Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

That night, Marcella worked tirelessly in the Alchemy Department, her focus solely on creating the pills needed by her teammates.

As one of the top 20 students among the first years, she had the privilege of unrestricted access to the alchemy facilities, a luxury not afforded to all.

Much like Cedric, who could use the smithy late into the night due to his rank, Marcella's status allowed her to work whenever she wished, taking advantage of the department's resources.

Marcella's efforts were further enhanced by her [Moon Alchemy] skill. This passive ability not only improved the potency of her potions and pills made at night but also sped up the crafting process.

Occasionally, it even granted additional effects, making her work even more efficient.

Before heading back to her dorm, Marcella had purchased a new alchemy recipe book.

It was a simple volume covering basic brewing and refinement techniques: essential knowledge for someone determined to improve.

Despite her pills and potions currently being rated as Grade D, which was commendable for a first-year student, she remained diligent and careful.

In the world of WAR BOUND, alchemical creations were classified into six grades, from Grade A to Grade F. The higher the grade, the more potent and effective the pill or potion became.

Marcella knew that producing 400 different pills in six hours was no small feat. Yet, her dedication and the advantages provided by her skill made such demanding tasks manageable.

[Appraisal]

[Grade D Healing Pill]

[+40 HP, +2% Agility for 1 minute]

[Grade D Agility Pill]

[+40% Agility]

[Grade D Resistance Pill]

[60% Resistance to 1 Random Attribute]

[Grade D Elemental Resistance Pill]

[25% Resistance to Elemental Attributes]

[Grade D Hallucination Pill]

[Illusion effect on any person or beast that inhales its smoke or consumes it]

Marcella also crafted a variety of other pills designed for dealing with monsters. Among them were:

[Grade D Paralyzing Pill]

[Paralyzes a monster for 10 seconds]

[Grade D Beast Tamer Pill]

[Temporarily calms a wild beast, making it less aggressive for 5 minutes]

Satisfied with her work, she smiled as she looked at her creations. "That should do it for now. I'll experiment with more pills later," she thought, her enthusiasm evident. "Alchemy is so much fun. It's definitely better than fighting."

*****

As Marcella locked up and exited the Alchemy Department, she noticed something out of place but chose not to react.

The walk back to the dorm was a ten-minute trek, and she took great care to avoid areas with trees or any other structures that might obstruct her path.

She stuck to the open spaces, mindful of potential hazards.

Halfway back, an arrow suddenly pierced the ground right in front of her.

Despite the close call, Marcella didn't flinch. "Oh, an arrow," she remarked calmly, "someone must have been practicing their archery skills late into the hour."

"That was a close one. I didn't even see it coming due to my low perception," she sighed, shaking off the unease before resuming her walk.

*****

Outside the Alchemy Department, three cloaked figures waited in the shadows, their dark garments and masks obscuring their identities.

They moved silently, blending seamlessly into the night, as if they were part of the darkness itself.

"I don't know about this," said one of them, a voice hinting at uncertainty. The voice was soft and unmistakably feminine. "What if we get caught?"

"Don't worry about it," replied another, his tone steady and reassuring. His voice was clearly male, and he spoke with confidence. "We won't get caught with these items." He gestured to the dark cloaks and masks they wore. "They're designed for stealth. Even an idiot can use them effectively."

"Yeah, and it's not like we're going to kill her or anything," chimed in the third figure, whose voice was also male. He spoke with an attempt at reassurance. "We just need to rough her up enough for that guy to take her."

The three had been waiting for hours, their patience tested as they remained hidden, ready for their target.

"What do you think she's doing in there?" the girl asked.

"Beats me," the third figure replied, casually flipping a dagger in his hand. "All I care about is completing this mission and getting my pay. We really didn't have a choice: either way, we're screwed if we mess this up."

"Shhh, keep it down. Someone's coming," the second figure hissed, signaling for the others to conceal themselves.

Finally, someone emerged from the Alchemy Department, and the figures in the shadows tensed.

"Take the shot," the second person instructed the girl, his voice urgent.

"Hurry up," the third added, his tone sharp with impatience.

"Right," the girl said, her hands trembling as she raised her crossbow, aiming at the target.

The target was Marcella, who walked out of the building, seemingly unaware of the danger.

The girl hesitated, her aim wavering as Marcella moved farther away. When she finally pulled the trigger, the bolt missed, embedding itself harmlessly in the ground.

"You stupid fuck!" the third figure growled, stepping forward in frustration. "What was that about?"

"I can't do it, I really can't," the girl sobbed, her voice breaking with distress.

The third figure grabbed her by the collar, his grip harsh. "Now listen here, missy. It doesn't matter what you think. Just take the shot, or it'll be our heads later." With a forceful shove, he sent her sprawling to the ground.

"Let's go. We can still get a better chance if she takes the route through the garden. We'll be able to get closer," the second figure said, assuming command. "Let's move."

The trio followed Marcella as she headed towards the garden, but she took a different path, increasing the distance between them.

"What if she already knows?" the girl asked voicing out her fears.

"Just shut up and follow her," the third figure snapped, his temper fraying. "I don't even know why you brought this one with us; she's obviously slowing us down."

"Let's just get this over with," the leader sighed, getting frustrated.

Marcella, mindful of her surroundings, took routes with minimal hiding spots, which frustrated her pursuers. Her deliberate choices made it difficult for them to remain concealed.

As they reached the halfway point to the dorm, the leader's patience wore thin. "Take the shot," he ordered the girl, his voice leaving no room for argument.

The girl hesitated, her hands shaking slightly. After a sharp smack on the head from the third figure, she finally raised her crossbow and fired. The bolt missed its mark, clattering harmlessly away.

"This is your fault, not mine!" the girl snapped, anger flaring.

"Why, you little..." The third figure's hand rose to strike her, but the leader stepped between them, his face stern.

"Stop fighting. We've been compromised, so let's just take her head-on," the leader said with cold determination.

"Yeah, she's still only a first year like us," the third added, a hint of eagerness in his tone.

The three figures emerged from their hiding spots, moving to block Marcella's path.

*****

"So you finally decided to show yourselves," Marcella said with a yawn, genuine tiredness in her voice. The others mistook it for mockery.

"We figured you might have known all this time. That's why you kept taking those routes even though it took longer, right?" the leader asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Yeah, I sensed something was off," Marcella replied, studying them carefully. "I was trying to avoid any confrontation with you guys."

'One, two, three…? I haven't done much in combat, but I'm being forced to now,' Marcella thought, her mind racing. 'I'm starting to wonder if Jett's suggestion was actually a good one.'

The three figures gradually surrounded her, their movements calculated and wary.

"Turn back now, and I'll forget this ever happened," Marcella warned, though she felt her threat lacked conviction.

"There's three of us and one of you. This'll be a piece of cake, you can count on that," the leader taunted.

Marcella used her skill to assess their strength while trying to stall for time.

[Appraisal]

=====

Level: 25

Class: Warrior

HP: 35

MP: 20

Strength:40

Agility: 20

Intelligence: 15

Perception: 20

=====

=====

Level: 25

Class: Assassin

HP: 30

MP: 15

Strength:40

Agility: 40

Intelligence: 5

Perception: 20

=====

=====

Level: 23

Class: Archer

HP: 50

MP: 60

Strength:20

Agility: 20

Intelligence: 55

Perception: 15

=====

'Hold up, they're this weak?' she wondered, surprised. 'Or am I just stronger? Reincarnated heroes are usually stronger than the original inhabitants of wherever they're sent to. At least that's how it is in some manga and anime, right?'

She glanced at her own status to be sure, seeing the clear disparity between their abilities.

=====

Level: 22

Class: Alchemist/Healer

HP: 50

MP: 60

Strength:20

Agility: 20

Intelligence: 55

Perception: 15

=====

'If this was a one on one I'd win without a doubt,' small smile crossed her face at the noticeable difference in power.

"She's outnumbered; get her!" the leader shouted, his voice full of command.

The third figure, wielding a dagger, and the leader, brandishing a sword, lunged at her in a coordinated attack.

Marcella attempted to evade them, her reflexes sharp as she tried to dodge their strikes.

Despite her efforts, their combined assault forced her to move swiftly. They were closing in on her with relentless pressure.

'It's been a while since I had to use defensive skills,' Marcella thought as she saw the attackers closing in.

She activated her [Blood Bubble] skill, summoning a reddish, transparent shield around her. The bubble would absorb 70% of incoming damage and transfer 30% to her, at the cost of reducing her agility by 5%.

As the leader and the third figure struck, their attacks collided with the bubble. Although they didn't touch her directly, Marcella felt the force of their blows.

[Durability: 1975/2000]

[HP: 26/50]

"You guys really are trying to kill me," Marcella said with a hint of spite. She grimaced as she realized that with only a few more hits, her situation could turn dire.

Desperate to regain her strength, she stepped back to create some distance. She quickly consumed two health pills, fully restoring her HP. Then she took another pill to temporarily boost her HP, followed by pills to enhance her agility, strength, perception, and other attributes.

Marcella then took out several pills, infused them with mana, and scattered them around her to create a smoke screen.

"Six pills?" The leader gasped in surprise. Taking more than three different pills at once was considered dangerous; even experienced alchemists could manage only four at most. Marcella's ability to handle so many at once was remarkable.

"Seems like you want to do our job for us," the third figure said, charging forward with renewed determination while the girl covered him with arrows. "You can't hide from me with such a petty trick!"

For a moment, everything went silent as the smoke screen enveloped the area.

Suddenly, the silence was shattered by the third figure being hurled through the air, crashing violently against the ground. Marcella stepped out of the smoke, her face etched with anger.

"You want to fight that badly?" she said, her voice seething with rage. "Then let's go." She stood ready, waiting for them to make the first move.

*

*

*

She's not supposed to get angry!