Rita's mind worked at lightning speed, strategizing her escape. She whipped out [teor] and unleashed [Rain of Hatred] followed by several explosive arrows, instantly draining the life bar of the prone shopkeeper, Vanilla.
As Vanilla died, a faint red glow spread across Rita's skin, but she had no ti to examine its significance.
Quickly scanning the area, she noticed that every shelf was shielded by feather-shaped light projections, protecting the goods within. Outside the shop, the sound of countless acorns falling onto dry leaves—a unique Oak Owls alarm—grew louder and denser.
Switching her [Scout Mode] to full power, Rita ticulously searched every nook and cranny of the shop. As she passed a corner, she grabbed the empty soda can she had kicked earlier, its effect long expired.
Finally, she spotted two small characters, "Secret Room", engraved above a shelf. Without hesitation, she launched a barrage of Magic Missiles, blowing the shelf aside and exposing a hidden passage.
Rita directed her shadow double into the passage to scout for an exit while she returned to Vanilla's body. From his remains, she retrieved a Bear Cookies charm and slipped one of her decoy Blue Star Mahjong tiles into his hand.
The falling acorn alarm intensified, echoing from every direction. Rita, sensing the encroaching encirclent, drank a bottle of [lting Ti] to reset her cooldowns.
She used her Disguise Tool to change her ID to "Flea" and adjusted her health to 1/1 before transforming into a small spider and crawling into Vanilla's ear.
In the hidden room below, her shadow double discovered nothing of note and dissipated as she activated Animagus, fully concealing herself.
She clung to the coarse hairs inside Vanilla's ear, breathing as shallowly as possible, focusing on suppressing her presence.
She had no intention of wasting her precious Escape Gems, a resource so rare that even Hecipah charged an astronomical 5,000 gold coins for one. Shadow.Q often teased her for being greedy, but compared to Hecipah, Rita considered herself downright charitable.
Seconds later, the shop door burst open. The sound of bare feet shuffling in filled the space as multiple Oak Owls entered.
So stopped near Vanilla's body, while others proceeded into the secret room. Rita braced herself for the worst, preparing to trigger her Fla Ring if exposed.
Soon, the body beneath her shifted. Through the narrow ear canal, she saw a bare foot casually kick Vanilla's arm, causing the Blue Star Mahjong tile in his hand to tumble onto the floor.
A soft, lodic laugh echoed as the foot gently pressed down on the tile, crushing it into powder as if it were a delicate flower.
Monts later, footsteps returned from the secret room.
"Any findings?" asked the lodic voice.
Another voice replied, "Detected skills: [Ice Blossom Seal], [Rain of Hatred], [Explosive Arrow], [Shadow Manipulation], [Magic Missile], and [Phantom Shift]."
Rita's heart raced as though a school principal had just announced her web browsing history over the loudspeakers. Despite the anxiety, she noted that [Disguise!] was not ntioned. Could it be because she had used it before entering the shop? Or perhaps Divine Gift skills were undetectable?
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But then she realized sothing alarming—Animagus hadn't been listed either.
Her thoughts were cut short when a devastating force struck her body like a speeding train. Blood and bits of Oak Owl flesh splattered as her spider form was obliterated. The force hurled her into the air, leaving her defenseless as her true form began to erge.
Reacting in the split second before her transformation completed, Rita hastily stashed the Bear Cookies charm and activated [Disguise!] again, assuming the appearance of a Three-Tailed Moonfox.
She even slashed a tear in the back of her pants, exposing three white tails with black tips. The transformation was executed so flawlessly it could rival the best magical girl transformations.
She ntally christened her new persona "Mistveil."
Still glowing faintly red from killing an Oak Owl, she clutched her chest, staggering as she sat up. Her gaze settled on the Oak Owl who stood at the center of the room, commanding the reverence of the others.
This Oak Owl's fiery orange-red wings and hair shimred like autumn leaves in sunlight—radiant, flamboyant, and almost oppressive in their brilliance. Her presence was so dazzling that it seed to banish shadows, leaving nowhere to hide.
The luminous Oak Owl looked down at Rita with a piercing gaze. Rita's pocket watch, set to energy-saving mode, displayed the newcor's details:
[Maple Cang, Level 97, 100%┃100%]
An Oak Owls royal of the Maple lineage.
After her research in the library, Rita was unsurprised. The Everbright City was governed by the Maple branch of the Oak Owls.
However, just like her encounters with Mistblade and Lucia, attempting to fully scan Maple Cang triggered an overwhelming sense of danger. Hastily, she stashed her Pocket Watch and Wrathful Moon, hiding anything of significant value.
Monts later, Maple Cang flicked a single red maple leaf through the air. It circled Rita once before returning to its owner's hand.
Maple Cang then spoke, her voice smooth yet commanding:
"A Moonfox with misty tails?"
Rita surmised that the maple leaf had been checking for disguises. Fortunately, her S-rank Rogue Talent passed the inspection undetected.
Still, Rita chose to play it safe. She portrayed herself as a young Moonfox, intimidated by the powerful Oak Owls but determined to uphold her pride. Sitting upright with a trembling voice, she replied, "Yes… This was an accident. If you'd like, I can contact the Moon Emperor. She will compensate you."
Maple Cang raised an eyebrow. "You know who I am?"
Rita shook her head. "No, but I know this shop…" She glanced at the surrounding Oak Owls before muttering vaguely, "This shop isn't ordinary. The Moon Emperor instructed us to be respectful when encountering other strong individuals… during collection tasks."
Maple Cang made a subtle hand gesture. Instantly, all the Oak Owls except her departed, phasing through the shop's magical barrier without resistance.
Even with their departure, the barrier remained firmly in place.
Rita's anxiety grew as the Oak Owls left one by one, leaving her alone with Maple Cang. The barrier humd faintly, a reminder that escape was impossible without first dismantling its intricate enchantnts.
Maple Cang, still holding her red maple leaf, approached slowly. Despite her radiant and vibrant appearance, there was an air of lethal grace in every step, as if even her casual movents could crush the unwary.
"You're here for the Mahjong tiles, aren't you?" Maple Cang said abruptly, her voice calm but laced with amusent.
Rita feigned surprise and a hint of indignation. "What Mahjong tiles? I don't know what you're talking about! I ca here because I heard the shopkeeper had rare items for trade, but I got caught in this chaos."
Maple Cang's sharp eyes seed to pierce through her words, but she only smiled. "Rare items, you say? And yet, you left his secret passage untouched and ca back to fight. A bold move for soone who claims innocence."
Rita cursed inwardly at the Oak Owl's keen observation but maintained her facade. "The secret passage? I didn't trust it! I've heard stories of traps in places like these. I'm not foolish enough to walk into an obvious death trap."
The red maple leaf in Maple Cang's hand began to emit a faint glow as it floated lazily back into the air, orbiting her like a protective charm. Her tone grew softer but no less nacing. "It doesn't matter why you're here. What matters is what I decide to do with you now."
Rita stiffened, readying herself ntally for any sudden attack. Despite her act of being a humble Three-Tailed Moonfox, she knew Maple Cang wasn't fooled so easily.
"Fortunately for you," Maple Cang continued, her smile widening, "I appreciate those who understand power and respect its authority. Your ntion of the Moon Emperor intrigues . Perhaps I will let you live... for now."
Rita seized the opportunity, bowing her head slightly. "Thank you, Lady Maple Cang. The Moon Emperor holds the Oak Owls in the highest regard. She would not wish for any misunderstanding between our kinds."
Maple Cang raised her chin, clearly pleased by the deference. "Mistblade Moon Emperor... I've heard much about her. If you truly serve her, then perhaps your intrusion here can be forgiven. However," she leaned forward slightly, her eyes narrowing, "there will be conditions."
Rita forced herself to maintain composure under the intense gaze. "What conditions?"
"First," Maple Cang said, "you will leave Everbright City imdiately and not return unless summoned. Second, if the Moon Emperor wishes to compensate , she must do so in person."
Rita's heart sank at the second condition but nodded slowly. "Understood. I will relay your words to the Moon Emperor."
Maple Cang straightened, the glowing maple leaf returning to rest in her palm. "Good. Rember, little fox, strength respects strength, but weakness without submission is insubordination. Do not test my patience again."
With a flick of her hand, the barrier surrounding the shop dissolved, and Maple Cang turned toward the exit. Before leaving, she cast one final glance over her shoulder. "Be sure to choose your allegiances wisely, 'Mistveil.' Lania Kaia is no place for foolish decisions."
As soon as Maple Cang was gone, Rita collapsed to the ground, her body shaking from a combination of relief and adrenaline. Her gamble had paid off, but she was acutely aware of how close she had co to death.
"Swear allegiance to Mistblade Moon Emperor, huh?" she muttered to herself with a bitter smile. "Guess I wasn't lying after all."
Rita forced herself to her feet, carefully exiting the shop and blending into the night. Her mission in Everbright City had taken an unexpected turn, but she wasn't done yet.
There were still tiles to uncover, alliances to manage, and dangers to evade. But for now, she had survived—and that was enough.
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