How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game-Chapter 708: Inheritance 2

Riley had already said it.

Warned her.

Told her exactly what was coming.

And still—

When it happened...

It happened fast.

Too fast.

The very next morning—

Everything broke.

"GAAAGH—!"

"W-Why—?!"

"Run—!!"

The castle that once stood in cold, silent order fell into chaos.

Screams echoed through the frozen halls. Creatures that once held themselves with discipline—almost dignity—were dragged back into their true nature.

Monsters.

Fear spread faster than frost ever could.

Blood stained the white floors.

"Traitor!!"

"Why are you doing this, Gallan?!"

The roar came from deeper within the chaos.

A massive figure stood at its center.

"...Forgive me, friend."

Gallan.

The Frost Giant Chieftain.

His voice was low.

Heavy.

Regretful—

But his hands didn’t stop.

CRASH—!

His massive, spiked, frost-covered club came down without hesitation.

The Frost Goblin Shaman, Ulok—

A fellow general.

A comrade—

Was crushed beneath it.

Gone in an instant.

"Leave none who stand in our way alive."

Gallan didn’t raise his voice.

He didn’t need to.

"Yes, Chief!"

The other giants moved immediately.

They surged forward, striking down anything that stood before them—guards, beasts, even their own.

The halls trembled with each step.

Each swing.

Each death.

Gallan’s grip tightened around his weapon.

He knew.

He knew he was going too far.

But this—

This was the only chance they would ever get.

Right now.

While the Frost Queen was distracted.

While her attention was elsewhere.

If they didn’t move now—

They never would.

"What about the scouts we sent to the core?" he asked without slowing.

"No contact since they left, Chief...!"

Gallan clicked his tongue softly.

"...Figures."

"And the other generals?"

"Aside from the Frost Goblin general..." the subordinate hesitated for a second, glancing at Ulok’s remains, "...the others haven’t moved. They’re staying put."

"I see..."

That meant no interference.

For now.

"...But," the giant added, lowering his voice slightly, "some of our followers reported something."

Gallan’s eyes shifted.

"What is it?"

"They’ve seen the Frost Dragon... together with the Queen’s guest."

A brief pause.

The air grew heavier.

The Frost Dragon.

And that man.

Riley.

The followers of the Frost Giants were among the few who truly wanted out of this frozen prison. They watched everything. Listened carefully.

Their information wasn’t something to ignore.

Because for them—

Gallan was their only way out.

Gallan went quiet for a moment.

Weighing it.

Then—

"...Leave them."

The decision came quickly.

"There’s nothing to gain from drawing their attention."

His gaze hardened.

"The faster we get out of here... the better."

"...Understood."

Gallan had already made his move long before this.

A deal.

With Riley.

And it had worked—at least enough to give him some breathing room. Riley hadn’t interfered. Hadn’t even shown interest in stopping them.

But that didn’t mean Gallan trusted him. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Not fully.

That man was the only real anomaly in this entire place. Someone who didn’t belong to the dungeon, didn’t follow its rules.

Someone unpredictable.

So Gallan stayed cautious.

Careful.

That was exactly why he had given him the location of the dungeon’s core.

On its own, it shouldn’t have meant much to someone like Riley.

But—

If it tied into the Frost Queen’s trial...

If it could benefit the one he came here with...

Then Riley wouldn’t act recklessly.

He wouldn’t interfere.

That was the bet Gallan chose to make.

...And for now, it was holding.

Still—

His grip tightened slightly around his weapon.

Thinking about the Frost Queen brought something else with it.

A weight.

A faint, unpleasant feeling in his chest.

Despite everything... despite his resolve...

A part of him still felt it.

Guilt.

"...Tch."

He clicked his tongue softly.

Betrayal was betrayal.

No matter how you dressed it.

But if the choice was between loyalty—

And freedom—

He had already decided.

He would choose his kin.

Every time.

The Frost Giants... all of them... their very existence was bound to this place. To the frozen castle. To the dungeon itself.

They were born in it.

Trapped in it.

And meant to die in it.

That was the rule.

That was the cage.

But Gallan—

Had found a crack in it.

A way out.

His eyes flickered toward the pack carried by one of his subordinates.

Inside—

The items they had stolen from a human village during one of their raids beyond the outer regions.

[Divine Item: Blessed Drops of the Goddess]

Strange things.

Unfamiliar.

But powerful.

Enough to interfere with the Frost Queen’s authority.

Enough to break the chain—if only once.

"...We’re close," he muttered.

They couldn’t slow down now.

Because more than anything—

He knew her.

That Queen.

Apathetic.

Distant.

Cold.

But above all else—

She valued control.

And once she realized what was happening—

She wouldn’t let them leave.

"Use the human items the moment we step outside!" Gallan ordered, his voice firm.

"Yes, Chief!"

The giants roared in response.

They pushed forward, crushing anything that stood in their path.

Doors shattered.

Walls cracked.

Blood and frost mixed beneath their feet as they forced their way through the final stretch.

Closer.

Until—Light.

The exit.

One by one—

They broke through.

Stepping beyond the dungeon’s boundary.

Cold air shifted.

Something unseen loosened.

And just like that—

They were out....

....

Riley watched it all unfold.

Right in front of him.

A projection—like a thin, transparent screen—floated quietly in the air, showing everything happening inside the dungeon in real time.

The chaos.

The betrayal.

The escape.

And beside him—

The Frost Queen.

She sat there, just as still as ever. Expressionless. Unbothered. Her eyes fixed on the same scene, watching her own domain fall into disorder without a single visible reaction.

The two of them sat next to each other.

Not across.

Not at a distance.

Right next to each other.

...Which was new.

Yesterday, they had been seated opposite one another, a clear line drawn between them.

Now—

That space was gone.

The table between them was small. Smaller than it should’ve been.

Close enough that their chairs nearly touched if either of them shifted even a little.

Riley found it... oddly uncomfortable.

He couldn’t quite place why.

It wasn’t like she was doing anything.

She wasn’t even looking at him.

And yet—

The closeness felt off.

Unnatural.

His gaze drifted slightly, just for a moment.

Toward her.

Then back to the screen.

Gallan and the others were already breaking through.

Almost out.

No interference.

No response.

Nothing.

Riley’s eyes narrowed just slightly.

"...Are you just going to let them go?"

"...."

For the first time—

She didn’t answer immediately.

A small pause lingered.

Then—

"...Yes."

Simple.

But late.

Riley noticed that.

He had spent enough time with her by now to understand at least that much—

She didn’t hesitate.

Not usually.

Yet just now—

She did.

His gaze shifted again.

Studying her more carefully this time.

He had learned things about her.

Seen pieces beneath that cold exterior.

But—

Not enough.

Not nearly enough.

Even now...

Sitting this close—

Watching the same thing—

He still couldn’t read her.

...

Meanwhile—far from the frozen castle—

Back at Count Roverick’s domain.

Inside a private chamber lined with polished wood and quiet luxury, the atmosphere was calm. Too calm for the north.

Grand Duke Luther Heavens sat at the center, a report in hand, his posture relaxed as his eyes moved across the page.

Then—

Slam—!

The door burst open.

The guards stationed inside tensed instantly, hands moving toward their weapons—

But the Grand Duke raised a hand.

They stopped.

Because the one who entered—

Was Count Roverick himself.

His figure looked as worn as ever. Age had carved into his face, and years of constant battle against monsters in the frozen north had left their mark. He didn’t bother with formalities.

"Grand Duke... we need to make a move."

His voice was serious.

Urgent.

Luther lowered the report slightly, his eyes lifting toward him.

The past few days had been... quiet.

Understandably so.

Ever since his arrival, things had settled more than expected. Even with Snow and Riley venturing into the forest, whatever they were doing hadn’t caused any immediate trouble.

Until now.

"Frost Giants have been spotted," the Count continued. "They’re coming out of the dungeon."

A brief pause.

"An entire army."

That alone would’ve been enough.

But—

"It gets worse... they seem to be carrying special items. Items from the Church of Light."

That—

Caught Luther’s attention.

The strongest swordsman in the world leaned back slightly, his interest clearly piqued now.

"...Is that so."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Frost Giants leaving the dungeon.

Armed with relics from the Church.

And all of this happening right after his dear niece and that troublesome son-in-law of his stepped into the forest.

"...How amusing."

He couldn’t help but wonder what exactly those two had done to stir things up like this.

They were supposed to be clearing the dungeon.

Not reshaping it.

Still—

To him, this wasn’t a problem.

Not really.

After a short moment of thought, Luther lowered the report completely and looked at the Count.

"What are their movements?"

"They’re heading south," Roverick answered immediately. "Direct path. No hesitation."

His expression darkened.

"They’re aiming for the southern border."

Which meant—

Here.

"The largest human settlement in the north..." Luther murmured.

Frost Giants weren’t mindless beasts.

They were intelligent.

Capable of planning.

Which made them far more dangerous.

And yet—

That same intelligence didn’t guarantee restraint.

Especially when it came to humans.

Roverick’s jaw tightened slightly.

"...They won’t stop," he said. "If they reach here... they’ll destroy everything in their path.".