How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game Chapter 698: Frozen Trials 9.5

I didn't realize this place was quite so vast...

Riley was already aware of the Ice Castle's enormous size just by looking at it from outside.

Its soaring spires, walls etched from timeless ice, portals that seemed capable of withstanding a full assault.

However, the interior?

It proved to be an entirely different matter.

The passageways extended much further than reason would dictate.

Stairs twisted skyward for distances that felt like traversing whole urban districts.

Chambers divided into extensions that defied the building's external boundaries.

He halted briefly and shut his eyes, feeling out the surrounding area.

Bounded fields.

Multiple layers stacked upon one another.

The castle hadn't merely been constructed—it had been bent upon itself.

Space was amplified via heavenly spells, with realms layered meticulously atop each other.

The sort of grand-scale space alteration that could exhaust whole countries if done without care.

Maintaining so many reliable layers...

That by itself was an achievement few entities across the world could achieve.

Of course, Rose or Lavine might manage such a thing effortlessly.

The idea nearly brought a grin to his face.

While proceeding along the pathways, with ice softly snapping under his footwear, he spotted another detail.

Monsters.

They wandered the castle without restraint.

Frost-originated species in abundance—lofty crystal-formed figures, ghostly-pale entities with subtle azure lines shimmering under their flesh, plus diminutive beings sporting horns and graceful robes.

The diversity was extensive.

Yet what caught him off guard wasn't how they looked.

It was how they acted.

They showed no aggression.

Not a snarl. Not a charge. Not even a stare filled with murderous intent.

On the contrary... they seemed poised.

Some held tomes.

Others chatted softly in alcoves.

A handful donned lavish attire and sweeping gowns, as though partaking in an unending feast.

One went by with a courteous incline of the head.

Riley eased his pace a bit.

Monsters had seldom registered in his thoughts as rational beings.

From what he knew, they operated on impulse. Ferocity. Appetite.

But in this place—

They came across as... sophisticated.

More polite than many people he'd encountered.

It felt otherworldly.

And strangely entertaining.

The Frost Queen’s sway evidently surpassed mere might or command.

This went beyond rule through intimidation.

This involved framework.

Tradition.

Discipline.

Though regarded as a monster—and fundamentally she was—

She had originated as human.

Riley understood that detail.

Thus, Riley eventually ceased fixating on the peculiarity of everything.

The initial corridors had seemed off—creatures striding courteously, murmurs resounding along iced halls as if this were an aristocratic manor rather than a northern stronghold.

But over time, the peculiarity diminished.

He merely embraced it.

He remained the sole human within the castle.

That was evident.

Without even detecting their stares, he sensed them—the quick glances, the minor hesitations as he moved past.

He contrasted sharply, like a blotch of heat amid a realm forged from chill.

Nevertheless, none challenged him.

No animosity.

No derision.

Merely a look.

Afterward, they resumed their activities.

It bordered on... deference.

To explain, the cause of his aimless traversal through the castle stemmed from the Frost Queen directly.

Upon verifying Snow’s entry into the third trial, the Frost Queen had offhandedly noted that it would demand more time than the prior ones.

"Unlike the others," she had remarked.

And with no way for Riley to meddle regardless, she proposed he roam the castle at will.

Any corridor.

Any room.

Provided he stayed inside the confines.

A welcoming offer.

Which struck him as peculiar.

For she still hadn't disclosed the reason for her overt invitation to him.

He hadn't overlooked that vagueness.

Yet with time available—and no pressing danger—he chose not to squander the chance.

In these hours, he discovered more about the Frost Queen than anticipated.

And it diverged greatly.

Strikingly different from the Frost Queen recalled from the game.

In that era, she embodied remoteness.

Cold.

Aloof. Nearly robotic in her ruthlessness.

A ultimate barrier.

A boss.

An entity with obscure purposes at most.

But this version?

She remained serene, indeed.

Cold, without question.

Yet not without thought.

Even her words on Snow carried assessment, not scorn.

She'd shared little about her own self openly.

However...

It sufficed.

It offered a benchmark to judge her by, at least.

As Riley pressed on through the meandering halls of ice-hewn rock, his steps gradually decelerated.

Then came to a halt.

For in front—past the entrance framed by chiseled ice columns—he beheld an element he truly hadn't foreseen within these walls.

Green.

Not the wan, fading green of lichen barely holding to iced surfaces.

Not a mere magical mirage.

But vibrant, thriving green.

Lush turf extended softly over a bed of deep, fertile earth.

Vines twisted organically beside low crystalline barriers.

Tiny blooms flourished in silent resistance to the ambient freeze—white lilies, pale azure petals, even hints of gentle purple.

Their hues popped against the perpetual silvers and indigos of the Frost Queen’s realm.

Warmth permeated this spot.

Not intensely—but sufficiently.

A mild, regulated atmosphere. Faint sorcery vibrating under the ground.

"A garden... huh," Riley whispered to himself.

For a fortress hewn from perpetual ice, this area seemed almost... mortal.

He advanced nearer, his boots sinking gently into turf unfit for such environs.

The atmosphere carried a subtle sweetness—loamy, vibrant.

"I guess she isn’t as cold as she intends herself to be..."

A remnant of what she declined to fully discard.

A recollection, maybe.

Or remorse.

Or yearning.

Riley speculated on the motives—but lacked the drive to probe further.

If she wished to conceal this, he'd act as though its significance eluded him.

Positioned amid the serene vitality, his mind wandered inevitably to Snow.

The third trial.

Even during his gameplay, that segment had posed difficulties.

Multiple attempts had been required to secure the desired result.

Unlike fights relying on power, this wasn't strength-oriented.

It centered on choices.

Viewpoint.

Resolve.

The ordeal compelled Snow to face the implications of assuming the Absolute Essence of Frost.

Each response molded her outlook. Each selection swayed her spirit.

And upon conclusion, it would define the sort of Queen she'd evolve into.

Cold despot?

Remote protector?

Unforgiving ruler?

Or wholly different?

As the test embodied frost's core—purity, quietude, inescapability—undoubtedly aspects of Snow’s character would shift.

And concluding the third trial wouldn't signify the absolute finish.

Beyond that lay the Frost Staff.

The ultimate validation.

The genuine peril.

That ordeal transcended mental strain.

It carried mortal risk.

Riley rested a palm against his jaw, his gaze sharpening in contemplation.

Thus far, events had unfolded without hitches.

The Frost Queen had endorsed Snow’s claim as successor.

She'd displayed no opposition. No defiance. No frenzy.

Nearly as though she'd reconciled with her destiny.

Yet that implied not all others had.

He questioned whether her followers—the commanders, the primordial ice creatures, the aristocrats of this glacial empire—would readily submit after Snow's trial ended.

Changes in authority invariably stirred waves.

And waves here escalated to tempests.

Should he neutralize possible dangers in advance?

The notion arose unbidden.

He could handle it discreetly.

Eradicate the unrest before it could emerge.

However...

Riley breathed out deliberately.

Intervening presently would surely provoke the Frost Queen’s response.

And that would spark needless complications.

Riley lingered a bit more, digits lingering on his chin while his reflections looped silently.

Strike early?

Or wait?

He assessed the paths thoughtfully.

Then, with a soft exhalation, he dropped his arm and shifted his sight marginally aside—toward a towering ice column bordering the garden.

"Anica... isn’t it about time you finally explained why you keep following me?"

A short hush followed.

Then—

A minor twitch.

From the column's rear, a known silver-tressed form emerged gradually, dusting nonexistent specks from her garment as though she'd merely been present all along.

"Gugh... you noticed?"

Her golden gaze flitted about uneasily.

"You weren’t exactly hiding your intention," Riley replied flatly.

Anica inflated her cheeks in objection. "But I’m pretty sure I used the highest level of stealth—"

She halted midway, tutting gently.

"Tsk. You know what, never mind. If the great being is interested in you, I guess something like this is only natural..."

Riley’s brows flickered faintly.

’Great being...? Is she talking about the Frost Queen?’

He kept the query unspoken.

Anica fidgeted from foot to foot.

For an ice dragon—one of the elite ranks in the castle—her present attitude was... remarkably shy.

She shunned his eyes initially.

Then compelled herself to meet them squarely.

"Uhm... Lord Riley..."

"Lord?"

She stiffened at once, almost inclining in a bow. "Please don’t mind my address toward you! I-it’s only proper—!"

"Huh..."

He couldn't pinpoint when this ranking had formed.

Anica gulped, mustering poise with evident strain.

"Uhm... anyway, my lord... this unworthy dragon has a favor to ask."

That piqued his curiosity.

He observed her intently.

Previously, she'd seemed quick-witted. Arrogant. Assured in her prowess. But now? Uncertainty laced her words.

"A favor?"

"Yes." She affirmed swiftly. "Could you please ignore me watching you?"

"..."

"..."

"...What?"

"I-I’ll make sure not to bother you!"

she hurriedly added.

"I won’t interfere. I won’t speak unless spoken to. I won’t even let my presence be known if possible! So please—just do your own thing and ignore me from now on!"

Riley blinked.

"...Huh?"