CHAPTER 798: 798: DIVINE GAME: CARD SWAP 47

Forty-seven floating houseboats lined the river, their flags whipping in the wind, each emblazoned with the emblem of a different school. The participants stood on decks or hovered in the air above the boats, awaiting the start of the game.

Rita observed closely and realized that the 37 smaller and mid-sized schools had sent far more participants than the Nine Great Magic Academies. Even the academy with the highest turnout among the nine barely passed 800 students. Moonlight Marsh had the fewest—just over 300 participants—barely more than the unaffiliated trainees.

By contrast, some of the smaller schools had over a thousand students packed onto a single deck. She couldn’t tell if they just didn’t care about attrition or were simply confident they could withdraw before dying.

At exactly 7:00 AM, a pale blue screen unfurled in the sky like a scroll. The world seemed to hit mute. Every creature held its breath, all eyes turning to the sky as the year’s Divine Game rules and rewards appeared.

\[AS170 Divine Game]

\[Max Magic Items: 3]

\[Mid-Game Exit Condition: Destroy one of the three initial magic items you brought into the game]

\[Team Match Champion Reward: Each member of the winning team selects 5 SSS-grade skills and receives 200 free attribute points]

\[Individual Match Champion Reward: Upgrade one of your divine talent skills and receive 200 free attribute points]

\[Fun Match Champion Reward: Gain three skill modification opportunities and receive 100 free attribute points]

\[Unlocking GodDraw77 Reward: Increase racial potential; raise divine talent floor to C-grade for all of your kind; every member of your race receives 20 free attribute points]

\[GodDraw77 Title Reward: Divine talent skill upgrade; acquire the "GodDraw77" title; gain 500 free attribute points; choose 10 SSS-grade skills; SSS skill usage triggers celestial phenomena; dramatically boost racial potential; divine talent floor for your race increases to B-grade; upgrade one magic item of your choice]

It was the first time Rita had ever seen the official rules and rewards for Divine Game unfold in real time.

The champion prizes changed yearly—sometimes gear, sometimes artifacts—but their overall value remained balanced. Aside from GodDraw77, the Fun Match gave the smallest reward, though it was still impressive. The individual and team matches had their own perks.

The biggest yearly change was always the \[Mid-Game Exit Condition]. Last year, players could exit by dealing themselves a single hit that dropped their HP below 50%. This year, the requirement was harsher: "Destroy one of the three initial magic items you brought into the game."

What if someone else destroyed it? Would they be forcibly ejected?

Ten minutes later, the screen shattered and vanished, replaced by three massive cards floating across the sky like gates to the heavens. From below, only the backs were visible: gold, deep blue, and crimson.

Then the center—deep blue—burst into blue flames that rapidly consumed the card. When the flames vanished, a glowing doorway remained, shaped exactly like the card but pure sapphire in color.

The glowing gate slammed down at the river’s far end, kicking up waves and drawing cheers from the crowd.

Blue outline, white core—whoever passed through would enter the game.

Above the gate, a glowing blue countdown appeared: 09:59.

This was the countdown to entry. The game’s rules wouldn’t be revealed until after players passed through.

Some teachers from other schools gave final instructions or checked students’ equipment one last time.

Meanwhile, on the Moonlight Marsh boat, the four-armed sword instructor stood at the prow, two arms crossed and two on his hips. He simply said, "If you’re doing the Fun Match, go now," then plopped down cross-legged.

He placed snacks and drinks on a tiny table in front of him, clearly settling in to enjoy the show. Halfway through setting the table, he seemed to remember something. He tossed a wooden box beside it and added, "If you’ve got extra gear, leave it in your room or toss it here. I’ll keep it safe."

Rita had already prepared everything. She’d done her research, asked Lightchaser and GodDraw77 for advice, and finalized her three allowed items.

Since she was already committed to the Fun and Individual Matches, lingering here served no purpose. Several players had already flown toward the blue gate, and early entry meant more prep time.

Seeing the sword instructor had nothing else to add, Rita took off toward the glowing end of the river.

Some schools’ instructors escorted non-flying students to the gate. But even without turning back, Rita knew Moonlight Marsh would never bother with that kind of care.

Passing through the blue portal, Rita found herself in a futuristic city. The streets and shops around her were filled with bizarre creatures.

Pokémon?

Apparently, people really do talk to themselves when they’re overwhelmed. Upon seeing what surrounded her, Rita blurted out, "Why the hell are there Pokémon here?!"

The creatures stood frozen in place, as if the entire city had been paused. The nearest one was a Cubone clutching its bone club.

But before Rita could pick it up and lift it into the air, a system message stopped her in her tracks.

\[Fun Match Game Mode: Monopoly]

\[After 6 hours, the player with the most currency wins]

That was it—just two sentences. One time limit. One win condition.

Make money?!

Rita’s first thought was to use her Steal-type skills. What could be faster?

But once the Divine Game began, the gate transformed into a massive broadcast screen. The top 100 players would have their performances streamed live in split screens. Across Kasilanar, audiences watched via relics, magic tools, or projection devices.

If she stole a fortune right out the gate, she’d land on the leaderboard—and into the public eye.

In another school, that might not be a problem. But she was in Moonlight Marsh.

It wasn’t a moral issue. She could kill and loot openly, and no one would care. But covert theft? That was taboo. Moonlight Marsh wouldn’t let someone with that kind of power stay. And she wasn’t looking to transfer schools anytime soon.

Unless she landed at the top with her very first heist and no one surpassed her in the next six hours, she’d be forced to steal again—and that would eventually expose her.

Divine Game was watched by half the world.

Disguising her identity wouldn’t help either. Once she entered the top 100, she’d be scrutinized, and eventually, the disguise would fall apart.

Maybe if she could repackage her Steal-type skill somehow\...

But audiences weren’t idiots. She had to come up with something clever.

The game hadn’t started yet. No one could use skills or affect NPCs. The countdown overhead still showed 7 minutes.

Rita flew through the futuristic city, weaving between skyscrapers and alleyways, trying to gather as much intel as possible before the match began.

Fun Match didn’t test combat skills. It was the one match where she had the highest chance of winning.

If she missed this opportunity, she could kiss her \[Wrathful Moon] goodbye.