Earth's Alpha Prime
chapter-280

Jay devised a plan to use his time-manipulating ability to keep the Origin Glaive concealed. By restricting the weapon's use to the isolated moments within the past that he altered, no one aside from the one alongside him in the past would witness the Glaive in action.

Once Jay dealt with his opponent—either by destroying their body or hiding it away—by the time the altered past aligned with the present, it would seem as though his adversary had simply vanished. To the outside world, it would appear as if nothing had happened. No one would know he had changed the past, and the Origin Glaive would remain a secret.

Those with Space Innate Talent might sense that something was off, an unsettling disturbance, but they wouldn't be able to pinpoint the exact cause. Only Time Innate Talent users would be capable of noticing the subtle shifts in time that Jay had altered.

However, such users were incredibly rare. Afterall, among the nearly 10,000 Alpha Chosen within their Trial Region, Seath was the only one with a Time Innate Talent. As long as Jay remained vigilant and deploys Temporal Relapse prudently, he could alter the past and slip away unnoticed.

Despite the advantages Temporal Relapse offered, there was one detail that gnawed at Jay. When he traveled 10 seconds into the past, he had been a mere observer for the first seven seconds, unable to influence anything.

It was as if he were trapped, watching events unfold without being able to intervene. His power to act only took hold during the final three seconds of the past he had traveled to, leaving him helpless in those initial moments.

The realization struck him that the anchor for his control—the point from which he could alter past events—was directly tied to the moment of injury. The exact moment the Origin Glaive had activated to protect him from a wound that should have struck him was when his power to rewrite the past truly began.

Before that point, he could only watch. But once the weapon intervened, shielding him from harm, Jay gained full control over his past self, allowing him to change events within his 10-meter radius and alter the present.

However, the fact that the anchor for his Temporal Relapse required him to be injured presented a serious limitation. Not only did he have to suffer a wound to activate the ability and travel into the past, but he also had a narrow window of 10 seconds to do so.

If he waited longer, the opportunity would slip away, and the past would be locked. That meant Jay had to be hyper-aware of the exact moment his injury occurred and time his activation perfectly, using the 10th second to gain maximum duration over the changes he could make in the past. It was a delicate balance, and one that could easily be disrupted by the chaos of battle.

As Jay was lost in thought, analyzing those limitations, the Lightning Jackal seized the opportunity to strike. Seeing its attacker distracted, the beast launched a desperate final assault, its mouth widening before it released a crackling beam of lightning aimed directly at Jay.

Sensing the incoming attack, Jay prepared to dodge, but before he could act, the Origin Glaive moved on its own. The weapon vanished from his grip and reappeared in the air between him and the attack, intercepting the lightning beam with a flash of brilliance.

The Glaive intercepted the attack, deflecting it with such force that it ricocheted into a nearby tree, demolishing it in an explosion of splinters and smoke. The commotion echoed through the area, and moments later, the distant roars of approaching monsters filled the air, their cries growing louder as they rushed toward the disturbance. The ground trembled beneath their advance.

Despite the growing danger, Jay didn't flinch. He stood still, unfazed, as if the approaching horde was of no consequence. His gaze remained locked on the Lightning Jackal, which had failed in its sneak attack.

The Origin Glaive floated beside him, poised for action. With a calm, precise motion, Jay grabbed the Glaive and, without hesitation, threw it like a javelin at the Lightning Jackal. The weapon flew through the air, the longest blade of the Glaive piercing the monster's skull, killing it instantly. As the Life Energy surged into Jay's body, the Lightning Jackal collapsed in a heap, its last effort futile.

Nonchalantly, Jay opened his palm, silently commanding the Glaive to return to him. In an instant, it obeyed, disappearing from where it was lodged and reappearing in Jay's hand with a sharp metallic hum, teleporting back into his grasp in the blink of an eye.

As Jay held the Origin Glaive, unfazed by the approaching chaos, a thought crossed his mind. He communicated silently with the weapon, and in response, the Glaive gave off a soft hum, as if agreeing to his unspoken command.

The next moment, the Glaive vanished, slipping into the space around him, disappearing from sight. Jay turned to Seath, ignoring the distant roars and tremors caused by the approaching monsters. His focus had shifted completely from the battlefield to the conversation he needed to have.

From all directions, around thirty Tier-3 monsters charged toward them, snarling and snapping, their massive bodies moving with lethal intent. Jay didn't so much as glance at them. Instead, his calm gaze rested on Seath. "There's something I need to discuss with you," Jay said, his voice steady despite the encroaching danger.

As he spoke, the Origin Glaive moved without him, its blades flashing into existence within a 10-meter radius. The first wave of monsters entered the invisible boundary, only to be met with swift, merciless strikes.

A massive bear-like creature, its fur ablaze with fire, lunged toward them—but as soon as it entered the 10-meter range, a blade materialized, slashing its throat in one clean motion. The beast collapsed, lifeless, without so much as a sound.

Another creature, a massive vulture wreathed in swirling winds, swooped down with razor-sharp talons, only to be split in half mid-air by the Glaive's blades, its feathers scattering into the sky.

All of that happened in the background as Jay continued talking to Seath, completely unbothered by the chaos. "I need to keep this Weapon and its ability to alter the past a secret," he began, his tone as casual as if they were discussing the weather.

"It will only bring complications for me if anyone else finds out. I can erase your memory of it, but I'd prefer not to. Instead, I can place a restriction—something that will let you remember everything, but you won't be able to share it with anyone. That way, even if someone tries to use mental abilities on you, this knowledge will remain hidden."

Seath's eyes flickered with thought. He glanced briefly at the monsters being cut down effortlessly around them, their corpses tossed aside like ragdolls, but none landing near Jay or Seath.

Blood sprayed from the slain creatures, yet not a single drop touched them as Jay's telekinetic abilities forming an invisible shield that blocked any splatter from reaching them.

A serpent-like beast, scales glistening with venom, slithered toward them only to be skewered by one of the Glaive's flashing blades. The entire fight was so one-sided that it felt surreal, as though the monsters were mere vegetables being sliced on a chopping board.

Seath contemplated, still considering Jay's offer as another feline-like creature, sleek and fast, darted into the fray. It didn't even make it halfway to them before its body was split in two by a clean slice from the Glaive.

After a moment, Seath spoke, his voice thoughtful. "I'd rather have a restriction placed on the memory of the incident than have it completely erased. If I forget everything, I'd eventually start questioning what I missed, and if I notice something off about your abilities later, I might try to dig deeper. That could lead to… unnecessary complications."

Jay nodded, satisfied with Seath's reasoning. "Agreed. A restriction is better than erasure. You'll know everything, but you won't be able to speak of it unless I allow it."

As they finished their conversation, the last of the thirty Tier-3 monsters charged into the Glaive's killing radius. A massive boar-like beast barreled toward them with furious speed, its tusks gleaming, but the Glaive flashed again, its blade severing the beast's spine. The boar crumpled to the ground, lifeless. Corpses lay strewn around them, marking the aftermath of the massacre.

Jay extended his hand, and with a subtle gesture, the Glaive reappeared in his palm, as though it had never left. Not a single drop of blood or piece of debris marred either him or Seath. Jay gave a small, satisfied nod with the conversation resolved, as if the massacre of Tier-3 monsters had been nothing more than a footnote in their discussion.

He then proceeded to place a restriction on Seath's recent memories, ensuring the secrecy of the Origin Glaive and its ability to alter the past. As he delved into Seath's mind, he couldn't help but learn more about the Timehowler Bloodline that Seath had awakened.

The potential within that bloodline was remarkable, and Jay marveled at the time-related abilities Seath would unlock once he underwent the full Bloodline metamorphosis.

However, such a transformation was no easy feat and would take considerable time for Seath to achieve. In that regard, Moro had been an exceptional case—he had undergone his War Asura Bloodline metamorphosis immediately upon awakening, a rarity that was almost unheard of.

JJay believed that once Seath completed his metamorphosis, he would surpass most Alpha Rankers, and placing in the Top-10 wouldn't be out of reach. Jay found himself filled with high expectations for Seath's future.

Still, a lingering thought tugged at him—Seath had refused to become a Sigil Holder, like a few others. With Seath's Innate Talent, he would have had an advantage in understanding the time-element and the Space-Time continuum, enhancing his abilities even further.

Jay sighed, though he didn't dwell on it. He was well aware it was only a matter of time before he encountered another monster or opponent with a Time Innate Talent, which he would eventually add to his growing collection of abilities.

Once the process was complete, Seath blinked and asked, "That's it? I didn't feel anything."

Jay smiled lightly, replying, "That's how mental abilities work—they slip in without you even realizing it. That's exactly where Urzo's advantage lies."

At the mention of Urzo, Seath's thoughts drifted back to a past incident, when they had faced a group of suicidal Alpha Chosen who had come after them with deadly intent. Their mission had been clear—kill at least one of them. Though they had failed miserably at the end, the memory left a lasting impression on Seath.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a figure beside Jay—a baby in a neat suit, who seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

The childlike figure, looking far too serious for his appearance, addressed them with urgency. "You two need to hurry back. The 1st Raid Party is in trouble. The locals of Trial Region No.752 have amassed an army and surrounded them, cutting off their retreat."

Jay's expression shifted slightly as he processed the information. Seath, too, snapped to attention. The thought of the Raid Party being in trouble was no small matter, especially if the locals had organized such a large force. Without waiting for further explanation, Jay gave a nod, signaling that it was time to move.