Inside the shack, Niamh gestured for Jade to sit down. "Jade, we need to talk," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "About the world, and how it works."
Jade nodded, his eyes locked on Niamh's. "I've seen some things," he said, his voice low. "People with powers, like me. And others...who aren't like me."
Niamh nodded. "The world is divided into different areas, Jade. The city, the slums...each has its own rules and dynamics. In the city, there's a strict hierarchy, with the elite at the top and the lower classes struggling to survive. The slums, on the other hand, are more...fluid. People come and go, and it's hard to keep track of who's who."
Jade listened intently, his eyes never leaving Niamh's face. "And what about genders?" he asked, his voice curious.
Niamh took a deep breath before beginning to explain. "Jade, in this world, people are categorized into different types based on their genetic makeup and abilities. There are Super Dominant Alphas, they are extremely rare and it is hard to find one in 100 million people. They are at the top of the hierarchy. They're strong, confident, and often hold positions of power."
Jade listened intently, his eyes locked on Niamh's.
"Then there are Dominant Alphas, who are similar to Super Dominant Alphas but not quite as powerful. Regular Alphas are the most common type of Alpha, less rare but they are still considered the apex of humanity . They make up about 3 percent of the entire human population ."
"Betas are...different. They're not as dominant as Alphas, but they're not as submissive as Omegas either. But they are the majority of the human population. Like me Jade , I'm considered a beta"
Niamh paused, her expression softening. "And then there are Omegas. Dominant Omegas are confident and beautiful creatures regardless of primary gender. They're often sought after for their high rate of Fertility. They can bear children regardless of primary gender and are the natural mates of Alphas. But Recessive Omegas...they're often seen as weak, and vulnerable."
Jade's eyes dropped, his gaze falling to the floor. Niamh's voice was gentle as she continued. "You, Jade, are an Omega. And judging by your Omega mark, a Dominant Omega, to be specific. By your appearance , you must be from a noble descent and some noble families see Omega as a... taint to their esteemed family name. That's why you were abandoned. Some people don't understand or accept Omegas, especially Recessive ones. They see them as liabilities, or worse."
Jade's face twisted in a mix of emotions. He had always known he was different, but he had never understood why. Now, it made sense. He was an Omega, and that came with its own set of challenges and biases.
Jade's thoughts drifted to the goddess, his feelings a mix of frustration and anger. Why had she brought him back as an Omega? A Dominant one, at that. He remembered his past life, his strength and confidence. Now, he felt vulnerable, uncertain. It wasn't the rebirth he had expected. Jade's mental voice whispered a quiet complaint, "Guess you had a laugh at my expense, goddess. Omega? Really?"
Niamh's hand reached out, her fingers wrapping around Jade's, Mistaking his silence for sadness.
"I'm sorry, Jade. But I'm here for you now. And I'll help you navigate this world, no matter what."
I'm glad I found you, Jade. You're special, and I want you to know you'll never be alone again, you'll always have me , I promise.
As they talked, Jade's eyes began to open to the complexities of the world.
The slums, Jade learned, were a place of contrasts. There were those who scavenged for scraps, and those who wielded powers that could level buildings. There were gangs and factions, each with their own agendas and motivations. The slum was the worst, the darkness that lurked in every alleyway and abandoned building. The desperation in people's eyes, the way they'd do whatever it took to survive.Especially the gangs and predators who preyed on the weak.
As the night wore on, Jade's questions slowed, his eyes growing heavy with exhaustion. Niamh smiled, her eyes warm with affection. "We'll talk more tomorrow, Jade," she said. "For now, let's get some rest."
Jade nodded, his body relaxing into the worn couch.The battle today had taken a toll on him, he was mentally exhausted and his mana was on the low. He had realised how powerful he had become today . And he realised he had powerful abilities that his mana reserves could barely sustain.
As Jade's gaze lingered on Niamh, a warmth spread through his chest, and for the first time, he saw her not just as a guardian, but as a mother. He thought back to all the times she'd fed him, and kept him safe. Her meticulous care, her unwavering dedication.
Jade's heart swelled with gratitude, and he promised himself that he'd grow stronger, not just for himself, but for her. He'd protect her, be her shield against the world's cruelty. The thought of Niamh being vulnerable, of her facing danger alone, was unbearable. Jade's determination hardened into steel; he'd become powerful enough to safeguard her, to repay the debt he owed for all the years she'd cared for him.
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As Jade settled into his makeshift bed, he focused his gaze on the system panel. During the fight earlier, he'd been aware of the faint ringing of notifications, but hadn't had a chance to check them. Now, lying in the dimly lit shack, he brought up the interface, and a holographic display flickered to life before him.
"Status," he murmured, and the display shifted to show a list of messages. Jade's eyes scanned the list, his brow furrowing as he read through the entries. He had levelled up three times during his earlier battle and had gained 3 stats points in the process. His intermediate Ice and snow Manipulation also levelled up to Advance Ice and Snow Manipulation.
But what drew Jade's attention was the new row of quests
STATUS:
- Name: Jade
- Level: 5/ 300
- EXP: 25/100
- STR: 20
- AGI: 20
- INT: 90
- STA: 36
- HP: 500
- MP: 500
- STAT POINTS: 4
- SKILL POINTS: 2
Talents
- Divine Soul Dual Pupils (unawakened) [EX]
- Ice and Snow Manipulation [SS]
Bloodlines
- Yin Phoenix Bloodline [Unique]
- Void Belgusari [God Tier]
Skills
- Glossomancy [C]
- Cryokinesis
- Basic Weapon Mastery
- Intermediate Healing
- Belgusari's Hunger (awakening)
- Advanced Ice Manipulation
Artifacts
- None
Quests
1. Daily Quest: Run 10 KM, Do 100 push-ups, Do 100 sit-ups
- Duration: 3 months
- Rewards: 1 SP
- Status: Ongoing
2. Reach LV 10
- Rewards: Teleportation
- Status: Incomplete
3. Awaken Dormant Talent
- Rewards: Talent unique skill
- Status: Incomplete
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Jade's eyes shone in happiness as he looked at the first quest. He had been stumped on how to continue growing stronger after his kicks and punch quests had been halted when he turned a year old
But now, that wasn't the case anymore, he could now steadily gain a statpoint everyday by doing the quest
He would have to think of a way to convince Niamh to let him go for runs but he would worry about that in the morning. He looked towards his second quest." How do I reach level 10?" , he muttered softly.
He couldn't go looking for scavengers to kill in order to level up could he ?. No!, although Jade didn't consider himself a righteous man considering his past life experiences, he couldn't consider himself someone who killed for absolutely no reason!. Even if the said scavengers where the vilest of people
Unless he was deliberately provoked , Jade wouldn't go around killing just for the sake of levelling up , there would be no difference between him and monsters otherwise.
After deliberating for a moment, he decided to go with the giant rats in the junkyard. The experience they provided was little, but he had time .
And the third quest, Jade still didn't know how to go about awakening his dormant talent , he had tried asking Niamh if she knew anything about talents and how to awaken them . And she had said the way people awakened talents was through Awakening stones .
Usually, Children would be taken for awakening by their parents or gaurdians once they reached the age of 12. That was when their bodies were considered ripe to contain their various abilities. But seeing Jade using abilities without the help of an awakening stone and at a very young age , she didn't think he would need one .
But Jade found out people like him weren't rare, apparently there were children who were born with the ability to use their talents immediately and some awakened by themselves growing up. Niamh assumed Jade was the latter. They were rare and are called prodigies but they existed. Which eased most of Jade's worries. Now he didn't need to be afraid of using his ability, only to not use it in front of other people in the slums for now.
It's just Niamh had never heard of an omega awakening by themselves or being so powerful. Since their physiques were mainly attuned for child birth, their bodies were usually delicate and if an omega awakened an ability, it would lean towards the weaker side .
Niamh continued that most omega awakeners she had seen usually had abilities not related to combat, and if it was , it would be low ranked . But she had been proven wrong by Jade. And she proceeded to call him the Goddesses favourite which had made Jade frown for an entire week begging her to never call him that again.
...