Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

At one of the dining hall's corner tables, three students were huddled in a quiet discussion. A female beastfolk with sharp ears and feline features leaned in, her voice low but dripping with disdain. "That's the kid?" she asked, nodding subtly in Jett's direction. "He's not all that. I heard his ranking shot up because he used his connections.

Now he's been deranked to 5000th place in the whole academy. I'm sure I can take him."

The trio took quick, subtle glances at Jett across the hall, their eyes darting back and forth to make sure no one was listening too closely. They spoke in hushed tones, careful to avoid attracting attention.

"I'm not too sure about that," the dwarf among them replied, scratching his beard nervously. He was short but stout, with an air of caution that his companions clearly lacked. "He still ranks higher than you. You're ranked 40,000. It's too risky. I've seen what his friends can do already, and it's not worth the risk."

The beastfolk snorted, baring her sharp teeth in a confident grin. "He's obviously a fraud riding his friends' coattails, and I'm going to prove it."

*****

At Jett's table, the atmosphere had shifted. "Whatever," Jett muttered as he stood up abruptly, clearly not in the mood to stay any longer. Mystra, who had been resting comfortably near his plate, quickly climbed up onto his shoulder, her small size making her a perfect companion as she nestled there, not wanting to be left behind.

"Hey, come on. You don't have to be so mad about it," Rey called after him, his voice laced with concern. But it was futile, Jett was already halfway to the door, his steps quick and determined.

Just as Jett reached the door, ready to leave the hall and the stifling atmosphere behind, a voice called out, stopping him in his tracks. "Hey, first year, stop right there."

The voice was firm, commanding, and carried an air of challenge. Jett turned slightly, his gaze narrowing as he recognized the beastfolk girl from the trio who had been eyeing him earlier. The tension in the air grew, the hall suddenly feeling a lot smaller.

"I challenge you to a duel. I'm going to show everyone that you're a fraud," the beastfolk girl declared, her voice firm and confident, stepping forward with her fists clenched. The room fell silent as her challenge echoed through the dining hall.

Jett, without turning around, tilted his head slightly, a cold smirk forming on his lips. "Oh? You want to challenge me?" His voice was calm, almost amused, but there was a noticeable edge to it.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room shifted. A chilling aura began to emanate from Jett, spreading across the hall like a cold wind sweeping through the space. Conversations died down as most students instinctively felt the weight of his presence. The temperature seemed to drop, and unease spread across the tables as everyone's eyes turned toward the impending confrontation.

"Oh boy," Rey muttered under his breath, knowing exactly where this was headed. He had seen this look in Jett's eyes before and knew the beastfolk had no idea what she was getting into.

"Yes," the beastfolk girl snapped, her ears twitching in irritation, "Are you deaf or something?" Her confidence didn't waver, though she felt a subtle shift in the air, like something was wrong. But she quickly shrugged it off, chalking it up to nerves. This was her moment to expose him, after all.

Jett turned slightly, enough to cast her a chilling, sarcastic smile. "Alright," he said, his tone casual but dripping with danger. "It is against the rules to reject an challenge from a weaker rank."

The beastfolk hesitated for a brief moment, feeling the weight of his words but dismissing the odd sensation in her gut. She clenched her fists tighter, determined to see this through. "Good. I'm ready when you…"

"How about I make you an offer right now?" Jett interrupted, his voice cutting through hers like ice. "You can pick anyone to fight alongside you. Two, three, four... it doesn't matter." His smirk widened, a confident glint in his eyes. "And I'll even throw in 10 million points."

The entire room froze in shock. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Students exchanged wide-eyed glances, unsure of what was more astounding: the fact that Jett had that many points to wager or the sheer confidence radiating from him that he would stake such a colossal amount.

Whispers filled the room. Some couldn't believe it. The beastfolk herself seemed taken aback, her previous bravado faltering as the full weight of Jett's offer hit her. Something was definitely off, but now it was too late to back down.

"Did you hear that? The kid just offered up 10 million points to go against multiple opponents," Rodney chuckled, leaning over to repeatedly slap his friend, Drago, on the shoulder, amused by the unfolding spectacle.

But Drago, already irritated by Rodney's relentless taps, had enough. With a swift motion, he caught Rodney's hand mid-swing, gripping it tightly. His eyes narrowed as he gave his friend a warning look. "Stop," Drago growled in a low, dangerous tone.

Rodney winced, but he chuckled nervously, pulling his hand back as soon as Drago let go. "Alright, alright... but still, this is wild!"

Durin, sitting next to them, grinned as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I wouldn't laugh too soon. That kid's got something up his sleeve. No one makes that kind of offer without a trick. Either it's a hidden skill, a powerful weapon, or some ace no one's seen yet."

Before they could continue their speculation, Jett's voice echoed across the hall.

"And I won't be using any skills, spells, weapons, or even Aura. Just straight hands... and maybe my legs."

The whole hall buzzed with shock and disbelief. Conversations broke out all around them as the room split into two camps: those who believed Jett was serious and those who thought it was all a bluff. Some students were intrigued, others skeptical, but no one could deny the confidence in his voice.

*****

"There's... there's no way you have that much money," the beastfolk girl stammered, her earlier bravado faltering. Her tail flicked nervously as her ears twitched in disbelief.

Jett's chilling smile only deepened. "And why would I make that up? It's also against the rules to wager what you don't own."

At their table, the others were equally stunned by Jett's bold offer. Cedric leaned closer to Finn, whispering, "Did you know he had that many points?"

Finn let out a long sigh, rubbing his forehead. "I just did what he asked me to do. The amount of points we have now would be enough to get all of us private accommodations. But for some reason, he insists it's not enough."

Cedric's eyes widened. "Is he trying to buy the entire academy or something?"

Freya, watching the situation unfold, furrowed her brows in confusion. "I'm not even worried about him fighting multiple opponents unarmed... but what's the point? Is he trying to prove something or...?" She trailed off, trying to piece together Jett's motives.

The atmosphere grew tenser as everyone awaited the beastfolk's decision, all eyes on Jett, whose calm demeanor only heightened the sense of unease in the room.

*

*

*

He's looking for a punching bag.