How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game Chapter 703: A Giant Dream

Gallan was drifting through a dream.

Within this vision, he wandered at his leisure across the sprawling arctic plains of the northern continent.

Though the gale was frigid, it carried a familiar aroma—the scent of liberty and the untamed terrain that had eternally belonged to his kin.

Surrounding him were his fellow tribesmen.

Frost Giants.

Warriors possessing immense physiques and thunderous laughter that reverberated throughout the frozen valleys.

United, they traversed the north, surveying ancient glaciers, subduing formidable beasts, and laying claim to territories that no mortal race dared approach.

It was the existence he had always envisioned.

A life defined by adventure.

A life defined by conquest.

A life where the Frost Giants stood triumphantly at the summit of the northern realm once again.

Eventually, in his reverie, they anchored themselves upon a colossal mountain peak.

From that vantage, they surveyed the infinite white wilderness spilling out beyond the horizon.

It was their dominion.

Their kingdom.

A prosperous and glorious future awaited them.

A future where Gallan guided the Frost Giants back to their ancestral majesty.

A future where his tribe’s name would be immortalized in legends across the continent.

A legend brought back to life.

And most importantly—

A life where they were finally liberated from the shackles that had bound them for generations.

The yoke his forefathers had bequeathed to him.

The chains that restricted their people.

A single term that Gallan had always abhorred.

Loyalty.

...

"I extend my welcome to our esteemed guest."

Gallan’s resonant voice rang out within the hall.

Upon Riley’s entry into the Frost Giants’ mansion—more precisely, the residence allocated to the Chieftain Gallan, one of the Frost Queen’s generals—he was met with a rather anomalous sight.

The first thing that caught Riley’s attention was the architecture.

Virtually every structure within the Ice Castle had been fashioned entirely from enchanted ice—walls, pillars, floors, এমনকি decorative elements.

Yet, inside the mansion of the Frost Giants...

There was wood.

Expansive wooden tables.

Massive, carved thrones.

Even the structural supports were hewn from thick, dark timber.

The juxtaposition was striking.

The furniture was evidently constructed for giants—every seat was large enough that a standard human would require a climb just to reach it.

Still, Riley recognized immediately that this place was far from primitive.

The timber was buffed to a shine and etched with runic inscriptions and tribal iconography.

Despite being known as savage warriors, the Frost Giants clearly maintained their own refined culture and artistry.

Naturally, the mansion itself was also interwoven with complex celestial magic.

The internal dimensions had been expanded well beyond the limits suggested by the exterior structure.

The vast hall easily housed dozens of Frost Giants circulating within, never once feeling crowded.

To them, this likely felt like a standard domicile.

One properly scaled to their natural proportion.

Riley observed the surroundings with composure as he ventured deeper into the room.

Gallan sat at the epicenter of the hall.

The Chieftain of the Frost Giants.

The last time Riley had encountered him was within the Frost Queen’s audience chamber.

At that time, Gallan had remained reticent and poised, offering no insights into his thoughts or intent.

However, observing him here now...

Things were different.

Up close, Gallan did not appear to be the sort of giant who felt compelled to mask his emotions.

His gaze was piercing.

His posture was relaxed yet exuded raw power.

A distinct intensity radiated from the way he scrutinized Riley—much like one warrior sizing up another.

It wasn't outright hostility.

But it certainly wasn't mere surface-level hospitality either.

This was a man possessed by ambition.

And unlike the frigid, inscrutable demeanor of the Frost Queen...

Gallan didn't seem inclined to hide his desires.

"So," Riley remarked calmly, arms folded as he looked up at the towering figure, "why have you summoned me, Chief?"

He didn't bother with shallow pleasantries.

From the moment he stepped into the estate, Riley had already deduced what manner of man the Chieftain was.

A portion of that insight stemmed from his dormant memories.

After all, Riley was already well-acquainted with Gallan from his gaming days.

Now that he was meeting him in person, the discrepancies were negligible.

Certainly, there were occasional surprises—subtle deviations that arose from the difference between a living, breathing being and a programmed character.

But at his essence...

Gallan remained the same Chieftain Riley recalled.

Behind the giant’s measured stance sat a quiet haughtiness.

A deep-seated sense of ambition.

He was a man clearly driven by his own agenda.

Those underlying motivations were veiled within his eyes.

Yet to Riley, they were transparent enough.

Frankly, he had no interest in wasting time with roundabouts.

This was already his second invitation received within a span of mere hours.

First by the Frost Queen.

Now by the Chieftain of the Giants.

He had no desire to engage in political theater for the duration of the day.

Since Gallan didn't seem as aloof or distant as the Frost Queen, Riley concluded that a direct approach was likely the most effective.

As it turned out, his judgment was sound.

The palpable tension between them dissipated slightly.

Gallan let out a low, gravelly chuckle as a subtle smirk danced on his lips.

"I approve," the giant grumbled.

"You certainly don't mince words, human."

"Well," Riley replied nonchalantly, "unless you called me here for nothing, you would want the same, wouldn't you?"

He tilted his head slightly.

"Besides... your movements are likely being surveilled by your Queen anyway, are they not?"

"Kuku..."

Gallan emitted a deep, resonant laugh that shook the chamber.

"That is true enough."

Exchanging a handful of phrases with Riley had already instilled within the Chieftain a strange sense of familiarity.

A sense of affinity.

Yet, despite that...

Gallan harbored deep-seated resentment toward the human standing before him.

After all—

Riley had decimated every Frost Giant dispatched to impede his progress.

Without a shred of mercy.

For a race as dwindling as theirs, every single member was vital.

Every warrior.

Every hunter.

Every child.

Their numbers had been dwindling for generations.

To lose so many elites in a solitary confrontation...

It was a devastating toll on the survival of their tribe.

And yet—

Gallan could not simply treat Riley as a mortal enemy.

Not here.

Not now.

Because the human standing before him...

Was an invited guest of the Frost Queen.

And he was a being the likes of which even Gallan could not yet fully comprehend.

Despite his inherent arrogance as a member of one of the rare high races, Gallan was no amateur when it came to the art of war.

Haughtiness devoid of awareness was the hallmark of a weak leader.

And Gallan hadn't survived this long by ignoring reality.

He knew well that there had to be a reason two lone humans had managed to carve through their beast hordes so effortlessly.

Furthermore—

They had dismantled several of the Frost Giants’ finest elite guards as if it were nothing more than a routine brawl.

That fact alone served as evidence of something profound.

The human before him, Riley... and the girl currently undergoing the Frost Queen’s trial...

They were not merely ordinary.

Not by a long shot.

In truth, Gallan suspected they were potentially more hazardous than the white swordsman stationed at the southern perimeter of the north.

Someone the Frost Giants had long ago designated as a force of nature not to be provoked.

Because of this realization, Gallan concluded something else.

Pursuing petty vengeance at this juncture would be an exercise in futility.

Charging blindly at an enemy he could not overcome would achieve nothing.

Sacrificing himself for mere pride would only bring disgrace to his kin.

Furthermore...

He preferred to believe his fallen warriors had died with honor.

Or at the very least—

He hoped they had.

Because Gallan had personally witnessed the battle.

Thanks to one of the myriad observation crystals currently in his possession.

They were specialized artifacts positioned throughout the dungeon and its periphery, enabling him to monitor critical sectors at his discretion.

As the individual with supreme authority over the dungeon gate, he possessed direct access to various viewpoints.

And what he witnessed through them...

Was something he could not easily expunge from his memory.

He saw it with distinct clarity.

The instant Riley stood amidst the lifeless demonic cultists.

The moment that human extended his hand.

And then—

The moment he siphoned the black divinity from their corpses.

That revelation alone had signaled an ominous truth to Gallan.

The man before him...

Was not merely strong.

He was a perversion of the natural order.

'This human is tethered to something cursed...'

That was the verdict Gallan reached after carefully monitoring Riley.

The power he displayed.

The uncanny knack for manipulating divinity.

The casual ease with which he dismantled foes that even Frost Giants treated with trepidation.

Everything pointed toward a dangerous discrepancy.

And Gallan was not a man to disregard such a foreboding omen.

He still clung to dreams he intended to fulfill.

Dreams far more grandeur than the frozen fortress they currently served.

Because of this, an anomaly like Riley could not simply be left to disrupt his designs.

If the human represented a threat...

Then he must be excised from the equation.

Or, at the very least—

Effectively neutralized as an obstacle.

"I am Gallan," the giant declared, drawing himself up to his full stature. "Chieftain of the Frost Giants of the Frozen Castle."

His heavy voice resonated, carrying a weight of unusual solemnity.

"Honorable guest... powerful human..."

"I require a favor from you."

Riley arched a brow.

"A favor?"

"Correct."

Gallan gave a curt nod.

"Do not fret. It is not an arduous task."

He leaned forward, casting a gargantuan shadow over the room.

"All you need to do... is turn a blind eye to everything that unfolds within this castle from this point forward."

A heavy silence descended between them for a heartbeat.

"In exchange," Gallan continued, "I will reveal the precise coordinates of the castle’s dungeon core."

Riley’s expression finally shifted.

"I believe possessing that information will provide you with significant leverage in your current predicament," the giant added evenly.

"And serves as an immediate guarantee for your lover’s safety."

"...!"

Riley’s eyes narrowed into slits.

"...You realize the weight of what you are proposing, don't you?"

"I am fully aware."

Gallan retorted without pause.

For a monster—or rather, a Dungeon General—to voluntarily disclose the placement of the dungeon core was unthinkable.

That core served as the heartbeat of the entire domain.

Destroy that, and the entire dungeon would implode.

Disclosing its existence to a transient outsider...

Was nothing short of treasonous.

While Riley processed the gravity of Gallan’s offer, the Chieftain pressed on.

"And as an additional assurance..."

"I will also disclose the exact position of those robed humans who infiltrated this dungeon."

That revelation instantly sharpened Riley’s focus.

Robed humans.

There were very few individuals within this dungeon who met that description.

And it certainly did not refer to him.

Nor did it refer to Snow.

Which left only one possibility.

The followers of the evil god he had engaged earlier.

"They appear to be linked to your own ill-fated path," Gallan remarked, observing Riley with calculated intensity.

"Does this pique your curiosity, human?"

Hearing those words, the realization finally dawned on Riley.

Gallan was not jesting.

He was not probing for a reaction.

He was deadly serious about his proposal.

Riley had anticipated many outcomes from the Chieftain of the Frost Giants.

Hostility.

Suspicion.

Even shrouded menaces.

But one thing he had never expected...

Was this level of betrayal.