She snapped out of it upon realizing she had become the center of attention. The space around her warped and moulded into an oversized hand that grabbed Amarissa and brought her closer to Dutan. He said no word, but she felt like if she didn't explain herself, it wouldn't end well for her.
Amarissa hurriedly began to speak, "Lord Dutan, there were those from Earth in the Trial Region we visited. But…."
The warped space hand squeezed her harder. "Then why am I only hearing it now? Don't you know it is treason to sabotage the safety of an Omega Chosen?" Dutan's voice was cold and unyielding.
Amarissa shook uncontrollably. "I wouldn't… I wouldn't dare… We didn't know the Omega Chosen was from Earth."
The space grip over her warped even further as Dutan questioned her, "How could you not learn about the Omega Chosen when it was basically public knowledge to everyone on the Milky Way Trial Planet?"
The announcement on Day-2 revealed the Omega Chosen's name and planet to every other participant in the Trial Program.
{A/N: Shows up at the end of Ch.60 : [#Congratulate 'Olivia' of the Planet 'Earth' for awakening as an Omega-Chosen of the Milky Way Galaxy Tutorial Program!]
Unable to bear the pain, she hurriedly shouted in the hopes of saving herself, "It's the 735th Trial Region's Tournament Manager! He fed us false information and assured us there wasn't an Omega Chosen among the participants."
Hearing those words, Dutan freed the space around her, releasing his grasp. "Give me a complete account. Spare no detail. Know that I will see through any deception."
She didn't dare to fabricate anything, even recounting the part where Soren used Tier Suppression and later gravely injured an Alpha Chosen named Jay, and her own role in rendering everyone immobile.
Dutan manifested another space hand and caught Soren, bringing him closer, right beside Amarissa. However, unlike her, he was in far worse condition as an overwhelming Tier Suppression washed over him.
"Did you feel superior suppressing those weaker than you? Being a Sentinel doesn't mean you are entitled to look down on the weak but to protect them," Dutan's voice grew increasingly sharp, his anger apparent to everyone.
Soren's body began to convulse uncontrollably, his face contorting in pain and fear. Blue blood started to trickle from his nose, first in small droplets and then in a steady stream.
It wasn't long before the blood flowed from his eyes, ears, and mouth, painting his face in a macabre mask.
Amarissa stood nearby, her heart pounding so loudly she thought it might burst from her chest. Sweat beaded on her forehead and ran down her temples, her anxiety reaching a fever pitch.
She couldn't shake the fear that she might be next once Soren's punishment was complete. But despite her terror, she didn't fear for her life. She knew the rules: even the Sentinel Sovereigns would be punished by the System if they were to kill another Sentinel, regardless of rank.
Although they had not yet officially become Sentinels, both she and Soren were among the top ten thousand out of the million trainees in their century's batch.
They were on the cusp of achieving their titles, assured to become Sentinels by the end of their batch duration, even without earning any further contribution points. The only way for a Sentinel to lose their Halo—and with it, their status—was to commit heinous acts against life. Not even a Sentinel Sovereign could expel them from the Order otherwise.
But what was happening before her eyes defied all logic and precedent. The glowing Halo above Soren's head began to dim, its brilliant light fading until it barely cast a shadow.
Cracks started to form across its surface, spreading like a spiderweb. The spectators, including Amarissa, watched in stunned silence as the Halo disintegrated into nothing, leaving only a faint shimmer in the space where it once was.
Everyone was utterly mind-boggled by the occurrence. Murmurs of disbelief rippled through the onlookers, their eyes wide with shock and confusion.
Even the strongest of them all, the Blind Sovereign, didn't have a clue why Soren's Halo terminated. But he knew someone who could provide answers.
"Duin," he called softly under his breath. In response, an emerald-robed teenager, no taller than a backpack, appeared next to Dutan.
The teenager's facial features bore a striking similarity to Dutan's, so much so that anyone would believe it was Dutan in his early teenage years without question.
Everyone remained frozen, their eyes glued to the unfolding revelation. The air buzzed with tension and curiosity as the Blind Sovereign processed the unexpected turn of events.
Duin, the emerald-robed teenager, was an enigma himself. His sudden appearance, coupled with his remarkable resemblance to Dutan, left the spectators bewildered. Only a few Tier-9 Sentinels knew of Duin's identity.
"Yes, Master. I am going through the System Records as we speak." His eyes glazed over momentarily. "Ohhh! Someone from the Trial Program raised a petition directly to the System against this Sentinel Trainee."
Dutan's eyes widened in surprise, 'For a Trial Participant to be able to do that, doesn't that mean...?'
Duin's eyes sparkled with understanding, his voice echoing in Dutan's mind. 'Master's guess is spot on. Whoever filed the petition seems to own a Soul AI like me, albeit quite a weak one, an Epic Grade or Legend Grade at most.'
Dutan frowned, deep lines of concern etched into his face. His mind raced with possibilities. 'But isn't it odd that a single petition from a Trial Participant could cause Halo Termination?'
Duin's response was swift, 'It's indeed odd if a typical Trial Participant files a petition, but it is less odd when that comes from a Leading Alpha Prime Prospect.' The revelation hit Dutan like a thunderbolt, his eyes widening in realization.
His anticipation grew thicker as Duin projected the results of the Milkyway Trial Program's Primary Tournament directly into his mind.
-----------------------------
(#Contribution in Subsidiary Fiend Extermination is taken into consideration#)
Jay (Earth) [Power Index: 116]
Regaz (Gharek) [Power Index: 97]
Drogor (Mogret) [Power Index: 92]
Urzo (Guastea) [Power Index: 84]
Phosseh (Ratov) [Power Index: 81]
Eloir (Verunov)[Power Index: 79]
Elqai (Izuid) [Power Index: 78]
Yinad (Thulovi) [Power Index: 75]
Kruza (Ponuihine) [Power Index: 71]
Idran (Crypso) [Power Index: 68]
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Note: 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.
Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :