[{"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-400":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},1218692,1604,"Chapter 400 400: Silent Invitation","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-400",400,"\u003Cp>\"Shit… where am I now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words escaped my lips in a breathless whisper, echoing faintly through the endless void around me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked, once—twice—but nothing changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utter, consuming black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stood—or at least I thought I was standing—in the middle of an empty space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no ground beneath me, no ceiling above, and no horizon to anchor my senses. Just… dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the soft, soothing kind that comes before sleep. No, this was thick and silent, like it had swallowed light itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I spun around slowly, trying to get some sense of where I was, but it was all the same. No wind. No sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cheshire…!!! Alice!!\" I called out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No reply came, but now I can confirm this wasn't a random prank from that whimsical cat….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't like I'd done anything to trigger this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last few days had been calm—remarkably so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'd been taking it easy, recovering, spending time with Alice, indulging in the kind of peaceful routine I didn't think I'd ever have in the White Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rest, meals, training in moderation, the occasional kiss that spiraled into hours I didn't mind losing with her… everything was going well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too well, maybe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that I was conscious here, in this dark realm, meant a few things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was another conscious dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the kind I'd fallen into before when something was trying to reach out to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was one of those strange cross-realities—a fragmented piece of another version of myself bleeding into my current one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or three:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just another damn nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haah…\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I sighed heavily, rubbing my temple, though even that action felt odd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like I wasn't really touching anything. Like my body didn't quite exist here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Honestly, I should've seen this coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of random crap always happens to me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weird, the surreal, the existentially unnerving—it's just part of my life at this point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I didn't expect it to happen this soon, not when things finally started settling down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is she finally inviting me to her realm?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to reach inward—toward my soul, toward the divine thread Erebil left behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn't feel her presence at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No whisper of her dark divine energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No lingering echo of her voice or influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant… this wasn't her doing. This place wasn't tied to her domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A bit ironic, honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She's the primordial darkness of the world, and yet this realm—this deep, dead quiet—felt less like her darkness and more like a void born of absence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a place where not even darkness wanted to reside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was unsettling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if this wasn't her domain, then whose was it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And why the hell was I here?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deciding that staying still would get me nowhere, I took a step forward into the endless dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My stomach twisted as if the floor beneath me vanished, and I was falling—weightless, soundless, and utterly disoriented.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment of vertigo gripped me before the scenery around me began to shift—fading like static, then reconstructing in a blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black void peeled away like curtains, revealing something almost too surreal to believe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hazy vision adjusted slowly, and I found myself no longer falling—but seated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A firm but comfortable wooden chair supported my body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath my hands, I felt the smooth surface of a polished mahogany table stretching before me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single white porcelain plate sat centered, carrying a perfectly cooked steak—garnished with sprigs of rosemary and glistening under the flickering light of a crystal chandelier above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside the plate was silver cutlery placed with impeccable etiquette, and a tall, narrow glass filled with blood-red wine shimmered beside it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the setting of a meticulously arranged fine dinner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elegant. Refined. Eerily quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What…?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My mind struggled to make sense of the sudden shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One moment I was lost in the void, the next, I was seated in what looked like an otherworldly version of a high-class dining room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then a voice broke the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Welcome,\" it said calmly, \"I hope the sudden invitation didn't frighten you too much.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I looked in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting directly across from me was a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—something that looked like a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wore a black, skull-shaped mask devoid of any expression, but somehow, I could tell he was smiling behind it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His posture was dignified, almost noble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A long, black trench coat draped elegantly over his shoulders, and beneath it, a tailored black suit hugged his frame with crisp perfection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He held a glass of wine in one gloved hand, swirling it idly as if this was just another quiet evening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with the mask, there was something unsettlingly charismatic about him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Composed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could respond, another voice rang out—sharper, higher in pitch, and definitely annoyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"See? This is why I told you to at least try to contact him first!\" the voice snapped. \"Now look at him—all confused like a headless chicken!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned to my right, and only then noticed the presence of a child-sized figure sitting nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She wore a mask too—but unlike the smooth, almost elegant black skull the man had, hers was twisted, more demonic in design.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horns curled from the sides, and jagged carvings were etched into its surface like markings of some ancient language.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite her small frame and the childish tone, the energy around her made the air feel sharp, like she could flay someone with a glance if she wanted to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her short legs swung beneath the chair, not quite reaching the ground, and her arms were crossed with dramatic irritation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You're so theatrical,\" she grumbled at the man, then turned to me with a dismissive wave. \"Don't mind him. He always does this. Thinks dropping people into existential darkness before dinner is somehow 'classy.'\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man let out a soft chuckle, still swirling his wine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I find it dramatic. Memorable. And considering who he is… he can handle a little suspense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their conversation was casual, almost playful, but the weight in the room said otherwise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something about them was off—too composed, too… aware.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoever—or whatever—they were, they clearly weren't ordinary beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stayed silent for a moment longer, mind catching up with everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The sudden invitation couldn't be helped,\" the masked man said calmly, resting his wine glass on the table with a soft clink. \"The codex of the world seems to be heavily protective of him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tsk!\" the young girl scoffed beside him, clearly annoyed. \"There are many ways to bypass that kind of restriction. You're just lazy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man turned slightly toward her, his head tilting in mock amusement. \"Oh, I did try last time,\" he replied, voice still smooth and composed. \"But any further interference would've drawn her attention. Would you want that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That comment clearly struck a nerve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl's body tensed ever so slightly, as if something unpleasant had just brushed her thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mouth opened like she was about to retort, but she merely clicked her tongue in irritation and turned away, arms crossed once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was then another voice entered the fray—this one calm, sultry, and soaked in the kind of grace that only age and power could cultivate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You two really ought to mind your manners in front of a guest~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone was smooth, teasing almost, but beneath it was a subtle pressure that commanded attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned instinctively toward the source and realized—much like the young girl earlier—I hadn't even noticed her presence until she spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had been sitting quietly to my right, legs crossed, posture relaxed but regal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mask, like the others, was also skeletal—but unlike the simple black skull or demonic child's version, hers was more ornate, shaped like the skull of a goat, complete with polished curved horns and intricate carvings etched around the eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thin, black lace dress clung to her figure with sensual elegance, dipping just low enough at the chest to reveal a modest hint of cleavage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her deep crimson hair fell in gentle waves down one shoulder, a striking contrast against her midnight attire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She leaned slightly forward, her voice warm and velvety.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young human,\" she said, her tone almost playful, \"please forgive these two's rudeness. I'm sure you're terribly confused, but do not worry—you're not in any danger~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That part I could already tell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of them exuded malice or killing intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, there was a strange sense of neutrality in the air—like ancient beings simply observing, rather than intervening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that didn't mean I could trust them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Who are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her masked face tilted ever so slightly, and she gave a soft hum of amusement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh my,\" she said, sounding vaguely flustered. \"It seems I forgot my manners as well.\" She placed a hand elegantly on her chest as if preparing to formally introduce herself. \"My name is—Hec@!#—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden static cut through her words like a jarring glitch in reality, as if the very laws of the world had reached out to mute her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air shimmered with distortion for a split second, and then settled again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"…Hmm,\" she muttered, unfazed. \"It looks like the laws of causality won't allow us to share our names with you yet. That's… inconvenient.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who cares about names anyway?\" the masked girl snapped, still clearly annoyed. \"He'll figure it out later. He always does.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man chuckled faintly at that, reclining a bit in his seat. \"Indeed. Let the story unfold on its own terms.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I frowned, trying to piece it all together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I'd never seen or heard of these three before—not in the game, not even in the DLC's, not even in the long-forgotten lore logs buried in the back corners of the game...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were complete blanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unknowns.\u003C\u002Fp>",1639,"2026-06-03T14:40:38.925Z",1,"novelbin.me","f4a3a8da63936ba4f2eb9fb54b96cb6b2bdb08eeffa01d9635295e3f57e488cb","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-301","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-399",727,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-cover.jpg"]