This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Chapter 247 Fickle Fate

As they left the perfumer, Shadow.Q casually asked Rita and the little dragon perched on her shoulder, "So, can dragon tears be sold?"

Nivalis wagged a claw in exaggerated disapproval. "Dragons do not cry."

Rita pulled out a glass vial no larger than her pinky. "She's telling the truth. No tears, but I've got a little dragon snot if that's worth anything."

Nivalis flew up to Rita's face and pressed her forehead against Rita's, fuming. "You dare insult the greatness of dragonkind!"@@@@

With Nivalis so close, her tiny stature forced Rita's eyes to cross. She quickly closed them. "Fine! Let Special Affairs Bureau trade for some limited-edition figurines. You can't get dragon tears, but they can."

Nivalis immediately turned to Shadow.Q with wide, hopeful eyes. "Will this much snot be enough? If it's tears you need, I can squeeze some out. I'm a very emotional dragon!"

Rita & Shadow.Q: ...

After handing Nivalis over to Shadow.Q to choose her toys, Rita made her promise not to agree to anything without consulting her. Once Nivalis agreed, Rita headed off alone to teach her class.

A New Mission

After class, Shadow.Q didn't send Rita home as usual. Instead, she invited her to a small conference room. Once seated, Shadow.Q got straight to the point.

"We know your true strength far exceeds what you've shown. Are you interested in taking on a mission?"

Rita raised an eyebrow. Does the Special Affairs Bureau really lack manpower? She couldn't imagine Shadow.Q being this formal just to recruit her for a dungeon raid. "A mission? Are you short on people?"

"This is a completely optional mission," Shadow.Q assured her. "There's no moral pressure here." She paused before explaining further. "Have you ever wondered why, despite the 14th-level dungeons unlocking, we haven't asked you or Nivalis to help clear them?"

Rita nodded. "I have." But she hadn't been overly concerned. Similar issues had arisen in her past life, and while people were initially alarmed, the SAB had somehow managed to keep things under control. After all, Blue Star had survived three years.

"We know you don't like working with others. That's fine. You can operate solo. We're simply adding another possibility to ensure success.

"We'll provide you with the best tools, equipment, and even skills. These can also serve as rewards upon mission completion. Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire

"So, are you in?"

Rita was curious how the SAB had handled this in her past life. After all, Peach Moon Emperor, the oak owl royal guarding the tower, wasn't just any noble. Even if he wasn't their king, his rank was undoubtedly high.

But for Rita, there was little hesitation. She needed Moon Sand anyway.

"I'll take the mission," Rita said decisively. "However, any tools or equipment I use will be returned afterward. I'll cover my own expenses and losses. I'll also bring Nivalis to assist. But I have one condition:

"If I obtain the contents of the clock hands, they belong to me. If you get them with my help, we'll determine my share based on my contribution. This must be written into the game contract."

Shadow.Q countered, "If you succeed but rely on our help, you'll need to share the contents for research, based on our players' contribution."

Rita hesitated. On principle, she didn't object. If she could share materials with Hecipah, why not with the SAB?

But the negotiation wasn't that simple.

This mission had started with the SAB seeking her assistance, and she'd already agreed to forgo their promised rewards in exchange for pursuing the Moon Sand.

In matters of morality, she ought to help for free. But a mission was a mission. Mixing obligations with compensation was as ridiculous as talking about dreams during salary negotiations.

Rita's expression turned serious. "In that case, I won't waive the initial rewards you promised. Every tool, piece of equipment, and skill I use will be included as part of the deal."

Shadow.Q's eyes narrowed slightly. "You seem to know what's inside those clock hands."

Rita smirked faintly. "Not much. Just extremely high-grade alchemical materials."