Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

"Whoever these people are, they probably aren't strong enough to beat me," Rey declared with a boastful grin.

"But they still managed to defeat second-years ranked higher than us. That alone is impressive," Evelina said, a hint of unease in her voice. She studied the newcomers' information closely. "They've jumped from the lower ranks to higher ones in no time. It's definitely not a fluke."

She scrutinized the details, but one thing was missing: images of the new contenders.

"Because they skipped fighting us, it proves they're scared," Rey insisted, trying to rally the group. "It's settled then. I'll challenge them to a duel. Who's with me?"

"I'll pass," Asher replied, waving off the suggestion. "There's no need for me to show off. Getting deranked only means less attention for me."

"Now you sound like Jett," Rey sighed.

Asher shook his head. "An assassin shouldn't draw attention to himself."

"And yet you're ranked higher than everyone except me and these five newcomers," Rey teased. He turned to the others with a grin. "Can you believe this guy?"

No one responded to Rey. The room fell into a brief, uncomfortable silence.

Cedric, Marcella, and Morrigan continued eating their dinner as though the sudden shift in rankings was of no concern. Their calm demeanor contrasted sharply with Rey's growing frustration.

"Sheesh, tough crowd," Rey mused, shaking his head in disbelief.

Asher, nonchalantly playing with his dagger, shrugged. "I only took on this role because my father instructed me to. He never mentioned staying in the spotlight for too long, and frankly, it's not my style."

"Whatever," Rey scoffed, clearly disappointed. He turned to the others, his expression resolute. "You're with me on this one, right? Matthew, Aiden, Finn, Seraphina?"

Rey pressed on, trying to rally them. "Think of it as a chance to prove ourselves and have some fun."

Aiden took a slow bite from his plate, his gaze indifferent. "I don't care much about the rankings unless it involves beating you. I'll be interested only if, by some miracle, they manage to beat you. So I'll sit this one out."

Matthew's eyes gleamed with enthusiasm. "I'm ready if you are. This should be fun." He clenched his fists in anticipation.

Seraphina grinned, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Hehe, I want to have some fun too."

Finn shrugged casually. "I'm not going to willingly participate in any activity that doesn't generate me some profit."

"Ugh, you too?" Rey sighed. "Aiden? Finn? C'mon, don't tell me you're actually scared. At least I've got two sensible people backing me."

"You know, I think you should sit this one out, Rey," Freya cautioned, her tone laced with concern.

"Leave him alone. I want to see the look on his face when these mystery people kick his ass," Rosa said with a wicked smirk, clearly enjoying the thought.

"Whatever, I'll prove you wrong soon enough," Rey retorted, his own smirk almost breaking through.

"I'd like to see you try," Rosa shot back, her smile widening.

The others watched in silent confusion, unable to determine whether it was mere sibling rivalry or genuine disapproval. The tension in the air grew palpable as the two continued their verbal sparring.

"Just watch me," Rey said firmly.

At that moment, Jett approached and took a seat with them, letting out a sigh of resignation.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Jett warned, his voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of seriousness.

The group suddenly realized that this was the first time they had seen Jett since classes had ended. His unexpected appearance added a layer of intrigue to the conversation.

"Hey, where have you been, anyway?" Freya asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Probably scheming something dangerously stupid," Finn commented, taking a sip of his water. 'He's a trouble magnet after all,' he thought, shaking his head slightly.

"More importantly, what do you mean you wouldn't? Don't tell me you're scared too," Rey muttered, his tone skeptical.

"I mean, if you really try to challenge her, you'll lose, and it won't even be close," Jett said matter-of-factly, his gaze still fixed on his plate, unperturbed.

The others gradually began to take an interest in the conversation, sensing the gravity of Jett's warning.

"Do you know her from somewhere? You seem very familiar with her," Freya asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Not directly, but I can tell you one thing… she's strong," Jett replied, still focused on his meal. 'This already happened in the book anyways, I'm just trying to save you from embarrassing yourself,' he thought.

'She?' Freya pondered, intrigued by the high regard Jett had for this individual. 'And he's speaking so highly of her.'

The table fell into a contemplative silence.

"I don't want to hear that from you of all people," Rey said, annoyed as he stood to leave. But Jett's voice stopped him.

"What is it?" Rey asked, a touch annoyed.

"If you really want to take her on, let me tell you exactly what's going to happen," Jett said, gesturing for Rey to sit down. The others leaned in, their attention fully captured by Jett's description.

"The second the match starts, you'll feel her palm on your face," Jett began with a smile, his tone deliberate. "As you try to figure out what's obstructing your view, your head will already be planted firmly on the ground. But don't worry; you won't pass out from just that."

The table fell into an intense silence as Jett spoke. Everyone was transfixed by his detailed account, the gravity of his words sinking in.

"The moment you get up, you'll find yourself falling mid-air while feeling stumps that add to the momentum, sending you crashing back to the ground," Jett said, pointing his fork at Rey for emphasis. "You might see her face this time, but your body and mind won't be able to react. Forget about activating any skills."

He paused, letting the tension build. "If you don't yield at that moment, my friend, get ready for a world of pain. She'll target your pressure points as soon as you rise. At that point, it's all over. After toying with you and inflicting pain comparable to childbirth, you'll collapse, unable to move, while she wears the most beautiful smile you'll ever see."

Jett smirked, his gaze still fixed on his food. "Oh, and remember, [Regeneration] only heals injuries… it doesn't numb the pain."

The chilling detail of Jett's description left the group shaken to the bone. The idea of facing such a formidable opponent was daunting.

'Huh? The most beautiful smile we'll ever see?' Freya wondered, but she quickly dismissed the thought, focusing on the immediate implications of Jett's warning.

"On second thought, I don't think we need to fight them just yet," Matthew said, his earlier enthusiasm replaced by a more cautious demeanor.

"Yeah, can't you just let it go already?" Seraphina added, echoing the sentiment with a touch of relief.

"Yeah, I hate you and all that, but that's a bit much," Rosa said, her voice tinged with a mix of annoyance and concern.

"Don't go looking for trouble, Rey," Cedric warned, his tone serious.

Rey's eyes flared with defiance. "Are you trying to scare me? I can't believe both of you would back down after such a tall tale. How do you know all this anyway?"

"Because I was there," Jett said, a smug grin spreading across his face. "And I have to say, it was the most beautifully executed attack I've ever seen." He smirked internally, thinking, 'That should piss him off a bit.'

"Yeah, whatever," Rey muttered, clearly frustrated, as he turned and walked away.

The atmosphere was thick with unease, and the others, feeling indirectly threatened by Jett's ominous description, began to leave one by one.

'Guess that got to them too,' Jett thought, smirking to himself. 'Just get motivated to actually train. Leveling up is not everything in the real world.'

Marcella, however, remained seated, stubbornly finishing her dinner.

"What's with them anyway?" Marcella asked, her words slightly muffled by the chunks of food in her mouth.

"The fact that you retain your shape after eating this much is astonishing," Jett teased, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

"Hey, don't say that," Marcella whined, a bit defensive. "Potion alchemy takes a lot out of me. You just don't get it."

"Right, sorry I said that then," Jett chuckled, clearly enjoying the interaction. "So, about that thing I asked for last time?"

"Yeah, I do," Marcella mumbled, "I think I made it more potent than it should be."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Jett asked, curious.

"The side effects are horrible," Marcella replied, her tone grim. "What do you plan on doing with that? I hope you're not planning on using it yourself without any special protection."

Jett chuckled lightly, brushing off her concern. "I'll be fine. I've handled worse."

With that, Jett left the dining hall.

'Sure hope he doesn't do anything stupid with that,' Marcella thought, her expression a mix of worry and resignation.

*****

"You're back," Freya said from her side of the room as Jett walked in.

"Yeah? Any… problem…?" Jett replied, his voice laced with wariness, anticipating a potential argument.

"Nothing," Freya said curtly, falling silent.

Jett, a bit confused by the sudden change in atmosphere, furrowed his brow. "If you have something to say, just say it. I'd rather not have the person I'm sharing a room with plotting to smother me with a pillow someday."

"I would never do that! What do you even take me for?" Freya asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Well, you can never be too careful," Jett said with a sigh, settling onto his bed. "I just hope this conversation doesn't lead to a question like, 'Who is she?'"

Freya remained silent for a few seconds, her face betraying her thoughts.

"I knew it," Jett exclaimed, sitting up and drawing the curtain open with sudden energy.

"It's not like that, really," Freya tried to explain. "It's just that you've never cared to praise anyone the way you did back there, and…"

"You got jealous?" Jett interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

"Why would I get jealous?" Freya shot back, throwing a pillow at him. "I just got a bit frustrated since I still don't have any combat abilities. The best I can do is protect you guys and myself with defensive skills."

Jett paused, taking in her words. 'I guess it really has been bothering her all this time,' he thought.

"What level are you at right now?" Jett asked, shifting the focus.

"I just crossed 36," Freya answered.

"Good. Are you free tomorrow? I want to take you somewhere special."

'Somewhere special? What's he planning?' Freya wondered. "Yeah, I don't have anything to do after class."

"Perfect. Meet me here when you're done," Jett said with a serious tone, to which Freya nodded in affirmation.

"So…" Freya began hesitantly.

"So what?" Jett asked, puzzled.

"Could you please leave?" Freya said, pointing at the curtain he had opened. "Get out, you're breaking our rules."

Freya threw another pillow at him.

"You mean your rules. I never fully agreed to this," Jett whined as he closed the curtain, obviously annoyed.

*

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Somewhere special?