"I mean it, you should really choose your words carefully. I only teased you because you were cute!"

The moment Rita finished speaking, Maple Syrup's voice sounded from her right. "Oh, so that's the same way you teased Maple Mu, Maple Cang, and Maple Burn? They still talk about you at home, you know."

Syntax glanced over. "Wait—you mean your whole family fell for her too?"

While writing her next answer, Rita looked up briefly. Maple Syrup, Pine Bloom, and Syntax were all standing right beside her. Maple Syrup was talking while busily copying Pine Bloom's answers.

When did those three even move here?!

Rita gritted her teeth. "Could all of you please think before you speak for once?"

Pine Bloom couldn't hold it in. "You're one to talk! You're the one she teased the most. When your three daughters talk about her, don't pretend you're not part of the conversation."

Maple Syrup immediately fired back. "And didn't you once admit your biggest regret was not having a child with me?"

A collective gasp spread among nearby players.

Syntax let out a low whistle. "I've heard that rumor so many times, and I still can't believe it's true. But Pine Bloom, thank you. Once I verified it with a truth skill, my dull, humorless husband actually laughed for three whole days!"

Rita raised her hand without looking up. "I was there. I can confirm—it's true."

Pine Bloom scowled. "If you keep this up, I'm not letting either of you copy my answers."

A short distance away, Dawn Cicada had quietly moved closer, hoping to eavesdrop and find out if Lania Kaia and the BS players were plotting something together. But as she listened, her face froze.

Ah, that feeling again.

The same one she had back during the "little finger" incident on the battlefield chat channel—

That suffocating sense of being surrounded by idiots.

Meanwhile, the small Mechanoid L175246, clutching a bundle of capsules in its arms, was completely absorbed by the chaos.

So lively. It wanted to follow BS-Rita everywhere.

On Rita's shoulder, the tiny dragon was already munching on sunflower seeds like a seasoned spectator.

It must be used to this kind of commotion by now.

When the rapid-fire quiz finally ended, Rita let out a long breath. This ten-minute game had drained her more than an actual battle.

She'd been multitasking like crazy—soothing a sulky little robot, bantering with Maple Syrup and Pine Bloom, jotting down the answers B8017913 fed her, and memorizing them all the while, since every question counted as valuable intel.

On top of that, she had to stay alert, watching for tricks from the Lania Kaia trio and from Dawn Cicada lurking diagonally behind them.

Fifty correct answers in total. When the game ended, a canister of mechanical energy dropped into her palm. Rita immediately got up, ditching Maple Syrup and the others, and went to pick her reward materials.

But after taking just a few steps, she turned back and scooped up the little Mechanoid, L175246, who stood barely half a meter tall. "I can't take you as a pet," she said with a grin, "but how about I show you around a bit?"

She tossed the little robot high into the air. The golden rain curtain surged upward, twisting into shimmering ribbons that circled around L175246 as it flew. When it began to fall, the ribbons caught it gently, lifting it again, sometimes forming slides of light so it could glide down before being tossed skyward once more.

[Beep—You have violated Rule 1-Bamboo. A divine penalty will be drawn at random.]

[Penalty Drawn: Agility -72]

B8017913, perched on Rita's left shoulder, watched expressionlessly as the robot soared higher. When L175246 flew beyond view, it even stood on tiptoe atop Rita's shoulder to keep watching.

Nivalis added dryly, "Uh-oh. She's not even trying to hide it anymore. She's openly spoiling other robots in front of you now."

Kneeling by a stall, picking through potions, Rita sighed. "Don't start, Nivalis. B80, do you want to go play too?"

B8017913 folded its arms, voice cool. "Work comes first. I can fly whenever I want. I really don't get what's so exciting about it."

The Mechanoid behind the stall, who'd been craning its metallic head to watch the flying L175246, suddenly spoke up. "It's different when a named player goes out of their way to make me happy. That's not something I can do for myself."

[Beep—You have violated Rule 1-Bamboo. A divine penalty will be drawn at random.]

[Penalty Drawn: Max HP -0.2%]

B80234615 (the older companion) chimed in, "Oh, that's fine. BS-Rita cheers me up all the time at home anyway."

Nivalis blinked. "What? She does that for you too? I thought she only did that for me."

B80234615 looked suspicious. "Wait, what exactly did she do?"

Nivalis smirked. "You first."

Rita didn't even dare to breathe. She quickly picked the rest of her potions, handed the energy canister to the Mechanoid merchant, and marched toward the town exit. "Alright, enough chatter. Divine Game is dangerous. We need to stay alert and focused—no more nonsense."

Overhead, the ribbons of golden rain carrying L175246 drifted closer. Rita stopped at the edge of the Oasis Town and looked up. "Can you move between game zones?"

L175246 leapt down from the air, clutching its capsule bundle. It dashed toward the trade zone, calling back, "Nope! But I'm not mad at you anymore!"

After running a few steps, it suddenly turned around. The patterns on its cube head shifted, forming two tiny black-dot eyes. It looked at BS-Rita seriously. "If you can't find a proxy in the end, come to me. L175246 is willing to fight for you!"

"I'll think about it." With that, Rita turned and left the 621st trade zone without looking back.

L175246 stood there, staring at her departing figure.

There was something it hadn't told her.

It possessed a special passive skill—one that let it hear the sounds of divine penalties being inflicted.

So it knew. Every time it laughed in the sky, BS-Rita received a punishment. And BS-Rita knew exactly which rule she'd broken each time.

Yet she never mentioned it—not once.

Curious, L175246 spent a bit of its savings to access BS-Rita's now-visible game rule list, just to confirm its hunch.

And there it was, glowing clearly among the restrictions: [Do not make other beings happy.]

Clutching its little cloth pouch full of broken capsule shells, L175246 suddenly understood why L12185511's program had malfunctioned after spending only a short time with her.

She was rational yet passionate, strong yet sentimental—a being who raced tirelessly toward her goals. But if, in some fleeting moment, you managed to touch her heart, she would bend her own rules and stop just long enough to make you smile.

And to reach that moment, you didn't need to do much at all.

Just a small bag of shattered capsule shells, carefully preserved with love, was enough.

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