CHAPTER 817: 817: DIVINE GAME- CARD SWAP 66

"Go home and ask your elders just how terrifying Moonlight Marsh used to be."

"You’ve already run out of chances, because this year, she’s waking up."

"The fun match championship? Just my little welcome gift to everyone."

"I hope you enjoyed it."

The entire spectator arena fell silent, as if someone had cast a mass mute spell.

The younger ones turned to the elders beside them, their eyes asking the obvious question: Is that true?

The older ones, however, all fixed their gaze on the nearest current Moonlight Marsh students and alumni.

They were easy enough to spot—earlier, when Moonlight Marsh Rita had taken the top spot, these were the ones cheering, clapping, or laughing. Most with clear loyalties wore their school’s crest over their hearts.

In Mistblade’s section, neither she, Maple Syrup, nor Fat Goose dared to move, sitting stiff-backed and silent. Even the black cat, the blood elf, and the tauren nearby kept their eyes forward, avoiding glances.

School pride was forgotten for the moment.

If Rita had only taunted one or two schools, the entire Moonlight Marsh contingent would have been on their feet defending her words as gospel.

But she’d just gone one-on-forty-five.

Even the Moonlight Marsh shiphouse fell silent. The swordsman was already on his feet, hand gripping his blade as he ordered the students on deck to gather. "Watch for an attack!"

After several seconds of quiet, the arena erupted.

Whether she’d provoked any hidden contestants no longer mattered—she’d provoked everyone.

Snacks, bottles, boots, and rancid socks went flying. The shouts and curses shook the river’s surface.

But Moonlight Marsh wasn’t made of pushovers. They endured a few seconds before firing back.

On the screen, Rita had hooked every single shadowing contestant.

Yes—every single one.

Those who had been waiting for the right chance to kill her for hints couldn’t hold back after that string of trash talk.

"Remember! My school is Cliffside Down, the one that’ll kick Moonlight Marsh out of Asaein by this time next year!"

"Oh? And why not this year? No time in your schedule?"

"Moonlight Marsh is bottom of the rankings in the Nine Great Magic Academies. You’re the stepping stool. If I were you, I’d be too embarrassed to leave my dorm!"

"I left my dorm to win the fun match. Why’d you leave yours, to make me laugh?"

In just a few lines, Rita had triggered her [Reject Silent Treatment] skill.

Someone didn’t like hearing her talk—her stats rose by 5%.

"Stop talking! Kill her and share the hints!"

"No need for words. In a duel, only the weak need alliances."

Flames from her fire dragon coiled through the air. The dagger’s cold gleam flashed again and again.

With [Mystic Force] still active, Rita abandoned defense entirely—pure offense.

On-screen and off, the fights broke out.

Only GodDraw77 and the headmasters’ section stayed relatively calm, but even from a distance you could see the principals’ mouths moving.

Under the seat, Fat Goose had a reeking sock on his head and was still yelling. "She’s not wrong! We’ve been waiting for you lot for years! Have you even unlocked GodDraw77?!"

Wedged beside him, Mistblade shouted toward the brawl, "Exactly!"

Maple Syrup: "Who’s breaking down?"

Fat Goose: "All forty-five stepping stools!"

The incoming attacks doubled instantly.

The blood elf shielding the three brats from the barrage roared, "That’s enough! Shut up, all of you!"

The black cat, sitting primly, gave a soft meow. "She’s not wrong. Those schools haven’t even unlocked GodDraw77, let alone Lightchaser Time. What right do they have to look down on Moonlight Marsh? Hmph. Moonlight Marsh had its glory."

"Phoenix, well said! Now I believe you were raised on blood!"

The three under the seat froze and poked their heads out to see who had said that—it was the big guy from the fun match, the one sitting in front of them.

Judging from the crest on his chest, he was a Moonlight Marsh graduate.

Fat Goose called out, "Who’s the Phoenix you’re talking about?"

The massive green-skinned brute, wide as three blood elves, turned toward them with a grin, ignoring the trash raining down on him. "That’d be your good friend Rita. She’s your friend today, right?"

Mistblade answered without hesitation, "Yes."

Maple Syrup got to the important question. "And what does ’raised on blood’ mean?"

The brute chuckled. "It’s what she said in the arena. Told everyone not to call her ’bird girl’—call her Phoenix. Said she never drank a drop of milk in her life, grew up on blood instead. A living legend."

Blood elf, black cat, and tauren all made the same noise, as if punched in the gut. "Oh."

Mistblade and Maple Syrup held back their laughter, but Fat Goose didn’t. After his chuckle, he added, "Back in school, she drank three bottles of milk with every meal just to grow as tall as Mistblade and Maple Syrup."

"I told her over and over—she only stayed shorter because she drank too much milk and not enough meat, but she still doesn’t believe me..."

He was cut off by a flying chair, followed by the blood elf’s boot kicking his head back under the seat.

...

Unlike the audience outside, who could brawl and banter at the same time, Rita’s nine attackers quickly stopped talking under her all-out assault.

In seconds, two were dead.

[Hint: They look a little like Klin from West Street]

Her right hand swung the dagger, her left striking student after student.

She used the combat trick she’d learned from the white bear.

By the fourth minute of battle, she’d already begun folding in GodDraw77’s techniques.

She booted students into the air, targeting one while they tumbled and hit the ground. It kept them from escaping and sped up the kill rate.

The new skill grew smoother, subtler with every kill.

A thought crossed her mind.

If even she could hide the rune during an attack, there was no way the white bear couldn’t.

If the Death Eater could see through her feint, then surely the bear could tell whether she’d been knocked back or flown back on her own.

At the far end of the street, movement stirred.

Rita’s blade slid into the last student’s skull.

Ssshhh—she pulled the dagger free and turned toward the newcomer.

Her expression went deadly serious.

Deep Sea Mine—Mojie.