When the nine others on the Guastea team learned that Zeix had become a Sigil Holder and wouldn't have to worry about being possessed by Urzo again, they all wanted to do the same.
They saw it as their only way to escape Urzo's control, especially since they would be sent to their home planet during rest periods, where they were likely to encounter him.
Even if they tried to hide, they couldn't be sure they would stay out of reach from someone who could possess anyone and plant possession seeds through inanimate objects.
Jay had planned to bring this up later, but since they approached him themselves, it was even better. He could make them Rudimentary ORIGIN SIGIL Holders, which would block Urzo from possessing them.
While this wouldn't make them strong enough to survive if Urzo decided to eliminate them, they remained safe for now because Urzo needed them to perform well in the Final Tournament. This reliance served as their shield—for the moment.
However, that safety would vanish if Jay chose to suppress them or empower other teams enough to push the Guastea Team out of the Top 10, disqualifying them from the Final Tournament. In such a scenario, Urzo would have no reason to spare their lives.
Without the possession seeds embedded within them, Urzo could no longer control them directly, and their scores were bound to plummet as a result. This presented a grave problem, as their very survival hinged on maintaining their place in the Top 10.
They were acutely aware of their precarious position and grew increasingly anxious, wondering whether Jay would allow them to become Sigil Holders—or whether this would mark their end.
Meanwhile, Jay deliberated over his next move. If he chose to leave the Guastea Team to their fate, they would inevitably drop out of the Top 10 and face Urzo's wrath, likely resulting in their deaths.
The safer bet, Jay reasoned, was to ensure the Guastea Team's qualification for the Final Tournament. That way, he could confront Urzo directly when the time came, under circumstances he could better control.
After deliberating on his next move, Jay turned his attention to the final team, focusing on the Time Talent user who had once been controlled by Urzo to trap him immediately after exiting the Reality Emulator. Though the attempt had failed, the encounter left a strong impression on Jay.
If not for the Origin Glaive, escaping that situation would have been real hard. That single experience underscored the sheer power of the time-related restraint ability used against him.
His gaze settled on the Time Talent user, a six-foot-tall female with two glowing sapphire eyes that seemed to pierce through everything. Long jet-black hair cascaded down her back, complementing her sleek, bioluminescent skin that shimmered faintly. Four agile arms extended from her lean, muscular body, each ending in sharp, claw-tipped fingers.
Jay's mind sifted through the vast repository of memories he had accessed during the first two-thirds of Round-1. From the wealth of information he had gathered, one name surfaced—Tiris.
Not only did she possess a Time Innate Talent, but she also wielded a Variant Category Talent, allowing her to unleash attacks far beyond what a Tier-4 Mid-Phase lifeform could typically achieve.
Her Time Innate Talent and Variant Category Talent,║AMPLIFIER║, were both at Grade-6. However, when used together, their combined effect was so potent that it elevated her to the level of those wielding Grade-9 talents.
Through her Variant Talent, she could temporarily amplify any skill to achieve several levels beyond her normal capacity. It was this very ability that enabled her to trap Jay in a time glitch, despite his stats being over a Tier higher than hers.
Aside from Tiris, every member of her team possessed either a Time Innate Talent or a Space Innate Talent. These abilities were so rare that, in Jay's Trial Region, only Seath, Min-soo, and a few others wielded them. Yet, remarkably, every member of a single team had one of these extraordinary talents.
Jay gestured for Tiris and her team to approach. The unexpected signal left Tiris momentarily stunned, but she and her team quickly complied, moving closer to him under the watchful gazes of the other teams.
Jay looked at Tiris and her team and asked, "You lot are here to join my faction too?"
Tiris, still unsettled by the unexpected attention, hesitated before meekly nodding. Her team members, eager to affirm, nodded even more enthusiastically.
Jay continued, "If any of you don't want to deal with the restrictions that come with becoming Sigil Holders, you can join as outer members instead."
There was no confusion to everyone present about what he meant by "Outer Members." By now, nearly everyone on Tournament Island had heard of the three divisions within Jay's faction: the Outer, Inner, and Core Members.
At the start of the break, Jay strategically deployed Atlans, Lycanthropes, and Horned Beetles to subtly spread the word about his faction.
They spoke of how contributions to the faction would earn members Reward Points, which could be exchanged for a vast array of benefits, from purchasing rare spirit items to advancing their levels.
They also highlighted the exclusive perks enjoyed by Inner and Core members, carefully stoking the participants' ambitions. The promise of such rewards fueled a strong desire among the Tournament Participants to become Sigil Holders, a prerequisite for attaining the coveted Inner and Core member status.
For those unwilling or unable to take that route, the alternative to becoming Inner or Core members lay in amassing enough Reward Points through consistent contributions to the faction.
The news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching the ears of several participants. However, only a cautious few gathered outside the Earth Team's Rest house, driven by a herd mentality.
Most preferred to wait and observe how things unfolded, unwilling to risk annoying Jay or the Earth Team and potentially landing on their bad side. Playing it safe seemed the wiser choice.
Tiris and her team, however, decided to take a leap of faith. They refused to dally, fearing that any delay might cost them valuable opportunities that could vanish if they hesitated too long.
When Jay mentioned the option of joining as Outer Members, Tiris spoke up, her words reflecting the shared thoughts of her team.
"We heard the Pinnacle Warrior is seeking those with rare talents. All my team members possess either Time or Space talents, and I myself wield a powerful Variant Category talent. We hope the Pinnacle Warrior will accept us as Sigil Holders. We'll give our best to contribute to the faction's growth," Tiris said, her tone steady yet edged with urgency.
By now, it was an open secret that Jay has the ability to utilize others' Innate Talents. It didn't take much to deduce that the Sigils he could grant were limited, making early commitment crucial for anyone hoping to secure a position as one of the faction's top members.
This understanding spurred an undercurrent of competition among participants, intensifying the allure of joining Jay's faction sooner rather than later.
Jay read their thoughts as easily as if they had spoken them aloud. While he hadn't anticipated such rapid results from the indirect marketing efforts led by Akor, Rex, and Pompa, the outcome was well within the realm of his expectations.
Jay couldn't help but find it strange that so many were addressing him by grandiose titles like Pinnacle Warrior, Great Warrior, Sire, and even O'Great One. The sheer variety of names left him feeling oddly out of place. It was clear he needed to establish a simple, unified title for his position. More importantly, he realized the faction itself needed a proper name to unify its growing ranks.
For now, he set those thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand. With a nod toward Tiris and her team, Jay activated║Spirit Web║, the same skill he had previously used to remove Urzo's Possession Seeds. This time, he wielded it to grant Origin Sigils effortlessly, bypassing the need for any physical contact.
Tiris received a Minor ORIGIN SIGIL, befitting her remarkable talents, while the rest of her team were bestowed Rudimentary ORIGIN SIGILS, along with the looted stats associated with their respective Sigils.
Jay extended the process to others gathered as well. Besides Tiris, only Yinad, Seath, Vorqen, Tyuk, and Vral were deemed worthy of receiving Minor ORIGIN SIGILS, while the rest were granted Rudimentary ones.
With his faction now expanded, Jay knew this was merely the beginning. As word spread, more would undoubtedly come seeking to join, driven by the allure of power and opportunity. Once the news spread, more and more would come seeking to join, and Jay looked forward to the influx of new members.
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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