After weighing the pros and cons of both options, Shadow.Q quickly settled on the second plan: during the mission, Rita would keep any tools or equipment she used as rewards, but the contents of the clock hands would be distributed based on contributions.
Although the exact nature of the materials inside the clock hands remained a mystery, any experienced gamer would know that compared to tools and equipment—which inevitably lose value over time—high-level, mysterious materials hold greater long-term potential.
The value of the former diminishes with time, while the latter's possibilities are limitless.
As Rita signed the contract, she sighed inwardly. This mission left her no choice but to give it her all. The task was not only of critical importance but also held stakes regarding the ownership of the Moon Sand. In this, she and the Special Affairs Bureau were both collaborators and competitors.
Luckily, Rita had an ace up her sleeve. Even if the Bureau ended up with the larger share of the Moon Sand, she could leverage the martial arts manuals she had taken from the Moonfox City Library. These manuals required significant physical aptitude, with all four main attributes needing to exceed 30 to practice. For Blue Star players, even those distributing their points evenly would need to reach level 15 or higher before they could use them.
By the time this mission concluded, the manuals would make for a perfectly timed trade with the Bureau.
Once the contract was signed, Shadow.Q gave Rita some advice.
"In the meantime, we hope you'll devote as much energy as possible to leveling up. Whether or not you have equipment, we'll do our best to outfit you with gear appropriate for your level. While our people in Lania Kaia continue to gather intel on the tower, the artist will work on completing the clock face. Once both are ready, we'll make our first attempt. If all goes smoothly, we aim to act by the end of December.
"This is a long-term mission. We'll keep trying until we succeed."
"I understand. I'll do my best," Rita assured her.
"Do you have access to dungeon resources? If not, we can provide them," Shadow.Q offered.
With business settled, Rita took the opportunity to inquire about Zoey.
Recently, she'd been keeping an eye on the Pet Rankings. After Black Jade was taken, there was no way Zoey would let it go. The Special Affairs Bureau would undoubtedly ensure Zoey got an explanation if they wanted to keep using her [Hope's Anthem]. So Rita checked the rankings daily.
At lunch, Rita noticed that Zoey had climbed onto the rankings with a new pet: Greenwine, a koala.
Curious about what made this koala special enough to replace Black Jade, Rita asked Zoey directly. But Zoey, ever the professional, offered little detail despite their close relationship, simply mentioning that the koala was "pretty cute."
Rita didn't press further. Zoey's current situation was far from her concern. The one who should be more anxious, furious, and frustrated was Rick.
Rita wasn't planning on killing Zoey—not until Zoey's [Hope's Anthem] was no longer useful to the Special Affairs Bureau. Ten attribute points in 300 days might not mean much to her personally, but for the Bureau and Blue Star as a whole, it was invaluable.
Unless it became a matter of life or death, cutting off such a resource would be a last resort.
With 50,000 people attending Zoey's concerts daily, even if only 1,000 gained an attribute point, the cumulative boost over 300 days was staggering. And Rita was certain the Bureau was working to improve the success rate.
In this moment, a line from her math teacher came to mind: "If you waste one minute of my time, you're wasting 45 minutes of the entire class's time." It seemed oddly relevant here. Wasting Zoey's life was wasting attribute points for an entire faction.
Preparing for the Mission
After leaving the Bureau, Rita and Nivalis headed to the apartment dungeon. Nivalis, clutching several figurines, refused to let go of her new toys. Rita didn't ask what she had traded for them; she trusted Nivalis to know her limits and didn't want to micromanage her.
Rita's focus for the day wasn't leveling up—it was farming attributes. In the past, she had intentionally suppressed her attributes to maintain a sense of danger, forcing herself to stay sharp and plan carefully.
But now, with the oak owl royalty looming and Mistblade Moon Emperor as an enemy, she couldn't afford to hold back. She needed a sense of urgency, not a death sentence.
Her goal was to push all four main attributes past 100 before returning to Lania Kaia. She also planned to practice her escape skills, [Fox Shadow] and [Mistbound].
It feels like I'm either causing trouble or being shoved into it, Rita thought bitterly. Maybe I really am destined to be hunted down…
She resolved to move her "100 Escape Skills" goal up her priority list.
On the way to the dungeon, Nivalis asked, "When are we going back to play mahjong?"
Rita quickly corrected her. "It's not 'playing mahjong.' It's studying mysterious bone-tile artifacts. I'm teaching you about an essential part of US culture."
Nivalis tilted her head. "Huh? Isn't your culture just yelling 'oh crap'?"
Rita's voice faltered. "…We have many cultural treasures."
Nivalis nodded seriously. "Okay. So when are we studying mysterious bone-tile artifacts again?"
Rita, though tempted to play, stayed focused. Instead, she downloaded a mahjong app for Nivalis. "Here, take some online classes first."
With Nivalis engrossed in the game, Rita left her at the dungeon entrance to "study culture" and keep watch while she dove into the dungeon to farm attributes.
Her plan was to gather intelligence in Lania Kaia once her four main attributes exceeded 100. She couldn't completely trust the Bureau's intel, given Hecipah's warning that Blue Star disguises were riddled with flaws visible to high-level beings.
Even if the Bureau's information was accurate, Rita preferred to double-check herself.
Shadow.Q's offer had reignited her determination. For the sake of [Wrathful Moon], she would obtain the Moon Sand, no matter what.
While Rita was busy ambushing stray creatures in dark corners, eating meals mid-battle, and farming attribute points, Rick reached out to her via private message.
His grievances alternated between needing help and venting about his problems.
Before, it was complaints about Zoey slapping him. Now, it was Black Jade.
Rita offered little comfort. She wasn't about to shower Rick with gifts, but she had plenty of poisonous advice.
- "Take my advice, Rick. Go apologize to Zoey. With her and The Lopez Family, you might actually stand a chance against Black Jade." And maybe drag Black Jade into The Lopez Family's chaos.
- "Of course I'm on your side! Sure, I attended her concert, but I'm rooting for you."
- "If you want to punish Black Jade, just say the word. I'll borrow Nivalis's strength and break her other horn for you!"
- "Living off someone else? It's not shameful. If Zoey's willing, you'd be a fool to refuse."
- "Technically, you saved her. What right does she have to hold a grudge?"
- "See? Even Mom and Dad bicker constantly, but they're happy together. Original pairs are the best."
- "She already has a new pet. Her anger must've cooled. Now's the perfect time to make peace."
- "I don't know what Greenwine's Gift is. I couldn't get her to say."
- "I know this is wrong, but have you thought about blaming Aaron and Ezra? I know you're too kind-hearted to consider it… but it's better than taking Black Jade's wrath alone."
Rita's words dripped with sarcasm and subtle provocation. Not that Rick needed much help—Ezra was already being hunted by The Lopez Family and The Jones Family for allegedly stealing from them.
Aaron had fared slightly better, only targeted by The Lopez Family. Still, forum posts suggested he had abandoned Ezra to escape the overwhelming pursuit.
Rita added fuel to the fire by anonymously posting a bounty on Ezra's head: 1,000 gold coins, payable upon delivery of his severed head. To ensure efficiency, she included a detailed description of Ezra's Divine Gift, letting prospective hunters weigh their chances.