[{"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-775":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},1532632,1991,"Chapter 775: Divine Game: Card Swap 24","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-775",775,"\u003Cp>Even before landing, the two cubs could already feel the difference.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The closer they got to Moonlight Marsh, the more transport vehicles they saw in the sky—most of them packed with young cubs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita turned to Mistblade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is my hair okay? Is it messy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mistblade took the question seriously. She even flew behind her friend to check the back of her head, fussing with her hair a bit before giving the verdict:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perfect. You look awesome. How about me? My ears? My tail? Do I look cool?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita gave it the same level of attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Absolutely! You look amazing!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After grooming each other’s fur, they moved on to straightening each other’s clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightchaser watched all of this with amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just before the vehicle landed, she activated a transformation skill in front of the two cubs—still a tall elf, but her facial features, build, clothing, and even weapon had all changed completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the cockpit opened like wings unfolding, she led the two cubs out with a hop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From behind came two synchronized gasps of awe:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wow...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d arrived early—but thousands upon thousands of cubs and guardians were already there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were too many beings gathered in one place, so the mech transport could only drop them off outside the central area. From there, they still had to walk over a kilometer to reach Moonlight Marsh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even from the transport, they’d already caught sight of the academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a forest within the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no signs, no banners—just a massive tree, stretching hundreds of meters tall into the clouds. Its branches spread like an endless web of budding limbs. It wasn’t so much a tree as it was a living canopy, a giant umbrella made of nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if it had tried to grow skyward but was stopped midway, and so kept expanding sideways, unable to stop its instinct to grow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything beneath that canopy belonged to Moonlight Marsh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that tree—it would shelter all its students.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment she laid eyes on it, Rita felt an unshakable thought rise in her heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She suspected that the cross-section of that tree trunk might be larger than all of Gilane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its blossoms were pale pink, glowing softly in the breeze. The air carried a scent of mixed flowers and fruit that made her dizzy with wonder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside her, Lightchaser stood with arms crossed, silently gazing up at the tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a short while, a few instructors in uniform flew overhead and announced the start of the queueing process. They scattered to manage the flow, guiding the young ones toward the academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightchaser chose a queue and began walking, with the two cubs trailing behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The line moved fast—people kept walking forward without pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita held tightly onto Mistblade’s hand, and with her other hand, she grabbed Lightchaser’s cloak. She didn’t want to get lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within minutes, they passed under the giant tree’s shade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s where Lightchaser stopped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, she was stopped—all adults had to remain behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gave them a light push forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita looked up at Lightchaser’s eyes. Her lips moved. She wanted, once again, to ask the question that had haunted her for weeks:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if my divine gift isn’t a wicked one? What then?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d tried to ask it so many times before. It always got stuck in her throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—at that very moment, Lightchaser unexpectedly bent down. Just like back at the arena, when she’d asked if Rita wanted to become her apprentice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked her in the eyes and asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you afraid of?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afraid youare... or afraid you’renot?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lightchaser chuckled, stood back up, and gave her a firm push on the head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good luck.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she turned and left—no hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As always. That was just how she was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mistblade tilted her head, eyes full of doubt and concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So... is she a good person or a bad person?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She’d heard from Rita about how Lightchaser dumped her in the gladiator ring after teaching her a few tricks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Mistblade, that was beyond cruel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words dragged Rita out of her thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sounded so familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She used to ask her parents the same thing when watching dramas with them:Is this character a good person or a bad one?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back then, her parents never gave a straight answer right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She hadn’t understood why.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now... she kind of did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was hard, impossible even, to label Lightchaser.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Rita did what Lightchaser always did when she didn’t want to answer a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She shut it down—swift and final.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hand in hand, they walked into the forest with the other cubs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above their heads, the branch-web canopy let beams of sunlight filter through in scattered patches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the giant tree felt like another world entirely—a fully self-sustained ecosystem of towering plants, strange animals, blooming flowers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some of the bizarre plants would dance when a cub passed by. Others produced violin-like sounds by vibrating their stalks. A few even leapt onto the cubs’ shoulders, playing like pets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every plant and flower they passed extended a branch or leaf, gently pointing the way forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like stepping into a storybook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no talking hat. No tail-wagging rituals. Not even the dramatic tests Rita had imagined along the way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They hadn’t walked long when they were stopped by a fruit tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tiny thumb-sized forest sprites fluttered around, handing out glowing fruits to each child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once picked, the fruit would glow more intensely in each cub’s hands. The skin would turn transparent, and light would swirl within—creating symbols, patterns, or entire glowing scenes inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each cub only got one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eat it, and your divine gift would awaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the gift ranked A or higher, the cub would proceed deeper into Moonlight Marsh to meet with a teacher.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the gift ranked below A, they’d have to turn back the way they came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tens of thousands of cubs, yet not a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because they were polite—because this place was under a silence spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita tried to whisper to Mistblade several times before giving up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fruit looked a bit like a berry from Earth—same size, same color. No picking involved. The sprites handed them out directly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Rita received hers, she saw an image inside: a full moon, with dangling stars like charms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she didn’t eat it right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, she walked over to a teacher nearby and signed:Can I take this fruit with me and eat it later?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer was no.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once removed from Moonlight Marsh, the Awakening Fruit would become invalid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mistblade had already eaten hers. Her expression changed subtly for a second... and then her ears and tail suddenly stood up tall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes sparkled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pure joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rita guessed her friend must have gotten a pretty strong divine gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She pointed her toward the teachers, gave a wave—and then walked away from the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it turned out to be a wicked divine gift, she’d leave immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Return to Lightchaser.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like flipping a coin—you knew the answer the moment it was in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She popped the berry into her mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just like that... she got her answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What are you afraid of?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afraid you are—or afraid you aren’t?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1207,"2026-06-06T06:15:17.348Z",1,"novelbin.me","21a12d58ec6150bd1192f64d6ef6ac55c165d983ebb402c5e90341cc0a0fa675","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-776","this-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-chapter-774",1404,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthis-life-i-will-be-the-protagonist-cover.jpg"]