I Became an Extra Without Growth in the Academy

After sending Alkiné ahead, I kept running behind her.

The distance to the Rift wasn’t all that far.

After all, they built the Student Council Building near the Rift in the first place, so that was to be expected.

The problem started once we entered the Rift.

Thanks to the distorted space, the pathway was narrow, so getting lost wasn’t a worry, but I had no idea how much further we needed to go.

I felt like I had been running for quite a while, yet I couldn’t spot even a glimpse of Alkiné, who had gone ahead.

‘Seriously, how fast is she… If it weren’t for her infinite stamina, I’d be in big trouble.’

No matter how fast Alkiné might have gone, I couldn’t just relax.

With the characters growing stronger, it was clear that the enemies would have strengthened as well.

That’s how difficulty spikes go, right?

In such a situation, it was a relief that I didn’t have to waste time taking a break.

I wondered how much longer I had to run when, finally, I started to see Alkiné engaged in battle up ahead.

She was using her great sword like a baseball bat, flinging enemies away, and as soon as I saw it, I understood the situation.

‘She’s giving it her all, but is that her limit?’

Krumpl from the Demon Race. True to its gimmick boss nature, this nasty creature had been set to not take even a scratch from regular attacks.

But the gimmick was parrying.

Whatever the principle was, just parrying dealt damage to Krumpl.

And that meant… in this reality where parrying didn’t exist, Krumpl was simply a monster with an outrageous power that had no counter.

It wouldn’t be impossible to take it down, but at least, Alkiné, before crossing that wall, wasn’t at the level to handle this.

Look at that. She’s working so hard to hit, but Krumpl looks perfectly fine!

She definitely seems stronger than the Alkiné from this point in the original work… but it looks like she can’t cross the wall.

Is the growth of stats and awakening events calculated separately?

I came up with various hypotheses, but now was not the time to ponder those things.

I kept my feet moving, getting closer.

As I approached, it was clear that her condition wasn’t great.

Since it looked like she had somehow managed to evacuate everyone, she was left fighting alone, and it seemed her stamina was reaching its limit.

Worries about stronger enemies or whatnot didn’t leave me room to hesitate. I had to help right away.

As that thought crossed my mind, my body moved first, and I found myself blocking Krumpl’s way.

…Now that I think about it, Alkiné was completely out of energy, unable to budge a finger.

If I’d been a moment later, it would have been a disaster.

If she didn’t have infinite stamina… that thought sent chills down my spine.

At that moment, Alkiné, realizing I had jumped in front of her, yelled in panic.

“Rudion! That thing is dangerous! Get away from it now!”

Wow, even in that state, she’s worried about me first.

What’s wrong with putting a person like her in danger? The guilt is no joke.

Of course, she would have encountered that thing even without me, but… the moment I got involved, I’d have to take some responsibility.

At least, this mess wouldn’t have escalated to this point if I hadn’t shown up….

‘I’m sorry, but I’ll handle this quickly.’

I drew the short sword at my waist and aimed it at the Demon in front of me.

In an instant, six eyes were fixated on me, looking disgustingly grotesque.

“Rudion!”

Alkiné called my name as a formless wave appeared on my left arm.

Knowing exactly what it was, I didn’t panic and responded naturally.

Kclang!

As I swung the handle of my short sword at the wave’s center, with a cheerful sound, the formless wave scattered.

At the same time, Krumpl began to scream.

“Gyaaa—!!!”

Short sword parrying. This cool motion of deflecting attacks with the handle always gained popularity.

Of course, the effect was just the same deflection as a shield parry, but…

Moreover, it had a stricter timing, making it tough to utilize perfectly…

But hey, for gamers, it’s only natural to go wild over the short sword parrying, right?

“You… what just happened….”

Just then, I heard Alkiné’s bewildered voice from behind.

Well, that makes sense. No matter how much I beat on it, a monster that was perfectly fine until now was getting taken down by a mere freshman—how could that not raise questions?

As I pondered how to handle this…

“For now, I’ll deal with this guy, and I’ll explain later. Please rest.”

I decided to leave it to my future self.

By then, I would have thought of a good excuse, right?

So, for now, let’s focus on this guy.

I focused my eyes back on Krumpl.

“It’s just—!”

The sight of it writhing in agony due to its appearance was disturbing.

With its six eyes, and that human-like yet not quite human feeling… it was sure creepy.

Now that I think about it, isn’t it odd?

Why do all these Demons in this world appear like this? I mean, they’re monsters; why do they look humanoid?

Whatever it is, I suppose it’ll be fine as long as I get rid of it.

Krumpl was an enemy that wouldn’t affect the flow even if killed now, so there was nothing holding me back.

Even if there were, I’d accept it at this point.

Above all, it was just a variable that appeared randomly from the Rift, so getting rid of it now was actually beneficial.

“You’re dead now.”

Let me show you what happens when you challenge an experienced player, despite being a gimmick boss.

“Gyaaa—!!!”

Let’s see how long I can listen to that annoying scream.

I swung the short sword again.

Kclang!

The formless wave that appeared in an instant scattered again, and Krumpl’s scream echoed once more.

Once more. Again and again.

Without allowing a single attack, I returned all the damage by parrying.

As Krumpl’s black body began to shred, it suddenly started to resort to physical attacks, but I dodged them all with amazing moves.

“Gyaaa—! Gyaaa—!”

As its attacks continued to cut through the air, Krumpl was forced to use its abilities again…

Kclang!

“Gyaaa… Gyaaa….”

That became its last desperate attempt.

Krumpl’s completely ragged body collapsed on the ground, turning to black smoke and vanishing.

With not even a single item left behind. Knowing that all Demons die like that in this game, I didn’t feel regret over having gained nothing.

What matters is that I saved a near-dead Alkiné.

As I turned to look in Alkiné’s direction, I found her sitting on the ground, staring blankly at me.

Noticing that she didn’t seem to have the energy to speak first, I took the initiative to approach her.

“Can you stand up?”

“…”

“If you’re wondering how to talk right now, just continue as you were.”

“……How did you know that?”

“I can tell just by looking.”

She had a habit of treating those stronger than her with respect.

In reality, my stats were quite low. Alkiné had no way of knowing that; to her, I must have looked like a powerhouse.

But now, hearing her speak formally felt a bit off, right?

At least, based on the Academy’s standards, I was a senior… so I wanted to maintain our relationship while respecting the hierarchy.

Thus, I spoke first before she could address me formally…

“Isn’t it a bit too soon for that, considering we’ve only just met for a day?”

Thinking back, that was true. I suddenly became an extremely suspicious person.

But that’s the sort of thing that relates to the president or something. I know all of your food preferences as well as your secret black history, so…

…Saying that makes me sound like a truly suspicious person.

It’s not that; I’ve just read enough to memorize the setting book. Please don’t misunderstand.

“Phew… it’s not like that’s important right now. I have many questions, but I’ll hold off for now.”

Considering the situation, it was a relief she didn’t delve too deeply.

Afterward, she checked her own condition briefly and asked.

“Rudion. How’s your status?”

“I don’t think this is the time for you to worry about my condition.”

“Right. That’s true.”

Was she leading me to say that? She continued, “So, about that…”

“President? You’re the Student Council President, and I’m a member. Is there really a need for you to be humble like this?”

“…Hehe. I see. So that’s how it’s going to be. I understand. I’ll play along.”

I had no idea what ‘playing along’ meant.

“Then I’ll be direct. I want to campaign against the Rift, and I need your help.”

“…You want to campaign against the Rift?”

“Everyone is still inside the Rift. That’s the only way to get them out safely.”

When she suddenly started saying such things, it sounded like she had a plan after all?

Once the Rift was targeted, it would disappear.

At the same time, everyone within the Rift would be ejected out, and it seemed Alkiné was planning to use that to safely get the Student Council members hiding inside the Rift out.

But I wasn’t sure if I could be of help. It was only because Krumpl was a gimmick boss that I managed to hold my own; without that, I couldn’t do anything.

“I understand.”

But I couldn’t say that.

If her plan fell apart, it would put all the others at risk.

After all, I was the reason things had escalated to this point.

“Then let’s get going right away. Time is of the essence.”

So I said that, but for some reason, she seemed hesitant and showed no signs of moving.

Curious, I stared at her, and Alkiné lowered her head.

“Could I ask for one more favor?”

“What is it?”

“I can’t stand up because I’m exhausted. I would really appreciate it if you could carry me…”

Ahh, she really was in a state of total exhaustion.

Given that she’d just brushed past death, this made total sense.

Well, there was no helping it. Without a moment’s hesitation, I picked her up.

Wow, you’re lighter than I thought, President.

“W-wait a minute! Why are you lifting me like this… You can’t use your arms like this…”

Seemingly flustered at the sudden princess carry, Alkiné began to falter in her composure.

To be honest, I could have just let her ride on my back, but I couldn’t help but think of that scene in the story where she happily gets carried by her dad.

“Put me down right now! That’s an order!”

“Oh, that sounded a bit like a noble lady just now.”

“Stop with the nonsense and put me down! Rudion!!”

Alkiné’s face was turning beet red, but no matter how angry she got, I had no intent to let her down.

If you’re in a position to receive help, just stay put. I’ll do as I please.

Things started a bit awkwardly, but since the goal was serious, I wasn’t going to slack off.

Don’t worry, President. I’ll ensure we tackle the Rift properly.

---