An Extra’s POV

"There is no need to feel shame."

The Head Warrior, Brutus, approached the fallen Billy and stretched forth his hand.

"You did well for your first battle. You possess powerful Skills and the potential to surpass me." For the first time ever, something was tugging at the corners of Brutus' face.

It was… a smile!

Brutus was smiling, and it was a very warm grin.

"That is why you need training. So, what do you say… Grand Knight? Do you wish to grow strong and defeat me one day?"

The hand of the Head Warrior remained outstretched as Billy looked at it with widened eyes.

Following Brutus' words were a round of applause. It started with Lucielle, followed by Adonis, and before long… everyone was clapping.

'For me? They're clapping for me?'

Billy's face shifted slightly as his widened eyes bulged even further as he noticed a particular girl clapping as she smiled.

'Alicia is also clapping? She's even smiling at me!'

It made him feel immensely happy. The experience just now had humbled him, but this… this had now raised his spirits.

From a trembling form to a smile, Billy returned his gaze to the Head Knight and nodded.

"I wish to grow strong!"

Billy reached out for Brutus' hand, and the Head Warrior pulled him up with relative ease.

Both warriors stared at each other with a measure of respect and honor attributed respectively.

It was like a new bond had been forged—one between a mentor and his protege.

"Good. I look forward to your training."

*******

'I see now…'

Rey smiled as he observed all that happened from beginning to end.

'Our Skills are only as effective as our mastery over them, and our Levels. It's just as Lucielle said.'

A Level 1 A-Tier Skill user would never be able to defeat a Level 10 B-Tier Skill user.

'I think this much is fair. Also, there seems to be some kind of power cap. It's likely that the B-Tier Skill will stagnate at some point, while the A-Tier one will keep improving.'

Also, Rey theorized that a Level 1 A-Tier was no doubt going to defeat a B-Tier of the same level.

the end, it's just better

everything, and observing that their real training was about to

need to become stronger…

order not to be controlled by his classmates, the people of this

strong and despises the weak… just like

his seemingly overpowered classmates, Rey could

well… I have to

***********

[A Week Later]

"Huff… huff…."

steamy breaths escaped the lips of the students who

training grounds, as large as a football field, the Beta students were being made to run round it for a hundred times

off as five laps, and even that was

now… it was a

"Huff… huff… haaa… haaa…"

passing the fifty lap threshold. Others were sweating profusely, but they still had their determined expressions

wanted to

the many who struggled to keep up, and were barely hanging

It was Rey.

sucks. What am I doing

his hardest to be as average as he could. That was why he was pretending to be tired, like most

had to force himself to sweat, and even his steamy breath was him trying hard to increase his body's

exhausted

are undergoing tougher and more complex training, yet I'm stuck with

the students were divided into two groups—Alpha and

all the immensely talented

were a

In everyone's eyes, I'm as

they thought he

the Beta group and are made to improve on our foundations, while the Alpha group has gone ahead to learn

curriculum of the Beta group involved two

exercise and

yet!' It pained Rey to the depths of his soul,

had to

talking about training, and apparently

Magic because that meant they would spend more time with the gorgeous Lucielle, but that wasn't Rey's

attractive in his eyes, but that wasn't his priority

the Skills!' His eyes widened as he intentionally slowed

to outrun everyone

Skills if we practice

most about this

acclimate to physical stress very quickly. The first few days were hell, sure, but I've pretty much obtained the Stats

since he didn't know the Stats of the rest of his classmates, but he was certain he was currently on the level of the average Alpha

learning

told himself to exercise patience. Right now, he couldn't afford to stir