[{"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-689":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},1218908,1604,"Chapter 688: Frozen Trials 2","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-689",689,"\u003Cp>Riley had always known that faith would eventually become a factor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Divinity did not exist in a vacuum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was sustained, amplified, and shaped by belief—by the collective will of those who looked upward and placed their hopes, fears, and madness onto a higher existence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a factual concept, one even Eris had mentioned to him in passing long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not as a warning, but as a matter-of-fact truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even back in the game, though the mechanics were never fully expanded upon, Riley had understood it clearly enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gods could grow through fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through belief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through followers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, for an ascended being like him, it was only a matter of time before that path opened as an option.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t have many routes left to grow stronger—not with Erebil looming ahead like an inevitable calamity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If faith could become fuel, then logically, it was not something he could afford to ignore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it wasn’t inherently evil either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least... that was what he had always believed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was something else entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley stood frozen as black, smoke-like wisps rose from the lifeless bodies scattered across the frozen floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dark substance twisted unnaturally, as if guided by an unseen will, before drifting toward him—into him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The system notifications appeared relentlessly before his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His divinity climbed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steadily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too rapidly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then he saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sheer amount of divinity pouring into him made his chest feel heavy, as if something vast and alien had settled deep within his core.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t painful—but it was unmistakably wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley frowned, his mind racing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten thousand divinity from a handful of dead cultists?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alone defied everything he knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even established gods required entire nations, centuries of worship, and carefully maintained doctrine to amass that kind of power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Erebil’s followers could only probably provide her one or maybe 10 divine energies upon death...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t even know how this happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had never declared himself a god to them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never accepted their prayers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never answered a single plea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He doesn’t even know them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did their deaths feed him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why did the system recognize them as his followers?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze shifted slowly to the old man, who was still laughing madly, kneeling amidst the corpses with tears of bliss streaming down his wrinkled face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chilling realization crept into Riley’s thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These people hadn’t been worshipping a god.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had been worshipping an anomaly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something undefined. Something unclaimed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And somehow—whether through coincidence, misunderstanding, or fate’s twisted sense of humor—they had latched onto him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...This is bad,\" Riley muttered under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because of the power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But because of what it implied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faith, once given, was not easily severed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And once the universe established and acknowledged a method of faith, it did not simply disappear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If belief was accepted—if it was recognized by the laws of providence themselves—then Riley would be bound to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the terrifying part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faith was not just prayer or devotion; it was a contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One written by causality, enforced by the universe, and sealed the moment divinity flowed in response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And judging by the methods these people used—the sacrifices, the suffering, the obsession—it was not a foundation he wanted any part of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, methods of worship could be changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But once established, the laws did not bend quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Providence was slow, methodical, and cruelly fair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Undoing what had already taken root would take time... and consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is getting a lot more troublesome than I thought...\" Riley muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As far as he knew, he had done nothing that would justify being prayed to as a god—especially not as an evil one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even with all the rumors surrounding him, even with the chaos he dragged along like a shadow, there was nothing that should have pushed anyone to kneel before him in worship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to this extent. Not to the point of fanaticism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His divinity itself wasn’t holy, but it wasn’t malicious either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It existed in between.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An anomaly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"O–Oh great being!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice snapped Riley’s thoughts apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man—the last remaining worshipper—prostrated himself on the frozen ground, his forehead striking the ice again and again as his body trembled with unrestrained ecstasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tears streamed down his face, freezing as they fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"H–How could I be blessed with your esteemed presence...! This foul mortal world is not worthy of you~!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley stared at him, his expression flat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Sorry, but I’m not your lord.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"N–Not my l–lord...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a heartbeat, silence hung heavy in the frozen hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A thin, broken laugh escaped the old man’s throat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Hahahaha...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The laughter grew louder, sharper, echoing madly through the dungeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes... yes yes yes yes—that must be it! Of course! There’s no way our lord would descend here personally! Gahahaha!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes snapped open, bloodshot and gleaming with unhinged revelation as he locked onto Riley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s no way that majestic siphon could ever come from a mere human... yes, yes, that explains it... your unreasonable power... your presence...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grinned, teeth chattering in joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah... you’re just like me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing as best as he could despite his broken, twisted posture, the old man forced himself upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body swayed, joints stiff with cold and fanatic tension, yet his eyes—those bulging, bloodshot eyes—were locked firmly onto Riley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They looked as if they might burst from their sockets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Raising both hands toward the frozen ceiling, he shouted with trembling reverence, voice cracking between devotion and hysteria.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"An apostle!!!!! Ah—ahhh—to be blessed by a brother-in-arms...!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His breath came ragged, almost sobbing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But why is a fellow brother here...? And why are you blocking our progress for the greater being—our great lord...???\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley frowned slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding you’re clinging to,\" he said calmly, \"but I’m not your fellow apostle either.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hahahaha!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man burst into laughter once more, as if Riley’s denial only fueled his certainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh brother, is this perhaps a passage our lord has given you? A test?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A divergence in the great plan?\" He leaned forward unnaturally, eyes shining with feverish awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ahh... yes... that must be it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley’s patience thinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Since you’re implying you’re an apostle,\" he said slowly, \"I thought you might actually be useful. But looking at your state, I doubt that’s the case.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, then his gaze sharpened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me this instead. Where did this religion start? When did this faith begin?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man blinked, genuinely confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What... what are you talking about, brother???\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And how,\" Riley continued, ignoring him, \"do you have a fragment of my divinity?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The temperature seemed to dip further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s expression twisted—reverence warping into something offended, almost hostile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Claiming the divine one’s divinity as your own is not tolerable,\" he hissed, \"even if you are a fellow apostle, brother!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sigh... I don’t think you’re capable of giving me real answers.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His hand drifted toward his blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Looks like my trusted familiar will be a lot busier.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced back at the old man one last time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But before you go—can you at least tell me when this religion started?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man tilted his head, lips trembling as his mind tried—and failed—to process Riley’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh...? It started... when it came to be, brother—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sentence never finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A silent flash cut through the frozen air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s vision split—literally—as his body was cleaved cleanly down the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both halves slid apart, collapsing to the icy floor without a sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the remains, dark smoke surged upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It twisted, writhed... and then rushed toward Riley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could even react, it was absorbed into him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Divinity absorbed.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley stood still, staring at the empty space where the fanatic had been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Yeah,\" he muttered quietly, jaw tightening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is really bad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>....\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uhk...!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow staggered, her breath hitching as the endless blizzard howled around her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her senses were beginning to dull—not from injury, but from duration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time inside the dungeon flowed unnaturally, warped and stretched, and she could no longer tell how long she had been walking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Minutes, hours... perhaps even longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she had to guess, it had been at least a few hours—but the uncertainty gnawed at her more than the cold itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how far she walked, the scenery never changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endless white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endless wind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endless silence beneath the storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...This isn’t normal,\" she murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The snow had piled so high that it reached her knees now, forcing her to continuously reinforce her footing with mana just to keep moving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each step required intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each movement demanded awareness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had a vast reserve of mana—enough to coat her body against the cold for a day, maybe two—but even she knew that wasn’t sustainable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mana wasn’t infinite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Focus wasn’t endless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And fatigue crept in quietly, patiently, waiting for a mistake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stopping here without shelter would be suicide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow raised her right arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crackle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bluish-white light surged as frost rapidly bloomed in the air before her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ice responded eagerly, smoothly, as if it had been waiting for her command.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With practiced precision, she shaped it—layer by layer—curving the walls inward until a small igloo-like dome formed in front of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...That should do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She exhaled slowly, then ducked inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The storm’s roar dulled immediately, reduced to a distant, muffled howl. Inside the igloo, darkness settled in, thick and quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the faint glow of her circulating mana illuminated the interior, casting pale reflections across the smooth ice walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow lowered herself onto a small patch of packed snow, her shoulders finally relaxing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I can’t rush this,\" she whispered to herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She drew her white coat tighter around her body and rested her back against the icy wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Closing her eyes for just a moment, Snow steadied her breathing, forcing the chaos of sensation to settle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inhale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Exhale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, deliberately, she cleared her thoughts and began to organize what she knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is a desolate wasteland...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No landmarks. No variation in terrain. No sign of life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The chances of stumbling upon a village, a ruin, or even a natural shelter were practically nonexistent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The storm itself swallowed everything—sound, sight, direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if she kept walking blindly, she would only exhaust herself faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using brute force won’t work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her mana still responded to her, but she could feel it—subtly restrained, as if something unseen was dampening its quality rather than its quantity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could output power, but it lacked the freedom it normally had. It was like casting magic underwater: possible, but inefficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To survive, she needed to escape the storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That much was obvious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the more she thought about it, the more something felt... off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is a test.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trials always had intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Design.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her igloo could buy her time—allow her to rest, recover some mana—but it wasn’t a solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was still human. She still needed food, warmth, direction. And yet...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were no animals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing that would normally exist in a survival scenario.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If this was meant to test endurance alone...\" she murmured quietly, \"there would be something to endure with.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That absence bothered her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first glance, the snowstorm itself felt like the trial—as if it was measuring how long she could withstand the cold, the isolation, the exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that didn’t align with how trials created by absolute beings usually worked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unless it was a trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They weren’t meant to be unfair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were meant to be answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this one gave her no tools for survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which means survival isn’t the real objective...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her brows knit together as a new possibility surfaced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if the storm wasn’t the enemy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if it was the question?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes slowly opened, glowing faintly blue in the darkness as a memory surfaced—Riley’s voice, calm and confident, spoken before they ever entered the dungeon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You will probably face a bit of trouble inside, but if it’s you, I doubt you’ll fail, Snow... after all, the cold is your ally. And if it ever comes down to it, you can always call for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small smile tugged at her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The cold is my ally, huh....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She let out a soft breath, almost a laugh. Right now, those words couldn’t have sounded more ironic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cold here wasn’t comforting. It wasn’t familiar. It was oppressive—hostile in a way she had never experienced before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That very contradiction sparked something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow slowly raised her right hand, gathering mana in her palm. It shimmered—pale, bluish-white—resonating faintly with the ice around her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The igloo responded immediately, its walls faintly glowing as if acknowledging her presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze shifted to the entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside, the storm raged endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow piled higher and higher, threatening to seal her inside entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of fear, something else bloomed in her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her blue eyes shimmered sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could it be...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought took shape, fragile at first—then stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if I’m not supposed to escape the cold...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her fingers tightened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...but command it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the idea rooted itself in her mind, the snow outside seemed to slow—just for an instant—like the land itself was holding its breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An answer was forming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And somewhere deep within the frozen domain, something ancient took notice.\u003C\u002Fp>",2218,"2026-06-03T14:41:09.353Z",1,"novelbin.me","befbbccd36c3aad1714f89b32ab7472dfca2248f91cb845677005aeb2a825ec9","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-690","how-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-chapter-688",727,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fhow-to-survive-in-the-romance-fantasy-game-cover.jpg"]