[# Orientation 1st Instance commences.#]
Jay was surprised by the doppelgänger's sudden attack but managed to block it by crossing his forearms and covering his chest in time.
He was sent sliding back a few meters, the force of the impact leaving a burning sensation on his forearms that made him wonder if this was truly a simulation. He barely had a moment to catch his breath before the doppelgänger launched another series of punches and kicks at him.
Jay didn't understand why the doppelgänger was acting so aggressively instead of showcasing the abilities of <ABYSS FRAME>. He couldn't afford to wait and be beaten around by a bot, so he retaliated with punches and kicks of his own.
He cleverly leveraged his movements to maximize the use of his stats, each strike precise and calculated. However, the doppelgänger was no inferior opponent. It defended against Jay's tactful moves with equal skill, resulting in a stalemate where neither side seemed able to gain the upper hand.
As they exchanged blows, Jay noticed that the doppelgänger refrained from using any skills, so he decided to do the same. Time passed, and the fight continued in an impasse, with no victor in sight. Every second, they exchanged around twenty moves, neither dealing enough damage to tip the scales.
Two minutes into the fight, Jay began to slow down. His body movements became heavy, and his mind grew groggy. He was shocked to realize that he was on the losing side.
His body felt sluggish, and the rate at which his stamina depleted was far higher than it should have been. Despite having numerous passive stamina regeneration skills, which should have allowed him to maintain the same intensity for an hour, he found himself struggling.
Another two minutes into the hand-to-hand combat, Jay was exhausted to the point where he had a hard time keeping his eyes open and forcing himself to stand. He relied on sheer willpower to remain conscious. The doppelgänger, sensing his weakened state, no longer attacked and distanced itself from him.
[1st Instance ended. Stamina and Spirit Energy recovered.]
He took a deep breath, his body rejuvenated, but the experience left him shaken.
Jay didn't understand how his stamina had fallen off so quickly, but what was even more confusing was that his Spirit Energy was exhausted as well. He hadn't used a single skill from the beginning.
He wondered if the doppelgänger had used any skill without his notice. However, his questions were answered by the next notification.
[Finished practical demonstration of the passive ability ]
[ (Passive): It allows the wielder to exhaust their opponent's stamina and mental energy by simply coming into contact with them during combat. This ability does not require activation, as it passively affects the target, gradually depleting their physical and mental reserves, making them weaker and more vulnerable the longer they remain in contact with the wielder.]
Only then did the lights go off as realization hit Jay. The first Instance was nothing other than the display of 's basic ability. Just the passive ability alone was powerful enough; he curiously wondered how powerful the other abilities were.
He tried to call for MJ, but there was no response. If not for the soul connection still active between them, Jay would have thought something bad had happened to MJ.
He attributed it to the simulation space he was in, but the feeling of not having MJ with him felt really odd. He already missed the chirpy AI that had become a norm in his life.
His thoughts were interrupted by a new announcement.
[# Orientation 2nd Instance Commences#]
As soon as it appeared, there was a change in the doppelgänger, and it no longer rushed at him like before.
Jay stood motionless in the center of the endless white space, his breath steady as he watched his doppelgänger call upon the . From deep within the doppelgänger, a thick black energy-based substance began to seep out, swirling and spreading across his body.
The stark contrast between the black energy and the white surroundings made the display even more mesmerizing. The air crackled with tension as the dark energy coalesced into an armour-like form yet retained a mysterious, fluid nature.
From within the black energy, a subtle chartreuse glow emerged, barely visible at first. It spread across his body like ink in water, mixing with the black substance in a captivating display.
The greenish-yellow chartreuse colour was not too concentrated; it provided a subtle, haunting light within the dominating black energy. When the doppelgänger fought with Jay, the intensity of the chartreuse waves increased every time he made contact with Jay, either through punches or elbows, enhancing the visual spectacle and the oppressive aura of the .
From within the black energy, subtle chartreuse wisps began to diffuse, not as a glaring glow but rather like delicate tendrils of ink spreading through water.
The greenish-yellowish hue seemed to dance within the dark, creating an ever-shifting pattern that pulsed gently, giving the energy a fluid and ethereal quality. This interplay of colours was mesmerizing, adding depth and mystique to the otherwise ominous aura.
The doppelgänger looked menacing within the . His eyes glowed with a slightly brighter chartreuse colour, standing out starkly against the darkness. Everything else about him was coated in the black energy, which had tendrils of chartreuse wisps weaving through it.
When the doppelgänger fought with Jay, the intensity of these chartreuse wisps increased with every contact, enhancing the visual spectacle and the oppressive power of the , making him appear even more formidable.
Once, as they fought, the chartreuse-black wisps began to gather and intensify until they reached a critical point. A powerful shockwave erupted from the doppelgänger, radiating outward and instantly enveloping everything within a kilometer radius in a swirling sea of chartreuse-black energy.
The endless white space seemed to darken and glow ominously as the energy spread, marking the doppelgänger's path with an otherworldly aura.
The air itself, along with every object within that kilometer, became shrouded in the chartreuse-black wisps. When these waves collided with Jay, they reflected back toward the doppelgänger, creating a continuous flow of energy between them.
Jay found this bout even more burdensome than the previous one he had with the doppelgänger. As the fight dragged on, he realized that his stamina and mental energy were not the only things being drained; his strength, agility, and endurance were being systematically weakened.
The strange energy seemed to siphon away his very essence, rendering him increasingly vulnerable. Every movement became more laborious, every strike less effective, as the doppelgänger's continued to dominate the isolated, endless white simulation.
Unlike their previous encounter, where Jay had managed to last four minutes, he could barely endure for a minute. The doppelgänger had not even attacked him seriously; the mere presence of the chartreuse-black energy was enough to overwhelm him.
Both Jay and the doppelgänger had the same stats and fighting expertise, and neither had used any skills. The only significant difference was the chartreuse-black energy, which was evidently the Abyss Energy.
Then a notification appeared, marking the end of the second Orientation Instance.
[Finished practical demonstration of the passive ability ]
[: It allows the user to create a field of Abyss Energy through the ABYSS FRAME. Those who come in contact with the Abyss Energy will temporarily lose 1% of their five attributes for every Abyss Energy wave they are affected by, with the maximum number of stacks depending on the mastery of ABYSS FRAME. If the opponent's overall stats are twice that of the user's, the debuff will not take effect.]
Note: The first ten to comment for new chapter releases will get '1 ADVANCED CHAPTER' for free on Earth Alpha Prime's Discord server.
In the discord server, I opened a private channel for those Top 10 candidates, where I posted the respective Advanced Chapter.
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Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :
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