Planet Tyber

After passing through the Portal, Aston and Kayla found themselves in a giant military training facility on Planet Tyber. The facility looked like it was built for war. With imposing walls and watch towers. Along the walls were many turrets and guards keeping watch at all times. The walls and gates were made of extremely tough metals.

In the middle of the facility even sat one of the tall skyscraper-looking metal buildings they had seen on their way into Lunar York. These were the laser defense systems. The only thing the facility did not have was a shield.

Planet Tyber itself looked like Earth from afar, but if it was during the primordial times. The Planet's oceans are crystal clear, with a vibrant array of marine life that fills every corner of the water. Schools of colorful fish swim alongside coral reefs. While majestic whales glide through the deeper waters. The beaches are pristine, with soft, white sand stretching miles along the coastline.

Its landscape is breathtaking, with vast stretches of rolling hills and towering mountains in the distance. The air is clear and crisp, with a gentle breeze that carries the sweet scent of wildflowers and tall grasses. As you venture further inland, you'll find lush forests filled with tall, ancient trees that have never been touched by human hands. The forest floor is covered in a thick layer of ferns, mosses, and wildflowers. The trees are home to various wildlife, from playful monkeys to majestic birds of prey.

The trees were all taller than they were on Earth. Because no humans live on this Planet, the trees remain untouched. All trees here were decades to hundreds of years old. Many giant forests existed on Planet Tyber.

This was a sight that in Aston's previous life would have been impossible to see on Earth. Besides this training facility, the entire Planet was untouched and in its natural state.

Although the weather on Planet Tyber was much harsher, the environment was hard to traverse compared to Earth.

As everyone arrived, a man in a camo uniform and a red beret walked in front of the group. "Listen up! My name is General Garrick Stone. I am the person in charge of this facility. I will be giving you your briefing on Planet Tyber." Garrick Paused as he looked around.

"You are not in paradise anymore. You are on Planet Tyber, ladies and gentlemen. Remember that for ordinary people like you who have never seen death and blood. Many of you might need therapy after this Exam," Garrick pointed outside the base walls.

"Beyond those walls, every living thing that crawls, flies, or sleeps in the mud wants to kill you and eat you. This Planet has every known creature to have existed in Earth's history on this Planet. Thanks to genetic engineering, this Planet was the successful test of revitalizing a planet's ecosystem with ancient DNA." Garrick lowered his hand.

"Some creatures are tough to kill, and some are so strong you can only pray it doesn't see you. To survive, you need to be strong, fast, durable, and, most of all, smart. Otherwise, even if you are strong, you will be dead before the sun rises if you don't have half a brain." he looked around as he finished talking and laughed.

He could almost smell people pissing their pants. Maybe some really did piss their pants. "Don't worry; you have one last chance to back out now. Those who are too scared to continue. Turn right back around through that portal," Garrick said as he waited a few minutes.

In that time, nearly a quarter of the participants left. In some of the spots where they used to be were a few puddles here and there." Hahaha, that speech always manages to cut the participants down by a lot!" Garrick laughed as he held his side for a few seconds.

As he was laughing, some participants joined him in genuine laughter or out of nervousness. He abruptly stopped and looked at everyone with a serious face. "I wasn't joking about what I said. That was your last chance. Now you'll have to either finish this Exam alive or end up as manure for these trees." He said as he pointed to the giant trees that surrounded the base.

A few audible gulps could be heard amongst the crowd. "Alright!" Garrick yelled as he clapped his hand loudly to draw attention back to him. "We will now head to the first testing area. Follow me to the training grounds." Garrick said as he started walking northeast from the teleportation pad.

The entirety of the training facility was square-shaped. In the southeast corner of the base were the barracks where the soldiers lived and slept. The armory and mess hall was in the southwest corner of the base. In the northeast part of the base was the training facility where soldiers trained year-round and where the participants would hold their tests.

In the northwest part of the base. Was an airstrip with hangars and dirt lots full of vehicles. The main roads ran from north to south and west to east in the middle of the base. From above, the facility would look like a square divided into quarters.

After about 10 minutes of walking, the group arrived in front of various giant halls. "Here are the training facilities we use to train soldiers. Planet Tyber is a place where elite combat units are trained. You should feel honored to touch the equipment they use." Garrick said as he brimmed with confidence.

"Today, we will only be using one machine." Garrick walked over to a machine that looked like a giant metal barrel mounted onto a platform with a display monitor next to it.

"This is a machine we use to measure the strength of our soldiers today. You will also be using it to do the same. It is straightforward; you only have to punch this machine like so." Garrick said as he walked in front of the machine and raised his fist in front of his chest in a defensive stance before striking. BANG! With a speed many could not see, Garrick's fist hit the machine with massive force, causing the people closest to him to have their ears ringing almost as if a gun had gone off.

The monitor next to the machine started ticking up. Its red-colored numbers went up very fast until they stopped at 2958. "This machine measures your punching force in PSI or Pounds per Square Inch. If I were to punch a regular concrete wall, it would explode. Now a thousand of these machines are running from one end of the hall to the other. I want 50 of you to go to each machine and begin testing. The machines will record your result and give you your results. Don't even think of trying to cheat under my watch. I have cameras and biometric scanners throughout the hall. Just walk up, give your best punch, go to the bleachers against the opposite wall, and sit down." Garrick said as he looked at the participants.

"This is how you will be scored. Punch below 500 psi, and you fail. Punch 500-700, and you will pass; Punch 700-900 and get 1-Star; punch between 900-1100 and get 2-Stars; punch between 1100-1200 and above and get 3-Stars. Now line up and start. Aston and Kayla lined up together at a machine where there were about 10 people in front of them.

As they were lining up, Aston heard someone behind him talking. "Well, look who it is, if it isn't that rude commoner who doesn't know his place!" Aston immediately recognized the nasally voice from one of the noble lackeys the other day. "We haven't forgotten what you did the other day. You best hope you fail here, or else who knows what might happen to you during the final test." said one of the lackeys.

As Aston turned to look behind him, he saw a group of nobles lined up behind him. It was Ripley and his two lackeys with some other nobles. Today the Blond hair noble was dressed in an all-black combat suit made from nanofibers. Designed to be tough and flexible. It was a stark contrast to the handsome noble's golden hair.

Kayla turned around to look. Her eyes lit up for a second before she snorted and looked away. Seems she wasn't a fan of nobles. Before the annoying lackeys could continue their little tangent. Ripley pushed in front of them and walked towards Kayla. "My fair lady, would you be so kind as to tell me your name? A beautiful woman like yourself should not remain unknown. Furthermore, would not a handsome nobleman like me be a better company for you?" Ripley said as he curtsied towards Kayla and reached out his hand for Kayla.

"I would rather remain unknown than make myself known to a womanizing man like yourself. Furthermore, your followers stink of the ass they kiss all day and appear unsightly. I much prefer my current company, thank you very much." Kayla said as she looked back before focusing on the people testing before her.

"Such a shame. Well, if you change your mind, my name is Ripley Holloway. You can find me if you ever need help." Ripley said as he walked back to his group. Aston did not speak to them and just focused in front of him.

At that moment, a boy walked up to the machine and punched it, but he had such a terrible punching form that there was an audible snap when he hit the machine. He had broken his hand. The machine did not care and registered his results. 175 PSI Fail. The boy started to cry, and before he could start screaming, two soldiers dressed in white with red crosses on their chests came and took the boy away.

It happened quite frequently that people would try to take the Exam without ever having trained a day, and this was the usual result. They either hurt themselves and failed or died in the Exam. He should consider himself lucky. With that level of strength, he would have died later in the Exam.

Next, a girl in jeans and a red t-shirt with a fiery personality and confident look went up. Her jeans were slim-fitting and ripped, adding a bit of rebelliousness to her outfit. The red T-shirt was bold and eye-catching, with a picture of a fist on it. She carries herself - with an assertive posture, sharp movements, and a direct gaze. She struck the machine in good form and hit for 804. The machine gave her the result. 804 Pass 1-Star.

Next, another boy went up. He was a monk in a white cowl that exuded a serene and peaceful aura, with a deep sense of inner calm and wisdom. The monk's face was peaceful and radiant, with a gentle smile expressing deep contentment and spiritual fulfillment. His green eyes were bright and clear, reflecting a profound connection with the divine and a deep understanding of the mysteries of life.

He moved with a graceful fluidity that speaks of deep inner harmony and balance. He went up to the machine calmly, outstretched his arm with his fingers extended, and barely touched the machine. He then gave it a 1-Inch punch and with an audible FWAP! He hit the machine. Results 1805 PSI Pass 3-Star.

Aston couldn't help but whistle in surprise. "He is a strong one for sure better keep an eye out on him," Aston said as he looked at Kayla. "Hmm" Kayla nodded, but she didn't look at Aston. Her gaze was focused on the next participant.

Another boy went up to the machine. He was a dark-haired boy who stood with a slight hunch, his shoulders curved forward and his head tilted down. His hair, a deep shade of brown, fell in messy strands around his face, partially obscuring his features. His dark eyes held a somber and gloomy expression as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

He wore simple clothes, a plain t-shirt and faded jeans that appeared well-worn and comfortable. His shoes were scuffed and old, suggesting they had been worn for some time. Despite the simplicity of his clothing, there was a sense of detachment and indifference in how he carried himself as if he had little interest in the world.

He lazily went up to the machine and punched it. The monitor gave his results an even 1010 PSI Pass 2-Stars. "There is something off about that boy," Kayla said as she watched him leave the machine back towards the bleachers.

"What makes you say that?" Aston asked as he looked towards Kayla in curiosity. "Call it a merchant's intuition; that guy is bad business. I feel that his test score was deliberate. He was holding back his strength. He is hiding his strength for some reason." Kayla said as she looked back toward Aston.

"Why would he do that? Isn't the goal to score as high as possible to get a better rank?" Aston asked. "That is why I said he is hiding his strength; 1010 is too perfect of a result. It is so blatantly obvious if you think about it. The question is why he is hiding his strength. He must be here for another reason if he isn't here to do his best. Regardless, we should keep our eyes on him." Kayla said.

"Welp, looks like it's my turn. Wish me luck. Aston went up the stage. Many girls turned to look at him. He had long, lustrous black hair with deep brown eyes that drew them in. And was tall and well-built, quite an attractive person.

Aston went up to the machine and took a defensive stance with a straight back; he placed his feet shoulder-width apart and shifted one of his feet slightly in front of the other. With his hands raised in front of him. With a solid thump sound, he hit the machine. 721 PSI Pass 1-Star.

Aston had hoped for better results, but his brother mostly trained him with endurance training as the primary focus. His brother would always say, "As soldiers, it is not our job to be the strongest or the fastest but to endure all challenges. Together with our fellow brothers, so long as no one gets too tired to move on, there is nothing we can't take down together!" This is a quote from Charles Hersch.

"Well, at least I didn't fail," Aston comforted himself. In the distance, he could hear the noble lackeys jeering at him.

Next, Kayla went up with her flowing hair, a mesmerizing shade of silver, and her attention-grabbing light purple eyes. She received many catcalls from the boys in the audience.

Kayla took a stance with her body turned, only showing half of her body toward the machine. While her arms were crossed in front of her upper body area. The left arm is lowered near the torso in an L-shaped no-guard stance, while her right-hand stays near her chest area. It was a stance that no one there recognized. The next moment she flicked her left hand and hit the machine with a bang. 981 PSI Pass 2-Stars.

"Hmmph, now you know that I'm stronger than you. Don't let me catch you staring at me again, Aston," Kayla said jokingly as she giggled and walked to the bleachers.

As Aston shook his head and headed to the Bleachers, he couldn't help but look at the next person going up, which just happened to be Ripley. "Surely, as a noble, he must have gotten great training and wouldn't score low, right?. I mean, he at least looks fit." Aston thought to himself.

Ripley went up the machine gracefully and threw a wild haymaker at the machine. 622 PSI Pass. Aston laughed and then went to the Bleachers. He was wrong about Ripley.

Unaware of being judged, Ripley walked proudly back to his group. What noble would want to spend all day sweating to train? As a noble, he could pass with his body's natural strength. At least, that's what he told himself and his noble buddies.

In truth, he was just too lazy and slacked off in his training. After about an hour, everyone had finished testing. Those who passed sat proudly in the bleachers, some with tears in their eyes. Those that failed were sent back home. "This concludes the first round of testing. Next will be the Endurance Test." Garrick said as he walked in front of the group.