Only after crossing blades did Rita finally realize the gulf between herself and a veteran player.
It wasn't about stats. Not even about combat technique.
She had learned countless courses inside the Divine Game, and before descending she had even burned her long-hoarded Deceitful Bloom token. That had earned her twenty full star-years of combat curriculum from White Bear.
No, the real difference lay elsewhere.
It was the sheer number of skills.
In the Divine Game, that problem had never surfaced. The system itself deliberately suppressed the gap between old and new, restricting how many skills, items, and gear players could bring. It was why she had been able to leapfrog opponents—by leaning on her trump-card abilities.
But outside the Divine Game, that edge vanished.
Shanrane's arsenal had been wide, but manageable. Bone Shade's was terrifying. Rita suspected his skill list had already broken five digits.
