[{"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-489":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},1218481,1604,"Chapter 489 - 2nd Year 2nd Semester","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-489",489,"\u003Cp>Morning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My dorm room at Killian Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaning against the cool frame of the window, I quietly watched as snowflakes drifted down from the cloudy sky, their slow descent almost meditative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The academy grounds, lightly dusted with fresh white, stretched out in familiar silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hadn’t been that long since I left for vacation—barely a few weeks—but somehow, everything looked both unchanged and subtly different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The grand spires of the academy still pierced the horizon, and the walkways bustled with returning students, but beneath that surface, something had shifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The walls had been cleaned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cracked stone tiles were freshly repaired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faint scent of wood polish and fresh plaster lingered in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Small details—quiet renovations, new signposts, enhanced barriers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear the faculty had finally taken time to patch up the literal and figurative damage this place had endured from all the chaos, scandals, and near-destructions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Made sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After everything the academy had been through last semester, they needed this reset.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still leaning against the glass, I took a sip of the warm morning tea that Yui had carefully brewed for me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soft herbal scent filled the air, offering temporary peace. I closed my eyes, hoping for a moment of clarity to organize my thoughts—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Shit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hand stopped mid-sip. My thoughts—no, my entire mind—went blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or maybe not blank. Maybe it was too loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m pregnant~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liyana’s voice echoed in my head like a curse that refused to fade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sing-song tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The way she smiled like she’d just gifted me a new pair of gloves instead of—whatever this was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She really said it. That wasn’t a dream. Not a hallucination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had only been one day since I’d returned to the academy... one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, it already felt like an entirely new storm of problems was gearing up to swallow me whole.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A deep sigh escaped me as I sat down on the edge of my bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was supposed to be the beginning of Act IV.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A narrative arc meant for steady progression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chance to regroup, to level up, to hone skills and prepare for the chaos looming ahead. Growth. Stability. Focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But instead of mental clarity and physical discipline, it seemed like what I really needed...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...was therapy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I could already tell—this arc wasn’t going to be about stat growth or combat milestones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, this was shaping up to be a training arc for my sanity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tch...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I clicked my tongue in frustration and let out a long, tired sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a really, really big chance that Liyana was just teasing me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That her words—\"I’m pregnant~\"—were nothing more than one of her typical outrageous jokes, a playful jab meant to leave me reeling and breathless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After spending nearly two full weeks with her over the vacation, closer than ever before, I wasn’t sure anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I used to think I had a solid grasp on her antics, that I could read through the layers of performance she wrapped herself in—but now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her actions no longer matched the Liyana I thought I knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That same girl who once looked at me with distant amusement now acted like a genuine partner—affectionate, even endearing at times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So... was that all an act? A game?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or had something changed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was always a good chance she was just playing around, keeping me on edge, twisting the knife the way she loved to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what if she wasn’t?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if she was being serious?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I tell the other girls?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then what?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the precautions I made—the cautious emotional walls, the quiet plans in place for when she inevitably became the final boss and my doom...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would all of that become meaningless?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If her heart truly beat for me now...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If her love was real...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she wasn’t the person destined to kill me...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Should I just let go of everything?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that I couldn’t even tell anymore was infuriating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t read her, couldn’t even hazard a proper guess. And it wasn’t just the ambiguity that annoyed me—it was the way it chipped away at the certainty I built around her role in the story.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything was going well lately. Too well. So for her to suddenly drop that bomb—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A child.... Makes sense I guess.... My luckless self could never leave me alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having a child was something in an entirely different league of trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That wasn’t a lighthearted prank—it was the kind of consequence that tore storylines apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But still... she probably was just joking, right? The way she said it—light, playful, and quiet enough that the other girls didn’t even hear her properly—it had to be a joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or was that exactly why she said it like that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shook my head, forcing myself to clear my thoughts before I went deeper into that spiral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No point. It would get me nowhere now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to redirect my focus—away from her, away from the hypothetical bombshells, and back toward what mattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Progress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mine—and the other main characters’.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This act, this new Chapter, was all about growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Growth that would decide the future. If I kept getting distracted by emotional noise, I’d only slow down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if Liyana truly was serious...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I’d just have to cross that bridge when it comes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until she meets Lucas, everything about her future remains uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And until then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No rash decisions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haah...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’How many times have I had this exact same thought about Liyana now?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That same frustrating loop of uncertainty, second-guessing myself over whether she’s serious, toying with me, or setting something into motion far beyond what I can see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before my thoughts could spiral again—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Young master, I’ll take my leave now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yui’s soft, composed voice brought me back. I turned slightly to acknowledge her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Also, a reminder,\" she continued, placing a gentle hand to her chest as she bowed respectfully. \"The opening ceremony will be held at nine o’clock sharp this morning. Although second-years and above are not required to participate, you are free to enjoy your time however you please, young master.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see,\" I said, nodding faintly. \"Thanks, Yui.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With another silent bow, she turned and exited my room, the soft click of the door closing behind her marking the return of silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I leaned again on the windowpane, my fingers lightly tapping the ceramic teacup Yui had prepared earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, snow continued to fall—endless, lazy flurries blanketing the grounds of the academy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Opening Ceremony, huh...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if triggered by the phrase, the image of snowy monsters flickered through my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Act 4, Chapter 1: Winter Golems]— that should be the current active event now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If my memory served me right, and if Evelyn’s guide on Lucas was still on track, then the first act of his arc should have already wrapped up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which meant the current scenario installed for today, the dungeon break at the ceremony, should be over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as I looked outside once more, at the thick, unmoving clouds layered like sheets of frost above the academy skies—something about it all made me pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The clouds didn’t seem to thin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air felt too still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked just like the beginning of the scenario in the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there was going to be a dungeon break, and if Ice-type Winter Golems started rampaging...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...I suppose I should be glad?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Reina and the other first-year heroines already present on school grounds, I wouldn’t need to personally intervene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’d be a perfect opportunity for them to grow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The script didn’t include any casualties either—at most, some injuries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If things really spiraled, Lucas’s protagonist aura should activate like always, letting him swoop in at just the right moment to protect and impress the girls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s what usually happens in this arc. Let him carry that burden. It’d help cement his bonds with the others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Should I watch?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A casual thought, but not a meaningless one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Keeping tabs on their growth—especially Emilia’s—was a necessity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her progress as one of the key pieces in the upcoming arcs was vital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even though I’d like to ignore the chaos for now, that wasn’t exactly a luxury I could afford in this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that I think about it...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since I returned, Evelyn has yet to contact me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s unusual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas and Janica and Evelyn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the timelines are aligned, they should’ve all returned to the academy around the same time I did. So why the silence?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did something happen during their return?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or... is Evelyn planning something?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rested my chin on my hand, thoughts swirling in speculation. Just as I was about to piece together a few possibilities—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shadow moved in front of me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A delicate, beautiful face suddenly leaned into view, catching me completely off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perfectly symmetrical features.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crimson red eyes that held a quiet storm of emotion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pale skin framed by sleek black hair, a few strands loosely falling across her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A face I knew all too well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Riley.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seo?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before I could say anything more, she smiled faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the next moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She leapt down from the edge of my window railing and stepped into my room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I instinctively stepped back, surprised by her sudden entrance, but Seo moved faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She closed the distance in an instant and wrapped her arms tightly around me, pressing her body against mine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stumbled slightly, and we both ended up falling to the floor, her still clinging to me like a lost kitten finding warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Sorry,\" she murmured softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s fine,\" I said, my voice calmer than I expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My gaze met hers as I looked up—Seo now sitting comfortably on top of me, her soft weight pressing gently against my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her cheeks were faintly flushed from the cold or maybe something else, and the morning sunlight peeking through the curtains brushed over her pale features, making her look almost ethereal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She really is incredibly beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I missed you, Riley...\" she whispered, her voice so quiet it almost got lost in the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled faintly. \"I missed you too, Seo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seo chuckled lightly, glancing at the odd position we found ourselves in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a strange peace in this moment—like the world had slowed down to let us simply exist beside one another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, in her usual reserved tone, she said something unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s train, Riley.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I blinked. \"...Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smiled slightly more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a flicker of playful mischief in her tone, but it was genuine. \"I want to train with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I laughed, unable to help myself. It seems my obsessive training habits have rubbed off on her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in her shy, introverted way, she was starting to express herself more honestly now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Seo, asking to train was like asking to spend time... to bond in the way she was most comfortable with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She likely talked to Master Beon as wel....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nodding in response to her request, I gently pushed myself up, and we both stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She quietly reached for my hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I took it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our fingers naturally intertwined, the way they always did—an unspoken ritual between us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no awkwardness, no tension. Just warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As we stepped out of the dorm room and into the snowy morning of the academy grounds, several students turned their heads to watch us pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But we both ignored it as usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hand in hand, we walked through the white-dusted paths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second semester of my second year at the Academy had officially begun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Notice: Demonic or Evil-Aligned Entity Detected in Proximity to the User.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Automatic Pre-Activation of Ultimate Skill: Divine Will.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Prepared to react upon any hostile behavior.]\u003C\u002Fp>",1946,"2026-06-03T14:40:38.926Z",1,"novelbin.me","623685f25ba093ef04e6e7a63474d3d1b11a1bed159bfe2371f62e648e58ca22","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-490","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-488",727,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-cover.jpg"]