This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist-Chapter 1180: Smoke Tune: You Asked, I’ll Answer

— "If Uncharted Star Sea and Quiet Mountain end up going to war, then I want to die on the battlefield, not die to the bell."

When Kessa said this, the small rain that started falling under the cloud above her head merged into the golden rain curtain. However, unlike the golden rain curtain, which vanished when it touched anyone, the rain above Kessa’s head soaked Rita’s hair.

As for Kessa herself? She was wearing a hat...

Had it not been for the fact that Kessa’s eyes were still reddened, Rita might have asked if Kessa was doing it on purpose.

Kessa came quickly and left just as quickly. Rita barely had time to drape a towel over her head before Kessa disappeared using her skill. Rita could now be sure—Kessa had done that on purpose.

What a pity; she had been planning to try a combination technique with Kessa.

As for the price Kessa would have to pay for changing worlds, Rita didn’t ask. That was something between Kessa and Tiger Ear.

While waiting for the orange cat, Rita made the most of her time, going through all the important information from BS and the battlefield chat channel over the past few days.

As far as BS was concerned, there were no major issues. Shadow.Q and the army leaders had no idea about Quiet Mountain, nor did they know about her power changes. However, the shift in attitudes from the Moonfox, Owl, and Skycrab factions was a very clear signal, along with the respectful attitudes toward BS players from various worlds entering BS.

With her presence, if Shadow.Q and Avery could not manage BS, it was time for the BS players to start feeling a sense of crisis.

Quiet Mountain’s game was still ongoing, but after important players left, the remaining players had become significantly less active. With the second pendulum strike warning from Uncharted Star Sea, the leaders of those still in Quiet Mountain were more restless than ever.

Especially for worlds with less than a 3-star rating, the last pendulum strike had allowed them to escape destruction by entering the Invasion Sequence, but this time, survival would be much harder.

However, there was still a way out: accelerating invasion or being invaded by a higher-level world during the second Bell Tolls. But this involved merging two worlds, which was limited by the world’s capacity. Just as BS couldn’t accept too many beings, other worlds had similar limitations.

Skycrab’s arrival in BS was uneventful, but the Moonfox, despite having its own Snowfield, saw Mistblade spend honor points to purchase new territories to accommodate its large following. Pine Bloom had also done the same, spending a lot of honor points to secure a territory for Four Seasons City, where the density of the owls was overwhelming.

When Verdant invaded Tides and accepted Landscale’s surrender, it was because Verdant needed troops, and Landscale’s population was within the limits Verdant could manage.

Recently, most of the battlefield chat had been about war, negotiations, collecting items to speed up invasions, finalizing details of the impending apocalypse, and determining which world could still accommodate more beings.

Just as the first pendulum strike had its game prompt, the rule that "invasion progress over 30% will enter the final stage" was aimed at this moment.

The worlds of Uncharted Star Sea were like small animals before a disaster, actively huddling together for warmth.

Facing the unstoppable pendulum and the truth of the world, most worlds no longer clung to the idea of staying alive within their own borders, waiting for death.

In the distance, a cat’s meow was heard—the final vice captain had arrived.

Upon meeting the orange cat, Rita immediately returned to BS. When the orange cat confirmed its decision to stay in BS, Cat’s Ideal began to move, as if the sound of a ship’s horn was heard signaling its departure. The ship’s wheel attached itself to the lantern, beginning its upgrade.

Just as Rita was about to continue writing World Sigh, she heard sounds from the living room and smelled a familiar floral fragrance. She knew Smoke Tune had returned. Without hesitation, Rita teleported to the living room, where she saw Smoke Tune sitting on the sofa, rubbing her forehead with her palm.

Rita sat across from Smoke Tune and asked with concern, "Did she torment you again after we left?"

Smoke Tune froze for a moment before responding, "Not much..."

Not much? That’s a yes or no answer—what’s "not much"?

Additionally, Smoke Tune’s once serene Vine stopped flowing and instantly froze, sprouting several frost flowers. The floral fragrance in the air shifted subtly.

Having recently reorganized and supplemented the Beacon World Sigh, Rita didn’t miss this anomaly. Combining it with how Smoke Tune had opened up in the Quiet Mountain battlefield chat, Rita directly asked, "What did you say wrong?"

Smoke Tune thought to herself, You ask, and I have to answer?

This thought had barely formed when she felt a shift in the air around her. Looking up, she saw white petals surrounding her. Across from her, BS Rita sat quietly, watching her as the coin rolled between her long fingers.

Smoke Tune: ... It’s easy to learn, but it takes seconds to be corrupted.

Once so polite, now she’s so strong.

Clearing her throat and quietly layering defense skills, Smoke Tune finally said, "Do you remember that big battle before you left? Many players rushed there, and QM Rita was curious about your relationship. She seemed to know something but not much."

"Yeah, so what did you say?"

"She kept asking, and I said everything I could. I even intentionally gave her some gossip involving SS matters to punish her according to the game rules."

"... Get to the point."

Why does she always get called out by Rita?

Smoke Tune stood up, tossing her jacket onto the sofa dramatically and said with a fierce tone, "Afterward, she got me so angry that I told her the gossip Spring Guest shared. I told her that you and Mistblade had a child, and that child was adopted by MarmangCrab and named Sea Pony!!"

How’s that for drama? And of course, it was considered the truth by the game rules!

"..."

"I said that bit of gossip when QM Mistblade was there too. She asked who Sea Pony’s parents were, but how should I know?"

"..."

Rita, now thoroughly disinterested in talking to Smoke Tune, had initially thought she was the rare normal one in Vineborne. Turns out... she was wrong.

Rita stood up and gave Smoke Tune an exasperated look before taking a deep breath and walking off without saying a word.

Smoke Tune: ...

Not many steps in, Rita turned back and asked, "So, did they end up pulling you into the fight?"

Smoke Tune: "That’s why I’m still standing here."

Rita’s expression softened instantly. She nodded toward Smoke Tune, satisfied, and left the room. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Smoke Tune: ...

She missed Cicada.