《This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist》


 Chapter 1: Rebirth

    Rita opened her eyes, staring nkly 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 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 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 yed 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 apany 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 pped 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 imed 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.


    Taking a deep breath, Amelia thought she shouldn''t rush and decided there would be another opportunity. She smiled, "It''s sote; wait a moment, I''ll wake the driver for you."


    Rita nodded. Still at the hotel with the film crew, she indeed needed a ride. There were less than three hours left until the beta test, and she had to get home to stop Rick from ying the game.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    In her previous life, Rick had participated in the beta test early and gained unimaginable powers a year ahead of others. He had kept this secret, coldly watching as Rita suffered in the entertainment industry, using her hard-earned money and resources to grow his own power.


    In the end, he had stayed by her side for three years, pretending to be innocent even when she was being hunted, all to strip her of her god-tier talent. It wasn''t until the moment of her death that she learned the truth.


    But she didn''t let him have thestugh. She had endured the pain of being drained of blood, waiting for the mastermind to reveal themselves, and then detonated a device called *Die Together*, trying to take everyone present down with her.


    Only in her final moments did she realize she had been nothing more than a viin in a story...


    A viinous sister obsessively in love with the male lead, Rick.


    Fine, fine, you wanted to push the boundaries without breaking the rules? This is how you disgust me?


    After getting into the car, she handed the driver a thousand credits. "Get me home in two hours, and I''ll give you two thousand more."


    The driver''s resentment over being woken up in the middle of the night vanished instantly. He replied in a broadcast voice, "Boss, please fasten your seatbelt."


    An hour and forty minutester, Rita, pale and shaken, sat in the passenger seat. She barely made it. "What did you do before you worked for us?"


    The driver pulled out a payment terminal. "Drove hearses."


    "..." Well, that exins it. Rita transferred 2500 credits, "Go to the convenience store across the street and buy me a small bottle of white liquor."


    Money can solve anything, and the driver was quick to deliver the bottle to Rita in under ten minutes.


    At 11 PM the previous night, Rita had been reborn, and by the time she arrived home, it was already 1:47 AM.


    She poured the liquor into a ss, then filled another with water. Holding both sses, she went to Rick''s room, knocked twice, and the door opened¡ªthis scumbag wasn''t even asleep.


    Rita had the looks to be a star, and Rick had the charm to marry into a wealthy family. The siblings were naturally attractive, with Rita exuding a gentle, intellectual aura, while Rick appeared obedient and harmless, though his heart was darker than anyone''s.


    Handing Rick the ss 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 maniptor.


    He waited to eat until Rita was home,plied 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, nning to surprise her dear brother.


    Low-level exploitation involves the whole family in the maniption. 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 toote 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 ss against his.


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


    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 onlyst seven hours, and she didn''t n 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. 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 yearter, 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 toote 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 ying the game tonight or how long those who soared to greatness in her past life had yed 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 aplish in the game. She hit the randomize button until shended 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 aeback 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,pounding 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.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    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 developedbat 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.


    At that moment, the screen transformed into a starry sky. Though it was just a mobile screen, Rita felt as though she was standing beneath a vast, starry expanse, tiny and insignificant before the countless stars above.


    She randomly tapped on a star.


    Stars shot towards her screen like meteors, and the screen emitted a cracking sound.


    **[Impersonate] (Grade A):** You can impersonate anyone. Once you convince 10,000 people that you are that person, kill them and absorb everything they possess. They will be a character in your roster, and you can switch to their life at any time. No item or skill can see through this disguise, but after switching three times, that character''s slot will disappear.


    **Skill 1:** *Life is but a Stage:* You can store up to three alternate characters.


    **Skill 2:** *The Actress Is Me:* You can mimic any skill you''ve seen, but its power will only be 20% of the original.


    This was the divine talent she had in her previous life.


    In her past life, this skill had led to her being hunted by the Lopez, Taylor, and White families, and despite being chased by these three major forces, it had allowed her to evade capture for so long.


    It was just an A-grade skill, but if used well, its effects could rival those of an S-grade skill. For the powerful, it was incredibly valuable¡ªimagine impersonating the head of a family or a city ruler. The implications were enormous.


    But now that she had a chance to start over, she wanted something better.


    Rita immediately deleted her character and recreated it.


    This wasn''t a reckless move. In an interview, one of the guys who dominated in the previous life admitted that when he participated in the beta test, he wasn''t satisfied with his talent, so he deleted and recreated his character multiple times until he got something good, leaving him with little time to actually y the game.


    Compared to game time, choosing the right talent was more important¡ªit could decide her fate.


    Rita kept creating and deleting characters, drawing talents, and deleting them again if they didn''t meet her expectations.


    Several talents tempted her:


    **[Broker] (Grade A):** You can take a 5%mission by brokering transactions between buyers and sellers.


    **Skill 1:** *The Best Things in Life Aren''t Free:* If the transaction is bartering, you have a 5% chance to duplicate an item''s skill and turn it into one of your character''s skills.


    **Skill 2:** *Let''s Make a Deal:* If the two parties try to bypass you, you can use this skill to automatically receive the lower-value item from the transaction.


    **[Ascension] (Grade A):** You can enhance an item by increasing its level, usable once every 30 natural days.


    **[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 sess 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 Be 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 theftpared to that?


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


    After weighing the pros and cons, Rita ultimately decided against it. This skill was too dangerous, likely to attract other yers'' 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. Disguisests for one hour, with a cooldown of six hours.


    **Skill 4:** *Huh, Where Did That Go? (Passive):* After a sessful 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 minutester: "I must have this!!!"*

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

    All S-ss 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 yers 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-ss 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-ss 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-ss 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-ss)


    **[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 approached the nearest NPC with a question mark above its head. After a brief conversation, she received a quest to clear out the city''s rats, with a reward of 10 copper coins.


    Though Rita rarely yed games, she always liked to work efficiently. She first scouted the entire city, epting every quest she could¡ªfrom killing rats to delivering messages, to running errands like buying corpse worm bread. Once her quest list was full, she began toplete them.


    On the way to deliver messages, she killed rats; on her way to buy corpse worm bread, she picked up a drink for the cksmith, and so on. In one hour, shepleted 17 quests, earning 2 silver coins and a worn-out bag, which turned out to be a spatial pouch with six slots that could hold up to 99 of the same item per slot.


    But these weren''t her most important gains. Over the past hour, instead of just focusing onpleting quests, Rita had been using her Thief God talent on every NPC she encountered while roaming the streets.


    The 20% and 10% probabilities were quite low. It didn''t mean that stealing from 100 people would guarantee 20 sesses. Probability could be as unpredictable as luck¡ªsometimes, you hit the mark every time; other times, the sess rate was so low it made you question your existence.


    Whether it was due to the luck of drawing the Thief God talent earlier, Rita wasn''t sure, but despite using the skill on at least a hundred NPCs, she only seeded three times. With a Luck stat of 8, she managed just three sesses!


    However, the rewards were substantial:


    **[Runic Pouch]**, **[Bag of Money]**, **[1 Agility Point]**


    The Runic Pouch was a palm-sized, finely crafted bag with 24 slots, which Rita immediately equipped. Every character had an equipment slot on their waist and two pouch slots. She equipped both pouches, nning to bring them into the real worldter.


    The Bag of Money contained 18 gold coins! The exchange rate between gold, silver, and copper coins was 1:100. In her previous life, even after three years of doing all sorts of nefarious deeds with her talent, her ount had barely over 300 gold coins at the time of her death. This showed just how valuable gold was.


    After turning in all her quests, Rita didn''t ept any new ones. Instead, she headed straight to learn skills.


    With only seven hours of game time, leveling up wouldn''t get her far. In her past life, those who had started early and made it to the Top 100, even with B-ss or C-ss talents, did so by learning skills from the other races during the beta.


    These racial skills became impossible to learn from other races after the game''s invasion. It''s not that humans didn''t have professional skills, but they required time and effort to learn. However, during the beta test, things were different. When a world drops an anchor into another world in the form of a game, many things be brutally simplified.


    While it usually took time, money, and effort for the other races to learn these professional skills, in this brief seven-hour window, learning them in the game world only requiredpleting a progress bar.


    Now that her character was seen as a fellow race member by the NPCs, Rita could easily use money to quickly learn various skills from them. Even if she could only learn basic skills, it would still be a huge fortune.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With money in hand, Rita headed straight to her destination.


    The character panel showed only two professional skill slots, meaning she could only learn two professions, but there were no limits on life skills.


    While making her way, she learned every life skill she could find: **[Cooking] (Basic)**, **[Fishing] (Basic)**, **[First Aid] (Basic)**.


    In an instant, Rita went from someone who couldn''t cook to a great chef. The food she could now prepare with the Cooking skill even provided attribute boosts, albeit small ones. She didn''t hesitate to spend 1 gold coin to learn all the avable recipes.


    **[First Aid]** allowed her to craft bandages, though after the game''s invasion, modern medicine on Earth was more advanced than this. Still, learning it was better than nothing.


    There were many professional skills in the game world, roughly divided into three categories: gathering (herbalism, mining), crafting (alchemy, tailoring, engineering, jewelcrafting, leatherworking, cksmithing), and service (enchanting, inscription).


    Rita didn''t consider gathering or service professions¡ªthe former was easily reced since many materials could be looted from monsters, and thetter didn''t have high earning potential.


    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 yers, 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 ount bnce dropped to 6 gold coins.


    She then went to the herbalist shop to buy ingredients for **[Basic Healing Potion]**. In arge 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 yer''s mind, as if a master alchemist was ying a video tutorial in their head, guiding them step by step. yers 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 asionally 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 sessful 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 seeded.


    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 avable, 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 be 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 avable.


    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 pce.


    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 be city lords¡ªthere wouldn''t be any ipetent 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 pce.


    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 tranted hernguage into the Undead''snguage.


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


    The Undead city lord, d in ck armor, sat on the throne at the top of the pce.


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


    9:13 AM.


    Rita typed in the dialogue box: "Yes, I''m willing to stake my life that the information I have is urate, but I need a reward."


    "How dare you!"


    Rita didn''t respond. She waited silently. To the ruler, she probably seemed like a dead person already, and dead people often received leniency. Soon, a high-ranking guard approached and handed her an item.


    When she checked, it was 100 gold.


    Tch! Rita had hoped for equipment, but this was just a quick grab for some extra loot¡ªshe wasn''t picky.


    9:17 AM.


    Rita typed: "This is confidential. I''m only willing to tell the city lord directly."


    She maneuvered her character closer to the city lord. To a Level 99 city lord, her Level 1 character was as insignificant as an ant, so no one stopped her.


    9:20 AM.


    The character stood beside the Undead city lord.


    9:21 AM.


    She clicked to use **[The Thief God''s Theft, Which Can Also Be Robbery]**.


    **[Betting on the name of Thief God, you attempt to steal the divine talent of Orloff D. Flesh, the Undead city lord of Ghost City.]**


    **[Theft sessful¡ªDetecting target''s divine talent level is too high¡ªTheft interrupted!]**


    **[You have died.]**


    Immediately, the phone screen went ck, as if it had run out of battery and shut downpletely.


    Rita looked up at the clock on the wall. It was 9:22 AM, and the second hand had just passed 12.


    Exactly seven hours.


    The phone made a cracking sound, first from the screen, then from the internalponents, and finally, it spontaneouslybusted. Rita quickly threw it to the ground, and within seconds, it turned into a wisp of ck smoke, dissipating into the air as if it had never existed.


    Then, a backpack, a worn-out pouch, and a coin purse appeared on the floor.


    At the same time, a familiar character panel appeared in Rita''s mind.


    **[Character]**: I don''t care (Level 0, 0.001%)


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


    **[Divine Talent]**: Immortal (SS-ss) (Iplete)


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


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


    **[Health]**: 100/100


    **[Mana]**: 100/100


    **[Strength]**: 5


    **[Constitution]**: 7


    **[Intelligence]**: 10


    **[Agility]**: 12


    **[Luck]**: 8


    **[Charisma]**: 9


    **[Avable Attribute Points]**: 0


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


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


    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 wasining about why Samuel had agreed to let Rick buy a vi 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 vi 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-ss 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 waspletely calm, she finally opened the new **[Immortal]** divine talent.

 Chapter 5: The Thrush

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


    *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 exined why that Undead could be a city lord and why this divine talent was rated as SS-ss.


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


    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 shed 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 me 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 yers, so their life level was lower than hers?


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


    Deep in thought, she stepped outside and realized that she no longer had her phone.


    So, she donned a mask and took her ID to get a recement SIM card. Although she worked in the entertainment industry, she was only a minor third-tier celebrity. Walking down the street, she might get a few photos taken, but nothing that would cause a crowd to form.


    After buying a new phone and inserting the SIM card, she soon received a call from Amelia.


    Feigning ignorance of the anger in Amelia''s voice, Rita immediately requested three days off.


    Amelia was so taken aback by her confidence that she stammered, "Do you not want to work in this industry anymore?!"


    Rita sighed. "Give me three days, okay? I''m really exhausted. Let''s have a drink together in three days?"


    The final sentence left Amelia speechless. Knowing she would likely have something to report to Robinson in three days, Amelia suppressed her anger and said, "Fine, rest up. Don''t keep things bottled up."


    Rita made a few nomittal noises before hanging up and driving out of the city.


    Discovered by a talent scout in her sophomore year of college, Rita had been in the entertainment industry since she was 20, and she was now 26. Although she was only moderately popr, the industry was lucrative, and she didn''t have any particrly extravagant hobbies. Even after giving her parents and brother over 70 million yuan over the years, she still had more than 80 million in her ount.


    Even if she never worked again, she wouldn''tck money. This cash would soon lose its value once the game''s invasion began. As time passed and more monsters and dungeons appeared, in-game currency like gold, silver, and copper coins would quickly rece real-world money.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Within six months, gold coins would be the primary currency for transactions involving items, weapons, and armor among yers.


    She knew Samuel and Scarlett had their eyes on that 80 million. In her previous life, today was the day she had nearly been forced into bed with a bald-headed executive by Amelia, yet still felt obliged to check out a vi for Rick. Later, a dungeon entrance even appeared in the basement of that very vi she had bought for Rick...


    If real estate symbolized wealth now, then owning a hidden dungeon entrance after the game''s invasion was like owning a gold mine.


    Dungeons were essentially the time-space gates used by the vanguard forces of the otherworldly races. Having exclusive ess to a dungeon''s resources was like having exclusive ess to all the loot the otherworldly races dropped¡ªwhat could be more valuable than that?


    Today, Rita had only one task: to buy that vi she had previously gifted to Rick and put it under her name.


    She skipped the house tour, and by dinner time, she hadpleted the purchase.


    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 vi 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: therge living room, and a woman sitting cross-legged in front of the sofa.


    She checked the time andmanded the thrush to fly circles around the room.


    After finishing her meal, Rita tidied up the house. She hadn''t stayed in the vi 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''sments about how Rita already had a house and Rick still needed one. She organized her inventory, packing her firearms, bullets, and explosives into three identicalrge 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 n to store healing potions and mana potions in the same way. These were items she needed quick ess 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 cab and, for an extra fee, had it delivered the same day. Shebeled each drawer with the names of the herbs and filled them ordingly. The excess healing and mana potions were stored in the bottom row of drawers.


    This left her with five upied 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 shemanded 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 apletely unfamiliar woman in the mirror, Rita couldn''t help but be amazed. The game talents were indeed beyond scientific exnation.


    Not only had her height and facial features changed, but even her hair had be 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 vi, she didn''t care.


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


    Three minutester, 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 ss 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 momentster, 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 secondster, Robinson convulsed and copsed. 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.


    Shemanded Robinson to stand up, then to escort her out of the study. Under the woman''s watchful eye, Robinson said goodbye to her.


    By the time Rita got into a cab heading back to the nearby mall, her disguise time had 17 minutes left.


    She closed her eyes andmanded Robinson to bid farewell to the woman and send a text to Amelia, asking to meet her at the office.


    ...


    Amelia was buying wine, contemting where to take Rita the next day so that Robinson could act while she stayed out of the way.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Truth be told, Rita had always treated her well¡ªhigh pay, good benefits, and even after Rita became popr, she didn''t ditch her. But Amelia had never received a share of Rita''s earnings. Top agents usually got a cut of their artists'' ie, but whenever Amelia brought it up, Rita refused.


    Amelia hadn''t wanted to betray Rita, but Robinson''s offer was too tempting. If she could get Rita under control and keep her in line to please thepany''s partners, Amelia would not only get a share of Rita''s earnings but would also be given a few promising new talents from this year''s reality shows to manage...


    As she fantasized about the future, Robinson''s text message came through.


    Amelia didn''t think twice. Both she and Robinson were seasoned professionals; they would never leave a paper trail for their schemes, always discussing such matters face-to-face.


    She grabbed her wine and handbag and headed back to the office. A dozen young employees were still working overtime. Amelia smiled at them and even ordered them somete-night snacks, then walked into Robinson''s office amid their grateful thanks.


    Rita had no interest in making a corpse perform any intimate acts with her enemies. The moment Amelia stepped into the office, shemanded Robinson to hand a knife to Amelia.


    Amelia was confused: "?"


    Then she watched in horror as Robinson, with cold, dead hands, tightly gripped hers and forced her to stab him in the stomach.


    The extreme fear and panic left Amelia unable to scream. She stood frozen, watching the still-warm blood slowly seep from the wound, sliding over her hand.


    As Amelia''s mind struggled to process what was happening, Robinson suddenly clutched his impaled stomach and bolted out of the office. His eyes were wide with terror as he nced back at Amelia, his mouth forming a terrified "Aaaah!"


    Amelia felt like she was in a nightmare, unable to tell whether she was awake or dreaming.


    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 rtionship.


    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 exin her recent strange behavior¡ªtaking three days off for the first time, behaving uncharacteristically haughty, and choosing to live alone in her vi 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 yed 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 thepany 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 ount: "Daddy has money. Take it and treat yourself, my sweet girl!"


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


    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 rx 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 ident 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.


    "idents 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 wereced with affection. "Don''t me 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 rtive 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 familyy 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, iming they trusted her with everything.


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


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


    She knew that from now on, for the rest of her life, she would never be able to trust anyone again.


    They had destroyed her ability to trust.


    If her closest family could betray her, if their sweet words wereced with poison, if what she thought was unconditional love was nothing but calction, then how could she ever trust anyone else?


    Rita opened her eyes and exhaled deeply. She couldn''t wait any longer. If she didn''t retrieve those things tonight, she wouldn''t be able to sleep.


    It was only the 25th, but Rita felt busier than a dog.


    She drove out and bought severalrge cardboard boxes from a SF Express station, dragging them back home.


    After assembling the boxes and packing them neatly into her backpack, she drove openly to the Wilson family home. By now, the news of Robinson''s forced suicide by Amelia had already spread in thepany''s group chat. After exchanging a few words with Samuel and Scarlett, Rita pretended to be in a bad mood and retreated to her room.


    Scarlett hesitated, and as Rita was halfway up the stairs, she finally couldn''t resist calling her back to tell her about Rick''s ns to bring his girlfriend home tomorrow. The girlfriend was none other than the youngest daughter of the Lopez family.


    Rita feigned surprise and asked, "Dating in secret, huh? Nice. But the Lopez family? Which Lopez family?"


    Scarlett smiled as she mentioned the name. "You know Mateo, right? The actor? It''s his family¡ª*that* Lopez family. Mateo is the eldest, and the second son, Theodore, won an Olympic gold medal in archery. Your brother''s girlfriend is the youngest daughter, Zoey.


    They''ve been dating for about six months and thought it was time to introduce her to us."


    Rita smiled and said, "That''s great! You must make a good impression."


    Rick, noticing Rita''s cheerful demeanor, frowned slightly.


    Seeing the look in Rick''s eyes made Rita want to vomit. She couldn''t understand why, in the book, Rick was portrayed as having an obsessive, distorted affection for her as his paranoid sister. She didn''t think she had ever crossed any boundaries.


    She chalked it up to the author wanting to justify killing off a character who genuinely cared for the male lead. By making her seem crazy, the male lead could be "forced" to kill her out of necessity and then repurpose her divine talent for someone more deserving, helping him achieve greatness.


    But that was the book''s perspective.


    From her point of view, when she died, she finally saw through the hypocritical facade of those words.


    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 yed along with Scarlett, saying a few supportive words but never mentioning the vi purchase.


    However, she couldn''t help but ask, "Mateo is rich, right? Will his family approve of ours?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 ept Rick as a brother-inw?


    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 augh, 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 vis as you want, but right now, I''m really broke."


    Scarlett was easily manipted by Samuel, but she was also easy to deceive. After Rita''s exnation, 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 andmented 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 ced 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 whileter, 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 ces, 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 vi Rick had bought them. Their faces had been filled with joy and pride.


    Rita pulled out therge 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.


    Afterpleting 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 yer, 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 ying it, and Zoey downloaded it to y with her boyfriend. Or perhaps being the female lead meant she had some special fate?


    During her run, Rita received a call from thepany 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.


    Rita had already buried her hatred deep within and even managed to smile when she saw Zoey. She was impressed by her own self-control.


    But beyond that, there was little more. Rita couldn''t bring herself to tter Zoey, even though Rick had alwaysined about how hard life was at the Lopez house. She just couldn''t bring herself to curry favor with Zoey, the main wife of the male lead¡ªespecially since Rick was the one who would marry into the Lopez family, not her!


    In her previous life, Zoey had visited while Rita was still reeling from the incident with Robinson. Zoey probably saw her distress as something entirely different. That emotional turmoil,bined with Rick''s maniption, likely led Zoey to believe that Rita had an unhealthy obsession with her brother.


    Today, Rita maintained a smile full of well-wishes throughout, even sneaking in a use of her Thief God skill on Zoey during a toast.


    Good. She didn''t manage to steal anything, but the skill had indeed activated. Rita could tell the difference between an unsessful attempt and being unable to use the skill at all.


    It seemed Zoey was already a yer.


    Rita attempted the skill three more times, draining her health to 40% before she stopped, sessfully stealing once.


    When the theft seeded, Rita took a moment to check what she had stolen while pretending to focus on her food.


    **1 point of Luck!!**


    Zoey had been a healer in her previous life, so Rita had expected to steal Intelligence. But she hadn''t anticipated that Zoey''s highest stat would be the rare and unalterable Luck. And that Luck could even be stolen?!


    Initially, Rita had used the skill simply to spite her enemies, willing to risk her health. But now she was determined¡ªshe would keep stealing from Zoey until she could no longer take her Luck!


    Luck was an extremely rare attribute, and this might be her only chance to steal it.


    After all, once everyone started leveling up and gaining attribute points¡ªfive per level¡ªpeople would naturally boost their strongest attributes. Opportunities like this would be impossible.


    But she couldn''t afford to be reckless. The Lopez family''s influence far outweighed hers. Even though Thief God''s passive effect meant Zoey wouldn''t realize she had been stolen from until a dayter, the Lopez family''s power was vast. Rita would be stealing from Zoey, Rick, and his brothers in the future.


    If items kept going missing the day after Rita had spent significant time with them, and she kept disappearing for short periods (to drink healing potions), it would be too easy to suspect her.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    And such caution had to start from the very first theft. Rita never believed in luck alone.


    For the next hour, Rita yed the part of a good-luck charm, offering well-wishes here and there. When the meal was over, and they sat down to chat, she had the thrush call her phone, using her backup device, and then excused herself, pretending she had to go to work.


    She took the elevator downstairs and, in full view of the security cameras, drove out of the neighborhood.


    Half an hourter, with her health restored to full by chewing on dried meat, Rita used her disguise skill to transform into a burly middle-aged man and returned to the neighborhood, taking the stairs back to the Wilson family''s floor.


    Through the thrush she had left behind, she saw that the first floor was empty, with everyone gathered in the study discussing something. Through the thrush, she could only vaguely hear words like "Wilson family," "Lopez family," and "marriage."


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


    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 be 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 rxed 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!


    Sess! 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 shey 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 minutester, 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 Ritay 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 seed 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.


    **[Ch¨¢vez Set: Mask (1/3)] (A-ss):** 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-ss. Note: Each additional piece of the Ch¨¢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 Ch¨¢vez''s Eye or sses 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-ss 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 theplex.


    ...


    Before leaving the neighborhood, Rita used the Ch¨¢vez Mask to alter her character panel information.


    Her real data was:


    **[Character] Rita (Level 0, 0.001%)**


    **[Divine Talent] Thief God (S-ss)**


    **[Divine Talent] Immortal (SS-ss) (Iplete)**


    **[Race] Human**


    **[Racial Talent] Undead Will©§Feast**


    **[Health] 100/100**


    **[Mana] 100/100**


    **[Strength] 5**


    **[Constitution] 7**


    **[Intelligence] 10**n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    **[Agility] 12**


    **[Luck] 10 (Max Value)**


    **[Charisma] 10 (Max Value)**


    **[Avable Attribute Points] 0**


    She couldn''t be sure whether others could see the specific skills within her talents, but she decided to make some adjustments anyway.


    Her disguised character panel now read:


    **[Character] Rita (Level 0, 0.001%)**


    **[Divine Talent] Broker (A-ss)**


    **[Race] Human**


    **[Racial Talent] Undead Will©§Feast**


    **[Health] 100/100**


    **[Mana] 100/100**


    **[Strength] 5**


    **[Constitution] 7**


    **[Intelligence] 7**


    **[Agility] 7**


    **[Luck] 5**


    **[Charisma] 9**


    **[Avable Attribute Points] 0**


    The attributes became much more average, but she didn''t alter Charisma too drastically. Looking back, she realized that even when she disguised herself as a beggar during her time on the run, she seemed to receive more money than others. A person''s charm was hard to hide! A charismatic person would attract attention no matter where they went.


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


    If the Thief God talent were ever revealed, she would be the enemy of all yers. 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 ced 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 n 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 asionally 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 vi with the money she had given the family. Or after discovering the dungeon in the vi she had given Rick, he had taken her there, iming that the White family had taken control of it and that he had only managed to secure visitation rights, allowing him to take her asionally.


    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 hade 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''srge-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 tough 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 escted 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 thepany 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 thepany 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 nned to coast for the next six months until her contract expired and then quit the industry altogether.


    She had been incredibly busytely. 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 surveince, not only would Rita fail to gain Rick''s trust, but she would also provide him with solid evidence that she was trying to manipte 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-ss)**


    **[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 modificationsts 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 swapsts for one hour, with a cooldown of six hours.


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


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


    For days, whenever that person spotted her, Rita would have six hours of terrible luck.


    The worst part was that this alteration to her luck didn''t show up on her data panel. She could see her luck value was still 8.


    And then, suddenly, her luck would turn sour.


    She''d run into dead ends, her disguises would fail at the worst moments, she''d choke on blood potions, her spells would miss their targets, her gun would jam, and even her auto-targeting magic missiles would fail to crit. And she had a 77% crit rate at the time! Yet, after firing 60 magic missiles, not a single one had crit.


    Was this a divine talent? Or was it a curse from the gods?


    She had evaded capture for an entire year, but after that person arrived, it took less than seven days for her to be caught¡ªall because of that divine talent.


    But here was the question: was that person a beta tester?


    There were three beta tests. The first had reportedly only a few hundred participants. By the second test, word had spread¡ªdespite the sudden timing, thousands of people logged in, eager to try the game. By the third test, tens of thousands of people were creating characters.


    Regardless, Rita nned to find that person within the next few days. If they had participated in the beta tests, she would kill them immediately!


    Then she would test if that skill could affect non-yers. If it could, she would use it on Rick.


    If Rick managed to draw an SS-ss talent even with terrible luck, she would steal it on the spot and kill him, even if it meant spending the rest of her life in bitter regret. If he ended up with a trash divine talent, that would be even better.


    That person wouldn''t be hard to find¡ªhe was the White family''s driver. Rita knew where the White family''s old mansion was, located in one of the best spots in the vi district. After all, without enough power and wealth, how could you be the female lead in a male-dominated story?


    She didn''t rush to the White family''s mansion, though. Instead, she stayed home and continued brewing potions.


    She crafted 20 basic ethereal potions and over 50 mid-level invisibility potions. Unlike the basic invisibility potions, which onlysted five minutes, these mid-level potions provided 15 minutes of invisibility, though their cooldown was longer¡ª20 minutes.


    She also found a recipe for beef skewers under **[Cooking] (Basic)** and made 297 portions to store in her backpack. Each skewer could be eaten in one minute, gradually restoring 5 health points. It served as both a food reserve and a way to level up her cooking skill.


    Her 24-slot inventory was now filled with various misceneous items, clothes, and weapons. The six old bags held her essential food and potions: **[Basic Healing Potion] x99**, **[Basic Mana Potion] x99**, **[Mid-Level Invisibility Potion] x57**, **[Beef Skewer] x99**, **[Beef Skewer] x99**, **[Beef Skewer] x99**.


    How could the female lead not be a beta yer?


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


    Not only were the male and female leads beta yers, 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 iste 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-ss talents. Hiswful wife, Zoey, reportedly had a divine talent rted to healing,ter bing the strongest support character by collecting and learning various buffs. The second girlfriend, Sanchez, also had an S-ss divine talent, one of the only two S-ss talents publicly revealed in the top 100 rankings.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


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


    **[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-rted 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 n to steal it. If Rick managed to draw an SS-ss 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 nned to try stealing items from Sanchez. She didn''t believe the female lead wouldn''t have anything good on her.


    Her 50-million-yuan vi 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 vi 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 vi district. She didn''t return to her own vi¡ªthere were too many strange and unpredictable skills, and from the start, she hadn''t nned on leaving any trace that could lead back to her hideout.


    She hid in the woods surrounding the vis 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 torge 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 vi could be called a mansion¡ªa sprawling estate that dwarfed Rita''s own 50-million-yuan "small vi," which now seemed like a speck of dust inparison, akin to a security booth at the entrance of a typical residentialplex.


    The towering iron gates were equipped with various monitoring and sensing devices, but after drinking a basic phasing potion that allowed her to be 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-ss 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 seeded, but the theft failed. Without wasting time, Rita drew a knife from her inventory and shed 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 nk, and he stopped breathing.


    Rita rifled through the body, finding a 4-slot bag¡ªa small, worn cloth bag that looked utterly unremarkable. Inside were just two pitiful potions and a pouch containing two silver coins.


    Rita then used **[Death Mimicry]** on the corpse, selecting the deceased target to mimic their divine talent. At any given time, she could only have one talent mimicked; switching targets would erase the previous mimicry.


    Soon, she felt a new divine talent manifest within her: **[Wheel of Fate]** (B-ss).


    While waiting for her cooldowns to reset, she used the **[Ch¨¢vez Mask]** to modify her character panel, changing her divine talent to **[Wheel of Fate]** (B-ss).


    Afterpleting this, Rita removed the bloodstained gloves that had be visible and cleaned her hands with alcohol sanitizer before donning a fresh pair of gloves. Then, she drank another invisibility potion and headed toward the main house.


    Using the same methods, she found Sanchez''s room. Crawling under the young woman''s bed, Rita''s practiced movements reflected the pain of experience.


    It was only 4 AM¡ªRita didn''t believe for a second that a pampered young woman like Sanchez would wake up before 7 AM. That meant she had about three hours to work.


    First, she used **[Another Happy Day]** from **[Wheel of Fate]** to lower Sanchez''s luck to 1, and then she began her cycle of **[I Want This, This, and This]**¡ªhealing with potions and eating meat to restore health¡ªbefore repeating the process.


    **[Wheel of Fate]** was as nasty as she remembered!


    No wonder it had tormented her for so long.


    With Sanchez''s luck reduced to 1, it only took Rita an hour to steal two items, a coin pouch, and three attribute points.


    **[Ch¨¢vez Set: sses (2/3)] (A-ss):** When worn, these sses allow the user to inspect a target''s character panel (divine talent specifics cannot be viewed). With each additional piece of the Ch¨¢vez set, the amount of information avable increases. Currently, you can view the names and quantities of the target''s equipped items.


    These were the same gold-rimmed sses Sanchez frequently wore in her past life, and it turned out they were a detection item.


    Although Rita had once shared the asional spoils from the protagonist''s adventures, she had always been treated as an outsider¡ªlike the poor rtive of a wealthy family. She never had the privilege of knowing the protagonists'' information.


    Rita carefully stored the sses in her inventory, knowing they were a treasure. The sses were amon enough design, with no identifying marks.


    And with both the sses and the mask, the mask''s concealment ability was further enhanced.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    **[Ch¨¢vez Set: Mask (2/3)] (A-ss):** When used, this mask disguises your character panel information. The item must be kept in your inventory for the effect to remain active. If the mask is lost, the disguise fails. (Currently cannot be detected by items below S-ss. Note: Each additional piece of the Ch¨¢vez set increases concealment level by 1.)


    Rita even suspected that the final piece of the Ch¨¢vez set was in the hands of the male lead''s third girlfriend.


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


    **[Bottomless Coffee Cup] (C-ss):** 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-ss probably because of the long cooldown.


    But the cooldown didn''t ovep 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 rece 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 particrly 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 ck metal cor around Sanchez''s neck stopped her. This cor was something Sanchez had worn in her past life. Given Sanchez''s abilities, it was unlikely she couldn''t acquire a ne-type item. This cor must be an item, and a high-grade one at that. How had she missed it?


    Even if it wasn''t a cor, with her current 7 points in Strength, Rita couldn''t guarantee a single blow would sever this high-quality metal cor 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 n 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 **[Ch¨¢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 be visible due to blood were once again concealed.


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


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


    There were no yers, not even Sanchez''s brothers were yers 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 vi district, not returning to her own vi but heading straight to a nearbyke. Maintaining her Zoey disguise, she washed off the blood at theke, burned her clothes by the shore, and then scooped up the ashes along with the dirt into theke.


    Bing invisible once more, she ran toward the city.


    Having been stained with Sanchez''s blood, Rita wasn''t sure if Sanchez could track her through the blood. Divine talents were far beyond the norm. For example, after acquiring the **Thief God** talent, her initial Agility increased from 5 to 11. Even without using skills, she could steal a person''s phone while brushing past them without being noticed.


    Her hands had also be incredibly nimble and soft due to the talent''s effects.


    Since **[Water God]** could control water, Rita didn''t want to gamble on whether Sanchez could sense her blood through it.


    The entire day, Rita was busy, almost as if she were running from danger, without returning home. After her disguise wore off, she wandered around in a hat and mask, once again acting as a street lurker.


    Whenever she encountered a crowd, she slipped in and out, and once her disguise cooldown ended, she changed into another outfit, disguising herself as a man and heading to a no-ID-needed cheap hotel for a quick shower.


    Finally, she took a ck cab to a neighboring city.


    During the trip, she received a call from her new agent, who wanted to discuss uing work arrangements. Rita casually mentioned she was traveling and asked him to wait three days.


    She wasn''t sure if she was outsmarting the air, but she didn''t want to take any chances. She preferred to act as though she were clueless rather than return to her hideout immediately after doing something shady¡ªthat was a survival instinct honed over years of evasion.


    Moreover, with her luck at maximum value, sometimes intuition felt like guidance from luck itself.


    As it turned out, Rita''s gamble paid off.


    After Rita left, Sanchez shifted forms and, after drinking a basic healing potion, was flown to the hospital by helicopter. This kind of injury couldn''t be treated by a family doctor.


    On the helicopter, Sanchez constantly sensed her own blood, which had been scattered outside the estate. Despite her small sensing range, she managed to detect the blood''s trail up to theke. After stopping there and having her arm patched up and the bleeding controlled, she continued searching for the scent of her blood with the helicopter.


    By the time Rita left Los Angeles, the White family had already traced the scent to the city.


    The helicopter hovered visibly over the city; the White family''s influence allowed them to fly without needing flight permits.


    But the scent was too scattered. Sanchez had only had her talent for less than a week, and reaching the city was as far as she could go.


    She clutched her wound, which was impossible to staunch with the pain overwhelming her. Her right arm was only half intact.


    Sanchez''s eyes burned with rage.


    She remembered those eyes. She would find her and make her pay!


    ...


    In Aiken City, Rita stayed busy, fearing she might copse from exhaustion if her character data weren''t digitized.


    She was in Aiken City for a highly sought-after item.


    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-ss 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 n 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 regrly cleaned it, and after the game invasion, it triggered a mutation chance, bing an S-ss item.


    **[Meow Meow Inn] (S-ss):** When ced 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-ss 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 hade 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''te 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.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    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 ced a sign saying, "Free food for all stray animals."


    She opened ten cans on-site and ced 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 dors.


    It was a ssic case of strong-arming.


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


    Rita feared this oue. 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 vi. She nned 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

    Afterpleting 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 ced in the front yard of her vi. 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 particrly good nor bad¡ªbasic politeness was present, but respect wascking.


    Originally, it was just a son-inw. Frankly, Zoey was interested in Rick''s gic 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-inw, would never control the Lopez family.


    Rita had attended a simr 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 thepany 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 ount: "See this number? Doesn''t it make you anxious?"


    Rick''s smile faltered. He wanted to use 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 ount 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 youter. 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.


    Jealousy, huh? Femalepetition, huh? Treating me as a pawn in your game, huh?


    Seeing Rick''s smile growing more strained, Rita greeted Samuel and Scarlett before leaving with a refreshed demeanor.


    ...


    Once her most critical skills were leveled up to maximum, Rita began to focus on her next moves.


    She hadn''t heard any updates about the White family, as she wasn''t on their level. Even if the Lopez family knew, they wouldn''t share with the Wilson family.


    She wasn''t going to wait any longer. Rick''s thoughts had truly disgusted her.


    Rick wasn''t without work. If he had been jobless, Zoey wouldn''t have been interested. He was a game streamer with good looks and skills, and arge fan base. He made hundreds of thousands each month just from tips.


    He also had a small apartment dedicated to his work.


    Rita didn''t n to handle Rick personally. She had met many escapees during her previous life. Following one escapee''s advice, she found another city''s undergroundwork and used 50 kilograms of gold to hire a person to shoot someone''s gun, ensuring no one was harmed¡ªan extremely cost-effective transaction.


    The gold had been taken from Samuel''s study. Samuel''s money had indeed been used against him¡ªhow clever.


    Concerned that the hired person might be overshadowed by the protagonist''s halo, Rita scheduled the action for the morning of April 5th, right after Rick left. She hoped not many people would see, as she still hoped Rick would marry into the Lopez family.


    On the night of April 4th, Rita woke up at 6 AM and went to the Wilson estate to retrieve three luxury handbags she had purchased. She drank a basic invisibility potion along with a basic phasing potion and walked through walls to Rick''s room, using **[Wheel of Fate]** to set his luck to 1.


    The entire house was nearly unaware of her return. However, those who checked the neighborhood or elevator surveince would have seen her arriving at 6 AM and leaving with three designer bags in less than half an hour.


    By 8 AM, after selling the three bags to a nearby second-hand store, she heard seven gunshots from a street away. Rita paused, thinking, could it be that luck 1 couldn''t even hit anything?


    After a moment, she received a notification of mission failure.


    "Damn it, what a nightmare. Seven shots and none hit. The person just dodged around randomly. Is this a movie or something? I''m a sharpshooter. Do you understand what a sharpshooter means?"


    Could it be too cruel? Even with a luck of 1, the protagonist''s halo might protect him? After all, the protagonist can survive near-death experiences and severe injuries, but not be a eunuch...


    Rita sent another message: "Try using a knife instead. Don''t be too harsh, just cut him halfway."


    "?"


    "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 bnce. Remember to take away and destroy the severed parts."


    Half an hourter, Rita received a call from Scarlett, who was hysterical and asked her toe to the hospital quickly, saying her brother had had an ident.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    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 ck 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''te up with a reason to me 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 ck 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 upughing 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.


    In the book, the step-son is portrayed as a mere side character, but in the side stories, the male protagonist''s three sons, who became the leaders of the Su, Han, and Liang families, all changed their surnames back to Yu at the same time, marking a powerful turn of events.


    Scarlett might have had a slightly higher status than Rita, but only slightly. Her main role was being used by Samuel as a pawn.


    Samuel looked at Rick. "Do you have any ideas?"


    Rick, staring nkly at the ceiling, said, "Could it be that Rita has offended someone? Maybe she''s caused trouble outside."


    Samuel sighed. "How many times have I told you to stay calm and not vent your anger? Anger is something only women do. If she had really caused trouble, why would the troublee to her?"


    Rick began to suspect the other woman in the house. "Could it be that Mom''s temper caused the trouble?"


    Samuel shook his head. "I know all about her."


    Rick closed his eyes, his chest heaving with agitation. After a while, he spoke in a hushed voice, "Did the Lopez family disagree with my marriage?"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "It''s hard to say, but they wouldn''t resort to such underhanded methods. If they had objections, they would have directly refused. We wouldn''t have dared to press further," Samuel paused, then said softly, "Have you upset any women? You know many messy people through work."


    Rick began to reflect carefully, certain he had not offended anyone. He maintained a friendly but distant demeanor with everyone. He had only drawn closer to Zoey after confirming her family background. He shook his head.


    Samuel patted Rick''s hand reassuringly. "The vase has already been sold. Before the engagement, I''ll get the vi sorted for you."


    Rick asked again, "Does Rita really have no money left?"


    Samuel replied, "It seems so. I found out herpany had a scandal, and her agent got involved. You know how much she trusted that Liu person. She probably hasn''t been in the mood recently. Once she''s better, I''ll find a way to get her back to making money. You focus on your recovery and don''t worry about these matters."


    Rick, with little hope, said, "In my situation¡­"


    Samuel reassured him, "The doctor said it won''t affect your ability to have children. A short period won''t matter. What matters is the technique!"


    Rita nearlyughed out loud.


    Seeing she wasn''t gaining any useful information, Rita left the ward with a hint of regret.


    ...


    After discovering that Rick was short a limb, Rita felt a sense of rity.


    Yes, this is the path of revenge!


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


    Marrying into the Lopez family? Even if he''s no longer aplete 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 seeded.


    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 vi. There were high-level spells for healing severed limbs in the game, which Zoey used to be 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 thetter containing a hint of magic that cannot be faked, some traders among the races, especially goblins, would ept 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 imed 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 copse.


    When goblin merchants appeared, the currency had already copsed. Everyone traded using game currency. Not only was gold no longer used to buy gold, but since goblins also epted gold for coins, gold had basically be 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. Themission was high, but it specialized in selling illicit goods. Buyers typically kept such items hidden rather than unting 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. Handlingrge 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 untilte 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 dors in her Vancouver ount.


    During this period, she wore the Ch¨¢vez Eye, but she didn''t encounter any yers.


    Over 3,200 pounds of gold could be exchanged for over 5,000 gold coins, even at the goblin merchants'' inted 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 sses, so regardless of race or origin, yers don''t have specific skills. Instead, yers are roughly categorized by their main attributes, such as healing, agility, magic, melee, and ranged. The core of every yer''s skills revolves around their divine talents. All skills are designed toplement these divine talents.


    Of course, there are also free-form styles where yers learn any skill theye 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, fromrge appliances to small groceries and beverages. When she dragged a cart full of packages back to her vi, 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 a smile, Rita shook hands with her brother-inw-to-be and then put down the gift money. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she went to join Samuel and the others.


    She felt she could barely recognize Rick anymore. How quickly had he changed from a shy, timid young man into a sullen one?


    So what if he lost half his member? Was it really such a big deal?


    As the protagonist, he was supposed to have an 18 cm standard; now he only had 9 cm, and he was gloomy? Such dissatisfaction!


    But the Wilson genes were strong. His gloominess actually made him more attractive. In a fan fiction story, he might not even get out of bed.


    Yet, in a step-son story, it was not bad either. Zoey looked at Rick with admiration.


    Although Rita had been a star for many years, the attendees were either wealthy heiresses or socialites. No one approached her, and she enjoyed the peace and quiet. She had really gotten tired of killing in Vancouver.


    She was too busy to kill anyone now.


    Her killing had be so frequent that her demeanor had changed. She used to be a gentle, radiant moonlight; now, in a suit, she exuded an aura of someone not to be trifled with.


    Samuel, with his eyes narrowed, watched her for a while, then approached and asked softly, "Why the big change recently? Did something happen? Tell me."


    Rita quickly responded, "I met a mafia boyfriend in Italy and spent half a month with him. Doesn''t that sound exciting?"


    Samuel replied, "¡­" Such tant jesting was best ignored.


    Rita ced her hand on her mouth and whispered, "I got a real gun. Seventeen of various types, plus bullets. It''s a shame I didn''t take down their base; my firepower wasn''t enough. I''ll see it through when I have more skills."


    Samuel''s lips tightened. "Give it to meter; I''ll keep it safe. Guns are illegal."


    Oh, you want it? And it''s illegal? If discovered, you''d take the fall?


    Rita replied obediently, "Sure, I''ll listen to Dad."


    The engagement party was hosted by the Lopez family. The Wilson family members were all very subdued, with no speeches or interactions on stage. Rita noted Samuel''s usual elegant and handsome professor demeanor.


    As for Scarlett, although she could be temperamental at home, she was undeniably attractive, giving birth to a beautiful Rita and the now-castrated Rick. Scarlett''s quiet smiles were quite intimidating.


    During the meal, Rita was seated next to Zoey. Zoey identally spilled red wine on Rita, and although Rita appeared to react quickly, she hadn''t managed to avoid itpletely.


    Zoey hurriedly apologized, and Rita smiled and waved it off, then went upstairs to quickly change.


    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 regr person might.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 havemitted 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-inw 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 n 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 surveince, 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 nt inside the room.


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


    Drinking an invisibility potion, Rita sessfully 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, Ricky on the bed with a furrowed brow, asionally shifting. It was unclear whether he was asleep or not.


    In the corner of the roomy 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 disying 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 ce, and Rick remained facing away from the door. Rita ced the broken phone back exactly where it had been and quietly left.


    She had imagined dozens of scenarios before arriving, but the simplest one urred. She had even considered what to do if Rick, instead of bing agitated by the messages, actually got excited and started practicing his skills or ying 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.


    At exactly 6:06 AM, she found "StarSea: Warcraft Rift" and immediately clicked to download.


    Upon reaching the character selection screen, she saw the familiar undead, but beside [I don''t care], there was a new notification¡ª"Wanted."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Rita checked her inner pocket and found the two backpacks she had been carrying were missing. However, the character on the screen had two familiar backpacks hanging at its waist.


    She tried using Thief God''s [Disguise!] skill to transform into a short goblin.


    Soon, Rita''s physical form changed; she shrank, her skin turned green, her ears grewrger. At the same time, the undead character on the screen mirrored these changes.


    Rita entered the game immediately. She had only one hour of disguise time, so she needed to understand her situation within that hour.


    The screen lit up, showing a small goblin standing in a cemetery. Adjusting the game view, she saw the Undead City not far off. She immediately directed her character toward the city, speeding past low-level monsters.


    In less than five minutes, she stood at the city gates, where her original undead character''s image was disyed. Thankfully, when she created her character, she had randomly selected features, which had made her character look a lot like her.


    Although Thief God''s disguise skill was short-lived, it was impervious to detection by any item or skill. Rita easily entered the city and headed straight for the goblin district. In the goblin shop, she found the goblin merchant and asked if they epted gold.


    Goblin: "Time is money. If you have gold, why don''t you just make it into coins yourself? Didn''t your mentor teach you?"


    Rita''s breathing quickened slightly. She typed in the chat box: "Can you teach me the rted skills? I am willing to pay for your valuable time."


    The goblin immediately sent a trade window showing a 100 gold fee.


    This precious opportunity was too good to haggle over. Rita took out the 100 gold coins given to her by the Undead City Lord and handed them over.


    [Goblin Robert L teaches you "Goldsmithing" (Basic)]


    She opened the skill details.


    [Goldsmithing] (A-ss) (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 barpleted 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 gamey, earning even a single gold coin was arduous.


    Rita didn''t dy further. She pushed her chaotic thoughts aside and took out severalrge 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 tworge 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 bybining 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: "Ch¨¢vez."


    Nothing.


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


    She spent 800 gold to buy two 36-slot bags, which were thergest 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-ss):** After use, you can teleport to any ce 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 ns. 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.


    However, Rita only had 16 minutes left of her disguise.


    She spent 200 gold on a blue-tier ne with only one effect: reducing cooldown times by 15%.


    In her previous life, 200 gold could have bought a level-10 blue-tier item with three attributes; now, Rita felt like she was livingrge.


    Next, she searched for the skill **[Phantom Cloak].**


    **[Phantom Cloak] (C-ss):** After use, you will be invisible to the naked eye. (No cooldown, consumes 10 mana per minute.)


    "Invisible to the naked eye" meant it could be detected by skills or items, but for now, it would do!


    Invisibility potions were useful, but their cooldown times were too long. Relying solely on basic and intermediate invisibility potions wasn''t enough.


    **[Phantom Cloak]** was only a C-ss skill because it was pretty useless after level 10, as everyone had their own detection methods.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But in the current real world, it was extremely useful. Rita bought the skill book for 120 gold.


    Finally, she spent 50 gold on **[Sleep Spell] (C-ss),** which could put someone to sleep briefly, and a sleeping potion that would knock someone out for 6 hours.


    After buying these four items, Rita immediately dashed out of the city.


    She barely made it out of the Undercity and back to the graveyard where she had logged in before her disguise ran out.


    Rita retrieved the items from her mailbox, learned the skill books, equipped the ne, and then logged out of the game.


    This time, her phone didn''t turn into ck smoke. But when she logged out, two bags, one ck and one white, appeared on the ground¡ªher new 36-slot bags. A cold ne materialized around her neck, and she gained the knowledge of how to use the two spells in her mind.


    Rita used **[Phantom Cloak]** on herself and felt a cool sensation, as if ice-cold water were sliding over her skin, before her body vanished from sight.


    Time was precious. She drank a phasing potion and returned to Rick''s room.


    Rick was awake, crouching on the ground, repeatedly trying to power on his broken phone.


    Seeing how irritated he looked, Rita felt a bit uneasy. Was this the power of a protagonist? Even after losing half of his manhood and being bombarded with obscene messages, he was still in the mood to y with his phone?!


    As she was thinking this, she saw Rick walk over to his suitcase and start searching for something.


    Rita''s sharp eyes caught sight of a tablet andptop inside his suitcase.


    Damn! She had overlooked the tablet!


    Fine, if that''s how you want to y 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 copsed 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 thebination 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 ne 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 ce to re-enter the game, reapply her disguise, and return to the city. While she was willing to adjust her ns for **[Phantom Shift]**, she wasn''t about to be fixated on it.


    Originally, she had nned 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 vi 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 thew. After Rita repeatedly assured him that there was no body inside the fridge, he immediately took the job.


    Ten minutester, a ck 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 vi 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 rms suddenly red around her as she reached thest 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 ss 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 familiescked 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 ce 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 therge 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 secondster, a series of explosions rocked the corridor, leaving nothing but ckened debris.


    She continued her escape.


    While the phasing potion onlysted 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 ying 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 copsed.


    As they fell unconscious, Rita thought about checking their phones, but the devices went dark as well.


    It made sense¡ªthe game connected to a person''s mind. Otherwise, how could the skills she learned in the game synchronize with reality?


    Unexpectedly, two bags appeared in front of Zoey.


    Ha! A pleasant surprise! Rita quickly grabbed the two bags and stuffed them into her own inventory. Although there were only two bag slots on her waist, much like equipment slots, she could carry more bags on her person, even if only two would be active at a time. It was like wearing multiple vests, but only one would be functional.


    Zoey''s bags could be worn, but Rita couldn''t ess their contents.


    Initially nning to hide out in the room for a while, Rita changed her mind after getting Zoey''s bags. She never expected bags to drop this way. Even with her **Thief God** talent, she could only steal one item from a person''s bag or equipment, possibly even a bag itself, but she couldn''t steal the bag they were currently using.


    She could knock someone out and forcibly strip them of their equipment, but to obtain a bag someone was wearing required killing them; otherwise, it would just be empty air.


    Rita pulled out a hatchet, tested its weight, and approached the three unconscious figures.


    Sanchez had paid with an arm as interest¡ªwhat should these three give her?


    An ear, perhaps? Since Zoey believed everything Rick said, taking an ear wasn''t too much, was it?


    Rita took out the butcher knife she had bought and squatted beside Zoey. As she brushed aside Zoey''s hair, she noticed the blue diamond earring on her right ear.


    Ha! Rita''s eyes lit up. She quickly grabbed the ear and sliced it off. The intense pain snapped Zoey out of her slumber, causing her to scream and clutch her bleeding ear.


    But she couldn''t see anyone around her.


    Rita, who had already downed an invisibility potion and a phasing potion, made a swift exit, carrying the severed ear and diamond earring. She removed her bloodstained gloves, packed them along with the ear and earring, and continued her escape.


    Rita sprinted all the way to the nearby Taylor estate, slipping into a maid''s room in the estate''s secondary building. The room was empty; after all, it was 11:35 AM, the busiest time for the maids.


    Unsure whether the maid''s room had surveince, Rita, familiar with the setup, crawled under the bed andy t.


    This ce still felt the safest.


    And it was a sunroom, which was even better.


    12:12 PM.


    At exactly 12:12, Rita, lying under the bed, logged into the game. Disguised as a goblin, she ran to find her goblin mentor.


    She had 22 slots filled with gold bricks and one slot holding 15 bricks¡ªtotaling 2,193 gold bricks or 21,930 pounds of gold.


    She approached her goblin mentor and requested to exchange all of it for gold coins. The goblin fell silent for a few seconds.


    A dialogue box popped up with the goblin''s response: *"I don''t have that many gold coins, my friend."*N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Rita was genuinely angry. After all the effort she''d put into making money, he was now telling her he didn''t have 60,000 gold?


    *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-ss 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. Thest 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 thatsts 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 snowke 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.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    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 unimed 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!


    **[Magician''s Fake Tooth]** (B Rank): Contains 1 cubic meter of storage space and upies one of your tooth sockets. It can hide all items you don''t want others to know about. (Items stored inside cannot be detected by any skill or item, but they also cannot be used.)


    A must-have for anyone with valuable items! Rita acknowledged that she had too many good things. 999 gold¡ªbought!


    **[Alchemy Set]** (E Rank): Increases your sess rate in alchemy and has a 1% chance to upgrade the quality of your potions.


    **[Alchemy Notes]**: Reading this gives you a chance to learn alchemy recipes you haven''t studied before (up to 1 level higher than your current alchemy level). (This effect can only trigger once every 30 days.)


    **[Engineering Notes]**: Reading this gives you a chance to learn engineering recipes you haven''t studied before (up to 1 level higher than your current engineering level). (This effect can only trigger once every 30 days.)


    The alchemy set was cheap, only 50 gold. The two booksbined were 2,000 gold.


    But 2,000 gold was a bargain. Her alchemy and engineering were both at the advanced level, so reading these notes could give her the chance to learn master-level recipes. This was like carrying a treasure trove with her. Even if she could only learn once a month, it was worth it!


    She also found **[Cooking Notes]**, which were much cheaper at only 350 gold.


    Bought them all.


    Money only had value when converted into resources; otherwise, it was just waste paper.


    Rita had 20,000 gold from the goblins, plus 3,116 gold leftover from earlier, giving her a total of 23,116 gold. After this shopping spree, she had only 220 gold left.


    After the game''s invasion, most of the skills found in dungeons were only C rank. Since she could buy them, she naturally went for the skills she couldn''t obtain otherwise. She only bought two C-rank spells¡ªone for control and one for offense. They were enough for now.


    Her focus was on top-tier skills she hadn''t encountered in her previous life and useful items.


    Time flew by as she shopped.


    After receiving her purchased items and learning all the skills, Rita reluctantly left the auction house.


    **12:42 PM**


    18 minutes left until the end of the beta test.


    She went to the herb shop, filling over 30 bag slots with herbs before leaving.


    **12:47 PM**


    Rita stood a short distance from the Undead Pce, watching it. Ever since she had stolen the Undead Lord''s divine gift, the guards outside the pce had multiplied by the hundreds. The undead soldiers practically encircled the pce, 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 herst 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 imed 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 nk. 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 Elf."*


    *"Theft sessful."*


    *"You have died."*


    The screen went ck.


    Momentster, 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 ck 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 be 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 ces she had visited before.

 Chapter 20: Don’t Get Too Cocky

    Rita focused and sensed several distinctivendmarks, 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*!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 avable, she finally rxed. 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 y gods. A true master archer doesn''t need to try¡ªthey''re just naturally strong.


    **Skill 1**: *You''re Too Weak (Passive)*: Inbat, 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 eithernds 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 herbat 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 didn''t have a specific career path in mind yet, but this divine gift was too powerful to ignore. She had to train it. Considering the noise firearms made, she decided to get a bow or crossbow to practice with.


    While mentally organizing her new skills and gear, Rita used her Ch¨¢vez sses to observe the passersby, hoping to spot any new yers. She stood outside the center until around 3 PM before finally seeing someone enter. She followed them inside, and after confirming they were there to pick up medication, she swiped a syringe from a nurse and then tailed the patient home.


    Once the patient returned home, Rita cast *Sleep Spell* on him and drew a vial of blood from his body.


    Not feeling entirely secure, she decided to take additional precautions. What if, by some twist of fate, the protagonist wasn''t affected by just one vial? She filled an empty vial with the tainted blood and drew two more vials before leaving. Before departing, she poured a bottle of basic healing potion into the patient''s mouth.


    She reasoned that the potion could at least replenish his blood, even if it couldn''t cure his disease. In her past life, when the game had invaded, those who were critically ill found their ailments reflected in their stats¡ªmissing limbs meant lower health, and chronic illness resulted in constant health depletion.


    The speed of the health drain depended on the severity of the illness, much like a continuous damage-over-time spell.


    If they wanted to survive, they had to keep chugging healing potions or find someone who knew top-tier healing magic to cure thempletely.


    Rita was eager to see how Rick''s status would change after being game-ified.


    When she *Phantom Shifted* back to Rick''s room, he was no longer there, but Rita wasn''t disappointed. She returned to her vi, ced the cat toy in the **Meow Meow Inn**, took a good shower, and then went to bed.


    She slept straight through until 2 AM.


    Upon waking, she activated her disguise skill, cast *Phantom Cloak*, and with the syringe in hand, *Phantom Shifted* back to Rick''s room.


    Perfect¡ªwithout the game beta, the protagonist apparently went to bed early and got up early.


    First, Rita cast *Wheel of Fate* on Rick, setting his luck to 1. Then she approached him with the syringe, aiming to inject the tainted blood into his veins. But every time the needle was about to pierce his skin, Rick would scratch this or that part of his body.


    After ten failed attempts, during which Rick scratched his ears, his hair, his butt, and even his toes, Rita was fed up. Was he pretending to be asleep?


    Noticing Rick''s eyelid twitch, Rita immediately cast *Sleep Spell* on him.


    Rick slumped over, finally still.


    Rita carefully inserted the needle into Rick''s hand, injecting the tainted blood slowly. Three injectionster, 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 vi. After destroying the syringe, she considered how to dispose of the severed arm and ear in her inventory. She had nned 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 anyte-night escapades. She ced 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 st 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.*


    ying with the ear stud by the sea, she felt utterly content. The ear stud was a token that could trigger a chain of quests, andpleting 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 hadpletely forgotten she was a mage now!

 Chapter 21: Acting Until Your Heart Breaks

    Rita had a big performanceing 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 yer 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 expensesing 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 be a beta tester and neededrge 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 ce 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 rtionship 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.


    Rita exined that a few days ago, while waiting for someone, she had downloaded a game to pass the time. She yed it for just two hours before the game and her phone vanished. The most important part was that the items and skills she acquired in the game hade with her into the real world! To prove it, she searched for the game in front of them, but nothing came up.


    Both Samuel and Rick, even Scarlett, held their breaths, trying to process what they were hearing. Scarlett had a bad temper and was often impulsive, but she knew Rita well enough to know that she wouldn''t joke about something so serious.


    Lowering her voice even further, Rita pulled out a small, tattered gray pouch from her pocket¡ªthe 4-slot pouch she had acquired from the previous owner of the **Wheel of Fate**. In front of everyone, she extracted three lunchboxes, each farrger than the pouch itself. Then she pulled out a small ss vial, about the size of a pinky finger, filled with a liquid that resembled a red gemstone.


    Handing the vial to Rick, she said, "This is a healing potion from the game. Quick, drink it and see if it works!"


    Rick''s hands trembled as he took the vial, his eyes filled with aplex mix of disbelief, gratitude, and jealousy as he looked at Rita.


    Rita urged, "Try it quickly!"


    Scarlett was even more anxious, repeatedly urging Rick to drink it. Samuel clenched his fists, looking like he wanted to force the potion down Rick''s throat.


    Rick tilted his head back and drank the potion... and then... nothing happened. His expression darkened as he stared at his pants. He was still a 9cm big boy.


    How tragic. She had never seen a male lead in a web novel with a length that was a single digit.


    9cm¡ªmight as well round it down to zero!


    At that moment, Rick was almost grateful that he was an actor, as he forced a smile and tried to console himself. "Even if this didn''t work, at least we know that such miraculous things exist. I managed to get in this time, so maybe next time, you can too!"


    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 exined. "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 hisplex 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.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 n, always on guard. In her past life, both Samuel and Scarlett had only be yers 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 rm her. If she''s already a yer, asking her outright might make her think you''re suspicious or testing her, and that could damage your rtionship."


    Rick nodded repeatedly, showing he understood.


    Samuel then asked more about the game, and Rita shared what she could. She exined that money was hard to earn in the game. Despite ying 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 nning 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 simr name, so I decided to try it out. But there were no ads, and no one online is talking about it."


    Samuelmented, "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 dayster, 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 usation.


    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 me, you should just assume they weren''t, right? she thought. But deep down, Rick was ufortable. 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?


    He suddenly recalled how he had mysteriously fainted on the morning of the 6th. He had initially thought it was due to an irregr sleep schedule and low blood sugar, but what if the Lopez family''s enemies had somehow prevented him from ying the game¡­?


    No, that didn''t make sense. He hadn''t even known about the game at the time¡ªhe was just in the mood to watch some short videos to pass the time.


    Rick leaned back on the sofa, feeling defeated. Just like Rita said, whether it was true or not...


    What could he do?


    ---


    Although things were going smoothly, Rita wasn''t without her troubles. The **Goldsmithing** skill was clearly marked as a goblin-exclusive ability. Even though she had learned it, it turned gray when she left the game. She could only use it after using her disguise skill to transform into a goblin, at which point the skill would be active.


    The disguise skill was incredibly useful, but it had a long cooldown period¡ªshe could only use it up to four times a day. To avoid affecting her daily activities, Rita had adopted a routine: every night, she transformed into a green-skinned goblin ten minutes before bed, sat by the edge of her bed, and crafted three gold coins before going to sleep.


    By the time she woke up, the skill''s cooldown would have ended.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    After transforming into a goblin, she not only performed her daily gold crafting but also used **Phantom Shift** to sneak into Zoey and Sanchez''s bedrooms, stealing just one item each before returning home to rest with 60% of her health remaining.


    But after only two days, she discovered that Zoey''s bedroom¡ªand nearly the entire Lopez estate¡ªwas equipped with a misting system that sprayed some kind of vapor. It wasn''t just the garden or the interior of the mansion; every room had this device. The moment Rita noticed the mist in the room, she immediately used **Phantom Shift** to leave the Lopez estate.


    When she got home, she found that her invisibility potion had worn off¡ªher body was fully visible again.


    What a bold move. How much revealing potion were they using every day?


    And didn''t they worry about their furniture getting moldy? No matter how fine the mist or how high-quality the furniture, continuous spraying like that would ruin it eventually.


    But it didn''t matter. Rita drank another invisibility potion and returned to the Lopez estate, this time hiding under Zoey''s bed. Even if she became visible, it wouldn''t matter¡ªshe would steal and then leave immediately.


    Peeking out from under the bed, Rita rxed when she saw that the Lopez estate hadn''t descended into chaos. It seemed she hadn''t been discovered earlier. She wasn''t sure if there were cameras in Zoey''s room, but it didn''t matter. She was always cautious, wearing a disguise before drinking the invisibility potion.


    Since she had started turning into a goblin to craft gold, she had been visiting the Lopez and White estates daily in goblin form.


    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 seeded 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 vi, following an extremely regr 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 vi.


    At night, she practiced archery on the second floor of her vi, reading **Alchemy Notes** or **Engineering Notes** before bed. On weekends, she went to theke in her vimunity 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 toplete, 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. asionally, 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, sometimespletely 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 identally 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 theck of precision and professionalism. "What nonsense!" she thought. Butter, 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 bncing the properties of various ingredients, unbound by rigid forms. Sometimes, minor mistakes would lead to unexpected surprises.


    By July, Ritapletely 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 yer 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 thest to arrive; Samuel and Scarlett were already seated inside.


    Beforeing, 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.


    Rita, Samuel, and Scarlett all greeted her with smiles.


    Zoey had changed her hairstyle. It used to be long and straight, neatly tucked behind her ears, but now it was styled in a wavy 2:8 part¡ªno doubt to cover the bare spot on the right side of her head. Perhaps due to recent frustrations, her usual elegance andposure had been reced with a gloomy demeanor, matching the brooding look on Rick''s face.


    It was almostughable¡ªhe was now a 9cm warrior, and she was missing an ear. Who could deny they were a perfect match?


    Rita didn''t bother to pay special attention to Zoey''s new monocle. She could easily guess that it was probably some kind of item; otherwise, someone missing an ear would psychologically reject anything that needed to be hooked around the ear. Every time Zoey put on or took off the monocle, it would be a psychological torment, even if it was just a monocle.


    Zoey''s monocle was indeed a detection item. Although it wasn''t as good as the **Ch¨¢vez Mask** Rita had acquired earlier, it was still a B-grade item. Detection equipment was rare, so finding a B-grade one was a significant aplishment, especially given that the Lopez family''s three branches had pooled their resources and sent over ten people into the beta test.


    In fact, getting an A-grade item in the first beta test was a true stroke of luck. Her two brothers... well, forget it. There was no point in thinking about the first beta test, especially since it just reminded her of her lost ear.


    As soon as she entered, Zoey used her detection item on Rita, but all she saw was what Rita wanted her to see.


    - **Character**: Rita (Level 0, 0.001%)


    - **Divine Gift**: (Undetectable)


    - **Race**: Human


    - **Racial Talent**: Undetectable


    - **HP**: 100/100


    - **MP**: 100/100


    - **Strength**: 5


    - **Constitution**: 7


    - **Intelligence**: 7


    - **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 exin 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.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Zoey''s expression had softened immediately, as she recalled that Rita had indeed messaged her that day, asking her toe to the hotel because she had something important to tell both her and Rick. But she had been too preupied¡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 hadpletely 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 yed much, just as she had imed.


    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 rtionship. 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 yer. 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 preupied 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 yer. 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 ss of Coke.


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


    The Ch¨¢vez mask no longer provided her with the sense of security it once did. Although, for now, no item below S-rank could prate 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, simr to the Ch¨¢vez sses, 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?


    She didn''t even want to imagine the horror of someone using an S-rank detection item on her, with her personal panel lighting up above her head, revealing that her Divine Gifts nearly outnumbered her attributes.


    Rita tossed and turned until midnight, unable to sleep at all. Finally, she got up and started packing.


    She decided that tomorrow, she would go find the male lead''s third woman. The Ch¨¢vez mask was with the main wife, the sses with the second wife¡ªperhaps the final piece was with the youngest wife?


    Of course, Rita knew the male lead''s youngest wife. This third wife only lost out because she appearedter in the story, but her family''s power was no less than that of the Lopez and White families. The Taylor family''s influence was centered in B City.


    During the second year of the game''s invasion, the Taylor family was driven out of B City by a coalition of other families and retreated to Los Angeles, where they had already established a foothold.


    She couldn''t help but wonder, **Is Los Angeles a dumping ground? You say you''re leaving, and suddenly you''re here.**


    But it was still early, and Rita hadn''t made her daily gold coins yet. She transformed into a goblin, created three coins, and then, while invisible, went to Zoey''s room. No one was there.


    After searching around, she decided to try the Lopez brothers. If Zoey wasn''t there, she might as well not leave empty-handed.


    Lately, Rita had be quite bold. After discovering that the Lopez family was only using low-grade visibility potions, she began drinking advanced invisibility potions and wandering around the estate.


    She headed to the brothers'' quarters. She had considered stealing from them before, but they were hardly ever home¡ªone was a CEO, the other an athlete. But tonight, she found the second brother, Theodore, at home for the first time since the second beta test.


    In her past life, Theodore had been a top archer and became one of the Lopez family''s strongest fighters within just a month of the game''s invasion. As the male lead''s life wouldn''t beplete without someone to bully him, Theodore was the Lopez family''s favorite person to stomp on Rick. Whenever possible, he would find an excuse to make Rick''s life miserable.


    In female-led stories, there''s always an evil sister-inw. In son-inw stories, there''s always an evil brother-inw.


    Before the wedding, he maintained basic manners, but after the wedding, everything Rick did annoyed him.


    But with Zoey''s protection, Theodore couldn''t go too far, so he sometimes turned his attention to Rita.


    **What a psycho,** Rita thought, **What''s it got to do with me?!**


    Rick would sometimes bring Rita along to the Lopez family''s group activities, iming it was to repay his sister. Now, Rita realized it was more like he was pushing her out to divert attention away from himself.


    During monster fights, Theodore would send Rita ahead to lure the monsters and asionally "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 thenin 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 manipte 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 ns 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 yer.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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-inw trope in a BL story, but as an evil brother-inw.


    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 yers. 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 Ch¨¢vez sses, she knew Daniel was a yer, 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 be 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 vi, gulped down a big cup of coffee, and cooked threerge 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 yers 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.


    The long silence made the girl anxious, and she apologized, thinking she had upset Rita. "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to bother you. I just... I couldn''t help myself. It''s been so long since we''ve heard from you."


    Ah... a fan?


    That felt so distant now. Such pure, clumsy admiration.


    Rita pulled down her mask and chatted briefly with the girl, even buying her a coffee. However, having encountered all sorts of bizarre Divine Gifts, she declined to sign anything.


    Even after boarding the ne, Rita was still reflecting on the encounter.


    Those old troubles from the entertainment industry felt like they had happened centuries ago. Even Amelia drugging her and sending her to that dead man''s bed now seemed like a childish trick.


    After all, she had almost been tricked into an elven bed by Cam and Henry Taylor, the brother-sister duo from the Taylor family.


    Zoey might have been nasty, but her tactics were mainly about wielding power¡ªgetting others to steal Rita''s resources, or buying up all the materials Rita needed, or snatching high-level quest items. Zoey never resorted to petty tricks.


    Sanchez was brutal. If she hated someone, she''d hit them instead of hurling insults. In her mind, physical pain was far more effective than any psychological torture. Her life motto was, "Why torment the mind when you can torment the body?"


    The Taylor siblings, though¡ªthose two were both sneaky and vicious. They''d smile to your face while nning your downfall behind your back. They had once even tried to contract her as their ve...


    Each of these people had their issues.


    **Rick, the three-surnamed son-inw. And me? The three-surnamed tragic heroine, I guess.**


    Rita had never understood why these three women didn''t just go after each other, instead of taking their anger out on her.


    It wasn''t just them. Even the male lead''s friends were part of it.


    She suspected Rick had something to do with it, but she had no proof.


    That book she''d seen in her dying moments had blurred details, and even if she remembered them, they had been sugarcoated.


    The book wasn''t important¡ªher feelings were. The Taylor siblings definitely deserved a good "lesson."


    ---


    Standing in B City, Rita called her hitman contact, asking if he knew the way to the underground market.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    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 Caf¨¦ and ask for a 2-liter ck coffee. When they say they don''t have such arge 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.**


    Minutester, 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 rxed and got massaged, she caught up on some sleep¡ªshe didn''t n on restingter 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 nced at the therapist and mused that when the game invaded, this person''s massage skills might just be 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 surveince 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, ced 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 ces. 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 Cam Taylor''sp.


    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 Cam Taylor''s room without issue. As for Henry Taylor, like her, he was also a rtive of the male lead, but their situations were worlds apart. Cam and Henry were practically inseparable, even after Cam 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 Ch¨¢vez set. Using her potions, she walked directly into Cam 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 Cam''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 Cam.


    **Intelligence +1.**


    **Intelligence +1.**


    **Ch¨¢vez Hat +1.**


    Bingo! She stopped immediately.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    This hat¡ªshe had seen it in her previous life. It was the final piece of the Ch¨¢vez set. How clich¨¦¡ªof course, this would be the heroine''s standard gear!


    Excited, Rita quickly examined the hat.


    **[Ch¨¢vez Hat] (3/3) (A-Rank)**


    *Even a seer who can traverse the river of fate¡ªwell, if their skills and equipment are A-rank or below¡ªcannot discern your whereabouts. Must be worn to take effect.*


    When she pulled out the **Ch¨¢vez sses** and **Ch¨¢vez Mask** and ced them alongside the hat, a soft glow emanated from the three items. Slowly, they fused into a delicate silver pocket watch.


    **[Ch¨¢vez''s Time] (S-Rank)**


    *You don''t need to know who I am, where I am, or what I''m doing. I''m just in a hurry.*


    **Skill 1: Disguise** ¨C *You can disguise anything about yourself, and it takes effect instantly.*


    **Skill 2: Insight** ¨C *You can discover whatever information you want. Detailed information consumes 10 mana per second; an economy mode only shows basic info and consumes 1 mana per minute.*


    **Skill 3: Concealment** ¨C *You cannot be divined by anyone or anything. If someone attempts to scry you, you will sense their presence.* *(Ch¨¢vez is the best. Even against SSS-rank seers, all they''ll see is fog¡ªCh¨¢vez.)*


    **Set Skill: I''m In a Hurry** ¨C *Instantly teleport to any spot within your line of sight (up to 5 meters away). Cooldown: 10 seconds.*


    **Jackpot!**


    Rita took a deep breath, quickly activating the watch''s economy mode for insight. Immediately, she saw faint blue text floating over yers, just like in the game¡ªnames, levels, and percentages for health and mana.


    For example, over Cam''s head was:


    **Cam Taylor, Level 0, 100%©§100%.**


    Rita suppressed her excitement and used **I Want This, This, and This** a few more times.


    **Constitution +1.**


    Time to leave!


    She slipped out and headed downstairs to Henry Taylor''s room. **Wheel of Fate** was still on cooldown, so she had to rely on **Sleep Spell** and the Thief Godbo.


    After working through the night, she only managed to get +2 Constitution from Henry.


    By the time she left the Taylor estate at dawn, her updated stats were as follows:


    - **Health**: 150/150


    - **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 Ch¨¢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 copsing 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 Cam and Henry Taylor.


    She couldn''t let them off easily¡ªnot after they had once inscribed a ve 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 waspleted?


    He didn''t want Cam 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 sd for the sake of health.


    If she took them out with one clean strike, she''d wake up in the middle of the night, pping 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 andck 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 beforepleting 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. Havinge 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 ck market doctor to check if she was sick. The doctor, with no regard for bedside manners, nced 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.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She wasn''t interested inrge-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 caf¨¦, 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 copsed, so although there were dark undercurrents, society was stillrgely 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 yers and saw non-yers like her as beneath them.


    Julian''s **Divine Gift** wasn''t particrly strong¡ªjust an A-Rank, which was nothingpared to the S-Ranks that surrounded the male and female lead. Even Rita''s A-Rank gift was better.


    However, Julian had a mutated item that had changed after the game''s invasion, allowing him to stay by Rick''s side. It was a small figurine he''d always yed with. After it mutated, it became his contract pet¡ªa puppet that could fight and even use skills. It had 80% of its owner''s stats and would revive upon death.


    The best part? Like all bound equipment, the pet couldn''t be stolen, even if its owner died.


    Rita wasn''t nning on stealing Julian''s figurine. Though Julian was a jerk, he was more of an annoyance than a real threat. Sure, he was crude, had a bad attitude, ogled her inappropriately, and oftenined to Rick about how she was treated too leniently. There were even times when, during raids, Julian''s puppet would protect everyone except her. But none of that warranted killing him.


    Rita prided herself on being a forgiving person.


    She didn''t kill people at the drop of a hat¡ªshe believed in retribution proportional to the offense.


    So, she broke into Julian''s home, found the familiar little figurine¡ªa gaudy, sword-wielding figure¡ªand pulled out her knife. She chopped off the figurine''s tiny arms, shaved off its hair, and took the broken pieces with her as she left.


    As she passed a nearby alley, she casually crushed the cute little arms, the sword, and the hair before dumping the remains into a trash can.


    Sighing, Rita stood by the roadside, gazing at the streetlights.


    "I guess I''m kind of like a living saint."


    It waste into the night, but Rita''s chaotic schedule left her wide awake. She appeared once more in Cam Taylor''s room¡ªonly to find that Cam wasn''t asleep at 2 a.m.?


    Rita, hidden under **Phantom Cloak**, felt uneasy and chugged a bottle of invisibility potion just in case.


    She watched as Cam angrily threw things around the room. Soon after, Henry Taylor entered, looking equally pissed.


    "Any news?" Henry asked.


    "No, only the two of us had our attributes reduced."


    "Damn it¡­ my hat''s missing too! Someone must''ve stolen it. If I find out who, I''ll skin them alive!"


    "And what if theye back to steal more? We still don''t know if we can recover the lost attributes¡­"


    "We''ve checked with the Wilsons and the Lis¡ªno one''s experienced anything like this."


    Rita felt ted 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 rted 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 Cam 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 Cam 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 simrity 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''dnd?!*

 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 yer, but we haven''t met directly. You might even know him."


    On the way back, she exined 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 dramaticallytely, 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 yer, they mentioned Julian, too. They suspect he has a voice-rted 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 exined further, "I told you about **Divine Gifts** before, right? They''re weird and varied. I can manipte a person''s luck for a short time, so it''s not impossible that another yer''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 vi. She didn''t like others stepping into her private space. In fact, she was nning to sell the vi 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 ce 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 vi 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 apanying instructional videos again and again, memorizing every movement of the undead instructor.


    After watching all 400 recipes, she started from the beginning and watched them again. This time, she noticed that the undead mentor would asionally offer brief exnations during the videos.


    Rita thought, *Teacher, you''re helping the enemy!*


    Perhaps to a true schr, there was no difference between human and undead students. Just as goblins cared only for money and business rather than war and glory, once a person reached the level of a legendary craftsman, all they valued was the passing down of their skills.


    She didn''t dwell too much on this, instead choosing to cherish the opportunity. Whenever she hit a mental roadblock, she would step outside to cook a meal for the neighborhood cats. The cats of the "Meow Meow Inn" came and went frequently, but none stayed for more than a few days at a time.


    Although there were stray cats who lived in the area permanently, they only asionally stopped by for food and didn''t linger.


    Though Rita loved cats, she had no ns to keep one as a pet. She was too busy, constantly running off to do her thing. She had no time to care for a pet that needed regr attention.


    The current arrangement was perfect. She would prepare extra, lightly seasoned meat when practicing her cooking skills and leave it outside. In return, she got to cuddle and y with different cats, all without the responsibility of owning one.


    It was an open rtionship¡­ with cats.


    Though the ingredients she used were ordinary in the real world, the food she made still had slight buffing effects. Some meals increased strength temporarily, others speed. Both Rita and the cats enjoyed the results.


    Even though the skills she learned from the otherworld were delivered directly into her mind, making it feel like an instructional video, following along and practicing herself wasn''t the same. After all, the former imprinted the knowledge directly, shortening the learning curve and strengthening memory retention.


    Within just half a year, Rita had gone from a novice cook to a master with hundreds of dishes under her belt.


    Having mastered the basics, she could now cook meals from scratch without following a recipe. Though these dishescked magical effects, they still tasted great.


    She hadn''t ordered takeout in a long time. Her cooking was far superior to anything she could buy outside, and some dishes gave buffs like "Increased Focus," even if only for a few minutes. Those precious moments of heightened concentration significantly boosted her learning efficiency, allowing her to notice details in the alchemy videos she had previously overlooked.


    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 herpany 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-yers, 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 simr suspicions¡ªthat someone had noticed his unusual behavior, and he sought refuge with a trusted friend.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Rita''s retirement announcement caused a brief stir online. People dug up the recent incident where her former agent had died and spected whether Rita had been affected by the scandal.


    Rita responded to the rumors, rifying 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 livefortably."


    "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."


    "Thepany 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''tst long into September.


    Rick had moved into the same vimunity¡ªjust two kilometers away from her own vi.


    Samuel and Scarlett even invited her over for a housewarming dinner at Rick''s new ce. The vi''s security post was significantlyrger 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 in white belt would be willingly gifted¡ªbut a few hundred thousand dors? 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 alreadypleted their pre-marriage health screenings by the time Rita injected the virus into Rick, so he wouldn''t suspect anything was wrong.


    She didn''t make a fuss about avoiding dishes Rick had touched. After all, the virus wasn''t spread through saliva. While she would avoid contact when she could, there was no point raising suspicion over something as minor as sharing food.


    Eventually, when Rick discovered he was infected, he would probably be just as paranoid as Zoey had been when she realized her Ch¨¢vez mask and attributes were gone.


    Within a week, Rita had arranged for a professional team to take measurements for Rick''s new appliances. She didn''t bother showing up in person, knowing that if she did, Scarlett and Samuel would work together to coax her into buying the best and most expensive models. Well, the best appliances weren''t going to Rick''s vi!


    Instead, she upgraded the appliances in her own vi and sent the older, still-functioning ones to the small apartment. Anything that didn''t fit was sold off.


    Rita had spent most of her U.S. dors by now, leaving herself with just under a million¡ªenough tost until the game fully invaded. Meanwhile, her ount in Hong Kong still had 800 million in it.


    The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Samuel was this rich, yet he had fooled her with just 500,000!


    Realizing she wouldn''t be able to fully level up her advanced alchemy skills before the third closed beta, Rita decided to ease up on herself. There was no point in driving herself crazy.


    She figured it was time to spend that 800 million. She didn''t need to worry about clothes, food, or housing. Nor did she need more dungeon-portal apartments for now; she already had two, and that was the most she could handle.


    Dungeons could refresh anytime, but their difficulty and the rules for releasing otherworldly creatures varied. In smaller, lower-level dungeons, creatures could enter Earth after just 24 hours of survival. In moreplex dungeons, the creatures needed to survive for longer¡ªthree days, seven days, a month, or even years¡ªto cross over. The stronger the creature, the stricter the rules.


    Many dungeon portals were only discovered after creatures had already crossed over into Earth.


    What about gold? She still had 1,473 gold bricks, over 10,000 pounds. She could only wait for the next closed beta to trade in the Bloodmoon City goblin market again. If that didn''t work, she''d have to wait for goblin merchants to appear.


    Apparently, having too much money was its own headache.


    Stockpiling potions or raw materials for special items wouldn''t yield much profit either. She had no interest in profiting from a war that would affect the entire. While she wasn''t going to be a selfless hero, she also couldn''t bring herself to do something so despicable as hoarding resources for personal gain.


    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.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    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 dors 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 hade 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 whileter, Rita saw that same sword in Mateo''s hands.


    After telling the Wilson family she was heading to Vancouver to "investigate yers"¡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 **Ch¨¢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 dors 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 dors 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 exin 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 disy 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 exin why he suddenly feltpelled 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 regr 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.


    Apart from the **Meteor Desert Eagle**, the rest of the collection totaled 60 weapons, each stored neatly in matching weapon crates inside her inventory.


    Rita was confident that once the game invaded, even if just a few of these weapons mutated, she''d easily make a profit.


    Though not every purple-tier weapon would sell for thousands of gold coins, the market for such items was always in demand. Even a level 10 legendary weapon could sell for several times the price of a level 20 weapon due to the rarity and the market''s scarcity.


    However, legendary items, especially of this caliber, were priceless; even if someone offered the right price, the owner might not want to sell.


    While she spent most of September in Vancouver, Rita didn''t ck off on her alchemy studies. She left the logistics to her broker, who summarized information for her to review. She simply inspected the weapons, paid, and handled the paperwork.


    After each purchase, she''d take a drive, ensuring the weapons were safely stored away. Her broker, wise enough not to ask too many questions, respected her privacy.


    Treating these shopping trips as mental breaks from studying actually improved her alchemy progress. Her daily experience gains increased from 5 points to 7 points. Still, she knew it wouldn''t be enough to fully level up her advanced alchemy skills before the third beta test.


    Speaking of which, the third beta was scheduled for **October 10th**, and Rick''s wedding to Zoey was set for **October 18th**. Rita couldn''t help but marvel at the synchronicity. Was the game itself celebrating their union? They got engaged just before the second beta, and now they were getting married right after the third.


    Rita was determined to ensure Rick missed the third beta entirely.


    On **October 1st**, Rita returned to Los Angeles. Her first order of business was treating the cats at her "Meow Meow Inn" to a special feast. During her absence, an automatic feeder had been left out, filled with high-quality cat food. While not as tasty as the meals she prepared herself, it kept the cats fed.


    She ced bowls of warm meat broth on the ground and sat on the back steps, watching a tortoiseshell and tabby cat tussle over the food.


    Even though none of the cats had brought her any gifts, Rita foundfort in hosting them. It became a way for her to relieve stress. When deep in thought, she''d often sit quietly, watching the catse and go.


    With Rick now living in the same vimunity, 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 hade 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 me 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 vi. 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''te 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 simr 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 simr information. Yet Rita had gone out of her way to share this with him.


    Rita patted his hand. "If we all be yers, 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 vi before heading home.N?v(el)B\\jnn

 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 awayy 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 minutester, Rita found Rick byparing the in-game buildings to those on her screen.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    **[By the Name of the Thief God, you attempt to steal the Divine Gift of Blood Elf yer Rick.]**


    **[Theft sessful¡ªDivine Gift detected as too high level¡ªTheft interrupted!]**


    Rita nced 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 copse.


    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)**


    **[Divine Gift] God of the Culinary Arts (SS-ranked) (Fragmented)**


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


    **[Race] Human**


    **[Racial Traits] Undead Will©§Consumption**


    **[HP] 60/150**


    **[MP] 80/200**


    **[Strength] 8 ¡ú 3.2**


    **[Constitution] 11 ¡ú 4.4**


    **[Intelligence] 14 ¡ú 5.6**


    **[Agility] 21 ¡ú 8.4**


    **[Luck] 10 (Maxed)**


    **[Charisma] 10 (Maxed)**


    Her hands trembled as she opened the **God of the Culinary Arts** skill.


    **[God of the Culinary Arts (SS-ranked)]**


    *"Even gods are just ingredients in your kitchen."*


    **[Skill 1: What does it mean to be the God of the Culinary Arts?]**


    *Every dish you cook with a rating of 80 or higher has a 20% chance to trigger a critical effect. For every point beyond 80, the chance of a critical effect increases by 1%. When a critical effect triggers, the food''s effects are doubled. If the dish is one of your original recipes, any score above 80 will guarantee a doubling of its effects.


    When you eat food you''ve prepared, all effects are tripled.*


    **[Skill 2: Who is Hannibal?]**


    *If you cook 38 different dishes, each with a rating of 90 or higher, using a specific target as the main ingredient, and then eat them all yourself, you will randomly learn one of the target''s skills (usable once per target).*


    **[Skill 3: Yes, I''m a Master Chef]**


    *Any dish you fully prepare by hand with a rating of 95 or higher has a 20% chance to randomly increase one of the eater''s stats by 1 (can trigger once per target per day).*


    **[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 ne** 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 buyingrge amounts of ingredients and began cooking. He focused on low-level recipes, knowing he wouldn''t suddenly be a culinary genius. Most of the food he made was barely passable, often failing to meet even basic standards.


    He ced the cooked food on the ground, allowing NPCs and yers 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 ces she visited now, the more teleportation points she''d haveter.


    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 copsed on the ground, vomiting uncontrobly.


    It was still not even 8 a.m., but instead of feeling relief, she was gripped with fear.


    Despite nning so carefully, despite ounting 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 disyed Weakness.


    For the next 24 hours, all her attributes were reduced by 20%.


    "Fine, fine." Rita wiped her mouth and carefully scooped the blood into a bag, storing it in her inventory. She washed down the taste of blood with more coffee, then swallowed hard.


    9 a.m.


    She could still make it!


    At 10:07, Rita finally reached Los Angeles city limits. She restored her mana and prepared to immediately hit Rick with a Sleep Spell as soon as she entered his house.


    10:10 a.m.


    Rita, mouth still tasting of blood, teleported into Rick''s room¡ªonly to find it empty.


    Her eyes zed with fury.


    But despite the rage, despite the panic, Rita remained cool-headed. It was how she functioned: the more furious she was, the calmer her mind became.


    While her body trembled with fear and regret, her thoughts were ice cold.


    She pulled out her phone and quickly downloaded the Starsea: Rift of Warcraft game. Yes, Rick wouldn''t want anyone to know about his Divine Gift, not even his parents.


    So where could he be?


    Wilson Family''s House?


    10:11 a.m., an invisible Rita appeared in Rick''s room at the Wilson family home.


    Again, no one was there.


    Rick''s apartment? No, Julian was staying there¡ªit couldn''t be.


    Then it hit her...n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Rita exited the room, heading for the Wilson family study. Drinking a Phasing Potion, she walked straight through the walls into the family vault.


    There, sitting on a wooden crate, was Rick, grinning like a madman as he stared at his phone.


    Rita quietly approached him. Just then, she saw the moon rising on his screen.


    At that moment, Rita''s soul screamed¡ªkill him now, before he soars beyond her reach! But then, something even darker, more calcting overtook her fury.


    Even she was startled by her own greed and madness.


    Perhaps all those excuses she''d told herself before¡ªabout wanting him to suffer, about justice and revenge¡ªwere lies. Maybe, from the moment she''d drawn the Thief God''s Gift, or even in her previous life, she had always coveted Rick''s Divine Gift.


    How else could it cause the three most powerful families to vie for him? How could it be that three of the wealthiest, most privileged women were willing to set aside pride and dignity to share him?


    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 vi.


    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 ufortably familiar.


    She teleported to Silvermoon City.


    It was the third beta, and the city was bustling, packed with yers. The poption had multipliedpared 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 yer Rick.]


    [Theft sessful¡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 ced them at her feet.


    Secondster, her screen went ck.


    [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 umted 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 mytest results."


    The undead mentor stopped stirring the test tube, taking the potions from Rita.


    Minutester, the taskpletion 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 toe back again," she typed.


    Before she could even hit **send**, the gold was gone¡ªsnatched up by Apache in an instant.


    Rita: "....."


    The next second, Apache tossed her a dark green pouch.


    **[Apache''s Potion Pouch (0/8) (S-grade)]: Apache always has so many orders. This little trinket helps her store potions for delivery, allowing stacks of up to 999.**


    The biggest surprise wasn''t the high stack limit but that it was ssified as a **tool** item, meaning it didn''t take up any bag slots!


    A notification popped up: **[Do you wish to bind this item?]**


    Rita, overjoyed, immediately clicked **yes**!


    This time, she yed it safe, typing first: "Teacher, this is just for your booze. You don''t need to give me anything more. I truly love alchemy." Only after sending the message did she happily hand over another **1,000 gold**.


    Seeing that Apache had no intention of giving her any more items, Rita smiled, turned, and left, eager to make it to the auction house in time.


    In a few days, it would be **Zoey and Rick''s wedding**. As family, it was different from being just a guest¡ªwhile cash gifts were fine for engagements, a proper gift was better for a wedding.


    Zoey had given her **20 million** during their engagement, so she couldn''t afford to appear stingy now.


    But Rita didn''t feel any resentment over it. After all, she had already leeched so many stat points from Zoey, not to mention an **A-grade item** and one of her **ears**, and Zoey still had no idea who her enemy was. She even gave Rita money to spend. With Rick''s **Divine Gift** now 80% ruined, Rita''s sense of injustice had vanished.


    Giving a physical gift from the real world wouldn''t impress Zoey, but giving something truly valuable from the game? Rita wasn''t that generous.


    She had a perfect idea.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    **[The Witch of Pleasure''s Bed (C-grade)]: Enhances the intimacy of couples and married people, providing them with ultimate pleasure. No one is allowed to say no.**


    What a wonderful itempletely useless, but still a **C-grade** tool!


    And it was dirt cheap, only **20 gold**.


    Bought!


    **Let the world spread some more "AIDS"!**


    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 herter 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 thest one provided immunity to mental control.


    Originally, Rita had nned 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**, andbined 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 herst **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 chocte 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.


    **[Chocte 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 ss of milk that boosted her **mental rity**.


    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 minutester, Rita disappeared from the Wilson home. After a few quick **Phantom Shifts**, she returned to her vi 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 **Ch¨¢vez pocket watch** with a **Binding Stone**, securing it for good. Only then did she rx.


    The flight had a stopover midway, departing at **17:45** and arriving in **Las Vegas** at **9:00** the next morning.


    Once shended, 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 seeded 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!


    She admitted to herself that she couldn''t give her all to anyone, not even her own family. But whenever she obtained something valuable, she always thought of them! She gave them whatever she could.


    Items she could have sold for money or resources¡ªbecause they said they needed them, she gave them.


    Pets that could have increased her strength¡ªbecause they said they were scared to go out without protection, she gave them.


    Rare, priceless mission items¡ªbecause Zoey wanted them, they helped knock her out and take them.


    They knew Sanchez''s Divine Gift allowed him to drain his partner''s stats, yet they still pushed her to marry him.


    Wiping away the tears forming in her eyes, Rita smiled at her parents through the screen. "Good, I''m d you''re both doing well."


    Samuel and Scarlett were satisfied to see their daughter moved by their sweet words, and they happily hung up the call.


    "d you''re satisfied," Rita muttered, wiping her nose with a smile. She dug into themb dish in front of her, feeling like this was the most delicious meal she had eaten since her rebirth.


    As for Rick, he had passed out after smashing everything in a fit of rage.


    No matter how powerful the **Thief God** passive was, it couldn''t help someone who constantly obsessed over it.


    Almost immediately after the closed beta ended, Rick had begun frantically trying to summon his **Divine Gift**.


    And then, it appeared.


    But to his horror, the five brilliant skills he had grown used to were mostly gone¡ªonly one remained, with the four most crucial ones grayed out.


    The most agonizing thing? Having received something so grand, only to lose it before he could fully enjoy it!


    An **SS-tier Divine Gift**!!!


    Now it was worthless.


    Rick lost control, trashing everything in his secret room.


    Jewels! ¡ª Smashed!


    Antiques! ¡ª Broken!


    Calligraphy! ¡ª Torn!


    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 copsed 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.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 uing 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 nkly 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 be a vegetable.


    Rita pulled Scarlett aside and quietly asked what was going on. Scarlett, hesitant and unsure how to exin, 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 particrly concerned. Her main reason foring 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 imed that her **Divine Gift** was rted 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-rted **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-rted 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 n toplement 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 maniption 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¡ªbncing 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...


    Wait, she missed the first one because of **Amelia''s** scheme, but what about the second and third?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Rita struggled to recall those dates. It had been a long time, and details were fuzzy, but the dates themselves were too significant to forget¡ªnot only did they coincide with the game''s beta tests, but they also closely aligned with Rick''s engagement and wedding dates!


    Suddenly, bits of memory surfaced. She might not remember exactly what she did on those specific days, but the surrounding events started to be clearer. After Rick''s engagement, he had called her one morning, saying that, thanks to his connections through the Lopez family, he had arranged for her to meet someone about a potential project.


    She remembered being picked up by a Lopez family driver before dawn.


    As for his wedding, Rick frequently called her to apany him for rehearsals. He even asked her to monitor the wedding preparations, despite Lopez family members managing everything.


    During that time, she felt frustrated. It wasn''t just that she had nothing to do at the venue¡ªevery time she tried to kill time on her phone, someone from the Lopez family would drag her away to look at the decorations.


    Standing in the hospital bathroom, Rita clenched her fists.


    **Had the scheming started that early?**


    She stared at the water flowing into the sink, and the anger she had felt since stealing Rick''s **God of the Culinary Arts** reignited, stronger than ever.


    **Why?**


    Not only did they keep her in the dark, but they made her miss out again and again!


    She turned off the faucet and stared calmly at herself in the mirror.


    Why was she wasting time trying to understand why her enemies had harmed her?


    It was unnecessary, pointless!


    All she needed to do was return every blow!


    Rita said her goodbyes to the bedridden Samuel and left the hospital.


    Samuel''s **Divine Gift** was called **Liar**. Every time he told a lie, his attack power increased by 0.1%, resetting daily. He could also detect lies, which was something he hadn''t lied about in her past life.


    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 maniptive brother, or herself, the cunning yer.


    Scarlett might be an idiot, but they were all in this together now.


    On the 15th, Rita apanied 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 ce to give it to you?"


    Zoey, intrigued by the idea of a game-rted 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 nce, 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 vi within the Lopez family estate, which had been prepared as a marital residence for Zoey and Rick. Rita had previously assumed it was upied 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, apanied 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 exined, "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 alsoe 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 yer, 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 vi, Rita showered Zoey with praise.


    In the past, Rick would have jumped in and asked her to use her skill on him as well, with no concern about putting her in a difficult position after already promising Zoey. But now, still reeling from the loss of his **Divine Gift** from SS-tier to "SB-tier," Rick barely had the energy to attend the wedding rehearsal, let alone make requests.


    Samuel sat at the table, mechanically eating his food, seemingly lost in his own thoughts, as if his soul had already left him.


    Scarlett, although saddened by the loss of family treasures, didn''t fully grasp their true value. Samuel had only shown her the collection once, so while she felt heartbroken, the blow wasn''t as severe for her. She was a simple woman¡ªif her husband, son, and daughter were well, she was content.


    As a result, the dinner table was filled with conversation only between the two women, while the two men robotically stuffed food into their mouths.


    On the day of the wedding, Rick sat in the master bedroom of his vi, waiting for Zoey to arrive and pick him up. Rita and Samuel had invited some members of the extended Wilson family to help hold off the Lopez family as a formality. After a brief "door-blocking" game, they let Zoey and her party through.


    When using **Wheel of Fate**, you can choose whether or not to hide the target''s altered luck. Normally, when doing something malicious, it''s hidden, but when boosting someone''s luck on a special day, of course, you want to show it off! Rita wasn''t nning on causing trouble at the wedding anyway.


    After all, Zoey and Rick, as protagonists, wouldn''t face any serious bad luck even with low luck stats¡ªRick''s luck had dropped to 1, but even then, the Gun King missed seven shots and only managed to slice off half of Rick''s¡­ well, you get the idea.


    This time, the banquet had many more guests than the engagement party. Rita even spotted **Sanchez**, wearing a ck glove that covered her right hand up to her upper arm¡ªlikely a prosthetic. She nced at Zoey with cold, scrutinizing eyes.


    In a world full ofplex plots and schemes, Sanchez''s mind was consumed with hatred. Even though her family and the White family had discussed the situation, logic dictated that Zoey wouldn''t have acted directly. There was no deep enmity between the Lopez and White families, and only minor business disagreements.


    Why would Zoey take such drastic action, especially against someone like Sanchez, with unknown abilities?


    Moreover, if Zoey truly had orchestrated the attack, why had she only severed Sanchez''s arm and spared her life? Why leave room for a confrontation with a cold, steely gaze?


    Rita''s casual nce at Sanchez seemed nothing more than idle curiosity toward the wedding guests. She kept her focus on the food, smiling and pping at the appropriate moments, ying the part of an unassuming rtive. Even though her maxed-out charm often drew people''s attention, she remained low-key.


    And yet¡­ this inconspicuous rtive with her unassuming demeanor managed to use her **Ch¨¢vez watch''s Insight** skill to steal from thirty-seven yers at the banquet.


    These were all "familiar faces" from her past life.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 yfully 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 rxed. 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 vi, Rita prepared a feast for her backyard''s "Cat Motel." Since gaining the **God of the Culinary Arts**, she had developed an obsessivepulsion 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 rx 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 shey 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.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    But even by those highest standards, Rita''s current stats were equivalent to those of a level 6 yer. 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 nning to tip off the authorities. Her n was alreadypleted, 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 yers would be itching to show off.


    Some people just couldn''t help but unt 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 exin why they had reacted so quicklyst 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 closebat or ranged attacks; in herst year on the run, her hand-to-handbat 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.


    As for ranged attacks, her skills in her previous life had relied entirely on magic¡ªarcane missiles, ice balls, fireballs, allunched on instinct. She might have had some innate talent, but it was the **Impersonation** gift, which allowed her to store and use others'' abilities, that had helped her survive for a whole year.


    Now, with the **Master Archer** gift in hand, she was determined to master marksmanship. Anything less would be unworthy of the gift, not to mention her high agility stat of 21.


    She had plenty of money saved for training. Her days were structured: mornings spent learning martial arts¡ªhow to strike effectively, which body parts could be used as weapons, how to escape when restrained; afternoons were for marksmanship, where she studied controlling distance and calcting wind speed.


    Unlike her wild, self-taught skills from the past, Rita now saw daily improvements. Her stats were no longer just numbers; she was more agile, more responsive, and capable of exerting greater strength.


    Her shooting coach was astonished by her talent. When she first started, her form was all wrong¡ªsomething she must''ve picked up from watching online tutorials. But in less than a week, she was hitting her target every time within 30 meters. Had she been younger, the coach would have rmended her for the national team. There was just one odd thing¡ªevery seventh arrow she shot seemed to miss.


    The coach suspected she was struggling with stamina, but it was baffling.


    In truth, Rita wasn''tcking in strength. She was deliberately holding back her seventh shot to avoid revealing her **Seventh Shot Critical** effect. So, on her seventh shot, she would only draw the bow a little, sending the arrow limply forward.


    Rita knew her own limitations. When given time to aim, she was fine. But in rapid-fire situations, her uracy dropped to 60%. Her uracy with moving targets was even lower, and hitting a target while on the move herself was a disaster.


    But she wasn''t discouraged¡ªeverything was just getting started.


    ---


    While Rita was immersed in her intense training schedule, Samuel finally recovered from his shock. He carefully sealed up the shattered pieces of his treasures, optimistic that if his son could live with half a manhood, there might be a skill or item out there that could restore these valuable items. After all, his daughter was still helping him search for a cure. Why not believe in miracles?


    So, Samuel started actively gathering information about yers, hoping to find someone with a skill that could restore damaged objects.


    Meanwhile, Scarlett was the happiest member of the family, aside from Rita. Her son had married into wealth, and her entire family had been blessed with these strange urrences. She couldn''t think of a reason not to be happy. As for the surname of future grandchildren, she couldn''t care less.


    "It''s not like they''ll have my maiden name, so what''s the difference?" She considered herself quite pragmatic.


    She was the kind of woman who saw herself as the enlightened type, living an effortlessly clear-minded life. Her onlyint? Her daughter no longer gave her pocket money.


    Rita couldn''t help but roll her eyes when her mother texted her:


    **"@Rita, Sweetheart, Mom''s got her eye on this new purse [blushing emoji]."**


    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 weekter, when Rick and Samuel asked if they''d found anything, they were met with radio silence. Rita looked at the group chat and startedughing 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, exining 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!"


    **Rick**: "@Rita Thanks, sis~ If youe across anything simr, buy it for me first. I''ll pay you back."


    **Rita**: "@Blissful Scarlett For a richdy, that bed is worth more than a house! People who get it, get it."


    Scarlett stayed quiet after that. Rita, of course, had no ns of finding her another bed. She kicked herself for not stockpiling more of those beds when she had the chance! Once the game invaded and the auction house opened, she could''ve made a fortune flipping them.


    Closing her phone, Rita felt a fleeting moment of happiness, one that almost made her question whether her past life had just been a nightmare. Had it not been for the agony of being bled out and nailed to the ground as she waited for Rick, or the vision of that book in her dying moments, even in this life, she might have believed them.


    They seemed like such a normal, happy family: a mother with a quick temper but easily contented, sometimes even endearingly naive; a gentle, kind father; and a pair of children treated equally. The parents gave all their savings to their daughter, and when she earned money, she gave back to her family, providing for her parents and brother. The brother, in turn, saved up and bought her a vi.


    After the world changed, the brother would even bring his sister along to join his wife''s powerful n in dungeon raids¡­ Even when his wife''s family hunted her, the brother still took risks to secretly warn her.


    In herst life, Rita had been blinded by this false sense of happiness, leading her to endure all those injustices.


    Staring at the chat for a long time, Rita finally snapped back to reality. She realized she had been calmly chatting with these people for so long¡ªrevenge had indeed mellowed her out. Back when she first returned to this life, no matter how much she tried to convince herself to stay calm, her attitude had been terrible.


    After stowing her phone in her game bag, she headed out for more shooting practice.


    Now, she wore a sports bra and a fitted top with tight pants, carrying a small four-slot pouch in her pocket that held two beginner healing potions, a roll of bandages for sustained healing, and her phone. Her tworger 36-slot bags, the potion bag, and other tools were stored in her **Magician''s Fake Tooth**.


    Most importantly, her **Ch¨¢vez Watch**, which was now bound to her, hung openly around her neck, tucked into her top for safekeeping.


    Once bound, the watch couldn''t be lost or stolen. Anyone who touched it would feel nothing but air, as it was only tangible to its owner. To others, it seemed like she was simply wearing a silver ne, and even if someone brushed against her chest, they wouldn''t feel anything unusual.


    Just as she was about to begin, Rita paused mid-motion, her coach eyeing her curiously. She smiled and exined, "Just thought of something."


    For a moment, she had sensed someone attempting to divine her information, but the **Ch¨¢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**¡ªallyered over her natural restraint and madness. Combined with her already refined and gentle appearance, Rita had be 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 asional nce. 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. Mostments were positive, and asionally, she would trend briefly. But since she didn''t engage with the attention, her poprity would eventually fade again.


    Unexpectedly, **Amelia** reached out to her, hoping to coborate once more and stage aeback in the entertainment world.


    Rita had nearly forgotten about that snake. After using **Insight** to confirm Amelia wasn''t a yer, 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 vi for food, though, especially now that autumn and winter were settling in. Luckily, her vi was in a secluded area, so no one noticed the growing feline poption.N?v(el)B\\jnn

 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 cleaningdy 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 yer but also hid her shadow within the woman''s shadow as a surveince measure.


    With so many secrets, Rita was cautious that anyone sent to her home might nt surveince 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 ce.


    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 ck-and-white cow-patterned cat.


    Rita made a mental note of the two cats'' appearances.


    The cleaningdy 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 hadpeted 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 thedy''s request to exchange WeChat contacts and didn''t mention the possibility of hiring her again. Rita nned to rotate cleaners to avoid anyone getting too familiar with her home and possibly being bribed to nt bugs or other surveince devices.


    Her experiences from thest life were her greatest wealth.


    Just after sending the cleaner away, Rita received a message from Zoey.


    Being the busy woman she was, Zoey skipped pleasantries and went straight to the point, asking if Rita was interested in making money using her Divine Gift. For every task Rita did for the Lopez family using her Divine Gift, she would be paid one million.


    Rita wasn''t surprised that Zoey had reached out to her. After all, Rita had intentionally brought up her skill on Zoey''s wedding day with the goal of mizing it.


    It was easy money, and there was still half a year before the economy crashed. But Rita wasn''t keen on making enemies for the Lopez family or bing a target herself.


    **Rita**: "I''ll only take jobs where I modify someone''s luck to a perfect score of 10. I won''t ept jobs that involve lowering it to 1."


    She didn''t even mention modifying luck to any value between 2 and 9. After all, the greatest use of her skill was either to harm or to help¡ªwho would want their luck set to a middle number?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Zoey understood perfectly. Offering one million to make someone a scapegoat was far too cheap. She quickly confirmed the date of the job and promised to send someone to pick Rita up on the agreed day.


    Rita wasn''t worried about Zoey going back on her word. The Lopez family was always prompt with payments, especially to those within the family. Even if they had ns to privately suppress herter, they would still pay for services rendered. The Lopez family was too proud to let anyone think that joining their ranks would lead to no rewards.


    Rita cleared half a day for the job. When the Lopez family car pulled up outside her vi, she got in and found Zoey already there. As they chatted, Rita subtly set some expectations. "Just so you know, I can modify luck, but luck isn''t the same as fate. Many things can''t be changed just by luck."


    Zoey nodded in understanding. She knew firsthand how delicate the difference was, having once had a luck stat of 10, which had dropped to 8. Her life hadn''t changed drastically¡ªthings were still going smoothly¡ªbut there was a subtle difference. If before, when she aimed for a 1, she''d end up with 1.5 or even 2, now when she aimed for 1, she would only get exactly 1.


    She had tried to convince herself it was all psychological, but after seeing luck quantified, she knew she couldn''t deceive herself.


    Their destination was a private room in a restaurant. When they entered, Rita kept a neutral expression, not recognizing or caring who was inside. Even though the woman present had, in the past life, used every sparring session to humiliate Rita by stepping on her face, Rita showed no emotion.


    Zoey pointed to a young man with a buzz cut sitting next to **Sanchez** and instructed Rita to use **Wheel of Fate** on him. Rita, without asking any questions, raised her hand, closed her eyes for a few seconds, and said, "It''s done."


    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 coborating.


    ¡­


    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 arge stash of gold from the Lopez family''s vault.


    This created an awkward situation.


    Even though the White family hade 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 rtively minorpared 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 exin. 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 assant 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,ughing at how easily they had been manipted.


    Recently, the **White family** had been focusing heavily on developing their involvement in the game, with all its members participating. After thetest closed beta, they had been actively searching for information about other yers, specifically those with **Divine Gifts** rted 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 aplice 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-rted yer 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 **Ch¨¢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.


    However, before any suspicions were confirmed, Daniel was dead.


    Even though she now heard of someone with a **Divine Gift** identical to Daniel''s, Sanchez didn''t connect the dots. After all, it was just a **B-rank Divine Gift**. To her, it was like a low-level skill that might get re-rolled back into the system after the original user died, or it could simply be that such lower-level gifts weren''t unique.


    Not everyone could be as fortunate as her to draw an **S-rank Divine Gift**. Out of the nearly thousand yers in the **White family**, she was the only one with an **S-rank**.


    More importantly, they had confirmed that **Divine Gifts** couldn''t be stolen from their users by killing them, which is why she never considered that Rita might be involved.


    That evening, Rita received a text from Zoey: "Looking forward to working with you again~"


    Rita wasn''t surprised by Zoey''s reaction¡ªafter all, one million for six hours of boosted luck was a bargain.


    The next day, Rita took her newfound wealth and rented a small yacht to sail out to sea. The ocean, she thought, would be an excellent ce to use **Phantom Shift** if she ever needed to escape. It was as safe and discreet as any hideout, perfect for washing away evidence before returning to normal life.


    Afterward, Zoey began reaching out to her regrly, requesting her to use her ability on various people. Naturally, Rita made no effort to hide her actions. She would''ve broadcasted it to the world with a megaphone if she could: "I just raised your luck to 10!" she would shout.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Soon enough, Rita''s name started circting in the wealthier circles. However, her rules also spread. She only granted good luck; she never brought misfortune.


    She could''ve lied and said her ability only worked to increase someone''s luck, but that would make her seem too "innocent" and "harmless," which might arouse suspicion. Plus, she knew she''d need her ability to lower enemies'' luck when raiding dungeons, so she decided not to hide the truth from the start.


    Her strict rules extinguished much of the ill intent people might have had toward her. Even when approached privately with offers of up to 20 million, Rita stood firm in her refusal to use her ability to curse others. Eventually, people came to trust her, seeing her as someone smart, cautious, and trustworthy.


    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 yer. 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 yers 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 ie 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 im 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 uing trip to a strange country known for its mystical artifacts. She nned 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 yed a supporting role as a secret guard obsessed with the male lead in a low-budget historical drama. Dressed in ck 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 yearster, 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 cor.


    It was her first acting gig, and though the costume wasn''t anything remarkable¡ªit was just good-quality, durable fabric meant tost through months of filming¡ªshe had stitched her name in ck thread inside the cor with hopes for a bright future.


    In this life, she hadn''t initially nned 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 rmendation 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 ount, saying she was nostalgic and offering to buy back the costume. She yed the sentimental card, then followed up with a morepelling 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, exining 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 ck modified Hanfu¡ªnothing borate, just a long ck 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, epting jobs that paid 1 million per session, her family had grown envious once more.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Scarlett was pestering her for spending money, and even Samuel, in his usual depressive state, was also asking for a little extra cash.


    Rita @-ed Rick in their group chat.


    **Rita:** @Rick All the money I''m making is from your wife. Can''t you make money with your Divine Gift?


    Her words nearly sent Rick spiraling back into depression.


    His **Divine Gift**¡­ let''s not even talk about it.


    **Rita:** I need the money for weapons, @Scarlett @Samuel. Want in?


    **Scarlett:** Is that bed¡­ really not avable anymore?


    **Samuel:** What exactly do you mean by that?


    **Scarlett:** Just asking.


    **Samuel:** @Rita Any game weapons?


    **Rita:** Nope. Haven''t seen any for sale. @Rick, have you?


    **Rick:** I''ve seen some, but they''re way out of my reach.


    The conversation quickly shifted to talk about the game.


    A few dayster, Rick messaged the group chat, saying Zoey was away on a business trip, and he''d be staying at his parents'' house for a few days.


    **Rick:** @Rita Come over for dinner tonight.


    **Oh? Herees the little silver coin again.** Is this really dinner you''re offering?


    Without missing a beat, Rita switched apps and booked a flight to Thand!


    Not long after Rick''s message, Rita sent her location from the airport.


    **Rita:** [Location shared]


    **Rita:** You''re toote! I already nned a trip to Thand 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 be a yer. He couldn''t exactly admit he hadn''t, especially knowing how differently yers 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 be 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 avable 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 shed 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 viin''s fleeting kindness wasn''t true kindness¡ªit was merely keeping her in reserve for future use.


    In Thand, 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 shed 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 dors per find, and more if I''m impressed. No upper limit."


    The guide, calming down after seeing Rita''sposed 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."


    In the past, she wouldn''t have believed in such things, but after witnessing how relics and artifacts could mutate after the game''s invasion, she knew better. In China, ancient monasteries, meditation mats used by revered monks, and other relics had transformed into crucial items. These relics wereter used to protect civilians or for elite government raid teams.


    But searching for these types of objects in China was almost impossible now. Everything valuable had been secured by the government, and even if she had the time and resources to search for them, it would draw too much attention. Chinese con artists were masters of deception, and the market was flooded with convincing fakes.


    More importantly, her connections to the Lopez family meant every move she made could be scrutinized.


    Though she wasn''t important enough to be watched 24/7, spending too much time hunting down strange relics would raise suspicions. And once those items started mutating, everyone would start analyzing her actions.


    Thand was different. There was still some risk of being watched, but she could leave all the shady dealings to the guide. Meanwhile, she could enjoy being a tourist, exploring the sights.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Maybe she was overthinking things. But she had learned that paranoia was survival. It wasn''t paranoia that was the problem¡ªit was that she hadn''t been paranoid enough in her past life.


    And so, yet again, she was locked in a thrilling game of cat and mouse¡­ with herself.


    "Is this the camera from a horror movie?" Rita, now disguised as a bald man, asked as she inspected an ordinary-looking Proid camera. "Which movie?"


    The guide, wringing her hands nervously, smiled awkwardly. "It was never finished. The college students filming it started experiencing strange things, so they stopped before it waspleted."


    Rita ced the camera down, unimpressed, and turned her attention to the other items on the table.


    There was a blood-stained amulet, said to have been used by a woman who prayed for love, only to kill her cheating husband.


    A wolf''s tooth, supposedly from a wolf that had eaten many people.


    A veil once worn by a Thai queen from centuries ago.


    And¡­ a small piece of durian husk.


    Rita tried not tough 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 exined how the durian husk had once fallen from a tree and killed a man. "It hit his head, but didn''t even prate 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 ck backpack. This trip was over. She''d buy a fewtex 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 weekter, Rita was back in familiar territory.


    With nearly 30 million dors 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 yers 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 vi, dropping off thetex 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 yer, 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 epted 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 misforter? 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 nts 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.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    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 ss.


    As forte-night sessions, that eerie timeslot was reserved for the Wilson family.


    Rick couldn''t make it to her ce at night, and as a brother who adored his sister, he couldn''t possibly ask her to go to his ce at midnight just to cast a skill on him. That would be absurd.


    But Samuel and Scarlett, who lived in the same viplex, could.


    For the first two weeks of December, these two made a habit of taking a walk every evening, conveniently ending up at Rita''s vi so she could cast the skill on one of them.


    It was just a wave of her hand, and Rita wasn''t too worried that a few hours of luck would allow them to defy fate itself.


    Scarlett evenined that Rita was distancing herself from them, pointing out that she hadn''t even programmed their fingerprints into her vi''s security system.


    Rita exined that since she was retired from the spotlight now, she might want to date, and she didn''t want any awkward situations when bringing a guy home.


    Scarlett gave her a knowing smile and didn''t press the issue, elbowing Samuel: "Maybe we should stay at the house on Zijing Road for a while? You''re always saying you don''t want to disturb the kids."


    **Rita**: *Am I really supposed to hear that excuse?*


    Rita forced a smile, escorting them out of the yard while pretending not to notice the bitter expression on Samuel''s face.


    The young one was useless. The old ones weren''t much better.


    Tsk.


    ---


    With her day-to-day training, Rita not only learned how to exert force more efficiently, but she also corrected many bad habits in closebat with the help of her coach.


    Her strength attribute was now at 10. In the past, even when giving her all, she could only use about 60 to 70 percent of that strength. But now, after learning proper techniques, she could unleash at least 90 percent of her power.


    Although she specialized in rangedbat, closebat was still crucial. After all, she couldn''t bepletely defenseless once someone got within melee range. She''d learned quite a few moves¡ªhorizontal elbow strikes, jumping elbows, elbow lifts, reverse elbow strikes, butterfly elbows...


    Rita felt terrifyingly strong now!


    The knowledge was there¡ªwhat remained was long-term practice. So she switched to another instructor and began learning how to use daggers.


    Simrly, she''d already mastered all the theory behind archery. Now it was just a matter of practice and insight. Rita had also begun learning the shooting techniques for crossbows and firearms. The incident in Sawatika had brought her back down to earth.


    She had already hoarded a lot of weapons, so instead of gambling on the faint chance¡ªless than one in ten thousand¡ªthat they''d mutate, she might as well focus on studying.


    But then again, everyone has a gambler''s mindset.


    After ss 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 vi, 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 sess wasn''t just about luck after all.

 Chapter 44: The Value of the "Wheel of Fate

    It wasn''t just Rita who had grown ustomed to these dinners¡ªso had Scarlett and Samuel. Each time, Samuel would bring out a bottle of histest liquor, iming, "This is the good stuff your uncle''s been saving for special asions. 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 hade 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 manipte a brother who had once been his trustedpanion, Rita only felt validated ining 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 be a regr 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?


    Although Rick, Rita, and even Zoey had maxed-out luck, it was important to remember that the trio were main characters¡ªRick and Zoey by birthright, and Rita by nurture, having developed her luck from 8 to 10.


    Most regr people had a luck score around 5. Over the past months, Rita had adjusted the luck of many wealthy individuals and had used Ch¨¢vez''s watch to inspect many others. Even among the highly sessful people she had only seen on TV before, their luck often peaked at just 7.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Of course, this made sense¡ªthese elite figures reached the top through abination of intellect, connections, emotional intelligence, and hard work. Luck was merely a cherry on top.


    But opening treasure chests in the game? That was all about luck¡ªpure and simple.


    The White family, for instance, had kept Daniel White''s Divine Gift hidden to such an extent that they likely had a special artifact to mask his talent. Even Rita had heard rumors that the White family''s loot drop rates were significantly higher after dungeonspared to others.


    Unlike other families, including the Lopez family, where only Zoey could consistently draw rare items from chests, the White family seemed to always walk away with impressive rewards. Nobody knew why.


    It wasn''t until Daniel White had used **Wheel of Fate** against her repeatedly that Rita pieced together the nature of his Divine Gift. Later, when Daniel captured her, she begged him to confirm her suspicions. With nothing left to lose, Daniel admitted it¡ªafter all, she wasn''t going to live long enough to spread the word.


    Thinking back, Miss White had spared no expense trying to capture her, only for the Lopez family to snatch victory at thest moment.


    Rita was now resolved to use her divine skill to benefit the yers of Los Angeles! With careful management, she could use **Wheel of Fate** four times a day, bing the ultimate winner while still avoiding burnout. yers would stay up all night gaming anyway!


    The only issue left was deciding the pricing. It couldn''t be as cheap as it was now, but it also couldn''t be too outrageous, or she might attract too much attention and risk bing a target.


    The entire dinner, Rita was lost in her own thoughts, refining her ns for mizing **Wheel of Fate** after the game''s invasion.


    At the dinner table, Rita was cold toward Julian, but he didn''t darein. He hadn''t fully experienced the effects of a luck score of 10 yet, and as a fellow yer, he didn''t know when he might need her Divine Gift. Despite any dissatisfaction, he swallowed his pride, only grumbling to himself about how this womancked proper manners.


    Rita didn''t care about his thoughts. Sure, she wanted to cultivate Julian as a customer, but this was a service he needed from her, not the other way around. She had no shortage of clients.


    Rick, on the other hand, found no issue with Rita''s attitude. In fact, this suited his n perfectly¡ªher indifference only highlighted how good a friend Rick was to Julian.


    When Rita finally got home, it waste, 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 sleptfortably.


    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 toe 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 ring up again. The skill was just as dangerous as **Roley**.


    A Divine Gift that could alter luck and swap attributes wasn''t rated **B-ss** 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 tost. 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, yers 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 bnce. 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 iming to know her from the game on October 10th.


    Rita smirked, understanding immediately: yers.


    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 bnce the use of her power. **Why worry about bnce 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?"


    Rita raised an eyebrow. "I pay taxes."


    Asher was speechless.


    Shadow.Q, on the other hand, smiled again, trying to maintainposure. She had dealt with hundreds of yers by now, and while Rita wasn''t the most cooperative, she was far from the worst. What stood out was her calmness. There was no panic, no sense of superiority, but also no fear or subservience. Rita was a woman with strong convictions.


    Dropping the scripted responses she had prepared, Shadow.Q went straight to the point. "How do you propose we work together, Rita?"


    Rita replied, "I can use **Wheel of Fate** four times a day to alter someone''s luck. I''m willing to sell three of those uses to you. How you use them or who you coborate with is none of my concern. However, I won''t stay in one ce. I''m sure you''ve looked into my background. Since leaving showbiz, I''ve spent most of my time traveling or attending sses."


    Shadow.Q didn''t address the logistics of that but instead asked, "And the price?"


    Rita named a high figure, "Three gold coins per use." She nned to raise the price further once the yers became stronger and wealthier.


    Asher immediately pointed out, "That''s considered high ie, which means a 45% tax rate. I mean, on every use."


    Rita was stunned into silence.


    Shadow.Q pinched the bridge of her nose, looking exasperated.


    Rita took a sip of her coffee, signaling the conversation was over. "It''s gettingte. I think it''s time for you to leave."


    Shadow.Q quickly handed Asher the ss of water he had been ignoring. **Shut up already!**


    After a moment, she tried to negotiate. "That price is too high. You''ve yed the game; you know how hard it is to earn money in there."


    Rita remained firm. "There are all kinds of Divine Gifts. Who''s to say there isn''t one for making money?" It wasn''t a baseless im. After all, if there were abilities like **God of the Culinary Arts**, **Thief God**, and **Water God**, why couldn''t there be a **God of Fortune**?


    Shadow.Q remainedposed. Even though Rita had hit the mark with her guess, she didn''t let it show. The government had over 520,000 yers, and yes, some had money-making abilities. But the **God of Fortune** was only an A-level Gift¡ªit wasn''t an infinite money printer!


    Three gold coins per use was excessive, especially when they already had two yers with maxed-out luck in the government.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    And so began a back-and-forth negotiation, with Shadow.Q and Asher taking turns, one pushing hard, the other softening the blow. asionally, 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 exin 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 werepletely unreadable.


    In her previous life, even though she asionally 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 yers involved, and the asional 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 rted 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 inessible?


    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 nces.


    **Don''t look at us like that. You''re scaring us.**

 Chapter 46: Could This Be a Scam?

    Rita''s attitude took aplete 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 ced the tes on the table, saying, "Sorry for theck 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 smallpany I used to work for had three major factions.


    I''m not cut out for that."


    Asher paused. He couldn''t argue with her logic. Wherever people gather, there will be divisions, politics, and different agendas. Even if everyone was working toward the same goal, even if no one had selfish intentions, differences in how to get things done would naturally lead to factions¡ªsome hardliners, others moderates, and some extremists. And that was without considering personal ambitions.


    **Crisis breeds opportunity**, and there will always be people looking to reshuffle the deck.


    Even Asher and Shadow.Q weren''t from the same faction. Their partnership wasn''t just for coboration but also to monitor each other, ensuring no one got too much power. To be honest, Asher was tired of it. If it weren''t for the fact that working alone meant missing out on important opportunities, he would''ve quit a long time ago.


    He couldn''t me Rita for her choice to go solo. Sure, she wouldn''t get ess to the best resources, but at least she wouldn''t be caught up in the endless scheming.


    Just as the room fell into silence, Shadow.Q returned. She spoke directly to Rita. "Regardless of whether we reach an agreement today, if you want to know what we know, it will cost you one use of your **Wheel of Fate** ability."


    Rita, never one to haggle over necessary expenses, agreed instantly. "Deal."


    Shadow.Q took out a small crystal the size of a blueberry and handed it to Rita.


    [Skill Storage Stone (One-time use)]: Use this stone to store a skill, which can then be activated by another person. Simply crush the stone to activate the stored skill. (Created by: Yi Chang)


    Rita had seen skill stones in her previous life, but she hadn''t paid much attention to them. They were luxury items, costing several silver coins, sometimes even a few gold coins, for a one-time use. It was way too extravagant for her back then.


    This was the first time she''d seen an empty one, though. Rita used her **Another Happy Day** skill on the stone, watching as a red mist filled its interior, turning itpletely crimson. It now looked like a small cloud of red fog trapped in a crystal. Checking her skill panel, she confirmed that **Another Happy Day** had gone into its cooldown period.


    Apparently, the stone didn''t bypass cooldowns, but it could prevent skills with limited uses from being wasted.


    Immediately, Rita asked, "How much do these stones cost?"


    Shadow.Q chuckled as she pocketed the now-red crystal. She gave a grin worthy of a pyramid scheme leader. "Three gold coins each."


    Rita grimaced. **Karma really doese around fast, huh?**


    Shadow.Qughed and corrected herself. "Alright, alright, just kidding. For you, I''ll give a special price¡ªone skill crystal in exchange for five empty ones."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Rita didn''t respond right away, weighing the pros and cons of finding a way to make these crystals herself. Relying on someone else for supply was just too costly.


    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 yer 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 ne 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 bnce that would also build positive rtions 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 thest question: "If that yer 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 ept 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 n.


    After they left, Rita found herself sitting on the couch alone, clutching a pile of 112 empty skill crystals, a loan contract, and a confidentiality agreement. The confidentiality agreement was incredibly detailed, forbidding her from telling anyone about the ability to enter the game.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    If she was caught, she couldn''t reveal anything about yers or the game world, or she''d be muted for a few days as punishment.


    Shadow.Q had exined that the contract was enforced by a **Divine Gift**, something Rita had encountered before in her past life. After thoroughly checking for any traps or hidden uses, Rita signed it, satisfied that it wasn''t too harsh.


    **How did it alle to this?**


    Somehow, Rita was still a lone wolf, but now she was a lone wolf burdened by a massive debt.


    She had initially thought she could sell her skill for 3 gold coins per use. **108 times... rounding it up, that''s nearly 500 gold coins!**


    Rita wiped her face in exasperation. **Well, I''d better make sure I break even on this trip.**


    She took a few days to investigate both Shadow.Q and Asher, confirming that they were, indeed, legitimate government officials. Feeling more confident, she posted a cryptic message on her social media that only the insiders would understand:


    "[Lucky 10]has been imed by the government. No longer avable for public use."


    She then prepared for her departure by making sure her backyard cats were well taken care of. She baked batches of nutritious cat biscuits, filling five automatic feeders. These feeders would dispense food every three hours, enough tost a month.


    Afterward, she messaged her family group chat.


    Only Scarlett, who was the most idle of the bunch, responded immediately. The other two likely had notifications muted.


    **Rita:** "My skill is now reserved exclusively for government use. I''ll be away for over a month, and I can''t share the details of my trip."


    **Scarlett:** "Oh? Are they paying you?"


    **Rita:** "What do you think?"


    **Scarlett:** "Well, they better be!"


    **Rita:** "Nope, and they''re even making me pay taxes on it!"


    **Scarlett:** "What?! That''s outrageous! Where''s the justice in that?"


    **Rita:** "Exactly!"


    After exchanging a few humorous but truthfulints, Rita dressed in clothes suited for action¡ªlong sleeves, long pants, and soft-soled boots. The material was light and flexible, and wouldn''t make noise when she moved. She double-checked her weapons, potions, and food supplies. Once satisfied, she drove to the address Shadow.Q had given her. That night, the portal would open.


    Rita arrived at the library''s top floor, wearing a mask, sunsses, and a baseball cap. The room was filled with people, most of them simrly 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,ying out the rules for the journey ahead.


    "Those following the team must obeymands. Disobey more than three times, and we reserve the right to execute you."


    "For independent yers, 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 uses 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 herposure, 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 simr 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 thedder. But if you married into the Lopez family as a spouse or son-inw, that was it for you¡ªfreebor. Since you were now family, why would you still demand benefits?n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 Cam Taylor entered the pictureter and the White and Taylor families'' power bnced 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 ss 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.


    **I''m the great, reborn protagonist of a revenge novel... and this is what you''re offering me?!**


    The short-haired woman spoke in a gentle tone, "Come on now."


    Rita took arge step back. "Hold on! I, uh¡­ I have my own item that lets me turn into a cute animal. A *real* cute animal."


    No worries, she had plenty of trump cards. No one knew how many cute animals she could turn into! The whole point of having hidden cards was to ensure her life was easier!


    Rita raised her hand, signaling the short-haired woman to stop approaching. "Can I transform myself?"


    The woman, looking somewhat disappointed, stepped back. "Of course."


    Just as Rita was about to transform, she paused. "Wait a minute¡ªif I do it myself, do I still have to pay the 5 skill crystals for the transformation service in my loan contract?"


    The woman smiled, clearly realizing that Rita must have traded a skill use to enter the game. "The 5 skill crystals mainly cover the escort service out of the city. The transformation into an animal is just aplimentary perk."


    Rita gritted her teeth. **Alright, fine! You''ve got a ton of tricks, but I''ll remember this!**


    She transformed into a chubby cow cat, padding over to the corner of the room. There, she noticed a ck dog sitting, staring at her with an oddly sympathetic and understanding gaze.


    Rita: "..."


    It didn''t take long for Rita to realize why it was taking so long for people to cross the portal. Nearly every person had to go through the same cycle of shock, disbelief, resistance, and eventual reluctant eptance when they found out they''d be turned into cockroaches. Only a select few, probably repeat customers, remained calm andposed throughout the process.


    Whenever someone spotted the ck dog and cow cat sitting in the corner, they would inevitably give them a sour, envious look before continuing.


    Rita waited patiently, taking in the atmosphere of the otherworld. The air here seemed to pulse with magical energy.


    Since bing a yer, she had always been able to sense the energy within her body, even feeling the magic flow through her when using skills. But those sensations had never been as clear and vivid as they were now.


    It was as if the fog covering the lens of the world had been wiped away, making everything sharper and more defined.


    Rita even felt as though she could cast **Ice Flower Seal** instantly, without any incantation.


    One by one, yers 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 arge tree some distance from the Dark City. From here, only the spires of the undead pce were faintly visible.


    **Ch¨¢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 sh of light appeared beneath their feet, and a few secondster, 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 muchrger than the outside. It resembled a football field,plete with two rows of tents¡ªnearly a hundred in total, at a quick nce.


    The ginger cat transformed back into the short-haired woman. She turned to the cat and dog behind her. "This is our base. You cane 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 cane 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 alreadyte, Rita decided to stay the night. As for the yers 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 rm 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 wasbeled: **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 exined, "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 wille 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.


    She epted the water orb with a polite, slightly forced smile, thanked him, pulled up her hood, masked her face, and left the treehouse, holding her crossbow.


    She wasn''t nning to rely on the teleportation stone for escape since she had **Phantom Shift**, which could be cast in just 0.1 seconds. She could quickly relocate to a safe ce. But if casting magic was ever restricted, the teleportation stone would be necessary.


    Her next step was to return to the Dark City. This would help her decide whether she should focus on hunting monsters in the wild or stay in the city to train, study various professions, and do some buying and selling.


    After taking down a few unavoidable wild wolves, Rita found herself near a cemetery outside Dark City. She transformed back into the cow-patterned cat and ran toward the city.


    With the possibility of yers tracking her, transforming into a harmless cat was one of the safest options.


    In the game, it always felt like you only had to run for a few moments to reach the city. But here, in the real world, she ran for over half an hour before finally arriving at the city gates. Looking up, she saw her wanted poster still hanging on the city walls. The guards didn''t stop a harmless little cat, allowing Rita to slip into Dark City without issue.


    A small cat was insignificant in such a massive, alien city. Rita stuck close to the walls, circling the area over and over. During thest internal test, she had rushed through everything, only spending a few hours as a street urchin to gather some initial funds. She hadn''t truly explored.


    At the end of thest internal test, she had spent all her gold. Now, all she had left was what she had crafted herself. From October 11th until yesterday, December 16th, she''d been making her own gold coins, sometimes skipping ss, but consistently spending time crafting coins as a goblin.


    After deducting the cost ofst night''s stay, she had 200 gold and 70 silver left.


    It was enough to get by, but not rich by any means.


    The official base''s extortionate prices were terrifying¡ªit felt like being in a tourist trap.


    Then again, wasn''t it basically a tourist trap? Ordinary yers without wealth or power wouldn''t dare spend money toe here.


    As she passed an alchemy shop, she nced at the undead mentor, Apache, who was still in the same spot brewing potions. Rita then made her way to the goblin district, only to realize she couldn''t understand a word of the aliennguages being spoken around her.


    In the game, trantions automatically appeared at the bottom of the screen. In her past life, yers had used a piece of engineering gear¡ªa trantor¡ªto talk to aliens. It wasn''t expensive; you just clipped it to your clothes, and it worked. Over time, she''d forgotten about thenguage barrier and the need for the trantor.


    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 thest page, confirming that, as she expected, they sold trantors for 2 gold apiece.


    How absurd! yers 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 strangenguages. 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 trantor.


    The trantor 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 couldmunicate 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 ess the game again, she had shifted her focus tobat 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.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    It was time to level up.


    Rita was certain the official yers 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-intensitybat, 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, butcked 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 regr 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 arge 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-stopbat, 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 yers 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. Regr yers would level even slower.


    While the initial levels required less experience, yers also had fewerbat skills at their disposal. In theter 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 yer 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''tin 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.


    asionally, when arrows dropped along with the coins, she picked those up too. But she didn''t go out of her way to retrieve arrows lodged in corpses or those that had fallen far away. Arrows could be bought at the shop¡ª99 arrows for just one silver coin¡ªand in the real world, custom-made arrows cost less than 10 yuan apiece and were of decent quality.


    She fully agreed with the goblin saying, "Time is money."


    A creak from underfoot drew her attention to a copper coin on the ground.


    Rita bent down and picked it up. "Time is money... yeah, well, I''ve got time."


    Combat was the best way to sharpen one''s skills. In just this one afternoon, she had improved her moving target uracy more than she had after hours at the archery range.


    Once she had fully limated to the battle rhythm, Rita ventured deeper into the forest, where the monsters were slightly stronger, with some being level 3.


    ¡­


    At 9 PM, Minng Xing, who was on duty from 9 PM to 9 AM, had just finished swapping shifts with a colleague at the treehouse base when he heard a knock followed by the correct passcode. He pressed a button on his desk to activate the device that verified the person outside was human, then opened the door, finding that it was the cow-patterned cat¡ªno, one of the yers with a rather unique skill.


    He weed her inside and made small talk, "Good harvest today?"


    Rita cleaned herself up with her newly acquired **Clean Sweep** spell, washing away the bloodstains, and casually replied, "Not bad." She then asked, "Do you guys buy trantors?"


    Minng raised an eyebrow. "You''re already at intermediate engineering?"


    Rita nodded. "Yeah."


    "Impressive, but no, we don''t buy them."


    Rita silently epted this¡ªit seemed like this ce only took in, never gave out.


    Reluctantly, she handed over 2 silver coins to pay for another night''s stay. The price was right at the threshold of what she could tolerate as a lone yer. After a day of grinding, her total earnings were 2 silver and 67 copper.


    However, Minng wasn''t satisfied. "You know, you can get a monthly pass. Just pay one skill crystal, and you''ll get free lodging for an entire month. We''ll even provide three meals a day and one free treatment session per day."


    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.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 **Ch¨¢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 havesting consequences. Holding out for ter" could mean there was no ter" at all.

 Chapter 51: Level Grinding Part 2

    After cing 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 urately, 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 yers 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 yers 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, cing 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, Minng, helplessly replied, "I can''t really say much, you know. We have rules. Besides, most of the money we make goes to helping regr folks."


    A young man beside him stuffed a piece of chicken into Minng''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 moralpass, she could have easily used her stealth abilities to follow Shadow.Q, eventually tracking down one of the yers 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 ces 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 weing 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 yers, 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.


    Switching to her bow, she prepared for a different style ofbat. While the bow took longer to draw and fire than her hand crossbow, it dealt more damage. Her gear was still fairly basic¡ªaside from her cooldown-reducing ne, she only had a +1 Constitution bracer, a +1 Constitution belt, +1 Intelligence cloth boots, and a +1 Agility cloth vest.


    **[Character] Rita (Level 0, 1.473%)**


    **HP:** 350/350


    **MP:** 400/400


    **Strength:** 10


    **Constitution:** 13 (+2)


    **Intelligence:** 15 (+1)


    **Agility:** 21 (+1)


    Duringst night''s meal, Rita had used her **Insight** ability to scan all the yers present. Everyone else was still level 0, with single attribute values ranging between 5 and 10. Theirbined stats were in the 25 to 31 range. Byparison, Rita''sbined stats totaled 59¡ªroughly the equivalent of a level 6 character.


    It was pointless for her to keep bullying low-level monsters.


    Yesterday had been a training day, a warm-up focused on hitting moving targets. Today, she wanted to train her ability tond critical shots on enemy weak points.


    As a **Master Archer**, one of her passive skills, **You''re Too Weak**, allowed her to instantly identify enemies'' weak spots duringbat. Every time she entered battle, she would see 1 to 4 red dots appear on the monsters, indicating their weak points. But even though she could see them,nding a shot in those fast-movingbat scenarios was another challenge entirely.


    Soon, she found traces of spider silk. Following the web, she spotted a venomous spider nestled between the branches of a tree.


    Rita aimed and fired. The arrow sliced through the air, striking the spider''s abdomen. A momentter, the spider''s name and health bar appeared above its head.


    **[Venomous Spider] (Level 4)**


    **HP:** 270/334


    The spider''s fangs oozed green venom, and as its abdomen tensed to spit, Rita quickly sidestepped, dodging the attack. Simultaneously, she spread her fingers, unleashing **Magic Missile**, a homing spell that didn''t require aiming and automatically locked onto the target.


    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 shy elite yers 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,pared to her arrows that took off 60+ HP with each shot. But **Magic Missile** fired quickly,unching 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.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    In her previous life, many of her pursuers hadn''t been killed by a grand, shy 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 yers 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 themter, 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 sheerbat talent, and Rick would asionally 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 n now was to be 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 calcte how much stronger she was.


    Using her **Ch¨¢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 yers using modern technology and teamwork had only made it this far. She wondered how strong they had be by now.


    Rita continued deeper into the forest until she found her target: **The Living Dead**.


    **[The Living Dead] (Level 8)**


    **HP:** 890/890


    They resembled zombies from the movies, creatures Rita had hunted for a long time in her previous life. They were neither fully alive nor fully dead, not even true undead¡ªmore like nts in a vegetative state. They were failed resurrection attempts, found only in undead zones. Various races were among their ranks.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Strictly speaking, the undead race itself was made up of different races: undead blood elves, undead trolls, undead goblins, undead tauren, and more. Anyone who died and was willing to give up their original faith to be revived by dark magic could join the undead.


    The living dead before her had no trace of its original features. Its limbs were twisted, and bits of flesh hung from its mouth. Rita immediately drew her bow.


    Because of the level suppression, despite her stats being equivalent to a level 6 yer, her regr attacks only dealt 10 damage per hit¡ªlike scraping at the monster''s health bar with a spoon.


    But while the living dead hit hard, they were incredibly slow.


    She used **Ice Flower Seal**, firing an ice-cold snowke that took 3 seconds to activate. Once it hit, the living dead froze in ce. Rita summoned her shadow, directing it to use her shadow bow for consistent damage. When the monster broke free from its frozen state, she had the shadow draw its attention while she kept firing at its weak points from a distance.


    Under the onught of her various skills, it took nearly 50 arrows to bring the creature down.


    Her experience bar jumped by 0.1%¡ªten times what she had gained from killing spiders!


    Of course, the time it took was also ten times longer.


    But it wasn''t just about numbers. Killing spiders presented no real challenge, offering little to no training value. While she still used her skill-heavy tactics and shadow to kite and control the living dead, what would happen if there were two, or three of them?


    In her previous life, she had spent most of her time running, rarely putting herself in situations where she could be surrounded. Her best record had been defeating three White family pursuers at once¡ªmen who had been ordered to bring back one of her arms as proof of their mission. She had been severely wounded in that battle, barely surviving after days spent hiding in a sewer.


    But beyond training, level 8 monsters like the living dead dropped significantly better loot than spiders.


    She bent down, picked up the four copper coins on the ground, and decided this would be her grinding spot for the foreseeable future.


    ...


    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 ck-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 regr clothes, and hurried to the auction house.


    With her **Trantor Earpiece** on, a blue magical screen appeared in front of her, tranting 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 yers 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 sellter, and rtively cheap. A piece could be purchased for less than 1 gold.


    Helmets, shoulder pads, chest armor, gloves, belts, pants, boots¡ªexcluding nes 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 yer 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 havepensated Rick afterward. But Rick wasn''t like that¡ªhe didn''tpensate, and he shifted the me.


    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 exined 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 exined 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 havee after me!*


    Thinking about Rick and his maniptions soured her good mood.


    With a nk 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 d in a ck 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


    - **Luck:** 10


    - **Charisma:** 10


    She was ready to wreak havoc. As long as the enemy wasn''t a boss over level 10, they wouldn''t be able to one-shot her. And if she couldn''t be one-shot, she could escape.


    Rita didn''t summon her shadow. Instead, she armed herself with her crossbow and provoked five of the living dead, dodging their attacks while aiming for their weak points.


    Within five minutes, Rita was drenched in sweat.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Though the living dead were slow individually, having five of them together posed a real challenge. While their reaction times were sluggish, they retained some of theirbat instincts from life. Three of them attacked her head, throat, and heart, while the other two went for her legs. Dodging was possible, but it required quick reflexes¡ªbending, twisting, lifting her legs to evade their strikes.


    But dodging while also attacking?


    Her crossbow bolt whizzed through the air¡ªmissingpletely.


    A monster swung downward, forcing Rita to block with one hand, brace herself with the other, and twist her body away from the strike.


    For a brief moment, Rita wondered if someone passing by would shout, "Stop fighting! If you want to fight, go to the dance studio!"


    Everyone was so busy, yet it was unclear what they were really achieving.


    Rita could see the red weak spots on the monsters¡ªforehead, throat, chest. Sometimes, as the monsters moved, the red spots would shift to their sides or other parts. But even though she could see the targets and react ordingly, she couldn''t find the time to attack. Every time she aimed her crossbow, another attack woulde, forcing her to dodge.


    Within half an hour, Rita had been scratched more than 20 times.


    She could have dodged wlessly if she focused purely on evasion, but she refused. She pushed herself to remember the days when she was hunted like a dog, deceived and manipted in her past life.


    She wanted to force herself to stay vignt, to maintain the sense of urgency and crisis that had clung to her since her rebirth¡ªthe feeling that a de was constantly hanging over her head.


    Taking the **God of the Culinary Arts** was just the beginning of her revenge, not the end.


    ---


    A weekter, an agile figure weaved effortlessly between seven monsters, dodging and evading their attacks. Rita suddenly dashed toward a tree, running up its trunk for a few steps before pushing off. She flipped over the monsters'' heads, turning mid-air to shoot three arrows in quick session, each bolt finding a critical hit¡ªthroat, chest, or eyes¡ªtriggering devastating critical damage.


    Before she evennded, another three bolts were already on their way. Shended 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, copsed almost simultaneously.


    Rita nced 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 inbat. The woman simply asked, "Why are you trying to fully draw the bow every time?"


    Rita had wanted to exin 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.


    Sheughed 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 nned 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 yers, 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 yers from trading among themselves.


    Rita used a mid-tier engineering-made **Trantor** to trade with a **Jewelry Maker** yer 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 yers 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-yer 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-yer 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 yers 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 yers over one washed-up has-been?"


    The burly manughed and added, "Hey, could we keep her legs for a bit? I wanna have some fun with her before we cut them off. Never yed with a celebrity before."


    Levi shrugged, "Go ahead."


    Another yer 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, Ritay silently on the cave wall, her emotions calm. She already had a clear picture of their ns¡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 exhrating.


    Although using the skill repeatedly cost 20% of her HP each time, the 50 HP loss was easilypensated by her regeneration of 10 HP per second. In just 25 seconds, her health would be back to full.


    Meanwhile, the group continued their conversation,pletely unaware of the fate about to befall them. They were busy preparing arge iron cage to trap her.


    "Hey, you think her luck stat is 10? Maybe she has a Divine Gift?"


    "No one knows. That group keeps their mouths shut tight."


    "That''s fine, though. If they don''t reveal her Divine Gift, it means they won''t spill ours either, right?"


    "True. But if we get caught, will we really not be punished?"


    "Worst case, we''ll lock her up here."


    "Too bad. It''d be nice to y with her a bit longer."


    "Yeah, even with no legs, you can still have fun with her, hahaha!"


    Unlike Rita, not everyone had her relentless work ethic. The game might have been exciting, but now that it was real, with pain from injuries and the threat of death, fear started creeping in. Even though these yers were no longer ordinary people, they still hesitated, relying more on their Divine Gifts than any real skill.


    Rita spent a full hour stealing from them while they chatted and dyed their departure. That hour was incredibly productive. Thest time she had stolen from Zoey and Sanchez, she had to keep stopping to drink healing potions and eat food to keep her HP up. Healing potions had cooldowns, and even though she was willing to spend as much as necessary, the skill activation rate wasn''t as high.


    But today, with her **God of the Culinary Arts** talent and better cooking...


    Her regeneration rate of 10 HP per second meant she could steal continuously, without having to stop and heal up. It felt effortless. By the end of the hour, she had umted five items, and her attributes had surged by 17 points in total. Even though the odds of stealing items were twice as high as stealing attribute points, most yers didn''t have much of value on them.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Now, Rita''s stats looked like this:


    - **HP**: 350/350


    - **MP**: 650/650


    - **Strength**: 10+7


    - **Constitution**: 13+2


    - **Intelligence**: 15+6


    - **Agility**: 21+4


    - **Luck**: 10


    - **Charm**: 10


    She had gained 17 attribute points, making her statsparable to a level 9 yer. 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 yers'' 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 thest 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 **Ch¨¢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 yers 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 t-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 yers below barely caught a glimpse of a shadow disappearing into the trees.


    First, sheunched an **Ice Flower Seal** at the yer in the back, freezing them in ce. Then, she drew her bow and fired, using **Push Shot**, which sent a wave of force that pushed the five yers toward the spiders while stunning them for three seconds. In those three seconds, the spiders'' legs skewered two of the stunned yers.


    Rita summoned her shadow clone, which leaped into the fray and grappled two of the remaining yers. By the time they shook off their stun, it was toote.


    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 whileter, a new team of yers 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 yer''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 yer 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 shes between yers? 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 dered 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 yers."


    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 inplete 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 aplete expert, but certainly more knowledgeable than most. Besides, she had a habit of checking herself every day.


    So how did the officials know these yers had died?


    **Divine Gift**, maybe?


    Then, Rita remembered the water orbs handed out at the base. The officials had said that if yers got lost, they could crush the orb, and someone woulde to guide them back to base. She had thrown hers away the day after receiving it, annoyed that it took up valuable inventory space.


    It seemed likely that those orbs were the reason the officials knew.


    Troublesome.


    But Rita wasn''t nning on stopping.


    Using **Phantom Cloak**, she searched through the forest until she found another group of yers. This time, she opted for a different approach: she pulled out three grenades she''d collected earlier and threw them directly at the group.


    Boom.


    The explosion filled Rita with satisfaction, her heart now free of the simmering anger from earlier.


    This group was the very one filled with those disgusting men who had joked about "taking turns" with her.


    Now, two squads were down. Rita was ready for lunch.


    After cleaning herself up with a quick **Cleanse**, changing clothes, and crafting today''s gold coins, she headed to the nearest base. She had just finished her meal when the same official team she had seen earlier walked in. Rita curiously nced at them before continuing her meal.


    When she finished, she strolled over to their table, squatted down, and asked, "Do you guys buy gear?"


    The group wasn''t surprised. They had heard of Rita, the famous actress with a luck stat of 10. As official personnel, they knew even more, having used her **Another Happy Day** skill crystal themselves.


    The long-haired woman asked, intrigued, "What kind of gear?"


    Rita pulled out a rare pair of boots she had gotten from a **Living Dead** drop.


    **Shadow Boots** (Rare)


    - **Attributes:** +8 Intelligence | +4 Constitution


    - **Magical Properties:** +2% magic damage | +1% crit damage


    - **Requirements:** Intelligence ¡Ý 19 | Agility > 12


    Gear above rare quality typically had two requirements: one for level and another for attributes. asionally, both would be attribute-based, which could be considered a hidden level requirement, as the highest starting attribute for most people was around 10¨C12. With 5 attribute points gained per level, anyone meeting these requirements would likely be at least level 3.


    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 nned 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 exined, "They only ept my **Divine Gift** skill crystals for empty ones. I figure I can get a better deal trading with you guys."


    The group exchanged nces. It wasn''t against the rules; nothing prohibited them from trading their empty skill crystals for yer 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.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 yers like her oftencked 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 epted her skill crystals for trade, with no option to purchase them with regr currency.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The group didn''t hide the truth, exining, "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 yers 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 minutester, 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?"


    The staff member was a cheerful girl with a bob haircut who smiled and said, "That''s one of our paid services."


    Rita raised a hand, cutting her off. "Is Shadow.Q your sister?"


    The girl''s smile became more genuine. "Yes, I''m Meow.Q."


    Rita''s face fell. "Case solved. Go on."


    Meow.Q exined, "There are three ways to do it, but all of them require signing a contract. The first method requires you to give us 10% of all the gold you earn through this channel. The second method requires you to give us 30%. The third method requires no cuts, but you''ll have to join our team for a year, during which time you''ll receive all the benefits of being an official member."


    Rita didn''t get upset at the highmission rates. Instead, she frowned in thought. She understood what being able to exchange gold with NPCs really meant. As she progressed further in this life, answers to many of the questions that had puzzled her in the past were slowly being revealed.


    For example, why, despite Rick and Zoey''s good fortune and smooth sailing, they still weren''t the most powerful in the country. Or why the Lopez, White, and Taylor families, though dominant, never tantly broke thew¡ªthey even needed to justify their attempts to hunt her down with fabricated charges.


    Or why, in the third year of her previous life on the run, she had heard that the people of Earth were nning a counterattack against Lania Kaya, preparing to drop anchor points for an assault.


    Many of her old ideas now seemedughable. She had once thought that by notpeting with the officials or hoarding herbs for herself, she was doing her part to avoid dragging Earth down. She was trying to maintain a moral high ground without being entirely selfless.


    She sighed deeply, realizing she had let her sess get to her head.


    "If I happen to already know a method to exchange gold, does that mean I still have to give you a cut when I use it?"


    Meow.Q''s eyes gleamed with interest. "The contract will specify that if you''ve already been using a method before signing with us, the agreement bes void. Afterward, you won''t have to give us a cut. You can even sell your methods to us, if you like."


    Rita considered this for a long time. In the end, she decided it wouldn''t hurt to gain another method for exchanging gold. There was no way she couldpete with the might of a nation alone. So, she chose the first option.


    Meow.Q called over a colleague to take her ce and led Rita upstairs to a meeting room, where a contract was promptly brought out. After thoroughly reading it and confirming it was fair, Rita signed her name.


    Once everything was in order, Meow.Q shared the secret to exchanging gold efficiently on Lania Kaya: "There''s a drunkard in the southeast corner of the city''s tavern basement who will buy any kind of alcohol. If you bring him Earth-made alcohol, like a cask of *Erguotou* (Chinese liquor), you can sell it for 50 silver. Finer liquors fetch even more¡ªsome can go for as much as a full gold piece.


    But be quick about it, because he caps his purchases at 100 gold per day."


    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 inte again.


    Meow.Q and her partner exchanged a curious nce. "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 ept 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 goldmission 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 amission. 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 im 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.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    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, lookingpletely at ease, but now she was iming to be in a hurry. Shadow.Q ced 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 havebat value, but their worth in acquiring high-level gear is beyond measure.


    I can''t protect this on my own, so I''ming 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."


    **What kind of negotiation is this, where the yer flips the table when they''re about to win?**


    Rita didn''t just flip the table¡ªshe turned and actually walked away. She hadn''t made it more than a step before Shadow.Q leaped to her feet, grabbing Rita''s arm.


    The negotiation expert who had been soposed just a moment ago was now leaning over the table, clutching Rita''s hand like a lifeline. "Sister!!!"


    Rita sighed, "I''m only 26."


    Shadow.Q quickly moved around the table to block her path, throwing an arm around her shoulder affectionately. "Younger sister!"


    From behind, Meow.Q chimed in, "Uh, hey, I''m still here."


    Without even turning, Shadow.Q shot back, "Scram."


    Meow.Q, barely holding backughter, replied, "Yes, ma''am."


    Shadow.Q clung to Rita''s shoulder. "Let''s talk this through. We can work it out."


    Rita raised an eyebrow. "You won''t like what I have to say."


    Shadow.Q paused for a moment, that phrase sounding oddly familiar.


    Rita added, "There''s no way I''m agreeing to 40%. At most, you get 10%."


    Shadow.Q''s smile twitched. "Ten percent is a no-go¡­"


    Rita shrugged off Shadow.Q''s arm and turned to leave.


    But Shadow.Q grabbed her again, clinging desperately, more determined than she''d ever been¡ªeven more than when she was trying to win back her ex-boyfriend back in college. "Twenty percent! That''s my bottom line! I swear, that''s the best I can offer!"


    Coincidentally, that was also Rita''s bottom line. She had never expected to avoid paying some sort of fee, but her expression remained cold. "Fine, but if I exchange gold, I get amission¡ª1%. Not too much, right?"


    Shadow.Q stepped back with a huff. "Fine, go ahead and leave, but don''t expect toe crawling back."


    Rita lifted her foot, feigning another attempt to leave. Just as predicted, she was pulled back again, Shadow.Q wrapping her arm around her tightly.


    Shadow.Q smiled sweetly. "Because I''lle 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%mission. 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 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%mission. If she exchanges more than 200,000 coins, hermission 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 nk skill stones and publicly dere 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 stipted 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 use 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** rted to causality, they would avenge her.


    It was a fair deal. Even if only to protect their ess 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 herposed 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 disyed 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 nced 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 yers as they watched them leave.


    Once outside, Rita hurried into the forest, pulling on a ck 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 yed alchemy tutorials in her mind and nned 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 sessionsting 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 ces 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?N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Do you think she suspects something?"


    "Unlikely. She''s turned down invitations from other teams before without raising any rms."


    "Maybe she went to a different outpost. Doesn''t she move around a lot?"


    "Probably. Let''s stake out her usual spots tomorrow while we grind."


    "You guys notice the monsters felt stronger today? I couldn''t block their hits like I usually do. No way Little Four and the others should''ve died."


    Rita had heard enough. She pulled out her grenades. One after another, she tossed five into the cave before using **Phantom Shift** to teleport outside.


    Just as she shifted to the cave entrance, a series of explosions echoed from inside.


    She waited patiently for five minutes before reactivating her **Phantom Cloak** and heading back inside. The cave floor was littered with the bloody remains of eight mangled bodies. She didn''t move closer, opting instead to pull out her gun and shoot Levi in the head three times. Next, she did the same to the muscr man and the rest of the group, making sure to fire three shots at each head.


    Satisfied, she pulled out a long knife and methodically decapitated each body before dousing them with gasoline and setting them aze, all while maintaining her invisibility.


    Once the bodies were charred beyond recognition, Rita finally left the cave using **Phantom Shift** and headed to Outpost 0003, which was at least a two-hour distance from the scene of the crime.


    True to Shadow.Q''s word, within three days and before New Year''s Eve, Rita had repaid all the skill stones she owed. She had also received 100 nk skill stones and 40,000 pounds of gold¡ªenough to exchange for 100,000 gold coins.


    This amount of gold was astronomical to her, and even for the Lopez, White, or Taylor families, it was a huge sum. But for the nation''s reserves, it wasn''t a big deal. Rita could imagine the internal debates this transaction must have sparked.


    She left the outpost, carrying the gold deep into the forest. After circling around an area of Level 8 monsters to ensure she wasn''t being followed, she transformed into a goblin and **Phantom Shifted** to the teleportation array in Undercity. Her next stop was to visit her goblin friends in various capital cities.


    With 40,000 pounds of gold, she could potentially exchange it for 111,111 gold coins. If she took the time to negotiate with the goblins, she might even secure a better rate¡ªor so she thought.


    "180 grams for one gold coin? My friend, are you kidding? Have you heard of the rich goblin Bill in Undercity? He trades at 170 grams."


    "Then go trade with him."


    "But I want to be friends with you. Fine, 180 grams it is."


    Rita left the goblin district, thinking she should take some lessons from Shadow.Q on negotiation skills.


    "200 grams for one coin?! You might as well rob me!"


    "I don''t even want to trade with you. You''re the one begging. Do you know about the rich goblin Bill in Undercity?"


    "¡­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''te 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 traderge 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 fullymitted 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 rxed. 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 trantor. 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 livefortably for the rest of her life with this fortune.


    After handing over 200,000 gold coins to Shadow.Q, she also received her 1%mission, 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 epted 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 yer 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 ess 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 shed a smile that could only be described as forced, like the infamous fake-smiling meme. "Thest 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?"


    Rita was speechless. "¡­50 silver. Take it or leave it."


    Shadow.Q immediately reached out for the money with one hand and stuffed the booklet into Rita''s other hand with the other.


    Suspicious, Rita asked, "You''re pocketing amission again, aren''t you?"


    Shadow.Q blinked innocently. "Who doesn''t these days? Don''t you?"


    Rita shut her mouth. She did! She took not one but two cuts herself.


    As she opened the booklet, Rita was genuinely amazed. She had lived through three years in her past life, thinking she knew a lot about **Divine Gifts**, but the list in this booklet was only halfway through, and it was already packed with skills she''d never heard of.


    However, each skill was only described briefly, with no cooldown times, **Divine Gift** levels, or sources. Most skills were priced below one gold, but a few were extremely rare or powerful, with prices skyrocketing. Some were even listed without a price¡ªmarked as "negotiable."


    For example, on the very first page, she saw her own skill:


    **[Another Happy Day]**: "Upon use, modifies the target''s Luck stat for six hours. (Price: Negotiable)"


    Such a simple description¡ªno mention of cooldowns, **Divine Gift** rank, or origin. Rita couldn''t help but marvel at the Bureau''s ability to y these things close to the chest.


    She ended up purchasing two divination-rted skill stones:


    **[Dear Spirit, Tell Me]**: "Upon use, it will divine the answer to a question of your choice. The rity of the answer depends on theplexity of the question. (Price: 3 gold)"


    **[Am I Going to Die?]**: "Upon use, it will divine the oue of your next action. (Price: 1 gold)"


    She didn''t expect much, given that her own abilities could block divination, but she bought them anyway. The prices were a bit high, but for those in need, it was probably worth it.


    After parting ways with Shadow.Q, Rita immediately used **[Dear Spirit, Tell Me]**.


    Clutching the skill stone in her hands, she thought to herself, *Does Rick still have a chance of turning the tables?*


    A fog swirled in her mind, and as she focused on the question, the stone slowly shattered. The fog cleared, revealing a scene.


    In the vision, Rick stood at the center of a ritual circle in the Lopez family''s basement. Not far away, another many 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 ce him.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, she recognized the ce 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 ce. 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 toy low for a while and avoid leaving the outposts.


    Whatever it was, Rita wasn''t particrly 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 arge 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 wasmitted.


    After all, she had the resources to see it through.

 Chapter 60: Back to Reality

    In addition to her current ns, 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 uracy and detection range made it worth every coin, especially for spotting yers 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 mostmon animalnguages. 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 nned to install this in her vi. 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 yers 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 nk 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 simr 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,ting 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.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Upon returning to Blue Star (Earth), her first task was to test her new teleportation anchor. Satisfied that it worked as intended, she set the second anchor point in her vi''s rooftop safe room, giving her another quick escape route.


    ---


    Rita was back, and Zoey was caught off guard. After a brief pause, she immediately instructed Rick to find an excuse to invite Rita for dinner. After a moment''s thought, she added, "Bring your parents too, if you want."


    Rick responded agreeably, "How about a family dinner? I can cook."


    Zoey shook her head. "You''re the host, why would you cook?"


    She was still quite satisfied with Rick. He was good-looking, knew how to please her, and his family was tactful. Aside from the odd habit of always insisting on turning off the lights during intimate moments, he had no real ws. She had grown quite fond of him, especially after hearing rumors about how valuable luck was in the game.


    Rick had a rare full luck stat, which made her even more patient with him.


    Rick maintained his pleasant expression, offering a polite "Sure." But once he was alone, his smile faded, and he sat in silence for a while, lost in thought, before sending Rita a message.


    - **[Rick]:** *Sis~ I''ve missed you so much!! How about a family dinner?*


    It wasn''t just politeness; it was one of the few things Rick genuinely meant. Despite Zoey treating him fairly well recently, she still kept him in the dark about the Lopez family''s ns, especially anything rted to the game. He didn''t even know the exact function of Zoey''s **Divine Gift**, much less its rank.


    Even after all this time, Rick felt he knew less than the Lopez family''s driver or housekeeper.


    The more he reflected on this, the more he realized how much Rita had helped him in the past, especially when she''d introduced him to the game.


    - **[Rita]:** *Sure! When? I got gifts for everyone too.*


    - **[Happy Scarlett]:** *Hehe, darling! I love my gift!*


    - **[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 nk expression, she prepared **[Roasted Spider Legs]** and arge 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 top up the water, drinking so much they momentarily forgot about eating.


    Listening to the cats purr as they ate and drank, Ritay back on the grass, hands behind her head, enjoying the peace.


    Zoey''s dinner invite probably came with an agenda. While the yers 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 toote. 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 rxing for half a day, Rita went on a search for cockroaches to use as surveince, but after searching the entire vi, 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, cing them as her new surveince 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 herposure.


    However, when they subtly began probing about where she had been recently, Rita opted for blunt honesty. She had learned that the best way to deal with the Lopez family was head-on: "I can''t tell you. I signed a contract that would literally mute me if I tried. Also, my first **Divine Gift** skill now has to be made into skill stones and given directly to the authorities."


    Zoey and the others exchanged nces, clearly feeling that Rita had been naive and disrespectful for not first informing the Lopez family about something this big.


    Rita hadn''t seen their nces, but she could guess their thoughts with her eyes closed. In her previous life, once a yer joined the Lopez family''s group, it was difficult to leave. If the family wanted to keep you and you still wanted to go, they''d put on a friendly front, but their underhanded methods were ruthless.


    Zoey sighed, her words tinged with reproach: "Had I known you had this connection, I wouldn''t have bothered introducing other opportunities to you."


    Rita knew this was a subtle jab¡ªZoey felt they had extended goodwill by offering her business opportunities, but in turn, she went to work with the government. From a certain perspective, it wasn''t entirely wrong. But Rita understood that had she stayed any longer under the Lopez family''s control, her **Divine Gift** would have been treated as their property.


    Even after a few coborations, there were already signs of that.


    Moreover, Zoey''sint didn''t hold up to scrutiny. The Lopez family hadn''t been helping her¡ªthey were using her as a resource to curry favor with others.


    Feigning ignorance, Rita smiled and said, "I didn''t want it to go this way either. I was hoping to make big money off of this, but the government stepped in. I couldn''t exactly refuse them, and honestly, 20-80 is a pretty good deal."


    Zoey exchanged nces with the others again, feeling even more exasperated. Rita seemed unambitious. She tried a different approach to reel Rita back in: "If you''d partnered with us, we could have split fifty-fifty." The Lopez family already had moles within the government. Even though critical information couldn''t be shared due to the contract, they knew how valuable luck stats were.


    From the information they had, Rita''s **Divine Gift** had been rated as a 7 in importance, equivalent to an A-ranked **Divine Gift**.


    Rita shook her head, wearing a satisfied expression. "I can''t protect too much on my own."


    Zoey pressed on with authority: "Our family can protect you." She met Rita''s eyes, voice firm. "You could work with us."N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The implication was clear: the Lopez family wanted Rita to break her contract with the government and work for them. It was an unreasonable demand.


    Rita, however, had grown used to Zoey''s strong-arm tactics. With a wry smile, she exined, "The authorities did the same. They wouldn''t let me leave unless I agreed. They even dragged me along," *and called me "sis,"* she thought with an internal sigh.


    "They threatened me, saying if I walked out the door, I shouldn''t expect toe back." *Because Shadow.Q would chase me down,* she added in her head.


    "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 havee 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 me 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 exining herself was already testing her patience.


    Sensing the tension, Mateo raised his ss 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 nobat 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 sses to toast her, she sighed inwardly. Beforeing here, she had nned 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 nced 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 notpletely. It wasn''t an irreparable rift, just a small crack that could be patched over.


    Once again, the room was filled withughter 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 n, she would need a coborator.


    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, 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 n. 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 yers 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 yers 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 yers 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.


    She couldn''t help but think that robbing them directly would be faster.


    Still, she had no intention of attempting a break-in at the Lopez family''s treasure vault any time soon. If she coulde up with countless ways to defend against invisible yers, the Lopez family certainly had more. That vault was probably rigged with electric grids and all kinds of traps, ready to knock her out the moment she entered.


    While she knew selling these belts right after the game''s official invasion would her even more gold, the Lopez family would likely catch wind of the factory mutation sooner than most. Who knew when they''d find out about the belt-making machine?


    Selling 1,000 items and negotiating a deal would take time¡ªtoo long, perhaps¡ªand if the belt''s value crashed, she''d lose her chance to profit and miss out on sabotaging Rick.


    She wasn''t worried about empowering the enemy. By mid-March, most yers would have a green-grade belt, and everyone would be on even footing. It wouldn''t give the Lopez family any significant advantage. In fact, she could use this to push them into exchanging gold, creating an opportunity for her to intercept and steal from them.


    Rita turned invisible and used **Phantom Shift** to head to the airport, catching a flight to Vancouver. She transformed into a small cat, hid aboard the ne, and took a nap. Once shended, she **Phantom Shifted** to a location she had scouted while buying weapons, then used **Disguise** to transform herself into a 2-meter-tall brawny man.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    She tracked down a Hong Kong triad yer and proposed that he act as the middleman in selling her gear, offering him three pieces of green equipment as payment.


    The man readily agreed.


    Rita handed him Rick''s contact information. "This is the buyer I found. He''s wealthy and a yer. His wife''s family can handle 1,000 pieces of green gear. I want 1 pound of gold for each item, and anything beyond that is yours to keep."


    "Got it. Leave it to me."


    ¡­


    After that dinner with Rita, Rick''s life took a downturn.


    Zoey wasn''t the type tosh out with yelling or hysterics. Nor did she pick fights or get aggressive. She prided herself on being a well-bred, refined person, so when she punished someone, it was subtle but excruciating.


    Rita had annoyed her, so Zoey made sure both Rita and Rick would suffer for it.


    In the days that followed, Rick noticed that a lot of his personal information was being leaked online.


    Despite being married to Zoey, Rick hadn''t given up his career as a streamer. It wasn''t out of ambition but because it was one of the few ces where he held any real authority. In his little streaming world, people analyzed the luxurious decor behind him, praised his looks and gaming skills, and even discussed the price of a random water bottle he picked up.


    No one knew about his physical ws or subtly mocked his iplete **Divine Gift**.


    Buttely, 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 poption that ridiculed those who lived off others'' wealth.


    In reality, these taunts didn''t bother Rick much. He had longe 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. Buttely, 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 tform, 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 particr 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 nned to genuinely coborate 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 ns. 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 asionally speaking to him, he would''ve been aplete 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 epting gold in exchange."


    Rick, initially dismissive, suddenly felt his heart race. He immediately shifted into a more serious mindset, calcting 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 arge deal on his own; he only had a handful of followers under hismand.


    **[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 dors, 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 dors, but that was unique to **jewelry**.


    He knew other professions, like **Leatherworking**, **Tailoring**, and **Engineering**, could produce gear with simr stat boosts at far lower costs.


    The issue, however, was that not everyone was as resourceful as him. Most yers barely scraped by,pleting tasks for mere silver coins, with no money left over for learning skills, let alone buying materials.


    **[kGod]:** "I need to see the items first."


    ...


    Meanwhile, Rita spent her days quietly at home, focusing on **Alchemy**. She brewed 1,000 bottles of **Lesser Healing Potions**, nning to sell them to the Lopez family for gold.


    Healing potions were among the first items to be obsolete in the game, but at this stage, they were worth their weight in gold. Each bottle restored 60 health points, which was essentially a lifesaver for yers whose starting HP was only 100. While average yers might hide and wait for natural recovery, the wealthy couldn''t tolerate being below 90% health for long.


    Rita wasn''t sure if the Lopez family had developed their own alchemists yet, but she figured it was worth trying. If nothing else, she could deplete their gold reserves early. If she didn''t sell to them, they would just buy from elsewhere, likely using paper money rather than valuable gold. She handed the task off to **Gunslinger**, specifying that he could only sell to the Lopez family.


    For each potion sold at 100 grams of gold, any excess profit was his to keep.


    A **Lesser Healing Potion** sold for just 1 silver in shops on the alien world, so charging 100 grams of gold per potion was a ridiculous markup¡ªa fiftyfold increase. But that was the price of cross-world trade, wasn''t it?


    After leaving the potions with Gunslinger, Rita collected 200 pounds of gold and didn''t worry about him cheating her. Gunslinger was smart; he knew better than to cross someone with ess to such lucrative deals. He also knew that if he didn''t follow her instructions, he wouldn''t be trusted with future opportunities.


    However, Rita wasn''t as trusting of **Hong Kong Boy**, the other middleman she was using. Since Vancouver was further away and the yer wasn''t as reputable, she only sold him three sample belts, instructing him toe back with a sessful deal before getting more.


    Driven by the promise of massive profits, both Gunslinger and Hong Kong Boy aggressively marked up their prices.


    Each day, Rita used her **Teleportation Portal** to visit the alien world. After her earlier wine delivery to the **Undead Alchemy Tutor**, where the tutor epted the wine and gave her a 10-minute lesson, Rita had made it a routine. Every day, she brought five bottles of fine wine and attended 50-minute lessons. The tutor''s insights far surpassed the basic alchemy videos she had been watching.


    Between her alchemy lessons and grinding experience in the wild, Rita''s schedule was packed. By early February, she received word from **Hong Kong Boy**¡ªthe deal was ready, and she needed to bring the rest of the belts to Vancouver.


    Using her usual method, Rita snuck onto a flight and arrived in Vancouver, disguised as arge 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 rmended?"


    Hong Kong Boy didn''t ask why she insisted on that particr 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 **Ch¨¢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 calcte 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 yer. 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.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Hong Kong Boy and his associates had made an extra 10,000 dors per belt,ting 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 nned 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, iming 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 yed 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 hade 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.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Rita had been collecting weapons, antiques, and misceneous 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 proid cameras and **durian shells** from a previous trip to Thand, were ced in the safehouse.


    Every day, she meticulously inspected the traps around her home. Every step you took near the safehousended 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,sting for 3 minutes.


    This was the most potent poison Rita could craft with her **Intermediate Alchemy** skills, capable of killing a yer in just 6 seconds.


    After ensuring the safety of her setup, Rita headed back to **Ranaya Kaya**, bringing wine for the undead tutor. She attended a 50-minute lesson and returned, knowing she had a big night ahead.


    While selling the belts to the Lopez family hadted her valuable gold and sessfully nted seeds of discord between Rick and **Zoey**, Rita wasn''t satisfied. She knew the Lopez family had likely started making moves to convert their wealth into gold after two consecutive orders demanded payment in that form. This would give her an opportunity to strike.


    Overall, her scheme was a sess¡ªshe had scored valuable gold, driven a wedge between Rick and Zoey, and potentially forced the Lopez family into a vulnerable position if they started converting their assets into gold. But the fact that the Lopez family now possessed 1,000 pieces of green gear left her restless. She needed to bnce the scales.


    The Lopez family was vast, with holdings in real estate, pharmaceuticals, dining, and new energy batteries. While their performance in the stock market had been poor recently, hinting at struggles, the game''s invasion had given them a new opportunity. One particr restaurant owned by Zoey had arge **cast-iron pot** in the kitchen that had been in use since the restaurant opened.


    After the game''s invasion, the pot underwent a mutation, and any food cooked in it was elevated in quality. Initially, the Lopez family hadn''t noticed, but when the restaurant''s business started booming with nothing but ordinary dishes, it was eventually revealed by yers that the pot had special powers. The potter ended up in **Rick''s** hands.


    Though she wasn''t sure of its exact level, Rita knew that if the pot had be Rick''s personal cooking tool, it had to be something special.


    She had avoided taking it earlier for fear of disrupting the timeline. Unlike the **cat house**, which simply attracted cats when left alone, pots required care and use to maintain their luster. Rita''s schedule had been so packed that she hadn''t had time to tend to a magical pot. But now, with February 10th approaching, it was time to retrieve her rightful cookware.


    It was still early in the day, around 4 PM, but Rita needed to scout the location in advance if she wanted to use **Phantom Shift**ter. She picked up **Samuel** and **Scarlett**, using them as cover to visit Zoey''s restaurant¡ªreservations were needed in advance, after all.


    After cing their orders, Rita excused herself to admire the artwork on the walls, using the opportunity to discreetly explore theyout and identify where the servers wereing from with the dishes. In her previous life, she had dined here, but she had never paid attention to the location of the kitchen.


    Once she had a good sense of the area, she returned to the private room, only to notice that **Samuel** looked unwell. Well, to be fair, both the men in the household had been acting morosetely, often looking like they were on the verge of copsing. But she hadn''t done anything to them recently, so what was going on?


    "Why the long face?" she asked, curious.


    Samuel pressed his lips together, signaling for the server to bring more wine. He wasn''t sure where to start.


    Recently, he had found a yer 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 dered 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 ce.


    He suspected a yer had switched out the items during restoration and wanted **Rick** to confront them and get their money back.


    Rick, to his credit, epted the responsibility, knowing he bore 95% of the me. However, when he tracked down the person responsible, he discovered they were affiliated with the **White family**, which put an end to his ns 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 morous life on social media.


    Scarlett knew about the loss of the billion-dor 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, iming 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, nning her next move.


    At exactly 2 a.m., Rita woke up with her mission in mind. As usual, sheyered 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 recement 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 vi.


    Landing by the window, Rita shifted into a small spider and crawled inside. As expected, the vi''s security systems were no match for a creature weighing only a few grams¡ªnone of the pressure-sensitive rms 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 end of the night, Rita had sessfully stolen 3 pieces of gear, 1 item, and 3 attribute points from Rick. As she flew away from the vi in bird form, she nced back at her sleeping brother, deciding she would return tomorrow night for another round.


    ---


    Rick, despite being from the **Wilson** family, had the highest stat in intelligence. The three attribute points she stole were all in that category. Rita''s current stats were as follows:


    - **HP**: 350/350


    - **MP**: 800/800


    - **Strength**: 17n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    - **Constitution**: 15


    - **Intelligence**: 21+3


    - **Agility**: 25


    The equipment she had stolen wasn''t particrly impressive, just low-level green gear she nned to sell off. However, the item she snatched was intriguing:


    - **God of the Culinary Arts'' Magic Ladle** (Grade B): Adle used by the **God of the Culinary Arts** to taste their dishes, imbued with their aura after years of use. When used to eat, it can reveal the ws in the dish.


    Although it wasn''t part of a set, it seemed to pair well with the **Gourmet''s Bib** she had acquired earlier. Rita decided to search the auction house tomorrow for other items from the **God of the Culinary Arts** series.


    ---


    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 nned to continue using the pots daily to ensure their power remained active until the game''s invasion.


    With her n 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 seed, 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 ws. Nothingpared 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 nts 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 asfortable 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 sess 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, **Ch¨¢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 hourster, 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, yers'' 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. ording to its in-game lore, this ancestor had been a phnthropist. 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,ining 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**.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 urred and the yer stats officially updated, the infection would show up on their health panels.


    After all, Rita really didn''t want to be coteral damage if Zoey decided to take out her frustrations on Rick.


    The only thing that disappointed her was the thought that **Rick** and **Sanchez** hadn''t started their affair yet. In fact, Rita now doubted if Sanchez would even be interested in Rick in this timeline, especially now that Rick had lost the **God of the Culinary Arts** title.


    Sanchez wasn''t a fool, and neither were the other two women who orbited Rick in the previous life¡ªZoey, Sanchez, and **Cam Taylor**.


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    Each of them had their own personality ws: **Zoey** was arrogant, **Sanchez** was violent, and **Cam** was venomous. But in the grand scheme of things, they were all intelligent, rational women. They didn''t need to pretend or y nice in front of someone like Rita, but to the outside world, they were shrewd, powerful, and highly respected figures within their respective families.


    In contrast, many male heads of households were simpletons, but not a single female leader was someone to be trifled with.


    Rita often reflected on her past life and questioned whether those three women truly "loved" Rick. Probably not. Love couldn''t be shared, but interests could.


    As shey in her backyard, surrounded by her yful cats, Rita began plotting against the **Su** and **Liang** families. Just giving them an incurable disease seemed too simple. She wanted something more.


    But before that, there was another matter to handle. If she remembered correctly, this was around the time when Rick would meet his second "best friend," **Aaron**.


    Aaron was another thorn in her side. In the past life, he had taken on the role of a so-called "faithful admirer"¡ªbut not of the three female protagonists, of Rita herself.


    This guy was an absolute scumbag.


    It seemed that nowadays, any random stray could im to be a devoted love interest.


    Aaron was supposedly Rita''s devoted admirer, a clingy, love-struck puppy. But in reality? He was even more two-faced than **Julian**. At least when Julian realized Rita wasn''t interested, he gave up quickly. Compared to Aaron, Julian seemed like a man of real integrity.


    Aaron had relentlessly pursued Rita, and the more she rejected him, the harder he tried. Everyone around them knew Aaron "loved" Rita, but when the Lopez and White families pressured and exploited her, he turned a blind eye. After the dust settled, he''de back around pretending nothing had happened, still proiming his love for her.


    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 asionally 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 ce.


    Aaron had only be a yer after the game''s official invasion, so he had beente 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''tmitted 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 dayster, rumors spread that Rita had epted 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,posed of both yers and well-connected non-yers.


    One of these non-yers was **Aaron**, a wealthy second-generation heir with a privileged background.


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    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 beenpletely 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 theirputers. She recognized **Julian**, **Aaron**, and a few other familiar faces. They weren''t ying games¡ªthe screens disyed 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 cab¡ªit was the same one she had mutted before by snapping off an arm and shaving its head. Either Julian had repaired it or bought a new one. She couldn''t resist.


    With a sharp turn, she smashed the ss with her fist, yanked out the figurine, and broke off its arm again. She then grabbed her knife and ruthlessly shaved off its distinctive spiky hair. The once-handsome figurine was now an abomination. She tossed it over her shoulder and left the apartment.


    From the moment Rita appeared to when she gouged out Aaron''s eyes, destroyed the figurine, and walked away¡ªit had all taken less than 30 seconds.


    Inside the apartment, everyone was left frozen in shock. They couldn''t process what had just happened.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    It was broad daylight, and someone had just strolled in as if they owned the ce, gouged out someone''s eyes without uttering a word, and then proceeded to treat a figurine with such cruelty... The audacity was beyondprehension.


    And where the hell did this person evene from?


    Julian was the first to snap out of it, shouting in panic, jolting everyone else into action. Some scrambled to pick up the figurine, others rushed to help Aaron or call for an ambnce.


    Rita, of course, wasn''t surprised by their reaction. In her previous life, she had gained plenty ofbat experience. After a rtively peaceful ten months following her rebirth, it had taken her some time to get back into the rhythm of fighting. She had spent days hunting low-level monsters just to regain her edge. These people, in contrast, were still green.


    They might have be yers, but they hadn''t yet experienced the crucible of battle. They were like civilians handed guns¡ªthey didn''t even think to use them when danger struck.


    Rita left the apartment and downed an invisibility potion right in front of the security cameras. Then, she **Phantom Shifted** back to **Ranaya Kaia**, turned into a cat, and headed out of the city to grind some levels. She also used the chance to absorb life energy from nearby nts to fully charge her **Emerald Feast** skill.


    Rick''s connections were no joke. The **Lin** family might not have the same clout as the Lopez or White families, but they weren''t weak by any means. Rita wasn''t sure how they would react to this incident, but in her past life, the Lin family had bet on Rick.


    Rita had figured it out by now. Rick had managed to gain influence within the Lopez, White, and **Taylor** families not just because of his abilities but because of his talent for bncing various factions. He had built aplex web of mutual interests and checks and bnces around himself, centering the Su, Liang, and Han families around his orbit.


    On top of that, he had the support of several smaller groups. He was not someone that could be easily targeted¡ªif he were, why hadn''t the Lopez family simply gone after him instead of targeting Rita''s **Divine Gift**?


    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, nning 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 y.


    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 exin. 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 yers 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 mighte after your brother next, but Rick wasn''t even there at the time. Why me him?"


    Rita stifled augh 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 yer 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 surveince footage¡ªa member of the **White** family¡ªthere was no easy way for them to let this go. The Jones family couldn''tsh out at the White family, and directly confronting them wouldn''t aplish 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-inw." As long as the Jones family didn''t escte things too far, they could still hold Rick''s group ountable.


    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 exnation.


    Rick, **Julian**, and the rest of their team were under serious pressure. Even though their backgrounds wereparable to the Jones family''s, their situation wasplicated. As yers, they had unpredictable abilities, but they couldn''t handle this kind of issue alone.


    Rick, in particr, 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 bing 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 oue.


    If the rumored fourth beta test really took ce, Aaron would enter the game with a significant advantage thanks to his Mystic Eye, making him far more powerful than the average new yer.


    The Jones family naturally made peace with Rick, and Aaron, along with the rest of Rick''s friends, became even more loyal to him.


    Rita was speechless. She had spent days sneaking around in Rick''s room, only managing to steal a few attribute points and some trash-tier gear. Where had Rick suddenly pulled an A-rank Mystic Eye from?


    In her past life, she hadn''t seen any sign of such an item on Rick.


    And weren''t the Jones family worried that someone might gouge Aaron''s eye out again? Rick wasn''t exactly known for being generous. If the Jones family didn''t offer something in return, Rita was certain that Rick would try to reim the Mystic Eye somehow.


    The next morning, before the sun was fully up, Rita arrived at the Wilson family vi. She wasn''t there out of eagerness to meet Rick''s friends¡ªno, she just wanted to be sure that Rick wouldn''t sneak in early and cook her a meal. She couldn''t risk eating anything he prepared. She needed to keep an eye on the situation the whole time to ensure her safety.


    While pretending to rx on the couch watching TV, Rita was actually watching alchemy videos in her mind.


    There''s a reason they say it''s best to start studying at 25.


    When you''re younger, you don''t appreciate the value of learning. It''s only after life smacks you around that you realize what skills you need to make serious money¡ªlike alchemy, for instance.


    Despite therge sums of gold she was currently handling, in her previous life, she had struggled to hold onto even 10 gold coins during the first year of the game''s invasion. The costs for potions, equipment, and skills were overwhelming, particrly potions.


    Even though Earth had developed mass-produced healing drugs during the game''s invasion, they all had cooldown periods. During battles, especially when fighting monsters, you needed to constantly heal¡ªevery minute, if possible. To do that, you had to juggle various healing items: basic potions, bandages, modernized healing pills, mutated red dates¡­ anything that could restore HP.


    If you wanted to be efficient in battle, healing potions were essential.


    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 ess **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 dors. That was pocket change for people who regrly spent even more on luxury items. A potion that could instantly restore health was worth every penny, even if they weren''t yers 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.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    By now, most of the major yers were simply waiting for February 22nd. If the fourth beta did happen, they could just buy potions in the game. Unlike therge 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 nce, then reached into her bag and handed him a gold coin. "This month''s payment from the special bureau hasn''te in yet. You can use this for now. Don''t talk about borrowing and lending between us." Ever since Samuel had be a yer 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 yed along, letting the father-daughter scene unfold.


    Not long after, Rick arrived at the vi 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 apanied him on countless seafaring adventures.


    - **Skill 1: Time Rewind** ¨C Allows the user to "see" the target''s experiences from thest 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 **Ch¨¢vez** ability, which should shield her from such invasive skills. Plus, Aaron wasn''t even a yer 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 yer.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    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 n 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 tovish 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 contemting something.


    Aaron, trying to suppress his excitement, smiled shyly, feeling both pleased and nervous.


    Why wait for a threat to be 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 wordsnded like a bombshell, plunging the table into silence.


    **Blue Cheng**, a popr actor, was known for his steady presence in Hollywood, a hardworking star with a loyal following. Even Samuel and Scarlett had watched his dramas.


    Aaron was stunned for a few seconds before reacting with anger. "How dare you say that? What a baseless usation!"


    Rita, as if realizing her mistake, quickly apologized. "Oh, I''m so sorry! I didn''t mean to offend. It''s my fault, I didn''t mean anything by it."


    She even pped herself lightly on the mouth in mock punishment, her face showing exaggerated regret. Then she pulled out a **fine-grade belt** and handed it to Aaron. "Here, please take this as my apology. I really didn''t mean it."


    Her repeated apologies were relentless, though she never rified that her initial statement was false. All that was missing was a shout of support for LGBTQ rights.


    Aaron didn''t say a word as the fine-grade equipment was shoved into his hands. He wasn''t even a yer, so he couldn''t use the belt, but he barely registered that fact. His thoughts were consumed with Rick. He feared that if Rick found out he was gay, he''d distance himself. Aaron''s gaze constantly flickered toward Rick, monitoring his reaction.


    To his relief, Rick''s expression showed only mild surprise, no disgust. Aaron let out a small sigh of relief.


    In truth, Rick wasn''t paying attention. His mind was elsewhere, still preupied with his missing attribute points and the A-rank magic eye temporarily lodged in Aaron''s eye socket.


    Rick''s calm demeanor didn''t diminish Aaron''s growing disgust toward Rita. He also decided to abandon his n to use her as a shield. She knew too much. The truth was, Aaron had indeed been involved with Blue Cheng, but very few people knew about it.


    He cursed himself for forgetting that Rita had once been part of the entertainment industry. While the public might not know about his rtionship with Blue Cheng, gossip traveled quickly in those circles, and perhaps Rita had heard a rumor and mistakenly believed it.


    It wasn''t really his fault. In his past life, Rita was still struggling in the entertainment world, and Rick had always introduced her by mentioning her breakthrough role. Aaron had even probed carefully back then to make sure she didn''t know about him and Blue Cheng before he decided to use her as a front.


    But this time around, Rita had left the industry early. Aaron hadn''t given a minor celebrity much thought, only vaguely recognizing her before deciding to make her his shield.


    The truth about his past was something Rita had uncovered in their previous life. Blue Cheng was thest member to join the male protagonist''s inner circle, and it was through him that Rita first realized Aaron was gay.


    Honestly, the author of this "son-inw novel" seemed determined to throw in every trendy, sensational element they could think of¡­ without considering whether the audience for such stories would ept a gay man secretly pining for the male lead.


    The awkward moment was soon brushed over by Rick''s easy banter. No one else seemed particrly upset with Rita. After all, she was a yer, 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 yers, 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 herment 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 ced 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 surveince, 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 be toozy to find his own ce. 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 ce, 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 be Rita''s internal clock. Even on nights when she didn''t stay upte, 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.


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    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 aspensation to **The Jones Family**.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    Rita, pretending to be outraged, let out a sarcasticugh 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 me? We alreadypensated 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.


    She figured if she entered a performancepetition, she''d surely score high with the judges. Ever since she''d left the entertainment industry, her acting skills had only improved from constant practice in daily life.


    After venting her "frustration" on Rick''s behalf, she addressed the real issue. "I''ve already signed a contract with the Special Affairs Bureau, so my **Divine Gift** is off-limits. However, I can help find a way through internal channels to buy some equipment or potions. **The Jones Family** will need to pay for it, and we''ll only ept gold. That''s the best I can do."


    After hanging up, Rick, who had been listening in, felt a wave of gratitude toward Rita. Facing **The Jones Family**, he also grew more assertive. "My sister''s words represent the stance of the Wilson family. Have you even considered that maybe Aaron offended someone? You saw the attributes of that magic eye¡ªif I put it on the market, people would pay billions for it!


    Hell, if you can spend 5 billion and get an artifact that can **rewind time** and **read minds**, I''d do anything. But in this situation, I''ve already done more than enough."


    While **The Jones Family** appeared outwardly furious, they were actually just putting on a show. Deep down, they were second-guessing themselves. Could it be that Aaron really had angered someone?


    Otherwise, why was Aaron the only one targeted?


    Of course, it was also possible that someone had been after the magic eye all along¡­


    But no matter what, they couldn''t pin this on Rick. After all, the previous night, Rick had returned to the Lopez estate. They had even checked the security footage using their family''s influence. Rick had not returned to the apartment after leaving. This was clearly the work of a yer.


    They regretted not insisting that Aaron return home¡­


    And so, the matter was left unresolved.


    While Rick didn''t offer furtherpensation, he promised that if he ever obtained another eye-rted artifact in the game, he would give it to Aaron so he could see again. In the meantime, Aaron would stay in Rick''s apartment, and Rick would arrange for someone to look after him.


    Thisbination of soft persuasion and firm refusal left **The Jones Family** with no choice but to reluctantly agree to the resolution. Inwardly, they couldn''t help but acknowledge that Rick was, indeed, a reasonable and decent person.


    However, while the issue was smoothed over with **The Jones Family**, the Lopez family was a different story.


    Zoey, with her strong desire for control, regrly received reports about Rick''s whereabouts. Although she didn''t have anyone directly stationed with him, she was always kept informed of his general activities. Whether it was opening a studio or making new friends, these were minor issues in her eyes. But what had she been told this week?


    Rick had somehow offended **The Jones Family**, then resolved the matter. Zoey didn''t care about that. What she cared about was the **A-rank magic eye**.


    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 n 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, andst 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 nning, and in the end, he had killed two people to secure it. His n 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 ns 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 ying 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.


    Both of them had a bad habit: they treated their subordinates very well, whether to win loyalty or poach people from others. The Lopez family had a natural gift for this. But once someone became "one of their own," they tended to ck off in how they treated them.


    Their parents had told them off for this countless times.


    They were even more rxed with Rick, who had "married" into the family. For Mateo and Zoey, it was only natural to be more casual with him.


    The siblings exchanged a nce, understanding each other instantly. Rick''s luck was truly extraordinary. If he had managed to obtain the magic eye on his own, maybe next time, with Lopez family support, he could get something even better.


    In perfect unison, they sat on either side of Rick,forting him, even apologizing for their mistake and promising that from now on, he would be treated like a true member of the Lopez family, involved in all major decisions.


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    But beneath his hands, Rick''s eyes were cold and venomous.


    If Rita were here, she would haveughed out loud. Rick had despised her so much simply because she didn''t give him everything she had. He considered her selfish and calcted against her in every way.


    Zoey treated him like this, and yet he was still expected to cooperate with the Lopez family as he had in the past? Not a chance.


    In the past, Rick became a yer early on, making him an equal match for Zoey.


    Even though in the early stages of their marriage, Zoey''s feelings for Rickcked sincerity¡ªshe mainly wanted to use the marriage to avoid a political alliance¡ªshe did treat him like a cherished toy. But Rick''s abilities were undeniable. Even though he never revealed the full extent of his **Divine Gift**, Zoey knew it was as strong as hers, and she couldn''t pass up such a powerful ally.


    Rick was involved in every major and minor family matter.


    But this time? Rick had only be a yer in the third beta test, and despite his **SS-grade Divine Gift**, it was practically useless, no better than a **D-grade**. He was treated like a nobody, and it was no surprise Zoey didn''t value him.


    Rick wiped his face, his eyes still red. "It''s fine. I don''t me you. It''s my **Divine Gift** that''s wed, and I couldn''t help you¡­ I understand." He looked at Zoey with urgency. "You''ve always wanted to know what my one working **Divine Gift** is, right? I was embarrassed to say before¡­ Whenever I cook for someone and they feel happy after eating, I''ll be more lucky for a while."


    He looked at her, almost pleadingly. "So, my gift is still useful, isn''t it? I can help you. My sister''s **Divine Gift** is also rted to luck, and if the Special Affairs Bureau values it so highly, it means luck really is important, right?"


    Zoey''s gaze softened. She hugged Rick, soothing him with a gentle voice. "Of course it''s useful. Why didn''t you say so sooner? It''s extremely valuable."


    As she embraced Rick, she and Mateo exchanged a look.


    The siblings werepletely in sync. A single nce was enough tomunicate:


    ''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 answery 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 effectsts 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.)n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 waspletely 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 ced 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 be lucky for a period of time. The happier the diner, the luckier you be.


    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''stest 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, Cam 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 n 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 nced at her phone to check the time: 2:21. A momentter, 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 sessfully.]**


    **[Server "Lania Kaia" has connected sessfully.]**


    **[Wee, yers, to "Star Ocean: Rift of the Beasts." Each yer will draw their unique Divine Gift.]**


    **[Detected: yer already possesses Divine Gifts: £¼Thief God£¾ £¼Immortal£¾ £¼God of the Culinary Arts£¾ £¼Master


    **[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.]**


    **[Team function is now enabled.]**


    **[Dungeon function is now enabled.]**


    **[Mail function is now enabled.]**


    **[Detected: yer has leveled up, leaderboard is now enabled.]**


    **[Ding¡ª yer Rita has entered the top 10 of the wealth leaderboard. Would you like to conceal your information?]**


    **[Yes/No]**


    Rita swiftly navigated through the long list of prompts and selected **Yes**.


    Once the system came online, everyone''s **ID** was their real-world name, ording to the registry. If someone didn''t have an ID card, the game would default to the name they were mostmonly called.


    She opened her character panel again. Now that it was fully activated, she saw not only her primary attributes¡ªStrength, Constitution, Intelligence, and Agility¡ªbut also the grayed-out advanced magical attributes, such as Crit Rate, Crit Damage, Movement Speed, uracy, Evasion, Cooldown Reduction, and Health Regeneration, among many others.


    These stats couldn''t be leveled up directly but could be enhanced through magical equipment bonuses.


    The light blue panel had a new menu in the bottom right corner. Clicking on it revealed options such as **Team**, **Chat Channel**, **Auction House**, **Leaderboard**, and **Achievements**.


    She opened the **Chat Channel**, shrinking her character panel. The chat screen expanded.


    In the bottom left, she could toggle between different channels. She switched to **World Channel**, where messages in variousnguages filled the screen, but they were so numerous and fast that they distorted, almost like some kind of visual noise.


    She switched to **China**, but it was equally chaotic, with messages shing too quickly to read.


    She then switched to **Los Angeles**, where the speed was the same. The sheer number of yers from China was overwhelming.


    Finally, she switched to **Nearby**.


    **[Happy Scarlett]: Hi? Is anyone there? Is everyone asleep?**


    Rita: "..."


    Experience more on empire


    She closed the chat, deciding not to bother with it for now.


    Rita checked on her teleportation setup to Lania Kaia and confirmed it was still functioning, easing her mind. Then she picked up the cat bed on the ground, smiling before she even touched it. She could already see the faint red glowing from the bed, the same color as the magical patterns on the moon.


    **[Meow Meow Hostel] (S-rank): ce at your doorstep, and it has a chance to attract stray animals. If you sincerely host them, they will leave behind a treasured item as a token of gratitude.**


    She ced 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 ce 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 ss 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 hadid 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 disyed magical properties into her in-game inventory. The ordinary weapons that didn''t mutate were tossed into a nearby storage box.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 yers 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 forms. 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 effectsts.


    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 tasteter.


    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, eximing, "Oh my gosh! Has everyone turned into yers? 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 be 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 asionally 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.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 copse 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?"


    Smart, Rita thought. She didn''t hesitate: "I can, but there''ll be kickbacks, and they only ept gold. Are you willing to pay the price?"


    Samuel''s mana was down to 13%, so he pressed on, "How much would a decent skill cost?"


    Rita gave a rough estimate: "C-rank skills range from 50 to 200 gold, B-rank ones go from 300 to 1,500 gold, and A-rank ones can go over 10,000."


    "And how do we exchange for gold coins?" Samuel asked.


    ording to the contract, Rita couldn''t traderge amounts of gold coins for other factions, but selling her own coins didn''t vite the agreement. Still, she didn''t want to exchange for Samuel, knowing he''d try to exploit her.


    She replied, "The Special Affairs Bureau has exchange methods, but they take a cut. You can either lose 10% or 30% depending on the method. If you''re interested, I can refer you to join the Bureau for better rates."


    Scarlett immediately perked up, "Can I join?"


    "Sure," Rita said. Although Scarlett''s Divine Gift wasn''t particrly special, the Bureau needed people, and once you signed the contract, you were one of them. Enjoy new stories from empire


    Samuel''s expression darkened as he shook his head, "No. Rick is with the Lopez family. It''s bad enough you joined the Bureau, but if I join too, what would that make us?"


    Rita wasn''t surprised by Samuel''s reaction.


    He asked one final question, "Can you exchange gold coins yourself?"


    "I can, but my method is expensive. Not worth it unless you have a lot of money," Rita replied.


    At this point, Samuel''s mana had run out. Regretfully, he canceled his skill and said, "We''ve saved up most of the money you and Rick gave us over the years. We have over thirty million."


    Rita chuckled, not saying whether she believed him or not. "Convert it to gold first. My method is 300g of gold per gold coin. You should ask Rick if he knows another way,pare the options, and decide. But holding onto gold won''t hurt you."


    After making dinner and patiently chatting for another half hour, she finally sent them off.


    Once they left, Rita closed the door and started reviewing her sessfully 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 Cam Taylor wearing these in her previous life.


    Sure enough, all three had transformed into equipment.


    And they were rare, high-value essories.


    All three were legendary-grade and required a level of 10 or higher to equip. At level 10, purple essories 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 n 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, nning to destroy themter.


    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 yer''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 beughed at by the entire Los Angeles yer base, they would have no choice but to buy it back. And with such a powerful team buff, other yers 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 tough, 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,parable 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 sess in raids, she''d sell it to Rick''s rivals.


    She stored all the weapons in a custom disy case and then ced 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 apanied her through the hardships of her previous life.


    **[Did You Make Money Today?] (Rare)**


    - **Bonus Attributes**: +32 Agility


    - **Magic Properties**: +17% Movement Speed | +15% Concealment


    - **Equipment Requirements**: Agility > 21 | Intelligence > 36


    This was a highly specialized piece of gear. The 15% Concealment bonus was a rare and useful property, which reduced the sound she made while moving. In her past life, Rita had relied on this outfit to escape death multiple times.


    Even though she was slightly disappointed that the costume hadn''t mutated further in her hands, she was satisfied. Given how quickly her attributes were growing, she''d soon be able to wear it.


    Rita paused, realizing that she was now incredibly wealthy, though most of her newly acquired treasures couldn''t be used yet.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    She made a quick trip to **Lania Kaia**, purchasing several pieces of rare gear under one gold each, raising her Agility to 30 and her Strength to 25. This allowed her to equip **[Kill Them All]**.


    Her fully equipped stats were as follows:


    - **Health**: 800/800


    - **Mana**: 650/650


    - **Strength**: 17 (+8)


    - **Constitution**: 15 (+9)


    - **Intelligence**: 21


    - **Agility**: 25 (+27)


    Her **[Emerald Feast]** skill had fully absorbed the life force of the trees in Lania Kaia, granting her a 500% health boost, and she had stocked up on potions and arrows.


    Rita closed the door to her safehouse, took a deep breath, and stepped into the faint purple glow of the dungeon portal.


    Dungeons were not simply armies invading¡ªthey followed rules, recreating fragments of their world''s history as the framework. The monsters within had to reenact this history, and if they weren''t defeated, they could break free and invade reality.


    Earth had studied these rules and concluded that dungeons were a form of cultural invasion. yers entering dungeons were exposed to the lore, even if they weren''t interested. They would still absorb knowledge about the other world''s history.


    Trolls, orcs, and goblins were manageable. But beautiful races like the Blood Elves, Undead, and Night Elves could easily attract admiration, and many people allowed their perceptions to be swayed by appearances. Coupled with these races''pelling, often tragic histories, the emotional pull could influence weaker minds.


    Lania Kaia imed they needed Earth''s resources due to overpoption. 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 yerster 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 rtively safe: once a yer began fighting, the entrance would close, preventing others from entering. If she left, the dungeon would reset, with any in monsters being reced.


    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 regr 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. asionally, 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 ying 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.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    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 nned 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 yers to add friends, but given howmon certain names were, finding the right person often required matching avatars or meeting in person. Rita''s name wasn''t particrlymon, and it seemed Rick had scrolled through the list of avatars until he found her.


    She epted the request and casually nced at her phone¡ª17 missed calls.


    Some were from Rick, and others from Zoey.


    The game''s sudden arrival had disrupted many people''s ns. 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 nned 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 be 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.


    The Lopez family swiftly organized a team to explore the dungeons. However, the first group to entersted less than 10 minutes before dying. The Lopez family sent in another team to retrieve the bodies, quickly realizing there was no way to revive those who died. This newfound danger prompted them to proceed with much more caution.


    After analyzing over a hundred dungeons under their properties using **Insight**, the Lopez family selected the lowest-level dungeon, a Level 2 one. Although it only allowed up to 20 yers, the monsters were just Level 2, so the family figured a team of 20 could easily take them down, especially armed with guns and armor, even if they couldn''t ess in-game equipment yet.


    But the monsters dealt significant damage. Even with armor, a single hit could shave off 40 HP, meaning two more hits would result in death.


    Despite their cautious approach¡ªadvancing slowly and retreating to recover when necessary¡ªthe Lopez family couldn''t ignore the need for potions. If they didn''t want their subordinates to feel like their lives were being thrown away, they had to provide emergency supplies.


    This small dungeon housed just over 100 monsters, but it still took three hours to clear. The reward? Less than 10 silver coins and no equipment drops. Worse, they burned through over 200 health potions in the process.


    They were losing money.


    Once out of the dungeon, the Lopez family analyzed the situation. To maximize profits, fewer than 10 yers should enter each time. However, this meant they needed a steady supply of potions to ensure everyone survived.


    The Lopez family had tried to recruit alchemists, but due to the recent theft from their treasury, most of their alchemical efforts had gone toward creating **Reveal Potions**. Their stock of beginner health and mana potions was running low.


    Zoey and Mateo recalled Rita''s promise to help Rick with **The Jones Family**, hoping Rita could assist them with both potions and equipment.


    Rita listened to Rick''s words silently.


    There was no way she would provide more equipment. Selling them over 900 belts was the limit, and no other equipment slot had as exploitable a situation as the belts. Boots, while simrly mass-produced, couldn''t reach the same level of price reduction as belts, making it harder to create another scheme.


    She had been waiting for the Lopez family toe crawling to her for more supplies. Patiently, she responded, "As for equipment, I askedst night, but my contact said they don''t have enough in-game currency. If you have some, I could try negotiating, but beginner health potions are easier. I can get someone to sell them to you for gold. But are you sure you want to buy now? Prices will be high.


    It''s not a good deal."


    Rick had the phone on speaker, with Zoey and Mateo standing nearby. ncing 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, thest 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 ying 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 minutester, 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.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 dors for one piece of gear? Sure, it didn''t sound too bad at first nce¡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 recement was faster than upgrading a smartphone.


    Soon enough, those pieces would be lying on the ground, ignored by yers 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 particrly 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 nced at Rick, who was staring nkly 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. Andpared 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.


    At the moment, market prices were in chaos. With enough time and effort, they could slowly buy currency or potions at a lower price from short-sighted individuals. Within a few days¡ªcertainly no more than a week¡ªprices would likely stabilize, and they could probably buy these items with cash.


    But while they could afford to dy buying equipment, health potions were indispensable for survival in the dungeons. Without them, the Lopez family couldn''t progress.


    Money wasn''t the issue. In a world where they couldn''t directly ess the in-game store to purchase supplies, finding a reliable way to trade gold for game resources was a blessing¡ªthanks to Rita.


    "Are you sure you can''t get any equipment? We can negotiate the price," Zoey pressed, still hoping to secure more valuable items.


    Meanwhile, Mateo was already on the phone, instructing his people to stock up on more gold. Ever since they had to use gold to buy belts, the Lopez family had been debating whether to hoard more. Now, it was clear: gold was essential. Hoarding it was better than holding onto cash, which was bound to crash. Read thetest on empire


    Rita wasn''t interested in selling the Lopez family any more gear. She offered them an unattainable price: "I asked. I''d like to buy it myself, but the supplier only epts in-game currency. They won''t take cash or gold... Oh, and there''s another option, but it''s not worth it."


    Zoey was intrigued. "What is it?"


    "If you don''t have in-game currency, you can trade high-level items. An A-grade item can get you 1,000 pieces of green gear. I mean, how is that not highway robbery?"


    "..." Zoey thought to herself, even robbers aren''t this brazen. She genuinely asked, "Did you offend them?"


    Rita: "..."


    After a long discussion, Zoey managed to convince Rita to help her acquire 2,000 potions¡ª1,500 beginner healing potions and 500 beginner mana potions¡ªat 150 grams of gold each. They would buy it.


    Rita, feigning concern for her well-being, advised, "That price is outrageous. If you wait a few days, the prices might drop. In the game, they''re only 1 silver coin each..."


    Zoey calmly responded, "It''s just 600 pounds of gold."


    Rita shut up immediately. Damn, she should''ve charged more. Where else could you find suckers like this?


    Two thousand potions in exchange for 600 pounds of gold. The cost to Rita? Just 20 gold coins, plus a few low-level bandages she had crafted while leveling up her first aid skill. Since those low-tier items didn''t disy the creator''s ID, she could sell them to anyone without risk.


    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 yers 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 yers.


    And they probably started recruiting heavily after the first closed beta, boosting the core team''s stats. So after the game''s fullunch, 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 yers. Otherwise, why wouldn''t those yers join the Special Affairs Bureau for better perks?


    Rita happily epted the friend requests from Rick and Zoey, then noticed one from **Shadow.Q** and epted 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 yer, 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. yers 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 yers 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 yers, 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 rtive 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 ck market entrance.


    After finding a secluded spot, she used her **Disguise** skill to travel to Lania Kaia. Even though she wasn''tcking potions, she needed to make it seem like they were hard toe 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 there was something off about them. After using **Insight**, the descriptions of these skills appeared translucent. A thin ck line quickly shed through the exnations, and below, a line of solid, tiny text revealed the true nature of his **Divine Gift**.


    Rita pretended not to notice. This disguise wasn''t meant for someone like her, who only saw Rick every now and then. It was likely aimed at the Lopez family. Uncovering it now would be premature.


    That wasn''t the real issue, though. What truly caught her attention was the red blood drop symbol next to both Rick and Zoey''s names.


    Rick''s blood drop was faint, while Zoey''s was more solid.


    Rita focused on the blood drop, letting her mind trigger the **Insight**.


    **[Unknown Curse Lv.1]: All healing effects reduced by 5%. Health does not auto-recover. Contagious.**


    AIDS! It''s AIDS!


    Rita had to stifle herughter. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Rick and Zoey, she politely declined their invitation to stay for lunch, using the excuse of needing to finalize some payments. She left the Lopez residence quickly, afraid that if she stayed any longer, she might burst outughing.


    So they''ve got AIDS! Level 1¡ªwho knows if it''ll worsen? Rita pondered the "contagious" part and made a mental note to be cautious around them. Who knows what Zoey and Rick might do once they discovered their "curse"? They might just start infecting everyone they could out of spite.


    She wondered if they had noticed the curse yet. If they had¡­ things were about to get very interesting.


    But given that Rick''s blood drop was semi-transparent¡ªjust like his **God of the Culinary Arts** skills¡ªRita suspected he had already noticed something was off and taken steps to hide it.


    She stored the information in the back of her mind and decided to closely monitor the couple''s next moves. After that, she drove away from the Lopez family, made a quick detour to the ck market for a 10-minute stroll, and finally headed home.


    Once she arrived, she set up the cat bed in the backyard, washed up, and forced herself to get some sleep. After staying up the night before for the game''sunch and another night digging out that magic eye, she realized she had now gone two days and two nights without rest.


    Even though her body was now gamified, with statistics tied to health, fatigue could still have negative effects. Otherwise, why would Rick and Zoey have gotten sick? And why had she fallen into a weakened state after overusing **Phantom Shift**?


    She had to rest.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But just as she was finally about to fall asleep, the image of that **curse description** shed through her mind, causing her to wake up with augh.


    ---


    Rick had indeed noticed something was wrong. When the game officiallyunched, the first thing he did was check his **Divine Gift** to see if any miracles had urred. 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 nning 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 youe 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 yer 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 epting one-off jobs. After learning about Rick''splete **Divine Gift**, Zoey understood why Rick had been so tensetely.


    Anyone in his shoes would have been crushed¡ªRick was just more sensitive than most, and he''d managed to maintain hisposure 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 quicklyposed 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, softlyforting 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, particrly regarding how luck worked in the game. It wasn''t just about having a lucky yer 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 disy excessive pride. She preferred him obedient and humble, so he acted ordingly. If she wanted him to appear vulnerable and pitiful, he yed the part. As a live-in son-inw, 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 ced 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.**N?v(el)B\\jnn


    **[Rita]: Isn''t this the item that goes for 99 gold, 99 silver, and 99 copper on the auction house?**


    **[Shadow.Q]: I''m only profiting by one copper, honestly. I''m giving you this deal because we''re friends. Want it?**


    **[Rita]: ...I''m looking for something that lets me bind an object but still allows others to touch it.**


    **[Shadow.Q]: Is that even a legitimate item?**


    **[Rita]: ¡­Yes. Don''t you want to make amission?**


    **[Shadow.Q]: **Tattooin'' Ink** (B-tier). You can tattoo an item or piece of equipment onto your body as a temporary tattoo. Even if you''re on Earth and the item is in Lania Kaia, you can summon it back. If someone steals it and puts it in their inventory, you can still retrieve it.**


    **[Rita]: How much?**


    **[Shadow.Q]: 38 gold.**


    **[Rita]: Why is it so much cheaper than the **Binding Stone**?**


    **[Shadow.Q]: Because it has a drawback. The tattoo is waterproof but not skill-proof. If the skin where the tattoo is located gets damaged, the item will automatically unbind and drop.**


    **[Rita]: That''s a pretty significant drawback.**


    **[Shadow.Q]: Just tattoo it on your butt or something?**


    **[Rita]: ¡­Thanks for always managing to surprise me with these little gems of wisdom.**


    **[Shadow.Q]: No problem. Hit me up if you need anything else.**


    Rita sent 38 gold through the game''s mail system and added one of the **Another Happy Day** skill crystals she had recently created. A short whileter, she received a small box of ck ink from Shadow.Q.


    Rita headed to the backyard and shooed the cats away before pouring the ck ink over the cat bed, as per the instructions. Despite the ink being just a few milliliters, it rapidly spread across the surface of the cat bed, covering it entirely.


    Soon, the cat bed began to shrink, transforming into a tattoo-like sticker about the size of a coin, shaped just like the cat bed.


    Rita picked up the sticker, and Shadow.Q''s suggestion about where to ce it popped back into her mind. She shook her head, horrified.


    She didn''t believe in the whole "the most conspicuous ce is the safest" idea. Why unt your wealth when you could hide it?


    Ultimately, she decided to ce 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 reim 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 ced a cat inside. The cat rolled around before getting up and heading back out to eat.


    Satisfied, Rita ced 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 nkets.


    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 reced a mr, the magic eye would need her to sacrifice one of her own eyes. It wasn''t that she was particrly attached to her natural eye, but the magic eye''s shady origins made it unwise to openly wear.


    ncing 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 hadunched, 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 n 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 hade 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 youe 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 vi. 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 coulde 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 cab, 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 theyout, quickly cleared out the scouts and headed straight for the troll camp. To hone herbat 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 nd 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 ced 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.


    She took that potion to Apache, and that was the first time the teacher asked for her name.


    After thinking about the two wanted posters at the city gates, Rita decided to keep her distance. "I''m Ravenw," she said, making up a name.


    Apache''s gaze turned somewhat odd when she heard the name, but she didn''t question it further. The conversation moved on.


    The lessons continued. Although Apache had never directly taught her any recipes, Rita wasn''t in a hurry. She knew she had hit a bottleneck because her fundamentals were wed. It was like cooking¡ªno matter how clearly someone exined the steps, if your knife skills were off, or your control over heat wascking, each step might look right, but it''d still go wrong.


    So, whatever Apache taught, she listened carefully.


    Today''s surprise was enough to excite her, but Rita wasn''t thinking of switching sides. Just like one internal beta yer had once said, they might still be enemies on the battlefield in the future, but Apache would always be her teacher.


    As Apache drank the wine and finished breakfast, she curiously picked up a cigarette. She wasn''t stupid¡ªafter sniffing it and inspecting it closely, she used fire magic to light it and took a drag.


    In the next second, her undead eyes gleamed, almost as if the dark circles under her eyes had faded a bit.


    Tapping the cigarette pack with her fingers, Apache rasped, "From now on, your tuition is this."


    A phrase popped into Rita''s head: "She smokes and drinks on the side, huh?"


    "Do you still want the wine?" Rita asked.


    "Bring both," Apache replied with a smoky voice. "And make it a regr thing."


    "...Got it."


    Rita couldn''t help but think that corrupting high-ranking aliens with Earth''s vices should count as a contribution to humanity!


    Today''s lesson went longer than usual. Fifty-five minutes in, and they still hadn''t covered everything. Rita, not wanting to miss out, quickly transformed into a chubby orange-white cat and sat at Apache''s feet. This particr form was inspired by the fattest cat she''d recently met in her backyard. Though it was unhealthy for a cat to be that fat, it was absolutely adorable.


    Apache nced 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 identally 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**.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 exined 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 vi, 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 cab. "There are two more packs in there."


    Rita grinned. "You''re the real deal, Mom!" She swiped those too.


    Returning to Lania Kaia, Rita ced 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 finallye 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 copsed 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 nightspletely 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%mission.


    **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 highermission, 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 thought back to Rita''s frugal tendencies. "Unlikely."


    The middle-aged man persisted, "Ask her if she''s willing to sell her gold."


    To an individual, 200,000 gold was an unimaginable fortune, but for the entire Chinese region, it was a drop in the ocean.


    **Shadow.Q**: Are you willing to sell your gold?


    **Rita**: Do you have something more valuable than gold?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    **Shadow.Q**: The government''s trust.


    **Rita**: ...


    **Rita**: If you keep this up, I''m blocking you.


    **Shadow.Q**: Really not selling?


    Rita could feel Shadow.Q''s urgency. Clearly, the pressure on the Special Affairs Bureau had ramped up since the game''s arrival.


    She pulled out her storage box and rummaged through it, eventually finding the items she''d made while grinding engineering skills.


    **Rita**: I used all my gold to level up my professions. Here''s what I''ve got: 400 **Precision Rifles**, 383 **Dynamite Packs**, 500 **Scopes**, 700 **Crude Rifles**, and 1,000 **Mines**.


    The scopes could be mounted on firearms to increase uracy, and the mines and dynamite packs were great for area-of-effect damage. As for the rifles, the **Precision Rifle** required level 2 to use, while the **Crude Rifle** was usable at level 0¡ªboth were products of her initial engineering grind, each taking a mere second to craft in the game but half an hour in the real world.


    **Rita**: Interested? I''ll sell them in a bundle. For the sake of national trust, I won''t even charge you gold.


    **Shadow.Q**: Why is the number of dynamite packs not a round figure?


    **Rita**: Don''t ask!


    **Shadow.Q**: Fine. How much for the whole lot?


    Although they were low-level weapons avable 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 yers 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 coboration. 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 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 epted. 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 evenined about it, saying the Special Affairs Bureaucked vision.


    Any organization that Rickined 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 fewrge 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 yers 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 nted 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 disyed above them was barely readable, akin to the smallest line on an eye chart. Hiding in the corners, they were nearly invisible.


    With her **Ch¨¢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 aplete 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-rted resources. However, back then, yers were rare and preferred to stay hidden, reluctant to reveal themselves. Even the Lopez family had only managed to locate a few hundred yers, and even fewer were willing to trade with them.


    After the third beta test, the family intensified their efforts, recruiting yers and gathering intel. But as with anyrge 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.


    The Lopez family''s wealth ran deep. When they were robbed of over four thousand gold bricks, it was less than half their reserves. Still, it was enough to sustain them for a long time. However, whether it was the belt and potion trades or the connections Rita had with the Special Affairs Bureau, none of the transactions epted cash anymore¡ªonly gold. This realization spurred the family into action.


    Over the past half month, they''d funneledrge amounts of liquid capital into buying gold. Some of their industries were sold off at discounts, but they only epted gold or equipment in exchange. Now, a hundred green-quality items could be traded for a property in Los Angeles.


    Through her undead spiders, Rita overheard Su Langfeng advising Mateo to be cautious of enemies in the shadows:n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    *"You should personally oversee this batch of gold. Bring 20 extra men with you. Spread them out¡ªeach person carries a portion of the gold. Don''t gather them in one ce and risk getting wiped out in one go."*


    Rita had to admire their caution.


    But caution wasn''t going to stop her. Her n was to take them out all at once. Even if Mateo himself was cautious, Rita was confident she could eliminate him directly. Stay tuned for updates on empire


    Upon hearing this news, Rita immediately canceled all her other ns. She stayed home, brewing potions and keeping tabs on the spiders. After hearing Su Langfeng''s arrangements, she directed her spider out of the Lopez mansion and into the bushes.


    The Lopez family''s attention to detail in staff training wasmendable. The moment a young master nned to leave, the driver would have the car waiting. No way was Mateo going to stand outside waiting for a car like he''d called an Uber.


    Spotting the cars, the spider crawled into the middle one.


    At the same time, the spider hiding in Rick''s car emerged and randomly entered one of the vehicles.


    Rita wasn''t sure which car Mateo would take, but since the gold would be split among the vehicles, it didn''t matter who she followed.


    Unlike shady deals made at midnight in secluded corners, the Lopez family''s gold exchange was set to take ce in broad daylight at their busy city-center restaurant, during the peak of the lunch rush.


    At noon on January 24th, Rita entered her safe house. She pulled out a wooden bow and softly shot six arrows into the corner, then used her **Disguise** skill to transform into a frail, bony old woman. Since there was a high chance she''d face a direct confrontation today, she used her **Ch¨¢vez Pocket Watch** to modify her in-game ID to something in and inconspicuous: "Ordinary Auntie."


    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 peopleing 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 asionally sipping on mana potions or coffee to maintain her **Phantom Cloak**.


    Half an hourter, 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 yers 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 nning 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 yers. 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.


    Beforeing here, she had umted six regr 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 therger crowd of yers, without even ncing in their direction.


    As the crowd scattered, taking cover from what they assumed were active grenades, Rita crouched and quickly searched the first corpse. yers'' 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 yers. 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 yers were still not fully loyal to the Lopez family, and silver coins were hard toe 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 yers 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.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 p 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 ipetent subordinates, but the world had changed. They were all yers 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 red at them. He didn''t need to check¡ªthey were his trusted aides. This meant that their game bags were loaded with gold.


    But now was not the time to mourn. Whoever had attacked mighte back. Gritting his teeth, he stifled the urge to scream and ordered, "Move out!"


    Mateo and his entourage sped back to the Lopez family estate, where they quickly stashed all the gold in the family''s treasure vault. The vault was now their safest ce, even if the efforts to secure it had slowed their overall progress.


    The vault was equipped with scouting, alert, marking, and tracking tools. The floor was lined with electric grids, and only a select few family members had ess. It wasn''t just a treasure room anymore¡ªit was the family''s safe house.


    ...


    After escaping from the Lopez family restaurant, Rita drank an invisibility potion and sprinted to a crowded area. She **Phantom Shifted** to the ocean.


    Her **Disguise** skill was on cooldown, otherwise, she would''ve shifted to **Lania Kaia**. But even in **Undercity**, there were asional NPCs, and she couldn''t risk exposing the fact that humans could operate on **Lania Kaia**.


    Once in the ocean, she took a quick bath, then moved to the shore to change her clothes. She cleaned herself with **Freshen Up**, then **Phantom Shifted** back to the city center, transforming into a calico cat and slipping into a busy crowd.


    While **Insight**ing Mateo''s crew earlier, Rita had noticed several tracking-type **Divine Gifts**¡ªone could track blood, and another could track scent. To be safe, she needed to rid herself of any lingering traces.


    For the next six hours, she wandered around the city. She even made a stop near the government''s library stronghold, just to throw off anyone potentially tracking her. At one point, she squatted in a corner watching two cats fight for five minutes. She wasn''t bored¡ªit just so happened that the cats were fighting over her.


    She nced down at her own calico fur. "Am I really that irresistible?"


    Not bad. She found it oddly satisfying.


    As soon as her **Disguise** cooldown ended, Rita transformed back into a goblin and shifted to **Lania Kaia**, heading straight for **Undercity''s** sewers. Only there did she finally take out the two game bags.


    The bags weren''trge¡ªone had six slots, the other four.


    She carefully inspected the metallic boxes inside. Each box was equipped with modern technology¡ªprobably tracking devices or cameras, but on **Lania Kaia**, those would be useless. Nowork, no tracking. Still, she leaned in and sniffed¡ªthere was definitely tracking potion on them.


    Using her dagger, she pried open the locks, and a sh of gold nearly blinded her.


    Touching the gold bricks, she sighed. Even these wereced 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 intoughter. 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 ce. 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 thered 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.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 oddtely, 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 hade 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 ck-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 me 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.


    After hearing the full story, Su Langfeng didn''t berate Mateo. Instead, he said, "There''s a mole in the family. You''d better investigate."


    The investigation naturally began with the family''s "outsiders."


    So, who were considered outsiders? Side branches, non-blood rtives, and those who had married out.


    Zoey had chosen to marry into the family rather than be cast out, but as for Rick¡ªhaving married into the Lopez family¡ªhe was now technically considered an "outsider."


    He had the motive, but he was quickly ruled out. For one, he hadn''t been involved in any of the Lopez family''s major decisions for quite some time. He had also been preupied with the matter of the Jones family recently. Zoey''s people had been keeping a close eye on him, worried he mighte into possession of another high-level artifact to give away.


    His movements that day were clear as well¡ªhe was either at his studio or back at the Wilson house.


    Upon hearing about the Lopez family''s internal purge, Rita had her little **Undead Spider** scurry into a sink and down the pipes, flushing itself away. It was best to keep these tricks under wraps for now¡ªthere would be plenty of opportunities to use them in the future.


    Rita had barely finished making dinner for herself and the backyard cats when the doorbell rang.


    She pressed her chest where the tattoo was, retrieving the **Cat Inn** into her body before heading to the door.


    Standing there were three annoying individuals: the "Old Fox," "Young Fox," and "Foolish Fox."


    Samuel wore a somber expression, buttely, that was his permanent look. Scarlett was as bright and lively as ever, still ying the part of the cheerful,rger-than-life woman. As for Rick, his smile hadn''t changed much¡ªit was the same soft, wounded smile he had worn ever since losing his 9cm.


    Rita smiled as she let them in. "Have you eaten yet?" she asked casually, not bothering to clean the table. There wasn''t anything spectacr on the table¡ªnone of the dishes scored above 80 points. She was already nning to find a cooking teacher in **Lania Kaia** soon. "Dad, why are you always frowning these days? Come in, sit down.


    I''ll whip up a few more dishes."


    She walked straight into the kitchen without treating them like guests.


    The trio entered on their own. Samuel evenined about Rita snatching his high-end cigarettes while he wasn''t home. Scarlett, on the other hand, slipped off her shoes and immediately headed for the backyard to take pictures of the cats¡ªperfect social media material, after all. Who wouldn''t want to be the wealthydy loved by animals?


    Rick, meanwhile, followed Rita into the kitchen, offering to help, but she shooed him out. "When did you learn to cook? Oh, wait, I forgot¡ªwas it the game? You should go, you''re just in the way. If you''re that bored, help me scoop up the cat poop in the backyard."


    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 Ritately. 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 identally bit into a spicy pepper and started coughing. Her drink had run dry, and in her rush to find water, Rick offered her his ss of wine. Scarlett nced 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 forter, not dwelling on it, and quickly handed Scarlett a ss of juice from her game inventory.


    Once Scarlett recovered, Rick''s expression returned to normal, showing no signs of the brief sh 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 toe 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 ced them in front of Rick. "Don''t say I''m ying 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 epted the five potions and thanked Rita, but inside, he felt nothing.


    His heart remained strangely cold.

 Chapter 84 Entering the Leaderboard

    Rick didn''tck resources. Thanks to his innate luck, even though he had spent most of his energy scheming for the magic eye, he still managed to umte plenty of valuable items. Not only did he have a full set of equipment, but he had also crafted rings and nes 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 imed 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 bted New Year''s gift. I made it myself." He didn''t y 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 rtionship 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, nning 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, exining the curse, especially emphasizing its contagious nature. Apachi looked as if she had just discovered a new world and eagerly took the blood to herb.


    Before disappearing into her work, she tossed Rita a small notebook filled with alchemical insights.


    Realizing she probably wouldn''t have a lesson today, Rita returned to **Blue Star** and spent the entire morning grinding in the dungeon, sessfully leveling up to **Level 1**.


    As soon as she leveled up, she received a notification.


    **[yer has entered the Top 100 in the level rankings. Would you like to conceal your name?]**


    She chose **No**.


    Her name appeared at the bottom of the leaderboard.


    **[Rita: Level 1 (0.016%)]**


    The top-ranked yer was also Level 1 but had progressed over 80% of the way to Level 2. Based on the emblem¡ªa small golden dragon next to the yer''s name¡ªRita suspected this yer belonged to **Special Affairs Bureau**. It was hard to miss the bureau''s trademark ir.


    She saw no reason to hide her level. Eventually, she would need to work with the Lopez family in dungeons, so concealing her level made no sense. Plus, she didn''t fear Rick or the Lopez family discovering her rapid leveling speed. To maintain her position as an equal, she needed more than just the bureau''s deterrence¡ªshe needed her own strength.


    If anyone asked why she leveled so fast, she''d just say it was thanks to the bureau. After all,st time Rick and the others leveled quickly, they hadn''t told her anything, either.


    Just as she was thinking about the Lopez family, she received a private message from Zoey¡ªthey wanted to buy more **Basic Healing Potions**.


    **[Rita]: That''s going to be hard to get. I used up all my favorsst time.**


    **[Zoey]: We can negotiate the price.**


    **[Rita]: I heard some hospitals are offering pills and injections that can restore HP, and the prices are pretty reasonable.**


    **[Zoey]: Those are limited in supply.**


    Even though Rita had already lived through this once, she couldn''t help but admire how the Special Affairs Bureau handled things so thoroughly. They had restricted these life-saving supplies to prevent the wealthy and powerful from hoarding them and leaving the average citizen with nothing. During the toughest times of the previous timeline, Rita had survived thanks to these items.


    Although the injections didn''t heal as much as a Basic Healing Potion and you had to administer them yourself, even restoring 50 HP was half a lifeline.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    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 nned 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 entertainmentpanies.


    Rita pped 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 shed 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 be a yer 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 shed at every corner of the house, trying to find the hidden assant. 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 copsed to the floor, drenched in sweat and tears,ughing 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,pletely 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 dungeony. 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.


    **[Otaku''s God] (Contract Item) (Damaged): Born from the love and faith of its owner, it will fight for its master.**


    - **Owner**: Julian


    - **Level**: 0


    - **Strength**: 1n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    - **Constitution**: 6


    Read chapters at empire


    - **Intelligence**: 8


    - **Agility**: 9


    Rita nearly burst outughing. This used to be Julian''s trustypanion, a formidable partner that,bined with Julian''s unique shout-based abilities, was as powerful as an S-rank Divine Gift. But now? Hahaha.


    She moved into the bedroom, where she found **Aaron** lying on the bed, his eyes covered with bandages. The bandages pressed into the sockets where his eyes used to be. She wondered if he could still see his Divine Gift now that he was blind.


    - **[Breath of Winter] (S-rank)**


    - **Skill 1**: *You Are Winter* (Passive) ¨C All your skills deal frost damage, with a 10% chance of freezing the enemy.


    - **Skill 2**: *Winter''s Drink* (Passive) ¨C Consuming S-rank frost dishes has a 4% chance of unlocking frost-based skills. This passive only activates the first time you consume an S-rank frost dish each day.


    - **Skill 3**: *Breath of Winter* ¨C Unleashes a breath of frost, freezing all targets you wish to freeze within a 10-meter radius. Cast time: 2 seconds. Mana cost: 10%. Cooldown: 30 minutes.


    - **Skill 4**: *Winter''s End, Spring''s Arrival* ¨C Absorbs frost energy to restore health. For every 10% of HP restored, 1% of mana is consumed.


    This wasn''t Rita''s first time seeing Aaron''s Divine Gift. In her past life, his abilities had been revealed to the world, and she had been frozen by his **Breath of Winter** before. Aaron had exined that he was always thinking about her, which caused the ability to malfunction and hit her.


    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 strengthy 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 reced 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 toe 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 manipted by fate. If she hadn''t taken Aaron''s eyes, with his Divine Gift andbat 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 y out and see how things unfolded. She could always investigate how Rick nned to steal Divine Gifts and find a way to sabotage him.


    If that didn''t work, she could alwayse back and kill both Aaron and Rickter.


    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 nced 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 directbat. For these people, 19 gold was expensive but still more reasonable than the ridiculous 50-gold price tags pped 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 simr skills she found in the future before people wised up and stopped paying inted prices. However, she didn''t n to engage inrge-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 yers'' 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 3,000monly used materials. In each ss, **Apache** would go over about ten of them, exining processing techniques, properties, and usage. She''d only exin it once, never repeating herself. Fortunately, Rita had a good memory and took meticulous notes, recording every bit of knowledge. Even a casualment 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 rxing 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.


    On the 28th, Rita received a message from **Shadow.Q**¡ªit was time to settle the profits from her skill crystals.


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "We sold quite a few internally. You can choose between receiving contribution points or gold for your cut."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    **[Rita]:** "How do the contribution points work?"


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "30 skill crystals will earn you 1 contribution point."


    That was about what Rita had expected. Based on the previous contribution points **Shadow.Q** had given her, she had calcted that 1 contribution point was worth about 80 to 90 gold. It wasn''t much, but the points had their own value beyond money.


    **[Rita]:** "What can I buy with contribution points?"


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "There are some extremely rare skill crystals that can only be purchased with contribution points."


    **[Rita]:** "My crystals aren''t rare enough?"


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "Think of it likeparing a six-hour hotel room rental to an annual lease."


    Rita understood. Some skills must have effects thatsted for years.


    **[Rita]:** "Can I see the list of items avable with contribution points?"


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "When you''ve umted 100 points, I''ll personallye over to pitch them to you."


    **[Rita]:** "¡­Fine. I''ll take contribution points."


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "Check your mail."


    While **Another Happy Day** only had a cooldown of 5 hours and 4 minutes, Rita wasn''t strict about using it immediately when it became avable. On average, she crafted 4 skill crystals per day. Sometimes, if she was diligent, she could make 5 crystals in two days. Other times, her inconsistent schedule made her miss crafting opportunities.


    Averaging it out, she produced around 4 per day, meaning she delivered about 45 crystals every two weeks.


    She didn''t want to break her "average luck" persona, and she needed to keep some for herself¡ªespecially for future use against Rick. So, every two weeks, she handed over around 45 crystals, keeping the rest for her own use. This technically wasn''t breaking her contract.


    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 ce 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 na?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 toe 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 yers, 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 surveince. 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 manipte 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 y it cool.

 Chapter 87 A Match Made in Heaven

    Rita managed to have a rtively 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-rted 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 be a yer. 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 regr citizens and thest 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 yer''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 ess. Some people kept them hidden for family and friends, others leased them to the government for rent, while others mized 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 exined, "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''tst, and a single scratch could take off 40 or 50 HP."


    Scarlett immediately lost interest. "Never mind, then."


    She knew her daughter too well¡ªRita would definitely pay for her, but she was as stingy as Scarlett herself.


    Rita didn''t bother with what they thought. After dinner, she hurried them out the door.


    "So annoying," she thought, "Why do they live so close?"


    She started pondering when she should deal with those two. They were bing useless, and with the game fully integrated into reality, getting rid of someone quietly would be easy. As she watched Samuel and Scarlett''s retreating figures, her thoughts darkened.


    How should she do it? Could she make it look like Rick''s fault? Or use their deaths to sow discord between Zoey and Rick? Were there any skills that could curse someone by sacrificing their rtives? Discover more stories at empire


    Scarlett shivered and looked around, asking her husband, "Do you think someone knows we have potions and is targeting us?"


    Samuel frowned, realizing it wasn''t impossible. The two quickened their pace, heading home.


    On the way, Samuel reflected on his recent actions. Whether it was giving them potions or helping Rick handle the **Jones Family**, it was all Rita''s doingtely. It wasn''t enough. Rita was pretty easy to manipte¡ªif you made her feel moved, she''d open her heart to you. But if you neglected her for too long, she''d start thinking too clearly.


    He figured he''d talk to Rick about it.


    When Samuel shared his thoughts with Rick, Rick wasn''t too concerned. The worse things got for him at the **Lopez** house, the more he realized how good Rita had been to him. Genuinely, he said, "Dad, there''s no need to worry. That''s just how she is¡ªstingy, sure, but she wouldn''t forget about us if something big came up. The price was probably too high for her to mention."


    Samuel thought back to how it was Rita who had first told them about the game. Maybe he didn''t need to worry so much. His daughter was still useful and caring, after all.


    Rick continued, "The top ten on the leaderboard are all from the **Special Affairs Bureau**, and her **Divine Gift** is pretty useful. She''s probably being power-leveled by them. There''s no way we could get in on that."


    Samuel nodded. "Alright, as long as you''re aware. By the way, did you fire that guy from your workshop? Why keep someone with a dirty disease around? You don''t want to get infected."


    Rick gripped his phone tightly. Mumbling a few acknowledgments, he quickly hung up, afraid he might lose control if he stayed on the line. What scared him more was the thought that Zoey might walk in at any moment and overhear.


    Over the past few days, Rick had keenly sensed that something was off with Zoey. Her emotions¡ªdisbelief, despair, anger, and fear¡ªwere all too familiar. Last night, Zoey barely slept. Rick could feel her watching his back all night long.


    At one point, Zoey had even pulled down his pants to inspect him. Then, he heard her coldughter echoing in the room¡ªa mixture of disdain, betrayal, and mocking fury.


    It made Rick want to jump out of bed, but he forced himself to stay still.


    This morning, the same yer 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 yer 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 ze, 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 ying 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 manipte 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."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Go to hell.

 Chapter 88 No Problem Alchemy Cant Solve

    On the morning of March 1st, Rita left her vi, 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 fewpanies 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 thepanies 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 coborate 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 forms, 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 unrted 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.


    Apachi nced at it, then let out a bold, arrogantugh, "Who said this has nothing to do with alchemy? There''s no problem that alchemy can''t solve!"


    Thinking of the time Apachi referred to **Wheel of Fate** as a "six-hour rental room," Rita''s eyes lit up, and she asked eagerly, "Can alchemy enhance a **Divine Gift**?"


    Apachi lit a cigarette with a snap of her fingers, took a deep drag, and said, "What was your unrted question again?"


    Rita blinked, confused for a second, before pushing the formation drawing forward with her small, green goblin hand. "Someone wants to use a formation to steal my **Divine Gift**. What can I do to stop them?"


    Apachi began lecturing seriously, "Oh, this formation involves demons and equivalent exchange. The higher the level of the **Divine Gift** being stolen, the greater the price the user pays. These three symbols represent magic, blood, and soul, meaning the thief must offer these as payment to the demon. The marks in the lower right indicate the quantity involved.


    Judging by the numbers here, the **Divine Gift** they want to steal is at least S-rank."


    Rita didn''t hide anything. "I saw this in a divination vision. That person does indeed have an S-rank **Divine Gift**." She then ced 2,000 gold coins in front of Apachi. Continue your adventure at empire


    Without batting an eye, Apachi took the coins. What she appreciated most about Rita was that she knew knowledge came at a price. Usually, she would pay with cigarettes or alcohol¡ªsmall luxuries that were rare but inexpensive. But this time, Rita was dealing with serious, secret knowledge and didn''t try to exploit their mentor-student rtionship. Instead, she paid upfront and generously.


    Apachi admired that.


    Apachi quickly outlined three methods for stopping the **Divine Gift** theft.


    The first method involved making a deal with a demon first, using one''s **Divine Gift** as coteral. Not only could this grant the user something they desired, but if someone tried to steal the **Divine Gift**, it would provoke the demon, and the thief would be dealt with.


    The second method was alchemical: creating a potion that would infuse one''s soul with holy light. This would not only enhance their affinity with light magic but also make it impossible for demons to touch their soul.


    The third method, of course, also involved alchemy. Apachi made Rita loudly repeat, "Alchemy can do anything!" twice before continuing, clearly enjoying the moment.


    The third method was a cursed alchemical artifact called the **Heart of the Undying**. This master-level creation required sacrificing part of one''s **Divine Gift** to gain the curse of immortality. The first undead was rumored to have been created this way. Nowadays, undead beings no longer possess true immortality, but the artifact still has value.


    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 iplete **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 exin 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 ck gem. "1,999 gold."


    Rita: "¡­"


    "You''ve been corrupted."


    These people from Lania Kaia, they''ve gone bad.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

 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, epted 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 exnation, 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.


    Rita drank the potion on the spot.


    Immediately, a mysterious warmth surged from deep within her soul, spreading through her entire body like a sonic wave before quickly dissipating.


    When she opened her character panel, she noticed a small golden shield icon next to her title.


    **[Blessing of E''tha]:** You are under the protection of holy light.


    Rita chuckled. When others acted cryptic, it was annoying, but when she was the cryptic one? It felt great.


    Satisfied, she suddenly remembered Apachi had avoided her question about whether alchemy could enhance a **Divine Gift**. Didn''t she say there was no problem alchemy couldn''t solve? Ignoring a problem doesn''t mean it''s solved!


    She sighed. Given Apachi''s attitude, even if it were possible, the price would likely be too high. Otherwise, there wouldn''t be so few S-rank **Divine Gifts** in Lania Kaia. Across the entire Dark City, including the city lord, Rita had only encountered three S-rank gifts, with Apachi''s being one of them.


    She then examined the ck heart-shaped gem, about the size of a baby''s fist.


    **[Heart of the Undying]:** Embed this into your heart to carve the curse of immortality into your soul. Sacrifice a portion of the divine power granted to you in exchange for immortality. **(Immortality: Your HP will never fall below 1)**.


    Several devious ideas shed through Rita''s mind. She smiled and stashed the **Heart of the Undying** away.


    From the moment Apachi exined the three options, she had already dismissed the **Word of Redemption** as a choice. The dark deal was also out of the question¡ªwhat if Aaron used it to recover and seek revenge? Or worse, what if he asked the demon to kill the person who gouged out his eyes? She wasn''t about to pay for her own assassination.


    No need to overthink it. The cursed gem was the best choice. If Aaron somehow benefited from it and became immortal, she could just consider itpensation for taking his eyes.


    What a benevolent saint she was today.


    With the most troubling issue resolved, Rita continued browsing the auction house. She briefly considered purchasing something to hide the dungeon portal at her vi, but the prices were steep. The cheapest option was a few hundred gold, which didn''t seem worth it. After all, the rooftop dungeon would only be valuable for the next six months before bing obsolete.


    By then, she nned to hand it over to the authorities for some political favor.


    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 bnce¡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 ce 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 yed 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.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    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 regrly, 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 be 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 wouldst for a while, but what aboutter? Apachi loved variety, and she would eventually get bored of the same gifts.


    Rita stashed the amber away, nning to brew arge 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.


    With that in mind, Zoey sent her team to seize the dungeon.


    Taking over the dungeon was easy: they just needed to clear the monsters and leave someone inside, preventing others from entering. When they wanted to farm the dungeon themselves, they could have that person exit, allowing it to reset and refresh the monsters. They didn''t even need to station many people there.


    ---


    The next day, when Rita noticed no one following her, she was a bit surprised. Realizing that the Lopez family had likely discovered the portal in the White family''s office building, she went to the rooftop to check.


    Although no one was visibly around, Hunter''s Eye revealed five hidden red dots nearby. She tried entering the portal but couldn''t. Time to act. She frowned slightly, feigning frustration and irritation. Then she took out a spray bottle filled with revealing potion and spritzed it around the portal, carefully avoiding the red dots¡ªno need to embarrass anyone by revealing them.


    Once satisfied, she pretended to send a private message, as ifmunicating with someone about the situation, and then left. Before leaving, she ced a small undead spider nearby to monitor the area. When the White family and Lopez family inevitably shed, she wanted a front-row seat.


    Back home, Rita didn''t bother going out again. Instead, she set about using her engineering skills to craft an automatic feeder that could store up to 10 kilograms of food while keeping it fresh. She had beenzy about it before, since the cat bed didn''t seem to be yielding any returns. But now that she''d gotten something out of it, she was motivated.


    Your adventure continues at empire


    Though the feeder''s preservation time wasn''t permanent, it could keep the food fresh for seven days. This would allow her to leave behind her own cooked meals for the backyard cats if she needed to travel.


    Whether it was alchemy or engineering, Rita found herself calming down, getting absorbed in her tasks. As she carefully polished the metalponents, her thoughts drifted to the heart surgery she would perform on Aaron tonight.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ---


    At 2 a.m., it was time for Rita to make her move.


    Disguised, she arrived at Aaron''s apartment, used **Hunter''s Eye** to ensure no ambushes were lying in wait, and went straight to Aaron''s room. A **Sleep Spell** knocked him out cold, and after feeding him an invisibility potion, she carried him out to the rooftop stairwell.


    There, she securely bound him, forced down a bottle of **Silencing Potion**, and made her first incision into his chest with a knife.


    The intense pain jerked Aaron awake.


    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 momentter, he heard a voice, neither distinctly male nor female, say, "Rx, 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 ofpensating 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 recing his heart was genuinelypensating 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 transnt 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 ck mist and was absorbed. Aaron''s status panel reflected this only with a new icon beside his name: a ck cross.


    **[Undying Curse]:** Your HP can never drop below 1.


    Apart from this simple description, there were no other indications rted 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.


    ---


    For the next few days, Rita checked in at the office building belonging to the White family, each time finding she couldn''t enter the dungeon. After a few failed attempts, she decided to stop going altogether¡ªshe didn''t need to keep up the act forever.


    Deciding it was time to leave town for a while, she prepared to steal one of Rick''s uing opportunities. Even though her home''s dungeon was still essible with **Phantom Shift**, she preferred to avoid being in the area if the Lopez family decided to me her for something.


    She casually announced her ns in the family group chat.


    **[Rita]:** "I''m heading to JL for a while. I''ll be back next month. Contact me by phone or in-game if you need anything."


    **[Rick]:** "Sis, why are you suddenly heading to the next city?"


    **[Rita]:** "Our local dungeon got found by another group, so we''re going to check things out in the next city. @Rick, once you hit level 3, I''ll take you to a great spot."


    **[Rick]:** "Oh, okay."


    **[Scarlett the Happy]:** "Will you take Mom with you?"


    **[Rita]:** "Once you hit level 3, sure. You and Dad don''t really need to level up, but I still think it''s a good idea for you two to try¡ªit''s good for your health to raise your Constitution stats."


    Rita didn''t mind offering a few nice words in text, even if she couldn''t bring herself to say them face-to-face. It wasn''t much effort.


    **[Scarlett the Happy]:** "Need me to take care of the cats while you''re away?"


    **[Rita]:** "No need. They''re strays; they can fend for themselves when I''m gone."


    **[Scarlett the Happy]:** "Cats can take care of themselves¡ªyour mother can''t."


    **[Rita]:** "?"


    **[Rita]:** "@Rick, send her some money."


    **[Rick]:** "¡­Mom, check your ount."


    **[Rita]:** "@Rick, I found some materials for the vitality potions, but it''s rare stuff. I only got enough for five batches. I''ll mail them to you."


    **[Rick]:** "Thanks, Sis~ Let me send you some pocket money too!"


    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 tobel the food as a gift. How thoughtful.


    But was she moved? Of course not. Her trust didn''te 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.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 yers constantlying and going. However, they had remained rtively 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 minutester, 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 escted the conversation. Usually, by now, he would have resorted to threats. Why had the conversation just¡­ fizzled out?

 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 yers, listing eight unique skill stones, including her own **[Another Happy Day]**. However, no yer 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 dered that the yers 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 yers, 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 yers with special Divine Gifts to coborate 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 toin, 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 ims. 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 evenpared 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 wasparatively less refined.


    Seeing this, Zoey decisively shifted all the family''s jewelry-rted 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 officialunch, 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.


    This only deepened Zoey''s resentment toward the Lopez family, as she felt they were too harsh and too pragmatic. Rick was her partner, after all, and treating him poorly was a direct insult to her.


    Rick, for his part, fully supported Zoey in all her decisions. He obediently followed her lead, whether it was training a specific skill or running errands for the family. He would even prepare meals for Lopez family members heading into dungeons, always mumbling to himself in a voice only he could hear that he was "treating them." He deliberately kept this habit random to avoid raising suspicion.


    With his naturally high luck stat and the asional "meal payments" from Lopez family members, Rick''s fortunes seemed to improve. In fact, he suspected that his current sess with Zoey had a lot to do with his good fortune. After all, how else could he have gotten away with Zoey discovering that half of him was missing? Any normal wife would at least demand answers, if not start a fight.


    But Zoey wasn''t just any wife¡ªshe had used the full version of him before.


    Not only that, but every time Rick browsed the auction house, he''d stumble upon rare materials for his **Jewelry Crafting** at suspiciously low prices. Many of these were sold by people who had no idea of their value. Rick would then craft high-quality items and sell them for a profit, consistently earning more than the Lopez family members made from dungeon runs.


    Seeing how lucky Rick was, the workers at his studio had be far more obedient, like loyal dogs.


    Rick was growing more and more aware of how wonderful luck could be. As he downed another bottle of **Vitality Potion**, he stared at the single drop of blood on his status screen.


    It had no effect.


    Rick braced himself against the table, his head hanging low.


    What was he supposed to do?


    He was only at the first stage of his illness, but what if this "curse" evolved as the disease worsened?


    His only hope now was that Zoey could use her family''s power to find a cure. But then again, she was likely more focused on finding items that could disguise her status information. She might even be plotting to kill the person who hade to Lopez Manor to **Insight** his curse.


    Hahaha. Stay updated with empire


    Rick couldn''t help but feel a twisted sense of joy as he imagined Zoey struggling with her own problems.


    He gathered his things and left his workspace, following his routine of checking in on Aaron and having a short conversation with him. Just as he was about to leave, Aaron suddenly spoke up.


    "I know of something that can restore my sight, and it''s not too expensive. Could you help me get it, Xiao Yu? I promise to repay you."


    Rick''s interest was piqued. "What is it?" How had Aaron learned about this? Had Julian or someone else helped him find this information?


    "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 momentter, 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 yed along.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "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''sb 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 ss, 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 regrly 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. asionally, 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 dy 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, particrly 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 yers'' 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.


    - **Skill 4**: **Penance** ¨C At the start of each month, you can set a personal vow. If you strictly adhere to this vow throughout the month, you will gain attribute points. The harsher the vow, the more points you can gain, up to a maximum of 5.


    Rick''s eyes had burned with envy when he first saw this. A Divine Gift like this would make anyone the core of any team! But he managed to suppress his jealousy. After all, he and Zoey were more or less tied together by mutual interests now.


    Still, there was one thing that pissed him off to no end.


    **Despite being married to Zoey for so long, he had never once heard that damned Song of Hope! Not even once!**


    When Rick arrived at his workshop, he checked in on the others. The most talented member of his team, Julian, had an A-rank Divine Gift. Everyone else was trash, which helped calm Rick down. He almost forgot about Aaron¡ªuntil the mechanical eyes arrived.


    **Why does this blind idiot have an S-rank Divine Gift too?**


    **Are S-ranks just being handed out like candy these days?**


    His fists clenched as the mechanical eyes creaked slightly in his grasp.


    "Xiao Yu?" Aaron''s voice trembled with unease. He''d heard Rick enter the room, along with the faint grinding noise of machinery.


    Though Aaron was blind, he had an unsettling feeling that something wasn''t right. His instincts told him to break the silence.


    Rick quickly regained hisposure. After all, Julian had followed him into the room. Julian had already noticed Rick holding the mechanical eyes and excitedly eximed, "Lin Zi, you''re getting your sight back! How cool! These mechanical eyes are awesome!"


    Rick forced a smile and ced the eyes in Aaron''s hands. "Here you go. I was going to surprise you by sneaking them in while you slept, but since you''re awake, why wait?"


    Aaron pretended not to notice the strange atmosphere earlier and eagerly took the mechanical eyes. He removed his blindfold, carefully inserting the eyes into his empty sockets. After a brief sting, a familiar sense of wonder washed over him¡ªthe same feeling he had when he''d first received his magic eye.


    Light flooded back into his world!


    Though he had been blind for a long time, the mechanical eyes didn''t overwhelm him with light. They felt natural, just like his original eyes. After a couple of blinks, he adjusted quickly and gazed tearfully at the people around him.


    After a few moments, Aaron snapped out of it and immediately opened his character panel to check his Divine Gift.


    When he saw the "S-" next to it, his heart sank. But then he noticed the **[Undying]** attribute, whichpletely 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 revtion.


    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 yers, even though he had startedte. The future of their workshop seemed bright.


    Rick forced himself to endure the celebrations thatsted 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 rtionship 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.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Completely useless.


    But it sure looked impressive.

 Chapter 94 Do You Know the Penalty for Robbery?

    Rita spent about half a month in JL, asionally 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,nding her in the top 30 on the leaderboard. The top 29 yers 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 rtionship 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 epted 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 rocketunchers or something? Clearing out monsters should be quick."


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "We tried, but the effect is about the same as a C-rank skill."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    **[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,ndmines 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 ess 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.


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    For instance, 90% of the top 100 yers were from the Bureau. If they had each of them solo a dungeon, they would level up quickly, but this would also mean only those 90 people could benefit, leaving many dungeons underutilized. And that wasn''t how the Special Affairs Bureau operated.


    Even though there were estimated to be over a million dungeon portals, only a fraction were for Level 1-2 content, which, given the world''s poption, wasn''t enough.


    **[Rita]:** "You''re trying to buy my dungeon slot, aren''t you?"


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "Yes."


    **[Rita]:** "That''s possible, but it''s on my private property. I won''t sell the slot, only rent it out, and I''ll need to reserve six hours a day for myself. It''s a Level 3 dungeon¡ªif you''re interested, we can talk terms."


    Rita had already thought about renting her dungeon to the Bureau. After all, she''d been using them as a cover story, and since she wasn''t in the dungeon 24/7, leaving it idle felt like a waste. The only issue was that she''d been away in J Province, and she didn''t want anyone to know she could Phantom Shift. More importantly, she didn''t want to approach Shadow.Q directly.


    Trusting anyone too much was dangerous, and making herself seem too eager would make her appear cheap. The more active she was, the more demands people would make of her, and before long, they''d expect her to always be first in line with good stuff¡ªotherwise, she''d bebeled unpatriotic.


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "Alright! Name your price."


    **[Rita]:** "It''s a Level 3 dungeon, with 702 monsters in total. Clearing it gives about 2 gold, plus 2-3 pieces of gear. Of course, that''s with me modifying my own luck. The dungeon is mine from 7 AM to 7 PM each day. The rest of the time, it''s yours."


    **[Rita]:** "I don''t want gold; I want to select skill crystals from your Bureau. Ten skill crystals per month, tax-free."


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "Do you know how many years you get for robbery?"


    **[Rita]:** "Oh, and by the way, you''ll need to build your own ess tunnel directly to the dungeon. I don''t want strangers walking through my house."


    **[Shadow.Q]:** "..."


    **[Rita]:** "Alright, fine. I''ll throw in one skill crystal as a mission'' for you. Deal?"


    She wondered what kind of image she had in Shadow.Q''s mind.


    **[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 toe by her ce 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 nned 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 asionally 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 maniption. 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 vi, immediately ttened her rooftop safe house, and covered it with a wooden cab.


    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 particr business was a health supplementpany. When they discovered that none of their products had mutated, they shed prices, with the boss intending to use the proceeds to buy gear and skills.


    Rita was after one of the ingredients thispany 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 n onpeting 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 ess 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 yers.


    It wasn''t until two weekster that the Special Affairs Bureau managed to reverse-engineer the **Ginseng Essence** form. 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 ounting 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?


    Not only did she want in on the business, but she also aimed to outdo Rick by buying up as much ginseng on the market as possible.


    This time, she wouldn''t involve the Special Affairs Bureau in the deal. Not every venture had to include them¡ªshe didn''t owe them anything, after all.


    During her half-month stay in JL, Rita had used her **Disguise** ability every day to meet with various business owners, conducting all transactions in gold to avoid leaving a trail. She had even tested the ginseng herself and confirmed that the potency of the **Ginseng Essence** did vary depending on the ginseng''s age.


    Ginseng older than 30 years was especially potent, instantly restoring 120 health points and continuing to regenerate 1% of max health per second for 15 minutes. It was the perfect match for her **Thief God** talent.


    Although the top-tier ginseng was expensive and scarce, she bought as much as she could because her **God of the Culinary Arts** talent would triple the effect. Naturally, she reserved the best ginseng for herself.


    For profit-making purposes, she settled on mid-grade ginseng¡ªstuff that sold for around 400 yuan per pound before the game invasion. Rita was buying in bulk, and with no current demand for health supplements, she managed to trade one pound of gold for a thousand pounds of ginseng.


    Over the past two weeks, she had acquired 70,000 pounds of ordinary ginseng and 15 pounds of top-tier, 30-year-old ginseng. If she turned all of the ordinary ginseng into **Ginseng Essence**, even ounting for a 1% auction fee, she stood to earn a tidy profit of around 15,600 gold coins.


    In the process, she had experimented with dozens of expensive herbs, even bringing samples to Apache. However, nothing new came of it, and Rita resolved that if Rick managed to invent anything new, she''d chop off both his hands.


    All of this ginseng was neatly packed intorge crates and stored in her game inventory. She wasn''t nning to make all the beginner-level healing potions herself. Even though she could brew one in just a minute, making over 30,000 of them would take forever.


    Instead, she nned to spend the next couple of weeks at home crafting **Ginseng Essence** and start selling it next month when yers had more disposable ie.


    As she was mulling over her next steps¡ªwondering whether to inquire about the situation between the White and Lopez families¡ªthe doorbell rang. Shadow.Q had arrived, apanied by Asher.


    Shadow.Q not only brought the skill crystal catalog but was also there to sign a formal contract and discuss how to construct a direct portal, ensuring that yers wouldn''t disrupt Rita''s home life. The Special Affairs Bureau was an expert at these sorts of logistics.


    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 nning where to build the portal entrance. She pointed to the nt-covered shelves and asked, "How about here? We could ce 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 cab here with some meals I''ve made."


    Asher frowned and interrupted, "That''s inappropriate! We can''t ept 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 eptable."


    Shadow.Q bit her lip, turning away to avoidughing.


    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."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    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 yers 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 barriersts 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 simr 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 exin how to use the skill crystal, Rita immediately activated it. Soon, she could clearly sense her entire vi 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 rectangr 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 rted 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¡ªthergest avable 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 popr for at least six months, ensuring she would recoup her investment.


    She nned 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 disy 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 ce, 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 arge batch at once and bottle it.


    As for containers, she used small alchemy vials, which cost just 1 copper coin for 100 bottles. While engineering could produce them, she didn''t want to waste time and simply bought them.


    In one hour, she could brew 2,000 vials of **Ginseng Essence**. Most of the time was spent bottling the liquid. Unfortunately, this wasn''t something she could outsource, so she had to do it herself.


    With 70,000 pounds of ginseng and a potential yield of 350,000 vials, even working six hours a day, it would take her a month to finish. To motivate herself, she wrote the potential earnings on a board and ced it in front of her workspace. It was the only way she could push through the monotony.


    That same evening, after the agreement was signed, Shadow.Q brought a team to Wilson''s vi to install the direct portal to the dungeon. When Shadow.Q saw the vending machine already in ce, filled with food, potions, and other items, she couldn''t help but twitch her lips in amusement.


    At least the prices were fair, and there was no auction fee.


    "She really is obsessed with money¡­" Shadow.Q thought.


    As her colleagues worked on installing the portal, Shadow.Q pulled Rita aside. "If I wanted to set up my own vending machine here, how much would that cost?"


    Rita nced at her. "You just need to buy a vending machine from me. Then you can sell whatever you want."


    Shadow.Q sighed. "How much?"


    Rita smiled. "Friendship price¡ª49 gold and 99 silver."


    "¡­Fine." Shadow.Q felt like she had just thrown a boomerang that came back to smack her in the face.


    ¡­


    While Rita was busy building her business, the White family purchased the news that there was a dungeon under their building they hadn''t known about. The broker who sold the information hade to them directly.


    The White family saw that the broker''s ability was called **All-Knowing**, which was indeed a scouting talent, so they paid 3 gold coins for the information.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    The broker, Brooks, liked to sell the same information multiple times but was thorough in verifying it first. After spending 1 gold to buy the lead about the dungeon under the White family''s office building, she confirmed its existence and even checked who was currently using it. She packaged all this into a report and sold it to the White family for 3 gold.


    The White family, being wealthy, paid without hesitation and even added her as a contact, telling her to reach out again if she ever had more information about them.


    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?"


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    "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 ryed 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 me 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 goldpensation the Whites were demanding.

 Chapter 97 Time to Collect Interest from My Enemies

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    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 disce? Certainly not more than the gusts of wind or the asional fart released by the yers.


    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 yer 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 yers. Even a Level 0 yer 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 aze 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 hade 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.


    Thus, the brawl began.


    Rita, already having retreated to the back, waited patiently. When she saw a yer from the White family, a distant gunner, fall to the ground, she approached. The man was still clinging to life. Crouching beside him, Rita pressed her hand to his head, leaning forward and gripping his hand to aim the gun. In his terrified eyes, she raised his hand and pointed the gun at Zoey''s right eye.


    One second... Two seconds... Three seconds... *Bang*¡ªshe pulled the trigger.


    Zoey felt an immediate sense of dread as the gun was pointed at her. She quickly spotted the downed yer aiming the gun at her. His head was propped up slightly, his face twisted in a ferocious snarl as he locked eyes with her. She didn''t hesitate¡ªZoey fired first, hitting the nearly dead yer squarely in the head. His body slumped to the ground, lifeless.


    But even as his body fell limp, the bullet he fired continued toward her. Zoey dodged, narrowly avoiding the shot. However, no one expected what happened next¡ªthe bullet changed direction mid-air and continued toward her. Zoey realized something was wrong toote.


    A blood-curdling scream echoed as the high-speed bullet shattered herst remaining ear.


    Even Sanchez paused in shock.


    Only one thought raced through her mind: *It''s over. The Lopez family and the White family are now mortal enemies.*


    No matter how powerful a healing potion was, it could only stop bleeding and close wounds¡ªit couldn''t regenerate a missing ear. After downing potions and casting healing spells on herself, the blood stopped, but Zoey''s ear was gone, reduced to a mangled mess.


    After that final, impossible shot, Rita didn''t rush to leave. In the ensuing chaos, she calmly pulled out a small engineering gadget, the **Mini Homing Device**. Carefully cing the dead yer''s hand over it, she activated it using the deceased''s fingerprint and installed the device onto the gun still clenched in the yer''s grip.


    **[Mini Homing Device]:** After use, the device will guide bullets to hit the target until contact is made. (Uses left: 2/3)


    With everything set up, Rita quickly **Phantom Shifted** out of the scene. There was no need to linger; she could watch the aftermath through her undead spider minion.


    Meanwhile, on the rooftop, chaos reigned. The White family had ceased their attacks, immediately offering apologies and lowering their stance to tend to Zoey''s injuries. But it was toote.


    Zoey red at Sanchez with unprecedented coldness. She could no longer hear anything¡ª*and she was nowpletely 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 yer 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.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Now, it was clear. There would be no passing the me onto the Lopez family for a misfire.


    Someone picked up the gun and eximed, "No wonder the shot was so urate¡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 avable. 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 ce, 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 nces 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 subordinatesb the world for any way to regain it. But nothing turned up! The only remotely rted device was a piece of **advanced engineering** tech designed for alien toddlers to help them learn words.


    It worked by disying a speech-to-text ovey whenever someone spoke, intended to help young non-humanoids learnnguage. 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 nning 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 ustomed 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 semnce of normal life. Tch.


    "I can''t make it," she said. "But I''ll ask someone in the Special Affairs Bureau for you. Hold on."


    Without hanging up, Rita messaged Shadow.Q. Once she got the details, she ryed everything to Rick: "They can do it, but it''s a niche item and requires some rare materials. This is beyond just throwing gold at the problem. I''ll give you a number, and you can talk to them directly."


    She rattled off Shadow.Q''s phone number.


    Rick figured this was going to be expensive¡ªotherwise, Rita wouldn''t have passed the buck so cleanly. But he had no other choice. He dialed Shadow.Q.


    Shadow.Q was shrewd as always, and knowing Rick''s rtionship with Zoey and the Lopez family, she went for the jugr: "Two Level 5 dungeon portals."


    Rick: "¡­That''s a bit steep for a single piece of advanced engineering equipment, isn''t it?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Shadow.Q: "It''s not the materials¡ªit''s the skill. Once you''re at advanced level, you''re in a whole new league. It''s not just about having the recipe."


    Rick typed out Shadow.Q''s words into his phone''s notes app and handed it to Zoey. Explore more stories at empire


    Zoey nodded. For her, any price was worth paying to regain a sense of normalcy. She couldn''t bear another day of living in silence!


    Not being able to hear was driving her mad. She was naturally suspicious and controlling, and the inability to hear what others were saying, orughing about, was worse than death. Everyugh felt like it was directed at her, every word that started with "l" sounded like someone calling her a "loser" or worse¡ª*a deaf person*.


    The price of two dungeon portals? She''d get them back from the White family eventually.


    ¡­


    After hanging up, Rita went back to brewing **Ginseng Essence** in full gear. Morning dungeons, afternoon brewing. The workload was too much for her alone, so eventually, she outsourced part of the job.


    Her chosen contractor was none other than the little undead, **Kayden**, from the alchemy shop. For just 1 gold, Kayden would help bottle 5,000 potions at top speed. Even Apache turned a blind eye to the arrangement.


    This outsourcing drastically reduced Rita''s workload, freeing her to spend more time on more important pursuits¡ªlike learning alchemy from Apache or mastering cooking with the dark elf chef.


    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 be 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 escting the conflict. They were willing to settle the matter withpensation. 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 hispanions were annoyed that they had to let himnd 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 moring 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, theirbined aura gave off a simr 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 nned to y along with her, letting her me 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 be this twisted, his n might not work...


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