Chapter 20:

"So, how exactly does the system work? Do I just show up and start fighting someone?", Ace asked the person next to him, he was slightly below average height and pudgy, with thick glasses and short, curly brown hair. He was the kid that would typically get bullied at a normal school, but here, unless you were sure you could take a kid's family pressure, you would not start anything with them, no matter what they looked at.

"Well, you first sign up in the desks over there", he said, while pointing at the space, "and then you wait until your number is pulled up at the screen, where they will then have you fight someone in the bottom ranks, if you beat them, you will have to take their spot and will keep fighting for it at the end of the day. But don't worry, if there are too many people, they will hold matches during the week, and you will have to fight them if you are picked.", the boy said, with a cheesy grin at Ace.

"So, I assume there is a way to get out of all the fighting?"Ace asked, he was sure that various ways to fight less, apart from the basic one of just waiting until the end to pick a number, so that when you fought, if you won, you would have to fight fewer people.

"Well, apart from picking the number as late as you can, you can also challenge a member of the higher rank directly, the only problem is that it will cost you either money or Achievement Points, which as I am sure you know, will help you rank up. Now you will not be able to pay as you are a freshman, however, you will be able to borrow some. In fact, if you so wish, I can lend you it, as long as you pay me back with some light interest when you can.", the boy smiled, happy at the smell of new business.

Ace thought about it and decided on what he would do, he would first borrow some points then go up to the desks and ask where he could see the fights for the specific members, there were about 200 students in each year and 4 years so about 800 students overall, he assumed that about 300 of them were part of the ranking members of the club. Therefore, if the bottom ten or so had to fight in the new student fights, he would have to aim for a spot in the bottom 15, preferably higher.

"Ok, would you please lend me some points, what is the average rate for a fight?"

"Well, they will probably want a transfer of about 50 thousand dollars instantly or about 10 points."

"Hmm, okay, lend me 20 points, but if I give them to you today, I will have to pay no interest."

"Ok, seems fair to me", the boy had a predatory smile on his face and he took out the Noxia to transfer the points, he set it to lend mode, which meant as soon as he had them, the system would automatically send them to him, this meant there was no need to enforce any debts.

Ace ensured the points had arrived then headed to the desks, there was no one there queueing up so he went forward and asked: "Where are the ranking fights for the bottom 20 or so?"

The girl that attended him was a simple looking brunette, and she smiled at seeing him, "Yes, uhhh, yeah they are fighting in arena 6 probably."

"Ok thank you for the help."

He then headed to the arena stands and watched them fight for some time before he decided who to challenge. He then walked back to the desk and to the girl he had already spoken to, she was staring intently at her phone, and he coughed lightly, in hopes of getting her attention. She instantly looked up, and reddened slightly when seeing who it was, "Ohh, hmm, hey, you are back."

"Yep, I wish to challenge Number 183."

The girl widened her eyes at this and quickly sent a message to who he assumed was the fighter.

"Ok, he wants either 70 thousand in cash or 10 points."

More cash than he expected but it made sense, these people had no problem getting any amount they wished, so he assumed that if he wanted cash it was for a personal reason his family most likely did not approve of.

"That's fine, tell him I can give him the points.". Ace would rather lose the money, but also wanted to be able to collect points early.

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A few minutes later

Ace was standing there in his sports gear, waiting for the other fighter to come out. Then, the boy did, he was taller than Ace and about 40 pounds heavier, but most of it was fat, not muscle. He walked to the centre, shook Ace's hand, and waited for the referee to begin the match.

There was a reason Ace had picked this person, he was extremely strong, but was much slower and did not have much technique, therefore, Ace would be able to dodge his hits and hit him in fast attacks that would hopefully take him down.

"Ding!" The bell sounded out, and 183 rushed at him, wishing to bulldoze him and take him out quickly, but Ace sidestepped and kicked at the boys back, dropping him to the floor. Ace waited for the boy to get back up, he did not have to, but for one, he was not confident getting close and grappling with him, and for the other, he wished for this match to be a clean win, not him kicking the shit out of a downed guy. The boy got up and circled around Ace, trying to find an opening, so Ace gave him one, after a second of hesitation, the boy pounced on him and lashed out with a wild haymaker, slightly faster than Ace anticipated, so instead of dodging, Ace slapped the arm coming at him from the elbow, which opened his ribs for a series of punches, and a finishing kick out the side of the head. It was not as hard as he could manage, but he did not want to rupture his temple, all he wanted to do was make him lose his balance for some time from a hit to the ear.

The boy stumbled back, his heavy frame not dealing well with the loss of balance, and he almost fell back, but managed to correct himself at the last second. He then tried to just directly flatten him and jumped at him with his arms stretched out. Ace just pivoted with his front foot and directed a turning kick to the boy's face. The connection between the flying weight and the turning foot shocked all the people in the stands. It sounded horrible, but Ace had heard much worse, once, while he was near the front of the octagon in the gym waiting to fight, a guy's arm had been dislocated at the shoulder, he had also seen broken bones, but nothing compared to the wet pop and the look of despair on the person's fight, it had not traumatised Ace, but he had not fought again that day.

The boy laid on the floor, knocked out with a dislocated jaw, it looked ugly but was not that bad, and the medics came, carrying him on a stretcher, Ace merely went back to sit down on the bench, and as he was reminiscing about the fight, his Noxia vibrated, it informed him he had received 10 points, and he was now part of the Fight Club, he was also informed that he would soon be requested to have a meeting with the board to discuss his tasks. Ace also paid back the boy, and headed outside, it was time to come back home.