How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 502: Burning Core 2

”Mana, under normal circumstances,” I began, crouching down as I drew a quick rough circle in the snow with my finger, ”flows through your mana veins. That’s the route most people rely on to use their mana—think of it like an empty road. It’s open, sure, but that also means it’s vulnerable.”

I tapped the edge of the circle. ”One wrong movement, even a slight misalignment, and the mana starts leaking in all directions. That’s what causes mana exhaustion for most beginners. Or worse—internal damage if they’re too reckless.”

Stacia was sitting across from me, legs crossed, arms resting on her thighs, watching me closely with a small frown.

”For knights,” I continued, ”focusing your mana refinement into specific parts of your body is key. Whether it’s your arms, legs, core, whatever—it’s all about control. Even though you’ll eventually channel that energy through your blade, your body is the foundation. If that breaks, the rest collapses with it. But in your case, you don’t have to worry about unnecessary mana leakage.”

She blinked. ”I don’t?”

”Nope,” I said, sitting back. ”Your body’s already different. The way your mana reacts... it’s more wild, yeah—but more stable than you realize. You’re overthinking it. You don’t need to restrict it all the time.”

Her brows furrowed slightly. ”But... what if I pass out again?”

”You won’t,” I said confidently, tossing the small pouch beside me open. Inside were five bottles of glowing blue liquid. ”I’ve got all the mana potions you’ll need for today.”

I gave her a slight grin. ”Now, bust out those flames.”

She stared at me for a second—probably wondering if I was being serious. I was.

With a sigh, she slowly stood up and stepped into the middle of the open field we had chosen for today’s session.

The snow was still thick around us, but the sky had cleared, and we were far from any trees or structures.

Not much to burn out here.

Stacia closed her eyes for a moment.

Then... she let go.

A sharp hum rang in the air as mana exploded out from her body, spiraling upward in waves of heat.

Her signature fiery aura emerged, rippling like smoke off her skin.

The snow around her feet instantly evaporated, revealing dry, crackling ground underneath.

The faint grass didn’t stand a chance.

Warmth rushed across the field and hit me head-on.

Despite the sheer force, I couldn’t help but smile a little.

Her flames were wild... but alive. Real. Controlled, in their own chaotic way.

”Don’t stop,” I called out to her. ”Now focus and contain those flames. Keep them within a few meters from your body.”

She looked at me like I’d gone completely insane.

To be fair, I was asking her to explode her mana and then hold it like a steady torch, not a wildfire. Most people would’ve passed out just from the initial release.

But this was for her sake.

Even if it looked crazy.

The next day, we repeated the same training exercise.

Like always, I came prepared—with all the mana potions she’d probably end up draining again.

At this point, we were about a week and a half into her training.

Officially.

Unofficially, we were well past the point where most would’ve given up from pure exhaustion.

But Stacia wasn’t most people.

Despite the repetitions, I didn’t have to do much in terms of pep talks.

She was already more skilled than most knights I’d ever seen—disciplined, determined, and naturally gifted.

Her flame control was improving every day. If anything, I was just making sure she didn’t burn herself out too fast.

Today was no different.

Her flames burned bright again, almost like a rising pillar. The snow around us was already long gone, replaced by blackened ground and rising heatwaves.

”Senior,” she groaned between breaths, ”I’m dying... can we please stop?”

”No,” I said, without hesitation. ”You’re close. You want to reach your mana core, don’t you?”

”Isn’t there any other way to do this?!”

”In your case? No. There isn’t.”

She looked like she wanted to cry. Then she gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and shook her head in frustration.

”Huwaaahhh!!!” she screamed out, flames erupting around her in a burst before pulling back tightly again, struggling to contain every inch of it.

And like that, the rest of the week went.

More screaming. More fire. More collapsing. More potions.

But also... more progress.

By the fifth day, I stood a few meters away, arms crossed, watching her with a faint nod.

”Alright,” I said, ”you’re holding it in within a couple inches now. Just a bit more refinement, and we’ll be done with this stage.”

”Haah... haaah...” she was panting hard, sweat clinging to her skin, hair slightly burned at the ends. ”Senior... how exactly does this help me unlock my mana core again...?”

I smirked. ”Wisdom comes in due time, my princess.”

”Stop being cryptic!”

And then—whoosh.

What was left of her control wavered, and she dropped onto the ground face-first with a loud thud.

That was three days ago.

Now?

She was sitting in the same field.

Same burned earth.

But everything else was different.

Her legs were crossed neatly.

Her posture was still.

Her eyes, closed in quiet focus.

Around her, flames circled in a tight formation—compressed and obedient, not lashing out anymore. Controlled.

Contained.

If I hadn’t seen it myself, I’d think she was meditating. But no... it was more than that.

She was radiating.

She looked like a sun goddess, surrounded by golden-red flame, the wind swirling gently around her as the heat bent the air itself.

I stepped a little closer and crouched beside her.

”Good job, Junior,” I said softly. ”You can feel it now, can’t you?”

She opened her eyes slowly and looked at me.

Then gave a small, quiet nod.

That feeling—that intense, overwhelming heat burning from within her core... the one described in the game... yeah, it should be awakening right about now.

Her mana core.

It was open.

”You know what to do with it, right?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

She nodded again.

Because this moment—the release, the breakthrough, the flame that settled into her very being—it wasn’t something I had to explain.

It was something only we would understand.

After all, it’s us who knows best what’s buried inside ourselves.

Her magic [Skill: Mana Burn] should be active now.

We’d officially trained together for weeks now.

At first, she had complained about everything—from the cold, to the burns, to how tired she felt after each session.

But as time passed, those complaints slowly faded.

Not because it got easier, but because she started to understand the results for herself.

Her physical prowess had sharpened.

Her control over mana had gone from erratic to refined. Her presence alone felt different now—calmer, stronger.

The fiery chaos that once exploded out of her was now something she could hold in her palm.

She was becoming the perfect version of the magic knight I remembered from the game.

Of course, I might’ve accelerated her path a bit more than intended. It was my influence, after all, that pushed her past certain checkpoints in her ”fate.” But honestly, I didn’t see it as a bad thing.

Boosting her specs early meant one thing for me: I now had a future ally of her caliber on my side.

And that alone was more than enough benefit.

Still... I couldn’t help but hope she wouldn’t completely breeze through the future events. Compared to her peers, her growth was definitely unnatural. But then again, if anyone deserved that kind of edge, it was probably her.

As we packed up our things at the field, I gave her one last reminder.

”Don’t try to do it in your room, okay?” I said, slinging my bag over my shoulder. ”Even if your energy feels compressed now, the heat alone could burn up everything within a couple dozen meters.”

Stacia gave a short nod, adjusting the scarf around her neck. ”I know. Goodbye for now, Senior. I’ll see you tomorrow—”

”No.”

She paused mid-turn. ”No?”

”From here on out, you’re on your own now, Junior.”

Her brows furrowed a bit. ”But... we still have a week and a few days left for the mentorship.”

”I know,” I said, smiling a little. ”But don’t worry—I’m not exactly worried about my final grades.”

She looked confused, so I added, ”I’ve already seen the results for myself.”

I gave her a proud look, one I knew she’d understand even if I didn’t say it outright.

”And I trust you, Junior. So don’t fail me, alright?”

She stood still for a moment, then gave a small, firm nod.

It wasn’t just acknowledgment—it was acceptance.

As we said our goodbyes, she gave a final wave, her expression a bit distant, like her thoughts were already elsewhere.

I could tell she was still trying to fully grasp the sensation of her awakened core.

Well... it’s not every day you get to feel something that’s essentially your soul stirring inside you.

I looked at the time in my watch.

Just an hour and it would be late noon.

Now then I guess it’s time I meet up with Evelyn... I’ve delayed more than enough time.