Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

He began pacing the room, his thoughts swirling like a storm. Each step was slow, deliberate, as if the movement helped him unravel the tangled mess in his mind. His boots tapped against the floor, the sound steady and rhythmic, filling the otherwise silent room.

'I can't be sure we were after the same thing,' he thought, his eyes narrowing as he recalled the events of the night. 'I went out to steal something, but they... they looked like they were hunting someone.'

Jett paused, glancing back at the sleeping figures. A sly smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as a new idea formed. 'Maybe I can use this to my advantage. Consider it payment for making me lose my prize.'

Without another word, Jett activated [Checkpoint] again, the world around him shifting as he returned to his own room. The familiar surroundings greeted him, and he moved carefully, easing onto his bed with practiced stealth. He glanced at Freya, making sure not to disturb her.

Freya, however, was wide awake, her senses on high alert. She had heard the faint sound when he appeared, the soft rustle of fabric as he settled in.

But when she opened her eyes, but nothing looked amiss, still. Confused, she dismissed it as a trick of her imagination and drifted back into a light slumber.

*****

The next morning, Rey slowly stirred, his head throbbing as he awoke. "Ugh… my head," he groaned, rubbing his temples. "What time is it?"

"A few more minutes and you'd officially be late," Asher replied with a chuckle, already fully dressed and ready for class. He was at the door, about to leave, while Rey was still tangled in his sheets, groggy and disoriented.

Rey blinked, trying to shake off the lingering drowsiness as he realized the time. "Seriously? I just woke up…"

Rey glanced up at Asher, blinking in confusion as the reality of the situation dawned on him. Asher was already halfway out the door, his hand on the knob, fully intending to leave.

The room was thick with an awkward silence, the kind that made the air feel heavy and tense. Rey's eyes widened in disbelief, his mind racing as he realized that Asher wasn't going to wait for him.

"You freaking bastard! Why didn't you wake me up?" Rey exploded, his voice echoing through the room as he threw off his covers in frustration.

"I did try: a lot actually," Asher replied, exasperation evident in his tone as he sighed. "Turns out it's easier to hunt a monster than to wake you up. I couldn't even tell if you were still alive at some point."

Rey huffed, crossing his arms like a petulant child. "So you're just going to leave me here?"

Asher didn't respond immediately, his expression a mix of amusement and irritation. Meanwhile, Rey dragged himself out of bed, his movements sluggish as he lazily maneuvered through the room.

He grabbed whatever he needed without much thought, his mind still half-asleep, as he fumbled for his clothes, toothbrush, and other essentials.

"Just wait a bit longer so we can go together," Rey pleaded, his voice taking on a desperate edge. 'I don't want to be the only one walking in late and getting a scolding, especially now of all times.'

Asher rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Go get yourself a girlfriend if you need someone to walk you to class," he shot back, his patience wearing thin. 'I'm more concerned with how we even got back to our room, but I'm sure that fact flew over your head.'

"Come on, just this once," Rey continued, his tone bordering on a whine as he tried to coax Asher into staying.

But Asher wasn't having it. "Dude, just take a bath and start coming. I'm not waiting for you," he snapped before slamming the door shut behind him, the sound reverberating through the now-empty room.

Rey stood there, staring at the door, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Guess I'm on my own," he muttered to himself, before finally heading off to get ready.

After a few seconds, panic jolted him awake, and he hurried to get ready, stumbling over his belongings in his haste. His movements were frantic, pulling on his clothes, brushing his teeth with rapid strokes, and grabbing his books.

*****

Just as Rey had feared, he arrived at class late. The moment he stepped through the door, all eyes turned to him. The room fell silent, and the teacher's stern gaze locked onto him like a predator spotting prey.

"You're late, Rey," the teacher snapped, irritation dripping from every word. The reprimand was sharp and public, cutting through the room's silence. Rey felt the weight of the stares from his classmates, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"I-I'm sorry," Rey stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. It was the only thing he could genuinely say, though he knew it wouldn't do much to lessen the scolding.

The teacher sighed, clearly unimpressed by his apology, before returning to the lesson. Rey quickly made his way to an empty seat next to Jett, feeling the burn of humiliation settle deep in his gut.

The class was on general studies, which meant everyone was present. The room was filled with students from all walks of life, each one representing different noble families or aspiring to positions of power.

'I'm pretty sure he wasn't supposed to be this late. Asher did get up early, so it couldn't be my fault,' Jett thought as he watched Rey sit down beside him, still looking flustered.

Jett sighed internally. 'It's your fault for going out to do god knows what at that time of night with your limited skills. I was even going easy on you two.'

General studies classes were mostly about etiquette, how to behave as nobles and around nobles, and basic information about their world. It was a necessary subject, but to Jett, it felt like a tedious exercise in stating the obvious.

'Gosh, another class on etiquette, so annoying. But I guess this stuff is important too,' he mused, leaning back in his chair, his eyes glazing over as the teacher droned on about proper conduct.

Jett's attention drifted to Rey, who seemed lost in thought, his expression distant. It didn't take much for Jett to guess what was going through his mind. Rey's brow was furrowed, his lips slightly parted as if caught between frustration and contemplation.

'He's probably still beating himself up over being late. Or maybe he's thinking about last night,' Jett thought, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. It was almost too easy to read him.

Rey, oblivious to Jett's scrutiny, tried to focus on the lesson, but his mind kept wandering back to the events of the previous night and the embarrassing start to his day.

*****

After the class ended, Rey quickly caught up with Asher, his mind still swirling with thoughts from the previous night.

"Hey, what do you think we should do?" Rey asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

"I'm not too sure myself," Asher sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as they walked through the bustling hallway.

"Telling the others might be the best option, but I can't shake the feeling that we already know who that was," Rey murmured, his eyes narrowing in thought as he replayed the events in his mind.

Asher stopped in his tracks, a bit surprised by Rey's insight. For a moment, he regarded Rey with a raised eyebrow, a smirk slowly creeping onto his face. "I guess you do have a brain after all."

"What? It was really strange. We both woke up safe in our rooms, without any injuries, and our stuff was still intact," Rey continued, his confusion evident as he tried to piece everything together.

"It could've been some kind of plot to get us on their side," Asher added, his tone thoughtful. "But we haven't received any kind of message, so it's safe to assume that whoever it was isn't our enemy. Plus, that person used a sword with no magic, and the compass didn't react, so it wasn't the person we were after."

Rey's eyes widened as he remembered the compass Asher had found hidden in his closet. "What does the compass do, though?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

"It can track residual mana, but it only works if it's within a certain timeframe," Asher explained, his voice low as they continued down the corridor.

"Oh, I get it now," Rey mused. "You wanted to go back to where you found the clone to collect the residual mana for the compass. Would've been nice if you'd told me the plan from the beginning."

Asher shot Rey a withering look, barely restraining the urge to smack him upside the head. "You weren't even supposed to follow me, dumbass."

Rey shrugged, a sheepish grin on his face. "Alright, let's just tell the others so they'll be on…"

Asher suddenly paused mid-sentence, his body tensing as his eyes darted around the crowded hallway. He could feel it: a faint, lingering gaze, as if someone was watching them. But with so many people around, it was impossible to pinpoint who it was.

Read new chapters at m_v-l'e|m,p| y- r

"What's the matter?" Rey asked, noticing Asher's sudden change in demeanor.

Asher hesitated, his eyes narrowing as he considered his options. 'I can't trust this moron to act natural if I tell him,' he thought to himself, casting a judging look at Rey. "It's nothing," he finally said, his voice calm but guarded. "Let's just go."

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Rey probably has a big mouth