ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝟙𝟘𝟡: 𝔅𝔩𝔲𝔢 𝔉𝔦𝔰𝔥𝔦𝔢 ⓇⒺⓋⒶⓂⓅⒺⒹ

----------------------------------------

By the time the INVERSE mode cooldown ended, Jay and Akor had reached the far end of the aquatic trial zone, arriving at the System barrier that separated the third and fourth trial zones. As they emerged at the water’s surface, they saw Storm Eagle MJ and Dante already waiting for them.

Using the recently learned║Water Walk║skill, Jay stood atop the water’s surface with Akor following his lead. The skill was among the aquatic abilities Jay had picked up after having MJ record Atlans’ demonstrations of creating Skill Circuits. Rather than idle during the recordings, Jay had actively learned some of these skills, aided by his║Water Innate Talent║.

Back then, his Grade-3║Water Innate Talent║had limited him to learning only simpler skills, leaving out the more complex ones requiring precise elemental manipulation. However, with his upgraded Grade-5║Water Innate Talent║, Jay now found it easier to create and learn water-type skills. Despite this, he decided to delay delving deeper into them for the moment.

Storm Eagle MJ, floating a few meters above the water with Dante perched on its back, approached Jay and hovered beside him. Its imposing presence unsettled Akor, who stiffened, overwhelmed by the aura of the powerful creature. But seeing Jay casually pet Storm Eagle MJ’s head, Akor exhaled in relief.

‘Amazing!’ Akor thought, awe coloring his inner monologue. ‘Liege can even tame monsters—and such a strong one at that!’

Reading his thoughts, Jay corrected him. “This isn’t exactly a tamed monster, but rather a monster corpse that MJ integrated with. As for who MJ is… why don’t I introduce him?”

In the next instant, Baby MJ appeared on Jay’s shoulder, dressed in his little Santa costume. The small creature affectionately looked at Jay, who lightly patted MJ’s head, eliciting a chuckle from the baby.

In the blink of an eye, Baby MJ appeared perched on Jay’s shoulder, dressed adorably in a tiny Santa costume. The small creature gazed at Jay with a warm, affectionate expression, prompting him to gently pat MJ's head. The gesture earned a delighted chuckle from the baby.

“This little guy is MJ,” Jay said with a slight smile. “He’ll be instructing you on what to do while I’m busy over the next two days creating gateways in the System barriers. And that,” he added, gesturing toward the figure on Storm Eagle MJ, “is Dante, my fellow Alpha Chosen from Earth’s Trial Zone.”

Turning back to Dante and MJ, Jay continued, “This is Akor, an Alpha Chosen from this trial zone. He’ll be joining us in our trial zone expedition.”

They exchanged a quick nod, acknowledging one another. With the introductions complete, Jay turned to address the group, laying out the plan. “You two stick together with Storm Eagle MJ and follow at a steady pace. I’ll move ahead and prepare the gateways for the next three trial zones. Meet me there in thirty minutes.”

With that, Jay activated║Water Walk║and dashed forward, leaving a rippling trail on the water's surface.

Upon reaching the System barrier, Jay activated INVERSE mode while simultaneously using║Size Alteration║to maintain his usual body size. With his fist cloaked in Origin Energy, he struck the barrier precisely, using just enough power to crack a small portion without creating a loud noise that could attract nearby monsters.

Dealing with them wouldn't have been an issue, but time was of the essence—Jay had only 25 minutes in INVERSE mode to breach as many trial zones as possible.

After breaking through, Jay quickly created his own rule barrier to fill the gap he made in the System barrier. Without delay, he moved toward the far end of the fourth trial zone, disappearing into the horizon.

Akor watched in awe as Jay effortlessly broke the System barrier using the strange silver energy. The display deepened Akor's admiration and solidified his decision to follow Jay.

However, his reverence was short-lived when Baby MJ, perched on Jay’s shoulder moments before, turned to glare at him, a friendly smile shifting into a look of pure irritation. With his arms folded across his chest, Baby MJ spoke in a sharp tone.

“Hmph! Aren’t you the Blue Fishie who dared to imprison my Master?”

Akor froze at the words. The nickname Blue Fishie stung, but he managed an awkward smile and replied, “Little Mister MJ, forgive my past insolence. I will be in your care from now on.”

Baby MJ smirked, rubbing his tiny hands together. “Oh, don’t think I’ll let your previous actions slide so easily. However, since Master put me in charge of you for the next two days, you’ll be running errands for me. That means plucking Spirit Crystals from monster carcasses and helping Earth Wyrm mine Spirit Metal ore. Do you have any problems with my instructions?”

Akor’s mouth twitched. He wanted to protest but froze when he felt the intimidating gaze of Storm Eagle MJ fixed on him. Only then did he realize the creature's strength was on par with Jay, whose stats were stronger than a Tier-3 High-Phase monster.

Gulping, Akor forced a few dry coughs before answering, “Of course, Little Mister MJ. I wouldn’t mind being your errand boy.”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Baby MJ gave a satisfied nod, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. “Good. At least you know what’s good for you. Also, from now on, address me as Great Venerable.”

Sensing where the conversation was headed, Dante decided to intervene before Baby MJ launched into one of his infamous, never-ending monologues. He stepped forward and greeted Akor warmly.

“It’s good to meet you, Akor. As the oldest member of our party, I officially welcome you.”

Akor bowed slightly. “I’m pleased to meet you, Sir Dante.”

Dante waved his hands dismissively. “No need for honorifics, just call me Dante.”

“I wouldn’t dare disrespect my Liege’s companion,” Akor replied solemnly.

Shaking his head with a helpless sigh, Dante gestured for Akor to join him. “Fine, fine. Hop on. Let’s chat while we travel.”

Akor complied, climbing aboard Storm Eagle MJ alongside Dante. With a powerful flap of its wings, Storm Eagle MJ soared into the sky, flying in the direction Jay had taken.

----------

As Day-8 drew to a close, with only thirty minutes remaining before the Alpha Chosen were teleported back to their respective planets for the rest period, Jay entered his 30th Trial Zone. Despite his extensive efforts, the elusive Arch Spirit Essence Fruit remained unfound.

Although the fruit remained out of reach, Jay's journey through the trial zones had not been in vain. His inventory now brimmed with a wealth of resources: Spirit Crystals, Essence Fruits, and Spirit Metal Ores in staggering quantities.

Early on, Jay had instructed MJ’s corpse-integrated monsters—Hobgoblin MJ, Venomous Scorpion MJ, Shadow Leopard MJ, Earth Wyrm MJ, and Storm Eagle MJ—to annihilate every monster they encountered in the trial zones, including those Tier-3 Mid-Phase and High-Phase monsters contained within domes. These monsters were highly efficient, leaving no creature alive.

Since MJ’s corpse-integrated monsters were essentially classified as monsters, they remained in the Trial World even during Jay’s rest periods back on Earth.

This was a significant advantage, as the Trial World’s time flowed four times faster than on Earth. The 18-hour rest period on Earth equated to 72 hours in the Trial World, giving MJ’s forces ample time to work.

By the end of Day-8, twenty trial zones had been thoroughly cleared by MJ’s monsters. Their efficiency left no stone unturned, eradicating every monster and gathering immense quantities of valuable resources.

The Alpha Chosen in those trial zones were left in a state of bewilderment, unable to comprehend why no monsters remained. The sight of countless carcasses littering the zones only deepened their confusion.

A handful of Alpha Chosen, lucky enough to witness MJ’s monsters in action, were initially terrified. However, realizing the creatures posed no threat to them, a few even attempted to express their gratitude. Their efforts were met with indifference, as MJ’s monsters remained entirely focused on their tasks, ignoring all attempts at interaction.

The volume of gathered Spirit Crystals, Essence Fruits, and Spirit Metal Ores from each trial zone was too vast to transport to Earth’s Trial Zone within a short timeframe. To solve this, Jay stored the resources in the domes that restricted Tier-3 High-Phase monsters in each trial zone.

These domes, protected by the System, would remain intact until Day-21. Only Jay could access these system-restricted domes, ensuring the resources' safety for the foreseeable future.

Within the 30th Trial Zone, Jay, Dante, and Akor sat under the expansive shadow of a towering tree, enjoying the roasted meat of a Tier-3 Low-Phase monster, the Lightning Tiger.

While Jay had plenty of packed food stored in the Debuffer Ring, he chose to eat the monster’s meat for its restorative properties, which not only aided in body recovery but also helped maintain optimal physical condition.

Akor took a hearty bite of the meat and praised Dante enthusiastically. “Sir Dante, your cooking skills never cease to amaze me. The seasonings you use bring a flavor that's absolutely otherworldly. I should introduce your recipes to my planet—we lack any remarkable delicacies.”

Dante chuckled, ruffling the back of his head modestly. “You flatter me too much. I may have been a professional cook, but my skills pale in comparison to the truly talented chefs back on Earth.”

As Akor and Dante continued their lighthearted conversation, Jay quietly finished his portion of the Lightning Tiger meat. Without wasting a moment, he resumed training Qew’s Innate Talent Mastery, demonstrating why he held the Achievement Title║Training Maniac-III║. To Jay, every second was an opportunity for improvement.

Twenty minutes passed, and his relentless effort bore results. The║Minor Convergence Mastery║rhad finally eached Lv.30, triggering the awakening of Qew’s third Innate Exclusive Skill.

╭── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╮

﴾ Congratulations! You have awakened the 3rd Innate Exclusive Skill of║INFINITE CONVERGENCE║﴿

║Innate Talent Convergence║

* Allows the user to converge two Innate Talents into a more powerful Innate Talent, retaining the higher grade among the two.

Restriction: Can only converge Innate Talents below Grade-10.

Cooldown: 24 hours

╰── ⋅ ⋅ ── ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──╯

Jay paused, momentarily taken aback. The ability to converge Innate Talents was beyond his expectations, but he quickly noted the restrictions.

Unlike Qew’s first and second Innate Exclusive Skills, which improved the grade of Skills and Spirit Items through convergence—this third skill couldn’t enhance the grade of the resulting talent. Instead, it focused solely on creating a more potent version of the higher-graded talent.

Rather than rushing to experiment with the newfound ability, Jay decided to wait until Day-8 ended and use the skill during the rest period.

----------------------------------------