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  "Slim pickings," Aggen remarked with a frown. Nothing on the menu was appealing to him.

  "Speak for yourself," Torre replied. "I see spicy food!" he added enthusiastically and touched the panel with the curry beef stew. "Click!" The panel flipped open and Torre pulled the tray out. He walked over to the vending machine and chose a lime flavored soda. A soda can was dropped into a slot at the center of the machine and he took it out. The teenager then took a seat at a table in the middle of the room.

  "Let's hurry," Schmendrick said. "We might not have enough time to eat," he warned.

  "If the food doesn't suit your taste, we can trade," Malkus added.

  The four boys each chose a different meal and then grabbed a soda and joined Torre at the table. No one else sat with them.

  Schmendrick chose a cheeseburger. There were 2 packets of ketchup and he squeezed out the very last drops from those packets. "I wish they included more ketchup," he grumbled as he chewed on a french fry.

  Malkus chose the chicken with broccoli over fried rice. "Mine ain't too bad," he remarked.

  Aggen had a small pizza pie roughly 12 inches in diameter. The pizza was stuffed with sausage and extra cheese. "The pizza's pretty good," he commented.

  The four teenagers glanced furtively at Burns' plate. He chose the vegetarian dish.

  "Didn't figure you'd be a vegetarian," Malkus said aloud what everyone was thinking on his mind.

  "I'm not," Burns replied. "I'm just in the mood for soup."

  Aggen sighed. He ripped a quarter of his pizza and placed it on Burns' plate. "I have more than enough meat," he explained.

  Burns smiled in thanks and took a bite of the pizza. While it was too salty for his taste, Burns forced himself to finish it between spoons of the bland-flavored soup.

  Exactly 23 minutes after the students entered the cafeteria, a bell rang. The metallic voice returned. "Your lunch period is over. Please deposit your trays in the trash receptacles on the wall. Then step through the green portal for your next lesson. You have 2 minutes to comply."

  "See what I mean?" Schmendrick said. He rose from the bench and dumped his tray into the receptacle as directed.

  The rest of the boys did the same. Aggen was only half finished with his pizza but he didn't want to find out what would happen if he overstayed the lunch period. With a mournful look at the remaining food, he dumped the tray into the hole.

  The five of them then walked through the green portal together.

  * * *

  The students groaned when they saw where they were--the gym!

  The instructor appeared before them; he offered an evil grin at their uneasiness. "As much as I am tempted to make you run more laps, we're moving on to the next lesson. We're going to make sure you know how to fight with your bare hands. This world we've been reborn into is harsh. It ain't heaven. There are monsters out there that enjoy human flesh and occasionally, they raid our city to kidnap our Reborn for food. Sometimes our dead Reborn get resurrected but oftentimes, they don't. So you have to learn to fight in order to survive," he said.

  "The best way for you to learn is by actually fighting each other. Here's how it goes: There are 12 of you. The runner-up for the laps exercise will get one bye round. The winner gets two bye rounds. The rest of you will be engaged in one-on-one matches randomly selected by the system. The 5 winners of the first round will face each other or the runner-up in the second round. The 3 winners of those matches will face each other or the winner of the running exercise. The winners of those 2 matches will face each other for the crown. Each win will give you 500 points. The winner of this class tournament will get 2,000 points." The instructor typed into the keyboard. "And now the system will randomly select your matchups."

  A holographic projection appeared overhead and listed the matchups: "Talq Vs. Burns; Remmy Vs. Pasir; Yolo Vs. Schmendrick; Torre Vs. Glen; Crass Vs. Lon; 1x Bye--Aggen, 2x Bye--Malkus."

  The instructor gave the students a moment to read the matchups. Then he said, "Look on the ground. There are arrows that will lead you to your designated site for your match. Each fight will take place in a circle 10 feet in diameter. If a fighter steps outside the red circle, he loses immediately. Otherwise, the fight will end when one fighter cannot continue. Since this is a friendly match, eye-gouging and strikes to the groin are prohibited. You can attack each other with fists, kicks, submission holds, whatever you want as long as the technique isn't lethal. The system will closely monitor your vitals. It is the final arbiter. If you are told to stop the fight, you must stop immediately or else the system can and will punish you for disobedience. Now, show me a good fight!" He clapped his hands.

  Schmendrick looked at the ground and saw a yellow flashing arrow in front of him. He followed it until the arrow led him to a red circle. He stepped into the ring and waited for his opponent to arrive.

  Yolo turned out to be tall, lanky, with a fairly long wingspan. His face was draped by long, wavy blonde hair. He brushed back his hair behind his ears and gazed at his opponent with uncertainty. He shrugged.

  Schmendrick nodded politely. He recognized Yolo as the kid who was decked by the instructor for asking a question in class. The time spent in the shower had washed away the blood on Yolo face, but his nose was crooked and it was probably broken. Schmendrick tried to estimate his opponent's reach and assess his personality. Yolo appeared to be the peace-loving, artsy type. Soft. Not accustomed to fighting at all. Schmendrick decided to toss Yolo out of the ring before the fight turned ugly. The last thing Schmendrick wanted to do was give the poor kid another beating.

  A holographic text in red appeared before him: "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Begin!"

  Schmendrick immediately ran toward his opponent like a pass rusher in a football game.

  The move surprised Yolo and he held out his hands as if to push Schmendrick back.

  However, Schmendrick forcefully knocked those clumsy hands aside and rapidly closed in on Yolo's torso. Schmendrick was tempted to dive at Yolo's chest but decided to play conservative and stay on his feet. His caution was rewarded when Yolo suddenly sidestepped to his left. Displaying a great sense of balance and agility, Schmendrick easily adjusted his course and--WHAM! Schmendrick speared his right shoulder into Yolo's chest.

  The momentum knocked Yolo back and rattled his teeth. Even worse, his opponent had grabbed Yolo by the waist and was pushing him backward! Yolo pushed with his hands, desperate to break free of the hold. However, the grip was ironclad and Yolo was virtually being carried by the surprisingly strong opponent.

  Suddenly, Schmendrick released his hold, throwing Yolo back.

  "Ouff!" Yolo cried out as he landed on the ground--beyond the red line.

  A spotlight shone on Schmendrick. A metallic voice announced, "Match won by Schmendrick. A new record of 7 seconds. Bonus reward of 500 points."

  "Ah, fuck!" Schmendrick scowled quietly. He didn't want to be the first to win his match. Now, everyone had turned their attention to him! The winner walked over to the kid on the ground. He reached down with his right hand and pulled Yolo to his feet. "Are you okay?" Schmendrick asked.

  Yolo took a moment to catch his breath. "Yeah, I'm fine. You hit me like a truck," he replied. Suddenly, Yolo tilted his head in puzzlement. "What's a truck?" he asked.

  "No idea," Schmendrick shook his head. He was getting sick of this shit. While a part of him was thankful to be reborn and given a second life, he was very annoyed at his loss of memories. He had been operating on auto-pilot. But sooner or later, he needed to figure this shit out. Somehow.

  The two former combatants sat down on the ground side-by-side and waited for the rest of the matches to end.

  Aggen and Malkus walked over to join the two; they offered the winner a fist bump.

  * * *

  Talq took advantage of his opponent's distraction and tried to push Burns out of the ring. The combatants were standing just a foot away from the red line. The two were playing a dangerous game of who leaves the ring first?


  However, Burns was able to recover in time. He did a funny bunny hop to the side away from the line, grabbed Talq by his shoulder, and then shoved Talq forward with all his might.

  By the time, Talq managed to stop his body, he had taken two steps beyond the ring. "Fuck!" the defeated boy cursed as he stomped his right heel on the ground. The two boys were about evenly matched in terms of strength. Talq knew he should have won. He sulked and stomped away from the ring.

  A spotlight shone on Burns. The metallic voice returned and announced: "Match won by Burns."

  The winner waited for a further announcement of a bonus. But none was forthcoming. "Cheap ass," Burns muttered. He walked over and sat down next to Schmendrick and his group.

  Each of the four boys offered Burns a fist bump.

  * * *

  Neither Remmy nor Pasir knew how to fight for real. This dueling thing was like taking a foreign language to them. Instead, they decided to settle the match with a test of strength. They were holding hands and trying their hardest to push each other across the red line. Every time one contestant had the momentum, the opponent managed to repel the attack.

  Suddenly, Remmy's left knee gave out! "Uck," he blurted out in pain.

  Pasir immediately surged forward and knocked Remmy beyond the red line.

  A spotlight shone down on Pasir and he was summarily declared the winner of his match.

  The observers clapped politely. It was a rather disappointing match.

  The instructor was stewing inwardly at the disgraceful way the two boys had conducted themselves inside the sacred ring. His eyes then turned toward the Torre-Glen match. The instructor was surprised to see that the match was still ongoing.

  Torre was short and skinny. He appeared to be malnourished in the eyes of the instructor. But somehow, the Hispanic kid was holding his own a much bigger opponent. In a vicious fisticuff, no less!

  The instructor couldn't help but be impressed by Torre because while Torre was shorter, he was quick and shifty. The kid's head was bobbing and weaving like Muhammed Ali. Clearly, Torre had learned how to box and fight against bigger kids.

  Glen was a good four inches taller. His powerful physique was obvious to any observer. His punches were equally powerful. Yet, he barely landed 1 punch in 4 tries. He was sporting a cut on his lower lip and his left eye was already swollen.

  Torre's face was unmarred. The punches that landed on him were bruises on his arms and chest. His opponent was trying his hardest to knock out Torre and thus, Glen had become predictable with his headshots. He noticed that Glen's breathing was getting heavier and heavier. The pugilist's strategy was simply to tire out his opponent and then drop him with a KO.

  Clearly understanding what Torre was doing, the instructor turned his attention to the final match. Crass and Lon, the last 2 contestants, were pudgy looking boys. For their match, they chose to wrestle and they were rolling back and forth on the ground. Each wrestler tried to lock the other in a submission hold but all the attempts had failed so far. Finally, the two lost track of their location on the ground and accidentally rolled out of the red circle.

  The instructor managed to resist facepalming at the antics of those 2 idiots. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

  The metallic voice announced its decision: "Crass and Lon are disqualified. Torre and Glen will proceed to the next round."

  Crass and Lon looked at each other and started cursing.

  Torre and Glen dropped their fists immediately.

  Glen took a knee. "Dang, you're a tough son of a bitch," he remarked.

  Torre grinned and then walked over to where the rest of his group was sitting. When he took a seat, Aggen, Malkus, Burns, Schmendrick, and Yolo offered him fist bumps.

  "Didn't expect you to be a boxer," Aggen said.

  "I don't remember my past life. But I suspect I had to learn boxing to fend off bullies," Torre replied.

  "Take it easy on us," Malkus said with a laugh.

  When all the matches ended, a hologram appeared overhead with a 5-minute timer. It was time for another short break.

  Without a word to the class, the instructor walked through a green portal.

  1.6 - The Noob Academy,

  Second Round of Class Tournament

  When the timer reached zero, the instructor promptly returned to the gym. He typed into the keyboard. "You just had a 5 minutes break. It's time to start the second round."

  The hologram on the ceiling listed the second round matchups: "Schmendrick Vs. Burns; Torre Vs. Pasir; Glenn Vs. Aggen."

  Schmendrick stood up. He followed the yellow arrow on the ground and walked into the red circle.

  Burns walked next to him. Once he entered the circle, Burns walked backward until he stood on the opposite side of Schmendrick. Burns eyed his opponent warily. Schmendrick hadn't shown any of his fighting abilities in his first match. Was he a boxer? A martial artist? A wrestler? Burns had no clue and it was pissing him off. What was even worse was the lack of expression on Schmendrick's face. His eyes were emotionless.

  Schmendrick's mind was busy processing strategies to use against Burns. His opponent was in fairly good shape physically. He was strong and fit. He managed to finish the 50 laps not too long after Schmendrick completed it. A simple maneuver like the one Schmendrick pulled on Yolo would not be enough against Burns. Schmendrick would have to put on all his cards on the table--if only he could remember what he could do. Well, there was only one way to find out.

  The holographic countdown appeared before him: "5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Begin!"

  This time, Schmendrick slowly approached his opponent and Burns mirrored his movement. When the two were within grappling range, Schmendrick put up his fists. He decided to try duking it out with the other boy.

  However, Burns had other ideas. He snapped his right foot at his opponent's lower abdomen to test his defense.

  Purely on instinct, Schmendrick stepped right into the kick and crushed the ankle between his elbow and ribs. He quickly countered with his right heel against the side of Burns's left knee. As his opponent lost his balance, Schmendrick used the other leg to drive his body back. At the same time, he used his free hand to grab Burns by the throat and pushed it downward. Then Schmendrick released his hold.

  As Burns fell on his back, Schmendrick dropped on top of his opponent, smashing his elbow into Burns' solar plexus. He then pressed his forearm into Burns' throat, crushing it without mercy.

  A spotlight shone on the two fighters. The metallic voice announced, "Match won by Schmendrick."

  Schmendrick immediately released his forearm from Burns' throat and stood up.

  Between the blow to his chest and his crushed larynx, the vanquished opponent could barely breathe.

  A red portal appeared next to Burns. "Please take Burns to the medical facilities immediately," the metallic voice ordered.

  Schmendrick knelt and gently put his arms under Burns. Grunting with effort, Schmendrick slowly rose to his feet and lifted the other boy's body; Schmendrick then stepped into the portal.

  The audience shuddered at the sight of the unconscious Burns in his tormentor's arms and started discussing what they just saw during the match. The martial skill displayed by Schmendrick was unbelievable! Their untrained eyes were barely able to comprehend the moves that he had used. Additionally, they saw the complete lack of remorse on his face when Schmendrick stood over Burns. What if he had killed Burns with that crush to the throat? Wasn't the match supposed to be friendly? What the fuck was he in his past life? Was Schmendrick a serial killer?

  With a slight smile on his face, instructor typed commands into his keyboard. He replayed the match between the two boys in slow motion.

  * * *

  When the teenager arrived at the infirmary, Schmendrick carried Burns to the nearest altar. The room was full of altars; some were already occupied. He noticed that there was no exit. When the body was laid on the altar, a force field encapsulated Burns. A hissing sound erupted as g
as seeped into the capsule.

  A green portal appeared in the room. "You may return to the gym, Schmendrick," the metallic voice ordered.

  The boy glanced at the body again and then stepped through the portal. When Schmendrick returned to the gym, he saw that the Torre-Pasir match was already over. When he approached a group of classmates on the ground, they stared up at him with fearful eyes.

  Schmendrick sighed and decided to sit elsewhere. Obviously, he wasn't welcome to sit with them. If he insisted on sitting with them, they wouldn't have said anything to him. But Schmendrick wasn't a bully and he wanted to leave them alone. He looked around and found Yolo. He slowly approached the long-haired boy.

  Yolo noticed his approach and smiled gently. "Yo!" he greeted Schmendrick. He was not afraid of Schmendrick.

  Schmendrick waved back and then sat down next to Yolo.

  "Thanks for taking it easy on me," Yolo laughed, realizing why his opponent had pushed Yolo out of the ring immediately. Honestly, Yolo didn't mind at all. It was preferable to getting his larynx crushed like Burns.

  Schmendrick slowly shook his head. "What happened to Burns was an accident."

  Yolo's brows rose. "How so?"

  "My body was moving purely on instinct. I have no idea what happened," he said.

  Yolo studied Schmendrick's face for a long moment and nodded. "Call me crazy but I think you're telling the truth. You must have been some major bad ass in your past life."

  "Maybe," Schmendrick shrugged. "So who won the Torre Vs. Pasir match?" he asked.

  Yolo laughed. "When the match began, Pasir immediately stepped over the line. He said he didn't want a slugfest with Torre."

  "Can't blame him," Schmendrick replied and laughed.

  The two watched as Glen and Aggen engaged in their own slugfest. However, Glen was already tired from his fight with Torre while Aggen was fresh.

  With a brutal left hook, Aggen knocked Glen out cold.

  The spotlight shone on Aggen and he was confirmed as the winner of the match. The metallic voice then ordered Aggen to take Glen to the infirmary and the two disappeared from the gym.