This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist-Chapter 272: Your Caution Is Your Shackles

Rita countered, "How do you know his bones can evolve a Divine Gift? Does it work for all players’ talents, or just mine?"

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Jameson replied, "It only works for your Divine Gift. I learned this from a certain item."

Rita pressed, "What item?"

Jameson chuckled. "No need to play dumb. Since you’ve found this place, you must have received help from it."

Rita couldn’t help but take another step back. She asked, "Aside from stopping your revenge against The White Family, what else do you want?"

Jameson said, "Once you’ve used the Sea Demon’s remains, bring them back to me. I want to use them to resurrect."

Another gap in his story, yet Jameson filled it smoothly. If Jameson had said that the Sea Demon’s bones could evolve Divine Gifts and that he obtained this information from a research institute, Rita would have been suspicious. If it could upgrade talents, why not keep it for his descendants? Even if The White Family had not yet awakened their Divine Gifts, it would still be something valuable to hold on to.

But as for his second request—resurrecting himself with the Sea Demon’s body—if he really were a true villain who had exploited and sold Sea Demons to pharmaceutical companies, why would he care about helping his descendants or reconciling with his enemies?

He was being so open, providing information that seemed too perfect to be questioned. It made everything sound believable.

Rita asked, "How do we proceed with the deal?"

Jameson answered, "In the cabinet to your three o’clock, there’s an old tooth from a Sea Demon pup. You can swear an oath with it, promising to no longer take action against The White Family. In return, I will tell you the location of the Sea Demon’s remains and how to use them to evolve your Divine Gift. Once you bring the Sea Demon’s bones to me, I will give you the Dragon Scales. Of course, I will also make an oath."

Rita immediately rejected, "I can promise not to act against The White Family for the grievances between me and Sanchez, but if they come after me, I won’t sit idly by. And even if everything is settled, I won’t allow Sanchez’s injured eye to heal." Discover stories with novelbuddy

Jameson responded, "I know the problem with her eye isn’t what you think. Fine, I can use my abilities to lock her current condition. As long as you don’t take action against The White Family, I will curse her so that her injury can’t be healed by any means."

Rita fell into a long silence, her heart sinking with each passing moment. He had noticed her attempt to test him and even figured out the true nature of Sanchez’s injury. Was Jameson really all-knowing?

His calculations, greed, and the story of his betrayal all seemed to line up perfectly. His words were flawless, evoking the image of a man who had endured hardship for half a life and rose quickly after betrayal, displaying just the right amount of cunning and composure.

His story even seemed to coincide with the inscription on the statue, "No regrets in choice, half a life betrayed." In Jameson’s version, hadn’t the Sea Demon betrayed him too? He certainly didn’t regret betraying them.

He had the motive. He wanted to cooperate with Rita, both for his descendants and for himself.

Everything fell perfectly into place.

Even the Malicious Intent Detector didn’t pick up anything.

It was as if every single one of Rita’s thoughts synced with his words. Every statement of his made her feel like it was "meant to be," a natural progression. But it was this too-perfect fit that made her anxious. There should never be a person whose every thought perfectly aligns with yours. And just like that, every one of his claims skirted any suspicion.

Rita believed human nature was inherently selfish, only some people hid it better than others. So, she trusted the words of a true villain more than those of a so-called "saint."

Nivalis, who had been holding her breath since Jameson began his tirade, quietly asked, "Is something wrong? Isn’t the problem with your enemy’s hands and feet?"

Rita replied softly, "Hard to say."

She decided to step back for now. Since she was sensing something was off, why rush into making a decision?

Just as she was retreating, a timer appeared above Jameson’s head, counting down—three minutes.

Rita: ...

You’ve been talking my ear off for ages, but now you’re pulling a countdown?! And it’s got a time-based effect too?

Jameson sighed, "I’ve been asleep for 73 years waiting for you. My time is running out. Once I fall back into slumber, it will be much harder to wake up again. If I can’t be resurrected, I will sleep for another hundred years."

Rita turned to leave.

Jameson shouted, "Isn’t this enough?!"

"A fair deal, Divine Gift evolution, Dragon Ancestor’s scales—don’t you feel tempted?"

"Is there really no way to resolve the grievances between you and The White Family? Haven’t you already taken your revenge?"

"Soul Catcher’s answer was clear. The Sea Demon’s bones can solve your conflict with The White Family and evolve your Divine Gift. What are you still hesitating about? What are you waiting for?"

"The path to the heavens is right before your eyes. The chance to evolve your Divine Gift is here. But you’re hesitating, retreating, and doubting everything. Any flaw becomes a mountain in your eyes. Even when there’s no flaw, you still see one."

"You think your actions right now are cautious? Rational? Calm? No! You’re just cowardly!"

"You think you’re weighing the risks, but one day, those few seconds of hesitation will cost you everything."

"You’re afraid of missing something, afraid of risk, afraid of failure! Your caution is your chains!"

"Do you think true power comes from hiding in the gutters? No! It comes from bloodshed, from charging forward, from destroying everything that stands in your way. It’s not about being overly careful, trying to cover every base before you act."

Rita stood quietly in the corner, listening to Jameson’s impassioned speech. Her brow furrowed slightly, her expression unreadable, her emotions hidden from view. Under the dim light, in the deep sea, within the transparent water shield, her face remained a blur.

Jameson’s voice was intense, as though accusing Rita of a great sin.

The countdown reached zero, and the timer disappeared. The room fell back into darkness.

Rita tried using her investigation skill on the crystal coffin again, but there was no response.

Nivalis, who had been holding her breath since Jameson’s outburst, quietly whispered, "What now?"

Rita replied, "I have… no, two guesses that need to be verified."