Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

Chapter 102 Fragment and Enemies

As Aiden, Finn, and Matthew arrived at the castle walls, they were immediately struck by the eerie emptiness that surrounded them. The massive stone walls, usually bustling with guards and watchmen, stood silent and deserted. Not a single soul was in sight.

"Weird, where is everyone?" Matthew muttered, his voice echoing slightly in the stillness.

"Come to think of it," Aiden added, his sharp eyes scanning the area more intently, "I don't think I've seen a single person in this castle since we had breakfast." He turned, looking out toward the horizon, but saw nothing but the quiet landscape.

From their vantage point on the walls, they could see the sprawling city of Laxen below. The city's cobblestone streets snaked through orderly districts of shops, homes, and bustling market squares. Even from this distance, they could make out the faint shimmer of the river cutting through the city, reflecting the sunlight.

The view was almost picturesque, the kind of scene that would normally evoke a sense of peace and satisfaction. But today, with the castle eerily quiet, something felt deeply unsettling.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Finn muttered, eyes narrowing as they cautiously moved along the wall. Suddenly, he stopped, pulling out his spear, the glimmering Midas Spear that seemed to hum with latent power.

"And what do you plan to do with that?" Aiden asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"You'll see," Finn replied, gripping the spear tightly before bringing it close to his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment, focusing intently.

[Pathfinder]

The Midas Spear began to glow faintly, a soft golden light surrounding its tip as it slowly lifted out of Finn's hand and hovered in midair. The spear spun gently before pointing in a specific direction, moving steadily forward as if pulled by an invisible force.

"Let's go," Finn said, immediately following the spear as it glided ahead, leading the way.

"Huh? What's going on here?" Aiden asked, confused but intrigued as he jogged to keep up.

"My spear can act like a compass," Finn explained as they trailed behind the floating weapon. "It helps me find whatever treasure I desire at the moment. The catch is, I can only use it twice a day."

The three of them followed the spear as it moved with precision through the battlements, its golden light illuminating the path ahead. As they ran behind it, the spear cut through the air smoothly as if it knew exactly where it was leading them.

The excitement of the chase gripped them, but the eerie silence of the castle lingered in the back of their minds, making the whole experience feel slightly surreal.

They were on the hunt for something valuable, but none of them could shake the feeling that something else was out there, waiting for them.

"That's convenient. Saves me the trouble of having to melt this whole place to the ground, I guess," Aiden said with a smirk, glancing at the floating spear.

Finn shot him a sharp look. "Hold up… You were planning on destroying the whole castle walls, you moron?"

The three of them continued moving, the eerie silence hanging heavy in the air. There was no one, not a single soul in sight as they traversed the stone battlements. Unlike in the castle where teleportation platforms made travel easier, the walls had no such convenience, forcing them to walk the entire way on foot.

"Well, yeah," Aiden replied, nonchalant as ever. "It helps blow off some steam too."

Finn groaned. "Ugh… there's no saving you, man. Let's just get this over with."

Matthew, trying to shift the mood, added, "The earlier we get this done, the better. We haven't seen an opponent since we started this trial. It's getting a bit..."

"Boring?" Aiden interjected, interrupting Matthew's thought. "Same here. They just sent us here to play house."

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Matthew agreed.

Finn's patience was wearing thin. "Well, stop thinking it before you really jinx this operation! I swear, if we get into that cliché scenario where we have to fight some kind of guardian for the item, I'll…"

Before he could finish, the spear suddenly halted in midair, vibrating softly. Its glow intensified, pointing downward toward the base of the wall. A cold breeze swept through the air, and a low rumble echoed from below, as if something ancient had been stirred.

Finn's face dropped. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me…"

"Hey, your spear stopped moving," Aiden interrupted, a smirk on his face as he glanced at Finn. Explore more stories with m,v l'e-NovelBin.net

Finn clenched his jaw, clearly annoyed. "Well, I can see that. I initiated the skill, after all."

"Oh? I just thought you stopped paying attention or something. Did you say something?" Aiden replied, the nonchalant tone pushing Finn to his limit.

"You—!" Finn's temper flared, and he lunged at Aiden, but Matthew quickly stepped in, grabbing him by the arm to hold him back.

"Let go of me!" Finn yelled, struggling against Matthew's grip.

The scene almost looked comical, with Finn angrily trying to escape Matthew's hold while Aiden stood there with a smirk, clearly enjoying the chaos. The tension between Finn and Aiden was palpable, yet there was something strangely routine about it, like this wasn't the first time they'd clashed like this.

Matthew sighed heavily, his hand still gripping Finn's arm. "Gosh, you two. I'm still wondering why one of you hasn't killed the other yet. I mean, you share a room together, don't you?"

"That's because *you* stole the most preferable roommate," Aiden quipped.

"Yeah, you have no right to talk," Finn added, still fuming. "Let's not even get started on *Jett* sharing a room with a girl."

"That has to be ten times better than what we got," Aiden shot back, pointing at Finn. "We're stuck with each other."

For a brief moment, it seemed like they had completely forgotten why they were even there. Their banter filled the air, easing the tension in a strange, almost friendly way.

Matthew rolled his eyes, finally letting Finn go. "Alright, alright, I get it. You two actually have pretty good coordination—when you're not trying to tear each other apart."

"Let's just focus on why we're here," Matthew reminded them, his tone more serious as he motioned toward the spear.

Finn, grumbling under his breath, walked up to the Midas spear, which was now stuck in the ground. He yanked it free with one swift motion, revealing something odd right beside where it had landed. His eyes narrowed as he bent down and picked up the item.

It was strange, almost otherworldly in design, like a fusion of metal and crystal. The second his fingers brushed against it, a notification appeared in front of him.

[Holy Key Fragment 1/5]

[Description: ???]

"Well, would you look at that," Finn muttered, examining the fragment closely. "Guess we're one step closer."

As they approached the grand doors leading to the throne room, Cedric's eyes scanned the empty corridor. "Don't you guys find it suspicious? We haven't met a single person all the way here," he said, a trace of unease in his voice.

"Yeah," Rey agreed, his gaze narrowing. "It's a bit unsettling."

Jett, who had been silent for most of the walk, chimed in. "Makes me wonder if something happened to the others. What if it's the same thing that happened to Morrigan and Seraphina?"

The massive doors loomed before them, and with no guards in sight, they had to open them themselves. As they pushed the doors, the weight of the silence that followed was almost suffocating. The throne room was vast, but to their surprise, it was completely empty.

No courtiers, no advisors, no king. The entire room was devoid of life, leaving the air thick with an eerie stillness.

They fanned out, scanning the room for any sign of life or movement. The marble floors echoed their footsteps as they searched, but it was as though the castle had been abandoned long ago. Just when they were about to give up, Cedric froze, eyes fixed on the throne.

"Hey guys," he called out, his voice tinged with confusion. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't that throne empty just a second ago?"

Rey and Jett turned toward the throne. The once-vacant seat now held the king. He sat there, unmoving, as though he had materialized out of thin air. His posture was regal, but something was horribly off. His eyes, as black as night, stared blankly ahead. His face was devoid of expression, frozen in time.

"This has to be some weird case of déjà vu," Rey muttered, feeling a chill crawl up his spine.

"Something definitely isn't right," Jett agreed, his voice low and tense. His mind raced with possibilities, none of them comforting. "What do we do now?"

The oppressive silence of the throne room weighed heavily on them as they waited for the king to speak, to move… anything. But the king remained still, a haunting figure on his throne, as though he were nothing more than a lifeless puppet.

As the tension thickened, the group stood on high alert, their weapons ready for anything that might unfold. Every muscle in Rey's body was taut, eyes scanning the room, his instincts screaming that something was about to happen. "You obviously have a way to find this item, right?" Rey asked, breaking the silence as he glanced at Jett.

Jett nodded, his usual confidence masked by an undercurrent of unease. "Yeah, I do."

"Good. Just look for the item. We'll keep watch around here." Rey's voice was steady, but his narrowed eyes remained fixed on the unmoving king. "Something doesn't sit right with me on this one, but just do your thing."

Jett activated his skill,

[Treasure Hunter]

He began to search around the throne room, carefully avoiding the throne itself while Rey and Cedric stayed on guard, maintaining a safe distance from the king. For three long minutes, Jett scoured every corner, from the elaborate tapestries to the ornate carvings along the walls. Despite his methodical search, the aura of treasure remained elusive, and not a single valuable item was detected.

The eerie silence persisted. The king hadn't budged an inch, his haunting, vacant eyes still locked forward, watching nothing.

As Jett circled the room again, avoiding the throne, Rey and Cedric exchanged a glance, their unease growing. They kept an unwavering watch on the king, neither willing to get too close nor take their eyes off the figure.

All the while, a nagging thought gnawed at Jett's mind. He had tried to push it aside, dismiss it as irrational, but after a fruitless search, curiosity finally got the better of him. There was no more avoiding it.

Jett took a deep breath, his steps careful as he approached the throne. He stopped a mere five meters away from the king, keeping a respectful distance but close enough to feel the oppressive aura surrounding the figure.

"I had a feeling this would happen when he appeared out of nowhere," Jett sighed, a sense of dread settling in his chest.

Rey's voice cut through the thick air. "So...?"

Jett exhaled, knowing exactly what needed to be said. "The last item is the crown." His eyes locked onto the ornate piece resting on the king's head. "And as easy as it looks, there's no way we're taking it without a fight."

All eyes shifted toward the king. His stillness, once merely unsettling, now felt like the calm before the storm. The crown glinted ominously atop his head, the final piece of their quest: and likely the key to unleashing whatever dark power lay dormant in the room.

The tension in the air became palpable as the three of them braced for the inevitable confrontation, each one preparing for what was sure to be an intense battle.

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Is that a ghost?