ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝟚𝟙: 𝔈𝔭𝔦𝔠 𝔊𝔯𝔞𝔡𝔢 𝔖𝔨𝔦𝔩𝔩 ⓇⒺⓋⒶⓂⓅⒺⒹ

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Unlike the colossal announcement that filled the sky, broadcasting its message to every Alpha Chosen across the Trial Zones, the notifications Jay received were different.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

﴾ Congratulations! You attained a Galactic-Cluster Level Achievement by evolving to Tier-2 on the 1st day of your Trial Program. ﴿

* Due to causing a Galactic-Cluster Level Achievement, You will receive a random reward that is a grade higher than your own.

* Since you are now a Tier-2 Lifeform, You will receive a random Rare Grade Reward.

﴾ Congratulations! You have earned the Achievement Title,║Day-1 'Tier-2 Evolver'║⧼Rare Grade⧽. ﴿

﴾ Congratulations! As the 3rd Alpha Chosen in the entire Milky Way Galaxy's Trial Program, you have received an Attack-type skill,║FireBall║⧼Uncommon Grade⧽. ﴿

﴾ Congratulations! You are the 223rd Tier-1 Existence in the entire Universe to complete the Tier-2 Evolution process under 10 minutes. ﴿

* Due to causing a Universe Level Achievement, You will receive a random grade reward that will be most useful to you at the present moment.

* The Grade of the reward depends on your Luck Attribute.

﴾ Congratulations! You have received a Support type Skill,║Soul A.I║ ⧼Epic Grade⧽. ﴿

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

By successfully undergoing Tier-2 Evolution, Jay received an unexpected boon—an Achievement Title of Rare Grade, along with two new skills: one Uncommon Grade and the other an Epic Grade Skill.

The latter, in particular, held immense potential. The rewards had exceeded his expectations, yet Jay decided to delay inspecting them. He needed to be prepared, ensuring he was safe and well-equipped before fully exploring the new abilities he'd been gifted.

Returning to his tree hideout, Jay allowed himself a brief moment of reprieve. He unzipped his mini trekking bag and carefully stored the two remaining High Vitality Fruits in the bag, knowing that they wouldn’t provide any further stat boosts, but they would be crucial when his health points dropped in future battles. He had to conserve them for the inevitable moments of high risk.

His attention turned to his torn clothing, barely recognizable after the series of intense encounters and transformations. Though his garments were in miserable shape, his body was remarkably clean.

The heat and steam that had surged from his body during the first minute of║INVERSE║mode had effectively burned away most of the grime and blood. His skin was unblemished and his muscles tightly defined.

Jay reached into the bag and grabbed the last set of clean clothes. The fabric was smooth and undamaged, offering a welcome contrast to his current attire. Just as he prepared to change into the fresh outfit, a sudden notification appeared, startling him.

It came accompanied by a 1-minute countdown timer, and as his eyes focused on the message, he realized its contents were far from what he had anticipated.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

﴾ Prepare yourself, in 1 minute you will be teleported back to Earth as Day 1 of the Milky Way Galaxy Trial Program comes to a close. ﴿

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

﴾ After an 18-hour rest period, you will be teleported back to the Trial Zone to begin Day 2 of the Alpha Program. This cycle will repeat daily until the Alpha Program concludes. ﴿

﴾ Time left: 60 seconds ﴿

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

Jay had initially assumed the entire Trial Program would span 18 months, believing that he would have to endure that period before being sent back to Earth.

However, it quickly became clear that wasn’t the case. Instead, he was about to return much sooner than expected. Relief washed over him at the thought—his family wouldn’t need to worry, filing missing person reports when they couldn’t reach him. The sooner he returned, the better it would be for them.

As he prepared for the imminent return, Jay zipped up his mini trekking bag and slung it over his right shoulder. His mind, always calculating, reminded him of the 62* Stats in his Spirit Attribute.

With the enhancement, he experienced time differently—6.2 seconds for every single standard second. That meant, even though the system countdown indicated just one minute before teleportation, Jay had what felt like over six minutes—plenty of time to process what was happening and prepare for the transition.

Thanks to the Rare Grade Skill║Harmony║, Jay had complete control over his║LOOTED STATUS║Attributes, including his perception of time. If he wanted to, he could manipulate his brain’s processing speed, tricking his mind into experiencing time at a normal pace, like an average person.

It would allow him to fast-forward through these drawn-out seconds with ease. But he chose not to. Instead, he allowed himself to remain fully immersed in the extended moment.

In those 6 minutes and 12 seconds of stretched time, Jay’s thoughts turned inward. He reflected on his family—their faces, their voices, and the life he had left behind.

Though his eyes remained emotionless, the memories that played before him painted an unspoken story of who he was before the unexpected turn of events.

*****

Jay's thoughts drifted to his early life, and the memories of being born alongside his two siblings, a rare set of triplets. He was the first to be delivered, making him the eldest, followed by his younger sister, and finally, his younger brother.

That simple fact had always shaped his identity as the eldest of the three, though their bond as siblings transcended birth order. Each of them shared a deep connection, though those feelings seemed distant under the effects of║Harmony║.

A particular tradition from their family stood out—an ancestral baby-naming ceremony that took place six months after the birth of a child. In that ceremony, babies would typically be named based on the alignment of their astrological stars. However, after conducting a series of so-called complex astronomical calculations, the priest overseeing our ceremony took a different approach.

He declared that, instead of simply assigning a name based on the stars, they should choose the name themselves. It was an unusual interpretation of the tradition, but Jay’s family, rooted in those customs, agreed to follow the priest’s guidance.

On the day of the ceremony, the alphabet legos were laid out before them. As the eldest, Jay went first. He flicked the lego that showed the letter 'J,'. His sister followed, swatting the 'Q' lego, and their younger brother, in his infant curiosity, grabbed the 'K' lego and nearly tried to eat it.

The memory of that moment, how innocent and silly it was, often brought a smile to Jay’s face. But under the influence of║Harmony║, the recollection was devoid of any warmth or nostalgia. It was simply a memory—detached and clinical, the emotions dampened by the rare grade skill’s effect.

Yet, Jay knew that his lack of emotional expression didn’t mean he didn’t love his family. He still cared deeply for them, even if the effects of║Harmony║made it impossible to feel or show those emotions. He had even tried to deactivate the skill, to feel something again, but it could only be deactivated when his 5 main Attributes were no longer in perfect balance.

To return to his usual self, Jay knew he would need to exit║INVERSE║mode and carefully manage his Undistributed Stats. The moment his Attribute stats became uneven,║Harmony║would cease, and the flood of emotions would likely return. But till then, all he could do was reflect.

As more memories flashed before him, he recalled his grandfather’s intervention after the priest's unusual proclamation. His grandpa had argued, saying single-letter names would be awkward in everyday life.

Eventually, he convinced the priest to lengthen the names, creating something that still echoed the initial ceremony while being more practical. Thus, "J" became "Jay," his sister’s name became "Qew," and his brother, "Kay."

Even as these memories surfaced, Jay remained steady and calm, untouched by the nostalgia that might have once overwhelmed him. The countdown to his return to Earth continued to tick away, and he prepared himself for the moment when he could once again feel the warmth of his family.