Extra's Descent

"Rein?"

A familiar voice rang from the back corner from where Reinhard stood.

Reinhard abruptly turned around after finishing off the monster. There, his gaze met with two familiar eyes.

"Raven? Brandon? What are you two doing here…?"

He hadn't expected them to be here at all.

Especially when Reinhard had been doing this for six months now.

Solo labyrinth diving.

It was a way for Reinhard to himself. But recently, it had been quite a breeze. This was especially so—as Reinhard's abilities catered towards fighting a larger crowd.

But lately, he wanted to focus on frontal combat against an enemy more powerful than him.

To see if he could come out on top relying on tactical strategy, rather than brute forcing his way through.

This thought rose to him because of Brandon, who had single handedly taken down the wyvern in front of every cadet present.

Just the thought of it sent goosebumps all over.

The other two approached him from there.

"Brandon's uh…. helping me out."

For some reason, Raven hesitated for a moment.

Reinhard ignored this and asked.

"Is that so?"

A light bulb flashed in his mind.

"Can you help me too, Brandon?"

"...."

Brandon's head tilted. He looked like he wanted to refuse.

Just as Reinhard was about to take his words back, Brandon's mouth parted open.

"I don't mind. But it'll be different from Raven's. Your objectives would clash."

"Ah? What did you make Raven do?"

"He's making me fight with no mana."

Raven's voice cut in, answering Reinhard's question.

"...."

Reinhard's expressions twisted. What the hell kind of training is that?

Especially in a labyrinth like this, which was ranked the pinnacle of A–ranks.

This was a death sentence in itself.

Now that he took a good look, under the dim–light of the torches, there were visible cuts all over Raven's features.

"...."

He looked at Raven, and asked.

"And you're fine with this?"

"I've gotten used to it. It's actually not that bad."

"Oh? Let me in on it then."

"Sure."

Brandon nodded his head in agreement.

The three ventured forth from there. Soon after, monsters obstructed their path.

Reinhard was just about to send a torrent of flames, when Brandon extended his hand to the side, gesturing for him to stop.

"Wait."

For a second, Reinhard felt like he had seen Brandon's eyes narrowed, focusing.

"Let Raven handle this."

In an instant, Raven bursted from his position. They weren't kidding, there was no mana present surrounding Raven.

How is he planning on defeating those monsters…?

Reinhard stood, watching Raven charge forward with no mana.

Shock rippled through him as Raven dodged the monsters' strikes with precise, fluid movements.

His raw speed was surprising enough. But it wasn't until Raven landed a solid blow on one of the monsters, taking it down with sheer force, that Reinhard's eyes widened.

Bang!

"...."

However, it wasn't all perfect.

Distracted, his focus solely fixated on a single monster, a monster lunged towards Raven's back.

"Watch ou—"

Just as Reinhard was about to intervene, Raven twisted his body mid-air and used a well-timed kick to parry an incoming attack.

Swoosh—!

"...."

What in the world.

Reinhard muttered under his breath.

He had underestimated Raven's capabilities without mana.

And while Raven was clearly pushing his body to the limits. Especially so as blood trickled down his arm. It wasn't without merit.

Clearly, what he and Brandon were doing was working.

Reinhard looked to the side where Brandon was standing. His arms were crossed, and his eyes darted around abruptly. Most probably, analyzing every detail.

"Hey."

He called for Brandon's attention, who turned his head and met his gaze.

"Tell me what to do."

***

"So you want to focus on solo combat?"

Brandon asked, his arms crossed as he massaged his chin.

"Yes."

Brandon considered the kind of training Reinhard needed. He was already well aware that Reinhard excelled in large-scale battles, where his strength shined when facing numerous opponents at once.

However, what Reinhard wanted now was to hone his one-on-one combat skills, which required a completely different approach.

But helping him fight head–on didn't sound too bad. As he stared at Reinhard, who looked at him with interest, Brandon recalled Reinhard's recent dilemma.

About Lianna.

He was still unaware of the two's relationship. And from what he could tell, Reinhard didn't aspire to join the Imperial Army.

This was especially so, as Reinhard never attended Official Military Training.

Most probably, Reinhard wanted to become a ranker.

In different progressions, Reinhard's career had always varied. So it wasn't so surprising.

"Alright,"

Brandon began, his voice steady.

"We'll focus on increasing your adaptability and reaction time. You're great with handling groups, but in a head-on fight, you need more precision and control over your power."

Reinhard nodded his head, eager to begin.

"First, I'll push your limits by reducing the number of your options in a fight,"

Brandon began to explain.

"We'll limit your elemental magic. You'll have to rely on smaller bursts of mana to strike efficiently without overextending."

Reinhard furrowed his brows furrowed. Most probably mulling over Brandon's words.

"Next, you'll practice against stronger, singular opponents. You'll fight enemies that can match or surpass your strength. I'll observe and tweak your tactics as we go."

"Why is his training more detailed than mine?"

Raven asked, his expressions twisting.

"Suck it up."

Brandon sneered.

Just as Reinhard was about to ask, a sudden sense of danger rang out from the dark corner.

A group of monsters emerged, and the three's eyes narrowed. Reinhard and Raven took a combat stance.

Stay tuned to m v l e m p y r

"Let's start by limiting your mana output. No overwhelming power moves, just sharp, concentrated attacks. The goal is to finish an opponent without relying on brute force alone."

The instructions given to the two were kind of a contrast to each other.

While Reinhard had to rely on short bursts, maintaining his output for a more precise attack, Raven's on the other hand, relied on sheer brute force.

Raven and Reinhard started from there, launching their attacks against the monsters.

Brandon stifled a yawn and walked to the side.

Raven had asked him earlier what he was even doing here, when he wasn't planning on lifting a finger.

"Ha."

Brandon scoffed and peered open his inventory.

Several cores from monsters were in his inventory. Resources he could use to provide for his company.

It had to be said, when Raven's hands were full, Brandon discreetly blended in the mist and attacked monsters on his own.

As soon as he felt the threads around Raven relax, it was the sign to return.

This entire ordeal—disguised as Raven's training—was nothing more than a money making opportunity for him.

"Training…."

There was nothing for him to gain here.

But this day wasn't a waste. Especially when he had planned on isolating himself on training the next day.

"Haaa…. H-haaa…. We're done."

"Haaa…."

Brandon's thoughts were then cut off as his attention flicked towards Raven and Reinhard, who looked exhausted, their breathing ragged.

He could understand Raven, but Reinhard had barely just started.

"...."

Is he going to be alright?

***

The next day.

Brandon skipped out on all his classes, and secluded himself somewhere far from the human domain.

It took a couple hours to hike the mountainside, but as soon as he reached the peak, he peered down with his hands on his waist.

"Huu…."

He drew a couple of breaths in. The air was fresh, and mana was prevalent in the air.

It had to be said.

This entire mountainside.

—Hwoooooar!

…..Was a den for wyvern's and other monsters alike.