[Gods and Demons Group Chat]

[Bitter Chalice]: Deceitful Bloom, say something. Deceitful Bloom.

[Drummer]: Who came from the same era as Deceitful Bloom? Was she like this back then?

[Crispfang]: Ashveil and Graffiti, right?

[Boiling Orange]: And Howl.

[Bitter Chalice]: Speaking of that, I have always thought Howl's will was willing to give her The Wind Doesn't Speak because it saw a bit of Deceitful Bloom in BS Rita.

[Captain]: Kind of.

[Boiling Orange]: Who said that? They are nothing alike. BS Rita would never scheme or deceive someone's feelings for the sake of her people.

[Ashveil]: As if she has not deceived enough people already. She and Deceitful Bloom are two of a kind. And was Deceitful Bloom really deceiving anyone? BS was destined to be invaded and devoured by other worlds sooner or later. Deceitful Bloom just wanted her to join a designated world.

[Boiling Orange]: What side are you even on?

[Ashveil]: I am just stating facts. Unlike you, whose position has already shifted.

[Boiling Orange]: Get lost. Yours is the one that is crooked.

[Ashveil]: That is hilarious. I do not even have one.

[Bitter Chalice]: Those two again…

[Deceitful Bloom]: …Why do you two not just go fight it out?

...

Before Rita could initiate another invasion duel, a leaf drifted down. Accompanied by the sound of wind, Pine Bloom appeared where Mistblade had been standing.

"You know what I am going to say," Pine Bloom said.

Rita sighed. "Yes. If the world skill cannot hold, you will return to Lania Kaia."

Pine Bloom did not deny it, but added, "And I cannot help you upgrade divine talents. But in this Divine Game, I will do everything I can to help you. My answer is the same as Mistblade's. You can ask me for help without restriction."

After Pine Bloom left, Crab returned.

This time, Rita was actually curious about Crab's answer.

It turned out to be the same.

"I do not know what Mistblade's world skill really is," Crab said. "But if the world skills BS can currently use cannot hold, then BS has no hope at all. So my answer is the same as theirs.

"I have never heard a world name more interesting than my origin world. It is a shame it is gone. I thought I would never hear that name again in game announcements.

"Did you hear it just now? Hippie.

"I am sorry, BS Rita. As long as it is not Hippie Crab, then whether I am BS Crab or Lania Kaia Crab makes no difference to me, just like I never cared about Marmang Crab.

"To let Sea Pony have more fun, I will do everything I can to help you take first place. If you need it, I can give you all the honor points I earn in this game. At the very end, I can even deliberately lose to you. But that is all."

How wonderful.

It was as if everything was moving toward the best possible outcome.

As if the only remaining problem was upgrading divine talents.

"One person revels alone under countless gazes."

The chaos in Rita's mind did not stop her progress in the game. She did not relax just because of the promises from Mistblade, Pine Bloom, and Crab.

Under the golden rain curtain, she quickly located the player invading her world. The deep blue helm surfaced, and she appeared before them.

Under the opponent's helpless yet solemn gaze, the orbiting planet was hurled out. The battle flag slammed down, and a countdown appeared.

It meant waiting in line.

Every time a Divine Game ended and invasion duel attempts refreshed, the arenas would be packed with players.

Rita waited patiently, already calculating which skill she would buy after this counter invasion succeeded.

At that moment, an announcement echoed through the war cruise ship.

[Congratulations to player Dawn Cicada for drawing a Demon King tier reward. One war skill randomly unlocked.]

When Rita left the arena, she did not even wait to read the prompt. She activated Cat's Ideal and vanished from her original position as her body transformed into an orchid mantis.

Her sudden reduction in size caused Beacon to shrink with her, narrowly allowing her to avoid the world Dawn Cicada hurled at her.

The orchid mantis sprinted through the war cruise ship. Floral fragrance flooded the air.

Dawn Cicada was chasing her.

The scent of flowers condensed into a humanoid form, but the tiny orchid mantis slipped into the golden rain curtain as a streak of lightning, darting through narrow gaps.

How did Dawn Cicada suddenly become this confident?

At the start of the game, Dawn Cicada, Dawn Spring Guest, and Fury Biker had all tried to invade her world. But the difference between serious intent and casual probing was obvious.

Yesterday, Dawn Cicada had clearly been acting casually.

That made sense.

Rita's skill set was no secret anymore.

Ever since it was confirmed that Midnight Exile could not be taken back, Winter Sea Frenzied Shark had practically posted the descriptions of those four skills in the world battlefield channel every day out of spite. He had nothing better to do.

As for Mystic Force, she had been ambushed so many times. In the final Divine Game of Card Swap, she had been ganged up on in nearly every match. Anyone paying attention could piece the information together.

Let alone Dawn Cicada.

The same Dawn Cicada who had used a Divine Skill to ask what Deceitful Bloom had done to her.

Add to that the openly known two divine relics and the public fact that Rita could use multiple skills in every Divine Game.

Rita knew exactly how difficult she was to deal with in this match.

What confused her was the future, the upgrading of divine talents, never the present.

Dawn Cicada should have known that too.

Yet after unlocking a war skill, she acted as if success were guaranteed.

Rita could not help asking B80 in her mind.

"How strong are war skills, exactly?"

B80 replied, "Winter Sea Frenzied Shark lost Midnight Exile and was devastated, but he did not despair or quit the game. He could still jump around just fine because he still had war skills outside the Divine Game."

"So it is like losing your job only to realize you still have billions in assets," Rita thought.

"That is the idea," B80 confirmed.

"Are Dawn Cicada's war skills strong?"

"The reason the Dawn world could reach eight stars without a world skill is because Dawn Cicada currently has the most and strongest war skills among world lords."

Rita stopped questioning and focused again.

She smelled the flowers once more.

The orchid mantis, surrounded by tiny red lights, pushed off a wall and changed direction, racing down the stairs.

The floral scent clung tightly behind her.

Mistblade walked out of the restaurant holding a cup of coffee, watching the orchid mantis sprint past in a life and death dash.

There was no worry on her face. Instead, she laughed.

But beneath that smile was helplessness.

She had already prepared to draw her blade. She was certain BS Rita had seen her while running past. Rita had even spoken to her in passing.

But instead of asking for help, she had said, "I recommend the coffee from machine number three."

She was still like this.

Always like this.

Maple Syrup stepped up beside her and asked, "Now that Dawn Cicada has unlocked a war skill, do you still have the same confidence in her as before?"

Clearly, she had overheard all three conversations.

"I never really had confidence to begin with," Mistblade replied. "But seeing that she does not plan to give up makes me want to gamble along with her."

"I remember you do not like gambling."

"There are exceptions in a fox's life."

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