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

Riley had anticipated a fierce, perhaps even ruinous, conflict, but this went far beyond his expectations.

His eyes slowly traversed the wreckage of the arena.

The ground was shattered, the air felt singed, and the protective barriers were bent out of shape—all the result of power that hadn't even reached its peak. This was no longer a sparring match meant for students. The mere residual pressure of their mana had been enough to warp the physical world around them.

Catastrophe would have been unavoidable if the academy's faculty hadn't intervened with such speed.

However, that wasn't the entire truth.

Riley let out a soft breath.

Both he and Alice had acted—quietly and out of sight. They had applied subtle nudges of authority, correcting the flow of causality and force to ensure no stray shockwaves pulverized the audience or collapsed the stands. To the onlookers, it seemed as though the barriers had barely held. In truth, the barriers would have failed long ago without their help.

"Transport student Stacia to the infirmary—be gentle! Her mana remains highly unstable!"

An authoritative shout cut through the air.

"Hey—rookie! Don't grab her with your bare hands, you'll get burned! Tsk!"

Riley observed as the emergency medical squad moved in, led by expert healers who immediately formed a perimeter around Stacia. They deployed specialized containment fabrics and donned heat-resistant gloves that shimmered with enchantments before lifting her. Even in her unconscious state, her body gave off intense heat, with leftover flames clinging stubbornly to her mana pathways.

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

Given the massive mana consumption required by a spirit king... she is certain to suffer from mana sickness again. And it won't be a mild case this time.

He knit his brows slightly.

Logically, he knew he wasn't to blame. There was no rational reason to feel a sense of responsibility. And yet, a faint sense of guilt persisted.

He could perceive it now with greater clarity. Stacia hadn't pushed herself to such extremes just to win. There was a deeper intent—something personal. A desperate urge to validate herself.

A part of that... was likely for me.

The thought sat uncomfortably in his mind. He still didn't fully grasp Stacia's ultimate goals or the specific destiny she was trying to forge. However, 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 depend on.

Despite his concerns, a different emotion began to surface: satisfaction.

It seems they really have grown stronger...

This wasn't just typical improvement; it was an absurd level of evolution. It was growth that bypassed normal stages, defied logic, and smashed through the ceiling of what should be possible. Riley exhaled slowly.

Stacia's progress alone was nonsensical. Establishing a direct link to a fire spirit king? That was the kind of event that rewrote legends, not something a mere student was supposed to survive. Most would have seen their mind, body, and soul incinerated long before reaching that level.

Then there was Rose.

...Rose was the true anomaly.

He knew she was destined to be an Archmage—and not just any Archmage, but perhaps the most powerful to ever live. Riley had long accepted this as an inevitable future. But even he hadn't foreseen her reaching this height without proper mentorship.

While Lavine had assisted, it was only in small doses—bits of theory and minor guidance. Everything else was the result of Rose's own efforts. Her mana density, her precision, and her profound grasp of magic were staggering. She treated spells, blessings, and even authority as simple variables to be calculated and solved.

There were no shortcuts. No push from him, and no interference from Evelyn. Yet, she had reached this stage regardless.

Riley lightly massaged his temple.

This shouldn't be possible... Given the display she just put on, it wouldn't be a stretch to say Rose could rival Alice under the right circumstances—and Alice could do the same to her. A battle between them wouldn't be decided by mere rank or raw strength anymore. The fact that Rose was already touching the realm of ultimate-rank magic was terrifying.

And she did it all on her own.

Should I be pleased... or alarmed?

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

"...What am I even worried about," he whispered to himself.

It was Rose. If it involved Rose, things would find a way to work out. They always did. His mind effectively short-circuited, automatically accepting the absurdity of her power and filing it under the category of "That's just Rose being Rose."

A short time later—

"Riley!"

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

"Rose. Are you feeling alright now?" Riley asked as he turned toward her.

"Yes," she said with a firm nod. "The medic said I was fine and Sta—ah, hmph! I mean—he said I wasn't hurt badly. It seems my mana was just drained too quickly at the end."

"I see..." Riley moved closer, his gaze softening. He reached out to gently touch her cheek before placing his palm against her forehead to check for a fever. "Hmm. Your mana turbulence seems to have settled down..."

"T-That’s because your touch isn't firm 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 for a public setting.

Slap!

Her hand was swatted away.

"That's playing dirty..."

A flat, quiet voice intervened as Seo suddenly stepped between them. With her back to Riley, she used her sword arm to subtly block Rose's path.

"Y-You...!"

Rose snapped, her golden eyes sharpening as she glared at Seo. For a second, the tension between them was palpable, almost as if invisible sparks of animosity were flying through the air.

"..."

"...."

If glares had the power to kill, the infirmary corridor would have been leveled.

"Fufu," Snow laughed from the sidelines, clearly enjoying the spectacle. "I see these two haven't changed a bit."

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

"Well, she did attempt to bury me in paperwork," Snow answered smoothly. "And I would have helped, seeing as Rose was responsible for half of today's chaos."

"Hey!"

"However," Snow went on calmly, "it appears the weight of my father's gaze made the principal reconsider."

Riley gave a small laugh.

Yeah... that sounds about right.

Leilah likely had her hands full repairing the damage alone, but that was her role as principal. Dealing with the disasters caused by monstrously gifted students was part of the job description. It wasn't something the student council president—especially one like Snow—needed to handle right now. It was obvious the Emperor's presence was weighing on her.

Even if Snow’s father didn't go out of his way to intimidate others, his mere existence shifted the atmosphere. Such authority didn't require words; it pressed down on everyone simply by being there. Riley wondered when he should schedule a private meeting with the Emperor. It needed to happen soon, especially since Snow was about to become more involved.

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

"Riley~! My darling~"

Alice leaned in from behind, her playful whisper barely masking her underlying concern. "You should probably stop them."

Riley looked where she was pointing. Seo and Rose were standing mere inches apart, locked in a staring contest. The air around them was sharp, resembling the silence before a sword strike. Seo stood tall and ready, her hand near her weapon, while Rose’s eyes were narrowed dangerously as faint flickers of light danced around her.

"...Honestly."

With a soft sigh, Riley stepped forward to stand between them.

"You two—that's enough."

His voice wasn't loud, but it held enough command to break their focus. Rose clicked her tongue and turned away, crossing her arms with a huff. Seo simply relaxed her posture and stepped back, her face returning to its usual mask of indifference as if nothing had occurred.

Riley exhaled slowly. He had wanted to check on Stacia immediately. There were many things to verify—the blessing, Evelyn’s role, and how far the situation had escalated. But given the current friction, that would have to wait.

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

...

"Hmm... that turned out better than I anticipated."

From her perch on the slanted roof of a building near the infirmary, Evelyn watched Riley's group. The wind played with her hair as she sat with casual grace, her expression bored yet her eyes missing nothing.

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

Her gaze rested on Stacia's location for a moment before returning to Riley. Her eyes held no warmth, only the cold calculation of an observer watching an equation unfold. She tilted her head as if listening to an invisible voice.

"Hm? You think I showed the original too much?" she asked softly, dismissing the thought with a laugh. "Don't worry. I only shared what was within the limits of tolerance. 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 learn through deviation. A little confusion and friction create the perfect environment."

Evelyn continued to ramble in a light, conversational tone, as if she were talking about the weather rather than the fate of existence.

"If anyone heard me, they'd call me mad," she mused, a smile tugging at her lips.

Then, her grin broadened. It wasn't a smile of joy or warmth. It was sharp and manic—the smile of someone driven by absolute obsession.

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

She hugged herself, her shoulders shaking with excitement rather than cold.

"It will be on everyone's mind soon."

Her eyes shifted again, moving past Riley, Rose, and Seo—finally landing on Snow.

Evelyn’s blue eyes shimmered, reflecting something vast and unseen.

"...Ah."

A soft, captivated breath escaped her lips.