[{"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-281":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},1532268,1991,"Chapter 281 Renting [Moment of Reversal]?","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-281",281,"\u003Cp>After leaving the Eternal Night Fortress with a heavy heart, Rita headed straight to the Dark City. On her way past the alchemy shop, she knocked on the window, dropped off a few boxes of gifts filled with food, drinks, and other trinkets, and left for Yaslan City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, Hecipah looked up from her book. \"Who was that just now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kayden replied, \"Some orc that seemed plain at first glance but gave off a sneaky vibe.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That description rang a bell... Seeing the gifts on the table, they didn't need further explanation to guess who it was. Excitedly, Kayden began tearing open the packages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hecipah picked up a burger, unwrapped it, and took a bite. Rita hadn't sent anything so distinctly Blue Star-like in a long time. \"Hasn't Tonton Lin recently opened a similar burger place?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kayden nodded. \"Yeah, rumor has it that a Blue Star native started it, but there's no proof.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hecipah chuckled. \"Blue Star people aren't bold enough to flaunt themselves like that. It's probably Windscythe exporting their recipe. Crafty bastards—better at business than the goblins.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kayden sighed wistfully. \"Teacher, I want to visit Blue Star someday.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hecipah scoffed. \"Descend to Blue Star? If you last more than three days, I'll let you call yourself Kayden and start calling me Hecipah.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kayden pouted. \"Well, when's Ravenclaw going to die? I've already found a lead on the Fountain of Undeath. Once I get my hands on it and she finally croaks, I'll turn her into a lich and invite her over for tea... though I'm not sure she can even die on Lania Kaia.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hecipah: … This kid's still as creepy as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After rushing back home, Rita and Nivalis managed to make it to Zoey's concert just in time. Five minutes after sitting down, Rita received +1 attribute point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shadow.Q handed her a notebook. \"Here's some intel we've gathered on the Oak Owls. Try to swing by the Special Affairs Bureau on the 15th for a quick meeting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita asked, \"When do we move?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shadow.Q replied, \"The operation starts at midnight on the 13th. Seven teams, including yours, will enter the tower in waves. The last team should be inside by the evening of the 14th.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you joining the mission?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, I'll be with the S City team. You'll be tagging along with us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the crowded venue, Rita didn't want to risk being overheard, so she opened her game interface and messaged Shadow.Q.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Rita]: If I want to get Black Jade's skill crystal for reversing contracts, what's the price?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Shadow.Q]: We've tried to buy it, but Black Jade's asking price is way out of reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Rita]: Dragon blood?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Shadow.Q]: Yep. 500 ml of dragon blood or exclusive ownership of a large dungeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Rita]: Anything else? Not even for gold?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Shadow.Q]: He says he has no use for money. Claims he gets stronger through \"zero-cost acquisition.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Rita]: What tier is that skill?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Shadow.Q]: No idea. His lips are sealed. For someone who acts arrogant and hotheaded, he's careful not to spill any crucial information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What a shame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed impossible to obtain the [Moment of Reversal] skill crystal through legitimate means.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back home, Rita took out the Soul Catcher and began to toy with it. The Sea Demon's finger bone was like exquisite jade—slender, with a graceful curve at the tip, resembling a work of art.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were still too many mysteries, but the looming dangers were crystal clear. The solution lay before her: Black Jade's reversal skill!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Black Jade wouldn't sell the crystal, she'd rent it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She activated [One Answer (1\u002F1)]—You may ask me one question related to money or wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita asked, \"I want to know the current total wealth of Rick's master, the Flood Dragon Black Jade.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A line of faint, glowing text appeared above the finger bone's palm: 237 gold coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita glanced at her own savings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she'd spent a significant amount on memory crystals and disconnection dandelions, the recent income from the Special Affairs Bureau's sale of [Time Is Always Squeezable]—plus the earnings from her rooftop vending machine—left her with 83,035 gold coins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nivalis quickly pulled out her phone and opened a calculator. \"Holy Cup! You could rent it for 350 days! That's almost a year!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita hesitated. Was it worth it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those 80,000 coins were her savings, set aside for a once-in-a-lifetime skill book she didn't know when she'd find.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her hesitation lasted less than a minute. She made up her mind: it was worth it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At present, Miyaas posed the greatest threat. Without fully understanding his methods, he was like a sword hanging over her head, ready to fall at any moment. The reversal skill wasn't just a way to counterattack; it was essential for her defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita had even resolved to delay the tower mission if necessary. Despite all the effort she'd put into building a rapport with Eclipse Vanguard, it paled in comparison to the allure of evolving her Divine Gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She also harbored a bold hypothesis: once she dealt with Miyaas, she'd eventually climb the tower anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the rental period followed Black Jade's time instead of hers, entering the tower could give her access to the skill for 300 years!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adding up all these factors, spending the gold to rent [Moment of Reversal] was far more valuable than hoarding it for an uncertain future skill book.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eight thousand gold was a small price to pay. With [Time Is Always Squeezable] selling soon, she wouldn't be short on spending money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even if Black Jade used the money to help Rick... With her abilities, extracting Rick for a three-day heist was well within her reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your journey continues at My Virtual Library Empire\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having settled on her decision, Rita wasted no time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She activated her Gold-Class Assassin perfume just nine hours ago—perfect timing for action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She also didn't trust Black Jade's current wealth to remain static. Who knew if he might suddenly hit the jackpot? She couldn't afford to wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using [One Transaction], Rita ensured no Blue Star money would count towards her wealth. To be extra safe, she handed her cards to Nivalis and gave her three hours to spend every cent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nivalis accepted the task with the solemnity of a sacred mission. \"Don't worry. Leave the spending to me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within an hour, all her digital wallets were drained, and every card maxed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nivalis grinned. \"There! Satisfied?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita deadpanned. \"Very. Thoroughly dead inside.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still uneasy, she confirmed, \"Are you sure North Year borrowed all your pocket money on Dragon Island?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nivalis nodded earnestly. \"Positive. Not even a copper coin left... I even wanted to give you an allowance, but alas!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita instantly developed a strong dislike for North Year.\u003C\u002Fp>",1118,"2026-06-06T06:14:58.838Z",1,"novelbin.me","b615388fc6ff2117f8002955901c18d9ea5e85e549a4e1893a5511d52fb48eac","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-231","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-230",1404,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthis-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-cover.jpg"]