As soon as Jay accepted the duel challenge, a spatial portal materialized beside him. Through it, he glimpsed a featureless, grey-colored cuboid space measuring 5 x 5 x 10 meters. Jay instantly recognized it as a Reality Emulator, a piece of System's technology he had encountered during the 1st Tournament.
Without hesitation, he stepped inside and found himself in an independent pocket space, where Virtuality merged seamlessly with Reality. The pristine, white environment surrounding him was the Augmented Space, designed to simulate combat with unparalleled realism.
Here, any damage inflicted by opponents or monsters would directly affect the Alpha Chosen, ensuring an immersive and high-stakes experience.
Jay had experienced this before, so he knew the rules. Although injuries would be genuine, the System adjusted it to prevent fatalities. Severe damage would never be replicated, maintaining a level of safety similar to that of the Tournament.
Suddenly, the space around him began to transform. The endless whiteness gave way to a colossal platform, 500 meters long and wide, floating amidst a sea of clouds. It gave an illusion that the duel stage was suspended high in the sky.
As the space settled, Jay's attention shifted to his opponent. Standing not far away was a four-meter-tall humanoid figure with a muscular build and his long golden hair flowing like a mane of fire. His tail swayed like a weapon waiting to strike. His draconic features, accented with intricate bright red patterns etched across his body.
The moment the dragon-like figure's eyes locked onto Jay, they gleamed with excitement. A deep, rumbling laugh erupted from his throat.
"Finally! I get to see the uncontested top Alpha Ranker in the flesh. I'm curious—are you really as powerful as the rankings claim?"
Jay didn't respond immediately. His eyes narrowed as he scanned his opponent from head to toe. His assessment was swift: the figure's level placed him in the Tier-4 Mid-Phase, yet his Power Index suggested the peak of a Tier-5 Low-Phase lifeform.
Breaking the silence, Drogor coughed awkwardly and straightened his posture. "Ahem… Pardon my ill manners. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Drogor of Planet Mogret, the next clan leader of the Draganoid Clan, and the bearer of the Attack Dragon Bloodline. My Innate Talent is a Grade-9 Variant-category ability. It amplifies my strength."
Jay raised an eyebrow, puzzled by Drogor's openness. Revealing crucial details about one's abilities—Bloodline, Innate Talent was typically not an advantageous move. Such knowledge could be exploited.
'Does he really think divulging all of that won't affect the outcome of the duel?' Jay mused, questioning Drogor's apparent overconfidence.
Before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, MJ's voice echoed in his mind.
'Master, the Dragon Bloodline is among the finest in the Universe, and the Attack Dragon Bloodline is one of the strongest branches. If Drogor has undergone Bloodline Metamorphosis, his confidence isn't misplaced. He truly has the strength to back it up.'
Jay absorbed the information, tucking it away for later consideration. He shifted his gaze to the translucent barrier dividing the platform, separating him and Drogor. The timer displayed on the barrier showed only 10 seconds remaining before the duel began.
Rather than reciprocate Drogor's introduction, Jay spoke directly, his tone cool and unyielding.
"You know, if you lose this duel to me, the Primary Authority of the Obelisk you conquered will transfer to me."
The words hung in the air, unshaken by the drifting clouds around them. Jay's demeanor remained calm, yet his confidence was unmistakable.
Drogor replied with an indifferent shrug, his tone light but resolute. "Only the strong can thrive. If I lose, so be it—no hard feelings."
Hearing this, MJ's voice echoed in Jay's mind, amused. "Master, it seems you misjudged him. He's just a battle maniac through and through."
Jay nodded internally, reassessing Drogor. 'Was he really so straightforward? Willing to risk losing such a resource-generating treasure just for the thrill of a fight?' ʀâ
He didn't dwell on the thought. Regardless of Drogor's motives, Jay intended to be the one standing victorious, bolstered by his recent upgrades and explosive stat growth.
With only three seconds left on the countdown, Jay decided to introduce himself—but unlike Drogor, he offered little about his abilities. "I am Jay, an ordinary inhabitant of Planet Earth. No bloodline, but I do have a rather powerful Innate Talent. Show me what you've got."
The timer hit zero, and the translucent barrier separating them dissolved. The duel had begun.
Jay wasted no time, morphing his Centauri Kavach from its usual overcoat form into full-body armor. Its polished surface glinted under the surreal light of the augmented space. Drogor, meanwhile, surged forward, his booming voice preceding him.
"Brace yourself! My punches pack a lot of force!"
As he charged, his body was enveloped in a ruby-red energy. MJ's warning came immediately. "Master, watch out! That's Pseudo-Strength Energy. Do not take his attacks head-on!"
Jay had initially planned to counter Drogor's brute strength with his own. With the Centauri Kavach now upgraded to Legend Grade, it could withstand any physical damage below Tier-5. However, Drogor's ability altered Jay's calculations.
As someone who has access to Pseudo-Speed Energy, Jay knew just how dangerous these attribute amplifiers could be. While Rex could quadruple his movement speed with Pseudo-Speed Energy, Drogor could likely quadruple his attack damage with Pseudo-Strength Energy. Combined with the bonus from his Innate Talent, that would place his raw attack power somewhere between Tier-5 and Tier-6.
If Jay wanted to match that level of power directly, he'd have to activate INVERSE Mode. But with it still in cooldown—and considering his preference to save it for further enhancing his Origin Physique and Glaive—he ruled that option out. Instead, he opted for a different strategy.
He smirked slightly. Drogor wasn't the only one with tricks up his sleeve. With a mental command, Jay activated his Acceleration Buff. Instantly, his body was cloaked in a brilliant azure-blue energy. His movement speed quadrupled in an instant, making him a blur of motion as he sidestepped Drogor's initial charge with ease.
"Let's see if your strength can catch up to my speed," Jay said, his voice calm as he prepared his counterattack.
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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