This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

The purple crystal spear expanded rapidly in midair, like a bolt of thunder splitting the sea in two.

The sheer might of the lightning was enough to stir the most primal fear of nature in every living thing.

The spear stood upright above the waves, arcs of violet lightning rippling outward in concentric circles across the surface.

Fine sparks crackled around the crystal spear, and from its midsection stretched a vivid purple chain that connected all the way back to Maple Syrup's right hand. It coiled around her wrist several times before branching off, linking to each of her four teammates.

She gripped the thunder chain with her right hand and clutched the ship tight with her left.

The chain pulled taut in an instant.

With the buzzing of lightning, Maple Syrup's roar, and the groaning wood of the ship under strain, their vessel screeched to a halt—barely fifty meters from the goal hole.

The distant thunder spear still hummed. All around, silence. For a long moment, no one dared move.

It was Rita who broke the stillness, sighing, "So yelling out the skill name when you cast it is actually pretty damn cool…"

Not nearly as cringe as she thought it would be.

But imagining herself shouting mid-fight, "Throat Slash Lightchaser\\~!" "Debone Lightchaser\\~!" "Watch my Mystic Force!" "You have no idea how terrifying Send Me the Link is!" "Yes, I Just Want to Improve So Badly!"—yeah, that picture was unbearable.

Rita gave up the thought with regret and admitted glumly, "I can't do it."

At the stern, Mistblade and the others thought for a while, then agreed they couldn't either.

Mistblade: "…Nope, not happening."

The idea of her yelling "One coconut milk tea please!" to the sky mid-battle? She'd rather stay mute.

Even Lulumi, perched on Maple Syrup's head, shook his tiny head seriously. "I don't mind losing, but I'd hate to crack you guys up mid-fight."

Nearby apprentices who had just been dragged into the chaos couldn't help but imagine themselves yelling their skills out loud. Was it badass… or just ridiculous?

Maple Syrup snapped in embarrassment, "What are you staring for? Fight, damn it!"

Everyone snapped back to action.

Her skill \\[Divine Blessing] wasn't just flashy. It instantly wiped the entire squad's negative effects, restored their health and mana to full, doubled their highest stat, and for the next fifteen minutes, every 10 percent drop in health boosted their top stat by another 20 percent.

And the kicker: the effect was immune to healing resets.

In other words… Rita could grind her own HP down to 10 percent, heal back up, and the nine stacks would remain. She could cycle it endlessly.

And during its duration, no debuffs could land.

Rita felt a heavy weight settle on her chest.

It wasn't anger or hurt at Maple Syrup's secrecy. She was fourteen, not a child anymore—getting upset over hidden trump cards was childish.

All of them—herself, Mistblade, Fat Goose, Motor—had their own secrets. None of them demanded to know everything about each other.

No, what shook her was Maple Syrup's sheer power. That hidden card was terrifying.

And what about Mistblade and the others? Especially Mistblade. No fox-blooded race ever played straight. Looked like a Samoyed, but deep down, she was a scheming border collie.

With Maple Syrup's ultimate unleashed, the tide turned at once.

But it also made every other ship on the sea turn on them, tacitly agreeing Rita's squad had to be taken out first.

In an instant, their corner of the ocean became the fiercest battlefield.

Rita activated \\[School Rule No. 801], draining her own health with \\[I Just Want to Improve So Badly] while siphoning stats and hammering enemies.

Dropping her HP didn't just trigger Maple Syrup's \\[Thunder God's Blessing]. Once low enough, she could swap her health with a higher-HP target using \\[Moment of Reversal].

In just thirty seconds, Rita had wiped out Ship No. 4.

Maple Syrup had already finished off Lulumi, and Mistblade's side was wrapping up too.

Before the next swing round arrived, they had cleared both Ship No. 4 and Ship No. 5, looted two more fragments, and sunk the ships into new ones.

Four fresh map pieces. Five total in hand.

The purple thunder spear still buzzed at sea's center.

The cue aiming at Ship No. 6 didn't strike toward them this time, instead sinking more ordinary ships into the holes.

Even with the maps secured, no one relaxed. Mistblade and Motor pored over the fragments. Rita and Fat Goose hurried to Maple Syrup, grabbing hold of the thunder chain alongside her to haul their ship toward the center of the sea, as far from the hole as possible.

Since Rita had been tethered, the skill now showed up in her cart too—right next to Loath's \\[Click to Jump] and JE's \\[Early Retirement].

She already knew what \\[Thunder God's Blessing] did. What mattered now was the cooldown…

And when she saw it, her face soured. Six hours. Once every six hours. What kind of cheat was this?!

Worse yet, the weapon wasn't required to cast it. The effect could center on Maple Syrup herself.

Meaning… if she wanted, she could throw herself into the fray and radiate lightning in every direction.

Maple Syrup: "…Why are you staring at me like that?"

Rita sighed. "You hid it well."

Not far away, Mistblade's ears perked high.

Maple Syrup sneered. "And that trick you used to send JE away? That's the first time I've seen it too."

Rita fell silent.

Fat Goose didn't dare breathe a word. He had been about to unleash his own ultimate—thankfully Maple Syrup beat him to it.

Mistblade's ears drooped.

Motor even shuffled his position, turning his back to Maple Syrup.

…

GodDraw77 let out a muffled chuckle.

She said to Wail, "Back then, Lightchaser never held back a single skill. Every Divine Game, by the end, her entire kit was already known across Kasilanar."

Wail laughed too, but her smile soon softened. "And yet… so what? Even after endless study, no one could ever stop her."

GodDraw77 didn't argue. After a pause, she said quietly, "Actually… Rita's personality doesn't really suit Lightchaser's style."

Wail: ???

GodDraw77 continued, "Her nature is closer to mine—cautious, steady, patient."

Wail: "…"

GodDraw77: "What's with that look?"

Wail: "She's an apprentice, not your kid! Does resemblance even matter? Lightchaser doesn't look like me either."

GodDraw77: "…I was just saying."

Wail: "Ha. 'Just saying'? Sounds more like you're trying to steal another one of her kids."

GodDraw77 shifted in her seat, not wanting to talk to Wail anymore.