Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Schemes

In a room lit by luminous crystals, a few masked men sat around a large table. Their identities were concealed, but their prestigious auras hinted they were nobles.

"How was the operation?" asked the one who appeared grander than the rest.

"We lost many men and couldn't kill her, but we did obtain enough of her blood to proceed with the plan," reported a masked man who seemed to be an attendant.

"That's better than nothing," the leader replied.

"What about the platform? How do we bypass the increased security?" another man inquired.

The leader spoke again, "With that bastard on our case, it'll be even harder to do as we please after what we just pulled."

"Not to mention the tight security," someone added, leaning on the table with his hand.

"The security can be overlooked. Our main issue is that damn monster," the leader explained.

"Jerry Grift?" someone asked, prompting a slight murmur in the room.

"Of course I'm talking about Jerry Grift. With him guarding Lagia, we won't be able to move as we wish," the leader said, smashing a glass and spilling its wine.

"We need a way to distract him, to put him in a position where he decides not to interfere when we finally strike," another suggested, though the challenge was apparent.

Jerry wasn't just a military captain turned lord. His name commanded respect, even from the king, and instilled fear in many. His achievements earned him the title The Slaughter God, capable of facing enemies more powerful than himself.

"And don't even get me started on his wife," the leader added, stoking their frustration.

"The Bloodlust Queen? She's a real menace. We've lost countless opportunities since those two united," another stated.

The leader then looked at the only person in the room who had remained silent and motionless. "I hear you once had something with her but lost her to him. I hear they have two children now. The first is quite impressive, but little is known about the second."

"Drop it. Stop trying to provoke me; you might reveal my identity just for fun," the silent man waved off the leader, showing he was aware of the ploy.

At that moment, the most mysterious among them spoke, "I have an idea. It'll take a lot of time and resources, but I assure you it will work."

"And what do you propose?" the leader asked, barely concealing his lack of interest.

"I am not obliged to reveal this information, but I beg for your understanding for maybe two to three years," the mysterious man replied, shaking his head.

"That's too far. We can't possibly agree to this without hearing the specifics," someone interrupted.

"Why not? Do you have a better idea?" another countered.

This caused a divide in the room, with everyone picking sides on whether or not to go with the mysterious man's suggestion. Words were the only weapons exchanged, as fighting among them was strictly prohibited and punishable by death.

After a while, the leader waved his hand, causing everyone to fall silent.

"Alright, I have decided. We'll give the benefit of the doubt," he sighed, adjusting himself in his seat. "You have two years to prepare. We'll support you in whatever way we can, but once the two years pass, we'll go with another plan. Is that understood?"

"Yes, and it is much appreciated," the mysterious man thanked him and sat down.

There were still silent murmurs, but they soon died down.

*****

Jett was a bit perplexed after seeing his father with the king of Verena, though it was actually quite normal. "What's going on? Why are you here?" he asked, shocked to see his father.

"I should be the one asking you that," Jerry retorted, then addressed the room. "Can someone please explain to me why my son is here?"

"Well, Jett here helped fight back the terrorists. He even chased the ones who tried to abduct Freya," Tanya explained.

"They actually did, though..." Ray added, whistling nonchalantly and relaxing with his hands behind his head.

"Shut it, you little brat. How many times do I have to tell you to stop sneaking out and dragging your sister with you?" Reynolds lectured Ray in front of everyone.

"Hehe," Rosa laughed from a corner.

"Traitor, get back here!" Ray chased her around, momentarily forgetting the others.

Rosa hid behind Tanya to avoid Ray. "Ahhh, Tanya, save me!"

Jerry, feeling ignored, finally diverted attention back to himself. "Let's not stray from the original subject. Why is Jett here?"

"Isn't it obvious? He needs to be rewarded for his selfless act. Even the Silvermoons are indebted to him," Ray boasted proudly.

"What are you scheming?" Reynolds asked suspiciously from behind, not trusting his son.

"Yes, he's definitely scheming something," Rosa added.

"Can my own family not trust me for once?" Ray lamented.

The situation was uncomfortable for Jett. "Can I please go now?"

A chorus of "yes" and "no" was his only reply. Ray mentioned how Jett had taught them to get better results from rune stones, prompting Reynolds to reward him with a lower-grade red rune stone, urging him to use it immediately so he could see the results firsthand.

This caught Jett off guard, but for some reason, he felt more relieved. He held the stone while everyone watched in silence.

'Alright Jett, concentrate. Red rune stones are the easiest to manipulate.' He closed his eyes and meditated silently. 'It's red, so the result will be an attack skill. I have both the properties of a mage and a swordsman, so I can choose whichever I want by using either Aura or Mana. Now concentrate.

I still want more sword skills to enhance my physical output, so I'll be using Aura, but I can't let them find out I can use it at such a young age.'

As everyone, including Jerry, waited impatiently, no one dared interrupt him.

'I've been training my Lumix for a situation like this. Although it's not perfect, it's sufficient enough. Treat the Aura as blood vessels getting pumped out of your heart. Pass the Aura through the system to your fingertips and inject the stone with your Aura. Not too little and not too much, just enough to get a reaction.'

Jett waited diligently, knowing controlling such minute details was an incredible feat. He followed the instructions set in his mind.

Once his preparations were complete, he crushed the stone with ease.

[Double Damage D]

[For all fist attacks, the user can deal double the damage. 10% extra Exp when used to deal the final blow.]

[Duration: 5 minute]

[Cooldown: 10 minutes]

'It worked. Such a shame I couldn't give this to Seraphina; this skill fits her fighting style the most,' Jett thought with a sigh.

He told them what skill he got and demonstrated it without going all out, not wanting to draw too much attention.

"You got a D-class skill from that junk? Pretty impressive," Reynolds praised him.

"You actually admit to that? You're starting to look less like a king and more like a con artist. Maybe Ray got his personality from you." Jett gave him a look of suspicion and disappointment.

"Like father, like son. He is quite impressive. I expect great things from you, kid, but I must say," Reynolds' expression suddenly turned serious, "diving into that situation without the aid of a skilled adult was very stupid, no matter how tough you think you are. Make sure there's never a next time."

"Right!" the kids chorused, understanding his indirect message to get stronger while also not being too reckless.

"Now for your real reward." Reynolds took Jett alone into a secret room within the castle where numerous precious items were kept. Among them was an array of identical golden eggs arranged in two rows. There were fourteen in total. "These were originally meant for the Divine Lords, but luckily, there's actually an extra, so I'll let you pick one."

Feeling impressed but conflicted, Jett thought, 'I remember this from WAR BOUND; it's a gacha game for picking pets, and the eggs are the highest grade possible.' He picked one at random, knowing that the outcome was already set regardless of his choice.

The golden egg felt warm in his hand, and as he held it, he could sense a faint pulsation, like a heartbeat.

"Hey, hey, what did he give you?" Rosa inquired as they finally returned from the secret area.

"Nothing important," Jett brushed it off.

"Just spill it already; I bet it's something good," Ray pestered, but Jett wouldn't budge. Instead, he found a way to slip away, leaving everyone behind at the castle.

"Where did he run off to? I haven't even explained the process to him."

*****

In WAR BOUND, one could only try to get a pet once through a mini-game, which was essentially a gacha game. The rule was simple: buy an egg and hatch it. Whatever you saw was what you got. The cheaper the egg, the lower the probability of getting something good. Most players opted for the cheaper eggs, while others went for the expensive ones.

Jett, picking a random egg without knowing what to expect since he never saw what his character was supposed to get, had no idea that his choice would soon change the course of the story.

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He's getting a pet soon...

Or is he?

We'll find out soon