Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

"Tell me everything you know about Ekris," Clarence ordered, his voice trembling as he struggled to maintain his composure.

Jett could barely suppress the smirk threatening to break across his face. The tables had turned, and it was now Clarence who found himself backed into a corner. A sense of relief washed over Jett, knowing that for once, he held the upper hand.

"I'm under no obligation to tell you that," Jett replied coolly, his tone dripping with confidence. "But if you agree to my terms, I suppose I can help you out with that too."

Clarence's eyes narrowed, his wariness growing with each word. He was no fool; he knew better than to trust Jett blindly. Every syllable was weighed, every gesture scrutinized.

"And how am I supposed to know you're not trying to play me?" Clarence asked, his voice tinged with suspicion.

Jett leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "If you agree, Valetta doesn't need to know what really happened to her brother. It's a win for you too."

'This kid... what else does he know?' Clarence's thoughts raced as he tried to piece together Jett's true intentions. "How do you even know about this?"

"I have my sources," Jett boasted, his confidence unshakable. "All you had to do was help babysit one little girl, but you just had to go too far, didn't you?"

Clarence's gaze dropped to the floor as he pondered the situation. The implications of Jett's knowledge weighed heavily on his mind, forcing him to reconsider his next move.

"Why would you want to enter the Hall of Techniques this early?" Clarence finally asked, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and caution. "Even though I want you to win the competition, I can't just let you have an unfair advantage."

Jett scoffed, his arrogance palpable. "Is that what you're worried about? I don't need something like that to dominate the competition."

Clarence couldn't ignore the unwavering confidence in Jett's voice. It wasn't just arrogance; it was certainty, and that made it all the more difficult to dismiss.

"Alright," Clarence conceded, narrowing his eyes, "but why do you need the Teacher's pass?"

Jett leaned back slightly, his expression calm and composed. "You and I both know that my current strength is well over the qualified threshold to be a teacher here," he explained, his voice steady. "But that's the reason. I just want the privileges teachers enjoy."

Clarence considered his words carefully before responding, "I can arrange for you to leave the academy in your second year, but you'll have to return during your third year. As for the pass, that's not happening. The only way I can do that is if you make it an indisputable fact to the public that you're worth it, which means you'll have to come out of your shell."

Jett winced inwardly, knowing that Clarence's words rang painfully true. The truth cut deeper than he liked to admit, but he had no choice but to accept it.

"I understand. I can work with that," Jett replied, letting out a sigh as he turned and walked out of the office.

*****

As soon as Jett entered the room, Freya pounced, her eyes filled with suspicion. "You mind telling me what all that was about?" she nagged, her voice hushed to avoid waking Ella, who was fast asleep on the bed. They dared not raise their voices, so they spoke in low tones, careful not to disturb her.

"Nothing important. We just had to iron out the details," Jett lied, his expression unreadable.

Freya wasn't convinced. "That's all? Then why did I get forcefully warped back here? You're hiding something," she pressed, her voice filled with skepticism. "And who the hell is Ekris?"

Jett immediately covered Freya's mouth, his eyes darting around the room to ensure no one else could hear. He leaned in closer and hushed her, his voice low but urgent.

"For both our sakes, you'll have to forget about that name," Jett said with a seriousness that sent a chill down Freya's spine.

Freya's eyes widened in surprise as she tried to pry his hand off. "What gives… Just let go of me," she mumbled against his palm, struggling to break free.

After a moment, Jett released her, watching as she slowly calmed down, her initial shock fading into a wary curiosity.

"So you actually agreed to participate?" Freya asked, her voice now a mere whisper, her concern evident in her tone.

"Yeah," Jett replied nonchalantly, shrugging as if it were no big deal, though his casual demeanor only deepened Freya's worry. "Even if he didn't use a contract, I'll still keep my word."

Freya's brow furrowed with concern, and she reached out to shake Jett as if trying to jolt him back to reality. "And you actually think you can win? Are you crazy?"

Jett quickly grabbed her hands, stopping her before she accidentally woke Ella. He spoke with a hint of irritation in his voice. "Yes, I can win, and I'm not crazy."

Freya looked at him with a mix of disbelief and contempt. "I hope you're not planning to cheat or anything like that," she said, narrowing her eyes at him.

Jett shook his head, exasperated. "I'll do no such thing. What do you take me for?"

Freya's concern didn't waver. "If such a competition takes place, that means you'll be going up against Rey, Asher, and even Ciara. There's no way you can win," she explained, her voice tinged with worry as she laid out the daunting odds.

Jett couldn't help but break into a goofy smile as he listened to Freya's concerns. Her worry only amused him, revealing just how well his ploy to conceal his true strength had worked.

"I guess I went too far concealing my strength," Jett said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

But beneath that smile was a twinge of disappointment. He had worked so hard to appear weaker than he really was, a strategy that had served him well. Now, he was about to throw all of that away, and the thought stung more than he expected.

"You don't have to worry. I'll win even if they gang up against me," Jett assured her, his confidence unwavering.

Freya sighed, recognizing the futility of arguing with him. "You really are delusional," she muttered, resigning herself to the fact that there was no talking him out of it.

"There's still time before the festival, so just relax," Jett said, leaning back in a chair as if the weight of the upcoming challenge didn't faze him. "He promised to look after her whenever we have classes. We'll have to take care of her during our free time."

Freya walked back to her side of the room, but not before giving Jett a long, contemplative stare when he wasn't looking. There was something about his casual confidence that made her worry even more. With a quiet sigh, she closed the curtain behind her.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Jett," Freya said softly to herself, shaking her head as she prepared for bed.

*****

Time flew by quickly. Two months had passed in the blink of an eye, and it was now time for another trial. The anticipation and anxiety of what lay ahead had built up steadily, making the days seem shorter.

The group met up at the dungeon, where Alok was already waiting for them. The air was thick with tension, the kind that always accompanied the start of something dangerous.

"I can't help but think that this trial will be difficult," Finn complained, his voice tinged with dread.

"Don't jinx it, moron," Elora snapped, slapping him from behind, her irritation clear as she tried to shake off the nervous energy that had settled over them all.

"It's not like I'm wrong though," Finn grumbled, rubbing the sore spot on his head where Elora had slapped him. "The four previous trials all followed the same easy-then-difficult pattern."

During the fourth trial, they had to navigate a complex puzzle. The labyrinthine pathways twisted and turned, each wrong step threatening to lead them deeper into the unknown.

It took them hours to decipher the puzzle's intricate design, but in the end, they managed to escape thanks to Cedric's sharp mind and Asher's strategic thinking. Together, they worked through the confusion, Cedric's logical approach meshing perfectly with Asher's keen intuition, guiding the group to safety just in time.

The fifth trial, however, was a different kind of challenge. Those who could use mana were required to infuse every ounce of their energy into massive mana crystals, each one larger and more demanding than the last. The task was grueling, pushing their mana reserves to the brink.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group had to fend off relentless waves of monster attacks, the creatures driven by an insatiable hunger. What made the trial particularly difficult was the sheer size and number of crystals, each one draining them until they had nothing left. They were forced to rest and recover, their mana depleted, while the others battled on, barely holding the monsters at bay.

The sixth and seventh trials were grueling tests of endurance. Both involved facing down 20 waves of monstrous enemies, each wave more ferocious than the last. The monsters were an average of level 65 in the sixth trial, pushing them to their limits as they fought with everything they had.

But the seventh trial was even harsher. Not only did the monster levels increase to an average of 68, but they were also forbidden from using any skills, relying solely on their raw strength and teamwork to survive the onslaught. The lack of skills forced them to adapt quickly, relying on pure strategy and coordination to overcome the seemingly endless waves of enemies.

*****

Before long, a notification appeared before them, the text glowing ominously:

[Continue the Trial? Y/N]

Without hesitation, they all clicked "Yes." Your next read awaits at m v|l-e'-NovelBin.net

[Trial Completion 7/14]

[Mission: Find the Princess]

[Duration: 7 Days]

[Reward: ???]

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What kind of trial do you think this is?