Jay reused the║Temporal Relapse║ability six more times, nearly depleting the reserve of Origin Energy stored within his dual-bladed glaive. Each activation cost him 10 units, totaling 70 units spent.
Combined with the 25 units expended earlier for cultivating his Origin Physique, only 5 units remained in the glaive's reserves. Those 5 units would allow him to perform at most five refinement cycles, but completing them would take 50 minutes. With the cooldown for INVERSE mode now refreshed, Jay decided not to waste the opportunity.
Unlike before, Jay no longer had to worry about a limited number of uses for entering INVERSE mode, granting him greater freedom in utilizing it. He briefly informed Dante of his plan before activating the ability.
The transformation was immediate and dramatic. His body swelled rapidly, steam erupting in an intense cloud that enveloped a 100-meter radius within the vibrant, color-filled boundary.
The physical strain was far more intense than during his prior experience with INVERSE mode, with pain so severe that his Physical Pain Resistance skill skyrocketed from Lv.85 to Lv.92 in one leap. At such high levels, improving Resistance-type skills even by a single level was an arduous task, often taking decades or even a lifetime for an ordinary individual.
As his body expanded, he grew to an astounding 36 feet (11 meters) tall, directly reflecting the 3600 overall stats from his║LOOTED STATUS║. Now, Jay was a full-fledged giant, his frame packed with dense, formidable muscle.
Previously, he had been constrained to a height of 10 feet due to the 1st Universe Limit, which capped his stats at 1000. With that restriction no longer hindering him, his growth surged uncontrollably.
Even his║Size Alteration║skill was unable to suppress his colossal form. As a mere Uncommon-grade skill, it could no longer manage his overwhelming size. Jay's transformation now transcended the bounds of what such a skill could regulate.
Jay dismissed his ineffective size-altering skill and began moving, his body adjusting to the dramatic surge across all five main attributes. The automatic activation of║Harmony║, which triggered whenever his stats were perfectly balanced, eased the transition and allowed him to adapt more fluidly. Even so, he couldn't help but marvel at the sheer strength and speed now coursing through him.
MJ provided an estimate that Jay's base movement speed now reached an astonishing 2.6 Mach, and his weight had risen to a hefty 5 tons. These calculations stunned even Jay, though the true scale of his power became clear only as the steam dissipated.
Dante, standing nearby, was awestruck at Jay's titanic form. Witnessing Jay's sheer size, raw strength, and blazing speed firsthand filled him with confidence. It was clear that Jay's trump card had grown exponentially more powerful, giving Dante reassurance about their upcoming clash with Urzo in the Tournament.
Refocusing his attention, Dante turned his efforts to manipulating the threads of fate bound to the Tier-10 Temporal Spectre. Meanwhile, Jay relentlessly activated║Temporal Relapse║every 100 seconds while operating in INVERSE mode. With a duration of 25 minutes—1500 seconds in total—Jay managed to execute the skill 15 times.
The most remarkable discovery came as Jay cultivated his Origin Physique during INVERSE mode. The process was ten times faster than normal, allowing him to complete a refinement cycle every minute.
This revelation brought a wave of satisfaction, and Jay wasted no time exploiting the advantage. Through relentless cultivation, he completed 24 cycles of refinement within the mode's duration, dramatically enhancing his overall stats.
His overall stats in║STATUS║increased by 120 points, and within INVERSE mode this translated to an additional 360 points in his║LOOTED STATUS║, bringing it to a staggering total of 3960. Predictably, his size increased in proportion to his stats. By the end of the session, Jay had grown to 12 meters—adding another meter to his already towering figure.
As the INVERSE mode ended, Jay felt a deep sense of satisfaction with all he had achieved during those 25 minutes. He glanced over at Dante, who had spent the time delving into the threads of fate of the Tier-10 Temporal Spectre. Dante had pieced together the fragmented story of Craul, a Tier-9 lifeform whose tragic past and relentless pursuit of justice led to his eventual transformation into a Temporal Spectre.
Craul had been a founding ancestor of a clan that, while not among the most powerful in the Universe, still held significant influence. Though lacking a Tier-10 figure among their ranks, the clan's reputation was well-regarded.
Tragically, one fateful day, the entire clan was wiped out in a devastating attack while Craul was away. The massacre left no survivors, and the region was thrown into turmoil, with speculation abounding that a rival clan had orchestrated the atrocity.
However, when Craul investigated the truth, he uncovered something far more sinister: the Fiends, a race occupying half of the Universe, had orchestrated the slaughter. Enraged but powerless against such a dominant force, Craul turned to the Sentinels, a group known for their cosmic vigilance and enforcement.
Yet, they turned down his pleas, explaining that larger conflicts demanded their attention and that they required undeniable proof of the Fiends' guilt before taking action. The Sentinels' rejection shattered Craul's last shred of hope for justice.
Determined to avenge his clan, Craul took matters into his own hands. He infiltrated Fiend territory, unleashing his wrath in a relentless spree of destruction, killing countless Fiends in the process.
His actions caught the attention of the Fiend Race's top brass, who recognized the threat he posed. A skilled wielder of time-based abilities, Craul became a serious obstacle even for Tier-9 Fiends, forcing a Tier-10 Fiend to intervene.
The climax of this tragic tale—the fierce battle between Craul and the Tier-10 Fiend—was something Jay had already seen through the first thread of fate that Dante uncovered. The memories of that confrontation, laden with struggle, grief, and unyielding defiance, lingered vividly in Jay's mind.
Jay couldn't shake the bitterness he felt for Craul's unjust death. Despite being a formidable Tier-9 individual, Craul had failed to protect his clan and had died without seeing justice served. The cruel indifference of the Fiend Race and their overwhelming strength highlighted a harsh truth: in the Universe, survival was a privilege of the strongest.
Even the formidable Sentinels, defenders of universal order, were helpless to act against certain atrocities committed by the Fiends. This reinforced Jay's resolve never to be in a position where he would be at the mercy of others.
The Trial World might have made him unrivaled within its confines, but he knew his strength paled when measured against the vast scale of the Virgo SuperCluster, let alone the Universe itself.
With the 1st Universe Limit no longer restraining him, Jay saw a clear path forward. His goal was now to reach the 2nd Universe Limit, a threshold somewhere between Tier-6 and Tier-7, requiring a staggering 24,000 overall stats.
At his current level of 4000 stats, he was only a sixth of the way there. The enormity of the challenge didn't deter him; instead, it fueled his ambition. Even if the 2nd Universe Limit became a barrier, Jay was confident he could find a way to bypass it using the capabilities of his Origin Physique.
The key to his progression lay in consistent effort—grinding to raise his stats and improving his mastery over Origin Energy. Still, he recognized that Origin Energy mastery wasn't entirely within his control, as its progression depended on breakthroughs he couldn't predict. Thus, Jay chose not to pin all his hopes on it alone.
Instead, he focused on more immediate strategies to bolster his strength. His most pressing objectives were clear: evolve to Tier-3 and leverage the Achievement Point Store to its fullest. Both avenues offered tangible, immediate boosts to his power and would significantly increase his chances in the looming confrontation with Urzo.
Jay's resolve hardened as he envisioned the steps ahead. The path was long, but he was determined to rise above his current limitations, ensuring that he would never face the helplessness Craul had endured. For Jay, the Universe's brutal law of survival wasn't a deterrent—it was a challenge he fully intended to conquer.
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
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' :
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