Leo's bracelet turned the Ruby Red color just as expected.
However, before he could celebrate, he took a look at Luke's bracelet which was also the Ruby Red color!
" WE DID IT!" Leo screamed in elation
" OH MY GOD…. WE ACTUALLY DID IT" Luke replied as Leo moved in for a bear hug.
Even as Luke hugged Leo, he kept staring at the color of his bracelet as he could not believe his eyes that it actually changed to red.
He kept closing his eyes and opening them, trying to ensure that his eyes were not playing tricks on him and that the color of the bracelet would not change if he blinked as it took him a full two minutes to accept the fact that he had made the cut.
" Top 10%..... Let's go baby" Leo said with joy, as he could not wait to get out of this shitty place called sector E and move up the social hierarchy.
Ship-wide, an atmosphere of excitement and depression enveloped the players as those who were promoted were happy while those who were demoted were sad.
This feeling was most pronounced in sector E where those who escaped this hell were extremely elated, while those who were demoted to it felt like it was the end of the world.
"Leo, pack everything up, let's open that bottle of champagne that Cervantez gave us today" Luke suggested as he excitedly started packing.
Since there was not much to pack anyways, he was done with packing within five minutes, with Leo also finishing as well.
As the brother's were ready to migrate from section E to D and just about to step outside, yet another Ship-wide Announcement ensued.
[ Ship Wide Announcement:- Dear passengers, with the first evaluation complete, I'm sure there are many of you who might be feeling elated with the results while many would be feeling anguished.
However, for those who are feeling anguished, let us announce another promotion opportunity so that you can regain your place in society.
358 days from now, on exactly the first year anniversary of our departure from Earth, a second evaluation will take place, giving all players yet another chance to change their social standing.
To make the process of selecting the top players more transparent and inclusive, the arc ship management has decided to give you a sneak peek into some of the criteria that would be taken into consideration during the second evaluation.
1)Skill- A player's individual skill will be taken into consideration when evaluating them.
Just like the job rankings back on Earth, you will be ranked based on your skill and profession.
The most skilled players of a profession will be given higher grading compared to a higher leveled player who might not be as skilled.
2) Value To Society - While you players might not have realized it, the reason behind why playing Terra Nova Online is such an important part of your routine is because the Terra Nova game is a tutorial that gives you a chance to learn necessary skills that will be valuable on our destination planet.
Just like how developed countries on Earth preferred to let skilled labor enter their country from underdeveloped nations but reject those who they seemed to be a menace to society, the alien society on Terra Nova intends to do the same.
Players who have achieved a deeper mastery of their class and skills will be favorably scouted by factions once we land on our destination planet in four years, while players who do not show remarkable talent in both within the game and on the ship completing the tasks assigned to them, will have a low behavioral assessment and a difficulty in being recruited.
3) Individual/ Guild Success - Any major achievements made within the game, whether it be on a personal level or at an organization level will be evaluated favorably
Example:-
If an individual/ guild becomes widely recognised within the game amongst the NPC they will be given bonus points.
If an individual/ guild becomes rulers of land under the empire they will be given bonus points.
If an individual/ guild defects from the empire and liberates a piece of land as an independent territory, they will be given bonus points.
In conclusion, I would only like to emphasize that going forward, a player's levels won't be the only measure of success and that becoming a model citizen that adds value to society is what one should strive for to get promoted when the next evaluation comes around. ]
Luke and Leo heard the entire Ship Wide Announcement carefully and felt goosebumps run all over their spines.
Cervantez had been trying to tell them this exact thing a few days ago and urged them to focus on individual skill development rather than chasing leveling because he apparently knew this secret about the arc ship and the alien intentions from the get-go.
"I think those within sector S must've already known about the endgame of the aliens.
I can't believe they're training us to become labor on their lands!
No-one told us this when we boarded the arc ship first" Leo theorized as Luke bit his lower lip.
Things had suddenly gotten way more complicated as although the ship-wide announcement did not cover it explicitly, they did mention that once everyone landed, their treatment would vary greatly based on their worth displayed while playing the tutorial.
"I think it may be the same old story Leo, the urban elites in cahoots with the aliens.
Even on Terra Nova, they will enjoy life as kings while we work as slaves.
Maybe the promise of a new start was nothing but a farce" Luke said as he felt convinced that Cervantez and the other sector S individuals already had knowledge about the inner workings of alien society and them sector E trash did not.
What they did not know however, was the fact that this announcement made a bigger uproar in sector S than it did in sector E as unlike their assumption, it was only Cervantez who knew about it while the other elites did not.
The judgment of the aliens was going to be extremely fair when it came to who was a high value citizen and who was not and they did not care about generational wealth that the urban elite had built back on Earth as getting better starting seats on the arc ship was as far as their wealth wealth was going to take them.