Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

Chapter 99 Castle Layout

While Morrigan was off searching for Seraphina, the others didn't bother waiting around. Sticking to their game plan, they each retreated to their designated rooms for the night, leaving behind Cedric's space in complete disarray: strewn papers, misplaced gear, and half-empty plates from their hastily abandoned meal.

Meanwhile, Elora found herself with another task as she gently lifted the sleeping Marcella, who had dozed off in the midst of the chaos. "Honestly, you're so much trouble when you're asleep," Elora muttered with a tired smile, guiding Marcella through the hallways and eventually tucking her into bed.

Back in his own room, Jett collapsed onto his bed with a groan. "Gosh, I'm beat, but there are still things to do," he muttered, staring up at the ceiling. His body was exhausted, but his mind refused to rest. "I really can't catch a break."

As he lay there, his thoughts drifted to earlier that evening, when he had almost made a critical misjudgment. His brow furrowed as he recalled the moment.

"Tch... I can't believe I nearly made the wrong call back there. I needed Finn to remind me of the obvious." He sighed, reflecting on his earlier hesitation. He hated it: relying on others when he prided himself on being the one with all the angles covered.

Jett waited, still as a predator stalking its prey, until the castle grew quiet. He could tell from the faint sounds: or rather, the absence of them, that everyone was fast asleep. Even Ella had emerged from her hiding place, curled up peacefully at the foot of his bed.

"Alright, he should be awake by now," Jett smirked, his eyes narrowing as he kept his gaze on the ceiling. He had anticipated this move for a while. After all, he had spent enough time observing his companions to understand their behavioral patterns: what drove them, what made them tick, and most importantly, what they were likely to do in specific situations.

And tonight, he was waiting for Asher.

Asher had been suspiciously restless during their earlier conversations, and Jett knew him well enough to predict what he would do. Right about now, Asher would be thinking about slipping out of his room under the guise of surveying the castle on his own, using his abilities to move unnoticed. What Asher didn't know was that Jett had been expecting this, watching for it.

Asher's room was directly opposite Jett's, so catching him in the act would be all too easy. Jett smirked again, his eyes sharp as he silently rose from his bed, ready to ambush Asher the moment he made his move.

Jett leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, as he waited. The castle was deathly quiet, the only sound the faint creak of hinges as Asher's door slowly opened. In the dim light, Asher slipped out, moving cautiously with every step.

Just as Asher rounded the corner of the hallway, Jett spoke, breaking the silence. "Can't sleep?"

Asher froze. His eyes widened, and his heart skipped a beat. He'd waited patiently for what felt like hours, ensuring that everyone had fallen into deep slumber before making his move. Yet here was Jett: standing there as if he had anticipated it all along.

'The hell? Is that Jett? I didn't even notice him. How the hell did he do that?' Asher thought, turning slowly to confirm his suspicion. Sure enough, Jett was casually leaning in the doorway, watching him with an amused smirk.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" Asher asked, trying to sound casual but unable to mask the irritation in his voice.

"I should be asking you the same thing," Jett replied coolly, his eyes gleaming in the low light. "Couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd take a walk. But seeing how you're sneaking out of your room so stealthily, I'm guessing you're about to do some scouting, right?"

Asher's jaw clenched, the silence between them heavy. He knew Jett wasn't guessing: he had already figured it out. There was no point in lying or coming up with excuses. For a moment, the two stood in a quiet, tense standoff. Neither spoke, both measuring each other.

Jett finally broke the silence with a light chuckle. "Do me a favor, though," he said, stepping away from the doorframe. "If you could draw me a map of the place while you're at it, that'd be nice."

Asher blinked, caught off guard by the request. He stared at Jett, trying to read his intentions, but Jett's expression remained as unreadable as ever. Was he serious? Was this some sort of test? Asher couldn't tell.

"Sure, but how did you do it?" Asher asked, still perplexed.

"Do what?" Jett replied, raising an eyebrow as if he had no clue what Asher was talking about.

"How were you able to hide your presence like that?" Asher clarified, the question lingering in the air.

Jett gave a small smirk, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Let's just say I'm more capable than you think," he said cryptically, turning back toward his room. "Just be careful."

Asher watched him retreat, frustration bubbling up. 'Tch... you don't need to worry about me,' he thought. 'I must really be slacking off in training.' With a sigh, he steeled himself for the night ahead.

*****

Asher spent the entire night combing through the castle, his senses sharp, taking mental notes of every corridor and chamber he passed. The castle was massive, yet he moved with a calculated efficiency, checking every accessible room, passage, and hallway. He even slipped outside, navigating through the expansive garden, where the moonlight illuminated the lush foliage.

He had to avoid a few patrols here and there, but they were easy enough to evade.

Even hidden passages meant to be concealed from ordinary view weren't much of a challenge for him. The faintest draft from behind a wall, the slightly worn grooves in the floor, and barely noticeable creases between the stones were enough for Asher to pinpoint their locations. He found them with ease and marked their positions on the map he was meticulously sketching in his head.

By the time the first light of dawn crept through the castle's windows, Asher had mapped out the entire castle, noting every key location: the guard posts, the servants' quarters, secret exits, and even the less obvious hiding spots. Despite not sleeping a wink, he felt no fatigue, just a sense of accomplishment.

He waited patiently by his door, leaning against the wall, waiting for Jett to emerge from his room. As soon as Jett stepped out, Asher approached him, holding out the map he had drawn.

"Oh?" Jett looked down at the map with a sly grin. "Kinda feels like you were stalking. Did you stay up all night?"

"Yeah, I recently got a passive skill that makes it impossible for me to sleep unless I want to," Asher explained, nonchalantly.

Jett raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really?" A mysterious, almost unsettling smile curled at the edges of his lips.

'Lucky me, that's just what the doctor ordered,' Jett thought.

[Skill Copy]

[...You have copied Sleep Immunity]

"Much better," Jett muttered, feeling the effects of the newly copied skill wash over him instantly.

"Huh?" Asher raised an eyebrow, confused by the sudden statement.

"Oh, nothing." Jett waved off the inquiry with a casual shrug, his hand already on the door, pulling it shut. "Thanks for the map, though."

*****

Once inside his room, Jett's casual demeanor shifted into one of focus and precision. He unfurled the map Asher had given him on his desk. "Now to see what we're really dealing with. Luckily, I came prepared."

[Storage Space]

He reached into the void of his inventory, pulling out a pair of dice—small, seemingly ordinary at first glance, but the gleaming aura around them hinted at their true nature.

[Truth Seeking Dice]

[Description: Seek the truth from the map you provide for the price of your level. The answer becomes more effective with the user's luck.]

Jett smirked. In WAR BOUND, the Truth Seeking Dice was a notoriously rare item, coveted by players for its ability to uncover the real objective of missions, especially when they hit a dead end. The cost? A sacrifice of a level for each use. But Jett was confident.

"That's really nothing to me right now. I'm already way past my peers in level," he said with a chuckle. "This luck part is new, but whatever…"

With a touch of curiosity, he opened his stats panel for a brief review, checking his current status as a reminder before proceeding. His level and stats were as impressive as he remembered, reinforcing his confidence in the upcoming roll.

====

Class: Magic Swordsman

Level: 102

HP: 70

MP: 70

Strength: 370

Agility: 83

Intelligence:70

Perception: 69

Undistributed Points: 1716

=====

Satisfied, Jett rolled the dice onto the map, watching with focused anticipation as they tumbled across the surface.

The moment the dice left his hand, both the map and dice began to glow with a golden radiance. The runes on the dice shimmered as they rolled across the map, their glow intensifying. Soon, both the dice and the map floated slightly off the surface of the desk, as if weightless.

Then, with a soft hum, the map's layout subtly shifted. The castle's original layout remained the same, but now there were five distinct spots on the map that burned brighter than the rest, marked as key points. The once ordinary map now resembled a treasure map, with the five hot spots indicating areas of great interest.

Jett leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he studied the changes. "Five places, huh? Including the room where the princess probably went missing? Looks like the truth is hidden somewhere in these spots." His grin widened, excitement flickering in his eyes. "This is going to be interesting."

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Interesting indeed. Read exclusive adventures at m_v-l'-NovelBin.net

They don't even know what happened to Seraphina and Morrigan