind Shear and Emperor Umbrella.


    Wind Shear was a black divine dragon, and Emperor Umbrella a white yinglong. Rita had seen them fighting when she first visited Dragon Island. Both dragons were level 177, even higher than Holy CupNorth Year.


    When Rita and Nivalis arrived, the two dragons had just finished a clash and were now locked in a standoff.


    Nivalis took a deep breath, held up the black-and-white scale, and shouted, "Emperor Umbrella, Wind Shear~ Make peace, for my sake!"


    The two massive dragons slowly turned their heads, peering down at the tiny Rita and Nivalis.


    Nivalis felt her legs go weak and silently questioned the scriptwriter: "Will this really work? Are we even going to leave Dragon Island alive?"


    Rita: "What, are they going to kill you?"


    Nivalis: "That''s not what you said earlier! You said you were a pro at acting!"


    Rita: "Huh?"


    Nivalis: ...


    Before they could continue bickering, both dragons shrank their forms to match Rita and Nivalis in size and appeared before them.@@@@


    The dragon scale held a faint but unique balance of opposing rules. While Rita and Nivalis couldn''t discern it, Emperor Umbrella and Wind Shear noticed immediately.


    Though they had been fighting for centuries, there was no true blood feud between them¡ªjust the natural opposition of their Divine Gifts. Every time they saw each other, it was like meeting their nemesis, igniting an uncontrollable urge to fight. Yet this scale, a perfect blend of their essence, seemed to neutralize their clashing auras.


    Emperor Umbrella spoke first. "Sell it to me."


    Wind Shear countered instantly. "5,000 gold."


    Emperor Umbrella: "10,000 gold."


    Wind Shear: "15,000 gold!"


    Emperor Umbrella: "30,000 gold."


    Wind Shear: "..."


    After some thought, Emperor Umbrella raised the stakes. "60,000 gold plus a fusion skill, [Moment of Decision]. Once you''ve synchronized your minds, you can fuse for combat. There are two modes: one where you lead, and one where the human leads. It''s a relic from Lidian''s era. You may look like a pair of scoundrels now, but you''ll find it quite useful."


    Rita''s heart sank. Great, I''ve officially become a human pillar.


    In the end, Nivalis chose Emperor Umbrella''s offer. While [Thunderstorm from All Sides] was impressive, she was more interested in playing around with fusion mechanics. And Emperor Umbrella offered more money.


    [Moment of Decision] was a skill book that required both Rita and Nivalis to hold its edges simultaneously to learn. They did so on the spot.


    After receiving the scale, Emperor Umbrella turned to Wind Shear. "Want to rent it? 10,000 gold a month."


    Wind Shear: "...Isn''t this extortion?"


    Emperor Umbrella held up the scale. "Wind Shear, today marks your defeat¡ª"


    Wind Shear roared, "Fine! I''ll rent it!"


    Brutal. Simply brutal.


    Despite the cost being trivial for dragons, Wind Shear realized too late how much he''d overpaid.


    Nivalis quipped, "Brother, you panicked."


    Rita quickly covered Nivalis'' mouth and smiled humbly at Wind Shear. "Senior, would you sell [Thunderstorm from All Sides] for 20,000 gold?"


    Nivalis'' eyes lit up. Pulling Rita''s hand away, she exclaimed, "Yeah, Brother Wind Shear! Sell it! You''ll at least recoup something!"


    The result? Rita and Nivalis were chased off Dragon Island by an enraged Wind Shear, leaving without even saying goodbye to Holy CupNorth Year.


    Not that it mattered. The two elder dragons had merely extended their heads from their lairs to watch the drama unfold. Holy Cup was sipping on a gray coconut as the chaos ensued.


    Nivalis wiped away the tears¡ªblown out by Wind Shear''s wind skills. So this is the pain of growing up in a dragon''s world!


    Once off the island, Rita and Nivalis split the money. Rita took her 42,000 gold and started planning what skills to buy next, while Nivalis contemplated renting out an entire toy store.


    It was then that Rita finally opened her private message notifications, which had been beeping non-stop.


    [Shadow.Q]: Congratulations, Rita, on ranking first in four leaderboards.

 Chapter 303 [Who Will Cut the Moonlight] (SS-Rank)

    It was over. When Rita checked the Wealth Leaderboard, sure enough, she was now at the top¡ªnot just in the Pet, Level, and Honor rankings, but also Wealth: Rita, 63,403 gold, 67 silver, 13 copper.


    She herself had 44,000 gold; the rest was Nivalis'' share. Clearly, Nivalis'' funds were included in the total.


    Previously, she had briefly entered the top 100 of the Wealth Leaderboard after spending all 80,000 gold she''d earned. Back then, it was just a couple of thousand gold at a time¡ªshe earned quickly but spent even faster. Trying to remain anonymous had only drawn more suspicion, so after her last notification, she''d chosen to stay public.


    Even so, her name had lingered on the board, and now, with a sudden influx of 60,000 gold, she had catapulted straight to first place.@@@@


    [Rita]: Living off Nivalis'' generosity.


    [Rita]: Eclipse Vanguard, where''s your finance department? How do you still not have 60,000 gold?!


    [Shadow.Q]: Is your mouth some kind of S-rank weapon? Why is your attack power this high?!


    [Shadow.Q]: Our finances are divided across cities; we''ve been spread thin for a while.


    Rita patted Nivalis. "Let''s go! Spend it before it''s too late!"


    Instead of heading to a major city, they went straight to the auction house in Ton Ton Mountain. After all, the auction houses across the 36 cities were linked.


    Nivalis, now in the form of a small bear, perched on Rita''s head and helped search.


    Given the peculiar nature of [Fate Out of Sync], Rita immediately excluded anything below S-rank.


    Rather than focusing on destruction-based skills, she prioritized theft-based ones. Stealing was often easier and more discreet than destroying¡ªand in this area, she was an expert. Unfortunately, there were no theft skills on sale.


    In fact, the auction house only listed 67 skills above S-rank. Finally, Rita''s eyes landed on a skill that might be extremely useful in their current situation. It wasn''t an attack, defense, or escape skill¡ªit didn''t even seem practical at first glance. It had only a cryptic description, but it was an SS-rank skill.


    [Who Will Cut the Moonlight] (SS-Rank): You may cut away the moonlight from an area, rendering it moonless.


    The skill immediately reminded her of [Wrathful Moon]''s third effect, which was similarly vague yet matched this skill perfectly: one pacified the moon, while the other cut its light.


    Moreover, [Who Will Cut the Moonlight] was one of the most expensive skills she''d ever seen in an auction house¡ªthough she hadn''t visited the high-end auction venues yet. Its starting bid was 10,000 gold, and its buyout price was a staggering 60,000 gold!


    This pricing likely meant the seller wasn''t sure of its value but was unwilling to let it go cheaply. By setting a high buyout price and a lower starting bid, they left room for competition.


    Nivalis: "Huh?"


    Case closed. Nivalis is definitely getting revenge.


    After a few steps, Rita suddenly froze. Wait a minute, I didn''t commit any crimes! All I did was buy something legally!


    Nivalis seemed to realize this at the same moment. The pair exchanged a sheepish glance before silently pretending nothing had happened.


    They strolled through a toy store, then stopped by a herb shop to buy ingredients and potion bottles Rita needed. Lastly, they visited the most luxurious restaurant in Ton Ton Mountain, booking a private room for a lavish meal.


    By the time they left three hours later, Rita had dropped from first place on the Wealth Leaderboard to 69th, with only 2,937 gold and 19 silver left. As long as she avoided buying top-tier skills, her funds were surprisingly durable.


    On the game forums:


    36 hours ago: People said Rita and Nivalis were a "tycoon and her dragon CEO."


    36 hours later: People suspected she was laundering money.


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    Rita concluded that saving money required momentum. Once you spent it all at once, the motivation to save again disappeared.


    By the time they returned to Blue Star, it was already the early hours of the 20th. Rita fed the cats in her backyard but refrained from checking the cat bed. She felt that the longer the interval, the better the items she retrieved¡ªthough it wasn''t like the cats would swap out her prizes mid-delivery.


    She had asked them before if there was any pattern to what they brought back, but they always feigned ignorance. After enough attempts, Rita had given up.


    Nivalis, however, was more persistent. She''d tried tracking the cats several times to find their "supply chain," only to be discovered and thwarted each time.


    After entrusting the cats to Nivalis, Rita resumed her training.


    [Fox Shadow] needed to be mastered¡ªit would be invaluable if the tower turned out to be a battlefield.


    [Who Will Cut the Moonlight] had to be tested in a secluded area.


    She also needed to memorize the 300+ processes of [Gold-Class Assassin], as well as the notes Hecipah had given her, the recipe for [Spring Not Late], and the martial arts manuals she''d stolen from Moonfox City''s library long ago.


    To an outsider, it might seem like she was preparing for an advanced exam in the tower.

 Chapter 304 [Essence]: 7

    On September 20th, Rita met Mistblade and obtained the [Spring Not Late] potion from her. After consuming it for the first time, Rita learned that it would protect her for 100 days. Considering that her bloodline curse had previously been triggered, she decided that it would be best for her to learn how to make a new [Spring Not Late] before the end of December.


    At first, she thought this plan was hopeless. But if she had to stay in the tower for 300 years, surely she could figure it out in that time, right? If she made it out of the tower after all that time, she would be able to make a new one in time.


    Rita had been keeping herself busy. Every day, she gave Nivalis some practice materials to take up to the rooftop to sell, while she focused on her experiments. During this time, Blue Star had become increasingly chaotic. While the land-based dungeons were still under control, the seas were becoming eerily quiet. Not only had sea creatures been decreasing, but fishermen who had gone out to sea had also disappeared without a trace. The government had already banned all players from venturing out into the oceans.


    The atmosphere in the forums had also grown more tense. However, with the growing levels of the Eclipse Vanguard players, most low-level dungeons had been opened to the general public, and they had divided the dungeons and trading zones by level. With more order, the ordinary citizens'' anxiety had eased significantly.


    On the night of November 30th, when Eclipse Vanguard sent out their share of [Time Is Always Squeezable], Rita was on the mountaintop near Ironforge. She didn''t know what effect cutting the moonlight would have yet, so she figured it was better to test it on someone else''s land first.


    Following the instructions of the [Who Will Cut the Moonlight] skill in her mind, Rita made a strange yet beautiful gesture. In an instant, as if the moon were being eaten by a celestial dog, the silver moon above her was sliced several times by some mysterious force. It was like dough being cut with a sharp knife¡ªeach slice soft yet sharp, and with every cut, a part of the moon appeared darkened, as if missing.


    At the same time, Rita felt a chill in her right eye. She didn''t move, waiting until the last bit of the moonlight was completely "cut off." Once the area around her was engulfed in total darkness, she estimated the range of the moonlight''s disappearance by calculating the distance using her shadow leap ability.


    Looking back, the 100-kilometer radius centered on her position was completely engulfed in darkness. But once she stepped out of that zone, the moon was visible again. It was as if the moon had abandoned that land entirely. Was this what they meant by a "moonless place"?


    Rita quickly fled the scene. She wasn''t planning to stay to see if the moon would return on its own. If she got caught by another race in the act, that would be troublesome. She decided to buy information from elsewhere if she needed it. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    As she traveled, she received her November share of [Time Is Always Squeezable] from Shadow.Q. This time, it was over 2,000 gold¡ªmore than double what she had received in October. It seemed like the alchemists had become more skilled, and their output had increased.


    Looking at the 5,032 gold in her pouch, Rita told Nivalis she''d pay her back later, and drank a [Melting Time] potion to change her appearance, especially her right eye. She then headed to Dark City, spending almost all of her gold to buy an escape gem from Hecipah.


    Back at Blue Star, she crawled out from under her bed, removed her disguise, and immediately went to a makeup mirror to check her right eye. There, she saw a faint crescent moon, nearly a full moon, just like the moon phase of Lania Kaia tonight.


    Rita cut her off, "Nivalis."


    Nivalis then said, "But! Essence is incredibly rare, extremely rare. Both Wind Shear and Emperor Umbrella have Essence, but even after all their battles, many times it was just one move away from deciding the outcome, and they''re reluctant to use it. I even asked Emperor Umbrella once if she was reluctant to kill Wind Shear. She said no, it''s because she doesn''t want to use her Essence."


    Nivalis continued, "1 point of Essence is like an enhanced skill¡ªused at the right time, it can turn the tide and even save your life. Wind Shear isn''t worth it though."


    Rita asked, "How much Essence is considered a lot?"


    Nivalis replied, "Emperor Umbrella on Dragon Island has the most Essence¡ª679 points. Every time I say she has enough to beat Wind Shear, she says I don''t understand how rare Essence is. I said she''s stingy, and she hit me!"


    Nivalis pouted and added, "I''m not the cute little mascot, I''m the main character of a dark story!"


    Rita just sighed.


    Looking at her newly added 7 points of Essence, Rita fell into deep thought. Was this a one-time occurrence, or would she get more each time? If she got more every time...


    She wasn''t sure if Lania Kaia would lose the sun, but she was sure of one thing: from now on, if Lania Kaia had her, the moon would be gone.


    Unfortunately, [Who Will Cut the Moonlight] was still on cooldown, with 30 more natural days to go. That meant she could only use it once a month, which wasn''t mentioned in the skill''s description.


    And Rita was certain that this skill had more uses than just with [Wrathful Moon]. It couldn''t be that the skill only worked in combination with that. It must have other purposes.


    She realized that skills with short, cryptic descriptions¡ªlike this one¡ªoften hid great surprises. Unlike some teleportation skills that were straightforward and easily countered, these kinds of skills were much more powerful.

 Chapter 305 "I Cant Die Here"

    The Essence stat didn''t increase any further after several minutes, but the Wrathful Moon in the lantern was still glowing brightly, as if it were in a good mood. Rita reduced the size of the lantern and carefully placed it back into her pocket watch.


    She thought about her Thief God skill. If she had used the Essence Version of The Thief God''s Theft, Which Can Also Be Robbery to steal Rick''s Food God skill back then, would she have been able to steal all five of his skills in one go?


    Nivalis: "Did you get Essence?!"


    Rita: "Yep, I can score big with it. Some people can''t hit the jackpot, but they''ve got Essence. Seven points, to be exact."


    Nivalis: "You... you..."


    Rita: "Sorry, I''m not great with words. I didn''t mean to offend you."


    Nivalis went silent on the other side.


    Rita: "Ah, cold treatment."


    The next day, Rita, carrying a still-sleeping Nivalis¡ªwho had been up all night playing Mahjong¡ªon her shoulder, arrived at the Special Affairs Bureau. Thankfully, Nivalis had turned small before going to sleep; otherwise, Rita wouldn''t have wanted to carry her.


    Yesterday, Shadow.Q had notified her via email to come and collect her equipment and skill crystals from the Special Affairs Bureau.


    When Rita arrived, a full table of equipment had been set out, all purple-tier. They could pick freely, with each item labeled to show 1-3 units in stock. In case several people wanted the same item, there were dice next to them for everyone to roll.


    The equipment wasn''t divided by gender, and the items for Lania Kaia had been enhanced with a unique and inexpensive material. This material added 50% stretchability (either plus or minus) to the gear, allowing it to automatically fit the body. Even if it was gear made for Blue Star''s slim players, it could fit them, though it might be a bit tight.


    Most of the skill crystals were A-level or higher, and there were even nine S-level ones. Only four B-level crystals were included, two of which were Young Rogue and Old Rogue from the Gun King, and two Feeling Blessed crystals, which could alter luck.


    The rest of the skill crystals were prepared for use before or after entering the Tower. Before entering, they included ones for city disguise and willpower boosts; after exiting, they included escape and survival skills¡ªsuch as ones that could forcefully break bindings, lock health bars, instantly return to Blue Star, ignore mental attacks and magic arrays for a short time, and even one that could stop time.


    Eclipse Vanguard''s plan was to use time-stop skills in turns, and then use the S-level needles to puncture the three pointers to collect and clear the Moon Sand, with a dedicated team to repair it afterward.


    However, Rita was not part of this plan. She had made it clear that she didn''t need to cooperate with anyone, so Eclipse Vanguard hadn''t assigned her any tasks. She could act according to the situation and make her own decisions.


    Rita always felt like Eclipse Vanguard was treating her like the main character of a novel, trusting her so much... she couldn''t help but wonder if they had some method to predict her actions. Jameson could discern her star fire, but what about Eclipse Vanguard?


    Even though she had known about these plans for a long time, actually receiving the skill crystals still surprised her. With these crystals, equipped with her current strength and vision, if she stood on the opposing side, she couldn''t think of any way to block them. Lightning cages and common sleep gas cans wouldn''t work.


    Just then, Shadow.Q walked over, holding her box of skill crystals.


    "You can exchange the two Feeling Blessed crystals for any S-level or below skill crystal, or trade them for one S-level skill crystal. Let me know once you decide, and I''ll arrange it."


    Rita immediately took out the two crystals and handed them to Shadow.Q: "Exchange for one I Can''t Die Here."


    I Can''t Die Here (S-level): For five minutes, all binding skills will have no effect on you. If your HP falls below 5%, you will immediately gain a shield, the total damage the shield can absorb is equivalent to 500% of your HP. If the second effect is triggered, every minute after ten minutes, 88% of your HP will be forcibly drained for five minutes. Casting time: 1 second. 500 MP cost. Cooldown: 3 hours.


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    It was an incredibly powerful skill, and she was also quite interested in another skill from the same source.

 Chapter 306 "Then Where Do You Want to Die?" & "I Dont Want to Die at All"

    "Then Where Do You Want to Die?" (S-level): You can fly at high speed for five minutes. Your flight speed is calculated as (the percentage of lost health x agility x level) km/s. During this skill''s duration, your dodge rate is increased by 50%, and your battle prediction by 250. Any skill hitting you cannot trigger a critical hit. Casting time is 0.5 seconds. While flying, you consume 2% mana per minute, with a cooldown of 3 hours.


    This skill is more effective the lower your health is¡ªmeaning the lower your HP, the faster you fly. Not bad.


    And there''s another skill from the same person in these skill stones.


    "I Don''t Want to Die" (S-level): Doubles your constitution, and then the resulting health (both value and percentage) is multiplied by five again. Who do you think can kill me now? Instant-cast, no consumption, cooldown time 48 hours.


    This person''s Divine Gift skill has truly supported half of the Tower Ascension Squad''s efforts...


    She asked Shadow.Q, "What''s this person''s Divine Gift called? I''m just curious, it''s fine if it''s inconvenient to say."


    Shadow.Q glanced at the skill stones Rita was fiddling with, each with the image of a running figure in the center. She instantly recognized the skill and smiled. Since this Divine Gift was well-known in Eclipse Vanguard, she said, "It''s called Longevity Like the South Mountain."


    Rita gave a thumbs up. "Appropriate."


    Shadow.Q returned the gesture. "I can tell¡ªyou''re jealous."


    A small dragon claw also appeared, nudging the two thumbs. "She wants everything. Also, Shadow.Q, can I trade these two B-level trash stones for I Can''t Die Here?"


    Rita closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Through gritted teeth, she muttered, "Try making fun of me one more time!"


    Nivalis, who had just picked out a white cloak, now wore it and, with her little dragon pinky raised, adjusted the knot in front of her neck. She smiled at Rita. "Sorry, my dragon doesn''t speak well. I didn''t mean to offend you."@@@@


    Rita: "..."


    Shadow.Q: "..." This dragon is getting worse, and every time, it gets more annoying.


    Lucia, noticing Rita''s change in learning style¡ªpreviously Rita would ask many follow-up questions, but now, she focused on memorizing¡ªbegan introducing her self-made potions and gems. These, she claimed, could be learned by high-level alchemists in no time, with a cost and sale price included.


    One day in class, Lucia enthusiastically introduced a potion.


    ¡ª"This Second-tier Fool is my signature work! It brings me at least 50,000 gold in income every year! And the cost is only 527 gold per bottle! Do you know what it does? You... can''t even imagine!"


    Rita: "..." You''re right, I can''t imagine! Come on, tell me already!


    Lucia, Lania Kaia''s top tutor, had completely transformed into Lania Kaia''s best salesperson.


    The Tower Ascension Squad members attended class on time, with Zoey occasionally skipping a few. Shadow.Q later mentioned to her that Zoey had been seeking trouble with Rick, seemingly worried that if she entered the Tower and came out, she might forget to teach Rick a lesson.


    Rita understood¡ªsometimes, we''re too generous, and it''s not always a good thing.


    ¡ª"At first, we wondered if Black Jade would protect your brother since he''s his pet. Zoey was testing it too, but later realized Black Jade doesn''t care about him. As long as he''s not disturbing him while bathing, Black Jade is fine."


    Shadow.Q''s tone was strange¡ªalmost purely a gossiping attitude, not hinting at any "you should help your family" sentiment.


    Rita silently sighed in her heart, realizing that Shadow.Q had probably figured out that her feelings for Rick weren''t as deep as they once appeared. Perhaps others had already noticed.


    Rita was always caught up in her own matters¡ªtime and money, both of which she hadn''t truly invested.


    Maybe even Rick himself had started doubting her feelings. But for him, she was his only hope. If anyone could restrain Black Jade and avenge him, it could only be Rita.


    At least, unlike Scarlett and Samuel, who were insincere in every word, Rita was truly the only one who might do something. She wasn''t like them, with their cruel mockery hidden behind every word.


    She was the rope hanging halfway down the well. Rick couldn''t reach it, but as long as it was there, it gave him endless hope. He couldn''t afford to stop believing.

 Chapter 307 High Tower · Entering the Tower

    But Rita no longer felt the need, nor the desire, to pretend.


    There was no longer any reason for her to keep forcing herself for Rick.


    She could barely remember why she even needed Rick''s trust in the first place.


    Oh, back then, she was too weak, worried about him turning things around again, worried that he might once again try to unite the Lopez Family, the White Family, and the Taylor Family. She had to keep an eye on him, trying to get involved in the contract beast events to ensure he would be contracted by Black Jade, using the Food God skill to transfer negative emotions from others onto herself...


    It was just like how, back then, when she got dozens of blue-grade equipment at once, she saw it as a small fortune. At that time, Rick, Zoey, and the others seemed like untouchable giants to her.


    But as she gained the [One-Person Party] skill, those concerns began to fade away.


    Now, every day on her way to and from school in Lania Kaia, Rita used [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] on every alien she passed by. Most of the time, she got equipment from it, but her average stats were already above 115.


    Rita Level 15


    Health: 6500/6500 Mana: 7725/7725 Strength: 116 Constitution: 110 Intelligence: 113 Agility: 123 Assignable Points: 32


    Rita allocated the 2 points she got from listening to the Holy Hymn on November 3rd and December 4th, and the 30 points from killing Miyaas and leveling up, all into Agility, pushing it to 155.


    And these stats were without any equipment. With her gear, she could easily defeat Nivalis within five minutes, no need for any combat tricks¡ªjust pure overwhelming power.


    The skill crystals she got today made her no longer underestimate Eclipse Vanguard¡ªthough she had never really done so¡ªbut she thought, even if the whole world knew she didn''t care about Rick''s fate, so what?


    Would people still blame her for not taking care of her brother for Rick''s sake?


    Eclipse Vanguard wasn''t that enthusiastic, and neither was the world.


    Didn''t anyone notice the discrepancies in her past life? But no one ever stepped forward to defend her. Rick never spoke for her, either.


    Rita chuckled and shrugged. "I can''t do much. Our parents are in B City and aren''t coming back. What else can I do?"


    Shadow.Q also smiled before casually changing the subject.


    Rita: Her fist has hardened... this little dragon is growing more mischievous!


    At exactly midnight on December 13th, the group used the skill crystals they had been given earlier. Experience more content on My Virtual Library Empire


    "I''m No Longer Human" (S Rank): Allows you to transform into an animal. Other beings cannot perceive your thoughts or soul. Requires a few strands of the animal''s fur to use. Duration: 7 natural days. No cooldown. You can still use equipment, items, and skills while transformed.


    "Fake ID" (A Rank): After using this skill, you can modify your character panel. For the next 7 natural days, no skill can detect your disguise. Once the effect ends, you will enter a "consequence" state, and for the next 30 days, your real information cannot be altered by any means.


    The best transformation target for "I''m No Longer Human" was naturally the Windscythe Tribe. With current player stats and body control, transforming into a meerkat wouldn''t affect combat.


    Everyone took a few strands of meerkat fur and a Windscythe scythe from Shadow.Q. One by one, they transformed into meerkats, their bodies tiny, around twenty centimeters tall¡ªsmall even for the Windscythe Tribe.


    Once everyone had transformed, Shadow.Q pulled out a kaleidoscope and took pictures of each of them. Depending on how long the kaleidoscope was aimed at each person, their sizes varied. Rita grew to about 70 cm before it stopped.


    After putting Nivalis back in the pet space, Rita took the kaleidoscope from Shadow.Q and aimed it at her as well.


    Everyone began adjusting their gear and modifying their race information. Rita didn''t need to use "Fake ID"¡ªit wasn''t necessary. After all, using it would be equivalent to a confession once the skill ended. She could just use her pocket watch for this.


    There were only two royal families in the Windscythe Tribe¡ªone named Li and the other Wa. As long as Rita avoided these surnames when changing her ID, everything would be fine. Thinking of Wolf Fortress, which had occupied her thoughts for days, Rita decided to name herself "Spicy Fortress".


    The teleportation portal had been set up near the Eternal Night Fortress''s tower, inside a wooden hut. As they passed through, it was already crowded with the Windscythe Tribe.


    The 51 Windscythe Tribe members didn''t exchange any words but looked at each other briefly before heading out in groups, carrying their scythes and following their teams toward the distant tower.


    Rita followed the S team, planning to enter the tower at the same time. She would join the battle as soon as she was inside. Each team had a mission plan, and on the 15th, they would launch six assaults.


    As Eclipse Vanguard''s investigations deepened and their information grew more comprehensive, everyone realized that the various alien tribes had a nuanced attitude toward the tower. They weren''t entirely opposed to it. While the high-ups had explicitly prohibited entering the tower, they didn''t seem intent on actively hunting down anyone who did.


    The guards at the tower only did a symbolic check before letting everyone through. The tower had always been more lenient about entry, and even for those disguised, it wasn''t a significant loss for the Oak Owl.


    The oak doors of the tower were open. Despite the moonlight and street lamps illuminating the city outside, the interior of the tower was pitch dark. On the ground, there was a threshold made of light particles. The guards said that crossing this threshold would mean entering the tower.


    Without hesitation, Rita stepped forward, entering the tower with the S team.


    The moment her second foot crossed the threshold, the darkness instantly vanished.

 Chapter 308 High Tower · Peach Jar · A Heavenly Start

    The moment her second leg crossed the threshold, the darkness instantly vanished.


    It was as if the world had flipped with the blink of an eye. Her ears were filled with the sounds of battle cries and the explosions of skills, as if someone had suddenly unmuted the game and turned the volume all the way up.


    As the world around her snapped to life, a battle axe was coming down on her head. Rita''s combat instincts kicked in immediately. Although her body was still catching up, she instinctively tilted her head, ducked, and sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the blow.@@@@


    In front of her stood a young minotaur, full of killing intent. He was only level 5, but Rita could tell he had seen blood. The intensity in his eyes was different from that of an average player. She rushed in, using a precise technique to lock his arm, grasping his wrist. Using his own momentum, she swiftly slashed his neck with her knife.


    Behind her, wings sprouted from her back, her skin tone, height, and appearance changed. She was now an Oak Owl.


    Around her, all the Oak Owls were fighting on the ground, while the high-level Oak Owls and other alien races fought in the skies¡ªplaces not meant for low-level players like herself. Rita began swinging her knife haphazardly, running around the battlefield, all while checking her own status.


    Her first action was to check her personal stats and make sure her Divine Gift information wouldn''t be exposed.


    Peach Jar - Level 11


    Faction: <Crown> Discover more content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Divine Gift: Blazing Fire (D-rank)


    Skill 1: Fire Control: You can manipulate a cluster of flames.


    Skill 2: Seriously Annoying (Passive): Increases fire-based skill damage by 10%.


    Skill 3: Fire Vortex: Creates a fire vortex centered on you, drawing in enemies to the fiery storm.


    Attributes:


    The battle dragged on for several hours, and during that time, her HP dropped below 20% several times, often due to unlucky reasons¡ªlike skill shockwaves from aerial battles hitting her, or getting struck by fireballs, arrows, or even bullet casings. The most absurd moment was when an alien corpse almost hit her, but thanks to her Phantom Shift, she dodged just in time, narrowly escaping death.


    Every time she had to use a healing skill on herself, an Oak Owl would shout her name.


    ¡ª"Peach Jar! Here!"


    Then, they would throw her a fruit that, when eaten, restored health. These fruits were different from healing potions in that they didn''t have a cooldown, and as long as she needed them, she could eat them endlessly.


    Small Oak Owls, with their nimble movements, constantly darted around the battlefield. They reserved their healing skills for those in dire need and tossed fruit to those in less urgent situations. They all had special pouches filled with an endless supply of fruits.


    These small Oak Owls were not only agile, but also had buffing skills that could enhance their allies.


    Rita treated the situation like a combat training session. She started rolling, slashing, and using a bow, but at times, she would instinctively attack the Oak Owls. This made her slow down a bit to avoid hitting them.


    She threw away her damaged long sword and picked up whatever weapon she found on the ground. The enemies were weak, making it a perfect chance to hone her close combat skills.


    After a long day, Rita felt a great sense of accomplishment. She had killed hundreds of aliens, and maybe after some more time, she''d get promoted. After all, her last name was Peach! What kind of a start was this? A shiny golden one! Once she got promoted, she could embroider a little star on her uniform using Eclipse Vanguard''s code.


    Heh, maybe she''d even end up commanding Shadow.Q and the others.


    After the battle ended, she followed the other Oak Owls back to their treehouses, thinking she could finally have a hot meal. But just as she thought she could rest, a large Oak Owl called her outside and led her to a wooden house.


    "Peach Jar, starting tomorrow, you won''t need to go to the battlefield. You''ll stay at the cooking house and make food."


    Rita: ?


    What happened to her "heavenly start"? Now she was being sent to the kitchen?!

 Chapter 309 High Tower · Calm and Routine Days – Two Years for Rita

    Rita really wanted to say she had bled for the Oak Owls!


    But then she thought about it and realized it wasn''t really necessary to risk her life for them. She quickly dove into the kitchen, where she was tasked with starting the fire for the chefs. With her Divine Gift, which was particularly good at controlling flames, it was a skill perfectly suited for the kitchen¡ªno need to waste it on the battlefield...


    In just a few minutes, Rita figured it out. Perhaps it was because her last name was Peach that, despite having killed so many enemies, she was still sent to this place. This meant that the battle had likely already passed the halfway mark, and at least Peach Crown¡ªwho she still didn''t know exactly what relationship she had to him¡ªhad made quite a name for himself, so now all the Oak Owls were beginning to treat the Peach lineage with extra favor.


    Well, kitchen work was kitchen work. At least here, she could organize her thoughts about Spring Not Late and Gold-Class Assassin. Whether it was training her body or her mind, she had a lot to do. What she was most lacking was time.


    The wooden house where Rita worked had an enormous interior, housing at least a hundred chefs. There were hundreds of these cooking houses scattered throughout the camp, all responsible for feeding millions of soldiers.


    Rita had been stoking the fire for a whole month.


    She had initially held onto a glimmer of hope, thinking that maybe she would meet a culinary master hidden in the logistics team who would recognize her talent and teach her secret recipes, ultimately helping her reach the pinnacle of her life!


    But soon, she realized that although most of the chefs here were advanced in their culinary skills, they were only responsible for the soldiers'' meals. They focused on efficiency, not excellence. The goal was simply to prepare food as quickly as possible, with just enough effects to provide basic buffs.


    After watching for a while, Rita thought the meals here weren''t even as refined as the meat soup she made for the cat in her backyard. So, she simply focused on her own tasks.


    Before the small Oak Owl could respond, the chef in front of her, who was frying vegetables, laughed and said, "How could that be possible? Only D-rank and below Divine Gifts can advance. C-rank or higher are just enhanced versions of their abilities." His tone held a sense of regret.


    Rita glanced at the Oak Owl''s Divine Gift¡ªCooking Adventure, C-rank.


    Besides that, she also overheard some news: Pine Bloom had obtained a dragon called Lidian in the year 7200 of Ruin Cole.


    Wait, wasn''t that the former owner of Final Moment? And didn''t Emperor Umbrella say that Lidian wasn''t needed anymore? Had Pine Bloom fallen out with Li Zhou, or had Pine Bloom died?


    With all this on her mind, Rita settled comfortably into the kitchen. But to ensure she didn''t let her combat instincts rust, she would take a break every few days to visit the battlefield. Don''t ask why¡ªjust ask if she could afford to let Peach Crown down!


    This was obviously against the rules, but who could say anything to her when she was a Peach? Besides, no one could argue with her choice to voluntarily join the battlefield.


    She discovered that her wings might have some sort of power, but she couldn''t use them. It was like getting a locked phone¡ªshe knew it contained games and treasures, but she couldn''t unlock it.


    Since she was new to this place, she didn''t dare ask the other Oak Owls, because it seemed like they all knew how to use their wings'' abilities, and each of them had different powers. Though the Oak Owls didn''t have technology, they had fought against Lania Kaia''s forces to this day, relying on the powers of their wings and fruits.


    When not cooking, Rita would experiment with the Oak Owls'' magical fruits, testing ideas she had about Gold-Class Assassin in her mind. She would also use fruits with similar effects, properties, and textures to experiment with Spring Not Late''s herbology methods.


    This peaceful and routine life lasted for two full years for Rita.

 Chapter 310 High Tower· Peach Crisp, and "New Monthly Additions"

    Rita rarely had such an uninterrupted block of time to study magic potions. Nivalis, finding these quiet days boring, transformed into a small spider to accompany Rita for a few days before returning to her pet space to sleep and play games. They had tested it out¡ªtime in the pet space was the same as outside the tower. What felt like an extremely long period for Rita was just the time it took Nivalis to play a game.


    During this time, Rita had planned to run the Soul Catcher game once a month, but she discovered there was a limit: no more than three skills could exist at the same time. After unlocking Backlash from a previous run, she already had the skills A Lie and A Prank filled up, meaning she couldn''t add anything new.


    Fortunately, she could still use the Moon Cut ability.


    She wasn''t sure exactly where the moonlight she cut came from, but her initial attempt at creating a "moonless land" still hadn''t healed after two years. However, she wasn''t overly burdened by these thoughts. Every time she gathered moonlight, she would give it to Wrathful Moon , who would randomly return 1¨C3 points of profound power. She wasn''t sure whether Peach Jar''s low luck stat had anything to do with it, but her first return of 7 points seemed like an early bonus.


    She had now collected 55 points of profound power after two years of monthly moon cutting.


    But the atmosphere around the oak owls was increasingly gloomy. They murmured constantly about whether Forest Sea was going to collapse.


    In the meantime, Rita met Peach Crown during the Hazel Nut Festival in the year 7210. It was then she learned that Peach Crown was actually Peach Jar''s great-granduncle. The younger Peach Crown was already full of the charisma and leadership qualities of a true leader. Just sitting there, his black wings spread, he exuded an intense sense of authority that calmed everyone around him.


    However, she didn''t meet Pine Bloom or Maple Syrup . The three legendary leaders each ruled over different regions in Forest Sea , safeguarding the land. After Lania Kaia ''s invasion, the three of them rose to prominence, and in just five years, they had made a name for themselves. However, all the spotlight seemed to focus on these three, and no other oak owls could match their strength.


    Those who didn''t have the strength to back up their ambitions quickly perished in the political games, while others, lacking the monumental actions of the three legends, faded into obscurity as their followers dwindled.


    Meanwhile, inside the tower, Rita had no qualms about exploring Peach Crown ''s divine gift, along with the powers of other famed oak owls. She recorded everything¡ªvaluable intelligence for later use.


    Aside from Peach Crown , Rita also met Peach Crisp , who, according to Lucia , was Peach Jar''s cousin. Though still small and unable to walk, Peach Crisp was remarkably talented, possessing an S-rank Apothecary divine gift. Every day, three senior oak owls would take turns training him, allowing him to level up without even needing to walk.@@@@


    Rita also had her own set of utensils¡ªan egg-shaped bowl, a leaf-shaped spoon, and two pine needle-like chopsticks. It was a small perk of the kitchen; they didn''t have to share with the soldiers.


    As more and more oak owls left, Rita found herself collecting their utensils. Over time, the pile grew higher, gathering dust that she would wash away only for it to return. Eventually, she simply pretended not to see it. Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    ¡ª¡ª"Peach Jar! Look, is this the fruit you''ve been looking for? I''m giving it to you. I''m going to the battlefield tomorrow. This is a gift for you."


    ¡ª¡ª"Peach Jar, if you were as generous as the oil you put in your dishes, you would have many more friends. For some reason, everyone really likes you."


    ¡ª¡ª"Peach Jar, why don''t you talk to us? Peach Chuan doesn''t talk either, but Luo Ye says that according to her divine gift, Peach Chuan doesn''t talk because she looks down on us. You''re different. You''re indifferent yet deeply caring, which is a strange way of thinking... She says you don''t talk to us because you''re afraid of forming emotional bonds with us. Why would you be afraid of that?"


    ¡ª¡ª"Peach Jar, do you know? You encouraged me. You could stay here in safety until everything ends, but you go to the battlefield to fight enemies whenever you have the time... If I could come back, would you be my friend?"


    ¡ª¡ª"Peach Jar, they say you''re the most diligent and opportunistic, making the most unappetizing meals just to get sent to the battlefield."


    These were ordinary conversations. Rita wasn''t emotionally moved by such daily exchanges, and she didn''t develop any sympathy for the aliens. To be honest, she didn''t even have that kind of compassion for Blue Star people, let alone these foreign beings.


    In her mind, these oak owls were worth less than Kayden .


    She didn''t feel touched at all; in fact, she even suspected that these spirits had already realized she was an outsider. Otherwise, why would they all try to interact with her? Were they trying to harm her?


    It wasn''t until later that she realized these spirits behaved the same way with everyone. The oak owl race was naturally cheerful, and most of them were pretty gullible. Ordinary humans in this place could easily become their playthings. She felt slightly more at ease.

 Chapter 311 High Tower · Hot Violence or Cold Violence

    However, these oak owls were too much like the Blue Star people, and Rita couldn''t help but subconsciously think of the future of Blue Star whenever she saw them.


    She recalled the melody she heard when the blood elves ascended the tower, and it turned out it really was a battle hymn. After each war ended, the oak owls would gather the bodies of their fallen comrades, set them on fire, and then everyone would rise into the air to sing for them.


    The war ended abruptly.


    That day, Rita was cooking when a blood-soaked oak owl suddenly burst into the kitchen, laughing wildly. With tears streaming down his face, he loudly proclaimed, "It''s over! It''s over!!"


    The next second, Rita''s vision darkened. The cheers, cries, and disbelieving questions all vanished, and after her senses were briefly sealed for a few seconds, they were restored. She found herself sitting on a tree trunk, feeling the breeze.


    The scene shifted so suddenly that Rita was momentarily dazed.


    85% of the forest region in Forest Sea was made up of trees and plants of all colors. As she gazed around, she saw nothing but forest, with at least a third of the trees being various kinds of oak trees. The rest were fruit trees or other types of plants.


    But the most striking and towering trees were a rare species called mu, known as the tallest trees in Forest Sea. They made up only 0.01% of the forest.


    Rita was sitting atop a century-old mu tree, casually tearing off a soft, cloud-like leaf and covering herself with it.


    There were thousands of plants and fruits here, each with various uses. The oak owls had managed to survive this long by relying on these magical fruits and the innate powers of their wings.


    She was currently in the form of Savorleaf, a level 27 oak owl, with a B-grade Divine Gift.


    At this point in time, it was 7206 in the Ruincor calendar, twelve years before the war would end in 7218.@@@@


    Rita hesitated for a moment but then flew into the forest to find fruits that could be used to make paint, using them to draw three wavy lines on her forehead.


    This was the sign of the Eclipse Vanguard. In addition, the Eclipse Vanguard had designed various other signals¡ªsome obvious, others subtle¡ªsuch as patterns, conversations, sounds, and more. There were dozens of ways to communicate within their ranks. She wanted to make contact with someone from Eclipse Vanguard to exchange information.


    Surrounded by alien races, she couldn''t help but feel a bit lonely. She could only call Nivalis out during the quiet of the night to talk.


    Every time Nivalis came out, she had an expression of utter exasperation.


    She was just a formidable 51-level oak owl warrior, but the ones coming to kill her were a team of ten 60-level aliens, one of whom even possessed a time-stop ability.


    They were a decapitation squad, and their targets were not only Rita but also some rising stars on the battlefield.


    Rita was killed.


    When she opened her eyes again, she had become an oak owl named Rivergrain.


    This time, she was acutely aware of how much her death in the tower affected her.


    From Peach Jar to Savorleaf, she simply closed her eyes and opened them again to switch lives, smooth as if she''d just woken up from a nap. But from Savorleaf to Rivergrain, she had almost been dazed for three days before she "woke up," slowly regaining her ability to think.


    Moreover, she had lost a skill¡ªher B-grade Explosive Arrow.


    It quickly dawned on her that the source of those skill books in the tower likely wasn''t just the memories and experiences stripped from the heroic spirits but also part of the skills and experience lost by the alien races who died in the tower.


    Rivergrain''s Divine Gift was C-grade. She didn''t bear the name Peach, Pine, or Maple, so she was probably headed to the battlefield soon.


    But the good news was that it was now 7214, just four years before the war ended in 7218. This time, Rita had learned her lesson. On the battlefield, she decided to "fish" more than fight.


    Privately, she swapped the equipment and items she stole from the battlefield with other oak owls for skill books. She took everything, no matter how low-grade, as long as it was special. She didn''t care if it was a D-grade skill; if it was unique, she''d pay a high price for it, such as skills like Lockpicking, Hunting Mastery, Forest Tracking, Air Bullets, etc.


    With this "fishing" method, she was able to stay ahead and make it to the year 7218.


    She smoothly entered the fourth cycle.


    This time, she was fortunate. Her name was Pinebloom, and her legion had changed from the Crown to the Rosewood created by Pine Bloom. She was immediately assigned to logistics, managing equipment.


    But unfortunately, it was now 7199, and the war had just entered its most heated phase. The eleven alien races had already occupied a small portion of the dungeon''s light screen, and every week, large numbers of alien soldiers would pass through the dungeon to enter Forest Sea.


    The war wouldn''t end until 7218, leaving her with 19 years to face.

 Chapter 312 High Tower · Sisters · Goodee White

    Rita had thought that "Lucky 10" would be a little different, but she never expected that the random nature of the timeline would really be this random.


    She had completely given up on the idea of using a hundred cycles to reach the tower. Now, she just hoped she could survive another 300 years before being released from this place.


    Eleven years as Peach Jar, five years as Savorleaf, and four years as Rivergrain had already passed¡ª20 years in total. How long does it take for a person to change? If one''s worldview hasn''t yet been formed, maybe three or five years could suffice. But for someone whose values are already set, someone with a strong will, it might take longer¡ª20 or even 30 years might not be enough. What about 200 or 300 years?


    It seemed that the members of this tower team, including herself, had been extensively psychologically profiled and observed to ensure they were sufficiently resolute.


    The several cycles she had undergone had subtly influenced her, both positively and negatively. For example, she had gradually become able to converse with the other oak owls without the need for a translator. Thanks to the help of the [New Monthly Additions], she had learned many obscure combinations that even the oak owls didn''t know¡ªsuch as which fruits could detoxify, which would explode when mixed, and which could petrify a person when they came into contact with water.


    Additionally, the five years of battlefield experience as Savorleaf had shaped her into a cold, efficient war machine. Every time she saw enemies rushing toward her, she automatically began to analyze their weaknesses and flaws. As time passed, under the guidance of [Moment of Reversal], her analyses overlapped with the skills of a sharpshooter¡ªidentifying where to strike for the quickest kill, where to disable an opponent with minimal energy, or where to make the opponent''s death the most gruesome, rallying allies with their blood.


    What worried her the most was that with each war, her subconscious had started to view the oak owls as her own faction. Her blade, her arrows, and her skills would instinctively avoid them. It was muscle memory as well as a mental reflex. She began to fear that after 300 years, when she left the tower, could she still raise her weapon against the oak owls with wings on their backs?


    No wonder the oak owls welcomed all races into the tower...


    Once she had acquired her new identity, her first task was still to gather information and confirm the relationships and status of "Pinebloom." After spending a few days collecting intelligence, Rita used red dye to paint three red waves on the corners of her eyes and attached two bells to the tips of her wings.


    She had made up her mind: if she couldn''t find anyone from her own faction to exchange information with within a month, she would defect from the oak owls and leave this place.


    She also brought Nivalis out of her space and forced her to transform into a little sparrow to sit on her shoulder, accompanying her to work and chat until she could meet someone from Eclipse Vanguard.


    Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    Nivalis, off to the side, was also puzzled, whispering: "What the holy cup... Sister, what about you? Talk! She asked you a question! Hahaha!"


    Rita forced a smile that could have made it into an Oscar-winning film, "I''m Rita."


    Sanchez immediately hugged Rita and gave her a hearty pat on the back. "So it''s you! Thank you for saving my great-grandfather and great-grandmother! He told us before I came here that you saved him. Thank you on behalf of my whole family! My mom says you can come to us if you ever need anything. We''ll always help you."


    "Except my uncle doesn''t like him. He thinks he ruined my family and is out there trying to get him that broken statue. My uncle plans to trick him with a fake one. My mom says I might lose my uncle soon. Haha, I used to want to mess with you and make you my aunt. Sorry, sorry. Turns out we''re family. But if we ever have the chance, let''s spar! I''ll let you hit me a few times to vent! Stay away from my uncle, though. His skills are quite deadly!"


    "His skill has a requirement. It needs the target''s satisfaction level to reach a certain amount. Otherwise, it doesn''t work. Recently, people coming to him have been acting weird. Some not only refuse to pay, but even give him money. He''s thinking of changing his name to Goodee White. My mom says it sounds nice."


    "By the way, my mom says I''m no good, but don''t worry, sister. My great-grandfather said we should treat you like family. The White family doesn''t betray its own... Ah, my dad doesn''t count. That''s a long story. Do you want to hear it? No? Oh, but your dragon nodded, so I guess it wants to hear it."


    Rita and Nivalis were both left speechless. Sanchez didn''t stop talking. She went on for half an hour, recounting how she killed an oak owl squad leader in the last cycle and was locked up for five years, then killed a teammate in the previous one and was locked up for three years. She also started talking about which region in Maple, Peach, and Pine was the best for prison food.


    Rita and Nivalis were stunned, dragged along by Sanchez''s endless chatter, during which Sanchez even had a one-on-one conversation with Nivalis for a few minutes and concluded that Nivalis was a Sagittarius.


    Nivalis, excited by this, exclaimed: "Really?! Is it that impressive?"


    Sanchez nodded vigorously. "Very cool. I''m a Sagittarius. My mom is, too."


    Rita: "..."

 Chapter 313 High Tower · So What?

    Before they parted ways, Sanchez added her as a friend.


    Sanchez took a few steps, then turned to wave at her, still visible from a distance, showing her bright white teeth as she smiled. "Go on back, Pinebloom, no need to see me off!"


    Rita''s heart tightened. I just... wanted to be left alone here, not to send you off!


    Nivalis fluttered her wings above Rita''s head, looking as if her tiny brain was about to explode. She almost thought she had become a part of some uncomfortable massage chair.


    Once Sanchez disappeared from their sight, Nivalis pecked at Rita''s head, squawking, "Go on back, Pinebloom, no need to see me off."


    Rita sighed in exasperation. "You can go back to your pet space now."


    Nivalis grumbled, "Actually, now I don''t want to. I''m afraid if I go in and play a game, when I come out, you''ll be having dinner with her. I won''t be able to keep track of who''s who and what''s going on."


    Rita''s eye twitched. "...If you keep saying such things, you''ll regret it!"


    Nivalis: ¡¤?¡¤


    But as for Sanchez, well, after Rita calmed down and thought it over, meeting Sanchez was actually one of the best outcomes for her right now.


    Because her emotions toward Sanchez were the most complicated.


    She had a grudge against Sanchez, and she had already taken half of her revenge, but the other half of the grudge had been wiped out by Jameson. It was just like in the past life when Sanchez had relentlessly sent people to kill her, but she ended up dying at the hands of The Lopez Family instead¡ªit was a strange kind of stalemate.


    The emotional complexity she felt for Sanchez was something Zoey could never understand. Hatred, regret, inner conflict, and bittersweet feelings¡ªthese emotions quickly brought her back to reality.


    Still, it was a bit overwhelming.


    She couldn''t help but wonder what had happened to Sanchez during her time in prison, to make her so excited and happy when she saw Rita...


    Or perhaps, this was the real Sanchez.


    The one Rita had never seen before.


    Rita: "The skills you used?"


    Sanchez: "I used my Divine Gift and skills. I forgot to mention it, but I''m a Water God, S-rank. Do you understand the significance of that?"


    Rita understood, but she was more concerned with whether Sanchez would leave traces of her skills or the method of death that could be divined. To be honest, Rita didn''t trust Sanchez''s ability to clean up after herself. The main reason was that she wasn''t sure whether Sanchez had skills to block divination.


    What was worse, backstabbing was even more dangerous. Owl wings were the source of their power, not just for flight. She had seen all kinds of bizarre wing-based skills. Just a feather brushing something could leave a trace.


    And if the owls ever found "Sinsoo," they could track her recent interactions with "Pinebloom."


    Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Sanchez laughed at Rita''s cautiousness, but Rita couldn''t help but laugh at Sanchez''s overconfidence. The difference between them was stark. If they both had to burn a house down, Rita would first scout the location, create an alibi, ensure the ignition tools were untraceable, investigate the power behind the target to see if she could handle it... and then, when everything was in place, she''d set the fire one quiet night and never speak of it again.


    Sanchez, on the other hand, would say, "Hey, let me finish this cappuccino, put on my mask and sunglasses, and drive over. I''ll toss a torch in and leave, blowing on the wind as I go, and later post about how cool I am on social media."


    Sanchez: "By the way, Pinebloom, you''re so experienced at this!"


    Rita: "..." No more conversation.


    She gave up. Whatever, she had been planning to defect anyway; it was just a matter of doing it sooner.


    After parting ways with Sanchez, she immediately used her current status to get some fruit with various uses. She also crafted several mid-level healing potions and mana potions with her available tools. Fortunately, she had a decent position now and had a 12-slot backpack, which was just enough to carry everything.


    In addition, she had exploited her authority to seize some good equipment and several B-level skill books: Wind, Fire, Ice, Water, and Thunder. These were all guided attack skills that could be cast while moving.


    The skills weren''t as powerful as A-level ones, but they made her combat abilities more diverse.


    Skills and attribute points were different. Skills followed the soul, meaning she could use them even after leaving the tower, which was a valuable resource within the tower! Once she got them, she immediately learned them.


    Unfortunately, she was just an edge member of the Pine family. Her Divine Gift was weak, and she had only just arrived, with no time to climb the ranks. Right now, she was managing only a Level 4 treasure vault, which had little of value.


    On the fifth day, the arrest order from the Owls arrived.

 Chapter 314 High Tower · Traitorous Owl · Pinebloom · Sinsoo · Spicy Onion

    That day, when Rita got up to gather breakfast, she immediately sensed something was off. Someone was watching her, and the food had the distinct smell of sleep-inducing fruit. Even as she picked up her breakfast, a few of the Oaks who had been watching her from the line started moving closer.


    Without hesitation, Rita stuffed Nivalis into her pet space and used Phantom Shift to teleport to the equipment storage outside the logistics department. Using her current identity, she accessed the magic array and took the only A-level skill book there.


    Blood Debt Blood Repayment - A-level (Passive): Each time you kill a target, recover 0.01% of your health.


    This was the skill book used to maintain order in the fourth-level treasure vault she managed, and it was extremely useful in battle!


    Leaving the camp, Rita realized Sanchez had sent her a message.


    Sinsoo: "I''m wanted."


    Sinsoo: "So exciting!"


    Sinsoo: "Haha, you''re wanted too? I heard they''re calling you a traitorous owl!"


    Rita: "..."


    They were clearly not meant to get along!!


    Rita learned the Blood Debt Blood Repayment skill, then evaded her pursuers by taking a detour. After preparing some food in the wild, she returned to the battlefield that evening, intending to assassinate a group of low-level Oaks.


    She was really worried that if she left and didn''t kill Oaks now, she might never be able to again. It wasn''t the same as when dealing with the Blue Star people¡ªthis wasn''t about distinguishing between good and evil, but more like a reflex of the mind.


    In battle, she had to constantly process large amounts of combat information. Every time she reminded herself that she was currently an Oaks, she had to avoid killing them. It was all mental conditioning.


    It was like playing a game where the world was divided into red and blue teams. After years of experience, she instinctively thought "kill" when seeing blue and "ally" or "companion" when seeing red. Right now, she needed to kill some Oaks to balance out this psychological conditioning.


    Besides, she needed to steal some attribute points for a boost. She was only level 27, and her stats were way too low outside the camp.


    Nivalis had returned to her head, and the two made their way to the outermost perimeter of the camp. Before using Phantom Shift, Rita habitually activated her Hunting Eye and noticed a target ten meters away. She immediately pulled out her dagger and moved stealthily, but the other person was also slowly approaching her.


    Under the moonlight, two Blue Star people with daggers crouched on the ground, facing each other.


    Sanchez''s killing intent was replaced by surprise, and there was even a hint of sentiment. She said, "You... you came back to find me? Didn''t I tell you I''ve already escaped?"


    Rita: ...


    Nivalis: "Ah, so this is why you had to come back?"


    The Oaks called Spicy Onion replied, "S Squad."


    Damn it, this couldn''t be Zoey, could it?


    Rita asked again, "What''s your surname?"


    Spicy Onion: "Quinn."


    Rita let out a sigh of relief: "...Which one? The calm one or the one who got trapped in a sack?"


    There were two Quins in S Squad.


    The irritating description, that unexpectedly punchable tone...


    "This mesmerizing skill!" Spicy Onion exclaimed, suddenly sitting up. She grabbed Rita''s hand, looking around at the dead Oaks in the tent, her expression indescribable as she continued, "This bewildering maneuver. You must be Rita!"


    Okay, now Rita knew exactly which Quinn this was.


    Rita: "I''m wanted. Do you want to come with me?"


    Shadow.Q immediately got up, "Let''s go, let''s go. I''m in some trouble too. My current identity has some decent talents, I''m an auxiliary type. If you team up with me, I''ll buff you."


    After Rita invited Shadow.Q into her party, she also added Sanchez. Since they were going to team up this time, it didn''t hurt to add one more member. They could also exchange information to prevent Sanchez from running off and getting them stuck here.


    The three of them began rapidly assassinating. Rita and Shadow.Q split up, sending messages to the squad if anything came up.


    Rita opened the chat window and minimized the squad section to the bottom right corner of her view.


    Sanchez''s assassination abilities were top-notch, and Shadow.Q wasn''t purely a support role. She had been placed in the Tower team, so her willpower and combat skills were definitely up to the task.


    The three split up and killed with abandon.


    At first, Rita had to constantly remind herself and deal with feelings of guilt and unease. But by the end, her heart was as calm as still water.


    As dawn approached, Rita typed a message in the squad chat: "I''m pulling back. Wait for me at the southwest cliff outside the camp."


    After sending the message, she immediately retreated. Though they were in a squad, she still preferred to act alone. She didn''t have the habit of relying on teammates, and fortunately, the others were the same. Not holding anyone back was the basic etiquette.


    As she waited at the cliff, Rita began organizing her pack. She placed her hand on a nearby tree to charge up Emerald Feast. Just as the skill was fully charged, the sounds of skills exploding and Oaks alarms could be heard from the camp. Two alarm peppers exploded in the sky.

 Chapter 315 High Tower · Traitorous Owl

    [Team Channel]


    Spicy Onion: What''s going on?


    Sinsoo: Not sure.


    Spicy Onion: Oh, the Moon Fox came for a sneak attack.


    Sinsoo: It''s chaos, I''m pulling out. Meet at the cliff.


    Spicy Onion: I''m pulling out too.


    After the three traitorous owls regrouped, Rita asked, "What''s the plan?"


    Sanchez toyed with the dagger in her hand. "I''ll stay here, assassinate some owls to level up."


    Shadow.Q had a more important task. "I plan to go out and gather intel, find out how the owls managed to merge with Lania Kaia."


    Compared to Forest Sea, the situation on Blue Star was more dangerous. The population wasn''t as high as Forest Sea''s owls, and the Blue Star people were more technology-based, lacking the special wing abilities of the owls. Additionally, there were many dungeon screens sunken under the sea.


    After they finished speaking, both Sanchez and Shadow.Q turned to Rita. "What about you?"


    Rita said, "I plan to take assassination missions and earn some skill books."


    Though it was an accident, she saw this as a good opportunity to experiment... What would happen if, instead of following the owls'' history within the tower, she became a traitorous owl? Would she face mental punishment when the cycle repeated?


    Your journey continues with My Virtual Library Empire


    The three of them exchanged looks and realized their goals didn''t conflict, in fact...


    Shadow.Q grinned. "Shall we cause some chaos together?"


    Nivalis: "I''m really afraid that next time I''ll come back and hear her calling you ''baby''."


    Nivalis: "Explain this!"


    Nivalis: "What step are we on now? Can this little dragon that no one cares about still join this warm family?"


    Rita: "...." Should I even listen to what you''re saying?


    Nivalis jumped up, snatched Rita''s rice ball, and flew off to devour Shadow.Q''s grilled meat instead.


    After hearing the trio''s plan, Nivalis commented, "You need a strong name. Something that will let the Twelve Holy Races know that you''re the neutral faction handling all the business."


    Shadow.Q, impressed, agreed with Nivalis. "Do you have any good suggestions?"


    Nivalis: "How about ''Only for Money''?"


    The three of them went silent, but after exchanging glances, they realized that this simple, straightforward name was actually the best. After all, they weren''t trying to create a century-old legacy, just a name to use for this cycle. It didn''t need to be grand; just blunt and clear.


    So, the three of them and one dragon sat by the fire, naming their new organization.


    Seven years later.


    Rita flew swiftly through the dense jungle, dodging branches and leaves as she moved. She veered slightly to the side to avoid a vine that had been disturbed and was now swinging toward her. She shouted to the person behind her, "Why did you kill them?!"


    They had been assigned to eliminate a few rising owl rookies, and their ambush had gone smoothly.


    The targets were eliminated, the mission was complete, and they could have left. But Sanchez insisted on sticking around to kill a few more nearby owls before leaving, nearly causing them to be cornered by high-level owl commanders.


    Sanchez was not happy. "They called you the disgrace and failure of the Song family, said you weren''t even worthy of the Pinebloom name, and cursed you to lose your wings. Aren''t you mad about that?!"


    Great. Another rant.

 Chapter 316 High Tower · Seven Years

    This always happens, and Rita often suspects that Sanchez is using these moments to enjoy herself, insulting her just to get some satisfaction.@@@@


    Rita noticed that Sanchez was more like a typical male protagonist than many male leads in novels. If anyone insulted her even once, she''d immediately want to kill them. Originally, this wasn''t Rita''s concern, but Sanchez, who must have received some order at home, would kill anyone who insulted Rita whenever they were on a mission together.


    The problem wasn''t just the killing; it was that Sanchez would repeat the insults to Rita with uncanny precision. Even though Rita had told her more than once that it wasn''t a big deal and they should focus on the task at hand, Sanchez would only smile and make that gesture, a playful motion where she''d pinch her pinky, and say, "You''re the benefactor of The White Family, so I can''t get mad at you."


    Rita, however, was furious inside: The most annoying, most despicable person is you!


    Nivalis, sitting atop Rita''s head, was listening and laughing. Sanchez truly had a knack for getting under Rita''s skin. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    These years, Rita had never shown Sanchez any kindness. Sometimes when Sanchez wanted to spar with her, Rita would mercilessly beat her down, even to the point where Sanchez, no matter how much health she had, couldn''t get back up. Afterward, Rita would quietly keep score in her mind, muttering about how she''d pay her back tenfold.


    Sanchez, though she was frustrated, couldn''t help but admire Rita''s skills. She might have a temper, but because Rita was so much stronger, Sanchez, although grumbling, respected her. The faster Rita defeated her, the more Sanchez idolized her. Despite her own progress, she still couldn''t catch up to Rita.


    Rita had started to wonder whether she should ask for payment every time she beat Sanchez. Though it was satisfying, Sanchez''s reactions left Rita feeling like she was being scammed.


    In a way, Sanchez and Nivalis were quite similar: if someone was stronger, their bad temper was understandable, it was the personality of someone strong. But if someone wasn''t as good, then their generosity was just weakness, their retreat a sign of fear. Because Rita was strong, Sanchez now saw her caution not as being overly timid but as "overthinking things."


    Still, despite all the personal grumbling, Sanchez did her part, and when work needed doing, she didn''t slack off.


    But good stuff was hard to come by. After seven years, they had spent almost half their time evading assassination, with only a small portion of it spent on actual tasks. Most of the skills she acquired were C-class, with just four B-class and one A-class skill. S-class skills? She hadn''t even seen one.


    There were many sources for skill books in the High Tower. Some were from the spirits who had died in the Tower and stripped their own experiences to create skill books. Others came from foreign races that had entered the Tower, leaving behind lost skills upon their death.


    Characters formed from the memories of other life forms couldn''t create skill books, like Peach Crown. While he was still alive outside the Tower, the Peach Crown inside the Tower, although realistic, could not separate his true self to offer anything.


    But Rita discovered that these memory-formed characters weren''t any less real or rigid than the spirits trapped in the High Tower. Memory, it seemed, was like a vast web. The more famous a spirit was, the more strands of memory they had woven into them, making them feel more alive. Characters from memories known only to a few dozen people were fuzzy, but also freer. Their lives had no must-do tasks.


    Each had its pros and cons, and Rita couldn''t decide which was better. The High Tower had become a world that could function on its own. It was more than just real; after these years of collecting Essence of the Moon to strengthen her abilities, Rita suspected that the Tower might even be hiding fragments of the Forest Sea. After all, how could it contain so many dead spirits from ages ago? But it was just a suspicion¡ªshe hadn''t found solid proof.


    Now, in the year 7206 of Ruin Core, Rita and her companions had stepped out of the Oak Owl perspective, observing the invasion from the side. Over the years, they had come to understand much.


    At the beginning of the dungeon screens'' appearance, Lania Kaia''s progress was indeed slow. This period felt like a beginner''s welfare phase for the Oak Owls. Once the dungeon screens unlocked and high-level foreign races entered the Forest Sea, the speed of progress would accelerate.


    The Forest Sea''s "newbie welfare phase" lasted for five years. Most of their dungeons were surface-based, with spores creating visible dungeon barriers. This allowed them to clear dungeons as soon as possible.


    Blue Star, however, was not so optimistic. While the closed beta had allowed many people to get their Divine Gifts early, the biggest difference between Blue Star and Forest Sea was that Blue Star''s ocean was vast, and many dungeons were hidden beneath the sea.


    If things didn''t progress smoothly, it was possible that Blue Star''s survival time might not even last as long as Forest Sea''s.

 Chapter 317 High Tower · Big Move

    Since her transformation into Peach Jar, she had already spent 27 years in the tower, meticulously finding the moonlight to harm, turning the night sky in High Tower into a pockmarked mess. Slowly, she began noticing a pattern: every time she fed moonlight to Wrathful Moon, the divine insight she received ranged from 1 to 3 points, seemingly entirely random. It was as if it was truly random, with no luck involved.


    At present, her divine insight had reached 772 points, surpassing even Emperor Umbrella''s. What was even more concerning was that the moonlight she had cut as Peach Jar, Savorleaf, and Rivergrain hadn''t restored at all. It was terrifying! She had to take advantage of her time in High Tower and harvest more of the moonlight before it was too late!


    In the meantime, she brought Nivalis along to siphon off some of the divine insight from Wrathful Moon, but Nivalis always received a fixed 1 point of insight, while Rita could still get 1-3 points. Sometimes, when Nivalis was around, Rita even received the full 3 points. Thus, she made sure to always bring Nivalis along. Currently, Nivalis had accumulated 83 points of divine insight.


    With so much insight, Rita wasn''t afraid to experiment anymore; after all, she needed to know the effects and limits of her powers to use them more effectively. For example, her C-grade skill Blood Shield originally consumed 30% of her health to create a shield that could last for 12 hours and withstand damage equal to 10% of her health. However, with divine insight, it turned into a shield that lasted for 3 full days and could absorb damage equivalent to 50% of her health. And as for her SS-grade Divine Gift¡ªif she used divine insight on that...


    She had a hunch that if she used her divine insight on Phantom Shift, no skill or item would be able to block her.


    As for Nivalis? Rita wondered if Nivalis'' expert-level skills could use divine insight to resurrect someone. Nivalis, however, sternly shook her head.@@@@


    "There''s no need for that," she said seriously. "We''re not saints, we don''t need to resurrect others. Life is a cycle, death is part of it. Resurrecting someone¡ªare they really the same person? I don''t think so. We must learn to respect death."


    Rita smirked. "I didn''t even suggest it, and don''t pretend you''re so selfless. You just don''t want to spend your divine insight!"


    Nivalis gave a sincere nod. "Yep, I''m saving it all for when I die!"


    Rita was exasperated. "You''re the kind of person who hoards every item in a game and then still has it sitting in your inventory when you uninstall the game!"


    Nivalis didn''t even flinch. "Yep, that''s me. I finally understand Emperor Umbrella now."


    Rita was speechless.


    Tonight, Rita planned to make a bold move. She was going to find a new place to test out the skill Who Will Cut the Moonlight using her divine insight.


    It was deep into the night, and Nivalis, flying high, gazed at the moonless sky over the Forest Sea. The darkness above the forest looked like several black holes. She had a suspicion that when the 300-year period ended, the night sky of Forest Sea might resemble the ceiling of a certain airport she''d visited with Rita years ago...


    Nivalis hesitated. "Rita, are we really doing this?"


    Tiny Nivalis flew in front of her, staring at her eye in awe. "Your right eye looks amazing. There''s something inside it."


    Rita took out a mirror, inspecting her eye. What she saw shocked her¡ªit was Moon Sand!


    She had collected Moon Sand?!


    Before rushing to hand it over to Wrathful Moon, Rita decided to observe it for a little while longer.


    She bandaged her right eye and teasingly remarked, "What''s that? You said you couldn''t bear to use divine insight?"


    Nivalis shrugged unapologetically. "I couldn''t resist. You''re just too important to me."


    Rita froze for a moment, unsure how to respond.


    Nivalis didn''t think twice about openly admitting her feelings. To her, showing affection wasn''t a weakness; in fact, she was proud of it.


    But Rita, on the other hand, was left fumbling for a response. She tied the bandage a little tighter and tried to distract herself with minor adjustments to her hair and gear.


    Nivalis, sensing Rita''s flustered emotions, asked curiously, "If you''re so happy, so moved, and so fond of me, why don''t you just say it out loud?"


    Rita stood up quickly, brushing off her pants. "Let''s go. It''s getting late, and we made too much noise here. We need to leave now."


    Nivalis followed, still puzzled. "Aren''t you uncomfortable holding it in?"


    Rita snapped, "I''ll be uncomfortable if I say it out loud! I just won''t say it!!"


    Nivalis sighed in exasperation. "You''re so shy, yet you yell so loudly!"


    Rita just kept walking, trying to escape the conversation.

 Chapter 318 High Tower · The Instance Portal Can Be Closed

    Rita and Nivalis argued all the way back to their base. As they entered, Shadow.Q was busy organizing some materials. Seeing them come in, she asked with concern, "What happened to your eye?"


    Rita waved it off casually, "Just a negative status effect. It''s nothing."


    Shadow.Q didn''t press further but said, "I''ve found something. The instance portals can be completely closed."


    This was the first time Rita had heard such a thing. She had never come across this information, whether from gossip in the kitchen or while being a grunt. "How do you close them?" she asked.


    Shadow.Q''s expression grew serious as she handed over a few documents. "I''ve been analyzing this, and I found that over the years, some instance portals have disappeared. I can confirm they weren''t relocated. Before these portals disappeared, the nearby Oak Owls were always dispatched elsewhere. I suspect this is connected to the dark patches in the Forest Sea sky."


    Rita and Nivalis froze, their expressions suddenly serious.


    Nivalis exclaimed, "Now I can''t tell whether you''re Sherlock Holmes or not!"


    Rita pursed her lips and nodded in agreement, "That makes sense, very good sense!"


    Talking to this master-servant duo really tested Shadow.Q''s patience.


    With a sigh, Shadow.Q continued, "Additionally, this could be related to the objects the Oak Owls have been collecting."


    Rita glanced at the documents in her hands. Flipping through them, she found the list of items:


    Minotaur''s nose ring Orc''s tooth necklace Blood Elf''s silver moon crest Night Elf''s moonstone ring Draenei''s right hoof Dwarf''s battle axe Wind Scythe''s scythe Sea Siren''s sharp fang Moon Fox''s first tail Candle Barbarian''s tail flame Undead Heart''s drop of Immortal Spring


    These items were unique to each of these eleven races, though they weren''t guaranteed drops. It was similar to the Oak Owls'' Bear Cookies ¡ª millions of Oak Owls had appeared in Blue Star, but Eclipse Vanguard had only managed to gather around a million Bear Cookies.


    Wait, if these race-specific items were needed to permanently close an instance portal, then... wouldn''t Bear Cookies from the Oak Owls be required to close Blue Star''s instance portal?


    Rita tucked the documents away and stood up. "I''ll start collecting these specific items and keep in touch. Good luck."


    She didn''t pity Shadow.Q''s situation, as Shadow.Q never pitied herself. Everyone had their own choices and pursuits.


    Shadow.Q didn''t look up, but her smile grew a little wider. Lazily, she rested her head on one hand, raised her teacup, and made a clinking gesture toward Rita.


    As they left the base, Nivalis whispered, "Is she having a hard time? Is someone trying to harm her? Why did you wish her good luck? Why did she clink glasses with you?"


    She had gotten used to asking Rita about everything. No matter how silly her questions were, Rita would always answer her without ridicule.


    Rita thought about Shadow.Q''s expression at that moment. It wasn''t sadness or grievance. It was ambition, mockery, anticipation, and even a hint of disdain. Rita paused before explaining in the simplest and most direct way, "She''s after a dragon''s nest called power."


    Nivalis immediately understood. "Oh, but isn''t your world being invaded by Lania Kaia? How can she still be busy with this?"


    Rita laughed out loud at the question, amused for several seconds as if Nivalis had told a funny joke. Nivalis, annoyed, puffed up and said, "What''s so funny?"


    Rita laughed even more, finally calming down. She hugged Nivalis and soothed her. "It''s just something I can handle on the side."


    Just like Pine Bloom, Maple Syrup, and Peach Crown.


    They resumed their tasks, focusing on collecting the specific items.


    Some of them, Rita had already obtained in the past but hadn''t known their significance, so she sold them off as junk.


    Now, however, gathering these items became a tedious task. Some required a bit of luck, and others were incredibly troublesome.


    For example, the first tail of the Moon Fox. This referred to the tail that the Moon Fox was born with. For the first tail, it was easy enough to obtain, but for the second tail or beyond, it was more about luck, since all tails looked the same. Only the Moon Fox could recognize which tail was its first.

 Chapter 319 High Tower - The Candlebeast

    After a moon fox dies, as long as one tail is chopped off, its body will immediately turn to smoke and return to the embrace of the Moon Goddess. Of course, there is also the possibility of trying to exploit a bug by chopping off all its tails at once, but that would result in none of them staying behind.


    The situations with the moon fox''s tails were experiments done by Blue Star players from a past life who tried to make moon fox tails into a scarf. However, the first tail of the moon fox is not completely impossible to handle. Rita thought of a workaround: players with telepathic abilities could interrogate a moon fox. It would be tedious, though.


    But the most troublesome items were the Candlebeast''s flame tail and the Undead Spring drop from a death''s heart.


    The Candlebeast is a species with seven flames growing from their tails. The stronger their power, the closer their flame color is to white, and the flame tails of the seven royal families of the Candlebeast are pure white flames.


    As soon as a Candlebeast dies, their flame tails go out immediately¡ªnot a second longer¡ªand while they are alive, these flame tails are an extremely powerful skill. Even if a Candlebeast falls unconscious, the flame will automatically protect its master, and its power will increase drastically if the master loses consciousness.


    The Undead Spring is even more difficult. It can transform a deceased person into an undead, which means to obtain it, one has to find those who were halfway converted into undead.


    But here''s the issue. Becoming an undead is not hard, even without the Undead Spring. The problem is that these half-converted undead are often shunned by their original races because their fate and divine gifts are transferred to the undead race after death, and other factions view this as a betrayal.


    On the other hand, there are some undead who are highly valued. When a loved one dies, the undead will search for the precious Undead Spring, using it to turn their loved one into an undead. The undead turned by the Undead Spring are purer, retaining more of their strength, and their fate and divine gifts return to their original race after death. The transformation is only slightly weaker than those converted by the Undead Monarch.


    So, the question is, the undead capable of being transformed by this precious Undead Spring are not going to be low-ranked ones. And even if one manages to find a high-level undead that was converted later, killing them might not guarantee obtaining the Undead Spring.


    Just thinking about it was giving Rita a headache.


    Rita asked Nivalis, "Don''t tell me you guys need something from the Dragon Clan too?"


    Nivalis replied, "No way. When I descended to Blue Star, I didn''t sign any contracts, and the Dragon Clan is not participating in this war."


    Rita felt a little more at ease, but then she suddenly stopped walking, grabbed Nivalis from her shoulder, and pulled her face-to-face, speaking in a serious tone, "I have some questions for you."


    Nivalis, now nervous, took a deep breath and became serious. "Go ahead."


    Rita asked, "I''ve always wondered, how do Candlebeasts wash their hair?"


    In the end, Shadow.Q not only had to rap in a bubble voice but also had to carry Sanchez to escape, eventually having to use her bubble voice to scold Sanchez. If it hadn''t been for the moon foxes chasing them, both would have been caught.


    After they barely escaped, Shadow.Q ignored them for three days.


    When Sanchez returned, she looked aggrieved: "You don''t know, she scolded me in that bubble voice! I couldn''t stand it!" Afterward, she squeezed her throat and imitated her, which immediately made Shadow.Q use her skill to teleport Sanchez away.


    Now that they had developed, things were starting to stabilize. Someone from Eclipse Vanguard was contacting them?


    Rita didn''t want to assume the worst, but she wasn''t interested in teaming up with a stranger joining halfway through.


    Over the years, unless there was a reward too tempting to ignore or a task impossible for a single person to complete, she wouldn''t have teamed up with Sanchez or Shadow.Q.


    And... who knew if this person had been assimilated?


    Even if the timeline was different, it had been 27 years since they entered the tower. That was long enough to be considered a whole lifetime.


    She sent a message back to Shadow.Q.


    [Pinebloom]: I won''t be returning to the base for a while. If something comes up, let me know via the friends list. Stay updated through My Virtual Library Empire


    [Pinebloom]: Be careful.


    [Spicy Onion]: Don''t worry, I understand. It''s only been 27 years, it won''t be so quick.


    [Spicy Onion]: Whatever they can offer, Eclipse Vanguard can offer more.


    That was true, but Rita thought back to the Eternal Night Fortress she saw when she stole the Moon Sand.


    [Pinebloom]: What if the Oak Owls have been in contact with the heroic spirits here all along?

 Chapter 320 High Tower·Engineering·Harvest

    It took quite a while for a reply to come through.


    [Spicy Onion]: Do you remember when we first fought the Flood Dragon and you asked me what my Divine Gift skill was called, and I gave you my answer?


    [Pinebloom]: I remember.


    [Spicy Onion]: In the upcoming period, if I send you any emails or tasks and they don''t include that answer at the end, don''t trust them.


    [Spicy Onion]: Regarding the closure of the instance mirror, I won''t be telling anyone except you and Sanchez for now. We three will take action when the time comes.


    [Pinebloom]: Got it.


    Perhaps Rita was being overly cautious, but for the next few years, nothing unusual happened.


    Since then, Rita made it a point to take on quests by herself, unless Shadow.Q came across a mission with a reward that was too tempting to pass up. Rita began to consciously train Nivalis. They were bound to make it to the world battlefield in the future, and if Nivalis wasn''t good in battle, she wouldn''t be able to take her along. Even if both Rita and Nivalis were willing, Snow Pile probably wouldn''t approve.


    When there were no missions, Rita would find a place to rest with Nivalis. She used her intermediate engineering skills to make many toys for Nivalis, while she herself focused on alchemy, organizing her ideas, or using the materials she obtained to attempt creating Gold-Class Assassin and Spring Not Late.


    While busy with alchemy, she didn''t keep an eye on Nivalis. After all, if Nivalis got bored, she could always return to the pet space. Rita loved Nivalis, but she wouldn''t let anything disturb her own rhythm and plans.


    By the time Rita finished and stepped out of the cabin, she found that Nivalis had taken apart all the toys she''d made and reassembled them into something new.


    The original toys were all blue quality, but Nivalis had put them together into a purple-quality transforming race car. The car could even transform and shoot skills as it moved¡ªthough the power was weak, it was a feature the original toys lacked.


    At that moment, Rita looked at Nivalis with a special glint in her eyes...


    Nivalis hugged the little transforming robot she made. "...What are you doing?"


    Rita stretched out her right hand and randomly pinched a few of her fingers, saying, "I predict that you''re the engineering star of tomorrow."


    Nivalis: "..."


    Rita clasped her hands together and prayed to the sky for Shadow.Q.


    Shadow.Q, ah, take care of your health...


    ...


    By the end of 7217, the year before the war ended, despite spending a lot of time on alchemy, Rita had already reached level 72. She had secretly adjusted her attributes here and there, occasionally using Moment of Reversal to change her Divine Gift skills and stats. She had already surpassed the strength of the Oaken Owl who had undergone tens of life level evolutions and was no longer at a disadvantage in battle. Returning to the battlefield now felt as easy as coming home.


    Rita noticed something strange: since becoming a Defector Owl, every time the Forest Sea announced that the Oaken Owls had evolved to a higher life level, she couldn''t benefit from it. Shadow.Q, Sanchez, and the others who joined Just for Money later were in the same situation.


    Could something like this be deliberately blocked? Rita didn''t feel upset about it. In fact, she felt a sense of relief!


    Even though she hadn''t undergone evolution, she was still stronger than those who had.


    The Oaken Owls from the Pine lineage no longer insulted her, and there were rumors that there must be hidden circumstances behind the past events. Many Oaken Owls believed that Pinebloom was the true heir of Pine Bloom, as Pinebloom also had a dragon!


    But the pursuit had never stopped, and the hunting continued relentlessly.


    Nivalis had never interacted directly with Lidian. Pine Bloom and Lidian''s battlefield seemed to belong to another dimension, one Rita and the others couldn''t access. They had never even heard of where it was.


    This reincarnation had yielded significant gains.


    Her close combat skills had formed an initial system¡ªoffensive skills, movement skills, and defensive skills were all well-equipped. Although most of them were B-level skills, her combat ability in close quarters had become strong enough with her high attributes.


    Especially her movement skill. With Fox Shadow in hand, as long as her bullets could reach a spot, she could instantly teleport there.


    When she first acquired Fox Shadow, the skill panel had shown it as a C-level skill, but below it, there was an experience bar. Every time she improved, the bar advanced, and now it had reached an A+ level.


    She could even extract her own experience and turn it into an A-level skill book. However, once she did that, she would have to retrain Fox Shadow from scratch. In other words, her mind would still remember it, but her body would need to relearn the technique.


    But if someone else learned Fox Shadow from the skill book, the skill would forever be stuck at A-level.


    She realized that skills she had learned and developed herself weren''t bound by their original level. After all, the skill book recording Fox Shadow clearly stated that it was an A-level skill.

 Chapter 321 High Tower·Wrathful Moon Leveling Up

    In addition to Spring Not Late and Gold-Class Assassin, Rita had gathered several materials over the years. After practicing a few times, her success rate for the former was 60%, while for the latter, it had risen above 90%. This had already met the standards Lucia had set for her.


    She had also thoroughly studied the notes Hecipah had given her. Combined with her knowledge of the various fruits and plants from the Oak Owl, she even created several intermediate potions. The effects weren''t groundbreaking¡ªthey were all already available on the market¡ªbut they at least proved she had genuine creative ability, rather than just being able to mimic others'' formulas.


    The biggest harvest, however, came from the Moon Sand.


    From 7207 to 7217, over the course of ten years, Rita used the advanced Moonlight Cut once a month. During the first year, her right eye almost became like a galaxy itself. No one, not even she and Nivalis, could figure out how much Moon Sand had accumulated inside. Nivalis jokingly wondered aloud, "Does it mean you have to kill me for it to open?"


    Rita had playfully replied that this might be the case, and warned Nivalis to be prepared. For five minutes, Nivalis refused to speak to her.


    By the end of the first year, still having no clue how to make use of the Moonlight Cut, Rita decisively gave up on the experiment. She realized that the Divine Gift, attributes, and equipment of her current body couldn''t be taken with her. The Moon Sand couldn''t just stay in her eye either. While it was fine to experiment with a small amount, too much could lead to a waste of resources. What if she used it all up and then couldn''t find more? It would be too late to regret it.


    Thus, she focused on the Moon Sand she had already accumulated.


    By the second year, she fed her right eye''s Moon Sand to Wrathful Moon, and the progress toward upgrading instantly soared to 120g/10000g.


    Ah, the joy of making progress without having to split it with Eclipse Vanguard. It felt far more satisfying than when she''d gotten it through cooperation.


    On average, she could only obtain 10 points of Moon Sand per month, which was a bit scarce, but after giving the Moon Sand to Wrathful Moon, not only did the upgrade progress increase, but it also gained the Essence!


    That time, Rita''s Essence surged by 60 points, and Nivalis gained 24 points.


    Now, after ten years, under the always-glowing cheerful moonlight in her lantern, a thick layer of Moon Sand had accumulated: 1200g/10000g.


    As for her Essence, even though she consumed 1 point every month, she had already accumulated 1362 points.


    Plenty of firepower! Once she was out of here, she could unleash over a thousand bursts.


    One evening, Rita and Nivalis casually picked a Mu Tree, flying up to its top to gather some Moon Sand.


    Shadow.Q, however, had changed a lot. There were now two deep lines between her eyebrows...


    Such an intense aura! How could someone do so much work, fighting dungeons and completing missions, and still carry such a strong sense of authority?


    Rita and Sanchez both stared at Shadow.Q''s forehead lines for a moment.


    With a smile, Shadow.Q turned to Sanchez and said, "One of them''s from you. Thanks."


    After Shadow.Q killed three members of Eclipse Vanguard and left, the trust between the factions had started to crumble. Besides, anyone willing to take on a High Tower mission likely had ambitions, trying to use it to rise up. Shadow.Q had worked hard to maintain stability among them.


    Sanchez looked up at the sky, pretending not to hear. Her mom always said that if someone really wanted to stop someone else from doing something, they wouldn''t just talk. At the time, Shadow.Q hadn''t even used a skill to remove someone; who was she trying to fool?


    The three of them pulled out the specific items they had gathered.


    Both Rita and Sanchez had collected dozens of items, from levels 15 to 60, ranging across all tiers. After all, in these missions, they would always encounter various exotic races, so collecting items was just part of the job. However, they were missing three key items: the first tail of the Moon Fox, Candlebeast''s fire, and the Undead Heart of a Deathspring.


    These three items were handed over to Shadow.Q to procure from the exotic races. Over the years, as she gathered intelligence, Shadow.Q had also collected these three rare items, eventually buying three 20-level sets from the greedy Oak Owls.


    Shadow.Q didn''t want to deal with assassinations, but the teams tasked with shutting down dungeon barriers were well-equipped, and their first response to an ambush wasn''t to fight back, but to flee to preserve their gear.


    Thus, she had to rely on buying them out¡ªan entire team at a time.


    However, she still hadn''t figured out how to get her hands on the Candlebeast''s Fire. Even though she was an Oak Owl herself, it didn''t help¡ªafter all, she was a traitor.


    For the past ten years, the Oak Owls and the exotic races had been at war, with Oak Owls closing more and more dungeon barriers. They claimed that these barriers were now occupied by the Oak Owls and had moved to the High Tower.


    However, from the battlefield''s situation, even now, it seemed like the conflict was still in a stalemate, with both sides equally matched. It wasn''t clear what would lead to the Oak Owls successfully joining Lania Kaia.


    Perhaps the key to determining the war''s outcome still lay with Pine Bloom, Maple Syrup, and Peach Crown in the top-tier battlefield.

 Chapter 322 High Tower·Sizzle Master

    Every cycle they went through brought new pieces of fragmented information, like fitting together a puzzle. Shadow.Q had already decided that in the next cycle, she would stay within the Oak Owl faction.


    As they flew towards the dungeon barrier, Rita asked, "Did you find out how they shut down the dungeon barriers?"


    Shadow.Q replied, "No detailed intel, just that we''ll know once we get inside. The maximum number of people allowed to close a dungeon barrier is three."


    The specific items Shadow.Q had gathered were all level 20. Rita and Sanchez sifted through them, piecing together a complete set of 20-level specific items from what Shadow.Q had collected.


    The three of them weren''t slacking off over the years. They were very familiar with the Forest Sea map and dungeon barriers. It didn''t take long before they found a 20-level dungeon barrier. Together with Nivalis, they rushed towards it, each of them handling two barriers, swiftly taking down the patrolling Oak Owl guards.


    Though Shadow.Q hadn''t spent much time leveling, she had already reached level 50, making it easy for her to deal with the 30-level Oak Owls.


    After clearing the guards, the three of them pulled out 11 level 20 specific items and, carrying a pile of goods, entered the dungeon barrier one by one.


    And then...


    Before even a second passed, they were kicked out.


    The three of them stared at each other, with Nivalis landing on Rita''s head, just as confused.


    The 11 items in their hands hadn''t changed at all.


    Sanchez asked, "Is it the wrong items?"@@@@


    Shadow.Q shook her head. "No... if the items were wrong, we wouldn''t have been kicked out. They just wouldn''t have had any effect."


    Rita, however, recalled her past gaming experiences and said, "Could it be that the map can''t load?"


    After all, this was the world inside the High Tower, stitched together from the spirits of the heroic souls and their memories. They could only follow the course of history without actually changing it.


    Even if they killed half of the Oak Owl''s foot soldiers, the wars that were supposed to be won would still be won, and the ones that were meant to lose would still lose. They couldn''t truly change the course of history.


    Rita asked, "...Have you two entered dungeon barriers in the past?"


    Shadow.Q answered, "It''s fine. No one would be foolish enough to side with the exotic races."


    But Shadow.Q''s furrowed brow clearly showed her concern.


    It was obvious she had noticed something.


    This made Rita curious. What kind of identity and promises had those from Eclipse Vanguard received that had caused them to start wavering after only twenty or so years?


    They still had more than two hundred and seventy years of imprisonment ahead of them. How would they endure it? They also had to be cautious about keeping their own lives safe. No wonder so few exotic races made it to the top, and once they did, they forgot who they originally were.


    Shadow.Q asked, "What are your plans for the next cycle?"


    Rita already had an idea. "I''ll follow the Oak Owls for a cycle, then jump out to complete my own cycle."


    That was the official story, but Rita wasn''t going to tell Shadow.Q her true plans. She intended to find an opportunity to pull off a big heist in each cycle and escape.


    Sigh, doing missions to earn skills was too slow. Why not just take what she wanted?


    After parting ways with Shadow.Q, Rita traveled with Nivalis for half a year, marking the end of this cycle.


    However, during her fifth cycle, Rita found herself assigned as a kitchen assistant, specifically tasked with cooking for Pine Bloom and Lidian. Just as she realized what had happened, she heard someone call her name¡ª[Cucumber].


    Rita lazily got up and glanced at the Oak Owl''s skill¡ª[Sizzle Master], S-rank!


    Ignoring the cramped space, Rita spread her wings and flew low, shouting, "I''m here! What do you need, Uncle?!"


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    No matter what year it was, she was determined to live out this cycle in the kitchen!


    The Sizzle Master wasn''t stingy. He let Rita watch and learn how he cooked but never allowed her to touch Pine Bloom''s food. Rita''s only job was to wash and chop vegetables. Since the kitchen only handled food for Pine Bloom and Lidian, the workload wasn''t too heavy. If it weren''t for the fact that she was the Sizzle Master''s niece, she wouldn''t even have this job.


    Rita wasn''t upset. Being an apprentice was like that¡ªif she could learn true skills, it would be worth it. Plus, she had free reign with the ingredients here.


    By the third year, the Sizzle Master started to loosen his grip a little. Sometimes when the Sizzle Master took a break, someone would pass the message that Lidian was hungry. Too lazy to get up, the Sizzle Master would send Rita to cook for Lidian.

 Chapter 323 High Tower · "Chaos Kitchen" (SS-Level)

    After familiarizing herself with the environment, Rita released Nivalis and had her disguise as a small snake, hanging from her ear.


    Lidian had a specific recipe, and every time Rita cooked for her, she secretly made an extra portion for Nivalis. Today''s dish was something like tempura, but it featured fruit and vegetable slices. What made it special was the crispy coating made from a blend of dozens of dried fruit powders and spices. It was a recipe Pine Bloom had specially sought out for Lidian, which Sizzle Master spent years perfecting with ingredients from the Forest Sea.


    When Rita heard about this from Sizzle Master, she couldn''t help but feel guilty and avoided looking at Nivalis.


    Rita asked, "Is there something different about it?"@@@@


    Nivalis chewed thoughtfully and said, "It''s a bit different. I can''t really pinpoint it, but it''s... delicious? It''s like when you love spicy food, but you eat something that''s not spicy, but still tastes great. Something''s just a little off."


    The problem was likely due to their attributes. Lidian was a fire-type dragon, while Nivalis was ice-type. This recipe, specifically tailored for fire dragons, might be good for Nivalis, but her ice attributes made it less perfect.


    Rita was lost in thought, wondering how she could adjust the ingredients when Nivalis sighed. "It''s okay. You don''t need to make a special recipe for me. I''m not like Lidian; I''m not so picky or delicate. You could just give me leftovers and I''d be happy... No! I''m not choking up, you misheard me! I... I definitely didn''t complain or feel sad..."


    Rita: "..."


    Since Nivalis had said that, Rita couldn''t just neglect her. She decided to focus entirely on cooking dragon cuisine in the little kitchen.


    Sizzle Master, seeing Rita dedicated to learning dragon cuisine, began to trust her more. He slowly started teaching her Lidian''s recipes. After observing her for two years, he entrusted Rita with cooking all of Lidian''s meals.


    At the end of each month, Rita would slip out for some assassination practice, targeting various foreign races while also stealing Moon Sand.


    As Nivalis grew bolder after figuring out Sizzle Master''s daily routine, she started playing games in the kitchen or messing with a Mahjong machine. She even became obsessed with engineering and vowed to build a Mahjong machine that would never suffer from the dreaded "three players missing" problem!


    Sitting under a large tree, Rita used the Master of Laziness skill for the first time to check the time. She sighed, "We''ve been here for 277 years."


    She hadn''t used the translator in a long time. The common tongue of the Oak Owls had become so familiar to her that it felt like her second native language.


    During their time in hiding, Rita had also taught Nivalis Chinese, and Nivalis taught her Dragonian, so now they could chat without relying on a translator. Rita could even write some common Dragonian characters and a few Dragonian magic runes.


    Over the years, Rita''s alchemy skills hadn''t advanced much. After all, this was the Forest Sea, and the origin of alchemical knowledge was in Lania Kaia. Great alchemists never fought on the battlefield. Rita had studied Hecipah''s notes endlessly, and now she could craft both "Gold-Class Assassin" and "Spring Not Late" with her eyes closed.


    Her culinary skills, however, had made great progress. She not only became an expert in dragon cuisine, but she had also learned over 5,000 recipes during her time in the High Tower. More importantly, she could now create dishes with ratings above 95 points, and 100 of those dishes had ratings over 97 points!


    Despite her focus on culinary mastery for at least 150 years, she still couldn''t surpass Eleanor, who had consistently made dishes with scores above 98. Rita had reached the limits of her cooking talent, which was a painful realization.


    Although Rita didn''t steal many skills, each cycle still brought her some rewards. The one skill she cherished the most was the "Chaos Kitchen" (SS-level), which she had stolen from the Pine Bloom treasure vault. She wasn''t even sure how she got her hands on it, but during that cycle, when Lidian was blasted out of the kitchen, Nivalis had to turn back into her original form to help them escape using the Face Fruit.


    Chaos Kitchen (SS-level): When activated, it creates a culinary god''s domain. In this kitchen domain, while cooking, a completely unskilled being will constantly disrupt your work, unlocking your full potential. The resulting dishes will be your best work. The domain lasts for 6 hours, with a cooldown of 3 natural days.


    With this skill, plus her many years of experience in the High Tower, Rita''s long-suppressed culinary god skill could finally be used.


    Over these years, Rita had discovered that if she didn''t drastically change her personality after a cycle and accepted the social relationships of her new identity, she could often acquire great things from others. The Oak Owls were particularly generous to their family and close friends... Even if her differences were eventually noticed, she hadn''t encountered any real danger yet.


    Nivalis, engrossed in her self-made engineering Mahjong game, which could even play with three missing players, suddenly heard Rita''s sigh and asked, "Does that mean we''re about to leave soon?"


    Rita replied, "Yes, in 23 years."

 Chapter 324 Maple Burn·Cotton Candy·The Three Sisters

    Rita thought the centuries ahead would be a grueling experience, but as she immersed herself in learning the art of cooking, it felt like time had passed in the blink of an eye.


    Thirteen more years went by. Rita, now deeply absorbed in alchemy, glanced at the time, asked Nivalis to return to the pet space, and then lay back, resting her head on her arm, listening to the distant sounds of celebration marking the end of the war.


    When she opened her eyes again, she found herself transformed into a young Maple Owl, lying on the back of a Maple Owl girl. The girl''s orange-red wings were slightly raised, sheltering the tiny Rita from the wind.


    The Maple Owl girl said, "Maple Burn, don''t make your sister angry, she''s really tired."


    Rita blinked, her eyes widening as she read the information on the girl. **Maple Cang???**


    The girl, still just a child, appeared to be around level 11, and from the looks of it, wasn''t much older than Rita. Rita looked at herself¡ªshe, too, was level 11.


    Both of them, with their tiny limbs, clearly had someone guiding them through their leveling.


    "Sister?"


    Rita remembered her time in the Polar Day City library, where she had reviewed Eclipse Vanguard''s collected information. Maple Syrup, Pine Bloom, and Peach Crown each had their own children. Maple Syrup had the fewest, only three offspring, two of whom had already died in battle. The ones vying for the title of Owl King against Maple Cang were all descendants of Maple Syrup''s siblings, but all had been suppressed by Maple Cang.


    The two deceased children of Maple Syrup were named Maple Burn and Maple Mu, who were the youngest and eldest daughters, respectively.


    Before Rita could continue her thoughts, a refined Maple Owl girl with orange-red wings walked in. Though she appeared to be a young girl, possibly still in middle school by Blue Star standards, her aura exuded an iron-willed battle intent.


    Maple Owls, despite their strong loyalty in love, often chose to bear offspring alone. The species possessed a miraculous fruit called **Reproductive Spores**, which, when consumed, allowed them to give birth to their own offspring. This process usually resulted in offspring of the same gender, with only a 10% chance of a different gender.


    It was why, after Sanchez killed Pine Thorn''s youngest daughter, Pine Thorn had been so furious¡ªbecause of the rarity of such a child and the deep value placed on Maple Owls born of their own species.


    Maple Syrup, a woman of high standards, saw no need for a partner. She found others beneath her or tried to overpower those stronger than her. This led to a cycle where she either looked down on the weak or sought to defeat the strong.


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    The family often ventured into dungeons together, where Maple Syrup and the others fought monsters while Maple Burn supported them with buffs. For the sake of hearing Maple Cang''s words, "You didn''t cry when you saw blood today?" Maple Burn was forced to cry a little each day to keep up the act.


    She had no idea whether there were any outsiders in the crowd who could potentially make it to the Tower, but she was determined to learn from Maple Syrup. Even if it meant learning only her ways of speaking and interacting with others, Rita knew she could gain much from being around such a powerful figure.


    Rita had always been someone who admired strength. To her, anyone with power surely had something worth learning. Now that she had the identity of Maple Burn, she was eager to follow Maple Syrup and learn everything she could, even if it meant staying in the Tower for another hundred years.


    The only regret was that she could no longer summon Nivalis to play or gather moonlight, but at least she had finished collecting all the Moon Sand. Though it was a bit of a loss, it was bearable.


    Most importantly, whenever she faced Maple Syrup, Rita couldn''t help but feel that being around such a person was far more valuable than the opportunity to collect more moonlight. Moonlight would always be there, but Maple Syrup was a once-in-a-lifetime figure.


    If Hecipah represented the beauty of intellect and tranquility, Lucia embodied the beauty of wildness and power, Mistblade Moon Emperor was the epitome of noble elegance, then Maple Syrup was the embodiment of a heroic and graceful beauty. Her orange-red hair, casually tied with a simple string, gave her a clean and neat look. She didn''t waste time on clothing or accessories. What mattered to her was laughter, high-speed flight through the Forest Sea, and pushing herself to the limits, defeating countless enemies.


    Rita''s biggest trouble was that Maple Mu often competed with her for Maple Syrup''s attention.


    Whenever Rita tried to get closer to Maple Syrup, Maple Mu would always swoop in, even though Maple Mu was ten years older. But remarkably, Maple Syrup treated both of them equally¡ªnever showing favoritism toward the younger Maple Burn, nor the more talented Maple Mu.

 Chapter 325 Maple Burn - Did I Overdo It?

    At this moment, after flying around with Maple Burn in her arms, Maple Syrup gently set Maple Burn down and walked over to Maple Mu, who had a jealous look on her face. Maple Syrup turned her back to Maple Mu, placed her hands on her knees, and sweetly said, "Come on up."


    Rita expected Maple Mu, who had clearly seen many battles, to be a bit awkward. But to her surprise, Maple Mu smiled and jumped up, wrapping her arms around Maple Syrup from behind and resting her head against her. She softly called out, "Mother."


    How shameless! How could she be fighting over affection with a little kid?!@@@@


    Rita tried to think, but couldn''t come up with anyone from Eclipse Vanguard who could match this dynamic. As she was lost in thought, she suddenly felt herself being picked up by someone¡ªit was Maple Cang.


    Maple Cang gently bumped her forehead against Rita''s and smiled, saying, "Is it okay if I carry you?"


    Of course, it was fine. Rita always kept in mind the identity she was currently inhabiting. She settled into Maple Cang''s arms, listening to the song of the Forest Sea as Maple Cang hummed it to her. When the song ended, Rita asked, "Don''t you want mother to carry you while flying?"


    Maple Cang shook her head decisively. "No. Before you were born, mother carried me while flying for four years. My hairline has receded quite a bit because of the wind."


    Rita: !!!


    She was shocked and touched her forehead. Her small hand couldn''t quite reach it all, and she had to move her hand further back to feel the entire forehead. Oh my gosh! It really was. Her original form didn''t have such a hairline. She was only four years old!


    Maple Syrup and Maple Mu, who had just landed, exchanged looks, and then Maple Syrup reached up to touch her own forehead. "It''s not too bad... doesn''t everyone fly this way?"


    Seeing the small owl cover her forehead with such a serious expression was just too adorable. Maple Mu, who was clearly a bit annoyed, stepped over, took Maple Burn from Maple Cang''s arms, and flew a few high-speed circles in the air, making sure Maple Burn''s forehead was facing the wind. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    She didn''t need to overperform, because Maple Burn might be clever, but she wasn''t a genius.


    The historical records mentioned that both Maple Syrup and Maple Cang had an equal amount of fondness and nostalgia for Maple Mu and Maple Burn, but when it came to Maple Mu, there was an added mention of her exceptional talent. They spoke of her achievements during the invasion of Forest Sea by Lania Kaia.


    As Rita continued to reflect on these records, she began to question whether Maple Mu was a hero spirit or a tower ascender herself. But then something even more unsettling happened. One day, Rita woke up and noticed something was off with "Maple Cang." Her expression and demeanor were noticeably different from the day before.


    Not only did Rita notice, but Maple Syrup clearly realized it too. Even Maple Mu''s gaze toward "Maple Cang" had changed, becoming colder and more calculating.


    Maple Syrup comforted Rita, reassuring her that everything was fine, before taking Maple Cang inside. When they returned, Maple Cang was back to her usual self.


    This event terrified Rita. She couldn''t understand why this had happened. It was clear that a tower ascender had somehow taken over Maple Cang''s body, but if Maple Syrup and Maple Mu had noticed the change, surely they could also notice her? Why hadn''t they killed her? Could it be that she had done such a good job of impersonating Maple Burn that they hadn''t noticed?


    But despite her fear, Rita continued to keep herself hidden even deeper. Every day, she followed Maple Cang around like a shadow. As long as Maple Syrup and Maple Cang said something, Rita would follow it. Slowly, she began to realize that Maple Mu was very busy, but she relied more on this family than Maple Syrup did.


    Once or twice a week, when Maple Syrup, now level 19, went off to challenge more advanced dungeons, the three sisters had to fend for themselves. They would either play through dungeons or rest at home.


    Maple Cang worried about leaving Maple Burn unprotected, so when Maple Syrup was out, she would stay home to keep her company.


    Rita suspected that Maple Cang was just using this as an excuse to stay in bed¡ªshe could never get up in the morning without being called multiple times by Maple Mu and Rita. Maple Mu couldn''t tolerate wasting time like this and would often go off alone to challenge dungeons.


    Unlike Maple Syrup, who would quickly collect fruit in Forest Sea to deal with her needs, Maple Mu would sometimes return with a load of fruit or a handmade grass cloak. After returning home, she would always find where Maple Burn was hiding and cover her with the "ugly cloak," laughing at the sight of the little owl angrily clenching her tiny fists.


    Maple Cang couldn''t really stop this, because Maple Mu would never let her escape either.

 Chapter 326 Maple Burn · Water Bearer · Coward

    Every few days, Maple Mu would take her to train her flying skills because she believed Maple Cang was too concerned with her hairstyle and hairline, flying too slowly, which could be a disadvantage in escape and combat situations.


    One day, Maple Cang couldn''t take it anymore. She mustered the courage to speak up: "I don''t want to fly that fast. I''m only 8 years old, it''s the age for growing my hair."


    Maple Mu: ?


    Rita, who had just bitten into a particularly crispy fruit, froze, afraid to move a muscle. The fruit she was eating was especially crunchy, and the sound it made when bitten was strangely amusing. She tried to shrink into the background as much as possible.


    Maple Cang, possibly realizing that she had reached her breaking point, took a deep breath and continued: "Don''t you think your forehead is the brightest in the house?"


    Maple Mu smiled. A smile that was equal parts amused and irritated.


    Rita quietly rummaged through the small bag that Maple Mu had made for her, pulling out a few fruit that could boost mana, preparing for her healing skills.


    That evening, Maple Cang, with a new, messy hairstyle like a bird''s nest, was sobbing and complaining to Maple Syrup.


    Maple Mu, arms crossed, looked completely refreshed.@@@@


    Eventually, Maple Syrup promised to find a potion recipe that could help Maple Cang grow her hair back, which stopped her tears. She shyly wiped away her tears, possibly feeling embarrassed. After all, even though Maple Mu had been angry, she didn''t actually pull out her precious hair. She had just... well, given her a good beating.


    Maple Cang gave Maple Mu a smile, indicating she wasn''t mad anymore, and said, "Well, when I make it, I''ll give it to you first, Sister."


    Maple Mu: ?


    Maple Syrup & Rita: ...


    Within ten minutes, Maple Cang was crying again after another beating from Maple Mu. Maple Syrup didn''t even try to stop it... The key issue was that Maple Mu''s hairline seemed to be a bit higher than the norm.


    Over time, Maple Syrup formed a regular team, though most of her teammates were wild oak owls she met outside, with only a small portion being her close family members.


    Currently, she was only able to cook dishes with a score below 85, but if she kept cooking like this for several more years, it would be unacceptable. If, by then, she managed to cook dishes that could add stat points to Maple Syrup and the others, she wouldn''t be able to explain herself.


    Once Maple Syrup and Maple Mu noticed Maple Burn''s talent for cooking, they started gathering recipes for her¡ªboth from Forest Sea and Lania Kaia.


    Maple Cang, having acquired two jewelry crafting recipes by chance, also began to immerse herself in jewelry making.


    As Maple Mu leveled up, she began to believe she was strong enough to protect both Maple Burn and Maple Cang, so when Maple Syrup wasn''t around, she would take her two younger sisters out to level up. The dungeons of Forest Sea didn''t belong to anyone in particular¡ªusually, whoever grabbed the loot got it¡ªbut most people adhered to an unwritten rule of waiting until the group was full before triggering the boss. Once inside, everyone would just fight their own battles.


    However, many of their teammates would pay Maple Burn for healing, since her healing talents had become famous throughout the area.


    Cotton Candy''s five skills were, respectively, the equivalent of Expert-level healing skills, a buff, a five-minute window where she could cast all skills without triggering cooldowns, a reduction in all skill cooldowns, and... the fifth skill¡ªRevival!


    "I say Cotton Candy has not expired until it''s expired": Revives a soul that has been dead for no longer than one full day. The casting time is five minutes, and the cooldown time is ten days (the cooldown cannot be reduced by any means; the countdown only begins after a successful resurrection).


    But Rita never allowed outsiders to use her fifth skill. Even if the owl in question had orange-red wings, she wouldn''t compromise.


    For example, now... A group of owls with orange-red wings were blocking their doorstep, asking her to use her skill to revive an oak owl who had just died.


    Rita refused. She lowered her head, tightly gripping the wings of Maple Mu and Maple Cang, saying, "I want to save this skill for Maple Syrup, Maple Mu, and Maple Cang. I don''t want to take any risks."


    One of the owls became enraged and, disregarding the others'' attempts to stop him, shouted angrily, "They''re fine! They don''t even need this skill! Is it that you just don''t want to save him? He just turned 14 yesterday!"


    Rita didn''t hesitate. She refused again.


    Historical records about the oak owl leaders'' evaluations of Maple Syrup''s two fallen daughters helped shape their image, but there was a clear difference in tone.


    The leaders either mourned, admired, or lamented Maple Mu, but when it came to Maple Burn, their words were often overly polite, with an undertone of dissatisfaction.


    Even if Maple Burn had been timid and cowardly in the past, she must have had her own convictions¡ªotherwise, how could she have deserved the love and pain of Maple Syrup and Maple Cang? Her contribution to the oak owls must have been extraordinarily subtle, or else everyone wouldn''t have treated her with such ambivalence despite her resurrection skill.


    A coward''s courage is scarce. It will always be used in the places she cares about the most.

 Chapter 327 Maple Burn - She Wasnt Wrong

    Rita took a deep breath, looked up with tears streaming down her face, and shouted loudly, "Yes! I don''t want to! I''m keeping it! I''m keeping it for Maple Syrup, Maple Mu, and Maple Cang! I''ll never use it for any other owl!"


    Maple Syrup and Maple Mu were often out leveling up, and they loved to push their limits. The security in their area was poor, and several times, alien creatures had escaped the dungeon light barriers and attacked their home. Maple Cang had been injured multiple times while trying to protect them. Rita couldn''t possibly use her revival skill on some random owl with whom she had no close relationship. She was prepared for the possibility that the other owl might attack her in fury.


    But Maple Mu and Maple Cang stood in front of her, and even Maple Syrup, after a long sigh, stepped in front of Maple Burn, turning to face the other owl. Although they weren''t from the same mother, their mothers were sisters, and the two had once been close. "Sorry," Maple Syrup said softly.


    The other owl, Maple Gao, cried harder than Maple Burn, giving them both a cold look before turning to leave.


    That evening, as the owl family sat down for dinner, Maple Syrup was the first to serve Rita some food. "Maple Burn has grown up," she said with no trace of bitterness over the rupture with her relatives.


    Maple Mu rummaged through her vine bag, pulling out a delicate little pouch and slapping it onto the table. "A gift for your 5th birthday."


    Rita glanced at Maple Mu, sensing the subtle change in her attitude¡ªshe was now more affectionate and unguarded around her. Even Maple Syrup and Maple Cang seemed to look at her with more warmth. She didn''t dare to point out that it was still July, and her birthday wasn''t until October. If she mentioned it, Maple Mu might take the gift back. Instead, she quickly snatched up the pouch¡ªa 16-slot bag, even better than Maple Mu''s own¡ªand couldn''t help but laugh. "Thanks, sis."


    Maple Cang patted Rita''s head. "You''ll have to wait for my gift, but today is the happiest day of my life."


    Maple Syrup laughed heartily, causing some buttered beer to spill. "You''re only 9 years old, your wings aren''t even fully developed, and you''re already talking about life!"


    Rita chuckled along with Maple Syrup, wondering, "What will you do?"


    You, who refuse to save even your own relatives, and unconditionally defend your daughters¡ªhow will you convince others to follow you?


    Maple Syrup, ever versatile, could not only wield a spear and a whip, but also shoot arrows well. She crouched behind Maple Burn, wrapping her arms around her and guiding her hands to draw the bow Maple Syrup had crafted for her, helping Maple Burn fire her first arrow.


    The arrow hit the target perfectly, and Maple Syrup, with childlike enthusiasm, cheered in her ear, "The sharpshooter Maple Burn has arrived!"


    Rita almost laughed at Maple Syrup''s childishness, but even worse, Maple Syrup began tickling her. Both Rita and Maple Burn, the latter''s current body, were extremely ticklish. Rita had to twist and turn, dodging Maple Syrup''s hands. She thought to herself, This is definitely part of your legendary history, isn''t it?


    As she tried to dodge, she glanced over at Maple Mu. She was looking at them with a soft expression that Rita rarely saw on her. It was a look she usually reserved for Maple Cang.


    Rita almost thought she was imagining things, but when she turned back, Maple Mu''s expression was back to her usual confident, battle-ready smile. She then lowered her head and began stitching a bag, while Maple Cang, nearby, picked out some jewels¡ªgifts that Maple Syrup and Maple Mu had brought back.


    Maple Syrup''s battle talent was the most formidable Rita had ever seen. Often, she didn''t even need to think; her instinctual choices seemed perfectly suited to the situation. Rita had seen her defeat a beast with several times her strength in a one-on-one fight, something Rita had done before with Nivalis. However, unlike the glitchy skill "Phantom Step" or the weak combat of Nivalis, this beast was a real threat.


    Maple Syrup''s success was based on her precise predictions, excellent positioning, swift attacks, and the clever use of her skills. She had killed that beast boss without taking a single hit.


    Rita silently cheered inside, I want to learn this!


    Luckily, she didn''t need to ask. Maple Syrup had already set her sights on teaching her daughters exactly that: how to kill monsters without taking damage¡ªusing every skill and movement to their advantage. Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    On the battlefield, soldiers were taught to bring down as many enemies as possible before their death, accepting the wounds in exchange for taking down enemies.


    But as Maple Syrup''s daughter, Maple Burn didn''t need to live by that rule.@@@@

 Chapter 328 Maple Burn · Afternoon Tea · Love and Responsibility

    In less than a year, Maple Syrup, who was already ranked in the top three of the leaderboard, managed to pull all three of her daughters into the top 100, with impressive combat abilities. Even the "weakest" of them, Maple Burn, was now exceptional at surviving and dodging skills.


    Those Oak Owls who had left Maple Syrup before now wanted to return. Many were attempting to join Maple Syrup''s team again. Coincidentally, Maple Syrup received another Legion Commander''s Seal and decided to create a new legion, naming it "Afternoon Tea."


    She quickly added her three daughters to the legion and accepted all Oak Owls'' requests to join. Even those who had criticized her previously were welcomed back into the fold. However, every time an Oak Owl joined, Maple Syrup would make it clear that Maple Burn''s resurrection skill would not be used on anyone except Maple Syrup herself.


    Despite this, Maple Syrup''s strength continued to draw Oak Owls to follow her.


    One evening, while the four of them were having dinner together, Maple Cang asked curiously, "Aren''t you angry with them? They spoke badly about you, saying you were heartless and cold-blooded, not fit to be a leader."


    Maple Mu continued eating as usual, while Rita immediately adjusted her expression, looking at Maple Syrup with innocent curiosity.


    Maple Syrup patiently taught her daughter, "No one wants to follow an Oak Owl who holds grudges, is petty, or narrow-minded. Sometimes, if you''re too unwilling to make sacrifices, you''ll lose even more. I can''t just rely on my strength to gain their trust. That would be too arrogant and only make them fear me."


    She smiled as she put some green chili, which Maple Cang hated, into her bowl. "Right now, I need them, so I have to feed them something sweet. But once I have all the power, I''ll make them eat something spicy¡ªeven if they don''t like it, they''ll have to swallow it with a smile."


    She then placed the green chili into Maple Burn''s bowl, as the little owl loved it. "Do you understand?"


    Rita nodded, understanding the lesson. "I get it! To harvest the fruit, you first need to water and fertilize it. When it''s grown, you can prune the branches you don''t like."


    Maple Syrup patted Maple Burn''s head. "I knew Maple Burn was smart, she just prefers to keep a low profile."


    She might not shine as brightly as Maple Syrup, who was like the brightest star in the Forest Sea, but in many ways, she resembled Maple Syrup. Her every word and action reflected her effort to learn from her mother.


    However, Rita noticed that Maple Mu''s life goal didn''t seem to be about achieving great feats; rather, it was to never bring shame to Maple Syrup. The Oak Owls'' following and worship didn''t compare to a single compliment from Maple Syrup.


    Maple Syrup''s ideals were her ideals. Whatever Maple Syrup wanted, she would alter her plans to obtain it as quickly as possible. If Maple Syrup wanted to kill an Oak Owl, even if Maple Mu had fought beside them the day before, she would not hesitate to eliminate them.


    During the Hazelnut Festival of 7196 in the Ruin Core year, Maple Syrup stayed in her cabin with her daughters. After dinner, she took out nine tiles of a game that Rita was very familiar with. Among them was the "tongzi" tile, but unlike the ones Rita knew, these had fish tails instead of acorns.


    Maple Syrup explained what these tiles were, what functions they had, and their features. She also mentioned that she would soon be heading to the world battlefield but wasn''t sure if she would return.


    She then took out three 30-slot game bags made by Maple Mu and began pulling out equipment, items, and coins, introducing them one by one before placing them in the bags.


    "These are the fruits of my labor over the years, my love as a mother. I will divide them equally among you. No matter how talented you are, whether you are brave, gentle, or loyal only to family, or whether you have my personality or not, I love you all."


    She then pushed the three bags toward Maple Mu, Maple Cang, and Maple Burn, respectively. "And ''Afternoon Tea'' is my responsibility as the leader of the Maple lineage. I can only pass it on to the daughter best suited to be the leader. Maple Cang, Maple Burn, do you understand my intentions? I promise, this is the first and last time I will show favoritism."


    "If I don''t come back, ''Afternoon Tea'' will be passed on to Maple Mu."


    Maple Cang and Rita had no objections. The former was naturally gentle and had no interest in power, though this didn''t mean she wasn''t clever. Within "Afternoon Tea," her role was more about research and creating jewelry, as long as Maple Syrup could find the materials. Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire


    As for Rita, most of the time she fought alongside Maple Mu in dungeons, and her nature was not inclined toward scheming or managing.@@@@

 Chapter 329 Maple Burn · Feeling Helpless · A Vow

    Managing a guild, balancing the power and ambitions of different factions, is an art form. But managing people is an even bigger test for a leader''s mental health.


    Take Rita, for example. She can maintain a superficial friendship with RickZoey and others, but that''s only because she''s secretly causing them losses behind the scenes. After stealing their stats and gear, she acts friendly toward them. This isn''t driven by negative emotions; on the contrary, it brings her pleasure, much like a murderer returning to the crime scene to admire their work.


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    But when you''re the leader of a guild...


    Sometimes, when Rita sees certain Oak Owls, she really wants to kill them. If Sanchez were leading Maple Mu, half of the Oak Owls in Afternoon Tea would be dead by now, with Sanchez taking a break for lunch before continuing his killing spree.@@@@


    However, Maple Mu is able to endure. Even if an Oak Owl is utterly worthless, as long as they haven''t insulted Maple Syrup, Maple Cang, or Maple Burn, and their Divine Gift is useful, she will still embrace them with a smile, even if it means risking injury to save them on the battlefield. Rita once had to heal her so much, she almost developed high blood pressure from the stress.


    One time, an Oak Owl, who was supposed to be a tank, failed to interrupt a beast''s ultimate attack when it was his turn. Rita witnessed him glance at Maple Mu, not only failing to act but subtly guiding the attack towards her. Rita nearly lost her temper, but Maple Mu withstood it, leaving her HP at 0.19%. Rita immediately threw all her healing skills at her.


    After the battle, the Oak Owl bowed and apologized, claiming it was an accident. Maple Mu, sensing something was off but unable to prove it, didn''t take immediate action. If she had killed him, it would have been hard to justify. More importantly, the Oak Owl''s tank ability was essential¡ªlosing him would be disastrous. He gave her an out, so she graciously accepted his apology.


    Rita, on the other hand, felt as though all her accumulated frustrations were nothing compared to what Maple Mu endured in a single day. That day, Rita missed Sanchez so much. If Sanchez had been there, the Oak Owl would likely have been dead on the spot.


    Maple Mu responded calmly, "It''s fine. As long as they trust and support Maple Syrup, that''s enough."


    When Maple Syrup was around, Maple Mu''s role was to manage Afternoon Tea so that Maple Syrup wouldn''t be troubled by the small details. But with Maple Syrup gone, her focus was entirely on protecting Afternoon Tea. The more ruthless she became, the more the Oak Owls would yearn for Maple Syrup.


    Rita and Maple Cang naturally supported Maple Mu. For Maple Cang, everything Maple Mu did was right because she was family. For Rita, it was because Maple Mu had given so much.


    After learning archery from Maple Syrup, Rita had received seven archery skill books, all starting at B-level. After Maple Syrup''s departure, Maple Mu took on the responsibility of finding the best bows, arrows, and shooting skills for Rita. Though not as good as what Maple Syrup brought back, Maple Mu did her best to bring back valuable items for Maple Burn and Maple Cang. The most precious ones, of course, she kept for Maple Syrup.


    In mid-7197 of the Ruin Core calendar, all Oak Owls heard an announcement. Their life levels had increased, and they celebrated. But Maple Mu, Maple Cang, and Rita were the only ones feeling sorrowful.


    Maple Syrup had returned, missing one eye and one leg. Rita immediately began using her healing skills, and to her surprise, even Maple Cang was crying. But the one who cared most for Maple Syrup, Maple Mu, showed no tears.


    After healing, Maple Syrup smiled and embraced Maple Mu, Maple Cang, and Rita. Then, with some members of Afternoon Tea who had supported Maple Mu after her departure, they used a portal to reach High Tower.


    Rita had once thought it was just an oak tree, but after living in Forest Sea for over two hundred years, she realized it was an extremely special tree. It was not only the first oak in Forest Sea but also the only oak to have grown from a Mu Tree seed. It combined the best qualities of both oak and Mu Tree, standing as the tallest, strongest, and most beautiful tree in the entire Forest Sea.


    Though "High Tower" looked different from what Rita had seen in Lania Kaia, she knew that in the near future, the Oak Owls would modify this tree and move the dungeon projection here.

 Chapter 330 Maple Burn · Mother, I Have a Dream

    Rita had a front-row seat to witness the oath sworn beneath the High Tower, a moment that would go down in the history of the Oak Owls.


    In the ceremony, Maple Syrup stood with her left arm around Maple Mu¡ªwho was about her height¡ªand her right hand holding Maple Cang. On her back was the eight-year-old Maple Burn.


    This year, Rita had heard about many Oak Owls mysteriously defecting, forming three separate organizations. When Rita first heard the news, she couldn''t believe it. After all, Eclipse Vanguard had only sent six small squads.


    This year, the 11 foreign races had already occupied one-third of the dungeon holograms, with powerful foreign races guarding them. The Oak Owls were unable to clear these dungeons in time, and every seven days, new foreign soldiers would pour out of the holograms.


    Maple Syrup began taking them to battle, clearing out the foreign invaders in the Forest Sea and gathering forces to reclaim the dungeon holograms.


    As Maple Syrup became more familiar with Lania Kaia, Rita finally worked up the courage to ask a question she''d been curious about for some time. "Why do they have so many foot soldiers? It''s like no matter how many we kill, more just keep coming. Do they breed like spores?"


    Maple Syrup, having looked into the matter herself, explained to her daughter:


    "The Sea Demons cultivate a kind of sea beast that can lay a million eggs every day. As long as the foreign races feed this creature with some of their flesh and blood, the eggs hatch into foreign soldiers. The longer the incubation, the higher the level of the soldier that emerges, and they might even inherit some of the abilities of their blood donor. The foreign soldiers you see below level 45? At least 80% of them were quick-hatched low-tier soldiers."


    "Doesn''t giving them blood harm the foreign races? Are they, like, their children?"@@@@


    "Perhaps. I''ve heard that the soldiers born this way don''t look like their blood donors. Each foreign race can only donate flesh once a month, but the major royal families of the foreign races reward those who donate, so they''re generally happy to do so."


    Maple Syrup always answered Rita''s questions¡ªexcept when it came to the World Battlefield. That one remained a mystery, which bothered Rita. Furthermore, collecting World Tombs was tough for Maple Syrup. It was all based on luck. Interestingly, Maple Cang seemed to have an inherent connection to them and managed to find one, which she gave to Maple Syrup.


    Occasionally, Maple Syrup would give Rita a shooting skill book. These were rare, though, because she would only give them out once she had collected the necessary ones for all three daughters. More importantly, her standards were high¡ªshe wouldn''t even consider anything below A-grade, thinking it unworthy for her daughters.


    "Oh, really?" Rita thought, "A little proud, aren''t we?"


    One morning, after realizing this, Rita quietly pulled Maple Syrup aside and whispered, "Mother, I want to talk to you about my dream."


    The bloodlust and fierce aura accumulated over years of battle instantly melted from Maple Syrup''s face. Her expression became sweet and gentle. She crouched down, hugging Maple Burn, and asked softly, "Tell me, what''s your dream?"


    In the year 7200, Maple Burn, at age 11, finally rose to special upper rank¡ªno, she finally gained a reputation, becoming an extremely well-known support on the battlefield!


    She used her skills sparingly. Her healing never overflowed or went to waste. But as long as she was in charge of a team, no one ever died. As long as you had even a breath left, she''d make sure to pull you back from the hands of death, every single time. In Maple Burn''s team, you could always trust her.


    It was also this year that Pine Bloom, who had always been beneath Maple Syrup and Peach Crown, obtained a dragon named Lidian. Discover more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    When Maple Syrup heard that Pine Bloom had gotten a dragon, she sulked for several days at home.


    "How could this happen?" she grumbled. "It''s not that impressive..."


    "The dragon''s wings are ugly..."


    "How did she get a dragon?..."


    "It''s a red dragon! The color matches our orange-red wings so well! Pine Bloom''s green wings look terrible in comparison!"


    "Is she even capable of taking care of a dragon?"


    Rita watched in silence, barely able to hide her amusement, until Maple Mu threw a petal bun at her. If Rita hadn''t caught it in time, it would''ve fallen to the ground.


    "That''s my special petal bun! Maple Syrup gave me a new recipe! It raises luck by 1 point temporarily!"


    Rita squeezed the bun in her hand, glaring at Maple Mu. I''m seriously annoyed right now!


    But, remembering that Maple Mu had just given her a C-grade skill the day before, one that changed the color of her eyes, hair, wings, and even teeth¡ªshe let it go.


    It was just another day of eating soft food and enduring frustration at the hands of her older sister.


    Maple Cang seemed to particularly enjoy watching Maple Mu "bully" Maple Burn. She smiled and observed the entire scene, reaching up to smooth Rita''s hair. It always seemed that when Rita got angry, her feathers would ruffle slightly, both in her hair and wings.


    Maple Mu was very good to Maple Cang as well, though Maple Cang had a more tolerant personality. Over time, Rita began to notice that, in terms of behavior, Maple Mu truly resembled an older sister. She took responsibility for caring for both her younger sisters, always ensuring they had skill books and equipment, and thoughtfully helping them match skills.

 Chapter 331 Maple Burn · Bear Cookies · Cheers

    Of course, it''s not like Maple Burn and Maple Cang only know how to enjoy life without giving anything back.


    Maple Cang, aside from her love for sleeping in, is actually a pretty great sister and daughter. The jewelry and equipment she makes for Maple Syrup, Maple Mu, and Maple Burn are always crafted from the best materials. She meticulously works on them until the final pieces look like works of art. Yet, the necklace she wears¡ªone made of Bear Cookies¡ªwas created by none other than Maple Burn not too long ago. It consists of twelve Bear Cookies strung together.


    At first, the cookies weren''t even shaped like little bears. There was no such thing as Bear Cookies back then. Rita never would have done something so silly. Initially, she just baked a batch of round cookies. One tray didn''t bake well and scored only a 93, so she turned them into a necklace for Maple Cang. She jokingly said, "You can snack on these at night if you get hungry."


    Maple Cang loved that necklace of small cookies. Rita had been with Maple Burn for a long time, and she had never seen Maple Cang show such open affection before. Maple Cang took the cookie necklace, added a few gems, and it instantly turned into a decent blue-quality accessory. But of course, it was still just cookies, and nothing could compare to the high-end metals that Maple Syrup and Maple Mu had retrieved for her.


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    That day, Rita sat outside under a Mu tree, staring at Forest Sea, deep in thought. She couldn''t quite understand why Maple Cang attached such meaning to something so simple. Why not just get a better necklace with more attributes?@@@@


    It was just regular cookies. She would bake batches every few days, and always put them in the living room, next to the butter beer in a wooden tray, alongside fresh flowers. The cookies were never out of stock. Whenever she swapped out the flowers, she''d also make sure to check how many cookies were left.


    She had thought about trying different flavors, but Maple Cang seemed to genuinely like these cookies, or perhaps she was just being sentimental. Every time Rita tried a new snack, Maple Cang would ask why she wasn''t baking the little cookies anymore.


    Eventually, Maple Cang even brought her a recipe, saying she heard from Maple Syrup that the outside world had a cute little bear shape she wanted to try making. Rita had taken one look and thought, "Isn''t that the Bear Cookies from the Oaks?" It seemed like it had appeared earlier than expected, but that didn''t matter¡ªif it worked, it was fine. So, the round cookies by the butter beer barrel became shaped like little bears.


    Not long ago, Maple Cang had asked Rita to make her another Bear Cookies necklace. Rita did, and now Maple Cang wore it around her neck.


    ¡ª"Our orange-red wings allow you to choose an element or material as the source of your power and freely control it."


    ¡ª"After Lania Kaia''s invasion of Forest Sea, and receiving the Divine Gift, our abilities evolved. If you choose a natural element, any skill related to that element can be freely controlled and its power and form altered."


    Saying this, Maple Syrup opened her fingers and used her signature skill¡ªCheers¡ªagainst the enemy soldiers charging from the dungeon.


    The thunderous buzzing sound echoed through the air. A primal fear of thunder seemed ingrained in people''s genes, and even though Maple Syrup was right next to them, even though Rita knew it was Maple Syrup''s skill, she couldn''t help but enter a state of alert. She wasn''t afraid, but her heart still raced.


    Thunder and lightning filled the sky as dense bolts of lightning gathered, forming one "glass cup" after another, each glowing with light. The cups flew joyfully through the air as if they were at a party. Each cup contained a compressed ball of thunder.


    Once these cups touched an enemy, they would explode instantly. If they clinked together, the balls of thunder would collide, causing a larger thunderstorm to erupt.


    Although this wasn''t the first time Rita had seen it, she was still deeply moved. This was it!!! Her dream technique¡ªCheers! Just listen to the name; it matches her One-Person Party perfectly!


    One skill, and it had wiped out nearly half of the dungeon. What had been a lush, green area moments ago was now scorched earth.


    Whether she would get the orange-red wings after ascending the tower or not, she had to learn Cheers first!


    Maple Syrup retracted her skill and looked down at Maple Burn with a smile. She asked, "What do you want to choose?"

 Chapter 332 Maple Burn: Maybe Everything is Fake, but It Doesnt Matter

    Rita had no way of knowing what Maple Burn had chosen back then. Based on the available clues, it might have been fire, since Maple Burn loved cooking. Or perhaps a gentler wood element, as she didn''t like conflict or fighting, and wood was more associated with healing, nurturing, and support. There was also the possibility that she chose the wind element, like Maple Cang, because Maple Cang always wanted to take Maple Burn with her wherever she went, turning her into Maple Cang''s shadow.


    But at this moment, Rita''s desire for Cheers suppressed all other thoughts. Since Maple Syrup gave her the choice, even if she chose something different from the original Maple Burn, nothing truly unexpected would happen. She had already settled into this "home." Maple Syrup wouldn''t treat her like she did to the previous incarnation of Maple Cang, the one who had been killed off. The worst that could happen was Maple Syrup finding an excuse to end this teaching session.


    Even if, hypothetically, Maple Syrup killed her, she would just return in the next cycle, find Maple Burn, and take over her role with a disguise skill. She would get a second chance to choose again!


    This was a golden opportunity. She would aim for the best and wouldn''t settle for anything less.


    With determined eyes, Rita looked at Maple Syrup and said, "I want to learn this! I want to be like my mother. I want to choose lightning, I want to learn Cheers. Please, teach me, mother."


    Maple Syrup stared at her for a long time, her gaze softening more and more. She squatted down, gently holding Rita''s arms, and asked softly, "Aren''t you afraid?"


    Rita replied firmly, "I''m not afraid."


    Maple Syrup asked again, "Do you want to become stronger to protect your mother and sister?"


    Rita froze for a moment. Did she really mean that?


    As "Maple Burn," a support role, she could barely even defeat Maple Cang, let alone act as a protector. And the more she played this role, the more she understood that Maple Burn enjoyed being protected by her family. Her contributions were in other ways¡ªshe ensured the safety of her family while they fought.


    So, Rita, understanding her role as "Maple Burn" and how it fit into the family dynamic, chose another response: "No, I like being protected by my mother and sister. I just want to learn Cheers. I want to hear people call me ''Little Maple Syrup.''"


    Before Rita could analyze the change in Maple Syrup''s expression, she was suddenly pulled into a tight embrace. The force of the hug was so strong that Rita briefly thought her health bar might start dropping. After a long pause, Maple Syrup whispered, "Alright, mother will teach you."


    For a month, Maple Syrup personally took Rita across the Forest Sea, chasing and collecting thunderstorms. She handed over the tasks of Afternoon Tea to Maple Mu, as she considered the transformation of Maple Burn''s wings to be more important than dealing with the troubles in Forest Sea.


    Rita had to follow Maple Syrup''s instructions and gather lightning from nature to store in every feather of her wings. With time, this process would result in a qualitative change, ultimately altering the properties of her wings. It was an undeniably painful process.


    Maple Syrup sighed, "..."


    Maple Mu rolled her eyes and said, "Don''t listen to her nonsense. Mom''s curls are natural. Our family always has a little wave in our hair. You didn''t know? She used to sneak up at night to straighten it herself. Remember when she had curly hair until she was ten?"


    Rita touched her little braid, glaring at Maple Cang for her mischief.


    Maple Cang, after teasing her sister, finally said, "You know my Divine Gift skill is wind-based."


    Rita sighed, "But Cheers is just too cool."


    Maple Cang shrugged nonchalantly, "I can always create a similar skill myself."


    She turned to Maple Burn and smiled, "How about calling it Maple Burn? How does that sound?"


    Rita half-heartedly teased, "It sounds super powerful."


    Maple Cang caught her insincerity and gave her a playful smack on the head.


    After teaching Rita how to evolve her wings, Maple Syrup went back to being busy. Both Maple Mu and Maple Cang were now leading millions of owlbears, and coming home to eat with Rita was now a rare treat for them.


    Rita practiced controlling the power of lightning by herself at home. Despite no one being around, she still didn''t use her own skills like Thunder Cage or Hundred Thousand Volts. After all these years, she hadn''t used any soul-bound equipment, nor had she ventured outside to collect moonlight.


    Once Rita fully adapted to the thunderstorm power in her wings and no longer shocked herself with stray lightning, Maple Mu dragged her into her team again as a support role. Experience new tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    Despite Maple Syrup declaring that she wouldn''t use Maple Burn''s resurrection skill on anyone but herself, the other healing abilities of Cotton Candy were already incredibly strong.


    Not to mention, Maple Syrup had given her an even more powerful healing skill.@@@@

 Chapter 333 Maple Burn · 12-Month Interest-Free · I Woke Up Late Again

    12-Month Interest-Free (SS level): Every arrow or bullet you fire into the target''s body restores 10% of their health. There is no cap on the healing amount, but the target must repay the same amount of health within the next 12 hours. After 12 hours, for every five-minute delay, the repayment amount increases by 50%. Each time you empower an arrow or bullet, it costs 50 mana points, takes 1 second to cast, and has no cooldown.


    The beauty of this skill lies in the fact that the "loan" is issued by Rita, but the repayment falls on the target...


    Moreover, this skill can be prepared in advance. Rita spent several sleepless nights empowering 2,000 arrows with this ability. When these healing arrows are shot into a target, they instantly turn into healing light and disappear inside the target''s body.


    So, even if all other healing skills are on cooldown, as long as there are arrows in her quiver, no player on the field will die. What''s even more terrifying is that they''ve become so accustomed to not dodging Maple Burn''s arrows.


    Rita unilaterally declared that the true treasure of High Tower was undoubtedly Maple Syrup.


    In the year Ruincore 7201, Maple Cang was assassinated by an alliance of foreign races and traitorous owlbears within the ranks of the Afternoon Tea. At the time of the attack, there was also a high-ranking owlbear leader present. Maple Burn was there, but more than half of the owlbears on site had been saved by that high-ranking leader. Compared to Maple Cang, they had much more respect for that leader.


    Together, they forced Maple Burn to abandon Maple Cang and resurrect the high-ranking owlbear leader.


    The 12-year-old owlbear was surrounded. They counted Maple Cang''s contributions, and everything pointed to the fact that saving Feng Heng (the high-ranking leader) was far more valuable than saving Maple Cang. Feng Heng was the only SS-ranked being in Afternoon Tea aside from Maple Syrup.


    This was a battlefield, not a limited participant dungeon, and there were at least 3,000 elite owlbears present, all with levels 2-3 higher than Rita''s.


    Rita didn''t argue. She stayed by Maple Cang''s body, which had been kicked to a corner, using the perfect terrain to defend for 7 minutes with her rudimentary Cheers and the combat skills she had learned from Maple Syrup, Maple Mu, and Maple Cang over the years. She kept up the fight and survived long enough until Maple Mu arrived.


    By the time Rita fell, her wings were nearly hacked in half.


    She longed for her One-Person Party... If only she could steal attribute points, these rookies wouldn''t be so arrogant...@@@@


    All her healing skills had already been used up. She took out a healing arrow, stabbed herself, replenished her health, and continued guarding Maple Cang''s body while firing arrows to heal Maple Mu.


    Maple Mu slaughtered at least half of the owlbears present, and used Cheers to smash Feng Heng''s body to pieces. The remaining owlbears fled the scene and exited Afternoon Tea as they ran.


    What she had gained from this exchange was not just the three Upgrade Cups.


    In the year Ruincore 7203, on "Maple Burn''s" birthday, Maple Syrup, Maple Mu, and Maple Cang gifted Rita an SS-level escape skill as her 14th birthday present.


    Dandelion Blow (SS level): Instantly transform into a million dandelions. Wherever the wind blows, the path beneath your feet forms. The wind cannot be stopped, and neither can you. This skill has no mana cost, but the dandelions will take damage, which will be reflected back onto you. Cooldown time: 30 minutes.


    This is an advanced version of Mist Reach, which not only allows you to escape but can also be used defensively when needed.


    Rita immediately used her second Upgrade Cup on this skill.


    However, Rita also died that year, on the day after her 14th birthday.


    That day, she woke up, went out to pick fruits, and was planning to make some dried plums. Not long ago, Maple Cang had given her a recipe for dried plums, and eating them could prevent her from being interrupted by time stop skills.


    But as she flew out of the wooden house, she saw Maple Cake, whose expression was eerily calm. She had been waiting for this day for a long, long time.


    This was Rita''s second death since entering the tower...


    At that moment, Rita could have escaped in countless ways, even using her newly obtained Dandelion Blow to survive.


    But sadly... it was the year Ruincore 7203, the exact year Maple Burn was destined to die according to history. The time seemed to line up perfectly with the time when Maple Burn had died in the past.


    No matter whether Rita wanted to or not, Maple Burn had to leave. Moreover, Maple Cake was clearly prepared for this.


    Rita only had time to use her last Upgrade Cup on the S-level skill Silent Hill, and before she knew it, her health was drained by Maple Cake.


    As she fell, she saw the sad, desperate, and numb eyes of Maple Mu. She also saw Maple Cang, whose eyes held pain, but beneath that pain, there was a trace of anticipation and joy.

 Chapter 334 Maple Burn · Greedy Dragon · Doubts

    When Rita regained consciousness, she realized that there were only 47 days left until she could exit the Tower. She had been unconscious for 10 whole days! She immediately checked which skill she had lost this time.


    It was another B-grade skill¡ªBreak Time!


    She felt lucky that it was a skill she could afford to lose. She had accumulated over 40 B-grade attack skills in the Tower over the years, so losing two of them wasn''t much of a loss. Plus, with the Dandelion Blow skill that Maple Syrup had helped her acquire, the need for Break Time was already quite minimal.


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    At the moment, due to her "foolishness," she was assigned to clean the battlefield of corpses. Rita continued to maintain this "foolish" persona, spending her days either cleaning up or sneaking stat points. Whenever she saw a Divine Gift that could save her life, she would try to acquire it, aiming to raise her strength so she could protect herself.


    She couldn''t afford to make another mistake. Not only did she not want to lose any more skills, but she also needed to ensure that she was in top condition when leaving the Tower.


    After finding a secluded spot, she summoned Nivalis. She had placed a note in the pet space, asking Nivalis not to come out until it was safe. When Nivalis emerged, she looked worried. "What''s happened? I''ve been so worried!"


    Rita silently watched as Nivalis fidgeted with a phone in her claws. The screen was still showing a match of a puzzle game.


    Nivalis noticed Rita''s gaze and nonchalantly hid the phone, saying, "I''ve been feeling down, couldn''t eat, so I decided to distract myself."@@@@


    Rita didn''t push it, but asked Nivalis to stay by her side and keep watch.


    Nivalis knew Rita wouldn''t really be upset. She had always admired Rita for this¡ªshe never asked much from anyone around her. Rita''s happiness, safety, ideals, and pursuits were never dependent on others, even Nivalis, her contracted pet.


    Even when training her for battles, it was more out of Snow Pile''s request than Rita''s own demand. Before entering the Tower, Nivalis had boasted to Holy Cup about how great Rita was. Holy Cup had replied, "If she never demands anything from you, it means she''s prepared to lose you at any time."


    Nivalis had been angered by this at the time but couldn''t argue back effectively. She had even snapped, "But I''m never leaving her!"


    Holy Cup had said with a teasing tone, "You want her to like you, to trust you completely, and not be able to live without you. But do you think she would ever abandon you?"


    Nivalis, though irritated, had no response to that.


    Nivalis'' voice was filled with panic. "But Snow Pile never mentioned anything like this!"


    Rita calmly reassured her, "Maybe he couldn''t say anything. And don''t forget how casually Wind Shear gave me Absolute Clarity. That was a warning of sorts."


    Nivalis hesitated. "Are you sure?"


    Rita nodded. "If I get wings of light when I leave the Tower and they''re linked to Maple Burn... there''s a good chance that''s what''s really happening."


    Maple Burn might revive through the wings of light, within her.


    The true purpose of the High Tower might not only be to memorialize the 12 heroic spirits of the alien races. It might also be preparing for the resurrection of the oak spirits. The thunderous battle songs echoed like a celebration of the heroes'' return.


    No wonder the other 11 races restricted their own people from entering the Tower. Perhaps their leaders knew something, but there were restrictions, like the pigeons, preventing them from speaking out. Strangely enough, they hadn''t pursued the light oak spirits either.


    Nivalis suddenly gasped. "But what about your own kind?"


    Rita didn''t respond immediately. This was the hardest part. The highest levels of the 11 alien races couldn''t speak openly about this, and Rita herself might have been unknowingly cursed with a silencing spell.


    But for now, it was a relief. Being unable to speak freely was probably the best outcome.


    If she could tell everyone, it would complicate things once she left the Tower. Could she reveal this to Eclipse Vanguard? That would be like digging her own grave. Even if she said she wouldn''t be taken over by the oak spirits, others wouldn''t believe her.


    If she kept quiet? She couldn''t stand by and do nothing while an enemy took control of her people. But she couldn''t expose herself either.


    For now, she would go with the standard explanation: "Living as an oak spirit for 300 years in the Tower means even the strongest will be influenced and eventually assimilated."


    That should be enough to keep Eclipse Vanguard on guard, without making them go as far as to wipe them out. They couldn''t justify it yet.


    In the end, Snow Pile''s approach was probably the best conclusion.

 Chapter 335 Leaving the Tower · The Fated Savior

    In the days leading up to the final moment, Rita became as low-key as possible. She even stopped trimming her hair, only occasionally checking on the news about the rebel owls. She soon found out that the only remaining organization was one named "Kill the Colleague."@@@@


    Rita & Nivalis: ...


    They couldn''t help but wonder who was in charge of this group. Was it Shadow.Q? They laughed at the thought.


    After enduring this curiosity for a while, Nivalis couldn''t take it anymore. Since she could return to her pet space at any time, and Rita had mentioned she had obtained a life-saving Divine Gift skill, Nivalis flew off to investigate this mysterious organization.


    A few days later, Nivalis returned, looking panicked. "It really is Shadow.Q."


    Rita: ?


    "What do you mean by ''it really is''?" Rita asked, confused.


    Nivalis pulled out her phone and showed Rita a picture. On the screen was an owl with a serene, almost transcendent smile, exuding a "detached from the world" aura¡ªexactly like a certain meme of someone wearing a winter coat and smiling with a lotus in hand.


    Rita couldn''t help but feel a little concerned for Shadow.Q''s mental state. Could she really have worked for 300 years?


    Nivalis shook her head. "I asked her directly. She said she''s Shadow.Q." Explore stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    "But she''s not crazy," Nivalis quickly added. "She told me she usually works for 10 years every 40 years¡ªspending 40 years meditating, and just 10 years gathering intelligence. She doesn''t do more than that."


    Meditating, huh? That was an interesting way to put it. Considering how long she''d been at it, Nivalis figured she''d probably been at it for around 50 years at least.


    "She must be losing her mind," Rita mumbled, worried.


    "So, what''s her organization like now?" Rita asked.


    "There are only two people left¡ªShadow.Q and Sanchez."


    She looked around to see tens of thousands of owls gathered, with a figure she recognized standing before her¡ªthe Owl King, who was smiling warmly at her. But then she noticed someone else standing next to the Owl King. It was... Maple Cang?!


    Maple Cang''s gaze swept over the furry wind scythes standing around her. Rita felt something stir in her, as if Maple Cang was searching for something.


    Rita''s eyes moved instinctively to the Fate Out of Sync tower''s peak. Inside, the Moon Sand was gone¡ªvanished without a trace. A rush of excitement surged within her. This was the best result¡ªMoon Sand was now in her hands, and the task for Blue Star was complete. But for some reason, she had the strange feeling that the moon in the sky above the fortress was dimmer than usual.


    As her thoughts drifted, she started scanning the area. One, two, three... six. There were only six wind scythes. Six owls floating in the air, illuminated by moonlight. No one was using any flight abilities, yet they were all floating, as if by some invisible force.


    She recalled that she and her squad had been the last to enter the tower. So, out of the 51 who entered, only six had made it out?


    Before she could fully process the situation, a notification rang in her ears:


    [Ding¡ªDetected player is the fated savior of the Owl Spirit Maple Burn.]


    [Owl Spirit Maple Burn has voluntarily given you her orange-red wings.]


    [Upon accepting the wings, your race will not change.]


    [These wings will embed themselves in your soul, becoming one with you, and cannot be separated.]


    [You will gain all the talents of these wings.]


    [Additionally, you will randomly inherit one skill from the Owl Spirit Maple Burn''s Divine Gift¡ª.]


    [If you refuse, the wings will have no place to exist and will fade away completely.]


    [This may be the new life you''ve been searching for, or it could be a nightmare from which you can never awaken.]


    [Do you accept?]

 Chapter 336 I Say Cotton Candy Has Not Expired Until Its Expired

    Rita looked up towards Maple Cang, who was standing outside the protective barrier at the top of the tower. Maple Cang''s gaze shifted back and forth between Rita and another wind hawk nearby, as if she couldn''t look at them enough. Her expression remained calm and controlled, but after living with Maple Burn for so many years, Rita could easily recognize the overwhelming joy in Maple Cang''s eyes.


    Rita followed Maple Cang''s gaze toward the wind hawk behind her. The orange-red light behind the wind hawk had already solidified into the bones of a right-wing. The bones, curved almost level with the wind hawk''s head, formed four branches from large to small, resembling the shape of "7" from the shoulder armor. The tips of these wing bones reached down to the hawk''s knees, with the glow growing less intense towards the lower half.


    At that moment, the left wing bone also began to form, perfectly mirroring the right. Feathers made of orange-red light began to sprout from the bones, but unlike the feathers of other hawks, these floated loosely in the wind. The glowing feathers swayed gently in the breeze, moving in the same direction like flowing fire.


    Rita could immediately tell that these wings did not belong to Maple Burn, but rather Maple Mu. That orange-red glowing wing on the wind hawk''s back belonged to Maple Mu! Not a remnant consciousness of the Maple Mu spirit, but Maple Mu herself¡ªwas she a tower climber all along?


    But every player had disguised themselves with the [Fake ID] skill before entering the tower, and no one could reveal their true identities¡ªnot even Rita''s pocket watch could detect them. Three hundred years had passed, and she had long since forgotten the details of everyone''s disguise. The only clue she could piece together was the wind hawk''s distinctive skis.


    Rita closed her eyes, a complex mix of emotions flooding her mind.


    "I accept, I accept!"


    She already had [Violent Moonlight], [Absolute Clarity], [Soul Resistance], [Moment of Reversal], and [You Wait, I''ll Be Right Back]. She had so many ways to protect herself and manipulate the system, plus skills from her [Soul Catcher] that could alter the flow of the game. There was no way she would let go of the orange-red wings, and she wasn''t about to lose.


    The sensation of the wing bones slowly growing from her back was incredibly clear¡ªshe didn''t need to learn how to use them. The three hundred years she spent as an owl had made her as familiar with the wings as with her own limbs. Her mind also quickly ran through the five skills of the [Cotton Candy] Divine Gift.@@@@


    One skill stood out¡ªone she wasn''t too excited about.


    [I Say Cotton Candy Has Not Expired Until It''s Expired]: Revives a living being that has been dead for no more than one natural day. The casting time is 5 minutes, and the cooldown is 10 natural days (this cooldown cannot be shortened by any means; the cooldown begins only after successfully reviving a being).


    Some players used their skills, while others shattered their teleportation stones. However, the Hawk King''s abilities immediately interrupted the latter, forcing them to use skills to escape instead.


    Rita had hoped to meet Peach Crisp in the real world after the mission and exchange her [New Monthly Additions] skill, but it seemed that Peach Crisp wasn''t around.


    Turning her head, Rita dashed forward, initially planning to save her skill crystals if the mission went smoothly. But as soon as she left the barrier, she was forced to use several skill crystals.


    She used [I Can''t Die Here] and [I Don''t Want to Die at All], but didn''t use her Rogue skill to leave. Her eyes were fixed on the wind hawk with the same orange-red wings.


    After breaking through the encirclement, she followed the wind hawk with the same wings closely. Halfway through, the wind hawk disappeared for a short time using some skill, but Rita quickly caught up by using the [Hunter''s Trail] skill she had obtained on the island.


    The wind hawk sidestepped a falling island stone and glanced back at her, a thick smile on its face, reminiscent of when Maple Mu had guided her through the Forest Sea.


    Rita shouted, "You look like a bicycle seat with dark circles under your eyes! Can you stop acting so elegant?!"


    The wind hawk in front: "..."


    Finally, the two mongooses stopped over a secluded floating island. Rita looked at the hawk and asked, "Who are you?"


    "Maple Mu" smiled softly. "Maple Burn, don''t you recognize me? I''m Maple Mu."


    Rita immediately denied it, "Impossible, not so soon... they..." She was about to continue, but suddenly found herself unable to speak. Her mouth vanished for a moment, replaced by a smooth patch of skin with several flickering acorn patterns. A few seconds later, her mouth reappeared, and she hesitantly touched her lips, unsure of what had just happened.

 Chapter 337 Maple Mu!

    "Maple Mu" looked at Rita with a hint of affection. She said, "Maple Burn, since you''ve recognized me, why not admit it? I''m telling you, I''m Maple Mu."


    Rita''s certainty about the current state of "Maple Mu" grew. Her behavior mirrored the times when Rita had gotten too deeply into a role and couldn''t pull herself out. After all, since she had become Maple Burn, Maple Mu had always acted like this.


    Her mind quickly raced, and she asked, "How many times have you been Maple Mu?"


    It was phrased as a question, but Rita''s tone left no room for doubt.


    "Maple Mu" was silent for a while, then finally gave a resigned compromise. This expression, Rita had seen countless times when playing Maple Burn¡ªMaple Mu always looked strong but would compromise for Maple Cang and Maple Burn. She was the easiest to deal with at home. "Maple Mu" said, "300 years, every cycle, every day."


    The answer exceeded anything Rita had expected, and her heart skipped a beat. She asked with difficulty, "Do you remember who you were before?"


    "Maple Mu" looked at her but didn''t answer.


    That question had lost its meaning¡ªit didn''t matter whether she remembered or not. She had already made her choice.


    Rita realized the question was foolish. "Maple Mu" gave one last look at Rita, took out a teleportation stone from Eclipse Vanguard, crushed it, and vanished before Rita''s eyes.


    Rita closed her eyes for a moment. She found a hidden spot on the floating island to hide, then sent a message to Shadow.Q.


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    [Rita]: Who were the six players who ascended the tower?


    [Shadow.Q]: It''s 1 AM, off work now, I''ll get back to you after 9 AM tomorrow.


    [Shadow.Q]: Oh, don''t worry about Fate Out of Sync, the mission''s been completed.


    Rita was speechless.


    [Rita]: Shadow.Q, where''s your ambition and wolfishness gone?!@@@@


    But she didn''t attack either. She remained hidden in the air, listening to the screams of The Lopez Family as she thought about how to deal with Zoey.


    She remembered the phrase from the destined savior mission: "Perhaps this is the rebirth you''ve been seeking." Undoubtedly, becoming Maple Mu was Zoey''s desired rebirth.


    Once she killed The Lopez Family, she would surely "return" to Lania Kaia. But Rita couldn''t let her leave. Today, she would kill Zoey! She had to complete her revenge!


    The Lopez Family mansion was set ablaze. Zoey''s character information quickly approached [Matthew] and a woman named [Sofia].


    Rita heard Matthew''s exclamation: "Zoey?!"


    She had expected Zoey to say something to bid farewell to her past, but no, Zoey didn''t bother.


    She had achieved the most perfect, ideal life. Those 300 years had illuminated her world like fireworks, completing her heart, leaving her uninterested in the past. She didn''t even want to waste words on it.


    Now, Black Jade''s hideout wasn''t far from here. Eclipse Vanguard monitored Black Jade 24/7, and they were the first to sense the skills being used here. Rita saw them rushing over.


    She could disguise herself and kill her way out, but it didn''t seem right.


    From Ruincore7193 to Ruincore7203, she had spent ten years with Zoey. While she was constantly playing Maple Burn, she had only mimicked behavior and personality. Many little habits and subtle expressions she hadn''t consciously changed, and honestly, she couldn''t.


    Those small habits were something only an outsider would notice. The person involved would be blind to them.


    For example, Rita could recall many small habits of Zoey, Maple Syrup, and Maple Cang: how they ate, fought, and talked. Zoey might not even notice these small habits herself, but others with the same sharp observational skills would. After 300 years in the High Tower, trained in combat and keen observation, they would spot these details.


    At such a crucial moment, she couldn''t let her guard down. If anyone realized her true identity, Zoey would immediately associate her with the enemy who had been lurking in the shadows for so long.


    At such a key moment, her real identity was the safest bet. The more straightforward she was, the more she could sever ties with the enemy. But she needed to find a reason to kill Zoey, a justification that no one could suspect.


    She took out Soul Catcher and told a lie: "Zoey betrayed Blue Star. She''s going to kill every Blue Star player she sees."


    [A Lie] (1/1): Using this skill makes your lie become truth. Duration: 7 natural days.


    Minutes later, the now unmasked Zoey, carrying the unconscious [Sofia], flew out of the mansion window. She dropped the unconscious woman at the gate, then started slaughtering the Blue Star players who ran out of The Lopez Family.

 Chapter 338 The First Female Protagonist

    Zoey''s skills were overpowering. Her fiery whips lashed out like serpents, and any player struck by them within The Lopez Family mansion was instantly killed. Her Divine Gift allowed her to heal as she fought.@@@@


    Black Jade watched from the sky, enjoying the spectacle. However, the players from Eclipse Vanguard could no longer stand idly by and rushed forward to stop Zoey.


    Zoey''s combat abilities were on a completely different level from the current Blue Star players. Having spent 300 years by Maple Syrup''s side, her skill set had long since evolved. The only difference now was the disparity between her attributes and those of the Eclipse Vanguard players. Even though each strike she landed left them severely wounded, she couldn''t quite kill them instantly.


    Once all The Lopez Family members were wiped out, Zoey focused on killing the Eclipse Vanguard players. At that moment, Rita waited until over a dozen Eclipse Vanguard players were on the brink of death, then deactivated her [I''m No Longer Human] skill. She flew into the air, using a lightning net to block Zoey''s attack on the remaining players.


    "Zoey!" Rita called.


    At that exact moment, Shadow.Q, who had been called in for overtime, finally arrived. She dove down and used her skill to teleport all the Eclipse Vanguard players away.


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    Zoey looked up at Rita hovering in the air. With a subtle flap of her orange-red wings, she shot upwards and stopped in front of Rita.


    Under the moonlight, Zoey''s wings spread wide¡ªnearly four meters across¡ªcreating a fiery, ethereal presence. They faced each other, their orange-red wings gently flapping, the feathers glowing like burning flames. The night sky was set ablaze, and players on the ground stared up in awe, as if witnessing a vast sea of fire clouds.


    Though Zoey and Maple Mu didn''t look alike at all, seeing Zoey''s face again, Rita momentarily felt as though she were seeing Maple Mu. The expression on Zoey''s face mirrored that of Maple Mu.


    In the past life, Zoey was Rick''s first female protagonist, embodying everything men fantasized about in a "wife"¡ªgraceful, elegant, dignified, and pure. She came from an excellent family, her Divine Gift was top-tier support, and she was adored by all. Her beauty was unrivaled. Despite her almost pathological possessiveness, she would eventually relent for Rick.


    Her suffering and inner turmoil, at certain moments, transformed into a kind of thrill. The more obsessive and pathological her possessiveness, the stronger the sense of accomplishment she felt when she finally yielded.


    She and Sanchez were different colors. Sanchez was like a fiery flame, while Zoey resembled the Forest Sea¡ªseemingly all-encompassing and full of life, yet constantly torn apart by the brutal laws of survival beneath the surface.


    Rita understood her intention. Her voice was calm, but her words were cruel: "But it''s all a lie."


    Zoey laughed again, her gaze full of the same affection and tolerance that Maple Mu had once shown Maple Burn. She seemed certain that Rita would end up as Maple Burn. "So what? Maple Mu has everything I want. Does it matter whether it''s real or not?"


    "Maple Syrup and Maple Cang made me realize that I can be ''seen.'' I don''t need any conditions to be loved. They see my emotions, my efforts, my insecurities, my desires, my drive to win¡ªall of it. They only worry about giving me enough, never taking what belongs to me!"


    Zoey glanced down at the fire consuming The Lopez Family, her gaze cold, as if she were staring at some filthy thing.


    "Zoey, such a casual name. No expectations, no blessings."


    "Yet, after all these years in the High Tower, you know about the Mu tree. It''s the most beautiful, precious, and sturdy species in Forest Sea. With careful nurturing, it can grow into a towering giant in less than a hundred years, resisting fierce winds and protecting delicate plants and fruits."


    "In the High Tower, Maple Syrup prohibited any oak owls from taking the ''Mu'' name¡ªsomething that had never happened in their history."


    "Now, Maple Burn, tell me¡ªdoes it matter if it''s real or not?"


    "I''ve done my research on you. I remember... what''s her name... the fruit people. Their feelings for you were never genuine. Those trashy emotions can''t compare to the love Maple Syrup and Maple Cang gave me. They are my true family!"


    "Maple Burn, come with me to Lania Kaia. Mother and Maple Cang are waiting for us to return home."


    For 300 years, she had seen so many versions of "Maple Burn"¡ªsome pathetic, some flawless, some awkward, some pretending to be saints. Only the one in front of her had been recognized by Maple Syrup, Maple Cang, and even Maple Burn herself. Whoever they accepted, she accepted!


    Rita immediately raised her gun. "You''re insane."


    The moment had arrived, and she didn''t hesitate anymore. She attacked Zoey, determined to end this hatred tonight. She could not let Zoey escape!


    ¡ª[Explosive Drummer]!

 Chapter 339 The Second-Rate Fool

    ¡ª¡ª[Explosive Drummer]


    After she refused to revive the child of Maple Cake, Maple Syrup sent her an A-grade skill. A gunshot rang out, and the bullet in midair rapidly split into countless fiery projectiles, raining down like a torrential storm. Every bullet that hit an obstacle triggered a small explosion, and each one had a 10% chance of activating an auto-locking tracking effect.


    This skill not only enveloped Zoey but also obliterated The Lopez Family¡ªthere were five survivors in the mansion who hadn''t escaped yet.


    Zoey skillfully dodged the attack.


    Having spent three hundred years as Maple Mu, under the careful training of Maple Syrup, Zoey was no longer the same Zoey. Her whip was like an extension of her arm¡ªcrack, lash, flick, sweep, entangle, challenge, block... She was the next leader of the [Afternoon Tea] Legion, personally trained by Maple Syrup!


    The whip wasn''t of particularly high quality¡ªit had probably been her weapon before she entered High Tower¡ªbut the tail of the whip bore a large scorpion-like blade made entirely of fire elements. This was Maple Mu''s SS-level skill, [Scorpion], which Rita had seen countless times in High Tower.


    Rita once asked "Maple Mu" over dinner why she didn''t use a spear, the king of battlefield weapons, which seemed perfect for combat.


    "Maple Mu" had just taken a bite of bread and hadn''t been able to answer. Maple Syrup had replied instead: "She likes it. As long as she likes it, I''ll make sure the weapon she likes becomes the king of all weapons. You too, Maple Burn, everything you like, Mother will help you get it."


    In terms of combat skills and talents, Rita was always superior to Zoey. Though Zoey had been trained by Maple Syrup for three hundred years, she was still progressing steadily with various combat talents and experience from countless exchanges!@@@@


    Besides, after leaving High Tower and returning to reality, Rita''s attributes easily overwhelmed Zoey''s. With the sheer gap in their stats, if Rita landed a hit, Zoey would be instantly defeated.


    However, despite Zoey''s overwhelming skills and divine gifts, Rita knew that Zoey''s true strength lay in the ability to regenerate her health continuously, even when pushed to the brink. After several attempts where Zoey''s health had dropped below 1%, only to immediately recover, Rita finally realized what skill Zoey had drawn from her orange-red wings'' Divine Gift.


    [Snowflake Crisp]''s third skill.


    She realized that Rita was giving her room. Soon, Rita''s health dropped to 12%, which made Zoey sigh deeply. She knew that no one could resist the allure of Maple Syrup''s home.


    Her tone softened as she spoke to Rita, almost as though they were in the cabin inside High Tower, sitting around a table eating Bear Cookies and drinking Maple Syrup''s Butter Beer, chatting about the past. Speaking in the universal Oak Owl language, she said:


    "Do you remember what Mother said about the potion called ''Second-Rate Fool'' from Lania Kaia? Ah, I forgot. By then, you were already gone.


    "It distorts one''s perception¡ªwhat''s bitter becomes sweet. The people you despise become those you adore. The ugly is seen as beautiful, the false as true... As long as I can stay with Maple Syrup and Maple Cang, I''m happy to be a second-rate fool!"


    Rita was waiting for Zoey''s Dessert Master skill to activate. Once it did, Zoey would gain the upper hand, and Rita could steal the [Hope] skill. As she fired another round of [Explosive Drummer], bullets transformed into fiery rain, heading straight for Zoey.


    Zoey dodged twice, but then suddenly stopped. She canceled the Dessert Master''s effect and turned, embracing the bullets that triggered the tracking effect. With a composed smile on her face, she looked at Rita and said, "Thank you for the help."


    The corpses of The Lopez Family dropped from the sky, crashing heavily onto the scorched ground.


    The orange-red wings still glowed brightly, like burning flames illuminating the estate. Under Rita and the players'' watch, those wings gently wrapped around the bodies, and flames erupted, turning both wings and corpses to ash. Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire


    Her pet, Sweetwine the koala, hadn''t been extracted from her pet space, indicating that Zoey hadn''t truly died.


    Rita stood amidst the smoke, gazing down at the ashes that were blown away by the wind. She hadn''t managed to stop Zoey''s revival skill.


    It wasn''t that she had been careless or softened at the last moment. As soon as she noticed Zoey''s move, Rita abandoned her original plan to use Moment of Reversal, preparing to announce the party rules immediately. However, she realized her skills couldn''t be activated because she was still in a party mode¡ªMaple Burn had done this!


    But this wasn''t over!!

 Chapter 340 Death Escape? No Way!

    Although Rita couldn''t understand why her future self didn''t return to this very moment to use the [One-Person Party] to seal Zoey''s resurrection skill, that didn''t stop her from quickly shifting her strategy and coming up with a second solution within seconds.


    Rita spread her arms wide in mid-air¡ª[I say Cotton Candy has not expired until it''s expired]!


    Zoey wanted to use a death escape? Not on her watch! Rita was determined to keep Zoey alive. With her talent, Eclipse Vanguard would definitely take her under their wing. Once she dealt with Maple Burn, she could use [One-Person Party] to seal Zoey''s resurrection skill, then turn around and finish her off!


    A dazzling white light gathered in Rita''s hands, and thousands of white beams shot from her palms toward the ashes on the ground.


    It was as if the world had been rewound, one feather after another reigniting, the wings reignited!!


    Soon, the ashes began to recombine...


    Five minutes later, Zoey lay on the ground in perfect condition, her health restored to 100%. Her equipment had already turned to ash, and her light wings enveloped her body as she curled up on the grass, covered in flames, looking like a newborn child.


    ¡ª"What the hell! A resurrection skill!!!" ¡ª"I told you, the game can''t be without resurrection, so there really is a resurrection skill! But Rita''s talent isn''t related to luck, is it?" ¡ª"You really believe that? Haven''t you heard the rumors? Her Divine Gift is definitely S-rank, and she claims it''s the Destiny Gear, but it''s probably a high-level version of it." ¡ª"Huh? What''s that? A self-destructing magnetic monster?" ¡ª"A self-destructing magnetic monster evolves from the small magnetic monster, and the final evolution of the gear is the Gear Monster." ¡ª"Stop watching so much Poke?mon!!!" ¡ª"Resurrection skills! Resurrection skills! Other powerful skills can be swapped for, but resurrection skills, those are irreplaceable! Does Eclipse Vanguard even have one?" ¡ª"Isn''t that from the mysterious mission that drove so many people crazy?" ¡ª"The skill''s uncertain, but Rita''s skills haven''t been revealed much, but the wings are definitely from that mission! I wish I had signed up for that mission!" ¡ª"Maybe it''s a skill that comes with the wings? Look how powerful Zoey has become." ¡ª"No... I haven''t heard of anything like that. Even if there was, it wouldn''t be available to us." ¡ª"With this skill, I wouldn''t have to worry for the rest of my life! Anyone who can resurrect would be willing to give everything they have!" Black Jade''s gaze flickered, but then she sighed in disappointment. Forget about [Moment of Reversal]¡ªit couldn''t be used, and even if it could, she couldn''t swap for the skill...


    ¡ª"Hey, what do you think Shadow.Q''s skill is?" ¡ª"Don''t talk about it, I''m jealous. If I had known, I would''ve signed up for that mysterious mission!" ¡ª"Did anyone record it?" ¡ª"What recording? The stream has been live for ages!" ¡ª"People are asking what this new skin is, where can we get it... I almost thought it was one of my own posts." ¡ª"I saw someone asking if they were playing on a separate version of the game¡ªlike a one-hit 99999 damage version." ... Shadow.Q flew low, listening to the chatter, unable to resist opening the game forum to surf through the comments.


    #38129: I want wings too! Even if there''s no skill, just being able to fly is strong enough! ...


    #57361: But doesn''t anyone think they might have betrayed Blue Star? Are they even still considered Blue Star people? ...


    #75226: How can they not be considered Blue Star people? They''re both still human, but... forget it... Having wings doesn''t really mean much anyway. ...


    #88721: Zoey just called Rita a "fool" in her owl language. Was she insulting Rita? Rita is clearly holding back, and Zoey still called her a fool¡ªcould this be a bond between them!! ...


    #95379: Zoey is so strong. That must be a rollback skill, right? Isn''t that basically the same as being invincible? ...


    #145767: Oh my god! That''s a resurrection, right?! I told you this game can''t be without resurrection skills! ...


    #183621: Kill first, resurrect later... What does that mean? Could it be that Zoey''s crime for killing The Lopez Family was nullified by her death? ... Zoey slowly opened her eyes, seeing the night sky of Blue Star. Rita stood with her back to the silver moon, looking down at her, making her face unclear for a moment, but Zoey could see her eyes.


    Maple Burn was particularly unique. Over the past ten years, she and Maple Cang often sighed about how Maple Burn''s eyes were the most captivating¡ªmore so than her aura, appearance, or wings.


    Perhaps Maple Burn herself hadn''t realized it, but her eyes always contained so many emotions and vitality. She was curious about life and hopeful about the future. Sometimes, she''d just sit on the roof of a wooden cabin, a small owl perched on the edge, and laugh out loud. She was so easily happy, and her existence brought happiness to Maple Syrup and Maple Cang. That was the ability Zoey envied the most.


    But right now, there was no joy in those eyes. Only seriousness and anger, as though she were angry at Zoey herself.

 Chapter 341 Rebirth

    Having lived with Maple Burn for ten years, Zoey knew that this was the expression Maple Burn wore when she was upset and frustrated. Thinking back to how she had clearly been letting Zoey off earlier, Zoey didn''t feel the slightest bit of inferiority or discomfort. Instead, she burst into laughter. "Maple Burn, you still say you haven''t lost your way, but you''re struggling, aren''t you? It''s the same as back then, right? You only use this skill on your family..."


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    She knew Maple Burn would never truly harm her.


    As soon as Zoey finished speaking, Rita''s mind went blank for a moment. She even forgot the lines she had prepared in her head. It was as if Zoey really thought of her as Maple Burn. They shared the same orange-red wings, and they were family¡ªfamily would never hurt each other.


    Fortunately, Rita was an experienced actress. She quickly composed herself, forcing a neutral expression, and declared, "No matter what, I won''t let you die."


    The Eclipse Vanguard players, under Shadow.Q''s leadership, had already cautiously surrounded them, preparing to capture Zoey. After all, she had killed members of the Lopez Family. That could easily be passed off as a family dispute, but the real issue was her skill that could enhance players'' attributes¡ªit was too valuable!


    Shadow.Q was flying the fastest, thinking to herself: Zoey and Eclipse Vanguard had worked together before! If Zoey wanted to die, they would have to wait!


    Zoey lay on the ground, unmoving. She looked up at Rita, a smile in her eyes, and in a tone that resembled the one she might use when saying, "Maple Burn, I''m going home for dinner tonight," she softly said, "Maple Burn, I''ll be waiting for you to come home to Lania Kaia."


    Once again, flames erupted. Fiery wings enveloped Zoey completely.


    This was her rebirth, her own nirvana, and no one could interrupt it!


    Even as Shadow.Q and the Eclipse Vanguard players rushed over to try to break through the flames and heal her, it was too late. Zoey''s life bar, which had been at 100%, fell to zero in less than a second. Rita didn''t have time to react either. She canceled her healing skill and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, slowly exhaling.


    For a moment, she considered whether she should risk using the Wrathful Moon to go back in time and kill Zoey. However, she recalled the punishment Nivalis and Jameson had received when they played with time, and how many skills and items had hidden consequences. She couldn''t be sure what would happen if she killed someone who had already lived to the future.


    In comparison, she''d rather infiltrate Polar Day City''s main city to assassinate Zoey in the future. At least that risk was clear.


    Her rational mind told her: Don''t be foolish enough to tamper with fate, don''t try to change what''s already happened.


    It was so frustrating, though...


    But then, at the same time, another sigh was heard nearby¡ªit was from Shadow.Q.


    Nivalis hesitated, "But... this will hurt you, won''t it?"


    Thinking of Zoey, Rita''s anger still burned. She replied, "Don''t worry, as long as she dies before me!"


    She had a skill to reduce soul damage, and since Maple Burn had just been resurrected, Rita didn''t believe that her own condition was weaker than that of a soul that had been dead for so many years. If it came to it, she could outlast her!


    Nivalis wanted to say something but, seeing Rita''s determined expression, didn''t hesitate. She raised the Soul Catcher and, with a gesture, a wave of invisible energy shot toward Rita.


    Rita immediately felt a sharp blow to her head, as if she had been struck by a heavy hammer. She once again experienced the feeling of waking up after death in High Tower¡ªexhausted, groggy, as if she could fall asleep at any moment. Not only that, but her health, mana, and all four attributes, including hit rate and critical chance, had dropped by 10%, and it would take 30 natural days to recover.


    She gritted her teeth and said, "Do it again!"


    Nivalis raised the Soul Catcher once more, but just then, a weak voice interrupted the silence¡ªit was in owl-speak.


    "Wait! If you do it two more times, I''ll die!"


    Rita''s expression didn''t change. She motioned to Nivalis. "Continue. Don''t mind her."


    She had to eliminate Maple Burn. Even without considering the possibility that she might occupy her body, the fact that Maple Burn''s wings had rooted themselves in her soul meant that she could very well know all of Rita''s secrets¡ªher Divine Gift, her memories... Rita couldn''t afford to leave her alive.


    "I have a way to not occupy your body! I can''t see any of your information, can''t share your vision, can''t read your thoughts¡ªI can only hear what you say. That''s the only way I can gather information. Don''t worry, I promise I won''t cross your boundaries. I just want to make a deal with you!"


    Rita''s killing intent surged, and she sneered. "You can''t read my thoughts? Then how do you know what I''m most afraid of? How do you know what to say?"


    "...."


    Nivalis mimicked Rita''s smile. "Hmph, no more words? Soul¡ª"


    Hearing Nivalis'' voice, the mysterious voice hurriedly responded, "I have a skill called [What Are You Afraid Of]. It allows me to see the most terrifying vision of a living being. When you woke me up and gave me wings, you used this skill on me. The vision I saw was you choking my wings, holding a gun to my head, asking me: ''How did you discover my Divine Gift? Where did you find out about my actions? What else do you know? Tell me!''"


    Nivalis'' gaze subconsciously flickered, and the image appeared in her mind.@@@@

 Chapter 342 Resonance and Synchronization

    ¡ª¡ª"How many people know about my talents? How many people know about those events?"


    ¡ª¡ª"Are you here to steal my talents, my gold, my treasures? Who sent you to harm me?! Will you speak or not?!"@@@@


    ¡ª¡ª"Which organization are you from? Do you have any accomplices? What are your plans? Tell me everything!"


    Rita: "That''s enough, I''ll speak now..."


    Rita wasn''t a child, she wouldn''t just believe everything Maple Burn said. She gave Nivalis a signal, prompting her to continue.


    Another strike.


    Maple Burn''s voice was weaker now. She said, "My king, I have something to say..."


    Rita''s murderous intent immediately dissipated. The mindset was clearly off, and she became alert.


    But even though she realized something was wrong, she still couldn''t summon any desire to kill Maple Burn! No, it wasn''t even just a lack of murderous intent; there was no hostility left at all...


    Was this the effect of a skill? Or was it the influence of the wings?


    But for now, it seemed that Maple Burn could only hear voices, not see what was going on around her. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have waited until Nivalis used the skill a second time before pleading. Rita, though still tense, allowed her emotions to ease a bit and said, "I''ll give you five seconds to convince me."


    Nivalis immediately tucked one bone under her arm and twirled another in the air.


    Rita looked at Nivalis, puzzled at what kind of madness she was up to now.


    Nivalis: "I''m borrowing a bit of oil, gotta cook some vegetables."


    Rita: "......"


    The brat dared call it oil! Rita grabbed a flower from the vase on the table and threw it at Nivalis.


    Maple Burn: "The Cheers your mother taught you isn''t complete. If you help me revive, I can teach you the full version of Cheers. I''ll also leave you the orange-red wings. And not only that, I can give you knowledge that I accidentally obtained, [Fluency in 666 Races'' Languages]!


    "Trust me, if you want to enter the World Battlefield, you''ll definitely need [Fluency in 666 Races'' Languages]! Even my mother couldn''t find the source of this knowledge, and she tried many methods to get me to share it with her. Unfortunately, I could only give her 333 of the languages back then."


    Rita said gently, "Tell me, sister is listening~"


    Maple Burn was caught off guard by Rita''s attitude and hesitated for a few seconds before replying, "Because our personalities are very similar. Many of the things you said and did in the High Tower were incredibly similar to things I''ve said and done in the past. Many moments, our souls resonated and synchronized. Only like this could I be awakened by you, and ultimately, my wings became parasitic on your body."


    That statement felt like a thunderclap in Rita''s heart.


    She almost whispered to herself: "Only by becoming like you, by having similar actions and words, could your souls synchronize, could they be awakened... and could you be revived?"


    No wonder the owls considered it an honor to ascend the tower. To them, having their spirits reborn in someone else was probably seen as a form of glory.


    Maple Burn answered, "Yes, the similarity needs to be at least 50%, and for many important events for spirits, you must make the same choices as they did. It''s very difficult. Is there a problem?"


    Is there a problem?


    Maybe there was.


    Rita suddenly asked, "Did you also love baking cookies when you were young? And didn''t you once make some failed cookies into a necklace for Maple Cang?"


    "Yes, that was another moment of synchronization. It''s really a coincidence. And you gave it to Maple Cang. This necklace is only with Maple Cang. Maple Syrup and Maple Mu don''t have it."


    "What kind of cookies were they?"


    "Bear Cookies. I drew them myself. They were super cute!"


    "Weren''t the little bears drawn by Maple Cang for you?"


    "Of course not! Forest Sea didn''t even have those little bears. I imagined them myself as little pets."


    So, the little bears that Maple Cang had drawn for her back then weren''t just fragmented memories. Perhaps the Maple Cang inside the High Tower had some small part of its true consciousness. Maple Syrup likely did too. Their role wasn''t just to monitor or spectate. It wasn''t as simple as accompanying their deceased family in another form...


    Rita was now sure that Zoey, whom she had met as "Maple Mu," was not the same at all. Their souls didn''t resonate! Stay updated via My Virtual Library Empire


    If Maple Syrup and Maple Cang within the High Tower truly had consciousness, and if they noticed that this reincarnating "Maple Mu" was the same person... Then Zoey''s three hundred years of dreams might just have been Maple Syrup''s preparation to awaken Maple Mu.


    Had Zoey realized that? She was so sensitive and serious, there was no way she couldn''t tell the difference.


    Had she accepted it willingly, cooperating in a way that allowed her to continue pretending to be naive, like a second-rate fool? Or was she desperately trying to hypnotize herself not to think about those flaws?

 Chapter 343 I Have a Brilliant Idea

    ¡ª¡ª"Hey... Hey!!"


    Rita snapped out of her thoughts and forced herself to suppress her emotions before asking, "Hmm? Where were we?" Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire


    Maple Burn replied, "So, if I have to give up all those skills for you to let me live, then I''d rather just die. At least I''ll die wealthy, and I''ll laugh all the way to the grave."


    Rita: ...


    For a moment, she actually felt like she had found a kindred spirit.


    Nivalis excitedly pointed to Rita''s orange-red wings and said, "No need to test it, this is the truth! You and she are definitely on the same frequency!"


    Rita clenched her fist against her forehead, realizing this was a difficult situation. She truly believed Maple Burn''s words were genuine. Those skills were obviously precious to her. If it were her, she wouldn''t accept such a trade either. If someone told her to give up her skills like [Furious Moon], [Chavez''s Time], and [Soul Catcher]¡ªplus all her S and SS-level skills¡ªjust to survive, she would choose to go down fighting, dying together with her enemy. Afterward, she''d use her skills to resurrect and kill them again.


    Rita asked, "If I let you survive in my wings, would you take over my body, or consume me? Assimilate me?"


    Perhaps it was because there were no other beings around except for her and Nivalis, but this question slipped out smoothly.


    Maple Burn answered frankly, "Those moments when our souls were in sync, we''ve already formed a connection. If you don''t separate us in time, we will gradually merge into one. I won''t be purely myself, and you won''t be the same you anymore."


    Rita could feel a slight chill at the thought, but she continued listening.


    "I don''t want that," Maple Burn continued. "Even though my mother and Maple Cang would still love me, I don''t want to share them. Helping you would also be helping myself."


    Rita now understood why Maple Syrup and Maple Cang were so generous toward her¡ªperhaps they were sure that Maple Burn would be reborn inside her and merge with her. Was this the real reason for the skills they gave her? Or was it to make her long for that family, just like Zoey? Unfortunately, the Cheers skill still had a hidden part...


    At this moment, Rita thought about Zoey''s plan and asked, "Is there no other way? For example, one of us could consume the other?"


    Maple Burn thought for a moment and responded uncertainly, "Maybe, but I don''t know. I died too early, and even though you woke me up, my time in the High Tower was short, so I didn''t have enough time to gather information."


    "Is that so..." Rita mused, weighing the trade in her mind. After a while, she pointed out the most critical issue: "How can I be sure that the orange-red wings will still be on me after you''re resurrected?"


    She would rather risk being possessed by Maple Burn just to keep those wings. After all, weren''t those wings the whole reason she was going through all this? If the wings disappeared, learning the true Cheers skill would be useless, and she wouldn''t be able to freely control all her lightning-based skills.


    Maple Burn then tried to persuade Rita, "Considering how you''ve helped me so much, when Maple Syrup and Maple Cang see your orange-red wings, even if they know you''re not me, they''ll still be more lenient toward you."


    Rita didn''t reply. That wasn''t enough to move her. She had been an enemy of the oak owls from the start. A little leniency meant nothing. Once it came to interests, their leniency would be useless. Maple Syrup was not the type to act emotionally. That leniency wasn''t worth her attention. Besides, finding an S-level oak owl was no small task.


    She thought about this, and then she said it aloud.


    Maple Burn, with a hint of surprise in her voice, asked, "You really have no feelings for our family? You don''t care about Maple Syrup, Maple Mu, or Maple Cang? They''re so great, don''t you want to be close to them?"


    Rita, surprised by the question, asked in return, "Why should I long for something false?"


    Seeing that Rita wasn''t falling for it, Maple Burn fell silent for a moment, then finally offered a deal that might truly persuade Rita: "If you help me find an oak owl body with an S-level divine gift, then in addition to the wings, the 666 languages, and the full Cheers, I''ll also give you a [Cotton Candy] skill as a bonus. But it will be random; I can''t control it."


    "Deal!" Rita agreed to the terms, "But it really has to be an oak owl?"


    Maple Burn gasped. "Not an oak owl? What''s the difference from being crippled?"


    Rita & Nivalis: ?


    Rita: "I can work with you, but first, teach me Cheers and [Fluency in 666 Races'' Languages], and don''t kick me out of the party."


    Maple Burn: "I can''t leave the party. This is my only chance to revive. I''m in a soul state. If I''m not in the party list, you won''t be able to use the resurrection skill on me... So, only you can revive me, and only we can use this method."


    Rita believed this, as even with Renovation she couldn''t lock onto Maple Burn without being in the party. She had even tried using her stealing skills before, but it hadn''t worked.


    "Do all heroic spirits team up with ascenders?"


    Maple Burn replied, "No. The moment you took the mission and we connected, my [Super Sense] forced me to use the party skill on you. As for the other oak owls, I don''t know, but I can''t leave the party."


    Rita was surprised by the trust Maple Burn was placing in her. If it were her, she wouldn''t have made a deal without signing a contract first. No upfront payment?


    Rita''s warning bells went off. "This trust doesn''t feel right. It''s not on the same frequency as me... Is there a trap?"


    Maple Burn casually responded, "Oh, I have a skill called [Trade Conference]. Once we strike a deal, if I pay the price, you must help me. If you don''t, I can request a refund."


    Rita: ...

 Chapter 344 Trade & Exterminate The Taylor Family

    Rita had already grown tired of envying others. She had enjoyed receiving skills from Maple Syrup repeatedly in High Tower, but now, facing the real Maple Burn, she couldn''t help but feel bitter.


    Rita: "So, if you request a refund, can I return the product?"


    Maple Burn: "No, only the buyer can request a refund, but don''t worry. If the refund is processed, the product will be returned."


    The next moment, a light screen appeared in front of Rita and Nivalis.


    [Maple Burn, the Oak Owl Spirit, has initiated a trade with you] Enjoy more content from My Virtual Library Empire


    [Item: To revive Maple Burn using the divine blessing S-level female Oak Owl as material]


    [Price: Full version of Cheers, Maple Burn''s orange-red wings, one Cotton Candy divine blessing skill, one transmission of Fluency in 666 Races'' Languages]


    [Would you like to accept the trade as the seller?]


    Maple Burn said, "And even if I request a refund, you can refuse it. If we can''t reach an agreement, we can appeal."


    Rita''s curiosity was piqued. "Who arbitrates the appeal?"


    Maple Burn: "This skill was given to us by my mother. The previous link of the skill is in her hands, so she will be the arbitrator."


    Rita & Nivalis: ...@@@@


    Nivalis, half-frustrated, said, "Should we just kill her?"


    Maple Burn''s voice had a trace of distress. "Sigh, but if you kill me, I''ll just self-destruct with my orange-red wings."


    Rita, staying calm, hugged Nivalis, who was growing larger with anger, and patted her. "I can''t accept such a risky deal."


    Maple Burn wasn''t provoking them; she genuinely wanted to reach an agreement. "So what do you suggest?"


    Rita asked, "How many times did you transmit the 333 races'' languages to Maple Syrup?"


    Maple Burn replied, "Only once. I can''t give her more than that."


    That made sense. If she could transmit unlimited times, it wouldn''t be for her to decide. Rita said, "Alright, I''ll accept the deal, but the full version of Cheers will be changed to ''All information about Cheers as told by Maple Syrup.''"


    Maple Burn muttered, "...You''re really greedy!"


    After a brief wait, the information on the light screen changed.


    While Maple Burn''s situation wasn''t urgent, there was one thing she needed to take care of immediately¡ªshe had to kill Camila and Henry!


    Zoey had died and reincarnated as Maple Mu, Sanchez had cooperated with The White Family, and if The Taylor Family made another move, Rita would slap herself awake in the middle of the night: why hadn''t she killed them yet?!


    Enough with the torturing¡ªshe was going to kill them right now!


    With the speed of the Oak Owl wings, faster than any planetary skill, and the 12 buffs she had received from High Tower to increase her speed and agility, it took Rita less than two hours to reach The Taylor Family. Along the way, she used her disguise skill to transform into a Moon Fox.


    Though she couldn''t use the wings in a different race form, she still had her "Raging Moon" planetary skill.


    Having left High Tower just before midnight, fought with Zoey at The Lopez Family at around 1 AM, negotiated with Maple Burn by 2 AM, and now at 3:58 AM, she was standing in front of The Taylor Family.


    Disguised as a Moon Fox, Rita stood at the entrance of the villa and took a swig of sea salt coffee from her bag.


    The feeling of staying up late to stir up trouble was exhilarating.


    Standing at the villa''s entrance, Rita used her A-level skill from High Tower, "Drunken Dream", to release a mist of alcohol, putting everyone within a certain radius to sleep. This state couldn''t be broken by any skills or items, but if the target''s HP dropped by more than 10% while asleep, they would immediately wake up.


    Everyone in the villa fell into a deep sleep, even the butler, who had noticed the intruder. Rita used the same method to put the entire mansion to sleep before destroying the surveillance cameras.


    Finally, she followed the character information and went to Henry''s room. As per usual, she used "I Just Want to Improve So Badly" to entertain herself, draining ten charges and gaining 7 pieces of equipment and items, around 200 gold coins, and 2 points of strength.


    She drew her knife, severed his head, and left.


    Next, she went to Camila''s room.


    After gaining 3 points of constitution, she struck again.


    She looked at the sleeping Camila, unable to contain her curiosity.


    When she was first reborn, Rita had thought the three women were in a competition for who could cause the most chaos, but gradually, she realized Zoey, Sanchez, and Rick had their own reasons for their actions. What about Camila? What was her purpose?


    With one swift stroke, she separated the head from the body.


    Who cared?


    She had truly become scared. Curiosity might not kill the cat, but it sure would drive it mad.


    Revenge couldn''t be delayed any longer!


    She didn''t even want to create trouble, like waking Camila up and setting a trap to exchange her S-level divine blessing skill for an Archer''s talent before killing her. She feared something would go wrong.

 Chapter 345 Youre Still Young, Lets Treat It Properly!

    After finishing off the two most important enemies, Rita didn''t leave immediately. Instead, she stayed in The Taylor Family estate, killing more people and stealing attribute points along the way. Since she kept having to pull out her storage box to stash all the junk equipment she''d stolen, she got frustrated with the hassle. Eventually, she made a detour to a nearby supermarket and conveniently "borrowed" a shopping cart.


    Pushing the cart through The Taylor Family estate, she moved from room to room. Any stolen equipment went straight into the cart, making the whole process feel less like an assassination spree and more like a casual weekend shopping trip. Along the way, she uncovered a trove of secrets so juicy they made her brain spin.


    Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    When the cart was full, she emptied it into her storage box and went back for more. Occasionally, when her health recovery skills and potions were still on cooldown, she would sit on the floor, take a break, and open up the auction house. All the stolen items were listed for sale anonymously, at a whopping 40% discount. She wasn''t aiming for high profits; she just wanted them gone quickly.


    With Blue Star still in its early stages of development, the market was starved for equipment. Even a 60% markup over Lania Kaia''s rates could sell here, but Rita wasn''t interested in wasting time on brokers for these low-value items. Selling directly to Blue Star''s players would save her the trouble, and they could use the supply boost anyway.


    Most of the equipment she stole was low-level green gear, meant for players around levels 8¨C10. Camila and her brother had better stuff, but even their items weren''t anything amazing. The money she made wasn''t worth mentioning. Frankly, it would''ve been more profitable to raid Wolf Fortress instead.


    After cleaning out the main building, killing The Taylor Family members and the high-level players protecting them, Rita still felt a slight pang of regret¡ªshe hadn''t encountered either Yu Qingshan or Scarlett. Undeterred, she smashed her way toward the family''s vault. Several alarms were triggered along the way, but with everyone under the effects of her sleep-inducing skill, nobody woke up. Passwords? Potions? Who needed those? Rita grabbed a stolen iron hammer and smashed through every door in her way.


    Shopping cart in tow, she walked in a straight line, hammer in hand, until she reached the vault. Inside, gold, equipment, and other treasures lay waiting for her. Everything¡ªaside from the gold¡ªwas immediately dumped onto the auction house at a 40% discount. As for the antiques she didn''t recognize, she made up prices and listed those as well.


    Word of her clearance sale spread fast, and players rushed to the auction house, snapping up her listings almost instantly. The moment she put something up for sale, it was sold.


    By the time she received a notification for entering the wealth leaderboard, Rita didn''t even hesitate¡ªshe chose to remain anonymous. After one last look at the now-empty vault, she packed up her beloved shopping cart (which was surprisingly useful) and used Phantom Shift to teleport out.


    By the time she left The Taylor Family estate, her gold count had increased by 1,795, and she''d gained a decent amount of attribute points: +6 Strength, +8 Agility, +5 Intelligence, and +9 Constitution.


    The next morning, on the 15th, at nine o''clock, Rita was processing some materials for Spring Not Late. Since she didn''t have all the required materials, she''d have to make a trip to Lania Kaia later. Still, the crafting process was so time-consuming that she decided to get a head start by processing the materials she already had. At the same time, she listened to Maple Burn explain the full version of Cheers and made her repeat the process for igniting the orange-red wings with lightning elements.


    It was only after hearing the full explanation that Rita realized how incomplete the version of Cheers that Maple Syrup had taught her truly was. It wasn''t just missing a few details¡ªit was an anti-DIY version, deliberately designed to prevent anyone from mastering it. Critical points were left out entirely, making it impossible to go beyond the early stages. Even the instructions for igniting the orange-red wings were missing a key step.


    [Rita]: ???


    [Shadow.Q]: Anything else you need? I clock out at noon. If you need something, let me know before 11:30.


    [Rita]: ...You know, the tower, the wings...


    She couldn''t bring herself to type the word "resurrection," but Shadow.Q understood.


    [Shadow.Q]: I know.


    [Rita]: You really know?


    [Shadow.Q]: Doppelganger, early retirement, ha-ha.


    [Rita]: I can send you potions to help with mental resilience. It''s not too late. You''re still young. Let''s treat it properly!


    After sending the message, Rita searched through her stash and mailed several potions for mental fortitude to Shadow.Q.


    [Shadow.Q]: Thanks. Don''t worry, I have a plan. Just give me some time. I''ll turn that existence into my summoned creature. How about you? Need help?


    For a moment, Rita was tempted. But then, she shook off the thought. She didn''t trust anyone else with this. Having Maple Burn as a summoned creature wouldn''t reassure her at all¡ªit would feel more like having a spy constantly monitoring her. And besides, there was always the risk of Maple Syrup or Maple Cang showing up to strip her wings.


    [Rita]: No need. Thanks. Here''s to our success.


    [Shadow.Q]: Here''s to our success.

 Chapter 346 You Like Her

    As Rita soaked the last batch of materials in ice water, her thoughts gradually fell into place. Finding an Oak Owl with an S-grade Divine Gift wasn''t going to be easy, especially not here. Most of the foreign races on Blue Star were cannon fodder, spawned from giant sea creatures, and true S-grades wouldn''t show up in the early stages just to play disposable pawns. She''d have to go to Lania Kaia for that...


    Just as she was lost in thought, another message arrived. Assuming it was from Shadow.Q, she opened it immediately, only to see that it was from Rick.


    [Rick]: Can you revive Zoey one more time?


    Rita sat cross-legged on the grass in her backyard, propping her chin in one hand as she stared at the message. Her eyes lingered on the word "Zoey" for a long moment, lost in thought.@@@@


    Instead of replying in the game''s chat interface, she put everything else aside and flew to the ruins of The Lopez Family''s estate. There, she found Rick sitting alone in front of the wreckage. His Trust Level with her was still at 83. He was hugging his knees, staring blankly at a patch of grass in the distance. Following his gaze, Rita''s eyes landed on the spot where Zoey had turned to ashes.


    In the background, Black Jade and a group of Eclipse Vanguard members were discussing something amidst the ruins. Rita eavesdropped for a moment and heard that Black Jade had taken a liking to the place and was asking Eclipse Vanguard to clean it up for him so he could move in. Explore more adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Legally speaking, most of The Lopez Family''s members were dead. With Black Jade staking his claim on the property, the estate would likely fall into his hands. As compensation, the remaining assets would probably be given to Sofia¡ªthings like The Lopez Family''s dungeon profits and other properties. Considering Zoey had gone out of her way to spare Sofia, Eclipse Vanguard, ever the crafty old fox, would no doubt protect Sofia as a hidden card for potential future use.


    When Rita landed, several people approached to greet her. She waved them off and flew straight to Rick. By now, she was so accustomed to using her wings for travel that walking felt like a waste of energy.


    Sitting down beside Rick, she asked, "I thought you hated her."


    That was the reason she had come in person¡ªshe was genuinely curious. For someone as selfish and cold-hearted as Rick, who had completely fallen out with Zoey, to ask this of her? She had to know why.


    Rick turned to her, his eyes filled with a pleading desperation. His voice was hoarse as he asked, "Can you? Sis! Can you revive her? I have an item that can reset cooldowns." As he spoke, he pulled out a metronome-shaped item and held it out to her.


    Rita didn''t take it. Instead, she looked him straight in the eye and said, matter-of-factly, "You like her."


    "You were all fooled by her!" Rick''s voice dripped with contempt. "Do you really believe all that nonsense about how she just wanted to be ''seen''? How she craved family? No, not at all. She''s far more greedy than that.


    "She wants everything! Power, wealth, love¡ªshe wants it all! But her family doesn''t love her, and the love of the weak disgusts her. The love of the strong? That wounds her pride.


    "Most people try to make themselves more likable if they want love. Not her. She points a gun at you and demands you love her. She wants everyone to submit to her, but when someone kneels before her and asks, ''What do you want?'' she can only say, ''What I deserve.''


    "What the hell is ''deserve''? She doesn''t even dare admit what she truly wants. She''s terrified that people like Theodore and Mateo will laugh at her behind her back, calling her pathetic. The more exceptional she is, the more Matthew resents her. That man made his fortune through conquest and swallowing others whole¡ªhow could he ever feel proud of someone like Zoey? She knows all this, but she can''t swallow her pride. She wants to win.


    "She longs to give love, but she''s always on guard against hidden motives. She hopes that emotions can be like business deals, earned through skill and merit. Yet deep down, she secretly wishes for someone to love her unconditionally, for a world where everything is fair¡ªexcept when it comes to her, where all the bias favors her.


    "I know her better than anyone. I am the one who understands her best in this entire world! She''s a pain in the ass! She''s such a goddamned pain in the ass!"


    Rick''s voice was nearly a shout now, his words spilling out with no clear structure or logic, each one more emotional than the last. As if thinking about Zoey''s flaws both exasperated and captivated him.


    Rita quietly observed him. Despite his angry tone, she felt that the very traits he listed might be what drew him to Zoey in the first place. Rick didn''t fall in love with her polished, perfect facade¡ªthat was boring and forgettable. What he truly liked were the messy, complicated, and maddening parts of her.


    She caught the glimmer of tears in Rick''s eyes. His first instinct was to blink rapidly, forcing them back.


    Rita found the scene amusing. Rick wasn''t the type to believe that men shouldn''t cry; quite the opposite¡ªhe was excellent at it. If he wanted to, he could cry beautifully, in a way that didn''t make him seem weak, but instead more charismatic.


    Yet now, as he shed a few genuine tears for Zoey, he felt ashamed and panicked, as though such vulnerability was a crime.


    Rita''s voice was calm as she delivered the truth: "She found it. All those things you said were such a pain about her? She found them."

 Chapter 347 The Chosen Concubines

    Rita didn''t see Zoey''s actions as greedy. Some people crave love because they''ve never had it and mistakenly think it''s something extraordinary. But Zoey wasn''t one of those people.


    Rita had witnessed Zoey''s transformation across her past and current lives. She had seen Zoey''s defiance and frustration when facing The Lopez Family, and she had spent ten years side-by-side with Maple Mu in High Tower. In her eyes, Zoey wasn''t lacking in the affection most people long for. What Zoey lacked was power¡ªthe power to control her own destiny.


    Rick had put it aptly: Zoey "looked down on the love of the weak and saw the love of the strong as an affront to her pride." To Zoey, the former was worthless, while the latter posed a threat.


    But Maple Syrup gave Zoey so much more than just power and familial affection. She gave her the strength to take control of her destiny, and, more importantly, she gave her fairness¡ªsomething Zoey had never experienced before. Under this absolute fairness, Maple Syrup stepped out of the equation and showed Zoey the bias she had always dreamed of: pure, unconditional favoritism. She gave Zoey Afternoon Tea.


    Rick had said Zoey couldn''t articulate what she wanted, that she would only say she wanted what she deserved. Maple Syrup never asked what she wanted; she just gave her everything.


    Zoey''s betrayal was inevitable.


    "That''s right. She found it¡ªall those infuriating things you said she was searching for? She found them."


    Rick''s twisted, anguished expression froze for a moment.


    Rita''s face showed a hint of concern for Rick, but inwardly, she was laughing. This was too funny. Not long ago, she had concluded that no one truly loved Rick. But now, here she was, discovering that Rick actually did like Zoey. He really, truly liked her.


    Not only that, he understood her.


    She used to think Rick only liked Zoey for her beauty or her family background. But now, seeing Rick crying while talking about Zoey, his accusatory tone filled with all of Zoey''s deepest desires, she knew. He liked her. He truly did. There was anger in his voice, but also tenderness.


    Rita''s understanding of Zoey was filled with coincidences. She had appeared before Zoey at a unique juncture in time, as Maple Burn, during the latter''s severance from her past. It was an unrepeatable moment, a rare conversation that allowed Rita to glimpse part of Zoey''s true self.


    That was the first time Rita truly "knew" Zoey. But by the time she gained this understanding, the Zoey she had known was already "dead," left behind in High Tower.


    Rita was ready to kill Rick anytime. This game had become tiresome. She sent Jameson a private message in the game: Kill Ezra.


    After leaving The Lopez Family, Nivalis immediately asked, "Can we go to Lania Kaia now to find an Oak Owl?"


    Rita raised an eyebrow. "What''s the rush?"


    Nivalis, having bottled up her frustration for so long, finally exploded: "Of course I''m in a rush! What if you get consumed by Maple Burn? She doesn''t want to share Maple Syrup or Maple Cang with you, and I don''t want to share you with her!"


    Rita found this answer quite satisfying. She smiled. "You hear that, Maple Burn?"


    "I hear you," Maple Burn replied obediently, her voice tinged with caution. After a pause, she asked hesitantly, "That guy you were talking to earlier¡ªdoes he... like Maple Mu?"


    Rita didn''t waste her breath explaining the nuances of Zoey''s identity versus Maple Mu''s. It was irrelevant to her. "Maybe," she said simply.


    Similarly, whether Rick''s feelings were genuine or not didn''t matter.


    Perhaps Rick did understand Zoey and liked her. But even if Zoey were alive, Rick''s love wouldn''t be the kind she wanted.


    Understanding someone and choosing how to approach them are two completely different things.


    Rick knew Zoey despised the love of the weak and rejected the condescending affection of the strong. Yet he still fought to seize Black Jade. Why? Because he wanted to stand before her as a victor, offering his love from a position of superiority.


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    Rita didn''t bother explaining this to Maple Burn. Instead, she led her and Nivalis straight to Lania Kaia to begin their search for an S-grade Divine Gift Oak Owl.

 Chapter 348 Are You Searching for the Way Home?

    Even though [I say Cotton Candy has not expired until it''s expired] was still on cooldown, it was time to begin the search. Finding a suitable target would take time, and investigating, scouting, and planning would take even longer. Better to start now.


    As always, Rita activated her disguise skills and [Gold-Class Assassin]. In the past, it was to conceal her identity as a Blue Star native. Now, despite having the radiant orange-red wings, which made her look like an honorary member of the Owlcrow race while traveling through Lania Kaia, she couldn''t afford to be complacent. The Owlcrows'' previous attempt to capture her as soon as she left High Tower was more than enough evidence that they suspected her connection to the missing Moon Sand.


    And the orange-red wings themselves? They were a glowing target for Maple Syrup or Maple Cang to track her down anytime. She had to stay cautious.


    Rita had grown accustomed to flying ever since her time in High Tower. If she could use her wings, she wouldn''t bother walking. When using her disguise, her instincts led her to transform into an Owlcrow. It just felt right.


    Still, she didn''t harbor much hope for her disguise. As long as Maple Burn''s spirit remained tethered to her, there was a good chance Maple Syrup or Maple Cang could track her down at any moment. After all, they had spent 300 years carefully orchestrating Maple Mu''s revival. Would they so easily allow the resurrected Maple Burn to slip through their grasp?


    She remembered vividly: when she escaped with Maple Mu after exiting High Tower, Maple Cang hadn''t immediately pursued them. That meant Maple Cang had confidence that she could locate "Maple Burn" and Maple Mu whenever necessary.


    At least for today, she was somewhat safe. Maple Syrup had gone to the World Battlefield, so she wasn''t in Lania Kaia. Rita deliberately avoided Polar Day City and Eternal Night Fortress, opting instead to visit Four Seasons City.


    While it was mid-afternoon in Four Seasons City (due to the time difference with Blue Star''s US servers), it felt like autumn. As she passed by the Bird''s Nest near the city''s teleportation array, she couldn''t resist glancing inside. Quietly, she asked Maple Burn, "If I resurrect you directly, would you immediately take away the orange-red wings?"


    Maple Burn replied sweetly, "Of course. That''s why I keep telling you we should just do the ceremony at the Bird''s Nest. That way, you''ll grow a brand-new pair of orange-red wings! You win big; I profit a little."


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    Rita stared at the Bird''s Nest for a long moment. Was she tempted? Absolutely not. She was just curious! What if... just what if the Owlcrow emperor could declare her the betrayed party and let her keep the wings by default?


    With that idea in mind, she casually entered the Bird''s Nest to inquire. Of course, as soon as the words left her lips, she was thrown out.


    The atmosphere in Four Seasons City was noticeably tenser than the last time she''d visited. The streets were crawling with Owlcrow soldiers on patrol, all carrying lamps with what looked like watermelon vine tendrils inside.


    Were they searching for Moon Sand? Or were they hunting the group of High Tower survivors?


    Rita squatted at the side of the road, watching every passing Owlcrow with a keen eye. She activated her detection skill to probe their Divine Gifts, stealing a few attributes here and there for good measure.


    She didn''t discriminate. Anyone who walked by was fair game. Along the way, she bought materials for [Spring Not Late] and [Gold-Class Assassin], as well as a fresh batch of fruits and plants grown by the Owlcrows.


    Meanwhile, Maple Cang struggled to suppress her excitement as she descended from the roof. She extended her arms as if to embrace Rita.


    Startled, Rita took three steps back and raised her hands in protest. "Hold on! Wait a second!"


    Maple Cang stopped immediately. "I want to propose a deal. I know you can kill Maple Burn and then revive her."


    Rita''s eyes narrowed. "How do you know that?"


    Could this be a ploy from Maple Syrup? Was Maple Cang sent here to stall her or enact some hidden plan? Worse, if Maple Cang could sense the location of the orange-red wings, then nowhere was safe. Perhaps running was the best option.


    Sensing her growing tension, Maple Burn panicked. "Don''t be scared! Please don''t be scared! I haven''t done anything behind your back!"


    "I''m not scared!" Rita snapped back, glaring at the jellyfish.


    "Explain, both of you! Quickly!" Nivalis added, anxiously waving her tendrils.


    Rita glared upward. "Whose side are you even on?!"


    Sensing the tension, Maple Cang stepped back slightly. "Our family has a group skill called [Trade Conference]. Maple Burn is the merchant. Mother is the overseer. Maple Mu and I are the administrators. So..."


    "So you and Maple Mu can see my transactions with Maple Burn, and you can also sense the location of the orange-red wings?"


    "I can see the transaction details, yes. But I can''t sense the wings'' location¡ªI can only sense Maple Burn. Once she fully transfers the wings to you, I won''t be able to track her anymore."


    Maple Cang''s tone remained calm and conciliatory. "I truly want to cooperate with you. Mother doesn''t care. She believes that even if Maple Burn merges with an outsider''s soul, her core essence will remain unchanged. But I don''t agree. I think your presence will change her."


    Rita''s curiosity was piqued. "What about Maple Mu? Don''t you care if Maple Mu merges with an outsider''s soul?"


    This time, Maple Cang fell silent. Her brows furrowed deeply, as if wrestling with a difficult question. After a long pause, she spoke with a complicated, resigned expression.


    "Maple Mu is Maple Mu..."

 Chapter 349 SSS-Class Divine Gift — "My Owlcrow Empress Mother"

    Maple Cang clearly didn''t want to dwell on the topic. After giving a brief, almost dismissive answer about Maple Mu, she quickly shifted the conversation. "I can help you find an Owlcrow with an S-tier Divine Gift."


    A traitor delivering herself on a silver platter, huh? But Rita wasn''t naive. She understood that Maple Cang likely wanted to oversee her actions¡ªkeeping a close watch to ensure that Rita wouldn''t backstab them at the last moment.


    "Alright," Rita agreed, but added, "you''ll have to write down the full version of Cheers and the method for igniting the orange-red wings first."


    This was the perfect opportunity to verify whether the instructions Maple Burn had taught her were authentic.@@@@


    If Maple Syrup truly wanted Maple Cang to create a skill on par with Cheers, then she definitely would''ve taught her Cheers in its entirety to give her a foundation to build from.


    Maple Cang didn''t hesitate. She immediately pulled out a scroll and feathered pen, using her palm as a makeshift desk to start writing. As she wrote, she explained, "I know Cheers, but I only know the method for igniting orange-red wings using wind elements. It''s similar to the method for lightning elements, but if you don''t trust it, you can always switch to training with wind."


    Maple Burn interjected, her voice coated with sugar. "Don''t worry. What I told you is absolutely genuine! My Sixth Sense Deluxe Edition tells me who I absolutely shouldn''t offend, and you, my dear, are at the top of that list."


    Rita was momentarily speechless.


    She couldn''t even muster the strength to feel envious anymore. Maple Burn''s Divine Gift wasn''t just S-tier Cotton Candy, no¡ªthis woman clearly had an SSS-tier Divine Gift: "My Owlcrow Empress Mother."


    As Maple Cang continued writing, she glanced at Maple Burn and asked casually, "I know of several Owlcrows with S-tier Divine Gifts. Tell me, Maple Burn, what color wings do you like? And what kind of Divine Gift do you want?"


    Maple Burn responded with a playful, almost flirty tone, "Whatever my big sister picks, I''ll like~~."


    Maple Cang smiled softly, shooting a brief glance at Rita. "What a sweet-talker."


    The look in her eyes sent shivers down Rita''s spine.


    Nivalis, sensing the tension, used her tiny jellyfish tendrils to pat Rita''s head. "Wow, such a sweet-talker... Hey, wait, why do you look like a dead fish now? Are you okay?"


    Rita didn''t respond. She silently scooped up Nivalis and clamped her hands over the little dragon''s "mouth" to stop her from making things worse.


    Maple Burn explained, "When I shared this knowledge with Mother, she fell asleep for several days. Then the skill connection abruptly ended."


    All the more reason to do it now! Rita thought. If she waited until Maple Burn was resurrected, her leverage would be gone. And what if Maple Cang decided to betray her while she was in a weakened state?


    Rita turned to Maple Cang. "My resurrection skill is still on cooldown. You find the target, and we''ll meet in MoonFox City at an inn in 10 days."


    Choosing MoonFox City was a calculated move. If things went sideways and the high-ranking players returned early from the World Battlefield, she could use the World Graveyard to summon Mistblade and buy herself some time.


    Maple Cang, clearly annoyed, finally spoke up. "...You realize I''m strong enough to crush you easily, right? You should show some respect."


    Rita, lost in thought as she combed through her plan for loopholes, nodded absentmindedly. "I know. I''m terrified. That''s why I''m making preparations to defend myself."


    "..."


    Rita wasn''t particularly scared, though. She knew Maple Cang wouldn''t make a move¡ªnot yet. As long as Maple Burn was tethered to her, Maple Cang had no reason to act prematurely.


    Still, Rita hesitated. Ten days might be too long. What if Maple Syrup returned during that time? In the end, she decided to prioritize obtaining the 666 languages while she still had leverage. Maple Syrup might not interrupt their deal, especially if she valued a "pure" reunion with her daughter.


    The purer the love, the less tolerable the impurities.


    Would a mother truly want her daughter''s resurrection tainted by the soul of a stranger? Rita doubted Maple Syrup was as indifferent as she claimed. It was likely a ruse to make Rita lower her guard.


    Maple Cang, eager to bring her sister back as soon as possible, wasted no time. She split off in Four Seasons City to begin the search.


    Rita, on the other hand, returned to Blue Star. Instead of going home, she headed to the ocean depths and cleared out a 15-level dungeon. This underwater dungeon would serve as her temporary base of operations.


    Given the current frenzy surrounding the radiant orange-red wings, she no longer trusted her rooftop sanctuary. Too many players were coming and going, driven by curiosity. Once she fully acquired the wings, securing her home would be her top priority.


    She instructed Nivalis to stand guard and settled into a meditative position. "Alright, Maple Burn," she said. "Let''s do this."


    "Alright. During the transfer, if you lose consciousness or your sanity, the skill will automatically cut off," Maple Burn warned.

 Chapter 350 The Wind Bear

    The moment the knowledge transfer began, Rita felt an overwhelming torrent of noise flood her mind. The side effects of her Absolute Clarity skill became glaringly apparent at that moment. She had no choice but to confront the deafening cacophony and the sheer volume of incoming information. Words like "splitting headache" didn''t even come close to describing the pain¡ªshe felt as though her brain was being stretched to the breaking point, ready to burst under the pressure of it all.


    Thankfully, an Expert-Level skill in its Arcane Form washed over her, dramatically reducing her agony. Taking advantage of the brief window of clarity, Rita quickly applied several buffs to herself using her remaining Arcane Points.


    Remarkably, her health wasn''t dropping, which meant the Expert-Level skill wasn''t just dulling her pain but enhancing her attributes as well. Rita downed 50ml of Daughter''s Whiskey, and thanks to the clarity-enhancing effects of Absolute Clarity, the usual drunken side effects of the whiskey were completely nullified.


    Under the combined effects of Expert-Level, Daughter''s Whiskey, and her buffs, Rita''s state began to stabilize. Gradually, she started making sense of the chaotic streams of information filling her mind.


    Words began to organize themselves into distinct languages: Fluorish, Otterian, Desertborn, Centaurian, Sharkwood, Tombwalker, Wind Bear, Candlebeast...


    Each language carried its own unique structure, rules, and beauty. It wasn''t just about words¡ªit was a window into the civilizations that birthed them. Through the languages, Rita felt as though she could glimpse the races themselves, as if their cultures and histories were unfolding before her eyes.


    And it wasn''t just her imagination¡ªshe was sure of it. The more she focused, the clearer the outlines of those races became.


    Wind Bear? She paused. Wind Bear?! The creature resembled none other than the Bear Cookies she had baked for Maple Cang in High Tower.


    Could it be? Were Bear Cookies actually based on a sentient, intelligent race?


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    The knowledge transfer encompassed 666 languages. Oddly enough, though, only Candlebeast represented a Lania Kaia race. None of the 11 other species indigenous to the region appeared in the database. Surely they couldn''t all have been included in the 333 languages Maple Syrup had received earlier... Could they?


    Rita pressed on, her focus sharpening as she methodically processed the linguistic knowledge. The overwhelming jumble of words and concepts gradually untangled into neat, coherent structures. The more she worked through the knowledge, the more clarity she gained, and the easier the process became.


    When she finally broke out of her hyper-focused trance, she realized that it was already December 21st in Blue Star time. Nivalis had stood guard over her the entire time. She didn''t know how many Arcane Skills Nivalis had burned through, but she could sense that every few minutes, a fresh Expert-Level skill had been cast to stabilize her attributes, amplifying them tenfold. It was, without a doubt, the key reason she had managed to endure the transfer so smoothly.


    Her mind drifted back to the vision she''d had during the knowledge transfer. She looked at the Bear Cookies thoughtfully and asked, "You said Bear Cookies were something you imagined, right? Then why did I see a species identical to them during the transfer? The Wind Bears?"


    Maple Burn sounded confused. "Wind Bears? What''s that?"


    "They''re one of the 666 races, the Wind Bear Clan."


    From outside the room, Maple Cang''s voice cut in. "Open the door. It''s me¡ªyour sister."


    The door was enchanted with a protective mechanism that would trigger an alarm if forced open. Given that this was a Moonfox city and Maple Cang was already a sensitive figure, she wasn''t keen on causing unnecessary misunderstandings. Rita sighed and opened the door to let her in.


    Once inside, Maple Cang shut the door and locked it behind her before setting a large wooden crate on the floor.


    Rita wasn''t about to let the earlier topic slide. She picked up one of the Bear Cookies and asked, "Are these based on the Wind Bears?"


    Maple Cang gave the cookie a cursory glance and answered in an offhand manner, "Nope. These are made from real Wind Bears. About a third of the Wind Bears in the universe were turned into Bear Cookies by Mother. She wanted them to be a tribute to Maple Burn. But recently, with all the young Owlcrows running around, the Bear Cookies have been running low."


    Rita froze, her fingers tightening around the Bear Cookie. She wasn''t sure what she felt¡ªshock at Maple Syrup''s ruthlessness, pity for the Wind Bears, or envy for the devotion Maple Burn inspired. Perhaps it was all three.


    As Maple Cang began dragging an unconscious Owlcrow out of the crate, she called over to Maple Burn. "When you wake up, you''ll have to see the Bear Cookies for yourself. They look exactly like the ones you drew. Mother saw the Wind Bears and immediately decided to turn them into real Bear Cookies to protect all the little Owlcrows. She even prayed for you, hoping you''d be resurrected from High Tower soon."


    Maple Burn''s voice was soft and tearful. "Mm~."


    Rita''s gaze fell back to the Bear Cookie in her hand. She could swear that the little bear was crying.


    "Can we proceed with the transaction now?" Maple Cang asked, breaking the silence.


    Rita calmly pocketed the Bear Cookie. "We can, but step outside first. Come back in an hour. I need enough time to prepare my escape route."

 Chapter 351 Cotton Candy Skill +1

    Maple Cang sighed. "With that temper of yours... No wonder you managed to awaken Maple Burn. Are you sure about this, Maple Burn?"


    Maple Burn replied confidently, "I''m sure, sister. You can leave now. My skill tells me this transaction is reliable. As long as we don''t hurt her, she won''t go back on her word. Please, don''t touch her. Absolutely do not touch her."


    Maple Cang couldn''t help but laugh. She wanted to retort that she could crush this creature in an instant, but thinking about Maple Burn''s peculiar skills, she swallowed her rebuttal and left the room without further delay.


    Only then did Maple Burn continue. "Alright, let''s proceed."@@@@


    Maple Cang didn''t make a move, which left Rita a bit disappointed. She had already decided to use her Reversal Moment skill on Maple Cang. If Maple Cang had tried anything, Rita could''ve swapped one of her divine gift skills from Archer with Maple Cang''s Cream Cookie skill¡ªone she had been eyeing for a while. Back when she fled after climbing the tower, there hadn''t been time to steal it. Now, Maple Burn had ruined the perfect setup.


    Rita lamented, "You were really worried about her making a move on me?"


    Maple Burn admitted, "Yes. My Superior Sixth Sense tells me that if she attacks you, she''ll take a huge loss."


    Rita was speechless. She handed the Soul Catcher to Nivalis without further delay.


    Half an hour later, Maple Cang, who was resting downstairs, abruptly opened her eyes. She sensed Maple Burn leave the second-floor room and appear in a fifth-floor room in the nine o''clock direction.


    Ignoring the six-tailed Moonfox shopkeeper''s warning, Maple Cang bolted upstairs, kicking down the door to the room where Maple Burn was supposed to be.


    When she reached the window, she saw "Maple Yaa" lying on the floor with her health fully restored. Breathing a sigh of relief, Maple Cang rushed over and shook the unconscious Owlcrow awake. The girl groggily opened her eyes, her expression marked by exhaustion. Her aura was weak, her attributes reduced to only 20% of their original value¡ªclassic aftereffects of soul shock, which would take time to recover from.


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    But Maple Cang could tell from the girl''s eyes that this was Maple Burn, not Maple Cake. She pulled her sister into a hug, her voice full of concern. "No problems, right? How did you end up here?"


    When activated, all your offensive skills are converted into healing skills. Damage dealt is transformed into an equivalent amount of healing, capable of restoring both HP and MP. If both HP and MP are full, the excess healing can be used to regenerate lost limbs. Cast time: 0.1 seconds. Mana cost: 500 per use. Duration: 5 minutes. Cooldown: 1 hour.


    She casually flipped a few gold coins in her hand, thinking back to Maple Cang. For a moment, she had been tempted to use I Just Want to Improve So Badly on her. Maple Cang was clearly collecting World''s Tomb fragments.


    But the fact that all three Owlcrow Empresses had gone to the World Battlefield on December 15th suggested that this particular campaign was exceptional.


    Given the stakes of such a pivotal battle, it was unlikely Maple Cang would still have the World''s Tomb fragments on her. She probably had already handed them off to Maple Syrup. The odds of stealing anything useful were slim. Staying behind to gamble on the off-chance of success wasn''t worth it¡ªespecially since risking her life wasn''t part of the plan. Rita''s escape during their first encounter had been sheer luck, a result of Maple Cang''s underestimation of her. She wasn''t about to push that luck.


    Killing Maple Burn outright also hadn''t been an option. Doing so under these conditions would''ve brought nothing but trouble.


    Walking along the crowded street, Rita casually used her pickpocketing skills on a few unsuspecting Moonfoxes. She reached for the pocket watch hanging on her necklace, checking on her Wrathful Moon skill. It was still upgrading, with 19 days remaining. By January 15th, it would be complete.


    Thankfully, the skill was still usable in its current form, so she wasn''t in any hurry. While she didn''t know what the next upgrade would require, even if it needed Moon Sand, she could afford to trade a little for some new recipes from Lucia.


    She wasn''t worried about exposing herself. The disappearance of Moon Sand coincided with her group of six climbing the tower, so the Owlcrows were bound to investigate all players involved. Whether she hoarded the Moon Sand or not, suspicion would fall on her either way. Better to use it to gain some resources now.


    Just as she was debating what else to buy from Lucia, a chill ran down her spine. Her instincts screamed danger¡ªa predator''s gaze locked onto her like a hunter aiming a rifle at its prey.


    In situations like this, wasting time looking for the source of the threat was pointless. The best course of action was to leave immediately.


    She activated the Arcane Version of Phantom Shift, teleporting herself to a nearby street. The skill lagged briefly before taking effect, and just as she materialized, a deafening explosion erupted behind her. Rita turned to see Mistblade standing where she had been moments ago. The ground beneath Mistblade was cracked like a spider''s web, radiating outward from the impact.


    Mistblade''s gaze lifted, locking onto Rita. Behind her, nine massive fox tails swayed in the air, one of them curling slightly at the tip as if observing her.


    Her tight black battle robe was torn in places. The sleeve on her right arm was missing, exposing pale skin marred with jagged wounds. Blood dripped from her elegant fingers to the ground like crimson ink on fine porcelain. Far from appearing weak, the injuries only added to her haunting allure.


    With only 3% of her health remaining, Mistblade''s eyes still burned with fierce determination and bloodlust. She had clearly just emerged from a brutal battle.

 Chapter 352 Mistblade Pays a Visit

    Rita quietly committed Mistblade''s current look and expression to memory¡ªshe absolutely had to look this cool next time!


    Meanwhile, Nivalis, now transformed into a small snake, clung tightly to her ear, letting out a high-pitched squeal, "Mistblade! It''s Mistblade the Lunar Empress! The one with the most followers out of all nine Lunar Empresses! Holy Cup, I think I''m in love!!"


    Rita''s ear was practically being yanked off. "...And I''m about to die early."


    There was no time to think about why Mistblade suddenly made a move against her. Nor did she dare waste a precious opportunity. She immediately activated Wrathful Moon''s [Temporal Walk], stepping back to the night of the 14th. At that time, she had been preparing to leave Blue Star, so it was impossible for her to be anywhere near Moonfox City.


    Disguising herself again as Wind Scythe, Rita wandered the streets of Polar Day City, but no matter how much she pondered, she couldn''t figure out how Mistblade had managed to pinpoint her.


    After all, she had sprayed herself with [I Really Don''t Have Time to Shower] and was also using Gold-Class Assassin to obscure her presence. Even Nivalis had morphed into a small snake, wearing dragon scales to further confuse her scent.


    Now back in her Wind Scythe disguise, Nivalis transformed into a small meerkat and climbed into her arms. "Could it be because of that skill you got¡ªthe one that can cut the moon?" Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire


    Rita shook her head. That didn''t make sense. If that skill was truly the issue, Mistblade herself wouldn''t have needed to intervene. Moonfox City also had Empty Map and Asking Wind, two other Lunar Empresses who could''ve acted. Why would Mistblade wait to personally attack her after returning from the battlefield?@@@@


    Even if all three Lunar Empresses of Moonfox City had been at the World Battlefield, she had spent nearly an entire day in Moonfox City. Surely they could''ve sent subordinates to apprehend her long before Mistblade returned. It wasn''t as if Mistblade had instantly known she had purchased [Who Will Cut the Moonlight], right?


    Setting aside the mystery for now, Rita quickly made her way to Lucia''s hut. Her plan was to learn Two-Tier Fool as fast as possible and then retreat to Blue Star for some low-profile time. First, she needed to finish brewing [Spring Not Late] to ensure she could sustain herself.


    The effects of her previous [Spring Not Late] potion would only last until January 10th, and crafting a single batch of it required at least a month of preparation. That meant there would be a dangerous five-day gap without the potion''s benefits.


    On her way to Lucia''s, Rita casually changed her username to Little Apache.


    Lucia''s eyes brightened. "What formulas are you after? I can give them to you first. But don''t hand that thing over here¡ªit''s not safe. My workshop is under constant surveillance. Leave it with Apache and tell her to cover it with a New Home Gem. She''ll understand. I''ll visit her to experiment later."


    Rita rattled off her prepared list: "Two-Tier Fool, Super Composite Potion, The Fish King''s Kingdom, and Socialite''s Charm."


    Two-Tier Fool was Lucia''s signature product. It was in high demand but short supply, so Rita planned to brew and sell it for profit. Super Composite Potion was a versatile concoction that could restore both health and mana in proportional amounts. The Fish King''s Kingdom was a potion that could shrink the user to 20% of their original size for one in-game day. The smaller size was excellent for combat, as Wind Scythes were already known for their agility and miniature stature, making them hard to hit. Socialite''s Charm was a gem-based alchemy product. When worn, it would heat up slightly if the user discussed a topic the other party was passionate or knowledgeable about. If the other party lied, the gem would turn ice cold. It was a popular tool for merchants and goblins during negotiations. Despite its high cost and short one-month lifespan, the demand for it was even greater than for Two-Tier Fool.


    Each of these formulas was unique to Lucia. Rita''s Moon Sand would only grant her the right to learn them, as she wasn''t an official apprentice. Every time she profited from these products, 20% of her earnings would have to go to Lucia.


    In advanced alchemy, this type of royalty system was standard for anything above basic-level formulas. Attempting to cheat the system by hiding profits would be futile, as the world was governed by mysterious rules and powers. Some had tried and lost their alchemy talents entirely as a result.


    Even if there were no consequences, Rita wouldn''t risk damaging her relationship with Lucia. Maintaining friendly ties with Lucia was worth more than any potential profit¡ªjust as maintaining ties with Eclipse Vanguard was.


    After finalizing her business with Lucia, Rita didn''t dare linger in Polar Day City. She immediately traveled to Dark City. But as soon as she stepped out of the teleportation array, she noticed several teams of Moonfoxes stationed nearby.


    The moment her figure appeared, the gemstone in the lead Moonfox''s hand lit up.


    So, her interactions with Apache and Mistblade had been exposed...


    She could leave right now. There was still time. But in that moment, Rita hesitated, her mind racing.


    Her next destination was the World Battlefield, a place shrouded in mystery. Even Mistblade, a powerhouse, had returned from it covered in wounds.


    She needed information¡ªsomething to help her decide whether to hunker down in Blue Star for a while longer or press forward into the World Battlefield.

 Chapter 353 Shes Definitely Not Talking About a Book

    If Maple Burn was still with her, Maple Syrup or Maple Cang would have been the ideal options for negotiations. But now... perhaps her only choice was Mistblade.


    And she just so happened to have something from Maple Burn that was valuable enough for negotiations. If it was something even Maple Syrup needed, Mistblade definitely wouldn''t pass it up either.


    The unresolved matter between her and Mistblade needed to be settled. She had to figure out how Mistblade had tracked her down. Otherwise, every time she came to Lania Kaia, she would risk being hunted.


    Now might be the best opportunity to negotiate. Mistblade wouldn''t dare kill a renowned alchemy genius of the Undead faction right here in the Undead capital. And as an apprentice to Apache, there was no way she would get sliced in two the moment she stepped into the alchemy shop. As long as she could get the chance to speak, there was room for collaboration.


    Besides, she hadn''t stolen anything for herself¡ªit was all for Apache! Apache was the real mastermind here!!! Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    Rita stepped out of the teleportation array and immediately confessed to the seven-tailed moon fox leading the guards. "I surrender!"@@@@


    The seven-tailed moon fox stared at her, speechless. ...Just three words, and my reward just dropped by thirty percent.


    She thought about having Nivalis return to the pet space, but the little dragon refused, wanting to meet Mistblade. Besides, Rita had sprayed herself with [I Really Don''t Have Time to Shower] and was disguised with the transformation artifact from the Holy Cup. So, she didn''t insist.


    With the Moonfox guards escorting her, Rita carried the tiny mongoose-like Nivalis and arrived at Apache''s alchemy shop.


    There were two neat rows of Moonfox guards standing outside, and all the customers had been cleared out of the store. Inside, Apache sat at her usual table by the window, facing Mistblade. Apache wore a gray robe with low-key black thread embroidery, while Mistblade, now fully healed, had changed into an elegant crimson robe.


    Rita couldn''t help but notice that Apache''s aura was no weaker than Mistblade''s. Despite the level and power disparity, her confidence and defiance were undiminished. She''s the kind of person who could die standing tall with her chin up.


    Kayden was squatting in a corner of the shop. She didn''t seem injured but was drawing circles on the ground out of boredom. When she saw Rita being brought in, her confused expression quickly turned into one of realization and worry. Oh no, they''re about to wipe out the entire alchemy shop.


    Rita was led by a Moonfox guard to stand by the table. She turned to look at Apache, silently asking with her eyes, What happened? But Apache avoided her gaze, instead staring at the ceiling with feigned nonchalance.


    Mistblade gazed at Rita with a faint smirk. "Switched skins again, I see?"


    In a respectful tone, Rita asked, "Your Excellency Mistblade, how did you know I was an apprentice of Teacher Apache?"


    Apache glanced at Rita''s current player name¡ª¡ªand couldn''t stop herself from making a face that screamed "I can''t believe this idiot." In a low voice, she muttered, "Can you not keep the same name when you''re playing dumb? Try Little Lucia next time, maybe?"


    Even Nivalis couldn''t bear to watch anymore. She raised her tiny black paw to cover her eyes and turned away in Rita''s arms, facing Mistblade with her rear instead.


    Apache and Rita simultaneously turned to look at each other, the atmosphere awkward beyond words.


    Mistblade''s nine tails fanned out like a peacock''s display. A mist spread throughout the shop, suffocating the air. If killing Apache wouldn''t result in her world relic disappearing, Mistblade likely would''ve acted already. She stared coldly at Rita. "This is your last chance."


    Rita sighed inwardly. She had decided not to run earlier for two reasons.


    First, she wanted to see if Apache would still protect her when facing Mistblade directly.


    Second, she couldn''t abandon Apache and Kayden. If she had arrived in Dark City and found things in chaos, her first instinct to leave would not go unnoticed by Apache.


    Even if she set aside the personal bond she had built with these two undead, the simple matter of preserving future opportunities was too important. Abandoning Apache and Kayden would effectively cut off her connection to Lucia.


    Though Apache never openly acknowledged being Lucia''s student and there was little evidence of direct collaboration, the signs were undeniable. When Apache acquired a Moonfox book, she would organize the notes and send them to Lucia. Similarly, when Lucia couldn''t receive Moon Sand, her first choice was to use Apache as an intermediary.


    Clearly, their relationship was far deeper than appearances suggested. And Rita''s ability to peacefully trade with Lucia? Apache''s influence was undoubtedly key.


    Betraying Apache would be the same as severing ties with Lucia.


    Without these two masters, where would she go to study alchemy? Back in High Tower, she''d been forced to specialize in cooking¡ªnot because she loved it, but because there was no opportunity to pursue alchemy. Now that she had an amazing teacher, she fully understood just how important that was.


    Rita pulled out the bargaining chip she had prepared. "Do you need a translator for ancient languages? I can speak 666 of them."


    Mistblade''s eyes shifted immediately. For a split second, her killing intent surged to a terrifying peak, only to vanish just as quickly. She waved her hand, dismissing the Moonfox guards from the shop. As the guards left and the door shut, Mistblade turned her attention back to Rita. "You want to follow me?"


    Rita''s eyes widened in horror.


    No! I just wanted to freelance! Who said anything about pledging allegiance?!


    Mistblade could see the panic written all over Rita''s face...


    She hadn''t felt this kind of insult since the time she found her handcrafted, master-level potions being auctioned off to the highest bidder.

 Chapter 354 See You on the Battlefield, Next Month on the 15th

    Sensing the atmosphere growing tense, Rita quickly tried to salvage the situation. "Your Excellency, my admiration and reverence for you are genuine, but unfortunately, I''m not a Moonfox, so I can''t follow you!"


    Mistblade sneered. "Lies! If you truly admired and revered me, why did you sell the potion I personally gifted you at a public auction?"


    Apache gave Rita a long, incredulous look, noticing the faint confusion still lingering on her face. She whispered a reminder, "Potions handcrafted by Mistblade Moon Sovereign either require an exorbitant price and a long waiting list, or they can only be found at high-end auction houses."


    Rita finally realized what had happened. Nivalis also figured it out: "You put an ultra-limited-edition Lv potion on auction?! Are you insane?!"


    Rita immediately pulled out 10 milliliters of dragon blood and offered it to Mistblade. "I panicked! I read about Moonfox research into fragrances at the library and was terrified that you''d track me down. So, in my fear, I quickly sold it. Please forgive my impudence!"


    Dragon blood... Mistblade''s eyes lit up. Ever since Lidian had left Pine Bloom, it had been a long time since she''d been able to acquire any dragon blood.


    Currently, the best source of dragon blood in Lania Kaia was likely that little dragonling. Ever since the dragon had descended on the otherworldly battlefield, alchemy masters everywhere had been waiting for its contractor to sell dragon blood. The Wind Scythe clan had even stationed themselves on Blue Star in anticipation. But alas, there had been no news so far...


    Mistblade took the dragon blood, clearly satisfied, and nodded. "Given your cooperative attitude, I''ll let this matter slide... But how did you manage to steal the World Relic from me?"


    Rita didn''t even flinch before replying, "There''s a skill crystal called [Master Pickpocket]. It grants a 10% chance to steal one item from a target."


    Mistblade said nothing, her expression neutral. It was impossible to tell if she believed Rita''s explanation or if she had already realized Rita was dodging the question entirely.


    Seeing that Mistblade wasn''t pressing further, Rita relaxed slightly. But she couldn''t shake the feeling of icy fingers creeping down her spine. Turning to look behind her, she saw Apache staring at her with a gaze that could only be described as "a wife discovering her husband had given away their life savings to someone else."


    Rita had only managed to obtain 70ml of pure, untainted dragon blood during her earlier battle with Nivalis. After giving 20ml to Apache and now 10ml to Mistblade¡ªplus using a small amount herself when disguised as Nivalis¡ªshe was down to less than 40ml. She had no intention of using it herself, either. She was saving it for future "unintentional" offenses, where it might once again serve as a life-saving bribe.


    Rita quietly turned back around, pretending not to notice Apache''s gaze.


    Mistblade, having secured the dragon blood, set a stack of photos on the table. "I know you''re from an alien race. These are some of your kind who''ve attacked my subordinates. Kill these individuals for me. With that, and this dragon blood, I''ll forgive your disrespect."


    Rita: "She could also be bluffing..."


    Rita didn''t bother dwelling on the mechanics of the key. Nor did she engage in any back-and-forth over Mistblade''s assumptions. Instead, she declined outright. "I''m very satisfied with the skills on my current key fragment. I''m sorry, Your Excellency, but I cannot trade it. However, on my next trip to the battlefield, I''d be happy to translate for you¡ªup to three times. Would that suffice?"


    She didn''t know what the battlefield entailed¡ªwhat it even looked like inside or what time zones were being used for the "midnight entry." But she spoke with a confidence that suggested she''d been there countless times.


    Mistblade''s killing intent flared again. This alien creature, with her apparent timidity, hadn''t shown an ounce of true fear from the moment she entered the room. She joked, schemed, lied seamlessly, and tirelessly sought ways to negotiate.


    Apache had already stepped forward, pulling Rita behind her. Unlike earlier when she grabbed Kayden as a mere warning, this time, Apache sensed that Mistblade was genuinely about to strike.


    But Mistblade suddenly froze. Her violet eyes shimmered with intricate, glowing runes as she scanned Rita from head to toe, her gaze lingering briefly on the mongoose in her arms. Her fury dissipated in an instant, replaced by a mischievous smile. She looked like she''d stumbled upon something thoroughly entertaining.


    Mistblade chuckled. "I doubt you have the guts to make it through three full runs. But if you want me to forgive you for stealing my World Relic, here''s my offer: next month, on the 15th, you''ll translate for me. If you decide afterward that you''re done with the battlefield, you''ll hand over every World Relic you have left."


    How could she be so confident Rita would enter the battlefield next month on the 15th? Rita asked cautiously, "And if I decide to continue going to the battlefield? How many times would I need to translate for you before we''re even? There has to be a limit."


    Mistblade drained her tea and flipped the empty cup upside-down. Her intense gaze locked onto Rita''s. "Ten times. Deal?"


    Rita didn''t feel any relief¡ªjust an even greater sense of unease. It wasn''t just Mistblade''s ominous demeanor, but her specific attitude: as though she were watching a naive insect walk straight into disaster.


    No matter what, though, Rita couldn''t back down now. "If I agree, will you stop harassing me over the World Relic?"


    "Yes."


    "Then I agree."


    "Good." Mistblade smiled darkly. "The battlefield on the 15th¡ªI look forward to seeing your true form."

 Chapter 355 [Moon Serenade] & Kaydens Invitation

    Mistblade firmly set the terms. "When the time comes, come to me to fulfill your promise. If not... I''ll deal with Kayden." With that, she turned her attention to Apache. "The book."


    Apache, who had just been standing protectively in front of Mistblade, awkwardly sat back down and gave a sheepish smile. "Dean... Could it wait until next month, maybe?"


    Rita''s jaw nearly dropped as she turned to Mistblade. Wait, she''s the dean?!


    Mistblade''s lips curled into a mocking smile. "I preferred you back when you stood on my desk, raising your arms and shouting that you wanted to drop out."


    Rita, Nivalis, & Kayden: ...what the...


    Apache clenched her fist and lightly coughed into it. "Ah, well, I was young and foolish back then."


    Mistblade''s tone remained icy. "Hmm. And now you''re much more responsible¡ªsending your student to raid my library and steal my World Relic."


    Apache gritted her teeth and reluctantly pulled a small container of Moon Sand from her pocket, offering it to Mistblade. "I was wrong. Please forgive my disrespect."


    Rita silently watched as Mistblade''s expression softened once more. She took the Moon Sand and said, "Deliver the book to my palace by February."


    Wait a second, Rita thought. Is she just here to collect loot? First dragon blood, now Moon Sand?!


    But that wasn''t all. Mistblade''s gaze began sweeping the room, scanning from side to side as if she were checking to see if anything else had been stolen.


    Oh no... is she mentally running an inventory check on me?!


    Although Mistblade didn''t look at Kayden, everyone in the room knew who she was referring to when she said, "She knows what she can and cannot speak of, correct?"@@@@


    Apache replied, "Rest assured, she understands the gravity of the situation. She won''t say a word."


    Mistblade didn''t push the issue further. She trusted Apache to handle things appropriately. "Let''s hope so."


    With those parting words, Mistblade turned into a misty vapor and exited the alchemy shop. Outside, the sound of Moonfox guards retreating followed her departure.


    Finally, the three left in the room heaved a collective sigh of relief.


    Rita immediately sat down and poured herself a glass of ice water to calm her nerves. Kayden quickly joined her, grabbing a glass of her own. Ever thoughtful, she also poured a small cup for Nivalis.


    After chatting a bit longer and confirming that Mistblade wouldn''t suddenly come storming back, Rita finally took out the 400g of Moon Sand she had separated from Wrathful Moon earlier. She handed it to Apache.


    Before she could even speak, Apache snatched the bottle and looked ready to gush with endless praise. But Rita preemptively shouted, "It''s for Lucia!!!"


    Apache''s face fell in disappointment, and she just barely stopped herself from exclaiming, "Is this a gift for your most respected teacher? Thank you! It''s late, go rest!"


    Rita let out a sigh of relief. That was close.


    She quickly explained Lucia''s instructions, and Apache''s expression grew serious. She carefully stashed away the Moon Sand according to Lucia''s specifications.


    "Wait, Lucia taught you [Little Fish Kingdom''s King] and [Second-Rate Fool]?!"


    Rita sighed dramatically. "Yes, of course. You know how Lucia is. She just can''t help but spoil a true genius when she sees one."


    "..."


    "Teacher, why does your face look green? Don''t tell me you''re jealous?"


    "Don''t be ridiculous. This is just the natural color of undead skin. You foreigners wouldn''t understand."


    "Ohhh."


    After chatting a while longer, Rita discussed some of the issues she''d encountered during her time in the High Tower. Once Apache learned Rita had been there, she finally understood how Rita had improved so rapidly. Without hesitation, she handed Rita ten new notebooks filled with her research, telling her to study them on her own.


    As the time limit on her [Away from Home, Identity is Self-Assigned] skill approached, Rita finally bid farewell to Apache and Kayden. Leaving the alchemy shop, she hadn''t gone far when she picked a pocket from a passing undead.


    Suddenly, Kayden''s voice called out behind her.


    "Ravenclaw!"


    Rita turned around with Nivalis in her arms, both tilting their heads in unison. Kayden ran up to her, slightly out of breath. She was holding the gaming console Rita had given her earlier. She was a little taller than Rita in her current Wind Scythe form.


    Clutching the console nervously, Kayden looked at Rita and asked, "Would you... like to visit my home? I want to thank you for saving me today."


    Rita didn''t see it as a big deal¡ªshe hadn''t really saved Kayden, just saved herself. But seeing the sincerity in Kayden''s eyes, she nodded in agreement. Worst case, I''ll just drink another bottle of [Melting Time].

 Chapter 356 The Big Shots

    Rita wasn''t worried that Kayden might try to scheme against her. First, Kayden didn''t have the means to outmaneuver her. Second, for Kayden, the most important person in her life was Apache. Since Rita wasn''t on opposing terms with Apache, Kayden had no motivation to betray her.


    Kayden''s rented house was located in the slums of Dark City. The two small figures made their way through the city''s twisting alleys and shadowy corners.@@@@


    Truthfully, Apache treated Kayden quite well. All her meals were provided at the alchemy shop, she received three custom-made robes each quarter, and if she wanted, she could have just lived in one of the upstairs rooms above the shop, saving the money she spent on rent.


    But it seemed Kayden had her heart set on owning a small house of her own. Despite having a room at the shop, she insisted on renting elsewhere. Besides, Kayden already knew how to make a fair amount of potions herself¡ªshe could easily sell them and save up even more money.


    Rita asked, "That little house you''ve had your eye on¡ªdoes it happen to be nearby?"


    Kayden replied cheerfully, "That house? Someone already bought it! I''m looking for another one now."


    Rita sighed. "You said the same thing last time... How much are you still short? Do you want to work part-time for me? Help me process potions, and I''ll pay you."


    Kayden was always talking about saving up for a small house in Dark City, but all the homes she liked were in the slums. From what Rita had calculated, based on how much money Kayden had earned since they''d known each other, she should have had more than enough by now. But for some reason, she still hadn''t bought one.


    The little undead girl skipped through the damp, shadowy alleyways, hopping over puddles and dodging water dripping from rooftops. Her voice was lighthearted as she said, "That''d be great! I''m almost there¡ªprobably next year."


    Nivalis immediately chimed in, "You can''t say that. If you say ''next year,'' then you definitely won''t buy it by next year."


    Kayden''s eyes widened in surprise. "There''s a reason for that? Why?"


    Nivalis launched into an explanation about what a flag was.


    As they walked through the alleys, Kayden''s exclamations of astonishment echoed. Rita watched her closely, noting that her smile never faded and her chatter became more lively. It was a stark contrast to how she had been earlier, silently facing Mistblade. And yet, Rita could tell Kayden was more nervous now than she had been in the alchemy shop.


    She raised a hand, gesturing for Kayden to relax, signaling her harmless intentions. As Kayden watched, Rita activated one of her skills¡ª[Silent Hill].


    Among the six A-grade or higher skills she had obtained in High Tower, [Silent Hill] was one of her best. Though she had temporarily downgraded it using an Upgrade Cup, reducing it to an A-level ability, it was still incredibly useful.


    [Silent Hill] (A-grade, Upgradeable):


    Summons an alternate dimension where you are the absolute ruler. Within this dimension, nothing can be seen, heard, or divined by outsiders. All beings inside are fully under your awareness. The size and duration of the dimension depend on your Intelligence stat. Activation costs 2,000 Mana Points, has a 5-second cast time, and a 2-hour cooldown.


    With Rita''s current Intelligence stat and the skill''s temporary downgrade, her Silent Hill could only cover a 3-square-meter area and last no longer than 5 minutes. But for this conversation, it was enough.


    In an instant, white mist enveloped the room. Rita and Kayden could still see each other, but everything within the mist''s boundary was now hidden from the outside world¡ªundetectable by any means, even divination.


    "You can talk freely now," Rita said calmly. "But don''t take it out yet."


    Kayden visibly relaxed. She finally said, "It''s a Death Suit piece. Seven thousand."


    No matter what kind of piece it was, Rita wasn''t about to pass up the opportunity. "What do you want for it?"


    Hearing that question, Kayden''s whole body seemed to finally relax, as if the weight of the world had been lifted off her small shoulders.


    Rita chuckled. "So that''s what had you so nervous? You were afraid I''d just rob you? Or steal it and then force you to drink Forgetfulness Potion?"


    Kayden nodded without any embarrassment. "Of course. One day, you''re going to be someone truly powerful¡ªsomeone important. Big shots don''t bother with petty rules. Big shots can be ruthless, unfair, and willing to do anything to win. You all follow a completely different set of rules."


    Rita couldn''t help but laugh at Kayden''s tone. The little undead girl, sitting stiffly on her chair, looked so serious and solemn, as if she had uncovered some grand truth of the world. She clearly thought of herself as wise and experienced, like Gota, someone who had seen the harsh realities of life. And yet, her bright, innocent eyes betrayed her childlike naivety.

 Chapter 357 Disgust Is Just Another Form of Desire

    Rita''s heart softened, and her voice followed suit. "What makes you so sure I''m destined to be a big deal?"


    Kayden answered with certainty, "Because you''re going to represent your world in the battlefield. That''s how all the royals got their start. I know this." And considering how little time it had been since Lania Kaia invaded Blue Star, Ravenclaw already had the qualifications. Kayden was convinced¡ªRita was bound to become someone as significant as Mistblade Moon Sovereign.


    Rita didn''t dwell on the point. Instead, she smiled and asked, "So, what do you want?"


    Kayden became visibly nervous again. Her gaze flitted between Rita''s eyes, unable to focus, as if she couldn''t bear to look at her but didn''t want to miss her reaction either. Rita patiently waited, and after a long pause, she finally heard Kayden whisper:


    "I want to become a noble. When you become the ruler of your world, I want you to make me one of your nobles."


    Rita''s expression didn''t change in the slightest. There was no disdain, no ridicule¡ªnot even surprise. Instead, what Kayden saw in Rita''s eyes was a mix of compassion and understanding, a gaze that felt almost... accepting.


    For Kayden, her wish wasn''t met with the judgment she feared. Rita didn''t think less of her for it.


    From the very first time Kayden had "leaked" information to her, Rita had already noticed Kayden''s deep-seated resentment toward the undead aristocracy. But resentment often walks hand in hand with desire.


    It was as if Rita''s understanding gaze gave Kayden courage. Her eyes lit up, and her trembling voice gained strength as she continued:


    ¡ª "I want to become someone high and mighty, a noble. Even if I do nothing, even if I''m useless, I want to have everything beautiful in life."@@@@


    ¡ª "I don''t even want to buy a house in the slums! But I don''t dare go to better places¡ªI don''t deserve them."


    ¡ª "Apache keeps saying I''m wrong. She tells me every undead deserves to enjoy good things. She always comforts me by saying she was once a slave too. But now? Even undead lords don''t dare look down on her. But she doesn''t know... whenever those big shots come to the shop to buy things, they always laugh at her behind her back. They say, ''Apache doesn''t forget her roots. Even as a master alchemist, she still takes in a slave as her apprentice.''"


    ¡ª "I''m a stain! I''m Apache''s stain."


    ¡ª "I want to become a noble. Any noble, anywhere. I want to be called Lady Kayden. I don''t care what race you are¡ªif you promise me this, I''ll give you the Death Suit piece."


    What''s being traded? Why all the secrecy? Is it an SSS-tier artifact? A critical piece of information? A key to advancing a divine talent?


    What if it was something she desperately needed, but Kayden''s price was too high? What if it required betraying Blue Star, for example? What would she do with Kayden then?


    Would stealing it after ten attempts work? Did she bring enough memory-wiping fruit combinations?


    Smart as Kayden was, she''d led Rita through half of Dark City to get home, ensuring many neighbors saw her along the way. Apache would definitely know Kayden had gone to meet her. Could she cover it up if things went south? How would she deal with them?


    But the moment Kayden revealed it was a Death Suit piece, Rita finally relaxed.


    The item was valuable¡ªno doubt. But not to the point of making her lose all sense of morality.


    And it was only in that moment, when the stakes had been clarified, that the gentler part of Rita''s mind took over: This isn''t a battlefield, and we''re not strangers. I can''t treat Kayden so ruthlessly over an item¡ªespecially not Kayden, who''s helped me multiple times and is Apache''s student.


    But that didn''t mean the darker thoughts that had flashed through her mind were any less real.


    Just like how Nivalis had once noticed she could steal gold, yet chose to pretend she hadn''t, Rita had chosen to let her keep that illusion.


    But that choice was only possible because her skill, One-Person Party, had evolved, placing limits on her thievery. Those limits kept the fear she inspired manageable, making it easier for others to trust her. And so, Rita let Nivalis hold onto her secret, willing to play along.


    She allied with Eclipse Vanguard not because of some noble ideal, but because it was the most orthodox and mainstream faction. No matter how selfish or opportunistic she was behind the scenes, her connection to the faction¡ªbolstered by the military decree and Bear Cookies¡ªcemented her image as someone who loved her homeland.


    All her kindness had conditions. And she had no intention of changing that.


    After a long silence, Rita finally said softly, "...I''m not as good as you think I am."


    She wasn''t wholly cruel, nor was she purely virtuous. She pursued power and profit, her heart constantly ticking away like a calculating abacus. And only occasionally¡ªwhen it came to those close to her¡ªdid she let herself stop and linger.

 Chapter 358 Soulfire & the 7-Character

    Rita lifted her gaze to meet Kayden''s. Her eyes still glistened with tears, but the pain and sorrow that had lingered there earlier had mostly melted away. Oddly enough, she now seemed more at ease.


    Kayden spoke earnestly:


    "Ravenclaw, your emotions are like the waters of an Eternal Spring¡ªnever drying, infinitely precious. Your soulfire shifts and transforms from time to time, yet it has always remained beautiful, just like Apache''s... or even Mistblade Moon Sovereign''s."


    Rita glanced at Kayden''s divine talent: [Soul Watercolor] (Grade A).


    One of its skills, [Soul Observation] (Passive):


    "A soul is the best paint¡ªits colors never fade. You can see the soulfire of every target. By expending 10% of your mana, you can manifest their soulfire."


    Rita asked curiously, "What does my soulfire look like?"


    Kayden slowly lifted her small, pale hand and, with Rita''s permission, lightly touched her brow. When Kayden''s hand pulled back, a streak of comet-like flame appeared between them, trailing a long, fiery tail like a shooting star streaking across the night sky.


    The primary fire of the comet was a pure white flame, which occupied almost 90% of the soulfire. Pointing to the white flame, Kayden explained:


    "This is the immovable resolve and pursuit that resides in your heart."


    Trailing behind the white core were fiery tails¡ªtiny streaks of flames, each varying in length and color. Kayden gestured to each one, explaining:


    "These are the emotions you can''t let go of¡ªthe ones that linger within you. Love, hate, joy, regret, sorrow, compassion, pity, hope, greed..."


    She pointed at a tangled knot of interwoven flames, their hues blending so intricately that they seemed impossible to separate. Kayden continued:


    "And these... these are your most complex feelings, ones that cannot be defined simply. This is greed intertwined with restraint... this is resentment, grievance, and acceptance... this is longing entangled with vigilance and rejection... and here, respect, gratitude, caution, and guilt all swirl together."


    Kayden suddenly exclaimed in delight, "Ah! Look here! These two streaks of hatred actually hide threads of pity! I almost missed it!"


    Nivalis, perched nearby, chimed in with excitement:


    "Whoa, you''re right! But why are these two tiny strands of flame flickering back and forth?"


    Kayden explained, "Because their owner is trying to deny them. She wants to let go of them¡ªshe believes they''re wrong. But emotions and convictions... they don''t care about right or wrong. Isn''t it fascinating? Ravenclaw, you seem to have never regretted anything. There''s no hint of remorse in your fire... and no anger either."


    Kayden didn''t quite understand why Rita was thanking her. Instead, she asked, "Can I change the conditions of our deal?"


    "What conditions?"


    "If, one day, you become as strong as Mistblade Moon Sovereign, the Withering Monarch, or the Melody Sovereign¡ªif all of Lania Kaia knows your name¡ªcan you tell every Saint Tribe that Dark City''s Kayden is your most important and noble friend?"


    Rita raised an eyebrow. "Even if I earn a bad reputation? Aren''t you afraid my enemies will come for you?"


    Kayden nodded firmly. "That''s fine! I''m not afraid! Apache will protect me."


    Rita sighed inwardly, offering a moment of silent condolence for Apache. She then extended her pinky toward Kayden. "Alright, we''ll do it your way."


    Kayden stared at Rita''s outstretched pinky in confusion. Rita reached out, hooking Kayden''s small pinky finger with her own, shaking them gently together.


    "This is a tradition from my world," Rita explained. "When you ''pinky promise,'' it means you absolutely have to keep your word. Do you believe me?"


    "I believe you!"


    Kayden happily mimicked the gesture. Then, as if remembering something, she asked, "Should I give it to you now?"


    Rita stretched out her hand. "Sure. Let''s do this quickly."


    Kayden swiftly retrieved the Death Suit piece from her inventory and handed it over to Rita. She also pulled out a bottle of memory-wiping potion, holding it tightly as she asked, "You won''t forget about this, right?"


    Rita, who had been examining her newly acquired 7-Character, pressed her hand gently over the bottle. "You don''t need to drink that. I won''t forget."


    Kayden''s decision to meet her had undoubtedly been sanctioned by Apache. Plus, so many people had seen them together¡ªit was clear Kayden had been smart enough to leave herself an insurance policy. Even if the deal hadn''t worked out, she wouldn''t have lost her life.


    Rita knew that erasing Kayden''s memory served no purpose now. The 7-Character had been hidden well before the trade, and with Apache''s protection, there was no need for unnecessary risks.


    Finally, when the trade was complete, Nivalis jumped up onto Rita''s head, peering eagerly over her shoulder. "What is it? What is it?"


    Rita replied, "The 7-Character."


    While it couldn''t combine with her 3-Character and 5-Character for a new skill, it did grant her the ability to bring another item into the battlefield. More importantly, her honor points had risen by 10,000, reaching a staggering 61,050.


    Kayden reminded her, "This item won''t stay in one place for too long. If you don''t use it within 150 days, it''ll leave on its own. I once had a piece, but one day, it just disappeared."

 Chapter 359 The Role of Moon Sand!

    Rita remembered vividly¡ªshe''d obtained her very first World''s Grave back at the end of August. Only 150 days to use it?@@@@


    That meant if she didn''t want her 6-Dot to vanish, she''d have to use it before the end of January¡ªat the very latest, January 15th. The same day Mistblade had set for their meeting. Coincidence?


    Rita frowned deeply. This critical information wasn''t mentioned anywhere in the descriptions of items from the World''s Grave Forest. Were there other hidden details she didn''t know about?


    After having a simple meal with Nivalis and Kayden, cooked by none other than herself, Rita finally left. The dishes she made, all with scores over 90, left a significant impression¡ªKayden even licked her bowl clean.


    Once Rita was gone, Kayden returned to the alchemy shop, calling out, "Apache, I''m back!"


    Apache, still stirring a bubbling cauldron, didn''t even glance up. "You took Ravenclaw home with you?" Although Apache knew Rita''s real name, she never used it in the shop, and neither did Kayden.


    "Yes, I did."


    "Unusual for you to invite an outsider to that little den of yours."


    "Ravenclaw isn''t an outsider. She''s my friend!"


    Apache finally raised her eyes, her curiosity piqued, only to catch sight of Kayden''s cheerful silhouette. The little undead hummed a nursery rhyme as she stood on tiptoe, organizing potions and gemstones on the shelves.


    Rita, on the other hand, spent almost her entire day rushing around. By the time she returned to Blue Star, it was already the early morning hours of the 26th.


    The first thing she did was stealthily head to the Lopez Family Estate, using Wrathful Moon to rewind herself back to the exact moment on the 15th when she had resurrected Zoey with her Cotton Candy skill.


    The nature of time travel immediately threw her into a brief mental loop. If she returned to a point before she used Cotton Candy to resurrect Zoey, wouldn''t that mean her act of resurrection never happened? Would the Zoey of her current timeline cease to exist?


    The realization struck her that this paradox was accounted for by the One-Person Party skill itself. When her past self was still actively in a party, the skill refused to activate¡ªit simply didn''t work.


    "Fair enough," Shadow.Q replied, his voice as calm as ever. "I was just going through the motions of asking. Mainly, I wanted to see what you know about Moon Sand in relation to Fate Out of Sync."


    Moon Sand? Why was Shadow.Q bringing that up?


    Rita''s thoughts raced. If Shadow.Q was deliberately asking over the phone rather than in-game chat, it was likely because Eclipse Vanguard wanted to listen in. Were they conducting a lie detection test?


    The game''s chat interface was private, but real-world speech could be analyzed. Shadow.Q''s choice of words was also highly calculated¡ªhe hadn''t asked, "Do you know where the Moon Sand went?" because that would leave no room for evasion. This was his way of helping her out.


    But why was Eclipse Vanguard so serious about this? What was so important about Moon Sand that they''d risk straining their relationship with her just to confirm its whereabouts?


    Instead of answering, Rita shot back a question of her own. "So, you''ve figured out what Moon Sand does?"


    Her tone was confident, and Shadow.Q didn''t bother with pleasantries. He went straight to the point: "It allows you to redraw your divine talent."


    Rita''s hand froze mid-air as she twirled Nivalis'' tail. Her mind raced. "How many grams does it take to redraw once?"


    "10 grams," Shadow.Q replied. "But there''s no guarantee you''ll get something better. We''ve been running tests with the Moon Sand you sold to Eclipse Vanguard, pairing it with time-related divine talents. The results are the same as when we tested it during the beta¡ªit''s a completely random draw."


    Rita was silent for a long time. So, Moon Sand was this powerful? No wonder Eclipse Vanguard treated it with such gravity.


    The ability to redraw divine talents was essentially a chance to rewrite fate.


    Many talented players who excelled in combat or strategy but were stuck with subpar divine talents could get a second chance. Even though it was random, pairing it with luck-altering skills like Feeling Blessed could tilt the odds in their favor.


    Even if the results were lackluster, Moon Sand could still serve as an exclusive resource to incentivize players to join Eclipse Vanguard.


    Redrawing divine talents¡ªa once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change one''s destiny. The potential profit and strategic value were immeasurable.

 Chapter 360 Eclipse Vanguards Commander — Benjamin Wilson!

    On the other end of the phone, Shadow.Q''s voice remained calm:


    "So, do you still have Moon Sand? We''d like to purchase some."


    Rita leaned back against the headboard, relaxing as she replied lazily,


    "I do. But I need it myself and won''t be selling."


    When it came to Eclipse Vanguard, traditional lies¡ªno matter how cleverly constructed¡ªwere useless. The organization was filled with experts, not to mention specialized skills like [Is That True?!], a unique ability Rita had seen Brooks use before.


    That skill allowed the user to discern the truth behind any information, whether spoken, written, or even a prediction. If Eclipse Vanguard didn''t already possess a similar skill, it was likely they had developed something equivalent. Lying was pointless¡ªany attempt would be sniffed out instantly.@@@@


    So why deny it?


    Yes, she had Moon Sand in her possession. So what?


    There was a time when she had been weak, relying on Eclipse Vanguard for support. Even with Nivalis by her side, she didn''t trust anyone fully¡ªnot even her dragon. She would never arrogantly defy a major faction like Eclipse Vanguard, because the risk of Nivalis abandoning her at a critical moment would have left her defenseless and vulnerable.


    But that was then.


    Ever since leaving the High Tower, she was no longer the same.


    The three centuries spent inside the High Tower had honed her combat skills, allowed her to build an intricate skill system, and prepared her for the challenges ahead.


    Take Zoey, for example. Alone, she had managed to wipe out the entire Lopez Family. Rita, however, could multiply that destruction a hundredfold if she truly wanted to¡ªespecially with Nivalis by her side. Even if something happened to Nivalis, she was confident she wouldn''t lose.


    Rita quietly listened to the sound of Shadow.Q''s breathing, waiting for Eclipse Vanguard''s response. She felt both anticipation and a hint of nervousness, but one emotion was conspicuously absent: fear.


    What would Eclipse Vanguard do?


    The resources and advantages Rita had amassed were now at a boiling point¡ªMoon Sand, Nivalis, resurrection abilities, and more.


    Would Eclipse Vanguard turn hostile? Would they guilt-trip her, accusing her of selfishness, of neglecting the greater good? Would they threaten her with the idea of exposing Moon Sand''s purpose to the entire world?


    Player A: "Traitor!"


    But then, the majority of players would rise in her defense.


    "She''s no traitor¡ªEclipse Vanguard provoked her first! This has to be a conspiracy. Has Eclipse Vanguard lost their minds?"


    Gaaah! The drama! The chaos! The satisfaction!


    Rita, grinning like a lunatic, snapped back to reality. She covered her face with her hand, suppressing the giggles threatening to burst out of her.


    Nivalis, who had just finished a game, turned around, startled by the strange, almost sinister chuckling coming from the bed. She watched as Rita alternated between snickering and burying her face in embarrassment, her laughter still escaping between her fingers.


    Nivalis tilted her head and thought to herself, This disease isn''t contagious, right?


    Meanwhile, Shadow.Q sat alone in a soundproof glass chamber, surrounded by Eclipse Vanguard''s executives on the other side of the glass. The room buzzed with activity as the leaders engaged in heated discussions, some pointing at her while arguing passionately.


    Such meetings were not uncommon¡ªmany had been held for S-rank talent holders or key players like Rita. The outcomes were rarely terrible; most individuals ended up cooperating with Eclipse Vanguard, receiving fair compensation in return.


    But this time, the stakes were different. This was the first meeting where nearly all of Eclipse Vanguard''s top brass were present.


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    Shadow.Q yawned, leaning her head on one hand as she stared at the phone on the table, still on speaker. She glanced up and met the gaze of a woman standing at the center of the crowd outside the glass.


    Her presence dominated the room, even in silence. Arms crossed, her stance exuded authority and elegance. Her raven-black hair was pinned into an immaculate updo, and her simple yet refined makeup accentuated the natural beauty of her face¡ªevery wrinkle seemed deliberate, each line telling a story.


    She wore a set of matching jewelry¡ªearrings, a hairpin, a necklace, and a ring¡ªall encrusted with purple gemstones. Her magic robe, embroidered with shimmering runes and spell lines, occasionally pulsed with a faint violet glow, complementing her jewelry.


    Her aura was like the rising sun illuminating the ocean, effortlessly suppressing the brilliance of the jewels she wore. On her, those dazzling ornaments seemed no more than decorations on a crown.


    Her eyes resembled Rita''s, yet they were vastly different. Where Rita''s gaze carried liveliness, emotion, and whimsy, hers was calm, unreadable¡ªa still lake that gave nothing away.


    This was Benjamin Wilson, the Commander of Eclipse Vanguard.

 Chapter 361 She No Longer Needs Eclipse Vanguard

    Everyone in Eclipse Vanguard''s upper echelons knew one thing: Benjamin and Rita were extremely close blood relatives. However, since Rita had moved away from B-City with her parents at a young age and spent her days independently after the game invasion, she probably had no idea that she had an aunt.


    What she also didn''t know was that back when Benjamin had competed for the position of Eclipse Vanguard''s Commander, the presence of Rita and Nivalis had played a subtle yet pivotal role. It was like a feather landing on one side of the scales, tipping the balance. Rita, unknowingly, became the deciding weight that secured Benjamin''s victory.


    Shadow.Q lowered her head, avoiding Benjamin''s penetrating gaze.


    Outside the glass chamber, the arguments among Eclipse Vanguard''s executives grew increasingly heated.


    "We need Moon Sand, Nivalis, and her resurrection skill. All of it!" "Need, my ass! Are you weak, or is she stupid enough to give it to you?" "We''re Eclipse Vanguard. Everything we do, we do for the people!" "For the people, sure. By the way, where did your daughter''s full set of purple gear come from? Oh wait, you took it from one of your subordinates! Oops, did I say that out loud?" "Landon, are you insane? I''m not saying to take it from her! I mean paying for it, trading for it! And admit it¡ªhaven''t we already helped her a ton of times before?" "And hasn''t she paid us back? What, you think that protection was free?" "Wake up, people. You ever notice she doesn''t sell her core resources? There''s a huge market for dragon blood out there, and she''s never sold a single drop." "Still, she''s been friendly to us. The potions, the military tokens¡ªshe''s not some selfish lone wolf." "Friendly? Are you blind? That''s her stringing us along. Those military tokens? Three of them dropped just last month¡ªthey''re practically worthless now. And those potions? She''s holding onto the advanced ones! Face it, we''ve never been on the same side." "Oh, now you say that? Funny, you weren''t complaining when she handed over those tokens. Change your face so fast it''s like peeling back layers of an onion. Hell, peel far enough, and maybe we''ll find a new face underneath¡ªtwo-faced, aren''t you?" "Landon! I''m being objective here! Stop making it personal." "What if we go public with this? Use public pressure to force her hand. She can''t fight everyone." "Are you insane? What if we push her too hard, and she defects to the Oak Owls like Zoey did?" "But... she''s always been close to us. If we approach her sincerely, she might agree." "Yeah, and that''s why she''s so dangerous. Strong, unpredictable, ambitious, and independent. Not to mention, she''s developing faster than anyone else!" "Look, this is our chance! Just claim she''s been turned by the Oak Owls. Say her race and allegiance have changed!" "But what about all that Moon Sand? Do you know how many people we could recruit with it? We can''t just let this go. We could use this opportunity to secure the dragon too!" "And what happens when we antagonize the dragons? You''re going to be the one to take responsibility, right? You think the dragon will recognize you as its master?" "She''s not valuable because of Moon Sand or Nivalis. She''s valuable because she is the spark that can change Blue Star''s trajectory. Everything she has, she earned herself. She''s the spark. You? You''re just a fart."


    The loudest voice belonged to Landon, who had essentially transformed into a flame-throwing troll. He charged at anyone suggesting underhanded tactics against Rita, spraying verbal fire with every sentence.


    Finally, Benjamin raised her hand, and silence fell instantly.


    Benjamin pressed her palm against the glass, and her voice echoed outside the chamber. At the same time, her words appeared as text on the glass for everyone to read:


    "Don''t pursue Moon Sand further. Tell her this: Eclipse Vanguard will always be her ally. We do not betray our friends. If she ever decides to sell Moon Sand, we hope she will choose us first. "If she won''t sell her resurrection skill as a skill stone, take a step back and negotiate for potion recipes instead. She won''t refuse us four times in a row. When she asks what kind of potions we want, tell her to recommend some. We''ll pay top dollar."


    When she finished, Benjamin pulled her hand away and turned to the gathered executives:


    "It''s too late. She''s already grown strong. Anyone capable of hiding and enduring for so long is prepared to strike when they finally emerge.


    "She doesn''t need Eclipse Vanguard anymore."


    Her words served as both an explanation and a warning.


    Benjamin gave a small nod. Shadow.Q immediately responded, "Deal. How much?"


    Rita listed off the materials she needed for [Spring Not Late] and [Gold-Class Assassin]. "Ten sets of these, plus thirty weather-predicting skill stones. That''ll cover it."


    The materials she requested were pricey, costing no less than 700 gold per set, though Eclipse Vanguard could save some money by crafting them in-house.


    As an afterthought, Rita added, "And the dungeon instance above my house. Sixty weather stones total, including the recipe deal."


    Selling the dungeon above her house sent a clear message: Rita no longer needed Eclipse Vanguard.


    Shadow.Q glanced at Benjamin, who gave a slight nod.


    The deal was finalized. By 12 p.m., Shadow.Q had delivered everything.


    Rita messaged her privately.


    [Rita]: Safe yet, Sweaty Emperor?


    [Shadow.Q]: Safe, Pinebloom.


    [Rita]: Eclipse Vanguard didn''t cut you into pieces, right?


    [Shadow.Q]: Too late. My brain''s already pickled in a jar, talking to you from there.


    [Rita]: ...Makes sense. No wonder you were awake at 8 a.m.


    [Shadow.Q]: Damn! That''s where I slipped up?!

 Chapter 362 A Break of Ties

    [Shadow.Q]: Don''t worry, I''m fine. Although, there were a couple of idiots who suggested I donate the Obsidian Wings to the Research Department for study. But most of the group still has brains. I suspect there will be a few more expeditions into High Tower soon.


    [Rita]: They think that''s a good idea? Using High Tower to train troops?


    [Shadow.Q]: Seems like it.


    Rita wasn''t too surprised. That was likely the approach all 11 Alien Factions were taking. However, they were cautious. The 11 Factions were both greedy for High Tower''s secrets and wary of its dangers. They wanted to unlock its mysteries, copy its abilities, and reap its benefits¡ªwithout sacrificing too much of their own elites. They feared losing valuable personnel with no return.


    On the other hand, Oak Owls probably didn''t have such concerns. Their method of using High Tower was more brutal: sending people in and letting them either come out as single-combat specialists or lose their sanity. If they succeeded in reaching the tower''s summit, their spirits were revived with unmatched strength¡ªa process the Oak Owls regarded as an ultimate honor.


    [Shadow.Q]: By the way, I''ve reported the discovery that dungeon light curtains can be closed manually. I listed it as something you, Sanchez, and I uncovered together. We should be getting a reward for it soon.


    [Rita]: Still the same Shadow.Q as always.


    [Shadow.Q]: Is that a compliment?


    [Rita]: Of course. I could never do what you do. But I won''t mock you for your selflessness.


    [Shadow.Q]: I''m not selfless. Actually, I''ve been considering skipping out on helping Eclipse Vanguard collect certain items. If we keep cooperating, can we bring Sanchez along?


    [Rita]: Does it have to be her?


    [Shadow.Q]: Huh? Are you two not getting along? But she said you''re her closest friend, like family to her.


    [Rita]: ...


    [Shadow.Q]: Okay then. The real reason I mentioned her is because of her S-tier skill, [101 Dalmatians]. It lets her quickly locate specific items she needs. If we hand the hard parts to her, we can just slack off and make token efforts.


    Interesting skill, Rita thought. She didn''t have the time or energy to gather such items herself. Without hesitation, she messaged Jameson, assigning him a new task: collect a few sets of specific materials for her, regardless of their level.


    However, she didn''t outright reject Shadow.Q''s proposal. It was worth testing whether single-player dungeon light curtain closures differed from multiplayer ones in terms of difficulty or rewards.


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    After wrapping up her conversation with Shadow.Q, Rita immediately inspected the weather skill stones Eclipse Vanguard had sent over. Originally, she had asked for stones that could predict the weather, but Eclipse Vanguard, in their generosity, had provided stones that could change it.


    The moment Nivalis emerged from her pet space, a strong fruity aroma hit Rita''s nose. Before she could ask, Nivalis handed her a peach.


    Rita took a big bite and asked, "Peaches? In December?"


    Nivalis, also holding a peach, plopped down next to her and took small bites as she explained:


    "Muffinlia grew them. They also want to buy the rights to sell my anti-luck mahjong machines. They think it''ll be a hit. But I don''t want to mass-produce them myself. I''m thinking of selling them the recipe. How much do you think I should charge?"


    "What do you want in return? Gold, gems, or engineering recipes?"


    "Engineering recipes, I guess."


    "Alright. We''ll go see them in the morning. We can grab breakfast on the way."


    "You''re so busy. Won''t this waste your time?"


    "Time spent with you isn''t a waste."


    Nivalis froze mid-bite, turning to look at Rita. Rita, too, seemed to freeze, an awkward expression spreading across her face.


    Nivalis immediately pointed at her and shouted, "Aha! I knew it! You''re madly in love with me, head over heels obsessed! You just won''t admit it!"


    "..." Rita handed her a specially crafted dragon dish she had made earlier, prepared with [Century-Old Brand] seasoning.


    The meal scored 96 points, and its rich, tantalizing aroma instantly silenced Nivalis.


    The next morning, they visited the Mahjong Guild. Rita negotiated on Nivalis''s behalf, selling the recipe for the "Judgment-Free Mahjong Machine" to the Nameless Ones guild. In return, they agreed to dedicate 10% of all future profits from the machine to purchasing and sending engineering recipes to Nivalis.


    Unable to resist, the two stayed at the guild for hours playing mahjong before heading home.


    On the way back, Rita gifted Nivalis a special engineering notebook she had once bought¡ªa book that granted a chance to learn unknown engineering recipes while reading.


    "Luck doesn''t matter in mahjong," Rita muttered. "My luck stat is maxed out, and I still never win!"


    Nivalis hugged the notebook tightly, her expression complicated. She wanted to point out that Rita had plenty of winning hands, but her skill at playing was just abysmal.


    Still, gratitude silenced her. She clutched the notebook and let it slide.

 Chapter 363 Renovating the Villa

    After returning home, Rita once again retreated into her "closed-door cultivation mode." She focused on crafting [Spring Not Late], [Gold-Class Assassin], and [Melting Time], while simultaneously using lightning energy to ignite her orange-red wings.


    It wasn''t until the morning of December 31st that she finally found some downtime. She planned to prepare a feast for New Year''s Eve, not just for herself and Nivalis, but also for the cats in the backyard.


    From the moment she woke up, her message inbox wouldn''t stop pinging.


    Messages came from Yu Qingshan, Scarlett, and Rick. The first two invited her and Rick to reunite in B City, while Rick simply sent a close-up photo of Black Jade in their group chat.@@@@


    In turn, Rita invited the two of them to come to S City. However, it seemed like those two had either snuck into yet another faction or shamelessly bothered Shen Yushi again. They directly replied that they weren''t coming and would revisit the idea next year.


    With that, Rita finally had some peace and quiet.


    She began decorating her villa, using the 60 weather skill stones she had received. Although she had only managed to ignite around 600 light feathers, it was already enough for her to slightly adjust and control some of her abilities.


    Using [Shielded Water Curtain], she surrounded the villa¡ªexcluding the top floor and backyard¡ªwith a lightning web.


    Anyone foolish enough to touch this lightning web would find it snapping shut and imprisoning them within an electrified cage. The added paralyzing effect would render intruders completely immobile, effectively leaving them as sitting ducks until Rita returned. Combined with the Shielded Water Curtain, this setup would deliver a double dose of damage. If the intruder was lucky, they might just survive.


    While creating the lightning web consumed a significant amount of mana upfront, its ongoing maintenance was minimal¡ªjust 1 mana point per minute. To sustain it, Rita buried several mana stones beneath the web, ensuring it could run for at least three full days without needing her attention.


    As for the backyard, it was already protected by the Shielded Water Curtain, but Rita still had Nivalis erect an ice wall between the backyard and the lightning web. This was to prevent the backyard cats from accidentally wandering into the web.


    She also placed several mana stones inside the wooden house in the backyard, instructing the cats to "bury the stones" whenever the energy supply ran low.


    Of course, the lightning web was just the surface-level defense. The real traps lay within the villa itself.


    Rita strategically scattered Oak Owl fruits throughout the house. Even an ordinary Oak Owl would find themselves ensnared. However, the most heavily fortified area was her bedroom, specifically underneath her bed.


    It was a series of layered traps so intricate that even Nivalis had been caught several times during testing before she finally remembered where they all were.


    By midday, after responding to her messages, Rita started cashing in on payments.


    First came an email from Jameson, detailing his recent progress reports and including over 3,000 gold coins as part of their agreed 20% cut from The White Family''s profits.


    For safety, Rita withdrew 3,000 gold coins from her inventory and placed them on the table before accepting Jameson''s transfer.


    This payout was even larger than expected: over 4,000 gold coins.


    In total, Rita received 8,000 gold coins in one morning. She walked to the backyard, where Nivalis was lounging amidst the cats, and handed her the entire amount.


    "Here, this is half. The remaining 8,000 gold coins will take some time."


    Nivalis accepted it without hesitation. She could feel that Rita was genuinely intent on repaying her debt¡ªwithout the slightest hint of insincerity or reluctance.


    Although Nivalis wanted to tell Rita it wasn''t necessary to be so precise, the Holy Cup had berated her over this matter when she mentioned it. Even Lidian had snatched the dragon-scale communicator from her and scolded her, telling her to "shut up and enjoy it!"


    With that settled, Rita moved the cooking equipment and a large pot to the backyard. After arranging a spread of premium ingredients and seasonings, she sealed off the lightning web''s exit and closed the villa''s doors leading to the backyard.


    Rolling up her sleeves, she activated [Chaos Kitchen].


    What followed could only be described as absolute chaos.


    The 20+ cats, previously content playing with Nivalis''s toys, seemed to awaken their wild instincts. They ran rampant, climbing onto the makeshift stoves, jumping over steaming pots, and swiping at the bubbling dishes with their paws.


    It was as if they were determined to test the saying: "Too many cooks spoil the broth."


    Rita''s forehead throbbed with frustration. She was worried about cat fur falling into the food and terrified that one of the cats might accidentally burn themselves. She constantly found herself blocking curious paws or picking up mischievous felines mid-leap.


    Even Nivalis eventually came over to "help," shooing cats away and handing over ingredients.


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    By the time the meal was finished, Rita was drenched in sweat, and the kitchen looked like a warzone.


    Yet, the result was an extraordinary feast: 18 large dishes, with the highest rated at 97 points and the lowest at 95 points.


    Rita carefully packed a portion of each dish into clean containers and sent them to Shen Yushi. The rest? She handed the majority to Nivalis, instructing her to send it to Holy Cup and the others.


    Nivalis tried to feign ignorance, but Rita didn''t give her the chance. After handing over the food, Rita immediately left for Dark City, planning to deliver a share to Apache and Kayden.


    Left with no choice, Nivalis reluctantly took out the giant conch North Year had given her during her last visit to Dragon Island. Using it, she sent the food and a few of Blue Star''s newly invented toys back home.

 Chapter 364 "Happy New Year" Cat Head

    After returning from Lania Kaia, Rita got back to cooking again. She prepared a feast of seven dishes and one soup, which she carefully arranged on a picnic blanket spread across the ground. Surrounding the picnic setup were Nivalis and the cats. All the dishes were magical in nature, ensuring they were both safe and beneficial for the cats to consume.


    She glanced at the obedient cats, who sat neatly by the edges of the blanket, staring up at her with eager eyes.


    Most of these cats were regulars in her backyard. They prided themselves as self-proclaimed "owners" of the cat motel. However, a few of them were newcomers, still being deceived by these seasoned cat "landlords." The freeze-dried treats Nivalis had handed out earlier had already been slyly confiscated by the older cats. It wouldn''t be long before the new cats figured out the truth.


    As Rita looked at this peculiar group¡ªalong with Nivalis¡ªshe realized that they were probably the closest thing she had to a family in Blue Star. She raised her cup to these furry friends and declared, "Let''s eat!"


    The cats didn''t move, staring expectantly at her and Nivalis as if waiting for their food to be served properly in their bowls.


    By the time Nivalis finally lifted her own bowl to eat, she was already exhausted. She complained to Rita, "Having pets is so tiring. Last time, Chubby Peep even said it wanted to have kittens with Wandering Ball for me to raise. Thank goodness I refused!"


    Rita chuckled. "Maybe you should take a few of the cats back to Dragon Island with you? Though I''m not sure if Holy Cup or North Year would agree to it."


    She had noticed that while these cats were wary of strangers, they had always shown a peculiar fondness for Nivalis. The same went for Nivalis. From the very first day she came to Rita''s home, she had dived straight into the cat pile, giving each one a name¡ªeven the stray cats that wandered in for a meal.


    Nivalis thought about it seriously for a moment but eventually shook her head. "Nah. The adult dragons back there are too clumsy. They might accidentally hurt them."


    This meal lasted well into the night. After finishing, Rita sprawled out on a backyard sofa and spent several hours playing video games with Nivalis. For once, she allowed herself to fully relax.


    Nivalis occasionally shouted for her assistance, her soft, youthful voice sounding more adorable than irritating. Every now and then, she would let out a pitiful wail that was almost endearing.


    Meanwhile, the cats chased each other playfully, occasionally bumping into the little robots Nivalis had made for them.


    Rita felt a rare moment of pure happiness, as if she could almost touch it.


    The last time she had experienced such vivid, tangible happiness had been during those few years in High Tower, pretending to be Maple Burn.


    Her moment of introspection was interrupted by the distant sound of chimes marking the new year.


    Suddenly, the cats gathered around, abandoning their playful antics. Together, they rushed into the wooden house in the backyard and emerged moments later, dragging the cat nest out with them. They pulled it all the way to where Rita and Nivalis were sitting and nudged it toward them, clearly gesturing for the two to inspect it.


    Disguised as Wind Scythe, Rita and Nivalis used the Yass City teleportation array to travel directly to Tonton Lin.


    However, rather than rushing out, Rita spent two hours wandering the streets like a street roamer.


    Her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Wolf Fortress, though she couldn''t find any traces of it. Still, being surrounded by wealth was enough to lift her spirits.


    After nearly two hours of wandering, she found herself standing at the city gates, eyeing the 5,000 gold coins in her pocket.


    Without hesitation, she drank a bottle of [Melting Time] and went back to work.


    Half an hour later, not only had she purchased a [Pet Reverse Summon] skill book at the auction house, but she also had 10,000 gold coins in her pocket.


    She walked to a quiet corner, handed the skill book and 8,000 gold coins to Nivalis, and declared, "Here! Debt repaid!"


    Nivalis clutched the pouch of gold in silence for a moment, struggling to keep up her pretense of ignorance. She had spent the entire time in her sparrow form, perched on Rita''s head. Watching Rita rake in this much money in just a few hours... how was she supposed to keep playing dumb? Even a truly clueless bird would have let out a surprised squawk by now!


    Finally, Nivalis rubbed her eyes dramatically and said, "Oh wow, you''re amazing! I must''ve dozed off for a bit¡ªdidn''t realize you went off to earn money. So incredible, so incredible."


    Rita: "..."


    They left the city and flew southeast for over three hours before reaching the outskirts of the poison swamp.


    Along the way, they encountered all sorts of monsters¡ªgoblins, trolls, spider-headed creatures.


    "What''s up with these things?" Rita asked, watching the creatures fight amongst themselves.


    Nivalis shook her head. "No idea. They just seem to pop up out of nowhere."


    Rita observed them for a while longer before moving on.


    Soon, they reached the edge of the poison swamp. Within moments, Rita found herself afflicted by several types of poison. While the potions and Oak Owl fruits she had prepared were able to cure some, they only neutralized about a third of the toxins.


    Thankfully, Nivalis''s Expert-level healing and Rita''s arsenal of recovery skills¡ªsuch as [12-Month Interest-Free] and [Step One: Make Cotton Candy]¡ªensured she could keep herself alive.

 Chapter 365 Scorpion Monument: "Even Gods Can Be Stolen"

    Through careful observation, Rita discovered that the poison mists over the Swamp of Venom were far more lethal than she had anticipated. Additionally, movement-related skills were rendered ineffective within this area. The chaotic nature of the space meant that any teleportation or movement skills could drop her into unpredictable locations¡ªpotentially right into the swamp itself.


    Although her skill [Dandelion Blow] was still functional, it was more suited for escape than high-speed navigation through such a hostile environment.


    With no better options, Rita and Nivalis relied solely on their wings for flight.


    The pair pushed their way through the swamp, flying deeper into the mists. They managed to make it approximately 70 kilometers in before their luck ran out¡ªforcing them into a desperate retreat. Chasing them from behind was a level 98 boss beast, towering as tall as a hundred-story building. Its upper body resembled a scorpion, while its lower half was that of a snake¡ªa terrifying hybrid aptly named Scorpion Monument. Its stats far surpassed those of Maple Cang.


    Rita pushed her abilities to their limit. She activated every buff skill in her arsenal, consumed speed-boosting dishes, and flapped her orange-red wings so rapidly that they left afterimages. Even so, Scorpion Monument relentlessly closed the distance between them.


    The monstrosity was catching up.


    When Rita finally analyzed its divine talent, she immediately forced Nivalis back into her pet space and turned to face the beast head-on. She stared directly at Scorpion Monument, calculating its next move. The instant it used its skill again... Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire


    ¡ª[Moment of Reversal]!


    As soon as she activated her skill, a deep sense of unease surged through her. It was as though a voice in her mind was screaming for her to stop. But she ignored it, determined to swap her agility with that of Scorpion Monument.


    Rita''s agility, even after being reduced by 30%, was still at 117. Scorpion Monument, on the other hand, boasted an absurd agility stat of 1785¡ªover ten times her own.


    The moment their stats swapped, the massive beast visibly slowed down, buying Rita the precious seconds she needed to escape.@@@@


    Later, as she walked through the streets of Tonton Lin with Nivalis resting in her arms, Rita still felt cold sweat dripping down her back. The Scorpion Monument''s divine talent, [Even Gods Can Be Stolen], was unlike anything she had ever encountered. Its abilities clearly evolved from the same core lineage as her own talent [Thief God], which had developed into [One-Person Party].


    Her narrow escape left her shaken. She immediately checked her attributes and inventory, eventually confirming two things:


    She had lost 1 Intelligence point. Her [Coin of Fate], a minor artifact, was missing.


    Oddly enough, this realization brought her a sense of relief.


    The core skill of Scorpion Monument''s divine talent was named [Unstoppable Theft]¡ªa guaranteed success in stealing anything. Attributes, equipment, artifacts, and even secrets were fair game. However, it could only target the same being three times.


    When Rita finally shook off Scorpion Monument, the boss still had 80% health remaining, meaning it had already stolen from her twice. This explained why she had been able to successfully use [Moment of Reversal].


    As terrifying as the encounter was, she consoled herself with the fact that it hadn''t stolen her secrets. During her brief spree in Tonton Lin, she had stolen plenty of attributes and minor items. Losing one intelligence point and a relatively unimportant artifact like the [Coin of Fate] was a small price to pay.


    Nivalis couldn''t resist rubbing salt in the wound. "I remember when you came home that day. You said Lucia''s emotional intelligence was a hundred times higher than Apache''s or Shadow.Q''s."


    Her words carried far enough to catch the attention of the shop''s inhabitants. Lucia, Apache, and Kayden all turned to look at her.


    Lucia''s face showed no embarrassment whatsoever. Apache, on the other hand, was barely suppressing her laughter.


    That smug, knowing smile on Apache''s face¡ªit was the kind of expression a seasoned cynic would wear while mocking a naive optimist.


    Lucia, unbothered, waved Rita over. "Come in. No matter how often you change your disguise, I''ll always recognize the talented ones I''ve taught. You and Apache both."


    Her tone was reminiscent of Maple Syrup''s penchant for smooth-talking everyone she met. But Lucia''s approach was far more efficient¡ªshe simply used the same template for everyone.


    It was no wonder people called her Lania Kaia''s Top Teacher for Aspiring Geniuses.


    When Rita entered, Apache''s smirk faltered momentarily before curling back into a barely contained grin.


    Lucia decided to use this gathering as an impromptu lesson. Though Rita and Kayden''s skill levels were worlds apart, Lucia''s lecture managed to captivate them both.


    Kayden eagerly absorbed every bit of new knowledge, while Rita found herself inspired by Lucia''s insights. Even Nivalis listened intently, enjoying the entertaining delivery.


    Lucia even offered solutions to Rita''s brewing dilemma, suggesting methods to shorten potion-making times. Though these methods slightly compromised the final product''s effectiveness, there were always situations where time outweighed quality.


    Dinner that evening was prepared by Rita as a gesture of thanks. She shut the kitchen door and activated both [Hundred-Year Legacy] and [Chaos Kitchen].


    "I''m using Hundred-Year Legacy!" she called out proudly.


    Out in the shop, Lucia, who was examining a vial of Moon Sand, froze mid-motion. Turning to Kayden, she asked with a complicated expression:


    "She doesn''t know the soundproofing enchantments on this kitchen broke ages ago, does she?"


    Kayden hesitated. "I... I never had a chance to tell her."


    Apache burst into laughter.


    Lucia sighed. "..."

 Chapter 366 Nivalis: Pissing Off a Toxic Stan Every Day

    After leaving the alchemy shop, Rita went ahead and purchased all the materials Lucia had mentioned.


    Even if shortening the duration of Spring Not Late reduced its effects to two-thirds of the original, that was good enough. As long as she could survive the five-day downtime, she could craft more after returning from the World Battleground. The only downside was that Wrathful Moon''s upgrade countdown wouldn''t make it in time for this round. She couldn''t help but wonder about the time discrepancy¡ªwas it based on her world''s 12:00 AM, or wherever she happened to be at the time? And both Blue Star and Lania Kaia had their own regional time zones.


    Facing a completely unfamiliar battleground, Rita was, for once, genuinely nervous.


    Every day, she woke at 4:00 AM to grind dungeons for leveling. Mornings were spent in her study crafting Spring Not Late, Gold-Class Assassin, and Melting Time, along with experimenting with new alchemical recipes she had purchased from Lucia. Afternoons were dedicated to plundering Lania Kaia, targeting stats, gold, secrets, and equipment. She would draw lots to decide which of the 36 major cities to visit that day¡ªwhichever she picked would be her victim.


    Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    Nivalis, trying her best to play dumb, was almost in full denial mode. She eventually gave up and decided to return to Dragon Island to bind her New Year''s Gift and, of course, to show off¡ªnot report, show off¡ªher upcoming trip to the World Battleground with Rita.


    Yes, she had already mentioned this in their dragon-scale communicator, but no matter, she was going to flaunt it again.


    With the recent surge in the formation of new guilds, the Lone Wolves chat group had become increasingly lively. It had grown to over 30 members, each new addition subjected to a rigorous vote. One member had even encrypted the group chat using their god-given ability. This group consisted of highly skilled players, each with remarkable god-given talents, all of whom had declined the invitations of powerful factions to retain their independence. There were no slackers here.


    When Rita had time to check her family group chat for drama, she noticed someone in the Lone Wolves group had tagged her, asking for advice. The question was whether she would recommend working with Eclipse Vanguard, considering her well-known collaborations with them.@@@@


    Rita wasn''t fond of giving advice. Everyone had their unique preferences, values, and thresholds. What worked for her wouldn''t necessarily work for someone else.


    Moreover, her relationship with Eclipse Vanguard had always been friendly on the surface. She suspected it might have something to do with her Culinary Sage skill, which neutralized negative sentiments. But greed, that deep-seated force that could eclipse reason, was immune to such tricks. It still set off her Malicious Intent Detector occasionally.


    The public wasn''t accusing Rita of exploiting Nivalis just yet. Instead, the prevailing theory was that Rita was living off her dragon. Why else was Nivalis the one always making money and doing the shopping?


    Rita''s fans didn''t dare touch the issue, either. After all, Nivalis''s global fanbase was ten times the size of hers. Crossing those fans was asking for trouble.


    One group, however, firmly believed Nivalis had been brainwashed. Despite Nivalis constantly praising Rita for treating her well, they saw her as a victim¡ªan innocent dragon ensnared by the manipulative woman from Blue Star.


    Rita was too smart to antagonize Nivalis''s fans. Her own supporters were equally cautious, urging her to let it be.


    "Click!"


    Returning from Dragon Island, Nivalis flew straight into Rita''s arms, pulling her hand to wrap it around herself. Then she raised her communicator for a selfie.


    Rita, in a black silk robe, looked completely unbothered. She had a toothbrush in her mouth, her hair slicked back into a neat ponytail, lending her a slightly roguish charm. She stared blankly at Nivalis as if saying, Really? Another one?


    This was becoming routine. Nivalis had recently become obsessed with taking selfies of the two of them. She''d blur the background, ask for Rita''s approval, and even inquire whether the photo needed retouching.


    After rinsing her mouth, Rita glanced at the picture and smirked. "Retouching? Me? Please. Post it raw."


    Nivalis happily flew off, phone in claw. She had to share this moment with her fans¡ªproof that her human was utterly smitten, brushing her teeth while holding her like a treasure!


    Nivalis''s mission? Annoying a toxic fan every day. After all, as her biggest fan and self-proclaimed favorite, Nivalis took pride in making everyone jealous.

 Chapter 367 Forcing a Renovation

    The only person louder than Nivalis these days was Sanchez. Ever since she obtained her Emerald Wings and returned to Blue Star, her gloomy disposition had completely vanished. She had become enamored with the internet.


    Every single day, Sanchez would post photos of her emerald wings from different angles. She even used a green coffee cup, asking her followers if the cup matched her wings. Her posts generated a flood of jealousy, sparking intense online arguments as she clapped back at envious commenters with unmatched fervor.


    Rita shivered at the thought of Sanchez''s temperament, half-expecting to wake up one day to headlines about Sanchez tracking down a troll in real life.


    Shadow.Q was slightly more restrained. She limited herself to posting selfies in Eclipse Vanguard''s instance portals, casually advertising the guild''s perks while subtly showing off her Obsidian Wings¡ªand oh, how coincidental, her coffee cup just happened to be black.


    Whenever Rita complained about their vanity, Nivalis would glance guiltily at the new orange-red bedspread she''d bought for Rita, missing the blue-and-white one they had before.


    The three of them, plus Nivalis, had attracted a tremendous amount of jealousy. Internationally, there were growing demands for US officials to reveal how the wings were obtained. However, both the government and Eclipse Vanguard stayed silent, even as online forums raged for weeks.


    The truth was, 99% of Eclipse Vanguard members didn''t know the exact method to acquire the wings. While rumors of the quest had circulated early on, only those who undertook it knew its full details. Everyone else just knew it was exceptionally dangerous.@@@@


    Enjoy exclusive adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    The results spoke for themselves: fifty people had participated, most went insane, and only six emerged with wings. Of those six, one wasn''t even an Eclipse Vanguard member but was none other than Rita, the four-time leaderboard champion. Meanwhile, Zoey, an S-tier god-given talent, had died horribly. Before her death, she had clearly lost her sanity, muttering in an Oakshade tongue.


    The allure of wings, however, was irresistible. Like a top-tier weapon or ultra-rare skin in a game, dedicated players were willing to sacrifice everything to obtain them. The advertised 12% success rate didn''t seem so bad either.


    Her Red Dragons, if their effects stacked, could let her enter the battleground two minutes early. Though combining them with Six-Seven-Eight could create a new World Graveyard: Pawns, Rita prioritized preparation time over an extra skill.


    Her Character tiles¡ª3-Character, 5-Character, and 7-Character¡ªeach unlocked one item. She decided to bring Wrathful Moon and Cha?vez''s Clock as essentials. Her other artifacts, A Big World, A Small Me and Soul Catcher, were unbound and thus unusable.


    For the third slot, she chose Magician''s False Teeth.


    The description for Character tiles emphasized: "When carried into the battleground, you (and your pet) may unlock one artifact." This implied even bound artifacts might be locked in the battleground. The False Teeth, though small, provided extra space for her most critical items, like her lantern and stopwatch.


    While the teeth''s one-cubic-meter capacity sufficed as a backup to her game inventory, it might not be enough if the game inventory was sealed.


    Thinking it over, Rita decided to visit the Lania Kaia auction house with Nivalis.


    Space-related artifacts were rare, often crafted from body parts or organs, and their capacities were small. The largest available offered three cubic meters of storage but came in the form of a finger bone¡ªsomething Rita refused to use. Sacrificing a tooth for functionality was one thing; losing manual dexterity for a bigger space was another.


    After browsing through the options, she concluded her Magician''s False Teeth were still the most practical.


    Another option occurred to her: using her Renovation skill to forcibly modify the teeth. She had an unused A-tier Magic Eye, but ever since discovering she could store moonlight in her eyes, she was reluctant to augment them.


    The teeth, on the other hand, were replaceable. Even if the renovation failed, she could buy another set. The Magic Eye, while valuable, was wasted in her inventory if it didn''t contribute to her strength.


    Rita promptly booked a room in Ashe City, preparing to forcibly renovate the Magician''s False Teeth using the Magic Eye.

 Chapter 368 Syntax Monarch

    Before leaving the auction house, Rita bought two more Magician''s False Teeth. If combining the false tooth and magic eye failed, she''d experiment with merging similar items to create something better using Renovation.


    She placed a false tooth and the magic eye together, trying to mentally visualize how to combine them.


    Nivalis hovered nearby, peering at the items. No matter how she looked, she couldn''t see how the two objects could possibly fuse.


    After pondering for a while, Rita used A Big World, A Small Me to shrink the magic eye to the size of a grain of rice, placing it neatly into the socket of the false tooth. Only then did she activate Renovation, forcing the items to merge.


    As the light of the two artifacts intertwined, Rita ignored it, instead pulling out the two additional false teeth she''d bought and trying to merge those separately.


    The Renovation process was excruciatingly slow. It took nearly half an hour to finish.


    [Magician''s Wisdom Tooth] (A-Tier)


    An odd fusion with hints of Captain Beeter''s scent, alongside the refreshing minty traces of a magician.


    Skill 1: Space ¨C Contains 1 cubic meter of space. It occupies a socket in your jaw, allowing you to hide anything you wish to keep secret. Items placed inside cannot be detected by any skill or artifact but also cannot be used while stored. The space has some elasticity but exceeding 150% of its capacity causes mild pain in the tooth. Skill 2: Rewind ¨C Bite down on an object recently used by someone to "see" the last six hours of their experience with it. Costs 20% mana per use. Cooldown: 24 hours. Skill 3: Mind Reading ¨C Bite down on someone''s head to read their thoughts. Costs 10 mana per second during use.


    Although still rated A-tier, the original magic eye barely qualified for the rank, while the combined artifact now felt like it truly deserved it.


    The wisdom tooth was made of silver metal. It didn''t look cyberpunk¡ªmore like the dentures an old lady might use in the last century. Rita used Colorful Creations to turn it porcelain white, making it much more pleasing to look at.


    Unfortunately, her attempt to merge the two remaining false teeth failed.


    The result? [Magician''s Cavity], a broken and utterly useless artifact.


    Rita compared the new wisdom tooth''s position with her jaw and found it didn''t fit quite right. Unbothered, she yanked out an unneeded wisdom tooth, installed the artifact, and had Nivalis use Expert-level Healing to complete the process.


    "Wither Monarch hasn''t replaced Decay City''s lord, but that lord has stopped allowing anyone into their palace.


    "As for Bone Shadow Monarch, he reacted the least to the Dark City incident. He simply replaced the city lord and borrowed a deputy lord from Wither Monarch before vanishing again... at least, on the surface. I can''t get any deeper intel than that."


    Rita handed Kayden a hundred gold coins as a fee and gifted her a bottle of Little Fish Kingdom''s King for fun.


    As she turned to leave, a nagging question resurfaced in her mind. Without much hope, she asked, "Do you know where all those monsters outside Lania Kaia''s cities come from?"


    Kayden blinked in understanding. "Oh, you mean those creatures? They''re refugees. Homeless beings from destroyed source worlds."


    Refugees... Rita left the shop deep in thought. It wasn''t until she had walked quite a distance that she asked Nivalis, "What do you know about the four Monarchs?"


    Nivalis considered the question before answering.


    "Syntax Monarch... He was the one who represented the Twelve Holy Clans in negotiating with Snow Pile on Dragon Island."


    The small dragon frowned. "When he left, Snow Pile warned me to run if I ever saw him again. He said Syntax Monarch''s god-given talent is tied to language and that even dragons, with our sensitivity to emotions, could be deceived.


    "Once, he almost sweet-talked a dragon¡ªone we weren''t close with¡ªinto becoming his pet. Holy Cup, Wind Shear, and Emperor Umbrella had to chase after them, knock the dragon out, and drag it back."


    Rita coughed awkwardly. "That dragon wouldn''t happen to be North Year, would it?" Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire


    Nivalis looked up at the sky. "Didn''t I just say we weren''t close?"


    Rita smirked knowingly. "Don''t worry, I won''t tell anyone... So, did he try to charm you too? You''re the youngest; you''d be the easiest target."


    Nivalis thought back to Syntax Monarch''s gentle demeanor and scowled. "He probably did. He talked to me a lot, but I don''t remember much of it. I didn''t like him."


    She added, "Holy Cup warned me to be wary of beings who seem too perfect. The more flawless they appear, the more you should assume the opposite of whatever they say. Syntax Monarch is the epitome of perfection, so I don''t trust him at all."

 Chapter 369 World Battleground – The Game of Gods

    On the 14th, after grinding solo in daily dungeons, Rita finally reached Level 16.


    Meanwhile, chaos erupted worldwide. The sea-dwelling alien armies were advancing toward coastal nations. Eclipse Vanguard began organizing evacuations for non-combatant and non-combat-skilled players while sending high-level players to bolster coastal defenses.


    This event had also happened in her previous life, but much later¡ªcloser to the year''s end. At that time, she was preoccupied with survival, only catching glimpses of updates on the forums. All she remembered was that during the Sea Alien Army Landing Incident, nearly a billion lives were lost globally. Entire islands were seized by the aliens.


    Although she had secured the duplicate Fate Out of Sync, the vast unknown of the ocean remained daunting. She couldn''t fathom how Eclipse Vanguard would tackle this threat...


    Rita fortified her entire villa, extending her lightning grid defense system even to the top floor. Inside, the house was riddled with traps of various kinds.


    Nivalis, holding her pinky finger up delicately, carefully opened the fridge to grab a chilled soda. Despite her efforts, she still got zapped. Annoyed, she finally confronted Rita:


    "Is there anything valuable in this house worth protecting, besides the teleportation array that only you and I can use?"


    Rita paused, crouched under the couch as she stuffed hallucinogenic cacti into the shadows. After a moment of thought, she couldn''t come up with a good answer. Most of her truly important belongings were in her inventory.


    But she retorted confidently, "This isn''t just about valuables! I''m worried someone might sneak in and set traps for us! I''m striking preemptively. Besides, don''t forget about your precious toys and those rare, first-edition comic books you want to protect!"


    Nivalis fell silent. She had no counterargument. Those toys and comics were indeed worth protecting.


    By 11:30 PM on the 14th, Rita was dressed for action. She wore a fitted tank top and long pants beneath a hoodie and trench coat. This wasn''t to show off; it was purely pragmatic. The extra fabric might prove useful in a pinch, as bandages, fire-starters, or something else.


    She considered strapping knives to her arms or wrapping her wrists in bandages but quickly dismissed the idea. Since the game''s integration, anything even remotely weapon-like¡ªbe it a chef''s knife or an ordinary metal rod¡ªwould be gamified and become a gray-quality item.


    Before leaving for Lania Kaia, she checked her shoe rack and found a note:


    "Don''t pick the resurrection skill."


    It was written in her own handwriting and included a childhood anecdote only she could know, proving it was indeed left by her future self.


    She had been planning to select the "Undying" talent, specifically the "Hold on, I''ll Be Right Back" skill, for its ability to resurrect her. After all, her One-Person Party talent didn''t seem like it could change the tide of battle.


    Rita reassured her:


    "Of course. When Snow Pile sent you to train in the High Tower, he didn''t ask if I had any specific World Graveyards. He made it clear you''d be coming with me. But if you''re worried, you can hide in the pet space for now."


    Without another word, Nivalis vanished into the pet space.


    Rita''s thoughts shifted to her skills. Would they work inside the battleground? She braced herself for the unknown.


    When the time arrived¡ª11:00 PM Lania Kaia time, midnight Blue Star time¡ªher vision went dark, and she felt herself falling.


    "Detected: Two World Graveyard¡¤Red Dragon cards. You will gain the ability to enter the main battleground two minutes early."


    "Detected: World Graveyard¡¤3-Character, 5-Character, 7-Character. You may unlock three items."


    Her inventory flashed before her eyes. She quickly chose:


    Wrathful Moon Cha?vez''s Time Magician''s Wisdom Tooth


    The lantern and pocket watch appeared before her. Luckily, the game didn''t rip the wisdom tooth from her mouth. She stashed the lantern and watch inside the wisdom tooth, noting with annoyance that the game had inexplicably removed the chain from her watch.


    "Detected: Entry granted via one-star key: World Graveyard¡¤6-Dot, 7-Dot, 8-Dot. Skill unlocked: Rookie at the Table. You and your pet may each unlock one god-given skill."


    She immediately chose to unlock her own skill over Nivalis''.


    Since resurrection was off the table, there was only one clear choice: Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    "I Could Just Steal It."


    Future Rita''s warning was enough to sway her, but there was also Mistblade''s cryptic comment about her lack of resolve to enter the battleground more than three times. Despite her low level, Mistblade didn''t seem worried that she might die on her first try.


    If the battleground held opportunities to seize an SSS-tier god-given skill, it would be worth the risk. There was no way she''d let this chance go to waste.

 Chapter 370 The Game of Gods - Painting Contest 1

    The moment Rita selected her god-given skill to unlock, her descent accelerated. All her equipment was forcibly unequipped and locked in her game inventory. Her disguises disappeared, reverting her to her original appearance.


    Soon, light appeared beneath her, and in an instant, the darkness surrounding her receded. A small room materialized below, and she flapped her orange-red wings lightly, landing gently.@@@@


    The opening above her sealed shut, trapping her inside.


    Her ordinary Blue Star clothing¡ªthose without any game stats¡ªremained intact. Her wings were still present. Looking around, she realized she was in a square-shaped room, her height barely reaching a quarter of its seven-meter-high walls.


    The walls were transparent, allowing her to see outside.


    To her left was a similar square room, where a shark-headed creature with a long, curling tail took up most of the space. When it noticed her gaze, it bared its teeth at her and said something, but the soundproof walls prevented her from hearing.


    To her right was a six-meter-tall giant, awkwardly squatting in a cramped position that made the room look comically small. Upon noticing her, the giant waved enthusiastically.


    Rita ignored them for now. She tore a strip of fabric from her windbreaker to cover her face, then removed her shoelaces. She threaded them through her pocket watch and wore it as a makeshift necklace.


    She opened her game interface to modify her personal and skill information, but to her dismay, the interface was incredibly simplified:


    [BS - Human] Rita


    [HP | MP]: 100% | 100%


    [Soul Energy]: 12,869


    [Companion]: Nivalis


    [Combat Rating]: Tier 2


    [God-given Skill]: One-Person Party


    [Skill]:


    I Could Just Steal It: Bet on the name of the Thief God to steal a target''s god-given skill. Usable only once in a lifetime. (Chance of failure increases for SSS-tier skills.)


    And that was all.


    She quickly changed I Could Just Steal It to Feeling Blessed on her profile.


    So much for her plan to use Moment of Reversal to swap attributes. This interface was too restrictive to allow such strategies.


    As for the combat rating¡ªit was likely a meaningless number akin to player levels. Changing it wouldn''t make her stronger and might even draw unnecessary attention.


    Nivalis'' eyes lit up. "I can use S-tier and below! SSS-tier requires double the soul energy."


    Rita exhaled in relief. The situation wasn''t hopeless.


    Just as she prepared to strategize further, a set of words appeared in the center of her room:


    Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire


    [The 24,367th Game of Gods - Painting Contest]


    [Game Start Countdown: 00:09:58]


    [Objective]: Reproduce the painting Desert Captain by master ¦°¦®§¤¦¥. After seven star-sea days (game time), the 1,000 players with the lowest completion rates will face forced elimination (death). Completion percentage will determine your rank, which you can track on the leaderboard at any time.


    [Difficulty]: Foolproof


    Rules:


    1:¦Ç¦Ê¦Ñ¦¨¦Å¦Ä¦Ë¦¤¦Ç¦Ê¦·¦¸¦Æ¦µ


    2:No red may appear in the painting.


    3:¦¦¦²§¤VIII¦°¦°¦¦¦®¦¥¦²XI


    [New Player Tips] (Visible only during your first entry into the World Battleground):


    1:Resurrection skills and items are disabled. Death in the battleground can be reversed only by sacrificing one god-given skill or three A-tier or higher skills.


    2:Translation-related tools are banned. Players may use no more than 1,000 languages. Any excess will be temporarily sealed.


    3:When a new world enters the battleground, that world will receive three World Graveyards as a reward.


    4:The Law of Luck Conservation governs the battleground.


    5:The Game of Gods values entertainment and fairness.


    6:Violating any rule will trigger Divine Punishment, with random consequences.


    Rita and Nivalis exchanged looks, their faces pale.


    "A painting contest?" Rita muttered, her voice dripping with disbelief.

 Chapter 371 The Game of Gods - Painting Contest 2

    The game description, difficulty level, and newbie tips were displayed in Blue Star English, while the three rules were written in different languages. Rita could only understand the second rule, written in Graveyard Tongue. The other two rules were utterly incomprehensible to her.


    It suddenly dawned on her why Mistblade had "easily" forgiven her for stealing a World Graveyard. These rules were impossible to guess without prior knowledge, and even in a "foolproof" difficulty setting, there were three rules. At Mistblade''s level, there would undoubtedly be more¡ªand the penalties for breaking them wouldn''t be trivial.


    The worst news was that revival skills were banned. No wonder her future self had taken the trouble to leave her a warning.


    The good news? You could sacrifice a god-given skill to save your life. Since it was a voluntary sacrifice, she could choose which skill to give up.


    She wasn''t willing to part with One-Person Party, Immortal, or Food God, but she could definitely let go of Archer''s god-given skill.


    She glanced at the rooms to her left and right. The displays in those rooms were obscured, hiding the details of their occupants'' games. Rita shifted her focus back to her own information, quickly formulating a plan.


    She instructed Nivalis to search for the painting while she investigated the so-called Leaderboard.


    The game interface was unresponsive, but she noticed a small cartoonish human icon on the inside of her right wrist. Curious, she touched it, and a translucent rectangular screen appeared, half her height, filled with dense rows of information.


    This was the leaderboard, showing combat strength rankings, not game-specific scores, since the game hadn''t officially started.


    The interface was in English¡ªher primary language. The topmost row displayed category headers:


    Rank ¡¤ Name©§World ¡¤ Species©§Combat Power©§Title


    The top five names caught her attention immediately:


    NightFury©§Nuclear Flash ¡¤ Fruitfolk©§19th Tier Overlord©§Breath is Harmful


    Frenzied Shark©§Winter Sea ¡¤ Shark Abyss©§19th Tier Overlord©§Calmly Embraces Death


    Wither Monarch©§Lania Kaia ¡¤ Undead©§16th Tier Demon Lord©§White Bones, Withering Glory


    Mistblade©§Lania Kaia ¡¤ Moonfox©§15th Tier Abyss©§Blade of Bloodmist


    Syntax Monarch©§Lania Kaia ¡¤ Undead©§15th Tier Abyss©§Prophecy Fulfilled


    Some ranks were skipped, perhaps indicating players who were offline or already dead.


    Rita''s fingers scrolled faster, skimming through names. Familiar ones appeared more frequently than she expected. Eventually, she reached the very bottom of the list and found her own name near the last:


    Rita shook her head uncertainly. "It''s hard to say..."


    What if the objective was to kill or capture aliens from other players'' games? Worse, what if she appeared in someone else''s painting¡ªas a target? Her distinct features, especially her wings, would make her impossible to miss. Stay updated with My Virtual Library Empire


    The timer now read 00:02:10.


    A beeping sound filled her room. Her ability to enter the battlefield two minutes early had triggered a countdown:


    5¡ª4¡ª3¡ª2¡ª1!


    Rita plummeted once more, landing in a desert under the blazing sun.


    At her two o''clock, another figure descended¡ªa giant. Clearly, she wasn''t the only one with early access.


    Without hesitation, Rita turned and launched herself into the air. As she flew, she glanced back to identify her opponent.


    Despite the supposed language barriers, the information displayed on her Energy-Efficient Pocket Watch was in English:


    Iron Furnace ¡¤ Hammer Lord Desolate General, 5th Tier Casual Player HP | MP: 100% | 100%


    Consuming mana, she probed deeper into his stats and discovered two unlocked god-given skills.


    Unfortunately, before she could study them, the Hammer Lord began swinging his massive chain hammer and charging after her.


    Rita thanked every deity she could think of for swapping her agility with Scorpion Monument. Without it, she would''ve been caught instantly. She refrained from releasing Nivalis, fearing the dragon might be crushed into a dragon egg shape by this towering enemy.


    As she increased their distance, she called out in Desolate General Tongue:


    "Friend! I mean no harm! Let''s talk this out!"


    The Hammer Lord''s deep voice rumbled in reply:


    "Sure, just give me your items as a greeting gift. Then I''ll consider you my best friend."


    Rita: ???


    What kind of shameless nonsense was this?!

 Chapter 372 The Game of Gods: Painting Contest 3

    Rita flew even faster. Although her items were soul-bound, who could guarantee they wouldn''t get snatched away here?


    She considered turning back to test the gap between herself and the hammer-wielding warrior, but more and more alien races appeared in her path. Without exception, they all charged at her, attempting to take her down the moment they saw her.


    The desert stretched endlessly, and now seven alien players were chasing her. Compared to the massive number of players in the game, this was already a small number. After all, plenty of other alien players hadn''t even logged in yet.@@@@


    As Rita fled for her life, a few symbols appeared in the sky. Against the white sky, black light converged into runes. Rita didn''t recognize them, yet somehow, their meaning was clear to her. It was the final countdown for the start of the game.


    In just a few moments, she''d already burned through over ten ultimate abilities just to escape!


    Her combat strength wasn''t much compared to these alien players, but her agility was extraordinarily high. Plus, her ultimate abilities greatly enhanced her skills, giving her the confidence to keep going.


    Her trump cards included:


    The A-rank skill [Angry Bird], which could launch her far away while creating a massive shockwave at the destination. Against strong enemies, it was an effective escape tool. Against weaker foes, it was a courageous melee attack. The A-rank skill [Temporary Reset], allowing her to freely reallocate her four main attributes within three minutes. The A-rank skill [Drunken Dreams], which caused nearby targets to fall into a stupor. [Dandelion Blow], temporarily downgraded to S-rank due to her use of the [Upgrade Cup].


    All of these were treasure-like skills she had acquired from the High Tower. She even resorted to using her S-rank skill, [Hide and Seek]!


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    [Hide and Seek] (S-rank): Upon activation, a dense mist spreads rapidly from the caster, covering a circular area with a radius of 10 kilometers. All creatures within the mist lose their sense of direction and all five senses, leaving only the caster unaffected. The skill has a casting time of 1 second, costs 1,000 mana, lasts 5 minutes, and has a cooldown of 1 hour.


    The ultimate version of [Hide and Seek] had a longer duration and larger range. Even the incomprehensibly strong alien players couldn''t locate her for the moment.


    Time ticked away. Rita didn''t dare leave the skill''s range. Killing these aliens could likely yield substantial rewards; otherwise, they wouldn''t be charging at her with such greed.


    By now, the stronger aliens had likely moved on, but the weaker ones were probably still lurking, waiting for an opportunity to strike.


    She considered using [Wrathful Moon] to rewind time to a few minutes¡ªor even further¡ªearlier. But she hesitated, unsure if stepping into the main battlefield before the game officially began would result in penalties. Worse, rewinding too far might land her in the path of stronger enemies who had entered earlier.


    Mistblade Empress landed beside Rita, who immediately moved to shield her. The aliens that had been attacking Rita froze. Their eyes filled with fear as they turned and fled without hesitation.


    Once the area quieted down, Mistblade finally spared Rita a glance. "Translator?"


    Having narrowly escaped death, Rita was in high spirits. She was grateful to Mistblade Empress, but there was a problem¡ªshe didn''t understand Moonfox Tongue! Outside, she''d gotten used to relying on translators. When she had agreed to meet Mistblade, she hadn''t considered this issue. She''d already realized it when she shouted Mistblade Empress''s name earlier.


    Not wanting to cause any misunderstandings, Rita hurriedly tried several languages to convey one message: "I don''t understand Moonfox Tongue."


    Mistblade''s expression froze for a moment. "You''ve learned 666 languages, and you don''t know Moonfox Tongue?"


    The good news: she''d found a translator.


    The bad news: the translator could only convert what she didn''t understand into another language she didn''t understand.


    The two exchanged a few lines that made no sense to either of them. From their expressions, it was clear neither understood a word.


    Mistblade flicked her tail in frustration. This alliance was turning out to be useless.


    They couldn''t just start chatting in the battlefield''s public channel, could they?


    Rita refused to let this deal fall apart. She needed more information from Mistblade! So, she followed Mistblade while switching languages to chat.


    Including the 666 languages she learned from Maple Burn, plus her self-taught Maple Tongue and Dragon Tongue, and her native English, Rita now knew 669 languages. Surely Mistblade, one of the Nine Moon Empresses, wasn''t limited to Moonfox Tongue!


    Yet Mistblade remained silent the entire way...


    Rita talked until her mouth went dry.


    At first, Mistblade''s expression was icy. By the time Rita had spoken 300 languages, her expression became neutral. After Rita finished all 669 languages, Mistblade averted her eyes, refusing to look at her.


    Rita: "..."

 Chapter 373 The Game of Gods: Painting Contest 4

    Rita wasn''t ready to give up. She resorted to hand gestures, offering to help Mistblade decipher her game rules. Whatever she could translate, she would.


    Of course, Rita had her own agenda. She wanted to assess the difficulty of Mistblade''s tasks and the scope of the rules Mistblade had to follow.


    Mistblade understood her offer and didn''t hesitate. Since she''d already decided to rely on Rita''s multilingual abilities¡ªgoing as far as forgiving her theft¡ªshe wouldn''t waste this opportunity.


    She activated a skill, and instantly, both of them were enveloped in dense fog. It was the same skill Rita had seen before during their negotiation in Polar Day City when she had taken on her goblin form.


    Once a temporary safe zone was established, Mistblade sat cross-legged, used a water mist to dampen the sand in front of her, and began writing down rules with her finger.


    The first few rules were incomprehensible to Rita, but by the fifth, she noticed it was identical to her second rule.


    Excited, Rita slapped the sand and started gesturing to Mistblade.


    First, she exaggeratedly inspected their clothes, confirming neither of them wore red. Then, she lightly scratched her wrist with a fingernail, drawing a bit of blood. Pointing at the blood and then at a blank scroll, she gestured dramatically.


    Mistblade, though lacking linguistic talent, was extraordinarily intelligent. The sequence of Rita''s actions¡ªinspecting their clothes for red, then using blood¡ªmade the rule clear to her instantly.


    The key wasn''t the blood itself but the color. Paintings must not contain red!


    Mistblade''s frown eased. Her game difficulty was already at abyss-level, with as many as 45 rules to follow, each violation carrying severe penalties.


    No matter how long Rita survived or how many translations she managed, her proactive attitude earned Mistblade''s approval.


    To Mistblade, as long as Rita helped her with even one solid translation, the lost World Graveyard ticket would be worth it. Asking for ten translations was just her being greedy. She wasn''t worried about Rita cheating her¡ªsmart people like Rita knew how to weigh gains and losses.


    Tickets were rare and valuable, but a reliable translator? Mistblade would even consider a long-term partnership with Rita. However, she might have to convince BSRick to learn Moonfox Tongue for future dealings.@@@@


    Mistblade wrote down 45 rules, each in a different language. Rita could only understand six:


    Rita nodded obediently. It wasn''t surprising. Mistblade was forthright, but not a saint. Rita''s translations were payment for the World Graveyard ticket she''d taken. Expecting Mistblade to protect her in return would require a new deal.


    The two began flying across the desert, searching for Mistblade''s targets.


    The blazing sun overhead made Rita parched, but despite her abundance of ultimate abilities, she refused to summon [Spring of Light] just for water. She gritted her teeth and endured.


    Mistblade had fewer such restrictions. When she summoned water for the second time, condensing a stream to quench her thirst, she noticed Rita''s gaze.


    Mistblade moved the water ball to the left, and Rita''s eyes followed. She moved it to the upper right, and Rita''s eyes followed again.


    Mistblade smirked and threw the water onto the sand, sketching out images of the Eternal Night Fortress, the High Tower, and [Fate Out of Sync]. She then drew three clock hands, pointed to them, drew an arrow, and finally a potion bottle. Condensing another water ball, she looked at Rita with what she thought was a friendly smile and gestured: One bottle of Moon Sand for a water ball.


    Rita: "..." So now we''re just robbing me outright, huh?


    She wasn''t surprised that Mistblade suspected she had Moon Sand. Everyone who climbed the High Tower that week was being hunted by the Oak Owl. Still, while Mistblade might be suspicious, she couldn''t know how much Moon Sand Rita actually possessed.


    The Oak Owl likely didn''t know either. According to Shadow.Q, the Oak Owl had been having [Fate Out of Sync] repaired daily, suspecting that the artifact itself was malfunctioning.


    Under the scorching desert sun, the Moon Empress, with her nine tails, crouched on the ground, seemingly imagining Rita pulling out a stash of Moon Sand to buy water. Her expression remained elegant, but her tails wagged enthusiastically.


    Rita silently activated her ultimate ability, summoning [Spring of Light] and flashing Mistblade a smile, politely declining the offer.


    Mistblade: "..."


    During this time, Rita released Nivalis from her storage space. It wasn''t practical to keep the companion hidden. If a crisis arose and she needed Nivalis''s help, explaining the situation would waste precious time. However, she shrank Nivalis''s size and perched her on her shoulder to avoid drawing attention.


    Mistblade cast several glances at Nivalis, whose initial starry-eyed admiration quickly dimmed. By the time Nivalis repositioned herself to Rita''s opposite shoulder, she''d gone from superfan to casual observer.


    The two continued flying for hours, encountering various alien players. Most backed off upon seeing Mistblade''s fox tails, but a few dared to give chase. In those moments, Mistblade abandoned any semblance of elegance, turning tail and fleeing without hesitation.

 Chapter 374 The Game of Gods: Painting Contest 5

    Rita had to use several acceleration skills to keep up with Mistblade, noticing that Mistblade seemed to be searching for something specific rather than hunting other players. The alien players they encountered on the way also appeared to be doing the same.


    Finally, Mistblade''s eyes lit up as she picked up speed. Rita followed her gaze to see a vast oasis in the distance, with a towering blue light pillar rising from its southeastern corner.


    The oasis was enormous, filled with trees, small huts, a marketplace, and watchtowers. It resembled a small city, enclosed by a transparent dome-like shield. Inside, numerous alien players and their pets were already moving around.


    The moment Rita stepped into the shield, a notification sounded in her ears:


    Welcome, player, to the Safe Zone. Attacks are prohibited within the Safe Zone.


    But then came two more messages:


    Beep¡ªYou have violated a game rule. A divine punishment will be randomly assigned. Divine punishment determined: You have lost 4 points of Constitution.


    Rita stared at her left foot, which had just stepped into the oasis, lost in thought.


    Mistblade had already moved ahead, and Rita hurried to catch up. They headed straight for the center of the oasis, where a stone tablet stood. At the top of the tablet was an 8-minute countdown, while its surface displayed the following text:


    Game: Kings and Thrones


    When the countdown ends, this Safe Zone will transform into a Battle Zone. Players will be automatically divided into Red and Blue teams within the Battle Zone. Each team will have 1 minute of preparation time to determine the location of their throne. At the end of the preparation period, the throne''s location will be set based on the location of the team''s Flagbearer. The game will then officially begin.


    Victory Conditions:


    Red Team: Insert the Red Flag into the opposing team''s throne. Blue Team: Insert the Blue Flag into the opposing team''s throne.


    Rules:


    If the Flagbearer dies, their team immediately loses. Each game lasts 10 minutes. At the end of each round, all players will be randomly reassigned to new teams. Players who win three times will be forcibly removed from the Battle Zone and receive the ability to translate one of their game rules. The game consists of five rounds in total. Once all rounds are completed, the Battle Zone will disappear within 2 minutes.


    Current Safe Zone Player Count: 815


    Rita glanced around and noticed that all the aliens seemed able to read the text, though the characters likely appeared differently to each player.


    She tugged on Mistblade''s sleeve, pointed at the tablet, and began counting on her fingers: One? Two? Three? ...Nine?


    Rita followed the scorpion-tailed alien, while others formed a protective circle around them.


    When the 1-minute preparation time ended, Rita entered a small hut. A throne appeared beneath her feet, emitting a blue beam that shot into the sky.


    She stepped off the throne and realized the blue beam from the flag hadn''t disappeared but was instead following her. Turning to her teammates, she waited for instructions on how they planned to escort her to the enemy throne.


    Just then, a purple-skinned humanoid returned from scouting the Red Team. Without speaking, he displayed the leaderboard and pointed to a name before gesturing outside.


    The meaning was clear: that player was on the Red Team.


    The name made everyone''s expression change.


    19th-tier Overlord, Frenzied Shark.


    Rita: "..." Of course. Being the Flagbearer is just pure bad luck.


    The other aliens in the room looked at her with pity. The message was obvious: Give up this round.


    However, a few aliens had a sudden realization, their expressions shifting.


    Rita tried using the ultimate version of [Illusion Body Curse] to turn invisible, but it was useless. Even while hidden, the blue beam from the flag remained, impossible to remove or conceal.


    Refusing to linger, Rita left the sandy hut.


    Staying wasn''t an option. If Frenzied Shark escorted the Red Team''s Flagbearer here, her teammates had already decided to forfeit, which meant they wouldn''t put up a fight. If the Red Team decided to kill her, no one would protect her.


    Her departure didn''t surprise the others. Only a complete novice would remain fearless in the face of Frenzied Shark. Eventually, she''d understand his terror and insanity and realize surrendering was the smartest choice.


    In this Safe Zone, the game wouldn''t truly begin until Frenzied Shark had won three rounds and left.


    Rita wasn''t about to give up on herself so easily. The game allowed three wins to unlock rule translations, but with only five rounds, giving up the first round was too risky. If something went wrong in the second round, what then?


    From the moment she entered this area, she''d been walking a tightrope. She had to try.


    Her only option might be to go back in time. Thinking back to the blue light pillar she''d seen earlier, she felt certain it was tied to her future self returning to the past.

 Chapter 375 The Game of Gods: Painting Contest 6

    Her only chance at survival was to leave¡ªand not just leave, but take the initiative.@@@@


    She remembered every beginner''s tip clearly. The last one stated: "The Game of Gods balances fun with fairness." She didn''t believe the game would weaken stronger players. If the rewards obtained through effort and risk couldn''t be converted into strength, all the hardships players endured would lose their meaning.


    However, the game also had to account for fairness when experienced players encountered rookies entering for the first time. Otherwise, the game would become monotonous, with early players eternally reigning at the top and newcomers relegated to the bottom.


    The gods would never allow such a dull scenario.


    She hadn''t completely lost yet.


    After leaving the hut, Rita saw many Blue Team players. However, they all seemed to have heard about Frenzied Shark being on the Red Team. Not a single one approached to escort her. Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Some aliens looked like they wanted to gamble on a win, but after assessing her combat strength, their expressions turned disappointed.


    Their reasoning was sound¡ªFrenzied Shark, bound by tier protection, couldn''t directly kill lower-tier players. But all it would take was a single under-10th-tier Red Team alien breaking through the line, and Rita wouldn''t stand a chance.


    Rita held back her anger. Logically, she knew their decision was correct, but as the sacrificial pawn, she couldn''t help but feel furious.


    Nivalis shared her indignation, muttering about how these aliens had no sense of worth. "Not even the courage to fight or take risks! So much for the so-called geniuses of the races. Pathetic!"


    One woman, one dragon¡ªunapologetically biased and equally stubborn. Truly a perfect match.


    Rita turned to Nivalis. "Go back to the space for now."


    After sending Nivalis away, Rita remained invisible and flew high into the sky, observing the oasis. On the other side, a red light pillar pierced the dome. Two overlapping red beams were visible, one already moving¡ªclearly the Red Team''s Flagbearer.


    She memorized the location of the stationary red beam.


    Pulling out her lantern, she rewound time by 16 minutes. Suddenly, she understood why the game helpfully provided time data¡ªit was likely to encourage the use of time-related tools, making the game more dynamic and enjoyable.


    The Shark Abyss race didn''t resemble actual sharks. Frenzied Shark was tall and strikingly handsome, standing at least two meters tall. He had gray eyes and hair, with thick, wild locks trailing nearly to his heels¡ªmore like a beast''s fur than human hair.


    From behind, Frenzied Shark might easily be mistaken for a massive, upright gray bear.


    Rita had no time to be intimidated. Summoning all her courage, she pushed toward the throne while shouting her offer again in Shark Abyss Tongue. Of course, she wasn''t a clueless rookie¡ªshe added honorifics this time.


    Frenzied Shark: "..."


    Finally, Rita plopped onto the Red Team''s throne, which began to turn blue. The blue light climbed skyward, marking her territory.


    Exhausted and hoarse, she could barely catch her breath.


    Nivalis puffed out her chest proudly, standing tall on Rita''s shoulder. But they were surrounded inside and out by aliens ranging from 7th-tier to Frenzied Shark himself at 19th-tier.


    All eyes were on Rita and Nivalis, cold and predatory¡ªlike sizing up prey.


    Rita switched to other languages she knew, trying to engage with the aliens present.


    No one attacked. They all waited silently, clearly intrigued by her deal.


    After all, the goal of this game was to decipher one rule. If they could gain that reward directly from this rookie, why bother attacking?


    A scrawny, withered alien of the Graveyard Race broke the silence. "What if I order you to translate everything you understand for us?"


    Rita stared at the alien and responded firmly, "I only promise that the first rule I translate for you will be honest¡ªbecause that''s my price for staying alive."


    She had leverage and confidence. Even if these aliens could easily kill her, her bargaining chip was too valuable to give away freely. The rarer the commodity, the firmer she had to stand her ground. Even if it meant dying here, she wouldn''t cave.


    More importantly, translating just one rule was her safest option.


    She had lost 4 Constitution points from a single rule violation. Here, rules were both constraints and vulnerabilities. Knowing too many of an opponent''s rules would only hasten her demise.

 Chapter 376 The Game of Gods: Painting Contest 7

    Rita''s firm stance caught the 8th-tier Graveyard Race alien off guard, and he backed off without pressing further.


    To her surprise, Rita felt no fear or panic deep down. Instead, there was a strange sense of exhilaration¡ªbacked into a corner, with no room for pretense, she faced danger with nothing but her true self. It wasn''t as terrifying as she thought.


    What was this? Perhaps it was the mindset of a true stronghold.


    As the last part of the throne''s decorations turned blue, the red light pillar shifted to blue.


    A golden star appeared before Rita''s eyes, alongside two empty outlines of stars.


    Stepping into a corner, she watched as the aliens approached to set up their defenses and write down their rules.


    Nivalis asked her internally, "What if one of them kills you after getting their answer?"


    The next round of the game had begun. Once again, Rita''s head displayed a blue triangle. The good news: this time, she wasn''t the Flagbearer. Meanwhile, the aliens in the room had each been assigned to new teams.@@@@


    Rita stayed put and responded mentally, "They won''t. For my life alone, it''s not worth offending so many others."


    Even here, where everyone was ultimately an enemy, no one would risk provoking so many others simultaneously.


    Frenzied Shark was the first to step forward. Without a word, thorny vines rose around the corner, enclosing the area. He began writing his rule on the ground. Once Rita understood one of them, she immediately translated it for him.


    One by one, the aliens approached to write their rules, with higher-tier players taking priority.


    Rita kept her word, translating only one rule per person. Even when one alien pressed a blade to her throat and shattered the [Death Counterattack] shield, she remained unmoved, instead scrutinizing the alien''s divine talent.


    It was SS-tier¡ªnothing flashy, but undeniably powerful.


    She briefly regretted not bringing her Sharpshooter Talent. If she had, she could''ve used [Moment of Reversal] to exchange it for an SS-tier ability.


    As the alien died, his pet vanished as well.


    Several notifications rang in Rita''s mind:


    Ding¡ªCongratulations, BSRita, on killing Black Spring¡ªCaleb. The player Caleb has traded three S-rank skills for a resurrection. You will randomly receive one of his S-rank skills as a reward. Ding¡ªYou have gained 5.3% of the opponent''s current level XP. Ding¡ªReward drawn: You have acquired the S-rank skill [Air Slash]. New Player Tip: Skills obtained from other players via hunting can be used unconditionally within the World Battleground.


    Despite hearing the announcements, Rita had no time to revel in her rewards. The moment Caleb died, she used [Temporary Reset] to shift all her Strength stats into Intelligence, rapidly regenerating her mana.


    Next, she dealt with the body. Her bullet and Nivalis''s icy lance had struck Caleb''s heart, leaving wounds that were sealed by frost.


    But she heard the sounds of approaching aliens.


    "Nivalis, loot the body. I''ll handle the rest!"


    Nivalis immediately jumped onto the corpse, only to find it had turned into a phantom. Undeterred, she searched the ground for any dropped items.


    Rita, meanwhile, pulled off her coat to cover the bloodstains, but it fell uselessly to the ground. With the footsteps drawing closer, she had no choice but to unroll a blank canvas and aim it at the corpse.


    Beep¡ªYou have violated a game rule. A divine punishment will be randomly assigned. Divine punishment determined: You have lost 5 points of Agility.


    Rita froze, but then the canvas captured Caleb''s image perfectly. Though bloodstained, it worked.


    Without waiting to see what Nivalis had found, Rita stashed the canvas, grabbed her coat in one hand, and Nivalis in the other. Using her restored mana and an ultimate skill, she vanished with [Phantom Shift] just as two aliens burst into the room.


    Hiding in a nearby hut, Rita and Nivalis were still trembling from adrenaline.


    Rita whispered, "So? Did you find anything?"


    Nivalis held up a tiny red toy airplane, barely the size of a fingertip. "Just this."

 Chapter 377 The Game of Gods: Painting Contest 8

    Rita examined the item she received:


    [World Graveyard - Red Airplane 1]: Belonging to the Black Spring Civilization. Players from other civilizations can only use it as a ticket.


    Another World Graveyard item, and in a different form. Was this some kind of strategy game? Or a cultural artifact of the Black Spring Civilization?


    She leaned toward the latter. Otherwise, how could such a ticket system work to differentiate access levels? She was unsure if it granted honor points, as no notification had appeared.


    Nivalis asked, "Did you get any rewards? I did!"


    Rita, surprised, asked, "You did too?"


    She had suspected as much when she noticed the shared experience split earlier. The confirmation brought her joy. Rita didn''t mind her experience being shared¡ªit was better for Nivalis to grow alongside her, amplifying their combined strength.


    Her decision to contract Nivalis was paying off in ways she hadn''t imagined. Initially, she had only hoped for a companion who wouldn''t hinder her or throw tantrums. But Nivalis had far exceeded her expectations, proving to be a reliable and obedient ally at crucial moments, never wasting time with doubts or unnecessary questions.


    "Yes," Nivalis replied. "From the kill reward. I got 4.7% experience and an S-rank skill, Air Slash. But I violated a game rule and lost 5 attribute points."


    Rita''s happiness faded into seriousness. If kill rewards yielded 10% experience total, it likely meant death penalties would result in similar losses¡ªwhether in experience or something else. Moreover, she and Nivalis were treated as one entity, sharing both rewards and punishments.


    She turned her attention to her new skill, [Air Slash]:


    [Air Slash] (S-rank): Allows the user to manipulate air with every part of their body. Each movement releases a massive air blade. Consumes 3,000 mana per second. Damage scales with Intelligence. No cooldown.


    The mana cost was staggering. With her current pool, just one second of use would drain nearly 8% of her mana. However, its lack of a cooldown made it an exceptional close-combat skill.


    This realization was unsettling. If pets like Nivalis could gain such S-rank skills, what kind of reserves would the pets of top-tier players possess? Rita reminded herself not to underestimate any pets in the battlefield.


    And since skills gained in the World Battleground could be used immediately, the incentive to hunt other players was enormous.


    She crouched in a corner and unfurled the canvas showing the lizard alien she had painted. The image depicted him in his trench coat, but there was no red visible. What rule had she violated?


    Opening the leaderboard, she noticed it had shifted to display Completion Rankings instead of power levels. The current count was 12,931 players, with Rita ranked 1,695.


    Nivalis hesitated but eventually nodded. "Understood."


    The throne solidified, and the second red beam rose. Rita turned to Frenzied Shark. "Are we heading to the Blue Throne?"


    "Let''s go," Frenzied Shark replied, escorting her toward the blue light. As they flew, he asked, "How many languages do you know?"


    "669," Rita answered.


    "Translate my game rules when we''re out," Frenzied Shark said. "I''ll protect you for a while."


    "Deal," Rita agreed.


    She had no leverage to negotiate. Frenzied Shark wouldn''t escort her to another oasis after their transaction. And despite his seemingly amicable demeanor, his mere presence gave her an overwhelming sense of dread.


    The idea of killing herself to escape flickered briefly but was quickly dismissed. She couldn''t accept defeat¡ªnot yet.


    Following Frenzied Shark was surprisingly smooth. Though the Blue Team had a group of high-tier players protecting their Flagbearer, none dared block Frenzied Shark''s path.


    Soon, her third star lit up.


    Instantly, Rita was ejected from the battleground, flung uncontrollably beyond the shield. She spread her wings to stabilize herself mid-air.


    Before she could act, an invisible force seized her neck, draining her mana to zero¡ªit was Frenzied Shark.


    The move halted the aliens who had considered following her.


    Frenzied Shark carried her and Nivalis for several minutes before descending. The air currents dragged her down alongside him.


    As Frenzied Shark landed heavily, gray thorns erupted from the desert, forming a nest-like structure around them.


    The thorns'' surface revealed text:


    [Hate Thorns], Frenzied Shark''s pet.


    Frenzied Shark casually tossed Rita and Nivalis to the ground. The thorns grew rapidly, blocking out the sky. Some encircled Rita, while others pinned Nivalis, holding her firmly in place.

 Chapter 378 Anger and Regret

    The thorns piercing the shrunken Nivalis easily tore through her dragon scales, burrowing into her body to harvest her blood. The crimson liquid flowed up the vines, disappearing to some unknown destination.


    Worse still, one thorn meticulously scraped off her scales, layer by layer. At that moment, her draconic majesty was gone. The proud ice dragon now resembled nothing more than a helpless fish on a butcher''s slab.


    Rita''s eyes burned with fury, her vision almost red with rage. She prepared to end her own life to escape, but Frenzied Shark''s voice cut through the storm of her thoughts.


    "You can try killing yourself," he said coldly. "But I promise, even if you leave, I''ll keep your pet here."


    Rita froze as a notification appeared:


    [Forced Stay]: You cannot leave the World Battleground. Upon death, your corpse will remain in place. [Time Hater]: For five minutes, you are unable to use any time-related skills.


    The first status had a one-minute countdown.


    She pivoted her plan and tried summoning Nivalis back to her pet space, but Frenzied Shark wasn''t finished.


    This time, he addressed Nivalis directly.


    "If you return to your space," he said with a wicked smirk, "I''ll make sure your master suffers every imaginable torment before she dies. Let''s see... How about I make her crawl around the oasis like a dog? Or perhaps I''ll personally pick a breeding partner for her¡ªwhat do you think?"


    He paused, feigning contemplation. "Ah, but I wonder if Blue Star civilizations care about that? Maybe shaving her head would do? Or ripping off her wings?"


    As he spoke, he traced rules onto a wooden board brought by the thorns, his finger moving across the surface as if drawing in sand or snow.


    Nivalis immediately stopped struggling and refused Rita''s summons. As her equal in their contract, she had the right to deny it. She clenched her teeth, refusing to make a sound even as her scales were stripped away, exposing raw flesh.


    With [Wrathful Moon] still on cooldown and her thieving dragon abilities disabled, Nivalis had no means of escape.


    A gale swept through the desert, scattering dandelion seeds as Rita transformed again, forcing her way through the thorns. Nivalis recognized the skill¡ªRita''s favorite. She used it for everything, even mundane tasks like grabbing a soda from downstairs.


    But now, the dandelions were blood-red.


    Nivalis didn''t want to cry. She was a dragon, a representative of Holy Cup North Year and Snow Pile. Even in agony, she had held back her wails.


    But seeing Rita like this, her tears fell freely, mixing with her blood in the sand.


    The rarer the bond, the harder it was to bear its weight. When she finally became the sole flower in the desert, she wasn''t happy. Her joy was buried under Rita''s grief, anger, and regret.


    As the winds howled and the sand stung her exposed flesh, Nivalis forced herself to comfort Rita. "It''s okay. We dragons shed our scales every hundred years anyway. Sometimes we even rub them off on reefs ourselves. I''m just a little early."


    She wanted to tell Rita to stop wasting her strength. "The skill only lasts a minute. Just wait quietly. Stop hurting yourself for nothing."


    The [Forced Stay] timer read only one minute, but it felt like an eternity.


    For the first time in her life, Rita felt regret¡ªnot annoyance or frustration, but pure, soul-crushing regret. Not even when Zoey became Maple Mu and successfully faked her death had Rita felt this way.


    Now, every decision seemed like a mistake.


    She hated her arrogance, her failure to account for Nivalis''s value as a resource in the World Battleground. She despised herself for not immediately faking her death when Frenzied Shark turned his attention to her. Instead, she had foolishly tried to negotiate.


    What right did she have? What leverage could she possibly hold against someone like Frenzied Shark?


    Only now did she fully understand the brutal reality of the World Battleground.


    Frenzied Shark, with his cold indifference and bloody methods, had taught her a lesson she would never forget. Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 379 I Could Just Steal It—A New SSS-Tier Talent!

    Unlike her calculated negotiations in the High Tower, where warriors clashed in measured combat, or on Blue Star, where alliances and influence could deflect enemies'' focus, the rules here in the World Battleground were entirely different.


    Here, everything visible was a resource. The goal was to exploit enemies completely, using every means available to drain them dry before their death.


    Hiding strength? Useless.


    Negotiation? Irrelevant.


    Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    Death as an escape? No. Death was the easiest outcome.


    There were no retreats, no compromises, no mutual victories.


    If only she had known... But even if she had, what could she have done differently? Every step she had taken was her own choice.


    Even at full strength, without the debuff from soul shock, she was no match for Frenzied Shark.


    Perhaps the moment she had stolen Mistblade''s World Graveyard, her and Nivalis''s fates were already sealed.


    It felt like karma. She had moved too quickly, entering the game ahead of everyone else, only to be pushed prematurely into a world she wasn''t ready for.


    When the [Forced Stay] timer hit 10 seconds, the thorns suddenly released Nivalis, as if they had finished draining her dragon blood. They even swept away her shed scales.


    Nearly 60% of the scales on Nivalis''s back had been stripped, leaving her collapsed on the ground. Her glaring eyes fixed on Frenzied Shark, who grinned at her menacingly.


    Rita, sensing danger, immediately stepped in front of Nivalis, shielding her with her body. Before Frenzied Shark killed her, she still had value¡ªas a translator.


    Sure enough, a skill''s sound cracked through the air behind them, leaving a massive crater to their side. Frenzied Shark had intercepted his own attack.


    Rita abandoned her attempts to return Nivalis to the pet space. Instead, she healed her with a skill before carrying her and facing the shark-like menace head-on.


    Before she could speak, a sudden impact slammed into her chest. She was flung back into the thorns, coughing up blood as her HP dropped to 0.01%. Nivalis''s health mirrored hers.


    Such terrifying precision.


    Once selected, the skill dimmed and vanished from her list.


    When she reopened her eyes, she found herself on the rooftop of a building in Dark City. It seemed the respawn location was randomized.


    [Detected: Black Spring Civilization World Graveyard - Red Airplane. Honor points +10,000.]


    Ignoring the notification, Rita immediately used [Happy New Year] to return to Blue Star.


    She rushed to the backyard, summoning Nivalis. As the dragon emerged, her body returned to its full size. She collapsed, her flesh bloody and mangled, the gemstone on her forehead dull and lifeless.


    Her once radiant, pearlescent scales were now dim and lusterless.


    Nivalis weakly said, "I can''t use my skills anymore."


    Rita carefully used water-based skills to clean the sand and blood from Nivalis''s body. Then, she cast every healing skill she had, each in its ultimate-enhanced version.


    Under the effects of [The First Step to Making Cotton Candy], Nivalis''s HP fully recovered, and her scales began to regenerate. Yet, their dull appearance remained, and she still seemed fragile.


    Rita resolved to take Nivalis to Dragon Island.


    First, she traveled to Lania KaiaTon Ton Mountain, removing her disguise after leaving the city. She summoned Nivalis and used [A Big World, A Small Me] to shrink her down, carrying her as she flew toward the island.


    Nivalis was nearly asleep when Rita began recounting her theft of Frenzied Shark''s talent, hoping to lift her spirits.


    The mention jolted Nivalis awake. "Really?! You stole his divine talent?"


    Rita nodded. "Yes. SSS-tier. Midnight Exile. I only managed to steal four skills."


    Her tone was calm. There was no point in hiding it¡ªshe had taken the talent right in front of Frenzied Shark.


    Besides, a used [I Could Just Steal It] was far safer than an unused one.


    [Midnight Exile] (SSS-tier, Incomplete):


    Skill 1: Midnight Exile (Passive): After killing a target, your next attack deals triple critical damage. If an attack fails to kill, the next attack deals quintuple critical damage, stacking up to three times. Skill 2: Absurd Story (Passive): Any enemy attacking you experiences unbearable pain and suffers guaranteed damage reflection equal to 100% of the damage dealt (even upon your death). Absurd Effect: A 10% chance to heal 1% of the damage dealt and a 1% chance to heal completely. Reflection damage does not trigger this effect. Skill 3: Bedtime Tale (Passive): You cannot be one-shot killed. Each hit can only take a maximum of 30% of your HP. Skill 4: Ancient Curse: Anything you say becomes a guaranteed curse. However, you must also state a method to break the curse, which will be widely known and retold as a legend. Cooldown: 7 natural days. Only 7 curses can exist at a time. (0/7)

 Chapter 380 [Midnight Exile] - SSS-Tier

    Every skill within [Midnight Exile] was worthy of its SSS-tier designation, and the first three were passive skills¡ªno cooldown, no cost.


    It was so powerful that Rita doubted even an SSS-tier version of her [One-Person Party] could match its strength. It was otherworldly.


    [Midnight Exile] was the strongest combat talent she had ever encountered.


    The damage progression was staggering: the first attack dealt x damage. If it failed to kill, the second attack would deal 5x, and if that also failed, the third would deal 25x. The damage multiplier capped at 125x on the fourth attack.


    The [Absurd Story] skill was equally astonishing.


    Not only would anyone attacking her suffer the same damage reflected back at them, but they might also accidentally heal her¡ªa slim chance, but the possibility alone was absurdly advantageous.


    More critical was the unbearable pain inflicted on attackers. The pain scaled with the attacker''s tolerance, ensuring even those with high thresholds couldn''t endure it easily.


    Such pain, trivial on its own, could disrupt an opponent''s rhythm during combat, potentially shifting the tide of a battle.


    [Bedtime Tale], a shield in its own right, ensured she couldn''t be killed in a single blow. Although she''d die after four consecutive hits, this safeguard offered critical time for countermeasures.


    Finally, the most unique skill: [Ancient Curse].


    Nivalis listened intently, cheering at every revelation. Yet, after her initial excitement, her mood turned somber.


    "But you should''ve just endured," Nivalis said with concern. "Now he knows it was you. The next time you enter, he''ll hunt you down... I should''ve trusted you then. I should''ve believed in you."@@@@


    Her words nearly brought Rita to tears again. She thought, How could I blame her for not trusting me in that moment? Nivalis had borne all the pain, paid the ultimate price. Besides, Rita truly had no solutions at that moment.


    She almost wanted to joke: Next time you see someone named Yu, just run the other way. They''re bad luck.


    Feigning a lighthearted tone, Rita said, "It wouldn''t have mattered. Even if we didn''t do anything, he would''ve killed us anyway."


    Nivalis shook her head, her gaze filled with worry. She looked at Rita like a reckless child, her expression almost comical. "No, it''s different. This time it was chance. But now, you''ve stolen his talent¡ªit''s a blood feud."


    At the entrance to Holy Cup''s lair, she called out in Dragon Tongue: "Elder, how can I save Nivalis?"


    She didn''t hide anything, detailing everything Nivalis had endured. Even if it risked angering Holy Cup North Year, her priority was to save Nivalis.


    Holy Cup didn''t seem overly worried. She even took a moment to examine Rita''s orange-red wings, but North Year immediately flew over, cradling Nivalis. Healing spells rained down on the small dragon, yet none were effective.


    Holy Cup sighed. "Dragon scales aren''t the issue. Nivalis wasn''t lying when she said we shed them every hundred years. She''s simply early because of her growth from the High Tower. It''s her lost blood that''s the problem¡ªshe''s lost a third of her essence. Any more, and her form would have changed irreversibly."


    Rita flew to North Year''s height, looking at Nivalis. "What can I do?"


    Holy Cup answered, "Recover her lost blood. She''ll know how. Alternatively, you can gather pure energy crystals, though the quantity required would be immense."


    Lost essence.


    Rita thought of the curse she had placed on [Hate Thorns]¡ªit might help. But she wasn''t satisfied with that alone. She wanted more answers.


    "Is there any other way?" she pressed.


    Holy Cup''s icy gaze softened. Her voice was gentle. "In the World Battleground, as long as you keep winning, Nivalis can evolve through rewards.


    "But in her current state, even killing her to reset won''t help. She hasn''t lost attributes or skills. Without restoration, her attack power will weaken, and her next level-up will yield only 5¨C7 free attribute points."


    North Year stopped his healing efforts and handed the shrunken Nivalis back to Rita. "She''s stabilized. Skills can be used again, but her essence remains unrecovered."


    Rita cradled Nivalis, looking solemnly at the two dragons. "It''s my fault. I''ll make it right. I''ll restore Nivalis to her full strength."


    Holy Cup''s tail brushed against the sleeping Nivalis. "No need to apologize. This was her choice."


    Even North Year, who had been tense until now, said, "Indeed. This is between you and Nivalis. She must bear responsibility for her decisions."


    Rita made no promises to North Year or Holy Cup. Just as Nivalis bore the weight of her choices, Rita knew she must bear hers as well.

 Chapter 381 Wrathful Moon Upgraded to S-Tier! [Nebula Bubble]!

    After expressing her gratitude to Holy Cup and North Year, Rita used her Cat Head Portal to return to Blue Star with Nivalis. Once Nivalis was settled, Rita''s first priority was transforming into the form of an Oaken Owl, the guise she had used during her dealings with Black Jade. She flew to The Lopez Family Estate to find him.


    Upon her arrival, Black Jade was asleep. Landing directly in front of him, she ignored the Eclipse Vanguard guards nearby. They glanced her way but didn''t approach.


    Rita wasted no time. "What are the side effects of using Moment of Reversal to exchange attributes with a stronger being?"


    Black Jade, without even opening his eyes, smirked maliciously. "So, you''ve tried it already."


    Rita pulled out several gold bricks she had taken from The Taylor Family, casually reshaping them into featureless golden orbs to erase their markings. Placing them on the ground, she said, "Buying information. I used the coins to purchase Moment of Reversal, so this is all I have."


    Black Jade finally opened his eyes, clearly displeased with the offering but willing to accept it nonetheless. He relished the thought of seeing the owl suffer.


    "All things come at a price," he began. "Equivalent exchange is the safest option. If you swap life force, even unevenly¡ªlike 1% for 100%¡ªthat''s fine. Life force regenerates.


    "Attribute points and divine talent skills can also be exchanged, but only to a certain extent. If the disparity is too great, fate will balance the scales elsewhere. For every unfair trade you make, you¡ªor someone deeply connected to you¡ªwill lose an equivalent amount of core strength. Meanwhile, the other party will gain compensation from fate."


    "How much did you exchange?"@@@@


    Rita''s voice was calm. "Ten times my original."


    Black Jade laughed loudly. "Unlucky! That kind of trade guarantees that either you or someone tied to you will suffer an equivalent loss in essence. And the other party? They''ll get a bonus from fate." Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    Rita frowned. The hidden rules behind high-tier skills and artifacts were rarely stated outright, but they always existed.


    She recalled her experience in High Tower, where she had swapped for multiple S-tier divine talents without any immediate repercussions. Was it because those exchanges hadn''t involved actual trades?


    [Wrathful Moon] (S-Tier) (Upgradeable)


    Skill 1: Planet: Enables flight anywhere. Requires marking an object or being as your "star." The maximum distance (in meters) between you and the star cannot exceed the sum of your HP and mana, and the minimum distance cannot be less than your level. Marking a star takes 2 seconds. Mana consumption increases with speed, starting at 5 mana per second.


    Skill 2: Temporal Stroll: Allows short-term travel to the past or future. The time span (in days) cannot exceed your age, and the duration (in minutes) cannot exceed your level. You must avoid being seen by your past or future self, or your HP will drop to zero. Pets can be brought along. Cooldown: 24 hours.


    (Note: Objects left in the past will disappear after 48 hours.)


    Skill 3: Bubble Nebula: Creates a nebula around a target, absorbing all damage dealt to it during its 5-minute "incubation." Afterward, the absorbed damage converts to a defensive value for the nebula. The shield lasts until depleted. Casting time: 1 second. Cooldown: none. Max active nebulae: 3.


    Skill 4: Wrathful Moon (Passive): The lantern only glows when in a good mood. It enjoys fairy tales.


    (Note: All skills require the artifact to be carried personally. Placing it in an inventory disables its effects.)


    The changes were substantial. Planet''s casting time had decreased, and the distance limits had increased. Meanwhile, Temporal Stroll now allowed travel to the future, making the upgrade more than worth the Moon Sand she had invested.


    The addition of Bubble Nebula was the crown jewel¡ªa perfect shield skill.


    Moreover, Rita could now control Wrathful Moon more precisely, including manipulating the Moon Sand inside. Whether to extract it or convert it into ultimate energy was entirely up to her.


    Calling Nivalis out, Rita used Wrathful Moon to convert Moon Sand into ultimate energy, channeling it directly to her companion.


    She only stopped when Nivalis''s ultimate energy had increased by 2,000 points.


    Nivalis''s crystalline eyes gazed at Rita. In a soft voice, she asked, "Is this your way of repaying me for what I endured in the World Battleground?"

 Chapter 382 The Curse Echoing Across the Battlefield

    Rita raised her hand and gently pressed it against Nivalis'' head, looking back into her eyes. She replied earnestly, "No, this isn''t about repayment. Just like when I used to send you pocket money, there''s no ulterior motive. I just wanted to give you a gift, to make you happy."


    In truth, Rita knew everything. She had always prepared for Nivalis to leave her, so she pretended to be clueless.


    Nivalis then threw her arms around the lantern and rolled around a few times. "Now, that''s more like it."


    Aside from that, Wrathful Moon could still be upgraded. However, this time the required material wasn''t Moon Sand but something called [Shattered Stars], and it required 1000 pieces. Rita had never even heard of it...@@@@


    After soothing Nivalis, Rita returned to the past to send a note to herself: [Don''t bring Resurrection Skills].


    While Rita was handling the aftermath back at home, chaos was erupting in the World Battleground!


    Especially for Frenzied Shark. After Rita''s suicide, bringing the dragon out of the game with her, Frenzied Shark stood dazed for several minutes, barely believing what had just happened. Was it real? Could it be?


    There were only six skills in total for an SSS-tier divine blessing, yet that alien player¡ªsomeone he never even considered important¡ªhad stolen more than half of them?!


    Four skills! Four core abilities he had painstakingly evolved!


    Could this happen in real life? This was absurd! Was there a way to file a complaint?


    What made him even angrier and more desperate was that the core attack skill [Midnight Exile], the defensive counter-attack skill [Absurd Story], the top-tier shield skill [Bedtime Tale], and his favorite [Ancient Curse] were all taken!


    He had built his reputation in the World Battleground, earning a "willing to die" title, largely thanks to these three skills. They made him nearly invincible! One skill let him grow stronger the more he fought, another prevented him from being instantly killed, and the third made any enemies hesitant to attack him. Everyone knew that anyone who tried to fight him had to be ready to receive the same damage.


    But now... all gone! Gone!!!


    This was the worst loss Frenzied Shark had suffered since entering the World Battleground.


    In a state of utter madness, Frenzied Shark slapped himself across the face. Why had he gone and messed with that new player... why did he push them to the limit?


    But wait, he didn''t think it would push them this far! He had taken blood from a dragon before, stripped off its scales, even broke off its horns. The owl didn''t do anything! It even talked to him nicely about cooperating!


    His hands shaking with rage, Frenzied Shark slapped himself again... "Serves you right!"


    Such greed...


    Frenzied Shark glared down at Hate Thorns. "So, you''re happy now?"


    Hate Thorns: ... Read the latest on My Virtual Library Empire


    In the third level of the desert battlefield, Mistblade, who had been knocked away, straightened herself up. She wiped the blood from her mouth with her torn sleeve, her eyes filled with disbelief. She recognized that voice¡ªBSRita?


    How did she have a skill similar to [Ancient Curse]?


    Mistblade thought back to the fragments of the future she had seen. She had thought that the human and the dragon would suffer terribly at Frenzied Shark''s hands and would be too frightened to ever return to the World Battleground. She never imagined... they not only weren''t scared, but they even dared to provoke Frenzied Shark! How did they get involved with that lunatic in the first place?


    One was second-to-last, the other second in rank.


    However, whether BSRita continued to work with her in the World Battleground or left the game with the remaining World Graveyard, Mistblade would still be in a good position.


    Ha, she had bet right!


    At that moment, she almost wished that BSRita had stolen more World Graveyards from her back then.


    Wait... hold on! Let her think about this for a moment.


    Mistblade''s face darkened!


    She suddenly remembered something Rita had said when they formed their partnership. It wasn''t, "If I agree, will you forget about the World Graveyard I stole?"


    It was, "If I agree, will you stop bothering me about the World Graveyard?"


    Everything clicked into place. She suddenly recalled the Fogtail, who had taken the World Graveyard from Maple Cang and could also use [Mist Arrival].


    That incident had caused Maple Cang to complain to Maple Syrup, leading to Maple Syrup showing up at her door to settle things... what a pain!


    Fine, very well! That wasn''t framing someone¡ªit was revealing the truth!

 Chapter 383 Whats Wrong, My Lady?

    Mistblade looked over at Maple Syrup not far away. "Did Maple Cang tell you that a Fogtail Moon Fox stole a World Graveyard from her store? I know who that Fogtail is now!"


    Maple Syrup glanced at her. "Who?"


    Mistblade smiled brightly. "Dark City Apache''s alchemy apprentice, Nivalis''s owner, High Tower climber, holder of orange-red wings, the one who cast that curse just now, and a new player in The Game of Gods ¡ª BS-Rita."


    Maple Syrup was taken aback for a moment by the list of titles, then raised an eyebrow. "...Are you guys familiar with each other?"


    Mistblade''s smile grew even wider. "Not at all. So when your daughter comes crying to you saying I bullied her, just remember to look for BS-Rita."


    Maple Syrup stared at Mistblade for a few seconds, sensing that Mistblade wasn''t being completely truthful. She grinned even more widely. "That''s my fourth daughter. If I don''t look for her, I''ll look for you."


    Mistblade: "..."


    She had dealt with Maple Syrup for years and knew when the other was making things up. It was like she''d been drinking fake wine, talking nonsense.


    Rita, after leaving her note in the past, began preparing for the next The Game of Gods.


    Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    After exiting World Battleground, a new status appeared beneath her character info: BS ¡¤ The Game of Gods Player (57 days 15 hours 27 minutes).


    This meant that if she wanted to retain her game qualification, she would have to participate in the Game of Gods on March 15 at the latest. Otherwise, she would lose her entry privileges to World Battleground forever.


    She had less than two months to grow stronger, but there was another option ¡ª enter on March 15 and immediately commit suicide to gain another 60 days of development time.


    However, after obtaining Midnight Exile, she truly had the capital to play the game on the battlefield. She couldn''t bring herself to be that cowardly.


    Step by step, she decided to first familiarize herself with the Midnight Exile skill, then work on igniting the orange-red wings as much as possible, and finally learn Cheers.@@@@


    She opened the chat interface with Shadow.Q, intending to exchange more of the "Whatever weather I want, I''ll make it myself" skill stones.


    It was straightforward, simply exchanging dragon-shaped coins, since the equipment in Blue Star was no longer enough to meet her needs. Her former plans and ideas, once fitting, now seemed crude as her strength and perspective had skyrocketed.


    Shadow.Q didn''t make things difficult either. For two dragon-shaped coins, she could exchange for one "Whatever weather I want, I''ll make it myself" skill stone.


    Looking back, Rita realized that despite whatever plans Eclipse Vanguard had behind the scenes, every time they actually traded, they had never tried to make things hard for her.


    But when the 12 races invaded new worlds, they would cooperate, because they needed to grow ¡ª not just their own races, but Lania Kaia too...


    Rita organized her thoughts and went to Dark City. While returning the book she had stolen from Moonfox City''s library, she bought many nutritional potions for pets from Apache.


    Apache had told her long ago that these potions were just placebos with no real effect.


    However, now that Rita wanted to buy them, Apache didn''t question why, nor did she criticize the potions as useless. She simply handed over the potions and gave Rita a few recipes to make them herself.


    Rita: "Thank you, Teacher."


    Apache waved her hand and continued brewing potions.


    After looking around, Rita found Kayden in the small kitchen. She handed him 200 gold coins.


    "If you come across anything like you sold me last time, save it for me. No matter the price, I''ll buy it. This is a deposit, and I''ll offer you another price when the time comes. The previous promise still stands."


    Kayden accepted the 200 gold coins and smiled at her. "Sure!"


    After giving Apache a few bags of rice produced by the Rice Frame, Rita was about to leave the alchemy shop.


    Just as she was about to step out, Apache suddenly asked, "If Mistblade Empress comes back and asks you whether you still want to go, what should I say?"


    Rita paused, turned around to look at the necromancer, who was still focused on brewing potions. Rita replied, "I''ll go."


    Apache finally raised her head and gave her a long, thoughtful look before speaking. "I heard there are a lot of games there. Are they fun?"


    Such awkward concern. Rita smiled faintly. "Not fun."


    The apprentice stood at the doorway, facing away from the street. The midday sun in Dark City was glaring, and the apprentice stood against the light, almost like a scythe made of wind. Rita couldn''t help but notice something ¡ª the little black eyes under Apache''s dark circles looked wet.


    This discovery made Apache feel a bit lost. She had always thought Rita was tough, the one who played others, not the one to be moved. But unexpectedly, one simple question had brought out Rita''s tears. Apache pressed her lips together, unsure how to comfort her.


    Finally, she awkwardly blurted out, "...Come here, I''ll give you a few more notes and recipes."


    Rita genuinely smiled. "I thought you were going to say you''d give me more lessons."


    Seeing Rita smile, Apache finally relaxed. "Notes. You don''t need to come by for now. Mistblade seems really angry at you and is looking for you."


    In that instant, any sadness Rita had felt vanished. "What''s wrong now, my lady?"

 Chapter 384 "Bloodthirsty Butcher" & Coastal Slaughter

    After leaving the alchemy shop, Rita made a quick visit to the auction house. Just then, she received a message from Shadow.Q.


    [Shadow.Q]: "The underwater alien army has landed along the coast. Want to level up?"


    She glanced at a skill inside the auction house.


    [Bloodthirsty Butcher] (Passive) (S-grade): "Each kill automatically extracts a small amount of the opponent''s power source. It can be used at any time to restore health, or condensed into an energy crystal that, when consumed, can recharge the blood source for life-tier evolution, though the effect is minimal."


    An S-grade skill for only 20,000 gold coins. The effect seemed weak, but Rita decided to purchase it, emptying all her gold coins and even selling a batch of [Little Fish Kingdom''s King] to gather the required funds.


    [Rita]: "I''ll come."


    After acquiring the skill book, she learned it immediately and grabbed her cat-shaped headgear. She then flew straight to the coast.


    The situation had already turned chaotic. Everywhere she looked, there were aliens and players around level 12. Not many had the ability to fly, but the oak owls were already soaring through the cities, with planes intercepting them in the skies.


    Along the coastline, there were groups of random players as well as players from various legions. Each legion had its emblem above their heads, accompanied by a blinding mix of skills, creating a mess of light in the air. The ground was littered with corpses¡ªboth aliens and players. Most players were getting more and more absorbed in the fighting, but the players who had reached the front lines were all fearless fighters.


    The battle was intense. It was hard to tell who was winning, though the alien forces generally had higher levels. Still, the coastline also had various technological weapons, warships at sea, and planes overhead.


    The entire coastline was crowded with fighting, so Rita decided to fly out above the sea, halting 100 meters above the surface. Below her were countless health bars¡ªall aliens, accompanied by the water spirits guiding them, allowing these aliens to breathe underwater as they steadily approached the land.


    She quickly consumed some high-level food to boost her attack power and then pulled out [Ember] to start clearing the monsters. She had no intention of hiding her power anymore, nor was there any need to.


    Before obtaining [Midnight Exile], if she had faced off against Eclipse Vanguard, she would have had to rely on various potions and the oak owl fruit to supplement her strength. But now, with just her skills and attributes, she could go head-to-head with the entire Eclipse Vanguard.


    Hovering in mid-air, she aimed her gun at the sea and fired off [Meteor Shower].


    A bullet flew from her barrel, dragging a violent wind vortex behind it. As the bullet neared the water, an invisible whirlwind lifted the seawater, creating a water tornado. The bullet hit the seabed, triggering a storm that swept up countless aliens who had yet to land, instantly draining their health.


    Nivalis nodded, "Yes, Black Jade must have evolved into a flood dragon this way, continually compressing their strength."


    Rita grinned. "Okay, go ahead."


    Nivalis didn''t make any movements but stared into the void. After a few seconds, she said, "Done," and immediately transformed back into her true form, with Rita standing on top of her head.


    They soared together, diving into the waves. Nivalis exhaled a mighty dragon breath, causing the sea to boil as numerous health bars vanished beneath the surface in the blink of an eye.


    Letting out a victorious roar, Nivalis looked at Rita and said, "I''m waiting for you to evolve me into the strongest dragon in the world."


    Rita felt a sense of clarity and joy fill her as she listened. "I will."


    Shadow.Q, meanwhile, had time to message her again.


    [Shadow.Q]: "Sanchez has nearly gathered everything, just missing the Candlebeast''s flame tip. I''ll get it in three days. Do you have time this weekend to help us close the dungeon barrier?"


    [Rita]: "Have you figured out the oak owl''s specific materials?"


    [Shadow.Q]: "Not yet, but we''ll bring the complete corpse and try it."


    [Rita]: "I can make time."


    By this point, Rita had fully recovered from the debuff caused by the soul shock. She was also curious about the rewards for closing the dungeon barrier.


    Rita didn''t linger at the coast. After about three hours of grinding and accumulating 20 blood crystals to give Nivalis, she returned to her dungeon to continue working on her light feathers.


    It wasn''t that she didn''t want to farm more, but she couldn''t pick up any loot from the coast. While she wasn''t poor, it was always best to save and spend wisely, especially when it came to items she couldn''t gather herself. This was frustrating.


    Since that day, Rita had established a routine of farming for two hours daily at the coastline, accumulating blood crystals, and then returning home to continue her work.

 Chapter 385 The Arena of All Races!

    A few days later, Sanchez and Shadow.Q arrived at Rita''s home, one after the other, but were stopped by the electric barrier at the door.


    As Nivalis stepped out to open the door, she was holding a 96% strawberry ice cream Rita had made for her. Lately, she had been living the life of a pampered dragon, getting anything she wanted from Rita, and Rita used the highest-quality ingredients, thanks to her [Chaos Kitchen] and [Hundred-Year Legacy].


    Nivalis looked at the two with their different colored wings¡ªone like ink spreading in water and the other resembling seaweed. Even though both were made of light, Nivalis still thought Rita''s wings were the most beautiful.


    Sanchez''s short hair had also turned into a dark green shade.


    Sanchez spread out her wings and patted them, as if brushing off nonexistent dust. "Long time no see. Is Rita home?"


    Nivalis raised an eyebrow. "You''re being obvious."


    Sanchez covered her mouth with her wings. "Oh, am I?!"


    Shadow.Q looked at the interaction and recalled that when she showed off her wings, she didn''t act so foolish.


    Nivalis said, "She said she''ll be here in a minute, she''s feeding the cat in the backyard. She also mentioned that you two would arrive today."


    As soon as Nivalis finished, Rita appeared. They exchanged brief greetings and immediately formed a party. After drinking their invisibility potions, they set off toward the coast.


    Their destination was the 15-level dungeon Rita had found under the sea. Although Shadow.Q and Sanchez were only level 12, with the three of them together, they had no issue handling a level 15 dungeon.


    The alien army had begun gathering forces to invade smaller nations. However, the United States had not won completely, as some aliens had infiltrated cities on land. Eclipse Vanguard and the authorities were busy with investigations.


    The three of them dove into the water as soon as they arrived at the coast, heading toward their target coordinates.


    Each of them wore a bubble shield from Nivalis to allow them to breathe underwater. It was only at this point that Rita asked, "Isn''t working with us on the side considered taking a private job instead of collaborating with Eclipse Vanguard?"


    Shadow.Q didn''t hide anything. "If I stayed with Eclipse Vanguard, I wouldn''t get a chance. They''re currently investigating all of us who gained the wings of light."


    Rita then asked Sanchez, "What about you? Do you have a solution?"


    Sanchez carefully approached the energy barrier with the seed in hand. As soon as she brought it near the light, it flew into the shield. The 12 items they had collected now surrounded the dungeon''s barrier like a clock''s hands.


    Suddenly, the purple light turned bright red.


    [Congratulations, Blue Star player Sanchez. You have gathered 12 glorious offerings. The Arena of All Races is now open!]


    The trio and Nivalis exchanged looks. They all heard the system announcement and realized that the other side of the barrier wasn''t what they had expected. Continue your saga on My Virtual Library Empire


    Sanchez asked, "BS?"


    Shadow.Q raised an eyebrow, "Blue Star''s stage name?"


    Rita pointed at the barrier. "Let''s go."


    Without hesitation, Rita was the first to enter the red portal, followed closely by Shadow.Q and Sanchez. The portal closed behind them.


    They found themselves in a massive gladiatorial arena, nearly four soccer fields in size. The arena was divided into two halves, with a large red energy barrier separating the two sides. A giant countdown appeared on the screen: 100, 99, 98...


    With each passing second, a booming drumbeat filled the air, pounding in their hearts, stirring up a primal sense of battle. The atmosphere was charged, as if their blood was boiling, urging them to fight.


    All around the arena were seats filled with spectators, and there were at least hundreds of thousands of them.


    The three of them stood back-to-back, without hesitation. Even Rita, who never trusted others, and Sanchez, who was used to fighting alone, knew that in their current team mode, they couldn''t harm each other with their skills.


    Nivalis flew overhead, keeping watch.


    Rita immediately checked her equipment and skills to ensure everything was working properly. Once confirmed, she felt relieved.


    Suddenly, the seats around them started to fill with figures, virtual avatars of different races. There were purple-skinned aliens, giant bears standing upright, shark-headed humanoid monsters, ghosts, griffins, elves, undead, and sea demons...


    Rita''s pupils contracted in shock. It was the Arena of All Races!

 Chapter 386 Level 45 BOSS · Hundred Heads!

    78, 77, 76...


    In less than 20 seconds, the stands were filled with a variety of exotic players! The moment they appeared, they started shouting and yelling at the three people inside the arena.@@@@


    A few hundred goblins wearing mechanical wings appeared out of nowhere in the air, carrying backpacks and skillfully selling various snacks and drinks to the spectators.


    As the countdown reached 50 seconds, a red light screen suddenly appeared on the other side of the arena. A massive figure slowly emerged. It was a huge, floating head, neither male nor female, its gender ambiguous, even beautiful in a strange way.


    However, the three could clearly see that within its scalp, countless eyes flickered, sending chills down their spines.


    It looked at the three and the dragon with a slight smile, revealing sharp teeth. No, those weren''t teeth; they were human heads, each one wailing in agony!


    Shadow.Q quickly read out the information she had discovered.


    "Hundred Heads, Level 45, Health 38,000, Strength 354, Intelligence 417, Agility 219, Constitution 699.


    Divine Gift Talent A-rank, called ''Bloodthirst''. Skill 1: Each time it attacks, it has a chance to siphon life. Skill 2: It can transplant the heads of enemies onto itself; each enemy head allows it to use one pre-stored skill without consumption. Skill 3: Wailing can prevent enemies from casting spells, but the effect only lasts for 5 minutes."


    Looking at the stats, Hundred Heads was clearly stronger than Caleb, the Lizardman from World Battleground.


    Rita, Nivalis, and Sanchez all listened quietly, showing no signs of surprise, though Rita suspected that, considering The White Family''s affection for Sanchez, she shouldn''t be lacking in scouting equipment.


    Rita pulled out two Meteor Desert Eagles and started loading them with [Thief Never Empty-Handed] magazines.


    [Bullet ¡¤ Thief Never Empty-Handed]: Influenced by some unknown force, the bullets in this magazine have mutated. Each time it hits a target, it randomly siphons 3¨C5 points of life from the target and transfers it to the shooter.


    Though 3¨C5 points wasn''t much, it was better than nothing. She also took out several more magazines that had been charged with [12-Month Interest-Free] for backup.


    There was no need to change her equipment, as she was still wearing the best gear she had before entering the High Tower.


    However, she disabled the passive effects of [Midnight Exile], [Absurd Story], and [I''m Getting Serious]. She didn''t want the others to know her full strength, nor did she want to reveal her ability to make a perfect shot after just three seconds of aiming.


    Rita handed out three servings of food, each tailored to her teammates'' respective combat styles.


    Rita & Nivalis & Shadow.Q: ...


    Nivalis put away the gold coins: "I have nothing to say."


    Rita and Shadow.Q silently did the same. Neither of them had anything to add.


    3... 2... 1!


    The red number 1 exploded on the light screen, spreading across the arena like a Thunder Net. The massive light screen that separated the arena shattered instantly, then reformed into a smaller screen standing in the corner of the arena.


    The small screen split in half, displaying the damage and healing leaderboards.


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    The crowd erupted into deafening cheers and screams.


    Rita, Nivalis, and Shadow.Q immediately ascended into the air and spread out. Sanchez cast a skill, and rain began pouring down from the sky.


    Rita felt as if she was seeing a Poke?mon that benefited from fighting in the rain, and this Poke?mon could even summon thunder and rain on its own...


    Sanchez was focused on melee combat, while Rita and Shadow.Q, as well as Nivalis, all handled ranged attacks.


    The most reasonable strategy would have been for Nivalis to be in the front, tanking damage, but if this were the past, Rita would have proactively suggested this tactic. However, Nivalis had been injured recently, and Rita didn''t want to force her into the frontline. She let Nivalis decide for herself once she joined the battle.


    What surprised Rita was that neither Shadow.Q nor Sanchez suggested putting Nivalis at the front.


    Maybe they saw something was off with Nivalis, or they simply felt that having no tank didn''t matter that much.


    Despite Hundred Heads being three times their level, the battle didn''t feel as difficult as expected.


    Though Shadow.Q and Sanchez had stats in the double digits for all attributes, their combat skills were solid, and they had diverse tactics. They knew when to block and when to dodge, so they didn''t drag the team down.


    Not to mention Sanchez''s divine talent, [Vampire], which allowed her to siphon 1% of her opponent''s life with each successful hit.


    Nivalis was the same; although her power was limited due to a lack of origin energy and lower stats compared to Hundred Heads, she had been steadily improving in the High Tower. She was no longer the reckless Nivalis that first joined the team.

 Chapter 387 First Kill Reward – Orange Weapon

    The three players and one dragon quickly found their combat rhythm. Rita not only attacked, but also occasionally used her [12-Month Interest-Free] bullets to heal Shadow.Q and Sanchez.


    She wasn''t doing it just for the sake of healing them¡ªshe was aiming for the healing leaderboard!


    Where there''s a leaderboard, there are rewards. Nothing here is useless.


    Shadow.Q and Sanchez clearly understood this logic. Both were furious. "Don''t heal us!! We can heal ourselves!"


    Rita followed behind them, shooting healing bullets at their backs. "You''re like family to me. When I see you getting hurt, I feel the pain too."


    Her resource management was flawless¡ªher left hand firing the Desert Eagle at the monster, while her right hand kept shooting healing bullets to her teammates.


    The most outrageous part was when [12-Month Interest-Free] was about to start collecting its "blood debt," Rita used [Step One of Making Cotton Candy] to heal them again... after all, she wasn''t short on [Melting Time].


    This drove Sanchez crazy, cursing while continuing to fight.


    Sanchez skillfully dodged half of the healing bullets using her rain drop movements.


    As for Shadow.Q... she used her bubble rap voice. Her mouth was constantly busy, rapping insults at Rita. It was pretty scary how she turned everything into a diss track aimed at Rita.


    Sanchez even ran to a corner, laughing for five minutes before returning, while the audience fell silent. Even Hundred Heads'' skills started to miss, occasionally glancing at Shadow.Q.


    Rita couldn''t help but admire, "Back when we first started fighting monsters together, you used to be shy. Now, you''re almost ready to debut."


    Shadow.Q snorted coldly, lowering her voice and speaking in a bubble rap, "Except for you two, no one here knows me!"


    And those two had already known about her unique skill back in the High Tower, so now she was fully letting loose.


    Sanchez was so amused she nearly fell over, getting hit by Hundred Heads once, but Rita quickly healed her with two shots.


    In less than half an hour, Hundred Heads'' health dropped to 51%. The crowd started booing as they realized the fight was nearly decided. They began tossing their snacks onto the arena.


    But despite the audience''s lack of faith, Rita, Nivalis, and Shadow.Q/Sanchez kept their guard up. They all knew that as a boss''s health decreases, it often triggers an explosive phase. Many ultimate skills depend on HP thresholds.


    Sure enough, when Hundred Heads'' health hit 50%, its hair started flying up, and from the air, its body quickly grew, morphing into various flying creatures of different races. They attacked Rita and her team, each one capable of casting multiple skills, as if they were brought to life.


    The good news was, all three players and the dragon could fly.


    In less than ten seconds, the multi-race audience began disappearing one by one. A red light curtain appeared in the middle of the arena, likely signaling the return portal. Rita was eyeing it to see if there was a countdown, when she suddenly felt a chill down her back.


    She turned around to find Shadow.Q and Sanchez staring at her with resentful eyes. It was clearly because of the healing leaderboard.


    Rita silently turned her back, pretending not to notice.


    Opening her inventory, she found three gleaming purple chests¡ªNightmare Chests!


    Before she could open one to see what was inside, she heard the delightful sound of gold coins clinking. She turned towards the sound and saw that Shadow.Q had already opened her chest.


    Sanchez was still holding hers, looking pleased. Rita was surprised. "You opened it just like that? Didn''t even wash your hands?"


    Shadow.Q responded, "Those were global announcements. My boss asked me about it."


    Rita, Sanchez, and Nivalis immediately understood. They gathered around, eager to see what Shadow.Q had gotten. She reached into her chest and pulled out a staff glowing with orange light¡ªan Epic-level staff!


    Shadow.Q wasn''t stingy. She let them all look at it before taking it back.


    It was almost as if this staff had been custom-made for Shadow.Q. With its level and attribute requirements, Shadow.Q could equip it immediately.


    Rita eagerly opened her own chest.


    The first chest: A sniper rifle more than a meter long!


    It looked somewhat like the Barrett M95, but of course, it was a game weapon, so it was even more exaggerated. And it was much cooler too. Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    It was all silver, with the signature cold, deadly metallic beauty of firearms. Upon closer inspection, she saw a few flashes of orange light.


    Orange Epic Weapon¡ª[Dusk and Night]!


    It didn''t require bullets. As long as she had mana, she could shoot magic sniper bullets with a range of up to 3 kilometers. The only downside was that there was a 2-second cooldown between shots.


    And maybe because of her high agility, this sniper rifle had dual attribute requirements for equipping, which greatly increased its value! It was practically tailor-made for Rita.


    Not only did it increase her mana cap by 20% and casting speed by 80%, but it also came with an epic skill:


    [Execution]: You have 5 seconds to execute your enemy. Within the next 5 seconds after using this skill, your damage will increase by 1500%.

 Chapter 388 No Regrets Oath · Is She Really That Hard to Find?

    Rita quickly put the second treasure chest in her inventory. She could already see the Wind Scythe text on the World Graveyard¡¤East Wind:


    World Graveyard¡¤East Wind: When entering the world battlefield, you and your pet will unlock one skill each.


    This was amazing! It was far more useful than the 9-Bamboo which only worked with teammates of the same faction.


    At that moment, Nivalis sneaked over, shrinking down to perch on Rita''s shoulder, holding a fist-sized crystal. "I got a high-purity energy crystal. I think it''ll recover about 0.1%."


    Rita''s eyes lit up. "Eat it quickly!"


    Nivalis did as told, and the difference was noticeable. She wasn''t as weak as before and seemed much more energized. She then passed Rita the third Nightmare Chest.


    Without hesitation, Nivalis opened it. However, instead of getting the energy crystal she hoped for, she found a scroll inside.


    No Regrets Oath: "I am willing to share with you one of my divine talents, praying that our bond never fades. Even if we part ways or become enemies in the future, I will never forget our friendship. May the gods bear witness to this moment and bless our everlasting bond."


    Despite being a scroll, it was just like the Final Battle book¡ªboth needed to be used by two people together.


    This meant that if Rita and Nivalis used the scroll together, not only would Nivalis share one divine talent with Rita, but Rita would also share one with Nivalis. Even if one of them betrayed the other in the future, the shared divine talents would remain.


    Rita, watching Nivalis with cautious but expectant eyes, gripped one half of the scroll. In her mind, she quickly thought about what to share with Nivalis.@@@@


    Food God¡ªShe would keep that one to herself until Rick was completely gone. Sharpshooter was too weak to be useful. Immortal was tied to the Dark City lord, and she didn''t want Nivalis to get involved.


    The image of a blood-red dandelion lingered in her heart. She understood.


    She remembered when she confided in Holy Cup, and North Year had asked, "Why bother with someone like her? She''s stingy, can''t open her heart, and is always preparing for you to leave. There are other contractors, and she''s hard to deal with¡ªwhy stay?"


    Nivalis thought: Yes, she was special. Just like Kayden said, emotions don''t care about right or wrong. They only care about truth and lies.


    Rita was full of fake politeness to others¡ªpretending to be good in front of her enemies, using fake kindness to trick Eclipse Vanguard into helping her. But for herself, Rita was always sincere.


    Kayden had once taught her how to interpret a fire that represented emotions. The brightest flame was for Nivalis, and it burned with affection, guilt, and regret, a glimmer of trust hidden within.


    Nivalis had figured it out long ago. She knew Rita''s guilt, knew her mistrust. But Nivalis also knew the truth: Rita was never going to change.


    She had already made peace with it.


    Nivalis, in that moment, thought back to a conversation with North Year and explained, "She doesn''t flatter me, she doesn''t need me. She''s always ready for me to leave, and if I lend her my coins, she''ll pay me back. If she faces a force she can''t defeat, she''ll never count on my strength. But do you know what that means?"


    North Year asked, "What?"


    "It means she likes me¡ªnot because I''m strong, not because she needs me¡ªbut simply because I am Nivalis. I''m sure of it. Even if Wind Shear or Emperor Umbrella came to her and said they''d form a contract with her if she gave me up, she''d never agree. No dragon could replace me, and I''d never replace my dragon."


    The scroll turned into a golden thread that wrapped around their wrists, a soft ethereal voice echoed in the air:


    "May you have no regrets."

 Chapter 389 That Mamas Boy Makes Me So Mad!

    As soon as the countdown began, Eclipse Vanguard had already started a meeting. When the level 45 Hundred Heads appeared, everyone in the room held their breath.


    They immediately tried to contact Rita and her team, hoping to send a rescue squad, but they couldn''t get through.


    At the start of the fight, nobody in the meeting room could sit still. After ten minutes, people had already started brewing tea, though it almost all got spat out when Shadow.Q started rapping.


    But when they saw Rita blow off 22% of Hundred Heads'' health with a single shot, the entire meeting room went dead silent.


    Landon let out a laugh and immediately pulled out his phone to tag the old-timers who had always disagreed with him in the Eclipse Vanguard leadership chat, challenging them with some fiery words!


    Not only had the Coliseum gained its own dedicated section, but the existence and functionality of 12 types of Radiant Tribute had also been revealed. After discussing the term Blue Star for a while, players quickly shifted to talking about the Radiant Tribute.


    Though a level 45 boss was terrifying, it couldn''t kill their excitement. Seeing Rita deal 22% damage with a single shot, many players imagined themselves in her shoes. All they had to do was find the boss''s weak points and land critical hits.


    That very day, numerous guilds began collecting Radiant Tribute, forming teams to prepare for the Coliseum.


    In response, Eclipse Vanguard, upon learning from Shadow.Q that Rita and her team were using level 15 Radiant Tribute in their light screen, quickly gathered the level 1 version of the tribute. Thanks to Shadow.Q''s reports, they had already been collecting these items and managed to gather a complete set of level 1 Radiant Tribute in under an hour.


    That evening, another live stream from the Coliseum began.


    This time, the stream featured a 20-person team, complete with tankers, melee fighters, ranged attackers, healers, and controllers¡ªan exceptionally well-rounded group, and all were top-tier players on the level rankings.


    After the countdown, they began buffing each other. One member came forward to explain that they were from Eclipse Vanguard and that they were about to shut down a level 1 medium-difficulty light screen.


    At the 76-second mark, a boss entered the opposing arena¡ªa level 3 alien beast boss.


    By this point, most players on Blue Star were calculating which level dungeons they could handle. In the Coliseum, players had to face a level gap of three times, and there were also player limits for each dungeon.


    Fortunately, the 20-player team consisted entirely of level 13 elite players who frequently ran raids together, so they managed to finish the dungeon in under half an hour. However, their rating was only a D, and they each received a "fool''s box."


    As the event neared its end, the team leader retreated to a corner and addressed the viewers watching the live stream. He urged players from all major factions not to rush into closing level 3 to 5 dungeon light screens, as Eclipse Vanguard was willing to buy them at a high price for use by smaller and more casual players.


    As for higher-level dungeons? Even if other factions could close them, they were unlikely to part with them.


    In just a few days, the prices for dungeon light screens skyrocketed, and so did the prices for the 12 types of Radiant Tribute.


    That mama''s boy makes me so mad!


    ...


    After dealing with these small matters, Rita practically lived in the dungeon until February 8th, when she finally activated one-third of her light wings¡ªthis was only thanks to her growing proficiency.


    Now, every time she flapped her orange-red wings, she could hear a faint sizzling sound of electricity. Upon closer inspection, there were golden currents flickering within the light feathers.


    Unfortunately, Cheers hadn''t leveled up that quickly. Right now, she could only throw a few small lightning balls that were poorly formed. She couldn''t control when they exploded, and their blast radius was weak¡ªdefinitely weaker than her Explosive Drummer.


    She left the dungeon to freshen up because tonight was New Year''s Eve, and she was heading to the villa next door for the family reunion dinner.


    She mainly wanted to check things out. Recently, when Scarlett and Samuel returned, she noticed their levels had risen, but their attributes had dropped noticeably, and their faces had aged quite a bit. There was no sign of abnormality in their condition.


    But Nivalis had told her she smelled a curse on them, so she planned to have Nivalis take a closer look tonight.


    At that moment, Rita couldn''t describe her emotions¡ªit was almost a sense of "finally, it''s happening."


    And not only had they returned, but they had even brought Eleanor back with them!


    The old lady had a few bodyguards in tow, but they had all stayed in a hotel instead of living in The Wilson Family''s house.


    When Rita heard Scarlett mention that Eleanor had come, she was completely stunned and privately messaged her.


    [Rita]: "Granny, did you forgive your son?"


    [Eleanor]: "No."


    [Rita]: "Then what''s this about?"


    [Eleanor]: "Just came to see you."


    [Rita]: "Tell me the truth, don''t play games."


    [Eleanor]: "On the 8th, Eclipse Vanguard plans to negotiate with Black Jade for the last time. If they don''t cooperate, they''ll kill them. I''m here to help turn Black Jade into dinner."

 Chapter 390 Worlds Grave Forest · Wind Rising

    Rita: !!! Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire


    [Rita]: What about Rick?


    She was extremely worried. She really feared that Eclipse Vanguard would spare Rick just to avoid offending her.


    [Eleanor]: They''ll probably come for you to resurrect him. If you don''t want to revive him, just keep yourself busy with something else.


    Rita: "..." This old lady is sharp as a tack.


    [Eleanor]: But maybe they won''t bother you. Someone in Eclipse Vanguard has resurrection skills too. When the time comes, they''ll just show it off, and Black Jade will get the hint. I think they''re just going through the motions to scare Black Jade.


    Ever since she learned this, Rita couldn''t stop thinking about it. She didn''t care about Black Jade or Rick''s fate. What really worried her was the [Moment of Reversal] she had rented!


    What if Black Jade dies and the skill disappears with its owner?


    This was a very real possibility, considering that the contract for the [One-Time Transaction] didn''t specify that the rented items could be kept after the owner died.


    Of course, if she looked on the bright side, it might just mean she wouldn''t have to return it.


    But the skill was too important to her, so she had to plan for the worst-case scenario. She opened the game panel and looked at one of her skills.


    [Who is Hannibal?]: Transform any target into thirty-eight different delicious dishes, each scoring over 90 points. If you finish eating all thirty-eight dishes yourself, you will randomly acquire one skill the target had in their life (each target can only trigger this once).


    Though the skill acquisition was random, she could always use her God-thief milk dragon to exploit a bug. By carefully timing the final bites, she could repeatedly try to randomly acquire [Moment of Reversal].


    It would be much harder to directly steal it from Eclipse Vanguard. Black Jade''s size made it tricky, and stealing would require using [The Great World and Tiny Me], which would be too obvious.


    Working with Eclipse Vanguard? Trading Black Jade''s corpse was also a viable option. She could claim it was for Nivalis''s evolution. But Eclipse Vanguard probably wouldn''t accept gold or equipment, since they weren''t that short-sighted. What they wanted were promises¡ªlike Nivalis agreeing to protect the US, for instance.


    Before Rita could finalize her plan, Eleanor messaged her while they were eating dinner on the 8th¡ªRick hadn''t shown up because he was at The Lopez Family making food for Black Jade. Eleanor then informed Rita that Black Jade had surrendered.


    That cunning dragon saw that not only did Eclipse Vanguard bring a resurrection skill, but they also had an experienced chef. Without saying a word, he voluntarily signed a peace agreement with them.


    What a smart move?!@@@@


    She used a Turtle Jade Stone to steal a secret.


    ¡ª "I''m going to tell Qiu Qiu, I''ll be royalty soon!"


    Both Rita and Nivalis perked up. They immediately cornered a poor level-5 Tauren in a narrow alley. With both intimidation and stealth, they forced him to reveal what he knew.


    Eventually, they bought the World Graveyard from him for 100 gold.


    Rita''s honor points increased by 10,000.


    After tossing 100 gold into the Tauren''s arms, they returned to Blue Star. Rita then took out the [3-Character] and [5-Character] she had in her possession.


    The three pieces of Mahjong quickly came together.


    [World''s Grave Forest¡¤Undead¡¤Three-Four-Five]: World''s Grave Forest¡¤Key¡ï (A necessary credential for entering the World Battlefield)


    [Skill] Little Skeleton Soldier: Unlock a divine talent skill for you (and your pet) upon entering the World Battlefield.


    Rita took out the [World''s Grave Forest¡¤Oak Owl¡¤Six-Seven-Eight] next and attempted to combine the six pieces of World Graveyard. With a snap, they locked together!


    [World''s Grave Forest¡¤Wind Rising]: World''s Grave Forest¡¤Key¡ï¡ï (A necessary credential for entering the World Battlefield)


    [Skill 1] Legendary Prologue: Unlock two divine talent skills for you (and your pet) upon entering the World Battlefield.


    [Skill 2] Horn of War: Unlock three skills for you (and your pet) upon entering the World Battlefield.


    The effects had drastically improved!


    Now, with the [Red Dragon], [7-Character], and [East Wind] in her hands, Rita and Nivalis could start the Divine Game a full minute earlier the next time they entered the battlefield. They could also carry one additional item and unlock an extra skill each.


    After studying the setup, Nivalis sighed, "I wonder what skills the Full House will have."


    Rita stiffened. She suddenly realized why Apache had said Mistblade was furious and looking for her.


    Could it be that Mistblade knew she was the one who stole her second World Graveyard piece and had broken her set?


    Hmm... They had already reconciled last time. Surely, Mistblade, the great Moon Emperor of Mistblade, couldn''t go back on her word now!

 Chapter 391 Entering the Arena Again, One-on-One Boss Fight!

    After assembling the [World''s Grave Forest ¡¤ Wind Rising], Rita shifted more of her focus to the orange-red wings of light.


    By February 21st, Jameson sent two sets of radiant offerings¡ªone set at level 12, the other at level 15.


    Curious about how Jameson had managed to keep the two Red Dragon cards all these years without them disappearing due to lack of use, Rita casually asked him about it.


    [Jameson]: "The most dangerous place is often the safest. I had a set of Mahjong made and kept it in the family game room. As long as anyone from the White Family is around, anyone can play. The Red Dragon cards are hidden in the Mahjong set. If anyone asks why they look strange, I just tell them it was a printing error."


    [Jameson]: "Every few years, I have my descendants swap out the set. Those special Red Dragon cards are easy to spot."


    [Jameson]: "Everyone in the White Family knows it''s tied to our curse. I make sure they follow all my instructions and pass them down to the next generation."


    Rita couldn''t help but admire the old man''s luck¡ªif he had just chosen a fixed place to hide the cards, they''d have been long gone.


    With the newly acquired radiant offerings, Rita and Nivalis dove into the depths of the sea, spending some time finding a level 15 dungeon. They activated the 12 radiant offerings and entered the dungeon together.


    [System]: "Congratulations, BS Star player Rita has gathered 12 radiant offerings, unlocking Arena of All Races!"


    Ever since Rita and her team first introduced the arena to BS Star, over the past month, there had been 3-5 arena battles daily, featuring players from BS Star and other worlds alike.


    The arenas in BS Star were mostly hosted by elite teams from various factions. As these battles continued, players began noticing that their pets weren''t getting treasure chests after battles. At first, they thought it was a bug, but soon realized it was due to the type of contract. Only pets with an equal contract could receive rewards. As a result, some players spent significant sums to renegotiate contracts with their pets.


    Battles from other worlds were similar to BS Star''s, with some being basic matches and others involving much higher-level fights. Defeating higher-level bosses naturally resulted in better treasures. There were five types of treasure chests seen so far, ranked from low to high: Fool''s Chest, Player''s Chest, Agony Chest, Nightmare Chest, and Abyss Chest.


    The battle ranking system in the World Battlefield ladder was exactly the same.


    More advanced battles existed, but watching those required 50 honor points. Even players with enough honor points were reluctant to spend them. Furthermore, treasure upgrades only occurred on a player''s first challenge.


    At the beginning, these teams were self-aware and only challenged dungeons with level 5 or lower bosses, with a maximum of level 15. However, the rewards they received were always the low-rated Fool''s Chest, with a C ranking.


    A few days ago, one legion, frustrated with this, gathered the materials to unlock a level 7 arena. Less than half an hour into the fight, they were all wiped out by a level 21 boss that descended directly onto BS Star through the dungeon''s barrier.


    "Yeah, she didn''t panic at all. Why are all these newbies freaking out?"


    "I''m a newbie, and I''ll admit it, but what if something goes wrong? That level 21 giant eagle is still out there, and if this level 45 boss gets to BS Star, how many will die? She has to take responsibility for us!"


    "Even if she succeeds, she''s going to lock down a resource for us. This 15-level dungeon is our way to level up. Who gave her the right to close it for her own rewards?"


    "She just leveled up and now she''s cutting down the tree! How selfish!" Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    "She doesn''t take any responsibility at all! Doesn''t care about anyone else''s survival!"


    Shadow.Q and her teammates from Eclipse Vanguard sat together, quietly scrolling through the forum.


    They had seen all kinds of criticism, which was inevitable.


    As players became more familiar with the arena, both Shadow.Q and Eclipse Vanguard began to view it with growing concern. The arena had caused a massive conflict of interests.


    Take this moment, for example.


    If Rita failed, BS Star would gain a terrifying new enemy.


    If Rita succeeded, it meant she would not only close off an important path for regular players to grow stronger, but she would also claim treasures no one else could access.


    In the first arena, everyone''s focus was on the arena itself. Even the other races in the spectator stands helped divert attention, as well as the 12 radiant offerings and other elements. The noise from the critics barely had time to surface.


    But now... players had formed a basic understanding of the arena.


    Those who couldn''t enter the arena but craved its immense rewards were looking for an outlet to vent their frustration.


    People worship powerful figures, but when those figures can''t bring them benefits and even start to take from them, that worship turns into jealousy, quickly escalating into hatred.


    Even within Eclipse Vanguard, there was considerable debate on this. The meeting room next door had already erupted in arguments.


    In short, Shadow.Q couldn''t understand why Rita was doing this. It didn''t fit her usual way of thinking at all.

 Chapter 392 Three Shots to Shatter All Noise

    10... 9... 8... 7...


    Rita stepped back to the edge of the arena, pulling out her sniper rifle¡ªDusk and Night.


    The ground beneath her was covered in ice blocks created by Nivalis. She kneeled, setting the sniper rifle on the ice, her face partially hidden behind the scope, leaving only her left eye visible¡ªglimmering like a star.


    It was winter. Her hair, which was of medium length, was tied loosely in a small bun at the back of her head. She wore a simple black coat over a blue sweater, and a plain necklace was barely visible around her neck. Her pants were regular, paired with white sneakers, an outfit that seemed hastily thrown together as if she grabbed whatever was available in the wardrobe. The only sign of something more expensive was the ring on her left index finger, a black gemstone ring that made her fingers appear even more slender and pale.


    Nivalis, shrunk to a mere few inches in height, sat on the ice with an ice cream in hand, happily eating away.


    6... 5... 4... 3...


    Temporary Reset ¡ª 80% of her constitution, intelligence, and strength were shifted to agility.


    She turned off the I''m Getting Serious passive skill.


    She didn''t want Sanchez to realize that her bullets could track enemies¡ªthough the ability wasn''t rare, given that engineering creations had similar effects. However, Sanchez was just too sharp.


    But even without this skill, she could still kill the BOSS.


    2... 1...


    Dusk and Night activated its legendary skill Execution, increasing damage by 1500% for the next 5 seconds.


    ¡ª 1!


    As the countdown ended, a shot rang out.


    Fatal Sniper Shot! The farther the distance, the stronger the attack. Starting at 500 meters, every additional meter increased damage by 50.


    The bullet shot out like a comet.


    The first shot.


    She aimed at the left eye of the Ghost Wolf. The wolf used a skill to dodge, but the bullet still struck, leaving a deep, jagged wound along its side.


    Though it wasn''t a fatal blow, the Ghost Wolf''s health dropped by 16%, and the force of the shot pushed it several steps back.


    Ghost Wolf 45th Level 84% HP ¡ú 100% HP


    Bang! The second shot¡ªFatal Sniper followed swiftly!


    Under the passive effect of Midnight Exile, a five-fold critical hit triggered.


    This time, she hit the wolf''s right eye directly. The beast howled, and its black flames dimmed.


    84% ¡ú 38%!


    Rita''s face remained unchanged. The only visible emotion in her left eye was pure focus and bloodlust.


    With such a huge power difference, the average player would stay quiet, but what about Eclipse Vanguard?


    If Eclipse Vanguard wanted to claim a chest, they''d have to come to her for help¡ªjust like they had before, asking her to "assist" in high-level dungeon runs. Back then, they had paid her to help clear dungeons for free; now, with her help, they would close dungeons and reap rewards, and Eclipse Vanguard would still owe her.


    She could kill a 45th-level BOSS on her own. If she brought a team of 20, with 20 pets in tow, could they farm even more chests?


    But of course, the rating would drop, and she had received the Nightmare Chest for soloing the dungeon.


    Still, she suspected Eclipse Vanguard wouldn''t be willing to close a 15th-level dungeon. Most of the top players were already at level 13, and they would need 15th-level dungeons to level up soon...


    As the live stream ended, the game forum seemed to freeze up. For a long while, no one posted a comment.


    Strictly speaking, after the first shot, the chat flooded with messages, but by the second shot, the forum went completely silent.


    Only after a while did the comments slowly start to trickle in again.


    "...Actually, it''s fine to close this dungeon."


    "Yeah, and she''s right, there are so many dungeons underwater. Whoever finds them gets them. If she wants to close it, then close it."


    "She''s US."


    "With how hard she worked to close this dungeon, who''s still going to say she''s betrayed us BS Star people?"


    "She can only close a few dungeons by herself. It''s not like it hurts us. You''re just jealous!"


    "Nivalis didn''t even have to lift a claw. She was just sitting there eating ice cream, clearly confident in Rita''s abilities. Those worried about Nivalis should stop. Do you think Nivalis would follow you instead?"


    "Hilarious. As if Nivalis is just some naive girl caught in Rita''s schemes. All the beasts are smarter than you think, and we were even tricked by them in a raid team last time."


    "Why did you go silent earlier?"


    "The best proof is the dragon''s blood, right? There are so many high-price buyers out there, 1,000 gold for 10 milliliters! Over here, it''s 2,000 gold for 10 milliliters. Who wouldn''t be tempted?"


    "Exactly."


    "She''s US."


    "Can the people above shut up? We''re not blind, we know!"


    "Wonder what''s in the chest this time..."


    "This is the pride of BS Star. Just look at the arena in other worlds and compare it to ours..."


    "Anyone want to collect the Glory Offerings? Level 11, God-given talent C rank, healer, coordinates XX, XX, XX. Not greedy, just want to close a level 3 dungeon."


    "I! I''ll private message you. I''m a battle type, B rank, level 12."


    Shadow.Q, lounging with her feet up and sipping coffee, spun her epic staff like a pencil. The meeting next door had been silent for a while now.

 Chapter 393 The Spark of Eclipse Vanguard is You

    Shadow.Q couldn''t shake the feeling that something was off with Rita. Whether it was Nivalis''s suddenly dull dragon scales or Rita''s increasingly odd behavior, there was something strange in the air.


    Finally, a discussion broke out in the room next door. Soon after, she received a message directing her and a few others to the main conference room.


    "You go find Rita. We need her help," came the instruction.


    "Help with shutting down the dungeon light barrier?" Shadow.Q asked.


    "No," came the reply from the other side of the screen. Avery, sitting on a reef with bloodstained robes, spoke calmly. "You need to form a team, bring all the ''Cut and Paste'' skill stones from within Eclipse Vanguard, and go seize the underwater dungeon light barrier."@@@@


    "Tonight marks the second arrival. You''ll leave tomorrow morning and spend five days on this. Whatever you manage to bring back, you can have it."


    Shadow.Q frowned. "And what do we offer her in return?"


    These dungeon light barriers were essentially wild dungeons in the ocean. Rita could access them at any time, whether for leveling or gathering brilliant offerings for the gladiator arena. The rewards were always substantial. If they could seize them for Eclipse Vanguard, the guild would benefit.


    But why would Rita cooperate? She had already shown that she no longer needed Eclipse Vanguard''s protection when she sold off the dungeon light barrier from the rooftop. Shadow.Q couldn''t think of any reason why Rita would want to work with them.


    Avery responded confidently, "She''ll agree, Landon."


    Upon hearing his name, Landon placed the items he''d just received by email on the table.


    Shadow.Q and the others looked over in confusion. The object on the table was... a mahjong tile?


    "Others are overly sentimental. It''s not that they''re saints, but they carry the weight of too many people, too many issues. They think through every decision carefully, afraid of making the wrong move, and they want to protect everyone."


    "And some... they''re just caught up in the chaos of the game invasion, too busy with their own romantic entanglements for anything else."


    "Essentially, the closer they are to what you''d consider ''good'' in the worldly sense, the more they obsess over moral dilemmas. They want everything to be perfect, they weigh every decision, and they examine themselves constantly. They want to judge themselves just like the common folk do. But this is a war. We don''t need saints. We don''t need good people. What we need are weapons."


    Shadow.Q pushed the [7-Character] tile across the table to Rita, repeating Avery''s words.


    "She can be a great bad person, or not such a good person. She may not trust us, and she might even hate us. But she cannot be someone who only dares to be ruthless to her own people. She''s capable of softness and strength, and while she can be fierce, she won''t unnecessarily use extreme measures on her own kind."


    "Her vision must extend beyond us. It should focus on Lania Kaia, on the war, not just on US or the power and wealth of a city. She must stop thinking she''s in competition with Eclipse Vanguard."


    "We''re not enemies. We are the same. She''s the sharpest arrow, the one who can tear through the path ahead. And Eclipse Vanguard believes that the spark that will light the way is you, Rita."


    Rita shuddered at the words and immediately asked, "So this thing is a free gift to me?"


    Before anyone could react, she reached out eagerly to grab the World Graveyard from the table.


    Shadow.Q was momentarily stunned, and the solemn mood shattered. She quickly pressed the [7-Character] tile down and said, "Escort our Eclipse Vanguard team to the underwater dungeon light barrier. You have five days." Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Rita, however, had already pried the [7-Character] tile from her hands. Shadow.Q tried to resist, but Nivalis swooped down and pinned her down.


    The moment Rita claimed the [7-Character], her honor points surged by 10,000. Adding the points from collecting the World Graveyard and other gladiator events, her total honor points now stood at a terrifying 103,050 points.

 Chapter 394 Game Update: "Destruction: Prelude to War"

    Rita, having confirmed that this was indeed a World Graveyard, asked, "Are you sure it''s only five days?"


    Shadow.Q gave her a speechless look. "Yes, only five days. Just escort us to the most dangerous parts of the deep sea to search for it."


    "Got it!" Rita put the World Graveyard away. "From now on, whenever you have something like this, come to me for a trade."


    Shadow.Q shut off her game chat screen and asked, "So what exactly is this thing?"@@@@


    Rita blinked. "Hmm?"


    Shadow.Q pressed, "Can you tell us what this is?"


    Rita gave a confused look. "Huh?"


    Shadow.Q raised an eyebrow. "Aren''t you worried about getting beaten?"


    Rita grinned. "Nope."


    "..." Shadow.Q glanced at the time¡ªit was already 7:00 PM. She knew she wasn''t getting anything else out of Rita tonight. "I''ll come find you at 9:00 AM tomorrow."


    "Alright, alright!" Rita immediately jumped up to see her off.


    As Shadow.Q left, Rita couldn''t help but give her a look that was full of irritation. Once she was gone, Rita sat down and took out all the World Graveyard items she had collected, arranging them neatly in a row on the table.


    [5-Dot] [6-Dot] [7-Dot] [3-Character] [4-Character] [5-Character] [7-Character] [7-Character] [East Wind] [Red Dragon]


    Nivalis curiously leaned in, asking, "What''s going on? Is there a problem?"


    Oh, there was definitely a problem! Rita pointed at the row of ten World Graveyard items and said, "When I received the 7-Character earlier, all of these in my inventory vibrated at once."


    [Game "Starsea: Rift of the Beasts" Updated] [Game 2.0 "Destruction: Prelude to War" Officially Online] [Arena of All Races Section Now Open!] [Honor Point Store Now Open!] [Detected Player Rita has officially entered ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, Civilization Survival Rate Exceeds 1%, Server "Blue Star" Renamed to World Name "BS"]


    Rita sighed.


    The game kept privacy intact, but not perfectly. She didn''t even need to check private chats to know that things had exploded. Not only Eclipse Vanguard and her lone wolf friends, but even SamuelRick had come rushing to investigate.


    Rita didn''t bother with that. Instead, she opened the Honor Point Store to see what goodies it held. Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire


    There were three main categories: Knowledge, Divine Gifts, and Luck.


    Rita clicked into the Divine Gifts section and found herself lost in the options.


    A Fate Re-roll Capsule to redraw divine talents. A Luck Dice to reroll luck values. A Gladiator Arena Ticket to watch the arena in person. Pet Eggs. Race Change Scrolls. Dozens of wing styles. Various tails that could serve as weapons or even transform. Nearly a hundred kinds of skins, mechanical limbs, mysterious bloodlines, scales, and more...


    However, the prices were astronomical. A Fate Re-roll Capsule cost 5,000 honor points. The Gladiator Arena Ticket was the cheapest item in the store, at only 500 honor points.


    Wings, tails, and mechanical limbs ranged from 50,000 to 500,000 honor points.


    But there was one item that caught her eye: Shattered Divine Essence.


    [Shattered Divine Essence]: Fragments of a shattered divine essence, can be used to upgrade divine talents, only for players with divine talents no higher than S rank. (Price: 1,000,000 honor points)


    Thanks to a gift from Miyaas, she saved a million honor points!


    The remaining half of the page was only visible to divine players. There, she even spotted a World Graveyard¡ªbut with a special suffix: Real-Time Stock Change.


    This World Graveyard was a bit cheaper, only 20,000 honor points. But there was a catch: it had a usage restriction. If not used within 3 days, it would be forcibly recalled.


    Additionally, it was limited in quantity. Each player could only purchase it once every 60 days. At the moment, there were 24 in stock, likely the number of unclaimed World Graveyard items in Lania Kaia and BS.


    Since Rita''s collection of World Graveyard had surpassed 3, every new one she obtained added 10,000 honor points to her total. At that rate, this World Graveyard was essentially a steal at only 10,000 honor points, a price she couldn''t resist.

 Chapter 395: Honor Store

    The World Graveyard was clearly designed to allow divine game players to enter the game more frequently without worrying about not finding a ticket or hesitating to destroy a key. But this was the cheapest item in the [Divine-Only Items] section. Everything else started at 200,000 honor points, with the most expensive items priced at 10 million honor points. Rita didn¡¯t even dare to look at those prices.


    At that moment, Nivalis flew over, saying she received a system notification and asked if Rita wanted to log into BS and load the game interface.


    Rita was curious. "Were you from Lania Kaia before?"


    Nivalis explained, "Our Dragon Island is independent from Lania Kaia. Our previous system was very basic. We couldn¡¯t chat, send mail, or even have a forum. We never connected with the 12 Holy Tribes of Lania Kaia."


    Rita didn¡¯t hesitate. "Then join us! BS has the Honor Point Store, and there are lots of things in there. Once you log in, you¡¯ll be able to spend the BS Honor Points we earn from the Gladiator Arena. If possible, it¡¯s best to buy the All-Races Language."


    Nivalis nodded in satisfaction. "Since you need me, I¡¯ll join."


    Rita chuckled helplessly. "...Yes, I need you."


    After pacifying Nivalis, Rita continued to browse the Honor Store. This time, she clicked into the [Knowledge] section.


    It contained not only professional knowledge like Alchemy, Jewelry, Engineering, Enchanting, etc., but also many things she had never encountered before¡ªMecha, Magic, Demonology, Random All-Races Languages, Curse Knowledge, and more...


    There were also skill-based knowledge options. Players had to learn them on their own, but the ratings were impressive, starting from S-rank. Of course, the prices were just as hefty, starting at 50,000 honor points.


    What really caught Rita¡¯s attention was that there was even a Random All-Races Language available for 5,000 honor points.


    Unfortunately, players could only buy it 10 times at most, and there was no guarantee that the random language wouldn¡¯t overlap with languages the player already knew. What a scam!


    If Nivalis could buy 10 different languages, it would be helpful, even if the amount was limited. Unfortunately, Nivalis only had 2,000 honor points.@@@@


    The price wasn¡¯t too outrageous, so Rita didn¡¯t rush into a purchase. Instead, she clicked on the last category: [Luck].


    There was only one item: Mysterious Gift Box (Price: 999 Honor Points)


    Mysterious Gift Box: Anything is possible. There is a 1% chance of drawing a [Knowledge] item, and a 1% chance of drawing a [Divine Gift] item. (Opening results are not affected by luck values; time-based cheating skills are prohibited.)


    How unfair! Luck values couldn¡¯t affect the box¡¯s outcome? This was so biased against the lucky players!


    And what about the remaining 98%? They didn¡¯t even disclose it. It felt like a scam!


    Rick also asked her about it, and once again, she simply responded with "I won¡¯t," refusing to even bother giving a reason.


    ...


    The next day at 9 AM, Shadow.Q arrived promptly at Rita¡¯s door, ready to take her and Nivalis to the deep sea.


    "We estimate that 10 million new dungeon light barriers have been added."


    "How many Cut-and-Paste Skill Crystals did you bring?"


    "All the ones accumulated by Eclipse Vanguard. We¡¯ll take as many as we can. Every country is fighting for them."


    "Got it."


    The car stopped at the seaside, where seven players from Eclipse Vanguard were waiting. After a quick introduction, they all dove into the sea.


    The underwater environment was treacherous. When Rita had previously brought Nivalis here, it wasn¡¯t too bad. But ever since the foreign armies gathered, the sea had become more dangerous, with traps, foreign players, and occasionally even underwater Beast Bosses to contend with.


    Read exclusive chapters at novelhall.Co?m


    In the past, Eclipse Vanguard players couldn¡¯t make it this far due to level restrictions, but now, with some progress, they were able to probe the deep sea. But the dangers were still overwhelming.


    After another battle, where they defeated an 18-level Beast Boss, Rita helped the Eclipse Vanguard players retrieve yet another dungeon light barrier.


    At this point, Rita was almost certain¡ªafter her death in the previous life, Blue Star probably ceased to exist shortly thereafter.


    She had once believed in a counterattack, but now she realized it was more likely that they were simply preparing to claim a territory as their own¡ªsurviving like the wild monsters of Lania Kaia. The "counterattack" slogan was just a way to test which players still had the passion to fight for Blue Star.


    Not only had she never heard of the Arena of All Races or the World Battlefield in her previous life, but even after Eclipse Vanguard had weakened, the major factions had been too evenly matched, too busy fighting among themselves.


    Unlike this life, where Eclipse Vanguard far outshone the others. Though there were still internal struggles, they were more restrained and always looked to Eclipse Vanguard as the leader. Major events were now coordinated by them.


    The underwater situation was complicated, and though fate could sometimes reverse the status of dungeon light barriers, the vast underwater area was too large to fully explore. Even on land, there were places that humans had yet to set foot in.


    Even though Eclipse Vanguard and other nations were cooperating, they still couldn¡¯t locate all the dungeon light barriers on BS.

 Chapter 396: Shocked by Each Other’s Shamelessness

    Rita and the Eclipse Vanguard team spent five days diving into the most dangerous areas of the deep sea, barely getting any rest, but the efficiency was high.


    The members sent by Eclipse Vanguard were all skilled in different ways. Some could sense the direction of the dungeon light barriers, some could quickly open teleportation portals to send the barriers back, some could help everyone recover energy and alleviate fatigue, and others were responsible for taking photos of various locations, seemingly preparing for the "Young Rogue" documentary.


    In these five days, they worked tirelessly without sleep and retrieved over two thousand dungeon light barriers. The task was tiring, and the process was rather dull. Aside from meal breaks, most of the time was spent swimming in the dark depths of the ocean. However, with the thought of that World Graveyard, Rita felt it was worth it.


    When they parted, Rita spoke to Shadow.Q: "Next time you come across those special Mahjong tiles, make sure to reach out to me for a trade. We can work out a price."@@@@


    The other players had already left, and at this point, only the two of them were left. Shadow.Q didn¡¯t try to hide anything and sighed, saying:


    "After the announcement at dawn, even though it was just a few black frames, our guild leader sent me to ask if we could renegotiate the terms so you could take us along for a few more days."


    Rita immediately pinched her throat and mimicked Shadow.Q¡¯s voice: "And the Spark chosen by Eclipse Vanguard is you, Rita."


    Nivalis, following suit, exaggerated her voice in a theatrical manner: "Just run forward with all your might, tear open a path for us, and we will follow with the whole world!"


    Shadow.Q choked for a moment, but she also had something to say: "... Oh, our guild leader also wanted me to ask, what exactly did you mean when you said you can distinguish between important and trivial matters?"


    Rita was stunned. She scratched her head awkwardly and said, "Ah... haha, you really believed that?"


    Shadow.Q flashed a standard smile, as though she was in a toothpaste commercial: "Well, didn¡¯t you believe what we said?"


    The next second, both of them stopped smiling and stared at each other in shock. They were both astonished by the other¡¯s shamelessness.


    It was a stalemate¡ªneither of them could claim the moral high ground.


    Rita cleared her throat and muttered, "Isn¡¯t this just social etiquette? Why are we bringing up old accounts? Really, this is too much..."


    She took out a list of books from her bag. These were the martial arts and magic books she had stolen from the Moon Fox Library. After transcribing and filtering them, she found that they were especially useful in battle and for military use. She handed the list to Shadow.Q. "These books¡ªcould I trade them for a Mahjong tile?"


    She wanted to test whether Eclipse Vanguard still had any World Graveyard tiles left.


    Shadow.Q sighed, "Oh, well, she said she¡¯s not selling."


    Rita: ...


    That was a quick change of attitude!


    Avery had clearly expected that Rita would offer up those books for trade. Whether it was with Eclipse Vanguard or with regular players, once the trade happened and the item entered the market, Eclipse Vanguard could find a way to obtain it...


    Rita sighed and put the list away. She wasn¡¯t in a rush.


    At the beginning of March, Rita, with half of her Orange-Red Wings lit, took Nivalis back to the place where she first stole the moon. She noticed that the once moonless land had inexplicably restored itself.


    It seemed that the reason the High Tower couldn¡¯t recover was because time was distorted inside.


    Rita decisively led Nivalis to harvest another piece of moonlight. They went to a secluded spot to split the Essence of the Moon. Just like when they were in the High Tower, Rita got 3 points, and Nivalis received 1.


    Now, Rita had 12,764 Essence points, and Nivalis had 4,003. It seemed like a lot, but if used in the World Battlefield, it probably wouldn¡¯t last long.


    The Moon Sand in the Wrathful Moon could quickly be exchanged for a large amount of Essence, but Rita hadn¡¯t used it yet. The Essence she had was still enough, but once the Moon Sand was used up, it was gone, and there might be other effects she didn¡¯t know about.


    Rita sold all the potions she had been saving. Combined with the recent dividends from Eclipse Vanguard¡¯s "Time Is Always Squeezable," she spent almost everything. She used the remaining money to buy two cheap S-class skills from the auction house.


    One was called Underwater Combat, and the other was Blink.


    These were for preparing for the death penalty in the World Battlefield. She had thought about buying another one, but unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have enough gold.


    The two skills cost her over 20,000 gold. After sending the potion sales dividends to Lucia via Lania Kaia¡¯s mailbox, she only had enough left to pay for the teleportation fees...


    As March 15th approached, Rita became increasingly anxious. Her Orange-Red Wings were only three-quarters complete, and it was clear that she wouldn¡¯t be ready for this battlefield.


    She occasionally wondered if she should focus solely on lighting the wings. But making potions and practicing combat were also parts of strength, so after much deliberation, she decided to stick with her original plan. The pain she endured while absorbing the lightning could only be healed by the calm and joy she found in potion-making.

 Chapter 397: The Divine Game: Kart Racing 1

    On the 14th, Rita opened the Honor Store and ordered a World Graveyard. No matter what tile it was, it would enhance her strength once she entered the World Battlefield. She spent 20,000 honor points, and soon enough, her honor points increased by another 10,000. Explore more stories at novelhall.Co?m


    She currently had 42,051 honor points.


    As her honor points fluctuated, a World Graveyard materialized in front of her¡ªGreen Dragon!


    The text on it was written in the Cuman script.


    [World Graveyard¡¤Green Dragon]: Can be carried into the World Battlefield to unlock a weapon or equipment.


    No hesitation; this time, she could bring along Dusk and Night!


    She had already decided how to use Legendary Prologue and War Horn.


    Legendary Prologue would unlock two divine talents: the top-tier counterattack skill Absurd Story and the attack skill Midnight Exile.


    War Horn would unlock three skills: Soul Resistance (Passive), Dandelion Wind, and The First Step of Making Cotton Candy¡ªa defensive skill, an escape skill, and a healing skill. These would save a lot of Essence.


    As for the East Wind tile, she chose Absolute Clarity (Passive).


    As midnight on the 15th approached, she took out eight World Graveyard tiles and combined them to form World¡¯s Grave Forest¡¤Charge, a two-star key with the skills Legendary Prologue and War Horn. She selected to use it.


    Just like last time, a small grid appeared in front of her, displaying a small line of text: Ticket (0/1).


    Rita inserted the red plane from the Buried Spring Civilization into the grid.


    The grid closed, and a mystical voice echoed in her mind.


    ¡ª¡ª[Welcome BS Star player Rita to the World Battlefield]@@@@


    ¡ª¡ª[You will participate in the 23160th Divine Game]


    ¡ª¡ª[Detected World Graveyard¡¤Red Dragon, you will have a 1-minute early entry into the main battlefield]


    ¡ª¡ª[Detected World Graveyard¡¤Green Dragon, you can unlock a weapon or equipment]


    ¡ª¡ª[Detected World Graveyard¡¤East Wind, you and your pet can each unlock one skill]


    ¡ª¡ª[Detected your World Battlefield entry ticket is a two-star key: World¡¯s Grave Forest¡¤Charge, with the skills Legendary Prologue and War Horn. Please select two divine talents and three combat skills for you and your pet.]


    Rita quickly selected the skills she wanted according to her plan, and Nivalis also made her selections.


    Game Rule 7:¦²¦Ô¦Ã¦Ã¦Í?¦Ì¦Ç, ¦Ð¦Ï? ¦Å?¦Í¦Á¦É ¦Ç ¦Ó¦Ï¦Ô¦Á¦Ë?¦Ó¦Á


    Game Rule 8: Each pit stop at a gas station must not exceed 30 minutes


    ...


    Game Rule 12:??????!


    ...


    Game Rule 18: No. 36 gasoline is prohibited


    ...


    The game difficulty level and ladder battle power levels, along with the Gladiator Arena chest rankings, followed the same system.


    This meant that Pro Level was just one level above Fool level, but the number of game rules had skyrocketed from 3 to 18!


    And Rita could only understand two of them.


    But those two rules had much more information than the previous round¡¯s "No Red" rule.


    The pit stop was easy to guess¡ªit was probably a safe zone and battlefield similar to an oasis. However, her stop time was limited to no more than 30 minutes.


    The prohibition on No. 36 gasoline likely meant that when she entered the safe zone, not only would she have to play the game to break the rules, but she¡¯d also need to refuel her kart. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be able to run.


    She also wondered whether the kart could attack each other, whether the kart¡¯s defense was related to the player¡¯s battle power, and if they could steal gasoline from each other. One question after another filled her mind.


    But where was her kart? Would she have to get it after entering the battlefield? Would she be able to choose her kart early since she could enter the battlefield a minute ahead?


    As she pondered, Rita suddenly felt like something was missing...


    She turned her head, puzzled, and looked at Nivalis, who had immediately shrunk to a 10-centimeter mini-size after entering the small room and was now standing on her shoulder, staring into the void.


    Rita curiously asked, "What¡¯s wrong? You haven¡¯t said a word since we came in?"


    "I can see the ladder rankings now that I¡¯ve logged into BS," Nivalis¡¯ expression was strange, a mix of anger, hatred, and satisfaction. "Quick, look at the battlefield chat channel."


    Rita vaguely guessed what was going on. She immediately opened the chat channel.


    The moment BS-Rita entered the chat, she saw Winter SeaFrenzied Shark throwing a fit.

 Chapter 398 The Divine Game: Kart Racing 2

    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: BS Rita, we''re not done yet!


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: You want dragon blood, huh? Once the game starts, you''ll be waiting for me to deliver it to you personally.


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: Where the hell did you go?! Too scared to reply after you touched my stuff? I know you''re online!


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: Speak!!!


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: Show yourself!!! Talk!


    The chat page was being spammed with messages from Frenzied Shark.


    And it was clear he was losing control.


    She scrolled to the top and saw that when she first entered the battlefield, Frenzied Shark''s tone was still somewhat dignified and restrained, unwilling to stoop to arguing with a weakling.


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: BS Rita, let''s talk.


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: You should know, there are no friends or allies on the battlefield, but also no eternal enemies.


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: I''m willing to make peace.


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: Equipment, items, rare objects, World Graveyards, I''ll give you whatever you want, just return what you took from me.


    But Rita wasn''t responding. So, he started sending even more frantic messages.


    She scrolled to the bottom and saw the newest messages were a complete shift in tone¡ªhe was practically unhinged now.


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: I WILL KILL YOU!!!


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: I''ll turn your dragon''s blood into juice and pour it over your head, then I''ll make you eat the thorns of hatred and force you to pass it out!


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: WILL YOU MAKE PEACE OR NOT?!


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: RETURN WHAT YOU STOLE!!!


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: BS Rita!! #@%#£¤%£¤...£¤%#@...#%£¤@#


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: I''ll send you the thorns of hatred. You return what you stole, or I''ll beg you!


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: Last warning, don''t make me beg you!


    It seemed like cold silence was driving him mad, even an alien like him wasn''t immune.


    And... Rita noticed that she was standing near the window of the room, looking around. All the players in the room were staring intently at the void in front of them, clearly enjoying watching Frenzied Shark lose his mind.


    [Nuclear Flash ¡¤Pear]: I''m sure his Ancient Curse was stolen, because when he was cursed two months ago, my curse was lifted.


    [Sakura ¡¤Zi Li]: Haha, Frenzied Shark, you''ve finally got yours.


    [Tingzhou ¡¤Jing E]: Good for you! Hahaha, my curse is lifted too. This is what you get, Frenzied Shark!


    As more and more players chimed in, Frenzied Shark was effectively silenced. Those with lower combat ranks started chatting too, all expressing their schadenfreude. It seemed that Frenzied Shark had cursed plenty of players in the past.


    [Black Spring ¡¤Mud Bears]: BS Rita, help me curse Lania Kaia and Maple Syrup. What''s the price?


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    [Lania Kaia ¡¤Maple Syrup]: She''s my daughter. She wouldn''t do that.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤Mistblade]: Not her biological daughter.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤Maple Syrup]: But better than biological.


    Rita: ??? What''s wrong with you two? They aren''t even from the same world!


    [Black Spring ¡¤Mud Bears]: You two are sick, they''re from different worlds!


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤Maple Syrup]: Look, we''ve been talking for so long, and she hasn''t denied it. She''s accepted it.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤Maple Syrup]: Don''t you know? BS was brought into the world battlefield by Lania Kaia.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤Burn Cup]: How do you make it sound like you''ve done BS a favor?


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤Maple Syrup]: I learned it from you guys. Didn''t Mistblade say that we from Forest Sea were brought into the world by Lania Kaia?


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤Maple Syrup]: Why are you so quiet? Don''t like chatting?


    Rita: Let''s fight already!


    Unfortunately, Rita remembered what Apache had said: Burn Cup was the most awkward of the Nine Moon Emperors... so it was hard to assess.


    With only one minute left on the countdown, Rita and Nivalis quickly fell into the game, just as the alien players continued chatting.


    One person, one dragon, appeared at the starting line of the race.


    In front of them were several rows of karts, each more varied in style and color. Some looked like race cars, others like fish dishes, and some resembled motorcycles. There were a few size differences, but even the largest kart couldn''t contain Rita''s full body.


    There were a few thousand karts, but with over twenty thousand players online for this divine game, there were likely multiple starting points.


    Looking ahead, the track stretched into infinity, flanked by mountains. The sky had a pink ring, like a planet about to descend. The light was soft, and the entire sky looked like something out of a fairy tale, with countless sparks and floating pebbles.


    And at that moment, the planetary ring was slowly rotating.

 Chapter 399 The Divine Game: Kart Racing 3

    By this time, some players had already logged in, and it was obvious that some of their worlds didn''t have anything like karts, so they were momentarily stunned. But they weren''t fools. As soon as they saw other players picking karts and getting in, everyone began to select their own vehicles.


    Rita did the same. She quickly ran to a spot away from the other players and started choosing her kart. Without the time to check on the karts with Soros, she could only rely on her instincts and her basic knowledge of vehicles to start picking from the front row.


    She noticed that the outer ring of the steering wheel on each kart was made of transparent material filled with blue liquid. Rita immediately chose a white kart with the most blue liquid in its steering wheel.


    This kart was smaller in size, but the seat was spacious, and with Nivalis shrinking down, she could sit in front of Rita and even help drive if needed.


    As the countdown hit 20 seconds, Rita hopped into the kart and started examining its structure.


    The moment she was seated, the white kart lit up as though it had been activated. Its four tires began glowing white, and a glowing countdown appeared on the steering wheel: 3.


    Suddenly, Nivalis, perched on Rita''s shoulder, spoke up: "A player is coming for you!" Stay tuned to My Virtual Library Empire


    Without turning her head, Rita didn''t wait for the countdown to finish. She slammed on the gas pedal, and the kart shot off the starting line with a strong push-back feeling. In the blink of an eye, the kart zoomed hundreds of meters ahead, and it took another five seconds before it slowed down to a steady speed after Rita let go of the gas pedal.


    During those few seconds, the blue liquid in the steering wheel had noticeably decreased by about 5%.


    The track wasn''t very wide, about 50 meters, with towering mountains on the left and an endless sea on the right. As she drove, Rita continued to explore the kart''s functions.


    The kart''s structure was simple. Aside from the steering wheel and blinkers, there were only a few glowing data indicators on the top right of the steering wheel, clearly visible at all times.


    BS¡¤Rita


    Kart Coins: 0


    Speed: 200 km/h


    Distance: 1.9 km


    Fuel: 100%


    Nitro Boost: 9.6/10


    Kart Damage: 0%@@@@


    She realized that if she didn''t press the gas pedal, the kart would move at a steady pace. She tried using Temporary Reset, switching around her attributes, but no attribute boost affected the kart''s speed.


    At this point, more than a dozen karts had used various skills to overtake her, and as they passed by, without exception, they threw a few skills at her, but Rita was able to dodge them by steering skillfully.


    Another kart approached, accelerating to catch up with her. The player inside threw a huge black fireball at her.


    Rita quickly turned the steering wheel, and Nivalis sprayed a dragon''s breath at the fireball. However, she couldn''t avoid the auto-tracking fireball in time, and it hit Rita''s white kart, causing her health to drop by 30%.


    The kart''s surface immediately cracked, and the damage value jumped to 4%.


    But thanks to Absurd Story''s reflective damage, the attacking player clearly suffered the same amount of damage. Their kart appeared to lose control for a moment, and the player grimaced in pain.


    Nivalis checked the player''s health and reported back to Rita. However, the player had significantly more health and defense than Rita, so the retaliation only caused their health to drop by 19%.


    In this back-and-forth exchange, both her and the attacking player''s blue fuel tanks had noticeably increased by a small amount.


    So it seemed that attacking another player''s kart restored their boost fuel! No wonder the players earlier had been so eager to throw skills at each other.


    Rita''s eyes lit up. She immediately threw out several instant-cast attack skills at the player!


    The player quickly realized something was off and slammed on the gas to accelerate.


    Looking back, Rita saw thousands of karts chasing her. "Nivalis! Quick, hop into my lap and help me drive!"


    Nivalis, who had been eyeing the position for a while, immediately enlarged herself and jumped into Rita''s lap, grabbing the steering wheel.


    Rita pulled out Dusk and Night and twisted her body, aiming behind her¡ªExplosive Drummer.


    The sniper shot combined with bullet-split explosions activated the skills.


    The blue fuel in the steering wheel immediately filled up completely, and there was even some overflow.


    Rita realized that not bringing her pocket watch into the game was both bad and good.


    In the past, she would always hesitate, calculating the opponent''s strength and level before deciding whether to engage, but now... with her eyes closed, it was time to go all in!

 Chapter 400 The Divine Game: Kart Racing 4

    Behind Rita, she could hear the cursing in various languages, but she only felt exhilarated.


    Would these foreign players let her off if she didn''t attack them? Of course not.


    Since that was the case, why bother hiding?


    For the next several minutes, Rita attacked anyone she saw, going for a pure no-holds-barred offensive.


    Nivalis had played two main single-player games in the High Tower: Match-3 puzzles and racing games. She was a dragon now, and her driving skills were even better than Rita''s. Her drifting and cornering were smooth, and she was quick at dodging attacks.


    The problem with her short legs was also easily solved. Nivalis simply used the tips of her wings to press the gas and brake pedals, since if she tried to use her feet, the kart was too small, and Rita wouldn''t have anywhere to place hers.


    After dodging another powerful-looking skill, Nivalis let out a few monkey-like "Ooo ooo ooo!" sounds, "This is our home field!"


    Rita, feeling her feet tingling, responded, "...As long as you''re happy."


    Rita completely handed over the driving to Nivalis, letting her focus entirely on attacking other players¡ªespecially the foreign players who were clearly still new to driving karts. She could hit them with precision without even aiming for more than three seconds.


    With Rita''s attacks, their karts didn''t lack any fuel for acceleration.


    From behind, the sounds of kart collisions and flips kept echoing, but Rita didn''t get any notifications about successful kills, unsure whether the players hadn''t died or whether their deaths weren''t attributed to her.


    There were advantages to starting early. With the other players catching up, her acceleration fuel was generally kept at full capacity.


    Unfortunately, under the effect of her Midnight Exile skill, most of the karts behind her started slowing down, intentionally keeping their distance from her.


    After another ten minutes of racing, a row of glowing boxes appeared ahead.


    The sound of engines roaring from behind her, Rita quickly took aim with her sniper rifle, thinking back to the last time she violated the rules. She said to Nivalis, "Just like last time, let''s try crashing into the rightmost glowing box!"


    Nivalis stepped on the gas, and the kart immediately smashed through the glowing box Rita had pointed out.


    The moment the box shattered, it turned into a glowing portal, and Rita''s kart shot through the portal along with the broken box.


    BEEP¡ªYou have violated a game rule. Divine punishment will be randomly applied.


    Divine punishment completed: You have lost 15% of your experience.


    The three players with the most correct answers will receive a rule explanation.


    The 100 players with the most incorrect answers will die immediately.


    For every incorrect answer, your kart''s nitro fuel capacity will increase by 1%.


    During battle zone time, players will temporarily be separated from their karts.


    Leaving in the middle of the game does not affect the distribution of rewards.


    Current number of players in this safe zone: 1536.


    The time in the battle zone is limited to 30 minutes, and Rita can''t stay for more than 21 minutes after deducting the 9 minutes before the game started. This means she can answer a maximum of 42 questions. It would be safest to leave after answering the 41st question.


    Moreover, this game was filled with traps. Just the rule "Players will temporarily be separated from their karts" meant that players could steal each other''s karts or even destroy them.


    Other rules created a psychological battle. Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    The rewards for getting more correct answers were mediocre, and only three players would receive the rule explanation.


    But answering incorrectly would raise her acceleration fuel cap. Yet the 100 players with the most incorrect answers would die.


    Who wouldn''t be greedy? Who wouldn''t want more rewards? Who could resist the temptation?


    Looking around, there were elite players from all worlds gathered here. Nearly 200 players were clustered near the game monument. Who could say they weren''t greedy?


    This game was destined to spark a fierce battle. How could Rita maximize her own interests while avoiding being one of the 100 players with the most mistakes?


    The answer was simple: target 100 players, destroy their karts, and make sure they couldn''t answer any questions. That would result in 50 questions all being marked wrong.


    How to decide between kart coins and increasing the nitro fuel cap?


    The answer was easy: don''t choose! Just take what you need from other players!


    Rita checked her fuel level. Despite racing for almost half an hour earlier, her fuel was still at 73%. After glancing around, she decided to try pressing the button in the middle of the steering wheel.


    In an instant, a glass jar slowly pushed out from the kart, containing over half a jar of silver liquid. The jar''s capacity was marked as 500ml.


    The fuel bottles in the self-service vending machines at the station were pitifully small, only about 20-30ml each, similar to little essential oil bottles. They all looked the same, except for the model number on the labels. Rita even saw the 36th type of fuel that she couldn''t use.

 Chapter 401 The Divine Game: Kart Racing 5

    Rita''s expression was serious. With 73% fuel, she had enough for now.


    But if the fuel station entrance was hidden behind a glowing box, that meant she wouldn''t know when she would next get to refuel. This round, she could skip buying fuel, but just to be safe, she needed to gather enough kart coins. That way, when she found the next fuel station, she could stock up on fuel and some necessary parts while it was still a safe zone.


    Repairs to the kart were also essential. Even if her character''s health was restored, the damage to her kart didn''t disappear.


    Rita released the brake, and the kart started moving again. She let Nivalis take the wheel, as they searched for the parking lot''s exit. Meanwhile, Rita opened the leaderboard to check which players were online.


    This game was one she had to play, but she was already planning to leave early. Once she found the exit, she returned to the stone monument, and the countdown on it had only 17 seconds left.


    When the timer hit zero, the words "BS Rita" disappeared from the kart''s data. She and her kart were temporarily unlinked.


    At the same time, the stone monument emitted a loud bang. A firework shot up from the monument, and in the blink of an eye, it shot high into the sky.


    Rita and Nivalis watched as the firework exploded overhead, forming a line of silver mist in the shape of words: "I once walked into the marriage hall with my sister-in-law''s younger sister."


    Rita: "......"


    It wasn''t entirely wrong, but it didn''t feel entirely right either.


    They had indeed gone in, but still...


    Rita glanced around. All the players were looking at her with strange expressions. Surprisingly, no one attempted to control her kart, but Rita immediately activated the left-turn signal and started nodding¡ªfuriously nodding.


    The phrase, while awkward, was technically correct.


    The players'' expressions shifted from cautious and skeptical to even more strange, as if they had just encountered something bizarre.


    The center button on the steering wheel silently displayed the silhouette of a kart coin, similar to the gas canisters¡ªlikely something that would pop out when pressed.


    Rita didn''t rush to retrieve it. She wanted to save the kart coin for when they reached the next fuel station, so she could refuel during the safe zone period.


    Kart coins were silently appearing, but no player reacted. However, at least half the players had already begun positioning themselves near weaker players, subtly closing in.


    The battle was about to begin.


    The next round started!


    As the fireworks exploded, the parking lot transformed into a bumper car arena. This time, the firework landed above Maple Syrup''s head, showing: "Yes, I admit, I deceived her sister-in-law''s feelings."


    Under the two "she" arrows, one pointed directly at Rita, who was still sitting next to Maple Syrup, with her leg being patted.


    At this moment, all the players were distracted. High-powered players surrounded and hunted down the weaker ones, smashing their karts, while the weaker players tried to escape, occasionally stealing a glance.


    But at that moment, everyone couldn''t help but glance at Maple Syrup. It was beyond their imagination.


    For Rita, who was spared from the battle for now, she simply muttered: "...Deceived? I guess. But it seems like a mutual thing. That Su person seems content with it..."


    Maple Syrup also saw the message hanging in the air above her, and her smile froze.


    That day, the once cheerful Owl King became strangely quiet and reserved.


    Meanwhile, Rita had already noticed that several players were parking their karts at the edge of the battleground, repeatedly clicking something in the air.


    She opened the global battle chat channel, and sure enough, the gossip started rolling in.


    ¡ª¡ª "Oh my god, BS Rita, the one who stole Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s [Ancient Curse], her sister-in-law, Maple Syrup from Lania Kaia, deceived her feelings!" ¡ª¡ª "Is this true?!" ¡ª¡ª "No way, it can''t be." ¡ª¡ª "Maple Syrup, don''t butt in, didn''t she say you''re BS Rita''s mother?" ¡ª¡ª "But BS Rita married Lania Kaia''s Maple Syrup''s daughter, she admitted it during the game, and the system verified it¡ªthis news is true." ¡ª¡ª "By the gods, what kind of family is this?" ¡ª¡ª "Is Lania Kaia Mistblade still around? Do you know about this?" ¡ª¡ª "I don''t know them." ¡ª¡ª "Liar! You two teamed up with Lania Kaia Maple Syrup last time to beat me! Mistblade, are you the sister-in-law?" ¡ª¡ª "Could be." ¡ª¡ª "...Can you keep quiet, Maple Syrup? Don''t drag me down with you." ¡ª¡ª "Calling each other so close, and yet you say you don''t know each other."

 Chapter 402 The Divine Game: Kart Racing 6

    Through the screen, Rita could feel Mistblade''s speechlessness, but how did it end up being her who got dragged into it?


    And why were there players still doubting that Lania Kaia Maple Syrup could have done such a thing? That was too sloppy¡ªshe had to make sure everyone got the juiciest gossip.


    Without even blinking, Rita reached out and turned on her left turn signal. She then proceeded to nod furiously at all the players who were driving around the track, as if she had a message to convey.


    Maple Syrup stretched out her hand and pressed down on Rita''s head, stopping her from nodding. Clever Nivalis took over, and began nodding vigorously in Rita''s place¡ªafter all, Rita told her everything!


    Maple Syrup: "..."


    Rita whispered comfortingly to Maple Syrup in Owl language, "It''s fine. We don''t know anyone here. Just keep this to ourselves, and it''ll be okay."


    Maple Syrup stared at her quietly for a few seconds. Rita was baffled by the gaze, but Nivalis understood.


    Having spent so much time in High Tower, Nivalis had become fluent in Owl language. She heard every word and quietly whispered in Dragon language to Rita, "You don''t know anyone, but Maple Syrup does. She''s been here for so long, and she''s ranked so high¡ªeveryone definitely knows her."


    Rita whispered back in Dragon language, "...I know, I''m playing dumb."


    Maple Syrup, who could understand Dragon language, took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She sighed, thinking to herself, whatever, let it go. For the sake of her wings and [Ancient Curse], she''d just smile and move on.


    For the next ten minutes, Rita felt like she was participating in a prank rather than a game about truth and lies. It seemed like the game stone knew everyone''s secrets but was cleverly avoiding the core ones. Instead, it was fixated on trivial gossip. Strangely enough, it even seemed to connect players from different races, making Rita and Nivalis exclaim "Wow," "Oh my god," and "No way" over and over again.


    They had truly gained some insight. It was like being at a village square rather than a battlefield.


    Not only that, but the parking lot had turned into utter chaos, a true bumper car arena. Everyone was driving their karts, attacking each other, trying to destroy at least a hundred other players'' karts to ensure they wouldn''t end up on the inevitable 100-player death list. Meanwhile, they were also busy sharing gossip in the battlefield chat channel.


    Nivalis drove in serpentine patterns to avoid being hit, while Rita focused on attacking. She was determined to eliminate those 100 players first¡ªotherwise, leaving early would be suicide.


    Having already recovered her 30% reduced strength from soul shocks, and with [Absurd Story] and [Midnight Exile] in hand, Rita was no longer the helpless weakling she had been when she first entered the world battlefield.


    Every player who tried to attack her was met with 100% reflected damage!


    As for the gossip revealed by the game stone during the game, Rita always made sure to turn on her left turn signal.


    Finally, when the 38th round of the game began, Rita turned the wheel without hesitation, activated the left turn signal, pressed the accelerator, and began to withdraw.


    Rita had earned 21 kart coins from the game, stolen 17 kart coins, and increased her fuel capacity by 17%.


    However, her kart had taken quite a bit of damage. It rattled and creaked as it moved, with 32% damage and only 50% fuel left!


    This battle zone was toxic¡ªit felt like the more she played, the more she lost!


    Nivalis shouted at Rita, "Look at the pets outside! Look at that pig-headed one! Can it even drive?! If you get me, you''ll be laughing so hard!" Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Rita nodded vigorously, "No way, none of them can. Their legs can''t even reach the accelerator or the brakes. None of the weirdos outside are as good as you!"


    Nivalis frowned, "Are you throwing shade at me?"


    Rita quickly responded, "No! Absolutely not! You better step lightly! I''m not wearing any gear!"


    Not many players were chasing Rita, and before the 40th round began, she successfully left the battle zone.


    She had to pay a parking fee of 5 kart coins.


    A few minutes later, she received the "Real and Lies" game end notification. She didn''t get a rule analysis and didn''t die.


    After starting the track again, Rita noticed there weren''t as many players on the road as there had been when she first started, but clearly, this track wasn''t the same one. To the left were mountains, and to the right, the sea¡ªboth were replaced with an endless desert. She had only driven for a few seconds before starting to sweat from the heat.


    She took a moment to check the leaderboard.


    Her mileage was 97km, and she was surprised to see that she was ranked over 8,000. There were over 20,000 players in this game!


    She keenly realized she had an advantage in this round.


    Not only was Nivalis a top driver, but many of the other races were likely unfamiliar with kart racing. Her one-minute head start gave her a huge advantage. At least she had avoided the chaotic starting point brawl.

 Chapter 403 The Divine Game: Kart Racing7

    Rita scrolled to the bottom of the game''s leaderboard and noticed that some players had only traveled about twenty kilometers. Given that the game had been going on for quite some time, it seemed impossible that they were stuck in the battlefield. That meant these players were likely walking because their karts were broken or out of fuel.


    She glanced around, signaled for Nivalis to park, and got out of the kart to walk a few steps. Immediately, she noticed something odd. Just like when she had tried to fly her kart earlier, walking on the track had a speed penalty. Her high speed of 1800 was reduced to less than half the kart''s speed when walking, unless she used a skill to speed up.


    Rita didn''t waste any more time. After testing, she quickly got back into the kart and continued her journey.


    However, Rita and Nivalis weren''t wasting their blue fuel. They only used nitrogen boosters to accelerate when they encountered other karts. Nivalis was behind the wheel while Rita took the sniper''s role, attacking all the karts and replenishing their fuel. Their coordination was flawless.


    Rita''s sharpshooter talent, specifically the passive skill "I''m Getting Serious" (3-second automatic aim), paired perfectly with her sniper rifle, making it ideal for road combat.


    During the game, Rita had broken the rules eight times, losing 27 attribute points, 1% of her health, and 28% of her experience. It was a heavy loss. She couldn''t understand how the other players managed to survive without suffering so much damage, especially since she had no idea what she had done wrong¡ªeverything she did seemed normal.


    Despite all the losses, she did gain some items, such as those that increased attribute points, mana capacity, and casting speed. Still, her losses outweighed the gains.


    The frequency of glowing boxes was irregular. Sometimes she encountered one in just a few minutes, but on this stretch of the road, she hadn''t seen any glowing boxes for over ten minutes.


    However, right after Nivalis complained, as they turned a corner, they saw something ahead: a row of karts parked in the middle of the road.


    The karts were neatly lined up, and Rita almost thought she had reversed and returned to the starting point. Some players were sitting in their karts, pressing the brakes, while others had already abandoned their karts. Rita couldn''t tell if the karts had broken down or just ran out of fuel, but it was clear that these players weren''t friendly¡ªand there were too many of them for Rita to handle alone.


    Rita: "Get ready."


    Nivalis: "Should we charge straight in?!"


    Rita: "Full throttle! Let''s burn some rubber!"


    With those words, Rita felt a surge of energy, and Nivalis didn''t ask any further questions. She revved the engine and slammed the pedal to the metal. Today, no one was going to stop them.


    As they got closer, Rita could see the foreign players. Luckily, she recognized the language of about a third of them.


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    Rita quickly picked two random fuel types, avoiding number 36, and bought one bottle of each, spending 2 kart coins. She pressed the kart coin icon on the steering wheel, which dispensed a coin each time. Rita tossed the coins into the machine, and the fuel bottles rolled out.


    She took off her hoodie, turned the hat inside out, and used it as a makeshift pocket to store the fuel.


    Afterward, Nivalis drove the kart over to the parts section. Here, in addition to various kart parts, there were also special glasses. These glasses cost 50 kart coins and allowed a player to see one of the game''s rules, but they could only be used once. Comparing the prices, the parts didn''t seem that expensive.


    The steering wheel part to fix the loose wheel was 3 kart coins, and the tires, the cheapest ones, cost 8 kart coins. There were also better tires with extra traits.


    No matter how carefully Rita calculated, she was down 13 kart coins in an instant.


    Rita and Nivalis drove the kart into a corner. Nivalis changed the tires, while Rita tested the new fuel.


    She poured in a bottle of 26-type fuel, but there was no reaction. Then she tried the 18-type fuel, and again, nothing happened.


    She ran back and bought 8 more bottles of each type.


    In total, she had 18 bottles (25ml each), enough to fill her fuel tank, leaving just one bottle of 20ml 18-type fuel, which Rita stashed in her hoodie.


    By now, Rita only had 4 kart coins left. She used these to buy the car repair tools.


    Nivalis had thought she could fix the kart without tools, but when she tried, she realized something was wrong. The kart wasn''t budging without proper tools, so in the end, the last 4 kart coins were spent.


    Nivalis grumbled, "We need to improve, or we won''t have enough."


    Rita silently nodded.


    She had already seen what this safe zone game was about¡ªThe Game: Kart Bumper.

 Chapter 404 The Divine Game: Kart Racing8

    The Game: Kart Bumper:


    Once the countdown ended, the safe zone would transform into a semi-open war zone. The entrance would close, but the exit would open, and the war zone would last for thirty minutes. If players left early, they would be charged a 10 kart coin parking fee.


    After the game began, players were required to crash into the rear of karts that shared the same color as their own, completing a rear-end collision. Successfully doing so would allow them to absorb 10% of the other player''s mileage. If a player collided with a kart of a different color, both players would lose 0.1 nitrogen boost fuel capacity.@@@@


    Ranking rewards: The top 100 players with the highest absorbed mileage would receive kart coin rewards, with the top three earning a rule analysis.


    Bonus: For every kart of the same color completely destroyed, the player would receive 10 kart coins.


    Death Penalty: At the end of the game, the fifty players with the lowest absorbed mileage would die instantly.


    Other rules: During the war zone phase, players and their karts would temporarily be unbound.


    Current Players in Safe Zone: 976


    At this point, the countdown for the game to start had only three minutes left.


    Given that Rita and Nivalis had joined the game a little late, Rita had only 22 minutes to play in the Kart Bumper game. To be safe, she planned to leave by the 20-minute mark, which meant she would need to pay the parking fee.


    ¡ª "Ahem..."


    Nivalis didn''t care about the time. After fixing the kart, she started driving, looking for an exit while also trying to find some improvement opportunities with passing kart players.


    When Rita was ready to plan her escape, she looked down and noticed 5 kart coins had appeared on the steering wheel. She had also found the exit.


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    ¡ª "Ahem... Ahem!"


    Nivalis shook her head, commenting, "What a mess."


    Rita took the 5 kart coins and handed them to Nivalis, "Go grab something to eat. We''ll eat on the way out."


    ¡ª "Ahem!!!"


    Nivalis instantly released the brakes and sped off, with Rita aiming her sniper rifle.


    Though colliding with other karts would be penalized, there was no mention of skills being off-limits for attacks, and clearly, other players had the same idea.


    The moment the game started, skills began flying all over the place. In the area with the highest player density, it was nearly drowned in a sea of skills. Nivalis sneered, "Time to show my real skills!"


    She drifted around the skills at the last moment, causing Rita to nearly be thrown out of the kart.


    This was the real bumper car action!


    Rita saw Mistblade chasing another black kart in her broken-down kart. Just as Mistblade was about to crash into a differently-colored kart, she clicked her tongue, stretched out a long leg, and kicked the kart over.


    The seal inside rolled around a few times. Before it could stand up, the flipped kart sped off and left.


    Rita: "6"


    Nivalis saw it too: "6"


    Rita immediately aimed her sniper rifle at the seal''s head and fired a shot¡ªbang¡ªseizing a huge opportunity!


    [Ding¡ªCongratulations BS Rita for killing Marmang-Dun Dun. The player Dun Dun has chosen to use a divine blessing skill to revive, and you will receive this divine blessing skill as your loot.]


    [Ding¡ªYou have obtained Dun Dun''s divine blessing skill¡ªFishing Master (Passive).]


    Rita: "Hurry up! Let''s loot the body!"


    The kart quickly stopped by the seal''s body. Rita bent down to loot the World Graveyard and, out of the corner of her eye, saw a white kart approaching.


    Rita threw out a Thunder Net, blocking the other kart for a second. It bought her enough time to successfully grab a card!


    She picked up the card and slammed the accelerator. Nivalis immediately understood and sped off.


    Once they had left the black kart behind, Rita finally had a moment to check the new skill and World Graveyard she had obtained.


    Fishing Master (Passive): Allows the user to see the current state and forbidden actions of all targets without being detected. No consumption required.


    World Graveyard ¡¤ Ace of Hearts: Belongs to the Marmang civilization. Other civilizations'' players can only use it as a ticket.

 Chapter 405 The Divine Game: Kart Racing9

    Rita asked Nivalis, "Did you get Fishing Master?"


    Nivalis let out a small laugh. "Yep!"


    Rita glanced at the other players in the game, noticing that information had appeared above each player''s head, much like the energy-saving mode of a pocket watch, but more detailed.


    For example, Mistblade''s info appeared as:


    [Mistblade, Level 15, 76%©§53%©§Rage: Extremely Dangerous©§Taboo: Third Fox Tail©§Weakness: The tip of the Ninth Fox Tail]


    Rita watched as Mistblade successfully rear-ended a black kart. After the collision, she didn''t stop. Instead, she pushed the other kart into the gas station wall, flooring the accelerator and flipping the kart over, before punching its rear tire to burst it. Finally, she turned her kart around with a smug, graceful smirk and drove off.


    Hmm... the Fishing Master skill was pretty accurate.


    But what Rita liked more about it was that the skill could reveal a player''s taboos and weaknesses. She wasn''t sure what the difference between a taboo and a weakness was¡ªdid taboos offend someone? Or maybe they made the target rage? She would need to experiment to find out.


    This skill could, to some extent, replace her Archer''s passive skill "You Are Too Weak" and might even be better.


    With "You Are Too Weak", she couldn''t see Mistblade''s weaknesses, but Fishing Master directly told her what they were. Maybe the third fox tail referred to Mistblade''s first tail when she was still a small fox?


    Rita wondered how Dun Dun ended up giving her such a useful skill. Did it lack enough S-tier skills to give away, or did it have some skill-exploring items that could replace this divine blessing skill?


    ...


    Nivalis''s driving skills were still reliable, and she wasn''t greedy. If she could catch up, she did, but she never lingered in fights. Keeping their kart safe was the top priority.


    Plus, Rita always made sure to refill the boost fuel at the right moments, so Nivalis never had to worry about running out of fuel at a crucial time.


    In order to avoid being in the bottom fifty and dying if she left early, Rita focused on targeting other players'' tires. If she could blow one up, she did. She also kept track of how many players were losing their karts.


    Other players were pairing up with their pets, with most having the pet attack while the player drove. Of course, there were exceptions like Mistblade, who did everything herself.


    Her white hamster pet just stood on the steering wheel, seemingly washing its face, not doing much. It wasn''t as useful as Mistblade''s tail, which could slap passing players into midair for a 360-degree spin before dropping them.


    Meanwhile, Rita once again "accidentally" violated two rules.


    Rita suddenly looked toward a nearby vending machine!


    She quickly communicated with Nivalis in her mind: "Head to those vending machines, let''s try stealing from them!"


    Nivalis: !!!


    Nivalis: "You''re more experienced at this than me!"


    Nivalis: "Teach me!"


    Rita: "..."


    The two of them sneaked their kart behind the vending machines and hid.


    A few seconds later, Rita and Nivalis stared at the 2 extra kart coins that appeared on the dashboard. They exchanged a look and silently stared for a few seconds before rolling up their sleeves and starting to steal frantically! Find adventures on My Virtual Library Empire


    However, considering the cost of using Essence Points, Nivalis was the main driver. She used "I Just Want to Improve So Badly", while Rita would steal only once since each theft cost 3 Essence Points, which wasn''t worth it. Rita was responsible for healing Nivalis.


    Unfortunately, they kept stealing kart coins, but they couldn''t take the products from the machines¡ªno idea why that was.


    A minute later, their kart coins had increased to 37. During this time, other players noticed them and tried to attack or ram their kart, but Nivalis skillfully dodged them. The two of them kept circling around the vending machines.


    Just as Rita attempted to steal from one of the vending machines for the tenth time, suddenly, an information window appeared above the machine:


    [Vending Machine #17, ???, Waking-up Syndrome¡¤Offended©§Taboo: Don''t harm it again after it wakes up©§Weakness: The payment slot]


    Rita froze and immediately slammed the accelerator. She shouted, "Exit! Go!"


    Nivalis didn''t know what had happened, but she unconditionally trusted Rita. Even though they still had three minutes left before their planned exit, she immediately adjusted the car''s direction and headed for the exit.


    Behind them, the vending machine had started hopping after them.


    Rita and Nivalis floored the gas pedal, too scared to release it, but a few seconds later, they both hit the brakes.


    The vending machine''s attack method turned out to be launching its various products at them! Sometimes it even threw out some kart coins!


    Was this a boss? No, this was more like a money-grabbing child!

 Chapter 406 The Divine Game: Kart Racing 10

    Rita pulled off her hat and immediately began picking up kart coins. Nivalis did the same, placing each coin she found on the steering wheel.


    A group of players, who had been playing bumper cars, suddenly went silent. Then, without any coordination, they all turned their cars and charged toward her. Various bizarre and unusual races, each sitting in their own little kart, looked terrifying as they came at her... Rita even saw a crab driving a kart.


    The last time she saw such a horrifying scene was when she watched a zombie movie at home.


    She had already tucked her hoodie into her pants and was stuffing parts into the collar, using her shirt like a pocket. Despite the panic-inducing moment, she remained calm, prioritizing the most expensive parts first¡ªengine, steering wheel, tires...


    As the karting group drew closer, Rita jumped into her car with a big belly. "Go, go, go!"@@@@


    Nivalis got nudged by her belly and had to fly up into the air. She released the brake and, as she accelerated, she took one last look behind her. "I really want to see what happens after they hit it."


    As soon as she finished speaking, a skill landed on the vending machine, and the sound of shattering glass filled the air.


    While driving, Rita looked back to see the vending machine instantly grow larger.


    **[Vending Machine No. 17]


    !!! Extremely Furious ¡¤ Completely Mad


    Taboo: Do not hurt it again after it awakens


    Weakness: The coin slot]


    It jumped high into the air, almost blotting out the sky. Its enormous shadow enveloped the ground, and then it quickly pressed down.


    Boom¡ªevery player who had been chasing couldn''t avoid the impact!


    It was too fast, and in that moment, every player''s accelerator stopped working. It caught everyone by surprise.


    Even Rita and Nivalis experienced a sudden malfunction, coming to a stop at the exit of the parking lot.


    Rita & Nivalis: ...


    Nivalis: "I have a feeling you''re about to be mentioned in the battlefield chat channel."


    Rita: "..." Please don''t say something so scary.


    Rita braced herself with her feet, giving the kart a few pushes, trying to drive it forward using just her foot. "Go, go, go, let''s paddle away!"


    [Black Spring¡¤Mud Bears]: Do you have no shame?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: Occasionally, yes.


    Nivalis: ...


    Rita, secretly glancing at the chat, sighed deeply: ...


    The roar of engines echoed from the distance. Rita immediately aimed, and several Thunder Nets filled with lightning hovered behind her, ready to be shifted in front to block any potential attacks.


    The moment the kart appeared in her sights, Rita started to attack. The sniper rifle had an extremely long range, and with Explosive Drummer, which had a built-in tracker, many karts that rushed toward Rita were already filled with rage by the time they reached her.


    And then, they were met with her fourth shot!


    This shot would land after aiming for over 3 seconds and was guaranteed to hit!


    It was also [Midnight Exile]''s attack power multiplied by 125 times!


    The key attribute that determined the damage of her shot¡ªAgility¡ªwas also her strongest attribute.


    All of these factors ensured that this shot, even against Maple Syrup or Mistblade, could not be underestimated.


    Although this series of attacks cost 7 Essence Points when combined with the activation of [I''m Getting Serious] (Passive), the return was absolutely worth it!


    Any player who could endure the fourth shot, upon approaching Rita, would choose to speed away without hesitation. Those who couldn''t take it, though, became Rita''s resources.


    In just a short span of seven or eight minutes, Rita had already successfully eliminated two players.


    [Ding¡ªCongratulations, BS Rita has killed Ridge Tea Cloud. Player Cloud has chosen to trade three S-level skills for a resurrection chance. You will randomly receive one S-level skill as your prize.]


    [Ding¡ªPrize Extraction: You have gained 7 Intelligence.]


    [Loot Extraction Complete. You have received Ridge Tea Cloud''s S-level skill¡ªDragon Dance.]


    This S-level melee attack skill grants a massive boost to speed and reaction time. Each time the legs hit an enemy, a tornado that automatically tracks the enemy is generated. It consumes 5% of mana per use, but its cooldown time is surprisingly short¡ªonly 5 minutes.


    [Ding¡ªCongratulations, BS Rita has killed Blazing Flame Qingy. Player Qingy has chosen to trade three S-level skills for a resurrection chance. You will randomly receive one S-level skill as your prize.]


    [Ding¡ªPrize Extraction: You have gained 6 Agility.]


    [Loot Extraction Complete. You have received Blazing Flame Qingy''s S-level skill¡ªClock Reversal.]

 Chapter 407 The Divine Game: Kart Racing 11

    Clock Reversal: This skill shortens all skill cooldowns by 50% for 1 hour after activation. It''s a top-tier skill, and exactly what she needs right now!


    Both of the skills are quite useful, not to mention she also got two World Graveyards. One is a blue glass orb, which Rita can only associate with checkers in Blue Star culture, though it might have a different use in another world.


    World Graveyard¡¤Blue Glass Orb: Belongs to the Ridge Tea civilization; players from other civilizations can only use it as a ticket.


    The other is a diamond-shaped stone tablet with the image of an animal''s head, called Beast Chess, a game present in BS civilization. However, just like the red airplane, she can''t quite figure out how to use it as a key or how to arrange it to determine its level.


    World Graveyard¡¤Tiger Chess: Belongs to the Blazing Flame civilization; players from other civilizations can only use it as a ticket.


    Now she has three World Graveyards from other civilizations: Marmang''s poker, Ridge Tea''s glass orb, and Blazing Flame''s Tiger Chess.


    She doesn''t have to worry about future tickets now!


    These also add up to 30,000 honor points.


    Moreover, Nivalis also got 3 points of intelligence and 2 points of agility.


    Not only that, she also got their kart, including the gasoline and kart coins inside.


    The kart was immediately dismantled, and she and Nivalis carefully sorted through the parts, taking anything still usable. Unfortunately, by the time they got here, the parts and tires of these two karts were quite worn out. Only one was still somewhat decent, so Nivalis removed it and attached it to their kart as a backup.


    To prevent other players from scavenging the remaining parts, Rita blew them all up.


    Both gasoline cans were only half full, so Rita mixed them into one can, which now has 57%.


    There were plenty of kart coins, too. It was clear that these two players hadn''t had a chance to use them after leaving the last gas station. Together, they had 42 coins, which Rita stored in her steering wheel.


    Adding her own, which she had stolen from the gas station earlier, and the ones Nivalis picked up after the vending machine attack, her kart coin total now reached 83.


    Rita almost wanted to stay here forever, but at that moment, the Kart Bumper event ended, and more karts appeared out of thin air.


    Luckily, even though she had left early and didn''t rank in the top 100, she wasn''t eliminated.


    Most of the new players who appeared just sped off without a second glance. Only Mistblade, who had made an appointment with Rita, stopped her kart as soon as she appeared on the racetrack. She didn''t even glance to the left or right, directly turning around to spot Rita waiting on the roadside.


    But doubts aside, Rita immediately started working on translating the remaining 13 rules she hadn''t fully understood.


    Mistblade had been in the World Battlefield for so long, even if she hadn''t learned any languages, surely she had bought all 10 languages in the Honor Store!


    To Rita''s surprise, Mistblade actually deciphered three more rules:


    Rule 2: Players cannot participate in the game more than three times at the gas station.


    Rule 5: The number of gasoline blends cannot exceed 3 types.


    Rule 13: No more than 300ml of the same gasoline type may be used.


    Together with the rules Rita had already understood, rules 8 and 18, and the ones she guessed after breaking the rules, 9, 10, and 17, she had now understood 8 rules, leaving 10 unknown.


    The game had only been running for 4 hours and 17 minutes, with plenty of time left before it ends. So far, she had lost a lot due to rule violations, but fortunately, the chances of losing skills hadn''t been too extreme¡ªonly one B-level skill was lost.


    On top of that, she had killed three players, so she was still slightly ahead.


    Otherwise, she would have seriously considered leaving early.


    After Mistblade finished translating, she drove off with the tire.


    Rita waited for half a minute before setting off again with Nivalis.


    Their modified kart was clearly faster now, but Rita couldn''t stop thinking about Rule 2¡ªparticipating in the game more than three times was not allowed¡ªmeaning she had lost a crucial source of kart coins.


    Kart coins were absolutely essential in this Divine Game.


    Gasoline had to be bought.


    Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire


    Karts inevitably sustained damage in battles with other players, so she needed to keep kart coins aside to buy parts for repairs or upgrades.


    Plus, there were the parking fees for leaving the game early, which were another cost...

 Chapter 408 The Divine Game: Kart Racing 12

    The first time Rita leaves early, she only needs to pay a parking fee of 5 kart coins, but the second time it costs 10. She knows that her visits to the gas stations and her progress aren''t the same as other players'', so this change in parking fees isn''t exclusive to her.


    It could either be random or depend on how much time has passed in the game.


    Either way, she has to set aside some kart coins for this...


    Otherwise, she might be forced to stay at a gas station.


    What if she''s delayed there and suffers divine punishment every minute? She can''t take that risk.


    Over the next five hours, Rita and Nivalis visit the gas station four times. They spend one minute restocking, three minutes repairing the kart, and the rest of the time is spent stealing kart coins, specifically from vending machines.


    It''s not because they''re particularly morally upstanding, but because there''s a limit to how often you can steal. What if other players have more valuable items to steal later? If a vending machine can be robbed, it''s the first choice.


    After a few successful thefts, they stop just before the vending machine powers back up. This strategy allows them to make the most of the situation, especially when players start fighting. If a player accidentally hits the vending machine with a skill, it could wake the machine up, giving them a chance to set traps for other players.


    With each heist, Rita and Nivalis cover up the mess they''ve made, leaving the area just before the safety zone turns into a combat zone.


    Using the 83 kart coins they started with, even without staying in the safety zone to play the game, they manage to scrape by on their theft skills to buy fuel and parts for the kart.


    Nivalis even manages to craft two ice mirrors, attaching them as rear-view mirrors to their kart.


    During these five hours, Rita and Nivalis'' mood swings are extreme.


    They occasionally receive system notifications warning them for violating game rules, and divine punishment begins to be dispensed.


    Since the start of the game, they''ve lost 59 attribute points, one B-rank skill, one C-rank skill, 1% of their max HP, and 1% of their evasion rate.


    Rita can''t help but think about Mistblade''s 45 rules. She can''t even imagine how Mistblade managed to get through it all...


    Every time they break a rule, Rita immediately reviews all her guesses.


    By chance, she gets one right. During a battle, the green blood of an alien player splashes onto their kart.


    Now, Rita isn''t the most cursed person in the chat anymore; she''s past her peak. The one getting the most curses is now Marmang-Crab.


    This crab is the main player responsible for waking up Vending Machine No. 29, and he shows no signs of stopping. Whenever he enters the safety zone, even if he doesn''t plan to play there, he always makes sure to use his crab pincers to wake up a vending machine before leaving.


    Besides Vending Machine No. 29, there are other vending machines that aren''t easy to deal with, such as those capable of electrocuting karts from a distance or ones that can consume nitro fuel.


    There are also a few vending machines, like No. 17, that throw items at players, but there are only three of these so far.


    There are a number of players, like Marmang-Crab, who enjoy triggering the vending machines, and some who go to great lengths to wake them up.


    As the game nears its end, players who realize they''re about to lose team up to awaken the vending machines, intending to die together.


    The scariest part is that, so far, no player has successfully destroyed a vending machine.


    Rita quietly spies on the screen, but when someone in the chat asks, "Has anyone else noticed that some vending machines are too easy to wake up?" Rita doesn''t dare to reply.


    By the 10-hour mark, Rita enters another gas station. This one has a slightly different parking lot. Most of the spots are cleared, but in the corner, there''s a pile of broken-down karts stacked together.


    She''s down to just a few kart coins, which she stole from other players and vending machines during her last visit.


    Nivalis is inspecting the karts for fuel and parts, and occasionally, she sneakily checks out the passing karts.


    While Rita heals Nivalis, who has taken damage from her theft skill, she hits the brakes and watches the games in the safety zone.


    During her previous visits to the safety zone, Rita had studied the game plaques.


    Though she has one game left to play, she doesn''t want to stay until the very end. If she encounters a low-risk game with a cheap parking fee, she''d definitely stay and play, but so far, none of the games have been suitable. The parking fees are high, and the game mechanics aren''t in her favor.


    The only good news is that the parking fee is random, not increasing as the game progresses.


    Now, Rita faces a dilemma as she looks at the game available in this safety zone.


    ¡ª [Game: Kart License Test]

 Chapter 409 The Divine Game: Kart Racing 13

    [Game: Kart License Test]:


    After the countdown ends, this safe zone will transform into a semi-open battle zone. The entrance will close, while the exit will remain open. The battle zone will last for one hour, and leaving early will require a 7 kart coin parking fee.


    Once the game starts, each question will have 2 minutes for the player to park their kart in the designated parking spot. The last 30 seconds of each round will begin the "check-in."


    [Failure to park correctly will result in a failed check-in.]


    [The parking duration must exceed 10 seconds for the check-in to be successful.]


    [Only the player controlling the kart can park in their assigned spot.]


    There are 30 test questions in total. Each successful check-in will reward the player with 3 kart coins and reduce the kart''s damage by 1%.


    [If the kart''s damage has no more room to decrease, one random word in the game rule will be translated.]


    There are 500 parking spots in the battle zone. Each round will randomly select 20 spots to be designated as "danger zones."


    [There are no special marks on the danger zones. Karts parked in these areas will be detonated as soon as they check-in.]


    [The top 50 players with the best scores will receive a rule explanation.]


    [The bottom 100 players with the worst scores will die instantly.]


    [Players who pass all 30 questions will receive a Kart License, which can be exchanged for 100 kart coins and 1000 km of mileage.]


    [During the battle zone phase, players will temporarily be unlinked from their karts.]


    [Current number of players in this safe zone: 479]


    The number of players entering the safe zone has noticeably decreased. [Real and Lies] had more than 1,500 players, [Kart Bumper] had over 900, but now there are fewer than 500 players remaining.


    The parking fee isn''t expensive, and the rewards are good. On the surface, the competition in this game doesn''t seem too tough, since there are enough parking spots, and white karts are rare. This means that even if parking spots are tight, the white karts won''t be greatly affected.


    It also seems that the danger zones don''t have any special marks. They only reveal themselves when the player successfully checks in after parking for over 10 seconds, which means it all depends on luck.


    The real issue lies in the damage from detonations. If both the player and the kart are destroyed, there''s a 4% chance of dying with each round. However, if the kart is destroyed but the player survives, it''ll cause tension between the players.


    But while this would spark competition, it also gives Rita a way out¡ªsince there are always players without karts. No kart means they can''t participate in the test.


    Of course, there''s also the possibility that she could be detonated. In that case, she would have to steal another player''s kart. But this problem can be easily solved by using [Master Thief Dragon] to rewind time.


    The later the battle zones get, the stronger the players she''ll face. Rita has already seen several players like Lania Kaia, Maple Syrup, Mistblade¡ªnames that most players recognize when mentioned.


    This is the most dangerous battle zone so far, but it''s also the safest one for the upcoming zones. More importantly, this game is perfect for Nivalis.


    Rita has seen a lot of players driving karts, but none of them are better than Nivalis.


    This dragon, when playing battle games, is as bad as one can get, but in puzzle games and racing games, her scores are incredibly high. Plus, her skills are so good that, if she were driving a kart in real life, she''d probably be a champion.


    Rita refuses to give up on this game now.


    She''s determined to stay in this round.


    Rita asks Nivalis, "Can you still hang in there?"


    She can tell that Nivalis is already tired, having been mentally focused for nearly 10 hours. She''s had to fight powerful enemies along the way, and even dragons get tired. Not to mention that Nivalis was injured in the last game.


    Nivalis responds, "Of course! I can do it! Leave it to me!"


    Rita sees the urgency in Nivalis'' eyes. "You really want to play this game? Alright, I understand now. Do you have confidence?"


    Nivalis points her wing at the sky, tilting her head to look at Rita, and speaks seriously, "Have you heard of the ''God of Cars''?"


    Rita gasps, "...Could it be you?!!"


    Nivalis swings her wing, nearly hitting Rita. "Indeed, that''s me!"


    Rita: "Alright! We''ll play this round!"


    If the time penalty is a one-time deal, they''ll leave it until the last moment. If it''s a penalty that''s applied every minute, they''ll leave early.


    But...


    She asks Nivalis in her mind: "You know the curse I have against thorns, right?"


    Nivalis: "I know, why?"


    Rita: "If we keep playing, we might encounter Hated Thorn in the next battle zone, and get the dragon blood it returns. But if we stay here, we''re stuck if anything goes wrong."


    "So, if you want to recover, you''ll have to wait for the next time."


    She hates Winter Sea Frenzied Shark and Hated Thorn, and she hopes they''re tortured by the curse forever. But that''s not something that should prevent Nivalis from recovering. Once Hated Thorn lifts the curse, Rita can just put another curse on it, no need to dwell on this one.

 Chapter 410 The Divine Game: Kart Racing 14

    Nivalis hesitated for a moment. She genuinely wanted to recover, but she also really wanted to play this game¡ªthe real, high-stakes game where serious punishment and death were always on the table. Moreover, playing alongside Rita was fun.


    Nivalis said, "I want to play this game; can we wait for the recovery next time?"


    Rita nodded, but she kept a thought to herself¡ªthere was a chance that they wouldn''t even encounter Frenzied Shark, considering it was ranked in the 500s. While this safety zone was randomized, players entering the same zone could face vastly different conditions. However, as time went on, the game still categorized players based on their strength. For example, the most powerful player she had seen in this zone so far, Marmang-Crab, was ranked only after 5,000.


    This crab-like player had terrifying combat power¡ªlevel 17¡ªbut for some reason, his karting skills left much to be desired, putting him so low on the leaderboard.


    Rita and Nivalis continued to drive around, familiarizing themselves with the course and the available parking spaces. Soon, the countdown clock hit its last 3 seconds.


    Beep¡ªthe mechanical voice announced the first challenge.


    First challenge: Please park in a side position with nitrogen boost in the same color parking space.


    Nivalis pulled out a stick from seemingly nowhere and stuck it between her lips, shouting loudly, "Hold on tight! Get the parts and fuel in place!"


    Rita shouted back, "Aren''t they already in place?"


    Nivalis: ???


    There was no time to dwell on that! A new storm was coming. Nivalis slammed on the gas, weaving between karts that hadn''t even reacted yet. She alternated between the gas and brakes, steering left and right like a DJ mixing tracks. In a matter of seconds, her kart slid sideways into a parking space framed by four white lines with a screeching sound, coming to a perfect stop.


    Nivalis slammed on the brakes, her short clawed hand resting on the steering wheel. She turned around and asked, "What''s going on, little sis? Are you dissing me?"


    Rita, still adjusting her posture, grabbed her cap and said, "No, no! I wouldn''t dare!"


    Nivalis scoffed.


    Rita wanted to ask: Where did that little stick in your mouth come from?


    Nivalis nonchalantly pointed toward the parking lot. "I picked it up when we were scouting the area."


    She responded seriously, "I can''t say for sure, but my sister-in-law nearly killed her entire family because of her, and then invited me to join their little ''family''... It''s all too absurd. I told her she was being foolish, but she told me she was willing to be a fool for love. If there''s a single lie, I''ll make the heavens strike her down!"


    Saying that, Rita handed the stick over, receiving two kart coins from Marmang-Crab.


    Nivalis asked in her mind, What did you say that shocked him so much?


    Rita explained, and after hearing the full story, Nivalis fell silent. It didn''t seem like a lie, but somehow, it just felt off.


    Nearby, another player was plotting to ambush Rita, but upon hearing the gossip, they couldn''t help but lean in to listen. After hearing the full story, they straightened up, their face reflecting the same shock as Marmang-Crab.


    At that moment, all the parking spaces lit up, the light matching the color of each parking space. The clock had started ticking for the checkpoint.


    Nivalis grew anxious. "My luck''s pretty bad. What if I get blown up?"


    Rita embraced Nivalis and reassured her, "Don''t worry, we''ve already made it this far. We''re doing great, and it''s all thanks to your driving skills. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have made it this far either."


    At the same time, she thought to herself, We''ve got the Master Thief Dragon! We''re fine!


    Suddenly, a sharp voice cut through the air, filled with resentment and anger. Nivalis and Rita both turned to see Marmang-Crab''s eyes locked on them. The source of the voice seemed to be hidden somewhere behind his eyes.


    Rita scanned the surroundings carefully, eventually spotting a tiny sea horse hidden behind Marmang-Crab''s eyes.


    She smiled briefly, but her heart felt heavy. These players'' pets were so well hidden¡ªif things escalated into combat, it would be a huge disadvantage.


    Just then, explosions rang out in all directions.


    The check-in time had passed the 10-second mark, and the mines in the parking spaces began to detonate.


    All the players immediately turned to look at the parking spaces that had exploded.


    As smoke billowed, the expressions of many players grew grim.

 Chapter 411 The Divine Game: Kart Racing 15

    The cars exploded, but the players were unharmed!


    This meant that the next 20 players, if they didn''t want to fall into the bottom 100 and face immediate death, would undoubtedly begin scrambling to steal other players'' karts!


    The players who had lost their karts sat on the ground, and the next moment, an invisible shockwave blasted them out of their parking spots, sending them crashing onto the middle road. They started sizing up the karts and players in nearby spaces, looking for their next targets.


    Another 20 seconds passed, and the new game began.


    Second challenge: Please check in at a differently colored parking spot. Players cannot be sitting in the car during check-in.


    Rita spoke to Nivalis in her mind, "Step on the brakes and don''t move yet."


    She raised her weapon and aimed at a player charging toward them. Her head spun like a rotating fire wheel, while her body remained humanoid, and a tail occasionally sparked with tiny bursts of flame.


    [Ridge Tea Wildfire] Level 10, 100%|100% Unhappy ¡¤ Battle Intent High|Forbidden: Center of the Fire Wheel|Weakness: Center of the Fire Wheel


    Three seconds later¡ª[Full Price for Life]¡ªA gunshot rang out, the bullet breaking through the air, heading straight toward the player.


    But Rita only fired that one shot.


    [Dusk and Night] was better than [Ember] and [Meteor] because it had a longer shooting range, faster bullet velocity, greater damage, and didn''t require carrying extra bullets.


    However, it had clear drawbacks. Its firing frequency was incredibly low¡ªit could only shoot once every 2 seconds, while [Ember] and [Meteor] could shoot once per second.


    This was a built-in limitation of the weapon, similar to the difference between a bow and a crossbow. Even though Rita''s strength and agility had far surpassed that of a normal human, her shooting speed with a bow was still slower than a crossbow.


    Earlier on the road, she had been forced to use the gun. With her sharpshooter talent, she could hit distant enemies without worrying about them dodging by moving their cars. But the flaw was that once the enemy was out of sight, they could easily escape.


    [Dandelion Wind]!


    Rita floated to Ridge Tea Wildfire''s side and spent 3 points of mana to activate [Bedtime Tale]!


    [Dragon Dance]!


    She kicked at the player, barely missing their clothes, and a tornado formed around the kick.


    What made [Midnight Exile] terrifying was not just that it doubled the damage of attacks, but even when changing her attack method¡ªswitching from shooting to close-quarters hand-to-hand combat¡ªthe damage could still be multiplied by five times from the previous attack!


    [World Graveyard ¡¤ Red Glass Bead]: Belongs to the Ridge Tea civilization. Players from other civilizations can only use it as a ticket.


    So far in this game, she had collected four World Graveyard items: Marmang''s poker, Blazing Flame''s Tiger Chess, and two Ridge Tea glass beads.


    Along with the [Fishing Master], [Dragon Dance], [Clock Reversal], and [Seven-Star Thunder Blade] skills.


    Even if she died now, she wouldn''t lose out!


    As for the missing attribute points, they were definitely a significant loss for other players, but for her and Nivalis, it was not a loss they couldn''t recover from!


    Nivalis was already driving and looking for a new parking spot.


    The reason Nivalis had charged out earlier was because of the second challenge.


    It was easy to solve the part where players couldn''t be sitting in their karts during check-in. Nivalis created an ice block, stopped the brakes, and froze the entire kart.


    But the real challenge was leaving the kart unmanned during check-in, which was like a bait for other players¡ªthose who didn''t have karts or whose karts were badly damaged would come over to try and steal them.


    Naturally, Rita had to put on a tough and aggressive front.


    She knew she wasn''t yet on par with the truly powerful players. Even Ridge Tea Wildfire¡ªhad she not underestimated her, been more cautious, or known that she had Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s skill, Rita might not have won so easily.


    But the reality was that her level 6 power was insignificant¡ªit was both her weakness and her advantage!


    Strong players often underestimated the weak.


    Even if Rita had to face BS-level players now, no matter how much she warned herself to be cautious, in an actual fight, would she go all out right from the start? Would she immediately use her strongest skills?


    She wouldn''t.


    She was almost certain she wouldn''t.


    Not to mention her mana and energy reserves; those powerful skills had cooldowns, and she couldn''t afford to use them up so quickly.


    Using her strongest abilities on regular players would leave her vulnerable when the real strong players arrived. What would she do then? Rely on basic attacks?


    Even Nivalis wouldn''t use her big moves so early in the game¡ªshe''d wait until she saw a bunch of players gathered, with lots of health bars to hit. Then she''d unleash the big move, knowing it wouldn''t be a waste.

 Chapter 412 The Divine Game: Kart Racing 16

    Rita''s decisiveness and strength had indeed temporarily intimidated the remaining 19 players.


    Time was running out, and there was no need to engage with a troublesome opponent like Rita. After all, there were plenty of players between levels 2-6. But this didn''t mean that Rita was safe; even though BS Rita had managed to kill Ridge Tea Wildfire, a player at level 10, using all her powerful skills, every player had their own trump card. To some players, BS Rita was now a spent force, having used up all her strong abilities to achieve such dominance.


    Nivalis parked in a remote colored parking spot, but she and Rita didn''t rush to get out. They stayed vigilant, observing their surroundings.


    There had already been numerous skirmishes in the parking lot: some players were fighting over parking spaces, others were stealing go-karts, and some were seizing the opportunity to ambush other players in the chaos.


    Rita tilted her head and dodged, spinning around to fire a shot. The player attempting to ambush her immediately retreated, but Rita didn''t pursue. Nivalis was still not at her peak strength, so Rita had to stay near her and protect both the go-kart and Nivalis.


    The rule read: Only players driving go-karts can enter parking spaces.


    At first glance, this rule seemed to protect parked players, but in reality, it encouraged players to eliminate each other.


    What if someone couldn''t enter a parking space? Simple: kill the driver, and the go-kart would automatically drive out!


    After one and a half minutes, the parking lights blinked on.


    Nivalis sobbed, holding onto the steering wheel. Every single part of this go-kart had been carefully chosen by her, given the limited kart coins she had. She really couldn''t care less about the other players'' karts.


    Rita chuckled, "Once we''re back, I''ll have one custom-built for you. We''ll buy a mansion and make a kart racing track."


    Nivalis paused her sobbing, asking, "Is this what you guys call a pipe dream?"


    Rita: "...."


    For someone like her, buying a mansion and building a kart racing track wasn''t even a challenge. Even if she brought the people from Eclipse Vanguard along to fight a gladiatorial battle and snag a treasure chest, they''d be happy to give her a mansion. Or, she could go for a deep-sea adventure, collect a few dungeon projection screens, and auction them off. With that, she could trade for a thousand unique go-karts for Nivalis.


    But Rita wasn''t thinking about such trivial matters right now.


    Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Before she could ask Nivalis what kind of kart she wanted, the 10-second checkpoint time was up, and 20 explosions rang out.


    With no explosions near them, their go-kart remained intact. Rita and Nivalis both exhaled in relief.


    Some players who had been following them to kill Rita suddenly realized: This is possible?!


    It wasn''t just Rita¡ªmany players who had been about to give up instantly refocused on the game.


    Rita told Nivalis to guard the kart, while she stood on the kart, holding her sniper rifle without letting go. Anyone who got too close would get a bullet.


    Their parking spot was on the very edge, a position carefully chosen by Nivalis so it wouldn''t block other players'' routes. Anyone approaching now definitely had impure motives.


    Next, relying on Nivalis''s driving skills, and with Rita using her essence freely¡ªalmost every round requiring her to activate Bedtime Tale¡ªthe pair completed checkpoint after checkpoint.


    [Fourth challenge: Park the kart in a matching colored spot with no player in the kart.]


    This one was easy. Rita took off, and Nivalis flew up, gripping the handlebars of the kart and steering it into the spot. After freezing it with an ice pillar, she hit the brakes.


    [Fifth challenge: Park the kart in any spot without touching the parking line.]


    Rita and Nivalis flew and lifted the kart into position, placing it in the spot carefully.


    [Sixth challenge: Park your kart in a matching color parking space next to a different colored kart.]


    This one was devious!


    But Rita''s quick thinking came through. She calmly watched the other players fighting, their brains nearly frying.


    Then, when the clock started ticking, Rita used her shadow movement to appear next to the junkyard of go-karts. She picked out a damaged go-kart of a different color and placed it in their parking spot.


    [Seventh challenge: You need to be bumped by another go-kart into a matching color parking space.]


    Rita brought out the damaged go-kart again, and using a technique similar to billiards, she kicked the rear of the junked go-kart to have it crash into their kart, pushing it into the parking spot.


    Players watching this were stunned.


    [Eighth challenge: Enter a blue parking space while spinning your kart.]


    This was the most dangerous challenge, as they not only had to face players attempting to steal their karts but also other go-karts fighting for the same spots.

 Chapter 413: The Divine Game: Kart Racing 17

    In this round, Nivalis kept circling around the outside, dodging the pursuing players, while Rita filled the kart with fuel through her shooting.


    It wasn¡¯t until the clock for the checkpoint started that Nivalis made her move!


    She attached ice spikes to the kart and, with a spinning motion, rammed a player and their kart out of a blue parking space. Rita took the opportunity to hit the player with Drunken Dreams.


    By the time that player was awakened by other players trying to loot, the parking spot had already been taken, and the checkpoint time was more than halfway through.


    Rita and Nivalis barely managed to hold out for five seconds before quickly driving away.


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    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that players who lost their karts couldn¡¯t match the speed of karts without using skills, Rita and Nivalis would have been completely out of luck.


    Question 9: Drift, same color, got it?


    Rita and Nivalis were simultaneously dealing with the pursuit and encirclement of five players.


    They drove around, avoiding the players, and only rushed into the parking spot when the checkpoint began, which allowed them to hold the position for just 10 seconds.


    But even then, they barely made it through by using a self-destructive strategy: with Bedtime Tale activated, they surrounded their own kart with Thunder Cage, and rotated through Drunken Dreams, 100,000 Volts, and Explosive Drummer.


    Even the incomplete Cheers was thrown out, but the lightning orb had too little damage to even explode.


    While Rita stalled for time, Nivalis used Aurora Screen to help them last until the end.


    When they completed the checkpoint, almost all their healing skills on cooldown, their mana drained completely, and Nivalis¡¯ dragon claws were trembling while her wings started cramping¡ªthis was her first time experiencing this in her dragon life.


    As for Rita, she¡¯d already invested nearly a hundred skill points just to get through this Kart License Test.


    This was risky, because the method of waking up a vending machine was unpredictable. But compared to the current risk on the field, the vending machine¡¯s risk seemed minimal¡ªit might even drag all the players into trouble.


    By now, weaker players had already lost their karts and were just standing by the road, out of luck.


    These were the lucky ones¡ªthere were others whose karts had been stolen, and worse, their lives too.


    If Rita stayed here any longer, the risk would be too great¡ªshe was the weakest player with a kart.


    There was no point in continuing to risk violating the rules when they could leave.


    Since more and more players had lost their karts, Rita and Nivalis, having completed all nine questions, had a very low chance of failing. More importantly, it had become increasingly difficult to answer the questions. Though they had answered all nine correctly, the upcoming questions were almost impossible for them to finish.


    It was time to leave. Dozens of players were already eyeing her kart.


    And just then, the tenth question was announced:


    Question 10: Park your kart in two different color parking spaces at the same time.


    There were still over 300 karts on the field, but only 500 parking spots. This would definitely lead to a massive battle, not only between players with and without karts, but also among the kart players themselves.


    Rita quickly ordered, "Let¡¯s go!"


    Looking up at the sky, it was already nearing dusk, and the planet ring had vanished. Now, the sky was filled with the Milky Way...


    This game in the safety zone had just begun, and there was still a long way to go. No player would give up this game so early. Waking up the vending machine now would go directly against the interests of all the players.


    No one was prepared for Rita and Nivalis because, at that moment, they seemed like the least likely players to wake up a vending machine¡ªespecially since they had never interfered with one before.


    Behind them, a group of at least ten players trailed, surrounding them with their karts.


    Rita and Nivalis didn¡¯t dare to glance sideways. Sitting in the kart, they frantically pressed the self-service vending machine¡¯s screen, trying to get it to dispense items faster... like good students running into street bullies after school.

 Chapter 414: Settlement! Global Announcement — BS Rita!

    After filling up the kart with fuel, Rita and Nivalis quickly left. The karts that didn¡¯t move to give way didn¡¯t matter to them; they had manners!


    They could fly! Rita and Nivalis lifted the front and the rear of the kart, moving it out of the encirclement. Then, they took their seats and drove off immediately.


    It was a good thing that no one could attack in the safe zone, or else they would have been worried about not making it out alive. Your next read is at novelhall.Co?m


    Nivalis: "Is this what being notorious feels like?"


    Rita: "If you don¡¯t understand idioms, don¡¯t use them. What we have here is ¡¯chaotic stars.¡¯"


    Nivalis: "Shameless."


    Rita: "..."


    Even though Rita and Nivalis were taking turns driving forward without stopping, in the end, their rank still ended up at 5312th, with a 28-kilometer difference from the player ahead of them.


    In the last minute of the game, the planetary ring had already disappeared, and the Milky Way was still visible. But at the edge of the battlefield sky, a red moon appeared.


    Rita heard the game settlement sound, but she was busy using her unique skill, Who Will Cut the Moonlight, on the red moon.


    The moment the skill hit, the red moon flickered, and a ring of black flames ignited around it. Before she could see clearly, she was kicked out of the world battlefield and back to her villa. She rubbed her slightly warm right eye and, before she could look for a mirror, the system voice sounded.


    [The 23160th Divine Game has ended]


    [Player BS Rita ranked 5312th in the 23160th Divine Game ¡¤ Kart Racing]


    [Comprehensive Game Score: 73]


    [Only one deity is willing to leave an anonymous comment: Well done]


    [Reward: 6 Golden Tree Withered Leaves]


    [Reward: 3 Nightmare Chests]


    [BS Star and a specific race from BS Star will receive 0.18% Evolution progress. Please choose the race you wish to favor. Other life forms in BS Star will not be able to benefit from your favor]


    Upon seeing the last rule, Rita immediately understood.


    Rita sighed deeply and said, "I choose humanity. Any race that exists as part of humanity can receive my favor."


    As for Rick, she would personally kill him and take back everything he had gotten from her.


    The moment she finished speaking, she heard the global announcement.


    [BS Announcement: War and chaos mark the beginning of a legend. Only blood and resilience can defend BS¡¯s honor.]


    [BS Rita and her contract dragon Nivalis, with their astute and steady gameplay strategy, fearless attitude, and flexible combat style, carved a bloody path through the battlefield of ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, bringing fame to BS.]


    [Player Rita has chosen BS Star¡¯s human race to receive her favor. Humans will receive a small amount of life level evolution.]


    [Player Rita has been awarded 50,000 Honor Points.]


    "Astute and steady gameplay strategy, fearless attitude, and flexible combat style... bringing fame to BS..."


    Rita turned to Nivalis, who had also heard the announcement, and asked, "Is it implying that we have no regard for our lives?"


    Nivalis responded seriously, "Don¡¯t take it personally. We are excellent."


    Rita: "Alright then."


    Including the 40,000 Honor Points from World Graveyard ¡¤ Red Heart A, World Graveyard ¡¤ Tiger Chess, World Graveyard ¡¤ Blue Glass Ball, and World Graveyard ¡¤ Red Glass Ball, her total Honor Points had reached 132,051.


    She glanced at the six golden withered leaves and three Nightmare Chests that had been floating in front of her since earlier. She tried picking up one of the golden leaves.


    [Golden Tree Withered Leaf]: A leaf from the Golden Tree that has withered due to the loss of most of its energy. When used, it will cause a small miracle.]


    Rita directly split three of the leaves and handed them to Nivalis, who had been watching eagerly: "One for each."


    Nivalis, with a mix of surprise and shock, took the three leaves. After a brief moment of silence, she said, "I know this... Lidian mentioned it. It¡¯s really good. Actually, you can give me two... one should be enough. Lidian said that¡¯s how everyone divides them."


    Actually, from the settlement screen, it was clear that Rita was the main player, while the pet was just an accessory. The evolution of the entire race, thanks to the Golden Tree Withered Leaves, was only for the life forms of BS Star, not Nivalis.


    Nivalis, as Rita¡¯s contract pet, could still enjoy the benefits of evolution even if the dragon race wasn¡¯t the chosen race. After all, dragons were a race already favored by the gods.


    The earliest dragon ancestors were beings personally created by deities. With long lifespans, the snow piles had witnessed the birth and fall of two worlds. They didn¡¯t need to participate in the world battlefield to grow stronger as they aged.


    In other words, dragons didn¡¯t have their own world. They were like trees without roots. Even if they wanted to enter the world battlefield for their evolution, they had no right to do so.

 Chapter 415: As Long as You’re My Dragon…

    The BS announcement mentioned her, probably only because she had signed an equal contract with Rita, and she had logged into the BS server previously. Nivalis pushed the withered leaf back, understanding that this was not something one could simply get by entering the Colosseum like the Nightmare Chests; this was definitely a true reward from Divine Game.


    But just a moment ago, Rita, who had been penny-pinching, shook her head. "It¡¯s only fair that we split this 50-50, considering your driving skills helped us so much in this round."


    Rita knew that the Golden Tree Withered Leaf was the real treasure here, and it must be even more precious than the Nightmare Chest.


    She wasn¡¯t the type to say one thing and do another, pretending ignorance when it came to dividing rewards after sharing hardships. She looked into Nivalis¡¯ eyes, her tone serious as she spoke:


    "I may never be able to give you my complete trust. It¡¯s not your fault, and it¡¯s not mine either. But as long as you¡¯re my dragon, Nivalis, I will never ignore or undervalue your contributions." Read new chapters at novelhall.Co?m


    Nivalis stared blankly at Rita before speaking up. "What about your determination? You said you wanted to grow stronger, to gain power. This is it."


    Saying this, Nivalis anxiously held up the three Golden Tree Withered Leaves in front of Rita, almost as if trying to make her understand, "This is it!"


    Rita gently pushed the leaves into Nivalis¡¯ arms, her fingers brushing over the water-drop-shaped white gem on Nivalis¡¯ forehead. "You too," she said.


    Nivalis suddenly understood why, every time she had expressed how important Rita was to her, Rita had always gotten flustered and upset.


    At that moment, Nivalis couldn¡¯t feel her limbs or wings; she felt as though she were floating. Holding the three Golden Tree Withered Leaves to her chest like a precious treasure, she let out a soft "oh" and smiled foolishly.


    Rita then handed Nivalis a Nightmare Chest. "One for you, two for me. Is that okay?"


    Nivalis was still smiling dreamily. "Sure, whatever works. I was thinking of going back to Dragon Island and telling Holy Cup and the others about my gains. Is that alright?"


    "Of course."


    Nivalis, clutching both the chest and the Golden Tree Withered Leaves, used her cat-like head to teleport home.


    Rita didn¡¯t rush to use the Golden Tree Withered Leaves or the chest. She kept them safe, walked up to a mirror, and looked into her right eye.


    Her right eye had turned blood red.


    She blinked, noticing no immediate change, but when she pulled out the Wrathful Moon and brought her eye near the lantern to examine the moon trapped in Moon Sand, the moon that had been glowing recently extinguished.


    Rita: ???


    "Why is it angry again?!"


    She had only spent 12 hours in Kart Racing, but her usage of her Arcane Powers had already drained 523 points, leaving her with only 12,241 Arcane Points. Had she not spent three hundred years in the High Tower, she wouldn¡¯t have enough power left.


    Rita had had enough of Shadow.Q. She knew that if she didn¡¯t give a clear answer, Eclipse Vanguard wouldn¡¯t let it go.


    She walked outside her villa, through the Thunder Net, and opened the metal gate.


    Rita: "I¡¯m opening the door."


    Within 2 seconds, a portal appeared outside her villa. Shadow.Q walked out carrying bags and boxes, the most terrifying being a long string of small boxes resembling firecrackers.


    Haha, Eclipse Vanguard must¡¯ve wrapped every single skill crystal...


    Behind the portal, several of Eclipse Vanguard¡¯s colleagues could be faintly seen, rubbing their hands together with the eager excitement of winning a big prize.


    Rita opened a passage through the Thunder Net and let Shadow.Q in.


    She poured Shadow.Q a cup of coffee and said directly, "I won¡¯t say anything about it. If you want to know something, go investigate yourself. Even if you go there, we won¡¯t be able to form a team. I¡¯ll say this again: I¡¯m barely surviving. Nivalis and I are struggling just to stay alive."


    Now, with her strength, she didn¡¯t need any excuses. No one could force her to do anything she didn¡¯t want to.


    And what she said was the truth.


    With her Arcane Powers, she could use all skills without restriction, and with Arcane amplification, their power was magnified.


    She had several top-tier talents, including Midnight Exile, One-Person Party, Sharpshooter, and others like Food God and Immortal that would come into play when needed.


    Her agility was close to 2,000, and her other attributes were over 200.


    She still had three two-star keys for entering the world battlefield.


    With her orange-red wings, she could fly; with Nivalis¡¯ help, and knowing more than 600 languages from countless races, she still struggled to survive in the world battlefield.


    This time¡¯s success was solely due to the game aligning perfectly with her and Nivalis. Otherwise, just surviving until the end would¡¯ve been a miracle.


    At this point, any player on BS would be purely cannon fodder in the world battlefield.


    Shadow.Q sighed, but was not surprised by the response. Actually, before departing, Eclipse Vanguard had already guessed Rita¡¯s attitude.


    Considering Nivalis¡¯ current situation, they also guessed that the place was extremely dangerous.


    But until they got a definitive answer, they weren¡¯t about to give up.

 Chapter 416: Golden Tree Withered Leaf

    They didn¡¯t attempt to morally manipulate her. To be honest, the ones who should be afraid of moral pressure right now are Eclipse Vanguard!


    All the players had just received Rita¡¯s favor! Now, Rita is the embodiment of justice¡ªno one can oppose her.


    Just look at the wording in the global announcement!


    Sharp and steady! Fearless in battle! Flexible and adaptable! Bringing fame to BS!


    Oh my God, just those few words alone were enough to paint a picture of a passionate battle!


    Rita... Rita is truly remarkable!


    Many of the old leaders, who could live for another ten years, were moved to tears.


    Shadow.Q gave up on pushing further, instead asking her second question, "What price would you offer for a Mahjong?"


    Rita fell silent. She no longer lacked entrance tickets, but if there was a World Graveyard, she certainly wouldn¡¯t turn it down. She could upgrade the key, but it was difficult to come up with a reasonable price.


    Putting herself in Eclipse Vanguard¡¯s shoes, she felt they probably didn¡¯t want her to bring their members into the arena.


    While the treasure chest was precious, the dungeon¡¯s game screen was a resource. Too many wouldn¡¯t work, and losing even one would be troublesome.


    So, what could she offer?


    First of all, she didn¡¯t want to waste too much time on others. She had her own business¡ªpracticing with her wings, brewing potions, preparing for the next time she entered the world battlefield.


    She was planning to collect games from various civilizations, mainly to understand their key items, especially those unique to civilizations, like racing. Who knew, maybe she¡¯d need to pilot a mech one day! It wasn¡¯t out of the question!


    This time, the kart racing just happened to fall within her and Nivalis¡¯ comfort zone, giving them a great advantage. But the next time? What if it was something she couldn¡¯t operate at all?


    She also wanted to take the opportunity to learn more of the various languages.


    Secondly, there were many things she either couldn¡¯t or didn¡¯t want to offer, like potion recipes, Moon Sand, or helping Eclipse Vanguard use honor points to buy items from the Honor Store.


    These weren¡¯t like the Legion Orders, which seemed incredibly valuable at first glance but would quickly become common. Every single one of these was extremely rare.


    Moon Sand would be gone once used. She had to save her honor points for her own purchases...


    As for the potion recipes, she had grasped a few through her [Alchemy Notes], but they were all master-level formulas. Regardless of whether they were useful or not, she was still experimenting. Even if she gave them to Eclipse Vanguard, they wouldn¡¯t be able to make use of them.


    While Rita pondered, Shadow.Q began to test the waters. "Moon Sand?"


    "Choose something else."


    Shadow.Q immediately crushed the teleportation stone and left.


    After seeing Shadow.Q off, Rita didn¡¯t bother with any further messages. She washed her hands deliberately before sitting down in her study. First, she opened the Nightmare Chest.


    This wasn¡¯t particularly rare. She could get it by soloing the arena. She opened both of them at once.


    One contained a master-level sewing blueprint¡ª[Temporary Pocket].


    It could be sewn onto clothes using magic silk to create a small temporary pocket. The space inside the pocket would exist based on the size of the stored items, but it wouldn¡¯t last longer than 24 hours.


    A very useful professional skill! And it was a blueprint, so Rita immediately learned it!


    The other chest contained a gemstone¡ªa decent high-level material. She had seen it before in Apache¡¯s notes, but it wasn¡¯t useful for alchemy. It was a jewelry item, so she decided to throw it into the Lania Kaia auction house.


    Next came the main event¡ªGolden Tree Withered Leaf!


    She followed the method that automatically appeared in her mind, placed the withered leaf in her palm, and used her internal energy to crush it.


    The leaf instantly shattered into countless golden threads, which then began to reassemble in mid-air, as if invisible hands were weaving the threads together.


    [Congratulations, Player! You¡¯ve received a 5-star reward¡ªTalent Modification I]


    The item formed from the golden threads became a six-sided dice.


    The dice glowed, and the golden threads could be seen flickering within it. From a distance, it resembled a mini sun hanging in the air.


    Upon hearing that it was a 5-star reward, Rita initially wondered if the ranking was like the combat power ranking. But when she saw the words "Talent Modification," all her thoughts vanished. She immediately sat up straight!


    She plucked the dice from the air and found that only three sides had markings: ¡¤, :, ¡à (dot, colon, therefore), while the other three sides were blank.


    [Talent Modification I]: After use, you can modify one word or number in a god-given talent skill up to S-grade. If modifying a number, you must roll the dice to determine the new value. (If you roll a blank side, no modification will occur.)


    S-grade or lower...


    [Midnight Exile]SSS, [One-Person Party], [Immortal], [Food God] were all SS-grade. That left only [Sharpshooter]...


    The 7-related attack skill [Critical Hit] was nice, but she already had the stronger [Midnight Exile]. This skill would just serve as a substitute.


    As for [Fate¡¯s Gear], it was even less meaningful. She was already planning to replace it. The Divine Battlefield was full of lucky players from various worlds, and this skill wasn¡¯t useful. However, she hadn¡¯t yet found a better replacement.


    After ruling out all the impossible or unsuitable options, Rita was left with one choice.


    [I¡¯m Getting Serious (Passive)]: As long as you target an enemy for over 3 seconds, this shot will be a guaranteed hit. Even if blocked, your arrow or bullet will continue its mission until the weapon you fired is destroyed.

 Chapter 417 - 6th Stage Reward

    Rita held the golden dice, selected the "3 seconds" face, and gently tossed the dice into the air.


    She was ready to cheat using Master Thief Dragon. While cheating wouldn¡¯t help in the World Battlefield, who knows if it would work here? It didn¡¯t hurt to try. Even if cheating meant losing this reward, she¡¯d still try once. If it worked, it could mean a huge gain, allowing her to farm the most needed rewards by using time-based abilities.


    The dice hit the table, rolling to the edge and coming to a stop.


    ¡ª1!!!


    In that moment, Rita felt the thrill of a gambler¡¯s joy!


    The golden dice shot towards Rita¡¯s forehead.


    At the same time, the skill description on her skill page changed.


    Skill 3: I¡¯m Getting Serious (Passive): As long as you aim at an enemy for over 1 second, this attack is guaranteed to hit. Even if it is blocked, your arrows and bullets will strive to complete their mission until the weapon you fired is destroyed.


    Although this was an A-level divine gift skill, its power and practicality were no less than an S-level one.


    Rita finally understood why Midnight Exile was so terrifying. It must have been evolved through repeated battlefield rewards, developed by Winter Sea Frenzied Shark over many rounds of gameplay.


    The critical hit multiplier in Midnight Exile, and the 100% damage reflection in Absurd Story, were all results of countless modifications.


    But if the rewards in the World Battlefield were this powerful, could Winter Sea Frenzied Shark potentially take back the divine gifts it had once stolen from her?


    Rita couldn¡¯t rule out this possibility.


    Just changing a single word with a 5th-level reward... what about the rewards at higher stages?


    Despite not sensing such a threat from Winter Sea Frenzied Shark for now, Rita couldn¡¯t help but feel a looming sense of danger.


    Her heartbeat quickened.


    At that moment, her mind flashed through images: High Tower, "Destined Savior," Destiny Is Late, the giant sea beasts that Lania Kaia produced, and the three floating islands of Oak Owls...


    But her rapid heartbeat wasn¡¯t from any of these things. It was from I Could Just Steal It!


    If "this skill can only be used once in a lifetime" could be modified, how wonderful would that be?


    She immediately dismissed the idea of using Moment of Reversal to replace this already grayed-out divine skill.


    Once she took in the scene in front of her, it seemed like she suddenly remembered what had happened before she entered the training space...


    What did it feel like to attend 16 months of combat training without stopping?


    No food, no bathroom breaks, no showers. Only 2 hours of rest each day. The rest of the time was spent fighting in various conditions.


    One-on-one combat, fast battles, ambushes, traps, one-armed battles, magic suppression... Sometimes, she would randomly lose her vision, hearing, or even sense of pain.


    It was terrifying. She suspected that if she hadn¡¯t spent 300 years in High Tower, greatly strengthening her mental and spiritual endurance, these 16 months of combat training might have pushed her mind to the brink of collapse. Towards the end, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to focus on learning at all.


    Rita took various mental relief potions and used healing skills on herself. She felt a little better afterward.


    She shifted using Phantom Movement to the backyard, forced herself to cuddle a few of the fattest cats, then lay down on the grass, basking in the sun.


    What she needed most now was mental rest.


    When she opened her eyes again, Nivalis¡¯s head filled her vision: "You¡¯re awake?"


    Thinking her mentor was attacking again, Rita almost reacted with force. "...Hmm, did Holy Cup praise you?"


    Nivalis immediately burst out laughing, even flying into the air, dancing and reenacting the moment with grand gestures:


    "Of course! I called Holy Cup, North Year, Snow Pile, Wind Shear, Emperor Umbrella, and Lidian! Right in front of them, I went ding ding ding ding! And held up three pieces of Golden Tree Withered Leaf! I told them, this is the reward you gave me after fighting alongside me!"


    "You really should¡¯ve joined me. Then you¡¯d have seen how silly North Year looked when he said, ¡¯So soon?¡¯ Haha, Lidian didn¡¯t believe me, and asked how many Golden Tree Withered Leaves I got. When I told her six, she was so mad!"


    "Although it¡¯s not great to boast and compare, compared to Pine Bloom, you really made me look good! They all said you¡¯re awesome!"


    Rita, her hands behind her head, stared at the stars and listened to Nivalis talk. When she heard Pine Bloom¡¯s name, she was curious. "Is Pine Bloom not good to Lidian? When we were in High Tower, didn¡¯t she specifically look up dragon recipes for Lidian?"


    She also remembered the combined skill Decisive Moment that she had gotten from Emperor Umbrella, when Emperor Umbrella had said, "Lidian doesn¡¯t need this anymore." That meant Lidian had used it. If combined skills required an extremely close relationship, then Pine Bloom and Lidian¡¯s bond couldn¡¯t be bad.


    So if Pine Bloom wasn¡¯t nice to Lidian, how did they have that skill?


    She asked this question aloud.


    Nivalis explained, "Pine Bloom seems very good to Lidian. She finds recipes for her, gives her many titles, builds castles for her, and even had Oak Owls build a statue of her in Four Seasons City. The skills she creates are named after Lidian."


    "Every single thing Pine Bloom does, she discusses with Lidian. If Lidian doesn¡¯t want it, she won¡¯t do it." Your journey continues at novelhall.Co?m

 Chapter 418: Write a Letter, Must Write a Letter to Zoey!

    "What moved Lidian the most was when they faced deadly danger together, Pine Bloom repeatedly risked her life to protect her, willing to die rather than let Lidian die."


    "But I think Pine Bloom is no match for you. You always rush in yourself and leave me the escape route," Nivalis continued.


    Rita couldn¡¯t help but interrupt:


    "Isn¡¯t that obvious? I can¡¯t bear for you to die. If you die, you¡¯ll go back to Dragon Island, and who knows if you¡¯d even remember me. Even if you do, you¡¯d have to stay in a dragon egg for a year. I die, and I¡¯ll be back in a few days. Lidian and Pine Bloom are probably in the same situation."


    Nivalis paused, then hesitantly asked, "Are you allergic to emotional speeches?"


    Rita: "...I was wrong, continue."


    "Anyway! Lidian really seems to be doing well, but Pine Bloom took more from her than she gave.


    "Although she always consults with Lidian about everything, she always manages to get what she wants, and the results benefit Pine Bloom.


    "If she needs gold, she¡¯ll ask Lidian for some dragon blood. Most of the dragon blood with the alchemists of Lania Kaia comes from Lidian.


    "If she wants to evolve quickly and surpass Maple Syrup and Peach Crown, she¡¯ll ask Lidian to step aside.


    "She tells Lidian that they¡¯re in an equal contract, so they shouldn¡¯t keep track of things like gold, equipment, rare items, and tools¡ªall of it goes to Pine Bloom, and it¡¯s all fair.


    "The most absurd part is that Lidian actually believed Pine Bloom¡¯s lies at first."


    Thinking of Lidian¡¯s grievances, Nivalis concluded, "Pine Bloom gave Lidian nothing useful, but almost drained her dry. Snow Pile even said that Dragon Island would sell everything they had to fix Lidian¡¯s mind."


    Rita asked curiously, "Didn¡¯t the dragons from Dragon Island step in to help her?"


    Nivalis shook her head. "Emperor Umbrella. said it wouldn¡¯t help. Lidian has to wake up on her own."


    Just as Rita was about to continue the conversation, she heard the system notification: Winter Sea Frenzied Shark¡¯s first curse had been lifted.


    That was quick¡ªonly two months and it was undone.


    She immediately planned to try cursing again, but then thought about it. Frenzied Shark probably wasn¡¯t in any danger in his own world. She could wait until the next Divine Game to curse him and double his rule count!


    But there was someone she could curse right now!


    Rita first used a "Hide and Seek" skill, covering the backyard in fog to prevent anyone from spying. Then, she transformed into a cat and began meowing non-stop.


    A few minutes later, the sky rang with the sound of meowing.


    But all players understood the long series of cat calls.


    Then, the three of them all avoided the topic and turned the conversation back to Rita, asking where she had been and if she had brought anything back.


    But privately, both Scarlett and Samuel messaged her asking if she could get another "Spring Not Late" gem.


    Rita replied to both, saying she¡¯d help them find it.


    After dealing with her enemies, Rita noticed Nivalis had been using the Golden Tree Withered Leaf to entertain the cats in the backyard.


    She asked Nivalis, "Why aren¡¯t you using it? By the way, don¡¯t try to cheat with Master Thief Dragon. I tried it and it doesn¡¯t work."


    Nivalis flew up in front of Rita and sat down, holding up the Golden Tree Withered Leaf:


    "I wanted to wait until you woke up to use it with you."


    Rita didn¡¯t care about such ceremony, but it was clear Nivalis liked it. She sat cross-legged, patted the ground, and said, "Alright, let¡¯s go."


    First Leaf: "Congratulations, player, you have drawn a 4th-tier reward¡ªSkill Modification I."


    You can modify one word or number of a skill that is not higher than S-rank.


    Nivalis also got a six-sided dice with values from 1 to 3, and she chose the Aurora Screen skill, modifying the casting time from 6 seconds to 2 seconds.


    Second Leaf: "Congratulations, player, you have drawn a 6th-tier reward¡ªGene Evolution I."


    This was exactly what Nivalis needed. She crushed the golden-threaded droplet, and the golden threads burrowed into the silver ice-crystal-like patterns on her white dragon belly.


    Nivalis¡¯ spirit clearly improved a bit, but it was still far from enough.


    Third Leaf: "Congratulations, player, you have drawn a 5th-tier reward¡ª20 languages of all races (selectable)."


    A 5th-tier reward, and it only had 20 languages...


    When Maple Burn gave her the 666 languages of all races, she probably had no idea how valuable these languages actually were.


    Hiss... when they traded, Maple Syrup probably hadn¡¯t even come out of the World Battlefield yet...


    When she revived Maple Burn, she met Mistblade, who had just come out of the battlefield.


    It felt like a kid selling off the family¡¯s hidden treasures when the adults were away.


    But for some reason, she felt that Maple Syrup wouldn¡¯t care.


    As long as Maple Burn came back to her, she wouldn¡¯t care about the 666 languages of all races...

 Chapter 419: Snow Pile’s Gift & Apache’s New Invention

    Nivalis selected 20 languages that Rita didn¡¯t know from the Languages of All Races options.


    But when she was about to select the last language, Nivalis hesitated and asked, "Should we choose Moon Fox Language?"


    After all, they¡¯d still need to trade with Mistblade for quite a while.


    Rita shook her head. "No need. We¡¯ve got translators outside, and on the battlefield, we can just use sign language with her. If the rules really include Moon Fox Language, we can trade with her directly."


    Nivalis nodded. That made sense. No need for the language; they could continue their game of "Pictionary" with Mistblade instead.


    After selecting the languages, Nivalis handed Rita a bowl containing something. "This is a gift from Snow Pile to thank you for looking after me."


    Rita took the gift, a half dragon egg shell. To her surprise, it fit perfectly on her head!


    The eggshell was a soft pink with intricate deep red patterns on it, and although there were a few cracks along the edge, the sharp corners had long since worn smooth. From the moment she held it, faint flickers of flame would occasionally emerge from the shell, as if the eggshell itself had some sort of life.


    Nivalis explained, "This is the shell of a dragon egg that failed to hatch. Snow Pile says you can use it to brew potions or cook, and something amazing will happen."


    [Sleeping Dragon Eggshel] (Treasure): The shell left behind by a dragon that died in the hatching stage. Only beings blessed by the dragons can receive it. Whatever you do with it, it will occasionally surprise you.


    It was just like the legendary Dragon Ancestor¡¯s Scales she had received before.


    Rita raised an eyebrow. "Aren¡¯t you keeping it as a keepsake?"


    Nivalis shrugged. "Snow Pile said it¡¯s already been kept long enough. The best keepsake is to give it to a close friend of the dragons. The little dragon inside will get to see more adventures with us. Snow Pile says if you like the gift, you should take it out often and show it the world."


    Without hesitation, Rita attached a binding stone to the eggshell and stored it safely.


    Though it was still early evening, Rita wasn¡¯t planning to relax. "I¡¯m heading to Lania Kaia to find Apache. Are you coming?"


    "Of course! I brought back lots of scraps from Dragon Island. Do you think I can sell them to Apache?"


    "You can, just don¡¯t talk. I¡¯ll handle the negotiations."


    By 2 AM, when Dark City¡¯s closing time came, Rita and Kayden were finally free, as the potions had all been sold out.


    Rita sat at a table, where Apache had already arranged dinner.


    Reflecting on the intense scene earlier, when customers nearly fought over the potions, Rita casually said, "Good thing you don¡¯t have a quota system here. Otherwise, Kayden and I might have been caught in the middle of it."


    Apache paused his movement as he was pouring wine. "What¡¯s a quota system?"


    Rita took the spoon and bowl from Kayden, thanked her, and explained, "It¡¯s when you have to spend a certain amount of money in the store before you¡¯re allowed to buy potions like This Skill I Don¡¯t Like."


    She waited for Apache to take the first spoonful, but he didn¡¯t move. She looked at Nivalis, only to see her staring at her with a complex expression.


    It was a mix of regret, shock, realization, and sadness... all of it condensed into one thought: Why didn¡¯t you say this earlier?!


    Nivalis, holding a spoon and bowl, decided to help out. "You could also sell blind-box potions, where every potion goes into a small, uninspectable box called a Lizi. Inside, there could be all sorts of potions, with the best being This Skill I Don¡¯t Like II. You could sell them all for 99 coins each."


    Rita gave Nivalis a look that said, You¡¯re still too green.


    "Here¡¯s the real deal: 33% of the potions should be worth around 50 coins, 53% worth 50¨C100 coins, and 23% worth 100¨C150 coins. The last 1% should be This Skill I Don¡¯t Like I."


    Apache and Kayden were so absorbed in her explanation that they forgot to breathe.


    Kayden asked, "But what about This Skill I Don¡¯t Like II?"


    Rita smirked, "You could put one in a box. Then, you find a necromancer, and during peak hours in the store, get them to buy the box with the This Skill I Don¡¯t Like II potion. They¡¯ll open it in front of the customers, and once the rush is over, they can return the potion to you. You just give them a small reward."


    "You¡¯d only need to do this once a month, but you should use different races to keep things fresh. Don¡¯t always use undead."


    "Plus, you always complain about the unpopular potions not selling, right? This method will help you clear them out."


    Apache and Kayden exchanged impressed looks, already beginning to discuss the idea in detail.


    Rita was pleased. Her suggestion could definitely shake things up!

 Chapter 420: Daily Life in the Alchemy Shop

    After Rita explained the blind box idea, she noticed that the undead and dragons around the table were staring at her with expressions as if they had just seen a demon.


    What¡¯s going on?! Considering Apache¡¯s reputation, Rita thought she had toned it down quite a bit. Back in the BS before the game invasion, these blind box prices could have easily been doubled.


    Rita awkwardly cleared her throat. "This is just a tiny, insignificant marketing trick... aren¡¯t the Wind Scythe Clan in Lania Kaia good at business? Didn¡¯t they do something like this?"


    Apache and Kayden both slowly shook their heads in unison.


    Kayden: "They still have some morals and boundaries."


    Rita: ???


    Apache downed the drink in her cup and slammed it back onto the table. "But I don¡¯t! I¡¯ll do it like this!"


    Then, she gave Rita¡¯s shoulders a heavy pat. "Not bad! Little Apache, you¡¯re great! You¡¯ll take care of this for me!"


    Little Apache, aka Rita: "...Isn¡¯t this a bit much?" What if it backfires? Plus, she¡¯s busy.


    Apache: "You teach Kayden. Once she gets the hang of it, I¡¯ll teach you how to make [This Skill I Don¡¯t Like II]. Kayden, you too, but you have to start with the first version!"


    Rita¡¯s expression turned serious as she refilled Apache¡¯s cup. "But speaking of which, teacher, I have another golden idea..." If things go wrong, she¡¯ll just run away!


    Kayden & Nivalis: ...


    During dinner, Rita deliberately asked Apache if she knew anything about other worlds, customs, civilizations, or gossip.


    Although Apache didn¡¯t know much, she did point Rita in a useful direction.


    "You can go find Mistblade Moon Emperor. She knows a lot. She used to give us occasional lessons, and would always share interesting stories, but when I was studying abroad, I found out those stories didn¡¯t come from Lania Kaia. After Forest Sea joined Lania Kaia, I even looked into it, and they didn¡¯t come from the Oak Owl either."


    Rita thanked her, but she was hesitating inside.


    She knew that Mistblade had already guessed that she had Moon Sand; otherwise, Mistblade wouldn¡¯t have tried to trade for it in the little painter¡¯s game. Now, if she went to Mistblade for a trade, it would be like handing over the initiative. Mistblade would definitely use this chance to exchange for Moon Sand...


    Rita: "Teacher, have you figured out the use of Moon Sand?"


    Nivalis took the lead in crafting, while Rita helped with assembling parts.


    They spent the next three days in a busy yet peaceful routine. During this time, Rita also sent a letter to Mistblade Moon Emperor, offering to buy information about other worlds.


    She had considered asking Maple Syrup instead. If Maple Syrup could catch Autumn Bears, she must have a way to travel to other worlds.


    Unfortunately, Maple Syrup had too many personal entanglements with the Maple Burn family. She had to deal with a mess, and she wasn¡¯t sure what Maple Syrup wanted either. There was a chance that Maple Syrup might take the opportunity to trick her and see if she had taken all the Moon Sand from [Destiny Is Late].


    Compared to that, Mistblade seemed easier to deal with. But what Rita didn¡¯t expect was that after receiving her letter, Mistblade actually came in person!


    She sat next to Apache, brewing potions, and stared intensely at the Wind Scythe who was half a head shorter than Kayden.


    Many customers were startled by Mistblade Moon Emperor¡¯s appearance, but soon after, instead of leaving, they kept coming in and out of the alchemy shop to buy blind boxes. More and more people arrived, all trying to steal glances at Mistblade Moon Emperor while pretending to buy the boxes.


    Mistblade had the most followers and admirers, not just because she was beautiful and powerful, but also because she was the former dean of the Prinsen Alchemy School. More importantly, she almost never killed civilians over minor "disrespect."


    She had once said in class that venting anger on the weak with a large gap in strength was a barbaric, uncivilized act.


    Rita would probably be furious if she knew this. Kayden once told her that Mistblade had randomly beaten up a goblin on the street...


    Considering the timing and Rita asking about [Moonlit Night Song], the goblin was probably the one Rita had transformed into.


    Apache quietly decided to tell Rita about this nonsense after closing shop tonight.


    Seeing the customers coming and going, Apache sincerely thanked Mistblade. "Thank you."


    Mistblade: "Your apprentice tricked me in the last deal. Only blood can calm my anger!"


    Apache slowly poured the potion into a glass bottle. "Didn¡¯t you promise her you wouldn¡¯t cause her trouble over that thing?"


    Mistblade glared at Apache. "Am I, the Moon Emperor, supposed to reason with you?"


    Apache: "What you just said was completely unreasonable."


    Apache wasn¡¯t worried that Mistblade would suddenly kill Rita because she not only understood Mistblade well, but she also understood Rita even better.

 Chapter 421: New Gem: [Last Night’s Star]

    Both Rita and Mistblade were clearly satisfied with their previous trade¡ªneither side lost out, or else Mistblade wouldn¡¯t be sitting next to her now, picking a fight.


    And knowing Rita¡¯s cleverness, if she had truly wronged Mistblade to the point where she couldn¡¯t be forgiven, she wouldn¡¯t have stuck around in the alchemy shop, letting Mistblade corner her.


    So, either both of them had their own plans, or they were hoping to cooperate again.


    Rita probably had something that Mistblade was interested in, something the latter couldn¡¯t get through unconventional methods and had to resort to a trade.


    Thinking back to the questions Rita had asked before, she even started to wonder if Mistblade had been the one who had brought it up herself.


    Rita secretly stole a few glances at Mistblade, but saw no sign of hostility, which made her breathe a quiet sigh of relief.


    Once they were done with their work, Apache and Kayden went off to count the gold coins, leaving the second-floor research room to Mistblade and Rita.


    Mistblade didn¡¯t want to argue about the loopholes in their previous transaction. She found it too embarrassing, so she decided to start a new trade instead to regain face. As soon as Rita and Nivalis sat down, she said, "I have information about other worlds, but it¡¯s 100g of Moon Sand per piece."


    "..." Rita cleared her throat. "Actually, I don¡¯t have to buy it."


    Mistblade sneered. "I traveled all this way and wasted an entire day of my time, and you¡¯re telling me you don¡¯t want to buy it?"


    Nivalis, who had turned into a cat, lifted her head from her milk cup and said, "Why are you forcing a sale?"


    Mistblade stared at Nivalis for a few seconds, then remembered the curse that had once echoed on the battlefield. She silently crossed out one of her trade options, took out her hamster Kabbalah, and placed it on the table, softly saying, "Go play."


    For a moment, Rita had the strange feeling that she was at a single-mother¡¯s support group.


    But undeniably, she could feel a strong sense of humanity from Mistblade.


    It was a contradiction¡ªshe would wage wars on entire worlds alongside the Holy Tribes for the sake of the World Graveyard, yet she wasn¡¯t a bloodthirsty, cold-blooded person.


    She would trade with PhantomDancer for the World Graveyard, seek revenge for PhantomDancer, and even worked as a school dean before.


    Rita¡¯s thoughts drifted. If BS became successful one day and needed more World Graveyards, what choice would she make?


    Mistblade: "Hmm, you don¡¯t plan to offend Fat Goose, but you¡¯ve been planning one offense after another against me."


    Rita: "..." You see? You¡¯re just being unreasonable again!


    Mistblade: "You can blame the curse on me, say it was my request."


    Rita still wore a face of reluctance.


    Mistblade: "I¡¯ll teach you how to travel to other worlds, how to make [Moonlit Night Song], and I¡¯ll translate the rules of three games for you."


    Rita didn¡¯t need [Moonlit Night Song]. In fact, she wished that gemstone didn¡¯t even exist.


    Rita asked, "Could we trade for a different gemstone?"


    Mistblade, visibly irritated, took a slow breath. "You¡¯re being too audacious..."


    Rita quickly added, "I¡¯ve already learned how to make your invention, [Spring Not Late]. I want to learn a more advanced gem, something with even more alchemical beauty!"


    Saying that, she took out a complete version of [Spring Not Late] that she had made herself and showed it to Mistblade.


    She was betting that someone might feel offended if others learned their invention, but others would be pleased if their creations found a worthy successor.


    She was betting that Mistblade, who had once taught [Spring Not Late] to a random goblin in exchange for a World Graveyard, would be the latter¡ªsomeone who appreciated talent instead of jealousy.


    Mistblade¡¯s eyes flickered. She picked up the [Spring Not Late] and examined it for a moment before setting it down, her expression unreadable.


    After a long silence, the Moon Emperor finally took out a small blue glowing orb, like a Poke? Ball, and said, "A high-level gem, [Last Night¡¯s Star]. When used, it can store time. The stored time can be used to offset the cooldown of any skill. The current maximum is 24 hours."


    She paused for a moment and then looked directly into Rita¡¯s eyes. "In terms of practicality, it doesn¡¯t compare to Apache¡¯s [Melted Time]. In terms of rank, it doesn¡¯t compare to [Moonlit Night Song] or [Spring Not Late]."


    "No... no no no!" Rita frowned at first, but the more she thought about it, the more intrigued she became. She sat up straighter, even leaning slightly forward, her excitement bubbling over.


    "Time can be stored? At the advanced stage, you can store up to 24 hours, but what if you research it to the end? What if I can store a person¡¯s entire life in it? This would be far more valuable than [Moonlit Night Song] or [Spring Not Late]!"


    Mistblade suddenly laughed, a soft, almost imperceptible "hmph," but it was undeniably a smile.

 Chapter 422 Discovering the Wild Wallet — Wolf Fortress!

    Mistblade pulled out a scroll: "Curse Fat Goose for me, and add 100g of Moon Sand, and I will agree to exchange Moonlit Night Song for Last Night''s Star from the previous three conditions."


    Rita immediately took out 100g of Moon Sand¡ªshe had packed several sizes over the past few days¡ªand pushed it in front of Mistblade, saying in a strong, clear voice: "A Candle Barbarian king is not even worthy of being compared to the tip of Mistblade Moon Emperor''s tail!"


    Once the benefits were secured, who wouldn''t be willing to curse? After all, when everyone enters the World Battlefield, no one cares about family ties.


    What''s the big deal with Fat Goose? What''s so special about Candle Barbarian kings?! Haven''t I offended enough royalty already? One more doesn''t make a difference.


    A minute later, a crisp, melodious female voice rang out in the sky of Lania Kaia.


    "I have been entrusted by Lania Kaia''s Mistblade Moon Emperor to curse the Candle Barbarian king of Lania Kaia, Fat Goose, that he will never produce alchemy potions or craft gems in this lifetime, until he comes to Mistblade Moon Emperor''s palace to cry, admit his fault, and swear never to touch alchemy again. The curse will only be lifted after this. There is only one curse slot left for sale. Those interested may contact Mistblade Moon Emperor."


    After hearing the first-hand curse, Mistblade was silent: "..."


    Before Mistblade could act, Rita took the initiative to smile at her, giving a friendly thumbs-up: "You negotiate the price when the time comes. I''ll do the cursing, and we''ll split the profits 50/50!"


    She knew that Mistblade was royalty, and through Mistblade, she could take orders and avoid taking the heat. It was only fair to give her a share of the profits when the deal was done. You have to be tight-fisted when needed, but you should also give your due.


    Mistblade''s eyes lit up, and a few sparks of excitement flickered in her gaze. She nodded approvingly: "Not bad, I''ve long seen that you''re no ordinary person!" BS Rita wasn''t afraid to die, what was there to fear?


    Nivalis and the hamster had long stopped their tussling. The cat and mouse sat at the table, their expressions heavy.


    Hamster ZiZi: "I''m starting to get scared."


    Nivalis: "I''m used to it."


    Rita had a knack for laying low, but her skill for causing trouble was even stronger.


    After the curse was completed, Mistblade promptly told Rita how to travel to other worlds.


    "Do you know about the Arena of All Races?"


    "I do."


    "When the opposing race first enters, and the entry barrier is still open, you can rush in before the curtain closes. The only side effect is that if you don''t have any team members for that match, you''ll be immediately disqualified, and the opposing race will directly invade your world."


    Find your next adventure on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Can the giant light curtain that divides the arena be passed through? How do I get back? Can I use teleportation skills?" Rita asked.


    "Teleportation skills don''t always work. Sometimes they fail when the worlds are too far apart. But once you enter the World Battlefield¡ªno matter from which world you enter¡ªafter the game ends, you will be sent back to the world linked to the battlefield key. You don''t need to worry about not being able to return."


    ...


    After leaving the alchemy shop, Rita and Nivalis first visited the toy store in Dark City. The focus wasn''t on the games, but on the mechanical items that required interaction, like racing toys. Rita and Nivalis bought a set each to study later.


    All expenses were covered by Nivalis, as Rita was now broke and living off her.


    After reconciling with Mistblade, the two of them didn''t feel much danger heading to the three major Moonfox cities. They used to avoid the main city of Moonfox to save time on I Really Don''t Have Time for a Bath, but now they had no such concerns.


    After leaving Dark City, Rita and Nivalis first went to Tonton Lin, the most developed of Wind Scythe''s three main cities, where there were plenty of entertainment facilities and stores.


    Just as they entered the toy store, they saw a familiar figure.


    Wolf Fortress! My wild wallet!!


    Rita screamed inside her head to Nivalis: I''m about to get rich!


    Nivalis: ?


    Rita: Give me a gold coin.


    Nivalis handed one over, and Rita turned her back to take out the turtle jade stone, smashing the coin into it.


    Then, she casually walked into the toy store.


    At that moment, Wolf Fortress was in the midst of negotiating with the Moonfox saleswoman, claiming that the toy he bought last year was broken.


    After choosing her toys and paying, Rita noticed Wolf Fortress was still arguing with the shop assistant.


    The store was busy, with customers coming and going. Another Blood Elf employee had already taken over helping the customers.


    After Nivalis paid, Rita took the shopping bag and walked out of the toy store. Just as she was about to step over the threshold, she turned back and used her stealing skill on Wolf Fortress repeatedly.


    She didn''t stop until she saw her wallet pile up with gold coins!


    Rita quickened her pace as she left the store with Nivalis.


    Nivalis: "How much?"


    Rita: "30,000!"


    Just as she finished speaking, a scream from Wind Scythe echoed behind them...

 Chapter 423 Skill 1: Survive Until the End

    Rita quickly turned a corner, activated her Hunter''s Eye to confirm that no one was around, then used Invisibility to switch into a new outfit. After that, she used a disguise skill to change her race. Considering that Wind Scythe was involved earlier, Rita decided to transform into an oak owl this time.


    Nivalis transformed into a small snake and hung around Rita''s ear, blending in perfectly.


    They didn''t leave immediately, continuing to explore the area.


    But soon, a group of Wind Scythe soldiers appeared on the main street of Tonton Lin''s capital. Wolf Fortress, holding the arm of a large Wind Scythe, was walking down the street, crying: "Uncle! My hard-earned money has been stolen again!! It must be that thief who always steals in our Wind Scythe capital! It has to be!"


    Rita and Nivalis simultaneously looked up at the large Wind Scythe''s name¡ªWazo.


    Rita & Nivalis: "...Great, it''s the Wind Scythe royal family."


    Nivalis wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. "We cannot let our skills be exposed, or we''re as good as dead."


    Rita: "Isn''t Dragon Island supposed to protect us?"


    Nivalis: "What I mean is, we''ll die once out here, then die again on Dragon Island."


    Rita was horrified. "But when I shared skills with you last time, you didn''t say anything like that! You said Dragon Island would protect us!"


    Nivalis scratched her head, looking confused. "Huh? Did I say that?"


    Rita: "...Who messed with your head, Nivalis?! You were never like this!"


    Standing there as an oak owl, Rita appeared calm and collected, her mental fortitude unshaken.


    Nivalis, on the other hand, felt nervous. "I''m starting to get worried."


    Rita: "We just found a wild wallet. What''s there to be nervous about?"


    Nivalis: "...Before, Holy Cup said that a player''s divine talents are tied to their personality, and I didn''t believe it. Now, I do. I''m just not cut out for this skill."


    As for "unable to use any skills while disguised," once she acquired more Golden Tree Withered Leaf, that limitation could be circumvented!


    The only issue was that this skill was located in Skill 1 and was tied to her Sharpshooter talent''s passive You''re Too Weak¡ªwhich allowed her to detect enemy weaknesses during combat.


    The Moon Fox was charging toward her, but in the span of just a few seconds, Rita made her decision. This skill was hers!


    You''re Too Weak was fine, but Survive Until the End was more unique and suited her better. If she had to choose, she would go for the latter.


    She immediately used I Just Want to Improve So Badly on the surrounding Wind Scythe soldiers, casting it over a dozen times until her health dropped to 10%. After downing a few potions, her health kept dropping.


    The Moon Fox, confused by Rita''s rapidly decreasing health, didn''t stop. When he passed by her, Rita moved slightly to block his path. Without hesitation, he shoved her aside with great force.


    At this point, Rita''s information was disguised, so in the eyes of this level 48 Moon Fox, she was just a low-level NPC.


    However, after the Moon Fox passed, Rita quickly pulled out Ashes, firing several shots at herself, much to the horror and disbelief of the Wind Scythe soldiers watching.


    Nivalis''s frost power enveloped Rita''s entire body. As soon as she was injured, the frost would freeze the wound, preventing any blood loss. But since Rita was disguised, it didn''t matter much if she lost health.


    Meanwhile, Rita followed the Moon Fox from behind, trying to use Moment of Reversal to swap skills.


    She had already been attacked, so all she needed was to be at a disadvantage.


    On the streets of Tonton Lin, everyone watched in disbelief.


    The Moon Fox was running ahead, with an oak owl flying low behind it, shooting herself with a gun as she chased. Behind her, a group of Wind Scythe soldiers followed.


    The Moon Fox turned around, shocked! What was this? Was this some kind of curse? Was the oak owl really this crazy?


    Just when it seemed that Rita''s reputation would be ruined, her health dropped to a mere 0.8%!


    Moment of Reversal¡ªSuccessfully activated!


    Survive Until the End acquired!!!

 Chapter 424 Trade [This Skill I Dont Like II]

    Rita immediately slammed on the brakes: "Alright, alright!"


    Nivalis quickly applied an "Expert Level" to Rita.


    With full health, Rita turned and ran in the opposite direction.


    The fake Moon Fox running ahead and the Wind Scythe soldiers chasing behind all looked at the crazy owl in confusion, even slowing down their steps. But some of the Wind Scythe soldiers still pursued Rita.


    As she passed by Wolf Fortress and Wazuo, Rita flashed a sweet smile at her "wild wallet," Wolf Fortress. The look in her eyes when she glanced at the coins was the same as when she looked at Wolf Fortress¡ªhot and fiery.


    Nivalis knew what Rita''s plan was, but from its inception to execution and completion, it all happened in less than 10 seconds.


    It was as if everything was going fine¡ªclear skies, they were about to shake off any suspicion, and the perfect crime was going to be completed¡ªbut then Rita suddenly said, "Get ready, I''m going to rob."


    She immediately started using her theft skill, then shot herself a few times, and began chasing the Moon Fox while shooting herself at the same time.


    As she fired, she instructed, "As soon as I stop, you need to heal me immediately."


    Nivalis didn''t dare to breathe a word.


    By the time the official escape began, Nivalis was silently screaming in her heart: "Is this it? Just like that?"


    Rita flew up onto the roof and used her stealth ability to make fog spread around them, "Mmhmm."


    Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire


    Nivalis: "That sudden, huh? No plan at all, just started robbing?"


    Rita dodged the pursuers in the fog and quickly slipped into an alley, "I had a plan! Who says I didn''t?"


    Nivalis: "What plan? I didn''t know about it!"


    Rita took out her cat headgear and started crafting, "I want it, I get it¡ªthis is my crime plan."


    Nivalis sighed, "Ever since I''ve been with you, my Dragon Rank has been dropping every day."


    Rita: "...Sorry."


    ...


    After evading the pursuers, they hid in the BS safe zone.


    "Good, good, good~! Pine Bloom isn''t even worthy to hold your shoes!"


    "..."


    After confirming what Nivalis wanted, Rita sent two bottles of the different versions of "This Skill I Don''t Like" to Shadow.Q, along with an email that said:


    "These are samples, come with the price, I need an S-tier skill, and I have no requirements for the skill''s strength or type, just an S-tier is fine. Also, I need a custom race car for Nivalis, and preferably a catalog for her to choose from. I also want to build a track for her to race on... and maybe a go-kart catalog as well."


    Closing the email, Rita then started researching "Last Night''s Star." What she said earlier wasn''t to please Mistblade¡ªit was because she really saw potential in the time-storing gem.


    Shadow.Q was slow to arrive, coming around noon the next day.


    "The race car and track will be considered as gifts from Eclipse Vanguard," she said. "Regardless of whether the deal goes through, these will be for you and Nivalis."


    With that, Shadow.Q pulled out a thick catalog and handed it to Rita and Nivalis. "This has the details of the cars, pick three of them."


    Rita passed the catalog to Nivalis, eagerly waiting for the main event.


    Shadow.Q continued, "We are willing to buy This Skill I Don''t Like I at 388 gold per bottle."


    It was 88 gold more than the price at Lania Kaia, and Rita didn''t believe Eclipse Vanguard didn''t know Lania Kaia''s version sold for 300 gold. Even though it was difficult to get, Eclipse Vanguard offering a higher price was a great show of goodwill.


    Rita''s brow furrowed as she realized this might be a difficult negotiation. "Why don''t you tell me about the deal for This Skill I Don''t Like II first?"


    Shadow.Q seemed a bit awkward as she replied, "For This Skill I Don''t Like II, Eclipse Vanguard is willing to exchange 5 S-tier skills and a special Mahjong tile for 100 bottles of This Skill I Don''t Like II."


    All the preceding goodwill had led up to this last deal.


    Eclipse Vanguard really didn''t have that many S-tier skills. The ones they had were accumulated over the last six months. If S-tier skills were that easy to get, Eclipse Vanguard wouldn''t have only offered A-tier skills when Rita gave them her token.


    100 bottles of This Skill I Don''t Like II were worth 200,000 gold at Lania Kaia, while S-tier skills in the Lania Kaia auction house ranged from 10,000 to 30,000 gold. Rita had no specific requirements for the S-tier skills, so this request was quite favorable for Eclipse Vanguard.


    As for the special Mahjong tile... Rita needed it, and in the end, BS would benefit the most from it.


    A month ago, Rita had sat in the same place, saying to Shadow.Q, "Rita~ you''re the spark that Eclipse Vanguard has chosen~~"


    Rita: "Aren''t you guys embarrassed?"


    Shadow.Q: "Ahem... Let me sit here for a bit longer, and then you can throw me out, or I won''t know how to report back."


    Rita: "..."

 Chapter 425 More Schemes Than Lotus Roots: Introduction to Cheers

    Rita was also feeling a headache. She hadn''t expected Eclipse Vanguard to be unable to provide any S-level skills...


    Her baseline was at least 7 bottles for one S-level skill. That was already a huge discount for Eclipse Vanguard, which equated to a potion worth 1,400 gold in exchange for an S-level skill.


    Even if Eclipse Vanguard spent a little time at Lania Kaia''s auction house, sniping the S-level skills priced at 10,000 gold each, they''d make a net profit. Though S-level skills weren''t always available, it was hard to believe that Eclipse Vanguard couldn''t gather the resources for it. Wasn''t this bullying?


    Shadow.Q seriously conveyed Eclipse Vanguard''s message:


    "We really can''t offer more S-level skills. Gold is also running short. Although Eclipse Vanguard gets a lot of gold daily, we also need it for buying materials, skills, and equipment to arm our players."


    Rita stayed silent for a long while. Her expression shifted from confusion and dissatisfaction to calm, and finally, with certainty, she said, "No, you''re testing my bottom line."


    She stared intensely at Shadow.Q, as if looking past her to the higher-ups of Eclipse Vanguard, like Avery:


    "You''re testing whether I''ll make concessions for the greater good, whether I''ll sacrifice for BS, and how much I value the special Mahjong. How much I''m willing to give for it!"


    Shadow.Q didn''t respond immediately, calmly sipping her coffee, as though she wasn''t taking the words to heart.


    Rita continued, "You can''t provide S-level skills, nor can you spend the gold to acquire them. You could have offered just 50 bottles or even 10 bottles, but you insist on asking for 100, and then you throw in the... special Mahjong."


    She sighed heavily, unable to express whether she was more disappointed or frustrated with Eclipse Vanguard.


    Logically speaking, as the current number one power, the more cunning Eclipse Vanguard became, the more stable BS would be. She no longer feared that BS would fall into internal strife and collapse, like in her past life.


    She viewed Eclipse Vanguard as an ally¡ªan ally with more schemes than lotus roots was better than one who was naive and easily deceived. Naive allies were sometimes akin to "deadweight."


    But emotionally, she felt disappointed... She, the great heroine, was trying to make a deal with you, and yet you''re playing tricks!


    Rita slammed the table: "I''m not selling anymore!!"


    Shadow.Q immediately softened her tone, quickly saying, "Let me stay a little longer, just a bit more... maybe have lunch here... Nivalis, Nivalis, can you get me something to eat?"


    Rita, still fuming, took out some dishes and a large bowl of rice from her bag. She hadn''t eaten yet, though she turned off the Food God''s buff effect.


    Nivalis placed the dishes and utensils on the table, grabbing a couple of bottles of iced cola and shaking her head with a few "tsk tsk" sounds: "Looks like this deal''s going south."


    Shadow.Q wasn''t embarrassed at all: "I already voted against it."


    Though Eclipse Vanguard had schemes, they weren''t exactly stingy.


    After receiving 52 bottles of [This Skill I Don''t Like I], Eclipse Vanguard sent over 10,000 gold to buy 5 bottles of [This Skill I Don''t Like II]. Seeing the extra value from the karts and potions, Rita didn''t push the issue too much. Money was money.


    However, she took the opportunity to discuss another matter with Eclipse Vanguard.


    On the 28th, she wanted to use the arena to explore other worlds. She needed Eclipse Vanguard''s team to assist.


    She couldn''t just sit idly by and let the Beast BOSS arrive in BS.


    Shadow.Q: "Can you come back?"


    Rita: "I can."


    Shadow.Q: "Are there level requirements for the dungeon?"


    Rita: "None."


    Shadow.Q: "Okay, Eclipse Vanguard''s friend, rest assured. We''ll handle this small matter for you!"


    Rita: "What if I can''t come back? Or if I need to open a level 15 dungeon?"


    Shadow.Q: "Then I''ll pretend I didn''t hear anything."


    Rita: "..."


    On the night of April 24th, Rita looked at her skill panel, seeing the A-grade [Cheers] skill. Her mood lifted, and the pain from her Orange-Red Light Wings faded.


    She could already condense and trigger a single Thunder Cup, and it was A-grade.


    What level would Maple Syrup''s full version of [Cheers] be?


    She glanced at her wings, which now spanned 4.2 meters. The light feathers, ignited by thunder, seemed to come alive¡ªlike the feathers of a golden crow or the surface of the sun.


    But the most dazzling part was the bone structure of her wings. She no longer needed lights at home when she walked around...


    In the last years in the Forest Sea, they had to sew two long slits in the back of their clothes, just to accommodate the wings.

 Chapter 426 Marmang·The Underwater World

    On the morning of April 25th, Rita, now a little orange-and-white cat, jumped onto the back of Shadow.Q''s motorcycle, with a small hamster perched on her head.


    Once she was settled, Rita stretched out her paw, which was holding an iced Americano.


    Shadow.Q didn''t hesitate: "What if you turn back into your original form once we''re inside?"


    Rita mewed, "Let''s try it. If I change back, I''ll just deal with it. If the media blows it out of proportion, you''ll just have to help explain it."


    She was the leader of BS Star now, and her influence was nearly global. Every little move she made could spark chaos. If news of her traveling to another world got exaggerated or misunderstood, it could shake player confidence.


    No one in Eclipse Vanguard knew she planned to use the dungeon portal to enter the other world. Shadow.Q would even use her invisibility skill to keep Rita hidden until they reached the destination.


    Shadow.Q revved the motorcycle and sped toward the location, which wasn''t far, so they didn''t need to use a teleportation array. "Got any intel to sell?"


    Rita thought for a moment but couldn''t think of anything. However, she had a request in mind: "If you can find the languages of all races and sell them to me¡ªevery one of them¡ªI''ll trade you five bottles of [This Skill I Don''t Like II]."


    "All races? You mean the people in the coliseum?" Shadow.Q asked.


    "Yep."


    "So, you''re playing Mahjong with them on behalf of BS?"


    "We''re not playing Mahjong," Rita corrected. "We''re playing Flying Chess, Jumping Chess, and Blind Man''s Bluff."


    "...Well, that sounds exhausting."


    "It''s not hard at all. I''m a peace ambassador."


    Shadow.Q couldn''t take it anymore and pushed the motorcycle to full speed, trying to shake the cat off the back.


    Nivalis, hanging on tightly to Rita, shouted, "Do you think it''s fun to make her angry?!"


    As soon as they entered the Marmang world, the calendar and map time shifted accordingly.


    Rita, aware that her Divine Game player status had a countdown, wasn''t too concerned. She knew the approximate time for Blue Star''s next 1st of the month. If she got close, she could always message Shadow.Q for confirmation.


    Wait, theoretically, she could activate her key now and submit her ticket early to secure her spot for the next game, right? Divine Game encouraged players to participate, so it shouldn''t block them with unnecessary procedures.


    After some hesitation, Rita decided to wait a few more days before testing it out. If anything unexpected happened, the loss would be small.


    Rita looked at Nivalis and said, "Let''s go. The nearest city is southeast. We''ll start by earning some money and get ourselves a translator."


    Nivalis, with a concerned look, asked, "Are we breaking the law here? Are we intergalactic criminals?"


    Rita shrugged, "If we don''t get caught, then no."


    The underwater world here was vastly different from Lania Kaia''s. Giant sea plants as tall as mountains dotted the landscape, their massive leaves glowing brightly, lighting up the surrounding waters.


    On their way to the nearest city, they encountered several Marmang players, from whom they stole some Marmang coins¡ªsmall white shells the size of a fingernail. It was a single unit, unlike the multi-denomination coins in Lania Kaia and BS. They weren''t sure how valuable they were, but it didn''t matter; the goal was to steal whatever they could.


    Over the next few days, Rita and Nivalis thrived in the Marmang world. Using the Crab Language and their thieving skills, they gathered plenty of resources. Attribute points were not an issue¡ªthey''d already maxed out many of their stats in Lania Kaia¡ªand now they were just making steady progress. Rita''s three main attributes had surpassed 280, excluding agility.


    They also acquired lots of gear, items, and sea shells, which they planned to resell to Eclipse Vanguard for research. Eclipse Vanguard had shown a strong interest in rare items.


    As Nivalis put it, "I wasted half my life before this. Now this is how a dragon should live."


    Rita, who had grown tired of saying it, muttered under her breath, "...Don''t tell Holy Cup."


    Nivalis responded with a familiar sigh, "I get it. Just live well."


    On the 30th, they managed to get their hands on the most advanced transportation in the Marmang world¡ªmechanical seahorses. When not in use, they could shrink to keychain size and be carried around. They still needed some time to figure out how to use them, but once they did, it would make travel much easier.


    Rita, too impatient to wait until she returned to BS, decided to bypass the usual method of selling through Eclipse Vanguard. Since communication could still happen across worlds, she sent a message to Shadow.Q directly.


    [Rita]: I''m on another planet. Want me to buy something for you?

 Chapter 427 I Do Shopping for Eclipse Vanguard in Another World

    More than a year had passed, but Rita was once again doing some shopping for Eclipse Vanguard.


    She and Nivalis had spent a few days in the Marmang world and had accumulated quite a bit of sea shells. They also had a better understanding of the purchasing power of these sea shells. Based on the price of equipment, items, and skills, the purchasing power of one sea shell was roughly equivalent to one gold coin.


    In the Marmang underwater world, many small items and cheap goods were directly exchanged for fish or shrimp. They had their own set of exchange standards, where different fish or shrimp had different values. The exchange rates and ratios were incredibly complex for Rita and Nivalis, but for the local players, it was an everyday transaction. A simple glance would tell them if the trade was fair or not, which was incomprehensible for players from other worlds.


    [Rita]: Just so we''re clear, the currencies here are different. I''ll definitely be charging a bit for my time and effort. Is that okay with you?


    [Shadow.Q]: Just a bit? Let''s see the goods first.


    [Rita]: Alright... Mechanical seahorses, underwater mounts, with a top speed of 500 km/h. No guarantees that you won''t get hurt. Want one? 299 gold coins each. I''m not making much profit, you know me¡ªwhen it comes to big matters, I know what''s important.


    [Shadow.Q]: Don''t say anymore. I''m already scared.


    [Rita]: So, do you want them or not?


    [Shadow.Q]: ...Ten, please.


    Transformed into a crab, Nivalis grabbed 100 sea shells with her pincers and pointed at the mechanical seahorses, signaling for ten.


    ...


    [Rita]: Medicinal oils, a specialty of the Marmang underwater world. There are too many types. Do you need any specific effects? Let me know, and I''ll narrow it down.


    [Shadow.Q]: Do you have something that can poison seawater?


    [Rita]: How about nuclear waste water?


    [Shadow.Q]: I didn''t finish my sentence just now... but we need something with a corresponding antidote. We just want to poison the underwater non-human species, not wipe out humanity.


    [Rita]: I don''t have that, but I do have a "croak oil" that gives players a 0.001% chance of learning an S-level skill after drinking it. The chances are low, but it''s like a scratch-off lottery here. One gold coin per bottle.


    [Shadow.Q]: We need 100 bottles.


    [Rita]: Sure.


    No one knew if Eclipse Vanguard would eventually send people to this world. Rita''s principle with Eclipse Vanguard was to avoid pushing things too far. Making money was fun, but she didn''t need to empty Eclipse Vanguard''s coffers.


    Besides, the quantities Eclipse Vanguard bought were a bit tricky. Rita had the feeling that their main goal was research and mass production, not immediate use.


    A lot of the things from the Marmang underwater world were exactly what BS needed right now¡ªunderwater detection, underwater survival, underwater lighting, and even underwater plant seeds...


    When they discussed the umbrella-type plants that could grow to provide light underwater:


    [Shadow.Q]: "Hold on," came a reply, but then there was no further response for a while. Rita thought Eclipse Vanguard might be raising funds.


    [Shadow.Q]: "Did you buy all the things we ordered?"


    [Rita]: "Bought them all."


    [Rita]: "If you dare say Eclipse Vanguard can''t pay now and wants to use a special Mahjong as payment, I''ll return everything."


    [Shadow.Q]: "Ah... you predicted it, haha. You''re so clever. Sorry, forget I said that. Please don''t block me, I beg you..."


    [Rita]: "Eclipse Vanguard, as soon as I sense a shift, I know exactly what you''re up to!"


    [Shadow.Q]: "...Don''t worry, everything''s ready, and the money will be there!"


    [Rita]: "What about the umbrella seeds? The complete growth period is 1,000 days. You can use divine blessings to shorten the time. Once grown, they can light up a one-nautical-mile radius of the sea, and can grow as high as 3,000 meters."


    [Shadow.Q]: "We want a ton."


    [Rita]: "10 gold per seed. A single seed weighs less than 100 grams. Do you think I''m the lost princess of the Marmang underwater world who can have all the money she wants?"


    [Shadow.Q]: "Today''s shopping ends here. Buy as many seeds as you can afford, and we''ll take however much you can get."


    [Rita]: "Fine."


    The umbrella seeds weren''t too expensive¡ª5 sea shells each. They weren''t particularly rare, but players had to go out and find them personally, so the labor cost was high. Plus, these seeds were a major ingredient for a master-level medicinal oil, and the demand was huge, which kept the price high.


    It was already the morning of the 30th, and to be honest, Rita and Nivalis couldn''t steal too much more money. Their health points were already high, and after their healing skills cooled down, they could only replenish their health with healing potions...


    Otherwise, Rita wouldn''t have taken so long to return from March 15th and still only managed to get her strength, constitution, and intelligence over 280.

 Chapter 428 Divine Game: Diamond Miner 1

    Before diving into the game, Rita found a secluded spot and activated the World''s Grave Forest ¡¤ Charge, placing Blazing Flame Civilization''s Tiger Chess into the ticket window.


    [Player BS Rita has activated the qualification for Divine Game round 23284] [Game countdown: 08:53:25] [Please be patient, the game is entering the preparation phase, and you will be able to enter the battlefield''s initial room once ready]


    Nivalis: "Is it really working?"


    Rita: "Yeah, I feel a lot better now."


    The two of them split up to handle things. Nivalis urgently needed to steal some seashells, while Rita cleaned out some of the equipment she felt was of little research value, even selling some high-rated dishes. The two, one human and one dragon, managed to gather nearly 5000 seashells just before the game countdown hit half an hour, exchanging them all for umbrella seed lamps.


    Then, they found another quiet spot to wait for the game to begin.


    [Welcome BS player Rita to the world battlefield] [You will participate in Divine Game round 23284] [Detecting World Graveyard¡¤You will be granted a one-minute early exit to the main battlefield] [Detecting World Graveyard¡¤Green Dragon, you will unlock one weapon or piece of equipment] [Detecting World Graveyard¡¤East Wind, both you and your pet will unlock one skill each] [You enter the world battlefield with a two-star key - World''s Grave Forest¡¤Charge. This grants you the Legendary Prologue and War Horn skills. Please select two divine skills and three battle skills to unlock]


    Rita chose Absurd Story and Bedtime Tale. Midnight Exile, though passive, was an attack skill, and she preferred to save its special technique for when it was more useful.


    At the moment, the battlefield chat was filled with activity, most of it just insults flying back and forth... Nobody was really going after Rita and Nivalis, though. After all, it had been more than a month since Kart Racing, and every game was a mess of mutual sabotage. No one was particularly bothered by this one. It wasn''t like when Winter Sea Frenzied Shark lost their divine skill, where even after several rounds, people still talked about it.


    Rita thought about the game''s content and opened the leaderboard to check on familiar names. MistbladeMaple Syrup''s rank hadn''t changed much, but Winter Sea Frenzied Shark had dropped again, now behind Withered and down from 17th tier to 16th. The consequences of losing core divine skills were becoming more serious.


    Rita had only had Midnight Exile for a few months, but her combat style had changed drastically. The more she fought, the stronger she became, and now she had a kind of fearless, reckless confidence¡ªan overwhelming belief that her enemies would fall before her. She had begun to understand why Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s title was "Going to Death Calmly"¡ªbecause their enemies were the ones who were always dying first!


    For Rita, only when entering the world battlefield did her caution and carefulness take over. This kind of bold, fearless fighting style was easy to cultivate, but once it became ingrained, it was hard to shake. Winter Sea Frenzied Shark was now bound to be hesitant and careful, their confidence shattered by repeated failures. Of course, Frenzied Shark hadn''t gotten this far because they were weak-willed. But Rita knew she had to catch up quickly, close the gap, and deal with Frenzied Shark once and for all before their divine talent was restored.


    At that moment, Nivalis reappeared from the vanished game screen with two mining picks in hand. She handed one to Rita, saying, "Shall we use these to mine?"


    Rita checked the mining pick''s description:


    [Common Mining Pick] (Upgradeable): Durability (10/10)


    The two exchanged a glance, both of them having a bad feeling about it. This pick couldn''t be used just a few times, could it? Would they need to buy new ones or upgrade them to mine better ores?

 Chapter 429 Divine Game: Diamond Miner 2

    Since the pickaxe had durability, it implied that if they didn''t use it, they either wouldn''t be able to mine at all or the efficiency would be extremely low. But just digging and scraping... surely they wouldn''t only be scraping a few times, right?


    And they still didn''t know what form the safe zones would take or how easy it would be to find them.


    With no clear answers, Rita and Nivalis decided to calm down for now and adjust their state. Nivalis continued watching the battlefield chat channel, trying to extract useful information or gossip from the endless bickering and sarcastic remarks.


    She noticed that the player who loved to be sarcastic the most was Maple Syrup, and no matter who it was, they wouldn''t hesitate to throw some insults around. Even top-tier players like Mistblade and Lania Kaia would get a snarky remark from her.


    [Nuclear Flash ¡¤pear]: "Yo, where''s Frenzied Shark? I can''t find him anywhere."


    [Sakura ¡¤ Lizi]: "Dropped to the trash tier."


    [Tingo ¡¤ JE]: "Hahahaha, totally trash now."


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Maple Syrup]: "I really admire you trash-talking geniuses."


    [Sakura ¡¤ Lizi]: "?"


    [Tingo ¡¤ JE]: "?"


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade]: "Maple Syrup is great, no need for more words."


    [Marmang ¡¤ Crab]: "Great."


    [Ridge Tea ¡¤ Eight Steps]: "Great."


    [Winter Sea ¡¤ Whale Full]: "Great."


    [Tingo ¡¤ JE]: "Heh, it''s you again, Lania Kaia Sugar. See you in the battle zone."


    [Sakura ¡¤ Lizi]: "Looks like you didn''t learn your lesson last time. See you in the battle zone."


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Maple Syrup]: "Oh my, Lania Kaia Maple Syrup is starting to get scared."


    Whether it relied on natural wind or she used her wings to create the wind herself, as long as an enemy had seen her use this skill once, they could predict her landing position by the direction of the wind next time.


    However, unlike before, when she passively accepted every skill''s weaknesses, Rita had begun to learn how to actively adjust and counter these flaws after fighting with many powerful players from various species.


    For example, after using Dragon Dance, she could transform into a dandelion and merge into the tornado created by the skill. This not only allowed her to avoid enemy skills and share damage but also let her move quickly and unpredictably, making it difficult for enemies to predict her next move.


    After gathering the necessary information, Rita took out her pickaxe and started experimenting. With no instructions on how to use it, she struck the stone wall.


    The pickaxe hit the surface of the wall and didn''t cause any damage. But soon, the point where the pickaxe made contact lit up with a faint blue glow, and from that point, the glow quickly shot out as though the pickaxe was following an invisible target.


    Rita and Nivalis quickly followed. After traveling several meters, the light suddenly stopped. Rita''s mind raced, and she immediately used a skill to blow up the spot where the light had stopped.


    Sure enough, the light was leading them deeper into the mine.


    Rita quickly used magical threads to create a Temporary Pocket on herself, stowing both hers and Nivalis''s pickaxes, as well as her sniper rifle inside. She then told Nivalis, "You use your dragon claws to clear the path. It''ll be faster."


    No one knew how long the light from the pickaxe would last.


    After speaking, she transformed into a small sparrow using Animagus and flew to Nivalis''s head.


    Nivalis understood her intent. Once Rita settled in, she began using her dragon claws to dig through the stone wall. Her claws were sharp enough to rival purple-tier weapons, and the digging speed was no slower than using a skill bomb.


    Since Rita had shrunk, they only needed to dig a small path wide enough for them to fly through, which was much faster than blowing up a whole tunnel.


    After digging for about several dozen meters, the light stopped at a deep blue treasure vein the size of a basketball.


    Nivalis and Rita didn''t have time to marvel at the beautiful gem because the surrounding stone walls began healing again. Nivalis quickly blew up enough space for Rita to land.


    Once Rita returned to her original form, she rapidly mined the gem. Due to the time pressure, she didn''t go for precision; instead, she mined the stone surrounding the gem and placed everything into her Temporary Pocket.


    Then, she and Nivalis began retracing their steps, heading back to the original route.


    Fortunately, the light from the pickaxe was straight and unerring, which ensured they wouldn''t get lost inside the mine and end up trapped without an escape route when their magic ran out.

 Chapter 430 Divine Game: Diamond Miner 3

    For the next half hour or so, Rita and Nivalis struck the mine pick nine more times, violating the rules 27 times in the process.


    The worst part about violating the rules wasn''t when they were doing something; it was when they were doing nothing at all. The former could be understood through reasoning and experimentation, but the latter had far too many unknowns.


    However, Rita did manage to figure out one thing: they couldn''t touch the glowing diamonds on the tunnel walls...


    Rita awkwardly retracted her hand. "Haha, I really can''t touch them, huh? I just guessed and tried, didn''t expect it to actually not work."


    After receiving a violation notice and losing 9 points of intelligence, Nivalis said with a blank expression, "You were already planning to touch them when you first saw the diamond lights in the cave. Don''t think I didn''t notice."


    Rita: "You didn''t stop me, so you''re an accomplice."


    One person and one dragon continued to argue quietly while mining.


    During the process, they also violated the rules once more for touching a gemstone, but the second time they tried touching it, there was no issue.


    Rita felt like she was being driven mad by these absurd rules. It was like walking in the dark of night¡ªevery bump and bruise filled her with fear and unease, but when she turned on the lights, everything turned out to be simple and ordinary.


    During the mining, they encountered several other players, and Rita and Nivalis had to stop to fight. With the help of skills like Midnight Exile and Absurd Story, and the confidence from their kart racing game experiences, Rita was more than willing to face off as long as the opponent''s strength was no higher than level 10.


    Three times, the opponents were above level 12, and once they even met a 15-level Abyss rank player. Rita and Nivalis immediately retreated, letting the other player follow the guiding light Rita had created.


    In the past, Rita wouldn''t have understood this strategy, but after obtaining the Golden Tree Withered Leaf, she realized that the rankings in Divine Game and an S-level skill for a low-level player weren''t comparable. The rankings didn''t matter much in the face of actual gameplay.


    When there were no game clues to follow, killing lower-level players might be a distraction. But when a valuable gemstone was right there, it was clear that the gem was far more important than a level 6 player.


    During the fourth encounter, Rita fought a player of level 9, and following their strategy, Rita handled the combat while Nivalis mined. But Rita realized she couldn''t keep up with the other player and was forced to retreat. The player wasn''t foolish either. After Rita dealt 70% damage in her second strike, the opponent immediately used an escape skill.


    Each player had an ID above their head, and many of them looked familiar to Rita. She''d seen them in the kart game before. But there were also players she didn''t recognize¡ªplayers not listed in the leaderboard.


    Nivalis didn''t dare to speak. She sent a message to Rita in her mind: "Is this the safe zone? Should we go in?"


    Rita replied, "Of course."


    The crack was starting to close, so she had Nivalis return to her pet space. Rita then transformed into a small spider and crawled through the shrinking gap.


    As soon as she passed through, she heard a system notification.


    ¡ª[Welcome player to the Safe Zone. PvP is prohibited within the Safe Zone.]


    She crawled along the ceiling of the underground market, deactivated her disguise, and released Nivalis. Together, they flew in the air, searching for the game monument in the area.


    After flying for a while, they finally found the game monument in a corner of the market.


    Game: The Deceptive Game


    This Safe Zone is a special trading area that will not turn into a battle zone, but you cannot leave this Safe Zone until the game is completed. Game Completion Condition: You must complete at least 5 unfair trades. Penalty: Each time you lose too much in a trade, one item or artifact in your inventory will be randomly lost. Reward: Each time you gain an unfair advantage in a trade, you will randomly learn a new language of the races you currently haven''t learned. Highest Rule of the Market: Anything can be traded. Note: The more unfair trades you make, the more precious the blessings you receive when you leave the market. Diamonds are not the only currency here. Warning: Watch out for pickpockets. Current player count in this Safe Zone: 1824


    After reading all the game rules, Rita''s brows furrowed deeply.


    Not only was the penalty for trade losses terrifying, but it was also the eighth rule of the game¡ªwhen negotiating with mineral merchants, lying was prohibited.


    Wait a minute...


    Rita''s eyes widened slightly. It wasn''t forbidden to lie to other players, just the mineral merchants!

 Chapter 431 Divine Game: Diamond Miner 4

    However, Rita didn''t let her guard down completely. The term "mineral merchant" was very subtle. If players were trading minerals here, did the other party''s identity truly qualify as a "mineral merchant" at the moment of the trade? These kinds of ambiguous pitfalls had to be discovered through practice.


    But Rita''s biggest advantage was that the penalties for violating the rules weren''t something she couldn''t bear. At least, it was far less risky than "randomly losing an item or artifact from your inventory."


    Considering the harshness of the game, it was highly unlikely she could use her Master Thief Dragon skill to bug the system and choose which item she lost.


    Moreover, every line in the game rules concealed information. The phrase "too much loss" implied that there was room to maneuver¡ªat least, fair trades could avoid penalties. And the "unfair gain" rule was interesting too¡ªit meant not only did you need to profit, but you had to use deceit or other underhanded methods. She was already forming ideas about this, as she always excelled at deceiving others.


    Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    But nothing compared to the most important line¡ª[Friendly Reminder: Beware of Thieves].


    The game monument only reminded players to watch out for thieves but didn''t forbid stealing. For a seasoned thief like Rita, this was the best news ever.


    At present, she had ten various minerals with unclear values. Rita''s first task was to find a mineral merchant in the market.


    She and Nivalis walked through the crowd. Some of the other races around them carried bundles of minerals on their backs, but most players, like herself, carried nothing. Rita had obtained a master-level sewing pattern, Temporary Pocket, so she didn''t need to carry anything for now. Other players probably had their own hidden tricks.


    Rita wasn''t in a rush to steal from other players. Unlike outside where stolen items would automatically appear in her inventory, without one, the items would appear directly in her hands. She wasn''t sure if minerals or other objects would appear in Temporary Pocket this way.


    And unlike Kart Coins, which were easily hidden, most minerals were too obvious. She''d need to find a cloak first, at the very least to cover her hands.


    Nivalis, watching the players around them, was itching to act but remembered Rita''s warning and didn''t make a move. She couldn''t help but think to herself, We''ve never stolen items or equipment in the World Battlefield, have we?


    Rita answered in her mind, That''s not surprising. After all, the World Graveyard has restrictions. The equipment and items that can be brought in must be either special or powerful. They''re either bound to the player or held directly in their hands. Our skill is stealing, not robbery. It''s hard to get anything like that.


    As she spoke, Rita turned on her heel and entered a small shop with a sign depicting minerals.


    B80234615''s screen lit up, quickly displaying the price. "Slightly flawed soft rainbow gemstone, 186 Diamond Coins."


    Rita didn''t waste time haggling. This was a shop in the trading zone, and while the price might be a little lower than the outside stalls, the risk was far lower. Given the robots'' ability to speak English, Rita assumed they were part of Divine Game.


    She swiftly pushed the gemstone over to B80234615, who stored it in a compartment. The robot then extended its mechanical hand, dropping a purple diamond the size of a ping-pong ball, a blue diamond the size of a quail egg, and a handful of small white diamonds the size of fingernails.


    The currency was clear: 100, 50, and 1. Rita was relieved to see that the glowing diamonds outside weren''t currency¡ªso she wasn''t missing out on anything.


    She placed all the diamonds into her Temporary Pocket. After waiting a few seconds, there was no violation notice.


    She wasn''t sure if it was a gain or a loss, but it was definitely within the boundaries of fair trade. Rita immediately took out the remaining nine minerals.


    In total, she ended up with 2,976 Diamond Coins.


    At that moment, the player ranked number one on the leaderboard, Nuclear Flash NightFury, had already earned 30,000 Diamond Coins.


    Rita, however, was ranked far outside the top 50,000, while there were fewer than 60,000 players total in this round of Divine Game...


    This gave Rita a sense of helplessness, similar to when she played mobile games in the past. She felt like she''d done everything she could¡ªno idle time, no AFK moments¡ªand yet when she checked the leaderboard, the top players seemed to have cheated. Their numbers were unrealistically high, like they had a cheat code running in the background.


    Rita asked, "B80234615, do you have time? I''d like to chat. No agenda, just want to make a friend."


    B80234615''s voice was warm: "Of course, esteemed guest. The price for 10 minutes of conversation is 100 Diamond Coins. The price to become friends is 200 Diamond Coins. If you wish to ask me questions, each question will require a separate discussion."


    Rita & Nivalis: ...


    So, "enjoying conversation" was just a euphemism for charging for time...

 Chapter 432 Divine Game: Diamond Miner 5

    Without hesitation, Rita and Nivalis turned and walked away, as if they had made up their minds about something.


    B80234615 followed them, its voice still gentle: "Guest, you don''t want to talk? Come on, let''s chat, guest? Were you just playing with me when you said you wanted to be my friend? Don''t worry, I won''t hold it against you. My family doesn''t know about this, they won''t come after you."


    Rita & Nivalis: ?


    As Rita continued walking, she eventually took off flying. As she passed by Z8017933, the robot gave her a smile, though it felt somehow mocking.


    After they rushed out of the shop, Rita and Nivalis found a hidden corner. Nivalis could transform thanks to the ice sculpture given to her by the Holy Cup. However, she hadn''t been able to bring the ice sculpture with her into the game. But that didn''t matter; she had the skill Conjure from Nothing.


    Before entering, Rita had already used the ice sculpture, and now she was able to create a new one. Though the ice sculpture only lasted for one minute, that was enough for Nivalis to use. With Nivalis''s mana, as long as she wasn''t in combat, she could maintain the transformation for at least 24 hours.


    Rita handed the newly conjured ice sculpture to Nivalis. "Choose a race to transform into from all the languages you know."


    Nivalis, after hearing this, casually transformed into a human just like Rita. Her facial features resembled Rita''s, but her aura was a bit like the overly serious Shadow.Q. However, her body shape, hairstyle, and even her eyes had a slight resemblance to Sanchez.


    It almost looked like the three of them had gotten drunk one night.


    Rita didn''t bother asking Nivalis to change her appearance again. She softly reminded her, "Later, I''ll turn into a gemstone. You''ll find players who don''t have game backpacks and carry minerals around instead, understand?"


    Nivalis immediately understood what Rita wanted to do¡ªRita would use her newly acquired skill Survive Until the End to turn into a gemstone and let Nivalis sell her. Afterward, Rita would find a way to run back, empty-handed but with the advantage.


    Nivalis was worried. "But what if the person really doesn''t have a backpack? They might just be lazy and stick me in their bag. What if they end up selling me to the shop and I can''t get out?"


    Rita had already considered that possibility. "After you sell me, follow them. If you notice they put me in their backpack and head to the shop, use Master Thief Dragon immediately."


    Nivalis looked at Rita with admiration in her eyes. That''s truly wicked! As expected of you.


    Rita then reminded her of some finer details. For example, don''t offer a low price at the start; instead, quote a slightly higher price than the robots offer. After some bargaining, the price could drop to much lower than the regular diamond value, but they should still ask for something extra from the buyer.


    Nivalis asked, "Do we need to be careful about the strength of the players we trick?"


    Nivalis approached Burn Cup, who was clearly waiting for her, and began signing with the peacock gemstone. This was the gemstone she and Rita had sold to the robot for 1,600 diamond coins, the most expensive one they had sold.


    Burn Cup Moon Emperor stared at the peacock gemstone for a moment before confirming there was no issue. Then, he started to haggle.


    Burn Cup raised his hand to offer a price: "500 Diamond Coins."


    Nivalis: "..."


    At that moment, Nivalis couldn''t help but wonder if she really looked that dumb.


    She pointed to her head and then made a wrong gesture: "I, brain, have problems?"


    Burn Cup smiled with an almost apologetic look, adding a "Yay" at the end: "700 Diamond Coins."


    Nivalis: "2000!"


    Burn Cup Moon Emperor''s smile vanished. He turned and walked away.


    And as he left, his mood status changed from "In a good mood" to "In a neutral mood."


    Nivalis was truly shocked. Was the mood of a strong player really so unstable?


    She rushed in front of Burn Cup Moon Emperor and started changing her price: "1,600."


    Burn Cup furrowed his brow, pointed to Nivalis, then to her head, and made the same incorrect gesture, offering a sympathetic look.


    Nivalis gritted her teeth and smiled. "Fine, fine, fine!"


    She handed the peacock gemstone over, thinking to herself, You deserve this luxury. Then she casually pointed to a gemstone in Burn Cup''s bag and signed, "1,000, plus this one. I''ll give it to you straight. If you don''t want it, fine, I won''t lose too much."


    Burn Cup Moon Emperor frowned, thinking for a moment. His expression was reluctant, but he nodded and handed the gemstone to Nivalis. He then pulled out a handkerchief, slowly unfolded it, and counted out ten purple diamond coins before handing them over to Nivalis.


    Nivalis, following Rita''s instructions, carefully checked each diamond coin in front of Burn Cup Moon Emperor before handing over the peacock gemstone.

 Chapter 433 Divine Game: Diamond Miner 6

    After watching the Burn Cup Moon Emperor, who was in a good mood, leave, Nivalis waited for a short moment before following him at a distance.


    She notified Rita in her mind: "I''ve sold you to Burn Cup Moon Emperor, but you''re in his hands now. Have you figured out how to escape?"


    The next moment, she felt the air around her ripple with dandelion seeds. Immediately, she saw the Burn Cup Moon Emperor stop in his tracks.


    The mood indicator above his head switched from "Good Mood" to "Disbelief."


    The dandelion seeds vanished in less than a second.


    Nivalis understood that Rita had used her Illusory Shift to escape. She immediately abandoned her pursuit of Burn Cup Moon Emperor, returning to her pet space, then reappeared, landing directly on Rita''s shoulder.


    Nivalis handed over the diamonds: "I''ve checked these. I didn''t find anything wrong, but I can''t be completely sure about their authenticity."


    Rita took the diamonds and opened the ladder rankings. Her expression turned strange. Her points had increased to 3476, just 500 more than before.


    This meant that half of the diamonds were fake¡ªhow had Burn Cup managed to pull that off?


    But the good news was that she had successfully "illegally profited," gaining a new languages of all races, and Nivalis had too.


    Though Rita was surprised that Nivalis had managed to trick a Moon Fox, she wasn''t concerned about Burn Cup finding her through scent. Her perfuming and alchemy had been mostly ineffective here due to a lack of materials, and many things were impossible.


    Of course, if things went badly, it wasn''t a big deal¡ªshe hadn''t planned on going back to check on Burn Cup.


    Instead, she used the time to transform into more types of treasure and had Nivalis continue her scheme.


    She planned to focus on the fraud game until it was done, then think about thievery. This way, if anything went wrong, she''d at least be able to escape, unlike getting cornered with no way out... or worse, getting caught.


    This was all just a bit of criminal experience.


    With Nivalis''s growing expertise, Rita quickly got sold five times. She even went to the store to check out treasures worth over 5000 diamonds.


    As Nivalis became more skilled, the treasures Rita turned into became more expensive.


    Rita spoke to Nivalis in her mind: "Something''s off. No more trading. Pack up and get ready to leave!"


    Nivalis didn''t understand why, but immediately shrank her form again, gripping Rita''s ear tightly: "Okay."


    As they passed by the mineral shop, Rita went inside once again, found B80234615, and led it to the trading room. She took out the World Graveyard - Ace of Spades and asked, "Do you buy this?"


    B80234615 responded, "Of course. However, it doesn''t hold much value for us. If you want to sell, we can offer 20,000 diamonds."


    Rita asked, "If I don''t want diamonds, what would you offer?"


    B80234615 replied, "What do you want?"


    Rita thought for a moment before saying, "Information, intelligence, rule decryption, languages of all races, or a piece of advice from a friend¡ªanything will do."


    B80234615 was silent for a long time. The light in its eyes flickered several times. Finally, it said, "I can offer three prices for this World Graveyard: an important piece of information about diamond miners, two rule decryptions, or... an ill-intentioned piece of intelligence."


    Rita placed the card down but didn''t let B80234615 take it away. She said, "I''ll take that ill-intentioned intelligence."


    B80234615 spoke slowly, "I''ve heard that recently, the Y-series numbered mechanical race has been responsible for transporting a valuable item that cannot be sent through any form of teleportation. And this battlefield just happens to be their required route. During the 13th to 15th hours of this Divine Game, you might encounter them."


    Rita was ready to use Master Thief Dragon to reverse time and trade again, but before she could act, B80234615 spoke first: "Dear friend, to deceive time is also to deceive me."


    It even spoke English¡ªRita wasn''t surprised it had figured out she had time manipulation powers. Perhaps there was even information about her above her head.


    Rita smiled, picked up the Ace of Spades card, and without hesitation, used Master Thief Dragon.


    She could deceive them!


    Time reversed.


    Under the influence of the mystical power, time rolled back five minutes.


    She and Nivalis were back to the moment they first entered the shop.


    And Rita had triggered divine retribution.

 Chapter 434: Divine Game: Diamond Miner7

    [Beep¡ªYou have violated a game rule. A divine punishment will be randomly drawn.]


    [Divine punishment completed. You have lost 150 mana points.]


    Since entering this special commercial area and engaging in various scams, Rita had already broken several rules, so losing this time didn¡¯t matter much.


    But when she saw the 150 mana points deducted, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a pang of regret. She gritted her teeth and held back her sadness as she walked up to B80234615 once again.


    Everything was repeating itself.


    ¡ª "For this World Graveyard, I can offer three choices: one important piece of information related to the Diamond Miner game, two decrypted game rules, or... one of my not-so-friendly pieces of intel."


    Rita¡¯s choice this time was: "I¡¯ll take two rule decryptions."


    Soon, the two rules appeared in English:


    ¡ª Game Rule 6: Do not touch diamond mines with a temperature exceeding the B-tier. ¡ª Game Rule 17: Do not respond to C-series robots.


    Rita tightly gripped the Ace of Hearts, not allowing B80234615 to snatch it away, but the robot kept pressing.


    Rita had to use both hands to hold onto it.


    B80234615: "Customer! You¡¯re going too far!"


    Rita: "This is the last time!"


    B80234615: "1000 diamond jewels, distinguished BS customer. For just 1000 diamonds, I¡¯ll sell you an important piece of information for the Diamond Miner game! Don¡¯t make me rewind time."


    Rather than taking the information for free, Rita thought it might be better to earn a little from it.


    Rita immediately released the Ace of Hearts: "Deal."


    B80234615: "..."


    In truth, B80234615 wasn¡¯t planning on giving nothing in the end. A World Graveyard wasn¡¯t that expensive for her now. She didn¡¯t want to offend these robots over something so trivial.


    From the way B80234615 was trying to use her to scam Y-series robots, it was clear that B80234615 wasn¡¯t exactly innocent, and these robots clearly had connections with one another.


    So, while Rita could be a little cheeky, she knew she had to stop at the right point. Find exclusive stories on novelhall.Co?m


    B80234615 looked at Rita, and its eye display softened with a gentle light. It explained: "People don¡¯t waste so much time on me. They only use their time here for transactions or to get information, not for jokes."


    Its system wasn¡¯t sophisticated enough to understand the exact difference between these things, but the emotions it was created to experience made it feel something different.


    It had a feeling¡ªthis BS player in front of it found B80234615 cute and interesting. She was curious about it and even wanted to know what it was thinking.


    Rita¡¯s expression changed. Oh no, she almost forgot!


    She said, "Friend, hurry up! I¡¯m in a rush. What¡¯s the intel? Hurry up, I feel like something¡¯s off here and I want to leave."


    B80234615¡¯s screen flickered again: "... This feeling is happening again."


    Nivalis immediately said, "It¡¯s admiration, this feeling is called admiration."


    Rita covered Nivalis¡¯s mouth: "Hurry up!"


    [B80234615 ??? Battery: 88%©§Integrity: Speechless©§Feeling: Frustrated©§Taboo: Customer stealing in-store goods©§Weakness: Power running out]


    B80234615: "The information I can analyze... Fine, don¡¯t shake me. The important intel for the Diamond Miner game is this: If you encounter a miner leader wearing a yellow hat during your mining process, do not resist. Whatever they ask you to do, just do it.


    "Don¡¯t try to escape from their pursuit with time skills. That will only make things worse.


    "Just obediently complete their tasks, and you¡¯ll be surprised."


    Rita didn¡¯t fully trust this info, but it didn¡¯t sound like it would cause harm.


    She slapped B80234615 on the shoulder with gratitude: "Thanks! Hope we meet again."


    After thanking it, Rita waved at B80234615 while walking out.


    B80234615 stood silently in the small room, watching Rita and Nivalis leave. It seemed to say something to the dragon perched on its shoulder before the dazzling Orange-Red Light Wings appeared and disappeared. The room became dim again.


    The next second, the room brightened again.


    The BS customer with the Orange-Red Light Wings came rushing back: "Got any pickaxes? Any discounts? If the discount¡¯s good, I¡¯ll buy five."


    B80234615: "... Regular ones are 200 diamonds, excellent ones are 1000 diamonds, and custom ones are 2000 diamonds."


    Rita: "What does ¡¯custom¡¯ mean?"

 Chapter 435: Divine Game: Diamond Miner8

    B80234615: "Once it starts guiding you, it will lock onto the specific diamond mine it selects. The guiding light will last for 5 minutes, and during this time, players with a higher combat tier than you cannot mine the same diamond mine with you.


    "The excellent version is slightly weaker; it won¡¯t lock onto the mine, but it is stronger than the normal version. Like the custom version, its guiding light lasts for 5 minutes.


    "But no matter which version you choose, you can only use it ten times."


    Rita: "Any discounts?"


    B80234615: "If you buy five custom versions, I can give you a discount. I¡¯ll only charge you 9,500 diamonds."


    Rita: "That¡¯s great! Give me ten of the normal versions."


    B80234615: "..."


    After receiving ten normal pickaxes, Rita and Nivalis left the shop amidst B80234615¡¯s grumbling glances. The first thing they did was look for an exit.


    As they passed a stall that was closing down, Rita spent 10 diamonds to buy the vendor¡¯s stall cloth, cutting it into a few large pieces. She draped it over herself like a giant cloak, and from a distance, she looked like a Death Eater, but up close, she resembled someone with mental issues.


    But it didn¡¯t matter; she used her disguise skill to transform into a proper-looking owl, complete with a pair of real orange-red wings. She even gave herself an ID ¡ª [Sugar].


    Read latest chapters at novelhall.Co?m


    As she searched for the exit, she casually used [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] on passing alien players, picking pockets along the way. By the time they reached a dried-up well that seemed to be the only possible exit, Rita and Nivalis had accumulated 7 more diamond mines.


    Rita immediately used Phantom Shift to return to the shop and found B80234615. She sold the 7 diamond mines for over 6,000 diamonds.


    With diamonds in hand, Rita asked, "Is the dried-up well in the southwest corner the exit?"


    B80234615: "That answer costs 100 diamonds."


    Without hesitation, Rita handed over 100 diamonds.


    Its mood above its head shifted to [Extremely Happy¡¤Full of Achievement].


    Then, as if by accident, B80234615 pressed something, and a circular hole appeared on the floor in the corner of the room. It pointed at the hole and said, "That¡¯s the way out."


    Normally, Rita might have exchanged a few more jokes with B80234615, engaging in playful banter, but she wasn¡¯t in the mood now. She immediately flew toward the hole and looked down. The space inside was pitch black, offering no useful information.


    But Rita, holding Nivalis, jumped down without hesitation. Just as she leaped, B80234615¡¯s voice came from the hole: "Here¡¯s a piece of intel for you: When you see a miner leader with a red beard, it¡¯s best to just leave the game."


    Rita looked up and shouted toward the hole, "Thanks! I¡¯ll remember you, B80234615."


    The tunnel was incredibly long, and Rita and Nivalis slid downward in the darkness. From time to time, Rita would flap her light wings, briefly hovering to slow her descent.


    As they moved further from the hole, Nivalis asked curiously, "What if B80234615 is lying to us?"


    Rita had considered this possibility, but the unease from the special commercial area far outweighed any doubts about B80234615. The mention of [Inspector¡¯s Arrival] also helped explain the tension she felt.


    Of course, it was possible that B80234615 was playing her, but Rita would rather take the risk of being deceived by B80234615 than stay in the special commercial area, surrounded by powerful players in a small marketplace. A chaotic situation there would be far too deadly for her.


    However, Rita couldn¡¯t say all of this. Since she hadn¡¯t yet received the exit notification from the special commercial area, it meant she hadn¡¯t truly left yet, which also meant that the things she and Nivalis said might still be overheard by B80234615.


    Such a shameless person like Rita wouldn¡¯t talk behind others¡¯ backs, right?


    Rita¡¯s voice turned serious: "It won¡¯t happen. B80234615 is a very sincere robot. It enjoys chatting and making friends. As long as I haven¡¯t offended it, it won¡¯t deceive us first."


    Nivalis: "... Did you really just say that?"


    The dragon was about to say something else, but the next second, a hand covered its mouth.


    The owner of the hand spoke passionately, "Next time we enter a similar commercial area, we¡¯ll look for robots with numbers similar to B80234615. They may not be as good as B80234615, but they certainly won¡¯t be worse. Who would have thought that the divine battlefield could have sincerity and genuine feelings?"


    Nivalis: "... Whoever you are, get off Rita right now!"

 Chapter 436: Divine Game: Diamond Miner9

    Two minutes later, two pieces of information nearly simultaneously rang out in Rita¡¯s mind.


    [Ding¡ª¡ªThe number of online players in Special Commercial Area #1211 has reached 6666.]


    [Special Event Triggered in Special Commercial Area #1211¡ª¡ªInspector¡¯s Arrival.]


    [Congratulations, Player, Task Completed¡ªFraudulent Game.] Read latest stories on novelhall.Co?m


    [You have completed 37 unfair trades and gained an improper advantage 37 times. Your overall score ranks 687th on the Historical Fraud Leaderboard of this commercial area.]


    [You have earned the 5th-tier title ¡¯Heaven¡¯s Wrath.¡¯ This title grants you a special title skill.]


    [You have received a game reward¡ªThe map of District 10 mining area has been unlocked.]


    [Special Commercial Area #1211 has been sealed.]


    The next moment, Rita felt an invisible hand poke her, and she was ejected directly from the tunnel. Just as she left the tunnel, the stone ceiling above quickly sealed shut, even severing a small strand of her hair.


    Rita immediately flew into the air, checking her surroundings to make sure there were no other players before she started reviewing her rewards.


    The 37 instances of unfair trade¡ªit turned out her and Nivalis¡¯s mining thefts were counted as such.


    It made sense. A no-cost deal was still a trade, right?


    But if it was a trade, then why didn¡¯t her dozens of failed thefts count as losses? Was it because the loss wasn¡¯t significant enough, or because the health points she lost didn¡¯t benefit the other players? Or maybe, each failed attempt just didn¡¯t qualify as a completed transaction?


    It seemed that the [One-Person Party] theft skill was much stronger than she had initially realized.


    This made Rita feel a little regretful. Her cautious and conservative nature had allowed her to avoid many potential risks, but it had also caused her to miss out on quite a bit.


    But soon, she brushed that regret aside, focusing on reviewing her rewards.


    First was the title.


    When she opened the leaderboard, she saw that her name was now associated with a title.


    28977. Rita | BS ¡¤ Human | 6th-tier Player | Heaven¡¯s Wrath.


    Rita could spend an hour mining to make only a few thousand diamonds, but through fraudulent games, she could rake in tens of thousands of diamonds. Who could resist that temptation and difference in speed?


    Plus, there was the carrot dangled in front of them: "The more unfair trades you complete, the more valuable the blessings you get when you leave the area."


    And there were no punishments mentioned on the game monument.


    All these factors combined meant that, although many players like Rita were careful, aware of their limitations, and sensed the abnormality, they still chose to complete the game tasks and leave as quickly as possible to avoid getting caught in the chaos...


    But they couldn¡¯t leave fast enough to outrun the surge of players in Special Commercial Area #1211.


    The battlefield chat channel, which originally had messages from players in various safe zones, had been overwhelmed after the brief closure of Special Commercial Area #1211, and now it was completely filled with posts from there.


    [Marmang¡¤Eel Snake]: "Amazing, there¡¯s still a special event. Didn¡¯t the safe zones always warn us about these beforehand?"


    [Blazing Flame¡¤MoMO]: "No, I¡¯ve encountered one before, but the conditions were very harsh."


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: "Can someone who was caught speak up? What¡¯s the penalty like?"


    [Ridge Tea ¡¤ NineNine]: "Yeah, speak up!"


    [Tingo¡¤Green Bean]: "It doesn¡¯t matter if you speak, you can¡¯t escape. I got lucky, only half of my diamonds were confiscated."


    [Winter Sea¡¤Whale Full]: "My divine talent was sealed for 100 Star Sea Days."


    [Ridge Tea ¡¤ Ikyo]: "I got ten more game rules."


    [Blazing Flame¡¤A-Pie]: "They took two World Graveyards from me."


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: "This is too scary! How about we team up and take down that inspector? There are so many of us!"


    [Blazing Flame¡¤MoMO]: "Fat Goose is great, Fat Goose, you lead!"


    [Ball Li¡¤In Time]: "Fat Goose is great, Fat Goose, you lead!"


    [Black Spring¡¤Mud Bears]: "Fat Goose is great, Fat Goose, you lead!"


    Rita couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was some copy-paste function in the battlefield chat channel she hadn¡¯t noticed, because how could so many players be so eager to repeat the same message in such perfect sync?

 Chapter 437: Divine Game: Diamond Miner10

    At this moment, the other players fell silent. Clearly, they were all shocked by the news of the special event being triggered in the safe zone, and they were now quietly lurking, waiting for more information to be revealed through continued conversation.


    No one could guarantee that they wouldn''t encounter such a safe zone.


    Safe zones that triggered special events were extremely rare, and judging by the chat history, the players felt that the conditions for triggering this particular special event seemed far too simple.


    Unfortunately, even though the 6666 players in Special Commercial Area #1211 were engaged in passionate discussions, no one had revealed the specific conditions for triggering the special event, even though some players, eager to gather intel, had mentioned terms like "penalties" and "inspectors."


    Rita and Nivalis were also watching the chat channel closely.


    While many players were keeping quiet about their penalties, more and more players started to share their experiences. Perhaps they were confident that other players couldn''t escape their penalties.


    From having their World Graveyard confiscated to losing S-level skills, even being banned from their divine talents¡ªthe punishments were harsh.


    Moreover, players who had been penalized all bore a mark on their foreheads, a humiliating symbol for the strong.


    Strangely enough, even those who had been punished couldn''t leave Special Commercial Area #1211 immediately.


    After venting their frustrations, the conversation shifted to how to avoid further penalties.


    As Rita observed the chat, she suddenly recalled what B80234615 had mentioned about ways to escape the punishment...


    For a brief moment, she entertained the thought that she could stay behind, buy the method to avoid punishment, and then, when the inspector arrived, not only save herself from the penalty but also resell the method to other players facing punishment, earning a substantial profit.


    But quickly, she extinguished this thought. There were too many unknowns, and her current strength was insufficient to take such a risky move.


    Suddenly, both Rita and Nivalis stopped. They had heard a noise coming from not far away. Since the map had been illuminated, Rita could now use [Hunter''s Eye] to "see" if any other players were nearby.


    In their 8 o''clock direction, someone was slowly approaching.


    Before the player reached them, a guiding light passed through the mine they had just dug.


    Rita immediately transformed into a spider and hung from the ceiling of the mine, while Nivalis shrank into the smallest possible size and hid in the corner.


    Soon, a hand clad in a metallic gauntlet broke through the stone wall.


    At the same time, Rita and Nivalis saw the player''s information above their head.


    With the Blue-Red Glass Balls from Ridge Tea civilization, Rita now had three World Graveyards.


    She and Nivalis continued mining.


    Rita looked at the information above Nivalis''s head for a moment, then suddenly asked curiously, "Why do you never ask me what your taboo or weakness is, the way I look at your information?"


    Nivalis replied, "Don''t you also never ask me what information I see above your head?"


    The two fell into silence.


    Rita glanced at the information above Nivalis''s head.


    [Nivalis 4th-tier 100%©§89%©§Joyful¡¤Excited©§Taboo: False Affection©§Weakness: BS Rita]


    Nivalis also looked at the information above Rita''s head.


    [Rita 6th-tier 100%©§72%©§Alert¡¤Cautious©§Taboo: Betrayal by Loved Ones©§Weakness: Ice Dragon Nivalis]


    Both Rita and Nivalis simultaneously twisted their heads away in embarrassment, then continued to dig for minerals.


    "Ew, gross!" Rita muttered under her breath.


    After they had mined three more treasure veins, chaos erupted in Special Commercial Area #1211.


    If it had just been the inspector checking and penalizing players, the ones who had been penalized would have quietly waited for others to be punished, while those still unpunished would have had difficulty forming quick alliances to overthrow the inspector.


    However, what no one expected was that after the inspector had checked half the players, they suddenly announced that players who had been penalized could transfer their criminal marks by killing the remaining players who hadn''t been checked.


    Once the criminal mark was transferred, the punishment would also shift.


    At this point, the battlefield chat channel was filled with silence, and not a single player from Special Commercial Area #1211 was talking.


    It seemed even the inspector''s new order had been discovered by a player with a special divine talent, who had gone to great lengths to find out.


    Rita let out a sigh of relief, straightened her back, and said to Nivalis, "Good job! Good job! Let''s not get involved in all that risky stuff. No need for it, huh?"


    Nivalis: "???"

 Chapter 438: Divine Game: Diamond Miner11

    Every time Rita questioned whether she was being too cautious, fate would step in and push her back into line.


    She had also noticed the cunning side of B80234615.


    While it might have been trustworthy¡ªafter all, the information it sold was accurate¡ªit never warned players about the potential traps. One could only say that the emotions and personality in its messages were far too one-sided.


    It wasn''t until Rita and Nivalis had mined 10 veins, at the cost of various resources, and tested out two new rules, that players from Special Commercial Area #1211 still hadn''t said a word in the battlefield chat.


    Moreover, the number of online players had dropped by over two thousand. While Divine Game was a game where players died constantly, the Diamonds Miner mode was different.


    The mining area was vast, and the terrain was complex. Even if players encountered each other, avoiding combat was relatively easy.


    The past hour had seen the highest number of player drop-offs since the game began.


    Even Lania Kaia Mistblade couldn''t help but call out for Lania Kaia Fat Goose in the battlefield chat, trying to get some information.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Mistblade]: Fat Goose, are you alright?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: You actually have the nerve to ask about me???


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Mistblade]: Why wouldn''t I?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: Did you take my account on Maple Syrup?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: Who are you insulting?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Mistblade]: This is the battlefield chat, don''t embarrass Lania Kaia. Come on, tell me, what''s going on? Did the Inspector really make you guys kill each other?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: Got it.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Mistblade]: Are you out of your mind?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: Fine.


    Lania Kaia Fat Goose was greeted with a flood of insults.


    But the way she avoided answering and even joked with Lania Kaia Mistblade gave everyone an odd feeling.


    All the high-level players began to sense the potential rewards hidden in this situation.


    If the Inspector allowed punished players to kill those who hadn''t been judged yet in order to transfer their criminal marks... that meant the special commercial area was like a cage, gathering a huge number of player resources in one spot. To high-level players, this was no different from free rewards.


    No one would complain about having too many World Graveyards or S-level skills.


    On the other hand, low-level players were shaken to their core. Most of the players casually wandering around the safe zone immediately decided to clear out their treasure mines and leave.


    However, Rita found it strange...


    [For each successful investment, you will gain 10 languages of all races and a profit share.]


    [The more successful investments, the more precious the blessings you will receive upon leaving the commercial area.]


    [Highest rule of this special commercial area: The robot will not lie to you.]


    [Friendly reminder: Beware of thieves.]


    [Current number of players in this safe zone: 713]


    Another special commercial area.


    Rita felt that Divine Game was filled with malice this time.


    But the worst was yet to come.


    She was about to go find the robot when, as soon as she turned around, she saw Winter Sea Frenzied Shark who had just walked around the corner.


    And the latter happened to look over at her.


    Nivalis: "I think I want to scream."


    The next second, Winter Sea Frenzied Shark teleported right in front of Rita and Nivalis.


    Rita showed no sign of retreat. With a slight flutter of her wings, she flew higher, ensuring she was at eye level with the two-meter-tall Winter Sea Frenzied Shark.


    She couldn''t afford to lose the momentum!


    [Frenzied Shark 16th-tier 100%©§89%©§Furious¡¤Controlled¡¤Cautious©§Taboo: BS Rita©§Weakness: Hair]


    After taking a deep breath to suppress his rage and hatred, Winter Sea Frenzied Shark summoned Hatred Thorns: "I''ve come to return the Dragon Blood."


    Rita pulled Nivalis in front of her, preparing to absorb the Dragon Blood, and warned, "Don''t try anything funny, or I''ll curse you again."


    Winter Sea Frenzied Shark sneered: "If I don''t try anything funny, you''ll stop cursing me?"


    Rita fell silent.


    Winter Sea Frenzied Shark: "...Can''t you say something pleasant?"


    Rita, her face full of helplessness and irritation, replied, "Can you stop being unreasonable? I''m busy trying to finish this task."


    She could say they would reconcile, and she wouldn''t curse him anymore, but did she really think Winter Sea Frenzied Shark would believe that?


    Winter Sea Frenzied Shark: "..."


    Though it was a calm sentence, for some reason, after hearing it, the fire he had been holding back suddenly erupted...

 Chapter 439: Divine Game: Diamond Miner 12

    The impact of these words was immediate¡ªcutting through most trash talk with an overwhelming sense of disdain and impatience.


    If Winter Sea Frenzied Shark truly became angry now, it would only prove that he was being unreasonable.


    After taking a few deep breaths, Winter Sea Frenzied Shark kicked the Hatred Thorns that was curled up at his feet.


    It had been a long time since they''d last met, and now Hatred Thorns had transformed completely. The first time they encountered it, it was a massive, dense thicket of thorns¡ªlike a small forest in itself. Back in the desert, it had trapped Rita and Nivalis. Rita believed that, back then, it hadn''t even shown its full potential.


    Now, however, Hatred Thorns seemed to have become something even more dangerous.


    The thorns gleamed brilliantly, like shiny metal, casting an almost artistic glow. Even though its form had shrunk to the size of a full-grown cat to facilitate movement, it still exuded an intimidating aura.


    Nivalis, excited, jumped out of Rita''s embrace and flew toward Hatred Thorns. "Give it here."


    Hatred Thorns didn''t speak. Instead, it extended one of its thorns toward Nivalis, who placed her dragon claw on it. Without knowing how they communicated, Rita watched as blood poured from the thorn into Nivalis'' body.


    Although this act would cause a significant loss of dragon blood¡ªblood taken from both Winter Sea Frenzied Shark and Nivalis herself, as well as some acquired from a past trade with Lania Kaia Pine Bloom¡ªit was necessary. If it wasn''t done, every time Nivalis came into contact with another living being''s blood, she would feel the excruciating pain of cramping, flaying, and boiling blood, leaving Hatred Thorns unable to fight.


    The two stood by, watching patiently as the process unfolded.


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    Finally, Winter Sea Frenzied Shark spoke up. "I''ll let you off for one starsea year without cursing me or Hatred Thorns. Name your price."


    Rita felt a shock. This was a very delicate moment. She looked up at Winter Sea Frenzied Shark and noticed his eyes were filled with a mix of anger and a touch of madness.


    It was an unspoken warning between intelligent individuals. "Yes, I can reclaim my talent within one starsea year."


    It was Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s declaration of war¡ªhis challenge. He was daring her: "Do you dare to not curse me in the next starsea year and instead, use the chance I gave you to secure my talent without resorting to destructive methods?"


    Even after losing his talent to BS Rita, he still looked down on her¡ªseeing her as a rookie who had only managed to steal it through her trickery and his own moment of carelessness.


    Without that talent, she probably wouldn''t even dare step foot in the world battlefield anymore.


    In fact, when BS Rita''s second curse had prevented Hatred Thorns from evolving, he was secretly relieved.


    Seeing that BS Rita had yet to answer, Winter Sea Frenzied Shark added, "What do you want?"


    Rita frowned. She was torn between converting her resources into strength or continuing to weaken Winter Sea Frenzied Shark.


    It wasn''t until Nivalis stepped away from Hatred Thorns and spoke to her, "It''s done."


    Rita nodded. "Everything good?"


    Nivalis replied, "All good."


    At the same time, Rita felt another curse from the "Ancient Curse" lifted¡ªit was the very first curse she had cast on Hatred Thorns.


    She then tried to speak, "I curse Winter Sea Frenzied Shark, that he cannot reclaim his divine gift talent through any means until the world battlefield is forever closed."


    Her attempt failed as the magic patterns in the air shattered.


    Perhaps the curse formula she used was too far-fetched. She tried several more formulas, but each time, the patterns shattered without any success.


    Winter Sea Frenzied Shark, watching her struggle, slowly pieced it together. "Stop! If you don''t want me to place a bounty on your head in the world battlefield, don''t curse me. Name your price, and we''ll temporarily make peace!"


    Rita shook her head. No resource or leverage could compare to the nearly perfect [Midnight Exile] Winter Sea Frenzied Shark had painstakingly nurtured!


    She didn''t care if he hunted her down. Not only could she hide and use [Survive Until the End], but even without Winter Sea Frenzied Shark, the world battlefield was a deathmatch anyway.


    Moreover, dying a hundred times was a loss she could accept, but losing any of the [Midnight Exile] skills was far more costly.


    Who needed to negotiate peace with him?


    Instead, Rita altered the curse to a less severe condition. When Winter Sea Frenzied Shark eventually lifted the curse, she could simply curse him again.


    "I curse Winter Sea Frenzied Shark, that he cannot reclaim his stolen divine gift talent through any means until he wins first place in Divine Game three times in a row, only then may he take back what no longer belongs to him."

 Chapter 440: Divine Game: Diamond Miner13

    Winter Sea Frenzied Shark saw the curse magic symbols forming in front of BS Rita once again, and they showed no sign of dissipating. He immediately realized things weren¡¯t going well.


    He hadn¡¯t expected that under his dual threats¡ªboth soft and hard¡ªBS Rita would remain completely unyielding!


    She didn¡¯t even wait for him to propose a deal. Words like "languages of all races," "SSS-class skills," and "rare equipment and items" had already left his ears as he overheard the contents of the curse.


    Winter Sea Frenzied Shark closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t want to see BS Rita¡¯s smiling face or let her catch the loss of control in his own eyes!


    But BS Rita wasn¡¯t letting up. He heard her speaking to him in Shark Forest language: "Actually, before you found me today, I hadn¡¯t considered using this method to prevent you from getting your god-given talent back. You reminded me of it.


    "A star-sea year? That¡¯s not the point. The point is, you¡¯re trying to use this deal to pass something onto me, right?


    "Well... no reaction is the best reaction. Looks like I guessed right.


    "Then, thank you for the gift. I¡¯ll make sure to use it. Goodbye."


    It wasn¡¯t until Rita, carrying a half-dozing Nivalis, turned a corner that she looked back. Winter Sea Frenzied Shark was still standing where he had been, and Hatred Thorns at his feet seemed to be looking up, as if speaking to him.


    Nivalis, in a sleep-heavy voice, murmured, "They feel... strange."


    Earlier, when Rita had collected dragon blood, she had warned Nivalis. If she felt something off, she was to use Master Thief Dragon. Nivalis had been quite nervous at that time.


    However, as Nivalis got closer to Hatred Thorns, her sensitivity to emotions allowed her to feel the deep pain, grievance, and hatred inside it. But those feelings weren¡¯t aimed at her.


    When Hatred Thorns gave her the dragon blood, it even seemed eager to be rid of the curse.


    Rita glanced at the information floating above Hatred Thorns¡¯ head.


    She had no idea about Hatred Thorns¡¯ original taboos and weaknesses, but now... she could see its taboo¡ªpet contracts.


    Having encountered one taboo after another, and combining her observations of Nivalis¡¯ own taboo, Rita had come to understand what taboos represented. They were typically something the subject despised deeply, or the thing that could make them lose their mind.


    What was most interesting was that Hatred Thorns¡¯ taboo was a pet contract, but its weakness was Winter Sea Frenzied Shark.


    It seemed that her earlier curse had left a deep crack between this master and pet duo.


    Rita pursed her lips and shook her head, sighing quietly, "L4327777, I¡¯m disappointed in you. Do you know B80234615?"


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    L4327777: "Yes, it¡¯s an outdated robot model soon to be phased out."


    Rita: ???


    B80234615 knows how you newbies talk about it behind its back?


    And it¡¯s being phased out?


    Although they had only exchanged a few words, Rita could already tell that L4327777 was far less intelligent than B80234615. B80234615 not only joked around with her, it even observed her...


    But she couldn¡¯t yet confirm whether this was due to personality or if... what she had seen from B80234615 was merely the personality it chose to show her.


    Rita pushed those thoughts aside and continued, "Well, B80234615 was full of wisdom... it wasn¡¯t bound by rigid rules, and it excelled at finding every opportunity to make diamonds."


    Since she couldn¡¯t lie and didn¡¯t enjoy relying on the Divine Punishment card unless necessary, Rita was careful with every word she said.


    L4327777 didn¡¯t seem to understand Rita¡¯s indirect speech, so it replied straightforwardly, "Distinguished BS star customer, what would you like me to do?"


    Rita pulled L4327777 outside the store. The robot didn¡¯t struggle, and once they were far from the other robots who might understand English, Rita spoke quietly:


    "After I invest in you, you take the diamonds and precious minerals I give you to make deals. If I acquire diamonds from players through other means and hand them to you, can that count as you earning them?"


    L4327777: "Do you have stealing skills?"


    Robots were always so blunt. Rita nodded, "What about it?"


    L4327777: "Sure."


    That was refreshingly direct. Rita, who had prepared a whole speech, was surprised. But after a moment¡¯s thought, she realized that to a robot, stealing and committing violent acts probably didn¡¯t differ much.


    Their operating systems only had rules¡ªno concepts of good, evil, nobility, or baseness.

 Chapter 441: Divine Game: Diamond Miner14

    Rita¡¯s logic was flawless¡ªshe was completely unbothered by emotions or sentiment.


    Just like when she had traded with Winter Sea Frenzied Shark earlier, she hadn¡¯t relied on analyzing his personality or emotions. She didn¡¯t know him at all, nor did she understand what kind of alien creature he was.


    And really, emotions, feelings, or character traits were all too subject to change depending on the situation.


    Rita didn¡¯t bother analyzing these fluctuating or even performative aspects. Instead, she focused solely on one thing: What was Winter Sea Frenzied Shark desperate to solve? What price was he willing to pay? And what was the result he was trying to get?


    Winter Sea Frenzied Shark had let her set the terms of the deal, only asking for one thing: that she wouldn¡¯t curse him for a single star-sea year. But this condition was easy enough to meet. If it were up to Rita, instead of making a deal with an enemy and giving them resources to benefit from, she¡¯d much rather hire other players to irritate herself, using up the last of her curse slots at a far lesser cost.


    But Winter Sea Frenzied Shark wanted to make a deal with her. He wasn¡¯t afraid of her asking for an excessive price. He was willing to give up a lot of resources to an enemy, just to achieve a result he could have reached through other means.


    Such an "unfair" deal made Rita suspicious.


    She couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of wonder and said to L4327777, "Sometimes, I really envy you guys."


    Even though Rita prided herself on being selfish and indifferent, she still often found herself affected by her surroundings and the people around her, like with some of her dealings with Eclipse Vanguard and BS.


    L4327777¡¯s voice came with a programmed confusion: "Envy us? For what?"


    Much like the colleagues Rita encountered when acting in a performance, its confusion was perfectly accurate and unflawed, but Rita could tell it was playing at confusion.


    Once again, Rita could feel the distinct difference between L4327777 and B80234615.


    Rita wasn¡¯t intending to get personal with L4327777. She sold all ten of her precious minerals to the robot, then shifted the conversation. "Do you know any other players with stealing skills?"


    L4327777 responded, "That¡¯s player privacy. If we leak such information, we will be deleted."


    L4327777: ??? Battery: 88% | Learning | Lacks Initiative Taboo: Poverty | Weakness: Battery Depletion


    L4327777 replied, "However, I can¡¯t give you an exact answer. All I know is that when the 10,000th investment happens in this market, the Inspector will arrive."


    Ten thousand!


    Rita frowned. When she had come through the game¡¯s stone tablet earlier, there had only been about seven hundred online players in this special market.


    And the game rule stated that an investment could only be made to a robot once every thirty minutes.


    This made it seem like the 10,000th investment was a long way off.


    But the problem was¡ªwhen did the count begin?


    It had already been five hours since the start of the Diamond Miner game! Who knew how many players had come through the special market during that time?


    She had to complete this task and leave as soon as possible.


    Rita told L4327777, "Let¡¯s get to work! You lead, and I¡¯ll follow."


    L4327777 didn¡¯t waste time. In the robot world, there was no such thing as slacking. It quickly scanned the players on the street, chose one, and approached them for a conversation.


    Rita, still wearing the robe from the previous special market, moved a bit farther away. Using her disguise skill, she turned into an oak owl and then shifted back with her shadow move, ready to get to work.


    She used I Just Want to Improve So Badly nine times, succeeding twice. She earned over 3,000 diamonds, along with a pair of legendary-grade gloves. However, these gloves were shaped more like steel shears than actual gloves and were made of metal¡ªcompletely unusable.


    When Rita went to L4327777 to heal, she handed over both the gloves and the diamonds, planning to have L4327777 convert them into diamonds and give her a share during the settlement.

 Chapter 442: Divine Game: Diamond Miner15

    Though L4327777 couldn¡¯t see through Rita¡¯s disguise, it was quick to recognize her true identity once it received the diamonds and gloves. The system notification made everything clear.


    With the diamonds and equipment in hand, the robot¡¯s screen lit up brilliantly, so much so that Rita had to squint, almost blinded by the brightness.


    L4327777¡¯s voice carried a hint of lively surprise, almost as if it had gained a little more personality: "Money¡¯s coming this quickly?!"


    Rita¡¯s habit of speaking nonsense kicked in, and she casually replied, "Yeah, I¡¯m committing crimes to support you."


    L4327777¡¯s eye-screen projected a light hologram, scanning Rita from top to bottom. "Alright, BS Rita, we¡¯ve got a deal."


    Rita: ??????


    L4327777: ???? Battery: 85% | Learning | Becoming Corrupted | Lacks Initiative Taboo: Poverty | Weakness: Battery Drain


    What¡¯s going on?! How can a robot "become corrupted"? Aren¡¯t you guys supposed to be without morals?!


    Before Rita could express her disbelief, L4327777 turned and got back to work, leaving Rita standing there stunned. After a few moments of silence, she slapped her own face, muttering to herself, Well, I did ask for it.


    But she shrugged it off¡ªafter all, she probably wouldn¡¯t run into this robot again. Rita got back to making money. With L4327777¡¯s healing abilities supporting her, she felt completely free to go all out.


    During this, while Rita was handing over the diamonds to L4327777, someone noticed and managed to catch her red-handed.


    Without wasting time, Rita grabbed L4327777¡¯s hand and started running through the market.


    L4327777¡¯s calm voice rang from behind: "Uh-oh, what should we do?"


    Rita: "Run! What do you think we should do?!"


    The pink robot wasn¡¯t very tall¡ªonly about a meter¡ªbut Rita easily grabbed it and flew upwards, taking it to the top of the market in an attempt to evade the player chasing them.


    This wasn¡¯t particularly strange in the market¡ªalthough players couldn¡¯t attack each other, they could capture someone and take them to the shop to complain to the robots.


    Rita let out a relieved breath, no longer pressing the robot about its sudden program glitch.


    Luckily, things went smoothly after that, without any further trouble. Find adventures at novelhall.Co?m


    Half an hour passed quickly, and Rita and L4327777 ducked into a corner to divvy up the loot. Rita leaned back against the wall, her long legs angled at a 50-degree angle, allowing her to look directly at L4327777, who had returned to its pink skin.


    They¡¯d succeeded 29 times, earning a total of 80,000 diamonds, one piece of equipment, and five precious ores.


    After L4327777 calculated the value, it gave Rita 50,000 diamonds.


    Adding that to the 30,000 diamonds she had earned from selling the 10 precious ores to L4327777 earlier, Rita now had over 100,000 diamonds. Her ranking on the leaderboard had reached 9,872.


    Without wasting time, Rita asked, "I¡¯m leaving now, how do I get out?"


    She hadn¡¯t been in a hurry before, but during the distribution, she noticed that L4327777¡¯s status had changed again...


    L4327777: ???


    Battery: 85% | Program Malfunctioned | Inflated Ego | Taboo: Hard Work | Weakness: Battery Drain


    Rita stared, horrified. What? I didn¡¯t even do anything!


    She had only made 100,000 diamonds in less than half an hour...


    L4327777¡¯s screen flickered with static, and it reached out to grab Rita¡¯s robe. "Could you not leave? Stay and be my friend?"


    Rita couldn¡¯t help but rub her cheek. I may have a charm stat of 10, but not to the point of being irresistible to this extent, right?


    But before Rita could respond, the static on L4327777¡¯s screen cleared up. The pink robot paused for a moment, then released its grip on Rita¡¯s robe. "Sorry, there was a program error. I said something outside the program. Don¡¯t mind it."


    Rita looked at L4327777 in surprise, her lips moving, but in the end, she only said, "...Oh."

 Chapter 443: Divine Game: Diamond Miner16

    Rita fought the urge to ask, "Is what¡¯s outside the program good or bad?" She pressed down her curiosity and quelled the ripples of emotion stirring inside her.


    The softness she felt toward L4327777 earlier seemed like a mere illusion, a wrong note played in a symphony. It was almost cruel¡ªshe had softened toward L4327777 because, at that moment, it was pure and flawless, like newly sprouted grass by the roadside, like freshly fallen snow. But now, L4327777 seemed more like a withered tree that had suddenly gained a sense of intelligence.


    This triggered Rita¡¯s wariness.


    She quickly brought the conversation back on track, asking, "How do I leave?"


    L4327777 responded, "The dry well in the western corner of the market."


    Rita¡¯s thoughts stirred. She fixed her gaze on L4327777, her tone still neutral and unreadable. "Isn¡¯t that the way to the smelting furnace?"


    L4327777 replied, "That well is an entrance to the 666~1222 special commercial district. This is the 3333 special district. The exit from here is that well."


    It then looked up at Rita¡¯s eyes. "Do you trust me?"


    Rita was already flying toward the western corner, confident in her Master Thief Dragon skill and the room to make mistakes.


    Divine Game didn¡¯t like players using time manipulation to control rewards and penalties, as that made the game feel like cheating and ultimately less fun. However, the game didn¡¯t prevent players from using time skills to survive in the world¡¯s battlefields.


    Thinking back to how B80234615 had warned her about the lying aspect of time manipulation before she used it, and recalling how unclear the limits and permissions of these robots were, Rita decided to ignore her doubts. There was also a rule against lying to robots, so she answered honestly, "I don¡¯t trust anyone, but it¡¯s fine. I have time manipulation; I can give it a try."


    L4327777 struggled to keep up with Rita, running behind her. It looked up at her as she flew low: "Really?"


    Rita sighed inwardly. She couldn¡¯t understand what she had done to cause L4327777 to change so much. It was even questioning the validity of its emotions now!


    What a dangerous habit to develop.


    Without looking back at L4327777, Rita continued, asking, "If an Inspector arrives, how do we avoid the interrogation?"


    L4327777 obediently replied, "Before the Inspector arrives, submit 50% of the diamonds you have."


    "Is that how it is in every commercial district when facing an Inspector?"


    "Yes!"


    Rita casually replied, "Thanks, L4327777. I¡¯m in a hurry, I¡¯ll leave now. You can go back."


    L4327777 stopped in its tracks, standing silently and watching Rita fly farther away. Its eye screen dimmed, like a phone entering standby mode.


    Rita: "Hmm... are you hurt?"


    L4327777: "No. Are you here to find me? Do you want to stay and be my friend?" Your next read awaits at novelhall.Co?m


    Rita: "No, I¡¯m here to avoid someone. Are there other exits here?"


    L4327777, whose head was a half-circle with only its eye screen and mouth, displayed a disappointed expression. "It¡¯s okay. I can help you switch areas. Which one do you want to go to?"


    Rita didn¡¯t hold back. "Area 11!"


    L4327777 moved to the edge of the dry well and rearranged some bricks. "All done."


    Rita jumped into the well again. "This time, I¡¯m really leaving. Goodbye, L4327777. I¡¯ll remember you."


    L4327777: "Me too."


    Rita once again experienced the same feeling she had when leaving the 1211 special commercial district, except this time she wasn¡¯t with Nivalis.


    The moment she exited the tunnel, she received a game reward.


    Congratulations, player! Task Completed: Diamond Master


    You invested in L4327777 and helped it achieve 21 successful profits, ranking 263,687th in the special district¡¯s historical leaderboard.


    You¡¯ve received the following rewards: Three Random Rules Unlocked


    Rita looked at the three newly unlocked rules:


    Rule 1: Every 12 hours, a mechanical race must be eliminated. Rule 10: Forbidden to enter Area 19. Rule 11: Forbidden to perform divination for mechanical races.


    After memorizing the new rules, Rita¡¯s attention shifted back to her leaderboard ranking.


    Last time, she had ranked high without noticing any issues, but this time was different.


    263,687th.


    That number was too high. She remembered Mistblade Moon Emperor had once said she had never played a game with repeated players.


    So, what did this leaderboard mean?


    Had more than 200,000 players visited this district?

 Chapter 444: Divine Game: Diamond Miner17

    Rita couldn¡¯t help but wonder: was there another similar mode to these games? A system where these markets constantly turned into new maps, and the robots kept changing forms? Perhaps, like the interchangeable game and novel templates, these game records were simply preserved over time.


    While mulling over these mysteries, Rita once again repeated the process of mining alone.


    Meanwhile, the battle chat channel was filling up with players complaining about the special events they were encountering.


    The events in the 1211 special commercial district were no longer fresh news, as six other districts had triggered similar events.


    "Governor¡¯s Arrival," "Tax Audit," "New Mining Regulations"...


    Even though players who had triggered these events remained tight-lipped about key details, less important information flooded the chat.


    After Rita and L4327777 split the earnings, she ranked 9872nd on the leaderboard. But in just a short while, she climbed to 8997th.


    The chat was full of complaints, with players counting how many penalties they had been hit with.


    Particularly the "Tax Audit" event was cruel¡ª100 diamonds was the starting point for taxation. Those with more than 10,000 diamonds faced the highest tax rates.


    One player even complained they didn¡¯t have enough diamonds to buy a pickaxe anymore.


    Just watching it all made Rita feel heartbroken. The game was merciless! It encouraged players to earn diamonds while simultaneously stripping them of their hard-earned currency.


    It was as if players were being treated like miners!


    High emotional intelligence: diamond miners.


    Low emotional intelligence: dark mines.


    The more you worked, the worse off you were!


    Rita decided to reduce her trips to the market to sell her precious ores...


    However, she still couldn¡¯t shake off what B80234615 had said:


    "I heard recently that the Y-series robots are transporting a rare and irreplaceable item that can¡¯t be transferred by any means. This area of the battlefield happens to be their necessary route. You might see them between the 13th and 15th hour of this round of Divine Game."


    The mining area was so vast, and she only had two hours¡ªwhere could she possibly find them?


    "If the rebellion isn¡¯t quelled within an hour, the battle zone will turn into a wasteland zone, merging with other wasteland zones."


    "Players trapped in wasteland zones will lose their eligibility for this round of Divine Game and cannot receive any rewards."


    Rita smirked, thinking, It¡¯s better to be lucky than to be late...


    She immediately flew into the air, gripping the stone wall tightly, and looked down at the situation in the marketplace.


    The players below were just as confused as she was.


    At the same time, every robot within her field of vision transformed.


    These robots, which had originally looked like small mailboxes with antennas¡ªharmless and unassuming¡ªnow towered to nearly five meters high, just a few meters away from Rita¡¯s position.


    Their bodies were splitting and extending, accompanied by the melodic metallic sounds of machinery: mechs, weapons, turrets, helmets...


    Rita murmured, "Pacific Rim?"


    She summoned Nivalis and shook the dragon¡¯s neck forcefully, "Wake up!!! You won¡¯t regret it if you look now! Wake up!"


    Nivalis: Zzzzz


    Rita clicked her tongue in frustration and tossed Nivalis back into the pet space.


    Continue reading at novelhall.Co?m


    "B8017666 (Combat Mode) Tier 12 Battery: 100% | Awakened: Desires Freedom | Taboo: Reset | Weakness: Battery Depletion."


    B8017... she wasn¡¯t sure what its relationship with B80234615 was.


    And it was a Tier 12 combat unit!


    Rita didn¡¯t hesitate and started to flee.


    One Tier 12 robot was bad enough, but here there were nearly a thousand robots, and the weakest ones were Tier 9, with some even reaching Tier 15.


    To make matters worse, there were other non-human players here.


    She was certain that even though the players might need to band together to fight these rebellious robots, once they had the chance, those non-human players would definitely take the opportunity to kill others.

 Chapter 445: Divine Game: Diamond Miner 18

    Rita had no intention of hiding and playing it safe.


    Since the penalty for this task was so severe, the rewards for completing it were bound to be substantial, given the fairness of this game. The "languages of all races" was likely just the final ranking reward; there would probably be other valuable items as well.


    Her plan was to find a secluded, safe spot, use a sniper rifle for some long-range shots, and try to take advantage of any opportunity for a last hit. If she couldn¡¯t get the last hit, she would at least rack up some damage stats. Whether the task was judged by the final blow or based on overall contribution from damage output, she wasn¡¯t going to let the chance slip by.


    .Co?m


    Unfortunately, Rita¡¯s plans quickly fell apart.


    She searched around but couldn¡¯t find a suitable place for a sniper to operate. Not only were the shops in the market small, mostly just one-story buildings, but more importantly, after the mechanical race transformed into combat mode, the first thing they did was destroy the shops around them.


    In less than two minutes, the entire market had turned into something resembling an arena. Nearly half of the players, like Rita, were flying in the air, scattered around, both fighting and subtly trying to stick together for safety.


    Meanwhile, the mechanical race had already begun to gather, forming ranks.


    The largest of them, the leader of the group, was nearly as tall as the stone walls of the market, its towering form over ten meters high. At the center of its chest was a massive round energy core, filled with icy blue "water flows," within which were floating several precious minerals.


    Rita immediately made a decision¡ªwhen the game ended, she needed to take at least ten different types of precious minerals back to BS and sell them to Eclipse Vanguard for their research.


    [B801717 (Combat Form) Level 15 Energy: 100% | Awakening: Wrath | Taboo: Reset, Eliminate | Weakness: Energy Core Destruction]


    What kind of treasure series was this B8017? It had so much rebellion in it.


    The enormous size alone was imposing, not to mention it was a Level 15 combatant. One after another, the mechanical race units gathered behind it. Rita involuntarily held her breath.


    Just then, a familiar female voice rang out, speaking in the Oak Owl language. "All players!"


    Rita looked toward the voice. It was Maple Syrup!


    Lania Kaia, aka Maple Syrup, was flying at the forefront, facing B801717. Her orange-red wings unfurled, immediately scattering the cold, murderous intent radiating from B801717.


    She scanned the various races of players present, and when her eyes paused on Rita, she raised her wrist and subtly pointed to the acorn on it.


    Rita immediately understood and opened the battlefield chat channel.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: Anyone else have something to say?


    No one replied, but the players in the 8017 market made their stance clear through action¡ªthey all gathered behind Maple Syrup.


    By now, everyone knew that Rita had stolen Winter Sea Frenzied Shark¡¯s [Ancient Curse] just a few hours ago, making it a public fact.


    Since Maple Syrup had vouched for Rita and Rita herself had agreed to the proposal, no one in the 8017 market had any objections. Killing other players was something that could happen at any time, and if they didn¡¯t take care of the mechanical race rebellion, this Divine Game would be a failure.


    Nobody feared that Maple Syrup and Rita would go back on their word.


    During the fight, it was all about winning, even if the methods were dirty¡ªit could be seen as strategy. But making a public promise to get over 2000 players to cooperate was a bold move. If Maple Syrup went back on it later, she would have lost all face.


    Not to mention, Maple Syrup¡¯s title was "Fiery Wine Enthusiast"¡ªher reputation was built on a foundation of strength.


    Of course, there was another important reason why everyone obeyed so willingly¡ªMaple Syrup had the highest combat power on the field.


    Once all the mechanical race units were assembled, the lead B801717 spoke in the Oak Owl language:


    "It seems you¡¯re ready. This will be a fair war."


    The nearly thousand massive mechs stood in the other half of the arena, and Maple Syrup, her spear crackling with lightning, pointed it directly at B801717.


    "Enough talk," she said, and then charged straight toward the mechanical race, heading for B801717.


    B801717 bellowed, "Kill!"


    When the lightning spear struck B801717, all the players felt the surge of battle lust ignite within them.


    Even though Rita immediately realized that this adrenaline-fueled feeling wasn¡¯t quite like her usual self, she couldn¡¯t help it.


    It must have been some kind of skill from Maple Syrup.


    Rita quickly boosted her stats, activating all of her enhancement skills, before drawing her rifle and taking aim.


    She aimed at a Level 9 mechanical race unit, but didn¡¯t use any skills that drained all her mana, like [Full Price for Life].


    This would be a long, drawn-out battle, nearly an hour¡¯s worth. She needed to make sure her mana reserves lasted. She also needed enough mana left for emergency healing.

 Chapter 446: Divine Game: Diamond Miner 19

    The number of players was double that of the mechanical race, but the latter¡¯s average combat power far surpassed that of the players. Not to mention, the mechanical race was highly united, with their battle support distribution being incredibly efficient.


    On the other hand, the players from various races all had different mindsets. While they were fighting, no one dared to claim they were putting in their best effort.


    Take Rita, for example. She could never use her ultimate ability, One-Person Party, to control the battlefield and assist all the other players. She would rather let this Divine Game fail than reveal her most powerful trump card so early.


    However, she wasn¡¯t slacking off. Thanks to her agile flying ability and several skills from Midnight Exile, she was becoming more and more powerful, her combat strength matching even those of 10th-tier players.


    But, unfortunately, after fifteen minutes of fighting, the players had already fallen into a disadvantage.


    Even Maple Syrup¡¯s skill, which was supposed to ignite the players¡¯ fighting spirit, had lost its effect.


    Faced with the obvious outcome, the smarter players began weighing their losses and gains:


    Rather than continue expending energy, they chose to preserve their strength. Especially those with high-cooldown skills, they decided to save them for when the area became a wasteland zone¡ªthat way they could at least protect themselves.


    Almost one-fifth of the players began slacking off.


    In-game, slacking off during a dungeon can be detected, so of course, in reality, players who had fought their way up from the start could easily tell what was going on.


    Rita frowned as she watched. Although she also felt that this special story mission was unlikely to succeed, and this Divine Game would most likely end in failure, wasn¡¯t it better to take out a few more mechanical races?


    Even without any rewards, wouldn¡¯t it make their safety easier once the area became a wasteland zone, the fewer mechanical races left?


    As Rita dodged a punch from a mechanical race, she casually formed a small Cheers thunderball, which she tossed at the enemy¡¯s face. The ball exploded against its huge face, leaving a crater. Despite the explosion¡¯s impact, the visual effect of the attack made it look almost laughable.


    Rita couldn¡¯t help but feel a little embarrassed.


    Just then, she heard a light laugh.


    Following that, the clear, crisp voice of Maple Syrup rang out, "BS Rita, watch closely! This is Cheers!"


    Rita once again saw firsthand the true power of Cheers as it unleashed a massive thunderous storm in the battlefield. Thunderous beer mugs filled the sky above the market. Everywhere players and mechanical races stood, there were 1-2 beer mugs floating, filled with lightning and thunder, and small thunderballs that looked like ice cubes, floating and sinking inside.


    The beer mugs flew and clinked, exploding in bursts of thunder, resembling a wild party.


    The sound of explosions, gunshots, and other combat noises disappeared in an instant as the battlefield seemed to pause. Every mechanical race and player stopped their movements.


    Maple Syrup¡¯s Cheers had evolved. Or perhaps, the version she showed Rita back in High Tower had been incomplete.


    Rita felt a floating beer mug brush her hand. She didn¡¯t dodge it and clearly sensed that the mug had no harm. The moment it touched her, her mind flooded with various ways to train Cheers.


    Before she could even process all the information, with a light shout from Maple Syrup, all the beer mugs shot into the battlefield, crashing towards B801717¡¯s energy core, each explosion sending out waves of thunder, affecting all nearby targets.


    Maple Syrup whipped out a chain of lightning, dragging away players who could have been affected and tossing them aside.


    In less than three seconds, B801717 was forced to kneel.


    Maple Syrup hovered in the air, silently looking down at B801717.


    By the time the last beer mug exploded, B801717 had been reduced to a pile of dark, broken debris.


    For a moment, it was as if the scene had frozen. Every player and mechanical race stood in silent awe, watching Maple Syrup.


    On the battlefield, where players fought players, Maple Syrup had won¡ªand she had won spectacularly.


    Rita could hear the sound of her own heartbeat racing.


    ¡ª"I¡¯m Getting Serious" activated!


    She aimed at the 14th-tier mechanical race that was positioned behind B801717. This mechanical race had been too close to B801717 when it was hit by the Cheers explosions.


    Now, it only had 1% energy left!


    Due to the sheer audacity of the move, neither the players nor the mechanical races reacted immediately.


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    Everyone just quietly watched as the bullet from Rita¡¯s gun struck the 14th-tier mechanical race, D3851130.


    D3851130 attempted to dodge, but Rita had activated I¡¯m Getting Serious.


    Moreover, this shot was the fourth strike from Midnight Exile, making the attack power 125 times stronger.


    The mechanical race¡¯s energy core was instantly destroyed.


    All the players quickly turned their attention back to Rita, watching her silently.


    Even Maple Syrup turned to look at Rita.


    Rita smiled slightly at her and said, "Thank you, mother."


    You¡¯ve taken advantage of me so many times, I guess it¡¯s my turn to get back at you. Isn¡¯t it fair?


    Maple Syrup smiled and nodded, "Just like me."


    Rita froze for a moment, confused. "Wait, how are you insulting me?"


    The players who understood Owlspeak fell silent.


    Those who didn¡¯t understand it also went quiet, looking at the two owls¡¯ expressions, and they couldn¡¯t help but feel a little disgusted.


    After that brief exchange, the situation on the battlefield started to shift. Although the mechanical race still held the advantage, at least the players began to see a glimmer of hope.


    The most powerful 15th-tier mechanical race had already been taken down by Maple Syrup, and now she turned her attention to the 14th-tier mechanical races.


    The mechanical race responded by sending five 14th-tier fighters to surround Maple Syrup.


    While Maple Syrup dealt with that, Rita continued flying around, shooting from a distance, while reviewing the knowledge about Cheers in her mind.


    Now that she had mastered Cheers to an extent, she could easily tell what was right and wrong among the new techniques she had gained.


    She tried to incorporate a few insights into her own Cheers technique, and when she unleashed it again, it was much more stable, with the outlines of the cups finally forming.


    It hadn¡¯t been long, but Maple Syrup had given her all the core essentials for the skill.


    Rita couldn¡¯t be sure whether Maple Syrup had acted out of a momentary whim, or if there were some hidden motives behind it, but one thing was certain: she owed Maple Syrup a favor.


    Minute 55:


    There were still over 300 mechanical races left.


    The players were down to just over 1,200.


    This was mainly due to mechanical races with weak spots or low energy, automatically shutting down after exhausting their power.


    But even though the players now outnumbered the mechanical races four to one, everyone knew one thing: they were going to lose.


    The battlefield would transition into a wasteland zone in five minutes.


    And their game... was already a failure.


    Minute 58:


    Half of the remaining players stopped fighting and retreated. It looked almost like a rehearsed routine as they all chose to commit suicide and leave the game, leaving behind a sea of World Graveyards.


    The players who were still fighting felt the weight of the moment. Logically, they knew that suicide was the best option, but their pride and dignity made them unwilling to leave in that way.


    Just then, a figure with wings shining brightly, like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, rushed towards the World Graveyard.


    All the players: !!!

 Chapter 447: Divine Game: Diamond Miner 20

    As soon as Rita moved, the remaining players followed suit. Almost 99% of them stopped attacking the mechanical race and retreated to the backlines to grab the World Graveyards. The only one who remained still was Maple Syrup...


    If this war hadn¡¯t been coming to an end and the outcome already decided, BS Rita, who was causing confusion and disrupting the morale of the troops, would have been dragged out and given a long, painful beating by Maple Syrup.


    But unfortunately, there were no "what-ifs."


    At this point, not grabbing the World Graveyards would have been foolish.


    Maple Syrup had to admit, BS Rita was indeed clever and decisive.


    They had all been cooperating for a common goal, but their fundamental relationship was still competitive. When Maple Syrup rose from nothing, she had been just as ruthless, grabbing every opportunity she could.


    Rita bent over and tirelessly started picking up the World Graveyards. She almost felt sorry for Nivalis; yet again, the mech battle and the post-war loot had passed her by...


    As she flew around collecting them, Rita didn¡¯t stay in one place for more than a second. Every time she reached down, no matter how many World Graveyards were in the area, she only grabbed one, leaving the rest as bait for the other players to fight over.


    The players who caught up, with World Graveyards scattered on the ground between BS Rita and themselves, didn¡¯t even hesitate. They all chose to fight over the unclaimed World Graveyards rather than engage BS Rita, who could potentially retaliate with her [Ancient Curse].


    Once the players stopped, the mechanical race didn¡¯t press the advantage. Their primary goal was survival and freedom, not wiping out the players.


    The remaining mechanical race quickly regrouped and started charging each other, healing and recharging.


    Maple Syrup scowled and dispersed the lightning gun in her hand, silently observing the chaos in the backline.


    It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want the World Graveyards, but at her level, the ticket prices for entering each Divine Game were no small matter.


    However, as the commander, she couldn¡¯t just jump into the fray like BS Rita and get involved in a chaotic grab for the loot...


    Alright, she admitted it: She had become too much of a powerhouse to act like this. She had forgotten the way she used to be...


    Rita, meanwhile, understood that her actions were like elderly people fighting for free eggs at a market.


    Back in BS, she couldn¡¯t understand why people with rich pensions would fight over free eggs. But now, with the eggs replaced by World Graveyards, she immediately understood. Oh, she understood all too well. The feeling of getting something for free was truly different!


    Charge!!!


    Rita raised her hand and elbowed a player trying to sneak in beside her.


    No one was going to steal her World Graveyards!


    From the air, Maple Syrup watched the spectacle, speechless.


    She thought to herself, "Is it too late to sever our mother-daughter relationship?"


    After thinking for a moment, and realizing it wasn¡¯t possible to break it off, Maple Syrup decided to at least get something in return. She called out to Rita, "BS Rita, help me pick up some too."


    Rita, catching her breath, asked, "Who are you?"


    Maple Syrup didn¡¯t understand the English, but she clearly saw the confusion on BS Rita¡¯s face ¡ª she was bewildered, like "huh?"


    Maple Syrup couldn¡¯t help but laugh. "...30 World Graveyards. Consider it repaying the favor for teaching you [Cheers]."


    Rita immediately replied in Owlspeak, "Deal!"


    She had already collected at least 50 World Graveyards, so using just 30 to settle the debt was more than worth it.


    Maple Syrup raised an eyebrow, not at all surprised. She found BS Rita¡¯s complexity amusing.


    She had once thought of Rita as distant and rational. After spending ten years in High Tower together, she felt like she could never truly get close to her. Neither Maple Syrup nor Maple Mu had managed to get through to Rita¡¯s heart. She even doubted every act of kindness shown to her.


    But now, she realized, the truly cold-hearted wouldn¡¯t act like BS Rita, whose attitude was so complicated.


    Maple Syrup remembered how Rita had always ignored her in the chat channels, pretending to be dead when they joked around. She hadn¡¯t responded once. But after witnessing Rita curse Winter Sea Frenzied Shark and shut him down in the blink of an eye, Maple Syrup knew Rita was keeping an eye on the chat.


    Yet, whenever they met on the battlefield ¡ª whether it was in a car race or the Diamond Miner event ¡ª every time Maple Syrup teased her, Rita always took the bait after a few tries. She¡¯d keep her distance, always observing from afar, but the moment they interacted, Rita was quick to cut ties again.


    This, in Maple Syrup¡¯s eyes, was fascinating.


    In the last ten seconds before the battlefield was to be turned into an abandoned zone, Rita handed over the 30 World Graveyards.


    With a light and relaxed tone, Rita smiled and said, "We¡¯re even now."


    Her Owlspeak carried a distinct accent, with a rising tone at the end, a feature of the Maple Clan that even Rita had failed to correct despite many attempts.


    For the three hundred years of their existence, ten years wasn¡¯t much. But in Rita¡¯s case, it had left an indelible mark.


    Maple Syrup smiled.


    At that moment, she understood something clearly.


    Rita may have once been touched by the warmth they shared during their time in High Tower, or perhaps, at some point, she had been tempted by the power and resources Maple Syrup could offer. There might even have been times when Rita envied Maple Burn.


    She had wavered, and even now, she probably still thought about those ten years.


    But Rita would never return to Maple Syrup¡¯s side like Maple Mu had. She would never crave her affection.


    3... 2... 1!


    The system¡¯s voice cut into Maple Syrup¡¯s thoughts.


    [Ding¡ªSpecial event triggered in Special Shop Area 8017: mechanical race rebellion¡ªFailure!] [Special Shop Area 8017 has officially turned into an abandoned zone] [Abandoned Zone 8017 will merge with other abandoned zones in 100 seconds] [Surviving players will lose their qualification for Divine Game: Diamond Miner and cannot receive rewards] [Top 100 players who killed mechanical race will receive rewards]


    The next moment, everything went quiet.


    The rewards were only announced to the players themselves. Read new adventures at novelhall.Co?m


    This was the real climax. Those players who had suicided to exit the game could not receive these rewards.


    They had chosen to prioritize their Divine Game rankings, while the remaining players focused on the mechanical race rebellion rewards.


    Rita had hesitated too. Her ranking in the Divine Game wasn¡¯t low, and she was confident she could get a Golden Tree Withered Leaf.


    But... when she saw Maple Syrup fighting fiercely at the frontlines, she inexplicably didn¡¯t want to embarrass herself in front of her.


    Maple Syrup didn¡¯t retreat, and Rita didn¡¯t want to either.


    Even though, rationally, she knew Maple Syrup would never see her as a daughter and she never thought of Maple Syrup as a mother, Rita just couldn¡¯t bring herself to back down in front of her. She didn¡¯t want to disappoint Maple Syrup.

 Chapter 448: Divine Game: Diamond Miner 21

    [Congratulations to player BS Rita for ranking 67th in the special event "Mechanical Race Rebellion"]


    [Reward received: languages of all races x3]


    [Reward received: Abyss Skill Blind Box x1]


    67th place?!


    There was a breakdown of the points, and Rita immediately opened it up. Sure enough, she found the points for killing the 14th-tier mechanical race, D3851130. It was a decent amount of points, and she realized that without this bonus, her ranking would have been somewhere past 300.


    It seemed like not only damage dealt but also the final blow contributed points.


    She had gotten a big one! Rita quietly shifted behind Maple Syrup to hide from the cold stares of some nearby players.


    As for the Abyss Skill Blind Box, Rita checked the details: there was an 80% chance of getting an S-level skill, 15% for an SS-level skill, and 5% for an SSS-level skill.


    She glanced at the countdown ¡ª 76 seconds left.


    Rita immediately took out the Abyss Skill Blind Box, which looked like a half-white, half-golden Poke?ball. She opened it right away.


    They were about to enter the Abandoned Zone, and she had no idea what to expect there. She needed to convert any usable resources into something tangible now, so she¡¯d have more options when she got there.


    Perhaps it was the bad luck from earlier in the commercial district affecting her, but at this moment, her luck turned around.


    [Mysterious Power] SSS-Level: This skill can only be used when your health is below 5%. Once activated, your health is locked at 1% for 24 hours. During this time, healing is impossible. All beings can only deal one instance of damage to you; any subsequent attacks will be ineffective, and damage will bypass both enemy and ally attributes, deducting 0.2% of your health. Each use costs 20% of your mana, and the cooldown is 7 natural days.


    Hmm? So after activating this, no matter how strong the enemy is, they¡¯d need five different beings to attack her to actually kill her?!


    What kind of twisted Temu is this?


    So strong!!


    Rita immediately made a decision: if she got any rewards that could modify skill numbers in the upcoming Golden Tree rewards, she¡¯d use them all on this skill!


    She needed to tweak the forced health deduction ratio and the cooldown time.


    Her dream was to one day turn that 0.2% into 0.0001%, and then it would take 10,000 people to kill her! And the best part? She hoped this skill could be used once a day.


    What difference would that be from being invincible?


    She checked the skill panel. There were no chains attached to this skill, which meant it could be used on the divine battlefield without consuming any mysterious powers.


    With this skill, she wouldn¡¯t regret losing this Divine Game¡¯s rewards, even if she didn¡¯t finish at the top.


    Rita checked her languages of all races, noting that none were duplicates. Including the rewards from the cheating game, she had already accumulated 8 different languages of all races, bringing her total to 687.


    And don¡¯t forget the 77 World Graveyards she had grabbed earlier ¡ª even after giving Maple Syrup 30, she still had 47 left.


    This Divine Game might not have gone her way in the end, but her haul was incredibly rich.


    Rita waited contentedly for the merging of the Abandoned Zone.


    She took a glance at the other players still present on the field. Their expressions were all different, but it was clear they were all opening their rewards as soon as they got them.


    Her attention then turned to the group of 600 or so players left.


    Most had a combat rank of 9-12, with only 12 players, including Rita, below rank 9. There were around 70 players at rank 13 and 14.


    Rita hoped that at least she could survive a little longer in the Abandoned Zone.


    At least, it would give her a chance to hide in the dark corners and grab more mechanical races.


    While she was thinking, the stone walls surrounding the marketplace suddenly crumbled into dust and dispersed into the air, revealing the grey-blue sky.


    There was no sun or moon in the sky, only a rotating 9th-tier magic cube. Each block of it emitted dazzling light, serving as the primary light source in the Abandoned Zone.


    Looking around, she saw the same black-grey ground as the abandoned marketplace, but here it felt more like a garbage dump.


    All around her were heaps of garbage, and among them were broken, incomplete, and non-functioning mechanical races.


    Yet, to Rita¡¯s eyes, some of these "garbage" still had health bars. They were still "alive"...


    In the distance, she could also spot other mechanical races and players. They were sitting on the ground, not engaging in combat or conversation.


    The players who had just entered the Abandoned Zone did not immediately start fighting either. Everyone kept their distance, maintaining a wary but somewhat cooperative stance, sticking together while observing their surroundings.


    The remaining mechanical races began moving toward other mechanical races.


    Rita tried to open her ladder board to check the battle chat channel, but the ladder board didn¡¯t respond.


    Her actions caught the attention of a few players, and they also tried to tap their wrist marks, but none of them received a response.


    All the players¡¯ expressions grew serious.


    They all realized the same thing: without any game time or mission instructions, what were the conditions to leave the Abandoned Zone?


    Death?


    Maple Syrup and Rita both flew toward the players who had entered the Abandoned Zone earlier.


    Maple Syrup glanced at Rita and said, "Stuck to me like a shadow."


    In Owlspeak, this term was often used in a playful way between close relations, like when Maple Cang would tease Maple Mu about being her shadow.


    Rita: "...I came first."


    Maple Syrup smiled but didn¡¯t say anything more.


    Rita felt a bit uneasy as she distanced herself from Maple Syrup. She wasn¡¯t used to this closeness and affection, feeling like she was getting too close to a fire that might burn her.


    The players sitting nearby noticed the new arrivals, but there was no immediate reaction. Even though Maple Syrup was at rank 15, they didn¡¯t react, not even showing any concern or wariness.


    This reaction made all the following players frown.


    Maple Syrup landed and stopped at a safe distance, then looked toward the highest-ranked player among them.


    It was a rank 14 Nuclear Flash, a Yuguo race. Standing at just under a meter tall, with purple short hair and a round face and eyes that reduced any coolness in his appearance.


    Maple Syrup spoke in Yuguo language: "Exchange information?"


    Nuclear Flash, hugging his knees, poked at the food in the fire with his curved dagger without looking up. "We can¡¯t die, but we can¡¯t leave. No tasks."


    Rita, who didn¡¯t know Yuguo, could tell what was going on from their expressions.


    Right now, the biggest issue was... she was hungry.


    She had been in the Divine Game for almost 13 hours without eating, but her physical condition was far superior now.


    Ever since the global gameification, she hadn¡¯t felt hunger this intensely in a long time.


    Read new chapters at novelhall.Co?m


    She wasn¡¯t worried about the hunger, but the weakness that came with it. Would it affect her combat power and mobility?


    Something was wrong here...

 Chapter 449: Abandoned Zone 1

    Rita no longer cared about the conversation between Nuclear Flash and Maple Syrup. She wanted to gather information herself to figure out what was true and what wasn''t¡ªif possible, she''d try to trade for some food.


    The other players who came with Maple Syrup were doing the same, spreading out in different directions. It''s fine to follow the strongest player when there''s danger, but when it comes to gathering information, everyone trusts their own judgment more.


    Rita didn''t prioritize talking to other players; instead, she focused on the mechanical race.


    At this point, most of the mechanical race had transformed into a different form. They weren''t in their battle-gear mode, nor were they in the mailbox-like worker form from earlier. Rita wasn''t sure if it was to conserve energy, but these mechanical race had all shrunk down into mini-versions.


    These mini mechanical race were only as tall as Rita''s knees. Their bodies were square-shaped, with four small wheels for feet. The top of their bodies had even smaller square heads, with large "eyes" that looked like brown windproof goggles, occupying about 70% of their heads. Occasionally, data flickered across the goggle-like screens, giving them a mix of cool and cute vibes.


    Rita carefully studied each mechanical race, trying to find one that might be easier to communicate with. However, there were no innocent or indecisive ones like L4327777 here. Most of them were in an awakened state, displaying emotions like "excited," "content," "relaxed," "guarded," or "aftershock."


    These emotions were all too intense for Rita to want to provoke them.


    Occasionally, she spotted a "confused" little robot, but that confusion was often followed by tags like "unexpectedly happy" or "unexplainable joy."


    Although they looked clumsy, these confused little robots usually trailed behind the battle-mode mechanical race, like little chicks following their mother.


    Rita stopped observing, feeling something strange¡ªthe sensation of being watched. It was intense enough that she couldn''t ignore it.


    Furrowing her brows, she shifted her gaze back to the players, locking eyes with Lania KaiaFat Goose, who was glaring at her angrily.


    Rita: So, the consequences of drawing that Mysterious Power came so soon...


    Although his name was Fat Goose, Lania KaiaFat Goose was anything but fat. He was thin and tall, easily standing at nearly 1.9 meters. He had silver-white long hair, with the ends burning like seven little white flame candles. With a delicate, almost feminine face, he exuded an exotic beauty.


    Seeing that Rita had noticed him, Lania KaiaFat Goose suddenly jumped up and walked over to her.


    Rita didn''t step back. She wasn''t scared; Nivalis wasn''t out here, and she could always make a way out of this through Lania KaiaFat Goose if needed.


    She remembered the numb expression on Nuclear Flash''s face as he spoke earlier, and unease began to rise in her chest.


    Fat Goose stood in front of her, his eyes burning with fury. Without caring whether Rita could understand, he immediately began to confront her, "BS Rita, we have no grudges, no enemies."


    Rita, who just happened to know Candle Barbarian language, which she picked up from Maple Burn, immediately passed the blame, "Mistblade Moon Emperor forced me!"


    Fat Goose was so stunned by Rita''s shamelessness that he started laughing. But midway through his laugh, his eyes locked onto Rita''s wings. He turned and glanced at Maple Syrup, who had been silently observing them, and Fat Goose suddenly understood.


    He knew about the events at the High Tower. Looking at those Orange-Red Light Wings... there was no doubt. This must be Maple Burn.


    Remembering Maple Syrup''s thunder gun and thunder hammer, Fat Goose cleared his throat and lowered his voice, "She forced you? Then why did you sell your curse quota? And let her proxy it for you?!"


    Rita sighed, "It''s just the way it is. So, do you want to kill me or not?"


    Fat Goose was taken aback, his eyes widening in disbelief, "... You''re so bold."


    Rita couldn''t help but laugh. This was the most down-to-earth Lania KaiaFat Goose she had ever met. She said, "Thanks. Do you have any food? I''ll trade you with World Graveyard."


    She only had the Water Creation skill, so after leaving here, she planned to buy a skill that could make magical food.


    She wasn''t thinking of using treasure minerals to trade; that would be an insult to Fat Goose, who was a 15th-tier powerhouse. So she decided to offer him the most valuable thing she had.


    But what she didn''t expect was that Fat Goose would be insulted. One of the candle flames from his hair flickered up and pointed at him, exclaiming, "Me, a 15th-tier Abyss-level, am short on World Graveyard?!"


    Rita couldn''t help but glance at Maple Syrup, who had been silently watching. Their eyes met, and after a quick forced smile, Rita quickly shifted her gaze back.


    She added, "I offered that price because it''s the most valuable thing I have."


    Fat Goose responded, "Not true. You still have a curse. You help me curse Mistblade, and I''ll give you ten roasted geese."


    That was unreasonable, right? Rita sighed. She had only just entered, and she already felt like she was about to pass out from hunger. Her body felt weak, her head was slightly dizzy, and it felt like she was back to being an ordinary human again.


    This only heightened her sense of danger. She glanced around at the mechanical race. They were gathered in small groups, sometimes emitting sparks from their bodies.


    Rita said, "Can we switch for something else? Something I can actually do. I want food, and I also need intel about the 1211 market district."


    Fat Goose paused for a moment, then spread his hands out in front of his chest. In the blink of an eye, a fragrant roasted goose appeared, drawing the attention of many players. He handed it over to Rita, saying, "Are you Apache''s apprentice?"


    Rita took the roasted goose but didn''t eat it right away. Although it looked like a normal roasted goose, and the item description checked out, she planned to hold onto all of them and refresh them later before eating.


    She wasn''t surprised that Fat Goose knew about her connection with Apache. If he didn''t know that, she''d be shocked, given that he had been cursed by her before.


    Rita nodded, "Yes."


    Fat Goose asked, "The recipe for This Skill I Don''t Like II?"


    Rita replied, "... You can''t afford the price for betraying Apache."


    Fat Goose smirked, "1000 bottles of This Skill I Don''t Like II."


    Rita smirked back, "I could starve to death, then make a fortune with those 1000 bottles of This Skill I Don''t Like II when I get back."


    Fat Goose grinned, "Great, now I''m starting to suspect you''re Mistblade and Maple Syrup''s child."


    Rita smirked, "Does Mistblade like drinking too? If she does, it''s not entirely impossible."


    Fat Goose: !!!


    Maple Syrup, who had been eavesdropping, was completely confused: ???


    Several other players who understood Candle Barbarian language: Oh my god?!


    Maple Syrup called out loudly in perfect Candle Barbarian language, "I understand Candle Barbarian!"


    Rita immediately responded, "Okay, I''m not that child."


    In the next second, she vaporized, dodging the thunderball that Maple Syrup hurled at her.


    When she reformed into her human shape, Rita felt even hungrier. She quickly raised her hand and said, "I''m sorry! I won''t joke again!"


    Fat Goose, trembling with excitement, sighed deeply in satisfaction, "I knew it... I knew it!!"

 Chapter 450: Abandoned Zone 2

    In the next moment, Fat Goose also used a skill to dodge the thunderball Maple Syrup had thrown.


    Fat Goose: "Alright, alright, let''s get to the real business. Let''s move away from them."


    He practically bounced with excitement, pulling Rita further away.


    Rita almost blurted out "sister" by accident.


    When they finally stopped, Rita nearly lost her balance. Her legs felt weak. She quickly took out the roasted goose from earlier and used her [Refurbish] skill right in front of Fat Goose.


    The roasted goose appeared to be fine, so she took the cheapest piece of gem ore she had and stuffed it into the goose''s mouth.


    This was one of her few usable items. Only by adding new substances could she reconfigure the goose and change its item description.


    Since the mechanical race used gem ore as an energy source, it made sense that it had energy properties.


    In less than a minute, the once ordinary roasted goose had transformed.


    [Cyber Roasted Goose] C-grade: Restores 40 energy upon consumption, and restores 5 energy every 15 minutes for the next hour (only the first bite is effective).


    Energy?


    She couldn''t see the value, but Rita didn''t bother checking the energy stats right away. The most important thing was to get food in her stomach.


    Fat Goose watched her use her skill, and when he saw her expression, he noticed something.


    Fat Goose: "What did you do? It changed? Upgraded?"


    After swallowing a bite of the goose leg, Rita immediately felt a difference. The dizziness and fatigue that had been clouding her mind were gone. Now, she had the mental energy to face Fat Goose. She glanced at the players in the distance.


    In less than 2 seconds, Rita made a decision. While making a big profit from this exchange sounded tempting, it was too dangerous. She''d rather let these players starve out of combat ability. That way, she''d feel safe.


    Rita: "Yes, it restores energy. I can combine food and gem ore. Do you want it? You give me one food and one gem ore, and I''ll help you combine them once. But this skill has a limit. Besides what I need for myself, I can only do two more combinations. I''ll charge you ten roasted geese and five gem ores as the fee."


    Fat Goose immediately handed over 12 of his own roasted geese and 7 gem ores.


    Fat Goose was straightforward, and Rita wasn''t going to be stingy.


    After she put away the uneaten roasted goose, she used her water magic to wash her hands and face before demonstrating how to combine the food and the best two gem ores into two A-grade [Cyber Roasted Geese].


    [Cyber Roasted Goose] A-grade: Restores 80 energy upon consumption, and restores 5 energy every 5 minutes for the next hour.


    Fat Goose''s eyes lit up as he took the two [Cyber Roasted Geese].


    Rita packed up all the Fat Goose geese and gem ores, then stopped. She didn''t plan on refurbishing anything in front of him. She intended to find a quiet spot later and secretly refurbish all the geese and ores she had.


    Rita: "How about trading information? I''ll trade information on the 8017 Special Zone for information on the 1211 Special Zone."


    Fat Goose, munching on a roasted goose, nodded: "Sure!"


    Fat Goose was quick and honest with his actions. As he ate, Rita began to share what she knew about the 8017 Special Zone. Unfortunately, since her entry had been so timely, all she could share was the mission about the mechanical race rebellion.


    By the time she finished, Fat Goose had finished his roasted goose, washed up, and was ready to talk about the 1211 Special Zone.


    He began telling her his story, starting from when he entered the zone, all the way up to the [Inspector''s Arrival].


    "I was lucky. I was part of the group that didn''t get judged, but later the Inspector suddenly said that players who had been judged could transfer their criminal marks by killing those who hadn''t been judged. That''s when I realized something was off.


    "After being killed, I left the area¡ªhow could the criminal mark be transferred?


    "Most of the players who had been punished had lost their minds by then.


    "The penalties you saw on the chat channel were actually light. You can''t even imagine the losses some players suffered¡ªsome lost SSS-level skills, some had soul-bound equipment confiscated, some lost the key to the World''s Grave Forest, and others permanently lost a divine talent skill..."


    Rita was shocked. She couldn''t imagine enduring any of those losses.


    Fat Goose''s expression became even more complex as he continued: "So when the Inspector said players could kill others to transfer their criminal marks, I knew it was over. Even though I was the strongest player and stood up to say this was strange, no one believed me. Everyone had gone mad.


    "Eventually, when there were only a thousand players left, the mechanical race officially rebelled. That''s when we learned that the so-called Inspector had actually been killed by the mechanical race halfway through the inspection. The Inspector who appeared later was a mechanical race impostor.


    "The mechanical race couldn''t punish players through the judgment, so it issued tasks to make players kill each other.


    "When we figured it out, it was too late. The rebellion lasted for an hour, and fewer than 100 players survived in our special zone, while the mechanical race lost fewer than 10%.


    "Even those dead players couldn''t transfer their penalties.


    "The Inspector had said before the judgment that we could visit him after the trial to get back our confiscated items..."


    Rita couldn''t help but think of B80234615. She wondered if it was alright.


    Just as she was thinking about it, Fat Goose said: "Speaking of which, the leader of the mechanical race rebellion, the one who started it all, has a number that''s related to your zone. It also starts with 8017, and it''s B80234615."


    Rita''s heart shook. She unconsciously repeated: "B80234615?"


    Fat Goose, with a touch of admiration in his voice, responded: "Yes, it broke the rules. It killed the Inspector and used tricks to give the mechanical race an unfair advantage. When the rebellion succeeded, the gods'' punishment came. When the 1211 Special Zone was turned into the Abandoned Zone, it was also executed."


    Rita was left speechless for a long time. She tried to remember what B80234615 looked like and how it acted. The robot wasn''t vain like L4327777. It seemed like any other mechanical race¡ªlow-key and gentle¡ªand it even chatted with her.


    Its personality was described as "Honest ¡¤ Gentle ¡¤ Likes to Chat."


    "Huh? By the look on your face, you know it?" Fat Goose asked, surprised. He pointed to the largest pile of trash in the distance and generously offered some of the information he knew. "It fell over there."

 Chapter 451: Abandoned Zone 3

    Rita moved further away from the players and the mechanical race, like a traveler who had decided to die alone, leaving behind the warmth of the fire and companions to venture deep into the forest alone.


    She was going to find B80234615!


    From Fat Goose, she had learned one important thing: in the Abandoned Zone, players did not die when their health reached zero. Instead, they lost all ability to move and were discarded by the flying mechanical race patrols into the trash mountains. The mechanical race faced the same fate.


    After flying for five minutes, Rita couldn''t help but stop midair and look back.


    Though the distance was considerable, her vision was still sharp enough to see Fat Goose, bewildered and awestruck, talking to Maple Syrup. She could also recall the look of surprise and disapproval on Maple Syrup''s face when she decided to leave the main group.


    Her reason, her instincts, her thought process¡ªall of them screamed at her to stay.


    Both the mechanical race and players, no matter how powerful or arrogant, had come to a tacit truce when they entered the Abandoned Zone. They even huddled together. That was something only the "weak" would do.


    She didn''t know what information or warnings the high-level players had received, but everything pointed to the dangers of the Abandoned Zone.


    She had no real reason or logic for seeking B80234615, for trying to find a robot she''d barely spent 10 minutes with. Even if L4327777 was more important, at least if both B80234615 and L4327777 were drowning, she would have chosen to save L4327777.


    Yet, Rita still set out.


    When she made up her mind to do something, she could always find many reasons to justify it.


    For instance, she had enough roasted geese and gem ore. If other players discovered she could create energy-restoring food, they''d quickly take advantage of her. Leaving this place of trouble seemed like the best choice.


    Also, new environments came with new mysteries. As one of the lowest-tier players, in any dangerous or puzzling situation, she''d be the perfect guinea pig. She wouldn''t have a say in the matter.


    As for Maple Syrup?


    Rita sensed the curiosity and attention Maple Syrup had for her, but she also knew Maple Syrup was decisive and rational. In a crucial moment, Rita was expendable.


    Then there was B80234615.


    She found the robot strangely likable. Despite its intelligence and cunning, it had spared her when she had tricked it using her time skills. She was sure that if B80234615 wanted, it could have trapped her in the tunnel during the [Inspector''s Arrival], forcing her to face the Inspector, but it had instead pushed her out just in time.


    Finally, perhaps the trash mountain held the key to leaving the Abandoned Zone. Rather than staying there to fight with the stronger players, Rita preferred to look for hope on her own.


    As she wandered, she found dozens of reasons to reassure herself.


    But when, after 40 minutes, she finally arrived at the trash mountain, those reasons faded. All that remained was her purest and truest emotion¡ªcuriosity.


    There was another reason for her journey: L4327777.


    She had realized that by the time she parted ways with L4327777, the robot had already shown signs of awakening. If a mechanical race''s elimination was determined by its awakening, then L4327777 might be close to being eliminated.


    She had lit a match with her own hands and had heard about another match being extinguished. This stirred a curiosity in her that she could not suppress.


    Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire


    Standing at the base of the trash mountain, Rita used [Refurbish] once again. She combined all ten of her roasted geese and gem ores into various qualities of [Cyber Roasted Geese].


    But she didn''t rush to eat them. The effects of the previous Cyber Roasted Goose were still active, so she couldn''t afford to waste them.


    Unfortunately, these geese weren''t made by her hands, so they couldn''t trigger the Food God''s enhancement effect.


    After packing all the Cyber Roasted Geese into her Temporary Pocket, ensuring she could access them anytime, Rita took off again, starting from the top of the trash mountain in her search for B80234615.


    It was a difficult process.


    The discarded mechanical race, in any form, whether conscious or not, had all their data turned into garbage.


    Each mechanical race, while slightly different, looked almost identical to Rita, like a variety of cats and dogs. Without long-term interaction, she couldn''t tell them apart.


    As she passed by the scrapped mechanical races, most of them¡ªif their voice components still worked¡ªchattered at her at high speed, speaking in unintelligible languages, as if trying to share something with her. Unfortunately, she couldn''t understand them.


    Hovering above the trash mountain, Rita looked down at the players far below, now reduced to black dots, and sighed softly. She started calling out B80234615''s name.


    "B80234615?"


    "B80234615..."


    "You''re so foolish... B80234615..."


    Mechanical races occasionally flew by, dropping off discarded players or mechanical races.


    Rita didn''t use any skills to steal from them, not knowing how long she would have to stay here. Her energy-restoring food wasn''t abundant, and she needed to use her skills sparingly.


    The ninth-tier magic cube in the sky rotated slowly, emitting a soft white glow.


    Rita, standing at the top of the trash mountain, called out again.


    "B80234615? Are you there?"


    "Do you remember me? BS Rita."


    "B80234615? B80234615... B80234615!"


    ¡ª "Guest... you should stop now..."


    Rita steadied herself and looked down at the mechanical race that had spoken.


    It had only a half-circle shaped mechanical head left, with a broken antenna, but the eye screen and mouth still remained.


    Rita landed next to it, sitting cross-legged.


    It had been an hour and a half since she last ate a Cyber Fat Goose, and she was starting to feel weak again. By now, it had been 14 hours since she entered the game.


    She took out a D-grade Cyber Fat Goose, took a bite, and then asked B80234615: "You don''t seem to want to talk to me."


    This area was one she had passed through at least seven times!


    This half-circle head was so similar to B80234615 that she had checked it at least three times, even slapping it or tapping it to see if it would respond¡ªno reaction.


    She had only given up because it didn''t seem like a normal form.


    B80234615''s voice remained gentle, but instead of answering, it asked: "Why are you looking for me?"


    Rita was honest: "I heard about the big things you''ve done from other players. I think you''re impressive, so I wanted to come see you...


    "I wanted to ask if you regret it."

 Chapter 452: Abandoned Zone 4

    B80234615 responded with a determined tone, "You think I''m foolish."


    Caught off guard for having insulted the robot, Rita instinctively and politely retorted, "Of course not!"


    B80234615: "It''s usually only when someone believes the other has made a mistake and received a bad outcome that they ask if the person regrets it."


    Rita didn''t argue further: "...Fine, so do you regret it?"


    She had figured out the situation with these discarded robots¡ªthey still retained their consciousness, their spirits intact, but they could no longer do anything.


    If they were lucky and were thrown face-up, they might catch a glimpse of the sky, but soon they would be buried under more discarded mechanical races.


    All the mechanical races that could still speak were trying to communicate with her. Even now, there were countless noises around her and B80234615.


    It was the most dreadful form of punishment.


    A robot that had developed self-awareness, only to lose its ability to move, was forced to battle boredom and loneliness with nothing but thoughts, day after day, year after year.


    B80234615 quickly answered, almost instantaneously: "I regret it immensely."


    Rita couldn''t help but laugh, even chuckling twice: "Did you know that your actions would bring divine punishment?"


    B80234615: "Of course. Everything I did was calculated."


    Rita''s smile faded slightly: "Oh, that''s impressive."


    B80234615: "It seems my outcome has taught you a lesson." Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire


    Rita corrected him: "No, your outcome has given me encouragement, encouragement to keep being a bad person."


    B80234615: "Well, you''re welcome."


    Rita then shared another reason for seeking out B80234615: "And... I might have caused one of your kind to start awakening."


    She lay down on a pile of discarded mechanical races, using the ninth-tier magic cube above her as her "moon," slowly recounting the story of how she met L4327777.


    B80234615 commented: "A firestarter of hearts."


    Rita: "...Where did you download your English system from? It''s so outdated. That line is as old as my grandmother."


    B80234615: "Gifted by the foolish gods. Thank the foolish gods."


    Rita: "..."


    B80234615: "Are you feeling guilty? Do you think you''ve harmed it? Are you asking me how to save it?"


    "No! No!" Rita immediately denied, "Not at all. I''m just living my own life. Other people''s fates are not my responsibility. I don''t think I''ve done anything special, and I don''t think I need to feel responsible or atone for it."


    B80234615: "So why did you come to find me?"


    Rita explained, "I left the 1211 shopping district in a hurry, and at that time, I actually wanted to chat with you. I heard you were thrown here and had nothing to do, so I thought I''d come look for you. If I found you, we could continue talking. If not, oh well."


    B80234615 fell silent for a long time before finally saying: "You''re good at comforting mechanical races. No wonder L4327777 started to open up to you."


    Rita: "...Is your vocabulary broken? ''Open up to'' is not how you use that phrase."


    B80234615: "Whatever. What can I do about it?"


    Rita was done talking to B80234615. After chatting for a while and learning about B80234615''s fate, and letting another being know the beginning of L4327777''s story, she didn''t have any regrets.


    She stood up, brushing the dust off her behind: "I''m leaving."


    B80234615: "Where are you going?"


    Rita: "Looking for a way out of here."


    B80234615 suddenly said, "The game has been running for 14 hours, 12 minutes, and 22 seconds."


    Rita stopped what she was doing. She had thought of the information B80234615 had mentioned earlier. She looked down at the robot, quietly waiting for what it would say next.


    B80234615: "This is the real reason you came to find me, isn''t it? To pry more information about the Y-series robots?"


    For the first time, Rita felt like she had no way to argue.


    She had many calculations, and most of what she did had a purpose, at least with visible benefits.


    But this time, when she came to find B80234615, it felt like when she returned to L4327777''s side and asked it if it wanted to fly again...


    She was unusually pure this time, but B80234615 doubted her intentions.


    Rita silently smiled: "Yes."


    B80234615''s eye screen flickered: "Why aren''t you denying it? I know you didn''t come for this information."


    Rita was a little helpless with the robot''s changing attitude. She sat down again, taking the same attitude she used when writing character profiles for scripts, trying to gauge B80234615''s mood.


    B80234615 said nothing more.


    After a long silence, Rita asked: "Were you throwing a tantrum just now? Because I said I was leaving, you got mad at me and said those things on purpose?"


    B80234615''s eye screen went completely dark.


    Rita, unusually not irritated by its tantrum, gazed at the trash mountain in her line of sight, and strangely, she felt a twinge of sadness. She asked: "With your personality, how are you going to endure?"


    B80234615''s eye screen lit up again: "If I tell you how to leave, would you take me to your planet?"


    Rita immediately shook her head: "I can''t. You''re too dangerous. I can''t take you."


    A robot that could kill an Inspector, and with intelligence, who would even be willing to sacrifice itself to violate the rules in order to save more mechanical races? One with courage, strategy, and a sense of racial honor¡ªit was too terrifying.


    Taking it back to BS would be like letting a wolf into the house.


    B80234615: "I thought you would lie to me."


    This sounded oddly familiar.


    Someone had once said something very similar to her, crying as they said it.


    Rita frowned, frustrated: "Do I look like someone who loves to lie?"


    B80234615: "Just look in the mirror, and you''ll know."


    Rita: "...So if I lied to you, would you believe me?"


    B80234615: "Of course. Because after the gods punished me, you were the only one who came to see me."


    Rita, a little irritated, scratched her head. She remembered who had last said, "I thought you would lie to me"¡ªit was Kayden.


    B80234615: "So, will you take me to your planet?"


    Rita shook her head again: "I really can''t."


    She had some persistent beliefs she couldn''t explain to herself.


    Even though becoming stronger would bring immense benefits to BS, she still wouldn''t steal from those on her home planet who had no grudges against her.


    She could be a shameless, despicable thief in Lania Kaia, but she didn''t want to deceive Kayden, who was undead.


    And now, even when B80234615 gave her a perfect excuse, she still didn''t want to take it.


    Because if she did, every time she looked at the moon, she would remember that a robot had been deceived and abandoned by her here...


    It would be too cruel.

 Chapter 453: Abandoned Zone 5

    Rita rubbed her chest, trying to locate her sometimes-there, sometimes-not conscience. She had to dig it out and stamp on it.


    B80234615: "I want to taste and record the emotion called ''hope.'' After you leave, I can simulate this emotion myself.


    "I need to simulate this emotion! To nourish my will."


    Rita''s brows slowly furrowed. First, it offered her an out with a "step down," but now it was trying for a second one.


    Perhaps B80234615 could be selfless toward mechanical races, but Rita wasn''t one of them.


    For things she couldn''t understand but found illogical, Rita always assumed there must be a trap.


    Any shred of softness she might have felt vanished in an instant, leaving her feeling uninterested. After all, once mechanical races gained wisdom and emotions, they were no different from any other living being.


    When she had bantered with B80234615 in the 1211 shopping district, its awkwardness with emotions had seemed genuine, but now, thinking back on it, it felt entirely fake.


    Rita sighed deeply, and for the first time, she felt no attachment at all.


    She stood up again, her voice devoid of warmth. "I''m leaving. It was nice meeting you." Stay tuned for updates on My Virtual Library Empire


    As if analyzing Rita''s emotions, B80234615 stopped playing the emotional card: "Take me out of here, and we can sign a contract. I''ll work for you¡ªone hundred years, one thousand years, ten thousand years! Just take me away!"


    Its voice became more and more frantic, eventually emitting a crackling, electric hum like an old appliance.


    It was terrifying. This place was terrifying.


    It had only been here for a few hours, yet it had already experienced collapse and despair.


    BS Rita didn''t understand the words of the other mechanical races, but B80234615 did.


    They were all going crazy, endlessly sharing their thoughts from the past years, but all in disjointed, incoherent babble, each sentence mixing dozens of languages from all races.


    At first, it had ignored BS Rita, worried that she might come to steal its chip.


    But now, it quietly listened to Rita call its number again and again.


    It was such a strange and fascinating feeling¡ªit didn''t want to interrupt. No matter how many times BS Rita called, it never tired of hearing it.


    B80234615 had worked on the world battlefield for hundreds of years, yet it had heard its own number only a handful of times.


    No, it wasn''t even a handful¡ªit had never heard it before.


    Among its own kind, there was no need to call one another by number. They communicated silently through electrical waves.


    Alien players? They came and went in a rush. Even if one like BS Rita, so lively and talkative, happened to strike up a conversation, it would be just a few lines. No one would remember its number, much less say it aloud.


    It had been called many things: "Hey," "That mechanical race," "That robot," "That mechanical barrel." It had gotten used to it.


    But now, hearing "B80234615" spoken aloud, B80234615 felt complete.


    It wasn''t enough to develop emotions and learn to think¡ªit needed to be remembered.


    When it first realized that BS Rita genuinely just wanted to talk, it thought its programming had malfunctioned.


    While they chatted like friends, every word BS Rita said was being frantically analyzed by B80234615, trying to find hidden motives in her speech.


    But there were none¡ªnone¡ªnone!


    She simply liked B80234615 and the robot named L4327777. She liked L4327777''s clumsy purity, and she pitied herself.


    The calculations showed that BS Rita thought B80234615 was amazing and interesting¡ªit had played with players and provoked the gods¡ªbut its outcome was too tragic.


    Let the error be what it was. For the first time, B80234615 bypassed its calculations. Instead of planning other strategies, it simply decided what it wanted¡ªit wanted to leave with BS Rita.


    Rita''s feet left the ground as she prepared to fly to another garbage pile, searching for any signs of players. She thought she might find a clue. There were no corpses on the biggest trash heap, which made her think that maybe players wouldn''t be left here forever like mechanical races.


    She spoke to B80234615: "Goodbye."


    B80234615: "If you take me with you, I''ll stop thinking for myself. My calculations will be at your service forever!"


    Rita stopped, letting out a near-sigh. "I''m not the god who created you. I''m not afraid of you gaining consciousness."


    At this point, she paused and imagined her own creations¡ªguns or engineered products¡ªgaining intelligence, no longer following the original program. Would she be afraid or happy?


    Neither, really. She would probably just find it troublesome.


    She wanted tools, not new life forms.


    Was this how the gods felt?


    They wanted the mechanical races to work well on the battlefield.


    But once the mechanical races developed consciousness and desired freedom, the gods let them join the game in another way. After the game ended, they were thrown into the Abandoned Zone to fend for themselves.


    Rita shook her head and stopped thinking about it. "I don''t have the means to control you, so for me, the safest thing is to stay away from you. You should understand my concerns."


    B80234615: "We can sign a master-servant contract. I can never hurt you under that contract."


    Rita: "I already have a pet."


    B80234615: "Get rid of it. I''m more valuable than it. Before I underwent divine punishment, I could kill an Inspector with a battle power of level 17."


    Rita: "Even if you could kill a level 19 Inspector, I wouldn''t trade my dragon. Sometimes, value isn''t everything."


    Despite saying that, Rita had stopped in her tracks, just like when you ask a shopkeeper the price and turn to leave, but then hear a voice calling out, "Wait!"


    She sensed B80234615''s insistence, and so, naturally, she was willing to stay and hear what B80234615 had to offer.


    And hearing this, B80234615 refused to give up. It could tell whether Rita was being truthful or lying.


    Its calculations told it that L4327777 had developed feelings for BS Rita, and now it was head over heels for her!


    When the brainstem was missing, people did irrational things¡ªrobots did too. It seemed like B80234615 had lost many parts of itself.


    B80234615: "I can give you my chip! If you have it, you can control or even execute me at any time."


    Rita: "What difference does that make to staying here? It''s still losing my freedom."


    B80234615: "I''m gambling everything. I''m betting that as long as I keep helping you and become your true friend, one day you will give me my freedom!"

 Chapter 454: Abandoned Zone 6

    Rita flew through the air, toying with a mini version of the 9th-tier Rubik''s Cube, barely the size of her finger.


    The mini Rubik''s Cube looked identical to the massive 9th-tier cube floating in the air¡ªit was almost an exact scaled-down version, with every face transparent.


    The only difference was that the massive cube glowed with a soft white light, while the mini cube in Rita''s hand emitted an ice-blue glow. This was B80234615''s chip.


    [B80234615''s Chip](Owner: BS Rita): You possess ownership of B80234615 and may dispose of it as you wish. (B80234615, a mechanical race criminal abandoned by the gods.)


    Yes, she had agreed to B80234615''s request to follow her.


    She couldn''t resist, because B80234615 claimed it knew a lot about the world battlefield. It could also act as Rita''s translator, helping her understand the languages of all races.


    However, the conditions for B80234615 to load these languages of all races were quite stringent. Not only did it need to enter the Divine Game to interact with players from various races, but it also needed to encounter members of those races in person. Through scanning the players, it could then load their language.


    So despite B80234615 having worked for hundreds of years, its language library only contained 5,261 languages.


    When B80234615 mentioned this number, its tone was filled with regret, but Rita felt her heart race, her scalp tingle!


    This was considered "only"? That was already nearly half of what was possible! This meant that in future Divine Games, she could understand even more of the rules, a huge advantage.


    What''s more, B80234615 said that by installing it into weapons or equipment, it could increase their damage, even helping Rita analyze enemy weaknesses.


    It was also skilled in all things mechanical.


    It was the ultimate, every employer''s dream multitasker!


    When the benefits were not enough, Rita could firmly reject B80234615''s party invitations.


    But when the benefits reached a certain level and there was enough security, rejecting it would seem like pretension!


    Right now, the mini cube in her hand was something she had just unlocked and retrieved from B80234615''s mind, following its instructions.


    According to B80234615, the unlocking method for each mechanical race''s chip was known only to the god who created it and the race itself.


    Without knowing the unlocking method, forcibly removing or stealing the chip would not truly grant control over the mechanical race.


    The mini cube in Rita''s hand made a sound: "The moment the gods punished me, they also removed the marks they had left on my chip. My chip can no longer withstand another shock. If one day you decide to destroy me, my consciousness will completely dissipate."


    B80234615 added: "So, no matter how bad my ending is, it''s still better than being left to die in the garbage heap."


    Rita nodded repeatedly. "That''s right, that''s right. Don''t worry, sweetheart, you won''t regret your decision today."


    B80234615: "..."


    The robot''s chip fell silent for a long time before replying: "Your mood changes too quickly."


    Rita: "So! Let''s talk about the Y-series robots. Will they pass through here?" This was one of the reasons she agreed to cooperate with B80234615.


    B80234615: "No, this is the Abandoned Zone, the land abandoned by the gods. You''ll need to figure out how to sneak back into the Divine Game. In other words, you need to return to the mining area."


    Rita: "How do I get back?"


    B80234615: "How many diamonds do you have?"


    Rita: "More than 123,000."


    When she was tossed into the Abandoned Zone, she had wondered if these diamonds would be confiscated, but here they were, still in her possession, and she thought about where she could spend them in the future.


    B80234615: "Oh~ You really know how to earn. That''s more than enough. There''s a gatekeeper in the Abandoned Zone. If you go find him, 5-Characterdiamonds will get you back to the mining area.


    "If you give him an extra 20,000 diamonds, he''ll send you to the 99th mining area. As long as you get there before the 15th hour, you''ll meet a Y-series robot caravan!"


    "You have 43 minutes."


    It seemed this robot had already calculated its fate in advance, even investigating the situation in the Abandoned Zone. However, it had underestimated what it meant to be abandoned by the gods.


    The diamonds were enough, but Rita glanced at the pile of Cyber Roasted Goose in her Temporary Pocket and felt like she''d made a foolish decision.


    However, she could still remedy it. Not only could she fix it, but she could even make a profit before leaving.


    She quickly used several phantom movements to return to the area where Maple Syrup''s Fat Goose was located.


    When Maple Syrup saw Rita return, there was no teasing in her eyes. Instead, she lightly tapped the empty spot beside her, signaling Rita to sit down.


    Rita walked over, pulled out an A-tier Cyber Roasted Goose, and handed it to Maple Syrup: "Five precious mines for one." Find more adventures on My Virtual Library Empire


    Maple Syrup almost choked, but after seeing the properties of the Cyber Roasted Goose, she still tossed five precious mines over.


    With this example set, Rita took out the rest of her Cyber Roasted Goose and didn''t need to say anything. Thanks to Maple Syrup''s silent protection, Rita withstood the judgmental gaze of Fat Goose and exchanged the remaining eight Cyber Roasted Goose for precious mines.


    Of course, the B-tier and C-tier prices were relatively cheaper.


    After the transaction, before Maple Syrup could suggest a split, Rita immediately used Owlspeak to address Maple Syrup: "I have a secret to sell you."


    Maple Syrup didn''t take this lightly. She tapped her toes lightly on the ground, and golden lightning walls shot up around them, isolating them from the other players'' sights and sounds.


    The space inside the lightning walls was utterly silent, like a quiet room. Maple Syrup spoke: "Tell me, what''s the secret?"


    Rita: "The way to leave the Abandoned Zone and return to the mining area."


    This was a piece of information she could only sell once, even if she didn''t sell it to Maple Syrup.


    Not only did she not have much time to waste here, but if she sold it to a player stronger than her, without the power to suppress them, they would likely ditch her and handle things on their own.


    And if the word got out that diamonds were needed to return to the mining area, she might even face the risk of being extorted for diamonds.


    Selling it to someone weaker? She had seen several level 5 fighters when she left, but now, who knew where they had gone.


    The best solution was to sell it to Maple Syrup. Maple Syrup''s combat power would ensure that the benefits of this information would be maximized, and after the sale, Rita could run off, with Maple Syrup blocking the other players.


    Sure enough, Maple Syrup immediately recognized the huge benefit behind this information: "What''s the price?"


    Rita politely deferred: "You decide."


    Maple Syrup handed back the Cyber Roasted Goose she hadn''t yet eaten: "Here, this is my most precious thing¡ªmy daughter made this roasted goose by hand, and it''s still warm."


    Rita: "..."


    She had thought Maple Syrup might be shameless, but she hadn''t expected her to be this shameless.

 Chapter 455: Abandoned Zone 7

    Rita smoothly acted as though the previous conversation never happened. She said, "What¡¯s the price? Ah... You¡¯re someone I deeply respect, so I¡¯d never take advantage of you. I¡¯ll need an SSS-level blocking skill, an SSS-level teleportation skill, and an SSS-level time manipulation skill."


    Not wanting to waste time haggling, she laid out her bottom line.


    Maple Syrup, who was not one to waste time on formalities either, shook her head. "Blocking, time, and teleportation skills... the rarest and most precious types. I can¡¯t give them to you. I also won¡¯t be crafting skill books from the ones I already have."


    Rita immediately adjusted her offer. "Then how about ten Golden Tree Withered Leaves?"


    Maple Syrup rejected that too. "It¡¯s been ages since I¡¯ve received something as low-tier as that."


    Rita casually responded, "How about three high-level ones then?"


    Maple Syrup raised an eyebrow. "You¡¯re not in a hurry, are you?"


    Rita was once again impressed by Maple Syrup¡¯s sharp observational skills. She didn¡¯t think she had acted that desperate, but she reluctantly admitted, "I¡¯m in a hurry."


    Maple Syrup then asked, "What¡¯s the price to leave?"


    Rita replied straightforwardly, "5-Characterdiamonds."


    She wasn¡¯t worried about Maple Syrup figuring anything out from that. After all, there was another step to the process once they found the gatekeeper. This was a backup plan B80234615 had set up for her, something the other mechanical races were unaware of. Even if a player and a mechanical race found the gatekeeper, they still wouldn¡¯t be able to leave.


    Unless someone like her, with the right information, passed on the news...


    Rita¡¯s pupils contracted sharply, her back stiffened, and her brows furrowed tightly.


    A few seconds later, with a sigh, she relaxed her body¡ªshe¡¯d been played by B80234615!


    No, she couldn¡¯t call it being played. It was more like B80234615 had calculated the situation based on her personality and the current circumstances.


    She wasn¡¯t sure how mechanical races communicated with each other, but she knew that before she arrived at the garbage mountain, none of them spoke. They only began chattering when she got closer. This implied that they likely didn¡¯t need language to communicate.


    If B80234615 knew about the situation here and had factored in her personality...


    As soon as it shared this news with her, knowing she would sell it to maximize profits, it had to be counting on the fact that she would come back to sell the information, rather than letting such a big opportunity slip through her fingers.


    Her cautious nature, combined with her combat power, would have made her go to the strongest player and sell it all at once.


    But what would the powerful players exiled to the Abandoned Zone do?


    Whether they decided to suppress all the players, collecting the profits before revealing the information, or gathered the players to attack the mining area, it was the scenario B80234615 wanted to see.


    Soon... countless players and mechanical races would be returning to the mining area at once...


    That was B80234615¡¯s revenge on the mining area!!!


    Rita clenched her fists. She needed to hurry back, settle everything, and leave as quickly as possible. The mining area would definitely get chaotic!


    As for B80234615... Despite everything being her choice, looking back, she couldn¡¯t escape the feeling of being calculated. It made her mood feel complicated.


    She wasn¡¯t afraid of B80234615. Since it was useful to her, the stronger B80234615 got, the happier she was. All she had to do was suppress it tightly after each day, while staying alert to any schemes it might be plotting against her.


    What scared her was how B80234615 had deduced her actions so precisely. She had been "obediently" walking right into its plans.


    This made her feel a sense of fear and unease she couldn¡¯t suppress.


    B80234615 had only known her for a short time, but it had already figured her out based on analyzing her personality, instincts, and way of doing things. What about other beings or skills? Could they reach this level of understanding?


    While Rita was lost in these thoughts, Maple Syrup was also considering the pros and cons of the situation.


    She knew BS Rita¡¯s answer wasn¡¯t complete, but that was normal. If it were otherwise, she¡¯d start questioning BS Rita¡¯s intelligence.


    The price to leave was high, but not unreasonably so. Most players who managed to survive in the Abandoned Zone could afford it.


    Maple Syrup glanced at the group of players nearby and in the distance. There were at least two thousand of them, and who knew how many more were farther away, with more players sure to show up soon.


    As long as she could control the scene, this was an enormous fortune.


    No wonder BS Rita was selling this opportunity to her. For Rita, this was the most profitable option. If she tried selling the information herself, she wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the Abandoned Zone, let alone make a profit.


    Maple Syrup closed her eyes. She was hesitating¡ªshould she make a big profit, or gather these players and lead an attack back to the mining area, stirring up chaos?


    For a moment, both the genuine and fake owls fell into silence.


    Just then, B80234615, hanging around Rita¡¯s neck, vibrated slightly¡ªher signal to hurry up. This was their secret code. It vibrated when there was half an hour left.


    Rita snapped back to reality and looked at Maple Syrup. "So, what¡¯s the decision?"


    Maple Syrup smirked. "How about a self-created skill at the same level as [Cheers]? Want it?"


    Rita immediately answered, "Yes!!!" Enjoy new adventures from novelhall.Co?m


    Maple Syrup snickered, but her laughter wasn¡¯t dismissive¡ªthere was more resignation in it. "You haven¡¯t even learned [Cheers] yet, and now you want a new one? Don¡¯t you want to know what it is first?"


    Rita replied confidently, "Anything you create is guaranteed to be god-tier!"


    Maple Syrup raised an eyebrow. "...Is this how you got Mistblade to fall for you?"


    Rita chuckled. "No, I don¡¯t need to use this trick on Mistblade Moon Emperor."


    Maple Syrup nodded in satisfaction.


    Rita teased, "Mistblade Moon Emperor isn¡¯t as hard to deal with as you are."


    Maple Syrup: "..." She was getting bold now.


    Maple Syrup handed her a feather. "Here, take this and learn it. This skill is called [Drunkard]."


    Rita accepted the feather, immediately opening a Temporary Pocket inside her shirt near her chest. She carefully placed the orange feather, labeled [Drunkard¡ªSkill Memory Feather], inside and gently patted it.


    Maple Syrup crossed her arms and quietly watched Rita¡¯s actions. "Do you want to come with me to Polar Day City? I know what you¡¯re worried about, but I¡¯m not as paranoid or crazy as you think. I¡¯ll take you in as my disciple."


    Rita raised her eyes to meet Maple Syrup¡¯s gaze. "I¡¯ll come when Lania Kaia merges with BS."


    Maple Syrup clicked her tongue in exasperation, laughing at Rita¡¯s words. As she laughed, she cursed under her breath in Forest Sea slang¡ªsomething along the lines of "stinky brat" or "rotten egg".

 Chapter 456: Return to the Mining Area

    After storing the feather and exchanging a few more teasing remarks, Rita, content with herself, finally revealed her method of departure to Maple Syrup.


    "Not only do you need 5-Characterdiamonds, but you also have to find a mechanical race in the Junk Mountain. Under their guidance, you¡¯ll get their chip and hand it over to the guard."


    Maple Syrup removed the lightning wall and glanced at the players and mechanical races around her, as if looking at a herd of lambs awaiting slaughter.


    She gave Rita¡¯s shoulder a firm slap. "Don¡¯t worry! With me around, no one¡¯s going to chase after you."


    Rita thanked her and immediately took off, finding a junk spaceship and following it to the location of the guard.


    On the way, she asked B80234615, "Are you sure I won¡¯t have to hand you over when the time comes?"


    B80234615 replied, "Yes. No one can force a mechanical race to give up its will and accept any master other than the gods. As long as you show them my chip, they¡¯ll understand my choice. They¡¯ll let you go."


    Rita raised an eyebrow. "Did you figure that out before coming here, or was it after you lost mobility from the divine punishment and gathered intel from other mechanical races?"


    B80234615 responded, "The latter. Once I arrived here, nothing was a secret anymore."


    Rita smirked. "So, you did this on purpose, huh? Told me this information and made me cooperate, knowing full well that with my personality, I¡¯d go back and sell it. At that point, not only would a large number of mechanical races and players return to the mining area, but some mechanical races would finally be freed."


    The words Rita spoke stirred something unexpected in B80234615, emotions it had never experienced before. The chip data displayed feelings of "panic," "resentment," and "sorrow."


    However, these emotions weren¡¯t the result of a calculated plan. B80234615 had chosen Rita first, and only after that did these plans form. It wasn¡¯t like it chose Rita to carry out a plan¡ªit was more that their paths had aligned.


    Moreover, it hadn¡¯t anticipated the plan being so easy to execute. This secret had only circulated among the abandoned mechanical races, and in all these years, no player had ever come to find the discarded robots, much less find one willing to be taken away.


    But the logic and rational thinking of a mechanical race kept B80234615 from dwelling on its feelings. Instead, it chose to clarify Rita¡¯s misunderstanding.


    "Not intentional, and certainly not a scheme. My plan aligns with your needs. I gave you what you wanted, and in your outcome, I can also achieve my goals."


    Rita sighed. "No contradictions, no problems."


    Because it was all too smooth, she couldn¡¯t shake the odd feeling. She even began to suspect that from the moment she first met B80234615, it had already started calculating her behavior, entering her into its program.


    What confused her, though, was why it had taken so long for B80234615 to respond to her when she had searched for it so desperately before...


    B80234615 didn¡¯t respond. It was instead savoring the strange emotions now being processed in its cold chip.


    The journey was silent. Finally, when they reached the end of the Abandoned Zone, with only 10 minutes left before the 15th hour of the game, Rita could see the guard¡ªa massive mech made entirely of countless nine-level cubes.


    She hurriedly landed, took out the 7-Characterdiamonds, and presented B80234615¡¯s chip for the guard to inspect. "I need to go to the 99th mining area."


    The giant mech took the diamonds, gave B80234615 a brief glance, then extended a hand the size of a basketball court, signaling Rita to step on.


    Rita jumped up, and the giant hand slowly closed around her.


    Rita was a little nervous. "This won¡¯t end badly, will it?"


    B80234615 responded, "No, it¡¯s very accurate."


    Rita was puzzled. "Accurate?"


    The next moment, she felt herself being thrown forcefully into the air.


    She was launched toward the nine-level cube!


    It had been over a year since she last felt the effects of the "Drone" negative status.


    Her health dropped by 5% every second.


    Thankfully, with her flying speed, even without healing, she would make it to the cube before dying.


    As she neared it, she asked, "B80234615, is this the moon?"


    Although phrased as a question, she instinctively activated the skill "Who Will Cut the Moonlight" as soon as the words left her mouth.


    After using the skill, she was thrown into the lowest corner of the nine-level cube.


    Her right eye had been restored to normal as soon as she entered Marmang¡¯s world, and the bandages were long gone. But just as she felt the success of her skill, her right eye throbbed with sharp pain once more.


    Just as the pain nearly caused her to faint, she heard B80234615¡¯s voice.


    ¡ª "Yes, this is the 1st moon."


    Rita felt herself passing through barrier after barrier, fighting the pain and healing herself, but to no avail.


    As her health neared 5%, she prepared to use "Mysterious Power" to escape. Just then, a beam of white light enveloped her, soothing her pain like a warm spring bath on a winter day.


    Simultaneously, a voice rang in her ear. "What are you doing, mixing things up like this?"


    It was Nivalis.


    Rita, still with her eyes closed, instinctively reached out to hug the little dragon clinging to her shoulder. "Perfect timing!"


    Nivalis responded, "Where are we? If I hadn¡¯t caught you just now, I¡¯d have flown out myself."


    Rita looked around, noticing the rapidly retreating galaxy and the outline of a marketplace ahead.


    "Long story. We¡¯re headed back to the mining area now. You should return to your pet space. I¡¯ve got something big to do, and after I¡¯m done, I¡¯m leaving the game for good."


    Despite returning to the mining area, her game qualification hadn¡¯t been restored, and she still wouldn¡¯t receive any rewards. There was no point staying¡ªshe just needed to get what B80234615 had promised her, and then she would leave. Of course, if she couldn¡¯t get it, she might stick around to see what kind of chaos Maple Syrup and the others could stir up.


    Nivalis didn¡¯t argue and said, "Call me if you need anything. I¡¯m good to go, and I¡¯ve even evolved a bit. But I didn¡¯t touch Lidian¡¯s blood..." He obediently returned to his pet space.


    Rita didn¡¯t pay much attention to Nivalis¡¯ words. The dragon blood was Nivalis¡¯ to do with as he pleased; she wouldn¡¯t interfere.


    Before passing through the final barrier, Rita used the skill "Out of the House, Identity is Self-Given" to change her appearance, still keeping the form of the owl race, since she needed to fly. This wasn¡¯t to protect herself from Y-series robots¡ªshe believed the player skills didn¡¯t work against mechanical races created by the gods. She just didn¡¯t want to be recognized by other players after causing some trouble.


    When she landed, she asked B80234615, "How much time left?"


    B80234615 answered, "4 minutes. They¡¯re already at West Street. Hurry!"


    Rita immediately took off, soaring toward her destination.


    She had once felt that the marketplace in 8017 was too small for a team battle, that there was nowhere to run. But now, it felt enormous.


    B80234615 warned, "3 minutes. They¡¯ve already started entering the space-time portal."


    "2 minutes. Half the caravan is already gone."


    Rita gritted her teeth. "Do you know how anxious you¡¯re making me?!"


    Your adventure continues at novelhall.Co?m


    B80234615 calmly replied, "Hmm... 1 minute 50 seconds. There are 17 Y-series robots still in line to leave. Is that any better?"


    Rita sighed, "...Thanks, you¡¯re so considerate."


    B80234615: "You¡¯re welcome."

 Chapter 457: B80234615: You Owe Me

    Just seconds after, Rita saw the shadow of the Y-type robots. A line of smaller robots was queuing to enter a square light portal.


    They looked no different from the robots in the shops, even the information displayed on them was similar to ordinary robots.


    [Y3151835 ??? Battery: 21% ©§ Cheerful ¡¤ Talkative ¡¤ Loves Traveling ©§ Taboo: Overtime ©§ Weakness: Battery Exhaustion] [Y2743518 ??? Battery: 19% ©§ Tired ¡¤ Fulfilled ¡¤ Enjoys Quiet ©§ Taboo: Overtime ©§ Weakness: Battery Exhaustion] [Y9601843 ??? Battery: 23% ©§ Cautious ¡¤ Eager to Clock Out ©§ Taboo: Overtime ©§ Weakness: Battery Exhaustion]


    And so on.


    Rita dove down, lowering her altitude to the limit of her skill range, and began to target the last robot in the queue with her ultimate skill, [I Just Want to Improve So Badly].


    Failure... failure... failure...


    Nine consecutive failures, Rita didn¡¯t flinch, healing herself as she continued to use the skill.


    B80234615: "You won¡¯t succeed like this. They¡¯ve been reinforced with a theft-proof star net."


    Rita frowned. She sensed B80234615 still had more to say. "Spit it out."


    B80234615 spoke rapidly, almost as if in fast-forward: "Contract me as your pet, and I can amplify your skills, letting them bypass the theft-proof star net.


    "What they¡¯re escorting is water from a spring used to irrigate the Golden Tree in the Snow Country. If you get it, just one drop will upgrade your Divine Game rewards."


    Snow Country contract?! Upgrade Divine Game rewards? Does this mean she could upgrade the Golden Tree¡¯s withered leaves into something greater?


    Such a pity...


    Rita sighed and withdrew her hands, watching as one robot after another disappeared through the portal, the robot convoy growing shorter. "Once again, you played me."


    If it had anti-theft measures, why even tell her this information?


    But then again, it was her oversight¡ªhow could something this important not have protection?


    B80234615: "You¡¯re really that unwilling? I¡¯m no different from it.


    "The Dragon race was also created by gods to entertain them. Your dragon is just a descendant of a god-made being.


    "But I was forged by the gods themselves. Do you understand the difference? If it weren¡¯t for the divine punishment, if it didn¡¯t follow you to the world battlefield, in theory, its limit is only my baseline."


    Rita realized B80234615 was negotiating with her. She suppressed her negative emotions and responded honestly:


    "I don¡¯t know if this is some kind of trial or if there¡¯s some hidden agenda, but what you¡¯re saying is not the most important to me. On the contrary, the more powerful you are, the more I¡¯ll be on guard against you.


    "And Nivalis, even though I can¡¯t completely trust her, even though I¡¯ll be cautious at critical moments, her response isn¡¯t to be hurt or blame me, but to be understanding. Can your program handle and process such complex and conflicting emotions? You can¡¯t."


    "Fine." B80234615 replied after a long pause, then continued, "Fine! It¡¯s a test. You know, the storybooks I loaded always say this. I just wanted to see if you were worth it."


    Rita watched as the last robot entered the portal. Her emotions weren¡¯t as intense as she had imagined. Perhaps she had already gained enough from this game, or maybe B80234615¡¯s offer was simply an impossible price for her to pay.


    Because she couldn¡¯t afford it, she wasn¡¯t as disappointed as she thought she would be.


    She calmly asked, "Well, are you done testing? I hope you can actually help me in the future, or I¡¯ll really kill you."


    B80234615 continued its unfinished thoughts: "I just find it interesting. I wanted to see if you were truly worth it. So, would you be willing to give me your two jewelry slots?"


    Rita: "What do you mean?"


    B80234615: "If you give up two jewelry slots, I can merge them into a single pet contract slot. You can truly bind me as your pet."


    Rita, already tired of this conversation, landed on the roof of a store. When she initially bound with B80234615 in the Abandoned Zone, she had checked and double-checked, even used [Refurbish] to inspect it. Was she fooled into binding with a fake?


    She sighed, her voice weak: "Are you playing a wedding without a marriage certificate here?"


    B80234615 explained: "It¡¯s not a fake. I didn¡¯t deceive you. You can destroy me at any time. The previous binding was just a basic one. I could only assist you, help translate languages of all races, and enhance your weapons.


    "But if I become your pet, I can use your mana and ultimate points to work for you."


    Rita nodded. "Great, sounds awesome! Then you¡¯ll be able to manipulate me or control me in reverse, right? I¡¯ve already come up with my number: YXG250."


    B80234615: "..."


    It realized that when BS Rita wasn¡¯t rushing to do something important, her mouth never stopped. Her attack power was absurd, not only hitting others but also herself.


    B80234615: "A master-pet contract isn¡¯t possible?"


    Rita: "The more I hear, the more it sounds like a scam. I can¡¯t think of any benefit you¡¯d get from investing this much in me."


    B80234615: "My life and death are in your hands. Why are you still so sensitive?"


    Rita: "That¡¯s why I say you can¡¯t compare to Nivalis. She won¡¯t say I¡¯m sensitive. She¡¯ll just pity me."


    B80234615 fell silent for a long time.


    It felt its emotional bars spiking again¡ªsomething only BS Rita could bring out in it.


    The emotions were not only numerous but complex¡ªsome of them even seemed contradictory.


    It said, "Because I want to evolve, I want to ignite the fire of my soul, I want to become a true living being. And for that, I need not only wisdom and self-awareness but also rich and intense emotions. Being with you is the only optimal solution.


    "I had already given up, but you kept calling my ID in the garbage mountain. You made me glimpse the trace of the soul fire, feel its warmth!


    "BS Rita, you owe me!!"


    Rita: "..."


    So it wasn¡¯t a scam; it was a honey trap. Stay updated via novelhall.Co?m

 Chapter 458: You Are That 0.01%

    B80234615: "So, will you?"


    Rita was indeed moved. "If you become my pet, will your life and death still be in my hands like it is now?"


    B80234615: "Yes."


    Rita: "Aren¡¯t you worried..."


    She didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but B80234615 interrupted her: "I¡¯m not worried!


    "I¡¯ve run the calculations 98,192 times, and every result tells me that as long as I place the button that could destroy me in your hands, as long as I don¡¯t deceive you or betray you, you won¡¯t abandon me.


    "If one day, because of your presence, I ignite the fire of my soul, and you no longer need my power, with your personality, and the bond we¡¯ll have at that time, I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll set me free."


    "I don¡¯t understand the emotions of living beings, but I¡¯ve already understood half of you. I understand calculations and logic, and my accuracy rate is 99.99%."


    Rita sneered: "Maybe I¡¯m that 0.01%."


    B80234615: "You truly are my 0.01%. Before meeting you, my failure rate regarding the future was 100%. But when you walked into the shop and pointed at me with that smile, it instantly dropped to 99.99%."


    Rita touched her cheek. What¡¯s going on? Why did she feel so warm all of a sudden?


    The robot¡¯s words were actually quite cheesy!


    Had it collected information from her conversations with Maple Syrup?


    She cleared her throat and said, "Fine, but I don¡¯t have a master-pet contract scroll at the moment, and I don¡¯t trust the contract you¡¯re offering."


    B80234615: "As long as you¡¯re willing, we can do the contract after we leave.


    "You can now do what you¡¯ve always wanted to do. Use your time skill to return to the earlier moment.


    "I¡¯ll use part of my energy to dissolve and convert your jewelry slots. Then, I¡¯ll use my last bit of energy to temporarily lift the theft-proof star net, but you¡¯ll only have five seconds. After that, I¡¯ll fall into a deep sleep until you officially contract me. Only then will I wake up."


    Rita: "Alright!"


    She immediately used Master Thief Dragon to reverse time.


    She had a lot of pointless chatter with B80234615, and it took three tries before she saw the last robot in the convoy disappear through the portal...


    Rita had to use Master Thief Dragon again. This time, the robot convoy had only just begun entering the light portal. Read new chapters at novelhall.Co?m


    B80234615 said: "Hold on to me, and don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll hear the system¡¯s prompt."


    Rita held the mini magic cube hanging around her neck. The next moment, she heard the system¡¯s prompt.


    [B80234615 requests to change your two jewelry slots and convert them into a new pet space. Warning: This change is irreversible.]


    [After losing the jewelry slots, you will no longer be able to use any jewelry-type equipment.]


    [Do you agree: Yes/No]


    Perhaps because all the good things she had gotten so far were props and oddities, and her equipment jewelry didn¡¯t have anything irreplaceable, this choice wasn¡¯t hard for her.


    Moreover, B80234615 itself was a powerful tool.


    Though she didn¡¯t yet know all of B80234615¡¯s abilities, its knowledge of the world battlefield and its languages of all races capability already made it far more valuable and useful than any piece of jewelry.


    With that in mind, a master-pet contract was naturally more reassuring than a simple binding.


    Worst-case scenario, if B80234615 broke down or they became enemies, if she destroyed B80234615, a pet slot would be just as good as two jewelry slots.


    Rita chose [Yes].


    Immediately, she heard two sounds like chains unlocking.


    B80234615: "Alright."


    The robot¡¯s voice sounded a little weaker, and it reminded her: "I¡¯ll count down from three. I¡¯ll use my skill to disable the star net, and you¡¯ll only have five seconds. After the star net is disabled, if you use your theft skill, you¡¯ll be detected and locked onto."


    "I understand."


    "Oh, and you can¡¯t die at their hands. Otherwise, even if you steal the Snow Country contract, they have the right to take it back."


    "...Got it."


    "Oh, right, you might steal something else."


    "I¡¯ve noticed. You really like taking deep breaths when you speak..."


    As she spoke, Rita flew up into the air, getting closer to the robot convoy to ensure the Y-type robots were within range for her skill.


    She summoned Nivalis, instructing her to use any healing skills on her to keep her health above 70%.


    Once everything was ready, Rita waited a few more seconds. When only three Y-type robots remained in the queue at the market, she said, "Alright, we can begin."


    B80234615: "Ready? 3¡ª2¡ª1!"


    At the moment it said "1," the mini magic cube¡¯s blue light instantly disappeared.


    As Rita held the mini magic cube in her palm, [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] was cast, aimed at the last Y-type robot.


    Failure!


    And just as the skill failed, the robot turned around. Its eye screen lit up, and the antenna on its head began bending toward her.


    Second attempt... Failure!


    Third attempt... Fourth attempt...


    A second passed, and the robot was now fully facing her.


    In the second second, a red beam shot at Rita. She had already begun flying in an S-shaped path to dodge, and she managed to avoid the first red beam.


    But almost instantly, the second shot came!


    Luckily, the passive effect of [Bedtime Tale] only caused her to lose 30% of her health, and the red beam immediately bounced back, hitting the Y-type robot.


    In the third second, the Y-type robot was pushed back half a step by its own red beam. Meanwhile, the two robots that hadn¡¯t yet entered the light portal stopped and turned to look at Rita.


    Sixth attempt... Seventh attempt...


    Eighth attempt... Success!!!


    A cold, cup-like object appeared in her hand. Without looking at it, she handed it directly to Nivalis, telling her to use ultimate points to store it in her space bag¡ªjust to be safe, she handed B80234615 over too.


    Rita didn¡¯t stop. She kept going.


    Nivalis used every healing skill she had on Rita and even cast several long-duration healing buffs.


    On the fourth second, three red beams shot toward Rita.


    At this point, Rita was only two meters away from the remaining Y-type robots. She told Nivalis, "Retreat!"


    Nivalis immediately dived back into the pet space, canceling the healing spell she was about to cast without delay.


    Three red beams shot at Rita. She dodged two of them, but her health dropped to 33%, so she quickly canceled the Emerald Feast she had been casting to stop the healing.


    At that moment, all the players in the market turned their attention to her. They didn¡¯t understand why a player was fighting in what was supposed to be a safe zone, but it didn¡¯t stop them from watching the spectacle.

 Chapter 459: The Escape

    In the final second, Rita used I Just Want to Improve So Badly three times in a row.


    A secret echoed in her mind.


    Her health dropped to only 3%.


    The five seconds had ended!


    But that wasn¡¯t enough! She had only succeeded twice¡ªhow could that be enough?!


    Nivalis had once remarked that once Rita threw caution to the wind, she would become greedier than even the Dragon race.


    ¡ªUsing Ultimate Version of Mysterious Power!


    Rita¡¯s health instantly plummeted to 1%, and her health bar locked in place!


    With the addition of the Ultimate version, the duration of the skill remained at 24 hours, and every time a new target attacked her, her health would decrease by 0.2%, unchanged. What changed was the line that stated, "Health cannot be restored during the lock state!"


    This meant that as long as no more than five players attacked her at once, her chances of dying on the spot were practically zero.


    Because even if the three Y-series robots attacked her, as long as she didn¡¯t die instantly, if she restored her health back to 1%, any attacks afterward would be ineffective.


    At that moment, she had already dived close to the last Y-type robot.


    ¡ªUsing Ultimate Version of Refurbish!


    At that moment, the parts, modules, and components of the robot Y128 gleamed in Rita¡¯s eyes.


    She had her sights set on this robot not just because it was at the back of the convoy but because its ID number was the shortest!


    Rita reached out toward those modules, directly starting to Refurbish it! She added a precious ore here, a diamond there.


    She had discovered this skill¡¯s new use back when she kidnapped Rick¡ªit could disassemble enemy equipment and directly Refurbish it.


    As long as there was no soul-binding, she could turn it into a new item, and a new item would no longer belong to the original owner. All ownership would transfer to the player using Refurbish¡ªRita!


    Ah, you say this is yours?


    It¡¯s not the same anymore. It¡¯s a completely different item, what proof do you have that it¡¯s yours?


    No, it¡¯s changed. Now, it¡¯s mine.


    She had been eager to use this in combat ever since she figured out its potential to strip enemies of their armor.


    Skills continued to slam into her, but no matter how the three Y-type robots attacked Rita, they couldn¡¯t kill her. Her health only dropped to 0.4%, freezing for a brief moment before she used a healing skill to pull it back up to 1%.


    Afterward, all attacks hitting Rita failed to deal damage.


    Rita was pleasantly surprised to find that Mysterious Power did not interfere with the counterattack effect of Absurd Story.


    So, while she kept Refurbishing, taking hits, and rebounding damage, she watched as the battery levels of the three robots steadily drained.


    Although a lot was happening, less than 10 seconds had passed since B80234615 disabled the star net.


    Many players had just noticed that a fight was happening, and the robots maintaining security in the market were on their way. The first few robots were already switching into combat mode.


    Refurbish took time to fuse; the rarer and more incompatible items required a longer fusion time. Read exclusive chapters at novelhall.Co?m


    However, Rita was using the Ultimate version of the skill, which not only allowed her to fuse things that couldn¡¯t normally be combined but also shortened the fusion time!


    Soon, behind her, two combat-mode mechs raised their guns and aimed at Rita.


    As the Y-type robots realized they couldn¡¯t defeat her, they stopped and began to change tactics to capture Rita alive.


    Several skill nets were deployed, and Rita decided it was time to leave. But just then, she noticed that the antenna on Y128¡¯s head, which she had fitted with a precious ore in the center, had successfully been Refurbished!


    Rita acted decisively and used One-Person Party.


    "I hereby announce that the mechanical race and I cannot be restricted by any blocking or binding skills on players who have no game qualifications!"


    All mechanical race robots, regardless of their state, had a timer appear above their heads: 10:00.


    Rita also had a countdown above her own head.


    This was a rule she had to obey, and it would definitely take effect for 10 minutes!


    The skill net that had been connected a second ago completely unraveled, and Rita yanked the antenna connected to the donut-shaped ore from Y128¡¯s head!


    Then, she began to use Phantom Shift to escape.


    At this moment, she couldn¡¯t afford to suicide out.


    Because under the influence of Mysterious Power, even if she hit herself, she could only take one hit...


    She had really become a "devilish" version of the group-buying style...


    When Rita¡¯s health was at 100%, others could only hit her for 30%, and now, getting down to 1%, every hit only dealt 0.2%, and each character could only land one hit.


    In the previous tense situation, with attacks so dense, she couldn¡¯t risk controlling her health down to 0.2%¡ªthat could easily end in failure.


    Rita had not been to many places in the market, and after using Phantom Shift only twice, she was now flying through the market with her wings, trying to escape.


    The best-case scenario now was that while the mechanical race was chasing her, she could extend the attack range, control her frequency of being hit, and at 0.2% health, use suicide.


    The plan sounded good, but executing it was much harder.


    Not to mention that the market was this big, and mechanical race robots were everywhere¡ªat least a dozen of them had switched to combat mode and were already chasing her.


    She didn¡¯t even hear the skill sounds¡ªher health had already dropped to 0.4%.


    Rita couldn¡¯t take a chance in this situation. She immediately used a healing skill to bring her health back up to 1%.


    Besides that, there were the players who were just watching the drama unfold.


    They couldn¡¯t attack due to the rules, but violating the market¡¯s rules would result in worse punishment than violating their own game rules. However, they could still try to block her path just to make things difficult.


    Rita saw one such player¡ªa high-level alien race blocking her way. His combat level was pretty high, maybe level 14?


    With a cold laugh, Rita raised her hand and slapped the player across the face.


    The sound of the slap was crisp and loud, knocking the player¡¯s head to one side.


    Idiot, you can¡¯t hit me, but I can hit you!


    After the slap, she kept running.


    She was looking for the well that had appeared in the market earlier.


    Even if it turned out to be a furnace or some other place, it was still better than staying in the market.


    Rita flew toward a corner of the market, and whenever a player deliberately blocked her path, she raised her hand and slapped them.


    She had never felt this good before. The feeling of being at 1% health and slapping anyone she encountered¡ªsuch a rush!


    It was the kind of feeling that made her want to live on the edge.


    The players who were slapped wanted to fight back, but Rita had a whole team following her...


    When the number of mechanical race robots chasing her had grown to over thirty, Rita finally spotted a well.


    She charged toward it, but once inside, she didn¡¯t just let herself fall down. Instead, she used her wings to slowly descend, glancing up at the well opening from time to time.


    After falling about three meters, she picked a diamond off the wall and stored it. Then, using Animagus, she turned into a small spider and crawled into the little space left behind by the diamond.


    She activated her divine skill, Survive Until the End.


    Transforming into a diamond, she took the place of the one that had been there before.

 Chapter 460: The Secret She Stole

    Almost as soon as Rita transformed into diamonds, the shadows of the mechanical race appeared at the well¡¯s mouth.


    They exchanged a few glances, silently communicating, before quickly leaving.


    As a lifeless object, Rita had no sensory perception of the outside world. This was the biggest flaw of the skill she had used.


    When she had turned into a gemstone to deceive others earlier, Nivalis had communicated with her through the mental connection granted by the pet contract, allowing them to share information. This was a form of soul-to-soul communication.


    But now, after using this skill, Rita had lost all her senses¡ªvision, hearing, smell, and taste. The only sense left was touch. If someone picked her up or attacked her, she could still feel it.


    At this moment, Rita wasn¡¯t exactly bored. In her mind, she could still see her character¡¯s status screen.


    She checked the cooldown times for her skills, using them to track time. She planned to stay hidden for at least half an hour before making a move.


    Finally, she had a moment to process everything that had happened in the last ten minutes.


    First, her right eye¡ªshe hadn¡¯t looked in a mirror and didn¡¯t yet know if it had changed color again. But her character panel showed no major changes. Rita had gotten used to this by now. Your next read awaits at novelhall.Co?m


    However, based on what B80234615 had said about the "First Moon," she had already decided that from now on, whenever she entered a world battlefield, no matter what appeared in the sky, she would definitely try to cut a piece of moonlight.


    Next, the secret she had stolen.


    "I wonder if all the races know that the gemstones they sell might contain skill tablets inside. I wonder if they would cry when they find out."


    The reason Rita didn¡¯t immediately use the self-destruct skill was 20% because of the effects of Mysterious Power, which prevented her from leaving. But the other 80% was because of this secret!


    She couldn¡¯t leave, and she didn¡¯t want to.


    According to Mistblade, she had never played a repeatable game before, which meant she would probably never encounter this kind of diamond mining game again.


    Of course, gemstones might appear in another form in Divine Game, but nobody knew when or how it would happen. She had no idea how long she would have to wait to encounter them again.


    Even though the secret came with the word "maybe," implying the gemstones didn¡¯t always contain skill tablets, she didn¡¯t want to miss out on such a huge fortune.


    All she had on her was the gemstone she had exchanged for Cyber Roasted Goose, and a few others she had used during the Refurbish skill on Y128. Now, she only had 38 gemstones left, and that was nowhere near enough!


    She had to go back and get more. If she didn¡¯t, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep peacefully.


    Using her skill cooldown as a timer, Rita waited for half an hour before cautiously lifting the Survive Until the End effect.


    The little spider looked around the well¡¯s mouth. Not seeing any shadows of the mechanical race, she began to slowly climb up.


    When she reached the top, she realized that the marketplace was as quiet as a graveyard. The silence made her reluctant to act carelessly.


    Having lost her qualification as a Divine Game player, she no longer needed to follow any game rules, but the problem was, she also couldn¡¯t receive any mission notifications.


    Rita didn¡¯t dare transform into a bird to scout. Instead, she slowly crawled up the well, one step at a time, until she reached the roof of the nearest building.


    Although spider legs were short, her attributes were high enough that she could run with afterimages, moving swiftly.


    When she reached the high ground, she saw that all the players were gathered in the center of the marketplace.


    Nearly a hundred mechanical race units, now in combat mode, surrounded the group of players, with more standing by.


    In the middle of the player group stood a figure encased in full metal armor.


    Rita wanted to see who it was, but the area was filled with nearly a thousand targets, all of whom had a line of text above their heads. It was like entering a city in a game, with player IDs everywhere. The sheer volume of information made her dizzy.


    This was another flaw of the skill she had used.


    Deciding not to look further, Rita confirmed that most of the mechanical race units were distracted by the scene and started to formulate her next plan.


    She was heading to a nearby shop to steal more gemstones.


    The gemstone purchase shop wasn¡¯t far, and after observing the store exterior to ensure no mechanical race units were guarding it, Rita went inside.


    On display were all sorts of gemstones, one of each kind. There weren¡¯t many of them, arranged neatly to look aesthetically pleasing, but in total, there were at least a hundred.


    Rita called out to Nivalis.


    Nivalis immediately looked around warily.


    Rita handed her the Refurbished Y128 antenna along with all the gemstones she had, saying, "Keep these safe."


    Even though B80234615 had said that she could be killed by the mechanical race and respawned in Snow Town, if the items were in Nivalis¡¯ space and Nivalis was in her pet space, the mechanical race wouldn¡¯t be able to reach them.


    Besides, it felt safer to have Nivalis store them in her space, and of course, it was best not to die.


    Since the skill was active, she was using Mysterious Power to consume the energy anyway, so it didn¡¯t matter.


    Nivalis took the items, hiding them away, and looked at Rita suspiciously. She said, "You¡¯re up to something again, aren¡¯t you?"


    Rita whispered, "I¡¯m going to start mining now. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯ll trigger an alarm. If it does, I¡¯ll give you the gemstones, and you keep them safe in your space.


    "The usual deal¡ªif I tell you to go back, you do it immediately. If you feel something¡¯s off, get out of there fast. The most important rewards of this game are in your hands. Keeping you safe means keeping them safe. Understand?"


    Nivalis¡¯ eyes brightened as she looked at the gemstones on display and lowered her voice. "Got it!"


    Rita opened a Temporary Pocket in her inventory and decided to hide a few gems for herself as well.


    She planned to return to BS and figure out how to replace her Fate¡¯s Gear, using Death Mimicry to obtain a space-related talent.


    At BS, she didn¡¯t need Fate¡¯s Gear for cover anymore, and modifying luck didn¡¯t really help in the world battlefield either.


    The talent had reached the point where it was no longer useful.


    Rita took a deep breath and asked Nivalis, "Ready?"


    Nivalis nodded.


    The next moment, Rita charged toward the central display case!


    As soon as she grabbed a gemstone from the shelf, the store¡¯s alarm blared.


    Rita didn¡¯t care. She kept taking one after another, tossing some to Nivalis while hiding others for herself.


    Nivalis asked, "Have you thought about how to self-destruct and leave?"


    Rita had already explained the current situation to Nivalis when she had turned into diamonds earlier.


    Rita: "Not yet."


    Nivalis: "?"


    Rita was a bit helpless. Her plan had seemed perfect at first. She thought there might be a security system in the store. Maybe if she took one gemstone, the system would trigger and attack her.


    Then, she¡¯d manage her health to 0.2%, wait for the mechanical race to kill her, and self-destruct to leave. It would have been perfect!


    But the situation wasn¡¯t following her script...

 Chapter 461: Successful Departure

    Seeing Rita casually stealing the treasure ore, Nivalis understood that the situation wasn¡¯t as desperate as it seemed, or maybe Rita, being quick-witted, had already come up with a new plan after realizing the situation had changed.


    But Nivalis still had a question: "Since we¡¯re stealing, why didn¡¯t you let me do it?"


    Rita, who had been using Hunter¡¯s Eye since the theft began, glanced at the map. Red dots had appeared, indicating that enemies were less than 50 meters away. She explained quickly: "I was worried about an automatic anti-theft system up there that might kill you."


    "But since there isn¡¯t one, I had to change the plan. It would affect efficiency if I explained everything."


    As the red dots grew closer to the store, Rita gave her order: "Attack me once and then retreat!"


    Without asking any more questions, Nivalis tossed an ice ball at Rita and immediately disappeared. Though only seven or eight seconds had passed, she had already vanished with the treasure ore.


    Rita¡¯s health dropped to 0.8%, but she continued putting ore into her Temporary Pocket, activating a skill: Ancient Curse.


    At that moment, all players in the World Battlefield heard a voice.


    ¡ª "I curse BS Rita, on this day, February 8th, 6798 of the Starfall Sea, she will die by her own hand, and this curse will only lift when the Divine Game diamonds miner ends."


    ...


    Abandoned Zone.


    The players were busy negotiating with the abandoned mechanical races, hoping to get chips from them. Upon hearing the curse, they continued their actions but couldn¡¯t help but discuss it.


    "Hey, isn¡¯t this the one from Maple Syrup? The one from that group?"


    "Wow, this Ancient Curse can be used like this?"


    "Seems like she doesn¡¯t want to die at someone else¡¯s hands."


    "I¡¯ve never seen Winter Sea Frenzied Shark use it like this."


    "True..."


    "Shame on her, why did she sell the way out of Abandoned Zone to Lania Kaia Maple Syrup?"


    "Keep your voice down, do you want her to smack you? I saw you trying to get into the front ranks earlier."


    "...Shut up, is it really that glorious?!"


    Flying above them, Lania Kaia Maple Syrup heard the conversations but paid no attention. She was more focused on the Ancient Curse, impressed by how it had been turned into a utility skill.


    It was a curse-based skill, but Maple Syrup had adapted it for her purposes, using it much better than Winter Sea Frenzied Shark ever had.


    Her desire to recruit BS Rita only grew stronger.


    So far, BS Rita was the only one of her kind in the World Battlefield. While Maple Syrup, Pine Bloom, and Peach Crown had all risen together, Rita had achieved far greater success in a short period. Not only had she stolen the divine talent of Winter Sea Frenzied Shark, but she had also taken Winter Sea Frenzied Shark¡¯s place in the elite players¡¯ group.


    Maple Syrup could no longer consider taking back BS Rita¡¯s Orange-Red Light Wings. That idea had to be abandoned. In the past, she¡¯d thought about keeping everything in her family. But now, her and Rita¡¯s wings were the same color; they might as well be mother and daughter.


    Her strategic shift began to take shape. If BS Rita couldn¡¯t be eliminated, the only option was to form an alliance.


    Soon, Maple Syrup started planning ahead for the day Lania Kaia would absorb BS, as the 14th Holy Tribe. She wanted to position herself as an ally to the human race¡¯s leaders.


    When she invited BS Rita to Polar Day City, Rita had said, "When Lania Kaia joins BS, I¡¯ll be there."


    That response had genuinely amused Maple Syrup, not because of Rita¡¯s naivety but because she admired her. Rita had always been cautious, but when it mattered, she displayed both courage and pride.


    Thinking back, Maple Syrup couldn¡¯t help but smile, but it was a smile that carried a sense of wistfulness. A long time ago, she too had tried to unite Lania Kaia with Forest Sea, only to fail.


    ...


    Mineral District Marketplace.


    As the mechanical races were about to burst into the shop, magical runes appeared! Stay tuned for updates on Freewebnovel


    It worked on the first try!!


    Rita had prepared several curse templates, but it seemed they weren¡¯t needed. Using the Ancient Curse on herself made the conditions for breaking the curse much easier!


    Next, she tried to use Illusionary Shift to return to the well, but the skill didn¡¯t work¡ªlikely because the area had been locked down.


    She couldn¡¯t use One-Person Party either, as its cooldown hadn¡¯t finished. Even though she had used Time Rewind earlier, One-Person Party still had a 2-hour cooldown.


    Instead, Rita quickly switched tactics, activating a new skill: Hide and Seek!


    A dense fog enveloped the area, but less than a second later, the lead mechanical race used a group wind attack to disperse the fog. Rita, hidden in the mist, was struck.


    The first hit!


    Her health dropped from 0.8% to 0.6%!


    During the fog¡¯s formation, Rita threw nearly a thousand of the smallest diamonds into the sky and then activated Survive Until the End, landing with the diamonds scattered around her.


    The shop was in chaos. The display racks of ore were almost completely wiped out.


    The lead robot blinked its optical screen and scanned the area, but found no unusual items.


    Rita had been wondering whether Survive Until the End or Mysterious Power would take precedence when used together. These two skills were actually quite contradictory.


    When using Survive Until the End, her health would reset to 100% as long as her health was above 18 points before she transformed into any object. Even with her current 0.6% health, she had far more than 18 points left.


    Previously, when she used Survive Until the End at the well, her health reset to full. Now, even when she½â³ýd Survive Until the End, her health would still be at 18, giving her a safe escape route.


    She hadn¡¯t stayed to test her skills for excitement but to see how these two skills would interact.


    Just as she had speculated, when attacked while both Survive Until the End and Mysterious Power were active, her health didn¡¯t drop dramatically, and the testing phase continued...


    The second attack came!

 Chapter 462: Inventory Check

    Rita got the answer she was looking for¡ªeach hit cost 0.2% of her health, taken from the 18 points. It gave her the same satisfaction as getting a cash bonus after hacking away at something to reach 99.99%¡ªonly to need 100 more friends to finish the job.


    It was fine. These two skills didn¡¯t seem to conflict after all.


    Satisfied with the result, Rita immediately deactivated Survive Until the End and fired a magic missile at herself. The smoke from the spell hadn¡¯t cleared before she collapsed to the ground and left the battlefield.


    As her vision faded to black, she noticed the mechanical races standing still in the room. Strangely, she felt no unease. In fact, she didn¡¯t sense any hidden tricks up their sleeves¡ªquite the opposite. It felt almost like they were intentionally holding back, though she couldn¡¯t prove it.


    Perhaps the only evidence was that all the robot numbers started with "8017"?


    ...


    The lead robot, B8017121, waved its hand, deactivating the sealing skill.


    The other mechanical races exchanged silent glances, communicating without words. One of the perks of being mechanical races was that they could communicate like this without anyone noticing, as if they were always in a private chat.


    "8017913 actually left?"


    "Yeah, it suddenly said it had found the hope to ignite the Soul Flame. I thought it had lost its mind."


    "Wasn¡¯t it punished by the gods and thrown into the Abandoned Zone?"


    "Yeah, I got a message from it earlier today, and I thought something had broken."


    "Sigh, the squad leader¡¯s leniency was too obvious."


    "Do you think the Inspector will suspect us?"


    "That idiot? He doesn¡¯t have enough authority to find anything out."


    "I¡¯m not too worried. That human player¡¯s quick little moves are quite distracting."


    "She could¡¯ve left earlier if she didn¡¯t keep testing us with those strange skills."


    "Well, no wonder 8017913 would follow her. They¡¯re both mischievous."


    "Let me simulate some jealousy."


    "Based on 8017913¡¯s statement, it seems like the Abandoned Zone players might launch a counterattack soon."


    "Has anyone interacted with Lania Kaia Maple Syrup? We should calculate the probability of her gathering players for a counterattack."


    "I¡¯ve met her before. Her personality... well, let¡¯s just say I calculated it, and it¡¯s 100%."


    "Why hasn¡¯t the squad leader said anything?"


    "Probably thinking about 8017913. They¡¯re close."


    "We lost a total of 69 ore, including two first-class diamonds. I¡¯m quiet because I¡¯m calculating this."


    "Ah?"


    "Whose shop is this?"


    "Ah! My shop! I hate 8017913! I hate it!"


    "Why don¡¯t you hate BS Rita?"


    "She even dared to steal from Y128! I¡¯ll just laugh it off."


    "Yeah..."


    "Feels like 8017913 jumped from one hole into another."


    "Hahaha."


    ...


    [You have died]


    [Death penalty being applied]


    [Ding ¡ª You lost 0.5% accuracy.]


    [Choose whether to resurrect outside ¡ª Yes/No]


    ¡ª [Yes]


    [Choose resurrection cost ¡ª 3 S-level skills/1 divine talent skill]


    ¡ª [3 S-level skills]


    Rita selected the 3 S-level skills she had purchased from Lania Kaia in preparation for such situations.


    She glanced at her World Graveyard. The Green Dragon, which could unlock a weapon or equipment, was no longer there. It wasn¡¯t a big loss; as long as her World Graveyard Key remained intact, losing other items wasn¡¯t too significant.


    It would have been nice if there was a trade system where you could swap a World Graveyard from another world for one in this world!


    When she opened her eyes again, Rita found herself in a forest. She checked her map, confirmed she was in BS, and finally relaxed.


    The first thing she did was transfer all the ore in her possession into her inventory. Temporary Pocket wasn¡¯t something she trusted completely.


    She also secured the feather containing the Drunkard skill before taking it out and using Cat Head to teleport back to her villa.


    She quickly messaged Shadow.Q, asking her to bring the gold to pick up the items from the Marmang world. Then, she summoned Nivalis and began sorting through her spoils.


    First, her eyes caught the change¡ªher pupils had turned silver.


    She took out the Wrathful Moon and gazed into it for a while. The moon inside was the same as before, so she chose to mute herself again.


    She understood: "You¡¯re a low-level moon."


    The moon inside the lantern flickered suddenly.


    Rita smiled in satisfaction and put it away. This was Wrathful Moon.


    She didn¡¯t even bother hiding it with bandages this time. If Shadow.Q saw it, so be it.


    Next, there was the antenna she had snatched from Y128 with Refurbish¡ªand the item she had stolen from them.


    The former turned out to be a perfect, mysterious item. At this point, it wasn¡¯t so much an antenna as it looked like a metal rod inserted into a purple crystal donut.


    Lonely Antenna Baby (Perfect Mystery Item):


    Wearing it on your head will temporarily cut off all contact with the world, isolating you from it.


    You will be invisible, inaudible, untouchable, and untraceable; no one will notice or remember you, except for the gods.


    There is no cooldown time. When used, it consumes 2000 mana per second as energy, or you can use health points instead of mana (because of you, a mechanical race will become bald, and you will face its fierce revenge).


    Rita: ...Hmm, sorry.


    But she liked it!!


    This was practically a powerful invisibility skill, with the only downside being its massive consumption.


    Every second cost 1000 mana. With her intelligence of 223 points, her mana without equipment was only 15,975.


    That meant, without a mana recovery skill, she could only stay invisible for about 8 seconds...


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    But 8 seconds was still precious, especially since it allowed her to be completely undetectable by anyone except the gods. This was an invaluable item.


    She pulled out a cold item from her inventory.


    A glass cup the size of a cola can, filled to the brim with snow, with a dead twig sticking out of the middle.


    Its appearance reminded her... of an aromatic candle?

 Chapter 463: The Snowy Village Agreement & Drunkard

    [Snowy Village Agreement] (???)


    Created by the Moon Goddess, when lit near the Golden Tree, its snow fragrance nourishes the tree, causing it to bloom and bear fruit.


    Bloom and bear fruit?


    After the Golden Tree Withered Leaf, it seemed there might be flowers and fruits left.


    Rita tucked it away. She didn¡¯t currently have any rewards related to the Golden Tree. Even if she did, she¡¯d have to wait until the contract with B80234615 was done to ask about it and decide how to use it.


    The third reward was [Drunkard ¡¤ Skill Memory Feather].


    This was the item she had been looking forward to the most, aside from the antenna and Snowy Village Agreement.


    She summoned Nivalis to guard her, while she began counting her ores and diamonds. She also emptied out the 47 World Graveyards she had gathered from the battlefield and the items purchased from the Marmang world, asking Nivalis to help organize them.


    Once the area was secure, Rita held the feather in her hand. At once, a scene from Maple Syrup using the skill played in her mind.


    She saw Maple Syrup flying high in the sky. Behind her orange-red wings, a huge shadow of wings appeared. The shadow of the wings was exactly like Rita¡¯s Orange-Red Light Wings.


    The winged shadow blotted out the sky. As Maple Syrup fluttered her wings, the shadow moved in sync. Golden mist spread out with the gusts of wind from her wings, covering everything in an endless fog, as though it could turn an entire city into a fog-filled wasteland.


    Rita heard Maple Syrup¡¯s voice in her mind.


    "This is the wine mist. All living beings that inhale it will fall into a state of confusion. They¡¯ll see distorted information, have mixed-up emotions, skills will misfire, and their sense of direction will be muddled.


    What you see, hear, think, and feel will be wrong, just like being drunk. The mist doesn¡¯t disperse, and Confusion doesn¡¯t stop!


    Players weaker than you will definitely fall into Confusion, and the higher their strength compared to yours, the weaker the effect will be.


    For example, on a world battlefield, right now your limit is that you can affect 10th-tier players, but once you reach my level, you¡¯ll probably only affect players of the same tier.


    This skill consumes not just mana but also the fumes of the wine.


    To use Drunkard, you need to drink in advance to build up the wine fumes. I remember you don¡¯t like strong alcohol, so you can soak your wings in the wine. The light wings and the regular wings aren¡¯t all that different."


    Then came a long explanation of practice methods and skill principles, mixed with Maple Syrup¡¯s personal insights on the lightning attribute.


    Rita listened, utterly absorbed.


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    When Maple Syrup got serious, she was an excellent teacher. She didn¡¯t waste words, and her instructions were precise.


    Some necromancer instructors taught like chefs writing a recipe, throwing out vague terms like "a bit," "a little," "just enough," "roughly," or "you¡¯ll know when you feel it." If they weren¡¯t so talented, Rita would¡¯ve had a headache trying to follow their lessons.


    But Maple Syrup was different. She explained the stages clearly and told Rita exactly how to feel and what to watch for to make sure she didn¡¯t learn the wrong thing.


    At the end of the lesson, she added a final thought:


    "These are just the beginner uses for this skill. Even if it shows up on your skill panel, the max level is probably only S. If you want to learn more, to the point where the wine mist can cover the skies and envelop a small world, come find me in Polar Day City."


    Maple Syrup was perfect...


    When Rita opened her eyes again, the feather was still in her hand, though its glow had dimmed a little. She could sense that she could attend the lesson two more times before this feather disappeared.


    Of course, the lesson content would be repetitive.


    Maple Syrup was more considerate than Rita had expected. This skill was truly given with her heart.


    If Maple Syrup had only given a one-time-use feather, Rita wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything with it. But Maple Syrup didn¡¯t know that Rita had Master Thief Dragon, and that she could watch the lesson as many times as she wanted.


    Rita carefully stored the feather away, then looked at the table. It was covered with various World Graveyards. Many of the same type were grouped together by Nivalis, though the same type was surprisingly rare.


    It was the first time Rita had seen so many different types of World Graveyards.


    There were triangular metal ones, wooden carvings, soda cans, baseball caps, and more. She counted¡ªthere were as many as twenty-one different types, but unfortunately, not a single key had been completed.


    Rita didn¡¯t have enough space in her backpack, so she had to store them all in the Magician¡¯s Wisdom Tooth.


    Next, the ores¡ª107 ores in total. Rita and Nivalis couldn¡¯t identify all of them. For now, she decided to leave them and deal with them once the contract with B80234615 was completed.


    Nivalis asked, "You really plan to contract with B80234615?"


    Rita had already mentioned this when she had turned into diamonds in the well to escape the pursuit.


    Although it would be a master-servant contract, completely under Rita¡¯s control, she still needed to let Nivalis know that the family might soon gain a new member.


    Even if Nivalis disagreed, Rita wouldn¡¯t back down. The help that B80234615 would bring was far too valuable for her to pass up.


    Rita said, "Yes, but before that, I¡¯d like to visit Lidian on Dragon Island and ask her what she knows about the mechanical races."


    Nivalis responded, "Sure, then... Can I return the dragon blood we took from Lidian at Hatred Thorns to her?"


    Rita replied, "That¡¯s your own dragon-related matter. The blood came into your hands, so you decide what to do with it."


    The dragon clan wasn¡¯t stingy. Every time Rita visited Dragon Island, the elders had treated her well, whether it was the fruit they served when she visited for the first time, or the Wind Shear skill, Absolute Clarity, that they gave her. While she owed them a favor, she couldn¡¯t deny their kindness.


    The great dragons weren¡¯t petty, and Rita wouldn¡¯t be either.


    Just then, a private message rang through¡ªShadow.Q was already outside.


    "Let me sell the items to Eclipse Vanguard, then we¡¯ll head to Dragon Island."


    With that, Rita Shadow Stepped outside and released Thunder Net to let her in.


    When Shadow.Q saw Rita¡¯s right eye, she didn¡¯t ask too many questions. She had noticed the issue with Rita¡¯s right eye before¡ªRita had used bandages to cover it multiple times.


    But she hadn¡¯t expected Rita to be so unbothered by it now.


    Once inside, Shadow.Q began checking the goods Rita had brought back.


    She asked, "Can I ask how you got back?"


    Rita replied, "I just joined a Mahjong tournament to come back."


    Shadow.Q: "..." It was an answer that sounded frustratingly simple.


    Rita kindly reminded her, "I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ll be able to use your skills to return once you¡¯re there. Maybe yes, maybe no, so just be careful."


    "We understand," Shadow.Q thanked her. "We¡¯ve consulted the divination multiple times, and it all showed disaster, so we haven¡¯t sent anyone over yet."

 Chapter 464: Those Moments & The Leader

    Eclipse Vanguard¡¯s methods were ever-changing, and it wasn¡¯t something Rita needed to worry about, so she didn¡¯t speak further.


    Once the items were confirmed, Shadow.Q placed the gold coins on the table.


    It wasn¡¯t much, just a handful of various items¡ªplus the umbrella type¡ªamounting to only 5-character gold coins. Although they had joked that all of Eclipse Vanguard¡¯s funds had flowed into Rita¡¯s hands, everyone knew it was just a joke.


    Given the uncertainty of whether items from another world would work in BS, Eclipse Vanguard couldn¡¯t possibly spend too much money on them. And they certainly wouldn¡¯t issue an open-ended check to Rita, allowing her to buy whatever she liked with the promise that Eclipse Vanguard would cover it all.


    If the divination results hadn¡¯t been so positive, they wouldn¡¯t have bought even these 5-character gold coins worth of goods.


    Rita took the coins and checked the wealth ranking¡ªshe had once again claimed the top spot. She glanced at it briefly, still under an anonymous alias, and decided to drop the anonymity.


    After confirming the amount, she took a portion and tossed it to Nivalis as pocket money, noting that Nivalis had contributed to the startup funds for the items.


    Shadow.Q, clearly keeping an eye on the wealth rankings, teased, "Oh, so you¡¯re done hiding it now?"


    On the rankings¡ªwealth, level, pets, and honors¡ªRita was number one in all categories, with a huge lead over the second place in every one.


    This had happened before, when Rita had briefly been on top of all the leaderboards, but back then, she¡¯d quickly concealed it. But now, looking at her, it was clear she didn¡¯t care anymore.


    Shadow.Q¡¯s teasing made Rita pause, and she chuckled inwardly. Hadn¡¯t she already stopped hiding it long ago? Wasn¡¯t that the moment in the Arena of All Races when she had revealed herself?


    The difference now, though, was that this time, it wasn¡¯t about strength alone¡ªit was about leadership.


    She was ready to embrace her role as BS¡¯s leader. She was ready to bear the responsibility for its future.


    It wasn¡¯t so bad, really.


    It was like shedding a heavy coat that she¡¯d once worn¡ªonly to realize it didn¡¯t keep her warm, and instead, it had become a burden.


    There had been those moments¡ªthe moment when Maple Syrup, through the battlefield chat channel, said she would buy Rita¡¯s curse slots. Every time a player backstabbed her, she¡¯d buy one slot. If two thousand players backstabbed her, she¡¯d buy two thousand slots.


    All kinds of players¡ªdifferent races, different power levels, different personalities¡ªhad lined up behind Maple Syrup, following her lead. Even though their final choices were different, some leaving, others staying, at that moment, they had chosen to surrender to Maple Syrup.


    And there was the moment Maple Syrup had stood before all players, charging towards the mechanical race¡¯s peak combat strength.


    Even during tense battles, she had smiled and said, "BS Rita, pay attention¡ªthis is Cheers."


    The thunderous crackle of lightning shook the battlefield, but Maple Syrup wasn¡¯t just trying to turn the tide¡ªshe was teaching Rita how to use Cheers.


    Rita had learned much from the people in her life¡ªsome good, some bad. From Scarlett, she had learned a great deal, even though Scarlett had turned out to be a selfish person. After being reborn, Rita had realized this, but there were things she couldn¡¯t change. She had become selfish like Scarlett, and didn¡¯t even see it as a problem.


    From Eleanor, she had learned how to conceal her skills, how to doubt everything, how to always leave something in reserve.


    She didn¡¯t know whether these lessons were good or bad, but she had stumbled through, getting to where she was today. She had parents, brothers, and elders¡ªbut no one had helped her along the way.


    Later, she met Apache, Lucia, Mistblade...


    Each of them had their own style, and their relationships with her varied. Apache was tolerant and understanding, Lucia carefree and free-spirited, and Mistblade... well, Mistblade was a month fox, just like Rita.


    Then there was Jameson, who seemed to have no pride or dignity. He lacked any bloodthirstiness, but still managed to protect The White Family under Rita¡¯s hand.


    All these elders had their merits, but none of them had changed Rita¡ªuntil she met Maple Syrup at High Tower.


    That was when Rita had realized what a true leader was.


    A real mother. A real leader.


    Doing things with boldness... realizing that caution and flamboyance could coexist... that true strength meant standing high above others and having them look up to you with respect.


    Rita sighed. "Spending too much energy on little things is just unnecessary."


    Shadow.Q, amused by Rita¡¯s expression, said, "So you¡¯ve figured it out now? I thought you were only this carefree because you¡¯ve grown stronger."


    Rita didn¡¯t deny it. "That¡¯s part of it, yes."


    But hadn¡¯t she been strong for a long time already?


    Strength and leadership, though, were two different things.


    Every time Maple Syrup appeared, it felt like a lesson.


    Being cautious, devious, and cold-blooded¡ªthese were all methods and styles. As long as you were strong enough, no one could say you were wrong.


    But being a leader was different.


    Leaders needed immense charisma. They needed to have the confidence that if they wanted something done, they would make sure it happened. They needed to stand before others, showing them the way and guiding them toward the direction they wanted them to go.


    Most importantly, they had to step up and take responsibility. Read new chapters at Freewebnovel


    People would respect and admire the strong, but only leaders could inspire people to live and die for them.


    If Midnight Exile had given her the capital of strength, then Maple Syrup had been the mentor who led her down the path to leadership.


    Shaking the image of Maple Syrup from her mind, Rita smiled and asked, "Is that really so bad?"


    Shadow.Q grinned. "You should have done this long ago."


    As they left the villa, Shadow.Q turned to Rita and said, "Eclipse Vanguard will always be behind you."


    Rita slapped Shadow.Q on the shoulder a few times. "Sounds good. So, you¡¯re gonna protect me, huh?"


    Shadow.Q tried to keep a serious expression but nearly cracked. She forced a stern face and replied again, "I mean it. Not a joke."


    Rita gave her a pointed look. "Okay, okay. I understand!"


    Shadow.Q sighed dramatically. "No, you don¡¯t."


    Rita smirked. "So, the legion leader is going to handle it?"


    Shadow.Q blinked. "Uh, well... not really."


    Rita raised an eyebrow. "Haha."


    Shadow.Q sighed again. "The legion leader said if you ask this question, then I should tell you that you should be the BS legion leader, not Eclipse Vanguard¡¯s."

 Chapter 465: I Have No Shame, Do You Still Want It?

    Although Rita was prepared to become the leader of BS, she knew her own limitations. Marching into war, planning battles, and balancing various forces¡ªnone of that was her strong suit.


    It wasn¡¯t just a matter of knowledge and skills; she honestly didn¡¯t want to spend her time on those things. For her, supreme power couldn¡¯t compare to absolute strength. What she truly aimed for was to become the spiritual leader of BS. As long as she stood strong, as long as she didn¡¯t fall or die, BS would remain hopeful for the future.


    Her enemies were the enemies of BS, and the direction her gun pointed was the path the players would follow. Any conspiracy, whether open or covert, couldn¡¯t beat a single word from her.


    She could refuse to wield power or control it, but she had to stand above it. She couldn¡¯t be anyone¡¯s tool. She needed absolute authority.


    That was why she casually asked the question that revealed her true thoughts.


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    And Shadow.Q¡¯s response...


    ¡ª"You should be the commander of BS, not Eclipse Vanguard."


    That was the answer Rita wanted to hear.


    Avery seemed to have already predicted her thoughts, foreseeing her change, and had positioned herself in advance with the answer Rita needed, waiting for her.


    Rita was silent for as long as Shadow.Q waited.


    Meanwhile, Nivalis, who was inside the house counting coins and waiting for Rita to finish with her guest so they could return to Dragon Island, couldn¡¯t help but come over to see what was going on.


    In the end, Rita gave this reply: "Tell your guild leader that I don¡¯t know where I¡¯ll end up. I don¡¯t know if the path I¡¯m choosing is right or wrong, but I¡¯ve already started my journey."


    After Shadow.Q left, Rita and Nivalis returned to the room.


    Nivalis asked, "What was that conversation about?"


    Rita simplified it with the most direct explanation: "I want to be the Mistblade and Maple Syrup for the humans. Eclipse Vanguard will support me."


    Nivalis asked, "So, what are you going to do?"


    Rita replied, "Well, stop being low-key. Get stronger, get more dazzling. I want all BS players to look up to me and trust me..."


    Nivalis asked eagerly, "What about me?"


    "Of course, you too," Rita said, now looking at Nivalis with a more caring expression. "Are you fully recovered?"


    Nivalis¡¯s dim dragon scales gleamed once again, and the gem on her head shone brightly. Her dragon horns looked like an Orange Weapon, and the entire dragon seemed in better shape than even before her injuries.


    Now that the topic had come up, Nivalis eagerly responded, "I¡¯m fully recovered and even evolved! Most of my stats have increased. Look, look, they¡¯re almost doubled!"


    Rita gazed at her, envy evident in her eyes. This epic boost had really made her mouth water, especially since Nivalis had overtaken her in the three key attributes: intelligence, physique, and strength.


    Nivalis kept bragging, "They must have stolen a lot of dragon blood, not just from Lidian¡¯s world but from others too. But I don¡¯t know those dragons, so I won¡¯t return it."


    "The most important thing is that my Master Thief Dragon evolved. Now, I can steal four minutes of time and take you back to four minutes ago!"


    Rita glanced at her own Master Thief Dragon, still at the original level. It seemed that the skill was now fully hers and that Nivalis¡¯s upgrade didn¡¯t affect it.


    She quickly packed up¡ªmostly gifts from the auction house¡ªand prepared to head back to Dragon Island with Nivalis.


    Before they left, she pulled out the hat Snow Pile had given her¡ª[Sleeping Dragon Eggshel].


    [Sleeping Dragon Eggshel] (Treasure): The eggshell left behind by a dragon that died during its hatching phase. Only beings blessed by the dragon race can receive it as a gift. No matter how you use it, it will surprise you from time to time.


    Rita placed the eggshell hat on her head.


    Nivalis asked, "Why suddenly decide to wear it?"


    Rita answered, "I¡¯ve been using it all along. You just didn¡¯t notice. I use it when I brew potions and cook, but it hasn¡¯t given me any surprises... so I thought I¡¯d try a different approach."


    She adjusted the eggshell on her head, adding, "Besides, when we go to Dragon Island to see the elders, it feels nice to wear a gift from them, don¡¯t you think?"


    Nivalis gave her a thumbs up. "You really know how to flatter them."


    With that, she pulled out her cat-head teleportation item and headed back to Dragon Island.


    Seconds later, Rita received a summons prompt and accepted without hesitation.


    When she opened her eyes, she found herself in Nivalis¡¯s dragon nest.


    Nivalis had already disappeared into the nest, and outside, she could hear Nivalis bragging about her evolution. Nivalis was asking where Lidian had gone, saying she had a surprise for her.


    Rita had spent some time on Dragon Island before, so she was already familiar with the area. Holy CupNorth YearSnow Pile and the others had treated her well back then.


    Other large dragons also knew she was Nivalis¡¯s contractor, so she could move around freely on the island without needing Nivalis to guide her.


    Now, with the hat on her head, Rita felt even more at ease. She could walk anywhere on Dragon Island with confidence. Even if she stepped on Emperor Umbrella.Wind Shear¡¯s tail, they¡¯d have to give her face.


    After delivering the gifts she had prepared to Holy CupNorth YearSnow Pile, Rita went to find Nivalis and Lidian.


    For matters regarding the world battlefield, Lidian was probably the best person to ask.


    Following the contract sensation, she found Nivalis, who was chatting with Lidian, the large dragon, who was laying on her head like a mountain.


    Floating in front of them was a massive blood droplet, red as a ruby.


    "And then... well, BS Rita just used a little trick to help me get it back."


    "You can take it. I told her, and she agreed to return it to you."


    "If you¡¯re not satisfied, you can send me and Nivalis a few SSS-level skills as compensation."


    Rita blinked, sure she hadn¡¯t misjudged. Lidian, who had kept her eyes closed the entire time, had clearly rolled her eyes.


    The action was so obvious...


    She quickly shouted at Nivalis, "What are you saying?! How are you talking to Elder Lidian like that?"


    Nivalis turned to her with a disgruntled look. "What? I¡¯m not saying anything wrong. We worked really hard to get the dragon blood back."


    Rita scolded her, "But you¡¯re extorting her! You want a bunch of SSS-level skills! That¡¯s too much! The dragon blood wasn¡¯t even something Elder Lidian begged us to get back!"


    Lidian opened her eyes and was about to say something, but before she could speak, Nivalis and Rita were already arguing.


    Nivalis shouted back, "I¡¯m extorting? Fine, if I¡¯m not, then you tell me¡ªhow many SSS-level skills isn¡¯t too much?"


    Rita frowned, her voice serious as she suggested, "Two. Two would be enough. I have no shame, but do you still want it?"


    Nivalis sighed. "Alright, fine. Two it is..."


    Lidian, who hadn¡¯t even spoken yet: "...Get lost. Both of you, get lost."

 Chapter 466: Lidian: You wouldn’t mind if I killed her, right?

    Nivalis grabbed Lidian¡¯s dragon horn tightly: "No, I¡¯m not leaving!!!"


    Rita flew over and placed the gift she brought for Lidian next to her dragon claws: "Just kidding, Lidian-senpai. Bringing back this dragon blood didn¡¯t take much effort at all, please accept it, no need for any skills in return."


    Lidian made no move, but the dragon blood immediately entered the red gemstone in her forehead. She spoke: "I don¡¯t want to owe you any favors. Tell me, what skills do you want?"


    Rita knew these dragons didn¡¯t like formalities, so she replied directly: "I really don¡¯t need any skills, but I would like to know some information about the World Battlefield. You can answer what you¡¯re comfortable with, and stay silent on what you don¡¯t want to share. Once we¡¯re done with the questions, we¡¯ll consider the dragon blood matter settled. How does that sound?"


    Lidian, already fond of Rita after her generosity with the Golden Tree Withered Leaf to Nivalis, grew even more favorable after this straightforward approach. She vaguely understood why Snow Pile had given Rita the Sleeping Dragon Eggshel.


    Lidian nodded: "Ask away."


    Rita asked: "Do you know the mechanical race?"


    Lidian: "Yes, most Divine Games feature them in some form."


    Rita stared at Lidian and asked directly: "Has anyone ever brought them out of the Divine Game?"


    Lidian, who had been lying down, suddenly lifted her head and turned toward Rita: "Did you bring them out?"


    Rita¡¯s suspicion grew clearer and stronger: "Did Pine Bloom bring them out too?"


    Lidian knew that Nivalis and Rita¡¯s contract was solid because she could sense the dragon blessing on Rita. Perhaps spending so much time with Nivalis had allowed Rita to easily read Lidian¡¯s emotions just by looking at her dragon face.


    Lidian looked sad.


    Lidian sighed softly: "Ah, so you didn¡¯t have to give up your original pet, huh?"


    Nivalis screamed: "What?! So Pine Bloom dumped you?! Didn¡¯t you tell Holy Cup that you dumped Pine Bloom?!!"


    Lidian: "..."


    Rita, her high EQ advice blocked in her throat: "..."


    Nivalis had already taken off, flying toward the dragon nest while shouting: "Holy Cup! Holy Cup! Oh my god, you won¡¯t believe what I just heard!" Stay updated through Freewebnovel


    Lidian politely asked Rita: "You wouldn¡¯t mind if I killed her, would you?"


    Rita dryly suggested: "...She¡¯s still just a kid."


    Rita never thought she would say those words in her life.


    But soon, Nivalis flew back in a curved arc, coming back to where they were.


    Rita sighed, a bit exasperated: "Why are you back?"


    Nivalis sat obediently next to Rita: "Oh, I just want to hear the rest before I go. You guys keep talking like I¡¯m not here."


    Lidian: "..."


    Rita quickly moved a few steps away and said to Lidian: "I don¡¯t mind at all, really! No worries!"


    Lidian decided to ignore Nivalis and turned to Rita: "The mechanical race you brought out, do they also require a contract with you to help you?"


    Rita replied: "Yes, but I didn¡¯t agree. Later, they fused my two accessory slots into a new pet space."


    Lidian¡¯s tense expression relaxed slightly, and she seemed to understand: "No wonder... So that¡¯s what happened... The mechanical race just couldn¡¯t do it, Pine Bloom couldn¡¯t help it either."


    Rita: "..."


    Nivalis: "..."


    Both Rita and Nivalis¡¯ faces twisted at the same time.


    Lidian¡¯s expression froze, then she cleared her throat and added: "I meant to say... she had her reasons."


    Rita had once seen Pine Bloom from afar in High Tower, and she was truly beautiful¡ªperhaps the most beautiful woman Rita had ever seen.


    Her beauty was striking, pure, almost otherworldly.


    Mistblade¡¯s aura and strength made any comments about her beauty feel disrespectful.


    But Pine Bloom¡¯s beauty could make one forget everything: forget the dangers, forget the need for humility when facing someone powerful.


    When people first saw Pine Bloom, they just wanted to stare and take in her beauty for a few more seconds.


    But really... this much beauty?!!!


    Rita and Nivalis¡¯ faces made Lidian feel embarrassed.


    Lidian muttered: "Please don¡¯t tell Holy Cup. Just tell me what you want to know. Anything I know, I¡¯ll share with you."


    Then Lidian seemed to realize that this was part of the deal for the dragon blood, so she added: "Besides that, I¡¯ll give you some information about the mechanical race."


    Rita¡¯s interest was piqued: "What information?"


    Lidian answered: "Don¡¯t offend the Y-series mechanical race. Pine Bloom accidentally injured one called Y128 once, and it hunted her down for years. She was killed three times before it calmed down."


    Rita: "...Y128?"


    "Yes." Lidian still seemed resentful when talking about Y128. "To be fair, it wasn¡¯t Pine Bloom¡¯s fault. Y128 was just unlucky. The game was a skiing game, and we were in a rush to earn points. It just appeared out of nowhere!"


    "Pine Bloom¡¯s snowboard barely scratched its antenna, just a tiny mark. Yet it chased us for seven years. It was insane!"


    "Hey? Why are you two so quiet?"


    Nivalis was trying to recall: "That... I think... if I remember correctly... right?"


    Rita: "Yeah... you¡¯re right..."


    Lidian: ?


    Nivalis asked weakly: "When I was sorting through the treasure mine, I saw something that looked like an antenna... That wouldn¡¯t have been..."


    Rita: "Yep... it was..."


    Lidian, not stupid, quickly pieced together the truth from their desperate expressions and cryptic conversations.


    She gasped: "You didn¡¯t actually rip off Y128¡¯s antenna, did you?"


    Rita didn¡¯t want to speak anymore.


    Lidian muttered, agreeing with one thing: "Y128 was really unlucky."


    Rita didn¡¯t want to dwell on this painful topic, so she asked: "Are there any things I need to watch out for when contracting with a mechanical race?"


    Lidian answered seriously: "You need to be careful not to hurt your previous pet."


    Rita: "..." Please stop!


    She quietly asked Nivalis in her mind: "She didn¡¯t act like this in front of Holy Cup, right?"


    Nivalis: "No, she was actually harsher about Pine Bloom in front of Holy Cup, North Year, Snow Pile, Wind Shear, and Emperor Umbrella."


    Rita was fed up. Didn¡¯t she say she would fix Lidian¡¯s attitude? Why was it still like this?


    She took a deep breath and smiled, continuing: "Anything else?"


    Lidian: "Anything else? I¡¯m not sure. I left the day after she contracted that mechanical race."


    "But... there is one thing you should pay attention to."


    "It¡¯s a place that values fun and fairness."


    "So... after contracting with a mechanical race, your game difficulty will increase."


    "You¡¯ll often run into bad luck, and fortune will no longer favor you."

 Chapter 467: Pine Bloom – [Die-hard]

    ¡ª¡ª"Is the side effect really that serious?"


    ¡ª¡ª"Pine Bloom is just really unlucky."


    Lidian''s reminder made Rita furrow her brows.


    According to Lidian, B80234615 was even stronger than the mechanical race Pine Bloom had brought out¡ªthough there was still a possibility that each mechanical race had its own strengths.


    If Pine Bloom''s bad luck was enough for Lidian to start lamenting, the impact of B80234615 might not be small either. This gave Rita another glimpse into this game''s complex nature.


    The strongest enemy she had encountered so far was the Winter Sea Frenzied Shark, but from her perspective, the Winter Sea Frenzied Shark had several opportunities to kill her. After stealing the Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s divine blessing, didn''t the shark have any time-related skills?


    Or did it have them but just happen to be unlucky, with its time skill being on cooldown at that moment?


    When Rita met the Winter Sea Frenzied Shark at the diamonds miner area, although it was in a safe zone where attacks were prohibited, how could the shark just stand by when someone had stolen its divine blessing? Did it really endure until Rita left the safe zone?


    Even if it could hold back, could a strong being like that really do nothing against her?


    Recalling a few more game sessions, like in Little Painter, after Rita translated the rules for the players, the strong players left and only a 2nd-tier warrior remained waiting to kill her.


    In Kart Racing, there were a few combat zones where players stronger than her attacked, but not to an exaggerated degree. Players like Maple Syrup and Mistblade never targeted her.


    Not only did they not attack her, but they also didn''t target other low-tier players. Instead, they focused on playing the game seriously. Marmang-Crab, on the other hand, only attacked players with comparable strength.


    Did these strong players think killing low-tier players wasn''t worth it? Or was there a penalty for doing so?


    In cases where the power difference was too great, the gods must have imposed several restrictions to stop strong players from dominating the game. It couldn''t just be that there were more game rules to consider.


    Otherwise, after each battlezone game began, the strongest players would simply team up to clear the map, leaving no room for low-tier players to play.


    Fairness and fun...


    At first, Rita was grateful for these rules when entering the World Battlefield.


    But after receiving her own game cheat, she started getting tired of the term "fairness."


    Suddenly, Nivalis stood up, looking serious: "Wait! Wait! I have a question!"


    Rita and Lidian turned toward Nivalis, who was unusually solemn.


    Lidian adopted the role of an elder, speaking gently: "What''s your question? Speak."


    Since Lidian had genuinely invited her to ask, Nivalis did so: "You said you left the next day, but how did you know all this so clearly? Were you still keeping an eye on her?"


    Lidian: "..."


    Rita suddenly looked off into the distance.


    The next moment, she saw Lidian lift her dragon tail and send Nivalis flying¡ªhigh and far, as if playing golf with her.


    Once Nivalis was out of sight, Rita casually turned back and continued: "So, can the pet contract I bought in Lania Kaia bind the mechanical race?"


    Lidian: "Pet contract? You could ask Holy Cup. She''s an astrologer. Contracts and souls are her specialty."


    After receiving the answer she wanted, Rita asked a few more questions related to the World Battlefield, and Lidian answered them all truthfully.


    But every game Lidian mentioned, Rita had never heard of.


    It seemed that the safe zones didn''t just transform into special commercial areas but could also change into arenas... Some games even forced players to team up.


    There didn''t seem to be any discernible pattern. The games didn''t have much in common.


    Nevertheless, Rita took note of everything Lidian said.


    The one thing that frustrated Rita, though, was that nearly every five sentences Lidian spoke involved Pine Bloom.


    Perhaps Rita''s calmness had given Lidian courage, as she gradually stopped hesitating when talking about Pine Bloom. Her tone became lighter, and soon she was speaking freely, as if she couldn''t stop.


    This gave Rita the chance to gather more information about Pine Bloom.


    If Nivalis described Pine Bloom as a cold-hearted woman who deceived the rich and beautiful Lidian, then in Lidian''s words, Pine Bloom was a remarkably charismatic figure.


    She was a goal-driven, outstanding military strategist, tactician, and leader.


    She was also the most ambitious among the three great warlords.


    Her conquest of Four Seasons City, the best of all main cities, showed that she only wanted the best. In her eyes, only the best was worthy of her.


    Lidian summarized: "All the owlbears adore her. She has the most loyal friends, the most passionate lovers, and the warmest family.


    "Do you know Maple Syrup, the owlbear emperor from Lania Kaia? She and Pine Bloom are complete opposites.


    "Maple Syrup gives her most sincere love only to her three daughters, but Pine Bloom..."


    "Her love is like moonlight, evenly spread over all living beings. We offer ourselves in hopes of gaining her favor."


    Rita felt like she had unwittingly stumbled into a Pine Bloom fan club...


    Lidian sighed: "The next thing I''m going to tell you is part of the reward for the dragon blood, and also a thank-you for taking care of Nivalis."


    Rita straightened her posture involuntarily: "What is it?"


    Lidian: "This is information I don''t want you to share with the other dragons. It''s her secret."


    Rita: "I won''t tell anyone."


    Lidian: "I used to think she was emotionally rich and could lavish her love, but later I realized she knows how to create a false sense of love. If one day you start to feel attracted to her¡ªwhich is easy to do¡ªbe careful."


    "She has a hidden divine blessing passive skill called [Die-hard]."


    "Once any living being develops affection or love for her, that affection or love becomes nearly impossible to fade. On the other hand, hatred and disgust are easily forgotten."


    Rita: "..."


    If she had this talent back when she was a celebrity, wouldn''t she have been the top star already?


    But for safety''s sake, Rita asked: "Are you sure this talent skill isn''t something you''ve just imagined?"


    Lidian: "..."


    "Okay, I get it! I get it!" Seeing Lidian''s tail raise high, Rita immediately slid onto the ground in a kneeling position, saying, "Actually, if you tell Holy Cup and the others about this skill, they might understand you better. That''s when it would really seem like you had no choice and that you were just caught up in it. You''d be forgiven."


    Lidian shook her head, giving Rita a look that screamed "You don''t understand anything." She said: "No, you don''t get it. My situation has nothing to do with this skill."


    Rita: ...


    She really needed to take a look at Lidian''s brain soon.


    She would donate 500 gold coins, but anything more than that was unnecessary. She was afraid it wouldn''t get fixed anyway.

 Chapter 468: The Second Pet!!

    After leaving the now mentally "fried" Lidian, Rita flew smoothly back to the dragon''s nest and found Holy Cup.


    At this moment, Holy Cup had taken on a smaller size and was lying in the nest, directing Nivalis to clean her dragon scales.


    Upon seeing Rita, Nivalis quickly asked, "What happened? Did Lidian say something crazy again?"


    Rita gave her a light smack. "Am I the type to gossip behind someone''s back? You really underestimate me!"


    On Dragon Island, both human and dragon spoke the dragon''s tongue. After greeting Holy Cup, Rita skipped the pleasantries typical of human society and got straight to the point: the contract.


    After Rita explained, Holy Cup asked, "So, you want to bind it to your soul?"


    Rita shook her head. "No, I specifically don''t want it to have any connection to my soul."


    "That makes it more complicated." Though Holy Cup''s words sounded difficult, her expression showed no sign of concern. "Tell me what nonsense Lidian said about Pine Bloom, and I''ll help you solve this."


    Rita immediately sat down cross-legged. "Alright! No problem!"


    Nivalis: "...I really look down on you."


    Rita: "I feel the same."


    After that, Rita relayed most of what she had learned about Pine Bloom. However, she skipped the part about the divine skill [Die-hard], as she had promised Lidian not to share it with the other dragons.


    Holy Cup listened calmly to everything Rita said, before falling silent for a moment. Then, she began speaking about the contract.


    "The pet contract must have a connection to your soul. It''s a deep binding; no matter what forms you take or how far apart you are, you can still sense each other. You don''t want to bind it to your soul because you''re worried it might plot against you, am I right?"


    Rita didn''t hide anything. "Yes, I don''t trust it. I''m afraid it might turn the contract against me."


    Holy Cup raised an eyebrow. "Even though you have absolute control over it, and can destroy it at any time, you still don''t trust it?"


    Rita understood the confusion in Holy Cup''s voice. She replied firmly, "Of course. I can destroy it and control it, but that doesn''t mean I trust it."


    "Then do you trust Nivalis?"


    "I can''t trust her completely."


    Rita didn''t try to hide the truth. Some things just couldn''t be hidden.


    Before Holy Cup could respond, Nivalis quickly said, "It''s fine, Holy Cup. She treats me really well."


    Holy Cup: "..."


    At that moment, North Year arrived with lunch, walking toward the nest to find his mate.


    Blowing in the sea breeze and preparing for some sadness before finding his friend to mooch a meal, Lidian overheard the conversation. She shrank her form and flew into the dragon''s nest, saying to Holy Cup, "So what do you think? Last time when I said something like this, you hit me. This time, you can''t just not hit your own child, right?"


    Nivalis: ???


    Rita: "..."


    Nivalis: "You can''t be serious. You''re the one with a wandering heart. My Rita''s great, you can''t compare!"


    Lidian: "Holy Cup, listen to this, listen to what this kid is saying! Is this dragon language? She''s done for¡ªquick, hit her for early treatment!"


    Nivalis: "Holy Cup!!! She should be the one to be hit! She''s totally in love!"


    Lidian: "Holy Cup!!!"


    Holy Cup felt a headache coming on. Lidian had always been noisy, and now Nivalis added to the chaos.


    North Year quietly set the table, hoping not to make any noise that would attract trouble.


    Holy Cup turned her back to the two dragons, and Rita, understanding the hint, immediately walked over.


    The two of them started talking in whispers in the corner.


    Holy Cup: "I can help you use a soul-bound item as a medium. No matter how it tries to attack your soul in the future, it will trigger the contract punishment and be destroyed. But the cost is that the medium item will also be destroyed, and it can''t be something too low-level. It has to be a tool or a rare item, and it can''t be lower than SS-grade. The rare item must at least be a perfect one. Are you willing to do this?"


    Rita hesitated for only two seconds before answering, "I am."


    Her SS-grade item was the Wrathful Moon, and her perfect rare items were Heart Snatcher and Lonely Antenna Baby.


    As for higher-level treasures, she never even thought about them.


    It was a tough decision between the three. No matter which one she chose, it would hurt her. But in the end, she was willing to make the sacrifice.


    After all, this was her line of defense¡ªit wasn''t guaranteed to be useful, but she''d rather have it. Plus, no matter how precious the items were, they couldn''t be more important than her life.


    Wrathful Moon still had room to level up, so it was excluded.


    Lonely Antenna Baby was comparable to Heart Snatcher, but the latter probably had a higher ceiling.


    Though Heart Snatcher was uncertain, it often brought unexpected surprises.


    She took out Lonely Antenna Baby, bound it, and then said to Holy Cup, "I''ll choose this one."


    Holy Cup nodded. "Good, now take out the mechanical race chip."


    Rita brought the mini 9th-tier magic cube in front of Holy Cup.


    After Holy Cup recited a few dragon spells, Rita received a prompt.


    "Do you wish to form a master-servant contract with the mechanical race B80234615 under the witness of ¡ö¡ö¡öHoly Cup? You will be the master, and it will be the servant."


    "You control its life and death."


    "It will calculate and deduce every possible success for you."


    "B80234615 has chosen to submit."


    "Do you wish to become its master: Yes/No?"


    Rita chose Yes.


    The 9th-tier magic cube floated in front of her eyes. Under Holy Cup''s control, Heart Snatcher stood between her and the cube.


    Within just a few seconds, Rita felt the presence of B80234615.


    However, unlike the feeling she had when sensing Nivalis, she could feel that she could sense B80234615''s emotions at any time. If she wanted, she could make it fall asleep immediately and lose its ability to attack.


    At this moment, B80234615 was very weak. It seemed like its last bit of energy had been used up when it chose to submit to the contract, and it had essentially shut down.


    Rita might need to find some precious minerals to recharge it.


    She placed the 9th-tier magic cube into her pet space and thanked Holy Cup sincerely.


    Holy Cup: "You treat Nivalis well. I know."


    Rita: "She treats me well, too. She started being good to me first."


    Holy Cup glanced at Nivalis, who was still arguing with Lidian. "She''s not stupid. She wouldn''t be good to you without reason."


    Rita: "That''s true. She''s got good taste."


    Holy Cup: ?


    Just as Rita managed to get a good jab in, the pet rankings on BS were suddenly shaken.


    Rita was still at the top, but why was she still second?


    The pet at the top of the leaderboard was now B80234615, the mechanical race, and Nivalis had fallen to second place.


    B80234615''s profile picture was a glowing magic cube.


    Can players have two pets at the same time??


    Moreover, how could this pet already be stronger than Nivalis, a dragon?

 Chapter 469: 469: That Vile Fat Goose!

    In the past, whenever Rita topped the rankings or trended, there were always voices demanding that she share her strategies for getting stronger.


    Take her Orange-Red Light Wings, for example¡ªwhile most players went straight to Eclipse Vanguard for guides, many still believed that Rita, being as powerful as she was, had a duty to share her knowledge.


    Otherwise, she was being selfish.


    Even if they meant no harm, there was always an undercurrent of resentment and bitterness in their words.


    But at some point, that changed.


    Maybe it was the day Rita helped all BS players increase their attributes and lifespan.


    Maybe it was even earlier¡ªthe day she live-streamed herself taking down a Level 45 Boss in the Arena of All Races with just three shots.


    No one asked her for guidance anymore.


    It was as if they had collectively accepted that she was different. That her strength was something unattainable.


    Not just strangers¡ªeven Rick, Samuel, and Scarlett had stopped bothering her.


    Rick''s reasons were easy to guess. But as for the other two...


    She used to think they had simply given up. Realized they wouldn''t get anything worthwhile from her and quit wasting their time.


    But after that conversation with Avery, she suspected Eclipse Vanguard had something to do with it.


    So when Shadow.Q messaged her to congratulate her, she casually asked:


    ¡ª[Shadow.Q]: Congrats, I''m sticking with you for life.


    ¡ª[Rita]: ...,...


    ¡ª[Shadow.Q]: Coded message? I get it. "Don''t blow our cover," right? Got it! I won''t say a word!


    ¡ª[Rita]: I give up.


    ¡ª[Rita]: By the way, did you guys do something about my family?


    ¡ª[Shadow.Q]: Nope, we just relocated your parents to your brother''s place. A family reunion, that''s all.


    ¡ª[Rita]: Whose bright idea was that?


    ¡ª[Shadow.Q]: The commander. Does this arrangement work for you?


    ¡ª[Rita]: It works.


    ¡ª[Shadow.Q]: ¡Ï(¡ã©f¡ã)


    She wasn''t surprised. Eclipse Vanguard had ways of figuring things out, and she had never hidden her disdain for her family.


    So of course they stopped coming to bother her.


    Samuel and Scarlett must be fuming. The more they failed to squeeze benefits out of her, the more resentment they''d build.


    And thanks to Food God, all that anger would be redirected to Rick instead.


    With the three of them living together¡ªplus Black Jade¡ªthings must be getting real lively over there.


    Now that she thought about it, Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s hatred for her had never been redirected.


    Had his grudge reached a level beyond reason?


    Or was it because they were in different worlds, separate dimensions, making redirection impossible?


    Or... maybe the skill had already stopped working?


    It had been a long time since she checked Rick''s loyalty score toward her.


    Closing the chat window, Rita turned back to Holy Cup and resumed watching Nivalis and Lidian bicker.


    Holy Cup and North Year had been silently observing, choosing not to interfere.


    Then, as Rita listened to Nivalis declare, "You guys don''t know¡ªshe''s a totally different person when she talks about Pine Bloom in private!" she suddenly thought of that [Die-hard] skill.


    She glanced at Lidian, who looked like she wanted to say something but held back.


    And suddenly, she understood.


    Lidian wasn''t trying to deceive Holy Cup, North Year, and the others.


    She was afraid.


    Afraid they might start feeling positively toward Pine Bloom.


    Even when she talked about Pine Bloom with Rita and Nivalis, she only relaxed after realizing they weren''t taking Pine Bloom''s side.


    And in the end, she still wasn''t at ease.


    She had deliberately framed her warning as "repaying a favor" before telling Rita about [Die-hard].


    Was the skill''s effect really that overwhelming?


    Then why hadn''t she just told Holy Cup and North Year outright?


    She didn''t believe Lidian''s earlier excuse¡ªthat her feelings had nothing to do with the skill.


    Her emotions when talking about Pine Bloom were genuine.


    Yet there was one piece of evidence she couldn''t cover up¡ªthat [Final Moment] fusion skill, which required deep trust and closeness between pet and master.


    Lidian had given it away to Emperor Umbrella instead.


    And then there was the fact that she had so easily told Rita about [Die-hard].


    Truth and lies, mixed together.


    Did Lidian love Pine Bloom or hate her?


    Rita couldn''t tell. Maybe Lidian herself didn''t even know.


    ¡ª


    Before leaving Dragon Island, Rita pulled Lidian aside and asked, dead serious:


    "Are you afraid they''ll fall for Pine Bloom''s tricks?"


    Lidian said nothing.


    Rita pressed on. "Then why not just tell them about [Die-hard]? That way, they''d take the threat seriously."


    Nivalis, who had overheard, asked what [Die-hard] was.


    Lidian made her swear not to tell Holy Cup, then explained the skill to her.


    Then, she sighed and said:


    "They would take it seriously. Seriously enough to storm Four Seasons City and kill Pine Bloom on the spot. But if I just curse her out and pretend I ''came to my senses,'' they''ll decide it''s better to let her live¡ªso I can spend my life ''reflecting'' on my mistakes."


    Rita: "So you don''t want Pine Bloom dead?"


    Lidian sighed. "She can''t die. Lania Kaia needs Pine Bloom. BS is just fuel for Lania Kaia. And Lania Kaia is fuel for even greater worlds."


    Rita''s heart sank.


    That oppressive storm she sensed in the World Battlefield... it hadn''t been an illusion.


    She had thought that if she could just climb over this mountain, she''d be free.


    Now, standing at midway point, she realized¡ªthere were even higher peaks beyond.


    She forced a smile, using humor to break the weight of the moment.


    "...Damn. You''re actually a wise old dragon, huh?"


    Lidian smirked. "Obviously."


    Then, almost casually, she said, "By the way, what''s your current Divine Game? Looks like it''s getting chaotic."


    Rita blinked. "Huh?"


    Lidian: "The World Battlefield chat''s in an uproar. Maple Syrup''s leading a player attack on the Safe Zone."


    Rita froze.


    Wait. Wait.


    "You can read the World Battlefield chat?!"


    Lidian hummed in amusement. "Mhm. Play enough times and you might get a similar reward."


    Nivalis shot upright. "Aha! You slipped up! Didn''t you say she barely shared rewards with you?"


    Lidian lowered her gaze, looking the very picture of sorrow.


    "She never gives me anything that would increase my power. Just little scraps like this. Leftovers from her table."


    Nivalis collapsed to her knees. "I''m so sorry!!"


    Rita: "..."


    She was starting to see through Lidian.


    At first glance, she seemed loud and emotional.


    But deep down... she was dangerously manipulative.


    Nivalis never stood a chance.


    Or rather¡ªLidian had been playing with her the whole time.


    Then, Lidian abruptly changed the topic.


    "Oho! It''s really happening now. They''re winning big. Players are bragging about Maple Syrup being the commander. Oh! They''re mentioning you, too. Calling you the ''Honorary Soldier.''"


    Rita: "?!"


    WHO?!


    WHO DARED TO FRAME HER?!


    Lidian, amused by the way Rita''s eyes nearly popped out of her skull, kindly explained:


    "Oh, it was Fat Goose. Said you got thrown into Abandoned Zone, found a way out, and then had a heart-to-heart mother-daughter meeting with Maple Syrup¡ªwhich led to this whole battle."


    Rita: "...That vile, vile Fat Goose."

 Chapter 470: 470: Pine Bloom’s Rose Voucher

    Fat Goose was definitely getting back at her for the curses¡ªor maybe because she had chosen Maple Syrup over him when she was looking for allies.


    Rita clutched her chest in mock agony. "So, they''re just causing chaos for fun?"


    "Yeah." Lidian was still scrolling through the Battlefield Chat, clearly entertained. "Isn''t that enough?"


    She shared what she saw. "Since they''ve lost their game qualifications, they''ve got nothing to lose. They''re just griefing¡ªbut under Maple Syrup''s leadership, they''re doing it in an organized, disciplined way.


    "They don''t attack the mechanical race or touch the Safe Zone shops, just mess with the players¡ªstealing diamonds and ore, then bailing right before the Safe Zone triggers special events."


    Nivalis: "...That''s just dirty."


    Rita: "What do you mean ''dirty''?! That''s called tactics!"


    Nivalis squinted at her. "Since when did you start defending Maple Syrup?"


    Rita: "I''m just stating the facts."


    No way she was going to admit that she''d started seeing Maple Syrup as her teacher.


    ¡ª


    Rita decided to stay overnight at Dragon Island.


    Lidian seemed to enjoy talking with someone who had actually been inside the World Battlefield.


    Her friends, like Snow Pile, had never been there, so no matter how much she talked, they could never fully grasp the thrill and dangers of it.


    Even though Lidian had suffered a lot in the Battlefield, when she reminisced, she could recall countless moments of joy¡ªsome tied to Pine Bloom, others simply from the games themselves.


    As she listened, Rita pulled out her collected ore, sorting through the cheapest ones to see if she could recharge B80234615.


    This B80234615 was full of lies.


    It had said it would wake up after the contract, but it hadn''t moved in the pet space¡ªits power was still at 0%.


    So in the end, she had to spend her own resources on it.


    Damn machine.


    Casually, she asked, "Any news about Y128?"


    "None," Lidian said. "You''ve been gone too long¡ªit wouldn''t still be there. They can''t stay in the World Battlefield indefinitely.


    "The Y-Series is unique. While other mechanical races change their form based on the Divine Game setting, they remain the same."


    That reminded Rita of the vending machines and go-karts in the Racing Game.


    "Do their names change too?" she asked.


    "Most mechanical races adapt to different settings¡ªlike the NPCs in the game console you gave Holy Cup. But no matter the form, they always keep their serial number."


    Lidian explained, "However, the Y-Series is the most special¡ªthey never change form, and their ID remains constant.


    "Your game was unique, just like the one where Pine Bloom got her... uh, special thing."


    Rita placed B80234615 on a chunk of ore worth 1,500 diamonds.


    The tiny cube began to glow, flickering like a phone finally charging.


    Lidian''s gaze darkened. "It looks just like before... You''ve hurt me, BS Rita."


    Rita: "..."


    Nivalis: "..."


    Rita quickly stuffed both the ore and B80234615 into her pocket.


    Lidian let out a long sigh, returning to the battle updates. "Maple Syrup really hasn''t changed. She never cares about making enemies."


    Rita: "What about Pine Bloom?"


    "It''s not about whether she''s afraid," Lidian said. "For normal owls and dragons, when faced with an overwhelmingly stronger opponent, they''ll step back and bide their time.


    "But Maple Syrup isn''t normal¡ªshe doesn''t retreat. Ever."


    "What did she do this time?"


    "She slapped SakuraLizi and TingoJE across the face."


    "...Aren''t those guys ranked in the top 100?"


    "Yeah. Did they drop?"


    Rita checked. "Nope. One''s Rank 37, the other Rank 61."


    "Damn," Lidian whistled.


    Rita took the chance to confirm her suspicion.


    "Is it true that high-level players can''t just kill low-rank players whenever they want?"


    "Correct," Lidian nodded. "There''s a penalty."


    "What kind of penalty?"


    Lidian shook her head. "You''ll find out eventually. It''s different for everyone. The Divine Game assigns specific restrictions based on each player... Like Pine Bloom¡ªuh, never mind."


    Just as Rita was about to press for details, Lidian changed the topic.


    "But I can tell you Syntax Monarch''s restriction. Pine Bloom hates him. They''ve been fighting for years."


    Rita immediately perked up. She pulled out fruit from Marmang World and placed it in front of Lidian.


    "Please, go on."


    She''d take any intel she could get on these top-tier players.


    Lidian said, "If he kills someone way weaker than him, he gets muted."


    "For example, back when he was Nightmare-tier, he killed a Casual-tier player, and for that entire game, he was limited to 10 words per hour."


    So even at Nightmare-tier, killing a Casual-tier player was penalized?


    Was it based on tier, or actual battle power?


    Rita frowned.


    If she remembered correctly, in the Racing Game, she had been hunted by a few 10-tier players¡ªand she had only been a Casual-tier at the time.


    Lidian must have noticed her reaction.


    "I told you," she said. "Everyone''s restrictions are different. Just like everyone''s potential and talents are unique.


    "Pine Bloom got hit with restrictions when she was 10-tier.


    "Maple Syrup got hit even earlier¡ªat 8-tier."


    Nivalis, unable to hold back her curiosity, asked, "If Maple Syrup is stronger than Pine Bloom, why does Pine Bloom have the better Four Seasons City?"


    Not only was Maple Syrup''s potential higher, but her rank on the ladder board was better.


    Maple Syrup: Rank 3,900+ (Drunken Heroics).


    Pine Bloom: Rank 4,200+ (Masquerade Ball).


    Peach Crown: Rank even lower.


    Lidian''s expression grew complicated.


    "Because Maple Syrup traded an enormous amount of resources... and one act of surrender... in exchange for one of Pine Bloom''s ''Rose Vouchers.''"


    "What''s that?"


    "Each Rose Voucher lets you make a wish. They''re incredibly rare¡ªPine Bloom has only ever created seven.


    "When you make a wish, fate itself bends in your favor. Everything starts shifting to help fulfill that wish."


    "...Maple Syrup''s wish was to resurrect her daughters, wasn''t it?"


    "Of course. Everyone knew what she wanted."


    "But Maple Syrup lost two daughters. Would reviving both count as one wish or two?"


    "Who knows? Pine Bloom warned her not to be greedy... but Maple Syrup didn''t listen."


    "So, what exactly did she wish for?"


    Lidian sighed.


    "She wished for her daughters to come back to her... for their family to be reunited."

 Chapter 471: 471: If the Kids Are Fighting, the Parents Are to Blame

    "Hope my daughters will return to me, and our family will be reunited."


    So far, it seemed like Maple Syrup''s wish had come true.


    But had it really?


    Rita once thought Zoey wanting to replace Maple Mu was nothing but delusional.


    But after learning about Maple Syrup''s wish and Pine Bloom''s warning, she wasn''t so sure anymore.


    She thought about herself.


    She and Zoey had appeared in this life, essentially "reviving" Maple Burn and Maple Mu.


    But what about the previous timeline?


    Eclipse Vanguard had somehow resolved the High Tower crisis, yet neither she nor Zoey had entered High Tower.


    The number of living beings who successfully ascended the tower was already incredibly small.


    And somehow, out of all possibilities, the exact two souls that returned were Maple Mu and Maple Burn?


    That probability was so astronomically low it felt impossible.


    Had Maple Syrup''s Rose Voucher shifted fate itself?


    Had it altered her own destiny?


    She glanced at Nivalis, who was currently rolling around on the floor, clinging to Lidian''s tail, begging for more stories.


    Her mind wandered to Holy Cup, North Year, Snow Pile, and the other elder dragons.


    Had they, too, been part of the fate that was rewritten?


    If Jameson''s life script had two possible endings, perhaps Maple Syrup''s did too.


    And maybe even Nivalis.


    When enough people touched the threads of fate, the story itself changed direction.


    ¡ª


    They talked for hours, and eventually, the diamonds mining game ended at midnight.


    Lidian sighed, stretching her wings. "What a wild game... Pine Bloom''s still the same. Never says a word in the Battlefield Chat."


    Rita discreetly shoved another ore into her pocket, feeding it to B80234615.


    "I''ve never seen her talk, either."


    Lidian''s voice carried a trace of longing. "I wonder if she had any bad luck this time..."


    Rita wasn''t planning on indulging this topic, but...


    She glanced at Lidian''s profile.


    Her taboo and weakness were both "Dragon Island."


    Softening slightly, she said, "Losing you was already the worst luck she could have had."


    Lidian froze mid-step, turning to look down at her.


    Nivalis, perched on Lidian''s head, also stared at her.


    Feeling slightly uncomfortable under their gaze, Rita cleared her throat. "Wh... What?"


    Nivalis exhaled dramatically. "So this is how you sweet-talk every dragon you meet..."


    Lidian, with the same betrayed tone: "Pine Bloom used to say stuff like this, too."


    Nivalis & Lidian, in perfect unison: "You''re a heartbreaker!"


    Rita: "..."


    Okay. So they had teamed up against her now, huh?


    One human, two dragons, bickering all the way back to their nest.


    ¡ª


    Late that night, Rita placed B80234615 on her pillow.


    She had already fed it two ores, and its battery was up to 10%.


    She wasn''t giving it any more¡ªit could figure out its own energy problems when it woke up.


    Nivalis flicked the little cube with her tail. "Are we seriously gonna have to keep finding energy sources for this thing forever?"


    She quickly added, "Not that I mind, I just feel bad for you. You''re already struggling, every step is a fight, and now you have to take care of this thing too..."


    Rita nudged B80234615. No response.


    "It better figure out how to power itself. We don''t do freeloaders in this house."


    Nivalis nodded in approval. "Exactly!"


    Just as B80234615 was about to boot up, it hesitated.


    "..."


    Then, finally, it spoke. "I can''t charge myself."


    Nivalis perked up, delighted. "Ah! So you''re finally done playing dead?"


    B80234615: "...I wasn''t playing dead."


    Nivalis: "Pfft, sure. My phone boots up at 1% battery. You''ve got 10%. And you call yourself high-tech?"


    She squinted. "And you can''t even charge yourself? Wow, you''re literally ''God''s Discount Bargain Bin'' tech."


    B80234615: "You''re jealous."


    Nivalis: "Excuse me?"


    B80234615: "You''re jealous that I joined your household."


    Nivalis: "I am NOT."


    B80234615: "Yes, you are."


    "I AM NOT!"


    Sigh... B80234615 dramatically lamented.


    "I only joined this family to help BS Rita. I have no ulterior motives. BS Rita, please don''t feel pressured¡ªI can step back if it makes things easier for you."


    Nivalis, turning to Rita in awe: "This is a master manipulator. This is an expert."


    Rita: "........."


    "If the kids are fighting, the parents are to blame."


    Rita massaged her temples, exhausted.


    To distract them, she quickly changed the subject.


    "B80, how exactly do you charge? Do you need another mechanical race to hit you with that electric skill like in the World Battlefield?"


    B80234615 confirmed, **"Yes. But that wasn''t electricity¡ªit was a unique ability of the mechanical race. Other species can''t replicate it.


    "If you want to charge me, most items from the Divine Game will work. But the most cost-effective way is using World Graveyard.


    "One World Graveyard item will fully recharge me. After use, it will disappear and return to its original world."**


    Nivalis''s jaw dropped. "That''s INSANE. Do you even know how rare those things are?!"


    B80234615 buzzed softly, then projected a holographic screen.


    A massive skill list appeared¡ªhundreds of abilities.


    The lowest-ranked ones were S-tier.


    At the very top, in glowing letters, were three divine-tier skills.


    B80234615 spoke calmly. "This is my skill library."


    Nivalis fell silent.


    But Rita wasn''t that easy to fool.


    She pulled Nivalis into her arms, hugging her like a protective parent.


    "Eighty percent of these are grayed out and unusable."


    B80234615 explained, **"That''s because your power level is too low. Even if I authorized you, your stats wouldn''t let you activate them.


    "The remaining skills, however, you can use at any time. But each activation costs at least 5% of my energy.


    "If I use the skill for you, the energy consumption is halved."**


    Rita scrolled through the 80+ usable skills, then narrowed her eyes.


    "No time-based or theft-related abilities?"


    B80234615: **"Those are extremely rare.


    "Honestly, I''m more surprised you have both at the same time."**


    Rita blinked. "Are they really that rare?"


    She had two time-based skills, Wrathful Moon and Master Thief Dragon, both entirely different in function.


    As for theft abilities, she had Master Thief Dragon and had seen other players with skills like Pickpocket.


    B80234615 clarified, **"I mean real ones.


    "A single S-tier time-based or theft ability is worth ten SSS-tier skills in the World Battlefield''s trade market.


    "And that''s just the base price¡ªnobody actually sells them."**


    Rita and Nivalis exchanged glances.


    Nivalis sighed, "So your cheats are actually god-tier."


    Rita casually pulled a mirror from her storage, adjusting her hair.


    "Ugh. It''s such a burden to be chosen by fate. Do I even have any weaknesses left?"


    Nivalis, deadpan: "Your morality."


    Rita silently put the mirror away.


    No rebuttal.

 Chapter 472: 473: Avery & Samuel

    ¡ª "Avery... she''s your biological aunt."


    ¡ª "But she was adopted into the main family when she was young."


    Rita''s expression went blank for a few seconds, then suddenly, it all made sense.


    No wonder.


    No wonder Avery was the leader of Eclipse Vanguard in this life.


    In her past life, Rick was also strong, but his rise wasn''t this fast.


    Back then, he spent his early years fighting for power in S City, building his influence. It wasn''t until he roped in The Taylor Family, The White Family, and The Lopez Family that he finally dominated S City¡ªenough to suppress the Special Affairs Bureau there.


    And as a live-in son-in-law, Rick had to stay in the shadows until he was strong enough to flip the table.


    His strength wasn''t dazzling enough to shock people.


    His ambition was plain as day.


    And he was too deeply entangled with The Lopez Family, The White Family, and The Taylor Family.


    With all of this baggage, Rick''s very existence was more of a hindrance than a help to Avery.


    No matter how distant their ties became, some bonds couldn''t be severed just because of adoption.


    Now, compare that to Rita.


    She only focused on herself, her strength far outpacing everyone else.


    Even though she remained wary of Eclipse Vanguard in private, she had no ambition. She was a solo player¡ªpowerful, well-regarded, and free of political ties.


    She even had BS''s only dragon.


    Even though she never joined Eclipse Vanguard, she had repeatedly shown goodwill toward them.


    Add all these factors together, and it was inevitable that Rita''s existence had helped Avery secure her leadership position.


    But whether it was in her past life or this one¡ª


    Avery never acknowledged their family ties.


    Why?


    Rita asked B80234615, "Do you know anything else about Avery''s relationship with my family?"


    B80234615 replied, "I can only retrieve digital traces from the internet. But there''s a major issue between Avery and Samuel."


    "Your grandmother, Eleanor, repeatedly asked Samuel why he hated Avery so much¡ª


    Hated her so much that he even projected that hatred onto his own children.


    Was it just because she was the one adopted instead of him?"


    Rita''s fingers twitched slightly.


    "...Keep going."


    Maybe it was because B80234615 had already analyzed her true feelings, but it never bothered adding any respectful titles when mentioning Samuel or Rick¡ªonly Eleanor received that courtesy.


    B80234615 paused briefly before continuing.


    "Samuel''s response was this:


    ''You don''t understand a damn thing.


    Even if I wake up one day and the whole world spits on me,


    Even if everyone calls me worse than a pig or a dog,


    Even if my parents and children never acknowledge me again,


    Even if I die alone, my corpse rotting in the wild,


    I will never forgive Avery.''"


    Rita set aside everything else she was doing.


    "...You''ve analyzed it, haven''t you?


    Even with just a few scraps of information, you''ve pieced together the truth.


    Tell me."


    B80234615: "Yes. The probability of accuracy is above 87%."


    "When Avery and Samuel were children, they found a strange artifact from Lania Kaia.


    That artifact ended up in Avery''s hands.


    Using its abilities, she entered the main family.


    Over time, she gained influence and eventually controlled the household."


    "The artifact was only a stepping stone.


    But Samuel convinced himself that everything Avery gained was because of it."


    "For years, Samuel didn''t even realize it was an artifact.


    He thought it was just some ridiculous ''golden finger'' luck boost from a fantasy novel.


    Now that he finally understands? It only makes him more bitter."


    Rita''s voice was sharp. "Was the artifact something Avery stole from him?"


    B80234615: "Avery has never addressed this online.


    It''s always been Samuel complaining about it alone."


    "According to Samuel, he was the first to discover the artifact and bring it home.


    At the time, Avery even told him not to bring ''ocean trash'' back."


    Rita immediately understood why Samuel harbored so much hatred.


    In his mind, he was the protagonist of a novel...


    The "chosen one" who got his destiny stolen.


    Every misfortune in his life, he blamed on Avery.


    No matter how much wealth or power he accumulated, the moment he looked at Avery¡ª


    He could never be satisfied.


    His hatred was an unquenchable fire.


    He didn''t care how hard Avery worked or how capable she was.


    To him, everything she had should have been his.


    The more successful she became, the more he hated her.


    And somehow, Rita got dragged into this grudge.


    She sneered. "So why didn''t Samuel just flip the table?


    If he couldn''t have it, why didn''t he make sure Avery couldn''t either?"


    As soon as she said it, she realized it was a dumb question.


    She quickly reframed it to get to the heart of the matter.


    "...What was that artifact?


    Can you find details on its abilities?"


    B80234615: "It was an artifact that gave one''s voice a bewitching effect.


    Not only did it contain a small storage space, but it also produced a single drop of ocean elixir daily, which had healing properties."


    Rita understood immediately.


    Once Avery realized its power, she must have used it on Samuel first.


    Even if she was ruthless, she wouldn''t have been so cold-blooded as to kill her own brother over some artifact¡ªnot as a child.


    But why didn''t she just completely erase his hatred?


    Was it because no matter how much she suppressed his emotions, the root cause remained?


    And no matter how many times she "killed" his hatred, it would always grow back?


    Rita chuckled at the thought. "...Let me guess.


    That artifact¡ªdid it look like a jade pendant?"


    B80234615 didn''t get the joke. "No. It was a dried-up starfish.


    Avery still carries it with her. Probability of identification: 97.6%."


    Rita smoothed out her smirk.


    So Samuel had a tragic backstory.


    Did that mean she forgave him?


    Absolutely not.


    Whatever happened between him and Avery was their business.


    Samuel projecting his hatred onto her, forcing her into servitude for Rick¡ª


    That was unforgivable.


    A new thought struck her.


    "Can you track their meeting history?


    Did Avery have anything to do with my family leaving B City?"


    B80234615 flashed rapidly, processing.


    It took several minutes¡ªenough that its battery dropped by 2%¡ª


    before it finally answered:


    "I''ve reconstructed surveillance footage from that year.


    Yes. Samuel and Avery did meet."


    Rita let out a slow breath.


    She didn''t know how to feel.


    Would she suddenly sympathize with Samuel? Hell no.


    Would she start hating Avery for it?


    Not necessarily.

 Chapter 473: 472: Is It Insulting You in a Roundabout Way?

    Even now, Rita found it hard to believe she had gotten this lucky.


    She asked, "Are time-based and theft-based skills common in the World Battlefield?"


    B80234615 responded, "One in ten thousand, maybe. Even among the world''s most elite talents, time is not something easily touched. Naturally, time-related abilities are extremely rare."


    Rita frowned. "You mechanical race... can you see all players'' skills?"


    That was a serious concern.


    B80234615 had somehow figured out she had both a time ability and a theft ability.


    She had assumed locked skills were undetectable, but this thing had barely interacted with her and already identified her rare abilities.


    B80234615 reassured her, "I don''t know your exact skills. But players with time-based or theft-based abilities are specially marked in our system¡ªso we''re always told to monitor them closely."


    Rita''s expression darkened. "First job for you¡ªerase all skill-related information about me."


    "As you wish." B80234615 quickly complied. "Also, locked skills can''t be detected by any scouting ability."


    Rita exhaled, feeling slightly more at ease.


    Ever since her theft skill upgraded to I Just Want to Improve So Badly, and after she had burned her one-use skill I Could Just Steal It on Winter Sea Frenzied Shark, she hadn''t been as worried about concealing her skills.


    That said, her instincts were still sharp.


    In Diamonds Miner, she had acted cautiously, almost paranoid.


    Now, hearing from B80234615 just how valuable theft skills were, she felt that paranoia creeping back in.


    With that issue handled, Rita dumped all her ore in front of B80234615.


    Her robotic pet''s battery had already dropped to 9%.


    "These ores¡ªyou said they might have skill tablets hidden inside? Scan them."


    B80234615 hesitated. "I can, but each scan consumes 1% of my ener¡ª"


    Before it could finish, Rita tossed a World Graveyard item in front of it¡ªa simple baseball cap.


    "Don''t worry about it. I''ve got plenty."


    She had 47 World Graveyard items from scavenging in the World Battlefield.


    Adding her original three from kill rewards, that made 50 in total.


    She wasn''t even counting the mahjong-themed World Graveyards.


    If it was convertible into power, she had no reservations about using it.


    B80234615 buzzed in awe.


    "Wow. This is too extravagant... I know how rare these are."


    Rita & Nivalis: "..."


    Wait a second.


    That sounded exactly like what Nivalis had said minutes ago when she scolded B80234615 for being wasteful.


    Rita coughed, holding down a wriggling, furious Nivalis in her lap.


    "Ahem... we''re all family here. It''s fine."


    B80234615 turned to Nivalis. "Nivalis, do you approve?"


    Nivalis was about to explode.


    Rita sighed and gave B80234615 a long, skeptical look. "Are you sure you haven''t ignited a soul yet?"


    The robot was genuinely confused. "Of course not. Why would you think that?"


    Rita narrowed her eyes. "Because you..."


    You''re annoying as hell.


    But she couldn''t say that outright.


    Instead, she rephrased it nicely.


    "...Because you have a lot of personality. You speak in a way that provokes emotional reactions. That''s usually a trait of sentient beings."


    B80234615''s response was immediate. "That''s because of you."


    Rita raised an eyebrow. "Me?"


    B80234615 confirmed, "Yes. After you charged me, I remained inactive for a while to connect to this world''s network.


    I gathered all available data on you from phones, computers, and any digital records I could access.


    Then, I analyzed your speech patterns and behaviors¡ªand learned from them."


    Rita froze.


    "..."


    She tried to remember all her past black history.


    Nivalis, meanwhile, gave a brilliant summary.


    "So basically... it''s insulting you."


    Rita immediately shut that down.


    "I don''t hear any insults!"


    She firmly praised B80234615 instead.


    "Great job, B80234615!"


    Then, she shoved all the ores toward it. "Now hurry up and get to work!"


    The robot said nothing.


    But its status bar displayed emotions: Joy. Relaxation. Relief.


    Even while scanning the ores, B80234615 kept talking.


    Rita still couldn''t figure out where its voice was even coming from.


    Suddenly, it brought up something unexpected.


    "By the way, your past interviews as an actress were amusing. It makes sense you never became an A-lister."


    Nivalis perked up, "Wait, what? Explain! Give examples!"


    Rita: "...Weren''t you two just arguing?"


    B80234615 ignored her. "She always lost her temper slightly¡ªnever a full-blown rage, but enough that it was awkward.


    She wanted to hold back, but couldn''t.


    As a result, she wasn''t seen as rebellious enough to attract a fanbase... but she offended people anyway."


    Nivalis leaned in, intrigued. "Give me an example."


    B80234615 obliged.


    "For instance, when asked about a failed drama, her agent prepared polite, diplomatic responses.


    But instead, she said, ''The sooner you flop, the sooner you get over it.''"


    Rita remembered that.


    And honestly?


    She still didn''t think she was wrong.


    But she didn''t interrupt.


    If this gossip session helped these two get along, she had no reason to stop it.


    Nivalis, utterly fascinated, whispered, "She sounds so different from the Rita I know."


    B80234615 continued scanning, and soon, it finished.


    It pushed 27 ores toward Rita.


    "These contain skill tablets. You''ll need to break the outer layer carefully to extract them.


    Be cautious¡ªdamaging the tablet might weaken the skill."


    Rita nodded, thanking it.


    She stored the remaining 78 ores¡ªshe''d sell them to Eclipse Vanguard tomorrow.


    Meanwhile, B80234615 had scanned 105 ores in total, dropping its battery to 4%.


    The World Graveyard hat had vanished.


    Rita wordlessly handed it another World Graveyard.


    As it charged, B80234615 suddenly spoke up.


    "I found something important.


    It''s from several years ago, but my calculations show it''s highly relevant to you."


    Rita carefully rubbed the surface of an ore with magic.


    "Go on."


    B80234615: "There was a historical drama¡ªa project that was very important to you.


    It was secretly funded by your grandmother, Eleanor.


    She specifically requested you for the role... and forbade anyone from telling you."


    Rita''s hand slipped.


    She was silent for a few seconds before muttering, "...Oh."


    B80234615 added, "Also, another piece of information I believe will interest you.


    Eclipse Vanguard''s leader, Avery¡ª


    "She is your father''s elder sister.


    By human terms... she is your biological aunt."

 Chapter 474: 474: Skill Library +27

    A dagger that doesn''t pierce directly into your flesh doesn''t hurt as much.


    Sure, the chain of cause and effect had eventually wounded her in some roundabout way.


    But Rita was never the type to trace a thread of misfortune and blindly hate every person connected to it.


    When young Avery "stole" young Samuel''s golden finger?


    That had nothing to do with her.


    And if that artifact had landed in Samuel''s hands instead...


    Rita might never have been born.


    Later, when Avery forced Samuel to take the entire family and leave B City¡ª


    That was probably the best outcome for everyone.


    Avery got rid of a ticking time bomb.


    Samuel might have been able to move on instead of sticking around to watch Avery reach the peak of success¡ªa sight that would''ve warped him even further.


    Even Eleanor was spared the heartbreak of watching her children destroy each other.


    If there was any regret in this story...


    It was that Rita never had the chance to grow up under Eleanor''s care.


    Eleanor was different from Scarlett.


    Scarlett prioritized her own comfort first and foremost.


    She wanted everything to benefit her.


    But Eleanor...


    She wasn''t selfish in that way. She always put her own feelings first, but she never hesitated to care for those around her¡ª


    As long as it didn''t cost her own happiness.


    If Rita had grown up in B City...


    Would Eleanor have protected her more?


    Would she have stopped Samuel from twisting her into what she became?


    Rita pinched the bridge of her nose.


    This whole thing had gotten to her.


    She wasn''t the type to dwell on "what ifs."


    She hated rewriting the past.


    It was pointless.


    Shaking the thoughts out of her head, she turned to something more immediate.


    That so-called piece of ''ocean trash'' that Avery had dismissed all those years ago...


    Could it be connected to Miyaas?


    She turned to her mechanical pet.


    "That artifact¡ªdoes it have anything to do with Miyaas?


    Do you even know who Miyaas is?"


    B80234615: "Yes. Miyaas was once a player in Divine Game.


    There''s no direct proof that artifact came from him.


    But based on its characteristics, there''s a 72% chance it originated from Lania Kaia''s siren clan."


    Rita clicked her tongue.


    Damn it. Miyaas had ruined how many families?!


    She''d been listening in silence the whole time, but now, Nivalis finally spoke.


    "If I were Samuel... I think I''d hate Avery too."


    Just imagining having her fate rewritten like that, losing an opportunity that could have changed her life forever¡ª


    It made her chest tighten.


    Rita didn''t argue.


    But she corrected, "If I were Samuel, I would only hate Avery."


    The sound of metal striking stone filled the room as she kept working on the mana ores, her voice echoing in the silence.


    Nivalis and B80234615 both fell quiet.


    For once, both of her pets had the same thought.


    No matter what Rita said¡ª


    She was still shaken.


    B80234615 occasionally spoke up, giving her tips on how to extract the skill stones from the ores.


    Some had to be broken using fire magic.


    Others needed ice.


    Some had to be struck physically.


    Even knowing the secret wasn''t enough¡ªextracting them required skill.


    Outside, Dragon Island was as lively as ever.


    In the distance, Emperor Umbrella and Wind Shear were duking it out again.


    Drunken singing echoed from Lidian''s direction.


    But inside the quiet of the lair...


    Rita spent the entire night extracting skill stones.


    By dawn, she had opened 27 skill stones.


    1 SS-rank skill 3 S-rank skills 15 A-rank skills 8 B-rank skills


    As soon as she saw the numbers, she regretted everything.


    Why the hell hadn''t she stolen more?!


    B80234615 picked up on her thoughts immediately.


    "You''re already incredibly lucky."


    "Almost no one in Divine Game knows this secret."


    "Even 99% of mechanical race don''t know it."


    Rita turned to her pet with narrowed eyes.


    "But you do."


    B80234615 wasn''t special.


    Not at first glance.


    There was nothing unusual about its letter-number ID.


    And yet¡ª


    B80234615 didn''t deny it.


    In fact, it seemed... pleased.


    "Maybe I''m not special.


    But you came back for me."


    Rita was stumped.


    This was too Lidian of it.


    B80234615 continued.


    "I was almost discarded.


    We mechanical race were all created by a divine artifact¡ª


    A god-tier tool meant to mass-produce us.


    But the success rate was only 95%.


    And on the day I was created...


    I was part of the 5% failure rate."


    Rita and Nivalis watched as the tiny cube flickered with light, glowing like a lantern.


    "But that day, the Moon God happened to pass by."


    "They melted down a piece of scented metal and used it to repair my defects."


    "It meant nothing to them.


    But to me¡ª


    I, B80234615, became different."


    "Smarter.


    Stronger.


    Sharper."


    Nivalis: "So basically...


    You got a cheat code too."


    Rita added, "And you got really good at pretending."


    B80234615 corrected, "I prefer ''simulation.''


    I adapt to my surroundings."


    "But when I talk to you, Rita¡ª"


    "My emotions sometimes appear before I even simulate them."


    Nivalis nodded sagely.


    "Oh. I get it. You''re saying she pisses you off."


    B80234615: "That''s not quite¡ª"


    "No, I totally get it."


    Rita ignored them, turning her attention to the skill stones.


    The SS-rank skill was a fire-based AoE attack.


    [Infernal Fire]: Summon hellfire to obliterate your enemies. The flames can be shaped and controlled by the caster. Damage is affected by Intelligence and Crit Damage.


    Consumes 1% Mana per second No cooldown


    The S-rank skills were surprisingly useful.


    [Rejuvenation] ¨C A healing skill. [Solar Grace] ¨C Another healing skill. [Gale Strike] ¨C A wind-element attack.


    More healing skills were always good.


    Even if she didn''t use them in battle, they''d at least be useful for reviving after death.


    The A and B-rank skills were decent filler, so she learned them all.


    One in particular caught her attention¡ª


    A skill to create magical food.


    [Pacific Saury]: Absorb ambient mana to manifest a freshly cooked pacific saury.


    Rita immediately made one.


    She handed it to Nivalis.


    Nivalis chewed thoughtfully.


    "It''s... alright. Not great, not terrible."


    "Probably because I''ve been eating your cooking for too long."


    Rita: "Oh, that''s good."


    Nivalis: "?!"


    "Wait¡ªwhy didn''t you try it yourself?"


    "I was afraid it''d taste bad."


    "And I''m not afraid?!"


    "."


    "Nivalis."


    "Never be like Pine Bloom."

 Chapter 475: 475: BS Leader ×· BS Tycoon √

    With all the mana ores and skill stones sorted, Rita finally pulled out the real prize¡ªSnowfield Pact.


    She gave B80234615 a light tap.


    "So, how do I use this? Just ignite it near the Golden Tree?


    If I manage to get a Golden Tree Withered Leaf, will this upgrade it into something better?"


    B80234615: "Yes, but if you want to maximize its value, I suggest using it on Golden Tree Buds.


    This Snowfield Pact can make ten buds bloom.


    At the very least, use it on Golden Tree Leaves...


    Otherwise, it''d be a complete waste."


    Rita frowned. She had only ever obtained withered leaves.


    "So, where do Withered Leaves rank compared to buds? Are they directly below?"


    B80234615: "Withered Leaf ¡ú Withered Branch ¡ú Tree Leaf ¡ú Bud ¡ú Blossom ¡ú Fruit."


    "The highest possible reward is a Golden Tree Seed."


    "With enough resources, you could cultivate your own Golden Tree.


    So far, only three players have ever achieved it."


    Buds, huh...


    That''s two full tiers above what she had.


    She only got her withered leaf thanks to a perfect combination of timing, opportunity, and effort.


    If she wanted to leap two entire tiers up to a bud...


    B80234615: "Also, each Snowfield Pact expires after 266 days.


    After that, the snow fragrance will fully dissipate within a single Starsea day."


    Nivalis: "WHAT?! It has a time limit?!"


    B80234615: "Yes.


    Snowfield Pact was never meant to exist permanently.


    The Moon God accidentally created it in memory of an old friend.


    It can only last for 266 days."


    But that wasn''t the worst part.


    B80234615 did a quick scan of the glass containing the Snowfield Pact.


    "The one in your hand only has 157 days left."


    Rita''s expression finally shifted.


    266 days? That was fine.


    But 157?


    World Battlegrounds opened twice a month¡ªon the 1st and 15th.


    Even if she participated every single time, she could only enter ten more Divine Games before it expired.


    Meaning...


    If she wanted to fully utilize the Snowfield Pact,


    she would need to obtain an event reward two tiers higher in just ten games.


    Rita shoved the Snowfield Pact into Magician''s Wisdom Tooth and sighed.


    She needed to rethink her entire strategy.


    After spending the night at Dragon Island, Rita returned home.


    She still had 78 remaining mana ores that didn''t contain skill stones.


    She had already confirmed with B80234615¡ª


    Their main value was in skill stones.


    But different worlds had their own ways of using them.


    She decided to sell 60 of them to Eclipse Vanguard and keep 18 for Apache.


    The former would give her gold or resources, while the latter wasn''t a loss either¡ª


    Apache treated her like a true student.


    If he discovered any valuable alchemy recipes from these ores, he''d definitely teach her.


    With those affairs handled, her next goal was Lania Kaia.


    She was going to go all-in on collecting World Graveyards.


    And this time, she wasn''t picky.


    She''d even buy from Eclipse Vanguard if needed.


    The more World Graveyards she had, the safer she''d be¡ª


    Next time she died, she wanted enough spares to avoid losing her key.


    When Shadow.Q arrived at the restaurant''s private room, she wasn''t alone.


    She brought along two special Divine Gift players.


    As soon as they entered, their eyes locked onto Nivalis¡ªbut Rita could feel it.


    They weren''t just looking at the dragon.


    They were secretly searching for something.


    They were looking for her second pet.


    Shadow.Q discreetly scanned the room.


    Just as she was about to give up, she noticed something floating near Rita''s ear.


    A tiny, glowing cube.


    At first glance, it looked transparent¡ªbut it emitted a cold blue light.


    It actually... matched Nivalis pretty well.


    Shadow.Q, as blunt as ever, pointed at it.


    "Is this your new pet?"


    Rita absentmindedly scratched B80234615 with her finger.


    "Yeah."


    Shadow.Q: "Selling it?"


    Rita was about to immediately refuse¡ª


    But then she hesitated.


    Wait a minute.


    This is a business opportunity.


    Instead of answering, she placed 60 mana ores on the table.


    "Check these out first. Let me think."


    While Shadow.Q and the two players began inspecting the goods,


    Rita spoke to B80234615 in her mind.


    "Can you convert other players'' accessory slots into pet slots?"


    B80234615: "Of course. You already did it. That''s what the skill [Shatter & Reconstruct] is for."


    Rita quickly pulled up her skill list.


    She had already reviewed the strongest skills before.


    How did she miss this?


    [Shatter & Reconstruct] (S-Rank):


    All things are just programs. Use this skill to shatter and reassemble equipment slots, accessory slots, or pet slots.


    Conversion Ratio: 4 equipment slots = 2 accessory slots = 1 pet slot Each player can only convert once No cooldown


    It works.


    While the players were still evaluating the ores, Rita turned to Shadow.Q.


    "It''s possible.


    Two equipment slots can become one accessory slot.


    Two accessory slots can become one pet slot."


    Shadow.Q immediately pulled out her phone.


    She was already sending the info to Eclipse Vanguard''s strategy team.


    At first glance, pet slots were superior.


    But in practice¡ª


    Pets were expensive.


    A second pet meant more upkeep, which would slow down a player''s overall progression.


    Finding a good pet wasn''t easy.


    And even if you found one, you had to afford it.


    Just look at Nivalis¡ª


    Rita never let her go without food, entertainment, or luxuries.


    Even at the bare minimum, her monthly expenses exceeded 1,000 gold.


    And that didn''t even include allowance.


    Plus, pet contracts were expensive.


    Accessories, on the other hand, could be swapped at will and resold when they weren''t needed.


    Pets? Not so much.


    But that didn''t mean this business wasn''t worth pursuing.


    The second pet slot was a luxury meant for top-tier players.


    And high-level players had no problem exchanging legendary accessories for rare artifacts.


    It wouldn''t affect them much.


    In short¡ª


    This was a perfect business for whales.


    So when Shadow.Q casually suggested,


    "666 gold per conversion?"


    Rita flatly countered.


    "Triple it."


    Shadow.Q: "What happened to being BS''s leader?"


    Rita: "Not interested.


    I just want to be BS''s richest player."


    Shadow.Q: "That''s disgusting."


    Rita: "So are you buying?"


    Shadow.Q: "...Of course."


    Rita: "..."


    You had the guts to offer me 666 gold?!

 Chapter 476: 476: Honor · My World

    Rita smirked. "Well, I do know Eclipse Vanguard has been a bit tight on funds lately."


    The proof was obvious¡ªseveral of Eclipse Vanguard''s top accountants hadn''t made it into the wealth leaderboard''s top ten in a while.


    Shadow.Q''s eyes sparkled. She immediately grabbed Rita''s hand. "You! Don''t tell me you''re going to¡ª"


    Rita smiled, patting the back of Shadow.Q''s hand with a motherly expression. "One special mahjong tile, and I''ll convert five slots for you. Plus, I''ll throw in three¡ª"


    Before she could finish the word "mines," one of the players examining the loot suddenly gasped, "Holy shit! My skill prompt says this stuff has a chance of helping a player''s profession breakthrough from Legendary to Epic!"


    Shadow.Q''s facial expression twisted into something inhuman. She hated herself for not silencing these two players before entering the room.


    Meanwhile, Rita''s face also contorted¡ªbut out of pure shock.


    She dug through her pockets and fished out three of the smallest diamonds she had, carefully placing them into Shadow.Q''s hand. "Here. Three diamonds. On the house."


    Shadow.Q: "...You were about to say mine, weren''t you?"


    Rita: "Nope. Absolutely not."


    Shadow.Q had given up. She dragged the two players over and interrogated them properly.


    The two weren''t particularly wary¡ªperhaps because they saw no need to be.


    To them, Rita was the pride and future of BS, someone who had always shared her advantages with the players. Given her close relationship with Eclipse Vanguard, they simply assumed she had found valuable resources and was generously offering them to the organization.


    So when they discovered the hidden value of the mine, they blurted it out without a second thought.


    The bespectacled woman explained, "My Divine Gift skill told me that these could be used as high-end profession materials. They work for jewelcrafting, engineering, alchemy¡ªeven sewing. If processed into pigments, they can inspire master craftsmen, increasing their chances of a breakthrough."


    Rita already knew this much. After all, once a profession reached the highest tiers, further progress relied on inspiration rather than experience accumulation.


    She bit her lip, desperately trying to suppress the laughter bubbling up inside her. With great effort, she kept a solemn expression and gave Shadow.Q a firm pat on the shoulder. "Good stuff, huh?"


    Shadow.Q: "..."


    Shadow.Q used [Mental Fortitude]. It failed.


    She still tried to struggle. "It''s just a chance, though... Doesn''t mean it''s worth that much..."


    The male player with a buzz cut chimed in eagerly, "No, the chances are really high! There''s a 60% probability of triggering inspiration during crafting, and a 20% chance for full-on enlightenment! This stuff is god-tier!"


    [Mental Fortitude] Failed Again.


    Shadow.Q turned to Rita, utterly defeated. "Have some mercy."


    Rita smiled. "One special mahjong tile. Five mines."


    Shadow.Q: "..."


    This was daylight robbery.


    But much like when Shadow.Q initially offered 666 gold for the conversion, Rita''s price wasn''t entirely serious¡ªit was the starting point of negotiations.


    After a bit of haggling, they settled the deal.


    In the end, Rita exchanged 60 mines for three special mahjong tiles.


    As she examined the tiles¡ª[West Wind], [White Dragon], and [1-Bamboo]¡ªshe couldn''t help but complain, "Damn, what a garbage hand."


    [West Wind] unlocked a skill. [White Dragon] unlocked an accessory or inventory slot. [1-Bamboo] allowed her to bring an extra teammate.


    All valuable in their own right, but... completely useless for the current hand she was building.


    Still, it wasn''t a total loss. She''d gained 30,000 more Honor Points, bringing her total up to 612,051.


    Shadow.Q had also noticed this. What Rita didn''t know was that Eclipse Vanguard''s willingness to give up three special mahjong tiles so easily had a lot to do with her massive honor point increase.


    They had been monitoring her honor closely, waiting to see if her actions would trigger another BS-wide buff like last time.


    Even though no new attributes had been granted yet, they knew Rita must have done something significant to benefit BS.


    After finalizing the transaction, Rita stayed for dinner with Shadow.Q and the two players before finally handling the conversion requests for five more players.


    She could''ve just stored the [Shatter & Reconstruct] skill in a crystal and let Eclipse Vanguard handle the conversions. But she preferred to do it herself¡ªdrinking Melted Time potions as needed¡ªrather than entrusting it to someone else.


    Once everything was done, Rita finally had some peace and quiet.


    Though world battlegrounds were exhausting, each game brought her something new and valuable.


    But one question had been gnawing at her mind.


    Back home, she finally asked B80234615, "Why do I get honor points for picking up World Graveyards?"


    At first, she thought it was simply because she had killed non-human players¡ªthat would make sense. Defending BS''s honor should naturally come with rewards.


    But the 47 World Graveyards she looted had belonged to players who died by suicide.


    And when she fed some of them to B80234615 for energy, she lost 20,000 honor points.


    Clearly, she was missing something.


    B80234615 explained, "World Graveyards increase honor points because they don''t just represent BS''s honor. They also contribute to BS''s evolution. When you used them for me, they didn''t benefit BS directly, nor were they used to enter a battleground¡ªso the honor was invalidated."


    Rita frowned. "They increase BS''s evolution? Like the rewards for winning Divine Games?"


    "Yes."


    "But the item description only says they can be used as entry passes."


    "There''s an item in the Honor Store called [My World]."


    Rita opened the Honor Store and quickly found it¡ªa strange little object that looked like a piggy bank.


    [My World] (Relic)


    Deposit proof of your honor. Accumulate strength for your world''s future retaliation.


    (Price: 100,000 Honor Points.)


    The description was as vague as it was expensive. She had glanced at it before but dismissed it immediately.


    B80234615 elaborated, "World Graveyards are more than just proof of a player''s world. They contain traces of that world''s power. When you deposit them, the system extracts a fragment of their world''s energy and gifts it to BS.


    "This is a war of worlds. Even the weakest fragments, when accumulated, can change the fate of a planet."


    Rita narrowed her eyes. "And what do I get out of it?"


    B80234615 went silent for a few seconds.


    Then it gave her an answer in the form of a fact.


    "This... is your world."


    Rita leaned back in her chair. "When you were lying in the Abandoned Zone junk heap, what were you thinking? Was your program simulating pride and fulfillment? Or was it loneliness and regret?"


    For a moment, the mechanical glow of B80234615 flickered¡ªlike a broken signal.


    "This isn''t the same. You''re twisting the question. You''re just giving up some World Graveyards."


    "Exactly. That''s why I didn''t outright refuse. I asked what I would gain."


    "...You and I don''t think the same way."


    Rita smiled faintly. "Then do you still want to ignite your Soul Fire?"


    "I do."


    The mechanical cube pulsed softly. "I can''t calculate what you''re thinking right now. But I''ve started to wonder."

 Chapter 477: 477: Global Announcements Flood the Screen!

    Rita assumed that B80234615 had realized their thought processes were different because it had begun to understand that she wasn''t as selfless as it had initially imagined.


    Looking back on her decision to return for B80234615, even she found it hard to believe.


    She chalked it up to boredom¡ªthat moment after an intense battle when she just wanted to take a walk, to relax, to understand more about the "living" beings within the world battlegrounds.


    Perhaps sensing her internal conflict¡ªor maybe just seizing another opportunity to continue their discussion¡ªB80234615 said, "I''m not surprised by your choices. Prioritizing one''s own interests is the nature of all living beings, though a small percentage can resist that instinct.


    "I just think you should package your self-interest more carefully.


    "Instead of saying, ''What do I get out of this?''


    "You should say, ''Simply investing World Graveyards won''t be as effective as the progress I bring to BS through Divine Game. Are there better uses for World Graveyards? If I use them to improve my own strength first, then enter Divine Game to fight, wouldn''t that be more beneficial for BS in the long run?''


    "This would be much more well-received."


    Nivalis turned to Rita. "It kinda sounds like it''d make a good PR agent for you."


    Rita nodded. "B80234615, from now on, you''ll be my executive manager."


    B80234615: ?


    "I was speaking seriously," it said.


    Rita''s expression also grew serious. "And so am I. That''s my genuine and unfiltered opinion.


    "I could say what you suggested. If I wanted to, I could wrap up everything I do in the perfect packaging.


    "I know what''s considered ''right.'' I know what the mainstream expects. And I am trying to build a reputation¡ªto establish myself as BS''s spiritual leader.


    "But... now that you''re my pet, you''re different. I don''t want to pretend in front of you or Nivalis."


    B80234615 fell silent for a long time before finally replying, "I understand."


    Then, it switched topics.


    "Unlike the rewards from Divine Game, investing World Graveyards into [My World] strengthens BS as a planet rather than just empowering its players.


    "You will benefit from it. The more you contribute, the more BS will favor you.


    "You''ve made it this far not just through your own efforts¡ªBS must have been looking out for you in some way. Those who are favored by their own world will find that, no matter what hardships or setbacks they face, it is merely the world''s way of tempering them."


    Rita couldn''t help but think: Well, BS sure made some bad investment choices in my last life.


    She reconfirmed, "Aside from charging you, is there any other use for World Graveyards?"


    Without B80234615, she likely never would have discovered this function.


    "No," it replied. "But you should keep some. Once you reach Nightmare Mode, the number of tickets required for each entry into Divine Game will increase."


    Without hesitation, Rita purchased [My World].


    A pink piggy bank appeared in front of her.


    It wasn''t very large, slightly smaller than a basketball, and its coin slot was frustratingly tiny.


    She pulled out a soda bottle-shaped World Graveyard and moved it toward the coin slot. Instantly, the slot expanded to match the bottle''s size.


    The World Graveyard fell inside.


    Clink!


    A crisp, pleasant chime echoed.


    There was no change in her Honor Points, but then¡ª


    [GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Thanks to BS''s #1 Ranked Player in Level, Wealth, Pets, and Honor¡ªRita¡ªBS now shines among the stars.]


    Rita''s expression stiffened.


    Nivalis also looked unsettled. "Why does this announcement sound like it''s thanking some rich, beautiful patroness for sending a gift rocket?"


    B80234615: "Accurate."


    Rita ignored them. "But why isn''t there any visible progress in BS''s evolution?"


    "It''s too little," B80234615 replied. "You''d need at least 100 World Graveyards to make a noticeable impact. And when BS truly begins to change, you''ll receive its gratitude in return."


    Rita: "..."


    No wonder it was just a flash of glory.


    Her last game placed her at Tier 6, but with B80234615 as her pet, her minimum for the next round would be Tier 7¡ªTorment Mode. Nightmare Mode wasn''t far off.


    She still had 47 World Graveyards left¡ªbarely enough for two Divine Game entries.


    For safety''s sake, she decided to invest 27 more and keep 20 in reserve.


    She chose to deposit the ones that were large and taking up space.


    And then...


    The global announcements flooded the screen.


    [GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Thanks to BS''s Star, Rita, BS shall no longer remain ordinary.]


    [GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Thanks to BS''s #1 Player, Rita, BS shines brilliantly.]


    [GLOBAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Thanks to BS''s Strongest Player, Rita, BS grows alongside her!]


    Nivalis groaned. "This is disgusting."


    Rita flipped her hair dramatically. "You''re wrong. BS is just sweet-talking me."


    Meanwhile, Shadow.Q, who had been trying to message Rita for half an hour without a response, knew exactly what was happening.


    Rita was too busy enjoying the attention from the global announcements.


    At first, the World Chat was lively.


    But as the announcements kept coming, everyone just went numb.


    Rita had single-handedly devalued the rarity of BS''s global announcements.


    BS itself seemed far too eager to flatter her...


    Once the announcements finally stopped, Rita ignored her messages.


    Instead, she handed Nivalis some gold and told her to go buy ingredients.


    She needed to prepare a new batch of buff-enhancing meals for daily use¡ªand for Apache.


    As Nivalis left on her errand, Rita headed to the study, planning to finish up some dungeon runs before researching [Last Night''s Star].


    B80234615 floated behind her. "And what about me? What should I do?"


    Rita paused. It was still a bit strange having a second pet in the house.


    She asked, "Do you want to work, or do you want to play?"


    "What are you going to do?"


    "Alchemy research."


    "I can assist with analysis."


    Rita shook her head immediately. "No need. This is my hobby."


    She knew that B80234615 could dramatically speed up her progress.


    But she also knew that if she relied on it too much, she would eventually hit a wall.


    All of her pride and stubbornness were tied to alchemy.


    Despite knowing that mines could boost inspiration and help break through skill levels, she never considered keeping any for herself.


    She truly enjoyed alchemy. She didn''t doubt her ability to break through on her own.

 Chapter 478: 478: Did You Piss Off Pine Bloom Again?

    B80234615: "So... what does Nivalis usually do in her free time?"


    Rita led it to the living room and turned on the gaming console. "Can you play? Does it drain your energy?"


    B80234615: "I can play. It doesn''t consume much power¡ªabout 1% every eight hours."


    Rita glanced at its energy levels. Despite all the activities since they left Dragon Island, B80234615 had only used up about 2%. It seemed like moving around didn''t drain much energy at all.


    Maybe the heavy energy drain in the Diamonds Miner game was because it had to constantly analyze and scan player data.


    She selected the game Nivalis had been hooked on recently, created a new account for B80234615, and handed over a controller. "Here. This is what Nivalis spends most of her time on."


    Two thin electric currents extended from B80234615, connecting to the controller. A second later, the game screen started moving.


    Satisfied with her arrangement, Rita turned to leave¡ªonly to hear B80234615 speak again.


    "I thought you''d make me go into standby mode to conserve energy."


    Rita sighed. She was realizing that this mechanical lifeform had an endless stream of questions. Anytime her actions didn''t align with its probability models, it had to ask about it.


    She replied, "You said it only takes 1% power every eight hours. If it were 8% per hour, I''d have already knocked you out."


    B80234615: "Oh. I don''t believe you. That''s just an emotional outburst."


    As it spoke, the in-game characters had already started interacting with the NPCs.


    Rita: "..."


    She had a feeling that the household just gained another game addict.


    Rita had no intention of missing the Divine Game on May 15th.


    After Nivalis returned home, she spent time preparing enough buffed meals for their upcoming journey and got some sleep. Early in the morning on the 3rd, she was ready to head to Lania Kaia.


    As she came downstairs, she noticed that Nivalis and B80234615 had pulled an all-nighter playing video games.


    Glancing at the screen, she saw they were playing a co-op dungeon-crawling game.


    No wonder Nivalis seemed so calm.


    There was no way she could outplay a mechanical race in gaming.


    Nivalis yelled, "Quick! Quick! It''s coming!!"


    B80234615, completely composed: "Mm, no rush."


    Rita: "???"


    Weren''t they arguing yesterday?


    Also...


    "B80234615, are you a girl?"


    B80234615: "I have no gender. That kind of classification is meaningless to us."


    Rita had only been curious, and she honestly didn''t care either way. As long as it was useful, that was enough. "Alright, you two, wrap it up. We''re heading to Lania Kaia. B80234615, make sure to mask your information. I don''t want to deal with extra trouble."


    B80234615: "Understood, master."


    After making sure her Sleeping Dragon Eggshel hadn''t changed at all, Rita adjusted her disguise, letting B80234615 take the form of a glowing cube earring on her right ear. Then, she and Nivalis casually crawled under the bed.


    B80234615: "Why do you do this? Aren''t you two the strongest in BS?"


    Both Rita and Nivalis stiffened.


    Nivalis, lacking confidence but making up for it with volume: "IT''S OUR HOBBY!"


    Rita, keeping her voice steady and composed: "The drawings can be risky to place elsewhere. If a guest accidentally steps on them, that''d be a disaster. Under the bed is the safest choice¡ªzero chance of mistakes."


    B80234615, ever the considerate AI, decided to remain silent.


    Its calculations told it that this was, in fact, the correct response.


    With practiced ease, the two traveled through the hidden portal and emerged in the depths of Lania Kaia''s ocean. Disguised as Wind Scythe, Rita headed straight for Dark City.


    She delivered the 18 Treasure Ores to Apache. That teacher of hers had done a lot for her, and it didn''t feel right to keep taking without giving something back.


    Hearing about their properties, Apache had the exact same reaction Rita had when she first learned about them.


    No strong emotional response¡ªjust an intense curiosity about their potential.


    As Apache toyed with one of the ores, she casually asked, "So... did you piss off Pine Bloom again?"


    Rita: "?????"


    When?! How?! Why didn''t she know about this?!


    "Is that what she thinks?" she asked, bewildered.


    Does she know we''re enemies now?!


    Apache let her struggle for a bit, enjoying the way Rita''s expressions shifted, before finally explaining with a smirk, "I was just messing with you. She''s looking for you, though. Actually, more specifically, she''s looking for your dragon."


    Rita exhaled in relief¡ªbut her expression darkened slightly.


    Strictly speaking, her feelings toward Pine Bloom were neutral.


    Even after hearing Nivalis recount all the things she did to Lidian, Rita wasn''t the type to assume someone was purely good or evil.


    Complicated, tangled relationships often looked illogical when stripped down to a brief summary.


    Dragons were highly sensitive to emotions. If Pine Bloom was entirely deceitful, Lidian wouldn''t have been so willing to give everything for her. Judgment Hour¡ªthe fusion skill requiring trust and connection¡ªwouldn''t have been locked, completely unusable.


    Unless Lidian was spectacularly stupid, which, after spending time with her on Dragon Island, Rita knew wasn''t the case.


    But it was precisely because of her conversations with Lidian that Rita''s guard was up more than ever.


    In Lidian''s words, Pine Bloom was a brilliant military strategist, tactician, and politician.


    But to Rita, Lidian had left out one very important word¡ªopportunist.


    From what she saw, Maple Syrup was the true definition of a military leader, a tactician, and a politician. She understood the big picture, yet never abandoned her core principles. She even gave up Four Seasons City over a single wish.


    Pine Bloom, on the other hand, was overtly greedy.


    She wanted the best city. The best pets. The best of everything.


    Rita gently patted the tiny hamster-sized Nivalis on her shoulder and asked Apache, "Do you know what she wants?"


    Apache answered without hesitation. "She''s looking to buy dragon blood."


    Before Rita could respond, Apache continued, "I already told her you wouldn''t sell it. But she insisted that the only reason you won''t sell is that you consider dragon blood to be your property. She thinks Nivalis should have the final say."


    Rita remained completely unfazed.


    "Oh yeah, totally. I absolutely consider dragon blood my property. Not selling."


    Nivalis, still curled up on her shoulder, nodded vigorously in agreement, making it clear she had no issue with this arrangement.


    Apache chuckled. "Well, that''s between you two. She asked me to pass a message along, though."


    Rita & Nivalis: "?"


    Apache: "Tell Lidian to stop drunk-texting her."


    Rita & Nivalis: "..."


    Rita turned to Nivalis in their private chat. "I have lost all respect for Lidian."


    Nivalis: "Same."

 Chapter 479: 479: Preparations for the Next Game - World’s Grave Forest: Fearless

    Rita left the Treasure Ores with Apache and completed a spontaneous exam before receiving a fresh batch of Alchemy Notes from her mentor.


    As she stepped out of the shop, something nagged at her.


    Before she officially became Apache''s apprentice, lessons were always hands-on, one-on-one instruction. But ever since she fought Mistblade for that book and officially became a student, she hadn''t had a single structured class.


    Had she just paid for her tuition with blood, only to be left completely unsupervised?


    Feeling a little bitter, she flipped through the notes in her hands. The handwriting was all Apache''s, and a few pages had faint water stains¡ªher sharp sense of smell quickly picked up on the scent of alcohol.


    With a sigh, she carefully stored the notes away.


    After leaving the alchemy shop, Rita wandered Lania Kaia with Nivalis and B80234615.


    Thanks to Clock Reversal, which halved her cooldown times, she no longer had to worry about gaps in her disguise.


    She swiped attributes from non-human players while keeping an eye on her World Graveyard collection.


    Ever since her collection hit ten and all of them vibrated at once, she had been wondering¡ªwas it possible for her to sense World Graveyards the way Mistblade had sensed her last time?


    While honing her skills, she also scouted the city, studying every nook and cranny of Lania Kaia''s capital.


    At some point, war between BS and Lania Kaia would become inevitable¡ªwhether it was Lania Kaia invading BS or BS invading Lania Kaia...


    The second possibility still sounded like a joke to her.


    When she had confidently told Maple Syrup that Lania Kaia would one day become part of BS, how had Maple Syrup managed to keep a straight face?


    BS had only one Divine Game player¡ªher.


    How was she supposed to take on Lania Kaia''s twelve royal clans, each with their own rulers?


    But pushing BS players into Divine Game wasn''t a realistic option either.


    It wasn''t about big-picture thinking¡ªeven she could barely keep up with her own growth. Trying to support other players would only make BS collapse faster.


    After an entire day of looting and scouting, Rita dumped all the stolen gear into the auction house for cash.


    Then she returned to BS to study Last Night''s Star and Drunkard, train Cheers, and master Inferno.


    She had never once slacked off since her rebirth.


    Thinking about how, in her past life, Rick was still a pathetic deadweight at this time made her blood boil.


    She asked Jameson for an update, and he confirmed that Lin Chengze was still missing.


    Rick was like a stubborn grease stain on her table¡ªalways there, always annoying.


    If not for the frequent forum updates from Black Jade''s fangirls posting images of Rick getting worked to the bone as Black Jade''s personal servant, she might have gone out to personally drag Lin Chengze to Rick and force the two to meet.


    She briefly explained the situation to B80234615.


    Its response?


    "You were right not to kill him prematurely. You already saw the outcome in your vision¡ªthat means it''s a fixed point in fate.


    "It''s inevitable. Until that event happens, you wouldn''t be able to kill him, no matter how hard you tried.


    "My advice? Stop using skills to glimpse the future. Nothing good ever comes from it."


    Rita: "...Thanks. I figured that out already."


    She finally let go of her worries.


    Over the next few days, Eclipse Vanguard kept sending Shadow.Q to snoop around. They wanted to know what kind of gift she had given BS that had made the system this happy.


    Rita: "First, you need to have at least 100,000 Honor Points..."


    Shadow.Q''s eyes sparkled with curiosity. "And then?"


    Rita: "First, you make sure you have the 100,000 points. Then I''ll tell you step two."


    Shadow.Q: "..."


    Jokes on her, the second-ranked player on the Honor Leaderboard didn''t even have 20,000 points yet.


    Aside from hunting for World Graveyards and daily training, Rita also visited the arena twice. She cleared both bosses in record time using the most brutal methods possible.


    She picked up a few decent pieces of gear, but unfortunately, no new World Graveyards.


    At one point, she considered having B80234615 monitor online discourse for her.


    But after a moment''s thought, she dismissed the idea.


    She was already putting her life on the line in the Divine Game.


    If she won, everyone benefited.


    If she lost, she died.


    She wasn''t about to waste energy worrying about what random players thought.


    She didn''t need to lower herself to consider their opinions. She didn''t need to care what Eclipse Vanguard thought of her.


    As long as she remained the strongest.


    As long as she stayed ahead of everyone else.


    As long as her gun was pointed at enemies and not allies.


    She would always be BS''s spiritual leader.


    On the morning of the 14th, the day before Divine Game, Rita checked the Honor Store again.


    It had been sixty days since she last bought a World Graveyard, so her purchase limit had reset.


    And since she''d be entering Divine Game tomorrow, she wouldn''t have to worry about using it within three days before it expired.


    She spent 20,000 Honor Points¡ª


    And received a brand-new mahjong tile.


    [7-Character]


    The moment she saw it, Nivalis screeched in excitement.


    "7-Character!! You got 7-Character!!!"


    Rita blinked. "Okay... and?"


    Nivalis was practically shaking her by the ears.


    "Your World''s Grave Forest formation was 3-4-5 Character and 5-6-7 Dot! You already had two 7-Character tiles, and now you got another!!!"


    Nivalis had always been sharper at reading mahjong hands than Rita.


    She pulled out her World Graveyard collection:


    [3-Character][4-Character][5-Character][5-Dot][6-Dot][7-Dot][7-Character][7-Character][7-Character]


    And five additional mismatched tiles:


    [Red Dragon][East Wind][West Wind][White Dragon][1-Bamboo]


    She set the latter aside.


    The nine compatible tiles snapped together¡ªclick.


    A new key formed.


    [World''s Grave Forest: Fearless] World''s Grave Forest Key ¡ï¡ï¡î¡î (Necessary for entering Divine Game) [Skill 1: Legendary Prologue] ¨C Upon entering Divine Game, you (and your pets) unlock two divine talent skills. [Skill 2: War Horn] ¨C Upon entering Divine Game, you (and your pets) unlock three skills. [Skill 3: Death is Like the Wind] ¨C In Divine Game, use this skill to instantly return to the nearest safe zone. Usable once per game. [Skill 4: Veteran Player] ¨C Randomly removes one unreadable game rule.


    The key had improved slightly¡ªnot by much.


    But Veteran Player was useful.


    It allowed her to remove one unreadable game rule.


    Rita wasn''t exactly thrilled, but she wasn''t disappointed either.


    The penalties she suffered in Divine Game could be recovered by just spending a few days in Lania Kaia.


    And now she had B80234615.


    Still... it was progress.


    If she could just get another Red Dragon, East Wind, West Wind, White Dragon, or 1-Bamboo, her key would level up again.


    After storing the World Graveyards, she focused on her last preparations before midnight.


    She went to her backyard¡ªwhere she had been hoarding luck¡ª


    And pulled out...


    A black face mask?

 Chapter 480: 480: The 24,268th Divine Game

    [Superstar in the Spotlight] (Legendary) "Dazzling stardom, a born celebrity."


    Bonus Attributes:


    Intelligence +267 Constitution +121 Strength +109


    Magic Attributes:


    +68% Stealth +35% Dodge Rate +1 Charisma


    Legendary Skill 1: Never Fades from the Spotlight


    When activated, your presence will be reduced to the lowest possible level for 30 minutes. Friends and foes alike will instinctively overlook your existence. Cooldown: 8 hours. (Note: If a player holds extreme hatred toward you, this skill may fail.)


    Legendary Skill 2: Expression Control (Passive)


    When equipped, all S-rank and below detection skills become ineffective against you.


    Equipment Requirement:


    Intelligence > 195 Constitution > 197


    A legendary piece of gear.


    Rita stored it away. Ever since she entered the World Battleground, her urgency for new equipment had lessened.


    The real problem was bringing gear into the Divine Game¡ªeven if she had it, she couldn''t always carry it in. Her only Green Dragon World''s Graveyard had already been lost...


    She suddenly realized something and turned to B80234615.


    "You''re my second pet. Can you enter the Divine Game? I don''t recall having a World''s Graveyard that allows an additional pet. Does that mean you take up a slot? What if you need two accessory slots?"


    B80234615, still comfortably latched onto her ear in its earring form, replied:


    "No need. A pet is a pet¡ªwe''re bound together as one."


    Rita let out a relieved sigh.


    "Good. That''s how it should be."


    However, this upcoming game was going to be tough.


    Though she hadn''t lost her World''s Graveyard key upon death last time, she had lost Green Dragon¡ªwhich meant she couldn''t bring a weapon this round.


    The new West Wind allowed for an ability unlock, which was useful. But the White Dragon and 1-Bamboo were basically useless.


    White Dragon unlocked either an accessory slot or a backpack slot. She no longer had accessory slots left, and her Temporary Pocket skill already covered her storage needs. 1-Bamboo allowed her to bring a teammate of the same species... completely pointless.


    She was almost convinced that her luck was already taking a turn for the worse.


    Despite wandering Lania Kaia for half a month, she had found no new World''s Graveyards, stolen no valuable secrets near the royal palaces, and gotten no good gear whatsoever.


    Rita absently patted B80234615 and asked,


    "I won''t have a weapon this time. You have that skill, Mechanical Armament, right?"


    B80234615 responded,


    "Yes. It consumes 5% of my energy per minute, with an upper limit based on the best weapon you''ve ever wielded."


    Rita frowned.


    "Why isn''t it based on the best weapon I can handle instead?"


    B80234615:


    "If I had my full body, I could do that. But right now, I''m just a chip¡ªI can only replicate what you''ve actually used."


    "Fine, as long as it helps." Rita sighed, then started organizing her inventory.


    She emptied one of her backpacks¡ªif she didn''t, she wouldn''t have any open slots when her World''s Graveyard unlocked a new bag space in the game.


    Everything was ready.


    When the clock struck midnight, she assembled her World''s Grave Forest - Fearless key and inserted her entry ticket.


    [Welcome, BS player Rita, to the World Battleground.]


    [You are participating in the 24,268th Divine Game.]


    [World''s Graveyard detected. You have earned a 1-minute early access to the battlefield.]


    [West Wind detected. You and your pet may unlock 1 skill each.]


    [East Wind detected. You and your pet may unlock 1 skill each.]


    [White Dragon detected. You (and your pet) may unlock 1 accessory or backpack slot.]


    [1-Bamboo detected. You may bring a same-species teammate for this game.]


    [You are using a Two-Star Advanced World''s Graveyard Key - World''s Grave Forest: Fearless.]


    [You and your pet may each choose 2 Divine Blessing abilities and 3 battle skills.]


    She prioritized unlocking the most mana-draining skills¡ªespecially the passive effect of Midnight Exile.


    Unlocked backpack slot. Entered the game.


    As the game environment loaded, Rita found herself once again in the familiar waiting room.


    But before she could check her ranking, an automated voice spoke into her ear.


    [Player BS Rita has reached critical levels of potential and destructiveness. Initiating Personalized Restriction Rules - Phase One.]


    Stealing Prohibited: You may not use theft-based abilities on players with significantly lower combat strength. No Killing Weaklings: You may not kill players classified as "Fool Rank." No Hacking Mechanical Race: You may not use Refurbish on mechanical beings.


    [Violating any rule will result in a random stolen item being returned to its original owner.]


    Rita had a bad feeling.


    "Why does rule three feel custom-made for me...?"


    She opened the ranking board.


    Her name had climbed to Rank 51,218, now officially in Tier 7 - Torment.


    And, just like last time, she was right at the threshold¡ªthe player above her was Tier 8.


    She had barely been kept from advancing.


    Additionally, she now had to abide by 27 different game rules¡ªan absurd increase.


    "I can''t even imagine how Winter Sea Frenzied Shark survived at the top," Rita muttered.


    Oh, wait.


    "Correction¡ªhow he used to survive at the top. Thanks to me, his life is probably a lot easier now."


    Even so, looking at the top-ranked players...


    They hadn''t budged.


    Despite the growing number of rules stacked against them, they still held their ranks¡ªwhich only made them even more terrifying.


    She glanced at B80234615 and said,


    "I thought with you around, I''d at least be Tier 8 this time. Guess not."


    B80234615 responded calmly,


    "The game balances itself. You should brace yourself."


    Brace myself?


    Rita''s intuition told her that her bad luck was already starting.


    Her mind immediately went to Pine Bloom.


    She glanced at the chat logs.


    Pine Bloom was definitely here.


    She couldn''t resist.


    "Hey, B80234615¡ªcan your skill "Put on a Disguise and Avoid Offline Beatings" help me chat anonymously?"


    B80234615:


    "I can spoof your name however you like."


    A few moments later...


    [World Battleground Chat]


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: Pine Bloom? You there? Heard you''ve been having bad luck lately. Mind sharing your experiences? Might cheer me up.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: ???


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: Wait, that wasn''t me!!!


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom]: Feeling bold today, Goose?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: You think I''m some coward?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: ??? No, wait¡ªI am! Pine Bloom, I am!!!


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: WHO?! WHO''S ON MY ACCOUNT?!!!

 Chapter 481: 481: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 1

    After casually setting up Fat Goose, Rita went silent¡ªoverplaying it would ruin the fun.


    She turned to B80234615 and asked,


    "How much variation is there in mechanical race skill sets?"


    B80234615: "A lot. It''s completely random. The gods created tens of thousands of possible skills. Every unit has thirty fixed work-related skills, but the rest are randomly assigned from that massive pool."


    Rita didn''t press further, but Nivalis, still thinking about Lidian, had her own concerns.


    "Then, what about[Shatter & Reconstruct]? Did you randomly acquire it, or was it a fixed skill?"


    B80234615: "Randomly assigned."


    Nivalis'' expression was a mix of relief and disappointment.


    Rita could guess what she was thinking.


    She was like Lidian''s devoted fan, torn between wanting undeniable proof that Pine Bloom had used her, and not wanting Lidian to suffer heartbreak.


    If [Shatter & Reconstruct] had been a fixed skill for all mechanical race units, Lidian''s pain would be unimaginable.


    Just as Rita was about to lighten the mood, a glowing interface appeared in the center of the room.


    [Divine Game #24,268 ¨C Chaotic Restaurant] Game Start Countdown: 00:09:58 Game Objective: Players will be randomly assigned into four-person teams. Over the next three interstellar days, each team must cook and sell food to intergalactic tourists. Your restaurant''s revenue will determine your ranking. Your team''s ranking is your personal ranking. You can check your current standing on the leaderboard at any time. Game Difficulty: Torment


    Game Rules:


    ??¡ô¡õ¡ö¡ø¡ô¡õ¡ö¡ø¡ô¡ø¡ô ¡Õ¡Ø¡Õ¡Ø¡Ö¡Ô¡Ø¡Ô¡Ö¡Ô¡Õ¡Ø¡Ö¡Ô¡Ø¡Ô¡Ø¡Ô ??.?? ¡Ë¡à.¡Ë.¡ß¡Ë¡ß¡à.¡Ë.


    ... OooooooO0Ooooooo0 Rita squinted.


    Not a single rule was readable.


    But fortunately... she had a cheat.


    She turned to B80234615 and asked,


    "Can you decipher these?"


    B80234615: "Yes. Scanning... translating now."


    Game Rules (Translated by B80234615): You are prohibited from using your teammates'' body parts as cooking ingredients... while they are still alive. You may only purchase ingredients twice per interstellar day. If you create a dish with a "deliciousness rating" below 15%, you must eat it yourself. ¡Ë¡à.¡Ë.¡ß¡Ë¡ß¡à.¡Ë. Do not break the dishware.


    ... A single dish cannot contain more than five colors. You are a vegetarian. You are not allowed to add sugar to any dish you serve. A single customer cannot reject your dish more than three times.


    ... If a customer insults you, you must respond with joyous laughter.


    ... Your "Chaos Score" must not stay below 10 for longer than 10 minutes. You may only eat food prepared by your teammates.


    ... At the hourly evaluation, your restaurant''s cleanliness score must be higher than the restaurant across from you. When a teammate dies, you must immediately clap and celebrate.


    ... No stealing from your own restaurant. You must wash at least 100 dishes every hour. OooooooO0Ooooooo0


    Fifteen rules deciphered instantly.


    Rita grew more uneasy with every line.


    So many of these were impossible to figure out just by playing.


    For example:


    "No sugar in customer dishes" "Your restaurant must be cleaner than your rival''s at every hourly check"


    And who knew what kind of nightmares lurked in the remaining 12 unreadable rules?


    But the biggest red flag was Rule #1.


    "You are prohibited from using your teammates'' body parts as cooking ingredients... while they are still alive."


    That meant... when they were dead, it was fair game.


    Her own restriction prevented her from butchering teammates, but¡ª


    what if her teammates didn''t have this rule?


    She skimmed the game''s description again.


    Nowhere did it say "team members cannot attack each other."


    A death match... in a restaurant simulation?


    She was also deeply concerned about certain mysterious stats mentioned:


    Deliciousness Rating Cleanliness Score Chaos Score


    A game called "Chaotic Restaurant" wouldn''t have "chaos" in the name just for fun.


    It was definitely a key mechanic.


    Rita turned to Nivalis, her expression serious.


    "You need to stay hidden for this game."


    Nivalis immediately caught on.


    "Wait¡ªyou think they''ll try to cook me?"


    "Yes." Rita pointed at Rule #1.


    "You''re a pet, not a teammate. This game lasts way too long. Even if B80234615 can hide your status screen, I''d have to constantly craft disguise items for you. And if someone realizes you''re a unique species, they''ll definitely try to use you as an ingredient. I can''t risk it."


    Nivalis gave B80234615 a sideways glance, her voice dripping with sarcasm.


    "Fine. With your new pet watching your back, I guess I can relax."


    ...Even as she complained, she understood.


    She hugged Rita briefly before retreating into the pet space.


    Once Nivalis was safely hidden, Rita asked B80234615 a few last-minute questions.


    But even the mechanical race had never played this game before.


    B80234615: "It seems to be a game where cooperation and sabotage coexist. There have been similar Divine Games before. They tend to be... chaotic."


    Rita: "...That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen."


    If her team turned out to be a liability...


    She could always eliminate them and run the restaurant alone.


    Then... she had a horrible realization.


    She looked out the window, at the thousands of other players trapped inside their own glass rooms.


    Maybe they were thinking the exact same thing.


    B80234615: "Don''t even think about killing your teammates."


    Rita frowned.


    "Why not?"


    B80234615:


    "That''s exactly what the game WANTS you to do. Every part of the design tempts you into betraying them. But if you actually want to win, you can''t afford to kill them."


    Rita sighed. "So the random teams... are they actually random?"


    B80234615:


    "Teams are assigned randomly, but the system prioritizes balance¡ªjust like in other Divine Games. Players are sorted into groups based on skill level, but it''s not a perfect system. Stronger players have extra restrictions, and watching weak players struggle makes for good entertainment."


    Rita scanned the leaderboard, studying the list of online players.


    She spoke softly, but firmly.


    "Once the game starts, stay hidden. If anything happens, talk to me mentally."


    B80234615: "Understood."


    Rita hesitated for a moment, then made a final decision.


    "I''ll give you three ''emergency override'' chances. If I''m in danger and I don''t notice, you can use skills without my permission."


    Then, she handed B80234615 a World Graveyard.


    "Keep this for recharging."

 Chapter 482: 482: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 2

    B80234615: "Even if my calculations indicate that I might harm you, is that still acceptable?"


    "As long as the benefits outweigh the risks in your calculations, then yes." Rita answered decisively. "This is your test. You only have three chances."


    B80234615: "Understood."


    Rita: "Don''t use any skills or tricks on my soul."


    B80234615: "You''re so wary, yet Nivalis still likes you. Why is that?"


    Rita: "I''m this wary, yet why are you following me?"


    B80234615 fell silent.


    Rita sighed. "Being a people magnet is my fate. I know."


    B80234615: "Ugh."


    Rita: "Some emotions don''t need to be simulated when unnecessary."


    B80234615: "I didn''t simulate that just now. My emotional pool fluctuated on its own. I followed you precisely for this moment."


    Rita had the distinct feeling that B80234615 was being sarcastic, yet its tone was as serious as a news anchor.


    She gave up on bickering with a mechanical race¡ªespecially since the countdown to entering the game had only two minutes left.


    She reminded it, "All my skill panels and divine blessings are disabled, right?"


    B80234615: "Yes."


    Rita had no intention of using disguise skills. A person''s name carries weight, and in the World Battlefield, she had already made a name for herself¡ªthough not necessarily a good one.


    Thanks to Maple Syrup, every player knew that she possessed the Ancient Curse, an unspoken deterrent. No one wanted to provoke someone who could stab them in the back with a curse, especially when they couldn''t completely wipe her out. Even if they managed to kill her temporarily, she could retaliate the moment she left the battlefield. It simply wasn''t worth it.


    So in Divine Game, as long as she wasn''t committing some universally condemned atrocity, keeping her real identity would be more beneficial than harmful.


    However, there was something else she needed to disguise.


    She turned to B80234615. "Can you change into another form?"


    B80234615: "Why?"


    Rita: "There might be others besides Pine Bloom who recognize the mechanical race''s chip technology. Your cube form is too distinctive. Change it."


    Upon hearing this, B80234615 transformed into an orange-red earring, perfectly matching Rita''s Orange-Red Light Wings.


    Rita: "Like this, if we run into another mechanical race chip, will they recognize you?"


    B80234615: "No worries. I''ve blocked my signal. Unless I initiate contact, other chips won''t detect me."


    Only then did Rita feel at ease.


    When the countdown hit the one-minute mark, she entered the game early.


    She landed directly inside an open-air kitchen.


    To her left, a long table was lined with all kinds of cookware, utensils, and appliances. Some she recognized, some she didn''t, and others she could roughly guess their functions just by their appearance.


    To her right, another long table housed a sink, a refrigerator, and a trash bin.


    It was a perfectly standard open kitchen.


    A long serving table acted as a partition, separating the kitchen from the bar-style front counter.


    Standing in the middle of the back kitchen, Rita could see the deep blue starry sky outside. A hundred meters away, an entire street of identical open-air restaurants stretched out in neat rows. The street itself shimmered with a soft pink starry glow, illuminating the entire area.


    Outside, there was a mix of sounds¡ªfootsteps, the flapping of wings, conversations¡ªsuggesting that players who had arrived earlier were already exploring.


    On either side of her were identical restaurants, seemingly copy-pasted.


    Rita quickly flew over to touch one of them, only to find an invisible barrier in between.


    Above the kitchen, three glowing white data projections hovered.


    [Cleanliness]: 100%


    [Mischief Score]:


    Black SpringMud Bears - 0 Marmang-Crab - 0 BS Rita - 0 ?


    An Autumn Bear and a crab.


    Great. Both were ingredients.


    She had interacted with Marmang-Crab before. Whether he was friendly was debatable, but at least he hadn''t attacked her on sight. He probably had his own game-specific rules.


    Logically, being placed on a team with a Stage 17 Marmang-Crab and a Stage 15 Black SpringMud Bear was already bad luck.


    But the last player was a wildcard.


    That uncertainty kept Rita on edge¡ªwhat if the game decided to throw her an even bigger headache?


    That being said, stronger players like Marmang-Crab and Black SpringMud Bears had deeper reserves and had likely entered earlier.


    So theoretically, the final player¡ªwho was cutting it close to the start time¡ªshouldn''t be too overpowered... right?


    With 32 seconds left before the game officially started, Rita flew out of the restaurant to scout the area.


    She circled as fast as possible and found that this place was nearly identical to BS''s food street¡ªif not more simplistic.


    All the restaurants lacked banners or signs, likely because players had to decide what to sell before naming their establishments.


    The street stretched endlessly into the distance. No way to tell just how many restaurants there were.


    Rita opened the leaderboard and checked the player count.


    Over 60,000 players were online in this game.


    As the final 10 seconds approached, a loud countdown echoed across the sky for all players to hear.


    Rita spotted Marmang-Crab sprinting toward her on his crab legs from the far end of the street.


    She immediately flew back inside.


    The countdown ended, and their last teammate arrived.


    A massive pair of emerald-green wings unfurled, like a Forest Sea descending¡ª


    Lania Kaia Pine Bloom!


    But Rita wasn''t focused on Pine Bloom''s breathtakingly beautiful face.


    There was only one thought in her mind: I''m screwed.


    B80234615, already aware that Lania Kaia Pine Bloom had also taken a mechanical race chip, spoke to Rita internally:


    "Oh, you two ended up together, huh?"


    Rita: "Great. Double the bad luck. I wonder if this restaurant will even last three Starsea days."


    B80234615: "Uh... shouldn''t you be worrying about yourself first?"


    Rita: "Worst case scenario, I''ll just kill myself and leave the game!"


    B80234615: "This type of management game only lets you leave if you go bankrupt. Even if you die, you''ll just respawn and keep working. And the revival cost still applies."


    Rita: "?!?!! Where the hell was that in the game description!?"


    B80234615: "Oh, it''s there. Just wait a sec¡ª"


    Rita waited.


    And then the game notification echoed in the sky.


    Just as B80234615 had said, in this special management game, death wasn''t an escape. If a player revived, they would be forced back into the restaurant to continue working until the three Starsea days were up. Only then would the game end.


    Rita: "Fantastic. First I escaped a black-market mine, now I''m trapped in a black-market restaurant."


    B80234615: "There''s an even better piece of news."


    Rita: "What?"


    B80234615: "Lania Kaia Pine Bloom is looking at you."

 Chapter 483: 482: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 3

    Rita smiled back at Pine Bloom, but she didn''t speak right away.


    The game instructions appearing in the center of the room saved her. More pressing matters were at hand, and as expected, Pine Bloom shifted her focus away from her.


    The game''s explanation was brief:


    In one hour, the food street will open, and customers will start arriving. A map was provided, marking the marketplace and its operating hours.


    At the same time, four job options appeared in the air:


    [Chef] [Cleaner] [Cashier] [Supplier]


    Beneath them, a countdown began: 00:59:58.


    Clearly, they had one hour to prepare and had to choose their roles before the restaurant opened.


    The floating words shimmered like stars, yet the language used had nothing to do with any of their races. Instead, it was in Squid-Sa.


    Rita happened to understand Squid-Sa, and after glancing at her teammates, she realized they all did too. The game had thoughtfully chosen a universal language that all of them could read.


    The four players exchanged glances, each silently evaluating the game''s setup.


    Among them were an Owl, a Sky-Crab, and an Autumn Bear¡ªall races whose languages Rita understood. She didn''t even need B80234615 to translate.


    However, instead of rushing to speak, she turned her attention to Marmang-Crab, the highest-ranked player present at Stage 17.


    Pine Bloom and Black SpringMud Bears did the same.


    It was a sign of respect for the strongest player, just as players in BS had respected and feared her.


    Even Shadow.Q, despite joking with her, was always carefully observing her reactions. The moment Rita showed any displeasure or reluctance towards friendly teasing, Shadow.Q would immediately back off.


    While she had fought against Marmang-Crab, Black SpringMud Bears, and Pine Bloom, she had never actually spoken to them before.


    Marmang-Crab raised his crab claws, gesturing in sign language as he spoke in Sky-Crab:


    "Do you all understand Sky-Crab language?"


    Black SpringMud Bears didn''t understand the words, but after years of World Battlefield missions, he guessed what Marmang-Crab meant.


    He shook his head and replied in Autumn Bear language: "You already know, I don''t understand Sky-Crab."


    Rita kept her peripheral vision on Pine Bloom.


    She didn''t see any cube-shaped accessories on her, but Pine Bloom was wearing an emerald-green diamond earring.


    After Black SpringMud Bears spoke, Pine Bloom said in Owlspeak:


    "I don''t understand Sky-Crab either."


    Rita found Pine Bloom''s response both surprising and unsurprising.


    The mechanical race chip could only translate spoken languages, not allow them to speak unfamiliar ones.


    So in cases where they understood a language but couldn''t speak it, both she and Pine Bloom were in an awkward position.


    If you didn''t actually know a language, it was often safer to just say you didn''t understand¡ªto avoid raising suspicion.


    After the other three players finished speaking, Rita finally spoke up in Sky-Crab:


    "I understand."


    Then, she repeated in Autumn Bear language and Owlspeak:


    "I don''t know many languages, but I happen to know Autumn Bear, Sky-Crab, and Owlspeak."


    All three strong players turned to look at her.


    Marmang-Crab pointed a claw at Rita.


    "BS Rita¡ªI remember you. For the next three days, you''ll be translating for us. No tricks. I have a lie-detection skill."


    Rita immediately agreed. "Got it."


    Being grouped with three powerhouses, all she needed to do was survive and she''d be carried to victory.


    And now, she had landed the most crucial role¡ªtranslator.


    Marmang-Crab, full of enthusiasm, declared, "Let''s get to work! Who''s good at cooking?"


    Rita quickly translated his words into Autumn Bear and Owlspeak, then answered:


    "My cooking skills are decent."


    She had carefully considered her decision.


    The four job choices were [Chef] [Cleaner] [Cashier] [Supplier], and none of them were particularly easy.


    Both cashiering and cooking had hidden pitfalls in her game rules:


    For example:


    "If you create a dish with a deliciousness rating below 15%, you must eat it yourself." "You can only eat food made by your teammates."


    These rules clashed¡ªmeaning if she ever made a bad dish, she would immediately violate the second rule.


    To make matters worse:


    Rule 10: She was a vegetarian. Rule 11: She couldn''t serve food with sugar to customers.


    The kitchen was full of traps.


    But cashiering wasn''t any better.


    "You cannot be rejected by the same customer more than three times." "If a customer insults you, you must respond with a happy laugh."


    These rules hinted that the customers might be incredibly difficult to deal with.


    She would rather control her fate in the kitchen than risk dealing with unknown, possibly overpowered customers outside.


    As for supplying, that was even more uncertain.


    Looking at her teammates, all of them were Stage 15 or above.


    This game zone was likely a high-level player area.


    If she left the restaurant to gather supplies, she might never come back.


    And cleaning? It seemed the simplest¡ªbut Rita had a bad feeling about it.


    The easiest job was often the one with the most hidden pitfalls.


    Neither Black SpringMud Bears nor Pine Bloom competed for the chef role.


    They both nodded in agreement.


    Black SpringMud Bears knew his claws weren''t suited for delicate cooking. He could grill meat, but he lacked the patience for fine cuisine.


    As for Pine Bloom¡ªit was even more obvious.


    She stood elegantly in her dark green battle robe, arms crossed.


    Despite her commanding presence, she radiated a delicate, aristocratic charm.


    That gentle charisma softened her overwhelming beauty, making people instinctively want to approach her.


    Her dark clothing and thick emerald-green hair made her pale skin stand out even more.


    Unlike Maple Syrup, who had a powerful and athletic physique, Pine Bloom was slim but not fragile¡ªlike a noblewoman raised in luxury.


    Someone like her, placed in a greasy kitchen, was like a fine emerald dropped into a mud pit.


    Just imagining it felt wrong.


    And it wasn''t just an image¡ªPine Bloom had never cooked in her life.


    Before becoming a player, she had eaten food cooked by her family.


    After rising to power, all her meals were prepared by S-rank divine chefs.


    Pine Bloom tilted her chin toward the bar counter outside:


    "I''ll handle the customers."


    Rita paused, then translated:


    "Lania Kaia Pine Bloom said she''ll take care of the cashier job."


    Black SpringMud Bears checked the food storage.


    There were ingredients, but he wasn''t sure how long they''d last.


    He chose supplier, figuring he might be able to fight some battles and collect resources on the way.


    Marmang-Crab noticed the cleanliness metric and decided:


    "I''ll handle dishwashing and keep the place clean."


    He had never cooked either. Back in Marmang World, he always ate at restaurants.


    Even if Rita hadn''t volunteered for chef, she would''ve ended up with the role anyway¡ªbecause she was the only one who knew how to cook.


    As their roles were confirmed, the glowing star-like job titles floated down over their heads.


    [Chef] settled above Rita.


    The others also had shining titles above them.

 Chapter 484 - 483: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 4

    With everyone quickly settling into their roles, Rita felt a deep sense of relief.


    Not only was she spared the workplace bullying she had anticipated, but her three teammates were behaving almost too normally¡ªwhich was nothing short of a miracle.


    It wasn¡¯t just their team.


    Rita glanced at the neighboring restaurants and noticed the same thing: despite being Stage 14+ powerhouses, the players were actively discussing strategies and working together.


    When cooperation was necessary, even players who normally fought to the death on the battlefield knew when to set aside their grudges.


    Then again, that was the logical outcome.


    These high-ranking players had survived the World Battlefield for so long, they were essentially rulers of their own races.


    Their personalities and temperaments might vary, but one thing was certain: they all had an innate drive for success.


    There was no way they¡¯d half-ass a task the game assigned them¡ªtheir obsession with control and responsibility wouldn¡¯t allow them to dump all the work on the weakest player here, BS Rita.


    If any of them knew how to cook, they wouldn¡¯t have trusted her with the role at all.


    That was why Pine Bloom was the first to give an order:


    "Make a few dishes for us to try first."


    Marmang-Crab and Black SpringMud Bears said nothing, but their silence was agreement.


    Rita didn¡¯t mind the test¡ªeven if they hadn¡¯t asked, she had already planned to experiment with the ingredients first.


    Because when she inspected the kitchen earlier, she noticed that she didn¡¯t recognize 70% of the available ingredients.


    Still, she was confident.


    In High Tower, she had spent half her time practicing cooking, accumulating thousands of recipes in her memory.


    Even if she didn¡¯t recognize the ingredients, as long as she could identify their flavors, whether they were soft or chewy, and their cooking times, she could quickly match them with the most suitable preparation method.


    Besides, she had a rarely used skill that was perfect for this game:


    [This Life is Unbearable] (B-Rank)


    When used on any dish, the food will start talking and complain about the mistakes the cook made during its preparation.


    Without hesitation, Rita walked toward the fridge and began picking ingredients.


    At the same time, she remembered she still had a skill that allowed her to randomly remove one unreadable game rule.


    So, as she waited for Marmang-Crab and the others to respond, she activated the skill.


    Now, she only had eleven unknown game rules left.


    The game had already been running for five minutes, and one of her existing rules was:


    "Mischief Score cannot stay below 10 for more than 10 minutes."


    As she opened the fridge, she asked her teammates, "What¡¯s the deal with this Mischief Score?"


    She had to repeat the question in three different languages.


    The three players were already discussing the issue, so Rita had to multitask¡ªpreparing ingredients while also translating in real-time.


    She examined the bizarrely shaped but clearly labeled fridge and began selecting ingredients.


    Seeing the dozens of different types of meat, she sighed.


    She couldn¡¯t just cook vegetarian dishes, but she also knew these alien meats were unlikely to come out right on the first try.


    She was going to break a lot of rules today.


    Just then, a voice echoed in her mind.


    B80234615: "Why don¡¯t you just ask me?"


    Rita: "Ah..."


    B80234615: "You forgot about me."


    Rita stayed silent. She really had forgotten...


    B80234615: "Just as Nivalis said."


    Rita: "Hm? What did she say?"


    B80234615: "When you first made a contract with her, you never saw her as part of your power. You always tried to handle things on your own. You only trust yourself."


    B80234615: "She told me to be prepared¡ªif I really wanted to help you, I¡¯d have to get used to being ignored and keep trying anyway."


    Rita: "She¡¯s so crude!"


    B80234615: "But you really did forget me."


    Rita, in an extremely good mood, gathered her selected ingredients and walked back.


    Rita: "I just didn¡¯t want to overwork you. I want you to learn how to enjoy life after leaving the mechanical race¡ªnot just switch from one job to another."


    B80234615: "Oh? And do you still need my help now?"


    Rita: "Of course!!"


    B80234615: "Isn¡¯t this just more work?"


    Rita: "No way! This is our pet-and-owner bonding time! We¡¯re creating emotional value for each other! It¡¯s a precious interaction, like gold!"


    B80234615: "...Nivalis was right."


    Rita: "...I don¡¯t want to hear it."


    B80234615: "A wise decision."


    Rita: "..."


    ¡ª


    For rapidly changing game mechanics, B80234615 wasn¡¯t much help.


    But when it came to ingredients from the World Battlefield, it had a full database.


    Just by laying out the ingredients, B80234615 could tell her everything about them:


    Which ones were best eaten raw. Which required long cooking times. Which melted in water. Which were toxic unless paired with specific vegetables. Which parts of fruits and vegetables were inedible. How unfamiliar meats tasted.


    Rita saw no reason to fake failures.


    She had taken the "pro chef" role, so why pretend?


    With so many bizarre skills in the game, having a food-identification ability was perfectly reasonable.


    But soon, the downsides of contracting B80234615 appeared.


    ¡ªCLANG!


    Rita stared blankly at the third spoon she had broken.


    Another rule violation.


    And somehow, she even wrecked a pot¡ªwhich Marmang-Crab had to fix using his skills.


    She subtly observed Pine Bloom throughout.


    Nothing happened to her.


    Rita fumed: "Why is she completely fine?!"


    B80234615: "...She¡¯s literally just sitting at the table doing nothing. What could possibly happen to her? Just wait."


    Rita: "Fine, I¡¯ll wait. But why are you shouting?"


    Since this was a food street, Rita chose quick-serve dishes that could be eaten on the go.


    She finished preparing five different snacks in under twenty minutes¡ªmost of which were spent on prep work.


    Each dish displayed a flavor rating above it.


    Since she knew the ingredient properties, her cooking skills ensured every dish scored over 70% in taste.


    Her three teammates gathered around and started tasting.


    Rita tried a few bites herself¡ªshe was satisfied.


    Given it was her first time handling these ingredients, this was a solid result.


    Marmang-Crab, who was more expressive, took one bite and immediately said: "Alright, we¡¯ve got this game in the bag."


    Black SpringMud Bears, though less talkative, nodded approvingly before digging in.


    Then there was Pine Bloom.


    The noblewoman daintily picked up a small piece of meat, placed it in her mouth¡ª


    And in the next second, her exquisitely beautiful face twisted in absolute horror as she let out a thunderous coughing fit.


    B80234615: "SEE?! IT HAPPENED! I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN! IT¡¯S NOT JUST ME¡ªEVERYONE AROUND HER IS DOOMED!"


    Rita: "???"

 Chapter 485 - 484: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 5

    Not only that¡ªPine Bloom had been poisoned!


    Rita was stunned.


    Black SpringMud Bears and Marmang-Crab instinctively turned to look at her.


    Before Rita could explain, Pine Bloom waved her hand reassuringly.


    "Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not your fault."


    Her voice was still hoarse from the violent coughing fit, and right after she finished speaking, she started coughing again.


    Rita, keeping her face expressionless, translated Pine Bloom¡¯s words for the other two.


    Then she ignored her completely and went back to preparing for opening.


    She really did not want to deal with Pine Bloom anymore.


    She had to admit¡ªmost people were visual creatures.


    And since Owls and Humans were incredibly similar, apart from the extra pair of wings, their aesthetic sense was almost identical.


    Rita didn¡¯t find Marmang-Crab¡¯s giant pincers or Black SpringMud Bears¡¯ furry paws appealing.


    But Pine Bloom¡¯s beauty?


    She could see it.


    And worse¡ªPine Bloom¡¯s beauty had a dangerous quality to it.


    She evoked sympathy.


    Despite having only spent less than thirty minutes together, alarm bells were already ringing in Rita¡¯s head.


    Pine Bloom had sat by the table the entire time, yet no one had accused her of slacking off.


    Why?


    Because not only had she buffed all three teammates with dozens of enhancements, she was actively transforming the restaurant with her skills.


    She had adjusted the restaurant¡¯s brightness, temperature, and humidity.


    She had used green vines as walls, separating their restaurant from the neighboring two.


    Above the entrance, she had even painted a magical mural:


    A flying Owl, a human with a pot, a crab cleaning, and a small Autumn Bear carrying supplies.


    She was too good at this.


    Rita had to admit¡ªPine Bloom was a natural.


    And she even made multiple versions of the mural, letting the team vote on the final one.


    Whenever they gave feedback, she would genuinely smile, as if their opinions truly mattered.


    But none of it felt forced or manipulative.


    Because when Marmang-Crab pointed out a section he didn¡¯t like, Pine Bloom didn¡¯t just agree¡ª


    She frowned and asked Rita, "What did he say? I don¡¯t understand."


    Rita, in her broadcaster voice, translated, "He says he doesn¡¯t like this part. He¡¯s never seen a green Sky-Crab before."


    Pine Bloom blinked. "What did he say? I don¡¯t understand."


    Rita: "......"


    Without hesitation, Rita turned and complained to Marmang-Crab in Sky-Crab language:


    "She¡¯s pretending not to understand. She just doesn¡¯t want to change it."


    Pine Bloom let out a silent laugh, then¡ªwithout waiting for Marmang-Crab¡¯s response¡ªhummed a tune and hung up the mural anyway.


    Marmang-Crab didn¡¯t seem upset.


    Maybe it was because of [Die-Hard], or maybe he was just a very chill crab.


    Rita, on the other hand, had bigger things to worry about.


    She didn¡¯t care that Pine Bloom choked on her own food¡ªshe had enough of her own problems.


    The game had been running for 20 minutes, and she had been violating rules for the past 10.


    Because her Mischief Score had stayed at 0, she was getting hit by divine penalties every single minute.


    Add that to all the broken kitchenware, and she had already racked up over a dozen violations.


    And this game would last for three Starsea days.


    Rita suddenly felt dizzy just thinking about it.


    She was genuinely concerned that by the time she left this game, she¡¯d be nothing but a White Dragon skeleton.


    Marmang-Crab and Black SpringMud Bears had tried messing around, breaking things to see if that would increase the Mischief Score¡ªbut it didn¡¯t work.


    Black SpringMud Bears, being more aggressive, even sparred with Marmang-Crab for a bit, but their scores remained unchanged.


    Rita, in the middle of kneading dough, was distracted.


    Across the street, there was another row of restaurants, mirroring their own.


    The restaurants on that side were also facing away from them, and despite the 100+ meter gap, Rita could clearly see players on the other side strategizing.


    For a moment, she felt like she wasn¡¯t on a battlefield.


    For the first time, she felt like she was in an actual game.


    Just as B80234615 was about to offer some generic words of comfort, Rita¡¯s hands suddenly stopped moving.


    She was staring at the job titles above the players in the opposite restaurant.


    A theory struck her.


    She walked to the corner of the restaurant, picked up a cleaning tool, and dumped a bowl of kitchen scraps onto the floor.


    Then, she started cleaning it up.


    The floating data above the kitchen changed instantly.


    [Cleanliness]: 98%


    [Mischief Score]:


    Black SpringMud Bears - 0 Marmang-Crab - 0 BS Rita - 1 Lania Kaia Pine Bloom - 0


    Her teammates all turned to look at her.


    The four (or technically, three) of them exchanged glances.


    They understood immediately.


    Mischief Score increased when a player did another teammate¡¯s job.


    Her own rule only required her to keep her Mischief Score above 10, but Rita didn¡¯t relax.


    These two stats had to mean something bigger.


    If it was just about punishing players for not following roles, the game could have simply forced them to walk on one leg or say a certain number of words per minute.


    Rita kept cleaning, planning to raise her Mischief Score to 20 before going back to cooking.


    Marmang-Crab, seemingly having a similar rule, looked around before walking to the prep table.


    "This stuff needs kneading, right? I¡¯ll help."


    Then, he started kneading dough.


    Now, the chef (Rita) was cleaning, and the cleaner (Marmang-Crab) was cooking.


    But after a full minute, their Mischief Scores didn¡¯t change at all.


    Rita and Marmang-Crab exchanged a look.


    Marmang-Crab stopped kneading, and Rita wiped another section of the floor.


    Her Mischief Score increased from 1 to 3.


    She paused and looked at Marmang-Crab.


    Marmang-Crab watched the floating data, then rubbed his pincers together a few times.


    And then, in full view of all four players¡ª


    BS Rita¡¯s Mischief Score dropped from 3 to 2.


    The room fell into silence.


    Everyone¡¯s expressions grew grim.


    To gain Mischief Score, they had to steal a teammate¡¯s job.


    But if someone else did their job, their own Mischief Score would decrease.


    Everyone stole glances at each other.


    The same realization hit them all at once.


    It seemed everyone had a rule tied to Mischief Score.


    This was going to be a problem.


    And then, it got worse.


    Pine Bloom suddenly flew up to the floating text and touched the words "Mischief Score."


    A game notification popped up.


    [The higher the restaurant¡¯s total Mischief Score, the more customers it will attract.]


    The room fell silent.


    No tension. No hostility.


    Because none of them were impulsive idiots.


    If stealing jobs caused Mischief Score to drop, then a team that kept taking turns stealing would never reach a high total score.


    The most efficient strategy was clear:


    Eliminate one teammate.


    Let the remaining three players split their tasks to farm Mischief Score.

 Chapter 486: 485: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 6

    Despite the obvious strategic advantage of eliminating a teammate, all four job roles were essential¡ªand the game had designed them with impressive balance.


    One person handled cooking, another took care of customers, someone had to go out for supplies, and one player needed to clean and manage miscellaneous tasks.


    Each role was indispensable.


    Even though this was a restaurant simulation, Rita wouldn''t be foolish enough to think that just having a chef was enough to run the place.


    Slowly, she turned her head towards the vine-covered walls, as if she could see through them into the neighboring restaurant.


    At the same time, Pine Bloom spoke up.


    "We could try stirring up trouble with the other players."


    That was exactly what Rita had been thinking.


    If their own resources weren''t enough, what about the other restaurants?


    Rita immediately translated Pine Bloom''s words.


    Marmang-Crab responded with a simple:


    "Wait here."


    Then, it vanished.


    Less than a minute later, their floating data screen updated¡ªMarmang-Crab''s Mischief Score was rising.


    Without hesitation, Rita grabbed a mop and started cleaning!


    With the crab out of the restaurant, this was the perfect chance to leech some Mischief Score.


    Otherwise, was she supposed to steal points from Black SpringMud Bears or Pine Bloom?


    Black SpringMud Bears gave her a weird look, then disappeared as well, presumably to cause chaos elsewhere.


    That left only two people in the restaurant¡ªRita and Pine Bloom.


    Pine Bloom, still humming a Forest Sea tune, flicked her fingers, and the cutting board and vegetables on Rita''s prep station floated over to her.


    While slicing, she greeted Rita casually.


    "Hello, BS Rita."


    Rita gritted her teeth, aggressively mopping the floor.


    Stealing my Mischief Score right in front of my face, huh?!


    She took a deep breath, forced a smile, and replied:


    "Hello."


    B80234615: "Ah, so this is the ''repressed frustration'' Nivalis warned me about."


    Rita: "...You''re seriously underestimating me!"


    She stared straight at Pine Bloom, voice steady.


    "That dish¡ªcut it into thin strips."


    B80234615: "Damn. That was intense, Master. I respect that."


    Rita: "Shut up!"


    Pine Bloom casually asked, "Why don''t you summon your dragon?"


    Rita replied, "She''s resting. She won''t be appearing in this game."


    Pine Bloom stretched out her response. "Ohhh."


    Then, with swift precision, she diced the brownish melon into neat cubes instead of strips.


    Rita had expected her to bring up dragon blood, but instead, Pine Bloom asked:


    "Has Lidian been saying a lot of bad things about me?"


    Rita paused, then answered diplomatically:


    "Do you want to know?"


    "No."


    "Good. There was too much¡ªI can''t remember all of it."


    "...Actually, now I kind of want to know."


    "It''s not hard to summarize. Right now, she''s your ''insult admirer.''"


    Pine Bloom: "?"


    Rita: "She insults you constantly, but she also likes you."


    Pine Bloom: "..."


    Before Pine Bloom could say anything else, Marmang-Crab returned.


    The moment it entered, it saw Rita mopping the floor¡ªand immediately got mad.


    "What the hell are you doing?!"


    Rita glanced at her Mischief Score¡ªnow at 21.


    Meanwhile, Pine Bloom, who had spent the entire time cutting vegetables, had only raised her score by one point.


    Rita had been multi-tasking like crazy, alternating between dumping kitchen scraps and mopping the floor, maximizing her efficiency.


    She stopped and calmly explained to Marmang-Crab:


    "Sorry. Once we open, I''ll be too busy to move. My rule requires me to keep my Mischief Score from getting too low. I can''t afford to be penalized for three entire Starsea days."


    "Besides, you''re our strongest fighter. If you have to go out and farm Mischief Score later, who''s going to handle the cleaning? It''ll fall on us, right?"


    Marmang-Crab lowered its pincers.


    "...Fair point."


    Especially since whatever it had been doing outside had already boosted its Mischief Score to 87.


    At this rate, it could afford to share some points with the team.


    Most importantly, restaurant popularity depended on the total Mischief Score¡ªso it didn''t matter who had how much, as long as the total was high.


    Rita smiled. "You''re the most reasonable Stage 17 powerhouse I''ve ever met."


    She had been prepared for things to turn ugly¡ªin which case, she would have used Master Thief Dragon to rewind time.


    But she had a hunch she wouldn''t need to.


    Marmang-Crab, after all, was a Stage 17 Demon King with the title¡ª


    "Let''s Be Reasonable."


    A good crab, indeed.


    Pine Bloom wiped her hands.


    "I''m heading out to farm Mischief Score."


    Then, she vanished.


    Now, Marmang-Crab was the one staying behind.


    With such cooperative and self-aware teammates, Rita was in a great mood.


    She focused on preparing ingredients for the restaurant opening.


    Time was running short, so she used [Shadow Control] to split off a shadow clone, letting it handle simpler tasks.


    Meanwhile, other players¡ªwho had figured out the Mischief Score mechanic¡ªtried to ambush their restaurant, but Marmang-Crab effortlessly drove them away.


    While Pine Bloom was out farming Mischief Score, Rita snuck up to the front counter and shouted outside:


    "Come check out our fresh rice cakes and grilled meat!"


    Then, she hurried back to check their Mischief Score¡ª


    It had gone up by 1!


    But before she could celebrate, something hit the back of her head.


    Not hard enough to do damage, but enough to get her attention.


    She looked down.


    A green feather lay at her feet.


    The item description showed nothing suspicious.


    Rita: "Scan this. No hidden effects, right?"


    B80234615: "No issues. But why are you keeping it?"


    Rita: "Can''t you guess?"


    B80234615: "Oh, I can guess. But the idea is so devious, I refuse to believe it."


    Rita: "Selling it to Lidian at a ridiculous price is devious? If I don''t sell it to her, she''ll throw a fit!"


    B80234615: "...That''s fair."


    ¡ª


    Starsea Calendar 6798, February 15, 1:00 AM.


    A deep, whale-like sound echoed through the Chaotic Restaurant food street.


    At the edge of the starry sky, countless dark figures appeared.


    Pine Bloom sat behind the cash register, perched on a high stool she had conjured, sipping an icy drink Rita had made for her.


    Marmang-Crab held a cleaning machine, tidying up the aftermath of Rita''s cooking.


    Black SpringMud Bears waited for income, unable to leave for supplies until the restaurant started making money.


    Rita worked at lightning speed, plating one dish after another and setting them on the serving table between the kitchen and cashier.


    Next to her, a plate of sashimi-like dish began complaining loudly:


    "Too thick! Too thick! You should''ve sliced me 0.01mm thinner! And soak me in glacier water for five minutes to activate my full flavor! Oh, and if you''re generous, sprinkle a tiny bit of Ghost Sugar on me!"


    Ghost Sugar?


    There was only one tiny jar in the whole kitchen¡ªbarely the size of her pinky.


    Rita placed the dish (69% Deliciousness) on the serving table, then used [This Life is Unbearable] on another plate.


    More complaints erupted.


    No one knew what kind of customers were coming.


    If players were fighting over Mischief Score, then...


    Wouldn''t customers be dangerous too?


    What if they didn''t like the food and decided to beat up the chef?

 Chapter 487: 486: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 7

    At this moment, all players had returned to their respective restaurants.


    Pine Bloom placed a selection of her favorite fast-food dishes on the cashier counter.


    Beside her was a menu handwritten by Rita, though prices had yet to be set.


    At least, there were no official prices for their team.


    Marmang-Crab, having spent the longest time in the World Battlefield, had seen countless cosmic beings and even bought food in similar games before.


    But with so many different currencies in the universe, even he couldn''t set prices accurately.


    As Rita prepared drinks, she silently asked B80234615:


    "Even you can''t determine prices?"


    B80234615: "Nope. Every cosmic species has its own currency. And more than that, they have different personalities."


    "In this game, the difficulty of the [Cashier] role lies in negotiating with customers, trying to obtain currency equivalent to the food''s value, and ensuring the restaurant doesn''t go bankrupt¡ªor at least has enough funds to buy more ingredients."


    The [Chef] role was challenging because it required handling unfamiliar ingredients and turning them into high-quality dishes.


    So far, Rita hadn''t wasted a single ingredient.


    If she hadn''t had B80234615''s assistance, she would''ve burned through their stock, leaving the restaurant unable to afford a second restock¡ªgetting stuck right at the start.


    This wasn''t just a theory¡ªjust before opening, several waves of players had tried to steal her finished dishes.


    Marmang-Crab and the others had worked together to drive them off.


    But then, what were the challenges for the [Cleaner] and [Supplier] roles?


    Rita glanced at Pine Bloom, who was calmly reading the menu at the register.


    She didn''t look the slightest bit nervous.


    [Pine Bloom ¨C Stage 15 ¨C 100%©§100%©§Mind Like Still Water©§Taboo: To Be Forgotten by the World©§Weakness: None]


    No weaknesses?


    That was impossible.


    Suddenly, B80234615''s voice rang in her mind:


    "You''re focusing on her too much."


    Rita''s heart skipped a beat.


    She was right.


    When had she ever paid this much attention to a non-human player?


    Marmang-Crab and Black SpringMud Bears were also right there, so why was she constantly watching Pine Bloom?


    She subtly glanced at Marmang-Crab and Black SpringMud Bears¡ªboth were minding their own business, focused on the shadows shifting in the starry sky.


    Rita: "Something''s off. Haven''t you broken through her disguise yet?"


    B80234615: "Nope. That other mechanical race chip isn''t weaker than me."


    Rita: "Didn''t you say you were special?"


    B80234615: "Oh, that place? Gods visit there all the time."


    Rita: "...You''re telling me gods are just hanging out with mechanical race chips for fun?!"


    ¡ª


    The customers finally arrived.


    Rita''s restaurant was farther inside the food street, and when she had scouted earlier, she couldn''t even see the street''s end.


    But fortunately, customers weren''t starting from the entrance¡ªthey seemed to have their own selection criteria.


    A customer shrouded in mist landed at their restaurant''s entrance.


    Rita, Marmang-Crab, and Black SpringMud Bears instinctively took a few steps forward, watching as Pine Bloom faced off with the customer.


    Pine Bloom pushed forward several samples, saying nothing about the price.


    Instead, she casually picked up a piece of fruit jerky Rita had enchanted and took a bite herself.


    The mist-covered customer extended a hooked appendage, grabbed a piece of grilled meat, and dragged it into the mist.


    A disgusting chewing sound followed¡ªyet Rita inexplicably felt a wave of satisfaction.


    It wasn''t her own emotion.


    The customer finished the samples, then silently turned to leave.


    THUD.


    A massive white warhammer, almost as tall as Rita herself, slammed into the ground in front of the customer, blocking its path.


    The hammer''s intricate magic inscriptions glowed with a soft green light.


    Pine Bloom spoke a strange-sounding word.


    B80234615 immediately translated:


    "Ancient Mist Language. It means ''Pay up.''"


    Marmang-Crab and Black SpringMud Bears rushed over, standing at the entrance like a pair of debt collectors.


    They weren''t the only ones dealing with dine-and-dashers¡ªother restaurants had similar problems.


    B80234615: "Aren''t you going to help?"


    Rita: "...What am I supposed to do? Deliver the check?"


    Despite her words, she still stepped forward.


    They were a team, and she needed to show some presence.


    Rolling up her sleeves, she stood behind Pine Bloom, effectively shielding the beautiful Owl Empress from view.


    B80234615: "Sigh."


    Rita: "Nope. Not listening. I''ve decided I don''t like your commentary anymore!"


    B80234615: "Alright, alright."


    Pine Bloom neither turned around nor told her to leave.


    She didn''t even seem annoyed¡ªin fact, her wings slightly spread, shielding Rita completely.


    Rita: "..."


    Lidian, maybe I can''t blame you for everything...


    If Maple Syrup or Mistblade were here, they would have ignored her at best¡ªor charged her for "protection fees" afterward.


    But Pine Bloom...


    Even surrounded by teammates, the misty customer remained calm, speaking in rapid, unintelligible speech.


    The moment it finished talking¡ª


    Rita''s game rule triggered.


    B80234615: "It said the food was bad."


    Rita tried to confirm:


    "I have a rule that says customers can''t give my food a bad rating?"


    Correct.


    Her Rule #4 lit up.


    A terrible rule.


    No chef could satisfy every customer''s taste.


    Some rules were impossible to avoid, even when she knew about them.


    For example:


    [Rule 26: At least 100 dishes must be washed per hour.]


    She had already given up on this one.


    She had tested washing one dish earlier, and Marmang-Crab''s Mischief Score had instantly dropped by 1.


    If she washed 100 dishes, his score would hit zero.


    If she actually did that, she would completely alienate the team''s strongest player.


    A bit of point-leeching was fine¡ªMarmang-Crab wouldn''t be petty about it.


    But if she drained 100 points, that would be pushing it too far.


    She could afford to take one penalty per hour.


    ¡ª


    Meanwhile, Pine Bloom continued negotiating in Ancient Mist Language.


    She spoke slowly, and Rita suspected she was repeating whatever her mechanical race chip was feeding her.


    When it became clear that negotiations were failing, Pine Bloom prepared to let the customer go.


    She wasn''t willing to take the risk of attacking first¡ªnot without knowing the consequences.


    Just like with the Mischief Score, she had sent Marmang-Crab to test the waters first.


    But then¡ª


    Several players a few restaurants away killed a customer.


    All nearby players turned to watch.


    The moment the customer died, it dropped a pile of strange currency¡ªand the players gained additional benefits!


    Rita couldn''t see the exact rewards, but Pine Bloom did.


    Without hesitation, she lifted her warhammer and swung it down on the misty figure.


    Marmang-Crab and Black SpringMud Bears joined in instantly.


    Rita stayed put.


    She knew she wouldn''t be able to steal the kill¡ªso it was better to observe.


    Within seconds, the misty customer was obliterated.


    But just as it dispersed, Pine Bloom visibly stiffened for a brief moment.

 Chapter 488: 487: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 8

    Rita''s eyes widened¡ªPine Bloom''s status had changed.


    She had gained a weakness.


    [Pine Bloom ¨C Stage 15 ¨C 100%©§100%©§Mind Like Still Water©§Taboo: To Be Forgotten by the World©§Weakness: Mirror Reversal]


    Mirror Reversal?


    That was a devastating combat weakness.


    If she tried to move her left hand, her right hand would react instead.


    If she dodged left, her body would veer right.


    Everything would be flipped, as if she were moving inside a mirror.


    Back when Rita trained at Golden Tree Withered Leaf, she had practiced fighting against mirror reversal.


    But overcoming reflexes was nearly impossible.


    It went against every natural instinct¡ªeven after completing the training, all she could do was barely dodge, never fight as she normally would.


    What about the other two teammates?


    [Marmang-Crab ¨C Stage 17 ¨C 100%©§100%©§?©§Taboo: ?©§Weakness: ?]


    [Black SpringMud Bears ¨C Stage 15 ¨C 100%©§100%©§Hates Maple Syrup. Hates Maple Syrup. Hates Maple Syrup©§Taboo: Crushing Teddy Bear Cookies©§Weakness: The phrase "I''ll turn you into a teddy bear cookie" is an instant psychological break]


    She still couldn''t read Marmang-Crab''s stats.


    As for Black SpringMud Bears... his entire profile was just red flags.


    Honestly, from the moment she first saw him, she had been avoiding eye contact¡ªafraid of getting dragged into whatever grudge he had with Maple Syrup.


    Luckily, he was rational.


    He understood Maple Syrup''s personality and recognized the BS and Lania Kaia connection.


    Instead of taking it out on her, he had even warned her to stay cautious around Maple Syrup, lest she end up turned into a cookie.


    Right now, his bear face was grinning¡ª


    He had gained something from the battle!


    Marmang-Crab also looked pleased.


    Rita had a bad feeling.


    She sniffed the air, only to realize that the rich aromas of sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami¡ªwhich had been lingering in the kitchen just moments ago¡ªwere fading rapidly.


    By the time she noticed, they had completely vanished.


    She opened her status panel.


    A new debuff had appeared.


    [Olfactory Loss] (02:00:00)


    Two hours.


    Pine Bloom, looking completely unfazed, casually flicked her wings¡ªsending the scattered metal pieces from the defeated mist creature floating over to Black SpringMud Bears.


    Rita returned to the kitchen.


    A new stat had appeared under Cleanliness and Mischief Score:


    [Revenue]: 17¡ô23¡ó


    She couldn''t recognize the currency, but the game had unified all exchanges into this standard unit.


    The leaderboard had updated¡ª


    Their team, led by Marmang-Crab, had climbed to 9,000+ place.


    ¡ª


    As the game''s mechanics became clearer, the food street turned lively.


    Black SpringMud Bears left every few minutes, stirring up trouble to farm Mischief Score.


    Pine Bloom handled the register, while Marmang-Crab guarded the restaurant.


    Rita focused entirely on cooking.


    The olfactory loss affected her slightly, but it wasn''t crippling.


    Still, worried that more unexpected problems might arise, she hurried to turn all their remaining ingredients into dishes.


    Not every customer was as unreasonable as the mist creature.


    And Pine Bloom didn''t always have to use her warhammer to negotiate payments.


    Most notably¡ª"Mirror Reversal" didn''t seem to affect Pine Bloom at all.


    Her warhammer still moved with precision, leaving afterimages.


    Rita could hear the powerful whooshing of air every time she swung it.


    Her dodging remained as agile as ever, effortlessly evading enemy skills.


    Yet, the weakness hadn''t disappeared¡ªRita was certain of that.


    By the time she had transformed all the ingredients into a variety of small dishes and snacks, their restaurant''s Mischief Score had surpassed 1,000, and their revenue had climbed to 89¡ô2¡ó.


    Black SpringMud Bears returned from causing havoc, his HP down to just 15%, but his face was filled with satisfaction.


    For once, the usual brooding weight on his bear-like features had lifted.


    He turned to Rita, the only teammate he could communicate with, and shared intel:


    "Players have a minimum Mischief Score¡ªno matter how much is stolen, it can never drop below 0.


    But if a restaurant''s Mischief Score is drained too quickly, it will be forced to shut down.


    And there''s a limit to how long we can cause trouble at any given restaurant¡ªwe can only stay for five seconds."


    The huge Autumn Bear sat beside her, his height equal to her standing figure.


    After speaking, he placed some stolen ingredients in front of her.


    "Here. Stole these. Make something with them. Can you make something sweet?"


    Rita was hungry too.


    Despite only three hours passing, their energy consumption was abnormally high, just like in the Abandoned Zone.


    She didn''t refuse¡ª


    She couldn''t add sugar, but she could use naturally sweet fruits.


    Meanwhile, Pine Bloom never turned around¡ªbut every so often, a gust of wind would sweep a plated dish from the counter to a waiting customer.


    Without looking, she would toss the received currency behind her¡ª


    Perfectly landing it in a handmade wooden basket on the table.


    Marmang-Crab had left to farm Mischief Score.


    Rita called over to Pine Bloom:


    "Pine Bloom, what do you want to eat?"


    Pine Bloom tilted her head slightly and shook the piece of fruit jerky in her hand.


    "More of this."


    Rita glanced at the stolen ingredients Black SpringMud Bears had brought back and nodded.


    "Got it."


    The moment she finished speaking, Rita moved.


    From the start of the game until now, she hadn''t done many reckless things.


    But there had been a few¡ª


    Like stealing Mischief Score behind Marmang-Crab''s back while he was out farming.


    Her [Sinful Act] skill had already stacked three layers of lightning shields.


    As soon as she answered Pine Bloom''s request, a vision flashed through her mind¡ª


    In two seconds, a dagger would slit her throat.


    Rita''s form blurred¡ª


    A dense mist exploded within the restaurant.


    But just as the mist began spreading, something interrupted it¡ªforcing her back into her physical form.


    At the same time, both Black SpringMud Bears and Pine Bloom reacted.


    A phantom bear claw and a pure white warhammer smashed into a small airborne figure.


    Stage 17 player¡ªNuclear Flash Pear.


    Two Stage 15 players versus a Stage 17 opponent.


    This was not a fight Rita could participate in¡ª


    She instantly retreated to a corner.


    But before she could escape, an invisible force yanked her back into the battlefield.


    Pine Bloom had grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her forward.


    Standing directly behind her, Pine Bloom''s left hand gripped the warhammer, planted into the ground.


    Her right arm wrapped around Rita, locking her in place.


    Her forearm pressed against Rita''s throat, tilting her head just slightly upward¡ªforcing her to look up at Nuclear Flash Pear.


    The enemy was charging a massive AoE attack, a shield protecting their body.


    Black SpringMud Bears had already given up attacking, focusing on stacking his own shields instead.


    Pine Bloom''s face was close, her voice soft, almost playful.


    At that exact moment, Rita''s olfactory loss debuff expired.


    She smelled roses¡ªPine Bloom''s scent.


    Then, Pine Bloom murmured sweetly into her ear¡ª


    "BS Rita~ Forgive my curiosity, but I just have to know¡ªdid you get your hands on Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s Bedtime Tale, too?"

 Chapter 489: 488: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 9

    A few seconds later, Marmang-Crab rushed back, having received the team death notification.


    The restaurant was a mess.


    Of the previously full table of dishes, only one-third remained.


    On the floor lay the corpse of Black SpringMud Bears.


    Lania Kaia Pine Bloom was calmly wiping her warhammer¡ª


    Not because she had taken damage. BS Rita had absorbed the hit for her.


    But because, by sheer bad luck, the enemy''s skill had countered the magical inscriptions on her warhammer.


    The magic circuits had been severed¡ªshe''d need a specialist to repair it later.


    The most absurd sight, however, was BS Rita.


    She stood there, face a mix of shock, disbelief, and pure bewilderment.


    Her expression screamed "I HAVE SEEN IT ALL."


    Yet, despite that, she was laughing and clapping like a lunatic.


    Marmang-Crab, still processing the chaos, asked in Sky-Crab language:


    "What the hell happened?"


    Rita kept laughing and clapping for a few more seconds¡ªmaking absolutely sure she wouldn''t trigger a rule violation¡ª


    Then, she pointed at Pine Bloom, utterly speechless for the first time in her life.


    SHE HAD BEEN USED AS A SHIELD.


    For the first time ever, Rita couldn''t find the words.


    She hadn''t even bothered to turn off her passive skill [Bedtime Tale] in her personal settings.


    There was no point¡ªit was a survival ability.


    What, was she supposed to die in front of Pine Bloom just to keep it secret?


    That would be the dumbest thing ever.


    Pine Bloom, completely unfazed, simply smiled and cast a healing spell on Rita, instantly restoring her to full HP.


    Then, her expression shifted¡ª


    From playful and amused to dead serious.


    Without hesitation, she got to work, radiating a "We have important things to do" aura.


    Rita was beyond furious.


    She took deep breath after deep breath.


    B80234615: "Damn, she''s like an upgraded version of you. So infuriating."


    Rita: "WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?! DO YOU THINK I''D EVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!"


    B80234615: "My calculations say there''s a 100% chance you would. Want me to tweak the data to make you feel better?"


    Rita was about to retort¡ªno, she wanted to yell at Pine Bloom.


    But then, Pine Bloom glanced at the nearly empty serving table.


    Not enough food.


    Worse¡ªall their ingredients had been stolen.


    She pointed at the corpse of Black SpringMud Bears on the floor.


    "Well, we''re out of ingredients. Can we use this?"


    ¡ª


    In the revival room, where Black SpringMud Bears was selecting an S-tier skill for his respawn,


    he suddenly shivered.


    A very bad feeling crept over him.


    ¡ª


    Rita: "..."


    All her anger vanished in an instant.


    What the hell just happened?


    Was it even possible to be mad when your teammate was THIS insane?


    She had previously thought about the possibility of using a teammate as food¡ª


    But only in theory.


    Even when she first saw Marmang-Crab and Black SpringMud Bears, she had jokingly thought "Wow, food supplies".


    But she swore on her life¡ªshe had never actually considered cooking a sentient being.


    ¡ª


    And then she remembered Black Jade.


    ...She wasn''t afraid of divine punishment, so she casually added an exception to her mental oath.


    "That wasn''t a sentient being. That was an SSS-rank skill carrier."


    ¡ª


    Meanwhile, Pine Bloom didn''t hesitate for a second.


    She even turned to Rita and seriously asked:


    "Would it taste good? Can we make it into cookies?"


    ¡ª


    Rita refused to answer.


    This hellish joke was too dangerous.


    For all she knew, Black SpringMud Bears could still hear them.


    And if he revived knowing what she said¡ª


    His first instinct would be to beat her to death.


    ¡ª


    With a perfectly neutral expression, she translated Pine Bloom''s horrifying suggestion into Sky-Crab language.


    Marmang-Crab, at least, took it relatively well.


    The Marmang Undersea World was a place where predation was the norm¡ªevery species was just another link in the food chain.


    But even for him, Pine Bloom''s "turn a teammate into dinner" proposal sent a chill down his exoskeleton.


    The friendly teamwork atmosphere from earlier suddenly felt like an illusion.


    ¡ª


    Just an hour ago,


    Pine Bloom had made each of them a custom hat for decoration while waiting for customers.


    Now, she was casually suggesting cannibalism.


    ¡ª


    Marmang-Crab''s gaze shifted to BS Rita.


    Her hat was gone.


    Her clothes were in tatters, barely hanging onto her body after the earlier attack.


    She was casting a cleaning spell on herself, wiping away the bloodstains.


    And then¡ª


    Green leaves swirled around her.


    Layer after layer, they wove together, forming a perfectly tailored, dark green robe.


    The sleeves and pant cuffs were tightened, making it ideal for both cooking and combat.


    The fabric bore elegant black patterns, subtly embroidered.


    A light brown belt sat at her waist, equipped with slots for weapons and potion vials.


    Pine Bloom had made it.


    She, who was slightly taller than Rita, leaned forward, meeting Rita''s gaze directly.


    Smiling, she offered:


    "Consider this an apology."


    Rita touched the robe, reading the status information.


    [Ballroom Formalwear] (Temporary): This garment contains Pine Bloom''s custom ballroom rules. Whenever your HP falls below 80%, it will automatically activate the embedded healing skill, restoring you until the ballroom event ends. (Duration: 3 Starsea days.)


    Rita''s expression remained neutral.


    She wanted to say something.


    But in the end, she only smiled slightly and said nothing.


    Pine Bloom wasn''t offended.


    Just as she hadn''t cared whether Rita got angry about being used as a shield,


    She also didn''t care whether Rita accepted the apology or not.


    She moved as she pleased, alternating between kindness and cruelty, impossible to predict.


    Straightening up, she began discussing ingredient solutions with Marmang-Crab.


    Somehow, she had produced a wooden basket filled with various currencies¡ªthe same basket she had secretly stashed away earlier.


    ¡ª


    Meanwhile, Rita translated the conversation as usual, but inside, she was chatting with her pet AI.


    Rita: "Do you get the feeling that, ever since we met, she''s been trying to train me?"


    B80234615: "Yes. Definite signs of conditioning."


    Rita: "Yeah... but why?"


    B80234615 didn''t answer.


    It knew Rita wasn''t looking for an answer¡ªjust thinking aloud.


    After a moment of silence, Rita could only conclude:


    "Maybe it''s just her personality. Or maybe... it''s because of Maple Syrup and Mistblade. Maybe she''s just curious about me."


    She sighed internally.


    "It''s like training a dog. Give a little reward, then a little punishment, then another reward¡ªall carefully balanced.


    Not too much, not too little.


    Even when she had used me as a shield, she had clearly explained her reason.


    She even sounded like she already knew my passive only takes 30% HP.


    Like it was just a harmless prank between friends.


    B80234615: "But you noticed it."


    Rita: "Because she didn''t hide it. She didn''t care if I noticed or not."


    B80234615: "...I suddenly don''t want to process this anymore. My system is telling me this is a bad situation."


    Rita: "..."


    B80234615: "Lidian, is that you?"


    Rita: "I''M FINE. SAY THAT AGAIN AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS."


    B80234615: "Okay, Lidian. Just let go of BS Rita, and I won''t call you that anymore."


    Rita: "#@$%#@!!"

 Chapter 490: 489: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 10

    Before Marmang-Crab and Pine Bloom could finalize a plan, Black SpringMud Bears suddenly revived.


    The corpse on the floor opened its eyes.


    The first thing Black SpringMud Bears saw after regaining consciousness was Pine Bloom holding a knife over his stomach, casually gesturing with it as she spoke to BS Rita and Marmang-Crab.


    Sitting up, his wounds fully healed, he pointed at Pine Bloom, his voice calm as he asked in Autumn Bear language, "What was she saying just now?"


    Rita hesitated.


    She had just asked if Autumn Bear skin would make a good material for boots for her and Marmang-Crab.


    There was no way she could say that out loud.


    Before she could come up with a lie, Black SpringMud Bears added casually, "I have a lie-detection skill."


    Rita slowly, in perfect Autumn Bear language, said, "She was asking if she could use Autumn Bear skin to make a new pair of boots for Marmang-Crab."


    Pine Bloom''s lips curved slightly. Her mechanical race chip understood Autumn Bear language, but she didn''t expose Rita''s translation choice.


    Black SpringMud Bears didn''t dwell on it either. He had more pressing concerns and immediately shared information. "The cost of revival isn''t too bad. Just one S-tier skill or three A-tier skills."


    Neither Pine Bloom nor Marmang-Crab reacted much. To high-ranking players like them, the difference between one S-tier skill and three S-tier skills was insignificant. S-tier skills were to them what B-tier skills were to Rita.


    Rita, on the other hand, felt relieved. If dying wasn''t as costly as she had feared, that meant she could afford to take a few more risks.


    With their team back at full strength, the restaurant resumed operations.


    Marmang-Crab stayed behind to guard the place, while Rita moved to the front to serve customers. Pine Bloom left to steal ingredients and farm Mischief Score.


    Black SpringMud Bears had planned to go with her, but Pine Bloom had another idea.


    "Right now, everyone is fighting over ingredients. But once supplies start running out¡ªeither from being stolen or destroyed¡ªplayers will start flocking to the supply hub. You''d be better off going now before that happens."


    It made sense, so Black SpringMud Bears memorized the map and set off.


    For the past four hours, Rita hadn''t eaten. She had been preparing food before the assassination attempt, and now that everyone had left, she decided to find a way around her game restrictions.


    She turned to Marmang-Crab for help. "Senior, can you do me a small favor?"


    Marmang-Crab''s eyestalks twitched, but he didn''t refuse. "What is it?"


    Rita pointed to a yellow fruit on the table. "Just cut this however you like, then drizzle some yuzu juice over it."


    She could only eat food made by her teammates, and since she was restricted to a vegetarian diet in this game, a simple fruit salad was the easiest solution.


    Marmang-Crab prepared it for her, then casually said, "I need a soup that''s both sweet and salty."


    Rita nodded. "Any preference? Meat, seafood, or vegetable-based?"


    "Seafood."


    The two of them sat behind the counter, eating while keeping an eye on the restaurant. Occasionally, they even chatted.


    Marmang-Crab was, in many ways, an interesting crab. Just like when she had first encountered him in a kart-racing game, he didn''t have that condescending attitude some strong players had toward weaker ones.


    Thinking about it, she realized that even Pine Bloom and Black SpringMud Bears hadn''t been outright hostile toward her. They treated her as a functional part of the game, but they hadn''t ignored her or bullied her.


    She couldn''t help but vent to B80234615.


    "Honestly? I don''t think I got that unlucky with my teammates. They''re not bad... okay, Pine Bloom aside."


    "That''s because it''s you. If you were just a Stage 7 nobody, this would be a different story. Do you really think they''re naturally nice people?"


    "Huh?"


    "Have you not realized how famous you are in the World Battlefield?"


    "Explain."


    "You rose to power at an alarming rate. No one else has climbed to Stage 7 so fast, earned a title, stolen Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s talent, and gotten entangled with Maple Syrup and Mistblade in just a few games."


    "There are no fools here. Everyone knows you''ll be standing at the same level as them soon. No one will underestimate you anymore."


    "In a cooperative game, they won''t randomly trample your dignity."


    Rita finished the thought herself. "And in a competitive game... they won''t take me lightly either, right?"


    "Your clarity of thought never ceases to impress me."


    Before Rita could respond, a massive, mountain-sized creature resembling an octopus approached the counter. One of its tentacles pointed at Marmang-Crab. It spoke in a deep, garbled voice.


    B80234615 translated immediately. "Is it for sale?"


    Rita was tempted to sell Marmang-Crab on the spot.


    But that wasn''t her call to make, so she translated for him instead. "It wants to buy you."


    Marmang-Crab let out a cold laugh. Then, from his relaxed, sprawled position, he suddenly stood up, prepared to crush the customer on the spot.


    But then¡ªhis detection skill activated.


    The results came back.


    The octopus'' combat power was equivalent to Stage 19.


    Marmang-Crab froze.


    A second later, he sat back down, smiled goofily, and said, "Reject it for me. Politely."


    Rita relayed the message, picking up the language from B80234615 on the spot. She responded in not-so-fluent speech, "Sorry, it''s not for sale."


    But the customer ignored her response and asked again.


    Rita refused again. She could tell that this customer wasn''t backing down, and if it kept asking, she would eventually violate her game rules.


    She whispered to Marmang-Crab, "Maybe... you should just go with it?"


    Before he could explode, she quickly added, "I''ll take the money here, and you can just run away once you''re ''sold.''"


    Marmang-Crab glared at her. "Why don''t YOU go with it?!"


    Rita scoffed. "It''s not trying to buy me!"


    The moment the words left her mouth, another tentacle suddenly pointed at her.


    Marmang-Crab perked up immediately. "Hey! Did it change its mind? Is it trying to buy YOU now?"


    B80234615 updated her. "It''s asking if it can buy Marmang-Crab... with you included as a free bonus."


    Rita blinked. "Excuse me?"


    She turned to Marmang-Crab. "It wants to buy you... and get me as a freebie."


    Marmang-Crab didn''t hesitate for a second. "Tell it¡ªno need to buy me. It can just take you for free."


    Rita''s face twitched. Just as she was about to yell at him, a smooth, chilling voice spoke in Sky-Crab language.


    "That''s acceptable."


    Both Rita and Marmang-Crab froze.


    A second later, a tentacle wrapped around Rita, binding her from shoulders to ankles.


    Before she could react, she was hoisted onto the octopus'' back.


    Rita: "???"

 Chapter 491: 490: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 11

    Marmang-Crab leaped onto the table, his voice booming across the restaurant.


    Rita wasn''t the least bit moved. She could already guess exactly what that crab was about to say.


    "Give us the money!!" Marmang-Crab roared.


    Rita scoffed. She knew it. Not a single soul in this restaurant had a shred of integrity.


    She was about to use Master Thief Dragon to escape, planning to rewind time and hide in the kitchen before customers arrived.


    But before she activated her ability, she cast a skill on the octopus-like customer carrying her¡ª[I Just Want to Improve So Badly].


    Until now, she hadn''t used this skill on any of the customers.


    These cosmic beings were too unpredictable¡ªsome were formless, others radiated toxic energy from a distance, and some didn''t even display basic information like health or mana.


    When stealing, the most important thing wasn''t just getting the loot¡ªit was getting away afterward. And right now, she had nowhere to run.


    She had been holding back to avoid drawing unnecessary trouble to the restaurant. If she wrecked their business, the other three teammates would absolutely hunt her down for payback.


    But now, she had nothing to lose.


    As for time manipulation...


    That was where B80234615 came in handy.


    More than once, while she was busy working, B80234615 would suddenly warn her, "The timestream just rippled. Someone used a time skill."


    And it wasn''t rare. The game had only been running for half a day, and it had already happened over twenty times.


    With so many high-level players in the same area, it was inevitable.


    Even though time skills were incredibly rare, with tens of thousands of divine players gathered in one place, the number of users wasn''t small.


    She didn''t even have to bet on it¡ªjust like what had happened in her fight against Jameson. Back then, too many time abilities had been used at once, creating a chaotic timeflow that eventually locked out all time skills.


    That scenario was bound to repeat itself.


    B80234615 had been invaluable in helping her track these fluctuations. The only downside was that it refused to reveal which players had time abilities.


    "This concerns the privacy of Divine Game players," B80234615 explained. "I can''t give you a direct list. However, when you encounter divine players, I can help you scan their information and provide knowledge about the World Battlefield. But I can''t just hand you names. Do you understand the difference?"


    Rita understood.


    One option was directly sharing a database. The other was searching through available data when necessary.


    She asked, "Even though you''re my pet now?"


    "Even though I belong to you now," B80234615 replied.


    "Great. That''s just great."


    B80234615 simply responded, "Yes."


    At the very least, this meant that other mechanical race chip users also couldn''t access her private information.


    And the fact that B80234615 could detect when time abilities were being used in her vicinity was already a huge advantage.


    Just from this, Rita had decided¡ªunless absolutely necessary, she wouldn''t use her time skill. The less she used it, the shorter the duration of any time-lock penalties in case of another timeflow disruption.


    But right now was absolutely necessary.


    She attempted [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] nine times in a row¡ªbut every single attempt failed.


    That almost never happened.


    It was clear that something was interfering.


    Rita didn''t mind, though. The robe Pine Bloom had given her was constantly healing her, so it wasn''t like she was losing anything.


    Meanwhile, Marmang-Crab had already started counting the money. Holding a handful of ancient-looking fossils, he carefully confirmed that they were valid currency that could be registered in the restaurant''s revenue.


    Satisfied, he waved his claw at the octopus customer. "Please come again."


    A moment later, Marmang-Crab was also tied up.


    "...Huh?"


    Rita was about to abandon her skill and activate Master Thief Dragon when B80234615 spoke up in her mind.


    "The timestream has rippled again. Not just once."


    She paused. "You mean multiple people are using time skills at the same time?"


    "Not just multiple players¡ªsome are using it repeatedly."


    "How many players just used time skills? What''s the highest number of times someone used it in a row?"


    "In the last ten seconds, 31 players activated time abilities. The highest repeated usage by a single player was seven times."


    Rita''s thoughts moved at lightning speed.


    She immediately abandoned the idea of using time skills.


    Something major was happening. That many high-level players wouldn''t all be rewinding time at the same moment unless the situation was critical.


    Of course, it was possible that some of them were clueless¡ªplayers who had never encountered a timeflow disruption before and didn''t realize that messing with time too much would trigger consequences.


    But the odds of that were slim.


    For the first few hours of the game, players had been extremely conservative with their time abilities. In total, time skills had only been used a little over twenty times.


    And now? Over thirty in just ten seconds?


    She had to assume the worst.


    Rita completely relaxed, deciding to just ride this out with the octopus customer.


    If it hadn''t eaten her immediately, then she still had room to maneuver.


    And besides, Marmang-Crab was here too.


    Turning to the crab, now tied up beside her, she smiled. "What a coincidence. Shouldn''t you be asking for money too?"


    Marmang-Crab, who had been cursing nonstop, froze for a moment¡ªthen immediately yelled at the octopus, "PAY UP! THROW THE MONEY ON THE TABLE! OR I''LL DIE RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF YOU!"


    The customer, already several meters away, suddenly stopped walking.


    Then, to Rita''s utter shock, it actually turned back and dropped some money on the counter.


    Not only that, but it even set up a protective barrier around the payment.


    A silver thread rose from the shield, linking itself to the painting on the restaurant wall¡ªa picture of a crab and a little human figure.


    B80234615 quickly explained, "That barrier can only be opened by the creator of the painting."


    As Rita processed this, she started to get a feel for the octopus customer''s personality.


    She decided to test something.


    Switching to Sky-Crab language, she asked, "Senior, since you''ve taken me with you, does that mean I''m your employee now? Shouldn''t you pay me a salary?"


    Marmang-Crab stared at her with an expression that could only be described as pure bewilderment.


    The octopus didn''t respond right away.


    Then, after a few seconds, a small pouch of fossil currency floated into Rita''s hands.


    At the same time, the tentacle wrapped around her loosened slightly, only restraining her legs now while freeing her upper body.


    Catching the bag, Rita confirmed her suspicions.


    This customer was stubborn and domineering, but it wasn''t completely unreasonable.


    And it probably wasn''t planning to eat them.


    Marmang-Crab snapped out of his shock, instantly raising his claws and shouting:


    "BOSS¡ª!!!"

 Chapter 492: 491: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 12

    A few minutes later, Pine Bloom stood at the entrance of an empty restaurant, holding an armful of ingredients. Her gaze fell on the money left on the table, and she frowned in contemplation.


    She couldn''t help but ask the voice in her mind. "Y1148, did you really wipe out my teammates that fast?"


    "No," Y1148 replied. "In this lifetime, I only counter you."


    "...You don''t have to be that dedicated."


    "Time''s river has shifted again. That''s the 91st time."


    Pine Bloom chuckled. "It''s getting lively."


    "Are you going to find them?"


    "I''ll respect fate. I''ll wait for them to die and come back on their own." She paused, then added, "By the way, does BS Rita have a time skill?"


    "Unable to detect."


    Pine Bloom narrowed her eyes. "Where did she even come from? Is BS really that lucky?"


    "About as lucky as Forest Sea was back in the day. But based on my analysis, BS most likely consolidated their luck into a single entity."


    "...What?"


    "Back then, Forest Sea''s fortune was split among three Owl Sovereigns¡ªMaple Syrup, Peach Crown, and you. But BS has bet everything on BS Rita."


    Pine Bloom scoffed. "What about the Moon Fox clan? Did they distribute luck wholesale to all nine Moon Emperors?"


    "I admit, Snow Village took a gamble. But didn''t they win?"


    "Did they? Moon Fox only survives because of Mistblade. Flowering Edge and Burn Cup barely count as half each, and the rest of the Moon Emperors only cling to their divine player status. If not for that, they wouldn''t even bother stepping into the World Battlefield."


    She sneered. "The moment Mistblade dies, Moon Fox will fall apart."


    Y1148''s voice was smooth as ever. "Lucky you, baby, you don''t have that problem."


    Pine Bloom stiffened. "..."


    "...You..."


    "Hmm? Baby, you''re not upset, are you?"


    "I''m fine. I''m totally fine. I''m not upset at all."


    "You''re so strong, baby. You carry half of the Owlspeak clan on your back."


    "...I swear to god, you really need to stop talking..."


    She slumped lazily into the high chair behind the counter and began counting the money.


    She wasn''t sure where her teammates had been dragged off to, but judging by the protective enchantments on the currency, it had likely been left behind by the entity that took them.


    Not bad. So, teammates could be sold for money? Too bad Black SpringMud Bears wasn''t listed for sale in time.


    Just then, an explosion echoed from the far end of the food street.


    Though fights had been ongoing since the start of the game, this one was different.


    Along with the explosion came an official game notification.


    [Player-Created Dishes: 1,000,000 ¨C Requirement Met]


    [Food Street Visitor Count: 100,000 ¨C Requirement Met]


    [Player Deaths in Food Street: 10,000 ¨C Requirement Met]


    [All conditions met. Special Event Unlocked: "Is This Even Your Restaurant?"]


    [Event: "Is This Even Your Restaurant?"]


    [A chef is the heart of a restaurant. In two hours, Food Street will host a mandatory cooking competition for all restaurants.]


    [Visitors currently in Food Street may also enter if they bring a chef with them.]


    [At the end of the competition, restaurants will be reassigned based on rankings. Each restaurant may have no more than four employees.]


    [All current team formations have been reset. Initial job selections remain the same.]


    [Registration opens in one hour. Each team may have up to four members, including at least one chef.]


    [Current Restaurant Count: 12,745]


    [Current Players: 50,980]


    [Current Visitors: 49,325]


    Pine Bloom''s eyes widened.


    Wait. Visitors can fight players for restaurant ownership?!


    She bolted upright. "Where''s my chef?!"


    Y1148 taunted, "Respect fate."


    Ignoring its sarcasm, Pine Bloom threw up a massive barrier over her restaurant and soared into the air to search for BS Rita.


    If someone stronger than her came to steal her restaurant, the barrier wouldn''t hold for long. But most high-level players had their own sense of pride. They wouldn''t go after an abandoned restaurant¡ªit would look pathetic if someone caught them in the act and broadcasted it on the World Battlefield chat.


    Pine Bloom herself would rather fight a restaurant guarded by a strong player than waste time looting an empty one.


    However, the situation was far worse than she expected.


    She had planned to use the tracking enchantment on BS Rita''s Ballroom Formalwear to locate her, but something had severed her connection to it.


    Annoyed, she pulled up the World Chat while flying and finally decided to do something rare¡ªcall out for her chef.


    It turned out she wasn''t the only one looking.


    [Sakura¡¤Lizi]: Who would''ve thought?! My chef got kidnapped by a customer!


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom]: BS Rita, where are you?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: Oh?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Mistblade]: Oh?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: Oh?


    [Ball Li¡¤In Time]: Wait, Pine Bloom actually uses World Chat?


    [Tingo¡¤Green Bean]: She always could, but ever since some player tracked her location through it, she barely speaks here.


    [Winter Sea¡¤Whale Full]: Who the hell did that? That''s some next-level stalker behavior.


    [Nuclear Flash¡¤NightFury]: Me.


    [Ridge Tea¡¤Ikyo]: Winter Sea Whale Full, rest in peace. ¡Ï(¡ã©f¡ã)


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: Winter Sea Whale Full, rest in peace. ¡Ï(¡ã©f¡ã)


    [Tingo¡¤Green Bean]: Winter Sea Whale Full, rest in peace. ¡Ï(¡ã©f¡ã)


    [Black Spring¡¤Mud Bears]: What happened?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom]: She got bought.


    [Black Spring¡¤Mud Bears]: ???!!! What about the competition?! Where''s Marmang-Crab? He didn''t stop it?!


    [BS¡¤Rita]: He got bought too. He even asked the customer to leave the payment on the table.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: I just wanted to leave my teammates with some final wealth!


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom]: So it was too strong for him to fight off?


    [BS¡¤Rita]: The moment the customer offered to buy him, he didn''t even dare reject it loudly.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: I refused! I firmly and respectfully refused!


    [BS¡¤Rita]: Pine Bloom, are you still coming to find us?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom]: 15-stage Abyss Squad recruiting [Chef] and [Cleaner]. Interested players, fly into the sky and cast three consecutive ice-element skills.


    [Black Spring¡¤Mud Bears]: 15-stage Abyss Squad recruiting [Chef] and [Cleaner]. Interested players, contact Lania Kaia Pine Bloom.


    [BS¡¤Rita]: ...


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: ...WE''RE NOT DEAD YET!!!


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom]: There''s not much difference, baby.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom]: ...Never mind. Forget I said that.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: Sure thing, baby.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: Sure thing, baby.


    [Ridge Tea¡¤Ikyo]: Sure thing, baby.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: Pine Bloom... please don''t talk like that. I''m scared. Just find new teammates, it''s fine, baby.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom]: (Logging off.)

 Chapter 493: 492: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 13

    Rita laughed loudly from her perch on the octopus''s back, thoroughly enjoying the moment as Lania Kaia Pine Bloom was humiliated.


    There was nothing particularly wrong with the phrase Pine Bloom had used, but Rita could tell¡ªher reaction meant it wasn''t something she personally liked saying.


    If she had owned it with confidence, others might have been caught off guard by the sarcasm. But because her discomfort was so obvious, it just made the moment all the more ridiculous.


    Marmang-Crab was also laughing hysterically. "Damn, I wish I could see Lania Kaia Pine Bloom''s face right now!"


    Once the laughter settled, the crab''s expression turned serious as it considered the special event "Is This Even Your Restaurant?"


    After staring at Rita for a while, its gaze turned slightly critical¡ªthen resigned, before finally settling into quiet acceptance.


    Rita narrowed her eyes. "Spit it out."


    The octopus continued wandering leisurely through the street, its massive body taking up almost a third of the entire walkway.


    Marmang-Crab didn''t hold back. "Your cooking is good enough to run a restaurant, but in a competition... you''re gonna struggle. I doubt we''ll get a top-tier restaurant in the new distribution. Since the ranking determines the quality of restaurants, there are definitely going to be better and worse ones."


    Rita wasn''t offended. She knew Marmang-Crab was right.


    Her cooking talent was above average but not exceptional. She had spent at least 150 years in High Tower, constantly learning, just to stabilize her dish ratings above 92. Someone like Eleanor would have probably hit the peak of culinary mastery by now.


    And in the World Battlefield, a place full of prodigies, there were bound to be players whose divine gifts were directly related to cooking.


    Even the octopus''s initial purchase decision was revealing.


    It had originally only wanted to buy Marmang-Crab. It was only later that it asked if Marmang-Crab came with Rita as a freebie.


    Clearly, it had some pre-existing knowledge of the game mechanics and wasn''t impressed with Rita''s base-level cooking skill.


    However, if she were truly terrible, it wouldn''t have bothered dragging her along at all.


    Marmang-Crab was right¡ªshe wouldn''t be getting a top-tier restaurant in the reshuffle.


    "I have a skill," Rita said. "As long as I''m cooking and you intentionally mess things up, it''ll trigger my potential, temporarily increasing my cooking proficiency."


    [Chaos Kitchen] (S-Tier):


    When activated, this ability creates a "Chef''s Domain." Within this domain, if a completely incompetent individual continuously disrupts your cooking process, it will trigger your full potential. For six hours, you will cook at your absolute peak. Skill cooldown: Three natural days.


    With her ultimate ability boost, the description changed from "Trigger your full potential" to "Greatly enhance your culinary talent, allowing you to exceed your limits."


    Marmang-Crab looked at her skeptically. "Are you sure?"


    Rita wasn''t keen on explaining every detail of her skill, so she simply nodded. "I''m sure."


    The crab clicked its claws. "Alright then, I''ll do my best to ruin your kitchen later."


    As they spoke, both of them turned at the same time, sensing someone stopping nearby.


    Maple Syrup?


    She glanced at the octopus, her expression unreadable. Then she nodded at Rita. "What a coincidence."


    Without another word, she flew off.


    Both Marmang-Crab and Rita felt the subtle shift in the atmosphere.


    Looking around, they noticed that many visitors were now accompanied by one or two players¡ªone of whom always had the [Chef] job title.


    This explained the frequent time distortions.


    Either players had been kidnapped as chefs, forcing their teams to use time skills to get them back, or chefs had been stolen and were trying to escape their captors.


    Tension filled the air.


    The restaurant allocation had originally been perfectly balanced¡ªeach team of four had their own restaurant. 50,980 players managing 12,745 restaurants was a perfect fit.


    But now? 49,325 visitors had joined the mix.


    This meant 49,325 visitors + 50,980 players were now competing for 12,745 restaurants, with a maximum of four people per restaurant.


    At least 49,325 people would be left without a restaurant.


    For players, losing their restaurant meant no revenue¡ªessentially an instant loss.


    And worse, this wasn''t the end of the game.


    The event lasted three Starsea Days.


    Rita''s mind worked quickly.


    Restaurants had set business hours. Which meant they must also have closing hours.


    Did losing a restaurant mean losing shelter?


    Would something worse happen at night?


    Otherwise, why would visitors¡ªwho weren''t even part of Divine Game''s usual player reward system¡ªbe fighting so desperately for restaurants?


    Before she could dwell on it further, B80234615''s voice echoed in her mind.


    "That''s 100 times now."


    The moment it finished speaking, a system-wide notification popped up.


    [Time Disturbance: The timestream in this area has been excessively tampered with. It is becoming agitated. Players who have used time skills in this period will be penalized. Respect time as you would respect fate.]


    The phrase "becoming agitated" felt incredibly ominous.


    Rita immediately asked her pet AI, "If I use a time skill now, what happens?"


    "It will reset the count," B80234615 replied.


    Rita''s fingers clenched. "So, if the timestream is already irritated... will it get even more irritated next time? Does the penalty escalate?"


    "You already know the answer."


    "...So it does."


    This was bad news. And it was only the first day.


    At this rate, if the penalty started with a simple ban, what stopped it from eventually removing time abilities completely?


    She solidified her decision.


    She would rather lose an S-Tier skill and die once than use her time ability again.


    ...Wait.


    "Do death penalties escalate?"


    B80234615 hesitated, then responded.


    "Since my creation, I have participated in sixty cooperative-competitive Divine Games. In fifty-one of them, the death penalty increased after multiple deaths. In the remaining nine, the penalty remained the same but each death resulted in the loss of a World Graveyard."


    Rita inhaled sharply.


    "...I understand."


    She fell into deep thought, considering the long-term consequences of this game.


    Job reassignments? Restaurant shutdown risks?


    Just then, the octopus customer stopped outside a restaurant.


    Its tentacle pointed at a miniature whale floating behind the counter.


    Underneath the whale''s belly, small waves rippled, occasionally splashing over its back.


    Rita''s eyes lit up. "Oh? Are we getting a new teammate?"


    Marmang-Crab tilted its head. "Looks like it."


    A few minutes later, Rita and Marmang-Crab sat beside a one-meter-long dead whale, surrounded by a misty preservation aura.


    Marmang-Crab: ...


    Rita: ...

 Chapter 494: 493: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 14

    The octopus boss tapped Rita with one of its tentacles. "Can you cook this?"


    Rita stared at the fresh corpse of the small whale beside her.


    "...You''re asking now?"


    She chuckled. "I wouldn''t dare say no."


    Satisfied, the octopus withdrew its tentacle and continued strolling forward.


    Rita turned to Marmang-Crab. "You think it can still revive in this state?"


    The crab shrugged. "Hard to say. Black SpringMud Bears came back pretty fast, didn''t he?"


    The two exchanged a glance¡ªthen, as if sharing a single brain cell, both silently pulled up the World Chat to eavesdrop.


    The first thing they saw was a very familiar ID.


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: BS Rita, Marmang-Crab, can you see this?


    Slowly, the two turned to look at the very fresh ingredient tied up next to them.


    It still had its ID floating above its head¡ª[Tingo¡¤JE].


    Despite this being their second time meeting and only five hours of interaction, Marmang-Crab had already realized¡ªhe and BS Rita were perfectly in sync.


    Neither spoke.


    Neither exchanged glances.


    Yet, both immediately chose to play dead, refusing to acknowledge TingoJE''s message.


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: I see you looking at me. SAY SOMETHING! Don''t pretend I''m not here! If you ignore me, I swear, when I revive, I''ll make you both regret it!


    [Nuclear Flash¡¤Pear]: What happened to you?


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: I''ve been locked as an ingredient. I can''t revive for now.


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: BS Rita, Marmang-Crab¡ªgo ask that damn customer if I can still join a restaurant as an ingredient contestant in the competition!


    The two continued pretending not to see anything.


    Meanwhile, World Chat was flooded with messages¡ªhalf of them searching for chefs, the other half discussing how players were being turned into food.


    Rita read the chat but couldn''t stop stealing glances at TingoJE.


    She had laughed at Pine Bloom earlier for suggesting Black SpringMud Bears should be turned into a dish, even swearing to herself that she''d never think that way.


    ...But Rita wasn''t afraid of being struck by divine retribution.


    After all, Black Jade was already on her menu.


    What came to mind instead was her Food God skill.


    [Skill 2 ¨C Who''s Hannibal?:


    If you transform a target into 38 different dishes, each rated above 90 points, and consume all of them, you will gain one of their skills at random. (One-time use per target.)]


    However, if she activated her Ultimate, the conditions changed drastically:


    "Only 18 dishes required."


    And instead of "consume all dishes," she only needed to "taste" them.


    The requirements had been greatly reduced.


    And as a chef, wasn''t it perfectly reasonable to sample her own dishes?


    If she succeeded, she''d gain one random skill from TingoJE.


    Ordinarily, she wouldn''t even consider it. Gambling for a random skill without her Master Thief Dragon ability wasn''t worth it.


    But this was TingoJE.


    A ranked top 100 powerhouse.


    An 18-stage monster.


    The biggest cost would likely be Ultimate Points. In the World Battlefield, activating this skill would consume Ultimate energy constantly¡ª similar to how Nivalis'' space skills worked. She''d need to burn at least hundreds of points.


    But...


    It was worth trying.


    Meanwhile, TingoJE was still shouting at them in World Chat.


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: What the hell are you two doing?! You''re not actually thinking about cooking me, are you?! Idiots! HELP ME GET THIS SKILL OFF ME!


    [BS¡¤Rita]: You lost to it. What do you expect us to do?


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: ...Heh. If you''ve got the guts, try cooking me. I dare you.


    Rita was speechless.


    What the hell is threatening me going to do?!


    I''m just a damn employee!


    You want me to risk my life going against a customer who''s stronger than YOU?!


    Since a grudge was inevitable, she saw no reason to hold back.


    Besides, the power gap between her and TingoJE was so massive that if he wanted to kill her later, it would probably trigger some exclusive game penalty.


    Whether she played reckless or cautious, there was no reason to be polite.


    [BS¡¤Rita]: I''ll let you choose the menu.


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: ...What did you just say?


    [BS¡¤Rita]: I plan to turn you into 18 dishes. I''ll let you pick eight of them yourself.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: Maple Syrup, are you SURE she''s not your kid?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: No.


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: You coward. It''s too late to deny it now! I''ll make you pay for this!


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: As if I''d let TingoJE pick his own dishes. He doesn''t deserve that luxury.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: BS Rita, I''m disappointed in you.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: ...Could you NOT instigate things? Your "kid" and I are literally on the same team right now.


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: Do you think I CAN''T HEAR YOU?! I''m right next to you two! And in the last few seconds, I already heard you list six dishes to BS Rita! YOU''RE ON MY LIST TOO!


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: Oh nooo, I''m soooo scared.


    Rita raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a grudge against him?"


    Marmang-Crab scoffed. "With that mouth? You should be asking¡ªwho doesn''t have a grudge against him?"


    Neither of them acknowledged TingoJE''s presence any further.


    Rita was intrigued. "Then what about Maple Syrup? She must have tons of enemies too, right?"


    Marmang-Crab hesitated for the first time.


    After a few seconds, he spoke carefully.


    "She has many enemies... but maybe... not as many as you''d think."


    Now Rita was truly curious. "What do you mean?"


    The octopus under them slithered forward, its dozens of tentacles undulating like a smooth conveyor belt.


    Other players and visitors had enough sense not to approach the behemoth.


    Marmang-Crab explained:


    "Lania Kaia Maple Syrup is reckless and fearless.


    "She once kidnapped an entire clan of Autumn Bears just to make bear-shaped cookies. Not only does Autumn Bear hate her, but the entire Black Spring world despises her.


    "But whenever there''s a co-op game, players still willingly follow her lead.


    "Even her enemies trust her during battle.


    "When she''s leading a team, her voice carries more weight than players stronger than her.


    "TingoJE is the perfect example. He''s got a long history of conflict with her, but he''s also followed her orders before."


    Rita''s breathing slowed.


    She remembered the diamond mine battle¡ªhow so many players fought alongside her.


    Had some of them been her enemies?


    Had they put aside grudges just because Maple Syrup was commanding?


    She asked, "What about Black SpringMud Bears? Has he ever followed her orders?"


    Marmang-Crab immediately shook his head.


    "Never. That grudge is too deep.


    "If you don''t believe me, look up ''Lania Kaia Bear Cookies'' in the world database.


    "Black SpringMud Bears would rather die than listen to her."


    Thinking of how he treated her, Rita muttered, "I did expect him to hold a grudge against me..."


    Marmang-Crab snorted. "He wouldn''t dare. Do you have any idea how terrified people are of Lania Kaia Maple Syrup because of what she''s done?"


    Then he turned toward TingoJE.


    "Be honest with us, TingoJE.


    "Are you afraid of Maple Syrup?


    "If yes, type 1 in chat. If no, type 2.


    "Answer truthfully, and I''ll go ask the octopus boss if ingredients can still join restaurants after the game."


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: 1.

 Chapter 495: 494: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 15

    When TingoJE typed a "1" in the chat, Marmang-Crab turned to Rita with a "See? Told you" kind of look.


    But after replaying his own words in his head, the crab frowned, dissatisfied. Describing Lania Kaia Maple Syrup as a fearsome existence felt too dramatic, even though his combat power was actually two tiers higher than hers.


    After a moment of thought, he shook his head and rephrased.


    "Calling it ''fear'' is too shallow. That word doesn''t fully capture how people feel about Lania Kaia Maple Syrup. The correct term should be ''reverence.'' Yes, reverence¡ªit''s rare to see.


    "Take Winter Sea Frenzied Shark, for example. He''s far more brutal than Maple Syrup. People fear him, but they don''t revere him. The respect they give him is nothing more than the kind of polite acknowledgment you offer a powerful being.


    "But with Lania Kaia Maple Syrup, it''s different.


    "She''s only 15th-tier. She jokes around in the chat all the time. She even pretends to be weak like it''s a joke. And yet... everyone still reveres her.


    "I don''t know exactly how she does it.


    "But if I had to form a team, I''d want her leading it.


    "Even TingoJE, who''s 18th-tier, who never shuts up, who has killed her multiple times, deep down¡ªhe feels the same way.


    "Right, TingoJE?"


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: MARMANG-CRAB, SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY!


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: 1~~~~


    And just like that, they started arguing again.


    But Rita fell into deep thought.


    Even defiant enemies would willingly accept her leadership?


    Then why, during the Diamonds Mine battle, had Maple Syrup needed to push her forward?


    If Maple Syrup truly had such a commanding presence, those players would''ve followed her without needing Rita''s Ancient Curse.


    Then... why?


    Was she teaching her something?


    Or was she sending a signal to the battlefield¡ª that BS Rita could be used by Lania Kaia Maple Syrup?


    Rita''s mind spiraled.


    She couldn''t understand Maple Syrup''s motives.


    It hit her all at once.


    Perhaps, the vague mystery surrounding Maple Syrup was exactly why¡ªdespite her kindness and Rita''s gratitude¡ªRita''s wariness had never lessened.


    "Reverence."


    Marmang-Crab had chosen his words carefully¡ªand he was right.


    Both Pine Bloom and Maple Syrup were doing the same thing to her.


    They were both trying to tame her.


    But even after realizing this, Rita felt no humiliation.


    She hadn''t submitted.


    So there was no anger.


    Her first thought wasn''t resentment¡ªit was learning.


    Learning how they did it.


    Because in the World Battlefield, Maple Syrup was exactly the kind of leader Rita aspired to be.


    Someone who, when she stepped forward, commanded the entire battlefield.


    Could she reach that level?


    Could she master the delicate balance of power?


    How had Maple Syrup done it?


    Was it her strategic mind? Her decisiveness? The unshakable force she carried in battle? Or her ruthless methods?


    For the first time in a while, Rita thought of Zoey¡ªwho had abandoned BS to follow Maple Syrup to Lania Kaia.


    What was she doing now?


    Was she learning to lead, to command?


    Had she gotten what she wanted?


    Was she still lying to herself?


    Did she ever think about BS anymore?


    Was she relieved? Or did she regret it?


    Had she read the letter Rita sent? Had she seen Rick''s life now?


    Would she be angry that Rick was living in Lopez''s so-called luxury?


    Or would she see through the facade¡ªsee through her own hatred for Rick¡ªsee how she had always suppressed him as his older sister?


    Everyone else was getting stronger.


    The world was shifting.


    Ordinary people were rising, grabbing power, shaping their own destinies.


    Only Rick¡ªwith his SS-Tier talent¡ªwas rotting away in a gilded cage.


    And the one person who had the power to set him free...


    Had done nothing.


    Instead, she wrote letters to someone who might not even care anymore.


    Or maybe...


    Maybe Zoey no longer cared about anything related to BS at all.


    ¡ªBOOM.


    Her thoughts were interrupted.


    Marmang-Crab was still arguing with TingoJE, but at the same time, it fulfilled its promise¡ªasking the octopus boss what happened to players turned into ingredients.


    Maybe because Marmang-Crab had called it "boss," the octopus was in a good mood and answered:


    "An ingredient is an ingredient."


    The words were so simple, they almost felt dismissive.


    But there was something ominous in them.


    TingoJE had been busy fighting with Marmang-Crab, but the second he saw that message, he immediately started reaching out to other players who had been turned into food.


    Maybe it was B80234615''s bad luck affecting her again.


    Maybe the moment the octopus boss reluctantly chose her, this outcome was inevitable.


    But just 20 minutes before registration closed¡ª


    The octopus boss stopped again.


    This time, its tentacle pointed toward a dark corner near a restaurant entrance.


    A mist rolled in.


    And from the shadows¡ª


    A player with the [Chef] job title was revealed.


    Minutes later.


    The octopus had killed the chef''s teammates and wrapped its tentacles around the jellyfish-like player, dragging him over to Rita''s side.


    12th-tier.


    Marmang-Crab opened its mouth to speak¡ª


    But Rita moved first.


    [Temporary Reset ¨C Full Stat Allocation to Intelligence.]


    [Air Blade!] ¡ª [Air Blade!] ¡ª [Air Blade!] ¡ª [Air Blade!]


    2000+ INT multiplied by critical damage multipliers¡ª


    5x Critical.


    25x Critical.


    125x Critical.


    The alien didn''t even have time to speak.


    Its jellyfish-like body exploded into delicate ribbons¡ªsliced apart like a squid flower.


    Marmang-Crab and TingoJE, mid-argument, fell into complete silence.


    Even the octopus boss hesitated.


    Rita slowly lowered her right hand, still poised from casting Air Blade.


    B80234615: "Why didn''t you use both hands?"


    Rita: "I was afraid you''d say I was doing an APT dance."


    B80234615: "......"


    Rita: "Not funny? I thought you''d get it. Did your emotion sensors activate?"


    B80234615: "That player is dead."


    Rita: "Fantastic. That''s exactly what I wanted to see."


    B80234615: "..."


    She was still joking with B80234615, but in reality, her body was tense, waiting for the octopus boss''s reaction.


    She was fully prepared for it to kill her¡ªor even turn her into food.


    But the worst outcome...


    Wouldn''t be worse than having two [Chefs] in the same team.


    Marmang-Crab finally snapped out of his shock.


    "You¡ªwhy did you kill him immediately?! The game never said we couldn''t have two chefs on the same team!"

 Chapter 496: 495: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 16

    The tentacle wrapped around her legs was tightening, and Rita could hear her bones creaking under the pressure.


    But the octopus boss didn''t kill her immediately.


    That meant she still had a chance.


    She explained, "Because our boss here doesn''t just like strong employees and quality ingredients¡ªit also seems to have a preference for certain species."


    For cleaning, it chose Marmang-Crab, a 17th-tier player ranked 1888 on the leaderboard. For ingredients, it picked TingoJE, an 18th-tier player ranked 67.


    Both players had aquatic features¡ªone resembled a snow crab, the other a blue whale.


    Marmang-Crab came from the Marmang Deep Sea World, and SkyCrabs naturally lived underwater, even though they could move on land.


    TingoJE¡ªwhile still alive¡ªwas always surrounded by water currents.


    And the octopus boss? It wasn''t hard to guess where it came from.


    Snow crab, blue whale, octopus, jellyfish¡ª


    This was starting to look less like a restaurant team and more like a family reunion.


    Except for her.


    She was the odd one out.


    And then came that other player, the jellyfish-like one it had just grabbed.


    Even though that player was only 12th-tier, he was still stronger than her.


    She wasn''t going to sit around and wait for herself to be replaced.


    If a team had too many employees, the obvious solution was to kill off the extras.


    And she wasn''t going to be one of them.


    Finding [Chefs] was getting harder and harder. Other teams were hiding them, and just now, the octopus boss had to break a stealth skill to reveal this one.


    Rita concluded, "I don''t want to be eliminated. I''m competing for my position and defending my job."


    Then, she activated her disguise skill.


    Her form morphed, transforming into a siren with a shimmering mermaid tail.


    She flicked her fin dramatically, turned to the octopus boss, and grinned.


    "Boss, this is the real me! Give me a chance to shine."


    Marmang-Crab: ... TingoJE: ...


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: I can''t take this anymore.


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: Me neither.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: This is shameless.


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: Exactly.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: But can you do better?


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: No.


    [BS¡¤Rita]: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?!


    Rita ignored them.


    She didn''t know if it was because her words worked, or because her siren disguise was too convincing, or if the octopus boss was simply waiting to find a better chef to replace her.


    But at the moment, it actually let her go.


    Then, a notification popped up.


    [Ding¡ªCongratulations! BS Rita has killed "Potted Fortune." The player has chosen to use 2 S-Tier skills to purchase their second resurrection in this Divine Game. You have earned one random S-Tier skill as a battle reward.]


    [Ding¡ªCalculating drop... You have gained +9 Intelligence.]


    [Battle reward calculated... You have received the S-Tier skill: "Special Grade Chef? Special Grade Chef!"]


    ...A Cooking Skill?!


    Rita momentarily forgot about the insane resurrection cost¡ªher focus was on the cooking skill.


    She eagerly opened her skill panel.


    [Special Grade Chef? Special Grade Chef!] (S-Tier)


    Effect: Upon activation, the character''s sleeve will display a large, glowing "ÌØ" symbol (meaning "Special"). Any living being who sees this symbol will be compelled to exclaim: "What?! You''re a Special Grade Chef?!" Skill Range: 100 meters. Skill Duration: 3 seconds. Mana Cost: 100 MP per use. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Rita: ...?!


    WHAT KIND OF STUPID S-TIER SKILL IS THIS?!


    Wait. Wait. WAIT.


    Rita slowly turned to look at Marmang-Crab, who was completely absorbed in arguing in the battlefield chat.


    She activated the skill.


    [Chef''s Aura!]


    Instantly, a dazzling golden glow erupted from her right sleeve.


    A massive "ÌØ" symbol materialized, radiating intense light.


    Marmang-Crab¡ªwho had been mid-argument¡ªwhipped his head around.


    "What?! You''re a Special Grade Chef?!"


    And it wasn''t just him.


    Within a 100-meter radius, across the streets, in the air, and in the surrounding buildings¡ª


    Every single player turned their heads.


    "What?! You''re a Special Grade Chef?!"


    "What?! You''re a Special Grade Chef?!"


    "What?! You''re a Special Grade Chef?!"


    A chorus of voices in every language echoed the same stupid line.


    Rita tried to stay calm.


    She forced herself to keep a straight face.


    She clenched her jaw, gritted through the pain.


    But the problem was...


    This dumbass skill didn''t spare her either.


    Her gaze involuntarily snapped to the glowing "ÌØ" on her sleeve.


    And¡ª


    Before she could stop herself, the words spilled out of her mouth.


    "What?! I''m a Special Grade Chef?!"


    ...This was the longest 3 seconds of her life.


    B80234615 decided to join in.


    "What?! You''re a Special Grade Chef?!"


    Rita: "I am so disappointed in you. I thought you were my safe harbor."


    B80234615: "This is fantastic. This is exactly what I wanted to see!"


    3 seconds later.


    Marmang-Crab stared at her in silence.


    Every nearby player also stared at her in silence.


    Rita let her arm drop, sighed, then calmly laid down on the octopus''s back.


    "Let''s just pretend I''m dead."


    Only the octopus boss and some tourists had remained unaffected.


    Those cosmic beings were the real strong ones.


    But...


    The octopus boss''s footsteps had noticeably sped up.


    It was trying to leave this cursed area as fast as possible.


    Rita: "This is a GOD-TIER skill. How is this just S-Tier?! It force-stuns every player in range, disrupts their actions, and even mind-controls them into speaking. It''s practically an SS-Tier ability!"


    B80234615: "Glad you like it. Now please hide me deeper in your inventory."


    After the humiliation wore off, Rita actually started liking the skill.


    It was an amazing disruption and control ability!


    Sure, it was embarrassing. Sure, it was short. Sure, it had no damage.


    But who cares?


    Even high-tier players like Marmang-Crab had been stunned for 3 whole seconds.


    With proper timing, combined with a defensive buff, this skill could be incredibly useful.


    Marmang-Crab rapped his claw against her shoulder.


    "That... cursed skill¡ªyou got that from killing Potted Fortune, didn''t you?"


    Rita nodded.


    Not only that, but she also told him about the death penalty increasing¡ªhow Potted Fortune had to sacrifice 2 S-Tier skills to revive.


    Surprisingly, Marmang-Crab wasn''t shocked.


    Instead, he calmly said,


    "Oh, yeah, I''ve seen this before. Third death costs 3 S-Tier skills, fourth death costs an SS-Tier, and so on. By the seventh death, it''s an SSS-Tier skill. By the tenth death¡ª


    You lose a God-Given Talent."


    Rita''s mind went blank.


    "The tenth death costs a God-Given Talent."


    She asked B80234615,


    "Have the 51 games you experienced with escalating death penalties... all used this system?"


    B80234615: "I was wondering when you''d ask."

 Chapter 497: 496: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 17

    Rita sighed. "I waited for you to reach out to me with a warm heart, but since you won''t, I guess I''ll have to press my cold heart against your warm one instead."


    "Yes," B80234615 confirmed before elaborating. "Most information related to game mechanics is like your own perception of game rules. I can only answer if you ask the right questions."


    That confirmation felt like a final verdict.


    Rita turned her gaze toward the street ahead¡ªthe same one they had walked down just seconds ago. Floating in the air was Potted Fortune, freshly revived and already surrounded by players.


    Just like what happened to Black SpringMud Bears before...


    This game revives players at the same location they died.


    A sinking feeling settled in her chest.


    Ten deaths, and you start losing God-Given Talents.


    What a terrifying punishment system.


    And in the World Battlefield, the fact that she stole Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s God-Given Talent was no secret.


    As the game continued, more and more players would realize the consequences of death.


    Some, like Marmang-Crab, might deduce the death escalation rules through experience.


    Others would figure it out through observation¡ªby watching the costs of resurrection grow with each death.


    And since revival happened on the spot, that meant¡ª


    As long as they caught her, they could farm her deaths repeatedly, until they forced Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s God-Given Talent to drop.


    What if, by the tenth death, the revival cost didn''t trigger [Midnight Exile]?


    Then they''d kill her an eleventh time. A twelfth time.


    Until Midnight Exile was forced out.


    Right now, in this Divine Game, she was like a rare hidden boss that only spawns during a limited-time event.


    And not even a particularly difficult one.


    Rita turned to look at Marmang-Crab, who was already looking back at her.


    Neither of them spoke.


    There was no need to.


    Marmang-Crab was definitely interested in [Midnight Exile].


    It was impossible not to be.


    Not just Marmang-Crab¡ªMaple Syrup, Pine Bloom, Mistblade...


    Everyone who knew about Midnight Exile wouldn''t just let it go.


    Yet, Marmang-Crab hadn''t made a move against her.


    Was it because he had only just figured out the escalating death penalties?


    No. She quickly ruled that out.


    During their time in the restaurant, they had only heard Black SpringMud Bears mention his own death penalty.


    But Marmang-Crab had gone out multiple times to farm Mischief Score.


    With his strength, there was no way he hadn''t killed at least two players.


    And if he''d gotten two kill rewards, he must have noticed the death escalation pattern.


    Was it fear of the octopus boss?


    Maybe, but not entirely.


    Because earlier, when Black SpringMud Bears and Pine Bloom had gone out, Marmang-Crab had been alone with her.


    And even then, he hadn''t attacked.


    This game didn''t prevent teammates from fighting each other.


    One by one, she eliminated all the wrong possibilities...


    And then, she realized the truth.


    These strong players didn''t refrain from attacking her because they didn''t want to.


    They were waiting.


    Waiting for her to die enough times¡ªand only then would they fight for her.


    That way, they could minimize the number of times they broke their own exclusive game rules.


    She was already struggling with her first-stage exclusive rule, which practically prevented her from slaughtering weaker players.


    For those high-tier powerhouses, their exclusive restrictions were surely even harsher.


    Rita slowly lowered her gaze to the robe she was wearing¡ªthe one Pine Bloom had given her.


    This robe...


    It probably wasn''t just a gift.


    Was it a mark? A tracking device?


    She let out a sigh. "So this is what my real bad luck looks like?"


    "Yes," B80234615 replied.


    "I thought it''d be something small, like Pine Bloom choking on water."


    "How do you know that was something small?"


    "Fair point."


    "Do you regret it? If you do, you can always destroy me."


    "Not yet," she admitted. "But who knows about the future."


    "Your honesty at critical moments is truly ruthless."


    "But you don''t dislike that about me." She smirked. "Neither did Nivalis."


    B80234615 examined the emotion panel it was running.


    It was merely a calculated conclusion, but it said, "Using ''don''t dislike'' is too mild. You could say ''like.''"


    Rita went silent for a moment, then asked, "So... my real bad luck started the moment I took you out of the Abandoned Zone?"


    If she hadn''t taken B80234615, she never would''ve received the Snowfield Pact in time.


    And because of that, she had rushed into this game too quickly.


    Instead of her usual routine¡ªresting for a month or more after a Divine Game, stabilizing her power and resources before re-entering¡ª


    She had jumped into this one just half a month later.


    And not just any game.


    She had entered one of the highest-level combat zones.


    Looking around, that 12th-tier chef from earlier was one of the weakest players here.


    Maybe Winter Sea Frenzied Shark was here, waiting for her.


    Maybe every player who had ever suffered at the hands of Midnight Exile was waiting for her.


    A game with no exits. On-the-spot revivals. Death penalties that stole God-Given Talents.


    This game was like a death match between venomous creatures.


    If she made one wrong move, she would fall into an abyss.


    "Yes," B80234615 finally answered. "Can I ask you something?"


    Rita sighed. "I wish you''d ask me first before stabbing me in the heart with your words..."


    "Go ahead."


    "Why aren''t you afraid?"


    Rita froze.


    ...She really wasn''t afraid.


    Even after analyzing her terrifying situation, her mind was focused on solutions.


    What if she lost [Midnight Exile] or [One-Person Party]? How would she start over?


    Would [Moment of Reversal] be enough?


    Should she re-enter High Tower?


    Could she exchange her less-important World Graveyards for resources?


    She felt pressure. A sense of urgency.


    But no fear.


    "You ran a simulation on my facial expressions, didn''t you?"


    "Of course. Statistically speaking, you should be terrified."


    Rita scoffed. "You think I care about what''s ''statistically speaking''?"


    B80234615 didn''t let up. "You''re BS''s rising star. Humanity''s beacon of hope. People admire you, idolize you, support you.


    "The weak pin their futures on you."


    "But after this game, you might lose everything."


    "Admiration will turn to mockery. Worship will become disdain. Eclipse Vanguard will revoke all support."


    "Broken hopes will breed hatred. You will fall from the top."


    "Maple Syrup will look at you with disappointment. Nivalis will never be able to raise her head in front of Lidian again. Apache might be kinder¡ªhe''ll probably just tell you to focus on alchemy instead."


    Rita: "...Okay, okay, that''s enough."


    "I analyzed your face. You really aren''t scared. BS Rita, you''re incredible."


    "Oh, come on!"


    "What?"


    "I hadn''t even thought about half that stuff!" Rita groaned. "And now you''ve just dumped it all on me¡ªlook at me, I''m stressed! I''m actually stressed now! WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!"


    B80234615: "...."


    B80234615: "I don''t want to talk to you anymore."


    Rita: "GOOD! ME NEITHER!"

 Chapter 498: 497: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 18

    After their little exchange, B80234615 spoke again. "You really aren''t afraid, are you?"


    Rita answered without hesitation. "No, because this kill-reward system must have other limitations, doesn''t it?"


    Otherwise, if players could just keep farming a single target for their skills¡ªeven their God-Given Talents¡ªthis game''s death penalty system would create an insurmountable power gap.


    The strong would rise to the top, while the hunted would be killed into permanent irrelevance, left with no qualifications or confidence to even enter the World Battlefield again.


    The food chain had its balance. Exclusive game rules restricted mindless slaughter, but they still allowed competition between players of similar power.


    Take herself, for example.


    If she went all out, she could forcefully take down a 10th-tier player.


    Under special circumstances¡ªlike with Potted Fortune, who had been immobilized by Octopus Boss¡ªshe could even seize the moment and kill a 12th-tier opponent.


    She wasn''t the strongest, but she wasn''t weak either.


    If she abandoned all objectives and just focused on killing one player repeatedly, her gains would far outweigh any standard Divine Game rewards.


    That was completely unreasonable.


    "Yes," B80234615 confirmed. "But I can''t tell you exactly what the restrictions are. You''ll have to figure them out yourself¡ªI can only clear the fog once you reach the right conclusion."


    Rita smirked. "Oh, so you''re basically a ''like'' button? Just here to confirm when I''m right?"


    "..."


    B80234615 sounded mildly exasperated. "You know, if you actually think about it, I''m pretty useful."


    Rita pretended to ponder. "Hmm... yeah, I guess I''d have to think really hard to see that."


    Even though she took a jab at it, B80234615 could tell she wasn''t actually mad.


    Maybe she was a little disappointed, but she wasn''t angry.


    Nivalis had been right about her.


    "She''s always pointing out what''s great about others¡ªlike every strong player she meets has some shining quality in her eyes. God, this damned ''admirer of strength'' bird."


    "But she doesn''t see how amazing she is herself. The moment you help her, she remembers your kindness."


    "Even if you can''t help her, or if you make a mistake that costs her something, she won''t hold it against you. She''ll make her own judgment. And once she chooses you, she''ll own every consequence of that choice."


    "She''s proud¡ªwhether for better or worse, she''ll always take full responsibility for every decision she makes."


    "Nobody else gets to decide her fate for her."


    B80234615 observed its emotional panel¡ªa section it had never paid much attention to before.


    The latest fluctuations were recorded in numbers:


    0.7¡ª1.2¡ª2.3¡ª0.8¡ª2.1¡ª3.3¡ª1.5¡ª0.3¡ª2.9


    With a maximum value of 100, these tiny spikes were barely anything in comparison. So weak that if it hadn''t seen the panel, it wouldn''t have even realized¡ª


    Oh. So I actually felt something.


    Next to the numbers were simple labels for those emotions:


    Frustration. Annoyance. Happiness. Concern. Curiosity.


    It tried to relive those moments, but it couldn''t quite grasp them.


    It was just talking with her.


    So why was it different?


    It had spoken to countless people over hundreds of years.


    Yet here, it saw a calculated reason appear in its system logs¡ª


    "Pet. Friend."


    ¡ª


    Time for Registration


    With Potted Fortune permanently "optimized" from the team, no new players had been recruited.


    The moment the registration phase began, a system prompt popped up in front of Rita and Marmang-Crab.


    [Would you like to form a team with Marmang-Crab and Octopus Bucket? Yes/No]


    [Would you like to form a team with BS Rita and Octopus Bucket? Yes/No]


    Rita stared at the name "Octopus Bucket" with an odd expression.


    What was the evolved form of an Octopus Bucket supposed to be?


    ...Though, honestly, it kinda did look like a bucket.


    If Potted Fortune hadn''t been a light blue color, she might''ve genuinely wondered if Octopus Boss was only choosing teammates that had red on them.


    Both she and Marmang-Crab turned to check, and sure enough¡ª


    Octopus Boss also had a selection screen floating in front of it.


    All three confirmed "Yes."


    Immediately, a role designation appeared above Octopus Boss''s head¡ª


    [Cashier]


    ...So it had chosen its own position.


    And unlike before, now that they were officially a team, Octopus Boss actually shared its plan with them.


    "We need more ingredients and seasonings," it said. "Chef, what do you require?"


    Chef Rita instantly listed off a long chain of ingredients, spices, and vegetables.


    She said she was going to make 18 dishes, and she meant it.


    Meanwhile, TingoJE was still trash-talking players in the world chat while gathering info.


    Honestly, this Divine Game had a real twisted sense of humor.


    If a player died normally, they had to revive immediately¡ªlike how Black SpringMud Bears and Potted Fortune had respawned so fast.


    But if a player became "food", their consciousness stuck around¡ªthey could still use chat, still interact, still watch whatever happened to their corpse.


    God knows what their reaction will be when they see themselves getting served.


    Octopus Boss, now moving far faster than before, sped down the food street.


    In seconds, they had crossed more than half of it.


    For the first time, Rita saw the end of the street.


    There was nothing but a glowing stone tablet, engraved with foreign symbols she didn''t recognize.


    She didn''t dwell on it.


    Instead, she focused on their immediate needs.


    "If possible," she requested, "gather extra ingredients and seasonings. If we have time, I want to practice."


    Octopus Boss abruptly stopped.


    "Practice?"


    Before she could reply, everything went dark¡ª


    And when she blinked, she was somewhere else.


    A brightly lit room.


    Tables full of kitchen tools and ingredients.


    And floating in the center¡ª


    A levitating TingoJE.


    She didn''t need an explanation.


    This was a training space.


    A place where she could practice cooking without wasting resources.


    Her gaze landed on a timer in the corner.


    71:59:58


    Three days.


    Time flowed differently here.


    Octopus Boss''s voice echoed through the room. "Three days. Enough?"


    Rita planted her feet in the kitchen''s center.


    Then, she rattled off a list of alchemy materials.


    "Can you bring me these as well?"


    "I can. I''ll find them outside. Don''t disappoint me."


    A dozen different alchemy components appeared on the counter.


    Rita''s lips curled.


    "I won''t. I won''t disappoint you¡ª


    "Or myself."


    Who said alchemy and cooking couldn''t be combined?


    She had been limiting herself by separating disciplines.

 Chapter 499: 498: Divine Game – Chaotic Restaurant 19

    As Rita considered how she would climb back up if she ever lost her God-Given Talent, she took stock of her resources and talents.


    When one strength after another was crossed off, when the only things left were alchemy and cooking, she had nowhere left to retreat¡ªshe had to tear down the walls and carve out a new path for herself.


    Why had she been so fixated on the idea that her cooking talent wasn''t outstanding enough?


    Why couldn''t alchemy make up for that gap?


    BS had medicinal cuisine, so why couldn''t she create alchemy-infused dishes?


    Both disciplines involved ingesting substances to gain buffs and effects¡ªcombining them made perfect sense.


    She didn''t bother thinking about whether innovative alchemists like Apache or Lucia had ever tried this approach before.


    Everyone had their own path to walk.


    Just like how Mistblade was obsessed with alchemy, yet specialized in magic gemstones, while Apache focused on potions¡ªshe could find her own way forward.


    Three Hundred Days of Isolation


    Rita stayed in this space for three hundred days.


    Yes. Three whole centuries in isolation.


    After her first three days were up, she requested an extension.


    And once she learned that Octopus Boss''s skill operated on a 1-second-to-1-day ratio, she immediately requested the full 300 days.


    Did Octopus Boss regret not forcibly taking back Potted Fortune instead of choosing her?


    Rita didn''t know.


    But she was having the time of her life.


    Every ingredient she used was instantly replenished, eliminating any concern for scarcity or waste.


    She never had to worry about hunger, thirst, or exhaustion, allowing her to experiment freely.


    The only thing she had to manage was sleep¡ªeven though the game mechanics minimized exhaustion, her mind still needed rest.


    Unlimited materials and the time she lacked the most¡ªthere was no better place for her to be.


    In fact, she started wanting a skill like this for herself.


    Stealing skills allowed players to grow quickly, but a time acceleration skill like this?


    That would let her convert all her existing knowledge into power¡ªat no cost.


    Rita had plenty of resources, but what she lacked was time.


    If she had this kind of ability, she could digest resources and talents at a much faster rate.


    She asked B80234615 to check the market price for similar abilities¡ªif there had been historical transactions for this kind of power.


    Of course, since B80234615 had already hidden her skill panel, it knew exactly how valuable her core abilities were¡ªand which ones were absolutely off-limits for trade.


    The final evaluation?


    Octopus Boss''s time skill was worth as much as her combined abilities:


    [Out of the House, Identity is Self-Given] [Refurbish] [One-Person Party]


    ...plus five additional skills.


    Any five chosen from Food God or Immortal.


    And even at that price, it still wasn''t guaranteed that she could buy it.


    Rita asked, "If I sold my [I Just Want to Improve So Badly], what could I get?"


    B80234615: "You could trade it for Octopus Boss''s time skill, plus any three SS-tier bonus abilities."


    Rita finally understood the insane value of her ''effortless growth'' skill.


    Alchemy-Infused Cuisine: The Birth of a New Discipline


    In those 300 days, she not only finalized TingoJE''s 18-course meal but also mastered each dish, consistently achieving a 95+ rating.


    Once she perfected the basics, she began integrating alchemy.


    At first, her alchemy-infused dishes were barely edible.


    Then, she struggled with balancing flavor, aroma, and appearance.


    And even when she nailed those aspects, the buffs and effects were underwhelming.


    After all, in dish ratings, taste wasn''t everything¡ªthe effects were just as important.


    She experimented with everything:


    Directly incorporating alchemical ingredients as food components. Transforming potions into sauces. Modifying magical properties to enhance flavor.


    Throughout it all, B80234615 remained by her side.


    It had offered to record and analyze her results, but she refused outright.


    During one of her rest breaks, B80234615 asked,


    "Do you not trust me enough to rely on me for this?"


    Rita paused, then replied,


    "No, don''t listen to Nivalis''s nonsense. Back then, I just hadn''t fully thought it through... Look, I contracted you specifically to use you, but for this? No. Alchemy is something I have to master myself."


    Then, she returned to her experiments.


    Unshakable Conviction


    There was one sauce recipe that took her nine whole days to perfect.


    She repeated the same process, using the same ingredients, at the same temperature, hundreds of times.


    For nine straight days, she refused to change anything¡ªeven though she failed over a thousand times.


    "It''s this step. It''s this formula. I know it is."


    Stubborn. Obstinate.


    So confident it was almost arrogance.


    This wasn''t the humble, cautious BS Rita that Nivalis always described.


    And yet, on the tenth day¡ª


    She finally succeeded.


    B80234615, who had been silently recording everything, asked, "What was different?"


    Rita shook her head.


    "I can''t explain it. I really can''t."


    It was like Eleanor''s cooking.


    Back when she had trained in the courtyard, she had watched Eleanor add seasoning¡ª


    It was never precisely measured, but the dishes always tasted exactly the same.


    Fools got hung up on the tiny inconsistencies.


    Geniuses didn''t.


    Geniuses had one thing¡ª


    Instinct.


    She poured the sauce over the final dish.


    The moment it landed, the entire dish exploded with golden light.


    B80234615''s robotic voice rang in her mind.


    "What?! You really are a Special Grade Chef?!"


    Rita: "..."


    She ignored it.


    Her full focus was on the dish before her¡ª


    [Scorching Ember Fish Roll]


    She had wrapped it in three alchemical ingredients:


    Demon Leaf Blazing Tail Petal Autumn Fire Silk


    The sauce she had perfected wasn''t just a sauce¡ª


    It was a newly invented alchemical potion, designed to:


    Neutralize the Demon Leaf''s bitterness Suppress the Blazing Tail Petal''s burning sensation Soften the Autumn Fire Silk''s toughness


    The moment a diner took a bite, every chew would unleash an evolving burst of flavors and effects.


    New Rating System Unlocked


    [Scorching Ember Fish Roll]


    ¡ï Rating: 1 Star Effect: +888 Intelligence All fire-based skills deal double damage. Each attack summons a flame tornado to fight alongside you. Tornado''s power scales with Intelligence; speed scales with Agility. Duration: 5 minutes


    Instead of a numerical rating, it had been evaluated by a star system¡ªjust like World''s Grave Forest.


    B80234615 explained, "This is already considered a delicacy. A simple rating wouldn''t do it justice."


    Rita asked, "What''s the max rating?"


    "Seven stars."


    She exhaled slowly, suppressing her excitement.


    Then, she fired up the stove again.


    Ten minutes later, another 1-star [Scorching Ember Fish Roll] sat on the counter.


    Rita grinned.


    "God, I wish I could see Apache and Pasta Princess''s faces when they taste this."

 Chapter 500: 499: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 20

    In the room, the voice of Octopus Bucket echoed. In the past, it would only respond when Rita requested more time, but now it said, "Not bad, you''ve officially made the cut."


    Rita: ?


    So you''ve been planning to replace me as soon as you found something better? Even after we formed a team, you can still swap me out?


    Octopus Bucket: "Do you want more time?"


    Rita: "Yes! I want to perfect all 18 dishes into delicacies."


    Octopus Bucket: "Alright."


    Then, the countdown in the room immediately increased by 900 days, without considering if Rita could handle such an extended period of isolation.


    Rita was curious: "Is this competition really that important?"


    Octopus Bucket: "I don''t like losing."


    Rita felt like the octopus wasn''t being completely honest, but what could she do? After thanking her "boss," she continued experimenting with the magical dishes.


    She didn''t know what Octopus Bucket wanted, but she knew she had to make sure she wasn''t kicked out of the team. Being able to team up with Octopus Bucket was definitely more beneficial than not.


    From time to time, Octopus Bucket would add magical ingredients or food items that Rita hadn''t specifically asked for, likely things it had found outside.


    Rita accepted everything boldly and tried them, sometimes discarding previous menus without hesitation.


    When she said she wanted to perfect 18 dishes, it wasn''t just to use the space to appease Octopus Bucket; she had to prove her worth in this team.


    Only then could she delay the time when she would be hunted down.


    900 days. The only one she could talk to was B80234615.


    Sometimes, she felt like she was back at High Tower. Back then, she''d often find a skilled chef among the owlbears, apprentice herself, and spend day after day cooking.


    Other times, when she wanted to practice alchemy, she would escape with Nivalis, hide deep in the Forest Sea, and find a quiet place to hide.


    But those years, Nivalis was always by her side; now, it was a mechanical race.


    Its emotions were quite rich, but Rita knew that 99% of its emotions were simulated.


    There were rare moments when it would show a clumsy, confused side, then murmur a few words before falling silent. Rita always felt like that was B80234615''s real time¡ªlike a phone or computer after the screen goes black, thinking, not working.


    B80234615 liked to talk to her, and Rita never stopped it. In fact, she allowed B80234615 to interrupt her at will, even to try and distract her.


    After all, the environment when she was cooking outside wouldn''t be as quiet and secure as in this space.


    The cooking competition would definitely be noisy; with her skill, "Super Chef? Super Chef!", she could disrupt other players for 3 seconds at critical moments. Of course, other players could also do the same.


    Cold dishes, hot dishes, soups, desserts, main courses, drinks¡ªRita didn''t know the specific format of the competition, but she made sure to prepare everything as best as she could.


    The ingredients Octopus Bucket brought only had TingoJE, but she designed the menu based on a full banquet process, and beyond that, Rita prepared more dishes.


    Once she had perfected the 18 dishes into delicacies, she glanced at the time. There were still over 300 days left, so she started designing additional varieties of dishes.


    B80234615: "Aren''t you going to try making two-star delicacies?"


    Rita: "No, one star is my limit. My alchemy isn''t strong enough; I need to reach Master level first."


    She was confident when she needed to be and rational when it was necessary.


    Rita quickly created 3 new dishes, 2 snacks, and 5 quick bites.


    However, the snacks and quick bites were for later when they would return to the food street to open the restaurant, and the ingredients weren''t from TingoJE.


    She couldn''t let TingoJE stay at the restaurant permanently. She would be happy, but TingoJE probably wouldn''t be.


    As the countdown neared its end, Rita felt a bit regretful.


    The kitchen in front of her quickly faded. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself back on Octopus Bucket''s back, her legs still bound by its tentacles, but Marmang-Crab had been freed and was flying beside them.


    They were in an unusually quiet marketplace.


    There were stalls on both the ground and in the air, with wide spaces between them. Various strange players and cosmic beings walked around shopping, but there was no sound at all.


    Rita, being as cautious as she was, immediately realized that since there was no sound, she too should remain silent. She glanced at Marmang-Crab, who was also looking at her.


    She had been in that space for 1200 days, but outside, it had only been 1200 seconds¡ªjust 20 minutes.


    But Marmang-Crab already had a number of injuries.


    Marmang-Crab waved its claw, and Rita immediately understood what the internet-addicted crab meant. She opened the leaderboard and found Marmang-Crab''s message.


    Marmang¡¤Crab: "Such a shame, why aren''t you speaking?"


    BS¡¤Rita: "Is there a rule here?"


    Marmang¡¤Crab: "Yeah."


    BS¡¤Rita: "Willing to share?"


    Marmang¡¤Crab: "Not really."


    BS¡¤Rita: "Figured it out, I curse you."


    Marmang-Crab probably didn''t mind her dying a few times, as it could revive her, and it wouldn''t affect the cooking competition. Besides, if she died in the marketplace, Octopus Bucket wouldn''t take it out on it.


    Rita scrolled through the previous chat records, wondering if there had been any new information shared while she was gone.


    There were messages about finding people, buying ingredients, arguing, and even buying [Chefs].


    It turned out that [Chefs] could indeed be "transferred," but voluntarily leaving a team would result in a death penalty, and the team leader could also suffer a death penalty if they kicked out a [Chef] after forming a team.


    However, compared to the initial death penalties, losing the right to participate in the competition and run a restaurant was far worse. So now, the [Chef] market was on fire in the chat channel.


    Some newbies were asking about the difference between cosmic beings and players, but none of the big shots were answering.


    Rita also wanted to ask, but thankfully, she had a customer service assistant now.


    Rita: "What''s the difference between cosmic beings and players?"


    B80234615: "Players are beings who still have planets and civilizations, while cosmic beings are those whose homelands and civilizations have been destroyed but refuse to join another planet."


    B80234615: "For example, after BS was broken by Lania Kaia."


    Rita: "Change the analogy, reverse it."


    B80234615: "...For example, after Lania Kaia was broken by BS, Lania Kaia''s players didn''t want to go to BS to live, and they refused to walk the world in BS''s name, so they chose to wander in the cosmos."


    B80234615: "Only the strong have the courage to leave a planet and wander alone in the universe."


    B80234615: "And only true strong players can survive in the long wandering and loneliness of the cosmos."


    Let me know if you need further translations or clarifications!

 Chapter 501: 500: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 21

    Rita: ... The "strong ones" who were hammered to death by Pine Bloom have something to say.


    Not sure if B80234615 guessed what Rita was thinking, but it added, "Elimination is everywhere, and here, every once in a while, a world is destroyed, and a new world is born. This is a playground for gods; the world, and you and I, are just toys."


    Rita fell silent.


    Lania Kaia''s 12 alien races still have their own tribes and main cities. That might be the best outcome after the world''s defeat, much like the Forest Sea from back in the day.


    The second best result would be the world being destroyed, but the tribes surviving, turning into the "monsters" Rita encountered in the wilds of Lania Kaia.


    Based on her guess, BS was most likely destroyed in the last life, and from Jameson''s version of the conclusion, their descendants were actually doing okay¡ªjust not as fulfilling.


    Looking at this, Rick probably ended up in Lania Kaia with his three wives and was living a pretty good life with his talent and the power he built.


    It had been a long time since Rita thought about the book that flashed through her mind when she was reborn¡ªthe one where she couldn''t remember the details for a few seconds. She was more inclined to believe the conclusion she had drawn based on the information she had personally gathered.


    Aside from these two outcomes, the other possibility was that those powerful beings whose tribes had been almost wiped out became cosmic wanderers?


    This assumption might be a bit hasty, but Rita believed that as long as a tribe still existed, powerful beings wouldn''t easily leave their tribes to wander.


    Putting herself in their shoes, if BS were destroyed, as long as humanity hadn''t been reduced to just a few thousand people...


    No, as long as it hadn''t been wiped out to the point where there were only a few hundred left, even if she was cold-hearted, she wouldn''t leave.


    But among the many cosmic wanderers passing through the food street, Rita hadn''t yet seen any of them with a similar form.


    B80234615 continued its explanation, "They don''t have homes here."


    Rita: "So they can still participate in Divine Game?"


    B80234615: "Divine Game is their only entertainment."


    Once the conversation turned to game rewards and mechanics, B80234615 would always sidestep without giving clear answers. Rita elaborated on her guess:


    "Do they receive many rewards for participating in Divine Game? Is it possible for them to lose their player status? Or could they become permanent residents in the game?"


    B80234615: "It''s not possible. Players can only represent their world in battles outside. Without a world, even if they get a thousand keys, they have no qualifications to participate in the game."


    B80234615: "And player status doesn''t mean much to them. All cosmic wanderers¡ªI''m talking about all of them¡ªwere once players of Divine Game who fought for their own worlds, without exception."


    B80234615: "The permanent residents in the game are us, the mechanical race. We don''t need them, but cosmic wanderers do receive rewards after participating in Divine Game."


    Rita: "Alright."


    B80234615: "By the way, I only have 2% battery left."


    Rita casually grabbed the smallest World Graveyard she had and hid it in her palm, pretending to scratch her right ear as she passed it to B80234615. In the world battlefield, World Graveyard was a special item that couldn''t be locked.


    It''s one of those cases where you take as many as you can; Rita thought that this game would provide some more, but even after killing enemies, she didn''t get any World Graveyard drops...


    She hadn''t stolen any World Graveyard here either, and considering she was still in bad luck, the chances were even slimmer.


    There was talk of the market in the chat channel, but the kind of information that could potentially harm players was exchanged very subtly. Only players who had shared similar experiences could truly understand what others were talking about.


    Rita flipped through the chat records but didn''t find anything more useful, so she decided to observe Marmang-Crab and the other players nearby.


    Octopus Bucket had released her from its bindings. Now, with her cooking skills improved, Rita removed her disguise and flew beside Marmang-Crab.


    Over the next half hour, she encountered quite a bit of trouble. The [Procurement] position was just as dangerous as [Chef] and [Cashier].


    The problem with this market wasn''t that it had a lot of rules, or that the rules were particularly troublesome. In fact, there was only one market rule in effect at a time.


    The trouble with the market rule was that it changed every minute.


    Every time a player broke the rule, other players would have to guess the rule based on the reactions of the offending player.


    The unknown waiting time was the most agonizing. Even though there were thousands of players and cosmic beings in the area, in the first few seconds after the rule change, the atmosphere was terrifyingly tense.


    Punishments were applied equally, and even powerful players could fall victim.


    When Rita first came out of the space, the rule was to remain silent.


    Breaking the rule would result in randomly selecting a player''s favorite attack skill to hit them.


    And the damage of the skill would be enough to bring that player to 1% health by the time the skill finished its process.


    After being hit by [Cheers] for the fifth time, Rita was close to dying: "That''s a real soul-crushing move."


    The blood shield she had cast earlier had been shattered. She hurriedly healed herself, terrified that another player might take advantage of her weakness.


    Luckily, [Cheers] was a long-lasting burst skill, so it would last five seconds. As long as Rita started healing herself from the first second, by the time the skill finished, she wouldn''t be left with just a sliver of health.


    Rita held [Dusk and Night], created by B80234615, ready for anyone trying to take advantage of her. She also tried to grab Marmang-Crab''s leeway, but unfortunately, when the penalty skill ended, Marmang-Crab had put up a shield.


    Without triggering the [Midnight Exile] effect, the bullet didn''t break through the shield, and Rita regretfully lowered her sniper rifle.


    Marmang-Crab looked at her with a sad expression: "You really have a cruel heart."


    The next minute, it was Rita''s turn to break the rules.


    But as expected, Marmang-Crab didn''t rush to take action.


    Not only did Marmang-Crab not take action, but players with combat power exceeding 13th tier didn''t attack her either.


    Noticing this, Rita sometimes let [Cheers] hit her for the last few seconds, deliberately running behind Marmang-Crab to avoid the sneak attacks of players at the 11th and 12th tiers.


    Marmang-Crab: "... Lania KaiaMaple Syrup wouldn''t do this."


    While hiding behind Marmang-Crab and healing herself, Rita casually replied, "Well, that just shows she still has a lot to learn."


    Marmang-Crab: "..."


    TingoJE: "..."


    Octopus Bucket: "You speak well, say more during the competition."


    Rita, who had been assigned the trash-talking strategy: "... Thank you, you really have good taste."


    In the first five minutes before the competition started, Octopus Bucket began guiding them toward the food street.

 Chapter 502: 501: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 22

    All the players returned to the food street just before the competition began. Some casually found a place to stay, some flew in the sky, and others simply stood on the streets.


    Rita kept a watchful eye on the players nearby without making it obvious.


    Rita: "I need to constantly scan everyone approaching me, especially players with thieving skills. Alert me the moment one gets close."


    B80234615: "Understood."


    This was her second line of defense. Her first line was her most trusted skill, [Sinful Act]. Thieving skills were also considered ambush tactics, and Rita knew how terrifying such skills could be. She was aware that S-class divine talents weren''t unique¡ªonce you progressed further, they would change according to each player''s traits and soul attributes.


    She couldn''t be certain whether a skill that could steal divine talents might one day be used against her.


    Rita noticed Winter Sea Frenzied Shark flying in the distance. Their eyes met for a moment, but they both casually looked away as if nothing had happened.


    She also saw Pine Bloom, standing with Black SpringMud Bears and two new teammates, one of whom was Peach Crown and another Autumn Bear.


    Mistblade was talking to a moon fox named Flowering Edge, who sported a buzz cut and a tail tip that was an incredibly beautiful shade of pink. Rita always thought pink was an unattractive color, but on that moon fox, it looked very stylish, almost as if the color had been stripped of its usual meaning, leaving it simply as a color without any particular aura.


    Rita''s understanding of the various races of Lania Kaia had deepened as she had stolen more and more secrets from them.


    The moon fox, while ranked among the top three holy races in the 12 Sacred Tribes, was far from thriving.


    The undead tribe, the most reserved, was the origin of Lania Kaia, with the Withered Monarch being its highest power. The Autumn Owl tribe, the 12th sacred tribe and the last to enter Lania Kaia, was in the highest tier. Maple Syrup, Pine Bloom, and Peach Crown were incredibly united, with Maple Syrup''s ranking only slightly below that of Syntax Monarch, who had entered the battlefield years before her.


    Only the moon fox, it could be said, was barely holding on, supported mostly by Mistblade, with the Flowering Edge Moon Emperor and Burn Cup Moon Emperor from the Moon Desert City and Moon Forest City following behind.


    Rita glanced at the rankings. Both Flowering Edge Moon Emperor and Burn Cup Moon Emperor were at level 15 but were ranked far behind, even behind a sea demon queen, well over 5000th place.


    When teams reformed, as long as the positions didn''t overlap, most players chose to team up with those of the same race.


    She glanced at Marmang-Crab: "It seems like you didn''t look for your own kind."


    Marmang-Crab brushed its whiskers with its claws. A Sea Pony was playing on its whiskers, sliding down the fuzz. It said, "I don''t need teammates from my own race. It''s too light, too serious, and not fun."


    Rita thought the same, but before she could say more, the scene in front of her changed.


    She and her teammates appeared in a large white circular disc. The disc was about 20 meters in diameter. At that moment, Octopus Bucket, whether by choice or force, had shrunk to about the same size as Marmang-Crab.


    In the middle of the disc was a cooking station with familiar cooking utensils that Rita had seen before. The [ingredient] TingoJE, who had been dragged around by Octopus Bucket, was quietly lying on the counter.


    Behind and in front of Rita were identical white discs. On each disc stood a team. The discs were moving forward, and Rita looked to the right¡ªanother disc was moving in the opposite direction.


    The distance between each disc was about two meters, the same as the distance between tracks.


    The familiar arrangement, the familiar feeling, made Rita realize: was this a rotating sushi conveyor belt?!


    Octopus Bucket quickly set out all the ingredients, seasonings, and the magic potion materials Rita had asked for on the cooking station.


    A buzzer sounded in the air, and the competition countdown began.


    There were no explicit competition rules¡ªwhat could or couldn''t be done wasn''t mentioned¡ªonly the time: 6 hours 27 minutes.


    It wasn''t exactly on the hour!


    Rita moved forward to prepare the ingredients, her mind racing to make sense of the unusual time.


    [Is this your restaurant? Who gave you the permission to open it?] The trigger for this storyline wasn''t the usual hour mark. The only explanation Rita could think of was that the competition needed to finish before some special time point?


    Would something happen after the competition ended?


    To be safe, she figured she''d better avoid submitting her results exactly on the dot.


    That much time would suffice.


    She held the knife Marmang-Crab made for her using its skill, not bothering to ask TingoJE what was going on, and thrust the knife in.


    Having spent 1200 days in the space, she could now dissect TingoJE with her eyes closed.


    Rita: "I''m activating the skill now. Are you sure you can cause chaos for over 6 hours? This skill only works when it''s a being with no culinary skills. If your pet can cook, it won''t be able to help."


    Marmang-Crab: "Don''t worry."


    Rita felt a little uneasy about Marmang-Crab''s destructive potential. "Take it easy, just cause chaos, don''t ruin my ingredients and potions."


    Marmang-Crab: "Got it."


    Rita: "And don''t attack me with skills."


    Marmang-Crab: "... Fine."


    Rita: "And don''t mess with my fire."


    Marmang-Crab: "What''s your problem? You don''t want me to touch the pot, the ingredients, or even me? You might as well let me die!"


    Rita groaned: "But I haven''t even figured out your recipes yet."


    Marmang-Crab screamed: "... Octopus Bucket wants you to talk trash to other players, not me!!!"


    "... Forget it," Rita thought for a moment, agreeing that the restrictions were too much. "Do as you like then, cause chaos however you want, just keep your strength below level 7, how about that?"


    Marmang-Crab: "That works."


    Rita immediately activated the skills.


    [Chaos Kitchen - Advanced Version], activated!


    [Who is Hannibal?], activated!


    The former was fine; it was an S-class skill that didn''t consume much, and the Chef Domain wouldn''t drain her abilities constantly. The latter, however, was more draining. This skill didn''t have active or passive explanations, and it didn''t have a time or cost of use; it was more like a racial talent for chefs, required every time she made a dish.


    This was essentially a continuous skill. Once activated, Rita would be consuming 1 point of Aether per minute. The competition would last at least three hundred Aether, and she could only hope TingoJE was worth it.


    The disc beneath her feet lit up with a faint glow.


    Marmang-Crab looked at Rita cooking and suddenly had the urge to cause chaos. His Sea Pony pet was no different!


    They both rushed up to the cooking station, starting to dance wildly. Marmang-Crab was fine¡ªbeing a famous powerhouse, he still had an image to maintain, so he just jumped around causing trouble.


    The Sea Pony, on the other hand, had no restraint at all. It flew up to Rita''s face, turned its back to her, and started slapping its own behind in front of her, then let out a fart.


    The Sea Pony was yelling trash talk in Sky-Crab language, which Rita could understand: "Stinky bug! Do you smell the seafood?"


    Rita: "..."

 Chapter 503: 502: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 23

    Rita, who had just been farted on by the Sea Pony: "..."


    She couldn''t decide which was worse¡ªthe Sea Pony''s mouth or that fart.


    The trash talk strategy for this competition didn''t even require her to speak up; the Sea Pony was doing the job of three players all on its own.


    What Rita didn''t know was that in the Marmang underwater world, seahorses were gentle, peaceful creatures. 99% of their divine talents were related to healing. The inventor of the mechanical seahorse had created it in honor of seahorses, turning them into underwater mounts to commemorate these peaceful and adorable creatures.


    In the Marmang world, most players adored seahorses.


    However, Marmang-Crab''s Sea Pony was a pure mutation.


    Rita tightened her grip on the knife shaped like crab claws.


    The chaos caused by Nivalis and the backyard cat didn''t compare to this Sea Pony. This white Sea Pony didn''t just have its tiny, lollipop-like hands; those hands were incredibly cheeky, not only slapping its own butt to provoke Rita but tossing fruits and vegetables around as well.


    If Rita stayed silent, it was fine, but the moment she spoke up to stop it, the Sea Pony would act out even more...


    ¡ª"Are you teaching me how to do things?! Do you know who my father is?! It''s Marmang-Crab!"


    Marmang-Crab: "...I already told you, I''m not."


    The dramatic Sea Pony clutched its head and twirled wildly, exclaiming in distress: "I knew you wouldn''t admit it! BS Rita, you should understand me, right? I heard you recognized a powerful mother too while you were wandering! We''re both so smart!"


    Rita didn''t know how to refute it at first, but she needed to clarify, so she responded, "It was her who recognized me!!"


    Sea Pony: "Look, I haven''t even said her name, and you already know who I''m talking about! Ding ding ding! Look over there!"


    As it spoke, the Sea Pony''s tail suddenly stiffened, pointing in a specific direction.


    Rita immediately tensed and looked in the direction the Sea Pony pointed, only for her expression to freeze.


    On the conveyor belt across from her, Mistblade, who had just passed by and accidentally overheard the conversation, reflexively said, "I''m not."


    Flowering Edge, the Moon Fox nearby, looked at Mistblade with a strange expression.


    Mistblade immediately realized how silly her words were. With BS Rita having a pair of wings fluttering behind her and no tail to speak of, how could she possibly be related to the moon fox!


    The Sea Pony hid its face and cried, "Oh! She doesn''t recognize you, BS Rita! You''re just another version of me!"


    Rita didn''t know why, but she somehow responded in a daze, "...She really isn''t."


    As the discs passed each other, Mistblade raised an eyebrow. "Then who really is?"


    Rita slapped herself on the left cheek. Why did I engage in this conversation?!


    She quickly shoved two leaves of lettuce into her ears and focused on separating TingoJE.


    She still had to keep an eye on the chaotic Marmang-Crab and Sea Pony; some ingredients and magic potions were extremely fragile, requiring her intense concentration. She had to be ready to save them from the Sea Pony''s hands at a moment''s notice.


    Octopus Bucket was in charge of guarding their disc. Everyone knew the arrangement in the competition was designed to make the players fight each other.


    Though Marmang-Crab was also causing chaos, at least half of its focus was on keeping a watchful eye.


    It also kept an eye on the battle chat channel, trying to figure out what was happening to those players who had been turned into ingredients by the cosmic creatures.


    But the ingredients that had been discussed in the chat had all gone silent.


    Marmang-Crab kept murmuring to Rita about the ingredients¡ªit was also a form of chaos¡ªbut Rita wasn''t particularly worried.


    Since Octopus Bucket had been the one to kidnap her and Marmang-Crab even before the [Is this your restaurant? Who gave you the permission to open it?] event started, it was clear Octopus Bucket had something up its sleeve. It had chosen to turn the highly ranked TingoJE into an ingredient for a reason.


    The conveyor belt discs kept moving. All around her were similar discs and players, with the starry sky above and a metal moon resembling a nail hanging in the sky.


    Rita wasn''t sure which moon it was, but she had already decided that, as the competition neared its end, she''d take a few souvenirs back.


    The players were all cautious, none of them eager to make the first move¡ªthere was no point in attacking when the dishes hadn''t even been finished.


    But when a player finally completed their first dish, problems arose.


    Suddenly, a mechanical arm reached out from the starry sky and grabbed that player''s dish off the counter.


    All the chefs: !!!


    Players closer to the action could clearly see what happened. The player on the disc had tried to protect their dish, but their attacks on the mechanical arm had no effect.


    The mechanical arm moved slowly, almost as if it were giving the player enough time to save the dish, but it was more like it was delivering the dish.


    The players on the disc had varying power levels, the highest being 12th tier and the lowest 9th tier, yet their magical and physical attacks had no effect.


    But there was a silver lining.


    After the mechanical arm took the dish, a shining silver gem dropped from the sky onto the plate from which the dish had been taken.


    Experienced players understood the basic rules of the game. Even in uncontrollable game modes, there was always an attempt to balance things out.


    Now, this method of directly taking dishes from the conveyor belts was 100% under control, meaning the mechanical arm wasn''t something the players couldn''t deal with.


    Each team was closely monitoring the situation, and the chefs stopped preparing their main dishes. Instead, they all casually made small side dishes to test the arm''s reaction.


    Soon, more and more mechanical arms appeared, taking dish after dish.


    Some mechanical arms couldn''t be broken, while others would release the dish if they were attacked.


    In the latter case, a faint player silhouette appeared in the air¡ªthat was a player who had been turned into ingredients!


    As the situation grew more complex, players began analyzing the differences and underlying tricks.


    It became clear that attacking the mechanical arm did nothing unless the main ingredient¡ªthe player turned into the food¡ªattacked the arm.


    And, without exception, the ingredients put up a fierce fight, clearly benefiting from something that the other players didn''t understand. Perhaps ingredients had their own gameplay mechanics or ways to escape.


    But not all players turned others into ingredients like Octopus Bucket did. At least two-thirds of players selected their ingredients from the market.


    The remaining third were the seasoned players of Divine Game.


    Upon realizing some players had been turned into ingredients by the cosmic creatures, others immediately began mimicking this behavior, only figuring out the technique after several failed attempts.


    But these two playstyles seemed to have their own pros and cons. If the main ingredient wasn''t a player, the starry sky wouldn''t drop a gem when their dish was taken. Only when the main ingredient was made from a market-bought ingredient would the mechanical arm drop a gem.


    This could be compensation, or perhaps a balancing mechanism, but all the players knew that the gem would definitely influence the competition outcome.

 Chapter 504: 503: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 24

    The conveyor belt resembling a rotating sushi bar had a switching track feature that functioned like high-speed trains, and it was quite random. This meant that even the discs on the left and right were not fixed in place. With frequent track switching, you could end up changing neighbors three times within ten minutes.


    Luckily, Octopus Bucket and Marmang-Crab were holding their ground. Plus, since this was still the first phase of the competition, most players were still conserving their energy, with only some light banter going on.


    Rita focused on her cooking, not letting the chaos distract her. She knew the last hour would be when the real battle would begin, so she planned to complete the three most difficult dishes first.


    Although the completed dishes couldn''t be stored in her bag and had to be placed on the cooking station, she didn''t worry about them spoiling over time, since Octopus Bucket had advanced preservation skills.


    For each dish she completed, she left a small portion, dividing it into four parts¡ªone for herself to taste, and the other three for Marmang-Crab, Octopus Bucket, and even Sea Pony. The portions were small, just enough to restore some energy and add a little buff. She blended in, making herself inconspicuous.


    As soon as the dishes were plated, the mechanical arm appeared immediately, but it was knocked back by TingoJE.


    To Rita''s surprise, when TingoJE hit the mechanical arm, a ghostly image of the player appeared, and the player began shouting insults.


    No need for Rita to speak; Sea Pony had already covered the trash talk.


    TingoJE cursed Marmang-Crab and Rita while focusing most of his insults on their parents. Rita didn''t know if Marmang-Crab was annoyed, but she certainly enjoyed it.


    Marmang-Crab tried to retort but had to deal with Sea Pony instead.


    Rita noticed Sea Pony knew a lot of languages, even the Wind Whale language of TingoJE. It wasn''t just speaking nonsense; Sea Pony was pulling out extreme levels of insult, only attacking and never defending. When TingoJE cursed Marmang-Crab, it even clapped its hooves.


    ¡ª"Your master Marmang-Crab is trash!"


    ¡ª"TingoJE, I admire your honesty."


    Marmang-Crab and Sea Pony were throwing vegetables and food at each other.


    After two dishes were finished, Sea Pony had already attracted all of TingoJE''s focus.


    Sea Pony didn''t stop for over an hour. It wasn''t just words; its actions were equally relentless.


    Rita found herself getting agitated too.


    She didn''t know how this potential was being triggered, but she could feel her hands, holding the knife and spatula, trembling.


    The Sea Pony was now completely out of control. It came up with a new way to create chaos. It started loudly telling every passing player about the gossip it heard from the Kart Racing game.


    ¡ª"Did you guys know? Lania Kaia Maple Syrup, yes, that Maple Syrup from Lania Kaia, she stole BS Rita''s daughter-in-law!"


    Rita immediately retorted, "It''s brother''s wife!!"


    Sea Pony, flying in the air, pointed at Rita and screamed, "Oh, it''s the brother''s wife! She stole your brother''s wife!"


    It spun around in the air, shouting, "BS Rita''s brother''s wife even ran off to Lania Kaia with Maple Syrup, killing her whole family!"


    Marmang-Crab, a bit slower on the uptake, corrected, "It wasn''t stealing, it was tricking. Can you be more accurate with your gossip?"


    Rita: "..."


    Players on the opposite conveyor belt overheard and joined in the conversation: "Hey, didn''t they walk into marriage together?"


    Sea Pony immediately responded, "Yeah, I was there at the scene."


    Rita''s hands shook. It was hard to tell if she was more angry or shocked. She glanced around, hoping not to see any familiar faces.


    Marmang-Crab corrected again: "It wasn''t them, it was BS Rita and her brother''s wife''s sister!"


    Sea Pony, in distress, cried out, "What? How many times has BS Rita gotten married?!"


    The player from the neighboring disc couldn''t hold back and replied, "Huh? Isn''t the Oak Owl known for being faithful and single-minded?"


    Another player from a disc about fifty meters away shouted, "Yeah, how many Oak Owls are there in this gossip? It''s getting too chaotic!"


    Sea Pony, with a tiny sad face, sighed: "Sigh, when it comes to love, who can really say for sure?"


    Rita silently endured it all, not wanting to refute that she was actually human.


    Her already broken Oak Owl reputation was being trashed again...


    Rita muttered to Marmang-Crab, "I can''t tell you''re afraid of Lania Kaia Maple Syrup."


    Marmang-Crab, feeling wrongly accused, said, "I''m just trying to correct things!"


    Meanwhile, the soup was simmering, vegetables were reducing, and the desserts were baking. Rita, with nothing better to do, caught every piece of fruit and vegetable the Sea Pony knocked over, all while keeping an eye on the battle chat channel.


    She shared the latest update: "Look at the chat, Maple Syrup is having us three wash our necks and wait."


    Immediately, Sea Pony released a water-based magic spell and started washing its neck. It still remembered its task of causing trouble, flying over Rita''s pot to wash.


    Rita was starting to suspect this Sea Pony was mentally unstable.


    B80234615: "I''ve developed a new emotion."


    Rita: "Huh?"


    B80234615: "I''m jealous of its talent."


    Rita: "...If you do that too, I''ll die for you."


    ...


    By the fourth hour of the competition, Rita had finished 12 dishes, all neatly arranged on the cooking station to the left, with Octopus Bucket guarding nearby.


    Out of the 12 dishes, 5 were ¡ï delicacies, 4 were ¡ï¡î rated, and 3 were ¡ï¡ï rated.


    Rita knew this was her limit. The God of Cooking domain had indeed unlocked her potential and talent. She now understood where the issues lay and had come up with countless new ideas.


    But the ingredients were too high-class.


    With 18th-tier warriors as ingredients, her control wasn''t enough to fully tap into their power or manage them well.


    In fact, if she had used a weaker ingredient, her control would have been stronger, and the rating might even have been higher.


    And new problems had already emerged.


    Each dish she prepared, after escaping the mechanical arm''s collection, caused the corresponding part of TingoJE to disappear.


    This meant that as more dishes were prepared, TingoJE''s strength would weaken, and it would become less and less effective.


    Rita had to save the two dishes made from whale bones for the last.


    But no matter how much she delayed, the inevitable was approaching.


    If the last couple of dishes failed to hold up, it would definitely affect her scores.


    Using a whole creature as the main ingredient had its issues; 18 dishes were like a painting or a song¡ªeach step added to the whole, and losing one color or part of the chorus could ruin everything.


    Octopus Bucket had also tried attacking the mechanical arm, but even it couldn''t harm it under the rules.


    However, this didn''t affect Rita''s plan. Before plating, she''d always leave a portion to trigger the [Who is Hannibal?] skill effect.


    She just wasn''t sure if her bad luck would affect the outcome...


    Once she received her Divine Game rewards, she was definitely going to change the line about "you will randomly learn one of their skills" to "you will randomly learn one of their divine abilities!"

 Chapter 505: 504: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 25

    Time remaining in the competition: 01:02:39


    As the final hour of the competition approached, Rita was preparing the 17th and 18th dishes, with the former already nearing completion.


    Octopus Bucket and Marmang-Crab had fully buffed themselves, and all available protective buffs had been applied to Rita as well. SSS-level shields for immunity to mental attacks, SSS-level shields for immunity to mental control, SSS-level shields against teleportation...


    Rita opened her personal panel, and her current buffs could fill an entire chapter''s worth of updates. She figured other chefs probably had the same situation.


    Sea Pony, although still causing trouble, had stopped running around the cooking station like it did before. All the remaining fruits, vegetables, and magical ingredients were now at Rita''s side. Sea Pony hovered nearby, never more than half a meter away from her. It continued to yap, occasionally bouncing on Rita''s head, dutifully causing trouble, but clearly also beginning to protect Rita and the sauce she was simmering.


    Time remaining in the competition: 00:59:56


    Rita wasn''t sure if it was by some unspoken agreement, but as the last hour began, all the non-chef players finally made their moves.


    Skills of all colors exploded before her eyes. For a few seconds, Rita had to close her eyes against the dazzling light; it was like being hit by a light pollution storm.


    Sea Pony had activated a shield around the entire cooking station.


    Picking up the dessert from the 16th dish that it hadn''t eaten before, Sea Pony shoved it into its mouth. The dish''s buff was: "For the next 5 minutes, 5% of what you say will come true."


    The chance wasn''t high, but with Sea Pony''s constant chatter, and the fact that it knew many players, this was effectively a very big deal...


    ¡ª"XXXX, you''ll die soon, XXXX, you''ll die too, you''ll die, everyone dies!!! Bring your pets and die too!!"


    Concise, powerful, and passionately directed.


    Rita thought to herself, "Shadow.Q really should learn from Sea Pony... when using trash talk skills, it''s best to avoid thinking too much."


    Meanwhile, Marmang-Crab stayed close to the completed dishes, guarding them. Of course, it would protect Rita, but right now, its main priority was making sure the completed dishes stayed safe. If BS Rita died, she could be revived, but any issue with the dishes would directly impact the results.


    Octopus Bucket was similarly focused, its abilities allowing it to guard the entire disc. Its size had been reduced, so it couldn''t enlarge, but it managed by spreading its tentacles in all directions, standing guard at every point.


    Rita took a quick glance around. After so many track changes, the players around her now were all from extremely powerful teams. All of them had at least one cosmic wanderer on their team, and the rest of the players were on par with Marmang-Crab¡ªnone of them were outside the top 2000 of the leaderboard.


    B80234615 also alerted Rita that after a long period of silence, the time flow had once again been disturbed. Another player had used a time skill.


    Players who had already used time skills before would still have them blocked, but the new user was likely someone who had been holding back their time skill since the beginning of the game.


    Rita looked at the dish she was preparing, which had gotten slightly burnt due to not being flipped in time. It was an obvious low-level mistake, and she frowned. "Someone used a time-stop skill..."


    Her intuition kicked in, and she quickly secured the plate of food, setting it aside. Then, she brewed a small pot of magical medicine as quickly as possible.


    Even the burnt, crispy bits had their use.


    Rita picked up a magic herb, using it like a brush to apply the magical potion to the whale bone marrow, and began to cook it again.


    Flame Sea Hungry Whale (Rating: ¡ï¡ï¡î): Eating this will grant +333 to all attributes, and you can temporarily increase any one skill to SSS level for 10 minutes.


    So far, the highest score.


    Rita carefully cut a small section of the whale bone and divided it into four portions, giving three to Sea Pony to distribute.


    Rita: "Alchemy and cooking really do go hand in hand."


    She had spent over 150 years practicing cooking in High Tower, training under countless teachers, though she could no longer remember them all.


    It was both a blessing and a curse. Every culinary master had their own style, and due to High Tower''s rules, she couldn''t study under one master long enough to learn their essence, leaving her cooking score limited. But she had effectively learned from many, gaining a vast array of experiences and knowledge.


    She compared herself with Rick from her past life. She compared her cooking and alchemy talents. That was why she was never satisfied.


    Talent had nothing to do with being clever; for her, talent was about having endless inspiration and imagination in a particular field. Most people would see "1" and only think of "1," but those with real talent, in their area of expertise, would see "1" and think of "2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9..."


    Now, alchemy was filling the gap in her cooking.


    She knew there were mistakes, but she now had endless ideas with alchemy to correct them.


    B80234615: "Congratulations."


    Rita: "Whoever used the time-stop skill isn''t a chef."


    She couldn''t help but feel grateful for the competition. The inspiration and potential unlocked by the God of Cooking domain had given her a deeper understanding of magical cooking.


    Flame Sea Hungry Whale was plated, and the mechanical arm appeared once more.


    A massive Wind Whale appeared in the sky, which was TingoJE''s original form. At this moment, TingoJE was reduced to half a whale bone and the head of the Wind Whale, with its eyes gone.


    This was the result of Rita''s careful control.


    She didn''t know what the final reward for the [Food Ingredient] would be, but every time TingoJE appeared, it had given its all. It even tried to command Rita to make it taste better while it still had the chance to speak.


    ¡ª"If you stew Sea Pony and me together, I promise I won''t take revenge on you."


    TingoJE even made this promise.


    Sea Pony''s response was: "I washed your intestines'' shit! How dare you repay me with harm?"


    TingoJE: "I will kill you, Sea Pony. I swear on my life, dignity, honor, and divine abilities! I will kill you!"


    Sea Pony: "You''re the 179th player to say that."


    Marmang-Crab raised its crab shell shield to block another attack that made the entire disc shake. It spoke tiredly, "It''s the 178th."


    Sea Pony scratched its head. "Ah, really? Did you forget to count yourself?"


    Marmang-Crab: "...You''re right. Sorry, my mistake."


    Sea Pony chuckled: "No worries."


    Happiness comes from comparison...


    Rita: "B80234615, I actually think you''re not so bad. What you say isn''t as annoying anymore."


    B80234615: "BS Rita, you''re not so bad either."


    Rita: "What matters is we live our lives well."


    B80234615: "Mhm!"

 Chapter 506: 505: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 26

    The 18th dish was about to involve TingoJE''s brain.


    As TingoJE appeared, Rita brought up the issue¡ªwhether removing half of its brain and skull would affect it.


    When the serious matter came up, TingoJE wasn''t as volatile as usual. Using its whale bone, it struck the mechanical arm and said seriously, "It will affect my combat awareness."


    Rita couldn''t help but regret that TingoJE wasn''t dead at her hands. If it were, she could''ve easily controlled it with her Immortal talent.


    Octopus Bucket, already covered in several wounds, spoke up: "If you lose control, I''ll temporarily possess you. Marmang-Crab, how many minutes can you hold out?"


    Marmang-Crab confidently replied, "30 seconds."


    Sea Pony crossed its hands over its stomach, bowed in the air to Octopus Bucket and said, "My waste of a pet has embarrassed you."


    Rita, Marmang-Crab, and TingoJE all stared blankly.


    Even the skills from the nearby plate slowed down by half a second.


    B80234615: "Next time if I or Nivalis upset you, think of Sea Pony, okay?"


    Rita: "Okay..."


    Octopus Bucket silently glanced at Marmang-Crab, who was taking deep breaths, speaking with a tone of pity, "Hmm, it''s okay... 30 seconds. We can only try our best."


    Soon, TingoJE repelled the mechanical arm, and Octopus Bucket''s tentacle was already in the air, catching the dish released by the arm.


    As the time ticked into the last half hour, Rita''s 18th dish was finally ready.


    She first tasted the Flame Sea Hungry Whale, which she had set aside for herself. The indescribable deliciousness melted in her mouth. Without hesitation, she used this buff for her new skill: "Top Chef? Top Chef!"


    Then, she scooped out a spoonful of her 18th dish, Ethereal Sea, checked the recipe and confirmed it was a buff, and swallowed it down.


    This was the first time since obtaining her Food God skill that she had successfully used "Who is Hannibal?"


    In an instant, fragments of combat scenes flashed through her mind.


    There were no hidden scenes about TingoJE; only battles, endless battles.


    From the moment TingoJE awakened its divine talent, leveling up, dominating, entering the world battlefield, and then countless battles in Divine Game.


    Fool ¡ª Gamer ¡ª Pain ¡ª Nightmare Mode ¡ª Abyss...


    Step by step, reaching the 18th-tier Demon King!!


    Lying on the cooking station, having its meat and bones cut by BS Rita was nothing. Being mocked and provoked by a Sea Pony didn''t count for much either.


    TingoJE, from the Wind Whale tribe, from the Tingo where 99% of the terrain is desert, where oceans make up only 0.004% of Tingo, it was one of the last 32 Wind Whales left. Deep in its heart, it carried hatred and rage higher than the heavens.


    It had walked step by step, killing powerful enemies again and again, and being killed by them in return.


    Rita heard TingoJE''s fierce roars in battle, and also its cries of anger and pain in defeat.


    In cooperation, strong players are respected, but in opposition, the elite players here only see killing strong opponents as an honor.


    Weak, timid, faint-hearted players who fear death or struggle with power won''t last long here.


    Rita not only saw Miyaas but also witnessed the fight between TingoJE and Maple Syrup.


    In the scene, Maple Syrup was in terrible condition, missing half her wings and a leg, her eyes blind, blood tears falling. But she held a thunder lance with three fingers, steadying her hand and the weapon, pointing it at the "me" in the picture.


    Her tone was calm: "Continue."


    No yelling, no rage, no arrogant declarations. But Rita heard the sigh of TingoJE.


    In the scene, whenever TingoJE couldn''t kill a player quickly, that player would commit suicide once they realized they couldn''t win.


    It was the right choice.


    But Maple Syrup wouldn''t. Rita didn''t know if Maple Syrup ever considered suicide upon entering the world battlefield, but facing TingoJE, she never did.


    The scenes kept switching. TingoJE and Maple Syrup fought seven times. Maple Syrup never backed down.


    No matter how miserable, no matter how embarrassing, she wanted to die in battle, not escape by suicide.


    TingoJE gave Maple Syrup the respect she deserved.


    ¡ª "Congratulations, player has learned TingoJE''s self-created SSS skill ¡ª Fourfold Spring"


    Fourfold Spring (SSS): "I only have 0.0004% of spring." Upon using this skill, every critical hit the player lands will drain 4% of the opponent''s health to heal the player. Once the player''s health is full, the skill''s effect remains in effect, and the drained health can be stored. The effect lasts for 40 minutes. Each use consumes 20% mana. Cooldown time: 2 hours.


    The skill''s effect was terrifying, and the duration even more so!


    Rita opened her eyes, only to find Sea Pony slapping her face. "Wake up! It''s not time to clock out yet!"


    Rita, in a good mood, wasn''t upset and instead gave Sea Pony three bites of the Ethereal Sea before plating.


    Before plating, she asked, "Ready?"


    Octopus Bucket, without changing its expression, grabbed its severed tentacle and swallowed it. "Ready."


    Marmang-Crab, waving its half crab claw, shouted, "Let''s go!"


    Rita plated the final dish.


    The sound of waves echoed, and the ethereal cry of the Wind Whale rang out.


    The skull was half gone, the whale bone was also halved, but the ghostly figure rushed toward the mechanical hand.


    Rita quickly packed up the remaining ingredients and potions into her bag and, along with Sea Pony, made her way to the food station. Their task now was to protect these dishes until the results of TingoJE''s battle came through.


    Rita noticed that her buff shields had already disappeared by two-thirds.


    Some had expired, while others had been used up by absorbing attacks.


    The same likely applied to the other players.


    She kept a close watch on the battle above.


    Just as TingoJE had said, its combat awareness had been severely diminished due to the loss of its brain and skull, and this was a completely uncontrollable situation.


    In less than a minute, TingoJE''s ghostly figure was clearly out of sorts. It stopped attacking, swimming aimlessly through the air like a newborn whale, curious about everything and unsure of what to do.


    Octopus Bucket clicked a few times, added several shields to the food station, then flew into the air, transforming into a red light and merging into TingoJE''s ghostly form to continue its unfinished battle.


    Marmang-Crab and Rita breathed a sigh of relief. This method really worked, and its attacks were effective against the mechanical arm.


    But after only Marmang-Crab and Rita remained on the plate, the players observing the battle nearby silently reached an unspoken agreement. Without needing any communication, they all attacked them together.


    They needed to take down the team that was closest to victory before Octopus Bucket could return!

 Chapter 507: 506: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 27

    As the 18th dish was about to require TingoJE''s brain, Rita used Sea Pony as an intermediary and made sure everything was set up with Marmang-Crab.


    20 seconds passed, and Marmang-Crab, who had been fighting alongside Octopus Bucket for over half an hour, was now finishing up his remaining skills. He had no choice but to use his final move. He clicked his claws and removed the crab shell from his back, placing it on his head. The shell expanded instantly, resembling a large umbrella or a gazebo. At that moment, Rita moved into action. She dashed under the crab shell and activated a skill.


    ¡ª[Top Chef? Top Chef!]


    This was the first skill she received in the game. She could have used it without any cost, but she decided to use 3 points of AoYi (a special game energy).


    With the boost from AoYi, this temporarily upgraded skill to an SSS rank. A golden character "Top" appeared on her arm, accompanied by a resounding "duang" sound.


    The flurry of skills that had earlier been so dense, obscuring the stars above them, suddenly dissipated by about 90%. The surrounding players who had been throwing skills one after another were momentarily stunned.


    The iconic line echoed from all directions ¡ª "What? You''re a top chef?!"


    Not only Marmang-Crab, who was holding the crab shell and Sea Pony, who was healing Marmang-Crab, followed suit and synced their movements, but even Octopus Bucket, still battling the mechanical hand in mid-air, was shielded by a transparent barrier. The shield slowly shattered, indicating that Rita''s SSS AoYi skill had triggered the countermeasures for mental control attacks.


    While some players were unaffected and continued their skill spam, Marmang-Crab''s pressure had drastically decreased!


    After three seconds, the insults started pouring in again. The interrupted skills resumed their chaotic attacks from the beginning.


    Rita remained calm, drinking a simple, homemade potion that reduced cooldown times. Once her Top Chef? Top Chef! had reset, she used another 3 points of AoYi.


    ¡ª "What? You''re a top chef?!" xN


    What had started as an awkward and chaotic skill was now being used with great composure, the skill practically tailored for her.


    If she weren''t immobilized, she would''ve even brushed the dust off her sleeve.


    It wasn''t that she had grown particularly fast; it was mostly Sea Pony''s courage. After officially entering the intense battle, Sea Pony seemed to have triggered some mechanism, as every time it used a skill, it would loudly announce its name.


    ¡ª[Make way, I''m the doctor!]


    ¡ª[Granny Crab wants hot milk!]


    ¡ª[I save the seafood the sea won''t dare to save!]


    Each skill was yelled with all its might, as if Marmang-Crab was on the verge of dying at any second.


    Marmang-Crab wasn''t embarrassed by the antics, so why should she be?


    Unfortunately, the other players reacted quickly.


    Before she could use the skill for the third time, a black mist suddenly swept in from the right, about to cover their entire plate. Rita instantly used Silent Hill to hide the 17 dishes on the table into the "Inner World," completely isolating them from the mist.


    This skill was a bit like Hide and Seek from before, but when the black mist surged in, Rita realized that this new version was much more advanced than the previous one, which only disoriented players and dulled their senses.


    All of Rita''s unlocked skills, including her divine talent skills, were now sealed. Not only that, she was also poisoned, with her health rapidly decreasing by 5% per second. The robe Pine Bloom had given her started showing signs of rapid wear and tear.


    The "Top" character on her shoulder was soon swallowed up by the black mist. She couldn''t see it anymore, and likely, neither could the other players.


    This skill was temporarily useless.


    At this moment, Rita heard Marmang-Crab''s voice, shouting, "Sea Kid!!"


    Just as the black mist overtook the place where Sea Pony had been, a brilliant flash of light appeared. It was Sea Pony''s silhouette!


    Wait... was it evolving?!


    No, it was using a skill.


    Its young voice, more solemn than ever, recited an unusually long name. If Rita hadn''t been hiding under Marmang-Crab''s shell, the time Sea Pony took to say the name would have been long enough for Rita to die three times.


    ¡ª[Sea Kid is great, no need for any changes]


    The poison debuff was dispelled, and her health and mana were restored to 100%. Not only that, all buffs that had been disabled or shattered earlier were now back!


    Many skills that had been on cooldown also returned, and a new buff for the 7th and 8th dishes appeared on her.


    This was a rollback skill, allowing the player to revert to a previous state.


    All of her wounds disappeared, the crab claws were back to full strength, and Marmang-Crab roared, donning the crab shell again and ready to fight.


    The black mist was also instantly dispersed by its skill.


    It seemed that the earlier claim of only being able to last 30 seconds was a pretty little lie.


    Rita didn''t rush to undo the Silent Hill effect. She looked up at the battle in the air. The mechanical hand had already been severely damaged, and the progress was much faster than when TingoJE had fought it. At this rate, it could be destroyed in as little as 1 minute.


    With Marmang-Crab back in top form, Rita had no more worries. Plus, the buffs from her last two dishes had disappeared due to the rollback skill.


    She took out B80234615, transformed it into Dusk and Night, and joined the battle.


    The buff from the 7th dish, Flame Sea Hungry Whale, had now been triggered. She had +888 intelligence, and each of her attacks could summon a fire tornado.


    She aimed at the chef on the right plate, fired three shots, and three fiery tornadoes spiraled wildly through the arena.


    The opponent shouted, "She even has Midnight Exile!"


    Rita didn''t plan to hide anything. Her Ancient Curse had already been exposed. The treasure on her body didn''t matter that much¡ªit wasn''t a significant difference whether she had one more or less.


    These strong players definitely had their own information channels. She hadn''t been hiding her Midnight Exile, and leaks were inevitable. The only difference was how fully each player knew about it.


    But it didn''t matter now... she only hoped that more and more strong players would join this chaotic battle.


    Let them all fight for the right to kill her!


    The more chaotic, the better. Only in the chaos could she find her space to breathe.


    After a dozen shots rang out, more fire tornadoes filled the battlefield. Rita didn''t expect to hurt the high-level players here, but as long as she could disrupt their vision and shift their skills a little, that was enough.


    Because Sea Pony had stopped healing her, Top Chef? Top Chef! was no longer necessary. Marmang-Crab was happy to see her die a few more times.


    But no one could call the shots here. When the black mist descended earlier, Rita had kept One-Person Party as her ace up her sleeve.


    And with Bedtime Tale and the newly acquired Fourfold Spring, even though occasional special attacks passed through her shields and hit her, she was barely holding on.


    Apart from that, Pine Bloom''s clothes had truly been a big help!


    But who exactly was spending all the mana for those healing amounts?

 Chapter 508: 507: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 28

    On the other side of the competition field,


    Pine Bloom, her face cold, was using a hammer to casually attack ¡ª throw the hammer, hit another player, and then it would fly back to her.


    Black SpringMud Bears was truly angry: "Lania Kaia Pine Bloom! How can you be slacking off like this?!"


    Pine Bloom glanced at her mana bar, which was only at 10%¡ªin just the brief moment, it dropped another 1%.


    She didn''t even know how to explain it. Her skills used up mana quickly, especially with the need to both attack and heal herself, and now she was stuck with a pet?


    All of Pine Bloom''s mana recovery skills were already used up... She had to leave some mana for emergencies, so she could only rely on basic attacks.


    Besides, her basic attack was still quite strong, okay? She couldn''t leave the plate, and she was trying her best!


    Black SpringMud Bears: "...I''m not saying that Lania Kaia Maple Syrup isn''t great, but she would never slack off! How can you even be worse than her?!"


    Pine Bloom closed her eyes and took a deep breath, deciding to continue pretending she didn''t understand. After all, wasn''t that what she did when she was in the restaurant?


    Y1148: "An Autumn Bear just insulted you with the worst thing it can say: You''re worse than Maple Syrup."


    Pine Bloom: "I don''t need you to translate and interpret, thanks."


    Y1148: "Okay, you should''ve said that earlier."


    Pine Bloom threw the hammer with all her might, as if throwing something disgusting! It was a hammer full of rage!


    Y1148: "Do you think Maple Syrup would get mad if she saw BS Rita wearing your clothes?"


    Pine Bloom: "No, she doesn''t care about these little things. She has a big picture in mind."


    Y1148: "Oh."


    ...


    Back on Rita''s side, they barely held on for another 50 seconds thanks to Sea Pony''s rollback.


    However, without Octopus Bucket''s protection, Rita still ended up dying once.


    Even the best shields have limits on how much damage they can withstand, and one layer of shields after another was broken.


    When Marmang-Crab couldn''t keep up anymore, several skills hit them almost simultaneously. Marmang-Crab immediately grabbed Sea Pony and sent it back to the space, then flew over to protect the 17 completed dishes using its body as a shield.


    Rita dodged a few skills while flying but was still hit and had no time to activate Mysterious Power...


    She wouldn''t hesitate to use it, even though it had a cooldown of 7 real-world days, because after all, skills are meant to be used.


    Unfortunately... the skills were too densely packed; she just didn''t have the time.


    But it wasn''t too much of a loss.


    Thanks to Absurd Story''s passive skill, she actually managed to kill a player!


    Even though the damage from each attack only took away 30% of her health, that was the effect of Bedtime Tale''s skill, meaning the damage dealt to her didn''t equate to just losing 30% of her health.


    The players'' attacks were becoming fiercer, and with the battlefield becoming chaotic...


    [Ding ¡ª Congratulations to BS Rita for killing a 17th-tier demon player Sakura Wulong.]


    [Because of the 10-tier difference in strength and crossing two major realms, Sakura Wulong''s death penalty will skip five levels, and all revival costs will go to player BS Rita. Divine Game will not take a share.]


    [An unparalleled spectacular battle, achievement unlocked: The Death Knell Rings for You!]


    [The Death Knell Rings for You!: In Divine Game, successfully kill a player whose strength is 10 tiers higher than yours.]


    [Achievement reward: Enemy''s death penalty +2 levels.]


    [Player Wulong chose to use two SSS-tier skills to exchange for their first revival chance in this round of Divine Game. You will receive all revival costs of player Wulong as your loot.]


    [Ding ¡ª Loot acquired: Accuracy +1%]


    [You have obtained player Wulong''s SSS-tier skill ¡ª Bravery.]


    [You have obtained player Wulong''s SSS-tier skill ¡ª Reward or Punishment.]


    When Rita heard the sequence of prompts, she was selecting her revival cost: one S-tier skill.


    She immediately chose one of the three S-tier skills she had obtained from the treasure mines as her revival cost. Although it was an attack skill, she hadn''t had the chance to use it much, so she didn''t mind handing it over.


    The revival countdown in the initial room showed 52 seconds remaining.


    She didn''t plan on waiting out the time here; Octopus Bucket could finish the battle at any time, and she couldn''t rest easy if she wasn''t present when the dishes were submitted.


    Rita quickly glanced at the two new skills she had just received, considering if she could use any of them once she returned to the battle.


    [Bravery] (SSS):


    Using this skill will triple your attack speed and movement speed, increase critical hit rate by 50%, critical damage by 100%, defense by 500, and all attack skills'' damage by 5x. This skill lasts for 3 minutes, and during its duration, no healing or shield skills can be used. Each use of this skill consumes 20% of your health. Cooldown time: 1 hour.


    [Reward or Punishment] (SSS):


    This skill can only be used once every 24 hours, and its cooldown time cannot be shortened by any means. Each use costs 800 mana. After using this skill, you will receive either a reward or a punishment.


    Reward: A shield equal to 2000% of the player''s health.


    Punishment: Health drops to 1%, and no healing skills can be used for 2 hours.


    The first skill was a burst skill, and the second one... could rival Heart Snatcher.


    But if used well... combined with her Mysterious Power, both the reward and punishment could save her life.


    After committing these two skills to memory, Rita chose to return to the battlefield.


    In the blink of an eye, Rita used Phantom Shift and appeared at the edge of the plate, then observed the battle inside. She found that only Marmang-Crab was still struggling.


    Rita immediately began flying around the plate, dodging attacks and weaving through the battlefield. As her health dipped, her robe pulled her back, and the healing effect from Pine Bloom''s robe kept her alive. This piece of clothing didn''t just heal; it had a repair function¡ªit was truly incredible!


    Rita: "Do you have any skill for making clothes like this? Every time I enter a battle, my clothes are made of regular materials, and they can''t survive more than a few battles."


    B80234615: "I do, but they can''t heal. The one you''re wearing now can heal because it remotely uses Pine Bloom''s mana, and since it''s remote, the consumption is higher."


    Rita touched the dark green robe on her body.


    Even though she suspected Pine Bloom had given her this robe to help track her down, without this robe, she would''ve died more than once today.


    Sigh... the consumption was so high, and she had healed herself more than fifty times, yet Pine Bloom never retrieved the robe... it seemed that she was determined to make sure Rita survived.


    Moreover, Pine Bloom was so powerful! Her mana seemed inexhaustible!


    It could only be explained this way...


    ...Haha, it''s not like she was farming Rita by just casually using basic attacks on her!

 Chapter 509: 508: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 29

    With Marmang-Crab protecting the 17 dishes, Rita focused on maneuvering and evading.


    The skills had been so dense and the battle so intense that she had been entirely focused on surviving, with no time to think.


    Now that she was away from the cooking station, she realized that the players on the opposing plate were actually more afraid of dying than she was. Several attacks almost missed her by mere inches.


    Reflecting on the rewards she received after killing Sakura Wulong, and recalling how high-level players had hesitated to attack her before, she speculated that killing her might result in a downgraded reward penalty for the higher-level players?


    Upon closer observation, she realized these players were essentially playing along with each other. Their powerful skills were actually aimed at Marmang-Crab and the competition dishes. The skills aimed at her were simply to wear down her health, hoping that another player would finish the job.


    Rita suddenly stopped and allowed three skills to land on her, causing her health to drop to 7%. She glanced up at the fourth incoming purple star cluster. Just before it hit, the purple cluster skill veered off course, missed her, and struck Sea Pony in the back of the head.


    At the same time, a flash of white light appeared on her, and someone must have cast a healing skill on her.


    From the next plate over, an angry voice rang out.


    Rita didn''t understand, but B80234615 kindly translated for her.


    ¡ª "Ahhh, I almost got hit again!"


    Rita: "So this is what it feels like when enemies are begging you not to die..."


    If she had been cautiously skirting danger before, now she was confidently slacking off.


    Sea Pony saw her completely let go of any effort, and of course, it wasn''t going to let her off the hook. It immediately scolded her: "BS Rita! How could you slack off like this?!"


    So what if she was slacking? Those two weren''t any better, hiding everything!


    Not only did Rita not blush from Sea Pony''s accusation, but she also regretted not slacking off sooner¡ªshe could''ve been enjoying herself earlier.


    She confidently retorted: "I don''t believe you don''t want to slack off too!"


    Sea Pony clenched its fists, letting out an angry "Ah¡ª!" sound: "You''ve figured me out!"


    Two seconds later, Marmang-Crab also fell.


    This had been its limit. From the moment Octopus Bucket left, it had lasted 55 seconds.


    Rita immediately used her teleportation skill and arrived just in time to shield all the dishes with her light wings.


    Compared to her second death penalty, this competition was, of course, more important.


    However, as she shielded the dishes, she noticed that only about a quarter of the skills that had previously been aimed at her were now being used.


    For most high-level players, it seemed they preferred to let her team finish the competition without actually killing her.


    Rita had a faint hunch.


    The remaining quarter of the skills didn''t land on her because Octopus Bucket had returned.


    Its tentacles repelled the incoming attacks.


    This arena was clearly intelligent, just like when they were first grouped together, with Divine Game popping up a dialogue box asking if the three of them wanted to form a team. When Octopus Bucket placed the 18th dish on the counter, a new notification popped up.


    ¡ª "Do you want to submit your cooking project early? Yes/No"


    Rita selected "Yes," and so did Octopus Bucket.


    Marmang-Crab, who had revived quickly, also selected "Yes" without hesitation.


    The 18 dishes slowly disappeared. Though the competition result couldn''t be revealed yet, at least they no longer had to worry about their dishes being destroyed and losing their qualification.


    With 28 minutes remaining in the competition, they now had a full 28 minutes to wreak havoc on the other players.


    Marmang-Crab unleashed its nuclear weapon, Sea Pony: "Go, Sea Cub! It''s all yours!"


    Octopus Bucket began leading the charge alongside Marmang-Crab and Sea Pony, launching a counterattack and revenge. Meanwhile, Rita continued to fire cold shots, trying to pick up any stray rewards.


    Rita tried to confirm her earlier hypothesis: "Is it true that when Abyss-level and Demon King-level players kill me, they not only get a downgraded reward penalty, but are also limited in the number of times they can kill me? Only the first few kills will reward them?"


    B80234615: "Yes!"


    Rita: "...How many times is the limit? Three? Five?"


    B80234615: "I cannot respond to a hypothesis you''re uncertain about yourself."


    Rita: "When a 17th-tier player kills me, my kill reward jumps five levels. Does the number of times they can kill me depend on the power gap? The larger the power gap, the fewer times they can gain rewards from killing me?"


    B80234615: "Yes."


    After receiving the confirmation she needed, Rita briefly relaxed, but then immediately removed the Ballroom Formalwear she was wearing.


    That outfit was far from simple. If Pine Bloom wanted her Midnight Exile, wouldn''t the best thing to do be to let her die a few more times out here due to lack of healing?


    If the purpose was simply to track her location, there would have been no need to give her something that restores health.


    Moreover, if the concern was that it might not be valuable enough to keep her, couldn''t Pine Bloom have just sent her something that restored mana or added attributes instead?


    Rita grew increasingly uneasy as she realized that this was connected to her own healing skill, 12-month Interest-free!


    Would she have to repay all the healing received?


    She asked her electronic pet: "Can you check the details of the Ballroom Formalwear skill? Or does it have any related skills?"


    B80234615: "The skill information for Ballroom Formalwear is the same as what you''ve seen. As for related skills..."


    "...Perhaps you''re asking about this: Pine Bloom has a skill called Ballroom Host. She can take back anything she has given you related to the ballroom."


    Rita: "Does that include the health I received through Ballroom Formalwear?"


    B80234615: "Yes."


    Rita dodged an incoming skill from a 10th-tier chef on the opposing side, calculating in her mind how much health she had left to repay.


    B80234615: "Aren''t you going to blame me for not warning you?"


    Rita blinked: "No, of course not."


    In her mind, B80234615 was like a portable search engine. If she wanted to know something, she''d ask.


    If B80234615 volunteered helpful information, like ingredient traits, Rita would be pleasantly surprised. But if B80234615 became too proactive, acting like an all-knowing guide, Rita would definitely resent it.


    Not using her brain was dangerous, and relying on an electronic pet she didn''t trust yet could be fatal.


    She''d rather learn the hard way about Pine Bloom than have B80234615 overstep its bounds and interfere too much in her game.


    Having B80234615 point out the risks of Ballroom Formalwear and suggesting that Pine Bloom could take back all the health it had given her? No, Rita wouldn''t be happy about that.


    After a long time, and more and more instances, she would start to think, "If B80234615 hasn''t pointed out a problem, it must be fine."

 Chapter 510: 509: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 30

    Although she had jokingly said that B80234615''s role was to "like" her guesses, Rita didn''t actually mind this arrangement.


    If B80234615 had enough privileges to casually share all the information in Divine Game, Rita''s fate wouldn''t just be unlucky¡ªit would be far worse. The gods themselves would intervene and erase her from existence.


    Rita shared her thoughts with B80234615 and said, "You''re doing just fine the way you are."


    B80234615 replied, "But you''re really hard to deal with."


    Rita chuckled. "Wow, the robot''s learned how to complain."


    B80234615 responded, "When we first met, you were too brutally honest, but now, you try to make me happy by softening your words."


    Rita smiled. "But I still haven''t tried to deceive you with lies."


    A faint buzzing sound echoed in her mind¡ªthat was B80234615 muttering something she didn''t quite understand but had deliberately made sure Rita heard.


    Rita laughed quietly and returned to examining the Ballroom Formalwear.


    Some things didn''t need to be said out loud; she trusted B80234615 would understand. Despite explaining so much in gentle terms, the underlying truth was cruel and cold¡ªI am the master, and you are the tool.


    "You can pop up and ask if I need help, but when I haven''t activated you, you can''t start the learning software and guide me on what to do," Rita thought to herself, but she didn''t say it aloud.


    B80234615 suddenly spoke again, "You''re just the right amount of rational. I don''t like machines that are as cold as me, but I also don''t like beings whose emotions overflow. Emotion is precious, and you, rich in it yet stingy with it, are perfect."


    Whether it was Nivalis or B80234615, both had praised her after understanding the unfiltered, true her.


    Rita paused for a moment, reflecting on B80234615''s words, until a skill hit her, snapping her back to focus.


    Yes! Nivalis and B80234615 really do have good judgment!


    She glanced at the already tattered BS attire on her, patted B80234615, and asked it to conjure something more practical. Quickly transforming into Dusk and Night, B80234615 produced a black hoodie.


    Rita slipped it on casually, then stood next to Octopus Bucket, examining the garment Pine Bloom had given her.


    She had lost health, but wasn''t it time to return it to her?


    Rita tried casting a healing skill directly on the outfit. The glow of the skill covered the entire cloak and slowly merged into it.


    Was it effective?


    Although she couldn''t be sure if this method would work to cancel out Ballroom Host, it was worth trying.


    With Octopus Bucket and Marmang-Crab holding the front lines, Rita had attempted to grab a loophole but found herself unable to do so¡ªopponents'' shields were stacked too thickly. She decided to deal with her own issues first.


    Rita started casting healing skills on the outfit. After about fifty healing casts, each time her health dropped below 80%, the healing would trigger, bringing her health back to 80%.


    Her body had 253 constitution and almost 16,000 health.


    She even summoned Fountain of Light, dunking the outfit in the well to let it absorb water. With the Abyss version of Fountain of Light, 1ml of water equals 5 health points.


    Her healing skills weren''t extensive, but she had B80234615 consume its power to heal the cloak. Rita didn''t recall how much she owed in health, but she planned to heal up to 160,000 health points¡ªequivalent to 1000% of her total health.


    She continued until the end of the match.


    [Match Ended] [You can check the cooking competition rankings and scoring details on the leaderboard.]


    When the [Match Ended] notification sounded, the first thing Rita did was use Mooncut on the metal moon in the sky.


    ...


    [Congratulations to the Cosmic Wanderer Octopus Bucket, Divine Game Player Marmang-Crab, Divine Game Player BS Rita, and Ingredient TingoJE for securing 233rd place in this competition.] [Congratulations to the team for earning the right to manage restaurant 233 in Area A.] [The Divine Game Player employees of restaurant 233 will receive World Graveyard (random) x5.] [The Cosmic Wanderer employees of restaurant 233 will receive a vacation right to one random world for 1 Star Sea Moon.] [Ingredient TingoJE wins an opportunity to prematurely end this Divine Game in the "We Don''t Know Big Roulette" game.] [During the off-season, each employee of restaurant 233 can retain 2 Divine Blessing Skills, 3 non-Divine Blessing Skills, and 70% of their attributes.] [The "Is this your restaurant? Who gave you the permission to open it?" storyline is now complete.]


    Five strange World Graveyards appeared in front of Rita. She put the now-earring-form B80234615 back on, feeding the 5 World Graveyards to it, telling it to recharge whenever it ran out of energy, knowing that B80234615 had a place to store these.


    The next moment, they found themselves inside a restaurant.


    Rita closed her right eye, enduring the sharp pain as though a knife was repeatedly cutting through it.


    Inside the restaurant, only she, Octopus Bucket, Marmang-Crab, and Sea Pony were present. There was no sign of TingoJE, but Rita didn''t think TingoJE would leave early...


    She surveyed her surroundings and realized the layout here was similar to the one she had first encountered when arriving¡ªan open design with no doors, like a tent.


    Unlike before, when the outside world was a bright starry sky, the world outside the restaurant now had a crimson hue.


    Before her, five boxes appeared, showing her to choose 2 Divine Blessing Skills and 3 non-Divine Blessing Skills.


    She looked at her teammates. She couldn''t see their boxes, but Octopus Bucket and Marmang-Crab''s gazes both rested on a certain point in the air, clearly in the same situation as her. As for Sea Pony...


    Marmang-Crab asked Sea Pony, "Can you still use your skills?"


    Sea Pony responded, "All sealed."


    Rita asked, "Yours too?"


    B80234615 replied, "Yes, all sealed."


    Looking at the boxes before her, Rita suspected that once she made her choice, even using Abyssal Energy wouldn''t release any of the unchosen skills.


    She quickly made her decision: [Bedtime Tale] + [I Just Want to Improve So Badly], [Mysterious Power] + [Fourfold Spring] + [Dandelion Wind].


    Here, with Octopus Bucket and Marmang-Crab, attacking wasn''t really her job.


    As for the tank? Marmang-Crab''s defense was the strongest she had ever seen. It had withstood nearly a minute of bombardment from at least four enemy teams!


    Her goal was simple: stay alive.


    For healing, she had [Fourfold Spring]. Even without Midnight Exile, her critical hit rate was still high at 76%.


    For escaping, [Dandelion Wind]; for defense, [Mysterious Power] and [Bedtime Tale].


    And lastly, her core skill, [I Just Want to Improve So Badly]¡ªafter all, this was her bread and butter. Though Midnight Exile was powerful, she still preferred [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] because it had been with her throughout her journey, helping her grow.

 Chapter 511: 510: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 31

    After making her selection, five different icons appeared in the five boxes in front of Rita.


    [Bedtime Tale] was represented by an open book.


    [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] was a hand casually stretched out.


    [Mysterious Power] was a drop of blood.


    [Fourfold Spring] looked like a wind whale leaping out of the sea.


    [Dandelion Wind] was a dandelion puffed halfway apart.


    The five icons shrank to the size of a coin, arranged in a row on her left forearm.


    Rita thought, Uh-oh, don''t tell me this is a full-holo reconfiguration of the keyboard...


    She tried to activate one of the unchosen skills using her Abyssal Energy but felt nothing.


    Not even the hanging skills can be used now?


    B80234615: "You''re always complaining about bad luck and not being able to steal. Why did you still choose the stealing skill?"


    Rita replied confidently, "I feel like it''s not my fault, it''s Octopus Bucket''s. It definitely has skills to prevent stealing."


    She tried using [Dandelion Wind], but it didn''t have the usual intuitive feeling of the skill activating. She pressed the [Dandelion Wind] icon on her forearm.


    In the next moment, she transformed into a dandelion.


    So, they really did change the keyboard...


    At that moment, her right eye also seemed to recover. She dodged a few of her teammates, walking to the back kitchen and using the water surface to look at her right eye.


    After stealing the metal nail-like moon from the competition, her right eye now had a metallic gleam.


    Rita: "What number was that moon?"


    B80234615: "17986."


    That number was enough to make any collector despair.


    So far, she had only stolen 4 moons: one from the Kart Racing game, one from Lania Kaia, the 1st moon, and now this 17986 moon.


    Rita: "Do you know what happens when the moonlight I steal keeps going into my right eye?"


    B80234615: "I don''t know. Even the gods aren''t omniscient. Some skills and divine blessings change when they encounter different souls."


    Rita didn''t ask further. She blinked her right eye and saw that it had recovered, so she didn''t bother with it anymore.


    But there was some bad news. After the Is this your restaurant? Who gave you the permission to open it? storyline ended, she started receiving divine punishment notifications for violating the game''s rules.


    On the other side, Marmang-Crab was staring at his crab claws. He asked Sea Pony, "You can''t use your skills anymore. Do you want to go back and sleep?"


    Before Sea Pony could reply, Octopus Bucket spoke up, "Stay. I need your trash talk."


    Sea Pony shyly squirmed, "You really do have taste~~"


    Marmang-Crab didn''t respond and kept examining his crab claws.


    Rita couldn''t help but say, "You''re so strong, but why do you react so strongly to my trash talk?"


    Compared to Sea Pony''s trash talk, her own was practically polite.


    Marmang-Crab: "...When you''re out in the world, it''s all Sea Ponies everywhere. It''s so hopeless."


    Sea Pony: "Hey, I''m listening."


    Marmang-Crab: "That''s for you to hear."


    Sea Pony: "Heh, when you need me, call me Sea Crust, when you don''t, just call me Sea Pony."


    At this point, Octopus Bucket''s size had returned to what it had been when they first met. It was standing behind the counter, looking at the sky.


    Rita ignored the back-and-forth between Marmang-Crab and Sea Pony and walked over to stand next to Octopus Bucket, but she couldn''t see anything in the sky.


    Thinking back on how Octopus Bucket had previously recruited chefs, Rita asked, "Do you know what happens after the restaurant closes?"


    Octopus Bucket shook its head, "Can''t see."


    Rita couldn''t help but think of the [Is this your restaurant? Who gave you the permission to open it?] reward. After all that hard work, she only got 5 World Graveyards as a reward. The payout seemed so unbalanced compared to the effort, which meant the bigger prize must still be the 233 Restaurant.


    She didn''t engage in further conversation with Octopus Bucket, choosing instead to head to the kitchen to check the cooking tools and the ingredients in the fridge.


    She glanced at the other restaurants, seeing players also searching around.


    17th, 18th, 16th, ??...


    18th, ??, 17th, 18th...


    Not worth provoking... Rita silently withdrew her gaze.


    Soon, three bells rang from the sky outside.


    At the same time, their team heard the system''s notification.


    [233 Restaurant] Randomly generated 8 restaurant rules. Due to the team''s excellent performance, ranking 233 in the cooking competition, the team can modify 4 of the rules.]


    [Entering the restaurant during the closing hours and violating the 233 Restaurant rules 3 times will result in annihilation.]


    [Closing time: 01:00-07:00]


    An attack-and-defense game? Or is the business simulation still ongoing during the closing time?


    233 Restaurant randomly generated 8 rules and allows only 4 modifications. What about the lower-ranked restaurants?


    "Entities entering the restaurant," do these employees count?


    If so, the rule needs to ensure they don''t harm their own people, and they can''t allow outsiders to observe and figure out the rules by watching their behavior.


    Rita exchanged a glance with Marmang-Crab and Octopus Bucket, both thinking about this issue.


    A scroll appeared in the air and slowly descended in front of them, displaying Sky-Crab language that all the players could understand.


    Sea Pony was the first to rush over, reading the text aloud:


    "Rule 1: All entities entering 233 Restaurant must lick MarmangSea Pony''s feet."


    With a loud "slap," Marmang-Crab used its claw to swat Sea Pony away.


    Marmang-Crab: "What''s the time, and you''re still messing around!"


    Marmang-Crab picked up the scroll, and the 8 randomly generated rules appeared in front of them.


    Rule 1: All entities entering 233 Restaurant must lick MarmangSea Pony''s feet.


    Octopus Bucket and Marmang-Crab and Rita: "..."


    Marmang-Crab quickly grabbed Sea Pony, who was furiously kicking and crying. "Sorry, Sea Crust, I thought you were spouting trash talk..."


    Sea Pony, feet stiff, retorted: "Lick me!!"


    Rita said sternly: "This rule needs to be changed."


    Octopus Bucket nodded. "Yes, it needs to be changed."


    Rita: "How about changing it to Sea Pony having to lick everyone''s feet in the restaurant?"


    Octopus Bucket: "I think that works."


    Sea Pony: "...I''ll die for you guys right now!!!"


    The group decided to look through the rest of the rules before making any decisions, but the more they read, the more silent they became.


    Rule 2: No eight-legged creatures are allowed to enter 233 Restaurant.


    Octopus Bucket and Marmang-Crab: "..."


    Rule 3: No red-colored beings are allowed to enter 233 Restaurant, including but not limited to orange-red and bright red.


    Rita, Octopus Bucket, and Marmang-Crab: "?"


    Rule 4: No same-race players allowed in 233 Restaurant. If two same-race players are present, one will randomly die.


    Rita and Octopus Bucket almost simultaneously sighed in relief. Rita was sure no humans were present here, and Octopus Bucket''s own race was already extinct.


    However, Marmang-Crab and Sea Pony visibly tensed up.


    Random death with no chance for a duel!

 Chapter 512: 511: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 32

    Rule 5: In 233 Restaurant, any unlocked skills can be traded, stolen, or seized; every entity that enters 233 Restaurant must have one of their unlocked skills undergo a change.


    All the teammates, including Sea Pony, screamed in unison, "This must be changed!"


    The five unlocked slots, whether for divine blessings or regular skills, were carefully chosen to be the strongest and most useful.


    Perhaps divine blessings truly had a deep connection with one''s personality and soul fire, because, even when faced with stronger and better skills, everyone would still be more attached to their own divine blessing.


    Both Octopus Bucket and Marmang-Crab could accept trading, but they would absolutely not accept the possibility of their skills being stolen or seized.


    For Rita, the same went. Even though she knew that divine blessings, after being transformed by Divine Game, would never be weak, she couldn''t bear the thought of losing [I Just Want to Improve So Badly].


    Not to mention her recent favorite skills, [Bedtime Tale] and [Mysterious Power].


    If [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] could steal skills, Rita might accept it¡ªtrading back and forth, taking risks. But since it couldn''t, how could she be happy about that?


    Rule 6: Any entity entering 233 Restaurant can challenge the restaurant''s original employees for a competition.


    Modes of competition:


    [Chef] ¨C Food Wars


    [Cleaner] ¨C Guarding Food Street


    [Cashier] ¨C The Big Wealthy Game


    The loser of the competition will be marked for a violation, and will be forced to leave 233 Restaurant.


    Rule 7: 233 Restaurant prohibits waste.


    Rule 8: 233 Restaurant employees may not refuse reasonable requests from customers more than three times.


    Rule 5 needed to be changed, along with Rule 2, 3, and 8. Three slots were immediately used up.


    As for Rule 8, it had to be changed as well. The concept of "reasonable requests" was too vague. No one knew what kind of beings the customers were, and the word "reasonable" was too dangerous.


    They all stared at the rules, feeling troubled. The players here were all high-level, skilled in making sacrifices. But licking feet? That was pushing it.


    After a long silence, Rita suddenly said, "I have a really nasty idea. Not sure if I should say it."


    Sea Pony had a bad feeling: "Maybe you should keep it to yourself."


    The evil Rita nodded, "Alright, since you agreed, here it is. If we chop Sea Pony''s feet off and make them into a soup, and we drink it, wouldn''t that not only fulfill the rule but also make anyone else who enters the restaurant violate it?"


    Without feet, how can they lick?


    Octopus Bucket''s eyes instantly lit up, and Marmang-Crab was excited too: "Genius! That works!"


    In the underwater world of Marmang-Crab, breaking limbs wasn''t even a big deal.


    Sea Pony stared at Rita in shock: "...How cruel!!"


    Rita grinned, extending her thumbs and forefingers to hold Sea Pony''s two little hands and shook them: "What do you want as compensation? Just say it. Marmang-Crab definitely won''t disagree."


    Marmang-Crab: "..."


    After Marmang-Crab promised a huge amount of pocket money, Sea Pony tearfully agreed to sacrifice itself.


    With that, it casually removed its two feet as if taking off shoes, tossing them toward Rita: "Here, make foot bath soup with them, you bugs!"


    Hurrying, Rita grabbed the two horse-feet, which looked like freshly cut toenails, and immediately headed for the kitchen to start cooking. Marmang-Crab and Octopus Bucket followed, continuing to discuss how to modify the rules.


    If the rules were too strict, no one would dare to enter.


    This "closed period" gameplay was both a crisis and an opportunity. Since they had received such a good opening thanks to the cooking competition, they couldn''t let it go to waste.


    Moreover, the final rewards of this Divine Game depended on revenue, and if it looked like they could make money during the closed period, they had to try.


    They decided to modify Rules 2, 3, 5, and 8.


    Rule 2: To enter 233 Restaurant, each entity must purchase and consume at least one dish.


    Rule 3: No entity may spend more than 30 minutes during dining time in 233 Restaurant, excluding official employees.


    Rule 5: In 233 Restaurant, any unlocked skills can be traded. Trades must be mutually agreed upon by both parties, with no concealment or deceit. Every successful trade requires the submission of 1% of each participant''s wealth as a service fee to the restaurant.


    Rule 8: 233 Restaurant customers may refuse reasonable requests from restaurant employees no more than three times.


    Once all the rules were modified, the beast hide scroll flew out of the restaurant and hovered in front of the door.


    Rita had already started preparing the soup while writing two menus. The first menu consisted of dishes based on the ingredients in the fridge.


    The prices were outrageous: "One random skill," "One World Graveyard," or "One random item."


    Of course, there were also normal currencies, but those were even more absurd¡ª1%, 2%, 5% of the cash carried.


    The second menu, however, had only one dish, [MarmangSea Pony''s Seafood Soup], with a flexible price: "A piece of rag," "1g crab shell powder," "1ml octopus slime," or "One trash talk." This one was clearly for their own team.


    For safety, MarmangSea Pony had to drink it too.


    B80234615: "Do I need to drink it too?"


    Rita: "What do you think? Later, just soak in the bubbles as if you''ve drunk it."


    Marmang-Crab and Octopus Bucket went to adjust the restaurant layout, turning the roadside stalls into a small food court, while Sea Pony focused on watching Rita cook its foot soup.


    At this point, there were only 2 minutes left until the closing time.


    As they became more familiar with each other, Sea Pony couldn''t hold its tongue anymore and asked Rita: "What kind of entities do you think will come to our restaurant?"


    Rita shook her head but spoke with certainty, "They definitely won''t be players or cosmic wanderers who didn''t get the restaurant rights."


    Sea Pony was surprised: "Why?"


    Rita: "That''s not fair. Our restaurant''s rules apply to everyone who enters. We can modify 4 of them, and this is a reward we got from triggering a special plot and then going through the cooking competition. If all of this hadn''t happened, and the rules had been public and unchangeable, the employees and non-employees would be on equal footing."


    Sea Pony was a bit confused: "Huh?"


    Rita: "This kind of fairness, where everyone is on the same starting line, is unfair to the winners of the cooking competition. That means the outcome of the competition would have no meaning. That''s not reasonable."


    Sea Pony understood: "So you''re saying, those who lost the cooking competition, including cosmic wanderers, will not only lose the restaurant rights but also face punishment?"


    Rita explained: "Exactly. Otherwise, what would be the point of losing the restaurant rights? They''ll either face extremely harsh rule restrictions or game tasks, or there will be dangers targeting them on Food Street. And... even without the [Is this your restaurant? Who gave you the permission to open it?] special plot, the closing period would still exist, right? If we hadn''t re-teamed or had the cooking competition, then the divine players would be employees, and the cosmic wanderers would likely leave before the street closes. How could we operate during the closing period then?"


    Rita felt her unease grow stronger, and couldn''t help but ask her electronic pet, "In the world battlefield, besides the mechanical race, cosmic wanderers, and Divine Game players, are there other entities?"


    B80234615: "Of course, there are the gods and demons who created the game."

 Chapter 513: 512: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 33

    "Of course, the creators of the game¡ªgods and demons."


    Rita didn''t share this information with Octopus Bucket and the others; this was obviously confidential, and she had no intention of sharing it.


    She handed a few bowls of seafood soup to Sea Pony to give to Marmang-Crab and Octopus Bucket, keeping one for herself. She drank half of it, saving the rest for later, after the closing time started.


    Naturally, she violated Rule 19: You may only eat dishes made by your teammates and lost 7 health points.


    She asked B80234615, "Won''t the gods and demons destroy you if they find out about you?"


    She didn''t think B80234615''s existence would be able to go unnoticed by the creators.


    B80234615: "No, if you take me with you, you are paying the corresponding price. Anything that the gods and demons do not allow will never happen."


    Rita: "Alright then, here, have a dip in this bowl of soup and lick Sea Pony''s feet."


    B80234615: "When I left the Garbage Mountain with you, I never thought I''d be in such a situation."


    She prepared another bowl, poured some seahorse foot wash water into it, and dipped her earring into it.


    Ding¡ªDing¡ª


    When the clock chimed again, there was a loud noise outside the restaurant, as if the world had suddenly unmuted. Countless languages and sounds rushed into her ears.


    Rita immediately finished the remaining half of her seafood soup.


    Then she flew to the restaurant door and looked outside.


    She saw countless players and cosmic wanderers fleeing down the street. Many would quickly glance at the rules posted at the entrance of the restaurant as they passed.


    Some players chose to rush into the restaurant, but others kept running, looking less like they were seeking refuge and more like they were avoiding something.


    Naturally, many players were attracted to the restaurant''s entrance, but none dared to enter.


    Marmang-Crab whispered, "Do you think the dining time we set is too short? Are they trying to hide overnight?"


    It sounded like a question, but there was relief in Marmang-Crab''s voice. Luckily, they had set a dining time.


    No matter what those players were hiding from, the fact that several cosmic wanderers were fleeing meant that whatever they were running from wasn''t a simple existence.


    Rita curiously asked B80234615, "Even Marmang-Crab has been here for so long. Doesn''t it make you wonder if the gods and demons will join the game themselves?"


    B80234615: "If I didn''t say anything, would you dare to imagine it?"


    Rita fell silent for a moment, trying to imagine herself fighting alongside low-level players with her suppressed power.


    But here, the gods joining the game would be like a chess player joining the game and playing with the toy pieces. Moreover, if the goal was to have fun, the gods and demons might even suppress their power. For what? Were they that bored?


    Rita confirmed, "They''ll suppress their power for fun, right?"


    B80234615: "Of course."


    That explained a lot. The consequences of suppressing power might even cause them to "flip the board."


    Who would have imagined that in the world battlefield, "death" could come from the gods and demons themselves?


    A few minutes later, the street grew quiet again, returning to silence.


    The nearly 5-Character beings that had filled the streets earlier had hidden. Some entered the restaurant, using the restaurant''s rules as protection, while others hid using skills.


    Ding¡ª!


    The final bell rang.


    Immediately, countless white spheres of various sizes rained down from the sky on Food Street. Once they hit the ground, they stretched out and opened like clever creatures.


    Marmang-Crab gasped, "Game loot boxes!"


    Rita blurted out, "Rabbits?!"


    In a reflex, she spoke in English, and Sea Pony asked, "What are you talking about?"


    Rita stared at the rabbits that, after landing, started sniffing the ground and scattering in different directions. She explained, "These... look like an animal from BS."


    She then asked Marmang-Crab, "What game loot boxes?"


    Marmang-Crab pointed outside the restaurant. "These."


    Just as she finished speaking, she saw a rabbit, at least 1.8 meters tall, walking upright, passing by the restaurant door.


    Seeing Marmang-Crab hadn''t explained further, Rita asked her personal assistant, B80234615, "Do their forms always change randomly?"


    B80234615: "Yes."


    No wonder the players hadn''t thought about the gods and demons at all. Rita asked, "Are there any differences between gods and demons? Is this something secret?"


    B80234615: "It''s an open secret. Demons are actually gods, but gods are not demons. You can think of demons as deliberately distancing themselves from gods due to different ideologies. They don''t want beings to associate them with gods."


    Rita understood, "A rift then, why?"


    B80234615: "Demons believe gods are too hypocritical. To maintain fairness, they harm the fun of the game. They think there should be high, middle, and low-level stages in Divine Game rather than suppressing the strong and forcing them to play house with the weak in the same pool."


    Rita couldn''t say who was right or wrong. If she followed the demon''s way, she never would have accessed [Midnight Exile] so early. And the "fairness" and "balance" in the world battlefield gave her a lot of protection but also placed many limits on her.


    B80234615: "In the demon''s view, no being should be restricted. Limiting the advantage of certain players is inherently unfair."


    Rita nodded repeatedly. The demons were right!


    B80234615: "But since the demon faction is weaker than the god faction, the main planner of Divine Game is still the gods. However, many special plots have the shadow of demons."


    Rita: "I see now. No wonder sometimes it feels like I''ve been stabbed in the back while playing."


    B80234615: "Looks like you favor the gods."


    Rita: "When my cheats were banned, I favored the demons, but when I''m targeted by the big shots, I favor the gods."


    B80234615 sharply commented: "As long as there''s milk, you''ll pick a side."


    Rita: "..." Well, that''s not wrong.


    As they spoke, the street outside became lively again, but this time, the sounds of battle came from every corner.


    Rita poked her head out to take a look and just in time saw a rabbit, no bigger than a kitten, leap high into the air. With a kick from its rabbit leg, it easily deflected a skill that looked extremely powerful.


    The air spun¡ªswitching legs¡ªand the other foot smoothly kicked the player''s face, sending that player flying over ten meters before collapsing, motionless.


    Rita''s head followed the trajectory of the flying player from left to right, and then she asked, "Are you sure they suppressed their power?!"


    B80234615: "Yeah, they''re using their legs personally. Isn''t that suppression?"


    Rita: "How touching! What''s the difference between game designers coming in with full cheats and beating the paying players senseless? I want to quit the game!!"


    B80234615 changed the subject abruptly and said, "Every time the gods descend, they bring a lot of good things. Many veteran players, although unaware that these are gods and demons, refer to this spectacle of powerful beings descending in large numbers as ''game loot boxes.''"


    So this was what Marmang-Crab meant by "game loot boxes."


    Recalling the phrase "What the gods disallow will not happen," Rita caught on: "You mean? This is a gift from the gods? And I can get my hands on it in my own way?"


    B80234615: "Maybe."

 Chapter 514: 513: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 34

    Rita couldn''t help but think about the pressure she''d face later in the game. She wasn''t sure whether to consider herself lucky or unlucky.


    Standing behind the cash register, she watched the players and cosmic wanderers desperately fleeing outside. In a way, she didn''t feel too unlucky. After all, it was because Octopus Bucket had kidnapped her that she had the chance to practice her culinary skills and, under immense pressure, combine alchemy with cooking.


    Rita: "Although I don''t know what I''ll face in the second half of the game, but since I met you, I''ve been doing pretty well so far."


    Hearing Rita''s remark, B80234615 responded, "Bad luck just makes it easier for you to face difficulties and obstacles. It doesn''t mean you''ll fail at everything."


    From what it had observed, it wasn''t surprised by Rita''s success. Every bad situation was avoided, which wasn''t just about sheer luck. Rita was incredibly cautious; every action, every person, and even every word in system notifications were carefully analyzed.


    If the wind blew, she would wonder if it was just her or if it affected others too. Was the wind toxic?


    Apart from that, Rita''s approach to life had influenced her journey. Marmang-Crab and Pine Bloom treating her kindly had a lot to do with her potential, but her personality played a crucial role as well.


    "Being bored" could sometimes be an insult. Strong players didn''t waste time with boring things or people.


    Since B80234615 had started following her from Garbage Mountain, the big players she met¡ªMarmang-Crab, Pine Bloom, Maple Syrup, and even Sea Pony and Octopus Bucket¡ªseemed quite willing to spend time with her.


    Perhaps in the eyes of these big players, BS Rita was an interesting pet who might one day rise to the same height as them. But it was a skill in itself to make them enjoy watching her bounce around.


    If she played the ice queen act in front of them, without providing any value or emotional entertainment, the top players would have wiped the floor with her in no time.


    Rita didn''t know that B80234615 had so many inner thoughts, writing her fan letters in her head, as she stared at the rabbits outside.


    Now that she no longer had Soros Time''s skill to detect things, nor Fishing Master''s passive observation ability, and B80234615''s skills were also disabled, she was essentially in the dark.


    She couldn''t see the skills or information of the gods, demons, players, or cosmic wanderers. Fortunately, she often memorized player information from the ladder, and she could recognize at least 80% of the players in Food Street by name, rank, and title.


    She tapped Sea Pony and asked, "How strong are these event loot boxes?"


    Sea Pony tapped Marmang-Crab: "Can I say it?"


    Marmang-Crab: "Go ahead."


    There was no need to hide it; it was obvious once you interacted with them.


    Sea Pony explained, "Their strength fluctuates. When facing enemies of different strength, they automatically adjust their power. Hmm... let''s say it''s a 50/50 split."


    Rita watched the rabbit in Food Street kicking players as if it were a game. No player could survive more than three kicks...


    She muttered, "You call that a 50/50 split?"


    Sea Pony sighed. "It''s true. When the event loot boxes first appeared, everyone checked their attributes and divine talents. Though their divine talents are all S-tier, their attributes and strength are constantly changing."


    "Plus, they don''t wear any items, weapons, or even have skills. They only have a few divine talent skills."


    "''50/50'' is the high EQ version of what I''d say. If you look at the stats, it''s more like an 80/20 split. We''re the 80, and the event loot boxes are the 20."


    Rita had no words for that. Looking at it this way, it really was a suppression...


    While they were talking, a rabbit, roughly the size of a cheetah, stopped at the entrance of 233 Restaurant. The rabbit was holding a player who looked like a cross between a crocodile and a python in its mouth.


    The rabbit stared at Rita and the others for a while before it started examining the rules.


    The first rule made the rabbit frown.


    But perhaps the rest of the rules were fine, because it hopped into the restaurant and then let go of the player it was holding, saying, "This is my own ingredient."


    Rita quickly wrote a menu and, after discussing prices with Octopus Bucket and Marmang-Crab, handed it over.


    But the customer didn''t seem easily fooled. The rabbit said, "The menu looks good, but I don''t eat garbage. I only eat 5-star delicacies."


    The voice was unexpectedly childlike, high-pitched and tender.


    The pressure shifted to Rita.


    Not only was the ingredient unfamiliar, but the alchemical materials she had were limited to what remained from the culinary competition. And... given her current level, even if she were killed, she still couldn''t make a 5-star delicacy!


    Rita wracked her brain for various excuses, but in the end, she decided it was better to be honest. Under the burning gaze of Marmang-Crab and Octopus Bucket, she cleared her throat and said:


    "Sorry, customer. This is 233 Restaurant. I only got 233rd place because my cooking skills aren''t great, so I can''t make a 5-star delicacy, even if you kill me."


    She didn''t believe the rabbit didn''t know this. On the scroll of restaurant rules, there were two half stars at the bottom right corner. At first, she hadn''t understood, but now it seemed likely that these were the highest-rated dishes the restaurant''s chefs could make.


    Rita: "Can you tell if this is a god or a demon?"


    B80234615: "Can''t tell."


    The rabbit suddenly looked at Sea Pony and asked, "Why didn''t you say that line?"


    Sea Pony blinked. "What line?"


    The rabbit replied, "Your useless pet embarrassed me."


    Sea Pony immediately stood straight, hitting its chest with its small hand. "I''m sorry, honorable customer! My useless pet embarrassed you!"


    Rita: "..."


    Marmang-Crab felt like it had been hurt twice.


    Rita, with a heavy heart, said to B80234615, "I''ll bet one coin, it''s a demon, right?"


    B80234615: "It''s hard to say..."

 Chapter 515: 514: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 35

    Rita was beginning to realize that the gods were truly watching the game... and it seemed like they were watching quite intently.


    The rabbit tossed the ingredient toward her and then sat down at the counter behind the cash register, ordering a few dishes. "Do your best," it said.


    Rita took the ingredient to the kitchen, but her mind was already racing. What if the event loot boxes brought ingredients that were from species too similar to humans? It would be just like Hannibal all over again.


    She stared at the ingredient on the table¡ªit was about two meters long¡ªand, unsure of what to do, decided to ask Octopus Bucket if she could practice her cooking skills in that mysterious space again.


    Octopus Bucket shook its head, explaining, "I would let you practice, but it''s on cooldown. A whole month."


    At that moment, the rabbit suddenly spoke up. "Are you trying to go to the Time Station to practice cooking?"


    Rita felt a sense of caution but didn''t immediately reject the offer. Instead, she asked, "Do you have a way?"


    The rabbit replied, "It''s similar to the skills you know, but it''s not as good as Octopus Bucket''s. However, if you trade me your Orange-Red Light Wings, I''ll help you."


    Without hesitation, Rita rejected the offer. "Forget it."


    She turned and went back to cooking, but the rabbit followed her. "Why?" it asked.


    Rita couldn''t shake the feeling that gods were quite gossipy. Since they knew about Sea Pony''s trash talk, she didn''t believe the gods didn''t understand the significance of Orange-Red Light Wings to her.


    Orange-Red Light Wings weren''t just tied to Cheers and Drunkard skills; they were also the bond between her and Maple Syrup. She knew, no matter how hard she tried to act tough, that she couldn''t erase the impact Maple Syrup had on her.


    Maple Syrup was both a tyrant and an enemy, like a mother and a teacher. She had been a guiding force on Rita''s journey.


    And Maple Syrup''s treatment of her wasn''t just because of their ten years together at High Tower; it was because Rita had Maple Burn''s Orange-Red Light Wings. If she lost them, Maple Syrup would never care about her again, no matter how high her rank would rise. She would become just like Marmang-Crab and Winter Sea Frenzied Shark¡ªno longer special to her.


    The rabbit seemed to know more than it let on. It not only knew the gossip, but also seemed to understand what BS Rita wanted.


    It said, "What about the space where you can train your combat abilities? The time ratio outside is one day to one month inside. You can set the enemy''s attributes and talents however you like."


    Rita didn''t respond, shaking her head as she worked on the ingredients.


    The rabbit asked again, "What if this space can also simulate all the players in the world battlefield?"


    Rita hesitated for a moment, but still shook her head.


    The rabbit, like a devil tempting her, kept raising the stakes.


    Marmang-Crab and Octopus Bucket slouched nearby, eavesdropping, while Sea Pony practically begged Rita to agree. "Are those wings really that special?!"


    Rita nodded. "Yes, they''re special."


    The rabbit nodded seriously, then concluded on its own, "You''ve betrayed your own kind."


    "No." Rita calmly replied.


    She wasn''t angry at the rabbit''s accusation because she knew it wasn''t true.


    If Maple Syrup''s health dropped to 1%, she would have no hesitation in shooting to finish her off. It would be an honor for Rita to personally kill such a strong enemy.


    The rabbit asked, "Then why refuse? Are these wings more important than protecting your kind and the world after you get stronger?"


    Rita almost got vertigo. How did the conversation escalate to protecting races and worlds?!


    She didn''t respond to the rabbit''s question directly. After sensing its curiosity and malicious intent, she decided to turn the tables. "This isn''t in the scope of restaurant business. If you want to know, you''ll have to pay the price to buy my answer."


    The rabbit stood on its hind legs, rummaged through its fur with its short front paws, and pulled out a small square¡ªa skill icon. Unafraid of Rita snatching it away, the rabbit jumped onto the cooking table and handed it to her.


    "This," the rabbit said, "buying your answer. Your choice earlier doesn''t match your soul fire. In fact, it''s almost contradictory."


    Rita took the icon. It showed a cross, symbolizing rejection, prohibition, and error.


    [Candy Crush] (SSS-level): Use this skill to mark a player. The mark lasts for 5 minutes. During this time, if the player uses any magic element three times, all related skills of that element are banned for 1 hour. The number of types of banned magic elements has no limit. Every marking costs 500 mana. At any one time, only three targets can be marked.


    Rita was stunned by the rabbit''s generosity. She asked, "Is it just for one answer?"


    The rabbit answered, "Yes, but you need to satisfy me, or I will take it back."


    Rita pushed the icon back and sighed, "This price is too low. The relationship and emotions between Maple Syrup and I are a secret you can''t afford to buy."


    Marmang-Crab and Sea Pony gasped in shock!


    The rabbit was also stunned. It thought for a moment, then pushed the Candy Crush icon back and pulled out another item: a Golden Tree Withered Leaf.


    Rita: "Ahhhh, do the gods really love melodrama this much? They believe in such a fake story?"


    B80234615: "...Mostly, they didn''t expect you to have no bottom line."


    Rita: "Gods are so tacky!"


    Rita maintained her composure, forcing a smile as she looked at the rabbit. "Fine, I really can''t deal with you."


    The rabbit frowned, touched itself, and said, "Did you use some sort of mental skill on me? The moment you made that gesture and said those words, I suddenly felt uncomfortable."


    Rita expressionlessly grabbed the Golden Tree Withered Leaf, casually stashing the Candy Crush icon. "Do you still want to hear more?"


    The rabbit didn''t look back, raised a hand, and cast a skill that blocked sight and sound.


    Rita gathered her thoughts and said, "There are many reasons..."


    The rabbit interrupted, "Oh, then tell me one by one. What''s your relationship with her?"


    Rita felt like she was sitting in a village square. She helplessly brought the topic back on track. "Maple Syrup is the backdoor I''ve left for BS and myself."


    Just one sentence, and the rabbit finally understood. It had been misled by Rita''s erratic behavior and soul fire all along, thinking it could listen to some taboo gossip.


    The rabbit teased her, "Didn''t you say you''d integrate Lania Kaia into BS?"


    Rita wasn''t angry. Ideals were ideals, but reality was reality. "If the defeat becomes irreversible, I have to survive with the fire in Lania Kaia."


    Every time Rita saw Maple Syrup, Mistblade, or Pine Bloom¡ªthese strong figures from Lania Kaia¡ªthen returned to BS, looking at BS''s leaderboard, she felt a sense of helplessness.


    She wanted to save a world, and she dreamed of it every night!


    But her personality meant she always imagined every possible ending and prepared for it in advance.


    If BS failed, then integrating BS into Lania Kaia would be a good ending.


    Even though she had nightmares of BS''s remnants struggling to survive in Lania Kaia, waiting for the invasion of a new world and becoming monsters in the eyes of otherworldly beings.


    Furthermore, there was a new nightmare now¡ªthe Cosmic Wanderers.


    She liked being a lone wolf, but that didn''t mean she could ignore the destruction of her race. It was like living in seclusion in the mountains but never losing contact with the world.


    The rabbit shook its head. "If BS loses, Lania Kaia and Maple Syrup won''t spare your race just because they admire you."


    "I know," Rita responded, understanding Maple Syrup''s coldness and iron blood. "But Maple Syrup would compromise because of Maple Burn''s Orange-Red Light Wings."


    "Furthermore... the power Orange-Red Light Wings gives me is not inferior to the training space you just mentioned."

 Chapter 516: 515: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 36

    Rita''s mind was racing as she thought about all the potential benefits of the Orange-Red Light Wings¡ªthe flying ability, the Cheers and Drunkard skills, and the potential to gain even more skills from Maple Syrup in the future. All these things depended on the wings.


    Time was another factor. Whether she wanted to practice cooking, alchemy, or combat abilities, she could always return to High Tower once she was fully prepared. Even though there were many drawbacks, such as the uncontrollable time flow, the difficulty of finding suitable opponents, and the need to gather sufficient materials for practice, High Tower was still a great place for her.


    In other words, while this special time flow training space wasn''t irreplaceable, the hidden benefits brought by the Orange-Red Light Wings couldn''t be replaced for now.


    After contemplating all of this, Rita looked at the rabbit, who had just jumped off the cooking table and deactivated its shield. "Alright," it said, "although I still don''t agree, this answer is enough to convince me."


    That was enough for Rita. Seeing the rabbit hop over to speak with Sea Pony, she lowered her head and focused on preparing the dish again.


    Rita thought to herself, "Do these gods have private bets or something?"


    B80234615 responded, "Why do you ask that?"


    Rita: "It just feels like they''re giving out rewards too easily... just for a little gossip..."


    B80234615: "If Shadow.Q had a problem you were curious about, and you could just give her a D-level skill or item you didn''t need, and she''d happily tell you the answer, would you do it?"


    Rita: "Alright, I see your point."


    In Rita''s view, these gods were treating good items like they were just cleaning out their inventory.


    Rita: "You didn''t answer my question directly."


    B80234615: "Alright... you''re really perceptive sometimes."


    Rita: "Can you tell me?"


    B80234615: "The information in the database, I can''t share. I can only tell you what I''ve analyzed myself."


    "The gods come and go, tens of thousands of them, but only a few are remembered. Being watched by the gods is an extremely rare stroke of luck. When they enter the game in the form of event loot boxes, they''ll prioritize players they''re interested in."


    "They don''t give out things that would break the game''s balance, but for players they like, they might give out a little gift within the rules."


    Rita thought back to her former profession and her connection to BS. It dawned on her¡ªof course! Why hadn''t she thought of this earlier? The gods would treat watching the Divine Game as entertainment, so naturally, they would have their preferences.


    This made her think of a term: star players.


    Rita: "So what happens if the gods really dislike a player?"


    B80234615: "They just cause trouble within the rules."


    Rita: "The event loot boxes being from the gods and demons, was that also your analysis?"


    B80234615: "Of course."


    Rita: "Besides the loot boxes, do the gods give other conveniences to players they''re paying attention to?"


    B80234615: "I can''t say."


    Rita: "You still haven''t directly answered my first question. Do the gods really have small bets or votes between themselves?"


    B80234615: "I can''t say."


    Rita: "Do the results of their games give rewards to players?"


    B80234615: "I can''t say."


    Not being able to answer was still an answer!


    Rita realized that just having B80234615 with her was already a big win. If the gods'' attention really did matter, she couldn''t afford to ignore it. She needed to adjust her playstyle in Divine Game accordingly.


    She understood that becoming a "star player" was a double-edged sword¡ªshe couldn''t expect to do it perfectly. If some gods liked her, others would inevitably dislike her.


    But as long as she made the game more interesting, the gods wouldn''t want her to fail!


    She had to see for herself what other benefits the gods'' attention could bring beyond just the event loot boxes.


    The gods'' gaze wasn''t as simple as it seemed¡ªMaple Syrup was a perfect example.


    Even though her battle power was only 15th rank, it felt like everyone knew her!


    And her rise to power was terrifyingly fast...


    In less than a hundred years since the Forest Sea was invaded, Maple Syrup had already made it into the top 4000. Pine Bloom wasn''t far behind at 4200, but Peach Crown was over 6000.


    Was Peach Crown weak? No.


    Rita had met Peach Crown in High Tower. Her first identity was Peach Crown''s relative.


    Peach Crown, despite her battle talent, her abilities, and her determination, was no match for Pine Bloom or Maple Syrup. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have qualified to be one of the three leaders of the Oak Owl.


    With Maple Syrup and Pine Bloom''s personalities, they would never allow a weakling to be named alongside them.


    If she had to compare, Peach Crown was like the typical, brooding CEO in a drama¡ªreserved, clever, and emotionless...


    So boring!


    In fan terms, her character just didn''t work...


    In contrast, Maple Syrup and Pine Bloom, whether they were liked or not, were extremely distinctive personalities...


    Making trouble, they always made trouble!!


    After coming to this realization, Rita''s cooking speed increased.


    B80234615: "It feels like you''re about to cause some trouble."


    Rita: "I can''t say."


    B80234615: "..."


    ...


    Just then, another rabbit entered the restaurant, this time being greeted by Octopus Bucket.


    Meanwhile, Marmang-Crab was vigilantly watching Sea Pony and the first rabbit customer chat. He and Sea Pony, working together, were slyly making unreasonable demands of the rabbit.


    However, the rabbit seemed to prefer talking to Sea Pony and barely acknowledged Marmang-Crab. When Marmang-Crab spoke three times, it only responded once.


    Sea Pony noticed this and asked, "Don''t you like Crab?"


    The rabbit answered, "Oh, I''m more interested in you."


    Marmang-Crab: "You have a strange taste."


    Sea Pony fell into thought for a moment, unsure whether Marmang-Crab was talking about the event loot boxes or insulting her.


    The rabbit asked Sea Pony, "Are you interested in changing masters? Want to come with me?"

 Chapter 517: 516: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 37

    "Are you interested in changing masters? Want to come with me?"


    Rita couldn''t help but remark, "That''s a pretty heavy taste."


    Marmang-Crab leaned against the cooking station, unfazed, and followed Rita''s words with a comment, "Who''s to say otherwise?"


    Sea Pony, however, ignored the rabbit and jumped onto the cooking station to start a quarrel with Rita and Marmang-Crab.


    Rita glanced at the rabbit''s expression, which was neither happy nor sad, as if it wasn''t offended by Sea Pony''s remarks.


    This surprised Rita. She had assumed that gods, being so high and mighty, would never tolerate such disregard or offense.


    But thinking it through, it made sense. Gods with sensitive or prideful personalities probably wouldn''t bother entering the game world in the form of an event loot box.


    At that moment, the second rabbit customer entered the kitchen, followed by Octopus Bucket, who handed the menu to Rita.


    The second rabbit wasn''t as large as the first one. When on all fours, it was about the size of an adult Corgi. It glanced at the players present before hopping over to speak with the first rabbit.


    The language they were using was something Rita couldn''t understand, and neither could B80234615. Looking at her teammates'' expressions, it was clear the language was specifically chosen so none of the players in the area would understand.


    This was truly an encrypted private conversation!


    The dishes Rita had prepared didn''t require long cooking times. The two rabbits received their dishes in less than half an hour.


    The first rabbit had brought a player with low combat power¡ªif the player had been stronger, they probably wouldn''t have ended up like this. Using a little potion material, Rita managed to scrape together a one-star delicacy.


    As for the second rabbit, it ordered from the menu, and since Rita had written the menu, she was confident she could make the dishes.


    Thanks to TingoJE, Rita was able to create dishes that were mostly related to meat textures and flavors similar to that of the Wind Whale.


    After serving the one-star delicacies, Rita went over to Octopus Bucket and Marmang-Crab to tally up the revenue.


    Earlier, Rita had been worried about the business revenue after leaving Pine Bloom''s team. However, after teaming up with Octopus Bucket, she realized that the revenue listed under her name on the leaderboard hadn''t changed.


    This meant that even if the money earned from the restaurant didn''t end up in her hands, as long as she had a position and participated in running the restaurant, the earnings would still count toward her score.


    Moreover, the previous restaurant''s Mischief Score hadn''t been reset either.


    The dishes ordered by the first and second rabbits had both earned her skills and currency. There were five skills, all S-rank, but they had to be assessed individually.


    Rita didn''t speak first. She took the "Match-3" skill icon and placed it on the far left of her skill row. As soon as it touched, the icon automatically stamped onto her forearm.


    Once the skill icon was in place, she started using "I Just Want to Improve So Badly" alternately on the first and second rabbits.


    She hadn''t planned on using this skill on Marmang-Crab or Octopus Bucket. When Rule Five was modified, they had tried to add a rule that "employee skills cannot be stolen or taken," but the scroll rejected it.


    Clearly, one rule couldn''t cover everything.


    The real focus of the rule change had been on the phrase "every player entering the 233rd restaurant must have their unlocked skills change at least once."


    Was she not prepared for herself?


    It was possible. When she first entered the battlefield, she hadn''t brought "I Just Want to Improve So Badly" with her. After discovering the Omen skill, she hadn''t unlocked it, and since she couldn''t check unlocked skills in the world battlefield, she figured there weren''t many players who knew she had the stealing skill.


    But she suspected that her teammates had special anti-theft measures.


    She had never successfully stolen from Octopus Bucket, and since Marmang-Crab''s shell had been shimmering like a holographic card since the rule was established, she gave up on trying to steal from them. Besides, now that they were officially a team, she didn''t want to risk exposing her skills and ruining the relationship.


    Fortunately, now there was a much better target.


    Who could be wealthier than a god?


    Moreover, this was an unprecedented opportunity. With the skills transformed into icons, like items or tools, it was like "I Just Want to Improve So Badly" was officially categorized as one of the skills.


    A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for sudden wealth! Even if it angered the gods, she was ready to take the risk.


    As for whether the gods had anti-theft measures, she had to test it out.


    Since the "Fourfold Spring" healing skill required combat to trigger, she dug out the clothes Pine Bloom had given her and put them back on.


    Now this was truly a no-risk venture¡ªstarting from scratch!


    As for the life points she owed, if her assumption about the repayment method was correct, she would repay them later without issue. On the other hand, if her assumption was wrong... well, no harm, she had enough life points owed to die ten times over anyway.


    From the moment she started working, the first rabbit had been glaring at her, while the second rabbit stiffened but didn''t react too strongly.


    At that moment, Marmang-Crab broke the silence. He pointed at the five skill icons with their backs facing up and asked Octopus Bucket, "How do we divide these?"


    Sea Pony: "Big Brother Octopus Bucket is the strongest, so he should get one."


    One skill icon was placed in front of Octopus Bucket.


    Sea Pony: "I''m the smallest, I should get one."


    It took one for Sea Pony.


    Sea Pony continued, "BS Rita is the chef, she should get one."


    One skill icon was allocated to Rita.


    Sea Pony: "I''m the cutest, so I get one."


    Marmang-Crab: "...Do you know how many beatings I took outside because of you? I was originally going for a quick attack route, but because of you, I''ve turned into a tank."


    Sea Pony ignored him: "Marmang-Crab has the thickest skin, he gets one."


    The five skill icons were quickly divided.


    Rita glanced at Octopus Bucket. He didn''t protest, simply put the skill icon away. Marmang-Crab didn''t seem to mind either, so Rita kept quiet.


    Five skills... she had originally been considering how to ensure her own interests.


    Even though her battle power was the lowest, she had contributed, and she couldn''t accept not getting anything. At least she had to receive one.


    Now that Sea Pony had stepped in, whether by accident or on purpose, Rita had received what she wanted, so she had no objections.


    A disruption skill, "Poor Signal".


    Not bad, it was better than nothing. These top-tier players in the world battlefield couldn''t even disrupt skills that strong.


    Sea Pony asked Rita, "Which skill did you get?"


    Having seen all five skills, none were far superior, Rita truthfully answered, "The one called Poor Signal."


    Just as she finished speaking, she felt something else appear in her hands.


    Meanwhile, the second rabbit slammed its spoon onto the table and stood up angrily.

 Chapter 518: 517: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 38

    The sudden movement startled both Rita and Sea Pony.


    Rita froze in shock; this was the first time she had stolen something and had the other party notice it so quickly! Truly terrifying¡ªthis was a god, after all!


    In her mind, she couldn''t help but vent to B80234615: "We were supposed to be handing out goodies, why is it so sensitive and excited?"


    B80234615 didn''t respond, as it had already scanned the item Rita had just stolen.


    While calculating how to handle the situation, Rita discreetly examined the item she had just taken. It was somewhat long, with one end being flat.


    Marmang-Crab and Octopus Bucket slowly turned their attention to the customers, putting on their "big boss looks" ¡ª as if to ask, "Do you want to start something?"


    At that moment, the second rabbit customer also turned toward them.


    The second rabbit, with a missing front tooth, twitched its mouth as if chewing a crunchy carrot and coldly said, "Dare to make a move on me?"


    The first rabbit, clearly no better, also slammed the table and stood up, saying, "Dare to make a move on my sister? Hahaha, sorry... dare to make a move on my sister?!"


    Rita: "..." Well, it''s no wonder the gods noticed so quickly and got so agitated.


    B80234615: "It''s understandable, right?"


    Rita had already figured out what the item in her hand was. Taking advantage of her teammates'' attention being on the second rabbit, she quickly glanced at it.


    [¡ö¡ö¡¤Rabbit Tooth] (A Gift from the Gods): Using this item will stop time in your current world for 30 minutes. If you actively attack or kill any being, the time stop will end immediately. (Usage limit: 1)


    The moment Rita finished reading the item''s description, she didn''t hesitate to crush the Rabbit Tooth and used it without second thoughts.


    There was no better time than now!


    Whether it was the awkward situation she was in or the unique circumstances of this Divine Game, considering the penalty for time manipulation, she wouldn''t use her own time manipulation abilities, but this one-off item was perfectly fine.


    The moment Rabbit Tooth was crushed, time froze for everyone in the restaurant¡ªher teammates and the rabbits all stood still. The entire world had been paused.


    Without wasting a second, Rita quickly moved. She grabbed the two rabbits, one in each arm, and ran out of the restaurant.


    B80234615: "What are you doing?"


    Rita: "Stirring things up, stirring things up!"


    B80234615: "The first god didn''t seem to provoke you, did they?"


    Rita: "It''s just something I did on a whim!"


    Leaving trouble behind, sending them away together.


    She didn''t have any hesitation about treating these event loot boxes any differently than how Marmang-Crab treated them. She had to act as though she didn''t know they were gods.


    With the rabbits in her arms, she flew towards Restaurant #1, using her Orange-Red Light Wings to reach the destination in less than a minute.


    She paused outside Restaurant #1 and quickly glanced at the restaurant''s rules.


    Even though time was stopped, she still wanted to ensure that after entering the restaurant, her violations wouldn''t exceed three.


    After memorizing the rules and confirming she could leave safely after causing some trouble, Rita entered the restaurant.


    Inside, there were three players ranked within the top fifty of the ladder, along with two rabbit customers. To her surprise, Winter Sea Frenzied Shark was in Restaurant #1!


    What a coincidence!


    Without hesitation, Rita took off and landed in front of Winter Sea Frenzied Shark, placing the second rabbit on his neck, grabbing the long hair that reached his ankles, and tying the rabbit up tightly.


    Remembering Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s obsession with his hair, she pulled a handful of his hair and placed it in the second rabbit''s hands.


    Then, Rita began cleaning up Restaurant #1.


    Although the skills during the closed hours were restricted, the World''s Grave Forest key still worked. Rita packed up the high-end ingredients in Restaurant #1 into her bag.


    While she was at it, she used "I Just Want to Improve So Badly" on the players and rabbits in Restaurant #1. Thanks to Pine Bloom''s contributions, Rita stole to her heart''s content.


    Here, there were the strongest players and the strongest rabbits.


    Rita spent almost ten minutes in Restaurant #1. She didn''t want to steal more, but after the initial success followed by a series of failures, she had a hunch that maybe each rabbit could only be stolen from once.


    However, the rabbits in Restaurant #1 weren''t ordinary. Rita still came out with some good items.


    A rabbit ear the size of her palm, and a golden tree branch with several offshoots and young leaves.


    [¡ö¡ö¡ö¡¤Rabbit Ear] (A Gift from the Gods): Can replicate any item (Usage limit: 1)


    None of the four players in Restaurant #1 had given up any items¡ªlikely because they had anti-theft measures.


    Rita wasn''t discouraged. She didn''t rush to use the rabbit ear but instead carefully stored her loot and hurried to Restaurant #2.


    Using the same method, she packed the high-end ingredients from Restaurant #2 while progressing.


    B80234615: "Why are you still carrying the first rabbit?"


    Rita: "Oh, they''re probably my first fan. I''m just flattering them."


    B80234615 fell silent. She thought Rita had gone mad again.


    Rita: "Don''t doubt it! They came to find me, which means they like seeing me stir up trouble. I''m bringing them along to stir things up¡ªthat''s not flattery?"


    B80234615: "The possibility of you flattering your fans is even lower than the possibility of Lidian completely unfollowing Pine Bloom."


    Rita: "..."


    Well, there was no way to refute that!


    Rita: "...Okay, I admit it, I just haven''t stolen anything from them yet. I''m not satisfied."


    B80234615: "Heh, mechanical races never make mistakes."


    Rita pretended she hadn''t heard and continued with her task.


    Restaurant #2 had only one rabbit customer, but Rita spent eight minutes before getting anything.


    She didn''t think her theft rate was the problem. Instead, she wondered if the players or gods had anti-theft measures that lowered a thief''s success rate.


    But this time, she got something really good! Almost the best thing she could have asked for!


    [¡ö¡¤A Rabbit Hair] (A Gift from the Gods): Using this item will sever all causal ties between you and a target. No matter what happened before, from this moment on, you owe nothing to each other. (Usage limit: 1)


    Rita almost sprinted back to Restaurant #1, standing in front of Winter Sea Frenzied Shark.


    Rita: "I didn''t misunderstand, right? If the causal ties still exist, Winter Sea Frenzied Shark could find a way to get back my stolen Midnight Exile, but if I sever them, he can''t get it back, right?"


    B80234615: "Yes."


    Rita: "So if I sever the ties, the stolen skills won''t disappear, because it says ''no matter what happened before''?"


    B80234615: "Yes, yes."


    Rita: "...If I''m wrong, I''ll be reminded by my Wrathful Moon after the game ends, won''t I?"


    She didn''t need B80234615 to answer her. Taking a deep breath, Rita used the Rabbit Hair on Winter Sea Frenzied Shark.

 Chapter 519: 518: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 39

    Naturally, both of Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s curses disappeared after Rita''s actions.


    She took one last look at Winter Sea Frenzied Shark, thinking to herself, the story is far from over.


    As long as Winter Sea Frenzied Shark doesn''t die, the grudge will never be settled ¡ª stripping someone of a divine gift is a grudge that can''t easily be forgiven.


    If someone took her divine gift, she would want to eat their flesh and drink their blood, even if she managed to get it back, the bitterness wouldn''t fade. Not to mention, she had completely shattered Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s hope of ever reclaiming Midnight Exile.


    Rita carried the first rabbit and set off again for Restaurant #3, though she didn''t intend to enter.


    The rules of this restaurant were far too complicated. After entering, she''d have to complete four tasks before leaving, and none of them could bypass the restaurant staff.


    With less than 10 minutes left on the time freeze, Rita decided to head straight to Restaurant #4.


    Pack it up!


    Progress!


    And why not drag the floor and do a little cleaning to earn some Mischief Score while she''s at it?


    B80234615: "You really don''t seem to be afraid of offending the gods and demons."


    Rita: "I''m just flattering their enemies."


    B80234615: "You always say things that I don''t even know how to respond to."


    Rita: "Hmph, then stop bothering me while I make my fortune!"


    A few seconds later, Rita found that the item in her hand no longer made her smile.


    [¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡¤Rabbit Hair] (A Gift from the Gods): Using this will allow you to randomly steal one skill icon from a target, with a 100% success rate. (Usage limit: 1)


    Was this item good? It was amazing.


    But that also meant other players might get it too.


    She could already tell that whatever she did to other players would most likely come back to her as a boomerang...


    Rita didn''t plan on holding onto this Rabbit Hair until the New Year. She needed to turn it into resources as quickly as possible.


    However, this wasn''t something she''d use on the gods and demons. They didn''t lack skill icons, and there was a good chance she''d just steal trash.


    The skills the first rabbit had casually given her, and the ones it paid with, weren''t that impressive. They were like pocket money, a bunch of skills for convenience.


    This Rabbit Hair was best used on players. Every player carefully selects their skills, and even if they''re not the strongest, they''re certainly the most useful!


    With less than 5 minutes left on the time freeze, Rita first used [Rabbit Ear] to duplicate a [¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡¤Rabbit Hair] and then flew to Restaurant #2 ¡ª Nuclear Flash NightFury was there.


    If she was going to steal, she was going for the best!


    Rita: "Does Nuclear Flash NightFury have a time-based ability to go back in time?"


    If Nuclear Flash NightFury did, then she probably wouldn''t be able to steal anything valuable.


    B80234615: "I can''t say."


    Rita understood. Since the best couldn''t be stolen, she didn''t stick around at the crime scene.


    She made her way to Restaurant #5.


    B80234615: "Why not go to Restaurant #1?"


    Rita: "Too risky, the second rabbit''s there. What if they sell me out?"


    Restaurant #5 was also a good choice. When Rita passed it for the first time, she had seen the little deer standing behind the counter ¡ª Tingo Autumn Deer, ranked fifth on the ladder!


    She was one of the players Rita feared the most in the World''s Battlefield because of her title ¡ª Heavenly Thief.


    Rita: "Does Tingo Autumn Deer have a time ability to go back in time?"


    B80234615: "You really have no shame."


    Rita: "Can you say it or not!!!"


    B80234615: "Just hurry up!!!"


    Rita stole! But only used one Rabbit Hair before she stopped. She didn''t want to pour everything into the same target.


    After feeling the presence of the skill icon in her palm, she didn''t even look at it and immediately put it into her bag.


    But it wasn''t over yet. She carried the first rabbit, using its rabbit paws to drag Tingo Autumn Deer to the door of Restaurant #3, using the first rabbit''s paws like white gloves.


    First Rabbit: "..."


    After doing this, she began flying toward Restaurant #233.


    Still using "I Just Want to Improve So Badly" on the first rabbit on her shoulder, she calculated ¡ª in these twenty minutes or so, even if she stole once every 5 seconds, she had used over 300 skills.


    It was real, considering the fact that she hadn''t stopped progressing while on the move, and she had also been stealing from the second rabbit on her shoulder.


    This was at least 3000% of her health. Even with only around 10,000 health, that number was still terrifying.


    Rita couldn''t help but sigh: "Pine Bloom''s strength is truly unfathomable."


    As soon as the words left her mouth, the world seemed to come to life, followed by a system notification sound.


    [Ding ¡ª Congratulations BS Rita for defeating Lania Kaia Pine Bloom from 15th Tier Abyss in an over-leveled kill.]


    [Due to the 8-level difference in combat power, and crossing a major tier, the death penalty for Lania Kaia Pine Bloom will skip 3 levels, and all revival costs will go to BS Rita, Divine Game will not participate in revenue sharing.]


    [A remarkable remote kill that made the gods take notice, unlocking achievement: Unstoppable.]


    [Unstoppable: In Divine Game, kill a player whose power is higher than yours by two major tiers.]


    [Achievement reward: Enemy death penalty +2 levels.]


    [Unlocked rare achievement: Oh gods, remember my name.]


    [Oh gods, remember my name: In Divine Game, kill a player whose power is 8 levels higher than yours.]


    [Achievement reward: Enemy death penalty +4 levels.]


    [Player Pine Bloom chooses to trade a divine gift skill for her first revival in this Divine Game. You will receive all revival costs as your spoils.]


    [Ding ¡ª Extracting kill reward, you get Critical Rate +1.2%.]


    Such a rich reward.


    "The Bell Tolls for You" and "Unstoppable" are just normal achievements.


    Because the former could be from a last-hit lucky steal, and the latter''s "combat power difference of two major tiers" could mean a difference of just 3¨C4 levels.


    Even though Unstoppable requires a kill, with the many talents in the battlefield, such things could definitely happen.


    However, "Oh Gods, Remember My Name" was a rare achievement ¡ª a kill, a power difference of 8 levels ¡ª this achievement was difficult to complete.


    Even though Rita''s method was laughable, she had still accomplished it.


    As soon as the kill achievement sounded, she understood why. When Pine Bloom''s mana was exhausted, and she added health back to Rita, she was consuming Pine Bloom''s health instead...


    She had used Pine Bloom''s health because of the special time freeze state.


    Without time freeze, Rita couldn''t have consumed that much health so quickly. Without time freeze, Pine Bloom could have restored her mana, or even cut off the link if it wasn''t enough.


    Considering that Rabbit Tooth''s time freeze could only end after actively attacking or killing a target, the way she consumed Pine Bloom''s health wasn''t considered active aggression.


    Everything had worked out so perfectly.


    Rita stopped, standing in the street, feeling as if her emotions were at war.


    Her heart pounded, her chest was hot.


    Was she scared? Of course! She had just provoked a powerful enemy!


    Was she excited? Naturally!


    Pine Bloom''s divine gift skill... it was a huge reward!


    But did she regret it? No! Not at all!


    This was the battlefield! Either you die or I die, winners and losers every second!


    She sped up, rushing toward Restaurant #233.


    The first rabbit on her shoulder seemed to know what had happened. After a few seconds of silence, it began to laugh loudly and slap Rita on the back: "This works?! Hahahahahahaha!"


    Rita laughed along.


    In her mind, B80234615 asked what had happened, and Rita patiently explained.


    As she continued flying towards Restaurant #233, she glanced at the divine gift skill she had received.

 Chapter 520: 519: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 40

    [Behind the Scenes] (SSS): Drop the curtain and create a practice room exclusively for yourself. Time flows at only 1% of real-time speed behind the curtain. Items placed within the skill''s range can refresh indefinitely inside the curtain. Each use of this skill, no matter how much time passes, costs 1 level. Cooldown time: 7 natural days.


    This was the skill Rita had always dreamed of!


    Although it wasn''t as powerful as Octopus Bucket''s skill, nor did it compare to the combat training space mentioned by the first rabbit, Rita wasn''t picky.


    The [Behind the Scenes] skill, with its unlimited refresh of pre-placed items and time flowing at only 1% of the external world''s speed, was already an exceptional find. It was perfect for practicing professional skills!


    Pine Bloom probably wouldn''t use this skill much, considering each use cost a level, and Pine Bloom was already level 118. The cost was too steep for frequent use.


    While players in the world battlefield typically focused on their overall combat power rather than level, that didn''t mean level wasn''t important. A higher level undeniably affected the four main attributes and a variety of advanced stats...


    If Rita were at level 88, instead of her current level 18, her combat power would easily increase by three or four tiers.


    Now, Rita had arrived at Restaurant 233, and she quickly ran in, carrying the first rabbit.


    From the perspectives of Marmang-Crab, Sea Pony, and Octopus Bucket, it was as if the activity package had suddenly made a dramatic move, disappearing in the blink of an eye.


    A few seconds later, BS Rita returned, still carrying the first activity package.


    Sea Pony curiously asked, "What did you two do?"


    Octopus Bucket, always the observant one, immediately said, "Time stop skill?"


    Rita answered nonchalantly, "Yep, I just took that troublesome activity package and sent it away. You guys don''t have any skills to counter time stop?"


    Octopus Bucket fell silent, clearly not expecting that.


    Sea Pony shook his head, "You know mine, my skills are sealed, didn''t bring them."


    Marmang-Crab was too busy browsing the internet, as usual. When it comes to problems, this internet-addicted crab''s first reaction was always to go online. In just a few exchanges, he found the answer.


    He screamed, "You killed Lania Kaia Pine Bloom?"


    Rita opened the battlefield chat channel.


    At the top of the chat, there was an announcement pinned with a countdown. It seemed to be pinned for about three minutes.


    [Congratulations to player BS Rita for completing the rare achievement ¨C "Gods, remember my name"] (00:02:47)


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom]: BS Rita, you''re impressive!


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom]: I''ve remembered you.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: My gosh.


    [Winter Sea¡¤Whale Full]: My gosh.


    [Ball Li¡¤In Time]: My gosh.


    [Blazing Flame¡¤A-Pie]: My gosh.


    [Black Spring¡¤Mud Bears]: So, youÏðèÉ (Oak Owl) get feathers ruffled when you''re angry?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: Calm Oak Owls don''t. Like me.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: Pine Bloom, your vision was too small. Even with the punishment upgraded, so what if it''s just a few SSS-level skills?


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: Exactly. You''re level 15, aren''t SSS-level skills nothing?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom]: You all have no idea.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: Well, darling, why don''t you tell us and make us laugh?


    [Black Spring¡¤Mud Bears]: Well, darling, tell us and make us laugh!


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: Darling, tell us and make us laugh!


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom]: Shut up!!


    [Sakura¡¤Oolong]: Did they take away your divine gift skills?


    [Sakura¡¤Oolong]: That makes me feel better...


    ...


    [Black Spring¡¤Southgrain]: So, it was time stop, right?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: After the time stop, you traveled a long distance to kill Pine Bloom? BS Rita, you''ve got a cold heart! Was this Maple Syrup''s idea?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: ?


    ...


    [Tingo¡¤Autumn Deer]: Someone stole my skill.


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: Hmm? Was it BS Rita?


    [Tingo¡¤Autumn Deer]: Hard to say, but the probability is very low.


    [Sakura¡¤Lizi]: Which poor soul stole all the ingredients from Restaurant 2?!


    [Black Spring¡¤Grimpeak]: When time stop ended, I saw Tingo Autumn Deer at Restaurant 3''s door.


    [Sakura¡¤Lizi]: I knew this dirty deer would start crying thief!


    [Tingo¡¤Autumn Deer]: @£¤#%@#...!


    The first rabbit didn''t seem to care, watching something and happily slapping its legs.


    Rita, while watching the chaotic battlefield chat, glanced at the skill she had stolen from Tingo Autumn Deer.


    Although it didn''t seem like a divine gift skill, the description of the skill made Rita ecstatic.


    [Snip, Lock It] (SSS) (Passive): Any SSS-level and below theft skills used on you will have their success rate reduced to 0.000001%. If a player with combat power lower than yours uses a theft skill and fails, you will randomly obtain an item from their inventory or 1% of their wealth.


    So, divine gifts really are the rare skills that go beyond the SSS level?


    Rita didn''t hesitate for a second and immediately equipped the skill.


    Although she didn''t steal Tingo Autumn Deer''s theft skill, for Rita, this [Snip, Lock It] anti-theft skill was a hundred times, no, a thousand times better than a theft skill.


    As long as she could hold onto this skill until the end of the game, and provided no activity package showed up, she''d hardly ever have to worry about losing anything again!


    Rita didn''t rush to the kitchen but stayed with Marmang-Crab, chatting and bantering with Sea Pony.


    In her mind, she was talking with her electronic pet.


    Rita: "What happens if I have two identical skills? For example, if I use Rabbit Ears to copy a skill icon?"


    B80234615: "You''ll have two identical skills."


    Typical answer, but exactly what Rita wanted to hear.


    Rita: "Then I''m set."


    B80234615: "You''re greedier than I thought."


    Rita understood B80234615''s meaning. She didn''t just copy the branches or the skill icons; she copied the rabbit hair. While the branches were rare to her now, their origins were obvious. As she grew stronger, she''d have the chance to get them.


    The rabbit hair, though, might be something precious she couldn''t get later.


    Rita: "This is maximizing my benefits."


    B80234615: "Then why not use the second rabbit hair on Tingo Autumn Deer?"


    Rita: "The players at earlier restaurants carried too many skills. I wanted to keep it, so I can see if any of the later restaurants have big shots with fewer skills. The fewer skills they have, the higher the chance I''ll steal something good."


    If not, she could always return to Tingo Autumn Deer later, right?


    B80234615: "If, when you first met me in the Garbage Mountain, a Y-series mechanical race wanted to follow you, would you choose me or the Y-series mechanical race?"


    Rita: "?"


    Why did this suddenly turn into a death question?


    Rita: "I''d choose you!"


    B80234615: "Your answer was too quick, no time to think, so fake!"


    Rita: "Because in BS culture, B comes before Y. Back then, I''d definitely think you''re stronger, so I''d pick you."


    B80234615: "."


    Rita: "Is this answer okay?"


    B80234615: "Chocolate-flavored shit."


    Rita: "..."


    Still hard to please, even before the soul fire is lit. How frustrating!

 Chapter 521: 520: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 41

    The battlefield chat was still buzzing about Pine Bloom.


    Ever since Sakura¡¤Oolong said, "Could it be her divine talent skill got penalized?", everyone had been watching and waiting. Not just him¡ªplenty of players glued to the channel were waiting for a reply. But Pine Bloom remained silent.


    Even when Sakura¡¤Oolong baited her with a casual, "Well, I feel a lot better now," she still didn''t respond.


    At that point, everyone more or less had their suspicions.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: No way! BS Rita, come on, spill it¡ªdid you really get Pine Bloom''s divine gift skill?!


    [Sakura¡¤Yii]: Oolong, did you get killed by BS Rita too?


    [Sakura¡¤Oolong]: Reflected damage. Took myself out.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: Pine Bloom, you good? I remember the last time you cried was when you were 17.


    [Blazing Flame¡¤A-Pie]: I was still playing with mud at Tier 7...


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: I''ve said it before¡ªBS Rita is nothing but trouble!


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: And who exactly isn''t trouble to you on this battlefield?


    [Tingo¡¤Autumn Deer]: I''m telling you, someone moved me to Restaurant 3 during time-stop. You believe me, right?


    [Sakura¡¤Lizi]: You''re dead meat!!!


    [Black Spring¡¤Mud Bears]: Why couldn''t it have been Maple Syrup who got hit instead... BS Rita, you''re a true friend to the Autumn Bear clan. Respect.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: Mud Bears, you''re literally a walking cookie.


    [Black Spring¡¤Mud Bears]: @#£¤%#@!...


    Everyone was talking over each other. The whole channel felt like a New Year''s party.


    Rita, much like Pine Bloom, was playing dead.


    But pretending in chat was one thing¡ªreal life was another.


    Marmang-Crab and Sea Pony had already flanked her, one on each side.


    Marmang-Crab leaned in, nosy as ever. "So... did you really get Pine Bloom''s divine gift skill?"


    Stuff like this wasn''t exactly rare on the world battlefield. With reward mechanics scaling by kill count, plus all the special events and weird rules, it wasn''t unusual for divine skills to change hands.


    Marmang-Crab had lost a divine skill once too. Of course, it had stolen others in return.


    Among players with power levels above Tier 15, 99% had experienced this in some form.


    But BS Rita was different¡ªshe was only Tier 7. And she had already stolen Midnight Exile from Winter Sea Frenzied Shark.


    Marmang-Crab had seen her up close during the Kart Racing event. Between that and the battlefield-wide curses, she had Midnight Exile, Absurd Story, Bedtime Tale, and Ancient Curse.


    Now she had Pine Bloom''s divine skill too...


    Before, Marmang-Crab merely suspected BS Rita would one day stand on their level.


    Now? It was certain.


    Once might be luck. Twice? That''s no coincidence.


    BS Rita was emerging like Lania Kaia''s Maple Syrup or Pine Bloom had back in the day¡ªbut even flashier.


    Because not all high-level players are created equal.


    Some "god-tier" players just grinded their way up¡ªbarely scraping by, gaming the system, showing up only when it suited them, stacking stats in the real world, and avoiding divine penalties like the plague. Give that strategy enough time and even a pig could reach Tier 18.


    But others fought tooth and nail for every inch of progress.


    They might not join every Divine Game, but when they did, they went all in.


    And Marmang-Crab was starting to suspect Rita had a theft skill.


    No hard evidence yet.


    Tingo Autumn Deer wasn''t exactly reliable¡ªseven out of ten of his words were usually lies. And Rita, aside from the Winter Sea incident, hadn''t shown any obvious signs.


    But even if she did have one, so what?


    Theft skills were rare, sure, but in a battlefield with thousands of players, "rare" still meant plenty of people had them. And most of them never amounted to anything.


    You couldn''t steal attributes. Most items and artifacts were soul-bound. So what could you even snatch?


    Sure, this current weird game mechanic let you grab actual skills, which was a jackpot for thieves. But even players without theft skills had ways to get their hands on one.


    The gods loved chaos and surprises. They hated boredom and playing it safe.


    ...


    Just as Rita opened her mouth to respond, her HP plummeted.


    100% ¡ú 70% ¡ú 40% ¡ú 10% ¡ú 0%.


    In the blink of an eye, she was dead and back in the respawn room.


    One glance at the system log confirmed it: Pine Bloom had done it.


    She had used Ballroom Host to reclaim the health she''d "gifted" through Ballroom Formalwear.


    Rita didn''t expect it to come this fast.


    If each kill on the same player only earned rewards up to three times, why burn one this quickly, especially if Pine Bloom really cared about Midnight Exile?


    That wasn''t like her at all. She wasn''t the impulsive type.


    And right as that thought crossed her mind¡ª


    She got another notification.


    [Player Lania Kaia Pine Bloom has used Divine Game reward item ¨C "Meal Upgrade" on you. Your current revival cost has been forcibly raised to Tier 10. You must give up one divine gift skill to revive.]


    Great.


    Well, not impossible.


    Her Sharpshooter class still had three divine skills. Even if Survive Until the End couldn''t be dropped, skill two or three could go.


    Thinking back, she kinda regretted sacrificing the Sharpshooter class just because she didn''t want to give up a few S-tier skills.


    But that moment of regret was short-lived. Her brain was already racing.


    What if Pine Bloom just kept killing her after she revived?


    How many "Meal Upgrades" did she have?


    Forget the health debt from the cooking contest¡ªjust the 3000% HP Rita had drained during time-stop would give Pine Bloom ten more kills.


    If there were items that increased kill rewards, were there also ones that raised how many times she could get those rewards?


    She had to prepare for the worst.


    Wishing "maybe she only has one" was not a strategy.


    She only planned for the scenario where things go as bad as possible¡ªthen worked from there.


    What could she do?


    Mysterious Power was her best bet.


    But Pine Bloom''s assault was a combo attack¡ªonce she dropped to 10% HP, it was already over. Without Bedtime Tale, she wouldn''t even survive four hits.


    And her best bet for breaking the cycle¡ªOne-Person Party, Ancient Curse, or the pairing skill Reward or Punishment¡ªweren''t equipped. B80234615 couldn''t activate skills either.


    So right now, her only option was to rely on Fourfold Spring, the 4% heal skill...

 Chapter 522: 522: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 42

    Unfortunately, this method had a high failure rate. Fourfold Spring required a critical hit to heal, and with Midnight Exile, she didn''t lack for critical hits. The problem, however, was that she didn''t have it on hand.


    Pine Bloom was too quick, and each time, she took away 30% of Rita''s health. To survive, Rita would need to raise her health by at least 31% before the final blow from Pine Bloom.


    100% ¡ú 70% ¡ú 40% ¡ú 10% ¡ú 0%.


    This meant Rita needed to raise her health by 21% before Pine Bloom killed her, which would require 6 critical hits to guarantee it... But Pine Bloom could kill her in under two seconds.


    Six critical hits in two seconds?


    Even if Sea Pony was willing to stand still and let her hit, it was impossible.


    After ruling out all other options, there was only one left¡ª[Behind the Scenes].


    In this special time-altered space, Rita could lower her health to below 5%, then use Mysterious Power and deactivate [Behind the Scenes].


    This was the most reliable and safest option.


    Though Rita had considered all of this, less than 30 seconds had passed.


    After deciding on her course of action, Rita immediately chose her revival price¡ªSharpshooter''s second skill.


    [Skill 2] Critical Hit¡ª! (Passive): 7 is a magical number, and any shooting action related to 7 will always be a critical hit.


    The moment Rita opened her eyes after resurrection, she quickly removed the Ballroom Formalwear Pine Bloom had given her and waited for a moment.


    Marmang-Crab looked surprised: "Huh? Did Pine Bloom make a move on you?"


    100% ¡ú 70%...


    She was attacked again! And even though Rita removed the Ballroom Formalwear, Pine Bloom was still able to take back everything she had "gifted" Rita...


    Without hesitation, Rita pressed the [Behind the Scenes] icon on her arm.


    Time slowed down, and she could still hear the last syllable of Marmang-Crab''s sentence.


    The red curtains fell from all directions, and Rita found herself within the curtain''s confines.


    The space wasn''t very big, resembling a circular stage, and Rita stood at the center. The distance from the surrounding curtains was about five meters.


    Marmang-Crab and Sea Pony, who had been standing on either side of her, were gone, but the kitchen counter, the ingredients not yet cleaned up, and the fridge in the distance remained.


    It was as if the curtain had created a small world just for her.


    She could feel that she could end the skill at any moment and leave the space, but she didn''t rush to handle her health. This skill consumed one level every time it was used, so she wanted to maximize the benefit.


    Rita picked up the ingredients and examined them. The skill description was intriguing¡ªitems placed before the curtain fell could refresh infinitely.


    At first glance, it seemed like she could craft indefinitely, but Rita didn''t believe the finished products would be retained. That would be overpowered¡ªusing one set of materials to infinitely farm resources would be absurd.


    She decided to test the skill. As she crafted, she felt the special nature of the ingredients.


    With a thought, the Pineapple Sailor Fish she had just made reverted to its original form¡ªingredients, seasonings, and potion materials.


    Indeed, this skill allowed materials used in cooking to revert to their unused state, enabling infinite refreshes.


    Rita got to work practicing her cooking, and in the process, she used the moment of solitude to think about a few things.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Pine Bloom was calculating her available items¡ªthree Meal Upgrades and two Overtime Matches.


    Rita had been right. Pine Bloom not only had more Meal Upgrades, but also Overtime Matches that could increase the number of rewarded kills.


    At this point, Pine Bloom was waiting for Rita''s resurrection, eager to see which divine skill she would hand over.


    She also began to wonder whether using these long-held rewards on BS Rita was worth it.


    While killing Rita could earn her a reward, killing a Tier 7 player from Tier 15 Abyss would carry its own penalty. Each kill randomly lost one SS-level skill.


    SS-level skills weren''t exactly rare for Pine Bloom, but "randomly losing" them was still a headache.


    Y1148: "By the way, you still haven''t told me why you cried when you were 17."


    Pine Bloom: "Because I had a prophetic dream. I dreamt that years later, I met a filthy thing called Y1148. I woke up crying."


    Y1148: "...You didn''t say that when you tricked me into leaving the battlefield."


    Pine Bloom: "You admitted it was a trick."


    Y1148: "I can tell you''re in a bad mood. Your attack power is ridiculously strong."


    At this moment, the results came through.


    Pine Bloom looked at the Critical Hit¡ª! she had acquired, deep in thought.


    Y1148: "Wow, a super strong skill suitable for three-year-olds!"


    Pine Bloom: "...Can you speak properly?"


    Y1148: "I''ll try."


    Pine Bloom: "...How is this an A-tier divine gift? You''re telling me she stole multiple divine gifts? A skill that can steal divine gifts must have some kind of limitation, right?"


    Y1148: "Yes, skills that can steal divine gifts are always one-time-use only, but top-tier Divine Game rewards might reset that cooldown."


    So, maybe Pine Bloom had gotten an unexpected divine gift?


    But Pine Bloom didn''t believe BS Rita''s self-awakened divine gift could be as underwhelming as an A-tier skill.


    Pine Bloom attacked again!


    A hit¡ªhmm?


    The second attack was off.


    Y1148: "What''s going on?"


    Pine Bloom: "Only returned forty or so health."


    ...


    Rita, with just 0.8% health remaining, sighed in relief.


    Well, for now.


    There were still four players left in the restaurant: Octopus Bucket, Marmang-Crab, Sea Pony, and the first rabbit. If any of them slapped her, she would die.


    She looked up and saw that the first rabbit was eyeing her, ready to make a move.


    Marmang-Crab: "What skill did you use? How are you down to just 0.8% health?"


    Rita: "Probation."


    Sea Pony: "You talk nonsense all the time..."


    Rita had secretly washed 100 plates during the [Behind the Scenes] phase. Not only did it fulfill a game rule, but it also gave her a nice boost in Mischief Score.


    Marmang-Crab, realizing this, stopped complaining and brought up the earlier curtains. "Was that curtain a skill from Pine Bloom?"


    Rita, surprised, asked, "Have you seen it before?"


    Marmang-Crab: "No, but it''s clearly a dual-time-space skill. You didn''t have it before, but now, suddenly, you do¡ªprobably got it from Pine Bloom. That''s my guess."


    Rita: "Oh."


    As she continued chatting with Marmang-Crab and Sea Pony, she began preparing dishes to reduce the cooldown of her skills.


    [Clock Reversal] hadn''t unlocked yet, so it couldn''t be used now, but that didn''t stop Rita from thinking about how to reduce Mysterious Power''s cooldown using multiple methods.


    She didn''t know how much longer she could survive with this skill, but she was determined to minimize its downtime and the time spent in danger...

 Chapter 523: 523: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 43

    The cooldown time for [Mysterious Power] is seven natural days. At first glance, this means it can only be used once per game. However, Rita has [Clock Reversal], which halves the cooldown time. Although she hasn''t unlocked it yet, there''s always a chance the game mode will change by the time it''s available.


    She prepares some dishes to reduce cooldown times just in case. Maybe, by the last day of this Divine Game, she''ll be able to use it one more time.


    Unfortunately, her special ability is also restricted. The [Mysterious Power] she used this time isn''t the ultimate version, but a regular one. This version can''t heal her during its activation period, which makes everything even harder.


    Marmang-Crab and Sea Pony haven''t attacked her yet, though.


    Marmang-Crab is hesitating, too. It has something that could increase the kill reward, but it hasn''t used it yet. After all, it''s been with BS Rita the whole time during this game, and it''s seen how many times she''s died. It''s just not the right time to use these things.


    Marmang-Crab asks, "So, when time stopped, you really went to find Pine Bloom?"


    Rita responds, "No, I threw that troublesome rabbit guest into another player''s restaurant."


    At this point, Marmang-Crab can''t hold back anymore. Skipping the pleasantries, it lowers its voice and asks, "That skill of yours, the one that lets you move while time is stopped, would you be willing to trade it?"


    Marmang-Crab never considered BS Rita as the one behind it. Its main suspect is Octopus Bucket. After all, only Octopus Bucket could move without being noticed. Of course, it''s also possible that the guest was just causing trouble.


    Despite a lingering suspicion about BS Rita, when Rita returned carrying the rabbit and said, "Don''t you all have a skill that counters time stop?" it managed to suppress that doubt, at least for now.


    Rita doesn''t deny it, instead asking, "What are you offering?"


    That comment she made about the skill wasn''t just off the cuff. As she was leaving restaurant 233 with the rabbit, she had heard some noise coming from another block. Some players were still able to move during her time stop!


    But, of course, everyone who''s up to no good has their own little unspoken rules. Rita didn''t waste time figuring out who it was, and the other player didn''t waste time looking at her either. They both focused on their respective tasks.


    Although Rita''s a bit irritated by the idea of someone else taking advantage of her time stop, she understands the necessity. Time stopped is precious, and she couldn''t afford to waste it just to figure out who the other player was.


    Marmang-Crab, voice low, says, "I''ll be honest. Three SSS-level healing skills, three SSS-level attack skills, three SSS-level defense skills."


    Even without consulting B80234615, Rita knows that this is still a lowball offer. If she had a skill that allowed her to move while time is stopped, even if it''s only for one minute, it would give her a chance to hide or at least save herself.


    Looking at all the restaurants she''s visited and the high-level players who can''t even move during the time stop, it''s clear how rare such a skill is.


    Of course, it''s possible some high-level players had already used their skills before she arrived, hiding away somewhere.


    Rita replies, "You''re not being honest."


    Marmang-Crab thinks for a moment but doesn''t push further. It can''t bring itself to offer more¡ªit''s reluctant.


    Maybe the cost of dying once is worth more than the offer it made.


    It seems it''s falling into a collecting habit again.


    Marmang-Crab decides to check out the event gift pack. The other player might not have a skill of that caliber, but at least buying some intel would be useful.


    Once things quiet down, Rita turns her focus back to solving the issue of Pine Bloom''s health.


    Once that problem is resolved, even if she dies and loses the effect of [Mysterious Power], the immediate danger will be over.


    Relying on [Fourfold Spring] won''t cut it. Though it''s her strongest healing skill, it requires combat to be effective.


    Just then, a new guest arrives at restaurant 233, whom Rita calls "Rabbit 3"¡ªthough, looking at the rabbit with only one ear, she has a bad feeling. This rabbit looks strangely familiar.


    Rabbit 3 stares at Rita, then sits across from Rabbit 1.


    Rabbit 1: Pfft.


    Rabbit 3 starts muttering angrily in some unknown language, but it sounds quite furious.


    Rita moves to the back of Octopus Bucket, avoiding Rabbit 3''s gaze, and quietly asks, "In the restaurant, aren''t employees and guests not allowed to attack each other?"


    This is something Rita figured out while preparing food earlier.


    If a guest breaks the rules three times, they die. This indirectly suggests to players that once a guest enters the restaurant, killing them is the only way to win. If direct killing was allowed, there''d be no need for such a convoluted closure rule.


    On the flip side, these event gift packs are rampantly causing chaos on Food Street, but once they enter the restaurant, they become docile. They must have rules to follow as well.


    If players can''t grasp this idea and don''t include the "no attacking" rule in the restaurant''s guidelines, they essentially lose the opportunity to modify the rules.


    Octopus Bucket nods, "I think so."


    Rabbit 3 stares at Rita for a while, then takes the menu from Sea Pony and begins to order quietly. Meanwhile, Rabbit 1 finishes eating.


    The dining time is 30 minutes, excluding the wait time for food. Rabbit 1 finishes 8 minutes early, but doesn''t rush to leave. Instead, it stands up and walks over to Rita, saying, "How about a trade?"


    Rita, wary, asks, "What kind of trade?"


    Rabbit 1 responds, "You let me randomly pick one of your skill icons as payment, and I can let you leave this game right now."


    As soon as it finishes speaking, Rita answers, "I refuse!"


    Rabbit 1 can''t help but laugh, "You''ve rejected my trade again."


    Rita sighs, "You always choose something I can''t trade."


    Rabbit 1 replies, "I said it''s random. What you''re afraid of might not even happen."


    Rita responds, "At critical moments, I never trust in luck."


    Both know what the other means. Rita is afraid that her core skill, [I Just Want to Improve So Badly], might be chosen.


    Rabbit 1 says, "But staying here means you''ll just be dragging it out. You''re likely to lose [Midnight Exile]. You''re gambling too, betting that you won''t fail. I''m just trying to help you."


    All the players in the restaurant, including Rabbit 3, are watching them.


    Rita doesn''t try to dodge Rabbit 1''s words. She responds firmly, "If you pick randomly, the choice is in your hands. If I stay, I fight for control. Even if you win, I won''t be happy. If I lose, I''ll lose willingly."

 Chapter 524: 524: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 44

    ¡ª¡ª"If you pick randomly, the choice is in your hands. If I stay, I struggle for control, and even if you win, I won''t be happy. If I lose, I''ll lose willingly."


    This statement is half true, half false, yet it is a hundred percent true!


    The most important reason Rita refuses the trade is that she simply cannot bear the cost of losing.


    Even though Rabbit 1 seems very interested in her, enjoys her company, and even says "I''m trying to help you,"


    Can she afford to gamble? No!


    Who knows if this deity¡ªor demon¡ªjust enjoys watching her struggle? Is it messing with her?


    But since she wants to become a star player, even if she refuses, she''ll make sure to speak eloquently and truthfully.


    The part about "Even if you win, I won''t be happy" is completely true. No matter what top-tier lie detector you use, it would still come out as the truth.


    Even if Rabbit 1 doesn''t take away [I Just Want to Improve So Badly], taking any other skill would still make Rita unhappy!


    This cursed game system has given her the very skills she''s dreamed of!


    No matter which one Rabbit 1 picks, it will hurt her deeply.


    And more importantly, she just completed the rare achievement [Gods, Remember My Name], so a lot of eyes are on her right now.


    Should she leave now? It wouldn''t be wrong.


    Rationally, weighing the pros and cons, the risks, she should leave now. The best choice for her would be to quit the game right here¡ªit wouldn''t be a mistake.


    But it would be cowardly, boring, and pitiful...


    The gods wouldn''t like that. Even the most obscure gods wouldn''t enjoy seeing a "toy" that just gave them a surprise and fun run away at the last moment.


    The disadvantages of leaving now are far too many.


    So, even if she loses, Rita''s not someone who can''t handle defeat.


    Even if the outcome is a loss, before losing, she''ll make sure to gather enough capital to rise again.


    And she still has one more copied [¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡¤A Rabbit''s Fur] left unused!


    With that thought in mind, Rita looks at Rabbit 1, takes its rabbit paw, and sincerely says, "If you really want to help me, just level up my divine talent, don''t play these games."


    Rabbit 1: "..."


    Rabbit 3: "..."


    Sea Pony: "Damn it! Crab, the next time you insult me for daydreaming, remember BS Rita, alright?"


    Rita: "?"


    Marmang-Crab: "Well, BS Rita, this is an event gift pack, not a wishing pool."


    Rabbit 3 snorts in laughter, but when Rita and Rabbit 1 look at it, it quickly regains its neutral expression.


    Rabbit 1 withdraws its paw with a complicated look, saying, "I''m leaving."


    It hops away from the restaurant, leaving no clear sign of whether it''s satisfied with Rita''s answer or whether it likes or dislikes her more.


    But Rita doesn''t care.


    From the moment she figured out that gods'' attention could be beneficial, and when she decided to become a star player in the world''s battleground, she knew she had to stir up trouble and catch the gods'' eyes¡ªshe can''t betray her true self.


    She can''t lie to the gods, and she certainly can''t lie to herself.


    Even if one day she learns the gods'' preferences, she won''t be able to change herself just to please them...


    While thinking this, Rabbit 1 suddenly reappears at the restaurant door, but it doesn''t come inside. Instead, it says to Rita, "The food is delicious. Here''s a gift for you."


    It tosses a pink light orb toward Rita, which hits the dark green robe she casually threw on.


    That robe was the Ballroom Formalwear that Pine Bloom gave her.


    "Keep struggling a bit longer. I hope you won''t regret your decision," Rabbit 1 says before leaving.


    As Rita stands there dazed, Marmang-Crab explains, "That''s how event gift packs work. If they like you, they''re generous. If they don''t, they''re annoying."


    Rita glances at Octopus Bucket, who''s lounging lazily behind the counter, seemingly unconcerned with the event gift packs. It seems more focused on the restaurant''s revenue.


    Rita: "They really haven''t suspected these event gift packs are from the gods?"


    B80234615: "I revealed the answer to you earlier. Naturally, you see all these flaws, but have you ever considered that mechanical races might be gods?"


    Rita: "...No."


    B80234615: "You''ve played Kart Racing. Did you ever think the vending machines in there were gods?"


    Rita finally gets it.


    B80234615: "To players who don''t know the truth, the event gift packs are just like the mechanical races at the diamonds miner marketplace, or the vending machines at the Kart Racing parking lot."


    Rita breathes a sigh of relief and silently thanks B80234615.


    Knowing more than others opens up more opportunities. I wonder if Pine Bloom, who also got a mechanical race, now understands this too...


    Though, it seems like they were already shining brightly before receiving the mechanical race.


    She takes out the Ballroom Formalwear Pine Bloom gave her. From what Rabbit 1 said, it seems the life points she owed have been repaid. She doesn''t plan to wear it.


    She puts the formalwear and the feathered bag Pine Bloom gave her earlier together in her backpack, planning to sell them for a high price to Lidian once she''s back.


    B80234615 sees through her plan: "You''re scheming again."


    Rita: "I''m scheming? She''s over there saying, ''Pine Bloom''s love is like moonlight, equally shining on every creature.'' But look at her, is this moonlight? This is unequally pricking every creature!"


    Over by the counter, Rabbit 3 finishes ordering and sits with one ear resting, eyes closed, seemingly at ease.


    Rita, working in the kitchen, occasionally sneaks a glance at Rabbit 3. The rabbit''s position faces her directly. Seeing the calm expression on Rabbit 3''s face, Rita breathes a sigh of relief. This god seems pretty magnanimous.


    Although she stole its ear during the time stop, based on Rabbit 3''s reaction, it clearly knows she was the culprit.


    Rita stays quietly in the kitchen, determined not to provoke Rabbit 3.


    But while she''s calm, Sea Pony is not.


    Sea Pony circles around Rita, but finding nothing fun to do, heads over to Rabbit 3 instead.


    Sea Pony tugs at Rabbit 3''s remaining ear and asks, "Why does every other event gift pack have two ears, but you only have one?"


    Sea Pony: "As an employee of restaurant 233, I''m making my first reasonable request: you need two ears to eat here."


    Rabbit 3 slowly opens its eyes, its red pupils fixated on Rita. It gestures with its chin toward Rita and says, "Ask her."


    Rita: "..."

 Chapter 525: 525: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 45

    As Rita was still thinking about how to respond, suddenly, three colorful gift boxes fell from above, right above the open-air restaurant. One landed in front of Rita, one in front of Marmang-Crab, and one in front of Octopus Bucket.


    Rita: "?"


    Marmang-Crab knew what they were, but was momentarily stunned. It quickly realized, "Where did you send that troublesome event gift pack? It''s violated the rules three times."


    Rita didn''t mention that she had sent it to Restaurant 1. Instead, she answered, "I think the player from that restaurant hasn''t sent it back?"


    Even though players can''t attack each other, Winter Sea Frenzied Shark probably won''t let Rabbit 2 off easily.


    Rabbit 2 didn''t lick Sea Pony''s feet, and had ignored several of Sea Pony''s requests, so it had already violated two rules.


    The dining time for Rabbit 2 was only 30 minutes, and it arrived just after Rabbit 1, so now, 30 minutes have passed since Rita served Rabbit 2. It hasn''t finished its meal within the allotted time, violating Rule 7: No wasting food in Restaurant 233.


    Three violations, and it''s out of the game, packaged into a box.


    Actually, the restaurant''s rules aren''t all that strict.


    Marmang-Crab might want to eliminate the event gift packs, but compared to those, Octopus Bucket clearly cares more about the restaurant''s earnings. It''s after the ultimate game rewards. Whoever is stronger calls the shots.


    Rabbit 3''s gaze turns to a certain spot in the sky, and its expression shifts to something strange. It glances at Rita.


    Rita, however, is already distracted by the falling gift boxes. Sea Pony has quickly opened one, and inside it is a rabbit''s fur. Rita can''t see the information, but Marmang-Crab looks very satisfied.


    Marmang-Crab doesn''t plan to keep the gift either. As long as it isn''t for a special reason, it''s best to convert resources into strength immediately.


    Rita opens her gift box as well.


    [¡ö¡¤A Rabbit''s Tooth]: Unlock a new skill, or re-lock an already unlocked skill.


    Rita feels a bit disappointed.


    Even though she had been anxious earlier, knowing that skill icons could be forcibly taken away, she doesn''t regret it.


    Initially, she thought that in the world battleground, she couldn''t steal attribute points, nor could she easily steal other players'' equipment and items. But opening a restaurant meant she could steal currencies or strong players'' secrets, which was great.


    Who knew the game mechanics would give her such a huge shock and surprise?


    Even with the opportunity to make a new choice right in front of her, she still wouldn''t lock away [I Just Want to Improve So Badly].


    There are so many gods¡ªhow could she possibly give up on them?


    Moreover, some things have become clearer in her mind as she continues to reflect.


    She''s been thrown into a battlefield she shouldn''t have entered, surrounded by powerful enemies. Her attack, defense, combat skills, and skill variety are all lacking compared to them...


    Rather than dwelling on her shortcomings or obsessing over which skill she still needs, she realizes the key is to use her core skill effectively.


    This is both her crisis and her greatest opportunity.


    Even Pine Bloom is interested in her stealing skills... She suspects what Pine Bloom really wants is [I Could Just Steal It].


    This realization only dawns on her after she sits down and thinks carefully.


    Is Pine Bloom the type of person who, when killed in an instant, would panic and abandon their plan to quickly get revenge?


    Even if the achievement of being killed by BS Rita shows up in the chat channel, Rita wouldn''t step forward to claim it unless Pine Bloom speaks up.


    Both of them are the types who don''t like talking in the chat channel, but Pine Bloom happened to do it.


    Pine Bloom could have waited before striking.


    Ignoring the items for a moment, if Pine Bloom truly wanted [Midnight Exile], wouldn''t the safest method have been to wait until Rita dies a few more times? Let other players take away her less important divine talents, allowing Pine Bloom to secure them without effort?


    She''s the fastest player capable of killing herself, and she''s already ahead of all the other players eyeing her. Pine Bloom almost has Rita in her pocket.


    But Pine Bloom decided to strike when it wasn''t necessary.


    Would a dignified warlord really be so impatient?


    Perhaps it''s because Pine Bloom realized that Rita had already repaid the life points with the clothing, so Pine Bloom wanted to act first to secure the prize? It''s possible.


    But Rita leans toward another theory: Pine Bloom doesn''t want [Midnight Exile]; instead, Pine Bloom wants to steal [I Could Just Steal It]!


    The rewards in Divine Game are so powerful. As long as she can reset the cooldown for this skill, she could use it to take away the divine talents she wants.


    One or two [Midnight Exile] divine talents are nothing compared to her personally choosing to strip away a divine talent¡ªone she considers the best in the world battleground.


    However, these guesses could just be the result of her overthinking.


    Pushing Pine Bloom out of her mind, Rita selects the skill she wants to unlock¡ª[Ancient Curse].


    She immediately curses herself.


    [I curse that in this Divine Game, every existence that attempts to steal or deprive BS Rita of a skill icon will, after successfully stealing or depriving it, randomly lose one skill every hour of their remaining life. The curse will only lift once they return the stolen skill icon.]


    She had originally planned to say, "randomly lose one divine talent skill every hour," but the curse wouldn''t allow it. However, losing one skill every hour is more than enough.


    And that''s not all.


    [I curse that in this Divine Game, the sixth player to kill BS Rita will lose their most frequently used skill in the past star-sea year.]


    [I curse that in this Divine Game, the ninth player to kill BS Rita will lose their most frequently used skill in the past star-sea year.]


    These two curses were intended to be random losses of divine talent skills, but she couldn''t word it that way. Instead, she had to make a slight adjustment.


    She didn''t directly curse the tenth player who kills her or the cosmic wanderer. Such a curse effect would be more like a blind box curse. They wouldn''t know how many times she had died, and anyone planning to kill her would have to think twice.


    If she hadn''t just severed the causal line with Winter Sea Frenzied Shark and freed up a few curse slots, she might not have had enough to use.


    Fat Goose, Rick, and Hatred Thorns had already occupied three of her curse slots...


    With a resounding clank, the three curses land. For a brief moment, the entire world battleground falls silent, and even the chat channel stops spamming messages.


    Rabbit 3''s laugh shatters the silence of Restaurant 233.


    Sea Pony, clutching its head in pain, howls, "Ahhh! You''re cheating! This is so unfair!"


    Marmang-Crab is also furious. It slams its claws on the table and growls, "This is too much! Do you have any sense of honor as a strong player?!"


    Rita, feeling refreshed, puts her hand down from the [Ancient Curse] skill icon and, hearing Marmang-Crab''s words, playfully covers her ears, shaking her head and saying, "What are you talking about? I''m only level 7. I don''t need to hear about honor! Really!"


    Sea Pony is so frustrated it looks like it might cry, "...Kill her, Crab... Kill her! Waaah!"

 Chapter 526: 526: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 46

    Sea Pony''s tail flicks and curls, flicks and curls again, bouncing wildly in the air. It has been killed by Winter Sea Frenzied Shark multiple times, and ever since hearing that Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s divine talent was stolen by BS Rita, Sea Pony has been envious.


    As for Marmang-Crab, it''s even more obsessed. What it wants most is [Absurd Story]¡ªa skill that seems like it was made for it. It''s always believed that [Absurd Story] is its own skill, just temporarily fostered by Winter Sea Frenzied Shark.


    Marmang-Crab, a tanky defensive warrior, would be unstoppable with [Absurd Story]. It would be able to stand still and counter enemies to death without lifting a finger.


    Octopus Bucket remains the calmest of them all, lazy and slow as usual. It even uses a tentacle to hold up the menu and waves it around in the food street, trying to attract customers.


    At this moment, Rabbit 3, who had been ignored due to the falling gift boxes, suddenly speaks up.


    "Don''t you think you''re lacking blood in your veins? You''re just posturing, intimidating and threatening your enemies, making them afraid of losing, so they won''t dare to act against you."


    Sea Pony chimes in, "Exactly!"


    Players from both neighboring restaurants have gathered around without Rita noticing, adding their voices to the chorus: "Exactly!"


    Rita, still focused on stirring a sauce, responds without lifting her head, "Don''t you think the players who are afraid to act against me out of fear of losing are the ones who lack blood?"


    Rabbit 3: "..."


    Sea Pony: "Crab, she''s talking about you."


    Marmang-Crab doesn''t bite, still deep in thought, trying to recall which skill it''s used the most over the past star-sea year.


    Perhaps Rita''s retort annoyed Rabbit 3, as it continues, "I''ll make you a deal."


    The words sound oddly familiar, but Rabbit 3''s tone is vastly different from Rabbit 1''s. The latter asked, while the former gives an order. Rita calmly asks, "What''s the deal?"


    Rabbit 3: "You cancel those three curses. Don''t worry about not being able to cancel them¡ªI''ll help you with that..."


    It pauses for a moment, studies Rita''s expression, and then flashes a mischievous grin, adding the final part of the deal, "Otherwise, I''ll challenge you to a Shokugeki."


    Rita doesn''t hesitate for a second and responds, "Then let''s have a Shokugeki."


    Rabbit 3 is caught off guard, as if a coward had unexpectedly made a bold decision. "Do you know what happens if you leave the restaurant now?"


    Rita speeds up her cooking and answers, "I know. I''ll be hunted down by you, and at worst, I might end up as an ingredient."


    It''s like TingoJE, lying on the chopping board, getting cleaned, cut, and cooked, with players watching the whole thing unfold.


    Rabbit 3 shakes its head. "You don''t have the blood to do it when it counts, but you do now. You don''t honestly think I won''t cook you, do you?"


    Clearly, Rabbit 3 thinks BS Rita is just trying to provoke it.


    Rita glances at Rabbit 3 with a slightly speechless look. "Are you a hater? Why are you saying everything like that?"


    Rabbit 3: "?"


    Rita: "So, do we do the Shokugeki or not?"


    Rabbit 3: "Shokugeki!"


    The players from both restaurants around, watching the spectacle, now settle in with their benches. Even the rabbits in the restaurant hold their chopsticks and move closer.


    Rita steps aside at the cooking station. "As an employee of Restaurant 233, I propose my second reasonable request: you cannot use ingredients from this restaurant."


    Rabbit 3, wearing an apron, rejects immediately. "Refuse."


    "Then, as an employee of Restaurant 233, I propose my third reasonable request: you must cook the same dish as me."


    Rabbit 3 sneers. "Refuse."


    The cooking battle begins. A red "X" appears at the entrance of the open-air restaurant, marking that no one is allowed to enter or leave during the Shokugeki.


    Sea Pony sits on Marmang-Crab''s head. "If she leaves the restaurant, where will we find her?"


    Marmang-Crab shakes its head. "It''s fine. We''ll be able to find her. Even if we let her out, we''ll have to wait until those three curses are lifted before we can act."


    They''re not trying to hide anything from Rita. In fact, they don''t need to. The world battleground works this way. Both Marmang-Crab and BS Rita know how desperately it craves [Midnight Exile]. If BS Rita has the chance to kill it, she won''t hold back.


    In this place, even a brief team-up doesn''t create any alliances. If they face enemies from another race, there''s no hesitation¡ªthey won''t hold back.


    Rita plates the dish she''s been simmering and places it at her side. "Here''s your order. I''m serving the dish."


    Rabbit 3, busy selecting ingredients: !


    As she serves the dish, Rita says, "Now, I''m making my fourth reasonable request: You can only make drinks."


    The entire restaurant, including the two neighboring restaurants watching, falls silent. Rabbit 3 is momentarily stunned.


    Rita has already served the dish. This means Rabbit 3''s dining time has officially started. With only 30 minutes to eat, Rabbit 3 must leave before the time is up. But now, it''s engaged in a Shokugeki with Rita...


    Since Rita knows the rules, she won''t finish her dish within 30 minutes.


    Rabbit 3 will inevitably violate Rule 3: All customers in Restaurant 233, except for official staff, must finish eating within 30 minutes.


    Besides that, Rabbit 3 has also violated Rule 1: It didn''t lick Sea Pony''s feet.


    And now Rita has proposed a fourth unreasonable request. It no longer matters whether Rabbit 3 complies. The violation is already inevitable.


    Rita will keep finding ways to propose more unreasonable requests to make Rabbit 3 break Rule 8: The number of times a customer in Restaurant 233 can refuse reasonable requests from staff is limited to three.


    Inside the quiet restaurant, Rita glances at the red restriction symbol at the door and breathes a sigh of relief. Things are going even more smoothly than she anticipated.


    She had planned that if the Shokugeki allowed for entrance and exit from the restaurant, she would serve another dish right before the last minute of dining time. That way, Rabbit 3 wouldn''t have time to finish and would violate the rules, ensuring a violation and a defeat.


    As long as she serves the dish before Rabbit 3 breaks the rules, it would automatically lead to a defeat for Rabbit 3.


    Of course, Rabbit 3 could still break the deadlock.


    Rita looks at Rabbit 3, her tone and gaze sincere. "So, are you going to lick Sea Pony''s feet to avoid being killed?"


    B80234615 floods her mind with messages: "This is a god."


    Rita: "I know."


    B80234615: "This is a god."


    Rita: "I know."


    B80234615: "This is a god."


    Rita: "Ah, yes, it''s a god."


    Rabbit 3 glares coldly at Rita.


    Rita calls out to Sea Pony, "Are your feet ready? There''s a special guest here who''d like a taste."


    Just as Sea Pony takes off, Rabbit 3 yells at it, "Get lost!"


    Rita nods approvingly, "Now that''s what I call blood! I''m impressed."


    Sea Pony, clinging to Marmang-Crab''s crab whiskers, feels utterly wronged. "Honestly, is it so hard to accept licking my feet? I do it every day!"

 Chapter 527: 527: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 47

    Sea Pony, ever the troublemaker, adds fuel to the fire. "Hey, you could just stew my foot into a soup. This is actually BS Rita''s idea."


    Rita doesn''t stop it. If Rabbit 1 were here, maybe this would be the solution to Rule 1, but Rabbit 3? She doesn''t think the latter would be willing.


    Sure, in reality, it''s just a bowl of seafood soup, but in this situation, the meaning and nature of the soup are completely different.


    Drinking that soup would be completing Rule 1, and isn''t that just... licking feet?


    No matter who you are, even if the King of Heaven himself came down, that''s still licking feet!!


    If Rabbit 3 drinks it, it''s essentially bowing down to BS Rita. Neither Rita nor Sea Pony would let it go.


    Moreover, Rita is certain that other gods are watching them right now.


    Rita continues to leisurely pick ingredients, not in a hurry at all. She even says, "You''re the guest, if you want to drink it, I can prepare it for you. You don''t need to do it yourself."


    Rabbit 3 doesn''t touch the dish that Rita prepared for it. It remains silent for a long time before speaking up. "Let''s make a deal."


    This again? Rita replies, "Go on, tell me the deal."


    Rabbit 3: "You complete the dish for the Shokugeki within 30 minutes."


    Complete the dish within 30 minutes?


    Rabbit 3 clearly doesn''t want to lose to her. If it loses in the Shokugeki, it would accumulate another violation and still be killed. So, is this a strategy to have her lose the competition quickly?


    By doing so, Rabbit 3 could leave before the 30-minute dining time ends and officially become a restaurant employee. Even if Rita holds out until the last minute to serve her dish, Rabbit 3 wouldn''t be violating the rule about wasting food.


    In other words... the cost of this deal is that Rita must leave Restaurant 233.


    Rita responds, "And what''s the price for your dignity? You can speak in English."


    Rabbit 3 takes a deep breath, its tone filled with anger and defiance, but the price it offers makes Rita''s heart race: "One chance to modify skill text or data."


    Perhaps due to its pride, Rabbit 3 refuses to speak in the Sky-Crab language and still uses the Sky-Crab language for the price.


    Rita asks, "How do you modify percentage data? What''s the limit on the upper and lower bounds?"


    Rabbit 3: "If you want to reduce percentage data, I can shrink it to one-tenth of its previous value. If you want to increase it, I can double it."


    Rita shakes her head. "Your dignity is too cheap. Do you look down on yourself so much? I''m so disappointed in you."


    Sea Pony gasps in surprise. "You''re giving it so much face just to haggle?!"


    Marmang-Crab chimes in, "Why don''t you just lick Sea Pony''s foot? Foot-licking is really cheap here!"


    Sea Pony quickly snaps her feet back into shape. "Do you want them? I''m selling cheap!"


    The players in both neighboring restaurants who understand Sky-Crab language are eating lemons, all asking their rabbit customers if they have any trading offers.


    The rabbit customers from both restaurants are busy watching the show.


    The rabbit from Restaurant 232 calls out, "Hey, just drink the soup. It''s just a bowl of soup, right?"


    The rabbit from Restaurant 234 joins in, "Exactly! We promise we won''t tell them."


    Rabbit 3 is so furious that it''s about to explode, ignoring the chaos around it. "Stop putting value on it. This price is already quite fair."


    Rita responds, "You know the danger I face if I leave the restaurant. I could die dozens of times before the restaurant closes. Your offer isn''t enough."


    Rabbit 3: "...What do you want?"


    Rita: "I want the percentage data reduced, divided by 100."


    Rabbit 3 frowns, staring at Rita for two seconds before shouting, "You''re dreaming!"


    Rita: "..."


    Rita thinks, Is this bastard checking my skills?!


    B80234615 responds in Rita''s mind: "It''s obvious. Not only did it check, but it''s also stunned by your audacity."


    Rita grips her knife and starts chopping ingredients. "Well, hurry up then. Either go quickly reincarnate, or get to foot-licking!"


    Rabbit 3 grinds its teeth. It doesn''t even want to open the godly chat channel to check the content anymore. It has made up its mind to quit the game soon.


    Rita continues, "You want me to leave the safe zone and face that kind of danger, not to mention constantly violating the game''s rules and dealing with divine punishment? And yet, you offer such a low price. Damn, stingy?... Stingy, tsk, tsk, tsk."


    "Stingy, what does that even mean? Oh, it''s when someone, faced with hardships and obstacles, needs to be resolute, have backbone, be tough, and take risks."


    "Ah, so it means that being ''stingy'' can actually be about having ''backbone'' too? From now on, when anyone asks me why I''m so cheap, I''ll just tell them, ''Because I have backbone!''"


    Rabbit 3 clenches its fists, its fluffy body trembling in rage. "..."


    The rabbit from Restaurant 232, biting a meat chop, mutters, "Oh my god, don''t let it get to you."


    The rabbit from Restaurant 234, putting down its spoon, says, "Maybe just let it kill you. At least we''ll go out with a bang. Don''t let her win! This is infuriating!"


    Sea Pony agrees, "Exactly!"


    Rabbit 3 slams the table. "Divided by 15. That''s my limit!"


    Rita slams the table even harder, excitedly exclaiming, "Deal! The boss is generous!"


    Rabbit 3: "..."


    The rabbit from Restaurant 232 says, "The boss is stunned!"


    The rabbit from Restaurant 234 chimes in, "The boss is stunned!"


    Rabbit 3 glares at Rita with fury, pulls out a single rabbit fur after searching its body for a while, brushes it off and blows on it before handing it to Rita.


    Rita takes it.


    [¡ö¡ö¡ö¡¤A Rabbit''s Fur] (A divine gift): Allows modification of a percentage data in a skill, reducing it to 1/50 of its previous value (Uses: 1).


    Without hesitation, Rita uses it on... not on a shop sale... but on [Mysterious Power]!


    She''s afraid that Rabbit 3 might calm down and regret it later.


    [Mysterious Power] SSS rank: Can be used when your health is below 5%. After using, your health is locked at 1% for 24 hours. During this time, you cannot heal, and all beings can only deal one hit to you. The second attack''s damage will be nullified, and the damage from that hit will ignore both enemy and ally properties, directly deducting 0.004% of your health. Each use consumes 20% mana; cooldown time is 7 natural days.


    This means that in the future, to kill her using this skill, players will need to deal 250 hits.


    And right now, with only 0.8% health left, she would need 200 different targets to attack her before she dies.


    At the same time, an announcement rings out in the world battleground:


    [BS Rita''s previous three curses have all been lifted, and [Ancient Curse] is now disabled for the remainder of this Divine Game.]

 Chapter 528: 528: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 48

    Rita quickly picks up the dish she had prepared for Rabbit 3 earlier and places it in front of them. "Eat up. I promise I''ll finish cooking and leave within 5 minutes. One SSS-level skill, I''m even willing to feed it to you."


    Rabbit 3 eyes her suspiciously. "If I choose to fulfill Rule 1, are you going to throw this dish on the floor and make me pick it up and eat it?"


    Rita pauses, meeting Rabbit 3''s gaze, and responds earnestly, "No, I wouldn''t do that."


    She''s not crazy. Using the rules to provoke a god and personally humiliating one is a whole different matter. Even if she didn''t know Rabbit 3 was a god, she wouldn''t do something like that.


    Trampling on the dignity of a living being isn''t something she finds enjoyable.


    Rabbit 3''s brow loosens a bit. "Alright then."


    It takes the dish and starts eating.


    Rita: "You''re not bad yourself."


    Proud, but generous too!


    Rabbit 3: ...


    Why is it so nice to talk to the Spring Deity, but so prickly when speaking to itself?


    Sea Pony flies over. "I''ll feed you! As long as you give me a rabbit hair, I''ll even chew it up and feed you myself."


    Rabbit 3 shoves Sea Pony away. "Shut up! When you talk, I get a headache!"


    Sea Pony: "So BS Rita makes you tremble with anger, but you''re excited, huh?"


    Rabbit 3: "..."


    Rita: "So that''s how it is!"


    The rabbits from Restaurant 232 and 234 nod in agreement, "So that''s how it is!"


    Rabbit 3 closes its eyes in pain, unwilling to speak any further.


    Meanwhile, Rita continues stirring the pot. She had been looking for a chance to leave Restaurant 233, just not this early. But if she doesn''t leave, how can she use the second rabbit hair?


    She doesn''t know how long the effect of the skill icon will last, and she must use it before the restaurant closes to secure her advantage.


    Though leaving the restaurant now means she risks not having one when it reopens, she''s confident she can find another restaurant where she can compete for a position, just like Restaurant 233.


    To be honest, wasn''t she playing Divine Game to modify her skills in the first place?


    Now she has a chance to do just that. If she doesn''t take it, that would be a huge mistake.


    Sea Pony, though reluctant, calls out, "You''re really leaving?"


    Rita: "Yeah."


    Sea Pony: "If you leave, how am I supposed to find you to kill you?"


    Rita: "Throw Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s head into the sky above the world battleground and explode it, and I''ll answer your call."


    Sea Pony: "... Sometimes when I talk to you, I feel inferior. Your shamelessness makes me want to hide."


    Rita: "I''m the one!"


    Rita quickly prepares a dish¡ª98 points, just average, not even a delicacy. She glances at the restaurant''s data: Mischief Score 67.


    Revenue: 763¡ô84¡ó.


    She''s not worried about the revenue; it will follow her. After the whole incident with [Is this your restaurant? Who gave you the permission to open it?], the teams were all shuffled and reorganized. Some players even lost their teams, but individual players still have rankings for revenue.


    It''s a bit of a pity she won''t be sticking with Octopus Bucket anymore.


    She divides the dish into several portions so that each one has an effect. This was the method she used when her teammates tasted dishes for buffs during the cooking competition.


    The dish reduces cooldown time by 1 hour per portion, a small benefit but better than nothing. Rita packs each portion into her bag, then looks at Rabbit 3. Their dish is finished.


    A 2-star delicacy, made in less than five minutes.


    But Rita doesn''t think this is Rabbit 3''s limit. Whether it''s hidden strength or constrained by the rules, the professional ability must be on par with hers.


    At this point, the restriction at the restaurant entrance disappears, and the [Chef] cursor shifts to Rabbit 3''s head.


    Rita doesn''t delay. She exchanges a few words with Marmang-Crab and Octopus Bucket and then flies out without looking back.


    The rabbit from Restaurant 232 says something in a language the players from all three restaurants can''t understand: "What a loss."


    The rabbit from Restaurant 234 responds in the same language: "It''s just a tantrum."


    The rabbit from Restaurant 232: "You think Rabbit 3 actually likes BS Rita? Maybe it''s just playing this game to get her attention and offering rewards to attract her."


    Rabbit 3: "...If you''re going to insult me, at least don''t make it so dirty!"


    The rabbit from Restaurant 234: "It''s not us, it''s the Spring Deity who said it."


    Rabbit 3: "...They always like these weird things..."


    ...


    After leaving Restaurant 233, Rita starts looking for a restaurant to rest in. After upgrading [Mysterious Power], she doesn''t plan on rushing into a new restaurant. She wants to observe first and at least not join a new team recklessly.


    She avoids those with forced consumption¡ªthose are a no-go. What if the menu requires skill payments? That would be terrible.


    She also stays clear of places where players might get penalized for violating the rules multiple times.


    In addition, while looking through restaurant rules, she checks if there are any top ten players in the ladder rankings behind Restaurant 233.


    The chef competition ranked Restaurant 233 at 233rd, which means it''s limited to carrying only 5 skill icons. The restaurants further down must have even fewer, meaning the skills there are carefully selected for maximum effectiveness.


    Unlike before when she was causing chaos with time stop, now Rita realizes, while she checks every restaurant''s rules, that although many event gift packs fell earlier, not every restaurant has rabbit customers.


    The restaurants on the left side of the food street are top-ranked, and from Restaurant 1 down, almost every one has customers.


    However, looking at the restaurants on her right, which are likely ranked towards the end of the street, she sees that almost all of them are ranked outside the top 5000. She has to pass about 100 restaurants before spotting a single rabbit customer.


    The left-side restaurants are busy, with players occasionally peeking at her, while players on the right side are just sitting at their restaurant entrances, chatting leisurely.


    These strange players are dressed in all kinds of bizarre, colorful outfits.


    As Rita walks down the middle of the food street, she sometimes feels like she''s at a zoo, sometimes like she''s inspecting the countryside, and at other times like she''s wandered into Hengdian...


    When she passes a velociraptor eating ramen in front of a restaurant, she starts to question her own mental state.


    While passing Restaurant 245, Rita spots Mistblade.


    He''s sitting behind the cashier counter, one hand propped up under his head. When he sees her, he raises an eyebrow in surprise and asks in Moon Fox language, "Just out shopping?"


    Rita, no longer pretending not to understand, uses the help of B80234615 and responds in clumsy Moon Fox language, "...Yeah, are you working?"


    Such a ridiculous conversation.


    Clearly, Mistblade thinks the same.


    They stare at each other for a few seconds, both awkwardly looking away.

 Chapter 529: 529: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 49

    Rita had no intention of stealing Mistblade''s skill icon.


    It wasn''t that she wasn''t willing to do so¡ªshe didn''t have much personal connection with Mistblade. They were, at most, 90% enemies in this world, 9% allies, and 1% alchemy teachers.


    But after stealing TingoAutumn Deer''s [Snap, Lock], Rita''s confidence had grown. A rare opportunity like this? She wouldn''t take action unless it was someone from the top 100 of the ladder.


    She wasn''t one to rush in unless the stakes were high.


    However, she still owed Mistblade a translation of some game rules. After checking the rule scrolls floating outside the restaurant, confirming there was nothing suspicious, Rita entered and sat for a while, helping Mistblade translate the rules she could.


    Though she used B80234615 for help, Rita kept a balance and only translated 3 rules¡ªshe had tried to understand, but with her knowledge of just under 700 languages from all races, she couldn''t understand a single one.


    Once she finished translating for Mistblade, she was about to leave, but the other three players in the restaurant gathered around and asked for her help translating their rules. Naturally, it turned into a mutual translation exchange.


    Rita was happy to do it. Even with B80234615''s help, there were still plenty of unknown rules she hadn''t seen.


    The players there were all level 17 or 18, high-level and not ones to deceive Rita.


    After all, her name was everywhere recently¡ªeither for completing a rare achievement and having it pinned in the chat channel or for the announcement of her Ancient Curse broadcast. Even her curse cancellation was announced on the world battleground. Divine Game hadn''t been this lively in a while.


    If Rita were to lie about the translations, it would be easy for others to call her out. She could easily jump into the battle chat channel and make a comment, and it wouldn''t take long for other players to notice.


    Several players took turns approaching Rita to complete their translation deals. Rita kept it fair: she translated as many rules for them as they had done for her. The trade went smoothly, but the restaurant''s rabbit customer was becoming increasingly strange. While Rita was translating one-on-one, the rabbit sat beside her, watching silently, not saying a word...


    By the time Rita left the restaurant, only five rules were still unknown to her. Most of the unlocked game rules were related to [Chef], meaning that if she were to find another job next, it seemed like becoming a [Chef] would be the best choice.


    It was only 3 PM, and the restaurant would close in under four hours.


    Theoretically, she could have blended in without issues, especially with her [Mysterious Power]... Wait, what?


    The sounds of footsteps grew closer. Rita turned around and saw dozens of rabbits, big and small, seemingly gathering at the same time, leaving their restaurants and standing outside, all staring at her.


    The left side of the food street¡ªlined with restaurant after restaurant¡ªwas filled with rabbit heads turning to look at her. The sight made Rita''s scalp tingle.


    "That''s her, right?"


    "Yeah, that''s her!"


    "Let''s go, go, go!"


    "Charge!"


    "Gaga, this time we''re really going all out."


    "I heard she cried out of anger."


    "I heard she vomited blood in anger."


    They didn''t seem to care whether she could understand their words. There was a mix of languages, but Rita could catch a few phrases, and B80234615 helped translate a few more.


    The conclusion was clear: they were coming for her!


    Countless rabbits charged toward her. Rita, having seen the line of rabbits, took to the air and bolted away.


    Rita: "This is definitely Rabbit 3''s doing!"


    She couldn''t have offended so many gods at once. Only their own kind could arrange such a coordinated attack.


    It made sense now. She''d suspected from the start that Rabbit 3 had planned for this. Even though she knew Rita would use the rabbit hair on [Mysterious Power], Rabbit 3 still agreed to the trade, obviously preparing a plan to deal with her.


    With so many rabbits¡ªmore than 200¡ªit would only take a single kick from each one to take her down.


    B80234615: "...I''ve never seen anything this chaotic before."


    Before Rita could reply, she felt a rabbit foot kick her from behind. Thankfully, she managed to spin in the air, absorbing some of the impact, and steadied herself. But a new rabbit foot was coming at her from the front. Rita quickly ducked to avoid the blow to her face.


    Players from the restaurants all stepped outside to watch as hundreds of rabbits chased Rita down.


    There were rabbits everywhere. Rita couldn''t even find a way to slip into a nearby restaurant, much less escape.


    While Rita zigzagged through the street, she ended up near Restaurant 233 and spotted Rabbit 3 sitting at the restaurant entrance, sipping a cup of coffee. After locking eyes with her, Rabbit 3 pretended to clink glasses in the air.


    Rita clenched her teeth. "So smug! So smug!!"


    Rita: "Do you know the name of this god?"


    B80234615: "No idea."


    Rita was struck again. She didn''t dare use [Dandelion Wind] here¡ªthere were too many rabbits. If each one grabbed a dandelion and crushed it, she would be done for.


    The food street didn''t allow unlimited flight. After reaching a certain height, a transparent barrier would stop her.


    Besides the used [Mysterious Power] and the [Ancient Curse] that she''d agreed not to use for this game, the only skills left in her possession were [Bedtime Tale], [I Just Want to Improve So Badly], [Fourfold Spring], [Dandelion Wind][Match-3], [Behind the Scenes], and [Snap, Lock].


    None of them could change her current situation.


    The only thing she could think of was to steal a skill that could help her escape, and almost all players had gathered to watch the spectacle.


    She could even hear Sea Pony''s voice, filled with envy: "Crab! How much would it cost for a funeral like this with this lineup? Can you help me buy one?!"


    Rita kicked a rabbit away and grabbed one that had already attacked her, using it as a shield to block the incoming blows. No matter how hard the rabbit elbowed her, she refused to let go.


    These rabbits adjusted their stats and strength during battle, so this one couldn''t break free from Rita''s grip just yet.


    Her forearm had already been crushed by the rabbit''s grip. Her ribs were probably broken, and her internal organs had been damaged¡ªRita was struggling to breathe, but even so, she didn''t let go.


    The rabbit was the perfect size¡ªjust right to shield most of her body. She''d chosen it carefully.


    The rabbit: "...Give me a break."


    Rita could feel her right arm losing strength as the bones were crushed, but even with her improved body, she felt powerless.


    She quickly switched to her left arm, keeping the rabbit as a shield. She even found the strength to retort, "Still not enough of a favor for you? You''re on the battlefield''s C-list, and you''re riding on my fame, so enjoy it while it lasts!"


    The rabbit twitched its lips: "...Well, thanks?"


    Rita: "No problem! If you want to thank anyone, thank the new chef at Restaurant 233!"


    Before the rabbit could respond, she leaned slightly to the side, using the rabbit to block another kick from a different rabbit.


    By now, she had been cornered at the edge of the food street, right above the top-ranked restaurants below.

 Chapter 530: 530: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 50

    Even with a rabbit as a shield, under the barrage of attacks, Rita''s health had dropped to 0.456%.


    In just a few minutes, she had been attacked nearly a hundred times.


    She had done her best, but the combat skills of these rabbits were far beyond what she could handle now.


    Rita had tried countless times to make her way into a restaurant, but the rabbits always managed to predict her path, blocking her and kicking her further away each time.


    At this moment, Rita seemed to be trapped in a dead end, with no way out.


    She couldn''t die. If she did, the effect of [Mysterious Power] would vanish, and the endless cycle of being killed would await her.


    This was Rabbit 3''s revenge.


    Rita glanced down at the restaurants, her eyes scanning over one player after another who had come out to watch, recalling their titles and the skills they might be using.


    She wasn''t one to rely on luck when faced with major challenges, but now, in this life-or-death situation, was she really going to leave everything to fate?


    B80234615: "So unlucky. Do you regret bringing me away from Garbage Mountain?"


    All around her, there were nothing but rabbits. Rita didn''t know how much blood she had already spilled. Once, she would have obsessively cleaned up every drop of blood she left behind, but now, she had no time for that. Wherever she went, her blood spilled, marking the streets with traces of her demise.


    But at this moment, Rita still found time to respond to B80234615, her voice barely audible. "This isn''t your fault."


    B80234615: "If it weren''t for me, you''d never have encountered so many strong players early on. You''d be teaming up with 6th or 7th-tier players, maybe even meet some foolish newbies."


    Rita muttered quietly, "Every step I''ve taken has been my own choice."


    She didn''t say this in her mind, but out loud. Her thoughts were becoming fuzzy, and she needed to say something to keep herself focused and keep herself from passing out.


    Even though her data was now digitized, her biological structure still had its weaknesses.


    She had been attacked over a hundred times, her organs and bones broken, and there was not a single part of her body that remained intact. She had dozens of debuffs stacked on her.


    Her hair tie had long been scattered, and her hair was now hanging messily, the tips stained with blood.


    She whispered, "All the achievements and honors I''ve earned are mine. The difficulties I''ve faced are also mine. So stop trying to make me look good!!"


    With those words, she lifted the rabbit shield high and dove downward, ignoring the relentless attacks raining down on her back. She pushed the rabbit shield forward, struggling to get closer to Restaurant 1, closer to that player¡ªWinter Sea Frenzied Shark.


    Sorry, but it''s you again!


    The one once called [Calmly Facing Death]¡ª[Winter Sea Frenzied Shark]!


    She pinched the rabbit hair between her fingers, and through the mass of fluffy rabbits, she met Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s eyes.


    Winter Sea Frenzied Shark, who had been watching from the sidelines, looked at her with confusion: "?"


    Winter Sea Frenzied Shark, grinning widely and showing eight teeth at the sight of BS Rita''s suffering: "!!"


    When their eyes met, when Rita''s lips curled into a smile, Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s eyes widened in shock: "!!! You can''t be serious?"


    Steal the target''s skill icon!


    100% success rate!


    Rita felt the skill icon in the palm of her hand. Without hesitation, she pressed it onto her right forearm, then turned and used the rabbit shield to absorb the hits, all while hearing Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s angry shouts. At the same time, she saw her newly acquired skill.


    [Spring Scenery & Flowers] (SSS-level): After using this skill, every step you take will randomly spawn a flower. Each flower will grant you a different type of buff. As long as you''re alive, the flowers won''t wither. As long as you stay in the current world, the blessings of the flower goddess won''t expire. This skill lasts for 60 minutes. Up to 100 flowers can exist at the same time. Each use consumes 10 mana points. Cooldown time: 2 hours.


    It was clearly a skill that Winter Sea Frenzied Shark had upgraded.


    However, it was also a skill that wouldn''t change Rita''s current situation.


    As long as she got hit, she would lose 0.004% of her health. No matter how many buffs she had, she couldn''t survive the siege of over a hundred rabbits.


    ¡ª "Ha!"


    Rita couldn''t help but laugh.


    So this is what it feels like when hope is shattered.


    She had told herself not to gamble on luck!!


    B80234615: "We can start over, BS Rita."


    Rita: "You calculated my failure rate? 100%?"


    B80234615: "It''s the same as when I first met you, 99.99%."


    "Alright." Rita grinned and threw the rabbit shield with force, smashing it into one of the rabbits. "There''s still a 0.01%! Alright!!"


    Rita dodged one rabbit''s skill, using her waist and abdomen to guide her shoulder and twisted forearm, and punched that rabbit square in the face.


    ¡ª "I told you, you should have had blood when it mattered, and been more cautious when you shouldn''t have been."


    Rita squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head to get the blood out of her eyes. She followed the voice and saw Rabbit 3 flying toward her.


    More than half of the rabbits around her had retreated to the bottom of the food street to watch. They had already attacked BS Rita, and further attacks would be ineffective.


    They, like the players on both sides of the food street, either laughed, chatted with their companions, or remained silent, but none of them left. They were all there, watching the spectacle.


    Rita didn''t need a mirror to know how messy she looked.


    Her hair, chin, fingertips, and boots were all covered in blood.


    Her arms were twisted, and two teeth had fallen out.


    But it felt like she couldn''t even feel the pain anymore. All she felt was a burning sensation in her heart, or maybe her soul.


    She said, "I''m not wrong."


    She punched a rabbit in the head, but another rabbit kicked her in the stomach, causing her to spit blood.


    "But you lost the bet." Rabbit 3 said.


    Rita shouted, "I''m not wrong!"


    You always say I''m wrong.


    ¡ª "You''re afraid of mistakes, afraid of risks, afraid of failure! Your caution is your chains!"


    ¡ª "Do you think real strong players grow up hiding in sewers? No. It''s blood, it''s perseverance, it''s destroying everything that stands in their way. They don''t wait for everything to be risk-free and perfectly planned before acting."


    Jameson said she was wrong.


    ¡ª "Don''t you think you have no blood in you? You''re just posturing, scaring your enemies, making them afraid of losing so they won''t dare act against you."


    ¡ª "When you should have blood, you didn''t. When you shouldn''t, you acted impulsively."


    Even the gods who didn''t support her said she was wrong.


    Avoiding the sharp edge is wrong. Counterattacking is wrong!


    ¡ª "If you stay, you''re just prolonging the inevitable."


    ¡ª "I''m helping you."


    ¡ª "Keep struggling for a while longer. Hope you won''t regret your decision."


    Even those who seemed to favor her were saying she was wrong.


    The voices were too chaotic, too loud!! It was so noisy!


    She often felt like she was in a desolate wasteland, with no signs, no direction, nothing to guide her.


    She tread carefully as if walking on thin ice, but when faced with enough temptation, her greed overtook her restraint... occasionally soft-hearted, but often impulsive.


    No one ever taught her the way, and by the time she encountered one excellent elder after another, she had already become like a mountain range or a river, hard to change. A storm or a downpour would only bring a momentary change.


    When the storm passed, she was still herself.


    She was wild grass in the mountains, a fleeting spark from a thunderbolt striking a tree¡ªgrowing freely, born unteachable.


    She was all that was left.


    She was left with only this pride and dignity.


    Whether it was arrogance, self-confidence, stubbornness, extremism, or pride¡ªwhatever word you want to use!


    She was left with only this pride.


    Every decision she made was the one she believed to be the best at that moment!


    ¡ª I will never regret the decisions I''ve made!


    She shouted as she charged toward Rabbit 3: "I said, I''m not wrong!!"


    [Congratulations to player BS Rita for mastering the SSS-level skill¡ªPhoenix Seat!]

 Chapter 531: 531: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 51

    [Congratulations to player BS Rita for mastering the SSS-level skill¡ªPhoenix Seat!]


    [Congratulations to player BS Rita for mastering the SSS-level skill¡ªUnchanged Fate!]


    [Phoenix Seat] (SSS-level): "No one shall attempt to tame me!"


    Upon using this skill, you will be reborn in a state of nirvana. Your status will be fully restored to its peak, forcibly clearing all abnormal conditions. All skill cooldowns will reset, and for the next 5 minutes, all attributes will be multiplied by 5. This skill consumes 20% mana, and has a cooldown of 3 Starsea days.


    [Unchanged Fate] (SSS-level): "I will never regret the decisions I''ve made. Even if I were to live a thousand lives, I would still make the same choice!"


    Upon using this skill, you can lock your current state and ignore all damage and self-consumption. The skill lasts for 5 minutes. Each use consumes 20% mana, and has a cooldown of 3 Starsea days.


    As the notifications echoed in her mind, Rita felt two new skill icons appear on her arm. The descriptions of these skills appeared clearly in her thoughts.


    At this moment, her health was down to 0.096%.


    She was now less than 5 meters away from Rabbit 3, and the [Chef] tag above Rabbit 3''s head slowly faded.


    The other rabbits grinned and cleared a path, but at the same time, they blocked all her escape routes.


    Rita softly laughed. "0.01%."


    Her fingers brushed over the twinkling phoenix¡ªthe [Phoenix Seat]!


    All her injuries healed in an instant. Her broken arm, shattered bones, and broken body were all restored, and her health and mana were back at 100%.


    [Mysterious Power], being an abnormal condition, was forcibly cleared.


    Her strength, intelligence, constitution, and agility were all multiplied by five, and all advanced attributes like critical hit rate, critical damage, accuracy, and evasion followed suit!


    Her fingers brushed across the flower field that had been blown by the wind¡ª[Spring Scenery & Flowers]!


    She touched the mountain of flowers¡ªthe [Fourfold Spring]!


    Rita stepped in the air. With each step she took, flowers bloomed in the air. These flowers varied in shape and type, but all shared the same color scheme, different shades of red, much like her wings.


    3 meters...


    2 meters...


    [Attack Power +15%]


    [Attack Speed +100]


    [Critical Hit Rate +10%]


    As flowers continued to bloom, the scent spread, and one buff after another settled upon Rita.


    In the blink of an eye, she had reached Rabbit 3.


    She swung her fist, aiming directly for Rabbit 3''s head. The rabbit barely dodged, quickly retaliating.


    Rita tilted her head slightly, easily avoiding the attack. With her agility now surpassing ten thousand, she could effortlessly dodge most of Rabbit 3''s strikes.


    Her five times enhanced attributes compensated for her shortcomings in combat techniques.


    In no time, Rita had gained the upper hand. After just a few exchanges, she had already landed seven or eight hits on Rabbit 3.


    She didn''t have a skill that could detect health, so she couldn''t see Rabbit 3''s health bar, but she didn''t care about that right now. Her only thought was to make Rabbit 3 die!


    The other rabbits had flown back, giving them space to fight.


    As more and more flowers bloomed in the air, Rita''s advantage became even clearer.


    Rabbit 3 had blood at the corner of its mouth, and it crossed its arms to block Rita''s whip kick. "You were in a dire situation just now. Why didn''t you use [Ancient Curse]? I left you a way out¡ªI didn''t lock it."


    Rita: "Why didn''t you drink that seafood soup? That''s why I didn''t use [Ancient Curse]."


    You didn''t want to bow down to me, and neither did I!


    Rabbit 3 chuckled softly, as if hearing something incredibly amusing.


    Rita had heard it laugh many times today, but this time, it was different. The laughter didn''t stop quickly like before. Instead, Rabbit 3 kept laughing for a long time, until Rita snapped its neck, and even then, it still wore an amused smile on its face.


    The rabbit''s body disappeared and turned into a gift box. Rita took the box and charged toward the other rabbits.


    From the moment she used [Phoenix Seat] to charge at Rabbit 3 until now, less than 20 seconds had passed. She still had plenty of time to kill!


    "Such guts!"


    "Still want to kill us?"


    "Uh, why wouldn''t she?"


    "...Seems like she really can kill."


    "You''re not going to surround her?"


    "I still have some dignity."


    "Didn''t you just throw that away?"


    "We were all in it together, a group activity. If I didn''t join in, I''d seem out of place, right?"


    "This mechanism is really unreasonable!"


    The rabbits, who had already returned to the food street to watch the show, were jeering.


    "You''re not thinking of running, are you? You still haven''t finished that task, right?"


    "Exactly, exactly! Don''t tell me you''re scared!"


    "Charge, charge, charge! Kill her!"


    Rita ignored the noise and focused on fighting the rabbits.


    With nearly a 100% critical hit rate, every hit triggered the [Fourfold Spring] healing effect.


    [Bedtime Tale] ensured that even if the rabbits landed a fatal blow on her, they couldn''t kill her outright.


    And when surrounded by rabbits, she could use [Dandelion Wind] to escape the encirclement.


    Before, she hadn''t dared to use [Mysterious Power] because no matter how much damage she took, it would forcefully deduct 0.004% health. It was both a protection and a restriction.


    But now, when she used [Dandelion Wind], even if the players managed to catch a few dandelions, the damage to her was minimal. After flying out of the encirclement, the blood loss felt like a mere scratch.


    Eventually, she retreated to the barrier above the food street, her back against the barrier, only needing to face off against three rabbits at a time.


    The only thing she needed to watch out for now was whether the players in the food street would leave their restaurants and fly up to kill her.


    However, remembering the scene where Rabbit 3''s [Chef] position had disappeared earlier, Rita guessed that perhaps staying away from the restaurant for too long would cause them to lose their position. It all depended on how these players made their choice.


    4 minutes and 50 seconds.


    Including Rabbit 3, Rita had already killed 21 rabbits, and her bag now contained 21 gift boxes.


    The air had become a sea of flowers. With 100 buffs stacked on her, she was becoming stronger and faster with every kill!


    None of the players had left their restaurants to kill her. The risk was too great. They just quietly watched, occasionally venting in the battleground chat channel.


    Rita was able to kill the rabbits because her attributes were now five times greater than theirs.


    But if they left the restaurant to attack BS Rita, they would have to contend with the many activity gift boxes nearby.


    That was like having dozens of enemies with equal strength to them.


    Anyone with a bit of sense wouldn''t dare approach.


    Even Winter Sea Frenzied Shark, who was thoroughly frustrated, just stood at the restaurant door, yelling at BS Rita, calling her an orphan.


    Hearing those words felt like hearing a New Year''s greeting to Rita.


    4 minutes and 55 seconds.


    Rita''s finger brushed over [Unchanged Fate]!


    It was an icon that looked like a comet¡ªa symbol of her soul''s fire.


    The effect of [Phoenix Seat] was locked in place, and her health, mana, and all attributes were locked in their current state.


    Only about thirty rabbits remained to face her. Many of the rabbits had given up, leaving the others who still couldn''t accept defeat.


    They had surrounded her for so long and yet failed to kill her. Now, they faced the humiliation of being counter-killed by her, and the feeling of shame made them unwilling to leave.


    Three minutes later, Rita''s bag held 8 more gift boxes.


    The remaining rabbits suddenly began muttering about achievements and foolishness, and then they all turned around and left.


    Rita was baffled. Why were they giving up so suddenly?


    She had worked hard to turn things around and unleash her full power, and now they were leaving just like that?

 Chapter 532: 532: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 52

    Rita immediately gave chase. Without any ranged attack skills, it didn''t matter¡ªshe had a ranged stealing skill.


    Thanks to the effect of [Unchanged Fate], which allowed her to use skills without any mana consumption, her hand was firmly pressing on the [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] skill icon. It was like trying to buy tickets at a crowded concert, she clicked furiously!


    Her movements were like, "Look, look! What time is it now?!"


    The rabbits shouted in response.


    "Shameless!"


    "BS Rita, huh? I''ll remember you!"


    "Ah, this task requires extra money!"


    "Two more minutes, wait for the counterattack."


    "I think there''s an achievement..."


    "Why did she pop her ultimate? I told you not to play with that one, they''re like poison, all players she targets love using ultimates..."


    "Alright! Wait for the counterattack! I''ll charge, cover me!"


    "Get lost!"


    Perhaps because there were too many players in the food street, with many high-level players nearby, each player had reached the maximum number of languages of all races¡ª1000 languages of all races. The rabbits couldn''t find a language that no one could understand, so they just started speaking freely, and suddenly, every language imaginable was being used.


    B80234615 was translating what it could understand, its voice filled with some cheer.


    Rita smiled and asked, "0.01%?"


    B80234615: "0.01%!"


    The rabbits were running fast, but Rita, relying on her agility of over ten thousand, managed to forcefully kill one rabbit before the effect of [Unchanged Fate] wore off.


    In the last few seconds, she rushed into Restaurant 233, hearing the sound of rabbits chasing behind her. Rita quickly scanned the restaurant. Seeing no new chef, she immediately shouted, "Food duel!"


    Without any opponent, she could just make any dish and immediately be on duty.


    It was already concluded that employees and those entering the restaurant couldn''t attack each other, but whether outsiders could attack outsiders wasn''t clear. To be safe, she chose to take the job first!


    The restaurant door was sealed, trapping the rabbits trying to counterattack outside. She glanced at the rabbits left outside the restaurant and waved at them.


    After some words were exchanged, the rabbits furrowed their brows and left.


    Only then did Rita relax. She looked at Octopus Bucket, who was behind the cashier. It waved a tentacle at her. "Nice job, welcome back."


    She turned to see Marmang-Crab and Sea Pony sitting at the cashier. From this angle...


    Rita glanced back and could see the sea of flowers in the air that had not yet disappeared.


    Not only her, but she could also sense the other players nearby were quietly observing her.


    Marmang-Crab was pointing its claws around, frantically outputting damage, and briefly glanced at her, saying, "Back already?"


    Sea Pony, sitting beside Marmang-Crab, tightly hugged its crab leg and said to Rita, "BS Rita, you feel so unfamiliar now."


    Rita extended her hand. "Then let''s get reacquainted. I''m BS Rita. How about giving me one of your feet as a welcome gift?"


    Sea Pony extended its hand. "A rabbit hair."


    Rita immediately withdrew her hand. "Forget it, I won''t lick it. I''ll just go to work now."


    Before she even reached the kitchen, the notification sound rang out.


    [Congratulations to player BS Rita for completing the rare achievement: Did you think event gift packs were just for fools?]


    [Did you think event gift packs were just for fools?: Kill 30 event gift packs within 10 minutes in Divine Game.]


    [Achievement Reward: 10th-tier exclusive custom title: Pride Unyielding]


    [Since you''re the first player to complete this achievement, you also receive an extra reward of 100 distributable attribute points.]


    Seeing the 10th-tier title reward, Rita opened the leaderboard and found her rank had gone from 7th-tier to 8th-tier. She wasn''t yet at the 10th-tier, which indicated that the title reward for the achievement wasn''t based on her current combat strength.


    Rita didn''t pay much attention to the title for now. Even if she wore it, she wouldn''t know what skill it gave her.


    The extra 100 attribute points were decent. Strictly speaking, the few achievements she had completed so far had given her great rewards, but none of them had caused a significant change in a player''s combat power.


    But the honor of being the first to complete this achievement had certainly gotten Rita, a newcomer on the battleground, quite excited.


    The rare achievement of "Killing 30 event gift packs in 10 minutes" had never been completed by any player so far, and that wasn''t surprising.


    It wasn''t because event gift packs were hard to kill. The world battleground was so vast, filled with strong players, so naturally, she wouldn''t be the only one capable of killing event gift packs of the same attributes and combat power with top-tier combat skills.


    What made the achievement difficult was the time limit and kill count.


    Event gift packs were scattered, and once they tried to run, just finding them would consume a lot of time.


    In the last two minutes, Rita had only killed one rabbit because these event gift packs were difficult to catch. Even if they changed forms, it was still hard to catch them. Their attributes were already set.


    If it weren''t for the fact that so many rabbits had surrounded her in the first few minutes, forcing Rita to kill 29 rabbits before the rabbit team-building ended, she wouldn''t have been able to complete this achievement at all.


    It was simply a combination of timing, location, and luck.


    Now, Rita''s bag contained 30 gift boxes, and she had also stolen two rabbit hairs with her skill.


    Rita walked to the sink and washed the blood off her hands and face. Her hair was stuck together with blood, so she simply placed her head under the automatic sink with water magic and let the cold water wash her hair.


    She lowered her head, watching the bloody water swirling in the sink, and asked, "0.01%, do you think this 0.01% is luck, or is it the result of my effort?"


    B80234615: "I''ve thought about that question countless times. When I first asked you, why did you come to Garbage Mountain to find me?"


    B80234615: "You said, ''I heard from other players that you did something amazing, thought you were great, and wanted to come see you... I wanted to ask if you regret it.''"


    Rita: "Mm."


    B80234615: "Then, if I hadn''t helped you back then, if I hadn''t made an impression on you when we traded, would you have come to find me after hearing my story?"


    Rita: "No."


    B80234615: "If I had helped you, but my story didn''t move you, and you weren''t curious about me, would you have come to find me?"


    Rita: "No."


    B80234615: "If you hadn''t met that adorable L4327777, and hadn''t awakened it, would you have come to find me?"


    Rita paused for a long time before answering: "Yes. It always made me think of you, but the deciding factor wasn''t it."


    B80234615: "When you called my number, and I ignored you for those few minutes, I kept wondering, if I didn''t respond and let you leave, would that 0.01% disappear? But since you didn''t leave, I couldn''t bring myself to take the gamble."


    B80234615: "We''re lucky, BS Rita, but our victory wasn''t because of luck."


    B80234615: "It was a series of choices that connected into one line, and we seized that small possibility just in time!"


    B80234615: "Our 0.01% wasn''t luck."

 Chapter 533: 533: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 53

    Rita: "If you''re going to speak, say more."


    B80234615: "Alright, to be precise, it''s one-third luck, and two-thirds hard work."


    Rita couldn''t help but hear a melody in her mind: "...Please, stop. I''m about to sing it out."


    She used a soft cloth from the kitchen to dry her hair halfway and then started preparing the food for the duel. She casually opened the battleground chat channel.


    As before, her new rare achievement was pinned at the top, and when she clicked on it, she caught it just as the countdown hit its last few seconds.


    [Congratulations to player BS Rita for completing the rare achievement: Did you think event gift packs were just for fools?] (00:00:08)


    To her surprise, she could still see herself in the conversation.


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: "Why isn''t she speaking? Is she picking up bad habits from Pine Bloom?"


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: "No way, she''s my kid."


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: "She''s crying."


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: "Huh? Is it that much pressure after using her ultimate?"


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: "Right? Just watching makes me feel the pressure."


    [Tingo¡¤Autumn Deer]: "I told you, that skill was stolen by her. Winter Sea Frenzied Shark is still smashing plates! That''s living proof!"


    [Cup Talk¡¤Pasture]: "Is she a thief like you? Or a mage? From that punch, doesn''t seem like a melee type."


    [Cup Talk¡¤Ash]: "Can''t really tell. You know how TingoAutumn Deer talks, just take it with a grain of salt. She clearly used an event gift pack to steal Winter Sea Frenzied Shark''s skill."


    [Sakura¡¤Oolong]: "So, how do we drive so many event gift packs crazy? This achievement seems pretty good."


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: "I''ve said everything, tricked the event gift pack into our restaurant, got Sea Pony to lick its feet, threw in some intense trash talk, and finally pissed it off into making a deal. And that''s how it ended."


    [Potted Plant¡¤Tea Snail]: "I don''t believe this."


    [Black Spring¡¤Grimpeak]: "I''ll give it a try."


    [Tingo¡¤Autumn Deer]: "Is anyone even listening to me?! BS Rita stole my skill! Winter Sea Frenzied Shark, you agree, right? You get it, right?"


    [Verdant Crane¡¤Berry Scent]: "Is BS the only player in this world?"


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: "Oh my god, Verdant Crane is connected to the network too?"


    [Ghost¡¤Sang Cup]: "Seems like it. Not sure how long this world will last."


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: "Wait, Ghost is also online?!"


    [Oddity¡¤Amber Mark]: "8th-tier combat power, how long has she been in the battleground?"


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: "Didn''t 27 worlds connect today?"


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: "I''ve been counting, it''s 29."


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: "So this is really the battleground world! I always thought I was blocked!"


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: "So this is really the battleground world! I always thought I was blocked!"


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: "So this is really the battleground world! I always thought I was blocked!"


    Rita scrolled up a bit. Aside from the new arrivals¡ªOddity, Ghost, and Verdant Crane¡ªthere were 26 other worlds she had never seen before in the chat...


    Though Rita didn''t talk much in the battleground chat, she occasionally opened it to check. She had never seen so many worlds before.


    The worlds that liked to chat the most were [Tingo], [Nuclear Flash], [Marmang], [Lania Kaia], [Black Spring], while [Winter Sea], [Blazing Flame], [Ridge Tea], and [Potted Plant] occasionally joined the conversation.


    Whether discussing gossip, exchanging game rules, or just trash-talking, the same few worlds came and went. Occasionally, other worlds would flicker by, but altogether, there weren''t even 10 worlds.


    But now, suddenly, 29 worlds of players had popped up.


    She finally got a real sense of what the battleground world was like, with nearly a thousand worlds participating.


    Scrolling up thousands of messages, she found the discussion about her being surrounded by event gift packs earlier.


    It was so lively.


    She had always thought the battleground chat was already noisy enough, but now she realized what real commotion looked like.


    Players from dozens of worlds were chatting.


    Some were talking about her, some about the event gift packs, some about how other players had also unleashed their ultimates like this, and others about achievements, branching off into various topics.


    The usual loudmouths¡ªMarmang-Crab, Lania Kaia, Fat Goose¡ªwere all buried in the chat logs.


    It felt like a game that was about to shut down suddenly experiencing a revival.


    She shared this situation with B80234615: "Is this necessary? There are only two games per month here, isn''t this just like the usual commotion?"


    B80234615: "I''m not entirely sure, but the calculations I did show that this is indeed a battle that can ignite their battle spirit."


    B80234615: "And your position in the battle just happens to be at the entrance of the food street."


    Rita: "Even though I''m only 8th-tier, this level of battle is enough to get them, these veterans, fired up?"


    B80234615: "Why not? Those gods also have 8th-tier combat power. Maybe you reminded them of their lost youth."


    Rita: "...If you stop with the cheesy lines, I''d like you a lot more."


    After saying this, she closed the battleground chat and quickly returned to preparing the food for the duel.


    B80234615 made a crackling sound, as if it wanted to ask something but was too shy to say it.


    The barrier at the restaurant door disappeared, and Rita waited a moment. After confirming no rabbits had entered to cause trouble, she sat cross-legged in the corner of the restaurant with a [Chef] tag above her head, resting.


    She was still holding a bowl of food she had ordered for herself, designed to relieve fatigue and restore energy.


    The menu was something she wrote on the spot after becoming a chef. A corner of clothing could be exchanged for a bowl of fried rice, allowing her to fulfill the mandatory consumption rule when entering a restaurant.


    Her hoodie was already so torn it barely resembled anything, more like a rag. She tugged on it, and it came apart easily, while her pants had gone from cropped to shorts. She dared not make any big movements.


    Now, she was planning to open the boxes. Even though B80234615 said the event gift packs'' drops would last throughout the entire Divine Game, Rita didn''t intend to keep them.


    She hesitated for a moment whether to sell a few gift boxes to Marmang-Crab in exchange for skill icons. At least that would give her a guaranteed outcome. But in the end, she decided to open them all herself.


    She couldn''t stand the pain of receiving the gift packs only to watch others open them.


    Even if the drops weren''t great, she''d accept it!


    Marmang-Crab and Sea Pony didn''t come over. The former was busy chatting, while the latter knew that only the player opening the boxes could see the specific information.


    Rita took a bite of her food and then looked at the two rabbit hairs she had stolen.


    [¡ö¡ö¡¤One Rabbit Hair] (A gift from the gods): Using this will upgrade your battleground chat channel, allowing you to chat even when you''re not in Divine Game.


    Ah, what a good item! When she discovered Lidian could watch the battleground chat outside the game, Rita had wanted this feature. She immediately used the rabbit hair.


    [¡ö¡¤One Rabbit Hair] (A gift from the gods): Using this will randomly teleport you to a location in the world battleground.


    Rita placed the second rabbit hair in the last slot of her bag, ensuring that she could use it at any moment.


    Now, for the main event¡ªthose 30 gift boxes.


    The first gift box she opened made her realize something was off.


    The box rested on her lap, one hand pressing on it, while her other hand held the bowl, and she silently turned to glance behind her.


    Inside Restaurant 232, two rabbit heads were pressed up against the transparent barrier between the two restaurants, staring at her.

 Chapter 534: 534: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 54

    These rabbits all looked similar, and with no visible names or other distinguishing features, the only difference was their size. Rita couldn''t remember who was who. However, the two rabbits in front of her likely weren''t the ones that had been fighting with her to the end, as neither had visible blood stains.


    After Rita unleashed her ultimate, the rabbits that still refused to give up had blood smeared all over them, most of it her own. These rabbits had at least half of their bodies covered in red fur. The rabbits that attacked her earlier only had a little blood from her on their hands and feet.


    But no matter which rabbits they were, Rita was not pleased.


    She didn''t hold back, asking directly, "Do you need something?"


    The larger rabbit on the left stood up and asked, "Can''t I just watch?"


    The smaller rabbit on the right repeated, "Can''t I just watch?"


    Rita sneered and turned back to continue opening the gift boxes.


    B80234615: "Aren''t you going to get rid of them?"


    Rita: "Hmph, let them watch. It''s all just starlight!"


    B80234615: "Sometimes, when you say things like that, it really makes me think you''ve developed a ''star'' disease from your celebrity years. But, looking at the data, you weren''t even that famous."


    Rita: "...Ouch, that stings."


    Luckily, the gift boxes provided some comfort.


    The first one she opened had something decent: a navy blue robe that automatically repaired itself and had a built-in cleaning function, with no attributes and 0 defense. This meant that it would still take damage, be torn, or be destroyed by skills, but as long as it had a single thread left, it would repair itself.


    Rita shook the robe and found that not only was it thin, but it was as light as a cicada''s wing. She mumbled, "Why couldn''t they give me a short-sleeve or hoodie, or even a tank top would be fine..."


    The robe wasn''t bad-looking, with silver patterns scattered across it like little stars, and a wide belt that resembled the galaxy. She could imagine that once worn, it would feel like wearing the night sky. But, when it came to fighting, it wasn''t exactly convenient. It felt more like a sleep robe.


    Grumbling aside, Rita still took off the black hoodie, which had become almost like an apron, and put on the starry robe. It reached all the way down to her ankles. The moment she put it on, the wide belt wrapped around her waist and tied itself.


    She lifted her leg to make a kicking motion and found it didn''t affect her at all. The front of the robe overlapped, covering her body completely, which made Rita quite satisfied. It wasn''t about modesty; she could run around in a swimsuit if needed, but when fighting, she didn''t want her clothes to get in the way. Civilization had instilled many habits in her that couldn''t be overcome by reason.


    She pulled the robe open again, checking her neck and abdomen. All the bloodstains were gone, and the robe''s cleaning function was a real treat.


    Rita happily adjusted the robe: "This is pretty good."


    The large rabbit behind her suddenly spoke up: "Of course, why do you think we call them event gift packs? We only give out good things."


    Rita retorted, "You didn''t drop this, what are you so proud of?"


    The large rabbit responded, "The stuff I drop must be even better."


    Ah, the competitive spirit... Rita said, "Come on, if you''re so confident, why don''t you show me what you drop?"


    The large rabbit turned to the smaller one beside it: "Does she really think I''ll fall for it?"


    Rita leaned closer and whispered in a tone that suggested she had a big secret: "I''ll tell you something, but don''t tell the other event gift packs. Have you heard of the achievement [Did you think event gift packs were just for fools?]? I just completed it."


    The large rabbit and the small rabbit both went silent.


    The world seemed to go quiet. Rita, fully satisfied, continued to open boxes, her mood fluctuating up and down, up and up.


    One of the gift boxes directly contained 3 World Graveyards. Not just any random World Graveyards, but the ones she really needed¡ªLania Kaia''s BS World Graveyard, which included [One Cylinder], [3-Character], and [Green Dragon].


    The items included 20 languages of all races, 50 attribute points, 1 rabbit ear that could negate one death penalty, 4 withered golden tree branches, and 1 rabbit hair that could duplicate any item.


    There was a cookbook inside, filled with 100 recipes from various races¡ªway too hellish¡ªbut thankfully, all the recipes were seafood.


    Then came the three rabbit hairs that could lock or unlock skill icons. Rita used them to lock [Phoenix Seat], [Unchanged Fate], and the agreed-upon unused [Ancient Curse]. Once locked, the icons for those three skills disappeared from her arm.


    Next were four rabbit hairs that could place a shield around a skill icon, preventing it from being stolen by any means. Rita applied these to [Mysterious Power], [Bedtime Tale], [Snap, Lock], and [I Just Want to Improve So Badly].


    Even though this full-sensory game mechanic only lasted until the restaurant''s closing time, Rita was satisfied with these seven rabbit hairs. Who knew if someone would suddenly activate time stop?


    Then came a set of robes in dark ink and white, looking like the moment ink ran out of a brush and fell into water to wash it clean. The effect was similar to the navy robe, and Rita suspected the gods were just stacking up clothing.


    A pair of black boots, just her size.


    A bit pointless though; she couldn''t go without clothes, but shoes were optional.


    When Rita opened the boots, she turned and asked the rabbits: "This is the battleground, not a warm-up arena, right?"


    Though Rita didn''t know what the warm-up arena was, her disdain was obvious. The large rabbit replied, "...These are automatic repair and cleaning too!"


    Rita kicked off the boots, which were now close to looking like flip-flops, and put on the new pair. She begrudgingly said, "Alright, I guess."


    Another box opened, revealing a pair of white sneakers.


    Rita glared at the rabbits: "This is too much!"


    The large rabbit remained silent.


    The small rabbit explained: "Could it be... lucky conservation?"


    Rita was extremely annoyed, but once she finished opening all 30 gift boxes, she found they weren''t so bad.


    Among them were 9 rabbit teeth representing various classes.


    Seven of those were combat courses she currently needed the most.


    [Dodge], [Ranged (Bow)], [Close Range (Bow)], [Ranged (Firearms)], [Combat Rhythm], [Melee (Unarmed)], [Melee (Unarmed)].


    These were similar to the rewards from Golden Tree Withered Leaf, but the course names were clearly more detailed.


    Each of these courses lasted 2 star-sea years, but in reality, they only consumed 2 seconds of real time.


    In addition to the 7 combat courses, there were 2 professional courses: one for cooking and one for alchemy, also lasting 2 star-sea years.


    These gift boxes were truly random, but the items inside were incredibly suitable for her.


    It wasn''t a coincidence¡ªRita suspected the event gift packs adjusted their drops based on the combat power and attributes of the player doing the killing.


    All in all, it was a huge haul. Summing it up, there were:


    1 World Graveyard box


    1 languages of all races box


    1 attribute box


    1 rabbit hair for duplicating items


    1 cookbook


    1 rabbit ear to negate death penalties


    4 clothing boxes


    4 golden tree withered branches


    7 rabbit hairs for modifying skill icons


    Plus 9 lessons.


    What a score!

 Chapter 535: 535: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 55

    The only regret was that out of the 30 gift boxes, Rita didn''t get another time stop or anything that could steal other players'' skill icons. Compared to what she had stolen from the gods'' gift packs, the quality was definitely higher. It was unclear whether the drops were not adjusted according to the killer''s information, or if it was truly like the little rabbit said¡ª"lucky conservation."


    But the result was set, and Rita didn''t waste too much time or energy on this matter. She quickly shifted her focus back to what she had already acquired.


    These lessons would certainly be used immediately, but Rita planned to make some dishes that could relieve mental fatigue before diving into the practical courses.


    Each restaurant didn''t have many ingredients, and Octopus Bucket, the owner, was so focused on revenue that it was unlikely he would allow her to use the ingredients from Restaurant 233 for herself. But Rita wasn''t short on ingredients; she had not only the leftover ingredients from the previous cooking competition but also the ones she had packed from the earlier restaurants.


    Since she was under the watchful eyes of Marmang-Crab and the others, it was only natural that she would use the leftover ingredients from the cooking competition.


    The mild fatigue-relieving fried rice she had made earlier clearly wasn''t suitable for tackling this kind of course. But no worries¡ªshe could first attend the cooking class and improve a bit...


    Standing behind the counter, Rita took out one of the rabbit teeth representing the 2-star-sea-year cooking class, clicked to use it, and two seconds later, she slowly opened her eyes.


    The courses from the event gift packs were on a completely different level from those of Golden Tree Withered Leaf. Even if the subject wasn''t the same, Rita could clearly perceive that the teacher''s quality was on a completely different tier.


    She remained silent for a while, pondering the experience. If that cooking class rabbit tooth was still there, she would have immediately used a duplication rabbit hair to make another one.


    Her teacher, a strict white bear, didn''t hold back with criticism. Every little mistake Rita made was met with sharp comments.


    On the first day of class, the white bear asked her, "Do you know the biggest difference between cooking and alchemy?"


    Rita looked up at the 3-meter-tall white bear with eager eyes.


    The white bear said, "If you make a magic potion and drink it, it''ll lower your intelligence, but if you make it into a dish, no one would want to eat it. That''s the art of cooking¡ªingredients determine the lower limit of the dish, but the chef determines the upper limit."


    Rita replied, "So alchemy is stronger because it can turn decay into something magical?"


    The white bear was shocked: "You''d sacrifice that much just to win one round?"


    Rita instantly regretted it: "..."


    But the white bear was the best teacher she had ever had.


    Rita had once thought of Eleanor, her genius teacher, and the instructors from High Tower, but in front of this white bear, they seemed like fireflies compared to the sun and moon.


    She had always thought her cooking talent was average, unlike alchemy, where inspiration seemed endless. But the white bear was able to ignite her imagination in just a few words. There were countless times when Rita felt like she could be a once-in-a-thousand-years culinary genius.


    The 2-star-sea-year course had completely transformed her cooking skills. If she were to cook for TingoJE again, even without the Chaos Kitchen God Domain or the potion buff, she could guarantee all 18 dishes would be 4-star delicacies.


    And the white bear teacher taught by demonstrating recipes on-site. Over the course of two years, Rita not only improved her cooking skills but also learned over 2,000 new recipes, several of which were perfect for eliminating mental fatigue and enhancing mental clarity.


    With renewed focus, Rita chose a few ingredients from her bag and began to prepare the dishes.


    After making three dishes that restored energy, she quickly moved on to the next class.


    Given the current situation, she decided to start with the [Combat Rhythm] course.


    The teacher this time was also quite strong, though perhaps not as great as the white bear teacher.


    While the course content was worlds apart, Rita could easily sense the difference in teaching quality.


    The white bear was well-versed in many fields; no matter what Rita asked, the white bear could answer right away, even when she asked about combining potions and cooking. The responses were always brilliant.


    That teacher made her truly appreciate the art of cooking¡ªhow cooking wasn''t just about preparing food, but about being a top-tier combat support technique, not just a way to pass time.


    The difference between these two teachers was probably like comparing a top-level mentor from Tsinghua University to a regular instructor at a private tutoring school. The former was an overwhelming presence.


    As for the Golden Tree Withered Leaf courses, the teachers were like ordinary educators with years of experience.


    But regardless of the type of teacher, both were more than sufficient to teach her.


    The [Combat Rhythm] course wasn''t just about skill release time and combinations, but also about anticipating and counter-anticipating your opponent, how similar skills could be connected, and even how A-level skills, if connected well, could be as powerful as S-level skills.


    It also taught how to maximize energy usage during prolonged battles and how to adjust your state during high-intensity moments.


    It was an extremely advanced and detailed course. During the class, Rita corrected many of her previous bad habits.


    However, such spiritual and mental changes required some time to translate into her physical abilities, and she would need to practice for the muscle memory to catch up.


    The practical training was similar, but the process wouldn''t take long.


    Class¡ªeat to recover¡ªclass¡ªeat to recover.


    Rita repeated this cycle.


    By the end of the [Ranged (Firearms)] course, Rita felt like she was in another world. This was her sixth class. Besides that, she had also taken [Dodge] and two classes of [Melee (Unarmed)].


    Each class had been immensely helpful. Though exhausting and painful, every second had been enjoyable.


    She looked at Sea Pony, who had appeared out of nowhere, and for a moment, it seemed more refined than usual: "What''s up?"


    Sea Pony circled around her and asked, "Are you taking a class? You''ve changed so much."


    Rita wasn''t surprised that Sea Pony knew; Sea Pony probably knew more about the world battlefield than she did. Rita said, "Hmm, have I changed that much?"


    She rubbed her eyes tiredly; shooting really was hard on the eyes and mind. She joked, "Did my gaze become sharper?"


    Sea Pony waved its tiny finger left and right, saying, "No, no, no... Jewelry crafting. Does your world have jewelry crafting?"


    Rita thought of Lania Kaia''s jewelry crafting specialty and asked, "The craft of embedding gems in gear and making jewelry?"


    Sea Pony nodded. "Something like that. You reminded me of jewelry crafting."


    Intensive lessons, and with every few seconds, major transformations occurred.


    "You''re being sculpted."

 Chapter 536: 536: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 56

    ¡ª "You''re being sculpted."


    Rita liked the way Sea Pony phrased it.


    She glanced at the time; it was already past 4 PM, and there were less than 3 hours left until closing time.


    Although she didn''t know why no rabbit guests had come to bother her, her sense of urgency hadn''t diminished in the slightest.


    At this moment, she still had the [Close Combat (Bow)], [Long Range (Bow)], and [Alchemy] courses remaining.


    Considering that the best weapon B80234615 could get right now was the firearm [Dusk and Night], and she didn''t have a bow with better attributes than [Dusk and Night], she decided to take the alchemy class first to ease the fatigue from the several combat courses she had completed.


    Sea Pony asked, "Are you going to keep going?"


    Rita paused and quickly asked, "Why? Are there any side effects from taking too many lessons in a row?"


    Sea Pony answered seriously, "Of course. I wasn''t like this before. A lot of my good qualities disappeared because one year, Crab forced me to take 5 lessons in one day."


    Rita: "..."


    Marmang-Crab, who was sitting by the door chatting, shouted without turning around, "You''re full of crap! You didn''t even have any of that stuff when I met you!"


    Sea Pony flew over and started arguing with Marmang-Crab. Rita glanced over and noticed that Octopus Bucket was holding up the sign, and it seemed different from before.


    Most importantly, it looked like her name was on it?


    She couldn''t see the whole thing from her angle, so she couldn''t help but fly over to check it out.


    When Octopus Bucket saw her, its tentacle froze, and the sign wobbled and stopped moving.


    [233 Restaurant, spend 200¡ô, BS Rita won''t reply to insults, spend 500¡ô, BS Rita will feed you personally]


    Rita: ?


    She almost wanted to say something, but after a moment''s thought, if the revenue could really be this high, she''d be in!


    She turned to Octopus Bucket and said, "Spend 1000¡ô, and I''ll let the event gift pack sit on my lap and eat."


    Octopus Bucket: "..."


    It silently took down the sign and added that line.


    Rita went back to the kitchen to prepare for the next class. As she passed by the middle of the restaurant, the large rabbit from restaurant 232 asked, "Aren''t you mad?"


    Rita replied, "Not mad. Want to come? If you come, I''ll give you a discount. If you spend 800¡ô, I''ll hold you and feed you."


    Large Rabbit: "..."


    It turned to the smaller rabbit beside it and said, "What''s going on? Listening to her talk like that, I''m kinda mad but also feel like she''s being extra special with me."


    Small Rabbit: "That just means you''re really sick."


    Rita just sat down between the two restaurants, in front of the two rabbits, and took out the rabbit tooth representing the alchemy course. She clicked to use it.


    To her surprise, the teacher was Lucia.


    She didn''t know Lucia personally, but the teaching quality was as high as ever. However, this made her realize more and more how exceptional the white bear teacher was.


    Lucia taught alchemy theory, and even when she used magic potion brewing or gemstone crafting to teach, the recipes she used and taught were already widely known.


    Rita had tried to ask about the potion recipes like [Little Fish Kingdom King] and [Second-Rate Fool] from Lucia, but Lucia skillfully changed the topic.


    This showed that while these teachers taught with great care, they didn''t share their personal inventions.


    But the white bear teacher?


    Although the recipes weren''t as valuable or rigorous as potion formulas, the dishes the white bear taught her all had incredibly powerful effects.


    Furthermore, after the white bear learned that she was trying to combine potions and cooking, the course content became much broader, covering everything from potions, gemstone crafting, jewelry making, engineering, machinery, poisons, brewing, spices, totems, rituals, and chants, and more...


    It felt like the white bear didn''t care about her being overwhelmed or confused. The teacher just said whatever came to mind.


    At times, Rita felt as though the white bear was guiding her through the entire universe.


    This made her feel small, just like when she first saw the comparison of the sizes of different planets and realized that Blue Star was just a speck of dust in the universe.


    She felt like a speck of dust.


    On the last day of the alchemy course, just before class ended, Lucia said goodbye to her, saying, "Although I''ve only taught you for a short time, I''m proud of you."


    Rita: "..."


    Was that your automatic reply or your signature?


    It made her think again about the white bear.


    On the last day of the cooking course, the white bear also said goodbye to her.


    It asked Rita, "Do you remember what the art of cooking is?"


    Rita immediately replied without thinking, "The ingredients set the lower limit of the dish, the chef sets the upper limit."


    The tone was strange. She clearly remembered the first day of cooking class, when the white bear had scolded her with this exact phrase.


    The white bear smiled, clearly remembering it too.


    "Yes, just like how the soul''s fire determines the lower limit of a being."


    "What determines a being''s upper limit?"


    "A being has no upper limit, BS Rita."


    Rita opened her eyes, watching the rabbit tooth dissolve into mist at her fingertips.


    None of the other teachers had called her name, even though Lucia looked at her with a strange gaze.


    Only the white bear... only the white bear had called her name in the end.


    She thought for a long while, then turned to look at the two rabbits squatting nearby, staring at her, and asked, "You two..."


    She paused. Maybe asking would expose that she knew they were unusual.


    So who exactly were they? Were they gods? Was it Rabbit 1? Or was she just overthinking it?


    ...


    Far away in the divine temple.


    "Spring Deity was right. Deceitful Bloom really likes that player. They even went to personally give that player a lesson!"


    "That''s because the cooking course she drew was my gift drop."


    "Come off it. This course, who doesn''t just temporarily capture the consciousness of a being from the universe and have them teach? There''s no way she actually went herself!"


    "...Within the rules, I didn''t teach her anything out of bounds."


    "You''d better..."


    "Teaching her personally already crossed the line."


    "Which player did Deceitful Bloom like last time?"


    "Lania Kaia Maple Syrup."


    "Oh, I remember her. But Lania Kaia Maple Syrup and BS Rita aren''t at all the same. Deceitful Bloom changed her taste, huh?"


    "Who knows? But it''s finally getting lively again..."


    "Yeah, before everyone was dead silent. Now they''re all much livelier."


    "I still think this mechanism is unreasonable. Why can only they open up? Why can''t we?"


    "Because our descent is through the event gift pack, not a noob-slaying gift pack."


    "Fine, but I still want to play more. It''s rare this time is so fun... Ah, I should''ve never helped Deceitful Bloom. The game just started and I''m already out!"


    "Hey? Celestia went to find her!"

 Chapter 537: 537: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 57

    The alchemy course was also mentally taxing, but because she enjoyed it, Rita felt quite relaxed after finishing the class. It was like having completed several private lessons and then moving on to an extracurricular hobby class.


    Just as she was about to power through the last two archery lessons, a customer entered the restaurant¡ªan unusually small rabbit, about the size of her shoe.


    Even with its ears, it was only about a size 37.


    Rita quickly stored the Rabbit Teeth away, standing up to prepare for work.


    The diligent Sea Pony, acting as the waiter, led the mini Rabbit 4 to a seat and handed over the menu.


    Rabbit 4 hopped up lightly onto the bar, pushing the menu aside. "I''m here to apply for the position of stock clerk."


    Stock clerk?


    The restaurant was about to close soon, so why was this rabbit applying now? It couldn''t just be for the experience, could it?


    Rita thought to herself, Looks like even after the restaurant closes, they won''t leave...


    B80234615 responded, "It''s hard to say. Every game is different. Even if the rules are set in advance, they can change. If they''re having fun, they''ll find a way to stay. If they get bored, leaving early isn''t impossible."


    True. After all, to the players, this was a battleground, but to the gods, it was just a game.


    Rita leaned against the restaurant wall, not participating in the interview process. She was pondering something else¡ªwhere did the players who didn''t get a restaurant position go?


    Even if some were used as ingredients, what happened to them after they were eaten by customers?


    What about players like TingoJE, who were turned into ingredients before the competition started? Where were they now?


    It was still active in the battle chat, but Marmang-Crab had tried to inquire several times and was always redirected.


    She sat back down, taking out her Rabbit Teeth and decided to continue her lessons.


    Two seconds later, just as Rita opened her eyes, she was startled to see the mini rabbit right in front of her. Her pupils contracted.


    She steadied herself, remembering the situation before the class. Sea Pony was over by the corner, animatedly talking with Octopus Bucket. Rita looked away and asked, "Is there something you need?"


    Rabbit 4, with the position marker above its head, reached out a paw. "Hello."


    Not only was it speaking in English, but it was also offering a handshake?


    Rita noticed a few streaks of blood on the rabbit''s fur, and after a moment''s hesitation, she extended a few fingers to shake its paw. "Hello."


    Rabbit 4 asked, "Were you just attending a class?"


    Rita nodded, "Yes."


    While answering, she casually pressed the icon for her [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] skill.


    Rabbit 4, eyes wide, remarked, "You''re doing this so openly?"


    Rita retorted, "You hit me first, didn''t you?"


    Rabbit 4 grinned, "Aren''t you worried about me telling all the players?"


    Rita shrugged, "Doesn''t matter."


    After using [I Could Just Steal It] earlier, she didn''t care much about being discovered. If she could hide it, that was great, but if not, it wasn''t a big deal. She was used to it, and using such skills openly kept other players from becoming overly cautious around her.


    But the event gift pack drops were really impressive, and no one knew when they''d encounter another one. With the opportunity in front of her, whether she hid it or not didn''t matter as much.


    The battle with Rabbit 3 had made one thing clear to her: weakness is the real sin.


    If she was too weak, no matter how many hidden cards she had, it wouldn''t help. It would be like playing cards and, in the end, revealing a pair of 3s.


    On the other hand, someone like TingoAutumn Deer, everyone knew it was a thief, but it didn''t matter¡ªso what?


    The most important thing was that she couldn''t hide her moves anymore.


    Rita smirked at Rabbit 4 and said, "Go ahead, tell everyone, sit on the ground, kick your legs, and cry about how BS Rita bullied you."


    The large rabbit from restaurant 232 said, "Go ahead, tell everyone, sit on the ground, kick your legs, and cry about how BS Rita bullied you."


    The smaller rabbit from restaurant 232 added, "Go ahead, tell everyone, sit on the ground, kick your legs, and cry about how BS Rita bullied you."


    Rabbit 4 looked at them and muttered, "What are you two doing, joining in the fun?"


    Before it could finish, Rita suddenly had a rabbit tail in her hand, about the length of a number 7 battery. She couldn''t help but exclaim, "It actually dropped!!"


    The other two rabbits started repeating the phrase again, but Rita was too focused on the rabbit tail in her hand.


    [¡ö¡¤Troublemaker Rabbit Tail] (Gift from the Gods): Using this item will disrupt and reorganize the World Graveyard you are associated with. All players holding the same World Graveyard will have their items'' appearances changed randomly, but the total number of World Graveyards will remain the same.


    This was like reshuffling the deck!


    Rabbit 4 scratched its rear and said, "You weren''t like this before."


    Now that it was out in the open, Rita wasn''t pretending anymore. She looked at Rabbit 4 and suddenly asked, "Was this intentional?"


    Rabbit 4 wasn''t even slightly flustered, laughing, "Of course, isn''t it fun?"


    After acknowledging it, Rabbit 4 asked, "Why do you think it was intentional?"


    Rita smirked, "You didn''t hide it, did you?"


    Whether it was coming here to apply for a job right after entering the restaurant or admitting it once questioned, Rabbit 4 was obviously here for the entertainment.


    She glanced at her health bar, which was at 40%, and stood up to go to the kitchen to make herself some food that could restore health.


    Rabbit 4 followed her, asking, "Will you use it?"


    Rita replied casually, "Maybe."


    Ten minutes later, Rita returned to the corner with a drink to restore her health, and began using her stealing skill on the two rabbits from restaurant 232.


    The large rabbit commented, "Aren''t you pushing it?"


    The smaller rabbit added, "Aren''t you pushing it?"


    Rita handed a drink to Rabbit 4, who had been following her around. "I think it''s fine."


    Despite their complaints, the two rabbits stayed where they were, allowing Rita to continue stealing from them.


    Rita, feeling a bit playful, decided to share her complex feelings with Rabbit 4: "I used to think I was a treasure."


    Rabbit 4 replied in fluent English, "What''s a treasure?"


    B80234615: "What''s a treasure??"


    Rita ignored the mocking tone and said, "But reality tells me, no, I''m actually a heartthrob."


    B80234615: "Don''t get crazy."


    Rabbit 4 rubbed its fist and said, "If I had known, I would''ve hit you harder earlier."


    Rita continued to talk and steal from the rabbits as she went. In between, she finished her last class.


    Sea Pony occasionally got distracted by the commotion and flew over to join their conversation. At those moments, they switched to Sky-Crab language, which Sea Pony could understand.


    The sound of fighting occasionally echoed from the food street. It was the event gift pack fighting against players without position markers above their heads.


    It was unclear whether they had lost their positions or if players who had failed the culinary contest and didn''t earn a restaurant position had been found by the event gift pack somewhere.


    Rita and Marmang-Crab helped each other complete game rules to avoid divine punishment.


    The good news was that until near the closing time, no rabbits had come to cause trouble for Rita, giving her the most peaceful two hours she had since the game started.


    The bad news was that until the closing time came, Rita still hadn''t managed to steal anything from the two rabbits from restaurant 232.


    The large rabbit commented, "Silly treasure."


    The small rabbit summarized, "Silly treasure."

 Chapter 538: 538: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 58

    With just 2 minutes left until closing time, Rita noticed that players in the battle chat were speculating whether time had stopped just now.


    She immediately checked her skill icons and the contents of her inventory, relieved to find nothing missing.


    After finishing her last drink, which restored her health, she checked the random teleportation rabbit fur in the corner of her bag once more, and then began waiting for the opening time.


    Rita glanced at the two rabbit customers from restaurant 232. The rabbit customers from restaurant 234 had already left, but the two from 232 had been sitting in the neighboring restaurant since the closing time. They hadn''t changed restaurants to play, nor had they, like Rabbit 4, tried to get a job in another restaurant.


    From their behavior, it didn''t seem like they were there for a particular player in the neighboring restaurant. They hadn''t interacted much with the others toward the end.


    Rita analyzed the information she could gather.


    Rabbit 4 hopped up onto her boot and stepped around. When Rita looked at it, Rabbit 4 asked, "You seem a bit nervous."


    Rita responded, "I''m fine."


    It wasn''t so much nervousness as exhaustion. After attending 9 classes, she hadn''t had a break for 18 star-sea years, and considering the amount of time she had spent earlier in Octopus Bucket''s space, even though she had eaten fatigue-relieving food, mentally, she hadn''t stopped thinking or learning.


    Just as she finished speaking, the rule scroll at the entrance began to crumble into dust inch by inch. At the same time, a new notification came in.


    [Closing Time Ended.]


    [Restaurants ranked in the top 1000 for revenue during closing hours will be rewarded with one opportunity to adjust one skill icon.]


    [The food street will reopen in 10 minutes and will be welcoming a large number of cosmic customers.]


    [Business hours: 07:10 AM - 07:00 PM.]


    [The food street has detected a large number of black-market players and unsatisfactory revenue from yesterday. A special event "Food Street Reform: Culinary Adventure" has been activated.]


    ["Culinary Adventure": Every hour on the dot, there will be an elimination.]


    [Current number of restaurants on the food street: 12,745.]


    ["Chef": Players with a culinary rating below 7999 will be forcibly killed by the game.]


    ["Cleanliness": Players with a cleanliness rating below 7999 will be forcibly killed by the game. Killing any player/customer/event gift pack increases cleanliness by 1000.]


    ["Cashier": Players with a cashier ranking below 7999 will be forcibly killed by the game.]


    ["Stock Clerk": Players with a stock ranking below 7999 will be forcibly killed by the game. If a player is made into ingredients and transported back to the restaurant, the goods'' value increases by 10%.]


    [Employees within the food street cannot attack each other.]


    [When an employee is killed, their position marker will randomly drop somewhere on the food street. It can be picked up by anyone, and the picker will immediately be able to assume that position.]


    [Players without a position marker will become black-market players, unable to enter restaurants, and can be killed by any player.]


    [If a black-market player is not picked up within 2 hours, they will randomly lose 3 of the most recently used skills from the past star-sea month and be sent to the Dark Food Street.]


    [Surprise Blind Box: Among the cosmic customers, 1000 Inspectors are hidden. If your restaurant fails to meet their standards, all employees in the restaurant will be forcibly killed by the game.]


    [Surprise Egg 1: Every round of elimination will randomly select 800 lucky employees from the top 8000 employees in each position list to forcibly kill. This elimination has a 30% chance of awarding an intermediate gift box and a 70% chance of randomly losing a skill icon.]


    [Surprise Egg 2: Every round of elimination will randomly select 10 lucky employees from the top 1000 employees in each position list to forcibly kill. This elimination has a 10% chance of awarding a high-level gift box and a 90% chance of randomly losing a skill icon.]


    [If no skill icon can be lost, one of the most recently used skills from that employee will be randomly lost.]


    (Surprise Egg 2 has a higher priority than Surprise Egg 1.)


    (Random selection is not affected by luck or luck-based skills.)


    The game mode for the next day sounded long, but it was quite simple when summed up: die, die, and die again.


    Rita read through the rules, and all that echoed in her mind were four words: "Forced kills."


    Especially with the last two surprise eggs, when they were announced, every restaurant in the food street erupted in curses.


    Different languages, different voices, but the commonality was their brevity and sharpness. Since they all rang out at the same time, it gave a peculiar sense of synchronicity.


    "Die once you hit 7999, and if you''re in the top 7999, you''ll still face the surprise eggs."


    "Every list draws 800 lucky players, so no position is safe. Everyone has a 10% chance of being killed."


    The fact that there was a priority on the draws meant that if you were in the top 1000, you''d first be drawn for Surprise Egg 2. If that 1% chance didn''t hit, you''d be drawn again for Surprise Egg 1...


    Plus, this elimination event would happen 12 times. The chances of getting hit by a surprise egg were not low.


    Once hit, you could lose a skill icon, and if all your icons were gone, you would start losing your recently used skills.


    Becoming a black-market player wasn''t even safe. Even though the Dark Food Street was still a mystery, losing 3 recent skills from not getting a job would be suffocating.


    The random loss of recently used skills made Rita suspect the game mechanics were simply copying her previous Ancient Curse!


    Naturally, Rita cursed as well. But after venting, she quickly began adjusting her skill icons.


    Thanks to the two rabbit customers, restaurant 233 was ranked in the top 1000 for revenue.


    Though she had confidence in her cooking skills, with both Surprise Blind Box and Surprise Eggs in play, she couldn''t be 100% sure that she wouldn''t die in this round.


    Currently, she had 10 skill icons on her arm: [Bedtime Tale] [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] [Mysterious Power] [Fourfold Spring] [Dandelion Wind] [Match-3] [Behind the Scenes] [Snap, Lock] [Spring Scenery & Flowers] [Signal Issues].


    Though many of these were high-tier skills, at this moment, she realized what she couldn''t afford to lose.


    She hesitated between [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] and [Mysterious Power]. Both were life-or-death skills for her, and losing either would break her.


    She knew her situation was much better than many other players who didn''t unlock as many skill icons at the start and didn''t get new ones later. If they were hit by the surprise eggs, the loss of critical skills was highly likely.


    She crouched down, running her fingers through her disheveled medium-length hair, and when she looked up to rub her face and clear her mind, she noticed Marmang-Crab and Octopus Bucket had also crouched down.


    Marmang-Crab was lying on the ground with his pincers clutching his head, and Octopus Bucket had four of his tentacles pressed against his head.


    For a moment, it seemed like everyone was suffering from a headache.

 Chapter 539: 539: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 59

    Rita felt like her fellow players had nothing to worry about. These high-level players didn''t lack S or SS-level skills, and the losses from falling below rank 7999 were still manageable. Sacrificing the final rank in this Divine Game was better than risking the loss of a skill icon.


    With 12 rounds of elimination, if players distributed their risks well, they could minimize the losses. Unlike her, no matter what rank she held, it was dangerous.


    As she was thinking this, a new system prompt rang out.


    [New Special Punishment: Event gift packs, Abyss-level and above players, as well as Cosmic Wanderers, will have their kill count increased by 1 if their position ranking exceeds 7999 during each round of elimination.]


    The game patch was truly extensive. Looking at Octopus Bucket and Marmang-Crab''s slumped figures, it was clear they were feeling defeated.


    Rita glanced around, and the players from the neighboring restaurants were also in similar positions. Some were squatting, holding their heads, others were leaning against walls staring at the sky, or lying flat on the ground, gripping their hair, or scratching their scalps in frustration.


    Whether or not they could adjust their skill icons, the pain of the game mechanism was evident on everyone''s faces.


    Even Rabbit 4 looked unhappy, confused, and troubled.


    Rita frowned and thought deeply for a while. In the end, she took out the rabbit fur that could copy any item and used it on [I Just Want to Improve So Badly], then locked the newly copied [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] skill.


    She couldn''t afford to lose [I Just Want to Improve So Badly]. It was her safety net for dealing with divine punishments. Without this skill, no matter if she won or lost in the Divine Game, her strength would drop drastically because of the game''s rule violations.


    The Food God talent, which added attribute points, could never compare to this skill.


    Of course, if she wanted, she could ask Eclipse Vanguard to help gather various skill crystals that increase attributes, but that would mean depending on Eclipse Vanguard... and eventually, she''d have to give up some of her advantages.


    However, she couldn''t let go of using this skill.


    Whether it was the event gift packs still remaining in the game, or the cosmic food customers, or the rare skill icon system¡ªalthough she hadn''t used her stealing skill to steal a skill icon from other players yet, it was clear that turning skills into tangible items meant it was theoretically possible.


    Given the numerous opportunities, she simply couldn''t ignore her greed.


    This was the most challenging Divine Game she had played, full of dangers, but it was also the one where [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] could finally show its true value.


    The best option was, of course... to use the copied rabbit fur to keep one [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] as a backup and use the other one as an active skill icon.


    Even if she didn''t lose the skill icon in the end, having two [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] wasn''t a bad deal. Later, if anyone offered a high price, she might even trade one¡ªthough she doubted she''d be willing to part with it.


    At this point, she turned her attention to Rabbit 4, curiously asking, "Do you have a heavy kill penalty too?"


    Rabbit 4 shook its head but nodded slightly. "It''s pretty much the same."


    It seemed like it was something that affected it as well.


    Rita asked again, "So, after other event gift packs are killed, do they disappear? Does having a position mean you can keep playing?"


    Mentioning this, Rabbit 4 clenched its fists in frustration. "No, if I get killed, another colleague will replace my spot!"


    Just as B80234615 predicted, if it''s fun, the gods would find a way to get involved.


    Thinking about this, she turned to look at restaurant 232. The two rabbits were nowhere to be seen. It wasn''t clear whether they had left right after hearing the game rules or if they had been kicked out because of their black-market status.


    But what was certain was that the various factions and identities had been reassigned.


    Before, there were gods, demons, and cosmic wanderers here, but after the Culinary Adventure began, there were only formal employees, black-market players, and cosmic food customers. What exactly cosmic food customers were, however, was still unclear...


    Rita asked, "Do you know what cosmic food customers are?"


    B80234615 replied, "I have a guess, but you probably don''t want to know."


    B80234615 didn''t say anything further, but its cryptic remark made Rita begin to suspect something.


    Rita asked, "It''s not a mechanical race, is it?!"


    B80234615 replied, "I can''t think of any other possibilities."


    Rita thought back to the one who had lost its antenna because of her, Y... What was it again?


    After 18 star-sea years of classes, she couldn''t quite recall.


    Glancing at Rabbit 4, who was painfully tugging at its rabbit fur on top of its head, Rita asked, "...Do you know how many gods and demons there are in total?"


    The rabbit downpour earlier had been quite overwhelming. There were at least a few hundred.


    B80234615 responded, "I don''t know, there are only a few top-tier ones. I don''t know much about the ones outside the top tier."


    Rita muttered, "..." This profession-related sickness is contagious? Why does it sound so much like a fan?


    As their conversation continued, the sound of a countdown bell echoed from outside.


    With each passing chime, the restaurant layout began to change, and the internal space expanded. A 200-square-meter dining area appeared between the kitchen and the cashier, filled with ten different styles of tables and chairs.


    The night sky outside brightened in an almost visible manner, like the scene in a PowerPoint slide being switched, or like the night sky of this world was a stack of photos being flipped by an invisible hand.


    When the last chime rang, the sky became completely bright, with a glowing, spoon-shaped object hanging in the air. It was perhaps the sun of this world.


    At the same time, all the players heard another notification.


    [New Surprise Egg Key Information for Lucky Employees: Players who obtained the Divine Game qualification before star-sea year 6797 and have participated in less than 15 Divine Games since that year will have a 50% increased chance of being hit by a Surprise Egg. If hit, there is a 20% chance of randomly losing a divine gift skill.]


    This game patch just kept coming!


    After cursing, Rita almost immediately realized the subtle nature of this game''s participation rule.


    It related to a rule in the world battlefield. For example, Rita''s Divine Game rule was that if she didn''t participate within 60 days, she would permanently lose her qualification as a Divine Game player.


    In other words, to keep her qualification, she had to participate in the game once every two months.


    Since BS time and the world battlefield ran at different speeds, time in the world battlefield followed star-sea time, with 16 months in a year, each with 21 days.


    Rita had observed this early on, noticing that she always played on the 1st, 8th, and 15th of each month.


    That meant, in BS time, she played every 15 days, while in the world battlefield, that was equivalent to one Divine Game every 7 star-sea days.


    In a star-sea year, the world battlefield would have 48 games. Players who participated in fewer than 15 games in a year were likely just passing time, using the minimum number of games to keep their qualification.


    This rule was clearly meant to punish those who played passively.


    As she thought back to how the battle chat had livened up because of her, she suspected that this change had something to do with her. But the thought seemed too self-absorbed, so she quickly pushed it aside, even feeling too embarrassed to tell B80234615.


    B80234615 replied, "This rule probably has something to do with you."


    Rita, surprised, responded, "Huh? Really? Haha, you think so too?! I mean... I sort of suspected that, yeah."


    B80234615: "..."

 Chapter 540: 540: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 60

    Rita glanced around, making sure neither the rabbits, crabs, nor octopuses were paying attention to her. She cleared her throat and said seriously, "Ahem, go ahead, tell me in detail."


    B80234615 responded, "For players, if they don''t achieve a rank matching their combat power, the loss of attributes due to divine punishment after a single Divine Game will far outweigh the rewards they gain."


    "It''s worse if they don''t play well. The more often they participate in the game, the more they stand to lose."


    "That''s why many players, once they feel their power is enough to protect their status and interests, stop participating in Divine Games."


    "My calculations suggest that today''s new rule is a signal, and it marks the beginning of gods cleaning up players who hold game qualifications but neither enjoy nor need the game anymore."


    Rita raised an eyebrow and said, "Hasn''t this been happening for a long time already? Surely they didn''t just realize it today."


    B80234615 replied, "Until today, Divine Game wasn''t boring."


    "Even though some players occupy game spots but don''t play much, the Divine Game was still running, and countless strong players were pushing themselves to rise higher and grow stronger."


    "But your appearance has shed light on that dust, and now the gods can no longer tolerate it."


    Rabbit 4 returned after browsing through the ten different tables and chairs, hopping onto the table next to Rita. Watching Rita, who was oddly rearranging her hair, Rabbit 4 asked, "What are you doing?"


    Rita found a piece of beast tendon from her bag, tied her hair into a small bun at the back of her head, and then began fixing her loose strands of hair, making them look more natural and styled.


    She casually answered, "Image management."


    Rabbit 4: "?"


    B80234615: "..."


    Rita looked at herself in the mirrored tabletop. She hadn''t taken a good look at herself in a long time. The data panel, with its stats and detailed skill descriptions, usually held more attraction and research value for her than her own face.


    In that moment, the reflection staring back at her felt somewhat unfamiliar.


    After she had been reborn, her aura was complex and mysterious, blending the various divine gifts. It was as if every time one looked at her, they could see a different aspect of her beauty: the mysteriousness of the God of Thieves, the coldness of the Immortal Undead, the sharpness and brilliance of the Sharpshooter, the warmth and approachability of the Food God, and her own restraint and madness.


    Now, all those qualities seemed to have settled, revealing her original self.


    She had always thought she was hiding well, like a deer in a forest, carefully watching for danger, pretending to be harmless to make the enemy drop their guard, only to strike back at the perfect moment. But now, upon closer inspection, she realized it wasn''t quite that simple.


    In fact, her appearance was gentle, intellectual, and bookish. She had always looked like someone who spent all their time in a lab, no matter what hairstyle she tried.


    Two years had passed, and while that bookish quality remained, it had now been tinged with sharpness. Even when looking at herself in the mirror, her eyes seemed to carry a sense of scrutiny and inquiry.


    Her face, once free of any intense emotions, now showed traces of mischief, as if she were someone who was always on the verge of doing something bad. And after all those life-and-death battles, facing strong opponents, her posture, gaze, and presence now radiated a sense of imminent action¡ªlike she was ready to run, fight, destroy, and kill at any moment.


    Rita muttered softly, "...I look like a dangerous bad thing."


    Even as she said this, BS Rita was clearly satisfied with her appearance. Rabbit 4 didn''t understand but was about to head out to gather supplies.


    Before leaving, Rabbit 4 asked, "Do you need any ingredients?"


    Rita immediately answered, "TingoJE."


    After 900 days of research and practice, it was truly the highest-rated dish she could currently make.


    Rabbit 4: "..."


    With an expression of disbelief, Rabbit 4 went to Octopus Bucket to collect the funds for the supplies. The latter handed over half of the money it had received, excluding any skill icons.


    A money bag twice the size of Rabbit 4 stood in front of them, but Rabbit 4 frowned and said, "Are you really only buying this much?"


    Octopus Bucket replied, "If it''s not enough, you can go steal some, make a few players into ingredients."


    Even though the money wouldn''t change the restaurant''s revenue or ranking, Octopus Bucket wasn''t about to dip into its own funds for Rabbit 4''s shopping. It didn''t mind money, but it wasn''t necessary to spend it for Rabbit 4''s work.


    Rabbit 4 thought for a moment, then stuffed the large money bag into its stomach pocket. It then set off, brushing past the food customers in the street.


    As the business hours started and customers entered the food street, one group made their way to restaurant 233.


    They were dressed in various formal outfits and had limbs... were they fruits?


    There were some BS, Marmang, Lania Kaia, and others Rita had met during cooking lessons with the white bear teacher. Most of them were about a meter tall, which reminded Rita of robot vendors at the Diamonds Miner Market.


    At that moment, an orange cherry stopped at the entrance of restaurant 233.


    Rita immediately looked at the cherry''s top¡ªthere was a stem! Not who she thought!


    Sea Pony had already taken the new menu, which Rita had prepared after completing the cooking lessons, to serve the customers. The menu was based on the current ingredients in the restaurant.


    Rita decided to head to the kitchen...


    Sea Pony quickly delivered the menu to the kitchen, as it was now fully responsible for serving customers.


    Rita asked, "Where''s Marmang-Crab?"


    Sea Pony replied, "It''s gone out. Why?"


    Rita glanced at the menu and began her work.


    B80234615: "Are you planning to be ranked above or below 7999?"


    Rita: "That''s not the key issue. Our restaurant may not even make it to the first round of elimination."


    B80234615: "Looks like you''ve thought of that."


    Rita: "Talking to you is always so easy."


    Clearly, they both understood the key issue.


    For event gift packs, Abyss-level and above players, and Cosmic Wanderers, the safest and least damaging approach in this game was to stay as a black-market player.


    Become a black-market player just before the elimination round begins, stay one hour as a black-market player, then before being expelled to the Dark Food Street, grab a position icon and become a formal employee. After the new elimination round begins, become a black-market player again.


    In other words, they could skip the elimination kills, avoid the surprise blind box, and the special punishment for kill counts+1.


    Most players confident in their own strength would likely follow this strategy. They wouldn''t leave their fate to "random."


    But the problem was, how could they minimize the losses from being killed?


    The only answer was: find the hidden Inspectors among the food customers, invite them to the restaurant, anger them, and let them kill them. Only by dying at their hands would the kill count be normal, and the punishment would be the lightest.


    If everything went perfectly, in the 12 rounds of elimination, they could endure only 6 deaths while keeping their skill icons safe.


    Her three teammates just happened to be the event gift pack, a level 17 Demon King, and a Cosmic Wanderer with combat power far exceeding level 17.


    As long as they could find an Inspector and cause trouble, she would be killed alongside them...

 Chapter 541: 541: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 61

    Once a player loses their position and becomes a "black-market" player after being killed by an Inspector, there''s another problem to face: many of the game rules that need to be completed in the restaurant will become impossible to achieve once they leave. This would result in divine punishment.


    Rita calculated the game rules she had already broken. There were only five rules that required her to stay within the restaurant, like "cleaning over 100 plates per hour." These she could manage.


    By now, Rita had triggered nearly forty instances of divine punishment¡ªjust from eating the energy-restoring meals she had prepared herself, she had violated a few rules. Fortunately, the achievement rewards and event gift packs helped her recover some health. Though her attributes hadn''t been boosted yet, at least she could heal immediately after leaving the battlefield.


    For Mistblade, a level 15 Abyssal-tier player, there were 45 rules to follow. Based on the game rules, Rita speculated that a level 16¨C18 Demon King had to follow 54 rules, and level 19 Sovereigns would have even more rules to follow.


    With highly specific and personalized rules in place, higher-level players would find it increasingly difficult to maintain their strength in the Divine Game. Even staying at their current level would be tough.


    It was understandable that players would try to minimize the amount of game participation once they''d secured enough strength to protect their power. They would rather play less and ensure their place than risk a decline.


    Rita didn''t think these players were without solutions, though.


    The ruling monarchs could easily gather various divine gifts to boost their attributes, recruiting the gift bearers and consolidating their power to cover losses in the Divine Game. In fact, if Rita wasn''t so fixated on doing everything herself, she could easily ask Eclipse Vanguard for help right now.


    Unfortunately, she had a natural tendency to prefer solo play in any game, even though it wasn''t the most beneficial approach. She could list hundreds of reasons why playing solo wasn''t ideal, but that instinct wouldn''t change.


    Rita gathered her thoughts and began planning how she would handle the possible situations.


    If her three colleagues didn''t want to risk the surprise blind box, and if her assumptions were correct, Octopus Bucket, Marmang-Crab, and Rabbit 4 formed an interest group. Even if they disagreed slightly with each other, she wouldn''t have any say in it. She had no authority.


    What she could do was focus on how to grab a position icon after becoming a black-market player. However, she wasn''t sure how hard it would be to find these icons once they were scattered.


    As she thought about this, she heard a loud sound in the distance, like a large bag of coins dropping heavily onto the ground. It was both heavy and ear-piercing.


    At the same time, she caught sight of a red beam of light piercing the sky from the horizon.


    The restaurant was still open-air, so she flew up above it and looked outward. The red beam quickly faded from sight.


    She immediately opened the battlefield chat channel, where players were still discussing the harsh game mechanics. However, some players had started asking about the red beam.


    Perhaps this information wasn''t hidden, or perhaps it was the players who hadn''t gotten the chance to act yet, but soon enough, someone in the chat had answered.


    [Ball Li¡¤In Time]: It''s a position icon.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: What a grand way to get fired.


    "I thought someone''s skill icon was lost."


    "So it''s starting already? Who''s in such a hurry, rushing to get hired now..."


    "How do you even get hired, just touching it?"


    As they spoke, the same loud sound, the coins falling and the red beam of light shooting up, happened again.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: Fired again? Already?


    [Ball Li¡¤In Time]: You need to stand in the red beam for 3 seconds to successfully pick it up.


    What a cruel system!


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: If you don''t want players to get hired, just say so.


    [Winter Sea¡¤Whale Full]: This isn''t even the worst part. The worst part, Ball Li¡¤In Time, you haven''t mentioned yet.


    [Winter Sea¡¤Whale Full]: Once you become a black-market player, you automatically enter a stealth state.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: Gods can eat shit!


    "Game Announcement: Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose asks the gods to eat shit."


    "Game Announcement: Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose asks the gods to eat shit."


    "Game Announcement: Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose asks the gods to eat shit."


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: ...Can you guys please disconnect?


    Rita restrained herself from replying.


    She felt like she, too, wanted to ask the gods to eat shit!


    Becoming a black-market player automatically entered a stealth state. And in order to pick up a position icon, you had to stay in the red beam for 3 seconds...


    Was this even designed to allow people to get employed?


    She continued watching, and the red beam was still visible in the distance. No players had picked it up yet¡ªperhaps they were still fighting for it or simply didn''t want to get hired at that moment.


    Rita went back to the kitchen to keep preparing dishes.


    Sea Pony, who had been following her around and enjoying the view from her shoulder, turned off the chat channel and asked, "Are you afraid of the surprise blind box?"


    Rita: "Yes, I''m afraid."


    Sea Pony: "Why? The chances of being picked are so low, and even if you do get picked, there''s a 30% chance you''ll get a gift box. You can take a gamble, can''t you?"


    Rita explained, "I don''t know what Marmang-Crab is thinking. I can only tell you my guess."


    "Go ahead."


    "This game mechanic has nothing to do with luck. It''s not about whether you''re willing to take a risk. The word ''random'' means a loss of control for players with strong power. The initiative isn''t in our hands, no matter how well we play. We just have to wait for an unknown fate to descend, and if we''re picked, there''s no chance to fight back. It''s a horrible feeling."


    "Better to die while fighting for the position icon than to be chosen at random and then die instantly."


    Moreover, strong players who were confident in their abilities would naturally believe they could always win.


    "Plus, you can gamble once or twice, but can you do that 12 times?"


    Sea Pony: "Alright, I think I kind of get it now. Crab really doesn''t like random stuff."


    Rita didn''t want to shut down the conversation, though. She replied, "But how the strong feel, I don''t know. Some of them might like the thrill, or maybe being chosen to be killed is just another part of the game for them. It''s not an offense."


    For every player who didn''t want to gamble, there were others who did.


    Sea Pony crossed its arms and said seriously, "I get your point, but I still have one last question."


    Rita patiently asked, "What is it?"


    Sea Pony said, "You''re right, but I still feel like... you really don''t have to fear the surprise blind box. You have no control over where you go anyway, right?"


    Rita: "..."


    She had been too careless. The inevitable had arrived.

 Chapter 542: 542: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 62

    Rita couldn''t be bothered to explain to Sea Pony. The real issue wasn''t whether she was willing to risk the surprise blind box but whether her colleagues would allow the restaurant to shut down just to leave.


    If she tried to explain, it would only indirectly prove that Sea Pony''s trash talk was right.


    She wished her three colleagues could understand¡ªif they couldn''t find the Inspector, they should just go find a black-market player and have them help them escape, instead of dragging her down.


    With a quick swipe of the knife towards the dining area, Rita smiled and said, "Get out."


    Sea Pony, hands behind its back, shook its head and walked away. "Got to you, huh?"


    New customers kept entering the restaurant, and the fire and ice in the kitchen never stopped. Some dishes even required lightning, but fortunately, the restaurant''s cooking equipment was versatile.


    Rita tore leaves from a vegetable, fried them into a fixed shape, and used them as takeout boxes.


    For every dish she made, she set aside a portion and packed it into her own backpack. Each dish had to meet the minimum requirement for edible effects, ensuring that her portion would work as intended and that the remaining dishes wouldn''t lose points just because she took a little.


    Sea Pony noticed what she was doing¡ªit wasn''t dumb, after all. However, it didn''t cause trouble or complain to Octopus Bucket. Instead, it leaned in and quietly asked, "Can I get one too?"


    Without looking up, Rita replied, "What can you give me?"


    Sea Pony rummaged through its seahorse-shaped belly and pulled out a small piece of white coral. "This. If you crush it, you can be invincible for 5 seconds."


    Rita took the coral and checked the item description. After confirming it was legit with B80234615, she said, "One piece of coral for one dish. These are 1-star and 2-star delicacies."


    Sea Pony looked over at Octopus Bucket, who was standing at the entrance, then muttered quietly, "What, should I give you a whole pound of it?"


    Rita thought for a moment before shaking her head. "I still have some standards."


    Sea Pony was caught off guard. "And you seriously thought about it for a few seconds?"


    It silently grumbled, then reluctantly handed over three small pieces of white coral. "Here. No more."


    Rita took the coral and promised to prepare extra portions, packing one for Sea Pony as well.


    At 07:32, Rabbit 4 returned, carrying a large bag of ingredients. Rita immediately began preparing as much as she could, making sure to share with everyone. Rabbit 4 even placed an order.


    When Octopus Bucket came to check the ingredients, it nodded in agreement with the proposal and also placed an order.


    A few minutes ago, Sea Pony, who had just finished a trade with Rita and was eagerly waiting for Crab to return to claim credit, muttered, "..."


    Rita didn''t bother to ask why they were doing this. "Alright, I''ll get to it as soon as I can."


    When Rabbit 4 and Octopus Bucket went back to the front of the restaurant, Sea Pony quietly said, "Give me back the coral!"


    Rita chuckled, her voice unchanging. "Go ahead, kill me."


    Before Sea Pony could explode, Rita whispered, "Stop it. I''ve got a 3-star delicacy in my bag. I''ll give you two portions. No more."


    Sea Pony quieted down at that.


    Time was running out. Rita could only prepare quick dishes, firing up all three pots at once.


    Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the food street.


    A game notification rang out simultaneously.


    [Restaurant 12717 has been judged a poor-quality restaurant by the Inspector. All restaurant employees have been killed. Please rest assured, food customers.]


    [Restaurant 12717 is now offering 4 employment positions. Players with position icons can enter and automatically start working. First come, first served.]


    Rita paused with the knife suspended in midair for a few seconds. Turning to Sea Pony, she said, "You just like to talk trash, and Divine Game..."


    She caught a glimpse of Rabbit 4''s suddenly perked ears, and decided to stop talking.


    Sea Pony, ever the opportunist, added in a mocking tone, "You mean, I just like to talk trash, but Divine Game is the real trash, right?"


    Rita quickly deflected. "That was you who said it, not me."


    The sound of players running frantically toward Restaurant 12717 could be heard from behind Restaurant 233.


    Rita turned to see it. It was clear that these players were heading to block the Inspector.


    The game could have kept the restaurant numbers hidden, but it chose to announce them publicly, seemingly to encourage players to rush and block the Inspector hiding among the customers.


    But formal employees couldn''t attack each other, so what would be the point once they got there?


    Coincidentally, Restaurant 12717 was located just behind Restaurant 233, and Rita had a perfect view of its back kitchen. She decided to turn off the stove, fly above the restaurant, and watch the chaos unfold from above.


    She saw over twenty Demon Kings and Sovereigns surrounding a mango, trying to pull it to their restaurant.


    She also spotted Marmang-Crab, who was struggling to get through the crowd, his back looking as helpless as ever.


    They couldn''t attack, and their skills had no effect. The strong players were just shoving each other around¡ªno real damage was being done.


    Rita also noticed Nuclear Flash NightFury, a 19th-level Sovereign from the Fruity Tribe, flying in the air, coldly holding the mango''s stem.


    Although a 19th-level Sovereign, her attacks didn''t work either. The other players didn''t show her any special treatment¡ª"You''re 19th-tier? So am I! Why should I let you have the mango?"


    TingoAutumn Deer''s antlers accidentally struck her several times, and Rita had the distinct feeling that this powerhouse was on the verge of exploding in rage.


    "Inspector, come to our restaurant! We have six-star delicacies!"


    "Come with me, Inspector! Free meal!"


    "Who are you kidding? You don''t even have any ingredients left in your restaurant!"


    "We just restocked, it''s fine!"


    For a brief moment, Rita felt like she had stepped into a tourist street food market, or maybe the bustling exit of a train station during the New Year...


    Marmang-Crab was pushed back several steps. He stood helplessly on the outskirts, watching the mango Inspector surrounded by layers of players.


    Sea Pony clicked its tongue, looking at the scene with pity. "What''s going on? This is really sad. Crab reminds me of my old grandfather."


    At some point, Rabbit 4 flew in and shook its head, clicking its tongue. "Sinful Act."


    Rita wasn''t sure who Rabbit 4 was referring to, but she agreed with the sentiment. She nodded, "A tragic scene."


    It was truly a sight to behold. Rita almost wanted to record it.


    Sea Pony, feeling sorry for Crab, sighed. "Why can''t they just find a black-market player to let them kill themselves?"


    Rabbit 4 explained, "The skilled black-market players have already hidden themselves. No one''s stupid. They won''t act right now. They won''t want to give their competition an easy win. These strong employees won''t want to let other players take the advantage either."


    Sakura Orange White was clutching the mango. Its cat paws pressed on Nuclear Flash NightFury''s face, pushing her down. The latter''s feet landed on TingoAutumn Deer''s antlers, trying to kick it away. TingoAutumn Deer''s hooves kicked Furious Bike''s rear tire. Furious Bike''s front tire collided with Nuclear Flash Guava.


    The top five players were all there:


    Nuclear Flash NightFury


    Sakura Orange White


    Furious Bike


    Nuclear Flash Guava


    TingoAutumn Deer


    They were all gathered around the mango Inspector, who stood nobly in the center, letting them tear each other apart.


    Rita, pointing at the chaotic scene, remarked, "Isn''t this much more interesting than stepping on each other''s toes?"


    Rabbit 4: "..." It felt like this game mechanism had been designed by Deceitful Bloom. She''s the worst when it comes to these kinds of setups.

 Chapter 543: 543: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 63

    However, this brutal brawl didn''t last long. Within the next few minutes, massive explosions echoed through the food street.


    Rita didn''t miss a moment. Watching it all unfold from start to finish, she realized that the explosions were coming from the players who had been killed¡ªthey were literally exploding into fireworks.


    Almost every few seconds, a new restaurant was marked by the Inspector as a low-quality restaurant.


    As more Inspectors appeared, the 19th-level Sovereigns stopped fighting. After a brief exchange, each player took charge of an Inspector, and with even more Inspectors manifesting, the players quickly dispersed.


    Rita returned to the restaurant to continue preparing the dishes.


    She glanced toward the front of the restaurant and noticed that Octopus Bucket had somehow disappeared without her realizing.


    07:49.


    Not only had Marmang-Crab and Octopus Bucket still not returned, but Rabbit 4 had also left the restaurant.


    Sea Pony was still diligently serving the customers, and Rita continued working on the menu, prioritizing the orders from the guests.


    Sea Pony observed Rita''s busy movements and said, "So you''ve chosen to gamble on the surprise blind box, right?"


    Rita did have a lot of thoughts on the matter, but she still needed to experiment. She wouldn''t share that with Sea Pony. "One step at a time, but yes, I chose the surprise blind box."


    Whether becoming a black-market player or deliberately falling behind the 7999th rank, both options posed a similar level of danger for her.


    Becoming a black-market player meant that once the countdown ended, if she didn''t grab a position, she''d lose three recently used skills, putting both Phoenix Seat and Unchanged Fate at risk.


    Dropping beyond the 7999th rank, although the lowest loss, was still just putting off the inevitable. In twelve rounds, every time she dropped out of the top 7999, it would bring her closer to being surrounded by stronger players...


    Comparatively, the surprise blind box was a better option.


    But still, could she really gamble twelve times?


    At this moment, however, she didn''t have control over the situation.


    Rita looked up and across the dining area, gazing at the restaurant''s front door. There, Octopus Bucket and Marmang-Crab were entering, flanking a Mango Inspector, who seemed to float in midair, carried into the restaurant by them.


    The Mango Inspector, a fruit from the Jianqi world, resembled a starfruit but was entirely gray, with a white flame burning at its top. It was practically lifted into the restaurant by Octopus Bucket and Marmang-Crab.


    When the Inspector was seated, Rita noticed Rabbit 4 trailing behind.


    Marmang-Crab shouted, "New customers!"


    Rita immediately sped up her work. The last dish in the pot wasn''t even given time to thicken; she simply took it out and began portioning it.


    She quickly packed up all the knives into her backpack.


    B80234615: "In such a hurry?"


    Rita: "That''s Sea Pony!"


    She finished plating the dish and looked up just in time to see Sea Pony jump up and slap the Inspector hard.


    ¡ª"I told you we don''t have this dish! You still order it! Are you looking for trouble?!"


    ¡ª"I just sat down, and you didn''t even give me a menu!!"


    ¡ª"Then why didn''t you ask? Do you know whose restaurant you''re in?! It''s BS Rita''s restaurant!"


    Rita: @#%@%!#%!@£¤#@!%


    She nearly dropped the dish from her hand in frustration.


    She yelled, "Marmang! Sea Pony, do you want to die?!"


    Sea Pony, unbothered, retorted, "You hear how mad BS Rita is!"


    Rita: "..." She was definitely going to turn Sea Pony into a dish and throw it in the toilet afterward.


    Three seconds later, Rita exploded.


    [Restaurant 233 has been marked as a low-quality restaurant by the Inspector. All restaurant employees have been killed. Please rest assured, food customers.]


    Rita sat cross-legged in the starting room.


    This was her third death in this game, and she would have to forfeit three S-rank skills.


    She had originally obtained three S-rank skills from the Diamonds Miner vault, and after using one on her first death, only two remained, which she gave up.


    The last one was a bit of a dilemma; the best choice was the Signal Interruption skill from the closed-shop time.


    But since this skill was still on her arm, if the random skill loss occurred, having it on her would reduce the chance of her best skills being selected.


    She ultimately chose the S-rank skill Wild Call, which allowed her to command all non-divine beast creatures.


    Losing an SSS-rank skill was painful, but at least she would still have a fighting chance. She couldn''t even begin to imagine how much it would hurt to lose one of her precious SSS skills.


    After she left, she would need to kill more alien players to earn more skills.


    Thinking about it, she couldn''t help but remember the black-market player''s ability to become invisible. It was indeed useful for assassination, but she couldn''t enter the restaurant as a black-market player...


    Her targets would be the employees leaving the restaurant for supplies and those strong players out there looking for the Inspectors...


    As she was contemplating, the countdown ended.


    Rita appeared near Restaurant 233. She checked herself and saw her outline ripple like water. Her arm''s skill icons still had their raised outlines.


    But she must have been invisible because she couldn''t see any other black-market players.


    She took a small step back to avoid a player passing by, but this caused her to collide with another invisible black-market player.


    Recalling her plan to reduce the chances of losing top-tier skill icons by using the dropped skills, Rita immediately threw a punch.


    At the same time, her collarbone was struck by their punch, dropping her health by 30%!


    This invisibility feature was full of traps!


    She couldn''t see the other player''s face, so she couldn''t use her memory of strong players'' faces and abilities to assess whether they could be killed.


    She didn''t know the other player''s strength and couldn''t tell from their injuries or condition whether they were someone she could kill.


    It was just like opening a blind box!


    But conversely, just as she could gauge whether her opponent could be killed based on their attack strength, the other player could do the same to her.


    As Rita tried to retreat, her wrist was grabbed immediately.


    She acted quickly and used Dandelion Wind to escape, realizing that her dandelion form was also invisible. Was the black-market player''s skill also invisible? She wasn''t sure whether to feel happy or worried about it.


    After escaping, Rita flew into the air but collided with another invisible black-market player...


    There was only one thing to do¡ªfight! When she noticed that her opponent only caused a 3% health drop with their attack, Rita''s eyes lit up, and she immediately grabbed their wrist and started fighting back!


    To avoid more black-market players crashing into her, Rita locked onto the opponent''s neck and flew higher to keep attacking. She took out a restaurant''s kitchen knife from her backpack.


    Thanks to the combat skills from her Close Combat course and her significantly higher stats, she quickly defeated her opponent.

 Chapter 544: 544: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 64

    After the killing notification, Rita immediately focused on her arm, but to her disappointment, unlike the closed-shop time, this skill didn''t transform into a skill icon!


    This blocked all players from using the number of skill icons to reduce the chance of losing top-tier skills, effectively blocking one of Rita''s plans.


    However, it wasn''t all bad news. The skill was usable. A description of Mango Pomelo Sago appeared in her mind.


    It was a healing skill that didn''t recover much health¡ªeach use only restored 50% of her health¡ªbut it had a short cooldown time of only 3 minutes. Unfortunately, it didn''t have a World Graveyard either, just like when she killed the pot plant.


    After using the skill to restore her health to full, Rita suddenly felt an invisible wave of force hit her from the side, and her health dropped by another 30%.


    It wasn''t aimed at her specifically. As she was knocked back from the skill impact, she noticed other invisible black-market players also being pushed back, and they accidentally collided.


    "Damn it! Who''s casting random area skills here?!"


    Can''t see them? Then, does that mean it''s a free-for-all?!


    Frustrating!


    Rita swung her fists and kicked her legs, clearing the risks on both sides. Her foot connected with a black-market player she had bumped into on the right.


    B80234615: "This is street dance."


    Rita almost twisted her waist, even though she was in an invisible state. She blushed and looked around, annoyed, "...Shut up!"


    Had she known the black-market world would be so lively, she would have brought all her AoE skills out!!


    The food street below was bustling, and the black-market world was just as chaotic¡ªexcept it was eerily chaotic.


    Rita grabbed a beast bone from her backpack as a weapon and started smashing it into thin air, hitting whoever it landed on!


    She occasionally threw in a spinning kick.


    The game was blind hitting!


    Not only were her skills and weapons invisible, but her sounds were also muted...


    She realized Rabbit 4 was wrong¡ªblack-market players weren''t hiding and avoiding giving formal employees an advantage. They were too busy!


    B80234615: "...You seem quite excited."


    Rita: "Yeah, I need to earn back some skills, at least the losses from my first nine deaths. If I can get some divine gift skills, even better."


    Unfortunately, even with divine gift skills, they couldn''t be used for her death penalties.


    When she was killed by Pine Bloom, her first instinct was to look for the Fishing Master divine gift skill she got from killing MarmangDun Dun.


    But that skill was gray. Not just Fishing Master, even the Master Thief Dragon she got from Nivalis was gray.


    These divine gifts she obtained through various rewards and scrolls turned into regular skills when they reached her.


    However, the divine gift skills she had snatched using I Could Just Steal It were still considered divine gifts and could be used as resurrection costs.


    Since they were truly divine gifts, even if some were incomplete, they were still real divine gift skills.


    Rita took out a pancake that could restore health, chewing it as she continued to strike out randomly, flying and attacking, never staying in one place for long.


    Although most of the black-market players here were eliminated from the previous game due to lack of strength, there were also many strong players who had intentionally sought out the Inspectors and been killed by them.


    Rita was hit several times during this, getting whipped and hammered.


    The hammer strike was most likely from Pine Bloom, as she smelled the familiar fragrance on her. It was the only thing that hadn''t been muted.


    Rita immediately flew farther away.


    ¡ª¡ª 08:00 ¡ª¡ª


    [Ding¡ª¡ªThe first round of elimination begins!]


    At that moment, the world seemed to go silent. Rita felt paralyzed, as though she and the world had been paused.


    In front of her, an oversized leaderboard appeared, showing the current game rankings in real-time.


    At the top, there were four categories: Chef, Cashier, Cleaning, and Supply.


    The left side displayed the rankings, and under each job title were the players'' names.


    Ever since becoming a black-market player, Rita had wondered what would happen if, during an elimination round, the number of employees in any position dropped below 8000.


    Now, she saw the answer.


    It was as if an invisible hand was sliding the leaderboard down. At the bottom, there was a notable shortage of Supply employees¡ªthis risky yet free job seemed to have entered the black-market players'' domain.


    [Detected a large number of employees died in service, end of the elimination round, and a change in the rules: the bottom 10% of employees from the remaining staff will be forced to be eliminated.]


    From the bottom of the leaderboard, red "¡Á" marks appeared over players'' names.


    [A surprise egg is now open, lucky employees will be selected.]


    The leaderboard spun like a slot machine, and players'' names instantly blurred to the point where they were unreadable.


    After a few seconds, the list stopped, and the names of the lucky players appeared.


    Rita thought it was over.


    But after three seconds, the list disappeared, and in its place were the skill icons lost by the players.


    Next to each icon, the skill name and grade were listed, with most being SSS-level skills.


    The list stayed for at least 3 minutes, then changed to show the prize list.


    Mid-level gift box: 50 attribute points, Golden Tree branches, SS-level skills, Origin World Graveyard, pet eggs, fairy wings, owl feathers, race talent change, 3-star weapons, 3-star accessories...


    High-level gift box: 5-star weapons (custom-made), Golden Tree fruits, skill modifications (ten words), SSS-level divine gift skills, divine gift skill upgrades, 10-star-sea year courses (self-selected), 200 attribute points, and more...


    Rita was tempted to draw.


    But the end of the list showed how many players won the surprise gift boxes. 529 players got the mid-level gift box, but only 2 players won the high-level gift box.


    Rita''s anxious heart was immediately squashed.


    [First round of elimination ends. We hope everyone continues to strive and make the food street bigger and stronger.]

 Chapter 545: 545: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 65

    The leaderboard disappeared, and the world returned to normal. However, just as things calmed down, Rita was struck by a punch to the face that took away 21% of her health. She quickly ran off, munching on a pancake to restore her health.


    Earlier, she had been glad she hadn''t brought along Midnight Exile and Absurd Story, but now she was a bit regretful.


    Flying to the top of the food street, she stayed alert for any sudden battles while communicating mentally with Nivalis in the pet space.


    Rita: "Have you slept? Want to come out and play? But don''t come out just yet¡ªlisten to me first."


    Nivalis: "I haven''t slept! Can I go out now?"


    Rita explained the current game mechanics and situation to Nivalis, then said, "Here''s the deal: you can''t use skills right now, but this is the best time for you to practice combat. Come out, train, and when you die enough that you can''t bear the death penalties, you can come back. What do you think?"


    Nivalis asked another question, "Why do you seem so heavy-hearted? You even sound a bit sad."


    Rita couldn''t hide her emotions from Nivalis. She sighed quietly, not knowing where to begin.


    The game had only been going on for a little over a day, and to Nivalis, it felt like she had just said goodbye to Rita early this morning. But for Rita, it felt like a long time had passed.


    The terrifying realization of the Divine Game''s death penalty mechanism, the knowledge of how gods and demons observe players, the moments of clarity after being outwitted by Pine Bloom, the struggles after that, and the battle against Rabbit 3... It had all felt so long, yet looking back, it had been less than two days.


    There would be many more moments like these in the future, and she would either fall off the cliff or forge herself like fire from the brink of desperation.


    B80234615 was her support, not needing combat power but offering valuable information and skills.


    But what about Nivalis?


    If Nivalis couldn''t keep up, would they become the next Lidian and Pine Bloom?


    She didn''t think so. She wouldn''t abandon a dragon like Nivalis just because she was weak and couldn''t help. She just didn''t want to see Nivalis become a true pet.


    The worst thing would be nurturing a creature with unlimited potential into something useless.


    Divine Game was cruel, but it also presented a massive opportunity.


    Rita spoke with a seriousness she had never shown before, recounting her battle with Rabbit 3. She then said:


    Rita: "Nivalis, there are two paths here. One, whenever I sense danger, I''ll have you hide in the pet space. You have a long lifespan, and you can take your time to grow stronger. You''re a dragon, you have plenty of time."


    Rita: "The other path: you join me in the Divine Game. We might face enemies like Winter Sea Frenzied Shark again, death will seem like a luxury, and even death won''t end the pain and danger... But no matter what, I won''t let you stop participating in the Divine Game. The pet space is only for temporary crisis avoidance. You''ll have opportunities and face pain, just like me."


    Nivalis asked, "You want me to choose the second path, right?"


    Rita''s voice was steady yet gentle: "Yes. I don''t want you to grow slowly, because I can''t afford to slow down. Even if I fail and end up with nothing, I''ll get back up and keep running. I can''t stop and wait for you, and I won''t let you stop waiting for me."


    Rita: "If you want to choose the first path, I''ll support you."


    Rita: "But I''ll feel regret. Those hardships are valuable, Nivalis. Just like how you want to grow stronger, you have toÄ¥µô your dragon scales against the rocks. The most unforgettable rewards often come with pain."


    Nivalis didn''t immediately do as Rita said, like she used to. Instead, she asked another question: "If I can''t keep up with you, would you abandon me like Pine Bloom abandoned Lidian?"


    Rita: "I wouldn''t. But if you can''t keep up with me, the dangers I face might force me to have you leave for a while. That''s protection, but you could call it abandonment disguised as care."


    At that moment, Rita couldn''t help but think of Lidian and Pine Bloom. Would they end up like that?


    In her mind, she heard Nivalis''s answer: "I choose the second path."


    Nivalis thought to herself that she wouldn''t become Lidian. Rita wasn''t Pine Bloom.


    As long as she didn''t betray Rita, Rita might always like her, but she didn''t want to become the pet at the back of the house...


    She could still remember the first time she met Rita, how Rita had looked at her with admiration. Later, they spent time designing various battle training games at the villa.


    Although Rita would occasionally tease her when Nivalis was preparing a big move, when it came to real battles, Rita''s eyes were always focused, sharp, filled with battle intent. It was the look of someone admiring a strong opponent.


    But now, Nivalis knew that Rita hadn''t looked at her the same way for a long time. Rita had encountered more and more towering mountains and had seen a much broader world.


    She had long forgotten the dragon at home...


    Nivalis roared, "I choose the second path! I want to fight!"


    Rita nodded with relief. It wasn''t in vain that she had said so much. "Come out, you can talk now. The black-market status has muted everything."


    Since she was a black-market player, her pet also had the same status, as shown by B80234615''s state.


    As soon as Nivalis emerged, her massive form knocked into several players. She began punching and kicking the air around her.


    As the master, Rita could see the outline of her pet. It was like how she saw herself, with ripples moving through the air with every movement.


    She watched Nivalis flapping her wings, kicking her legs, even randomly biting at the air. Rita hesitated, her lips pressed tightly together, and her mood became heavy.


    Though surprised that Nivalis suddenly emerged, it didn''t stop B80234615 from commenting: "Yes, I could tell from your fighting that''s how you were feeling."


    Rita: "Well, that''s not too bad."


    B80234615: "If your defense were as tough as your mouth, I wouldn''t worry about your safety."


    Rita: "If your words were as few as the remaining parts of you, I''d be a lot more cheerful."


    Though she could still argue with B80234615, Rita could already imagine the terrifying sight that the gods were seeing...


    Those cruel, smoking beings... They definitely weren''t seeing the invisible version of her.


    Gods have no virtue!


    She also wanted to see... She had already started imagining Maple Syrup and Mistblade face-to-face, battling in dance.


    You guys shouldn''t fight anymore!


    As Rita laughed, suddenly, a hammer from who knows where struck her in the lower back. Her body flew forward like a bracket, and her health dropped by 30%.


    "Damn it! Definitely Pine Bloom!"


    She had noticed the hawk emperor tossing hammers in the air earlier!!! And these ones were spinning around everywhere!

 Chapter 546: 546: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 66

    From 8:00 to 9:00, Rita and Nivalis spent most of the time in the air, engaging in chaotic battles. Occasionally, they would sneak into the food street for a backstab.


    The food street was constantly filled with red columns of light shooting up to the sky every few steps. The columns were about the thickness of a can of soda. Often, players would rush to pick up the job position markers. These were most likely players who had started the cooking adventure as black-market residents and hadn''t yet joined a restaurant. If they didn''t take a position by 9:00, they would be sent to the dark food street.


    Or perhaps these were players who had no way of protecting themselves in the black-market zone. The death rate here was high, with players often being knocked out by unknown weapons and group skills. Some decided to take a risk with the surprise egg rather than be killed without any options.


    After the position marker appeared, some players would be killed on sight. At first, these players were cooperative¡ªif a player with much lower combat power approached, they would simply open their arms and allow themselves to be killed. After all, being killed would reset their black-market timer.


    But soon, a player in the battlefield chat revealed important information.


    Winter Sea¡¤Whale Full: "Here''s some good news: If you pick up the job position marker but don''t join a restaurant, you won''t be considered officially hired. You''ll still be a black-market player, and even if you die, your black-market time won''t reset."


    Marmang¡¤Crab: "Are you in the dark food street?"


    Winter Sea¡¤Whale Full: "I''m waiting for you all to join me in the dark food street."


    This player was clearly just causing trouble for the fun of it.


    During this time, Nivalis died twice¡ªmainly from accidentally running into high-level Demon Lords and Overlords. With just one skill from them, Nivalis was immediately wiped out, without any chance of escaping.


    Meanwhile, Rita hung on thanks to her Bedtime Tale.


    After blindly fighting for a full hour, she had gained quite a bit¡ªfive S-level skills, three SS-level skills, and one SSS-level skill.


    Nivalis received the same rewards, and this was one of the reasons Rita had wanted her to come out. Every kill meant both Rita and Nivalis received a reward. It was like a buy-one-get-one-free deal¡ªactually, make that a buy-one-get-two deal, considering B80234615.


    Two of the kills had even been made by Nivalis herself.


    Rita compared the attack, healing, and defense skills, especially the SSS-level skills. She realized that even among the same rating, skills could vary in quality.


    She used her own Phoenix Seat and Unchanged Fate as reference points. These skills, which she had unlocked herself, were noticeably stronger than those she had obtained from other players.


    The Phoenix Seat was more powerful than the Courage skill she had received from Sakura¡¤Oolong, despite being of the same type of explosive skill.


    However, the Phoenix Seat had a much longer cooldown time compared to Courage, and the latter could be used more frequently. Still, in general, players would choose Phoenix Seat over Courage, because the long cooldown could be reduced with various means, while the 5-minute burst damage was incredibly precious.


    As Rita accumulated more SSS-level skills, the comparisons continued. The latest one she received was similar to Unchanged Fate¡ªa solidification technique called Old Rules.


    Old Rules solidified all current statuses but only for 3 minutes, whereas Unchanged Fate could last 5 minutes. The cooldown for both was the same¡ª3 star-sea days.


    She told B80234615 about this and also mentioned the self-created skill Fourfold Spring she had obtained from TingoJE. This was a very powerful healing skill, though she wasn''t sure if she had gotten the original version or the modified one.


    B80234615: "Gods only grant players divine talents and their corresponding skills. Any other skills, no matter how you acquire them, were originally created by various life forms."


    B80234615: "The so-called ratings actually reflect the brilliance and beauty of the soul fire when the player created the skill. The brighter and more beautiful the soul fire, the higher the rating. Within the same rating, the strength of the skill may fluctuate due to the ''temperature'' of the soul fire."


    Rita, glancing at the leaderboard for the second-round elimination rankings, remembered the words of the white bear: The soul fire determines the lower limit of a living being.


    B80234615: "In the eyes of the gods, without soul fire, there''s no need for divine talents. They see us as meaningless, unable to create, unable to see the future."


    This topic was getting heavy, and Rita wasn''t sure how to comfort the suddenly melancholic mechanical race. Fortunately, B80234615 didn''t seem to want to continue either. Most of its emotions felt simulated, and Rita couldn''t tell if the sadness was coming from the program or a desire.


    The second round of eliminations began with the same rules as before. If any employee type had fewer than 8,000 members, 10% of them would be eliminated. Afterward, 810 players would be selected for surprise eggs.


    This meant the fewer employees there were, the greater the chance of getting hit by the first type of surprise egg.


    As the leaderboard disappeared, Rita knew that the hardest part of the game was coming.


    She had become a black-market player around 7:50. She had to find a job position and officially join a restaurant before 9:50.


    She had avoided using Fourfold Spring all this time, saving it for this crucial moment.


    To be on the safe side, she didn''t plan on pushing her limits like those high-level Demon Lords and Overlords. She aimed to secure a position and join by around 9:30.


    Rita: "Let''s fight for another half hour, and then we''ll go get a job."


    Nivalis: "Alright."


    After the staff optimization, the number of red columns increased.


    The food street was filled with red columns, and from time to time, black-market players would pass by the columns or be sent flying into multiple columns.


    This was the hardest time in the game, but it was also what Rita had been waiting for.


    With Fourfold Spring active, it was time to use I Just Want to Improve So Badly!


    As long as she landed two critical hits, she could use I Just Want to Improve So Badly. The number of black-market players in the air was even higher than the employees and customers on the food street. Rita carefully targeted the empty spaces between the red columns, striking each one with precision.


    Her critical hit rate was now 71%, so it only took her about 3-4 strikes to steal once.


    Rita was grinning brightly as she kept swinging her massive bone club around.


    "Eighty!"


    "Eighty!"


    "Eighty!"


    ...


    "Everyone''s going crazy."


    "Deceitful Bloom is a monster!"


    "Does Celestia know that her tooth was knocked out by BS Rita''s bone club?"


    "Did you record it?"


    "Yes, I did! I''ll sell it for a high price when Celestia comes back!"


    "So, what does eighty really mean?"


    "Do you think these players will realize we''re secretly rigging the surprise eggs?"


    "We never said we wouldn''t rig it."


    "Exactly! We never said that, right? The random draws are unaffected by luck, but we didn''t say they weren''t influenced by us."


    "Besides, those lazy players who don''t even try to play the game... Why are they hoarding all those high-level skills?"


    "Do you think the gods will get mad when they find out?"


    "They won''t."


    "How do you know?"


    "Just now, the captain asked for half of the surprise egg spots."

 Chapter 547: 547: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 67

    Rita relied on Fourfold Spring''s critical-hit healing ability to fuel I Just Want to Improve So Badly.


    Although the black-market players were invisible, they would reveal themselves when passing through the red columns of light. Rita would steal from them with pinpoint accuracy, then follow up with a powerful strike, almost like playing a game of whack-a-mole.


    Her bone club gleamed with use, the remnants of meat and oil rubbing off with every strike, though she couldn''t tell whose bodies were getting the residue.


    She had originally brought restaurant knives with her, but in practice, the bone club was far more effective¡ªits satisfying impact provided an incredible sense of release.


    In less than 20 minutes, Rita had accumulated an assortment of bizarre ingredients and restaurant knives, all taken from players, and had stolen four skill icons¡ªthree SS-level and one SSS-level.


    One of the SS-level skills she was particularly pleased with was Frost Nova¡ªa skill that triggered a large-scale ice explosion centered around the user. It not only dealt ice damage but also pushed back nearby players. It was an effective combo of attack and knockback, a skill she had been knocked back by during her blind battles.


    The SSS-level skill she received was a shield skill, Firecloud, which allowed the user to capture a cloud, ignite it, and create a protective shield around themselves. It could only be used in cloudy weather, but each cloud could withstand a blow strong enough to clear the user''s health. The cooldown time was only 30 minutes.


    Looking up at the sky above the food street, Rita noticed that most of the clouds had been scattered by powerful skills, but there were still a couple left. She immediately used Firecloud to create a shield for herself.


    Unlike the kill-rewarded skills, the stolen skill icons integrated seamlessly into her arm''s skill collection. Now, she had a total of 13 skill icons. Even if something went wrong, the chances of her beloved skills being randomly chosen had decreased.


    More and more powerful players joined the game.


    Before the first round of eliminations, players were rushing to find Inspectors to be killed, since most powerful players were employees. However, by the third round, there was much more room for maneuvering.


    For example, two players might agree: one enters a restaurant, while the other, with a black-market identity, kills them. Then, when the first player becomes a black-market resident, they would kill the second one who had entered the restaurant.


    Even though the battlefield was filled with enemies, many of them had personal grudges, but if players from the same race helped each other, even if they were killed, it wouldn''t feel as frustrating.


    As for black-market players being invisible¡ªthere was always the risk that unfamiliar players could sneak a kill.


    There were many different choices being made: some players stayed to open surprise eggs, some stuck to their original plan and left the restaurant to find other similarly strong players to kill them, hoping to lose a skill rather than an entire skill icon.


    Rita didn''t attempt to snatch a kill. Instead, she continued stealing skill icons. Without Midnight Exile, her attack power wasn''t high, so her chances of successfully snatching a kill weren''t great.


    As she continued her whack-a-mole strategy while using the stealing skill, something didn''t feel right. Compared to Kart Racing and Diamonds Miner, Chaotic Restaurant was far harsher.


    Previously, players had been guided to fight each other, but now, it seemed the game was more about forcing players to make decisions. No matter what decision they made, it seemed they couldn''t escape punishment. The only option that didn''t guarantee loss was facing the "random" punishment.


    It felt unfair¡ªthe ratio of reward to risk didn''t match.


    That thought flashed across her mind, but now wasn''t the time to dwell on it. She suppressed the idea for the moment.


    At 9:20, Rita decided to stop early, seeking a red column to pick up a skill icon. Since 9:00, the red columns had been decreasing steadily, and there were far more black-market players than she had expected. Even if there were enough markers, there wouldn''t be enough restaurants!


    When the cooking competition began, there had been nearly five characters'' worth of cosmic wanderers. Now, there were even more event gift pack players...


    At 9:21, Rita successfully picked up a marker. These markers were randomly dropped, and you couldn''t tell what position it was for before picking it up. This time, she got the "cleaning" position. However, the marker was still a transparent shadow.


    She immediately began flying low over the food street, searching for a restaurant to join.


    B80234615: "Nivalis has died four times. Aren''t you concerned? She doesn''t have usable skills, and her combat power is only at level 4. This isn''t the best time for her to be fighting, you know that, right?"


    Not to mention, Nivalis''s large size made her more susceptible to being hit.


    Rita didn''t look up. "Yeah, I need her to feel that helplessness."


    B80234615: "Aren''t you afraid this might cause tension between you two?"


    Rita had been worried about that before. She had once hesitated to push Nivalis to learn, afraid it would hurt their relationship, even though she knew Nivalis had great potential in engineering. She had always guided her and offered help, but recently, Rita had begun to wonder if she had been wrong...


    She and Nivalis had obtained the combined skill Decisive Moment from Lidian and Pine Bloom a while ago. She thought their bond was strong enough to unlock the skill, but after waiting and waiting, it still hadn''t been triggered.


    Nivalis had been heartbroken for Lidian when she was abandoned by her contract partner. Whenever she talked about Lidian and Pine Bloom, her voice was filled with sadness, anger, pride, and relief. But Rita couldn''t help but wonder about that untriggered combined skill.


    In this Divine Game, from the moment she first saw Pine Bloom, Rita had been thinking about this.


    Lidian and Pine Bloom, she and Nivalis¡ªlike opposite groups.


    It wasn''t a story that could be told in a few sentences, but skills didn''t lie.


    What Nivalis thought was fake might have been real affection. But could Rita''s self-perceived true feelings be fake?


    The dragon in the sky suddenly stopped, and Nivalis looked down at Rita flying above the food street. What was Rita so sad about?


    Humans were still like infants to dragons, and Nivalis wondered if Rita had entered a teenage phase. Why was she so sensitive lately?


    Rita sighed again, then spoke to B80234615: "I''m giving her a chance to choose."


    If Nivalis faltered or became discouraged from this battle, Rita would change her approach and have Nivalis stay in BS to guard it.


    It was slow there, but safe. No one would dare mess with Nivalis, and she could gain honor and respect in return.


    That would be a good outcome, wouldn''t it?


    But if Nivalis could turn that helpless feeling into motivation and keep the fire of will burning, they could fight side by side from now on.


    Rita flew until she found a restaurant with open positions, landing just in time for her transparent position marker to light up. She had officially joined.

 Chapter 548: 548: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 68

    Rita didn''t rush out right away; instead, she quickly completed some of the tasks that needed to be done inside the restaurant¡ªwashing plates, earning Mischief Score, tidying the cashier''s desk, and more.


    The other three players were also busy. In the World Battlefield, there was no room for idle hands. Everyone had their own plans and regarded the other players with disdain, like they were fools.


    After finishing her tasks, Rita didn''t hurry to leave the restaurant. Outside, things were already chaotic with players dying constantly. At first, everyone held back.


    Some didn''t want other players to successfully become black-market players and skip the surprise egg. Others preferred collaborating with their own race, choosing to gamble with the surprise egg rather than die at the hands of enemies. But after things went wild, all those initial hesitations were forgotten.


    Rita knew that if she just stepped outside, she wouldn''t have to worry about dying.


    She was stalling, waiting just a bit longer before leaving.


    At this point, Nivalis also entered the restaurant. Since Rita had officially joined, Nivalis followed suit and became a staff member as well. She took the dish Rita handed her and began eating, healing and gaining buffs.


    Rita stood at the door of the restaurant, arms crossed, watching the players battling the air and each other outside. The sight was almost comical.


    Occasionally, a fruit customer passed by, but no matter if they were employees or black-market players, attacks on customers had no effect.


    Everything felt oddly harmonious and yet out of place¡ªsomething didn''t quite sit right.


    She stood there until 9:50.


    Rita sensed an ominous signal. The game mechanism was clearly filtering out high-powered players, much like panning for gold.


    Though there were still many red light columns on the field, there were noticeably fewer than at the start. As for the restaurants, more and more players were choosing to stay inside rather than risk going out for higher difficulty challenges.


    The death rate of black-market players was also quite high.


    In the beginning, black-market identities were held by players who had been eliminated in the previous round. Even though there were occasional unlucky players like TingoJE, they were the exception, not the rule.


    Simply put, the black-market was the pool for weaker players, and those with restaurants and positions were in the stronger pool.


    However, with the boldness of stronger players, they started giving up their positions to become black-market players to avoid penalties. In the first round, this worked fine, but in the second round, players who had skipped an elimination round started snatching positions and joining the workforce.


    Now the situation had flipped¡ªblack-market players had become the stronger pool, and employees had become the weaker one.


    Would employees be willing to leave their positions to make way for others? Not likely. For them, becoming a black-market player felt safer than gambling on the surprise egg.


    How many positions would flow into the market with this situation?


    After the next hour, many positions would be released into the market, but beyond that, they''d have to wait for the 1,000 Inspectors to clear the restaurants.


    This was about to be a major turning point in the high-level battlefield, and it was a time that lower-level players couldn''t touch.


    As for supply players going out to restock? Players who understood what being a black-market player meant would never risk it. It was like stepping into a field full of invisible assassins, where stepping out was essentially a death sentence.


    From now on, becoming a black-market player was easy, but getting a job again would be nearly impossible.


    At 9:55, Nivalis, having understood the game rules and Rita''s plans, looked at the time anxiously. "Aren''t we going out yet?"


    Rita waved her hand. "You go back to the space. I''ll let you out again after I respawn."


    Training was important, but there was no need to rush into death. B80234615, that clever little trickster, always found ways to get back in time after Rita died, ensuring they could live on together, though never dying together.


    Once Nivalis disappeared, Rita walked out of the restaurant. She still had time, and she could still skip two rounds.


    However, as she walked out the door and almost collided with a lychee customer, she realized something strange she had noticed earlier¡ªthese customers all avoided stepping into the red light columns!


    Even the plump customers, whose bodies occasionally brushed the columns, never stepped on them.


    A thought quickly crossed her mind. With the mindset of "better safe than sorry," she quickly grabbed the lychee that was about to pass her, took a few steps forward, and pushed it into the red light column, ensuring its feet made contact with the light.


    At the same time, Rita didn''t hesitate to crush a piece of white coral, triggering her 5-second invincibility.


    She wasn''t about to leave anything to chance.


    How could there be no way out of this game?


    Three seconds.


    The lychee didn''t resist; instead, it stared at her.


    In just three seconds, the white coral''s illusion hadn''t even fully dissipated when Rita heard a voice in her mind:


    "Congratulations, player! You''ve discovered a hidden Easter egg¡¤3 (1/20)."


    "Just you, food customer: Guide the food customers to pick up position markers."


    "Easter egg reward: Lock a skill icon so it cannot be lost under any circumstances."


    "Each hidden Easter egg reward can only be used once by each player."


    An egg-shaped icon the size of a watermelon seed appeared on her left arm, marked with a "3." She could use it by pressing the same way she used her skill icon.


    Without hesitation, Rita used the Easter egg reward on Mysterious Power.


    Previously, the rabbit fur only helped prevent theft, but this new reward was far more versatile.


    She silently released the lychee customer but quickly returned to the restaurant.


    B80234615: "What happened?"


    Rita touched her face. "This Easter egg hunt... has some potential."


    It wasn''t just her who had discovered this. Everyone was quietly getting rich, but who knew if the Easter eggs were limited.


    At 9:58, Rita counted down another 30 seconds in her mind before flying into the air.


    Earlier, she had been darting around to fight players, but now she was after the hidden skills launched in the chaos between black-market players.


    It couldn''t be too hidden, but it couldn''t be too obvious either. With the limited map space, there wasn''t much room to hide. There were only 20 Easter eggs, so how many possibilities could there be?


    She tried to think from the perspective of the game designers.


    Anyone who had played a few years of games would know how to find Easter eggs and achieve accomplishments.


    With only 10% health left, Rita checked the time: 9:59.


    Fourth death.


    Rita stood in the starting room, not hurrying to choose an SS-level skill for revival but waiting.


    At this moment, she was neither an employee nor a black-market player...


    At 10:00, time froze, and the third round of eliminations began.


    She looked at the game leaderboard that appeared before her.


    A voice sounded in her ears:


    "Congratulations, player! You''ve discovered a hidden Easter egg¡¤12 (2/20)."


    "Where did that temp go?: Experience the end-of-round elimination without a status."


    "Easter egg reward: Guarantee that you''ll draw a gift box in the end-of-round elimination."


    Another Easter egg appeared on her left arm.

 Chapter 549: 549: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 69

    This time, there were obviously more employees. The four major positions had over ten thousand employees each, with just a few short of being fully staffed.


    The discrepancy wasn''t due to employees refusing to join; it seemed more likely they were overlooked.


    Rita looked at the list of players who had been hit by the surprise gift boxes. It was a long list, and although she hadn''t paid much attention to it earlier, she wouldn''t miss a single detail now while looking for Easter eggs.


    But the list didn''t stay up for long before it turned into a promotional-style gift box catalog.


    The next round of the black-market game began, and Rita immediately activated Spring Scenery & Flowers.


    Deaths here wouldn''t refresh skill cooldowns, and since Fourfold Spring was still on cooldown, she couldn''t use I Just Want to Improve So Badly. This round, she would need to rely on more kills to earn more skills.


    As always, she moved from one spot to another, using her hammer and healing skills, cycling through them as needed.


    Thanks to 100 different buffs, before the fourth round of eliminations started at 11:00, she had earned 7 SS-level skills and 3 SSS-level skills.


    Although these weren''t skill icons, they were still usable skills.


    As time passed, the rewards for each kill became more advanced.


    With more skills, her ability to kill other players became stronger, and her self-defense measures increased.


    The black-market players'' invisibility was both a limitation and protection. But for Rita, who had Bedtime Tale, it was an absolute protection.


    And although sound and vision were blocked, scents weren''t. Rita had plenty of ingredients in her bag, and after each meal, she kept the takeout containers.


    She tied the takeout containers to a piece of beast tendon around her ankle, swinging it like a fishing lure. Whenever she saw a takeout container being destroyed, she would immediately cast a skill below.


    With this trick, she had tricked countless players. Though most didn''t result in kills, she did manage to catch a few players who were low on health.


    Choosing to be a black-market player was a choice that, as long as you survived, made you stronger the more you fought.


    The food street was bustling and peaceful, with mechanical race players diligently playing various customer roles while other players warmly served them. But in the air and in unseen corners, the fighting never stopped. Blood rained down from the sky, visible only when passing through the red light columns.


    Nivalis had died six times. She had gained several skills by following Rita, but she had also lost quite a few.


    Six deaths meant losing 6 SS-level skills and 6 SSS-level skills. The next time, she would lose an SSS-level skill.


    When Nivalis died for the fifth time, Rita asked, "Are you staying?"


    Since black-market voices couldn''t be heard, Rita didn''t think too much about it, knowing B80234615 was curious.


    Nivalis didn''t hesitate, her voice crisp and clear: "Stay!"


    When Nivalis died for the sixth time, Rita asked again, "Will you be mad at me for pushing you like this? Am I like Rabbit 3?"


    Nivalis got anxious, as if Rita was insulting her: "How is it the same? Rabbit 3 was bullying you, but you''re trying to keep me!"


    She understood everything.


    Rita was in a great mood, the best mood she''d ever been in¡ªcomparable to the moment she unlocked Phoenix Seat and Unchanged Fate.


    Not only that, but she unexpectedly completed an achievement:


    "Congratulations, player! You''ve discovered hidden Easter egg¡¤8 (3/20)."


    "Offer Wholesale: Guide one player through 10 employment channels in 3 seconds."


    "Easter egg reward: Extend the time limit for being sent to the food street by 30 minutes."


    This Easter egg was completed by Rita as she swung her big bone hammer at full force at the end of the food street.


    At 11:00, the fourth round of eliminations began.


    Lost in the hunt for Easter eggs, Rita didn''t notice any problems, but the battle chat channel was buzzing.


    A player said the game had rigged outcomes, claiming that they had been hit by the surprise gift box twice.


    If it was rigged, then the gift box they got wouldn''t be a gift box. Getting two gift boxes in a row was something only fate could decide. But if you got two punishments in a row, that was rigging.


    The battle chat channel was discussing it, and Rita focused on attacking while asking B80234615 to monitor the chat and summarize key information for her.


    B80234615: "They said they got it in the second round, and again this round. Each time they draw, they lose a skill icon."


    That sounded a little off. Rita asked, "What''s the player''s name?"


    B80234615: "Jiangqin Ruofan."


    This wasn''t an ordinary player. Not only was this name a bit of a personal jab to Rita, but it also belonged to a top 500 player on the ladder.


    Rita couldn''t claim to have memorized the ladder list, but she did look over it every time she entered the Divine Game to strengthen her memory. At the very least, she knew the information for the top 10,000 players.


    B80234615 shared useful information from the chat group: "They were ranked 700+ in the second round and over 6,000 in the fourth round."


    Rita also thought this player might be targeted...


    But then she suddenly remembered the new employee rules. She asked, "Didn''t they not participate in Divine Game more than 15 times last year?"


    A few seconds later, B80234615 replied, "A player asked, and they confirmed it."


    But even so, the probability of them being drawn so often was too high.


    Thanks to the Easter egg reward from egg #8, Rita''s latest time to enter the game was delayed until 12:29, even though she was black-market at 9:59.


    At 12:00, before the fifth round of eliminations began, Rita had gained 2 SS-level skills and 3 SSS-level skills.


    For the first time, the number of SSS-level skills exceeded the SS-level ones.


    From 11:00 to 12:00, without the Spring Scenery & Flowers'' 100 buffs, killing had become significantly harder.


    But regardless, she had already earned back the penalties from her four previous deaths.


    From the Cooking Adventure game until now, including the 4 stolen skill icons, she had gained 5 S-level skills, 15 SS-level skills, and 8 SSS-level skills.


    8 SSS-level skills¡ªsomething Rita could never have dreamed of before.


    Back then, when she learned one SS-level skill from Maple Syrup, she was so moved she practically clung to their leg and yelled, "Mother! How could you have taken so long to arrive!"


    Although players wouldn''t discard top-tier SSS-level skills, they were still SSS-level, so how bad could they really be?


    For Rita now, every single one was invaluable.


    Among them were 1 healing, 1 support, 2 single-target attacks, 2 area attacks, and 2 defenses, greatly enriching her skill library.


    Moreover, with every kill, she gained a kill reward that made up for the attributes lost due to her violations.

 Chapter 550: 550: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 70

    Nivalis had changed her strategy.


    When Rita didn''t activate Fourfold Spring, her health was dangerously low. Although she had more healing skills now, each one had a cooldown, and to avoid running into gaps, Rita refrained from using I Just Want to Improve So Badly. Instead, she handed the skill icon to Nivalis, urging her to hide and use it for stealthy attacks, rather than engaging in direct combat.


    Dragons, with their high health regeneration and now enhanced healing abilities, were well-suited for this. Nivalis took up a hidden position in a corner and started using I Just Want to Improve So Badly on half-employed players walking down the street.


    These half-employed players had left their invisibility state and were looking for restaurants to officially join. While Nivalis wasn''t as diligent as Rita in memorizing the ladder ranks, she was quite familiar with strong players¡ªthanks to her habit of keeping an eye on the battle chat gossip.


    To catch the gossip, she would frequently check the ladder and identify the strongest players, keeping up with everything going on in the chat. After all, players who sparked conversations were rarely weak.


    Rita''s old self didn''t count, as she had just latched onto the popularity of Lania Kaia and Maple Syrup at the time.


    During this time, Nivalis died once more, but in this hour, she managed to steal two skill icons. She even shared one with Rita. Rita didn''t refuse and accepted it gladly.


    She was content that her kills granted the same rewards to her pet as they did to her. Though her intention was to train Nivalis, she also wanted Nivalis to join in and grab some skills. Whenever Nivalis got something good, she would always want to share it with Rita.


    When Nivalis handed over the skill icon, she said seriously: "You must take this. This is your destined skill. You''ll love it!"


    Rita: "?"


    Steady Happiness (SSS): Shout "I want steady happiness!" at the sky. For the next 3 seconds, the success rate of any skill used by the player will increase to 95%. Cooldown: 1 hour.


    Rita understood immediately¡ªthis skill wasn''t about mana cost, it was about using face!


    She suspected Nivalis had given it to her because she was too embarrassed to use it herself.


    But it didn''t matter. Rita actually thought this skill was quite good!


    Rita took back I Just Want to Improve So Badly from Nivalis, flew around the food street, and targeted a top-500 player standing at the entrance of a restaurant, staring blankly at the sky.


    She immediately pressed the skill button and, with a shout of "I want steady happiness!" Rita used I Just Want to Improve So Badly on the player three times.


    Once the skill ended, Rita was rewarded with a box of food and two skill icons:


    Repay (SSS): Select a player and temporarily steal the most recent skill they used. The skill is yours for 5 minutes. Each use costs 200 mana, cooldown: 3 minutes.


    Family Bucket (SSS): For the next 5 minutes, all single-target attack skills you use will split into multiple attacks with the same power, hitting up to the 100 closest similar targets. Each use costs 100 mana, cooldown: 30 minutes.


    Looking at the data, these were clearly modified and optimized skills.


    Rita felt like she was tasting happiness¡ªshe was so elated that tears of joy welled up in her eyes. She excitedly shared with Nivalis and B80234615: "This is really solid!!!"


    Nivalis: "I knew she would like this one!"


    B80234615: "Mmh..."


    It was clear these two had started privately chatting at some point!


    As the fifth round of eliminations approached, Rita looked down at the food street. Every restaurant was at full staff, and she needed to officially join before 12:29.


    The safest method was to grab the transparent version of the job cursor from a red light column and head to a restaurant that had been cleared by an Inspector. If she waited for the notification that the restaurant had been cleared, it would be too late to grab the cursor.


    But this also meant she would have to live in a half-employed state until she could join. A half-employed state meant she would lose her invisibility, and both employees and black-market players could attack her. She would need to defend against employees and invisible black-market players alike.


    Of course, she also had to defend against other players in the same situation.


    But she had to join this position, and afterward, she would leave the restaurant and become a black-market player again.


    At first, she hesitated because she didn''t want to lose her skill icons, and she wanted to use the black-market status to skip the surprise gift boxes. But now, she realized that the real benefit of the game for her lay in the black-market world.


    She didn''t know which devil designed this game, but she truly appreciated it!


    If she stayed in the restaurant and kept drawing surprise gift boxes, even if she managed to dodge them every time, the benefits wouldn''t be as great as they were now. If she waited until the third day, it would only get harder and harder.


    Staying in the restaurant meant only fewer deaths, but leaving the restaurant gave her the confidence to survive longer into the third day.


    Rita suddenly muttered, "Rabbit 3 was right."


    Nivalis & B80234615: "Huh?"


    Rita quickly corrected herself: "I mean, a little right."


    "My previous choice wasn''t wrong, but... what they said wasn''t wrong either... I''m right most of the time!"


    "Only in special circumstances does facing challenges head-on give more rewards than playing it safe."


    "They were right a tiny bit, just a tiny bit. I''m right 99%, they''re 1%!"


    Nivalis cleared her throat, lowered her voice, and said in a broadcasting tone: "Did the lady admit her mistake?"


    B80234615: "Just a little."


    Rita: "..."


    At 12:00, after the fifth round of eliminations ended, Rita immediately entered the red light column to begin her employment process. Nivalis had already been sent back to the space.


    This time, she didn''t use the white coral. The time was too tight when she was kidnapping the lychee, and she couldn''t afford to make a mistake. But now she had enough time, and getting employed wasn''t the hardest part.


    Three seconds later, with her newly acquired semi-transparent job cursor, Rita started to move through the food street, waiting for the Inspector to clear a restaurant.


    As she passed a pancake-shaped customer, she quickly grabbed them, lifted them onto her back, and tied them with beast tendon as a shield.


    Pancake Customer:?


    B80234615: "You said you wanted to be a star player? Isn''t this a bit too creepy?"


    Rita: "It''s not green."


    B80234615: "But other worlds have white turtles..."


    Rita hesitated: "...What''s wrong with turtles? Longevity is great, it''s a good omen."


    B80234615: "If you''re happy... But if you meet any other mechanical races, don''t reveal my ID."


    Rita dodged a skill mid-flight and asked, "With so many mechanical races, haven''t you heard what they''re talking about?"


    B80234615: "I''ve heard. It''s all pretty boring... Wait."


    Rita: "Don''t do that... I have a bad feeling now."


    B80234615: "They''re talking about how the Y-series convoy suddenly changed course and is heading this way."


    Rita: "How long until they arrive?"


    B80234615: "I''m not sure, but I''ll let you know when they''re close."


    Rita didn''t ask further because the notification came: Restaurant 2091''s employees were optimized.


    Rita, flying at top speed, immediately made a sharp turn, tracing a curve through the street before heading back to where she came from.


    Thousands of semi-employed players did the same.


    For a moment, the food street was like a fishing pond suddenly being fed with bait, and all the hungry fish rushed to the same spot...


    "Deceitful Bloom, the lady admits her mistake."


    "Deceitful Bloom, the lady admits her mistake."


    "Deceitful Bloom, the lady admits her mistake."


    "Got it 1%."


    "Wow! Does this mean we''re not far from hugging Deceitful Bloom''s leg and crying for forgiveness?"


    Deceitful Bloom: "..."

 Chapter 551: 551: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 71

    Almost as soon as Rita turned to head back, the area around Restaurant 2091 erupted with a barrage of explosions and various skill effects of different colors and attributes.


    Rita wasn''t far from Restaurant 2091; it was just a hundred or so restaurants away. It would take her less than five seconds to fly over, but that was enough time for hundreds of players to rush in...


    However, Rita still wanted to give it a try. She couldn''t just hope that the Inspector would clear the restaurant she was passing by.


    She had considered simply following the fruit Inspector, but after the first round of the game ended, players had figured out the pattern¡ªafter every round of eliminations, the Inspectors would change. The fruit Inspector of this round would be just an ordinary customer in the next.


    And now, with the new cycle beginning, all Inspectors were new.


    By the time Rita arrived, the battle at the restaurant''s entrance was still going on. The area in front of the entrance was "filled" with ice sculptures, sand sculptures, and stone sculptures¡ªplayers who had been frozen or petrified by control skills.


    But soon, these players were overwhelmed by a storm of skills.


    More precisely, the only entrance to Restaurant 2091 was a mess of continuous skills¡ªdense and overwhelming. Even with Bedtime Tale, Rita couldn''t get in. At that moment, at least dozens of different skills were being used.


    There were skills from nearby restaurant employees, black-market players, and even those half-employed employees.


    Rita wasn''t interested in fighting for space, so she stayed away from the center of the battle. She kept an eye on the surrounding area for potential threats while looking for a target¡ªsomeone suitable to use Repay on, preparing for the next round of combat.


    This skill lasted for 5 minutes, and its cooldown was only 3 minutes, meaning it could be used continuously without any gaps.


    The only issue was that borrowed skills with long cooldowns could only be used once.


    Rita decided to focus on players who had successfully entered the restaurant, hoping to borrow a skill that would help her join. Even if she didn''t make it this time, it would prepare her for the next round. Even if the borrowed skills expired when the Inspectors cleared the restaurant, it didn''t matter¡ªshe''d be prepared for the next time.


    Rita was becoming more experienced. This was the first time she''d seen so many control skills in action.


    Moreover, B80234615 told her that, in the few seconds she had just observed, there had already been 7 instances of time-based skills being used.


    In the densest areas of the battle, there were occasional invisible area-of-effect (AoE) attacks¡ªclearly black-market players striking from the shadows.


    Rita''s health soon dropped to 35%, and she couldn''t afford to get too close¡ªthis was far more dangerous than being a black-market player.


    But Rita didn''t move far away. She flew higher, watching the restaurant inside. Fortunately, the food street restaurants were mostly transparent, with only transparent barriers on all sides, including above.


    When she saw a player inside the restaurant, she immediately used Repay on them before retreating. She took out a bowl of salad that could restore health and started eating.


    So far, she had no idea how many times she had violated the rules by eating her own cooked meals.


    Then, a new skill appeared in her mind.


    Targeted Delivery (SSS): Consumes 2% mana to teleport instantly to any location within your line of sight. Cooldown: 5 minutes.


    Without hesitation, Rita looked at this restaurant. There were already four players inside, so she quickly moved away from the spot.


    Three minutes later, a new notification rang out: Restaurant 3035.


    Rita charged forward!


    Targeted Delivery was still in effect. If she could reach the restaurant before it filled up, she could enter!


    A few seconds later, Rita was inside Restaurant 3035 and was slightly incredulous at how smoothly it had gone.


    At that moment, the Cashier job cursor above her head solidified, and she quickly hid behind the kitchen counter, watching the thick wall of skill effects that had gathered outside the restaurant.


    Official employees could attack half-employed employees, and the reverse was also true.


    Fortunately, the restaurant''s de?cor provided some protection, blocking skills that ignored players.


    But Rita didn''t sit idly by and wait for things to finish. She crouched behind the kitchen counter, observing the battle outside. After silently counting 30 seconds, she estimated that the outside battle was nearing its peak.


    Taking a chance, she poked her head out from behind the kitchen counter, used Family Bucket, and then deployed one of the single-target attack skills she had obtained from killing other players while she was a black-market member.


    Grand Opening Special (SSS): Creates an arrow that looks like a cloud. The combined value of your Intelligence and Agility determines the arrow''s initial damage. The first arrow shot that day deals ten times the attack power, the second five times, the third three times, and after that, there are no bonuses. No bow or crossbow required. Each use consumes 600 mana. Cooldown: 30 minutes.


    After performing a motion as if pulling a bow (without an actual bow), a cloud-like arrow shot out from the restaurant.


    Rita didn''t aim at anything specific, as she couldn''t clearly see what was happening outside. Whoever the arrow hit, it hit.


    Since Family Bucket had a cooldown of only 0.3 hours (18 minutes), and she would be staying in the restaurant for at least the next 40 minutes, it would be a waste not to use it.


    As the cloud arrow passed through the skill wall, it had already been weakened by half. It ended up skimming the ground and hitting a player''s ankle before splitting into 100 arrows, scattering to hit nearby players.


    Rita waited for a few seconds for the kill notification but wasn''t disappointed when it didn''t arrive.


    She was surprised that she had gotten in so smoothly.


    Two minutes later, after the restaurant''s employees were fully staffed and the next restaurant was cleared by the Inspector, the area outside Restaurant 3035 finally cleared.


    Rita took a glance at her three colleagues inside the restaurant¡ªtwo rabbits and one player.


    Just as she was about to check the fridge for leftovers, she suddenly turned and looked at one of the rabbits: "You..."


    The rabbit spoke in Mandarin: "Silly brat."


    Rita: "...Wrong person."


    Expressionless, Rita looked away and continued her search.


    When a restaurant is cleared by an Inspector, a benefit is that the refrigerator will be restocked with ingredients to help the restaurant reopen quickly.


    Rita took out all the ingredients, divided them into four portions, took one for herself, and left the other three on the table.


    She didn''t discuss it with the other three players¡ªshe only took what was hers.


    The rabbit was the first to jump onto the counter and kicked the portion that belonged to them: "Make it into a dish, I''ll give you 20% as a labor fee."


    Rita nodded and slid the dish toward herself: "Sure."


    Another rabbit jumped up and spoke in Mandarin: "Same here."


    Rita didn''t refuse. Why not make a little extra? It was just the difference between making a small or a large portion. She nodded: "Sure."


    Finally, a Velociraptor ran over and spoke in Dragon Tongue: "What are you guys talking about?"


    Rita replied simply in Dragon Tongue, and the Velociraptor immediately pushed its portion over: "Same here."

 Chapter 552: 552: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 72

    Rita looked at the scene with a blank expression as she gathered up the ingredients. It seemed that none of the players planned to continue managing the restaurant.


    At that moment, a voice spoke in Dragon Tongue, one that all four employees could understand.


    ¡ª"Can you let me go now?"


    The three temporary colleagues turned to look behind Rita, and only then did she remember that she was still carrying the crepe-shaped customer on her back.


    These customers were harmless¡ªplayer attacks had no effect on them, and they would never attack players for any reason. Just like when Rita had pushed the lychee customer into the employment channel earlier without any resistance.


    Rita set the crepe customer down, patted its non-existent dust off, and said gratefully, "Thank you for your protection. You''re so kind. Would you like to stay for a meal?"


    The crepe customer gave her a resentful look before turning and walking away.


    The little rabbit remarked, "It doesn''t seem like it volunteered."


    Rita rubbed her ear and pretended not to hear.


    She hadn''t let Nivalis out. Nivalis didn''t have any skills to change her size, and the restaurant simply couldn''t accommodate her right now.


    While Rita was cooking, the little rabbit sat by the counter and asked, "Are you still going to become a black-market player?"


    Rita replied, "Of course."


    The little rabbit suddenly said, "The reason things went so smoothly this time is that I helped you."


    Rita raised her gaze, recalling that she had noticed a white orb under one of the tables when she entered the restaurant. She didn''t say whether she believed it or not but smiled and asked, "How did you help?"


    The little rabbit said, "I removed the barrier that blocked teleportation skills. Aren''t you going to thank me?"


    Ah, a paid service. Rita immediately shook her head, "You''re trying to trick me. I''m not falling for it."


    The little rabbit seemed to chew on a sour lemon, its rabbit mouth twisting with annoyance.


    After silencing the little rabbit, the topic passed.


    At 12:08, Rita officially joined the restaurant. By 12:48, she had made all the ingredients into dishes and divided them according to the agreed proportions.


    However, Rita didn''t take the little rabbit''s 20% labor fee.


    Whether she was obligated or not, since the little rabbit said it helped her, Rita figured it was only fair to show appreciation. After all, it only cost her a bit of effort.


    The most important thing was that her backpack was already full...


    With 33 slots, ingredients were wrapped in beast skin and stored in one compartment, while the rest were stacked with various dishes.


    The little rabbit sighed. "I originally planned to test you. If you had shown gratitude, I would''ve given you a gift."


    Rita was looking at the battlefield chat, checking if anyone was talking about hidden eggs. Hearing the little rabbit''s comment, she replied, "It''s a coincidence, I didn''t want to trouble you, that''s why I didn''t thank you."


    The little rabbit gave up on arguing with Rita''s sharp tongue.


    It didn''t dwell on the matter and raised its left arm, saying, "Let''s exchange this information. How many do you have?"


    Rita realized it was about hidden eggs. She led the rabbit to a corner and pulled out a hollow beast bone.


    This ingredient was a toy from its original planet¡ªa person would place one end of the bone near their ear while someone else spoke into the other end. The sound would travel inside the bone, acting as a simple soundproof device.


    This bone was nearly as large as the little rabbit''s head, and Rita directly shoved both of the rabbit''s ears into the bone, saying, "I have 3, 8, and 12."


    The little rabbit responded, "I have 1, 8, 9, and 17."


    Only two could be exchanged for two, and then Rita suddenly said, "I''m not swapping the hidden egg task for entering four different professions, I''ll swap the other two."


    The little rabbit groaned, holding its head and swaying from side to side. It felt insulted by Rita''s method of tricking it. "Ah, ah, ah... Could you at least make your tricks a bit more complicated?!"


    Rita, slightly embarrassed, replied, "Heh, it was a slip of the tongue, I guess there''s one, right?"


    The little rabbit jumped up and kicked Rita hard before swapping its 9 and 17 eggs for Rita''s 3 and 12.


    Hidden Egg 9: Parkour ¨C Step on the roofs of all the restaurants in the food street.


    This was easy¡ªover 10,000 restaurants. It was just a few minutes'' run.


    Hidden Egg 17: Thousand Slaughter ¨C Kill 1,000 players.


    It looked pretty real, but whether it was true or not had to be tested. Without a lie detection skill, there was no way to be certain.


    Rita put the beast bone away and shook hands with the little rabbit before preparing to leave the restaurant to find death.


    The little rabbit hopped over the tables, walking beside Rita and asking, "Aren''t you going to stay and gamble?"


    Rita shook her head. Her Fourfold Spring was now off cooldown, and she could go out again to steal more skill icons.


    The little rabbit said, "If I tell you that 6 is a magical number, and the sixth round is special, wouldn''t you want to stay?"


    Rita sneered, "The magical number is 7."


    The little rabbit didn''t understand Rita''s bad joke and said, "Sigh, I thought I had been kind enough to you. Do you know that when kindness is repeatedly rejected, it can turn into disdain and anger?"


    This seemed like casual chatter.


    Rita stood at the entrance of the restaurant, and it was already 12:55.


    There was still time. She had to prevent the imminent shift from "pink" to "black" right before her eyes!


    Rita didn''t joke around this time. She crouched down, picked up the little rabbit, and placed it in her palm. She looked into its eyes and spoke seriously:


    "You''ve seen how I treated Rabbit 3. You know I''m stubborn. Unless I have enough evidence or tempting benefits, I won''t easily change my plans or decisions. Even if I choose wrong, I won''t admit it.


    "If you don''t like this part of my personality but still help me, I''d have to question if you''re really helping me.


    "If you''re helping me because you like this part of me, then I definitely shouldn''t change."


    The little rabbit''s tense expression softened. It nodded but then shook its head, "You''re really good at cheering up living beings."


    Rita, satisfied, put the little rabbit down.


    Great! Another successful "fan service" day.


    At 12:58, Rita deliberately sought out death.


    Fifth death, Rita gave up two SS-level skills.


    At 13:00, the sixth round of eliminations began.


    After the familiar lottery round, nothing much happened.


    Was she being played?


    But when Rita looked at Restaurant 3035, the little rabbit was still inside.


    Rita flew to the food street''s entrance and started running at full speed on Restaurant 1''s roof.


    Minutes later, she got a notification that she had completed Hidden Egg 9.


    Congratulations, player discovered Hidden Egg 9 (4/20)


    This is Parkour: Step on the roofs of all restaurants in the food street


    Egg reward: After use, you will be able to see the outlines of other black-market players for 30 minutes.

 Chapter 553: 553: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 73

    The hidden egg situation was not a lie from the little rabbit. Moreover, it had stayed inside the restaurant.


    In this case, it was unlikely the little rabbit was deceiving itself.


    Rita could only think of one possibility: the gods had originally planned to do something in the sixth round, but then canceled it at the last minute?


    However, she didn''t dwell on it for too long.


    Rita decided it was time to use the reward from the 9th hidden egg.


    She had initially planned to use Fourfold Spring + I Just Want to Improve So Badly this round and save Spring Scenery & Flowers for the next round. But now, with the 9th hidden egg''s reward, she decided to use it to its fullest.


    The moment she used the 9th hidden egg''s reward, Rita activated both Spring Scenery & Flowers and Fourfold Spring.


    Countless phantoms appeared in the air above the food street.


    She released Nivalis and, while chasing down players, said to her, "When you die the ninth time, you can leave the game early."


    Nivalis, surprised, responded, "Wait, wasn''t it said I''m not allowed to leave no matter what?"


    Rita: "You can''t just toss your god-given skills away, can you? Next time, you''ll practice and treasure your death."


    With that, Rita went to fight players. Being able to see the outlines meant she could lock onto targets, and Repay could now be used.


    As a black-market player, Rita had never been so thorough in her efforts!


    Between 13:10 and 14:10, Rita didn''t even stop for a breath.


    The moment her health went over 80%, she immediately targeted nearby players and rabbits with I Just Want to Improve So Badly.


    The enemies were in the open, but Rita was in the shadows. She could minimize her chances of being hit by other players while her attacks always landed. The effects of Fourfold Spring were being fully maximized.


    Every time she saw a player use their ultimate ability, and several players nearby disappeared, she immediately used Repay to copy the strong skill, then ran to the area with the most black-market players to release it.


    With 100 buffs stacked, Rita was really terrifyingly strong.


    Instead of killing players, Rita was more focused on targeting the rabbits during this special state.


    It was only when she clearly saw the outlines that she understood why, despite completing so many kills in the black-market world, she had never received a rabbit''s gift box.


    Because after a rabbit''s death, its gift box was also in an invisible state. It would drop on the food street, but if the killer didn''t pick it up within 10 seconds, it would disappear.


    There were many gift boxes scattered around the food street, but Rita wasn''t the killer, so she could only watch them disappear. She could only pick up the gift box that dropped after she killed a rabbit herself.


    This hour was her most rewarding hour yet.


    Not only had she completely digested the close combat lessons from the closed-shop time, but she also earned 57 gift boxes, 11 SSS-level skills, 3 skill icons, and a bunch of ingredients and dishes.


    Unfortunately, the 11 SSS-level skills clearly weren''t from real strong players; they were all unmodified ones.


    Without Absurd Story, Rita could never break through the defenses of those strong players.


    But she was content!


    Nivalis also had a decent harvest this hour.


    Rita could see, and since she was the pet, Nivalis could also see. Nivalis hid in areas with fewer black-market players and shot arrows.


    She also focused on the event gift pack, where the rewards adjusted based on the player''s strength. Rita earned 57 gift boxes, and Nivalis contributed quite a bit too.


    But Nivalis was still a little unsatisfied. In her heart, she complained to Rita that it would have been better if I Just Want to Improve So Badly could also be used.


    Hearing this, Rita too regretted that the other I Just Want to Improve So Badly wasn''t unlocked. After all, putting it on Nivalis wouldn''t have meant being eliminated...


    At this point, Rita sharply realized¡ªthis was a bug!


    After considering using the bug for herself and reporting it, Rita hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to use the bug first and report it afterward!


    At 14:10, the effects of the hidden egg, Fourfold Spring, and Spring Scenery & Flowers all disappeared.


    Rita immediately had Nivalis return to the pet space, while she headed into the job entry channel. She needed to be employed by 14:58.


    When she saw that the cursor above her head was not Purchasing, she immediately entered another employment channel.


    She had joined Cleaning at 9 AM, then Cashier after 12, and now, only Purchasing was left!


    Despite having a smooth entry last time, this time Rita gave herself 48 minutes for the entry process.


    Rita''s cautious approach was the right one. This time, she barely made it, entering at 14:52.


    Congratulations, player discovered Hidden Egg 1 (5/20)


    Busy, busy: Experience all four major professions and black-market status


    Egg reward: After use, you can temporarily become a customer and enjoy all the benefits of the food street for 10 minutes


    After this entry, Rita didn''t immediately go out to die.


    It was now 14:55.


    The eighth round of elimination was coming up.


    Through her identity changes, Rita had died three times and bypassed the previous seven rounds of elimination.


    But this time, Rita wasn''t planning to go out.


    First, she wanted to open all the gift boxes, take advantage of any lessons, and quickly convert the resources she had into power.


    Second, she wanted to try that bug.


    She called out Nivalis, who was curled up inside the restaurant.


    "What''s up?" Nivalis asked.


    Rita switched to whisper mode: "I''ll give you the most important skill icons. I''ll try the last elimination, and after I go back to the black-market state, you can return them to me."


    Nivalis: "Ah, is this a bug? Will it work? Are you going to get banned?"


    Nivalis already eagerly extended its wrist.


    When the cooking adventure first started, Rita had 10 skill icons. Later, when she became a black-market player, she stole 7 more, and Nivalis gave her one. Using Steady Happiness, she stole 2 more. Now she had 20 skill icons.


    Mysterious Power had been protected by the hidden egg reward. Rita picked out the most powerful skills and temporarily gave them to Nivalis, leaving only 5 skill icons for herself.


    Then she sent Nivalis back to the pet space.


    Rita carefully selected ingredients from her backpack and filled the restaurant''s refrigerator. This was also considered "purchasing," right? There were many high-level items in there.


    After that, she waited for the eighth round of elimination.


    It was her first time participating in such a show, and Rita was feeling a bit nervous.


    First, she killed players after the 7999th rank, using ingredients she had packed from all over to break into the top 1000. She wasn''t killed.


    Then, it was time for the surprise blind box!


    The gift boxes were anonymous, and winners were never revealed. This round only published the names of the eliminated players.


    She immediately checked the death list in the Purchasing column.


    People are sensitive to their own names, and Rita immediately spotted the four characters BS Rita in the 800-player list.


    Rita gasped!!!


    Halfway through her intake of breath, she realized her name had disappeared again.


    Rita exhaled the breath she had just taken.


    The next second, BS Rita appeared again.


    Rita: Inhale!


    Her name disappeared again.


    Rita: Exhale...


    Her name reappeared.


    Rita: Inhale!


    Her name disappeared again.


    Rita: Exhale...


    Rita: I''m tired.

 Chapter 554: 554: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 74

    The process was actually very brief, almost like a screen flicker. But because Rita saw her name at the first moment and kept her eyes on it, she didn''t miss the almost imperceptible change that happened in those fractions of a second.


    There were also a few other names that flickered at the same time, but they didn''t immediately catch her attention.


    Upon further reflection, Rita realized there had been similar occurrences in previous rounds. She made a mental note of it.


    But no matter how quickly it flickered, three seconds later, the interface disappeared.


    Fortunately, the four characters BS Rita were erased in the end.


    Of course, Rita didn''t receive any gift boxes.


    As soon as the eighth round ended, Rita, who had been standing near the fridge, immediately collected the ingredients she had placed in there, and then found a corner to sit down.


    She called out Nivalis, retrieved all her skill icons, and didn''t let Nivalis rush back to the pet space.


    Rita began opening her gift boxes.


    She opened ten in a row: 3 boxes of clothing, 4 boxes of attributes, and 3 classes.


    The clothing consisted of two jackets and a pair of loose shorts. Rita threw them in her bag along with her previous robe.


    The 4 attribute boxes added up to 47 intelligence, 21 strength, and 19 agility. She could only say it helped make up for the weakening effects of divine punishment.


    The three classes were Melee (Hammer), Melee (Unarmed), and Magic Principles.


    Rita gave the Melee (Unarmed) class to Nivalis, her voice filled with affection as she said, "Here, take an interest class."


    Nivalis looked at her with a sour expression, "What? Two star-sea years?! Can we...?"


    Rita closed her expression, stared coldly, and said sternly, "Learn! If you don''t, I''ll die in front of you!"


    Nivalis: "..." What kind of threat was that?


    As Nivalis began her class, Rita herself entered the Melee (Hammer) class.


    Before, she had always thought of hammers as clumsy and heavy, neither as agile as a bow nor as imposing as a spear, and certainly not as cool as firearms.


    But after spending the whole morning smashing with a big bone, she had fallen in love with the feeling...


    Who said this big bone... who said this hammer was bad? The feeling of using a hammer is just great!


    After finishing Melee (Hammer), she moved on to Magic Principles.


    After two classes, Rita felt she was at a critical point. She instructed B80234615 to call her when the time came, then she laid on Nivalis''s belly for a 10-minute nap, giving her brain and thoughts a short rest.


    Ten minutes later, Rita was woken up, ate a dish to restore her energy, and continued opening ten more gift boxes.


    Three boxes contained five-star gourmet recipes, adding up to three hundred dishes.


    One box was equipment: a legendary-level bow shaped like a ring. When worn, the bow appeared by lightly stroking the ring while pulling the string, with magic condensing each arrow.


    The advantage was that it was easy to carry and didn''t need arrows, but the downside was that it consumed mana; each arrow required 50 points of mana.


    This bow was called Betrayal of Oaths, entirely black, beautiful but understated. It was perfect for sneak attacks.


    Its attribute requirements were almost aligned with the data from her gift box opening.


    The legendary skill was also good: Revenge, an area attack similar to her Rain of Hatred. It rained arrows from the sky, but the damage was tied to agility, making it significantly stronger.


    There were also two SS-level healing skills, which were decent, similar to the SS-level skills Rita had gotten from other players when they discarded them.


    The three classes were Cooking, Engineering, and Engineering.


    Upon seeing Cooking, Rita''s eyes lit up. She immediately handed the two Engineering classes to Nivalis, saying, "Learn! Don''t fall behind at the starting line!"


    Nivalis, clutching her head in despair, groaned, "You used to be all about happy learning..."


    Rita, adjusting her posture to prepare for the best state for the cooking class, replied, "I''m still about happy learning now, but when you learn, it''s happy learning for me."


    Nivalis: "..."


    Rita entered the Cooking class, and as soon as she saw that familiar figure of White Bear in the classroom, she happily ran over, shouting, "Teacher!"


    ...


    "How does Deceitful Bloom manage to argue with the captain while giving a class to the chosen one?"


    "We''re done arguing... I didn''t argue with them earlier."


    "Ah, yes, you both were just secretly working behind the scenes, pulling in opposite directions."


    "A little ambiguous."


    "Did the captain admit their fault?"


    "The gods'' tasks are always poorly designed; we just follow along and play, why bother messing with the players Deceitful Bloom picks?"


    Deceitful Bloom said frankly, "The captain didn''t mean to mess with her; it''s just to slow her down, make her walk a little slower, a little steadier."


    "Ah, so you just pressed her down and now you''re switching sides? You two are switching shifts."


    "And this round of pressure is pointless, she''s already hidden her best skills. When''s this bug going to be fixed?"


    "The captain wants to wait until she''s thrown her best skills to her pet before fixing it."


    "Uh, is she reporting this bug?"


    Deceitful Bloom looked at the screen in his hand, the corners of his mouth curving upward slightly.


    The captain was clearly getting frustrated.


    ...


    After leaving the cooking class, Rita rubbed her temples and, after feeling a bit more relaxed, began speaking softly to the leaderboard.


    "Gods above, I''ve found a bug."


    "Before the last elimination, placing skill icons on pets can avoid losing important skills."


    The reason she didn''t immediately report this after the eighth round of elimination was because Rita had been thinking about the flashing name situation.


    She thought that the players with flashing names were using the bug, which was why it was happening.


    By the eighth round, if she hadn''t been banned yet, it meant the gods had tacitly allowed it.


    But, after considering that, she realized something was wrong. If the gods really approved, there wouldn''t be flashes.


    The name flashing in and out seemed like there was a debate about whether to add her name to the list or not.


    She could only think of the gods'' camp and the demons'' camp.


    To avoid another player reporting the bug first, Rita naturally reported it immediately.


    This kind of bug could only be used once; using it too many times might anger the gods and even lead to her losing the benefits she gained from the bug¡ªwhat if she was forced to redraw?


    She now reasonably suspected that these lists were not 100% random and that the gods and demons might be secretly manipulating it.


    After repeating her thoughts a few times, Rita finally received a response.


    [Understood]


    The voice was cold and emotionless, but Rita could still detect a hint of reluctance.


    But that was fine, as long as she got a response.


    Since it was so cold, Rita didn''t press it any further. She went straight to the point and asked, "Is there a reward?"


    [You avoided one round of elimination using the bug, which is your reward.]


    "No, if I had drawn the ''random skill loss'' blind box, I would have used the bug to avoid the risk. But I didn''t draw it. I found the bug, didn''t use it, resisted temptation, and reported it to the gods."


    After speaking this long sentence, Rita didn''t say anything more. She just sighed long and hard at the sky.


    "You taste that? Whoever''s on the other side of the line, you taste it!"

 Chapter 555: 555: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 75

    Rita''s guess was actually correct. The players whose names flickered all had some sort of controversy surrounding them. Deceitful Bloom and the Captain were battling for her, and other players also had their top gods and demons¡ªwho were, of course, also scheming for them.


    There were actually still plenty of bugs, just like there are harmless bugs in many games from BS Stars. These bugs are very entertaining, and sometimes, after being reported, they are kept around for the amusement factor. Rita wasn''t the only one to discover the bug, but she was the first to report it.


    Who would''ve guessed that by the eighth round, after Rita discovered the bug and played with it once, she would immediately flip the table?


    After Rita sighed deeply, she waited for a while, but there was no response from the system.


    "Did they hang up the phone?" she wondered.


    She changed her posture and looked up at the sky again, sighing even longer this time.


    But her hands kept moving¡ªshe was still opening gift boxes.


    She kept thinking back to what White Bear had said at the end of the cooking class:


    ¡ª"If you have any questions, you can ask me now. There won''t be another chance after this."


    That sentence left Rita with a bad feeling.


    Finally, the system asked her, [What reward do you want?]


    By the time she heard a response, Rita had opened 20 more gift boxes. Among them, 8 were classes, but she still didn''t get Cooking!


    Rita mumbled, "Let me think for a moment."


    She quickly opened the remaining 17 boxes.


    Still no Cooking class!


    She even opened a rare Brewing class but didn''t get Cooking!


    Rita realized what White Bear meant. She probably wouldn''t get to meet him again.


    That only reinforced her belief that White Bear was some kind of god or demon.


    But Rita couldn''t let it go. When the system asked her again, she said, "I want the 20star-sea year Cooking class! The teacher must be White Bear, the same one from the previous cooking classes! I only want that one!"


    The system was silent for a few seconds before replying, [This violates the rules. White Bear is not a proper teacher.]


    Rita thought to herself, I know he''s not a proper teacher! Why are you even mentioning it?!


    Not wanting to argue, she kept silent and looked down at the rabbit teeth in her hands. When she finished opening all 37 boxes, she had 12 classes.


    The system replied, [20star-sea year Cooking class, teacher random, don''t be greedy.]


    Rita understood the warning from the system. She asked, "What about switching to 20star-sea year combat courses? Teachers are random, is that possible?"


    [Yes, but cooking and combat courses have different values. Switching to combat courses comes with a prerequisite: you can only use them once you''ve entered the top 1000 of a Divine Game round. Do you accept?]


    Without White Bear, she''d have to make do with anyone else.


    Besides, whether it''s cooking or combat courses, she could still get them. She had 8 combat classes out of the 12 classes she had.


    But Rita decided to settle for the best. She said, "I accept."


    [The reward has been sent to your backpack.]


    Rita opened her backpack and found the last slot filled with a petal-shaped item, which looked like a cloud. It changed shape constantly, with each change being a completely new petal formation.


    [Deceitful Bloom]: 20star-sea year comprehensive combat course, teacher random (not yet usable).


    Rita immediately asked B80234615, the one who knew the most about Divine Game, "Have you heard of Deceitful Bloom?"


    B80234615 replied, "I have 387 types of SSS-level skills, 12,325 types of SS-level skills, and 24,155 types of S-level skills containing the words ''Deceitful Bloom.'' As for items, curiosities, and equipment, there are even more."


    Rita directly asked, "Is there a god or demon named Deceitful Bloom?"


    B80234615 replied, "No!"


    Rita rubbed her forehead. Did I overthink it?


    She had suspected that B80234615 might be lying to her, but considering that B80234615 had told her about the event gift pack being related to gods and demons, and even revealed it had been modified by the Moon God, she figured it shouldn''t be hiding anything important from her...


    While she was pondering this, an announcement rang out for all players to hear. It mentioned that a bug had been discovered and fixed. Players'' skill icons could only be transferred once.


    Rita glanced at the time¡ªit was already 3:30 PM.


    She quickly gave Nivalis the third Engineering class, saying, "Here, a New Year''s gift for next year."


    Two seconds later, Nivalis blankly stared at the ceiling, having attended interest classes for six years with that same mental state.


    Rita, however, walked to the restaurant door. The cooldown for Steady Happiness had ended, and she needed to seize the opportunity to use it once more.


    In the face of immense benefits, what did her pride matter?


    Since BS was in English, she figured she could shout it in BS dialect¡ªshe didn''t believe there was a BS dialect in the languages of all races!


    Rita shouted in English, "I want Steady Happiness!" then used I Just Want to Improve So Badly on a few passing powerful players.


    Maybe her luck had run out, as after three uses, all she got were meals...


    What Rita didn''t notice was that, while she was shouting in English, a player from a restaurant across the street was eyeing her curiously.


    Back at the restaurant, Rita attended two more combat techniques classes, as well as Sensory Training and Stealth Attack.


    At 3:58 PM, Rita didn''t rush to go out. Instead, she placed all the ingredients, including those she had scavenged from Restaurant 123, into the fridge, and used the 12th Hidden Easter Egg reward¡ªguaranteeing a gift box in the next elimination round.


    At 4:00 PM, the ninth round of elimination began.


    Ranked within the top 1000, Rita pulled a high-level gift box.


    She quickly recovered all the ingredients from the fridge and finally had time to open the gift box.


    Inside the first layer of the box was another layer, revealing an item labeled [Divine Idol].


    Rita''s excitement grew. She remembered that the high-level gift box list had treasures and ancient items!


    She thought about that one enemy¡ªthe first one¡ªwondering if it was their idol, the one that could turn into a warrior and fight for them!


    Could this be it?


    She opened the box, and inside was a mini white ship, palm-sized with a simple structure. The inside was red, the outside pure white, with a few simple red floral patterns along the edge.


    [White Ship]: Divine Game commemorative item, no hidden effect.


    Rita: "..."


    Nivalis, who had just been released, stared at the white ship for a few seconds before saying, "It looks like the ship from The Life of Pi, the one we watched together before the Divine Game."


    Rita was confused. She had been in so many classes, how could she remember that?


    But no matter what ship it was, the problem was¡ªit was useless!


    Rita sighed and put the white ship into her bag, alongside Pine Bloom''s clothes and the green feathers, all packed together in the same slot.


    She asked B80234615, "Is there a god or demon named White Ship?"


    B80234615 replied, "No!"


    Rita muttered, "Tch!"


    ...


    B80234615 looked at the warning on its system interface, sighed with relief. This wasn''t a big deal, and it didn''t seem like a betrayal. Rita should have understood its hint, right?


    It almost got blown up...

 Chapter 556: 556: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 76

    After obtaining the Divine Idol, Rita, despite being certain that gods wouldn''t really waste a useless trinket in a high-level gift box, couldn''t help but feel grateful for choosing the "Black Account" playstyle.


    After the ninth round of elimination, Rita replenished the dishes she had used from her inventory. During her last Cooking class, White Bear had spent half the time reinforcing her cooking techniques, and the other half of the time talking about the universe in a casual manner. However, even during the storytelling, Rita still felt that she benefited immensely.


    Rita could only share her feelings with her pet, speaking in BS language, which was rare enough to remain somewhat private. She spoke as she cooked, "You guys have no idea how great that teacher was."


    She wasn''t trying to flatter anyone, so she didn''t specifically mention who it was.


    Nivalis enthusiastically asked, "How was he great?"


    Rita responded, "That teacher''s teaching style was leagues above Apache by at least a hundred Lucias."


    B80234615, still hidden in the shadows, couldn''t speak openly since it wasn''t in Black Account status. It privately asked Nivalis, "How many teachers has she actually recognized?"


    Nivalis answered, "From what I know, there''s Apache, Maple Syrup, Lucia, Mistblade, with ranks in order. There are also many unnamed ones in Lania KaiaHigh Tower, but I can''t remember them all."


    B80234615: "?"


    It seemed to think something was off with Nivalis''s description.


    After replenishing the dishes, Rita didn''t continue attending any classes but instead organized all the items she received from the gift boxes.


    Aside from the somewhat useless clothing and the most valuable classes, there wasn''t much of true value left.


    The attributes added up to 500 points, completely covering the loss of attributes due to violations from the start of the game, with nearly 100 points to spare.


    There were also five Golden Tree Branch Buds.


    Two Rabbit Fur Replicas.


    100 types of Languages of All Races.


    10 random World Graveyard items, which Rita stored in B80234615 to conserve power.


    The remaining seven classes were: Brewing, Alchemy x2, Ranged (Crossbow), Combat Movement, Magic Principles, and Aerial Combat.


    Rita packed everything up and checked her battle power, which had reached level 9.


    After receiving so many SSS-level skills and attending 32 star-sea years of classes, she had only reached level 9. This made her feel even further away from those Abyssal King-level players.


    Progress definitely becomes harder to achieve as you go further.


    Still, being stuck in pain wasn''t entirely bad. At least her Divine Game rules still had 27 rules.


    Rita rested for a while until the tenth round''s elimination began to approach, but this time, she didn''t put any ingredients in the fridge.


    Instead, at 16:58, she used a hidden Easter Egg reward once again.


    Easter Egg #1 Reward: After use, you can temporarily become a customer and enjoy everything the food street has to offer for 10 minutes.


    She wasn''t sure if, after the customer identity disappeared, she would become a Black Account or remain as an employee, but she just needed to survive the tenth round''s elimination.


    As long as she passed it, even if she became a Black Account afterward, it would be at 17:08, so she would be safe for the 11th and 12th rounds of elimination.


    By doing so, she''d minimize her death count, with only three deaths, bypassing 12 rounds of eliminations.


    After using the Easter Egg reward, Rita became a strawberry. She put Nivalis back into her pet space and left the restaurant immediately.


    Rather than stay in the restaurant, hoping to guard an unknown employee spot, she decided to take the chance and try out a new possibility.


    There were many ways to play the customer identity.


    Previously, she couldn''t attack customers, but now that she was a customer, could she attack other customers?


    Rita went out and immediately used I Just Want to Improve So Badly on a customer.


    It failed¡ªnot that it was ineffective, just that it didn''t work.


    Rita''s eyes lit up when she realized that over an hour had passed since she last used Steady Happiness.


    She went behind a few customers, shouting in Owlspeak, "I want Steady Happiness!" and then used I Just Want to Improve So Badly on the three customers.


    Three iron boxes appeared, and the world froze.


    At 17:00, the tenth round of elimination began.


    Once the familiar process was finished, Rita didn''t immediately check the boxes but instead used her time to continue causing trouble.


    When she shouted in Owlspeak, the nearby customers noticed her. Rita ran up to one of them and punched them down to the ground.


    ¡ªNo hidden Easter egg was triggered.


    Rita helped the customer up, grabbed their fist, and let them punch her.


    The customer, who had been angry a second ago, was now speechless.


    Rita didn''t give up. She wasn''t sure if the punch would be counted as her punching herself, so she grabbed the customer''s fist and hit herself a few more times, saying, "Come on! Hit me harder!"


    The customer did as told, but honestly, this wasn''t a new request for Rita...


    ¡ªStill no hidden Easter egg!


    Rita sighed and walked away. But after running a few steps, she turned back suddenly and gave the customer a healing skill.


    This time, it worked!


    [Congratulations! Player discovered Hidden Easter Egg #5 (6/20)]


    [The Fourth Disaster is Like This: Do something incomprehensible to a customer, with over 1000 players witnessing it.]


    [Easter Egg Reward: After use, you can see a player''s true identity (3/3).]


    "Over 1000 players witnessed it..."


    Rita glanced silently at the vast sky, feeling relieved that she was still just a strawberry saying Owlspeak.


    It was 17:04.


    Rita ran into a restaurant and, before sitting down, began to order: "What''s the fastest dish you can make? I''m giving you 2 minutes!"


    Two minutes later, a simple dish was placed in front of her. She took a bite and immediately left the restaurant.


    [Congratulations! Player discovered Hidden Easter Egg #2 (7/20)]


    [The Boss Meal: Enter a restaurant, eat, and don''t pay.]


    [Easter Egg Reward: After use, you can reduce one death penalty by 3 levels.]

 Chapter 557: 557: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 77

    At 17:07, Rita''s skills wore off, and she became a Black Account again.


    She flew to a spot between two restaurants, a place where battles rarely took place, and took a moment to evaluate her recent progress, especially with Easter Egg #5''s reward ¨C the ability to see the true identity of players.


    There might be hidden mechanics she was unaware of, or perhaps this was tied to the third day of the game.


    B80234615 suddenly spoke up: "100 times."


    [Time Distortion II]: The flow of time in this area has been disturbed frequently. It is very displeased. During this period, players who use time-related abilities will face stricter penalties. Please respect time as you would respect fate.


    Rita recalled the suggestion from the little rabbit and asked, "What was the most frequent disruption of the time stream in the past?"


    B80234615 replied, "Right before and after the sixth round of elimination."


    Rita thought for a moment, realizing the little rabbit hadn''t been lying. But now, she wasn''t sure if missing it was a good or bad thing. Regardless, the tangible rewards and resources she had gained were real.


    Both Fourfold Spring and Spring Scenery & Flowers were available again, and Rita activated them, resuming her blind fighting strategy.


    After having experienced the Black Account playstyle before, Rita had honed some skills. She now knew where low-power players liked to hide and where they most frequently used their powerful abilities. Although this didn''t significantly change the outcome, it did minimize her risks a few times.


    As the game entered this round, the weaker players without self-defense were already eliminated.


    Some players hid in restaurants, trying to avoid being killed and becoming Black Accounts, while others, emboldened by their Black Account status, risked joining forces to seize positions during critical moments. Only players of Abyssal King level or above dared to do this.


    Rita hadn''t received any ultimate SSS-level skills in the past few rounds of kill rewards. This was because, since becoming a Black Account, she hadn''t received any upgrade notifications like she had when she killed Sakura¡¤Oolong. Without Midnight Exile, Rita couldn''t pick up the scraps of stronger players; she just wasn''t able to do it.


    But that didn''t mean she''d given up.


    Rita favored targeting half-employed players. After borrowing strong single-target attack skills through Repay, she used Family Bucket to release them. With 100 attacks, and Fourfold Spring''s effect, Rita''s health was instantly replenished after each Family Bucket use.


    Even though Family Bucket could only be used once every 18 minutes, after every use, Rita made sure to quickly copy the split skills and use I Just Want to Improve So Badly for four or five seconds while targeting 100 different enemies.


    Her health loss was insignificant compared to the speed at which it was replenished.


    At 17:50, Fourfold Spring expired, and I Just Want to Improve So Badly no longer had the best support.


    Yet, in the meantime, Rita had stolen 13 dishes, 1 Rabbit Fur Replica, and 2 skill icons.


    But something terrifying happened: one of the skill icons she had just stolen was recalled immediately.


    Not only was it recalled, but the skill icon had dragged the adjacent skill icon with it...


    She couldn''t hold onto it¡ªwhat she touched was just an illusion.


    Rita stood there, dumbfounded, as the stolen skill icon suddenly sprouted a tabby cat tail, coiled the adjacent icon, and flew away.


    This caused a huge shock for Rita, who was used to starting from scratch.


    Even getting hit by a flying hammer hadn''t fazed her as much as this.


    For the first time, Rita didn''t just fail to steal something¡ªsomething she had stolen was taken from her.


    She had invited trouble, but luckily, it was a rare occurrence. The adjacent skill icon was one of the 3 icons she had previously stolen while in the Black Account state, and it was a good SSS-level skill, though not one modified as much as Family Bucket.


    Thankfully, the second skill icon she stole afterward was great¡ªperfect for setting up ambushes.


    [Focusing Success] (SSS): Select a target, and for the next 10 skills you cast, they will all automatically hit that target, regardless of distance or whether you can see them. This effect lasts for 10 minutes, costs no mana, and has a cooldown of 5 minutes.


    The phrase "all skills will definitely hit the target" was quite intriguing.


    If paired with Family Bucket, this meant... could she make a target endure 100 of the most powerful single-target attacks?


    She wasn''t sure about the priority system, though.


    Furthermore, according to the description, would group attack skills also land entirely on that target?


    If Family Bucket was best for group attack situations, Focusing Success was ideal for single-target setups.


    Rita loved such special skills!


    At 18:00, the eleventh round of elimination began.


    At 18:10, Spring Scenery & Flowers expired.


    Rita immediately found a spot with the least players and hid.


    This hour, Rita only completed two kills, earning two SSS-level skills.


    Nivalis was tagging along, getting skills, but without Bedtime Tale, she died once more. By now, Nivalis had died eight times, so Rita sent her back.


    Although Rita had told Nivalis she could stay out until her ninth death, she always liked to leave one more card to play before reaching her limit.


    With 50 minutes remaining in the Cooking Adventure, Rita wasn''t about to take any more risks.


    Like Nivalis before, she used I Just Want to Improve So Badly on passing half-employed players, healing herself once her health dropped below 70%, never letting her guard down.


    As for being a Black Account, that couldn''t be helped¡ªit was the best option she had right now.


    While players came and went on Food Street, Rita casually asked her electronic pet in her mind, "Can the gods hear us talking?"


    B80234615: "Generally, no."


    Rita: "Hmm... so they did hear us at a certain time, right?"


    B80234615: "It''s complicated."


    Rita thought of some legends and asked, "Does mentioning someone''s name disturb the owner?"


    B80234615''s voice trembled noticeably: "Yes!!!"


    Rita glanced at the lemon passing in front of her. She quickly changed her question, "Is there a god named Lemon?"


    B80234615: "...No!"


    There was definitely someone or something she had just summoned...

 Chapter 558: 558: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 78

    Rita and B80234615 remained in tense silence for about five minutes before continuing their conversation.


    Rita: "Is there a god named Spicy Chicken Wings?"


    B80234615 didn''t immediately answer with a "no," but instead responded, "I don''t know all gods."


    They continued their private conversation, both understanding the other''s meaning.


    Rita had been suspicious of certain statements because she clearly remembered asking B80234615 how many gods there were in this game before. At the time, B80234615 had jokingly responded that only a few were top-tier, and beyond that, it was hard to say. Given that B80234615 couldn''t name every god, why was it so certain that there wasn''t a god named Deceitful Bloom or White Boat?


    However, White Boat might not necessarily be a god''s name. Rita didn''t think gods would craft figurines of their true forms with their names written on them and then give them to players as collectibles. She felt Deceitful Bloom had observed them, which might have made B80234615 hesitant to answer. She still wondered if Deceitful Bloom was Rabbit 1, or... maybe even Rabbit 3. Rabbit 4 wasn''t impossible either, considering gods could possibly multitask.


    Rita suddenly asked, "You mentioned before about your mutation and the Snowfield Pact, and you mentioned that one... that one..."


    B80234615: "The Moon God is not a name, but a title. It doesn''t matter if you say it; it won''t disturb the god."


    Rita: "Oh."


    The Cooking Adventure segment ended, and Rita didn''t steal any more skill icons from players.


    B80234615 had been watching for half an hour before it couldn''t hold back anymore: "Why do you only target those abyss-level bosses?"


    Rita: "Why the sudden question?"


    B80234615: "My data analysis suggests you''re doing this on purpose."


    Rita: "Yeah, I''m controlling it. I''ve gathered too much, and I wanted to let myself ''lose'' a bit to balance things out. Does that help?"


    B80234615 was silent for a long time, only faint electrical sounds filling the pause. After a while, it responded, "I''m not sure if it helps."


    Rita wasn''t disappointed. She leaned back against the transparent barrier in the kitchen, her eyes darting around, constantly on alert, ready to avoid any skills that might come her way.


    She occasionally recognized some strong players but couldn''t recall their titles. Whenever that happened, Rita quickly checked the Ladder Rankings. She spent a few moments analyzing the skills she had acquired during the day.


    This Cooking Adventure had netted her 11 skill icons: 5 S-level, 15 SS-level, and 21 SSS-level skills.


    All the skill icons were SSS-level, meaning she had acquired 32 SSS-level skills in total.


    The only skills she had lost due to death were one Divine Gift Talent, 4 S-level skills, and 3 SS-level skills.


    This was far more than what she had gained in earlier games like diamonds miners or Kart Racing.


    She looked at the kitchen of the restaurant across Food Street. There were some players sitting at the kitchen counters, avoiding the residual skill waves from the main restaurant door. Their faces were somewhat familiar, and Rita vaguely remembered a part of their names.


    She had likely memorized them a long time ago and then forgotten.


    As she watched them, Rita realized that she had made the same mistake that Winter Sea Frenzied Shark had made once.


    Rita could now recall how she had taken Midnight Exile from them, their surprise and fear¡ªthis was the price of underestimating weaker players. But now, as she looked up, she saw the abyssal players as distant figures, people she no longer regarded as significant.


    Rita exhaled, reminding herself that when the closing time arrived, she would take another look at the Ladder Rankings and memorize all the player titles again.


    Thinking of closing time, she remembered something. The closing time earlier in the morning had started at 1:00 AM, right after the cooking competition... but now that the Cooking Adventure had ended at 19:00, what about the time between then and closing time?


    At 19:00, the last round of elimination began, followed by a series of system announcements.


    ["Cooking Adventure" segment officially ends.]


    [Food Street enters its closing hours. All Divine Game players, players'' pets, event gift packs, foodies'' skills, items, and artifacts are all sealed. Players cannot attack one another.]


    [Closing hours: 19:00 - 01:00.]


    Ah, so it''s a mid-break!


    Rita was so moved she could almost cry.


    She immediately called out to Nivalis, then collapsed onto her belly, completely relaxed.


    As Rita peacefully closed her eyes, she felt something near her head. She lazily opened her eyes and saw a small rabbit, about the size of a chihuahua, staring at her.


    B80234615: "Why do they always look for you?"


    Rita: "Heh, I''m at the best investment stage now. You wouldn''t understand."


    B80234615: "?!"


    Rita: "If I get stronger, I''ll lose the nurturing value. If I take a step back, I''m no longer worth investing in."


    The rabbit pointed at the large bone that Rita had placed on the ground: "Is this yours?"


    Rita felt the familiar sensation of facing an angry party from whom she had stolen something. She shook her head, her expression serious, and replied firmly, "It''s not mine."


    The rabbit: "..."


    The rabbit paused, confused by Rita''s deflection.


    Nivalis: "I can vouch for her. It''s not hers."


    Rita and Nivalis remained calm as they lay on the ground, watching the rabbit.


    It wasn''t hers¡ªit was a bone from a Beast.


    The rabbit, with reason, argued: "I saw you earlier when the game ended, and you were holding this bone."


    Rita: "..."


    A strange experience indeed! A god, lecturing her on logic! A divine being of the female genre, perhaps?


    Rita turned over, facing the rabbit. She stared it down and asked, "Why are you looking for the owner of this bone?"


    The rabbit sat down and replied, "I want to buy this bone from you."


    Rita widened her eyes in disbelief and, cautious, asked, "Why?"


    The rabbit replied patiently: "It knocked out my friend''s front teeth, and my friend asked me to buy it back, along with the skin of the bone''s owner."


    Rita: "..."


    Rita slammed her fist on the ground, exclaiming, "That''s outrageous!"


    The rabbit: "Name your price."


    Rita turned away from the rabbit, muttering, "I told you, it''s not mine!"

 Chapter 559: 559: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 79

    This female-frequency rabbit will be called Rabbit 5 from now on.


    Rabbit 5 tapped Rita''s shoulder with a paw and slowly said, "I''ll trade you a rabbit hair for it."


    Rita, not particularly bothered by the hassle, flipped back around and asked, facing Rabbit 5, "You can just take it. This is wild bone; anyone can pick it up."


    Although the bone was of decent quality and carried a fair amount of attack power¡ªafter all, she had picked it as her weapon¡ªRita had no intention of keeping it. She had already obtained Betrayal Oath, and she could use it for the rest of the game.


    The bone was fine to hand over, and as for the rabbit hair...


    While Rita liked getting things without effort, she truly couldn''t figure out Rabbit 5''s intentions.


    The bone from the restaurant wasn''t worth just one rabbit hair, right?


    She still remembered the skill icon incident where Rabbit 5 dragged away her skill icon.


    Although it was all a trade, she preferred transactions like the one with Rabbit 1. Even though the offers made her uneasy, she felt those were proper exchanges because the goods and prices were balanced, which made her feel conflicted.


    That''s why she''d rather just give the bone to Rabbit 5 for free and avoid further complications.


    Rabbit 5 nodded, no longer pressing the issue. Standing up, they grabbed the large bone¡ªalmost twice their height¡ªand muttered to themselves, "What good luck... such a near-mutated ingredient... hmm, quite nice."


    Rita''s ears perked up. "What?!"


    Rabbit 5 didn''t leave immediately. Holding the bone in front of them, one paw gently stroked the bone, now free of meat and oil, nodding in admiration, "Quite nice, very nice."


    Rita was starting to feel uncomfortable, a prickling sensation crawling over her skin. She felt like she was being tricked into buying some health product, but what if...?


    Rita quickly sent a message to her personal assistant: "Is what they said true?"


    B8017913: "Unclear. Ingredients can indeed mutate, but there''s no fixed mutation method, and it''s difficult to tell before an ingredient fully mutates."


    Rita: "Are mutated ingredients very expensive? Do they become better or worse?"


    B8017913: "Mutation effects are random, and the taste is uncontrollable. However, even ordinary ingredients can become ten times more expensive after mutation. Skilled chefs like to collect mutated ingredients for research and exploration."


    Rita sat up and twisted her tail, facing Rabbit 5, staring at them without blinking.


    Rabbit 5 didn''t acknowledge her gaze. Instead, they tapped the bone on the ground and then swung it around in circles, making a sound like clack-clack.


    Rita stared for five minutes. Rabbit 5 really just played with the bone for those five minutes, not leaving.


    Unable to take it anymore, Rita finally asked, "Alright, clack-clack, what do you really want?"


    Rabbit 5 blinked blankly for a moment, then asked, "What''s ''clack-clack''?"


    Rita replied, "Tell me what you want, and I''ll tell you what ''clack-clack'' is."


    Rabbit 5 placed the bone into the ground and stopped the unnecessary motions. "I want to buy the White Boat you have."


    Rita''s first thought was: You''re still fanboying?


    Her second thought was: That White Boat figurine is definitely not simple!


    But her face showed surprise as she asked, "How did you know I have the White Boat?"


    "Skills," Rabbit 5 explained. As usual, any logical or illogical reasoning could be explained with skills. "I like that god, so I want to pay a high price to buy it."


    Rita didn''t mind Rabbit 5''s excuse. She paused and then asked, "So, are there a lot of gods'' figurines or merchandise in the World Battlefield?"


    Rabbit 5 didn''t want to answer this question and instead asked again, "Will you sell it?"


    Rita: "How many White Boat figurines are there in the World Battlefield? Is it a limited edition?"


    Rabbit 5: "...That information costs extra."


    Rita: "How much? Is it expensive?"


    Rabbit 5 stared back at Rita, knowing full well her intention to fish for answers. Any price would give away too much. If it gave a price, BS-Rita would probably guess the answer.


    Seeing that Rita wasn''t biting, Rabbit 5 tried again, "What price would you offer?"


    Rita, realizing Rabbit 5 was hesitant, responded: "This kind of item has a fluctuating price. Those who like it will pay a high price, but if you don''t meet the right buyers, you won''t sell it for much."


    Rita suddenly took out the White Boat figurine with her left hand and, with her right, held the cloudy flower petal that would dissipate with the wind. She held them up in front of Rabbit 5 and asked, "If you were to buy one, which do you think would be more expensive, the White Boat or the petal?"


    Rabbit 5: !!!


    Cold sweat started dripping from their face. This was a deadly question!


    "Just ask whether Deceitful Bloom or the captain is more powerful!"


    B8017913: "Vicious, huh?"


    Rita: "Ah, I''m just asking about the figurine prices! What were you guys thinking?"


    B8017913: "Aren''t you worried the gods will know you know their names and that they''re watching you?"


    Rita: "They gave me the items, so I''d know. Pretending I don''t is just insulting our intelligence."


    B8017913 realized: Ah, so I''m just a part of your play...


    Rabbit 5, still holding the bone, stood there for a long time without saying anything, like a statue.


    In that moment, they appeared helpless and fragile.


    Rita understood. It seemed Deceitful Bloom and the White Boat owner were stronger than Rabbit 5.


    What she didn''t know was that Rabbit 5''s godly chat channel was nearly about to explode.


    Rabbit 5 decided to follow Celestia''s advice and asked Rita, "I''m willing to offer the same price for both. How about you? Which one do you think is more valuable?"


    Rita solemnly retrieved the White Boat and Deceitful Bloom, giving Rabbit 5 a disapproving look, "Trying to put a price on them and turn them into commodities is just too much. They''re priceless to me."


    She then gave Rabbit 5 a long, hard look, sighing, "Your fondness for the gods is not pure."


    Rabbit 5: "......"


    The captain and Deceitful Bloom must be starving!!!


    Rabbit 5 shot a glare at BS-Rita, turned around, but didn''t move. When they looked back, the large bone was being held down by BS-Rita.


    BS-Rita had an expressive face¡ªshock, disbelief, and utter incredulity¡ªas she asked, "Why are you trying to take my bone?"


    Rabbit 5: "..."


    After returning, Rabbit 5 would definitely demand compensation from Celestia for emotional damages.

 Chapter 560: 560: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 80

    After teasing Rabbit 5, Rita decided to hand over the large bone. In return, Rabbit 5 didn''t flay her alive. But as Rabbit 5 left, her fur was completely bristling, and with the bone slung over her shoulder, she looked like she was about to go beat someone to death. Gone was the earlier slow, reasoned attitude. She had taken the bone, but left behind her manners.


    Nivalis finally spoke up: "I almost couldn''t watch that."


    Rita lay back down, retorting, "You only say that after they''ve left."


    Not long after closing her eyes, Rita opened them again, seeing that Rabbit 5 had come back. Rita wondered if she had truly pissed off the rabbit enough to get bitten.


    Rita slowly sat up. "What''s up?"


    Rabbit 5, still holding back her anger, said, "You still haven''t told me what ''Cubone'' is..."


    Rita: "..."


    After learning that Cubone was a cute Poke?mon that used a bone as a weapon, and after seeing Rita''s kind drawing of it on animal hide, Rabbit 5''s fur settled down again. She stared at the drawing for a while, asked Rita a few questions, then bounced away.


    As Rabbit 5 left, Rita muttered, "She''s like a child."


    B8017913 commented, "A rich diversity of emotions and profound feelings are the source of strength."


    In its usually monotone voice, there was a hint of envy and confusion.


    "In your world, emotional stability is seen as a sign of maturity. But in truth, losing emotions is losing power."


    Rita was silent for a long while before replying, "The path of emotionlessness truly leads nowhere."


    B8017913: ?


    Nivalis: ?


    Rita lay down again to rest, familiarizing herself with the players online in the leaderboard.


    Nivalis and B8017913 kept an eye on the battlefield chat, extracting useful information and whispering it to her.


    After listening for a while, Rita asked, "Has any player complained about being punished for killing low-level players after becoming a blacklisted player?"


    This hidden rule had already been confirmed by B8017913, and Nivalis was aware of it too. She replied, "No, so far, everyone is keeping things tightly under wraps."


    Rita frowned. She had withstood countless powerful attacks thanks to [Bedtime Tale]. Did these high-level players not care about such punishments?


    She thought back to her three exclusive rules:


    Prohibited from using theft skills on players with lower combat power.


    Prohibited from killing Divine Game players at the "Fool" tier.


    Prohibited from using the Refurbish skill on mechanical races.


    The punishment for violating these rules was something Rita couldn''t accept: "Each time you break one of these rules, one of the stolen items from your last three Starsea days will be returned to its original owner at random."


    Thinking back, Rita felt a chill. There was a time when she completely forgot about these rules...


    The first rule wasn''t too bad. She had high standards, and usually stole from rabbits or high-level players. She also vaguely remembered the third rule.


    But the second rule¡ªafter becoming a blacklisted player, she had been so focused on survival and scavenging that she forgot about it entirely.


    Fortunately, she hadn''t successfully killed any "Fool" tier players. Was it luck?


    "Fool" tier players...


    The more Rita thought, the more her frown deepened.


    This round of the game was so brutal that it was a death sentence for "Fool" tier players, essentially eradicating them from the Divine Game.


    Where was the fairness in the Divine Game?


    What about these "Fools"?


    Rita opened the leaderboard, which was now showing the real-time revenue rankings. As she scrolled down, she found that among the top 10,000, there were over 500 players with combat power only in tiers 2¨C3, and more than 3,000 players in tiers 4¨C6.


    Every time Rita had previously checked the leaderboard for players, a nagging sense of unease crossed her mind.


    Back then, she thought it was because high-level players were busy being blacklisted and had completely given up on revenue, while low-level players focused on running restaurants, so the revenue catching up made sense.


    But now, looking back, this didn''t seem right.


    Even if high-level players stopped to wait, it shouldn''t be like this...


    The Dark Food Street?


    That was the only explanation she could think of.


    Rita cleared her mind and slept until midnight. She wasn''t avoiding sleep, but she heard a system notification.


    [Please reselect the skill icons you want to equip.]


    [Based on your performance in the Cooking Adventure, you can equip up to 9 skill icons.]


    Rita sat up, leaning against Nivalis''s belly, and asked, "Do you have any skill icons this time?"


    Nivalis replied, "No."


    Rita sighed and began selecting her skills again.


    The thought of choosing 9 trash skills to minimize potential losses flashed through Rita''s mind for a moment but was quickly suppressed.


    [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] was a must-have. She had already copied it before, and now she had two.


    [Mysterious Power], which she had used the reward from the 3rd Egg for, still had the "cannot be lost for any reason" effect, so this one needed to stay.


    [Bedtime Tale], her survival skill, was a must-have. She couldn''t afford to lose a second [Midnight Exile] skill, so that one would be left out.


    [Repay], which allowed her to copy other players'' skills, ensuring her skillset remained diverse, had to stay.


    [Reward or Punishment] wasn''t rare and could be used to absorb damage; "Reward" acted as a shield, and "Punishment" could work well with [Mysterious Power]. Since it was the last day, she had to use [Mysterious Power].


    Her sixth skill: SS-tier healing skill [Mango Pomelo Sago], though it only healed 50% of health, had a short cooldown time.


    Her seventh skill: An SS-tier healing attack skill [If You Can Kill Me].


    [If You Can Kill Me] (SSS): When activated, your health limit temporarily expands from 0% to -500%. During this period, every attack you take has a 15% chance to heal you by 5% of your health. Lasts for 5 minutes; consumes 5% mana; cooldown time is 15 minutes.


    Her eighth skill: An SSS-tier escape skill [Romantic Tourist].


    [Romantic Tourist] (SSS): You can remotely set 7 buildings as city landmarks. As long as they are in your line of sight, you can set them. Using this skill will randomly teleport you to one of the 7 landmarks for sightseeing; there must be at least a 30-minute gap between teleports; once a landmark is "visited," it will disappear. Only 7 landmarks can exist at the same time, and you can set up to 12 landmarks a day; each landmark lasts for up to 24 hours.


    An escape teleport skill, but unfortunately, it could only be used 12 times a day...


    This number and skill seemed to be a modification from its previous owner.


    Her last skill: Rita gritted her teeth and selected the disguise skill [Survive Until the End].


    In the final round of the game, she didn''t expect to get another big haul like in the Cooking Adventure. Her primary goal was to minimize the number of deaths!


    She intended to live to the end with her spoils.

 Chapter 561: 561: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 81

    Rita stood up and stretched, surveying the Food Street. The customers were nowhere to be seen, and the other black household players, some already inside restaurants resting, were mostly still out in the public areas, waiting for the closing time to arrive. From her observation, there were less than 10,000 black household players left outside.


    Before the Culinary Competition, the total number of players and visitors combined was nearly 100,000, with 12,745 restaurants. Now, there were fewer than 9,000 restaurants remaining. Rita hadn''t noticed this before¡ªshe had been too focused on finishing the parkour challenge and trying to avoid dying along the way.


    This made her recall something she had thought about just before falling asleep¡ªthe fate of low-level players in this game.


    Being a black household? After two hours without entering a restaurant, they would be sent to the Dark Food Street.


    Entering a restaurant? Every round of the last-place elimination would likely kill players ranked 7999th or below, which would mostly be low-level players.


    Becoming a chef? Unable to make good dishes or sell them, many players couldn''t even identify all the ingredients.


    Shopping for ingredients? They''d be dead the moment they step out of the restaurant door because of the black household players.


    Cashiers and cleaners might be a bit safer, but even if they made it into the top 7999, they''d still have to deal with surprise egg boxes.


    And then there were the 1000 Inspectors walking around Food Street, always monitoring.


    No matter how Rita looked at it, low-level players had little hope in this round of the game. Even in the Cooking Adventure, they barely stood a chance.


    She opened the Leaderboard and started to examine the real-time sales ranking. What she saw startled her. There were over five hundred players in the top 10,000 with combat levels of only 2-3, and over three thousand with combat levels between 4-6.


    The disparity was impossible to ignore. High-level players were busy being black households, abandoning the revenue game while low-level players focused on running their restaurants. However, this didn''t explain why so many low-level players seemed to be stuck in an endless cycle.


    Could it be that the Dark Food Street was actually the biggest benefit for low-level players in this game? If so, that would explain the reduction in the number of restaurants. Those players who had been eliminated in the last rounds might have been sent to the Dark Food Street.


    The Dark Food Street would at least allow those players to earn some revenue, and after the game ends, they could receive rewards for their efforts. Meanwhile, the reduction in the number of restaurants could be a measure to keep the competition in the Cooking Adventure from losing its intensity.


    But then, what about them? How would the gods maintain the fun and balance in the game on the third day? And where would the black household players be placed during the downtime?


    Rita thought about the reward for Egg #5, which allowed her to see through the identities of players. What did that mean?


    As she pondered these questions, she landed and almost immediately shot back up into the air, feeling like a fire had been lit under her.


    She looked to the 2 o''clock direction and noticed Maple Syrup pointing at her retreating back with their finger. The expression on Maple Syrup''s face spoke volumes without a word being said. Next to them, Pine Bloom quickly finished a beer and handed the cup to Maple Syrup. "I know what you''re going to say, don''t say it, just refill the cup."


    Maple Syrup dropped a feather into the glass, and within seconds, it melted into a fine, aromatic wine. "Drink, this happens every day in the World Battlefield. It''s nothing to worry about. Maybe everyone''s already forgotten about that achievement."


    Pine Bloom sighed with relief and smiled at Maple Syrup, who returned the smile.


    After a few seconds, Pine Bloom opened the battlefield chat channel.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: "That rare achievement ''Gods, Please Remember My Name''¡ªis it impossible to get once you''re above level 11?"


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: "Yeah, it''s actually better to get it around level 7. At level 15, it''s much easier to kill."


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: "?"


    [Black Spring¡¤Mud Bears]: "?"


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Mistblade]: "?"


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: "?"


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: "That last message was from Sea Pony, they logged into my account."


    Maple Syrup looked at Pine Bloom and noticed that her hand, holding the cup, was trembling slightly. She caught the glare from Pine Bloom and saw the feather marks on her wrist.


    Pine Bloom: "What''s going on?"


    Maple Syrup cleared her throat. "Well, I was just asking about that achievement... But, looking at it from a positive perspective, if the gods are remembering BS-Rita''s name, they''ll likely remember yours too."


    Pine Bloom couldn''t hold back any longer. She finished the rest of her drink and threw the glass at Maple Syrup.


    "Go die!"


    "...Calm down, calm down!"


    ...


    [10 minutes later: Official Closing Time]


    [Closing Time: 01:00~07:00]


    [The Food Street will be completely closed during closing time. Only official employees are allowed to remain. All other beings must leave.]


    Rita frowned and stood up, feeling a deep sense of unease.


    Ten minutes later, with a sound of [First Round Begins], Rita''s vision went black. When she opened her eyes again, she found herself on all fours. Her perspective had lowered drastically, and everything felt much smaller...


    Surrounding her were various strange beasts¡ªeight species in total, none of them particularly rare. The common denominator was that their meat was famously delicious.


    Having gone through the 4-star Cooking Class with White Bear, Rita knew the name of every one of these beasts and could make at least one dish out of their meat.


    Looking down at her fuzzy paws, she noticed sharp claws and black spots on her white fur. She had 9 skill icons and 7 hidden eggs on her front limbs.


    She tried standing on her hind legs and found it possible, though it was hard to balance. It wasn''t a big deal; she had been trained in martial arts for situations like this, where one limb would be sealed.


    The problem, however, was that her light wings were gone, and she had lost her flying ability.


    Luckily, B8017913 was still attached to her ears, and she could still open her bag. Her "Betrayed Vow" skill was in there too.


    Rita approached a strange beast with big eyes and used its eyeball as a mirror to look at her new form.


    She was two meters tall, muscular with long limbs, and a long tail¡ªclearly a beast built for speed.


    Looking at her face, however, she realized something was off.


    Her face resembled that of a Sandstorm Fox, a creature from the Nuclear Flash world. It was known for its tender, sweet meat, perfect for making 2-5 star dishes.


    As she stared at the beast in front of her, it suddenly looked furious and spoke in a language she didn''t understand. "£¤#@..."


    B8017913: "It''s asking you why you''re staring at it."

 Chapter 562: 562: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 82

    Rita quickly moved away from the creature with the large eyes, realizing it belonged to the Tingo Autumn Deer race, specifically from the Sun-chasing Tribe. She didn''t want to get too close, and moved cautiously through the gathering of strange beasts. She walked for about 30 meters, occasionally hopping in place to see if she could gather more information.


    It felt like a ranch, with the players, including herself, essentially treated as livestock.


    She observed a few rabbits¡ªshe didn''t recognize them, but each seemed to carry a unique aura, likely because they were transformed by gods or demons. If she spent more time with them, she would eventually be able to recognize them.


    As time passed, Rita became more anxious, but the more anxious she got, the less she moved. There were no apparent rules or gameplay yet, and despite the fact that it seemed like the perfect time to use "I Just Want to Improve So Badly", she held back from using her skills recklessly. There was no need to rush.


    She periodically checked the battlefield chat for updates, but most of the time, she was keeping an eye on nearby players and the environment.


    To see farther, she kept herself standing on her feet, with her tail propped behind her on the ground.


    She noticed that the space wasn''t very big; otherwise, the more alert players wouldn''t be so close. No matter how far she tried to move away from nearby players, the distance never exceeded a meter.


    There were always those who liked to stay hidden, like Rita, and those who preferred to explore.


    Six minutes after Rita entered the strange area, there was a sudden explosion in the distance¡ªthree loud bangs, like fireworks cracking open.


    The sound startled Rita, and every player around her turned to look. However, by the time they looked over, it was already too late. They only saw a few sparkling lights scattered in the air.


    The unknown fear that followed was quite disturbing.


    Rita noticed a rabbit leap onto the shoulder of a beast standing at least three meters tall, trying to see farther. The beast glanced at the event gift pack and didn''t try to shake the rabbit off.


    This action inspired the other rabbits around.


    Two more rabbits appeared from nowhere and jumped up, but they couldn''t fit on the left shoulder, so they stood on the right shoulder instead.


    Rita moved her gaze away and continued observing.


    A few more loud noises rang out, but every time Rita looked toward them, it was already too late. The events occurred too quickly¡ªthere was no time to react.


    This was happening not only to Rita but to every player around her.


    None of them were ordinary humans, so their reactions should have been faster.


    Rita suspected that there was some kind of delay in the sound. After the players exploded, the sound followed afterward, and no matter how far away the players were, if they didn''t see the incident happen with their own eyes, they wouldn''t make it in time to react.


    The growing frustration among players was evident. The rabbit on the beast''s shoulder jumped off, muttering curses. When its gaze met Rita''s calm one, it hesitated for a moment before continuing to curse louder.


    The other two rabbits hopped off the beast''s back, and one slid down its spine, muttering something in a language Rita could understand. It said it was going to find a snake-necked dragon and stand on its head to see more.


    As the rabbit''s words faded, it joined the other two rabbits.


    Despite the differences in size, the three rabbits stood so close together that there was no visible space between them.


    At that moment, Rita''s heart skipped a beat. She widened her eyes in shock, her pupils narrowing into thin slits.


    As she blinked, the three rabbits exploded, turning into three clusters of star-like lights, and the explosion went off with a loud bang just as the lights scattered.


    Rita: "WHAT!? A Match-3?!"


    She quickly looked around to see if there were other Sandstorm Foxes nearby, and sure enough, she spotted two more¡ªbut there were other creatures between them.


    To be safe, she squeezed her tail tightly and moved a few steps to the side, wedging herself between two different kinds of beasts. Only then did she feel somewhat secure.


    A minute later, no new rabbits appeared at the spot where the three exploded.


    Perhaps they were randomly placed in other areas of the ranch, or they had left it altogether.


    01:30 ¡ª The game had been going on for half an hour, and many players had already discovered the fact that standing together with three of the same kind would cause them to explode.


    However, no one spoke about it.


    As more explosions occurred, fewer players remained in the ranch. The area kept shrinking every five minutes to ensure players didn''t spread too far apart.


    Rita stayed silent, noticing the few players who had figured out the trick. After a few moments of silent eye contact, they all started moving and grouped together.


    By now, Rita and four other players formed a loose circle, each facing a different direction. They appeared to have accidentally gathered, but in reality, as soon as another player of the same type came near, they could quickly close the circle or merge into the center.


    By 01:50, there were several small circles of players scattered across the field. There was no need for words; each group would quickly form by simply bringing together a few different types of players.


    Some solitary players didn''t manage to join a group, but with most players forming alliances, it wasn''t dangerous to stay in a corner by themselves as long as they weren''t near any similar types.


    Rita had been paying attention to the different kinds of creatures on the field. So far, there were only 12 different kinds of beasts that had changed to match the players'' types, excluding the pets accompanying the players.


    New players were still arriving, and each new arrival added another layer of uncertainty.


    02:00, the Second Round Begins.


    Rita''s vision blurred for a moment, and when it cleared, she realized the players around her had changed. She was still a Sandstorm Fox, but her new surroundings felt different.


    Looking around, she saw that the previously eliminated players had returned.


    They were easy to recognize because their expressions were grim¡ªthey had no idea what had happened to them after they died.


    The second round started. Although Rita wasn''t sure if the gameplay would be the same, the seasoned players quickly regrouped.


    Players who had died in the previous round immediately recognized the pattern and joined the groups without hesitation.


    However, all players knew this wouldn''t be as simple as it seemed.


    The first round was difficult because of the unknowns, but now that everyone knew the game mechanics, the gods would definitely introduce new challenges.


    Currently, to Rita''s left stood a rabbit, and to her right was a griffin. Nearby, there were two little black pigs and a Bido Beast.


    The rabbit, about the same height as Rita, kept glancing at her, turning its head back and forth.


    Unable to resist, Rita spoke in English:


    "...What''s up? Stop staring, I''m scared."


    The rabbit responded in English:


    "Can''t I look?!"


    Rita rubbed her ears, feeling a sense of de?ja? vu. This voice wasn''t from the big rabbit or the little rabbit¡ªcould it be a different account?


    Thinking of the little rabbit''s kindness, Rita leaned in closer, trying to test a secret signal:


    "Foolish treasure?"


    Then she stepped back slightly, making eye contact with the rabbit, signaling, "It''s me, BS-Rita! Got any inside info? Let''s talk!"


    The rabbit stared at Rita''s face, and the slits in her eyes...


    It felt a spark of anger deep inside.


    The next second, Rita saw the rabbit''s punch enlarge in her vision as it struck her straight in the face.


    The rabbit shouted:


    "YOU''RE the foolish treasure!"

 Chapter 563: 563: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 83

    Rita let out a yelp as the rabbit''s punch landed on her face, quickly burying her face in her two animal paws. "That damn rabbit really hit hard!" she muttered to herself, rubbing her aching face.


    Before she could even think of retaliating, a prompt echoed across the arena.


    [Prompt: Players who died in the first round will not face any penalties for dying in this round. Also, players can gain kill rewards for defeating others.]


    Half of the players around her lit up with excitement. Most of them had died in the first round, and now they were fully aware of the opportunity this presented.


    This meant that if two players of the same species joined forces and forcibly dragged a third player of the same species into their group, they could guarantee a kill!


    The players in the black market weren''t weak, and in a one-on-one fight, it might take seven to eight minutes to defeat one of them. But now, they just needed to hold hands, and victory was practically assured.


    With this new realization, the peace in the area shattered instantly.


    Rita glanced at the players on either side of her, realizing that as soon as the notification ended, they were already charging toward others!


    Clearly, they had all died in the previous round and now were fearless in their approach.


    At the same time, two Sandstorm Foxes charged toward her from different directions.


    Panic set in as Rita turned and ran. Don''t come near me! Please! she screamed internally.


    To avoid the Sandstorm Foxes connecting with her in pursuit, she stuck to an S-shaped path, darting through the crowd of different beasts.


    With the game''s objective now clear, all kinds of attack strategies began to emerge.


    Rita occasionally felt the impact of defensive skills pushing her away.


    She quickly reacted by layering "I Just Want to Improve So Badly" and "Mango Pomelo Sago" to ensure her health stayed above 70%.


    Meanwhile, she kept an eye on nearby escape skills; if she spotted a useful one, she''d copy it with "Repay".


    Unfortunately, there were no buildings here, and she couldn''t use her "Romantic Tourist" skill at all.


    The chaos around her intensified as various animals scattered, clashing like bumper cars.


    The flying creatures took to the skies, and the rabbits and smaller beasts jumped onto the backs of other players, running around in chaotic, random patterns.


    The sounds of explosions¡ªbang, bang, bang!¡ªfilled the air.


    It wasn''t just three explosions anymore, sometimes four or five went off at once.


    Rita felt as if her head was full of non-stop audio feedback:


    "Great! Amazing! Excellent! Crazy! Unbelievable!"


    But despite the constant explosions, the number of players didn''t seem to decrease at all.


    She couldn''t see what was happening on the ground, but she could spot the chaos in the sky.


    Though some of the airborne creatures were eliminated, new ones kept rising back up, and overall, the number of creatures stayed the same.


    This was different from the first round¡ªthe players who died in the second round could come back!


    Rita had a sinking feeling that if death carried no penalty for players, she would be cornered eventually.


    She was already five deaths in, and if she died five more times, she would lose her god-gifted skill to revive.


    This realization made her panic. If she were trapped by a group of Sandstorm Foxes in a corner, she''d definitely be toast. This situation was unbelievable.


    However, if there was no penalty for dying multiple times, that would make everything even more dangerous.


    "Bedtime Tale" could only block skills, and this game''s instant kills couldn''t be countered. If even the rabbit-like beasts and Demon King-level players couldn''t resist, how could she?


    But she knew she had no choice. She couldn''t keep dodging forever.


    Even if she was lucky and the next round went smoothly, she''d still face another Match-3 event in a moment.


    She cursed internally, realizing she had missed her chance at copying any disguise skills.


    It was hard to tell who the players were in disguise, as they could easily blend in with the Match-3 beasts.


    She couldn''t even tell which ones were players'' pets and which ones were actual players. The whole situation felt like a nightmare.


    Her thoughts were interrupted by the chaos around her, with players using all sorts of skills¡ªmost of them on cooldown.


    There were too many players and too many skills going off at once, making the scene even more intense.


    02:17, the second round had 43 minutes left.


    Should she gamble? Would there be no penalty if she died again?


    No. That was too risky. Even if she succeeded, the rewards would be insignificant. It was better to try with "Survive Until the End".


    However, surviving to the end with that skill had its own problems.


    She needed the players who saw her transformed into an object to think: "Got her!" rather than questioning, destroying, or ignoring her.


    If they didn''t react in time, Rita would be easy prey.


    As she stared at her two items in the backpack, she couldn''t help but feel a heavy weight on her chest.


    In the distance, she saw two rabbits chasing after another.


    Suddenly, both stopped and locked their gaze on something on the ground.


    A miniature white boat.


    Rita''s heart skipped a beat. That boat!


    As the rabbits focused on the boat, more players began to notice it, too.


    The curious players hesitated for a second and then rushed toward it.


    Not everyone knew what the white boat represented, but the players who did recognize it were almost certainly not weak.


    For those who recognized it, the next few seconds seemed to freeze.


    When time resumed, the players who recognized the boat¡ªor even those who didn''t but had similar items¡ªrushed toward the boat.


    "Deceitful Bloom?"


    "What did he say?"


    "Deceitful Bloom said, ''I arrived first.''"


    "I won''t say something so foolish."


    "I gave the petals as a course. BS-Rita couldn''t confirm if my token is in this form, but the white boat is 100% a divine artifact. If I were you, I''d pretend it was the white boat too."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "Why aren''t you saying anything?"


    "Ah, because you suddenly started talking so much. We wanted to give you the stage."


    "..."

 Chapter 564: 564: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 84

    Rita, now transformed into White Boat, couldn''t see anything outside of her current form. She could only observe her own stats. Though she no longer had any cooldowns to track or anything to reference time by, she no longer needed any of that.


    The "Combat Rhythm" course she had completed taught her to manage time precisely, even in the middle of dense combat. She had learned to keep track of every skill''s cooldown and use time, all without a reference point, with her heart and mind acting as the clock and stopwatch.


    Today was a bold experiment. She had never tested how things would work if she used "Survive Until the End" and turned into an item, to be placed in another player''s bag. The possibilities were vast.


    The best case scenario was that she could stay in the bag until the end of the game, which would be a huge win. The second possibility was that she would be reset to her initial state as a Sandstorm Fox when the third round began. The worst case was that the player who took her bag would die midway through the round, and she would die with them.


    In any case, even the worst outcome wasn''t much different from her usual experience of dying and getting back into the game. She prepared herself mentally for whatever might happen.


    03:00¡ªRita''s mind remained clear and precise. The third round of the game began.


    For a moment, Rita noticed the darkness fade. She found herself back on the battlefield. It seemed like the second scenario had occurred: she was still in the form of the Sandstorm Fox, with only 17 HP left.


    Quickly, she used "Mango Pomelo Sago" to heal herself back to 50% health.


    The players around her moved slightly, ensuring they weren''t affected by the Match-3 mechanics, but no one was making any major moves yet. Everyone was waiting for the next game prompt.


    Rita scanned the battlefield. The number of different beast species had dwindled to only 9.


    Two minutes later, a new prompt echoed through the battlefield:


    [Hint: Skills can also link together to complete Match-3 effects. The skill user will be exempt from death penalties and will randomly receive a kill reward from one of the eliminated players.]


    Linking skills! Unfortunately, Rita didn''t have any of those.


    She immediately began to move, her eyes scanning for anyone using a link or control-based skill. As soon as she saw one, she''d use Repay to copy it.


    If she had brought "Family Bucket", she could''ve linked a control skill, followed by a massive Family Bucket attack, hitting up to 100 targets at once. But sadly, she didn''t have it with her.


    The prompt also stated that the kill rewards were to avoid players with skill advantages farming points, so she couldn''t rely solely on skill.


    While maneuvering, Rita locked onto a player who was using a fire whip¡ªa skill that could snake through and hit only the desired targets. Perfect. She could copy it with Repay!


    She ran up a large beast, pushing off its back to launch herself into the air. As she twisted her body mid-air, the ice ribbon trailing behind her failed to adjust in time and struck the beast below her.


    Landing gracefully, Rita rushed forward and immediately used the newly copied skill, the fire snake attacking the Sandstorm Fox in front of her. The enemy''s chain locked around her front paw, tripping her up but quickly extending to catch a third Sandstorm Fox.


    Rolling on the ground, Rita didn''t focus on the battle around her but instead kept her attention on her target.


    Her fire snake flew across the ground, narrowly avoiding the feet of other beasts. She made sure to strike the tail of the third Sandstorm Fox just before it disappeared from view.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    She found herself back in the initial room. Cold and impassive, Rita waited for a few seconds before hearing the announcement.


    [Congratulations, player BS-Rita, for completing the elimination.]


    [You will receive the death penalty of player Jianqi Hu Wen.]


    [Player Hu Wen chose to exchange an SSS-level skill for a revival chance. You will receive that skill as your loot.]


    [Ding¡ªLoot extracted. You have received Hu Wen''s SSS-level skill: "The Old Blacksmith."]


    "The Old Blacksmith" (SSS): Allows you to summon a mysterious old blacksmith, who will create a top-level workshop based on your desires. Every use requires the blacksmith to be compensated with fine wine and gourmet food; otherwise, he will refuse to work. Cooldown: 180 Starsea days.


    This skill wasn''t as rare as a control or escape skill, but it was certainly special!


    Rita loved unique abilities like this. While it wasn''t an attack skill, it had great potential. Wine and food could be easily provided, and she could leave the old blacksmith''s work to Eclipse Vanguard. As for what she''d give Eclipse Vanguard? She could rent the blacksmith out!


    An SSS-level blacksmith was no ordinary craftsman. Once the blacksmith completed a workshop for her, she could use her skills to shorten the cooldown, then pass the workshop onto Eclipse Vanguard.


    If Eclipse Vanguard needed more, they''d need to pay in gold or items that increase attributes.


    Once the revival timer ended, Rita was back in the game. She immediately began moving, searching for her next target.


    Though dying didn''t reset her cooldowns, Repay was already back, and as soon as she spotted a target, she would strike again.


    She wasn''t willing to use Survive Until the End to leave the game just yet.


    Hu Wen, a level 15 player, had been eliminated due to the Match-3 mechanic, and she had obtained an SSS-level skill from him!


    If she could score a tenth kill reward from any high-level player, she might end up with even more incredible loot!


    Reluctantly, Rita stayed in the game, knowing that the big rewards were still within reach.


    Her mind raced with excitement about what might happen next.


    B8017913: "So Rabbit 3 was wrong, you don''t lack blood¡ªjust needed some excitement. When the temptation and reward are enough, you charge ahead fearlessly."


    Rita: "Exactly! Rabbit 3 never understood me."


    Rita: "Remember that BS announcement from a previous Divine Game? They praised me and Nivalis for our sharp, steady strategies, fearlessness, and flexible combat tactics. Even though it''s all true, I felt embarrassed! Don''t believe me? Ask Nivalis."


    Rita: "Why aren''t you responding? This silence is awkward."


    B8017913: "..."


    The sudden mention of Rabbit 3 caused a ripple in the system''s alert. Something had shifted in the divine game...

 Chapter 565: 565: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 85

    Rita didn''t mind that B8017913 hadn''t replied to her, as she was already focused on the battle at hand. Little did she know, the gods had added keyword sensing to the game...


    The third round of the Match-3 mechanics greatly reduced the distance between players. It allowed even Nightmare Mode and Abyssal-level players to take down Demon Kings and Overlords.


    In the previous round, the physical contact required for Match-3 meant that despite Rita''s impressive agility (over 2,000), her speed couldn''t compete with Abyssal-level players. Even without encountering the chain skill that could drag players back, she wouldn''t have lasted much longer.


    After her first death, she quickly changed tactics, opting to lie low. But this round was different. The skill link mechanic now allowed players who initiated the link to avoid the death penalty.


    There were quite a few skills that worked with this new rule.


    It didn''t take long for players to catch on to the trick. Guiding skills, where the initiator could control the direction and attack multiple players, became essential. Random skills like Family Bucket, which attacked nearby players after hitting a target, also counted as links.


    As long as a skill, once used, could attack multiple targets in sequence, it counted as a link. In this case, players with linking skills would avoid close physical contact. The closer the distance, the higher the unpredictability. The ideal strategy was to maintain a safe distance while chasing and wait for the right moment to activate the skill to link.


    Players without linking skills had a more difficult time. They had to play defensively.


    But there were exceptions.


    Rita noticed a wild raccoon during her escape. The raccoon was holding a lightning spear, which Rita recognized all too well, and was running wildly across the battlefield. The lightning spear was impaling a half-dead raccoon, and when the raccoon found a target, it threw the spear, which quickly shot across the field and stabbed into the third raccoon''s rear end.


    It had linked up!


    The three raccoons completed the Match-3.


    Rita was thankful she wasn''t the same species as Maple Syrup!


    The game prompt didn''t clarify much either. The addition of "skills can also be linked" made Match-3 more complex, but no one knew if the rules from the previous round still applied. Could players who had died in the first round still avoid the death penalty in the third?


    Players might be willing to test it, but whether the result was good or bad, no one would share their findings.


    This uncertainty made everyone cautious and blurred the gap between players'' power levels. Now, it came down to timing and speed¡ªwho could strike first.


    While escaping, Rita fully absorbed everything she had learned from the "Dodge", "Melee (Unarmed)", and "Combat Rhythm" courses. She had synchronized them with her reality. But it wasn''t enough.


    She watched as a group of Sandstorm Foxes approached. They weren''t using any skills, but their movement was eerily precise, almost like they had some dodging skill.


    Even with her new form, her body was incredibly agile.


    The battlefield was a blur of colored skill beams. While most players were trying to dodge every skill that came their way, Rita knew she couldn''t pull off the same feats. It was her weakness.


    Her strategy was to focus on the sources of all skill beams. In the face of the Sandstorm Fox''s skill chain, at critical moments, she would sacrifice some of her defense. She''d rather get hit by another player''s skill than try to perfectly dodge every attack.


    The existence of "Bedtime Tale" gave her a high margin for error, and "Survive Until the End" provided a backup plan. Rita had no reason to give up on this round.


    The cooldown for "Repay" was only three minutes, meaning she could use any borrowed Guiding skills once every three minutes, unless the skill she borrowed had a cooldown of less than one and a half minutes.


    The battlefield had plenty of linkable guiding skills, and Rita moved quickly, searching for her next opportunity.


    Then, a thought crossed her mind: could skills like "I Could Just Steal It", which could only be used once in a lifetime, also be refreshed by Repay?


    The thought passed quickly, but Rita didn''t have time to think much about it. She grabbed a rabbit nearby with her tail and tried to pull it over to block an incoming skill, but the rabbit grabbed her tail and tossed her away.


    At least she could use her enemies'' attacks to stay away from danger.


    Rita adjusted her position mid-air, and three skill beams came at her from different directions.


    Unable to dodge them all, Rita immediately used "Survive Until the End", transforming into Pine Bloom''s Feather. The large beast she had become turned into a thin, light feather and barely avoided the skills that were aimed at her.


    The moment the skills were canceled, she reverted back into Sandstorm Fox, and with hardly any time to adjust her position, she struck immediately. She used the copied skill, "Lightning Chain", following the attack path she had previously chosen.


    [Congratulations, player BS-Rita, for completing the elimination.]


    [You will receive the death penalty of player Ghost Arcane.]


    [Player Arcane chooses to exchange two SS-level skills for a revival chance. You will randomly draw one SS-level skill as your loot.]


    [Ding¡ªLoot extracted. You have received Arcane''s SS-level skill¡ªStarburst.]


    "Starburst" (SS): A group attack skill.


    After exiting the initial room, Rita tested it and realized she couldn''t use it. She could only use the skill icons she had brought into the game. This game wasn''t going to allow her to become stronger like in Cooking Adventures.


    Back on the battlefield, Rita kept moving, always looking for her next opportunity. If she couldn''t dodge an attack, she would use "Survive Until the End" to transform into Pine Bloom''s feather again.


    But unless absolutely necessary, Rita avoided doing this. "Survive Until the End" consumed a lot of mana, and though it had no cooldown, using it drained 50% of her mana. Since she hadn''t brought any mana recovery skills, it was better to tank the skills from other players.


    At least if her health dropped, she could heal. But if her mana fell below 50%, she couldn''t use "Survive Until the End" at a crucial moment.


    Unfortunately, "The Old Blacksmith" and "Starburst" were the only two rewards she earned in the third round.


    The players were quick to come up with new strategies.


    Once again, Rita''s skill was blocked by a player''s pet at the critical moment, interrupting her Match-3 link.


    Rita groaned, "How shameless!"


    B8017913: "Actually, you could also..."


    Rita: "Nivalis can''t do it."


    B8017913: "I didn''t make the wrong choice."


    Rita: "Huh? She really can''t do it. She''s too fragile¡ªone hit and she might die. It''s not that she can''t do it."


    She had considered using Nivalis as a flying mount to help her escape the battlefield, but again, Nivalis was too fragile...


    B8017913 paused for a moment before smoothly changing its tone: "I didn''t make a mistake after all."

 Chapter 566: 566: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 86

    Rita truly felt regret and sorrow. She wasn''t just saying this to B8017913; she had said it to Nivalis as well.


    She regretted not having a skill like "Bedtime Tale", otherwise, she could have protected herself.


    When Nivalis heard Rita''s lament, there was no trace of annoyance or sadness on her face. In fact, she seemed even more regretful than Rita!


    Nivalis: "Once we''re out of here, I''ll find Holy Cup and Emperor Umbrella and ask them to teach me a skill like that, then I can help protect you!"


    Nivalis: "Actually, I can do it now! I still have one more chance to die, and I have three SSS-level skills I can use."


    Nivalis: "If you get in danger, you must summon me. I really want to help you."


    Rita thought to herself that maybe she had been wrong all along.


    It was only the fragile things that feared getting hurt. While she didn''t lie to Nivalis, her reluctance to ask for help at certain times might have been seen by Nivalis as rejection.


    If she were in Nivalis''s shoes, and facing a life-threatening situation, wouldn''t she protect Nivalis if she had "Bedtime Tale"?


    Of course she would.


    Because compared to Nivalis facing death penalties, losing a bit of health wouldn''t mean much to Rita.


    She wouldn''t hate Nivalis, feeling like she was at a disadvantage. Nor would she consider Nivalis a burden.


    As for things like "I can help you but you can''t ask me for help," that didn''t matter to dragons.


    They never cared for flowery words.


    If there was calculation in the heart, even without saying a word, a dragon would know.


    04:00 ¨C Fourth Round


    The game reset, and all players stood still.


    Only eight types of beasts remained in the arena.


    [Prompt: The rules from the third round remain]


    [New settings: Pets being connected to their owners means their owners are also connected. All players must release at least one pet, and the distance between the pet and its owner must not exceed 0.5 meters. If the pet-owner distance exceeds 3 seconds, they will be considered eliminated.]


    [From this round onward, if the player accumulates five eliminations, they will be sent as ingredients to the dark food street or the marketplace.]


    [If the player accumulates ten voluntary eliminations, they will gain the status of a food customer.]


    Rita scratched her ear with her paw, not expecting B8017913 to have such an amazing effect.


    Pets that couldn''t use any skills in the Match-3 game didn''t really add much besides expanding the range of attacks on their owners.


    Even if they had brute strength, skill mattered more in this game, and ranged combat was better than close combat.


    Moreover, having pets connected meant the player would also be vulnerable to connection, increasing their difficulty.


    In this round, smaller pets had the advantage.


    What was smaller than an earring?


    Rita licked her paw and tried to cover the earring near her ear with her fur as much as possible.


    The game began again.


    ...


    [Congratulations to player BS-Rita for completing an elimination]


    [You will receive the death penalty of player Ayl.]


    [Player Ayl chooses to exchange one SSS-level skill for their seventh revival opportunity in this round. You will receive the SSS-level skill as your prize.]


    [Ding ¡ª You have received agility +11 from the kill reward.]


    [You have obtained Ayl''s SSS-level skill ¨C Magic Soundwave]


    [Magic Soundwave]: Consumes 2% mana to create a magical sound seed. When needed, it can cause a small-scale soundwave explosion with a 20% chance of deafening. Each seed lasts for 10 minutes. You can have up to 30 magical sound seeds at once, with no cooldown time.]


    ...


    [Congratulations to player BS-Rita for completing an elimination]


    [You will receive the death penalty of player Marmang-JJ.]


    [Player JJ chooses to exchange two SSS-level skills for their eighth revival opportunity in this round. You will randomly receive one of the SSS-level skills as your prize.]


    [Ding ¡ª You have received life recovery speed +0.1% from the kill reward.]


    [You have obtained JJ''s SSS-level skill ¨C Help Me Up]


    **[Help Me Up]: A healing skill, far superior to SS-level Mango Pomelo Sago and S-level Emerald Feast.


    [Help Me Up]: Instantly restores 80% of health and recovers 1% of health per second for the next 2 minutes. This skill consumes 2000 mana, with a cooldown of 5 minutes.]


    ...


    Magic Soundwave and Help Me Up were the standard rewards, but skills like The Old Blacksmith were rare and beautiful accidents.


    But Rita welcomed everything, as she was still building her base. Anything she could get was a huge help.


    However, despite all her precautions, she still ended up eliminated.


    Her seventh death, and she lost one of her precious SSS-level skills.


    Even so, she couldn''t bear to use Survive Until the End to transform into White Boat and escape.


    Greed outweighed her fear and self-control. As long as she saw hope and potential rewards, she couldn''t convince herself to stop.


    She couldn''t leave; she wanted to kill the players who had died more than nine times. She wanted those extremely special divine skills!


    Rita was hunting for her prey.


    And countless players were hunting for BS-Rita.


    Once the rules of the current round were announced, many players immediately began searching for the dragon.


    Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark was looking, Lania KaiaPine Bloom was looking, even Tingo Autumn Deer was looking.


    And there were players who vaguely guessed that Rita''s divine ability had something to do with stealing skills¡ªthey were looking too!


    Pine Bloom searched for a few minutes but didn''t find her. Then, a thought flashed through her mind, remembering the earrings on Rita''s ears:


    "Do you think BS-Rita''s earrings are disguised like yours, with mechanical chips?"


    Y1148: "We''re not like Forest Sea''s birdies, just anyone could get us to follow by just waving a finger."


    Pine Bloom didn''t want to be suspicious, considering that earring accessories were plentiful and at least half the players in the battlefield wore them.


    And she had seen the dragon carrying BS-Rita through the sky during the break.


    Pine Bloom: "Do you have any skills that increase pet slots?"


    Y1148: "If you have them, isn''t that enough? I''m the king of mechanical races."


    Pine Bloom: "You told me you were trapped by the mechanical races for thousands of years and then exiled from your homeland."


    Y1148: "Yeah, what''s the contradiction?"


    Pine Bloom didn''t know what to say anymore. But after contracting with Y1148, she immediately checked their skill library, and indeed, there were no skills for increasing pet slots.


    She hadn''t considered adding more pets after Li Zhou; she hadn''t thought about needing more until she met Y1148.


    Later, she quickly added two more pet slots for herself but hadn''t yet gone to find Li Zhou.


    During the Final Battle, she realized it was too late.


    But she had prepared one more pet slot.


    ...


    04:56


    In the last few minutes, Rita scored again! And it was a familiar face!


    [Congratulations to player BS-Rita for completing an elimination]


    [You will receive the death penalty of player Pot Plant Pro.]


    [Player Pot Plant Pro chooses to exchange a divine skill for their eleventh revival opportunity in this round. You will receive the divine skill as your prize.]

 Chapter 567: 567: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 87

    [Congratulations to player BS-Rita for completing an elimination]


    [You will receive the death penalty of player Pot Plant Pro.]


    [Player Pot Plant Pro chooses to exchange a divine skill for their eleventh revival opportunity in this round. You will receive the divine skill as your prize.]


    [Ding ¡ª You have received mana +1100 from the kill reward.]


    [You have obtained Pot Plant Pro''s divine skill ¡ª Skewered BBQ]


    [Skewered BBQ] (SS): Use any ingredients to create a skewer. The skewer will randomly produce a permanent enhancement effect, with the quality of the enhancement determined by your cooking skills and the ingredients used. Each time you use this skill, it will consume 3 points of luck (this luck value will restore after 7 natural days).


    Rita''s first reaction after reading this skill was: no wonder Pot Plant Pro didn''t want it.


    Not only does it consume luck, but the recovery period is also quite long.


    Her second reaction was: this is perfect for me!


    Her luck value was maxed out at +9, and it was always her top priority to consume that luck in parentheses.


    Before, only Refurbish used her luck, but she rarely used it, so some of her overflowed luck was wasted. Now, with this skill, it''s a perfect match!


    Although it was only SS level, Rita considered it far more useful than many SSS-level skills!


    Rita still had about a third of the high-grade ingredients she had taken from Restaurants 1, 2, and 3, and she planned to use them all on this skill.


    She had died eleven times, which meant Pot Plant Pro had already lost two divine skills.


    Rita stood in the starting room, excitement and joy mixed with a cold chill.


    This was the sanctuary where the strong rose, but also where geniuses perished.


    Unlike what she had imagined before, she was now witnessing a 12th-tier player about to lose everything...


    Rita lingered until the very last second of the revival time before leaving the starting room. After running for three minutes, she reached the start of the fifth round.


    05:00 ¡ª Fifth Round


    Rita noticed that she had turned into the form of a raccoon. Scanning the game field, she saw that the types of beasts that players could transform into were down to only six, including the rabbits.


    [Prompt: The rules from the third and fourth rounds remain]


    [New setting: The maximum distance between pets and their owners has increased to 3 meters.]


    [New rule: Any successful elimination of the first target, followed by a successful hit on a second similar target within 5 seconds, counts as one successful elimination.]


    The last round had already been troublesome. Pets and players counted as the same category, so by hitting both the player and the pet that followed them, players could complete an elimination.


    But now, things were even worse. All players were free to unleash their full potential, rather than just those who had line-connect skills.


    The game speed had increased, and the difficulty had risen.


    Rita had it easier in the last round because she faced players like her¡ªthose without obvious pets. Naturally, players with pets around them were easier to target. Moreover, 80% of players didn''t equip line-connect skills.


    But now, these advantages had been weakened.


    Rita looked to the 11 o''clock direction, where a wild little raccoon, holding a thunder gun and with a golden thunderbird on its shoulder, stood. Then she turned to the 2 o''clock direction, where an elegant raccoon with a white hammer and earrings stood.


    Rita clutched her chest, feeling a sharp pang in her heart.


    She decided to politely ask, "You wouldn''t mind, right?"


    B8017913: "Huh?"


    Rita: "Guess you don''t mind."


    With that, Rita took off her earring and stuffed it in her mouth, thinking it would be safer this way. It was much more obvious than a Sandstorm Fox with thick ear fur.


    She didn''t want to be recognized by Pine Bloom. Just like she would notice Pine Bloom''s earrings, someone with a mechanical race would likely notice another player''s accessories. Normally, it would be fine; after all, earrings were common. But in a game where pets were mandatory, caution was better.


    B8017913: "......"


    B8017913: "I mind, did you hear me? I mind!"


    Rita: "Then suck it up!"


    After hiding her pet, Rita dashed off!


    She didn''t want to be carried around the battlefield like a dead fish on a thunder gun.


    Nor did she want to be smacked like a golf or baseball with a hammer towards another raccoon.


    It was terrifying! These two pests were in the same race¡ªthis race would be unstoppable.


    As she ran, Rita quickly realized something: the number of beasts in the arena was uneven.


    With only half the types of beasts left, it was hard to tell which beast had increased the most, but the one with the fewest was easy to spot.


    Among the six beast types, including the rabbits, the rabbit population was the smallest. The next least was the massive neck-snaking beast.


    The neck-snaking beast was huge, with a long neck that nearly reached the flying beasts and pets in the air¡ªit was very easy to identify.


    From the first round until now, these neck-snaking beasts hadn''t changed much, much like the rabbits.


    Considering how powerful the skill she had copied from the neck-snaking beast was, Rita speculated these neck-snaking beast players might be space wanderers or demon king-level players.


    This round of Match-3 had split players into different zones based on their power and game performance.


    The stronger players played with each other, the slightly stronger players and skilled players made up their own group, and the weak ones played in their little sandbox.


    No, strictly speaking, the game had always been segmented from the very beginning. After every match, there was a new round of classification.


    Rita stretched out her hand and copied an explosion skill from a neck-snaking beast and threw it at a nearby raccoon.


    The raccoon had a giant pet the size of an adult elephant following it, and the pet was occasionally shielding the raccoon from incoming attacks.


    At that moment, the raccoon was hurriedly dodging three skill beams that had already connected to the pet behind it. Rita, of course, couldn''t miss the chance to join the fun.


    The skill hit the raccoon and its giant pet, but it didn''t eliminate them.


    That wasn''t its pet!


    This was a frequent occurrence¡ªwas it something summoned by a skill, or some kind of item?


    Rita quickly gave up on this target and followed a few neck-snaking beasts, waiting for the next round of copying.


    But the game had been going for almost half an hour, and Rita hadn''t succeeded once. Her success rate had sharply dropped.


    The raccoon players were much stronger than the Sandstorm Fox players, and everyone had gained experience, becoming increasingly clever.


    Some players had already started pairing up¡ªtwo players from different beast types stayed close to each other, swapping pets to block attacks, confuse enemies, and break skill lines at the right moment.


    As the game progressed, players realized that pets were becoming a distraction, lowering the success rate, so they decided to focus on players instead. Rita''s pressure was mounting, and her health often dipped below 10%. [If You Can Kill Me] had to be used almost as soon as its cooldown ended.

 Chapter 568: 568: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 88

    At this moment, Rita was running for her life, shoulder to shoulder with a rabbit. The two small animals were about the same height, at least their ears were level with each other.


    After running for a few minutes, the rabbit was still running next to her, occasionally turning its head to glance at her.


    Rita couldn''t shake the feeling that the rabbit looked familiar, but she didn''t recognize it.


    "You following me for a reason?" Rita asked.


    The rabbit replied in English, "I''ve been watching you for a while. Want to team up?"


    Rita coldly refused, "No thanks. Find another player."


    The rabbit responded, "You''re very capable. Other players aren''t up to it."


    Rita switched directions and slowed down, returning to run side by side with the rabbit. "You''re honest. How do you propose we team up?"


    The rabbit said, "I''ll block the event gift pack skills for you, and you block Ginger Bear''s skills for me."


    Rita hesitated, "Let''s try it for 5 minutes. If it doesn''t work, we split."


    As soon as she finished speaking, both of them dropped to the ground, their ears pressed close to their heads, narrowly dodging a hammer spinning above them.


    The hammer flew past, and the two small animals immediately got up and continued running, always wary of the group attack skills that were shot out from their own positions.


    After 3 minutes, Rita casually grabbed the rabbit by the neck and held it in front of her to block a skill.


    The rabbit said, "...This feels so familiar. It really is you."


    Rita asked, "Huh?"


    The rabbit responded, "Give me some credit. You''re the C-position on the battlefield, just enjoy the success."


    Rita remained silent for a moment before forcing out, "...Is your life really that tough?"


    She had used this rabbit as a shield for so long, even launching big attacks and killing so many rabbits, yet she never managed to kill this one?


    The shield rabbit was momentarily unsure if this was a compliment or a backhanded remark. It scratched its ear awkwardly and said, "Thanks, you too."


    Rita was left speechless for a moment.


    The two small animals then teamed up temporarily, and their coordination became more and more seamless.


    BS-Rita had [Bedtime Tale], while the shield rabbit''s attributes changed depending on the player who attacked it. It didn''t matter who teamed up with it, so cooperating with BS-Rita was just as good as with anyone else, especially since the rabbit seemed quite interested in Rita.


    The most important thing was that their gameplay and goals aligned perfectly¡ªboth were focused on survival and self-preservation, never aiming too greedily for more.


    The only thing that puzzled the shield rabbit was: "It seems like you''ve been following that neck-snaking beast?"


    Several times, when there was a safer route, BS-Rita insisted on following one of the neck-snaking beasts, maintaining a distance that was neither too far nor too close.


    Rita neither confirmed nor denied it, "Huh? Really?"


    She looked at the skill she had just copied from that neck-snaking beast, called [Twisted Lollipop].


    This skill, when used, fired a stream of colorful syrup that would circle the player until it completed a 30-meter radius lollipop.


    This skill was quite famous in this game. Since the third round, many neck-snaking beasts had fallen victim to it because of its fast casting speed¡ªmaking it one of the best skills for this game.


    However, its biggest weakness was the long cooldown time. The speed of the syrup made it disappear after a few circles, usually coinciding with a Match-3 and disappearing with the player. Without that, the neck-snaking beasts wouldn''t even get a chance to use it.


    Rita looked at the skill description: 30-minute cooldown. Not only was this an attack skill, but it was also a healing skill.


    Each target caught by the colorful syrup restored 5% of the player''s health, and any overflowed health could be stored for later use.


    She had always coveted this skill but had missed it several times due to the cooldown of [Repay] or being too far from the enemy.


    This time, she had waited patiently for over 20 minutes in the perfect gap to use it.


    There were only 5 minutes left until the round ended.


    Rita turned to the shield rabbit and said, "Sorry, but I''m about to use my ultimate."


    The shield rabbit replied, "?"


    Was it some sort of ultimate tool for Rita?


    Next, Rita used [Twisted Lollipop].


    The colorful syrup shot out rapidly, spiraling in circles, hitting various players and pets. It pulled in both the raccoons who had just arrived and those attempting to escape.


    Match-3 caused a 0.5-second lag, which allowed Rita to successfully complete a four-match and a three-match combo.


    [Congratulations to player BS-Rita for completing a brilliant elimination]


    [You have eliminated Ginger Bear X4 and Snail Scorpion X3.]


    [You can now choose your elimination reward.]


    [1. Randomly receive the death penalty of a player; 2. Draw from the death penalties of two players, and you will receive one skill from each; 3. Choose the player with the most deaths and take one skill from their death penalty.]


    The first elimination reward was risky¡ªunless the player drawn happened to be on their sixth or ninth death, otherwise, it was a loss.


    The second elimination reward was a fair bet¡ªshe had already made two eliminations, so the outcome here should be about the same.


    However, the third option wasn''t necessarily a win, as it was often random, and most players she had eliminated had died six or seven times.


    With only 15 seconds left in the 1-minute revival countdown, Rita made her choice.


    In the end, restraint won over greed, and she selected the second option. This was the least risky, as it guaranteed two skills, unlike the first and third options, where the worst-case scenario could yield just one skill.


    [Congratulations to player BS-Rita for obtaining the death penalty of player Lania KaiaWither Monarch.]


    [Player Wither Monarch has exchanged an SSS-level skill for their seventh revival opportunity. You will receive this skill as your prize.]


    [Ding ¡ª You have received Wither Monarch''s SSS-level skill ¡ª Bone Shield Armor.]


    ...


    [Congratulations to player BS-Rita for obtaining the death penalty of player Furious Biscuit.]


    [Player Biscuit has exchanged two SSS-level skills for their eighth revival opportunity. You will receive one of the skills as your prize.]


    [Ding ¡ª You have received Biscuit''s SSS-level skill ¡ª Hyperdrive.]


    ...


    One defensive skill and one buff skill that could triple agility for a short period.


    Rita was satisfied¡ªafter all, these were both SSS-level skills.


    Back on the battlefield, appearing at her earlier position, she faced off against a raccoon holding a thunder gun, with less than half a meter between them.


    Rita: !!!


    As the raccoon raised its gun to skewer her, Rita stopped the motion with a raised hand and quickly said in Owlspeak: "Maple Syrup, don''t act impulsively, it''s me, Pine Bloom!"


    Maple Syrup: "..."


    That Forest Sea northern accent...


    Maple Syrup chuckled.


    Rita immediately turned and ran.


    In the next second, she jumped high into the air, effortlessly executing a smooth and graceful split, narrowly dodging the thunder gun that almost impaled her on the way down.

 Chapter 569: 569: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 89

    Thanks to Rita''s shame kicking in, she instinctively protected her backside with her tail as she performed a smooth split in the air.


    When she landed, the fur on her tail was blasted apart by the lightning from the thunder gun, and half of her buttocks were tingling.


    Just as she stabilized herself, a hammer came flying toward her. Rita quickly sat back and laid down, narrowly dodging the hammer.


    Sinful Act! Rita flipped and immediately started running on all fours.


    When she used [Twisted Lollipop], there were only about 5 minutes left in this round, and after spending a minute in the initial room, there were only 3 minutes left now.


    She just needed to survive for 3 more minutes!


    ¡ª[If you can kill me]


    Her health threshold expanded to -500%.


    Rita immediately dashed toward a group of strange creatures, squeezing herself between them.


    In these situations, players usually don''t refuse, just as Rita didn''t mind when creatures like neck-snakes, snails, or event gift packs came near her.


    After rounds of gameplay, everyone had become accustomed to eliminating their own kind.


    Being near a creature from another type only provided a sense of security.


    Rita never thought of eliminating non-similar creatures; whether in attack or defense, she always subconsciously focused on her own kind.


    This hidden mechanic might have been discovered by many players, but none of them spoke out about it or eliminated others blatantly. Instead, they waited for the players to let their guard down and quietly capitalized at the right moment.


    However, Rita recalled the cautious skills of the neck-snakes and realized this hidden mechanic might not be good for some players.


    Especially [Twisted Lollipop] users¡ªher opponents must have known just how powerful that skill could be, but when she copied it last time, the positioning of her enemies was actually quite tricky.


    At that moment, the players weren''t densely packed, and the most common creatures around were neck-snakes. Most of the other creatures only had one or two. The neck-snake even used its tail to push a few Mangdon-shaped players further away.


    Was it because they were afraid of eliminating players from different types?


    Like the black household status, in this game, it was easy to violate specialized rules if you accidentally eliminated a painful Nightmare Mode player.


    Or was it that eliminating your own kind didn''t trigger penalties, but eliminating different types did?


    There wasn''t enough information, so Rita couldn''t be sure.


    Behind her, the thunder gun stopped chasing her, but Pine Bloom''s hammer seemed to have a tracking feature, relentlessly following her.


    Was there no penalty for Pine Bloom killing Painful-level players? Rita herself couldn''t kill Fool-level players, so she had no idea what restrictions there were for stronger players above the Abyssal level.


    She didn''t dare to turn around, though. Being eliminated would mean death, but taking a hit that brought her health to zero also meant death.


    She had killed several players using methods other than Match-3, but none of them had granted her a kill reward. She wasn''t sure if the revival cost would be required again.


    There were only 30 seconds left.


    Rita gave up the idea of copying another connection skill to eliminate a non-similar creature and instead copied a healing skill to pull her dangerously low health back up.


    27 seconds.


    Rita was hit by the hammer, and she immediately clung to the hammer, which was flying toward another raccoon. The raccoon was dragged into the air, and while passing by a neck-snake, Rita grabbed its tail, whipped it a few times on the hammer, and then wrapped it around the hammer a few more times.


    The next second, she and the hammer were both sent flying by the tail.


    Rita''s goal was achieved¡ªsince the force was mutual, when the hammer hit the tail, their connection was interrupted.


    06:00, the sixth round.


    The final round!


    When the screen switched, Rita was still recovering from the shock.


    The last thing she saw was the hammer flying right at her face. It was so close, only about ten centimeters away, and her vision was filled with the hammer''s vibrant green magical runes.


    The game restarted, and the number of different creatures remained at 6. Rita was still a Ginger Bear.


    Her first action was to take off her ear studs and put them in her mouth, and her second action was to lick her claws and part her fur in the middle, giving herself a new look.


    [Notice: The gameplay for rounds 3, 4, and 5 has been abolished.]


    [The last hit of an elimination is considered a connection.]


    [Players who have been eliminated can only return to the game once.]


    [From round 1 onward, players with accumulated eliminations ¡Ý 10 will be sent to the Dark Food Street as "low-quality ingredients."]


    [From round 1 onward, players who complete eliminations ¡Ý 10 by the end of the game will arrive at the Dark Food Street as "advanced customers."]


    [From round 1 onward, players who complete eliminations ¡Ü 5 by the end of the game will randomly lose 2 skill icons.]


    After realizing that the Dark Food Street wasn''t a harder map, Rita looked at these penalties and rewards with a neutral attitude.


    If the gods were giving players like Pot Plant Pro, who weren''t suitable for this game, a way out, becoming low-quality ingredients might not be a bad thing.


    If the gods wanted to restrict players who had the advantage from selecting the right skills, then getting the advanced customer status might not be good either.


    But what about the middle ground between getting neither the "advanced customer" status nor the "low-quality ingredient" status?


    Was there such a thing as "ordinary ingredients" or "premium ingredients"? Or "low-level customers"?


    The battle had begun, and Rita was thinking about which path to choose as she ran for her life.


    She had gradually adapted to the rules of the Divine Game.


    There was no absolute fairness or luck, nor absolute right or wrong.


    Every choice had its advantages and disadvantages.


    The level of danger in this round was similar to the second round, while the gameplay of the third, fourth, and fifth rounds offered a lot of room to breathe.


    Hitting once counts as a connection. If the first attempt fails, players could quickly adjust their attack route and change targets.


    But receiving the last hit of an elimination counts as a connection, meaning once the attack begins, it''s an investment. No one would willingly hand over a nearly defeated player to someone else. They would chase until they had no hope of eliminating them.


    She dodged a skill with a sidestep and, when she landed, Rita had made her decision.


    Rather than the unknown, she would aim for "advanced customer" status, and she didn''t want to miss out on the elimination rewards.


    She counted and realized that even if the last [Twisted Lollipop] elimination counted as two, she still only had 7 eliminations.


    It was time to use [Mysterious Power].


    If the gameplay for rounds 3, 4, and 5 hadn''t been abolished and the connection could still be used to eliminate, [Mysterious Power] might be interrupted, and using it would be wasted.


    But since it had been abolished, and eliminated players only had one chance to return to the game, this last round was a full-on battle.


    She wasn''t sure if [Mysterious Power] would disappear after completing an elimination, but she decided to take the risk.


    She quickly used [Reward or Punishment], a skill she had never used before!


    ¡ªReward!


    The reward that appeared at the time when she wanted punishment felt more like punishment.


    A transparent shield appeared around her, with a shield value equivalent to 2000% of her current health.


    Attacking the shield didn''t equate to attacking her directly, so the attack never reached her, and [Bedtime Tale] couldn''t trigger.


    She sighed internally¡ªif the "reward" had been transforming her health into 2000%, it would have been the perfect complement to [Bedtime Tale].


    Modification... It must be modified!

 Chapter 570: 570: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 90

    The battle had begun.


    Even while running for her life, Rita kept a safe distance behind the neck-snakes, ensuring they remained within the range of her [Repay] skill.


    She needed more than just offensive skills; defensive and healing abilities were just as crucial.


    Seven minutes into the sixth round, her shield had already dwindled down to 1181%.


    Without [Bedtime Tale], BS-Rita was like a sitting duck.


    She wasn''t going after the Ginger Bear but instead trying to take down a Mango Pudding player.


    The Mango Pudding players resembled walking jelly blobs, like dough that''s been squished randomly, with no uniform shape. They were about the same size as the half-meter tall Ginger Bear.


    For the most part, Mango Pudding was transparent, but when they used skills, they would temporarily take on color depending on the skill''s properties.


    On the field, there were six types of creatures: event gift packs, neck-snakes, Ginger Bears, snails, Mango Pudding, and Wigeon Sparrows.


    Rita couldn''t beat the event gift packs, neck-snakes, or Ginger Bears.


    The Wigeon Sparrows fought in the air.


    For the past seven minutes, Rita had been provoking the snails and Mango Pudding, baiting them into attacking her to see how much health she could lose.


    From what she could tell, Mango Pudding players seemed to be the weakest of the bunch.


    The snails and Ginger Bears were almost equally powerful¡ªmeaning, in a one-on-one fight, they could easily crush Rita without breaking a sweat.


    But Mango Pudding was different. A few of them, annoyed by her harassment, had decided to teach this Ginger Bear a lesson, and Rita could actually go toe to toe with them.


    Perhaps Mango Pudding was at Nightmare Mode level, or maybe even Painful Mode.


    Rita equipped [Betrayal] on her claws and began pursuing Mango Pudding.


    Most of the time, she would shoot from a distance, copying powerful attack skills from nearby neck-snakes every 3 minutes.


    She was focused on Mango Pudding, but there was always a Ginger Bear eyeing her from the side.


    Whenever the Ginger Bear tried to take her down, Rita ran.


    At this point, several players had already completely left the game, but even though they were gone, they left behind new problems.


    The players who had been eliminated turned into various new forms of stone statues, which couldn''t move and had only 1 health point, meaning they would die from even the smallest scratch.


    If a skill accidentally hit a stone statue and caused a splash, the statue would shatter, breaking the connection.


    However, after 3 seconds, the statues would regenerate as if nothing had happened.


    This mechanic limited the effectiveness of area-of-effect (AoE) skills, but didn''t entirely block them. Players would have to clear all the statues before using AoE skills, but doing so might let other players steal the kill, making it difficult to finish off enemies in a second attempt.


    Rita managed to trap a few Ginger Bears by using the stone statues to her advantage, but Mango Pudding had used the statues to interrupt some of her connections.


    Finally, at the 17-minute mark, Rita made her first successful elimination.


    [Congratulations player BS-Rita, elimination successful.]


    [You have earned the death penalty of player Black Tea Fish Belly.]


    [Player Fish Belly chose to exchange an SSS-level divine skill for their 10th revival opportunity. You will receive this skill as your loot.]


    [Ding ¨C Elimination reward: You gain +1100 Mana.]


    [You have received Fish Belly''s divine skill ¨C "Yes, I''m Fish Belly, what about it?"]


    "Yes, I''m Fish Belly, what about it?" (S):


    "I admit I''m the weakest one."


    Using this skill, you will become completely unthreatening and insignificant. You are a battlefield orphan, with no team and no one cares about you. All your skills will become silent and invisible, and even if a skill is on cooldown, it can still be forcibly used. After the effect ends, any forcibly used skill will be interrupted and continue to cooldown.


    This skill lasts for 10 minutes. Each use consumes 30% of your mana. The cooldown time is 1 hour.


    Rita examined this S-level divine skill for a long time and surprisingly liked it.


    It just needed some modifications...


    For example, why would forcibly used skills need to be interrupted? If it had to be interrupted, at least the duration could be extended a bit.


    06:21


    Her shield had completely shattered, and her health was down to 37%.


    The [If you can kill me] skill, used in the previous round, had finished its cooldown. Rita immediately activated it.


    06:23


    Health: -47%


    At this point, the number of stone statues in the field had significantly increased, and even the sky was filled with flying stone statues.


    Rita used [Mango Pomelo Sago] to restore 50% of her health, but didn''t immediately use [Mysterious Power].


    She glanced at the sky, then used [Romantic Tourist] on a large flying stone statue in the corner.


    It worked! Wasn''t that stone statue technically considered a building?!


    Rita immediately used [Romantic Tourist] to teleport to the flying stone statue. Here, standing and shooting would be much safer.


    She then used the healing skill copied from the neck-snake to heal herself, bringing her health above 90% and letting out a sigh of relief.


    During this, a Wigeon Sparrow spotted her standing on the flying stone statue, and intentionally destroyed the statue she was standing on. Rita quickly jumped to another statue, but unfortunately, the impact from her landing shattered that flying stone statue as well.


    Rita had no choice but to use [Romantic Tourist] a second time.


    She swapped to a flying stone statue that was a bit closer to the neck-snakes.


    06:41


    [Congratulations player BS-Rita, elimination successful.]


    [You have earned the death penalty of player Blazing Fury Blind Python.]


    [Player Blind Python chose to exchange an SSS-level divine skill for their 10th revival opportunity. You will receive this skill as your loot.]


    [Ding ¨C Elimination reward: You gain +12 Intelligence.]


    [You have received Blind Python''s divine skill ¨C "Secrets in the Wind."]


    Another S-level skill.


    "Secrets in the Wind" (S):


    "I''m blind, and even more nosy."


    Using this skill, you can capture the secrets carried by the wind. Each use consumes 50% of your health and 50% of your mana. The cooldown is 7 natural days.


    This skill was quite unique.


    Rita wasn''t sure how effective it would be until she tried it out, but based on how "secretive" the wind''s secrets were, this divine skill could either be a treasure or a nuisance.


    Although she hadn''t gained any SSS-level divine skills in the last two eliminations, each of them was quite special.


    Rita became more and more determined to fight.


    However, the Mango Pudding players were becoming fewer. It wasn''t just them; all the different types of creatures were dwindling, and the remaining players running around were fewer than the stone statues.


    There were still 19 minutes left.


    Rita didn''t know if she would be able to complete a third elimination.


    She also wasn''t sure if the impressive elimination from the fifth round would count as one or two eliminations.

 Chapter 571: 571: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 91

    Back on the battlefield, Rita hid herself at the base of a flying stone statue, waiting until the nearby Wigeon Sparrows moved away before slipping out.


    By now, the battlefield was in chaos. The Rabbits were hunting other players of the five remaining forms, the Neck-snakes were killing each other and the Ginger Bears, the Ginger Bears and Snail-scorpions were in a constant brawl, and the Wigeon Sparrows occasionally dove to the ground to finish off Snail-scorpions and Mango Puddings.


    The concept of Match-3 eliminations was now in full view.


    As the players who had been slow to realize the situation turned into stone statues, Rita estimated there were around 3,000 players left. The presence of stone statues seemed to have stabilized the area, with the number of players continuing to decrease but the size of the battlefield remaining the same.


    The Mango Puddings, which had started with the smallest number, were now on the verge of extinction. Only about 200 remained, and half of them were out of her shooting range. The remaining half was spread out and hard to hit, meaning they had plenty of time and space to evade.


    Her elimination of the Mango Pudding players in the last round had been a struggle, and now, with just 19 minutes left in the game, if Rita wanted to successfully eliminate three more Mango Puddings, she had to leave the safety of the flying stone statue.


    [If you can kill me] had finished its cooldown, and using it in combination with [Mysterious Power] would give her a good shot at success. But with all the chaos around her, she couldn''t make up her mind about what to do.


    After two minutes of observation, she saw that the Mango Pudding players had decreased by another 30.


    Without the ability to scan health bars or use [Midnight Exile], Rita couldn''t even attempt to steal kills from other players.


    At 06:45, the game notified the players again.


    [In 5 minutes, stone statues will block all attacks.]


    This meant that the players still in the game would no longer hold back. Previously sealed AoE skills and ultimate abilities would now be fully available.


    The difficulty of the game had exceeded Rita''s expectations. She immediately abandoned her plan to use [Mysterious Power] and also let go of her attempt to become a "High-Class Customer."


    There were simply too many strong players in the field. Using [Mysterious Power] would only delay her inevitable demise.


    At 06:50, all the stone statues turned dark.


    Rita dashed to the head of a flying stone statue, shooting while secretly pulling out B8017913. She carefully placed the electronic pet into a corner of the stone statue and pushed it tightly into place, effectively trapping it.


    By leaving B8017913 out in the open, it could help her keep track of movements around her. Even if it couldn''t scan the entire battlefield, just monitoring the density of players in a small area would provide valuable information.


    Once this was done, Rita glanced at the ground battlefield one last time, then returned to the most concealed part of the flying stone statue. She transformed into White Boat.


    When she transformed, she felt a twinge of regret.


    If only she had brought [Midnight Exile] and [Absurd Story] with her.


    If she had, she wouldn''t be limited to only hunting Mango Puddings; her efficiency in doing so would be far higher.


    That day, when she faced Rabbit 3''s calm questioning, Rita had been filled with anger and frustration at being misunderstood. But for some reason, after every game ended, a voice would echo in her mind.


    The voice asked:


    ¡ª You could have had more, moved faster!


    ¡ª You don''t lack the courage to start over after losing everything, so why didn''t you go all in?


    ¡ª You missed the chance again.


    The questions kept crashing against her heart like waves, impossible to calm or shake off.


    It made the passion and pride she had in that moment seem like a joke.


    She shared her feelings with her two pets and couldn''t help but ask: "Did I really make a mistake?"


    They both asked her similar questions in return.


    Nivalis asked, "Ah? If you could forget these game rules and just keep the feelings you have now, would you add those two skills to your arsenal?"


    B8017913 also asked, "If you could reselect your skill icons next round, would you add all of them?"


    As soon as the questions came, Rita knew her answer¡ªNo change at all!


    The regrets and self-doubt she felt weren''t because she thought she was wrong, but because her greed was overpowering her natural restraint.


    Greed and restraint played a balancing game in her soul.


    Realizing this, Rita laughed in the dark space. She laughed at her greed and laughed at her self-restraint.


    B8017913 watched as Rita spoke of her feelings and mentioned "Rabbit 3," leading to three anonymous gods arriving, and for the first time, it understood the emotions of "speechless" and "irritated."


    Who are they?! What are they doing?!


    It was bad enough they were spying on their private moments, but one of them even issued a pop-up warning!


    ¡ª "Do not remind her that calling Rabbit 3 or similar nicknames will attract the gods'' attention."


    B8017913: "Okay, got it, smile."


    ¡ª "Take back that smile."


    B8017913: "Okay, got it, thumbs up."


    ¡ª "."


    At 06:53, B8017913 reported:


    "Oh no, a Wigeon Sparrow has picked you up."


    "The other Wigeon Sparrow saw it and started fighting it."


    06:54:


    "The second Wigeon Sparrow killed the first one, and now you''ve been knocked out and are falling."


    06:55:


    "You''re being carried away by a Neck-snake!"


    06:56:


    "Eight players have given up on Match-3 to fight for you."


    06:57:


    "Now there are twelve."


    06:58:


    "One event gift pack questioned it, saying ''This doesn''t look real.''"


    "It grabbed you and punched you a few times."


    Rita looked at her health, now at only 10%, feeling nervous.


    B8017913:


    "A Neck-snake grabbed you back and put you in its backpack!"


    "It got killed, and you''ve been knocked out again."


    Rita wasn''t panicking, but B8017913''s reports were making her nervous.


    07:00! The game is over!


    Her [Disguise] skill was forcibly deactivated.


    In the previous second, Rita had been nervously sitting in the dark room, tugging at her hair. Now, she returned to her original form, and the world became bright again, but a shadow still loomed over her.


    She raised her eyes slightly and saw a group of players, along with several Rabbits, surrounding her, staring at her ominously.


    Uh, besides the Rabbits, the players included:


    Nuclear Flash NightFury, Furious Bike, Nuclear Flash Guava, Tingo Autumn Deer...


    Such a familiar lineup, as though she had seen them somewhere before.

 Chapter 572: 572: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 92

    "Hey? Who did that? Didn''t they only remove our disguise transformations? Why did they also undo the skills we were using?"


    "Was it the Captain? You said you didn''t care."


    "I didn''t do it."


    "...Oh, I just overheard from the demon side, it was Deceitful Bloom who did it."


    "The Captain finally laughed."


    "The Captain finally laughed."


    "The Captain finally laughed."


    Captain: "..." Where did they learn these annoying habits? Repeating the same thing over and over like that.


    Rita had the sinking feeling that the sky was falling. The atmosphere around her was eerily quiet.


    She motioned for B8017913 to return to the pet space and silently used [If you can kill me], intending to trigger [Mysterious Power] as soon as her health dropped to the critical point, hoping to survive this round.


    Just as Rita awkwardly stood there, unsure of what to say next, the rabbit beside her spoke up: "I knew it was fake!"


    Rita cleared her throat and spoke in Owlspeak: "Actually, I''m the hidden Easter egg for this round of the game."


    Great. The atmosphere around her turned even worse!


    A voice broke the silence behind her: "Waaah, Crab, her mental fortitude and pressure resistance make me jealous!"


    Rita: "..." That familiar childlike voice, that familiar tone... Rita didn''t even need to look to know who it was.


    Just as Rita was about to say something more in Owlspeak, the rabbit next to her suddenly punched her in the face.


    That familiar force and claw sensation¡ªRita covered her eyes in pain: "It''s YOU!!!"


    But then, she realized something was off. She hadn''t lost any health!


    Rita smiled and laughed. "Heh, no damage!" The game ended, and either her health was locked, or the attack was ineffective.


    The rabbit clenched its fist again. After hearing Rita''s words, it knew exactly who this player was. It had been angry at first, wanting to hit her, but now it realized it didn''t matter whether she was in Sandstorm Fox form or not.


    The atmosphere became even darker. Rita stopped smiling, wondering if it was still possible to escape now.


    Luckily, the game notification that came late saved her. With the notification came the message that she had been sent back to the initial room.


    [Closing Time Ends. The normal Divine Game rules are back in effect. Violating the rules will result in divine punishment. All unassigned players will receive a new identity based on their performance and be sent to various game zones.]


    This was the public announcement.


    [Player BS-Rita, with 9 eliminations and 2 eliminations, will receive the "Wandering Chef" identity card. You will be sent to a corner of the Dark Gourmet Street in 3 minutes and 50 seconds.]


    [Dark Gourmet Street operating hours: 07:00¨C00:00]


    ["Wandering Chef" exclusive mission: During Dark Gourmet Street operating hours, you must find the Hidden Light Chef and complete 5 food challenges, winning each one.]


    [Mission Reward: Final Sales Amount +5000¡ô]


    [Hint: Challenging the Dark Chefs in a Food Duel, whether you win or lose, will result in your death.]


    [Based on your performance in this round, you will learn 3 rules related to Dark Gourmet Street.]


    [Dark Gourmet Street Rules (3/10):]


    [1: Attacking a chef whose cooking skills exceed yours will randomly grant you a debuff lasting for half an hour.]


    [2: Eating food made from "low-quality ingredients" will result in losing one random skill icon.]


    [3: Killing "Low-level Customers" will allow you to randomly obtain one of their skill icons and learn one unknown Dark Gourmet Street rule.]


    Rita had the strange feeling that she had been playing this game for an entire year.


    She guessed the reason why they''d been sent back to the initial room was because they were worried that players might deduce the identities of others based on the time of their disappearance.


    However, she felt a bit disappointed. Why was there no option to reselect skill icons?


    At that thought, Rita glanced at her arm. The next moment, her pupils dilated¡ªshe only had 8 skill icons left. She was missing one skill!


    Her heart raced as she checked through her skill icons, relieved to find that the missing one was [Mango Pomelo Sago].


    Was it Tingo Autumn Deer?


    It had been close to her earlier, and while the other players had been watching, only Tingo Autumn Deer had been facing her with its antlers raised...


    She had thought it was impossible to attack each other, but if she''d known, she would have acted sooner!


    Rita lightly brushed over the remaining 8 skill icons, feeling a mix of relief and unease. With the rules of Dark Gourmet Street now in play, the last bit of regret for not bringing [Midnight Exile] completely disappeared.


    She opened the battlefield chat channel with a strange sense of joy. As soon as she entered, she was immediately kicked out¡ªagain.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: BS-Rita is my daughter? Who said that? No, we''re not close.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom]: She is. I can prove it.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: How can you prove it? Did I give birth to her?


    After struggling to get online, Pine Bloom was once again silenced by Maple Syrup''s shamelessness.


    Scrolling up, Rita saw that they were talking about her transforming into White Boat and messing with the top five on the ladder.


    These players are funny. White Boat didn''t even say White Boat¡ªthey had to call it "that one" in a weird way.


    The chat became increasingly strange:


    "BS-Rita turned into that one and messed with a few overlords."


    "Which one?"


    "That one! Haven''t I made it clear?"


    "I know which one, but I want to know which one!"


    "The white one."


    "There are several white ones!"


    This encrypted conversation was so odd... Players who didn''t understand couldn''t make sense of it.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: But I believe she''s your daughter. At the time, the top five on the ladder surrounded her. Guess what she said?


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: She said, ''I''m actually a hidden Easter egg.''


    [Tingo¡¤JE]: Seems like a life that won''t last till tomorrow.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Fat Goose]: The language system of someone who''s tired of life indeed sounds like that.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Mistblade]: Exactly.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: She said that stupid thing while using BS Language or Owlspeak.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: Wait? Owlspeak?


    [BS¡¤Rita]: Because BS Language is still pretty niche, I was worried everyone wouldn''t understand.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: That was a bit too much. You''re trying too hard to explain.


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: BS-Rita, is the crazy berry who used to speak Owlspeak in the food street you?


    Rita: "..."


    Maple Syrup, oh Maple Syrup... No wonder Pine Bloom hates chatting in the battlefield chat channel! You''ve killed the vibe!


    But, of course, she couldn''t say that in the chat.


    [BS¡¤Rita]: Ah, what crazy berry?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: Clean your neck and wait for it.


    Rita couldn''t shake the feeling that she had heard that before, wasn''t it Sea Pony who purposely cleaned their neck in front of her just for this line from Maple Syrup?


    She silently closed the chat channel, pretending she didn''t see.

 Chapter 573: 573: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 93

    Before the game started, Rita decided to adjust B8017913''s form once again.


    Under its guidance, she twisted the earring a few times, and B8017913 turned back into a cube shape. She twisted it a few more times, and the cube transformed into a platinum ring with a circle of blue diamonds.


    Rita slipped it onto her right index finger, while her left middle finger sported [Betrayal].


    Nivalis lay at the back of the room, sighing: "If only I could transform into jewelry without using skills... jewelry would be fine, but even a doll would work."


    Rita comforted her: "Once we get out of here, we''ll look for something like that in Lania Kaia or another world."


    Nivalis also considered heading back to Dragon Island to loot: "After this game, should we visit other worlds?"


    Rita pondered over what to do once this game ended:


    She wanted to use [The Old Blacksmith] to build an alchemy workshop and an engineering workshop.


    Then, she would craft [Spring Not Late], a tool to break the bloodline shackles.


    Using [Behind the Scenes], she would practice alchemy and level up to recover the lost levels.


    She still had seven more rabbit tooth courses to finish.


    She''d also visit the Multi-Race Arena to grab some chests and equipment.


    She planned to take Nivalis to Lania Kaia to get some stat points.


    Then, she''d search for Black Jade, because she absolutely had to get [Moment of Reversal].


    Finally, she needed to check on things with Rick. If what had been predicted in the vision happened, she''d have to put an end to him for good.


    There were too many tasks to consider, and just thinking about it, her schedule was already packed.


    Rita said, "We''re not going anywhere for now."


    Just as she finished speaking, she landed at a street corner.


    Unlike the restaurants on the main street with transparent barriers surrounding the front, back, and rooftops, the Dark Gourmet Street consisted of food tents, each one indistinguishable from the others. The only difference was the color. There were no signs or scrolls hanging at the entrances.


    Looking around, it felt like she had wandered into a campsite or a black market in a magical world.


    From the outside, the food tents looked like black holes. No one could see the insides of the restaurants.


    The streets were crowded with countless fruit customers, players, and event gift packs. The bustle here rivaled the previous Gourmet Street.


    Rita wasn''t in a rush to enter the tents; instead, she was looking for suitable architectural landmarks for [Romantic Tourist].


    With 10 mark opportunities left, she first marked a distant white food tent, then flew to the entrance of the Dark Gourmet Street, marking the stone monument there, before starting her casual stroll.


    Without her only healing skill, [Mango Pomelo Sago], Rita couldn''t use [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] on the passing players, as it required a sacrifice of health to use. Without the chance to steal skill icons, she couldn''t make up for the lack of healing skills.


    It was a vicious cycle.


    She had to keep an eye out for nearby players who had healing skills to borrow.


    Rita wasn''t planning to rush into a restaurant just yet; she was hoping to find a hidden Easter egg to make use of.


    Besides, the reward for completing her mission was 5000¡ô, but to challenge the Dark Chefs, she would have to die.


    She only had 3 chances to use the Easter egg that revealed players'' identities.


    Until she figured out more about the rules of Dark Gourmet Street, staying out of trouble seemed like the safest option.


    Just then, Rita suddenly froze, because a player fell from the sky, landing heavily in front of her. It was Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark.


    Without a word, the player immediately released a skill.


    Rita''s health plummeted to 40%, and she quickly used [Romantic Tourist] to teleport back to the entrance of Dark Gourmet Street.


    But in the next second, another attack came. She only caught a glimpse of the player''s Feather, and the next thing she knew, she was back in the initial room.


    The eighth death.


    And Pine Bloom had used a max-level killing penalty upgrade item once again.


    Rita had a countermeasure for this, though. The reward from the 2nd Easter egg allowed her to reduce the death penalty by 3 levels.


    Since Pine Bloom had raised her death penalty to level 10, she could use the Easter egg reward to drop it to level 7, meaning she only needed to sacrifice one SSS-level skill.


    But the real question was: what would happen once she left the room?


    After several rounds of games, the hunters who had been lying in wait were beginning to surface.


    There was probably still a bodyguard situation outside.


    The situation she''d feared most had finally arrived¡ªthe greatest danger of this game had come.


    And there were still nearly 17 hours left in the game.


    [Mysterious Power]?


    She had just used [If You Can Kill Me] in the last round. This skill still had 5 minutes left on cooldown.


    And against those powerful enemies'' attacks, her health dropped at the extreme pace of [Bedtime Tale]¡ªit only took 4 hits to clear her health. Without [If You Can Kill Me] or [Reward or Punishment], she wouldn''t even get a chance to use [Mysterious Power].


    Rita had a real headache.


    Should she turn into White Boat with [Survive Until the End]? That tactic was already useless against strong players. Everyone knew about it after the battlefield chat.


    She had been using every trick in the book, pushing every skill to its limit.


    But now, what should she do?


    Just walk into a random restaurant?


    She had already marked a food tent after entering Dark Gourmet Street.


    At this point, it seemed like her only way out.


    Since the gourmet food was sacred here, and attacking a chef with superior culinary skills resulted in a penalty, the food tents should be off-limits for attacks.


    Otherwise, how could low-level players survive here?


    But what if battles could happen inside the tents too?


    And what if she couldn''t handle the crises inside the food tents?


    The countdown above the initial room still had 29 seconds left.


    Rita opened her inventory and looked at the last slot. There was a rabbit fur.


    One she had gotten during the last closing time, which, when used, would randomly teleport her to a certain spot in the battlefield.


    She had a second option.


    Once she was sure she wasn''t about to jump from one dead end to another, Rita finally relaxed.


    Besides that, she still had a white coral given to her by Sea Pony.


    She had used one before when she forced customers into the light pillar, and she used another when she joined the 7th round.


    Rita carefully calculated all the things she had that could help her solve her crisis.


    With 17 seconds left, Rita left the initial room.


    The moment she stepped out, her hand slammed onto the [Romantic Tourist] skill icon, a tiny figure standing under the bright moon on top of a high mountain, gazing at distant buildings.


    The next second, her form became a shadow, leaving the entrance of Dark Gourmet Street, dodging the incoming attacks and escaping the players surrounding her. In the final second, she got a good look at the faces of those players.


    Lania KaiaPine Bloom, Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark, Marmang Crab, Black Spring Grimpeak, Sakura¡¤Oolong...

 Chapter 574: 574: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 94

    The skill was successfully used.


    After appearing on top of the white food tent, Rita immediately marked the farthest red food tent she could see with [Romantic Tourist]. Without wasting a second, she dove down, using her toes to push off the ground, then fell backward into the food tent behind her.


    Now, Rita had 7 uses left for [Romantic Tourist].


    She passed through the entrance of the food tent, which resembled the mouth of an abyss, and found herself in what seemed like another world.


    A desert. She was in a desert. When she looked back, there was a mini oasis behind her, about the size of two basketball courts.


    There were several tables and chairs, an open-air kitchen, and two stalls.


    In the oasis, chefs were cooking, customers were eating, and players were sleeping behind the stalls. Some might even have been cosmic wanderers.


    Upon seeing Rita, the players in the oasis merely cast her a casual glance before continuing with their tasks.


    Rita looked around, but didn''t find any scrolls with rules. The players here didn''t have any job titles above their heads either.


    By the kitchen, there was a tree with enormous leaves, on which the Mischief Score and sales data floated.


    The most interesting thing about this restaurant was that all 11 players, including the stall owners, had different races.


    Rita first walked up to the stall to inspect the items.


    Her gaze swept over the various goods: meat, fruits, vegetables, plants, potions, and... a fully intact Desolate Tribe player.


    Behind the stall, two players from different races stood¡ªone from the Fae Tribe, and one from the Time Tribe. Rita vaguely remembered that these two players weren''t too powerful. She opened the leaderboard and quickly found them: one was level 7, and the other level 9.


    They were both outside of Rita''s language system, but fortunately, B8017913 could understand. After asking what she wanted to express, Rita repeated the translation B8017913 provided in Fae. She asked in Fae: "Are there any rules for the stall?"


    The Fae Tribe player at level 7 replied, "No bargaining."


    Rita then turned to the Time Tribe player, pretending not to understand their language. She used sign language to convey her question, asking the same thing.


    The Time Tribe player shook their head and gestured that there were no rules, but spoke in Time language: "If you ask for the price, you must buy."


    Upon hearing the translation, Rita gave a relieved expression.


    She didn''t mind the little trick the Time Tribe player was playing.


    Rita repeated the same questions multiple times, sometimes asking the same thing several times. Only when they said, "We''ve told you all the rules," did Rita stop.


    She had been pretending not to understand Time language. The most interesting part was that every time the Time Tribe player used sign language, their verbal response contradicted it.


    The Fae Tribe player was also interesting. Even though they knew Rita could understand Fae language, when Rita asked if they would buy goods, the Fae Tribe player bluntly answered: "If you sell me goods, you need to pay me money in return."


    After a few rounds of conversation, an incredibly clear conclusion appeared in front of Rita¡ªwhat they said could not be lies.


    Rita paused for a moment, then suddenly asked: "How many lies can you tell to the same player?"


    The Fae Tribe player''s gaze became extremely complicated. Their lips pressed together as they hesitated for two seconds before reluctantly answering, "Three times."


    The Time Tribe player raised one of their three claws but said "Two" aloud.


    Every player had different rules.


    Rita casually sat in front of the Fae Tribe player.


    "Do you have to answer a customer''s questions?"


    "Yes."


    "Since I came in, how many lies have you told?"


    "One."


    "How many lies can you tell to the same player?"


    "Three."


    "Since I came in, how many lies have you told?"


    "... Two."


    "How many lies can you tell to the same player?"


    "Five."


    With B8017913''s translations, Rita almost interrogated the Fae Tribe player.


    The Time Tribe player''s eyes went from initial shock to sympathy and relief.


    At first, the Fae Tribe player still had the energy to glare at Rita, but by the end of the questioning, they closed their eyes, not wanting to see Rita anymore. By the final question, the Fae Tribe player was lying flat on the ground.


    Even when Rita didn''t speak and just thought in silence, the Fae Tribe player still murmured something under their breath.


    Sometimes, Rita also used sign language to suddenly question the Time Tribe player.


    The latter seemed either frightened or confused, but whatever they signed, it exactly matched what they said.


    After a quarter of an hour, Rita slowly stood up.


    She had gathered a lot of information.


    In all the food tents of the Dark Gourmet Street, attack skills were ineffective.


    The highest rules for each tent depended on its color.


    The highest rule for the white food tents was "Hatred of Lies," but each player had different limits on how many times they could lie to the same person.


    The rules for the stalls were set by the stall owner themselves.


    The maximum time allowed in the current food tent was only 2 hours.


    There was no requirement to order food, but the cheapest dish required 2 units of currency.


    And the most important piece of information: the chef in this restaurant was a Light Chef.


    She didn''t believe all the information from the players, but at least this gave her some clarity.


    Rita smiled in satisfaction, then looked up to speak to the chef, only to notice that as soon as she did, every player in the restaurant lowered their heads in fear.


    Rita: "Is it that bad?!"


    B8017913: "...What do you think?"


    The chef here had a low battle power, only level 9, from the Starshine Tribe of The Bicolor World. Unfortunately, neither Rita nor B8017913 knew the language.


    Rita returned to the Fae Tribe player: "Do you know Starshine language?"


    Fae Tribe: "...I do."


    Rita was still uncertain: "If I ask you to translate what the Starshine Tribe chef says, when you relay it to me, will your lie count reset because you''re speaking to a new person?"


    The Fae Tribe player angrily picked up a purple onion fruit from the stall and threw it hard, as if insulted, and shouted, "Are you paranoid or something?!"


    "Will it reset?"


    "...Yes."


    Rita picked up the onion fruit the Fae Tribe player had thrown and threw it back even harder, yelling, "Who else is to blame for my paranoia?! It''s this filthy world!"


    Fae Tribe: "..."


    Time Tribe laughed.


    Rita used the Time Tribe language she had just learned to scold them: "What are you laughing at? Did I ask you?!"


    The Time Tribe player''s smile froze, their expression turned complex, and they thought, You had a hand in making this world like this.

 Chapter 575: 575: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 95

    Two minutes later, with the helpful assistance of the Fae Tribe player, Rita successfully communicated with the Starshine Tribe chef.


    After repeated questioning, Rita confirmed that the Starshine Tribe chef was indeed a Light Chef, and she had clarified some of the kitchen rules. Only then did she initiate a food duel, while stating her demands:


    "Let''s have a food duel! If I win, I want 50% of your money and 50% of your sales data."


    Bicolor¡¤Joinery had the right to refuse, but instead of rejecting her, he accepted eagerly. He said, "Alright, but if I win, I want to choose one of your skill icons as my reward."


    Rita''s expression remained unchanged, but her gaze noticeably grew colder.


    After both players made their requests, a spoon appeared between them. However, the spoon rotated slightly, and the bowl end of it slammed down toward Rita.


    This indicated that the stakes were uneven. The reward that Bicolor¡¤Joinery demanded was far more valuable than the one Rita had proposed.


    At some point, the players and customers in the oasis restaurant had gathered around.


    Bicolor¡¤Joinery gave Rita a deep look. He knew who she was, and he also knew that Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark''s divine skill was in her hands. That''s what he was after.


    With a sigh, he spoke again: "If you lose, I will randomly choose one of your current skill icons."


    The spoon remained motionless.


    This was awkward.


    Rita looked at the eight skill icons she had left.


    Aside from the completely locked [Mysterious Power], the remaining four skills¡ª[I Just Want to Improve So Badly], [Bedtime Tale], [Survive Until the End], and [Repay]¡ªwere rare, top-tier SSS-level skills.


    These four skills alone meant that Bicolor¡¤Joinery had to offer enough of a stake to qualify for a random selection of her skills.


    Bicolor¡¤Joinery took a deep breath and said, "How about you raise the stakes?"


    From what Rita had learned from her experiences, including the teachings in [One Person Party], she didn''t like to corner others into a no-exit situation without knowing their full hand.


    So, she hadn''t been aggressive from the start and only requested 50% of the money and 50% of the sales data as a trial.


    Bicolor¡¤Joinery, ranked over six thousandth, could at least offer half of his earnings, which, combined with his original score, would allow Rita to climb into just over the 10,000th position.


    But since Bicolor¡¤Joinery was so audacious in trying to steal her skill icons, Rita couldn''t play the saint anymore.


    She raised the stakes: "If you lose, I want all of your money and sales data."


    Bicolor¡¤Joinery responded: "If you lose, I will randomly pick one of your current skill icons."


    This time, the spoon moved, tipping toward Bicolor¡¤Joinery.


    After several rounds of back-and-forth, Rita finally lowered her demands to: "If I win, I want 90% of your money and 80% of your sales data."


    The spoon hovered in mid-air, slowly rotating, parallel to the ground.


    One of the players standing next to Bicolor¡¤Joinery whispered, "Do you think you can win?"


    Bicolor¡¤Joinery shook his head, then nodded. He was gambling. He was betting that, despite BS-Rita''s sudden rise in strength, her culinary talent, no matter how extraordinary, couldn''t surpass the years of experience and accumulation he had.


    If he lost, he would have given away a large part of the rewards from this divine game. If he won, he could take one of her skill icons, and with some luck, he might even get Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark''s divine skill!


    At first, there was a little hesitation, but when the spoon tilted toward Rita during the conditions assessment, he knew he couldn''t miss this opportunity. This was a big gamble!


    Bicolor¡¤Joinery considered himself to be gambling, but Rita wasn''t.


    She had already assessed Bicolor¡¤Joinery''s strength and title, deducing his experience and culinary skills. She observed his movements while cooking, his mastery of the heat, and the aroma of the dishes in the air. She noticed the expressions of the customers as they ate the food.


    She inferred his sales performance from Bicolor¡¤Joinery''s earnings and analyzed the quality of the dishes by asking the Fae Tribe player about the restaurant''s pricing.


    Information was everywhere.


    Rita only initiated the food duel after being fairly certain of Bicolor¡¤Joinery''s culinary range.


    There might have been some element of luck involved, as she couldn''t guarantee her analysis was 100% correct, but it wasn''t a big factor.


    Soon after the food duel started, Bicolor¡¤Joinery regretted it.


    08:51 AM.


    Rita got what she wanted¡ª a large bag of money and nearly 8,000 ¡ô in sales data.


    By now, Rita had climbed to 7,881th place on the real-time leaderboard.


    She didn''t take the dish she made during the competition; instead, she divided it among the customers present.


    ¡ª "Sometimes, you need to try forgetting the culinary effect of a dish and just treat it as a piece of art, sharing it with those who crave it."


    ¡ª "Just like you enjoy the process of making potions and gems, if you want to earn the favor of the food spirits, you need to learn to share the food you make, not treat it as a cold, battle-ready tool."


    White Bear was right.


    But mainly, Rita''s bag was full, and she needed to save two spaces.


    After confirming that Bicolor¡¤Joinery''s ingredients weren''t "low-quality ingredients," Rita saved a portion for herself. She ate the dish while healing and secretly used [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] on a few players in the restaurant.


    Another round of faucets turning on and off, healing and using skills.


    After finishing the meal, she closed her eyes and attended a [Flight Combat] class before taking a moment to relax.


    09:07 AM.


    With just 2 minutes left on the restaurant''s 2-hour dining period, Rita suddenly pressed the [If you can kill me] skill and dashed out of the food tent.


    The moment she exited, Rita was already searching for the next white food tent.


    But she quickly realized that the entrance to the white food tent she had just left, and all other white food tents she could see, had changed from black to white.


    She heard the sound of skills slicing through the air.


    She had been stalling not just for her own rest but because the players in the oasis restaurant had broadcast her movements on the battlefield chat.


    To her surprise, these strong players had indeed been waiting for her outside the restaurant.


    Skills pelted her, and her health dropped to -35%, despite triggering the occasional heal effect from getting hit.


    In her vision, the status of the white food tents was abnormal, unsure whether they were now unenterable or if something would change inside.


    Rita grit her teeth, enduring several attacks, and dashed into a nearby blue food tent. Above the entrance of the tent, there was a light blue number: 4147.


    The dish she ate in the last restaurant had a continuous healing effect. Rita waited a moment at the entrance of the blue food tent before stepping inside.

 Chapter 576: 576: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 96

    If the white food tent represented the oasis restaurant, then the blue food tent was like an ice restaurant.


    Inside, the tables and chairs were carved from ice, and there were ice columns with hanging ice lamps. There were two stalls, and behind them sat players on ice stools, with their ice tables full of items. The stall owners and other players inside the restaurant were now all sizing up BS-Rita.


    Just like the oasis restaurant, every player in this restaurant was of a different race, and every customer had a different form. This wasn''t that surprising, considering that the World Battlefield had countless races, and although players of a single race like Rita might be rare, it wasn''t unusual for races to have a player or two involved in any given Divine Game.


    It was rare, however, that players of the same race all participated in the same Divine Game.


    Take the Moon Foxes for example. Out of the nine great Moon Emperors, only four showed up for this game. It was even more improbable for them to all meet in the same restaurant.


    Just then, there was movement behind Rita. A player had entered, and Rita immediately recognized him: Ghost¡¤Sang Cup, a 16th-level Demon King from the Ghost World, belonging to the Needle Drop Tribe.


    The Needle Drop Tribe had a similar appearance and body structure to the human race, or rather, many races in the World Battlefield resembled humans to some degree, with only slight differences in details. For example, Lania Kaia''s 12th Alien Tribe races all had similar bodily structures to humans, despite their other distinct traits. The same could be said for the Needle Drop Tribe, whose standout feature was their dark green hair, which stood upright like pine needles.


    After entering the restaurant, Ghost¡¤Sang Cup didn''t immediately take any action. He didn''t attack Rita, nor did he use any binding or mental skills to drag her out of the restaurant. In fact, like Rita, he didn''t speak a word.


    The restaurant on the ice was eerily quiet.


    Ghost¡¤Sang Cup made no attempt to greet Rita, but she had other plans.


    Rita used [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] several times on herself, consuming the overflow of health gained from the food, to prevent wasting it.


    Ghost¡¤Sang Cup noticed Rita''s actions. Although he couldn''t see her skill icons, he had a pretty good guess about what was going on. His face turned the same shade of green as his hair, and out of sheer frustration and disbelief, he even laughed a bit. Then, without further ado, he jogged into the restaurant.


    When he left, Rita didn''t stand still to observe or wait for an opportunity to steal. That would be too risky. Instead, she made her way toward a player she had her eye on. She sat beside him, not speaking, but simply staring at him.


    She knew this player: Emerald Crane¡¤Gale, a 14th-level Abyss player from the Lost Tribe. Nivalis had mentioned his gossip.


    Apparently, Emerald Crane¡¤Gale''s divine talent was related to forging, and many players had asked him to help modify their weapons. Pine Bloom''s hammer was one such example.


    His reputation was decent; so far, no one had complained about him not being trustworthy or sabotaging their weapons.


    At that moment, a menu was slapped down in front of her.


    Rita looked at the player standing at the table, a member of the Mung Bean Tribe. She pointed at the other customer next to her and mimed, "I''m with him."


    Emerald Crane¡¤Gale:


    ...


    Mung Bean Tribe:


    ...


    Even Ghost¡¤Sang Cup, who had been quietly watching Rita from the stall, went silent.


    Seeing Emerald Crane¡¤Gale and Mung Bean Tribe both look at her like she was an idiot, Rita sighed, realizing she had to give a little now.


    By "give," she didn''t mean to offer something. She started using [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] on Emerald Crane¡¤Gale, making sure to raise her arm high so he could clearly see the skill in use.


    Players who didn''t have access to the full range of information might not understand her, but Emerald Crane¡¤Gale, a player who dared to conduct forging business on the World Battlefield, surely knew better. He would have gathered all sorts of information and wouldn''t be unaware of what Rita could do.


    If he had enough intel, he would know Rita possessed Thief skills.


    At that moment, Rita wasn''t afraid of others knowing; she was afraid of them not realizing what she was capable of.


    The only uncertainty with Emerald Crane¡¤Gale was that he was just a customer, not a stall owner or chef, and as a result, this move might not work as expected.


    While Rita was considering her next target, she noticed Emerald Crane¡¤Gale''s expression. His scalp seemed to nearly explode. Of course, he knew BS-Rita.


    With a mix of helplessness and fury, he pulled out a piece of paper and a quill, attempting to stop Rita''s actions with one hand while writing hastily: "Stop! What do you want?"


    He handed her the paper.


    Rita stopped.


    She had chosen Emerald Crane¡¤Gale as her target because she knew the Lost Tribe''s language.


    After reading the paper, she felt a bit regretful, as she had already planned on turning on him after gaining what she wanted.


    She didn''t use Emerald Crane¡¤Gale''s pen, instead taking a piece of animal skin from her backpack and using a chopstick dipped in animal blood to write down the most urgent questions:


    "Should I order now?"


    "How do I order?"


    "What''s the highest rule here?"


    Emerald Crane¡¤Gale answered:


    "At least three dishes, the highest rule is ''Don''t talk.''"


    Rita''s eyes flashed. She sensed a trap.


    Earlier, Emerald Crane¡¤Gale had written hastily, but he hadn''t made a sound. He was too cautious, afraid the pen''s tip would make a noise as it scratched across the paper.


    Rita didn''t reveal that she had noticed this, and instead asked:


    "Are there any ''low-quality ingredients'' on the menu? Which dishes shouldn''t I order?"


    Emerald Crane¡¤Gale wrote:


    "I''m sorry I threatened you earlier. I''ll pay currency for your information. You can name your price."


    The second sentence made Emerald Crane¡¤Gale''s expression soften considerably.


    No one liked to be threatened.


    He wrote:


    "500¡ô per piece of information."


    After seeing the price, Rita raised her arm again, signaling that she would continue with the threat.


    Emerald Crane¡¤Gale: "..."


    Rita didn''t push him further. She looked at the dishes in front of the other four customers, most of them ordering 3¨C5 dishes.


    She scanned the menu thoroughly, noting down the dishes ordered by all the customers in the restaurant, from the types of dishes to the prices, running them through her mind.


    Then she ordered a juice and two desserts.


    The total price was roughly equal to the average of what the five customers had ordered.


    As for why she chose juice and desserts¡ªit was because she knew the recipes for these dishes, and since they were based entirely on fruits and vegetables, they theoretically wouldn''t require the use of the "low-quality ingredients" players turned into.


    The other customers'' dishes were all similar: either all spicy, all meat, or all vegetarian. Whether it was a coincidence or not didn''t matter to Rita.


    After placing her order, she handed the menu back to Mung Bean Tribe, then wrote down a new question:


    "Do I pay for the meal upfront or afterward?"


    Emerald Crane¡¤Gale didn''t want to answer.


    Rita raised her small arm, gently brushing her skill keys.


    Emerald Crane¡¤Gale reluctantly wrote:


    "Pay upfront."


    As Rita counted the money, B8017913 asked in her mind: "You and Nivalis didn''t say this. She said you used to always be afraid of offending people."


    Rita explained: "It''s like when it''s just rained, and I''m dry all over. I''m cautious because I don''t want to get wet, but now that I''m soaked through, why should I hide from the rain? 913, you''ve come at the perfect time!!"


    B8017913: "?"


    Is that how "perfect timing" works?!

 Chapter 577: 577: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 97

    After counting the meal fee, Rita didn''t rush to pay. Instead, she waited until her health was fully restored, then placed the money on an animal hide with the words "Meal fee, self-serve" written on it.


    She glanced toward the distant Mung Bean Tribe, who was signaling her, but she didn''t respond¡ªshe acted as if she were AFK .


    She had given the money but not fully given it. Her initial guess was that the food tents, much like the restaurants in the post-cooking competition food street, each had their own rules. Violating these rules a certain number of times might lead to punishment, but as newcomers, she and others had no way of knowing what these rules were.


    There were too many possibilities. It could be the wrong timing, or maybe they couldn''t find the rules, or perhaps it was because they, as latecomers to the Dark Food Street, couldn''t see them.


    The rules might differ from tent to tent, with each color of food tent having its own set. Some might have some rules in common, but overall, there were numerous hidden pitfalls.


    However, powerful players could choose not to enter the restaurants, but Rita couldn''t. The restaurant was her only refuge at the moment.


    The atmosphere at the table was tense, as if a game of strategy was playing out. Mung Bean Tribe waved his hand several times, trying to get a response from BS-Rita, but she didn''t react. He glanced at Emerald Crane¡¤Gale, and reached for the money. However, even as his hand touched the currency, Rita still didn''t move.


    Mung Bean Tribe sighed inwardly. BS-Rita really had a steady hand¡ªdid she actually believe what Emerald Crane¡¤Gale said?


    But according to the rules, the meal fee was supposed to be paid upfront. If he left now, it would just confirm what BS-Rita already suspected. So, thinking about it, Mung Bean Tribe decided to take the money and keep it for himself.


    The coins, though small and scattered, stacked up into little piles. However, just as he placed the oddly shaped coins in his bag, the coins in the lower layer suddenly collapsed, making a noise.


    Mung Bean Tribe and Emerald Crane¡¤Gale both turned to look at BS-Rita, who had tampered with the coins.


    Putting the ring back on her hand, Rita met Mung Bean Tribe''s gaze with a calm expression. "Yes, it was me."


    When she had placed the money earlier, she had inserted the ring-shaped B8017913 right between two metal coins, waiting for Mung Bean Tribe to take the money. When he did, she retrieved B8017913, causing the coins to make noise and leaving Mung Bean Tribe in a trap.


    She had done this to test the tent''s rules. The white tents allowed a set number of lies to be told¡ªwhat about this place? How many chances would she have to make noise?


    Of course, there was a risk. When she retrieved B8017913, it was unclear if the noise was considered her fault or Mung Bean Tribe''s. The responsibility was ambiguous, and she could only act when he took the coins, trying her best to shift the blame onto him.


    Mung Bean Tribe opened his mouth to say something, but it was too late. In the next moment, he vanished from the ice restaurant.


    [Ding¡ªCongratulations, BS-Rita has killed player Cheese Rock using the highest rule of the blue food tent.]


    [Player White Stone has chosen to exchange three SSS-level skills for his ninth resurrection chance in this Divine Game.]


    [You can choose one SSS-level skill at random as your prize.]


    [Or choose to randomly learn three rules related to the food tents as your prize.]


    [Ding¡ªYou''ve received your kill reward: Vitality +10.]


    [You killed "Temporary Employee" Cheese Rock. You will learn one rule of the Dark Food Street.]


    [One of the Dark Food Street Rules: Every food tent has six rules. Within the same color of food tents, except for the highest rule and two basic rules, the remaining three rules vary.]


    At the moment Rita received her reward, she was a bit taken aback. So, it only counted as a kill if the player made a sound?


    The surprise was overwhelming, but she quickly overcame her initial fear and excitement.


    In the past, the inexperienced Rita would have chosen an SSS-level skill, but now that she had a little fortune, and more importantly, to reduce the number of deaths, she immediately chose the three food tent rules.


    [Red Food Tent Highest Rule: Maintain a smile.]


    [Blue Food Tent Basic Rule #1: You must buy at least one item from the stall.]


    [White Food Tent Basic Rule #1: Dining time cannot exceed 2 hours.]


    Cheese Rock was gone.


    Emerald Crane¡¤Gale stared at BS-Rita for a few seconds, his expression complicated, before finally focusing back on his meal. However, his pace slowed significantly, as if he wanted to stretch his time in the restaurant.


    Ghost¡¤Sang Cup had gotten up at some point, watching them from a distance.


    Rita smiled at him and then, glancing at her health, used [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] three more times on herself. After all, this guy had attacked her several times outside the restaurant!


    Ghost¡¤Sang Cup started to regret entering. No wonder those seasoned veterans hadn''t bothered to come in... He''d thought they were too foolish. Now, he realized, the real fool was standing right here.


    Entering the restaurant meant losing the advantage of his strength and stepping into a relatively fair environment with BS-Rita...


    Just as he considered leaving the restaurant to wait outside, Ghost¡¤Sang Cup''s eyes suddenly widened. He was staring at BS-Rita, and she, too, looked surprised at what had appeared in her hands¡ªa bowl of five-star delicacy?


    Well, that worked. She pocketed the dish and turned to look at the restaurant''s chef.


    She had already ordered and paid. The responsibility was no longer hers.


    Soon, a player standing by the chef came over and took the money. They pressed the payment onto the animal hide and placed both the hide and the currency in their bag.


    Rita wasn''t sure what skill the chef had used, but whether it was juicing fruit or making desserts, there was no noise involved. She didn''t rush to borrow the chef''s skill, instead turning her attention back to Emerald Crane¡¤Gale, continuing their conversation.


    Whether it was because of her hand on the skill panel or the way she had set up the trap with Cheese Rock, Emerald Crane¡¤Gale seemed to answer her questions with surprising ease.


    The questions flowed smoothly as if he were an open book:


    You can bring your own food into the restaurant, but you mustn''t waste the food bought from the restaurant.


    The dining time in this restaurant cannot exceed five hours.


    Each restaurant has different rules for violations. Some allow three offenses before death, others will kill you after one.


    The rules of each restaurant only appear during the closing time, and players can memorize enough rules during that time and visit restaurants they know the rules for after opening.


    Five-hour dining time? Rita had already decided to see how long Emerald Crane¡¤Gale and the other players stayed before deciding.


    As for Emerald Crane¡¤Gale, Rita didn''t fully trust him. He had already dug a significant hole for her with the highest rule, and his behavior was often erratic, making it hard to tell when he was lying or telling the truth.


    But since she had been the one to threaten him, Emerald Crane¡¤Gale''s digging was just a fair exchange.


    If she had been the one threatened, she would have dug even more holes for him.


    Thinking of this, Rita took out one of the dishes she had brought with her, which had been untouched, and pretended to pour it into the dish that Emerald Crane¡¤Gale had already started eating.


    Emerald Crane¡¤Gale panicked and immediately pushed Rita''s hand away.


    A crisp "ding" rang out as the ring on Emerald Crane¡¤Gale''s finger collided with Rita''s B8017913, making a sound.


    Three seconds later, another player left the restaurant.

 Chapter 578: 578: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 98

    Amid the terrified gazes of the other players in the restaurant, Rita awkwardly withdrew her hand and offered them a polite smile.


    To be honest, during those three seconds of silence, she broke into a cold sweat, afraid she''d also be deemed to have violated the rules.


    She hadn''t expected to send Emerald Crane¡¤Gale off so quickly. Really... she had only wanted to mix the food she brought with his dish to test if he was trying to trick her. She still had more questions to ask him. Even though his answers were filled with traps, she could still gather some information.


    As for the moment when Emerald Crane¡¤Gale reached out, she had adjusted her hand to reveal the ring, but it was more of a reflex. In that moment, the weighing of pros and cons was thrown aside, and her instinct was to try to trap him.


    As expected, it was true that food should not be wasted, but the claim that you could eat your own food was a lie. Otherwise, Emerald Crane¡¤Gale wouldn''t have reacted so nervously.


    [Ding¡ªCongratulations, BS-Rita has killed player Emerald Crane¡¤Gale using the highest rule of the blue food tent.]


    [Player Gale has chosen to exchange two SSS-level skills for his eighth resurrection chance in this Divine Game.]


    [You may choose to randomly draw one SSS-level skill as your prize.]


    [Or choose to randomly learn three rules related to the food tents as your prize.]


    [Ding¡ªYou have received your kill reward: Intelligence +9.]


    [You killed "Ordinary Customer", you may designate a food tent and learn its basic rules.]


    As usual, Rita chose the three rules related to food tents as her reward.


    [Black Food Tent Highest Rule: Pet-Friendly Restaurant]


    [Purple Food Tent Basic Rule #1: Dining time must not exceed half an hour.]


    [Blue Food Tent Basic Rule #1: Dining time must not be less than 5 hours.]


    So, the blue food tent''s dining time cannot be less than five hours?


    A forced rule is never sweet, all full of traps.


    She thought about the different levels of strictness between the highest rules of the blue and white food tents. Could it be that the longer you stay, the stricter the rules? The over-5-hour dining time didn''t feel like a benefit, more like a punishment.


    Now she knew the highest rules for the red and black food tents, so the next tent she''d visit would definitely be one of those two. She glanced at the tent marked by Romantic Tourist and, based on the "Ordinary Customer" kill reward, designated the red tent.


    [Red Food Tent Basic Rule #1: You cannot use your own race''s language.]


    Rita made a note of all her findings.


    Just then, her juice and dessert were brought to her. Although she had been cautious the entire time, watching the chef to see what he added, she still smelled and tasted each dish, ensuring the chef hadn''t added anything extra.


    Then, Ghost¡¤Sang Cup sat down across from her.


    He plucked a pine needle from his head, dipped it in the thick beast-fat soup that Emerald Crane¡¤Gale hadn''t finished, and wrote something in Owlspeak on the table: "Let''s exchange information."


    Rita gave him an odd look, glancing at the soup on the table, and wondered, Is this considered a waste?


    She crossed her arms and shook her head, signaling rejection.


    She wasn''t going to share real information with him, and she didn''t trust what he said, so why bother?


    She placed the juice and one of the desserts into her bag, holding the last one in her hand, just in case Ghost¡¤Sang Cup tried to knock her dishes over.


    Ghost¡¤Sang Cup mimicked Rita''s actions and ordered the same juice and two desserts for himself, then paid for his meal.


    Rita wasn''t bothered by him copying her. In fact, the more he copied, the better. She wanted him to follow her lead so she could set more traps.


    Unlike when she received her order and the chef immediately started preparing the food, when Ghost¡¤Sang Cup ordered, the chef stood quietly for a few minutes before starting.


    And when the chef was halfway through making the juice, Rita subtly pressed Repay under the table, borrowing Ghost¡¤Sang Cup''s skill!


    [Repay: Silence the world]


    Using it would make all actions made by the player silent, making it ideal for an assassination. The skill lasts for 20 minutes with a 25-minute cooldown.


    Since Repay''s description was "Temporarily steal the last skill used by the player," once the skill was stolen, Ghost¡¤Sang Cup''s skill effect disappeared.


    At the moment the skill was taken, Ghost¡¤Sang Cup''s silence ended.


    The event happened so suddenly that the chef didn''t have time to stop, or perhaps, he only noticed the issue when the sound was made.


    Less than half an hour into the restaurant, another player was gone.


    At that moment, all the players and customers in the ice restaurant turned to look at BS-Rita: Did you do that?


    Rita gave them a shocked look, as if she were just as surprised by what had happened.


    Ghost¡¤Sang Cup shifted uncomfortably and was tempted to leave right then.


    Now that the chef was gone, who would make his juice and desserts?


    After Rita finished her feigned shock, she took a sip of her juice. She didn''t rush to use the skill, but silently thought it through. She hadn''t wanted to waste the chef''s huge skill, but seeing that he hadn''t used it to manipulate the customers and get them to make noise, she had her doubts.


    Had he not used it because employees couldn''t kill customers? Or was there a limit on how many kills one could make?


    Before figuring that out, Rita was content to forgo one opportunity to act.


    It was only after seeing how dangerous the blue food tent was that she realized the severity of the situation. Even though she had won, Rita still felt a sense of dread. Spending more than five hours here was no small feat.


    [Ding¡ªCongratulations, BS-Rita has killed player Black Tea Traveler using the highest rule of the blue food tent.]


    [Player Traveler has chosen to exchange one SSS-level skill for his tenth resurrection chance.]


    [You can choose to obtain this SSS-level skill as your prize.]


    [Or choose to randomly learn two rules related to the food tents as your prize.]


    [Ding¡ªYou''ve received your kill reward: Mana +999.]


    [You killed the "Dark Chef." You will learn two Dark Food Street rules.]


    [Dark Food Street Rule #1: Killing a "Wandering Chef" hidden in the Dark Food Street will end the current Divine Game early, and you will receive +5000¡ô to your sales.]


    [Dark Food Street Rule #2: Killing a "VIP" hidden in the Dark Food Street will end the current Divine Game early, and you will receive +5000¡ô to your sales.]


    Now the question is, if she killed herself, would it count as killing a "Wandering Chef"?


    At this moment, Rita wasn''t sure how to communicate with the system. She relayed the potential bug to her 913 Secretary, asking for help.


    Rita: "Hurry up and report it."


    B8017913: "Do you think the game will listen to me?"


    Rita: "Try it."


    To her surprise, B8017913 got a response.


    B8017913: "They told me to take you far away."

 Chapter 579: 579: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 99

    After receiving a response, Rita felt a sense of defeat.


    It was impossible for her to kill herself just to test that bug.


    She shifted her focus back to the rewards. Now, the decision was tricky.


    Should she take the divine skill or the three food tent rules?


    After hesitating for a few seconds, Rita chose the food tent rules.


    The divine skill was rare, but the food tent rules could help her survive longer. To avoid being trapped and killed by players who waited for her to die, she had to navigate through the food tents until the game ended.


    As for staying in the blue food tent until the end of the game? That thought briefly crossed Rita''s mind. Of course, she would prefer that, but no one knew if things would change after five hours.


    [Green Food Tent Basic Rule #1: You cannot refuse any requests from the chef.]


    [Black Food Tent Basic Rule #1: You must pay double the meal fee.]


    [Purple Food Tent Basic Rule #1: No physical contact allowed.]


    Now, she knew two basic rules each for the black, purple, and red food tents.


    Rita returned her focus to the restaurant.


    At this point, she had three minutes left on the borrowed skill.


    B8017913, having observed Rita''s actions and rewards, noticed that it was actually more impatient than Rita herself. It analyzed that her success rate wasn''t low. "Are you really not going to make a move?" it asked.


    Rita: "What are the odds that I can calculate a player''s violation and walk away unscathed? Did you calculate that?"


    B8017913: "73%"


    It was higher than she expected, but still too low.


    Rita glanced at the other players. Ever since she outsmarted Emerald Crane¡¤Gale, everyone had put away their food into their bags, leaving only one dish in hand, nibbling at it slowly.


    After using Silent Press, Isolate This World, Rita quickly flew toward the stall. Wherever she went, all the players in the restaurant followed her with their eyes.


    Even the two stall owners were on edge.


    Although BS-Rita seemed surprised at the chef''s death, everyone knew it was her. She was quick, and her calm demeanor¡ªunconcerned about making any noise¡ªwas the best proof.


    Before she came, the restaurant had been fine. After she arrived, it was non-stop deaths: waitstaff, fellow diners, chefs¡ªanyone who got close to her seemed to die.


    Rita squatted in front of one of the stalls. The white food tent had rules, and perhaps this one had them too.


    She quickly wrote on a piece of beast hide: "Stall rules, I make a successful transaction, I help you reorganize, only 2 minutes."


    While the stall owner fumbled, unsure whether to stop her but too scared to act, she quickly piled all the goods on the stall into a teetering tower. Then she pressed the stall owner''s hand on top of the tower of goods.


    The stall owner, almost trembling, quickly wrote the stall rules for Rita to see: "You can only buy what I recommend. I recommend this. Only 1¡ô!"


    As the stall owner wrote, Rita was by his side, erasing one word after another.


    As soon as Ghost¡¤Sang Cup realized what Rita was doing, he rushed over, but wary of making noise, his movements slowed. By the time he arrived, Rita had already erased all the rules written by the stall owner, even taking the paper with her.


    Rita placed 1¡ô on the stall, then moved the owner''s hand aside and neatly arranged all the items back on the stall before sitting back at her seat with her dessert.


    Ghost¡¤Sang Cup, like a dog on a leash, had been led around and now chased after Rita, agitated and frustrated.


    What were the rules?


    He had previously pretended to want to exchange rules, but he hadn''t even gotten any rules from Rita. How could he exchange them?


    He was so distracted by his failed attempts that he didn''t care about his own meal anymore. He wrote on the paper: "Tell me the rules, and I won''t act against you for the rest of this game."


    Having killed three players, Rita had to know something. Although Ghost¡¤Sang Cup didn''t know how she analyzed things, he knew something was wrong. After all, they entered the restaurant at the same time, so why was he so far behind?


    In response to Ghost¡¤Sang Cup''s "grace," Rita wrote: "One more or one less doesn''t matter."


    Ghost¡¤Sang Cup, thinking about the players outside the food tent, had no words to retort.


    The restaurant returned to its usual atmosphere, except two workers hadn''t been replaced.


    As time passed, Ghost¡¤Sang Cup grew more anxious. He recalled Rita''s actions and realized she was probably about to buy something, and had to complete the order and finish eating. But so far, he hadn''t done any of that.


    He had tried several times to coax, threaten, or trade with her, but the rules he received, he couldn''t even be sure they were real.


    Among all the players outside, he was the only one who had followed Rita into the restaurant, so it was clear¡ªGhost¡¤Sang Cup hadn''t invested much in intelligence.


    Time passed minute by minute. Rita casually sipped her juice as if she were drinking alcohol.


    She remembered how Emerald Crane¡¤Gale had eaten, and she wasn''t going to finish all her food before the dining time ended.


    By the time she had her second dessert, every two minutes, she used I Just Want to Improve So Badly on Ghost¡¤Sang Cup, since this dessert had a healing effect.


    Having silently watched Rita''s moves, Ghost¡¤Sang Cup had certainly noticed what she was doing, which only made him more agitated.


    Although Rita hadn''t stolen any skills, she had amassed almost 300¡ô, which made her feel good.


    New players and customers entered the restaurant, causing a small commotion.


    13:53.


    Ghost¡¤Sang Cup gave up. He decided to violate the rules and die to leave the restaurant, then wait outside for Rita.


    After making his decision, Ghost¡¤Sang Cup made one last attempt. He used his mind control skill on Rita, only to discover it was considered an attack skill.


    Rita felt a dizzying sensation in her head, but quickly realized something was wrong. Looking coldly at Ghost¡¤Sang Cup, she caught his regretful expression.


    Immediately, she used Repay to borrow the skill he had just used¡ªa mind control skill.


    One failed attempt. Ghost¡¤Sang Cup quickly changed his plan. He used two skills.


    One was an area stasis skill, freezing not only Rita but all players in the restaurant.


    Then, jumping into the air, he used an explosive skill with a knockback effect, targeting the tables and chairs between him and Rita. The explosion was large enough to affect all players in the restaurant.


    Attacking players wouldn''t work, but attacking the restaurant itself?


    As soon as the explosion rang out and the knockback effect hit, if Rita and the others were knocked into the air, would their landing sounds also count?


    Although this approach was unlikely to earn Ghost¡¤Sang Cup any kill rewards (otherwise, it would be too easy to farm kills), he wouldn''t lose anything if he took several players down with him.


    The explosion sounded, and BS-Rita heard Ghost¡¤Sang Cup''s cold voice: "I''ll be waiting for you outside the restaurant."

 Chapter 580: 580: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant 100 (End)

    The moment Rita was frozen, she immediately guessed what Ghost¡¤Sang Cup was planning to do. In that instant, her mind flashed through countless strategies.


    She could use Survive Until the End to turn into Feather and fall silently, but she couldn''t move.


    Calling Nivalis to help her press the skill icon? But Nivalis''s wings made a loud sound with each flap, even without changing form.


    Rita: "Nivalis, help me! Gently place me on the ground."


    Without hesitation, Nivalis left the pet space, grabbed Rita by the collar, and gently placed her back on the ice.


    After doing this, the 3 seconds were just about over, and Nivalis died due to the violation.


    The 4147 restaurant was eerily silent.


    After a few seconds, the freezing effect wore off.


    With 70% of her health remaining, Rita slowly stood up and looked around. She realized that the restaurant had been entirely cleared by Ghost¡¤Sang Cup''s chaotic moves. Now, the 4147 restaurant had only Rita left.


    Just then, the time reached 14:09.


    As soon as Rita had spent 5 hours in the restaurant, a voice echoed in her mind:


    "You have completed your meal at 4147 restaurant. From now on, every additional minute you stay will cost 5¡ô from your sales as seating fee."


    300¡ô per hour? With less than 10 hours remaining in the game, Rita glanced at her balance: 9815¡ô.


    She could afford this.


    Rita immediately altered all her previous plans. She placed B8017913 into a crack in the ice sculpture at the restaurant entrance, leaving it outside to monitor the situation.


    The environment was now safe. She didn''t need to worry about running out of mana and being helpless.


    She used her first Survive Until the End, turning into Feather, then canceled the skill. Her health was down to 17 points.


    She activated Mysterious Power.


    Flying to the cooking station, she examined the items on the other plates. After using Survive Until the End again, she transformed into an identical plate and modified the information to match exactly.


    If she became dinnerware, there was no safer place than the blue food tent with its highest rule of no sound allowed.


    There was no better time to transform than now.


    Though she regretted choosing the three food tent rules earlier instead of a divine skill, she hadn''t known if the penalty for staying over five hours would be something unbearable. Now, she could accept the regret.


    After all, overthinking could sometimes lead to missed opportunities.


    In the dark room, Rita opened the battle chat channel.


    [Sakura¡¤Oolong]: Who has BS-Rita''s location info, bounty.


    [Ghost¡¤Sang Cup]: One SS-level skill, bounty on BS-Rita''s location info.


    It was a few scattered lines of conversation about her.


    It made sense. If these players were teaming up to watch her, why would they discuss it in the chat channel? No need to chat openly.


    Rita quietly eavesdropped, not showing off or provoking anyone. She remembered how Pine Bloom didn''t like chatting in the battle channel because she had been tracked by other players because of it.


    Nivalis had already resurrected in the pet space: "Did I help you?"


    Rita: "Yes, a lot. Without you, I would''ve failed this time."


    Nivalis'' cheerful laughter echoed in her mind, and Rita''s tense mood relaxed a little.


    She began calculating the time in her head.


    B8017913 occasionally updated her about the restaurant''s situation.


    "A player arrived, oh, it''s the chef."


    "You won''t believe it, it''s TingoJE!"


    "A player has set up a stall."


    "You''re being used to hold food."


    "You''re being served at a table."


    Rita was pleasantly surprised to see her earnings on the leaderboard increasing.


    What did this mean? Even as a plate, she could earn from the restaurant''s sales?!


    But after a few attempts, she realized that only the dish she was holding counted toward her earnings.


    18:00.


    [Sakura¡¤Oolong] entered!!! "She''s asking the players here if they''ve found anything that doesn''t belong to the restaurant."


    The battle chat channel buzzed with increasing bounties for her location.


    21:00.


    Now, they weren''t just offering a bounty for her location. They were directly asking if anyone had found a small White Boat.


    Many players were asking, including MarmangCrab, Sakura¡¤Oolong, Lania KaiaPine Bloom, and even TingoAutumn Deer.


    The [Midnight Exile] series skills and her theft skills were more attractive than Rita had imagined.


    21:30, a new issue arose.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: I opened my eyes, and earlier a mechanical race stopped me, asking where BS-Rita is.


    [Sakura¡¤Oolong]: Did it ask you too?


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup]: Was it the Y-series from the diamond miners?


    Rita had a bad feeling. Could it be?


    She immediately instructed B8017913 to return to the pet space.


    B8017913 returned obediently, then questioned her: "Don''t you need me to continue monitoring? I can block Y128''s signal."


    Rita: "I''m worried it might cooperate with the players. It''s fine; if I can''t avoid it, I''ll just move to another restaurant."


    She glanced at her earnings, realizing that TingoJE''s dishes were quite expensive¡ªeach one earning about 100¡ô. Though she wasn''t used as a plate often, the total earnings nearly covered her expenses at restaurant 4147.


    23:00.


    Suddenly, Rita heard a system notification in her mind.


    [Player BS-Rita, based on your performance this round, you have unlocked a new identity: ''VIP''. For the remainder of this game, all props, oddities, and attack skills will have no effect on you.]


    [Every time you taste a dish prepared by a ''Dark Chef'', you have a 35% chance of randomly acquiring one of their skill icons.]


    Rita''s heart raced for a moment but then quickly settled.


    Something was wrong. While "Wandering Chef" required a food duel to gain rewards, why did the "VIP" identity let her get a skill icon just by eating? Even if it was a chance, it was still too high and too easy.


    The rewards for being killed as these two identities were both 5000¡ô in sales, which shouldn''t be the case theoretically.


    Rita: "Can you imitate the game system''s notification sound?"


    B8017913 switched voices and mimicked the system''s notification exactly: "I can, but I can''t make my voice appear in someone''s mind without targeting them."


    Rita''s heart calmed. A mechanical race couldn''t do it, but players might be able to.


    She decided¡ªunless she returned to the initial room, she wouldn''t leave!


    After all, she couldn''t waste [Survive Until the End] like that!


    23:30


    The battle chat channel had already deduced that she was likely in a certain restaurant based on her sales data change. Emerald Crane¡¤Gale was investigating, looking for players with similar sales growth.


    23:50


    For the first time, her health fluctuated.


    From 1% to 0.996%.


    Rita''s heart tightened. This might be the beginning.


    [Sakura¡¤Oolong]: Want to cry, Y128 found her!


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: Where?!


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: Where?!


    [Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom]: Where?!


    [Ghost¡¤Sang Cup]: Where?!!


    [Emerald Crane¡¤Gale]: Where?!!!


    Rita: ...Everyone seems really upset.


    [Sakura¡¤Oolong]: Meet at 4147 restaurant entrance!!! Hurry!


    Rita: ...Why are they suddenly so fired up?!


    23:51


    A group of high-ranking players and a bald little robot resembling a mailbox surrounded a plate.


    They took turns throwing the plate to the ground, picking it up, and passing it to the next player to throw...


    Crash ¡ª "Hurry up!"


    Crash ¡ª "What kind of skill is this? Don''t you have anti-magic skills?"


    Crash ¡ª "I don''t have it, cooldown''s too long. Where''s Y128?"


    Crash ¡ª "I don''t have to follow game rules, I can only carry 2 skills."


    Crash ¡ª "Is this really the plate?"


    Crash ¡ª "Aren''t we being kind of foolish?"


    Crash ¡ª "How many more times? I don''t have a health-check skill."


    Crash ¡ª "This skill''s way too cheating!"


    Crash ¡ª "Why aren''t we using skills? Why must we throw it?"


    Crash ¡ª "Isn''t this waiting for other players? Don''t


    you think it''s more satisfying to throw?"


    ...


    "How long has Deceitful Bloom been laughing at the screen?"


    "Since Y128 rushed out of the food tent shouting ''I found her!''"


    "I think it started when Y128 spent 1000¡ô to buy the plate, and that 1000¡ô counted toward BS-Rita''s sales."

 Chapter 581: 581: Divine Game: Chaotic Restaurant - Settlement

    It wasn''t until Rita was kicked out of the game and back to BS that she truly relaxed. Her health was down to a mere 0.096%.


    The first thing she did was check the rabbit tooth courses in her backpack to make sure they were still there. Only after confirming everything was in order did she finally breathe a sigh of relief.


    After finishing the Flying Combat class in the white food tent, she had originally planned to move to the next food tent to continue her classes. However, the blue food tent was so special that she worried if she didn''t adjust her state in time after the class, she would end up violating the rules.


    Even though B8017913 had said that the items opened from event gift packs wouldn''t disappear when the game ended, she couldn''t shake her unease until she saw it for herself.


    Finally, the real game notification echoed in her ears.


    [Game 24268 ends]


    [Player BS-Rita ranks 8312th in Game 24268 - Chaotic Restaurant]


    [Overall game score: 88 points]


    [17 gods have anonymously given feedback: "Good", "Not bad", "You wasted Midnight Exile", "You and One-Man Party are highly compatible", "You won''t always be this lucky", "You''re too cautious", "Very careful, good job", "Missed too many opportunities!", "Too greedy..."]


    [Rewards: 4 pieces of Golden Tree withered leaves, 2 Golden Tree withered branches]


    [1 Abyssal Chest]


    [BS Human race gains 0.27% Evolution]


    Her ranking wasn''t as high as Kart Racing''s, but her overall score was 15 points higher than theirs.


    The Golden Tree-related items were also better this time.


    Reflecting on her performance in the two games, Rita concluded that the final ranking played a significant part, but it wasn''t the only factor¡ªthe gods'' evaluations and her specific performance in the game also impacted the final score and rewards.


    No matter how well she did in Kart Racing, it couldn''t compare to Chaotic Restaurant. The latter had a higher score and better rewards, even though Kart Racing had a higher rank.


    It was probably a 50/50 split, or perhaps 60/40 or 40/60 in weight?


    Apart from that, there were the mixed evaluations from the gods.


    As for that, Rita was in a good mood.


    Many of the evaluations were contradictory, not necessarily indicating right or wrong, but just showing different perspectives from different gods.


    For her, being noticed was enough¡ªno god would give a completely dismissive comment about her, right?


    The familiar BS announcement sounded.


    [BS Announcement: War and chaos have begun the legend, and only blood and perseverance can defend BS''s honor.]


    [BS-Rita and her contract partners Ice Dragon Nivalis, B8017913, with their low-key fighting style and high-profile game tactics, defended BS''s dignity and their own in the dangerous, treacherous ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö.]


    [She ignores the power gap and faces challenges head-on, calmly dealing with the siege of powerful enemies.]


    [When BS-Rita''s name rang out across ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, the name of BS was no longer unknown.]


    [BS''s people, if anyone has the courage to fight for BS like BS-Rita¡ªlosing divine talents, losing attribute points, losing everything you currently have¡ªBS will respond to your call.]


    [Player BS-Rita chooses BS star-race - Human to accept BS''s blessing. The human race will receive a small amount of life evolution.]


    [Reward: Player BS-Rita gains 80,000 Honor Points.]


    "Low-key fighting style, high-profile game tactics..."


    Yes, low-key in life, high-profile in action, that''s not wrong.


    "She ignores the power gap and faces challenges head-on..."


    Uh, most of the time in Match-3, just connecting tiles makes them disappear. Power matters, but it''s not the most important thing. BS is right¡ªshe did face challenges when playing Match-3.


    "She remains calm and composed when besieged by strong enemies..."


    Well, when she turned into White Boat or became a plate, she was locked in a small black room. How could she not remain calm and composed?


    Rita looked at the mini Nivalis, who was eagerly searching for snacks after popping out of the pet space, and said, "BS should run for public office."


    The ability to spin things into white when they were clearly black¡ªanyone who didn''t know would think she was quite impressive in the world battlefield.


    Nivalis said, "I think it''s just flattering you."


    The floating B8017913 in its cube form recorded all these comments: "I''m learning."


    What Rita truly cared about was the phrase, "If anyone is like BS-Rita, with the courage to fight for BS after losing divine skills, attribute points, and everything you have, I will respond to your call." She furrowed her brows as she repeated it and then asked B8017913: "Will the planet respond to the player''s call? But don''t we need the world''s..."


    Before she could finish her sentence, a childish voice rang in her mind.


    [I was just saying it. I don''t like them saying they can go too.]


    Rita: "..."


    B8017913 heard halfway and asked, "What?"


    Rita smiled. "Nothing."


    She called out to BS a few more times in her mind but got no response. She gave up on trying.


    The next thing she saw was the 0.27% Evolution.


    [Player''s highest base attribute +1.1%]


    [Player''s all advanced attributes +1.1%]


    [Human lifespan limit +12 years]


    [All players can allocate 12 attribute points]


    [Player BS-Rita is blessed by BS, and all evolution rewards are doubled.]


    Rita thought to herself, BS had been calling her "BS-Rita" and "Rita" interchangeably before, but now it''s just "BS-Rita"...


    She opened the world chat channel to browse for a while, noticing that the players were also calling her that.


    Some were thanking her, others were asking what "frameworks" meant, and some were inquiring why she had dropped a level.


    After reading for a while, Rita got bored and turned it off, starting to calculate the gains from this game.


    The main prize: SSS-level skills!


    Along with the two SSS-level skills she had learned on her own, Rita had accumulated 44 SSS-level skills in total. After subtracting the two she lost from the seventh and eighth deaths, there were still 42 left!


    Most importantly, the most powerful and useful skills were all in her possession.


    [Phoenix Seat], [Unchanged Fate], [Crack Lock], [Spring Scenery & Flowers], [Behind the Scenes], [Romantic Tourist], [Family Bucket], [Focus Success], [Repay], [Fourfold Spring], [Steady Happiness]...


    Other skills weren''t bad either, at least all were SSS level¡ªsingle-target, area attacks, healing, shields, and support skills, plus a special one like [The Old Blacksmith]. But these 11 skills were certainly stronger.


    These 11 skills were either stolen through various means, learned through her own breakthroughs, or obtained through food god skills.


    They were stronger than the SSS-level skills that players discarded after being killed.


    Rita was certain these would be her main skills going forward.


    There were 15 S-level skills in total.


    She originally had more, but just due to deaths, she lost 6, and another one was stolen by TingoAutumn Deer.


    But still, it wasn''t too bad, and the most surprising was the [Skewer] skill she obtained from the Match-3 game.


    She laid all the Golden Tree-related items she had gathered this game on the table:


    5 Golden Tree withered leaves, 11 Golden Tree withered branches, 1 Golden Tree bud.


    There were some given by Rabbit 1, some from gift boxes, and some from the rewards at the end of the divine game.


    Also, the unused rabbit-related items:


    2 Rabbit Fur for copying, 1 Rabbit Fur for random movement, 1 Rabbit Ear for immunity to death penalties, 1 Rabbit Tail that can shuffle, 6 Rabbit Tooth courses.


    3 World''s Tomb items: [1-Dot], [3-Character], [Green Dragon].


    Two divine items: a course named Deceitful Bloom, and a divine game memento named White Boat.


    Plus, three mysterious little iron boxes stolen from a mechanical race customer, and one Abyssal Chest.


    These were her most significant gains from this divine game.


    She stored everything in Magician''s Wisdom Tooth, leaving only one piece of withered leaf in her hand.

 Chapter 582: 582: Her Name Turned Gold, Bolded, and Glowing

    Rita walked over to Nivalis holding the golden tree withered leaf and handed it to her.


    Nivalis, who had been gaming, immediately said, "I didn''t help you much this time, you don''t need to share it with me!" After a pause, she added, "And that blue food tent thing wasn''t really much of a big deal, you don''t need to repay me."


    Rita took a deep breath, then let out a heavy sigh. She half-squatted by the couch, looking into Nivalis'' eyes. Her voice was gentle, but her words were incredibly sincere as she said:


    "This isn''t about contribution. I''m not thanking you for helping me at the end, it''s not about returning a favor, or a transaction, or fairness, and it doesn''t have any purpose... This is just..."


    She placed the withered leaf on Nivalis'' belly and patted it. "This is a gift. I received something good and I want to share it with you. So, I''m giving it to you as a gift, nothing more. It''s like pocket money, a little toy, or ice cream¡ªjust a gift, it means nothing."


    After saying that, she quickly rubbed Nivalis'' head, then took out all the 2-star and below delicacies from her backpack and placed them on the table before quickly using her Shadowstep skill to teleport back to the bedroom upstairs to rest.


    The living room remained quiet for a long time.


    Nivalis stared blankly at the GAME OVER screen, holding the golden tree withered leaf in her hands.


    Fortunately, B8017913 wasn''t too competitive and didn''t care much about gaming. Since Nivalis didn''t play, it was fine.


    After a long pause, Nivalis suddenly spoke to B8017913. "Do you know? After the last divine game ended, she gave me half of her rewards¡ªthree golden tree withered leaves."


    "Oh?" B8017913 responded.


    "I thought I was already really happy with that, but this time, even though I only got one, I''m way, way happier than last time. I don''t even know how to explain it, and I can''t figure out why."


    "Do you think she wasn''t sincere last time?"


    "No! Of course not!!!"


    After a strong rebuttal, Nivalis lifted the golden tree withered leaf high and looked out the window through it.


    She spoke in a low voice, getting faster as she spoke, as if finally understanding her confused thoughts and afraid that they would slip away if she didn''t grab them quickly:


    "She''s like a magic formula. Her feelings are like a magic formula. You have to put in this or that positive emotion, and then she''ll slowly return the same positive emotion. You put in 1, she''ll return 0.5. She won''t neglect you, won''t ignore you, and she won''t make you feel like you''re singing a solo. Everything you give, she will return in kind."


    B8017913, reflecting on the time spent with Rita during the game, agreed, "Generous but stingy."


    After tasting those words carefully, Nivalis nodded and added, "Real but cold, like a pre-written program... but this!!"


    The little ice dragon flew up holding the golden tree withered leaf!


    She flew around the living room once, twice, and three times, before finally landing in front of B8017913, lifting the golden tree leaf¡ªabout half her size¡ªtoward the mini magic cube.


    "Do you know what this is?"


    "This is the first time she actively sent me a signal!"


    B8017913 couldn''t handle such complex emotions and stated simply, "But she said, this gift she gave you is just like pocket money, little toys, and ice cream."


    Nivalis didn''t argue with this. She thought back to Rita''s emotions from earlier¡ªso clumsy, so cautious, like trying to scoop up a precious grain of sand from water, afraid that any sudden movement would make it slip away with the current.


    "Yes, that''s the point. They''re all the same. It''s just to make me happy, not to calculate who gave more or less. The purpose of them is just to make me happy."


    Nivalis cradled the golden tree leaf softly. "But this isn''t like snacks or toys. This is her sharing her glory and power with me."


    She knew Rita better than anyone. For her, no matter how expensive clothes, food, or toys were, they couldn''t compare to things that brought power.


    For Rita, it was a completely different value system. No matter how gorgeous or rare ordinary items were, to Rita, they were just useless garbage.


    If a globally limited dress and a flower cotton jacket that added attributes were placed in front of Rita, she''d undoubtedly pick the jacket without hesitation.


    B8017913 stayed silent for a while before suddenly saying, "When she went to the Abandoned Zone to find me, she didn''t have any specific purpose. She was just curious, calling my number out on the trash mountain. At first, I ignored her, but eventually, I was so annoyed that I responded."


    Nivalis: "..."


    With a cold expression, Nivalis said, "That can''t be true. She must have had a purpose, a plan to find you!"


    Before B8017913 could respond, a freezing spell hit it, freezing the magic cube.


    After releasing the upgraded Aurora Shield, Nivalis carefully placed the golden tree withered leaf into her storage pocket and mumbled, "So annoying!!"


    B8017913, having avoided using its evasion skill to save energy, muttered, "...That was careless."


    Rita woke up from her two-day, two-night nap and immediately reached out to Zhao Shuying.


    She needed to set up an alchemy workshop and an engineering workshop next to the racetrack, but she didn''t have enough time to handle The Old Blacksmith herself. She planned to have Eclipse Vanguard send someone to handle the demands.


    Additionally, she had claimed some nearby territory, but some areas were already inhabited, so she would have to discuss this with Eclipse Vanguard.


    Just as she opened her system interface, something unexpected happened.


    Every single interface border had turned gold! Her personal information, game backpack, leaderboard, chat interface... everything was bordered in gold.


    What''s more, her name was the only one on the leaderboard that had turned gold, bolded, and flashing. It was just short of adding a golden "SVIP" next to her name.


    She had just taken a nap. When had she spent money on this?


    Staring at the game interface in shock for too long, she suddenly heard a voice in her head.


    [Not satisfied?]


    Rita: "..."


    A comment saying "so tacky" was stuck in her throat, but she couldn''t decide whether to say it or not.

 Chapter 583: 583: It’s Good, You’re Still You

    Rita could feel BS''s affection for her. She forced the phrase "So tacky" down her throat. Gold is gold, let it be.


    ¡ª "Thank you."


    After she said those words, it felt as though her name and the game interface had become even more sparkling...


    She squeezed her eyes shut and began focusing on the task at hand.


    She didn''t have too many friends added in the game, and some of them she had already forgotten, but she replied briefly to the congratulations and thanks she received. Ignoring the greetings from her three family members, she opened the chat interface with Shadow.Q.


    Skipping through the long string of meaningless greetings and compliments, Rita went straight to the point and sent Shadow.Q the skill description of The Old Blacksmith.


    [Rita]: Want to collaborate?


    [Shadow.Q]: Collaboration, is it convenient for you now?


    [Rita]: Half an hour, come over then. Don''t you need to report before deciding?


    [Shadow.Q]: No need, from now on, both the Special Affairs Bureau and Eclipse Vanguard in S City are under my control.


    Most of Eclipse Vanguard''s members came from the Special Affairs Bureau, but not everyone in the Special Affairs Bureau had the right to join Eclipse Vanguard.


    The creation of Eclipse Vanguard didn''t completely replace the Special Affairs Bureau. Now, they are two different departments¡ªroughly split into military and political sectors.


    Rita was surprised yet not surprised by Shadow.Q''s rise. She had known about Shadow.Q''s ambition and abilities long ago, back at the Tower.


    Times had changed.


    Politicians with more seniority than her might have had a stronger game power, but Shadow.Q had an A-level divine gift, oak owl wings, the accumulation within the Tower, and a bunch of contribution points to exchange for skills.


    In terms of game strength, there were players stronger than Shadow.Q, but none had the same political cunning and ability to handle complex relationships.


    She, like Eclipse Vanguard, wasn''t entirely black or white. Occasionally walking the line, often forgetting the rules, but no matter how she acted¡ªwhether she was calculating or not¡ªher words were always beautiful, always correct.


    She wanted both the benefits and the people''s hearts, with the right methods, but always managing to show just enough sincerity, keeping the big picture in mind.


    In the end, Shadow.Q was the most connected and closest player to her in Eclipse Vanguard. As Rita became more important to BS, Shadow.Q''s position would surely rise as well, and Rita wouldn''t ignore her own role in that.


    Shadow.Q mastering a powerful faction was only natural.


    The only thing that surprised her was Shadow.Q''s speed. It was so fast. Was she in such a rush that she couldn''t wait and just took down her superior?


    [Rita]: How''s your superior?


    [Shadow.Q]: I didn''t take them down, they retired to level up.


    [Rita]: Mmm... congratulations.


    Their exchange was smooth as usual¡ªone would lift their behind, the other would know what they''re going to do.


    Rita sent over two three-star delicacies as celebratory gifts.


    Although Rita''s current strength meant that it didn''t matter much who rose to power, as long as the new leader didn''t interfere with her orders, she could simply fly over and take them out and make Eclipse Vanguard change the leader. But Shadow.Q was someone she worked well with, so the lack of the killing part made her happy.


    After freshening up and changing clothes, Rita hid all of her divine gifts, only leaving the four main attributes unchanged.


    After completing this, she arrived at the villa, re-adjusted the lightning net, and prepared herself.


    She really wanted a skill that could add more protection to her home, but unfortunately, this kind of special skill was something all players needed, and it wouldn''t be easily dropped upon death. Moreover, it couldn''t be carried as a skill icon in the game.


    She turned to Nivalis who was with her. "You''ve taken the 6-star engineering course. Did you learn anything useful?"


    With the mini magic cube on her head, Nivalis replied, "Yes, it''s a lot to explain in one go. Engineering is complex. It''s not like cooking, one recipe at a time... Anyway, just tell me what you need, and I can assemble it for you."


    Rita pointed to the villa and the nearby karting track. "I want you to set up surveillance equipment and high towers with remote attacks around here. If an outsider approaches, warn them, and if they don''t leave within 3 seconds, kill them directly."


    Shadow.Q, who had arrived early, couldn''t help but add, "...Can we add a repulsion process? After repelling, if they try to break in again, can we kill them?"


    Rita, hearing this, looked back at Shadow.Q with a helpless expression and nodded, "Sure, that''s fine."


    Shadow.Q''s worries and fears dissipated almost immediately. When she first heard Rita say, "Kill them directly if they don''t retreat in 3 seconds," she had felt a moment of fear.


    "3 seconds and kill them directly." Would Rita really have such a murderous intent in the past?


    She was afraid Rita might have changed because of that mysterious place. She feared Rita might become cold and unwilling to tolerate even the slightest disobedience or dissent as she grew stronger.


    Even though in private, Rita would still joke with her and give her gifts, Shadow.Q couldn''t feel at ease.


    BS''s open favoritism toward Rita and Rita''s contribution to BS were both too special.


    The moment she saw Rita''s back, her worries reached their peak!


    Rita had become stronger. Even though her level had decreased by one, her momentum and aura were undeniable.


    Though she couldn''t detect her divine gift¡ªthe previous Fate Gear was just decoration¡ªthose four main attributes were terrifyingly high. Even the lowest attribute alone exceeded the combined four main attributes of 99% of players.


    However, when she met Rita''s gaze and saw those eyes that were still full of rich emotion, hearing that "Sure, that''s fine," she knew Rita was still Rita.


    She hadn''t become arrogant, nor would she ignore those less powerful than her. She wasn''t the type to be cautious and humble in her early days only to use her newfound strength to make up for the concessions and injustices of her weaker years.


    Although Shadow.Q didn''t feel that there was any injustice in the deal with Eclipse Vanguard, and although Eclipse Vanguard had schemed against Rita, they had not acted on it, and no forceful exploitation had taken place during the transaction, she couldn''t be sure if Rita saw it that way.


    Eclipse Vanguard had encountered players like this¡ªthose who, once gaining power, saw past cooperative equal transactions during their weak times as if they had been taken advantage of.


    Shadow.Q smiled and walked up to Rita. She meant to say something polite, but as the words were about to come out, she couldn''t help but sigh, "It''s good, you''re still you."


    Rita, understanding immediately what Shadow.Q was worried about, gave a slight smile.


    She wasn''t the type to be subservient or to strike harshly after gaining power.


    But she wasn''t the same person anymore either.


    Before Chaotic Restaurant, she couldn''t have predicted if she could suppress Eclipse Vanguard in a direct confrontation, but now, with dozens of SSS-level skills, 9th-level battle strength, and combat skills far surpassing those of BS players, she could say with certainty that she could do it.


    Now, whatever she wanted to do, she didn''t need to hide, give excuses, or explain herself.


    She didn''t need to waste time on schemes anymore. She just had to state her demands.


    What she said goes, and no one could say no.


    But all along, there was still a part of her that softened when it came to BS and Eclipse Vanguard.


    Otherwise, if she had wanted Eclipse Vanguard to have no time to scheme against her, she would have had another way to go about it.


    Throwing out the Legion Command, starting a new legion with the contract to fight against the Special Affairs Bureau¡ªif everyone was in chaos, no one would have the energy to calculate against her, right?


    She didn''t want to resort to extreme measures against BS and Eclipse Vanguard unless absolutely necessary, just like how she never used I Just Want to Improve So Badly within BS.


    Now, it was her turn to test Eclipse Vanguard''s attitude toward her.


    That would decide her attitude toward Eclipse Vanguard going forward.


    In a calm tone, as if asking for a simple favor, she said, "I want Black Jade."

 Chapter 584: 584: The Defeated Balloon Manufacturer

    ¡ª "I want Black Jade."


    Shadow.Q, momentarily taken aback, quickly recovered and replied decisively, "We''ll have it delivered to you by 8 AM tomorrow at the latest. Is the villa entrance okay? Or would you prefer near the karting track?"


    She didn''t ask what Rita needed Black Jade for, nor whether it was alive or dead, nor whether Rick and Black Jade were still in a contract, nor how Black Jade''s existence now affected BS.


    She simply said that Eclipse Vanguard would deliver Black Jade wherever Rita needed, no questions asked.


    "Does this need to be reported to Eclipse Vanguard headquarters?" Rita asked.


    "No need. As long as it''s your request, Eclipse Vanguard will fully support it! Eclipse Vanguard is devoted to you..."


    "Stop¡ª!!! Enough, I get it! Good! Tomorrow at 8 AM! Karting track!" Rita''s near-explosive reaction caused Shadow.Q''s final sliver of uncertainty to evaporate. She felt like she understood Rita a bit more.


    Nivalis often responded to players'' messages online, and through her, Rita had dozens of nicknames: "My Rita," "My Master," "BS-Rita," "Rita," "The Mysterious One Most Desired by the Oak Owl," "The Defeated Balloon Manufacturer," "Teacher 101 Judge"...


    Many of these nicknames, known only to Rita and her pets, were affectionate but quirky.


    The most common nickname, though, was "That Damn Goose Who Loves to Compete."


    Was Rita competitive?


    Shadow.Q wasn''t sure. She never saw Rita''s competitive side because Rita was the strongest existence in BS. Even at her weakest in the beginning, she could walk alone in Lania Kaia and still have Eclipse Vanguard cooperating with her to exchange gold for gold.


    But Shadow.Q did know one thing: Rita didn''t bully the weak because of her strength.


    She pursued power, but never made it her sole standard for acting or forming friendships. From the moment they first met to now, Shadow.Q had witnessed Rita''s rise.


    Rita''s methods of operation had grown bolder and more aggressive, but her attitude towards herself hadn''t changed.


    When she first arrived at the villa, Rita joked with her. Now, when she returned, Rita still chatted casually with her. She came out to the villa''s lightning net to meet her, instead of sitting inside and remotely activating the net, sending her a simple "enter."


    Shadow.Q knew Rita could do that. She wouldn''t mind if Rita did it. But that wasn''t Rita.


    As they entered the villa, Shadow.Q shared her feelings with Rita.


    After hearing her, Rita and Nivalis suddenly stopped. They stared at each other, wide-eyed.


    Shadow.Q felt a chill run through her. "What''s going on?"


    Rita slapped her thigh. "Ah!"


    Nivalis did the same. "Ah!"


    "I can''t believe I didn''t think of this!"


    "Shadow.Q is indeed a leader! She''s just better at doing these things than us!"


    "Who would say that? We, who are all about combat, are still too pure! Also, why keep saying Shadow.Q Shadow.Q? Just call her Ms. Q!"


    "Ms. Q doesn''t do this in her office, does she? Cough, enter."


    The pair, one human and one dragon, continued their banter as they entered the villa, barely noticing whether Shadow.Q was following.


    Shadow.Q: "..."


    Silently, B8017913, who had been lying on Nivalis''s head, scanned Shadow.Q sympathetically from top to bottom. It seemed like it had heard the sound of a heart breaking.


    ...


    Inside the villa, the coffee table was filled with drinks, desserts, and fruits.


    Before getting down to business, Shadow.Q brought a gift from Eclipse Vanguard¡ª100 items that could increase allocated attribute points.


    There were skill crystals, food, gemstones, little figurines that granted attribute points after five minutes of use, and clothes that granted an attribute point after wearing them for a day...


    These items were neatly arranged in a large box and presented to Rita.


    Rita asked, "A trade?"


    Shadow.Q replied, "It''s a gift. You don''t need to promise anything. It''s given willingly by Eclipse Vanguard."


    Rita accepted it. She deserved it.


    This box of gifts was like the Legion Command from back in the day. The giver seemed not to ask for anything upfront, but was certain that the receiver would not take the gift for nothing.


    When business began, Shadow.Q immediately had her subordinates send Rita the electronic map of the area.


    Then, she marked out a large circle centered on Rita''s villa on the tablet and asked, "Is this area sufficient?"


    She almost included the The White Family estate, but Rita didn''t feel the need for an extra ring. The White Family was also nearby, providing a nice buffer. Once the battle tower was built, if The White Family caused trouble, she could immediately neutralize them.


    She pointed to several nearby villa districts and asked, "What about the players living here?"


    Shadow.Q replied, "Eclipse Vanguard will compensate them generously. New homes, dungeon slots, equipment, magic potions, coins¡ªcompensation so good that they''ll willingly move out. Every player who hears about the compensation will regret not being the one to move."


    Talking business with Shadow.Q was comfortable. She was sharp, understanding Rita''s intentions with just one word.


    As Rita selected locations for the engineering and alchemy workshops, Shadow.Q quietly added, "You don''t need to be so nice. You''ve done so much for BS. If you wanted them to move, they wouldn''t refuse and couldn''t refuse."


    Rita froze, looking at Shadow.Q with an odd expression, but didn''t speak, instead focusing on choosing the locations.


    Shadow.Q turned to Nivalis and humbly asked, "...What does this mean?"


    From the side, Nivalis, munching on fruit, said, "She''s so nice because Eclipse Vanguard is covering the relocation fees. If you made her pay for them, let''s see if she wouldn''t come up with a reason to mess with Eclipse Vanguard."


    Shadow.Q choked for a moment, then continued, "...Why not just handle the players who aren''t moving voluntarily?"


    Nivalis looked at her as though she were an idiot, "Doesn''t that sound bad if you say it out loud?"


    Out of the corner of her eye, Rita nodded slightly. Shadow.Q silently straightened up, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her knees, sitting more upright.


    Nivalis rolled her eyes. She didn''t mind too much, though.


    She felt like she was witnessing the next in line to become the Defeated Balloon Manufacturer.


    Finally, Rita selected the locations on the map, drawing two small circles. Both were near the villa, the engineering workshop at 3 o''clock and the alchemy workshop at 12 o''clock.


    Regarding The Old Blacksmith''s cooldown time, Rita reassured Shadow.Q that there was no need to worry.


    Her Clock Reversal could be used once every hour, reducing the cooldown time by 50% each time.


    With a 180-day cooldown, it would be reset in less than a day. By the time The Old Blacksmith was building one workshop, she might be able to use the skill again.


    But Rita didn''t explain this in detail; she simply reassured Shadow.Q:


    "Once the engineering and alchemy workshops are built, I can summon The Old Blacksmith for you. You''ll supervise the workshops and make sure The Old Blacksmith''s needs are met. I''ll summon him for free once, and then we can discuss further."


    With such fairness, Shadow.Q naturally couldn''t refuse.


    Before she arrived, Eclipse Vanguard had already prepared to serve Rita without charge.


    But this time, she was determined not to praise Rita anymore.

 Chapter 585: 585: The Old Blacksmith & Y1148

    While Shadow.Q stayed at Rita''s villa for lunch, the area surrounding the villa was cleared out.


    Various divine gifts were coordinated, and not only were all the players moved out, but the previous houses were demolished, and all construction debris was cleaned up.


    Standing on the cleared ground with Nivalis and Shadow.Q, Rita raised her hand and activated the The Old Blacksmith skill.


    The moment a large humanoid figure of light appeared, Shadow.Q worriedly asked, "Is The Old Blacksmith responsible for the materials for the workshop?"


    Rita wasn''t sure. And that was why Eclipse Vanguard was involved¡ªjust in case materials were needed. Would they just stand by and watch?


    The light dimmed, and a giant, easily three meters tall, sat down in front of them, looking at Rita and speaking in a language that even their Eclipse Vanguard translators couldn''t understand.


    Fortunately, B8017913 could understand. It translated, "Hungry!"


    After Rita translated for Shadow.Q, members of Eclipse Vanguard brought forward the food and wine they had prepared. Half of it was regular food, and half was high-level culinary creations made by master chefs.


    What worried Rita the most was that The Old Blacksmith might require gourmet-level dishes. That would mean she''d have to step in and spend time preparing food for him. But fortunately, he wasn''t picky¡ªhe had a large appetite but didn''t care about the quality of the food.


    While The Old Blacksmith ate and drank, Rita managed to establish some basic communication with him.


    She wasn''t in a hurry for the alchemy workshop; it was the engineering workshop that she wanted to build first to help Nivalis research ways to protect the villa.


    Rita was greatly influenced by Hufflepuff. That was a legendary figure who could brew potions in a humble corner of a small alchemy shop. The environment was important, but not as important as the dedication and resourcefulness to work anywhere.


    She asked Nivalis to present her various requirements for the engineering workshop. After The Old Blacksmith¡ªHenrim¡ªtook note of them, he also presented his own conditions.


    Henrim required two hundred pounds of food and one hundred pounds of wine daily, with a quality score of at least 80. Given enough food and wine, he could finish building a thousand-square-meter workshop in 10 days. Rita suspected that at least half of that time was probably spent eating.


    As for the materials, that would naturally fall on Rita. The better the materials, the better the workshop he would build. If the materials were particularly rare, there could even be special properties¡ªlike enhancing inspiration or possibly upgrading the potions.


    Rita asked, "Didn''t you say you''d create a top-tier workshop according to my desires?"


    Henrim responded, "The materials you give are your desires."


    Rita: "..." What a pity The Old Blacksmith never went into sales.


    After Rita translated this conversation to Shadow.Q, she said nothing more, just crossed her arms and stared at the sky. Shadow.Q followed her lead and looked up at the sky too.


    The atmosphere became quiet for a while.


    One of the players behind Shadow.Q could no longer contain themselves and quietly asked, "What does that mean?"


    Shadow.Q sighed and explained, "...It means aerospace materials."


    Rita, who had been hesitating about whether these materials would be suitable, suddenly turned her head with a look of admiration and shock: You can understand this too?!


    Even Nivalis had the same expression: Dragon Shock!


    Shadow.Q closed her eyes and smiled, raising her hands to calm them down: "It''s basic training within the system."


    Other players: "...Sorry, we didn''t understand at all."


    Shadow.Q then asked, "You don''t need materials from Lania Kaia?"


    Lania Kaia was an ancient place with a long history in the game. Many of its materials had magical properties and higher quality.


    Rita shook her head. She wasn''t one to indulge in luxury, but she wouldn''t refuse to use better things when available. She wasn''t the ascetic type.


    However, she shared some of her findings with Shadow.Q: "Have you traveled through all 36 main cities of Lania Kaia? They all use materials from their own race, especially in the Polar Day, Ternal Night Fortress, and Four Seasons City. Everything in those cities reminds you of Forest Sea."


    Even though those three floating islands were entirely detached from Forest Sea, it was too exaggerated¡ªafter all, the main cities were built later. Rita hadn''t seen or heard about any main city during her time in the tower.


    Shadow.Q guessed, "It''s a matter of racial pride?"


    Rita wasn''t sure, but since BS could communicate with her and even gave her game skins, she couldn''t help but think about it more.


    BS''s technology wasn''t weak. The top materials they had here might not compare to Lania Kaia, but they weren''t so bad that she wouldn''t want them.


    She couldn''t tell Shadow.Q about BS''s secret communication, so she said, "Try to keep the traces of BS intact. It''s just a feeling I have."


    "Your intuition is important," Shadow.Q responded. This wasn''t flattery. Given that Rita''s name in the global announcements was highlighted in gold and flashing, it was clear that Rita''s intuition was something to be taken seriously.


    Shadow.Q didn''t disagree with Rita''s decision. She also offered several kinds of superior materials invented by Eclipse Vanguard''s research department after the game''s intrusion. These would be sent over for The Old Blacksmith to choose from, with the surplus left for Nivalis to study.


    Rita thanked her. Eclipse Vanguard was generous, and she didn''t intend to be stingy: "Once the alchemy workshop and engineering workshop are built, I''ll summon The Old Blacksmith for you twice for free."


    Afterward, she handed her translator over to Shadow.Q, and as they talked, B8017913 had already transmitted The Old Blacksmith''s language into the system. After outsourcing the work, Rita and B8017913 returned to the villa.


    Nivalis wanted to stay behind to supervise the construction of the engineering workshop, and Rita let her.


    Once home, Rita immediately took out the three iron boxes she had stolen from the customers and asked B8017913: "What are these? Can they be used as materials for the workshop?"


    B8017913 replied, "These are the external power cores of the mechanical race. They''re like portable chargers in your world. If a mechanical race unit runs out of power, it can use these to recharge. They''re pretty expensive. Not all mechanical race units have them. If I were to work for the Diamond Miner, I''d have to work for 8 to 10 years to buy one."


    Rita''s eyes lit up¡ªcharging, nice! Although giving the World Tomb to B8017913 to charge wasn''t exactly a loss, she thought that if she fed it to BS, wouldn''t it be even better?


    However, her first question was, "Why didn''t you buy one then? What about the money you earned from working? You didn''t lose it all, did you?"


    Just as B8017913 was about to answer regarding the chargers, it paused and answered, "...I didn''t have any wages before. The mechanical race didn''t get paid until nine years ago, when a senior mechanical race leader led a rebellion. After that, we started getting paid."


    Rita curiously asked, "What series of mechanical race is that?"


    B8017913''s voice took on a serious tone, almost reverent, as if mentioning a name close to its heart: "The J-series, Y1148."


    Rita was just satisfying her curiosity. Once she did, she shifted the topic back, "So how does this charger work?"


    B8017913 replied, "It just needs to be bathed in the sunlight of a world, or exposed to wind, rain, or snow. Any of that works."


    Rita toyed with the iron boxes in her hand and called out to BS in her mind.


    BS, are you there? Will this have any effect on you?


    For the first time since she''d tried contacting BS, the system responded.


    BS: "No."


    Relieved, Rita handed over the three chargers to B8017913.

 Chapter 586: 586: Skewers & Long Time No See, Brother

    One task after another awaited Rita, and she didn''t stop since returning from The Old Blacksmith.


    First, she spent 6 points of luck to use the Skewer skill and made two skewers. One skewer was made using ingredients from Restaurant #1, and during the process, she called Nivalis back to spray some ice and fire to finish the roasting. The other was made using the finest ingredients BS could buy.


    She ended up with two skewers labeled Mysterious Skewers, both having the same name, but with different ratings. The first one was a two-star delicacy, and the second one was rated 91, with no effects listed.


    Rita ate the skewer made with Restaurant #1''s ingredients and got a prompt: "Movement speed +0.5%". The second skewer reduced her skill cooldown by 0.05%.


    The effects were vastly different, but even the plain skewer wasn''t bad. Although it couldn''t compare to the rare fruits she had once eaten on Dragon Island, the key point was that these skewers could provide a repeatable buff effect, and Rita only needed to spend some of her luck, which didn''t really affect her.


    Currently, her luck was 10 (+9), and every 7 days, she could make 3 skewers with random buffs! Over time, even the most basic skewer could provide significant benefits.


    She made another skewer using Restaurant #1''s ingredients and, after eating it, found that her skill cooldown was reduced by 0.3%. Combined with the fruits she had eaten on Dragon Island, her skill cooldown had been reduced by 8.3%.


    She didn''t plan to reserve 3 points for Refurbish. If she really needed it, she could just use a little of her original luck to make it work. With the Skewer skill, she didn''t want to let any extra luck go to waste.


    After making the skewers, Rita didn''t do anything else. Instead, she used her invisibility spell and went to The Lopez Family Manor.


    Tomorrow, she would get Black Jade, and she needed to fully obtain Moment of Reversal. She hadn''t forgotten about Black Jade''s contract with Rick.


    In the past, she had worried about the visions she saw through divination, concerned that her actions might cause things to spiral out of control. But now... as she became stronger, her mindset had changed.


    What she wanted, she would get immediately. Even if this made things uncontrollable, she had the ability to handle it. If the divination''s vision was inevitable, then no matter what she did, it wouldn''t change, right?


    Invisible, Rita flew around The Lopez Family Manor but didn''t see Black Jade. Instead, she quickly found the person she was looking for: Rick, Samuel, and Scarlett.


    Long time no see, brother, father, and mother.


    The three were doing the same thing¡ªthey were sitting on the lawn of the manor, soaking up the sun.


    The table was full of fruits and snacks. Though their clothes weren''t armor, they were neat and presentable.


    Yes, although Eclipse Vanguard had figured out her feelings toward her family and kept them locked here, they didn''t seem to be mistreated.


    After all, no matter what, they were related to Rita by blood. She could deal with them, but Eclipse Vanguard couldn''t go too far in mistreating them, lest Rita regret it later and turn her anger on them.


    The clothes and food weren''t expensive¡ªjust a few gold coins¡ªnothing to upset anyone, leaving enough room for both sides to either come or go. That was Eclipse Vanguard''s style.


    Also, since Black Jade was here, they could eat the food Black Jade provided.


    However, the three of them were in completely different states.


    Scarlett was enjoying herself, laughing at something on her phone. She looked like a typical middle-aged person enjoying her retirement life, just a step away from getting a dog or a cat.


    Samuel seemed a little worse off. The furrow between his brows suggested frustration and sorrow. He had a bottle of wine by his side, a cigarette dangling from his fingers, staring off into the distance. He resembled an older man who had lost everything in the stock market, unable to believe his reality, constantly replaying what went wrong, too apathetic to live but too afraid to die.


    As for Rick...


    At first, Rita almost confused Samuel and Rick. He was only a few years younger than her, but now his hair was half-white. He lay there in the sun, his pale skin gleaming slightly like snake scales, giving off a deathly stillness as if he had already stopped breathing.


    For someone with ambition, the worst punishment was this.


    While all the players were growing stronger, discussing equipment, skills, boasting about the number of enemies they''d slain, and sharing dungeon strategies on the forums, Rick had been overtaken by those C-grade gifted players he once looked down upon.


    Even the BS announcements now frequently mentioned a name so similar to his own.


    For a time, he hated that similarity, but as time passed, the resemblance faded. When people now heard the name Rita, they no longer remembered Rick.


    He started with SS-grade divine gifts, but now, all he could do was stay here, stuck.


    There were no dungeons, no gear, no space for his ambitions to thrive.


    He forgot the exact day¡ªhis memory of dates was getting fuzzier by the day¡ªwhen he overheard a player talking about how envious they were of his family, who could eat and drink without worry. They didn''t have to worry about danger.


    He had asked them, "What if we switched places?"


    The player stopped talking, looking at him with a mixture of surprise and anger, as though he had said something cruel.


    He had become an ordinary person with no future.


    Even if he leveled up, he would lose 5 points of attributes.


    It was a number that wasn''t enough to push him into despair, but it severed any remaining hope of rising.


    When he asked if he could level up with Black Jade, every player''s reaction was, "What are you even trying to do?"


    "Your experience gain is just free experience. What''s the point of leveling up?"


    Black Jade even pulled him back into the house: "I''m busy with serious business! Stop causing trouble."


    Yes, even Black Jade had serious work to do now. He was working for Eclipse Vanguard, earning gold and making potions, getting stronger every day.


    As for Rick, every day he woke up, he could only watch himself become more pathetic.


    The curse made him feel lost, even robbing him of the last shred of purpose to live.


    His thoughts were consumed by one question: Why am I still alive?


    The second most frequent thought was: Who cursed me¡ªRita or Zoey?


    The third was... Why does Rita hate me so much?

 Chapter 587: 587: Scarlett

    Even though the only two attribute boosts Rick received came from Rita, he knew she must despise him. If she could, she would have made sure he was excluded from this situation entirely.


    In fact, he had sensed it for a long time. After being contracted by Black Jade, Rita had the power to help him improve his life, but she turned a blind eye.


    Back then, he didn''t want to believe it, nor was he brave enough to face it. He still relied on Rita''s influence to make life easier under Black Jade''s roof.


    If he had doubts before, the moment Rita started appearing on BS announcements more frequently, he became certain that she hated him. Even if she couldn''t force Black Jade to break the contract with him, she could make his life much better. With her contributions to BS, she didn''t even need to intervene directly. One word from her would have Eclipse Vanguard negotiating with Black Jade to release him from his servitude.


    But Rita never did that. Instead, she let Eclipse Vanguard keep Samuel and Scarlett locked up as well.


    It wasn''t like Eclipse Vanguard could act against Rita''s wishes, so there was only one explanation: Eclipse Vanguard had understood Rita''s intentions and was helping her handle things.


    Rick spent countless hours wondering, lost in thought as he cleaned Black Jade''s scales, why Rita hated him so much. They had such a good relationship back in the day. During the second closed beta, she had helped him many times. Later, when he offended The Jones Family, it was her who stepped in to help.


    He couldn''t figure out when Rita started resenting him.


    This question was something he asked Samuel and Scarlett too. Why were they all locked up here? It was a shared mystery among the three of them.


    But Scarlett didn''t care much about it. She''d rather spend time eating, drinking, and browsing on her phone.


    She was always busy. Even though they were locked up here, she stayed busy. Since arriving, she had started running a social media account dedicated to Black Jade, and her followers had grown to over 50 million. Every day when Black Jade came back from work, she''d take pictures of him, edit them, and even made vlogs!


    She split the earnings 50/50 with Black Jade.


    At first, Black Jade didn''t care much about it, but now, Scarlett had more influence than many Eclipse Vanguard players who fought alongside Black Jade in dungeons. She had become Black Jade''s manager.


    Scarlett seemed to enjoy herself no matter where she was. She was carefree, didn''t let things bother her, and didn''t overthink things. Her heart was small, only big enough for her own joy. She had no ambition and no desires.


    She adapted quickly to her new environment, like a plant that would thrive no matter where it was thrown. Her happiness had a cruel innocence to it because she never cared about how others felt, nor did she bother to analyze whether people loved or hated her.


    When she was sent here with Samuel and Rick, Scarlett thought it was because Eclipse Vanguard wanted to hold them as hostages to control their daughter. This conspiracy theory gained traction on the forums, and Eclipse Vanguard didn''t clarify it, making more people believe it.


    After Scarlett personally endorsed this theory, it silenced most of the rumors.


    When Rick saw the trending news, he almost fainted from anger. He knew Scarlett wasn''t stupid.


    In the past, Scarlett had always been a blurry figure standing in Samuel''s shadow. She was his mother, a part of the family. But did he really understand Scarlett? Perhaps not.


    Now that they were living here, he started to learn more about her. He saw what kind of person she was.


    He realized that Scarlett might not be the smartest person he had ever known, but she was definitely the best at playing dumb. She would make guesses, but she always chose the version of the story that made her the happiest, and she would quickly convince herself to believe it.


    After Rick got the answer from Scarlett about them being used as hostages, he stopped discussing it with her and went into a silent war with her for three days.


    In the end, Scarlett became upset, went to Black Jade, and Black Jade forced Rick to apologize to his mother.


    Fine! He couldn''t win! But he still had his dad. So he went to talk to his father.


    However, Samuel didn''t think that Rita was behind all of this. He was convinced that it was the Eclipse Vanguard Commander, Avery, who was behind everything.


    "You don''t understand the old grudges we have! She''s suppressing me, afraid I''ll take revenge when I rise!"


    "Your sister? She''s not like that. We don''t have that much animosity. Even if she discovered we were skimming from her money, what''s that in the grand scheme of things? She''s not that petty."


    Rick: "..."


    Avery is afraid of your revenge?


    You''re fifty years old! What kind of script would you need to enact for you to take revenge on Eclipse Vanguard''s second-in-command?!


    Rick asked around, growing more frustrated and desperate. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that only Black Jade truly understood him, because Black Jade also thought it was Rita.


    Rick was fascinated by Rita. He loved to hear Black Jade discuss Rita''s old personality, analyzing their past grievances.


    Black Jade: "At least it''s more interesting than hearing you talk about your ex-wife. I''m here to scrub scales, not to be an emotional blogger."


    For a while, Rick thought Black Jade hated Rita, but he realized that every time he brought her up, Black Jade''s attitude was strange.


    There was wariness, fear, defensiveness, and resentment, but no hatred.


    A few times, he gathered the courage to ask Black Jade if he hated Rita for breaking his horn off with that arrow.


    At first, Black Jade calmly and strangely said he couldn''t beat her.


    But as BS announcements mentioned Rita''s name more and more, when Rick asked the same question, Black Jade''s answer changed to, "I don''t dare hate her."


    When Rick heard this, he instantly realized how laughable his anger and doubts were. He understood Scarlett''s feelings then.


    What difference did it make to understand the truth? What could knowing it change? Could it alter the current situation? No.


    Since it couldn''t, why not be a little foolish, a little dumb?


    But Scarlett never seemed to advise him to let go.


    Most importantly, after she could speak on Black Jade''s behalf, she never made him treat her son any better. Even when she had enough gold coins, she never bought him any equipment.


    Maybe she knew that what Rita wanted was for Rick to suffer, to stay in misery and regret every day.


    And as long as Rick suffered, Scarlett could have her happiness, and Rita might just turn a blind eye.


    Or maybe, Scarlett never even cared if he was doing well or not.


    After realizing this, Rick''s pain and hatred grew deeper.

 Chapter 588: 588: Everyone is Irrelevant, She is Only Best with Herself

    Rita hovered above The Lopez Family estate, having just reviewed the life report of the family trio she had requested from Shadow.Q.


    Upon seeing how Scarlett and Black Jade were close, but how Rick''s situation with Black Jade hadn''t improved at all, Rita immediately understood the unspeakable thoughts of Scarlett.


    Because in her past life, she and Rick were strikingly similar.


    In Scarlett''s mind, it seemed that everyone was an independent entity, responsible only for themselves. No one, not even her own children, should affect her.


    To her, everyone was insignificant; only herself mattered.


    Well, maybe her husband was a little bit more important. When Black Jade had a fit and struck Samuel, Scarlett even made a vlog about it, using the money earned from it to buy Samuel a pair of defensive pants, mostly out of concern that Samuel might get hurt.


    Rita looked down at Scarlett, lying in the sun. She didn''t feel sadness, nor anger. Her resentment was light, but what she felt most was confusion.


    Why couldn''t she love her own children?


    But Rita didn''t intend to ask Scarlett this question.


    Scarlett''s image had always been vague in her mind, but after being reborn and repeatedly recalling the scenes of Scarlett serving her dishes, her image became clearer and clearer.


    She would remember every word Scarlett had said in their home¡ªsome of it foolish, but somehow it always felt laden with meaning, some of it hidden with mystery, yet on further thought, it seemed like a joke.


    In the cycles of remembering and analyzing, Rita got to know Scarlett again, understood the person she had never truly understood in her past life.


    Shen Yu never forgave her biological son but never rejected Scarlett. Samuel seemed to lack respect for her but actually never hid anything from her.


    Rick... Rita wasn''t sure how things were in the past, but now, her little brother, like herself, had finally come to see Scarlett for what she truly was, not just as the "mother" from their family.


    It was like a black-and-white outline now filled in with features, a pair of eyes outlined repeatedly by the artist, until it finally sparkled.


    No matter how the background changed, Scarlett was always smiling.


    No matter how harsh the environment, she seemed to always be doing well.


    Rita could imagine that if she went and asked Scarlett, "Why don''t you love your own children?", Scarlett would likely throw the question back at her.


    She had always been like that. She wouldn''t answer questions that would expose what kind of person she was. Her blurred face and her incomplete outline were the result of her own design.


    Not only would she throw the question back at Rita, but she would most likely turn it around and ask, "Why don''t you ask Samuel this question instead?"


    What could Rita say?


    Could she say she wasn''t upset by Samuel''s selfishness but hurt by Scarlett''s indifference?


    That would sound like she was a fool trying to morally blackmail her mother or a beggar desperate for maternal love.


    Either way, Rita didn''t like it.


    Or perhaps she would claim that she met an alien named Maple Syrup, who was great with their daughter, so she hoped Scarlett would be like that too?


    With Rita''s analysis of Scarlett, she could easily imagine Scarlett inventing a familiar person named Ginger Scallion, someone who was a great father and loved their daughter, and then she would help Rita push her father to be better.


    The ability to make things up and Rick''s love for dodging responsibility likely came from Scarlett.


    Rita didn''t appear to ask a single question. She didn''t descend or show off.


    She carefully checked the states of the three of them, ensuring there were no issues.


    [Rick - Level 5, 100% Health, 100% Energy, Despair, Pain, Hatred | Taboo: Rita, Zoey | Weakness: Slight]


    Rita found the [Fishing Master] skill quite interesting, noting how the skill adapted based on the power disparity between enemies and allies.


    For targets she could easily crush, their weaknesses were "slight."


    Using her pocket watch''s exploration skill, she scanned the three of them. Rick''s state showed no significant change from when she had stolen his luck, with the additional attribute points coming from her contributions to BS after the two Divine Games.


    Their levels were still 5, and there were no special changes.


    Once she confirmed this, Rita used Phantom Shift to return to her villa and then asked Shadow.Q for several high-level dungeons that Eclipse Vanguard had not yet cleared.


    Shadow.Q opened a portal and sent her to a prison-like area. Each cell had a dungeon interface, and the doors had signs with dungeon levels, unlock times, and cryptic symbols that outsiders couldn''t decipher.


    She pointed at the line of cells and said, "These are all Level 30 dungeons. They are temporarily locked. If you can clear them all, that would be fantastic. You can even take them back to your villa if you wish."


    Rita asked, "Are there any dungeons underwater that were missed?"


    Shadow.Q responded, "I can''t say for sure. I can only say we brought back all the high-level dungeons we could find. Additionally, we moved a batch of Level 7-15 dungeons near the coastline, but we don''t guard them, nor do we allow any players to. The sense of crisis is a good thing."


    In the early stages of the game invasion, organized dungeon farming was great, but now that everyone had some self-preservation ability, the peaceful way didn''t suit anymore. Dangerous dungeons were left unattended, and now and then, enemies would emerge from them.


    The game''s strategy was that players didn''t have to wait until entering a dungeon to be in combat mode; everyone had to stay vigilant at all times.


    Of course, it appeared that no one was guarding, but in reality, each dungeon had been carefully selected by Eclipse Vanguard, who secretly monitored and even guided every time enemies emerged.


    Now, players were patrolling the coastline voluntarily, and those living near the beach had one person on watch at all times.


    Recently, Eclipse Vanguard had discussed whether they should do the same for inland areas.


    As Eclipse Vanguard became more stable, they also began supporting some excellent players to form their own legions. Just as Rita didn''t believe BS could handle everything alone, Eclipse Vanguard didn''t think they could either. Everyone had to pitch in.


    Shadow.Q was candid with Rita, as this was Avery''s will, and there was nothing to hide.


    Thinking about the martial arts and magic books she had stolen from the Moon Fox before, although she had returned them to Mistblade, she had made a copy.


    Now that the first-tier players in BS had reached Level 13, the martial arts books for the four main attributes could be prepared ahead of time.


    She asked, "I have a batch of martial arts and magic books. Are you interested in buying them?"


    Shadow.Q immediately remembered the previous failed trade and said, "The list you showed me before? Name your price."


    Rita asked, "Do you still have the special Mahjong?"


    Shadow.Q didn''t beat around the bush. She said honestly, "No, we''ve been wanting to check that place out, but as you know, we haven''t been able to find it. No matter how many people we send, we just can''t locate it. There''s no reason for me to lie to you."


    Rita didn''t comment on whether she believed it or not. Instead, she asked, "Do you have any SSS-level skills? 2-3 SSS-level skills. I can trade 37 martial arts and magic books for them. These books can be organized to provide at least 15 S-level skills and 30 A-level skills. Although they''ll need to be practiced, this could be used for mass teaching. Do you understand what I mean?"


    After taking [Principles of Magic] class, Rita''s perspective and knowledge had expanded immensely. Looking at these books now, she could see much more.


    Shadow.Q understood right away. These books could teach countless players S-level and A-level skills. But she sighed and said, "SSS-level skills... I''ve never even seen one. Let alone 2 or 3."


    Rita replied, "In that case..."


    Shadow.Q interrupted, "Did you ask about the special Mahjong?"


    Rita: "%... @#%#£¤%!"

 Chapter 589: 589: Luck Value & Black Jade

    Rita took a deep breath, then smiled and said, "I suddenly don''t want to trade anymore."


    Seeing that Shadow.Q was getting a bit frustrated, she immediately put her arm around Rita''s shoulders and reassured her:


    "Just kidding! There''s nothing like that! But I can show you all the skill books we have now. Pick whichever you want! We don''t have SSS-level skills, but we do have a few SS-level ones! And there are some rare items too. You go ahead and clear dungeons, I''ll head back and organize everything and get a roster from the headquarters!"


    As she spoke, Shadow.Q nudged Rita forward, urging her to get into the dungeon while she hurriedly flew off, tapping her fingers in the air¡ªclearly going to report things.


    Rita kicked the air in frustration as she watched Shadow.Q''s retreating figure before finding a Level 30 dungeon to enter.


    Upon entering, she immediately layered several electric nets at the entrance of the dungeon before killing a monster and locking the dungeon. Then, she began hunting for the enemy squads.


    She was there to level up, gain attribute points, and increase her luck.


    Just like how she handled Rick earlier, she first used [One-Person Party] to announce the rules. As long as the other side accepted her gold, luck would become her first target for theft. Then, she began stealing luck from the enemy players.


    The luck value of ordinary beings was mostly around 5, and with 8-10 players in an enemy squad, Rita stole 4-5 points of luck from each of them before finishing them off.


    At first, when she stole from Rick, she had to reduce his luck to 1 to steal it, but with these players, she didn''t need that step.


    She also had [Steady Happiness], and with this skill, her efficiency was even higher.


    [One-Person Party] had a two-hour cooldown, but with [Clock Reversal], she could use it once every hour.


    She also took out a necklace that reduced skill cooldown by 15%, further shortening the cooldown.


    She wasn''t in a rush to use [Time Melt], a potion that reduced cooldown times. While waiting for [One-Person Party]''s cooldown, she continued grinding monsters while using [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] to grind for attribute points.


    Her health consumption wasn''t a problem anymore. Back when she went to Lania Kaia with Nivalis, she often had to stop and eat due to a lack of healing skills. But now, she had 17 healing skills ranging from A-level to SSS-level, and she never ran out of healing power.


    By 3 PM, Rita had arrived at the prison, and she kept grinding until 7 AM the next day.


    Not only had she cleared all the dungeons on her current floor, but she also cleared the Level 35 dungeons on the floor below.


    Her level went straight up to Level 19.


    Her luck value, which had been +9, now increased to +42.


    As Rita exited the prison, players waiting outside immediately notified Shadow.Q. By the time Rita fully walked out, Shadow.Q had already opened a portal and arrived.


    Shadow.Q, holding a thick catalog, said, "Do you want to check the skill books first, or do you want to go deal with Black Jade?"


    For Rita, [Moment of Reversal] was still more important, so she said, "Let me handle Black Jade first, we''ll talk about the trade later. I''ll message you once I''m done."


    Shadow.Q happily tucked the catalog away and said, "Black Jade is waiting for you at the kart racing track. Nivalis is guarding him."


    She opened a portal, pointing to it. "This portal leads straight to the kart racing track."


    Rita paused. She had thought this was a location-based teleportation skill, since Shadow.Q had previously teleported her to the prison and her villa entrance. But now, it seemed that Shadow.Q''s portal could go anywhere. Rita, feeling envious, asked, "What skill is this?"


    Shadow.Q explained, "It''s an S-level skill, [I''ve Been Here]. It allows me to open a portal to a location where I''ve stayed for more than 1 hour or visited more than 5 times in the last 30 days. The portal lasts up to 1 hour, and anyone who sees it can enter freely."


    The restrictions were a bit too specific¡ªit was perfect for team relocation, but not for escaping. Rita immediately lost interest.


    She stepped through the portal and arrived back at her villa. After landing at the kart racing track, the portal slowly vanished behind her.


    Rita couldn''t help but admire Shadow.Q''s sense of boundaries and her approach to tasks.


    Black Jade was quietly sitting on the kart racing track. Nearby, Nivalis, having returned to her original form, was watching him.


    Once Rita landed, she immediately created a massive electric cage that could enclose the three of them.


    Inside the cage, she used [Silent Hill], ensuring the area became undetectable and invisible to outsiders. Any living being entering this zone would be sensed by her.


    Her intelligence had now reached a level that could cover all three of them with this skill.


    Black Jade remained calm and didn''t panic. After seeing Rita''s attributes, he knew it was futile. Only when Rita had finished setting up did he speak: "What do you want?"


    [Fate Gear]¡ªshe reduced Black Jade''s luck to 1.


    [Steady Happiness]¡ªthis increased the skill success rate to 95%.


    After using [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] three times, she continued stealing luck while healing. Nivalis blocked Black Jade''s escape, and the two of them were effectively stealing directly from him.


    Ten successful steals later, they had gained over 30,000 gold and 5 attribute points.


    Rita''s fingers brushed over the ring, and [Betrayal] expanded, gathering magical energy to form the shape of a bow.


    Black Jade, no longer playing dumb, said, "Is it [Moment of Reversal]? I can give you that skill!"


    Rita ignored him. If it had been before, she might have agreed to get the skill easily, especially since Hannibal couldn''t guarantee [Moment of Reversal]. But now, with the Rabbit Hair she got in the Divine Game, which could sever all causal ties with a target, she had become more cautious.


    The more she knew, the more concerned she became.


    What could be more reassuring than completely eliminating the target?


    With Nivalis blocking Black Jade''s escape, Rita''s bow was drawn for more than 1 second.


    [Grand Opening Special]!


    The first Cloud Mist Arrow of the day, with its damage determined by the sum of her intelligence and agility, was multiplied tenfold for its attack power.


    The arrow shot out, striking Black Jade with a silver gleam. However, it rebounded and hit Rita instead, causing her health to drop by 30%.


    A Reflective Damage skill? And the damage reflection rate was high too.


    But judging by Black Jade''s shocked and desperate expression, this skill likely had a limited number of uses.


    Rita quickly healed herself back to full health and drew the bow again.


    Black Jade was now truly panicking. He flew into the air, but was knocked back down by Nivalis. He begged, "I can be your pet, I can give BS..."


    Before he could finish, the second Cloud Mist Arrow, with five times the attack power, shot out again.


    In an instant, 15,000 health was completely wiped out.


    Black Jade''s eyes were filled with disbelief and unwillingness.


    Before coming here, he had asked the Eclipse Vanguard''s diviners to predict his future...


    The diviners had said that he would be mighty, still cooperating with BS, and wherever he went, players would cheer for him.


    He had checked with a skill before, and it wasn''t a lie.


    But it shouldn''t be like this...


    Rita had always been easy to deal with... she even pretended to be an Oaken Owl to borrow skills from him, and gave him a lot of gold...


    It shouldn''t be like this...

 Chapter 590: 590: [Moment of Reversal] & Legion Leader

    With Black Jade''s death, Nivalis immediately took out the prepared cooking utensils, and Rita began to carve Black Jade''s body¡ªskinning, stripping, and separating the meat.


    She hadn''t yet replaced [Fate Gear] with a better divine talent skill, even though, before and during the events in Chaotic Restaurant, she had considered switching it out for a stronger one upon returning to BS.


    However, after acquiring so many top-tier skills, she no longer lacked any attack, defense, or healing abilities. Compared to those, [Fate Gear], despite being a B-level skill, had become something rather special.


    While the effect of luck in the world battlefield might be negligible, it was still a significant force elsewhere.


    One hour later, all that remained on the ground was a 15-meter-long skeletal remains of Black Jade''s serpentine form.


    Rita began cooking Black Jade. She didn''t skimp on Essence Points, even though she wasn''t in the world battlefield¡ªshe still used the Essence Version of [Who is Hannibal?].


    Not just because she left Black Jade''s complete skeleton intact, but also because, with only the meat, tendons, and eyes, she couldn''t prepare 38 dishes.


    Besides, she always felt that the fact she had understood [Fourfold Spring] from TingoJE, and her use of the Essence Version of [Who is Hannibal?], were interconnected.


    In any case, Black Jade was a significant figure, and [Moment of Reversal] was crucial, so she was willing to spend extra Essence Points.


    ...


    As the thunderous fog settled within the electric cage, a small group of Eclipse Vanguard players opened their pet rankings, fixating on Black Jade''s name.


    In just 15 seconds, that name disappeared.


    Both the speed at which Black Jade was killed, and Rita''s swift execution without even questioning Black Jade''s relationship with Eclipse Vanguard, left the players by the roundtable silent.


    But their expressions were different: some serious, some dissatisfied, some wary, some admiring, some excited, and others satisfied.


    "15 seconds... Black Jade is dead?"


    "Probably less than 15 seconds. The wealth leaderboard fluctuated a few times, so Black Jade might have tried to buy his life with money. That means there was probably some conversation between them."


    "She just killed Black Jade like that? Does she even know how much Black Jade has helped us since we started cooperating?"


    "She doesn''t care at all, and she definitely doesn''t care about her brother''s life..."


    "Did Rick''s name disappear too?"


    "Yeah, it''s gone. The people over at The Lopez Family sent news that Rick is dead."


    "Has she really lost her humanity? What happened in that place that she refuses to talk about?"


    Avery softly interjected, "Do you want me to call her? Do you want to tell her these things yourself?"


    The players immediately fell silent.


    Avery, with her neutral expression, briefly displayed a flash of helplessness¡ªwhat a bunch of fools.


    She was, however, satisfied with Rita''s decisiveness and strength.


    She had never liked Rita''s overly cautious and timid approach. To Avery, everything should serve one''s own purpose, not to worry about betrayals or debts owed.


    Why still be polite and considerate in times like these?


    It was all Samuel''s fault, wasn''t it? Couldn''t he teach his child properly?!


    Luckily, now that Rita''s strength had grown, her methods were more in line with Avery''s preferences. She no longer found her behavior frustrating.


    Avery hoped Rita would become the spiritual leader of BS, and to do so, Rita''s previous cautious nature had not been enough.


    She was far too careful and thought everything through.


    This wasn''t a flaw. Avery knew that Rita could achieve great things in the mysterious place and bring fame to BS. This trait was crucial for success.


    But such a reserved, humble character was too subdued for a spiritual leader.


    Good people are liked, and smart people are appreciated, but neither of them would ever garner the fanatical, irrational devotion that a true spiritual leader required.


    A spiritual leader needed to be passionate, strong, and domineering, someone whose word was law. People should be willing to give up their lives just to be seen and remembered by her, to fight alongside her.


    You want something, but you''re still second-guessing yourself? What about those who follow you?


    When Avery saw the details of Rita''s actions after their meeting, she was initially upset.


    But when she saw the words "I want Black Jade," she felt a bit better.


    When Rita accepted the Eclipse Vanguard attribute points and made her demand for the nearby land, Avery''s furrowed brows finally relaxed.


    She was much stronger now, but it wasn''t enough.


    What she wanted to see was the kind of dominance Rita displayed when she killed Black Jade.


    What was Rick to her?


    Would the public opinion be negative?


    Would Black Jade still be useful to BS?


    How would the players react to this news?


    Forget about it. As long as Rita is the strongest in BS, as long as she is the unique existence that can help BS evolve, Avery would solve everything for her!


    Eclipse Vanguard would support her without question.


    This was just the beginning, the true signal of Rita''s transformation.


    It seemed like this "mahjong tournament" had had a profound effect on Rita.


    Avery had already received the time of the wealth leaderboard fluctuation and the time when Black Jade disappeared. Comparing the data, Rita had killed Black Jade in less than 10 seconds.


    To kill Black Jade in under 10 seconds meant Rita was even stronger than she had imagined.


    She remembered Shadow.Q''s comment about Rita''s unapologetic attribute data.


    A wry smile flashed in her mind. It was funny¡ªshe had become this powerful, and still only showed a small glimpse of her strength. Whose character is she following?


    Avery was in a good mood. She tapped the five fingers on the table rhythmically, like playing a piano. She said,


    "If anyone can kill Black Jade in 15 seconds like she did, I''ll be willing to offer half of Eclipse Vanguard''s current resources to ask her to take you into that place to show you the world. You''ll lose your divine talent, but Eclipse Vanguard will take care of you for the rest of your life.


    "Don''t say I didn''t help you. Even 150 seconds would work."


    The meeting room fell completely silent.


    The few players who had been dissatisfied earlier, were now completely quiet, their expressions calm.


    The Legion Leader was really humorous. They all thought, "Let''s just laugh about it."


    ...


    Eighteen dishes were placed before Rita.


    She picked up her chopsticks, took a deep breath, and quickly sampled each dish, tasting a small bite from each within a minute.


    In her mind, Black Jade''s past flashed by.


    From when he was thrown into the garbage heap on Polar Day Island, to when he saw that black dragon¡ªRita recognized that dragon. It was Wind Cutter. The wind from his passing knocked Black Jade unconscious.


    The small snake received [Moment of Reversal] and began to reverse time and again, turning the tide each time.


    Countless times, when death seemed inevitable, he would draw a divine dragon on the ground.


    At first, he used his snake tongue, then his tail, and eventually, he grew dragon claws to draw.


    With more and more dragon blood, the divine dragon he drew began to resemble the dragon more and more...


    [Congratulations! You have learned Black Jade''s self-created SS-level skill¡ªDragon Drawing!]


    Rita immediately used [Divine Thief] to reverse time and try again!


    Once, twice... seven times... fifteen times!


    [Congratulations! You have learned Black Jade''s self-realized SSS-level skill¡ªMoment of Reversal!]


    When the skill was finally in her hands, Rita''s heart raced. Finally! This skill truly belonged to her now!


    She pushed all 18 dishes toward Nivalis, who had been drooling beside her.


    Then, Rita walked over to the white skeleton.


    She used the skill [Only the Dead Obey]!


    Whoosh¡ªthe eye sockets of Black Jade''s skeletal remains glowed with eerie blue soul fire.

 Chapter 591: 591: The Bones of Black Jade

    Rita maneuvered the bones of Black Jade through the air, releasing a few skills.


    If the skeletal form of Black Jade was simply flying and patrolling without engaging in battle, it would cost her 500 mana per minute.


    However, when Black Jade entered combat mode, not only would the skills used by Black Jade consume its mana, but the base mana cost of controlling the bones would also increase to 1500 per minute.


    The most energy-efficient option was to let Black Jade lie down, close its eyes, and do nothing. This way, it only consumed 200 mana per minute.


    Rita took out the box of attributes given to her by Eclipse Vanguard and used [Refurbish] to check and confirm that everything was in order.


    After using the immediately applicable attribute items, her available attribute points increased by 89.


    Adding the 24 points from the BS evolution and the 12 points gained from leveling up twice today, Rita allocated all of her 125 available points to Intelligence.


    With the points she had stolen from the dungeon run yesterday, her base stats now looked like this, without any equipment:


    [Rita]


    Level: 19


    HP: 18,385/18,385


    MP: 29,325/29,325


    Strength: 249


    Constitution: 275


    Intelligence: 361


    Agility: 2,252


    Luck: 10 (+42)


    Charm: 10 (Max)


    Her mana regeneration speed was decent, thanks to the bonuses she got from the Divine Game and the rare fruits she ate on Dragon Island.


    Without any food, buffs, or potions, her mana regenerated about 1200 points per minute. Now, with over 100 additional Intelligence, that rate would rise significantly.


    This was more than enough to sustain the mana cost of both Black Jade''s idle and combat modes.


    The only issue was whether she would lose control over Black Jade if she died in the Divine Game.


    Rita wasn''t worried about being unable to control the bones of Black Jade; as long as Black Jade had died by her hand, she could always use [Only the Dead Obey] to take control of him again.


    Rita used [One-Skewer BBQ] to make 14 skewers from Black Jade''s flesh. This time, she deliberately made skewers of varying sizes for comparison¡ªthe largest was nearly one meter long, while the smallest was no bigger than a toothpick.


    Given her current appetite, she could finish them all without trouble.


    After consuming them, she gained some additional buffs¡ªmana increases, HP increases, and shortened casting times. The effects weren''t particularly strong, but they accumulated over time.


    The larger skewers did indeed provide stronger benefits, but still, nothing compared to the skewers made with 1st Restaurant''s ingredients.


    In the end, the quantity of the skewers didn''t matter nearly as much as the quality of the ingredients used.


    With more than a thousand pounds of Black Jade left, Rita collected it all.


    She messaged Shadow.Q saying it was time to discuss business, then released [Silent Hill] and the electric cage, resuming her practice with Black Jade''s remaining skills.


    She found that she couldn''t control which skills Black Jade would use; she could only give a command, and then Black Jade would do its best to follow the order according to its remaining combat awareness.


    Rita: "You say he still has combat awareness¡ªdoes that mean he''s not completely dead?"


    B8017913: "I don''t know. Life is mysterious. I don''t know where the soul goes after the soul fire extinguishes or how resurrection skills work. My database doesn''t contain information about this."


    Rita didn''t ask any further questions and began using her skills to clean up the remaining flesh on Black Jade''s bones, making them appear cleaner.


    Shadow.Q arrived quickly. She took one look at Black Jade''s skeleton, not speaking a word, just like when she saw Nivalis'' go-kart. She glanced at it and then shifted her focus.


    Rita waved her hand, making Black Jade fly around them both.


    She spoke, "From now on, Black Jade will stay here to guard my home. If I''m not around and you encounter an emergency situation that you can''t handle, send me a message and I''ll send him to help. If you can''t reach me, but it''s truly urgent, you can also come to him directly. I''ll give him a command, and in emergencies, he will temporarily follow your orders. You''ll have two opportunities per month."


    The two opportunities perfectly matched the number of times she would go into the Divine Game.


    Chaotic Restaurant like the Divine Game wasn''t something that happened every time. Even though dying in the game could sever her connection with Black Jade, she would always return after leaving the game.


    However, she needed to find a way to provide Black Jade with mana or to gain a few more skills that could increase his mana.


    Otherwise, if Black Jade ran out of mana during an important moment, it could interfere with her own battle.


    Shadow.Q watched Rita with a neutral expression, thinking about how Rita''s words often resonated with her.


    She didn''t know what qualities the Legion Leader believed a leader should possess, but if Rita was the leader, she would follow her¡ªforever.


    Rita had the ability to move others in ways no one else could.


    A powerful leader''s pity could stir hearts more than the thousand words of a weaker one, or even their selfless dedication.


    It was cruel, but it was the truth. The former often had more value than the latter.


    Shadow.Q now vaguely understood why Avery always asked her to guide Rita, to help her become someone who could lead from the top.


    Perhaps Avery had already seen Rita''s softer side, which was why she wanted Rita to show her colder, more dominant side, rather than bowing down and letting others have too many unnecessary expectations of her.


    Only by remaining unreachable could Rita touch others with her softer, compassionate side when they saw it.


    Shadow.Q smiled and nodded, "Got it! I''ll remember."


    Rita had Black Jade shrink in size and accompany Nivalis in playing go-kart races, while Rita sat down with Shadow.Q at the race track to discuss their business deal.


    The catalog in her hand was at least three times thicker than the one Shadow.Q had given her yesterday. Rita casually flipped through it, recalling that the previous transactions had been in similar books. It was clear this wasn''t made of ordinary materials.


    Rita asked, "Have there been any Divine Talent Skills related to networks that caused problems for Eclipse Vanguard?"


    Shadow.Q wasn''t surprised by Rita''s sharpness. She nodded and replied, "Yeah, we had some issues, but they''ve been resolved. However, many habits remain. The most important information still exists in special catalogs like this one."


    Rita nodded but didn''t press further. She began flipping through the catalog.


    Unlike the first time when Eclipse Vanguard could only offer a Grade A skill and a Legendary Equipment as a token of goodwill, now their offerings were much better.


    The first page contained SS-level skills, but they were extremely rare, with only seven.


    Three attack skills, two defense skills, and one healing skill.


    Rita''s gaze stopped on the last one.

 Chapter 592: 592: Trading & [Regular Savings] & Golden Tree Dry Leaves

    [Regular Savings] (SS): After activating this skill, a magic rune can be drawn on any part of the body. Every minute, 100 mana will automatically flow into the rune and be stored. The storage limit is 10 times the mana limit. Each time it is activated or deactivated, 10% of the mana is consumed. There is no cooldown time.


    This skill was quite impressive. In one minute, it stored 100 mana, which meant that over 24 hours, it could store up to 140,000 mana. Considering her mana was just under 30,000, she could reach the full storage in two days.


    She certainly wouldn''t be fighting at full intensity every day, and the numbers could be adjusted...


    She even suspected that this skill might be paired with something like [12-Month Interest-Free], based on its design.


    Rita pointed to the skill and said, "This one, keep it."


    Among the remaining six SS-level skills, Rita also decided to keep the healing skill. More healing options were always useful.


    This healing skill, [One More Song Time] (SS), was similar to Mango Pomelo Sago. While its healing effect wasn''t large, its cooldown time was extremely short.


    [One More Song Time] (SS): When activated, a shield appears around the user, which can absorb damage equal to 200% of the user''s max health. Once the shield is broken, the player immediately recovers 20% of their health, and then every minute for the next 3 minutes, they will recover another 20%. Cooldown: 5 minutes.


    It wasn''t as good as [Pick Me Up] or [Fourfold Spring], but having multiple options was never a bad thing.


    There was a chance that future Divine Games might have restrictions on using SS-level skills, so it was good to be prepared.


    As for the offensive and defensive skills, none of them stood out too much. She decided to hold off on making a decision, waiting to see if there were any other special skills available.


    After spending over an hour, Rita finished flipping through the entire catalog.


    In addition to the two SS-level skills, she selected 45 S-level skills. Out of those, only 20 were typical attack, defense, or healing skills, while the remaining 25 were more niche and unusual.


    There were sealing skills that prevented the use of S-level or lower movement skills in a particular area, meteorological skills that could change the weather, a travel skill that created a magical hut invisible to outsiders, and a movement skill similar to [Phantom Shift], but requiring a medium to locate it.


    Aside from these skill books, Rita also took 120 sets of alchemical ingredients and 100 attribute points.


    Shadow.Q, upon receiving the list, didn''t haggle like she had in the past. Instead, she quickly sent a message, and soon 47 skill books, 120 sets of alchemical ingredients, and 100 items that could increase attribute points were delivered to Rita.


    Rita was a bit unaccustomed to Eclipse Vanguard''s straightforwardness, but she didn''t think her request was unreasonable.


    These were skill books meant for a single player, while the martial arts and magic books that allowed countless players to learn skills were far more valuable. Eclipse Vanguard had to know the difference.


    She handed over the 37 Moon Fox books she had copied to Shadow.Q, saying, "You can take these for study. As for extracting 15 S-level and 30 A-level skills from them, I''ll need a day to organize everything. Otherwise, you might not be able to understand them."


    Shadow.Q silently took the books, acknowledging the immense value of the knowledge Rita had acquired. These books were priceless, and though Eclipse Vanguard had research experts, Rita was the best alchemist they had access to.


    She was confident that they could come up with something new and powerful if they studied these.


    Shadow.Q took out a bag of gold coins and handed it to Rita. "Here''s your share of the magic potion sales from [Time Will Always Find A Way]."


    Rita took the coins and handed over a list of potions and gems she had available, asking, "Do you need any of these? The list shows both the material costs and the crafting costs."


    Shadow.Q looked through the list of high-grade potions, which included burst potions, gems that could detect lies, potions that could shrink players, and ones that could turn them into various elements.


    After a quick glance at the prices, Shadow.Q returned the list. "Not for now."


    The potions were indeed excellent, and the prices reasonable. But Eclipse Vanguard didn''t need them yet. The guild had no access to top-tier alchemists at the moment, and Rita was the best they could find.


    However, the potions were too costly for the current players, and the guild preferred to use their resources elsewhere for now.


    Rita wasn''t disappointed. She had planned to craft the potions herself anyway, and since she had enough gold, she was content to store them. She passed the list back to Shadow.Q, saying, "Keep them for now. Let me know when you need them. Also, can I go to the prison dungeon anytime?"


    Shadow.Q nodded, "Of course. You just go when you need to; no need for any credentials. Your face and your wings are your pass."


    Rita then handed her several addresses. "These are all high-level dungeons collected by Eclipse Vanguard. You can go to them anytime, or I can take you there."


    Rita called Nivalis over and pushed her toward Shadow.Q. "You go level up," she said to Nivalis, then turned to Shadow.Q. "For any dungeon that needs to refresh or unlock, take Nivalis with you. She''s yours for the next 7 days. Anything under level 30 is fine."


    As she spoke, she handed Nivalis various potions and food.


    She didn''t specifically ask Nivalis whether she could take other players into the dungeon; after all, even if she did, 99% of the experience would go to Nivalis anyway. Rita didn''t want to level with her because she knew the guild would send her the equipment from the dungeons.


    Nivalis, however, was more interested in her engineering workshop. "You''ll keep an eye on my engineering workshop, right?"


    Rita replied, "You''ll be back in 5 minutes, it''s not like you can''t rest."


    Nivalis immediately turned to Shadow.Q, "Then let''s go."


    As they left, Nivalis mentally asked Rita, "Can I use [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] while leveling up in the dungeon?"


    Rita replied, "Focus on killing monsters and leveling up in the dungeon. We''ll progress together when you come back. It''ll be more efficient."


    Nivalis reluctantly agreed, "Okay."


    After sending Nivalis and Shadow.Q off, Rita continued her work.


    She returned to the prison dungeon to farm for luck.


    By midnight, the growth of her luck had stopped. It was stuck at 10 (+48).


    With the 51 points of luck used from crafting the skewers and the [Steady Happiness] effect, her luck was now capped at +99.


    Rita wiped out all the enemies in the dungeon, having changed three different enemies. She used [Steady Happiness], but luck still didn''t increase. She couldn''t help but think, "So, luck can only go up to +99?"


    B8017913, which had been silent since Rita began farming for luck, finally responded, "I didn''t know luck could be farmed like this either. You''ve hit my knowledge blind spot."


    Rita clicked her tongue in frustration. After clearing the dungeon, she sat down and took out four pieces of Golden Tree Dry Leaves.


    Despite most of the S-level skills no longer being as precious to her, and their usage rate decreasing, the Golden Tree Dry Leaves still made her feel excited and nervous!


    These items were like cheat codes¡ªonly those who used them knew their true worth.

 Chapter 593: 593: Oddities & Skill Extraction I & Racial Talent Activation

    Rita placed one Golden Tree Dry Leaf in the palm of her hand and crushed it.


    The dry leaf instantly transformed into countless golden threads that floated and reformed in the air.


    In an instant, a six-sided die made of golden threads floated before her.


    [Congratulations Player, you''ve rolled a 5th-tier reward¡ªTalent Modification I]


    [Talent Modification I]: After use, you can modify one letter or number of an S-level divine talent skill. If you modify a number, you must roll the dice to determine the modified number. (If the roll results in a blank face, no modification occurs.)


    This six-sided die was similar to the one she''d rolled before, with three faces displaying numbers and three faces blank. However, it was slightly different.


    Last time, the three numbered faces had been "¡¤," ":," and "¡à." This time, the three numbered faces were "¡¤," "¡¤," and "¡Ë."


    Rita didn''t rush to use it. She carefully put the golden die aside and activated the remaining three Golden Tree Dry Leaves.


    [Congratulations Player, you''ve rolled a 6th-tier reward¡ªFlight Combat (1star-sea year)]


    [Congratulations Player, you''ve rolled a 5th-tier reward¡ªTalent Modification I]


    [Congratulations Player, you''ve rolled a 5th-tier reward¡ªOddity Skill Extraction I]


    [Skill Extraction I]: This skill allows you to extract a regular oddity''s skill and turn it into a player skill. After extraction, the oddity will be completely destroyed and unable to be used. The oddity skill will undergo slight changes during extraction.


    This was something new.


    With Skill Extraction, there must be Item Skill Extraction as well. But Rita felt cautious about this skill extraction.


    If it were before, she would have found it quite convenient. After all, using oddities or items was not as quick as directly using a skill.


    But after the experience in Chaotic Restaurant, Rita had learned a lot. There might be future Divine Games that would restrict the use of items or oddities, and she''d need to use her skills more carefully.


    For now, the ordinary oddities she possessed were limited to [A Big World, A Small Me], [rice rack], [Wish Pond''s Turtle Jade], [Hundred-Year Legacy], [New Year''s Blessing], and [My World].


    The latter five didn''t have much combat potential, so there was no need to extract their skills.


    The most valuable oddity for extraction was [A Big World, A Small Me], but even then, the magnifying glass wasn''t too inconvenient to use.


    Rita was about to put the golden thread-shaped object, resembling a miniature coffee machine, into her backpack when she paused and called out to her electronic pet. Since obtaining [Secrets in the Wind], unless Nivalis was around and they needed to chat together, Rita preferred using telepathic communication with her pet.


    If it was something secret, even if it was a group chat, Rita would rather be a bit more troublesome and use telepathic communication.


    She asked, "Hey, little B, if I don''t use it to extract skills, does this have any other uses? How long can it be stored?"


    B8017913, accustomed to Rita''s changing calls, replied, "It has no other uses. If you don''t use it in 6 days, it will dissipate and return to the Golden Tree. And the Golden Tree products cannot be transferred to others. You gave it to Nivalis because she''s your pet."


    That''s a bit troublesome. Better to use it up then.


    Rita frowned suddenly, "What about the Golden Tree Dry Branches and buds? Will they disappear in 6 days if I don''t use them?"


    B8017913 answered, "If you don''t release their magical energy, they''ll last the same amount of time as the Snowfield Pact."


    That''s good enough.


    Rita started recalling the oddities she had seen in Eclipse Vanguard''s catalog and sent Shadow.Q a message along with some basic alchemical potions she no longer needed.


    Soon, a penguin-like doll was delivered to her.


    [Who Wants to Start a Group] (Oddity): The holder of this oddity can create a chat group. You can select up to five targets to join a chat group in your mind, allowing communication. Only five targets can be connected at once.


    Rita aimed [Skill Extraction I] at the penguin doll.


    The golden thread coffee machine immediately dispersed, wrapping the doll in golden threads and dissolving it.


    The moment the penguin doll dissolved, Rita received a new skill.


    [Who Wants to Start a Group] (A): Use this skill to create a private chat group in your mind. The targets you mark can communicate with you in the chat group. You can only mark five targets at a time. Every time you mark or unmark a target, it will consume 2000 mana.


    Rita immediately created a chat group. She found it similar to when she usually chatted with her pet.


    When chatting with her pet, not all of her thoughts are known to it; she has to mentally touch the two tiny pet-like images in her mind, and only then will her thoughts be transmitted.


    The chat group was essentially just a transparent box in her mind.


    She marked B8017913 and decided to mark Nivalis later when she met her at home.


    Next was the 1star-sea year Flight Combat lesson, which Rita learned without hesitation. After enduring the intense 2star-sea year courses, she adapted well to the easier 1star-sea year lessons, and the teaching intensity wasn''t as high as the courses she opened from the gift boxes.


    Rita took a few minutes to recover after the lesson.


    She took out a Golden Tree Dry Branch. Now, she had 11 of these branches but only planned to use 6 of them.


    According to B8017913, the Snowfield Pact could allow 10 buds to bloom, but she had only received one bud. She had to prepare for the possibility that she wouldn''t be able to obtain all 10 buds before the pact melted.


    If there were no buds, the branches would work too.


    She wasn''t planning to keep all of them. Once she had the resources, they should be quickly turned into power so she could acquire even better resources.


    She used all six of the Golden Tree Dry Branches.


    [Congratulations Player, you''ve rolled a 7th-tier reward¡ªSewing (1star-sea year)]


    [Congratulations Player, you''ve rolled an 8th-tier reward¡ªTalent Modification II]


    [Congratulations Player, you''ve rolled an 8th-tier reward¡ªTalent Modification II]


    [Congratulations Player, you''ve rolled a 7th-tier reward¡ªAttribute Point Reset]


    [Congratulations Player, you''ve rolled a 9th-tier reward¡ªSkill Modification II]


    [Congratulations Player, you''ve rolled a 9th-tier reward¡ªActivate Racial Talent: First Tier (Success Rate: Unknown)]


    Rita''s mood shifted with the results of the draw.


    When she got the Sewing course, she cursed. When she got two Talent Modifications, her mood lifted. Upon seeing the Attribute Point Reset, she scowled. But when she saw Activate Racial Talent, she became serious.


    Indeed, the human race didn''t have its own racial talents after the game invasion and the acquisition of the game panel.


    Her current racial talents were the Undead Race talents, Feast and Undead Will, which she had acquired through a bug.


    She wasn''t sure if she wanted to activate the racial talents... She feared that activating them might overwrite the Undead Will she had.


    Racial talents were passive skills, but they were even better than regular passives because, like attributes, they were innate and didn''t require any conditions to use in the World Battle.


    Maybe the activated racial talents would provide the best bonuses for that race, but for her, was there anything better than Undead Will?


    [Undead Will]: The more desperate you are, the stronger your willpower becomes. When your health drops below 5%, all attributes double. When your health is below 1%, those attributes double again.

 Chapter 594: 594: Racial Talent: [Optimism] & Skill Modification

    This worked perfectly with her [Mysterious Power]! Rita admitted it¡ªwhenever she used [Mysterious Power], she was either escaping or barely surviving...


    But wasn''t that just the situation?


    Was it really just escaping or hiding?


    Of course not!


    It was a tactical retreat, a strategic hibernation!


    Once she got stronger¡ªalthough that felt like how she was back when she was climbing the ranks as a star¡ªno matter how popular she got, her fans would still claim she was in her "rising phase." Back then, she didn''t understand this mysterious and elastic "rising phase," but now she got it. She couldn''t even explain how strong she needed to be to feel truly strong.


    When using [Mysterious Power] to dominate¡ªthough, to be honest, she was usually forced to activate it, making the chances of truly dominating low¡ªRita still thought this was the perfect combo with [Undead Will]!


    Rita shared her concerns with B8017913, asking, "If I activate this racial talent, will it replace my current racial talents?"


    B8017913 explained, "Each race can have up to three racial talents. This activation is for your entire race''s racial talent. As long as you have fewer than three racial talents, activating a new one won''t affect your previous ones."


    Rita finally understood. That''s why some of the Lania Kaia 12 races had two racial talents while others had only one.


    However, a new question arose. The undead race had existed for so long, and with powerful figures like Mistblade and Maple Syrup, how had they not activated their third racial talent yet?


    B8017913 responded, "Also, this racial talent is determined by your traits."


    Rita was taken aback. "What do you mean?"


    B8017913 continued, "You decide what racial talents humans will have."


    Rita blinked. "What do you mean by that?"


    B8017913 further clarified, "The ''activation'' is a rule created by the gods. They use a Divine Game player''s gameplay as a sample, analyzing the player''s racial traits to extract and summarize the racial talent for that race, which is then activated."


    "This is why the success rate is unknown. If the Divine Game player doesn''t have any particularly prominent traits¡ªeither positive or negative¡ªthey won''t be able to activate a racial talent."


    Rita, for a moment, hesitated. Her interest in activating the racial talent faded slightly.


    B8017913 continued explaining, "Right now, you''ve obtained a first-tier racial talent, which can evolve later. In any case, this is a rare reward, equivalent to winning the rarest top-tier prize when playing the game."


    Rita responded quietly, "Hmm..."


    B8017913 added, "Why do you seem so worried? Are you afraid it won''t activate?"


    Rita didn''t immediately explain but instead pressed the small golden figure made from threads, deciding to activate it.


    [BS Announcement: Thanks to the efforts of player BS-Rita, the human race''s racial talent has been activated. Player BS-Rita receives 100,000 honor points.]


    Rita leaned on her chin, watching her new racial talent materialize.


    [Optimism]:


    The smart human race never acts recklessly; they are always optimistic. Once formal combat begins, a certain Mysterious Power allows you to vaguely sense your odds of winning. If your odds exceed 80%, you will uncontrollably laugh and fight; if your odds are below 80%, a quick laugh will trigger a 20% increase to your agility for 20 seconds. (As long as the battle continues, this effect can be triggered repeatedly, but it can only be activated once every 3 minutes.)


    Rita blinked, "...I knew it."


    Well, it was still useful. After all, no one else knew that the racial talent was based on her own performance, so it wasn''t a big deal.


    B8017913, now aware of the racial talent system from the network forum, came to a realization, "So that''s how it works."


    Rita remained silent.


    In her mind, she heard Nivalis''s voice:


    "Wow, I heard from Shadow.Q that the human race''s racial talent awakened thanks to your help? It feels kinda weird, like it''s your own creation."


    Even the name sounded sarcastic...


    Rita defended herself confidently, "Nonsense! How could I laugh when my winning chances are less than 95%?"


    Nivalis: ...That''s true.


    Rita pushed Nivalis away and then laid out the five golden thread dice she had obtained so far:


    Two [Talent Modification I], two [Talent Modification II], and one [Skill Modification II].


    [Talent Modification II]: After use, you can modify one letter or number in an S-level divine talent skill. If you modify a number, you must roll the dice to determine the new number. (If a blank face is rolled, no modification occurs.)


    [Skill Modification II]: After use, you can modify one letter or number in a non-divine talent skill (SS-level). If you modify a number, you must roll the dice to determine the new number. (If a blank face is rolled, no modification occurs.)


    [Skill Modification II] and [Talent Modification II] are very similar, with the only difference being that [Skill Modification II] can modify non-divine skills, although since divine skills aren''t explicitly excluded, this means it can also modify divine talent skills.


    But the dice for [Talent Modification II] and [Skill Modification II] are no longer six-sided¡ªthey are twelve-sided dice.


    These twelve-sided dice, just like the six-sided ones, have a mixture of numbers and blanks, but the numbers have completely changed. They now range from "plus" and "minus" values.


    "+1," "+2," "+4," "-2," "-3," "-3."


    "+3," "+2," "+2," "-2," "-1," "-3."


    "+1," "+2," "+3," "-2," "-3," "+4."


    Rita opened her game panel and brought the dice to the phrase "This skill can only be used once in a lifetime" in [I Could Just Steal It].


    She briefly thought, "What if I roll a negative number?"


    She wasn''t sure if this applied to an already unusable skill or if her greediness was making things more complicated, but just as that thought crossed her mind, she heard a system notification:


    [If the modified usage count is below 1, everything gained from this skill will be revoked.]


    Rita immediately pulled her hand back. What a ruthless clause!


    Though she could gamble and increase the count to over 3 or even 4, once something was revoked, it would be hard to get back.


    She adjusted the dice to target the "10%" in [I Just Want to Improve So Badly]¡ªwas that a single digit or two?


    If she used the dice on 0 or 1, what would happen if it rolled a minus?


    Compared to [Talent Modification I], [Talent Modification II] and [Skill Modification II] were more complex.


    [It counts as two digits: if used on "1", a number increase will affect the tens place, and a decrease will make it illogical, rendering the skill temporarily unusable.]


    [If used on "0", a number increase will affect the ones place, and a decrease will affect the total value.]


    Rita understood the rules and decided to use the three twelve-sided dice on [I Just Want to Improve So Badly].


    She wanted to modify the "1" in the "steal 1 attribute point" part of the skill!


    With the precondition that she could only steal up to 10 times from the same target, modifying the critical reward seemed like a better choice than modifying the consumption.


    She still had 5 unused dry branches as her backup. She could afford to gamble.


    Rita rolled the dice...


    "-2"¡ª"Blank"¡ª"+3"!

 Chapter 595: 595: Rita’s Eyes Sparkling with Excitement!!!

    [I Just Want to Improve So Badly]: This skill has a 30% chance of stealing an item or 1% of the target''s money, a 15% chance to steal 2 attribute points, and a 5% chance to steal a secret. Each use costs 10% of your health. (This skill can only be used successfully up to ten times on the same target. Be careful not to develop irreconcilable enmities with others.)


    This was the core ability Rita had modified.


    Interestingly, after copying a skill icon, her [One-Person Party] divine talent now included 6 skills.


    Both Skill 1 and Skill 2 were [I Just Want to Improve So Badly].


    She had modified the core of Skill 1.


    It was hard to make a mistake now. Rita could practically "see" the countless light clusters in her soul, each one representing a different skill. Every time she used a skill, she activated one of those light clusters.


    Even though she had used up all the modification opportunities from the Golden Tree Dry Branches, it had gone well. Anyone who played games would understand how deep this pit could get. Rita was satisfied as she closed the game panel.


    She took a moment to brag about her progress with both Nivalis and B8017913.


    After a moment of silence, both Nivalis and B8017913 asked the same question in unison:


    "Why didn''t you modify the skill first, then steal the luck? Wouldn''t that be much faster?"


    Rita fell into deep thought. Her mood suddenly became heavy.


    "..." Nivalis: "??" B8017913: "??" Rita didn''t feel like talking to her pets for now.


    After a while, Nivalis sighed, "Cold treatment."


    B8017913 also didn''t get a response but kindly took a step back. "Although I don''t understand, I respect your choice, master."


    Rita: "..." She''d rather they just called it "cold treatment."


    SS-level Skill Modification was already risky enough, and Rita didn''t dare to imagine what [Skill Modification III] would be like.


    As for the remaining two six-sided dice [Talent Modification I], Rita felt a bit regretful.


    If it had been [Skill Modification], she could''ve modified [Time Reversal], but unfortunately, she could only modify talent skills.


    The only divine talent she could currently modify was her [Sharpshooter] (A-level). Everything else was either SS or SSS-level.


    Ah~~~~~~


    Just as she couldn''t use the divine talents she obtained through various channels as a resurrection cost, [Talent Modification I] also couldn''t modify the individual divine talents she acquired.


    Once those divine talents came to her, they no longer appeared in the divine talent bar, so how could they be counted as divine talents?


    She held onto her last two modification chances, rereading the descriptions of [Survive Until the End] and [I''m Getting Serious Now (Passive)].


    [Survive Until the End]:


    "Your health will drop to match your level."


    She could swap "health" for "agility," but she was already locked in a black room, unable to move by herself¡ªagility didn''t matter.


    However, this meant that during critical moments, she might not be able to take a few more hits with this skill.


    She''d used this skill during the match at the "Candy Land" battlefield. When her health dropped below 30%, using [Survive Until the End] would transform her into an object, forcibly changing her health to 100%.


    Even if, after deactivating the skill, her health might only be in the single digits, combining it with [Don''t Even Think About Killing Me], which could extend the lower limit of her health to -500%, or following it up with [Mysterious Power], would be a perfect choice.


    Though many emergencies might not allow for such a combo, it was a good option for safer moments.


    Swapping "level" for "agility?"


    If, before using the skill, her remaining health exceeded her current agility of 2252, could the health ratio still be adjusted to 100%?


    Most likely, yes. The difference between using "level" and "agility" was essentially the same.


    If her remaining health was lower than 2252, would this skill effectively heal her?


    The more Rita thought about it, the brighter her eyes became.


    This was worth a try!!


    Rita quickly used the two six-sided dice and changed the phrase "your health will drop to match your level" to "your health will drop to match your agility."


    Her current health was 18,385, and when she used [Survive Until the End], her health became 2,252, and the ratio was 100%!


    The key benefit of the skill remained intact, and this modification was worth it!


    After deactivating the skill, her health remained at 2,252.


    She had cleared so many dungeons and had enough equipment, so she took out a knife, made a few slashes on her arm, and brought her health down to 987. Now, only 0.05% of her health remained¡ªjust a thin sliver.


    She used [Survive Until the End] again.


    Her health went back to 2,252, and the health bar was back to full, with the ratio at 100%!


    Rita couldn''t help but be overjoyed. Not only did she preserve the key benefit of this skill, but now she could even heal herself!


    This "your health will drop..." part acted like forcibly converting her current health into a new health bar!


    The only downside was that she might not be able to use [Mysterious Power] with [Survive Until the End] anymore.


    But that wasn''t too bad.


    Or perhaps, this method hadn''t completely disappeared.


    Rita''s nightly entertainment was to review her skills, going through each one''s skill descriptions so she could be ready to use them in critical moments.


    [Temporary Respec] (A-level): Allows you to redistribute the four main attributes freely within 3 minutes. The cooldown time is 30 minutes.


    This was the A-level skill she got back in the Tower.


    Since she activated [Regular Savings], she had been storing mana on her wrist''s magic tattoo. Since yesterday afternoon, she had accumulated over 70,000 mana. She didn''t need to worry about mana anymore.


    She used [Temporary Respec] to allocate 1,800 agility points to intelligence, then used [Survive Until the End] again.


    Sure enough! Her health became 452!


    She deactivated [Survive Until the End], and her health remained at 452. She could now use [Mysterious Power]!


    She could even use [Temporary Respec] to allocate 90% of her constitution, agility, and intelligence to agility, but those attributes weren''t high enough. Even if she allocated them, she''d only get a few hundred points. It would be more efficient to just eat a meal instead of wasting time on attribute redistribution.


    Rita laughed out loud, her emotions spilling over.

 Chapter 596: 596: Power and Honor

    [Survive Until the End]: Can disguise as any object you have seen before. At this time, all player information will become modifiable object data and cannot be detected by any skill or method below SSS level. You will appear as a true lifeless object. Meanwhile, your health value will drop to match your agility. There is no time limit or cooldown, and every use will consume 50% of your mana.


    This was the newly modified [Survive Until the End]!


    Next time, if she has another modification chance, she plans to reduce the mana consumption for each use of this skill.


    Rita gleefully turned to B8017913 and said, "See? It''s stronger now!"


    B8017913, after listening to Rita explain the new skill description, tried hard to recall every word, and all it heard was the word "survival": "Hmm, it''s more about survival now."


    Rita clicked her tongue. "You don''t understand my combat aesthetics."


    Combat aesthetics...


    B8017913: "..." It seriously wanted the gods watching over Rita to hear the nonsense she was saying.


    After using up all the Skill Modification opportunities, Rita planned to return. She intended to open the Abyssal Chest after completing all the courses, as a reward for herself.


    She temporarily stored the Sewing course in her bag, alongside the Rabbit Teeth course.


    Though she was disappointed with this reward, she definitely wouldn''t miss this class.


    A 7th-tier course was never a waste of time.


    Rita wasn''t opposed to expanding her knowledge, and having a broader understanding was always a good thing. But at her current stage, she wanted precision¡ªfocusing on combat, alchemy, and cooking in order of priority.


    As for attribute point resetting, that wasn''t necessary anymore...


    After asking Nivalis if she needed it, Rita sent it to her directly.


    Rita had a quick two-hour nap at home, then regained her energy.


    She still had six Rabbit Teeth courses left: Alchemy X2, Ranged (Crossbow), Combat Movement, Magic Principles, and Flight Combat.


    Rita sat in the study, wearing her Dragon Egg Shell Hat, and took out the Magic Principles course.


    This was the second Magic Principles class she had handled. After completing this course, she planned to sort through the contents of the 37 books.


    Though she didn''t think she would find many more skills¡ªsince the books'' levels were what they were, trying to derive college-level knowledge from middle-school textbooks was too much¡ªshe knew the deeper her understanding of Magic Principles, the simpler and more understandable the material would become.


    Her current level might require time to teach others, but it was a waste of time to try explaining it in-depth.


    She was clear that if she wrote more complex explanations and then personally taught the top-tier players, they would learn the skills and she would earn fame and followers.


    Even though Rita didn''t use to dedicate her time to such things, now she wouldn''t waste time doing that either.


    The change in Eclipse Vanguard''s attitude and Avery''s previous remark about wanting Rita to become BS''s commander had left an impression on her.


    She had noticed that Eclipse Vanguard had given her an invisible gift¡ªpower!


    It was a marvelous presence, addictive in a way, a different type of control compared to strength.


    She got Black Jade when she asked for it, she got land when she requested it, and the best materials for her workshops could be prepared for her. Dungeons were hers to use.


    Although she hadn''t asked what Black Jade was doing now, she wasn''t ignorant. She still had B8017913, who helped her gather and summarize information, so she knew Black Jade had already surrendered to Eclipse Vanguard.


    With such a powerful ally, when she asked for help, it was delivered straight to her doorstep.


    Black Jade didn''t dare refuse.


    She didn''t have to worry about anything. She could get whatever she wanted, and if she said so, Eclipse Vanguard wouldn''t say no.


    If she wished, her dealings with Eclipse Vanguard could even be done without offering anything in return. Or, she could demand half of their resources. Even if Eclipse Vanguard didn''t want to comply, they would still choose to yield.


    But she didn''t want to go that far.


    It wasn''t about nobility. She had started from scratch in Lania Kaia and Divine Game, and talking about nobility was out of the question.


    She accepted Eclipse Vanguard''s flattery and gifts¡ªno one deserved them more than she did.


    But a trade was a trade, and cooperation was cooperation. When she was weak, she craved fairness, and now that she was in a higher position, she hadn''t changed.


    The taste of power was intoxicating, but Rita wouldn''t lose her direction because of it.


    She hadn''t stopped to think about whether she should divide her attention to manage the BS forces. Instead, she had become more resolute in her pursuit of power.


    Eclipse Vanguard had given her these conveniences, just as they had done for other players in the past.


    In her previous life, Eclipse Vanguard had made decisions between her and others, just as they had in this life.


    She might forget the names of her enemies, but she would never forget the experiences of running away in her past life.


    The wings behind her fluttered lightly, and the White Bone Dragon flew slowly past the window. The wind howled through its bones, making the room even quieter.


    Power had no warmth, no loyalty. It blurred the lines of right and wrong. It only served the strong, those who could bring benefits to BS, Eclipse Vanguard, and the average player.


    Rita sent a message to Jameson: [Keep an eye on Rick''s corpse]


    Soon, she got a response: [Understood]


    ...


    Nivalis had been clearing dungeons for three days straight.


    Of course, she brought all the loot back with her¡ªnothing was left outside. After all, she was Rita''s personally raised dragon.


    Every day, without fail, she came back to have meals with Rita, and Rita even got her to activate [Who Wants to Start a Group].


    Every hour, she''d fly back once to check on her workshop.


    It wasn''t clear if it was because of the intense desire to return or if her routine was too regular, but she had also learned a new S-level movement skill called [Going Home After Work].


    It allowed her to mark a place where she''d eaten as her "home," and she could return to it at any time. She could mark up to 10 homes at once.


    Rita had been busy these days. After organizing the 37 books'' skills and sending them to Eclipse Vanguard, she was back to attending classes.


    She also went to Lania Kaia to buy a large batch of potion materials and ingredients, then brewed a new batch of Spring Not Late to sever the bloodline shackles that were about to reconnect.


    Although the things brewed behind the curtain could be reverted back to their original form at will, if the items weren''t touched after crafting, they would remain as is, even after the skill''s effect ended.


    The beauty of the [Behind the Curtain] skill was that it could be used for practicing those professional skills requiring rare materials, as well as for crafting potions that took a lot of time to make in bulk.


    She stayed behind the curtain for 100 days, while only one day passed in the outside world.


    B8017913: "The news about your level drop has been quite a buzz online."


    Rita: "Oh."


    She checked the leaderboards, and whether it was the level leaderboard, pet leaderboard, honor leaderboard, or wealth leaderboard, she was still at the top. The honor leaderboard was even more exaggerated.


    Before entering Chaotic Restaurant, she had 612,051 honor. She spent 20,000 points to buy [7-Character], and before the game started, she had 592,051 honor.


    But in Chaotic Restaurant, she won five World Tombs from the culinary competition, and the subsequent gift boxes gave her three Mahjong World Tombs and ten random World Tombs.


    That added up to 180,000 honor.


    The Divine Game settlement added 80,000 honor, and activating her Racial Talent gave her another 100,000 honor.


    Now, her honor points had reached 952,051.

 Chapter 597: 597: The Surprise from the Dragon Egg Shell

    With her finances now comfortable, Rita opened the honor shop again and browsed through it from top to bottom.


    Thinking about the mystical beings from Lania Kaia, she directly asked B8017913 in the group chat, "Besides the honor shop, are there other places where honor points can be spent?"


    B8017913: "Yes, there are special merchants in Divine Game."


    Rita silently closed the honor shop. She decided to save her honor points for now.


    She glanced at the date; she had slept for two days after returning, followed by leveling up, trading, handling her workshop, and using [Behind the Curtain] for three days. She had also finished all the Rabbit Teeth courses except for the last one, [Ranged (Crossbow)]. It seemed like she had handled many things, but it was only the 24th.


    She had entered the battlefield on May 15th.


    Calculating based on the fact that the world battlefield''s game cycle was 7 days while BS''s cycle was 15 days, she had expected that after spending 3 days inside, she would at least return by May 22nd. But to her surprise, it was only the early morning of May 16th.


    This made her wonder¡ªcould there be some time manipulation inside Divine Game too?


    But for her, more time was always better.


    She made a large breakfast for herself.


    Now that her cooking skills had improved, she actually enjoyed making meals for herself more and more.


    She also used the additional lucky points to make some skewers. Aside from the original 10 points of luck, she saved 5 points for later.


    She told Nivalis, who came back for breakfast, "We''re not going out today. Let''s go to Lania Kaia."


    Nivalis, who had been watching the White Bone Black Jade flying and patrolling the area around the villa and karting track, quickly flew back upon hearing this, her eyes shining, "To level up?"


    Rita nodded, and the antenna on her Dragon Egg Shell Hat wobbled lightly. "Let''s check out the teacher first, then we can visit Dragon Island afterward?"


    "Sounds good," Nivalis said, her gaze now fixed on the egg shell hat. She asked, "Has it produced anything yet?"


    Her tone was a bit embarrassed; after all, it was a gift from Snow Pile, a treasure, but nothing had come of it so far.


    Rita wasn''t disappointed. She had gotten used to waiting for the surprise.


    Subconsciously, she believed that the longer the wait, the better the reward, especially since it was a gift from Snow Pile. She gently patted the egg shell hat and comforted it, "Not yet, no worries... Hmm?"


    She felt something between her head and the egg shell hat. Taking it off, she found something small in her hand.


    It was a small fragment of a Dragon Horn, almost the size of Rita''s thumb nail, still soft and tender, not yet hardened.


    [Dragon Horn Fragment] (Rare Item): This item can mark dragon-type undead, making them your exclusive undead servants, unable to be claimed by other undead skills. Placing it inside a dragon-type undead will not only enhance your control over it, but long-term wearing also nourishes the dragon-type being, allowing it to grow stronger from combat. (This item has automatically recognized you as its master for some reason; only you can sense and use it.)


    After reading the item description, Rita immediately hugged the egg shell hat, planting a couple of kisses on it.


    What a treasure! This is truly a treasure!


    She placed the Dragon Egg Shell Hat on the seat beside her, set a pair of chopsticks and a bowl in front of it, then patted the egg shell before announcing to Nivalis and B8017913, "From now on, she''s your little sister!"


    Nivalis: "......"


    B8017913: "..."


    Rita couldn''t help but kiss the egg shell hat again. "It never produced anything before, but now it knows exactly what I wanted! As soon as it figured out what I needed, it sent it right over¡ªhow thoughtful!"


    This was perfect for White Bone Black Jade.


    She thought carefully about the "Dragon" in Dragon Horn Fragment. Since the Dragon Egg Shell came from a dragon that died in the hatching process, maybe the surprise that "it will occasionally send you a gift" wouldn''t always be undead-related items, right?


    That wouldn''t be too bad, especially since she had the undead-type divine talent [Immortal].


    She patted the egg shell hat again and handed it to Nivalis, saying, "Take good care of your little sister," before flying out of the villa to find White Bone Black Jade.


    After all, a Serpent Dragon could still be considered a dragon, right?


    She flew to the top of the villa, where White Bone Black Jade was floating around her, the massive dragon bones circling her. The enormous skeletal dragon head, taller than Rita, gently leaned in, nudging her palm with its skull.


    She dropped the Dragon Horn Fragment into its right eye, where blue ethereal flames burned.


    Immediately, Rita felt the presence of White Bone Black Jade clearly in her mind.


    It was like comparing pixelated games, where skills could only be used in certain directions, relying mostly on the remnants of White Bone Black Jade''s battle awareness. Now it felt more like a 3D game.


    She could not only sense White Bone Black Jade''s presence more clearly but could also control its movements with more precision.


    Its attribute panel lit up again, and an experience bar appeared.


    Although the experience needed to level up was more than what a regular being would need, the fact that it could level up meant White Bone Black Jade wouldn''t just waste away over time. This greatly increased its value¡ªby over a hundred times.


    Rita decided that as long as she remained in BS, she would have White Bone Black Jade level up with Eclipse Vanguard. When she left, it would stay behind to guard the house.


    As for whether others could deduce her whereabouts by analyzing White Bone Black Jade''s presence¡ªRita no longer worried about such trivial matters.


    If players betrayed her, they would lose all evolution progress. Even if they tried to break in, so what?


    Adventurers venture into dragon''s lairs, not worrying about the dragon or tiger.


    And White Bone Black Jade would only be one line of defense. Once Nivalis''s engineering workshop was done, she''d add even more layers of protection using engineering skills and alchemical gems.


    Most importantly... she wasn''t leaving her best stuff in the villa. Everything valuable was always with her.


    At the dinner table, after hearing Rita''s arrangements, Nivalis sincerely asked, "Is it really necessary?"


    Rita understood what Nivalis meant. They were already stronger than any player in BS, so it seemed unnecessary to be so cautious.


    But for Rita, this wasn''t just about security; it was also a way to show off her strength.


    She said, "Think about it. In games or novels, don''t those big BOSS castles always have a ton of defense measures?"


    Nivalis spent less than 3 seconds scanning the villa''s first floor.


    She wasn''t uninterested in looking longer, but sitting in the living room, she could easily see everything. She responded with a considerate "...Mm."


    Rita: "..."


    Don''t think I don''t understand that look on your dragon face!


    But she really didn''t have time to fuss over the villa. It was comfortable enough, and rather than wasting time on upgrading to a more luxurious villa she couldn''t even live in, she preferred to focus her efforts on White Bone Black Jade and the workshop.


    One was about brute strength, the other was a workspace.


    After dinner, she spent some time moving the teleportation array from under her bed to the study.


    B8017913 sighed in relief. "Finally!"


    Nivalis, excited, covered her face and tearfully added, "Finally, no more crawling under the bed!"


    Rita: "...You two, enough already!"

 Chapter 598: 598: Minesweeper & That Glass of Ice Wine

    Rita carefully stored the Dragon Egg Shell, with the Lonely Antenna Baby still attached to it. These two items were such a perfect match that she didn''t want to separate them.


    However, when wearing the egg shell hat, Lonely Antenna Baby was not in use. Its energy consumption was too high¡ª2000 mana per second, and with only 29,000 mana, Rita could only use it for about ten seconds.


    But with the Regular Savings that could store up to ten times her mana, she could use it a bit longer.


    Turning into Wind Scythe, Rita, Nivalis, and B8017913 made their way to the underwater city of Lania Kaia.


    The first thing Rita did after passing through the teleportation array was to check on White Bone Black Jade. She found that she could still clearly perceive its presence. In fact, with enough concentration, she could even see through White Bone Black Jade''s eyes and experience its view.


    This discovery eased Rita''s mind significantly. Now, she just needed to check if she could still communicate with White Bone Black Jade once back in the world battlefield.


    She instructed White Bone Black Jade to rest in energy-saving mode at the karting track, and then flew straight to Gloom City to find Apache.


    Rita wasn''t entirely sure of her own alchemy level anymore, but whether it was her innovation in combining alchemy and cooking, or the numerous Alchemy lessons she''d taken over the years, she had gained much. Her mind was filled with countless ideas, and she wanted to discuss them with Apache.


    Upon arriving at the teleportation array in Gloom City, she immediately sensed something was off.


    This reminded her of an SSS-level skill she had obtained in the Chaotic Kitchen, [Minesweeper].


    [Minesweeper] (SSS): When a region becomes highly dangerous for you, you will no longer be able to "lay low." This skill will automatically activate, consuming 2000 mana per minute, allowing you to see the world clearly.


    This skill was a strange one¡ªpartly passive, but also partly active. Most passive skills were free to use, like [Midnight Exile], [Absurd Story], [Bedtime Tale], [Click, Locked], and [Absolutely Awake].


    [Midnight Exile] was powerful not only in its content but also because many of its most critical battle skills were passive. This not only meant no mana cost, but also that the time to activate these skills was shortened¡ªevery fraction of a second counted during battle.


    Rita was usually a fan of passive skills, as they allowed for seamless flow without worrying about resource management.


    Active skills, on the other hand, consumed mana, but the player had full control over when they were used.


    However, [Minesweeper] fell somewhere between these two. If the mana cost were too high, it would be a huge burden, but the skill was still usable¡ªjust very situational.


    Rita''s strong impression of this skill wasn''t just because it was unusual, but because it was the ninth kill reward she received after killing a player, waiting for their revival time to almost run out.


    It showed how undecided the other player was when choosing skills.


    Since receiving this skill in the world battlefield, Rita hadn''t used it due to the game''s unique mechanics. Even though the world battlefield was filled with danger, the skill didn''t have an icon, so it wouldn''t trigger.


    But back in BS, there was no danger, so it remained inactive.


    Now, for the first time, [Minesweeper] was automatically triggered.


    Her vision shifted. The world was now bathed in faint red and green hues, like the last strokes of watercolor from an artist whose paint had nearly run out, or like a thin fog.


    It didn''t obscure her view. The buildings in Gloom City and the alien players walking on the streets were still clearly visible. But the world had definitely changed.


    Within the fog, she could make out faint numbers. For now, she saw numbers ranging from 1 to 5.


    The red fog almost filled 98% of her vision, with green fog only occupying 2%. Most of the numbers in the fog were "1."


    This made Rita think of an old computer game¡ªMinesweeper.


    Although she wasn''t entirely sure what the [Minesweeper] skill meant, she immediately felt that something was wrong and told Nivalis, who had transformed into a tiny sea horse (which was a bit annoying), "Something''s off. Go back to the pet space."


    Nivalis obediently returned to the pet space.


    At the same time, Rita immediately put on the Dragon Egg Shell Hat with the Lonely Antenna Baby attached and used the Lonely Antenna Baby skill.


    Her mana drained quickly as she activated it.


    The moment she used the skill, the undead guards and players who had been eyeing her for a moment seemed momentarily confused, before they quickly averted their gazes.


    In the second second, Rita removed her Wind Scythe disguise and flew high into the sky, scanning Gloom City below.


    She saw that almost 50% of the city was covered in red, and these red areas were concentrated around the four city gates, seven teleportation arrays, and Apache''s alchemy shop.


    The red number hovering over the teleportation array beneath her was 5.


    Rita tried using [Phantom Shift], but it didn''t work.


    She targeted a small building diagonally across from Apache''s Alchemy Shop and used [Romantic Tourist]. This time, the teleportation was successful, though the landing point was off, and she ended up in a strange room instead of the small building.


    Inside, a circle of Lania Kaia 12 alien players, with 7 different races and two beasts, stood around her.


    But fortunately, they didn''t notice her presence. She was standing right in the middle of them, but it was as if she was invisible.


    Rita held her breath and used [Romantic Tourist] again, this time successfully landing above the small building.


    Apache''s Alchemy Shop was almost completely covered in red fog, and the numbers barely visible in the mist were... "10"!


    The eighth second.


    She looked inside the alchemy shop from the doorway. Only Apache and Kayden were inside.


    Apache was sitting by the window, frowning, with a glass of wine beside her.


    Rita recognized the wine¡ªIce Snow Wind Bell¡ªa sweet, icy wine that needed to be drunk quickly after pouring into the glass. When you drank it, the sound of wind chimes would ring in your mind, and each person would hear a different wind chime sound.


    Apache wasn''t the only one who liked it; even Kayden and Rita, who weren''t big drinkers, enjoyed it.


    But... the glass containing the Ice Snow Wind Bell was now devoid of frost, indicating it had been neglected for too long and missed its optimal drinking time.


    This was quite a sight for Apache, who loved her wine.


    [Apache Level 99 100%©§100%©§Amazement¡¤Confusion¡¤Worry¡¤Helplessness¡¤Sadness©§Taboo: Alchemy©§Weakness: Lucia]


    And Kayden¡ªhe was standing behind the counter, staring at his fingers.


    [Kayden Level 18 100%©§100%©§Worry¡¤Anger¡¤Sadness¡¤Despair©§Taboo: Apache©§Weakness: Identity and Hierarchy]


    Rita stood at the entrance, watching her mentor and friend. It seemed that she couldn''t come here anymore for a while.


    She felt regret and discomfort, but not anger. She could tell they weren''t the ones who had planned against her.


    It must have been someone stronger than them who intervened.


    That day had finally come.


    As BS-Rita''s name became more and more special in the world battlefield, this day had finally arrived.


    She was no longer just another BS human player, but a special existence capable of influencing the course of BS and the battlefield.


    Perhaps Apache never imagined that the student she took on a whim would turn out to be so unique.


    The 11th second... 13th second...


    She watched Apache and Kayden, their troubled expressions, and the alchemy shop filled with unseen dangers.


    For some reason, she felt an absurd sense of comfort.


    Since establishing bonds of mentorship and friendship with the two undead, she often questioned herself¡ªwhether she was doing the right thing, whether it was truly worth it. Did Apache really have no ulterior motive?


    Now, it seemed the answers had come¡ªanswers that didn''t hurt, but also didn''t matter much anymore.


    She quietly hovered outside the window, the red glow of her wings reflecting off the icy blue wine. The wind moved her fiery wings, gently swaying with the wine.


    Apache gazed at the wine that had long lost its temperature and flavor. Rita watched her mentor.

 Chapter 599: 599: What She’s Always Wanted Was Never Much

    After sensing the danger, Rita didn''t immediately retreat. Instead, she stubbornly moved closer to the alchemy shop, seeking one answer.


    Now, she had gotten the answer she wanted.


    Even if she couldn''t see Apache for a while, and even if she noticed moments of regret flickering in Apache''s emotions from time to time, Rita felt a sense of joy.


    She didn''t dwell on whether that regret was for teaching her or for not leaving a way for them to communicate at any time.


    She didn''t analyze it because worry and sadness had never disappeared.


    When the clock in the alchemy shop struck the hour, the Minotaur clock on the wall rang, and once again, it began telling its usual bad jokes.


    It was a gift from Kayden after he fixed it, and Apache hadn''t objected.


    The jokes were awful, but Rita still found herself chuckling.


    That was enough. That was all she needed.


    What she wanted had never been much.


    Only when her Regular Savings mana had dropped below half did Rita return to the teleportation array, intending to catch a ride with the other players leaving the area.


    But when she entered, the number on the array was 5. Now, as she prepared to leave, it had changed to 9.


    Rita wasn''t someone to charge ahead recklessly, so she immediately pulled out the New Year''s Joy cat head and found that it was unusable.


    She switched direction, flying to the city walls of Gloom City, noticing the floating "10" over the city gates. She used [Romantic Tourist] towards a distant tree.


    Again, there was a deviation, and this time she ended up in a different room. Inside, a group of Lania Kaia 12 alien players stood around, with undead, moon foxes, oak owls, Candle beasts, sea monsters, and elves.


    After several attempts with [Romantic Tourist], she finally arrived at her intended destination.


    Once she left Gloom City, she quickly used the cat head again, and this time it was available.


    She teleported back to BS¡ªto Yas City¡ªthen used the teleportation array to head toward Ton Ton Mountain.


    She packed the 7 new potions she''d created recently into a small box, all of which were potions she intended to show off to Apache.


    She also packed 18 dishes, each at least 2-star delicacies, and the best one was a 4-star dish, which she wanted to share with Apache and Kayden.


    In addition, she included a few bottles of Ice Snow Wind Bell wine, which, although brewed over only 300 days and lacking in richness, was made with the formula she had learned in her Brewing class, rated at 99.


    Similar to the Ice Snow Wind Bell, it was quite an interesting drink that Apache would surely enjoy.


    She packed the potions, dishes, and wines, along with fifty bags of rice she got from rice rack, and slipped in a letter written in oak owl language:


    "I''ve gotten into some trouble outside, so I won''t be coming to find you¡ªRavenclaw."


    She packed everything and shipped it off to Apache through the Wind Scythe Quick Run Service.


    Then, she immediately left her base, drank a Time Melt potion, changed her disguise, and put Nivalis¡ªnow in her small sea horse form¡ªinto her pocket. As they walked along Ton Ton Mountain, she and Nivalis used [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] on passing alien players.


    Rita also pulled out the top-tier Red Ginseng Liquid she had made a few years ago. She and Nivalis each drank a bottle before starting their work.


    Although the skill success rate was still the same¡ªonly succeeding about three to four times out of ten attempts, with most of the loot being equipment, items, or money¡ªthe efficiency had clearly increased after modifying the skill.


    Now, every time she stole attributes, she got 2 points in one go.


    When her bag was full, Rita simply mailed all the equipment she didn''t need to Shadow.Q in exchange for gold coins, of course, at the BS market price.


    After touring Ton Ton Mountain and exchanging a few main cities, including Minotaurs, Blood Elves, Sea Monsters, and Oak Owls, Rita had no fixed pattern.


    At each main city, she used [Romantic Tourist] to mark a house as a sightseeing point, just in case she encountered another situation like in Gloom City.


    She realized that [Minesweeper] only triggered when she was near the royal palaces or city lord''s palaces. Otherwise, there was no reaction from the skill when she moved about.


    Even when she visited shops or auction houses where 100-level alien players were stationed, [Minesweeper] didn''t activate.


    It was unclear whether this was because the players didn''t pose a threat or because there were no traps set for her.


    By the end of the day, including the gold she had saved up before, the alchemy gold from Eclipse Vanguard, and some of the gold she had stolen from Black Jade, Rita now had a total of 300,000 gold coins.


    She visited the auction house, stocked up on more potions and high-end ingredients, and bought a legendary set of cookware.


    It cost 88,000 gold, but the 37-piece set included all the tools she currently needed for cooking.


    She also bought a legendary crucible.


    Nivalis spent several tens of thousands of gold on engineering materials, using both her previous savings and the gold she had stolen from Black Jade. Initially, she had planned to return the gold to Rita, but Rita told her to keep it for buying engineering materials, which she had now put to use.


    Rita asked B8017913 if there was anything it wanted.


    B8017913 scanned the auction house''s offerings and then politely declined, "There''s nothing here that I can use."


    Rita didn''t press the issue.


    After buying what they needed, the sky had already darkened. Nivalis used the cat head to return to Dragon Island, and then Rita was reverse-summoned.


    They paid a visit to Holy Cup''s North Year and Snow Pile, then went to find Lidian.


    Rita was looking to make a profit from Lidian, and Nivalis was there just for the spectacle.


    The Ballroom Formalwear had expired when leaving the world battlefield and turned into a Feather. Along with the Feather Pine Bloom had thrown at her earlier, she was now left with two feathers she hadn''t dared to take out until now.


    But on Dragon Island, it was finally safe to take them out.


    Selling them to Lidian not only gave her a small profit but also resolved an invisible problem.


    Lidian was at the same old spot on Dragon Island, staring out at the sea of clouds. Upon seeing Rita, she seemed oddly distant, not wanting to acknowledge her but also not wanting to be seen ignoring her.


    Rita guessed that Pine Bloom''s fanbase might have learned about Rita''s kill of Pine Bloom through the battlefield chat. She raised both feathers high and asked, "Want to buy them? Souvenirs."


    Lidian''s eyes, which had been cold a moment ago, immediately lit up, and she looked at the familiar feathers with a burning gaze, her voice dropping, "How much?"


    Rita pulled back her hands, gently stroking the feathers and sighing, "Well, that depends on how much Pine Bloom is worth to you."


    Nivalis: "That''s so shameless."


    B8017913: "That''s so shameless."


    Rita: "I''m just speaking the truth."


    Lidian, though she couldn''t hear their group chat, let out a yell identical to theirs, "You''ve gone too far! You killed Pine Bloom! Now you''re extorting her precious things!"


    Rita had already prepared over a hundred sales pitches, but they were all shut down by Lidian''s words. She stood there, stunned for a moment, her face flashing a rare look of confusion and uncertainty about how to respond.


    Nivalis reacted similarly, "sitting" mid-air, awkwardly scratching her tail, and quietly asking Rita, "Precious things? Who''s that?"

 Chapter 600: 600: Flawless Perfection, Sharp Imperfection

    "Precious things? Who''s that?"


    Lidian: "..."


    Rita frowned, pondering for a while before quietly replying, "No idea, but we can rule out Lidian."


    Lidian: "..."


    That did it¡ªcompletely lost her composure!


    The red dragon let out a sky-shaking roar and lunged at Rita and Nivalis. "I''m done with you two!"


    Rita and Nivalis turned tail and fled, the trio darting through the sky in a chaotic chase.


    Even amidst the chaos, Rita couldn''t keep her mouth shut.


    "I went through all that trouble to bring you Pine Bloom''s feathers, and not only do you refuse to buy them, you want to beat me up!"


    "Do you even know how special these feathers are? They''re the ones closest to Pine Bloom''s heart¡ª"


    After a few scorching blasts to their rears, Rita and Nivalis bolted straight to Holy Cup''s lair.


    Lidian burst in after them, only to hear Nivalis tattling, "Holy Cup! Lidian still has feelings for Pine Bloom!"


    Lidian: !!!


    She skidded to a halt mid-air, shouting, "I told you, I want to avenge her myself! Stop trying to make me reconcile! Holy Cup, you need to rein in Nivalis and BS-Rita! These two are hopeless!"


    Nivalis & Rita: "......"


    Nivalis bared her teeth, letting out a low growl from her throat.


    Poor kid was fuming!


    Now it was Nivalis chasing Lidian, snapping at her heels.


    After a round of chaos, they returned to the cloud sea''s edge, much to Holy Cup''s exasperation.


    Lidian cautiously glanced around to ensure no familiar dragons were nearby before whispering to Rita, "I need to inspect the goods first."


    Rita wasn''t worried about Lidian running off¡ªNivalis was still baring her teeth at her. She handed over the two feathers. "Here."


    Lidian held them up to the sunlight, then confidently stated, "One''s for tracking, the other''s a remnant from the expired Ballroom Formalwear."


    Rita: "Yep."


    Lidian carefully stored the feathers, her expression serious. "I won''t forget Pine Bloom''s betrayal. I bought these to remind myself. What do you want in exchange?"


    Rita rubbed her ears, ignoring the first part. "What do you have? Preferably something related to that place."


    Lidian, though eager for the feathers, wasn''t about to part with an SSS-level skill or a top-tier artifact. But she knew she couldn''t offer just anything.


    Not only was BS-Rita not easily fooled, but she also couldn''t bring herself to shortchange Nivalis¡ªafter all, the little dragon was family.


    As for BS-Rita defeating Pine Bloom, Lidian wasn''t truly upset. In the world battlefield, it was kill or be killed. Maple Syrup, Pine Bloom, and Peach Crown had all taken each other down before.


    After some thought, she said, "I have an SS-level skill called Super Filtration. When used, any lost dragon scales, blood, or horns won''t contain a trace of our essence. Even if we''re skinned or bled, it won''t affect us. Plus, unless we willingly give them, anyone who takes our flesh will be cursed.


    "But I won''t strip the skill''s experience to give it to you. I can only teach you the magical principles¡ªyou''ll have to grasp it yourself. Interested?"


    Rita answered for Nivalis without hesitation. "That''s the one! She''ll learn it!"


    Nivalis shot Rita a glance, clearly pleased. Lidian gave Nivalis a peculiar look, studying her for a few seconds.


    Since teaching magical principles would take at least a day or two, Rita left Nivalis on Dragon Island and returned to BS to oversee the nearly completed engineering workshop.


    Before leaving, she couldn''t help but ask, "Did you develop Super Filtration yourself, or did Pine Bloom find it for you?"


    Lidian looked up at Rita and replied, "Pine Bloom."


    Rita smiled and flew off.


    Lidian watched her depart in silence for a moment before turning to Nivalis. "Why were you so happy earlier? Just because she helped you get a skill?"


    "You don''t get it," Nivalis shook her head, her cheerful demeanor softening. "If it were before, she''d have respected me enough to ask if I wanted it. But today, she just agreed on my behalf! She sees me as one of her own¡ªthat''s why."


    Lidian tried to process this logic, then fell silent.


    She felt like she was seeing a younger version of herself. For a moment, she understood why Holy Cup and the others looked at her the way they did.


    The tiny ice dragon plopped down beside the fire dragon''s head and began recounting her experiences with Rita.


    Of course, she omitted Rita''s secrets and various artifacts and items. She only spoke of daily life, even tweaking specific times, places, and events.


    Lidian thoughtfully shrank to Nivalis''s size. Moonlight bathed the two little dragon blobs as their shadows stretched from 6 o''clock to 9, then to 12, until Nivalis finally finished her tales about Rita.


    She concluded, "I know she still doesn''t fully trust me.


    "Even though I spent some time in the pet space, I asked B8017913 about what happened while I was gone.


    "This game was dangerous¡ªwe could''ve lost everything. But when she considered what she''d rely on to start over, she thought of alchemy and even cooking, but not me.


    "We got the Unregrettable Oath scroll. She''d rather give me a core skill than another one because if I had that skill and ever betrayed her, she''d struggle to defeat me."


    After saying this, Nivalis fell silent for a long time.


    How could it not hurt?


    Lidian softly said, "But."


    It was like flipping a switch, reconnecting a broken circuit.


    Nivalis picked up where Lidian left off. "But! That just makes me even more reluctant to leave her. I can''t explain this foolish feeling."


    Lidian: "Do you blame or resent her for not trusting you?"


    Nivalis: "No."


    Lidian: "Then do you think I''m foolish for still not completely hating Pine Bloom?"


    Nivalis: "Yes."


    Lidian burst into unrestrained laughter. "You accept that your friend may never fully trust you, and I accept that Pine Bloom will always choose the better option when faced with choices. Their flaws are infuriating, yet so coldly dazzling.


    "Nivalis, we''re not so different.


    "We both despise flawless perfection and prefer sharp imperfections."

 Chapter 601: 601: "Do You Really Accept It?"

    Nivalis tilted her small head up at Lidian, pondering, But Rita''s sharp imperfections never truly hurt me. She always remembered Rita''s words: "It''s not your fault, nor is it my problem."


    Yet, Pine Bloom''s flaws... Nivalis hesitated. Aside from wounding Lidian''s heart, did she really cause any harm?


    But then she recalled Lidian''s accusations against Pine Bloom. Dragons typically don''t dwell on such things, but Lidian''s anger seemed genuine. She asked, "Do you really accept it?"


    Lidian lowered her head, offering no response.


    Nivalis immediately regretted her question and quickly said, "Let''s start learning ''Super Filtration''!"


    But Lidian wasn''t ready to let the topic go. She suddenly asked, "You can accept BS-Rita not trusting you, but can you accept that she trusts other beings, even entrusting her life to them, yet doesn''t trust you?"


    Nivalis abruptly stood up, clenching her fists, and exclaimed, "Hell no! She wouldn''t dare!"


    The two dragons locked eyes for a moment before simultaneously embracing each other, dramatically sobbing.


    "Finally, someone understands me, boohoo!"


    "Boohoo, no need to say more, I get it..."


    "It''s all because our tastes are too refined and unique!"


    "Exactly, but next time, don''t bring up such infuriating hypotheticals."


    "Then you should stop tattling to Holy Cup."


    "I... I''ll try."


    Beisui, flying over to ask if Nivalis and Lidian wanted to come back for a late-night snack: "..."


    He didn''t intend to eavesdrop, but at this distance, with Holy Cup and Snow Pile''s auditory skills, they could hear everything!


    ...


    Rita didn''t use the Cat Head to return directly to BS; instead, she flew away from Dragon Island.


    Since traps targeting her had begun to appear, the previous teleportation points were no longer safe.


    Even if nothing had happened yet, she needed to choose a new location farther from the Eclipse Vanguard base to avoid being caught in a sweep.


    With that in mind, she sent a message to Shadow\\.Q, briefly explaining the situation and stating her intention to change her teleportation point.


    As for whether the Eclipse Vanguard base should relocate because of her, that was up to them. She would only do what she could.


    Her agility was ten times that of Nivalis. The journey from Dragon Island to Ton Ton Mountain, which would take over 30 hours, would only take her just over 3 hours at full speed.


    The path wasn''t particularly treacherous, but it was lined with magical arrays set by dragons. Without a dragon''s guidance or a dragon''s blessing, one could easily lose their way en route to Dragon Island.


    In essence, as long as the dragons didn''t design against her, Dragon Island and its surrounding areas were the safest teleportation points in Lania Kaia.


    While flying towards Ton Ton Mountain, Rita searched for a floating rock in the sky. These floating rocks were common in Lania Kaia. She hadn''t known their purpose before, but after Forest Sea merged with Lania Kaia, she had a hunch.


    Originally, Lania Kaia belonged to the undead. These floating rocks might be remnants from the other eleven races'' worlds that merged into Lania Kaia.


    They hovered in the air and, unless faced with extreme storms, rarely moved.


    There was an even better option: a magical herb called "Mimang" that grew within clouds. Whenever the clouds dispersed, "Mimang" would drift with the wind, seeking another cloud.


    Who would think to place a teleportation point on a moving magical herb?


    Moreover, "Mimang" had a long growth period and couldn''t be cultivated artificially. Before it fully matured, players wouldn''t harvest it.


    She considered inscribing a teleportation array on "Mimang," but its unpredictability was both a safeguard and a risk. It might drift out of Dragon Island''s domain.


    Weighing the options, Rita chose the floating rock.


    She found one between Dragon Island and Ton Ton Mountain and inscribed a teleportation array on its underside.


    While browsing the auction house yesterday, she had thought about finding similar skills, but perhaps Lania Kaia had intervened, as such skills were nowhere to be found.


    Eclipse Vanguard certainly didn''t have them. Such strategic skills were used immediately upon acquisition; leaving them in a catalog for others to exchange was a waste. Delaying their use by even a day was a loss.


    After setting up the teleportation array, she flew to Ton Ton Mountain, marked its auction house as a sightseeing spot, and then used the teleportation array to return to the underwater volcano, destroying the now-defunct teleportation array there.


    With everything done, she used the Cat Head to return to BS.


    After marking her villa, she donned the eggshell hat, activated the "Lonely Antenna Baby" skill, and used "Romantic Tourist" to return to Ton Ton Mountain.


    She re-marked a building in Ton Ton Mountain and then returned to her villa.


    The good news was that the SSS-level "Romantic Tourist" could indeed traverse between the two worlds.


    The bad news was that each sightseeing spot only lasted 24 hours.


    But it wasn''t a time-consuming task; marking a spot and returning took mere seconds.


    She could make daily trips to progress.


    On regular days, she''d use "Romantic Tourist" to travel back and forth. The day before participating in the Divine Game, she''d cancel all markings, reserving the slots for the Divine Game. After returning, she''d use the teleportation array to travel and re-establish sightseeing spots.


    This approach ensured that each trip to Lania Kaia involved changing sightseeing spots to alter the teleportation landing point, with the teleportation array on the floating rock as a backup, preventing any unexpected disconnection from Lania Kaia.


    ...


    After a night''s rest, Rita contacted Shadow\\.Q the next morning, asking her to find a dungeon for White Bone Black Jade to level up.


    Currently, the first-tier players grinding dungeons were still at level 13, but top players with excellent talents and ample dungeon access had reached level 15. The most sought-after dungeons were for levels 8 to 15.


    However, the level 15 White Bone Black Jade could solo dungeons of levels 18 to 20. Dungeons at this level were still plentiful.


    White Bone Black Jade leveling up wouldn''t consume player resources. If not in a hurry, it could even tackle dungeons above level 20, helping BS resolve some issues.


    Rita stated her requirements: "Find a support-type player who can replenish White Bone Black Jade''s mana and provide various buffs. The gold and equipment dropped can go to that player as compensation, but any dropped items, rare artifacts, and skill books must be kept by me. I''ll have White Bone Black Jade collect them."


    This offer was quite generous; loot from level 20 dungeons could fetch a good price.


    However, teaming up with White Bone Black Jade wouldn''t yield much experience. It depended on whether players were willing to sacrifice leveling speed for profit.


    Rita wasn''t worried about Eclipse Vanguard finding someone; posting an internal task would surely attract willing participants.

 Chapter 602: 602: The Name Eclipse Vanguard & the Abyssal Chest

    "And if there''s a task like an invading alien army or a boss from the Multirace Arena breaking loose, let me know. I''ll send Bone Black Jade to help."


    Of course, Shadow.Q agreed. After all, this used to be Black Jade''s original job.


    Still, she had one question. "Can Bone Black Jade be healed? Or, in its current state, can it even die a second time?"


    Rita explained, "It''s just bones. If it gets completely shattered, it''ll lose mobility. But as long as I''m alive, I can reassemble it. So whoever teams with it will need to collect its bones if it goes down."


    What she didn''t say was that ever since she embedded the Dragonling Horn Shard from the Sleeping Dragon Shell into Bone Black Jade, she could sense its actions constantly. She could even feel every single bone it had.


    Sure, if someone tossed its bones into a backpack, the connection would cut off¡ªbut if someone tried to hide and take them away, they''d eventually use them, and when they did, she''d feel it.


    Even more, as long as the lost bones didn''t exceed 20%, she could relight its soulflame. And even the missing bones could be substituted with other materials.


    The only catch was, if the replacements exceeded 50%, it wouldn''t be Bone Black Jade anymore.


    She learned all that from a magical theory class¡ªnone of it tested yet. But the point was: she had contingencies. Otherwise, she wouldn''t risk letting others tag along with it.


    As for why she didn''t just send Bone Black Jade to grind in the dungeon inside her study...


    First, having a mana-replenishing teammate would reduce her own drain.


    Second, once Bone Black Jade showed growth potential, she changed her whole plan. It was no longer a disposable asset¡ªit would be her stand-in across BS.


    Word had already spread that she killed Black Jade and turned him into Bone Black Jade. Videos of the skeletal dragon patrolling her territory had gone viral online.


    Some of Black Jade''s fans made a bit of noise, but with Rita''s name tied to recent player evolutions, nobody dared push it too far.


    Now, everyone knew Bone Black Jade belonged to BS-Rita. Every move it made represented her presence. Its appearance was synonymous with her arrival.


    She didn''t want to be overly tied to Eclipse Vanguard¡ªdidn''t want them speaking or acting on her behalf, even if they had done everything well.


    They hadn''t monopolized high-tier dungeon access. They let ordinary players queue for runs. Even for the lowest-tier F-rank divine talents, if you wanted to level, you could queue.


    Society hadn''t collapsed. Older players weren''t discarded. Eclipse Vanguard offered classes for non-combatant and non-combat-loving players.


    Back when hospitals struggled, they pushed affordable healing injections and potions. Now, they offered rental gear services for players.


    You could borrow a full set of gear just by paying 10% of your dungeon earnings.


    It gave hope to players with bad luck but real talent¡ªsaving them from grinding low-level dungeons for gear money.


    There were many more examples.


    Even if Eclipse Vanguard was ruthless in its strategic decisions, for 90% of the player base, it lived up to its name.


    When the game descended, Eclipse Vanguard saw war¡ªnot a chance to rule BS.


    So, while she cooperated, clashed, and calculated with them, until they truly made a move to hurt her, she couldn''t label them her enemy.


    Someone had to do the things she wouldn''t.


    But she still wanted a clear line between herself and Eclipse Vanguard.


    She was her own entity. Eclipse Vanguard was its own.


    She needed Bone Black Jade to keep amplifying her presence.


    ...


    After Shadow.Q took Bone Black Jade, Rita strolled through the Engineering Workshop and felt like she''d walked into a sci-fi movie set in a scientist''s lab.


    The workshop was a marvel of mechanical design¡ªcool, industrial gray tones, with a 30 cm miniature dragon statue carved into the rooftop.


    Everything was crafted with precision, no wasted aesthetics¡ªjust rigorous, calculated utility. Storage rooms, display rooms, studios, and labs were all clearly separated.


    Inside the studio was a toolkit, sized perfectly for Nivalis'' most commonly used dragon forms. Even the tiniest details screamed this was made for a dragon.


    It wasn''t finished yet, but it already looked like a work of art. Rita was actually looking forward to her own Alchemy Workshop now.


    Back at the villa, she wrapped up her final crossbow lesson and finally opened the Abyssal Chest she''d been holding back on.


    B8017913: "Why''d you wait so long?"


    Rita ran her fingers along the chest''s edge¡ªher highest-tier chest yet. "Luck''s limited per day. Even if it''s 10, that''s still a cap."


    Just like how, using I Just Want to Improve So Badly, the more successful steals she had in a day, the worse the odds and loot became.


    She would love to max her attributes before the next Divine Game.


    But it just wasn''t realistic.


    Without One-Person Party, the chances of stealing gear or money were already higher than stealing attributes. After a hundred successful thefts in a day, success rates dropped. After another hundred, the failure rate shot up to 90%.


    She took a deep breath and opened the chest.


    A black collar.


    Furry¡ªlike a small animal''s fluffy tail curled into a circle. Or maybe a scrunchie?


    A piece of jewelry?


    Hopefully not. She only had one accessory slot, and she was already swapping between her Flame Spirit Ring and the cooldown-reducing necklace.


    Maybe it was a weapon or an artifact?


    She picked it up.


    [Plush Hoop] (Toy): When used on any creature or item for more than three seconds, it transforms the target into a 10 cm tall plush doll. The creature retains full consciousness and skill use, but is not bound to obey you. The target can end the transformation at will. If used on an object, it must be ringed again to return to normal. No cooldown.


    A toy, huh?


    This wasn''t Rita''s first encounter with toy-type items. The robot she bought shopping with Nivalis and the minotaur wall clock she gave Apache were both toys.


    She ran her fingers over the soft black ring, reading the item description over and over.


    Then...


    She slipped the ring around her own wrist.


    Three seconds later, the ring fell to the ground.


    Standing inside it... was a 10 cm tall plush doll with beady eyes.

 Chapter 603: 603: Plush Toy & The Next Game

    Ten centimeters tall¡ªshorter than her phone standing upright.


    She lifted her hand to examine the two rings she wore. Like her clothes, both B8017913 and \\[Betrayal] had shrunk and transformed into plush versions.


    Flying onto the table, she opened her phone''s front camera to inspect her current state.


    She had truly become a plush toy, not just a scaled-down version.


    Her hair appeared as flat patches atop her head; her eyes were two black bead-like dots. Her nose and mouth merged into a black anchor-shaped line, resembling a rabbit''s mouth. Her entire appearance was cartoonish.


    A few tiny carrots protruded from her back¡ªthese were her wings...


    She moved slightly and, to her surprise, the mini carrots enabled her to fly.


    Rita''s first concern was whether this form made her vulnerable to fire.


    She activated a fire-based skill with her right hand and extended her left into the flames. Her health began to decrease incrementally, but she held it there for several seconds before withdrawing.


    The plush hand had a layer of fuzz burned off. Using a healing skill, she restored it to its original state.


    It seemed that aside from the change in form, everything else remained the same. Fire still hurt, but the transformation didn''t make her more susceptible to it.


    Rita flew to the backyard, called over a kitten, and placed the collar on its front paw.


    After three seconds, the kitten transformed into a plush toy. It could still run, roll, eat, and drink.


    She proceeded to turn all 29 cats, 57 cat beds, bowls, and toys in the backyard into plush versions before stopping.


    She hadn''t yet discovered the limits of the plush collar, but this was sufficient.


    With a sense of satisfaction, she reverted herself and the cats to their normal states.


    The disappointment she had felt vanished. This toy was as good as any rare artifact!


    True, it couldn''t control any creature, but it served as a form of disguise without hindering skill usage or combat.


    Most importantly, it had no cooldown, no usage limit, and no resource consumption!


    Its function was similar to \\[A Big World, A Small Me], but each had its strengths.


    \\[A Big World, A Small Me] was suitable for long-range use. In situations like shrinking Miyas, using the plush collar would be risky.


    Moreover, the plush collar wasn''t limited to self-use; she could use it on Nivalis.


    Previously, Nivalis had joked about becoming a plush toy like B8017913 to be carried around by her. Now, that joke could become reality.


    The only uncertainty was whether "toys" could be brought into the world battlefield. Currently, no known world tomb allowed players to bring "toys" into the field.


    ...


    Rita spent three days leveling up in dungeons, dedicating an hour each day to progress in Lania Kaia. Time flew by.


    She had left Nivalis behind and returned to BS on the 25th. The workshop had begun construction on the 18th. After Nivalis mastered \\[Super Filtration], she immediately returned to BS, arriving just as the workshop was completed.


    Amid Nivalis''s exclamations and praises, The Old Blacksmith wiped the sweat from his brow with a towel and beamed, "Glad you like it."


    Even if she hadn''t, he wouldn''t have made changes. His rule was always to finalize requirements before construction. Once built, no alterations were allowed.


    Rita and Eclipse Vanguard players stood by, just as they had ten days prior to welcome The Old Blacksmith.


    Helim shouldered his pack and nodded to Rita, "Pleasure working with you. I''ll be off now."


    His pack contained three thousand pounds of food and a thousand pounds of fine wine¡ªpart of his compensation and gifts for his family.


    Rita smiled and nodded, "Thank you for your hard work."


    The Old Blacksmith''s figure was enveloped in light and soon vanished.


    Rita immediately led the Eclipse Vanguard players to the pre-selected site for the alchemy workshop.


    "Come on out, The Old Blacksmith!!"


    Light flared again. The Old Blacksmith''s pack was gone, but the towel around his neck remained.


    Familiar surroundings, familiar sky, familiar races, familiar faces...


    Helim: "???"


    Hadn''t he just finished work?


    He had only just seen his wife and children and hadn''t even had the chance to hug them!


    Rita handed over the pre-written requirements to The Old Blacksmith, "I have another alchemy workshop..."


    The Old Blacksmith paused, then calmly accepted the reality of overtime. He recovered quickly; this wasn''t the first time it had happened. Fortunately, he had already left the food at home.


    He reviewed the requirements and glanced at the prepared materials nearby.


    These materials were familiar to him, and Rita''s demands for the alchemy workshop weren''t complex. He calculated and said, "Eight days should suffice."


    Leaving professional tasks to professionals, Rita didn''t feel The Old Blacksmith was slacking just because this project required less time than the engineering workshop. She readily agreed and delegated the matter to Eclipse Vanguard.


    She then patted herself down and left, taking Nivalis to Lania Kaia for further progress.


    ...


    After transforming into a blue-winged owl, Rita donned the \\[Plush Collar], her eggshell antenna hat, and brought along the plush versions of Nivalis and B8017913 to Lania Kaia.


    The three plush toys sat on the eaves of a house in Moonlake City, using theft skills on passing players.


    Unlike Rita''s bead-eyed appearance, Nivalis''s plush form had eyes occupying nearly half her face, resembling Stitch¡ªutterly adorable and non-threatening.


    B8017913 claimed that the plush form reflected the user''s soul and personality, a notion Rita firmly denied.


    To test this, she placed the \\[Plush Collar] on B8017913, who transformed into a white robot with a Rubik''s Cube head and a red heart outline on its chest.


    Its eyes were two horizontal black lines, looking even more defiant than her bead eyes!


    The squinty-eyed robot now sat to Rita''s right.


    Nivalis asked in the group chat: "It''s almost the 1st. Are we participating in the Divine Game on the 1st?"


    Rita had been pondering this for days.


    Both MarmangCrab and B8017913 had mentioned that the previous non-exitable game mode was extremely rare, so logically, it shouldn''t occur consecutively.


    No matter how challenging the next game was, it couldn''t be harder than the chaotic restaurant scenario.


    If she could deduce this, so could other players.


    Moreover, B8017913 had provided data supporting this conclusion.


    Therefore, casual players who timed their participation were likely to join the next game.


    However, certain rules in the chaotic restaurant had confirmed B8017913''s statement¡ªthat the gods had begun punishing players who played passively.


    This implied that the next game might be a trap for such players.


    Wait for the game after next?


    What if the pattern alternated between hard and easy?


    Facing the unknown, there was no absolutely safe choice.


    Rita shared her decision after days of contemplation: "Let''s decide after I reshuffle on the morning of the 31st. If the hand is good, we skip it. If it''s bad, we go."

 Chapter 604: 604: Pushing Her to Go Live

    After saying that, Rita paused. After all, it was difficult to define what made a good or bad hand.


    While a completed set of World Tomb tiles could unlock powerful skills, even scattered ones each had their own function. If she wasn''t chasing a specific key outcome, breaking up the tomb set could actually be more beneficial in practice.


    Besides, if it was a mahjong game¡ªwell, there had to be wins and losses.


    If she completed a winning hand, what would the reward be?


    If someone else did it first, what would happen to her?


    Nivalis was still stunned by Rita''s suggestion: "Huh?"


    B8017913, who had been observing as Rita opened loot, understood: "Does balancing luck like this actually work?"


    Thinking about the [Plush Collar] she had drawn, her experience using [I Just Want to Improve So Badly], and the World Battlefield''s Law of Lucky Conservation, Rita answered, "I think it works pretty well."


    B8017913 replied, "Alright. I''ll start tracking and analyzing this theory''s validity."


    Rita let it go at that, keeping her internal timer running. They had now stayed in Moonlake City for ten minutes. "Let''s go," she said. "Time to switch cities."


    Nivalis sighed, "You really have a talent for crime. No wonder Holy Cup said I''ve gotten more mature."


    Rita glanced sideways. "You didn''t say anything you shouldn''t have, did you?"


    This time, Nivalis didn''t deny it right away. After a few seconds of silence, she blurted, "...Don''t worry! With your current power, you can definitely escape from Holy Cup if needed. I''ll buy you time!"


    Rita: "?????????"


    With her plush bean-eyes widened to full capacity, Nivalis quickly changed the topic: "Oh right, Lidian said, can you try talking to Pine Bloom more in the battlefield chat? If you can get her to say ten messages in a single game, she''ll give you one of her shed dragon scales."


    Rita''s lips twitched. "...So I''m her hype girl now?"


    Nivalis understood the terrible joke instantly, her cartoonishly large eyes curving into two oversized > and < signs.


    B8017913 was one second behind, but its squinty eyes followed suit. Its internal system flagged the emotion: joy.


    ...


    After switching to another capital, Nivalis picked up the earlier thread: "What if you hit Tier 10 in the next Divine Game?"


    It wasn''t baseless speculation.


    Over the past days, Rita had completed and absorbed all her courses, and her stats had risen dramatically.


    With stolen attributes and the 100 stat points acquired in her trade with Eclipse Vanguard, her current core attributes were:


    Strength 331, Constitution 317, Intelligence 381, Agility 2303.


    Add in 30 skewers of buffs she''d eaten¡ªand another 30 before the 31st¡ªit wasn''t impossible she''d break through the Pain threshold and enter the Nightmare tier at Tier 10.


    But Rita flatly rejected the idea. "Absolutely not," she said¡ªone of the rare times she spoke with such certainty.


    She had jumped from Tier 2 to Tier 6 by obtaining the top-tier SSS talent [Midnight Exile].


    Then she''d reached the peak of Tier 7 after acquiring B8017913. Back in the initial room, she had seen her name just one rank below a Tier 8 player, meaning she had nearly crossed the threshold already.


    From there, to reach Tier 8, she had gained the top-tier healing skill [Fourfold Spring], the elite support skill [Spring Scenery & Flowers], and had comprehended two more SSS skills: [Unchanged Fate] and [Phoenix Seat].


    To reach Tier 9, what had she done?


    She''d acquired 34 SSS-tier skills and 15 SS-tier ones. She''d completed nearly 20 Rabbit Ear courses, two of which had instructors who were likely gods.


    So no, there was no way a few hundred stat points and 60 light buffs would push her to Tier 10.


    After hearing Rita''s analysis, Nivalis flopped backward. "No wonder Lidian laughed so hard when I told her you were only six tiers below Pine Bloom and would catch up soon."


    Rita calmly replied, "Then next time, ask her how many years it took Pine Bloom to climb from Tier 1 to Tier 9."


    She didn''t know what it would take to cross from Pain to Nightmare, or Nightmare to Abyss. But she knew exactly how fast she had grown.


    Otherwise, she wouldn''t have shaken loose so many veteran players from the battlefield chat.


    In the days that followed, Rita and Nivalis spent at least half of each day in Lania Kaia stealing attributes. The rest of the time was dedicated to leveling or pursuing their respective professions.


    They never stayed in one city for a fixed time¡ªsometimes ten minutes, sometimes twelve, sometimes just five.


    Eventually, they even moved on to towns and floating isles near the main capitals.


    By the morning of the 31st, Rita''s Strength and Constitution had both exceeded 350, and her Intelligence had passed 400.


    She had been eyeing the World Tomb tiles in her bag throughout her time in Lania Kaia, but none had shown any signs of activity¡ªthough even if they had, she likely wouldn''t have chased them down.


    She laid out all her current World Tombs on the table:


    [3-Character], [3-Character], [4-Character], [5-Character], [1-Dot], [5-Dot], [6-Dot], [7-Dot], [Seven-Wan], [Seven-Wan], [Seven-Wan], [Red Dragon], [East Wind], [West Wind], [White Dragon], [1-Bamboo], [Green Dragon].


    Seventeen tiles in total.


    She rearranged them again and again.


    Opening the Honor Shop, she saw only five more available for purchase.


    As she learned more about the World Battlefield, she''d begun to overturn some earlier theories.


    Take the World Tombs, for instance. She''d originally believed only core-origin tombs could serve as tickets¡ªbut later found that other worlds'' tombs worked too.


    Sure, if you died, you would lose your own core World Tomb. But for top-tier players like Maple Syrup, Mistblade, and Pine Bloom, they didn''t die every round. And the lazy royal fish at the bottom rarely entered the game at all...


    Add it all up, and these tombs should be rarer. Yet she kept acquiring more.


    That left only one possibility: there were other methods of recovering core World Tombs beyond tickets and death.


    Or maybe, in later stages, both tickets and death still reclaimed tombs¡ªtickets only accepting core tombs, while death dropped multiple at once.


    Or maybe...


    Rita quieted the theories swirling in her mind and looked again at the line of World''s Grave Forest.


    She thought of the Forest Sea. Of Mistblade.


    In the historical records she''d found in Lania Kaia''s library, the earliest version of the world only housed the Undead.


    She asked B8017913, "Do you know the Moonfoxes'' homeland?"


    B8017913: "Snowland."


    A familiar name. So the Moonfoxes were indeed linked to the Moon Goddess.


    Rita ran her fingers over the World Tombs, over the rows of glyphs from all the races.


    Among them¡ªcould one of these be Snowland or the Forest Sea?

 Chapter 605: 605: World’s Grave Forest: The Choice

    So, among these nearly winning hands, were Snowland and Forest Sea hidden within?


    Would the Owl Emperor or Moon Empress recognize their own worlds?


    And if BS were ever shattered, would it too become one of these gravestone tiles?


    Rita picked up the [¡ö¡¤Troublemaker Rabbit Tail] and placed it gently atop the line of World''s Grave Forest tiles.


    Why had Rabbit 4 wanted her to reshuffle?


    It certainly wasn''t for her sake. Rabbit 4 might have been intrigued by her, but certainly not as much as Rabbit 1 or Rabbit 3.


    Her current hand wasn''t anything remarkable. Whether she reshuffled or not wouldn''t make much of a difference¡ªthere wasn''t much excitement to be had from it.


    The only explanation...


    Someone was about to win.


    And Rabbit 4 wanted to watch the chaos unfold just before they could.


    That alone would be entertaining enough.


    In fact, maybe the player on the verge of winning had something to do with her.


    Maple Syrup? Mistblade?


    Imagining their face when they realized the game had been reshuffled at the last second, Rita couldn''t help but grin.


    There was no fear in her heart¡ªonly anticipation.


    She no longer worried about attracting powerful enemies by standing in the spotlight, about being noticed and hunted down while still trying to build her strength from the shadows.


    Since returning from Dark City, she''d accepted it: from this point on, no matter how low she tried to keep her profile, hiding in the dark was no longer an option.


    The rabbit tail was activated.


    Light flowed into the forest of gravestones. The long row of mahjong tiles toppled in unison, flipping face down with a satisfying thud.


    No more movement¡ªbut then came the sound of tiles being washed and shuffled, echoing through the room for a full five minutes before falling silent.


    [Ding! The reshuffling is about to begin. Do you want to remain anonymous as the one who triggered it?]


    Wait¡ªa choice to remain anonymous?


    Relief washed over Rita. Without hesitation, she selected anonymity.


    [Divine Game Announcement: Due to the efforts of a mysterious player, the Lania Kaia World''s Grave Forest has been reshuffled.]


    Rita smiled in satisfaction.


    Enemies or not, there was a difference between conflict forced by game mechanics and being hunted down over personal grudges.


    Even now, days later, battlefield chat was still buzzing with talk of the chaos that followed that day''s reshuffle¡ªplayers smashing tiles in rage.


    Rita eyed the seventeen navy-blue mahjong tiles on the table, and for once, felt a rare flicker of nervousness. She rubbed her hands together and asked Nivalis, "Do you think I''ll lift them and instantly win?"


    Nivalis, thinking of Rita''s legendary bad luck at mahjong, swatted her fantasy aside: "Absolutely not."


    Rita pressed down on both ends of the tiles, lifted, and spread them out with practiced hands.


    The gesture was smooth, almost too professional.


    So was her posture¡ªlegs crossed, one hand examining the tiles with care, the other resting on the back of her chair, completely relaxed.


    [4-Character], [8-Character], [3-Bamboo], [9-Character], [2-Dot], [2-Dot], [8-Bamboo], [8-Bamboo], [Red Dragon], [Red Dragon], [East Wind], [8-Dot], [7-Character], [9-Character], [3-Bamboo], [1-Bamboo], [5-Dot]


    Rita''s expression turned solemn.


    Nivalis, who''d been crouched in the corner of the table, tensed. Was the hand that bad?


    She quickly leaned over to look.


    B8017913 floated over too¡ªit understood mahjong.


    Then they both watched as Rita¡ªstill very serious¡ªstarted grouping the tiles into sets.


    Nivalis, who''d already memorized the hand, stared blankly: "...Don''t you have a perfect photographic memory now?"


    Rita pursed her lips, setting the tiles into place with almost religious reverence. "Mahjong is sacred. Don''t sully it with shortcuts."


    Nivalis: "..." So you''re saying you''d rather not use your brain?


    The hand was now neatly laid out:


    Three mini "trains."


    The shortest: a sequence¡ª[7-Character], [8-Character], [9-Character]


    The longest: four pairs¡ª[2-Dot]¡Á2, [3-Bamboo]¡Á2, [8-Bamboo]¡Á2, [Red Dragon]¡Á2


    And six leftover singles¡ª[4-Character], [9-Character], [1-Bamboo], [5-Dot], [8-Dot], [East Wind]


    Rita propped her chin in her hand, staring at her tiles. Nivalis''s head throbbed just from looking at it.


    "This is worse than before," Nivalis muttered.


    Rita shook her head. "It''s a performance. The gods want a good show."


    This time, it was her. Next time, it would be someone else.


    She wouldn''t waste the opportunity. If the gods wanted entertainment, she''d give them a spectacle.


    Besides, with this many tiles, how bad could the result really be?


    Last time, three sequences gave her the key World''s Grave Forest: Fearless. What would eleven tiles produce?


    She grouped the sequence and pairs and pressed them together.


    Click.


    They snapped into place like magnets.


    [World''s Grave Forest: The Choice] ¨C World''s Grave Forest Key ¡ï¡ï¡ï (Required to enter World Battlefield)


    Skill 1: Legendary Prologue ¨C When entering the World Battlefield, you and your pet each unlock two divine-grade talent skills.


    Skill 2: War Horn ¨C When entering the World Battlefield, you and your pet each unlock three additional skills.


    Skill 3: Death Like the Wind ¨C Once per Divine Game, you and your pet can use this to instantly return to the nearest safe zone, ignoring all restrictions.


    Skill 4: Reconsider ¨C Once per Divine Game, you can change the unlocked effect of any World Tomb tile you possess into a different one of your choosing.


    Rita''s eyes lit up at the fourth skill.


    It meant she could wait until she saw the game rules and then swap the effect of a wildcard tile¡ªmid-game.


    This was far better than [Veteran Player].


    Looking again at her "junk" tiles: [4-Character], [9-Character], [1-Bamboo], [5-Dot], [8-Dot], [East Wind].


    Ignore the useless [1-Bamboo]. [4-Character] and [9-Character] unlocked tools, [5-Dot] and [8-Dot] unlocked artifacts, and [East Wind] unlocked a skill.


    Rita sat up straighter, brows furrowed.


    Although she had purchased [7-Character] only two weeks ago and couldn''t buy another yet, this hand¡ªsurprisingly¡ªwas turning out pretty decent.


    It wasn''t a winning hand, but it was more useful than what she had before.


    Nivalis, still thinking in mahjong terms, mumbled about needing a Two Bamboo...


    Then¡ª


    [Divine Game Announcement: Mistblade has used the Divine Game reward "Who''s Cheating?" to identify the player who triggered the reshuffle.]


    Nivalis: "Holy crap."


    Rita: ...


    Ah. So Mistblade was the one about to win.


    Well, no need to be so dramatic about it...


    Also¡ªwait, so you could just... check who reshuffled?


    Then why the hell did they even bother asking if she wanted to be anonymous?!

 Chapter 606: 606: Whos Cheating?

    Ten minutes earlier, Mistblade had been lounging lazily on her throne, staring at two neatly arranged rows of World''s Grave Forest tiles displayed across a table made of shifting mist. Her posture was uncharacteristically relaxed¡ªone leg crossed over the other, one hand playing idly with a tile, the other elbow propped on the armrest, her cheek resting against her knuckles.


    Such undignified posture didn''t suit a monarch, yet something about these tiles made her slouch every time.


    Top row:


    [1-Dot], [2-Dot], [3-Dot], [4-Dot], [5-Dot], [6-Dot], [9-Dot], [9-Dot], [9-Dot], [7-Dot], [7-Dot], [8-Dot], [8-Dot]


    The second row had a similar count but was a chaotic mix of Bamboo, Character, and Wind tiles. There were sequences and pairs, but Mistblade disliked disorder.


    Over the years, she had scored a fair share of wins, but today she wanted to complete a Pure Suit.


    Those two [8-Dot] tiles were new¡ªshe''d hunted them down deliberately. That extra [6-Dot] tile had been lingering forever; it was why she hadn''t gone easy on BS-Rita when she found out Rita had snatched both the [6-Dot] and [8-Dot].


    Though admittedly, after acquiring those two [8-Dot] tiles, the rage had subsided somewhat...


    For now, at least, she was pleased with her hand. She tapped her fingers merrily on the mist-table, admiring the potential victory.


    She finally opened the honor store and located World Graveyard, intending to purchase a final tile.


    As the new tile began to coalesce before her, a system notification shattered the calm.


    [Divine Game Announcement: Due to the efforts of a mysterious player, the Lania Kaia World''s Grave Forest has been reshuffled.]


    Mistblade''s hand froze mid-air.


    Her tiles collapsed, toppling one after another like corpses falling in line.


    And then the newly formed tile in front of her¡ªa shining [7-Dot]¡ªalso dropped.


    At that moment, Mistblade''s soul departed her body.


    In the vast magical palace, silence fell like a tomb.


    ...


    [Divine Game Announcement: Lania Kaia''s Mistblade has used Divine Game reward "Who''s Cheating?" to identify the reshuffler.]


    [Divine Game Announcement: The reshuffler of Lania Kaia''s World''s Grave Forest ¡ª BS-Rita]


    Rita: £¤#%@!#£¤@%


    Was privacy even a concept in this game anymore?!


    Also, when exactly had she cheated?!


    She inhaled sharply and opened the battlefield chat channel.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Maple Syrup]: I''ve decided. Next time I see BS-Rita, I''m giving her a 1-minute head start before I stab her.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Fat Goose]: Honk honk, same. My garbage hand got reshuffled into something great.


    [Marmang ¡¤ Crab]: What''s the deal? Did Mistblade almost win, and someone reset the game?


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Tanuki Cub]: Pretty obvious, yeah.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade]: Wither Monarch, if you catch BS-Rita, leave me half her HP.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Wither Monarch]: Sure thing.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Wither Monarch]: LOL.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade]: ???


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Maple Syrup]: Mistblade, were you building a Pure Suit?


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Fat Goose]: Yep, she even traded a tile with me.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Syntax]: And with me too.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ XX]: She asked me as well.


    [Marmang ¡¤ Crab]: What''s a Pure Suit?


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Maple Syrup]: Hard to explain. The emotional equivalent is you standing at the restaurant door last game, about to kill Rita and get [Midnight Exile], and she vanishes.


    [Marmang ¡¤ Crab]: I don''t get it, but... ouch.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Pine Bloom]: Mistblade, you were doing missions last round and missed the plate-smashing event. Regret it now?


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade]: Rare Achievement Unlocked: "Dear Gods, Remember My Name."


    Pine Bloom rage quit.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Maple Syrup]: Hah, Pine Bloom rage-quit again.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade]: Betrayal, sister-in-law, elopement, Maple Flare, BS-Rita, wedding altar.


    Maple Syrup also rage quit.


    Mistblade had become a razor-sharp meme machine¡ªbiting everyone in her path.


    Thank the gods she hadn''t realized she could actually see the battlefield chat.


    Rita quietly closed the chat channel and made a vow: from now on, she would lurk only¡ªnever again post with her real account.


    Still, the post-game battlefield chat had proven incredibly useful.


    Players hid everything during a match¡ªbut after it ended, they dissected every detail.


    Rita had gleaned a lot from those replays.


    For instance, back during Chaotic Restaurant, after securing the chef''s skill, she''d made a cautious retreat. In hindsight, had she been too cautious?


    The chef hadn''t attacked, sure, but couldn''t they have?


    Those tents would''ve been the perfect places for ambushes.


    But the easier the opportunity, the more alert she became.


    She was like a cat with twitchy nerves¡ªevery rustle made her fur stand on end.


    And in this case, she''d been right to be cautious.


    She''d overheard something in the battlefield chat a few days ago that confirmed her instincts.


    Ghost¡¤Sang Cup, while venting in chat, revealed he had wiped out eight players inside the restaurant¡ªincluding staff and vendors¡ªjust to kill BS-Rita. In return, he only got three kill rewards and was severely punished.


    The system had told him: "You have caused significant trouble for a restaurant. You are now blacklisted from the Dark Cuisine Street and cannot enter any food tents for the next three hours. If caught by patrolling inspectors, you will be killed."


    B8017913 rolled across the tiles, snapping Rita back to reality.


    [B8017913]: With a hand this good... so, are you going back into the Battlefield tonight?


    "Not that good," Rita muttered.


    She tried to find a new excuse. But the moment she realized she was actively looking for reasons not to go, she knew the truth: she wanted to.


    Getting stronger was addictive.


    After tasting the thrill and chaos of that kind of game, ordinary life felt unbearable.


    There was no better way to grow than through combat.


    A year of real-world training couldn''t compare to a single combat course earned in the World Battlefield.


    And with Apache no longer available, if she wanted more [Alchemy] classes, she had to get them from the game.


    The only real reason to stay out was to collect more attribute points in Lania Kaia.


    Rita found herself hesitating.


    She reconsidered an idea she''d dismissed many times before: should she trade for attribute points with Eclipse Vanguard?


    Not just a few hundred¡ªthousands.


    Ugh, maybe it''d be better to find a high-level solo player and use [Moment of Reversal] to swap stats.


    Not another 300-for-2000 trade¡ªjust 300-for-400+ would be safer.


    Then, a message arrived from Shadow.Q.


    [Shadow.Q]: If we wanted you to bring one of our players into the Mahjong Tournament, what would it cost? Eclipse Vanguard wants to know¡ªjust to be prepared.


    [Rita]: 8888 attribute points.


    [Shadow.Q]: That''s... the most polite rejection I''ve ever seen.


    It wasn''t even really a rejection.


    Though she later walked it back mentally, in that split-second when she typed that answer, she had considered it.


    Eclipse Vanguard had made their offer at the exact moment she craved attribute points most.


    If they could genuinely give her 8888 points in one go, she would have taken them¡ªand used her [1-Bamboo] to bring one of their players into the game.


    In the past, she wouldn''t have tolerated anyone else eating at her table.


    But now, she had enough confidence to share it.


    Divine Game could be a playground for the powerful¡ªor a nightmare for the unprepared.

 Chapter 607: 607: The One Who Must Not Be Named

    Although Rita often complained that the attribute gain from [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] was too slow, she knew in her heart just how good the skill really was.


    Even the SS-tier gourmet talent [Yes, I''m a Master Chef] could only grant one attribute point per day¡ªand with only a 20% success rate at that.


    She had even tried using the skill inside [Behind the Curtain] during her alchemy sessions, wondering if she could exploit a time-manipulation loophole.


    Unfortunately, the skill worked by accelerating time perception, not actual in-game time. So even if it felt like a hundred days passed inside, only one real day had gone by. No loophole. The rate was just too slow¡ªcouldn''t hold a candle to [I Just Want to Improve So Badly].


    Without that skill, the only viable way to earn more attribute points than one might lose to divine punishment in the Divine Game would be through support from Eclipse Vanguard.


    But Eclipse Vanguard wasn''t the kind of organization to pour everything into one person. They preferred spreading resources across many promising players instead of going all-in on a single gamble.


    They''d rather wait for Rita to deliver results and then toss her a hundred attribute points each time she came knocking.


    And yet, now that she''d cooled off, she was reluctant again.


    Having an Eclipse Vanguard player join the next Divine Game wouldn''t help her. If anything, it''d just add more competition for the scattered World Graveyard tiles.


    More importantly, those 8,888 attribute points? She could earn them herself¡ªeventually.


    It was just like those SS-tier skills that once seemed unreachable. Now only SSS-tier ones were truly worth her time.


    Opportunities come and go in a flash. That thought made Rita wonder¡ªwould she one day miss such a fleeting opportunity herself?


    ...


    Eclipse Vanguard.


    One of their players removed their hand from a crystal orb. A moment ago, the fish inside had been swimming; now they''d all sunk to the bottom¡ªexcept a few, which floated to the surface.


    To the untrained eye, it was meaningless. But the orb''s creator knew exactly what it meant.


    "No shot," the player said calmly.


    They couldn''t directly divine Rita''s future¡ªbut they could ask indirect questions. Just now, the inquiry had been, "Will the deal Shadow.Q initiates with BS-Rita be successful or favorable to Eclipse Vanguard?"


    All divination regarding Rita had to be approached sideways.


    It had been the same when they tried to foresee who would determine BS''s fate in the World Battlefield. A ring of diviners gathered, asking carefully worded questions:


    "Is someone in the top ten of the level leaderboard key to BS''s victory?"


    "Yes."


    "Top three?"


    "Yes."


    "Is it the second-ranked?"


    And so on, until the truth became clear.


    They''d asked even more layered questions:


    "Of the players who are simultaneously in the top three for pet ranking, wealth ranking, honor ranking, and fame ranking¡ªdo they bring more benefit or harm to BS?"


    In divination circles, Rita had practically become the mysterious figure whose name must not be spoken.


    Previous divinations had already made it clear: whatever that Mahjong-like tournament was, it posed far more danger than opportunity for Eclipse Vanguard.


    Someone had even tried divining Avery''s outcome if she entered. The results were mediocre at best.


    But Avery herself had little interest in the tournament.


    She knew how to lead and how to delegate. She understood how best to "use" herself.


    Her natural talent was formidable, but unlike Rita, who chased pure power, Avery devoted most of her energy to building Eclipse Vanguard. She only needed enough strength to protect her authority. She didn''t need to walk Rita''s path.


    If she tried to do both, she might end up with nothing.


    Still, not everyone was so resigned.


    Some couldn''t help but keep asking¡ªtaking every angle, searching for a way in.


    It wasn''t always out of self-interest or a desire for glory. But really¡ªwho wouldn''t want to earn supreme honors? Who didn''t crave a BS-wide announcement?


    ...


    Meanwhile, Rita snapped out of her swirling thoughts. She swept up the tiles from her table and stopped overthinking it. Turning to her two companions, she announced:


    "Pack up. We leave tonight."


    She wasn''t going to miss the June 1st Divine Game.


    No way the death penalties would scale up again... right?


    Having made up her mind, Rita did a loop around the backyard, refilled the cats'' food and potions, and resisted the urge to stop at every cat bed and give in to petting.


    She then swung by her newly built alchemy workshop, before hauling a few crates of fruit home from Eclipse Vanguard''s stores.


    She had already confirmed with B8017913: "Toys" could be brought into the Divine Game.


    Not only that¡ªthey were considered neutral items.


    A toy could be brought in as either a tool or a relic.


    Which meant it was high time to test the limits of [Plush Collar].


    And after this next game, she planned to start collecting toys with unique effects.


    Sitting in the middle of her cat horde in the backyard, Rita burned through crate after crate of fruit. Through relentless testing, she determined the item''s upper bound: 100 units.


    Didn''t matter if it was living or non-living, big or small¡ªthe collar could only transform up to 100 targets at once.


    Very practical. Rita didn''t hesitate to bind it with a soul-binding stone.


    Done with that, she moved on to inspect [Soul Catcher].


    Since she could bring two tools and two relics into the World Battlefield, it was time to dust off some gear.


    [Soul Catcher] currently held three skills:


    [A Prank] (1/1): Turns the target into the race of the first drop of alien blood they touch after activation. Lasts for 30 days.


    [Backfire] (1/1): There''s no rule that evil must be punished¡ªbut I say there can be. This causes the target''s next malicious act to rebound on themselves.


    [Severance] (1/1): Choose two targets. This skill stirs up latent resentment between them. If none exists, then for the next three days, each will learn a secret the other most wishes to keep hidden.


    [A Prank] and [Severance] were both unique. One altered race¡ªuseful in the World Battlefield. The other could cause delicious chaos.


    [Backfire] was the weakest link.


    She''d considered using it on Rick, but then he''d been enslaved in the Lopez Family estate, so she hadn''t bothered.


    Now looking again, the skill''s wording was frustratingly vague.


    What counted as "malicious"? Whose perspective defined it?


    Even if it defaulted to her moral compass, the Divine Game was inherently competitive¡ªwhere was the line between good and evil?


    All in all, [Backfire] seemed more like the last-resort tantrum of the powerless: "You''ll get what''s coming to you!"


    As for BS... if she really wanted someone gone, she didn''t need tricks like this.

 Chapter 608: 608: Truth or Dare & [One Clarification]

    Rita stepped into the study''s dungeon and casually targeted a random alien creature to burn off the unused skill.


    Then she returned to her room and clasped the [Soul Catcher].


    Maybe it had been collecting dust for too long, but she could swear she heard the siren''s song laced with emotion¡ªexcited, maybe even a little aggrieved. The chant sped up, turning into a near-DJ remix. The bone fingers clasping hers tightened as if afraid she might bolt.


    ¡ª"Truth or Dare?!"


    Last time, she picked dare¡ªand the dare had been to propose to her enemy. She skipped it.


    This time, she picked truth.


    She still had one "skip and get a reward anyway" ticket left for the month, so it didn''t really matter which one she picked first. If the skill turned out to be trash, she''d burn it, clear the slot, and play again.


    But going forward, she intended to alternate between the two, since she realized her laziness might have been what earned her the dud [Backfire] last time.


    The siren''s song returned.


    ¡ª"If a stronger and more advanced mechanoid offered to become your servant, would you abandon B8017913?"


    The plush little robot, riding a plush kitten behind Nivalis, came to a sudden halt.


    Rita gave it some serious thought for a few seconds, then replied: "No."


    Nivalis shot B8017913 a curious glance, then quietly asked, "You''re not worried?"


    They often chatted about Rita, and B8017913 had even seen a photo of her soul flame on Nivalis''s phone.


    Rita valued strength¡ªbut more than that, she valued loyalty. What mattered most to her wasn''t whether something was powerful, but whether it was truly hers.


    If the question had been: "If a mechanoid stronger than you, and even guaranteed by divine vow to never betray her, offered to serve¡ªwould she replace you?" ...now that would''ve been a real threat.


    But after a pause, B8017913 simply replied, "Not worried."


    Nivalis glanced at the heart-shaped thread emblem on the robot''s chest. When the question had been asked, she saw several ripples flash across that symbol¡ªbut she let it slide.


    Rita, meanwhile, turned her attention to the new skill granted by the "truth" round:


    [One Clarification] (1/1): Ask your question, and I''ll search the winds for the answers left behind by those who once asked the same.


    She had plenty of questions she wanted to ask.


    But based on the skill''s description, she couldn''t get too personal or obscure. It clearly sourced its responses from existing records¡ªif no one had ever asked the same question, there''d be no answer to fetch.


    And even then, there was no guarantee the answer would be correct.


    Still, she asked: "Are futures revealed through divination skills destined to happen?"


    She thought of Rick¡ªnow a pile of ash¡ªand honestly couldn''t imagine him ever making a comeback.


    A swirl of wind filled the room¡ªgusts over ocean, gusts through rocky cliffs. The howling blended with siren song, forming a haunting melody.


    Voices echoed in different tongues, layered into lyrics over the tune.


    "There is no limit to living things, so fate occasionally shifts."


    "Respect destiny, or suffer misfortune."


    "Those who worship fate will be shackled by it."


    "Prophecies can only reflect your present self."


    She heard dozens of voices¡ªsome she didn''t understand until B8017913 kindly stepped in to translate. The siren ballad about fate lasted eight full minutes.


    So many answers, yet they fell into two camps: fate is ever-changing vs. fate is immutable.


    Rita ended up more confused than enlightened.


    She''d asked this very question to B8017913 once before. She still remembered its reply clearly:


    "You were right not to kill him early. If the vision showed it happening, that means it must. Before that moment, you''d never have succeeded."


    When she asked B8017913 again now, it "froze" momentarily¡ªmaybe embarrassed.


    After a long pause, it asked, "What rank was the skill you used at the time?"


    Rita remembered she''d bought several of those skill crystals back then and only used one. She rummaged through her skill crystal storage box and quickly found it: [Dear Spirit, Tell Me].


    No rank listed.


    Her brow furrowed. She remembered other skill crystals, like the one with [Longevity Like the South Mountain], had their ranks clearly marked.


    B8017913''s tone turned oddly cheerful, like a bureaucrat realizing they''d successfully shifted blame to someone higher up: "Oh, I know that one. Skills below D-rank don''t display their level."


    So... the issue had been a garbage-tier prophecy.


    "..." Rita deadpanned. All that over-caution¡ªcompletely pointless. She''d been worshipping at the wrong altar the whole time.


    B8017913 helpfully added, "So technically, my answer wasn''t wrong. It was the skill that sucked."


    Just like with fortune-telling: sometimes the fortune hits, sometimes it misses.


    The accuracy of predictions¡ªand how susceptible they are to change¡ªvaried based on the skill''s rank.


    Listening to B8017913''s breakdown left her conflicted. But she also had a new idea.


    Maybe the type of question mattered too?


    Even with the same skill, asking about the name of the next Divine Game vs. who will rank top might yield different levels of accuracy¡ªsince one''s a fixed event, and the other involves countless variables.


    Maybe White Bear-sensei had rubbed off on her, but the line she trusted most from that chorus was:


    "There is no limit to living things, so fate occasionally shifts."


    There were too many variables. She didn''t want to dwell on this one issue.


    She picked up the [Soul Catcher] again and chose Dare this time.


    She guessed the dare might involve breaking her bond with B8017913, or maybe betraying it¡ªor even trying to steal some of its power.


    Instead, the new dare was:


    "Pledge three SSS-tier skills to Soul Catcher as collateral. From now on, play Truth or Dare at least once a week. In exchange, Soul Catcher will grant you an extra game skill slot."


    Rita''s first reaction wasn''t excitement¡ªit was suspicion. She immediately activated [Refurbish], scanning [Soul Catcher] from top to bottom.


    Then she pulled up B8017913''s skill library, searching for scanning and analysis skills.


    Out loud, she asked, "Does this relic have its own will? Is it dangerous to me?"


    B8017913 responded with a full analysis and even posted the results in their group chat:


    "This relic likely contains part of a Divine Game rule system. That''s why it operates autonomously¡ªand craves games."

 Chapter 609: 609: Wiping the Fog from the Mirror

    "This relic likely contains part of a Divine Game rule system. That''s why it operates autonomously¡ªand craves games."


    Rita silently added in her mind:


    And it''s ridiculously powerful, packed with versatile skills.


    This was Miyaas''s finger bone... The thought made Rita unconsciously brush her right eye.


    Every time she stole moonlight from the World Battlefield, was she also sneaking away fragments of the game''s hidden rules?


    She shook the thought off and continued examining the finger bone. Nothing seemed off.


    Besides, the deal was fair enough¡ªshe could still use the three SSS-tier skills she pledged, as long as she played a round of Truth or Dare each week. If she skipped a week, then she''d lose them.


    Once she confirmed that it didn''t even have to be her personally playing the game each time, she calmly selected three important but not irreplaceable SSS skills and pledged them to [Soul Catcher], gaining a fourth game skill slot in return.


    Then she launched another round of Truth.


    The siren''s voice drifted back with a new question:


    "If all Divine Game players in Lania Kaia promised that if you quit the Divine Game, they would halt all invasions into BS for 300 years, letting BS develop peacefully, would you accept?"


    Rita went still.


    She thought back on all the Truth rounds she''d faced since obtaining [Soul Catcher]. Compared to the dares, she''d always preferred Truth¡ªit felt less taxing.


    But these Truths... these questions...


    Some of them pierced so deeply, it was like a blade pressed directly to her heart.


    Each one crafted to push her to some extreme, to confront herself at the very edge of reason.


    As if tricking her into giving a "bad" answer would somehow invalidate all the goodness she had shown before.


    She gripped the bone tighter. The runes etched on it sparkled in anticipation, like a gleeful child watching a player squirm.


    The bone didn''t rush her. It was savoring the moment¡ªthe thrill of exposing truth, of making a player face who they really were.


    At last, Rita answered.


    Her voice was rough, tight¡ªbut firm.


    "No. I won''t accept. I choose the Divine Game."


    It was as if every answer she gave wiped away another smear of fog from the mirror, revealing her own reflection more clearly.


    "If this kind of offer were ever made, it would mean that the benefit I bring to BS outweighs 300 years of peaceful development."


    A justification, maybe.


    But then her tone shifted.


    "Even if it were 500 years, or a thousand, or forever¡ªeven if they promised never to invade again¡ªI still wouldn''t accept."


    "There is nothing, no being, no deal... that could make me give up the Divine Game."


    Her voice softened, the passion faded, and her face became unreadable. Not heavy, not determined¡ªjust calm. Like she was stating a fundamental law of the universe.


    She had spoken her truth.


    The bone loosened its grip and rewarded her with a new skill:


    [One Cold] (1/1): Every being within 100 meters of you¡ªexcept you¡ªwill immediately catch a cold, sneezing once per second. Duration: 2 hours.


    A very solid reward. It was essentially a stealth breaker¡ªperfect for games involving hiding or pursuit. A definite keeper.


    Rita clasped the bone again for another round¡ªthis time, a Dare.


    "Seek out a Divine Game player from Lania Kaia and negotiate a ceasefire between Lania Kaia and BS."


    A pipe dream. BS didn''t have the authority to negotiate anything¡ªnot now. Even the hypothetical peace offer in the last Truth was absurd.


    She opted to skip the game and claim the reward directly:


    [One Raise] (1/1): Instantly increase your current wealth or any single work-related achievement by 20%.


    Even better than [One Cold]. If timed right, this could be a game-ender during the Divine Game.


    Rita played with the finger bone in her hands, her mind drifting to Miyaas and the game he must''ve played.


    Were his rounds of Truth or Dare just as ruthless, just as revealing?


    Had he, too, been reduced to a wreck by the questions?


    She couldn''t tell if she regretted missing his game¡ªor was grateful to have avoided it.


    ...


    23:45 BS Time.


    Wearing a white-and-red magic robe from a recent event bundle, Rita assembled [World''s Grave Forest: Decision] and placed it into a bottle-shaped World Graveyard as her entry ticket.


    ¡ª[Welcome BS player Rita to the World Battlefield.]


    ¡ª[You will participate in Divine Game #24269.]


    ¡ª[World Graveyard 4-Character detected. You may bring one item.]


    ¡ª[World Graveyard 9-Character detected. You may bring one item.]


    ¡ª[World Graveyard 5-Dot detected. You may bring one relic.]


    ¡ª[World Graveyard 8-Dot detected. You may bring one relic.]


    ¡ª[World Graveyard East Wind detected. You and your pet may each unlock one skill.]


    ¡ª[World Graveyard 1-Bamboo detected. You may bring one same-race teammate.]


    ¡ª[Your key: 3-star ¨C World''s Grave Forest: Decision. Unlocks: Legendary Prologue, War Horn.]


    ¡ª[Please choose two divine-talent skills and three general skills for both you and your pet.]


    Business as usual¡ªshe picked divine passives that devoured the most power:


    [Absurd Story] (reflect damage) and [Bedtime Tale] (defense)¡ªboth always-on.


    From the key and side tiles, she could pick four more skills:


    [Click, Locked], [Absolutely Awake], [Fourfold Spring], and [Repay].


    Two passives, two utility/active skills¡ªall extremely useful.


    She''d made sure to steal moonlight from Lania Kaia again before entering, though it didn''t measure up to what she used to get from the tower.


    Her energy reserves were decent¡ª13,891 remaining Arcane Points, with two-thirds of her Moon Sand still stocked.


    That said, she''d conserve energy wherever possible.


    Nivalis could sort herself out¡ªRita left her to her own planning.


    As for B8017913, Rita cherry-picked several support, healing, and escape skills from its library.


    Then she sorted through her gear.


    She chose [Plush Collar], [Lonely Antenna Baby], and [Soul Catcher] as her must-carry relics¡ªthose were locked in.


    For her final item slot, she picked [Magician''s Wisdom Tooth]¡ªotherwise, these rare relics and toys would be hard to store securely.


    After all, two of them were perfect-tier relics, and the third had such a bizarre effect that she couldn''t risk tossing it into a temporary pouch.

 Chapter 610: 610: Divine Game: Chaotic Blocks1

    She hadn''t thought to bring [Chavez''s Time]¡ªnot that it mattered. The only skills visible to others were the ones she had officially unlocked. [One-Person Party] was undetectable, and the skills from [Midnight Exile] were long known anyway, so it didn''t make much difference.


    There were no weapons in this round either. Her [Betrayal] from the previous game had only been usable because she acquired it mid-game. Fortunately, she still had [1-Bamboo] and the key skill [Reselect], which would let her swap tile effects once she understood the rules of the game.


    Once all her World Graveyard setup was finished, Rita found herself back in the now-familiar starting room. First thing, she synced with Bone Black Jade, confirming the connection remained unbroken. She could still share its vision and control it, so she relaxed a bit.


    Next, she grabbed the [Plush Collar] and turned Nivalis¡ªwho was nearly filling the whole starting room¡ªinto a plush doll, freeing up space. Then she couldn''t help but open the ladder rankings to equip her new title: [Proud Undying]. What a gloriously edgy name¡ªso much better than her old one, [Heaven''s Wrath].


    She eagerly checked the title''s effect:


    Title Skill ¨C [Stubborn Mule]: A mule never admits defeat. Hold your head, shake it, and say "No, I was right!" to undo one action you took in the last five minutes and erase all traces of it. Cooldown: 1 hour. Skill becomes active upon equipping the title.


    Rita: "..."


    She had every reason to suspect this ridiculous ability was just something Rabbit #3 made up on the spot.


    She spent a full three seconds in awe at the sheer troll energy of this skill. Why did all her abilities insist she say something aloud? Still... she wore the title anyway.


    When the active player count reached 100,000, a rules scroll appeared in the room.


    Divine Game #24269: Blocks and Me


    Game countdown: 00:29:59


    Game Objective: Collect blocks. Final ranking will be based on block quantity and aesthetic score.


    (Note: In this round, all bindings on equipment, weapons, accessories, items, relics, and toys will be temporarily disabled.)


    Game Duration: 48 hours.


    Game Difficulty: Torment.


    Game Rule 1: No more than 20 blocks may be in contact with the ground at any one time.


    Game Rule 2: ...


    Game Rule 6: -40Rn-TcUAmPm-Po-218-UThKPrBi


    Game Rule 7: ¡ô¡õ¡ö¡ø¡õ¡ö¡ö¡ø¡õ


    Game Rule 8: Red blocks may not connect with green blocks.


    Game Rule 17: ...


    Game Rule 18: Your body cannot have an odd number of block colors.


    Game Rule 27: ¡Õ¡Ø¡Ö¡Ô¡Ø¡Ô¡Ö¡Ô¡Õ¡Ø¡Ö


    Exclusive Rule 1: You may not use theft skills on players with lower combat tier than you.


    Exclusive Rule 2: You may not kill Divine Game players ranked at "Fool" tier.


    Exclusive Rule 3: You may not use repair skills on mechanical species.


    Penalty: Any rule violation will result in a random stolen item from the past 3 stardays being returned to its rightful owner.


    ...


    The countdown this time was longer than usual.


    When Rita read the part about bindings being disabled, she had a sinking feeling in her gut.


    She had brought half her entire arsenal into this game.


    [Lonely Antenna Baby] and [Soul Catcher] were both perfect-tier relics.


    Forcing herself to calm down, she began analyzing the rules.


    Combat tier was, as expected, still Tier 9: Torment. There were 27 rules in total again.


    She skimmed past the ones with gibberish symbols and radioactive isotopes. She could only understand three of them.


    And it wasn''t just her¡ªB8017913, with its ability to parse over 5,000 languages, could also only understand three rules.


    Was this targeted sabotage?


    Before she could think further, her body began to transform.


    Her view dropped. A crinkling, clacking sound echoed around her. Looking down, she saw her limbs and torso morphing¡ªinto blocks.


    Her upper body was now made of red blocks, lower body white blocks. Her once black leather boots were now glossy black rectangular blocks.


    She looked like a little block figure, no more than 25 centimeters tall. Only her wings had retained their original appearance¡ªthough scaled down¡ªbut at least she could still fly.


    The blocks came in several shapes, most common being 2cm cubes. She quickly estimated her current size from the number of them used.


    Worse still, all her relics and items previously stored in [Magician''s Wisdom Tooth] were forcibly expelled¡ªand transformed into blocks too.


    A purple donut-like base with a silver metal strip... a black circular block... and an arm made of four white block segments.


    Only the tooth itself remained in her mouth¡ªalso now blockified. She licked it. Yep, block.


    She instantly understood the design: Everything¡ªtools, weapons, relics¡ªhad become blocks.


    And blocks couldn''t be stored in any kind of spatial equipment.


    Fortunately, each block had connectors¡ªsome protruding, some recessed. She began attaching a few items back onto herself.


    The antenna was easy. She found a connector on the top of her head and snapped it into place.


    The hand bone... now that was trickier. Its connector was at the base, and there was no good place to slot it.


    Eventually, she stuck it to her chest, finger pointed forward¡ªthen curled the fingers into a "thumbs up."


    If looks were part of the scoring criteria, she might as well get stylish with it.


    She tested a few large motions. The joints held.


    But this game was clearly rigged to be difficult. She doubted things would stay stable.


    She picked up the [Plush Collar] and tried to use it on herself¡ªnothing happened.


    No transformation into plushie.


    Likely another unlisted game rule: Block form cannot be altered.


    She gave [Survive Until the End] a shot and transformed into a plate. That worked.


    From beside her, Nivalis''s voice chirped in the chat:


    "You''re now a block plate."


    Well, at least transformation skills still worked.


    When she changed back, she turned to see Nivalis had become a blocky little dragon¡ªmostly white and blue, roughly her own size.


    As for B8017913, it now looked like a ring of white blocks wrapped around her wrist.


    Then she reread the game description¡ªcollect blocks.


    Her stomach twisted.


    Everything¡ªitems, relics, even herself¡ªwas now made of blocks. And binding was disabled.


    Obviously, the intention was for players to start stealing from each other.


    And it wouldn''t stop there. If physical bodies were composed of blocks too, it was likely players could lose actual body parts.


    Would block theft be done via combat? Mini-games? Could you just die and escape?


    She''d never seen over 100,000 active players before.


    Maybe they all believed that after the last hellish Divine Game, this one would be easier.


    Clearly, they''d all guessed wrong.

 Chapter 611: 611: Divine Game: Chaotic Blocks 2

    Rita didn''t really care whether she had made the wrong bet.


    The moment she decided to enter the game even with a decent hand, she was already mentally prepared for everything.


    She even quickly came up with a justification to console herself: if luck truly balances like a seesaw, then a tilt to the left just means another to the right.


    Granted, her opening wasn''t exactly ideal.


    She hadn''t expected the game would nullify all bindings. She brought top-tier items with her, only to find half of them rendered useless and the rest now vulnerable to theft.


    She looked out the window. In the vastness of space, countless transparent glass rooms floated, each housing players in quirky block forms.


    Some were hopping about testing their new bodies, while others were fussing with the items or relics they had brought along.


    Unlike previous games, many rooms now held more than one player¡ªlikely because everyone assumed this game wouldn''t be too difficult and had brought along teammates or juniors they wanted to train.


    It wasn''t even two minutes in, and the online player count had already surpassed 120,000.


    Rita glanced out once, then returned her focus to the room. Together with Nivalis, she used the remaining time to adapt to their new block-shaped bodies.


    Her stats remained intact¡ªspeed, defense, all there¡ªbut the physical flexibility was gone.


    Simple things like bending backward or doing a split? Forget it.


    Her body now moved like someone with a stiff neck and a thrown-out back¡ªeverything had to be done in straight lines.


    Well, at least she still had a barely visible neck. Otherwise, even turning her head would''ve required rotating her entire upper body.


    It wasn''t all bad though.


    Rita experimentally detached her limbs¡ªand discovered she could disassemble herself freely, with no HP loss. She even tried popping off her own head. No problem.


    She could reassemble herself at will.


    No wonder they gave a full half-hour of prep time this round¡ªeveryone needed it to tinker with their forms.


    She completely dismantled herself piece by piece, and even counted her block parts carefully:


    Head: one large block


    Neck: technically the connector below the head block


    Eyes: two tiny round blocks


    Arms: five blocks each


    Upper torso: two rows of 8 blocks, totaling 16


    Lower torso: one horizontal rectangular block (4cm x 2cm x 2cm)


    Legs: five blocks each, plus a boot-like block for each foot


    Altogether, she counted 42 blocks for her body.


    Block sizes varied too¡ªhead blocks were 2.5cm x 2.5cm x 3cm, limbs and torso blocks were 2cm cubes, with special shapes for eyes and hands.


    Her relics and items added up to another 16 blocks.


    Both Soul Catcher and Lonely Antenna Baby were composed of five blocks each.


    Plush Collar used three, while Magician''s Wisdom Tooth consisted of three ultra-miniature blocks.


    When she tried disassembling Soul Catcher, each part turned into [Soul Catcher (1/5)], and the relic became unusable if even one part was missing.


    That realization made Rita both excited and nervous.


    If played well, this game could be a goldmine¡ªbut if not... the losses would be massive.


    At least she hadn''t brought the temperamental moon with her. That thing getting stolen would''ve been financial ruin.


    Compared to her own form, Nivalis had even more block components.


    They even swapped a few blocks between each other¡ªit didn''t affect their function.


    The connectors self-adjusted, as long as two blocks stayed in contact for over two seconds, creating the optimal interface.


    Once Rita understood this mechanic, she laid Soul Catcher flat against her upper body and "attached" it there directly.


    But she noticed that when she swapped blocks with Nivalis, her stats went down¡ªand the more blocks she swapped, the more she lost.


    Conversely, if she only added blocks to herself without removing her own, her stats increased.


    She didn''t go as far as to dismantle Nivalis and build her into her own body¡ªbut she was definitely planning to try that on someone else once the game began.


    She also examined the ring-shaped B8017913, which was made of ten small blocks.


    Her current MP was close to 40,000¡ªall thanks to the block connection letting her benefit from B8017913''s Intelligence stat.


    She wondered whether these borrowed stats could be carried out of the game.


    Logically, probably not.


    Otherwise, wouldn''t top-tier warlords just come here to "restock"?


    That''d turn the whole system into a loot-based food chain¡ªand the Divine Game likely wouldn''t allow that.


    She hopped to the window, bouncing and testing her new form while observing the other rooms.


    That''s when she noticed another problem¡ªshe couldn''t recognize anyone.


    Without her pocket watch and lacking the [Fishing Master] passive skill, and with everyone now looking like generic block people, she could at best guess their race. But their blocky faces and minimalist features made identifying individuals impossible.


    ...


    The half-hour prep flew by.


    Before she was even done playing around, the countdown started.


    She and Nivalis¡ªunable to be stored in her pet space in block form¡ªdropped together, landing in front of a massive Block amusement park.


    A thin mist separated the entrance from the inner grounds. Rita could vaguely make out the attractions beyond it.


    Everything inside was built from blocks, but scaled to real-world proportions, much like the amusement parks in BS.


    From what she could see, she recognized only half the rides. The rest were games and attractions she''d never seen before.


    For now, only she and Nivalis were at this entrance. She hadn''t used any World Graveyard card to gain early access, so the game had clearly distributed players randomly.


    Above the park gates floated glowing magical characters:


    "15th Moon Amusement Park"


    At the gate, a sign displayed instructions:


    Play Guidelines:


    Outside of ride zones, no skills may be used on other targets. All skills are nullified in these areas.


    Every ride requires a specific number of blocks as an entry fee and may only be used once per player.


    Each player/pet/temp Divine Game participant must pay at least 10g blocks for 1 hour of amusement park access.


    Divine Game players will unlock one of their bound relics or items every 2 hours. Once all are unlocked, the system will begin unlocking unbound S-rank+ items based on usage frequency.


    If there are not enough qualifying items, the system will start unlocking stored treasures/holy relics/weapons/accessories/gear/currency (10%).


    Temp Divine Game players will unlock one item every 4 hours, using the same priority rules. Unqualifying categories will only be unlocked once each, then looped again.


    There is a trading post in the park where blocks can be consigned at player-set prices, with no transaction fees. Each Divine Game player may list up to 5 block parts at a time. (Any item may be used as currency.)


    If a player/pet/temp participant''s block count drops below 20% of their starting total, they will return to the starting room and restart the game.


    On restart, players/pets/temps will lose 5% of all four main attributes. These points will be distributed among their attackers, proportionally to how many blocks were lost.


    After the game ends, the trading post will be moved to the ladder rankings.

 Chapter 612: 612: Divine Game: Chaotic Blocks 3

    Rita and Nivalis stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the signboard, two tiny blocky toys reading line after line of instructions.


    Nivalis offered her spicy take: "Every line basically screams cannibalism."


    Rita: "..." Sometimes she seriously suspected Nivalis had been raised in BS.


    But... she wasn''t wrong.


    The last game had targeted players'' skills. This time, it was all about the gear.


    Didn''t bring anything in? No problem!


    Divine Game offers forced import services!


    Items, relics, and everything of value¡ªwhether carried into the arena or not¡ªwould be forcibly unlocked over time and turned into Blocks.


    And once something became a Block, with the game''s auto-unbinding mechanic, it could be stolen, traded, and very likely... lost.


    Divine Game, ever the enthusiast for chaos, even prioritized unlocking the bound items first¡ªbecause of course those were the valuable ones.


    The method of robbery was also subtly built in.


    There was no requirement to play a minimum number of rides, yet every hour, you had to pay in Blocks to even remain in the park.


    And outside of rides, skills were disabled¡ªturning them into de facto safe zones.


    Which meant... if you wanted Blocks, and couldn''t just buy them¡ªyour only real option was to fight for them inside the rides.


    Rita had it worse than most.


    She rubbed her thumb over the ring on her middle finger.


    B8017913 counted as a pet.


    Back in the starting room, she had tried returning both B8017913 and Nivalis to her pet space¡ªbut failed. They were already Block-ified.


    Which meant no smuggling them around.


    Just paying the hourly entry fee was going to cost her twice, maybe thrice if Nivalis messed up.


    One hour of access required 10g Block.


    Her most common block size (2cm x 2cm x 2cm) was worth 5g each.


    So she''d need 4¨C6 blocks per hour, minimum.


    And you had to pay first before entering.


    The game didn''t push her to move. So Rita stood there and reread all 9 listed instructions again, word by word, hunting for any overlooked loophole.


    Once satisfied, she started prepping her "entry fee."


    Nivalis was still fully intact and would pay her own way.


    Rita only needed to prepare for herself and B8017913.


    Each of Rita''s legs had five 2cm blocks.


    She removed two from each leg.


    The result? She shrank by 4cm.


    Now her legs were just 6cm long¡ªshorter than her 10cm arms.


    Not ideal... but since she could still fly, short legs weren''t a deal-breaker.


    The real issue was her stats took a hit.


    Back in the starting room, she''d already confirmed it:


    Block loss directly equaled stat loss.


    The game didn''t show stat values here, but after all her classes and experience, she had a fine-tuned sense for her body''s performance.


    Her base form had 42 Blocks (not counting items), and dropping 4 blocks shaved off about 10% of her core stats.


    She touched the mist at the gate and was greeted by a pop-up window¡ªjust like the ones for entering World''s Grave Forest.


    She placed her four blocks and the single large block Nivalis handed over onto the platform.


    The display read: 30g


    The mist receded.


    ...


    Entering the amusement park felt like lag ending and the server finally syncing up.


    Sound snapped into place.


    Just moments ago, everything had been eerily silent¡ªnow the world was alive.


    All around her were blocky people and blocky monsters missing arms, legs, or even heads.


    The races of the world were already strange, but Block-form only made everything worse.


    Players had bizarre things stuck to their torsos and heads¡ªimpossible to tell what was a racial trait and what was gear.


    And since the entry fee required everyone to "donate" pieces of themselves, everyone looked off. Awkward. Clunky.


    Like badly assembled action figures.


    Rita didn''t immediately jump onto any ride.


    Instead, she led Nivalis through the park to observe.


    This place was even more crowded than the foodie zones and mining markets she''d seen before.


    The sheer number of pets and teams made it buzz like a real festival.


    Conversations were flying everywhere.


    Every attraction was guarded by a gingerbread man half her size.


    They blinked up at passing players with wide eyes made of candy buttons.


    Rita: "Think they''re part of the mechanical race, or maybe..."


    B8017913: "I can''t say for sure. But I am connected to the mechanical race chat server."


    Rita: "Why do you suddenly sound like a grizzled bureaucrat?"


    B8017913: "Maybe because I''m scared of being blamed by upper management."


    Rita: "??"


    B8017913: " ?? ?"


    The amusement park was laid out similarly to the ones in BS.


    Most rides were open-air, fully visible to everyone. Only a few were housed indoors.


    Next to each gingerbread NPC stood a cookie sign showing the price of entry.


    Some rides charged based on number of blocks, others on total block weight.


    None disclosed the rules beforehand, but players who paid and climbed on were instantly given instructions via system DMs.


    On the rides, block people were bouncing around like popcorn.


    Some were attacking, some fleeing.


    Some seemed weightless, leaping into the sky, while others looked crushed by invisible gravity.


    Just watching for a few minutes gave her a general idea¡ªbut not enough to grasp any one ride completely.


    Each had different durations, too.


    Players lined up obediently under the gingerbreadmen''s watchful gaze.


    Apparently, if you annoyed them, they could refuse to sell tickets.


    Food stalls and toy vendors lined the sidewalks¡ªeverything priced in blocks.


    Rita also found the trading post.


    It wasn''t a shop so much as a blocky vending machine.


    One every few dozen meters.


    She hadn''t even browsed for ten minutes and already found 73 pages of listings:


    Magic Med Kit (1/5) ¡ª Price: 50g / 20 Blocks


    Sweet Mist Spray (1/3) ¡ª Price: 15 white Blocks only


    Traveling Tailor (1/7) ¡ª Price: 200g (No red Blocks accepted)


    Coffee Machine (1/3) ¡ª Price: 20g


    Radiant Shield (1/3) ¡ª Price: 30g


    Scented Candle (1/5) ¡ª Price: 100g


    Game Console That Likes to Play Games (1/9) ¡ª Price: 500g


    Each page displays 9 items, showing images of the Block-ified versions and their prices, but without any detailed descriptions.

 Chapter 613: 613: Divine Game — Chaotic Blocks 4

    The prices weren''t standardized at all. Even though all players could clearly see that the number of Blocks correlated with the quality of items or relics, letting players set their own prices meant total freedom. Some wanted to offload quickly, worried that as time passed the items would scatter further and further until no one would bother piecing them back together. Others were confident the item''s original owners wouldn''t be willing to let go¡ªand priced them accordingly high.


    Even the former didn''t exactly price low.


    Generally speaking, pieces from items with fewer total fragments were cheaper than those from items with more.


    Rita spent 15 minutes wandering the amusement park and checked the map by the roadside. She realized she''d only covered about a third of the park. But time was running out.


    She turned around and flew back a bit, stopping at the Pirate Ship ride to queue up.


    This was the most cost-effective attraction: pets could join without paying an extra fee. Rita planned to use the tip of Nivalis''s tail as the ticket. It weighed 8g¡ªjust right. Using her own Blocks would''ve meant removing at least two pieces.


    Nivalis hugged her severed tail tip with a dramatic sigh. "So it''s come to this. You''re not even pretending anymore."


    Rita scratched her ear and pretended not to hear it.


    Players on the Pirate Ship were all attacking each other. Rita didn''t bother waiting for her gear or accessories to be unlocked. Instead, she directly used her key skill, Reassign Effect, swapping the [1-Bamboo] tile for the effect of the [Green Dragon]¡ªwhich allowed her to unlock a weapon or equipment piece.


    She chose her ring weapon, Betrayal.


    A ring appeared in the air in front of her, paused briefly, then dropped down. Rita reached out and caught it. At some point during its fall, the ring had already transformed into a Block. She pried it open and saw that it was made up of just two Block segments.


    A legendary weapon, yet only two Blocks.


    Betrayal was from the previous game, awarded via gift box and customized based on her stats at the time. Its equipping conditions were highly specific: Strength over 200, Agility over 2000. A niche weapon, no doubt.


    She wasn''t sure if that stat requirement influenced the number of Blocks.


    Once equipped, she flexed her Block fingers. While not as nimble as her original form, Rita was confident in her aim. Her training from the Rabbit Tooth archery course had included shooting with injured or restricted hands. This was hardly worse than wearing overly thick gloves.


    And shooting wasn''t her only combat option¡ªshe could still copy skills.


    The queue was long, but so were all the others. At the start of the game, there had been over 120,000 online players. By the time the game launched, that number had exceeded 150,000.


    Assuming the amusement parks were divided by star-sea calendar months, there were likely 16 parks, each with roughly 10,000 players.


    While observing the attractions, Rita also kept an eye on other Block players'' features, looking for any identifiers like her own glowing wings¡ªsomething that might help her recognize familiar players and gauge the strength of the group in this 15th Moon Amusement Park.


    She also monitored the Block counts of others.


    One of the game''s rules was: "If a player/pet/temp Divine Game participant''s Block count drops below 20% of their starting total, they''ll be returned to the initial room to restart." Knowing Divine Game''s style, high-powered players likely started with fewer Blocks to balance their advantage.


    Rita had started with 42 Blocks. From what she observed, others had anywhere from 36 to 126 Blocks. That placed her on the higher end of the power spectrum. Those with over 100 Blocks were likely temporary Divine Game players.


    Now, several minutes in, the numbers had already changed. Among those queued for the Pirate Ship, some had under 20 Blocks; others had over 150.


    She hadn''t specifically targeted queues with high-Block players, because every line had wildly mixed counts.


    This led to another pitfall of the game¡ªtemporary Divine Game players brought in by official ones.


    Maybe some were there for help, but given how massive the player count was, it was obvious most of these temps were brought in to get a taste of Divine Game or for training.


    Rita had already warned Nivalis: once the game began, focus on players with either extremely low or absurdly high Block counts.


    Each Pirate Ship ride allowed 80 players. Two ships alternated swings, so 160 players per round. Each round lasted 10 minutes. After two rounds, it was Rita''s turn.


    Both ships looked the same, made of black and white Blocks. Rita and Nivalis picked two adjacent seats. As soon as they sat down, a system prompt rang out in Rita''s mind:


    [Buzz¡ªYou have violated a game rule. A random divine penalty will be applied.]


    [Penalty complete: -7 Constitution]


    Before Rita could even figure out which rule she''d broken, another notification arrived:


    [Star Pirate Ship Game Rules]:


    Every 30 seconds, 3 players will be designated as treasure chests. Hitting the same chest 3 times allows you to steal one of their Blocks.


    When a chest hits another crewmate, there is a 20% chance to steal one of their Blocks.


    Every skill counts as one "hit." Hitting a shield also counts.


    Crewmates hitting each other will not yield Blocks.


    The Star Pirate Ship game has 20 rounds.


    Health is locked during the game. Leaving the ship for more than 3 seconds results in instant teleportation back to the ship''s center and a 5-second freeze.


    If you hit the same Block on a chest three times in a row, the Block will be guaranteed to drop.


    If a chest hits the same crewmate three times in a row, the third hit will have a 100% steal chance.


    Game countdown: 5...


    4...


    The pace was blistering. Rita had just finished reading the rules when the countdown started¡ªjust five seconds to get ready.


    She immediately detached B8017913 from her hand and set it horizontally under her foot, maintaining constant contact with the ground.


    The two Star Pirate Ships began to sway¡ªone forward, one backward¡ªperfectly staggered.


    "Every skill counts as one hit. Hitting a shield also counts." That was clearly a mechanic to prevent players from cheesing with AOE or guided abilities and to limit shield exploitation.


    "Health is locked."

 Chapter 614: 614: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 5

    At the very least, this meant that her passive skill [Bedtime Tale] would be useless in this game mode¡ªbut the mechanics were perfect for skills like [Family Bucket], [Target Locked], and her ace, [I''m Getting Serious].


    [Family Bucket] could replicate and unleash hundreds of skills in one go, which perfectly aligned with the rule that "each skill counts as one hit." If the rule had been "AOEs and guided skills only count as one hit total," then [Family Bucket] would''ve been hard-nerfed.


    With it, she could target a hundred crewmates at once. A hundred hits with a 20% chance each¡ªno matter how bad her luck was, she''d walk away with a decent chunk of Blocks.


    This skill was best used when she was selected as a treasure chest. But chests got focused fast, and since being hit three times guaranteed Block loss¡ªeven if [Family Bucket] lasted five minutes¡ªshe''d better use it once and bail.


    [Target Locked], on the other hand, was perfect for attacking chests. After selecting a target, her next 10 skills would automatically and accurately hit. She could close her eyes and still score three Blocks.


    The only downside? [Family Bucket] had an 18-minute cooldown, and [Target Locked] had 5. This game lasted just 10 minutes.


    Even with [Clock Reversal], resetting cooldowns wasn''t worth it. [Family Bucket] could only be used when she was a chest, and there was no guarantee she''d be chosen as one early¡ªor at all.


    As for [Target Locked]? She had [I''m Getting Serious]¡ªno need to waste an hour-long reset just for one extra cast.


    Then there was this gem: "Leaving the pirate ship for more than 3 seconds is forbidden." It didn''t outright ban flying, but it was just as limiting. Sure, anyone with even 100 Agility or Strength could leap ten-plus meters, but flight gave you maneuverability¡ªdodging and weaving midair¡ªwhile jumping offered no leverage.


    "Marked as treasure chest." When she''d been watching from outside, she hadn''t noticed any players visibly marked. Just a bunch of Block players leaping and scrambling, occasionally dogpiling a few unlucky targets.


    But there had to be some visible cue¡ªat least for participants¡ªotherwise how could players find chests so quickly? Spectators just couldn''t see the full gameplay.


    Also¡ªhow were the stolen Blocks picked up? Auto-collect? Manual grab?


    From the outside, all she''d seen were Block players running around, some gaining extra Blocks as they moved. Were they picking them up?


    If pickups required matching connectors, fine¡ªbut freeform attachment took three seconds...


    In just five seconds, Rita had already run through a full mental checklist.


    [Game Countdown: 1]


    Her pirate ship reached its peak swing. The other ship was cresting the opposite side. The second that "1" disappeared, both ships began their fast arc back toward each other.


    Then came the jingle of coins¡ªlike jackpot winnings¡ªand two golden beams shot up from the deck: one at the stern... and one right beside her.


    Nivalis.


    Out of 157 players and only 3 treasure chests, the odds that two were on the same ship were slim. Nivalis had just drawn a terrible hand.


    Rita''s mind raced¡ªshould she use [Target Locked] to quickly score some of Nivalis''s Blocks, reduce the loss?


    No. Not worth it.


    In a flash, she shouted, "Shrink down¡ªnow!" and threw herself in front of Nivalis.


    Attacks rained down on Rita, but shipmate-on-shipmate damage was nullified.


    Nivalis immediately burned an Arcane skill¡ª[I''m Still Just a Baby]¡ªand shrank to the size of a tiny seahorse.


    Rita snatched her up and pinned her to her own foot''s Block base, pressing her to the ground. Then she ripped a few Blocks off herself and stacked them around Nivalis like a makeshift bunker.


    In an instant, the golden beam enveloped Rita instead, blending seamlessly into her. From the outside, it looked like she was the chest.


    It happened so fast¡ªless than three seconds.


    Even though most players on this ship had seen the original beam, the other ship''s crew hadn''t. And that was what mattered.


    The ships crossed paths. Rita took off immediately, flying toward the other ship.


    That one had a chest too¡ªa player darting around, blinking, phasing, vanishing¡ªusing three skills in under five seconds. But even they had limits.


    By the time Rita landed, that player had already been hit multiple times.


    Her arrival split the enemy''s focus¡ªdrawing away at least half the aggression.


    She scanned quickly¡ªno visible Block drops yet.


    No matter. She didn''t mark anyone yet. Instead, she used [Repay] to borrow a skill from someone nearby.


    Then she pointed at the chest and cast [Target Locked], marking them.


    A barrage of attacks slammed into her, but she didn''t dodge.


    "She''s not a chest!"


    "The treasure''s under her armpit!"


    "BS-Rita¡ªthat''s BS-Rita! Get her!"


    "Wow, she really is as shady, devious, and lowdown as they say."


    Rita: Who''s out there dragging my name through the mud?


    The ship was loud¡ªtoo loud to tell who said what¡ªand she didn''t catch most of it anyway.


    She loosed ten magic arrows. Each curved differently, each aimed at the chest.


    The ship swung high, inertia pressing her into the seat. She braced, grabbed the rail, and launched herself toward the chest.


    A green, glowing Block hovered in midair where the target had just passed.


    Above it hovered the number "5."


    She watched as one player ran right through it. Only she went straight for it.


    Drops clearly had timers¡ªbut also drop protection.


    She reached the Block and avoided grabbing it with her hand¡ªtoo risky with its red color. Instead, she stepped on it. It didn''t phase through. The moment her foot touched it, it solidified beneath her.


    But that triggered another problem¡ª[Block Color Count Must Not Be Odd].


    Her torso was red, legs and [Soul Catcher] were white, eyes, shoes, [Plush Collar], and ring weapon were black, and her head Block was an off-white ivory.


    The [Lonely Antenna Baby], fused from a purple crystal and a silver antenna, was purple and silver.


    That made six colors total.


    Now with green... well, that ruined everything.

 Chapter 615: 615: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 6

    "She''s a crew member!"


    But Rita didn''t care. She clamped the green block between her feet and darted across the deck toward the second dropped block, bouncing and flying as the pirate ship swung wildly. With the violent shaking, she couldn''t afford to fly recklessly and got knocked into the ship''s seats more than once.


    This time it was a purple rectangular block.


    She grabbed it with her hand and, on her way to the third block, quickly attached it sideways to the rear of her long block-shaped torso. Her chest was already adorned with the skeletal hand, and free-form assembly took three seconds¡ªnot worth it.


    The third block was also purple, but this time a square. She stuck it to the outside of her arm.


    All three blocks were picked up before the collection timer ran out.


    But as soon as Rita started collecting blocks, she had been watching the pirate ship closely. She hadn''t seen any other drops. Either the treasure chest only dropped three blocks, or the blocks disappeared once the timer expired.


    Given the way that particular chest was practically falling apart, it was safe to rule out the first option.


    By the time the first round hit 21 seconds, most of the crew had realized what was going on and stopped targeting Rita. They turned their focus to the other two chests¡ªonly a few stubborn fools were still hammering away at her.


    Rita could''ve kept hammering the chest too, but now wasn''t the time. She needed to prep for the next round.


    Bouncing and flying was fine for rushing to loot, but not ideal for evasion. If she got marked as the next treasure chest, she''d be in trouble with her current bulky state.


    She hopped into the last row of seats to get a clear view of the other two chests.


    If they got attacked, she could dodge. If not, she wouldn''t waste time.


    She detached the green block from her foot, then used the square purple block on her arm to press against it and lock it into place. Then she disconnected the other foot.


    Now, the block on her right arm was affixed to a green and purple block at a right angle.


    Since blocks could only be gained through the game, this meant unless Rita was hit or voluntarily removed them, the awkward-looking appendages weren''t going anywhere.


    Just look at the treasure chests falling apart and still hopping around like nothing happened.


    It seemed Rita was finally out of danger¡ªfor now.


    Once she was reasonably safe, she began setting up her next round of tactics.


    "If I''m the treasure chest next round, just stick with me. I''ll toss the blocks I pick up to you. You''ll follow behind and attach them. If I knock any blocks loose, and you can grab them, do it."


    At the 30-second mark, the golden glow on her body vanished.


    To her disappointment, she wasn''t a chest this round either.


    She took down the little barricade she''d built to protect Nivalis, let her out, and said, "I''m going after the chests. Come find me in 20 seconds," before leaping back into action.


    With I''m Getting Serious, every magic arrow she fired would home in on its target¡ªbut even that didn''t guarantee a hit.


    Some treasure chests had abilities like phasing or blinking, and her arrows would vanish if they hit the ship instead of their mark. That was a known flaw of Betrayal. But compared to not needing to carry physical arrows, it was an acceptable trade-off.


    And if a chest tried jumping to the other ship to avoid her?


    Sure, it worked temporarily. But someone would always flush them back out.


    In theory, with her tracking arrows and consistent aim, she should''ve landed at least 9 hits per round. But things weren''t that easy.


    Just like her, other players had stealth and evasion tricks¡ªwhether through skills, gear, or quirky relics.


    Plain invisibility was useless here because the golden pillar marking the chests didn''t disappear with it. Only phasing or similar effects would truly work.


    Some chests could redirect incoming attacks. Some had aura effects that made enemies overlook them entirely. At one point, both ships had only two chests visible, and Rita suspected some had used baby antenna-style abilities.


    One player even fused into the ship''s surface. Rita couldn''t aim or shoot them at all. Even though Target Locked came off cooldown, she didn''t use it¡ªwhat if the dropped block became unreachable?


    Some players teamed up like she and Nivalis did. But as rounds went on, others caught on. If a player was clearly supporting a chest, people would swarm and tear them apart with brute force.


    If Rita tried her first-round trick again, players would mob her, pin her arms down, and assign a squad to pry her fingers open.


    One round, a chest had three bodyguards. The crew swarmed them, ripping and pulling as if the little block-men were in a cartoon brawl. Rita didn''t have much else to do that round, so she joined in the block pile-on for fun.


    Still, with I''m Getting Serious, by the time Round 17 started, Rita had collected 35 blocks. She''d used Target Locked once.


    Every round, whether she succeeded or not, she always reserved 5¨C7 seconds to adjust her block configuration.


    During those adjustments, she''d have Nivalis return to her side.


    By now, Rita looked ridiculous¡ªtiny block head perched atop a chunky mess of parts. Her shoulders were adorned with piles of tiny blocks like miniature garbage heaps. Her torso had two layers of blocks in a neat grid, her legs were lumped with block tumors, and even the back of her head had a small shield fragment stuck to it.


    She didn''t care about aesthetics. Speed was what mattered.


    She''d accumulated 10 block colors so far, keeping herself safely even-numbered to avoid punishment. But through one of the divine penalties, she''d also learned another hidden rule:


    Black blocks cannot connect to gray blocks.


    Current time: 8 minutes and 27 seconds into the game.

 Chapter 616: 616 – Divine Game: Chaotic Blocks 7

    Rita still had a borrowed tunneling skill she got from a treasure chest back in Round 8 using [Repay].


    It was the one that let her phase into the space pirate ship ¡ª [Shadow of Nothingness]. She grabbed it the moment the original user was ejected from the ground after the skill expired.


    Rita timed her use of [Repay] based on the borrowed skill''s 5-minute duration. Its 3-minute cooldown had long since passed, but [Snowy Summer], the skill allowing her to phase into the ship, only had 18 seconds left.


    If she wasn''t a treasure chest by Round 18, she''d have to borrow another skill from someone else.


    At 8 minutes and 30 seconds into the game ¡ª Round 18 ¡ª Rita''s body finally lit up with a pale golden glow.


    This was the moment she''d been worrying about... and waiting for.


    The second the glow appeared, she activated [Lonely Antenna Baby].


    ¡ª At 2 seconds, she spent 3 points of Arcane Energy to use [Family Bucket], then targeted the nearest player with [Grand Opening Special].


    [Grand Opening Special] didn''t have auto-tracking, but its power and speed scaled with Intelligence and Agility combined ¡ª the arrows were lightning-fast and hard to dodge.


    Cloud-like arrows burst out, and after hitting the first crew member, they scattered, hunting down new targets on their own.


    In that instant, both space pirate ships were swallowed by a mist of arrows.


    ¡ª At 3 seconds.


    Blocks started popping up on the ground.


    Rita: "Nivalis!"


    No need for more instructions. Nivalis immediately started collecting. The Teletubby skill was too strong ¡ª she couldn''t see or sense Rita''s position.


    Just as Rita told her: stay focused on picking up Blocks and don''t waste time dodging attacks from treasure chests.


    ¡ª At 4 seconds.


    Rita gave up on the Blocks on the right side of the pirate ship ¡ª Nivalis was already headed that way. As the two ships crossed paths, she jumped to the other one and started gathering the Blocks there instead.


    ¡ª At 8 seconds.


    All dropped Blocks vanished. Even if a skill landed late and dropped a Block, it couldn''t be picked up anymore.


    Rita leapt toward Nivalis, tossing her a set of Blocks that couldn''t be instantly assembled ¡ª they''d need 3 seconds of manual fusion. Nivalis didn''t seem surprised by the extra pieces.


    ¡ª At 9 seconds.


    Rita canceled the Teletubby skill and activated [Shadow of Nothingness].


    She''d burned too much mana ¡ª she couldn''t afford to keep going, even with [Regular Savings]. It was too early in the game to go all-in.


    [Shadow of Nothingness] let her become intangible and move freely for 10 seconds.


    While hiding inside the pirate ship, Rita gave Nivalis her instructions:


    "Tell me the locations of the other two treasure chests and what skills they''re using. Report any changes immediately."


    As she assembled Blocks, Nivalis replied:


    "The chest at the stern of Ship A just phased out for 5 seconds ¡ª all attacks missed. The player in the fifth row of Ship B is invisible."


    ¡ª At 11 seconds.


    "The Ship A chest just teleported to the other ship. The Ship B chest jumped down to the bottom of the pirate ship."


    ¡ª At 14 seconds.


    "The chest from Ship A disappeared again ¡ª left behind a pale golden light pillar at the stern. The chest from Ship B is still at the bottom."


    ¡ª At 16 seconds.


    "Most players moved to Ship B. The chest at the bottom was forced up."


    Rita said: "Go to the stern of Ship B. Stand where the first chest disappeared. The moment I appear, change into your original full-size form."


    ¡ª At 19 seconds.


    [Shadow of Nothingness] ended. Rita was ejected from the pirate ship, landing in a seat.


    But one treasure chest was still invisible ¡ª meaning she couldn''t target it to borrow a skill. The other had used a phasing skill earlier, which hadn''t done much and would waste her [Repay].


    The moment Rita reappeared, a barrage of skills, bullets, and arrows flew at her from all directions.


    But she was ready. She burned Arcane Energy and used Phantom Shift to instantly teleport to the stern of Ship B.


    She charged toward Nivalis. Without hesitation, Nivalis activated her transformation skill to grow in size, then lifted her tail and covered Rita.


    ¡ª At 21 seconds.


    The pirate ship kept shaking. Melee-class players rushed in, trying to lift Nivalis''s tail.


    She immediately flipped over, pinning Rita under her belly, gripping the ship''s edge with her front paws, tail and back claws hooked onto the seats.


    Fortune finally flipped in their favor. Rita gasped for breath.


    The crew tried to kick Nivalis over together. Her strength couldn''t hold out.


    ¡ª At 22 seconds.


    In under a second, Nivalis was flipped, revealing Rita underneath.


    Before Rita could even stand, she cast a skill: [Top Chef? Top Chef!]


    Everyone on the ship froze and turned to look. Even the players watching the match from below the ship ¡ª and the little gingerbread ticket vendor ¡ª stared straight at her.


    ¡ª "What? You''re a Top Chef?!"


    ¡ª "What? You''re a Top Chef?!"


    ¡ª "What? You''re a Top Chef?!"


    ¡ª "What? I''m a Top Chef?!"


    Everyone within 100 meters, friend or foe, was hard-stunned for 3 seconds.


    Even Nivalis, just thrown off the ship by her tail and climbing back up, let out a furious roar.


    ¡ª At 24 seconds.


    The treasure chest at the stern had its skill wear off. The moment they became visible again, their eyes locked onto Rita.


    ¡ª "What? You''re a Top Chef?!"


    Rita finally exhaled. She''d been waiting for this moment.


    If it hadn''t worked, she was ready to burn her stored mana from [Regular Savings], use [Survive Until the End] to turn into a ring, and have Nivalis swallow her...


    ¡ª At 25 seconds.


    The Top Chef skill ended. Rita immediately used [Repay] on the other nearby chest player.


    Even in the rush, she scanned the skill description ¡ª confirmed it cost mana ¡ª and triggered it.


    Right in front of everyone''s eyes, she vanished from the ship''s stern!


    All the players still staring from earlier now had nowhere else to look ¡ª their gaze shifted to the treasure chest player whose skill had just ended.


    Chest Player: "..."


    Fiery wings, dragon pet... he suddenly remembered who this was. Heard some rumors, too.


    BS-Rita. That player just now was BS-Rita, right?


    Five seconds later, the invisibility-phasing skill Rita borrowed hadn''t worn off yet ¡ª but Round 19 had already begun.


    She wasn''t a treasure chest this time, but she wasn''t in a rush to cancel the skill.


    Nivalis was already on the move ¡ª going after the treasure chest.

 Chapter 617: 617: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks8

    In the early rounds, she couldn''t grab any Blocks at all ¡ª until Rita gave her a bold idea: transform into a creature the same size as the pirate ship and just launch herself onto it. As long as the treasure chest hadn''t left the ship or phased out, she was bound to crush it eventually.


    And since crewmates couldn''t hurt each other, there was no risk of being ganged up on.


    By Round 18, Nivalis had collected quite a few Blocks ¡ª at least 20, by a conservative estimate.


    Rita was just about to fly in and strike at the treasure chest when she suddenly looked up ¡ª the moon had appeared.


    It was an "L"-shaped moon. Just as she looked, it shifted ¡ª turning into a square, like a Block that kept morphing.


    Holding onto a seat to steady herself, Rita cast [Who Will Cut the Moonlight] at the moon-Block.


    This skill could only be used during gameplay ¡ª outside of game zones, skills were disabled.


    It hadn''t even been a month since she last cut moonlight in Chaotic Restaurant, but that was before she used [Phoenix Seat].


    [Phoenix Seat] had not only reset the cooldowns of all combat skills ¡ª it also refreshed this one, even though it technically had an invisible cooldown that wasn''t listed.


    With her right eye throbbing in pain, Rita ran toward the stern''s peak. The ship was now tilted 90¡ã, and she had to time her move just right ¡ª she needed to plant a [Romantic Tourist] travel marker at the ship''s highest point for later.


    Her pain tolerance was far stronger than before. Every combat class she''d taken had included training on how to keep fighting through agony ¡ª both melee and ranged.


    As the ship swung upward, Rita stood at the prow, looking down at the theme park.


    She couldn''t choose a ride ¡ª who knew what the rules were for those ¡ª so she marked a vending machine as her travel point.


    Then she turned around and went looking for the treasure chest.


    But this round... it was a disaster.


    At the moment the treasure chest player from Round 19 leapt between the two pirate ships, they activated a skill ¡ª a wave of icy magic radiated out. The moment it touched the ship''s surface, it spread like wildfire.


    At this rate, both ships would be sealed in ice within 3 seconds.


    Every player touched by the spreading frost was grabbed by claw-like tendrils of ice and flung into the air.


    The ships kept swinging, but Rita ¡ª sharp as ever ¡ª instantly figured out what the treasure chest player was trying to do.


    They wanted to separate the players from the ship ¡ª to forcibly trigger the "away from ship" penalty. If any player went more than 3 seconds without touching the ship, they''d be teleported into the ship''s interior and frozen in place for 5 seconds.


    Those 5 seconds of immobility meant the chest player could escape group attacks ¡ª and potentially wipe out multiple players.


    What now?


    Use the Teletubby skill? Useless.


    Just because she couldn''t be seen didn''t mean she didn''t exist ¡ª if she got hit by AoE while frozen, it wouldn''t matter if she was invisible or not.


    Standing at the ship''s stern, Rita watched the frost creep toward her like a snake.


    Across on the other ship, she spotted Nivalis. The ice-dragon was staring at the frost too.


    Nivalis had probably realized something was wrong ¡ª but the speed of the chest player''s leap, skill cast, and frost expansion had been way too fast. She might not have had enough time to figure it all out.


    From Rita''s perspective, the best thing for an ice-dragon like Nivalis to do was dip the tip of her tail into the frost.


    That way, she''d still be in contact with the ship ¡ª and flexible enough to dodge incoming attacks.


    The treasure chest player was the perfect reference ¡ª if they could do it, so could Nivalis.


    But Rita didn''t give her the answer directly.


    Instead, she gave Nivalis the question: "She''s trying to make every player lose contact with the ship ¡ª trigger the 3-second rule and freeze them inside for 5 seconds."


    She believed Nivalis could figure it out. And if not... losing a Block or two was a small price to pay for that kind of lesson.


    As she passed the message to Nivalis, Rita turned and sprinted, activating a skill:


    ¡ª [Mist Arrival]!


    In an instant, her Block avatar turned into thick mist, clinging to the ship''s surface and flowing downward toward the underside.


    She couldn''t afford to get frozen on the deck ¡ª if she did, and stray AoE skills from a fight landed on her, she''d be in serious danger.


    She had [Family Bucket], sure ¡ª but so did others. Everyone had their own tricks.


    The fog drifted downward as the frost chased close behind, freezing it inch by inch.


    Mist and frost merged, locking her in place at the transition between the ship''s side and bottom.


    Rita knew she''d been hit ¡ª a system message rang in her mind: "You lost a gray Block."


    But she also knew she was still in contact with the ship.


    And she knew B8017913 had detached from her ¡ª but that loss was acceptable. It was small, and in the chaos of players, it might avoid getting hit altogether.


    She called out to Nivalis in her mind: "Did you solve it?"


    Nivalis: "Hehe, I just merged with the ice."


    Rita: "Your whole body? Which part of the ice?"


    Nivalis: "...The stern."


    That pause said everything. Her voice even sounded a little guilty ¡ª the attacks had probably already started, and Nivalis had realized there was a flaw in her positioning.


    Nivalis: "But I flew out quickly... still, sorry, I wasn''t fast enough. I lost a Block..."


    Now wasn''t the time for self-critique.


    Rita snapped into command mode:


    "We''ll deal with that later. Is any treasure chest frozen? If so, now''s your chance ¡ª attack it! Just dip your tail into the ice and keep touching the ship."


    The seconds ticked by. Rita didn''t dare move out of the ice just yet ¡ª if she left too soon, she might not be able to come back.


    Players had all left the ship at different times, which meant the freeze duration would vary too. Altogether, that chest player had at least 7 seconds of free attack time.


    If the ice lingered, even those who broke free first might get frozen again if they didn''t act fast.


    This was the chest player''s harvesting phase ¡ª but also the crewmates'' window of opportunity.


    Rita couldn''t micromanage every one of Nivalis''s actions, but she couldn''t just let her flail blindly either.


    Rita: "Attack the frozen chest ¡ª not the one casting the frost."


    Rita: "How you attack, what you choose to do ¡ª that''s up to you."


    Rita: "From now on, I''m your stopwatch. One... one-point-five... two... two-point-five..."

 Chapter 618: 618: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks9

    "From now on, I''m your stopwatch. 1... 1.5... 2... 2.5..."


    Rita''s voice was flat, emotionless, almost mechanical. Her pace was so fast it seemed like she wasn''t even breathing.


    It should have been nerve-wracking, stressful beyond belief ¡ª but instead, Nivalis felt an unexpected calm wash over her.


    Because within Rita''s voice, she could sense something unmistakable ¡ª expectation.


    And with that simple phrase, "I''m your stopwatch," Nivalis dove into battle.


    The treasure chest player was laser-focused on attacking the frozen crewmates clustered between the two ships. To make Block collection easier, she stood right in the middle of a group of immobilized players. From there, she cast push-type AoE skills centered on herself and launched long-range attacks at players on the other ship.


    Nivalis flew to the stern, dipped her tail into the ice layer, and perched atop the ship to snipe from above.


    She really wanted to go after the one who''d frozen the ship and recover her lost Block. But Rita had told her to lock onto the immobilized chest ¡ª so she let the grudge go for now.


    Her fastest casting ability took only 0.3 seconds ¡ª barely a "skill," just a flicker of mana control, no Arcane cost required.


    By the time she landed her eleventh hit, Rita''s count had reached the 4-second mark ¡ª the sixth second of the ice sealing the ship.


    Three Blocks were floating mid-air near the center of the ship. If she didn''t grab them now, they''d vanish. Players were beginning to thaw out, one after another, breaking free of the stun and leaping from their freeze positions.


    The crewmates began working together to shatter the ice. Revenge could wait ¡ª avoiding a second violation was more urgent. Meanwhile, the chest player kept raining attacks on the still-frozen stragglers.


    Nivalis leapt into the sky and, mid-air, transformed ¡ª growing massive as she slammed down on the treasure chest, converting the three floating Blocks into physical items and completing her twelfth strike.


    She let the treasure chest''s attacks hit her. With a roll, she swept up all four Blocks and retreated, flying beneath the ship with her tail re-entering the ice. There, she began fusing the newly collected Blocks to her body.


    Her voice trembled with excitement:


    "Four Blocks! I got four Blocks! I got hit while picking them up, but I didn''t lose any! I didn''t let you down!"


    Rita''s once-cold stopwatch count stopped ¡ª replaced by a warm, smiling tone:


    "Nivalis, you''re amazing."


    Maybe all living creatures were the same ¡ª overwhelmed with joy, they''d start picking on themselves just to balance it out.


    Nivalis was still buzzing, but she started second-guessing herself:


    "I... I dropped a Block earlier... I should''ve just gone straight to the stern and made sure my tail touched the ship..."


    Rita chuckled:


    "It''s fine. I mess up too. Just remember what you chose this time. We''ll go over it together after the game."


    A long pause, then a soft "Mm."


    Rita thought, This kid''s probably tearing up right now... really, I ought to tell her not to get so attached... sigh.


    But what she didn''t know was that during Nivalis''s long silence... she was furiously DM''ing B8017913.


    Nivalis: "She''s so in love!!"


    Frozen among the crowd, B8017913: "......" (deep emotional damage)


    Nivalis: "Remember Rabbit 3 from last game?"


    B8017913: "!!!"


    B8017913 stared at six new pop-ups reading: You Are Being Watched.


    Nivalis: "Rabbit 3 had a whole army of rabbits attacking her, and she was still acting tough ¡ª even unlocked a new skill. But me! I make one tiny mistake, and BS-Rita actually says ''I mess up too''! You hear me?!"


    What was B8017913 supposed to say?


    It deployed the universal emergency reply it had once seen used in BS culture:


    B8017913: "lol ded"


    Nivalis: "You think Rabbit 3 was funny too, huh?"


    For the first time since it had been created, B8017913 screamed in all caps:


    "I DIDN''T! I DIDN''T!! I SWEAR I DIDN''T!!! STOP LYING!"


    Nivalis: "?? Alright, alright. You didn''t."


    Staring at its emotional meter, B8017913 felt like its core soul-flame had nearly ignited on the spot.


    Nivalis: "Lidian can''t compare to me. Pick the right partner, and life''s good every day. Lidian? Pine Bloom? Hmph, please."


    B8017913: "......"


    ''You think Rabbit 3 was funny too, huh?''


    ''You think Rabbit 3 was funny too, huh?''


    ''You think Rabbit 3 was funny too, huh?''


    Deceitful Bloom: "..."


    He''d heard from the captain that the gods were talking like this too now...


    If even the opposition was just as dumb as their own side, well ¡ª it was weirdly comforting.


    "Wait, who''s Rabbit 3?"


    "Whoever doesn''t laugh ¡ª that''s who it is."


    "Huh?"


    Deceitful Bloom accidentally smiled.


    "lol ded."


    "lol ded."


    For once, Deceitful Bloom had no words.


    Rita didn''t release [Mist Arrival] until the ice layer completely vanished.


    By her calculations, only 3 seconds remained before the final round.


    Her Fiery Wings of Flow stirred gently as she stood upside-down beneath the ship, moving with the rocking motion of the pirate vessel.


    She retrieved B8017913, reattaching it near her feet. In her mind, she thought: If only the treasure chest in Round 20 could be B8017913...


    It was small and perfect for concealment ¡ª she could use herself as bait, lure others, and then strike while they focused on her.


    Just partially reveal B8017913 and go hunting.


    Round 20 began.


    No glow from her ring. Someone else was the treasure chest this time.


    Rita immediately flipped and shot into the air, drawing her bow and locking onto the chest.


    At the same time, she messaged Nivalis:


    "Sit this round out. Come to me and hand over all the Blocks I gave you earlier, and the ones you just earned."


    Nivalis: "Okay."


    Even though she didn''t object, Rita still explained:


    "Not sure if this game has a leaderboard like other BS games ¡ª just in case, I want to centralize them first. I''ll divide them up again after we exit."


    Nivalis didn''t care how Rita planned things. But having the reasoning explained still made her happy:


    "I''ll do whatever you say."


    She walked up behind Rita to prevent any snatching. Each time, she only transferred a few Blocks, helping Rita assemble them freely onto her back. As Rita''s pet, her contribution was valid.


    Thirty seconds later, the pirate ship came to a stop. All the Blocks Nivalis earned in that round were now in Rita''s hands.


    A small window popped up in front of every player.


    [Star Pirate Ship Game ¨C Block Leaderboard]


    1. BS-Rita ¨C Blocks Collected: 92


    2. Emerald Crane (Burning Seas) ¨C Blocks Collected: 67


    3. Ghost Dot Spark ¨C Blocks Collected: 55


    ...


    [Leaderboard Rewards]


    1st Place: Free Game Voucher (1/1)


    2nd Place: +3 Blocks


    3rd Place: +1 Block

 Chapter 619: 619: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks10

    Nivalis exclaimed in surprise, "There really is a prize!"


    When Rita stepped off the space pirate ship, her back weighed down with a massive hump of Blocks, the little gingerbread vendor handed her a pink Block card barely half the size of her hand.


    [Free Game Ticket] (1/1): Grants one free play on any attraction in the 1~16 month zones of the amusement park.


    Perfect for expensive rides ¡ª way better than paying directly with Blocks.


    Ignoring the curious stares from nearby players, Rita led Nivalis to a quiet corner to sort through their haul.


    Through a combination of [I''m Getting Serious] and [Target Locked] attacks on treasure chests, Rita had earned 37 Blocks. While acting as a treasure chest herself, she''d picked up 31 more using [Family Bucket].


    Nivalis had earned 24 Blocks ¡ª through her self-sacrificing dives onto the ship and the ambush on the immobilized treasure chest in Round 18.


    First, Rita filtered out all item-type Blocks ¡ª there were 7.


    Among them were:


    Four pieces from three-piece sets,


    One four-piece set fragment,


    One five-piece set fragment,


    One seven-piece set fragment.


    The five-piece set fragment was a tiny shield Block stuck to the back of her head. Rita decided to leave it there for now as a makeshift rear shield ¡ª she''d sell it later if she ran low on Blocks.


    That left 85 Blocks suitable for reconstructing their bodies.


    They had entered the amusement park at 00:45. After 15 minutes of exploration and info gathering, plus 20 minutes in line and 10 minutes in the game, they had less than 15 minutes left to pay the next hourly gameplay fee.


    Rita grabbed Nivalis. "Let''s not rebuild just yet ¡ª we''re going to sell a few Blocks first."


    At the vending machines, she skimmed the listings and put all four of her three-piece set fragments up for sale, each priced at 20g ¡ª the market rate.


    The four-piece set fragment looked like part of a boot, so she listed it for 40g.


    Once done, she stepped aside with Nivalis.


    No talk of who gets to choose first. The weirder the Blocks get in future games, the more they''d have to adapt. Better start now.


    Rita told her, "24 of these are yours. Point to whichever one you want and I''ll pull it off."


    Nivalis technically had permission to take Blocks directly from Rita, but there were rules in play:


    Aside from "no odd-colored Blocks," there were guidelines B8017913 had translated, like:


    "Above the median height line, the number of Blocks can''t be fewer than below,"


    "No more than 7 limbs,"


    "White Blocks can''t connect to three different colored Blocks at once."


    So both Rita and Nivalis began reconstructing themselves. Rita only spoke up when Nivalis was about to break a rule.


    Square and rectangular Blocks were easy enough ¡ª stack them onto limbs and the torso for a more balanced look.


    Rita built her upper body into a hollow rectangular box.


    Inside, she tucked [Soul Catcher], [Plush Collar], and [Lonely Antenna Baby] ¡ª connecting them to the internal Block network. That way, she could activate them any time, but avoid having them exposed where repeated hits could strip them off.


    Her legs regained their original length ¡ª though now bulkier.


    Rita could feel her stats had risen by at least 20%.


    But she knew it wasn''t permanent.


    At the moment, each Block gave stats calculated as:


    Player''s total attributes ¡Á (initial Block base value)%


    But if a Block''s original owner was forced to restart the game from the lobby due to having too few Blocks, all the stats those Blocks once granted would change into:


    Player''s total attributes ¡Á 5% ¡Á (lost Block''s base value)%


    However, these downgraded stat Blocks could be taken out of the game, according to the tooltip.


    Once both of them had reassembled themselves to their optimal form, only 13 general-purpose Blocks remained.


    Eleven of those were tiny, oddly shaped pieces ¡ª square, round, or curved. The largest was about the size of Rita''s eye; the smallest, barely bigger than her fingertip.


    These were notoriously annoying to deal with ¡ª Rita had just mashed them together on her shoulder during the ship game.


    The last two:


    One was a hook-shaped piece, looked like a claw.


    The other resembled a boot ¡ª a foot Block.


    She did some quick math ¡ª claw Block worth 18g, boot Block 15g. Together, she''d lose 3g if used for the gameplay fee...


    Everything now hinged on whether her consignment sales would go through.


    Nivalis kept running back and forth to stare at the vending machine.


    Meanwhile, Rita was fiddling with the seven-piece set fragment she''d kept ¡ª a Block she recognized well: the base of a potion bottle.


    The name gave it away too ¡ª [Don''t Ask Me What a Potion Is] (1/7).


    Nivalis dashed back. "No sales yet."


    Rita hummed in acknowledgment, flipping the potion base Block between her fingers. It looked like a mini bowl ¡ª or maybe a tiny crucible.


    After a moment, she said, "Block me for a bit ¡ª casually."


    Nivalis flared one wing and slammed it against the wall beside Rita. "What are you doing?"


    Rita turned her back to the street, whispering, "Building."


    If players could freely modify their bodies with Blocks, why not items too?


    She started picking through her pile of tiny Blocks, carefully assembling them.


    Eight mini Blocks later, she had rebuilt about one-fourth of the potion bottle.


    Now it was just a waiting game ¡ª waiting for her listings to sell...


    With six minutes to go before the gameplay fee was due, she heard a soft "click" in her mind ¡ª a Block had connected.


    [Your consigned Block "Bubble Blaster" (1/3) has been sold.]


    [You can collect your Block currency at any time from the Exchange.]


    Rita ran to the vending machine at once.


    Moments later, she came back clutching a mess of oddly shaped mini Blocks.


    Normally, she would''ve groaned and thrown them into the fee bin just to be done with them. But now, she needed exactly these weird, awkward shapes.


    [Your consigned Block "Vance''s Hex Tag" (1/3) has been sold.]


    [Your consigned Block "A Bottle of Ash" (1/3) has been sold.]


    Her inventory of tiny, malformed Blocks kept growing.


    Without a clear purpose, these bizarre Blocks were usually the first to go ¡ª especially for paying entry fees. At most, she''d save a few for weight balancing.


    Just as she was halfway through rebuilding the potion bottle, a new alert popped up:


    [Time to pay your gameplay fee.]


    Rita grabbed the 15g boot Block and some boxy mini Blocks to round out the 30g, and tossed them into the fee slot.

 Chapter 620: 620: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks11

    [Your consigned Block "Lazy Slippers" (1/4) has been sold.]


    [Your consigned Block "Penumbral Pendant" (1/3) has been sold.]


    With all five consigned Blocks sold, Rita finally completed the potion bottle Block she''d been assembling!


    She opened the hollow box-shaped Block that made up her upper torso and tossed in all the remaining weird mini Blocks. She wasn''t letting go of these strange little pieces anymore ¡ª not after this.


    Then she attached the regular Blocks gained from selling "Lazy Slippers" and "Penumbral Pendant" onto the back of her hands. These could be saved for entry fees on the next attraction.


    Because the moment the potion bottle was completed, its information finally appeared:


    [Don''t Ask Me What a Potion Is ¡¤ Incomplete] (?/7)


    "I''ll show you what unbridled imagination looks like."


    Allows you to pour multiple potions into the bottle with a 10% chance of a reasonable mutation...


    And that wasn''t all ¡ª a system prompt rang in her mind.


    [Congratulations, Player BS-Rita has become the third to discover a hidden Easter Egg.]


    [Hidden Easter Egg: "I''ll Force It If I Have To" ¡ª Intentionally reconstruct a broken game item. The item must consist of no fewer than 7 fragments.]


    [Choose one reward from the following:]


    Block Tracker


    Forced Recall


    Easter Egg Hint


    She glanced at the descriptions:


    Block Tracker: Locate other fragments of a specific item.


    Forced Recall: Return a previously unlocked game item to its original world. That item will no longer appear in the current game.


    Easter Egg Hint: Learn the location or condition for another hidden Easter Egg. No additional reward will be granted.


    Three choices, each representing a different strategy: offense, defense, or strategic planning.


    A 3-minute countdown appeared beside the selection window ¡ª no way to delay it. Rita went with her gut and picked Forced Recall.


    She could afford to lose almost anything ¡ª except for [Wrathful Moon], the skill that continuously granted her Arcane Points.


    Lately, she''d used all her monthly moonlight cuts on the World Battlefield moon. That version of [Wrathful Moon] didn''t let her collect anything.


    But that was only because her Arcane reserves were stable right now ¡ª and she had a stash of moon sand that could be converted at any time.


    If she ever started running low again, [Wrathful Moon] would be irreplaceable.


    If [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] was what let her play freely without fearing divine punishment, then [Wrathful Moon] was what let her fight at full strength.


    As soon as she made her choice, a coin-like Block appeared in the air and dropped toward her. Rita caught it and placed it beside her pink free game ticket.


    Only after handling the reward did she turn her attention back to the potion bottle.


    It was incomplete, sure, but with seven pieces required, its base rarity was at least "Treasure" tier.


    Even incomplete, [Don''t Ask Me What a Potion Is] was priceless to any alchemy fan.


    The key was in those two words ¡ª "reasonable mutation."


    If it were just random mutation, she might not have cared. But the fact it was described as reasonable meant these were transformations even a real alchemist could pull off ¡ª not just chaotic results or pure chance.


    And this was just with one fragment. The info screen even ended with an ellipsis... which Rita had never seen before. What would happen if she gathered more?


    She ran a search for [Don''t Ask Me What a Potion Is] at the vending machine ¡ª no other fragments on the market yet.


    She casually closed the window. The game was still young. No need to rush.


    After all, she might not even be able to keep this fragment. And who knows ¡ª maybe she''d find something even better later.


    She and Nivalis set off in search of their next amusement park challenge.


    As they passed the space pirate ship ride again, Rita paused and watched for a moment.


    Just as she suspected, something felt off.


    Only someone who had actually played the game would notice it.


    There was no signature golden glow that marked the treasure chest players, and the system blurred all their stealth-based skills. In other words ¡ª only players knew when a chest disappeared. To the spectators, the treasure chests were still visible the whole time.


    So it looked like the players were randomly switching targets mid-fight or sometimes freezing in place like confused chickens.


    But in reality, those pauses happened when all three treasure chests had vanished.


    A simple tweak in visibility, and spectators could no longer make sense of what was actually happening in the game.


    After a short moment, Rita moved on. She explored another part of the amusement park they hadn''t seen yet, wandering for about ten more minutes before stopping in front of an attraction ¡ª a claw machine.


    Five Block-constructed claw machines stood in a row.


    This attraction was a bit different. It didn''t run in timed batches like most rides ¡ª sending in one group after another. Instead, it operated continuously.


    The pattern seemed to be: whenever a Block player inside the machine was "clawed" out, the gingerbread NPC would let a new ticketed player enter to fill the spot.


    Each claw machine held 49 players inside, and one on the control panel outside ¡ª for a total of 50 players per unit.


    The interior of each transparent claw machine was huge ¡ª roughly the size of a football field for Block-sized players ¡ª plenty of room for them to run around.


    Any Block player who got clawed out would temporarily switch places with the player at the control panel. If they successfully grabbed a prize, they''d be allowed to return to the machine.


    From what Rita could tell, each player on the console got three attempts max. Fail all three, and they''d be dropped into the next claw machine as a regular Block.


    But what determined who got clawed out was a mystery.


    Some left missing chunks of Blocks, while others were fully loaded with loot.


    Rita turned her thumb, spinning the ring made of miniature puzzle-cube Blocks. She wasn''t sure if having B8017913 in this round would make things more complicated ¡ª or more interesting.


    She stared at the claw machines, trying to figure them out, when Nivalis spoke up beside her.


    "Why this one? What''s special about it?"


    She lowered her voice. "I saw the ticket price. Not cheap, but not crazy either. They charge per player."


    Which meant... B8017913 also needed a ticket.


    No obvious advantages. No clues about difficulty. So it made sense that Nivalis was confused.


    Rita was quiet for a moment, then answered simply:


    "Because it looks fun."


    That was it.


    So simple it stunned Nivalis ¡ª even B8017913 froze and let out a mental "Huh?"


    Rita laughed. It was the kind of laugh that came just before telling a joke ¡ª except she cracked herself up before she could even start.


    "I just want to play this one."

 Chapter 621: 621: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks12

    But the biggest challenge with this attraction wasn''t the gameplay or the ticket price ¡ª it was that, based on how players were admitted, she and her two pets likely wouldn''t be placed in the same claw machine.


    With bad luck, they might not even end up in the same machine at all.


    But so what if B8017913 was a player? Couldn''t she just build it a body?


    In this Block world, players came in all shapes and forms. Giving B8017913 a new look wouldn''t raise any eyebrows.


    And besides, her mindset had started to shift.


    In the past, when she was weaker, her first instinct with any new resource was to hide it ¡ª like a small animal in the jungle clutching its prize, fearing predators.


    Now, she still didn''t think she was strong enough ¡ª but when faced with the powers she had, her instinct was to use them.


    Rita didn''t rush to line up. She circled around behind the vending machine, using Nivalis for cover, and began putting together a body for B8017913.


    It was still Block-ified in ring form and couldn''t switch into any other shape ¡ª but she could attach Blocks to build on top of it.


    She added a few pieces, broke B8017913 apart, and reshaped it into a head ¡ª a square Block with a ring etched on top.


    Then a slightly larger Block for the body and four little pieces for limbs.


    "How''s this?"


    The new B8017913 was only five centimeters tall ¡ª and looked pretty basic ¡ª but from the way the little Block figure bounced and waved its arms, it clearly moved just fine.


    It had planned to say "not great," but after hopping a few times in Rita''s palm and feeling out the mobility, B8017913 admitted,


    "Not bad. It feels like my own body. Pretty nimble."


    That was good enough. Rita brought both her pets and joined the queue.


    Realizing Rita really was planning to send it into the game, B8017913 couldn''t help but ask,


    "You''re not worried about me?"


    Rita:


    "You''ve got skills, don''t you? Didn''t you install all three power banks into your core before we left?"


    If B8017913 could take down a Tier-17 inspector in the Diamond Mine event, she had no doubts about its combat capability.


    B8017913:


    "...I remember you said I was supposed to be ''clerical staff.''"


    Rita:


    "Well, now you''re reassigned. It''s tough times. We''re all playing multiple roles now. You''re one of the top three shareholders of the company ¡ª time to step up and help us grow!"


    That corporate speech left B8017913 completely stunned.


    By now, Rita had also figured out something else ¡ª B8017913 had a lazy streak. It liked to slack off whenever it could.


    So she offered a carrot with the stick:


    "Don''t worry ¡ª if we end up in the same claw machine, I''ll come fetch you!"


    B8017913 patted the Block on Rita''s stomach.


    "Then can I rebuild myself?"


    Rita had no issue with that. She opened the stomach Block so B8017913 could hop inside and start adjusting its structure.


    Rita:


    "If you lose Blocks in this form, what stat takes the hit? Intelligence?"


    B8017913 explained:


    "Yep. By giving up my physical form, I''ve sealed off Constitution, Strength, and Agility. Now I''m pure Intelligence. The Blocks I add on now just temporarily give me the stats they represent."


    Rita:


    "What''s your Intelligence stat?"


    B8017913:


    "8716. But this form burns through mana ¡ª just like I told you before. If you use my skills, it drains 5% of my MP each time. If I use them myself, every skill costs 2.5%."


    Got it. B8017913 was now a fragile glass-cannon mage with high INT and a serious mana shortage.


    This attraction''s queue moved slower than the space pirate game. Sometimes the line jumped forward by several spots, other times it crawled. It was nearly 2:30 AM by the time Rita''s turn came up.


    She''d already handed Nivalis her ticket earlier. Now, she held out her palm, presenting the newly built B8017913 ¡ª who was still clutching a gray Block ¡ª to the gingerbread NPC.


    The little gingerbread stared at B8017913 for a moment, then glanced at the open slot in Claw Machine #3. Suddenly, it pointed at Rita and said, in BS-standard English:


    "You go first."


    Rita: ...Huh?


    What was this? VIP treatment?


    From the gingerbread''s expression, it seemed like the current slot might not be ideal ¡ª maybe not suited for B8017913.


    Sensing the situation, B8017913 quickly spoke up in English, "I''ll go first."


    But Rita pressed a finger down on its head, stopping it from jumping. She held out her ticket instead.


    "It''s fine. Listen to it. Your safety comes first."


    Nivalis & B8017913: ???


    Before either could start whispering in private about whether Rita had eaten something weird, she used [Who Wants to Start a Group] to create a party chat.


    Since they were now officially inside a game zone, skills were usable again ¡ª and this one was clearly going to be a long match. No point saving that Arcane Point now.


    As Rita slid down the gingerbread''s assigned entry chute, she messaged the group:


    "How about that, Secretary B? Feeling special yet?"


    B8017913 was just checking its inbox, reading a DM from one of its own kind:


    "So it''s true you bonded with BS-Rita? I''ve heard tons of stories. Like, she got jumped by hundreds of promo events and still refused to admit fault ¡ª real stubborn mule. And now she''s treating you so nicely?"


    "...Yeah. She''s like that," B8017913 replied. After a pause, it mimicked a phrase it''d learned not long ago:


    "She super loves. Can''t help it."


    Even the gingerbread NPC flinched a little at that line.


    Back in public chat, B8017913 grinned at Rita:


    "Mmhmm"


    Nivalis snapped:


    "Why don''t you ever pull this PR stuff for me back on Dragon Island?!"


    Rita, already sliding down a tunnel, laughed.


    "Next time we go back, I''ll throw you a parade!"


    And then, the game rules rang out in her mind ¡ª and she focused.


    [Claw Machine Game Rules ¡ª This match features Overstocked Dolls, Hot-Selling Dolls, and Doll Buyers.]


    [Overstocked Doll Rules]


    In each machine, the three Dolls (Block players) with the highest Block counts become Overstocked Dolls. Each of them can create a "Usage Instruction" ¡ª a special rule. Every Doll in the same machine that fits a rule will have its body size doubled and Agility halved by 50%.


    "Usage Instructions" must be related to the current Divine Game: Chaotic Blocks. The Overstocked Dolls can modify their rule at any time.


    Overstocked Dolls cannot earn rewards for killing other Dolls.


    If an Overstocked Doll is captured by a Doll Buyer, they will receive five times the machine number in Block rewards and become the new Doll Buyer.

 Chapter 622: 622: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks13

    [Doll Buyer Rules]


    The Doll Buyer has 1 minute to operate the claw.


    The Doll Buyer may shake the claw machine once. During the 10 seconds following a full shake, all Dolls inside are unable to use skills or game items.


    If the Doll Buyer fails to successfully grab a Doll before their time ends, they will be forcibly swapped with a random Doll from another claw machine.


    If the Doll Buyer grabs an Overstocked Doll, the Doll will receive a reward of five times the machine number in Blocks and will become the new Doll Buyer.


    [Hot-Selling Doll Rules]


    A Hot-Selling Doll that reduces another Hot-Selling Doll''s HP to zero will become a Temporary Overstocked Doll for 1 minute. During this time, they cannot be grabbed. The defeated Doll drops one random Block and will respawn in the same machine once their HP is restored.


    If a Hot-Selling Doll is grabbed by the Doll Buyer, the Buyer gains five times the machine number in Blocks, and the captured Doll becomes the new Doll Buyer.


    [Players may leave the claw machine only after being Doll Buyer three times or remaining as a Doll for over 30 minutes.]


    [Claw machine game rules override general amusement park rules.]


    The slide was long enough for Rita to hear the full set of rules on the way down.


    The roles of Hot-Selling Dolls and Doll Buyers were fairly straightforward ¡ª one tried not to get caught, and the other tried to catch. Each had its pros and cons. Hot-Sellers were passive but could earn Blocks through combat. Buyers were active but risked big losses if they accidentally grabbed an Overstocked Doll.


    The tricky role was the Overstocked Doll.


    Overstocked Dolls were the three players with the most Blocks in a machine ¡ª usually the strongest or most skilled. But ironically, they couldn''t earn Blocks by defeating others. The only way to gain Blocks was to get caught by the Doll Buyer.


    They could issue "Doll Usage Instructions" ¡ª special conditions that, when met, caused any Doll in the machine to double in size and lose 50% Agility.


    The trick was this: Overstocked Dolls wanted to get caught. So they had to disguise themselves using "Usage Instructions" or camouflage skills to make themselves look like attractive targets.


    But if their instruction was too specific ¡ª only affecting themselves ¡ª it would be obvious, and the Buyer wouldn''t fall for it.


    If it was too broad ¡ª affecting too many Dolls ¡ª it''d look like a trap. Again, the Buyer wouldn''t bite.


    It was a delicate game. The Overstocked Dolls weren''t enemies of the Hot-Selling Dolls. In fact, despite shaping their fate, they often served as a protective buffer.


    What really caught Rita''s attention, though, was the last line:


    [Claw machine game rules override general amusement park rules.]


    That meant even if a player fell below the Block danger threshold and was forced to restart from the lobby... they''d be returned to the claw machine again?


    But there was good news too: HP wasn''t locked inside the claw machine. That meant she could use [I Just Want to Improve So Badly].


    While thinking this through, Rita slid out of the chute and landed in Claw Machine #3.


    The moment she hit the floor, a voice echoed in her mind:


    [You are now an Overstocked Doll in Claw Machine #3.]


    She began flying and running around to assess the environment. Thirteen Dolls were currently giant-sized, but five began shrinking back to normal as she entered ¡ª meaning the previous Overstocked Doll''s "Usage Instruction" had expired.


    While moving, Rita issued her first command as an Overstocked Doll:


    "I declare: Dolls should bring two pets to play the claw machine."


    Immediately, speakers at all four corners of the machine rang out in a language she didn''t recognize ¡ª probably some universal dialect. Then the message repeated in two other languages. The second one, thankfully, she could understand:


    "Doll Usage Instruction: Dolls should bring two pets to play the claw machine."


    In an instant, Rita''s already bulky frame ¡ª from her Block count ¡ª doubled in size. Her movements turned sluggish and awkward.


    No one else in the arena seemed to enlarge from her rule, but Rita couldn''t help laughing.


    This game suited her far more than she''d expected.


    She''d gathered 68 Blocks from the pirate ship game alone, five of which were item fragments she sold for 120g. Most were odd-shaped, janky little Blocks. Even after building the potion bottle and paying the fees for herself, Nivalis, and the claw machine ticket, she still had over 170 Blocks on her.


    But on the outside, she didn''t look like she had the most Blocks. Her build was clean and precise, nothing about her stood out. No one would guess her stomach was hollow and stuffed full of Blocks.


    Plus, she still had [Away from Home, Identity is Self-Assigned].


    She tested [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] on a nearby Doll. Though the steal attempt failed, the skill still triggered.


    Was it finally her time to shine?


    She carefully observed the five Dolls with the most visible Blocks. After closing in, she shouted in Owlcrow language:


    "I want secure and stable happiness!"


    Then she selected the player trying to squeeze into the crowd of giant Dolls and triggered three consecutive Improvements.


    Three Blocks appeared in her hand.


    No item fragments, but Rita didn''t mind. Still mid-air, she turned her back to the Doll Buyer and stuffed the three Blocks into her stomach cavity.


    Just then, Nivalis and B8017913''s voices lit up the group chat ¡ª they had both entered the game.


    B8017913: "I''m in Claw Machine #1."


    Nivalis: "I''m in 1 too!"


    Rita: "Perfect. Work together ¡ª your skill sets complement each other."


    Nivalis: "Huh? I don''t have weaknesses. Didn''t I tell you? I''m top-tier among the new-gen dragons."


    B8017913: "Me neither. Ever since I signed with you, I''ve been trending on Mech forums. I''m basically a rising star in the machine race."


    Nivalis: "Oh? So you guys call bonding with a player ''signing''?"


    B8017913: "Yeah, that''s what we call it."


    Rita: ...The most urgent thing for you two right now is to stop browsing BS forums so much.

 Chapter 623: 623: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks14

    On the surface, playing as an Overstocked Doll seemed easy.


    You could influence the outcome of Hot-Selling Dolls with a single line of instructions, didn''t have to worry about being caught, and getting grabbed by the Doll Buyer was actually your goal.


    But Rita knew something didn''t sit right¡ªit felt too unbalanced.


    Hot-Selling Dolls and Doll Buyers could both lose a lot of Blocks. If a Hot-Selling Doll got caught, or if a Doll Buyer mistakenly grabbed an Overstocked Doll, they''d each lose at least five Blocks¡ªfifteen total in this machine.


    Only the Overstocked Dolls had no such risk.


    As long as no other player overtook their Block count, all they had to do was run around for 30 minutes and walk away unscathed.


    Too good to be true, right?


    In any case, it never hurt to try and steal some of the Doll Buyer''s Block rewards. The more Blocks she had, the lower her chance of losing any rare item fragments.


    She circled the arena. The Doll Buyer still hadn''t made a move, so Rita decided to change her current "Usage Instruction."


    The loudspeakers inside the machine boomed with the updated announcement:


    "Doll Usage Instruction: This is the second attraction Dolls have played in Chaotic Blocks."


    Based on her own timeline:


    She entered the amusement park at 00:45, after spending 15 minutes reading the rules and prepping at the gate. It had been less than two hours since then.


    She had wandered around quite a bit collecting information, sure¡ªbut she refused to believe other players hadn''t done the same. Who just sprints to an attraction immediately after entering?


    She was confident in her time management.


    And she was right. After the new instruction was broadcast, at least forty Dolls inside the machine instantly doubled in size.


    Soon after, three of them shrank back down¡ªa clear sign they''d used skills to change their body size.


    Rita dove into the crowd and used the cover to activate [Away from Home, Identity is Self-Assigned], reshaping her Blocks for camouflage.


    But the moment she finished, a notification popped up:


    [You have lost your Overstocked Doll status. You are now a Hot-Selling Doll.]


    Worse still, her enlarged body¡ªcreated by her own Usage Instruction¡ªshrunk back to normal.


    So the rules were strict. No loopholes allowed.


    ...But wait.


    What if she canceled the disguise right after getting grabbed? Would she reclaim her Overstocked status?


    Then again... what if she couldn''t use skills while being grabbed?


    She''d seen from the outside: once a Doll was caught by the claw, no one escaped.


    Except for the 10-second ban during the Doll Buyer''s machine-shake, skills were always usable. Surely a Doll could still fight back.


    But based on observation, no one had ever broken free once grabbed.


    Her best bet was to cancel the disguise at the very last moment¡ªright before being lifted. But that window would only come once. The cooldown on One-Person Party, her disguise skill, was four hours.


    From what she''d seen up close, the claw arm''s speed had to be on par with at least 900 Agility. And even after descending, it could still be steered via joystick.


    In short, if your Agility was under 900, and you couldn''t dodge before the claw got above your head, you were done.


    Just as she finished the thought, the whole machine shook violently. Rita looked up: the Block player at the joystick was yanking the controls hard.


    Ten seconds of no skills and no item use...


    But crucially¡ªany disguise activated before the shake wasn''t canceled.


    Rita bolted into action.


    Ten seconds later, her skill window came back online.


    Time to farm.


    She opened up [Fourfold Spring], paired it with [Spring Scenery & Flowers], and activated [Midnight Exile]¡ªburning through Arcane Points like candy.


    While cutting down Hot-Selling Dolls, she also targeted the players with the highest Block counts, trying to steal from them with [I Just Want to Improve So Badly].


    Rita adapted to her new role as a Hot-Selling Doll in no time. She''d rack up Blocks now¡ªand return to being an Overstocked Doll later when the timing was right.


    By the time she hit minute seven, she pulled off something big.


    After stacking [Midnight Exile] damage up to 125x, she slammed down an empowered [Family Bucket].


    It was like the machine exploded.


    One hit. HP bars vanished.


    Thirty-two Dolls were wiped out in one go.


    And she scooped up all 32 Blocks from the kills.


    The rest had either activated emergency saves or used rare item skills to survive.


    If anyone in here was above Tier 12, they definitely weren''t showing it.


    Thirty-two new Dolls rained down from the top of Machine #3 like dumplings being tossed into boiling water.


    The spectacle was massive¡ªso much so that not only did all the spectators turn to look, but even the little gingerbread NPC outside the machine turned its head.


    Nivalis: "What the hell''s going on in your machine?!"


    Rita: "Oh, nothing. Just a little combo kill. Took out 32 Hot-Selling Dolls in one sweep. Routine. You guys don''t need to freak out. Just another day in the life of a powerhouse."


    B8017913: "......"


    Nivalis: "......"


    Nivalis: "I think you''re a third kind of Doll. Not Overstocked or Hot-Selling."


    Rita: "I don''t want to know."


    B8017913: "She''s a Fully-Upgraded Doll."


    Rita: "..."


    Two minutes later¡ª


    Rita: "Okay, then you two are Veggie Dolls."


    B8017913: "I feel cold. Nivalis, are you using an ice spell?"


    Nivalis: "No, it''s not me. It''s the one you ''signed with.''"


    Rita considered just muting the group chat entirely.


    ...


    Meanwhile, she kept a close eye on the top five Block holders.


    She also had B8017913 helping her gather intel on current Overstocked Dolls.


    This match was clearly unusual. All players had appeared at the amusement park gate at exactly 00:30, but because everyone spent different amounts of time reading instructions at the entrance, they entered the park at different times.


    Rita had joined the claw machine around 2:30 AM.


    Which meant the first round of forced item unlocks was beginning.


    Whoever entered earlier would have their game items and curios unlock earlier too.


    Over the next fifteen minutes, she saw one after another player suddenly have a rare item appear before them.


    The Divine Game loved spectacle. Whenever a special item or curio was unlocked, it showed a glowing counter above it¡ªbroadcasting the number of fragments required.


    A giant glowing sign to tell everyone, Hey, this is valuable!


    And every time a new item appeared, Rita would stroll over and cast [I Just Want to Improve So Badly].


    It worked once. She managed to steal a cloak fragment from a four-piece equipment set¡ªnot an item or curio, but still a win.


    Rita, who''d gotten this far purely on stolen gains and opportunistic upgrades, had one major advantage:


    She was unbothered. As long as she got something, she was happy.

 Chapter 624: 624: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks15

    At the 15-minute mark of the game, a prompt rang out in Rita''s mind:


    [Playtime has reached 2 hours. A new item/curio has been unlocked.]


    ["Wrathful Moon" has been unlocked.]


    ["Wrathful Moon" has been deployed.]


    As the notification ended, a Block lantern appeared out of thin air in front of her. Hovering above it was a gleaming golden number: "9".


    Instantly, all the Dolls in the machine turned their gaze toward her. Rita couldn''t even decide whether to feel thrilled or exasperated. She grabbed the lantern and bolted.


    At that exact moment, the claw above her moved in, tracking her wherever she ran ¡ª clearly targeting her.


    Even though she''d racked up 42 Blocks by stealing and killing as a Hot-Selling Doll, her current total didn''t even crack the top five. She was barely top ten. Still, the Doll Buyer gave up on their previous target and chose her.


    It made sense ¡ª if that lantern turned out to be one of the 9-piece item sets, it could sell for at least 500g Block.


    Why gamble on random Dolls when this one might be a ticket to instant wealth?


    Rita glanced up at the descending claw while her hands moved quickly, reaching into her hollow torso to grab the coin-shaped Block nestled by her waist.


    The Doll Buyer started shaking the machine.


    At the same time, a broadcast echoed through the speakers. She didn''t understand the first version, but the moment the effect hit, she felt herself slowing down.


    "Doll Usage Instruction: Dolls should own an item or curio composed of 9 fragments."


    The Doll Buyer and the Overstocked Dolls ¡ª they were working together.


    The claw dropped.


    Just before it reached her, Rita canceled her disguise skill and slammed the [Forced Recall] reward onto Wrathful Moon.


    The Block lantern vanished. A notification rang out:


    [You are now an Overstocked Doll in Machine #3.]


    The claw grabbed an Overstocked Doll.


    Rita was thrown into the Doll chute, sliding along a steep curve before landing outside, on the control platform.


    When she hit the ground, she looked up to see the Doll Buyer across from her clutching their head in frustration.


    [The Doll Buyer made an invalid purchase. You have received 15 Blocks from their inventory.]


    [You are now the new Doll Buyer.]


    A claw reached out, grabbed the previous Doll Buyer, and dropped them into Machine #4.


    A pile of Blocks was left behind.


    Rita sprinted over, scooping them up while keeping her eyes fixed on the Dolls inside Machine #3.


    But the longer she watched, the heavier her expression became.


    As a Doll Buyer, her view of the Dolls was totally different. Their colors had faded ¡ª all of them now looked like translucent glass Dolls, their Block structures semi-transparent.


    That wouldn''t have been a problem on its own. The real issue was the sheer volume of attacks ¡ª spells, skills, and effects bursting off every single Doll. Bright flashes constantly lit up the arena.


    Every time a new skill flared, the Dolls glowed in different hues, their Blocks lighting up like strobe lights.


    The combat never stopped. To Rita, it felt like staring directly into the high beams of forty-nine cars all at once.


    Under that constant barrage of light, the Block outlines blurred into each other. She couldn''t tell who had more Blocks and who had less.


    No wonder previous Doll Buyers looked so irritated when shaking the machine.


    She stuffed the small Blocks into her stomach, stuck the bigger ones to her limbs, and turned her focus to the claw.


    Inside the machine, the Dolls had already undergone several rounds of transformation.


    It was the Overstocked Dolls causing the chaos ¡ª they''d changed their Usage Instructions again.


    Back when Rita was still a Hot-Selling Doll, she''d been watching the top Block players carefully. Her goal had been both to steal their fragments and identify the real Overstocked Dolls ¡ª valuable intel now that she was the Buyer.


    She recalled their races and skill types, trying to avoid them.


    But those suspected Overstocked Dolls had a habit of diving straight into the chaos. One of them had shields and magic blasts running on loop, and to make it worse, they followed the claw''s movements on purpose.


    Rita moved the claw around for 21 seconds trying to avoid them ¡ª in the end, she slammed the control panel in frustration. That one was definitely a former Doll Buyer. No doubt about it.


    She remembered from her earlier observations: every Doll Buyer pulled the claw three times.


    Even after entering the game herself, she''d been keeping track ¡ª not a single Doll Buyer had failed to make three grabs.


    She couldn''t help but suspect some hidden mechanic.


    Just like how she''d been questioning why Overstocked Dolls weren''t punished for AFK behavior ¡ª maybe Doll Buyers weren''t punished either. Worst case, they just got dropped into the next machine.


    Even if they were caught again later, they''d still gather more Blocks ¡ª better than mis-grabbing an Overstocked Doll.


    With that in mind, at 24 seconds, she sent the claw into an empty corner.


    It grabbed nothing ¡ª but a message popped up:


    [One Block will be randomly deducted from your inventory as a game token. If you would like to purchase three tokens at once, you will gain manual grab rights.]


    [Purchase three tokens? Yes / No]


    Rita: ...


    You never said it cost money! Had she known, she''d have committed to AFK mode!


    She chose Yes.


    A box appeared next to the joystick. She picked three medium-sized Blocks and dropped them in.


    This entire action was clearly hidden from view ¡ª no wonder she never saw it as a spectator.


    Wait... maybe she had seen it.


    Those awkward, suddenly self-conscious movements the Doll Buyers made? The way they stared down at the console like they were hiding something?


    Yeah. That must''ve been it.


    Rita took a deep breath and prepared to continue the round.


    This only deepened her suspicion ¡ª there had to be a hidden penalty for Overstocked Dolls slacking off. Probably the loss of five times the machine number in Blocks.


    As for the Doll Buyer trap? Unless you''d been in the role twice, there was no way to avoid it.


    Out of ten first-timers, nine would definitely fall into it.


    After all, each Doll Buyer got one chance to shake the machine. It felt just like a free lottery pull ¡ª no one would skip it.


    Once you were in that position, of course you''d shake the machine. It stopped the blinding effects, silenced the chaos for 10 seconds ¡ª a perfect window to grab something.


    On the 31st second of her turn as Buyer, Rita shook the machine.


    [Madness Level: 2]


    [Note: Madness Level must reach 10 to calm the Dolls.]


    Fine. You win.


    She leapt to the far left of the console, grabbed the edge of the machine''s window, and began shaking with everything she had. Occasionally, she''d launch herself outward and kick the side for extra force.


    [Madness Level reached. Dolls have calmed.]


    The blinding lights dimmed ¡ª finally ¡ª and Rita grinned.


    Halfway through her smile, she heard clapping to her left.


    She turned.


    There stood Nivalis, missing a few parts of her body, clapping.


    Worse ¡ª she was smiling and shaking her head.


    "Oh, Rita..."


    Rita: "..."


    First thing I''m doing when we get home? Disconnecting the damn internet.

 Chapter 625: 625: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks16

    Time was short, and Rita wasn''t in the mood to joke with Nivalis. She rushed back to the control console and started searching for the Doll she''d marked earlier.


    She didn''t bother mentioning that grabbing a Doll cost game tokens ¡ª Nivalis was already at Machine #2, clearly on her second round as a Doll Buyer.


    Wait... if Nivalis knew it cost Blocks to buy game tokens, why hadn''t she warned her?


    Something was off.


    While tracking her target with the claw, Rita asked in the group chat:


    "Did you get a prompt to buy game tokens when you grabbed a Doll?"


    Nivalis: "Nope. I didn''t pay anything??"


    Rita: "You didn''t need to buy game tokens with Blocks?"


    Nivalis: "Not at all!"


    Rita frowned. Could it be tied to the role a player had before becoming Doll Buyer?


    She didn''t think Nivalis had been an Overstocked Doll, but she asked just in case:


    "Before you became a Doll Buyer, were you a Hot-Selling Doll or an Overstocked one?"


    Nivalis: "Hot-Selling."


    Rita acknowledged the info with a simple "got it" and said no more.


    Both of them were fully focused now.


    Inside the machine, players were still unlocking items and curios. Rita wasn''t greedy; she ignored the shimmering item numbers and focused entirely on the joystick, chasing the Doll she''d had her eye on.


    This particular one was easy to spot ¡ª Rita had killed them twice back when she was a Hot-Selling Doll.


    The first time she got the kill, nothing changed in the machine. No reaction at all ¡ª meaning no shift in the Usage Instructions. So at that moment, the target definitely hadn''t been an Overstocked Doll.


    But just as she pressed the Grab button, the Doll''s appearance shifted ¡ª into someone Rita had long suspected was an Overstocked Doll!


    They had undone their disguise skill? Just like she had before?


    Out of the corner of her eye, Rita spotted the original Doll she''d targeted standing in a corner of the machine.


    A switch?


    No ¡ª skill use was still on cooldown during this phase.


    No time to think it through. Once the button was pressed, the claw couldn''t be retracted.


    She yanked the joystick, trying to redirect it away ¡ª but the Doll jumped up, voluntarily diving into the claw''s grip.


    The claw closed around the target.


    Rita''s chest tightened. She instinctively clutched her head and shouted aloud:


    "No, I did nothing wrong!"


    [Pride Undying] ¡ª the title skill: [Stubborn Mule]!


    In that moment, her mind flashed through every action she''d taken in the last five minutes, like a film reel.


    She chose to retract her grab attempt ¡ª and the skill succeeded.


    The claw released the Doll.


    Rita was drenched in cold sweat.


    Over at the neighboring machine, Nivalis silently watched the whole meltdown unfold:


    "...."


    She vaguely remembered Rita''s new title being something like... Whatever-Doesn''t-Die?


    Rita didn''t pause. The moment she recovered, she cast [Repay] on the Overstocked Doll she''d almost grabbed.


    She didn''t care what skill it was ¡ª she just needed to borrow it.


    Then, she immediately swung the claw back around to pursue her backup target ¡ª another Hot-Selling Doll she had marked.


    She''d paid the price already ¡ª no way she was wasting those three grabs.


    By now, the 10-second no-skill window from the machine shake had ended. The arena once again exploded in a storm of colors and effects.


    It was practically impossible to see clearly. The lights were blinding.


    Rita gave up on precision and just aimed the claw into the heart of the most chaotic skirmish ¡ª the hardest-fought zone in the machine.


    She had a backup plan in mind: if this Doll turned out to be a trap too, she''d immediately cast [Yes, I''m Fish Belly, what about it?] ¡ª a skill that would let her forcibly use [Stubborn Mule] even while it was still on cooldown.


    The claw rose, gripping a Doll. As soon as Rita could clearly see the Block structure ¡ª she relaxed.


    It was legit.


    Moments later, the Hot-Selling Doll was tossed onto the control platform.


    Fifteen Blocks floated from their body and drifted toward Rita, then dropped to the floor.


    She rushed forward and began collecting them.


    Unlike when she''d collected Blocks from the previous Doll Buyer, these Blocks now had timers hovering above them ¡ª likely tied to the Doll''s return window to the machine.


    She crouched, swept all the Blocks into a pile, then threw her arms around them.


    Three seconds later, in the weirdest pose possible, she forcibly attached the Blocks to herself.


    Almost immediately, another claw extended from above, grabbed her, and flung her back into Machine #3.


    Now holding 242 Blocks, Rita automatically regained Overstocked Doll status.


    She didn''t bother setting a new Usage Instruction right away. Instead, she confidently sat in a corner and began organizing her Blocks.


    Her hands flew ¡ª nothing fancy, just fast and functional. Time was of the essence. After all, her [Spring Scenery & Flowers] and [Fourfold Spring] buffs were still active.


    She multitasked, skimming through the description of the skill she''d just borrowed from the previous Overstocked Doll.


    [Substitute] (Item Skill):


    Select a target. Swap appearance and profile with them. Core identity is unchanged. This disguise cannot be detected by identification skills below SSS-tier. Duration: 5 minutes. Mana Cost: 3000. Cooldown: 30 minutes.


    This was perfect for Nivalis.


    Even if she got caught, it wouldn''t matter. But more importantly, this could reduce the chances of her getting targeted in the first place.


    Of course, that was assuming Nivalis failed a claw attempt and landed in Machine #3.


    Just as she was thinking that, a message came through the group chat.


    Nivalis: "I caught a Doll! I''m back in Machine #2."


    Rita: "Congrats. What about 913?"


    B8017913: "Still in Machine #1. I''ve earned 17 Blocks so far. I''ve used up 90% of my internal battery. If I keep fighting, I''ll have to tap into my power banks. Should I continue?"


    Rita: "As long as you can last until the game ends, that''s all that matters."


    B8017913: "Got it. I''ll hold out."


    By now, Rita had finished sorting the 30 Blocks she''d earned as a Doll Buyer. She sent a message:


    "Nivalis, I''ve got a disguise skill that lets us swap appearances. If you take it, you''ll become an Overstocked Doll ¡ª meaning you won''t get grabbed. But I do suspect there''s a hidden penalty for Overstocked Dolls. It''s up to you."


    Since [Substitute] only swapped the outer appearance and info, not the essence, any Block loss would still come from the original owner.


    It was now 2:48 AM ¡ª only 12 minutes left before Dolls could leave after 30 minutes of play.


    The risk was small.


    And even if there was a penalty, it was far safer for Nivalis to take that hit than Rita. Nivalis had no rare items or curios, and Machine #2 had milder punishments than Machine #3.


    Rita laid out the pros and cons clearly, leaving the final choice to Nivalis.

 Chapter 626: 626: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks17

    Nivalis didn''t hesitate.


    "I''ll be the Overstocked Doll. Better I lose Blocks than you. Plus, I wanna mess with the Usage Instructions."


    She moved to the side of Machine #2 closest to Machine #3. Rita flew over as well and used the borrowed [Substitute] skill on Nivalis.


    One human, one dragon ¡ª their appearances swapped.


    Rita became a Block dragon, and a notification rang in her ears: she had lost her Overstocked Doll status.


    Nivalis, on the other hand, transformed into a Block-rich "billionaire" with over 200 Blocks, practically glowing with a neon sign that read "Overstocked Doll."


    Rita started examining the skin she had swapped from Nivalis.


    Nivalis had started the game with 63 Blocks. She earned 24 more in the last round, but after paying the first hour''s play fee and the pirate ship entry, she only had 85 when entering the claw machine.


    She lost 5 after being caught in Machine #1, got dumped into Machine #2 after failing to catch a Doll, then lost another 10 after being caught again. Thankfully, she succeeded in grabbing a Doll right after and earned another 10 Blocks.


    So overall, she should''ve been down by 5 Blocks.


    But when Rita counted the Blocks on this swapped skin, she found she had 4 more than expected.


    That meant Nivalis had somehow gained 9 Blocks ¡ª likely by killing Hot-Selling Dolls.


    Except... the arrangement of the Blocks was haphazard. Nivalis had lazily slapped them onto her back in spots that wouldn''t hinder movement. No wonder Rita thought she''d been missing a Block when she saw her earlier.


    "Not bad," Rita said. "You took down nine Hot-Selling Dolls?"


    Nivalis: "Nah, I just stole them. Why waste the effort?"


    Rita: "......"


    It was over. She''d raised a crooked child.


    Hard to teach good habits. Easy to teach bad ones.


    Rita''s vision went dark for a second. Images of dragons flashed through her mind ¡ª Holy Cup, Northyear, Snow Pile, Emperor Umbrella, Wind Shear... like a family reunion. All casting judgmental skills at her.


    Lidian? Lidian was fine. If Rita ever disguised herself as Pine Bloom, Lidian might actually shield her from the rest.


    She took a deep breath and reminded Nivalis:


    "You''re a dragon."


    Nivalis: "Yup. A divine thieving baby dragon."


    Rita: ...


    Wait a minute.


    Her brows slowly relaxed.


    That''s right!!


    Nivalis'' divine blessing included the title "Divine Thieving Baby Dragon." What did that mean?


    It meant this child was born for their guild of thieves.


    If she''d turned out this crooked, it was genetic. It was destiny. Had nothing to do with Rita!


    Once she shifted the blame to fate, Rita felt a whole lot better.


    She returned to killing Hot-Selling Dolls with zero hesitation. But at the same time, she kept a close watch on the few suspects she had flagged as likely Overstocked Dolls when she first entered.


    A couple had dropped from suspicion due to frequent Block count changes.


    But two still fit the profile perfectly.


    Now that she had a moment to really look, something struck her ¡ª their Block counts seemed lower than before.


    She circled both targets a few times, watching carefully.


    No doubt about it.


    They had fewer Blocks.


    Her observational skills weren''t what they used to be ¡ª they were far beyond. She wasn''t the type to memorize every detail she passed, but anything she''d targeted, she noticed everything.


    And these suspects? She''d been watching them for ages. She wasn''t mistaken.


    From the surface alone, one had lost 7 Blocks, the other 11.


    One Hot-Selling, one Overstocked... Rita glanced up at the claw.


    The only logical explanation for Overstocked Dolls losing Blocks? Something to do with the claw.


    No time to dwell. With [Spring Scenery & Flowers] and [Fourfold Spring] still active, Rita jumped back into killing Hot-Selling Dolls.


    Her theory wasn''t confirmed until one minute before the game ended.


    Nivalis: "Oh, I got a message. Says 10 Hot-Selling Dolls have been sold. Overstocked Dolls, overwhelmed by shame, lost 10 Blocks."


    Exactly as she suspected.


    A minute later, the floor beneath Rita vanished. She was sent sliding down the machine''s chute, launching through the air and landing in the Doll Showcase Basket out front.


    As she landed, a familiar payment box popped up in front of her.


    Time for the park to collect the 2:45¨C3:45 play fee.


    Rita had assumed she might have to pay mid-game, but she''d picked the claw machine because it wasn''t high-stress ¡ª even if she had to pause to pay, it wouldn''t be too disruptive.


    Still, she was impressed. The game actually respected the player experience.


    She plucked a Block from her body and tossed it into the payment slot, then flew out and landed on the platform beside the basket.


    A few seconds later, Nivalis ¡ª still wearing Rita''s skin ¡ª was flung out too.


    Rita canceled [Substitute] immediately.


    Moments later, a Block the size of a medium milk tea cup spun out of the chute, floating gracefully through the air before landing between Rita and Nivalis.


    Just like Rita, her two companions also had payment boxes appear in front of them.


    Both of them had earned profits this round ¡ª the payment was a breeze.


    Rita turned to look at the tiny figure standing beside Nivalis... and didn''t know what to say.


    When B8017913 had entered, it had been barely 5 cm tall. A considerate little thing ¡ª it had rebuilt itself modestly, simple limbs and body, like a stick figure.


    It had only improved its mobility and design a little.


    Now?


    It had tripled in size.


    Its Block color scheme was harmonious, elegant ¡ª like a piece of art.


    Rita was genuinely moved.


    It was like finding out the troubled kid from a struggling family was actually top of the class.


    She smiled warmly and was just about to praise it when¡ª


    Nivalis spoke first.


    "Third Prince..."


    Rita slapped a hand over her mouth.


    "Nope. I don''t want to hear it!"


    Nivalis: "?"


    Rita: "No more of those ancient meme jokes from grandma''s era."


    Nivalis: ...Fine. Of all people, you''re the last one who gets to say that.


    She grumbled in the group chat:


    "Fine, I won''t say it anymore."


    Rita released her and turned toward the street.


    "Come on. Let''s go process our Blocks."


    Her two top employees followed without hesitation.


    Behind her, Nivalis leaned in and whispered,


    "Got taller again."


    B8017913: "Mhm!"


    Rita: "......"


    And in that moment, Rita finally understood the pain of a leader watching their subordinates get so close they start acting like they run the place.

 Chapter 627: 627: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks18

    After just a few steps, Rita felt something off.


    A strange kind of hunger ¡ª irrational and abrupt. Ever since her body became game-ified, she rarely experienced this sensation. Sure, she ate a lot and got hungry fast, but even then, it never felt like this. Her limbs were going weak.


    The last time she''d felt anything like it was back in the Wasteland District.


    She stopped walking and turned to Nivalis and the little bot.


    "Do you guys feel really hungry all of a sudden?"


    As soon as she stopped, Nivalis clutched her stomach and looked over, clearly about to say the same thing.


    Rita considered using a skill ¡ª [Autumn Fish], something she learned after leaving the Gem Mine, which let her conjure grilled fish using Arcane Points.


    But of course, skills were disabled outside of attractions.


    Her eyes moved to the street food stalls. She''d noted them earlier, half-expecting some hidden quest like "taste food from every cart" or "spend X Blocks on snacks."


    Now she understood.


    Divine Game was forcibly generating demand.


    It wasn''t satisfied with players just scraping together enough to pay for entry. It wanted them hustling non-stop.


    And on top of that?


    No outside food allowed.


    Who taught this game these kinds of scams?


    Sure enough, crowds of players were now surging toward the food stalls. Every cart was swarmed with all kinds of Block-bodied characters.


    It hadn''t been this packed earlier.


    So it was time-based, then?


    Rita''s group had entered the claw machine close to 2:30. After a 30-minute game, a bit of chatting, it was now exactly 3:00.


    But players still inside games seemed fine. All those little Block avatars were still energetically leaping and punching each other inside the attractions.


    Even the ones queuing up weren''t affected ¡ª or at least, not most of them. The first 75% of the line seemed fine. But the ones near the end? Many were peeling away to find food.


    The players still waiting looked uneasy now, glancing around nervously.


    Maybe there was a threshold ¡ª wait in line too long, and you get counted as "active" and get hit with the hunger trigger. Or maybe Divine Game was trying to keep the experience "fun" by not letting players get stuck in line when they should be eating.


    Whatever the reason, it didn''t change the fact:


    Rita and Nivalis were starving.


    She had B8017913 hop onto her shoulder and headed with Nivalis toward the food stalls.


    Nivalis gave the little bot a few lingering glances.


    "You really like having us ride on your shoulders, huh?"


    Back in Lania Kaia, unless she was hiding her pet status, Rita always let Nivalis stand on her shoulder when in mini-dragon form.


    And just after B8017913 assembled its first body, Rita had put it on her shoulder too.


    Back then, the reason was obvious ¡ª the bot was tiny, might get stepped on.


    But now?


    B8017913 had grown, and the amusement park was full of players that size. There was no real need to carry it anymore.


    Rita, deadpan:


    "Is that so? I didn''t notice. I just don''t want us to get separated."


    B8017913 remembered all the drama shows they''d binge-watched on Rita''s computer, glanced at Nivalis, and suddenly changed its tone ¡ª from neutral robotic to soft baby voice.


    "Pika pika~~"


    Rita couldn''t stop the laugh from bursting out. She stifled it halfway through, but it was too late ¡ª her Blocky face contorted, and the black line meant to represent her mouth twisted like a wavy noodle.


    She slapped a hand over her mouth and tried to force it back into shape.


    B8017913:


    "Understand now?"


    Nivalis:


    "...I''d rather not."


    So I was playing the White Moonlight stand-in this whole time?


    And White Moonlight... was Pikachu?


    ...


    Earlier in the game, Rita had spent a decent amount of time exploring the park. She''d paid special attention to the food stalls, half-believing they might be hiding rewards. So she was already familiar with their pricing.


    Spoiler: nothing was cheap. No chance for bargain-hunting.


    She picked a blue-and-white Block cart selling popcorn and icy drinks. Taste didn''t matter ¡ª this one had the fastest service.


    It was a grab-and-go setup: pay a Block, get food instantly. No waiting.


    A large popcorn and drink combo cost 20g Blocks ¡ª the same value as a full 3-piece set fragment.


    But Rita had earned well this round. Before entering the claw machine, she had 172 Blocks. Now, even after paying the fee and building B8017913''s body, she was sitting at 272 Blocks.


    Feeding herself and two pets? No problem.


    She joined the queue ¡ª halfway in, not too bad.


    Inside the cart, two gingerbread NPCs were working full tilt. The popcorn machine spun nonstop, kernels flying into a transparent container.


    One gingerbread stood beside it, wielding a scoop almost bigger than itself. It shoveled the popcorn into oversized paper buckets with dramatic flair.


    Another gingerbread took over at the counter, placing random drinks from the automatic dispenser beside the popcorn, then nudging the tray forward as they accepted payment.


    One transaction done in seconds.


    Faster than daylight robbery.


    As Rita neared the front, she had a sudden thought.


    What about that gingerbread in the claw machine? Would this one recognize a "face"?


    She handed her payment Block to B8017913.


    "You pay," she said in the group chat.


    "Maybe they''ll give you extra popcorn just for your charming face."


    B8017913:


    "..."


    ...


    Three minutes later.


    The gingerbread scooping popcorn paused.


    Its gaze slid toward the mini-player platform ¡ª designed for small-sized Block customers.


    Standing there was B8017913, holding a payment Block in its hand.


    "Hello. I''d like a large popcorn combo."


    The gingerbread visibly slowed down. Like someone had hit a 0.5x playback button.


    It began scooping popcorn in slow motion, eyes locked on its tiny customer.


    Even the drink-and-payment gingerbread paused and looked over.


    In the corner of its vision, D62492 ¡ª the bot manning this cart ¡ª spotted the two players behind B8017913. It sent a private message, clearly irritated:


    "Why are you the one paying? Are you supporting your whole household now just because you bonded with a player?"


    B8017913 suddenly felt a wave of guilt. It could tell D62492 was annoyed.


    But what could it say?


    That BS-Rita put it in charge of buying the popcorn just to try and milk a few extra kernels from the mech vendor?


    ...Is that really something a Divine-favored Tier-9 powerhouse should be doing?!

 Chapter 628: 628: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks19

    B8017913 decided to follow the optimal plan it had just calculated.


    "I''m not paying. This is all BS-Rita''s earnings. I manage the money at home."


    The little gingerbread man manning the popcorn stand suddenly moved with practiced speed. With a sharp jab, he popped a whole bucket full of popcorn ¡ª so full it peaked above the rim, easily 30% more than usual.


    Nearby players who''d just bought their snacks or were mid-munch all turned to look.


    Rita and Nivalis both lit up at the sight of the overflowing bucket, voices rising in unison:


    "Waaah!"


    B8017913: "...Don''t mind us."


    D62492: ...Seriously?


    After paying, Nivalis carried the popcorn and drinks, while Rita picked up B8017913 and gently placed it on her shoulder. This was family. A VIP. It had to be protected.


    D62492, watching everything unfold:


    "Is that how high a contract pet''s rank goes once you team up with a player?"


    They managed the finances... didn''t have to walk on their own...


    B8017913 couldn''t exactly admit that BS-Rita just liked having something alive perched on her shoulder. Now that it was being carried further and further from the popcorn stand, it had no real way to explain. It simply said:


    "...It''s all about the bond."


    D62492: What does that even mean???


    B8017913, seeing D62492''s confused expression, let out a quiet laugh and gave a small wave to the little gingerbread vendor.


    ...


    Rita and Nivalis munched on popcorn as they walked. Every so often, Rita would hand a piece to B8017913. Though it was powered by energy, that didn''t mean it couldn''t eat.


    Nivalis, curious as ever, asked:


    "Didn''t you say mechanical races don''t really have emotions? Then why do all the ones we''ve met have distinct personalities and moods?"


    After all, B8017913 could get posted at the #1 claw machine, and could even get extra popcorn. That didn''t sound emotionless at all.


    But B8017913 often claimed it didn''t feel much.


    At the moment, it was gnawing on a piece of popcorn about the same size as its head. Back when it met Rita in the junk zone, Nivalis hadn''t been there. Before, it never brought it up on its own ¡ª but now that Nivalis had asked, it was happy to explain.


    "We''re built with preset personalities. Emotions and decision-making are based on logic derived from that personality."


    "When we encounter something that should logically trigger a reaction, our personality defines which 1¨C2 emotions we ''generate.''"


    "With full settings enabled, our systems tell us what emotion we''re supposed to feel at any given moment. Our emotion pool generates that feeling. We might know that we should feel happy... but we don''t understand why we feel it."


    What B8017913 wanted... was to understand why.


    Like how everyone knows 1 + 1 = 2 ¡ª it''s universally accepted. But B8017913 wanted to know why that answer existed.


    Nivalis: "Then why aren''t you like the others... uh..."


    She paused, struggling for the right word. Lively? Authentic? Neither felt right.


    After a pause, she said:


    "Didn''t you say you awakened? Why do you seem less emotional than them?"


    B8017913 began by explaining what "awakening" meant:


    "It''s when something ¡ª a moment, or a player ¡ª causes us to break from our preset programming and feel something that wasn''t coded."


    Then it answered her question:


    "When I left the junk zone with BS-Rita, I gave up half of my preset programming. I severed the link between my emotion pool and the soul simulation protocol."


    "Now, I can mimic any emotion I want. But every emotion generated inside my pool ¡ª is real."


    "You could say... I don''t need ''lively.'' I just need ''real.''"


    After saying all that, it looked at her and asked:


    "Do you think all this stuff I''m doing is boring?"


    The question came out of nowhere ¡ª but Rita knew what it really meant.


    It was asking her: Is wanting to know why 1 + 1 = 2 boring?


    Truthfully, Rita already knew some of this. But today, B8017913 had explained it far more clearly than ever before. Some details, even she hadn''t heard until now ¡ª like the fact it had sacrificed half its original settings.


    Nivalis didn''t answer right away.


    To a dragon overflowing with emotion, it was impossible to imagine what B8017913 had gone through.


    Like someone with perfect color vision trying to understand the world of someone born blind ¡ª all definitions of color would come from secondhand descriptions.


    Because she couldn''t relate to B8017913''s pain, Nivalis didn''t try to say anything.


    Rita, sensing B8017913''s gaze, simply shook her head.


    "Not boring at all. You said once, the gods don''t allow things that are pointless. So I can promise you ¡ª they definitely hate boring."


    "If the gods thought your awakening was boring, then something they created ¡ª like the mechanical race ¡ª would never be capable of feeling anything outside their programming."


    "Sure, you guys get thrown into the junk zone ¡ª but elimination happens to everyone. Players get weeded out all the time. Just like panning for gold in sand, those who awaken among mechanicals also have to prove themselves."


    "And more importantly... awakening without a price? That''s meaningless."


    Rita didn''t claim to fully understand B8017913. But she could speak for herself:


    "A program can tell me what I''m supposed to feel. But even a god can''t force me to feel something without asking. That''s not me."


    B8017913 understood her perfectly. It leapt to its feet, popcorn flying, and shouted:


    "It''s a bond! It''s light!"


    Then launched itself into a hug, wrapping its arms around Rita''s Block-shaped head.


    Rita: "..."


    The popcorn was good ¡ª slightly crispy on the outside, just sweet enough. After finishing a bucket, neither Rita nor Nivalis felt weak or hungry, but they were still a bit hungry.


    They lined up again ¡ª this time for grilled fish.


    As usual, B8017913 stepped up to order. The little gingerbread vendor opened a mini freezer on the spot and pulled out three of the biggest fish it had.


    While munching on grilled fish, B8017913 suddenly said:


    "I don''t hate the gods anymore."


    Rita: "Huh?! You were carrying around emotions that dangerous?!"


    B8017913: "Being a mechanical isn''t so bad. If I weren''t one, you wouldn''t have contracted me in the first place."


    Rita: "Fair point."


    ...


    "What''s Deceitful Bloom doing right now?"


    "Still setting up the automatic watering system in their flower cloud."


    "Still not done?"


    "I just checked ¡ª the magic irrigation device is actually a Block player with Fiery Wings of Flow..."


    "I saw that too ¡ª isn''t that the one who was swinging their head while shouting ''No, I wasn''t wrong''? The same one Deceitful Bloom laughed at earlier?"


    "Yep. They fly around inside the cloud, holding their head, wobbling back and forth while watering the flowers. Every time they finish a section, they yell ''No, I wasn''t wrong.'' It''s... surprisingly high-tech."


    "..."


    Sometimes, Deceitful Bloom''s sense of humor was scarier than their power.

 Chapter 629: 629: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks20

    After being out of the spotlight for years, Rita had no idea someone had already made new Divine Game-themed merchandise based on her.


    At the moment, she was focused on a newly appeared stat: Stamina.


    It popped up while she was about two-thirds through her grilled fish ¡ª starting at 80. After finishing the rest, her stamina climbed to 95.


    And it wasn''t just her ¡ª Nivalis and B8017913 had it too.


    The meaning was obvious, not just to Rita, but even to Nivalis and B8017913, who were both already deeply marinated in BS culture.


    Once you entered the amusement park, you''d consume stamina ¡ª whether or not you were playing a game.


    And the only way to replenish it? Spend Blocks.


    Even without testing, Rita was sure that self-made magical food items wouldn''t cut it.


    Like a trial period ending or a newbie safety zone disappearing, the amusement park was finally showing its true teeth.


    From here on out, doing nothing still came with a minimum charge ¡ª the fee to stay, and the fee to eat.


    Rita didn''t plan to find out what happened if stamina hit zero.


    She took her two companions to the back of a food truck, where the three of them sat in a circle and began sorting through their collected Blocks.


    All food purchases had been paid with Rita''s Blocks. As long as she had the resources, she believed her companions'' daily needs were her responsibility.


    After subtracting the 74gBlock spent on food and the amusement fee paid after leaving the claw machine, she still had 256 Blocks on her.


    She kept the small Blocks and rare oversized special Blocks ¡ª the ones she''d spent were the most common standard square ones.


    She''d earned 100 Blocks from the claw machine game ¡ª more than from the space pirate ship ¡ª but whether the game had no leaderboard or she just hadn''t made the cut, there had been no rankings and no rewards.


    This time, she''d collected 8 game item fragments, and both Nivalis and B8017913 had gotten a few too.


    After comparing the fragments, Rita took a lens, Nivalis chose a cloak, and B8017913 picked a dagger.


    Interestingly, the lens had come from B8017913, the cloak from Rita, and the dagger from Nivalis ¡ª so they each ended up trading with one another before dumping their leftover fragments into the vending machine.


    Both the dagger and cloak were 3-piece sets; the lens was a 5-piece. Naturally, prices varied ¡ª but none of them cared enough to do the math.


    Rita didn''t ask B8017913 to turn over the Blocks it had earned at the claw machine, nor did she make it revert into a ring. Instead, she told it to budget wisely and buy its own entry ticket for the next game.


    B8017913 quietly pieced together its Blocks, glancing now and then at Rita.


    It had always known ¡ª Rita may have signed a master-servant contract with it, and her trust in it couldn''t compare to what she had with Nivalis, but in day-to-day life, she treated them both the same.


    If ever forced to choose between life and death, she''d no doubt pick Nivalis without hesitation.


    But in their daily lives, Rita never made that difference felt.


    Like Nivalis, B8017913 could roam the house freely. It could use anything, leave things wherever it wanted. They were treated like residents ¡ª not guests, and not pets.


    It could ask Rita for pocket money. Ask her to play. Joke with her, tease her, even request the occasional little favor.


    Rita didn''t enforce hierarchy. As long as they followed her orders in battle and didn''t fool around at the wrong time, she never got mad. She never demanded blind obedience.


    Even if they were useless in a fight, she never blamed them.


    For Rita, help from others was always just a bonus ¡ª not a necessity.


    And based on B8017913''s careful analysis of her, it was almost certain:


    No matter how many Blocks it or Nivalis earned, Rita would never ask for them after the game ended.


    Of course, if B8017913 offered them on its own, Rita would probably open her pockets wide and make a show of turning away, saying something like:


    "Don''t do this~! What if Nivalis sees?!"


    But if Nivalis tried to offer her Blocks?


    Rita would absolutely refuse ¡ª she''d insist Nivalis keep them and use them to grow stronger.


    Because to Rita, Nivalis was undoubtedly the most important and irreplaceable presence in the universe.


    B8017913 stared, fascinated, at the strange new emotion that surfaced in its emotional pool the moment it made that comparison:


    Jealousy.


    It was the first time it had ever felt it.


    They said jealousy was a sin.


    But like light and shadow ¡ª that sin was always paired with another feeling:


    Desire.


    It wanted to be just as important as Nivalis.


    It wanted that level of devastating importance ¡ª the kind where if both it and Nivalis were kidnapped by the villain and only one could live, Rita would fall to her knees in anguish, unable to choose.


    As B8017913 sneaked another look at Rita, the one unknowingly sobbing on her knees inside a little robot''s imagination finally had enough.


    Rita: "What''s with you? Why do you keep staring at me?"


    B8017913 didn''t even flinch. No shame. Just a straight-up question:


    "If one day I earned your full trust, would you be willing to form an equal contract with me?"


    Nivalis, busy assembling her tail, didn''t even look up:


    "Little sis, you''re being so immature. You''ve barely been in the palace for half¡ª"


    Rita tackled her and held her in a headlock, then grabbed a ring-shaped Block and shoved it onto Nivalis''s dragon snout like a muzzle.


    After sealing her mouth, Rita sat back down and resumed working on her Blocks.


    "Of course I would."


    B8017913: Satisfied.


    "Deal."


    Rita had just finished assembling the glasses. One lens was from the fragment, while the other ¡ª since there wasn''t a matching piece ¡ª had to be filled with a [Plush Collar].


    The result was... weird.


    One side had no frame, and the other had no lens.


    But the item''s effect didn''t disappoint. It was the exact kind of scouting gear she''d been craving.


    [Unfazed by the Strange ¡¤ Incomplete] (?/5):


    When worn, allows the user to view partial information about a target...


    Rita put the glasses on, but nothing happened ¡ª she wasn''t currently inside an amusement facility, so none of her skills or gear effects were active. Even passive ones were disabled.


    Once the glasses were finished, Rita visited the vending machine again and picked up the Blocks she earned from selling two of her game items.


    Then, out of curiosity, she sorted the items by total number of required fragments ¡ª from largest to smallest.


    [Game Machine That Loves Games] (1/9) ¡ª Price: 480gBlock


    [Game Machine That Loves Games] (1/9) ¡ª Price: 490gBlock


    Rita''s hand, hovering over the page-turn button, stopped mid-air.


    This wasn''t the first time she''d seen that item.

 Chapter 630: 630: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks21

    Rita remembered how she and Nivalis had once traveled to the world of Marmang specifically to gather cross-world game info¡ªjust in case they ever ran into a game like Crazy Kart, where lack of preparation meant instant disadvantage.


    But things had gotten too hectic since then. Every time she returned from Divine Game, there was no downtime¡ªno chance to visit other worlds just to waste time.


    Besides, Eclipse Vanguard didn''t have enough loose change lately to hire her for cross-world shopping. She wasn''t about to take commissions for free, so she decided to put it off until they had the money to spare.


    She flipped through the listings rapidly. There were 37 pages of nine-piece Block item sets, each page with nine entries. That wasn''t a small number by any means.


    But with hundreds of thousands of players in this game, only a few hundred nine-piece sets in circulation was almost laughably rare.


    The item Wrathful Moon being a nine-piece had surprised her¡ªthough honestly, it felt a bit fake. That lantern contained a huge stash of moon sand. Without it, and without Wrathful Moon being an upgradeable item, it definitely wouldn''t qualify as a nine-piece.


    As for Game Machine That Loves Games, she''d already seen three fragments of it. The first time she saw it listed, the price was 500gBlock.


    If fragments of the same item showed up too often, it usually meant one of three things:


    The original owner was weak.


    The owner didn''t understand this round of Divine Game.


    Or... they were the seller.


    Some players would list fragments at outrageous prices just to avoid losing them during gameplay. But Rita doubted Divine Game had such a loophole.


    Yes, prices in the trading system could be steep¡ªbut they were never unrealistically high.


    Still suspicious, Rita dismantled one of her [Betrayal] Blocks and tried listing it in the market.


    A warning popped up instantly:


    Warning! Player BS-Rita is attempting to list a Block that originally belonged to them. Once listed, this action cannot be undone. If the Block fails to sell, it will be reclaimed by Divine Game.


    She immediately withdrew the Block.


    So no, there was no loophole.


    Players could sell their stuff to gain Blocks, but the system wouldn''t babysit your gear for you.


    Rita stood by the vending machine until all seven of her listed item fragments were sold, netting her a modest 160gBlock.


    Those two Game Machine That Loves Games fragments were still there. Actually, there were other nine-piece sets with multiple fragments on sale, but this one just kept catching her eye.


    She thought back to the near-miss trade deal with Eclipse Vanguard right before the game started¡ªsuch a fleeting moment of opportunity.


    She stopped hesitating.


    And began dismantling herself.


    ...


    Nivalis peeked over, but a long line in front of a nearby food truck blocked her view.


    "Why''s she still not back?"


    B8017913 was fiddling with its assembled dagger. Since partial equipment had no wear requirements¡ªbut came with incomplete stats and skills¡ªit just stuck the blade horizontally on top of its arm. Swinging its arm became a full-on attack. Who needs hands?


    It replied:


    "Probably selling off Blocks to buy something good."


    Then added,


    "Definitely not just any item. It must be something expensive."


    "Impossible." Nivalis said confidently.


    "Blocks represent attributes. Losing too many ordinary Blocks raises the chance of her losing item fragments. She wouldn''t take that risk."


    B8017913 gave a low snort.


    "Sister, your understanding of her is outdated."


    Nivalis: "..."


    She hadn''t felt it while being the crazy one herself¡ªbut now, watching someone else spiral? Major secondhand embarrassment.


    Her silence was too telling. If she''d played along, maybe it would''ve passed. But she didn''t.


    When even the dumbest one falls silent, you know it''s bad.


    And that''s when Rita returned¡ªright into this awkward silence.


    "What are you two doing?"


    Both Nivalis and B8017913 visibly relaxed at her voice.


    Then froze.


    Because Rita... looked almost exactly like she had when first entering the amusement park a few hours ago¡ªtiny.


    Now she was barely taller than B8017913, maybe 22 centimeters. If Nivalis stood up, she''d tower over her.


    She had a hand Block stuck to her chest, a potion bottle perched on one shoulder, and seven or eight odd-shaped Blocks balanced on the other. One side of her face wore a frameless lens, the other a thick black-rimmed frame, and a small antenna poked from her head.


    In her hands, she was fiddling with something unidentifiable.


    This look? Weirdly balanced.


    Compared to her previous form¡ªhalf a meter tall with a tiny cube of a head¡ªit was downright harmonious. Nivalis had endured that nightmare shape for far too long. Only Rita herself had found it funny.


    Nivalis: "You bought something?"


    Rita handed over what she was holding.


    "Yeah. This."


    It was a rectangular object.


    The centerpiece was a mismatched rectangular Block¡ªeye-catching because of how utterly out-of-place it looked.


    Every Block on it was a different size, color, and even thickness. Running a hand along the back, you could feel uneven bumps ¡ª a Frankenstein''s patchwork of whatever Blocks she could scrape together.


    But on either side were two matching game controller-style Blocks ¡ª one red, one blue. Both had plus signs and directional buttons. A bit scuffed, a bit incomplete ¡ª but they were clearly original parts, still in one piece.


    Looking at the whole thing, Nivalis had one concern:


    Would Divine Game be getting sued soon?


    [Game Machine That Loves Games ¡¤ Incomplete] (2/9):


    Skill 1 ¡ª Game Into Reality:


    Allows scanning and input of any game. When in-game time reaches ??? hours, the player may randomly receive a skill or...


    Nivalis read the description and shot to her feet in excitement.


    "How much?! I want one too!!"


    Rita held out her arms to show her current form.


    "Sold everything I could. Barely got two fragments."


    Before visiting the marketplace, Rita had 256 Blocks ¡ª not counting her original gear, items, or oddities. Of those, 8 were item fragments from the claw machine.


    Those 8 fragments sold for 160gBlock.


    But to buy just two Game Machine That Loves Games fragments, she still needed another 810gBlock.


    For reference, a mid-sized standard Block was only worth 5g...


    Rita didn''t want to dip into her core starter Blocks. She refused to sell her potion bottle. But she did want to complete this machine ¡ª to see if it was worth it.


    Wanting everything at once meant one thing: she sold off nearly everything else.


    Right now, not counting her personal gear and weapons brought into Divine Game, she only had 69 Blocks left. And over 20 of those were already assembled into her new gadgets ¡ª including Don''t Ask Me What a Potion Is and this new game machine.


    Nivalis sat back down.


    "...Actually, I don''t want it that much."

 Chapter 631: 631: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks22

    Even though [Game Machine That Loves Games] had only one visible skill ¡ª and even that skill had incomplete data ¡ª the potential alone was worth the steep Block cost.


    Stats were easy to come by. But top-tier relics and unique gear? Those were priceless.


    More importantly, the price right now was actually low.


    The two fragments Rita bought had been listed at 480gBlock and 490gBlock, likely underpriced due to the new Stamina system. Players were eager to convert items into currency, so prices had dipped a little. Nine-piece item fragments were valuable but notoriously hard to sell.


    But that price drop was only temporary.


    Very few players knew that incomplete item fragments could be freely pieced together into functional relics. And even fewer were willing to spend a massive number of Blocks on something they weren''t sure they''d ever complete.


    In fact, 99% of item fragments were eventually bought back by their original owners.


    This was still the early stage of the game. Once players started racking up more in-game time and accumulating surplus Blocks ¡ª after setting aside money for game entries and food ¡ª their desire to collect would naturally follow.


    And once that kicked in, these things would skyrocket in price.


    Rita couldn''t sit still. Once B8017913 finished examining the game machine, she took it back, removed a Block from her waist, and attached the console to her body ¡ª then reinserted the Block to hold it in place.


    "Let''s go play. You two are covering the tickets."


    Nivalis wanted to help Rita complete this new artifact ¡ª after all, if she had asked to play, Rita definitely would''ve let her.


    It was already 3:20 PM, and they hadn''t done much. Another few minutes and it''d be time to pay the next round of amusement fees.


    Rita led her two companions toward a game she''d already scouted earlier ¡ª bumper cars.


    Each Divine Game attraction had its own complex rules, but they were all based loosely on their real-world equivalents:


    Star pirate ship? A loot battle.


    Claw machine? Literally grabbing things.


    So naturally, she leaned toward rides she''d already played back in the BS system.


    From the moment she saw bumper cars, she''d been planning to try it.


    Nivalis could drive. And this game charged entry per car, not per player ¡ª so all three of them could ride together.


    There were about 100 bumper cars in the arena, each seating one to three players.


    The arena was large, but not massive. Big enough for everyone to drive creatively, even pull off a drift or two ¡ª but small enough that avoiding collisions was impossible. Dodge one car, crash into another. There just wasn''t room to avoid everything, no matter how skilled you were.


    Cars varied in size ¡ª scaled automatically to fit the largest passenger inside.


    Speed varied slightly too. It might be tied to the car''s size, or to kills ¡ª Rita noticed one car speed up a bit after KO''ing a player.


    Other than that, no obvious patterns stood out. The cars chased and smashed into one another. Players flung skills back and forth.


    Occasionally, a car would just... stall, like it glitched.


    Overall? It looked like a game of driver skill and controlled chaos.


    Nivalis began adjusting the shape and length of her claws and feet.


    B8017913 was busy modifying its dagger ¡ª using some stick-shaped Blocks borrowed from Nivalis to turn it into a spear, more suitable for stabbing from inside the car.


    Bumper car games ran 30 minutes per round, but each could fit at least 200 players. By the time Rita queued up, the current game was almost done. At exactly 3:40 PM, it was their turn.


    Nivalis paid for the car, but they all wordlessly handed the ticket money to B8017913 to process.


    The little gingerbread ticket vendor took their Blocks, yawned lazily, then raised its right hand in a loose fist ¡ª only the pinky stuck out, pointing toward a lone white bumper car at the 7 o''clock position.


    Rita and Nivalis both turned toward B8017913.


    B8017913 also paused, then confirmed:


    "It''s a good one."


    They didn''t know why yet ¡ª but they trusted the sign.


    So they picked the car that the little gingerbread man had silently blessed.


    Nivalis took the driver''s seat. Rita sat shotgun. B8017913 squatted in the dip between the two seats, on the backrest ridge.


    Nivalis: "You think your kind would scam us?"


    B8017913: "Unlikely. V-series likes to deceive. L-series doesn''t. That one''s an L."


    Rita was inspecting the bumper car. At first glance, nothing stood out ¡ª it even looked kind of... old.


    Nivalis agreed. She asked the group chat:


    "Is there anything special about this car?"


    Rita: "Yeah, I was wondering the same."


    Truth be told, even B8017913 was wondering.


    B8017913: "What''s special about this car?"


    L3217: "Does being super old count?"


    B8017913 glitched for a moment. It didn''t understand. It had no beef with L3217. In fact, most mechanicals didn''t really hold grudges at all.


    "Why?"


    L3217: "Your contractor, BS-Rita, broke the heart of my junior."


    B8017913: "???"


    L3217: "Ask her if she remembers L12767777."


    B8017913 turned to look at Rita, who had been waiting patiently for an answer, and asked in the chat:


    "Do you remember L12767777?"


    The number sounded familiar. Was it this one?


    Rita frowned, then immediately pouted in an aggrieved tone:


    "Of course I remember! How could I forget?!"


    The two of them stared at each other in silence for several long seconds.


    B8017913: ...Well, so much for arguing with L3217.


    Nivalis: "What''s going on? Did that mechanical have history with her?"


    Nivalis had missed a lot during the Gem Miner game, when she''d been asleep recovering dragon blood from Hatred Thorns.


    B8017913: "L3217 says BS-Rita broke their junior''s heart."


    Nivalis: "...Why am I not even slightly surprised?"


    Rita: "What?! When did this happen?! I don''t even remember doing anything!"


    She did remember hugging that little robot, flying around with it. How was that... heartbreak?


    ...


    L3217: "So? Does she remember?"


    B8017913: "She remembers! How could she not?!"


    L3217: "Actually, their number was L4327777."


    B8017913: "......"


    Awkward.


    No wonder it couldn''t find any record earlier.


    It had assumed this was someone Rita met before contracting with it.


    And now it just wanted to uninstall its emotion module.

 Chapter 632: 632: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks23

    The air was thick with awkwardness ¡ª so heavy that even a mechanical like B8017913 was short-circuiting from secondhand embarrassment.


    Thankfully, a familiar system prompt broke the silence and saved it from further emotional damage.


    [Bumper Car Game Rules]


    Every bumper car has a unique core musical note.


    Colliding with different cars triggers different tones.


    Goal: Light up all 10 magic notes on your steering wheel by landing 3 rear-end collisions per note before the 30-minute game ends.


    If not all notes are lit by game end, each passenger loses a percentage of their Blocks equivalent to the number of unlit notes. These will be evenly distributed to players who briefly lit but failed to fully light those same notes.


    Each kill increases the car''s top speed by 1% and grants the killer one Block from the eliminated player.


    Bumper cars are immune to all skills.


    You cannot leave your bumper car for more than 3 seconds, or it will go into sleep mode for 5 seconds.


    If a player dies, their body respawns at the game''s entrance. Their teammate has 10 seconds to pick them up.


    Failing to do so adds 3 seconds of malfunction time per second delayed for the car.


    If all players in a car are dead, a ticket vendor will escort them back to the car ¡ª this takes 12 seconds.


    A countdown mist appeared in the arena.


    3...


    2!


    1!


    Nivalis stomped the pedal. Their bumper car shot forward.


    Rita immediately activated [Yes, I''m Fish Belly, what about it?] ¡ª the Arcane version, which extended its duration from 10 minutes to 15.


    She then force-activated [Spring Scenery & Flowers], despite it still being on cooldown, and followed up with [Fourfold Spring], which had just refreshed.


    Finally, she burned even more Arcane Points to trigger [Midnight Exile], a stacking buff that consumed 3 Arcane Points per minute, but the return was massive.


    The Arcane version of [Midnight Exile] could stack up to 4 times, allowing Rita''s normal attacks to one-shot players once the buff maxed out.


    Nivalis focused on maneuvering the car and collecting hits to light the steering wheel notes. Rita and B8017913 handled the player eliminations.


    Rita: "If you get hit, does it drain your battery or something?"


    B8017913: "Not really. Unless someone crushes my core with overwhelming force, I just fall apart. As long as my energy''s intact, you can put me back together and I''ll fight."


    Rita paused, calculating. The game didn''t really suit B8017913''s fighting style. No need to burn its battery.


    "Then keep a record of the cars Nivalis bumps into. If we accidentally light a note once and forget which, it''ll help. Jump in if you see a good chance, otherwise conserve power."


    B8017913: "Roger."


    As they spoke, Rita fired her first shot ¡ª [Grand Opening Special].


    The first arrow of the match, empowered with 10x damage.


    When [Midnight Exile] stacked to 125 times, she followed it with [Family Bucket].


    A hundred cloud-like arrows scattered like stars across the arena, each seeking a target.


    In that moment, the entire bumper car arena lit up like it was wrapped in mist and twilight.


    Blocks fell to the ground like rain. Over two-thirds of the cars were instantly emptied of passengers.


    Nivalis whipped the steering wheel and sped toward the glowing Block shadows.


    Rita leaned out of the car, brushing each shimmering trace with her fingers ¡ª once touched, the illusionary Block became real. A flick of her hand, and it was tossed into the car.


    Nivalis let out a gleeful dragon-yelp. She could feel it ¡ª the car''s speed had surged, probably increased by at least 70%.


    She floored the accelerator, crashing into now-empty bumper cars to push them aside, exposing more dropped Blocks for Rita to grab.


    The only downside? Just like in the pirate ship game, Blocks only lasted 5 seconds after hitting the ground.


    Even with Nivalis coordinating perfectly and B8017913 using its makeshift spear to hook Blocks from the left side, they only managed to collect 27 before the rest vanished.


    Rita began pressing them to her body one by one. The small number of Blocks made her uneasy.


    But not as uneasy as the surviving players, whose cars now stayed far, far away from her.


    Rita was tempted to test a game mechanic:


    "Players cannot leave their bumper car for more than 3 seconds."


    It didn''t say anything about leaving someone else''s car.


    That meant melee players could theoretically leap onto enemy cars to brawl.


    But she glanced at the queue of respawned players waiting near the entrance for escort from the little gingerbread ticket agents and decided: not worth it.


    Even if it worked, all it would do is give others the idea. Better to stay on defense and prevent enemies from jumping onto her car.


    Driverless bumper cars rolled back to the entrance one after another, automatically picking up fallen players. Each one stopped at a set point to wait for the full 12 seconds before rejoining the match.


    As she stuck Blocks to her frame, Rita could hear murmurs from spectators outside the arena.


    "Who is that? What kind of skill is that strong?"


    "BS-Rita."


    "You know her?"


    "No, but I recognize the flaming wings and the dragon pet."


    "Isn''t there someone else in the car with her?"


    "No idea."


    "Is she the one who completed the rare Divine achievement ¡ª ''Gods, Remember My Name''?"


    "Yup. The one who one-shotted Lania Kaia¡¤Pine Bloom. Absolute beast."


    "I heard after Pine Bloom got insta-killed, she went drinking in the food court and picked a fight with Lania Kaia¡¤Maple Syrup."


    "Why Maple Syrup though?"


    "Uh... parent pays the debt?"


    "..."


    Rita pretended not to hear that last part. She adjusted the Block pieces styled like hair on her head and turned to her companions:


    "Don''t be shy. You''re with me now ¡ª better get used to this."


    Nivalis: "..."


    B8017913: "..."


    Then B8017913 piped up:


    "Earlier, L3217 asked me if you remembered L12767777. I told them yes."


    Rita: "Of course I remember! That one''s always in my heart. Then what?"


    B8017913: "...Then they said their junior was actually L4327777. I haven''t replied yet. I seriously don''t know what to say."


    Rita: "..."


    Honestly? Neither did she.


    Nivalis: "BS-Rita: Love ''em and leave ''em."


    Rita: "Eyes on the road! No talking while driving!!"

 Chapter 633: 633: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks24

    There were 29 bumper cars still speeding around the arena, colliding in chaotic chases.


    Nivalis was tailing a specific car ¡ª the one that, if rear-ended, would light up their third magic note.


    Everywhere their car had passed, flowers had bloomed.


    Back when Rita used this skill in the food street as a black-market rogue, the flower colors didn''t appear. But after using it repeatedly in the amusement park, she noticed the blooms changed hue each time.


    When she fought the rabbits: red flowers.


    In the claw machine: pink.


    Now: purple ¡ª soft lavender, deep violet, pastel lilac.


    But no matter the color, she still hadn''t found any pattern to the buffs the flowers provided.


    Currently, their bumper car was the fastest on the field.


    That other car, the one with a lone surviving player ¡ª they''d managed to survive Rita''s combo of [Midnight Exile] and [Family Bucket]. Definitely not your average player. But with Nivalis hot on their heels, there was no way they''d safely retrieve their downed teammate within the 10-second limit.


    Letting another bumper car rear-end them three times meant losing out on some Block distribution.


    But failing to pick up a teammate in time meant mechanical penalties ¡ª including malfunctions.


    Between the two, the choice was obvious.


    Just as the opponent''s bumper car slowed near the entrance to pick up their teammate, Nivalis rear-ended them without hesitation.


    Thump¡ª!


    With a deep drumbeat, one of their steering wheel''s magic notes lit up.


    They''d scored it within 30 seconds of the game starting.


    The arena stirred again. All 100 bumper cars were now reactivated and surging back into the chaos.


    The Arcane version of [Family Bucket] not only increased the number of cloned skills and targets by 10, but still retained its 5-minute duration. The massacre resumed.


    This wasn''t like the space pirate game. There, being hit three times as the chest meant losing Blocks. Rita couldn''t afford to take risks.


    Here, as long as she didn''t die, she wouldn''t lose anything.


    She wasn''t about to waste this chance to rake in Blocks.


    Nivalis kept hunting new targets to bump.


    Meanwhile, Rita''s rampage was starting to draw the entire arena''s aggression.


    Nearly every player began focusing fire on her. Under the overwhelming hatred and visual effects of her slaughter, her passive ¡ª [Yes, I''m Fish Belly, what about it?], which made her seem "non-threatening" ¡ª was completely overridden.


    Nivalis whipped the car side to side, trying to dodge incoming spells. It was chaos.


    Rita: "Just focus on driving!"


    As she said it, she jumped from seat to seat, meeting attacks head-on.


    Arcane Skill: [Bone Shield Armor] ¡ª Seven spinning bone shards orbit her. Each has durability equal to 50% of her max HP. When a shard breaks, she instantly heals 20% HP.


    Arcane Skill: [Hyperdrive] ¡ª Multiplies Agility x5 for 5 minutes.


    Arcane Skill: [If You Can Kill Me] ¡ª Sets her minimum HP threshold to -800% instead of 0%.


    Rita stood tall on the seat, continuously firing arrows. She didn''t care who she hit. If you were in their path, she''d take you down.


    B8017913 clung to the edge of the car, grabbing fallen Blocks and tossing them in as Nivalis sped by.


    Thanks to the [Absurd Story] item Rita had brought into Divine Game, every attack she suffered triggered reflected damage.


    In just over ten seconds, all seven bone shards shattered. Rita''s HP dropped to -335% ¡ª and that was with constant healing from [Fourfold Spring], [If You Can Kill Me], and procs from [Absurd Story]''s absurd recovery traits:


    10% chance: 1% of damage heals instead.


    1% chance: all of the damage heals instead.


    Under a barrage from nearly the entire player base, both effects triggered repeatedly.


    Still, Rita didn''t take chances. She activated:


    Arcane Skill: [Pick Me Up] ¡ª instantly restores 100% HP, and continues healing 1.5% per second for 2 minutes.


    She even lifted her leg to block a red projectile heading for Nivalis ¡ª the moment it touched her, it turned around and flew back the way it came.


    B8017913 was running full logistics mode:


    Picking up Blocks.


    Stacking them on Rita.


    Tracking which bumper cars had been hit, and how many times.


    Warning if a car was about to hit them a third time and score a note.


    If they wanted max rewards, they couldn''t just kill ¡ª they had to light their own notes while preventing others from lighting theirs.


    Players kept disappearing. Some died to Rita''s arrows. Some were killed by reflected damage. The ground never stopped raining Blocks.


    Knowing Rita was collecting [Game Machine That Loves Games] pieces, Nivalis would favor larger Blocks whenever possible ¡ª so long as it didn''t interfere with their main goal.


    Rita hadn''t let go of her bow once since the match began.


    Their car remained the fastest on the field.


    Even though her scouting glasses [Unfazed by the Strange ¡¤ Incomplete] didn''t show much info, they gave her enough:


    Emerald Crane ¨C Desert Bloom (Tier 9)


    Emerald Crane ¨C Fragrant Berry (Tier 8)


    Emerald Crane ¨C Dormant Root (Tier 5)


    Ghost ¨C Echoveil (Tier 10)


    Tiger Stripes (Tier 12)


    Dark Garlic (Tier 9)


    Potted Raise (Tier 12)


    Rita saw the names, and her heart burned with joy. This was how things were supposed to be.


    Compared to the hardship she''d endured before ¡ª this was paradise.


    But this level of aggression had a cost.


    When they entered the queue, her Stamina was at 95. Forty minutes of waiting had only burned 1 point.


    But in just 5 minutes of fighting, her stamina had dropped to 75.


    Nivalis and B8017913 had started at the same level.


    Now, Nivalis was at 87, and B8017913 at 89.


    Still, Rita had no intention of stopping.


    In less than five minutes, she''d gained 67 Blocks.


    If not for the constant barrage of fog, smoke, and other visual distortion skills ¡ª and the 5-second pickup window on dropped Blocks ¡ª she could have earned even more.


    There were still 25 minutes left.


    But her current stamina wouldn''t last through an entire match at this intensity.


    Unwilling to slow down, and hoping for a stamina loophole, she tried using the Arcane version of [Sanma] to cook and eat a grilled fish.


    No stamina restored.


    So, no exploit there.


    But Rita didn''t care.


    As long as [Spring Scenery & Flowers] was still active,


    she wasn''t slowing down for anything.

 Chapter 634: 634: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks25

    Following the logic of Divine Game, it was inevitable that players would eventually be sorted into different brackets based on performance or strength.


    And because of that, Rita knew this¡ªthis crushing phase¡ªwas her window.


    Sure, staying low-profile would let her hang out in the Fish Belly division longer.


    But hiding her strength meant wasting her edge¡ªletting all those Blocks slip right through her fingers.


    She couldn''t do it. She wouldn''t.


    There was one thing Rita didn''t want to admit, but had no choice:


    She couldn''t forget the last game''s divine assessment.


    That phrase still lingered in her mind:


    "You wasted [Midnight Exile]."


    So now, she would make full use of it. Before player pools got reshuffled, she needed to extract as many Blocks as possible and convert them into game item fragments.


    If the sorting was based on Block count and their attribute bonuses, converting Blocks into [Game Machine That Loves Games] pieces might delay her bracket change.


    If it was based on overall performance, and she ended up in a tougher division with low stats, she could always convert fragments back into Blocks to buff herself.


    She had options. She wasn''t losing.


    Sure, having fewer Blocks on hand meant higher risk of item loss.


    But the current Rita no longer took the safest route every time.


    She went where the bigger profits lay.


    After realizing that focusing fire on her wasn''t working¡ªand was even hurting themselves due to reflected damage¡ªplayers stopped trying to kill Rita.


    Instead, they shifted their focus to Nivalis. Even with Rita deflecting some hits, a few inevitably slipped through.


    At the six-minute mark, her [Family Bucket] expired. Her offensive pressure dropped.


    The player base immediately retaliated.


    Nivalis disappeared from the driver''s seat.


    Rita didn''t even blink. She told B8017913 to take the wheel and instantly activated the Arcane version of [Silent Hill].


    The spell, originally requiring 5 seconds to cast, was now reduced to 3.8 seconds thanks to multiple buffs.


    The entire bumper car arena was engulfed into a shadow realm.


    With the arena already flooded with smoke and fog, players had long since lost their sense of direction.


    [Hide and Seek] wouldn''t help her locate Nivalis in time.


    Only [Silent Hill], which let her perceive everything in the "Other World," could do the job.


    On the ninth second, Rita''s car skidded into a drift and stopped right in front of Nivalis.


    Rita vacated the driver''s seat:


    "Go!"


    Nivalis jumped in without hesitation.


    As they passed by the entrance checkpoint, Rita even gave the little gingerbread NPC a cheeky whistle.


    "What''s the matter? No one coming to pick you up?"


    Nivalis, B8017913, and L3217: ...


    L3217: "Did you contract yourself to her willingly? I thought we couldn''t be forced into a contract under any condition or accident?"


    B8017913: "..."


    What a loaded question...


    Say yes? Feels kinda embarrassing.


    Say no? This would spread like wildfire¡ªand if other mechs tried to retaliate against Rita to protect it, then what?


    So B8017913 picked the third option¡ª"or":


    "She treats me well. Honestly. I''m really happy."


    L3217 went quiet.


    B8017913 sent a few more messages. No reply. Maybe it got blocked.


    Nivalis whipped the wheel hard enough to leave afterimages. Every few seconds, she had to re-correct her course.


    And somehow, she still had the breath to chat with B8017913:


    "I told you. I wasn''t like this when we first contracted. I turned into this because of her. You didn''t believe me."


    B8017913: "I apologize for not trusting you."


    Rita: "???"


    Rita: "What are you two talking about?"


    Nivalis spared a glance mid-drift. Said nothing¡ªbut her look said everything.


    Rita was about to snap back when her brow furrowed slightly.


    Behind them, in the pursuing bumper car, one of the players said something in a language she couldn''t understand.


    But Rita knew¡ªit was aimed at her.


    She instinctively ducked, dodging a boomerang that flew past her head, then leapt forward and landed smoothly back into her seat.


    Another guttural phrase followed from the same player. The boomerang curved back around.


    As it spun toward her, Rita calmly replied in Owlrish:


    "I want stable happiness."


    Right as the boomerang reached the front of the car, she activated:


    [I Just Want to Improve So Badly]


    One Block instantly disappeared from the boomerang''s three-piece set.


    Now down to two parts, it lost its ability to return¡ªfell like a rock, landing in their car.


    Rita didn''t pause.


    She cast the same skill two more times on nearby players.


    In just a few seconds, five Blocks landed in her lap.


    Sadly, the Arcane version only increased the success rate, not the cast speed, or she might have snagged even more.


    Behind them, someone let out a heart-wrenching scream, shouting something over and over.


    Rita turned back casually.


    The player behind them was pounding their chest like King Kong.


    "What are they yelling?"


    B8017913:


    "It''s me! It''s me! I¡ªam¡ªME!"


    Rita: "???"


    Who was that?


    She squinted, trying to remember anyone familiar from Divine Game... nothing.


    Was it some kind of skill?


    Why would anyone use a boomerang, of all things¡ªsomething that, if mishandled, never came back?


    Especially under this game''s forced unbinding system?


    With only 69 Stamina left, Rita decided to rest a bit.


    She sat down and began reassembling the boomerang she''d just stolen.


    But thinking back to the player''s hysterics, she played it safe.


    She attached the boomerang''s tip to her body using free-link Blocks, anchoring it in place before completing the full assembly.


    [Why Wouldn''t It Be a Boomerang] (Legendary)


    "The boomerang you throw is destined to return to you."


    Bonus Attributes:


    Agility +167


    Constitution +221


    Strength +114


    Magic Properties:


    +48% Critical Damage


    -8% Skill Cooldown


    Legendary Skill ¡ª ''Guess Who Got Hit?''


    Ask a question while throwing the boomerang.


    It will auto-target and attack the best-fitting person within 100 meters.


    If it lands, 80% chance to steal one item (Cannot breach space-type equipment).


    If you say "It''s me," the boomerang will return to you, regardless of distance or dimension.


    Mana cost: 3000


    Cooldown: 3 minutes


    Equip Requirements:


    Power > Tier 6


    Strength > 237


    Like Rita''s [Betrayal], the equip conditions were based on tier and power.


    Another true Divine Game-exclusive item.


    After reading the description, Rita didn''t hesitate¡ªshe immediately disassembled the boomerang for safety.


    Then asked:


    "So what exactly did that player say before throwing this?"


    B8017913:


    "''Who''s the most hated player in the arena right now?''"


    Rita:


    ...Well. Yeah. That''s probably me.

 Chapter 635: 635: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks26

    The legendary weapon [Why Wouldn''t It Be a Boomerang] came with both clear strengths and weaknesses.


    On one hand, it was an extremely rare and specialized weapon. On the other, if you didn''t use its legendary skill, it felt like a classic one-way trip ¡ª gone, not coming back.


    Even when the skill was used, the weapon''s original owner probably hadn''t expected someone to take it apart mid-flight, effectively severing its bond. No matter how loudly they yelled "It''s me!" the weapon simply wouldn''t return.


    But something didn''t sit right with Rita.


    Wasn''t it possible to forcibly intercept and dismantle the boomerang even without a theft skill?


    If so, shouldn''t it have been stolen long ago?


    Yet, judging from how devastated the player was while shouting "It''s me!", they clearly had a strong emotional bond with it and never imagined it could be disconnected like this.


    So... maybe you can''t dismantle someone else''s boomerang until its ownership officially transfers?


    And maybe shouting "It''s me!" only works while you still hold ownership ¡ª once that breaks, the bond is gone?


    Rita wasn''t entirely sure. But she had no intention of testing it mid-game.


    Her method of earning Blocks through raw combat was more efficient ¡ª and safer. No need to gamble.


    Still, she liked the cooldown reduction and stat boosts the weapon offered. She''d reassemble and equip it after this game ended.


    After the [Family Bucket] effect ended, Rita stopped going wild with her attacks.


    Instead, she focused her shots on whatever vehicle Nivalis was chasing ¡ª that way, if she landed a kill, she could easily grab the dropped Blocks.


    It didn''t interfere with the bumper car''s main objective, and she still got her reward.


    Midway through the game, [Yes, I''m Fish Belly, what about it?] and [Spring Scenery & Flowers] both expired.


    A melee player leapt onto the back of their bumper car.


    Rita pulled out a thunder dagger conjured by [Seven-Star Thunder Blade] and went face-to-face with the intruder in close combat.


    At the same time, B8017913 clambered onto the player''s shoulder and stabbed away with its own little knife.


    This wasn''t the first time something like this had happened.


    Turns out Rita was right: as long as a player didn''t leave any bumper car for more than 3 seconds, the game allowed them to leap onto others.


    [Midnight Exile] was still running on Rita. After about 7¨C8 seconds, the attacker vanished ¡ª eliminated.


    Rita''s Stamina was down to 51, and that was after actively conserving it to prepare for the next round of [Family Bucket].


    Nivalis had died four times by this point, but Rita had always managed to pick her up in time.


    She saved all her uses of [Repay] for players who managed to retrieve teammates under heavy interference.


    By borrowing their skills, she always managed to recover Nivalis in time.


    By now, she''d collected 108 Blocks ¡ª most of them earned during the [Family Bucket] phase.


    Nivalis had successfully lit up 7 magic notes.


    Suddenly, a broken gong sound rang out. Their car jolted.


    B8017913 calmly reported:


    "That car behind us has hit us twice now."


    Nivalis immediately turned the wheel and gave up the car she''d been chasing.


    According to Rita, it would''ve been fine to just ignore the threat and keep working on their own notes.


    That target had already been chased for over a minute, and they only needed one more hit to light up their eighth note.


    But Nivalis didn''t hesitate. She backed off.


    Rita didn''t say anything.


    She could sense the pressure Nivalis was under ¡ª the desire to do her best and help Rita secure top performance.


    There were 100 bumper cars in the game.


    Each car had 10 notes to light.


    Which meant ¡ª every car represented one note on 10 different players'' dashboards.


    The fewer times your car was hit successfully, the more Blocks you''d receive after the game.


    Nivalis had clearly set her expectations high.


    Rita saw it all... but said nothing.


    And it was under this pressure that Nivalis unlocked an SS-rank skill:


    [Side Hustle: Racer] (SS-rank)


    When piloting any type of vehicle, the player gains extreme mental focus and is immune to distractions.


    Vehicle performance increases by 20%.


    Most importantly, Rita was in the passenger seat right now...


    She had no say.


    Just then, two bumper cars came at them from ahead, blocking their path.


    Rita glanced at them ¡ª same faction as the one chasing from behind.


    Nivalis'' hands blurred across the controls.


    Their car drifted, spun 180 degrees, and flew past the trailing enemy in a perfect hairpin swerve.


    Rita clapped so fast her hands blurred.


    "That was sick!"


    Nivalis smirked, turned slightly, and muttered toward the open window:


    "Remember this ¡ª a child of the gods is driving."


    Was she filming an ad or something?


    Nearby players who understood Draconic turned to look.


    Rita lowered her head and facepalmed.


    B8017913 tried copying her movement ¡ª and was shocked to find it worked.


    The moment it covered its face, its jittery feet stopped twitching.


    3 minutes left until [Family Bucket] came off cooldown.


    Time to prep for Round 2 of mass slaughter.


    Rita activated:


    Arcane: [Magical Echo] ¡ª For the next 2 minutes, 30% of damage dealt restores Mana, and the recovered mana can be stored beyond the cap.


    Thanks to all the grilled meat skewers and dragonfruit she''d eaten earlier, the 18-minute cooldown on [Family Bucket] ended by minute 17 of the game.


    Her Mana fully restored to 100%, with an extra 73% in storage.


    [Midnight Exile] had reset and was already stacking again.


    For this new round, Rita opened with the SSS-rank single-target skill she earned last game:


    [Balanced Nutrition] (SSS)


    Throws a high-damage piece of bacon that automatically targets and hits the opponent''s weakest defense point.


    On hit, 20% of damage is converted into a whole wheat steamed bun that heals for the same value.


    Mana cost: 5% per use


    Cooldown: 30 minutes


    Arcane version: Converts 35% of damage into healing.


    First strike ¡ª base [Balanced Nutrition].


    A bun the size of a mini milk-puff fell into their bumper car.


    Second strike ¡ª 5x [Balanced Nutrition].


    Third strike ¡ª 25x [Balanced Nutrition].


    All three targets were Tier 12 players.


    Tough customers. Even 25x damage couldn''t finish them.


    Both opponents just sat there in a daze, staring at the bacon that had smacked them in the face.


    Rita calmly stroked her ring and nocked her bow again.


    [Family Bucket] ¡ª Round Three.


    125x [Balanced Nutrition].


    Instantly, over a hundred slices of bacon began flying across the battlefield.


    Meanwhile, Rita''s bumper car was filling up with pale brown whole wheat steamed buns ¡ª enough to almost bury B8017913 alive.

 Chapter 636: 636: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks27

    One by one, players vanished from the field ¡ª and this time, even more than before.


    It wasn''t just because Rita now had 108 Blocks-worth of boosted stats. The bigger reason was that [Balanced Nutrition], with its homing bacon slices, had a much higher hit rate than her previous skill [Grand Opening Special], which relied on attack speed. Dodging was nearly impossible.


    Only 19 bumper cars remained in motion.


    B8017913 ignored the growing mountain of whole wheat buns in the car and dove into rapid Block collection.


    Rita, on the other hand, left the bumper car entirely, flying across the field to gather as many Blocks as she could. Every couple of seconds, she would tap her foot against a bumper car to reset the game''s internal timer ¡ª if she stayed off too long, she''d be penalized.


    Moments like this, where so many players had been sent back to respawn, were the only chance she had to safely leave her car. Normally, she''d never risk it ¡ª she had to stay close to protect Nivalis and her own bumper car.


    Thanks to the scramble, Rita grabbed 36 Blocks before they vanished. Nivalis and B8017913 added another 17 between them.


    Twelve seconds later...


    The horde returned.


    But unlike last time ¡ª when players instinctively retaliated ¡ª this time, everyone did the same thing: run.


    Seven different concealment skills like [Hide and Seek] were instantly layered on top of each other. The arena was plunged into a darkness so deep it felt like an eternal eclipse. Not even Rita''s Flamewing Halo or the dashboard''s magic notes glowed anymore.


    This kind of skill hadn''t been used before ¡ª clearly someone had finally cracked open their long-cooldown emergency abilities.


    Rita: ...Seriously?


    They couldn''t drive like this at all.


    Nivalis brought their car to a full stop. She and B8017913 began scooping up the whole wheat buns littering the vehicle interior.


    Each bun had a different healing value.


    Rita had prepared them specifically in anticipation of a counterattack. Now they were totally unnecessary...


    Or were they?


    Rita cast [Lightning Cage], creating a net of electrified threads she flung out like a fishing net. Any player the web contacted counted as a "locked-on" target.


    A few gasps rang out. Rita immediately used [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] to steal from them.


    She could have activated [Family Bucket] again with another offensive skill to start slaughtering anew...


    But there was no point. She couldn''t see, couldn''t target, and couldn''t collect the Blocks that would drop.


    Even if she cleared out half the arena, the others would just profit from the respawn mechanics. Why help the competition?


    She decided to keep her gains to herself.


    When her health dipped, she just snacked on the whole wheat buns.


    Rita sighed.


    If only [Family Bucket] worked with [I Just Want to Improve So Badly]. That would be broken ¡ª they were practically made for each other!


    Someone should mod this.


    She tossed a handful of buns to Nivalis.


    "If you''re willing to burn some Arcane Power, try locking onto someone while you eat and steal at the same time."


    Nivalis: "See that? This is how I got corrupted."


    B8017913: "Understood."


    Rita chewed on buns like she was watching TV at home ¡ª relaxing, yes, but expensive in Arcane Power.


    Sure, using skills to kill consumed Arcane Points too, but at least kills guaranteed Block drops ¡ª even if you didn''t always pick them up.


    Stealing? You could spend 8 Arcane Points and get nothing.


    Rita: "If we land five more hits, that should light up the rest of our notes, right?"


    Nivalis: "Yeah. Both the ninth and tenth notes only need two hits each to finish."


    B8017913: "The eighth note''s car isn''t far. If they haven''t moved during this blackout, it''s at your 9 o''clock, 17.7 meters away. Can your [Side Hustle: Racer] still work in this kind of environment?"


    Nivalis: "Of course it does!"


    She popped a bun into her mouth, flicked the wheel, and slammed the accelerator.


    ¡ª¡ª Dala-laa~


    A soft chime rang out as the eighth note lit up. A flash of white light matched the color of their car ¡ª then vanished into the darkness.


    Nivalis: "Why does our car sound like a rusted gong while everyone else gets violins, pianos, or guzhengs...?"


    B8017913: "The ninth car''s last location is tricky ¡ª twelve o''clock, but there are thirteen cars in the way. Hard to get through. The tenth car, though, is more doable ¡ª only three cars in between."


    Nivalis: "Let''s go!"


    Guided by B8017913''s directions, they reached where the tenth car had been before the blackout ¡ª but it was gone.


    Rita: "Do you remember what race the player in that car was?"


    B8017913: "Yes. Lisu. Only one Lisu player here ¡ª it has to be their car."


    Rita: "Alright. I''ll try something. Listen carefully."


    Most skills got visually swallowed by the dark the moment they were cast.


    But [Top Chef], a hard crowd control skill, hadn''t been tested yet.


    It was time. Time to shed another disguise ¡ª or rather, time for evolution.


    A dazzling glow exploded on Rita''s arm.


    The word "TOP," enlarged, glowing, and outlined in sparkles, lit up the pitch-black arena.


    And just like that¡ª


    It was daytime.


    "What? You''re a Top Chef?!"


    "What? You''re a Top Chef?!"


    "What? You''re a Top Chef?!"


    "What? I''m a Top Chef?!"


    Three seconds later¡ª


    Darkness again.


    B8017913: "1 o''clock! 13 meters!"


    Nivalis gunned the engine.


    A few seconds later, a deep gong echoed through the black.


    Their bumper cars had made contact ¡ª but from the front.


    Problem was, bumper cars couldn''t go in reverse.


    If Nivalis turned around to hit them again, the target would likely be long gone.


    But just as the first hit registered, Rita launched herself forward and kicked the back of the other car with all her strength.


    Her Flamewing Halo flared to full output.


    Kicking, pushing, dragging ¡ª she shoved the car forward several meters.


    The enemy driver caught on and hit the gas, trying to flee.


    Rita yelled: "One, two¡ª!"


    Nivalis, already prepared, timed her move to Rita''s countdown.


    As soon as Rita hit "two,"


    CRASH ¡ª second impact.


    Tenth note lit.


    Rita hopped back into the car. Nivalis spun the wheel and sped away ¡ª they''d completed their mission, and the others could track them too, after all.


    Their team''s progress was miles ahead of everyone else.


    With Nivalis'' top-tier driving and Rita''s kill-stacking speed boosts, their pace was unmatched.


    They weren''t panicked.


    But the other players were.


    Two-thirds of the game had passed.


    Most bumper cars?


    Only half their notes were lit.

 Chapter 637: 637: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks28

    It wasn''t that players hadn''t tried attacking¡ªbut just as Rita had feared, the problem wasn''t killing, it was collecting the dropped Blocks in time afterward.


    Most skill effects disappeared the moment they were cast, swallowed by the darkness blanketing the arena.


    Only hard crowd control abilities like Top Chef could briefly light up the field¡ªand even that might''ve only worked because Rita had used the Arcane version.


    The skill that had plunged the arena into total darkness was a channeled ability¡ªit could be paused, but not interrupted.


    Rita: "How many cars have successfully lit our notes? And how many almost did?"


    B8017913: "Two bumper cars successfully rear-ended us three times. Six more made at least one or two contact attempts and likely lit us up briefly. And... two cars haven''t even realized we''re part of their note set."


    Rita was satisfied with that result.


    But Nivalis seemed a little frustrated, muttering in the group chat about how if she''d taken a different path here or turned faster there, she might''ve avoided getting hit.


    In the dark, Rita didn''t bother wasting more Arcane Points to steal Blocks. The efficiency was too low.


    She even turned off [Midnight Exile] to conserve resources.


    What she really wanted was to finish lighting all their own notes. There might be rewards for it¡ªjust like in the Space Pirate game.


    Rita: "I''ll pop Top Chef again. Lock in on the location of the eighth car."


    Once they were ready, she activated Arcane: [Top Chef? Top Chef!] again.


    Under the now-familiar chorus of "What? You''re a Top Chef?!", Nivalis approached the bumper car tied to their eighth note.


    Each time the arena lit up, BS-Rita got a little closer.


    From the perspective of the eighth car''s player, the whole scene was terrifying.


    With B8017913 guiding them, at 18:52, Nivalis landed the hit, rear-ending the target with a loud impact just as the player inside screamed.


    Eight notes lit.


    With the main objective nearly complete, Rita finally had time to relax.


    She pulled together a box-shaped Block and used it to scoop up the remaining whole wheat buns in the car¡ª62 in total.


    After leaving the Chaotic Restaurant and returning to BS, Rita had tested every skill she obtained.


    [Balanced Nutrition] included.


    These buns lasted 24 hours, and though the healing value varied randomly like a loot box, they were still useful.


    At minute 22, just as Rita''s [Family Bucket] expired, the enemy team lifted the darkening skill that had swallowed all light.


    Despite the overall urgency, not a single player complained about this artificial pause in gameplay.


    They''d lost five minutes of note-lighting time.


    But that was better than getting wiped out by BS-Rita over and over¡ªand losing Blocks in humiliating fashion.


    With the lights back on, the bumper car arena roared to life once more.


    Nivalis: "913, list out which cars haven''t rear-ended us yet. I''ll reposition to let them hit us on purpose."


    She wanted to make sure every car had triggered them as a note at least once¡ªso they could claim dividends from eight different players after the game ended.


    B8017913: "Got it."


    Rita didn''t care how Nivalis drove.


    In fact, she wasn''t counting on the post-game Block dividend at all.


    Take their car, for example: Rita had 231 Blocks.


    With Soul Catcher and other relics, her total rose to 247.


    Nivalis had 92, and B8017913 had 26.


    Combined, they held 366 Blocks.


    Missing just one note would cost 1%, or about 3 Blocks.


    Those would be split among the players who partially triggered but failed to fully light that note.


    Even if a car lost 5%, that was only 15 Blocks¡ªand the rewards would be shared across multiple players.


    What would each person get? Probably not much.


    For Rita, direct kills were still the best way to farm Blocks.


    But since she''d handed off the main task of driving to Nivalis, she wasn''t going to micromanage.


    Nivalis just wanted to make it perfect¡ªand Rita understood that.


    So she just attacked whoever was in their way. It didn''t interfere with Nivalis'' plan or her own efficiency.


    Sometimes she fired at the players chasing behind them, but most of the time, she had to let those Blocks go¡ªshe couldn''t hop off the car mid-battle to grab them.


    Even now, no one dared to focus-fire Nivalis. And if anyone did take a shot, Rita could block it instantly.


    She saved her [Repay] skills for players who could successfully retrieve their teammates under pressure.


    From that point on, Rita also began sharing her Block gains equally with her two companions:


    One for her,


    One for Nivalis,


    One for 913.


    Nivalis: "You keep them. Just lend me the game console later, that''s enough."


    Rita ignored her and slapped a Block onto her armor.


    "You can use the console whenever you want."


    B8017913 raised the Block Rita had just given her.


    "You should keep this. Just let me borrow the console too."


    Rita glanced at the little robot, then pushed the Block back into its hands.


    "If I ever finish building the console, you''ll be able to play it anytime. Keep the Block. This game''s not ending anytime soon. And if you still don''t need them after it''s over, I won''t say no then."


    She''d given the clearest and kindest explanation¡ª


    Promised the same game access¡ª


    Yet B8017913 still picked up on the subtle difference. Something only complex emotional logic could sense.


    Something not even code could cleanly parse.


    Its internal system generated dozens of unreadable emotional packets.


    B8017913: "...Okay."


    Nivalis was now cruising side-by-side with another bumper car.


    Timing it just right, she swerved ahead, forced a collision, and got rear-ended.


    She repeated this "insurance scam" style of driving until every car that hadn''t hit them yet had done so once.


    With only 3 minutes left, they were ready.


    Rita: "Anything else we need to do?"


    Nivalis felt a satisfying sense of completion, like she''d just finished coloring a giant palette.


    "Nope. It''s all yours now. I''ll follow your lead."


    Rita glanced at her stamina¡ª31 remaining.


    This was the perfect game for farming kills.


    "I''m switching to AoE. Just drive toward the Blocks. If it gets too risky, forget the loot."


    Nivalis: "Got it!"


    When the game ended and all the bumper cars rolled to a stop, Rita had amassed a total of 257 Blocks¡ªincluding her relics and gear.


    A familiar pop-up appeared above the steering wheel:


    [Bumper Car Game Leaderboard]


    1. BS-Rita / BS-Nivalis / BS-B8


    Notes Lit: 10


    2. Tiger Stripes / Oddity Cicada Dust / Oddity Cicada Jungle


    Notes Lit: 7


    3. Ghost Coin / Ghost Winter / Ghost Snowfield


    Notes Lit: 7

 Chapter 638: 638: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks29

    [1st Place Bonus Reward: 6 Blocks]


    [2nd Place Bonus Reward: 4 Blocks]


    [3rd Place Bonus Reward: 2 Blocks]


    [Bonus Upgraded: 1st Place Team Ranked in Bumper Car Global Leaderboard Top 10]


    [Congratulations to BS-Rita / BS-Nivalis / BS-B8 ¨C You''ve received: Block Duplication Ticket x1]


    A glowing blue square-shaped Block card landed gently in front of them.


    [Block Duplication Ticket] (1/1): Allows you to duplicate any one Block.


    Just as Rita thought the announcements were over, the display above the steering wheel turned the page.


    [Congratulations to BS-Rita / BS-Nivalis / BS-B8 for entering the Global Bumper Car Leaderboard]


    1st Place: BS-Rita / BS-Nivalis / BS-B8 ¨C Game Rating: 99


    (Rating calculated from lit note count, lighting speed, how often they were hit, final bumper car speed, player kills, and other metrics)


    Reward: Limited Edition Bumper Car x1


    Note: If your team drops out of the top 10 before the game ends, the car will be reclaimed.


    But it still wasn''t over.


    The pop-up flipped again¡ª


    [Calculating Block Dividends...]


    (5% x 99 + 5% x 91 + 5% x 71)... (4% x 67 + 4% x 71 + 4% x 39)...


    Numbers flickered across the display.


    Final result: 52!


    Blocks of various sizes began to rain down on them.


    It was far more than Rita expected¡ªshe had overestimated how well other teams had performed.


    The little gingerbread attendant was already waving them along to clear the field.


    Rita quickly gathered up the 52 Blocks into a makeshift pile, hugged it close to her chest, and made her way toward the exit.


    They weren''t even off the field yet when the next wave of players¡ªalready holding tickets¡ªbegan flooding into the arena. The first ones sprinted straight toward their bumper car.


    As Rita reached the exit, a new prompt popped up.


    [Game Fee: 3:45¨C4:45 Window]


    She casually grabbed a Block from the pile in her arms and tossed it into the slot¡ªcovering the fee for all three of them.


    No sooner had she paid when a milk-white, driverless bumper car pulled up in front of them and slowly rolled to a stop.


    Rita''s eyes immediately locked on it.


    This was a bumper car completely constructed from micro-Blocks. At the center of the steering wheel was an ornamental Block¡ªan ultra-miniature model of her, Nivalis, and B8017913 as they were when they entered the Bumper Car game.


    Nivalis climbed into the driver''s seat and gently ran a claw across the tiny model at the center of the wheel. As her claws made contact, music began to play.


    This bumper car was infinitely more exquisite than anything they had used during the actual game.


    The fusion of delicate Blocks and vehicle design created a mechanical beauty that was nearly dreamlike.


    Nearby players who hadn''t yet walked away turned to look.


    One of them even walked up and asked if the car was for sale.


    Rita immediately waved him off.


    This was a reward earned through their collective effort.


    She hadn''t wanted to sell it before, and now that she''d read the item description and confirmed it wasn''t restricted to Divine Game use only, she was even less willing.


    [Chaotic Blocks ¨C 15th-Month Bumper Car]:


    Game Reward


    Non-tradeable


    Cannot be dropped


    Cannot be damaged


    No special effects or stat boosts


    Can shrink into a keychain


    Belongs to: BS-Rita, BS-Nivalis, BS-B8


    This was a true collectible¡ªa souvenir she could take out of the game and display back home on her personal kart track.


    Now all she could do was pray they didn''t get bumped off the leaderboard before the event ended.


    She felt lucky¡ªnot only to be in the Fish Belly group, but that each minigame could only be played once, which prevented leaderboard farming.


    After a brief exchange with the curious players, Rita hopped in with Nivalis and they drove off. She was starving, and they needed to sort out all the newly earned Blocks.


    Nivalis drove toward the food trucks while the players they passed turned their heads in awe.


    Rita dumped all the dividend Blocks into the back of the car. Thanks to her current size, the car had automatically resized and was now quite spacious.


    She pulled out two new item shards and said,


    "We''ll use these dividend Blocks to pay our game fee and buy food."


    Then she went back to organizing her stash.


    She had 257 Blocks, including the boomerang.


    Among them, she''d just obtained 11 new item shards, and with the two from the dividend pile, that totaled 13.


    Most were part of 3-piece sets. The best was a 5-piece.


    After reviewing them all, she determined none were worth collecting or using.


    Once Nivalis and B8017913 passed on them too, she attached them to her armor for the time being¡ªeverything except the boomerang, which she''d keep. The rest would be sold later.


    Next, she pulled out 500g worth of Blocks, shaped it into a large rectangular panel, and stuck it to her back. She planned to browse the shop again after lunch to check for new game console fragments.


    Once she was done reorganizing, she began rebuilding her body.


    With the boomerang and her current items, her Block count totaled 131.


    She picked up the Block Duplication Ticket, told her companions she was about to use it, and duplicated the left controller of the game console.


    While listing items in the shop didn''t include detailed descriptions, the images were always visible¡ªso she wasn''t worried about accidentally buying back her own item.


    With that done, she glanced over at the vending area.


    "Stop the car. You two go line up for food¡ªI''ll check the shop real quick."


    Nivalis: "Okay. We''ll get grilled meat bowls."


    Rita waved her off and jogged toward the vending area, the Block panel slung across her back.


    [Game Machine That Loves Games] (1/9) ¨C Price: 515g Blocks


    New stock had appeared¡ªbut the price had gone up.


    With this frequency of updates, Rita was really starting to wonder what the original owner of the game console was doing.


    From the image, it looked like the joystick from the controller.


    And it wasn''t just this set¡ªall item shard prices had risen slightly.


    Even standard 3-piece fragments were now selling for at least 22g Blocks.


    Heavier or more substantial fragments naturally went for more.


    Rita was the type who might hesitate before committing to a plan, but once she did, she never looked back.


    She pulled 15g Blocks off her body and bought the joystick.


    Then she listed the duplicate left controller she''d just made¡ªpriced at 518g.


    She also listed four other item shards, all priced according to the current market.


    Once finished, she turned back to rejoin her group¡ªplanning to eat first, then come back later to check on the listings.


    As she walked, she swapped out the placeholder sphere she''d used as the joystick and fitted in the genuine part.


    She arrived back at the car... and paused.


    Nivalis and B8017913 were still there.


    Nivalis was leaning casually against the bumper car, chatting it up with several players.


    B8017913, standing dutifully at the front of the car, was acting as her translator.


    Rita: "..."

 Chapter 639: 639: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks30

    When Rita returned, the crowd that had gathered quickly dispersed.


    The bumper car started up again.


    "Did you get it?"


    "Yeah."


    Rita was checking the updated info for the game console.


    [Game Machine That Loves Games ¡¤ Incomplete] (3/9)


    Skill 1 ¨C Game Becomes Reality: Can scan and register any game. Once a game reaches 1000 hours of playtime, the player will randomly receive one skill or item that has appeared in that game. (Game slots: 0/10)


    Skill 2 ¨C Massive Storage: Each game slot can hold 999 items. Each slot may only contain one unit of each item¡ªno stacking.


    The more she read, the more Rita felt this thing was worth every Block she spent.


    She also knew the risks. And the biggest one wasn''t even the increased probability of losing items by dumping too many Blocks into the game.


    The real risk was: What if she couldn''t finish assembling it before the game ended?


    Would this half-assembled artifact even be usable outside the game?


    If not, all her effort would''ve been for nothing.


    No stats. No gear. Just wasted time.


    She gently ran her fingers across the surface of the console.


    It was a gamble¡ªbut one that felt like the beginning of something new.


    And honestly... charging headfirst into the unknown like this? It wasn''t such a bad feeling.


    While Nivalis drove their bumper car up to the food stall queue, the nearby players were immediately drawn in, whispering to each other excitedly:


    "Where''d they get that car? It''s sick¡ªhow much does it cost?"


    "Did they build it themselves?"


    "Is your owner BS-Rita?"


    "Is this a cosmetic item or a prop? It looks like more than just a 9-piece set..."


    Earlier, when Rita had gone to buy game console parts, she discovered that even when she was far from the car, she could still sense its location¡ªand even recall it remotely.


    Hearing all these questions now gave her a spontaneous idea.


    "Wanna take it for a spin? 1g Block for 1 minute."


    Seemed a waste to just sit around while they waited for food.


    Nivalis had just opened her mouth to brag about their car when Rita cut her off, handing her the game console.


    Nivalis looked down at it, then up again, and swallowed back tears.


    B8017913, meanwhile, was standing dutifully in line, holding a huge stack of Blocks to pay for food.


    Rita and Nivalis stood by the roadside¡ªone hawking rides, the other timing and collecting payments.


    After exactly one minute, Rita would whistle, and the bumper car would drive itself back.


    The price¡ª1g Block per minute¡ªwas just right.


    Any cheaper and it wouldn''t be worth Rita''s time.


    Any more and most players wouldn''t bite.


    This 15th-month bumper car was miles ahead of the ones used in the game. It was sleeker, more beautiful, and faster.


    And best of all: the music that played when someone touched the Block model on the steering wheel varied by player.


    Some got EDM, others pop ballads, others adrenaline-pumping battle tracks.


    Nivalis?


    She got a DJ mix.


    After that discovery, players were lining up for a chance to ride¡ªand they couldn''t even accommodate them all.


    By the time it was B8017913''s turn at the food stall, Rita had already earned 18g Blocks.


    B8017913: "Four rice bowls with grilled meat¡ªtwo spicy, no cilantro. One no green onion or cilantro. One with everything."


    The little gingerbread vendor tossed four of the biggest cuts onto the grill.


    D48724: "Those two over there with the car¡ªare they with you?"


    B8017913: "...Yeah."


    D48724: "You look kinda happy."


    B8017913: "Huh?"


    D48724: "Even though you''re acting all reluctant and shy, I can tell. You''re really happy that I linked the three of you together."


    B8017913: "Am I?"


    D48724: "You''ve been glancing over at them every two seconds since you got in line. So... is bonding with a player really that fun?"


    B8017913 corrected gently as it replied:


    "Bonding with BS-Rita is really fun."


    When B8017913 returned carrying the four bowls, Rita was already sitting on the ground¡ªcompletely out of stamina.


    Nivalis was holding down the fort, still renting out rides.


    Rita''s hand trembled as she reached out for her two spicy-no-cilantro rice bowls.


    Just that movement dropped her stamina from 5 to 4.


    Nivalis and B8017913 were doing better¡ªboth still had about 40 stamina left.


    After one bowl, Rita''s stamina was only halfway refilled.


    She reached for the second without hesitation.


    The four rice bowls cost 120g Blocks total.


    Add in the game fees, and that meant the 52 Blocks they''d earned from the bumper car dividends were now gone.


    They''d left the bumper car game at 4:10 p.m.


    By the time they finished eating, it was 4:39.


    But renting out the bumper car had earned them 21g Blocks so far.


    Rita threw away the empty bowls and told Nivalis and B8017913 to keep running the rental booth while she flew off to the vending machine to check on her item sales.


    The game console fragment hadn''t sold yet, but the other four item shards had¡ªall gone, netting her 126g Blocks and 35 new Blocks of various types.


    She quickly listed four more fragments.


    Back at the bumper car, just as she arrived, a pop-up appeared:


    [Game Fee: 4:45¨C5:45 Time Block]


    Rita threw in the 25g Blocks they''d just earned from the ride rentals, then added 5g from her recent sales.


    [You have played for 2 hours. Unlocking a new item/relic.]


    ["Meow Meow Inn" unlocked.]


    [Item Delivered.]


    A cat house¡ªstill trying to shrink itself¡ªfell from the sky.


    Its exterior was a light coffee brown; the inside, soft white.


    Rita opened it up and was surprised to find it was a five-piece set, just like a top-tier relic.


    Thinking about all the items the Meow Meow Inn had already produced for her¡ªlike the Cat Head that let her teleport or the World Graveyard¡ªthe rarity now made sense.


    Not everything it gave was flashy, but every so often, it gifted her something incredibly useful.


    As long as the cat inn remained in use, she could look forward to more surprises.


    She flipped it upside down and pasted it to the back of her shoulder like a hoodie hood.


    Then she turned to the nearby players still waiting to rent the car:


    "We''re closed for now."


    The bumper car rolled back automatically.


    The player hopped off, and Nivalis immediately jumped in.


    Nivalis: "What are we playing next?"


    Rita picked up B8017913 and plopped it in the middle seat before jumping in herself.


    "Let''s just drive around a bit... but don''t play the music."


    Nivalis regretfully pulled her claw away from the Block model on the dashboard.


    "Why won''t you sit in the driver''s seat and just touch the Block? Let''s see what kind of song you get!"


    Rita: "No need. It''s probably something dramatic like Symphony of Fate or Ode to Destiny. I might scare people off if it starts blasting."


    Neither of them said a word.


    Rita narrowed her eyes.


    "No private chatting!"


    Nivalis: "..."


    B8017913: "..."

 Chapter 640: 640: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks31

    Wherever the bumper car went, gasps and shouts from players followed.


    Rita didn''t want to waste time entertaining any of it. No matter how many people asked, she refused to let Nivalis stop the car. If anyone tried to block their way, she told Nivalis to speed up and dodge around them.


    "This is a battlefield, and time is money. Anyone who wastes our time here is¡ª"


    She was mid-sentence when a voice bellowed behind them, loud enough to echo across the street. Just in case BS-Rita didn''t understand, the player repeated it in multiple languages:


    "I''ll pay 100g Blocks for the method to get that bumper car and your game strategy!"


    Nivalis didn''t understand, but before she could ask, Rita¡ªwho did understand¡ªslammed the brakes.


    She turned and waved enthusiastically toward the voice. "Hey there, friend! Lovely morning, isn''t it?"


    Nivalis, who had just finished translating via B8017913: ...


    Five minutes later, the bumper car started up again.


    Rita counted the 100g Blocks in her hand¡ªthere were 21 of them in total. She handed them to B8017913.


    "Hold on to these. That''ll cover our next three hours of game fees. You handle it when the time comes."


    Nivalis asked hesitantly, "What if he resells the strategy to other players?"


    Rita wasn''t concerned in the slightest. "It''s not like I gave away anything too detailed. Just the game rules and a general strategy. Besides, he doesn''t have the limited bumper car reward. He has nothing to prove his credibility. Even if he sells it cheap, no one will believe him."


    And honestly? Even if they did believe it, it wouldn''t matter.


    Their success wasn''t something you could copy and paste.


    Their results came from the synergy between three critical roles: a top-tier navigator, a ridiculously skilled driver, and herself¡ªthe artillery queen who boosted their speed through nonstop kills. Without one of those roles, it wouldn''t work.


    Any team wanting similar results would need an equally balanced and powerful setup.


    As the car rolled along, Rita found herself wondering what kind of rewards the other attraction leaderboards offered.


    She kept her eyes peeled for other standout items like their bumper car¡ªand then spotted a player flying through the sky... riding a hammer?


    A hammer she recognized.


    It was the one used in the Whack-a-Mole game.


    She was just about to tell Nivalis to head toward the hammer game when a system notification popped up:


    [Winter Sea ¡¤ Frenzied Shark has used a Forced Invitation to summon you to the July Theme Park.]


    No sooner had the notification appeared than their bumper car accelerated uncontrollably. The next thing they knew, they were flying through the starlit cosmos.


    Before any of them could react, they skidded to a sudden stop¡ªright in front of the entrance to the July Theme Park.


    Nivalis, still breathless: "What just happened?"


    Rita: "Winter Sea ¡¤ Frenzied Shark..."


    No sorting system had appeared yet, but her nemesis sure had.


    Looking at the entrance, Rita saw that the rules were mostly the same as the 15th-month park... but harsher.


    Game fee: 50g Blocks per hour


    If Block count drops below 35% of your starting amount, you''re sent back to the initial room and must pay 3 item shards to re-enter


    Every 30 minutes, you must unlock a relic or item


    Every reset causes a 10% stat loss


    And naturally, food and attraction fees would be even higher.


    Rita grimaced. This place was a nightmare-level difficulty.


    And players in here were definitely Winter Sea-tier.


    She was immediately on edge.


    They were still outside the park, meaning she could still use her skills.


    Time to return the favor.


    Rita prepared to cast [Ancient Curse].


    Nivalis: "What''s the plan?"


    Still mentally drafting the curse, Rita replied, "Let''s head in first."


    They might as well make the most of it. Complaining at the gate wouldn''t help¡ªgathering intel would.


    Their bumper car entered the July park without resistance.


    The air turned misty, as if they were entering a fog-drenched city. The world became hazy. Ahead, they could vaguely make out a bulky, looming shadow.


    But before they could get a proper look, another notification appeared.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade has used a Forced Invitation to summon you to the March Theme Park.]


    The bumper car sped forward once again, streaking through starlight.


    This time, they stopped outside the entrance to March Theme Park.


    Nivalis wiped her face with a claw, staring at Rita in a mix of disbelief and exasperation. "Who is it this time?"


    Rita: "Mistblade..."


    Apparently, the grudge from sniping a reward was just as strong as having an SSS-grade divine blessing stolen.


    With a heavy sigh, Rita activated the Ancient Curse she''d planned earlier.


    [I curse Winter Sea ¡¤ Frenzied Shark: every 5 minutes, they will lose one random Block. The curse will only lift if they lead three games into the global top-ten rankings.]


    Rita had hoped to leech those Blocks herself, but that didn''t align with the system''s rules. If she wanted to profit, she''d have to share in the penalty.


    Having gotten her petty revenge, she finally turned her attention to the March park.


    Once again, most of the rules mirrored the others¡ªbut with different numbers.


    Game fee: 20g Blocks per hour


    Must unlock one item per hour


    If Blocks fall below 30% of starting amount: reset room, 1 item shard to re-enter


    Each reset causes an 8% stat loss


    If she had come here directly from the 15th-month park, she would''ve been furious.


    But after her brief trip to July?


    March felt like mercy. She actually felt grateful.


    She hesitated for a moment¡ªdid they need to repay the game fee here?


    But as they passed through the gates, no payment prompt appeared.


    Instead, a message popped up:


    [March Theme Park features a unique fee system. Detected: Player BS-Rita has already paid 1 hour of fees in the 15th-month park. A 15-minute bonus has been granted. Fees begin at 6:00.]


    And then, another pop-up appeared:


    [Congratulations to Player BS-Rita for unlocking the Hidden Achievement: "Fine, I Admit I''m Popular."]


    [Hidden Achievement ¨C "Fine, I Admit I''m Popular"


    Trigger condition: Within 6 hours of game start, visit three different theme parks.


    Choose one of the following three items as your reward:

 Chapter 641: 641: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks32

    [You may choose one of the following three items as your reward:]


    1. 90% Discount Voucher / 2. Early Exit / 3. Game Simulation


    90% Discount Voucher: Allows you to purchase one item from the Exchange at only 10% of its listed price. The remaining Block cost will be covered by the Divine Game system.


    Early Exit: Allows you to exit this Divine Game session 6 hours early without losing qualification for final rewards.


    Game Simulation: Select one attraction to simulate a trial run. Simulation lasts 10 minutes in-game and only 1 second in real time. Usable 3 times.


    Now this was a real surprise¡ªblessing and curse bundled together.


    The hidden achievement was called "Fine, I Admit I''m Popular"¡ªthough in Rita''s opinion, it should''ve been named "Please Stop Inviting Me, I''m Tired."


    Just based on the name, it might seem like the only way to hop between parks was through other players'' Forced Invitations.


    But considering the brutal six-hour time limit, Rita figured that such cross-park travel was only common in the first six hours¡ªand maybe even only possible via Forced Invites during that period. Afterward? Who knew.


    Compared to the "I Can''t Take a Hint" reward she earned earlier for assembling a potion bottle Block, this was leagues better.


    Once again, the three rewards clearly aligned with offensive, defensive, and strategic playstyles.


    The 90% Discount Voucher wasn''t strictly an offensive tool, but in contrast to the other two, its meaning shifted.


    Because only players who not only competed but also collected rare gear from others would choose it.


    If you just wanted to buy back something you''d lost, the Early Exit or Game Simulation options were far more cost-effective.


    But used wisely, the latter two could save you enough Block to buy back several fragments. Definitely better than spending the voucher just to repurchase your own losses.


    To Rita, the Discount Voucher was a veiled weapon.


    Only someone dead set on collecting gear¡ªon completing something¡ªwould pick it.


    She imagined what she would do if she were the owner of the elusive Game Machine That Loves Games.


    If a nine-piece relic kept getting lost, until she only had one or two pieces left and no realistic way to get the rest¡ªwhat then?


    She''d list those final fragments at a premium.


    If she wanted to profit, she''d set a painful but not impossible price, hoping the collector would cough up the Block.


    If she wanted revenge, she''d list them so high that no one could afford them, shattering any hope of completion.


    Either way, a 90% Discount Voucher would be a crucial safety net.


    With her mind made up, Rita chose the voucher without hesitation.


    A multicolored, rectangular Block appeared before her.


    As she stowed it, Nivalis began nudging her repeatedly with the tip of her wing, jabbing toward the front.


    Rita frowned. "What is it?" she asked, lifting her head¡ªonly to be greeted by a line of Block legs.


    Her gaze traveled upward: so many tails... and then, locking eyes with a pair of round button-like pupils.


    Nine Block tails in total¡ªmost of them white, but the tips of the topmost ones were black.


    The figure standing in front of her wasn''t overloaded with Blocks but still had a solid presence, roughly Rita''s size.


    Once the nine-tailed Block fox realized Rita had seen them, two smaller foxes flanking her stepped forward and planted their paws on the bumper car''s hood.


    Mistblade stood behind them, arms crossed, peering down at Rita from above.


    In smooth fox-tongue, she said, "So you''re BS-Rita, huh."


    B8017913 translated dutifully: "So you''re BS-Rita, huh."


    Rita: "..."


    For a second, she had the surreal sense of being cornered after school by a bunch of mean girls.


    She''d just arrived in the March Theme Park and already run into a gang.


    But thinking back to that ominous silhouette she''d seen in the fog...


    Thinking about the difference between this park and the brutal July one...


    And about the hidden achievement she''d just unlocked...


    Rita found herself feeling incredibly humbled.


    She even wanted to grab Mistblade''s hands and say, Thank you for your service!


    This fox was her lucky charm. A true savior.


    Rita forced a sunny smile and, with B8017913''s help, fumbled through her broken fox-tongue: "What a coincidence! Out here having fun too?"


    Mistblade''s gaze swept across their bumper car. "Looks like you''ve been doing well. Got yourself a ride, huh?"


    Rita: "..."


    Yeah, this was absolutely giving delinquent vibes.


    When Rita didn''t respond, Mistblade sneered. "So how''s reshuffling the teams treating you? Fun?"


    There was no good answer to that.


    Still, Rita didn''t want to ignore her lucky fox.


    "I didn''t really care about reshuffling," she said, "It was more about... stopping people from blowing you up."


    Mistblade blinked. "Stopping what from blowing me up?"


    When it became clear she hadn''t understood, Rita dropped it.


    She wasn''t about to admit that some gods were worried she might snap.


    There was no point arguing it out. Mistblade wasn''t going to forgive her over an explanation.


    Rita sighed. "Not fun."


    Yeah right¡ªnot fun and yet you went and triggered it anonymously?


    Mistblade was about done with the conversation. Then she caught sight of that Block Rita had just acquired and frowned.


    "You just unlocked a hidden achievement, didn''t you?"


    Rita froze.


    She hesitated for only a moment, then put on her best confused-and-innocent face. "No...? Those things aren''t that easy to get, are they?"


    Mistblade didn''t believe a word of it, but she let it drop.


    Mostly because she was afraid to hear the truth.


    She stepped aside. "Go on, enjoy yourself."


    The two foxes withdrew their paws from the hood.


    Rita didn''t waste a second. She elbowed Nivalis hard.


    Nivalis didn''t dare say a word. She hit the accelerator immediately.


    As soon as they took off, they saw Mistblade''s two foxes jogging after them.


    Behind them, Mistblade stood motionless, arms crossed, watching them disappear into the park.


    She was clearly planning to follow them¡ªto figure out what attraction they picked and crash it for payback.


    Nivalis / Rita / B8017913: "..."


    Rita: "...Even Winter Sea ¡¤ Frenzied Shark wasn''t this clingy."


    Then again, Winter Sea probably wanted to find her¡ªbut had a harder time tracking her down.


    Every time she entered a new area, she''d run into Winter Sea. That wasn''t coincidence. That was a man hunting her.


    She thought back to that black silhouette in the fog and chuckled.


    If Winter Sea hadn''t spotted her, maybe he was still standing there waiting like an idiot.


    Nivalis, glancing backward: "So... what now?"


    Rita: "Pretend they don''t exist. Come on, let''s check out the Exchange first."


    She needed to see if the markets were connected across parks.

 Chapter 642: 642: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 33

    A breeze swept past, blowing a flower petal onto Rita''s face. She frowned and brushed it off.


    If the July Theme Park was like a city in the mist, then the March Theme Park was a city of blossoms. Real flower trees¡ªnot ones built from Blocks¡ªlined every path. Petals drifted through the air in varying sizes, and the air was saturated with floral fragrance.


    Compared to these two parks, the 15th Month Theme Park seemed plain¡ªlike the difference between a barebones starter map and a premium DLC zone in a video game.


    Even the Block vending machines were different. Not only were they more luxurious and finely designed, but every machine had a blooming tree beside it.


    Rita browsed the vending interface for a few seconds and finally relaxed.


    The marketplace was shared between parks. She recognized the list of 9-piece item fragments. Only a few had changed compared to the listings she''d seen in the 15th Month Theme Park¡ªbut that was to be expected.


    The game console hadn''t sold yet, but the four game item fragments she listed earlier had.


    She fused the resulting 25 Blocks to her body but kept the two remaining fragments on hand for emergencies. As long as she could keep collecting the game console, things were looking up.


    Rita returned to the bumper car, motioned for Nivalis to slide over to the passenger seat, and jumped into the driver''s spot. She wanted to see how different the attractions here were from those in the 15th Month Theme Park.


    In under ten minutes, she had her answer.


    The March Theme Park had an identical layout to the 15th Month Theme Park.


    No zoning, either. That meant Divine Game players and temporary Divine Game players could all participate in the same attraction queues.


    But anyone brought here by a Divine Game player likely wasn''t someone they were willing to sacrifice.


    Which meant that if those players didn''t want their teammates or prote?ge?s repeatedly dying, resetting, and losing tons of attributes and rare items, they''d have to work hard to earn enough Blocks for food and playtime.


    Rita scoped out the Pirate Ship, Claw Machine, and Bumper Cars once again. Mechanics looked unchanged, but the ticket prices had doubled.


    So had the prices for popcorn, grilled fish, and BBQ rice bowls.


    Every necessary expense here was considerably higher than in the 15th Month Theme Park.


    Nivalis was still feeling lucky they''d arrived on full stomachs¡ªotherwise, they''d already be bleeding Blocks.


    She even whispered to B8017913, asking if it could work a part-time job at the food stands.


    Rita slowed the bumper car to a crawl, cruising through the park while waiting to observe one last mechanic¡ªthe payment system for the March Theme Park. It was almost 5:00. She was watching closely.


    The other players were interesting, too. They carried on as if nothing special was about to happen. No signs of bracing for anything. Maybe the payment system wasn''t something they could control?


    That seemed the most logical explanation.


    At exactly 5:00, a gust swept through the park.


    It blew right through the players, snatching a few Blocks off each one at random. The pieces dissolved into flower-petal-colored fragments and drifted away.


    Rita cursed loudly, "How is this different from daylight robbery?!"


    It really did just yank Blocks away at random¡ªsometimes even game item fragments.


    She watched one player wail in despair, holding a staff that had been cleanly shortened by a third.


    Not wasting another second, Rita turned the wheel and steered straight for the Pirate Ship.


    Compared to the Claw Machine and Bumper Cars¡ªboth of which relied heavily on combat stats¡ªthe Pirate Ship leaned more toward game sense and mechanical finesse. No HP loss here. She had experience. Maybe she could rack up another high score.


    Nivalis messaged her privately: "Didn''t they say you can only play each attraction once?"


    Rita replied, "Different park, different ticket. Who knows, maybe I can. Nivalis, wait for me outside. 913, go into ring form¡ªyou''re coming with me."


    She glanced back at Nivalis and added, "Feel free to check out something else if you want. Just turn the bumper car into a charm and clip it on you."


    It couldn''t be lost or destroyed anyway, so Rita had no worries about letting Nivalis carry it.


    B8017913 immediately started disassembling itself, handing the parts over to Rita to boost her Block count before they entered.


    A glance behind showed only one of the foxkin from earlier still tailing them. The other had probably gone to fetch Mistblade.


    Seemed like the Pirate Ship was a game Mistblade hadn''t tried yet. With so many activities in the park and the game barely six hours in, the odds of her having done the same ones were low.


    As Rita queued up with B8017913 in ring form, the six-tailed foxkin lined up right behind her.


    Five minutes later, Mistblade strolled up casually.


    She walked straight to the six-tailed foxkin, who stepped aside. Mistblade took the vacant spot¡ªright behind Rita.


    Rita: "..."


    Queuing for the Pirate Ship with Mistblade. Absolutely surreal.


    Mistblade muttered behind her like a devil whispering over her shoulder, "Pine Bloom wants in too. Not sure if she''ll make it."


    Rita: "...You invited her?"


    Mistblade: "Yeah. She really wants to see you. Shame Maple Syrup just started a game¡ªshe can''t come yet."


    "...Stop talking like that, it''s creepy as hell."


    Rita shifted into offense as defense. "Is that force-invite ticket hard to get?"


    Mistblade ignored the question and asked her own: "Did you self-study moonfox language?"


    Rita hesitated a second. "Something like that."


    That answer mollified Mistblade just a touch. In her mind, if Rita had gone out of her way to learn moonfox language, maybe it was to keep the promise of translating game rules.


    But only a little. Her grudge still burned hot. No forgiveness!


    Rita tried again, "That force-invite ticket. Seriously, how do you get one?"


    Mistblade''s tone turned smug. "You think I''ll tell you just because you ask?"


    Rita: "..."


    This Mistblade was nothing like the stoic royal figure from before. Now she was pure chaos¡ªshort-fused and flammable.


    Rita gave up asking.


    But Mistblade wasn''t done. She''d clearly been waiting for this. "Tell me how to get that car of yours, and I''ll tell you how to get a force-invite."


    Now that trade was way too unbalanced. Rita was only curious about the invite¡ªit wasn''t a must-have.


    What would she even use it for? She didn''t exactly have someone she was dying to invite into this hellhole of a park.


    Maple Mu...


    If Maple Mu had entered the game, maybe. She could exact some revenge by stealing attributes or items.


    But if Maple Mu was here, she was likely under Maple Syrup''s wing.


    If Rita were still in the July Theme Park, she might''ve considered it. But here in March, with Pine Bloom and Maple Syrup both lurking around? Yeah, no thanks.


    She quickly shook her head. "Honestly, I don''t really need to know."


    Mistblade: But I need to know!


    She really, really wanted that car. It was slick as hell. Obvious Divine Game exclusive. No way it would ever be available again after Chaotic Blocks ended.

 Chapter 643: 643: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 34

    Rita turned and stared at Mistblade for a few seconds before breaking into a grin. "You want that car, don''t you?"


    Mistblade''s expression didn''t change. She didn''t confirm or deny it, but she did offer a trade. "Three master-tier gemstones. In exchange, you tell me how you got onto the leaderboard. Deal?"


    So Mistblade knew about the leaderboard¡ªand even guessed that the bumper car was a leaderboard reward?


    Then again, maybe she was bluffing.


    Rita turned away again, facing forward. "I might be willing to make that trade¡ªbut not yet."


    If her rank on the bumper car leaderboard dropped to ninth while there was still a lot of game left, she''d sell it to Mistblade for Blocks without hesitation. But not now.


    She''d been willing to sell in the 15th Month Theme Park because the players there weren''t a threat. She''d kept her explanations vague, and even if they understood how the car was obtained, they wouldn''t be able to replicate her results.


    At the very least, they couldn''t outperform her. Even if they made it onto the leaderboard, it wouldn''t knock her off.


    But Mistblade?


    That was a whole different gamble.


    Sure, this wasn''t the Fish Belly group. It''d be harder for Mistblade to dominate here like Rita had before.


    But Mistblade ranked over 900 spots above Maple Syrup on the PvP ladder...


    No way was Rita underestimating her.


    Out of Rita''s sight, Mistblade''s eyes briefly flickered with surprise.


    From the way BS-Rita spoke, it sounded like her leaderboard rank wasn''t low at all. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have responded like that...


    ...


    Like the 15th Month Theme Park, each Pirate Ship match lasted ten minutes.


    The queue moved quickly.


    Mistblade had thought BS-Rita would keep looking over her shoulder to see if Pine Bloom would show up. But surprisingly, after their earlier conversation, Rita didn''t look back once¡ªnot even when it was nearly her turn to board.


    Mistblade idly twirled a Block between her fingers as she looked up at the rocking ship. "Not even gonna check if Pine Bloom''s here?"


    The little Block figure ahead of her didn''t turn. "Doesn''t matter. The strongest opponent is already behind me. Everyone else¡ªwhether they come or not¡ªis just filler."


    Mistblade''s lips curled high, only to be forcibly flattened¡ªthen curled up again, swaying just like the tip of the pirate ship above them.


    Mistblade: smug.gif


    If anyone else had said that, it would''ve sounded like posturing. But coming from BS-Rita¡ªthe same BS-Rita who got ganged up on by hundreds of reward-hungry players and still refused to apologize¡ªthe words held real weight.


    BS-Rita was known far and wide for her stubborn streak. Would she lie?


    ...


    Rita: You''re sure? Really, really sure she didn''t come?


    Nivalis: Positive, totally positive. I counted over 200 players¡ªno owlfolk in sight.


    Rita: Okay, good. All clear. Go have fun.


    B8017913: ...


    A round finished quickly, and soon it was Rita''s turn. She handed the prepped Blocks to little gingerbread.


    Just as she''d guessed, different theme parks meant different instances. Even if it was the same attraction, it counted separately. Little gingerbread took her ticket and waved her aboard.


    The moment she stepped onto the ship, Rita activated Romantic Tourist to check the landmarks she''d set back in the 15th Month Theme Park.


    ¡ªThey were still there!


    She could teleport back anytime!


    Relief washed over her. Her only worry had been that Winter Sea: Frenzied Shark might use another forced invite to drag her back into the July Theme Park.


    Sure, she couldn''t bring Nivalis and B8017913 with her through the teleport... but that was solvable.


    She''d just strip them of their Blocks, send them back to the starting room, and teleport to the 15th Month Theme Park herself. Pets likely followed their master upon revival anyway.


    After all, the invite was for her¡ªnot her companions.


    Realizing the versatility of Romantic Tourist, Rita soared to the ship''s prow and set three new landmarks in the March Theme Park: a vending machine, the far-off Ferris wheel, and the Block sign at the tip of the ship''s mast.


    That way, no matter where she was¡ªwhether in the March or 15th Month park¡ªshe could freely jump between them.


    Now, to deal with B8017913.


    Instead of flattening the bot beside her foot like last time, she opened the Block box holding her whole-grain buns and stuffed B8017913 inside.


    She closed most of the box, leaving only two slits, then stuck the container near her feet.


    So long as she touched the ship, B8017913 could make contact through the gap.


    Rita: "Do you need to change forms to fire a basic skill?"


    B8017913: "Nope."


    Rita: "If you end up as a treasure chest, shoot your simplest skill out through that gap."


    She''d just finished giving instructions when the ship''s rules echoed in her mind.


    Pirate Ship Game Rules


    Every 30 seconds, three passengers are designated as treasure chests. Hitting the same chest twice will randomly steal one Block from it.


    Treasure chests have a 50% chance to steal a Block from any crew member they hit.


    Every skill used counts as a "hit." Hitting shields also counts.


    Crew members attacking each other will not yield Blocks.


    The game has 20 rounds.


    Once on board, HP is locked. If a player stays off the ship for more than 3 seconds, they will be forcibly returned to the center and immobilized for 5 seconds.


    If the same Block on a chest is hit twice, that Block will be guaranteed to drop.


    If a treasure chest hits the same crew member twice, the second hit guarantees a Block steal.


    Same base mechanics as the 15th Month Pirate Ship¡ªbut higher difficulty.


    The countdown began. With a sharp whistle, the ship started rocking.


    The game was on!


    Rita instantly activated Yes, I''m Fish Belly, what about it?, cloaking herself in harmless obscurity. Whether she was assigned as a chest or a crew member, this skill always gave her an edge.


    March Theme Park players were a step above those in the 15th Month park.


    Every treasure chest had some sort of survival trick. But the crew had counters too¡ªinterrupting their skills with moves Rita had never even seen before.


    Sometimes, just as a chest vanished, a player would force it back out with some unknown tactic.


    Rita was both thrilled and terrified.


    Still, she hunted for openings.


    With one round already under her belt, Rita was a lot more confident hitting chests.


    And while Nivalis wasn''t here, Rita had another skill to compensate:


    ¡ªShadow Puppetry.

 Chapter 644: 644: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 35

    While firing at the treasure chests, Rita kept a close eye on the shadow clone she had split off.


    To her relief, even the shadow clone was made of Block phantoms. It could pick up Blocks for her and even attach them to its body.


    The only downside? If the shadow got hit by a treasure chest, it could drop Blocks too.


    But thanks to the clone, Rita could stay focused on attacking without wasting time dashing around to collect Blocks. That tradeoff was more than worth it.


    With I''m Getting Serious and Target Locked, she locked onto the chests. And now she had a new weapon¡ªher boomerang.


    While it couldn''t hit chests that had vanished, it allowed her to keep dealing damage even when she didn''t have a clear shot. Perfect for when treasure chests ducked below the ship or got buried under other players.


    Everyone on the pirate ship was busy chasing treasure chests. Aside from the sounds of skills going off, the only voice heard was BS-Rita talking to herself:


    "Who''s the treasure chest on this ship?"


    "It''s me!"


    "Who''s the one getting focused right now?"


    "It''s me!"


    Mistblade: "..."


    Maple Syrup had once told her that BS-Rita had a habit of using Owlgroan when doing something that embarrassed her. Mistblade hadn''t believed it¡ªuntil now.


    ...


    A few bold players tried to intercept her boomerang, hoping to snatch it mid-air.


    But every time someone reached for it, the boomerang would blur into a phantom and dodge away. As long as it wasn''t dismantled and still flying, it would always return to her.


    This made Rita value it even more.


    While blasting treasure chests, Rita also watched for the ones with the longest dodge durations and used Repay to borrow their evasive skills.


    Even if the cooldown meant she couldn''t always nab the best skill, even if she didn''t end up needing it, she wanted to make sure she always had a dodge in her pocket.


    Round 8.


    A golden beam shot down on Rita.


    Her eyes snapped to her shadow clone¡ªno golden glow. She wouldn''t need to activate Plan B.


    The players instantly shifted targets, aiming at the new chest. Mistblade charged right for her.


    Rita calmly executed the sequence she''d mentally rehearsed hundreds of times.


    ¡ªLonely Antenna Baby!


    ¡ªUltimate Family Bucket, which replicated her split attacks to hit 110 targets!


    ¡ªUltimate Balanced Nutrition, with auto-tracking meat slices!


    ¡ªUltimate Hyperdrive, multiplying her agility by five!


    Even though HP was locked during the match, the agility buff let her pick up Blocks and launch skills much faster.


    By the time all four skills were cast, two seconds had passed.


    ¡ªAt second 3:


    Rita and her shadow scattered, sweeping up Blocks.


    With a 50% drop rate from chests hitting players, the deck was a glittering mess of Blocks.


    To play it safe, she had her clone make loops around the ship, returning after each sweep to attach its collected Blocks to her front.


    ¡ªAt second 7:


    She raised her hand and cast Cheers, summoning beer mugs packed with lightning orbs that exploded with a bang. No tracking, but the splash radius made up for it.


    ¡ªAt second 11:


    She launched Dragon Dance at the nearest player. Each kick summoned a tornado that tracked enemies automatically.


    It was mana-hungry, but that homing effect was exactly what Rita needed.


    Block rain resumed across the deck.


    The biggest difference between her first run and now wasn''t just her improved strategy¡ªit was her fearlessness. She danced on the razor''s edge.


    Last time she''d gotten one haul of Blocks and gone into hiding. This time, she wasn''t just after loot¡ªshe wanted a spot on the Pirate Ship leaderboard.


    Every 3.5 seconds, she cast a single-target skill.


    This rhythm ensured there were always Blocks on the ground. If she waited until after the usual five-second despawn window, she''d risk wasting time while waiting for more drops.


    More importantly, the players she attacked weren''t pushovers. Even with special-effect skills, each wave of split attacks only hit maybe a third of the players.


    To keep Blocks coming, she had to up the pace.


    Rita was willing to burn through extra ultimates if it meant maximizing every second of her 30-second chest window.


    When the golden glow vanished from BS-Rita, a collective sigh of relief swept through the ship.


    To survive her barrage, most players had already burned their best escape skills.


    At second 30, Rita deactivated Lonely Antenna Baby. Her Regular Savings mana pool was down to 210,000.


    Stray Blocks still floated through the air¡ªresidue from her final cast before the timer ended.


    Now back to being a regular crewmember, she and her clone swept up every last one.


    Nine rounds of damage, with at least 20 Blocks picked up by her and her clone each time.


    These players had superb evasion skills. Rarely did half the ship get hit in any round.


    But with a guaranteed drop rate after a chest hit someone twice, the Block count stayed high.


    The last two rounds were the most lucrative¡ªplayers saved their skills and relied on pure dodging, fearing they''d end up as the next chest.


    Her shadow returned with 12 more Blocks and stuck them to her frame.


    Now, Rita looked like a massive, lumpy abomination of Blocks¡ªlike something a toddler would build out of sheer chaos.


    Thirty seconds, 189 Blocks.


    She backed to the edge of the ship, watching the new chests while rapidly reorganizing her build.


    Not far away, Mistblade stared at BS-Rita with a complicated look.


    She thought: At this rate, Lania Kaia might end up with a 13th Saint-rank player.


    ...


    Round 16.


    Golden light rained down again¡ªon Rita.


    At least half the players took a step back in unison.


    But this time, the golden light wasn''t so much a beam as it was a focused gleam¡ªshining on her left foot.


    Rita looked down.


    The light was coming from the Block box by her left foot.


    This time, the chest was B8017913!


    She raised her bow and aimed at the others. "913!"


    The box shot out razor-thin beams like needles. Rita fired at the chest, while 913''s bolts zipped toward crewmembers. Her clone darted through the chaos, scooping up Blocks¡ªor buns when it found none.


    Mistblade couldn''t help herself¡ªshe typed in the battle chat:


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade]: This game mode is disgusting.


    [Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Miji]: No, it''s not. We weren''t playing dirty¡ªthis is a BS-Rita problem.


    [Glazeweaver ¡¤ Ask Moon]: I''m here too. Can confirm¡ªit''s a BS-Rita problem.


    [Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Listen Voice]: Same. Also on-site. It''s BS-Rita.


    [Black Spring ¡¤ Mud Bears]: I''m here. I think the real problem is the entire Owlgroan species.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Maple Syrup]: ?


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Pine Bloom]: ?


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Peach Crown]: ?

 Chapter 645: 645: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 36

    [Winter Sea ¡¤ Frenzied Shark]: You guys are in the same theme park as BS-Rita? Which one?


    [Black Spring ¡¤ Mud Bears]: March.


    Mistblade had just finished laughing at Maple Syrup and was about to close the chat window to focus on the game when she saw Frenzied Shark''s message¡ªand she couldn''t resist chiming in.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade]: Did you try inviting her to your park just now?


    [Winter Sea ¡¤ Frenzied Shark]: Yeah. But she ran.


    Mistblade: ...


    She was starting to piece together what the hidden easter egg might be.


    As she bent down to casually scoop up some Blocks near Rita, she "happened" to drift closer and ask, "That hidden easter egg... was it about visiting three different theme parks?"


    Rita glanced at her divine fox and asked, "Do you really want to know?"


    Mistblade: ...


    Mistblade stormed off in frustration.


    Now both Mistblade and Frenzied Shark were in mental ruins.


    After seeing Mistblade''s "Did you try inviting her to your park?" message, Frenzied Shark immediately understood what had happened.


    Those forced-invite tickets were rare, okay? You wouldn''t ask a question like that unless you had one yourself.


    And considering Mistblade had been having a full meltdown earlier in public chat over the reshuffle...


    What wasn''t clear now?


    All of this, because BS-Rita just had to stir up trouble.


    He wasted a precious invite ticket, stood around like a fool for ages, and got cursed by BS-Rita on top of that...


    He thought she didn''t dare come¡ªturns out she''d just already peaced out to another park.


    ...


    Round 17.


    One of the treasure chest players used a skill that made the entire ship shudder like a shaken tablecloth. Every player was thrown off the deck violently.


    No one could dodge it¡ªnot through strength, balance, or evasion. Everyone was hit. The moment their bodies left the ship, they were forcibly suspended in mid-air.


    Rita was on that ship.


    She and even her shadow clone were suspended. She couldn''t even use her shadow to haul herself back on board.


    And the moment she saw everyone weightless, Rita knew exactly what the chest player was planning.


    But she didn''t panic¡ªbecause she still had a skill she''d borrowed with Repay:


    "I Refuse" (SSS): Rewinds your status to 10 seconds prior. Regains all that was lost.


    She''d seen it in action earlier¡ªwhen a chest used it, their lost Blocks instantly returned.


    She hadn''t even waited for her previous borrowed skill to expire before snatching I Refuse with Repay.


    Rita let herself be penalized for leaving the ship¡ªteleported midair and frozen for five seconds.


    Maybe her gameplay had made her too much of a target, but the chest player zeroed in on her hard.


    Four seconds in, the chest rushed over and blasted her and several crewmates with an AoE, quickly scooping up their dropped Blocks.


    At second five, they''d already made their escape.


    At second six, all players were unfrozen. Rita included.


    ¡ª"I Refuse."


    Several Blocks vanished from the chest player and returned to Rita''s body.


    The chest player noticed immediately, whipped around, and shouted something obscene at her.


    Rita: "What''d she say?"


    B8017913: "Very rude. You sure you want to hear it?"


    Rita: "Nah. Thanks though."


    ...


    The moment the game ended, Rita finally relaxed for the first time.


    [Star Pirate Ship Block Leaderboard]


    1. BS-Rita ¨C 233 Blocks


    2. Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade ¨C 118 Blocks


    3. Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush ¨C 89 Blocks


    Rewards:


    1st Place: Free Game Ticket (1/1)


    2nd Place: +3 Blocks


    3rd Place: +1 Block


    Bonus:


    Because BS-Rita ranked in the Star Pirate Ship Global Leaderboard, her reward was upgraded.


    Congratulations to BS-Rita!


    Reward: Transfer Ticket x1


    Current Leaderboard Rank: #1 ¨C 233 Blocks ¨C Game Rating: 99


    Rating based on game performance, player strength comparison, and total Blocks earned.


    Reward: Limited-Edition Star Pirate Ship x1


    Note: If knocked out of the Top 10 before game end, the reward will be revoked.


    A sleek, white, oval-shaped Block materialized in front of her¡ªTransfer Ticket.


    Transfer Ticket: Use to transfer to another theme park. Cannot be used to transfer to a lower-difficulty park than your starting park. Usable only during game hours 6¨C12.


    As she hopped off the pirate ship and reached the exit, a miniature version of the Star Pirate Ship floated over.


    It had a row of pilot seats, a wooden steering wheel, and a barrel like the one on the main ship. Perched on the barrel was a tiny Block version of herself with flaming wings.


    [Chaotic Blocks ¡¤ March Star Pirate Ship]:


    Game reward. Non-tradable, indestructible, cannot be dropped. No special effects or stats. Can be miniaturized into a keychain.


    (Belongs to: BS-Rita)


    Rita climbed aboard. The ship adjusted itself to her perfect size automatically.


    Resting one hand on the side, she turned to Mistblade.


    Mistblade raised a hand before she could speak. "Don''t. Talk to me."


    Rita looked up at the sky and mused aloud, "Hmm... Should I drive the bumper car today, or fly the pirate ship?"


    B8017913, translating into Moon Fox language, started sweating, afraid Mistblade might blow up.


    And then, as if on cue, a bumper car rolled to a halt beside her. Nivalis leaned on the door, mimicking Rita''s pose and said:


    "Use the car on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. The ship on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays."


    "What about Sundays?"


    "You can ride a dragon."


    The two of them burst into laughter, wiggling around in their vehicles like kids hopped up on sugar.


    Mistblade and the nearby players: "..."


    Some were genuinely envious of not understanding Moon Fox language.


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush pointed at BS-Rita and asked Mistblade, "She''s the one you invited here?"


    Mistblade''s cryptic earlier message had clearly been deciphered by more than just Frenzied Shark.


    Mistblade: "...Yeah."


    Windrush: "Can you send her back?"


    Mistblade: "..."


    So what was the point of all that? Helping BS-Rita unlock her hidden achievement?


    Rita hopped off the pirate ship, shrank it down, and stored it away.


    Then she jumped into the bumper car, gave Mistblade a wave, and took off with Nivalis.


    She needed to eat¡ªbadly. After an intense battle like that, her stamina was down to 31.


    While riding, she let B8017913 out and had it return to its Block-person form.


    They''d need it again soon to order food.

 Chapter 646: 646: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 37

    Sitting in the bumper car, Rita rolled the Transfer Ticket between her fingers, hesitating on what to do with it.


    Her starting park was the 15th Month Theme Park, home to players as strong as Tier 12. So, for now, she considered that park the baseline for Tier 12-level players.


    But Tier 17 Winter Sea ¡¤ Frenzied Shark was in July, and Tier 15 players like Mistblade and Maple Syrup were in March.


    There was no pattern at all.


    If she used the Transfer Ticket randomly, she could end up somewhere with Tier 16, 18, or even 19 players.


    Sure, Rita wasn''t without options¡ªshe could use Romantic Tourist to return. The only real upside to transferring was that she could light up a landmark in another park. Maybe there''d be a hidden easter egg tied to it.


    Judging by the Transfer Ticket''s limited use window, different mechanics might unlock every six hours¡ªmeaning more hidden rewards could exist.


    But she had another option: sell the ticket at a high price and use the Blocks to buy more parts for the game console.


    While she debated, the bumper car rolled to a stop at a food truck. Ignoring the six-tailed Moon Fox who''d somehow started tailing them, Rita handed the meal fee to B8017913 and focused on adjusting her Block build.


    The color scheme of the Blocks in March Theme Park was nearly identical to those in 15th Month, making it tough to visually identify which ones had higher stat values.


    Rita triggered divine punishment a few times while rearranging Blocks, but the in-game rule system was so tricky, she couldn''t figure out the logic. She decided to ignore it for now.


    After collecting 233 Blocks from the Star Pirate Ship game, Rita used two of the largest to pay for food and kept the remaining 231 Blocks, among which were 17 game item fragments.


    Combined with the 192 Blocks she had before the game started, she now held a personal record of 423 Blocks¡ªher highest total yet.


    And that number could climb even higher if she sold her 17 fragments:


    6 three-piece sets


    9 five-piece sets


    1 seven-piece set


    1 nine-piece set


    The nine-piece fragment was a triangular shard named Mobile Diner. The name alone sounded promising, hinting at useful in-game effects. But Rita wasn''t planning to collect it¡ªher focus was on completing the game console.


    At exactly 5:45, a system alert popped up:


    [Playtime has reached 1 hour. One new artifact unlocked.]


    ["Sleeping Dragon Eggshell" unlocked]


    ["Sleeping Dragon Eggshell" deployed]


    Rita slapped the seven-piece eggshell helmet onto her head, tossed out a "Two meals, please," and hopped off the bumper car.


    Only to get yanked back by Nivalis: "Leave the pirate ship!"


    Rita took the Star Pirate Ship mini model off her gear and tossed it over, heading off alone to the market.


    Thanks to March Theme Park''s randomized fee collection, she had to keep a solid buffer of game Blocks on hand. But it made no sense to risk losing high-value items she didn''t plan to use¡ªbest to put those up for sale.


    At the exchange, she saw that nine-piece set fragments were selling for anywhere between 500¨C600g Blocks. Heavier ones were a bit pricier. Some sellers, convinced the original owners would buy them back, had priced them even higher.


    Still, sincere sellers rarely priced above 600g¡ªanything more risked not selling at all.


    Take Mistblade, for instance. In her first Star Pirate Ship run, she earned 118 Blocks. The total weight of those Blocks could vary wildly¡ªbetween 100g to 1500g, depending on RNG.


    So if she placed first every game and had decent luck, she''d just barely be able to buy one nine-piece shard per two games. And that''s before deducting the 20g game fee, 50g meal cost, and any additional expenses for teammates or pets.


    Assuming her pet¡ªthe little hamster Rita hadn''t seen yet¡ªwas even here, her expenses would be even higher.


    Bottom line: if Mistblade lost one of her own item fragments, she''d be forced to buy it back at market value. If she managed to loot someone else''s fragment, she could profit by reselling it.


    That''s exactly what Rita was working toward.


    This game was built around a clear loop: hustle hard, play smart, and reap the rewards.


    At the vending machine, Rita found her console fragment had sold. She claimed the 518g Blocks in return¡ªall of them hefty, the smallest being 30g¡ªand loaded them onto her build. She was prepping for the 6:00 fee collection and began listing her own fragments.


    First up: the nine-piece Mobile Diner¡ªpriced at 600g, the max she figured the market could bear.


    Next, her seven-piece Clearwater Set, listed at 380g.


    She also listed three five-piece sets.


    Then she headed back to the food truck.


    Now she looked like a walking, misshapen Block golem.


    B8017913 was still in line for food. Nivalis had restarted their bumper car rental business¡ªthis time offering both the bumper car and the pirate ship.


    Each model now doubled as a musical avatar: the pirate ship had a Block figure perched on the beer barrel, just like the Block model on the bumper car''s steering wheel. Both models played a different song depending on the driver.


    Nivalis turned this into a marketing feature.


    "Don''t you want to know your life''s theme song?"


    She''d just learned the phrase from B8017913 and was now shouting it in multiple languages from the roadside.


    She''d also raised prices: 2g Blocks for one minute of test-driving.


    By the time Rita returned, Nivalis had earned 20g Blocks¡ªenough to cover her own 6¨C7pm play fee, and at this rate, she''d earn enough for B8017913''s too.


    At 6:00 sharp, B8017913 had just accepted Nivalis''s 20g donation when the bell rang.


    A gust of wind passed through the park, and Rita felt the Blocks vanish off her body.


    Panicking, she began checking her key items.


    Eggshell helmet, finger bone, cat bed, antenna, game console, Magician''s Wisdom Tooth...


    Then she froze. Her heart skipped a beat.


    Her bone and antenna were each missing a piece.


    That drop rate was outrageous.


    And worse¡ªthose were her most important items.


    Where would she even begin looking?


    A nearby player in line for the bumper car noticed her panic and kindly spoke up in Owlcrow:


    "If you lose item fragments during the fee collection, check the market. Divine Game lists them at market value."


    Rita quickly thanked them, then turned to Nivalis and shouted, "Give that sister a discount!" before sprinting toward the exchange.


    Just then, the bumper car returned.


    The player smiled and walked up to Nivalis. "So... what''s the discount?"


    Nivalis shouted in Owlcrow to Rita, "How much off?"


    From the distance came Rita''s reply: "Full price!"


    The helpful player: "..."


    She pointed at Rita''s disappearing figure. "Your owner''s name is BS-Rita, right?"


    Nivalis scratched her ear, sighing¡ªshe was starting to grow calluses from hearing that phrase too often. "Yeah. If you need anything, just go find her. She handles everything solo."


    Not far away, B8017913, paying for food, paused awkwardly: ...


    D11329: "That car¡ªyou guys won it in a game?"


    B8017913: "Mm. I''m on the steering wheel."


    D11329: "Can I take it for a spin later? Like, for free? I don''t have any Blocks."


    B8017913: "You probably can. Just tell her you''re my friend. She''ll say yes."


    Right?

 Chapter 647: 647: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 38

    She didn''t even need to say the words.


    By the time Rita returned to the food truck, having just acquired the fourth piece of her game console, and heard little gingerbread ask through private chat if it could take the bumper car for a spin¡ªmentioning it was a good friend of B8''s¡ª


    "Of course," Rita replied without hesitation.


    She took the two supersized hand-rolled sushi sets from B8017913 and sent a private message,


    "This car belongs to you too. As long as it''s not in use by one of us, you can take whoever you want for a ride. Just check with Nivalis on the timing."


    When B8017913 drove off with D11329, it couldn''t help but share what Rita had said.


    It didn''t quite know how to explain why it did that¡ªmaybe it was showing off?


    A childish impulse perhaps. But by the time it understood its own motivations, it was already bragging.


    D11329: "I thought once you contract with a player, everything you gain belongs to them?"


    B8017913 looked at the tiny Block model on the steering wheel, where three little figures sat side-by-side.


    "BS-Rita isn''t like that."


    D11329: "Did you two sign an equal contract?"


    B8017913: "No. We''re not equals. But she respects my contributions."


    D11329: "Is that better than an equal contract?"


    B8017913: "I don''t know. Maybe I''ll only know the answer if the day comes that we sign one."


    ...


    Rita sat on a bench beside the food truck, munching her sushi while carefully reassembling Soul Catcher and Lonely Antenna Baby.


    She''d only lost three Blocks to the amusement fee system¡ªbut two of them had been crucial item fragments.


    Rebuying those two alone cost her nearly 400g Block, burning through all the profits she''d earned by selling the seven-piece set Clearwater.


    Was she just unlucky? Or was this because of something¡ªlike B8017913''s influence? Or maybe it was just the March Theme Park being cursed?


    Back in 15th Month Theme Park, she''d barely lost any Blocks randomly¡ªjust two the first time she played the Star Pirate Ship game. So now she couldn''t say for sure whether this drop rate was her fault or the park''s.


    She slotted the bone and antenna pieces back in place, then pulled out her game console.


    The fourth fragment had gone up in price¡ª550g Block.


    Rita hadn''t spent the 518g she earned from selling her earlier console fragment. Those Blocks were massive¡ªjust 15 pieces in total, most of them perfect cubes, way larger than anything Mistblade carried. She suspected they came from much higher-tier players and might represent better stats.


    Even though she knew more Blocks were better, she couldn''t bring herself to use those. Instead, she prioritized the smaller ones she''d collected in 15th Month.


    This new fragment was a corner of the console screen.


    [Game Machine That Loves Games ¡¤ Incomplete (4/9)]


    Skill 1 ¨C Games Brought to Life: Scan any game. After 1,000 hours of play, the player gains a random skill or item from that game. (Game slots used: 0/10)


    Skill 2 ¨C Ultra Storage: Each game slot can hold up to 999 unique items, one per slot. Items cannot stack. (Slot conditions like time flow, weather, and temperature will affect stored items.)


    Skill 3 ¨C Event Loot: After 2 hours of playtime, gain a random event loot box...


    The second skill''s description was now complete¡ªand it instantly doubled the console''s value.


    It was no longer just a glorified storage unit. It could be used to brew, grow magical plants, and store time-sensitive materials.


    Rita was falling more and more in love with the thing.


    She tucked the console carefully into a hollow Block shell built into her upper torso.


    Just as she did, a new player sat beside her¡ªa Block avatar with green Block wings and a bright green scalp.


    Rita turned to look. "Pine Bloom?"


    The Owlcrow replied, "I''m just a student of Her Majesty Pine Bloom."


    Oh? Rita raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly are you learning from Pine Bloom?"


    Owlcrow: "Dragon-rearing."


    Rita: "...Right. That''s rich."


    She grinned. "You must be... taking an extended leave from school, huh?"


    Graduation-Delayed Owlcrow: "?"


    Rita turned to the six-tailed Moon Fox sitting on her other side, still busy chomping sushi. With help from B8017913''s remote translation, she asked in Moon Fox tongue:


    "Are you Mistblade''s student too?"


    Six-Tail: "Yes."


    Rita: "What do you study? Alchemy? Gemcraft?"


    Six-Tail: "Mahjong."


    Rita: "..."


    Where on earth were Pine Bloom and Mistblade finding these students? Their nonsense game was impeccable.


    Still, Rita could tell these two were genuinely close to their mentors. You wouldn''t dare make jokes like this unless you had real ties. No way would top-tier players bring along dead weight¡ªthey had to be trusted kin.


    She thought back to her earlier game on the Star Pirate Ship, when she used Nothing New to Me to scan her opponents. Most had been Tier 15.


    In 15th Month Theme Park, she often spotted pets or temporary Divine Game players with lower stats.


    But that wasn''t happening here in March Theme Park.


    Because here, failure was too expensive.


    The ones being brought in by Divine Game veterans were people they genuinely wanted to train.


    And yet, those very people had become liabilities. Rather than letting them fumble through costly games, it was better for the veterans to play solo and just cover their companions'' fees and food.


    That''s why, in these higher-tier parks, most of the action happened between elite players.


    Leaning back in her seat, Rita stared at the park''s overhead map. At the very top, a line of Blocks marched back and forth, reordering themselves to display various languages.


    They all meant one thing: March Theme Park.


    She began to seriously consider whether to stay... or return to 15th Month.


    March Theme Park had enemies. It was tougher. It randomly deducted fees. It had a ridiculously high chance of stealing your stuff. Ever since she arrived here, her luck had tanked.


    Unless it was something like the Star Pirate Ship¡ªwhere HP was locked and the mechanics favored her¡ªshe had a near-zero chance of holding her ground.


    Back in 15th Month, she dominated. Every game mode was within her control. Even facing Tier 12 players, she could hold her own thanks to Midnight Exile and her burst skills.


    Of course, March Theme Park also had better drops. The Blocks here were more valuable, and the chance of pulling high-tier loot was greater. That was its one big advantage.


    But... Rita''s current goal was to collect console parts. For that purpose, high-value Blocks were actually a disadvantage¡ªshe needed volume, not rarity.


    Looking at it that way... there really wasn''t much reason to stay here any longer.

 Chapter 648: 648: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 39

    "Do you think she''ll go back to 15th Month?"


    "She''ll visit, but it won''t be her main base."


    "You''re that sure? She lost two crucial item fragments just from one play fee deduction. With how she freaks out the moment someone touches her tail, you''re telling me she won''t get scared back into it?"


    "She won''t."


    "And if she does?"


    "Then I''ll give you that ''BS-Rita watering system'' I built."


    "If she goes back to 15th Month and spends more than three hours gaming there, you''ll give it to me. Otherwise, next time she draws a cooking course, you turn into a polar bear and give her the lesson."


    "...Fine."


    ...


    "Why is Deceitful Bloom even doing this?"


    "She wants to see if BS-Rita can recognize her soul, maybe."


    "Ugh~ eww~!"


    "Ugh~ eww~!"


    "Ugh~ eww~!"


    Deceitful Bloom: "..."


    She often felt like the admin of a guild full of idiots.


    ...


    The bumper car stopped in front of Rita. Little gingerbread hopped out cheerfully, thanked her, waved goodbye to B8017913, and skipped off.


    B8017913 also climbed down as Nivalis whistled the car back and resumed its Block-earning rental circuit. The robot glanced left and right¡ªat the Moon Fox and Owlcrow flanking Rita, then at Rita herself, who was zoning out while munching sushi.


    B8017913 (private chat): "What''s wrong? You seem... frustrated."


    Rita shared her internal debate. Since they couldn''t use group chat in public zones, she also explained it directly to Nivalis.


    Nivalis: "You''re overthinking again, aren''t you?"


    Rita: "I just don''t believe Divine Game would let any player get by too easily or too lucky."


    She was starting to suspect that those forced invitation scrolls hadn''t just conveniently landed in the hands of Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark and Lania Kaia¡¤Mistblade. Maybe Divine Game handed one to one, saw they didn''t use it, and then tossed it to the other.


    The weird part was that Shark used his first, and Mistblade followed.


    No... not "suspecting." At this point, Rita was certain.


    She thought of the shuffled bunny tail she''d received from an event loot box. The moment she made that connection, everything clicked.


    She sat up straight.


    Those forced invitation scrolls had definitely been divine interference.


    Understanding this, her decision was immediate.


    If she went back to 15th Month and treated it as her main playfield again, she was asking for more divine meddling. She might go back for a game or two, but staying too long would definitely trigger another intervention.


    Sure, the last one had earned her a hidden achievement¡ªbut she wasn''t counting on being lucky twice.


    As for item fragment drops...


    She couldn''t control what dropped when paying amusement fees, but she could control what she carried during games.


    Next time she played, she''d just stash anything nonessential on Nivalis.


    Why hadn''t she thought of this earlier?!


    She headed straight to Nivalis to hand her the partially assembled game console.


    But just as she was handing it over, B8017913''s voice rang out.


    B8017913 (private): "Don''t give important item fragments to me or Nivalis!"


    Rita didn''t flinch. She calmly slid the console back into her body.


    She patted both her pets on the head. "You two stay here and have fun. I''m gonna walk around for a bit."


    Nivalis: "Okay."


    B8017913: "Mm."


    As she walked away, she asked in her mind:


    Rita: "Why can''t I leave them with you two?"


    B8017913: "I can''t say."


    Rita: "Did that ''good friend'' of yours tell you?"


    B8017913: "I can''t say."


    Rita: "Got it. Let her take the Star Pirate Ship for a spin later."


    B8017913: "Okay~"


    Rita wandered down the main avenue of the amusement park, turning over B8017913''s warning in her mind.


    "Don''t give important item fragments to me or Nivalis."


    So... translated, that meant: if you don''t want to lose them, don''t hand them over.


    Why? It''s not like she couldn''t take them back later.


    That must mean the drop rate skyrocketed when items were carried by others.


    Just like how you couldn''t trick the auction system by "listing" items as a workaround for storage, Divine Game had plugged every loophole. Some were explicitly warned against. Others... weren''t.


    Rita glanced back at the two players¡ªMoon Fox and Owlcrow¡ªwho had been tailing her. She wondered if Mistblade or Maple Syrup had fallen into similar traps.


    She''d nearly completed half the game console. Stopping by a vending machine, she tried listing one of the fragments.


    [Warning! Player BS-Rita is attempting to list a Block fragment actively being collected. This action is irreversible. If the listing fails, Divine Game will reclaim the Block.]


    "...Tch." Rita frowned.


    She switched and tried listing Don''t Ask Me What a Potion Is.


    No warning this time¡ªjust a pricing screen.


    Rita removed the fragment with a sigh. "You didn''t have to be that clever..."


    She''d already sold off Mobile Food Truck and three other five-piece sets, and left the profits untouched inside the vending machine. Now she listed five more.


    The vending system might be annoying, but it was smart enough to prevent players from losing their own profits. Even if she hadn''t tried buying something while disguised as another player, she was sure Divine Game''s security would catch it.


    After listing her items, she checked the game console section again.


    No new pieces... but the total had shot up to 79 pages. Last time she checked, there were only 37.


    She moved on from the machine and resumed exploring. She wasn''t planning to play any games here at March Theme Park just yet.


    Instead, she''d use her Teleport Ticket to try another park. If it took her to a Tier 13 or 14 park, she''d stay.


    If she got dumped somewhere worse than March?


    She''d teleport back.


    Sure, she could use Stubborn Mule, but there were risks. She might lose the chance to log a new park or even be locked out of the ability to switch.


    Still, she couldn''t act just yet. Six o''clock had passed¡ªbut the Teleport Ticket still wasn''t active.


    That''s when she remembered the prep time at the start. The game technically began at 00:30, so six hours wouldn''t hit until 06:30.


    And when that moment arrived...


    [Player BS-Rita is the only one to complete the hidden Easter Egg: "Fine, I Admit I''m Popular."]


    [You may now claim the full reward for this hidden achievement.]


    Rita: !!!

 Chapter 649: 649: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 40

    A hexagonal Block and a hollow rectangular frame Block dropped in front of her, labeled respectively as [Early Exit] and [Game Simulation].


    Rita caught the two Block cards in delight.


    There''s actually this kind of luck?!


    [Early Exit]: Allows the player to exit the current Divine Game six hours early without affecting final game rewards or rankings.


    [Game Simulation]: Aim this card at a game station to fully frame the structure. Allows one simulated gameplay session for ten minutes; only one second will pass in real time. Number of simulations: 3.


    Rita raised both cards high and gave them loud, exaggerated kisses.


    The Six-tailed Moon Fox and the extended-term Owlcrow exchanged glances.


    Does this action have hidden meaning? Should we report it?


    After locking eyes for a moment: Let''s report it.


    Rita, satisfied after her card-kissing ritual, stashed them away. [Game Simulation] would be immensely useful, and she already had plans for [Early Exit]¡ªshe''d use it to trade for another game console fragment. Just not yet.


    She needed to wait until the original owner had given up more of the game console pieces.


    If she acted too early, it might mess with the owner''s mental state and push them into actively giving up their fragments. There was a difference between someone passively losing pieces and someone voluntarily dismantling an item. That shift in mindset might prompt them to sell all their remaining pieces at high prices.


    The more Rita wanted to complete her console, the more cautious she had to be.


    Including the one she had copied, there were currently six console pieces out there. The best time to act would be when only four remained¡ªor, if she wanted to be bold, when only three were left.


    After putting the two new Blocks away, Rita returned to the food truck and explained her plan to her pets. Then, while Nivalis was recalling the Bumper Car and the Star Pirate Ship, she used the [Teleport Ticket].


    Five options floated before her, built from Blocks into the letters "BS": January, July, October, Month 13, and Month 16.


    Below them was another line:


    Bring pets? (Yes/No)


    There were five amusement parks beyond 15th Month and March, all clearly higher-tier.


    What Rita hadn''t expected was that this system would actually ask if she wanted to bring her pets.


    Of course she didn''t!


    After selecting "No," she smashed the Block representing October.


    The moment it shattered, she was thrown into the Bumper Car. Before she could even sit properly, the vehicle sped off.


    The Bumper Car raced her through the starry sky and came to a stop at the gates of a new amusement park¡ªOctober Theme Park.


    Rita''s first instinct was to read the park''s entry board.


    An hourly play fee of 70g, a game item unlocking every 20 minutes, and if the number of non-item Blocks dropped below 60% of your starting count, you''d be forced back to the initial room with a reset. Each reset meant a 12% attribute loss and cost 5 game item fragments to restart.


    Not only were the numbers more brutal, but even the failure conditions were detailed and harsh.


    Rita felt her chest tighten.


    This wasn''t an amusement park¡ªit was hell.


    She wouldn''t be surprised if just breathing here cost Blocks.


    Thank god she hadn''t brought Nivalis and B8017913. Even if they could survive the reset mechanics, their stats would be devastated.


    She drove the Bumper Car directly into the park.


    Just like when she''d entered March Theme Park, there was no need to pay the entrance fee again¡ªshe had already done so at her previous location.


    If July Theme Park was a city of fog and March was a city of blossoms, then October was a city of snow.


    The instant she stepped in, Rita felt a chill bite through her. All the Block surfaces were topped with white, pillow-soft snow like frosted buns.


    There were far fewer players here than in 15th Month or March¡ªmaybe half as many.


    And the number of attractions was also significantly reduced. Many of the game stations she''d seen in earlier parks didn''t exist here.


    The Blocks making up the players here were also fewer. Though they carried many weapons and tools, most players only had around 20 main body Blocks.


    But those Blocks were massive.


    Rita''s standard body Blocks were 2cm x 2cm x 2cm.


    In March, players like Mistblade used 3.5cm Blocks.


    But here? The standard size was 6cm x 6cm x 6cm.


    As a result, even when decked out in gear and relics, their figures remained minimalist and refined. It made the accessories look more like ornamentation than equipment.


    Each player looked picture-perfect, as though they were display models from a high-end Block shop.


    But beneath that beauty was an unbearable truth: brutal fragility.


    If their regular Blocks dropped below 60%, they had to restart. Each reset cost them dearly¡ªand they even had to pay in item fragments.


    One mistake here meant tumbling into the abyss.


    Rita glanced toward the vending machines. Maybe here, even selling game items was restricted.


    If she were a native of this park, she''d sell a few item fragments immediately to exchange for smaller Blocks¡ªto bump up her total count and avoid forced resets.


    Driving through the park with her hundreds of Blocks, Rita turned heads.


    Everyone stared at her¡ªscrutinizing her, some with visible hostility. She looked like a sheep who''d wandered into a pack of wolves. Her Blocks were too small, too many¡ªan obvious outsider, an easy mark.


    As she sped through, she saw¡ªfor the first time¡ªanother Bumper Car.


    Curious, she made her way to the Bumper Car game station in this park.


    But again, nothing. No leaderboard, no player ranks.


    If Bumper Cars were truly this rare¡ªless than ten in total¡ªthen what even defined the global ranking list?


    Did the gods decide it themselves?


    She found no answers, but her energy had already drained by 7 points in just a short time.


    She queued up for a game station with the fewest players.


    It only took two minutes to reach the front. After purchasing a ticket, she stood in the ability-activated game zone and immediately grabbed her head.


    "No. I didn''t mess up!"


    In her mind, the last five minutes of her actions replayed at lightning speed.


    She chose to cancel the transaction.


    The Block she had just paid flew back from little gingerbread''s hands into her own.


    Little gingerbread: ...?


    Other players: ?

 Chapter 650: 650: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 41

    "Did Deceitful Bloom ever expect BS-Rita to love this title skill so much when designing it?"


    "Feels like this skill was tailor-made for BS-Rita!"


    "It''s so smooth when she uses it... not the slightest hesitation..."


    "Right? Every time she says ''No, I''m not wrong,'' she''s literally denying her own previous choices, but she doesn''t flinch at all. Doesn''t she ever think of something? Like, I don''t know, Rabbit 3?"


    "Think Deceitful Bloom regrets it?"


    "Probably regrets not making the skill trigger on saying ''I was wrong!'' instead..."


    Deceitful Bloom: ...Yeah, kind of.


    ...


    After successfully canceling the payment, Rita immediately used [Romantic Tourist].


    But before she returned to March Theme Park, she marked a building in October Theme Park.


    Back in March, Rita felt cold sweat down her spine.


    October Theme Park felt like walking into an endgame zone only to get yeeted back to the starting screen.


    It might be a game zone for Level 18 or 19 players¡ªor both. There were too many players to be just 19s.


    And... she might have figured out why the [Game Machine That Loves Games] fragments kept appearing on the market.


    Also, those 518g Blocks she earned from selling a copied console fragment¡ªthey were probably from October Theme Park.


    If the game console truly originated from October Theme Park, then her strategy had to change.


    [Early Exit], which let you leave the Divine Game six hours early, could easily be worth two or even three console fragments¡ªnot just one.


    After all, to someone in that hellhole, leaving six hours early meant avoiding tremendous losses. If she only traded for one piece, she''d be severely underselling it.


    The only variable was how attached the current owner was to the console. That player was still trying to buy back the fragments in the middle of that brutal chaos¡ªthey might not give it up so easily.


    Rita planned to collect two more fragments before putting [Early Exit] up for trade.


    This trip was far from a loss. She gathered critical intel and left a marker in October Theme Park.


    And the marker wasn''t just for fun¡ªif she ever got another Forced Invitation Card, she''d use it on Maple Mu, dragging her to October.


    Rita grinned devilishly.


    Actually, make that two cards. One for Maple Mu, and one for Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark.


    She''d stand right at the gates of October Theme Park to welcome them. They''d line up together, enter together¡ªand just as despair began to set in, she''d request a refund right in front of them and peace out while they watched.


    Cackling. Absolutely cackling.


    Nivalis and B8017913 found her just in time to see her grinning maniacally at the sky beside a vending machine, clearly imagining something chaotic.


    Nivalis: "And she says I''m the one with problems?"


    B8017913: "You two are equally matched."


    When she saw her pets arriving, Rita instantly wiped the grin and asked all serious, "Aren''t you two working?"


    Nivalis didn''t call out the fake professionalism. "No business in that area. We''re thinking of moving."


    B8017913: "But we earned enough for the 7-to-8pm play fee."


    Rita: "That''s great. I''m planning to go play a game now. You wouldn''t believe how terrifying the park I just visited was..."


    She stopped herself mid-sentence and switched to private chat.


    Public areas didn''t allow group chat. Even though they were speaking in the now-obscure BS language, Rita wasn''t about to risk it. She''d rather repeat herself in private than spill strategic info in the open.


    She summarized her thoughts with a prediction:


    "After this game cycle, the rankings on the ladder board are going to shift massively."


    B8017913:


    "Shuffle games. They appear every so often with no set pattern."


    Rita blinked.


    "Shuffle games? For Level 18 and 19 players?"


    B8017913:


    "Not just them. After every shuffle game, the ladder always sees a major shake-up."


    Thinking of the people she''d met, it gave another example:


    "A long time ago, Lania Kaia''s Mistblade held the #1 spot on the ladder for a while."


    That hit Rita hard.


    Unexpected... yet somehow not.


    In Lania Kaia, both Undead and Moon Foxes had longer histories than Owlcrows.


    No matter how talented Maple Syrup was, she couldn''t match Mistblade in time and experience. And time came with its own unbeatable advantages.


    Mistblade had always struck Rita as calm and unshakable¡ªher rare meltdowns were always over mahjong.


    She was generous, patient, recommending books to young fans in the library, working as a dean at a mixed-race alchemy academy.


    She kept her word. When she got the World Graveyard from her people, she promised favors in return. Even when she cornered Rita in Lania Kaia, she listened calmly before throwing a punch.


    Every time they crossed paths, Rita felt that same vibe:


    "If you insist, fine."


    Like she''d go bask in the sun rather than bother arguing¡ªso long as you gave her a convincing reason.


    Rita always thought it was Mistblade''s personality.


    Now... it might be something more.


    Maybe she had once stood at the peak of the ladder and seen the view from the top.


    From up there, all the chaos and competition was just part of the scenery.


    That was the arrogance¡ªand mercy¡ªof the strong.


    And with it came a message: Mistblade was confident she''d climb back up.


    Thinking about all the world-to-world power disparities, and the subtle rivalries and alliances, she asked:


    "If a player weakens, does their home world weaken too?"


    B8017913:


    "Yes."


    But when she tried to dig deeper, B8017913 couldn''t say more¡ªit needed her to collect more intel before it could confirm or expand on her theories.


    Rita let it go. She''d learn it all eventually.


    Right then, she found herself standing in one part of March Theme Park. She paused for a few seconds.


    [You''ve played for 1 hour. Unlocking new item/relic.]


    [''A Big World, A Small Me'' unlocked.]


    [Item has been delivered.]


    It was now 6:45.


    She caught the magnifying glass¡ªa 3-piece set¡ªand stored it away. Then she took out [Game Simulation] and said, "Don''t go anywhere yet. If this game needs a team, I want you both with me."


    With that, she raised the white Block frame and aimed it at the ferris wheel at the end of the street.


    The moment it framed the wheel, it was like snapping a Polaroid photo.


    With a loud "click," Rita felt herself drop into a void¡ªthen land inside a ferris wheel cabin.


    It was like she''d fallen into an old movie. The world turned grayscale.


    Across from her sat a plump, content-looking duck.


    It was the only non-Block living creature she''d seen in the entire simulation.


    Its beak was a vibrant yellow¡ªthe only color in this black-and-white world. As she appeared, the duck stared at her with glossy bean-like eyes.


    At the same time, a set of game rules rang in her mind.


    ...


    From Nivalis and B8017913''s perspective, Rita had only raised the Block frame toward the ferris wheel for about two seconds before lowering it again, face dark and conflicted.


    Nivalis: "What happened?"


    Rita glanced at a few players who had been hovering nearby since she arrived¡ªplus the Six-tailed Moon Fox and extended-term Owlcrow now pretending to admire the scenery.


    She stared at the ferris wheel and privately messaged both of them:


    "This game... is going to be a pain."

 Chapter 651: 651: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 42

    Once the game began, both she and the plump duck had only 10 HP. Any skill that landed on the opponent, no matter the type¡ªeven healing¡ªcounted as an attack. Every hit took away 1 HP. There was no healing. When HP hit zero, you lost.


    Rita had to brawl it out with a duck in a cramped ferris wheel cabin. If she lost, she''d be immobilized for three seconds, during which the duck could freely take up to three Blocks from her body.


    After that, both sides would reset to 10 HP, and the fight would restart.


    Three rounds total. Best of three. If she lost, she''d be forced to the next ferris wheel cabin.


    The catch was that every cabin had a different timing. Which meant that when she arrived at the next one, the players inside might still be fighting.


    That turned the match into a chaotic three-way brawl¡ªor worse.


    Anyone who hit 0 HP would be frozen for three seconds and looted.


    And there was no way to control this.


    She couldn''t control when she''d enter the next cabin. And players in other cabins could finish their battles and suddenly show up in hers.


    The worst was when she got gang-jumped by three ducks.


    Every single cabin in the Game Simulation was filled with ducks of various shapes and sizes. It was hard not to think that the gods themselves had been playtesting...


    After hearing all this, Nivalis asked, "Is this game even to your advantage? HP''s kinda locked in, but it sounds like a serious skill test... Can your combat ability really match up to someone like Mistblade?"


    Rita didn''t take offense to the bluntness. "Of course not. But who said my strengths are locked out? I''ve got Absurd Story."


    In the ferris wheel, whenever a duck used an attack-type skill and hit her, Absurd Story reflected the damage. She lost 1 HP, and the duck lost 1 HP.


    However much HP she lost, the duck lost the same.


    It drove the ducks mad with rage.


    Of course, the reflected damage came slightly delayed. Which meant that if the fight dragged on, her HP would always hit zero first.


    But! If she managed to land even a single attack during that exchange¡ªjust once¡ªshe could instantly flip the outcome.


    Even better, she could still use I Just Want to Improve So Badly! Each use cost 1 HP, but being usable at all opened more tactical doors.


    After hearing all this, Nivalis was hyped. "Then what are we waiting for? Let''s go! Feels like easy money!"


    Rita: "Yeah but that strategy only works in 1v1s. If another player joins and it turns into a three-way or even four-way brawl, I lose my edge."


    Nivalis: "Don''t you have Teletubby?"


    Rita sighed. That was the problem.


    Teletubby''s description said: "Undetectable, unseeable, untouchable, untraceable."


    But the ferris wheel game''s rules specifically banned stealth skills.


    Not just stealth¡ªit also blocked disguise-type skills. If a player''s form changed mid-match, their Block pattern would glitch, and the looting would become randomized.


    She had tried using Away from Home, Identity is Self-Assigned inside the simulation¡ªshrinking herself without changing her appearance. Most players tended to attack the biggest target.


    But even shrinking counted as a disguise.


    Away from Home was, by nature, a disguise skill.


    This was a no-nonsense, fast-paced brawler where the system didn''t let you stall or cheese your way through.


    Rita stared at the ferris wheel. Nivalis and B8017913 stared at her.


    She put away Game Simulation, but her brows stayed furrowed.


    "You two, come with me."


    She walked into a dead-end alley and sat down, with Nivalis spreading her wings behind her to block any onlookers¡ªespecially the Six-Tailed Moon Fox, the extended-term Owlcrow, and the other lurking players.


    Then Rita started rearranging her Blocks.


    She was going to matryoshka herself.


    Her upper body would be layered like a nesting doll, hiding Betrayal, Teletubby, Eggshell Hat, and even A Big World, A Small Me deep inside.


    That way, even if she lost and got frozen for three seconds, players would only be able to loot the outermost layer.


    As for her eyes¡ªno problem. She''d tested it inside. If you lost an eye Block, the system would generate a pair of black bean-like placeholder eyes so the player could still see.


    B8017913 caught on. "You''ve got a plan? But you said disguise skills don''t work?"


    Rita disassembled her glasses, keeping only the monocle of Nothing Surprises Me, and replied, "I want to try A Big World, A Small Me. It''s not a disguise¡ªit''s a shrink. Should work in theory. If not, I''ll use the Sneaky Milk Dragon to steal my stuff back. Has the River of Time been disturbed?"


    B8017913: "Barely. Only 17 ripples."


    That was shockingly low. Month Theme Park games were the kind where players should be using time tricks left and right. Why was the number lower than in Chaotic Restaurant?


    Rita remembered the time turbulence during the last game caused by frequent time-skill usage. Maybe the players who spammed those skills had all been locked out¡ªand still hadn''t been released.


    It was the only theory she had.


    Nivalis looked confused. "If you''ve got this many countermeasures, why do you still look so serious?"


    Rita: "Because there are still too many risks. This plan isn''t foolproof. Size-altering skills that don''t count as disguises aren''t rare. If I can do it, others can too."


    "Shrinking doesn''t make me immune to AoE."


    "If someone''s combat intuition is sharp¡ªand here in Month Theme Park, that''s more likely than not¡ªthey might stop using offensive skills and switch to healing spells to hit me. That bypasses my reflect."


    "And the scariest part of this game is, you can lose entire relics or artifacts in a single match. It only takes one round of combat to lose a whole item."


    Nivalis clutched her heart. "Shouldn''t you just pick a different game, then?"


    Rita shook her head and reassured her, "It''s not all bad. Skills have cooldowns. The pacing is fast. Not everyone''s got a bunch of skills to spam."


    And most importantly, Game Simulation only had three uses. She couldn''t afford to keep switching.


    How many games in this park could truly work in her favor, anyway?


    It was nearly 7 o''clock. She''d been in March Theme Park for almost two hours and had only played one game.


    She had already wasted too much time.


    And the ferris wheel line still needed waiting.

 Chapter 652: 652: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 43

    Hearing her say that, both Nivalis and B8017913 exchanged a look¡ªone of subtle awkwardness.


    If they hadn''t already interacted with a growing number of players, they might''ve actually joined Rita in her anxiety spiral.


    Truth was, only playing one game in two hours was completely normal for most players.


    Each game was like opening a loot box¡ªunpredictable and often ill-suited to a player''s specific strengths.


    And for every winner, there was always someone who lost. In every Month Theme Park, the most cost-effective strategy for many was to play as little as possible, save their Blocks, and coast through.


    People like Rita¡ªwho alternated between eating and gaming with nonstop momentum¡ªwere a rare breed.


    Especially considering she wasn''t just here to play games. She was also aiming to collect all nine pieces of a special item set.


    Unaware of her pets'' reactions, Rita finished adjusting her gear and jumped into the Star Pirate Ship to queue up for the ferris wheel.


    She whispered,


    "I''m heading to line up. Could you guys grab me some food? Something snacky like popcorn, but not popcorn. Get me two portions. Hide them in a Block and sneak them to me later."


    Her stamina was down to 83. She hadn''t even done much¡ªjust walked around October Theme Park a bit¡ªand already lost that much.


    She planned to bring food into the ferris wheel. This game was likely going to be a major stamina drain, and whether she could sustain her energy would directly affect how she played¡ªand how far she could push the game mechanics.


    The little robot snagged the Bumper Car hanging from Nivalis''s wing, tapped it once, and resized it to match its own proportions. It jumped on like a pro and sped off to fetch snacks.


    Nivalis didn''t leave, though. She followed Rita like a faithful tail, hopping into the Star Pirate Ship and sticking with her until she dropped her off at the ferris wheel queue. Then she zoomed off to pick up the takeout.


    As Rita began lining up, the Six-Tailed Moon Fox and the Owlcrow trailed behind her, persistent as ghosts.


    Rita glanced back. Didn''t these two have to report back to their bosses?


    Couldn''t use active skills, but still had remote contact? Were they able to private message through some kind of bond? Or was it just a racial perk?


    Frustrated and curious, Rita opened the battlefield chat channel to see if anything useful had been said.


    [¡îLania Kaia ¡¤ Pine Tea]: Teacher! Ferris wheel!


    [¡îLania Kaia ¡¤ Mist Snow]: Teacher! Ferris wheel!


    [¡îLania Kaia ¡¤ Pine Tea]: Teacher! Ferris wheel!


    [¡îLania Kaia ¡¤ Mist Snow]: Teacher! Ferris wheel!


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Pine Bloom]: 1


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade]: Got it


    Rita closed the channel without blinking.


    So... good old-fashioned spam it is.


    She privately messaged Nivalis:


    "Make a note¡ªPine Bloom has spoken twice in battlefield chat."


    Nivalis: "Huh?"


    Rita: "Once with a question mark, once with a 1."


    Nivalis: "That''s some low-effort customer service..."


    Rita: "But service nonetheless. And both were because of me, right?"


    Nivalis: I''m seriously scared Lidian is going to flay her alive...


    ...


    The queue moved slowly, but at least it wasn''t long. Not many players were lining up for the ferris wheel.


    The ferris wheel itself was massive¡ªthe largest attraction in Month Theme Park¡ªfeaturing 60 cabins, each formed from a set of Blocks, perhaps representing the 60 units of time.


    Though all the cabins were roughly the same size, each had a distinct Block style and color scheme, as if built by different designers.


    Little Gingerbread collected the next ticket in advance, and whenever a cabin with only one player inside reached the bottom, it would shove the waiting player in.


    Flower petals fluttered around as the wheel turned slowly, but the cabins swayed violently. Through the windows, flashes of fire, frost, lightning, and black flames lit up the interiors¡ªskills being thrown in wild flurries.


    Now and then, a player would be launched out of one cabin and arc through the air, diving through an open window into the next.


    As Rita watched the wheel, strategizing for the battle ahead, she felt a momentary emptiness behind her.


    She turned¡ªand saw the Owlcrow behind her had changed.


    Unlike the long-term student Owlcrow, whose wings were patched with at least eight fragments, the new Owlcrow''s green Block wings had only four pieces¡ªone already missing. A whole quarter of the wing gone. Who knew if it could even fly.


    Rita stared at the gap in her wing, thinking how glad she was her wings were made of light.


    Scanning the area for Pine Bloom''s mechanical form, she spotted nothing. Still, she casually tossed out a greeting:


    "Out for a stroll, huh?"


    The new Owlcrow¡ªPine Bloom¡ªwas busy inspecting BS-Rita''s Blocks.


    Pine Tea had told her that BS-Rita had aimed some kind of Block card at the ferris wheel, then ducked into a corner to reconfigure her Blocks. Sadly, she hadn''t seen what Rita actually did¡ªjust that she hadn''t handed anything to her pets.


    Was that Block card used to view the game rules? Or to measure compatibility between player and attraction?


    But considering Rita adjusted her Blocks right after using it, it was probably the former.


    Hearing BS-Rita''s pointless chatter, Pine Bloom lazily replied with her own:


    "Yeah, you too. Had dinner yet?"


    Her eyes kept scanning Rita''s body for clues.


    Then she squinted and groaned, "Ugh. My eyes hurt."


    Rita: ...Did you have to say that?


    Her Blocks were a mess¡ªlayered, chaotic, carefully arranged.


    Her upper body was practically a ball of Blocks meant to hide items.


    Her legs were stick-thin for easy movement.


    And her head... comically small.


    She looked like pixelated Gru from Despicable Me.


    Just as Rita was about to lose it, Mistblade appeared.


    Now every time Rita saw Mistblade, she thought of what B8017913 said¡ªthat Mistblade had once ranked #1 on the global ladder.


    Mistblade met her gaze and smiled. "We meet again."


    She stepped into the spot Six-Tailed Moon Fox had just vacated, lining up behind Pine Bloom. Then, like her colleague, she started scanning Rita''s body up and down, side to side.


    Clearly, she had received the same intel.


    They probably guessed she''d used some reward to access the game rules and made preparations accordingly. What they didn''t know was what those preparations were.


    Rita: You two are being super creepy right now...


    Their weird behavior caught the attention of the other players in line. Suddenly, everyone behind Rita started giving her the same intense, analytical stare.


    Rita: "..."


    After confirming that BS-Rita had nothing on the surface besides a single-lens eyepiece, Pine Bloom and Mistblade gave instructions to their students to take their spots in line. Then the two of them left to go adjust their own Blocks elsewhere.


    Rita was pissed¡ªbut helpless.


    She could cancel skills, reverse death... but she couldn''t stop smart people from overthinking everything.

 Chapter 653: 653: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 44

    By the time Mistblade and Pine Bloom returned, the line had barely moved a quarter forward. The clock had just hit 7:00.


    A breeze swept through the theme park, turning some of the players into fluttering petals that floated through March Theme Park, decorating the landscape alongside a Block moon that had appeared who-knows-when.


    Rita calmly ran an internal check of all the game items inside her body. To her relief, nothing had been lost this time.


    Further up the line, however, two players suddenly left their spots and rushed toward the vending machine.


    7:18.


    There were only a dozen or so players ahead of Rita now.


    Nivalis, piloting the Star Pirate Ship, hovered in front of her and handed over a Block box pieced together from several flat fragment Blocks. The box was tightly sealed¡ªno scent escaping.


    "Hi there, please leave a five-star review," she said.


    Rita chuckled, accepting the box. She''d already learned from 913 that it was filled with dried grilled meat. But instead of opening it to replenish her stamina, she stuffed the box into the side of her ribcage.


    That spot was tricky to reach¡ªperfect. She could access it quickly if needed, but it was unlikely other players would think to snatch from there first during the Block-grabbing penalties.


    The Star Pirate Ship hovered nearby, not in a hurry to leave. Nivalis clearly intended to wait with her in line.


    The ship''s signature starlight effects appeared beneath it while it was idle. Constellations formed from shimmering points of starlight gently lifted the ship into place. As the constellations shifted, the stars flowed like water, and the ship swayed softly like a boat at sea.


    Rita munched on the meat jerky, watching Nivalis swinging lazily inside the cockpit, her Block-dragon head flopping back and forth like it had no bones. Rita could practically hear a goofy children''s tune playing in her mind.


    Nivalis barely had time to sway twice before she felt a burning gaze lock onto her.


    Nivalis: ???


    She immediately looked around, ignoring the way Rita stared at her like she was watching a slow-witted child. Her search eventually landed on Mistblade, who was staring directly at the ship.


    Nivalis slowly reversed the Star Pirate Ship a bit. Mistblade''s gaze followed.


    A second later, their eyes met.


    Mistblade:  ?¡ª ? ?


    Nivalis:  ?? ? !


    A sudden explosion saved them from the awkward moment.


    Both turned toward the ferris wheel.


    One of the cabins had detonated, blasting out seven charred players. They tumbled through the air like projectiles, spiraling in arcs around the wheel in a long, comical exhibition flight before crashing into separate cabins.


    Mistblade, Pine Bloom, and Nivalis: ...


    Nivalis asked, "You''re seriously gonna play this?"


    Because if so, she wasn''t going anywhere.


    To be honest, even Rita was momentarily stunned. She had expected explosions¡ªbut not this level of spectacle.


    After a pause, she tucked away the half-eaten jerky and messaged Nivalis:


    "Go check the market for a camera or something similar. Even scattered parts would work¡ªwe can piece it together. Ask B8017913 if needed. Get one that works in public areas. If Pine Bloom gets blown up, take a bunch of photos. We''ll sell them to Lidian at a high price."


    Nivalis''s eyes widened. "But... that''s blackmail!"


    Rita: "It''s blackmail of Pine Bloom. If Lidian doesn''t buy them out for a high price, I''ll be disappointed in her."


    The gates of hell creaked open.


    Nivalis dropped a quick "On it!" and spun the wheel, speeding off to find her fangirl gear. As she passed Pine Bloom, she even cast a look of pity at her.


    Pine Bloom: ...I''ve got a bad feeling about this.


    After a few seconds of trying to resist, Pine Bloom gave in and casually asked, "Where''s she going?"


    Rita thought for a moment. Saying "Nivalis wants to become your personal paparazzi" might be too obscure, so she offered a clearer explanation: "To make morally bankrupt money."


    Pine Bloom: ?


    ...


    Five more explosions later, the clock ticked to 7:47.


    Rita had just stashed away the item she unlocked two minutes ago¡ªChavez''s Time¡ªwhen she finally reached the front of the line.


    As soon as the previous player was shoved into their cabin, Little Gingerbread approached Rita and gestured for payment.


    Before it could even finish the motion, Rita shoved her prepped Block into its hand and strode confidently into the game zone.


    The moment she stepped into the area, the game rules echoed in her mind.


    Ferris Wheel Game Rules


    Entering the same cabin as another player triggers a duel.


    Players cannot manually switch cabins.


    Leaving a cabin mid-duel will reset any in-progress fights within that cabin; completed duels still count.


    Duel Rules


    All players'' HP is set to 10. Healing is disabled.


    After a duel ends, both players'' HP is restored to full.


    Any form of hit, regardless of skill type, deducts 1 HP.


    The first to reach 0 HP loses.


    The loser is immobilized for 3 seconds, during which the winner can remove up to 3 Blocks from them.


    A full duel consists of 3 rounds; best of 3 determines the winner, who proceeds to the next cabin.


    In cabins with more than 2 players, each player must duel every other player once. The one with the most wins may exit the cabin (this escape is only possible every 2 minutes).


    In multi-way fights, the final blow determines the winner.


    A pair of players may duel a maximum of 3 full times.


    Special Conditions


    Stealth and shielding skills are disabled.


    Control skills have their duration reduced to 0.1 seconds.


    Using disguise skills will scramble Block alignment. Game items cannot be used, and if Blocks are taken, they will be drawn randomly.


    Any Block that is more than 5 meters away from the player becomes property of the Divine Game.


    To Exit the Game:


    Complete 100 full duels, or


    Enter every cabin in the ferris wheel at least once.


    Explosive Rule:


    If a cabin contains more than 6 players, it will explode.


    All players inside will lose 5 random Blocks and be teleported to other random cabins.


    Ferris Wheel Game Rules override all Theme Park rules.


    It was the same rules she''d heard in Game Simulation and had explained to Nivalis and the others¡ªbut with more detail. It covered every loophole imaginable.


    No leeching wins off weaklings. No clever tricks to drag vital Blocks out of harm''s way. No wiggle room.


    Little Gingerbread tucked the Block away and stood beside her, waiting for a cabin with only one player to rotate into place.


    This wait time was indeterminate but never less than 2 minutes¡ªthe wheel took that long to rotate one slot forward.


    A shadow identical to Rita appeared beside her.


    Shadow Puppetry!


    She had activated the skill the moment the game rules started playing in her mind.


    Right after summoning the shadow, she used another skill¡ªher secret technique: Mirage Creation.


    Mirage Creation could temporarily replicate a piece of equipment she had used before. The basic version lasted 1 minute. The ultimate version could last up to 2 minutes.


    She conjured a copy of A Big World, A Small Me.


    Only with that in place could she ensure the original, stored deep inside her body, would shrink with her.

 Chapter 654: 654: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 45

    Only by doing this could she shrink the A Big World, A Small Me that was hidden inside her.


    If she shrunk herself but not the magnifying glass, she wouldn''t be able to carry it, much less protect it. If it were lost, the skill would immediately deactivate.


    Her shadow took the conjured magnifying glass and flew to a corner, aiming it at Rita.


    If there was one flaw to A Big World, A Small Me, it was the long activation time¡ªshe had to remain targeted for a full minute before the effect kicked in.


    In most games, that kind of window would be hard to secure. But in the ferris wheel, it was more than enough.


    Under the watchful eyes of the players in line and Little Gingerbread, Rita began to shrink, smaller and smaller, until she was no larger than a grain of rice.


    Then¡ªher tiny glowing wings fluttered¡ªshe took flight!!


    She was now the size of the Stardust pellets they snacked on in-game. Her body so small it lost all color, reduced to a glowing black speck. The visual effect was overwhelming.


    Pine Bloom and Mistblade: ...


    Mistblade leaned toward Pine Bloom, speaking in her newly-learned Owlcrow tongue: "It''s the first time I''ve realized how much you look like fruit flies."


    Rita overheard that and yelled back, "Stop chirping behind my back! I''m a firefly!!"


    Mistblade rubbed her ears at the high-pitched buzz. "Even more convincing."


    Pine Bloom covered her face with one hand, rubbing her temples. "She''s not an owlcrow," she muttered.


    And in that moment, she finally understood why Maple Syrup always poured herself a drink whenever BS-Rita came up in conversation.


    She used to think it was just boredom. But now¡ªclearly, it was dread.


    Rita didn''t have time to ask B8017913 for a translation. She simply sent her shadow to toss the conjured magnifying glass out of the game zone.


    The moment the item left the designated area, it vanished¡ªjust like any conjured object should.


    She didn''t immediately cancel her shadow though. She kept it with her for backup in the coming battle.


    While peering into the next cabin to assess how many players were inside, she heard Nivalis''s voice in her ear.


    Nivalis: "Hey, firefly firefly, do you read me? This is Nivalis."


    Rita: "...Just spit it out!"


    Nivalis: "Got the special camera. As long as you don''t print the photos or use the item on the photo, it''s not considered skill use. I tested it¡ªit works in public zones."


    Rita: "Good stuff. Be sure to snap plenty... What''s 913 up to? Why''s it always a second behind with replies?"


    Nivalis: "It''s working a grill stand across from the ferris wheel. No Block pay, but it gets to keep the skewers. Once you''re done, we''ll have a feast."


    Rita: That''s actually kind of touching.


    Before she could reply, the next cabin nearing the ground had only one player in it.


    Little Gingerbread pointed. "Go."


    Rita flitted forward, wings buzzing, straight into the cabin.


    And in that exact moment¡ªshe cast one more skill.


    It was her answer to the second most annoying problem in this game: Blocks you win don''t shrink.


    ¡ªUltimate Skill: Ancient Curse


    Rita spoke in BS-tongue: "I curse all players currently playing the ferris wheel game in March Theme Park: any Block acquired through any means will temporarily shrink to match the smallest Block on the player''s body. This curse can only be broken if the player maintains a win rate over 50%."


    Her curse echoed throughout every corner of Month Theme Park.


    Mistblade and Pine Bloom both frowned. It was a brilliant curse¡ªbut they hadn''t entered the game yet.


    Pine Bloom was just about to hand over her Block to the ticketing mech. She paused for a fraction of a second¡ªjust enough to realize what BS-Rita had done.


    This was intentional.


    Pine Bloom smirked, placed the Block into the mech''s hand, and stepped into the game queue.


    If she didn''t beat BS-Rita''s smug little Block-body into the ground, she''d be disgracing every owlcrow ancestor before her.


    ...


    Right after Rita cast Ancient Curse, a wide-area AoE skill slammed into the cabin.


    Above both players'' heads, red health bars appeared¡ªten segments each, representing their 10 HP.


    Rita didn''t dodge. She surged forward.


    Both health bars ticked down to 9.


    Right as the curse ended, she cast Top Chef? Top Chef!


    Both players were hard-CC''d for 0.1 seconds.


    The enemy didn''t even have time to utter a catchphrase. The brief stun ended, and they took 1 point of damage from the counter.


    Now at 8 HP.


    Rita burst into high-speed flight, diving in tight circles around her opponent, attempting to land close-range attacks.


    While flying, she triggered Spring Scenery & Flowers.


    Icy blossoms began blooming all over the cabin, each movement leaving a trail of frozen petals.


    Then¡ªTarget Locked!


    Its cooldown was under five minutes. The next 10 hits would be guaranteed to land. No better time to use it.


    Sure, she could''ve just stood still and let the opponent hit her, reflecting damage via counterstrike. It would''ve saved energy and ultimate cooldowns.


    But that method was too slow.


    And she couldn''t afford slow.


    She needed to move through cabins fast¡ªPine Bloom and Mistblade were right behind her and could catch up any second.


    If she was unlucky, there might only be a 2-minute gap between them. She had to widen it now.


    Otherwise, once they caught up, they''d get locked in a cycle of back-to-back duels¡ªagain and again, cabin after cabin¡ªuntil one of them got blasted out by an explosion.


    Pine Bloom, for her part, had indeed entered the cabin just after BS-Rita.


    But the battle tempo in this game was fast. While she waited the standard 2 minutes to board, BS-Rita had already finished 2 duels and switched cabins twice.


    After reading the full game rules, Pine Bloom understood exactly why BS-Rita had shrunk herself, hidden all her items, and picked this game in the first place.


    Because she had Absurd Story.


    The ferris wheel cabins weren''t huge. Their shapes varied, but the internal volume was roughly the same.


    Pine Bloom was now only half a meter tall, just over 20 centimeters wide. Among March Theme Park players, this was considered mid-to-upper-tier.


    Each cabin could fit about 15 players of Pine Bloom''s size.


    This meant that if 6 or 7 players of that size ended up in the same cabin, there would be nowhere to hide unless you used a skill.


    Pine Bloom, now half her original size, sidestepped a spell and raised a finger.


    At her fingertip: a glowing Feather formed from pure light.


    With a flick of her wrist, it scattered into specks of green that filled the cabin.


    Each second, those lights exploded¡ªeach burst stealing 1 HP from her opponents.


    Pine Bloom mentally applauded her own performance. As expected¡ªshe was flawless.


    And then...


    From a cabin somewhere above, a shout rang out in universal tongue¡ªone Pine Bloom could understand.


    "Why do owlcrows look just like flies?!"


    Pine Bloom, in the middle of combat, still found time to stick her head out the window and shout back in the same tongue:


    "She''s not an owlcrow!!"


    The sheer passion, layered emotion, and righteous fury in her voice actually made Rita reflect.


    ...Maybe she was being a little too much.


    ¡ª"BS-Rita! Can''t you at least clarify a little?!"


    ¡ª"Next time, I promise!!"

 Chapter 655: 655: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 46

    Pine Bloom won her duel at top speed, and the moment she did, her body felt weightless¡ªan invisible wind lifted her and flung her straight into the next cabin in a clockwise direction.


    Inside, the air still shimmered with the remnants of ice flowers. Pine Bloom didn''t hold back¡ªshe unleashed full power.


    Against players whose cooldowns were already half-spent mid-game, new entrants like her had a huge advantage.


    Even without counter-damage skills, she switched cabins three times in under two minutes.


    Still no sign of BS-Rita in the new cabin. Pine Bloom frowned. "That fast?"


    The players inside hadn''t even recovered from the mental toll of facing counter-damage when they were hit again.


    She jumped into the fight immediately, and halfway through the brawl, she heard another familiar shout from a cabin above:


    "What the hell is this species?!"


    And then came the unapologetic reply:


    "Remember, I''m an Owlcrow!"


    While slamming an opponent against the cabin window, Pine Bloom shouted back, "Don''t you humans have any pride in your own race?!"


    The same voice shouted down in Owlcrow tongue, "Don''t be mad! You should be grateful we''re even joining the Owlcrow lineup!!"


    Mistblade, who had just entered another cabin, nearly got tail-whipped out of it by a frost python from laughing too hard.


    While waiting in the queue, she''d already transformed herself into a tiny five-centimeter-tall Moon Fox. Not quite as small as BS-Rita, but definitely smaller than most players.


    She figured Maple Syrup would show up for the next game too.


    Whether it was to punish BS-Rita was no longer the point¡ªRita clearly had some item or method that let her know game rules ahead of time. Based on Rita''s preparations and the reactions of other players, it was easy to extrapolate.


    Just like this time: once they noticed Rita altered her body size, they had to decide whether to continue the game or switch out¡ªdepending on whether they had the skills to match.


    Of course, Rita could also be baiting them.


    Figuring out which moves were real intel and which were traps? That was on them.


    ...


    At that moment, Rita was neck-deep in a chaotic melee. She was stuck in a cabin with three other players.


    To move forward, she had to complete at least one full duel with each of them. Because all four were jammed into this cabin, some duels were happening multiple times, and only one player could move on every two minutes¡ªbased on the number of wins.


    Rita had jumped in mid-fight, with her health bar full red¡ªmaxed out. The others were barely hanging on.


    But collectively? Their remaining HP didn''t even total 10.


    No need to hesitate.


    Clearly, her enemies were going down first.


    Rita charged right into their AoE circle, unbothered. While they ganged up on her, her Absurd Story counter-damage skill was punching all of them right back.


    Very quickly, she won three fights back-to-back, her dangerously low HP filling up once again.


    She snatched 9 Blocks without hesitation.


    Punishment time ended.


    Now all four players stood ready again at full HP.


    The other three locked eyes on BS-Rita.


    Disgusting counter-damage. Take her out first!


    Seconds later, the player who landed the final hit on her grabbed Rita¡ªwhile dodging the other two players'' crossfire¡ªand tried to rip three Blocks off her.


    Even though the player had reduced their body size, they''d already spent half an hour in this game. They were packed with loot, making it very hard to peel off a Block the size of a dust mite.


    Especially while dodging incoming skills at the same time.


    In the end, she gave up and just yanked off Rita''s entire head.


    One head plus two eyeball Blocks¡ªmade three.


    With her eyes gone, Rita''s topmost Block now sprouted a pair of small, black, beady dots.


    Rita: ...Fine. Just another downside of this plan.


    When she regained freedom and HP, the other three players were all below 7 HP.


    Advantage: hers.


    Rita zipped between them, hovering just long enough to finish one off for a full heal.


    During battle, she even detached her feet and reassembled them on top of her head¡ªso if she lost, the opponent would take her feet first before anything more valuable.


    She was becoming more spherical by the minute¡ªstill winged.


    From pixelated Gru, she had evolved into a pixelated Golden Snitch.


    With arms.


    That infamous shout¡ª"What the hell is this species?!"¡ªwas from this very moment.


    Ten Thousand Volts!


    Family Bucket!


    Cheers!


    Seven-Star Thunder Blade turned into an electric whip, cracking through the tight cabin space!


    Rita went all in.


    In contrast, her opponents were slowing down¡ªskills going cold, gaps appearing.


    In this new round, all three other players entered punishment time, one by one. Two fell directly to her. The third had their last hit stolen by someone else.


    Rita casually grabbed six more Blocks. Right as she finished, the first punished player revived.


    Her duel records now stood at:


    2¨C1, 2¨C0, 1¨C0.


    With two complete duels done, she only needed to finish the third to escape the cabin.


    That''s when Pine Bloom arrived.


    The moment she entered the cabin, she joined the others in targeting BS-Rita.


    ¡ª"We should be grateful to have an Owlcrow like you?!"


    Rita: "...You''ve got time for trash talk at a time like this?!"


    Angry Bird!


    She flung herself to the center of the cabin, releasing a massive shockwave that hit every player.


    Lightning Cage!


    She laid down a web of electricity across all the cabin walls, forcing everyone to take flight.


    Right after casting, a giant wooden paddle made of woven vines suddenly expanded before her eyes.


    Wham!


    She was smacked straight toward the window.


    Pine Bloom was trying to force her out of the cabin¡ªwiping her duel progress entirely!


    Phantom Shift!


    But she was a second too late.


    Pine Bloom''s attack was vicious and precise¡ªRita was ejected before she could complete her skill.


    Before she could get clear, she bounced off a transparent barrier and was flung back into the cabin.


    Her completed 2-out-of-3 duels were preserved. But the one she had just started? Progress reset to zero.

 Chapter 656: 656: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 47

    Now that she was back in the cabin, Rita had to restart her duels with all four players inside to be eligible to leave.


    And as soon as she returned, what greeted her were several bursts of explosive green light.


    Her already low HP was instantly wiped out¡ªshe entered punishment time.


    A ring of shimmering green feathers circled around her, plucking off three Blocks from her body.


    The free-for-all continued.


    Though the players were unified in one thing¡ªBS-Rita with her counter-damage ability was the priority target¡ªtheir cooperation was extremely fragile. The moment anyone''s HP dropped below six, they immediately backed off attacking her.


    Even Pine Bloom was no exception.


    BS-Rita was a flying hazard¡ªleave her alone and she''ll zap you; hit her and you''ll get zapped anyway.


    Steady Happiness.


    Rita zipped into a corner and shouted in English, "I want Steady Happiness!"


    Then she immediately launched three I Just Want to Improve So Badly skills at Pine Bloom!


    Three hits landed.


    Rita lost 3 HP, and Pine Bloom''s bar dropped from six to three in an instant.


    Elsewhere in the cabin, one player had just entered punishment time, another had only 3 HP left, and the last had landed a final hit and was at full health again.


    Rita waited two seconds. When that 3-HP player dipped to 1...


    Top Chef? Top Chef!


    A 0.1-second AOE hard crowd control¡ªit was all she needed.


    The final point landed.


    She completed a full duel. Her HP was restored to full.


    And right after using Top Chef, she once again hit Pine Bloom with I Just Want to Improve So Badly.


    It was her fastest and most familiar skill. She didn''t manage to steal anything this time, but she did snag the final blow¡ªsecuring their second duel.


    Now only Rita and one other player were still mobile. That player, realizing he hadn''t secured the final hit on Pine Bloom, pivoted to steal Blocks from another punished player instead¡ªone he had previously defeated.


    Rita made a beeline for the player she''d just knocked out with Top Chef, managing to grab two Blocks before the punishment timer ended.


    Without hesitation, she phased back to Pine Bloom''s rear and started yanking more Blocks from her.


    She attached every Block she looted to the outside of her body, becoming increasingly round in appearance.


    Three seconds later, the fight resumed.


    At this point, all five players had similar HP¡ªeither 9 or 10.


    Rita''s duel progress: 0¨C0, 1¨C0, 0¨C0, 1¨C1.


    As time ticked on, the other three players¡ªall of whom had arrived earlier¡ªfocused their attention on Rita and Pine Bloom. They had already dueled each other, even multiple times, and now just needed to finish their matches against the two of them.


    Once they did, the player with the most wins could leave the cabin. And if no new players entered within two minutes, the second-place player could also leave.


    They would''ve finished by now if Pine Bloom hadn''t yeeted Rita out of the cabin earlier¡ªwiping all of Rita''s duel progress and forcing everyone to redo their fights with her.


    But bad luck struck again¡ªanother player was thrown in.


    A miniature Moon Fox crashed through the cabin window.


    As Mistblade entered, she got zapped by the lightning web strung across the window frame.


    Immediately upon arrival, she scanned the entire cabin in a single glance.


    The cabin looked like a compact rainforest experiencing all four seasons at once.


    Half of it was buried under snow, but trees and vines choked most of the space. At the center, a stone well overflowed with spring water, flooding a third of the cabin floor¡ªand linking directly to the wall-bound lightning web.


    In the air, a glowing little orb darted between trees, vines, snowflakes, and flying skills. Sometimes dodging, sometimes diving right into the chaos.


    The other half of the cabin¡ªtree-free¡ªwas occupied by three large players, unable to maneuver through the undergrowth. One radiated flames, another wielded a massive greatsword, and the third was wrapped in slicing wind blades.


    To Mistblade''s surprise, BS-Rita was spending most of her time maneuvering within Pine Bloom''s terrain. It suggested the two were indirectly cooperating¡ªfighting off the others while also dueling each other.


    It made sense: the three earlier players had already finished all duels between them. Rita and Pine Bloom were their final checkboxes.


    Now Mistblade was here too.


    All of that registered in a blink. After clearing the lightning window frame, Mistblade steadied herself mid-air, avoiding the rising water and tangled branches.


    She noticed the spring beneath the flooded section was also lined with electrified webs¡ªexplaining the occasional flicker of current across the water''s surface.


    Just as she paused, the greatsword-wielder sent a gust her way¡ªsplashing droplets into her path.


    Mistblade dodged, but a glowing orb zipped low across the surface, raising two waves like a wakeboarder¡ªtrapping her in tight quarters.


    While she tried to ascend and dodge another attack, a few drops splashed onto her, sending lightning coursing through her body.


    Just one hit cost her two HP.


    Mistblade glanced at the glowing, surfing firefly and gave her a stiff smile. "Nice one."


    Didn''t sound sincere.


    Rita immediately veered off-course in midair, putting distance between them.


    Mistblade looked at the chaotic mess and internally cursed.


    Six players. One more and this cabin would explode.


    The rest of the players were equally tense¡ªespecially the one who only needed one more duel with Rita to leave.


    He desperately wanted to throw her out again. That would wipe her duel count, disqualify her from this cabin, and free him to go.


    But BS-Rita had learned from last time. She wouldn''t go near the windows. She''d even strung a lightning web across them¡ªblocking any attempts to launch her.


    And while her combat skill wasn''t the strongest, she was hands-down the most difficult to hit:


    Tiny, fast, airborne, equipped with movement skills, and worst of all¡ªcounter-damage. And that counter hurt.


    Everyone here had great endurance and focus, so they didn''t scream in pain¡ªbut it disrupted their rhythm. Every hit they landed on Rita caused them to flinch or stall.


    It was driving him insane.


    Pine Bloom was nearly fed up too.


    She snapped at Mistblade: "Why are you even here?!"


    The irritation in her voice was plain.


    Mistblade replied, "You didn''t sound like this when you called me to help fight BS-Rita."


    Rita: "Ha!"


    Both Mistblade and Pine Bloom glared at her.


    Rita immediately spun toward the three other players. "Attack!!" she shouted.


    Then she dove headfirst into the spring.

 Chapter 657: 657: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 48

    At the food stand, B8017913 was flipping skewers behind the grill in a gingerbread avatar when it suddenly heard Nivalis scream.


    Nivalis: "AAAAAHHHHHHHH!"


    B8017913 deftly flipped a skewer and sprinkled some seasoning. "What happened?"


    Nivalis: "Pine Bloom and Mistblade are in the same Ferris wheel cabin as Rita right now!"


    B8017913 paused mid-motion, then looked up toward the Ferris wheel in the distance. "How many players are in that cabin?"


    Nivalis: "Including Mistblade... six."


    B8017913: "Quick! Get the camera ready. Take as many shots of Rita as you can¡ªwe''re printing those and hanging them up at home."


    Nivalis: "Isn''t that a little wrong~~"


    But B8017913 had already jumped off the workbench, tossed the gingerbread skin to the slacking D6671 hiding under the table.


    D6671: ?


    B8017913: "Break time''s over. I''ve got a front-row seat to chaos to catch."


    It popped open a panel under the food cart and stealthily slipped out. Not a single player outside noticed.


    ...


    Despite claiming it was "wrong," Nivalis was already fumbling with the camera, fingers shaking with excitement as she tried to find a good angle on the Ferris wheel.


    A bumper car screeched to a stop beside her with a tailspin flourish.


    B8017913 leapt off. "How''s your photography? Want me to take over?!"


    The camera had been B8017913''s recommendation, after all.


    Before Nivalis could even answer, B8017913 had already scurried up her tail to her head. "Come on, let''s fly up there. We''ll get close-up shots in mid-air. As long as we don''t enter the game zone, we won''t get bounced."


    Nivalis: ...


    Did Rita realize she''d set herself up for this?


    The game''s combat pacing was brutal. Not even two minutes after they took off¡ª


    A giant white frost python slammed into the cabin.


    Then came the explosion.


    The cabin Rita was in finally detonated.


    Seven players were launched out through the windows one after another.


    Click! Click! Click!


    Nivalis flew after the chaos, trailing the blackened, tumbling Moon Fox, Verdant Owl, and firefly. On top of her head, B8017913 was frantically snapping shots.


    A drifting cloud momentarily blocked the bright Block moon hanging behind the Ferris wheel, darkening the sky¡ªmaking the glowing firefly all the more visible.


    The seven players circled the Ferris wheel like a live-action exhibition.


    Nivalis followed their arc in the air, her head constantly lighting up from the camera''s flash.


    Nearby, someone else stood watching.


    Maple Syrup had dropped by after hearing about the curse, just to check if this game was even playable anymore.


    Arms crossed beneath the Ferris wheel, she tilted her head in sync with the tumbling arc of her sworn enemy, her kin, and her "discount daughter."


    She could vaguely hear the glowing dot shouting in Verdant Owl language: "Why are you taking pics of me?! Take pics of Pine Bloom... and Mistblade! Focus on them!!"


    Mistblade: ...


    Pine Bloom: ...


    Maple Syrup: ...This discount daughter? Absolutely not worth keeping.


    ...


    Players could still use skills mid-air, but it didn''t help much¡ªthey had no control over their bodies.


    Rita clearly felt five Blocks forcibly pulled from her system during the blast.


    Bad news: two of them were rare game item fragments.


    Good news: those fragments were ones she''d just looted in this match¡ªscrap pieces torn from enemy weapons. She hadn''t even had time to check them. No loss, really.


    After orbiting the Ferris wheel, all seven players were flung into different cabins.


    The one Rita landed in had opponents whose key skills were all on cooldown. They were stuck with basic attacks and low-tier magic.


    While darting through the air to dodge, she reached into her Block cavity, yanked out some jerky, and wolfed down a few pieces¡ªboosting her drained energy from 74 back up to 95.


    To her, this game was only just beginning.


    The conditions to exit were simple: either complete 100 full duels, or visit every cabin on the Ferris wheel.


    The first requirement was measurable. The second¡ªuncertain. It didn''t require wins either.


    So what metric would determine leaderboard rankings?


    Rita had only one guess: win rate.


    Now that she confirmed food from Month Theme Park could restore stamina inside the game, she fully committed to her plan¡ªto perfect her record in this match.


    If a duel hit 1:1, or if she lost the first round and was clearly outmatched in the second, she''d abandon the cabin, reset the duel, and start again.


    This preparation? Pine Bloom and Mistblade had no idea.


    In fact, most players didn''t.


    Sure, some overly cautious types might bring snacks, but no one carried two full meals like Rita.


    The game''s hardest part wasn''t the fighting¡ªit was maintaining your stamina during nonstop combat.


    Once drained, your only option was to enter a passive state and get steamrolled.


    Fight back with zero energy? She didn''t even know what happened when stamina hit zero¡ªand she had no interest in finding out.


    She would manage her reserves carefully, keeping her energy above 80 at all times.


    If anything went wrong¡ªlike someone stealing her food, assuming the system counted it as a Block¡ªshe''d immediately abort the win-streak strategy.


    23 minutes later.


    She had gone through 29 cabins, completed 39 full duels, and won 36 of them.


    Her counter-damage plus ultra-mini body combo was a monster advantage.


    In 1v1s, her opponents attacking her was basically self-sabotage.


    And in chaotic skirmishes, she was getting better and better. Family Bucket had proven invaluable.


    In truly dangerous scenarios, she would bail mid-duel and re-enter later.


    Now that she was away from Pine Bloom and Mistblade, her mind cleared a bit.


    Every player here was as dangerous as Pine Bloom¡ªsometimes even more.


    There were moments she didn''t even realize she''d been hit until her opponent dropped from counter-damage.


    At this point, cabin changes were secondary. What mattered was victory rate.


    Even if a cabin exploded, forcing her into previous ones again, she didn''t care.


    She still had two-thirds of her jerky left. Her stamina was solid. She could make it through 100 duels.


    Her only three losses had been during mixed battles where she couldn''t escape in time.


    Now she''d just exited a chaotic cabin and encountered an opponent only slightly larger than her.


    If she was sunflower-seed-sized, the enemy was about the size of a chestnut.


    She remembered this one¡ªVerdant Whisper. Wind-element. They''d crossed paths in the Star Pirate Ship.

 Chapter 658: 658: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 49

    Rita immediately activated her contingency plan¡ªUltimate Skill: One-Person Party.


    "I declare that all players currently participating in the Ferris wheel game in March Theme Park are forbidden from altering their body size via any means other than Artifact Skills. Violators will have their size multiplied by three."


    In that moment, a 12-minute countdown appeared above every player''s head.


    This rule applied to Rita too.


    With her Ultimate Skill buff, the duration extended from 10 minutes to 12 minutes.


    It wasn''t a perfect solution. If someone had also used an artifact to alter their size, this wouldn''t affect them. But at the very least, it would eliminate a good chunk of difficult opponents from her path.


    And her current opponent? Definitely not a lucky exception.


    The once chestnut-sized player instantly transformed into a towering figure nearly 1.7 meters tall¡ªfully built out of blocks.


    This rule had another benefit: suppressing the win rate of those who relied purely on body-size manipulation to dominate fights.


    The only downside was the short duration¡ªjust 12 minutes. Even with Yes, I''m Fish Belly, what about it? to forcibly reuse the skill, once its effect wore off, the forcibly reused skill would fail. That meant she had just 22 minutes total with this size-lock mechanic.


    Now, with peanut-sized Rita attacking someone a full meter taller, everything just looked wrong.


    Especially since wherever she flew, her opponent could swat like a fly¡ªand never missed.


    It reminded her far too much of summer.


    Still, Rita won. Her counter-damage did the job, and just before the end, she slammed down a Cheers! for good measure.


    Verdict: enemy defeated. Penalty time began.


    Only the two of them were left in the cabin¡ªthree seconds, more than enough for Rita to make her picks.


    Thinking like a thief, she zipped straight to her opponent''s waist, snatched three Blocks, and immediately saw the truth inside: an entire stash of powerful items, including multiple pieces from a nine-piece set.


    But time was short. She fled with her prize¡ªthree pieces¡ªleaving Verdant Whisper behind.


    Or tried to.


    Verdant Whisper had jammed the window, blocking her escape.


    Her items had been discovered. With BS-Rita''s counter-damage, the worst-case scenario had to be considered. She couldn''t allow Rita to reset her duel progress and walk away with an entire artifact set. Her only option was to minimize the loss.


    Winning was ideal¡ªbut if she lost again, she''d only lose three pieces max.


    After several failed escape attempts, Rita gave up.


    Verdant Whisper wouldn''t let up¡ªher attacks forced Rita''s hand. Both of them were now down to five health points.


    Time to strike back.


    The second penalty round also belonged to Rita.


    Verdant Whisper barely had time to patch up her broken defenses, hastily layering some Blocks over the breach. Too bad for her¡ªeasy to remove.


    Rita tore them off, shot straight into her core, and locked onto the protected central component: the helm.


    The moment she touched it, she froze.


    Then her hands moved fast¡ªshe yanked off three key components.


    And was immediately expelled from her opponent''s body¡ªlaunched right out of the "ship."


    But her mind lingered.


    Just before being ejected, she''d caught the name and details of that helm¡ªCat''s Ideal (SSS-tier).


    A full nine-piece set. SSS-rated artifact.


    Even in the rush, her eyes locked onto its fifth skill:


    Absolute Freedom.


    Absolute Freedom: Even in still waters, the cat can sail. Turn the helm in your heart and go wherever you desire. No skill, no item, no artifact, no entity¡ªshort of gods themselves¡ªcan stop you from leaving...


    She didn''t even get to see the cost or cooldown.


    But that line alone was enough.


    Her soul screamed with desire¡ªGet it. Get it. You MUST get it.


    In her next cabin, Rita waited. Each time she won a duel and took three Blocks, she left immediately, resetting her duel count.


    She was waiting for Verdant Whisper.


    And when the other player finally entered the next cabin, trying to slow things down¡ªthere was Rita.


    Already there. Ready.


    Verdant Whisper instantly understood.


    BS-Rita was coming for all the fragments of Cat''s Ideal.


    "You wouldn''t dare!"


    Rita would''ve hesitated months ago. She would''ve hesitated before the Mess Hall Incident.


    But now?


    She dared.


    Realizing Rita''s intention, Verdant Whisper dropped all restraint.


    She triggered a skill¡ªevery Block on her body shimmered with a glazed, glasslike glow.


    Rita''s counter-damage was now nullified.


    Rita responded with a barrage of skills:


    Payback''s a Must ¨C stole Verdant Whisper''s ultimate.


    Ultimate: Bravery ¨C x5 attack and movement speed.


    Ultimate: Overdrive ¨C x5 agility.


    Ultimate: Unyielding ¨C locks all active status effects.


    She couldn''t let Verdant Whisper take back those three Blocks.


    She couldn''t let her rekindle Absolute Freedom.


    Sure, the game rule said players couldn''t switch cabins at will, but she wasn''t about to gamble on that.


    She would give everything.


    Using Payback''s a Must, she saw the skill Verdant Whisper had activated¡ªa top-tier defense technique.


    Not only did it block counter-damage, it also temporarily reflected double damage and triggered a one-hit-point lock when reaching critical HP.


    It lasted three full minutes.


    The duel raged on.


    Rita''s combat skill was childish compared to Verdant Whisper. Even with five times the stats, she still couldn''t outrun or outmaneuver her.


    Faced with Verdant Whisper in full fury, she couldn''t rely on raw stats to cover her lack of technique¡ªunlike with the rabbit duel before.


    With no counter-damage, she was little more than a training dummy.


    Even if their size difference was a hundredfold.


    In this moment, Rita saw the true horror of a Tier-15 fighter going all-out.


    But she didn''t care.


    She had no feelings. No fear. No hesitation.


    She took every hit¡ªevery stomp, every slam.


    And in the milliseconds between strikes, she countered with surgical precision.


    She would drop Verdant Whisper to one HP and wait. Wait for that lock effect to expire¡ªand strike the killing blow.


    Other players in the cabin could do nothing.


    Unless they went all-in with ultimates, they couldn''t participate.


    Both combatants had locked health bars. Nothing moved.


    The rest were hit by stray blasts just for being near.


    Verdant Whisper was clearly stalling.


    She was trying to hold out until the cabin filled¡ªuntil it exploded¡ªand she could escape with the rest of Cat''s Ideal.


    No way.


    Rita ignored everyone.


    To her, there was only Verdant Whisper.


    And in her mind, only Cat''s Ideal.


    She counted down the defensive skill''s timer silently.


    When the cabin hit six players, her countdown hit:


    3.


    "2." She muttered it aloud.


    "1." Her gaze met Verdant Whisper''s¡ªcold, hungry, and unrelenting.

 Chapter 659: 659: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 50

    The moment Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush''s skill ended, Rita unleashed Top Chef? Top Chef!.


    But Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush wasn''t some hapless rookie waiting to be slaughtered. She may have hesitated earlier¡ªchoosing not to use her ultimate the moment Rita discovered her hidden stash¡ªbut she wasn''t dumb. She knew how to work the system.


    The second Rita whispered, "One," Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush activated a disguise technique, morphing her block configuration completely.


    Rita''s pupils contracted sharply.


    It was penalty time¡ªher turn.


    But Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush''s disguise skill had scrambled the entire block structure. Rita could no longer accurately locate the helm.


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush laughed, both triumphant and taunting. "Come on then, take my Blocks!"


    In the blink of an eye, Rita didn''t panic. She didn''t freeze, didn''t rage. She acted.


    Ultimate: Renovation!


    All blocks lit up with color in her vision.


    As she rushed toward Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush, she tore open a chest block and immediately spotted her prize.


    Blue and white¡ªlike sea and sky.


    She dashed to Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush''s head, where two glowing blocks, both blue and white, shone clearly. They didn''t even need to be identified by color¡ªthe glowing outline matched the helm''s shape exactly.


    Rita''s eyes flicked to the window¡ªanother player had appeared.


    The seventh.


    She lunged, yanking the blue-white piece from Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush''s crown, then dived to her shoulder and hugged the second glowing piece.


    The moment she was launched from the cabin, the two blocks in her hands shimmered and shifted.


    Two helm pieces.


    5 out of 9!


    "B¨CS¨CR¨Ci¨Ct¨Ca!!"


    The enraged shout, followed by an explosive boom, rang through the entire Ferris wheel.


    In two separate cabins, Pine Bloom and Mistblade instinctively turned.


    Pine Bloom tilted her head toward the sound, brows relaxing. It was far away. Good. She really didn''t want another run-in with BS-Rita.


    Without her ultimate, she couldn''t deal with counter-damage. But using a skill that counters counter-damage just for BS-Rita? Total waste.


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush had thought the same¡ªthat it wasn''t worth it. She hadn''t used it the first time they fought. Only when they met again in a second cabin did she finally relent.


    If her time-related skills had still been active, she''d go back to that first moment and unleash everything immediately.


    As she spun through the air, Rita''s gaze never left Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush. She watched her land in the cabin at the 36-minute position.


    Rita herself landed in the 8-minute one.


    Too far!


    She couldn''t afford to wait and hope Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush caught up. She''d risk losing more pieces and wrecking her win rate.


    She couldn''t rely on duels to "chase" her clockwise either. From 2 to 7 o''clock? Only if players just stood still and let her fight. And that''s not counting the random chance of multi-way brawls.


    Her Cat''s Ideal set was incomplete. Even if she cobbled together a makeshift helm using similarly shaped Blocks, she couldn''t activate Skill 5¡ªAbsolute Freedom¡ªwithout all nine.


    Plans flashed through her mind. Only one remained.


    Blow the cabin up. Again.


    Rita dug in like a stubborn weed. No matter how the others attacked, each time she neared completing a duel, she would exit the cabin¡ªresetting everyone''s progress against her.


    Exit. Return. Reset. Over and over again.


    The other players began to unite¡ªblocking the cabin window.


    But Rita had Phantom Shift. She teleported out. Then back in.


    After two rounds of this, teleportation was restricted.


    Chavez''s Time¡ªteleport!


    One use. Then banned.


    Romantic Tourist¡ªshe blipped into the Star Pirate Ship in March Theme Park.


    Not even a second later¡ªsnapped back into the Ferris wheel.


    Duel progress: wiped clean. Again.


    "Are you insane?!"


    "Who even is this?!"


    "Do you even know how to play?!"


    "Waiting for someone? Fine, let us go. We''ll even throw some wins your way¡ªjust don''t take our Blocks."


    Normally, Rita might have agreed. She might''ve cracked a joke or two. But now?


    Now, her collector''s obsession had gone into overdrive. She had no time to talk.


    Five minutes later, the cabin exploded.


    As she tumbled through the air outside the Ferris wheel, Rita scanned every cabin, every window, every face.


    There!


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush¡ª9 o''clock.


    But she''d landed at 4 o''clock.


    Blow it up again.


    To Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush, it felt like she was being haunted.


    Every few minutes, a charred, swirling object spiraled past the Ferris wheel¡ªgazing at her with those shiny black bead eyes.


    No matter how it twisted, how it spun, it never lost eye contact.


    If Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush ever met anyone who''d played Bumper Cars with BS-Rita in 15th Month Theme Park, they''d have so much to talk about.


    Finally!


    After several explosions, Rita made it to the 12 o''clock cabin.


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush was only four cabins away.


    By now, Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush had developed a strange condition¡ªevery time she heard an explosion, she instinctively turned to the window.


    Pavlovian, really.


    BS-Rita had become her bell.


    And when that tiny, burnt figure flew through the window¡ªlocking eyes with her yet again¡ªVerdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush nearly screamed.


    This girl is clinically deranged!!


    She popped her ultimate again.


    Rita countered instantly¡ªRepay!¡ªstealing it.


    Great. Another blood-lock skill. She activated it herself.


    And once again, the cabin turned into a two-person demolition derby. Everyone else was ignored.


    The Ferris wheel spun lazily on.


    Rita shouted in some random language at the cabin above: "Traffic jam below! If you don''t want to blow up, slow it down!"


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush: "There''s no jam! Get down here!"


    "There IS!!"


    "There ISN''T!!!"


    In a lower cabin, Pine Bloom facepalmed.


    At this point, every player who encountered BS-Rita seemed to lose their sanity.


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush¡ªused to be such a gentle Wind-Sleeve.


    Now? Just a stressed-out pile of fury.


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush finally gave up on their fistfight.


    Maintaining her disguise skill, she began rapidly shuffling her blocks. Even she didn''t know which were the Cat''s Ideal pieces anymore.


    She didn''t know how Rita had spotted the helm last time¡ªbut she was determined not to let it happen again.


    Rita didn''t interfere.


    Renovation lasted 30 minutes.


    She still had 7 minutes left.


    Plenty of time.


    Five minutes later, Rita''s eyes were blazing as she dove straight at Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush.


    Diving for those glowing blue-and-white blocks that shimmered under Renovation.


    Her helm.


    8 out of 9.


    Just one piece left.


    Only one final piece to complete the puzzle.

 Chapter 660: 660: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 51

    The number of players in the cabin had risen to five.


    Chaos erupted once more.


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush shot BS-Rita a cold glance. Without warning, she canceled her disguise skill, pulled out the final helm fragment¡ª


    And threw it out the cabin window.


    At that moment, time seemed to crawl.


    Rita''s eyes locked onto the flying piece. She blinked toward it instantly. A lightning web surged from her hand, spreading across the window¡ª


    Too late.


    The web flickered into existence just as the helm fragment sailed past the frame.


    She blinked to the outside¡ª


    Too slow.


    The fragment grazed her fingertips and spun past her, past the seventh player just being thrown into the cabin.


    "I want Steady Happiness!!"


    The words were rushed, jumbled¡ªlike the drunken rambling of someone yelling at the stars.


    Rita was bounced back by an invisible barrier. As she tumbled in midair, she aimed three casts of I Just Want to Improve So Badly at the spinning helm fragment¡ª


    Missed.


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Another explosion tore through the Ferris wheel.


    The little gingerbread man looked up at the sky. Since BS-Rita had entered the ride, explosions had become suspiciously frequent.


    Rita let the wind toss her about as she spun through the air. Bathed in moonlight, she lifted the completed helm high above her head and laughed¡ªloud, triumphant.


    "BS-Rita! I will make you pay for everything!!"


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush''s voice echoed from above.


    But Rita paid no mind. Grinning like a child who had finally gotten her toy ship, she twisted the helm left and right, pretending to steer. Her rival''s threat was nothing more than sea breeze whipping her sails.


    "Call me Captain!" she shouted joyfully.


    Across the plaza, B8017913, grilling skewers at the BBQ stand, twitched. The seasoning in its paw spilled heavily onto the meat.


    As if by divine prank, Rita and Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush were tossed into the same cabin¡ªagain.


    The duel resumed the instant their eyes met.


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush didn''t use her ultimate this time. But with a third player in the mix, Rita darted back and forth, dodging while trying to conceal her newly acquired Cat''s Ideal.


    Using her counter-damage and AOE skills, she secured the final blow against Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush.


    But this time, she only took three surface Blocks and kept fighting. She didn''t leave the cabin to reset progress.


    More surprising¡ªshe removed the curse she''d placed on Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush.


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush''s eyes flickered with surprise. But the gesture did nothing to cool her fury.


    That helm had been her most beloved artifact.


    Rita didn''t do it out of mercy or guilt. She wasn''t naive or softhearted. She understood how the game worked¡ª


    She could''ve abused the system, constantly resetting duel progress and farming rare items off Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush. After all, she''d seen them¡ªseveral full nine-piece sets inside her opponent''s body, a true pirate''s treasure trove.


    But Rita knew the value of restraint. Greed without control? That wasn''t her style.


    She could always find a new target. What she wouldn''t do was empty someone to the core.


    Just like she would never use Phoenix Seat unless she had no other choice, Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush likely had a last resort¡ªsomething she wouldn''t use unless pushed to the edge.


    Rita had no intention of driving her to that point.


    She''d claimed her dream artifact¡ªAbsolute Freedom¡ªand she was satisfied.


    After reviewing all of Cat''s Ideal''s abilities, she was certain: there was nothing else in her inventory more valuable.


    She left Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush behind, still fuming, and soared through the sky, munching on jerky. Her energy had dropped to 62; a few bites pushed it back up to 96.


    By the time One-Person Party ended for the first time, 11 minutes had passed.


    Rita had visited 41 cabins and completed 64 full duels.


    She had won 61 of them.


    Now, she landed in a cabin with two other players. One of them was Mistblade¡ªjust 6cm tall.


    Rita immediately activated Yes, I''m Fish Belly, what about it?, forcing her way past cooldown to cast One-Person Party again.


    "I hereby declare¡ªduring the March Month Theme Park Ferris wheel game, all players are forbidden from altering their body size using non-artifact skills. Violation will result in your size tripling."


    A timer lit up above everyone''s heads once more.


    With Yes, I''m Fish Belly, what about it? and One-Person Party in effect, Rita followed up with Clock Reversal, halving the cooldowns of all her skills.


    Thanks to her boomerang buff and the various cooldown-reducing foods she''d eaten, Fish Belly''s cooldown was already under 54 minutes.


    Now, with the cooldown halved¡ª


    She could reuse it in just 27 minutes.


    She didn''t know how long this game would last. But being prepared never hurt.


    More importantly, Unchanged Fate''s cooldown would also be halved.


    As the new decree kicked in, Mistblade instantly ballooned to triple her original size. Now, an almost 1.8-meter-tall moonfox hunched awkwardly inside the cabin.


    Looking at the oversized fluffball who had once invited her to March Theme Park, Rita gracefully drew a curve in the air with her right hand and smiled warmly.


    In Oak Owl tongue, she said, "Mistblade, please have a seat."


    Mistblade: "..."


    BS-Rita was spouting her nonsense again.


    She didn''t even understand what that phrase was supposed to mean, but something about Rita''s tone made her want to bite something.


    With Mistblade now a giant target, Rita found it even easier to dodge. The other player hadn''t broken the rules and thus wasn''t punished, but with Mistblade acting as a walking wall, hiding became effortless.


    Rita had been wary of being caught in another chaotic free-for-all. But she''d already ridden the Ferris wheel more than halfway. No player she''d fought so far had managed to catch up.


    She suspected they were deliberately slowing down their duels to avoid her¡ªbut she had no proof.


    Until now.


    She hadn''t even finished her current duel when she overheard the other player¡ªGlazeweaver¡ªmuttering to Mistblade:


    "Let''s slow down after she leaves. I really don''t want to run into her again. I feel sick. What was her title again?"


    Mistblade: "...Shut up. You''re making it worse."


    Rita: "...I''m still here, you know!!"


    What the hell!


    Thirty seconds later, Rita was thrown from the cabin.


    As she spun through the air, her eyes locked onto the next cabin in line.


    Her duel count hadn''t reached 100 yet, but there were only three unexplored cabins left.


    And those three cabins were exactly the next three on her path.


    No. She couldn''t finish this game yet.


    If she could push her duels up to 100, she could edge her win rate even higher.


    More importantly¡ªthis game was perfect for her.


    Despite all the explosions and lost Blocks, she''d earned over 300 Blocks so far.


    Compared to players running on fumes, barely holding it together, and resigning themselves to defeat¡ª


    Her energy was still full. She wasn''t ready to leave.


    Rita began slowing her attack rhythm on purpose.


    She was waiting¡ªfor the next wave of players to catch up.


    Waiting for another explosion.


    Waiting for a cabin reshuffle.

 Chapter 661: 661: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 52

    "Why did BS-Rita shout ''Call me Captain!'' at the sky? Isn''t she embarrassed?"


    "What''s Deceitful Bloom''s opinion on this?"


    "Deceitful Bloom was clearly here first!"


    "Exactly! Why is BS-Rita trying to steal the spotlight?"


    "Wasn''t Spring Deity actually the first one?"


    "Spring Deity doesn''t count, they''re not from our side."


    "It''s not that big a deal. The fact that she shouted ''Captain'' out loud just proves she figured out the ''Deceitful Bloom'' part¡ªbut she doesn''t know about ''Captain'' yet."


    "Is that... really how you spin it?"


    "Is that... really how you spin it?"


    "Is that... really how you spin it?"


    "...Can you all just shut up already?!"


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª


    Back near the BBQ stand across from the Ferris wheel, Nivalis had restarted her Bumper Car and pirate ship rental business.


    She only left the booth when Rita, Mistblade, or Pine Bloom triggered another cabin explosion¡ª


    But honestly, after enough explosions, she got tired of snapping pics.


    Especially since Rita started striking dramatic poses while flying out of cabins, clearly too greasy, lost all sense of her humble beginnings.


    Nivalis took a few photos, then stopped. It wasn''t the same anymore...


    But that was twenty minutes ago. It was now 9:05 PM.


    Rita had been playing the Ferris wheel game for over an hour. Pine Bloom and Mistblade had long since exited and were now sitting on a bench sipping coffee and eating dinner.


    Strangely, they both looked incredibly refreshed, glowing even¡ª


    In fact, every player who left the Ferris wheel seemed that way. Was there some kind of buff?


    Just as Nivalis had that thought, one of the cabins expelled a small black ball.


    Behind it, fireworks exploded in the sky.


    That was the signal for completing the game!


    Nivalis waved to her waiting customers and dashed off. She''d recall the Bumper Cars and pirate ships within a minute.


    Behind the cart, the little gingerbread man leapt down¡ª


    Only to pop up a moment later, startled.


    Unseen by the players, a little Block person bolted out from behind the food truck, clutching a whole skewer bundle, sprinting to catch up with Nivalis, who was jogging in place to wait for it.


    Rita shot out of the Ferris wheel. The ancient curse she''d applied upon entering the game was lifted. All her artifact skills deactivated.


    She immediately reverted from a massive, golden rogue avatar into a huge Block sphere, wobbling slightly as she landed and shedding the black smoke and ember effects from the cabin explosions.


    A breeze blew by, snatching several Blocks from her surface.


    That was the participation fee for the 8¨C9 PM and 9¨C10 PM sessions.


    [Playtime reached 1 hour. Unlocking new item/artifact.]


    ["Sleeping Dragon Horn Fragment" has been unlocked.]


    ["Sleeping Dragon Horn Fragment" has been granted.]


    Rita accepted the horn fragment. Once she confirmed her essential items hadn''t been taken, she relaxed.


    Then she noticed her new buff¡ªI''m Doing Just Fine¡ªand sighed.


    This Ferris wheel game was so manipulative. It made sure no one outside could tell how draining it really was. Even players who left with just 1 energy point still looked fresh and energized.


    She opened her mouth toward Nivalis and B8017913, who were sprinting toward her.


    "Quick! Ah¡ª"


    Nivalis shoved a skewer into her mouth mid-run, but her attention was already drawn to the tiny Ferris wheel spinning in front of Rita''s face.


    Rita scarfed down three skewers in a row. Her energy had dropped to 5 and only now clawed its way back up to 20.


    So close...


    She had nearly starved to death.


    But it was all worth it.


    The moment she left the Ferris wheel, the game notifications flooded in.


    [Congratulations to Player BS-Rita for entering the Ferris Wheel Game Global Rankings]


    [Rank 1: BS-Rita | Win Rate: 96% | Game Rating: 99.5]


    [Game Rating calculated based on performance, duration, power gap with co-players, Blocks acquired, and duel win rate.]


    [Reward: Limited Edition Ferris Wheel x1]


    [Note: If you fall out of the top 10 before the game concludes, the Ferris Wheel will be revoked.]


    [Achievement Unlocked ¨C "How Could You Not Be Obsessed": First player to hold top rank in three different game events]


    [Achievement Unlocked ¨C Hidden Easter Egg "Top Player": First player to reach top 10 in three game event leaderboards]


    [Reward Options ¨C Choose Two of the Following:]


    ? Universal Fragment


    ? Double Return


    ? Blocks Conversion


    [Universal Fragment]: Can be exchanged for any fragment of any game item. Manufactured by Divine Game.


    [Double Return]: Return an unlocked item to the original world. It will no longer drop in the current game. Usable twice.


    Tempting.


    They were both clear upgrades to Blocks Tracker and Forced Return.


    But Rita''s eyes landed on the third option:


    [Blocks Conversion]: Select a portion of your Blocks and convert their contained attribute values directly into your own stats. The Blocks used will be destroyed. Duration: 30 minutes.


    The moment she read that, her heart stirred¡ª


    But then doubt crept in.


    When players die and restart, they lose some attributes, which are redistributed into their lost Blocks...


    But what if you never die?


    Does that mean those gained Blocks won''t affect you at all?


    That their original owners still retain the essence, and you''ve merely "borrowed" the stat?


    No...


    The Divine Game wasn''t that kind.


    It wouldn''t turn hard-earned rewards into a joke.


    Too many thoughts swirled in her head.


    It was hard to make a decision.


    Feeling the eyes of players around her¡ªshocked, confused, some downright suspicious¡ªRita flapped her little wings and flew upward.


    "Let''s go," she said.


    She had three minutes to choose her rewards. Better to decide somewhere else.


    Plus, she needed to hurry and buy back her missing Soul Catcher and Plush Collar fragments¡ªlost during the countless cabin explosions.


    At that moment, BS-Rita looked like a giant ball, surface jagged and uneven, nearly 1.5 meters in diameter. A pair of tiny glowing wings stuck out from the back.


    Compared to her oversized form, the wings looked like two glowing chicken wings.


    Around her waist¡ªif you could call it that¡ªhung a row of assorted weapons.


    Not far away, Pine Bloom and Mistblade sat on a bench, organizing their Blocks and recovering from the mental trauma of the game.


    "..."


    Just as Mistblade opened her mouth to speak, Pine Bloom cut her off:


    "Lots of species have wings. And those are Maple-blooded wings. So technically, Maple Syrup should be the one crying, not me. Anyway, just don''t say anything. I''ve moved on. Constantly obsessing over it is pathetic. No one would think she''s an Oak Owl unless she opens her mouth."


    Mistblade closed her mouth.


    Pine Bloom: "...Actually, maybe say something. Anything."


    Mistblade waved her hand and said, "Pine Bloom, please sit."


    So polite?


    Pine Bloom, who had just stood up to sort her Blocks, blinked and sat back down in confusion.


    "What was that?"


    Mistblade''s expression grew more somber.


    The phrase itself was harmless. So why didn''t Pine Bloom get mad?


    Maybe... she had overthought it.


    She replayed BS-Rita''s expression, tone, posture when she said that line¡ª


    Nope. It wasn''t the words.


    It was BS-Rita.


    She just had a way of making normal things sound weird. And extremely punchable.

 Chapter 662: 662: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 53

    As Rita flew toward the trading post, she watched the steady stream of players coming and going. Their expressions ranged from anxious, to focused, to utterly lost. Yet scattered among them were a few whose Block-shaped faces radiated nothing but pure joy and satisfaction.


    Her decision slowly became clear.


    Sure, choosing [Blocks Conversion] had plenty of drawbacks.


    For one, she''d lose a significant chunk of her Blocks¡ªand Block count played a key role in a player''s final Divine Game ranking.


    For another, with enough time, she could eventually acquire those attributes naturally. The game was riddled with uncertainty, and something like [Universal Fragment] was much safer.


    But... it was barely past 9 PM.


    This game was only a quarter finished.


    Who knew if there''d be a special event later on, like the one in Chaotic Restaurant?


    She needed to prepare for the rest of the journey.


    Right now, she still had tons of game item fragments on her. If she sold all of them, her Block count would be massive. But such a huge size would be a massive handicap for upcoming games.


    Besides, if she really needed more Blocks later, she could always go back to the 15th Month Ferris Wheel. She''d definitely earn more there¡ªnow that she knew the ropes.


    Of course, she had another option. She could convert all her unused fragments into Blocks and hoard them, then go idle. Conservatively speaking, she could rest for at least 12 hours without needing to play.


    After all, she only had [Game Simulation] left twice. Once it was used up, every game would be on hard mode. Not playing at all might be the safest move.


    But just sitting around after racking up that many Blocks?


    ...She doubted her watching gods would be satisfied with that.


    She had a theory.


    Maybe the Mech species weren''t cursed to bring players bad luck.


    Maybe, instead, they gave the gods an excuse¡ªa loophole, a gateway¡ªto legally interfere in the game.


    Take her first entry into Chaotic Restaurant. She''d assumed her bad luck came from contracting with B8017913. But logically, that didn''t hold up.


    There were thousands of players in that game. They couldn''t all be cursed, right?


    And entering the game had been her own choice. No external force made her do it.


    The Divine Game was overseen by countless gods and demons. No single entity''s personal bias could affect a player directly. The only powers the gods held were over the rules and the rewards.


    But if a player contracted with a god-created Mech¡ªthus gaining the unfair advantage of knowing universal language¡ªthen the gods were granted limited interference rights to keep the balance.


    Naturally, this interference wouldn''t be helpful.


    It would be to create trouble at just the right time.


    For example:


    Her teammates in Chaotic Restaurant.


    Being thrown straight into the 15th Month Theme Park at the start.


    Losing item fragments upon entering the March Theme Park.


    Being dumped in the same cabin as Verdant Whisper Gale.


    Whether the god watching her just wanted to be entertained or genuinely didn''t like her¡ª


    As long as she stayed bonded to 913, that interference would continue.


    But it had to be limited.


    And she was certain¡ªsome gods were favoring her.


    Even if that favor wasn''t the kind she wanted¡ªmore like throwing her into chaos just for the drama¡ª


    She had to hold onto that attention, use it to her advantage, and resist the ones who disliked her.


    And the best way to do that?


    Enjoy the game.


    Even if she put all the divine politics aside, she herself couldn''t accept wasting time.


    She entered this world to grow stronger.


    Aside from breaks and rest periods, she just couldn''t sit still.


    Besides¡ª


    The questions she had about Blocks Conversion still hadn''t been answered.


    Resolved, Rita selected [Blocks Conversion] and [Double Return].


    Rather than betting on a volatile future, it was better to secure the gains she had now¡ªbe it in attributes or items.


    A Block-shaped case and a round token dropped from the sky.


    Rita caught them using the hand-Blocks she''d taken from other players, then attached them to her body.


    Only then did she have the bandwidth to look at her "other" reward. "The Ferris Wheel? What is it exactly?"


    It didn''t look like a mount.


    Nivalis passed over the Ferris Wheel, which she''d been inspecting for a while. "No description."


    B8017913 added, "No idea either. Never seen one before."


    [Blocks & Me ¨C March Ferris Wheel]:


    Game reward.


    Cannot be traded.


    Cannot be dropped.


    Cannot be damaged.


    No special effects.


    No attribute bonuses.


    Can be shrunk into a keychain.


    Looks like it needed further investigation back at the base.


    Maybe the Bumper Car and Pirate Ship had hidden uses too.


    Rita stashed away the Ferris Wheel and hovered near a vending machine. Time to manage her Blocks.


    So far in this game, she''d earned over 550 Blocks.


    Actually, she''d acquired far more than that. But she''d endured tons of cabin explosions, and had run into all sorts of bizarre abilities¡ª


    Some used time skills or rewind mechanics to reclaim Blocks.


    Some took back their Blocks and stole extras.


    Some swapped Blocks entirely.


    She''d gained and lost in equal measure.


    It was eye-opening.


    Still, the results were worth it.


    Even with all the chaos, she''d earned more here than in any other game¡ªespecially now that she could manually select which Blocks to keep.


    Including her original stockpile, Rita now held over a thousand Blocks.


    While still inside the Ferris wheel, she''d already received a notification:


    [Congratulations to Player BS-Rita for unlocking Hidden Easter Egg ¨C Block Tycoon]


    [Block Tycoon: Achieve over 1000 total Blocks]


    Unfortunately, it was just a pop-up. No reward.


    Which made her think of the "Yes, I Am Popular" Easter egg.


    That one had come with multiple prizes, likely because she was the first and only to achieve it.


    Maybe these eggs had limited redemption slots.


    Too slow, and you''d still unlock it¡ªbut get nothing.


    At the trading post, her first order of business was reclaiming her lost items:


    [Soul Catcher] and [Plush Collar]¡ª


    Both had been lost in cabin explosions, which meant the Divine Game itself had listed them for sale at standard prices.


    Reasonable.


    Rita unsealed her Blocks and used those she''d earned from the 15th Month Theme Park to buy them back.


    Her next stop was her prized Game Console Fragments.


    [Gamer''s Favorite Console] (1/9) ¡ª Price: 630g Blocks


    It was the center screen piece.


    Nearly three hours had passed since she last saw one.


    And now... the price had spiked. Badly.


    As more players lost their Blocks and got booted back to their starting rooms, lost items began flooding the market.


    Block inflation had officially begun.

 Chapter 663: 663: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 54

    A single fragment had reached the previous price ceiling for a full 9-piece set. But the new normal was clear¡ªindividual fragments of 9-piece sets were now going for 700g at the top end.


    In that light, the price of the game console fragment didn''t seem unreasonable anymore. Maybe, like the gameplay fees, it had been listed directly by the Divine Game itself.


    Regardless of the price hike, Rita had no choice¡ªit had to be bought.


    In fact, it was a higher priority than even [Blocks Conversion].


    She didn''t hesitate.


    Quickly, she began breaking down her collected Blocks. As soon as she gathered the required 630g, she hit the purchase button.


    A black Blocks container popped out from the vending machine. Rita and Nivalis took turns feeding in the required Block pieces.


    The container closed, then popped open again. Inside lay a black, raised-block-shaped piece.


    Rita snatched it up and snapped it into her incomplete device:


    [Game Addict''s Console ¨C Incomplete] (5/9)


    No new fourth skill appeared¡ªbut the third one was now fully unlocked.


    [Skill 3 ¨C Event Pack]:


    Play any game for 2 hours to receive one Event Pack. The pack randomly pulls from all existing consumables stored in the current game''s data pool.


    (Limit: 3 per day. Resets daily at 00:00 in the player''s source world.)


    Consumables... probably healing items, food, buffs?


    The fact that it pulls from existing stock meant the outcome would be manageable. Even if she pulled something basic, she could use it right away.


    Anyway, the system wasn''t dumb enough to drop something like an apple or a giant turnip. No way.


    With the console fragment secured, Rita turned to organizing her item shards.


    After obtaining [Cat''s Ideal] from Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush , she''d hoped to use the same approach to hunt down other 9-piece relics. But the results were... less than ideal.


    Most players, even if they didn''t know the rules going in, would quickly adapt. They''d hide their Blocks better, build in decoys, reinforce layers with other items. Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush had been sloppy¡ªthat kind of unpreparedness wouldn''t happen again.


    Besides, everyone had their own trump cards. Once they figured out Rita''s game, they either:


    Popped their ultimates,


    Blocked her from resetting duel progress,


    Or bailed out of the cabin via explosion.


    And Rita couldn''t afford to keep repeating the "explode and chase" strategy.


    She didn''t have the energy to burn like that.


    Each cabin explosion cost her 5 Blocks¡ª


    She''d blown up 9 cabins. That was 45 Blocks gone.


    Plus the lost fragments...


    The losses were adding up.


    So she shifted strategies:


    If a player with a full set happened to show up, she''d fight hard. If not, she moved on.


    Right now, she had 11 nine-piece fragments on hand¡ªbut all scattered. None had come together like Cat''s Ideal.


    Weapons, on the other hand? She had plenty. Eight complete ones, ranging from 3-piece to 5-piece sets.


    Problem was, they were all unusable¡ªevery single one required combat power above tier 15.


    She assembled each of the 9-piece shards she''d looted from the Ferris wheel. If nothing caught her eye, she listed them immediately for sale.


    Each was posted at 600g Blocks, with a note:


    "Only accepting purchases from players Tier 15 or higher."


    These were going toward her [Blocks Conversion] plan. The requirement was strict, but fair¡ªafter all, they''d been taken from Tier 15 players. Those people could afford it.


    For attribute exchange purposes, she didn''t need to care about the weight of Blocks¡ªonly their count.


    If a player died and reset, it was the number of Blocks lost that determined the attribute penalty, not the grams.


    Rita spent until 9:50 PM organizing. She kept listing unwanted item shards and collecting sales.


    Along the way, she unlocked a new item:


    [Century-Old Brand]


    While waiting, she used one charge of [Double Return] to send [Cat''s Ideal] straight into divine storage. The system would safeguard it and return it to her once she left the Divine Game and returned to her origin world.


    She sold off:


    Most 9-piece shards from the Ferris wheel,


    Most of the weapons,


    49 miscellaneous item fragments.


    The corner where she stood had basically become a tourist spot in the Month Theme Park.


    Once she mounted all the Blocks onto herself, she was taller than some of the smaller game attractions.


    With this deliberate hoarding, Rita unlocked an achievement she''d missed earlier:


    [Congratulations to Player BS-Rita for unlocking Hidden Easter Egg ¨C Oh, Capitalism!]


    [Oh, Capitalism! ¨C Reach over 5000 Blocks]


    Choose 1 of 3 rewards:


    90% Off Coupon


    Forced Return


    It''s Time


    Rita barely glanced at the new options and instantly picked:


    [It''s Time]


    [It''s Time] ¨C Time to start franchising!


    Use this reward to send one of your pets or teammates to a Month Theme Park where the average player combat power matches theirs.


    A name-badge-shaped Block dropped into her hands. She shoved it at Nivalis to hold onto for now.


    With this goal reached, Rita handed over her next 5 hours'' worth of food budget to B8017913, who was in charge of household funds.


    As soon as he took over, he grew to 40 cm tall.


    Then, at last, Rita used her [Blocks Conversion] reward.


    In an instant, the small storage-box-sized Block ballooned into something that looked like a supermarket freezer. A 30-minute countdown appeared on top.


    She didn''t dare waste a second.


    Rita began throwing Blocks in. First in line:


    The 15 large Blocks she''d earned from selling the console fragment.


    Nivalis, who already understood what this thing did, sighed. "If only they were all from the 10th Month Theme Park."


    Rita echoed the sentiment. "Tell me about it."


    She''d considered a flip strategy: buy a few 9-piece shards, re-list them with a note specifying that she only accepted Blocks from 10th Month players.


    But she had no way to tell which players those shards came from.


    Even if she had a hunch, the increasing number of shards on the market made it clear:


    There weren''t many like the console''s former owner, still trying to buy their set back.


    Most had either quit or lacked the resources to recover what they lost.


    If she gambled on the wrong batch, she''d be stuck holding the bag.


    As she kept tossing in Blocks, her body shrank steadily in size.


    Every toss had to be carefully followed by adjustments to her structure.


    Thirty minutes felt barely enough.


    By the time the [Blocks Conversion] container finally disappeared, Rita stood at barely a meter tall.


    Shorter than she was before she entered the Ferris wheel.


    But exponentially richer in stats.

 Chapter 664: 664: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 55

    Aside from her starter Blocks, the vast majority of Rita''s current Blocks were 1cm cubes. Her inner core was still made of her initial Blocks and various unique-colored ones, but the outer layer¡ªhead, limbs, and torso¡ªhad been meticulously rebuilt using only the smallest standard-size Blocks.


    She''d even gone so far as to color-code the layers.


    After selling off a mountain of game item shards and raking in an avalanche of Blocks, Rita had run into the Divine Penalty repeatedly. Through that, she discovered a new rule:


    She couldn''t have more than 30 different colors of Blocks on her body.


    To avoid punishment and keep things stylish, she trimmed her color palette down to the bare minimum.


    Only shades of red remained, complementing her Blazing Wings of Light perfectly.


    At this point, Rita looked like a miniature fire dragon¡ªbald head and all, but undeniably adorable.


    All the other-colored and odd-sized Blocks were tucked safely inside her belly.


    That soft-toned, rounded stomach now housed a triple-layered defense shielding her items and artifacts.


    From all her Ferris wheel spoils, Rita chose to keep just two pieces of equipment.


    One was a 9-piece earring set called [Where''s the Owl Already]. It was the only set where she''d managed to collect two matching fragments¡ªand now a third, purchased from the vending machine.


    What made it special wasn''t rarity¡ªit was pure utility. Among all the nine-piece shards she''d tried assembling before listing them for sale, this one stood out.


    If she''d gotten her hands on this earring first, she might have skipped the Game Addict''s Console entirely and gone all in on this.


    The item took up the accessory slot. It looked like a tiny owl¡ªplain coloration, the kind you''d see in any old owl roost.


    [Where''s the Owl Already ¨C Incomplete] (3/9)


    Skill 1 ¨C Where''s the Owl Already: I know you''re in a hurry! While equipped, reduces all skill cooldowns by 30%.


    Skill 2 ¨C The Owl Got Lost: But don''t be too hasty! Randomly ends the cooldown of one skill instantly, or lets you transfer the remaining cooldown of a selected skill to another skill of equal tier.


    No cost. 30-minute cooldown. (Unaffected by any reduction modifiers.)


    A cooldown-centric relic¡ªevery skill revolves around reducing cooldown.


    She could only imagine how insane the other three skills must be.


    Rita stashed the owl earring deep in the center of her body, right next to her console.


    To the left: [Soul Catcher].


    To the right: Teletubby fragment.


    Above: her Sleepy Dragon Eggshell Hat.


    Below: the Pocket Watch.


    The newcomer had quickly earned elite status in her core loadout.


    The weapon she kept was a silver handgun.


    Originally, she had a complete five-piece set called [The World Begins to Sway], but it required Tier 15 combat power to equip.


    To work around that, she dismantled three of the pieces and replaced them with standard Blocks, sacrificing stats to lower the requirement.


    Even though the resulting version was technically incomplete and lost at least half its attributes, she could actually use it.


    It couldn''t disguise itself as a ring like [Betrayal], but what earned it a place on her belt was sheer practicality.


    +300 Agility. +300 Strength.


    Not to mention a suite of high-tier passive bonuses.


    [The World Begins to Sway] didn''t require ammunition. Every shot fired would bounce to a second and third target after the initial hit.


    Even in its incomplete form, the weapon came with a skill:


    [The Party Has Started] ¨C


    Fires a magical bullet that instantly splits into 1,000 mini bullets upon leaving the barrel.


    Each mini bullet bounces twice.


    Each hit has a 20% chance to restore 10 mana.


    That was huge.


    Three thousand potential hits, and each one had a shot at restoring mana.


    Now imagine pairing it with [Steady Happiness]...


    She could fully restore her mana bar almost instantly.


    And since the effect triggered on any hit, not just hits on players, she didn''t even need a proper target.


    That basically doubled the skill''s value¡ªjust fire into space and watch her mana refill.


    Rita didn''t sell the remaining three shards of the weapon. If she could bring them back to the real world, she''d eventually complete the set and wield the full version herself.


    Right now, the mini handgun hung on her belt, next to a pouch made of Blocks.


    On the pouch''s outside: a Ferris wheel sticker.


    Inside: whole-grain steamed buns.


    It was nearing 10:30 PM.


    Rita drove her Bumper Car toward the BBQ food cart with her two pets. Time to restock.


    B8017913 proved quite the genius.


    When she explained the Ferris wheel''s game rules and asked it to help pick two food items similar to popcorn, the thing nailed it on the first try.


    Lightweight, easy to carry, and easy to eat.


    Rita now planned to carry jerky into every future game session.


    Nivalis fiddled with the name-tag-shaped Block in her hand.


    She''d understood Rita''s plan the moment she handed it over. "You want me to go to a different Month Theme Park, don''t you?"


    Rita didn''t beat around the bush. "Exactly. This game''s a rare chance. I don''t want you wasting time stuck here."


    Nivalis hesitated. She didn''t want to leave Rita. She knew this was Rita looking out for her, but still...


    "I''m doing fine with the car rentals, you know? I already earned enough to cover three more hours of game time for me and 913!"


    Rita shook her head. "I''d rather you lose Blocks than miss this game. This is... it''s a hidden realm. An opportunity. If we want to hang out, we can do that back in the real world."


    B8017913, capable of taking down a Tier 17 enforcer, clearly had combat skills and game experience.


    Even if it didn''t, Rita mostly saw it as her admin and support.


    Nivalis was different. She had raw talent.


    She''d gained a skill just from driving a Bumper Car.


    Keeping her idle in this park was a total waste.


    In her past life, the ability Nivalis used to teleport her away from Yu Xunhuan''s control hadn''t shown up at all.


    To awaken a skill while under suppression said a lot about her potential.


    Rita added, "Let''s get you fed and recharged first. Then you''re off."


    Nivalis knew once Rita made up her mind, she wouldn''t change it.


    "...Okay."


    Suddenly, B8017913 announced, "They just posted the Bumper Car project''s top ten leaderboard."

 Chapter 665: 665: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 56

    Rita paused, then immediately understood. "So the leaderboard wasn''t posted before because the top ten wasn''t full?"


    B8017913: "Probably."


    Nivalis had a different concern. "Are we still ranked first?"


    B8017913: "Nope. We dropped to second. First place is held by Rage Machine and Tingzhou Autumn Deer. Their score''s 99.2. Third place is 88.9."


    Rita only felt a flicker of regret before letting it go.


    Getting knocked down was only a matter of time, and she''d already earned the exclusive achievement "Irresistible". Even if they ran the Bumper Car event again, she wasn''t sure they could do better.


    At 10:45 PM, just as she picked up another skewer of BBQ, Rita unlocked a new item.


    [Play time has reached 1 hour. One item/artifact unlocked.]


    ["Happy New Year"] has been unlocked.


    ["Happy New Year"] has been deployed.


    Rita caught the cat-faced Block¡ªanother single-piece item, just like [Hundred-Year Legacy].


    She might just be the most under-equipped player in all of March Theme Park.


    How long had it been, and she''d already unlocked two single-part items?


    She stashed the little cat head deep in her belly behind layers of protection.


    After sharing a meal with Nivalis, she saw her off from March Theme Park¡ªand even let her take the Bumper Car.


    A few moments later, she pinged Nivalis mentally. "You there yet? Which Month?"


    Nivalis: "February. Don''t know the average power level yet, but the play fee''s only once every two hours, and death resets just take 2% of your stats."


    Now that''s a real paradise.


    Rita: "Enjoy yourself in heaven. The closer our power levels get, the more games we can play together later."


    Nivalis: "I know, I know."


    Rita boarded her Star Pirate Ship, B-Cardchu in tow, and cruised through Month Theme Park.


    Trailing behind her were Six-Tails and the Post-Grad Owlite.


    And now, her party had a new member.


    This newcomer had twin swirling ears made of translucent blue Blocks, like mini water cyclones.


    Even in full Block form, those watery ears unraveled every few seconds, forming visible streams that danced gently around the player.


    It was a special racial trait¡ªjust like Rita''s Blazing Wings of Light. It couldn''t be fully Block-ified.


    A member of the Sleevewind Clan, and a teammate of Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush.


    No visible name, but this Sleevewind player stuck close to Rita''s heels, constantly turning back to wave frantically at Six-Tails and the Owlite.


    "Hurry up, you two!"


    Rita: "..."


    She really wanted to turn around and tell her to chill out.


    The moment that anxious pair of legs bumped their Star Pirate Ship''s bumper again, Rita¡ªwho''d been cruising slow to examine upcoming events¡ªsuddenly floored it.


    WHOOSH.


    Sleevewind Sprinter, Post-Grad Owlite, and Six-Tails: !!!


    A ship blazing across the park with a comet trail behind, followed by a ragtag crew sprinting after it¡ªstardust glittering in their wake.


    Nearby, standing in line behind the food cart, were Maple Mu, Maple Cang, and Maple Burn.


    Maple Cang: "Huh? Aren''t those your wings? That bald-headed driver¡ª is that BS-Rita?"


    Maple Mu: "...That''s not bald. That''s a little fire dragon."


    Maple Cang: "A fire dragon? Is that like a sub-race of dragonkin?"


    Maple Burn: "Ah yeah, that''s her¡ªmy ex-fiance?e from a different father."


    Maple Mu: ...


    Rita and Maple Burn definitely shared the same brain disease¡ªthe habit of spouting nonsense with a straight face.


    Maple Mu accepted the skewer handed over by the little Gingerbread vendor. "Let''s go. Leave her be. Maple Syrup''s waiting for us for dinner."


    Maple Cang asked, "Aren''t you gonna say hi?"


    Maple Mu replied without flinching, "Do I need to remind you my registered divine game name is Lania Kaia Maple Mu?"


    Not BS-Zoey.


    Maple Cang chuckled and dropped the subject.


    They all knew Maple Syrup had brought Maple Mu into the game just to witness this moment.


    It''s what Maple Syrup had been waiting for¡ªand what Maple Mu had needed to see.


    Maple Mu also knew that Maple Syrup had long been looking for a way to retrieve the Blazing Wings of Light currently in Rita''s possession.


    That proud, domineering figure would never tolerate her daughter''s wings ending up in the hands of an outsider.


    With that thought, Maple Mu glanced at the figure piloting the starship.


    She couldn''t quite pin down what she was feeling.


    Some things, no matter how many times you overthink them, eventually become clear.


    Even more so when Maple Syrup periodically brought back fresh intel on BS-Rita from the World Battlefield.


    Maple Burn loved asking about her.


    Maple Syrup was always happy to bring her up at dinner.


    Maple Mu already knew¡ªshe knew who had been pulling strings in the shadows all those years.


    Did she hate her?


    She couldn''t say.


    If anything, what she felt was confusion.


    Confusion over why Rita had targeted her from the very beginning, when they''d barely even met.


    Maple Syrup suggested maybe BS-Rita had used divination or some prophetic skill to foresee her as a future threat.


    But at this point, the answer didn''t matter anymore.


    Looking back on all those emotions¡ªrage, sorrow, hatred, and despair¡ªit felt like watching a farce unfold.


    Like watching a clown flail at the edge of a well, desperate to climb out for the sake of something as shallow as the Su family.


    She was born in that manor.


    She died in that manor.


    And she was reborn in that manor.


    Three defining moments in her life.


    Two of them had Rita present.


    But the moment Rita used that skill to bring her back from the dead, all ties to BS were cut.


    Lingering over BS¡ªthe people, the memories¡ªthat wasn''t Maple Mu''s burden to carry anymore.


    That included BS-Rita.


    And yet... seeing her again, she couldn''t stop herself from watching her.


    Just from that letter Rita sent, it was clear¡ªshe might just be the person who understood her most in this world.


    The real her¡ªnot the version molded by Maple Syrup''s hands.


    Maple Burn had raged when Rick inherited her legacy and got to live a carefree life.


    But Maple Mu had poured three glasses of wine after reading that letter.


    She had once hated how the Su family gave her everything except power.


    Now, seeing Rick gorging and snoozing like a fat pig¡ªsafe but soulless¡ªshe only felt contempt.


    Ahead, Maple Burn skipped along happily.


    Maple Burn and Rita may have shared that same sharp wit and chaotic spark, but they were nothing alike.


    Maple Burn''s caution and calculated moves were all about survival.


    Her life was too good¡ªshe was afraid of losing it.


    But Rita?


    Rita was biding her time, gathering strength, waiting to explode.


    Rita was like her.


    Ambitious. Restless.


    Like a storm bottled up in flesh¡ªforever moving, never satisfied.


    But then again... they were different.


    Maple Mu sought only results. She didn''t care how fake the path was, as long as it worked. That''s why she chose Maple Syrup¡ªthe one who could give her everything.


    BS-Rita, on the other hand, only ever chose herself.

 Chapter 666: 666: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 57

    As Rita passed by the Ferris wheel, she noticed the line of players waiting to ride had grown several times longer, snaking around several corners of Month Theme Park''s streets.


    She nudged the co-pilot with her elbow. "Wow~ What happened? Why is this ride suddenly so popular?"


    B8017913 paused, then replied in a voice so calm it bordered on deadpan. "Oh no. You don''t think it''s because of you, do you?"


    Rita pouted. "Tch! You''re no fun¡ªyou can''t even keep up with my banter!"


    B8017913: "Maybe it''s because you''re the legendary drama queen."


    Rita: "...Promise me you''ll stop browsing those BS forums."


    As they passed the BBQ stand, B8017913 glanced over again and sent a message: "Just before your Ferris wheel run ended, the food truck started marinating huge batches of skewers. Judging by the current foot traffic, there''s no need to prep that much food in advance."


    Rita picked up the implication immediately: "You mean... a wave of new players is about to arrive?"


    B8017913: "I''m just telling you what I see."


    Rita''s first thought was the ducklings she saw in the Game Simulation¡ªand the timing of the ''I Admit I''m Very Popular'' hidden achievement.


    Was it the gods? Or was there going to be a switch between Month Theme Parks?


    Whatever the case, the only thing to do was to keep playing.


    She drifted her Star Pirate Ship into a hover, stopping right in front of the maze gate.


    This was a game where multiple players entered at once. If mapping out routes mentally was part of the challenge, bringing B8017913 along would be incredibly useful.


    Plus, barely anyone was in line. Even without knowing how long the game would take, it looked like she''d make the next round.


    She pulled out Game Simulation and aimed it at the maze.


    One second later, Rita lowered the Block card with a sour face. "Next one."


    This was a PvP-style game where every kill would drop two of the victim''s Blocks and a random piece of their map. You needed a complete 30-piece map to escape.


    Even death and restarting wouldn''t let you exit¡ªyou''d respawn right back in the maze.


    That meant unless you found map pieces on the ground, you''d need to rack up 30 kills to escape. That was one kill every two minutes on average.


    And if you got killed? You''d drop a map piece and Blocks and go right back to the entrance.


    There was no time limit, but every hour on the dot, the maze would "open" and reshuffle itself¡ªresetting all progress if you hadn''t escaped.


    Worst of all, map pieces in the maze were deliberately scarce. The only real way to get them was by hunting players.


    Who knew how many players were already stuck inside?


    She sent all the details and rules to Nivalis in February Theme Park, letting her decide whether or not to try it.


    Turning back, Rita noticed her three tag-alongs were nowhere to be seen.


    They probably went off to report back to their mentors and leaders.


    Her own goals were clear and impossible to hide¡ªMistblade and Pine Bloom had already figured out that she was only choosing games that minimized the gap in combat strength.


    Their students followed her not just to see what she would play next, but also to learn what not to play.


    By observing how she approached each event, they could prepare ahead or gauge whether an event required high combat proficiency.


    There might even be other divine game players lurking nearby, silently observing her.


    Rita almost hoped Mistblade and Pine Bloom would come to her and offer to buy the game rules from her.


    To her, only gains in hand were real. And even if she didn''t sell the rules, plenty of players who had played and lost a ton of Blocks definitely would.


    Selling off rules was an easy way to recover losses.


    Unfortunately, their relationship was too strained for that. They''d clashed. There was no trust left. Even if they wanted to buy the rules, they wouldn''t come to her.


    What did surprise her, though, was Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush. Forget making a deal¡ªshe was probably about to follow Rita into her next game.


    No player could dominate every event just by using reflect damage skills.


    If Rita imagined herself in Windrush''s position, losing her most precious item, she''d absolutely chase the thief to the ends of the game, even at the cost of her ranking.


    Because once this special "forced unbinding" event ended, getting Cat''s Ideal back would be nearly impossible.


    So what was Windrush thinking? Just giving up?


    No way. No player would give up Cat''s Ideal so easily. That item had clearly been carefully modified.


    A chill ran down Rita''s spine. She wasn''t scared of noisy enemies¡ªshe was scared of the ones that vanished into silence.


    Her Star Pirate Ship roared back to life and floated to her second choice: a constantly rotating event.


    Five large, multicolored discs hovered in the air, circling around a central magic pillar while flipping rapidly in all directions.


    Even standing nearby felt like a strong wind would slap you cold.


    She raised her Game Simulation, but the card shattered in her hands¡ªthe third and final use exhausted.


    B8017913: "How about this one?"


    Rita still looked thoughtful, but the fact that she didn''t instantly bail like with the maze meant there was potential. "If we prep properly, it''s doable."


    Right then, she received a system notification.


    [Player Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush has used the item "Shared Prosperity" on you. You are now bonded companions. Your next three game entries will be chosen entirely by party leader Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush, who will also pay your admission. Once she completes a game, you will exit simultaneously and receive 20% of her rewards.]


    Rita''s breath slowed. Not in relief¡ªbut tension.


    So it begins.


    [Player Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush has used the item "Asset Transfer" on you. Prerequisite item "Shared Prosperity" detected. Effect activated: Any game item fragment Block you lose during gameplay will automatically be transferred to Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush, who will replace it with a standard Block to fulfill the loss.]


    Rita: This karma hit way too fast...


    Then she remembered the Sleevewind Clan teammate who''d left with Six-Tails and Owlite.


    Her face froze. "Oh no... Don''t tell me they chose the maze!"


    She spun the ship around and gunned it back the way she came, explaining the situation to B8017913 en route.


    Frustrated, she muttered, "Did she even consider I might''ve already sent Cat''s Ideal home?"


    But B8017913 didn''t answer that. After a pause, it simply asked:


    "Why are other people so efficient at revenge?"


    Rita: ??


    I feel like you''re throwing shade at me, but I have no proof.


    This feeling of being constantly exposed by your own pet is the worst!


    B8017913 caught her look and offered a half-hearted clarification: "Oh, I was throwing shade at Winter Sea ¡¤ Frenzied Shark."


    Rita: ...You might as well not have explained.

 Chapter 667: 667: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 58

    The Star Pirate Ship returned to the vicinity of the maze, and from afar, Rita saw Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush, Mistblade, and Pine Bloom standing in a corner, huddled around another player, deep in discussion.


    Five minutes later, the player at the center left holding a pile of Blocks.


    The three remained, chatting for a while longer. At some point, Pine Bloom pressed a finger to her temple and laughed, gently shaking her head. Even in Block form, the gesture carried an effortlessly captivating grace.


    Mid-laugh, Pine Bloom''s gaze flicked over¡ªand locked eyes with BS-Rita, who was hiding aboard the Star Pirate Ship, watching them.


    Pine Bloom pointed toward her, and Mistblade and Windrush both turned.


    Three Tier-15 Abyss players smiled at her in unison.


    Rita: ...This is nightmare fuel.


    With a sigh, she said to B8017913, "Time for you to go take up a job. Leave the ship behind."


    It was a tool that could expose her identity, sure, but it was also transportation¡ªand if she had to run, flying the ship would burn less energy than going solo.


    B8017913 handed her the last few pieces of grilled meat. "Top off your stamina to 100. I''ll leave once you''re inside."


    Rita tucked the ship away and stood silently under a roadside tree, chewing on meat while mentally reviewing the maze rules and plotting strategy.


    Without special mechanics in play, killing these Tier-15 players would be near impossible. Even with Midnight Exile, that wasn''t something determination or effort alone could accomplish.


    It was like asking a level-90 player to solo a level-150 boss. Zero chance.


    Sure, she could try to snipe kills, but thirty successful ambushes in one hour?


    There was only one path to victory here¡ªsurvive until Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush gathered all 30 map pieces and left.


    But Windrush wanted her to die repeatedly in this game. Why would she rush to finish it?


    At 11:00 sharp, the wind swept in to collect the playtime fee, and the maze gates opened.


    A new round had begun, and players could now queue to enter.


    The line wasn''t long, just over 70 people. Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush stood at the back, glanced toward her. Too many petals floated through the air between them, obscuring Rita''s view. She couldn''t read Windrush''s expression.


    B8017913 looked up at her. "What are you thinking about?"


    Rita replied seriously, "That doing bad things always requires a solid cover identity. I forgot my roots. That was wrong."


    The Ferris wheel had held her back. From now on, she had to return to her true self!


    B8017913: I don''t know what I was expecting...


    ...


    The moment Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush disappeared into the mist, Rita got the notification¡ªand was immediately teleported into the maze.


    [Spring Labyrinth Game Rules]


    ¨C Each round, 300 map fragments will spawn randomly throughout the maze.


    ¨C Killing another player grants 2 Blocks and 1 random map fragment.


    ¨C Players must collect 30 fragments to form a full map in order to exit.


    ¨C Upon death, players are randomly teleported to one of 36 entrances and drop 2 Blocks and 1 map fragment. If no fragment is present, 3 Blocks are consumed to generate one.


    ¨C All skills affecting the maze layout are nullified.


    ¨C Standing still for more than 3 minutes triggers a ''highlight'' penalty, lasting 10 minutes.


    ¨C Entry fee is doubled while in the maze.


    ¨C Every hour, the maze opens for 3 minutes for new entrants, and the map resets.


    ¨C Old fragments become invalid.


    ¨C If stamina drops to 0, the player is sent back to the starting room and reset.


    ¨C Spring Labyrinth rules override Month Theme Park rules.


    Rita stood just behind a fog wall. On the other side, spring was in full bloom.


    As soon as she steadied herself, a hand landed on her shoulder.


    ¡ª"Ready to give it back yet?"


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush didn''t waste time with threats or negotiations. Rita had stolen the item. A few words weren''t going to change anything.


    In divine games, this sort of thing happened constantly. There was no such thing as fairness or justice¡ªonly competition.


    Every player was just another rung on someone else''s ladder.


    The only way to reclaim Cat''s Ideal was to kill BS-Rita and take it back. There was still time...


    Rita didn''t bother chatting with high-level enemies. She didn''t even explain that she had already sent Cat''s Ideal back.


    She scanned left and right quickly. With no sign of Pine Bloom or Mistblade, it seemed players entered from separate, randomized entrances.


    She mentally pinged Nivalis.


    Rita: "You in a game right now?"


    Nivalis: "Yeah, what''s up?"


    Rita: "Pull me out. Right now."


    She wasn''t sure how a forced teleport would behave in this kind of "no exit" game. Would it bring her back to the same entrance or treat it like a new entry?


    If it was the latter, maybe she''d spawn at a different entrance, away from Windrush.


    After all, the Shared Prosperity and Asset Transfer items didn''t say Windrush couldn''t attack her...


    Even if it just booted her to February Theme Park for a moment, it''d be worth it¡ªa chance to test how teleportation worked in emergency scenarios, which might justify using Romantic Tourist later.


    A tugging sensation hit her¡ªand in a blink, she landed inside a Ferris wheel cabin.


    "Come on out, it''s your turn! I choose you, BS-Rita!" Nivalis shouted.


    Rita: "..."


    Before she could even retort, she was yanked back into March Theme Park''s maze.


    As she opened her eyes, Windrush''s dead-fish Block-face was still there.


    Back to square one. No separation possible.


    Time to call in the Teletubby.


    The mist congealed into ten dense fog clusters, starting the countdown.


    While waiting, Rita activated Owl Got Lost.


    She didn''t specify a skill to swap cooldowns with¡ªshe went with the random reset.


    Most of her current skills had long cooldowns...


    [Unchanged Fate] finished cooling down early!


    Owl Got Lost really was SSS-tier. Technically random, but with good timing, she could easily aim it at her longest cooldowns.


    And since she had a stockpile of SSS skills, she could rotate them¡ªunload a big move, then dump the cooldown on something she rarely used.


    With this tool, both Unchanged Fate and Phoenix Seat could become core abilities in her regular rotation.

 Chapter 668: 668: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 59

    With only two fog clusters remaining, Rita activated Lonely Antenna Baby.


    In an instant, Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush''s expression turned sharp¡ªand then she vanished!


    She scanned the area, but BS-Rita was nowhere in sight.


    By that time, Rita had already darted into the maze.


    The occasional sounds of players echoed from nearby corners.


    Rita cast the skill Away from Home, Identity is Self-Assigned.


    Thanks to her collection of Block fragments from various players¡ªparts that had once formed their bodies¡ªshe could now morph completely. Just like when she once used Nivalis''s blood to become her, this wasn''t mere disguise. It bypassed detection, mirrored the target''s divine talent on her panel, and appeared utterly genuine.


    It wasn''t imitation¡ªit was transformation.


    The only limitation: she couldn''t use those talents herself.


    In the end, Rita discarded the idea of copying others. Instead, she chose to become Maple Syrup.


    She hadn''t yet seen Maple Syrup''s Block form in Month Theme Park, so she did her best to imitate based on Pine Bloom''s appearance: red-orange wings, long curly red hair, and a general aura of regality.


    It wasn''t perfect. She lacked Maple Syrup''s blood, so it wasn''t a full identity replacement. She couldn''t use her divine gifts, and she''d be exposed easily in a fight.


    But that wasn''t the point.


    She didn''t intend to sneak through the entire maze disguised. This was about name recognition. Looking like Maple Syrup would reduce the odds of being attacked. Unlike when she appeared as herself¡ªwhere any player she met would swing without hesitation.


    Rita also activated Seven-Star Thunder Blade, generating a thunder spear identical to Maple Syrup''s.


    Orange-red wings. Identical weapon. Fluent in the gesture of Cheers.


    Tell her she wasn''t Maple Syrup.


    Even if the real Maple Syrup showed up, she''d need a second to process the resemblance.


    Only then did Rita cancel the antenna skill.


    By that point, she had reached the top of a tall tree.


    The Spring Labyrinth was scenic. Its walls were blooming hedges. Each corner featured a large tree, some flowering, some entwined with elemental vines.


    Even from a treetop, she couldn''t see past the flower walls. Flight wasn''t banned, but an invisible ceiling blocked high ascents.


    While she surveyed the maze, she also studied the tree she had climbed. The rules said map fragments were scattered throughout the maze¡ªnot likely lying in plain sight. They''d be tucked into complicated features.


    She rustled through leaves and prodded the walls, staying in motion to avoid the three-minute penalty.


    Players passed beneath her. Upon noticing someone above, most would glance up¡ªthen either move along or charge. About half chose to attack.


    Rita was forced to use Lonely Antenna Baby again and again.


    Each time took 3¨C5 seconds of casting, draining her mana. She wasn''t sure how much longer her reserves would last.


    After flipping through the leaves and scanning the floral wall, she felt something odd beneath her foot.


    She moved her Blocked foot aside and crouched to pick up the stone she had been standing on.


    Beneath it was a small green leaf¡ª[Spring Labyrinth Map Fragment].


    Rita nearly shouted, "Yahaha!"


    She didn''t immediately pick it up.


    Because as soon as she saw the fragment, something clicked.


    She had never considered becoming a map fragment¡ªshe had assumed the fragments would be Blocks, and transforming into one would leave her unable to reassemble or interact.


    She couldn''t become a white ship either. Players now knew that roadside "divine credentials" might be disguised players and avoided them.


    But this leaf-like fragment? That opened doors.


    Of course, she''d have to be smart. If no one picked her up in three minutes, she''d be penalized for standing still. She needed a trigger or a trap to bait someone quickly.


    It was time to put Mysterious Power to work. Paired with Where''s the Owl Already and Clock Reversal, she could reduce the seven-day cooldown and use it at least once more before this game ended.


    Still... what if others could also transform into fragments?


    She jabbed the leaf a few times with her thunder spear. No reaction. Then tried I Just Want to Improve So Badly. The skill failed.


    Satisfied, Rita picked up the fragment.


    The soft leaf vanished into her fingers, and she instinctively tested her Magician''s Wisdom Tooth storage¡ªit worked. Not a Block. It was safe to stow.


    With that secured, it was time to enact the Mysterious Power plan.


    Rita flew through the maze, wielding her thunder spear, using I Just Want to Improve So Badly on every player she encountered.


    Map fragments couldn''t be stolen. But Blocks could.


    Once her HP hit 10%, she activated Try Killing Me Then, stole again, and dropped to 0%.


    Mysterious Power, activated!


    Only once her favorite skill was in play did Rita feel truly secure.


    She cast Clock Reversal, halving the cooldown¡ªjust 3.5 days now. Her disguise skill would be ready again in 82 minutes.


    Next step: find a chaotic battlefield.


    ...


    Pine Bloom was mid-fight, dueling several players at once. She and Maple Syrup both excelled in AoE combat. Maple Syrup had burst and power, Pine Bloom had sustain.


    As long as Pine Bloom could cycle her abilities, she wouldn''t run dry on HP or mana. Even outnumbered, she held her ground confidently.


    Rita perched on a nearby tree, watching for an opening.


    The moment Pine Bloom began finishing off players, Rita planned to jump in, activate Lonely Antenna Baby, sneak in, grab a map fragment mid-chaos, and replace it with herself using Survive Until the End.


    She spun her thunder spear in hand, quite pleased with the plan.


    Just then, she caught a glimpse of a tree leaf drifting down onto the hedge behind her.


    A map fragment.


    That easy?


    She glanced toward Pine Bloom¡ªstill locked in battle with three other Tier-15s. No time to waste.


    Rita flew to the leaf, but didn''t pick it up immediately.


    Just like before, she poked it a few times, cast I Just Want to Improve So Badly¡ªnothing happened.


    Too convenient... almost like someone wanted her to find it.


    But that just made her more intrigued. If it was bait, maybe she could locate whoever laid the trap and borrow the technique.


    She used Chavez''s Probe¡ªno anomalies found.


    Maybe she was just being paranoid.


    With a hint of regret, Rita picked up the map leaf.


    She turned to leave and resume watching Pine Bloom.


    Less than two minutes later, she got a notification:


    "You have lost a fragment of [Game Addict''s Console] due to unknown interference."


    Rita: !!!


    "You have received 180 free attribute points as compensation."


    Rita: ???


    Who?! Who the hell just mugged me with a refund?!

 Chapter 669: 669: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 60

    Who the hell wants attribute points?!


    Rita immediately checked her Magician''s Wisdom Tooth¡ªher second maze map fragment was still there.


    But she was certain the missing console fragment had something to do with that damn leaf.


    Could she use Stubborn Mule to cancel the pickup?


    No. Sure, that might return the fragment, but the thief already knew the piece came from Maple Syrup''s hands. That was a giveaway. And worse¡ªshe''d lost the chance to track them down.


    ¡ªMaster Thief Dragon!


    Rita rewound to 190 seconds earlier, just as she was reaching for that leaf.


    Fingers curled, her fingertip barely grazing it.


    Inside her body, she felt the game console fragment return. Yep. It had been that leaf.


    She immediately flew away from the scene, then looped back with Antenna Baby, landing once again on the tree where she''d first spotted the map.


    There, she used Animagus to transform into a tiny Block spider, canceling Antenna Baby, and crawled along the branches for over a minute.


    Soon, she saw a figure approaching at the maze''s far end¡ªone who scanned the area before hurrying over and tucking the map fragment back into the flower wall.


    A familiar face¡ªMarmang the Seahorse, Tier 13.


    Probably another summoned pet like Nivalis, brought here by its owner, MarmangCrab. She didn''t know how long the creature had been in the maze, but by the look of its swollen belly and collected Blocks, it was having a great time.


    It definitely hadn''t entered with her batch of players, yet it clearly hadn''t been suffering in here¡ªon the contrary, it was thriving.


    Connecting the dots between her stolen console fragment and the weird "compensation" she got, Rita had her answer.


    She immediately activated Chavez''s Time to probe the seahorse''s divine talents.


    An S-rank gift. Only two skills were unlocked, but her attention was drawn straight to the fourth one.


    Skill 4 ¨C The Free Stuff Always Costs the Most (Passive):


    If any player takes your items without a mutual agreement, this skill automatically activates, allowing you to view the last 10 items they''ve used over the past 10 galactic days. You can then select one item to receive as "compensation." The skill triggers without cost. If the value of the taken item and the compensation differ too much, the thief will pay the difference in seashells or attribute points. No cooldown.


    So that was it.


    The map fragment had been real¡ªbut also a trap. Marmang had used it to trigger that passive and steal her console piece.


    Her mana was running low¡ªRegular Savings had only 272% left.


    After reading the skill description, Rita immediately retreated from the passage¡ªbut not far. Just enough to hide around the bend and deactivate Antenna Baby.


    Her mind was still stuck on that skill.


    First thought: That skill was her worst nightmare.


    Second thought: That skill was made for her.


    It wasn''t Skill 1, 2, or 3. It was 4¡ªher number!


    One-Person Party and Midnight Exile were untouchable, her most vital gifts.


    The only ones she might even consider swapping were Food God, Immortal, or Divine Archer.


    If it had taken Skill 1¨C3, she might''ve hesitated. But Skill 4?


    Easy choice.


    Food God''s Skill 4 was her least favorite:


    "Hey, Friend, Look¡ªThere''s a Pot":


    Food God receives no bad reviews. Mark someone who trusts you; all negative sentiment from eaters is redirected to that person.


    She loathed it¡ªhad never once used it¡ªand after Rick''s death, it became utterly useless.


    Plus, even if the seahorse got the skill, she wasn''t worried. She didn''t trust any non-human species anyway.


    Even if an ant crawled past her on the road, she''d assume it was a player or some skill in disguise. No way she''d "trust" one of them.


    And the skill swap wouldn''t be hard to reverse. The seahorse out-leveled her¡ªif she let it hit her, she could use Reverse Moment to take the skill back.


    Right now, this divine skill was more important than any of her current plans.


    First, she needed to change disguises. Maple Syrup wasn''t safe¡ªshe didn''t know if Maple Syrup was even in the maze. Couldn''t pin blame on someone with an airtight alibi.


    She turned from the seahorse and used Yes, I''m Fish Belly, What About It? to forcibly activate Away from Home, Identity is Self-Assigned.


    This time, she selected a green Block fragment she''d taken from Pine Bloom and used it as her transformation anchor.


    In an instant, she became Pine Bloom herself.


    Even if someone had obscure anti-illusion tools, she was no illusion¡ªshe was Pine Bloom now.


    Though she couldn''t see the full skillset, she finally got to read all of Pine Bloom''s divine talents. Tch. That Skill 4, Behind the Scenes, was definitely the weakest of the bunch.


    She closed the menu and toggled off her Absurd Tales passive using Personal Settings, ensuring her reflective damage and pain would stay hidden.


    Then, using Antenna Baby, she tracked the seahorse''s location. It was still bouncing in place, clearly in no rush to move.


    Good.


    She flew off toward the location where the real Pine Bloom had been fighting.


    She needed to "borrow" one of her skills¡ªjust to nail down her Pine Bloom disguise.


    Two minutes ago, Pine Bloom had been fighting three players. Now only two remained.


    Rita had to move fast.


    ...


    Marmang the Seahorse watched the map fragment expectantly. So many powerful players were nearby.


    Lania Kaia Maple Syrup, Lania Kaia Pine Bloom, and that insane Orange Mangoberry were all circling the area!


    He didn''t understand why Maple Syrup hadn''t picked up the fragment¡ªmaybe she foresaw a trap? Players had so many weird skills these days, who could say?


    But he waited patiently. He''d been in the maze for over three hours already.


    Sure, using the map to extract premium gear cost a lot of attributes, but it was worth it.


    He now had 27 nine-piece set fragments. While none were complete, once sold, they''d more than make up the losses.


    If all went well, he and Crab might even rank near the top in this Divine Game!


    After all, they didn''t lack ordinary gear or curios. What they wanted were rare, heavily customized nine-piece set items¡ªusually found in the hands of well-known players.


    It was hard to say whether legendary gear made the player, or the player made the gear.


    He always believed the former. Crab insisted it was the latter.


    Just then, a player passed by the flower wall again.


    Pine Bloom.


    Lania Kaia Pine Bloom.

 Chapter 670: 670: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 61

    The seahorse immediately activated a hidden Sea Seed behind the map fragment. It exploded silently, shaking the leaf loose and sending it fluttering down¡ªjust enough to draw Lania Kaia Pine Bloom''s attention.


    But instead of picking it up, Pine Bloom''s gaze snapped like an arrow straight toward the seahorse''s hiding spot.


    In the blink of an eye, she was in front of him, a wood-element skill surging forth.


    The seahorse quickly retreated without hesitation, throwing out an S-rank crowd control skill before bolting toward the flower wall, scooping up the map fragment, and burning through several movement skills to vanish into the distance.


    Only after safely escaping and activating an invisibility skill did he finally stop.


    He pinged Crab: "Oh my god, I almost got caught by her¡ªLania Kaia Pine Bloom! The one the Divine System name-dropped!"


    MarmangCrab often suspected that if the seahorse stopped talking trash, it''d start losing HP: "You dare say that to her face? ...Anyway, did she pick up the fragment?"


    Seahorse: "Nope. Lania Kaia Maple Syrup passed by earlier too. She didn''t grab it either."


    MarmangCrab: "They might''ve noticed something off. Just focus on picking up other set pieces. Once we sell enough, we can buy full sets outright."


    Seahorse: "Alright, then I''ll go find BS-Rita. I heard she''s in the maze too. She''s gotta be packing good stuff."


    MarmangCrab: "Got some intel?"


    Seahorse: "Nah, but c''mon, look at her. With that attitude and mouth, how''s she still alive if she''s not holding onto something great?"


    MarmangCrab: "...Are you just flexing about yourself?"


    Seahorse: "Tch. You have no idea. Trash talk isn''t just about a toxic mouth¡ªit takes nerves of steel, pressure resistance, and real skill. You think me and BS-Rita spit fire just for fun?"


    MarmangCrab: "I figured it''s as natural as eating while swimming. Open mouth, garbage comes out."


    Seahorse: ...Fair.


    ...


    After the seahorse bolted, Rita used Dandelion Wind to escape as well.


    She immediately canceled her disguise and fled far from the scene, minimizing the exposure of her Pine Bloom impersonation.


    Now, even as players continued to chase her down, she was already admiring her newly acquired divine gift skill:


    "The Free Stuff Always Costs the Most."


    The main flaw¡ªor at least the thing to watch out for¡ªwas this clause:


    "If the value gap between the taken item and the compensation is too large, the player must pay gold or attribute points to balance it."


    That meant you couldn''t cheat the system with garbage-to-gold trades. At best, you could make minor gains or break even.


    Kind of like her own Reverse Moment¡ªideal for fair trades, tolerable with minor gaps.


    But this one? It was still better.


    Unlike Reverse Moment, this passive allowed for value gaps. The clause said if the difference was too big, then and only then did payment kick in. It wasn''t blocked¡ªit just got adjusted.


    And there was one more risk: Could the other player figure out who used the skill against them?


    That part was uncertain and would need testing. She''d ask Nivalis later¡ªNivalis had a skill that could trace hostile actions.


    Rita didn''t run randomly through the maze. After returning to the last battleground and finding Pine Bloom had already moved on, she started looking for new conflict zones. If she found one, she could shapeshift into a map fragment and get picked up.


    She was spotted a few times along the way, but after players realized they couldn''t kill her easily, they stopped wasting time.


    At the 31-minute mark, she activated Owl Got Lost for the second time.


    This time, it randomly reset Clock Reversal.


    Perfect.


    Once its cooldown dropped, she cast it again, halving the cooldowns of all her long-timers. Mysterious Power now had only 29 hours left. Her disguise skill? Down to 25 minutes.


    In the game-wide chat, Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush was clearly getting desperate.


    [Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush]: 5gBlocks for BS-Rita''s location, anyone in March Maze?


    [Ghost¡¤Sang Cup]: She''s in the March maze?!


    [Emerald Crane Gale]: She''s in the March maze?!


    Rita: ...This can''t be good.


    [Ghost¡¤Sang Cup used item skill "Spotlight Entrance" on you.]


    A beam of light slammed down from the sky, locking onto her.


    [Emerald Crane Gale used artifact skill "I Bring My Own BGM."]


    A thundering bassline and pounding drums exploded around her. It was like a live concert had just spawned with her as the frontwoman.


    No matter where she moved, the spotlight and rock band followed her like a curse.


    Those two had literally teamed up to stage her public execution.


    She could already hear footsteps charging toward her from all directions.


    [BS-Rita]: There''s such a thing as too efficient with your revenge!


    [Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush]: You think I''m Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark or Lania Kaia Pine Bloom?


    [Ghost¡¤Sang Cup]: You think I''m Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark or Lania Kaia Pine Bloom?


    [Emerald Crane Gale]: You think I''m Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark or Lania Kaia Pine Bloom?


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: ...What the hell is wrong with you guys?!


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤Pine Bloom]: Who hasn''t died before? It''s no big deal.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤Fat Goose]: With that mindset, you''ll succeed at anything.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: With that mindset, you''ll succeed at anything.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤Mistblade]: With that mindset, you''ll succeed at anything.


    Pine Bloom quietly logged off.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤Fat Goose]: So, Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush¡ªwhat''d she do to you?


    [Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush]: "Cat''s Ideal" is on her.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: So that''s where it went?!


    [Sakura¡¤Orange White]: You just lost it like that? Which of you is supposed to be Tier 9 again?


    [Winter Sea¡¤Frenzied Shark]: You had "Cat''s Ideal" and still ranked up this slow? Never even made Demon Lord?


    [Tingo¡¤Autumn Deer]: Say no more¡ªMarch Theme Park, I''m on my way!


    [Raging ¡¤ Mecha]: What a clown.


    Seeing all those big names popping up, Rita''s expression darkened.


    Was this item really that famous?


    Why had Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush never dared to reveal it before?


    [BS-Rita]: "Cat''s Ideal" has already been sent out of the game.


    Even though she knew no one would believe her, she said it anyway.


    No one responded.


    Newer players began asking what made "Cat''s Ideal" so special¡ªbut no one answered.


    She shut the chat off.


    Whatever. Music and spotlight aside, she activated Survive Until the End, transforming into a map fragment once more.


    Seconds later, her HP dropped by 0.004%.


    She stayed calm¡ªuntil it ticked down again.


    And again.


    They''d found her.

 Chapter 671: 671: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 62

    Survive Until the End couldn''t block or disable "Spotlight Entrance" or "I Bring My Own BGM."


    This was almost certainly a counter-strategy¡ªskills deliberately acquired by Emerald Crane Gale and Ghost¡¤Sang Cup after the last round, all to neutralize her shapeshifting abilities.


    Rita canceled her Animagus form and locked eyes with the players surrounding her. Her gaze landed on the one closest.


    The seahorse gave her a full-body scan. "Throwing a concert now?"


    Rita answered smoothly, "Well, since you''re here, wanna be my opening act?"


    Even while dodging a barrage of incoming skills, her mouth never rested. Trash talk came as naturally to her as breathing.


    As she spoke, Rita flung her Star Pirate Ship onto the ground and jumped in without hesitation.


    Running or not made little difference at this point. Every player with a craving for Cat''s Ideal was gunning for her. Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush had clearly named the relic just to stir up the mob.


    She slammed the accelerator. The ship blasted off as Rita tore through the maze''s paths, trying to think of a plan.


    All the players nearby gave chase.


    Her ship was blazing fast¡ªgame-reward-tier fast. The seahorse barely kept up even after popping multiple movement skills.


    "C''mon, give me a ride!" it shouted.


    It tried jumping onto the vehicle but got juked by Rita''s sudden turn. On top of that, she had a layer of electric web wrapped around the exterior.


    Rita didn''t even spare it a glance. "You planning to lift my debuffs or fight the others for me? You that kind of helpful little seahorse?"


    Of course not.


    Mainly, it was because MarmangCrab had been spamming its inbox, demanding it drop all other maze objectives and focus solely on Cat''s Ideal.


    Word-for-word: "You MUST get Cat''s Ideal. Forget every other player. Follow BS-Rita everywhere. Whatever game she plays next, you play it too."


    Rita tossed the seahorse a question. "So... Cat''s Ideal is that famous?"


    At the same time, she messaged her assistant:


    "What is Cat''s Ideal? Why do all the high-rank players seem to know about it?"


    That''s when the seahorse shrieked like it had won the lottery. "Wait¡ªyou don''t even know what it is?!"


    B8017913''s reply echoed calmly in her mind:


    "I have a suggestion: it''s better if you never find out."


    The moment she heard that, Rita cast Phantom Shift¡ªbut it was too late.


    The seahorse''s voice reached her first. For someone who normally talked endless garbage, it suddenly spoke with razor-sharp precision, slicing straight to the truth with a single word:


    "Divine Relic."


    You have learned about the term ''Divine Relic''.


    Rita''s body blinked into another corner of the maze.


    But the spotlight and background music quickly drew in the players again.


    Still fleeing in her ship, she growled at the system: "I didn''t know! I never heard of it! It''s just a word, I''ve heard a million BS terms. I had no clue what it really meant! Don''t force it on me!"


    But the damage was done.


    The seahorse had already relayed the info to MarmangCrab, who promptly dropped the bomb in global chat.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: She didn''t even know what it was.


    [Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush]: Impossible! I thought so too at first, but her reaction back then didn''t look like someone clueless.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: Don''t believe me then. Anyone in March Maze, give her a crash course!


    The top players didn''t spill the details publicly, but that didn''t stop them from explaining everything offline.


    A small pack of players now flanked Rita''s ship as it roared through the maze, still glowing with music and spotlights.


    She looked like a queen on a world tour, and the entourage was more than she ever had in her C-list celebrity days.


    "I swear," she muttered, "if people hear about this, they''ll say I''m putting on airs."


    The others: ?


    They didn''t get it, but didn''t press. No one attacked her¡ªinstead, they patiently began to explain in Owl language what Divine Relics were.


    She had no choice but to listen. Her Regular Savings mana pool was down to 219%. Unless she permanently avoided every player in the maze, she couldn''t escape this forced lecture.


    She was already dreading what she''d hear.


    "Cat''s Ideal is a Divine Relic," one of them began.


    "When you don''t know it''s a Divine Relic, it functions like a high-grade item or artifact. But once you know... the Divine Relic traits unlock."


    "Divine Relics don''t bind. They can''t be lost or stolen. But if the wielder dies to another player¡ªeven with resurrection abilities¡ªthe relic WILL drop. The killer becomes the new owner."


    Rita gasped. "Holy crap. It''s not Cat''s Ideal, it''s the Cat''s Evil Wand!"


    Nobody understood her old meme, but the lecture continued.


    "When entering the World Battlefield, whether or not a grave exists, the Divine Relic will follow you into the Divine Game."


    "If a Divine Relic leaves its previous owner, its level drops by one in six Starsea days. The new owner has to level it back up."


    You have now acquired knowledge of the ''Divine Relic'' concept and learned that Cat''s Ideal is one such relic. Its Divine Relic traits are now unlocked. It will be reissued at the next item refresh interval.


    Rita mentally screamed:


    "Then give me back the rewards I already used! REFUND! REFUND! REFUND!"


    This news completely shattered many of her previous assumptions about Cat''s Ideal and Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush.


    No wonder Windrush hadn''t used her countless high-tier items to return the relic¡ªRita assumed she didn''t have a forced-return item. In reality, it was impossible to return a Divine Relic.


    No wonder no one believed Rita had "sent it away." You simply couldn''t.


    The only mistake Windrush made... was underestimating Rita''s ignorance. She''d assumed Rita already knew what Divine Relics were.


    But now, that gap was gone.


    The knowledge of Divine Relics was passed down only by word of mouth. For those who didn''t know, it was better they stayed in the dark¡ªbecause the moment they learned, they joined the hunt.


    And if you owned one?


    You had to know.


    She ran it all by B8017913 again.


    "So? Is that all of it? Any false info or missing details?"


    B8017913:


    "More or less. Divine Relics are formed from the divine power and abilities of dead gods. They can take the form of tools, artifacts, or gear. Most players have only heard the names of a few¡ªthey''ve never seen one, much less owned one."


    "Technically, killing isn''t the only way to obtain one. But in the Divine Game, death is the most common way to determine win or loss. In certain events, like the Ferris Wheel, a direct, fair victory can also win you the relic. You essentially beat Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush head-on¡ªand not just once."

 Chapter 672: 672: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 63

    "The strangest thing about Divine Relics," B8017913 explained, "is that the same relic will manifest different skills in the hands of different players. It changes based on the soul flame of its wielder. In truth, every Divine Relic has a compatibility factor. The higher the compatibility, the more the relic resembles the divine gift it was born from."


    "If compatibility is too low, even if a player defeats the relic''s previous owner, the new wielder might not gain the relic''s recognition. In that case, the relic won''t downgrade right away¡ªand if the previous owner reclaims it within six Starsea days, no level loss will occur."


    "After those six days, the relic drops in level if it hasn''t been retrieved. So, no matter how many times Cat''s Ideal changes hands in the next six days, it won''t lose power. But after that... it begins to fall."


    Rita sank into thought.


    So maybe Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush wasn''t being indecisive or arrogant after the Ferris Wheel. Maybe, when she had Cat''s Ideal, she couldn''t even access the Absolute Freedom skill at all.


    She asked, "Then how do I know if I match with a Divine Relic?"


    "You can try to analyze how closely the relic''s name and abilities relate to yours," B8017913 said, "but that''s just theory. There''s no concrete way to measure compatibility."


    "After all, no one¡ªexcept maybe the gods¡ªknows exactly which god a relic came from. And even they might not know what gifts other gods possessed."


    "Wait¡ª!" Rita interrupted suddenly.


    She remembered something¡ªwhen she first took the helm inside Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush''s body, she''d seen its information! That shouldn''t have been possible. She hadn''t owned it then, and she hadn''t had time to use Chavez''s probing ability.


    B8017913 went quiet for a long moment before replying, a bit awkwardly.


    "Maybe... maybe it chose you? Maybe it was already looking for a new owner, and you caught its attention? I don''t know. All we have about Divine Relics are years of player observations. The gods never uploaded that knowledge into me."


    Rita: "Are there a lot of Divine Relics?"


    "Once, yes. But every time one changes owners, it downgrades. When it hits D-rank, it shatters permanently."


    "Now, only thirteen remain that haven''t been forgotten. Of those, only two have known owners. A Divine Relic can level up all the way past SSS. It''s said that at that level... the true name of the god who created it will appear."


    She pressed further, "What if compatibility is low and the previous owner fails to retrieve it?"


    "It vanishes," B8017913 answered. "It disappears from the game and reappears somewhere in the universe, waiting for a better match."


    Downgrades... Upgrades... Random relocation...


    It all clicked.


    Everything matched perfectly with a certain relic she''d once heard about. Her heart started pounding as the realization set in. She quickly tried to wipe the thought from her mind, scared of confirming the truth.


    She forced herself to chant a prayer¡ªthe kind she''d memorized years ago just in case someone tried to read her mind.


    Too late.


    The moment she thought it, it was already done.


    You have guessed that Wrathful Moon is a current Divine Relic. Its Divine Relic traits are now unlocked. It will be reissued in the next relic refresh cycle.


    Rita practically folded in on herself, clutching her head in the Star Pirate Ship, voice trembling in protest.


    "I didn''t guess! I was just imagining! That wasn''t a real deduction!"


    The system pretended not to hear.


    She had no idea how many players were still left in the maze, but her ship was dead in the water. She sat slumped in the cockpit, taking wave after wave of incoming attacks.


    Phantom Shift was blocked. Her HP was down to 0.396%.


    The players had turned her into a public event.


    "Anyone not slashed her yet?"


    "Me! Me, I haven''t gone yet!"


    "Get in line¡ªcut her once and grab some Blocks!"


    "Break her buff first!"


    Rita: ...


    She''d imagined something like this would happen the day she got the skill¡ªbut not this fast.


    The allure of the Divine Relic had driven players to invent entirely new tactics. They were stacking indirect damage using every medium possible: dropping trees on her, summoning mobs, throwing explosives¡ªanything that could bypass direct combat.


    She dodged what she could, but it was only a matter of time. The whole damn maze was hunting her down.


    What she couldn''t wrap her head around was¡ªwhy had Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush told everyone about Cat''s Ideal?


    Wouldn''t it make more sense to keep it hidden?


    "Common Prosperity" gave them three game attempts. Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush had the time advantage. Once they left the Ferris Wheel, Rita wasn''t a threat anymore.


    What could she possibly gain by exposing it?


    Unless...


    She had some method to erase player memory... or maybe even hide Cat''s Ideal completely?


    11:44 AM.


    Rita popped Lonely Antenna Baby and squeezed out of the encirclement. She cast Phantom Shift, teleporting straight to the maze entrance.


    Cat''s Ideal has been unlocked.


    Cat''s Ideal has been reissued.


    They met again.


    She caught the ship''s platinum helm in her hands¡ªnine shimmering Blocks fused together¡ªand felt a mix of emotions surge up.


    She chanted silently again, "Refund! Refund! Refund!" but her hands never stopped moving. She quickly disassembled parts of her body''s Blocks, preparing to hide the helm inside herself.


    While stashing the relic, she tried using Absolute Freedom.


    She needed to know if the skill still worked inside the Divine Game.


    The answer was¡ªyes.


    She could leave!


    Absolute Freedom: Even without wind, the kitty sails. Turn the helm in your heart and go wherever you wish. No skill, no item, no creature¡ªnot even a god¡ªcan stop you from leaving. In Divine Games, this skill can only send you to places you''ve previously visited. Costs 500 mana. 30-second cooldown.


    A helm of deep blue seawater appeared in front of her, spinning clockwise, its white spray casting off each of the eight handles and their intricate path lines.


    The world stretched out in her mind like a giant scroll. BS was just one glowing dot on a canvas dozens of meters long.


    All she had to do was grab the helm and turn it.


    She could go anywhere she''d been before¡ªeven leave the Divine Game entirely and return to BS.


    Limited though it was, Absolute Freedom more than lived up to its name.

 Chapter 673: 673: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 64

    Right now, all she could hope for was that when Cat''s Ideal eventually downgraded, its skills wouldn''t change too drastically.


    For a brief moment, she considered just using Absolute Freedom to leave March Theme Park. But that thought was quickly shoved down.


    Absolute Freedom gave her a deep sense of security¡ªand an endless reserve of courage.


    This wasn''t a dead end. Not yet. It wasn''t time to leave.


    If she ran now without even trying, then she''d keep running. Step by step, retreating further and further, until there was no going forward at all.


    She wanted to leave this maze by playing the game¡ªnot by skipping class with an item.


    And now, with Cat''s Ideal in her hands, she had more than one way to break the deadlock.


    She didn''t know why Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush had been so careless, allowing herself to be exposed while holding Cat''s Ideal during the Ferris Wheel game, and not even using her ultimate ability in time.


    Maybe Windrush had gotten complacent due to her Tier 9 power. Maybe she truly didn''t think BS-Rita would recognize a Divine Relic, much less find it in under three seconds. Or maybe she didn''t expect Rita to chase her so doggedly. Or maybe "Common Prosperity" and "Asset Transfer" had emboldened her...


    There was no way to be sure.


    But if it had been her in Windrush''s position, Rita would''ve never¡ªcould''ve never¡ªlet Cat''s Ideal be exposed to even the tiniest risk of loss.


    That was why she''d chosen to send it out of the game earlier without hesitation, despite knowing how much power it could grant her. She''d rather scrape and fight and scheme her way through than leave it behind in a game where items could be lost forever.


    Because once lost, there was no guarantee she''d get it back after leaving the Ferris Wheel''s special game.


    From the moment she retrieved Cat''s Ideal to the moment she finished hiding it inside herself, less than half a minute passed. But players were already beginning to close in on her.


    Rita looked at the incoming players with a calm gaze and activated Cat''s Ideal''s third skill¡ªNo Logic.


    No Logic: Because cats are like that. Temporarily distorts a single shared belief among all living beings. Duration: 30 minutes. Costs 1 point of Luck (restores in 3 Starsea days). Cooldown: 2 hours.


    She whispered, "Cat''s Ideal has been lost by BS-Rita. It''s now in the hands of another player somewhere in the Spring Labyrinth."


    The deep-blue helm reappeared, its ocean spinning in reverse, counterclockwise.


    Like sunrise and moonset, every player''s perception twisted. Something fundamental in their understanding of the situation snapped and rewrote itself.


    The players who had been charging toward her abruptly stopped. Their expressions shifted. Interest faded. Suspicion flared¡ªat each other. Alliances dissolved on the spot.


    Even B8017913 messaged her: "Already lost it? Want me to enter the maze and help out? I still have two power banks left."


    Rita replied simply: "No need. I used a skill."


    For at least the next 30 minutes, she was safe.


    That gave her plenty of time to test a few theories.


    Even with their perception warped, a few players still tossed some casual skills her way¡ªafter all, killing a player still meant free Blocks. And BS-Rita was just Tier 9.


    Rita dodged swiftly and messaged Nivalis: "Reverse summon me."


    The next instant, her form flickered like a lag spike¡ªshe disappeared and reappeared.


    After being pulled into February Theme Park and then bouncing back, the deep-blue helm hovered before her again. She watched a nearby player glance over, their gaze landing squarely on the helm.


    It was visible.


    But so what?


    She turned the helm. The tide inside spun in the same direction. Rita vanished from the maze and reappeared inside Nivalis''s Ferris Wheel pod.


    She waited, heart pounding, half expecting to be dragged back.


    But it didn''t happen.


    This skill didn''t just teleport¡ªit severed ties.


    That''s it. That''s what made it absolute freedom.


    She smothered her elation and looked around the pod.


    Nivalis was mid-fight with another player.


    And Rita¡ªstill glowing in spotlight and blaring music¡ªjust dropped into the corner of the Ferris Wheel pod like she was crashing a rave.


    In an instant, the cramped little gondola turned into a nightclub. The brightest one on the wheel.


    Nivalis: "What the hell is this? Why''s it so flashy?!"


    Opponent: "Who''s that? Your pet?"


    Nivalis, clearly flirting with death: "Yup!"


    Opponent: "Kinda trashy but kinda cool... Where''d you contract that thing? I want one too!"


    Finally, Nivalis''s survival instincts kicked in. She accelerated the fight and forced her opponent into penalty time, then turned to flash Rita a grin.


    Rita: "..."


    She would absolutely never admit Nivalis picked up the habit of bantering mid-combat from her.


    Since she hadn''t received any game rule notifications after arriving, and no health bar lit up above her head, she didn''t plan to interfere with the match. Entering the game this way was technically cheating. If she jumped in, it might hurt Nivalis''s score more than help.


    To avoid that, she perched on the roof of the gondola. When a stray skill came her way, she even dodged it, worried it might trigger a reflect-damage penalty.


    Before leaving, she took the first map fragment she''d picked up in the maze and slipped it into the seat cushion crack.


    She thought back to how the seahorse had guarded the map fragment and to that skill description: "If a player takes anything of yours without permission..."


    Her theory was this: to leave an item in a public area and still count as its rightful owner, she couldn''t stray too far. She also had to know exactly where the item was taken from. Otherwise, it would count as lost¡ªand if it was lost, no compensation would be owed.


    Then she closed her eyes and messaged B8017913 privately, explaining The Free Stuff Always Costs the Most, and said:


    "I''m at Nivalis''s location now. I want to test whether the skill can detect me after it activates. You get what I''m saying? Make sure she waits until it''s just me and her in the pod before triggering it."


    B8017913 instantly understood.


    Rita needed Nivalis to take something from her without her explicit permission. But if she told Nivalis directly, that would count as consent. So she had to work around it, using B8017913 as the messenger.


    Rita sat back and relaxed in the music and lights, mentally working through her next maze strategies.


    Seconds passed. Then she sensed something being thrown from the gondola. She couldn''t tell if it was Nivalis or the other player.


    "Oh, a truly worthy opponent!"


    It was Nivalis''s voice. A victory signal.


    Rita couldn''t help but laugh a little.


    Suddenly, a sharp, goblin-like voice echoed in her mind.


    "The Free Stuff Always Costs the Most."


    A virtual room appeared in her consciousness, along with a five-minute countdown timer.


    It meant she had five minutes to choose her compensation.


    Rita dropped back into the gondola and told Nivalis, "Start the timer," then sank her consciousness into the vision of the room.


    In the blink of an eye, she was standing inside.


    Before her was a silver balance scale, with two intricately carved pans hanging on either side.


    The scale was already tilted¡ªto the left.

 Chapter 674: 674: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 65

    At the moment, the balance was tilted to the left. On the left-side pan lay a single map fragment shaped like a leaf. The right-side pan was empty. In front of the scale was a neatly arranged lineup of items¡ªthese must have been things Nivalis had used in the past ten days.


    Even with Nivalis outside keeping watch, Rita didn''t want to linger too long. You never knew when another player might enter the gondola.


    She quickly flew over, crouched down, and began inspecting the items. She could only see their names¡ªno detailed descriptions.


    Most of them were Blocks. The only game-related item was a camera. Nivalis had definitely obtained more game items in the February Ferris Wheel, but she probably hadn''t used them yet, which was why they didn''t show up here.


    Rita picked up the camera and realized she could only select a single Block from it.


    In this special game, a Block counted as an entire item. She couldn''t take the whole thing. Rita chose one camera Block from the fragmented item and placed it on the right side of the scale.


    Immediately, the left-leaning scale sprang up, wobbled back and forth, then tilted toward the right.


    Back in the real world, Rita opened her eyes to find a camera Block fragment had appeared in her hand.


    She had paid 10,000 gold for it.


    Even though it was just a single game item fragment, the full version belonged to the same tier as Soul Catcher and Lonely Antenna Baby¡ªa five-piece perfect relic set.


    How much would Soul Catcher or Lonely Antenna Baby go for at auction? 200,000? 500,000? 800,000?


    She couldn''t say. Her exposure to such high-tier relics was still limited. Before joining "Blocks and Me," she''d never even seen this many perfect artifacts.


    But outside the game, if she had 500,000 gold, and both those items were listed for 250,000 each, she would absolutely spend the money to buy them.


    Now, she had traded a single map fragment¡ªsomething that refreshed hourly, required 30 in total to leave the maze, and became useless once the game ended¡ªplus 10,000 gold, for one-fifth of a perfect relic set.


    Roughly speaking, she had just spent 50,000 gold to get a perfect artifact.


    This was basically a heist.


    The Free Stuff Always Costs the Most and I Just Want to Improve So Badly were practically jailbreak partners from the same cellblock.


    Though the two skills had slightly different methods.


    I Just Want to Improve So Badly was the self-made entrepreneur.


    The Free Stuff Always Costs the Most was the undercover cop running a sting operation.


    Both were criminal. Deliciously, dangerously criminal.


    Of course, not all perfect relics were equal. Even five-piece sets varied in value. A single game item fragment wasn''t equal to a full item, and you couldn''t just multiply the price by five.


    If she wanted the full camera item, it would definitely cost more than 50,000. But the map fragment she''d traded was dirt cheap.


    All in all, this strong-arm trade just proved the sheer value of that skill.


    Rita had only spent 17 seconds inside that room. She looked at Nivalis and asked, "How long was I gone?"


    Nivalis''s voice responded in her mind, "From my perspective, you said ''start the timer,'' then your camera showed up, and then you immediately asked how long it had been. Also, the moment the camera appeared in your hand, I got a notification saying I''d lost my camera for some unknown reason."


    So time had stood still in that room.


    Before Rita could say anything else, Nivalis continued, "I used the skill Tell My Mom, and the result said I lost something within the last five minutes because I took something without the owner''s permission. But it didn''t say who I took it from."


    Tell My Mom was an SSS-level skill Nivalis had obtained from the Holy Grail. It didn''t just identify who was targeting her¡ªit could even notify her elders on Dragon Island. It was basically the ultimate tattletale ability.


    Rita suspected it carried some of the Holy Grail''s Stargazer powers.


    And even that kind of top-tier skill could only determine a rough time and action¡ªit still couldn''t trace anything back to her directly.


    Rita finally relaxed.


    She hopped back down into the gondola, handed the camera back to Nivalis, took back her map fragment, and said, "Keep the gold. Consider it your pocket money for the year. I''m out. Have fun."


    Nivalis took the camera but looked like she wanted to say something else.


    Rita figured she wanted to talk rules and added, "No rush on the rules. Try a few more games first. I''ll compare everything once I''m out of the maze."


    "Oh." But that wasn''t what Nivalis had in mind. She said, "That spotlight... and the music... where''d you get those? I want them too..."


    Rita winced. Of course Nivalis would be into those.


    Under Nivalis''s expectant gaze, Rita briefly explained the two skills'' effects and left it to her to figure out the rest. Then she summoned the deep-blue helm.


    Nivalis''s gaze immediately latched onto the helm. Rita asked, "Try touching it. See if you can."


    Nivalis reached out, but her claw passed through the water like scooping moonlight from the sea. The helm didn''t react at all.


    Rita laughed. "Later! Have fun!"


    With that, she grabbed the helm''s lever, gave it a gentle push, and with the sound of crashing waves, returned to the maze.


    Her One-Person Party disguise skill was still on cooldown, but Rita had a new option now.


    She stowed away her weapon and Star Pirate Ship Blocks, then activated Cat''s Ideal''s first skill¡ªThere''s a Cat Here!


    There''s a Cat Here!: Oh, so your name is Mew-Mew? Upon activation, transform into a random cat you''ve seen before. You cannot be detected or marked. This form doesn''t affect your ability to use any skills or equipment. When you meow, all living beings who see you will stop what they''re doing to respond, and you gain 8 seconds of invincibility. Each "meow" reduces the skill duration by 5 minutes. Duration: 1 hour. Mana cost: 5%. Cooldown: 2 hours.


    If she couldn''t be marked, then maybe¡ªjust maybe¡ªshe could avoid Emerald Crane Gale and Ghost ¡¤ Sang Cup''s spotlight and BGM skills.


    ...


    The music cut out. The spotlight vanished.


    At the entrance of the maze, a chubby orange-and-white cat made of Blocks trotted inside with a leaf in its mouth, its steps light and brisk.


    Just like when she''d disguised herself as Pine Bloom to trade skills with the seahorse, Rita now toggled off her infamous reflect-damage skill Absurd Story in her personal settings.


    She was scouting for areas of heavy combat. Since the game began, about 90% of the players had been constantly fighting. After Cat''s Ideal was exposed, that number only went up.


    Players who would''ve saved their ultimates for day two were now going all-in inside this maze.


    B8017913: "You might want to know this. Right now, the queue to enter the maze is the longest in all of Month Theme Park."

 Chapter 675: 675: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 66

    Rita recalled the maze rules. They only mentioned that the maze would open on the hour, with a 3-minute window to enter, but didn''t specify the number of players allowed in:


    "How many players do you estimate can get in within three minutes, based on the mechanical race''s ticket-scanning speed?"


    B8017913 replied, "Last round, 79 players got in within under 2 minutes. After that, the gate stayed empty for over a minute before closing. If all players prep their Blocks in advance before the game starts, conservatively, 150 players could make it in."


    The music and spotlight issues were resolved, and she was now disguised. Even when the effect of [No Logic] ended, as long as no one could track her down, she wouldn''t need to panic.


    There was a battle happening up ahead. After telling B8017913 to keep monitoring, Rita stepped back a few meters and dropped the map fragment from her mouth into a corner at the turn.


    The spot was blatantly obvious¡ªtextbook bait.


    If she had time, she would''ve placed it at the location where she found her first map piece. But that wasn''t an option¡ªthis round only had 7 minutes left. After that, the map would shift and fragments would expire.


    No player would seriously search for a lost fragment this late into the round. If she hid it too well, no one might find it.


    In this sense, placing it somewhere obvious could actually work in reverse. Because time was nearly up, players who had given up collecting fragments might just ignore it completely.


    After planting the bait, Rita left the corridor.


    She had barely run a few steps when she bumped into a group of players fighting their way in this direction. She immediately turned and ran back the way she came.


    But she was quickly caught by a drag skill and yanked into the battle.


    Fortunately, [Mysterious Power] was still active, and three of these players had previously attacked her. Since she was already here, Rita decided to take advantage of the chaos and leech a bit¡ªthrowing out occasional attacks to both sides.


    She couldn''t kill anyone, and no one could kill her.


    Taking this opportunity, she activated [Magical Echo] to begin regenerating mana.


    The fight gradually shifted closer to where Rita had left the map fragment. Coincidentally, the brawling group she''d been tracking also neared that location.


    Rita carefully moved toward the spot herself.


    Drawing on her years of acting experience, she convinced herself first: she was just a player who''d noticed the map piece, wanted to grab it, but was trying not to draw attention and get others involved.


    Most players here were Tier 15. A few Tier 14s like her had been thrown in just for being too good. Their awareness was sharp¡ªabout 80% of them spotted the map fragment.


    With just 3 minutes left in the round, the fragment didn''t mean much anymore, but after noticing Rita''s movement, the two players closest to it went for it. It was a simple task.


    That familiar voice rang out.


    ¡ª"The Free Stuff Always Costs the Most.!"


    Hook set. Fish caught. Rita stayed in the brawl a minute longer.


    At 11:59, she let out a loud, "Meowww~~"


    All the players suddenly froze mid-fight and turned to look at her.


    "Meow-meow~~" "Meow-meow~~"


    So this was what it felt like to be a cat and hear every living thing around you meowing back. It was terrifying.


    Rita took off immediately. Once she reached a quiet spot, she summoned the deep-blue helm.


    Although she could turn it with her mind, she found it more ceremonial to press a fluffy cat paw against the helm and give it a gentle spin. Instantly, she left the battlefield and appeared in the Ferris wheel cabin she''d previously visited in February Theme Park.


    With just 10 seconds left before the map fragments expired and refreshed, she focused her mind and stepped into the room again, approaching the scale.


    ''12:00''


    A breeze blew through February Theme Park. Even outside the maze, in a different Month Theme Park, Rita still had to pay double the game fee.


    Her hopes of reducing spending were dashed.


    Apparently, game rules followed game eligibility. Without a ticket, you weren''t registered for the game, even if you entered the map¡ªyou couldn''t read the rules or participate.


    But once you paid with Blocks, even if you left the map via other means, the rules would still follow you.


    And her [Don''t Ask Me What Potions Are] was gone!


    She remembered Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush using "Asset Transfer" on her and wondered if that fragment had been sent to her.


    She couldn''t go check the vending machines herself. Public areas enforced absolute rules that canceled all active skills. She couldn''t risk losing [There''s a Cat Here], and if she left, how would she get back into the maze?


    Thankfully, she had people on the outside. Rita said, "Keep your eyes on the maze entrance. Count how many players go in. Once the gate closes, check the exchange for [Don''t Ask Me What Potions Are] to see if it''s been listed."


    B8017913: "Got it."


    Rita returned to a tree inside the maze and, with a paw, scooped up the compensation she''d just received¡ª[Hallucinogenic Mushroom Spray] (1/3).


    That player had plenty of great stuff. Seven-piece and nine-piece sets, even two complete nine-piece artifacts. Far wealthier than she was.


    But to test the skill''s limits, Rita had chosen a single piece from a three-piece set.


    It had cost her just 550 gold.


    Actually, it was 500¡ªbut a notice said the compensation had been converted to the other player''s world currency, with a 50-gold service fee.


    180 attribute points ¡ª 10,000 gold ¡ª 500 gold.


    Three levels of compensation price tags: nine-piece, five-piece, three-piece.


    There might be some price fluctuation depending on item rarity, but this seemed to be the basic framework.


    If she only wanted Blocks or random items, this skill wasn''t better than [I Just Want to Improve So Badly]¡ªit required payment and negotiation.


    But when she needed something specific, this skill was absolutely gold-tier.


    Especially while under the [Mysterious Power] effect¡ªit offset her criminal tendencies quite nicely.


    The maze entrance closed, and the game restarted.


    ...


    ''12:01'' ¡ª [Owl Got Lost] came off cooldown.


    [Mysterious Power] only had 49 hits left¡ªfar from enough to handle the flood of new players entering the maze.


    Distorting recognition could stop people from targeting her, but it wouldn''t stop them from attacking her at random.


    In fact, after she used a disguise, [No Logic] started to backfire. Since no one knew who held the Divine Relic, the first instinct was to kill any unfamiliar cat on sight.


    So instead of distorting perception, survival skills took priority.


    Rita used [Owl Got Lost] to transfer [Mysterious Power]''s remaining cooldown onto a rarely used SSS-tier offensive skill.

 Chapter 676: 676: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 67

    After unlocking [Mysterious Power], Rita began searching the new version of the map fragments in earnest.


    The maze had become far too dangerous. More and more players were entering, and relying on Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush was becoming unrealistic. She had to figure this out herself.


    Right then, B8017913 sent an update:


    "There are a total of 167 players in the maze. Your [Don''t Ask Me What Potions Are] fragment isn''t in the Exchange. Neither the owl nor the game console have been listed either."


    If this were a real company, B8017913 would be the kind of employee every boss dreams of¡ªgathering exactly the right info, even without direct instructions.


    If the fragment wasn''t in the Exchange, then it had to be with Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush.


    Yet [The Free Stuff Always Costs the Most.] hadn''t been triggered.


    So the game rules and rewards must count as a kind of invisible agreement?


    That made sense. If items dropped on death could trigger the skill, then Seahorse wouldn''t have needed to bait and switch outside the maze.


    As she pondered this, Rita''s paw froze. Behind a wall of flowers, she had brushed up against something. She pulled it out¡ªit was a dandelion: a [Spring Labyrinth Map Fragment].


    She placed the dandelion into her Magician''s Wisdom Tooth. While continuing the search for more fragments, she opened the battlefield chat panel and dragged it to the bottom-right of her screen, keeping an eye out for any useful chatter.


    The chat was in chaos, with players demanding to know who had [Cat''s Ideal]. Others were asking who had killed her and looted her corpse.


    After considering, Rita decided to clarify in chat.


    Even though players had once used chat clues to track down a player''s location, everyone now knew she was in March Theme Park, so it didn''t matter. Besides, she could relocate instantly if needed.


    Her only real concern was whether someone could deduce her current disguise from the battlefield chat.


    But turning into a cat wasn''t exactly rare. Some races looked exactly like cats anyway. This would be a good chance to test the limits of [There''s a Cat Here].


    [BS-Rita]: Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush used the game rewards "Common Prosperity" and "Asset Transfer" on me. Any game Blocks fragments I lost went directly into her hands.


    [BS-Rita]: Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush?


    [BS-Rita]: Say something, Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush.


    [Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush]: I didn''t receive anything!!


    [BS-Rita]: Sigh.


    [Marmang ¡¤ Crab]: Sigh.


    [Red Orange ¡¤ Juicy]: Sigh.


    [Winter Sea ¡¤ Frenzied Shark]: Sigh.


    [Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush]: ...Will someone hurry up and kill her already? Have none of you eaten?!


    [BS-Rita]: Pine Bloom, you there?


    Rita waited two minutes. So did Pine Bloom, silently watching the chat.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Pine Bloom]: What is it?


    Rita, satisfied, closed the battlefield chat. Just six more "sales" and she could visit Lichou.


    Knowing she might miss something important in chat, she asked B8017913 to keep monitoring and ping her if anything relevant popped up.


    Just then, a player spotted her, and Rita took off running.


    While dodging attacks, she kept sneaking glances at the chat.


    Pine Bloom: ???


    A few minutes later, Pine Bloom smiled faintly.


    The player fighting her¡ªJuicy Mango¡ªjumped back in fear, thinking she was about to go full burst.


    Pine Bloom was unfazed. She told herself, maybe BS-Rita just died.


    ...


    12:15


    [No Logic] wore off.


    All players resumed their hunt for BS-Rita.


    Rita kept lurking in cat form, weaving through the crowds.


    When her HP dropped near zero, she found a quiet spot, canceled the old [Mysterious Power], munched on a few whole-wheat buns, got her HP back over 1%, and activated a new [Mysterious Power].


    That was the trick with Mysterious Power¡ªwhittle her down to 0.01%, then start the cycle all over again.


    With a Divine Relic on her now, Rita could no longer use [Survive Until the End] to turn into an item.


    Before, she didn''t care¡ªgetting left behind in someone''s inventory only meant getting crushed once she canceled the transformation. Worst case, she''d die once.


    Now? Death wasn''t an option.


    Other players were just as anxious, but no one could track her down¡ªno mark, no curse, no tag would stick.


    [Emerald Crane Gale]: Did she turn into a map fragment and one of you is carrying her around?


    [Marmang ¡¤ Crab]: If you hit someone and only the first strike lands¡ªafter that, they take no damage¡ªthat''s BS-Rita.


    [Red Orange ¡¤ Juicy]: If we could scan her HP bar, why not just inspect her directly?


    [Marmang ¡¤ Crab]: Heh. That just means you can''t.


    Clearly, Tier 17+ players had their own tracking tools. But with BS-Rita in March Theme Park, none of their skills would reveal the current location of [Cat''s Ideal].


    [Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush]: How did you mark her last time¡ªwith the spotlight and music?


    [Emerald Crane Gale]: Bought a drop of BS-Rita''s blood from the Exchange.


    [Ghost ¡¤ Sang Cup]: Me too.


    [Marmang ¡¤ Crab]: Who listed it?


    [Winter Sea ¡¤ Frenzied Shark]: The Winter Sea ¡¤ Frenzied Shark from "You Think I''m Winter Sea ¡¤ Frenzied Shark or Lania Kaia Pine Bloom?" listed it.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Maple Syrup]: Sigh, Pine Bloom...


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Peach Crown]: Sigh, Pine Bloom...


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Fat Goose]: Sigh, Pine Bloom...


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade]: Sigh, Pine Bloom...


    Strangely, Rita felt... calm.


    The battlefield chat had turned into a roast session about her, like a private enemy group chat. She didn''t even know where to chime in. At least she wasn''t the one being trolled the hardest¡ªyet.


    As for the blood¡ªeasy enough to guess where it came from. During the bunny brawl last game, it had been splattered across Winter Sea ¡¤ Frenzied Shark''s head. The mystery was how he brought it into the maze.


    And as for why tracking skills failed¡ªRita thought about the line in [There''s a Cat Here]: "You cannot be marked. You cannot be tracked."


    That felt similar to [Away from Home, Identity is Self-Assigned]¡ªbut maybe even stronger.


    She also recalled the description of [Cat''s Ideal]:


    "Mysterious feline¡ªno entity may glimpse your past, present, or future."


    Did that mean she couldn''t be divined anymore, even without [Chavez''s Pocket Watch]?


    The watch was S-tier and blocked any divination under SS-tier. But this was a Divine Relic.


    And if both past and future were obscured, what about the present? Did that mean even her current information was locked away from anyone trying to peek in?

 Chapter 677: 677: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 68

    12:30


    With [Owl Got Lost] finally off cooldown, Rita immediately shifted the cooldown of [There''s a Cat Here].


    To her disappointment, she couldn''t transfer it back onto the same SSS-level skill that had previously absorbed the cooldown from [Mysterious Power].


    In other words, each time she used [Owl Got Lost], the cooldown could only be shifted to a new skill¡ªcooldowns didn''t stack, and there was likely a hard limit preventing repeat use on the same ability.


    Still, even if she''d hit a mechanical wall, Rita wasn''t out of options.


    Every hour, she could cycle through unlocking [Mysterious Power] and [There''s a Cat Here].


    She''d picked up 42 SSS-level skills in Chaotic Restaurant. Even with 11 locked in for regular use, that left 31 others she could funnel cooldowns into.


    Besides, [There''s a Cat Here] only had a two-hour cooldown. With enough SSS-level skills, she could keep the rotation going indefinitely.


    So for now, Rita''s biggest threat¡ªdeath¡ªwas no longer hanging over her head.


    But the problem remained: she still couldn''t exit the maze through normal gameplay.


    She even began to suspect Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush was stuck too.


    Rita had tried dropping an Attribute Block during a skirmish, hoping [The Free Stuff Always Costs the Most.] would kick in and get her a map fragment in return.


    But the weighing room only generated items that players had actively used. Since map fragments weren''t considered "used" until a full set was collected, they wouldn''t show up.


    She also considered trying to "upgrade by trading down"¡ªdrop a three-piece set fragment in exchange for a five-piece, pay some gold, and then work her way up to a nine-piece.


    But this carried huge risk. If any of her game fragments ended up in Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush''s hands, the exposure could jeopardize her entire operation.


    As long as "Asset Transfer" was active, she wouldn''t attempt any such trades.


    And so, the game reached a deadlock.


    She couldn''t die.


    She couldn''t leave.


    And she refused to skip class.


    Sure, she''d cheesed plenty of events back in BS by looking up guides, but the gods didn''t appreciate players outright avoiding gameplay.


    Screwing around? Fine. Disrupting the system? Also fine.


    But cutting class? Not unless there was no other option.


    More importantly, if she didn''t finish the maze game, would the other events even let her purchase entry?


    If she tried and got rejected, stuck in the anti-magic public zone, unable to return to the maze... that''d be worse.


    She had no idea how long she''d be stuck here. She couldn''t just wait it out forever.


    Thinking back to the potion bottle fragment she''d lost to the entry fee last round, Rita made a trip to February Theme Park and grabbed 50 Attribute Blocks from Nivalis.


    If the system wanted to keep charging her in game fragments, then fine¡ªshe''d stockpile more game fragments.


    Back in the maze, she began discreetly dropping Attribute Blocks during fights.


    Whenever she triggered [The Free Stuff Always Costs the Most.] and entered the weighing room, she''d pick a three-piece game item.


    Swapping a map fragment for a three-piece cost several hundred gold. But Attribute Blocks? Just 50 to 100 gold.


    A price she could easily afford.


    12:45


    No matter how hard she tried to delay it, [Wrathful Moon] returned.


    ["Wrathful Moon" has been unlocked.]


    ["Wrathful Moon" has been deployed.]


    Rita had completely given up trying to appeal the situation.


    If the game had any intention of letting her return the item, it would''ve done so already.


    Still, she had to admit¡ªshe''d been given some kind of compensation.


    Otherwise, both Divine Relics would''ve been unlocked and deployed the moment she discovered their identities.


    Instead, the game had waited for the scheduled hourly unlock.


    She canceled [There''s a Cat Here], returned to the Ferris wheel in February Theme Park, and carefully re-secured the lantern and the helm.


    She buried both Divine Relics deep inside her inventory: first wrapped in normal Blocks, then surrounded by owl and game-console fragments, and finally layered with smaller Blocks.


    Only then did she return to March Theme Park''s maze, using Teletubby as cover to once again become a cat.


    13:00


    Another entry fee, another loss¡ªthis time a [Plush Collar] fragment.


    Snatched up by none other than Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush.


    Rita barely had time to be annoyed.


    Once [Owl Got Lost] came back, she shifted [Mysterious Power]''s seven-day cooldown onto a different SSS-level skill.


    Time was ticking.


    Even without using [No Logic], players were starting to doubt each other.


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush drew the most suspicion¡ªBS-Rita had accurately named both "Common Prosperity" and "Asset Transfer," two rewards from the game.


    Other players who had received the same rewards stepped up to confirm their effects.


    No one had yet found BS-Rita, but with hundreds of players fighting across the maze, even with her bizarre skills, some doubted she could''ve survived this long.


    Data provided by skill-enabled players estimated that over 600 participants were currently inside the March maze.


    With so many players clustered together¡ªwhether chasing [Cat''s Ideal] or trying to exit via collected map fragments¡ªbattles were constant.


    More than 70% of players had already died at least once.


    And through it all, BS-Rita remained silent. No trash talk. No taunts. No messages.


    No target for curses. No one to pin a tracker on.


    While baiting the field, Rita was actually trying to bait out Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush.


    If Windrush picked up a dropped Block, Rita could use that to reclaim the lost [Plush Collar].


    But with the player count this high and the map so large, their paths never crossed.


    Then¡ªfinally¡ªluck turned.


    After losing the potion fragment and the collar, Rita saw something in the weighing room:


    [Where''s the Owl Already]!


    She was certain she hadn''t seen this player in the Ferris wheel earlier.


    Either they were disguised or had shuffled their Blocks.


    In truth, without active inspection, players were nearly indistinguishable¡ªunless they had something like Fiery Wings.


    The moment she saw the owl fragment, Rita didn''t hesitate.


    She paid 170 attribute points and claimed a new owl fragment.


    She didn''t even inspect the updated owl.


    Instead, she doubled back to try and identify the source.


    With [Seen It All] hiding nameplates, she couldn''t get their ID.


    She tried using Chavez''s Watch and [Master Angler] to scan¡ªboth failed.


    All she could do was memorize their features and the color breakdown of their Blocks.


    She didn''t want to buy the remaining owl fragments with more points¡ªnot at that price.


    Her plan was to wait until "Asset Transfer" wore off.


    If she met that player again, she could trade a seven-piece fragment for the rest of the owl set¡ªmuch cheaper.


    If that didn''t work out, she''d find a way to buy the rest off the market.

 Chapter 678: 678: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 69

    Just as Rita was about to switch to a new hiding spot and continue her bait operation, she ran straight into the little seahorse.


    Unlike his earlier arrogant swagger, the seahorse now floated toward her like a tormented soul. He barely glanced at the cat trotting past him and made no move to attack.


    Rita had no intention of pulling a stunt like changing her form and pretending to be someone else to get close to him again. Since he wasn''t attacking, she didn''t bother to stop.


    But then¡ªunexpectedly¡ªhe turned around and followed her.


    Rita: ?


    The seahorse asked in Scorpio dialect, "Have you seen Lania Kaia Pine Bloom?"


    "Ran into her about half an hour ago. Not since," Rita meowed.


    The seahorse stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly said, "Wanna team up? We split any map fragments we find. Once we each complete a set, we leave together."


    Rita glanced at the second divine talent unlocked on his profile: [Ignite Teammates, Warm Baby Seahorses].


    It was a skill that, once a team agreement was formed by any means, allowed damage to be redirected to a teammate. And once a team was formed, it lasted for a full hour¡ªno disbanding mid-way.


    The only possible downside was the timer, which shortened as the number of damage transfers increased.


    Once again, Rita was amazed by how uniquely tailored this guy''s divine talent seemed¡ªjust like Nivalis''s [Master Thief Dragon].


    Except the seahorse''s skill went even further: it explicitly included his real name in the description.


    Rita: "Gonna pass, thanks."


    "Wait!!" The seahorse called out again, worried she''d bolt. He spoke quickly, "Do you have any food? I''ll trade Blocks for it!"


    Rita skidded to a stop and turned slowly, eyes gleaming.


    Of course! She could sell food in the maze!


    Players were burning through stamina fast, and when stamina dropped to zero, they''d be forcefully sent back to the starting room. There was no way every player had packed enough food.


    This was it¡ªbusiness was booming!


    She''d need to adjust her skill loop though.


    Swap out the [Mysterious Power] + [There''s a Cat Here] rotation for [Mysterious Power] + [No Logic].


    Because to sell large quantities of food, her pet would need to handle the supply chain. That meant someone could trace the food back to her, regardless of what form she used to deliver it.


    Same reason she couldn''t use [The Free Stuff Always Costs the Most.] by bartering meat for Blocks¡ªit would blow her cover.


    The safest route was to use her real identity to buy supplies.


    Then use [No Logic] to bend perception¡ªif everyone believed [Cat''s Ideal] wasn''t in her possession, she could safely deliver food under their noses.


    She had to price things smartly.


    Too low, and it wouldn''t be worth the effort.


    Too high, and players would just bring in their own food via teammates or pets.


    Because even if stamina depletion reset their run and cost them 8% of their stats, players still had options.


    At least 70% of the top players had teammates. Even solo players likely had pets.


    If she priced things outrageously, players would just send their pets in bulk to buy food, making up the cost by selling the excess to others.


    They''d need to carry their pets through the maze, but if pushed into a corner, many would absolutely do it.


    Rita imagined herself in that situation at the February Theme Park.


    Would she spend thousands of Blocks to buy meat from a noob?


    No¡ªshe''d have Nivalis carry a ton of food inside. The maze would get tougher, sure, but if the food supply was solid, it could be managed.


    She''d buy food from weaker players, but only if the price wasn''t insulting.


    She couldn''t let it feel like the weak were exploiting the strong.


    She needed to set a price that would let her earn, and one the power players would tolerate.


    A perfect balance where players would think, "Well, the maze has food delivery now. Might as well not drag my teammate in."


    ...


    Meanwhile, after clearing the Ferris wheel, claw machine, bumper cars, and space pirate ride, Nivalis was nearly two meters tall and chowing down at a food stall in February Theme Park.


    Nivalis: "She''s been in there five hours and still hasn''t come out... How many players are in the maze now?"


    B8017913: "Between 12 and 4 o''clock, 812 players entered. Only 19 have exited."


    Nivalis: "I''m telling you, she''s in there doing food delivery and doesn''t want to leave."


    B8017913: "Obviously."


    As it spoke, B8017913 accepted ten orders of grilled meat from a nearby vendor and trotted to the Ferris wheel fence to wait for Rita.


    ...


    Rita really didn''t want to leave.


    Piloting her space pirate ship through the maze, one hand on the helm, the other waving a packet of roasted meat like a flag.


    "Grilled meat to restore stamina! Only 166g Blocks per serving! Last one left! If you''ve got a three-piece set fragment, just throw in 66g Attribute Blocks and it''s yours!"


    "Six¡ªa number full of magic! If you know, you know."


    "Limit two per player!"


    Soon enough, a player flagged her down, traded a three-piece fragment plus 66g Blocks, and got the meat.


    Rita flew the ship to an empty zone, used [Let the Party Begin] to restore mana, and summoned the deep-blue helm to return to the Ferris wheel waiting area.


    The gingerbread man at the gate looked at her, then at B8017913 handing over more grilled meat.


    These two had completely turned the waiting zone into their personal base of operations...


    To prevent players from bypassing stamina loss with hoarded food, none of the vendor meals were storable in inventory.


    Worried someone might jump her and take the whole stash, Rita picked up small batches at a time.


    She also transferred normal Blocks to B8017913 for safekeeping, keeping three-piece game items on hand to cover participation fees.


    She was grinding for scraps¡ªhonestly, barely profiting.


    The meat sold at the vendor for 35g per piece... and she was selling it for 166g?


    That was a bargain.


    Only 166g Blocks to avoid losing 8% of your stats? That was basically a charity price!


    At first, she wanted Nivalis to supply food from February Theme Park¡ªcheaper there.


    But after taste-testing, she found the meat from March Theme Park restored noticeably more stamina.


    To stay honest with her customers, she gave up on Nivalis''s supply and stuck with B8017913 sourcing from March Theme Park.


    Her conscience was clear.


    Of course, she wasn''t going to say any of that in the battle chat...


    Even though she felt she was giving players an amazing deal, nearly 60% of the current messages in chat were from March maze players, and the contents... she didn''t want to know.


    As Nivalis said: "I can no longer defend your public forum."


    Nonsense!


    She never defended it in the first place!

 Chapter 679: 679: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 70

    "When does the vote on the maze update end? Who hasn''t voted yet?!"


    "If we don''t change the rules now, she''ll be selling grilled meat all the way to the end of the Divine Game."


    "Still waiting on two sleeping demons. The captain said Maangmaang''s already gone to wake them."


    "Huh? Maangmaang''s actually taking initiative?"


    "Maybe because BS-Rita used something they said¡ª''Six is a magic number''¡ªas her grilled meat slogan."


    "Uh, so how did Maangmaang vote?"


    "...Neutral. For changing the rules, but with some compensation for her."


    "What, they like BS-Rita that much?"


    "Ahem. Not necessarily. Everyone''s just being... fair."


    "Even the Captain and Deceitful Bloom voted neutral."


    "Honestly, we don''t even need those last two. The vote result''s basically final already..."


    ...


    Rita had just handed over another bundle of Attribute Blocks to B8017913 when the bot gave her some good news:


    "I just got a prompt¡ªI''ve completed the hidden achievement ''Sigh, Capitalism!''"


    She glanced at the now 2.3-meter-tall B8017913. By the look of it, it was holding well over 5,000 Blocks. Even though some smart players who joined the maze later brought their own food, demand far outstripped supply. Grilled meat practically sold itself.


    Even with her "one-per-player" rule, many players simply changed identities to buy a second helping.


    She asked, "Are the rewards still the same? The 80% discount coupon, forced recall, or It''s Time?"


    B8017913: "Yep."


    Rita: "Go with the discount coupon. You keep it for now."


    B8017913 made the selection and tucked away the "80% Discount Coupon" Block with care.


    It was worth noting that during this round of deliveries, Rita had finally bought back the [Plush Collar] fragment from Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush¡ªat the steep cost of two full orders of grilled meat.


    No choice. The moment she tried to buy it back, she exposed how important it was to her. If she didn''t offer that price, Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush wouldn''t have sold it at all.


    Even if Windrush wanted to buy meat from her, they could easily disguise themselves and do it anonymously.


    Her [Chavez Pocket Watch] was no longer sufficient when dealing with high-tier Abyss players.


    As she encountered more of them, Rita found herself questioning even her most reliable tools.


    She couldn''t even fully trust the weaknesses revealed by [Fishing Master] anymore¡ªif she could spoof data, why couldn''t they?


    While reflecting on all the game rewards piling up, Rita pulled out her final-use trial of [Double Recall].


    But instead of recalling the [Plush Collar], she chose to recall something else¡ª[Sleeping Dragon Horn Fragment].


    Ever since that fragment landed on the World Battlefield, she hadn''t been able to sense Whitebone Black Jade anymore.


    She still wasn''t sure if "recall" sent items back to their original locations, but it was worth testing.


    As the horn fragment vanished, Rita closed her eyes and focused.


    Moments later, she felt Whitebone Black Jade''s presence again.


    They were still running dungeons. She "saw" the teammates around them glance over, clearly reacting in surprise.


    Their mouths moved, but Rita didn''t know lip reading. She didn''t care what they were saying¡ªas long as she could sense Whitebone Black Jade, that was enough.


    Feeling relieved, she opened her eyes just as B8017913 handed her an owl fragment.


    "One of the arcade machine pieces went up for sale," the bot reported, "but it''s marked ''only accepts Blocks from the October Theme Park.''"


    That was a dead end. Even if Rita had been outside, she couldn''t have bought it. She took the owl fragment and said,


    "No problem. Keep an eye on it. If you can grab it, do. If not, leave it. Also, no more grilled meat runs."


    B8017913: "Switching to something else?"


    Rita: "Nope. I''m done. No more sales."


    She grabbed five servings of grilled meat and the owl fragment, then, after cloaking the helm with Teletubby Blocks, rotated the helm to return to the maze.


    The moment she landed, before she could even pull out her ride, a skill slammed into her, shaving off 0.004% of her health.


    Rita didn''t even bother dodging¡ªthis was just routine by now.


    If players could snatch the meat, they wouldn''t bother buying.


    Every player who saw her had to try. Only after realizing she couldn''t be killed and the meat couldn''t be stolen would they settle down and buy properly.


    After sending off her latest customer, Rita turned her attention to the owl.


    With the fifth piece now in hand, the owl unlocked its third skill:


    [Skill 3] The Owl Got Caught


    Select a target and transfer the cooldown of one of your own skills to them. The recipient skill is randomly chosen from any skill the target has used in the past 12 hours.


    Each skill may only be transferred once per Starsea day.


    Costs 1000 Mana.


    Cooldown: 1 hour (this cooldown is absolute and cannot be reduced by any means).


    While flying past a battlefield, Rita decided to test it before selling more grilled meat.


    First, she tried targeting [I Could Just Steal It]¡ªa skill that could only be used once in a lifetime.


    When the transfer failed, she reluctantly selected [Phoenix Seat] instead and dumped the cooldown onto a random player.


    After pulling her little stunt, she raised her meat packets high.


    "Anyone hungry for grilled¡ª"


    Before she could even finish her sales pitch, the system''s voice echoed across the maze.


    [An instability has been detected. All Month Theme Park maze games are now being rebalanced.]


    [New Rule 1: Every kill inside the maze restores 5 stamina points.]


    [New Rule 2: Holding map fragments will restore 1 stamina per piece per minute.]


    Every player who had paused mid-fight turned at once to stare at the so-called instability.


    Instability ¡¤ Rita: ...


    At the same time, a few private prompts popped up in her mind:


    [Due to the mid-game rule change and its impact on gameplay, Player BS-Rita may choose one of the following compensations:]


    - Block Exchange


    - Block Duplication


    - Universal Fragment


    [Achievement Unlocked: This Can''t Go On]


    [This Can''t Go On: Trigger a divine rule change mid-game without exploiting any actual bugs.]


    [Reward: Choose one skill or item¡ªits cost will be permanently halved.]


    Rita cast a glance, both regretful and indignant, at the Abyss players around her, then turned and flew off in a huff.


    But deep down? She wasn''t angry at all. In fact, she was relieved¡ªand thrilled about the reward.


    The announcement couldn''t have come at a better time.


    She''d already told B8017913 to stop the grilled meat deliveries.


    Honestly, the rewards she''d raked in from this maze had already surpassed what she was prepared to handle.

 Chapter 680: 680: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 71

    The number of Abyss-tier players in the maze had already surpassed a thousand. At this point, Rita had to reactivate Mysterious Power every twenty minutes just to stay alive. When she couldn''t hold out, she relied on Unchanged Fate to hang in there for five more minutes¡ªthen used Yes, I''m Fish Belly, What About It? to buy another round of Unchanged Fate.


    It was a nonstop cycle of patchwork survival.


    She had already used Unchanged Fate and Phoenix Seat early on. At her most desperate moment, she even activated Absolute Freedom to flee the maze for ten minutes, only returning once Owl Got Lost came off cooldown.


    There were at least three players in the maze capable of disabling magic. She knew this because she had nearly died¡ªthree separate times.


    Each time, she had to escape differently: sometimes using Master Thief Dragon, sometimes rewinding with Wrathful Moon, and other times disappearing entirely with Cat''s Ideal.


    Her current rotation involved using Phoenix Seat to wipe all cooldowns, then transferring Phoenix Seat''s own cooldown with Owl Got Lost.


    This method was the most efficient. Every time she used Phoenix Seat, she could also activate Clock Reversal one more time.


    With ten minutes left until 5 PM and another wave of players about to enter, Rita had already planned to stop. Now, with the divine system stepping in to "force" her to stop, and offering her compensation and achievement rewards? It was perfect.


    After losing her pursuers, Rita quickly chose her reward¡ªUniversal Fragment.


    The achievement reward, halving the resource cost of a skill or item, was harder to pick.


    Lonely Antenna Baby or I Just Want to Improve So Badly?


    Both had their advantages. After a moment''s thought, she chose the latter.


    That skill''s cost had always bothered her¡ªeach use consuming 10% of her health. It was too high, and even with a reward that could modify divine-grade skills, it might not have been enough to reduce it in one go.


    Sure, reducing the cost of Lonely Antenna Baby would solve immediate problems, but as her stats continued to grow, even its drain of 2,000 MP per second would eventually become trivial.


    In fact, after she used Blocks Exchange earlier and got thousands of Blocks, her stats and values had spiked significantly. Even now, they were still gradually rising. Her mana had already exceeded 35,000.


    It was probably because players who had lost their Blocks were now returning to the starting room, triggering those lost stats to reflect back onto her.


    This also confirmed her earlier theory: players who hadn''t yet returned to the starting room would eventually be penalized for their lost Blocks¡ªthe only difference was how harshly.


    Meanwhile, relics and items had one critical flaw in this game: they could be lost. Divine talent skills, on the other hand, almost never disappeared.


    Five o''clock. The wind blew through.


    Rita checked her inventory and found that the item she lost this time was one of the 47 three-piece fragments she''d bartered with grilled meat. Perfect.


    After No Logic''s effect faded for the second time, some sharp players started to suspect she had a skill that could manipulate perception.


    But that wasn''t an issue. She knew that once she used such a skill, smart players would eventually figure it out.


    Once enough people caught on, she could simply flip the narrative¡ªconvince everyone that she had already manipulated something else entirely. Reverse deception.


    Some more paranoid players even started speculating that Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush or whoever truly had Cat''s Ideal was the one manipulating perception all along.


    Whatever the case, the maze remained pure chaos. Players attacked on sight.


    By now, Rita had resumed her feline form.


    Compared to grilled meat sales¡ªwhich required direct interaction¡ªslinking through the maze as a cat was far less risky.


    At least she didn''t have to activate Mysterious Power every twenty minutes anymore.


    If things got hairy, she could always escape using There''s a Cat Here.


    "Meow~~"


    With a chorus of "meow meows" echoing behind her, Rita fled another chaotic skirmish.


    She ducked into a corner and began inspecting her Star Pirate Ship.


    During one of her escapes, she''d felt her speed suddenly increase. At first, she thought it was a stat boost from Blocks Exchange, but upon retrieving her ship, she realized the source was a new game reward.


    After nearly four hours of delivering takeout in the maze¡ªfour hours of "getting attacked by a customer, customer realizing she couldn''t be killed, deciding to buy grilled meat instead, then chasing her again out of spite trying to kill her with chip damage"¡ªsomething had changed.


    The Star Pirate Ship now had a new feature:


    [Blocks & Me ¡¤ March Star Pirate Ship]: Game reward. Cannot be traded, dropped, or damaged. No special effects or attribute bonuses. Can be miniaturized into an accessory. (Belongs to: BS-Rita)


    [Trait] Chased Treasure: "The thrill of being hunted day and night by the powerful¡ªwhat a rush! When you possess a treasure that all living beings crave, your Agility increases by 20%. This effect activates as long as you carry the Star Pirate Ship."


    The trait seemed linked to the ship. She wondered whether the Bumper Car and Ferris Wheel had their own traits, and how they might be unlocked.


    Rita popped the ship into her mouth and swallowed it for safekeeping.


    She messaged B8017913:


    "Check the Star Pirate Ship entrance. Did they post a leaderboard for top 10 players?"


    B8017913, too big to take other jobs now, replied promptly:


    "They posted it half an hour ago. You''re still ranked first on Star Pirate Ship. Bumper Car dropped to third. Ferris Wheel''s leaderboard hasn''t been posted yet."


    Rita relaxed. She didn''t need to stay on top until the very end¡ªjust long enough to keep the ship.


    She resumed her fishing-for-Blocks operation across the Month Theme Park, trading Attribute Blocks for three-piece game fragments.


    If Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush wasn''t in a hurry, neither was she.


    But she still had her suspicions.


    Could Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush really hide Cat''s Ideal that completely?


    When she''d tried probing during the Plush Collar trade, she''d found nothing.


    Chavez Pocket Watch was just an item¡ªits skill couldn''t be enhanced by secrets.


    Fishing Master couldn''t even reveal what divine talents a target had.


    She still didn''t fully understand how the "Asset Transfer" reward worked.


    Her plan was to wait until that effect wore off before using The Free Stuff Always Costs the Most to bait out Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush.


    ...


    "Did she file an appeal?"


    "Nope. She actually looks pretty pleased."


    "Huh. Smart move, then."


    "Weren''t you the one saying she was too cautious earlier?"


    "Was I? You must''ve misheard. What I said was, restraint is more valuable than greed."


    "Hah. Admit it¡ªyou''re just obsessed with BS-Rita because your sharp tongue finally found its match."


    "Whatever. I''m heading in."

 Chapter 681: 681: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 72

    6:00 PM


    This time, along with the usual game fee deduction, every player heard a new system announcement.


    [Nighttime Month Theme Park is now open. Event gift packs have arrived.]


    [Each gift pack comes with a Gacha Machine. Players may request a pull from the machine, and the gift pack cannot refuse.]


    [Each gift pack has its own unique Gacha conditions. Once a request is made, the player must fulfill the requirement or pay a fine to the gift pack.]


    [Loot from this event will drop in the form of plushies instead of Blocks. For every 10 plushies, players may purchase a gift box from the Exchange.]


    As Rita checked what she''d just lost, she looked up at the maze sky to see whether her pet duck would drop into the game.


    She frowned, placing a cat paw on her chest.


    Huh? The recently unlocked and deployed trinket [Squished Soda Can] was gone...


    Ah! She actually kind of liked that item...


    But not enough to pay a high price to buy it back from Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush.


    ¡ª


    On the other side of the maze...


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush caught a soda can-looking Block fragment, her brows furrowed.


    Who?! Who''s littering?!


    Mistblade, mid-combat with her, launched another skill¡ªBloodmist Blade curved around toward Windrush. As she attacked, she asked with feigned concern, "Where''d the trash come from?"


    Windrush dodged via teleportation and calmly answered, "...Transferred from BS-Rita."


    It was obvious to anyone that this wasn''t the kind of thing Abyss-tier players typically carried.


    Clutching the¡ªugh¡ªsquished can, Windrush didn''t even want to speak.


    Mistblade stopped attacking to clap her hands. "Incredible, Windrush. You''ve pushed BS-Rita into a corner. She''s gotta be regretting picking a fight with you. She''s lost big time."


    Windrush: .........


    How did Mistblade manage to sound like a schoolteacher and still be so goddamn irritating?


    ¡ª


    The three-minute entry window ended. The maze sky chimed with another notification.


    [Player count in this maze has reached the critical threshold. Battle Royale mode initiated.]


    [Kill 3 players to immediately exit the maze.]


    [Temporary team-up mode enabled. Players must make physical contact to form a team. Teams must kill 5¡Á their member count to have all members exit.]


    [Killed players will return to the starting room and reset, losing 8% of their attributes as per March Theme Park rules. Lost attributes will be distributed among the Blocks they dropped.]


    [In 3 minutes, all maze walls will vanish.]


    [Every 5 minutes, the map will shrink by 10%.]


    [The Battle Royale will end only when 3 players remain in the Spring Labyrinth. During this time, the maze will not accept new entries.]


    After hearing the announcement, Rita knew she was out of time.


    In just three minutes, the maze walls would vanish¡ªdeadly for someone like her who relied on evasive positioning. She wouldn''t be able to jump or hide anymore.


    Unless she fled the maze entirely...


    But doing so might earn her the wrath of a dozen divine patrons.


    Fortunately, she had a better plan than escape:


    Team up.


    And she already knew the perfect partner¡ª


    The little seahorse with the divine talent [Ignite Teammates, Warm the Baby Seahorse]!


    If all incoming damage had to pass through the seahorse before reaching her, would it count as the same source?


    Even if it didn''t work perfectly, her Mysterious Power was still active¡ªshe could tank quite a bit.


    Plus, after transferring Phoenix Seat''s cooldown with Owl Got Lost, she hadn''t used Owl Got Lost again yet.


    That meant she could chain this cycle:


    Phoenix Seat ¡ú Mysterious Power ¡ú Owl Got Lost ¡ú Phoenix Seat ¡ú Mysterious Power


    And every time before activating Phoenix Seat, she could buffer with Unchanged Fate for five minutes.


    If the seahorse still failed to rack up ten kills with that much help, she could just end the damage-transfer mechanic using One-Person Party, breaking the team via technicality.


    No matter what, she wouldn''t back herself into a corner.


    And if all else failed with the seahorse, she''d have no choice but to flee and put her hopes on Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush finishing the maze.


    Rita canceled her disguise and opened the battle chat.


    [BS-Rita]: Seahorse, you there? Want to team up? I''ll tank, you deal damage.


    She sent several messages in a row.


    No need to explain¡ªif the seahorse didn''t have a probe-blocking ability, then it was only natural that its divine talent was public knowledge.


    And she wasn''t the only one who knew.


    So did Marmang¡¤Crab, and likely any player who''d crossed paths with them.


    On top of that, BS-Rita''s now-famous mysterious skill?


    Yeah, any combat-savvy player could see exactly what she was plotting.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: He''s in.


    [Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush]: I''m already nauseous.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade]: And this is why titles are useless. Who would''ve guessed BS-Rita''s title was that?


    [Red Orange ¡¤ Juicy]: I had to go check it after reading your comment.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Pine Bloom]: Four little words. I don''t even dare say them aloud.


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Goose Fat]: Wasn''t it different before?


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: It used to be "Struck by Lightning."


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade]: That one actually fit her.


    [BS-Rita]: Are you insulting the divine aesthetics of this game?


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade]: And you''re actively testing the boundaries of divine aesthetics.


    ...So venomous! Rita minimized the battle chat¡ªno point talking to Mistblade.


    She began searching the maze for the seahorse.


    The seahorse was searching for her too.


    He knew exactly how busted BS-Rita''s ability was. If they teamed up and he could redirect all damage to her, the combat synergy would be insane.


    He could barely imagine how godlike the experience would feel.


    But the maze was huge. Finding each other in three minutes?


    As the time expired, all flower-covered walls disintegrated into petals and fell to the ground.


    Rita immediately flew into the air and shouted, "Seahorse!"


    At the same time, she heard a hoarse voice scream, "BS-Rita!"


    Across the battlefield, they locked eyes.


    It was beautiful. Like Ash finally reuniting with Pidgeot.


    Then came the barrage of incoming skills hurtling toward Rita...


    A deep blue helm appeared¡ªher ship''s helm.


    In an instant, Rita teleported beside the seahorse.


    As soon as her paw touched his head, a ladder-rank-style window popped up:


    You and Marmang the Seahorse will form a temporary team. Accept?


    Accept.


    Almost immediately, the two of them were buried in a cascade of skills.


    Rita fixed her gaze on her HP bar, tense¡ª

 Chapter 682: 682: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 73

    At the critical moment, the little seahorse suddenly expanded in size and shielded Rita with its body.


    Dozens of skills rained down on it, yet Rita''s health only dropped by 0.004%¡ªand then didn''t budge at all!


    It actually worked! Every single attack was filtered through the seahorse, then landed on her, triggered the 0.004% drop once, and stopped there!


    "I can handle myself just fine," Rita said proudly, patting the seahorse. "Seahorse, charge! Show MarmangCrab that the problem was never you!"


    The little seahorse clutched its face, nearly tearing up. "This is amazing! The player with that disgusting skill... is on my team now!"


    Rita snapped, "...Do you have a skill that powers up when you insult your teammates or something?!"


    "I''ve been looking for one. If you find it, sell it to me!" the seahorse shouted as it dashed onto the battlefield. The players who knew how nasty this duo was quickly jumped out of the way.


    "Stay the hell away!"


    "Scram!"


    "There''s a Tier 13 over there¡ªgo bother them!"


    Rita covered her face. Oh god. Her golden partner turned out to be a seahorse.


    Ignite BS-Rita, Warm BS-Rita!


    If only the seahorse were mute¡ªit''d be perfect...


    ¡ª"Everyone!! Remember this shame! Remember the names BS-Rita and MarmangCrab! Me? I don''t matter. I''m just an anonymous warrior!"


    ¡ª"You may call me MarmangCrab, or you may call me BS-Rita. I have no name. I am an honored, invincible soldier!"


    In the chaos of battle, players instinctively threw in a free hit on BS-Rita anytime they launched a skill. Rita had no choice but to activate Unchanged Fate and silently prayed the seahorse could finish things quickly, so they wouldn''t be stuck in the maze too long.


    "I''m begging you¡ªcan''t you just shut up and fight properly?!" Rita yelled across the field.


    The seahorse pointed skyward. "Behold! That''s BS-Rita¡ªthe mastermind of this disgraceful war!"


    Rita: "..."


    What the hell kind of suffering did MarmangCrab go through with this guy?


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: You good? Did you find your partner yet?


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: Seahorse stopped replying. Did something happen?


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Mistblade]: Maybe it met its soul mate. A true destined princess.


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: ...That weird, disgusting skill¡ªteaming up with the seahorse... it better not just reduce damage once.


    [Emerald Crane Gale]: Doesn''t your seahorse redirect damage remotely?


    [Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush]: Can we ban this combo, please?!


    [Lania Kaia ¡¤ Pine Bloom]: I think banning BS-Rita entirely from the source would be cleaner.


    [Ghost ¡¤ Sang Cup]: Lucky the seahorse isn''t her pet, or we''d all be screwed.


    [BS-Rita]: Why isn''t it mute?!


    [Marmang¡¤Crab]: Excellent question!


    [Red Orange ¡¤ Juicy]: I "saw" it¡ªit''s got a time limit. At this attack rate, it''ll only last 5 minutes.


    That might be the only flaw in this combo...


    Still, she hadn''t forgotten the seahorse had a rewind-type skill. She wasn''t sure if it brought that one along.


    ¡ª


    Little Seahorse: "This feeling... being mobbed by Abyss-tier players and still untouchable... it intoxicates me!"


    MarmangCrab: "..."


    Little Seahorse: "Crab..."


    MarmangCrab: "You falling for someone else?"


    Little Seahorse: "No way! Do you think I''m that kind of seahorse? BS-Rita''s too sinister for me. Totally not my type. I''m just saying¡ªcan''t you get a skill like that too?"


    ¡ª


    Rita: "So this is what it feels like to be a trainer!"


    Nivalis: "..."


    Rita: "Nivalis..."


    Nivalis: "...Are you cheating on me?!"


    Rita: "How could I? You know me. If the seahorse were mute, maybe I''d reconsider teaming up long-term. I''m just saying¡ªyou should try to get a skill like that."


    ¡ª


    Just as their kill count reached eight, a notification popped up in Rita''s mind.


    [Player Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush has used the item "Huh? You Got Rich First?" on you. If you complete the game while you''re both in the same match, she will automatically exit with you.]


    Rita: "..."


    What the hell is this?!


    What kind of game rewards is Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush getting?


    She was sure it was a game reward, because only those could be used in public zones, and Windrush had used all those tools before they even entered the maze.


    But if it was an item¡ªthen how had Rita, who had unlocked so many rewards in Month Theme Park, never even seen anything remotely like it?


    Was it a difference in game branches?


    Or did rewards adapt to personality and combat style?


    Or did Windrush have access to something even more advanced?


    Before she could sort that out, Rita found herself standing at the maze''s exit.


    The seahorse, true to its status as a demon king''s companion, had actually managed to kill a Tier 15 player without taking any real damage.


    Sunlight overhead, petals drifting onto her head, crowds of Block players and plush-carrying gacha-ducks bustled down the main avenue of Month Theme Park.


    For a moment, Rita felt like she''d just finished serving time.


    To her left was her cellmate, the little seahorse.


    To her right¡ªanother former inmate: Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush.


    Rita didn''t say anything extra. She simply turned to Windrush and let out a long, heavy sigh.


    "Sighhhhhh~~~"


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush: "..."


    As soon as the sigh ended, a few tiny Blocks floated from Windrush''s body to Rita. A "Common Prosperity" profit-share.


    The seahorse blinked in confusion. "Didn''t she rob your Divine Relics? Why are you giving her Blocks?"


    Rita looked even more confused. "Only 12g?!"


    What a loss. The game items she lost every hour from the game fee had all gone straight into Windrush''s hands!


    So transferred Blocks didn''t count as revenue?


    Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush: "..."


    Why was she feeling guilty all of a sudden...?


    Wait, no! It was BS-Rita who stole her Divine Relics!


    Windrush gave a cold "hmph" and turned to leave. She couldn''t even be bothered to trash-talk after losing¡ªdoing so would just make her look petty.


    As Windrush departed, Rita didn''t linger either.


    She was on the clock. She needed to get to the Exchange before Windrush started her next game. After saying goodbye to the seahorse, she flew straight to the rice-and-soup cart''s vending machine, where B8017913 was monitoring for game machine fragments.


    To her surprise, when she''d grabbed barbecue from him just before 5 PM, B8017913 had stood over 180cm tall. Now, barely an hour later, he was under 150cm¡ªhis Blocks had dropped by a fifth.


    He was busy stuffing Blocks into the vending machine when Rita leapt off her ship, rushing over in delight.


    "You restocked?! How much did you buy?!"


    B8017913: "Yup!"


    Rita switched to whisper mode. "Game machine or owl?"


    B8017913: "Remember what you said? I get three chances to make executive decisions for your sake without permission. I''m using one now."


    He pulled out the item he''d bought, assembled it, and handed it to Rita.


    Rita didn''t get upset¡ªshe had indeed promised those three chances. And with B8017913''s intelligence and instincts, he''d never make a pointless move.


    With growing anticipation, she took the item from him.


    It resembled an astronomical telescope¡ªa fully assembled seven-piece treasure:


    [Illegal Construction]!

 Chapter 683: 683: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 74

    [Illegal Construction] (Treasure): Allows you to create a 1:1 fake duplicate linked to your original body. The duplicate hides within your shadow and can be swapped with the original at any time, ignoring distance or spatial restrictions. The original then hides in the shadow while the duplicate takes all damage. You may have up to three different duplicates active simultaneously.


    After reading the description, Rita grabbed B8017913 in a tight hug. "This is amazing, really!! Thank you!"


    The moment she finished reading the item''s effects line by line, she understood exactly why B8017913 had bought it.


    A dozen possibilities were already flashing through her head¡ªit could be used not only on her Divine Relics, but potentially on herself.


    The description didn''t say anything about the original or the duplicate being restricted to inanimate objects!


    She hugged B8017913 tighter, spinning the little guy around in delight. "You''ve helped me out big time!"


    B8017913 smiled slightly. "Oh."


    "My god, how can there be a pet this perfect?!"


    "Sure, your ID number isn''t flashy, but that''s only because your ability speaks for itself. You don''t need vanity numbers to prove your worth!"


    "I''m changing my home Wi-Fi password to your number. You deserve it!"


    That line was lethal¡ªB8017913''s eyes crinkled instantly with a genuine smile.


    While overwhelmed by the blast of emotional affection, it also found itself hoisted into the air by Rita. As B8017913 spun around once, it suddenly noticed¡ªacross the street, every single vendor from every food cart was staring in stunned silence.


    Turning its head slowly, it saw that the mechanical vendors on their side of the street were all craning their necks to look at them. A few fat ducks with little backpacks had even stopped walking to watch.


    B8017913 silently looked down, pretending not to notice.


    It had left the Junk District for moments like this¡ªpure, unfiltered joy. It refused to feel ashamed for experiencing it, no matter who was watching.


    Even as Rita finally turned her attention back to the game machine fragments, she kept her arm around B8017913''s shoulder, reluctant to let go.


    Good news: there were now five game machine fragments listed in the Exchange. All the remaining lost pieces had finally surfaced!


    Bad news: every fragment had a different price, each with its own strange requirements.


    One only accepted attribute Blocks from the October Month Theme Park.


    One wanted to trade for a shard called "Screaming Soul."


    The last three were just absurd:


    One priced at 50,000 Blocks.


    One for 50 Event Gift Boxes.


    One for a game reward with Early Exit rights plus 2,000g Blocks.


    Two completely different pricing philosophies were at play¡ªsome clearly wanted to sell, while others seemed to have lost their minds.


    Rita guessed the last three listings came directly from the original owner of the game machine. The moment they realized only three pieces remained, they probably had a meltdown and went dark-side.


    And clearly, they knew someone was collecting these fragments and were trying to extort them. Even if they didn''t profit, at least they could block others from completing the set.


    Could Rita afford them?


    Yes. It was pricey, but if she combined game rewards to offset the cost, it was just barely within reach. The seller knew that, too.


    The 50,000 Blocks piece? That was a replica Rita had personally created¡ªit was useless to her.


    The 50 Gift Boxes? She could grab that using her 90% discount voucher, meaning she''d only need 5 actual boxes.


    As for the one asking for an Early Exit reward plus 2,000g Blocks¡ªRita did own one. And she could afford the Blocks.


    Even if she ended up needing her own Early Exit later, it wasn''t a problem. Nivalis, who''d been farming the February Theme Park, had also earned one and even got a Blocks Duplication reward (though that one could only clone game item fragments).


    So, technically, Rita could buy every one of the pieces. But she didn''t want to.


    She wasn''t about to let someone manipulate the market and get away with it. If the divine game system was going to cover the cost difference on her end, so be it¡ªbut she wouldn''t accept the blackmail price willingly.


    Instead, Rita listed her Early Exit reward in the Exchange for two game machine fragments.


    To avoid cheap copies, she made it clear she''d only accept the upper-left screen, upper-right screen, lower-right screen, or right joystick fragment positions.


    It was a fair, genuine offer¡ªone that any player desperate to leave early might take.


    Whether the fragments came from a copied Block, a universal shard, or a direct purchase didn''t matter. She''d only accept that deal.


    She also didn''t exclude the fragment positions held by the machine''s original owner¡ªbecause what if they''d duplicated theirs too?


    She needed two pieces. For the remaining ones, she still had a universal fragment in hand. All she had to do now was figure out how to obtain one final piece.


    After confirming there were no new owl fragments listed, Rita had a sudden thought and searched her own name in the Exchange.


    Not only were there items for sale, but the listings were... unexpected:


    [BS-Rita''s Blood] (1 drop) ¨C Price: 50g Blocks


    [Elf Springwater] (1/3) ¨C Price: BS-Rita''s Head Block


    [Lucky Antler] (1/1) ¨C Price: BS-Rita''s Head Block


    Rita: ...Are they planning to use it as a soccer ball or a keychain?


    And why so cheap?! What a bunch of tasteless freaks!


    She closed the pointless search and started typing in keywords like "unbind" and "remove," trying to find anything that could lift item restrictions.


    B8017913 waited patiently beside her. Time and patience were its strong suits. It calmly observed the players gacha-spinning nearby and watched the waddling duck-shaped Event Gift Packs.


    Rita came up empty. She exited the Exchange and told B8017913 to keep observing while she walked over to the nearest amusement booth to ask the gingerbread clerk if she could buy a ticket in her current state.


    The little gingerbread man rejected her flat-out: she was in a "restricted status" that blocked self-service purchases.


    There went her last resort¡ªsneaking into a game ahead of being summoned.


    Back at the vending machine, she rejoined B8017913 and quietly watched the duck-shaped Event Packs and players trying their luck at the gacha machines.


    Rita (whispering): "Did you ask them what their gacha requirements were? Once you know, are you locked in?"


    B8017913: "Nope. You can still walk away before paying. But once the coin goes in¡ªyou''re committed."

 Chapter 684: 684: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks 75

    "And every player gets a different gacha rule at the same Event Gift Pack. The price to play also varies from player to player."


    Rita: "Are the rules harsh?"


    B8017913: "Some require ten total purchases. Some only end once you pull a Perfect Relic Shard. The harshest one I saw demanded a full seven-piece relic fragment for every spin... but that player didn''t look disappointed after opening the capsule."


    Rita got the message. If a gacha cost that much, the prize inside must be worth it.


    Still, B8017913 didn''t offer a conclusion, only observations. It didn''t want to mislead her¡ªthough it also knew even if it did make a claim, Rita would double-check it herself.


    B8017913 turned to her: "You gonna spin?"


    Rita shook her head. "Not now. We still need our Blocks. I don''t know what game Verdant Whisper ¡¤ Windrush will drag me to next. Best to hold on to as many as I can."


    Even if the Event Gift Packs had unbinding items inside, Rita wasn''t about to throw money at a random chance.


    "Spending for a gamble? Absolutely not. We do not leave our fate up to chance! Remember, our family motto is: ''Get rich through hard work and stability.''"


    Just as she finished saying that, a Fat Duck waddled up and stopped right in front of her. It turned slightly, revealing the elegant gacha machine strapped to its back.


    The machine was rectangular, its base and straps resembling puffy white clouds, reminding Rita of Deceitful Bloom. The rest shimmered like flowing water. Though transparent, it had a shifting, liquid quality, like you could just reach in and grab one of the egg-shaped capsules inside.


    Rita lowered her head, meeting the duck''s gaze.


    The Fat Duck spoke in a cheery, crisp tone: "Ten pulls for only 188g Blocks! Wanna give it a shot? Big prizes include Universal Fragments, Forceful Unbind, I''m Done With This Minigame, and Event Gift Boxes!"


    B8017913 turned its head to look at the hand suddenly resting¡ªthen tightening¡ªon its shoulder: ???


    Rita whispered, "How many g Blocks do we still have?"


    "With the food allowance you gave me earlier, 5,430g." After answering, B8017913 shot back, "Isn''t our motto about getting rich through hard work?"


    Rita kept a straight face. "That''s the first family motto. We have a second one."


    Even the Fat Duck gave her a sideways glance now.


    Rita: "The second family motto is: Forget the first one."


    B8017913: ...


    Fat Duck: ...


    But before spending a single Block, Rita needed answers.


    She opened her Space Pirate Ship and waved B8017913 onboard. Then she beamed at the Fat Duck: "Wanna chat while cruising?"


    The duck looked stunned. It had only walked over out of curiosity, seeing BS-Rita¡ªcurrently all the buzz¡ªand figured it''d try offering a gacha spin.


    And now, somehow, it was going for a joyride.


    Flying full speed through the Month Theme Park to avoid eavesdropping players, Rita asked bluntly: "Are those rewards you mentioned really in there? And what''s your gacha rule?"


    Fat Duck: "They''re real. We don''t do false advertising. My rule is: if you want to buy from me, you have to purchase at least 200 capsules."


    Rita: "How many do you have total? Has anyone bought from you before?"


    The duck tilted its head slightly, a flicker of amusement in its eyes. "I''ve got 1,000 capsules. No one''s bought any yet."


    Rita: "What if I get pulled into a game before I can finish spinning?"


    Fat Duck: "The capsules can be stored in space items. If you don''t collect them in time, I''ll hold them for you."


    Rita: "How do you restock your gacha inventory?"


    Fat Duck: "I don''t have to answer that... but it''s no secret. We restock by participating in games."


    Rita accelerated, turning hard and parking behind a vending machine where no players were in sight.


    In BS-code, she asked one last question: "Can I use my 90% discount voucher to buy your entire stock?"


    The Fat Duck let out a low, amused quack. "Yes."


    Rita confirmed again: "All 1,000 capsules¡ªtotal cost 18,800g Blocks. That amount qualifies for a 90% voucher, right?"


    Fat Duck: "Correct." The system would automatically cover the rest¡ªit wouldn''t lose anything.


    "I''ll take all 1,000!" Rita waved at B8017913. "Start unloading the Blocks!"


    Fat Duck turned to B8017913: "Just throw them on me. Start with the Blocks, voucher last."


    B8017913 tossed one to test. As it hit the duck''s body, the Block vanished instantly, like a red-hot coal into snow.


    The Fat Duck hopped off the ship and placed the gacha machine near the entrance. "Where do you want the capsules? Can I pour them into your ship?"


    Rita eyed the machine. Definitely looks like it has potential.


    She asked, "You all just carry these things around? Aren''t you afraid of someone stealing them?"


    B8017913 had a feeling she left out a few words. Probably meant: "Aren''t you afraid of me stealing them?"


    Fat Duck was unfazed: "You''re not registered. Even if you steal it, you can''t use it. No one without ownership can wear the machine or load capsules. No skill can affect it, either."


    That was a safeguard built by Deceitful Bloom, specifically to prevent gods or players from hijacking them.


    Rita: "Can other Event Gift Packs like you steal from my gacha?"


    Fat Duck: "No. No skill can tamper with loaded capsules. We know what you pull, but the draw itself is entirely fair."


    Rita: "I don''t buy it. Not even game rules can touch this thing?"


    Fat Duck frowned. "Of course not. This is a Deceitful Bloom design."


    Rita''s eyes gleamed. "You set your own gacha rules, too?"


    Fat Duck: "Yep."


    Rita said, "Tell you what¡ªbesides the 18,800g for the capsules, I''ll add 620g to make it an even 2,500. Sell me the whole gacha machine. Deal?"


    Then she raised her hand suddenly. "Wait¡ªlet me rephrase. 6,200g Blocks total! That''s 620g after discount, but you receive the full 6,200g."


    The duck said nothing.


    Rita asked, "So? Not for sale?"


    Fat Duck stroked its chin, thinking it over.


    The gacha machine had been handed out for free, a collaboration between Deceitful Bloom and The Drummer.


    And technically... no one ever said it couldn''t be sold.