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.

it's just better to have

observing that their real training was about to begin,

need to become

his classmates, the people of this world… as well

strong and despises the weak… just

Rey

I

***********

[A Week Later]

"Huff… huff…."

lot of steamy breaths escaped the lips of the

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

five laps, and even

now… it

"Huff… huff… haaa… haaa…"

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

wanted to

up, and were barely hanging on, there was one student whose expression felt a

It was Rey.

sucks. What am I

now, he was trying his hardest to be as average as he could. That was why he was pretending to be tired, like most people in the Beta group, but in actuality, he was

sweat, and even his steamy breath was him trying

exhausted him in

tougher and more complex

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

Alpha group had all the immensely

were the students in the group. There were a

cut. In everyone's eyes, I'm as

argue that they thought he was

remaining twenty of us were put in the Beta group and are made to improve on our foundations,

the

and

learning Magic yet!' It pained Rey to the

to

overheard some of the A-Tier students talking about training, and

that meant they would spend more time with the gorgeous

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

His eyes widened as he intentionally slowed

want 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

know the Stats of the rest of his classmates, but he was certain he was currently on the level of

should be learning what they're

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