Chapter 5

⚔ IT'S GOOD TO BE THE EXTRA ⚔

Chapter 5

I am now in our classroom.

I'm sitting on the left side, near the front.

The classroom has a college-like structure, with seats arranged in a staircase-like formation.

BOOM!!

The classroom door suddenly slams open.

Kevin rushes inside, followed by his two henchmen.

He arrogantly stands in front of the classroom, looking around for a place to sit.

Of course, he chooses the seat near Yoona.

But the seat is already occupied.

Kevin approaches the student sitting there.

"Hey, you... I want to sit here. Go look for another seat."

He says it as if he's commanding one of his underlings.

The girl looks shocked and nervous.

She doesn't understand why Kevin wants her seat when there are still plenty of vacant seats around the classroom.

"Can't you hear what I said? Or are you deaf?"

Kevin starts getting pissed.

The girl doesn't want to cause any more trouble, so she stands up and looks for another seat.

"You should be honored that I, Kevin Vlad, would even talk to someone like you."

He smirks.

"Hey, Kevin. Aren't you being a little too much?"

Eren refuses to ignore the situation.

"Huh? What?"

"You can see that there are still plenty of vacant seats here."

Eren says it angrily.

As I watch them, I think I know why Eren is acting this way.

I'm sure that after his Full Synchronization, he now knows the history between the Waltz and Vlad families.

And because of David Flin's article, I know what happened too.

In the past, the Waltz family—the bloodline of the Sword Saints—was one of the most respected families in the Human Domain.

Their reputation was so great that even other creatures recognized them.

But the Vlad family, led by the current head, Vladimir, had always been second to the Waltz family.

Vladimir was envious of them.

No matter what he did, he could never surpass the Waltz family.

Until he finally found a way.

Because of the great influence and popularity of the Waltz family, some members of the Human Domain government wanted to control them.

Their purpose was to bring everyone under their authority.

But the Waltz family refused.

Vladimir took advantage of the situation.

He made an offer to the government.

He stated that he was currently second.

If the Waltz family disappeared, he would become number one.

The Vlad family would then become the pride of humanity, giving them enormous influence.

And once that happened, the Vlad family and the government would work together to rule humanity.

The government agreed.

The Vlad family and the government secretly cooperated to bring down the Waltz family.

It eventually reached the point where the secret organization David Flin belonged to was mainly used to do the government's dirty work.

They framed the Waltz family.

They turned people against them.

They manipulated everything from the shadows.

Until eventually...

They succeeded.

The Waltz family was gone.

To avoid suspicion, the government placed all the blame on the secret organization.

Because of this, the organization was disbanded.

David Flin was forced to flee Lendel.

That was how he ended up on Earth.

But the government and the Vlad family didn't stop there.

They hunted down the remaining members one by one to completely erase the evidence.

But Vladimir still wasn't satisfied.

He knew that someday, members of the Waltz bloodline might be born again.

And if that happened, they might eventually surpass him.

So what did he do?

He began keeping track of every new generation of the Waltz family in the parallel worlds.

He prevented them from coming to Lendel.

And if they tried...

He would kill them.

This had been happening for almost a hundred years.

....

"Can't I choose the seat I want?"

Kevin looks at Eren angrily.

"Or do you also want this seat... huh?!"

"Eren, stop it. There's no point talking to that guy."

Anna says it annoyingly.

Eren is still struggling to control his anger toward Kevin.

It's because Kevin is from the Vlad family.

But then Eren realizes something.

He can't blame Kevin for what happened.

Kevin didn't even exist when the Waltz family was destroyed.

So Eren finally calms down.

"Pffft..."

Kevin smirks.

"You act up, and then you back down."

"Shut up!"

Anna suddenly shouts at Kevin.

Kevin gets startled.

He doesn't say anything anymore.

'Yeah... Anna rules.'

I think to myself.

Things finally calm down.

Then Ms. Chloe arrives.

"Good morning, everyone."

She walks to the front of the classroom.

"So, how was your week of staying here?"

"..."

The students don't respond.

But from their expressions, she can tell that some are happy, some are excited, and others are nervous.

"Okay. I have your Cadet IDs here."

She holds up a small card.

"This serves as your identification card as a student of Galixus."

"It also functions as your access card to facilities exclusive to students, such as transportation, training stations, and certain private facilities and locations inside Galixus."

"I will be calling out your names while stating your overall ranking among the first-year cadets."

"After your name is called, come here and get your ID."

"Okay, Class 1-A. I'll start now."

She looks at the list.

"Rank 490... Emi Crowley."

"Pfft..."

Kevin can't hold back his laughter.

Ms. Chloe raises an eyebrow after hearing it.

"Oh, right."

She looks at the class.

"This ranking is only based on your status during registration."

"The progress you make through learning and training in Galixus isn't included yet."

"So your ranking can change after you spend time studying and working hard throughout the school year."

Ms. Chloe says this to prevent the students from becoming discouraged.

She also gives a warning to those who are mocking others.

"So learn well and work hard."

"You might eventually surpass someone ranked higher than you."

The students who were laughing or nervous about their rankings begin to calm down.

Some even become excited.

Ms. Chloe is really good at handling her students.

Then she continues calling out the names.

....

"Rank 14... Elaine Ford."

....

"Rank 10... Anna Lavel."

"Rank 5... Yoona Finley."

"Rank 3... Kevin Vlad."

"And..."

She pauses.

"Rank 1... Eren Waltz."

Eren looks shocked after hearing his rank.

And somehow, Kevin looks furious that he got Rank 3 instead of Rank 1 or even Rank 2.

"Okay, that's it."

"Congratulations, everyone."

"Since this is our first day, I'll only start with an introduction to our lessons and discuss the rules here in Galixus."

Ms. Chloe continues discussing the lessons and rules.

For me...

I've already learned most of this.

Thanks to my Memory Inventory, I've memorized a lot of books from the Galixus library.

I'm literally like a walking dictionary right now.

"Hehehe."

I smile with satisfaction.

I'm now holding my Cadet ID.

It's made of a glass-like metal that you can see through.

It contains my picture, some of my information, the Galixus logo, and a QR code.

Finally...

I have what I've been waiting for.

I can now go to the Garden of Acadia and gather ingredients for my potions.

After the morning lesson, we'll have magic class.

Then we'll go to the training ground.

After that, we'll be free to use the facilities that can help us hone our Gifts—or we can continue training in the training ground.

We are now in magic class.

It teaches us different methods of controlling magic, ways to increase our Magic Power, and the many uses of magic.

Defense.

Offense.

Utility.

And many others.

As for me...

Well, you already know about my Memory Inventory.

Not to brag, but I think I'm probably the most knowledgeable student here right now.

"Hehehe."

I smile with satisfaction.

"Okay, everyone. Welcome to the training ground."

A man is standing in front of us.

He has black hair and a little beard.

He's wearing a black training suit, and his body is covered with numerous scars.

He looks like a veteran mercenary.

"I am Gridlock."

"I serve as your combat instructor."

"You can call me Mr. Grid."

His voice is mature and intimidating.

"All of you are here regardless of whether your Gift is combat-type or not."

"As basic knowledge of combat, you can still excel at using weapons."

"Your ability with a weapon will depend on your stats and your hard work."

"So now, choose the weapon that best fits you and start training with it."

"That's it for now."

"Choose your weapon wisely and familiarize yourself with it."

"I'll simply observe you today and give you some advice."

The students begin choosing their weapons.

I see Eren choose a sword.

Anna chooses a bow.

Elaine chooses a staff.

Yoona chooses a double-bladed sword.

And Kevin chooses a spear.

As for me...

The best and most recommended weapons for my Gift would probably be ranged weapons.

But what I'm thinking about is something else.

I need a weapon that lets me get as close to the action as possible.

Because the closer I am...

The better the experience.

"Hehehehe."

I smile mischievously.

I know it's dumb.

And probably suicidal.

Especially with my low stats.

But this is my chance to witness novel-like fighting scenes with my own eyes.

Without thinking any further...

I choose a sword.

I choose a sword because I already know a way to excel with it.

And that way...

Is the use of potions.

Swoosh!

Swoosh!

"Hmm..."

"This isn't that hard."

I practice swinging the sword.

After a few minutes, I see Mr. Grid approaching me.

I already have an idea why.

"Hey, you."

He stops in front of me.

"You're Cadet Emi Crowley, right?"

"Yes, sir."

I answer like a soldier speaking to his superior.

"You know that your Gift, Potion Master, isn't suited for close combat, right?"

"Yes, sir."

"AND WHY ARE YOU CHOOSING A SWORD?!"

Mr. Grid suddenly shouts.

His voice echoes throughout the entire training ground.

It startles me.

"Huh? Is that Mr. Grid's voice?"

"What made him angry on the first day?"

"It's just the beginning of the school year, and he's already bringing trouble to himself."

The students begin making a fuss.

"Ummm... sir."

"It has always been my dream to hold a sword and fight monsters."

"Back on Earth, I could only dream about it."

"But now that I have the chance, I want to follow my dream."

I say it with a serious expression.

It's just a random excuse I came up with.

"The battlefield isn't a playground."

Mr. Grid sounds irritated.

"Don't worry, sir."

"If I prove that I'm not suited for using a sword, I'll stop and switch to a different weapon."

He continues staring at me with irritation.

I can already imagine what he's thinking.

'What the hell is this kid thinking?'

"Okay."

"Suit yourself."

He finally gives up and walks away.

"Hey, Cadet Emi Crowley."

"I'll remember this."

He gives me one last warning before leaving.

"Haaaaah..."

I'm relieved.

That was kind of tense.

"Hahahaha!"

"He said it's his dream to hold a sword and fight monsters!"

"Hahaha! I kind of know why."

"He's the student in our class who always reads webnovels."

"Oh, right! We're in a fantasy world now."

"So he's finally living his dream!"

"Hahahaha!"

The students laugh and talk about what happened.

I don't mind them.

I simply continue training.

...

...

After a while, I finally receive a notification from the System.

....

◇ Variable Stats Increased

◇ Strength increased by 0.003

◇ Dexterity increased by 0.001

....

It currently takes me about an hour of training just to increase my stats by a tiny amount.

But if I drink a potion...

My growth rate should improve.

The Gift you possess also contributes to increasing your stats.

For example, Elaine and Anna have Gifts with an S-rank growth potential.

Increasing their stats isn't much of a problem.

I start to envy them.

And I begin to doubt my own Gift.

But then...

I continue training.

...

...

...

Garden of Acadia

I am now standing in front of the entrance to the Garden of Acadia.

"Finally..."

"The moment I've been waiting for."

"This is where my Gift will shine."

The Garden of Acadia contains countless plants and herbs that can be found throughout Lendel.

But since students aren't yet allowed to freely roam outside Galixus, this garden is exclusively available to students.

It is also where the Tree of Acadia grows.

Because of the abundance of Magic Power released by the tree, various plants and herbs grow around it.

Acadia is also known as the Goddess of the Human Domain.

Every creature's domain has its own Gods and Goddesses.

Lendel was once an extremely chaotic world.

So the Gods and Goddesses of every domain cooperated and worked together to create something that would give the populations they governed a power that would help them survive in this chaotic world.

The result was a seed.

They divided it among themselves and planted it in their respective domains.

The seeds grew into enormous trees.

They became known as the Trees of Giving Gifts.

These trees produced fruits that granted powers to anyone who ate them.

Over time, they became known as the Trees of Acadia.

But as time passed, the creatures of Lendel became greedy.

They began eating as many fruits as they could to obtain more power.

They believed that gaining more power would bring them closer to becoming gods themselves.

And that was when chaos emerged once again throughout Lendel.

The Gods and Goddesses became enraged.

They gathered together and agreed to place a curse on the fruit.

Any creature that ate more than one fruit would be burned to death.

Every creature that had already eaten more than one fruit began burning to death across the world.

It caused an enormous number of casualties.

Afterward, the Gods and Goddesses watched as everything happened.

They felt regret.

Sorrow.

And remorse.

The creatures they loved and cared for were dying before their very eyes.

The Gods and Goddesses wanted to repent for what they had done.

So they became one with the Trees they had created.

The trees that had become both a source of hope...

And a source of despair...

For them and all the creatures of Lendel.

The System that appears when someone eats the fruit...

Is now believed to be the power of the Gods and Goddesses who continue to observe and guide their creations.

....

I stand in front of the Garden entrance with a smile.

Finally...

My journey is about to begin.