Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

Chapter 115 Off to a New Quest

The trio tumbled and crashed onto a cold stone floor, dust swirling around them as they groaned and slowly picked themselves up. They had landed in a dimly lit underground passageway, ancient and eerie, with walls lined in faint, glowing runes. The atmosphere was heavy with a sense of forgotten magic.

Aiden peered down the long, winding pathways ahead, four distinct tunnels stretching into the darkness. "So much for perfect landing... where are we?" he asked, scanning their surroundings warily.

"We're under the academy," Jett replied calmly, brushing off his clothes and glancing around the space with a familiar sense of ease. "A special maze that you can't access using normal means."

Elora, still dusting herself off, shot him a skeptical look. "And how did we get in, exactly?"

"With Lumix, I just channelled it to the markings on the floor." Jett responded simply, his tone matter-of-fact.

Both Aiden and Elora exchanged glances, they already understood what Lumix was but they still couldn't manifest it. They had spent weeks learning about the mysterious force but despite their efforts, Lumix still remained just out of their grasp.

"You can use Lumix to that extent? How?" Elora pestered, her curiosity piqued. The idea that Jett had mastered something they had yet to even touch made her feel both intrigued and annoyed.

"I trained myself," Jett replied nonchalantly, "using the same method I gave you guys. Just be patient and you'll get there."

They walked further into the space, where four distinct pathways opened up in front of them, each marked by symbols carved into the stone above. The first had the symbol of a dragon, fierce and coiled, etched in flame-like detail. The second displayed a gleaming sword, sharp and deadly. The third bore the shape of a sturdy shield, symbolizing defense and protection.

The final path was marked with a skeleton symbol, ominous and foreboding, suggesting death or danger.

"Alright," Aiden interrupted, cutting through the growing tension, "chitchat's over. Where do we go now?"

As if answering him, a notification suddenly appeared in front of them, floating with a faint glow.

[Hidden Quest: Conquer the Twin Maze.]

[Time Limit: None.]

[Reward: Entrance Key.]

Aiden squinted at the message, his concern growing. "That's a bit weird. Is the system that confident that we'll never get out of here?" he asked, his voice laced with worry.

"I guess it's time to get going," Jett said, stretching his arms before turning his focus to the symbols above each pathway. His eyes darted between the dragon, the sword, the shield, and the skeleton, studying them carefully. After a moment, he muttered under his breath, "Just like in the game."

Elora, noticing his intense focus, raised an eyebrow. "So... do you know where to go?"

"Yeah, I do," Jett replied, his voice casual but confident. "All of these paths are traps, though, so we're not going into any of them."

Aiden, growing impatient, let out a sigh. "Stop keeping us in the dark and just tell us what's going on already."

Jett smirked, clearly enjoying the anticipation. "Before we go any further, you should probably know a bit about the weapons we're about to retrieve."

Aiden's curiosity piqued as he crossed his arms. "Go on, then."

Jett's expression shifted slightly as he began to speak, his voice low and deliberate. "Long ago, when beings akin to gods were said to have descended upon the land, among them were two siblings: twin gods of fire and ice. The brother wielded the power of fire, magma coursing through his veins, while the sister commanded the cold of ice, but she also carried a piece of darkness within her."

Jett paused for a moment, letting the weight of the story sink in before continuing. "Though they were siblings, their powers clashed violently. A tragic war broke out between them, one that threatened to tear the very land apart. Fire scorched the earth, ice froze oceans, and shadows swallowed entire cities. They nearly destroyed the world itself in their battle."

Elora and Aiden listened intently, their attention fully captured by the gravity of Jett's words.

Your next journey awaits at mvl

"Then, without warning, they vanished, disappeared from the world with no trace left behind. The only proof of their existence? A shield forged from the chaos, a shield that bears the three godly swords they once wielded."

"The three swords are said to be unmatched by any weapon created since." Jett's voice dropped lower, adding to the sense of mystique. "The first sword, Ignis Magna, was forged from the heart of a dying star and is imbued with the power of fire and molten magma. The second, Glacies Eternis, carries the eternal frost of the deepest winter and the icy winds that can freeze anything in their path.

The third, and perhaps the most dangerous, is Umbra Tenebris, the blade of darkness itself, capable of consuming light and spreading pure destruction."

Jett's eyes gleamed with excitement as he finished the story. "And those are the weapons we're here to find. The maze protects them."

Aiden and Elora were silent for a moment, absorbing the enormity of the task ahead.

"So, what you're saying is..." Aiden started slowly, "we're about to enter a place where the weapons of gods are sealed away?"

"Exactly," Jett confirmed, his smirk returning. "And we better be careful, this maze isn't going to let us through without a fight."

"Without a fight, huh?" Aiden repeated, eyeing Jett suspiciously.

Meanwhile, Jett sulked inwardly, thinking about all the times he'd had to restart the quest in the game after going through hell to even find this hidden maze. He kept his eyes on the symbols, trying to focus on the task at hand.

Elora, however, was growing more curious. She narrowed her eyes as a new thought crossed her mind. "Hey, Jett... those weapons you mentioned earlier," she began.

"Yeah? What about them?" Jett responded, still preoccupied with analyzing the markings.

"They seem... well, perfect for Aiden and me. But that makes me wonder even more," she paused, watching Jett closely. "What's in it for you?"

Jett froze for a brief second, his mind scrambling. He hadn't expected that question, at least, not so soon. "Oh, me?" He tried to play it off casually, turning back to the symbols. "Goodwill, of course. I mean, we all need to get stronger to face the main boss of this world, right? You know, the great danger Aurelia warned us about..."

"I don't buy it," Elora cut him off, her voice sharp and unrelenting.

"Huh?" Jett blinked, clearly caught off guard. He really didn't like being the one cornered in a conversation.

Aiden grinned, folding his arms as he chimed in. "I gotta agree with her, man. You're hiding something. So why don't you start talking?"

Jett shifted nervously, feeling the weight of their combined scrutiny. "And what gave you guys that idea?"

"You're lazy," Elora said bluntly, folding her arms with a look of complete conviction.

"I take offense to that!" Jett snapped, sounding more defensive than intended. "I work harder than any of you!"

"Oh yeah?" Elora shot back. "Then why follow us down here if you're not getting something out of this?"

"She means you'd never come with us if you had nothing to gain. You normally just give instructions or tips rather than actually staying to help. So if you're here, there's another treasure you're planning to get," Aiden explained, narrowing his eyes at Jett.

Jett sighed, realizing there was no point in denying it anymore. "Alright, fine. I do have a few things I need to retrieve, but trust me, they're nothing you guys would want. Let's just focus on the main reason we're here, okay?" With that, Jett bent down and began inspecting the ground, his fingers grazing the surface.

"Hey, Elora," Jett called out without looking up.

"What are you doing?" Elora asked, suspicious of his sudden request.

"Freeze the floor for me, would you?" Jett said casually, as if it were the most natural request in the world.

Elora hesitated, feeling the urge to refuse purely out of annoyance. But after a brief moment, she realized she had no real reason to decline. "Alright, fine. Step back."

Aiden and Jett quickly moved a few meters away as Elora prepared her skill.

[Frozen Land]

With a sharp breath, Elora activated her skill, and the floor beneath them turned into a thick sheet of ice, frozen solid. Frost crept along the ground, covering every inch of the surface. "Now what?" she asked, eyeing Jett skeptically.

Jett merely grinned, tapping the frozen floor lightly with his sword. A crackling sound echoed through the room as the ice began to shatter beneath their feet. "Brace yourselves!" Jett called out. But before Elora or Aiden could react, the floor gave way entirely.

Jett, ever the opportunist, immediately leaped to a safe spot and activated his skill,

[Checkpoint]

Meanwhile, Elora and Aiden plunged downward, crashing into the next chamber, landing hard on the cold, unforgiving ground.

The chamber they fell into was vast and hollow, with an eerie emptiness that felt unnatural. The cold air bit into their skin as they slowly stood up, brushing the frost off their clothes.

"Can't you just give us a heads up before doing something like that?" Elora snapped, glaring up at Jett, who was still standing at his safe point with a smug grin. "It's becoming very annoying."

Jett, barely able to hold back his laughter, finally jumped down, landing gracefully next to them. "Come on, you have to admit that was funny."

The momentary banter was interrupted as a new notification appeared in front of them, the words floating ominously in the air.

[Congratulations]

[You have found the real Twin Maze.]

[Objective: Find the exit while traversing the ever-changing ecosystem of this maze.]

[Duration: None]

[Reward: Entrance Key]

Aiden and Elora exchanged confused glances. "Ever-changing ecosystem?" Aiden read aloud, furrowing his brow. "What does that mean?"

Before Jett could respond, the entire chamber shifted around them. The temperature dropped even further as the surroundings transformed into an environment of ice and snow. The walls of the maze turned to solid ice, with harsh winds blowing snow across the now-frozen landscape.

Elora shivered, despite her natural affinity for the cold. "Well, this is... unexpected."

"Good thing I came prepared," Jett said nervously, pulling a thick jacket out of his storage space and putting it on.

Elora, noticing the grim expressions on Jett and Aiden's faces, raised an eyebrow. "What's with you two?"

"We need to hurry," Jett said, looking at his interface. "My HP's draining on its own." He quickly zipped up his jacket and adjusted it.

"Same here," Aiden added, checking his stats and feeling the same constant drain on his health.

*

*

*

Get ready for the new quest.