Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

"Hehe, you got me," Aiden replied, his smile broad and genuine.

Elora rushed over, her excitement barely contained. She patted Aiden on the back with enthusiasm, each pat a bit harder than the last. "That's how you protect that family's honor. Way to go, little bro!"

"Ouch," Aiden groaned, wincing from the force of Elora's congratulatory pats.

"Serves him right," Rosa snapped with a hint of satisfaction. "I was going to strangle him with my vines anyway."

"Calm down, princess. We didn't come here to get blood on our hands," Rey said, trying to diffuse the situation.

"For a priestess of light, you really say that casually, huh?" Morrigan remarked, raising an eyebrow.

Meanwhile, Seraphina and Matthew stood on the sidelines, their enthusiasm noticable.

They scanned the crowd, eager for a chance to duel, but no one was willing to take them on. Most students, already ranked higher, avoided challenging them.

Back with Aiden, the crowd continued to congratulate him.

Cheers and applause surrounded him as his friends and classmates expressed their admiration and respect.

Aiden, in particular, had an annoyingly goofy giggle as he basked in the moment.

"What's with you all of a sudden?" Rey asked, eyeing Aiden's smug attitude with a mixture of amusement and annoyance.

"I rank higher than you overall now Rey. How does it feel to be beneath me for once?" Aiden boasted, his grin widening.

Rey smirked, unfazed. "For once? At least you know your place."

"Speak to me with respect, underling," Aiden ordered with a playful glint in his eye, adding a cheeky laugh to his command.

Finn's expression was one of deep disappointment as he watched the commotion unfold. "Crap, now I gotta deal with this moron until someone steals the title from him," he muttered, his frustration evident. The sight of Aiden's cocky demeanor only added to his discontent.

"You know, that was fun to watch. I'm wondering how yours would go," Evelina said, turning to Asher with a curious glint in her eye.

"You should worry about yourself, little Miss Archer," Asher replied with a smirk, clearly enjoying the banter.

Marcella stumbled out of the dining hall, her eyes half-closed in sleep. "So what's going on here?" she asked, her voice thick with fatigue.

"You were sleeping the whole time?" Evelina asked, astonished.

"I wasn't interested in wasting a good rest," Marcella replied nonchalantly. "Plus, why waste my time on a fight I already knew the outcome of?"

"Wow, there's no saving you," Evelina sighed, defeated.

"I don't really see that as a bad thing, though," Cedric remarked, trying to lighten the mood.

Throughout the chaos, Freya's gaze was fixed on Jett.

She had not forgotten the skill he used back in the dungeon, but she chose not to ask about it immediately, her curiosity simmering beneath the surface.

Unknown to everyone, they were being watched from the shadows. The observer remained hidden, their presence a mere whisper in the darkness.

*****

The area bore the marks of the intense fight: deep gouges and cracks scarred the floor, and debris, including fragments of shattered stone and metal, was scattered around.

Dust hung in the air, with scorch marks and traces of magical energy still visible.

"Well then, it seems like I have work to do," Rodney said, rising from his seat. "I was planning on renovating that area anyway, so it's a win for me, too."

"Good luck," Valetta said, taking a delicate sip from her cup of tea.

After taking one last drink, Rodney left, leaving only Clarence, Valetta, and Selena.

Clarence, still bored, had left the portal open, idly watching the students interact. His attention was caught by Jett. "Who's that kid?" he asked without realizing he had spoken aloud.

"Which kid?" Selena asked, looking puzzled.

"Oh, I guess my thoughts slipped out," Clarence said with a novice smile, slightly embarrassed.

"Who?" Selena peered into the portal, trying to spot anyone who could have caused Clarence's reaction.

"The red-black-haired one," Clarence pointed out, directing their attention to Jett.

"I don't know but he looks like someone I've seen before. Why do you ask?" Valetta said, unimpressed.

"Something doesn't seem right with him, and yes, he does look familiar," Clarence said, zooming in for a closer look.

"There he goes again, always lost in his own thoughts," Valetta complained.

"You can't sense it?" Clarence insisted, his unease growing. 'Or is something wrong with me?'

"He does seem close to those Divine Lords. What more could there be?" Selena said, distracted and disinterested.

[Inner Search]

Clarence activated a skill he had honed through rigorous studies of Aura, Mana, and Lumix.

The skill allowed him to sense these energies with precision, a skill he acquired through extensive research and dedication to understanding the fundamental forces at play in their world.

Clarence's excitement grew as he continued to observe Jett. 'Lumix? I can naturally sense it now even through my portal? I must have progressed further than I thought,' he pondered. 'But how could a child so young unlock Lumix? He must be a genius among geniuses.' The realization sent a thrill through him.

'I need to find a way to talk to him,' Clarence thought, his mind racing. 'I must understand how he unlocked it or if he was born with it. There are so many possibilities, and it's making me excited all of a sudden.'

"You better not be thinking of something stupid," Valetta warned, noticing the gleam in Clarence's eyes.

"Huh? Whatever could you mean?" Clarence turned away, trying to hide his enthusiasm.

"Don't play dumb with me. I know that look anywhere," Valetta said, pointing at him. "That's the look you always give when you find a new toy and can't wait to start playing with it."

"And nine out of ten times, we end up dealing with the mess your new 'toys' create," Selena added with a sigh.

"How could you even think that?" Clarence protested, feigning innocence.

"It's written all over your face," Valetta said, clearly annoyed.

"We've known you long enough to recognize when your hair starts levitating on its own. You're up to no good," she continued, exasperated.

Clarence, though mildly embarrassed, couldn't suppress his excitement. The thought of discovering more about Jett's abilities was too compelling to ignore.

"I am well able to make responsible choices, thank you very much."

"Like when you blew up Antilo for a… if I may quote," Selena said, raising her fingers, "'Harmless Experiment'?"

"You really can't blame me for that. It only got out of hand because that bastard Durin interrupted me," Clarence said defensively.

"Then why were you asked to send an apology token?"

"What apology token?" Clarence asked, pretending not to remember.

"You forgot! Clarence!" Valetta shouted.

"Oh right…" Clarence said, struggling to recall. "Oh crap… I need to find Drago."

Clarence hurriedly rushed out, his urgency evident as he dashed off to locate Drago. Selena and Valetta watched him go, Valetta shaking her head in exasperation.

"Remind me again why we let him run this school?" Valetta sighed, not expecting a reply.

"Because, unfortunately for us, he's the strongest Mage we've got," Selena replied, equally resigned.

*****

That night, while Freya and the others retired to bed, Jett remained awake. Unable to sleep, he decided to check his stats.

His skills had accumulated significantly, now piled up in an overwhelming list.

=====

Class: Magic Swordsman

Level: 80

HP: 70

MP: 70

Strength: 70

Agility: 83

Intelligence:70

Perception: 70

Undistributed Points: 1423

=====

He scrolled through them, merging some to create new skills. The list seemed endless, and he kept working through it until midnight.

His thoughts drifted to the hidden dungeon they had discovered, a place he knew nothing about before now.

'I guess there are more secrets to this world than I know of. Maybe I have my luck to thank for such an opportunity,' he mused.

Jett's mind returned to the recent trial, wondering if there had been a better way to handle things.

He remembered Alok and pondered whether he could have approached the trial differently.

*****

Jett's mind flashed back to when he was the last one remaining in the dungeon.

He recalled inspecting Alok's stats, which were all marked with question marks, indicating that he couldn't copy any of Alok's skills just like with Aurelia.

The disappointment in his smile was evident as he muttered, "So that's how it is."

He had hoped to gather more skills, but the only thing of note was the abundance of Mana floating around the small islands. "I guess I'll have to ask that crappy angel," Jett said, inspecting the area but finding nothing else of interest.

With a resigned sigh, he marked the location and teleported back to his dorm.

*****

Back in his room, Jett refocused on his current needs. 'That's enough of that. I still need some basic and intermediate skills for when I'm not alone,' he thought.

He needed skills that were either unique to him or his class, skills that would keep his true abilities hidden from others.

His plans for the future were still unfolding, and drawing unnecessary attention now would hinder his progress.

After some deliberation, Jett decided to separate seven skills from the rest: three basic, three intermediate, three advanced, and one special.

He chose skills that appeared normal to people while ensuring they included something that would make his peers remember his reincarnation too.

His goal was to maintain a seemingly average reputation while showcasing enough skills to align with his peers.

Jett selected the following skills:

[Boost]

[Search]

[Chef]

[Warrior Blessing]

[Ricochet Strike]

[Spellblade Dance]

[Area Heal]

[Tactical Mirage]

[Slow Curse]

'That should do it. With this, I won't have to worry too much,' Jett thought as he rolled over, trying to fall asleep.

But the discomfort he felt made him uneasy, as if he were lying on an uneven surface.

He opened his eyes, expecting to see the familiar surroundings of his dorm room. Instead, he was met with an unexpected sight.

"Hey Jett, it's been a while…" Aurelia's voice echoed softly. He was sitting in the air right next to him.

*

*

*

He just won't leave Jett alone.