This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

If she ever got tied up elsewhere, and the sea forces launched a full assault, even with Nivalis and Whitebone Black Jade by her side, it would be impossible to deal with so many high-level invaders in time.

Rita wasn't planning to touch the ones making noise on the surface—BS players needed a healthy dose of danger. Too much peace would only breed uselessness. She wasn't about to underestimate player potential.

But the elite players and beasts lurking in the deep sea? Those, she could start clearing out in advance.

Leaving the alchemy workshop, she glanced at the half-finished defense tower rising next to the villa. Nivalis, now in her shrunken form, was up there hammering away at the structure.

Rita tapped the helm lightly and reappeared in the villa's living room.

Not long after, Nivalis flew in through the window. She swooped over to the table and grabbed an iced drink, only to spot B8017913 curled up on the couch playing games.

Irritated at first, she opened her mouth to complain—but then noticed the colorful lineup of rare fruits and vegetables neatly arranged on the table.

She swallowed her words and quietly sat down.

At this rate, she figured she'd unlock [Doormat Balloon Maker] any day now.

Once B8017913 finished stashing the groceries, Rita took the game console back, summoned her shadow, and handed it over.

The console couldn't be tricked. Though items from activity loot boxes could be used, the [Reality Bleeds Into Game] skill description made it clear—only the "player actively playing" could receive the rewards.

She didn't have time to grind games herself, but her shadow did. As long as her shadow played, the playtime counted toward her.

Once everything was set, she said, "I'm heading to the deep sea to clear out the invaders. You two coming?"

B8017913, still staring at the screen: "I'm in!"

Nivalis: "I'm coming too!"

With her two pets getting ready, she still had to invite one more—Sanchez.

She hadn't forgotten the profit-sharing notification from Liang Pozhou this morning, sitting quietly in her inbox. It was a reminder of the pact she'd made to fight side by side with Sanchez.

She opened the message. A refrigerator-sized metal box materialized in front of her. Inside, rows and rows of glittering gold coins—eighty thousand of them, neatly stacked.

Liang Pozhou wouldn't underpay her. If anything, this was probably him rounding up.

At this rate, Rita was starting to suspect The White Family had goblin ancestors.

Still, it was exactly that kind of competence that kept her doing business with them. She couldn't afford to rely solely on Eclipse Vanguard for intel.

Sanchez was just barely clinging to the bottom of the level rankings—Level 18. Not strong enough to face high-level invaders, but Rita had resurrection skills. She wasn't worried about Sanchez dying down there.

She sent the target location to Liang Pozhou. Let him decide.

...

"Rita wants you to come monster hunting."

That single message had Sanchez smiling so hard it tilted her whole face.

She immediately quit a dungeon where she was just about to split loot from the final boss, and full-on bolted toward the designated beach. She didn't even stop by her new home—just shouted as she flew past: "Tell my mom I'm not coming home for dinner!"

From afar, she could already see small clusters of players gathering by the water, all staring and whispering about the white ship docked there.

It was a snow-white pirate ship, glowing faintly golden under the sun. A white flag with golden trim flapped atop its mast, emblazoned with a black cat's head—complete with an eyepatch and a facial scar.

The sea breeze made the flag ripple like waves. At some point, the black cat shifted into a yawning ginger tabby.

Golden cat whiskers curled from both sides of the bow. The mast itself was shaped like an upright cat tail.

At the stern, Sanchez spotted Rita and Nivalis hard at work.

Rita had a lantern floating beside her head—antique and ornate. A clear backpack hung on her back, half-filled with duck eggs. Nivalis had three balloons of different colors tied to her tail.

So this… this was the BS world's top player and her domestic crew?

"What item is that?"

"Can't scan it..."

"Looks super strong though."

"Obviously—she summoned it."

"Wait, her name is in gold. Where the hell do I pay to get SVIP in this game?"

"I wanna be SVIP too!"

"I just want a pet dragon."

"Same."

"Same."

Sanchez barely stopped herself from blurting out a "Same!" of her own.

She landed a little ways from the crowd and very obviously adjusted her gear. The emerald-glow wings on her back—same design as Rita's, just a different color—were already drawing attention.

She cleared her throat and raised her hand to wave at Rita on the ship. "Rita!! I'm here! Sis~~ you called, I came running~! What's the mission, sis?!"

She had wings, but she stubbornly refused to fly—slowly gliding toward the ship on a pair of ridiculous snowboards, shouting the whole way.

Rita, currently mounting Cat's Ideal at the stern, pinched the bridge of her nose.

If she didn't know better, she might've suspected Sanchez was putting on a public performance to help The White Family gain favor by association.

But she knew better.

Sanchez wasn't that strategic. She was just genuinely excited to party with the BS top ranker. Like getting to duo with the number one player in the world—she was gonna shout it from the rooftops.

Correction: she was shouting it.

In the world chat, Sanchez was flooding the feed.

"How'd you all know I'm raiding with BS-Rita?"

"You know BS-Rita?"

"How'd you all know I'm raiding with BS-Rita?"

"Where's the dungeon? Can I come?"

"How'd you all know I'm raiding with BS-Rita?"

Rita: "..."

After boarding the ship, Sanchez immediately shouted, "Let's fight!"

When Rita didn't answer, she circled her on her snowboards again and again, chanting, "Let's fight! Let's fight!"

Rita was at her wit's end. Sanchez was annoying in both lifetimes, just in different ways.

Finally, after locking the helm in place, Rita looked up at her.

She raised her right hand, made a circle with her thumb and index finger, and hovered it in front of Sanchez's shoulder.

Then, with a light flick—

Sanchez's HP dropped to 3.

Sanchez: …What kind of hacked version of the game is this?

Emotionally devastated.

She managed to mumble, "Was that a skill or…?"

Rita blew across her finger like it was smoking. "Basic attack."

From the side, Nivalis cackled, "You couldn't even pierce her defense."

Sanchez stumbled back three steps, clutching her chest. "How… how is this possible…"

Nivalis planted her hands on her hips and roared with laughter.

"Tremble, world! Tremble, all living things! Bear witness to the coming of our queen!"

Sanchez: …

B8017913, who had just emerged from below deck holding a balloon, quietly backed away again.

Rita glanced at the stunned players on the shore, shook her head, and turned the helm. The ship began to glide toward the open sea.

If she let Nivalis keep going, people were going to start calling her an evil god.