Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

Chapter 121 Maze End

Elora's eyelids fluttered open, her vision still hazy. The first thing she saw was Jett's face looming close to hers, his expression tense and focused. Her heart skipped a beat, though she couldn't tell if it was from surprise or the awkwardness of the situation.

Without thinking, her hand shot up and smacked Jett right across the face.

It took her a moment to fully process what was happening, but the proximity felt… strange. Weird, even.

"What did you do that for?!" Jett whined, rubbing his stinging cheek.

Elora blinked and then smirked slightly, "Oh, it's you. Reflexes, I guess."

Jett rolled his eyes. "Great reflexes."

Elora couldn't help but chuckle. It felt oddly satisfying to have landed a hit on him, especially since it was Jett. She sat up a little, feeling dazed. "So… what happened?"

"Apart from you going psycho and nearly killing me and the new guy over there, nothing much," Aiden responded sarcastically, slashing through yet another snow monster as they slowly advanced toward them.

"What are those?" Elora asked, pointing at the lumbering snow monsters that were still closing in. Then, her eyes widened with disbelief. "Wait… I tried killing you two? When?"

"Yep, you went on a rampage," Aiden confirmed, still occupied with taking down the incoming monsters. "And you got crazy strong too. It wasn't pretty."

Elora stared at the snow monsters, her mind still racing to catch up. "What… are those things?" she asked again, the surrealness of the situation only deepening.

"Great question," Jett replied dryly, before glancing down at her. "You think you're good enough to walk?"

Elora did a quick mental and physical check. Her head was pounding, and her legs felt like they were made of lead. "My head hurts a bit, and my legs are kinda numb right now," she grumbled.

"In that case," Jett said nonchalantly as he bent down and scooped her up into his arms in a bridal carry.

"What the hell?!" Elora yelped, clearly taken by surprise. She immediately began to struggle, trying to wriggle free. "Put me down right now!"

Jett held on tight, not letting go as she squirmed. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Gosh, you and Aiden really are related," he muttered. Despite her struggling, he continued to carry her with ease, his grip steady. "Stop moving. You're overthinking this whole thing."

Elora huffed, still fuming. "I don't need you to carry me! I'm fine."

"Sure, if fine means barely able to stand," Jett shot back. "Look, don't forget you're not fully recovered yet. Just hurry up and use your [Snow Guide] skill. I'll carry you the rest of the way, alright?"

Elora groaned but realized he had a point. Her body still felt weak, and with the snow monsters around, this wasn't the time for stubborn pride. She stopped resisting, albeit reluctantly.

"Fine," she muttered. "But you're letting me down as soon as I'm able to walk again."

Jett smirked but didn't say anything. He just kept moving forward, Elora in his arms, while Aiden covered their backs, cutting down snow monsters left and right.

"We're almost there," Jett said, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the path ahead. They continued to rush forward, the icy maze beginning to tremble and shift once more.

The ground beneath them began to heat up as the frigid terrain rapidly melted away, replaced by fiery pits and molten rivers. The maze had transformed back into the Lava Lands, with towering pillars of molten rock and scorching steam hissing from cracks in the ground. From the lava pools, hot, bubbling forms began to rise: lava monsters, their glowing bodies shimmering with intense heat.

"Now that's more like it," Aiden grinned, his energy renewed by the fiery landscape. He loved the heat, and the thrill of combat in an environment that pushed him to his limits.

Taking the lead, Aiden dashed forward, facing the lava monsters head-on. His blade flashed through the air, cutting through the molten beings with fierce strikes, sending sparks and chunks of burning rock flying in every direction. The heat from the lava seemed to empower him as he carved his way through, effortlessly slashing through each one that dared approach.

Jett, still carrying Elora, followed close behind. He had to focus more on avoiding the attacks than engaging with them while carrying her, but the added weight didn't seem to slow him down. The fiery heat licked at his skin, but he remained steady and vigilant as Aiden cleared the path ahead.

As they pressed onward, the thirty-minute mark finally approached. The maze trembled again, signaling yet another change but this time, it wasn't lava, nor was it snow. The landscape around them simply leveled out into what appeared to be a stone-floored mall, eerily still, just as it was before.

A massive gate loomed at the far end of the room, casting long shadows across the floor as they reached it.

"Is it finally over?" Aiden asked, glancing around with a hint of wariness, expecting something to leap out at them at any moment.

"That's the end of that," Jett sighed in relief, his pace slowing. He tilted his head toward Elora, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. "You know, you got better a while ago, but you decided to use me like an Uber, huh?"

Elora's eyes widened in realization. She quickly slid down from his arms, her face flushing with embarrassment. She turned away, biting her lip to hide her reaction. "What was that just now…?" she thought to herself, her heart racing. 'It was nothing, Elora. Definitely nothing.'

She cleared her throat and forced herself to regain her composure. "So, uh, what do we do now?" she asked, pretending as if nothing had happened.

Jett chuckled, adjusting his posture. "The maze ends here, but we still need to find the exit. The worst thing we can do now is overthink how easy this part seems. Let's just keep moving."

Without another word, the group moved cautiously toward the gate, knowing that while they had made it through the maze, their journey was far from over.

*****

"Guildmaster, this is very urgent!" Alex burst through the door of Helen's office, his voice breathless with urgency.

Helen, sitting behind her cluttered desk, barely glanced up. She had a weary look on her face, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. The endless stream of guild disputes and bureaucratic issues had already drained her. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed deeply.

"What's with you all of a sudden? This better not be another Armin dispute. I can't deal with those guys right now," she groaned, barely able to muster the energy for yet another problem.

As the Guildmaster of one of the most powerful guilds, Helen had enough responsibilities piled onto her already. Balancing missions, internal conflicts, and politics was taking its toll. She was stretched thin, and the last thing she needed was another crisis. She just wanted a moment of peace, but that seemed like a luxury she couldn't afford.

"Take a look," Alex said, slamming a letter down onto her desk with a force that demanded her full attention.

Helen's tired eyes flicked to the letter, and the sight of the wax seal on it jolted her out of her fatigue instantly.

''A Red Star Seal?!''

The tired look on Helen's face shifted in an instant. Her expression twisted into something fierce, menacing, and irritated all at once. Her eyes narrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line. She recognized the gravity of the situation, and it was far worse than she had imagined.

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"Alex," she called in a low, dangerously calm tone.

"Yes, ma'am," Alex replied, standing a bit straighter under her intense gaze.

"You're in charge," she said abruptly, standing up from her chair with such force that it scraped against the floor.

"But Guildmaster…" Alex started, but before he could finish his sentence, all he heard was a deafening crash. He blinked, and Helen was gone, having smashed through the wall of her office in her haste, leaving a gaping hole in her wake.

Helen charged through the streets with blinding speed, heading straight for the king's palace. The urgency of the Red Star Seal had awakened something fierce inside her.

''A Red Star Seal? Just when I thought things had settled down… I guess peace never lasts for long,'' she mused as her feet barely touched the ground. ''I can already guess how troublesome this is going to be. At least I'll get to see some old friends.''

Her movements were swift and purposeful, every step echoing the tension that hung in the air. Helen's reaction made it clear: this was no ordinary summons. Something was amiss, something serious. And whatever it was, it threatened to disturb the fragile peace that had blanketed the kingdom.

'But what could it be?'

*****

At the main gate of the castle, two figures arrived at the same time, their footsteps in sync, though their attitudes couldn't have been more different.

Helen, her face set in a stern expression, immediately narrowed her eyes as she caught sight of the other person. The tension in her body was palpable, her annoyance barely restrained. She exhaled sharply before speaking, her voice laced with disdain. "I can't believe you can actually be this punctual," she hissed, clearly not thrilled to see the man beside her.

"Oh, me? What can I say? I'm just too patriotic," the man replied with an air of arrogance, flashing a smug grin. He was tall, with an almost lazy, yet sharp look in his eyes, as though everything around him was some sort of game.

"Patriotic my ass," Helen shot back, her nose wrinkling in disgust. "The direction you're coming from is the red light district. The scent is still on you." She frowned, her eyes flashing with disdain. "The fact that you have nothing better to do during the day than being at a place like that just shows how aimless your life really."

"You're hurting my feelings, Hell bear." The man chuckled lightly, utterly unbothered by her sharp words. "Just like always, I really can't hide anything from you, grandma," he teased, his voice playful, clearly trying to provoke her.

Helen's hands balled into fists, and for a brief second, it seemed like she might snap. "On a normal day, I'd want to smash your face into a wall," she growled, barely holding back. Her muscles tensed, but after a pause, she took a deep breath, reigning in her frustration. "But we have more important issues to address."

The man smirked, clearly amused by her restraint. "Sadly, the feeling's mutual." His tone, while still casual, shifted slightly as he glanced at the imposing castle before them. His gaze sharpened as his eyes landed on a figure standing high above them, watching from a balcony.

"She's here too?" the man muttered, his grin fading into something more serious. His jaw tightened, and he clenched his fists. "I really it must really be that bad."

Helen followed his gaze, her own face hardening. There, standing atop the balcony with a commanding presence, was a woman dressed in dark, regal attire, her eyes fixed on them both. The weight of the situation pressed down on them. Whatever was coming, it was far bigger than their petty bickering.

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A storm is coming...