Rita hovered above The Lopez Family estate, having just reviewed the life report of the family trio she had requested from Shadow.Q.
Upon seeing how Scarlett and Black Jade were close, but how Rick's situation with Black Jade hadn't improved at all, Rita immediately understood the unspeakable thoughts of Scarlett.
Because in her past life, she and Rick were strikingly similar.
In Scarlett's mind, it seemed that everyone was an independent entity, responsible only for themselves. No one, not even her own children, should affect her.
To her, everyone was insignificant; only herself mattered.
Well, maybe her husband was a little bit more important. When Black Jade had a fit and struck Samuel, Scarlett even made a vlog about it, using the money earned from it to buy Samuel a pair of defensive pants, mostly out of concern that Samuel might get hurt.
Rita looked down at Scarlett, lying in the sun. She didn't feel sadness, nor anger. Her resentment was light, but what she felt most was confusion.
Why couldn't she love her own children?
But Rita didn't intend to ask Scarlett this question.
Scarlett's image had always been vague in her mind, but after being reborn and repeatedly recalling the scenes of Scarlett serving her dishes, her image became clearer and clearer.
She would remember every word Scarlett had said in their home—some of it foolish, but somehow it always felt laden with meaning, some of it hidden with mystery, yet on further thought, it seemed like a joke.
In the cycles of remembering and analyzing, Rita got to know Scarlett again, understood the person she had never truly understood in her past life.
Shen Yu never forgave her biological son but never rejected Scarlett. Samuel seemed to lack respect for her but actually never hid anything from her.
Rick… Rita wasn't sure how things were in the past, but now, her little brother, like herself, had finally come to see Scarlett for what she truly was, not just as the "mother" from their family.
It was like a black-and-white outline now filled in with features, a pair of eyes outlined repeatedly by the artist, until it finally sparkled.
No matter how the background changed, Scarlett was always smiling.
No matter how harsh the environment, she seemed to always be doing well.
Rita could imagine that if she went and asked Scarlett, "Why don't you love your own children?", Scarlett would likely throw the question back at her.
She had always been like that. She wouldn't answer questions that would expose what kind of person she was. Her blurred face and her incomplete outline were the result of her own design.
Not only would she throw the question back at Rita, but she would most likely turn it around and ask, "Why don't you ask Samuel this question instead?"
Could she say she wasn't upset by Samuel's selfishness but hurt by Scarlett's indifference?
That would sound like she was a fool trying to morally blackmail her mother or a beggar desperate for maternal love.
Either way, Rita didn't like it.
Or perhaps she would claim that she met an alien named Maple Syrup, who was great with their daughter, so she hoped Scarlett would be like that too?
With Rita's analysis of Scarlett, she could easily imagine Scarlett inventing a familiar person named Ginger Scallion, someone who was a great father and loved their daughter, and then she would help Rita push her father to be better.
The ability to make things up and Rick's love for dodging responsibility likely came from Scarlett.
Rita didn't appear to ask a single question. She didn't descend or show off.
She carefully checked the states of the three of them, ensuring there were no issues.
[Rick - Level 5, 100% Health, 100% Energy, Despair, Pain, Hatred | Taboo: Rita, Zoey | Weakness: Slight]
Rita found the [Fishing Master] skill quite interesting, noting how the skill adapted based on the power disparity between enemies and allies.
For targets she could easily crush, their weaknesses were "slight."
Using her pocket watch's exploration skill, she scanned the three of them. Rick's state showed no significant change from when she had stolen his luck, with the additional attribute points coming from her contributions to BS after the two Divine Games.
Their levels were still 5, and there were no special changes.
Once she confirmed this, Rita used Phantom Shift to return to her villa and then asked Shadow.Q for several high-level dungeons that Eclipse Vanguard had not yet cleared.
Shadow.Q opened a portal and sent her to a prison-like area. Each cell had a dungeon interface, and the doors had signs with dungeon levels, unlock times, and cryptic symbols that outsiders couldn't decipher.
She pointed at the line of cells and said, "These are all Level 30 dungeons. They are temporarily locked. If you can clear them all, that would be fantastic. You can even take them back to your villa if you wish."
Rita asked, "Are there any dungeons underwater that were missed?"
Shadow.Q responded, "I can't say for sure. I can only say we brought back all the high-level dungeons we could find. Additionally, we moved a batch of Level 7-15 dungeons near the coastline, but we don't guard them, nor do we allow any players to. The sense of crisis is a good thing."
In the early stages of the game invasion, organized dungeon farming was great, but now that everyone had some self-preservation ability, the peaceful way didn't suit anymore. Dangerous dungeons were left unattended, and now and then, enemies would emerge from them.
The game's strategy was that players didn't have to wait until entering a dungeon to be in combat mode; everyone had to stay vigilant at all times.
Of course, it appeared that no one was guarding, but in reality, each dungeon had been carefully selected by Eclipse Vanguard, who secretly monitored and even guided every time enemies emerged.
Now, players were patrolling the coastline voluntarily, and those living near the beach had one person on watch at all times.
Recently, Eclipse Vanguard had discussed whether they should do the same for inland areas.
As Eclipse Vanguard became more stable, they also began supporting some excellent players to form their own legions. Just as Rita didn't believe BS could handle everything alone, Eclipse Vanguard didn't think they could either. Everyone had to pitch in.
Shadow.Q was candid with Rita, as this was Avery's will, and there was nothing to hide.
Thinking about the martial arts and magic books she had stolen from the Moon Fox before, although she had returned them to Mistblade, she had made a copy.
Now that the first-tier players in BS had reached Level 13, the martial arts books for the four main attributes could be prepared ahead of time.
She asked, "I have a batch of martial arts and magic books. Are you interested in buying them?"
Shadow.Q immediately remembered the previous failed trade and said, "The list you showed me before? Name your price."
Rita asked, "Do you still have the special Mahjong?"
Shadow.Q didn't beat around the bush. She said honestly, "No, we've been wanting to check that place out, but as you know, we haven't been able to find it. No matter how many people we send, we just can't locate it. There's no reason for me to lie to you."
Rita didn't comment on whether she believed it or not. Instead, she asked, "Do you have any SSS-level skills? 2-3 SSS-level skills. I can trade 37 martial arts and magic books for them. These books can be organized to provide at least 15 S-level skills and 30 A-level skills. Although they'll need to be practiced, this could be used for mass teaching. Do you understand what I mean?"
After taking [Principles of Magic] class, Rita's perspective and knowledge had expanded immensely. Looking at these books now, she could see much more.
Shadow.Q understood right away. These books could teach countless players S-level and A-level skills. But she sighed and said, "SSS-level skills... I've never even seen one. Let alone 2 or 3."
Rita replied, "In that case…"
Shadow.Q interrupted, "Did you ask about the special Mahjong?"