Earth's Alpha Prime

After careful deliberation, Drogor weighed the risks of disclosure and ultimately chose to proceed.

"I learned about Regaz from Idran of the Cipher Guild," he began. "The same way I learned about you—and that you possess the ability to use others' Innate Talents through some kind of Sigils."

Jay's eyes narrowed at the mention of Idran. He recognized the name instantly; after all, Idran was ranked tenth on the Power Rankings. Yet the Cipher Guild was unfamiliar to him, as was the unsettling revelation that they had knowledge about him.

Sensing Jay's confusion, Drogor offered clarity. "It's reasonable that you wouldn't have heard of the Cipher Guild. It's a relatively obscure faction for now. Idran, the one who founded it, is an acquaintance of mine. We hail from the same Trial Region. His Innate Talent allows him to uncover information about anything—or anyone—he chooses. The Cipher Guild specializes in selling such knowledge, and I suspect that by the end of the Trial Program, it will emerge as a major force within the Trial World."

Jay listened intently, absorbing every word. It was mind-opening to imagine an ability so potent it could extract knowledge at will. Then again, he reminded himself, the Trial World was brimming with Innate Talents, each as extraordinary as the next. The ones he already possessed were impressive enough on their own.

Lokesh's Innate Talent,║TRUTHBOUND║, came to mind as a prime example. Its premise was deceptively simple: maintaining an unbroken streak of truth-telling granted immense boosts to Health, Stamina, and Spirit Energy. 

The Talent's first Innate Exclusive Skill,║Universal Inquiry║, allowed Lokesh—and by extension, Jay—to confirm the truth about anything they questioned.

Of course, there were limitations. The skill could only be used four times per day. Jay surmised Idran's ability likely had similar restrictions, though Drogor had yet to elaborate on those details.

To be certain, Jay decided to use one of his daily four chances. He focused on Drogor's statements and silently triggered║Universal Inquiry║. Moments later, confirmation arrived, verifying that everything Drogor had said was true.

Drogor, sensing the weight behind the question, chose transparency to avoid unnecessary conflict. "Nothing beyond what I've already revealed," he admitted. "From the uproar you've caused by clearing four to five Obelisks per day, it's obvious you're the biggest hotshot in the Trial World right now. Naturally, people are eager to learn more about you—especially if they think you've discovered a secret to conquering Obelisks with ease."

He paused before continuing. "Idran shared the same curiosity. Using his Innate Talent, he tried to uncover everything he could about you. But, strangely, his ability didn't work on you. The only information he could gather came secondhand, from those around you. That's all."

After reaffirming that Drogor was telling the truth, Jay masked his relief behind a calm expression, though inwardly, he exhaled in ease. His most guarded secret—his ability to loot—had remained undiscovered. So far, those around him only assumed he could access the abilities of those with whom he shared Origin Sigils. Nothing more. Nothing about LOOT.

He didn't know whether to thank his skill,║Cloak of Nihility║, or credit his Unique Innate Talent for shielding him from Idran's prying. Either way, it was reassuring to know that even a talent as invasive as Idran's couldn't find much.

Shifting the conversation, Jay asked, "Have you joined the Cipher Guild, or are you considering it?"

Drogor smiled faintly and shook his head. "Idran made several enticing offers, but I turned them all down. How could I, the soon-to-be clan leader of the Draganoid Clan, subordinate myself to someone weaker than me?"

Jay seized the moment, speaking with a sly undertone. "Does that mean I qualify to have you in my faction?" The statement was indirect, but the invitation was unmistakable.

Drogor smirked, catching on immediately. "I admit, you bested me once—but don't assume that will happen again. I was caught off guard when my soul attack didn't work on you. If we were to fight again, the outcome wouldn't be so one-sided. Next time, I may very well turn the tables." His tone held a playful warning, his confidence undiminished. "So, don't slack off, Jay."

Jay held Drogor's gaze, a flicker of mutual respect passing between them. 

As the countdown in the Virtual Duel Arena approached its final seconds, Drogor delivered his parting words to Jay. "I'm looking forward to the Final Tournament," he said with a grin. "How about this? If you can defeat me then, I'll willingly become your subordinate. But if I defeat you, the same will apply to you."

Jay met Drogor's gaze, his expression calm and unreadable. He gave a single nod, silently agreeing to the proposal. Drogor's grin widened, his excitement evident.

Before either could say more, the timer hit zero, and both were forcibly ejected from their respective Reality Emulators, ending their time in the Virtual Duel Arena.

Jay found himself back in his residence in Earth's Foothold. The transition left him slightly drained; every action in the Virtual Duel Arena mirrored real-world movements through the Reality Emulator, and the toll was evident. 

Fortunately, his passive regeneration had already kicked in, and he knew it wouldn't take long to return to peak condition.

Drogor's challenge lingered briefly in his mind, but Jay didn't dwell on it. By Day-30, his growth would far outpace what it was now, and the odds of losing were minimal. 

Instead, his thoughts turned to Regaz, whose enigmatic presence stirred his curiosity. Even so, he set it aside for now, focusing on the immediate task at hand.

With roughly fifteen minutes remaining until the meeting he had planned, Jay made his way to the spacious plaza at the center of the Earth's Foothold. There, the ten Trial Zone Teams that had qualified for the Second Tournament had already assembled.

A total of eighty-six individuals stood in the plaza, each one displaying a mix of anticipation and curiosity. At the heart of the gathering, Baby MJ moved efficiently through the crowd, handing each participant a rectangular sheet of paper, about the size of a smartphone.

Inscribed on each sheet were the words 'Soul Protection Charm' written in an elegant Genonian Language.

The recipients examined the charms with puzzled expressions, unsure of their purpose or how to use them. Yet, none voiced their questions aloud. As they noticed Jay approaching, a quiet hush fell over the group, all awaiting his explanation with silent respect.

≿━━━━━━༺❀

Author Note: 

Exclusive artwork for every free chapter is now available on my PATRE0N page! You can find the link in my Discord server.

I'm thrilled to share that I'm taking a big leap forward! Alongside Earth's Alpha Prime, I've launched the first sub-book for EAP.

ALTER REALITY: Online

≿━━━━━━༺❀

The first ten to comment for new chapter releases will get '1 ADVANCED CHAPTER' for free on Earth Alpha Prime's Discord server.

In the discord server, I opened a private channel for those Top 10 candidates, where I posted the respective Advanced Chapter.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ──

Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :

.gg/maQC7xDBYZ

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ──

THIS CHAPTER UPLOAD FIRST AT NOVELBIN.COM