Earth's Alpha Prime

Jay wasted no time on pleasantries and went straight to the point. "What you've just received is a countermeasure against being possessed by Urzo. These are Grade-5 Soul Protection Charms. They're capable of shielding you from even Tier-5 Soul Attacks. Of course, their effect lasts for only a week, but that's more than enough. By then, I'll most likely have dealt with Urzo."

The crowd stirred uneasily. Though Jay's actions had consistently been honorable, a few couldn't help but harbor doubts. 

'What if these charms weren't what he claimed them to be? Could this be a ploy to control them, akin to Urzo's own nefarious methods?' Pessimism bred suspicion, and Jay didn't fault them for it.

He stood silently, watching as several individuals activated their analysis skills to scrutinize the charms. A few even accessed the Achievement Point Store to confirm their authenticity. 

Moments later, their skepticism turned to shock as they discovered the price of each Soul Protection Charm: a staggering 10,000 Super-Cluster Points—a sum far beyond what many of them had accumulated so far.

The realization left them wide-eyed and speechless. The magnitude of Jay's generosity silenced their doubts and replaced them with shame for having questioned his intentions.

To Jay, however, the expenditure was trivial. A single Universe Point equalled a million Super-Cluster Points, and the cost of all the Soul Protection Charms didn't even amount to one-tenth of a single Universe Point.

As the tension in the plaza eased, a new atmosphere took hold—one of respect and gratitude. The murmurs of astonishment faded, leaving the group in quiet acknowledgment of Jay's leadership and the extraordinary lengths he had gone to ensure their safety.

Soon after, Baby MJ addressed the group with clear instructions. "To activate the Protection Charms, place them on your forehead and channel your Spirit Energy into them."

They all quickly followed his guidance. As they did, the words inscribed on the paper-like charms seeped into their foreheads, glowing faintly before vanishing into their bodies.

Meanwhile, Olivia, Kasim, Sergei, Akor, Rex, Pompa, Xulkin, and other Origin Sigil Holders didn't receive charms. Their Origin Sigils were more than sufficient to protect them from being possessed by Urzo.

Once everyone had completed the process, Jay addressed the group again. "One more thing—leave any important belongings on your home planets. Don't store them in your Storage Equipment. There's someone under Urzo's control who can access storage spaces at will. No storage space is secure. It's better to be safe than sorry."

The revelation stunned them. The very idea of someone being able to infiltrate storage spaces—a supposedly inviolable domain—sent ripples of unease through the crowd. But coming from Jay, they knew better than to dismiss it.

Jay's tone turned even more serious as he continued, "During the Tournament, make sure to stay close to me at all times if you value your lives. Trust no one outside our Trial Region. Anyone could be one of Urzo's puppets."

Audible gulps and nervous shuffling spread through the group as the weight of Jay's warning sank in. He had painted a vivid picture of the challenges awaiting them and the hidden dangers lurking within the coming up competition.

Yet, despite the tension, Jay's voice carried a steady resolve as he moved to his final point. "Aside from these precautions, give it everything you've got in tomorrow's Tournament. The format will be the same as the first one—no changes. Your objective is to secure a spot in the Top-10 among the 1,000 Trial Region Teams participating in the Continent-wide Tournament. Only by doing so will you qualify for the final Tournament on Day-30—the one that will decide the fate of every Alpha Chosen."

His words were heavy with significance, underscoring the stakes.

With that, Jay concluded the meeting. He wasted no time, returning to his residence to prepare for Day-20. Every moment was dedicated to training and fine-tuning his strategies. Eliminating Urzo wasn't just a goal for Jay—it was an imperative. Allowing a threat like that to linger, unchecked, was a risk he refused to take.

As Day-19 came to an end, everyone on the Trial World was transported back to their home planets.

Jay reappeared in the Deep Underground Base, the same place he had been before Day-19 began. His gaze instinctively shifted to the side, where his grandfather rested, still unconscious. Suspended mid-air within a translucent cocoon, he appeared serene, yet unreachable.

This wasn't some advanced medical capsule but a construct of Bloodline Metamorphosis.

Jay's thoughts drifted back to the rest period on Day-11, when he had obtained the Grade-4 Spirit Fruit—a key item to bringing his grandfather out of coma. Back then, the Achievement Store had been unavailable to him. Thankfully, Dante had more than enough Achievement Points and willingly provided as many as Jay needed without hesitation.

The Spirit Fruit had worked as intended, healing his grandfather and bringing him out of the coma. But what followed had been entirely unforeseen.

Moments after recovering, his grandfather's dormant ORPHEUS Bloodline had surged to life, triggering Bloodline Metamorphosis right away. This sequence of events was almost unheard of. 

Typically, the awakening of a bloodline and its subsequent metamorphosis occurred across a wide timeframe. For them to happen consecutively was exceptionally rare, akin to the case of Moro, who awakened the War Asura Bloodline and underwent metamorphosis immediately after.

Yet Jay's grandfather's situation was even more perplexing. Unlike Moro or others with awakened bloodlines, his grandfather had no access to an Innate Talent. Nor had Jay granted him an Origin Sigil, which meant he had no direct connection to the System. And still, somehow, the bloodline had not only awakened but begun a metamorphosis.

The mystery gnawed at Jay's thoughts. How had this occurred? What had triggered such an unprecedented reaction?

Despite his questions, one thing was certain: Jay was relieved his grandfather had been pulled from coma. Now, all he could do was wait for the metamorphosis to complete—a process that typically lasted only a few hours. ṚÃŊỖʙÈṩ

But hours turned into days, and the translucent cocoon remained unchanged. By the time the Day-19 rest period arrived, the metamorphosis had yet to reach its conclusion.

Each day, Jay checked on his grandfather, scrutinizing the cocoon for any signs of change. His anticipation was laced with worry and longing, each visit marked by an eager hope that today would be the day his grandfather opened his eyes.

Jay could only attribute the extended duration of the metamorphosis to the profound nature of the ORPHEUS Bloodline—a legacy likely tied to his ancestor's formidable power.

Even with access to Grade-6 System Records, MJ was unable to provide any definitive answers about the duration of the metamorphosis or the exact nature and characteristics of Jay's predecessor's bloodline.

In the end, all MJ could offer was his best estimation. "As one of the strongest beings to ever roam Existence, how could the Orpheus Bloodline be anything but extraordinary? It undoubtedly ranks among the top-tier bloodlines."

Jay sighed, recognizing the futility of dwelling on what was beyond his control. With a final glance at his grandfather, suspended in the translucent cocoon, he turned and left the room, leaving MJ to oversee things in his absence.

He made his way to the training area within the Deep Underground Base, resolute in his decision to focus on what he could control: his own growth. Everything else, he left in MJ's capable hands, trusting him to handle any unforeseen issues.

Once in the training area, Jay immersed himself in cultivating his Origin Physique. Whenever the cooldown for INVERSE Mode ended, he activated it immediately and refilled the Origin Energy units within his glaive. At the same time, he worked tirelessly to meet the weapon's upgrade requirements.

At Level 50, the peak of Tier-3, the duration of INVERSE Mode had extended to fifty minutes. 

Fortunately, the cooldown, which once stretched to ten times the duration, had been reduced to just five times. This meant the cooldown now lasted 250 minutes—about four hours—matching what it had been before.

Jay's efficiency soared when he incorporated <Temporal Relapse> during INVERSE Mode. By looping Temporal Relapse, he preserved all fifty minutes spent in the mode, effectively allowing him to utilize INVERSE Mode six times a day. 

The time-saving advantage dramatically boosted his training efficiency and he dedicated himself fully to his regimen, cultivating without interruptions. 

The results were staggering—his stats climbed at an extraordinary pace, a result to the relentless effort he poured into every moment of the rest period.

Soon, the allotted rest time came to an end, and Day-20 arrived. Jay stood ready, stronger than ever.

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Author Note: 

Exclusive artwork for every free chapter is now available on my PATRE0N page! You can find the link in my Discord server.

I'm thrilled to share that I'm taking a big leap forward! Alongside Earth's Alpha Prime, I've launched the first sub-book for EAP.

ALTER REALITY: Online

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The first ten to comment for new chapter releases will get '1 ADVANCED CHAPTER' for free on Earth Alpha Prime's Discord server.

In the discord server, I opened a private channel for those Top 10 candidates, where I posted the respective Advanced Chapter.

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Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :

https://discord.gg/maQC7xDBYZ

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