[{"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-535":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},1218998,1604,"Chapter 535: Dungeons and Chaos","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-535",535,"\u003Cp>A bright, sunny morning greeted the academy grounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The air was crisp but not biting, the lingering chill of winter softened by the slow but steady creep of spring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After yesterday’s whirlwind of stress, most people would probably choose to sleep in, drink tea, and let the day take its time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No — the best way to clear your head was to fill it with movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Get your blood pumping, focus on something physical, and let the lingering worries burn away with each step.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, as usual, I started with my daily morning jog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The wind swept past my cheeks, cool enough to keep me from overheating but warm enough to promise greener days ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patches of snow still clung stubbornly to shaded corners, but fresh grass was beginning to break through, and the once-bare trees had faint buds blushing on their branches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The academy’s stone paths gleamed under the sunlight, as if freshly polished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You know, man,\" a voice grumbled beside me, \"why do you always invite me to this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, you’re the only one who accepts,\" I shot back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lucas is free all the time for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s got his own priorities right now,\" I said with a smirk. \"And besides—\" I glanced at him, \"—you like training with me, don’t you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kagami groaned but didn’t deny it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As usual, he was here running beside me, the two of us jogging in sync along the academy park’s outer loop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, he’d struggled to keep up with my pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well... he was almost there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I was holding back — a little — but there were definite signs of improvement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His strides had gotten steadier, his breathing a little more controlled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haah...! Haah...!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Or maybe not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I shot him a sidelong look. His face was red, his breaths coming in short bursts, sweat beading along his brow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked like he’d been through a battlefield rather than a morning jog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why don’t we take a break for now?\" I suggested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gave me a flat, exhausted look before nodding once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright...\" he panted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I guessed he’d realized that trying to match my pace — like he usually did — would only end with him doubled over and puking into the nearest hedge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tch... man, just how do you always have that much energy?\" Kagami grumbled between gulps of air. \"I get that you’re strong, but at least try to sweat a little. You’re making the rest of us look bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How many times are you going to complain about that?\" I asked, keeping my breathing steady.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As long as I can’t keep up with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Eternity, then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shot me a flat glare, but it quickly broke into a chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I tossed him a cold canteen of water, and he nearly crushed the metal with how hard he squeezed it, swallowing more than half the contents in one go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sunlight caught on the lines of his toned, muscular frame, making him look like one of those training-ground posters the academy liked to hang around to inspire new recruits, though with his face it had the opposite effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So,\" Kagami said, lowering the canteen, \"what did you really want to talk about? You didn’t drag me out here just to make me suffer, did you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Was I that obvious?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re always obvious,\" he said with a faint smirk. \"You never really invite me to do anything unless it’s either training or on a whim. And even though we haven’t been friends for that long, I think I’ve got your personality pretty much figured out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is that so...\" I muttered. Guess I was more transparent than I thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well then, I won’t beat around the bush. Kagami, can I ask you for advice?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Advice about what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"About girls.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kagami froze. Blinked. Then his entire face twisted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This motherf—!?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why would you—YOU—ask me something like that, you bastard?!\" He jabbed a finger at me. \"The ever-so-great harem prince, the goddess-stealing menace himself, is asking me for advice about girls?! Are you mocking me?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Calm down, man! I didn’t mean anything by it! I just genuinely wanted to ask for advice about how to handle them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What sort of advice could you possibly need from me? Hate to admit it, but sorry, bud—I’ve got zero experience with girls.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You see, after what happened at the ball the other day, the girls have been a bit too... physical. And clingy. So, I wanted some advice on how you—naturally—make girls ignore you and give you some space for a bit, I’m sure it’s not just a bout appearance right? Afterall you and Clara were pretty close last time, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\".... Don’t talk to me from now on\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each semester, the academy held a set of mandatory examinations—designed not just to test knowledge, but to push students to the edge of their abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These weren’t your typical written tests; they were crafted to measure how well a student could wield their own unique traits, combat style, and problem-solving skills under pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the most infamous among them used to be the Duo Exam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The concept was simple in theory, brutal in practice: you’d be paired with a random partner—sometimes from your own class, sometimes from an entirely different tier—and the two of you would have to complete a mission together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It tested coordination, adaptability, and patience... mostly patience, especially when you got stuck with someone who thought \"teamwork\" meant \"let me handle this while you don’t die.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Duo Exam was no more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since the academy implemented the new Joint Evaluation Exam, the Duo trials were abolished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their place came a different set of challenges—most notably, the Dungeon Hunt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally reserved for second-years and above, it was now mandatory for first-years as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A controversial change, but the faculty claimed it would \"accelerate growth.\" Most students just called it \"accelerating the death rate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was definitely the better option than trying than the Duo exams in terms of combat adaptability though.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Master... why are you making me write all these celestial runes?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lavine was crouched over the forest floor, tracing glowing sigils into the dirt with meticulous strokes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice was sharp with complaint, though it almost didn’t match her delicate, almost porcelain face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I told you already—it’s for precaution.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand it’s for that lone demon, but... aren’t we in the middle of nowhere right now?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words echoed through the still air ofFlaxes Forest, a quiet woodland not far from a small border-town of theGermonia Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It sat at the edge of the borderlands between the empire’s territory and the academy’s jurisdiction—a place few would wander unless they had a reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lavine kept working, muttering like an old woman, even as the sigils she carved glimmered faintly against the soft moss and roots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sight was oddly amusing—her delicate light-blue hair catching the sunlight, her equally blue eyes narrowed in concentration, while her tone was pure exasperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand your curiosity,\" I said, \"but for now, just trust me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She huffed, finishing another rune before straightening up. \"Oh, right—by the way, Master... what happened to your face?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was probably talking about my hair—frizzed and singed in uneven clumps, as if it had been struck by lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let’s just say...\" I ran a hand through it, feeling the brittle strands, \"...I dodged a meteor over my head.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.......\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Act 4 – Chapter 2: Placed Chaos in the Dungeons]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then there was Stacia’s route—the one draped in crimson curtains, watched over by the ever-smiling clown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a while, I’d told myself I wouldn’t interfere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world had its own flow, and everyone around me... they were capable enough to handle their own futures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hands had been in too many threads already, pulling on strings that maybe should’ve been left alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s always a but.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d changed too much to just sit still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My very existence had already tipped the scales in subtle ways, my actions—however small—sending ripples that I couldn’t take back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And I knew there was a limit to how long I could keep ignoring the consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Specially with her warnings....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why are you buying that black mask, Riley?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I glanced up. Alice stood beside me, her head tilted, her curiosity worn plainly on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just wanted one,\" I replied. \"Haven’t had one since I was a kid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes lit up. \"Hm~ I see, I see. Let’s have matching ones, then!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go ahead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She spun toward the sales counter without hesitation. \"Excuse me! I’d like to buy four pieces of these, please!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shopkeeper, a gruff-looking man with tired eyes, nodded and began pulling out more masks—identical black cloth, simple but cleanly made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Why buy three more?\" I asked, watching her stack them carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I wanted to give them to the other girls~\" she said, that lilting tone of hers impossible to read—half teasing, half sincere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ehehe~\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I couldn’t help it—I reached out and patted her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alice closed her eyes, almost purring like a cat, a faint smile curling on her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somehow, this senior of mine always reacted the same way when I did that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I turned my attention back to my own mask, the black fabric cool and smooth in my hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I slipped it on briefly, testing the fit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faint scent of new cloth lingered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something like this... should do for now.\u003C\u002Fp>",1577,"2026-06-03T14:41:03.112Z",1,"novelbin.me","1c474eef1530957efaf5a6332850b85492dc14af74161cefbc5a2a675c143da6","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-645","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-644",727,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-cover.jpg"]