Sensing the atmosphere growing tense, Rita quickly tried to salvage the situation. "Your Excellency, my admiration and reverence for you are genuine, but unfortunately, I'm not a Moonfox, so I can't follow you!"

Mistblade sneered. "Lies! If you truly admired and revered me, why did you sell the potion I personally gifted you at a public auction?"

Apache gave Rita a long, incredulous look, noticing the faint confusion still lingering on her face. She whispered a reminder, "Potions handcrafted by Mistblade Moon Sovereign either require an exorbitant price and a long waiting list, or they can only be found at high-end auction houses."

Rita finally realized what had happened. Nivalis also figured it out: "You put an ultra-limited-edition Lv potion on auction?! Are you insane?!"

Rita immediately pulled out 10 milliliters of dragon blood and offered it to Mistblade. "I panicked! I read about Moonfox research into fragrances at the library and was terrified that you'd track me down. So, in my fear, I quickly sold it. Please forgive my impudence!"

Dragon blood… Mistblade's eyes lit up. Ever since Lidian had left Pine Bloom, it had been a long time since she'd been able to acquire any dragon blood.

Currently, the best source of dragon blood in Lania Kaia was likely that little dragonling. Ever since the dragon had descended on the otherworldly battlefield, alchemy masters everywhere had been waiting for its contractor to sell dragon blood. The Wind Scythe clan had even stationed themselves on Blue Star in anticipation. But alas, there had been no news so far…

Mistblade took the dragon blood, clearly satisfied, and nodded. "Given your cooperative attitude, I'll let this matter slide… But how did you manage to steal the World Relic from me?"

Rita didn't even flinch before replying, "There's a skill crystal called [Master Pickpocket]. It grants a 10% chance to steal one item from a target."

Mistblade said nothing, her expression neutral. It was impossible to tell if she believed Rita's explanation or if she had already realized Rita was dodging the question entirely.

Seeing that Mistblade wasn't pressing further, Rita relaxed slightly. But she couldn't shake the feeling of icy fingers creeping down her spine. Turning to look behind her, she saw Apache staring at her with a gaze that could only be described as "a wife discovering her husband had given away their life savings to someone else."

Rita had only managed to obtain 70ml of pure, untainted dragon blood during her earlier battle with Nivalis. After giving 20ml to Apache and now 10ml to Mistblade—plus using a small amount herself when disguised as Nivalis—she was down to less than 40ml. She had no intention of using it herself, either. She was saving it for future "unintentional" offenses, where it might once again serve as a life-saving bribe.

Rita quietly turned back around, pretending not to notice Apache's gaze.

Mistblade, having secured the dragon blood, set a stack of photos on the table. "I know you're from an alien race. These are some of your kind who've attacked my subordinates. Kill these individuals for me. With that, and this dragon blood, I'll forgive your disrespect."

Rita picked up the photos and glanced through them. The Taylor Family? Those people had been dead for ages. Their graves probably had grass growing several meters high by now. She put the photos away with a serious expression. "I swear on my honor, I will kill every last one of them!"

"Now," Mistblade continued, clearly pleased with Rita's attitude, "let's talk about you stealing the World Relic. Are you planning to give me the translation ability for the universal languages?"

Rita was utterly baffled by the audacity of Mistblade's demand. Are you a thief or a tyrant?!

Without hesitation, she reached out her hand. "How about you give me back the dragon blood, and I'll offer my life in repentance instead." Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire

Mistblade's tail swished lightly, creating a gust of air that pushed Rita's hand away. "Have you collected a key fragment?" she asked, her tone calm and probing. This strange being had clearly acquired the qualifications to enter the battlefield. Otherwise, why would she offer to translate for Mistblade?

"Yes," Rita answered.

Mistblade's expression remained unreadable as she fell silent for a moment. Finally, she asked, "The fragment you stole—was it part of the key?"

Rita cautiously observed Mistblade's face. "…Yes."

Mistblade showed no signs of anger. Her gaze shifted upward, clearly accessing her game inventory, likely to inspect her own World Relic.

Nivalis whispered to Rita, "Her expression looks exactly like yours when you don't know what tile to discard during a mahjong game. The same 'clueless player' intensity."

Before Rita could respond, Mistblade spoke. "How about this: I'll trade my Four-Character, Five-Character, and Six-Character tiles for your Five-Dot, Six-Dot, and Seven-Dot tiles. What do you think?"

Rita was startled. She had indeed stolen Mistblade's Six-Dot from the library. But why did Mistblade specifically say five, six, and seven? Why was she so certain about the sequence of her key fragments? What made her assume it wasn't three Six-Dots or a combination of Six-Dot, Seven-Dot, and Eight-Dot?

Rita and Nivalis both arrived at the same question simultaneously.

The mahjong enthusiast Nivalis immediately speculated: "She must already have at least two Six-Dots. Didn't you say you also stole an Eight-Dot from her? Does she know you took that too? If not, she probably has three Eight-Dots left. You ruined her chance to form a Kong! This is a vendetta now!"

Rita: "She could also be bluffing…"

Rita didn't bother dwelling on the mechanics of the key. Nor did she engage in any back-and-forth over Mistblade's assumptions. Instead, she declined outright. "I'm very satisfied with the skills on my current key fragment. I'm sorry, Your Excellency, but I cannot trade it. However, on my next trip to the battlefield, I'd be happy to translate for you—up to three times. Would that suffice?"

She didn't know what the battlefield entailed—what it even looked like inside or what time zones were being used for the "midnight entry." But she spoke with a confidence that suggested she'd been there countless times.

Mistblade's killing intent flared again. This alien creature, with her apparent timidity, hadn't shown an ounce of true fear from the moment she entered the room. She joked, schemed, lied seamlessly, and tirelessly sought ways to negotiate.

Apache had already stepped forward, pulling Rita behind her. Unlike earlier when she grabbed Kayden as a mere warning, this time, Apache sensed that Mistblade was genuinely about to strike.

But Mistblade suddenly froze. Her violet eyes shimmered with intricate, glowing runes as she scanned Rita from head to toe, her gaze lingering briefly on the mongoose in her arms. Her fury dissipated in an instant, replaced by a mischievous smile. She looked like she'd stumbled upon something thoroughly entertaining.

Mistblade chuckled. "I doubt you have the guts to make it through three full runs. But if you want me to forgive you for stealing my World Relic, here's my offer: next month, on the 15th, you'll translate for me. If you decide afterward that you're done with the battlefield, you'll hand over every World Relic you have left."@@novelbin@@

How could she be so confident Rita would enter the battlefield next month on the 15th? Rita asked cautiously, "And if I decide to continue going to the battlefield? How many times would I need to translate for you before we're even? There has to be a limit."

Mistblade drained her tea and flipped the empty cup upside-down. Her intense gaze locked onto Rita's. "Ten times. Deal?"

Rita didn't feel any relief—just an even greater sense of unease. It wasn't just Mistblade's ominous demeanor, but her specific attitude: as though she were watching a naive insect walk straight into disaster.

No matter what, though, Rita couldn't back down now. "If I agree, will you stop harassing me over the World Relic?"

"Yes."

"Then I agree."

"Good." Mistblade smiled darkly. "The battlefield on the 15th—I look forward to seeing your true form."