How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Blue electrical energy crackled and surged around the sheath of my blade, arcs of lightning dancing like serpents eager to be unleashed.

My mana ignited in an instant, coursing through my veins like wildfire.

The world around me dulled and slowed, as though time itself had taken a breath.

I inhaled deeply—

and exhaled, slipping into a fluid martial stance that had long since been carved into muscle memory.

With a flick of my wrist, I released the technique now etched into the core of my being, encrypted into my very soul by the one who came before me.

[Hidden Blade: First Form]

[Blue Moon]

—FLASH!—

SWIISSHHH!!!

A crescent of pure electric-blue energy sliced forward through the air, silent at first, then screaming across the clearing in a streak of light. My blade returned to its sheath in the same heartbeat the arc was released, the metallic click echoing like a gunshot.

BOOM!!

The shockwave erupted half a second later.

The entire forest line in front of me—dozens of trees thick and tall—was cleaved cleanly in half.

The upper halves slid, almost gracefully, before crashing to the ground with a thunderous rumble.

A puff of smoke escaped my lips as I exhaled slowly.

My breath turned to mist in the air, mingling with the residual static buzzing around me.

Faint streaks of lightning still flickered between the fallen trunks, dancing across branches and roots like ghosts of the technique just unleashed.

This was the back side of our home—normally quiet, untouched, blanketed by snow this time of year.

But today was an unusual break.

No snow, clear skies.

The sun peeked out from behind the clouds, and I figured there wouldn’t be a better time to train.

Especially not after everything that’s happened in the last three days since I returned.

My overall specs…

They’d definitely improved….

“Though… I might need to fine-tune my mana output before trying this in a real battle.”

It was strong, but inefficient… using too much mana on the first technique would be pointless in a real battle.

Although the other me—had left behind a good portion of his memories and experiences, enough for me to carry on and sharpen this technique…

Knowing something and applying it are two very different things.

Theory can’t teach instinct.

But even so I was glad, that I could wield this technique naturally.

I could feel it—the slight inconsistency in the way my body moved.

My swings were sharper, faster, but… uneven.

Not in the form itself, but in how my strength and precision didn’t quite sync up the way they used to.

Like my body was trying to catch up to something that had already changed without asking for permission.

Yeah… I guess my new stats are messing with my control a bit.

It wasn’t anything too serious.

But I could tell that the sudden jump in performance was throwing off the rhythm I’d already honed.

My body was stronger—but my movements needed to recalibrate.

A few days of focused training should loosen up the kinks and smooth out any lingering disharmony in my form.

I took a moment to check my current status window.

[Name: Riley Hell]

[Race: Human… (????)]

[Level: 176]

[Strength: S (???)]

[Agility: A (0/100)]

[Endurance: A (0/100)]

[Luck: 0 (????)]

[Power: B (0/80)]

[Available Status Points: 55]

Same as last time.

No real change in numbers—mostly because I haven’t had the time to level up properly.

With the girls around, going off to grind dungeons or sweep monster nests wasn’t exactly the smartest idea. Not that I couldn’t handle it—but the aftermath was more troublesome than it’s worth….

Still…

The strange thing was that I could tell I’d gotten stronger.

Noticeably stronger, in fact.

Even without training.

Even without leveling up.

Just existing… breathing… living through each day felt like it added something to me.

It was subtle—almost imperceptible to a normal person—but I wasn’t normal anymore, was I?

That creeping sensation of change wasn’t just in my muscles or my magic. It was deeper.

Under the skin, beneath the mana circuits. In the very soul.

It happened last time as well but I guess the question marks beside my race, really isn’t just for show.

Something was happening to me. Slowly, silently.

I didn’t know what I was becoming, but it was inevitable.

A shift that had already begun to unravel my humanity thread by thread.

And yet, it wasn’t something I could rush.

The path of Ascension—

I hadn’t reached its first true peak. Until I crossed that threshold, until the first Sequence Absorption triggered, this evolution would stay incomplete… dormant.

For now, at least.

So, there was no point in overthinking it yet.

Still—

I couldn’t shake the feeling that the clock was ticking faster now.

Whatever I was changing into…

It was getting closer.

And soon, I’d have to decide whether I welcomed that change—

Or fought against it.

“Riley!”

That familiar voice echoed across the quiet expanse of snow-dusted ground. Turning toward it, I caught sight of Alice, bundled in a winter coat that fluttered slightly as she approached. Her pink hair peeked out from beneath a knit hood, swaying gently with every graceful step she took toward me.

“…Alice.”

It had only been a few hours since our slightly awkward breakfast together with the rest of the household.

After Liyana had gleefully dragged me downstairs, I was more or less tossed into a morning ambush.

Greetings, stares, curious smiles—the kind that carried more meaning than they let on.

No one said it outright… but the whole mansion clearly knew what happened last night between me, Rose, and Snow.

I was just thankful Liyana hadn’t made a bigger deal out of it.

Alice stopped in front of me, her breath forming soft clouds in the crisp winter air. “Looks like Rose and Snow still can’t get out of your room,” she said with a teasing lilt. “Really, Riley, I think you got too intense with them…”

I gave her a helpless shrug. “It’s impossible to hold back with those two, you know.”

She paused, then nodded slowly as if understanding. “…Yeah. I guess that’s true. You couldn’t even hold back against me, after all. Hehe~”

I smirked. “I think you were the one riding me by the end though. Weren’t you the one begging for it as well?”

Alice instantly turned red, flustered beyond saving. “T-That’s not true…!”

“I’m kidding, relax.”

I couldn’t help but laugh quietly.

Teasing her was always fun—especially when she blushed like this.

She was trying to act composed, but the way she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and refused to meet my eyes betrayed everything.

“W-What…?” she asked cautiously, noticing my gaze lingering.

“Nothing,” I said, offering a slight grin. “I just thought your coat matches your pink hair perfectly.”

Her eyes widened a little in surprise. “…Really? You think so?”

“Mhm. It looks good on you.”

“I-I see… Maybe I should buy a few more of this color then…” she mumbled, glancing down at herself shyly, clearly pleased but doing her best to hide it.

The way her voice softened… the subtle smile forming on her lips… yeah, I’d definitely hit a weak spot.

Although Alice was technically my senior at the academy, for some reason…

I just couldn’t help but see her as a cute junior.

Maybe it was the way she spoke, or how easily she flustered. Maybe it was simply how she acted around me.

There was always something endearing about her—something soft beneath all her pride.

“Is Liyana not with you?” I asked, tilting my head slightly. “Didn’t she drag you off right after breakfast?”

I had assumed the two of them were still together.

Alice shook her head gently, the wind catching her pink hair.

“No. Liyana went straight home after breakfast. Before she left, she just told me to ‘take care of you for the time being,'” she said, mimicking Liyana’s tone with playful exaggeration.

I blinked. “…She went home already?”

“Mhm.” Alice nodded. “Oh—right. She also told me to apologize to you. Something about leaving without notice. Apparently, she was in a bit of a rush.”

“I see… that’s a bit disappointing…”

Alice chuckled, then stepped past me, her gaze shifting toward the trees in the distance.

Her eyes widened slightly, and she let out a low whistle as she saw the sliced stumps and scattered debris from my earlier attack. “Whoa… Did you do all this?”

“Not all of it,” I said, shrugging. “I was just warming up, honestly.”

She raised a brow.

“Warming up, huh? you really are such a training freak~”

Then with a mischievous grin, she placed her hands on her hips.

“Even after leveling half the forest? you’re already quite the monster you know~?”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“No, no~ I mean it in the best way,” she said, walking closer again. Her golden eyes sparkled a little. “With how powerful you really are, I guess something like this is just child’s play, right?”

Her voice had a hint of mock admiration in it, as if she was teasing me—yet beneath the playful tone, I could sense something more sincere.

Seeing her act all proud like that… it made me smile without realizing it.

“Thanks,” I said simply. “I’ll go back to training then… Want to join?”

Alice shook her head, her soft pink hair swaying with the motion.

“Nope~” she replied with a teasing lilt, then smiled a little more earnestly. “Well… to be honest, I do want to spend more time with you—as much as I can. Especially since the others have kind of… held me back lately.”

She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, then looked at me with a trace of guilt in her eyes.

“But Rose, Snow, and I have to greet the Grand Duke this afternoon. So this is probably the only spare time I’ll have today. That’s why I wanted to come see you… just for a bit.”

“You’ve got business with the Grand Duke too?” I asked, a bit surprised.

“Not exactly,” she replied, her voice softening. “Only Rose and Snow have official reasons to go. But since I’m already staying close by… I thought I’d go greet Liyana’s parents out of courtesy. It just felt right, you know?”

She let out a small sigh, her shoulders slumping slightly as she continued.

“But it still sucks. Right after that, Cheshire wants me to head back into the White and Red Realm to finally finish formalizing everything and fix all the remaining mess over there. Ugh… seriously.”

She folded her arms, her expression turning into a pout.

“It’s unfair. This winter was supposed to be a short vacation—a time to relax, spend time with you, maybe even have a few quiet moments together.” She kicked at the snow lightly. “But now? There’s just too much to do every single day… I barely have time to breathe.”

Then she muttered under her breath, cheeks tinged pink, “Maybe I should’ve just forced myself into your bed last night…”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at that, amused by both her frustration and boldness. “You really sound like you’re on the edge.”

“You think?” she said with mock sarcasm, then sighed again. “I mean it, Riley. I know everyone’s busy, and I know we all have our roles to play, but… I still wanted to be greedy with my time with you.”

I chuckled softly, genuinely relating to Alice’s frustration.

As good as the past few days had been—filled with warmth, affection, and unexpected peace—it didn’t mean they hadn’t been exhausting in their own right.

Even today, I was already juggling a mountain of unexpected plans and commitments.

It felt like every time I tried to sit down and organize my thoughts, someone or something would barge in with a new problem, a new request, or just pure chaos.

I couldn’t even formalize a proper plan for the future without having to account for sudden interruptions—each one more bizarre or urgent than the last.

Still… at least the clan head of the Gyeoul Clan hadn’t shown himself yet.

That bought me a little more time—time I could use to train and adapt to the shift in my stats.

Every small moment mattered now.

My thoughts briefly drifted to that blank letter I was handed a few days ago.

That strange red-haired woman…

At first, I was confused—thought it might’ve been a prank. But now, in hindsight, I remembered something.

In the Eastern Empire, a blank paper like that was a silent agreement… a traditional signal of an impending duel between nobles or powerful figures.

No wonder she seemed familiar. Maybe she wasn’t just some random background character.

I might’ve caught glimpses of her before—lingering in the distance at events or gatherings.

If she was a messenger from the Gyeoul Clan, then things were already starting to move behind the scenes.

I sighed. That meant I had to be even more prepared.

“I should probably go now, Riley…” Alice’s voice brought me back to the present. “Rose and Snow are still resting, but, well… girls’ preparations are sacred, you know?”

“I see… Goodbye for now, then,” I said, giving her a small nod.

“Just ‘goodbye’?” she said, pouting up at me with a mix of playful complaint and expectation.

I couldn’t help but smile. It was obvious she wanted a bit more attention before parting.

And honestly… she deserved it.

She had held herself back more than I realized.

Closing the distance between us, I leaned in and kissed her gently. She responded immediately, wrapping her arms lightly around my neck as we shared a soft but meaningful moment.

Pulling back slightly, she whispered with a smirk, “You need to pamper me like the others tonight, okay?”

“…Sure,” I murmured, feeling a little heat rise to my cheeks.

Shit… Am I going to have another sleepless night?

Not like I hated the idea, but—damn—it was starting to feel like I was training during the day and getting ‘drained’ at night.

Still, I wasn’t complaining… much.

“Well then, bye bye Riley~” she sang playfully, waving over her shoulder as she turned and made her way back to the mansion.

I waved one last time before turning around myself, the warmth of the kiss still lingering on my lips.

Alright… enough of that.

Now that I had some time, I needed to shift my focus.

It was time to start mastering the rest of the Hidden Blade techniques.

No more delays.

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