Earth's Alpha Prime

The turmoil that had engulfed the Colosseum had dissipated, leaving an uneasy calm in its wake. Those not part of the 9th Batch had taken their seats in the arena's vast seating area, their eyes following the events unfolding below.

Teams from Batch 801 to 876—the final group—had already entered the Reality Emulators, embarking on their Round-1 Challenge. Despite the semblance of a traditional tournament atmosphere, the lingering tension betrayed the harrowing ordeal everyone had endured.

For many, the trauma was still fresh. They had been forced to fight, their lives hanging by a thread, their bodies moving against their will. Even now, a chill crept through their spines as they recalled the two names etched into their memories.

One was Urzo, whose presence struck terror in their hearts. The other was Jay, whose strength defied logic had shattered Urzo's hold over them without spilling unnecessary blood—a feat that seemed surreal.

From time to time, glances darted toward Jay and the nine other teams seated beside his Earth team. The protection barrier that had enveloped those teams during the earlier clash had kept them untouched by the carnage—a stark contrast to the others' peril. 

Jealousy and admiration mingled in the minds of the onlookers. No team in the Colosseum could deny the appeal of having Jay as their ally. Urzo had been their living nightmare, and with Jay saving them all, he became their beacon of salvation.

What stood out most, however, was Jay's lack of demands. He had not sought tribute or submission. He had liberated them without strings attached, cementing their reverence.

Jay himself sat apart from the murmuring crowd, his eyes closed in a contemplative calm. His thoughts were not on the ongoing Tournament but on the conversation he had shared with Urzo not long ago.

Purging near 8,000 Possession Seeds had been a grueling task. Even with MJ handling most of the heavy lifting and aiding in locating the Seed Remnants within each Alpha Chosen, the sheer magnitude of the endeavor had drained the majority of his Spirit Energy reserves.

Yet, he pressed on, and just as he prepared to destroy the final seed remnant, a Possession Seed emerged through it. Strangely, it made no attempt to seize its host. 

Instead, it served as a medium for Urzo to communicate with him—a calm, composed voice that was a stark contrast to the wrathful tone Jay had encountered during their first clash or the fiery declarations of war that had followed.

While Jay tred to decipher the meaning behind its unexpected shift in tone, Urzo had begun with an admission, a tone almost casual, as though speaking to an acquaintance. 

'I'm impressed, Jay. Beyond impressed. Despite my every scheme, despite thousands attacking you at once, you still won. From beginning to end, you had everything under control. Consider me thoroughly impressed.'

At first, Jay stayed silent, his caution outweighing the urge to respond. The drastic shift in Urzo's demeanor was unsettling.

This was coming from the same person who had once vowed to inflict a hundredfold torment on him for destroying a single Possession Seed. Yet now, after losing not just one but about 700 of those seeds—fragments of his very soul, each loss a searing agony—Urzo sounded... unbothered. Almost reflective.

Urzo continued, his tone tinged with curiosity, 'I've been keeping track of you, Jay. You've granted those sigils of yours to fewer than a hundred people, yet the sheer amount of skills and abilities doesn't add up. It doesn't make sense at all…. Unless…'

He trailed off, almost as if he were piecing together a puzzle. Then, with a note of realization, he said, 

'Unless you have another way. Unless you can… take innate talents or skills from those you kill.'

Jay's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected Urzo to piece together his secret so quickly. His silence was all the confirmation Urzo needed.

'Ah,' Urzo said, his tone almost amused. 'Your silence says it all. You really can take the talents of those you kill. What a terrifying ability. No wonder you're this strong. Now it all makes sense.'n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

He let out a soft chuckle, as though amused by some private joke. 'Looks like I never really had a chance against you. Maybe if I weren't placed in the same trial region or even the same continent as you, I could've gathered enough forces to challenge you in the final tournament on Day 30. But even then… I doubt it.'

His voice shifted, becoming almost contemplative, as though he were carefully following a thought to its logical end.

'Your ability doesn't just stop there, does it? You don't just take talents; you enhance them. You make them greater. If I had known this earlier…' He trailed off, a bitter laugh escaping him, 'If I had known, I wouldn't have handed you the Unique Talent, NEUTRALIZER, on a silver platter. What a fool I was.'

As if a sudden thought had occurred to him, Urzo suggested a deal.'How about this? In the final tournament, if you defeat me, I'll become your subordinate. But if I defeat you, you'll let me possess you.'

Jay's response was immediate and unwavering. 'Where does your confidence come from when you've already lost to me once?'

Urzo remained unfazed, a subtle trace of amusement weaving through his response.

'This might sound like a foolish and desperate offer. But consider this: although I've been set back—starting over from scratch on the 4th Continent and losing nearly one-tenth of my Possession Seeds—I still have the capacity to gather about 9,000 more. 

This time, however, I won't waste them on the weak. I'll wait until the final tournament begins and then focus on the strongest competitors the Trial World has to offer. Regaz, Drogor, and the other top-10 Power Rankers—I'll start with them. I doubt any of them have Spirit Attribute Stats superior to mine or the ability to resist my possession.'

He let the weight of his words settle before continuing. 'Even if you grow strong enough to defeat them all, it won't be as one-sided as today. There will be casualties. With lives lost by your hand, the Trial System will disqualify you from becoming the Alpha Prime. As the next best candidate, I'll claim the title and rule over the Trial World. And when that happens, you will have no choice but to serve me.'

He then added with a mockingly generous tone, 'Of course, I'll treat you well. You'll be my most prized possession and my second-in-command.'

Jay's eyes narrowed, his voice calm but sharp. 'And what of those who oppose your rule? What happens to the ones who refuse to bow to you or whose lives don't align with serving your goals?'

Urzo's tone grew colder, more ruthless, as he replied. 'I'll eliminate them. Only those who swear their loyalty to me will remain. The others? I will purge them all. Their defiance will be their undoing.'

Jay's voice cut through Urzo's chilling pronouncement. 'And what about the home planets of the Alpha Chosen? How will they prepare for the inevitable monster invasions that come with System Assimilation? And what of the Beta and Gamma Chosen who'll join after Day 30? Will you rule over them with the same iron fist?'

Urzo laughed, a low, sinister sound. 'Their fate will be the same as anyone else who dares oppose me. Those who resist will die and the Beta and Gamma Chosen will be dealt with accordingly—either they follow me, or they perish. As for their home planets, I don't care what happens to them.'

Urzo's tone shifted abruptly, growing sharper, like a blade drawn from its sheath. 'But let me tell you this, Jay—you're indecisiveness makes you unsuitable to rule. You hesitate to kill. You try to lead without fear. That weakness will be your downfall. Do you think everyone will just obey you? Of course not. They'll scheme, backstab, and tear you apart the moment you show weakness. You've seen my memories, haven't you? You should know what I've gone through. My survival came from strength, from making others fear me. Without that, you are doomed to fail.'

Jay stayed quiet, his mind churning with a storm of thoughts as he processed Urzo's grim vision of leadership and power. The weight of the conversation lingered, and though he disagreed with Urzo's philosophy, he couldn't entirely dismiss its origins.

Through the Possession Seeds, Jay had seen all the memories of Urzo's past. He had endured unimaginable pain and grief, circumstances that had forged him into the ruthless, calculating man he had become.

Jay could understand the thought process behind Urzo's cruelty, even though he found it deeply reprehensible. Unlike Urzo, Jay had no desire to claim power through the blood of innocents. Only those who directly threatened his life or his followers would face his wrath.

Urzo's voice echoed one last time before their connection ended, softened to an almost wistful tone. 'Until our paths cross again, my dear enemy.' With that, the final Possession Seed crumbled to nothing, and the communication link between them was severed.

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Author Note: 

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!

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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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