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How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game-Chapter 289: Tutorial....?
[Note: Trial of Choices Completed]
[Note: Congratulations you overcame your trial!]
[Rewards will be given accordingly by the end of the road]
[Road to the trails will now reopen]
[Note: Significant Roads will lead to other trials, user is recommended to avoid them as per persona protection]
[Note: Trial interference detected]
[Note: Trial reward re-evaluated]
[Note: You have leveled up!]
[Note: User soul skills are now shaking!]
[Note: Ego corruption notedâŠ.]
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[Note: Divinity within you has risen]
[Note: Divinity + 1,000]
[Note: Skill: [Monarchâs Will] is Synergizing with user soul divinity]
[Note: Skill: [Heroâs Will] is Synergizing with user soul divinity]
[Synergized skill will now be combined!]
[Hidden skill unlocked!]
[Skill: Divine Will (Ultimate) acquired!]
[Skill: Effects and description ExtensiveâŠ. Skill will now be summarizedâŠ]
[Skill: Divine Will (Ultimate)]
[Effect: Unleashes the divine might of the user, cutting off 90% of enemy status effects within a certain radius.]
[Evil Entity Enhancement: When facing an Evil entity, the user receives a 500% stat boost.]
[Commanding Presence: The userâs words become absolute. All within the area of effect are compelled to obey the userâs commands, regardless of their will.]
[Divine Ascension: The userâs divinity skyrockets to 100%, amplifying all divine attacks. All power sources within the area of effect are converted into divine energy.]
[Destined path⊠re-establishedâŠ]
[Forgotten SoulâŠ. In progress]
[Lost rewards in progressâŠ]
[Note: Lost Gifts (3) Requirements (2/3)]
[Note: Lost key detected at the end of the roadâŠ.]
[Tutorial stage is now shakingâŠ.]
[Note: User assistanceâŠ.!@!#!#!$!]
[Note: The Light is eagerly waiting for you]
[Note: An Evil god is warning you to not listenâŠ.]
.....
Opening my eyes, I was greeted by the familiar glow of the roadâa translucent, almost ethereal path that stretched endlessly into the void.
Its light shimmered faintly, guiding the way forward, but to where? Nowhere in particular, it seemed.
TskâŠ
If that really was the end of the trial, couldnât I have at least had the chance to leave flowers at Motherâs grave?
Or maybe gotten some real answers instead of being dragged into that bizarre, trauma-inducing mess?
A proper explanation for why the game had to meddle so much in personal pain wouldâve been nice.
"I feel like shit...."
Before I could dwell further on my frustration, the system notifications began to flood my vision.
[Note: Congratulations, you have unlocked a hidden skill!]
[Note: Bonus points have been rewarded!]
[Status points + 50]
[Note: EXP has been rewarded!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
âŠ.
...
....
[Status Info:]
[Name: Riley Hell]
[Race: Human]
[Level: 132]
[Strength: B [0/80]]
[Agility: B [0/80]]
[Endurance: C [0/60]]
[Luck: 0 [????]]
[Power: C [0/60]]
[Available Status Points: 45 + 50 + 59]
[Note: Congratulations, you have broken the level 130 threshold. Bonus points acquired!]
[Bonus points: +20]
[Available Status Points: 45 + 50 + 59 + 20]
[Total Status Points: 174]
[Access to Nirvana â 050/100]
The notifications stacked up endlessly, their significance clear: the rewards from the trials carried forward, just as they had in the game.
While some trials offered standardized rewards, like the Tempest Sword Trial, others could vary greatly depending on the choices made.
I shouldâve been ecstatic.
This was exactly the kind of boost a character would kill for in the game, and by all accounts, Iâd crushed it.
But as I scrolled through the avalanche of achievements, bonuses, and upgrades, my heart didnât leap with joy, nor did a smile cross my face.
Instead, a heavy emptiness settled in my chest.
Now that the trial was finally over, I expected the road ahead to be clearâthe end should be within reach now, right?
At least, thatâs how it worked in the game. Once you cleared the trial, the way forward was a straight shot.
But as I looked at the path stretching before me, still cloaked in mist and uncertainty, reality gave me a harsh reminder: this wasnât just a game anymore.
The road was still in view, a winding trail leading into who-knows-what.
There was no instant resolution, no convenient cutscene to fast-forward me to the finish line. I had to walk, step by step, into the unknown, just as Iâd done up until now.
Well, I expected as much. Nothing had been simple so far, and it didnât look like it would be anytime soon.
"Iâm tiredâŠ" I muttered, my voice barely audible over the quiet hum of the air around me.
The weight of monthsâliteral monthsâspent reliving old memories in that godforsaken trial weighed heavily on my mind.
Each moment had felt like a lifetime, dragging me through emotional highs and lows I wasnât sure Iâd wanted to revisit.
Without even realizing it, I found my body collapsing onto the trailâs hard, yet surprisingly warm, ground.
It wasnât soft, not in the slightest.
The uneven texture of the earth pressed into my back, but somehow it felt...comforting.
Maybe because it was realâtangible proof that I was no longer trapped in the trialâs endless loop of memories.
Even though my body was buzzing with energy, brimful of power that I knew I should be checking out right now, my mind? It was shot.
I stared up at the hazy sky above me, letting the tension drain from my muscles.
There were too many things I needed to do.
Too many things I had to confirm and re-confirm.
The notifications in the systemâthe ones Iâd archived during the trialâwere waiting for me, full of information I likely couldnât afford to ignore.
ButâŠ
"A little rest wonât hurt, right?"
I closed my eyes, letting the world fade for just a moment.
The weight on my chest lightened ever so slightly, as if the universe was giving me permission to pause.
...
The air was warm, carrying a gentle breeze that made the day feel more alive.
It was the kind of weather that made you want to stay outside just a little longer, as if soaking in the sun would keep all your worries away.
Truly, it was a perfect dayâa day that practically begged for a refreshing outing, especially now that the academy had hit the weekend.
But for a senior like Alice Holloway, who was already drowning in tasks to ensure her graduation from the prestigious academy, leisure wasnât exactly an option.
Not with her magical thesis looming over her like a storm cloud.
Still, her thoughts had drifted far from academic priorities.
"This is strange~" she muttered, tapping a finger against her chin in thought.
"Hmm~ whatever could be strange, my dear master~?" came the smooth, teasing reply.
Aliceâs golden eyes flicked over to her familiar, Cheshire.
His ever-present mischievous grin stretched from ear to ear, his emerald eyes gleaming with the kind of amusement that made Alice instantly suspicious.
His floating, disembodied head swirled lazily in the air, leaving trails of smoke in its wake.
She sighed dramatically. "Junior⊠Just when is that pervâI mean idiot⊠No, wait. That cuteâuh, handsome? Ugh!" Her cheeks flushed faintly as she fumbled over her words. "When is that junior of mine coming back? You werenât lying to me when you said heâd only be gone for a few days, right, Cheshire?"
Cheshireâs grin somehow managed to grow wider, the corners of his mouth curling up like a cat that had just cornered its prey.
"My~ my~ why would I ever lie to you, Master~? Especially about something as entertaining as Riley. Every bit of information Iâve told you came directly from my ever-useful clones, you know~" He paused, as if for dramatic effect, before adding, "That Shadow Knight that visited him was quite clear with her demands. Even Iâm curious as to why your precious junior hasnât returned yet~ maybe the emperor is just as intrigued with him as we are to him~"
Alice narrowed her eyes, her brow furrowing as she crossed her arms. "Is that so?" she murmured, her tone skeptical yet tinged with concern.
Cheshire floated closer, his smoky form drifting like a wisp of mischief. "Indeed~ If youâre so worried, Master, perhaps you should go and fetch him yourself~? Or do you simply enjoy pining from afar~?"
"Maybe I should?" Alice murmured, tilting her head slightly, her pink hair cascading over her shoulder. "The empireâs capital isnât that far from here, right? With your charm and a bit of stealth spells, we could slip into the imperial palace without anyone noticing. OrâŠ" Her golden eyes gleamed with a spark of inspiration. "We could just open a small rift for a much safer method. Itâd cost a ridiculous amount of mana, sure, but itâs totally plausible, no? Maybeâ"
She kept rambling, her voice growing more animated with each idea that popped into her head.
Cheshire, floating leisurely beside her, watched his excitable master with a grin that threatened to split his face in two.
His emerald eyes flicked over her golden ones, which shimmered with excitement as she imagined all the ways she could reunite with Riley.
It was ridiculous, of course.
Directly entering the imperial palace was borderline suicidal, even with their combined strength.
Yet the sheer determination she had to make it sound plausible was enough to keep him thoroughly amused.
To think Alice would consider such an impossible idea just for that junior of hers⊠âSheâs far too gone~â, he thought with a quiet chuckle.
"You truly miss him that much already, Master~?" Cheshireâs voice dripped with teasing sweetness. "And here I thought you were still in denial about what happened~"
Alice froze, her words stumbling as a deep blush crept across her face. "Wha-What? Who says I miss him? Iâm j-just concerned about why he hasnât come back yet, thatâs all!" She crossed her arms, her voice defensive but losing none of its usual sharpness. "And anyway, youâve noticed the White Queenâs movements lately, havenât you? That blank-faced, world-ending monster is searching for Junior too! We need to be extra careful and make sure heâs safe at all times!"
Cheshire chuckled, his head tilting playfully as a small puff of smoke escaped his lips. "My, my~ Your way with words has certainly grown, Master~ Such conviction, such dedication~"
"Itâs true!" Alice huffed, her cheeks puffing out like an annoyed child. "I mean it! Itâs not about missing him or anything ridiculous like that! Itâs just⊠Itâsâ"
"Then why are you sleeping on his bed right now?" Cheshireâs sly voice interrupted, a teasing lilt in his tone.His floating head tilted slightly, emerald eyes gleaming with amusement. "In fact, why are you even in his room, uninvited and without permission, hmm~?"
Alice froze, her breath catching in her throat. Her face turned a deep, crimson red, the truth of his words hitting her like a spell gone wrong. She was indeed lying on Rileyâs bed, her arms wrapped tightly around one of his pillows as if clinging to his warmth.
And all of this has been going on for the past few days now as wellâŠ.
"I-I mean⊠since no one else is using his r-roomâand my room has already been compromised by some of the White Knightsâthis place is the safest spot in the academy right now!" she stammered, her voice rising an octave as she desperately tried to justify her actions.
"Sure~"
Alice buried her face in the pillow she had been hugging, hoping it would somehow hide her embarrassment.
Cheshire watching his master trying to come up with excuses once more, tried his best to hide the almost bursting laughter out of him.