Reincarnated as an Extra: I had an Ascension Tower

Lucian's thoughts raced as his eyes landed on the list.

'Of all people… it had to be her.'

His gaze shifted toward Zara, who was smiling calmly, her expression unreadable. He knew she wasn't someone to underestimate.

Before he could dwell on it further, Daniel spoke.

"Alex and Oliver, step onto the stage."

Both students moved forward, standing across from each other as Daniel took his position as the referee.

Oliver wore a confident smile. 'Finally, I get to test the so-called first ranker.'

Daniel raised his hand.

"Begin!"

As soon as Daniel gave the signal, Oliver's body underwent a transformation.

His muscles bulged, his height increased slightly, and golden fur sprouted along his arms.

His pupils turned into vertical slits, and his fingernails extended into sharp claws.

His presence alone exuded raw, beast-like dominance.

"Lion's Might!" Oliver roared, his deep voice carrying a primal intensity. The air vibrated from his aura as his mana surged wildly.

Alex, however, stood completely still, his hands in his pockets. His hair shimmered under the training room lights, his eyes calm and emotionless.

He watched Oliver's transformation without a hint of concern.

Oliver charged forward, his movements a blur of speed and power. His claws slashed toward Alex's torso, aiming to tear through his defenses.

'He won't be able to dodge at this range!' Oliver thought, his eyes gleaming with confidence.

Yet, just as his attack was about to land, Alex vanished.

A flicker of golden light shimmered behind Oliver. Before he could react, a powerful force struck his back.

BAM!

Oliver staggered forward, nearly falling off balance. He spun around just in time to see Alex standing a few feet away, still with his hands in his pockets.

"Too slow," Alex said, his voice indifferent.

Oliver clenched his teeth, his pride stung. He had trained relentlessly for years, honing his bloodline abilities to near perfection.

Yet Alex had just dodged and countered his attack like it was nothing.

With a growl, Oliver activated his next ability. His golden fur darkened slightly as his body emitted a faint aura.

"Lion's Reflex!"

This ability boosted his reaction speed and sensory awareness, allowing him to predict and counter attacks faster.

He lunged again, his claws glowing with condensed mana.

Instead of going for a direct slash, he feinted, pretending to strike from the right before twisting his body mid-air and aiming a kick toward Alex's ribs.

But once again, Alex disappeared.

THUD!

Oliver's foot met empty air.

Then—

CRACK!

A sharp pain exploded in his side as a powerful knee strike landed against his ribs.

Oliver gasped, his breath knocked out of him as he flew across the stage, skidding to a stop.

'What… was that?!' His mind reeled.

He barely had time to recover when Alex lifted a single finger.

A small sphere of golden light formed at the tip before suddenly expanding into a blinding flash.

"Light Burst."

A wave of intense light flooded the area. Even with his enhanced senses, Oliver's vision went completely white.

'Damn it! I can't see!'

Then—

WHAM!

A devastating blow struck his stomach, lifting him off the ground.

Before he could even process the pain, another hit smashed into his shoulder, spinning him mid-air.

Alex's figure flickered around him, moving too fast to track.

He struck from multiple angles, each hit perfectly calculated to weaken Oliver's balance and defenses.

By the time the light faded and Oliver's vision returned, he was already on his knees, panting heavily.

His golden fur was ruffled, his arms trembling from the damage he had sustained.

'I… I couldn't react to a single attack…'

His heart pounded with frustration and disbelief.

'How is this possible?! He's the same age as me! He's supposed to be human, yet I—someone with a lion bloodline—am being completely dominated?!'

Jealousy burned inside him. The gap between them was far greater than he had imagined.

But he refused to give up.

"Lion's Roar!"

A powerful shockwave erupted from Oliver's mouth, distorting the air around him.

The move was strong enough to shake the arena and push back most opponents.

However—

Alex merely sighed.

His shadow flickered, twisting unnaturally before rising up like a black flame.

"Shadow Veil."

The moment the sound wave hit him, it was swallowed by the dark energy surrounding his body. The attack vanished as if it had never existed.

Oliver's eyes widened in horror. 'He can counter even my strongest abilities?!'

Alex tilted his head, looking almost bored. "You're wasting my time."

And then he moved.

In an instant, he was in front of Oliver, raising a hand. A concentrated beam of golden light formed in his palm.

"Light Spear."

Before Oliver could even think about dodging, Alex drove the glowing spear forward, stopping just before it touched Oliver's throat.

Silence filled the room.

Oliver's breath hitched. His entire body was frozen in place.

The mana radiating from the spear sent shivers down his spine.

He could feel the heat, the pure destructive power contained within. If Alex had moved even an inch closer…

"I surrender."

The words escaped his lips before he could stop them. His pride screamed at him, but he knew the truth—he had no chance of winning.

Daniel stepped forward and nodded. "Winner—Alex Solstic."

The students watching were speechless.

Keal, who had been casually stretching before his match, blinked. "That… was brutal."

Elena let out a low whistle. "He didn't even go all out."

Zara, who had been smiling earlier, now had a slightly serious look in her eyes. "Alex is on a different level."

Oliver, still kneeling, clenched his fists. His entire body shook, not from pain but from frustration.

He had always believed he was one of the strongest. He had trained tirelessly, pushed himself beyond his limits.

Yet Alex had completely overwhelmed him.

'This isn't fair…'

Jealousy clawed at his heart.

Alex, meanwhile, simply turned around and walked off the stage. He hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Next match—Keal vs. Elena," Daniel announced.

As Oliver struggled to his feet, he could still feel the phantom pressure of Alex's Light Spear at his throat.

And deep inside him, a strong resolve was settling in.

'No matter how much I need to train… I will be stronger than him'.

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[A.N] I'd love to hear your thoughts! Comment below and let me know what you think of the fight. Was it good? Did anything feel lacking or could be improved? Your feedback is appreciated!

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