This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist-Chapter 266: "Soul Catcher" (Curio): Truth or Dare?

After Rita shared her discovery of the sea demon symbol with Nivalis and the information Hecipah had once told her, she realized something — she had grown accustomed to sharing her findings and thoughts with Nivalis. But Nivalis didn’t seem particularly concerned.

"I know that symbol," Nivalis said casually. "North Year told me stories about it."

Rita’s interest piqued. "Oh? What’s the story behind it?"

Nivalis gave a somewhat complicated expression. "The symbol has appeared three times in history. The first time was for the Undead tribe, the second time was for the Moon Fox tribe, and the third time was for the Oak Owls."

Rita was stunned.

"…Is this a war cry, or some twisted blessing?"

Her heavy heart lightened instantly, and she even felt like running back to dig up the wooden plank she had found earlier, just to keep it as a memento.

She hadn’t found Wind Scythe’s trail yet, but now, with the appearance of a sea emperor, the situation was becoming more complex. Rita couldn’t stand leaving things unresolved, and so, instead of going home, she veered off to the city’s most luxurious cemetery.

The early hours before dawn were always the best time for any questionable activities.

With Nivalis by her side, Rita used their flying abilities to quickly get to the cemetery. In under five minutes, they arrived at their destination. Rita held a pocket watch in her hand, using it to scan underground through layers of obstruction. She quickly pinpointed the target: "A box containing slightly impure ashes."

Considering The White Family’s wealth, Rita started her search from the most expensive section, soon locating Jameson’s extravagant tomb. Behind the monument, there was a relief sculpture.

However, instead of ashes, inside the tomb was a Soul Catcher (Curio).

Rita’s heart skipped a beat.

Not again. Another moral test was about to begin.

Invisible, Rita surveyed the surroundings like a thief. She gave Nivalis a silent signal and whispered, "There’s something valuable inside."

Nivalis immediately understood. "Is it the one we lost earlier?"

Rita was confused. "Lost? What did we lose?"

Nivalis asked again, "What’s inside?"

Rita answered reluctantly, "A Curio called Soul Catcher."

Nivalis’s eyes widened with outrage. "The Soul Catcher we searched everywhere for?! I can’t believe it’s here!"

Rita was speechless. Holy Cup, North Year, maybe you two should have another child. Just forget about this one!

Rita and Nivalis quickly executed their plan. Nivalis flew up, covering the cameras, while Rita used her dragon claw to carve a square around the Curio, sealing it into her dimensional space. Afterward, they carefully closed the tomb, leaving no trace behind.

The two made their escape in silence, their movements so practiced it was almost eerie.

Once back home, Rita immediately took out the Curio. It was a complete, pure white hand bone, with intricate markings of sea demon script carved all over it. The bone was not just a hand but also included part of the forearm. When the hand was spread open, it was almost the size of Rita’s head. The symbols, no bigger than grains of rice, were unmistakably sea demon writing.

This was definitely from the sea demon race, and most likely from the sea emperor who had carved the ¤ symbol on the fishing boat.

Soul Catcher (Curio): "With my ten fingers interwoven, tell me, do you choose truth or dare?"

There was only one instruction with no apparent side effects or results. Rita hesitated.

Perhaps using the Soul Catcher itself was the dare.

Nivalis, unable to wait any longer, eagerly asked, "You going to try it? If not, I want to!"

Rita shook her head. "I’ll go first. If something’s off, you use your Divine Thief skill to rewind time."

It was the safest option. If Nivalis fell into a trap, Rita would at least have a way to fix things, and she preferred to keep control.

After agreeing on the signal, Rita placed her hand on the bone. The Soul Catcher naturally locked with her fingers, and despite knowing it was a Curio, the feeling sent chills up her spine.

The moment her fingers touched the bone, there was a hum, and five sea demon characters lit up on the hand, glowing with blue light. A chant in the sea demon language echoed in her mind.

As their fingers intertwined, Soul Catcher gripped Rita’s hand tightly. She instantly understood: the game had begun, and she had to play a round before it would release her.

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In her mind, two choices appeared: truth or dare.

Rita chose truth.

The Soul Catcher hummed with sea demon song, but this time, it was directly into her soul. She understood it clearly as it asked, "What’s more important: power or race?"

Without hesitation, Rita replied, "Power."

As long as she was strong enough, even if she became a different species, as long as she stood with Blue Star, humanity would not easily abandon her. Even if they did, she could always find a way. Without power, she would have nothing.

The blue light on the symbols flickered briefly. After confirming her truthful answer, Soul Catcher released her hand, but the hand bone stayed in a loose grip. The five glowing symbols remained, radiating a soft blue light.

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The Curio’s description updated.

Soul Catcher (Curio): "With my ten fingers interwoven, tell me, do you choose truth or dare?"

[One Answer (1/1)]: You may ask me one question related to increasing your strength.

Rita thought back to the previous question. It had been too easy. If that was all there was to it, no one would ever choose dare. Where would the fun in that be? If dare was so simple, what would be the point of playing? The thrill of "Truth or Dare" came from the tension of difficult choices — truth that made people hesitant and dare that pushed people to their limits.

It was clear this game was about to get much more complicated.

Now, it all depended on what the [One Answer] could reveal.

Rita tried asking, "I want to improve my pet’s strength. I need to know where the Dragon Ancestor’s Reverse Scale, which was lost over a hundred years ago on Dragon Island, is located."

With the sound of a match being struck, the sea demon characters that had lit up on the hand bone dimmed once again. The blue light shot upwards from the Soul Catcher, transforming into a set of coordinates.

It really worked!