The ghost system

21

Out of curiosity Rhys followed Instructor Zora and Connor's group from a distance as they made they way to team 4. The group who had just won their match and by sheer bad luck would be fighting against Connor's group next.

Rhys leaned against the barrier of a pit a few meters away from the group and watched the scene unfold.

"Listen up team 4, your next match will be against team 25. You'll be fighting against them to earn a place in the second round." She gestured to the group of three guys and a girl standing behind her.

It was painful to watch as team 4s gleeful faces turned listless and depressed. Rhys had expected to see this kind of reaction but it didn't stop him from feeling bad for them.

Rhys squinted at team 4 and the familiar faces he recognised among them. Three members of this team had been in his initiation group a few days ago. They had been there when the room adjacent to theirs had lit up with electrical energy, and bloodied hands had banged desperately against the transparent walls. They already knew about Connor's terrifying ability, maybe that was why they looked so crestfallen.

[Name: Unknown]
[Aura: Telekinesis (weak)]

[Name: Unknown]
[Aura: Water manipulator (weak)]

The telekinetic guy from his initiation group balled up his fists as his face crumpled up in pain. The girl standing next to him had a similar expression on her face, she had also been in Rhys's initiation group.

She let out shaky breath. "We forfeit the match."

Her other teammates said nothing to oppose her, so it seemed like they were all in agreement.

"Huh?" Zora belittled them with her eyes. "You seriously don't even want to try fighting them?"

The telekinetic guy spoke up this time. "We can't win against them, so what's the point in risking our lives for a match? The best case scenario here is that we come out of this with a few injuries. The worst is that we die. It's not worth it."

He had obviously thought this through, they all had, and they were choosing to give up instead of going through unnecessary pain.

Zora once again glided her palm over her smooth egg head and grunted. "If you forfeit a match you immediately get put in the F category. Are guys okay with that?"

They hesitated for a moment. The telekinetic guy didn't looks so sure anymore, the threat of being rated as an F student had stopped him in his tracks. However the hesitation only lasted a moment, because his eyes dimmed again.

"Yes, we're sure."

"Suit yourselves." Zora rolled her eyes as she turned back to Connor's group. "Okay boys, since this team gave up, you've officially made it to round two of the tournament. The second round will start when all the matches from the first round are over. So just walk around, stay warm and you'll be called to fight in no time." With that said Zora speed walked to the other side of the gym where another soldier was trying to get her attention.

"Too scared to fight us?" The ginger haired teleported on Connor's team was all smiles as he looked at team 4.

"I guess being a smart coward is better than being a normal coward." He laughed so innocently that you would never be able to tell from his chuckles alone that he was insulting them. "Isn't that right Connor?"

When all he got was silence, he turned around to see that Connor had already walked away.

"Connor! Wait up!" He pouted.

Rhys straightened up a little bit when he realised that Connor was actually walking towards him.

Connor's long strides came to a halt a few paces in front of Rhys, who stared forward at the most feared freshmen on campus.