Chapter 41

‘Oof! This is looking bad…’

As Rey was on the ground, eating dust like the rest of his friends, he actively observed the current battle unfolding before him.

Of course, he did so inconspicuously, since most of the people that Billy had defeated were either unconscious or too exhausted to pay attention.

‘I made sure to get eliminated among the first batch of students. He practically one-shot me…’ Rey smiled, almost as if he was proud of that achievement.

He hadn’t spoken to Billy since that night when he walked back to their living quarters with Alicia. However, he couldn't help but notice the constant glare Billy directed his way.

‘I don’t understand his problem. If he wants to talk to Alicia, he can just go find her in the library. I’m sure they’d hit it off there…’ Rey mused to himself, though the idea of Billy invading the sanctuary of the library didn’t sit well with him, it remained an option for Billy.

‘Billy looks pretty well-toned now. He’s also in great shape. Plus, he’s strong and popular….’

It was hard to miss, especially given Billy’s penchant for tight-fitting outfits that accentuated his figure.

Billy's fashion choices stood in stark contrast to Rey's preference for baggy clothing.

‘I’m sure he has more of a chance with Alicia than I ever could. Maybe he should just go for it...’

But then again, Rey didn’t like the idea of Billy hanging around Alicia too much.

It wasn’t because he felt jealous or anything, but because he knew the kind of person the guy was.

‘He was able to easily abandon me—his friend from middle school—as soon as he got the chance to.’

Billy was obviously a grifter, and Rey thought he was unreliable.

He believed Billy was not the kind of person Alicia needed in her life right now, especially with the rumors circulating about her and her increased isolation.

‘I wonder what he’s doing about the rumors, though…’

All of Billy’s problems could easily be solved if he just went to the Library and developed an interest in the same things that Alicia was passionate about.

‘I mean, she even talks to someone like me, who's basically a nobody. I bet if it were Billy, they'd have more in common…’

But Rey knew Billy would never make that effort.

Even back on Earth, Billy had a disdain for books and struggled academically.

‘I know I’m not a genius or anything, but at least I was average.’

Billy wasn’t the 'intellectual' kind of nerd; he was more into novels and games

‘Well, that’s enough of that.’

Rey sighed, his attention returning to the ongoing battle as he watched Billy deliver the final blow to Trisha, who fell to her knees in defeat.

Even though the ebony fighter displayed impressive skill, she proved to be no match for Billy's superior combat abilities.

‘I see. So this is the level of an Alpha Class elite…’ Rey thought to himself.

There was only one problem, though.

‘This isn’t impressive at all.’

Billy was one of the strongest among the Alpha Class students, but from what Rey was seeing… his overall ability wasn’t particularly exceptional.

‘I don’t know. Could it be that he was going easy on all of us?’

Despite thinking this, Rey could clearly see Billy breathing heavily and beads of sweat trickling down his face.

‘It doesn’t look like he had an easy time, though.’

One might argue that Billy was putting on a show to boost the morale of the Beta Students, but Rey knew better.

Billy wasn’t the type to pretend.

“You all did excellently well. I haven’t been challenged like this in a while…” Even Billy acknowledged it, taking a moment to catch his breath, confirming Rey's observation.

“Especially you, Trisha. You were exceptional.”

Despite hearing this, she didn’t seem pleased in the slightest.

Trisha's expression remained deeply disappointed.

It seemed like she was beating herself up for losing.

‘If Billy is trying to make us feel better, he’s doing a poor job.’ Rey sighed.

This convinced him even further that Billy wasn’t pretending to be exhausted.

He genuinely was.

‘And that’s what makes this whole thing surprising. I didn’t expect him to get tired so easily. Especially after his basic performance.’

Rey couldn’t help but notice that Billy's fighting style leaned too much towards flashy moves rather than focusing on efficiency.

‘Maybe it’s because we’ve only been sparring, and none of us have any real battle experience.’

In an actual fight with monsters, flashy and stylish moves weren’t what guaranteed survival.

Techniques had to be fluid, but also impactful. Rather than focusing on style, it was more effective to cut off all extraneous moves and fixate on the goal itself.

If one wanted to kill an anemic, would they waste time slicing through body parts, or would they simply dismember their targets and then decapitate them once they could no longer offer any kind of resistance?

‘I guess it’s because the Alpha Class Students have started seriously learning Martial Arts…’

On the other hand, the Beta Class was still grasping the basics, and Rey couldn’t help but feel that much of what they were learning wouldn’t translate well into real combat situations.

It was the same way most of what students learned in school wouldn't be applicable in the real world after they graduated or in their chosen professions.

‘That’s why this is a waste of time…’

He honestly wished he could just skip Training altogether and focus on his business in the Dungeon, but he couldn’t do that.

At least, not yet.

‘There’s no helping it. I just need to be patient.’

As the majority of students began to stir, Rey followed suit, rising to his feet as instructed by Billy.

They sluggishly rose to their feet despite their tiredness, and he joined them in their obedience.

‘If this is the level of the elite Alpha Students, maybe I’m a lot stronger than I think.’

However, the moment Rey thought about Adonis, and the fact that someone like him was considered qualified enough to tutor the entire Alpha Class, he changed his mind instantly.

‘I shouldn’t use Billy as a metric!’

Until he was certain that he was as strong as—if not stronger than—the Hero, Rey couldn’t be satisfied.

‘Gotta keep grinding!’

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[A/N]

Thanks for reading!

What do you all think?

Do you think Rey is already stronger than Adonis?