A massive mech leaned against an energy core, charging. It was one of the machines Eclipse Vanguard had been building ever since the game invasion began. Back when they were debating which squad should pilot it for maximum effectiveness, a cube glowing with blue light suddenly appeared before them and declared that it would pilot. Every core player’s first instinct was to attack, until it spoke its designation—B8017913. Now its outer shell was battered nearly beyond recognition, less than a palm-sized patch remained unscarred. This was already its twenty-first replacement body. "This was a premeditated invasion," it said to Avery, who was finally able to rest after three days of nonstop battle, eating a buff dish between breaths. "We had no idea the game would last this long. But I believe one of Lania Kaia’s leaders knew. "They couldn’t have known the rules, but they knew the duration. "According to what Nivalis learned, several of their high leaders entered her battlefield personally, to pin her down. The rest took the chance to launch their invasion. They will descend themselves." Avery didn’t waste energy on the word ’game.’ Even if she asked, Rita’s pet wouldn’t reveal much. What mattered was whether BS- could hold. "So, by your estimate, how long before those leaders arrive?" "By sunset tomorrow," B8017913 answered calmly. "The aliens they’ve dropped over the last four months never exceeded level 40. That wasn’t giving you breathing room—it was sacrifice. These aren’t low-quality copies, they are real beings of Lania Kaia. They’ve offered enough sacrifices to punch through a passage. By tomorrow’s sunset, they will begin arriving. Because of their rank, only one can descend every two hours. The only good news is each can only remain for six hours." One leader would be more than enough. A being on par with the heads of the divine clans, even the weakest of them, was not something BS- players could resist. Six hours wasn’t even necessary to wipe the world clean. Ignoring the clamor from the rear lines, Avery asked quietly, "And her? How long before she comes back?" B8017913 gave its answer with the same calm, even though if BS- fell it too would be destroyed without ever returning to its pet space. "There have been games that lasted up to a year. So, I can’t know how long this one will take." Avery suddenly understood the favorite joke of the younger Eclipse Vanguard players. It fit perfectly here. She smiled. "Busy is good. Let her be busy." From the other side, Sanchez couldn’t resist speaking up for Rita. "She did prepare. She even brought me with her to clear dungeons and alien spawns before she left. Who could have guessed it was all misdirection?" "Yes. And there’s always a price. I never imagined Lania Kaia would sacrifice so much. Remember, in the last game one reward was delaying their anchor point by sixty days," B8017913 explained further. "And by the rules, they shouldn’t be able to descend high-level aliens this quickly, much less those with the same status as BS-Rita... even if they win, they’ll pay dearly. They may not even profit from this war." Avery followed the thought to its end. "So Rita is too great a threat. They’d rather pay the price than risk letting BS- survive." "Yes. If BS- is destroyed, she either wanders or joins Lania Kaia. But I’ll never apologize for her." Avery had just been sinking into grim silence when that stubborn tone made her laugh. "No, no need. She’s done enough already. And that day will come." She turned her head slightly, meeting the gazes of the resting Eclipse Vanguard members. She repeated the words. "This is war. That day was always going to come." "If not for her, we never would have evolved this many times. Even without her, the end wouldn’t be much different—just a few more years of dragging it out." "So what if the server blows up?" "Right. I even got to touch Nivalis’ scales yesterday. Worth it." Were those words truth, or just bravado? Avery thought of speaking more, but with only a day left, what was there to say? If Rita returned before sunset, her presence alone would be enough to lift them. If not... nothing else mattered. She tilted her head back toward the stars. The weight in her chest eased, strangely enough. She asked softly, "Is the place she went really that dangerous?" The chatting Vanguard members all fell quiet. The distant echoes of battle made the silence sharper. At this point, nothing needed hiding. Even so, B8017913 trimmed the truth. "Of course. Just as the system warned, that mysterious battlefield can strip a top-tier player of everything—attributes, items, divine talents. Failure means falling straight from the peak to the dirt." Avery murmured, "And yet she enjoys it?" Sanchez scooted closer, blurting, "Is she strong there?" "Extremely. She even took first place last time." After a pause, it added, "And she’s famous. Red-hot. Sorry—I meant blazing red, not black." Something about that phrasing sounded off. Avery, however, was thoughtful. She recalled BS-’s earlier evaluations. The others couldn’t hold back, questions tumbling out. "Are Lania Kaia’s leaders afraid of her?" "Hard to say. But they do chase her. Sometimes they even used items to drag her into fights with them." "Wow!" Follow current novels on n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net "Who’s stronger, her or Nivalis?" "Of course BS-Rita. Nivalis? She has to take care of her. In this mess, if Rita comes back, she’ll fix it. She always does!" "And you, are you much help to her?" "Absolutely. Nivalis struggles to keep up, but me? You’ve seen my power. Anything under 60, I crush. I’m mechanical, I calculate at insane speeds. I’m packed with knowledge. Her Wi-Fi password is literally my designation. Am I important? Obviously." The mood was dizzying, intoxicating. By dawn, even Nivalis—rarely free to rest—found herself in the same kind of talk. Her fanbase far outstripped B8017913’s. No one cared about their blood or grime anymore. They all sat together on the ground, eating buff meals, occasionally reaching to stroke a dragon scale. End of the world or not, even if it killed them, they wanted the chance. Eleanor stood nearby, ladle in hand, dishing out meals, all of them Nivalis’ favorites. "Is she really that famous in the battlefield you mentioned?" "Of course. She’s always at the center of gossip. Her name—BS-Rita—floats in the global chats constantly. Whenever she speaks, players swarm to respond, shouting over each other." "So she’s like a celebrity?" "Exactly! You know what top-tier popularity means? When she types in chat, it’s like a superstar showing up in your fandom forum. Just... well, in the rival fandom’s forum. But that detail doesn’t matter." "Is she the strongest one there?" "No. I have to be honest—no. She ranks tens of thousands down. But with my help—and B8017913’s company—she uses her wits and creativity to win over and over. The line you hear most often in that world is—BS-Rita, right? They call her BS-Rita, right?"