[{"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-636":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},1532693,1991,"Chapter 636: 636: Divine Game – Chaotic Blocks27","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-636",636,"\u003Cp>One by one, players vanished from the field — and this time, even more than before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't just because Rita now had 108 Blocks-worth of boosted stats. The bigger reason was that [Balanced Nutrition], with its homing bacon slices, had a much higher hit rate than her previous skill [Grand Opening Special], which relied on attack speed. Dodging was nearly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only 19 bumper cars remained in motion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>B8017913 ignored the growing mountain of whole wheat buns in the car and dove into rapid Block collection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita, on the other hand, left the bumper car entirely, flying across the field to gather as many Blocks as she could. Every couple of seconds, she would tap her foot against a bumper car to reset the game's internal timer — if she stayed off too long, she'd be penalized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moments like this, where so many players had been sent back to respawn, were the only chance she had to safely leave her car. Normally, she'd never risk it — she had to stay close to protect Nivalis and her own bumper car.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to the scramble, Rita grabbed 36 Blocks before they vanished. Nivalis and B8017913 added another 17 between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Twelve seconds later...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horde returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But unlike last time — when players instinctively retaliated — this time, everyone did the same thing: run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seven different concealment skills like [Hide and Seek] were instantly layered on top of each other. The arena was plunged into a darkness so deep it felt like an eternal eclipse. Not even Rita's Flamewing Halo or the dashboard's magic notes glowed anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of skill hadn't been used before — clearly someone had finally cracked open their long-cooldown emergency abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita: …Seriously?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn't drive like this at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nivalis brought their car to a full stop. She and B8017913 began scooping up the whole wheat buns littering the vehicle interior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each bun had a different healing value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita had prepared them specifically in anticipation of a counterattack. Now they were totally unnecessary…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or were they?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita cast [Lightning Cage], creating a net of electrified threads she flung out like a fishing net. Any player the web contacted counted as a \"locked-on\" target.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few gasps rang out. Rita immediately used [I Just Want to Improve So Badly] to steal from them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could have activated [Family Bucket] again with another offensive skill to start slaughtering anew…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no point. She couldn't see, couldn't target, and couldn't collect the Blocks that would drop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if she cleared out half the arena, the others would just profit from the respawn mechanics. Why help the competition?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She decided to keep her gains to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When her health dipped, she just snacked on the whole wheat buns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only [Family Bucket] worked with [I Just Want to Improve So Badly]. That would be broken — they were practically made for each other!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone should mod this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tossed a handful of buns to Nivalis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you're willing to burn some Arcane Power, try locking onto someone while you eat and steal at the same time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nivalis: \"See that? This is how I got corrupted.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>B8017913: \"Understood.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita chewed on buns like she was watching TV at home — relaxing, yes, but expensive in Arcane Power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sure, using skills to kill consumed Arcane Points too, but at least kills guaranteed Block drops — even if you didn't always pick them up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stealing? You could spend 8 Arcane Points and get nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita: \"If we land five more hits, that should light up the rest of our notes, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nivalis: \"Yeah. Both the ninth and tenth notes only need two hits each to finish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>B8017913: \"The eighth note's car isn't far. If they haven't moved during this blackout, it's at your 9 o'clock, 17.7 meters away. Can your [Side Hustle: Racer] still work in this kind of environment?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nivalis: \"Of course it does!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She popped a bun into her mouth, flicked the wheel, and slammed the accelerator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—— Dala-laa~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soft chime rang out as the eighth note lit up. A flash of white light matched the color of their car — then vanished into the darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nivalis: \"Why does our car sound like a rusted gong while everyone else gets violins, pianos, or guzhengs…?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>B8017913: \"The ninth car's last location is tricky — twelve o'clock, but there are thirteen cars in the way. Hard to get through. The tenth car, though, is more doable — only three cars in between.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nivalis: \"Let's go!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guided by B8017913's directions, they reached where the tenth car had been before the blackout — but it was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita: \"Do you remember what race the player in that car was?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>B8017913: \"Yes. Lisu. Only one Lisu player here — it has to be their car.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita: \"Alright. I'll try something. Listen carefully.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most skills got visually swallowed by the dark the moment they were cast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But [Top Chef], a hard crowd control skill, hadn't been tested yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was time. Time to shed another disguise — or rather, time for evolution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dazzling glow exploded on Rita's arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The word \"TOP,\" enlarged, glowing, and outlined in sparkles, lit up the pitch-black arena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just like that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was daytime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What? You're a Top Chef?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What? You're a Top Chef?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What? You're a Top Chef?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What? I'm a Top Chef?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three seconds later—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darkness again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>B8017913: \"1 o'clock! 13 meters!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nivalis gunned the engine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few seconds later, a deep gong echoed through the black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their bumper cars had made contact — but from the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Problem was, bumper cars couldn't go in reverse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Nivalis turned around to hit them again, the target would likely be long gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just as the first hit registered, Rita launched herself forward and kicked the back of the other car with all her strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her Flamewing Halo flared to full output.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kicking, pushing, dragging — she shoved the car forward several meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enemy driver caught on and hit the gas, trying to flee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita yelled: \"One, two—!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nivalis, already prepared, timed her move to Rita's countdown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Rita hit \"two,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CRASH — second impact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tenth note lit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita hopped back into the car. Nivalis spun the wheel and sped away — they'd completed their mission, and the others could track them too, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their team's progress was miles ahead of everyone else.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Nivalis' top-tier driving and Rita's kill-stacking speed boosts, their pace was unmatched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren't panicked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the other players were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two-thirds of the game had passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most bumper cars?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only half their notes were lit.\u003C\u002Fp>",1110,"2026-06-06T06:15:13.778Z",1,"novelbin.me","0a6927bea61f9cbb862e62a60ff39a6c0f6ae5706df785f856a0d09e263fd37e","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-637","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-635",1404,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthis-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-cover.jpg"]