This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Rick didn't dare open his eyes. He feared that if he did, tears would start flowing.

Sure, he had given the magic eye to Aaron, but his plan was to quietly retrieve it in a few days. He had everything worked out: if there was a fourth beta test on February 22nd, he would use the money he had saved to buy two skills, one for **Disguise** and one for offense. Once the game ended, he'd go and take back the magic eye.

But then someone had intercepted it midway—efficiently and ruthlessly.

After giving Aaron the eye, Rick had stayed with his group of brothers the entire time. They had been inseparable for days, and last night was the first time they parted ways. He had thought that with the beta test starting at 2 a.m. on the 22nd, it wouldn't be wise to be wandering around on the 21st. What if the Lopez family made a big move, and he missed out?

Yet, disaster struck in the early hours of the 21st.

The magic eye was gone.

Men are said to hold back their tears, but the thought of losing the magic eye filled Rick with overwhelming sorrow, and he genuinely wanted to cry.

He had spent half a year scheming to get that magic eye, and he couldn't ask for help or tell anyone about it. He had to rely on his own careful planning, and in the end, he had killed two people to secure it. His plan was to bring the magic eye into the beta test and see if it could be installed painlessly.

If not, he was prepared to undergo surgery to remove his own eye, so he could install the magic one.

But plans never keep up with change.

One mistake led to another.

The loss of the magic eye reminded him of his ruined **Divine Gift**. If his gift hadn't been mostly wasted, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths for the magic eye. Thinking about his useless **Divine Gift** made him recall the main reason he had started playing the game—to fix his 9cm problem. And remembering the pain of having half of it cut off...

The hardships of the past year hit him all at once. Rick couldn't hold it in anymore, covering his face as silent tears streamed through his fingers.

Mateo: ".........." This really wasn't necessary!

Zoey: ".........." Uh... uh, he's really crying?

The siblings didn't feel guilty, exactly, but they did recognize that, in a way, they had been the ones to sideline him first.

Both of them had a bad habit: they treated their subordinates very well, whether to win loyalty or poach people from others. The Lopez family had a natural gift for this. But once someone became "one of their own," they tended to slack off in how they treated them.

Their parents had told them off for this countless times.

They were even more relaxed with Rick, who had "married" into the family. For Mateo and Zoey, it was only natural to be more casual with him.

The siblings exchanged a glance, understanding each other instantly. Rick's luck was truly extraordinary. If he had managed to obtain the magic eye on his own, maybe next time, with Lopez family support, he could get something even better.

In perfect unison, they sat on either side of Rick, comforting him, even apologizing for their mistake and promising that from now on, he would be treated like a true member of the Lopez family, involved in all major decisions.

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But beneath his hands, Rick's eyes were cold and venomous.

If Rita were here, she would have laughed out loud. Rick had despised her so much simply because she didn't give him everything she had. He considered her selfish and calculated against her in every way.

Zoey treated him like this, and yet he was still expected to cooperate with the Lopez family as he had in the past? Not a chance.

In the past, Rick became a player early on, making him an equal match for Zoey.

Even though in the early stages of their marriage, Zoey's feelings for Rick lacked sincerity—she mainly wanted to use the marriage to avoid a political alliance—she did treat him like a cherished toy. But Rick's abilities were undeniable. Even though he never revealed the full extent of his **Divine Gift**, Zoey knew it was as strong as hers, and she couldn't pass up such a powerful ally.

Rick was involved in every major and minor family matter.

But this time? Rick had only become a player in the third beta test, and despite his **SS-grade Divine Gift**, it was practically useless, no better than a **D-grade**. He was treated like a nobody, and it was no surprise Zoey didn't value him.

Rick wiped his face, his eyes still red. "It's fine. I don't blame you. It's my **Divine Gift** that's flawed, and I couldn't help you… I understand." He looked at Zoey with urgency. "You've always wanted to know what my one working **Divine Gift** is, right? I was embarrassed to say before… Whenever I cook for someone and they feel happy after eating, I'll become more lucky for a while."

He looked at her, almost pleadingly. "So, my gift is still useful, isn't it? I can help you. My sister's **Divine Gift** is also related to luck, and if the Special Affairs Bureau values it so highly, it means luck really is important, right?"

Zoey's gaze softened. She hugged Rick, soothing him with a gentle voice. "Of course it's useful. Why didn't you say so sooner? It's extremely valuable."

As she embraced Rick, she and Mateo exchanged a look.

The siblings were completely in sync. A single glance was enough to communicate:

'Let's get someone to verify this.'

'Alright.'

Rick clung to Zoey, his eyes cold as he stared at the curtains.

He knew Zoey would have it investigated as soon as he mentioned it. Over the past six months, aside from working on the magic eye, he had been searching for a way to **Disguise** his **Divine Gift**.

The answer lay in a very special item:

**Chameleon Teapot Pet** (A-grade): Its shed skin can conceal or falsify any information, including personal panel details, item descriptions, and skill information. The effect lasts for seven days and cannot be seen through by any A-grade or lower tool or skill. It must be watered daily with high-quality tea.

When satisfied, it sheds once per day, and each shed skin can alter one piece of information. (Note: The quality of the tea may affect the shedding time.)

Even the best tea in the real world was nothing special for a magic item, so it had taken Rick three months of daily care to produce twelve pieces of shed skin. Once he confirmed the shedding frequency was stable enough for his needs, he waited for the perfect moment to "confess" to Zoey.

By the time the Lopez siblings left, their anger was completely gone, and they even left Rick with a set of equipment.

Rick opened his personal stats panel.

The faint blue screen appeared before him, visible only to him. He gently placed a thin piece of the **Chameleon Teapot Pet's** shed skin over his one and only active **Divine Gift**.

**Skill 5**: "Good Cooks Have Good Luck" (Passive): The **God of the Culinary Arts**' mission is to make every diner feel happiness. After a diner eats your food and feels happy, you will become lucky for a period of time. The happier the diner, the luckier you become.

Still holding onto hope that his skills might one day recover, Rick also altered **Skill 4**:

**Skill 4**: "There's Nothing a Good Meal Can't Fix": Mark a diner. Their negative emotions are transformed into luck for you, with the amount of luck equivalent to the number of dishes from the **God of the Culinary Arts** they've eaten that day.

Whether it was conscious or not, Rick had tied all his skill disguises to luck—perhaps an influence from Rita's emphasis on the value of luck.

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