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

training was about

need to become stronger…

controlled by his classmates, the people

strong and despises the weak… just

all his seemingly overpowered classmates, Rey could already guess some challenges that would come

well… I have to

***********

[A Week Later]

"Huff… huff…."

the lips of the

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

started off as five laps, and even that

now… it was a

"Huff… huff… haaa… haaa…"

the fifty lap threshold.

one wanted to

hanging

It was Rey.

What am I

he was pretending to be

had to force himself to sweat, and even his steamy breath was him

this training exhausted

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

the students

group had all the immensely talented

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

cut. In everyone's eyes, I'm

they thought

twenty of us were put in the Beta group and are made to improve on our foundations, while the Alpha group has gone ahead to learn more

the curriculum of the Beta group involved

and

It pained Rey to

to remain

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

Alpha students learning Magic because that meant they would spend more time

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

Skills!' His eyes widened as he intentionally slowed down his

want to outrun everyone

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

was what vexed him most about this training. It was

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

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 Group

learning what they're

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