ALTER REALITY: Online

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﴾ Chain Reavers has been added to your Inventory ﴿

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As the notification disappeared from view, Noel's eyes widened in shock. This Specialized Category weapon was among his last in the list of choices. His breath quickened as the Sand Stalkers closed in, their eyes locked onto him.

He summoned the Chain Reavers from his Inventory, and the frustration he felt quickly shifted into a deep sense of unease.

What appeared were two separate long chains, each nearly two meters in length, firmly attached to his wrists through leather straps and metal bindings. The bindings gave him a firm grip, ensuring the chains stayed in place during movement.

The chains themselves were thinner than standard ones but still sturdy. They were made from a light, flexible metal that allowed for swift motion without compromising strength.

At the end of each chain hung a dagger-like blade with sharp, serrated edges built for slicing through flesh.

The weapon offered impressive range, but it came at the cost of control. Just holding them made Noel realize how much precision it would take to use them effectively in combat.

He struggled to manage the long, unwieldy weapon. Every flick of his arms sent the chains swinging in wide, erratic arcs, with the Reaver blades at the ends whipping dangerously close to the ground.

It wasn't like anything he had used before. The chains thrashed around, tangling and disrupting his balance. With the Sand Stalkers closing in fast, he had no time to figure out how to handle them properly.

Gritting his teeth, Noel resorted to using the Reaver blades as makeshift daggers. He gripped the handles tightly, but the chains swung with every step. At one point, they even wrapped around his legs, nearly making him stumble.

The more he moved, the worse it got. Instead of helping, the chains felt like they were working against him, slowing him down and throwing off his balance.

One of the Stalkers lunged at him. Noel barely sidestepped in time, his clumsy movements putting him at a clear disadvantage. He cursed under his breath. It was the worst possible time to figure out how the weapon worked.

But then, an idea struck him. Noel quickly wrapped the chains around his torso, securing them tightly against his body, making sure the Reaver blades were still free to strike. They no longer dragged behind him or tangled at his feet. With the blades firmly in his grip, they now felt more like daggers.

Without hesitation, Noel activated Enhanced Liability. As set earlier, his right shoulder was the target. At the same time, vapor-like layers began to form around him again. The wave-like distortion no longer stayed limited to his body. It now extended over the Chain Reavers as well.

Noel quickly realized that Enhanced Liability's power was flowing through the weapon. Even if he struggled to control the unfamiliar Chain Reavers, each strike he landed would deal four times his base damage.

The thought gave him confidence, but before he could fully take it in, another Stalker lunged at him.

Noel pivoted to the side and drove one of the Reaver blades into the creature's ribs with a brutal thrust. The double-edged serrated blade sank deep into its flesh, and with a sharp twist, he tore through its thick hide, which had felt nearly impenetrable before.

The Stalker let out a pained screech and recoiled from the strike. Noel's eyes widened. In his earlier encounter with a similar creature, he had struggled to even scratch them, but now the blade pierced through with ease.

Whether it was the sharpness of the Reaver blades or the quadrupled attack damage from Enhanced Liability, he wasn't sure, but he knew it was working.

Before he could recover, the second Sand Stalker charged at him from the side like a bull. He spotted it just in time and managed to dodge, though his movements were clumsy. Off-balance, he swung with his left arm, slashing across the creature's flank.

The blade struck, and black blood oozed from the wound, but it was a shallow cut. Noel muttered under his breath, "Damn it, that didn't go deep enough."

The creatures that had once circled him with confidence now slowed their pace. The one Noel had struck earlier wasn't fatally wounded. It rose and rejoined the others, though its movements were less aggressive than before.

His adrenaline was pumping, urging him to keep going, but he couldn't ignore how sloppy and unrefined his movements were.

With the Sand Stalkers growing cautious, he decided to wait and react rather than make a reckless move.

The second and third Sand Stalkers moved in cautiously, while the first hung back, avoiding the lead. They stepped in with quick, shallow swipes, testing him rather than committing to a full attack.

He tried to dodge while countering, but his footwork was off. A few shallow cuts still found their mark. The pain was manageable, except for one. 

A claw had grazed his right shoulder, the same spot he had used for Enhanced Liability. The damage there was amplified fourfold, and so was the pain.

Staggering back, Noel instinctively raised his left arm to shield his right side, knowing another hit could be lethal.

Sensing an opening, the second Stalker lunged with its jaws wide, aiming to bite off his head.

Noel didn't have time to think. He raised both blades just in time. The creature crashed into him, and the Reaver blades drove deep into its neck.

Black blood burst out as the beast let out a strained cry, then collapsed partly over him, its body twitching briefly before falling still.

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﴾ Lv.3 Sand Stalker ﴿

﴾ 75 Life Energy obtained ﴿

﴾ Congratulations! You have reached Level 1 ﴿

﴾ 5 Undistributed Stats are available ﴿

Rewards Obtained

- 3 Kentos 

- 300 grams Sand Stalker Meat ⧼Edible⧽ added to Inventory.

- 300 Ml Drinking Water ⧼Edible⧽ added to Inventory. 

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Gasping for air, Noel shoved the dead Sand Stalker off him, his arms trembling from the effort it took to free himself. Sharp pain radiated from his right shoulder, far worse than the sting of the cuts across his torso and legs.

The remaining two Sand Stalkers slowed, their focus shifting to the fallen one. After watching one of their own die, they wasn't eager to rush in again.

Noel stood panting heavily, knowing that although he had killed one of them, he still wasn't safe.

Before Noel could focus on his level-up and the undistributed stats that came with it, something shifted within him. As he caught his breath, a wave of clarity passed through his mind, followed by a rush of new information.

It felt as if the basics of using the Chain Reavers, from how to grip them to adjusting his stance, had flooded into his mind all at once. The details settled like a long-lost memory.

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﴾ Congratulations! You have acquired Lv.1║Chain Reavers Mastery║ ﴿

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A notification flashed before his eyes, confirming what he had just felt. Killing the monster with the Chain Reavers had triggered the condition to unlock the weapon's Level 1 Mastery.

Just like when he used his Innate Talent repeatedly and gradually gained bits and pieces of knowledge about it, he now experienced the same but in an even more comprehensive way.

The knowledge wasn't just practical; it felt like it had merged with his muscle memory, almost as if he had trained with the weapon for days.

Noel straightened up, still injured and tired but more aware of the Chain Reavers in his hands. He was far from skilled, but then, at least, he had a grasp of the fundamentals, enough to face the remaining Sand Stalkers with a bit more confidence.

He flexed his wrists, feeling the chains loosen slightly. Without overthinking, he let the weapon's motion guide him, moving the Chain Reavers the way they were meant to be used.

Noel swung one of the chains wide. The blade at its end sliced through the air with a sharp hiss. The monsters hadn't expected him to go on the offensive, giving him the opening he needed. He spun the Reaver in a smooth arc, wrapping the chain around the third Sand Stalker's neck. 

With a firm yank, the blade dug into its flesh. A twist of his wrist sent the chain uncoiling, freeing the blade as black blood dripped from the fresh wound.

There was no time to admire the move he just pulled off.

The first Sand Stalker sprang in from his blind spot. But its movements didn't go unnoticed. Noel snapped his other hand back, flinging the second Chain Reaver behind him. The blade lashed out, catching the creature's front leg in mid-leap.

The monster stumbled, and Noel seized the opening. He pulled the chain with all his strength, the blade carving a deep gash into its leg.

The third one, blood streaming from its neck, launched itself at him in a final, desperate leap. Noel sidestepped quickly, spun the chain around his arm, and snapped the blade forward. It struck cleanly, sinking deep into the creature's skull.

The Stalker's momentum carried it forward. Its lifeless body hit the ground hard and slid nearly three meters before coming to a stop.

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﴾ Lv.2 Sand Stalker ﴿

﴾ 50 Life Energy obtained ﴿

Rewards Obtained

- 2 Kentos 

- 200 grams Sand Stalker Meat ⧼Edible⧽ added to Inventory. 

- Healing Bandaids x 5.

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Noel ignored the new notification that appeared in his view. The first Sand Stalker was limping and bleeding heavily as it began a slow retreat.

Without giving it a chance to escape, Noel advanced, swinging both Reavers in wide arcs. The blades cut through the air before landing clean strikes across its back.

The creature kept moving, but Noel refused to let it go after everything he had endured.

He chased it down, unleashing a flurry of powerful swings. With each strike, the Reavers carved deeper, steadily wearing it down.

A final growl escaped the creature, and after one last twitch, it slumped lifeless into the sand.

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﴾ Lv.2 Sand Stalker ﴿

﴾ 50 Life Energy obtained ﴿

Rewards Obtained

- 2 Kentos 

- 200 grams Sand Stalker Meat ⧼Edible⧽ added to Inventory. 

- 200 Ml Drinking Water ⧼Edible⧽ added to Inventory.

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Panting, Noel stood firm, though clearly exhausted. Using the Chain Reavers nonstop had taken a toll on him.

Once the weapon's basics had flowed into his mind, the tide of battle shifted. Even he was surprised by how effective the Chain Reavers had become, especially when combined with his Innate Talent's abilities.

Looking back, he was glad the Weapon Selection countdown had run out. It had given him a weapon he never would've picked on his own, one that increased his odds of survival.

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Author Note: 

ALTER REALITY: Online is the 1st Side Story of EARTH's ALPHA PRIME, a LitRPG System Survival novel that has completed 3 volumes so far. 

The revamped version of EAP Volume 1, 2 & 3 are now live on Kindle. You can find them on Amazon by simply searching the book title or go through the link provided here.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DR53YMV2

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Exclusive artwork for every free chapter is now available on my PATRE0N page! You can find the link in my Discord server.

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Discord Link for 'Earth's Alpha Prime' :

https://discord.gg/P6cWGg2G

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