Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

-Aiden-: "Were you some kind of corporate worker in your past life? You drain the fun out of everything."

-Finn-: "Mind your own business, Sherlock. You can never be too financially secure."

-Seraphina-: "Does everything have to revolve around money with you?"

-Finn-: "Actually, yes, it does."

-Rey-: "Good luck finding a partner with that attitude, man."

*****

As the gravity increased to x6, Morrigan finally threw in the towel, leaving the remaining members to continue.

While the others struggled through the trial, Jett took the opportunity to reflect.

'Why would they give us such an easy trial? It feels like they're letting us pass. But why?' he wondered.

Jett overheard the others grumbling about how tough the trial was.

'These guys... how can they complain? This is nothing.' Jett mused. 'Maybe if I push them harder, they'll all work better.'

With the gravity ramping up to x8, -Evelina- declared, "Alright, I'm out. Asher, make sure to avenge me."

-Aiden-: "I'm actually surprised that Freya hasn't complained at all."

-Freya-: "I barely feel it. I was actually wondering if mine was delayed."

-Rey-: "That's cheating."

-Freya- : "Considering I don't have an attack skill, this is a decent trade-off. '

'Right, since gravity-based attacks don't affect me, if Clarence had done the same to me, I'd still be standing. Not fair. At this rate, she'll be the one to win.' Jett thought, with a hint of jealousy.

As the gravity increased to x10, Aiden and Rosa both conceded. Aiden stumbled back, exhausted, while Rosa collapsed to the ground. They were promptly sent back to meet with the others, their faces a mix of frustration and relief.

With the gravity escalating to x12, then x14, Asher sighed and said, "I guess this is where I draw the line."

-Elora- added, "What a shame."

-Seraphina- grimaced and muttered, "Damn it, I can't take any more."

'This could have been avoided if everyone had put in more effort,' Jett thought as he skimmed through their messages. 'Ugh, doesn't this thing have a mute function?'

*****

As the gravity reached x16, Cedric groaned, "Yep, I'm done. I can't go on."

'Freya will win in the end, even if I push myself to the limit. I can't resist the gravity forever so there's no point in dragging this out.'

-Jett-: "I'm out. I won't waste my energy on a battle I can't win. You guys better be smart and let Freya take this one."

-Rey-: "The goal is x20. We can handle it."

-Matthew-: "That's right."

-Jett-: "Never trust a mission that comes with a side quest without any trigger."

-Matthew-: "What do you mean?"

-Jett-: "Let's hope you don't find out."

'Hehe, who am I kidding? I'm curious to see what happens next', Jett thought with a grin.

As the gravity increased, Rey and Matthew struggled under its crushing weight. Their bodies were pushed down, sweat dripping from their brows.

Every movement became a Herculean effort as the force of gravity pressed them harder.

In stark contrast, Freya remained unaffected. The gravity changes around her were nullified, leaving her standing effortlessly amidst the chaos.

With the gravity at x18, then escalating to x20, Finn observed with surprise, "They actually made it to the end."

Jett smirked, "I'm not so sure about that."

A new notification appeared, flashing across the screen:

[Trial 2 Complete]

[Side Challenge Incomplete]

They stared at the screen, uncertain about what would come next.

As gravity ramped up to x25, Elora commented, "x25? That wasn't part of the trial."

Jett shrugged, "Like I said, never trust a mission with a side quest that was triggered from the beginning."

-Jett-: "Rey, Matthew, give up now."

-Matthew-: "Not yet!"

[Iron Will] activated, fortifying Matthew's resolve.

-Rey-: "Not yet."

[Heavenly Blessing] enveloped Rey, amplifying his strength.

They both fought to endure, their skills flaring to buy them more time.

-Rosa-: "Idiots, what are you even trying to prove?"

-Marcella-: "I guess they're just too competitive."

-Seraphina-: "I'm so jealous. I wish I could have lasted longer."

With gravity at x30, Rey stacked his skills, activating [Divine Defense] to hold his ground.

As the gravity ramped up to x45, Matthew finally couldn't hold on any longer. With a pained expression, he backed down and was sent back to the starting point.

That left Rey and Freya. Despite Rey's valiant effort, everyone knew that Freya was going to be the last one standing.

Under the relentless pressure of x45 gravity, Rey's strength waned. His movements slowed, and his resolve faltered.

With one final, weary sigh, he finally gave up, collapsing and being sent back. Freya remained, victorious.

As the only one remaining, Freya had won not only the trial for everyone but also the side challenge for herself.

Jett glanced at the new notification with a hint of irritation.

[Trial Completion 2/14]

[Reward]

[+2 Levels]

A special notification popped up for Freya:

[Side Challenge Reward]

[Winner: Freya]

[+2 Levels]

[Trial Exemption x1]

Along with the extra two levels, Freya was granted a special privilege: she could choose not to participate in the next trial.

*****

"This trial didn't last as long as the previous one, but I'm beat," Rey said, trying to stretch out his sore muscles.

Everyone was feeling the effects of fatigue, though Jett had to put on a show of exhaustion as well.

[Purge]

Immediately, a wave of revitalization washed over them. They felt refreshed, even more invigorated than when they had started.

[Would you like to continue? Yes/No]

"Next week," Rey said, activating his teleportation scroll to return to the academy.

The others followed suit, each using their scrolls to teleport back. But Jett stayed behind, a thoughtful expression on his face.

It's just a thought, but… Jett mused as he walked closer to Alok, "Who is your master? Why does this place exist?"

Alok responded calmly, "Your questions shall all be answered once the trial is over."

"Trial? It feels more like we're being toyed with," Jett said, but received no further reply.

"Then what are you? You don't seem human, but you're definitely not an angel or higher entity," Jett pressed.

As he asked the question, a red notification flashed:

[[Refrain from asking too many questions]]

[[No good will come from this]]

That red notification again. Is the system really threatening me? Or is it just Plausibility?

Well, that only proves how important this information is, Jett thought, pulling out his own teleportation scroll. I should focus on getting stronger for now.

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Hehe

The double square bracket again

Let's see if you guys still remember