The colors around her began to fade, but slowly. The boundary had only just reached the window. Rita could leave at any ti.
She didn’t move.
Sooner or later, she would have to step into the ti of the dead. She might as well treat this as a test.
Rita turned around and t the gaze of soone who had appeared behind the desk at so unknown mont.
A Vineborne.
The other had just remarked that the intruder was a Vineborne. Rita found herself thinking the sa.
Behind the desk sat a Vineborne.
Even with the muted colors, the silver hair, red eyes, refined features, and the Vine coiling around her made her identity unmistakable.
Rita added silently in her mind, just not sure if she’s from Starsea or Quiet Mountain.
This place existed outside both Starsea and Quiet Mountain. If Quiet Mountain players could enter, then it was entirely possible that gods from Quiet Mountain were buried here as well.
Rita was certain she had never seen this person at Dustfire’s old table. Nivalis and B80 gave no reaction either. They didn’t recognize her.
The Vineborne’s gaze drifted to the lightning sword at Rita’s waist. Her brow lifted slightly.
"Celestialkin?"
Rita replied, "Take another guess."
The Vineborne laughed softly. The Vine coiling around her, like black flowing sand, extended forward. With Rita’s silent consent, it brushed lightly against her shoulder.
In an instant, the world ca alive.
Footsteps echoed through the castle. Voices rose and fell. The air filled with the scent of flowers.
The Vineborne had pulled her into the ti where she had once lived.
The black Vine withdrew.
"What’s your na?" she asked.
There was no need to hide BS.
"BS Rita. I’m the Adjudicator of BS."
"BS Rita..." The Vineborne repeated the na. She closed the book in her hands, stood, and returned it to the shelf. Her voice remained gentle, almost nostalgic.
"When I was alive, I also had a friend from BS. Quite irritating to talk to."
"I’ve heard of you," she continued calmly. "That’s rare. When those old ones co to visit us, they usually talk about the past. Hardly ever about the present. But I’ve heard your na."
Rita followed her toward the door.
"So, are you from Starsea or Quiet Mountain?"
The Vineborne smiled faintly.
"You’re very confident. You sound certain that even if I were a god from Quiet Mountain, I would still know you."
"I just want to confirm."
"And if I answer, will you believe ?"
"Not necessarily."
She laughed again. She seed to enjoy laughing.
"You haven’t told your na yet," Rita said, stepping aside as another Vineborne hurried past in the corridor.
The passerby didn’t react to Rita at all. He greeted the Vineborne beside her respectfully and continued on. Clearly, sothing was off.
"Does it matter?"
"Yes. I know the na of every Vineborne I’ve t."
Nivalis muttered, "That’s not true. You didn’t ask the ones floating in the ocean earlier."
Rita shot back, "Adults are talking. Stay quiet."
The Vineborne chuckled softly.
"Fine. I’ll tell you. For the sake of how often you annoy Deceitful Bloom."
Deceitful Bloom?
So she was from the sa era?
Rita recalled what she had seen at Dustfire’s old table. Quiet Mountain Deceitful Bloom had once said to Starsea Deceitful Bloom, "What are you still holding on to? You’re the last Vineborne in Starsea. Who are you even fighting for?"
Then why was this one buried here?
The Vineborne stopped at the staircase. She had promised to give her na, but instead shifted the topic.
"Help find the answer to a question within this buried ti of mine, and I’ll give you a gift."
"What question?"
She didn’t answer.
She simply placed a hand on Rita’s shoulder and gave her a light push forward, dragon included.
Rita didn’t actually move. But the Vineborne vanished.
At the sa mont, another Vineborne walked up from below the stairs. This one reacted differently.
Instead of ignoring her, he looked worried.
"By, are we really going to invade Tingo now?"
Rita stepped down two stairs, watching carefully. His gaze followed her movent.
More importantly, information appeared above his head.
Midsumr Withering, Level 117. Trusted aide of Midsumr Deceitful Bloom and Midsumr By
Rita stayed silent. She was piecing together the situation, the tiline, and the identity tied to the na By.
Fortunately, the Vineborne didn’t press her. The scene continued on its own, like a scripted event.
He went on,
"Then we should hurry. While Deceitful Bloom is away in the ga..."
Rita stepped down a few more stairs, testing how much freedom she had within this sequence.
"What if we don’t invade?" she suggested. "We could wait until Deceitful Bloom returns."
The aide shook his head with a sigh.
"By, you’re the strongest Vineborne. Why would you be afraid of Deceitful Bloom?"
Rita fell silent.
Nivalis whispered, "Is she adding extra drama to the script?"
Rita asked another question.
"Which Bell just rang?"
The aide answered imdiately.
"The third Bell just ended. Deceitful Bloom only has a four-star world skill. We barely survived this ti. At this rate, we won’t make it through the fourth."
"We currently have 85 world fragnts. I’ve heard Tingo’s leader has 67. If we successfully invade and take those fragnts from Tingo Howl, combining over 150 fragnts should push Deceitful Bloom’s world skill to at least six-star."
Rita tried to think from By’s perspective.
"Is Tingo Howl in the ga?"
"Yes."
Tingo Howl. The wind whale who had participated in the final battle.
If he wasn’t in Tingo right now, then for the Vineborne, this was indeed a good opportunity.
Once Tingo rged into Midsumr, when he returned, he would likely hand over his fragnts for the sake of the remaining wind whales.
"Who’s left in Tingo?"
"Sa as us. One player who has begun detaching from divine authority, and three Divine Ga players who haven’t."
"I understand."
"So... are we invading Tingo?"
Rita turned to look back at the staircase.
It was empty.
Yet the faint floral scent still lingered in the air.
What was her question?
What answer was she looking for?
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