Transcendent Gene
Chapter 101: The Village [1]

Chapter 101: The Village [1]

Just as beasts and monsters had levels and classifications for their strength, humans did as well.

The ones created first were the scientific terms for these levels. They were named simply as "Origin Levels."

The Origin Level of a Sequencer was the most generally accurate way to classify them. There were twenty-seven in total, cycling from one to nine 3 times to separate the three most important changes in a Sequencer’s power.

From Origin Level 1-1 to Origin Level 1-9 was the so-called "Entrance." Formally, it was called the "Nubile State," but that was never going to be used outside of official documents. People at this level were the "Sprouts," or the "Newbies," depending on what Stratum one was raised in.

Origin Level 3-9 was the Starlight Class that humanity considered its current peak.

As for where Gio fell on that scale...

’I’m not even a 1st Stage Sequencer yet.’

For every three Origin Levels, one would advance another stage. Every stage above the 3rd had a fancy name given to it to honor the power of the Sequencers who reached them, but it was left simple for the Nubile State.

The 1st Stage could only be properly obtained after gaining both a secondary Gene Sequence and a Bloodline Sequence. Gio was below that level, a Pseudo-Sequencer, as they were called.

"But even if you’re a Pseudo-Sequencer right now, you’re good enough to fight equally with most Stage 1 Sprouts. Even if they’re Stage 2, you’ll be fine."

The Tier 3 beasts he’d been fighting had been brought down to levels somewhere between Tier 1 and Tier 2 when Amaya prepared them for Gio to fight.

As for the Crimson Ash Bear...

"...I’m sure you didn’t see it, but I sent a little bit of venom into that bear’s body when I reached into its throat. Its strength was lowered pretty close to Origin Level 1-5 or 1-6. It was properly at the strongest a Stage 2 Sequencer could ever be."

Gio nodded.

"What about you?" he asked.

They were already on foot, traveling through the jungle on the way to the first camp Amaya found.

"Curious?" she asked in return, flashing him a smile.

"I’ve been curious from the start, but I never had a chance to ask."

He could estimate their levels, but he wanted to know how strong they actually were.

After all, even if he knew all the ranks of humanity, he was never able to use them properly.

The tower didn’t give him a chance to think about such things. His strength there was always strange and ever-changing. There was rarely a time when he could use himself to gauge how strong other humans were.

The assumptions he made were based on the facts he had studied. It was different to sense or understand that strength through one’s body.

Amaya’s smile widened a little when she saw the slightly troubled look in his eyes.

"Prepare to be disappointed. I’m only a Master Grade Sequencer right now. I’m not anything special."

Master Grade, the stage below General Grade where he assumed Natalia to be. It consisted of Origin Levels 2-1 to 2-3 and was the first stage of the "Adapted State."

It was telling enough of how significant the difference between Stages was. Amaya told him to be disappointed, but he wasn’t anything of the sort.

The Master Grade strength she showed was more than enough to be proud of, especially when she wasn’t done growing yet.

"You’re looking at me like you want me to say more, but I didn’t bring this up to talk about myself," Amaya said, knocking his head lightly and forcing him out of his thoughts.

"We’re coming up on the area. Do you want me to tell you what to expect, or do you want to wing it?"

"If we have information, it would be a shame not to use it."

"Haha, well said. There are twelve of them in the village. There’s one Stage 3 chief and two Stage 2 guards in his private detail. I’ll take care of them. Everyone else is Stage 1."

"What kind of Stage 1?"

"Well..."

Amaya looked away as she thought about why those people had been gathered.

"You don’t have to worry about them being too strong."

"Hmm..."

Gio hummed in understanding and frowned.

’Nine enemies left to me. It’s not easy.’

Even if they were on his level, taking on nine of them was a task.

’Well, she never said I have to charge in and fight them all at once. This is a test, after all.’

It was a test to see if he could do well.

"Are you going to give me orders, or am I acting as I want to?"

"Act as you want for now. If there’s an order to give, I’ll give it, but everything else is your decision."

With that, there was only a single question left.

"Kill or contain?"

"I already answered that, didn’t I?"

If there was an order to give, she would give it.

"Everything else is my decision."

As Gio understood her meaning, Amaya slowed her steps to a crawl. He followed, lowering his body to meld into the brush.

They came across a broken stone wall. There was human activity nearby.

"Your comms are working?" Amaya checked.

Gio double-tapped his ear, indicating that her words were coming through clearly.

"Good. The village is right in front. I’ll go ahead and take care of the strong ones so the others don’t notice. When you hear my signal, it’s your turn."

She was gone in the next few seconds. Gio waited in the silent brush. Just faintly, he could hear the sounds of chatter in the distance.

’They really are living like it’s normal.’

It was anything but normal.

Rather, it was practically improbable. Stage 1 and Stage 2 Sequencers living under the leadership of a Stage 3 Sequencer?

Really?

In this part of the Wilds where beasts didn’t even leave their dens until they reached Stage 3?

It made no sense when Amaya first mentioned it, but that was why she mentioned it in the first place.

’It’s an unnatural gathering of weaklings. There’s twelve of them, she said, but there’s no way they could survive if it was just that much.’

Even if there were hundreds of them, they’d die if a single Tier 4 beast decided to make them its dinner.

’Weak people that still have a little bit of power, an isolated location, this uncanny situation...’

"Clear."

A single word pierced his ear, and Gio was on the move.

There was an offbeat rhythm being played through his heart. A strange premonition welled up inside his mind.

The brush started to clear away, revealing the shabby wooden homes that had been created in a small clearing of the jungle.

Gio could hardly say he expected the scene. It wasn’t a dreary and hollow existence like a Rest City. The people of this small village only known to them were living happily, roaming the clearing and undergoing various tasks as if they weren’t in the middle of a beast-infested wasteland.

There were bright smiles on their faces. The men, the women, the children...

All of them looked happy.

’So why are their eyes so hollow?’

Gio put his hand to his heart as the irregularity became stronger.

The "memory" on the edge of his mind reappeared.

The "circle" he’d seen that day flashed into his vision.

And in a single instant, he understood exactly why Raymond and the Blue Steel Squadron disappeared before they could become a piece of history.