Rita used Disguise to change her appearance, then spent cash at the store to buy alchemy tools and weapons—crossbows, long knives, stun batons, and more.
That day, she also discovered more about the capabilities of [Only the Dead Obey].
When she left the thrush motionless on the table, twelve hours consumed only 2 mana points. Still, the bird's corpse gave off a faint odor. The skill allowed the dead to act, but it couldn't stop decay.
That night, Rita drove to a mall near Robinson's residence. In the restroom, she used Skill 4 [Disguise!] from Thief God, swapped into another outfit from her in-game backpack, and emerged. She stared at the mirror—completely unfamiliar—a woman with altered height, features, and even shorter hair. Truly, game talents were absurdly powerful.
She hailed a car and arrived at Robinson's apartment building in seven minutes. Her thrush had been following Robinson since he left work, though she didn't care why he hadn't returned to the villa. She paid the driver in cash and got out.
Three minutes later, she rang the doorbell at Peter's place.
A sultry woman in a revealing camisole answered. "Who are you looking for?"
"I'm here for my boss, Robinson," Rita said bluntly. "It's urgent work."
The woman nodded, opened the outer door, and let her in. Water sounds came from the bedroom—likely Robinson showering.
"Can I wait in the study?" Rita asked. "Tell him the manager has an important matter; he'll understand."
The woman seemed kind. She led Rita to the study and poured her a glass of water.
Rita positioned herself at the door, pulling out her stun baton from her inventory. Excitement, not fear, coursed through her. Sometimes she wondered if she was born for danger—last life, countless brushes with death never caused her pain, only adrenaline.
Soon, the shower stopped. Voices of a man and woman began talking. After a while, someone approached the study.
The door opened, concealing Rita. Once Robinson stepped inside, she closed the door with her left hand, pressing the stun baton against his neck with her right.
Seconds later, he convulsed and fell. Rita cranked the baton to max, pressing it against his heart. Five minutes later, he went limp.
She activated [Only the Dead Obey]. Robinson's eyes opened, vacant.
She made him stand and escort her out of the study. Under the woman's gaze, he said goodbye to her.
By the time Rita got into a car heading to a nearby mall, her Disguise had 17 minutes remaining.
She guided Robinson to bid the woman farewell and send a text to Amelia, arranging a meeting at the office.
Meanwhile, Amelia was buying alcohol, planning how to meet Rita without alerting Robinson while ensuring she benefited. She genuinely liked Rita—high salary, good benefits, and even after fame, she hadn't abandoned her. But there was no profit share. Top managers got a cut of their artist's earnings; every time Amelia brought it up, she was refused.
She didn't want to betray Rita, but Robinson's offer was too tempting. Controlling Rita meant she'd cater to company partners, earning bonuses, and even mentoring new talent—wealth beyond what she could refuse.
While plotting, she received Robinson's message. Experienced, neither of them trusted written conspiracies—these talks were always face-to-face.
She returned to the office, carrying her purchases. Several young employees were working late. Amelia smiled, ordered them snacks, and then entered Robinson's office.
Rita didn't have a fetish for controlling corpses with her enemies. Once Amelia entered, she used Robinson to press a knife into her hands.
Amelia froze, then watched Robinson's cold hands guide hers, plunging the blade into his own stomach.
Fear paralyzed her. She couldn't scream, watching the blood slowly seep along her hands.
Overloaded, Amelia barely processed it before Robinson clutched his abdomen and ran out, shouting in terror.
Rita's mana drained rapidly—almost one point per minute—but she had enough.
Robinson ran past interns, jumped from a window after ensuring no one was below.
Rita, exhausted, let her mana regenerate naturally. At home, one point per minute returned; in just over three hours, full recovery. Eating meat allowed even faster regeneration—five life and mana points per minute.
The next morning, the doorbell woke her. Outside were security and two police officers, one male, one female. Rita sent the thrush to hover outside while she acted suitably surprised and invited them in.
After offering water, the officers asked if she knew about Robinson and Amelia's relationship.
Rita pressed her lips together, silent but resistant.
After repeated questioning, she said, "Yes. And I also know Amelia tried to scheme against me."
She could have pretended ignorance, but her recent behavior—taking three days off, living alone in her villa—already betrayed the truth. She assumed the officers knew and answered accordingly.
Trained in expression management, the officers hid nothing externally but asked more questions for ten minutes before preparing to leave.
Rita finally asked, "Were they arrested for something?"
They gave a standard reply: wait for notification.
In the afternoon, Samuel called. His tone was warm and gentle, asking if she faced any problems, concerned about her health, suggesting she rest if tired.
Rita, having performed so much, feigned fatigue with controlled emotion: "Yes, I'm exhausted. I need a break. The manager and company had issues, and my money went into investments. The pressure's been heavy."
Without hesitation, he transferred a million to her. "Money isn't a problem. Spend it, my girl!"
After hanging up, she stood expressionless by the window, gazing at the nearby lake.
Samuel and Rick were like master anglers—wanting a big catch, they offered the finest bait, occasionally letting out the line to lull the fish into false security.