Extra's Fate
Chapter 45: Prodigy

Chapter 45: Prodigy

Gasp...

I awoke in the middle of the night.

My bed was completely soaked in sweat and my breathing was erratic as if I’ve seen a ghost.

’What the hell...’

Rubbing my face, I slowly turned my trembling eyes towards the clock.

[ 01:34 AM ]

It was already well past midnight.

What annoyed me the most was that I didn’t even know why I woke up in such a panicked state. I usually sleep as sound as a rock.

I don’t even remember having a nightmare...

No, that’d be a lie. I did dream about something.

However, I couldn’t recall what it was.

It felt like ’something’ was blocking even the slightest glimpse of that dream from my memory.

"That’s weird..."

I quickly accessed my status screen to check if I had been afflicted with some kind of a curse, but everything seemed to be in order.

It was highly suspicious.

Unfortunately, I could do nothing about it. There were simply no clues to go on.

More annoyingly, I felt that my body wouldn’t go to sleep again anytime soon.

Whatever it was, it shook me so much, I was wide awake now.

The only thing I could do now was...

Gurgle...

"I guess I’ll eat something and then I’ll go train for a bit."

Seeing how my stomach was growling in hunger, I quickly grabbed my phone and ordered food for the second time today.

As I waited for the delivery, I put on my clothes and secured my Odachi on my waist.

After only fifteen minutes, the food delivery arrived and I quickly dug in.

Although this is only the second time I ordered this restaurant’s food, I must say, it’s amazing.

I only spent around ten gold and I got a meal that was so delicious it would’ve made a noble’s chef jealous.

It was that good.

After indulging myself a bit more, I quickly made my way towards the training grounds.

As I arrived, I couldn’t help but once again be impressed by the facility. Even though I had already been here today, it was still an incredible place.

Shooting range, advanced combat dummies, gravity rooms, gyms...

I couldn’t even fathom how much money was poured into creating this facility and this was only one of them. As far as I knew there were supposed to be three of them spread across the campus, each designated for different year students.

Usually, this place would be swarming with people, but luckily since today is the first day of the Academy and since it’s midnight, barely anyone was present.

The facility was mostly empty.

I say ’mostly’ because there is one person here.

Even from all the way here, I could hear the sound of metal crashing against metal.

Without even needing to look I knew who it was.

Arthur.

Who else but him would train at this hour?

Even Ian, who was a borderline sociopath, was probably comfortably rolling in his bed right now.

It was no wonder why Arthur came second in the entrance exam. He barely slept and spent almost all of his time training.

"He was called ’a monster’ for a reason."

Letting out a sigh I did a few stretches to warm up and then started to swing my Odachi around, letting my body flow freely.

At first, I did a few basic movements, trying to get accustomed to the changes that had happened to my body.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t that difficult, I just had to learn how to control my now-enhanced senses so they didn’t overwhelm me.

For example, while my eyes could see an upcoming attack, my body sometimes couldn’t react in time.

It was quite a nuisance, but I knew that with time, I would get used to it.

After evaluating my condition, I began practicing Shadow Blade.

For the next few hours, all I did was swing my sword in one single motion thousands of times, to the point where my palms were covered in blisters.

While taking an occasional break, I glanced at where Arthur was training.

Although I didn’t notice when, he was already gone, nowhere in sight.

"I’m all alone now..."

Lying on the ground mats, I stared up at the facility’s ceiling.

It was very... quiet.

But I couldn’t complain as I mostly liked being all by myself.

After a short rest, I stood up again and resumed my training.

Repetitive as it might be, I knew that this was crucial for my survival in this world.

So, I just swallowed all the excuses and kept swinging my sword.

Time waits for no one...

Not even an anomaly like me.

***

Over the course of the next few days, I managed to get accustomed to my life as an academy student.

Attending classes, practicing swordsmanship at nights and also avoiding mingling too much with the protagonists became a part of my daily routine.

I also no longer suffered from sleep disturbances and everybody got used to my weird training routine, so that was good.

Today marked the third day of me starting classes, and today is my first non-practical lesson since I arrived here.

Since the Starfall Academy boasts as a facility that produces some of the strongest combatants in the entire continent, most of the curriculum is focused on practical combat training rather than theoretical studies. Therefore such lessons were quite rare.

Strategy & Warfare Tactics.

That was the name of the lesson I was about to attend.

From its name alone, it was obvious that this class was focused on educating the students on military strategies and tactics.

General Lucas Stormrage, a renowned war veteran and a highly decorated officer, was the one teaching this class. He and a few others were the reason why humanity was able to hold its ground against the overwhelming hordes of Demons who had been relentlessly invading this world.

He was an old, well-built man with dark greying hair and stern, wrinkled face, which commanded obedience and respect the moment you laid eyes on him.

If not for the fact that he was currently standing on the podium and greeting the class, people would’ve easily mistaken this as a war meeting, rather than an academic lecture.

"...Okay, that’s enough for the introduction."

General Lucas Stormrage finished his brief introduction and then clapped his hands, signaling the start of the lesson. One by one, we were handed small tablets with sleek surfaces that lit up as soon as they touched our hands.

"These devices contain a simulated battle scenario."

The general spoke, overlooking the class.

"Your objective is simple, defend your fortress against the incoming waves of demons. Use your resources wisely. The timer for your setup phase starts now."

I looked at the screen and immediately recognized the interface. It was essentially a tower defense game, something I had played on mobile countless times in my past life, before I got addicted to ’The Shattered Realms’.

Looking around, I saw that most students had furrowed brows. Even the protagonists seemed hesitant, carefully selecting their placements but moving with uncertainty.

"Damn, this is harder than I thought."

One student muttered.

"Where should I place my mages? If I put them too far forward, they’ll get wiped out..."

Another whispered, tapping the screen nervously.

I also took a deep breath and started placing my units.

I positioned defensive troops at key locations, ensuring archers had a clear vantage point and set up ballistae to counter flying enemies. The interface showed the incoming wave timer ticking down, but I kept focused, making adjustments as needed.

While others were still contemplating their next move, I was already reinforcing my defenses and preparing fallback positions in case the frontline collapsed.

I got so immersed in my setup that I barely noticed time slipping away.

In the end, a loud chime rang, signaling the end of the preparation phase.

"Time’s up!"

General Stormrage announced.

"Let’s see how well you all fare."

The simulation began and the first wave of demons surged forward.

My defenses held firm, cutting down the approaching enemies with precision. The ballistae skewered the flying monsters before they could reach the fortress, and the ground troops maintained their formations, holding the line against the horde.

Mana cannons I had placed on top of surrounding hills also did incredibly well, raining down destruction upon the hordes of demons that sieged the fortress.

Meanwhile, other students scrambled to adjust their setups, some barely holding on as their defenses faltered.

"Ah, crap! They’re already breaching my walls!"

A student shouted in frustration.

"This isn’t as easy as it looks...!"

Another one groaned.

I lifted my head and glanced at the tablet of a nearby student.

His defenses were in complete disarray with crumbling walls, his troops overwhelmed and demons pouring into the central keep like a relentless tide.

His face was twisted in frustration as he desperately tried to salvage the mess, but it was already too late.

Slowly, I looked around the classroom, scanning the faces of my peers.

Panic. Desperation.

Some were frantically tapping their screens, while others sat frozen, already resigned to their inevitable failure.

Even Cordelia, Arthur, Ian and Aveline were struggling to hold the line.

Meanwhile, my fortress stood unscathed.

The timer on my screen ticked down.

3... 2... 1...

[ Wave 50 Complete! Congratulations, you’ve successfully defended your fortress! ]

A triumphant chime rang out from my tablet and in that moment, the classroom fell unnervingly silent.

I felt a cold sensation creep up my spine.

Shit.

I messed up.

I had built defenses that weren’t just good, they were flawless.

Layered, optimized, impenetrable. It was a setup far beyond what a student with no prior experience should be capable of.

I wasn’t just better than my classmates.

I was too good.

Unnaturally good.

"YOU, WHAT’S YOUR NAME!?"

I’ve been had.