This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Through careful observation, Rita discovered that the poison mists over the Swamp of Venom were far more lethal than she had anticipated. Additionally, movement-related skills were rendered ineffective within this area. The chaotic nature of the space meant that any teleportation or movement skills could drop her into unpredictable locations—potentially right into the swamp itself.

Although her skill [Dandelion Blow] was still functional, it was more suited for escape than high-speed navigation through such a hostile environment.

With no better options, Rita and Nivalis relied solely on their wings for flight.@@novelbin@@

The pair pushed their way through the swamp, flying deeper into the mists. They managed to make it approximately 70 kilometers in before their luck ran out—forcing them into a desperate retreat. Chasing them from behind was a level 98 boss beast, towering as tall as a hundred-story building. Its upper body resembled a scorpion, while its lower half was that of a snake—a terrifying hybrid aptly named Scorpion Monument. Its stats far surpassed those of Maple Cang.

Rita pushed her abilities to their limit. She activated every buff skill in her arsenal, consumed speed-boosting dishes, and flapped her orange-red wings so rapidly that they left afterimages. Even so, Scorpion Monument relentlessly closed the distance between them.

The monstrosity was catching up.

When Rita finally analyzed its divine talent, she immediately forced Nivalis back into her pet space and turned to face the beast head-on. She stared directly at Scorpion Monument, calculating its next move. The instant it used its skill again… Experience more on My Virtual Library Empire

—[Moment of Reversal]!

As soon as she activated her skill, a deep sense of unease surged through her. It was as though a voice in her mind was screaming for her to stop. But she ignored it, determined to swap her agility with that of Scorpion Monument.

Rita's agility, even after being reduced by 30%, was still at 117. Scorpion Monument, on the other hand, boasted an absurd agility stat of 1785—over ten times her own.

The moment their stats swapped, the massive beast visibly slowed down, buying Rita the precious seconds she needed to escape.

Later, as she walked through the streets of Tonton Lin with Nivalis resting in her arms, Rita still felt cold sweat dripping down her back. The Scorpion Monument's divine talent, [Even Gods Can Be Stolen], was unlike anything she had ever encountered. Its abilities clearly evolved from the same core lineage as her own talent [Thief God], which had developed into [One-Person Party].

Her narrow escape left her shaken. She immediately checked her attributes and inventory, eventually confirming two things:

She had lost 1 Intelligence point. Her [Coin of Fate], a minor artifact, was missing.

Oddly enough, this realization brought her a sense of relief.

The core skill of Scorpion Monument's divine talent was named [Unstoppable Theft]—a guaranteed success in stealing anything. Attributes, equipment, artifacts, and even secrets were fair game. However, it could only target the same being three times.

When Rita finally shook off Scorpion Monument, the boss still had 80% health remaining, meaning it had already stolen from her twice. This explained why she had been able to successfully use [Moment of Reversal].

As terrifying as the encounter was, she consoled herself with the fact that it hadn't stolen her secrets. During her brief spree in Tonton Lin, she had stolen plenty of attributes and minor items. Losing one intelligence point and a relatively unimportant artifact like the [Coin of Fate] was a small price to pay.

What intrigued her the most, however, was the revelation that [Thief God] had more than one evolutionary path. The contrast between [One-Person Party] and [Even Gods Can Be Stolen] was striking. Both were powerful in their own right, but Rita still preferred the former. It suited her personality and playstyle much better.

But this raised a critical question:

Why were these two talents both appearing in the vicinity of Miyaas's Lair?

She didn't believe in coincidences. There had to be something within the lair worth investigating.

Could it be that Miyaas had fled to Blue Star to escape Scorpion Monument? But then again, Miyaas's level far exceeded that of the monstrous hybrid.

Was Scorpion Monument's divine talent an innate SSS-level ability, or had it been evolved through some method?

And the most unsettling question of all—if [Unstoppable Theft] was so overwhelmingly powerful, why didn't Black Jade exploit it to steal attributes from others?

This thought gnawed at her, filling her with an unshakable unease. For a moment, she even considered returning to the poison swamp to swap back the stolen attribute.

With her mind full of questions, Rita disguised herself as Wind Scythe and made her way to Apache's alchemy shop. She needed advice on shortening the time required for brewing potions. The effects of her current [Spring Not Late] would expire on January 10th, leaving her with a five-day gap before the World Battlefield on the 15th.

Just as she passed the herbal store next door, she overheard a familiar voice:

—"Kayden, is it? Though I've only taught you for half an hour, I can say I'm genuinely proud of you."

Rita froze.

Quickening her pace, she peered into the alchemy shop and saw Lucia crouching in front of Kayden, her hands resting gently on the young undead's shoulders. Kayden's pale face was flushed a bright red, making her look almost alive.

Rita clutched her chest and staggered back a step, heartbroken.

Lucia's words echoed painfully in her mind, reminding her of the time she had brewed [Melting Time].

—"Though I've only taught you for a few lessons, I can say I'm genuinely proud of you."

Looking further into the shop, she spotted Apache, who was busy stirring a potion. The undead alchemist rolled her eyes so dramatically it was a wonder they didn't fall out of her skull.

"What's this supposed to mean?" Rita muttered to herself. "Lucia, just how many people have you said this to?!"

Nivalis couldn't resist rubbing salt in the wound. "I remember when you came home that day. You said Lucia's emotional intelligence was a hundred times higher than Apache's or Shadow.Q's."

Her words carried far enough to catch the attention of the shop's inhabitants. Lucia, Apache, and Kayden all turned to look at her.

Lucia's face showed no embarrassment whatsoever. Apache, on the other hand, was barely suppressing her laughter.

That smug, knowing smile on Apache's face—it was the kind of expression a seasoned cynic would wear while mocking a naive optimist.

Lucia, unbothered, waved Rita over. "Come in. No matter how often you change your disguise, I'll always recognize the talented ones I've taught. You and Apache both."

Her tone was reminiscent of Maple Syrup's penchant for smooth-talking everyone she met. But Lucia's approach was far more efficient—she simply used the same template for everyone.

It was no wonder people called her Lania Kaia's Top Teacher for Aspiring Geniuses.

When Rita entered, Apache's smirk faltered momentarily before curling back into a barely contained grin.

Lucia decided to use this gathering as an impromptu lesson. Though Rita and Kayden's skill levels were worlds apart, Lucia's lecture managed to captivate them both.

Kayden eagerly absorbed every bit of new knowledge, while Rita found herself inspired by Lucia's insights. Even Nivalis listened intently, enjoying the entertaining delivery.

Lucia even offered solutions to Rita's brewing dilemma, suggesting methods to shorten potion-making times. Though these methods slightly compromised the final product's effectiveness, there were always situations where time outweighed quality.

Dinner that evening was prepared by Rita as a gesture of thanks. She shut the kitchen door and activated both [Hundred-Year Legacy] and [Chaos Kitchen].

"I'm using Hundred-Year Legacy!" she called out proudly.

Out in the shop, Lucia, who was examining a vial of Moon Sand, froze mid-motion. Turning to Kayden, she asked with a complicated expression:

"She doesn't know the soundproofing enchantments on this kitchen broke ages ago, does she?"

Kayden hesitated. "I… I never had a chance to tell her."

Apache burst into laughter.

Lucia sighed. "..."