This Life, I Will Be the Protagonist

Meteorites, while rare, aren\'t entirely unobtainable. Through a broker, Rita managed to buy a pair of custom Desert Eagle meteorite pistols from a wealthy businessman. The price? A staggering $60 million, with no room for negotiation. The man had spent a fortune acquiring the meteorite and then more finding a craftsman skilled enough to forge a functional, working firearm—not just a display piece.

The Desert Eagles were modified to fire the impressive .50 AE caliber bullets, known for their ballistic performance and devastating stopping power. However, the magazine capacity was small, holding only seven rounds.

The wealthy man seemed hesitant to sell even after finalizing the deal, almost regretting his decision. He couldn\'t explain why he suddenly felt compelled to part with them.

He insisted that Rita buy both pistols, as they were a pair. Though the price far exceeded the value of a regular gun, Rita didn\'t hesitate to make the payment.

The **Meteor Desert Eagle** had a unique silver-grey sheen, the rough meteorite texture blending perfectly with the powerful, rugged design of the Desert Eagle. Rita instantly fell in love with it. Most importantly, the bullets were already part of her engineering recipe.

Once back at the hotel, she immediately stored the pistols in her **Magician\'s Fake Tooth**. Although the seller assured her that the radiation emitted by the meteorite was minimal, all she could think about was the seller\'s shiny, bald head.

Luckily, her engineering skills, even though not fully leveled yet, were sufficient to maintain the pistols until the third beta test.

With the pistols secured, Rita had already spent $620 million on bows, crossbows, and guns. She then spent another $200,000 custom-ordering 10,000 arrows, 50,000 crossbow bolts, and 7,000 rounds of Desert Eagle ammunition.

No one was willing to produce more than that, so she had to settle for the current amount.

With just over a billion left, she decided to diversify her purchases. Rita bought a variety of swords and shields as well.

Apart from the **Meteor Desert Eagle**, the rest of the collection totaled 60 weapons, each stored neatly in matching weapon crates inside her inventory.

Rita was confident that once the game invaded, even if just a few of these weapons mutated, she\'d easily make a profit.

Though not every purple-tier weapon would sell for thousands of gold coins, the market for such items was always in demand. Even a level 10 legendary weapon could sell for several times the price of a level 20 weapon due to the rarity and the market\'s scarcity.

However, legendary items, especially of this caliber, were priceless; even if someone offered the right price, the owner might not want to sell.

While she spent most of September in Vancouver, Rita didn\'t slack off on her alchemy studies. She left the logistics to her broker, who summarized information for her to review. She simply inspected the weapons, paid, and handled the paperwork.

After each purchase, she\'d take a drive, ensuring the weapons were safely stored away. Her broker, wise enough not to ask too many questions, respected her privacy.

Treating these shopping trips as mental breaks from studying actually improved her alchemy progress. Her daily experience gains increased from 5 points to 7 points. Still, she knew it wouldn\'t be enough to fully level up her advanced alchemy skills before the third beta test.

Speaking of which, the third beta was scheduled for **October 10th**, and Rick\'s wedding to Zoey was set for **October 18th**. Rita couldn\'t help but marvel at the synchronicity. Was the game itself celebrating their union? They got engaged just before the second beta, and now they were getting married right after the third.

Rita was determined to ensure Rick missed the third beta entirely.

On **October 1st**, Rita returned to Los Angeles. Her first order of business was treating the cats at her "Meow Meow Inn" to a special feast. During her absence, an automatic feeder had been left out, filled with high-quality cat food. While not as tasty as the meals she prepared herself, it kept the cats fed.

She placed bowls of warm meat broth on the ground and sat on the back steps, watching a tortoiseshell and tabby cat tussle over the food.

Even though none of the cats had brought her any gifts, Rita found comfort in hosting them. It became a way for her to relieve stress. When deep in thought, she\'d often sit quietly, watching the cats come and go.

With Rick now living in the same villa community, strangers couldn\'t easily enter. Rick\'s phone had been encrypted by Zoey, and her previous method of hacking into it during the second beta wouldn\'t work anymore.

Very few people knew about Rick\'s move, and although his good friend Julian had come to Los Angeles, Rick had merely lent him a small apartment he used for work. This was unlike the previous timeline, where Julian had stayed at the Wilson family\'s home. Without this cover, Rick couldn\'t easily shift the blame onto someone else.

After some thought, Rita decided she needed to establish an alibi for herself during the beta period. With **Phantom Shift**, basic mana potions that restored 60 MP, and her **Bottomless Coffee**, which replenished 500 MP, she could theoretically travel anywhere. With her base mana of 200, plus the potions, she could keep going as long as her body held up.

Of course, that was just the theory. She still wasn\'t sure how well her body and mind could handle the stress of teleporting repeatedly.

On the night of the 4th, Rita paid a visit to the Wilson family villa. Though technically Rick\'s new home, both Samuel and Scarlett had moved in as well.

"I\'ve been thinking about visiting Jiangcheng," she said casually. The family had grown used to her frequent travels by now. But Rita hadn\'t come just to say this. She shifted to a more serious tone, "I\'ve got some information on the closed betas. The first was on **February 2nd**, and the second on **June 6th**. A few of us think if there\'s a third beta, it\'ll follow a similar pattern.

Nothing happened on **September 9th**, but we think **October 10th** or **November 11th** could be key dates. You need to keep your phone with you 24/7 on those days."

Rick felt a surge of gratitude. For the first time, he felt a genuine sibling bond with Rita. Even Samuel and Scarlett were touched. Sure, Rita was frugal, but when it came to the big picture, she was generous and reliable.

Rick nodded earnestly. "I understand." He took Rita\'s hand, sincerely adding, "Thank you."

Zoey hadn\'t told him anything. He didn\'t believe that the Lopez family, with all their resources, couldn\'t have found similar information. Yet Rita had gone out of her way to share this with him.

Rita patted his hand. "If we all become players, you\'ll have more leverage in the Lopez family. Don\'t take any chances. And don\'t give me any of that sentimental nonsense—I\'m off."

Rick insisted on walking Rita back to her villa before heading home.