[{"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-1372":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},1533183,1991,"Chapter 1372 1372: 1372 An Eternal Shackle","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-1372",1372,"\u003Cp>\"Sometimes you're very easy to read.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two of them leaned against the railing as the wind blew past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not far away stood Quiet Mountain's estate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From time to time, sneaky Quiet Mountain players and gods could be seen secretly peeking at them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once upon a time, Rita had thought Deceitful Bloom was impossible to understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were moments when it was genuinely hard to tell what she was thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her actions often felt unpredictable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not in terms of purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita could understand Mistblade's choices in Card Swap, so naturally she could also understand many of Deceitful Bloom's decisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Rita had never understood before was why Deceitful Bloom always insisted on taking one extra step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like deliberately stepping out onto the temple platform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or deliberately controlling her in Quiet Mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She always pushed relationships one layer deeper and more complicated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Lynx Duke once said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She can't stand days where nothing happens. Peaceful lives and peaceful relationships are like flowers without fragrance to her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That statement was only the conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real reason lay hidden inside You Are My Graveyard of Bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since Rita saw Deceitful Bloom's past through Beacon You Are Mine, she had finally obtained the last missing puzzle piece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course Deceitful Bloom could not tolerate quiet days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People carrying immense pain and trauma always needed something to keep themselves busy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She treated intense conflicts as seasoning for life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Used fresh, passionate love and hatred like alcohol to intoxicate herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>More importantly...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deceitful Bloom was the same kind of person as her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both of them hated manipulation and restraint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita's hatred came from the deception and manipulation of family in her previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deceitful Bloom's came from the cruel joke fate had played on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beacon You Are Mine had not only manipulated and rewritten Deceitful Bloom's destiny.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had also shackled Deceitful Bloom forever with the burden of \"my entire race died because of me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That invisible shackle forced Deceitful Bloom to forever sit at the highest point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forced her to constantly watch over the future of the Vineborne race in every era.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could never become numb like the gods of other races.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because in the dead of night, she would inevitably ask herself again and again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you deserve your entire race's sacrifice?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every Deceitful Bloom born from timelines branching after that era of You Are Mine would inevitably walk the same path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had to shine brilliantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, that tragedy would lose all meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with Deceitful Bloom's pride, she would never comfort herself with thoughts like:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe the Vineborne would have been destroyed eventually even without You Are Mine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as Deceitful Bloom remained seated upon the highest throne...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as even one Vineborne or living being looked up at her...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She would inevitably remember that price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita was certain of one thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Deceitful Bloom who personally buried Beacon You Are Mine would have matched Wrathful Moon perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she had buried part of herself alongside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You Are Mine would never receive the Deceitful Bloom she waited for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deceitful Bloom would never go see her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because doing so would mean reconciling with the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would mean truly letting it go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why did Rita say Deceitful Bloom was easy to understand now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because whether during the manipulation itself or after their falling out, Deceitful Bloom had still been teaching her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was compensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An apology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She instinctively loved controlling things, yet simultaneously resisted that instinct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That contradiction tore her back and forth endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deceitful Bloom carried a trace of guilt toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was deeply hidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She would never say it aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it undeniably existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why Deceitful Bloom tolerated her beyond all reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why Deceitful Bloom had come over now to ask what troubled her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, Deceitful Bloom would never admit she had done anything wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nor would she stop creating passionate love and hatred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Unchanged Fate Rita had comprehended during their first meeting did not merely summarize many events.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It summarized both of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is the first time anyone's ever called me easy to understand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long silence, Deceitful Bloom finally spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita countered, \"Then do you think I'm easy to understand?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deceitful Bloom lowered her head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she quietly laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, she too had recognized someone of the same kind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not far away, BS Cicada frowned while staring at the two chatting by the railing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked Smoke Tune beside her, \"How are those two somehow getting along?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke Tune did not find it strange at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"BS Rita usually keeps to herself, but honestly, she can get along with almost anyone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cicada objected immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Really? I can't talk with her at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke Tune did not bother arguing with something so childish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She simply replied gently, \"That's okay. As long as you and I get along, that's enough.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One sentence instantly smoothed her over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fat Goose happened to pass by nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His entire face twisted up as he backed away several steps before stopping in front of the sisters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared at Smoke Tune and asked, \"Wait... you don't usually talk to BS Rita like this too, do you??\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mistblade and Maple Syrup would never say something so ridiculous...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Fat Goose froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BS Rita actually did talk like that all the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fat Goose looked horrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No wait, don't tell me BS Rita talks to you like this too?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The double hit instantly wiped the smile off BS Cicada's face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even worse, she realized Fat Goose's second guess was probably correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke Tune turned toward Cicada.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I need to handle something. Wait here for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she immediately chased after Fat Goose, who had already sensed danger and started sprinting away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That loudmouthed Candlebeast had to die today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the conversation by the railing continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita did not hide her troubles from Deceitful Bloom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe Deceitful Bloom could think of a better solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew their conversation could not be hidden from the gods aboard the ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was not because she trusted the Starsea players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nor because she did not care whether others obtained part of the mysterious authority related materials.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because she had already saved the timeline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving aside the fact that no god possessed the ability to drag worlds into Graveyard of Bones...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if someone figured out a method and traveled to other timelines to seize those materials first, Rita could simply follow after them, learn the method herself, and then rewind the timeline afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be safe, before discussing her current predicament, Rita first used Read File on the current timeline and rewound everything back several minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Deceitful Bloom walked over and repeated the exact same conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, she no longer retained much memory of what had happened previously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After patiently listening to Rita explain the problem she currently faced, countless possible solutions passed through Deceitful Bloom's mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One after another, she rejected them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all required too much time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the silence, Rita spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I keep wondering... what exactly is pruning timelines? And what decides which timelines are worth keeping?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Rita sink into thought again, Deceitful Bloom remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problems Rita faced had already exceeded anything they could truly help with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were knowledge or combat techniques, they could still offer guidance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But matters concerning the truth of the world, order itself, and alternate timelines...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were powerless there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deceitful Bloom simply leaned against the railing and quietly enjoyed the wind without disturbing her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after Rita finally emerged from her thoughts and said goodbye did Deceitful Bloom extend a hand toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Flower of Deceit bloomed at her fingertips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you run into an emergency and need to activate third phase, try this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita had only just snapped back to reality before the flower filled her vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After hearing what Deceitful Bloom said, she blankly answered, \"Oh.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she carefully picked up the flower and tucked it into her pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant she touched it, she could tell the traits and power within it far surpassed the flame left behind by Undead Wildfire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deceitful Bloom turned and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only after several meters separated them did Rita finally mutter:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Thanks.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure who had already walked several meters away suddenly stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, extremely smoothly, she walked backward all the way back to Rita and stopped in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deceitful Bloom tilted her head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What was that? I didn't hear you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita: \"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1420,"2026-06-06T06:15:33.929Z",1,"novelbin.me","b1421bd1e6c184ae5de41eb30355ffe6baa51144719ba0ed6381df01b3449e13","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-1373","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-1371",1404,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthis-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-cover.jpg"]