This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist-Chapter 1270: Dawn Cicada—The Ultimate Migration Plan
Not only was the world channel exploding, but Rita’s private chat was flooded as well.
It was all Smoke Tune sending messages.
Just like Dawn Cicada calling her in the world channel, the Vineborne didn’t trust Lania Kaia.
Dawn Cicada only possessed a three-star world skill. Waiting until a critical moment to be severed by Lania Kaia—a scenario that was highly likely—was far worse than asking BS to intervene now, pulling Dawn out of the invasion sequence and placing it directly beside BS.
Tiger Ear, Sakura, and Yet Orange faced similar problems. Their histories were short, or their worlds hadn’t been involved in frequent wars. Unlike Nuclear Flash, Tingo, Winter Sea, and Fury, some of which had one or more high-level world skills, these worlds lacked the means to protect themselves.
[Smoke Tune]: Cicada has a lot of valuable resources. Just name your price, and she’ll give them!
[Rita]: And what about the fourth Bell?
Rita sat in the captain’s cabin, gently closing World Sigh. She thought of the coincidental appearance of [Ask My Heart] that had brought everything to them... Then she returned to BS, picking up Smoke Tune to head toward Dawn.
[Warning! Warning! BS Adjudicator has arrived! BS Adjudicator has arrived!]
The alarm sounded as Dawn Cicada sat atop her high platform, staring at the sun-drenched horizon.
A massive shadow fell across her. Thinking of the urgency and that she had to make a request, she took a deep breath, forced a warm smile, and looked up at the ship. After two seconds, six Cat’s Head peered over the ship’s edge.
"...."
Dawn Cicada’s smile vanished, replaced by a scowl.
From the tail ends of the six Cat’s Heads, another head appeared—Smoke Tune.
Dawn Cicada’s smile returned. She stood excitedly, a few blossoms on her serpentine vine bursting open.
Next, another head appeared—BS Rita.
Dawn Cicada’s smile stiffened. Half of the blossoms on her snakevine withered instantly, but she forced herself to maintain her enthusiasm and said to BS Rita, "Long time no see."
Smoke Tune silently observed the rigid, twisted smile on Cicada’s face, wanting to say: it would have been better not to smile at all.
Rita said plainly: "The flowers have wilted. You might as well not smile."
Dawn Cicada’s mouth drooped, but when BS Rita jumped off the ship and approached, she still forced a smile. "I want to make a deal with you."
"To save Dawn?"
"Yes. I am willing to pay any cost."
Rita paused, glancing sideways at Dawn Cicada walking beside her, and asked with a teasing tone: "Is this a deal, or a request?"
It was a loaded question.
A fleeting look of exasperation crossed Smoke Tune’s face. BS Rita normally had a good temper, but when facing Cicada—perhaps along with that other individual—she became especially prickly.
Dawn Cicada drew a deep breath and exhaled slowly, then looked BS Rita directly in the eyes, her voice firm and clear: "It’s a request. I request that you help Dawn."
Black roses on the Vine dispersed into countless black petals, quietly covering the snakevine. The petals intertwined with the vine, almost becoming its scales.
Rita didn’t look at Dawn Cicada or her vine. She turned and continued toward the palace, her tone carrying a hint of amusement that instantly lightened the tense atmosphere: "Dawn Cicada, the way you beg is far less interesting than the way you threatened me in Player Relic."
Dawn Cicada watched Rita’s back and the quiet Flower Crown Murder. Was BS Rita not pleased? Perhaps, but more than that, she was focused on the matter at hand: "So... you agree?"
"I can pull Dawn out of the invasion sequence and dock it beside BS at Lania Kaia," Rita said. She didn’t tell the Vineborne about her nested-world plan. "But what about the fourth Bell?
"BS has my five-star world skill. This time, you can share BS’s five-star skill. But next time the Bell rings, Lania Kaia will be severed. If Dawn affects BS, I will sever it too.
"Not just Dawn. Lania Kaia·Wither’s Death’s Judgment is only four-star. If, at the fourth Bell, Lania Kaia becomes a burden to BS, even with the Moon Fox and oak-owls, I will not hesitate to abandon it."
Rita was stating a harsh fact. She wasn’t concerned that Smoke Tune or Dawn Cicada would relay her words to Mistblade or Pine Bloom. If she claimed that BS would unconditionally stand by Lania Kaia, that would have been a fairy tale.
Clearly, Dawn Cicada had considered these questions. After hearing them, she quickly responded:
"I don’t want you to drag Dawn into Lania Kaia.
"I will make Dawn descend on Lania Kaia, transferring as many Dawn players as possible to Lania Kaia. Then you can pull Dawn out of the invasion sequence. BS can invade Dawn. Once the invasion progress reaches 10%, you can shatter Dawn.
"The remaining players will transfer to BS. Those who cannot will become cookies and be taken away.
"Priority goes to non-Vineborne species. I heard you can bake 130 million cookies with Lania Kaia Maple Syrup. I’ve calculated it—this is just enough."
[You are being observed]... [You are being observed]...
In a few words, Dawn Cicada had drafted a three-pronged migration plan. If players lacked "green cards," one would be created. Some would be sent to Lania Kaia, while those who couldn’t be moved would be baked into cookies and taken away.
Docking at Lania Kaia with BS wasn’t enough—directly entering BS was far more efficient.
Even Smoke Tune didn’t know the details of this plan. She stared wide-eyed alongside BS Rita at Dawn Cicada, though she knew a little more. In her mind, a single thought flashed: no wonder, after Divine Instruction ended, Lania Kaia’s Vineborne began to withdraw. Cicada must have been planning this for a long time.
Rita immediately responded: "Impossible. BS won’t take this many outsiders!"
With her there, her status guaranteed human priority. Too many outsiders would crowd human space and resources—she would never allow it.
Dawn Cicada replied: "The Vineborne bring their own territories. They won’t occupy BS lands. And I can, as their leader, help set world rules. Vineborne and other races of Dawn cannot harm humans in any way unless humans attack us first."
"Don’t even think about it! That rule has too many loopholes to be effective..."
Dawn Cicada escalated: "Would changing my name to BSCicada convince you?"
[You are being observed]... [You are being observed]...
Rita thought of Deceitful Bloom’s expression and couldn’t help but laugh. She quickly flattened her smile. "I’m not interested."
"You need my war skills," Dawn Cicada said, her back to the golden sunlight outside the high platform. She repeated herself: "You need my war skills.
"I can guess what you want to do. Every leader can guess what you want to do. You want all worlds to unite against the Bell.
"Now it’s just a severing of the invasion sequence. When worlds are eventually crowded together, even shared world skills won’t protect that many beings. How will you sever then?
"I can be your blade. I am the player in Unordered Starsea with the most war skills. Trust in the value of ’Ignite all of Starsea.’ When the time comes to sever, I can go to other worlds and cut during the Bell. I have the ability.
"As exchange, you help me care for the Vineborne."
