Rita's lightning blade wavered for a split second as it swung toward Fat Goose.

It still hit him, because Fat Goose had frozen as well, stunned by the string of system announcements.

He stammered, "Lo… BS… do you have some kind of mysterious passive skill? Like making people obsess over you or something?"

Rita was just as confused.

She finished their duel swiftly and received the reward.

[World "Beacon" has successfully completed its first invasion and absorbed world "Ridge Tea".]

[First Invasion Reward: The player may designate one target player for this Divine Game. Upon fulfilling the invasion conditions, the target player's race may be transformed and the target may even be forced to join your world. Each player may select only one target.]

[This reward appears only upon completing the first invasion. If the player relinquishes this right, they will receive 100,000 Honor Points as compensation.]

What a vicious mechanic.

Last time, Player Relic had been like executive recruitment, complete with family relocation benefits. This time, it was straight up headhunting the boss.

Rita really wanted to choose Dawn Cicada and get a second round of revenge, but she could not.

She had prepared countless escape routes, but that did not mean she had given up on her wager. If she truly made it into the top ten, that would mean dragging Dawn Cicada into her world.

That was the ruler who had bathed the original Dawn in blood. Her brutality rivaled Maple Syrup's obsession with baking cookies. Letting someone like that into her world would be suicidal.

After weighing the pros and cons, Rita chose to forfeit the right and took the Honor Points instead. One hundred thousand Honor Points were enough to buy plenty of useful things.

The world "Ridge Tea" that had been orbiting Fat Goose vanished, but the key player he had created remained. The little centaur now sat on Fat Goose's shoulder.

From that point on, he could still send his key player into each hourly Divine Game, but all rewards would be delivered directly to BS Rita for her to allocate. All Divine Game gains would also be credited to "Beacon".

When the final settlement came, Fat Goose's results would be calculated based on his contribution.

Free of pressure and light at heart, Fat Goose waved and went off to slack.

Rita was about to head for the Rank Seven player whom Nivalis and B80 had cornered when another notification rang out.

[Player Isolated Isle Lightchaser has successfully completed her first invasion. She has marked BS Rita as her target for this Divine Game. If Isolated Isle Lightchaser places within the top ten, the target player will be transformed into an elf and transferred to "Isolated Isle".]

Rita froze on the spot.

How could this happen?

How was this even allowed?

Ash Cinders was asking the same question. Fully equipped in the gear her apprentice had sent, her lead gray eyes burned with disapproval and anger.

"How could you choose her?"

Lightchaser met her gaze calmly. "Why not?"

As she spoke, she raised her brow slightly, a near taunting smile flickering in her gray blue eyes.

On the day Moonlight Courier ended, she had sat alone in the empty stands, staring at the vacant Twilight Library. What she felt was not just regret, but remorse.

She had missed GodDraw77 in her youth, and failed to hold onto Moonlight Courier as an adult.

Yet if she could go back and do it all again, she still would not stop her apprentice from charging toward the highest summit. Just as she would still abandon the future to save Wail. After turning it over endlessly, she could not even tell what she was regretting.

So when Ash Cinders asked what she was thinking, she had answered with a single word. Regret.

Ash Cinders understood.

Why not?

This was Lightchaser.

This was exactly what Lightchaser would do.

She had always been willful and tyrannical by nature.

She had never bowed to anyone, nor clung to anyone out of sentiment. She simply seized the chance and took what she wanted.

If the apprentice was destined to be transformed into a Vineborne by Dawn Cicada, then better she become an elf instead. If the apprentice was truly going to fall together with BS, then better to be dragged to Isolated Isle.

Just like back then by the lake beneath the bridge. Just like the arena her apprentice had hated with all her heart.

She had never cared about others' gazes or love and hate.

It was enough to know what she wanted. Back then, she wanted to fulfill her apprentice's brilliance and dreams. Now, she wanted her apprentice alive.

Whether BS was whole or shattered did not matter to her.

Whether BS needed its Adjudicator was none of her concern.

The anger in Ash Cinders' eyes slowly faded. She said solemnly, "I'm cutting ties. I want a clean break."

Lightchaser fell silent.

You know she is not exactly a good person either, but could you at least wipe that smile off your face?

...

Ash Cinders understood Lightchaser. Rita understood her as well.

Rita closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It was hard for her to be angry at someone who wanted her to live.

She steadied herself quickly. There was still too much to do. She refused to believe Lightchaser could be strong enough to break into the top ten in her very first game.

As she rounded a corner, Rita slowed.

Why did she hear Pine Bloom's voice? And it sounded like she was about to cry.

Pine Bloom crying? That was unheard of.

Rita decided the Rank Seven player could wait. There were still twenty six minutes until eleven. Killing that player before eleven thirty would be easy.

She followed the sound and found Pine Bloom wiping her eyes with Maple Syrup's wings.

Mistblade was actually there, watching the spectacle.

Pine Bloom sobbed at Maple Syrup, "I do not want to become a Yuguo. That race does not even have wings as long as ours."

Maple Syrup rubbed her temples helplessly. "Did you forget how long Nuclear Flash NightFury hunted you down because of that exact sentence?"

Pine Bloom sniffed indignantly. "It is too vicious. Truly too vicious."

Seeing that Pine Bloom was not actually crying, Rita turned to leave.

She nearly ran into Crab, who was in the middle of arguing with MarmangLulumi.

After MarmangLulumi had marked Crab as a target, Crab had immediately completed an invasion of his own and marked MarmangLulumi in return. Two rookies who had never made the top ten were now pecking at each other early, fighting over a dream jackpot.

Seeing the BS players gathered here, Crab even had the mood to wave a claw in greeting.

Rita's heart tightened. "Where is the little seahorse? Wasn't it with you earlier?"

"Oh," Crab said casually. "It went back to BS two hours ago. Said it had some serious business."

Rita went silent.

What serious business could a seahorse possibly have?

She stopped wasting time. Deep blue waves coiled and surged behind her as she vanished on the spot. She went to find Nivalis and B80. Once the invasion of "Verdant" was complete, she would head to the public hall and call Shadow.Q.

Crab looked at Mistblade in confusion. "What is going on?"

Mistblade's expression darkened as she pulled a hamster from her pocket. "Go back to BS. If the seahorse enters Snowfield, stay with it the entire time."

The hamster put on its sunglasses, nodded vigorously, and vanished in a flash of light from Mistblade's palm.

Pine Bloom sobered instantly. She tossed aside Maple Syrup's wing and pressed her ear stud. "You go back too. There is a mech BS Rita sent in your room. Link to it and guard Four Seasons City."

Crab stared.

This is really not necessary. Seriously not necessary.

What does this even mean?

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