This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Rita couldn't help but think about the pressure she'd face later in the game. She wasn't sure whether to consider herself lucky or unlucky.

Standing behind the cash register, she watched the players and cosmic wanderers desperately fleeing outside. In a way, she didn't feel too unlucky. After all, it was because Octopus Bucket had kidnapped her that she had the chance to practice her culinary skills and, under immense pressure, combine alchemy with cooking.

Rita: "Although I don't know what I'll face in the second half of the game, but since I met you, I've been doing pretty well so far."

Hearing Rita's remark, B80234615 responded, "Bad luck just makes it easier for you to face difficulties and obstacles. It doesn't mean you'll fail at everything."

From what it had observed, it wasn't surprised by Rita's success. Every bad situation was avoided, which wasn't just about sheer luck. Rita was incredibly cautious; every action, every person, and even every word in system notifications were carefully analyzed.

If the wind blew, she would wonder if it was just her or if it affected others too. Was the wind toxic?

Apart from that, Rita's approach to life had influenced her journey. Marmang-Crab and Pine Bloom treating her kindly had a lot to do with her potential, but her personality played a crucial role as well.

"Being bored" could sometimes be an insult. Strong players didn't waste time with boring things or people.

Since B80234615 had started following her from Garbage Mountain, the big players she met—Marmang-Crab, Pine Bloom, Maple Syrup, and even Sea Pony and Octopus Bucket—seemed quite willing to spend time with her.

Perhaps in the eyes of these big players, BS Rita was an interesting pet who might one day rise to the same height as them. But it was a skill in itself to make them enjoy watching her bounce around.

If she played the ice queen act in front of them, without providing any value or emotional entertainment, the top players would have wiped the floor with her in no time.

Rita didn't know that B80234615 had so many inner thoughts, writing her fan letters in her head, as she stared at the rabbits outside.

Now that she no longer had Soros Time's skill to detect things, nor Fishing Master's passive observation ability, and B80234615's skills were also disabled, she was essentially in the dark.

She couldn't see the skills or information of the gods, demons, players, or cosmic wanderers. Fortunately, she often memorized player information from the ladder, and she could recognize at least 80% of the players in Food Street by name, rank, and title.

She tapped Sea Pony and asked, "How strong are these event loot boxes?"

Sea Pony tapped Marmang-Crab: "Can I say it?"

Marmang-Crab: "Go ahead."

There was no need to hide it; it was obvious once you interacted with them.

Sea Pony explained, "Their strength fluctuates. When facing enemies of different strength, they automatically adjust their power. Hmm... let's say it's a 50/50 split."

Rita watched the rabbit in Food Street kicking players as if it were a game. No player could survive more than three kicks…

She muttered, "You call that a 50/50 split?"

Sea Pony sighed. "It's true. When the event loot boxes first appeared, everyone checked their attributes and divine talents. Though their divine talents are all S-tier, their attributes and strength are constantly changing."

"Plus, they don't wear any items, weapons, or even have skills. They only have a few divine talent skills."

"'50/50' is the high EQ version of what I'd say. If you look at the stats, it's more like an 80/20 split. We're the 80, and the event loot boxes are the 20."

Rita had no words for that. Looking at it this way, it really was a suppression...

While they were talking, a rabbit, roughly the size of a cheetah, stopped at the entrance of 233 Restaurant. The rabbit was holding a player who looked like a cross between a crocodile and a python in its mouth.

The rabbit stared at Rita and the others for a while before it started examining the rules.

The first rule made the rabbit frown.

But perhaps the rest of the rules were fine, because it hopped into the restaurant and then let go of the player it was holding, saying, "This is my own ingredient."

Rita quickly wrote a menu and, after discussing prices with Octopus Bucket and Marmang-Crab, handed it over.

But the customer didn't seem easily fooled. The rabbit said, "The menu looks good, but I don't eat garbage. I only eat 5-star delicacies."

The voice was unexpectedly childlike, high-pitched and tender.

The pressure shifted to Rita.

Not only was the ingredient unfamiliar, but the alchemical materials she had were limited to what remained from the culinary competition. And… given her current level, even if she were killed, she still couldn't make a 5-star delicacy!

Rita wracked her brain for various excuses, but in the end, she decided it was better to be honest. Under the burning gaze of Marmang-Crab and Octopus Bucket, she cleared her throat and said:

"Sorry, customer. This is 233 Restaurant. I only got 233rd place because my cooking skills aren't great, so I can't make a 5-star delicacy, even if you kill me."

She didn't believe the rabbit didn't know this. On the scroll of restaurant rules, there were two half stars at the bottom right corner. At first, she hadn't understood, but now it seemed likely that these were the highest-rated dishes the restaurant's chefs could make.

Rita: "Can you tell if this is a god or a demon?"

B80234615: "Can't tell."

The rabbit suddenly looked at Sea Pony and asked, "Why didn't you say that line?"

Sea Pony blinked. "What line?"

The rabbit replied, "Your useless pet embarrassed me."

Sea Pony immediately stood straight, hitting its chest with its small hand. "I'm sorry, honorable customer! My useless pet embarrassed you!"

Rita: "…"

Marmang-Crab felt like it had been hurt twice.

Rita, with a heavy heart, said to B80234615, "I'll bet one coin, it's a demon, right?"

B80234615: "It's hard to say..."