[Continuing from where Part 1 left off]
"...Each stage contains 10 Levels—milestones of growth within a stage. Leveling is possible through rigorous training, real-world application, or emotional breakthroughs."
Kiran sat up straighter.
"So... what kind of mutation do I get? Can I choose?"
"Negative. Most individuals inherit a mutation type based on parental lineage."
The screen changes again, displaying videos of a woman manipulating mist, a man creating stone armor, and their child generating obsidian fog and hard spikes.
"Sometimes the child mirrors one parent. Sometimes they combine both. Occasionally…"
A new image: a child erupting with lightning despite both parents having healing abilities.
"...a completely unrelated mutation manifests."
"These individuals are categorized as..."
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Deviants – Untraceable genetic source, often unusually powerful.
Flukes – Unstable, often useless or self-harming mutations.
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"Beyond stages, there are ranks."
The screen shifted to a color-coded scale from gray to gold:
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F Rank: Very common, little threat. (Tail, fur)
E Rank: Common, some threat. (Bark skin, static shock, jumping enhancement)
D Rank: Uncommon, City threat. (Low range flames, low water manipulation, enhanced speed/reflex)
C Rank: Semi-Rare, Regional threat. (minor spatial displacement, basic telekinesis)
B Rank: Rare, National Threat. (Elemental shaping, forcefield projection)
A Rank: Very Rare, Continental threat. (Time slowing pockets, high-scale matter manipulation)
S Rank: Extremely rare, Global threat. (Entropy control, True elemental manipulation)
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"This ranking system evaluates a mutation's perceived potential, combat utility, versatility, and growth ceiling. It does not reflect a person's current power level or evolution stage, but the quality of their mutation at awakening. Your rank is assigned after awakening and is updated through NMA evaluations."
"Because these are assigned by the NMA and are not inherently given, there can be error in a person's assigned rank. The NMA uses both background, family potential, and perceived power to make their decisions."
"After high school, every student participates in the NMADEX, the National Mutant Aptitude & Developmental Exam."
"Your performance on this exam determines your eligibility for institution. It is your chance to stand out and show off your abilities."
"Not all institutions are made the same, however."
"There are three types of institutions."
The screen changes.
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Public Mutant Schools – Funded by the NMA. Minimal equipment. Large class sizes. Most E and D ranks are funneled here.
Private Academies – Owned by clans, corporations, or nobles. Harsh training, advanced tech. Usually require tuition or political connections.
Elite Universities – Also NMA-operated but with higher investment, with students rivaling top private academies. Only the top 1% gain entrance. Students often include B and A ranks—sometimes even S.
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"Those who fail to enter elite institutions often become manual laborers—trapped at the lowest rung of society."
"Now uploading information on demon beasts."
The screen darkened.
Then came monstrous silhouettes—snarling, shifting, impossible.
"Beasts born from the rifts. Each exists in a stage-based hierarchy—similar to humans, but categorically stronger."
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Stages 0 to 9:
Stage 0: Wildlings. Animal-like instincts. Dangerous in groups. Comparable to Stage 1 humans.
Stage 1–3: Threat to small cities. High-speed, elemental, or adaptive abilities.
Stage 4–6: Regional extinction events. Only elite squads can handle them.
Stage 7–9: Cataclysmic. Faction-level responses required. These beasts alter weather, gravity, and even time in limited zones.
Each stage is subdivided into:
Low-tier – Beginning of the stage. Recently evolved.
Mid-tier – Fully adapted. Dangerous.
High-tier – Apex of the stage. Borderline advancement.
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"To defeat a Stage 2 beast, you must be at least Stage 3 yourself—or possess overwhelming technique."
Kiran leaned back slowly. His pulse thudded against his temples. "So I'm at the bottom of the barrel. No mutation. No rank. No school. No power."
"That is correct."
Kiran clenched his jaw, watching the last of the holograms flicker out. His heart was pounding, but not from fear—more like pressure. A dull weight settled on his chest as the reality of this world came into focus.
He exhaled. "Alright… one more thing. All this power stuff—the stages, the schools, the ranks. It paints a picture. But what does the world really look like? How does it run?"
"Acknowledged. Initiating sociopolitical analysis."
"Power—genetic, economic, and institutional—forms the foundation of this world's social order. The inheritable nature of mutations has forged a global hierarchy reinforced by generations of control."
Kiran didn't speak, but he understood.
"Those born into strong bloodlines hold disproportionate influence. Though not universal, most of the elite—whether clan heirs, corporate legacies, or state-backed prodigies—inherit potent mutations and access to early resources that make them dominant in human society."
Images flashed.
- A white-haired boy floating mid-air, cloaked in golden fire.
- A girl born into nothing, weeping as her skin turned transparent.
- A middle-aged man whose power was the ability to lightly magnetize small pieces of metal, like spoons.
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Examples of mutation disparity:
SPOON MAGNETISM: F-Rank. Minimal utility.
GLASS SKIN: E-Rank. Unstable. Fragile. Often fatal without bio-modification.
DRAGON'S BREATH: A-Rank. Elemental combustion, flight-capable.
PHANTOM VEIN: B-Rank. Neural decoupling and blood-phase cloaking allow the user to become virtually invisible to technology and undetectable to human senses other than sight. Some of the Yurei clan lower class have this ability.
MIRROR SHIFT: Unique. Deviant class. User can use mirrors as doorways to other mirrors that they have seen their reflections in.
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Kiran stared at the images. Some mutations were curses, others blessings. But they were also tickets—tickets into power.
"The National Mutant Association (NMA) governs most mutation regulation, mutant education, and Rift zone control."
The NMA's insignia—a coiled serpent pierced by a silver ring—glowed with austere prominence.
"They maintain internal peace… but also uphold the hierarchy."
"And the families? The corporations? You said they control private schools?"
"Correct. Several factions operate at the highest level of human influence. I will list a few key players now."
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Major Human Factions
National Mutant Association (NMA)
- Central authority. Manages rift security, mutation licensing, and global infrastructure. Neutral in theory; authoritarian in practice.
- Controls the NMADEx, elite universities, and NMA task forces.
(Powerful Bloodline Clans)
The Yurei Clan
- Ancient bloodline known for silence manipulation and neural shadow techniques.
- Operates the elite academy "Twilight Hall." Members are seen as ghosts on the battlefield. Highly exclusive.
(Organizations)
Lykos Trade Conglomerate
- Interplanetary trade faction. Handles black market relics, Dhaer tech salvage, and galactic supply routes.
- Uses private military forces and lobbies NMA policies. Owns two elite schools for merchant-mutants and combat-specialists.
(Dark Clans)
Black Halo
- A rogue organization dwelling in Rift Zones.
-Known for mutation grafting, gene-splicing, and Dhaer weapon experiments.
-Actively hunted by NMA. Currently considered a global S-Class threat.
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"Many other factions exist. These are simply some of the most prominent within Earth's class structure. The NMA is known to be the strongest faction, but some bloodline families, organizations, and dark clans may rival them."
Kiran sat silently, staring at the dimming screen.
"One last clarification: Humanity's expansion into space is recent compared to most galactic races. Technological and biological limits slowed early movement. Only after Stage 3 mutations developed and Dhaer-tech integration did large-scale expansion begin."
"Several alien factions possess strength rivaling or surpassing all current human factions. Some alien factions even surpass the combined strength of humanity as a whole. Due to time limitations, I won't discuss these alien factions at this time."
"But there does also exist multiracial coalitions—such as the Orion Accord and Sector Six Foundation—that powerful humans now participate in."
Kiran took a long, slow breath. Then nodded to himself.
He had no rank, no name, no power—yet.
But now he knew the battlefield. And that was the first weapon he'd need.
While integrating all of this information into his mind, Kiran drifted off to sleep.