After the first day of the game, the number of players had not dropped at all, but the number of worlds had plummeted to just over six thousand. The difficulty had quietly increased.

For example, players were much harder to find. Yesterday, Nivalis and B80 had been enough to track down that Tier 7 player. Today, that was no longer possible. Rita had to move personally.

Golden rain curtain spread across the entire war cruise ship, exposing the movements of every player to her perception.

This should have been an extremely provocative move, but she was far from the only one doing it.

Dense fog filled the air. Floral scents drifted past. Leaves fluttered, accompanied by light rain and scattered snow.

Every player was using their own skills.

It was a clever workaround. These detection type abilities did not target other players directly. Instead, they extended the user's own perception across the ship.

Thanks to this, Rita's invasion and counter invasion progress advanced as smoothly as the day before. If things continued this way, she would be able to merge two more worlds today.

There were also more game announcements today. Players could now learn about certain events involving key players inside the Divine Game.

[Snowfield key player framed Winter Sea key player during the game]

[BS key player sold Fury key player]

[Beacon key player seized the core item of this Divine Game]

[Hippie key player, provoked by Beacon key player, comprehended an SSS tier skill]

[Fury key player triggered a mechanism while relentlessly pursuing BS key player. Divine Game difficulty increased]

These announcements carried a strange sense of disorder.

Players instinctively focused on the name of their own world. It was an inborn sense of attachment and pride. Yet at the same time, reason reminded them that they were now controlling another world entirely. The result was a disorienting sense of detachment.

Was this what the gods felt when they looked down at game players from above?

As the announcements echoed, Rita stood at the stern, waiting for the next moon to appear above a world dock.

The war cruise ship moved painfully slowly, even slower than a sightseeing vessel. It passed one world dock every two hours, and each dock remained within sight for only about twenty minutes. That was the conclusion she had reached last night.

Today, freed from the fixed perspective of her balcony, she could run from bow to stern and stretch that window a little longer. Even so, thirty minutes was the absolute limit.

Aside from invasion duels, Rita spent all her remaining time watching the moons.

This abnormal behavior drew a lot of attention.

Mistblade, Pine Bloom, and Crab had all come to ask about it. They were also the only ones who believed they had the standing to ask.

But Rita truly did not know.

Even now, she had no idea what this would bring her. Cut the Moonlight had only just recovered to SS tier this morning.

When she said that, Pine Bloom and Crab did not believe her. Mistblade did.

Because the confusion in BS Rita's eyes had not faded.

Mistblade took a few steps away, then turned back.

"Have you decided how to upgrade your divine talents?" she asked.

Rita shook her head again.

"This may sound cruel," Mistblade said seriously, "but I think you are the least patient when it comes to empty comfort or false promises."

She even stepped into Rita's line of sight, forcing her to look up.

"In this Divine Game, you can ask me for help without restriction. I will do everything I can to help you take first place.

"And when Lania Kaia descends upon BS, I will use my world skill to try to protect it. Even if it is futile or ridiculous, I will still do it. This is my thanks for Snowfield.

"I have war skills. But Wither, Syntax, Mute, Fat Goose, and even Bone Shade, Flowering Edge, and Paintwind also have war skills. The previous descents were limited in too many ways. Bone Shade and Flowering Edge could not act then. Otherwise, BS would have had no chance at all.

"I cannot handle so many war skills at once. And my world skill will not last long. Once it breaks…"

She paused briefly.

"I will immediately cease hostilities and lead the Moonfox back into Lania Kaia. This is for the sake of the Moonfox."

She was speaking to her as Mistblade, the Moon Emperor.

That thought crossed Rita's mind.

Mistblade's expression was calm and composed, as though she were not discussing surrender, but commenting on bad weather.

It reminded Rita of their first meeting in the Moonfox City library, the moment Mistblade looked up from her book.

Rita was not surprised by this answer.

She felt as though she had long grown used to such answers. Most beings she knew, enemies or allies alike, regardless of shifting positions, all held to their own principles and ideals.

If Mistblade suddenly claimed she was willing to lead seventy percent of the Moonfox to die alongside BS for Snowfield's sake, Rita would think her mad and assume some massive scheme was at play.

What truly interested her was something else.

"Don't you feel humiliated?" Rita asked.

She asked too earnestly. Her bloodshot eyes seemed to lose focus, as if she were asking Mistblade, or perhaps herself.

The provocation sounded like a whisper of despair.

The Divine Game ended. The tiny figures returned one after another. Mistblade caught her key player as it jumped from the magic circle.

The results seemed decent. A hint of a smile touched the Moonfox's brows, yet it did not appear in her answer.

"My pride shattered on the same day as Snowfield," she said.

Then she left.

[Beacon world key player Divine Game ranking this round: 9]

[Key player score: 98 out of 100]

[Key player comprehended two SSS tier skills and independently developed advanced scheming theory. Learned extensive magical knowledge and refined combat techniques through battle]

[Key player offended three other worlds' key players due to cunning, but resolved the threat in advance]

[Key player incurred the hatred of an unknown being in the game world due to emotional intensity]

[Key player obtained three items, three skills, and two pieces of equipment due to greed. Combat strength greatly increased]

[Key player gained widespread notoriety due to emotional intensity, cunning, and greed. Achievement unlocked: This Time I Will Never Believe You Again]

[Achievement reward: SSS tier passive skill Love and Hate Entwined]

[Beacon energy plus 7. Current energy for next star tier: 89 out of 100]

[Vineborne evolution plus 5 percent. Current evolution 90 percent. Current racial rating C]

[Beacon world invasion speed against same star tier worlds increased. Current natural invasion speed: 29 percent per hour]

[Beacon world gained 40000 honor points]

[Invasion duel attempts fully refreshed]

Already lost in uncertainty, Rita felt even more confused after reading the full results.

She lifted the little Vineborne in front of her eyes.

"Is it you?" she asked softly. "Deceitful Bloom?"

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