How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 220 A New Semester A New Evaluation 10

220 A New Semester A New Evaluation 10

Feeling the sharp sting of pain encroaching her body, Stacia forced herself to stand, her breath ragged and uneven as she gasped for air.

Stacia's unique constitution—one that allowed her to fully utilize both aura and mana—kicked in, and slowly, she could feel her body healing itself from the physical damage she had sustained.

Her resilience was one of her greatest assets, and she wasn't about to let this battle end without pushing Riley to his limits.

Her grip on the Ignis sword tightened, its fiery aura pulsing with her renewed strength. She locked her eyes on Riley, but something about him had changed.

His gaze, once calm and detached, was now cold—almost unreadable.

Her body felt goosebumps as she felt her strength slowly being siphoned off for some reason.

His blue eyes reflected the fire she wielded, yet the flames seemed to have no effect on him. Unfazed.

'What happened?'

This wasn't the same senior she had seen earlier, sitting in the corner of the stage with that quiet, almost naïve demeanor.

The person standing before her now looked like a warrior—calculated, sharp, and entirely focused.

His coldness seemed to chill the air around him, making her flames feel small in comparison.

She had come here with confidence—confidence that her skills, her magic, and her training would be enough to take Riley on.

After all, she was a prodigy, a princess of the Luna family, with one of the most powerful flame swords in existence.

And yet, standing in front of him now, she realized her initial judgment had underestimated him completely.

This wasn't the duel she had envisioned.

It seemed going all out from the start wasn't just an option—it was a necessity if she wanted to survive this duel, much less win.

Stacia clenched her jaw, focusing her mind and energy.

The flames that had once spread wildly around her, filling the air with heat and light, were now drawn inward.

She condensed them, letting the inferno coil tightly around her body.

No more reckless attacks. She needed control—complete control.

The aura and magic intertwined within her, reinforcing her physical form as the flames settled into her limbs and sword, no longer spilling out wastefully.

Striking once more she dashed forward like another flaming rocket.

FWOOOOSH!

Riley and Stacia exchanged blows.

Clang!

Clang!

At first, Stacia hadn't noticed it, but there was something distinctly different about Riley. The strikes he had landed, the way he moved—it all began to make sense as she replayed their exchanges in her mind.

[Aura.]

He was using aura.

It wasn't constantly visible like most aura users, but just from the precision of his strikes and the way he had withstood her flames, she had all the confirmation she needed.

There was no way a normal human could withstand the searing intensity of her flames without being shielded by the anti-magical properties of aura.

Even when she had her Infernal Blaze active, his kick had still managed to injure her, bypassing the protection of her flame-enhanced armor.

Though Riley didn't possess as much aura as she did, his control over it was frightening.

He used it sparingly, almost as if it were second nature to him, applying just the right amount in the most efficient of ways.

Where she expended energy, he conserved it.

His movements were precise, and his strikes had an economy to them—no wasted effort, no excess force.

It was terrifying to face someone with that kind of mastery.

Riley was faster than she had anticipated, much faster. His swordsmanship was impeccable, his strike delivers with a lethal accuracy.

Her Infernal Blaze, which should have been a significant obstacle for any opponent, barely fazed him.

He moved through the fire as if it were just an afterthought.

Facing him head-on with brute force was no longer an option.

She couldn't overwhelm him with raw power, nor could she afford to waste any more energy.

He was reading her movements too easily, reacting to her attacks before she could even fully commit to them.

A change in strategy was needed.

Stacia gritted her teeth as she quickly recalculated her approach.

If Riley's aura was nullifying the effect of her flames, then she would have to force him into a position where he couldn't rely solely on defense.

She needed to pin him down, restrict his movements, and find an opening to strike.

With a sharp breath, she began casting a spell. Her hands moved in a precise, practiced manner as she summoned a series of flaming orbs into existence.

[Mid-Grade Flame Magic]

[Cinder Orbs]

Dozens of glowing, fire-laden orbs manifested in the air behind her, hovering ominously as a magic circle flared into life at her command.

Each orb pulsed with heat, ready to be unleashed.

She knew they wouldn't pose much of a threat to Riley on their own, but that wasn't their purpose.

Above her, the sky seemed to split open, golden lightning cascading down from the heavens, crackling with terrifying intensity.

BOOM!!!!

The first bolt struck, slamming into the stage near her with an explosion of raw power. The shockwave sent her reeling, her aura barely holding up under the barrage.

Before she could recover, the lightning came again.

CRASH!!!

Lightning danced across the stage, crackling, hungry, as it tore through the air.

The electric storm showed no mercy, and the strikes were relentless.

Stacia felt her muscles spasm uncontrollably as the energy surged through her, forcing her to her knees.

Her aura, which had held out so far, was beginning to flicker, straining under the repeated impacts.

The once strong protective layer around her seemed to be faltering.

Her breathing was ragged, and she struggled to maintain her focus as the pain became unbearable.

And then—

BOOM!!!!

The final strike came down like the wrath of the gods.

The golden lightning crashed into Stacia's body directly this time, her aura completely shattered as it enveloped her in a storm of electric fury.

The force of the impact was overwhelming, burning through every last ounce of her strength.

Stacia's consciousness slipped away, her body crumpling to the ground.

Though she lost... she felt pleased in knowing that her intention was fulfilled.

....

'Damn... I may have overdone it...'

Watching the unconscious Stacia being immediately whisked away by the emergency medical team, a bead of sweat formed on my brow.

Panic surged through me as I processed the situation.

Fuck...

Unintentional or not, I just hurt a princess—badly.

And not only that, but I had been ruthless about it.

The realization hit like a brick, and the weight of what I'd done pressed down on me.

This was no ordinary sparring session.

I'd gone too far, and now I was going to have to deal with the fallout.

Around me, the whispers were growing louder, the students unable to hide their shock.

"Woah...!"

"I-Is this alright?"

05:59

"Uhm, isn't she dead?"

"What was up with that level of power?"

"I thought the seniors were supposed to restrain themselves?"

The murmurs around me were relentless.

I could feel the eyes of everyone in the arena locked onto me, their gazes a mixture of awe, confusion, and concern.

It was like I had just crossed an invisible line, and no one quite knew how to react.

It seemed that my intense training with the Duke had gotten the better of me.

Ever since I returned, there hadn't been anyone strong enough to push me to my limits, to truly test out my newfound power.

I hadn't realized just how much stronger I'd become—until now.

Maybe I shouldn't have activated [Monarch's Will], she could've showcased her true full power.... But then again, I would've turned into ash.

Considering her sadistic personality she'd probably do much worse despite her intentions.

I even had to use [Return] during her initial attack....

"Student Riley."

There it was.

"Let's have a talk, shall we? And you are to cease your function as a volunteer evaluator."

The professor's voice was stern but calm, like the calm before a storm. I could feel the tension building as he approached me, the weight of his authority pressing down on the already suffocating atmosphere.

"Yes, sir..."

Based on our match she's probably around level 85-90 and above right now.

Although her intentions and mindset weren't exactly aligned to what I was hoping for.

I just hope her defeat now would help her grow faster....

Her body should be naturally adapting right now.