Keros smiled. It felt good to teach arrogant people that they weren't as special as they thought. It also felt good to be at rank one, and it boosted his pride a bit.

 

After he finished patting himself on the back, he compared himself with rank two. Keros' top speed was a bit less, but his stamina was quite a bit higher. He guessed that he was able to maintain higher speeds for longer, and that probably gave him the edge and allowed him to take first place. He was a bit impressed with himself, but also with Judas. Keros knew exactly how hard he had worked to achieve the results he had, which meant that Judas probably put quite a bit of effort into his training. Keros didn't know how large the effects of herbs, tonics, and other supplements were when it came to physical improvement, but he knew they weren't so amazing that they could completely replace rigorous training.

 

-

 

It took over an hour for the rest of the classes to finish with the first test. Luckily the rest of the tests were much faster and more simple.

 

The students followed the coaches and gym head to another section of the gym, which had 20 computers in a row. The gym head spoke up, getting the attention of the students.

 

"The reaction time test is very simple and will be conducted on these interfaces. All you have to do is play the game that is programmed on the computers. The game lasts for one minute, and the goal is to strike the blue moons that appear before they vanish. The faster you are, the more moons you will collect, and thus, the higher your score will be. We will maintain the same order, and you will be tested by your leaderboard ranking within your class."

 

Once he finished providing information on the test, the coached and aides organized the classes so the test would be streamlined. in less than 10 minutes it was Goldrose academies turn. Keros only had enough time to glance up and see Judas' score which was currently 242. Keros knew that each moon collected would equal one point, so Judas had managed to collect 122 moons.

 

Keros stepped up to the interface. It looked similar to a canvas, with a transparent screen. Most computers and handhelds had transparent screens, and from experience, Keros knew that the screen would darken when certain apps were launched to make them easier to use. This was the case with the game, the background would turn black. He could still see through it if you focused, but it wouldn't cause a hindrance to performance.

 

The screen displayed a countdown from five and then began.

 

Keros didn't focus on any specific point on the screen. He didn't want to miss a moon that was in his peripheral vision because he was focused too hard in one area. Instead, he decided to trust his accuracy that had been trained when sparring to make up for the deficiency caused by doing so. Keros felt this was the best way for him to get optimal results.

 

The moons appeared quickly, but they vanished soon after. In the beginning, Keros wasn't too bothered by it, but as the time got shorter his frustration grew. sometimes he would see a moon and go for it, but it would vanish right before he managed to tap the screen. Other times a second moon would appear right before the one before it vanished, causing him to hesitate. By the time the test was over he was so irritated that he wanted to restart and try again because he missed so many moons by such a small margin. Unfortunately, this was a test, so no one was given a second chance.

 

Keros returned to the designated area and waited for the leaderboard to update. Shortly, their updates score was displayed.  236, he had collected 110 moons, and now Judas was ahead by six points. It would all come down to the Strength test to determine who would take the top spot. This irritated Keros, but he also felt impressed by Judas' performance.

 

Judas felt the same way. He was raised not to look down on the strong simply because they were a commoner, but it certainly wouldn't do any favors for his pride. After all, he was a noble, and that granted him some small advantages. Apparently he hadn't been working hard enough.

 

Mrs. Gellard on the other hand was feeling many different emotions. She wasn't accustomed to her actions backfiring on her in such a manner, and embarrassment wasn't something she felt often. Because of this, her skin wasn't very thick, causing her to feel many different negative emotions.

 

-

 

within the hour every school had completed the test and the leaderboard was finally updated.

 

~Rank 1: Judas Nevir

 Moons collected: 122

 Score: 122

 Fitness Score: 242

 

~Rank 2: Keros Vaolair

 Moons collected: 110

 Score: 110

 Fitness score: 236

 

~Rank 3: Lisa Ekkle

 Moons collected: 103

 Score: 103

 Fitness Score: 202

 

~ Rank 4: Booker Red

 Moons collected: 100

 Score: 100

 Fitness score: 194

 

Surprisingly two more spots among the top twenty-five were taken by commoners. While the main leaderboard would still be dominated by the Franz academy in the end, the schools that had a student occupy a top twenty-five rank still took pride in the achievement and would boast about it for the rest of the year if the students could remain on the board by the end. The more prideful nobles, on the other hand, felt the same as their teacher Mrs. Gellard. What a shame it had been to act so arrogantly yet perform so poorly, though they wouldn't acknowledge or admit to these feelings. In their eyes, they were still better than their commoner counterparts.

 

-

 

"Now we will do the strength test. Like the previous test, this one is simple. Just approach the machine and punch it as hard as you can. Your results will be calculated automatically by our advanced systems."

 

These tests were supposed to test one's base attributes without any other supporting factors. Some things couldn't be accounted for, and techniques were one of those things. While it was unlikely that someone their age would know a solid movement technique due to the sheer difficulty of learning one, It wouldn't be very uncommon for someone their age to know how to throw a proper punch in today's world. Knowing the proper techniques for throwing a punch allowed one to generate more power from their legs and torso, before guiding that power into the object they were punching. So those with some form of Martial arts training that focused on striking would have much higher scores than those that had no training.

 

Keros had started training a few years ago, and he had been training in a custom mix of Martial arts taught by his father the entire time. Combined with the time that he spent sparring at the local gyms and fighting at the game center, Keros could be considered a proficient striker. He did not doubt that this was the test he would perform the best on, plus he had a small advantage than some thanks to his size.

 

This time he watched Judas closely. Since they were so close in score and this was the last test, he was heavily invested in how his opponent performed. He believed that Judas focused primarily on speed, and he would be able to verify by watching closely.

 

Judas stepped up, taking his time he adjusted his stance and took a deep breath.

 

 Judas' arm shot out and his torso twisted, lashing out at the machine. His punch was fast, reaching the machine in a blur.

 

*POW*

 

He followed through a bit before quickly retracting his arm swiftly and taking a few steps back, waiting for this machine to display his results. The transparent screen at the top of the machine blinked a few times before displaying the number 950.

 

Keros knew that the number displayed on civilian machines like the ones being used now displayed the psi of one's strike. 950 psi was a high number for their age. Keros confirmed that Judas does primarily focus on speed, but his strength also had to be decent if he got a 950 with the speed he displayed. If Keros could beat 950, it wouldn't be by too much.

 

Shortly after, the Leaderboard updated to show Franz academies' final scores. Judas had a score of 190 on the strength test, bringing him up to a fitness score of 432. Lisa got 135 points, bringing her to 337. A difference of 95 points, 55 of which were from the strength test. The strength test could have a big impact on someone's Fitness score, and the Main leaderboard might change more drastically than from the other tests.

 

Keros didn't care about the majority of the Main leaderboard. He only cared about the top three places. He wanted to get first, and he wanted Booker to take one of the other two ranks. Keros is a competitive person and though his main goal was to test his limits, he still cared about winning too. All the better if his best friend could join him at the top. Of course, the 5,000 credit reward only fueled his competitive spirit.

 

Soon it was Keros' turn and he stepped up to the machine. Even though this would decide if he got first place or not, he wasn't nervous. He had already seen the results of his training and he was confident when it came to his striking technique. He took a few deep breaths to bring himself to the optimal state before taking his stance.

 

He focused his sight on the target, taking one last breath before moving his body. He pushed with his right foot, feeling a pressure building as the muscles in his legs started to tense. The tension traveled up his legs like a wave and quickly made it to his torso. He twisted his torso at the waist, generating more speed and power. His arm shot out as he released his breath, his muscles remained loose so as not to affect his speed until the moment his fist contacted the target. He felt the force he had generated flood into his fist and the target. He followed through the target with his punch, allowing all of that force to get absorbed by the target until no more force flowed out.

 

*POW*

 

The sound was loud, suffocating the sounds of his classmates' punches. He retracted his arm and twisted his torso back at the same time, returning to his previous stance before relaxing and taking a few steps back so he could accurately view the results. Keros grinned as he stared at the number displayed. 1050. He managed to beat Judas' results by one hundred, and hopefully, that amount would be able to make up for the 6 points that he was behind by.

 

a whistle was heard, and Keros turned to see Booker a few machines over. He had finished his test and immediately compared his score to Keros'. Keros decided to do the same and saw 750 displayed on Bookers' machine.

 

"How'd ya manage to get 1050, but I only got 750?!" Booker said in a joking manner

 

"Must be all the milk and vegetables," Keros responded in kind.

 

They both chuckled before going back to their designated area and watching the leaderboard intently.

 

Soon Goldrose academies second class finished and their leaderboard was updated. Keros got 210 points, and Booker got 150. Their Fitness scores jumped to 446 and 344 respectively. They had done it! It was safe to assume that would remain in first and third place, as the only two that had been close enough to surpass their scores had already finished the examination and had their scores posted.

 

They bumped fists with smiles on their faces. It felt good so good to be at the top that they could become addicted to the feeling. They had accomplished a lot today. Keros had tested his limits against strong peers, they both achieved top three out on the main leaderboard, they had displayed their capability and showed the noble students that they were just as good if not better than them, and as long as Mrs. Gellard followed through with her promise they would be 10,000 credits richer. Today had been a great day for them so far.

 

Judas and Lisa were looking over at the two, but unexpectedly their gazes were filled with respect and acknowledgment. They didn't seem to share the arrogance that of most nobles, instead, they respected those that were capable. Keros and Booker decided to return the same gaze since they felt the same way. No one could leave their designated zones until the examinations were concluded, or maybe they would have started a conversation with the two Franz academy students.

 

-

 

All schools had finished the Strength test and the leaderboards were updated.

 

~Rank 1: Keros Vaolair

 Strength(psi): 1050

 Score: 210

 Fitness score: 446

 

~Rank 2: Judas Nevir

 Strength(psi): 950

 Score: 190

 Fitness Score: 432

 

~ Rank 3: Booker Red

 Strength(psi): 750

 Score: 150

 Fitness score: 344

 

~Rank 4: Lisa Ekkle

 Strength(psi): 650

 Score: 135

 Fitness Score: 337

 

 the gym head had everyone assemble back inside the main section of the gym before addressing the students.

 

"The Physical Examination has concluded. Your results have been recorded and will be sent to your respective schools. Hopefully, all of you have gained an understanding of where your strengths and weaknesses lay and can improve your fitness before the next examination. That being said I have to say some of you have impressed me with your results, and I am excited to see your results in the next examination." he said with a warm smile

 

"Now before everyone leaves, I believe we have some other business to wrap up." he said before turning to face Mrs. Gellard

 

Mrs. Gellards face turned a shade of red. it was embarrassing to be called out in such a manner, however, she couldn't rebuke the gym head in such a situation. Of course, she would follow through with her earlier promise even if she was unhappy about it, after all her reputation was on the line. 10,000 credits weren't much more than pocket change to her, so she wouldn't sacrifice her reputation for such a measly amount.

 

"Keros Vaolair, Booker Red, Please come up here and see Mrs. Gellard for your reward." the gym head said in a loud voice without waiting for Mrs. Gellard to speak.

 

Keros and Booker made their way through the rows of students casually before appearing before Mrs. Gellard.

 

"Present your Credit badges." Mrs. Gellard scoffed.

 

Keros and Booker pulled out their badges and held them out. Mrs. Gellard brought her arm up and pressed her commlink a few times before swiping it over each of the boy's badges, before gesturing them to return to their class.

 

After that had been wrapped up the aides lead their classes out of the gym and back to their schools. 

 

 

 

-

 

Comm links have many uses, and transferring credits is one of its functions. Transferring money this way is better for many reasons.

 

Credits are the main currency on New Genesis and are completely virtual. The only physical variant came as chips that contain up to 1,000 credits called 'Credips'. The primary way credits are stored and accessed are credit badges and commlinks. 

 

Credit badges are thin, green, and slightly transparent. They have a small rectangle at the top that would display the number of credits stored on the badge, and they can only store up to 25,000 credits. Credit badges are primarily used by youths under twelve because the banking function of a commlink was locked to anyone under the age of 12.

 

Comm links came in many different forms, and some had specialized functions, however, the most common form used was an armband. The armband version comes in many sizes but normally no longer than half of an average size adult forearm. They lock or strap to your forearm starting just behind the wrist. They could be quite thick, or fairly thin. The thinner ones are usually more expensive since they don't impede daily life as much as the thicker ones. They varied wildly in style ranging from many different colors, shapes, materials, and even had accessories that you could buy for them. They were bought with style and fashion being almost as important as function.

 

Speaking of function, commlinks are probably the most useful tool someone could have. You needed to obtain a compact ID chip and slide it into the slot on a commlink, which would link all of your basic personal information to the commlink. A commlink normally couldn't be used without the ID chip, since almost every function required your basic information. Video calling, messaging, banking, accessing the network, and many more features required you to be identified for one reason or another. The ID chip also acted as a key of sorts as some functions were locked behind various requirements such as age, status, rank, security level, and others. An example is that you can't use any function other than the video call and messaging functions until you were 12. The age of 12 is considered a preliminary to adulthood because that is when one would be able to truly begin cultivation and unlocked a lot of restrictions in life and on a commlink, but there were still some restrictions even on your commlink until the age of 16 when one would be considered an adult.

 

-

 

By the time they got back, school was about to end for the day. Keros gathered his things into his bag and joined Booker to wait in the school gym for the bell.