CHAPTER 827: 827: DIVINE GAME – CARD SWAP 76

[Murder Time] SSS (Passive): Each time you land a critical hit, there is a 30% chance to reduce the cooldown of all your skills currently on cooldown by 1%, and a 15% chance to reduce the cooldown of any soul-bound item by 5%.

[The Right to Interpret] SSS (Passive): When another player steals, borrows, strips, or copies your skills, identity, or items without your consent, you immediately sense it and can counter. For the next hour, you may turn the skill they used on you back against them, and may use it twice without cost or cooldown.

Both were excellent skills.

Lightchaser tossed the scrolls into Rita’s arms. "Learn them now. Rewards can’t be taken out."

Rita tore them open on the spot. Once the skills were fully learned, she thanked Mistake again.

"Come here," the unicorn said warmly.

Rita knew this meant a blessing. She flew over without hesitation.

When the unicorn’s horn touched her brow, a sacred chant echoed in her mind. It was like falling into a long, beautiful dream. Whatever scraps of negativity remained in her vanished without a trace. Mental and physical fatigue evaporated.

Her character panel gained a new special status:

[Unicorn’s Blessing] (10 years): Immune to all poisons below SSS rank; All attributes +5%; Healing skill effects +20%; Luck +2 (ignores cap).

It was incredibly powerful. Rita barely had time to revel in it before Mistake said, "If you really manage to open GodDraw77, I’ll make this blessing permanent."

Her eyes lit up. "Promise?"

The unicorn chuckled softly, gaze warm and full of affection as it moved from her still baby-faced features to the half-hidden face of the elf standing behind her.

They stood in a straight line, so without moving his head, he could only see half of Lightchaser’s profile. For a moment, that half of her face seemed to overlap perfectly with the young apprentice’s.

Forty years ago, he had asked Lightchaser the same question when she was in her third year. Her reaction had been exactly the same—just as reckless, just as full of conviction and pride.

Always believing tomorrow was within reach.

Two wonderful children, the hope and legacy of Moonlight Marsh!

"Keep looking at me with that nauseating expression and I’ll get angry," Lightchaser’s cold voice cut in.

The unicorn: ...misplaced sentiment.

A second later, the little apprentice tilted her head just enough to block his line of sight to Lightchaser entirely. She was clearly helping her teacher—Lightchaser said she didn’t want him looking, so the student made sure he couldn’t.

"Tsk," Mistake muttered.

With a temper like Lightchaser’s, how had she ended up with such a good student?

The matter was settled without further incident. Rita would take a half-year break and return in August to go straight into fourth year.

In the meantime, her dangerous skill information would be logged in the school’s library exchange, and she was forbidden from using dangerous skills on lower-year students.

"Your dangerous skill is recorded as ’Reversal,’" GodDraw77 told her. "If another student buys this information, you’ll get a cut in credits."

Rita didn’t mind. Honestly, she thought Moonlight Marsh was being a little too aggressive...

If she was banned from using it on lower years, that still meant she could use it on peers and seniors. And fourth year would have plenty of transfer students. She couldn’t even imagine what Moonlight Marsh would be like then.

Her only question was, "Do I need to change uniforms? I really like the platinum one."

"You do. You can keep the platinum to wear casually, but in class you’ll need to switch to the new one."

GodDraw77 handed her twelve brand-new sets of seasonal uniforms. Nearly all black, with gray only as trim and subtle patterning, they looked sleek and striking.

Rita unfolded one, puzzled. "Why does this look different?"

"They’re the same as the ones Lightchaser wore," GodDraw77 said. "It marks you as extremely dangerous. Only a very small number of special students get them."

Lightchaser being extremely dangerous made sense—who else got stronger by destroying things people loved? But her? Extremely dangerous?

Reading her student’s expression, GodDraw77 explained, "If you’re willing, and given enough prep time, you could, in one day, take a top-tier divine gift from a student, reverse it, and sell the entire thing to some rich patron. That’s not dangerous enough?"

Then she froze.

Because Rita and Lightchaser’s eyes lit up at the exact same instant—bright enough to rival the look in Rita’s eyes when she’d faced down a thousand opponents at the end of the Divine Game.

In a whisper, Rita said, "Teacher... why didn’t I think of that? We could make a fortune!"

Lightchaser shot to her feet, clearly ready to go find buyers immediately. "It’s not too late! I told you GodDraw77 was no good—see? Corrupting you already!"

GodDraw77 and Mistake: ?

...

After firmly refusing GodDraw77’s offer to let her rest overnight at Moonlight Marsh, Rita slung on her backpack and left with Lightchaser.

She held up the two walnut-sized comets. "What do these do? They just dropped into my hands when Divine Game ended."

As she spoke, she waved them around. Wherever the comets passed, their trailing glow left a tail streaked with tiny visible stars.

"Beams?"

"Mm."

Lightchaser tossed down a miniature mechanical motorcycle, which instantly grew to full size. She grabbed her student by the collar and set her on the back seat. "I haven’t figured it out either. Keep them—they can’t be lost or stolen, they’ll always stay with you."

"Alright." Rita wasn’t obsessed with their use anyway—she just liked them.

When the bike roared to life, she held one comet up next to Lightchaser’s head and waved it playfully. "Want to see where you are in it?"

"No."

"Boring!"

"I admit it. Thinking about you being stuck at home for the next seven months has killed my interest in everything."

"...We really aren’t going to look for buyers?" Rita switched topics instantly.

"Wait until you graduate. Mistake wasn’t joking—if you dare pull something that vile while you’re still in school and drag Moonlight Marsh’s name through the mud, he’ll drop you into the school swamp and let you sink."

"Not even if it gets us GodDraw77?"

"...Share some of that confidence with me. I’m running low."

"Doesn’t look like it."

"Do you want me to kick you off the bike?"

"Teacher, I was wrong!"