Traveling through the game world, starting out as a third-rate villain

"Huh...how many monsters have we cleared out?" Nora asked breathlessly. She's the one I'm using my full power on here.

Why not Irina?

It's not that I'm picky about her. Using fire magic consumes oxygen and raises the temperature, filling the air with smoke and carbon dioxide. This means the more we use it, the more we suffocate.

That's why I avoid using Irina's fire magic most of the time and only use it in certain situations.

Anyway, in this way, we finally reached the end of the exam after clearing all the monsters.

Looking around, I saw many people already gathered here, mostly high-ranking students.

The protagonists are already there.

＜Team 13. Time taken: 1 hour 48 minutes. 11/600＞

I nodded when I heard our ranking. The ranking in the game is not so detailed, but judging from the current situation, our ranking is quite good.

With someone like that on my team, and this dungeon being the right one for me, this ranking is one of the best we can get right now.

I'm sure if I had been the leader from the beginning we would have saved at least 15 minutes, but it doesn't matter.

Something important has been accomplished. Irina has learned her lesson and will probably behave better in the future.

At the very least, she needs to learn how to cooperate. In the future, I don't want to deal with a little girl who feels superior to others. Basic respect is essential when dealing with others.

Turning my head, I saw Irina looking at me with her eyes narrowed slightly. She walked towards me with a confident posture and a firm expression. I could sense that she had something to say, as if she had a challenge to throw at me.

"I could have led this team better," she said, her tone firm. "Don't think you're the only one who can lead us."

I saw her pupils tremble slightly. She was trying to be tough, probably because of her self-esteem.

"Really?" I just answered calmly, but for some reason, I felt a little funny. Her slightly trembling pupils and slightly withdrawn tone made me feel a little funny. "Like last time?"

When I indirectly mentioned the last exam results, she snorted, obviously not happy with my response. Her self-esteem was obvious, but it was also obvious that she was a little dissatisfied with the comparison.

"Whatever," she whispered, crossing her arms and looking away. It was a classic Irina move, her hard exterior masking her inner irritation and reluctance.

Before I could say anything, she turned and walked away, her steps firm. It was obvious that she didn't want to continue this conversation, but when she was not far away, her voice reached my ears.

"Thank you," she whispered, almost grunting it. It was a moment of gratitude, a concession she probably didn't mean to express, but it was nothing I hadn't expected, and it wasn't something I hadn't wanted.

This is meaningless gratitude.

Thanking or apologizing is not expressed with words, but through actions. You truly realize the meaning of these words when you change those areas where you feel you are lacking, or by considering the feelings of the person you are thanking.

"Victor, how are your grades?" I heard Irina trying to talk to Victor, while Victor's attention was completely focused on the white-haired girl.

"First."

"You are the strongest as always."

"Even though those bastards didn't do anything, I alone am enough."

Looking at the girl trying to get the attention of the boy she likes, I feel a little sorry for her.

And just like that, the training was over.

......

＜Combat Practice Class＞

Bang Bang Bang

Three stones flew towards me in quick succession, all blocked by my hands.

Standing in front of me was our protagonist, with a slightly depressed look on his face. Something seemed to be bothering him, and I knew what it was.

'It must be his niece, Jane.'

Remembering that little girl almost died in front of me, I can understand how he felt.

In the game, the girl is dead and we don't see any interactions between Ethan and her, but I remember there were some dialogues that would be triggered when Ethan was with Kaya.

However, this is a battle practice, not a place to think about other things. I am not here to waste time, but to become stronger in everything.

Whoosh

I moved quickly and attacked him in the groin. He pushed his right elbow down to try to block it, but it was a feint.

Because the elbow is located in the middle of the arm, to block a blow with the elbow, you have to lean to one side, which limits your mobility.

Bang

I hit him on the jaw with a deft uppercut.

Bang Bang Bang

His body reacted quickly, and through our sparring, his reflexes were already quite precise, but it wasn't enough. When his mind wasn't there, he couldn't resist my continued attack.

Bang

"Well--"

Spit spurted from his mouth as he felt a kick to the stomach.

Bang

With a loud bang, he fell to the ground.

"It seems like you don't want to continue sparring now." I said, looking at Ethan lying in front of me. His blue hair was soaking wet, just like mine. Considering that my body was much weaker than his, it was a miracle that I could handle this training.

"I know you're worried, but if you want to spar, you have to focus. Otherwise, we're both just wasting our time."

If I want to spar with a mindless puppet, I can do that every time in the training ground.

Ethan just sat there, head bowed, and although his hair blocked my view, I knew what he was thinking.

"Sorry, I'm a little worried." He finally spoke, with a hint of helplessness in his tone. Then he stood up and looked at me.

There was no usual confident expression on his face, nor was there his dazzling aura.

"Tsk." I smacked my lips. "Come on." Since we were stuck in this classroom pretending to spar, that was all we had to do.

Ethan sighed, his shoulders drooping as if he was bearing some kind of heavy burden. He took a few steps back, distanced himself from me, and stood more low-key than usual. It was obvious that he was still troubled by something in his heart.

As we took our fighting stances again, the atmosphere was different. Not just in the physicality of the confrontation, but also in the distraction that lurked between us, making the atmosphere more tense.

Whoosh

I lunged forward, and this time Ethan's reaction was sharp and focused. He blocked my attack with precision, his movements smooth and controlled.

Bang

I continued to attack with a series of precise punches, and Ethan countered with well-placed defenses. His reactions were flawless, and it was clear that his focus was now fully back on the fight.

Bang Bang

My strikes collided with his defense, and I could see the determination in Ethan's eyes. He was fully committed to the sparring, his movements were smooth and powerful.

Bang

Ethan quickly deflected one of my kicks with his movements and quickly countered with a punch to my midsection. His attack was accurate and it was clear that he was back in fighting shape.

Our exchange continued, each of us pushing ourselves to the limit. Ethan's focus remained unwavering, and his movements proved his combat prowess. We alternated between attack and defense.

I could feel myself improving, my body was getting into every move, and I was clearly much better than my last sparring session.

However, I noticed a change.

Ethan's eyes flickered, his attention temporarily diverted. His movements became slightly hesitant, as if he was beginning to lose touch with the battle.

It seemed that his mind was wandering again.

'Tsk, do you have attention deficit disorder?'

Whoosh

I seized the opportunity and quickly launched a hook into his flank. But Ethan blocked it in time, distracted but still instinctive in his defense. Somehow, even though I was better than him in fighting, as the protagonist, he undoubtedly had one of the strongest bodies in the world.

Bang

He quickly fought back, launching a barrage of blows, his initial hesitation giving way to automatic reflexes as his body learned how to move.

He was a monster, I saw that clearly.

His punches were so precise that I had to concentrate all my energy on defending against his attacks.

But his concentration still wavered, and despite his natural talent, he wasn't good enough to defeat me unconsciously.

I could tell from the brief flicker in his eyes that his mind had clearly wandered away from our exchange again. As his movements became more predictable, I took my chance.

Whoosh

I dodged his punch and quickly hooked him in the ribs. There was a clear snap as I saw Ethan was surprised by the success of the attack.

Bang

Ethan stumbled back, panting. He shook his head, as if trying to clear his mind of distracting thoughts, but this time the distraction had taken its toll.

“Annoying.”

After saying this, he rushed towards me quickly, and my elbow almost touched his punch.

bite

At that moment, the bell rang, announcing the end of our sparring. My elbow was only a millimeter away from his fist, almost causing him great pain.

“Tsk.”

We both stepped back and stood there, panting. I looked at Ethan, who had his head hung low, looking a little depressed.

I was about to leave this place because I felt that today's class was a bit chaotic, but just then, I felt Ethan move. He sighed and lowered his eyes. "Morse, can I ask you a question?"

I raised an eyebrow, surprised at the sudden change of subject. "What is it? If it's a stupid question like last time, I won't answer it."

"Haha... that's not it." He replied with a hint of a smile on his face. But then his expression turned serious. He hesitated before continuing, "How do you deal with the pain of losing someone you cherish?"

His question stupefied me. It was unexpected, and it made me feel like it crossed an unspoken line between us. After all, Ethan and I weren't close. We rarely spoke, except for our quizzes. But his sincere expression made it clear that he was troubled by some deeply personal issue.

However, as he spoke, her image emerged in my mind.

Same scene, her chest pierced by claws. Blood spurting out of her mouth.

The devil's twisted expression.

My hands are tied.

And that little smile before she closed her eyes.

“There are no such people anymore.”