There were many slums in the Bright Light Kingdom, and the slum Ryan lived in was merely one of them.
The people of the Bright Light Kingdom did not have good feelings toward those living in the slums. The reason behind this attitude lay in the origin of these slums.
Hundreds of years ago, these places had not been slums at all. Instead, they had been mining cities where criminals were sent to mine a special ore called Nether Fire Ore.
Nether Fire Ore was a Rank Two material that could be used to create many things, including weapons, armor, and various other tools.
However, mining this ore was not easy. It contained a dangerous substance known as fire poison, which slowly corroded the body of anyone exposed to it for long periods.
Because of this, the task of mining Nether Fire Ore was assigned to criminals who had committed crimes.
As more and more criminals were sent there to mine the ore, the mining settlement gradually expanded and over time, the mining site eventually developed into a small city.
However, the resources within the mine were not infinite and eventually, all of the Nether Fire Ore was completely mined out.
Once the mining operation ended, the criminals who had committed serious crimes before being sent to the mining city were either executed, imprisoned, or transferred to other mining cities where they could continue their labor.
On the other hand, those whose crimes had not been severe and those who had worked diligently during the mining operations were pardoned and regained their freedom.
Over the years, the people who had regained their freedom continued to live in the old mining cities.
However, due to the lack of resources and economic opportunities, the development of these cities stagnated. Eventually, they slowly degraded into places similar to slums.
Most of the slums within the Bright Light Kingdom shared a similar origin. They were either genuine slums where poor people lived, or abandoned mining sites where Nether Fire Ore or similar minerals had once been extracted.
Even though the practice of sending criminals to mines and later abandoning those settlements without any opportunity for future development had eventually stopped, after the entire world was united, the situation in the areas that had already turned into slums did not improve much.
Although the government had provided a few opportunities for people living in the slums to change their fate, such as the free Awakening Ceremony held every year, things were still far from optimistic.
Even if someone from the slums managed to leave and start a life elsewhere, they still carried the stigma of being the descendants of criminals. This made it extremely difficult for them to build a respectable future outside.
This was also the reason why, without awakening a sufficiently powerful Aspect, it was nearly impossible for someone to leave the slums and succeed elsewhere.
Holding a small iron hammer in his hand, Ryan stopped at one of the corners of his house and squatted down.
"If this thing doesn't work, then I'll just have to make do with the Rage Ape…" He muttered in a low voice as he began to break the cement floor.
The reason Ryan wanted to leave the slums was not only because of the harsh living conditions there.
It was also because the slums were extremely dangerous.
Because the security in the slums was about as reliable as the hair on a bald man's head, the people living there were often targeted by individuals who had awakened evil Aspects.
For example, there was a Spirit Aspect known as Blood Leech.
The holder of this Aspect could rapidly increase their strength by drinking the blood of other living beings.
And Blood Leech was only one example.
There were many Aspects that allowed people to increase their strength rapidly by committing horrific acts.
For individuals who possessed such Aspects, slums, where many people lived and where security was almost nonexistent, were the perfect hunting grounds.
In fact, two years ago, a slum slightly smaller than the one Ryan lived in had been completely sacrificed by an evil Aspect holder, leaving no survivors.
Although the chances of such a tragedy happening again were not particularly high, Ryan still hoped to leave this place as soon as possible.
Within just a few minutes, Ryan dug a small hole about fifteen centimeters deep into the floor.
Finally, he uncovered a crystal about the size of a fingernail that resembled a tiny diamond.
Picking up the small crystal, he walked back to his wooden bed and sat down.
"Talent Crystal…" He muttered softly, staring at the crystal with unfocused eyes.
Memories of how he had obtained the Talent Crystal three years ago resurfaced in his mind, and a cold gleam flashed through his eyes.
'If I awaken a talent and successfully leave this place, I will definitely make that bastard pay.'
Aside from naturally awakening a talent during the Awakening Ceremony, there was another way to attempt to awaken one, by using a Talent Crystal.
Using a Talent Crystal did not guarantee that the user would awaken a talent, but it did provide a chance.
There were four grades of Talent Crystals: Low Grade, Medium Grade, High Grade, and Perfect Grade.
A person could only use one Talent Crystal in their entire lifetime, regardless of their rank.
For example, if someone used a low-grade Talent Crystal, they would not be able to use another Talent Crystal of any grade again, even if the first one failed to awaken a talent.
The crystal Ryan possessed was a Low Grade Talent Crystal.
Ryan was not sure whether he would succeed in awakening a talent after using it, but he still wanted to try.
As for using a higher-grade Talent Crystal with a greater chance of success, he had never even considered such a thing.
Although a person could only use one Talent Crystal in their lifetime, and using this low-grade crystal was essentially equivalent to giving up the possibility of using any higher-grade crystal in the future, Ryan did not care.
After all, Talent Crystals, even low-grade ones, were incredibly rare.
Even if he saved money for several decades, he still would not be able to afford one, let alone a medium-grade or higher Talent Crystal.
Holding the Talent Crystal in his hand, Ryan took a deep breath and finally steeled his resolve.
He tossed the Talent Crystal into his mouth and swallowed it whole with the help of a glass of water.
As the Talent Crystal slid down his throat, Ryan's nerves tightened with anticipation as he hoped for a miracle.
Suddenly, he seemed to feel the crystal that had slid down his throat transform into a gentle stream of energy that began spreading throughout his body.
Every single cell in his body seemed to cheer as an overwhelming sense of comfort enveloped him.
Without realizing it, Ryan's consciousness gradually began to fade and within a minute, he had already fallen asleep on the bed.
At the same time, every single cell in Ryan's body slowly absorbed the energy from the Talent Crystal.
The energy did not increase his physical strength, nor did it alter his physique.
Instead, it was unlocking the hidden potential buried deep within his body.
Time continued to pass.
One hour…
Two hours…
Five hours…
Until eventually night arrived and more than twelve hours had passed.
As the bright moon and stars shone in the sky, Ryan's eyelashes trembled slightly and he finally woke up.
For a moment, confusion flashed in his eyes.
However, he quickly remembered what he had done earlier and when he noticed that there seemed to be no visible change in his body, Ryan's heart sank.
'Did it fail…?'
He thought with a heavy heart as he opened his status window.
However, the moment the window appeared, he noticed an unread notification, and his heart skipped a beat.
He quickly read the notification and his eyes became dazed.
"This… I succeeded," He muttered in a soft voice as he stared at the notification before him.
(You have awakened a talent — Mutation)