This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist
Chapter 730 - 730: 730: Divine Game: Chaotic Blocks 121

A few of the fastest skills engulfed her figure. Amid the explosions, a single gunshot rang out.

Bang.

It was a blank.

Her HP rewound to two minutes earlier.

Foolishness flew beside her, his gaze pausing briefly on the butterfly that had fluttered joyously moments before. Ignoring the murmured complaints from players, he pulled more skills from the crowd.

"You're using an extreme scenario to refute my judgment," he commented flatly.

Rita glanced at him with a look that suggested she was staring down a petulant child. "So, in your mind, the moment I realize I'm being watched, I'm supposed to be outraged and resistant in order to preserve my dignity? If I meet a Lania Kaia player, even if I'm clueless as a blank slate, I must spit on everything about them just to prove my loyalty to BS?"

Foolishness remained silent. Because yes, that was exactly what he thought.

Rita summoned Deep Blue Helm and moved to another corner of the July Theme Park, dodging the incoming skills she could no longer evade.

She knew Foolishness would follow.

When he reappeared at her side, Rita continued.

"But to me, that's just the last pitiful struggle of the weak. And once that struggle is over, nothing changes—except that it makes for a good laugh."

"Why should I be angry? What right do I have to resist?"

"They enjoy watching me play. With my own ability, I've earned the favor of gods and demons. That favor benefits me. It gives me access to knowledge and guidance. What's wrong with that?"

"And why shouldn't I learn the knowledge of Lania Kaia? If they have the nerve to teach the very outsiders they're invading, why shouldn't I have the guts to learn?"

Her response struck something deep in Foolishness, who quickly snapped back.

"That is precisely what's wrong. Every one of your choices is self-serving. Even choosing Dull Game was driven by the meaning of its name."

"You try to frame it like you had no choice, like it's my high-and-mighty judgment you had no way of resisting. No. What I hate is that you had choices. And yet you still chased after every drop of power, pandering to every being that could grant it to you. You'll compromise with anything for strength. And that is disgusting."

His words blew like a wind through dry brush, igniting something inside her.

"You think my pursuit of Deceitful Bloom and Drummer was groveling?"

"You think my calculated struggling is pathetic and pitiful?"

"So what? You think if I just stood there proudly, honor and power would come crawling to me? That Dull Game's fragments would fly into my lap?"

"If your definition of 'pandering' is me leaving the 15th Month, staying in March, and even heading to July to fight my way through battlefields that don't belong to me..."

"If your idea of a clown is the messy way I grasp at power, or my bottomless ambition and greed..."

Her voice trembled with fury, but every word was razor sharp. Every word defended her dignity and her struggle.

Foolishness had interrupted her path, judged her, looked down on her. That—more than the chase itself—was what infuriated her.

Maybe, maybe when she first realized she was in a circus, she had felt anger and unwillingness. But she had buried that deep, locked it away.

And so what if she had?

The world was just one enormous Month Theme Park. The strong were lions jumping through flaming hoops, the weak were monkeys pulling carts. There wasn't a real difference.

The world of the weak was always full of compromises.

But at that moment, the indifference she wore like armor was shattered—ruthlessly exposed by Foolishness.

And so she clung to one last shred of pride.

"A clown?"

"I'd rather crawl forward on my knees than stand still performing anger!"

"The former gets me closer to the future I want. The latter is the real clown!"

"Anger? For who? For you? Will I get praise? A smile? Is that supposed to mean anything?"

"You hate every choice I made, so now you think you can steal the fruit of my victories?"

"Who gave you that right?"

"Foolishness... Foolishness? Foolishness!!"

She called the god's name aloud, each shout louder than the last, her eyes burning brighter with every word. She had never hated a divine being like she did now.

"You're arrogant!"

Rita threw the judgment right back.

You want to judge me? Fine. Then I'll judge you too.

"You're the ones who turned wars between worlds into a game. You're the ones who treat players like toys. I played along. And now you want to sit above us and judge?"

"If I were a god, I'd never sit on a throne judging a weakling's desperate struggle to climb upward."

"You can judge me only because you're stronger—not because you're purer."

"You're stronger. That's it. That's why you can say no to everything. And yet here you are, towering over me, asking why I compromise?!"

"Your arrogance is revolting!"

Foolishness's black-bean eyes widened. His duckbill parted slightly.

Rita, breathless but invigorated, saw her HP drop below the warning line and immediately used Deep Blue Helm to leave July, warping to March for more breathing room.

March Theme Park. Foolishness followed relentlessly.

The moment he caught up, he snapped back, unable to hold it in.

"I admit I'm arrogant. But what about you?"

He no longer bothered arguing about dignity or compromise. Maybe Rita's words had nearly convinced him. Or maybe he just couldn't stand her judgment.

"Deceitful Bloom never truly saw you for who you are."

"You pretend to be cautious and humble, but you're even more arrogant than I am."

"If you really wanted safety, you wouldn't be here in March. But here you are. You came to March. And for the third round of Defend the Gacha, you instinctively chose July. Didn't you have a teleport scroll?"

"You did. You could've chosen anywhere easier. But you didn't."

"You made excuses for yourself. But deep down, you never look down. In your mind, only the abyss and those beyond it are worthy of being your opponents. Only they deserve your full effort."

"You only admire the strong. You only want to fight the strong. You couldn't care less about the weak. You hate mediocrity. Standing still is retreat to you."

"When you found out Cat's Ideal was a Divine Relic—and realized it had chosen you, approached you—what did you feel? Did you think it was worthy of you, or were you grateful and awestruck?"

"Would you ever pander to your Divine Relic? Would you ever change yourself for it? You and I both know the answers."

"So now, tell me. Between the two of us, who's more arrogant?"

Foolishness was met with silence. Long, drawn-out silence from BS-Rita.

At some point, they both stopped moving. They hovered in the sky, facing each other.

Behind them, the swarm of skills grew denser and denser. But under Foolishness's control, they didn't strike. They circled the two of them instead.

He wanted to hear what else Rita had to say.

The swirling skills formed a violent storm, and they stood in the eye of it.

The moment she had been waiting for arrived. Rita once again drew Dull Game. The chamber spun. The golden butterfly glowed as it danced around the barrel.

She pointed the gun at Foolishness, as though passing judgment from a higher court.

"Since you've admitted your arrogance—"

The chamber clicked to a stop. The butterfly settled lightly atop the barrel.

She turned the gun on herself, pressed the muzzle to her head, and said softly,

"Then I admit my arrogance and greed too."

"You're right. Crushing the weak bores me. Only the strong and the impossible get my blood pumping. I can't stand mediocrity. I can't slow down. I'll do whatever it takes. I embrace this mess."

She hadn't left the 15th Month just because the gods wanted her to.

She wanted to leave.

Comfort was suffocating.

She would rather die a miserable death at the hands of the strong than prop up her pride by trampling players beneath her who weren't even close to her level.

That was meaningless. That was dull. That was cowardice.

She wanted to learn everything she could from every strong opponent she met.

She would climb the ladder by stepping on their shoulders.