Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

"Let's go!" the leader shouted, his voice urgent as he pushed the third member to rise before turning to the girl behind him. "Cover us!"

The two men charged at Marcella with determined, synchronized movements. One took the lead, his sword raised high, while the other flanked her, aiming to catch her off guard.

Marcella, breath steady, narrowed her eyes. "Don't think I'll let you do that to me twice." She took a deep breath, focusing her energy.

[Blood Thorn].

With a fierce gesture, she invoked a skill.

Sharp, crimson thorns erupted violently from the ground, twisting and writhing like living vines. They burst forth with a sinister energy, impeding the men's advance and forcing them to halt in their tracks.

The girl, seizing the opportunity, nocked an arrow and fired it straight at Marcella. But the projectile was intercepted mid-flight by Marcella's [Blood Bubble], a shimmering shield of blood that absorbed the impact effortlessly.

'I don't have the energy or time to keep this up,' Marcella thought urgently. Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out a small pill, her fingers trembling slightly as she infused it with Mana.

With a practiced flick, she tossed the pill towards the girl. The moment it hit the ground, it shattered, releasing a thick cloud of smoke that rapidly engulfed the area.

The girl coughed uncontrollably as the smoke clung to her lungs, her vision blurring. She staggered, gasping for breath, before collapsing to her knees, completely incapacitated.

'This is my safest bet since I need to avoid killing,' Marcella thought, glancing at the incapacitated girl before turning her attention to the remaining two attackers. She quickly distanced herself from them, preparing for their imminent melee strike.

The pills she had taken were already kicking in, enhancing her speed and agility. Her stats surged, allowing her to dodge their attacks with newfound precision.

She twisted and ducked, her movements fluid and evasive, controlling the battlefield with deft maneuvers.

The assassin, growing increasingly frustrated by his failed attempts to hit her, let out a growl of irritation.

[Mini Teleportation]

As the assassin activated his skill, he vanished from view and reappeared behind Marcella in the blink of an eye.

Before she could react, he slashed at her with his dagger, the edge grazing her side.

A searing pain shot through her as the poison took effect. Within seconds, Marcella's heart raced uncontrollably.

Dizziness overwhelmed her, and she stumbled, crashing to the ground in a disoriented heap.

"What did you do?" the leader demanded, concern lacing his voice. "Have you forgotten we're not here to kill her?"

"I just leveled the playing field," the assassin replied with a cold smirk. "The poison isn't lethal, but it will paralyze her completely for an hour."

He got closer to Marcella, who lay writhing on the ground, her face twisted in distress. She stuck out her tongue in a futile attempt to communicate, her eyes wide with helplessness.

"I'll take my time with you," the assassin sneered, raising his dagger to deliver a cruel finishing blow.

As he closed in, a sinister smirk spread across Marcella's face. The assassin caught the smirk, but it only fueled his arrogance.

Just as he was about to strike, a sharp whistle cut through the air: a well-aimed arrow pierced his hand, forcing him to drop the dagger with a howl of pain.

The arrow had come from the girl Marcella had initially incapacitated. She stood a short distance away, her expression eerily vacant, as if she were in a trance or being controlled.

"Ahhh!" the assassin screamed, clutching his wounded hand tightly. "You crazy bitch! I'll end you…"

Marcella seized the moment. With a swift, decisive movement, she swung her fist with all her might, connecting with a powerful punch to the assassin's face.

He crumpled to the ground, unconscious, his body sprawled out with a dull thud. Marcella dusted herself off with a nonchalant flick, her expression calm as she watched him fall.

"I may be small," she said with a composed smile, "but that doesn't mean I'm weak."

The leader stared at her in shock, disbelief etched across his face. "How? I thought you were paralyzed! Why can't you just stay down? When did you even get the chance to turn her!?"

Marcella's smile took on a sinister edge. "Oh, don't you remember? I never actually knocked her out. I used an illusion pill to switch allies with foes in her head. Three against one didn't seem fair. And I have immunity to weak poison like that one." Her grin widened as she took a menacing step closer to him.

"I would've let you go, but you tried to kill me," she said, her voice dripping with malice. "So now, I'm going to break a bone or two."

She raised her hand, and a magic circle flared into existence in front of her.

The circle glowed with an ominous red light as a massive, bloody hand materialized from it, its fingers stretching out menacingly.

The leader's eyes widened in terror as the hand lunged towards him, its sheer size and the malicious intent behind it enough to paralyze him with fear.

His body trembled uncontrollably, and he collapsed, losing consciousness from sheer fright.

But just as the hand was about to make contact, it erupted in a violent explosion, showering the area with a rain of blood.

The figure of a well-built man emerged from the remnants of the hand, stepping into view. Next to him was a large tiger, half his height but still imposing, its presence adding to the scene's intensity.

'Scary,' Marcella thought, her mind racing as she finally recognized the figure before her. It was Drago.

"You're in my way, sir," Marcella said, her irritation barely masked as she faced him.

Drago, seemingly unfazed, responded calmly, "You've done enough already. I'll take it from here." He walked past her, effortlessly carrying the girl and the leader. The assassin, still unconscious, was draped over the back of the tiger, which stood guard beside Drago.

"You didn't seem so eager to help when the attack first began," Marcella remarked, her voice steady as she took deep breaths to calm herself.

Drago's eyes flickered with mild surprise. "You knew I was watching?"

Marcella met his gaze steadily. "I had no idea, but I do now."

"I was prepared to intervene if things got out of hand," Drago explained. "But I also wanted to gauge how well a Divine Lord performs in combat."

"Well, I hope I satisfied your curiosity," Marcella said, offering a respectful bow before turning on her heel and walking away.

Drago watched her retreat with a thoughtful expression. His gaze then shifted to the surrounding area: scattered debris and the aftermath of the skirmish. His attention finally settled on the children he now carried.

"Impressive," he muttered with a smirk. The tiger let out a low growl as Drago and the beast took a massive leap into the air. "I guess Rodney has some cleaning up to do. I'll leave it to Valetta and Clarence to decide what to do with you three."

While soaring through the air, Drago mused, "A class not even well-suited for combat, and yet they managed that much? I wonder what the others are capable of. And they haven't even started getting stronger."

A few meters away, Marcella let out a deep sigh of relief.

'My God, I thought I was going to die there. His Aura was suffocating, even when he wasn't trying to flaunt it.'

*****

In the shadows, a figure observed the events unfold with detached interest, idly playing with three dolls. From a distance, they had been watching the confrontation.

"Seems like Drago wants to take them back for questioning. But no matter," the figure said with a dismissive tone, tossing the dolls into a fire. The flames consumed them, sending flickers of light dancing across the figure's face. "I've already gotten what I came here for."

As the figure vanished into the night, the burning dolls disintegrated into ash, leaving behind a tense silence.

The air crackled with the residue of magic and anticipation, a foreboding sense of dread hanging heavily over the scene.

"It won't be long now…" the figure murmured, their voice fading into the darkness.

*****

The next day, Marcella recounted the events to the others, who listened with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

"You? Fight?" Morrigan exclaimed, her tone disbelieving. "I must have missed quite a bit."

"Sorry, Macy," Freya said, struggling to stifle her laughter. "We just didn't expect something like that from you."

"Yeah," Finn chimed in with a grin, "if you can prove it, I'll buy you lunch for a whole month." The group burst into laughter, the mood lightening as they teased Marcella.

Due to her nature, everyone except Jett remained skeptical of Marcella's story. However, she demonstrated the scene and showcased her [Blood Thorn] ability, leaving no room for doubt.

"I'm looking forward to all the lovely food you'll be paying for," Marcella said with a grin, patting Finn on the shoulder.

Finn grumbled. "Consider it a deal."

"Why hasn't any announcement been made yet?" Elora wondered aloud.

"They probably want to handle it quietly, without making a fuss," Rey explained, his tone thoughtful. "We should probably let it go this time."

"Sure, whatever," Marcella replied nonchalantly. She reached into her storage pouch and emptied half of its contents onto the table. "These should sell at a high price. We'll keep the rest."

"Alright, that was the plan," Finn said, placing the items into his [Storage Space].

"So where is Cedric, anyways?" Evelina asked.

As if on cue, Cedric appeared just as the question was asked, materializing in the doorway with a slight puff of dust.

"Speak of the devil," Rey remarked, a note of mild admiration in his voice.

"Sorry I'm late," Cedric said, panting as if he had sprinted to get there. "I completed everything: the amulets and rings for growth, daggers for Asher, and arrows for Evelina."

He handed the daggers to Asher and the arrows to Evelina. Asher took the daggers and began inspecting them closely, turning them over in his hands.

"Hmm…" Asher muttered, scrutinizing the craftsmanship.

"What's wrong?" Cedric asked, concern creeping into his voice.

"It's perfect. It's light and has a firm grip too," Aiden said, flexing the daggers with satisfaction.

"Ah, you got me scared for a second there," Cedric said with a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing.

"Be careful with those," Jett warned, his tone serious as he noted Aiden's close handling of the blades.

"These arrows look a bit different," Evelina said, her brow furrowing as she examined them closely.

"I made them especially for you," Cedric explained confidently. "Just inject some Aura before you shoot them next time."

Evelina placed the arrows into her quiver and strapped it on. To her surprise, it felt weightless, as if the arrows were barely there.

"Whoa, it's like there's nothing in there!" Evelina exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement. "How awesome is that?" She turned to Asher, her enthusiasm contagious.

Both Evelina and Aiden were pleased with Cedric's work, their satisfaction evident in their expressions.

Cedric then distributed the amulets and rings, making sure each person received one. He had already donned his own, the charm of the amulet subtly glowing against his chest.

Next, Cedric brought out a collection of extra swords from his bag and handed them over to Finn.

"You can use those for the scrolls," Cedric said, nodding towards the assortment.

"Alright, we're fully set now," Jett declared, addressing the group. "I hope you all remember everything I said last time."

"Yeah," they all chorused in agreement.

After classes for the day, the group set off to hunt monsters and level up.

Meanwhile, Jett chose to sit this one out. He made his way to the academy library, a determined look on his face.

"Well then, I think it's time I got stronger too," Jett said to himself with a confident smile. "I can't stay at Level 80 with the few spells I have now, can I?" He glanced at the egg floating beside him, its faint glow reflecting his resolve.

*

*

*

What are you planning Jett?