But there were bigger problems at hand. Rita asked, "How am I supposed to get to the tavern? And how could I possibly fool gods who've been beyond divine grace for who knows how long?"
The King puffed up proudly. "Looks like you don't really understand what it ans when they say 'no existence can perceive your past, present, or future.'"
The six cats behind the hairless cat nodded in perfect unison.
Rita asked honestly, "What does it an? I thought it just ant I couldn't be divined."
During casual chats, Shadow.Q had once shared a piece of gossip. The divination circles in BS had effectively blacklisted her. No one accepted commissions related to BS Rita anymore. They even gave her a nickna: The Unknown.
As they spoke, the ship beneath them began to shrink.
The King and the six deputy captains jumped off Cat's Ideal one after another. Rita was about to follow when the King stopped her.
"You stay. Let your pet co down."
Rita froze. Then she noticed her body shrinking along with Cat's Ideal.
Everything on the ship simplified as it shrank. Only the helm grew larger, until it occupied a fifth of the entire vessel. The ship itself shrank to just thirty centiters long, about the sa size as the King. The sail painted with a cat turned into a flag planted at the stern.
Rita, now a hairless kitten, was barely palm-sized, like a newborn less than a month old.
She sat behind the helm, curiously pawing at the ship. She already knew Cat's Ideal could change size.
When she left the war cruise before, she had used a smaller version of the ship. It was faster and more agile. But that had been her limit at the ti.
Back then, Cat's Ideal was only SS rank. After it reached SSS, she had never tried shrinking it again.
The King approached and raised a paw. "How much soul fire do you have left?"
"Sixty-seven."
Incomplete Divine Talent: Sovereign
Current Progress 80 percent | Soul Fire 67 out of 103
Ability 1: Save and Load
Save a tiline as your own. Sovereign may select a target, read their data from the saved tiline, and temporarily swap them with their counterpart. If used on self, summon your counterpart from that tiline.
You may also save your current state and restore yourself to that point.
Saved tilines: 1 | Locked Soul Fire: 10
Saved player states: 1 | Locked Soul Fire: 10
Ability 2: Setting
As Sovereign, you may define rules of the world. Soul fire consumption depends on the scale of change. The cost remains locked until the setting is removed.
Her soul fire cap had reached 103. Breaking past 80 percent progress granted her 80 base capacity.
There was also the extra 20 from Moonlit Fla, and three more from Flower Crown Murder's new trait after landing final blows.
Even if fully recovered, she could only actively use 78.
Two saves locked 20 points. One for the tiline, one for her Wildfire Reignite Phase Two state.
She also had a trigger that auto-loaded when her soul fire was sealed. That locked another 5.
All necessary investnts.
The King nodded in satisfaction. "That's enough."
It pointed at the center of the helm. "Cat's Ideal is undetectable when hunting. Naturally, it has a hunting mode. But it only works at minimum size. As long as you feed it magic power, you won't be detected while piloting it."
"To fool beings beyond divine grace, you'll need to fuel it with soul fire. From my experience, one point lasts about one minute."
That was more than enough.
With natural recovery, she could maintain it for about 69 minutes.
"Then how do I reach the tavern? I don't want to leave this ga," Rita said.
She still planned to continue hunting Quiet Mountain players after upgrading Cat's Ideal.
If killing players reduced fatal weaknesses, then upgrading relics was her offensive growth.
Wrathful Moon had already granted her Moonlit Fla. She was curious what a King-tier Cat's Ideal would offer.
Both were essential.
The King raised a paw dramatically. "We smuggle you in."
Then, like announcing rules in a horror ga, it listed them one by one:
"Do not let any god call your na."
"Do not appear outside Burial Ti."
"I will use my First Captain authority and activate Absolute Freedom to send you near the tavern. The ship will auto-return in one hour."
"Most importantly, you cannot leave the ship. Even if you reach out, the part outside must be less than ten percent of your body."
Rita pointed at the flag behind her. "What if I wrap myself in the flag and leave?"
The King hesitated. "...Try it?"
Rita imdiately tore down the oversized flag and wrapped herself in it. She pressed the center of the helm and fed in one point of soul fire.
The ship turned translucent, like the Ghost Sang Cup vessel. Her body, wrapped in the flag, also beca semi-transparent.
It felt strange. She could sense herself and the ship slipping into another layer of reality. It reminded her of using Antenna Baby, but far more advanced.
She jumped off and ran over ten ters away. The effect held.
When she fully wrapped herself, leaving only half her face exposed, she felt completely untraceable.
She tested the limits carefully.
Conclusion: it worked.
But beyond fifty ters, the effect failed. And while outside the ship, soul fire drained twice as fast.
She returned and sat down, hanging her lantern on the helm.
It was night. Selling Moonfall reduced 80 percent of skill costs and 5 percent of soul fire cost. It also boosted all skill power by 20 percent.
Her Vine shrank around her wrist. Lightning hid in her eyes.
After thinking for a mont, she decided she needed soone to guard the ship in case she had to leave.
"Nivalis, get on."
Nivalis shrank with the pocket watch map and squeezed onto the tiny boat.
Rita wanted to bring B80 as well, but the King kept the robot behind.
It needed soone to play gas with.
Everything ready, the hairless kitten gripped the helm.
"I'm ready."
"Mm."
The King pressed its paw against the ship and sent her off without hesitation.
With a sharp whoosh, the ship shot into the sky.
Seven cats and one small robot looked up as it vanished.
"Oh right," the King suddenly said.
"What?"
"This hunting mode won't fool those high-tier gods who specialize in crafting artifacts."
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