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?"

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.

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!