This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Rita paused, then immediately understood. "So the leaderboard wasn't posted before because the top ten wasn't full?"

B8017913: "Probably."

Nivalis had a different concern. "Are we still ranked first?"

B8017913: "Nope. We dropped to second. First place is held by Rage Machine and Tingzhou Autumn Deer. Their score's 99.2. Third place is 88.9."

Rita only felt a flicker of regret before letting it go.

Getting knocked down was only a matter of time, and she'd already earned the exclusive achievement "Irresistible". Even if they ran the Bumper Car event again, she wasn't sure they could do better.

At 10:45 PM, just as she picked up another skewer of BBQ, Rita unlocked a new item.

[Play time has reached 1 hour. One item/artifact unlocked.]

["Happy New Year"] has been unlocked.

["Happy New Year"] has been deployed.

Rita caught the cat-faced Block—another single-piece item, just like [Hundred-Year Legacy].

She might just be the most under-equipped player in all of March Theme Park.

How long had it been, and she'd already unlocked two single-part items?

She stashed the little cat head deep in her belly behind layers of protection.

After sharing a meal with Nivalis, she saw her off from March Theme Park—and even let her take the Bumper Car.

A few moments later, she pinged Nivalis mentally. "You there yet? Which Month?"

Nivalis: "February. Don't know the average power level yet, but the play fee's only once every two hours, and death resets just take 2% of your stats."

Now that's a real paradise.

Rita: "Enjoy yourself in heaven. The closer our power levels get, the more games we can play together later."

Nivalis: "I know, I know."

Rita boarded her Star Pirate Ship, B-Cardchu in tow, and cruised through Month Theme Park.

Trailing behind her were Six-Tails and the Post-Grad Owlite.

And now, her party had a new member.

This newcomer had twin swirling ears made of translucent blue Blocks, like mini water cyclones.

Even in full Block form, those watery ears unraveled every few seconds, forming visible streams that danced gently around the player.

It was a special racial trait—just like Rita's Blazing Wings of Light. It couldn't be fully Block-ified.

A member of the Sleevewind Clan, and a teammate of Verdant Whisper · Windrush.

No visible name, but this Sleevewind player stuck close to Rita's heels, constantly turning back to wave frantically at Six-Tails and the Owlite.

"Hurry up, you two!"

Rita: "…"

She really wanted to turn around and tell her to chill out.

The moment that anxious pair of legs bumped their Star Pirate Ship's bumper again, Rita—who'd been cruising slow to examine upcoming events—suddenly floored it.

WHOOSH.

Sleevewind Sprinter, Post-Grad Owlite, and Six-Tails: !!!

A ship blazing across the park with a comet trail behind, followed by a ragtag crew sprinting after it—stardust glittering in their wake.

Nearby, standing in line behind the food cart, were Maple Mu, Maple Cang, and Maple Burn.

Maple Cang: "Huh? Aren't those your wings? That bald-headed driver— is that BS-Rita?"

Maple Mu: "…That's not bald. That's a little fire dragon."

Maple Cang: "A fire dragon? Is that like a sub-race of dragonkin?"

Maple Burn: "Ah yeah, that's her—my ex-fiancée from a different father."

Maple Mu: …

Rita and Maple Burn definitely shared the same brain disease—the habit of spouting nonsense with a straight face.

Maple Mu accepted the skewer handed over by the little Gingerbread vendor. "Let's go. Leave her be. Maple Syrup's waiting for us for dinner."

Maple Cang asked, "Aren't you gonna say hi?"

Maple Mu replied without flinching, "Do I need to remind you my registered divine game name is Lania Kaia Maple Mu?"

Not BS-Zoey.

Maple Cang chuckled and dropped the subject.

They all knew Maple Syrup had brought Maple Mu into the game just to witness this moment.

It's what Maple Syrup had been waiting for—and what Maple Mu had needed to see.

Maple Mu also knew that Maple Syrup had long been looking for a way to retrieve the Blazing Wings of Light currently in Rita's possession.

That proud, domineering figure would never tolerate her daughter's wings ending up in the hands of an outsider.

With that thought, Maple Mu glanced at the figure piloting the starship.

She couldn't quite pin down what she was feeling.

Some things, no matter how many times you overthink them, eventually become clear.

Even more so when Maple Syrup periodically brought back fresh intel on BS-Rita from the World Battlefield.

Maple Burn loved asking about her.

Maple Syrup was always happy to bring her up at dinner.

Maple Mu already knew—she knew who had been pulling strings in the shadows all those years.

Did she hate her?

She couldn't say.

If anything, what she felt was confusion.

Confusion over why Rita had targeted her from the very beginning, when they'd barely even met.

Maple Syrup suggested maybe BS-Rita had used divination or some prophetic skill to foresee her as a future threat.

But at this point, the answer didn't matter anymore.

Looking back on all those emotions—rage, sorrow, hatred, and despair—it felt like watching a farce unfold.

Like watching a clown flail at the edge of a well, desperate to climb out for the sake of something as shallow as the Su family.

She was born in that manor.

She died in that manor.

And she was reborn in that manor.

Three defining moments in her life.

Two of them had Rita present.

But the moment Rita used that skill to bring her back from the dead, all ties to BS were cut.

Lingering over BS—the people, the memories—that wasn't Maple Mu's burden to carry anymore.

That included BS-Rita.

And yet… seeing her again, she couldn't stop herself from watching her.

Just from that letter Rita sent, it was clear—she might just be the person who understood her most in this world.

The real her—not the version molded by Maple Syrup's hands.

Maple Burn had raged when Rick inherited her legacy and got to live a carefree life.

But Maple Mu had poured three glasses of wine after reading that letter.

She had once hated how the Su family gave her everything except power.

Now, seeing Rick gorging and snoozing like a fat pig—safe but soulless—she only felt contempt.

Ahead, Maple Burn skipped along happily.

Maple Burn and Rita may have shared that same sharp wit and chaotic spark, but they were nothing alike.

Maple Burn's caution and calculated moves were all about survival.

Her life was too good—she was afraid of losing it.

But Rita?

Rita was biding her time, gathering strength, waiting to explode.

Rita was like her.

Ambitious. Restless.

Like a storm bottled up in flesh—forever moving, never satisfied.

But then again… they were different.

Maple Mu sought only results. She didn't care how fake the path was, as long as it worked. That's why she chose Maple Syrup—the one who could give her everything.

BS-Rita, on the other hand, only ever chose herself.