Hovering above, Jay surveyed the thousands of motionless Alpha Chosen below him and spoke in a calm yet commanding tone.
"Listen carefully, Each of you still carries remnants of Urzo's Possession Seeds. He can take control of you at any moment. I can remove them, but it's a slow process, and I need your cooperation." He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
"So here's the deal—stay where you are and don't retaliate. If you do, I'll assume it's Urzo pulling the strings, and I won't hesitate to act accordingly. Understand?"
Jay's words evoked a mixture of fear and relief among the crowd. Fear, because Urzo's control hadn't been entirely eliminated, leaving them vulnerable to his influence. Relief, because Jay didn't intend to harm them unless they caused trouble or resisted his efforts to free them.
No one dared to act out, understanding the gravity of their situation. Jay prepared to use║Spirit Web║, one of the many diverse skills he had looted over time. Upon activation, countless fine tendrils of Spirit Energy would emerge from his Spirit Space, connecting to the Spirit Spaces of those nearby. This would allow Jay to locate and eliminate all seed remnants simultaneously.
However, the technique had its drawbacks. The Spirit Web tendrils were fragile and required Jay to remain stationary and slightly vulnerable during the process. Furthermore, the individuals connected to the tendrils couldn't retaliate or struggle; otherwise, the skill would fail.
Jay didn't blindly activate the skill, aware of the potential risks. If Urzo managed to possess even one of the Alpha Chosen during the process, it could lead to an ambush. To mitigate this, Jay mentally communicated with MJ.
'Are the preparations complete?' he asked.
MJ affirmed, presenting the results of his efforts while Jay had subdued the Alpha Chosen in the Colosseum.
The individuals in combat exosuits flew toward Jay with flawless coordination, positioning themselves in a protective formation around him. They hovered just below Jay's altitude, their presence both imposing and awe-inspiring.
The gathered Alpha Chosen looked on in stunned silence, marveling at the newcomers. Though their faces and appearances were concealed within the exosuits, their overwhelming strength was unmistakable, radiating a monstrous presence that left no doubt about their capabilities.
Each of the them emitted an intimidating Tier Suppression equivalent to that of Tier-5 Peak lifeforms. The Alpha Chosen below had no idea where these powerful figures had come from, but seeing them standing guard around Jay, it was clear they were on his side.
Speculations ran wild. Many assumed they were advanced robots Jay had purchased from the Achievement Point Store, given the high-tech appearance of their Combat Exosuits.
In truth, they weren't entirely wrong. The suits were indeed purchased from the Point Store, but the wearers were the Alpha Chosen who had fallen during the earlier frenzy of friendly fire. Of the 74 casualties, MJ selected those with rarer Innate Talents and used all 10 Corpse Integration slots on them to revive and integrate them with monster abilities.
The corpses of monsters like Hobgoblin, Shadow Leopard, Storm Eagle, and others, which previously occupied the slots, were removed and reverted to their natural states. However, they were stored securely within the Deep Underground Base on Earth, preserved meticulously for future use.
The process of replacing the corpses in the slots consumed a significant amount of Looted Stats. But thanks to the staggering amount of stats he had accumulated since Day-2, the 10% stats he and MJ had gained from the monsters killed so far had grown into a seven-figure reserve.
Spending 60,000 Looted Stats to reconfigure all the slots didn't even make a lasting dent in Jay's resources. The Combat Exosuits were purchased not just for their flight capabilities but also for their formidable defensive features and to hide the identities of the fallen Alpha Chosen. Jay wanted to ensure there was no misunderstanding about his methods, avoiding comparisons to Urzo, who forcibly controlled others.
With ten protectors—each as powerful as a Tier-5 Peak lifeform—guarding him, Jay felt secure enough to proceed and activated║Spirit Web║.
As the skill took effect, countless fine, translucent tendrils of Spirit Energy extended outward from Jay, radiating in all directions. The tendrils multiplied rapidly, their numbers directly proportional to the amount of Spirit Energy infused into the skill.
From Jay's vantage point at the center, the tendrils spread across the Colosseum like an intricate, glowing web, connecting to the Spirit Spaces of every Alpha Chosen within the Colosseum.
Before long, everyone in the Colosseum was mentally connected to Jay through the Spirit Web. No one retaliated, abiding by Jay's earlier warning, as MJ collectively scanned their Spirit Spaces for seed remnants.
The process was arduous, but for MJ, it was merely a matter of minutes. Meanwhile, Jay took note of the strongest individuals among the Alpha Chosen. Many were ranked within the top 1,000 Power Rankings. Having such individuals on his side would be invaluable, but Jay held off on extending any invitations—he planned to address that at the end of the Tournament.
The entire process went without a hitch. Strangely, Urzo made no attempt to repossess anyone or interfere with Jay's actions.
During this time, Wibbit, the Tournament Manager, regained consciousness. As his memories pieced together, cold sweat drenched him. The realization that he had been possessed and forced into a mano-a-mano battle with Jay was staggering.
Wibbit trembled at the thought. If not for Jay's restraint, he would have died a dozen times over.
'Becoming a Tournament Manager shouldn't have been this dangerous…' Wibbit thought bitterly, his heart racing. A newly budding galaxy had produced individuals far stronger than him just twenty days into the Trial Program. It was incomprehensible.
'And this was only one continent. One. There are nine more Trial Continents, each likely harboring contenders as strong as Urzo… or even stronger,' Wibbit thought, the realization shocking him to his core.
As for Jay… Wibbit didn't dare compare him to anyone else. High in the sky, his silver hair drifting gently as he stood motionless with his eyes closed, Jay exuded a presence that made him seem untouchable.
'He must be the Omega Chosen… The one destined to greatness.' Wibbit mused, his mind racing.
Recalling the overwhelming strength Jay had demonstrated in his silver-haired form, Wibbit couldn't help but compare it to the might of the strongest person from his Sect.
'With that transformation, Jay's power rivals that of the Sect Leader… Although if the Sect Leader were to unleash his full strength, he could match a Tier-7 Low-Phase lifeform, and Jay wouldn't be able to defeat him—not yet.'
But as Wibbit watched Jay, an unshakable feeling stirred within him—a conviction.
"In an year... no... by the end of the Milky Way Trial Program, he'll surpass all the rulers of the ten factions in the Virgo Supercluster,' Wibbit thought, a mix of awe and trepidation gripping him.
'His stage won't be limited to mere Super Clusters. It'll be the Mega-Cluster level powerhouses... or perhaps even the Universe-level ones.'
The revamped version of Volume 1 is now live on Kindle. You can find it on Amazon by simply searching the book title. Thank you for your support, and I hope you enjoy the new edition!
Volume 2 Revamped Chapter Release Schedule
📅 Daily Releases – A revamped chapter will be released every day until Chapter 130.
These revamped chapters won't interfere with the usual chapter updates, ensuring consistent daily content for all readers.
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