How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

[Note: Trial of Choices Completed]

[Note: Congratulations you overcame your trial!]

[Rewards will be given accordingly by the end of the road]

[Road to the trails will now reopen]

[Note: Significant Roads will lead to other trials, user is recommended to avoid them as per persona protection]

[Note: Trial interference detected]

[Note: Trial reward re-evaluated]

[Note: You have leveled up!]

[Note: User soul skills are now shaking!]

[Note: Ego corruption noted….]

[Note: Divinity within you has risen]

[Note: Divinity + 1,000]

[Note: Skill: [Monarch's Will] is Synergizing with user soul divinity]

[Note: Skill: [Hero's Will] is Synergizing with user soul divinity]

[Synergized skill will now be combined!]

[Hidden skill unlocked!]

[Skill: Divine Will (Ultimate) acquired!]

[Skill: Effects and description Extensive…. Skill will now be summarized…]

[Skill: Divine Will (Ultimate)]

[Effect: Unleashes the divine might of the user, cutting off 90% of enemy status effects within a certain radius.]

[Evil Entity Enhancement: When facing an Evil entity, the user receives a 500% stat boost.]

[Commanding Presence: The user's words become absolute. All within the area of effect are compelled to obey the user's commands, regardless of their will.]

[Divine Ascension: The user's divinity skyrockets to 100%, amplifying all divine attacks. All power sources within the area of effect are converted into divine energy.]

[Destined path… re-established…]

[Forgotten Soul…. In progress]

[Lost rewards in progress…]

[Note: Lost Gifts (3) Requirements (2/3)]

[Note: Lost key detected at the end of the road….]

[Tutorial stage is now shaking….]

[Note: User assistance….!@!#!#!$!]

[Note: The Light is eagerly waiting for you]

[Note: An Evil god is warning you to not listen….]

.....

Opening my eyes, I was greeted by the familiar glow of the road—a translucent, almost ethereal path that stretched endlessly into the void.

Its light shimmered faintly, guiding the way forward, but to where? Nowhere in particular, it seemed.

Tsk…

If that really was the end of the trial, couldn't I have at least had the chance to leave flowers at Mother's grave?

Or maybe gotten some real answers instead of being dragged into that bizarre, trauma-inducing mess?

A proper explanation for why the game had to meddle so much in personal pain would've been nice.

"I feel like shit...."

Before I could dwell further on my frustration, the system notifications began to flood my vision.

[Note: Congratulations, you have unlocked a hidden skill!]

[Note: Bonus points have been rewarded!]

[Status points + 50]

[Note: EXP has been rewarded!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

….

...

....

[Status Info:]

[Name: Riley Hell]

[Race: Human]

[Level: 132]

[Strength: B [0/80]]

[Agility: B [0/80]]

[Endurance: C [0/60]]

[Luck: 0 [????]]

[Power: C [0/60]]

[Available Status Points: 45 + 50 + 59]

[Note: Congratulations, you have broken the level 130 threshold. Bonus points acquired!]

[Bonus points: +20]

[Available Status Points: 45 + 50 + 59 + 20]

[Total Status Points: 174]

[Access to Nirvana – 050/100]

The notifications stacked up endlessly, their significance clear: the rewards from the trials carried forward, just as they had in the game.

While some trials offered standardized rewards, like the Tempest Sword Trial, others could vary greatly depending on the choices made.

I should've been ecstatic.

This was exactly the kind of boost a character would kill for in the game, and by all accounts, I'd crushed it.

But as I scrolled through the avalanche of achievements, bonuses, and upgrades, my heart didn't leap with joy, nor did a smile cross my face.

Instead, a heavy emptiness settled in my chest.

Now that the trial was finally over, I expected the road ahead to be clear—the end should be within reach now, right?

At least, that's how it worked in the game. Once you cleared the trial, the way forward was a straight shot.

But as I looked at the path stretching before me, still cloaked in mist and uncertainty, reality gave me a harsh reminder: this wasn't just a game anymore.

The road was still in view, a winding trail leading into who-knows-what.

There was no instant resolution, no convenient cutscene to fast-forward me to the finish line. I had to walk, step by step, into the unknown, just as I'd done up until now.

Well, I expected as much. Nothing had been simple so far, and it didn't look like it would be anytime soon.

"I'm tired…" I muttered, my voice barely audible over the quiet hum of the air around me.

The weight of months—literal months—spent reliving old memories in that godforsaken trial weighed heavily on my mind.

Each moment had felt like a lifetime, dragging me through emotional highs and lows I wasn't sure I'd wanted to revisit.

Without even realizing it, I found my body collapsing onto the trail's hard, yet surprisingly warm, ground.

It wasn't soft, not in the slightest.

The uneven texture of the earth pressed into my back, but somehow it felt...comforting.

Maybe because it was real—tangible proof that I was no longer trapped in the trial's endless loop of memories.

Even though my body was buzzing with energy, brimful of power that I knew I should be checking out right now, my mind? It was shot.

I stared up at the hazy sky above me, letting the tension drain from my muscles.

There were too many things I needed to do.

Too many things I had to confirm and re-confirm.

The notifications in the system—the ones I'd archived during the trial—were waiting for me, full of information I likely couldn't afford to ignore.

But…

"A little rest won't hurt, right?"

I closed my eyes, letting the world fade for just a moment.

The weight on my chest lightened ever so slightly, as if the universe was giving me permission to pause.

...

The air was warm, carrying a gentle breeze that made the day feel more alive.

It was the kind of weather that made you want to stay outside just a little longer, as if soaking in the sun would keep all your worries away.

Truly, it was a perfect day—a day that practically begged for a refreshing outing, especially now that the academy had hit the weekend.

But for a senior like Alice Holloway, who was already drowning in tasks to ensure her graduation from the prestigious academy, leisure wasn't exactly an option.

Not with her magical thesis looming over her like a storm cloud.

Still, her thoughts had drifted far from academic priorities.

"This is strange~" she muttered, tapping a finger against her chin in thought.

"Hmm~ whatever could be strange, my dear master~?" came the smooth, teasing reply.

Alice's golden eyes flicked over to her familiar, Cheshire.

His ever-present mischievous grin stretched from ear to ear, his emerald eyes gleaming with the kind of amusement that made Alice instantly suspicious.

His floating, disembodied head swirled lazily in the air, leaving trails of smoke in its wake.

She sighed dramatically. "Junior… Just when is that perv—I mean idiot… No, wait. That cute—uh, handsome? Ugh!" Her cheeks flushed faintly as she fumbled over her words. "When is that junior of mine coming back? You weren't lying to me when you said he'd only be gone for a few days, right, Cheshire?"

Cheshire's grin somehow managed to grow wider, the corners of his mouth curling up like a cat that had just cornered its prey.

"My~ my~ why would I ever lie to you, Master~? Especially about something as entertaining as Riley. Every bit of information I've told you came directly from my ever-useful clones, you know~" He paused, as if for dramatic effect, before adding, "That Shadow Knight that visited him was quite clear with her demands. Even I'm curious as to why your precious junior hasn't returned yet~ maybe the emperor is just as intrigued with him as we are to him~"

Alice narrowed her eyes, her brow furrowing as she crossed her arms. "Is that so?" she murmured, her tone skeptical yet tinged with concern.

Cheshire floated closer, his smoky form drifting like a wisp of mischief. "Indeed~ If you're so worried, Master, perhaps you should go and fetch him yourself~? Or do you simply enjoy pining from afar~?"

"Maybe I should?" Alice murmured, tilting her head slightly, her pink hair cascading over her shoulder. "The empire's capital isn't that far from here, right? With your charm and a bit of stealth spells, we could slip into the imperial palace without anyone noticing. Or…" Her golden eyes gleamed with a spark of inspiration. "We could just open a small rift for a much safer method. It'd cost a ridiculous amount of mana, sure, but it's totally plausible, no? Maybe—"

She kept rambling, her voice growing more animated with each idea that popped into her head.

Cheshire, floating leisurely beside her, watched his excitable master with a grin that threatened to split his face in two.

His emerald eyes flicked over her golden ones, which shimmered with excitement as she imagined all the ways she could reunite with Riley.

It was ridiculous, of course.

Directly entering the imperial palace was borderline suicidal, even with their combined strength.

Yet the sheer determination she had to make it sound plausible was enough to keep him thoroughly amused.

To think Alice would consider such an impossible idea just for that junior of hers… 'She's far too gone~', he thought with a quiet chuckle.

"You truly miss him that much already, Master~?" Cheshire's voice dripped with teasing sweetness. "And here I thought you were still in denial about what happened~"

Alice froze, her words stumbling as a deep blush crept across her face. "Wha-What? Who says I miss him? I'm j-just concerned about why he hasn't come back yet, that's all!" She crossed her arms, her voice defensive but losing none of its usual sharpness. "And anyway, you've noticed the White Queen's movements lately, haven't you? That blank-faced, world-ending monster is searching for Junior too! We need to be extra careful and make sure he's safe at all times!"

Cheshire chuckled, his head tilting playfully as a small puff of smoke escaped his lips. "My, my~ Your way with words has certainly grown, Master~ Such conviction, such dedication~"

"It's true!" Alice huffed, her cheeks puffing out like an annoyed child. "I mean it! It's not about missing him or anything ridiculous like that! It's just… It's—"

"Then why are you sleeping on his bed right now?" Cheshire's sly voice interrupted, a teasing lilt in his tone.His floating head tilted slightly, emerald eyes gleaming with amusement. "In fact, why are you even in his room, uninvited and without permission, hmm~?"

Alice froze, her breath catching in her throat. Her face turned a deep, crimson red, the truth of his words hitting her like a spell gone wrong. She was indeed lying on Riley's bed, her arms wrapped tightly around one of his pillows as if clinging to his warmth.

And all of this has been going on for the past few days now as well….

"I-I mean… since no one else is using his r-room—and my room has already been compromised by some of the White Knights—this place is the safest spot in the academy right now!" she stammered, her voice rising an octave as she desperately tried to justify her actions.

"Sure~"

Alice buried her face in the pillow she had been hugging, hoping it would somehow hide her embarrassment.

Cheshire watching his master trying to come up with excuses once more, tried his best to hide the almost bursting laughter out of him.