This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Chapter 286 Nowhere to Retreat

Suspended in the currents within the giant whale's body, dozens of palm-sized magical runes floated, numbering at least eighty. The interior was inscribed with complex symbols and patterns that Rita couldn't understand.

Her internal alarms blared, but abandoning this was unthinkable. People couldn't just stand still and wait for opportunities to come to them, could they?

She threw the unconscious body of a nearby alien species into the water. The creature drifted slowly toward the skeletal remains. This process took several minutes. Upon touching the skeleton, the creature was "absorbed," leaving behind only its empty equipment floating in the currents.

Rita repeated the experiment with different subjects. Some bore bleeding wounds, while others didn't. Eventually, she confirmed the water currents would not actively attack unless provoked.

Flying to the whale's tail using her Orbit skill, Rita kept her distance while attempting to use [I Want This, That, and That] on the skeleton.

Had it not been for the rare fruits she'd consumed in the dragon nest, which increased her theft range to over five meters, she wouldn't have dared to make such a bold move.

Theft failed! Not Skill activation failed—the distinction was critical.

Rita's instincts screamed at her to use Apparition and escape immediately, but it was too late!

One of the floating runes within the currents came alive, expanding a hundredfold and illuminating the entire area. Her Apparition skill was instantly sealed! The previously dormant water erupted into a massive hand, surging toward her with terrifying speed.

In that moment, a single thought flashed through Rita's mind: This is the second time! No wonder Apparition, an SS-tier skill, only sells for 10,000 gold. Cheap skills always have hidden flaws.

Nivalis rushed to her aid, unleashing a frost breath at the encroaching water. Rita switched to the I'm in a Hurry item skill, propelling herself five meters forward before transforming into a bird and slipping through the gaps in the watery hand's fingers.

Just as relief began to set in, the Soul Catcher in her inventory suddenly flew out. The delicate white bone gently yet firmly clamped around the sparrow's neck, pushing her back toward the massive hand.

The hand closed around her softly, cradling her like a fragile doll, and carried her into the whale's body.

This was a double-layered trap!

A trap meticulously prepared for her arrival.

In her mind, Rita screamed to Nivalis: "Stay back! Use any long-range skills to weaken my contracts!"

Of the grayed-out items, the loss of [Wrathful Moon] hurt the most; it had been one of her escape tools.

Now she fully grasped why Miyaas had orchestrated the dragon scale and Jameson as key components of his plan. Not only were they used to manipulate her into finding him, but they had also served to disable Nivalis' time-reversal skill.

With both [Wrathful Moon] and [Time-Stealing Dragon] neutralized, Rita had no escape routes left.

The water currents gently carried her closer to Miyaas' skeleton.

Everything was ready. Rita, the key component of the ritual, was about to be placed.

In her mind, Nivalis's voice broke through the haze: "I don't have any curse or weakening skills! Quick, what else can I do?"

For once, her tone was serious, though she hadn't lost her composure. Nivalis remembered Rita's lessons: the more dangerous the situation, the calmer you needed to be. Panic only sped up your demise.

Nivalis unleashed a flurry of attacks against the whale's exterior, aiming to rescue Rita. But Miyaas' modifications to the whale's defenses made them impenetrable.

Healing Miyaas was also out of the question. Even if her abilities could bypass the magical currents, reviving Miyaas would spell their doom.

Rita: "Try disrupting the whale's patterns or freezing the water currents to slow them down!"

At that moment, fury flared within Rita, burning away her despair.

She despised reckless heroics, but she had never feared adversity.

Gulping down 10ml of Daughter's Whiskey, she endured the 10% attribute penalty, though it barely made a dent in her predicament.

Why were these currents so potent?

She detected the unmistakable scent of seawater. Had Miyaas submerged himself in seawater all these years to weaken himself deliberately?

Was he guarding against [Moment of Reversal]? But how could he have such detailed information?