This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist-Chapter 296: Your People Skills Are Truly Impressive

Upon learning that Rita had started learning [Gold-Class Assassin] from Lucia, Hecipah didn’t comment much. Instead, she handed Rita two more notebooks. "Here, this is for your next stage. Don’t forget the three notebooks I gave you last time. I’ll be checking all of them next month."

Rita’s expression turned complicated as she accepted the notebooks. Why did it feel like a rivalry was brewing?

Still, she wasn’t one to shy away from challenges, especially when it came to learning.

Lurking in Eternal Night Fortress

After leaving the alchemy shop, Rita sent Nivalis back into the pet space. There was something important she needed to take care of.

She turned a corner, drank a bottle of [Melting Time], and reactivated [Out and About, Identity Is Self-Assigned], keeping her small owlin form but adopting a different appearance and updating her information.

Though [Gold-Class Assassin] and [Melting Time] had no direct overlap, Lucia had a habit of slipping in her unique techniques during lessons. Rita suspected Hecipah had picked up the same habit from her.

Thanks to today’s class, Rita felt close to mastering [Melting Time]. She wasn’t too stingy to use it now, knowing she could replenish her stock soon.

Arriving in Eternal Night Fortress, Rita wandered near the tower while casually using [I Just Want to Improve] on the passing non-human inhabitants. Over an hour, she collected a decent amount of equipment, gold, and even managed to steal two points of Agility and one point of Intelligence.

The real highlight, however, was a "secret" she stole from one of the guards stationed near the tower:

"On the 15th next month, the Three Owlin Sovereigns will all be absent. If, by some coincidence, an owlin happens to climb the tower that day, will Lord Tao Li really have to impersonate a sovereign? They won’t get found out, right?"

The 15th? Could it be related to the World Battlefield?

Excited, Rita muttered to herself, "Shadow.Q, we might actually have a shot at this!"

She immediately shared the news with Shadow.Q, adding a note of caution: "This information isn’t confirmed yet." She trusted that Eclipse Vanguard would have the means to verify its accuracy.

If the Three Owlin Sovereigns really were absent on the 15th and most owlins were busy celebrating, it would be the safest day to attempt the tower climb.

When Rita returned to Blue Star, Shadow.Q had already replied: The information is confirmed to be true. The operation was moved up to December 12th at midnight, with seven teams, including Rita’s, set to infiltrate the tower.

Crunch Time

As the mission drew closer, Rita refused to waste any time. Mornings were spent studying [Melting Time], and afternoons were dedicated to alchemy lessons with Lucia in Lania Kaia. By the 14th, she had successfully brewed her first bottle of [Melting Time], easing her stress considerably. Now she could reduce her cooldowns without relying on expensive consumables.

While Lania Kaia had cooldown-reduction items like food or herbs, they were often prohibitively expensive, costing upwards of 7–8 gold per item for minor reductions. In combat, it made more sense to invest in cycling skills effectively than splurging on consumables.

Although [Melting Time] was time-consuming to craft—taking two hours from processing herbs to producing the final product—the cost per bottle was less than 3 gold. With more practice, Rita estimated she could handle multiple batches simultaneously, producing 10 cauldrons’ worth in one session, yielding two bottles per cauldron.

She held the potion up to the light, admiring its mesmerizing color.

Just then, with a pop, Nivalis emerged from the pet space. For the past few days, she’d been flying to the local mahjong hall to play with the aunties and uncles of [Nameless Ones]. Once the games ended, she’d slip back home through the pet space, becoming something of a local celebrity.

"Auntie Wang sent you some vegetables!" Nivalis announced, holding up a basket.

Rita gave her a once-over. She was decked out in a Louis Vuitton scarf, a pair of diamond-studded sunglasses, and a Patek Philippe watch on her claw—all gifts from the elders.

No wonder people online joked she was raising Nivalis to be a "nouveau riche dragon."

Rita’s eyes hurt. "Did you bring the gifts I prepared for them?"

Nivalis flicked her scarf dramatically. "Of course! I even brought them extra dragon dung. They said it makes their vegetables grow better! Look, these veggies are the result."

"…Fine. Be sure to thank them for me. I left some dishes in the fridge—take them next time to share with everyone."

After storing the vegetables, Rita added, "Tomorrow, I’m going to Special Affairs Bureau to discuss tower infiltration details and signal codes. You’re coming with me."

"Don’t you guys have a contacts system? Can’t you just use that to communicate?"

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"We’re not sure if it’ll work inside the tower. These are backup plans."

Nivalis sighed, pulling out her phone. "Fine, I’ll let my mahjong crew know I can’t play tomorrow."

Rita massaged her temples. As long as Nivalis didn’t start joining square dance groups, she could tolerate her antics. …Though she wouldn’t mind playing a few rounds herself.

Meeting at Special Affairs Bureau

The next day, Rita arrived early at the Special Affairs Bureau, as instructed by Shadow.Q. When she opened the conference room door, she found Shadow.Q alone, though nameplates had already been set out.

Scanning the table, Rita recognized several familiar names.

Among the nine members of the Special Affairs Bureau’s team, there were Elijah and Yu Yian, the former commanders of the Flood Dragon Guild. But what shocked her most was seeing the names Zoey and Sanchez.

Zoey was understandable—she had collaborated with Special Affairs Bureau frequently and had a strong healing talent. Though she’d lost some attribute points, equipment and skill mastery could make up for it.

But Sanchez? The same Sanchez who, in her previous life, had taken down three Special Affairs Bureau elites in a 1v3?

Lowering her voice, Rita asked Shadow.Q, "Sanchez? The one from The White Family? And Zoey, too? I thought this was an internal mission."

"Zoey and her pet’s Divine Gifts are incredibly useful. She somehow caught wind of the mission and volunteered. As for Sanchez, she approached us. Despite her noticeable weaknesses, don’t underestimate her—three of our trained A-rank Gift holders couldn’t beat her together. The mission takes priority, so after signing a contract, we let her join."

Rita hummed noncommittally. "Got it."

Shadow.Q began distributing small booklets to each seat. "What’s the matter? You don’t have any grudges with anyone here, do you?"

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Rita snorted. "With my personality? Who could possibly hold a grudge against me?"

Shadow.Q chuckled. "True. Even Zoey gets along with you. Those in Eclipse Vanguard who normally hate lone wolves have no issue with you. And the training camp crowd speaks highly of you. Even during those public scandals, hardly anyone attacked you. Honestly, your people skills are second to none."

It was sincere praise.

Even when Eclipse Vanguard was criticized, people defended its members without hesitation, often sparking further debates. Yet with Rita, negativity rarely stuck.

Rita laughed. "Exactly! All thanks to the Food God."

Quickly deflecting the topic, she grabbed a booklet and began reading. Small talk had a way of making her feel awkward if it went on too long.