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{ Background }
In Diaspora, [Shikas] are meta-humans and evolved individuals who have awakened variant genes (an aberration), granting them extraordinary abilities known as [Mutation].
The limited yet regenerating power of [Mutation] enables them to perform superhuman feats, such as reshaping the very fabric of nature after the cataclysmic event known as "Freefall."
The Shikas are a powerful force in the world of Diaspora.
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{ Classification of Shikas }
While the exact number of [Mutations] present in the world remains a mystery, awakened Shikas are classified into seven distinct categories, providing a convenient system for their classification and understanding.
{Primals} are the most basic type of Shikas, and their powers are rooted in their primal instincts. They are incredibly strong and fast, and they can often withstand great physical damage.
{ Combatants } are Shikas who have specialized in martial combat. They are masters of hand-to-hand combat, and they can wield weapons with deadly precision.
{ Spell Casters } are Shikas who have the ability to manipulate magical energies. They can cast spells, summon elemental forces, and wield mystical powers.
{ Technomancers } are Shikas who have a deep affinity for technology and machinery. They can interface with and manipulate complex systems, control electronic devices, and even merge their own bodies with advanced cybernetics.
{ Pathfinders } have a natural affinity for exploration and navigation. They possess heightened senses, intuition, and the ability to navigate through complex terrains effortlessly. They can track elusive targets, uncover hidden paths, and unravel the secrets of the world.
{ Prodigals } are Shikas who possess exceptional talents and skills in a specific field. Their powers augment their natural abilities, allowing them to reach unparalleled levels of mastery.
{ Residents } are the least powerful type of Shikas. They possess limited or unstable powers, and they often struggle to control or harness their abilities effectively.
It is worth noting that, unlike Residents, all other types of Shikas have a permanent [Base Mutation] that grants them one or more powerful abilities at the time of their [Awakening].
Through training, utilizing potions, and exploring various means of enhancing their powers, [Shikas] can further develop and refine their abilities, unlocking their true potential, referred to as [Alteration].
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{ Evolution of Shika: [ Alteration ] | [ Gene Forging ] }
In the enchanting realm of Shikas, every individual embarks on a wondrous journey of honing their innate abilities through a practice known as [Gene Forging] or [Alteration]. This sacred art allows Shikas (not limited) to unlock and enhance the latent potential within their genetic makeup and cultivate newer and more powerful powers.
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{ Shika's Rank }
In the realm of Gene Forging, there exist five progressive levels that Shikas can attain, representing their growth and power, starting from:
0 - Fraught (F-rank) - limit of F-rank or Resident Shikas, not really considered mutations even.
5 - Ender (E-rank)
4 - Deviator (D-rank)
3 - Curator (C-rank)
2 - Breaker (B-rank)
1 - Ascendant (A-rank)
The mastery of a particular mutation is only know to the Shika, and it is just a metric to understand Shika's control over their mutations.
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{ Shika License }
At each level, Shikas have the opportunity to undertake a License Examination and acquire an esteemed Shika Association License, symbolizing their mastery and influence within the world of Diaspora.
The SA Licenses, corresponding to these five levels:
Epsilon (E-rank)
Delta (D-rank)
Gamma (C-rank)
Beta (B-rank)
Alpha (A-rank)
Each rank brings with it corresponding benefits, network, and access to classified information. But it also brings more danger and attention from invested parties.
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{ Mutation Rank (inherent) }
The Ranking of a Shika's Base Mutation is also considered the potential of a Shika. For example, a Shika with C-rank mutation at the start may only reach the Gamma (C-rank) at most in his life. To break this limit generally requires a lot of blood, sweat, pain, and resources that most of the Shikas don't have.
Because all [mutation] are not made equal that is why within the world of Diaspora, the intricate practice of Gene-Forging is the most important as it is the most accessible way for a Shika to enhance his mastery or even evolve his mutation to next level/rank.
To a budding Shika mutation-rank matters a lot and also why a lot many people go to every length in order to increase the rank of their Mutations.
Mutations are classified into distinct ranks, each symbolizing the magnitude and essence of a Shika's extraordinary abilities.
This rank ranges from {Origin (O)} at top representing the unity of soul and body with the essence of Mutation and the Universe, to the {Elementary (E)} standing at the door of undiscovered world of Gene Forging.
Followed by the {Supreme Sovereign (SS)} and {Sovereign (S) } after O-rank, are mythological ranks embodying unrivaled mastery and control over the powers of their respective mutations. They have the lost powers of a bygone era of powerful entities controlling the life and death of a complete solar system. In current age, they exist only in the stories of ancient legends inherited in ancient powerful families. Sovereigns, just like their name are the powerful masters of vast regions encompassing planets.
Below the Sovereign(s) unbounded power lies the level of { Zenith (Z) }, said to be the peak of human life. Zenith of mutation lies prior to the imagination and beyond the bounds of reality. In current age, Zenith is said to be the undiscovered peak of humanity, where the very fabric of reality is reshaped at Shika's command breaking the civilization's power threshold.
And finally, the much revered { Ancient (A) } Mutations of current era, carries the faint echoes of bygone eras and wielding immense cosmic forces giving great power over others.
Below are the remaining ranks:
B-rank: Base
C-rank: Common
D-rank: Decayed
E-rank: Elementary
NOTE: O, SS, S, and Z Mutations are considered myths in the current world of Diaspora, and the highest Mutation ever disclosed in the past thousand years is an A-rank.
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{ Monsters }
Just as there are superhuman, there are also various kinds of beasts and monsters that roam the world of Diaspora. Their powers vary as much as Shika mutations vary and also follow the same cultivation levels:
- Body Level (E-rank)
- Spirit Level (D-rank)
- Earth Level (C-rank)
- Sky Level (B-rank)
- Heaven Level (A-rank)
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{ Item }
The items like weapons, guns, and potions also follow a similar 5-fold ranking system and these ranks are as follows:
- Basic
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
- Diamond