Pseudo-Grade

I grabbed the phone and held the power button that was installed on the side of the phone. A message appeared.

[Scan your ID card for access.]

It switched to a camera app instantly. I let the camera focus on the card. Seconds later, the phone unlocked itself.

[Hello, Hinode Hiryu of class 1-B, student of Hakuryuu Repulsor Academy.]

Well, it had features similar to regular smartphones but with a few tweaks added. There was not much to see, so I put it down and waited for Nakano-sensei to return.

"Hiryu-kun!" Saki suddenly called out my name.

"What's wrong?" I replied.

"Look at this," she brought out her phone directly to my face. "I found this by accident!" she said excitedly.

What she showed was an entirely different setup of the phone. The futuristic and ultramodern user interface looked like it came from a sci-fi movie.

"How did you activate that?" I asked.

"I tapped on the phone three times and it instantly switched to this home screen. Cool, right?"

"Hold on. I need to try this."

Saki nodded enthusiastically. I followed exactly what she told me, and it worked as I expected. The home screen cloaked itself in a new look. I didn't know whether to wait for sensei's instructions or explore it by myself. I decided to wait since I didn't want to get into trouble by accidentally pressing something wrong.

"I assume that you are done with what I told you earlier," Nakano-sensei spoke while entering the classroom. Everyone nodded in harmony.

"Alright, and I would also assume that some of you have found a secret application. That is the school's personal software which basically tracks your activities on campus. It has a plethora of features that you could explore, but for today, I will focus on one feature called Pseudo-Grade."

I assumed that Pseudo-Grade was the name of the school's grading system. Every school follows one specific system, but generally, it serves a similar purpose of assessing one's abilities.

"First, you need to know about the Repulsor Grade System or RGS. It is a system used globally to evaluate a Repulsor's abilities on the battlefield. Each nation has its own criteria, of course. There are five grades in total, ranging from D, which is the lowest, to S, the highest. It is self-explanatory. S-Grade Repulsors are the cream of the crop, while D-Grade Repulsors are the lowest of the low. Not to discredit them or anything, since Repulsors of any grade could eliminate a group of normal citizens easily."

The government created a hierarchy of aspiring heroes in order to distinguish them from one another. I imagined that D-Grade Repulsors would be considered insubstantial in this community. The lower hierarchy never gets any respect, after all.

The S-Grade Repulsors would be in a much better situation, but I didn't think as such. Sure, they could possess popularity and wealth, but they would be the ones who got dispatched to the most dangerous of places. Facing life-and-death situations on a daily basis wouldn't be pleasant for most people. Every coin has two sides, but one could be more advantageous than the other.

"The same concept is applied to the school's grading system but with a few modifications. Unlike the straightforward method of RGS, the academy decided to add more milestones so that they could evaluate students easier. Additions include plus-minus and E to F-Grade."

I wondered who had achieved the infamous F yet. I doubted that since the school would have expelled them by then, which brought me to my question: Why did the school bother implementing grade F?

"Even though this system isn't following the official one, Pseudo-Grade still reflects accurately your abilities when becoming a Repulsor. On that account, the answer to the question regarding the requirements for graduation is obtaining a D or above."

It sounded easy enough, in fact, getting a D or lower overall should be more impossible of a task. Not to get ahead of myself, but recruited students should be capable enough to avoid mediocrity in their performances.

"In order to see your score, you have to access the application the school implemented. The default line of activation is to tap three times on the screen. You could personalize this process to your liking. Once finished, a hamburger button should be seen in the top left corner. It toggles a menu bar that includes many important features. For now, navigate the Pseudo-Grade system and check your performance."

I recalled the provisional test that everyone who was recruited initially did. I didn't know how well I performed, so I was eager for the score. Getting a high grade meant an exceptional head start.

"I should notify you that your scores are highly provisional within a span of three months from now on, as it updates monthly. Once you obtain special abilities, which are called Pulses, your performance will be affected to an extent. Abilities vary, some could not control them for life, while others could master them in a short period of time. In the end, we should accept the reality that is filled with uncertainty. I'll explain Pulses tomorrow. Do refrain from asking any questions about this topic."

Pulses? Interesting. We were basically living in a fantasy and fiction land with people having super strengths or intelligence. Still, I didn't think abilities would affect my original performance much because I had mastered the basics of my combat style, which would prevent me from being dependent on special abilities.

I found the Pseudo-Grade system in the menu bar. I hesitantly opened it after realizing that my grade could be anything but good. I meticulously read everything that appeared there.

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[Class 1-B - Hinode Hiryu]

[Evaluation (as of April)]

[x4] [Combat Prowess: A+ (97)]

[x3] [Adaptability: A (87)]

[x3] [Tactical Acumen: A (88)]

[x2] [Intelligence Gathering: B (73)]

[x2] [Leadership: C (50)]

[Communication: D (29)]

[Discipline: A (91)]

[Charisma: A+ (96)]

[Academics: B+ (80)]

[Final Grade: B+ (80.8)]

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