How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 728: Festival Champion 6

Lumen Academy.

The day the tournament resumed, the weather almost felt staged.

Clear skies, bright sun, just enough breeze to keep the heat from settling in. The kind of day that made everything feel lighter—like nothing could go wrong.

And maybe that’s why the energy felt even sharper.

The delay that had stalled the competition was finally over. After days of buildup, rumors, and restless anticipation, things were moving again.

Inside the academy colosseum, the noise didn’t stop.

Cheers rolled through the stands in waves, rising and falling as more people poured in. It had always been considered the largest colosseum on the continent—built to hold numbers most places couldn’t even manage.

But even that had its limits.

Every seat was taken. Every open space filled. Late arrivals stood wherever they could just to catch a glimpse of the arena floor. People had come from everywhere—other academies, distant regions, even places Riley barely remembered by name.

Some chose to watch through the live broadcasts scattered across the academy, where the view was clearer, the comfort better.

But it wasn’t the same.

Being there—hearing the crowd, feeling the pressure in the air, watching everything unfold right in front of you—

That was different.

That was real.

And today, what they came to see wasn’t just a tournament.

It was a stage.

For monsters in the making.

Students, technically—but that word didn’t really fit anymore. The ones left standing weren’t normal talents. They were the kind people would talk about years from now, the kind that didn’t have a clear ceiling.

Geniuses. Outliers.

Future names that would shape the continent.

And now, they were all here.

Ready to prove it.

Just like before, the matches would be decided randomly. No brackets people could rely on, no predictable path forward. Each round was drawn on the spot—your opponent decided in an instant.

Win, and you move on.

Lose—

And you’re out.

Simple.

Brutal.

And exactly what the crowd wanted.

Thanks to the academy’s magic engineering department, things had changed.

Each participant now wore a newly developed protective bracelet—small, simple at a glance, but packed with layered enchantments. It monitored the user’s condition in real time, reacting the moment things crossed a certain threshold.

In short—

There was no need to hold back anymore.

Lethal techniques, forbidden arts, overwhelming spells—everything that would normally be restricted in a student match was now allowed. The bracelet would trigger before anything truly fatal could happen, forcibly teleporting the user out of danger.

At least, that was the idea.

"Yes... even if I get frozen solid or hit by something insane... this thing should pull me out before anything bad happens..."

The voice came out shaky.

Underneath the arena, in the waiting area reserved for the competitors, Julius Sertal stood off to the side, staring at the bracelet on his wrist like it was the only thing keeping him alive.

Short, peanut-colored hair. Slight frame. Hands covering his mouth as he let out a quiet, nervous breath that almost turned into a laugh.

Even after all the preparation, all the effort he’d put in—

Even after his family came all this way just to watch him—

It didn’t help.

Not right now.

"Shit..." he muttered under his breath, dragging his hands down his face. "Why did my match have to be first...?"

His shoulders slumped slightly.

"And why... does it have to be her..."

He knew the rules.

Fifteen competitors left. Matches decided randomly. No bias, no adjustments.

Just luck.

And his luck?

This.

Snow Luenitia White Germonia Leven.

The crown princess of the Germonia Empire.

The emperor’s beloved daughter.

And more importantly—

A monster.

Not just by title or reputation, but in actual ability. The kind of person you didn’t just "face" in a match. The kind you survived, if you were lucky.

Julius swallowed.

His chances of winning were already low against most people left in the tournament.

Against her?

He didn’t even bother pretending.

And that wasn’t the worst part.

"...If I mess this up..."

His voice dropped even lower.

The emperor himself was present. Watching. An honored guest overseeing the event.

Hurting Snow—even in a controlled match—was one thing.

But offending her?

Embarrassing her?

There were lines you didn’t cross.

And if he did—

The bracelet might save his life in the arena.

But outside of it?

Julius forced out a dry laugh, though there was no humor behind it.

"...Yeah... I’m definitely screwed."

"Should I just give up...?"

The thought slipped out before he could stop it.

For a second, it hung there.

Then Julius shook his head hard, almost slapping himself back to reality.

"No... no, that’s not—"

He exhaled sharply, clenching his fists.

He didn’t get here by luck.

Not like this.

Just like everyone else still left in the tournament, he climbed his way up through sheer effort—training until his body gave out, refining his control, pushing his limits over and over again. Maybe he wasn’t as overwhelming as monsters like Snow... but that didn’t mean he had the right to quit before even stepping in.

"Mom and dad are watching..."

That alone was enough to steady him, if only a little.

Back in his own academy, he wasn’t just another student. He was one of their best—a top prospect, someone people expected things from. His ability to handle all four primary elements with efficiency wasn’t common. It wasn’t normal.

It was something he worked for.

Something he earned.

"...Yeah..."

Even if the gap between him and someone like Snow felt massive—

Even if the rumors about her weren’t exaggerated—

That didn’t mean he could just fold.

He didn’t need to win.

He knew that much.

But at the very least...

"I can show what I can do... right?"

If he could hold his ground, even for a while—if he could make it a fight worth watching—

That would be enough.

—

"W-Winner—Princess Snow!!!"

The voice echoed, distant.

Julius didn’t even remember the moment clearly.

One second—

He was standing.

The next—

Everything went white.

—

When his consciousness flickered back, the first thing he saw was a ceiling.

Plain. White.

Unfamiliar.

Voices overlapped around him, sharp and urgent.

"Quick, stabilize his mana flow!"

"But sir, forcing fire magic at this stage might—"

"Stop questioning and do it! His body and mana are collapsing!"

Hands moved around him. He could feel it—barely.

But more than anything—

He felt cold.

Freezing.

Like his entire body had been submerged in ice.

Julius tried to move his fingers.

Nothing.

His lips parted slightly, a weak breath escaping.

"...c-cold..."

That’s when it hit him.

Fragments of memory.

A flash of white.

A pressure he couldn’t breathe under.

And then—

Nothing.

The bracelet had activated.

It must have.

It pulled him out before it got worse.

Saved him.

That’s what it was supposed to do.

But right now—

Lying there, unable to move, his body barely responding—

Julius let out a faint, broken breath.

"...I don’t... feel saved..."

The cold didn’t leave.

If anything—

It sank deeper.

...

"You may have overdid it..."

Riley said it lightly, but his eyes were still on Snow, watching her a bit more closely than usual.

"I-I was holding back, you know."

She didn’t sound defensive. If anything, she sounded a little unsure of herself—like she was still trying to figure out where the line even was now.

"I guess you’ll have to train more to control it," Riley went on, shrugging slightly. "I’ll help if you need it. For now, just... avoid using spells carelessly."

Snow blinked at that.

"I wasn’t using any spells."

A small pause.

"That was just my mana release."

"...Oh."

Riley actually went quiet for a second, his mouth parting slightly before he closed it again.

Then he nodded once.

"...Right."

That explained a lot.

"Well," he added after a beat, "everyone messes up a bit when they get stronger. It’ll take time to get used to it."

"I know."

Snow answered simply, like she’d already accepted that much.

Next to them, Seo had been watching the whole exchange without saying anything. Her expression didn’t change much, but her eyes stayed on Snow a little longer than usual.

"You’ve grown considerably stronger..." she said, voice calm as ever. "What happened?"

It was hard to tell with Seo most of the time—her tone rarely gave anything away—but this time there was something there. A quiet curiosity that didn’t quite match her usual indifference.

Snow noticed it.

"Riley helped me out... during a short ordeal," she replied, her tone softening just a little.

"I see..."

Seo’s gaze lingered, thoughtful.

"With what you’ve shown just now... I suppose I should do the same before we face each other."

There wasn’t any hesitation in her voice. Just a simple statement, like she’d already made up her mind.

Snow smiled faintly.

"I’ll be looking forward to that."

The two of them continued talking, the conversation shifting naturally after that.

Beside Riley, someone tugged lightly at his sleeve.

He glanced down.

Rose.

Her eyes were on Snow, narrowed just slightly—not hostile, but definitely focused.

"I can feel her energy," she said quietly. "It’s not normal."

Then she looked at him.

"What exactly did you do with her, Riley?"

The question was simple.

But there was something underneath it.

Subtle.

A faint hint of envy she didn’t bother hiding completely.