Earth's Alpha Prime
chapter-269-1

﴾ ALPHA Program Day - 19 Time - 10:03:29 ﴿

A chaotic battleground spread across the 3rd floor of one of the thousand Obelisks that had materialized throughout the Trial World on Day 11, each positioned at the center of a Trial Region.

Those 4th Order Obelisks, imposing monoliths towering 400 meters high with a slender width of 50 meters, offered no hint of the vast and treacherous challenges hidden within. From the outside, they appeared as pillar-like fortresses of stone and mystery, looming over the terrain and visible from any corner of the Trial Region they occupied.

Each Obelisk contained four floors, and the true nature of its challenge became clear upon entering. Despite the modest exterior dimensions, the interior of each floor expanded into a vast space—10 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide—defying all logic and physical expectations. Each floor was a self-contained world with its own distinct environment, filled with treacherous terrain and populated by formidable monster settlements.

On the 3rd floor of the Obelisk, the immense space took the form of a vast desert wasteland, an arid expanse of golden sand stretching endlessly in all directions. Jagged rock formations jutted from the ground like the bones of some ancient, long-forgotten beast.

The air shimmered with intense heat, while swirling dust devils danced across the dunes. Amidst theharsh terrain, fifty Alpha Chosen clashed with a horde of one hundred Peak Tier-3 monsters, their brutal conflict turning the once-still desert into a chaotic battlefield.

The relentless sounds of combat echoed across the sands—clashing weapons, beastly roars, and the cries of warriors all blending into a deafening symphony of chaos and destruction.

At the forefront of the battlefield, three formidable figures led the assault—each a powerful force in their own right. They had risen to prominence during the Regional Tournament, and in the nine days that followed, they had ascended to Tier-4, cementing their status among the Alpha Rankers, the elite Top 1000 on the Trial World Powerboard.

The first among them was Pompa, the leader of the horned beetle midgets. Though he stood at just four feet tall, his small stature was deceiving. His shiny black exoskeleton gleamed in the harsh desert sun, reflecting the light like polished armor. With overwhelming vitality coursing through his body, Pompa was a miniature-juggernaut on the battlefield.

Despite his size, Pompa was a whirlwind of destruction. He charged headlong into a group of gigantic sand creatures—hulking beasts with bodies made of shifting dunes and hardened stone. With a swift motion, he smashed through their defenses, his compact yet powerful body moving with blinding speed.

The ground trembled under his might as he barreled into one sand serpent, sending it crashing to the ground with a single strike. Another sand golem, towering over him, crumbled into a heap of sand and rock after a brutal headbutt from Pompa, his horns slicing through it like a blade through butter. His vitality and strength made him nearly unstoppable in the desert battlefield, as he bulldozed through the opposition without a hint of slowing down.

Not far from him, the towering figure of Vral, the Matriarch of the Centaurs, cut a striking figure. At 2.5 meters tall, her long, green-skinned body was both imposing and elegant. A female horse-humanoid, she possessed a valiant warrior's spirit and an undeniable beauty, her powerful limbs and sleek form a testament to her strength. Vral moved with grace and precision, her hooves thundering across the sand as she charged into battle.

Her cheat of an ability, <Perpetual Stamina>, was in full effect, fueling her relentless attacks. With an endless reservoir of energy, Vral showed no signs of fatigue as she tore through the enemy ranks. She faced off against a group of gigantic sand-based monsters, their enormous forms casting long shadows across the battlefield. But Vral was undeterred.

With each swing of her massive lance, she pierced through their sandy hides, scattering them like dust in the wind. Her blows were swift and deadly, each strike carrying the weight of a warrior who never tired.

Sandstone giants fell before her, their bodies crumbling as she drove them back with unyielding force. Her stamina seemed boundless, her attacks relentless, as she continued to carve a path through the battlefield with unwavering determination.

Nearby, Vorqen, the strongest of the Silephians, commanded the battlefield with a quiet yet commanding intensity. Standing at an imposing 2 meters tall, Vorqen was a humanoid figure whose borderline bulky physique was balanced by a slim, agile frame.

His skin was a deep, metallic blue, with patterns of dark gray tracing his muscular form like sound waves, giving him an aura of quiet power. His face was sharp, with piercing eyes and his short, grey hair shimmered under the sunlight, a stark contrast to the dark blue of his skin.

Vorqen's ability to manipulate sound was his greatest weapon. As he stepped into the fray, the air around him seemed to hum with energy. With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a sonic blast that rippled through the battlefield, the sheer force of the soundwaves shattering the ground and sending shockwaves through the ranks of the sand-based monsters.

The creatures recoiled in pain as the vibrations tore through their bodies, their forms unable to withstand the intensity of the sonic onslaught. Vorqen moved with precision, his attacks measured and devastating.

He directed focused sound waves with pinpoint accuracy, disorienting his enemies and leaving them vulnerable to follow-up attacks. His sound-based abilities allowed him to control the battlefield, turning the very air into a weapon that could bend and break even the most formidable foes.

Together, Pompa, Vral, and Vorqen spearheaded the assault, their strength and abilities turning the tide of battle in favor of the Alpha Chosen. With their fellow planet members, who had all reached Tier-3 under their leadership, they made quick work of the one hundred peak Tier-3 monsters.

The desert battlefield, once a chaotic swirl of sand and fury, began to settle as the number of monsters dwindled upon the relentless onslaught of the Alpha Chosen.

As the battle raged on the 3rd floor of the Obelisk, around half of the fifty Alpha Chosen held their positions away from the front lines, though technically part of the assault, did not actively engage the monsters.

Instead, they remained in relative safety, seemingly untouched by the chaos around them. Any attack that came near them simply vanished before making contact, as if the assault had never been aimed at them in the first place.

When a monster dared to venture too close, sharp wooden tendrils would erupt from the ground, impaling the creature before it could pose a threat. But that wasn't due to their own strength—it was the work of two powerful corpse-integrated monsters shielding them.

One of those was Oakrend, a towering humanoid monster that bore a strong resemblance to an ancient oak tree come to life. Standing at nearly 20 feet tall—about the height of a two-story building—Oakrend's body was composed of thick, bark-covered wood, with deep grooves and ridges that gave it an aged, weathered appearance.

Oakrend's massive limbs, gnarled and twisted like ancient branches, were capable of powerful but measured movements. It didn't rely on speed or agility in battle. Instead, it used the network of wooden tendrils that extended from its body to lash out at enemies with incredible precision.

Those tendrils shot out from its body like spears, skewering any monster that ventured too close. The creature's glowing green eyes, set deep within its bark-like face, added an eerie, mystical quality to its presence.

Though Oakrend wasn't quick to move, its ability to control the battlefield with its tendrils made it a formidable guardian. Any monster that managed to get within striking distance found themselves ensnared and swiftly eliminated.

The second guardian was far more unusual—a Void Slug, about the size of a large dog, but far more menacing. Its body was a deep, inky black, with a slick, almost liquid surface that seemed to shimmer and shift as it moved.

The Void Slug had no discernible eyes or mouth, only a smooth, featureless surface. However, its true power lay in its ability to manipulate space itself. Any attack that managed to slip past Oakrend's wooden defenses was immediately sucked into a small, dark portal that appeared before the Void Slug, disappearing into some unknown void.

Moments later, those same attacks would reemerge, redirected toward the monsters with deadly accuracy. The duo of Oakrend and the Void Slug ensured that not a single Alpha Chosen under their protection was harmed.

Those two MJ's new corpse-integrated creations, replaced the slots covered by Shaman Hobgoblin and Earthworm. Their presence inspired a certain awe among the sheltered Alpha Chosen, who watched the one-sided battle unfold with a mix of relief and admiration.

Most had reached Tier-3 not through their own efforts or struggles, but thanks to the power leveling and protection provided by the strongest Alpha Chosen—an individual who stood unchallenged at the top of the Alpha Rankers. The position was no longer determined by mere levels, but by the Power Index, a measure that scaled true strength.

Among the group of twenty-three Alpha Chosen safely sheltered by Oakrend and the Void Slug, one particular Chosen gazed up at the sky with a conflicted expression. His eyes were locked on a giant eagle monster soaring above the battlefield, but his true focus was on the figure seated cross-legged atop the eagle.

His thoughts were dark and turbulent; he had lost his brother and three other team members in a devastating attack launched by that very individual.

Hate simmered in his eyes, but it was tempered by helplessness. During the rest period after Day 10, all he had wanted was to find a way to kill the one responsible for his sibling's death. But reality hit him hard when the rankings on the Powerboard were released.

The gap between them was insurmountable, and he knew he had no chance of exacting revenge on the strongest Alpha Chosen. Still, the desire for vengeance gnawed at him, and he was willing to go to any lengths to achieve it.

Yet, contrary to his expectations, the one he blamed for his brother's death had not treated their lives as insignificant collateral. Instead, that individual had gathered every Trial Zone team that had lost members and personally apologized for his actions.

He had taken them under his protection, providing resources and safety, along with a solemn promise to pave the way for the Beta and Gamma Chosen from their respective planets, who would soon be thrust into the Trial Program.

As a token of his sincerity, he had begun to distribute the true reward of clearing Obelisks—the authority over entire Trial Regions, a power backed by the System itself. That unexpected gesture left him conflicted, his hatred battling with a reluctant respect.

While the desire for revenge still lingered, it was tangled with the complex emotions as he was forced to reconsider everything he thought he knew.