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 to

and observing that their real training was

become stronger…

his classmates, the people of this world… as

respects the strong and despises the

among all his seemingly overpowered classmates, Rey could already guess some challenges

I have

***********

[A Week Later]

"Huff… huff…."

steamy breaths escaped the lips of the students

large as a football field, the Beta students

initially started off as five laps, and even

now… it was

"Huff… huff… haaa… haaa…"

already, despite only passing the fifty lap threshold. Others were sweating profusely, but

wanted

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

It was Rey.

am I

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

steamy breath was him trying hard to

exhausted him in the

group students are undergoing tougher and more

first day, the students were divided into

group had all the immensely talented and

a

course, I didn't make the cut. In everyone's eyes,

fact, he could argue that they thought he was less than

remaining 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

now, the curriculum of the Beta group involved

and Basic Skill

pained Rey to the depths of his

had to

training, and apparently

meant they would spend more time with the gorgeous Lucielle, but that wasn't

eyes, but that wasn't

widened as he intentionally

want to outrun

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

vexed him most about this

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

wasn't sure, since he didn't know the Stats of the rest of his classmates, but he

should be learning what they're

exercise patience. Right now, he couldn't afford