Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

Jerry sat slumped at his desk, his eyes glazed over as he sifted through the endless stack of documents that needed his signature. Requests from the townsfolk piled up like a mountain, each one more tedious than the last. He massaged his temples, feeling the weight of his responsibilities pressing down on him.

Suddenly, a knock echoed through the room. Jerry looked up to see a knight stepping inside, his armor distinctively different from that of the other knights in the castle. The knight bowed deeply, showing the utmost respect.

"Master Jerry, we have an urgent situation," the knight said, his voice steady but urgent.

Jerry sighed, leaning back in his chair. He had a feeling this was coming. "Cormac? This is a surprise," he said, his tone weary but curious.

"We have a situation," Cormac repeated as he straightened from his bow, his face serious.

Jerry's faint smile didn't reach his eyes as he spoke, "The only thing that could bring you here must be concerning that troublesome group, am I right?"

Cormac nodded, his expression grim, confirming Jerry's suspicions. The room seemed to grow heavier with the unspoken tension of the impending crisis.

"As always, your intuition is on point," Cormac replied, ready to give a full report. "They're on the move. We were able to subdue twenty of them, but…"

Jerry interrupted, "That was a diversion. There's no way they'd go down that easily. Hmm, Cormac?" He paused, an uneasy feeling crawling up his gut. He needed to confirm his suspicions.

"Yes, my Liege?" Cormac responded.

"Where did you send the prisoners?" Jerry asked, tapping his desk with his finger.

"The underground prison under Lagia, sir," Cormac replied.

Jerry's eyes widened as he quickly sprang from his seat. "Oh no!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with urgency. "We have to evacuate the citizens now! Get to the underground prison as quickly as you can. I have a bad feeling about this. Hurry!"

Cormac nodded and turned on his heel, rushing out of the room to execute Jerry's orders. The gravity of the situation hung heavily in the air, and Jerry could only hope they weren't already too late.

*****

Under Lagia, in what seemed to be a grim and foreboding underground prison, rows of cells lined the cold stone walls, each one a testament to the suffering endured within. This massive dungeon, notorious for housing the worst prisoners known to many, was built to contain over a hundred men, not counting the guards.

The air was thick with the stench of blood and death. Every cell bore the stains of violent encounters, splatters of blood smeared across the walls and floors. Bodies of both prisoners and guards lay scattered, their lifeless forms twisted in final moments of agony. The dim torchlight flickered, casting eerie shadows that danced across the carnage.

In the center of this macabre scene, twenty prisoners stood, draped in dark cloaks that seemed to absorb the light. Their hoods concealed their faces, but their low, rhythmic chanting filled the air with an unsettling energy.

"Oh great and mighty Zest, we beseech thee, lend us your strength to vanquish thy enemy," intoned one of the cloaked figures, his voice resonating with a dark power.

The others continued their chant, their voices melding into a haunting chorus, "We summon the creatures from hell to aid in our quest for your freedom."

A palpable sense of dread filled the room as the incantation grew louder, the very walls seeming to vibrate with the malevolent force being conjured.

As the chanting continued, a crimson red light began to engulf the bodies of the cloaked figures, casting an eerie glow across the blood-stained walls. This luminescence filled them with excitement, a clear sign that Zest could hear their plea and was about to heed their request.

"Yes, yes, he can hear us! This is a sign that Lord Zest is on our side," one of them cried out, his voice brimming with fervor.

Encouraged by this sign, they intensified their chanting, their voices echoing through the cavernous prison. The crimson light grew brighter, its intensity almost blinding. But as the light intensified, it began to sear their flesh, the heat becoming unbearable.

Despite the agony, they persevered, driven by their devotion and desperation. The light burned hotter, and soon their chants were no longer voluntary. The incantation took control, compelling them to continue against their will. Their screams of pain mingled with the relentless chanting, creating a horrific symphony.

Their skin blistered and charred, and their bodies began to disintegrate, turning to ash that scattered across the floor. They chanted to the bitter end, their voices fading into the echoes of the dungeon, leaving behind only the whisper of their final plea to Zest.

*****

Both Jerry and Cormac sprinted out of the residence, followed by all available warriors and mages. Eva trailed behind, her face etched with confusion.

"My liege, I can't contact anyone at the prison," Cormac reported breathlessly as they ran.

"Damn it, could this day get any worse?" Jerry muttered under his breath, frustration evident.

"Jerry, dear? What's the matter?" Eva asked, concern evident in her voice. She rarely saw her husband this serious.

"We have a situation. Where is Jett? You did say you used a tracking skill on him, right?" Jerry bombarded her with questions, his anxiety palpable.

"I don't know," Eva replied, her brow furrowed in worry. "The skill only activates if he decides to walk outside the designated location, and since that hasn't happened, I can say he's probably fine. But why do you ask? And why the sudden evacuation?"

"This place will soon become a battlefield," Jerry announced grimly before wondering inwardly, 'Did he go to that forest again? I don't think it'll be a good idea to tell her, though.'

Eva's eyes widened with a mix of fear and determination. "What do you need me to do?" she asked, her voice steady despite the turmoil.

"Help with the evacuation and ensure everyone is safe. We need to be ready for anything," Jerry instructed, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

Eva nodded, quickly joining the warriors and mages in organizing the townsfolk. As Jerry and Cormac continued towards the underground prison, a sense of urgency drove them forward, knowing that every second counted in the face of the impending crisis.

Just then, a magic circle appeared beneath them, and two massive, two-headed dogs emerged from the ground. The creatures were menacing and terrifying, their blood-red eyes gleaming with malevolence. Saliva dripped from their snarling jaws, pooling on the ground as they growled, their muscular bodies poised to attack.

"I remember those hideous dogs," Eva scoffed at the sight. "Aren't they part of the demon army we managed to seal some years back? How disgusting."

"These troublesome mutts," Jerry sighed, steeling himself for the imminent battle. "Good thing they're only two. We can concentrate our forces and kill them quickly."

But before they could engage, a soldier came running from the direction of the main entrance to Lagia, his face pale with urgency. "Trouble at the gate, my liege. It's a monster outbreak. A group of summoners and beast tamers were spotted just outside the gate, but when we went to confront them, we were blocked by a massive wave of monsters and beasts."

Jerry's eyes narrowed as he processed the dire news. "Cormac, take half of our forces and handle the situation at the gate. Eva and I will deal with these dogs."

Cormac nodded sharply, quickly organizing the troops. "Yes, my liege. We'll take care of it."

As Cormac led his contingent towards the gate, Jerry turned to Eva. "Stay close. We need to be quick and decisive."

Eva nodded, her expression determined. "Let's finish this."

The two-headed dogs growled louder, their eyes glowing with an unnatural hunger. Oddly calm, Jerry and Eva prepared themselves for the battle, knowing that every second counted in this fight for their town's survival.

"You just had to jinx us," Eva stared contemptuously at Jerry, her frustration evident.

"What? Cormac, take all the men to the gate. Eva and I are enough to take care of these mutts," Jerry ordered, his voice resolute in the heat of the confusion.

"But, sir, will you be alright?" Cormac asked, his concern evident as he respectfully bowed his head.

"Who do you think you're talking to? Have you already forgotten who I am?" Jerry boasted confidently as he turned to face the enormous dogs that were wreaking havoc on the village.

'Ah, that's right. How shameful of me to have forgotten the strength of him whom I vowed to serve till the end,' Cormac sighed inwardly, feeling disappointed in himself before rallying the troops. "Right, follow me, men. We shall stop the outbreak while the Lord takes care of the hounds."

With a renewed sense of purpose, Cormac led the warriors towards the gate. Meanwhile, Jerry and Eva squared off against the two-headed dogs, ready to defend their home at any cost.

*****

Nerissa gently lifted Jett and placed him in a more comfortable position before administering a healing potion to him. The others watched in silence, their confusion evident as they wondered how she had arrived there.

"Are you lost, child? I don't know how you got here, but this is no place for a lady like you. And now we have no choice but to end your life because we can't leave witnesses," Articus remarked, his tone cold as they slowly closed in around her.

"Six grown men decided to gang up on my brother?" Nerissa remained squatting as she tended to Jett.

"Brother?" Gabo muttered to himself, a realization dawning on him.

"You laid your filthy hands on a Grift, my brother. I hope you're ready to face the consequences," Nerissa stood up, her gaze piercing as she stared them down.

Chills ran down their spines, but they quickly regained their composure, continuing to advance towards her.

"I know you. You're the child of that Jerry Grift who's been interfering with our plans to free the master," Gabo said, finally recognizing her.

"And that means the bratty kid's his son," Articus added.

One of them licked his dagger in a perverted manner, "So when we kill both of them…"

"I don't know what you're all blabbering about. All I know is that you're all scum who hurt my little brother, and I'm going to make you pay," Nerissa interrupted him. This time, it wasn't just her cold stare; her bloodlust seeped out, a menacing brown aura faintly radiating around her.

[Fear B]

Imbue fear on the enemy, reducing all stats by 10% and speed by 25% for 10 minutes with a 50% change to land a bleed or poison status.]

They were stopped dead in their tracks, the aura too frightening to ignore.

"She's just one girl. Let's end this quickly," one of them said, trying to muster their courage.

With a fierce battle cry, Nerissa engaged her adversaries, wielding the demon blade Aklite Van with deadly precision. The sword's pitch-black blade shimmered with an ominous aura as she unleashed its power upon her foes.

The four mages launched spells of fire, ice, lightning, and darkness at her, but Nerissa deftly dodged and countered with her own attacks. With a swift motion of her blade, she conjured flames from thin air, engulfing two of the mages in a fiery inferno before they could react.

Meanwhile, the two warriors, Gabo and the assassin, closed in on her, their weapons poised for the kill. Gabo swung his fists with brute force, while the assassin moved with silent grace, attempting to strike from the shadows. But Nerissa anticipated their moves, using her mastery over blood manipulation to ensnare them in tendrils of dark energy.

As the battle raged on, Nerissa's movements were a blur of deadly precision, each strike calculated to incapacitate her opponents. With a swift flourish, she disarmed the assassin and impaled him with his own blade before turning her attention to Gabo and Articus, the last remaining foes.

Articus fell to his knees, begging for mercy, but Nerissa showed him none. With a cold determination, she silenced him with a swift slash of her blade, leaving him to bleed out on the ground.

Turning to Gabo, who was bewildered by her strength, Nerissa didn't give him the chance to finish his sentence. Drawing upon the power of Aklite Van, she manipulated his blood, causing it to boil and bubble beneath his skin. With a final, contemptuous hiss, she drove her blade into his heart, ending his life with a swift and decisive blow.

"How revolting," Nerissa spat in disgust as she surveyed the carnage around her. The battle was over, and she stood victorious, her enemies vanquished at her feet. With a weary sigh, she sheathed Aklite Van, the black blade gleaming in the dim light of the dungeon.

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Like mother like daughter huh?