At 2 a.m., this had almost become Rita's internal clock. Even on nights when she didn't stay up late, she'd still wake up at this exact time.
After using her **Disguise** ability to transform into a goblin and crafting her daily three gold coins, she put on gloves, activated **Phantom Cloak**, and **Phantom Shift** to Rick's apartment. First, she activated **Hunter's Eye** to ensure there were no ambushes nearby. Once she confirmed it was safe, she slipped into the next room and cast **Sleep Spell** on Julian.
Passing through the living room, she couldn't help but check the damaged action figure.
Great. Its arm was still missing, and the head had been scraped off. Now it looked much more pleasing to the eye.
Next, she entered Aaron's room and cast another **Sleep Spell** on him. She then pulled out a knife, pried open his eyelid, and with a quick twist, removed the magic eye. The sudden surge of pain from having the eye removed interrupted the **Sleep Spell**, and Aaron instinctively clutched his face and screamed.
But by that point, Rita was already gone, **Phantom Shifting** away with the magic eye in her possession.
She went to the seaside, cleansing herself thoroughly, then stored the magic eye inside the **Magician's Fake Tooth**. Only after that did she **Phantom Shift** back to her own home.
"WHAT?! He went blind AGAIN?!"
By noon on the 21st, Rita received a call from Samuel.
It wasn't just to gossip. He wanted to know if she had anything good to offer as compensation to **The Jones Family**.
Rita, pretending to be outraged, let out a sarcastic laugh over the phone. "Have they ever considered that maybe **The Jones Family** has pissed off the wrong person? Why is it every time something happens, Rick's the one to blame? We already compensated them with an A-rank artifact! Do they even understand how much an A-rank artifact is worth?!"
Since Rick was likely eavesdropping on the conversation, Rita raised her voice more than usual, feigning intense anger with a tinge of hurt and concern for her brother.
She figured if she entered a performance competition, she'd surely score high with the judges. Ever since she'd left the entertainment industry, her acting skills had only improved from constant practice in daily life.
After venting her "frustration" on Rick's behalf, she addressed the real issue. "I've already signed a contract with the Special Affairs Bureau, so my **Divine Gift** is off-limits. However, I can help find a way through internal channels to buy some equipment or potions. **The Jones Family** will need to pay for it, and we'll only accept gold. That's the best I can do."
After hanging up, Rick, who had been listening in, felt a wave of gratitude toward Rita. Facing **The Jones Family**, he also grew more assertive. "My sister's words represent the stance of the Wilson family. Have you even considered that maybe Aaron offended someone? You saw the attributes of that magic eye—if I put it on the market, people would pay billions for it!
Hell, if you can spend 5 billion and get an artifact that can **rewind time** and **read minds**, I'd do anything. But in this situation, I've already done more than enough."
While **The Jones Family** appeared outwardly furious, they were actually just putting on a show. Deep down, they were second-guessing themselves. Could it be that Aaron really had angered someone?
Otherwise, why was Aaron the only one targeted?
Of course, it was also possible that someone had been after the magic eye all along…
But no matter what, they couldn't pin this on Rick. After all, the previous night, Rick had returned to the Lopez estate. They had even checked the security footage using their family's influence. Rick had not returned to the apartment after leaving. This was clearly the work of a player.
They regretted not insisting that Aaron return home…
And so, the matter was left unresolved.
While Rick didn't offer further compensation, he promised that if he ever obtained another eye-related artifact in the game, he would give it to Aaron so he could see again. In the meantime, Aaron would stay in Rick's apartment, and Rick would arrange for someone to look after him.
This combination of soft persuasion and firm refusal left **The Jones Family** with no choice but to reluctantly agree to the resolution. Inwardly, they couldn't help but acknowledge that Rick was, indeed, a reasonable and decent person.
However, while the issue was smoothed over with **The Jones Family**, the Lopez family was a different story.
Zoey, with her strong desire for control, regularly received reports about Rick's whereabouts. Although she didn't have anyone directly stationed with him, she was always kept informed of his general activities. Whether it was opening a studio or making new friends, these were minor issues in her eyes. But what had she been told this week?
Rick had somehow offended **The Jones Family**, then resolved the matter. Zoey didn't care about that. What she cared about was the **A-rank magic eye**.
Such a valuable item! And he had given it to **The Jones Family**?!
Zoey had never sworn in her life, but in this moment, she let out a very loud, "Holy sh*t!"
An artifact that could see into someone's recent actions and read minds! If you had offended **White Family**, Lopez could have taken care of it! But you gave such a powerful artifact to **The Jones Family**? Who are they to deserve it?! Even if you had pissed off the **White Family**, if you gave the magic eye to Lopez, we would have not only protected you but given you anything you wanted in return!
"And why is it your problem that someone from **The Jones Family** had their eye gouged out? It could very well be their fault for offending someone! Even Rita understands that! And what about your sister? Why didn't she mention before that she had channels to buy equipment?"
Zoey was growing angrier with each word. She didn't even care about revealing that she had been investigating the whole incident.
Rick sat on the couch, his head propped on his hand, staring at the floor while silently enduring Zoey's rare outburst of cursing.
Mateo, standing beside them, had maintained a cold expression as he watched Rick. Finally, once Zoey had exhausted herself with yelling, Mateo spoke. "You don't trust the Lopez family."
It wasn't a question, nor did it leave any room for Rick to deny it.
Rick didn't try to refute him. He sighed, leaning back into the sofa, eyes closed, and his voice heavy with exhaustion. "Have you ever included me in any of your core meetings about the game? Even after I helped you secure nearly a thousand pieces of equipment, you still leave me out of the important decisions. How do you expect me to trust you?"
Zoey and Mateo both fell silent. It was the truth, and even they couldn't argue against it.
In their eyes, Rick had always been an outsider. Especially with his weak and practically useless **Divine Gift**, the only valuable thing about him was his maxed-out luck stat. That's why they had let him develop on his own, without investing much in him, hoping he might one day surprise them.
And surprise them he did, by managing to acquire such a powerful A-rank artifact. But the shock was quickly followed by disappointment, as he had given it away just as quickly.
Still, this incident made Zoey realize something. Rick was generous to those he trusted.
And in a way, that showed he was a man of loyalty.