This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist-Chapter 1159: Divine Game Quiet Mountain 42

[Wildfire Reignited] (Divine Skill): "Who’s the boss between us?" Upon using this skill, the player can set up a "Second Phase." The more stringent the conditions to enter this phase, the more terrifying the bonuses when it’s activated. If, upon entering the Second Phase, the player shouts a line that can cause an emotional shift in at least 20% of the players present, the bonus will increase based on the awkwardness of the line.

It worked. Once she abandoned her internal conflicts, her hesitation, and focused entirely on her most intense emotions, she successfully unlocked the BOSS rage skill.

She pulled her gaze away from Deceitful Bloom, continuing to face off against the increasingly enraged QM Rita, whose patience had been worn thin after being repeatedly distracted.

One minute later, the Vineborne inside the lantern vanished.

SS Rita paid it no mind. There was plenty of time left. This wasn’t over yet.

Even though the Race Talent she had gained was truly impressive.

[Race Talent] (Flower of Deceit): Your words have a bewitching quality that can even deceive all the skills you possess. Every minute, you can fool any skill by shouting its name, making it instantly activate without any consumption and without triggering a cooldown.

This was no longer just a human—she could even deceive her own skills!

On the city’s ground, even though Nivalis had synced her attributes to match Rita’s, she was still being one-sidedly beaten by QM Kessa. She focused on saving her own life, occasionally sneaking a glance at Rita.

When talking to the gods or other players, Nivalis liked to call her BS Rita or SS Rita. But privately, she and B80 preferred to simply call her "Rita."

The name "Rita" seemed to be the one that belonged to her outside the battlefield, away from her legend. Unlike "BS Rita," which was full of fame and glory, "Rita" had many small flaws, as B80 liked to joke—she had already gained status, fame, and power, but still fretted over small things. It was both amusing and frustrating, but Nivalis and B80 loved it.

However, ever since Rita used Time Stop to view her sighs, she was no longer the same.

Nivalis could sense that Rita’s heart was no longer as cold and distant as when she had just come out of the Demon Game’s endless cycle. It was no longer like when she flipped the coin, and occasionally a warm emotion would flash through.

Now, Rita had regained much of her humanity. It was like the black-and-white soul had finally regained color. But for Nivalis, it reminded her of the Rita from long ago.

The Rita who, when she upgraded her divine talent to One-Person Party, was solely focused on the pursuit of power, with one clear and unwavering goal.

After the Card Swap game, Rita had gained much more warmth—thanks to the unique gameplay, the BS Battle, Lightchaser, Ash Cinders, and perhaps even her own bond with B80.

She had become an Adjudicator, and her mind was filled with many things—the responsibility of BS, the future of BS, and her wager with the demons...

She had stopped running and started walking slowly. The trivial, precious emotions and responsibilities weighed her down like chains. Even though many things had been solved, she still couldn’t let go.

Even though she had pulled BS out of the Invasion Sequence, her hands were still bound by an invisible black canvas and golden chains.

But since coming to Quiet Mountain, Nivalis felt like she could hear the sound of those chains starting to crack. By now, she was sure that the chains that held Rita down had all snapped.

The Demon Game pruned away the unnecessary branches, and QM Rita’s strength and arrogance, Deceitful Bloom’s manipulation and deception, had awakened Rita’s long-buried obsession with and extreme thirst for power.

Rita had truly found herself again.

She had returned to the original version of herself—the one who relentlessly pursued power.

Deceitful Bloom sat silently at the tavern table.

She wanted to leave, but she was surrounded. Captain Drummer and her group had casually entered the Demon Tavern, then locked the place down to prevent her from escaping.

Deceitful Bloom felt like she could hear countless voices in her mind saying, "You are being watched."

She helplessly closed her eyes and exhaled. "Ask whatever you want."

Drummer pushed Foolishness aside, eager to speak. "I heard you were scared by BS Rita and called for help from Uncharted Star Sea?"

"I wasn’t scared," Deceitful Bloom replied, smiling through clenched teeth. "She was draining my Race Talent. I was also affected by QM Rita’s altered settings, which made me unable to use my skills... So, I had no choice but to return."

The tavern fell silent for a moment. Drummer turned to Bitter Cup and asked, "Did she just repeat what I said and elaborate on it?"

Bitter Cup nodded. "She translated it into the same words."

Deceitful Bloom pressed her hand to her brow, refusing to explain further.

She changed the subject. "I left the communication Flower of Deceit in her Wrathful Moon. If Uncharted Star Sea has anything to say, you can communicate with her through that flower. I’m done for now."

Quiet Mountain "Midsummer"

QM Rita’s Extra didn’t receive any new changes, but after Deceitful Bloom left, QM Mistblade’s Descent was applied to Rita, and the various negative effects from Quiet Mountain Maple Syrup’s Decay began to take hold.

Even with the help of Wind Doesn’t Speak, which provided a massive boost, Rita had to activate Mystic Force to counter the risk of death.

But not long after Deceitful Bloom left, Quiet Mountain’s Mojie and Frenzied Shark arrived.

Even though QM Kessa was stopped by Nivalis, Rita was now facing five opponents. She couldn’t stand her ground. Instead, she activated Lightchaser Moment, summoning the Lightchaser sprites.

But that wasn’t enough. Against the Quiet Mountain clones, the Lightchaser sprites’ power was insufficient.

It was time for a card draw!

A shadow of the canvas spread out in the air—Echoes of the Snowbound Realm.

Light flashed, and her self from the Moonlight Marsh period appeared at her side.

Rita glanced at the Lightchaser sprite on her left, then at her younger self on the right, and a question flashed in her mind: How do I escape gracefully in front of another version of myself?