Jay listened carefully, processing their words, but he didn't respond immediately. Instead, he activated║SOUL EYES║to probe their thoughts. As their minds opened to him, he realized their thoughts were in their native language, which he didn't yet understand.
Undeterred, Jay began extracting the memories associated with their language-learning experiences. Within seconds, the knowledge flowed into him, granting him a basic understanding of their tongue.
As Jay silently absorbed this information, the male Atlan seemed to grow impatient. He shouted in a commanding tone, "If you don't come out in the next three seconds, we will use force to take you with us! You can abandon any hope of escaping."
The female Atlan hesitated, then spoke in a calmer voice, addressing her companion in their native language. "Senior Brother, this person seems to be at Level 25, the same as us. His combat prowess is unknown. Shouldn't we wait for reinforcements before engaging in a fight?"
The male scoffed and replied dismissively. "Hmph! Junior Sister, even though this Alpha Chosen from another trial zone is at the same level as us, how could he possibly contend with us underwater? If you ask me, just one of us would be more than enough to handle him."
Jay listened carefully to their conversation. The exchange revealed much about their personalities. The female, cautious and prudent, clearly preferred to avoid unnecessary risks.
The male, in contrast, was brash and overconfident, dismissing the possibility of a serious threat. Jay smirked slightly as he realized their║Analyse║skill had only gleaned his name and level.
With this skill already at Level 10, the peak of the Uncommon grade, Jay knew they had no real understanding of his true capabilities.
Jay barely acknowledged the Atlans' threat. Despite his weakened state, his stats still rivaled those of a Tier-3 Low-Phase lifeform. In the past minute, he had recovered enough stamina and spirit energy to easily handle the two Level 25 Alpha Chosen if needed.
The male Atlan's confidence in his superiority underwater amused Jay, as the Atlan clearly had no idea about Jay's passive skills that allowed him to move freely in aquatic environments.
If Jay had wanted to kill them, he had several methods at his disposal. Yet, he chose restraint, opting instead to play along.
Stepping out of his makeshift rock cave, Jay raised his hands above his head in a gesture universally understood as surrender.
The Atlans reacted immediately. While the female cautiously observed him, clearly wary of his unknown capabilities, the male scoffed arrogantly. "At least you know what's best for you," he sneered.
The female Atlan slowly approached Jay, her harpoon ready but her expression was more analytical than hostile. Jay could sense her caution—her inability to glean his stats had made her wary.
Keeping her voice steady, she said, "Please put your hands forward without any sudden movements. I am going to use a skill to ensure you cannot retaliate until we reach the Sea Lord."
Jay complied, extending his hands slowly as requested. The female Atlan murmured the words 'Aqua Prison,' and the water around Jay condensed into a large, two-meter-tall oval bubble that engulfed him. From the inner walls of the bubble, water shackles sprang out, binding his wrists and ankles. The restraints restricted his movement, trapping him in place.
To Jay's mild surprise, the skill was impressive. It was strong enough to completely suppress a peak Tier-2 lifeform, though it fell short of containing someone like him, whose overall attributes matched a Tier-3 Low-Phase lifeform. Nonetheless, he decided to play along, feigning immobility as if the restrictions held him firmly.
The female Atlan visibly relaxed, letting out a small sigh of relief as she placed her hand on the oval-shaped Aqua Prison. Satisfied, she nodded to her companion, signaling that their target was secure.
Without further delay, both Atlans activated a movement skill in unison, chanting in their minds, 'Aqua Propulsion.' Instantly, water beneath their feet transformed into powerful jet streams, propelling them forward effortlessly.
The Aqua Prison moved along with them, carried by the same propulsion. Their movements were smooth and seamless, as if they were flying through the water rather than swimming and the water beneath their feet transformed into powerful jet streams, propelling their bodies effortlessly in the desired direction.
The Atlans moved through the water with remarkable speed, at nearly 50 meters per second—half the speed of a torpedo missile. They carved through the dense aquatic environment as if it posed no resistance.
Underwater, where drag and density made high-speed travel a challenge, this feat was nothing short of impressive. The prison of condensed water that held Jay followed seamlessly, propelled by the same force.
As they moved, Jay observed their surroundings and strangely none of the nearby aquatic monsters showed any sign of aggression, not toward the Atlans nor toward himself. This peculiarity gnawed at his curiosity.
Even in his restrained state, he delved into their memories to uncover the reason behind this strange phenomenon. Meanwhile, his body rested, passively recovering his Spirit Energy and Stamina.
Over the course of the next twenty minutes, their memories unraveled before him, painting a vivid picture of their world, their race, and the figure they referred to as the 'Sea Lord.'
With each passing second, Jay's understanding deepened, and by the time the journey reached its midpoint, he not only gained perfect mastery over their native tongue but also a profound comprehension of their history and society.
The Atlans were a remarkable race. Their population was sparse, yet they had managed to create a highly advanced civilization—one that surpassed Earth's humanity in many ways. Their home, the planet Atlanis, was a world entirely submerged underwater, half the size of Earth but teeming with life.
Unlike Earth, however, the intelligent Atlans were vastly outnumbered. The oceans of Atlanis were dominated by countless aggressive sea creatures, making up more than 99% of the planet's population.
For centuries, survival had been a brutal struggle. The Atlans had fought endless wars against the aquatic beasts that sought to destroy them. It was a desperate existence, and in those early days, the Atlans were little more than prey. But over time, they proved their resilience.
Centuries of hardship birthed ingenuity, and their greatest invention—Water Source technology—became their salvation. This breakthrough allowed them to craft weapons and defenses capable of holding back the relentless tides of monstrous sea life.
Relying on the Water Source technology, the Atlans managed to endure despite their sparse population. However, their technological advancement was constrained by limited resources and the relentless threats of countless aggressive monsters, preventing them from ascending to the top of their planet's food chain.
Faced with a common enemy, they had no room for infighting or division. There was no discrimination among their kind, no hierarchy born of prejudice or privilege.
Instead, their positions in society were determined solely by merit—military achievements, technological innovations, and contributions to their race's survival. It was a pragmatic, fiercely egalitarian approach, held together by necessity and mutual respect.
At the helm of their society was the Sea Lord, a title bestowed upon the most accomplished of their kind. Every generation, a select few with the greatest contributions to their race were nominated as candidates for the position. Among them, the one who proved their worth through skill and leadership would ascend to become the next Sea Lord.
The current leader, known as the 357th Sea Lord, had earned his title through both strategic brilliance and military might. Before his rise to power, he had been a leader among the aquatic trial zone's Alpha Chosen, a testament to his capabilities.
Jay's understanding deepened as he learned of the connection between the Sea Lord and the Alpha Program. This generation's Sea Lord was not just a ruler but one of the Alpha Chosen selected from Planet Atlanis.
Being aquatic lifeforms, every member of the Atlan race obtained a Water Innate Talent. However, compared to the Earth's Alpha Chosen, where nearly everyone had Grade-8 Innate Talents, the Atlans' lineup wasn't as impressive.
Among the eleven Atlans in their Trial Zone, six had Grade-6 Water Innate Talents, four had Grade-7 ones, and only their Sea Lord possessed a Grade-8 Water Innate Talent.
The Sea Lord, as their leader, had been the first to adapt to the trials. Quick to rally the other Atlans, he led their efforts to survive in the Trial world.
Yet, unlike Earth's Chosen, who had all managed to survive the chaotic first days of the Trial Program, the Atlans suffered losses. Within the initial two days, three of their own had fallen to the monstrous threats that lurked in their trial zone.
However, their weakness was short-lived. Banding together, they hunted monsters as a group, steadily growing stronger with each encounter. The Sea Lord, wielding his Grade-8 Water Innate Talent, became the cornerstone of their survival.
By the end of the sixth day, he had ascended to Tier-3 and earned a spot among the Alpha Rankers, securing the 870th position on the║Trial World Leaderboard║.
As Jay thought about meeting the Sea Lord, his interest grew—not because of the Sea Lord's rank among the top 1000 Alpha Chosen, but because of a particular Spirit Item he possessed: the Monster Camouflage Grail. This item granted a special buff, allowing its user to blend into the ecosystem and be perceived as a fellow monster for a limited period.
From the memories Jay had extracted, he learned that the Sea Lord had received the Monster Camouflage Grail as a reward upon reaching Tier-3 and breaking into the Alpha Rankings.
Using its effects, the Sea Lord provided the Monster Camouflage Buff to the other Atlans, making them virtually invisible to the monsters in their Trial Zone. This explained why the aquatic beasts ignored them, even when they moved in close proximity.
The idea of obtaining such a powerful item intrigued Jay. He began devising a plan to get his hands on the Monster Camouflage Grail.
Just as his thoughts were settling into a strategy, the group arrived at their destination. Jay's lips curled into a faint smirk. The thought of coming face to face with the Sea Lord—a Tier-3 Low-Phase lifeform—didn't worry him in the slightest.
His 25-minute weakened state was mere moments from ending, and with it, all his five main attribute stats would be restored to their full glory.
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Author Note:
Exciting news! 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. (Jan 1st to 30th)
These revamped chapters won't interfere with the usual chapter updates.
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Exclusive artwork for every free chapter is now available on my PATRE0N page! You can find the link in my Discord server.
The first ten to comment for new chapter releases will get '1 ADVANCED CHAPTER' for free on Earth Alpha Prime's Discord server.
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Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :
https://discord.gg/maQC7xDBYZ
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