[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game":3,"chapter-how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-225":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1218367,1604,"Chapter 225: Light and Curses..","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-225",225,"\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light and darkness, white and black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If someone were to ask what color dominates the souls of others, most would find it difficult to answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, people can't be so easily categorized into two distinct shades.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world isn't divided into simple absolutes like good or evil; humans are more complicated than that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Life, as it turns out, is far more gray-an ever-shifting spectrum of morality, circumstance, and intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for Emilia-things were far simpler, if not stark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had been born with a divine gift, a blessing granted by the great goddess herself, that allowed her to see the world in a way no one else could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To her, the souls of people were laid bare, stripped of their pretenses and illusions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In her eyes, the world was divided into light and darkness, good and evil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The brighter a soul, the more righteous and blessed its bearer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The darker it was, the more corrupt, vile, and beyond redemption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This ability-this blessing-was not simply a passive perception; it was an inherent part of who she was. It shaped the very essence of her being.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Born with the sight to judge others, Emilia had grown up in a world of constant scrutiny, where everything was measured by the balance of light and shadow within a soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And as the Saintess of the Holy Church of Light, her judgments were not only absolute, they were sacred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her every action was guided by the belief that she was the herald of divine justice, a vessel through which the goddess would cleanse the world of sin and corruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was not just any mortal; she was the chosen one-the beacon of light meant to banish the darkness from the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'His soul is too pure...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought flashed through Emilia's mind as she made contact with Riley's hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was supposed to be a simple gesture-an innocent touch-but the moment her fingers brushed against his skin, something far more profound stirred within her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gasp escaped her lips, soft yet filled with awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could feel the overwhelming warmth of his soul, the radiant light that seemed to emanate from deep within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was unlike anything she had ever encountered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley's soul wasn't just bright-it was blinding, its purity almost unreal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt... foreign, as if it didn't quite belong to this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, at the same time, it was as if it should belong, as though the very essence of his being was meant to exist in perfect harmony with the world around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a serenity, a balance, in the light that exuded from him, so potent that it left Emilia's heart pounding in her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In all her years, never had she seen a soul like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this world, no matter what race or background, souls were always the same size, the only difference being the quality of the light or darkness that they carried within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Riley's?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His was different-so utterly, beautifully different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sheer magnitude of it was enough to make her question everything she had come to understand about souls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'He is loved by the goddess above.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the only conclusion that Emilia's mind could arrive at, and yet... something unsettled her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had never witnessed such an extraordinary brilliance, but there was something that didn't\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>fit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something that clashed violently with the purity she saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath the ethereal light, there was a shadow-no, more than a shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A darkness, vast and consuming, swirling like an endless abyss around the core of his soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her breath caught as her gaze delved deeper into that darkness, and a shiver ran down her spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was not ordinary darkness. It was something primal, ancient, and incomprehensible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The light inside him was so pure, yet it was suffocated, strangled by the all-encompassing void that surrounded it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that void... it wasn't passive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed to have a life of its own, pulsing with malevolent intent as if waiting for the perfect moment to snuff out the light entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What... is this?' Emilia's heart pounded faster, each beat filling her chest with a growing sense of dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had seen darkness in souls before-souls tainted by sin, by cruelty, by greed-but this? This was different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn't the usual corruption that came from a person's actions or thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was an external force, an alien presence that clung to Riley's soul, threatening to devour\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>it whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if two forces were waging a silent war within him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emilia's fingers trembled as she kept her hand on his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The purity of the light was undeniable-it was strong, resilient, and radiated a divine protection, like the embrace of the goddess herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, the darkness...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>it was suffocating, like a black hole that consumed everything it touched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could these two opposing forces coexist inside one person?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mind raced with questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How was he even alive? The clash of these energies-one of divine origin and the other of\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>unfathomable darkness-should have torn him apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'How did such a pure and bright soul.... Receive this level of curse....?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After spending the day giving the girls a thorough tour of the academy grounds, the evening crept in before any of us even realized it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun had begun its slow descent, casting a golden hue over the campus as the vibrant energy of the day mellowed into a more relaxed atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We had decided to take a well-earned break at Panda Café, a cozy spot that offered warmth and comfort away from the hustle of the academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we settled in, the girls quickly fell into conversation, their voices bubbling with\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>excitement and curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't long before all their attention had predictably shifted toward Rose and Seo, who\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>were both struggling to keep up with the unrelenting enthusiasm of their juniors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Senior Seo, is it true that your sword is so fast it can't be seen?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Probably...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Wait Senior Rose... Big bro saved you from thugs when you first met him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, he did. He was really cool back then~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm.... I never knew that...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As their conversation continued, the group exchanged more stories, questions, and laughter,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the bond between them growing naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, despite the camaraderie unfolding in front of me, I found myself sitting off to the side, distanced from their conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't that I didn't enjoy their company-far from it—but I had positioned myself at the edge of the group deliberately. I needed some space for the sake of my sanity. Being in the middle of a group of such lively and beautiful girls wasn't exactly a peaceful experience, and more than that, the attention it brought from every other student around us\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>was starting to wear on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From my vantage point, I could feel the weight of countless eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The males around the café were casting not-so-subtle glances in my direction, some filled with curiosity, others with what I could only describe as barely contained envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even all the girls around gave me no filter with their disgust and murderous glares...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fuck...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I should've realized it earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walking around campus with seven goddess-like beauties was bound to draw attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I focused my senses, the whispers around us became painfully clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I thought he was already dating Princess Snow?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Wait, wasn't he seeing Seo?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'He's the enemy of all humanity!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I heard for sure he was secretly dating senior Alice.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'No, no, it's definitely Rose, right?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That scum!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Don't tell me he's cheating on all of them... right?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Maybe he's dating all of them?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Seriously, just how many is he going to add to his list...?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'He's even targeting his own sister now...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What a creep. He's the worst.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'He deserves to die.' With every whisper, the web of lies and assumptions tightened around me like an invisible\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>noose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My already low social standing at the academy seemed to be on the verge of plunging even\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>further into disgrace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn't exactly expecting a hero's reputation, but the way things were shaping up, I was starting to look more like the academy's resident villain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Just how absurd can rumors get in such a short amount of time?' I mused with a bitter smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't really my first time being subjected to such absurdity, but even still I couldn't help\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but find it all too ridiculous...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nobles really do have a talent for creating chaos out of thin air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sigh... Anyways...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of letting the weight of their scrutiny bear down on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a slow, deliberate sip, I let the warm coffee I ordered slide down my throat, its\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>comforting bitterness grounding me amidst the storm of gossip swirling around. The warmth of the cup in my hands offered a strange sense of calm, and I focused my attention instead on the scene in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was on her third cup of tea by now, and I watched as she absentmindedly sipped from it while devouring the last slice of cake she had ordered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her wide, nervous eyes darted to me and then quickly away, as if she were afraid that meeting\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>my gaze for too long might turn her to stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Aren't you going to join them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I asked, raising an eyebrow as I gestured toward the group of girls animatedly chatting at the\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>next table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Enna, who was seated directly across from me, let out a nervous little laugh, her hands fidgeting with the edge of her teacup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eh-hehe... I already had my fill of getting to know the seniors earlier.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I guess that's true..., recalling how she'd been the most eager out of all the juniors to engage\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>with Rose and Seo during the campus tour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the others had kept a respectful distance-likely more out of formality because I was Reina's brother-Enna had been full of questions and bubbling enthusiasm, especially toward Rose and Seo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could still see how she hovered near them, captivated by their reputations and stories. In contrast, the others-Vanessa, Stacia, and Flamme-had maintained a polite curiosity, addressing me and the girls with the kind of detached respect one gives to someone of higher standing but without much personal investment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stacia and Flamme, though, had given me a bit more attention and familiarity than the rest,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but I knew it wasn't purely out of interest in who I was, but rather their own interest and\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>agenda... especially Flamme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her attempts at a lighthearted conversation with me all this time didn't quite mask the subtle\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>tension in her voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes darted me before quickly shifting back to her cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever it was she saw within me, it was probably enough to keep her captivated for the rest\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>of the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could see it in the way her eyes flickered every time she glanced my way-subtle, but the glow of power behind them was unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It's not like she can see the whole truth though...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had taken the precaution of wearing the [Item: Ring of Light] earlier in the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as that ring stays on, she shouldn't be able to detect any unforeseen darkness\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>personally inside me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which was a relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One less thing to worry about, especially given her ability to judge people based on the light\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and darkness within their souls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without the ring, there was no telling what she might've seen-how deep the shadows\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>actually went. Afterall I can't be too careful with her... especially considering she was the type to straight murder anyone on the spot once she saw darkness within them.... [Note: Foreign influence of divinity is currently scanning user...] [Note: User astral defenses cannot be activated. User soul level too low.] She's really taking everything onto account before starting any conversation huh....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nervous way her eyes glowed every time she looked my way wasn't just nervous energy. It was her power at work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although my experiment with her worked, now I couldn't help but feel a little bad for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emilia was probably doing this out of genuine curiosity—and even concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I couldn't ignore the reality of the situation. She's the only one who can help me deal with this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Emilia, with her divine blessing and ability to see the light and dark in others, was the only\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>one with the power to get rid of whatever influence Liyana had placed on me... probably...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was risky-I knew that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterall this was Liyana we were talking about, she's sure to detect something a-miss if she\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>really did something to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there wasn't another option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was my best chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the game, Emilia had been the key to Lucas's winning the battle against the evil god Erebil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had been the one with enough divine power to match, and in some cases, surpass, the forces of darkness that threatened to consume the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without her, Lucas would've never stood a chance in defeating the ancient evil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, she had even played an instrumental role in restraining Liyana, using her divine\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>abilities to hold her in place long enough for Lucas to land the finishing blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she was the same Emilia I knew from the game, then whatever she saw within me was\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>something she couldn't just ignore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She's probably already piecing things together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uhm... Senior Riley...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you... perhaps by any chance busy later?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, not really,\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She bit her lip, glancing around as if to make sure no one else was listening. The cafeteria was\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>bustling, but no one was paying us any mind at the moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"T-then...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She trailed off, her hands clenching tightly around the edges of her sleeves, fidgeting\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>nervously. The pink blush that colored her cheeks deepened as she seemed to struggle with her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, leaning in closer-so close that I could feel the warmth of her breath brush against my\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>neck-her soft voice soon followed as it entered my ear. \"Can you please meet me in my dorm room later...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was barely audible, but it sent a shock of surprise through me nonetheless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"D-don't worry, it'll be just the two of us... Please?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2360,"2026-06-03T14:40:38.925Z",1,"novelbin.me","9c24bfa0e9a8031b89d5dad8c8d6085257a5881e6bf89efab7193ec829caaa40","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-226","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-224",727,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-cover.jpg"]