How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

[Note: Trial Tutorial breakthrough progress is now completed!]

[Congratulations! You have passed your trial!]

[Congratulations! You have unlocked a new skill!]

[Skill: Empathic Pain (S) acquired!]

[Skill: Empathic Pain (S)]

[Effect:]

[When the user receives damage, they can choose to reflect a portion of that damage back to the opponent who inflicted it.]

[The amount of reflected damage is determined by the user's ability to empathize with their opponent(s) at the moment of receiving damage.]

[Deeper empathy leads to higher reflected damage.]

[Congratulations! User has acquired an S-rank skill!]

[Bonus points have been awarded.]

[Available Status Points: 4 + 10]

[You have leveled up!]

[You have leveled up!]

[Name: Riley Hell]

[Race: Human]

[Level: 137]

[Strength: S [???]]

[Agility: B [0/80]]

[Endurance: C [0/60]]

[Luck: 0 [????]]

[Power: C [0/60]]

[Available Status Points: 14 + 15]

[Note: Skill: Hidden Blade (Proficiency: 0%) is now synergizing with user's strength stat.]

[Skill passive effect: Hidden energy will now be doubled.]

[Effects: The longer the user holds their sword in position, the stronger and denser the blade becomes.]

Waking up felt like being pulled out of a deep abyss.

My head throbbed, my body heavy as I slowly became aware of my surroundings.

Another damn barrage of system messages.

I winced, raising a hand to my forehead as if to shield myself from the headache-inducing flood of notifications.

The blinking screens floating in front of me only added to my irritation.

Groggily, I scanned my environment, my vision still blurry from the strain of whatever hellish trial I'd just endured. Slowly, the world came into focus—or at least, enough for panic to set in.

"My body!"

The memory of seeing my lower half detached flashed vividly in my mind, the phantom pain making me shudder.

My hands shot to my torso in alarm, expecting the worst.

But instead of emptiness or unfamiliarity, my fingers met the firm and reassuring sensation of my stomach.

"Phew…." Relief washed over me like a tidal wave. "It's… intact…" I muttered, exhaling sharply as the tension in my shoulders eased.

Leaning back slightly, I let out a small, shaky laugh. For now, at least, I'm still in one piece.

"Fuck, that was scary…"

The words left my lips as I sat there, trying to piece together exactly what had happened.

My heart was still racing, and my hands shook slightly as I replayed the scene in my mind.

What exactly happened, anyway?

The last clear memory I had was that guy's unnerving smile. It was the kind of grin that sent a chill down your spine.

And then, out of nowhere, I'd been cut. It all happened so fast that I couldn't even register how or why.

A soft chime pulled my attention to the system notifications still floating before me.

[Note: User was under the effect of the newly acquired skill!]

[Skill: Empathic Pain (S)]

"Empathic Pain?" I muttered, squinting at the words.

As I read through the skill's description, a dry chuckle almost escaped my throat.

"Such an OP skill existed in the game?"

It was absurd. Completely overpowered.

As far as I remembered, there had been no mention of a skill like this in the game.

Much like my newly acquired Divine Will, this was something entirely out of left field.

Empathic Pain… The skill was essentially an unfair advantage.

It required nothing but empathy from your opponent to function. If you were fighting someone you understood well, you were nearly invincible—unless they were the type to throw their life away without hesitation.

"I should probably test the limits of this skill once I'm out of here…"

Shifting to stand, I noticed something that had escaped my attention before.

The sanctuary's powerful healing properties had completely mended my body, leaving me as if none of the injuries had ever happened.

But there was one glaring exception.

My clothes.

The once-intact fabric hung loosely around me in tattered strips, swaying with each movement. Apparently, even the divine energy of the sanctuary didn't care to fix my wardrobe.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Since I'm still technically inside the Trails of Light…"

My body and clothes should revert back to its original state once I exited this place. But until then, I needed to make do.

Grabbing at the loose ends of my clothing, I began cutting away the excess fabric. Using the scraps, I fashioned makeshift coverings to patch up the more... vulnerable areas.

It wasn't perfect, but it would do.

Looking around, I carefully scanned my surroundings, half-expecting yet another surprising twist to unfold.

My senses were on high alert, but surprisingly, nothing happened.

[Note: Trial Tutorial breakthrough progress is now completed!]

Seeing the notification again only added to my unease.

This wasn't the first time I'd seen the words "breakthrough progress completed."

It was clear that there was supposed to be more to this—something beyond the vague phrasing. The lack of a progress bar or any clear indication of how far I'd come or how much remained was maddening.

"Is everything over now?" I muttered aloud, hoping—just this once—that the system might grace me with a meaningful response. Stay tuned for updates on empire

Of course, it didn't.

The system never answered the questions that actually mattered.

I sighed and glanced around the sanctuary again.

The ethereal glow of the divine space was beautiful in its own way, but I couldn't shake the weight of exhaustion pressing down on me.

Despite the mental fatigue washing over me in waves, I forced myself to focus. I needed to finish whatever was left and get out of this place as soon as possible.

How much time has even passed since I lost consciousness?

I had no way of knowing.

The timeless nature of the sanctuary only added to the disorientation.

But one thing was clear: I couldn't afford to linger here any longer.

Too many unexpected things had already happened, and I hadn't even received the rewards for completing my original trial yet.

The thought of facing another version of myself was unsettling, to say the least.

The last encounter had been a brutal reminder of my limitations—not just physically, but mentally as well.

And then, there it was again—that familiar sensation.

A warning deep within me, like a dormant instinct suddenly stirring.

It wasn't tangible, but I could feel it in my core.

Memories, fragmented and chaotic, were clawing their way to the surface.

The lost egos of other versions of myself.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to steady my breathing.

I can't let them overwhelm me.

If I allowed those fragmented memories to take hold, I'd lose more than just my focus—I'd lose myself.

Whatever this trial was meant to test, it was pushing me to the very edge of my sanity.

First my mom... now other versions of myself... this whole situation was spiraling into madness.

This wasn't anything like how it played out in the game.

The longer I lingered here, the more the silence began to gnaw at my nerves.

No sudden events, no mysterious attacks—just the endless emptiness of the sanctuary.

Eventually, my wandering eyes settled on the only suspicious thing left in this divine prison: the goddess's statue standing tall at the center of the room.

It was the last piece of this puzzle, the one thing you wouldn't dare mess with.

"Hey, you goddamn goddess... give me my rewards already and let me out of this place!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the sacred space.

I knew I was being reckless, borderline stupid.

Yelling at her statue wouldn't get me anywhere. It wasn't like the goddess herself would appear just because I threw a tantrum.

But still—this was her sanctuary, her domain, the last relic of her existence.

And considering how the system messages kept hinting at her presence, there was no doubt in my mind:

This sadistic goddess was watching everything unfold.

The silence stretched on, further fueling my frustration.

My patience finally snapped, and I moved toward the statue.

Annoyance and exhaustion clouded my better judgment as I coated my hand in mana, aiming to punch the cold, unyielding stone.

That's when it happened.

SIIIIISSHHH!!!

Golden energy, radiant and overwhelming, burst forth from the ground, encircling the statue in an ethereal glow.

"What the—?"

Before I could even react, a warm and graceful voice echoed directly into my mind, soothing yet unyielding.

[... Your trial isn't over yet, child...]

Her voice held a serene authority that sent shivers down my spine.

There was no mistaking it. This was her.

I didn't have time to dwell on what was happening, though.

[Note: Trial Breakthrough progress will now continue!]

"Fuck!" I cursed as I turned around.

Standing there, once again, was another version of myself.

"When the heck will this nightmare end?" I muttered under my breath, my irritation barely contained.

Hearing my frustrated question, the other version of me standing ahead casually adjusted the glasses perched on his nose.

Unlike my usual rough yet somewhat elegant appearance, this guy was the epitome of refined sophistication.

His hair was slicked back neatly, his posture straight and commanding.

His sharp, analytical eyes bore into me, reminding me of the strict magic professors back at the academy.

Then there was the staff he carried—massive and ornate, its intricate carvings pulsing faintly with power.

"It would seem you are equally annoyed by the circumstances," he said smoothly, his tone calm and deliberate. "Trust me, Riley, we are as well. However, interfering with providence comes at a price, and such actions require significant sacrifices. Certain... adjustments must be perfect, which is why we couldn't test you while you were unconscious."

"Huh?"

He sighed, the barest hint of exasperation crossing his otherwise composed face. "The clown interfered far too much. Because of that, we've had to impose specific circumstances to maintain balance. Time is running out, you see, so don't get too mad at me, alright?"

His explanation made no sense.

The mention of a clown? Providence? Adjustments?

It was all a jumble of meaningless phrases to me. I opened my mouth to demand clarity, but before I could utter another word, I felt it—two more presences closing in.

Instinctively, I turned my head to the left and then to the right.

Two more versions of myself stood there, flanking me on either side.

"FUCK....!!!"

'Just take me oh god....'