Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

Chapter 114 Long Way to go

At the academy's grand training hall, Rey stood alone, his muscles tense with determination as he worked tirelessly to sharpen his skills. His mind was focused, every swing of his sword precise, yet fueled by a burning desire to surpass Jett. The sound of steel cutting through the air echoed in the empty hall, reflecting Rey's unyielding resolve.

'Just you wait, Jett. I'll catch up to you soon.' The thought fueled him as he swung his blade, over and over, never slowing, never faltering.

In the center of the hall was a glowing magic circle with illusion magic, a complex enchantment used by students to recreate battle scenarios from their own experiences.

This particular training circle could replicate any monster or boss a student had defeated, pulling from their memory while also adjusting their capabilities to simulate not only the creature's appearance but its strength and tactics. Though powerful, the circle had a limitation: it could only recreate monsters the user had already conquered, making each battle a test of both memory and skill.

Rey had chosen to simulate five level 60 bosses, creatures he had bested in the past but had never faced all at once. His blade shimmered with Aura as he fought, refusing to rely on anything but the sheer strength of his Aura techniques. Each boss attacked with relentless force, their monstrous roars filling the room as they charged at him with deadly intent.

The first boss lunged, claws outstretched, but Rey sidestepped just in time, his blade cutting deep into its thick hide. Aura exploded from his sword, sending the creature crashing into the ground. He barely had a moment to breathe before the second boss leaped at him, a massive brute covered in spiked armor.

Rey met its attack head-on, his Aura blade clashing with its hardened exterior, sparks flying as he struggled to push it back.

'Focus, focus…' he thought, his body moving purely on instinct as he maneuvered between the monstrous enemies.

Sweat dripped down his brow, his muscles screaming with exhaustion, but Rey refused to give in. The third boss lashed out with its tail, trying to wrap around him. He swung his sword in a wide arc, severing the tail in one clean strike. The fourth and fifth bosses came at him together, one unleashing a torrent of fire, the other brandishing two massive swords.

Rey's Aura flared bright red as he fought to control it. His movements became faster, more precise. He dodged, parried, and countered with expert precision, every slash of his sword glowing with the concentrated power of his Aura.

The battle raged on, his body feeling the toll of each strike. As the simulation neared its climax, Rey delivered the final blow, his sword glowing with a blinding light as he plunged it deep into the chest of the last remaining boss. With a guttural roar, the creature collapsed, dissolving into the simulated ether.

Rey stood in the center of the circle, panting heavily, his body drenched in sweat. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath.

'That was harder than I thought…' he mused, his grip loosening on his sword as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

Just then, a voice cut through the air from the entrance of the hall.

"You really don't have anyone to train with?" The voice was soft yet carried a teasing edge.

Rey sighed deeply, his eyes narrowing as he recognized the speaker. "What do you want, Ciara?" he asked, his tone flat, clearly not in the mood for her games.

Ciara, the elven princess, stood at the entrance with a smirk on her face, arms crossed as she casually leaned against the doorframe. She walked in slowly, her steps echoing in the now-quiet hall.

"I was just passing by and saw you here," Ciara replied, her tone playful yet curious. "Didn't think you'd be the type to train alone, or even train at all."

Rey rolled his eyes, not eager for the conversation. "I'm fine training by myself. I don't need anyone's help," he said, his voice edged with impatience.

Ciara chuckled softly, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Well, from what I just saw, you almost didn't make it. Maybe you could use a partner." She smiled, raising an eyebrow as she challenged him with her gaze.

Rey wiped the last bit of sweat from his brow and sheathed his sword. "I appreciate the offer, but I'm good." He started to walk toward the door, intending to leave, but Ciara wasn't done.

"Come on, Rey. We both know you're pushing yourself because of Jett," she said, her voice softening slightly. "You don't have to do this alone, I'm right here."

Rey paused at the door, his hand resting on the handle as Ciara's words sank in. He looked over his shoulder briefly, meeting her eyes before letting out a sigh. "I'm not doing this for Jett," he muttered, more to himself than to her. "I'm doing this for me."

Rey paused at the doorway and turned to face Ciara, who stood confidently, her rapier drawn and gleaming under the hall's soft light. Her stance was poised, the tip of her blade aimed at the floor but ready for action. Ciara's eyes were sharp, her posture radiating an eager energy as if she was already imagining the thrill of a spar.

She wore a light smile on her lips, though her eyes told a different story. It was clear she wasn't going to back down easily. "You really wanna die, huh?" she teased, a spark of challenge in her voice.

Rey glanced at her, his expression calm and indifferent. "And why would I be mad about that?" he asked, unfazed by her playful jab. "You beat me fair and square last time, didn't you?" His voice lacked any hint of bitterness or resentment. He was far too focused on his current goal to hold grudges.

"I'm already tired, though," Rey added, stretching slightly as if to emphasize his point. "Maybe another time."

Ciara's eyes narrowed, though her grin didn't waver. "You better keep your promise then," she said, her rapier still in hand, but lowering it as Rey made his way past her.

Rey exhaled as he left the training hall, muttering under his breath, 'When did I say it was a promise?' He smiled wryly at the thought.

As Rey walked back to his room, a quiet sense of accomplishment settled over him. He had pushed himself to his limits today, and though it wasn't enough to catch up to Jett yet, he knew he was on the right path. The challenge had been exhausting, but Rey could feel his own growth: a step closer to his goal, even if the gap was still wide.

'There's still a long way to go,' he thought, replaying the battle in his mind, his heart full of determination.

"It's back to grinding more exp after this," Rey muttered to himself, a small smile of anticipation crossing his lips as he imagined his next session of training. He wasn't going to stop until he reached the top.

*****

Meanwhile, in a secluded area of the academy, a different sort of tension filled the air. Elora stood facing Jett, her arms crossed and her expression impatient. Aiden stood nearby, watching silently, though his posture suggested he wasn't thrilled about being there either.

"Start talking. What do you want from us?" Elora demanded, her frustration evident in her tone. She didn't like being kept in the dark, especially when it came to Jett's plans.

Jett crouched down, inspecting the floor closely, his fingers tracing over the strange markings etched into the stone. His focus was intense, ignoring Elora's suspicion as if he was searching for something only he could understand. "I need you guys to help me retrieve something really important," he said, almost absentmindedly, still running his hand along the ground.

"And what would that be?" Aiden asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but cautious.

"Oh, nothing much," Jett replied casually, his tone betraying no urgency. "Just some really amazing set of swords. You probably won't need any other weapons once you get a hold of these ones." His eyes never left the markings as he continued his search, as if what he was looking for was just beneath his fingertips.

Aiden pondered the offer, temptation flickering in his eyes. "Tempting…" he muttered under his breath, already imagining the power of such weapons in his hands.

Elora shot a sharp glance at Aiden, unimpressed by his quick willingness to go along with Jett's plan. "Don't believe him so easily, Aiden. Why would he need us for something like that? With his skill level, he could probably do it alone."

Jett, still focused on the floor, chuckled softly. "You may be right about that," he admitted, his tone relaxed as he traced over a peculiar marking with his fingers. His eyes flashed with recognition as he found what he had been searching for. "But wouldn't you like to get better weapons on par with Finn's Midas Spear?" He smirked as he felt a foreign energy pulse beneath his fingertips.

'Found you,' he thought.

Aiden's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Finn's legendary spear, the idea taking root in his mind. "When you put it like that, then I guess it is a bit tempting," Elora admitted with a sigh, finally relenting to Jett's offer.

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"That's right," Aiden added eagerly. "Getting a cheat weapon like Finn's is a no-brainer. I'm in."

Jett's smirk grew wider as he poured his Lumix energy into the markings on the floor. The moment his energy connected with the symbols, the ground beneath them began to glow ominously as the markings lit up, forming a perfect circle around them.

Before Elora could protest, the markings sucked them downwards, as if the very ground beneath their feet had opened up.

"No, hold on, I haven't agreed to thiiiiiis...!" Elora screamed as they were pulled into the swirling vortex.

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Let's see where he takes them.