This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist
Chapter 759 - 759: 759: Divine Game – Card Swap 8

Rita's body trembled from the pain—she had never suffered like this in her life.

Mistblade, across from her, wasn't faring much better.

But after hearing what the treasure hunter said, a strange calm washed over them—not physical, but emotional and mental calm.

Mistblade looked at Rita and silently mouthed: If I can get us back on our feet… do you have any way to fight?

Rita mouthed back: I have a defense skill. It's strong.

Mistblade: You first or me?

Rita: Me first!

And with that, she couldn't wait any longer—she activated Nebula Bubble.

For a brief second, the world dimmed. A single light blinked on—a soft, moon-white glow, the only light in a world swallowed by darkness.

The strange phenomenon vanished almost instantly, and a faint bubble formed around the winged child.

The moment it appeared, the treasure hunter leapt to her feet, slashing at the bubble surrounding the Oak Owl child.

No reaction. The blade bounced harmlessly off.

Immediately, darkness surged again, and two more glowing star-speckled bubbles appeared around Mistblade and Fat Goose.

As the bubbles formed, Mistblade activated a healing skill.

The first thing Rita did when her hands regained feeling was wipe away her snot and tears.

She regretted not using this skill sooner. What was she even thinking, trying to run?

Beside her, Fat Goose sat up, sniffling. A bubble of snot puffed from his nostril, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand.

He asked, "You guys got any attack skills?"

Rita: "I'm ten! Do I look like I come with a built-in attack kit?!"

The treasure hunter let out a breath of relief.

Whew. If I actually got taken out by a bunch of kids, I'd never live it down.

And then—

All three kids suddenly pulled out identical daggers and charged her.

The daggers came from Mistblade's Copy skill.

But what gave them the guts to charge was Fat Goose's ability: Mine, Mine, All Mine.

It let him copy any target's skills for five minutes.

As soon as the hunter used her blade again, he'd be able to copy her moves.

Fat Goose had tried this skill before—he once attempted to copy Rita's alchemy methods to recreate her potions. That didn't work.

But this time, when he asked that question earlier, he'd actually been blinking furiously at his teammates, hoping they'd pick up on his signal.

To his surprise, they totally got it.

Rita spoke to draw attention, Mistblade used her skill to copy a weapon—one they had once secretly touched in a weapons shop.

Daggers were perfect. Easy to carry, easy to use, and they could aim well enough up close.

As they rushed in, Rita gave a quick breakdown of the bubble's effect:

"Eight minutes—just go nuts. If the bubble breaks, I'll pop up another one."

The plan was bold. The atmosphere was intense.

The moment was almost heroic.

But the moment the treasure hunter realized their strategy was skill-copying, she immediately switched tactics—no more skills, just raw technique and power.

And in the face of that overwhelming difference in strength and experience…

Their resistance was crushed.

In no time, the hunter had all three bubble-wrapped kids tied up like dumplings.

She even discovered two deeply hidden magical artifacts on Rita and Fat Goose—one necklace and one ring.

That's probably how they were casting skills even though they hadn't awakened magic yet.

Unfortunately for her, the artifacts were soul-bound—her hands passed right through them.

The Oak Owl didn't have any visible artifacts… but she had magic runes on the back of her hand.

Which made Lightchaser start to seriously wonder just what kind of identities these kids had.

No matter. She would travel overnight and sell all three of them first thing tomorrow.

They were way more trouble than they were worth.

She slung the three kids over her back like a bundle of firewood and started walking along the river, leaving Gilane behind.

Fat Goose finally cracked. He let out a huge wail.

Rita's mouth quivered. She held it in for a second… then broke, sobbing with him.

Mistblade had already been sniffing for a while. When her snot dripped onto Rita's forehead, it became the final straw.

Mistblade sobbed, "You were right, Rita… Ten years old really is a turning point."

The little Oak Owl cried even louder.

Lightchaser: "..."

She regretted everything. She never should've agreed to help that bored old lady find a new apprentice.

Trying to save her ears from the noise, she attempted to reassure them:

"Relax. I'm just selling you to the undercity to do black-market work. I grew up there too. You'll have food and shelter."

The kids cried even louder.

Rita sobbed, "Scarlett! Mom! I want my mom!"

Mistblade: "I wanna go back to Snowtown!"

Fat Goose: "Don't sell meeee!"

Lightchaser: "..."

They cried all the way until sundown.

Now leaning against a tree in the forest, Lightchaser stared up at the Winterveil moon through the snowy branches, enjoying a moment of peace.

Behind her, the three kids were still crying.

Fat Goose sniffled, "I need to pee."

Lightchaser, arms behind her head, said lazily, "Just pee yourself."

He shouted back, "Then just kill me! I'd rather die here than wet my pants!"

The little Candlebeast sniffled too. "I also gotta pee… Can I just… do it here?"

The two girls immediately turned to him and screamed, "No you can't!!!"

Fat Goose wailed even louder.

Lightchaser stabbed her sword into the dirt. A hundred meters away, a temporary barrier shimmered into place.

She sliced the vines holding Fat Goose.

"You go. But if you try to run, I'll kill the other two."

The Oak Owl instantly shouted, "You have to come back!"

Fat Goose looked genuinely desperate. He yelled "I will!" and bolted off.

He returned a few minutes later.

The Oak Owl looked touched. "I acknowledge you now, Fat Goose. We're best friends for life!"

Mistblade nodded seriously. "Yeah!! Best friends!"

Lightchaser: "..."

Should she tell them Fat Goose had definitely tried to escape, only to find the barrier held strong?

Next up was the Oak Owl.

Lightchaser: "You finish and come back, or I kill them."

A few minutes later, she came back too.

Mistblade's eyes were red. "Friends forever."

Fat Goose: "Yeah."

Lightchaser: "..."

She didn't even want to comment.

This one also tried to run. Real friendship vibes, huh.

Now it was Mistblade's turn.

Lightchaser looked at the seemingly well-behaved Moon Fox. "Your turn. Try to run, and your lifelong friends die."

The little Moon Fox nodded seriously. "Don't worry."

She turned to the others. "Wait for me!"

…A few minutes later, Lightchaser felt the barrier flicker again.

She sighed deeply.

So much for "best friends for life," huh?