The Overlooked Hero Breaks the System

The morning sun hung high, its warmth failing to chase away the exhaustion clinging to the students. Training had become a relentless cycle of drills, refining skills, and testing endurance. For most, it was grueling. For Rei, it was a chance to refine his control in a way that went unnoticed.

After unlocking Mana Flow Mastery, he could feel a constant, steady stream of energy circulating within him. His mana no longer flickered or drained at a rapid pace. Instead, it flowed with precision, regenerating far faster than what should be normal.

But if he wasn't careful, others would notice.

He had to be smart about it.

---

Mana Endurance Training

Instructor Lynelle stood before the gathered students, her expression calm but expectant. "Today's lesson is simple: endurance."

She gestured toward a set of stone pedestals, each inscribed with faintly glowing runes. "These formations will steadily drain your mana. Your task is to sustain your core ability for as long as possible while resisting the depletion."

The students exchanged uneasy glances.

Kai muttered, "That sounds like torture."

Ethan sighed. "That's because it is."

Dante cracked his knuckles. "At least it's different from footwork drills."

One by one, students stepped onto the platforms. As soon as they did, the runes pulsed, sending a subtle but constant pull on their mana reserves.

Rei stepped onto his own platform and activated Minor Reinforcement.

Immediately, he felt the drain—a steady siphon of his energy.

It was designed to gradually exhaust the user, forcing them to either control their mana output better or collapse from depletion.

For the others, this would be a challenge.

For Rei, with Mana Flow Mastery, it was barely noticeable.

Still, he couldn't afford to stand out.

So, he slightly loosened his control, allowing his mana to deplete at a rate that would seem normal for someone with decent endurance.

Minutes passed.

Students gritted their teeth as the drain intensified.

Kai swayed slightly. "I don't think… I can hold this much longer."

Ethan let out a slow breath. "This is rough…"

Dante, ever the fighter, held on longer than most, his muscles twitching as he forced himself to endure.

Rei observed them carefully, waiting until the right moment before showing signs of fatigue.

Then, just as the first few students dropped out, he let his mana flicker unsteadily, pretending to struggle before finally deactivating his enhancement.

He took a slow breath, stepping off the pedestal at the same time as Dante.

Lynelle nodded in approval. "Acceptable performance. Some of you need more control, but this is a good start."

Dante exhaled sharply, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Damn, that was rough."

Ethan leaned forward, hands on his knees. "I feel like I just got drained dry."

Kai sat on the ground, his breathing heavy. "I… don't think I'll ever get used to this."

Rei remained quiet, his mana already fully recovered within seconds.

After the draining endurance drills, most of the squad expected a break. Instead, Garrick led them to a different section of the training grounds—a large open area filled with training dummies, moving targets, and reinforced striking posts.

The air smelled of sweat and dust, the ground worn from years of combat practice.

"Endurance alone won't win you a fight," Garrick stated. "Now, we refine how you apply your abilities."

He gestured to the equipment. "You'll be working on controlled execution. Power means nothing if you can't strike with precision and efficiency."

The students exchanged glances before splitting into groups.

---

Dante, Ethan, and Kai were placed in the combat drills section, where they had to land clean strikes on fast-moving wooden targets.

Dante swung hard, his enhanced strength leaving deep dents in the targets. But his strikes were too slow between movements, wasting energy.

Ethan relied on speed, his arrows finding their marks, but he struggled when forced to aim under pressure.

Kai's spells flickered as he tried to control their output, showing promise but inconsistency.

Rei, meanwhile, was in the reinforcement drills, testing how long he could maintain enhanced strength and speed while striking a target.

A solid wooden pillar stood before him, reinforced with magic to absorb impact.

Rei activated Minor Reinforcement, feeling mana flow through his limbs. He struck forward, not with brute force, but with efficiency, letting the impact flow smoothly through his body.

Thud.

A clean, direct hit. No wasted movement.

The instructor overseeing his section gave an approving nod. "Good control. Try maintaining output while increasing speed."

Rei nodded and began alternating between strikes, focusing on keeping his mana balanced rather than dumping it all at once.

Minutes passed.

Other students slowed as their mana drained, their control faltering. But Rei?

His Mana Flow Mastery kept his reserves stable. He adjusted his breathing, making it seem like he was tiring at the same rate as the others while internally testing his limits.

After a while, the instructor called for a halt.

"Some of you lack power. Some of you lack precision. Work on both," Garrick said as he walked past. "A wasted strike is worse than no strike at all."

Rei relaxed his stance, his mana still fully intact.

No one had noticed.

That was all that mattered.

---

The next session focused on combat movement—dodging, repositioning, and reacting to unexpected attacks.

A series of swinging wooden arms, enchanted to track movement, had been set up across the field. Students had to step in, avoid the unpredictable strikes, and land counterattacks when possible.

Dante grinned. "Finally, something with action."

Ethan groaned. "Or something that'll knock our teeth out."

One by one, students entered the training area.

Kai barely avoided a strike, stumbling as he tried to counter. "This thing is way too fast!"

Ethan dodged the first few swings but got clipped by the fourth, tumbling backward. "This is rigged."

Dante took a hit straight to the shoulder and grunted. "Tch. That actually hurt."

When it was Rei's turn, he moved forward calmly, calculating the timing.

He let the wooden arms just barely miss him, shifting his weight instead of making dramatic movements. His enhanced footwork let him move smoothly, without unnecessary steps.

Left. Pivot. Backstep. Forward lunge.

He made sure to get hit once or twice—just enough to make it look realistic.

After finishing his round, he stepped aside, keeping his breathing steady.

The instructor nodded. "Good adjustment."

Dante gave him a sideways look. "You move weirdly well for a support guy."

Ethan muttered, "I swear, you're hiding something."

Rei didn't respond, focusing instead on watching the next student struggle.

---

Finishing the Session

By the time the drills ended, most of the squad was covered in sweat and breathing hard.

Garrick surveyed them. "Not bad. Still sloppy, but better than this morning."

The students were finally dismissed, and the squad began heading toward the banquet hall.

Dante rolled his shoulder. "At least today was more action and less running."

Ethan sighed. "I think I preferred the running."

Kai rubbed his arms. "We have a long way to go…"

Rei walked in silence, absorbing everything.

Today was just another step forward.

And no one suspected a thing.