Rita had only been flying for a few seconds after leaving the trade zone when her expression turned helpless. She glanced to her left, where Maple Syrup, Pine Bloom, and Syntax were keeping pace with her, then turned to her right—Dawn Cicada was flying there too.
She felt like a tour guide leading a group of troublemakers.
But she had no intention of avoiding them. Maple Syrup and her crew were clearly sticking close so they could sabotage her in the next game—or maybe wait for a chance to ruin her Player Relic once it was crafted.
That was fine. She was waiting too. Waiting for a trade zone game with a long duration and high difficulty—then she'd use Cat's Ideal to teleport away and lose these tagalongs for good.
A gust of wind carried sand past her. Rita looked back; the Oasis Town they'd left behind had already vanished, and even the desert's shape had changed.
