This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist-Chapter 1224 Divine Game: Divine Instruction 38

Mistblade had only just returned to the spectator platform when the glowing symbols in the air shifted into a pair of antlers and a whale tail.

At that moment, BS finally sent a reply.

"BS: The items were delivered, but we were too late. The matter has already ended. Divine Game has issued a notice to all undead. Your teacher learned about the punishment tied to this duel and Wither Monarch’s final decision. She refused all race conversion materials."

"BS: She said thank you for arranging a path of survival for her, but every undead takes pride in being a subject of Wither Monarch."

"Rita: I understand. Tell her I respect her decision."

Rita ended the connection.

Her gaze returned calmly to the arena where the duel between Among Antlers Autumn Deer and Tingo JE had already begun.

Unlike Mistblade and Wither, these two had skipped any pre battle speeches.

They attacked simultaneously the moment the match began.

Their spells collided head on. Both dodged the other’s attacks with practiced ease, like partners who had rehearsed the exchange countless times.

Perhaps because of the attribute restrictions, or perhaps because Autumn Deer had already fallen to rank eighteen after several reshuffling games, he and JE fought on perfectly even footing.

Among the few creatures that remained entirely animal in form, the Mountainbound and the wind whale both possessed powerful innate abilities.

Mountains and waves constantly formed across the clock arena.

Even with limited mana, these powers came as naturally to them as breathing.

Still, JE repeatedly seized control of Autumn Deer’s abilities.

Less than three minutes into the fight, Autumn Deer had already fallen behind.

His health dropped below thirty.

JE, by contrast, still had more than fifty.

Yet Autumn Deer showed no panic or frustration.

He stopped using magic entirely.

Instead, he swung his antlers again and again in pure physical strikes.

The translucent wind whale glided through the air, evading.

With the advantage in hand, JE tried to widen the distance and kite him. The waves gathered across the arena into a small sea.

"You still haven’t found your divine talent word?"

Autumn Deer chased behind him, his antlers glowing with light.

"And you have?"

"At least I’ll find it before you."

"Yeah right."

In the middle of this tense Moment of Vengeance, the deer and whale bickered like children.

But the pace and ferocity of their attacks never slowed.

After several seconds of silence, Autumn Deer suddenly said,

"Want to hear what I think of you?"

"No."

JE refused immediately.

Autumn Deer seemed to expect that answer.

"So tell me what you think of me."

The waves rose high, then settled.

Separated by a curtain of water, the wind whale and the Mountainbound faced each other in the air.

Just like they had during the opening of the game years ago, when they first met across a barrier of light.

Back then they had been young.

Now there was no fear or confusion left in their eyes.

At some point the attacks stopped.

The sea covering the arena grew calm, revealing the mountains and mineral piles buried beneath it.

"I don’t know," JE said at last.

His voice was quieter now, the usual lightness replaced by exhaustion.

"You invaded Tingo first. But later it was also you who protected Tingo and the wind whales."

"I don’t understand."

"I only know that every time another world invaded Tingo, they secretly contacted every Mountainbound leader."

"They said if you betrayed Tingo and led the Mountainbound away, your people could leave safely and settle in a new world."

"It would just be another world anyway. Among Antlers is gone. What difference does Tingo make?"

"Even Among Antlers was shattered in Tingo."

JE’s words stumbled over themselves as he tried to explain his confusion.

"It has nothing to do with the wind whales."

Autumn Deer answered simply.

"Frost Deer died in Tingo."

His voice remained calm, but beneath that calm lay a cold edge.

"You were there the day she died, weren’t you?"

"Her antlers became the two tallest mountains in Tingo. They shelter every Mountainbound."

"She believed she was the mother of all Mountainbound."

"I don’t know how the others see it. But if she believed it, then every Mountainbound must stay in Tingo and guard her."

"That’s why the Mountainbound never betray Tingo."

"That’s why the number of Mountainbound leaders keeps shrinking."

"Because every leader who agrees to leave Tingo gets killed by me."

Silence fell across the battlefield.

Every player stared at Autumn Deer in shock.

Even JE.

The whale’s eyes widened until he looked almost ridiculous.

Then he said awkwardly,

"Well... I think I know your divine talent word."

The coldness in Autumn Deer’s expression softened slightly.

"What is it?"

JE answered with perfect seriousness.

"Big Son."

Autumn Deer: "..."

The fight exploded again.

This time it was far more violent than before.

Autumn Deer had entered a half berserk state.

His body expanded until it matched the size of the wind whale.

His antlers crashed toward the whale again and again, ignoring every attack landing on his own body. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

This wasn’t simple anger.

Every player here was a veteran of countless battles.

No one would lose control over a few words and abandon their rhythm.

JE began retreating rapidly.

His eyes flicked toward the glowing butterfly resting on Autumn Deer’s antlers.

His opponent’s instructor was very likely Bitter Cup of the Butterfly Kiss race, known for assassination techniques.

If JE was correct, each of Autumn Deer’s attacks now had a chance to instantly kill him.

And physical strikes like these could not be controlled.

Autumn Deer pressed forward step by step.

"JE, if I win, I will execute the wind whales."

"There are sixteen of them. If twenty percent vanish, how many remain?"

To the players watching, Autumn Deer’s tone sounded cold and ruthless.

Yet anyone with experience could tell the threat did not ring entirely true.

Still, those words were enough.

JE lost his composure.

He stopped carefully managing his mana.

Instead of defending, he charged directly into Autumn Deer’s attacks, seizing the initiative again and again before the lethal strike could land.

The whale’s head slammed against the antlers.

The butterfly spirit perched on the antlers fluttered into the air and landed on the whale’s head.

Autumn Deer suddenly laughed.

"Do you know how I judge you?"

JE did not answer playfully this time.

Even if he suspected Autumn Deer might be bluffing, he could not suppress his anger.

"You shouldn’t joke about the wind whales."

The reflection of the wind whale filled Autumn Deer’s eyes.

He spoke slowly.

"Oasis."

"JE. Oasis."

Tears burst from the whale’s eyes.

Just like when he had been young, he still cried easily.

But light also ignited on his forehead.

He accepted the word.

At that same moment, Autumn Deer delivered his final strike.

He respected his enemy.

He respected his friend.

But he wanted to win too.

Blinding light erupted across the clock arena.

Every player on the spectator platforms held their breath.

When the light faded, the arena was empty.

Neither fighter remained.

The names Among Antlers Autumn Deer and Tingo JE vanished together.

On the clock arena below, they transformed into mountains and sea.