This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Rita moved further away from the players and the mechanical race, like a traveler who had decided to die alone, leaving behind the warmth of the fire and companions to venture deep into the forest alone.

She was going to find B80234615!

From Fat Goose, she had learned one important thing: in the Abandoned Zone, players did not die when their health reached zero. Instead, they lost all ability to move and were discarded by the flying mechanical race patrols into the trash mountains. The mechanical race faced the same fate.

After flying for five minutes, Rita couldn't help but stop midair and look back.

Though the distance was considerable, her vision was still sharp enough to see Fat Goose, bewildered and awestruck, talking to Maple Syrup. She could also recall the look of surprise and disapproval on Maple Syrup's face when she decided to leave the main group.

Her reason, her instincts, her thought process—all of them screamed at her to stay.

Both the mechanical race and players, no matter how powerful or arrogant, had come to a tacit truce when they entered the Abandoned Zone. They even huddled together. That was something only the "weak" would do.

She didn't know what information or warnings the high-level players had received, but everything pointed to the dangers of the Abandoned Zone.

She had no real reason or logic for seeking B80234615, for trying to find a robot she'd barely spent 10 minutes with. Even if L4327777 was more important, at least if both B80234615 and L4327777 were drowning, she would have chosen to save L4327777.

Yet, Rita still set out.

When she made up her mind to do something, she could always find many reasons to justify it.

For instance, she had enough roasted geese and gem ore. If other players discovered she could create energy-restoring food, they'd quickly take advantage of her. Leaving this place of trouble seemed like the best choice.

Also, new environments came with new mysteries. As one of the lowest-tier players, in any dangerous or puzzling situation, she'd be the perfect guinea pig. She wouldn't have a say in the matter.

As for Maple Syrup?

Rita sensed the curiosity and attention Maple Syrup had for her, but she also knew Maple Syrup was decisive and rational. In a crucial moment, Rita was expendable.

Then there was B80234615.

She found the robot strangely likable. Despite its intelligence and cunning, it had spared her when she had tricked it using her time skills. She was sure that if B80234615 wanted, it could have trapped her in the tunnel during the [Inspector's Arrival], forcing her to face the Inspector, but it had instead pushed her out just in time.

Finally, perhaps the trash mountain held the key to leaving the Abandoned Zone. Rather than staying there to fight with the stronger players, Rita preferred to look for hope on her own.

As she wandered, she found dozens of reasons to reassure herself.

But when, after 40 minutes, she finally arrived at the trash mountain, those reasons faded. All that remained was her purest and truest emotion—curiosity.

There was another reason for her journey: L4327777.

She had realized that by the time she parted ways with L4327777, the robot had already shown signs of awakening. If a mechanical race's elimination was determined by its awakening, then L4327777 might be close to being eliminated.

She had lit a match with her own hands and had heard about another match being extinguished. This stirred a curiosity in her that she could not suppress.
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Standing at the base of the trash mountain, Rita used [Refurbish] once again. She combined all ten of her roasted geese and gem ores into various qualities of [Cyber Roasted Geese].

But she didn't rush to eat them. The effects of the previous Cyber Roasted Goose were still active, so she couldn't afford to waste them.

Unfortunately, these geese weren't made by her hands, so they couldn't trigger the Food God's enhancement effect.

After packing all the Cyber Roasted Geese into her Temporary Pocket, ensuring she could access them anytime, Rita took off again, starting from the top of the trash mountain in her search for B80234615.

It was a difficult process.

The discarded mechanical race, in any form, whether conscious or not, had all their data turned into garbage.

Each mechanical race, while slightly different, looked almost identical to Rita, like a variety of cats and dogs. Without long-term interaction, she couldn't tell them apart.

As she passed by the scrapped mechanical races, most of them—if their voice components still worked—chattered at her at high speed, speaking in unintelligible languages, as if trying to share something with her. Unfortunately, she couldn't understand them.

Hovering above the trash mountain, Rita looked down at the players far below, now reduced to black dots, and sighed softly. She started calling out B80234615's name.

"B80234615?"

"B80234615..."

"You're so foolish... B80234615…"

Mechanical races occasionally flew by, dropping off discarded players or mechanical races.

Rita didn't use any skills to steal from them, not knowing how long she would have to stay here. Her energy-restoring food wasn't abundant, and she needed to use her skills sparingly.

The ninth-tier magic cube in the sky rotated slowly, emitting a soft white glow.

Rita, standing at the top of the trash mountain, called out again.

"B80234615? Are you there?"

"Do you remember me? BS Rita."

"B80234615? B80234615... B80234615!"

— "Guest... you should stop now..."

Rita steadied herself and looked down at the mechanical race that had spoken.

It had only a half-circle shaped mechanical head left, with a broken antenna, but the eye screen and mouth still remained.

Rita landed next to it, sitting cross-legged.

It had been an hour and a half since she last ate a Cyber Fat Goose, and she was starting to feel weak again. By now, it had been 14 hours since she entered the game.

She took out a D-grade Cyber Fat Goose, took a bite, and then asked B80234615: "You don't seem to want to talk to me."

This area was one she had passed through at least seven times!

This half-circle head was so similar to B80234615 that she had checked it at least three times, even slapping it or tapping it to see if it would respond—no reaction.

She had only given up because it didn't seem like a normal form.

B80234615's voice remained gentle, but instead of answering, it asked: "Why are you looking for me?"

Rita was honest: "I heard about the big things you've done from other players. I think you're impressive, so I wanted to come see you...

"I wanted to ask if you regret it."