Jadal rubbed the back of his head, pacing slightly as if the right words were just out of reach. He looked like he was wrestling with some inner turmoil, and I could almost see the gears turning in his mind.
"If you can't explain it well, there's no need," I said, trying to sound casual. "I can always go to a library."
Even as I said it, he shook his head stubbornly. Determination radiated from him—almost painfully so—as he resolved to explain it himself.
He scratched his head again. And again.
At least fifteen times.
By this point, I couldn't tell if the guy was simply dense or if he was thinking himself into a hole deep enough to bury us both.
"Joseph, don't worry," he finally said, straightening up with renewed resolve. "After thinking about it… I know the perfect place to start."
He flashed me a thumbs-up and clapped a hand on my shoulder, clearly thinking he looked cool.
He didn't.
He looked ridiculous.
Still, I had learned my lesson about my sharp tongue, so instead of voicing my thoughts, I sat up properly and faced him. If nothing else, he deserved some respect for putting in the effort.
As a Greenie, I didn't know much about flow. First-hand knowledge like this? It mattered.
Hadal mirrored my posture, sitting upright as he took a deep breath to steady himself before speaking.
"How about we start with the Three Blessings?"
The way he said it made the air feel heavier, filled with gravity and importance.
"The Three Blessings are the classification system for all flow users," he explained, his voice gaining confidence as he delved into the subject.
"The First Blessing—the oldest of them all. Users enhance physical abilities. Strength, vitality, speed. They act as amplifiers… buffers for the body."
I nodded slowly, absorbing the information.
"The Second Blessing came next. These users channel flow into weapons—infusing them to create devastating strikes that can turn the tide of battle."
My interest sharpened, intrigue igniting within me.
"The Third Blessing…" he paused slightly, "...the most favored. The strongest."
A faint tension crept into his voice.
"They coat their entire body in flow energy—transforming themselves into living weapons. Durable. Overwhelming."
I stared at him, heart racing.
I had only ever heard whispers of the Third Blessing.
Not the First.
Not the Second.
The Greenlands…
They hadn't just failed to prepare me. They had kept me in the dark entirely.
"Get this, Joseph," Hadal said, leaning in slightly, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "It gets crazier."
I let out a small laugh, half-joking. "Oh really? Because two entire classes I've never heard of seems crazy enough."
His smile shifted, morphing into something more knowing—the kind you give someone who doesn't realize just how little they know. Then he clasped his hands together, fingers interlocking like he was about to divulge a great secret.
"Even if you get assigned a blessing… it doesn't mean you can't use abilities from the others."
For a moment, everything went still. My mind stalled, grappling with the implications of what he just said.
Three classes. Shared abilities.
"That's… that's a joke, right?" I grabbed him, shaking him slightly in disbelief. "That's too absurd to make sense!"
"Alright, relax—relax!" he laughed, prying my hands off him. "You're killing me."
He was enjoying this far too much.
"Don't worry. I'll explain."
He leaned back slightly, his tone shifting into something more serious, more grounded.
"When a flow user awakens, they're tested for each blessing."
"Each one is measured… as a percentage," he continued, letting the words sink in slowly.
"The higher your percentage in one blessing, the more likely you'll be assigned to that class."
"But…" I muttered, still grappling with the information.
He smirked. "But that doesn't erase your potential in the others."
I looked up at him, realization starting to dawn.
"So even if you specialize… you're not limited."
"Ding ding ding," he said mockingly, a grin stretching across his face. "10 out of 10. Want a lollipop?"
I ignored him, my mind racing.
"What happens… if someone has equal aptitude in two blessings?"
That wiped the grin off his face completely.
"Joseph…" His voice dropped, growing serious.
"If someone had equal aptitude in two blessings…"
He held my gaze, the weight of his words thickening the air between us.
"They'd be monsters."
The word lingered, hanging over us like a storm cloud.
"Unparalleled strength."
A chill crept up my spine, a shiver of realization.
I hesitated, but I had to ask. "Do they exist?"
For a second, he didn't answer. Then—
"Yes."
My chest tightened, anxiety running rampant through me.
"They do," he continued, his voice steady. "And… there are some in this school."
Before I could react, he grabbed my arm—tight, as if trying to ground me.
"You know this school runs on hierarchy, right?"
I nodded slowly, the implications of his words starting to sink in.
"If you ever meet one…" His grip tightened further. "Don't look them in the eye."
The air felt suffocating now, pressing down on me.
"Just lower your head," he instructed, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. "As a sign of respect."