ocean-life Chapter 283 If It Were You, Where Would You Set the Trap?
Chapter 283 If It Were You, Where Would You Set the Trap?
Rita, now practically broke, started experimenting with her new skill, [Moment of Reversal]. She asked Nivalis to attack her.
Immediately, she sensed she could exchange any single attribute between herself and Nivalis—whether it was a Divine Gift skill, health points, or mana. However, she could only select one term at a time.
For example, swapping the names of their Divine Gifts wouldn't change the associated abilities. But she could exchange Skill 1 of her Divine Gift with Skill 1 of Nivalis's.
If Black Jade's original form was just a "lucky little snake," his current Divine Gift must have been meticulously cultivated through countless calculations and schemes.
She also discovered a hidden condition within [Moment of Reversal], cleverly hinted at by its name. The skill required the user to be at a disadvantage before activation; otherwise, it wouldn't trigger the "reversal."
For instance, after being attacked by Nivalis, she could use the skill at any time. However, if she drank a Daughter's Whiskey, causing her attributes to skyrocket far beyond Nivalis's, the skill would become unusable unless her health dropped to a critical level, putting her in a disadvantaged state.
Looking back on the day Black Jade was cornered by a hundred-player team, she realized that the circumstances allowed him to reverse the contract with Rick. Black Jade's overall situation was at a disadvantage, enabling him to use the skill to exchange identities.
With this discovery, Rita felt a sense of relief. One more problem solved. She decided to reward herself by personally preparing a meal for the backyard cats, something she hadn't done in ages.
Meanwhile, Nivalis gathered the cats in the backyard, even teaching them to wash their bowls using the sensor-activated faucet.
As Rita stirred the meat soup, the laughter and play outside contrasted sharply with the quiet of her kitchen. The peace offered her a moment to reflect on her journey from encountering Jameson to the present.
Jameson had been truthful, but what he knew might not have been the whole truth.
The Whale's Secret
What exactly lies inside the whale?
If there was a trap in the whale's body, why didn't Miyaas set it in the ship's cabin instead?
Was the dragon scale disrupting his plans, or was the whale's body a deliberate part of the scheme?@@@@
Jameson's role couldn't be that simple. And why did Miyaas specifically need the dragon scale?
Rita retrieved the container holding Miyaas's remains and tried listing it on the in-game auction house.
The auction house displayed the item as:
[A whale containing numerous treasures and artifacts]
What's more, an alert popped up indicating that, after the 48-hour listing period, the item could only remain in the auction house for 8 days and 17 hours.
No, the most dangerous trap would be hidden in plain sight—somewhere unassuming, even comforting.
It would be concealed at the point where the prey didn't yet realize they were being hunted.
It would be in the beginning.
Soul Catcher
Rita's eyes snapped open.
Soul Catcher.
That was the first step—the first item she acquired without suspicion.
The process of obtaining it had been seamless.
At the time, Miyaas's identity and intentions were still unknown to her. To Rita, it was just a "normal grave" with faint ties to sirens. It shouldn't have been overly tied to Lania Kaia.
Had it not been for Black Jade's unexpected arrival on Blue Star, she would have instinctively relied on Soul Catcher, believing it to be an infallible artifact.
After all, something without its own consciousness or agenda seemed trustworthy—who would suspect a "neutral" item?
Even now, her first major decision had relied on Soul Catcher.
Rita finished cooking the meat soup and set it out for the cats. Without hesitation, she and Nivalis activated their invisibility and returned to Jameson's graveyard.
This time, she meticulously searched every corner of the cemetery, layer by layer.
It took nearly five hours, but she finally found it—hidden within the intricate carvings behind Jameson's tombstone.
Breaking the relief revealed a cluster of metallic runes embedded inside.
The sound of the metal striking the stone floor felt like a weight falling onto her chest.
A Lingering Puzzle
Rita wasn't well-versed in magical runes; they were primarily used in enchanting and tailoring. She sketched the symbols and posted an anonymous inquiry on the game's forums.
Before she even made it home, her phone buzzed with responses.