How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game Chapter 668: Light Interlude (2)

Riley had anticipated a fierce, perhaps even destructive duel, but this was on an entirely different level.

He cast a slow, deliberate look across the stadium.

The arena was a mess of shattered stone, singed air, and distorted defensive fields—the mere wake of a power that hadn't even reached its peak. This wasn't a spectacle meant for mere students. The ambient pressure of their Mana alone had been enough to warp the very surroundings.

Had the academy’s faculty not intervened with such speed, the resulting devastation would have been total.

However, that wasn't the entire truth of the matter.

Riley let out a faint breath.

Both he and Alice had stepped in—quietly and without being noticed. They had applied subtle shifts in authority, making minor adjustments to the laws of cause and effect to ensure no stray shockwaves obliterated the audience or collapsed the stands. To the casual observer, it appeared as though the barriers had just barely held. In truth, they would have shattered instantly.

"Get Stacia to the medical wing—carefully! Her Mana is still fluctuating wildly!"

A commanding voice cut through the air.

"Hey—you! Don't touch her with bare hands, she'll sear your skin! Move!"

Riley observed as the medical response team arrived, with expert healers quickly encircling Stacia. They utilized specialized containment shrouds and heat-resistant gloves etched with glowing enchantments to lift her. Even in her unconscious state, her body gave off intense heat, as lingering embers clung tenaciously to her Mana pathways.

Watching her being taken away, Riley felt a slight tension in his chest dissipate.

Given the massive drain a spirit king places on its host... she is inevitably going to suffer from Mana sickness again. And it won't be a mild case.

He knit his brows slightly.

Logically, he knew he wasn't to blame. There was no rational reason for him to feel any guilt. Yet, a lingering sense of discomfort remained.

He could feel it now more than ever. Stacia hadn't pushed herself to such extremes just for the sake of winning. There was a deeper motivation—something intensely personal. A desperate urge to validate herself.

A part of that... was likely for my sake.

The thought sat uneasily in his mind. He still hadn't fully grasped Stacia's ultimate objectives or the future she was trying to build. But one fact was becoming undeniable—she wasn't merely a reckless genius hungry for power. She was a woman moving forward with a defined purpose. And before long, she would become one of the few individuals Riley could truly place his trust in.

Yet, alongside the concern, another emotion began to surface. Satisfaction.

It seems they really have grown stronger...

This wasn't just ordinary progress—it was monstrous. It was the kind of growth that bypassed standard stages, defied logic, and broke through the boundaries of what was considered possible.

Riley exhaled slowly.

Stacia’s feat alone was mind-boggling. Establishing a direct link to a spirit king of fire? That was a feat that altered the course of history, not something a student should be able to survive. Most would have had their minds and souls incinerated long before reaching that stage.

And then there was Rose.

...Rose was the true anomaly.

He knew she was fated to become an Archmage. Not just any mage, but likely the most powerful to ever walk the earth. Riley had always viewed this as an inevitable future. But this level of development? He hadn't expected her to evolve this much without his direct guidance.

Lavine had provided some assistance, but it was minimal—mostly theory and occasional exposure. Everything else was the result of Rose's own efforts. Her Mana density, her finesse, and her profound grasp of magical theory were staggering. She treated spells and blessings as if they were simple equations to be solved. There were no shortcuts, no help from him, and no interference from Evelyn. Yet, she had reached this height regardless.

Riley pressed his fingers to his temple.

It defied common sense. Based on the power she displayed, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Rose could challenge Alice under specific circumstances—and Alice could do the same to her. A duel between them wouldn't be decided by mere rank anymore. The fact that Rose was already touching the realm of ultimate-rank magic was terrifying, especially since she did it all on her own.

Should I be pleased... or should I be worried?

The thought lasted only a moment before he dismissed it with a shake of his head.

"...What is there to worry about," he whispered to himself.

It was Rose, after all. If it involved her, things would find a way to work out. They always did. His mind essentially accepted the absurdity of her growth, filing it under the mental category of: *That’s just Rose being Rose.*

A short time later—

"Riley!"

Emerging from the medical wing, Rose waved at him with excitement, her golden hair fluttering as she ran toward him.

"Rose. Are you feeling alright?" Riley asked as he turned to face her.

"Yes," she said with a firm nod. "The physician said I was fine and Sta—ah, I mean—he said I was only slightly—no, not really injured. It seems my Mana was just overextended at the very end."

"I see..." Riley drew closer, his gaze softening. He reached out to gently touch her cheek before placing his hand against her forehead to check for a fever. "Hmm. Your Mana flow seems to have stabilized..."

"T-That’s because you aren't checking carefully enough... or close enough—here."

Before he could respond, Rose seized his wrist and began pulling his hand downward, clearly intending to lead him into a much more thorough Mana inspection—one that would have been highly inappropriate in a public hallway.

Slap!

Her hand was sharply swatted away.

"That's unfair play..."

A cold, monotonous voice intervened as Seo suddenly stepped between them. She stood with her back to Riley, her arm positioned to block Rose's path.

"Y-You...!"

Rose bristled, her golden eyes flashing with irritation as she glared at Seo. For a second, the air between them seemed to crackle with invisible sparks of enmity.

"..."

"...."

If looks possessed the power to kill, the hallway would have been leveled.

"Fufu," Snow laughed from the sidelines, clearly enjoying the drama. "I suppose these two aren't going to change their ways anytime soon."

"Snow," Riley said with a hint of amusement, "didn't the principal ask for your help with the repairs outside?"

"She did try to bury me in paperwork," Snow replied airily. "And I would have helped, seeing as Rose was responsible for half of today's mess."

"Hey!"

"However," Snow continued smoothly, "it seems the intensity of my father's gaze made the principal reconsider."

Riley gave a small laugh. That sounded typical. Leilah was likely overwhelmed trying to fix the damage alone, but as the principal, managing disasters caused by over-talented students was her responsibility. It wasn't something the Student Council President—especially one with Snow’s lineage—needed to handle today.

It was obvious the Emperor’s presence was a heavy burden. Even if Snow’s father didn't actively try to intimidate people, his sheer existence shifted the atmosphere of the room. Such Authority didn't need words to make itself known. Riley wondered when he should schedule a private meeting with the Emperor. It needed to happen soon, especially since Snow would be getting involved shortly.

As he was lost in thought, a hand rested lightly on his shoulder.

"Riley~! My dear~" Alice whispered into his ear, her playful tone barely masking her concern. "You might want to break them up."

Riley looked where she was pointing. Seo and Rose were standing mere inches apart, locked in a silent stare-down. The tension was razor-sharp, like the moment before a sword is drawn. Seo was poised and ready, her hand near her hilt, while Rose’s eyes were narrowed, faint flickers of light dancing around her.

"...Honestly."

With a quiet sigh, Riley moved to stand between the two girls.

"Both of you—stop it."

His voice was calm, yet it held enough command to break their focus. Rose clicked her tongue and turned away, crossing her arms in a huff. Seo simply relaxed her posture and stepped back, her face returning to its usual mask of indifference.

Riley let out a slow breath. He wanted to check on Stacia immediately to confirm details about her blessing and Evelyn's interference. But given the current friction, that would have to wait.

I'll see her later, he decided. For now, preventing a fight between these two was the priority.

...

"Hmm... that went even better than I anticipated."

Sitting on the sloped roof near the infirmary, Evelyn watched Riley's group from above. The wind played with her hair as she sat with effortless poise, her legs crossed. Her expression was bored, yet her eyes were sharp, recording every detail.

"Since her future self didn't step in... I suppose the experiment was a true success."

She glanced toward Stacia's room for a moment before her eyes returned to Riley. There was no affection in her gaze, only the cold calculation of a scientist observing an experiment. She tilted her head as if responding to an invisible companion.

"Hm? You think I told the original too much?" she asked softly, dismissing the thought with a laugh. "Don't worry. I only shared what was permissible. It won't disrupt causality significantly."

She tapped her fingers against the tiles.

"Besides... we need more variables. For his divinity to mature, he must experience deviation. Friction and confusion are the perfect catalyst."

Evelyn continued her monologue, her voice light as if she were discussing something trivial. "Anyone who heard me would think I've lost my mind," she mused, her lips curling into a grin.

Then, her smile widened—not with joy, but with a sharp, obsessive intensity.

"The plans are moving forward in the west, north, and south as well," she whispered. "Soon, the world will be consumed by the abnormal. The error of this world... the great anomaly..."

She wrapped her arms around herself, trembling with excitement. "It will be on everyone's mind soon."

Her eyes shifted past Riley, past Rose and Seo—and finally landed on Snow. Evelyn’s blue eyes shimmered, reflecting a vast, unseen depth.

"...Ah."

A soft breath of fascination escaped her.