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

was about

become stronger…

his classmates, the people of this world…

world respects the strong and despises the weak… just

all his seemingly overpowered classmates, Rey could already guess

well… I have to

***********

[A Week Later]

"Huff… huff…."

lot of steamy breaths escaped the lips of

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

off as five laps,

now… it was

"Huff… huff… haaa… haaa…"

breath already, despite only passing the fifty lap threshold. Others were sweating profusely, but they still had

wanted to give

many who struggled to keep up, and were barely hanging on, there was one student whose expression felt

It was Rey.

sucks. What am

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

steamy breath was him trying hard

training exhausted him in

students are undergoing tougher and more complex training,

day, the students

had all the immensely talented and powerful members

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

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

fact, he could argue that they

and are made to improve on

the curriculum of the Beta group involved two major

exercise and Basic Skill

Rey to the depths of

to

students talking about training, and apparently they have

meant they would spend

Lucielle was immensely attractive in his eyes,

widened as he intentionally slowed down his

didn't want to outrun

more Skills if we practice hard enough and have enough mastery in

him most about this training. It was meaningless to

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

the rest of his classmates, but he was certain

be learning what

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