This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Zoey smiled and thanked Rita. She had always had confidence in Rita's abilities. Last time, even though Rita had mainly used landmines and tools to fight, her skill was evident. Plus, Zoey knew Rita had been training at the Special Affairs Bureau's camp, so she brought up the topic of *Hope's Song* and when to hold the sessions after contracting the dragon.

Since the Special Affairs Bureau people would be there, and members of *Nameless Ones* were coming too, it wouldn't hurt for Rita to join in.

Rita played along and promised that as long as they hadn't contracted the dragon yet, she would continue helping.

Nearby, Aaron, Ezra, and Lincoln also greeted her. Rita stayed composed throughout, shaking Ezra's hand without showing any signs of disgust. This level-headedness not only earned Ezra's respect but also put Zoey and Rick at ease. Every time someone showed disdain or fear toward Ezra, it made Zoey and Rick feel like they were also taking a hit.

While waiting for the Special Affairs Bureau group, something caught Rita's eye: a message above the dungeon's instance boundary, similar to what she had seen at the treehouse base.

**[Respect Blessing Lock] (38:53:55)**

Looking closer, she noticed a small, fingernail-sized light lock beneath the message. The lock's glow blended with the instance boundary, making it almost imperceptible. Rita only noticed it after seeing the message.

Judging by the name, had the Special Affairs Bureau locked the instance? There was even a countdown. So, was this how they delayed the time for foreign entities to leave the instance?

While she was contemplating, 94 players from the Special Affairs Bureau arrived.

They seemed to have used some sort of *Concealment* skill because their appearance was sudden, like a curtain being pulled back to reveal the people who had been there all along.

But what stood out more than their sudden appearance was their gear. These were top-tier players, each of them fully equipped with seven items in all gear slots. This resulted in a bizarre mix of outfits, unlike what you'd see on regular players on the street.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Each of the 12 different races had their own fashion styles and preferences, and with low drop rates for equipment, players wore whatever they could get, prioritizing strength over style.

Rita looked around at the group: business suits paired with fur skirts, mage robes with harpoons, elegant leather armor with snow boots, chainmail worn over sheer see-through pants that revealed leg hair...

Her eyes hurt just looking at them.

Yet, they all carried themselves with confidence, and this unique aura made their outfits look like they were straight off the runway of some international luxury brand's latest collection. Each step they took was like a strut on a fashion show catwalk.

The leaders were not Shadow.Q but a man and a woman Rita hadn't seen before, both radiating powerful energy. Glancing to the right, Rita saw Shadow.Q standing seriously among the group. She wore a silk blouse, black fur shorts, and ladies' shoes.

Noticing Rita's gaze, Shadow.Q elegantly nodded.

Rita turned away, trying to suppress her laughter.

Shadow.Q, who had deliberately switched into blue gear pants for the dragon fight: "… You could at least laugh quieter if you're going to laugh at me, you rude little thing!"

The group wasted no time standing around, entering the instance as soon as they were all assembled. Any discussions could be handled inside.

Although many people found work or joined guilds through their *Divine Gifts*, it was an unspoken rule not to inquire about others' powers in public. But when entering a dungeon, cooperation was essential, so sharing basic information was necessary.

Once inside, everyone began to briefly share details about themselves: whether they were healers or attackers, their attack attributes, melee or ranged combat, flight capabilities, and whether they had interrupt skills—these were all crucial details for the team and the commanders to know.

Even colleagues in the Special Affairs Bureau didn't always know each other's abilities.

When it was Rita's turn, all eyes turned toward her. Many had already been sneaking glances at her since the beginning, mainly hoping to see her dragon. Even without the dragon, though, seeing her was far from disappointing. With a charisma score of 10, she exuded an aura that naturally drew attention.

Rita had long suspected that part of the reason why Apache was willing to teach her alchemy was tied to that charisma. In-game, it was like an NPC's goodwill bonus.

Rita spoke, "I'm an archer, ranged. No interrupts, can't fly, but my range is long enough to hit airborne targets. My dragon didn't come, but she did give me these magical marks. So, for now, my stats are decent, and every seventh arrow I shoot is guaranteed to crit."

After she finished and stepped back into the group, she immediately received a few messages.

**[Shadow.Q]:** Selling it?

**[Rita]:** You know, every time you send me these two words, I feel like I'm being harassed.

**[Shadow.Q]:** Can I buy it?

**[Rita]:** … Experience more on empire

You're really quick on your feet.

...

**[Rick]:** Sis~ Do you think you could ask your dragon to draw some marks on me too?

**[Rita]:** Depends on her mood. I can't command her.

...

Everyone was added to the team. Unlike the 5-player cap on regular parties, raid teams had a maximum of 100 members. The man and woman leading the group were the raid leader and assistant leader, respectively.

The two leaders divided the players into two squads. The male leader, a tank, would lead the melee fighters upfront, while the female leader, a magic-user, commanded the rear guard, handling the ranged attackers and healers.

One scout player would simultaneously fight and monitor the battlefield for any unusual energy fluctuations, reporting them to the leaders, who had the final say on tactical decisions.

Rita, Rick, and Aaron were assigned to the ranged group, while Lincoln and Ezra were put in the melee group.

As for Zoey, she was placed in the healer group—even though 90% of the skills she'd learned from skill books were offensive. But to take down a dragon, her versatile group-healing and attack skill was indispensable.

There was a small hiccup when Ezra joined the melee group.

Before and after the game's invasion, Ezra had always been a top-tier player. Everyone knew he had the *Unknown Curse*, and melee positions had the highest injury rates. Naturally, no one wanted to stand next to him, so Ezra was assigned his own squad.

Though his face betrayed no emotion, anyone could see the humiliation in his eyes.

Once Rita had enjoyed enough of her enemy's misery, she went to find Shadow.Q. She, too, was a ranged fighter, relying on magic. Who knew how many kickbacks she had pocketed to secure those skill books?

The two watched their comrades-in-arms and exchanged knowing smiles.

Rita said, "Show me what you've got later."

Shadow.Q, unfazed, replied, "Will do."