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.

just better

that their real training was about to begin,

need to become

order not to be controlled by his classmates, the people of this world… as well

respects the strong and despises the weak… just

Rey could already guess some

well… I have to

***********

[A Week Later]

"Huff… huff…."

steamy breaths escaped the lips of the students who were jogging

as a football field, the Beta students were being made to run round it for a hundred times in one

started off as five laps, and

it

"Huff… huff… haaa… haaa…"

out of breath already, despite only passing the fifty lap threshold.

one wanted to

to keep up, and were barely hanging on, there was one student whose

It was Rey.

What am I doing

why he was pretending to be tired, like most people in the Beta group, but in actuality,

and even his steamy breath was him trying hard

exhausted him

and more complex training, yet I'm stuck with this.

day, the students were divided into two

the immensely talented and

a total of nine of them—a small number compared to the

cut. In everyone's eyes, I'm

they thought

are made to improve on our foundations,

of the

and Basic

yet!' It pained Rey to

to

of the A-Tier students talking about training, and

learning Magic because that meant they

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

as he intentionally slowed

didn't want to outrun

naturally awaken more Skills if we practice hard enough and have enough mastery in an

was what vexed him most about this training. It was meaningless to

The first few days were hell, sure, but I've pretty much obtained the Stats that

classmates, but he was certain he was currently

should be learning what

himself to exercise patience. Right now, he couldn't afford to stir the hornet's