Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

"Look on the bright side," Nerissa said with a grin. "They're not that fast."

"How many of these things are here? Can't I just blow them up?" Leroy panted.

"Just shut up and keep running. We can't take them all here; we'll risk this whole place collapsing on us," Lay replied sharply.

[Wind Blessing]

Rena used her skill to give everyone a speed boost.

"Leroy, reduce their numbers and block the path!" Devin commanded.

"Yes boss," Leroy smirked.

[Bull Shot]

Leroy halted and fired a powerful shot that went in a straight line, piercing through multiple chimeras in its path.

[Multi Shot]

[Gelatinous Bomb]

Leroy shot his arrows behind them, creating a durable gelatinous substance that covered the whole entrance.

"That should buy us some time," Devin said, still running.

"You finally did something right," Lay added.

"Just wait till I get my hands on you, lady," Leroy replied, agitated by Lay's comment.

The group continued running through the narrow path, hearts pounding, until they finally reached the exit.

As they emerged, the cave magically closed itself off behind them.

They found themselves in a vast grassland, far from the village they had been at earlier. It was still dark and windy, the night air cool against their skin.

"We survived? Oh sweet wind, I'll never take you for granted again," Leroy said, breathing in the breeze deeply.

They all collapsed to the ground, exhausted, except for Nerissa, who kept her gaze fixed on something suspicious.

"What's the matter?" Devin asked, noticing Nerissa's intense focus.

"Found you," Nerissa said with a smirk.

[Slash]

She fired a slashing attack in front of her. At first, it seemed she was aiming at nothing, but she continued. Again and again, her attacks struck until a crack appeared in the air, revealing something hidden.

"It's an illusion: keep your guard up," Nerissa warned, snapping everyone back to reality.

The others quickly understood the gravity of the situation. They weren't safe yet and had to stay vigilant. Nerissa focused intently and delivered the final strike needed to shatter the illusion.

As the illusion broke, they saw that they were still inside the cave. The space was empty, and they were alone.

"Huhuhu, I'm surprised you survived this long. Nobody's ever made it this far," a familiar voice echoed through the cavern.

"Hold up," Leroy said, his eyes widening in recognition.

"Is that...?" Rena began, trailing off.

"The village chief. I knew something was off the moment we met you," Nerissa said, her voice cold as she pointed her sword at the hooded old man who appeared before them as the illusion dissipated.

"Hehehe, just die already, you lowly adventurers," the chief sneered, summoning five chimeras to surround them.

"These guys again," Rena said, conjuring a gust of wind to slow the chimeras down.

"Alright, everyone, remember where we found those demonic stones on the others? Focus your attacks there," Nerissa instructed.

"Yes, ma'am!" they all chorused.

"As expected of our fearless leader. She figured out how to beat these monsters," Leroy said, charging towards his target.

[Rain Shot]

Leroy launched a volley of arrows into the air, creating a rain of projectiles to further impede the chimeras' advance.

"I'll handle this one," Lay declared, dashing forward.

With precision, Lay threw her dagger at one of the chimeras, ensuring it stuck firmly. She then moved behind the beast and used a tiny thread to pull the dagger through its body, drilling a hole while puncturing its demonic stone.

Meanwhile, Leroy used [Gelatinous Bomb] on another chimera's face, obscuring its line of sight. He slid directly under the beast, positioning himself for a clear shot.

"I've been saving this baby for a while now," Leroy said, coating his arrow in Aura.

[Bull Shot]

The arrow pierced through the chimera, creating a massive hole in the cave's roof and revealing the stars above.

"Never thought I'd miss looking at stars so much," Rena said, her voice tinged with nostalgia.

{Earth Drill}

[Wind Boost]

Rena used her magic to shape the earth into a drill and propelled it with a gust of wind. "Earth

Drill!" she yelled, her anger evident.

Her target was the village chief, but one of the chimeras stepped in to protect him.

"Out of my way! He's the reason you're all like this," Rena growled. She conjured four more drills, launching them without warning.

The chimera blocked the first few drills, but this time, they shattered the demonic stone within it. One of the drills continued its trajectory towards the village chief, but a winged chimera swooped in, saving him just in time.

"He still has more?" Devin hissed, decapitating his foe with his axe.

Nerissa threw her sword at the chimera without using any special skill. To everyone's surprise, the blade pierced through with ease, destroying the demonic stone inside.

"You meddling adventurers, you're going to ruin everything we've worked for!" the village chief complained.

Nerissa caught her sword in midair and threw it again, this time aiming for the winged chimera.

The sword struck true, injuring one of its wings and causing it to crash land, injuring the village chief's left leg in the process.

Nerissa walked slowly towards the fallen chimera, her eyes locked onto the village chief.

She retrieved her sword and, with deliberate precision, pierced it into the ground an inch away from the chief's head, making her intentions clear.

"I have some questions for you, and I hope you'll answer truthfully," Nerissa said, her voice cold and menacing.

"Do your worst," the village chief replied, turning his face away in defiance.

"Sheesh, he's in trouble now," Rena commented, shaking her head.

"Yep, this is not going to end well. Call me when it's all over," Leroy said, wandering off to inspect the cave.

Nerissa pressed her boot onto the village chief's injured leg, but he didn't flinch.

"I see, you took some kind of narcotic drug. Were you hoping for a quick and painless death?"

Nerissa chuckled darkly.

"Lay," she called out, and Lay threw one of her daggers to her. With a swift motion, Nerissa made a small cut on the chief's face, just enough for blood to show.

Instantly, the village chief's eyes widened as the pain from his leg surged back with brutal intensity. He groaned in agony, the sensation overwhelming him.

"You see that? You can still feel pain. Surprised?" Nerissa asked, her tone mocking. "The dagger I just grazed you with has a very special effect: it reverses the effects of buffs and pain relievers."

Fear flooded the chief's eyes. He opened his mouth to scream, but Nerissa swiftly covered it with her hand, silencing him.

"You finally get it, huh?" Nerissa said with a playful smile. "You're not getting a painless death, so unless you want me to drill this sword through you, slowly drain your blood until you're right at death's door, and then revive you to do it all over again, I suggest you start talking before I introduce you to a world of pain."

"And she means it," Devin yelled from where he stood, watching the scene unfold.

"Yeah! So you better start talking," Rena added.

"Quiet, you guys. Let her work," Lay said, trying to hide her obvious smile.

Nerissa pulled out a small transparent orb and showed it to the old man. "You know what this is, right? Depending on whether you lie or not, I'll find out." She handed the orb to him.

"Who are you, what are you doing here, and what do you plan to achieve?" Nerissa asked, her voice unwavering.

"I am part of the Order of the Crimson Hound. We were researching to create the perfect army to aid us when we finally freed our master," the village chief confessed.

"Crimson Hounds? Those lunatics that tried to kidnap the Priestess of Light?" Devin muttered to no one in particular.

"Who's running this operation?" Nerissa pressed.

"There are different leaders in the group, some of whom I have never met but only heard of. We span not just among humans but other races too," the chief replied.

"So who are you under?" Nerissa questioned, her eyes narrowing.

"A dark elf by the name of..." the old man started convulsing before he could finish the name.

Nerissa instinctively stepped back just as the man exploded, sending a shockwave through the cave.

"What a shame. He exposed our operation to outsiders," a voice came from behind them, carrying an ominous pressure that sent everyone to their knees except Nerissa. The figure's face was covered, hiding their identity.

"You really don't need to hide it. I know you're a dark elf," Nerissa said, her voice steady.

"Oh? You were able to withstand my pressure? Too bad I don't have time to ask how you figured me out or test your strength, but that sword looks really good. Mind lending it to me?" the elf taunted.

"In your dreams," Nerissa replied, her grip tightening on her sword.

"Too bad. Well, this is goodbye," the elf said with a smirk. She snapped her fingers, and a series of explosions began from far behind them, gradually getting closer. The cave started to collapse around them.

The elf opened a portal and disappeared through it.

"Lay! Take Rena and go," Nerissa commanded, pointing to the part of the roof Leroy had originally pierced.

Lay grabbed Rena's hand and teleported to the exit.

"Where's Leroy?" Devin asked urgently.

"Over here!" Leroy yelled, running to meet them.

"You guys ready?" Devin said, looking at both Leroy and Nerissa.

"Just do it, you muscle head," Leroy replied.

[Adamantium Defense]

Devin activated his skill, enveloping them in a protective barrier just as the cave began to crumble.

The explosions grew louder and more intense, but Devin's shield held firm, deflecting debris and protecting them from harm.

"Let's move!" Nerissa shouted, leading the way as they sprinted towards the exit created by Leroy.

With the cave collapsing behind them, they pushed forward with all their strength. Just as the last of the rocks fell, they burst through the opening, tumbling out into the night air.

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Let's goooo

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