{ 1st Jan 2023 | Icarus High }
One hour after the convocation started.
Many students were called up on stage and awarded medals and plaques for their contribution to the school.
Some with C-class or higher mutations were even given direct admissions offers from colleges around the continent.
'No wonder association spends so much effort for these schools'
By creating schools throughout Diaspora, the association was effectively sitting upon a pool of the best human resources around the continent that were ready to enter Gene cultivation.
Vikram too had sponsored orphanages in the past for similar reasons, but later he understood that schools were better at brainwashing young minds en-masse.
Another reason he was interested in the convocation was that he required slav-, no subordinates, to create his own force.
'I don't have good luck like the protagonist who stumbles upon talents every which way and get handed over a stable force to lead in a platter', his thoughts reeked of envy and loathing.
**
[ ... Now I would request Ms Screwmaster to come on stage and awards Icarus High's young and talented mechanics
Vikram's eyes sparkled with greed as he saw one of the finest Mech-Specialist of Zone Y grace the podium.
Having lived in Zone Y for more than a week, he had researched all of the famous figures in Zone Y; hidden masters and celebrities alike.
Now that he had cleared the association's exam and become an official Shika, he had access to the association's database where information for common monsters, herbs, and famous powerhouses was available for someone willing to pay the price.
He had also gained a thorough understanding of the Shika world which he didn't have before. KRM's novel in its first two books mainly focused on the main character and the people around him, and not the world.
Even information like consuming a 'physical type' gene pool as the very first gene pool was better than consuming other gene pools didn't find mentioned in the novel.
In Diaspora, mutations and Shikas were divided into seven categories depending on their role and fighting style, with each mutation, despite its rank, having a grade depending on the purity of their gene i.e. how close they were to the founding families from Zone Zero.
The seven types of Shikas were (in no particular order):
Primitives - Shikas that had gained the power of different species like beastmans, spiritualists, paranormal species, etc.
Martials - Shikas that focused on melee combat or had mutations directly enhancing physical body or a Shika's understanding of weapon or art-of-fighting. For example, Gigantification, Weapon Mastery, Petrification, Enhancers, etc.
Sorcerers - Shikas that had magic-like properties and could control one or more elements (or tatva). For example, elemental mutations like fire, water, air, earth, wood, metal, etc.
Mechanics - Shikas specialising in machinery (mechanical or otherwise). Mechanics were known to fight using guns, cannons, and other kinds of analogue weapons. For example, Gunners, Snipers, Mech Pilots, etc.
Scouts - Shikas that shined in groups, long-range fights, or assassins were called scouts. For example, Rangers, Archers, etc.
Specialists - Production classes like herbalists or blacksmiths and Shikas with uncommon mutations were called specialists like healers and runesmiths.
Residents - Shikas with trash and unstable mutations that gave only a one-off ability with the least amount of versatility in their application or enhanced an underlying congenital condition were known as Residents.
**
Vikram wasn't sure how the mechanic gene came to be, since the advent of machines was only a recent phenomenon, but that's the knowledge he found through the association's database, so he had no reason to doubt it.
Each mutation, except for its rank, also had a grade based on the purity of Shika's genes (from low to high grade): Inheritance, Primate, Ancient, and Origin were the four grades of gene powers that existed depending on their purity.
*****
[... Casper from 12-C
Suddenly Casper was invited on the stage by Ms Screwmaster.
The host blared Casper's name and rowdy claps and whistles started echoing in the auditorium. Vikram was taken aback by the noise Casper had generated.
"are mechanics more popular than herbalists and blacksmiths?", Vikram was surprised.
According to his knowledge, blacksmiths and potioneers were supposed to be the most luxurious profession in the world of Diaspora.
Even Vikram was planning on learning the basics of Smithing because he wanted a steady source of income as well as create good weapons for his personal use.
"What do you know? Mech Mastery is the most powerful profession. You think the modern society would be able to advance to this level if not for us Mechanics-?"
Casper's father was the one to answer Vikram's question who was sitting on his right.
"... Mechanics not only safeguard cities by creating and deploying advanced machinery, but they are also the enablers of common people that cannot fight for themselves against the Awakened's onslaught", he continued.
Vikram went in thought contemplating the information he had just received from the current head of an engineering family.
*grab*
Suddenly a hand grabbed Vikram's right hand on top of the armrest, and a force greater than normal humans' was forcing his hand down, making him hurt in the process.
"Ow! What the hell-"
"Listen trash!"
It was Casper's father.
His voice didn't resemble the caring fatherly from before.
His demeanour had changed as soon as Casper left for the stage. His smile disappeared into the void and with anger-filled eyes, he turned towards Vikram.
"... Our boy is going to be the most talented Mechanic Zone Y has seen in decades, and I don't want him to waste time hanging around the likes of you"
Those were the eyes of extreme contempt and disgust.
Casper's father was in the know about Vikram's Resident awakening as well as him sabotaging the awakening ceremony.
He believed that if not for him, his son would have awakened normally without the risk of going through a much more difficult supplemented awakening process.
~HOW DARE YOU THREATEN MASTER~
Jane was enraged and jumped towards the father out of her primal instincts, but passed right through him.
She remembered that she was a ghost and right the next moment started to channel gene power while flying over the father's head.
The two feet limit was very restricting for her, but she was ready to behead anyone that would threaten her master or guard his body using every ounce of her ghostly powers.
Seeing Jane's outpour of anger like that, Vikram was surprised and smiled slightly. He found the doll-like woman getting angry for his sake cute.
~Stop Jane! Don't do anything~, he said.
~Master!?~, she looked down at Vikram's face in surprise and revolt but followed regardless.
"... don't forget that a large rift exists between you and my boy. A rift so vast that you would never get across, that's why I'm warning you to not limit our boy with your presence."
"... He is someone who is destined to fly with the hawks, and not live amongst the earthworms"
Vikram didn't reply to the blatant insult. For one, Casper's dad was a superior Shika with at least a Sky-level power and they were in Icarus High School amongst the presence of countless experts and onlookers; Secondly, because, he was Casper's father.
Instead, he quietly listened to his rant about trash mutations and the greatness of Casper's mechanic skills.
Vikram too agreed that Casper was talented.
Not because he had heard it from his father or Maya when he was at home, but because he had a clue based on the modification Casper had done on his automobile parked outside the school.
Even if he was no expert at the new technology that was already world-shattering compared to his understanding of machines that didn't go beyond wheels and levers, he could gauge if something was more advanced or not.
"I understand, Mr Kaur"
Vikram ignored him thinking he was a senile old man.
He wasn't angered by his threat, in fact, Vikram couldn't care less about him.
All he wanted was Casper and he knew from small encounters that Casper was nothing like his father.
*****
{ Afternoon | Outside Icarus High }
*buzz*
---
[Judy]
I have prepared a team for hunting Wrenchmans. They would be deployed in the evening and we should get a result by tomorrow afternoon if nothing goes wrong.
*smiling emoji* ... *thumbs up x3*
---
Vikram was walking outside with the Kaur family when Judy sent a positive message. He took a glance and then ignored it for the rest of the day.
"Okay, mom and dad, I'll see you at home"
Casper bid his goodbyes and two friends moved to the parking lot.
As they were leaving, Vikram felt a strenuous gaze on his back, but he walked right out without looking back at Casper's father.
*****
{ Evening | Central District | Zone Y }
"Bhaiya, what are we doing here?"
"We-"
"It is a surprise for our dearest sister", Casper cut off Vikram before he revealed the surprise.
"Humph-! Bhaiya Casper, you know I don't like surprises", Maya was used to being a little rebellious with Casper. It was due to the fact that Maya didn't feel like she was a burden because of Casper's carefree nature.
Vikram, who was walking with Maya and Casper on either side, was quietly agonizing over the scene.
Looking at them made him remember his childhood in the Empire when he would sneak out of the castle and roam the free markets with his step-sister and Casper.
*thud... flop*
While walking along the pavement flooded with a distinct crowd, Maya mistakenly stumbled upon a man that was exiting a debilitated bookstore titled "Grace".
"Oye As*hole-!! Where are you going without apologizing", Casper was the first to shout.
"Huh-!", the man with a distinct scar on the left cheek and a fake left eye turned to look at the three children.
"It's okay *cough* bhaiya! I was partially at fault *cough cough*", Maya immediately got up to calm the tense situation.
'huh-? Why do I feel like I know this person?', Vikram thought looking at the unforgettably horrendous face covered in dirt with an old man's beard.
*Eik-!!*
Both Casper and Maya, however, let out a fearful shriek at the man's face.
He looked at Casper but ignored him. He didn't care whether he had been disrespectful.
His gaze twinkled at Maya a bit longer but his expression didn't change from the homeless look he carried.
His eyes then fell on Vikram and suddenly they turned sad. He looked at Vikram pityingly as if he was looking at a dead man.
"I'm sorry! My left eye can't see what others can", the middle-aged man spoke in a coarse and tired voice.
All three of them inferred his sentence differently.
Casper as an excuse, Maya as an apology, and Vikram who couldn't put his finger on what felt wrong in the man, thought of it as a warning of sorts.
"Here, take this as an apology from me"
*swoosh*
A book and an amulet suddenly appeared in front of the middle-aged man and flew towards them. The amulet flew towards Maya and the book landed on Vikram.
Casper was about to speak but the man said, "... As for you, you don't need anything", and took a pause.
"... a present awaits to further your faith. Be careful though, for power begets misfortune and sometimes what may look right might not even exist", his gaze shifted slightly towards Vikram.
*swoosh*
The man disappeared from the view of the three children as if he was never there. Vikram was surprised, but both Maya and Casper looked as if it was a normal occurrence.
'I guess, I'm still not used to seeing superhumans while taking walk on a street.', he shrugged his shoulder and imprinted the middle-aged man's face in his memory.
'... Who was that man? And what did he mean by his last statement about Casper?'
"What a weirdo? Stumbling on people and then giving them pretentious presents as an apology"
"... What is this book even? What language is this?"
Casper was sure that both the book and the amulet were dummy items to fool his customers.
"He must be a conman. Like those astrologers or something, I heard from my parents they deliberately talk in vague tongue to confuse and lead their customer to expunge huge amount of money"
"... What a waste of gene power-!!", Casper groaned.
Vikram who had blanked because of the book in his hand couldn't keep his calm.
His fingers navigated the thick cover and stopped when they felt the texture of the engraved text.
His hand and forehead were sweating, and he felt an extreme sense of danger suddenly.
'this is the ancestral tongue?'