By the time Jay returned to the Rest House allotted for the Earth Team, a crowd had gathered outside. As he emerged from Phantom Form, appearing as if out of thin air, the group stirred, their murmurs falling into silence as all eyes turned to him.
Jay surveyed the gathering. Most of them were teams from the same Trial Region as him: the Owlites, Silephians, Tilephians, and Centaurs. Even without using his mind-reading abilities, he could easily guess why they were there. He stood silently, his expression calm, waiting for someone to speak.
Seath, Vorqen, Tyuk, and Vral stepped forward from the group. Together, they knelt before Jay, their movements synchronized and deliberate. Seath was the first to speak, his gaze fixed downward as his fist pressed against his chest. "We all wish to become core members of your faction, Great Warrior. Please, grant us this chance."
The rest of the group echoed his plea, their voices merging in unison. Jay watched them for a moment, his face unreadable as silence settled over the scene. The weight of the moment pressed down on the gathering.
Finally, Jay broke the silence. "Urzo is still out there," he said, his tone even. "The danger he poses—and that I have complete control over your Talents—hasn't changed. So, what has?"
Jay already knew the answer, but he wanted them to acknowledge it aloud—to recognize that their former standing was no longer the same. Now, he had numerous teams of comparable strength, and even a few stronger than theirs, to consider as potential Sigil Holders.
They understood the implication behind Jay's words. The shift in their status was undeniable, brought about by the overwhelming display of power Jay had shown earlier.
He had singlehandedly countered Urzo's formidable abilities and effortlessly subdued all the Tournament Participants that were forced to attack him.
The announcement notifications that followed only solidified this realization: Jay had conquered an astounding twenty Obelisks in just two hours. Though they knew this was largely due to MJ, his loyal AI companion, the credit still fell to Jay.
Moreover, their team's ranking barely placed them within the Top 25, and they weren't confident about advancing to Round 3, let alone securing a spot among the final Top 10.
While the four of them were ranked among the top 100 Alpha Rankers individually, their prowess alone wasn't enough to carry a team whose other members struggled to keep pace.
Though many of these teams lacked individuals with scores as high as theirs, their cohesive and well-rounded performance enabled them to outshine competitors and achieve higher overall rankings.
Seeing Pompa's team, once their equals—now sitting comfortably in 6th place, just behind Atlans and Lycanthropes, underscored the vast gulf that had opened between them.
The realization hit hard: if they failed to make a decisive move and secure the position of Sigil Holders, that gap would only continue to widen, leaving them further behind.
Vral, the female Centaur, stepped forward with a resolute demeanor. Her sharp, steady gaze locked onto Jay as she responded to his query, her voice firm and unwavering despite the vulnerability behind her words. "We wish to grow stronger, to rise above our limits and stand at the summit with you, Sire. Our efforts alone won't be enough—we see that now. Without your guidance, the gap between us and those at the top will only widen."
Jay let her words hang in the air, observing not just Vral but the others who had gathered around. His eyes moved deliberately over the faces in the crowd, pausing briefly on Yinad and his team—the Verunov Team.
Unlike a day ago, Yinad was now completely under Urzo's control, a result of Urzo's advancement to Tier-5, which elevated his Spirit stats above Yinad's.
Despite being one of the top 10 Alpha Rankers—an elite among the Alpha Prime Prospects—Yinad's presence had amounted to little in the recent battle. Like everyone else, he had been helpless before Jay's overwhelming might. Though compelled to act, the harsh reality was undeniable: before Jay, he amounted to nothing more than a minor inconvenience.
The only reason he was still alive was because Jay hadn't intended to kill anyone who stood against him. Having witnessed Jay's dominance firsthand, Yinad now saw joining Jay's faction as an unmissable opportunity—not just for himself, but for his entire team and his Trial Region.
After all, Jay was indisputably the strongest Alpha Chosen in the Trial World—and not just by a small margin. The gap between him and the others was so vast that it seemed insurmountable. The Power Index on the Trial World Leaderboard stood as undeniable proof for that.
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Trial World Leaderboard
Jay (Earth) [Power Index: 500]
Regaz (Gharek) [Power Index: 250]
Drogor (Mogret) [Power Index: 279]
Urzo (Guastea) [Power Index: 250]
Phosseh (Ratov) [Power Index: 206]
Dante (Earth) [Power Index: 184]
Yinad (Verunov)[Power Index: 128]
Elqai (Izuid) [Power Index: 144]
Illis (Thulovi) [Power Index: 122]
Idran (Crypso) [Power Index: 132]
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While Regaz and Urzo had ascended to the peak of Tier-5 in terms of power, Drogor had already crossed into the domain of Tier-6 lifeforms. Yet even Drogor paled in comparison to Jay. Standing firmly at the apex of Tier-6, Jay was approximately 250 levels ahead of them—a staggering gap that underscored his unrivaled dominance.
In stark contrast, Yinad was barely clinging to his position in the Top 10. It was only a matter of time before he would be overtaken by others, slipping further down the rankings, and potentially out of the Alpha Prime Prospects altogether.
Jay saw through Yinad's growing insecurity but chose to remain silent, turning his attention instead to the last of the assembled crowd.
Among them stood two additional teams, including the Guastea Team. Jay's sharp gaze seemed to pierce through their intentions, reading their minds as if they were open books and already knew exactly why they were there.
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.
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Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :
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