This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist-Chapter 1217: Divine Game, Divine Instruction 31

Urged on by Nivalis and Sea Pony, the three hurriedly left. The moment they were gone, the Flower of Deceit bent its Vine, then snapped it straight, flicking the droplet of Ask My Heart far away.

Mistblade ran toward the center of Flower Island, while Rita and Dawn Cicada rushed back to the Toy Palace, casually batting away the flying orbs along the way.

No matter what the final reward of this game would be, Rita had already gained a great deal.

She had learned how to dismantle and recombine skills, how to synthesize them. She had deepened her understanding of Flower Crown Murder. And under Foolishness’s toy-like training, she had mastered the art of ignoring the nineteen fatal weaknesses that randomly appeared on her every day. By now, even Foolishness’s golden orbs could no longer accurately analyze where her weaknesses lay.

The only drawback was that in these thirty days, neither Foolishness’s students nor Deceitful Bloom’s had seen much growth in attributes. The two gods did not emphasize that aspect of training. In other words, they would enter the competition with their initial attribute states.

Both islands had anti-teleport restrictions. The two could only fly all the way back to the Toy Palace, bread clenched between their teeth, the kind Nivalis had given Rita to boost combat status.

Nivalis complained, "Why did you share it with her?"

"Because she owes me," Dawn Cicada shot back. As she flew, her expression grew colder. "You still owe me a Vine."

"...Didn’t Deceitful Bloom return one to you?" Rita blinked. "Why are we bringing this up now?"

"The Vine she prepared for me has nothing to do with you. And I bought that one back myself!"

"If she hadn’t pissed me off, I wouldn’t have eaten yours. That’s on her."

They argued all the way to the Toy Palace entrance.

Foolishness stood there with both hands in her coat pockets, her expression icy. Behind her stood the other three classmates.

The two immediately shut up and activated acceleration skills, stopping neatly in front of her.

"Put on your glasses," Foolishness said. "Prove you are my students this round."

Clearly, if there was a competition among players, there was some form of amusement among gods as well.

The five lined up before her.

Foolishness’s gaze lingered briefly on BS Rita’s brow. She recalled the golden orbs that had been training them these past days, then spoke.

"Do not underestimate your opponents. The knowledge I taught you is what you desired most. The same applies to other teachers and their students."

"Give it your all. Especially against the current Isolated Isle Lightchaser."

Dawn Cicada asked sharply, "Is the Land of Buried Bones special?"

A portal unfolded several meters away.

Foolishness replied calmly, "She was placed in the Land of Buried Bones because Uncharted Star Sea does not wish to see Isolated Isle Lightchaser call us ’teacher.’ In its view, only Lynx Duke is qualified to teach her."

With that, she turned and walked back into the palace, not bothering to escort or even watch her students depart.

After she left, the other four all looked at BS Rita.

None of them were fools. They all remembered the image from Dustfire’s Old Dining Table. Lynx Duke’s light had split into three. If that had been her final will, one part shot toward Quiet Mountain’s Lynx Duke, one entered Wrathful Moon. Then what of the last?

And every time BS Rita saw Starsea Lynx Duke, she insisted the elf resembled Lightchaser.

Combined with Foolishness’s words, the answer was obvious.

Rita was still dazed when B80 suddenly alerted them. The portal had begun shrinking.

No escort, and even the portal was timed. They scrambled through just in time.

On the other side, noise erupted.

Rita and Maple Syrup appeared on a slightly curved metal platform. Around them floated similar platforms of varying lengths and heights, like fragments of a once complete ring shattered and scattered in zero gravity. The chaos had a strange beauty.

Encircling them was a massive clock face. It stood empty, save for a broken hourglass hovering in midair. Its lower half was missing. Fine sand trickled from the upper bulb, falling into open space, scattered by Starsea winds.

There were ten such clock arenas. The players had been divided.

On Rita’s platform were Foolishness’s students and the now familiar Mistblade and her group.

Not ideal. They knew each other’s training too well. They countered one another perfectly.

As the hourglass neared empty, a new figure spawned onto their platform.

Rita glanced casually—

Then froze.

"Lightchaser!"

Lightchaser looked as she often did: displeased with the world. Rita was neither afraid nor surprised. She flashed to her side.

The long cloak she usually wore had become a wide sleeved mage robe like Lynx Duke’s. Lightchaser clearly hated it. The first thing she did upon landing was strip it off, roll it up, and tie it around her neck, turning it back into a cloak.

Ash Cinders, who had followed Rita, examined her. "When did you switch to a staff?"

Lightchaser glanced at the long staff at her waist. She pulled it out with a scowl, but did not discard it. Equipment was disabled in this round, but it was still a world level staff.

She shoved it into her student’s hands. "Hold it."

Then she narrowed her eyes at Rita. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Not just Rita. Maple Syrup, Dawn Cicada, and the others wore similar expressions. Only Ash Cinders did not.

Rita did not bother hiding it.

If only Lynx Duke was qualified to teach Lightchaser, then Lightchaser must have known her. A moving image? A remnant will? A relic? But she must know.

Rita asked eagerly, "Do you know Lynx Duke?"

Lightchaser’s face darkened further. "Yes."

Instantly Maple Syrup, Kessa, Dawn Cicada, and Fury Prayer crowded around. Even Mistblade’s group edged closer.

Lightchaser stood surrounded, looking down at a cluster of eager heads.

"What?"

Rita pressed on. "Was she very powerful?"

Lightchaser’s eyes narrowed. "You admire her?"

Rita did not deny it.

After all, Lynx Duke had told that kind of fairy tale.

She related to it.