Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

Jett, Cormac, and Durin stood at the entrance of the Vermin Labyrinth. Massive stone doors, weathered by time, loomed before them, their surfaces marred with cracks and moss. The entrance itself was unremarkable, almost deliberately so, a stark contrast to the horrors it concealed within.

[Vermin Labyrinth]

[Prison to some fierce monster clans. Long ago, the world was continuously terrorized by these great monster clans. They were all locked up inside this Labyrinth to receive a never-ending punishment: to be hunted by others and to spawn again, never to leave their new territory, by a powerful existence. He scattered them across the land, with each labyrinth holding monsters unique to it.]

*****

"It took us one day to cover a four-day trip? Incredible," Cormac marveled, eyes wide with disbelief.

"You lot are lucky you ran into me then," Durin boasted, a smug grin on his face.

"Shouldn't it be the other way around? You're the one who needs my help after all," Jett interjected, extending his hand expectantly.

"What is it?" Durin asked, a hint of irritation in his voice.

"The key. Only those with the keys to this type of labyrinth can enter. You don't look like you want to open it, so I'll do the honors," Jett replied coolly.

"Alright, kid, we don't have all day," Durin said, tossing the key to Jett.

'You're the one wasting time though,' Jett thought, catching the key. 'So this is what a key to a Vermin Labyrinth looks like. To think it can only open one specific labyrinth.'

The key was a peculiar artifact, resembling a card made from a strong rock material. Ancient markings adorned its surface, detailing the monsters it granted access to.

Jett examined the key, noting the intricate carvings before locating the slot meant for it. He inserted the key, but nothing happened. With a frustrated sigh, he pulled it out, flipped it, and tried again.

This time, the massive stone doors groaned in protest as they began to part, revealing the dark and ominous interior of the Vermin Labyrinth.

"Let's go, we need to kill some serpentine subordinates first," Jett said, gesturing for them to follow.

"Don't rush in, young master!" Cormac yelled, reluctantly running towards the doors.

Inside, the labyrinth's interior was a vast, empty expanse, dimly lit by flickering torches mounted on the walls. Five distinct paths branched out from the entrance, each leading to a different monster's domain.

"Is that all? I just do what I've been doing all this time?" Durin asked, stepping forward with a relaxed gait, his legendary double-edged axe resting on his shoulder.

The axe was an imposing weapon, forged from mythril and adamantium, with a sturdy handle wrapped in dragonhide. Intricate runes glowed faintly along the blades, hinting at its ancient and powerful origins.

"That's the first step, anyway. So, I'll leave that to you. But hurry, the whole process could take up to two days. I presume you already know which path leads to the serpentine?" Jett asked, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Of course I do. If that's all, then I'll be on my way," Durin replied, heading towards the path that led to the serpentine beasts.

"One more thing…, I want to ask for a favor. Don't land the final blow," Jett requested. 'Carry me through this level.'

"Why?" Durin asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Let's just say that'll be my reward. You don't really need the experience from this place, right?" Jett explained with an innocent smile. 'Even if the system won't give me a definite reward, this was my goal the moment I realized what he wanted.'

'This greedy little… As long as I get what I want, then I won't argue,' Durin thought, though his displeasure at Jett's audacity was clear. "Do as you please."

"Huh? Hunting the Serpentine Queen is one thing, but doing that after taking down her subordinates is another story. Even I wouldn't survive something like that," Cormac said, concern evident in his voice.

"Just sit and relax. He's the real deal so just let him do his thing; we'll be the ones slowing him down after all," Jett replied playfully, adding in his thoughts, 'And I also want to confirm something before I get to the academy.'

*****

Durin began his rampage through the Labyrinth with a ferocity that left Jett and Cormac in awe. The first wave consisted of ordinary Serpentine mobs, their scales glistening in the dim light. With a swift swing of his legendary axe, Durin cleaved through them effortlessly.

As he progressed, the foes became more formidable;intelligent serpentine warriors clad in armor, wielding weapons for close and ranged combat, and even mage classes casting spells to halt his advance. Yet, none could stand against him.

Over ten thousand enemies fell before him in a mere ten minutes, their cries echoing through the labyrinth.

Durin's axe, forged from mythril and adamantium, was a blur of motion. Its double-edged blades sliced through armor and flesh with equal ease. The sturdy handle, wrapped in dragonhide, absorbed the shock of each impact, while the runes along the blades pulsed with a faint, eerie light.

Despite the carnage, Durin was precise, leaving each enemy with just enough HP to keep them barely breathing. This allowed Jett and Cormac, who followed from behind, to gather the fallen monsters in one place.

"All those monsters were at least level 300 to 700, and he wiped them out in only 10 minutes? I can't believe it, even though I'm seeing it with my own eyes," Cormac muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I told you to let him do his thing. And I don't even think he used a skill at all. That was purely brute force. Imagine what would've happened if he really used his full strength," Jett replied, a mix of admiration and envy in his voice.

It took them five long hours to gather the defeated monsters into a single area. Durin, refusing to help, had found a spot to relax, much to Jett's annoyance. "That's your payment, so it's your problem, not mine," Durin had said, reclining against a wall.

Once all the monsters were piled together, Jett and Cormac collapsed, catching their breaths for a few minutes before Jett got back up. 'It's time to test my new finisher skill,' Jett thought, facing the heap of serpentine monsters barely clinging to existence.

"You guys should stay at least 30 meters away from me. This skill doesn't differentiate between friend and foe," Jett warned.

'I wonder what he plans to do. How is he able to take them all out with a single attack? They may barely be alive, but there are still too many for a kid to handle, let alone ten thousand of them. Just to be on the safe side,' Durin thought, picking up Cormac and leaping further away to create a much safer distance from Jett.

"I'll put you out of your misery," Jett said with a smile, activating his skill.

[Corpse Grenade A]

[Once a target's HP drops below 10%, they can be turned into an explosive using their remaining HP within a range of 20 meters. The damage to surrounding enemies depends on the original target's level. Any others within the detonation range instantly lose 40% HP, with a 2% chance of a secondary chain explosion occurring 10 seconds later, causing 25% of the original effect.]

[Usage: 4/4]

[Cooldown: 24 hours]

As Jett activated [Hopeless Corpse A], a low hum filled the air. Suddenly, the gathered serpentine monsters began to glow faintly.

In the blink of an eye, a massive explosion erupted from the center of the pile, sending shockwaves throughout the labyrinth. The ground trembled violently, and the force of the blast illuminated the dark corridors with a fiery brilliance.

Durin and Cormac stood frozen, their expressions a mix of shock and awe. The sheer scale of the destruction was overwhelming. Even Jett, who had orchestrated the entire plan, couldn't help but smile nervously; this was his first time using the skill, and its power far exceeded his expectations.

'Holy crap, a skill like this could make me a one-man army if used right. All that skill grinding actually paid off,' Jett thought, a mix of fear and exhilaration coursing through him.

'Is this boy even human? I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that kind of attack. What kind of monster did you unleash on this world, Jerry?' Durin thought, awestruck by Jett's display of power.

Cormac was speechless. He had just witnessed something that defied all logic. His young master was a monster even at such a young age. He wondered what would happen if he were to report this to Jerry.

Then, to Jett's surprise, Cormac began to laugh lightly, a sound Jett had never expected from him. "First the monster rampage, then the mercenaries, and now this? I fear I still have a long way to go," Cormac said between chuckles.

"Hey old man, throw Cormac further outside!" Jett yelled, interrupting Cormac.

"Right," Durin replied, acting without hesitation. Before he realized what he was doing, he had already tossed Cormac a safe distance away. 'Why am I taking orders from this kid anyway?' he wondered, baffled by his own compliance.

"Catch!" Jett called out, hurling one of the serpentine bodies at Durin with a wicked smile on his face.

"What's this for?" Durin asked, confused.

"4… 3… 2… 1…" Jett counted down, ignoring Durin's question.

Immediately, a second chain explosion started, with 190 corpses detonating almost simultaneously. The labyrinth was once again rocked by the sheer force of the blasts, flames and debris scattering in every direction.

"Alright, I'm done," Jett said calmly as the dust settled, a satisfied grin on his face.

Durin was taken aback by this but quickly found his composure and marched over to Jett. "Why, you little demon incarnate, are you trying to send me to an early grave?"

"Oh, calm down. The chances of that particular corpse exploding were very slim. Plus, even if it did explode, you'd only lose 40% of your HP. So even if you had 100 HP, it would only take 40 HP from you. But the damage to anyone around would be severe, which is why I asked you to ditch Cormac for me," Jett explained as he climbed the heap of corpses, searching for something.

"You say that like it's nothing," Durin retorted angrily.

"Think of it as a child trying to get back at an adult for making him drag ten thousand monster corpses to one place for five long hours while you tried to get tipsy. Don't think I didn't see the rum you were romancing a moment ago," Jett said, still scouring through the corpses.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Durin growled, smashing his axe into the ground.

"I'm just really petty, that's all. You're not going to hit a kid because of that, right?" Jett pulled out an innocent smile. 'Plus, I'm taking out my anger on you, since I forgot I could only copy one skill from a single person every week, and I wasted it on the first skill I saw.'

"Alright, we need their fangs. A lot of them if we want to get what we came for," Jett said, climbing back down.

'Switched from devil to angel in an instant. Reminds me of a certain somebody,' Durin thought as he saw Jett smile. "Whatever, how many do we need?"

"About twenty thousand," Jett replied.

"Then let's start collecting," Durin said, stretching himself.

"No need, I already did." Jett grinned. 'I've confirmed the second thing. I don't need to gather drops manually once my level gets past 40. Any drops we get from killing monsters go straight to whatever storage item or, in my case, skill I possess. Exclusive to only fourteen of us. It was a bit weird that I had to pick items manually when the book always talked about it happening on its own.

Let's see.'

=====

Level: 41

HP: 70

MP: 70

Strength: 70

Agility: 83

Intelligence:70

Perception: 69

Luck: Maxed

Undistributed Points: 735

=====

"Snap out of it. What do you mean you already did?" Durin asked, bringing Jett back to reality.

"I have a skill for that. Now go fight the boss, and leave her intact for me," Jett ordered playfully.

"You know what…? Nah, I think I drank too much. Let's just get this over with," Durin said, wondering if he was dreaming.

*****

They continued their trek deeper into the labyrinth, the air growing colder and more oppressive with each step. The walls, slick with condensation, seemed to close in around them, amplifying the sound of their footsteps.

As they approached the boss's lair, a massive stone door adorned with intricate carvings of serpentine creatures loomed before them. Jett pushed it open, revealing a vast, dimly lit chamber.

The Serpentine Queen awaited them, her eyes gleaming with malevolent intelligence. She was a towering figure, her scales shimmering with a dark, iridescent hue. Her coiled body filled the room, and her hiss reverberated off the stone walls.

[Air Walk]

Durin, eager to blow off steam, stepped forward, his legendary axe glinting in the faint light. Without a word, he launched himself at the Queen. His movements were a blur of precision and power, his axe cutting through the air with deadly accuracy.

The Queen retaliated, but her attacks were no match for Durin's ferocity. In a matter of moments, he had her on the brink of defeat, her once fearsome presence now reduced to a struggling form.

"Oh goody, hey Cormac, I need you to do something for me?" Jett called out, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"And what could I possibly do to help?" Cormac replied, his voice tinged with skepticism. 'I've just been a spectator up until this point,' he thought.

"Nothing special, just kill it."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me, take the final blow," Jett said, his tone casual.

Cormac and Durin exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what was going on in Jett's head. Durin, still panting from his recent exertion, looked at Cormac and shrugged. "You heard the kid. Go on, give it a shot."

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