Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

Jett's head spun as he was sucked into the wall, the world around him warping and twisting in a maelstrom of colors and lights.

The disorienting sensation felt like being pulled through a whirlpool, every fiber of his being stretched to its limit.

When he finally hit solid ground, he groaned, eyes fluttering open to an unfamiliar place.

The air was thick with magic, a tangible force that prickled his skin. The landscape was unlike anything he'd ever seen: floating islands hovered in the sky, connected by shimmering bridges of light.

Strange, luminous plants glowed with an ethereal radiance, and mystical creatures darted through the air, leaving trails of sparkling dust.

Jett staggered to his feet, his head still spinning. Around him, Rey, Cedric, Aiden, and the others were slowly rising as well.

"Get off me already!" Finned yelled, shoving Matthew aside.

"Where are we?" Matthew asked, his voice a mix of awe and fear.

"I have no idea," Jett replied, scanning the horizon with narrowed eyes. "But we need to stick together and figure out how to get back."

[Hidden Search]

Asher meticulously inspected the surroundings, searching for any hidden trap doors or concealed areas, but found nothing.

[Discerning Eyes]

Rey activated his Hero class abilities, his senses attuned to the magical energies around them.

"There's a lot of magic in the air. This place feels alive, like it's watching us."

"Wow, I wonder how that must feel," Jett remarked sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Cedric nodded, his expression serious. "We should be careful. Who knows what kind of creatures live here?"

"This place... it's like it's enhancing my Mana," Jett remarked, summoning a small flame in his hand effortlessly. 'I've never read of such a place before.'

"It's probably because of the high concentration of magic," Rey theorized. "We need to find out more about this place."

They walked cautiously, following a path that led them to an ancient ruin. The structure was covered in vines and glowing runes.

Jett felt an inexplicable pull towards it, as if it held some kind of significance.

"Look at these runes," Cedric said, examining the ancient symbols. "They're telling a story. Something about a prophecy."

Jett stepped closer, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the runes. Thanks to the skills he acquired from Cedric, he was able to partially discern their meaning.

"Kinda like a great war with higher beings or maybe angels. But there's more," he muttered, unaware he was thinking out loud.

"How can you tell?" Aiden asked, frowning at the incomprehensible symbols.

"It's like a picture book. Just look at it." Jett pointed at the part of the runes that depicted drawings instead of the usual markings.

Aiden wasn't convinced. "Picture books don't give such vivid explanations, especially when they look thousands of years old."

"You're hopeless," Jett scoffed, shaking his head.

"My classes fit well with these kinds of things, especially my Artisan class. With the skills [Reader] and [Archeology Sense], I can decipher the text on the ruins," Cedric explained, a blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"Explain," Matthew interjected, curiosity piqued.

Everyone slowly realized that of all of them, Cedric's skills were the least known.

Even Asher, an assassin, had demonstrated more abilities. All they knew was that Cedric was incredibly talented at making items and weapons.

"Maybe because we never had a reason to ask," Rey mused. "It's not like Cedric was a show-off after all."

"True," Aiden added. "I can't remember a time when he flaunted his skills."

"My [Reader] skill lets me understand all languages, though its effectiveness decreases the older the language is," Cedric continued, feeling a sense of pride. "But [Archeology Sense] allows me to bridge that gap by understanding inventions and languages from decades ago. By using them together, I can slowly decipher these texts."

He glanced at the group, seeing their interest and surprise. "They're both passive skills, so they don't have a cooldown or use MP."

Rey nodded appreciatively. "That's impressive. We've never really seen your skills in action before."

"Yeah," Asher agreed. "I always thought you were just the guy who made our gear."

Cedric smiled, feeling validated. "I guess I'm more than just the blacksmith. These ruins... they're telling us something important. We just need to figure out what."

'Yeah, he's very dependable. Maybe I don't have to do much.' Jett clapped a hand on Cedric's shoulder. "Looks like you're our key to unlocking this mystery."

Cedric's blush deepened, but he felt a newfound sense of belonging and purpose. For once, he was the one they relied on to move forward.

As Cedric deciphered the runes, Jett felt a chill run down his spine. The prophecy spoke of a group of outsiders who would be drawn into this realm to fulfill a destiny.

It foretold trials, dangers, and a powerful artifact that could either save or doom both worlds.

Just as they began to piece together the meaning, a shadowy figure appeared in the distance, watching them intently.

"Someone's there," Matthew whispered, gripping his axe tightly.

The figure stepped closer, revealing a tall, bare-bodied individual with silver-like skin and eyes that glowed like embers.

"Who are you?" Jett called out, his hand on his sword.

"That's not even important," Finn said in desperation as he turned away. "Put some clothes on!"

The figure remained silent, its presence imposing and mysterious. As the tension in the air thickened, the shadowy figure raised its hand, and the ground beneath them began to shake.

"It seems the master was right. I haven't waited in vain, but is this all of them? I can't be sure it's them. I need some kind of proof," the figure muttered openly to himself.

"He's ignoring me? Hell no," Finn said as he brought out his Midas spear and charged at the silver figure.

Jett quickly stepped in, blocking Finn's path with his sword. "Stop," he commanded, his voice firm.

Finn was furious. "What? He obviously brought us here against our will."

"We don't know that for sure," Jett replied, his eyes locked on the silver figure. "Rushing in could make things worse."

"Calm down, Finn. You definitely don't want to do that," Rey said from behind, his voice steady. "That guy is radiating with a weird kind of aura I've never seen before. He's way stronger than anyone we've ever come across." Rey didn't even want to hold his sword, knowing it would be pointless against someone like that.

"You used [Discerning Eyes]?" Finn asked, retracting his spear.

'It's not aura; it's Lumix. If he really wanted to, he could have killed us all within a second.' Jett sighed in frustration. 'Tch, including me, and I'm Level 78 right now.'

Finn glared at Jett, but he reluctantly lowered his spear. "Fine, but if he tries anything, I won't hold back."

Everyone fell silent, the tension thick as they waited to see what the silver figure would do next.

The silver figure's eyes flickered with interest as he observed the group's dynamics. "So, you're the ones the prophecy speaks of," he said, his voice echoing with an otherworldly resonance. "You have much to learn, and the trials ahead will test your resolve."

"Don't be alarmed. My name is Alok, and I won't hurt you, but I must ask you to present one of the keys," the silver figure stated.

"And what could that be?" Matthew asked, curiosity evident in his tone.

"My master once prophesied of a group of heroes that would come to his world to claim their legacy. They would use one of their keys to start the Divine Trial."

"Divine Trial? Key? Your master? Dude, stop screwing with us and just take us back home!" Finn retorted, pinning his spear to the ground in frustration.

Dozens of golden lines radiated from the spear, spreading across the ground in intricate patterns.

The air shimmered, and a translucent screen appeared before each of them, displaying mysterious symbols.

Jett glanced at the screen, his mind racing. "What's this?"

[Divine Trial has been activated]

[Complete all 14 trials to unlock a hint to your true authority.]

[Duration: 3 years]

[Failure: Stripped of title, 70% permanent stat reduction, 50% reduction of skills effectiveness.]

"Finn?" Rey said as he read the new notifications. "What the hell did you just do?"

"Oh wow, Finn. Déjà vu all over again, right?" Jett said with a nervous smile.

*****

In Rosa and Elora's room, the girls were deep in conversation about their Magic and Warrior classes. Freya, Rosa, Marcella, Seraphina, Morrigan, Elora, and Evelina shared their experiences, laughter filling the room.

As they broke into laughter, a translucent screen with notifications similar to the boys' appeared before them.

"I'm not the only one seeing this, right?" Rosa asked, her eyes wide.

"Nope, we're definitely seeing a new quest screen which activated on its own. These kinds of things don't happen in video games unless someone triggers it," Seraphina explained, looking excited. 'Something fun's about to happen,' she thought.

"Trigger? Like a hidden dungeon or something? But we were all sitting right here minding our business," Evelina said, racking her brain to think of what could be the cause.

"You guys don't think they have something to do with this, right?" Freya pondered.

"I don't even need a fortune teller to know who did this. It's definitely one of the boys, if not all of them," Elora said, slamming the table. "I'm going to find them."

"Deep breaths, Elora. There has to be an explanation for all this. We don't have to blame every dumb thing that happens to us on the..." Rosa tried to calm her down when a magic circle appeared beneath them.

She soon noticed that part of her hands were slowly turning to disappear.

It wasn't just her; everyone in the room began to vanish. Before they knew what was happening, they were teleported.

*****

The girls appeared right in front of the guys, dumbfounded and disoriented.

"Why are they here?" Finn asked, already feeling exhausted just by their presence.

"Maybe the fourteen trials are for fourteen of us?" Cedric replied, scratching his head in confusion.

"Yep, I take it back. You can kill them," Rosa said to Elora, covering her face in disappointment.

The situation was tense and bewildering for everyone. The air was thick with unspoken questions and mounting frustration.

"Hey! You better start explaining before I stamp my fist on your face," Elora said, marching toward Aiden with fiery determination.

Aiden quickly took refuge behind Jett and Rey, who raised their hands in a placating gesture. "Calm down, Elora. We're as confused as you are," Rey said, trying to diffuse the situation.

Alok, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke. "Your role is simple. You have three years to complete the trials and discover what gifts my master has for you all. You already know what happens if you fail. The trial starts now."

*

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Who deserves the spotlight more than Jett thought?