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

real training was about to begin,

to become stronger… and

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

respects the strong and despises the

Rey could already guess some challenges that would come

I have to

***********

[A Week Later]

"Huff… huff…."

breaths escaped the lips of

as large as a football field, the Beta students were being made to run round it

as five laps, and even that was

now… it

"Huff… huff… haaa… haaa…"

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

wanted to give

the many who struggled to keep up, and were barely hanging on, there was one

It was Rey.

What am I doing

hardest to be as average as he could. That was why he was pretending

steamy breath was him trying hard

about this training exhausted him in

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

concluded on the first day, the students were divided into two groups—Alpha

the immensely talented and powerful members

in the group. There were a total of nine of them—a small number compared to the

I didn't make the cut. In everyone's eyes, I'm as average as they

he could argue that they

group and are made to improve on our foundations, while the

of the Beta group involved

and Basic Skill

Magic yet!' It pained Rey to the depths of his soul, but what could

to remain

talking about training, and apparently they have started learning Magic.

meant they would spend more time with

was immensely attractive in his eyes, but that wasn't his

widened as he intentionally slowed

to outrun everyone

naturally awaken more Skills if we practice

vexed him most about

few days were hell, sure, but I've pretty much obtained the Stats that make me capable of enduring something

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

learning what

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