NOVEL WEB Chapter 348: Are You Searching for the Way Home?
Even though [I say Cotton Candy has not expired until it's expired] was still on cooldown, it was time to begin the search. Finding a suitable target would take time, and investigating, scouting, and planning would take even longer. Better to start now.
As always, Rita activated her disguise skills and [Gold-Class Assassin]. In the past, it was to conceal her identity as a Blue Star native. Now, despite having the radiant orange-red wings, which made her look like an honorary member of the Owlcrow race while traveling through Lania Kaia, she couldn't afford to be complacent. The Owlcrows' previous attempt to capture her as soon as she left High Tower was more than enough evidence that they suspected her connection to the missing Moon Sand.
And the orange-red wings themselves? They were a glowing target for Maple Syrup or Maple Cang to track her down anytime. She had to stay cautious.
Rita had grown accustomed to flying ever since her time in High Tower. If she could use her wings, she wouldn't bother walking. When using her disguise, her instincts led her to transform into an Owlcrow. It just felt right.
Still, she didn't harbor much hope for her disguise. As long as Maple Burn's spirit remained tethered to her, there was a good chance Maple Syrup or Maple Cang could track her down at any moment. After all, they had spent 300 years carefully orchestrating Maple Mu's revival. Would they so easily allow the resurrected Maple Burn to slip through their grasp?
She remembered vividly: when she escaped with Maple Mu after exiting High Tower, Maple Cang hadn't immediately pursued them. That meant Maple Cang had confidence that she could locate "Maple Burn" and Maple Mu whenever necessary.
At least for today, she was somewhat safe. Maple Syrup had gone to the World Battlefield, so she wasn't in Lania Kaia. Rita deliberately avoided Polar Day City and Eternal Night Fortress, opting instead to visit Four Seasons City.
While it was mid-afternoon in Four Seasons City (due to the time difference with Blue Star's US servers), it felt like autumn. As she passed by the Bird's Nest near the city's teleportation array, she couldn't resist glancing inside. Quietly, she asked Maple Burn, "If I resurrect you directly, would you immediately take away the orange-red wings?"
Maple Burn replied sweetly, "Of course. That's why I keep telling you we should just do the ceremony at the Bird's Nest. That way, you'll grow a brand-new pair of orange-red wings! You win big; I profit a little."
Discover exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire
Rita stared at the Bird's Nest for a long moment. Was she tempted? Absolutely not. She was just curious! What if… just what if the Owlcrow emperor could declare her the betrayed party and let her keep the wings by default?
With that idea in mind, she casually entered the Bird's Nest to inquire. Of course, as soon as the words left her lips, she was thrown out.
The atmosphere in Four Seasons City was noticeably tenser than the last time she'd visited. The streets were crawling with Owlcrow soldiers on patrol, all carrying lamps with what looked like watermelon vine tendrils inside.
Were they searching for Moon Sand? Or were they hunting the group of High Tower survivors?
Rita squatted at the side of the road, watching every passing Owlcrow with a keen eye. She activated her detection skill to probe their Divine Gifts, stealing a few attributes here and there for good measure.
She didn't discriminate. Anyone who walked by was fair game. Along the way, she bought materials for [Spring Not Late] and [Gold-Class Assassin], as well as a fresh batch of fruits and plants grown by the Owlcrows.
When she saw her balance drop below 2,000 gold, Rita let out a wistful sigh. Wolf Fortress… Oh, how she missed that glorious place.
The first time she visited, she'd been too intimidated to fully appreciate it. But now? She missed it terribly! She hadn't encountered a race as wealthy and generous as the Wolf Fortress residents since.
By the time night fell, Rita had been wandering around Four Seasons City like a street prowler for hours. Her healing potions were all used up. Her attribute averages, which had exceeded 130 after raiding The Taylor Family, were now past 135. Yet, even after combing through countless citizens, she hadn't encountered a single S-tier Divine Gift.
It reminded her of Dark City, where she'd only ever found three S-tier Divine Gifts after scouring the entire place. It was the same story in Four Seasons City.
Those with S-tier gifts were either keeping a low profile or deliberately staying out of sight. And with her rotten luck, she must have missed the ones she was after. It made sense, though—anyone with an S-tier gift would naturally have high luck stats to protect them.
After taking several winding paths, she reached a hidden corner of the city. Lowering her voice, she asked, "Hey, are you there? Do you have any way of sensing which Owlcrows have S-tier Divine Gifts?"
Suddenly, a familiar voice drifted down from above.
"Are you searching for the way home?"
Rita froze. She looked up and saw Maple Cang standing on the roof of a wooden house. Her long, silky hair danced in the wind, and her face radiated a serene, gentle smile.
Rita didn't hesitate. She immediately prepared to teleport away using [Phantom Shift].
But Maple Cang's second sentence stopped her in her tracks: "As long as you carry Maple Burn, I will always find you."
Rita halted mid-step. Although Maple Cang's words sounded like a threat, her demeanor was calm, and she had come alone. There was no hostility in her tone. And most intriguingly, her phrasing—"as long as you carry Maple Burn"—caught Rita's attention.
Before Rita could even decide how to respond, a sickeningly sweet voice emerged from her wings.
"Maple Cang~~!" Maple Burn cooed.
Rita and Nivalis, who had taken the form of a tiny jellyfish perched on her head, both shuddered.
"Rita! Are you okay? Where's the short circuit?!" Nivalis flailed her tiny tendrils in panic.
Rita gritted her teeth. "There's no short circuit!"
Meanwhile, Maple Cang struggled to suppress her excitement as she descended from the roof. She extended her arms as if to embrace Rita.
Startled, Rita took three steps back and raised her hands in protest. "Hold on! Wait a second!"
Maple Cang stopped immediately. "I want to propose a deal. I know you can kill Maple Burn and then revive her."
Rita's eyes narrowed. "How do you know that?"
Could this be a ploy from Maple Syrup? Was Maple Cang sent here to stall her or enact some hidden plan? Worse, if Maple Cang could sense the location of the orange-red wings, then nowhere was safe. Perhaps running was the best option.
Sensing her growing tension, Maple Burn panicked. "Don't be scared! Please don't be scared! I haven't done anything behind your back!"
"I'm not scared!" Rita snapped back, glaring at the jellyfish.
"Explain, both of you! Quickly!" Nivalis added, anxiously waving her tendrils.
Rita glared upward. "Whose side are you even on?!"
Sensing the tension, Maple Cang stepped back slightly. "Our family has a group skill called [Trade Conference]. Maple Burn is the merchant. Mother is the overseer. Maple Mu and I are the administrators. So…"
"So you and Maple Mu can see my transactions with Maple Burn, and you can also sense the location of the orange-red wings?"
"I can see the transaction details, yes. But I can't sense the wings' location—I can only sense Maple Burn. Once she fully transfers the wings to you, I won't be able to track her anymore."
Maple Cang's tone remained calm and conciliatory. "I truly want to cooperate with you. Mother doesn't care. She believes that even if Maple Burn merges with an outsider's soul, her core essence will remain unchanged. But I don't agree. I think your presence will change her."
Rita's curiosity was piqued. "What about Maple Mu? Don't you care if Maple Mu merges with an outsider's soul?"
This time, Maple Cang fell silent. Her brows furrowed deeply, as if wrestling with a difficult question. After a long pause, she spoke with a complicated, resigned expression.
"Maple Mu is Maple Mu..."