This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Out of the ten rewards, every option was tempting. After careful thought, Rita still chose the third one.

[Pet Divine Gift Upgrade (Eligible only for skills at SS tier or below before upgrade)]

Once she made her selection, a golden card materialized in front of her.

In her hand, the physical card included a few extra notes beyond the in-game description. One of them read: "When the contract between the Divine Game player and the pet is dissolved, the upgraded effect will disappear."

Rita wasn't sure whether that was meant to stop players from using the card as trade bait with powerful beasts, or simply to emphasize that this reward existed only for a Divine Game player—and was bound to them.

She waved B8017913 over and raised the card so it could see. "If I ever get another one of these and don't have an urgent need for it, I'll prioritize you next time."

B8017913 tilted its block-shaped head slightly. "Nivalis and I don't hold the same place in your heart. You don't have to be so fair. I seek emotional truth, but I can't escape the logic of my programming."

Meaning, it wouldn't get upset or jealous.

Rita understood perfectly. Turning slightly, she faced the small robot directly and spoke with a seriousness that even her voice softened around. "In my heart, you're equals. The only difference is distance. I'll try to balance things the best I can."

She gave its head a light pat, then reached down to stroke Calico's fur. "Go play, both of you."

Calico trotted off, the little robot riding on its back in silence. They didn't stop until they reached the old blacksmith, who was busy rebuilding his villa. Then Calico spoke in a tone as if it had just witnessed some kind of cosmic horror.

"Meow—Cat's Ideal said she was good at sweet-talking people, but I didn't think she meant this good. She didn't even hesitate."

B8017913's mechanical face stiffened. It sounded almost offended. "She isn't someone who flatters for no reason. Not every being deserves it. And that wasn't flattery—it was sincerity."

Calico blinked several times. "...So that's what we're calling it now? You're really not sure whether she's teasing you or not?"

Before it could say more, B8017913 hopped down from its back with a huff. "I'm not playing with you anymore. You're not half as clever as Nivalis."

Calico just sat there, tail flicking. Even after traveling through countless worlds, it had to admit—it had truly seen everything now.

...

When Nivalis received the message from Rita in their private pet chat, she didn't bother making excuses this time. If Rita used a commanding tone, it meant something serious.

She immediately exited the game. Players around her gasped as she vanished in a shimmer of light, reappearing in the pet space and then beside Rita.

The little dragon shrank herself down and jumped onto the table, tail flicking high. "Go ahead, hit me."

Rita instantly kicked off her slippers and aimed a foot at her.

Nivalis rolled midair, dodging just as a golden card spun toward her, stabbing upright into the table beside her face.

"Read the instructions first," Rita said flatly. "Then decide if you still want to use it."

Nivalis took one look at what it was and let out a high-pitched shriek, hugging the card tightly as she danced around Rita in circles.

After several laps, she was ready to fly outside and evolve right there—but Rita stopped her, handing her a small food box. "If you're sure you want to evolve your Divine Gift, eat this first."

Nivalis blinked, suspicious.

[Mystery Dish]: After consuming this, you will become the luckiest creature in the world for the next two hours. The cost: you might say some nonsense.

Too excited to care, Nivalis opened her mouth wide, dumped the entire dish in, and flew out.

By the time she reached the clearing outside the alchemy workshop, she had already returned to her full dragon form. Without hesitation, she activated the golden card.

Frost bloomed across the air in visible waves, encasing the workshop in ice. Even the golden rain surrounding the area turned pale and crystalline, sparkling like frozen lightning.

Leaning against the doorframe, Rita stared at the scene, half-lost in thought. She couldn't help imagining what kind of evolution [Frozen Throne] might lead to.

But soon her gaze drifted back to Nivalis.

She thought again of the second line written on the card.

"When used to evolve a Divine Gift, the pet's evolved skill will be influenced by its contract history, resulting in unpredictable variations and shifts."

That note had given her pause. Her own [Dragon Thief] skill was sealed, which made Nivalis's version all the more important. If evolution caused it to vanish, that would be a major loss.

But after much thought, she had decided to let Nivalis make the choice for herself.

When the frost finally cleared, Rita immediately pulled up her companion's status window.

[Sharp Imperfection] (SSS)

"I despise flawless perfection and adore sharp imperfection. Holy Cup once asked if I could learn to love a gentler flaw. I said no."

[Skill 1] Tail Tip: Chase your tail to activate this skill. Each completed spin turns back time by one minute until you catch your tail. For every spin, you permanently lose 1 random stat point. Repeated spins within a short time increase the cost exponentially. No cooldown.

[Skill 2] Crimson Dandelion: Transform into a storm of crimson dandelions. Within the area of effect, all offensive skills targeting you and your chosen ally deal 90% less damage. During the effect, you both regenerate 10% HP and MP per second. Consuming a dandelion cures flaws and ailments, removing curses up to SSS-tier. Costs 1000 MP per second. Cooldown: 1 hour.

[Skill 3] Vow Without Regret: Select a target and forcibly swap the last skill each of you used. The swapped effects last up to 3 natural days. Cooldown: 3 hours. Up to 5 swaps can exist simultaneously.

[Skill 4] Sharp Imperfection: You and your contract holder are one being, two halves of the same whole. When either of you dies, the other can unconditionally resurrect them within five minutes, restoring them to peak condition. Usable twice per Starsea day.

[Skill 5] For Her Perfection: "Even if I must fall asleep forever, I refuse to become her flaw." When fighting alongside your contract holder, you may activate this skill. Your four base attributes and advanced stats will temporarily match your partner's for 30 minutes. Each use consumes 10 attribute points. Cooldown: 5 hours.

[Skill 6] Worth the Wait: Choose a target. All their non-item skills immediately enter cooldown. Costs 100% MP per use. Cooldown: 1 hour.

When she finished reading, Rita finally relaxed. Good. [Dragon Thief] might be gone, but [Tail Tip] was more than an even trade.

Nivalis's new Divine Gifts were powerful—not only could she truly assist in battle, her own survivability had increased dramatically.

If Rita's experience with [Her Dragon] was anything to go by, then once Nivalis transformed again, those weapon-linked skills would evolve too.

She just wasn't sure whether [Tail Tip] would require actual spinning mid-battle…

Overall, it was a fantastic outcome—though the names and flavor text made Rita's ears burn just a little.

Before she could recover, Nivalis muttered that she'd be heading back to Dragon Island for a bit, and vanished.

Rita looked up at the sky, thoughtful. Then she decided she might as well pay Lania Kaia another visit—steal a little moonlight and replenish her secret arts.