How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game Chapter 657: Frozen Resolve 3

"Snow... if you truly mean—"

"I’m begging you. Just do it... you are the only person I trust who is capable of this."

Seo stood rooted to the spot.

For the first time since their meeting, Seo failed to give an immediate reply.

The request lingered in the air between them, feeling heavy and profoundly wrong.

Seo’s grip tightened on the hilt of her sword. She searched Snow’s face, desperate to find some sign that this was merely a cruel prank.

She found nothing of the sort.

Snow’s gaze remained unwavering.

She was calm.

Far too calm.

It was a composure that Seo found deeply unsettling.

"What exactly are you saying?" Seo whispered. "Give me an explanation."

After a brief hesitation, Snow inhaled slowly. "I am being serious, Seo. I need you to go through with it."

The usually stoic and mask-like face of Seo finally showed a crack.

Her eyebrows drew together as a flash of irritation and a sharper, darker emotion flickered in her eyes.

"Do you honestly believe I would just agree to such a thing?"

Observing that flash of anger, Snow felt an odd sense of comfort.

Yes... this was precisely why it had to be Seo.

"I am aware of how insane this sounds," Snow replied, her voice dropping to a softer tone. "But I have no one else I can ask."

"That explains nothing."

Snow moved closer, lowering her volume instinctively as if the very garden were eavesdropping. "Do not worry. Death will not claim me."

Seo’s eyes narrowed into slits. "You literally just asked me to kill you."

"I did. And I meant every word," Snow answered with total honesty. "However, it is not what you think."

She raised a hand, her fingers lightly tracing her own throat where the edge of a blade would fall. "I want you to strike right here. Do not hesitate. Do not hold back your strength."

Seo looked from Snow's hand back to her eyes. "You aren't making this any easier to accept."

"I know." Snow allowed a small, somewhat bitter smile to touch her lips. "But there is something I must know. I have to confirm it using my own body and soul."

Seo remained silent.

She could sense that Snow was telling the truth.

There was no trace of fear or desperation in her voice.

Only absolute certainty.

That conviction was far more terrifying to Seo than any display of panic.

Snow met her stare without blinking.

"That is why you are the only choice."

If she had asked anyone else...

If it had been Riley or the other girls, they wouldn't even have entertained the thought.

They would have intervened, restrained her, or locked her away for her own safety.

They would have called it love or protection.

But...

Seo was different.

She would actually listen...

.....

Internal conflict surged within Seo.

She understood there was a hidden motive behind Snow’s sudden plea—something buried deep—but the logic remained out of reach.

To ask for a lethal strike, here and now without warning... it had to serve a purpose.

Is this some twisted joke?

The thought surfaced as a reflex.

Seo was well aware that she wasn't the most emotionally intelligent person.

She was socially awkward, clumsy with her words, and frequently missed the subtle cues that others noticed instantly.

Yet even she could tell this was no jest. Not in the slightest.

Snow was in earnest.

She was chasing a specific outcome.

She wanted to witness something.

But then... why involve her?

If Snow merely wished to test her limits, she could have done so in solitude.

If she sought pain, there were a thousand ways to find it.

If she wanted to face danger, there were individuals far more powerful and far more ruthless.

So why choose Seo?

Seo continued to study her, looking for a tremor in her expression, a hint of doubt, or a flicker of fear.

But Snow simply stood there, her gaze steady and resolute.

Seo sighed to herself.

Overthinking was getting her nowhere.

She nearly turned away.

She almost decided to walk away and leave this problem behind.

But as she shifted her weight to leave, she felt it.

This presence...

She had sensed it faintly before, but now it was undeniable.

Now that she was focused, it was impossible to ignore.

Snow was radiating something entirely new.

It wasn't mana.

It wasn't pressure.

It wasn't even a thirst for blood.

It was a pure presence.

The kind that didn't need to crush you to make it impossible to look away.

It was the aura of someone who had stood above the masses for a very long time.

Someone accustomed to being followed, used to making choices that changed the world.

On the surface, Snow looked unchanged—beautiful, poised, and as kind as ever.

The Snow that everyone leaned on.

But her eyes...

Those blue eyes seemed distant yet incredibly perceptive.

It was as if she were standing right there, yet also looking down from a much higher plane.

Like a monarch upon a throne, observing not with pride—but with absolute certainty.

Seo swallowed hard.

For the first time, it didn't feel like she was talking to a fellow student.

It felt like she was standing in the presence of a ruler.

That look demanded a response.

It wasn't born of anger or conceit.

It was pure authority.

For a split second, Seo’s hand twitched toward the sword at her hip before she snapped back to reality and shook her head.

"I believe..." she said softly, fighting to keep her voice level, "...that you are still in need of rest."

That was the only logical conclusion her straightforward mind could produce.

After everything Snow had endured—the crisis, the collapse, and the strange aftermath—this had to be some form of mental trauma.

Perhaps not a wound of the body, but something deeper.

"Seo..." Snow said in a gentle tone. "Please, have faith in me. Everything will be fine."

Seo balled her hands into fists.

"I know I am being difficult," Snow continued, her voice soft yet firm, "but you are the only person I can trust to do this properly."

Seo finally looked up, her face a mask of confusion.

"Why me?"

Snow didn't answer immediately. Instead, she closed the distance between them.

"Because out of everyone, you are the most gentle."

"...?"

Seo truly failed to see how being gentle qualified her to kill someone.

Before she could argue, Snow reached out.

Her fingers moved through Seo’s hair with careful grace before coming to rest against her cheek.

The sudden warmth of the contact made Seo go still.

Snow smiled. It wasn't a tease or a playful grin.

It was entirely sincere.

She looked directly into Seo’s eyes and let out a soft, melodic laugh.

"Fufu... it seems I am truly being selfish this time. I am sorry."

"Then—" Seo began, a spark of hope in her voice.

"However..." Snow cut her off gently, "...please. Do this for me. Will you?"

Snow stepped back, putting a few paces of distance between them. She turned slightly, closed her eyes, and stood perfectly still.

She waited.

The garden fell silent. It was unnervingly quiet.

Seo stood there, her heart torn.

Every instinct told her this was a mistake.

She should seize Snow, shake some sense into her, and drag her to Riley or anyone else.

Yet, a strange compulsion told her she had to respond... a deep feeling gnawed at her, whispering that... everything really would be alright...

Slowly, Seo’s hand moved toward the hilt at her waist.

Her fingers paused for a heartbeat before gripping the sheath firmly.

She took a step back, her body instinctively falling into a combat stance honed by a thousand battles—silent, precise, and devoid of wasted energy.

Her breathing became a steady rhythm.

If this was a challenge... she would meet it with everything she had.

[Hidden Blade Technique]

[First Form]

[Blue Moon]

Bzzt—

A sharp, high-pitched hum vibrated through the air.

Swiiiishh!!!!

A streak of blue light erupted as Seo’s blade cleared the sheath, moving in a flawless arc aimed directly at Snow’s neck.

The strike was blindingly fast—beyond the perception of most—yet it carried a gentle intent.

Seo had calculated every variable.

The timing.

The range.

The exact millimeter where she would halt.

Her heightened senses slowed the world to a crawl.

In this expanded moment, she counted heartbeats and measured the angle, ready to stop the steel just before it bit into skin.

Even if a shockwave followed, she would suppress it.

She always did.

That was when she felt it.

Cold.

No—it wasn't just cold.

It was frost.

A profound, suffocating frost surged up her sword, freezing the blade in place just centimeters from Snow’s throat.

The lightning-infused mana coating the steel hardened and crystallized, locked in place as if time itself had been petrified.

Seo’s eyes stretched wide.

This was impossible.

Mana was not supposed to freeze in this manner.

And before her mind could make sense of the phenomenon—

FWOOOOSHHH!!!

A titanic wave of frigid air exploded outward.

In a heartbeat, Seo was frozen where she stood.

Her body was locked tight.

Her breath died in her lungs.

Her mana was silenced, unmoving, and utterly crushed.

She couldn't even attempt a reaction.

There wasn't even pain.

The cold didn't just touch her—it claimed her entire being.

The world went still.

And Snow remained standing before her, completely unharmed.

Not a single mark. Not even a stray hair was out of place.

For a fleeting second, a heavy silence dominated the garden.

Snow slowly opened her eyes.

A blend of relief, melancholy, and quiet resolve filled her expression as she looked at Seo.

Whatever lingering doubt she had held was now extinguished.

Then—

Snap.

With a simple snap of her fingers, the freezing cold vanished.

The frost that had crept across the earth dissolved instantly.

The ice encasing Seo’s body shattered into a fine mist and melted into the air.

Even the piercing chill that had filled the area moments ago vanished as if it were a dream.

Seo’s legs finally gave out.

She collapsed weakly, her sword clattering to the ground as she gasped, trying to find her breath.

Snow let out a soft exhale.

So, my theory was correct...

She stepped forward, kneeling down beside Seo without a moment's delay.

"I am so sorry, Seo," Snow said softly. "I know I was being difficult... but do you see? I am perfectly fine."

Seo tried to find her voice. She tried to answer. But before she could utter a word, tears began to stream down her face.

Snow went still.

Seo looked up at her, her eyes trembling as the tears fell without restraint.

"You are so cruel..." she whispered.

"E-Eh... wait—please don't cry. Look, I'm okay, haha..." Snow waved her hands frantically, trying to maintain a weak smile.

It was useless.

The tears only came faster.

Snow’s smile slowly vanished.

For the first time in many years—despite a lifetime of imperial training and lessons on poise, etiquette, and emotional control—Snow was completely at a loss for what to do.