[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist":3,"chapter-this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-1037":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1532848,1991,"Chapter 1037 Divine Game: Player Relic 40","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-1037",1037,"\u003Cp>After sending that message, Rita ran even faster. Who knew whether the Lania Kaia players would choose to kill the hunter first or killherfirst?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had no intention of staying put.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Lania Kaia could kill a hunter and replace Dawn in the invasion chain, that would be ideal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not... fine. Nothing was more important than winning the wager and helping BS- survive Lania Kaia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had barely left when Maple Syrup arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stopped a few meters from Mountfuse. One glance was enough—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t Captain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very similar, but definitely not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once she confirmed that, she stopped hesitating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the next second she abruptly retreated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The supposedly dying Mountfuse sprang up with terrifying force, hurling a spear straight at Maple Syrup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Thunder’s Grace]—Captain’s personal skill, and the compensation he once left for Mountfuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[02:51] — [52]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita glanced up at the numbers again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had nobody found targets?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or was something else going on?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The player count hadn’t changed at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she quickly had no time to think about it—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>because she ran into Ash Cinders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash Cinders was being surrounded by several players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mute, Pine Bloom, MarmangCrab, Layered Peaks Ember, Winter Sea Whalebright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All five had abandoned their The Mechanoids forms and reverted to their true bodies—an effect from the second-phase mini-game rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The countdown in the sky wasn’t just the hunters’ final time limit—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>it was the players’ last chance to change their invasion worlds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Players from four different worlds now fought side-by-side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the final opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever landed the last hit would get the reward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita charged in without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way she activated her own reward—five minutes of direct participation in the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Y128 vanished temporarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>True-bodied Rita reached Ash Cinders and intercepted Mute’s bone scythe with the dagger she’d looted earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash Cinders didn’t waste breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned her greatsword and swung at the players on her other side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing BS-Rita, Pine Bloom raised her right hand—the one clad in a black dragonscale glove. Her fingers closed in a gripping motion, and a translucent dark-green dragon claw manifested, wrapping around Rita’s body. A similar claw gripped Ash Cinders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Rita understand why Ash Cinders had fallen into disadvantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pine Bloom’s skill forcibly drained fifty percent of her attributes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash Cinders was under several player relic debuffs at once; her combat strength was probably less than a tenth of what it normally was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This must be Pine Bloom’s Player Relic ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever she used it, her owl-feather wings transformed into deep green dragon wings—unnervingly similar to Lidian’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita activated one of her sealed relic abilities: [Sin of Arrogance].\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her stats surged until they reached 80 percent of Pine Bloom’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, the pressure of five attackers was overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her only option was to use her Mystic Force state to shield Ash Cinders from lethal attacks until the hunters arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pine Bloom, who had studied BS-Rita’s behavior patterns, kept increasing her attack speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mute—who had never personally dealt with Rita—was nearly exploding with rage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They werefinallyabout to kill a hunter and change Lania Kaia’s fate, and then BS-Rita showed up, ruining everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And somehow she couldn’t even be killed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mute roared, \"Are you seriously trying to join Dawn?! If you don’t care about joining Dawn, then why were you crying in the temple earlier?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita roared back, even louder, \"When did I cry??? Don’t just make things up without evidence!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash Cinders, at 5% HP and still blocking attacks, had the audacity to join the conversation:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I thought you only cried when you were little.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I DIDN’T CRY!! She’s slandering me!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Layered Peaks Ember said, \"But when I was watching the scene, I saw you close your eyes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita snapped, \"Maybe I was sleepy??\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Winter Sea Whalebright: \"Then what, the things you said to Dawn-Cicada were sleep-talking?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mute: \"Makes sense. Otherwise why show up NOW and stop Lania Kaia from changing the invasion sequence?! Oh no—so ’Lania Kaia’ was just part of BS and Dawn’s flirting arc!?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Winter Sea Whalebright: \"Blessings.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Layered Peaks Ember: \"Blessings.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita: \"I thought you barely talked before?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pine Bloom: \"She was training new skills. You can’t talk while training.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita: \"Can she maybe train a little longer?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>MarmangCrab: \"Sorry, I was sharing gossip with Seahorse just now. So exactly how many people have you cried for?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita: \"...I bleed, I don’t cry, thanks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if cursed, Rita’s presence turned a deadly battlefield into a chaotic gossip forum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A cold voice suddenly cut through the chatter behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightchaser.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She stepped in, deflecting Pine Bloom’s hammer with a swift knife strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A warm white glow fell upon Ash Cinders, bringing her HP back into the safe zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lightchaser didn’t continue attacking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She merely stood with Mistake beside Ash Cinders, quietly watching the countdown in the sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[01:48] — [50]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The number finally changed—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and then froze at 50.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita stood beside Ash Cinders like an outsider, absorbing the meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She recalled the divine answer:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hunters must kill all The Mechanoids within three hours to avoid war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What about after three hours?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Players had a final battle in the fourth hour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isolated Isle likely had their own version.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The player count barely changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when Lightchaser arrived, she didn’t kill Pine Bloom’s group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were already preparing for the next stage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This meant one thing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isolated Isle knew they would enter the invasion chain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They saw no point in struggling anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then Rita thought of Wail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was this how Wail had felt back then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t do anything wrong, did I?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But everything still collapsed because of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her thoughts spiraled until Ash Cinders nudged her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Softly, she murmured into Rita’s ear, \"After the countdown ends, every Mechanoid we kill buys Isolated Isle one Starsea month of delay.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her first reaction was purely practical:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Why didn’t you just rest for three hours and kill everyone in the fourth hour? Delay a few hundred thousand months. Maybe all the worlds would burn down before then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ash Cinders sighed. \"We tried. But the game gives us dozens of binding rules. Like requiring each player to achieve a certain number of kills, kill players from a set number of worlds, and maintain a minimum kill ratio on each map...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightchaser added, \"And entering the fourth phase with too many players triggers tiered penalties.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Right. That too,\" Ash Cinders said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If we fail any rule, we get punished. Fail enough, you die. So we can’t cheat the system. Our best option is ensuring exactly fifty players remain.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A horrifying KPI.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita nodded vigorously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then asked, \"Can I run for thirty seconds before that starts?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before they could answer, she turned and bolted—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but was immediately yanked back by the collar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightchaser held her up like a misbehaving cat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita glared, forced up onto her toes. \"What!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightchaser asked, \"Who bullied you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita’s eyes lit up. \"You’ll avenge me? A god did it. A very evil god!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightchaser: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She silently turned Rita around, set her down, and patted her shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I permit you to run for sixty seconds.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was that yes or no?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had no time to interpret it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Lightchaser released her, Rita sprinted away at full speed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, she didn’t escape the follow-up conversation drifting clearly behind her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lightchaser... you’re much gentler now that you have a student.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...That wasn’t you telling her to get lost?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mm.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1239,"2026-06-06T06:15:28.155Z",1,"novelbin.me","be377d70fc6195bc4f2c5e1fb2836d7da133cafa2c60241768d93b1330d70957","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-1038","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-1036",1404,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthis-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-cover.jpg"]