Jay entered the Rest house, spotting Dante and Kensei seated together in the midst of a conversation. Noticing his arrival, Dante's eyes lit up, and he sprang toward Jay with excitement. "Jay, guess what? I broke through to Stage-4 Mastery!" he exclaimed.
Jay smiled. Although he had already heard the news from MJ, he acted surprised. "Congratulations!!" he said warmly.
He followed up with a teasing remark, "Please don't tell me your fourth Exclusive Skill also involves you needing to hurt yourself."
Dante let out an awkward laugh, his expression betraying a mix of amusement and helplessness. "I haven't unlocked it yet, but let's hope not," he said with a wry smile.
Jay reached into his Inventory Storage and pulled out a small, sleeveless charcoal-grey piece of armor. It was so tiny that it looked like it would fit a human baby. With a flick of telekinesis, he floated it over to Dante.
"Here you go," Jay said. "A congratulatory gift for crossing the 1st Universe Limit."
Dante caught the armor and examined its details. His eyes widened in amazement when he realized what it was, a growth-type equipment, far from just an ordinary piece of armor.
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║Aegis Lifeward║⧼Growth Type Armor⧽
A bio-integrable armor imbued with the essence of a Sovereign Heart, forged by a a peak Tier-9 master craftsman skilled in both forging and enchantment. This armor acts as a health reserve, absorbing incoming damage and acting as an external buffer that prevents harm from reaching the wearer. Requirements: 150 Str, 150 Agi, 300 End, 300 Vit, 150 Spr
Effect: Str + 75✦ | Agi + 75 | End + 150✦ | Vit + 150✦ | Spr + 75✦
1st Armour Form: Full Body Armour
2nd Armour Form: Sealed
3rd Armour Form: Sealed
Health Reservoir (Passive)
The armor serves as an additional health reserve, absorbing damage before it impacts the wearer's Vitality. It can store up to 50% of the wearer's total health in the form of absorbed damage, which is depleted as the wearer takes damage. As long as the Health Reserve is active, the wearer suffers no direct damage to their Vitality.
Pain Mitigation (Passive):
The armor reduces the pain felt from injuries by 50%, allowing the wearer to function more effectively despite physical harm. While the wearer still experiences the consequences of injuries (such as reduced mobility or stamina), the intense and debilitating pain is significantly reduced, enabling the wearer to continue fighting with greater clarity.
Resilient Shield (Active)
Activates the armor's health reserves, temporarily boosting the Health Reserve to 80% of the wearer's total health for 20 seconds. During this time, the wearer is immune to debuffs (such as pain-related penalties) and can continue to fight without being overwhelmed by damage. The Resilient Shield can be used once every 60 seconds.
Eternal Endurance (Passive):
The armor siphons a portion of damage that would normally affect the wearer's health, redirecting it into the Health Reserve. This reduces the damage the wearer takes by 10% at all times, allowing them to endure longer in battle without exhausting their true health.
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Dante recognized the armour immediately. He had seen Aegis Lifeward before while browsing the Achievement Store, searching for Spirit Equipment that could help reduce the adverse effects of using his skill,║FATE SHOWDOWN║.
It was one of the best options available to match his needs. However, it was a Growth-type equipment that cost hundreds of Universe Points, far beyond what he could afford, with no hope of obtaining it anytime soon.
Now, not only had Jay gifted him this incredible armor, but he had also upgraded it to Epic Grade, tailoring all its skills to perfectly suit Dante's weakness.
Dante stood in stunned silence, unsure of how to respond. Finally, he stammered, "I can't accept this… it's way too expensive to take as a gift."
Jay waved his hand dismissively, his expression casual. "I already have good enough armor, and besides, there are no refunds in the Achievement Store. If you don't use it, it'll just go to waste. Just take it."
Dante hesitated, clutching the armor tightly. He could tell Jay wasn't going to take it back, no matter what he said. After a brief pause, he nodded in gratitude, his voice soft but earnest. "Thank you."
As the initial shock faded, Dante shifted the topic, asking, "When should I start my evolution?"
Jay thought for a moment before replying, "Ideally, you should wait until the rest period after the Tournament ends. That would be the safest time."
Noticing Dante's barely contained excitement, Jay added, "But if you're eager to evolve, you could do it right after Round-2. We can handle Round-3 without you."
Dante considered this but ultimately decided to wait until after the Tournament. He didn't want to risk unnecessary complications, like someone issuing a challenge while he was mid-evolution. That could count as a loss if he couldn't participate in the duel, and he had no intention of letting his team down.
Jay considered Dante's concerns but didn't voice his own thoughts. He didn't think any team would be foolish enough to challenge the Earth team.
He no longer dwelled on it and instead focused on another idea: granting Dante an Origin Sigil. However, his attempt failed once more, and the same notification appeared, stating that his Origin Energy Mastery was insufficient.
This confirmed Jay's hypothesis—Unique Talents has a hierarchy among themselves. With his 3% mastery over Origin Energy, he had managed to loot║NEUTRALIZER║and engrave an Origin Sigil on Zeix's Innate Talent.
Yet, he couldn't do the same for Dante's║FATE INTERVENTION║. This disparity hinted at Dante's Talent running high in the Unique Talent hierarchy.
Jay glanced at Dante, who was now bonding with the armour. The Aegis Lifeward began expanding and shifting as Dante held it, its intricate design coming to life. His shirt tore apart under the strain as the armor stretched, adjusting seamlessly to fit his upper body, leaving only his head and arms uncovered.
It was as if the armor had been custom-tailored for him. More remarkably, it started to merge with his skin, melting into his body in a manner reminiscent of how Centaur Kavach had bonded with Jay.
Dante braced himself as a sharp wave of pain coursed through him. Jay observed calmly, unsurprised by the similarity. Aegis Lifeward was also a bio-integrable armor, crafted by the same blacksmith who had forged his own. This shared origin had been a pleasant surprise for Jay when he first discovered it.
Back then, during the Corins' campaign to conquer Obelisks, Jay had achieved an incredible feat: conquering 20 Obelisks in a single day, early in the Trial Program.
That accomplishment had unlocked several achievements and earned him Universe Points—around 1,500 in total. Jay had used 400 of those points to purchase the Growth-type armour for Dante.
Jay didn't want to see Dante suffer every time he used║FATE SHOWDOWN║, a skill that forced him to inflict harm on himself to damage his target.
Providing Dante with the Aegis Lifeward was Jay's way of ensuring his friend wouldn't need to push himself to the brink of death every time he used that ability.
As Dante underwent the bonding process, Kensei looked on in awe at Jay's extravagance. A Growth-type piece of equipment wasn't just rare—it was absurdly expensive in the Achievement Point Store, yet Jay had gifted it as casually as if it were a common item.
Dante endured the searing pain for several long seconds before it finally subsided. Exhausted, he collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.
When the process was complete, the only visible trace of the armor was a palm-sized, charcoal-grey tattoo on his chest. The tattoo was shaped like a circular shield with a lifelike heart at its center, pulsing faintly as though alive.
Jay stepped forward, offering a hand. Dante grabbed it, letting Jay help him to his feet. "Uff… that was exhausting," Dante admitted, "but worth it."
Jay smiled knowingly. "Indeed. Mine was no different. Now, come on—try it out. Or do you plan to stay shirtless for much longer?"
Dante's face flushed with embarrassment at the remark, while Kensei stifled a short giggle, clearly amused by his discomfort.
Regaining his composure, Dante nodded and focused on the tattoo. As someone who already possessed a Growth-type equipment, Deck of Fate, he understood the process and willed the armor to manifest.
The tattoo began to glow, the heart at its center pulsing vividly. From it, plates of the shield emerged one by one, assembling seamlessly over his upper body, sparing his arms.
When Dante touched the armor, the sensation startled him—it felt as though he were touching his own skin. The warmth, the texture, even the faint pressure of his fingers were startlingly lifelike. The armor felt so natural, so perfectly integrated, that he barely noticed it once it settled.
Jay could relate with Dante, having experienced something similar when he began sensing touch and warmth through his armors as if they were his own skin.
He shared his insights to help Dante adapt more quickly to the Aegis Lifeward. Once their conversation concluded, Jay parted ways with him and returned to his room.
He didn't begin cultivating his Origin Physique immediately. Instead, he focused on synchronizing with the Masteries of the new joinees, starting with the Minor ORIGIN SIGIL holders.
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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