Rita had thought that "Lucky 10" would be a little different, but she never expected that the random nature of the timeline would really be this random.
She had completely given up on the idea of using a hundred cycles to reach the tower. Now, she just hoped she could survive another 300 years before being released from this place.
Eleven years as Peach Jar, five years as Savorleaf, and four years as Rivergrain had already passed—20 years in total. How long does it take for a person to change? If one's worldview hasn't yet been formed, maybe three or five years could suffice. But for someone whose values are already set, someone with a strong will, it might take longer—20 or even 30 years might not be enough. What about 200 or 300 years?
It seemed that the members of this tower team, including herself, had been extensively psychologically profiled and observed to ensure they were sufficiently resolute.
The several cycles she had undergone had subtly influenced her, both positively and negatively. For example, she had gradually become able to converse with the other oak owls without the need for a translator. Thanks to the help of the [New Monthly Additions], she had learned many obscure combinations that even the oak owls didn't know—such as which fruits could detoxify, which would explode when mixed, and which could petrify a person when they came into contact with water.
Additionally, the five years of battlefield experience as Savorleaf had shaped her into a cold, efficient war machine. Every time she saw enemies rushing toward her, she automatically began to analyze their weaknesses and flaws. As time passed, under the guidance of [Moment of Reversal], her analyses overlapped with the skills of a sharpshooter—identifying where to strike for the quickest kill, where to disable an opponent with minimal energy, or where to make the opponent's death the most gruesome, rallying allies with their blood.
What worried her the most was that with each war, her subconscious had started to view the oak owls as her own faction. Her blade, her arrows, and her skills would instinctively avoid them. It was muscle memory as well as a mental reflex. She began to fear that after 300 years, when she left the tower, could she still raise her weapon against the oak owls with wings on their backs?
No wonder the oak owls welcomed all races into the tower…
Once she had acquired her new identity, her first task was still to gather information and confirm the relationships and status of "Pinebloom." After spending a few days collecting intelligence, Rita used red dye to paint three red waves on the corners of her eyes and attached two bells to the tips of her wings.
She had made up her mind: if she couldn't find anyone from her own faction to exchange information with within a month, she would defect from the oak owls and leave this place.
She also brought Nivalis out of her space and forced her to transform into a little sparrow to sit on her shoulder, accompanying her to work and chat until she could meet someone from Eclipse Vanguard.
After three days of working diligently amidst the curious stares of the oak owls, Rita's luck changed. She finally met one of her own!
That day, as soon as she sat down, a red-haired oak owl appeared before her, introducing herself as [Sinsoo]. Rita exchanged a glance with her, and the sight before her confirmed it: this oak owl, with red hair, a red headband, a red cloak, red waves painted on her face, and bells hanging from her wings, was a clear symbol—red all over!
Even more surprising, she had a red headband with "二五" (er wu, meaning "two-five") written in white paint at the center. "Two-five?" Rita thought. "Is this Shadow.Q?!"
Their eyes met, both reflecting the same emotion—meeting someone familiar in a foreign land. "I found the organization!" was the unspoken message between them.
Even Nivalis perked up, thrilled at the thought of finally being able to play games again.
The two of them walked to a secluded area, and after Rita scanned the surroundings with her Hunter's Eye, she turned around, tears brimming in her eyes, and asked, "Eclipse Vanguard?!"
"Sinsoo" was equally excited. "Eclipse Vanguard!"
Rita whispered, "Which team?"
"Sinsoo" replied solemnly, "S City."
Rita grabbed her hand with fervor and said, "Me too! Who are you? Shadow.Q?! Is it you, Shadow.Q?"
"Sinsoo" tightly grasped Rita's hand, her face glowing with joy. "Sanchez! I'm Sanchez! Sister, what about you?"
Rita's smile froze. "You're not from Eclipse Vanguard…"
Nivalis, off to the side, was also puzzled, whispering: "What the holy cup... Sister, what about you? Talk! She asked you a question! Hahaha!"
Rita forced a smile that could have made it into an Oscar-winning film, "I'm Rita."
Sanchez immediately hugged Rita and gave her a hearty pat on the back. "So it's you! Thank you for saving my great-grandfather and great-grandmother! He told us before I came here that you saved him. Thank you on behalf of my whole family! My mom says you can come to us if you ever need anything. We'll always help you."
"Except my uncle doesn't like him. He thinks he ruined my family and is out there trying to get him that broken statue. My uncle plans to trick him with a fake one. My mom says I might lose my uncle soon. Haha, I used to want to mess with you and make you my aunt. Sorry, sorry. Turns out we're family. But if we ever have the chance, let's spar! I'll let you hit me a few times to vent! Stay away from my uncle, though. His skills are quite deadly!"
"His skill has a requirement. It needs the target's satisfaction level to reach a certain amount. Otherwise, it doesn't work. Recently, people coming to him have been acting weird. Some not only refuse to pay, but even give him money. He's thinking of changing his name to Goodee White. My mom says it sounds nice."
"By the way, my mom says I'm no good, but don't worry, sister. My great-grandfather said we should treat you like family. The White family doesn't betray its own… Ah, my dad doesn't count. That's a long story. Do you want to hear it? No? Oh, but your dragon nodded, so I guess it wants to hear it."
Rita and Nivalis were both left speechless. Sanchez didn't stop talking. She went on for half an hour, recounting how she killed an oak owl squad leader in the last cycle and was locked up for five years, then killed a teammate in the previous one and was locked up for three years. She also started talking about which region in Maple, Peach, and Pine was the best for prison food.
Rita and Nivalis were stunned, dragged along by Sanchez's endless chatter, during which Sanchez even had a one-on-one conversation with Nivalis for a few minutes and concluded that Nivalis was a Sagittarius.
Nivalis, excited by this, exclaimed: "Really?! Is it that impressive?"
Sanchez nodded vigorously. "Very cool. I'm a Sagittarius. My mom is, too."