How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 522: New faces 2

Deep in the dark of night, beneath the hollow stillness of the academy…

“Riley Hell…”

A soft, echoing voice whispered through the alleyways of the academy’s commercial district.

The buildings around were shut tight, the lanterns flickering weakly against the wind.

But in the center of it all, something danced.

A figure—its skin pale as snow, its body thin and crooked, dressed in tattered cloth that swayed like paper in the wind.

Its painted face twisted unnaturally as the white makeup cracked with each grin.

Red smeared lips curled up toward its cheeks, and its clown mask stretched as it tilted its head to the side, its feet no longer touching the ground.

A pulsing red orb floated in front of it, alive and twitching like a heart.

“Riley Hell…?” it asked again, the voice playful… curious.

[Yes.]

The orb replied. A voice echoed in its mind—cold, distant, absolute.

The clown kicked its feet through the air, upside down now as it floated in circles, humming softly to itself.

“Me kill Riley?”

It stopped, looking up at the moon that hung in the sky—so full, so bright it almost hurt.

“Light Riley?”

[No. He is blessed by the wretched Eris, but he is no son of light.]

“Then… why kill?”

[Killing is optional… but suffering is your mission.]

The clown paused. Its jagged teeth clicked against each other like glass breaking.

“…Then play, play, play?”

[Yes. Make it as tragic as possible. My gifts have already been delivered. Do well, and I shall allow your return.]

“KEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKEKE!!!”

It laughed. Loud. Long. Sharp and high-pitched, echoing off the empty walls like a thousand mirrors shattering all at once.

“Any story, story, story will do?!”

No reply.

But that was fine.

That silence—it was all the approval it needed.

That silence meant yes.

And with a flick of its wrist, a book appeared—old, leather-bound, stained.

A quill floated to its side, followed by a small bottle of ink.

The feather scratched softly against the paper as the clown slowly began to write.

A soft red glow glistened at the pages of the book.

A story. A plan. A play.

Its smile widened as it whispered to itself.

“…Tragedy is the best comedy.”

The clown gently shut the book in its hands.

Its thin limbs shifted unnaturally as it hopped down from the rusted pipe it had been perched on, landing with a soft yet echoing thud.

With a slow stretch, it stood to its full height—almost two meters tall.

A wide, razor-lined grin carved its way across its grotesque, pale-painted face, the clown’s makeup twitching and creasing as it cracked its neck from side to side.

And then—

Footsteps.

Soft, hesitant, but steadily approaching.

It turned its head with a fluid twist, like a puppet on strings.

There, down the alleyway, walked a figure.

A student—judging by the uniform—but her hood was drawn up, shadowing most of her features.

Only pale skin could be seen beneath, tainted by faint red tattoos etched like whispers of a curse.

Her long black hair spilled out from under the hood like ink bleeding through paper.

The girl stopped in front of the clown—and knelt.

Without hesitation or fear, she bowed deeply, lowering her head.

The clown tilted its head, then slowly walked toward her.

As it loomed close, its mouth opened—widening with a grotesque stretch far beyond normal human limits. Its gaping maw was large enough to swallow the girl whole.

She shuddered slightly—but didn’t flinch.

Instead, she extended both her hands.

And then—

A squelch.

A slimy, wet feeling splattered onto her palms.

Her body trembled faintly as she opened her eyes… only to see it.

A gemstone—dark, warped, yet glowing faintly—had landed in her hands. Its core pulsed with a sick, beautiful light.

Her lips curled into a soft smile.

“…Riley Hell. Precious… target. Find. Report,”

The girl nodded.

Her previously dull eyes shimmered with a faint red hue. “May the great father’s will be opened…”

The clown grinned wider.

Without another word, the girl turned and ran into the night, cradling the gemstone close.

Her steps were light, yet determined.

She gripped the slime-coated pendant tightly, letting its pulsing energy creep up her arms.

….

“Everyone, settle down and take your seats…”

Professor Yuki entered the room, her usual calm and graceful demeanor instantly quieting the buzzing atmosphere.

It was still early in the morning—first period had just begun, and most students were only starting to shake off their drowsiness.

She stood at the front with a faint smile on her lips and began speaking with that soft but clear tone of hers.

“Before we begin today’s lesson, I’d like to congratulate everyone on your performance during the last evaluation exam. You’ve all improved so much in just one semester. As your professor, I couldn’t be more proud. Truly.”

She paused for a second, letting her words sink in.

“Now, I know some of you dropped slightly in the rankings, but remember—those numbers aren’t everything. They reflect performance, yes, but they don’t tell the full story. There are always nuances with how the academy evaluates results, and each of you has your own pace of growth.”

Some students shifted in their seats, others nodding quietly.

“I’m sure you’ve all seen the updated class placements by now, so I won’t go over them again. But still, congratulations to Miss Seo for maintaining her number one spot.”

“…I didn’t really do much,”

Professor Yuki gave her a warm smile, acknowledging her humility without pushing it further.

“Moving on… I’m sure you also noticed that we have two new classmates joining us starting today. Yes, I know the timing’s not ideal. The second semester isn’t exactly the best time to build strong bonds, but I do hope you’ll all be welcoming. At the end of the day, we’re still one class. So, please treat them well.”

She turned toward the classroom door. “Both of you, come in and introduce yourselves.”

The door creaked open slowly, drawing a few curious glances from the class. Two figures stepped inside.

The first was a tall, handsome young man with striking blue hair and deep indigo eyes.

His posture was composed, but he had the air of someone used to standing out.

He stepped forward and gave a small bow.

“Hello everyone. My name is Antony Schety. I was formerly the top student of Class-A. I look forward to getting along with each of you.”

Then, the girl beside him spoke next.

“Trisha Deus… Please take care of me, everyone.”

Her voice was soft but carried a quiet edge.

Her hair was dark with subtle red outlines, and her black eyes scanned the room with quiet caution.

Unlike Antony, who held himself with confidence, Trisha seemed more reserved, but not exactly shy—just… careful.

Whispers started to spread throughout the classroom, but Professor Yuki clapped her hands lightly.

“Alright, that’s enough. Antony, Trisha, feel free to take the empty seats toward the back for now. I’m sure you’ll both adjust in no time.”

The two slowly adjusted themselves into the empty seats nearby.

Some of our classmates—especially the livelier ones like Kagami—immediately greeted them with bright smiles and curious energy.

The rest of us?

We just watched quietly, some more intrigued than others.

To be honest, I was a bit excited.

After nearly an entire year with just eight of us in this class, seeing new faces was… refreshing, in a way.

But then again…

They’re kind of lackluster.

[Skill: True Sight] [Activated]

My eyes instinctively peeled back the surface layer.

From the outside, they weren’t bad at all.

In fact, they looked great—solid physical builds, stable mana flow, a well-developed core, and even a fairly polished aura quietly wrapped around their skin.

But… that was about it.

Nothing really stood out.

No strange mutations.

No divine bloodlines.

No curses or seals or latent awakening signatures.

Just… strong students with above-average specs.

They had plenty of mana, sure, but it was the kind of strength you expected from an elite A-rank, not the monsters we had grown used to in this classroom.

Yeah… makes sense.

There’s still a clear wall between A-ranks and S-ranks, and while they might’ve scraped the top in their old classes thanks to good results in the last evaluation, that didn’t change the fact they were still just high-end A-ranks underneath.

That said, if they could keep up, adapt, and survive being tossed in the same cage as this class full of beasts… I’m sure they’d grow on their own eventually.

“Riley…”

A familiar, soft voice tugged me out of my thoughts—along with a gentle tug at my sleeve.

Seo.

As usual, she chose the seat right next to mine, even though the spacing between our desks was supposed to keep us at least a meter apart.

Not that I minded.

“Hm?”

I turned slightly toward her.

“That girl’s been staring at you…”

Her eyes subtly gestured past me.

Staring?

I blinked, then casually glanced over my shoulder.

Trisha.

She was seated just a few chairs away, a hand gently holding the pendant around her neck.

Her gaze was fixed in my direction, but it wasn’t hostile or curious—more like… something between recognition and confusion.

“Do you know her, Riley?” Seo asked, still watching her.

I shook my head.

“No… not that I remember.”

“I see…”

Seo gave a small nod, but her eyes lingered on Trisha for a few moments longer, quiet and unreadable.

Trisha Deus, huh…

Now that I really focused on her… why did something about her feel familiar?