"Students on the sideline," A voice reverberated through the surroundings, mellowed out under the flurry of discussions. "Don't waste your time standing idle. The training exercise has concluded."
Another voice appeared, its source seemingly dispersed, "Inform all the students from the October batch to assemble at the entrance of the White Building."
"I reckon most of the students from our batch are here," Jyorta muttered, his gaze transfixed on the ground. The injured Cadets were gently carried away by the teachers, their injuries treated by a pale blue light.
Some of the Cadets had suffered from multiple bone fractures, having fragments of their bones lodged into other places. They were hurriedly operated by a panel of doctors, cutting open the area, using their psychic energy to guide through the damaged parts. Once they were removed, the pale blue light coagulated around the region and restored the lost flesh, blood, nerves, and bone.
The large ground was soon vacant, with not a single soul present, the presence of the barrier preventing anyone from entering. Jyorta stretched out his hand, placing it on the barrier, feeling it through his senses.
'It has a feeling similar to polished granite; cold and hard but, creates the illusion of soft to the touch.' Jyorta retracted his hand, feeling the barrier disappear. He then noticed Haesha mimicking his actions, trying to get a feel of the dense psychic energy present in the barrier.
She turned around, her mind preoccupied with the survival enactment, "Shall we proceed towards the White Building?"
"Sure," Jyorta nodded, accompanying her. Along the way, he noticed Espers from his batch walking beside him, their discussions detailing the scene they had just witnessed. Ten minutes later, they had all assembled before the White Building, forming a dense group.
Surrounding him were Espers, emitting psychic energy in trace amounts, unable to control the leakage perfectly. To the right joined another stream of students, greater in number, their pace brisk, filled with strength—they were Warriors from the October batch.
Jyorta looked at the wall of the White Building, taking a closer glance now that he had the chance. It was sleek and had a gentle lustre, unlike all the other buildings in the academy. He had blinked once before the view changed.
An elevated platform appeared as Madam Mary stood above it, holding a remote in her hands. Her sudden appearance startled the students. There was neither a stir in the air nor were any sounds produced; her arrival was silent and inconspicuous.
"Good afternoon, Cadets." Madam Mary smiled, pressing a button on the remote. An image flashed to existence on the wall of the white building, displaying a series of rows filled with names, having a certain number designated alongside them.
"What we have here is a dedicated credit ranking system. Once every month, it refreshes and ranks the Cadets based on the number of credits they have accumulated. Cadets ranked in the top 10 will be awarded with Tier 4 Frenzy Fruits: with the 10th rank holder awarded 1 Frenzy Fruit while the 1st Ranked Holder gets 10 Frenzy fruits."
"For the October batch, this screen will display the rankings on the 10th day of every month. The rewards will also be given every month. Strive to work your hardest and get all the rewards." The moment she completed her sentence, Madam Mary disappeared from the scene. The platform she had been standing on also followed suit, silently disappearing from their vision.
Jyorta craned his gaze towards the top of the screen, looking at the words, 'Dedicated Credit Ranking system: January Batch.'
Below them were students listed from Rank 1, all the way to Rank 841, separated into 9 columns, each column showcasing 100 ranks. Rank 1 shone with a golden hue, followed by rank 2 being silver and Rank 3 being bronze. Ranks 4 to 10 were in yellow while the rest were a dull grey, barely visible due to the colour nature of the White Building's wall.
"Rank 1: Hrita Bone—79,348 Credits," Jyorta read aloud, feeling the name familiar. He tried to recall the person but failed to unearth any related memory, 'I guess I have never met this person. After all, there are too many people in the Bone family.'
"Rank 2: Djun Doppler—64,896 Credits; Rank 3: Khasta—64,878 Credits," Haesha read out the rest, exclaiming, "The competition is fierce."
She then trailed her gaze towards the bottom, looking at the credits scored by the person at the 100th rank, feeling shocked, "18,242 Credits? Why is there such a wide disparity?"
"I have no idea," Jyorta shook his head, "I suppose we will find the reason within a month."
"So, the gap between us has become wider," A boy among the crowd snorted, walking into the White Building, holding a book in his hand, looking worn out. Jyorta acutely sensed something amiss, feeling the Espers around him suddenly retract the psychic energy they had been emitting.
Soon, he saw more than half of the crowd walk away, with each of them carrying items ranging between books, metal disks, a stack of papers, etc. Seeing their retreating figures, Jyorta noticed the number '1' printed to the back of their shirts, "When did these people join our crowd and mingle as one of us?"
"I never noticed them," Haesha said, feeling alarmed.
"Don't worry about that," A girl to her left replied, shocking Haesha. "You'll learn many things here besides studying. Practical knowledge nets you the most credits. Well, you'll learn them soon enough I guess."
"You are…?" Haesha inquired, looking hesitant, taking a step back. The girl pointed towards the top of the board. As Haesha followed her direction, the girl looked at Jyorta, "Don't shame us; even if you don't fare as well as Heima, at least try to uphold the bare minimum so that you don't end up as an embarrassment."
Hearing the vicious remarks from a stranger, Jyorta turned around, taking a detailed glance at the girl. Haesha turned around, having figured out the girl's identity, her expression one of surprise, looking at the developing situation in alarm.
"Do you know me?" Jyorta pointed a finger at him, thinking about the conversation he had shared with Jyovic Bone a night before.
"I don't think anyone from our family is ignorant about you. You've made quite the history after all." The lady sneered, "Also, considering your lineage, the fact that you had obtained a Sync Rate of only 71 percent is laughable."
"Well," Jyorta flashed a smile, his eyelids closed halfway, "I've never heard about you. I suppose you have nothing illustrious to show for yourself."
Controlling her anger, Hrita Bone looked into her watch, noticing the time ticking past without delay. "I don't have time to waste with you. Your worth will be shown on the 10th of next month. I'll see how you fare."
She then looked at Haesha, scrutinising her, "You seem to have a high Sync Rate. A piece of friendly advice for you, find someone better to be friends with. Your circle of friends also limits your future development."
Saying her piece, Hrita Bone walked away, heading into the White Building, seemingly in a hurry. On the way, she met a couple of people and entered into a flurry of discussions, arguing about academic topics.
"She seems to know you." Haesha turned silent, feeling that she shouldn't inquire further. She then directed her gaze on the screen, her focus lingering on the line shining with a golden hue.
"I am somewhat well known in my family, thanks to an accident." Jyorta looked at the credit score of Hrita Bone, a smile emerging on his face.
"Family…" Haesha focused her attention on the word, linking it to the previous conversation, getting a grasp of the situation. She then noticed two people walk towards them, their line of sight falling on Jyorta.
"Man, there are just too many Warriors." Ashten Coorg waved his hands, "Swimming through that crowd took us some time."
"You said you had something important to discuss, Jyorta," Esina said, introducing herself to Haesha. Taking a hint from the serious atmosphere, Ashten Coorg didn't make any jokes, going along with the flow.
Once the introductions were complete, Jyorta led them into the White Building, climbing towards the first floor where they found a small room meant for group studies. The door had a small scanner where they waved their ID cards. Followed by a beep sound, they entered the room.
The room was 10 feet long and 8 feet wide. A huge 80 inch TV was fixed on the wall at the end—switched on—as the logo of a blue sphere surrounded by three rings kept turning around. The words 'Portal' kept flashing below it, forming and disintegrating in style.
To the middle was a wooden table capable of facilitating 4 people. A mouse and a keyboard were placed on it, lacking any wires that trailed from them. The keys were embedded with letters from the Modern Rodawri language, their quantity only being a bit extra than the keyboard from his memories.
The chairs had an armrest, the bottom sporting a soft cushion, making Jyorta thank the heavens in gratitude. Jyorta sat on the left, taking the position closest to the TV. To his front sat Ashten Coorg while to his right sat Haesha. Esina occupied the remaining spot, taking out a notepad and a pen.
Jyorta took out the pamphlet from his pocket, placing it on the table, producing a mild thud. "The items listed in this can improve our lives for the greater good. But, there is a limit to how much we can exchange, evident from the rankings. So, we have to prioritise what we need based on our requirements and not just blindly charge towards the Unranked Skills."