How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 420: RE-EVALUATION 2

”Hey,” Janica said suddenly, poking Lucasʼs arm. ”Why do you look so down?”

”Iʼm not really sad,” Lucas replied quickly, scratching his cheek awkwardly. ”Just a bit—”

Before he could finish, a loud chime echoed across the training field, followed by the amplification of a magical mic.

The static cleared quickly, and a familiar voice boomed across the open air, cutting through their conversation and drawing everyoneʼs attention.

”KUHAHAHAHA! LOOKS LIKE YOU GREEDY LOT HAVE ALL GATHERED UP, EH!?”

The booming voice echoed across the entire training field like thunder, so loud and commanding that even the air seemed to vibrate with its power.

It came from none other than Professor Ferdinand—the legendary current senior professor for the knight department of the academy.

His voice, amplified even further by a magical mic enhancer, thundered through the sky like the roar of a war drum.

Some first-years instinctively covered their ears. One poor mage student even wobbled on his feet, almost fainting from the sheer volume.

With his old-man bark and exaggerated hand gestures, Professor Ferdinand continued, laughing heartily like a mad war veteran on his last battlefield.

”IʼM SURE YOU LOT ARE CURIOUS AS TO WHY YOUʼRE REALLY GATHERED HERE TODAY!” he bellowed, sweeping his arm toward the crowd as if expecting cheers. ”I KNOW, I KNOW—YOUʼVE BEEN TOLD SOME HALF-BAKED EXPLANATION ALREADY… BUT WORRY NOT!”

He slammed the butt of his great war halberd into the ground beside him, sending a faint shockwave that made the front row flinch.

”THIS RE-EVALUATION? HA! SURE, IT MIGHT CHANGE YOUR SCORES—BUT EVEN IF YOU FAIL, IT WONʼT RUIN YOUR LIFE. NO DEMOTIONS, NO DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS… NO NEED TO CRY HOME TO MAMA! ITʼS A VOLUNTARY EVALUATION, AFTER ALL. ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS—” he grinned wide ”—WIN!!”

A few upperclassmen in the crowd exchanged nervous glances. Some second-years gulped. Others smirked.

The tension in the air tightened as Ferdinandʼs voice grew even more animated.

”I SEE SOME GUTTER RATS IN HERE—BARELY PASSING, HOLDING ONTO HOPE!” he pointed to a cluster of students who looked thoroughly offended. ”AND I SEE SOME TOP DOGS—S-RANKERS WITH TOO MUCH TIME ON THEIR HANDS LOOKING FOR A FIGHT! YOU ALL GOT DIFFERENT REASONS TO BE HERE, DIFFERENT GOALS—BUT WHO CARES?!”

He waved a dismissive hand and let out another echoing laugh that probably killed a few birds mid-flight.

”IN THE END, THIS IS A SIMPLE, VOLUNTARY EVALUATION. YOU WANNA BOOST YOUR SCORES? FINE. YOU WANNA FLEX ON YOUR PEERS? GO AHEAD. BUT LISTEN CLOSE, ʼCAUSE I AINʼT GONNA REPEAT THIS!”

He raised one finger, dramatically drawing all eyes to him.

”YOUR MISSION IS SIMPLE! ONE OBJECTIVE! YOU ONLY NEED TO LAND ONE HIT—JUST ONE CLEAN STRIKE—ON YOUR DESIGNATED TARGET. IF YOU DO THAT, YOUR SCORES GET OFFICIALLY RE-EVALUATED. EASY, RIGHT!?”

A wave of confusion rippled across the field.

Students began murmuring amongst themselves.

Some raised eyebrows.

Others exchanged uncertain glances.

”Wait… just one hit?”

”That canʼt be all—thereʼs gotta be a catch, right?”

”Is this one of those sadistic trials where they throw you into a pit with an S-rank and tell you to ʼland a hitʼ?”

”Wait… whoʼs the target supposed to be?”

Despite the rising chatter, it was abundantly clear that things were about to get very real, very quickly.

Even without the full details, everyone could sense it—the kind of chaos that only Ferdinandʼs insane brand of ”fairness” could unleash.

And judging by his manic grin and the gleam in his eye, the old man was far from finished.

”ALL YOU LOT ARE ALLIES—FOR NOW!” Professor Ferdinand thundered, holding his massive halberd up like a banner of war. ”YOUʼLL NEED ALL THE HELP YOU CAN GET TO EVEN LAND A SINGLE HIT!”

His voice boomed across the field once again, making several students tense up even further.

”DONʼT WORRY ABOUT GOING SOLO,” he continued with a manic grin. ”CONTRIBUTION IS ALSO BEING MARKED FOR EVALUATION! SO DONʼT BE SHY—HELP A FELLOW STUDENT OUT, AND YOU MIGHT JUST SCORE POINTS YOURSELF! SHOW ME TEAMWORK, GUTS, STRATEGY—SHOW ME YOUʼRE NOT JUST HERE TO SHOW OFF YOUR PRETTY SPELLS AND SWORDS!”

Ferdinand twirled his halberd once, then slammed it down again, his voice lowering into something like a mock whisper—if a whisper could still shatter glass.

”NOW THEN… WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY… HERE ARE YOUR OPPONENTS. REMEMBER—JUST ONE HIT IS ALL IT TAKES TO SHOOT FOR THE TOP!”

A loud, mechanical creak echoed across the training grounds as the towering steel gates at the opposite end of the field began to open.

Dust rolled out from the gap as bright light bled through the opening.

All the noise—the murmurs, the muttering, the anxious breathing—halted at once.

Then, two silhouettes stepped through the threshold, side by side, walking slowly into view like they owned the place.

And when the light finally revealed their faces, the entire student body collectively gasped.

Lucasʼs eyes widened the most.

Stepping forward in graceful, almost theatrical fashion was a girl that very few didnʼt recognize.

Her super-sized, pointed witch hat tilted just enough to add drama to her bubbly pink hair, which bounced lightly with every step.

Her rare golden eyes shimmered like polished amber under the soft sunlight.

Her smile—elegant and calm—gave off the aura of someone who had no need to prove herself.

She was already untouchable.

Alice Holloway.

The fourth-year magic department prodigy. Nicknamed the ”Queen of Hearts.” A future Archmage in the making.

She waved lightly at some of the students she recognized—her motions warm, yet distant.

As if saying, ”Nice to see you, but donʼt think Iʼll go easy.”

And beside her…

A presence that sent an undeniable chill through the air.

He walked with a casual indifference that somehow felt more threatening than any scowl.

Golden-blonde hair caught the light, shimmering like polished threads of fire.

But it was his eyes—piercing, cold, and impossibly blue—that truly unsettled everyone.

They werenʼt angry.

They werenʼt excited.

They were… empty.

He scanned the entire field of students like one might look at pieces on a chessboard—calculating, dismissive.

Not out of arrogance, but something worse.

He simply didnʼt see any of them as worth reacting to.

Riley.

The infamous name spread through the academy like wildfire months ago—the brilliant yet terrifying student who vanished alongside Alice during a mysterious incident, only to return now in silence?

Now even more rumors trailing behind him than before.

”The Hidden Monster,” some whispered.

And though Alice and Riley looked like polar opposites in every way—light and dark, warm and cold—the way they stood side by side, exchanging subtle words, laughing faintly to themselves, showed a level of comfort that unnerved more than a few of the onlookers.

They looked good together.

Too good.

Even their energy seemed to blend in harmony.

As if they werenʼt just opponents… but partners.

No maybe more than that?

A wave of dread swept over the students.

”Riley…?”

Lucasʼs voice came out as a fragile whisper, barely audible over the murmurs spreading across the field.

His eyes were wide—unmoving—as he stared at the figure standing beside Alice.

His heart thudded painfully in his chest, faster and louder with each passing second.

He hadnʼt felt like this in a long time.

Not in a fight.

Not in a duel.

Not even when facing a monster.

But now, staring at that golden hair and those cold, emotionless blue eyes… he knew.

That overwhelming presence.

That suffocating aura that felt like a weight pressing down on his very soul.

The dense, terrifyingly refined mana that seemed to ripple through the air around him like static.

The eyes that could cut through steel and see through lies.

There was no mistaking it.

It was him.

His friend… his rival… the unreachable wall he had been chasing since the beginning.

”Riley…” Lucas repeated, this time with a breathless smile forming on his lips. ”Yeah… Itʼs really him…”

And just as he confirmed it, Rileyʼs gaze turned toward him.

Cold. Quiet. Unwavering.

Their eyes met for only a second, but that second stretched into eternity for Lucas.

His entire body reacted instinctively—his foot stepping back, the hairs on his neck rising, the pressure on his chest forcing him to breathe differently.

Thump—!

It was like facing a predator after forgetting what real danger felt like.

And yet… Lucas smiled.

Not out of arrogance, not out of fear—but out of something deeper.

Recognition.

The announcement made earlier now made perfect sense.

They werenʼt just being thrown into a random evaluation.

They were being tested against literal monsters here in the academy.

His rival had returned.

The stage was set and Lucas wasnʼt going to miss this opportunity…

Grabbing onto the sword on his waist his holy sword woke up….

”Well, Iʼll be damned…”

Kagamiʼs voice came from behind, low and dry as sweat rolled down the side of his face. His arms were already tense, gauntlets clinking slightly as his hands curled into fists.

Heʼd always known Riley was strong.

Unnaturally strong.

A hidden monster behind the veil of casual indifference.

He was one of the very few whoʼd seen a glimpse of Rileyʼs power up close, and even that glimpse had haunted him.

He was glad to see his friend again—truly—but he hadnʼt expected it would be like this.

”…Tch.” He grinned anyway, the sound of his own heartbeat quickening as the thrill began to overtake the nerves. ”Guess weʼre skipping the reunion party, huh?”

His fists burned with anticipation now. Even if it was dangerous—even if it was suicidal—he was curious.

Could his starlit fists finally reach someone like Riley?

Could he leave a mark on a monster?

This was his chance.

And then there was Janica.

Silent.

Still.

Her green eyes locked onto Riley the moment he stepped into view.

Her fingers instinctively curled against her chest, a storm of emotion rising that she couldnʼt quite explain.

It wasnʼt fear—not exactly—but it felt like she was watching something unreal, something she had thought was gone forever suddenly standing before her like no time had passed at all.

Memories—conflicting, tangled—rushed to the surface.

Feelings she thought sheʼd buried tried to claw their way up again.

She bit her lip and looked down, trying to suppress the ache in her chest.

But it was no use.

With trembling hands, she reached for her rapier, the cold touch of the hilt grounding her back to the present.

”…Focus,” she muttered to herself.

Whatever Rileyʼs return meant—whatever it would bring—she wasnʼt going to be caught standing still.

Not this time.

Watching the students slowly settle into their stances—some with fists clenched, others already charging mana into their hands—Professor Ferdanand chuckled to himself.

Despite the nervous glances and shaky breathing, they werenʼt backing down.

The fear was there, yes, but so was something else: resolve.

Each and every one of them was preparing to give it their all, even if they didnʼt fully understand what they were up against.

Ferdanandʼs broad grin widened as he raised the magical mic enhancer again.

”NOW THEN—LET THE RE-EVALUATION BEGIN!!!”

His booming voice echoed like thunder across the training field, amplified by the artifact in his hand and carried by wind and mana alike.

The announcement should have marked the start of a chaotic surge of power—students unleashing spells, auras flaring, battle cries rising.

But that didnʼt happen.

Because in the very next breath—

VOOOOSHHHHHH—!!!

A wave of energy exploded across the field.

No, not just energy.

It was more than that.

It was presence.

Something invisible yet palpable swept through the crowd like a tidal wave crashing down from the heavens.

In an instant, it felt like the sky itself had collapsed onto their shoulders.

The air thickened—crushed—as if entire mountains were pressing down on their backs.

The field, once buzzing with chatter and anticipation, fell into absolute silence.

Not a single bird sang.

Not a leaf rustled.

Only pressure.

Only him.

The students didnʼt even scream.

Their voices died before they reached their lips, their thoughts unable to form into words.

Their bodies—drained of strength, of will—began to buckle, one after the other, collapsing onto their knees as if in reverence or terror.

No one told them to kneel.

But they had to.

There was no other option.

Their instincts screamed submit.

And at the center of that pressure stood one person.

Riley.

His expression remained neutral—calm, emotionless—as if the overwhelming force blanketing the entire field had nothing to do with him.

And yet, everyone knew.

It was him.

Lucas was the first to shake out of the daze, blinking rapidly, sweat pouring down his temples.

His legs trembled beneath him, not from fear—but from the sheer weight of the mana in the air.

It felt like gravity had increased tenfold, like something was pressing into his very soul.

”Wh…whatʼs going on…?”

He looked forward, toward Riley—only to see him standing there, casually speaking to Alice, their conversation quiet and unintelligible despite the deathly silence hanging over the field.

Were they… ignoring all of this?

Were they even aware of what they were doing?

Lucas tried to stand, to rise, but his limbs wouldnʼt respond. It wasnʼt just magic—it was dominion.

An unshakable authority. It was like the entire field was within Rileyʼs territory now.

Then, suddenly—

Alice twirled her wand with a practiced flick of the wrist.

The mana in the air shifted violently.

Complex red runes materialized in the sky above her, suspended in the air like floating script pulled from a lost arcane language.

Each one pulsed with heat and force, rippling with uncontrollable magic.

The temperature spiked.

Sparks flew from the runes like fireflies gone mad.

Before the students could even react—

KRRRRRRRRAKABOOOOOOOM—!!!

Dozens of bolts struck across the field in a flash of blinding crimson light.