When B8017913 woke up, Rita was sitting at her desk, reading through Shadow.Q's daily work report.

This was so much more efficient.

An hour of verbal briefings couldn't compare to a neatly written report—Rita could finish it in minutes, without interrupting her potion brewing.

She gave the paper a satisfied tap and said to the bleary-eyed Shadow.Q, who was sipping coffee beside her, "Let's do it this way from now on."

Shadow.Q paused. After a long moment, she smiled and nodded politely. "Of course, Judgment."

A cube of blue light drifted out from Rita's shirt pocket.

Still reading, she asked, "Any noticeable changes?"

She didn't bother hiding anything from Shadow.Q. If B8017913 was going to return to the battlefield, it was better for Shadow.Q to know her condition early so the Research Division could prepare.

B8017913's voice came from the glowing cube, more vibrant than before. "Much better than before. Previously, using even a basic skill drained 2.5% of my power. Now it's about 1%. If you activate one of my skills right now, it would only cost you 3% of my energy."

That was a massive improvement.

Rita placed the BS-Rita block from "Chaotic Blocks" onto the desk. "Can you connect to this?"

[Chaotic Blocks · BS-Rita]

It was the construct they had assembled together during the final moments of the "Chaotic Blocks" game. It could freely resize itself—from its current phone-sized form to the massive configuration from that climactic battle.

The figure's design perfectly mirrored the mechanical race's combat form: block-built cannons and blade arms, with a cockpit where its core should be.

Curiously, though, it had lost its wings. Back in the game, it had them—but when Rita emerged from "Card Swap," the wings were gone, just like her own.

Their states seemed linked.

Which meant… this construct might share her attributes as well.

Ever since she'd unsealed B8017913, Rita had been waiting for this moment. When the cube confirmed it could connect, she urged, "Try linking now."

The cube floated into the cockpit in the construct's chest.

A brilliant blue light pulsed from within, and the block-built mech suddenly came alive, moving like something straight out of Pacific Rim.

B8017913's voice brimmed with excitement. "It synced! My Strength, Agility, and Constitution are now linked to fifty percent of your stats, and I've retained my own Intelligence value!"

"That's more than enough."

B8017913 used to be a fragile, mana-starved mage. Now, with a solid body and synced attributes, she wouldn't break so easily.

"Get used to the new form," Rita said, then turned to Shadow.Q, who had been quietly observing. "Let's go check on the White Bone Black Jade."

Shadow.Q immediately conjured a portal. B8017913, eager to test her new body, leapt up to perch on Rita's shoulder, and the three of them stepped through the swirling blue vortex.

...

The arcade machine floated within a pillar of light, with BlueStar's world sigil glowing beneath it.

Players eager to enter for training had to drop a gold coin under the light to receive a queue number. When their turn came, BlueStar's rules would automatically teleport them into the machine if they were nearby.

The machine had been placed on one of the old BlueStar battlefields. Now, what was once a desolate wasteland had transformed into a bustling town.

Replicas of dungeon portals stood in rows, each with signboards detailing the dungeon's level, recommended potions, and skill loadouts. Rest zones surrounded the area, and crafting players had set up makeshift stalls to serve the waiting crowd.

Above it all, a skeletal dragon was gliding slowly through the air.

It hadn't left this area once—because this was where it had fought. The battlefield of White Bone Black Jade.

Below, players chatted about the arcade's content. There were ten different games in total, each training different abilities.

Then suddenly, golden rain began to fall from the sky. Curious players reached out, only to find they weren't raindrops but strands of shimmering light, tingling softly on their palms.

At the center of the luminous rain, a figure stood suspended in the air.

She looked as if she had just stepped out of her home. Unlike on the day of BlueStar's final battle, she wasn't wearing her combat gear. Her long hair was loosely tied up, and she wore a simple white shirt with high-waisted linen trousers from 1-Bamboo.

Her sleeves were rolled to her elbows, streaks of potion stains marking her wrists, and several vials of glowing mixtures floated lazily beside her, arcs of gold electricity sparking across their glass surfaces.

It wasn't a warrior's outfit, yet the moment she appeared, everyone instinctively rose to their feet.

The sheer power emanating from her made it hard to breathe. Combined with her breathtaking beauty and the ever-present antique lantern and platinum helm floating nearby, no one could mistake who she was.

The Judgment of BlueStar.

The White Bone Black Jade swooped down, circling her in midair.

A few seconds later, another figure stepped through a blue vortex—a woman in a long black coat.

Shadow.Q.

She floated to stand slightly behind and to the side of the Judgment, raised her hand, and with a soft whoosh, opened a massive black umbrella over Rita's head, shielding her from the golden drizzle.

Avery, who had just exited the arcade, froze.

...Did she just give the new leader a prop setup?

Rita looked up at the umbrella, then down at the golden threads of rain slipping right through it to land on her shoulder. Her expression darkened. She turned her gaze on Shadow.Q.

Their eyes met for several tense seconds before realization dawned on Shadow.Q's face. She quickly nodded with an "I get it, boss" look, then smoothly dismissed the black umbrella.

A heartbeat later—whoosh!—a new umbrella opened above Rita's head, this one shimmering in white and gold.

Rita stared at her. "You—"

"Learning from experience," Shadow.Q replied calmly.

Confirming that she could still control White Bone Black Jade properly, Rita exhaled and gave the players below a brief nod. Then, without a word, she ordered Shadow.Q not to follow and flew off with the skeletal dragon, vanishing into the horizon.

Shadow.Q waved cheerfully after her until both the woman and the golden rain disappeared. Then she landed beside Avery.

Avery dusted off her robe and said, "What did she ever do to you that you treat her like this?"

Knowing Shadow.Q, it had to be deliberate.

Still, when she recalled Rita's expression just now, she couldn't help a quiet laugh.

Shadow.Q, feigning innocence, said, "How could you say that? Don't stir trouble between me and the Judgment. I treat all my superiors the same way. Didn't I also hold an umbrella for you?"

Avery gave her a dry smile. Her nearly person-tall magic staff tapped the BlueStar sigil beneath the arcade, and in the next second, her body dissolved into light and entered the game once more.

No one had the privilege of entering the arcade without waiting in line—but by spending three honor points, a player could skip the queue and enter immediately.

And as one of the commanders of the BlueStar War, Avery had honor points to spare.

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