This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

——"Hey… Hey!!"

Rita snapped out of her thoughts and forced herself to suppress her emotions before asking, "Hmm? Where were we?" Discover stories with My Virtual Library Empire

Maple Burn replied, "So, if I have to give up all those skills for you to let me live, then I'd rather just die. At least I'll die wealthy, and I'll laugh all the way to the grave."

Rita: …

For a moment, she actually felt like she had found a kindred spirit.

Nivalis excitedly pointed to Rita's orange-red wings and said, "No need to test it, this is the truth! You and she are definitely on the same frequency!"

Rita clenched her fist against her forehead, realizing this was a difficult situation. She truly believed Maple Burn's words were genuine. Those skills were obviously precious to her. If it were her, she wouldn't accept such a trade either. If someone told her to give up her skills like [Furious Moon], [Chavez's Time], and [Soul Catcher]—plus all her S and SS-level skills—just to survive, she would choose to go down fighting, dying together with her enemy. Afterward, she'd use her skills to resurrect and kill them again.

Rita asked, "If I let you survive in my wings, would you take over my body, or consume me? Assimilate me?"

Perhaps it was because there were no other beings around except for her and Nivalis, but this question slipped out smoothly.

Maple Burn answered frankly, "Those moments when our souls were in sync, we've already formed a connection. If you don't separate us in time, we will gradually merge into one. I won't be purely myself, and you won't be the same you anymore."

Rita could feel a slight chill at the thought, but she continued listening.@@novelbin@@

"I don't want that," Maple Burn continued. "Even though my mother and Maple Cang would still love me, I don't want to share them. Helping you would also be helping myself."

Rita now understood why Maple Syrup and Maple Cang were so generous toward her—perhaps they were sure that Maple Burn would be reborn inside her and merge with her. Was this the real reason for the skills they gave her? Or was it to make her long for that family, just like Zoey? Unfortunately, the Cheers skill still had a hidden part…

At this moment, Rita thought about Zoey's plan and asked, "Is there no other way? For example, one of us could consume the other?"

Maple Burn thought for a moment and responded uncertainly, "Maybe, but I don't know. I died too early, and even though you woke me up, my time in the High Tower was short, so I didn't have enough time to gather information."

"Is that so…" Rita mused, weighing the trade in her mind. After a while, she pointed out the most critical issue: "How can I be sure that the orange-red wings will still be on me after you're resurrected?"

She would rather risk being possessed by Maple Burn just to keep those wings. After all, weren't those wings the whole reason she was going through all this? If the wings disappeared, learning the true Cheers skill would be useless, and she wouldn't be able to freely control all her lightning-based skills.

"Don't worry." Maple Burn said, "I have a brilliant idea. We can both win."

"Go on."

"You kill me right here, then revive me. After that, we'll go to the bird's nest and declare ourselves as partners. You'll grow new orange-red wings, and my wings will stay with you. Plus, my friend, you'll win big."

"Just go on ahead, Nivalis! Soul Strike!"

Rita didn't even want to entertain the thought of marrying Maple Burn's daughter or her sister. The idea was just too ridiculous to even consider. What if Maple Burn unilaterally broke off the engagement later? With Maple Syrup's pressure, the nest in Four Seasons City would surely favor her side. Rita might end up with only small wings instead of the glorious ones she had now. That would be too terrifying!

The mere thought of it made Rita break out in a cold sweat, feeling a fear she had never experienced before.

Maple Burn shouted, "Nivalis, I have something else to say! I have a brilliant idea!"

Nivalis actually stopped his movements. Rita thought that the skill called [I Have Something to Say] was absolutely OP…

Maple Burn quickly continued, "You've got [I say Cotton Candy has not expired until it's expired], right? If you help me find the body of an S-level or higher oak owl with a divine gift, preferably fresh, then you can kill me with your soul strike and revive me from the party list. I'll be able to wake up from that body."

Rita had one question: "Why does the divine gift need to be S-level?"

Maple Burn sighed. "I thought you'd understand…"

Rita: "…"

Nivalis added, "You want it all, just like you!"

Rita: "Thanks for the enthusiastic translation…"

Nivalis: "Anytime."

Rita asked, "So all the heroic spirits revive and gain the divine gifts of their new bodies?"

Maple Burn answered, "Yes. Our status, which sounds fancy as heroic spirits, is actually parasitic. Before, we were parasitic in the High Tower, but now we parasitize those who ascend the tower. If I merge with you, we'll gain each other's divine gifts and skills. If you separate me and I resurrect from another body, I'll survive using the remaining soul energy, but I'll only inherit the divine gift of that soul."

No wonder Maple Syrup was so generous with the skills.

Maple Burn then tried to persuade Rita, "Considering how you've helped me so much, when Maple Syrup and Maple Cang see your orange-red wings, even if they know you're not me, they'll still be more lenient toward you."

Rita didn't reply. That wasn't enough to move her. She had been an enemy of the oak owls from the start. A little leniency meant nothing. Once it came to interests, their leniency would be useless. Maple Syrup was not the type to act emotionally. That leniency wasn't worth her attention. Besides, finding an S-level oak owl was no small task.

She thought about this, and then she said it aloud.

Maple Burn, with a hint of surprise in her voice, asked, "You really have no feelings for our family? You don't care about Maple Syrup, Maple Mu, or Maple Cang? They're so great, don't you want to be close to them?"

Rita, surprised by the question, asked in return, "Why should I long for something false?"

Seeing that Rita wasn't falling for it, Maple Burn fell silent for a moment, then finally offered a deal that might truly persuade Rita: "If you help me find an oak owl body with an S-level divine gift, then in addition to the wings, the 666 languages, and the full Cheers, I'll also give you a [Cotton Candy] skill as a bonus. But it will be random; I can't control it."

"Deal!" Rita agreed to the terms, "But it really has to be an oak owl?"

Maple Burn gasped. "Not an oak owl? What's the difference from being crippled?"

Rita & Nivalis: ?

Rita: "I can work with you, but first, teach me Cheers and [Fluency in 666 Races' Languages], and don't kick me out of the party."

Maple Burn: "I can't leave the party. This is my only chance to revive. I'm in a soul state. If I'm not in the party list, you won't be able to use the resurrection skill on me… So, only you can revive me, and only we can use this method."

Rita believed this, as even with Renovation she couldn't lock onto Maple Burn without being in the party. She had even tried using her stealing skills before, but it hadn't worked.

"Do all heroic spirits team up with ascenders?"

Maple Burn replied, "No. The moment you took the mission and we connected, my [Super Sense] forced me to use the party skill on you. As for the other oak owls, I don't know, but I can't leave the party."

Rita was surprised by the trust Maple Burn was placing in her. If it were her, she wouldn't have made a deal without signing a contract first. No upfront payment?

Rita's warning bells went off. "This trust doesn't feel right. It's not on the same frequency as me… Is there a trap?"

Maple Burn casually responded, "Oh, I have a skill called [Trade Conference]. Once we strike a deal, if I pay the price, you must help me. If you don't, I can request a refund."

Rita: …